Traveling to Guangzhou and Shenzhen instead of Beijing and Shanghai is akin to visiting Dallas over New York or Los Angeles.
These aren’t “show cities” with tour buses ready to transport travelers to cultural excursions; instead, these are “overnight cities” that are abundant in shiny skyscrapers and construction cranes.
Sarika Chawla reports on her experiences finding authentic local experiences that lurk underneath New China’s glossy exterior.
If you’ve never heard of Guangzhou or Shenzen, you’re not alone. Located in southern China in the prosperous Pearl River Delta (PRD) these cities have sprung up from old farming and fishing villages over the past three decades, but are often overlooked by leisure travelers and tour groups. Sure, it’s seen as a shopping extension of Hong Kong, worthy of a day or overnight trip—but as a destination for Americans, this region isn’t given a lot of credit as a city with history, culture or attractions.
The PRD, which also encompasses nearby Hong Kong and Macau has flourished as a center of manufacturing and exports, and its growth has been dizzying. Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton, is a dynamic port city and the capital of the Guangdong Province. China Southern flies directly into Guangzhou, but for many U.S. travelers it’s more common to enter from Hong Kong or Shenzhen. Nonstop flights to Hong Kong depart several times daily via Cathay Pacific, United Airlines and US Airways. Guangzhou is easily accessible from Hong Kong on Dragonair or by train, or from Shenzhen by road or rail.
Whichever way you arrive, it’s impossible to miss the rapid urbanization, as the few remaining three- and four-story buildings are drowned out by modern structures and towering skyscrapers.
Note that English isn’t commonly spoken in this region. Have your hotel concierge write down the sights that you want to see—including the name of the hotel so you can return safely—in Chinese characters to show your taxi driver.
Better yet, talk to the hotel concierge to arrange your excursions with a driver and/or translator. Right now, the only American-branded hotels are the luxury Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, and the more moderately-priced Marriott (aka China Hotel), Westin Guangzhou, and Grand Hyatt Guangzhou.
For a quick and easy cultural excursion, head to the Nanyue Royal Tomb Museum. Dating back more than 2000 years, this tomb was uncovered in the 1980s, revealing the remains of the king who killed himself, along with 15 others. Visitors are welcome to enter the tomb; indoors, various other antiquities, semi-precious jewelry, and even the king’s gold-embroidered jade burial suit are on display.
One area where Guangzhou really holds onto its history is through its food: namely, Cantonese cuisine. This style of cooking is all about simplicity, the goal being to let the ingredients shine instead of being gussied up by sauces and spices.
Heavy Cantonese migration into the U.S. has made this type of cuisine more familiar to American palates than other Chinese styles. But, unlike your corner Chinese restaurant, true Cantonese cooking relies on seafood and animal parts that we’re not used to seeing. Pig’s feet and sea slug soup, anyone?
To experience some old-fashioned foodie culture shock, head to the Huangshan Aquatic Products Wholesale Market on the west side of town. Fish-mongers in thigh-high boots wade through puddles of water in this outdoor market, showcasing tanks of writhing, wriggling seafood. PETA supporters need not apply as the sight of lobsters and turtles stuffed into plastic bins—as many as can fit, and then some—can be disturbing. But the array of exotic seafood is astonishing, from hairy crab to slippery sea cucumbers to rock-like abalone (and the occasional thrashing snake or tank of scorpions), along with more familiar-looking salmon and flounder swimming along happily.
Perhaps nothing satisfies American-style cravings for “authentic” Cantonese than dim sum. The term applies more to the style of eating than the food itself, as there is no such thing as a set dim sum menu. Often served from 6 a.m. on weekdays and as brunch on weekends, dim sum involves copious amounts of small bites—dumplings, pancakes, buns, to name a few.
Dim sum restaurants abound throughout the city, but check out Lai Heen Cantonese restaurant inside the Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, which serves dim sum paired with teas selected by the in-house tea sommelier. Another good option is Bei Yuan Restaurant, a gorgeously designed space built around a tranquil garden and pond and all-day dim sum.
What’s a trip to China without some tea? The Fang Cun Tea Market isn’t just any tea shop—it’s perhaps the largest tea-vending complex in the world, packed with more than 1,000 vendors from all over China selling loose leaves, tea sets and ceramics.
If navigating the construction and chaos of ultra-developed Guangzhou becomes overwhelming, travelers can find respite in Shamian Island.
This tiny sandbank is separated from Guangzhou by a small canal, and served as an important center for foreign merchants. As a result, quiet, pedestrian-friendly streets are lined with grand Colonial-style buildings.
A Starbucks, a youth hostel and trinket shops give it something of a touristy edge, but architectural gems such as Our Lady of Lourdes church and the occasional glimpse of a local doing tai chi under a banyan tree make it a worthwhile visit.
(As a bonus, if you’ve ever had questions about adoption in China, you might find answers inside Shamian Island’s White Swan Hotel. Because it’s located down the street from the American consulate, this luxury hotel tends to attract adoptive families, earning it the nickname, “White Stork Hotel.”)
For much of the year, Guangzhou suffers from heavy pollution, most of which can be traced to the ceramics industry in nearby city of Foshan.
To get away from the oppressive air, take a short taxi ride to Baiyun Mountain just north of the city.
Baiyun, which is Cantonese for “white clouds,” is made of up dozens of mountain peaks, the tallest of which stands more than 1,200 feet.
Fresh air, gorgeous greenery and crowds of locals picnicking and playing the Chinese version of hacky-sack round out this truly authentic experience. Trolley buses are available to transport visitors up the mountain, but if you’ve got the energy, do as the locals do and start walking.
Much of Guangzhou’s claim to fame is the abundant, and downright affordable, shopping. Being so close to Hong Kong, travelers will often hop over for a night to explore the goods—everything from silk to porcelain to electronics.
Guangzhou is especially known for its jade industry, which is mostly centered around the Jade Market on Hualin Street. The space is packed with stalls of jade vendors, selling everything from dinky green-dyed rocks to exquisite jewelry. If you can hire an interpreter to help with the haggling, all the better—but at the very least, arm yourself with a few key Cantonese phrases! (Perhaps the most useful is “Tai Gui,” or “too much.”) If you’re purchasing a necklace, check the clasp—some vendors are actually selling the stones on a string, not a proper necklace.
For the non-shopper, however, the biggest surprise is 500 Arhat Hall in Hua Lin Temple, which appears unexpectedly in the middle of the market. Follow your nose to the source of incense, and you’ll be greeted by a dark and solemn room filled with more than 500 golden statues, each representing a different manifestation of Buddha. There’s something eerie about the hundreds of statues peering down at you, but also oddly peaceful.
Guangzhou boasts several other renowned religious spaces, notably the ancient Temple of the Six Banyan Trees on Liurong Road, a multi-faceted pagoda original built in the 6th century, and the Huaisheng Mosque, noticeable for its distinctive pointed minaret and thought to be one of the oldest mosques in the world.
And, because it always has to go back to food (at least in my world) … keep strolling through the Jade Market until you come out onto Shang Xia Jiu Road.
The scent of frying oil will light up your senses as you jostle through crowds past stall after stall of street food. Chinese teens gather here to chatter and snack on everything from bowls of pitch-black sesame seed paste to skewers of fried squid.
And just a few steps away is a bustling pedestrian square, with hordes of storefronts emblazoned with Chinese characters, save for the dueling McDonald’s sitting kitty corner from one another with a KFC in between.
By Sarika Chawla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Monday, January 4, 2010
TRAVEL: Top Travel Gadgets and Gizmos for 2009
Thousands of new gadgets are introduced each year, but few rise above mediocrity.
Gadget guy Phil Baker shares some of the best products among the several hundred he’s tested this year.
From stocking stuffers to gifts of a lifetime, each one represents excellence in design and performance, a good value, and stands apart from competitive offerings.
Toshiba mini NB200 netbook – While Toshiba is late to the netbook market than many of its competition, the NB200 is a product worth waiting for. It has a near full-size keyboard, a rarity on netbooks. It weighs three pounds, gets more than five hours of real battery life, and has the highest environmental ranking for a PC. Its three USB ports remain on when the lid is closed making it a portable charger, as well. Best of all, it’s shipping with Windows 7. $350; www.Toshiba.com
Novatel MiFi – A stand-alone wireless card, sold by Sprint and Verizon, it combines 3G and Wi-Fi into a credit card-size device that provides a Wireless hotspot wherever you go. It allows up to five devices to be wirelessly connected to a 3G network and eliminates the need to install drivers in your devices. I use it with my notebook and iPhone, and share it with others in meetings. $100 plus $60/month; www.sprint.com and www.verizon.com.
TripIt Pro – The TripIt Pro app for computers and smart phones brings organization to all of your travel plans, making it a must for frequent business travelers. Simply forward your confirmations from airlines, rental car companies and hotels, and TripIt organizes each trip, adds the items to your calendar and provides you with timely reminders. $49/year; www.Tripit.com
Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset – Among the dozens of Bluetooth headsets I’ve tried, the Pro is one of the very few that gets just about everything right. It provides very good clarity at both ends of the conversation, has a long battery life and is comfortable, even when worn all day long. Its controls are easy to use and understand, and it uses a standard micro USB charger. $99; www.Plantronics.com
Windows 7 – This long-awaited new Windows operating system puts Vista users out of their misery and brings a new level of usability to all PCs. It’s an example of where less is more: fewer interruptions, annoyances and quirks. It’s the first Windows OS that should give Apple some pause. If there’s one complaint it’s that there are too many versions, complicating what should be a simple purchase. $120; www.Microsoft.com
Palm Pre – This is the first smart cell phone that’s a formidable challenger to the iPhone. It uses a new operating system, WebOS, that’s superb, if a little slow. While it still can’t compete in all areas to the iPhone, the phone is smaller, has great call quality, and is on the much-preferred Sprint network. It’s complemented by its excellent line of well designed accessories, particularly its Touchstone inductive charger. $149; www.Palm.com
Motorola’s Droid Phone – This is the best Android phone yet and is Motorola’s best new phone since the RAZR. It runs Google’s new 2.0 OS; it’s a slim, attractive phone, about the size and weight of an iPhone. It has the best display of any phone, a slide out keyboard, and a replaceable battery. It has a built-in turn-by-turn GPS system, but proved rough around its edges. Two clever docks ($30 each), one for the car and another for home, transform the phone into the navigator and alarm clock modes. About $200; www.verizon.com and www.motorola.com
Pentax K7 – This compact semi-professional DSLR does everything well at a very competitive price. It has all of the features most pros need, yet can be used by beginners using its green setting. The K-7 has received rave reviews for packing so much into such a small a package that’s weatherproof and ruggedly constructed out of magnesium. That puts it ahead of competitive offerings that are larger and mostly plastic. About $1,050; www.PentaxImaging.com
Briggs & Riley 15.4″ Executive Expandable Rolling Brief (KR306X) – New this year, this is the most functional, well-designed, and durable rolling business bag I’ve found. It has useful pockets and compartments to hold everything in its place. It’s narrow enough to wheel down a coach class cabin, small enough to fit under most airplane seats, and big enough to carry most everything you need. $369; www.briggs-riley.com
Mindjet Mind Manager – This is a terrific software product for PCs and Macs that users can’t live without, yet most are unaware of it. It enables you to organize, manage, and communicate ideas and information using visual diagrams called a mind map. For some activities it’s much more effective than using lists. You begin with a central theme and add sub-topics on branches that can include notes, ideas, tasks or images. The latest version for the Mac, MindManager 8, adds much more functionality including integration with Mac apps, Excel and Word, and lets you link items on your map to Web sites, online information, documents and photos. $99-$249; www.Mindjet.com
Kensington Portable Power Adapter – Ideal for travelers, this is one of the best implementations of a portable outlet for charging multiple devices all at once. The slim device plugs into a single outlet and connects five devices at once with its three AC and two USB sockets. Its grounded cord wraps into a thin, lightweight package that’s easy to take everywhere. $25; www.Kensington.com
Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Noise reducing headphones – This new model works far better then their previous models, the QC 2 and QC3, and competitive products. Noise reduction is almost total, while comfort and fidelity are improved. The QCV15 has dispensed with clumsy rechargeable batteries and gone back to using a single AAA cells that lasts about 30 hours, making it much more convenient for travelers. $300; www.Bose.com
By Phil Baker for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit Phil on the Web at http://blog.philipgbaker.com, and check out his book, From Concept to Consumer: How to Turn Ideas into Money.
Gadget guy Phil Baker shares some of the best products among the several hundred he’s tested this year.
From stocking stuffers to gifts of a lifetime, each one represents excellence in design and performance, a good value, and stands apart from competitive offerings.
Toshiba mini NB200 netbook – While Toshiba is late to the netbook market than many of its competition, the NB200 is a product worth waiting for. It has a near full-size keyboard, a rarity on netbooks. It weighs three pounds, gets more than five hours of real battery life, and has the highest environmental ranking for a PC. Its three USB ports remain on when the lid is closed making it a portable charger, as well. Best of all, it’s shipping with Windows 7. $350; www.Toshiba.com
Novatel MiFi – A stand-alone wireless card, sold by Sprint and Verizon, it combines 3G and Wi-Fi into a credit card-size device that provides a Wireless hotspot wherever you go. It allows up to five devices to be wirelessly connected to a 3G network and eliminates the need to install drivers in your devices. I use it with my notebook and iPhone, and share it with others in meetings. $100 plus $60/month; www.sprint.com and www.verizon.com.
