Audi 2007 Annual Report Download - page 25

he “eggshell,”as the locals call the new concert hall,
is elegantly shrouded in mist. The imposing building
rises up from the flat surface of the lake in which it
was built, looking as though it were floating on it. “That’s a
phenomenal piece of architecture,” says Rupert Stadler, visi-
bly impressed. In the background is the hum of traffic from
Chang’an, the boulevard that cuts Beijing into north and south.
After a brief pause, his business partner solemnly replies: “It
points to where China wants to go: Towards a balance between
cultural and economic development.” He casually places one
foot on the barrier surrounding the small lake. “Up to now, our
economic development has been the stronger of the two.”
Several Beijing opera singers clad in colorful traditional cos-
tumes are rehearsing in the open space behind them. In this
modern environment, they look almost magical.
Even car executives sometimes like to take a walk – to
clear their minds, say, or, in this case, to get a better feel for
the growth market that is China. Better than through presenta-
tions in air-conditioned conference rooms. Today, Zhu Yan-
feng and Rupert Stadler are out for their first-hand impression.
They want to experience the pace of life in the capital of the
world’s most populous country, to get a feel for its tradition,
its drive to innovate. Both men are in their mid-40s. For both
of them China’s rise is a phenomenon that will mark their
lives. China is a market of the future, and thus one that de-
serves closer inspection. It is the only country in the world
with the potential to overtake America as the world’s largest
car market in the next decade. FAW and Audi have success-
fully worked together here for 20 years, in a joint venture
based in Changchun in Northern China. Zhu and Stadler have
decided to visit two places in Beijing: The National Theater,
one of the world’s most beautiful modern concert halls, right
next to the Gate of Heavenly Peace – in the heart of the urban,
sophisticated part of Beijing. And Nan Luo Gu Xiang, the
city’s most charming traditional street. Protected by its status
as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this is one of the few places
where you can still encounter the traditional, small-scale,
slow-paced Beijing.
As the two continue walking and talking around the
lake, the Great Hall of the People emerges behind the concert
hall. This is where the Chinese government entertains visiting
heads of state. It was built in Stalinist style on the orders of
Mao in 1959. The minimalist dome of the theater easily holds
its own against the monumental pillared structure. Zhu ex-
plains: “Both buildings are the result of the immense effort
involved in moving China forward.” In the north, on the other
side of Chang’an, lies the Forbidden City. No other place in
China brings architectural tradition and modern styles from
the past 100 years so closely together. Stadler is one of the
T
Between business
and bohemians
Zhu Yanfeng, long-time President of Chinese car manufacturer
China FAW Group Corporation (FAW) and current Vice-Governor
of Jilin Province, takes a walk with Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler
through Beijing – a global metropolis gripped by Olympic fever.
COPY Frank Sieren PHOTOGRAPHY Katharina Hesse
Foot off the gas: Zhu Yanfeng and Rupert Stadler stroll through
Nan Luo Gu Xiang, a quiet, secluded street in Beijing.
“We sense that the Chinese market
wants and needs new technology to
meet its new challenges.”
Rupert Stadler,
Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG