That kind of flashy, gaudy wealth is very common in both China and Russia, marx termed it primitive capitalism,and even Deng Xiaoping himself, architect of the opening and reform said something along the lines of, when we open up, we can't keep all the flies out. It is all based on face and a lack of belief in anything else. Then again to quote something else I read which said laugh at the poor, not at prostitutes, I don't expect contemporary china to change. Greed IS the religion.