The last image of China after two weeks at VinExpo Asia and then Shanghai was the shuttered-up duty free at Hong Kong airport (below) yesterday morning.

Shanghai is frighteningly new. One of the things that makes it different to other large cities is the complete absence of churches and religious symbolism. This is materialism taken to the max and probably a peek at our global future. Mammon is the god of wine here (drop a couple of m’s and an n and you get Mao) and there is precious little evidence of Bacchus. SA has been heading in this direction for the last couple of decades and a trip to China is recommended for any marketer interested in the game going forward.