TripIt Pro – The TripIt Pro app for computers and smart phones brings organization to all of your travel plans, making it a must for frequent business travelers. Simply forward your confirmations from airlines, rental car companies and hotels, and TripIt organizes each trip, adds the items to your calendar and provides you with timely reminders. $49/year; www.Tripit.com
Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset – Among the dozens of Bluetooth headsets I’ve tried, the Pro is one of the very few that gets just about everything right. It provides very good clarity at both ends of the conversation, has a long battery life and is comfortable, even when worn all day long. Its controls are easy to use and understand, and it uses a standard micro USB charger. $99; www.Plantronics.com
Windows 7 – This long-awaited new Windows operating system puts Vista users out of their misery and brings a new level of usability to all PCs. It’s an example of where less is more: fewer interruptions, annoyances and quirks. It’s the first Windows OS that should give Apple some pause. If there’s one complaint it’s that there are too many versions, complicating what should be a simple purchase. $120; www.Microsoft.com
Palm Pre – This is the first smart cell phone that’s a formidable challenger to the iPhone. It uses a new operating system, WebOS, that’s superb, if a little slow. While it still can’t compete in all areas to the iPhone, the phone is smaller, has great call quality, and is on the much-preferred Sprint network. It’s complemented by its excellent line of well designed accessories, particularly its Touchstone inductive charger. $149; www.Palm.com
Motorola’s Droid Phone – This is the best Android phone yet and is Motorola’s best new phone since the RAZR. It runs Google’s new 2.0 OS; it’s a slim, attractive phone, about the size and weight of an iPhone. It has the best display of any phone, a slide out keyboard, and a replaceable battery. It has a built-in turn-by-turn GPS system, but proved rough around its edges. Two clever docks ($30 each), one for the car and another for home, transform the phone into the navigator and alarm clock modes. About $200; www.verizon.com and www.motorola.com
Pentax K7 – This compact semi-professional DSLR does everything well at a very competitive price. It has all of the features most pros need, yet can be used by beginners using its green setting. The K-7 has received rave reviews for packing so much into such a small a package that’s weatherproof and ruggedly constructed out of magnesium. That puts it ahead of competitive offerings that are larger and mostly plastic. About $1,050; www.PentaxImaging.com
Briggs & Riley 15.4″ Executive Expandable Rolling Brief (KR306X) – New this year, this is the most functional, well-designed, and durable rolling business bag I’ve found. It has useful pockets and compartments to hold everything in its place. It’s narrow enough to wheel down a coach class cabin, small enough to fit under most airplane seats, and big enough to carry most everything you need. $369; www.briggs-riley.com
Mindjet Mind Manager – This is a terrific software product for PCs and Macs that users can’t live without, yet most are unaware of it. It enables you to organize, manage, and communicate ideas and information using visual diagrams called a mind map. For some activities it’s much more effective than using lists. You begin with a central theme and add sub-topics on branches that can include notes, ideas, tasks or images. The latest version for the Mac, MindManager 8, adds much more functionality including integration with Mac apps, Excel and Word, and lets you link items on your map to Web sites, online information, documents and photos. $99-$249; www.Mindjet.com
Kensington Portable Power Adapter – Ideal for travelers, this is one of the best implementations of a portable outlet for charging multiple devices all at once. The slim device plugs into a single outlet and connects five devices at once with its three AC and two USB sockets. Its grounded cord wraps into a thin, lightweight package that’s easy to take everywhere. $25; www.Kensington.com
Bose Quiet Comfort 15 Noise reducing headphones – This new model works far better then their previous models, the QC 2 and QC3, and competitive products. Noise reduction is almost total, while comfort and fidelity are improved. The QCV15 has dispensed with clumsy rechargeable batteries and gone back to using a single AAA cells that lasts about 30 hours, making it much more convenient for travelers. $300; www.Bose.com
By Phil Baker for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit Phil on the Web at http://blog.philipgbaker.com, and check out his book, From Concept to Consumer: How to Turn Ideas into Money.
CHINA & TAIWAN: Taiwan and China
October 7, 2009
By PHILIP BOWRING
Op-Ed Contributor
HONG KONG — Taiwan’s position as a de facto independent state seems to be morphing very slowly toward the “one country, two systems” status of Hong Kong. The process is not irreversible but the sentiments of those of mainland origin in the governing Nationalist Party, along with the self-interest of business groups and a widespread sense of economic vulnerability are all pushing the island toward accommodation with Beijing.
The trend could mean an erosion in the support Taiwan gets, albeit erratically, from the United States and Japan.
The most striking evidence of a desire to please Beijing — at the expense of the liberal values which have gained Taiwan much praise in recent years — was the denial of entry to the exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer. This was done in the name of “national interest,” apparently linked to the finalization, expected soon, of a memorandum of understanding on cross-strait financial links.
For sure, the memorandum would be a major advance, enabling banks in particular to escape the confines of Taiwan, with its low growth and surplus savings, for the fast-growing mainland. And it would bring more mainland capital to local stocks and property. But the government of President Ma Ying-jeou may have forgotten that Taiwan’s national interest as an independent state, albeit one that may one day merge with the mainland, sometimes requires sacrifices. The degree of autonomy that Rebiya Kadeer has been seeking for Uighurs is a fraction of that enjoyed by Taiwan or even Hong Kong.
There is real benefit in increasing cross-straits financial links. Banks have much to gain by being able to service clients in Taiwan with business on the mainland. Cross-straits links may attract service industries to Taiwan that would otherwise go to Hong Kong. Mainland tourism is also an unqualified plus.
But Taiwan seems to be talking itself into believing that it is even more dependent on the mainland than need be the case. The island would be a more attractive place for foreign business if it removed the many restrictions that exist to protect local businesses, or stem simply from bureaucracy and outdated rules. Tax issues also tend to keep business offshore while not preventing a huge outflow of capital. The Ma government has made progress on these issues, but they get scant attention compared to cross-straits ones.
It is easy to blame a lackluster economy on being unable to take full advantage of the mainland. But in reality, Taiwan is a mature economy with minimal growth in its work force. Like Japan, its problems lie with an inefficient domestic services sector, not with an inventive export-manufacturing one.
Dependence on China is often overstated. While 40 percent of Taiwan’s exports go there, more than half are components for globally traded items like laptops and cellphones made by Taiwanese companies and then re-exported from China. The dependence is self-imposed for profit reasons, which may be shifting as mainland costs rise. There are alternatives.
Worrying too for friends of Taiwan’s liberal democracy is the vengeance being meted out to the opposition by powerful supporters of the governing Nationalist Party, or KMT. Former president Chen Shui-bian was found guilty of corruption and his conduct has left the opposition Democratic Progressive Party demoralized and frustrated. But given the pervasiveness of money politics and the past reputation of the Nationalists for corruption, the life sentence for Chen is extreme. Now, in the name of fighting corruption, there is talk of a witch-hunt against other members of the Chen administration. To some this smacks of an attempt by pro-unification elements to please Beijing by demonizing Chen, who supported independence and who suffered much in the cause of breaking the KMT’s authoritarian hold on power.
None of this is likely to help Taiwan’s relations with its main supporter, the United States. Chen upset a natural ally in George W. Bush by needlessly provoking Beijing in an attempt to score political points at home. Now the KMT seems to have gone to the other extreme. Taiwan has long disappointed Washington with unwillingness to spend money on arms. Now it may sense a lack of willingness to pay an economic price for the principles of independence and liberalism it claims to stand for. President Ma remains well-regarded abroad, but his grip on the KMT is uncertain. Taiwan lacks a strategic view of itself and how to balance relations with the Chinese mainland, the United States and the global economy with liberal democracy and de facto independence.
Copyright 2009
By PHILIP BOWRING
Op-Ed Contributor
HONG KONG — Taiwan’s position as a de facto independent state seems to be morphing very slowly toward the “one country, two systems” status of Hong Kong. The process is not irreversible but the sentiments of those of mainland origin in the governing Nationalist Party, along with the self-interest of business groups and a widespread sense of economic vulnerability are all pushing the island toward accommodation with Beijing.
The trend could mean an erosion in the support Taiwan gets, albeit erratically, from the United States and Japan.
The most striking evidence of a desire to please Beijing — at the expense of the liberal values which have gained Taiwan much praise in recent years — was the denial of entry to the exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer. This was done in the name of “national interest,” apparently linked to the finalization, expected soon, of a memorandum of understanding on cross-strait financial links.
For sure, the memorandum would be a major advance, enabling banks in particular to escape the confines of Taiwan, with its low growth and surplus savings, for the fast-growing mainland. And it would bring more mainland capital to local stocks and property. But the government of President Ma Ying-jeou may have forgotten that Taiwan’s national interest as an independent state, albeit one that may one day merge with the mainland, sometimes requires sacrifices. The degree of autonomy that Rebiya Kadeer has been seeking for Uighurs is a fraction of that enjoyed by Taiwan or even Hong Kong.
There is real benefit in increasing cross-straits financial links. Banks have much to gain by being able to service clients in Taiwan with business on the mainland. Cross-straits links may attract service industries to Taiwan that would otherwise go to Hong Kong. Mainland tourism is also an unqualified plus.
But Taiwan seems to be talking itself into believing that it is even more dependent on the mainland than need be the case. The island would be a more attractive place for foreign business if it removed the many restrictions that exist to protect local businesses, or stem simply from bureaucracy and outdated rules. Tax issues also tend to keep business offshore while not preventing a huge outflow of capital. The Ma government has made progress on these issues, but they get scant attention compared to cross-straits ones.
It is easy to blame a lackluster economy on being unable to take full advantage of the mainland. But in reality, Taiwan is a mature economy with minimal growth in its work force. Like Japan, its problems lie with an inefficient domestic services sector, not with an inventive export-manufacturing one.
Dependence on China is often overstated. While 40 percent of Taiwan’s exports go there, more than half are components for globally traded items like laptops and cellphones made by Taiwanese companies and then re-exported from China. The dependence is self-imposed for profit reasons, which may be shifting as mainland costs rise. There are alternatives.
Worrying too for friends of Taiwan’s liberal democracy is the vengeance being meted out to the opposition by powerful supporters of the governing Nationalist Party, or KMT. Former president Chen Shui-bian was found guilty of corruption and his conduct has left the opposition Democratic Progressive Party demoralized and frustrated. But given the pervasiveness of money politics and the past reputation of the Nationalists for corruption, the life sentence for Chen is extreme. Now, in the name of fighting corruption, there is talk of a witch-hunt against other members of the Chen administration. To some this smacks of an attempt by pro-unification elements to please Beijing by demonizing Chen, who supported independence and who suffered much in the cause of breaking the KMT’s authoritarian hold on power.
None of this is likely to help Taiwan’s relations with its main supporter, the United States. Chen upset a natural ally in George W. Bush by needlessly provoking Beijing in an attempt to score political points at home. Now the KMT seems to have gone to the other extreme. Taiwan has long disappointed Washington with unwillingness to spend money on arms. Now it may sense a lack of willingness to pay an economic price for the principles of independence and liberalism it claims to stand for. President Ma remains well-regarded abroad, but his grip on the KMT is uncertain. Taiwan lacks a strategic view of itself and how to balance relations with the Chinese mainland, the United States and the global economy with liberal democracy and de facto independence.
Copyright 2009
CHINA & TAIWAN: Untold Stories of China and Taiwan
October 6, 2009
By VERNA YU
HONG KONG — When Ying Meijun bade farewell to her 1-year-old son at the train station in September 1949, little did she know that it would be 38 years before she saw him again.
The baby was crying so much that she decided not to take him onto the overcrowded train, so she left him in the care of his grandmother.
Thinking they were only leaving China temporarily, she promised: “We’ll be back soon.”
By the time she saw her first-born child again in 1987, he was a 40-year-old man wearied by years of hard labor on a mainland Chinese farm. Fighting back tears, he told his elderly parents how, as a young child, he used to chase trains that went pass their front door, shouting, “Mother! Mother!”, thinking that she would be on them.
Ms. Ying and her husband, Lung Huaisheng, who was an officer in the military police under Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government, fled with his family to Taiwan a few months after the Communist Party declared itself the new ruler of China on Oct. 1, 1949.
Even in his old age, Lung Huaisheng often wept as he took out the shoe soles that his mother knitted and gave him when they saw each other for the last time at the train station.
These family memories are just some of the heart-wrenching stories told by their daughter, Lung Yingtai, a Taiwan-born author and University of Hong Kong professor, in her latest book “Da Jiang Da Hai 1949” (“Big River, Big Sea — Untold Stories of 1949”). The book is published by Taiwan’s CommonWealth Magazine and Hong Kong’s Cosmos Books.
Ms. Lung, who was born two years after the family moved to Taiwan, is a leading cultural critic, well-known for her sharp and candid writing. Her book of social-political criticism, “The Wild Fire,” published in 1985 when Taiwan was still under Kuomintang’s one-party rule, was seen as influential in the democratization of the island.
Her new book is a tribute to the tens of millions of people “who were trampled on, humiliated and hurt by the era.” It tells the story of the many Chinese families that were broken up by the civil war that ended in the Kuomintang’s defeat in 1949, with some two million escaping to Taiwan. Many, like her own parents, hastily said goodbye to loved ones in mainland China and would never see them again.
Apart from the stories of her own family and other Chinese people born in that era — including President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan — there are tales of elderly people who as young men fought for the Kuomintang, the Communist Party, or both, and even Japan (which ruled Taiwan from 1895 until 1945).
Many have not openly talked about their experiences. One 89-year-old man who was held by the Japanese as a prisoner of war told Ms. Lung he waited all his life to tell his story.
Ms. Lung’s book has become an instant best seller — more than 100,000 copies have been sold in Taiwan and 10,000 in Hong Kong since its publication in early September. Ms. Lung, who will be giving a talk at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Oct. 15, said the book did not have an English-language publisher yet. Although Ms. Lung had expressed a wish to publish it in mainland China, it seems almost impossible now, as the government has banned all Internet articles and discussions on the book.
Ms. Lung hopes to break down her readers’ preconceptions about events around 1949. Under Communist rule, many mainlanders regard Taiwan as a renegade province that should be taken back by force if necessary.
“I want to give them a different perspective,” she said.
As the Taiwan-born offspring of mainland refugees herself, she wants mainland readers, particularly political leaders like President Hu Jintao of China, to learn about the pain and sufferings of the people of Taiwan.
“When will there be no war? It’s when you can see your enemy’s wounds, then you won’t be able to pick up your gun,” she said.
She hopes the book will make people in China and Taiwan abandon long-held suspicions and prejudices regarding each other.
“If all that the leaders can think about are political negotiations” and economic interests “and there is no genuine understanding of emotions, then the foundation of peace would not be solid enough,” she said.
While researching her book, Ms. Lung discovered that residents of Changchun in the northeastern province of Jilin had not heard of the People’s Liberation Army’s five-month siege of that city in 1948, which resulted in between 150,000 and 650,000 people dying of starvation.
Instead, what they learn about in mainland Chinese history textbooks is the P.L.A.’s “great victory” when it “liberated” that city.
Mainland China is not the only side to edit its version of history.
The Kuomintang, which lost 470,000 troops in the northeastern battles and later fled to Taiwan, did not mention its defeat in the textbooks of Taiwan, either.
Ms. Lung wanted to tell this history through the tales or ordinary people.
