Australian pedorthists attend Guangzhou Rehab Fair in China - Professional tours
Professional tours
The days prior to the exhibition and scientific meeting was all about professional tour sights of Guangzhou itself, a very very large city with much to see. The group had the benefit of a guided tour by a representative of Raymond Ng. Mr Ng is the proprietor of Dr Kong, a very large and well established children's focused healthy shoe franchise. The tour guide Ian, a senior manager at Dr Kong in Singapore, spoke English very well. One highlight was a visit to the Dr Kong footwear factory where children's footwear and backpacks were made. Cameras came out when the group witnessed some of the production processes and got an understanding of ‘the Chinese way’ with employees work conditions and work processes.
As the group toured the town, an organised afternoon showed them through two uniquely different hospitals – a western medicine style hospital rehabilitation department where things were familiar to sights in an Australian hospital. Then they moved on to a Chinese traditional medicine hospital. The group became fascinated with the traditional medicine. Some of the group experienced firsthand the traditional methods of using bee stings, cupping and acupuncture.
Nelson Gonzalez getting bee sting ‘treatment’ at the Chinese traditional medicine hospital.
The tour led also to visit the precinct where large parts of the footwear manufacture industry is located. A new translator, who knew the district layout very well, was added to the group. Karney, a lovely Chinese lady, had a good grasp on footwear and the English language translation. Gadean footwear supplied the translator and Kris Nastevski from the Australian company Gadean was the new tour director. The vast multi-suburb district included suppliers of components for the footwear manufacturing industry as well as the ‘shop fronts’ where the worlds retailers come to view and purchase bulk amounts of footwear and components, minimum 1000 pair. It is true to say that the tour group was all a bit speechless at the enormity of the size and immense variety of it all. In Australia there is a term ‘gob-smacked’. It means people are unable to understand or comprehend something. This was one such occasion.
In another area of Guangzhou we visited the factory where Australian company Gadean footwear is located. Howard Smith, PAA member from Perth and recently Certified Pedorthist, and Kris Nastevski led the group on a train trip and walk to and though the Gadean footwear factory of which they are both very proud. It seems a well organised business and involves an impressive amount of travel for them both. This part of the tour was very enjoyable and educational.
