China's Instant Cities

Excellent in-depth National Geographic feature story by Peter Hessler (of Oracle Bones fame), on the National Geographic site, entitled, "China's Instant Cities" (h/t to Ich Bin Ein Beijinger).  Subtitled, "How one supercharged province cranks out lightbulbs, buttons, and bra rings, as well as instant cities for the factory workers," the story is about the legendarily entrepreneurial province of Zhejiang (and its cities of Wenzhou and Lishui) and a new boomtown there of rapidly built small factories, with no business plan at all.  Based on my dealings with small Chinese factories, the story is dead on, including the part about the lack of any business plan at all. 

Stories like these help convey what it can be like doing business in China outside its major cities and, to a certain extent, within those cities as well.  A very interesting read.