She claims to make no political or moral judgment in her book. There is no “right side” or “wrong side” in the stories, she says. The Kuomintang troops, the People’s Liberation Army and the Taiwanese soldiers fighting for their Japanese colonial masters are given an equal hearing. To her, those individuals were just young people caught up in history.
“In this book I don’t care about who is on the right side, the victorious or the defeated side. I just want to show you that when you dismantle the apparatus of state, what’s inside are these individuals.”
Parts of Ms. Lung’s book also detail the stories of families amid wars and conflicts in the West, including the loving letters written by her German mother-in-law’s first husband before he died in a Soviet prisoner of war camp during World War II.
Ms. Lung said she included these because she wanted her Chinese readers to see their own history in perspective.
“Chinese people on both sides of the straits tend to see history from their own national scope,” she said. “But actually who is righteous or unrighteous? It’s a very complicated matter.”
“If we continue to be the unthinking cogs in a machine,” she said, “then how do you know whether these tragic misfortunes would not be repeated?”
Copyright 2009
By VERNA YU
HONG KONG — When Ying Meijun bade farewell to her 1-year-old son at the train station in September 1949, little did she know that it would be 38 years before she saw him again.
The baby was crying so much that she decided not to take him onto the overcrowded train, so she left him in the care of his grandmother.
Thinking they were only leaving China temporarily, she promised: “We’ll be back soon.”
By the time she saw her first-born child again in 1987, he was a 40-year-old man wearied by years of hard labor on a mainland Chinese farm. Fighting back tears, he told his elderly parents how, as a young child, he used to chase trains that went pass their front door, shouting, “Mother! Mother!”, thinking that she would be on them.
Ms. Ying and her husband, Lung Huaisheng, who was an officer in the military police under Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government, fled with his family to Taiwan a few months after the Communist Party declared itself the new ruler of China on Oct. 1, 1949.
Even in his old age, Lung Huaisheng often wept as he took out the shoe soles that his mother knitted and gave him when they saw each other for the last time at the train station.
These family memories are just some of the heart-wrenching stories told by their daughter, Lung Yingtai, a Taiwan-born author and University of Hong Kong professor, in her latest book “Da Jiang Da Hai 1949” (“Big River, Big Sea — Untold Stories of 1949”). The book is published by Taiwan’s CommonWealth Magazine and Hong Kong’s Cosmos Books.
Ms. Lung, who was born two years after the family moved to Taiwan, is a leading cultural critic, well-known for her sharp and candid writing. Her book of social-political criticism, “The Wild Fire,” published in 1985 when Taiwan was still under Kuomintang’s one-party rule, was seen as influential in the democratization of the island.
Her new book is a tribute to the tens of millions of people “who were trampled on, humiliated and hurt by the era.” It tells the story of the many Chinese families that were broken up by the civil war that ended in the Kuomintang’s defeat in 1949, with some two million escaping to Taiwan. Many, like her own parents, hastily said goodbye to loved ones in mainland China and would never see them again.
Apart from the stories of her own family and other Chinese people born in that era — including President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan — there are tales of elderly people who as young men fought for the Kuomintang, the Communist Party, or both, and even Japan (which ruled Taiwan from 1895 until 1945).
Many have not openly talked about their experiences. One 89-year-old man who was held by the Japanese as a prisoner of war told Ms. Lung he waited all his life to tell his story.
Ms. Lung’s book has become an instant best seller — more than 100,000 copies have been sold in Taiwan and 10,000 in Hong Kong since its publication in early September. Ms. Lung, who will be giving a talk at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Oct. 15, said the book did not have an English-language publisher yet. Although Ms. Lung had expressed a wish to publish it in mainland China, it seems almost impossible now, as the government has banned all Internet articles and discussions on the book.
Ms. Lung hopes to break down her readers’ preconceptions about events around 1949. Under Communist rule, many mainlanders regard Taiwan as a renegade province that should be taken back by force if necessary.
“I want to give them a different perspective,” she said.
As the Taiwan-born offspring of mainland refugees herself, she wants mainland readers, particularly political leaders like President Hu Jintao of China, to learn about the pain and sufferings of the people of Taiwan.
“When will there be no war? It’s when you can see your enemy’s wounds, then you won’t be able to pick up your gun,” she said.
She hopes the book will make people in China and Taiwan abandon long-held suspicions and prejudices regarding each other.
“If all that the leaders can think about are political negotiations” and economic interests “and there is no genuine understanding of emotions, then the foundation of peace would not be solid enough,” she said.
While researching her book, Ms. Lung discovered that residents of Changchun in the northeastern province of Jilin had not heard of the People’s Liberation Army’s five-month siege of that city in 1948, which resulted in between 150,000 and 650,000 people dying of starvation.
Instead, what they learn about in mainland Chinese history textbooks is the P.L.A.’s “great victory” when it “liberated” that city.
Mainland China is not the only side to edit its version of history.
The Kuomintang, which lost 470,000 troops in the northeastern battles and later fled to Taiwan, did not mention its defeat in the textbooks of Taiwan, either.
Ms. Lung wanted to tell this history through the tales or ordinary people.
She claims to make no political or moral judgment in her book. There is no “right side” or “wrong side” in the stories, she says. The Kuomintang troops, the People’s Liberation Army and the Taiwanese soldiers fighting for their Japanese colonial masters are given an equal hearing. To her, those individuals were just young people caught up in history.
“In this book I don’t care about who is on the right side, the victorious or the defeated side. I just want to show you that when you dismantle the apparatus of state, what’s inside are these individuals.”
Parts of Ms. Lung’s book also detail the stories of families amid wars and conflicts in the West, including the loving letters written by her German mother-in-law’s first husband before he died in a Soviet prisoner of war camp during World War II.
Ms. Lung said she included these because she wanted her Chinese readers to see their own history in perspective.
“Chinese people on both sides of the straits tend to see history from their own national scope,” she said. “But actually who is righteous or unrighteous? It’s a very complicated matter.”
“If we continue to be the unthinking cogs in a machine,” she said, “then how do you know whether these tragic misfortunes would not be repeated?”
Copyright 2009
ASIA: Asia Comic Art Makes It to the Museum
January 5, 2010
By SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP
SINGAPORE — The term “Animamix” was coined in 2006 by the Taiwanese art critic and curator Victoria Lu to describe a new aesthetic trend she had observed in Asian contemporary art, one that incorporates the visual language of animation and comics.
Ms. Lu helped organize the inaugural Animamix Biennial in 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, and the event has now expanded to four museums in the first major cross-straits international biennial, which began in December.
Exhibitions around the Animamix theme are being staged at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai (until Jan. 31), Today’s Art Museum in Beijing (until Jan. 10), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei (until Jan. 31) and the Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou (Jan. 21-Feb. 28).
Ms. Lu, who is the creative director of the MoCA Shanghai and the artistic director of the biennial, said that Animamix’s characteristics include the worship of youth and the pursuit of an idealized youthful beauty; strong narrative texts and images; and the use of vivid and colorful visuals derived from electronic media.
Yang Na, based in Beijing, is one of the 300 or so artists selected for the Animamix Biennial. She paints doll-like women with pouty mouths and perfect porcelain skin; yet their eyes are empty, hinting at the superficiality of their beauty and the artist’s reflection on her generation’s obsession with appearance and consumption.
The new generation of Asian artists may have been influenced by a diet of Japanese manga, anime and computer games, but Ms. Lu is quick to point out that Animamix goes beyond a straightforward incorporation of those media.
She argues that, unlike the pop artists of the 1960s and ’70s, who simply appropriated visual symbols from comics and animation, Animamix artists are already completely immersed in their aesthetic. They like to blur the distinctions between high-brow and low-brow art. They are also engaged in various creative fields and often integrate those fields into their works, she said.
One of this trend’s leaders is the prolific Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who, like Andy Warhol, has successfully repackaged low-brow culture and promoted it to high art. But he has also gone a step further than Warhol by making his art available on everything from T-shirts and plush dolls to Louis Vuitton handbags.
Many Animamix artists are creating their own comics-style characters that regularly reappear in their works. The Korean artist Kwon Ki-soo uses a computer-like graphic lexicon characterized by pared-down parameters with his artistic alter-ego, “Dongguri” — a black-and-white line-drawn figure with a permanent grin that roams across simplified, colorful traditional Korean landscapes. Dongi Lee, another Korean artist, created “Atomaus,” a cross between the Japanese animation character Atom and Mickey Mouse, who has adventures in real and imaginary settings.
The Taiwan-based jewelry designer and artist Jeff Dah-Yue Shi conceived Zha long, a cherubic, tattooed boy who is a combination of the martial artist Bruce Lee and Na Cha, a character from Chinese mythology often depicted flying with a wheel of fire under each foot.
Each exhibition features different Animanix artists, with some overlaps. In Taiwan, the MoCA Taipei’s “Visual Attract and Attack” features about 50 artists, not all of whom are from Asia: along with pieces by Mr. Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara from Japan are works by Angelo Volpe of Italy, Virginie Barré of France, Inbal Shved of Israel, Lelya Borisenko of Russia and Maya Lin of the United States. The aim of the exhibition is to show the international spread of the Animamix language, as Maple Yujie Lin, MoCA Taipei’s chief curator, explained in her essay for the exhibition.
Ms. Lu said that, thanks to higher funding, the MoCA Taipei was able to show more international artists, whereas the other venues are focusing more on Asian artists.
“The Beijing venue has the largest number of Chinese artists participating, while the Shanghai venue has more younger, newer artists,” she said, adding that the Guangdong venue would focus on local artists.
Ms. Lu said that Hong Kong had already expressed interest in joining the next Animamix Biennial and that she was hoping to get Japan, South Korea and Singapore to participate in the future.
Mila Bollansee, the gallery manager of Beyond Art Space in Shanghai, which often shows Animamix artists, believes that during the latter part of the 20th century, aesthetics was neglected “in favor of more intellectual artistic preoccupations,” she wrote in an e-mail.
“But new developments in global culture like the ‘manga craze’ all over the world and the growing impact of animation on our daily lives have led to a new trend in aesthetics, aptly coined ‘Animamix.’ It is the living proof that now artistic trends can develop in Asia and spread to the rest of the world as we notice that a multitude of international artists are participating in these exhibitions.”
Ms. Bollansee said she believes that Animamix will be one of the sources of inspiration for the global art scene because of its ability to combine life and virtual reality. “It is the kind of art that will allow the artists to maximize their creativity level and the audience to have access to a world of dreams and fantasy,” she said.
Copyright 2010
By SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOP
SINGAPORE — The term “Animamix” was coined in 2006 by the Taiwanese art critic and curator Victoria Lu to describe a new aesthetic trend she had observed in Asian contemporary art, one that incorporates the visual language of animation and comics.
Ms. Lu helped organize the inaugural Animamix Biennial in 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, and the event has now expanded to four museums in the first major cross-straits international biennial, which began in December.
Exhibitions around the Animamix theme are being staged at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai (until Jan. 31), Today’s Art Museum in Beijing (until Jan. 10), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei (until Jan. 31) and the Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou (Jan. 21-Feb. 28).
Ms. Lu, who is the creative director of the MoCA Shanghai and the artistic director of the biennial, said that Animamix’s characteristics include the worship of youth and the pursuit of an idealized youthful beauty; strong narrative texts and images; and the use of vivid and colorful visuals derived from electronic media.
Yang Na, based in Beijing, is one of the 300 or so artists selected for the Animamix Biennial. She paints doll-like women with pouty mouths and perfect porcelain skin; yet their eyes are empty, hinting at the superficiality of their beauty and the artist’s reflection on her generation’s obsession with appearance and consumption.
The new generation of Asian artists may have been influenced by a diet of Japanese manga, anime and computer games, but Ms. Lu is quick to point out that Animamix goes beyond a straightforward incorporation of those media.
She argues that, unlike the pop artists of the 1960s and ’70s, who simply appropriated visual symbols from comics and animation, Animamix artists are already completely immersed in their aesthetic. They like to blur the distinctions between high-brow and low-brow art. They are also engaged in various creative fields and often integrate those fields into their works, she said.
One of this trend’s leaders is the prolific Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who, like Andy Warhol, has successfully repackaged low-brow culture and promoted it to high art. But he has also gone a step further than Warhol by making his art available on everything from T-shirts and plush dolls to Louis Vuitton handbags.
Many Animamix artists are creating their own comics-style characters that regularly reappear in their works. The Korean artist Kwon Ki-soo uses a computer-like graphic lexicon characterized by pared-down parameters with his artistic alter-ego, “Dongguri” — a black-and-white line-drawn figure with a permanent grin that roams across simplified, colorful traditional Korean landscapes. Dongi Lee, another Korean artist, created “Atomaus,” a cross between the Japanese animation character Atom and Mickey Mouse, who has adventures in real and imaginary settings.
The Taiwan-based jewelry designer and artist Jeff Dah-Yue Shi conceived Zha long, a cherubic, tattooed boy who is a combination of the martial artist Bruce Lee and Na Cha, a character from Chinese mythology often depicted flying with a wheel of fire under each foot.
Each exhibition features different Animanix artists, with some overlaps. In Taiwan, the MoCA Taipei’s “Visual Attract and Attack” features about 50 artists, not all of whom are from Asia: along with pieces by Mr. Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara from Japan are works by Angelo Volpe of Italy, Virginie Barré of France, Inbal Shved of Israel, Lelya Borisenko of Russia and Maya Lin of the United States. The aim of the exhibition is to show the international spread of the Animamix language, as Maple Yujie Lin, MoCA Taipei’s chief curator, explained in her essay for the exhibition.
Ms. Lu said that, thanks to higher funding, the MoCA Taipei was able to show more international artists, whereas the other venues are focusing more on Asian artists.
“The Beijing venue has the largest number of Chinese artists participating, while the Shanghai venue has more younger, newer artists,” she said, adding that the Guangdong venue would focus on local artists.
Ms. Lu said that Hong Kong had already expressed interest in joining the next Animamix Biennial and that she was hoping to get Japan, South Korea and Singapore to participate in the future.
Mila Bollansee, the gallery manager of Beyond Art Space in Shanghai, which often shows Animamix artists, believes that during the latter part of the 20th century, aesthetics was neglected “in favor of more intellectual artistic preoccupations,” she wrote in an e-mail.
