Freedom to be Managed.docVIP

Freedom to be Managed 　　In the plaza in front of the swanky commercial complex Shanghai Centre， one of the fanciest downtown shopping areas of China’s economic capital， singer Zhang Yi belts out jazzy tunes to shoppers accompanied by his guitar. Some passersby stop to listen and， occasionally， throw some loose change into his guitar case. Fifty meters from Zhang， Li Xionggang’s dexterous fingers shape Chinese zodiac animals out of empty cans. When people stop to ask Li how much his creations cost， he tells them to “pay whatever price.” 　　Not far away from Zhang and Li， conspicuously the only street performers in the area， security guards patrol the center’s main concourse， but none are interfering with the two men’s “business.” While elsewhere in China both would have likely been hauled away， Zhang and Li both hold licenses to keep the peace between them and local security forces. These licenses， granted by the Shanghai Performance Trade Association （SPTA）， bear the legend： “License of Verified Performance of Shanghai Street Entertainer.” A street performer in Shanghai 　　 Restoration 　　As long as it is not raining， legally licensed street performers appear on the Shanghai Centre plaza every evening from 5 to 7 PM. There are two other sites in the city’s Jing’an District where the government has approved street performances by licensed entertainers. So far， however， only Jing’an District has actually allowed such performances to take place. 　　Strictly speaking， unlicensed business or performances on the streets and in other public spaces are all illegal， according to Chinese laws and regulations. However， public busking is far from uncommon in the country， particularly in areas close to tourist attractions and retail spaces. In many cases， street performers have long been playing a “guerrilla game” with urban management officials. 　　Among China’s cities， Shanghai is wellknown for its orderly and tightly managed urban environment. Yet， to Luo Huaizhen， a S