What’s in a name? Ask realty developers

By Wendy Min Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/24 18:23:40

Photo: VCG



A name is an identity. A name is fought for, protected by many and is a reflection of something bigger.

I remember visiting Skopje, the capital of erstwhile Macedonia, and being told by locals never to address them as those from the Republic of North Macedonia. Greece and former Macedonia, provisionally called Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, bickered and argued over the name for decades. Under the Prespa Agreement, the name of the country was changed earlier this year, driven by identity and cultural considerations.

Recent news of Chinese authorities stepping in to ban the use of improper names at apartment compounds and real-estate development areas has drawn attention. The names are improper in the form of having non-Chinese vocabulary and phrases, a tonal interpretation of foreign language and names, a direct copy or play-on-words of well-known foreign places and the use of terms or characters for unnecessary promotions.

Every new policy move comes with divided views. While some argue that this is exercising too much control, others support the move; another group of people, including me, supports both.

After accompanying one friend who went apartment-hunting in Chongqing, I found that prices per square meter for an apartment with a posher hybrid foreign-sounding name was far higher than an ordinary compound with a plain name. That apartment block's name was particularly easy to remember because it was called Edinburgh. It is not fair that consumers have to fork out extra cash when a part of that goes to the compound being packaged nicely due to sounding extra-foreign. Truth be told, does having a foreign-sounding name even mean that the compound is necessarily superior than apartment blocks that are plain and normal? 

Although there is no direct correlation to prove that this is a tactic used by real estate developers to make a fast buck, it is not hard to understand and does make sense that it will be used as part of their pitch. 

"See, this apartment has this many facilities with that many rooms and it has such a stylish and exotic name which sets you apart" was something that the sales representative said to my friend. 

Sure, older apartments cannot compare with new ones. Facilities might differ, sewage system and design might be better but does a foreign name typify more advanced features and ensure that home buyers are really buying it from foreign developers? In the end, how many real estate companies are really foreign-owned?

Singapore is worth the mention since Singaporean developers constructed living quarters in my birthplace Nanjing. Their names were far less outlandish than others that I've seen during my travels in other cities. 

Moreover, Raffles, which can be seen throughout many Chinese cities, was put in place with the name being authorized due to joint projects with respective governments.

There is a need to stop misuse of names that sound stylish and foreign when in fact it is an infringement of copyright. While names like Hilton, Sheraton and other labels indeed sound posh, having these words or a play-on-words is not a sign of respecting trademarks. Imagine apartments named "Universal Studio" or "Disneyland"?

It is tiresome and a waste of time to have authorities bring in rules just to rectify the misuse of names when it should have happened as a result of common sense. Come on China - where is your cultural confidence? Shouldn't you be proud of your language and cultural heritage? There are thousands of ancient poems and texts which we can dig into to find unique ancient characters and names. Isn't that more charming? If one lacks creativity, why not give a number to every compound?

Also, while there is a need to do away with the more ridiculously hilarious names of apartments and places, it is even more important to not suddenly target and get rid of say, bilingual road signs, revered and legal foreign names such as foreign trademarks and brands as these make China more "international".

The author is a freelance writer. She was born in China, and raised and educated in Australia, France and China. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

Posted in: VIEWPOINT,BIZ FOCUS

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