“But new developments in global culture like the ‘manga craze’ all over the world and the growing impact of animation on our daily lives have led to a new trend in aesthetics, aptly coined ‘Animamix.’ It is the living proof that now artistic trends can develop in Asia and spread to the rest of the world as we notice that a multitude of international artists are participating in these exhibitions.”
Ms. Bollansee said she believes that Animamix will be one of the sources of inspiration for the global art scene because of its ability to combine life and virtual reality. “It is the kind of art that will allow the artists to maximize their creativity level and the audience to have access to a world of dreams and fantasy,” she said.
Copyright 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
TRAVEL: Top 10 Travel Gadgets Under $50
July 21, 2009, 11:58 am
By MATT GROSS
In my romantic travel daydreams, I imagine myself marching off into the hills of Patagonia with nothing in my backpack but a change of underwear and a piece of flint. In reality, however, I — and most travelers today — bring gadgets. Lots of gadgets.
From iPods to noise-canceling headphones, from digital cameras to GPS trackers, they take up space, can consume electricity and distract us from actually enjoying the trip. Gadgets also tend to be expensive, small and easy-to-lose. But gadgets can be both useful and cheap — they can help even budget travelers make the most of their adventures. Here is a list of the 10 gadgets, all under $50, that I either own or have been lusting after.
1. Last summer, when I was hitchhiking across northern Cyprus, a British couple wanted to give me a ride from our hotel. The problem: Their car wouldn’t start. Luckily, I was carrying a Leatherman Skeletool CX, which has pliers, which I used to tighten the battery leads and get the car going. Now I don’t go anywhere without a multitool. I’ve used it to slice goat cheese in Monaco and reattach a suitcase wheel in Vilnius. This week, however, I’m planning to lay aside my Skeletool for the Leatherman Juice C2, which not only costs less ($31.99 at Amazon) but has more tools, including a corkscrew.
2. Caving in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Camping in Oregon. Reading a book on an overnight train from Istanbul to Bucharest. Couldn’t have done any of that without a flashlight. Now, forget about old-school incandescent bulbs — LEDs are the way to go, and from the reviews I’ve read, Cree brand LEDs are both more powerful and less expensive than other brands. The Fenix LD01 ($42 from Amazon) is ridiculously tiny but throws off 80 lumens from a single AAA-powered Cree bulb.
3. Pickpocketing is a major concern of travelers, whether they’re carrying loads of cash or 50 euros that need to last the next two weeks. My solution is to put aside the wallet, often bulky and usually carried in the back pocket, and switch to a money clip, which is slimmer and fits in the harder-for-thieves-to-reach front pocket. It’s not 100 percent foolproof, but I haven’t been robbed in the decade I’ve been using one. I got mine for $10 at a Miami flea market, but if I were getting a new one — and didn’t care about its hideous “Star Trek: The Next Generation” styling — I’d try the Memorex Money Clip Flash Drive ($17.99 at Target stores), which builds in a one-gigabyte USB drive.
Kryptonite R44. Whether you’re securing your belongings at a hostel or lashing up your snowboard, a retractable cable lock is a lightweight essential for travel. Make sure to get one with at least a three-foot cable. The Master Lock 4605D costs about $10 at Amazon, but the $18 Kryptonite R4 has a detachable LED flashlight (no word on whether it’s a Cree).
5. How do you fit a month’s worth of clothes into a 22-inch carry-on? By sucking the air out with vacuum packing bags. Travel Space Bags look like a good value — $7 for two medium bags, $8 for two large at the Container Store — and my fellow travel writer John Rambow tells me he likes them. (I’ll be testing them out on my next trip.) While you’re at it, it never hurts to bring along a half-dozen Ziploc-style bags, too.
6. It used to be that whenever I went abroad, I never had enough adapter plugs for all my devices: laptop, camera charger, cellphone charger and so on. Then, last summer, one of my readers suggested what I should’ve realized all along: If you bring a power strip, you only need one adapter. Since then, I’ve used the Belkin Mini Surge Protector, which has three outlets and two USB jacks (great for MP3 players and cellphones) and costs $25. (Full disclosure: My wife’s cousin works for Belkin.)
7. Whether you’re a snap-happy amateur or a DSLR-toting pro, stabilizing your camera will make for better pictures. Most mini-tripods, however, need a flat surface to rest upon. Not so the Gorillapod, which has flexible, multijointed legs that let it balance just about anywhere, even around vertical poles, tree branches or wherever you want to prop the camera. The original, good for compact cameras, costs $21.95 from its manufacturer, Joby, while a larger version, which can handle the weight of an S.L.R., is $39.95.
8. I don’t even remember where I got my travel first-aid kit, but over the years it’s provided me with bandages, painkillers and other essential tools for dealing with the bumps, scrapes and hangovers associated with long-term budget travel. It’s almost depleted now, so I’m getting REI’s seven-ounce Adventurer Medical kit ($24.95), which has all the usual bandages and tablets, plus safety pins, duct tape, sting-relief wipes and protective nitrile gloves. I almost can’t wait to get hurt!
9. The most important gadgets, in my opinion, are not those that let us travel more easily but those that let us connect with other people. A deck of cards is always in my bag, and I have friends who won’t leave home without a Frisbee. Those aren’t exactly gadgets, though. Speakers for an iPod are nice to have along — the lightweight, $29.99 iSymphony is what I own — but I sometimes feel like iPods promote egotism: Everyone wants to be the D.J. Instead, I love my $30, 4.7-ounce Grundig Mini 300 shortwave radio. It may not have the greatest receiver or speaker, but I remember one night, sitting in the foothills of the Himalayas with a new friend, tuning in to music and news broadcast from India, England, China, Russia, Vietnam and beyond, marveling at how isolated and yet how connected we felt. Nice.
10. Some gadgets are newfangled and exciting, others time-tested and true — which is why, wherever I go, I carry a notepad and a pen. Moleskine is the ultra-popular choice, but I prefer Ecojot’s 3-by-4-inch recycled-paper notepads (about $5), which are smaller and more flexible, but with enough backing to provide a stable writing surface. As for a pen, I buy Muji’s 0.38-millimeter gel-ink ballpoints, $1.25 apiece.
So there you have it, the gadgets no frugal traveler should be without. (And, no, I’m not getting paid to promote any of this stuff.)
Of course, your ideal gadget list will also depend on what kind of frugal traveler you are. Hikers and campers may want headlamps instead of flashlights, or hand-crank radios instead of battery-powered, while urbanites might see little use for a first-aid kit. On top of that, the particular brands and models matter less than what the devices actually do — you may prefer Kryptonite locks over Master, and you know what? That’s O.K. Just bring a retractable cable lock. I’d hate for someone to run off with your tripod, shortwave radio and first-aid kit.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated that the Leatherman Juice C2 included scissors. It does not.
Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By MATT GROSS
In my romantic travel daydreams, I imagine myself marching off into the hills of Patagonia with nothing in my backpack but a change of underwear and a piece of flint. In reality, however, I — and most travelers today — bring gadgets. Lots of gadgets.
From iPods to noise-canceling headphones, from digital cameras to GPS trackers, they take up space, can consume electricity and distract us from actually enjoying the trip. Gadgets also tend to be expensive, small and easy-to-lose. But gadgets can be both useful and cheap — they can help even budget travelers make the most of their adventures. Here is a list of the 10 gadgets, all under $50, that I either own or have been lusting after.
1. Last summer, when I was hitchhiking across northern Cyprus, a British couple wanted to give me a ride from our hotel. The problem: Their car wouldn’t start. Luckily, I was carrying a Leatherman Skeletool CX, which has pliers, which I used to tighten the battery leads and get the car going. Now I don’t go anywhere without a multitool. I’ve used it to slice goat cheese in Monaco and reattach a suitcase wheel in Vilnius. This week, however, I’m planning to lay aside my Skeletool for the Leatherman Juice C2, which not only costs less ($31.99 at Amazon) but has more tools, including a corkscrew.
2. Caving in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Camping in Oregon. Reading a book on an overnight train from Istanbul to Bucharest. Couldn’t have done any of that without a flashlight. Now, forget about old-school incandescent bulbs — LEDs are the way to go, and from the reviews I’ve read, Cree brand LEDs are both more powerful and less expensive than other brands. The Fenix LD01 ($42 from Amazon) is ridiculously tiny but throws off 80 lumens from a single AAA-powered Cree bulb.
3. Pickpocketing is a major concern of travelers, whether they’re carrying loads of cash or 50 euros that need to last the next two weeks. My solution is to put aside the wallet, often bulky and usually carried in the back pocket, and switch to a money clip, which is slimmer and fits in the harder-for-thieves-to-reach front pocket. It’s not 100 percent foolproof, but I haven’t been robbed in the decade I’ve been using one. I got mine for $10 at a Miami flea market, but if I were getting a new one — and didn’t care about its hideous “Star Trek: The Next Generation” styling — I’d try the Memorex Money Clip Flash Drive ($17.99 at Target stores), which builds in a one-gigabyte USB drive.
Kryptonite R44. Whether you’re securing your belongings at a hostel or lashing up your snowboard, a retractable cable lock is a lightweight essential for travel. Make sure to get one with at least a three-foot cable. The Master Lock 4605D costs about $10 at Amazon, but the $18 Kryptonite R4 has a detachable LED flashlight (no word on whether it’s a Cree).
5. How do you fit a month’s worth of clothes into a 22-inch carry-on? By sucking the air out with vacuum packing bags. Travel Space Bags look like a good value — $7 for two medium bags, $8 for two large at the Container Store — and my fellow travel writer John Rambow tells me he likes them. (I’ll be testing them out on my next trip.) While you’re at it, it never hurts to bring along a half-dozen Ziploc-style bags, too.
6. It used to be that whenever I went abroad, I never had enough adapter plugs for all my devices: laptop, camera charger, cellphone charger and so on. Then, last summer, one of my readers suggested what I should’ve realized all along: If you bring a power strip, you only need one adapter. Since then, I’ve used the Belkin Mini Surge Protector, which has three outlets and two USB jacks (great for MP3 players and cellphones) and costs $25. (Full disclosure: My wife’s cousin works for Belkin.)
7. Whether you’re a snap-happy amateur or a DSLR-toting pro, stabilizing your camera will make for better pictures. Most mini-tripods, however, need a flat surface to rest upon. Not so the Gorillapod, which has flexible, multijointed legs that let it balance just about anywhere, even around vertical poles, tree branches or wherever you want to prop the camera. The original, good for compact cameras, costs $21.95 from its manufacturer, Joby, while a larger version, which can handle the weight of an S.L.R., is $39.95.
8. I don’t even remember where I got my travel first-aid kit, but over the years it’s provided me with bandages, painkillers and other essential tools for dealing with the bumps, scrapes and hangovers associated with long-term budget travel. It’s almost depleted now, so I’m getting REI’s seven-ounce Adventurer Medical kit ($24.95), which has all the usual bandages and tablets, plus safety pins, duct tape, sting-relief wipes and protective nitrile gloves. I almost can’t wait to get hurt!
9. The most important gadgets, in my opinion, are not those that let us travel more easily but those that let us connect with other people. A deck of cards is always in my bag, and I have friends who won’t leave home without a Frisbee. Those aren’t exactly gadgets, though. Speakers for an iPod are nice to have along — the lightweight, $29.99 iSymphony is what I own — but I sometimes feel like iPods promote egotism: Everyone wants to be the D.J. Instead, I love my $30, 4.7-ounce Grundig Mini 300 shortwave radio. It may not have the greatest receiver or speaker, but I remember one night, sitting in the foothills of the Himalayas with a new friend, tuning in to music and news broadcast from India, England, China, Russia, Vietnam and beyond, marveling at how isolated and yet how connected we felt. Nice.
10. Some gadgets are newfangled and exciting, others time-tested and true — which is why, wherever I go, I carry a notepad and a pen. Moleskine is the ultra-popular choice, but I prefer Ecojot’s 3-by-4-inch recycled-paper notepads (about $5), which are smaller and more flexible, but with enough backing to provide a stable writing surface. As for a pen, I buy Muji’s 0.38-millimeter gel-ink ballpoints, $1.25 apiece.
So there you have it, the gadgets no frugal traveler should be without. (And, no, I’m not getting paid to promote any of this stuff.)
Of course, your ideal gadget list will also depend on what kind of frugal traveler you are. Hikers and campers may want headlamps instead of flashlights, or hand-crank radios instead of battery-powered, while urbanites might see little use for a first-aid kit. On top of that, the particular brands and models matter less than what the devices actually do — you may prefer Kryptonite locks over Master, and you know what? That’s O.K. Just bring a retractable cable lock. I’d hate for someone to run off with your tripod, shortwave radio and first-aid kit.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated that the Leatherman Juice C2 included scissors. It does not.
Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
CHINA: Top 10 dramatic moments in 2009
Updated: 2009-12-22 05:56
Editor's Note: For some people 2009 may be another year with no particular meaning or significance, but for many others 2009 has been a year of life and death, a year filled with twists and turns, and a year that is destined to be etched into their memories forever.
Here in a chinadaily.com.cn special, we look back at some of the most unforgettable moments that changed some people's lives and shocked many others.
1. The towering inferno
2. The highway explosion
3. The defiant bidder
4. The safe landing
5. The suicidal jump
6. The sudden release
7. The final revelation
8. The prison break
9. The garrison attack
10. The statuette assault
1. The towering inferno
China Central Television's (CCTV) new tower, also known as the Television Cultural Center, was engulfed in flames on Feb. 9 after an illegal fireworks display was arranged and paid for by CCTV to mark the end of the Lunar New Year festivities. One fireman died fighting the blaze.
The fire at the CCTV building, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and German architect Ole Scheeren, was caused by a combination of the illegal ignition of fireworks and flammable building materials, Beijing's fire authorities said.
2. The highway explosion
Four people were killed and six others were injured after a truck fully-loaded with gunpowder exploded Dec 5 in Central China's Hubei province.
The accident occurred at 00:20 am at a section of the Beijing-Zhuhai Highway in the city of Xiaogan in Hubei. The explosion also damaged more than 300 houses in 10 nearby villages and injured at least 29 villagers, local officials said.
3. The defiant bidder
A Chinese man who successfully bid for two looted bronze sculptures auctioned in Paris says his winning bid will not be paid.
Cai Mingchao, a collection advisor to the National Treasures Fund, bid 31.49 million euros (US$39.63 million) by telephone during an auction at Christie's on February 25, but then said that "this money cannnot be paid" at a press conference.
