The Chinese Just Do It

A few weeks ago Youkubuzz, a blog from one of the biggest Chinese video-sharing sites Youku.com that regularly posts funny/interesting items, tweeted:

It reminded me of some videos and news-items that have all experienced their 15 minutes of viral-fame in China. They are about home-made vehicles. Sounds boring? How about a gyro copter for 2, an ultra-light airplane with a rudder made of hemp-rope, or a one-person helicopter that maneuvers through the streets of GuangZhou? I think the vehicles in the videos are a metaphor for the Chinese way of doing things: people here have a very different mindset than in developed economies. Rather than safety-first it is all about pragmatism. As the videos show, despite the dusty-and dirtiness, the pragmatic and auto didactic approach definitely pays off . Here’s a small list:

A home-made helicopter (nearly slicing up the power cables):

A home-made ultralight plane:

How Startup Amsterdam Boosts Innovation and Growth at TNW Conference

Discover how the City of Amsterdam partnered with TNW to amplify its startup ecosystem, attract global talent, and foster innovation that drives economic impact.

Read the case study

A shanzhai F1 car (doing 170 km/h):

Story by Pieter-Paul

Pieter-Paul lives in Beijing where he works for +8* (plus eight star), the leading cross-market and cross-culture innovation consulting comp (show all) Pieter-Paul lives in Beijing where he works for +8* (plus eight star), the leading cross-market and cross-culture innovation consulting company about Asia’s telecom and Internet. Before moving to China he graduated on the internationalization of the Chinese Internet industry. Besides writing about himself in third person Pieter-Paul is also co-author of the award winning China tech-blog MOBINODE.