Seasonal Changes at Sheshan
How the landscape changes with the weather away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city of Shanghai
Written by: Tan Kia Hieng (NUS Sociology Y3)
Hello I’m Kia Hieng from NCSH28 and I currently intern at Sheshan International Golf Club, the top Golf club in China. Having been in Sheshan for the past 8 months, it is really interesting to see how the flora and fauna has changed in the past three seasons that I was here. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have experience the (best-so-far) WGC-HSBC Champions in Autumn with terrific course conditions and excellent weather. I have also been through an incredibly cold winter with the heaviest snowfall in the past 10 years of Shanghai. Now it’s Spring and it has already hit 30 degrees (Boy, I’m so glad I’m leaving before the very peak of Summer!).
My first ever picture of Sheshan’s club house. It was just recovering from the peak of Summer hitting over 40 degrees which really affected business since it was too hot for outdoor Golf.
I remember the times when the course was so hot that we actually installed huge gigantic fans on course. I found it pretty amusing but heartened that we would go to such lengths to increase the comfort of members here.
The autumn season came as fast as a slap in the face; it was probably only a week of transition before winter came. The locals here call the period of post-summer and pre-autumn 秋老虎. This is because even though temperatures were supposed to drop, it was still past 30 degrees. This wasn’t what I expected in September and the only summer clothing i brought was a pair of shorts. I felt like I melted under the Sun.
One thing that these drastic changes in weather taught me, was to check the weather before I decide what to wear for the day. China’s weather forecast is so precise to the point that i check the temperature by the hour to make sure I am appropriately dressed for each day. This was especially important for my workplace since I’ve found out that Songjiang (where Sheshan is located) is always a degree or two colder than Downtown Shanghai.
Autumn was a week before Winter hit and suddenly I was wearing my trench coat. I remember when it was time to change into our winter uniform — we ditched our silk peach top, blazer and skirt for turtle-neck top, trench coat and pants. I was excited for Winter.
I thoroughly enjoyed the days before down jackets, scarves, gloves and face mask came along. Although I must say it has been an experience having lived through Winter, I will never forget the week of snow when I was bedridden from flu.
The snow came as a surprise to all of us because Shanghai rarely snowed. It was to the point where we didn’t announce course closure even as other Golf clubs did. I fondly remember the first snowfall in Sheshan where there were only a few flakes here and there and there I was the only excited kid taking pictures and videos.
The course was closed for 4 days in total due to heavy snowfall. I remember inviting the rest of my batch to play in Sheshan!
I am really lucky to have witnessed snowfall at Sheshan. It is such a pretty sight seeing the whole course white :’) what’s more is that the temperature was at a comfortable 0 which meant the snow was easy to shape (my friends literally rolled this snowman)!! Really enjoyed the snowscape even though the cold that followed after was unbearable.
The funny thing is when I came back from a trip home I felt like my body was naturally more adapted to the cold. Gone are the 羽绒服s and out come the Spring coats! In fact the funny thing is that Spring is so volatile that it’s as if you’re having winter one day and summer the next — F R U S T R A T I N G !
Just this week I was wearing a bareback romper and today I’m wearing a sweater and jeans as well as a windbreaker. But the coming of Spring also meant — flowers!!! (and bugs, and bees, and all the creepycrawlies that come with it, lol).
How I knew Spring is finally here — when those little bunch of flies start flying to you and above your head while you are out on the course. Yeap, Spring is here and everything is awake!!! I do enjoy my walks now into my office because of all the different colours I see from the flora and fauna in Sheshan.
Something I haven’t really experienced was Summer, but based on the seasons that I have witness, I am glad to say that I have seen the best out of this one year :’). Perfect Autumn weather during WGC, Snow in winter, and now Spring blossoms and reflects the naturalistic landscape that China has. I think even luckier in the environment that I am in such that I can witness all these changes around me. Really makes me appreciate nature’s beauty so much more and become aware of the environment that I am in. I also get to witness how Sheshan actually works with the weather — experimenting with and planting different types of grass, opening the course later because of the morning frost, covering a protective layer of cloth on the greens to prevent frosting. Everyday is a new day at Sheshan and I will keep counting my blessings in the time that I am here. :-)
Best,
Kia
Edit: SHEN Creative team