China has repeatedly demanded the return of the sculptures looted when the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was burned down by Anglo-French forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned, while the whereabouts of five others are still unknown.
4. The safe landing
A US Airways pilot ditched his disabled jetliner into the frigid Hudson River on Jan. 15 after a collision with a flock of birds knocked out both engines, but rescuers pulled all 155 people on board into boats as the plane sank.
Flight 1549 went down minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte, N.C., splashing into the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
From 1990 to 2007, there were nearly 80,000 reported incidents of birds striking nonmilitary aircraft, about one strike for every 10,000 flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
5. The suicidal jump
Former Republic of Korea (ROK) President Roh Moo-hyun jumped to his death Saturday on May 23 while hiking in the mountains behind his rural home. He was 62.
A self-taught lawyer who lifted himself out of poverty to reach the nation's highest office in 2003, Roh had prided himself on being a "clean" politician in a country with a long history of corruption. But allegations that he accepted $6 million in bribes from a Seoul businessman were deeply troubling to the ex-leader and he was still the subject of a corruption probe at the time of his suicide.
6. The sudden release
Former US President Bill Clinton made a surprise trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on August 4, and after meeting with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il, secured the release of two American journalists the next day.
The journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, of US media outlet Current TV co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, were arrested when working on a story near the DPRK-China border in March and were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" before finally pardoned by Kim Jong Il.
7. The final revelation
After denying his marriage in an interview with Hong Kong's Cable TV in February, veteran Hong Kong actor-singer Andy Lau admitted in August that he and his girlfriend had already married in the US.
He said he did not announce it because he wanted to protect his wife while they tried to have a baby. Lau did not identify his girlfriend, but public marriage records made available online by the Clark County Recorder's Office in Nevada show that Lau and Carol Chu wed on June 24, 2008.
He later apologized for lying about his marriage, saying he behaved inappropriately for a public figure.
8. The prison break
Four convicts broke out of prison after killing a police officer in suburban Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Oct. 17.
They went on the run for three days before three of them were captured and the other one shot dead by local police on Oct. 20.
9. The garrison attack
Public security officials and the military in the southwestern Chongqing municipality are still working to track down an unidentified attacker, who shot dead a sentry on duty outside a garrison on the evening of March 19.
The attacker ran away after firing bullets at the garrison guard and robbing his submachine gun, according to the police.
10. The statuette assault
An attacker hurled a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face at the end of a rally on Dec. 13 and leaving the stunned 73-year-old media mogul with a broken nose and bloodied mouth.
Police said the 42-year-old man accused of attacking Berlusconi as he signed autographs in Milan was immediately taken into custody. The Italian leader was rushed to a hospital.
His personal doctor said the premier had suffered a fractured nose, two broken teeth and cuts to his lips that required stitches.
He said Berlusconi would be kept in at least overnight for observation and would need up to 15 days to recover.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Editor's Note: For some people 2009 may be another year with no particular meaning or significance, but for many others 2009 has been a year of life and death, a year filled with twists and turns, and a year that is destined to be etched into their memories forever.
Here in a chinadaily.com.cn special, we look back at some of the most unforgettable moments that changed some people's lives and shocked many others.
1. The towering inferno
2. The highway explosion
3. The defiant bidder
4. The safe landing
5. The suicidal jump
6. The sudden release
7. The final revelation
8. The prison break
9. The garrison attack
10. The statuette assault
1. The towering inferno
China Central Television's (CCTV) new tower, also known as the Television Cultural Center, was engulfed in flames on Feb. 9 after an illegal fireworks display was arranged and paid for by CCTV to mark the end of the Lunar New Year festivities. One fireman died fighting the blaze.
The fire at the CCTV building, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and German architect Ole Scheeren, was caused by a combination of the illegal ignition of fireworks and flammable building materials, Beijing's fire authorities said.
2. The highway explosion
Four people were killed and six others were injured after a truck fully-loaded with gunpowder exploded Dec 5 in Central China's Hubei province.
The accident occurred at 00:20 am at a section of the Beijing-Zhuhai Highway in the city of Xiaogan in Hubei. The explosion also damaged more than 300 houses in 10 nearby villages and injured at least 29 villagers, local officials said.
3. The defiant bidder
A Chinese man who successfully bid for two looted bronze sculptures auctioned in Paris says his winning bid will not be paid.
Cai Mingchao, a collection advisor to the National Treasures Fund, bid 31.49 million euros (US$39.63 million) by telephone during an auction at Christie's on February 25, but then said that "this money cannnot be paid" at a press conference.
China has repeatedly demanded the return of the sculptures looted when the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was burned down by Anglo-French forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned, while the whereabouts of five others are still unknown.
4. The safe landing
A US Airways pilot ditched his disabled jetliner into the frigid Hudson River on Jan. 15 after a collision with a flock of birds knocked out both engines, but rescuers pulled all 155 people on board into boats as the plane sank.
Flight 1549 went down minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte, N.C., splashing into the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
From 1990 to 2007, there were nearly 80,000 reported incidents of birds striking nonmilitary aircraft, about one strike for every 10,000 flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
5. The suicidal jump
Former Republic of Korea (ROK) President Roh Moo-hyun jumped to his death Saturday on May 23 while hiking in the mountains behind his rural home. He was 62.
A self-taught lawyer who lifted himself out of poverty to reach the nation's highest office in 2003, Roh had prided himself on being a "clean" politician in a country with a long history of corruption. But allegations that he accepted $6 million in bribes from a Seoul businessman were deeply troubling to the ex-leader and he was still the subject of a corruption probe at the time of his suicide.
6. The sudden release
Former US President Bill Clinton made a surprise trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on August 4, and after meeting with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il, secured the release of two American journalists the next day.
The journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, of US media outlet Current TV co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, were arrested when working on a story near the DPRK-China border in March and were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" before finally pardoned by Kim Jong Il.
7. The final revelation
After denying his marriage in an interview with Hong Kong's Cable TV in February, veteran Hong Kong actor-singer Andy Lau admitted in August that he and his girlfriend had already married in the US.
He said he did not announce it because he wanted to protect his wife while they tried to have a baby. Lau did not identify his girlfriend, but public marriage records made available online by the Clark County Recorder's Office in Nevada show that Lau and Carol Chu wed on June 24, 2008.
He later apologized for lying about his marriage, saying he behaved inappropriately for a public figure.
8. The prison break
Four convicts broke out of prison after killing a police officer in suburban Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Oct. 17.
They went on the run for three days before three of them were captured and the other one shot dead by local police on Oct. 20.
9. The garrison attack
Public security officials and the military in the southwestern Chongqing municipality are still working to track down an unidentified attacker, who shot dead a sentry on duty outside a garrison on the evening of March 19.
The attacker ran away after firing bullets at the garrison guard and robbing his submachine gun, according to the police.
10. The statuette assault
An attacker hurled a statuette at Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, striking the leader in the face at the end of a rally on Dec. 13 and leaving the stunned 73-year-old media mogul with a broken nose and bloodied mouth.
Police said the 42-year-old man accused of attacking Berlusconi as he signed autographs in Milan was immediately taken into custody. The Italian leader was rushed to a hospital.
His personal doctor said the premier had suffered a fractured nose, two broken teeth and cuts to his lips that required stitches.
He said Berlusconi would be kept in at least overnight for observation and would need up to 15 days to recover.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Top 10 no-nos for civil servants
Updated: 2009-12-29 08:30
Editor's Note: Take it for gospel, or just laugh it away. It's up to you, public servants. Chinese Internet surfers have compiled a handbook of "10 Commandments" for Chinese civil servants in an attempt to give well-meant advice to those serving the people.
The 10 Commandments all have corresponding Party disciplines and laws. Unfortunately, some of these have been neglected or ignored. As a result, many officials became the focal point of public criticism and some were even demoted.
"Better abide by it, and survive."
- Those who are being served.
Commandment 1: Don't talk nonsense
Commandment 2: Don't smoke expensive cigarettes
Commandment 3: Don't wear a luxury watch
Commandment 4: Don't drive a luxury car
Commandment 5: Don't let others hold an umbrella for you
Commandment 6: Don't gawk at hot babes
Commandment 7: Don't arrest Internet whistle-blowers
Commandment 8: Don't grin amid suffering
Commandment 9: Don't use your title just to attract attention
Commandment 10: Don't post a paper on the Internet
Commandment 1: Don't talk nonsense.
When it applies: while being interviewed
Example:
On a site in Xigang village of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan province, which originally was planned to be affordable housing for low-income residents, developers had reportedly built 12 villas and two mid-rise buildings at the time of the incident.
When asked by a reporter about that, Lu Jun, then deputy director of the city's urban planning development, retorted: "Do you speak for the Party? Or do you speak for the people?"
Lu's words were recorded by a reporter of China National Radio and broadcast by the radio station in June. It caused a stir on the Internet. Lu was then suspended from his post and went under investigation for the "utterance".
The lesson: They are reporters, not your subordinates! (And they've got digital recorders.)
Commandment 2: Don't smoke expensive cigarettes.
When it applies: during a meeting with official colleagues
Example:
Zhou Jiugeng, the former director of the real estate management bureau of Jiangning district of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu province, was exposed by netizens with photos featuring him smoking Nanjing 95 Imperial Cigarettes worth 180 yuan ($26.3) per pack.
Zhou was sentenced to 11 years in jail, with about 1.2 million yuan ($175,000) of personal property confiscated. He was convicted of accepting 1.07 million yuan ($170,000) and HK$110,000 ($14,000) in bribes from contractors, subordinate businesses and officials.
The lesson: Reporters are armed with cameras!
Commandment 3: Don't wear a luxury watch.
When it applies: while delivering a speech
Example:
The Zhou in Commandment 2 again. He was also spotted sporting a Vacheron Constantin watch worth at least 100,000 yuan ($14,642) in online photos during a meeting. Others like Zhou, 15 secretaries of county party committee in Shaanxi province wear luxury watches, photos posted online show.
The lesson: Reporters have cell phones with photo-taking functions.
Commandment 4: Don't drive a luxury car.
When it applies: while purchasing cars for official use
Example:
A notice of the government of Beichuan county, southwest China's Sichuan province, posted online at the beginning of this year, said a contract had been awarded to a car dealer in Mianyang city to buy a Toyota SUV for 1.1 million yuan ($161,051).
Beichuan, one of the worst-hit counties during the earthquake last year, has received financial aid and donations worth of 60 billion yuan. The quake left 10 percent of the county's population of 300,000 dead and destroyed 80 percent of the buildings. Jing Dazhong, chief of the Beichuan county government, told reporters his county purchased the Toyota Land Cruiser "mainly for the use of reconstruction work".
The county also announced that it had asked three other dealers to deliver a Nissan SUV, a Toyota Camry sedan, and a Changfeng SUV.
After waves of debate and queries from Internet users and the general public on the necessity of the purchase, the official responsible for the purchase was transferred to other posts.
The lesson: You're not on vacation while driving an official car!
Commandment 5: Don't let others hold an umbrella for you.
When it applies: during a visit to grassroots government units
Example:
In a blog post by Liao Xingbo, the deputy director-general of the Guangdong provincial health department, a photo with Liao's inferior holding an umbrella for him drew waves of comments online. Liao was reportedly asking a local villager about the source of their drinking water during a visit to the poorest family at the time the photo was taken. They didn't have access to tap water.
An online critic said officials like Liao are used to being taken care of and are too busy to hold an umbrella themselves.
The lesson: You're never too important to hold your own umbrella!
Commandment 6: Don't gawk at hot babes.
When it applies: during a general meeting with the staff
Example:
The dean of a hospital in Beijing surnamed Wu was said to be "drunk" in photos while having a general staff meeting, according to someone who posted the photos. Nicknamed "Drunken Wu," his eyes appeared to be glued to a nurse receiving a certificate from him in one of the photo set. Other scenes included him taking a nap at his desk.
Though it's not clear whether the dean was drunk or not, most online comments mocked the idleness he showed during work hours.
The lesson: Act decent, at least at the moment for a group photo
Commandment 7: Don't arrest Internet whistle-blowers.
When it applies: while being criticized online
Example:
Wang Shuai from Lingbao in central China's Henan province, who lives in Shanghai, was detained in March after he revealed the Dawang government's illegal land acquisition in an online post last May.
Wang was detained for eight days on charges of defamation, but was later released on bail. After investigation, the Henan provincial public security bureau found the accusation to be completely made-up and its director reportedly apologized to Wang later.
Lingbao officials in the public security bureau were also investigated for liability in the case.
The lesson: People have the right of free speech, and it includes cyberspace!
Commandment 8: Don't grin amid suffering.
When it applies: when disaster strikes
Example:
A local official was all smiles while welcoming the nation's top leaders to his badly damaged city after a natural disaster, and he was criticized online for acting improperly.
On the fourth day after the devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province last year, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao paid a visit to Mianyang, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan. Tan Li, then secretary of the Mianyang Municipal Party Committee, was shown in a photo from Xinhua News Agency smiling from ear to ear while welcoming Hu and Wen at the airport.
The lesson: Look somber when big-shots arrive during a time of trouble, even though you know you have a big chance of being promoted.
Commandment 9: Don't use your title just to attract attention.
When it applies: again, when disaster occurs
Example:
Zhang Tongkai, secretary of politics and the law committee of the CPC of Beichuan county, cried "Help, I'm the Secretary" when a search and rescue team arrived at the building where Zhang worked after the quake, according to a report last May.
The lesson: Every life is equally valuable.
Commandment 10: Don't post a paper on the Internet.
When it applies: when writing a thesis before graduation
Example:
At first, he was the youngest mayor in China and many questioned his competency. Then, 29-year-old Zhou Senfeng, mayor of Yicheng in central China's Hubei province, was accused of plagiarism in a published thesis before he got his master's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
It was not clear the accusation had any ground. Without an expert assessment, it is hard to conclude whether Zhou plagiarized or he was wrongly accused of it.
The lesson: Think before you write!
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Editor's Note: Take it for gospel, or just laugh it away. It's up to you, public servants. Chinese Internet surfers have compiled a handbook of "10 Commandments" for Chinese civil servants in an attempt to give well-meant advice to those serving the people.
The 10 Commandments all have corresponding Party disciplines and laws. Unfortunately, some of these have been neglected or ignored. As a result, many officials became the focal point of public criticism and some were even demoted.
"Better abide by it, and survive."
- Those who are being served.
Commandment 1: Don't talk nonsense
Commandment 2: Don't smoke expensive cigarettes
Commandment 3: Don't wear a luxury watch
Commandment 4: Don't drive a luxury car
Commandment 5: Don't let others hold an umbrella for you
Commandment 6: Don't gawk at hot babes
Commandment 7: Don't arrest Internet whistle-blowers
Commandment 8: Don't grin amid suffering
Commandment 9: Don't use your title just to attract attention
Commandment 10: Don't post a paper on the Internet
Commandment 1: Don't talk nonsense.
When it applies: while being interviewed
Example:
On a site in Xigang village of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan province, which originally was planned to be affordable housing for low-income residents, developers had reportedly built 12 villas and two mid-rise buildings at the time of the incident.
When asked by a reporter about that, Lu Jun, then deputy director of the city's urban planning development, retorted: "Do you speak for the Party? Or do you speak for the people?"
Lu's words were recorded by a reporter of China National Radio and broadcast by the radio station in June. It caused a stir on the Internet. Lu was then suspended from his post and went under investigation for the "utterance".
The lesson: They are reporters, not your subordinates! (And they've got digital recorders.)
Commandment 2: Don't smoke expensive cigarettes.
When it applies: during a meeting with official colleagues
Example:
Zhou Jiugeng, the former director of the real estate management bureau of Jiangning district of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu province, was exposed by netizens with photos featuring him smoking Nanjing 95 Imperial Cigarettes worth 180 yuan ($26.3) per pack.
Zhou was sentenced to 11 years in jail, with about 1.2 million yuan ($175,000) of personal property confiscated. He was convicted of accepting 1.07 million yuan ($170,000) and HK$110,000 ($14,000) in bribes from contractors, subordinate businesses and officials.
The lesson: Reporters are armed with cameras!
Commandment 3: Don't wear a luxury watch.
When it applies: while delivering a speech
Example:
The Zhou in Commandment 2 again. He was also spotted sporting a Vacheron Constantin watch worth at least 100,000 yuan ($14,642) in online photos during a meeting. Others like Zhou, 15 secretaries of county party committee in Shaanxi province wear luxury watches, photos posted online show.
The lesson: Reporters have cell phones with photo-taking functions.
Commandment 4: Don't drive a luxury car.
When it applies: while purchasing cars for official use
Example:
A notice of the government of Beichuan county, southwest China's Sichuan province, posted online at the beginning of this year, said a contract had been awarded to a car dealer in Mianyang city to buy a Toyota SUV for 1.1 million yuan ($161,051).
Beichuan, one of the worst-hit counties during the earthquake last year, has received financial aid and donations worth of 60 billion yuan. The quake left 10 percent of the county's population of 300,000 dead and destroyed 80 percent of the buildings. Jing Dazhong, chief of the Beichuan county government, told reporters his county purchased the Toyota Land Cruiser "mainly for the use of reconstruction work".
The county also announced that it had asked three other dealers to deliver a Nissan SUV, a Toyota Camry sedan, and a Changfeng SUV.
After waves of debate and queries from Internet users and the general public on the necessity of the purchase, the official responsible for the purchase was transferred to other posts.
The lesson: You're not on vacation while driving an official car!
Commandment 5: Don't let others hold an umbrella for you.
When it applies: during a visit to grassroots government units
Example:
In a blog post by Liao Xingbo, the deputy director-general of the Guangdong provincial health department, a photo with Liao's inferior holding an umbrella for him drew waves of comments online. Liao was reportedly asking a local villager about the source of their drinking water during a visit to the poorest family at the time the photo was taken. They didn't have access to tap water.
An online critic said officials like Liao are used to being taken care of and are too busy to hold an umbrella themselves.
The lesson: You're never too important to hold your own umbrella!
Commandment 6: Don't gawk at hot babes.
When it applies: during a general meeting with the staff
Example:
The dean of a hospital in Beijing surnamed Wu was said to be "drunk" in photos while having a general staff meeting, according to someone who posted the photos. Nicknamed "Drunken Wu," his eyes appeared to be glued to a nurse receiving a certificate from him in one of the photo set. Other scenes included him taking a nap at his desk.
Though it's not clear whether the dean was drunk or not, most online comments mocked the idleness he showed during work hours.
The lesson: Act decent, at least at the moment for a group photo
Commandment 7: Don't arrest Internet whistle-blowers.
When it applies: while being criticized online
Example:
Wang Shuai from Lingbao in central China's Henan province, who lives in Shanghai, was detained in March after he revealed the Dawang government's illegal land acquisition in an online post last May.
Wang was detained for eight days on charges of defamation, but was later released on bail. After investigation, the Henan provincial public security bureau found the accusation to be completely made-up and its director reportedly apologized to Wang later.
Lingbao officials in the public security bureau were also investigated for liability in the case.
The lesson: People have the right of free speech, and it includes cyberspace!
Commandment 8: Don't grin amid suffering.
When it applies: when disaster strikes
Example:
A local official was all smiles while welcoming the nation's top leaders to his badly damaged city after a natural disaster, and he was criticized online for acting improperly.
On the fourth day after the devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province last year, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao paid a visit to Mianyang, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan. Tan Li, then secretary of the Mianyang Municipal Party Committee, was shown in a photo from Xinhua News Agency smiling from ear to ear while welcoming Hu and Wen at the airport.
The lesson: Look somber when big-shots arrive during a time of trouble, even though you know you have a big chance of being promoted.
Commandment 9: Don't use your title just to attract attention.
When it applies: again, when disaster occurs
Example:
Zhang Tongkai, secretary of politics and the law committee of the CPC of Beichuan county, cried "Help, I'm the Secretary" when a search and rescue team arrived at the building where Zhang worked after the quake, according to a report last May.
The lesson: Every life is equally valuable.
Commandment 10: Don't post a paper on the Internet.
When it applies: when writing a thesis before graduation
Example:
At first, he was the youngest mayor in China and many questioned his competency. Then, 29-year-old Zhou Senfeng, mayor of Yicheng in central China's Hubei province, was accused of plagiarism in a published thesis before he got his master's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
It was not clear the accusation had any ground. Without an expert assessment, it is hard to conclude whether Zhou plagiarized or he was wrongly accused of it.
The lesson: Think before you write!
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: Top 10 crackdowns 2009
Updated: 2009-12-30 08:36
Editor's note: Internet porn, drunk driving, human trafficking, someone wandering around the neighborhoods in pajamas...The Chinese government has good reason to keep itself busy all year long. Here are the year's top ten crackdowns, some are timely, some are belated and some are disputable, but all have had an impact on our daily lives.
1. Chongqing triad
2. Online porn
3. Drunk driving
4. Mobile porn
5. Soccer scandals
6. File-sharing websites
7. Human trafficking
8. Pajamas wearing in public
9. Celebrity endorsements
10. Phone scams
1. Chongqing triad
On the morning of October 16, Chongqing Party secretary Bo Xilai told the public for the first time about what set off the "anti-mobster" storm in Chongqing over the past year. He said: "We didn't strike out against mobsters on our own initiative, it was they who forced us to take steps."
The city started a massive crackdown on organized crime in June, exposing deep ties between police and criminals. A spokesman for the municipal procuratorate said at the time police had arrested 700 in connection with gang-related crimes in Chongqing in the year till November.
2. Online porn
China began a high-profile crackdown on Internet porn in January, targeting popular online portals and major search engines such as Google and Baidu.
The government temporarily shut down access to Google in June after reports that it was providing links to pornographic content.
In the same month, the government ordered all new personal computers produced or sold in China after July 1 to carry "Green Dam-Youth Escort," filtering software designed to block pornographic content. The software was declared "not compulsory" by the government in August after it aroused huge controversy, as Internet users complained of privacy invasion and blocking information.
3. Drunk driving
After a number of deadly road accidents caused by drunk driving, China launched a two-month "zero-tolerance" campaign on August 15.
Drunk drivers caught, had their licenses suspended for three or six months and, in serious cases, the driver detained for 15 days. If a drunk driver was caught twice within one year, his or her license was revoked for two to five years.
Here are some of the dreadful accidents caused by drink drivers this year: A motorist in Heilongjiang Province killed two people and injured 23 while driving under the influence of alcohol on August 5. A car careened out of control on a busy Nanjing street, killing five people, including a seven-month pregnant woman on June 30. On Aug 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.
4. Mobile porn
China had just got Internet porn under control, and then the country had to deal with WAP porn sites.
On Dec 8, nine government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, General Administration of Press and Publication, and State Council Information Office launched a crackdown on cell phone porn. The campaign will continue until May.
5. Soccer scandals
After World Cup failure in 2002, Chinese football was supposed to disappear from the public eye. However, it returned for all the wrong reasons. The recent exposure of illegal gambling and match-fixing in China's top professional football league shocked tens of millions of fans.
The Ministry of Public Security announced in November that a number of former players, soccer officials and club officials had been detained for match-fixing and gambling in Chinese soccer.
"China's football is critically ill. The roots must be pulled up along with the grass," quoted Xinhua News Agency in a report.
6. File-sharing websites
Movie fans were left stunned when they visited popular websites that offer free entertainment downloads only to find they had been closed down by regulators after China ramped up its battle against copyright infringement.
The move left millions of Chinese users disappointed after they checked out their favorite BitTorrent (BT) websites.
As long as websites don't resolve copyright problems, they won't be allowed to reopen, said an official with the online video and audio program department under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
7. Human trafficking
China has been faced with more organized and more professional cross-border human trafficking crimes in recent years. Child trafficking within China has penetrated almost all provinces.
In the six-month special anti-trafficking operation this year leading up to mid-October, Chinese police cracked 1,717 cases, rescuing more than 6,000 women and children.
8. Pajamas wearing in public
Nowhere else in China will you find residents wandering around their neighborhoods in distinctive pajamas as in Shanghai. The local government launched a controversial city-wide campaign to stop local residents from wearing their pajamas in public.
The "No Pajamas in Public Be Civilized" campaign is part of its efforts to present Shanghai as "an international metropolis" and show a "civilized" face of the city to foreign visitors, when it hosts the World Expo next May.
9. Celebrity endorsements
In China, it is quite common to find celebrities acting in misleading commercials and bragging about the magic effects of certain products.
Following a series of scandals involving products that have killed or poisoned consumers, China's new food safety law, which came into effect on June 1, stipulates that celebrities should be held responsible for the substandard food products they promote in commercials.
But there is no law regulating liabilities in other products, including medicines.
10. Phone scams
The public security ministry launched a four-month campaign starting June 12 after fraud cases through phone calls and text messages increased in recent years across the country.
Criminals often hook their victims by claiming to be from banks or the police, tricking victims into calling fake numbers and giving their account details. The thieves will also cheat the victims by telling them they have won prizes or even fake the kidnapping of a family members.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Editor's note: Internet porn, drunk driving, human trafficking, someone wandering around the neighborhoods in pajamas...The Chinese government has good reason to keep itself busy all year long. Here are the year's top ten crackdowns, some are timely, some are belated and some are disputable, but all have had an impact on our daily lives.
1. Chongqing triad
2. Online porn
3. Drunk driving
4. Mobile porn
5. Soccer scandals
6. File-sharing websites
7. Human trafficking
8. Pajamas wearing in public
9. Celebrity endorsements
10. Phone scams
1. Chongqing triad
On the morning of October 16, Chongqing Party secretary Bo Xilai told the public for the first time about what set off the "anti-mobster" storm in Chongqing over the past year. He said: "We didn't strike out against mobsters on our own initiative, it was they who forced us to take steps."
The city started a massive crackdown on organized crime in June, exposing deep ties between police and criminals. A spokesman for the municipal procuratorate said at the time police had arrested 700 in connection with gang-related crimes in Chongqing in the year till November.
2. Online porn
China began a high-profile crackdown on Internet porn in January, targeting popular online portals and major search engines such as Google and Baidu.
The government temporarily shut down access to Google in June after reports that it was providing links to pornographic content.
In the same month, the government ordered all new personal computers produced or sold in China after July 1 to carry "Green Dam-Youth Escort," filtering software designed to block pornographic content. The software was declared "not compulsory" by the government in August after it aroused huge controversy, as Internet users complained of privacy invasion and blocking information.
3. Drunk driving
After a number of deadly road accidents caused by drunk driving, China launched a two-month "zero-tolerance" campaign on August 15.
Drunk drivers caught, had their licenses suspended for three or six months and, in serious cases, the driver detained for 15 days. If a drunk driver was caught twice within one year, his or her license was revoked for two to five years.
Here are some of the dreadful accidents caused by drink drivers this year: A motorist in Heilongjiang Province killed two people and injured 23 while driving under the influence of alcohol on August 5. A car careened out of control on a busy Nanjing street, killing five people, including a seven-month pregnant woman on June 30. On Aug 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.
4. Mobile porn
China had just got Internet porn under control, and then the country had to deal with WAP porn sites.
On Dec 8, nine government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, General Administration of Press and Publication, and State Council Information Office launched a crackdown on cell phone porn. The campaign will continue until May.
5. Soccer scandals
After World Cup failure in 2002, Chinese football was supposed to disappear from the public eye. However, it returned for all the wrong reasons. The recent exposure of illegal gambling and match-fixing in China's top professional football league shocked tens of millions of fans.
The Ministry of Public Security announced in November that a number of former players, soccer officials and club officials had been detained for match-fixing and gambling in Chinese soccer.
"China's football is critically ill. The roots must be pulled up along with the grass," quoted Xinhua News Agency in a report.
6. File-sharing websites
Movie fans were left stunned when they visited popular websites that offer free entertainment downloads only to find they had been closed down by regulators after China ramped up its battle against copyright infringement.
The move left millions of Chinese users disappointed after they checked out their favorite BitTorrent (BT) websites.
As long as websites don't resolve copyright problems, they won't be allowed to reopen, said an official with the online video and audio program department under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
7. Human trafficking
China has been faced with more organized and more professional cross-border human trafficking crimes in recent years. Child trafficking within China has penetrated almost all provinces.
In the six-month special anti-trafficking operation this year leading up to mid-October, Chinese police cracked 1,717 cases, rescuing more than 6,000 women and children.
8. Pajamas wearing in public
Nowhere else in China will you find residents wandering around their neighborhoods in distinctive pajamas as in Shanghai. The local government launched a controversial city-wide campaign to stop local residents from wearing their pajamas in public.
The "No Pajamas in Public Be Civilized" campaign is part of its efforts to present Shanghai as "an international metropolis" and show a "civilized" face of the city to foreign visitors, when it hosts the World Expo next May.
9. Celebrity endorsements
In China, it is quite common to find celebrities acting in misleading commercials and bragging about the magic effects of certain products.
Following a series of scandals involving products that have killed or poisoned consumers, China's new food safety law, which came into effect on June 1, stipulates that celebrities should be held responsible for the substandard food products they promote in commercials.
But there is no law regulating liabilities in other products, including medicines.
10. Phone scams
The public security ministry launched a four-month campaign starting June 12 after fraud cases through phone calls and text messages increased in recent years across the country.
Criminals often hook their victims by claiming to be from banks or the police, tricking victims into calling fake numbers and giving their account details. The thieves will also cheat the victims by telling them they have won prizes or even fake the kidnapping of a family members.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: Favorite Stories of 2009
Updated: 2009-12-31 07:02
Debuts, deaths and Disney
By Peng Yining and Zhang Yuchen (China Daily)
China Daily asked its foreign readers in China and overseas to vote for their favorite stories of 2009. Peng Yining and Zhang Yuchen take a look how they answered.
1. 60th anniversary of the founding of New China
Looking at China's history over the past 60 years, it is apparent that, despite much suffering, the country has achieved huge political, economic and social success, especially during the past three decades.
A grand parade in Beijing on Oct 1, led by the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, showcased some of China's latest achievements in defense modernization. About 8,000 military officers, along with tanks and other vehicles, formed columns stretching 3 km.
The military parade was followed by a civilian procession featuring six massive performing groups and 36 formations of about 100,000 people. In addition, 60 floats represented everything from the country's geographic areas to last year's Beijing Olympics.
Everyday life in China is a parade on a grander scale, with citizens now able to enjoy things their ancestors did not dare contemplate 100 years ago, things their grandparents took for luxury 60 years ago, and things their parents did not even know how to attempt 30 years ago.
2. Barack Obama's historic visit to China
Barack Obama became the first United States president to visit China in his first year of taking office when he arrived in Shanghai on Nov 15 as part of his first Asia tour.
During one of his trademark town hall-style meetings with youths at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum on Nov 16, the 48-year-old president reiterated that the US does not seek to contain China's rise and welcomes China as a "strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations".
After the speech, Obama departed for Beijing, where he spent two days in talks with President Hu Jintao, National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPC) Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao.
China and the US signed a joint statement on Nov 17 highlighting joint efforts to combat climate change and promote the clean energy industry. The countries also reiterated a commitment to building a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century".
Obama capped his four-day visit with a trip to the Great Wall in northern Beijing on Nov 18.
3. Climate change
Leaders from about 100 nations, along with thousands of negotiators from almost 200, flocked to Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, for the United Nation's 12-day climate change conference on Dec 7. The talks were intended to seal a deal on the fight against global warming after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Premier Wen Jiabao arrived on Dec 16 to join world leaders for the crucial last two days of negotiations, during which he told US President Barack Obama climate change is a global challenge, as well as an important field for cooperation between China and the US. The key to this issue is to stick to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", said Wen.
The Chinese premier said his country has always regarded addressing climate change as an important strategic task and that, between 1990 and 2005, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) were reduced by 46 percent. "Building on that, we have set a new target of cutting carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent on the 2005 level by 2020," Wen told delegates.
The conference ended on Dec 19 with the Copenhagen Accord. Although the document was not legally binding, it firmly upheld the basic framework and principles established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.
4. July 5 riots in Xinjiang
The violence that broke out in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on July 5 left 197 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.
Rioters gathered in downtown streets at 8 pm and began beating pedestrians, vandalizing cars and buses, and looting shops. The mayhem quickly spread to other areas. Most of those killed or injured were ethnic Han Chinese, while most of the rioters were Uygurs armed with bricks and batons.
Chinese authorities accused Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uygur Congress who lives in exile in the US, of orchestrating the violence by using mobile phone text messaging and social networking websites. The central government blocked access to the Internet in Xinjiang just 24 hours after the violence, and its Web service to this day remains restricted.
Police asked the local procuratorate to approve the arrests of 575 suspected rioters. The authority granted 430 and, so far, 22 people have been sentenced to death for murder and other crimes during or after the July 5 riot.
5. H1N1 flu
Since the first confirmed case of H1N1 flu on the Chinese mainland on May 11, there have been 326 reported deaths from the virus, which quickly spread across the globe after initial reports in Mexico.
Pregnant women make up almost 14 percent of the victims of H1N1 on the Chinese mainland, while men account for 58 percent, according to official figures. About 90 of the 326 H1N1 deaths were reported between Dec 14 and 20, said Ministry of Health officials. During that period, 6,129 cases were reported.
A vaccine developed in China was approved on Sept 3 and, as of Dec 21, more than 40 million people had been inoculated nationwide.
The Chinese government planned to vaccinate 65 million - 5 percent of the country's population - before the end of 2009. Health workers, public service workers and students are priority groups for the vaccine.
6. Adoption of the Food Safety Law
China's top legislature, the NPC Standing Committee, approved the Food Safety Law on Feb 28, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen control "from the production line to the dining table".
The law, implemented on June 1, enhanced monitoring and supervision, and toughened safety standards. It stipulated substandard products must be recalled and promised severe punishments for rule-breakers.
All chemicals and materials not on the list of authorized additives were banned from food production, with the new regulations insisting "only items proved to be safe and necessary are allowed to be listed as food additives".
The NPC Standing Committee gave the nod to the hotly debated draft law following a spate of food scandals triggered vehement calls for an overhaul of China's monitoring system.
Winning 158 from 165 votes, the rules said the State Council would set up a State-level food safety commission to oversee the entire food monitoring system, which due to a lack of efficiency has long been blamed for repeated scandals.
7. China's 8-percent growth rate
The nation's economy grew by just 9 percent this year, the lowest in seven years, which experts blamed on the global financial crisis. It brought to an end a five-year streak of double-digit expansion.
China has been under great pressure to realise 8-percent growth - the target announced by Premier Wen Jiabao in March - as the government has long believed it essential to the populous developing nation.
A massive economic stimulus package featuring a two-year investment plan worth 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) was implemented in the first quarter. It was originally adopted in November 2008, shortly after the start of the world economic slowdown, along with more pro-growth economic policies such as expanding the "home appliances to the countryside" program.
Official figures show GDP grew 8.9 percent in the third quarter, accelerating from 7.9 percent in the second and 6.1 percent in the first. For the first three quarters, the annualized GDP growth reached 7.7 percent.
8. PLA Navy takes on Somali pirates
China launched its first overseas military mission since 1949 on Dec 26, 2008, when it sent its first fleet of People's Liberation Army warships to the coast of Africa to protect merchant vessels from Somali pirates.
Leaving from Sanya port, Hainan province, they traveled more than 4,500 nautical miles and arrived on Jan 6. By the time they were relieved by the second fleet on April 2 , the Haikou, Wuhan and Weishanhu had escorted 130 vessels, as well as rescued three foreign merchant ships from pirates, according to statistics from the Ministry of Transport.
The mission has included more than 3,300 troops, while figures show the PLA Navy has in 12 months of operations escorted 1,300 merchant vessels, including 405 foreign ships and 18 from Taiwan province.
Four batches of destroyers and frigates have so far been deployed to the Gulf of Aden.
9. Forced demolitions
When Tang Fuzhen was told her home in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, was in the way of a highway project and would be demolished, she doused herself in petrol and set fire to herself in protest on Nov 13.
That same month, the media also highlighted the case of a woman in Minhang district, Shanghai, who threw petrol bombs at a demolition crew outside her home in June last year. Officials planned to raze the building to make way for a transportation hub for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
Both "nail houses" - a term used to describe when people refuse to move out of homes slated for demolition - shocked citizens across China and turned the spotlight onto the rights of homeowners and forced demolitions by local governments. The central government announced on Dec 7 it would look into the issue of housing demolition regulations.
The most famous "nail house" case was in Chongqing in 2007 when a couple stopped developers from demolishing their home for three years until they received suitable compensation.
10. Disneyland in Shanghai
Construction of a Disneyland on the east bank of Huangpu River in Shanghai finally got the green light on Nov 4. The theme park will cost an estimated 25 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) and will open its gates as early as 2014. It is expected to cover an area of 116 hectares, 10 hectares fewer than the Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Walt Disney Co. will reportedly take a 43-percent equity stake in Shanghai Disneyland, while a joint-venture holding company formed by a consortium of Chinese companies owned by the municipal government will own the majority 57 percent.
The park will be the fourth Disneyland outside of the US - the others are in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong - and is one of the largest-ever foreign investments in China's mainland.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Debuts, deaths and Disney
By Peng Yining and Zhang Yuchen (China Daily)
China Daily asked its foreign readers in China and overseas to vote for their favorite stories of 2009. Peng Yining and Zhang Yuchen take a look how they answered.
1. 60th anniversary of the founding of New China
Looking at China's history over the past 60 years, it is apparent that, despite much suffering, the country has achieved huge political, economic and social success, especially during the past three decades.
A grand parade in Beijing on Oct 1, led by the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force, showcased some of China's latest achievements in defense modernization. About 8,000 military officers, along with tanks and other vehicles, formed columns stretching 3 km.
The military parade was followed by a civilian procession featuring six massive performing groups and 36 formations of about 100,000 people. In addition, 60 floats represented everything from the country's geographic areas to last year's Beijing Olympics.
Everyday life in China is a parade on a grander scale, with citizens now able to enjoy things their ancestors did not dare contemplate 100 years ago, things their grandparents took for luxury 60 years ago, and things their parents did not even know how to attempt 30 years ago.
2. Barack Obama's historic visit to China
Barack Obama became the first United States president to visit China in his first year of taking office when he arrived in Shanghai on Nov 15 as part of his first Asia tour.
During one of his trademark town hall-style meetings with youths at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum on Nov 16, the 48-year-old president reiterated that the US does not seek to contain China's rise and welcomes China as a "strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations".
After the speech, Obama departed for Beijing, where he spent two days in talks with President Hu Jintao, National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPC) Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao.
China and the US signed a joint statement on Nov 17 highlighting joint efforts to combat climate change and promote the clean energy industry. The countries also reiterated a commitment to building a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century".
Obama capped his four-day visit with a trip to the Great Wall in northern Beijing on Nov 18.
3. Climate change
Leaders from about 100 nations, along with thousands of negotiators from almost 200, flocked to Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, for the United Nation's 12-day climate change conference on Dec 7. The talks were intended to seal a deal on the fight against global warming after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Premier Wen Jiabao arrived on Dec 16 to join world leaders for the crucial last two days of negotiations, during which he told US President Barack Obama climate change is a global challenge, as well as an important field for cooperation between China and the US. The key to this issue is to stick to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", said Wen.
The Chinese premier said his country has always regarded addressing climate change as an important strategic task and that, between 1990 and 2005, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) were reduced by 46 percent. "Building on that, we have set a new target of cutting carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent on the 2005 level by 2020," Wen told delegates.
The conference ended on Dec 19 with the Copenhagen Accord. Although the document was not legally binding, it firmly upheld the basic framework and principles established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.
4. July 5 riots in Xinjiang
The violence that broke out in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on July 5 left 197 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.
Rioters gathered in downtown streets at 8 pm and began beating pedestrians, vandalizing cars and buses, and looting shops. The mayhem quickly spread to other areas. Most of those killed or injured were ethnic Han Chinese, while most of the rioters were Uygurs armed with bricks and batons.
Chinese authorities accused Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uygur Congress who lives in exile in the US, of orchestrating the violence by using mobile phone text messaging and social networking websites. The central government blocked access to the Internet in Xinjiang just 24 hours after the violence, and its Web service to this day remains restricted.
Police asked the local procuratorate to approve the arrests of 575 suspected rioters. The authority granted 430 and, so far, 22 people have been sentenced to death for murder and other crimes during or after the July 5 riot.
5. H1N1 flu
Since the first confirmed case of H1N1 flu on the Chinese mainland on May 11, there have been 326 reported deaths from the virus, which quickly spread across the globe after initial reports in Mexico.
Pregnant women make up almost 14 percent of the victims of H1N1 on the Chinese mainland, while men account for 58 percent, according to official figures. About 90 of the 326 H1N1 deaths were reported between Dec 14 and 20, said Ministry of Health officials. During that period, 6,129 cases were reported.
A vaccine developed in China was approved on Sept 3 and, as of Dec 21, more than 40 million people had been inoculated nationwide.
The Chinese government planned to vaccinate 65 million - 5 percent of the country's population - before the end of 2009. Health workers, public service workers and students are priority groups for the vaccine.
6. Adoption of the Food Safety Law
China's top legislature, the NPC Standing Committee, approved the Food Safety Law on Feb 28, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen control "from the production line to the dining table".
The law, implemented on June 1, enhanced monitoring and supervision, and toughened safety standards. It stipulated substandard products must be recalled and promised severe punishments for rule-breakers.
All chemicals and materials not on the list of authorized additives were banned from food production, with the new regulations insisting "only items proved to be safe and necessary are allowed to be listed as food additives".
The NPC Standing Committee gave the nod to the hotly debated draft law following a spate of food scandals triggered vehement calls for an overhaul of China's monitoring system.
Winning 158 from 165 votes, the rules said the State Council would set up a State-level food safety commission to oversee the entire food monitoring system, which due to a lack of efficiency has long been blamed for repeated scandals.
7. China's 8-percent growth rate
The nation's economy grew by just 9 percent this year, the lowest in seven years, which experts blamed on the global financial crisis. It brought to an end a five-year streak of double-digit expansion.
China has been under great pressure to realise 8-percent growth - the target announced by Premier Wen Jiabao in March - as the government has long believed it essential to the populous developing nation.
A massive economic stimulus package featuring a two-year investment plan worth 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) was implemented in the first quarter. It was originally adopted in November 2008, shortly after the start of the world economic slowdown, along with more pro-growth economic policies such as expanding the "home appliances to the countryside" program.
Official figures show GDP grew 8.9 percent in the third quarter, accelerating from 7.9 percent in the second and 6.1 percent in the first. For the first three quarters, the annualized GDP growth reached 7.7 percent.
8. PLA Navy takes on Somali pirates
China launched its first overseas military mission since 1949 on Dec 26, 2008, when it sent its first fleet of People's Liberation Army warships to the coast of Africa to protect merchant vessels from Somali pirates.
Leaving from Sanya port, Hainan province, they traveled more than 4,500 nautical miles and arrived on Jan 6. By the time they were relieved by the second fleet on April 2 , the Haikou, Wuhan and Weishanhu had escorted 130 vessels, as well as rescued three foreign merchant ships from pirates, according to statistics from the Ministry of Transport.
The mission has included more than 3,300 troops, while figures show the PLA Navy has in 12 months of operations escorted 1,300 merchant vessels, including 405 foreign ships and 18 from Taiwan province.
Four batches of destroyers and frigates have so far been deployed to the Gulf of Aden.
9. Forced demolitions
When Tang Fuzhen was told her home in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, was in the way of a highway project and would be demolished, she doused herself in petrol and set fire to herself in protest on Nov 13.
That same month, the media also highlighted the case of a woman in Minhang district, Shanghai, who threw petrol bombs at a demolition crew outside her home in June last year. Officials planned to raze the building to make way for a transportation hub for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
Both "nail houses" - a term used to describe when people refuse to move out of homes slated for demolition - shocked citizens across China and turned the spotlight onto the rights of homeowners and forced demolitions by local governments. The central government announced on Dec 7 it would look into the issue of housing demolition regulations.
The most famous "nail house" case was in Chongqing in 2007 when a couple stopped developers from demolishing their home for three years until they received suitable compensation.
10. Disneyland in Shanghai
Construction of a Disneyland on the east bank of Huangpu River in Shanghai finally got the green light on Nov 4. The theme park will cost an estimated 25 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) and will open its gates as early as 2014. It is expected to cover an area of 116 hectares, 10 hectares fewer than the Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Walt Disney Co. will reportedly take a 43-percent equity stake in Shanghai Disneyland, while a joint-venture holding company formed by a consortium of Chinese companies owned by the municipal government will own the majority 57 percent.
The park will be the fourth Disneyland outside of the US - the others are in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong - and is one of the largest-ever foreign investments in China's mainland.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: Top 10 movies 2009
Updated: 2009-12-31 09:01
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
The country's movie-making industry is experiencing a boom, with ticket sales increasing and more quality offerings from homegrown talents.
Box office takings in China have been rising 20 percent annually for the past five years, and though Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformers 2 and 2012 were the most profitable films this year, local productions were big hits too.
And 2009 was a bumper year for moviegoers with the gross box office surpassing last year's 4.3 billion yuan ($630 million) to reach 6 billion yuan.
Following, are 10 significant local films and though they are not all artistically refined, they made a big impact in 2009.
The Message (风声), Overheard (窃听风云), Night and Fog (天水围的夜与雾) and Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城) excel in terms of acting and storytelling; while Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼), Crazy Racer (疯狂的赛车) and Cow (斗牛) were breakout movies in their genres.
The Founding of a Republic (建国大业) and A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇) provided big talking points in the film industry; while City of Life and Death (南京!南京!) was appreciated for tackling a sensitive issue and raising discussion.
(1)A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇)
The film marked Zhang Yimou's return to cinema after he directed the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last year.
Adapted from the Coen Brothers' 1984 crime thriller Blood Simple, the film is a combination of slapstick and thriller.
The slapstick part is mainly provided by three actors of er'renzhuan - folk duets featuring ballads, dancing and cheap jokes - and raised great controversy.
(2)The Message (风声)
The spy thriller is one of the most refined films of the year. To begin with, each of the seven main actors did a brilliant job in putting life into their characters. Secondly, the script is well written. Set during China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the movie centers on a cat-and-mouse game between a Japanese chief and five suspects, one of whom is a planted agent. The story is full of unexpected twists, yet convincing at the same time.
In addition, the Oscar-winning designer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙), Tim Yip, made the entire wardrobe by hand. The set, two villas perched on a seaside cliff, features vintage furniture and ornaments collected from all over the country. The antique sofas, lights, tableware and LPs cost more than 4 million yuan ($585,420). The film won five nominations and the Best Actress award at the 46th Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan.
(3)Cow (斗牛)
Cow is almost a one-man show. It signifies the coming-of-age for Huang Bo, the comedian who specializes in playing low-life characters. His nabbing of the Golden Horse - as best actor for this performance - is much deserved.
The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) is as often filmed in China, as the European theater of WWII is for Western cinema. So it is not easy to squeeze anything fresh out of it. Writer and director Guan Hu adopted a small-scale approach that was ingenious in both concept and execution. The story revolves around a cow, a gift from a European country, and how it has an unexpected impact on different people, including Japanese soldiers.
The flashbacks are seamless. The locale is so intricately integrated into the plot the audience has a strong sense of participation. All characters are richly delineated and not even the Japanese invaders are caricatured. An actor with star power may boost the box office, but Huang Bo brings out the poignancy of the human dilemma in this slightly farcical tale.
(4)Overheard (窃听风云)
Written and directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, writers behind the Infernal Affairs (无间道) trilogy, Overheard focuses on insider trading, which has rarely been depicted in Hong Kong films.
Three wiretappers at the Hong Kong commercial crime investigation bureau find out about a listed company trying to manipulate the stock market. With the crucial information in hand and facing the temptation of getting rich overnight, they trap themselves in a fatal dilemma.
Stocks have been a big issue in the Chinese mainland, too, since the market hit a record 6,000 points in 2007, attracting millions of investors, ranging from tycoons to school kids.
With the help of his father and brother, both senior policemen, Mak talked with many former staffers at the Hong Kong commercial crime bureau, which investigates commercial fraud, computer crime and counterfeiting. He also asked for help from actress Anita Yuen, who has 10 family members working in the Hong Kong police force. The film tells an engaging story and the three Hong Kong actors, Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo, and Daniel Wu all did a great job.
(5)Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼)
China has lacked a popular homemade cartoon series, while Japanese manga is hugely popular around the world.
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is an exception. The film is about a battle of wits between a herd of goats and a couple of wolves and earned more than 80 million yuan ($11.7 million), at a cost of just 6 million yuan.
Its success is largely attributed to a fan base reared on 500 episodes of a TV series aired on 50 channels nationwide.
Now, the smart sheep and stupid wolves are as well known as Mickey Mouse among children here.
A sequel will be released in February, 2010.
China has been working hard to produce its own cartoons and there are currently 5,600 animation companies employing at least 200,000 people. Other locally-made favorites include The Story of Hongmao and Lantu (虹猫蓝兔) and Calabash Boys (葫芦娃).
(6)Crazy Racer (疯狂的赛车)
The film's director Ning Hao is called "China's Guy Ritchie" thanks to his quick-paced, smart and hilarious black comedies.
The film features four groups and more than 10 characters. Major personalities include a cyclist, a fraudulent sexual-enhancement medicine salesman and his overweight wife, several gangs and two stupid murderers.
These characters find their lives interwoven with one another - and with murder, suspense and humor - in convincing and comical ways.
Ning came up with the original storyline in late 2006, and spent eight months with eight writers drafting the script. He was so demanding that at least six writers ran out of ideas.
One of the writers used an abacus to calculate the characters' intricate relationships with each other. He described the writing process as deciphering a "calculus" formula.
Another writer drew a story map of the characters' relationships. But it was so complex that it confused even Ning.
The film was one of the funniest of the year.
(7)The Founding of a Republic (建国大业)
This film was an event in the industry because about 80 stars, many of whom are A-listers such as Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi and Jet Li, appeared in it. Some of China's most famous directors, such as Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang, played parts too.
And all of them worked for free.
The stellar cast is largely attributed to the clout of Han Sanping, the film's co-director and head of China Film Group (CFG), the State-owned conglomerate. Han is a senior producer and CFG is the No 1 film company in the industry.
Telling a story of how the People's Republic of China was founded, the film was a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the country's founding.
It raked in 400 million yuan ($58 million), compared to the 430 million yuan of Transformers 2 in June.
(8)The City of Life and Death (南京！南京！)
Any film on the Nanjing Massacre will create a stir in China, especially if it is directed by a young Chinese director and narrated from an original point of view.
The film was controversial because it centered on director Lu Chuan's depiction of the Japanese troops.
Usually, in film treatments of the massacre, in which about 300,000 civilians and soldiers lost their lives, Japanese troops are portrayed as devils, rather than rounded individuals.
In Lu's film, soldiers share happy moments, making a pot of tasty soup, and one of them falls in love with a comfort woman. At the same time, they were part of a fine-tuned and ruthless killing machine. Some viewers were irritated, calling Lu a traitor who tried to humanize the Japanese invaders, while others marveled at his courage to raise a new point of view.
(9)Night and Fog (天水围的夜与雾)
Ann Hui's follow-up to her much-acclaimed The Way We Are (天水围的日与夜) is not really a sequel, but rather a presentation of the flip side of the coin.
Tinshuiwai, the Hong Kong residential community where both stories take place, is known for the family tragedy on which Night and Fog is based. But the Chinese titles are so similar they can be seen as an organic whole.
While The Way We Are depicts the subtlety and warmth of Chinese relationships, Night and Fog dives into the violent world of one family. A middle-aged Hongkonger marries a young mainland beauty with a shady past. Her can-do spirit clashes with his slothful dependence on welfare. When violence spirals out of control, she and her twin daughters fall victim to his inner demon and to a bureaucratic system.
As usual, Hui's latest offering has great acting, clear exposition, with rich textures and much food for thought.
(10)Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城)
China's so-called costume blockbusters are often disappointing because they seldom live up to their hype. But not this film. The 16 A-listers embody their characters perfectly and the story - eight grassroots heroes' voluntarily protecting the revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat-sen in 1906 - fully engage the viewers. Also, the film stands out from conventional action films by being free of action in the first half, while the second half is a kind of action tsunami of dazzling kungfu scenes. Both parts are effective. The drama part is touching and the action part exciting.
Raymond Zhou has contributed to the story
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
The country's movie-making industry is experiencing a boom, with ticket sales increasing and more quality offerings from homegrown talents.
Box office takings in China have been rising 20 percent annually for the past five years, and though Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformers 2 and 2012 were the most profitable films this year, local productions were big hits too.
And 2009 was a bumper year for moviegoers with the gross box office surpassing last year's 4.3 billion yuan ($630 million) to reach 6 billion yuan.
Following, are 10 significant local films and though they are not all artistically refined, they made a big impact in 2009.
The Message (风声), Overheard (窃听风云), Night and Fog (天水围的夜与雾) and Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城) excel in terms of acting and storytelling; while Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼), Crazy Racer (疯狂的赛车) and Cow (斗牛) were breakout movies in their genres.
The Founding of a Republic (建国大业) and A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇) provided big talking points in the film industry; while City of Life and Death (南京!南京!) was appreciated for tackling a sensitive issue and raising discussion.
(1)A Simple Noodle Story (三枪拍案惊奇)
The film marked Zhang Yimou's return to cinema after he directed the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last year.
Adapted from the Coen Brothers' 1984 crime thriller Blood Simple, the film is a combination of slapstick and thriller.
The slapstick part is mainly provided by three actors of er'renzhuan - folk duets featuring ballads, dancing and cheap jokes - and raised great controversy.
(2)The Message (风声)
The spy thriller is one of the most refined films of the year. To begin with, each of the seven main actors did a brilliant job in putting life into their characters. Secondly, the script is well written. Set during China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the movie centers on a cat-and-mouse game between a Japanese chief and five suspects, one of whom is a planted agent. The story is full of unexpected twists, yet convincing at the same time.
In addition, the Oscar-winning designer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙), Tim Yip, made the entire wardrobe by hand. The set, two villas perched on a seaside cliff, features vintage furniture and ornaments collected from all over the country. The antique sofas, lights, tableware and LPs cost more than 4 million yuan ($585,420). The film won five nominations and the Best Actress award at the 46th Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan.
(3)Cow (斗牛)
Cow is almost a one-man show. It signifies the coming-of-age for Huang Bo, the comedian who specializes in playing low-life characters. His nabbing of the Golden Horse - as best actor for this performance - is much deserved.
The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) is as often filmed in China, as the European theater of WWII is for Western cinema. So it is not easy to squeeze anything fresh out of it. Writer and director Guan Hu adopted a small-scale approach that was ingenious in both concept and execution. The story revolves around a cow, a gift from a European country, and how it has an unexpected impact on different people, including Japanese soldiers.
The flashbacks are seamless. The locale is so intricately integrated into the plot the audience has a strong sense of participation. All characters are richly delineated and not even the Japanese invaders are caricatured. An actor with star power may boost the box office, but Huang Bo brings out the poignancy of the human dilemma in this slightly farcical tale.
(4)Overheard (窃听风云)
Written and directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, writers behind the Infernal Affairs (无间道) trilogy, Overheard focuses on insider trading, which has rarely been depicted in Hong Kong films.
Three wiretappers at the Hong Kong commercial crime investigation bureau find out about a listed company trying to manipulate the stock market. With the crucial information in hand and facing the temptation of getting rich overnight, they trap themselves in a fatal dilemma.
Stocks have been a big issue in the Chinese mainland, too, since the market hit a record 6,000 points in 2007, attracting millions of investors, ranging from tycoons to school kids.
With the help of his father and brother, both senior policemen, Mak talked with many former staffers at the Hong Kong commercial crime bureau, which investigates commercial fraud, computer crime and counterfeiting. He also asked for help from actress Anita Yuen, who has 10 family members working in the Hong Kong police force. The film tells an engaging story and the three Hong Kong actors, Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo, and Daniel Wu all did a great job.
(5)Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼)
China has lacked a popular homemade cartoon series, while Japanese manga is hugely popular around the world.
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is an exception. The film is about a battle of wits between a herd of goats and a couple of wolves and earned more than 80 million yuan ($11.7 million), at a cost of just 6 million yuan.
Its success is largely attributed to a fan base reared on 500 episodes of a TV series aired on 50 channels nationwide.
Now, the smart sheep and stupid wolves are as well known as Mickey Mouse among children here.
A sequel will be released in February, 2010.
China has been working hard to produce its own cartoons and there are currently 5,600 animation companies employing at least 200,000 people. Other locally-made favorites include The Story of Hongmao and Lantu (虹猫蓝兔) and Calabash Boys (葫芦娃).
(6)Crazy Racer (疯狂的赛车)
The film's director Ning Hao is called "China's Guy Ritchie" thanks to his quick-paced, smart and hilarious black comedies.
The film features four groups and more than 10 characters. Major personalities include a cyclist, a fraudulent sexual-enhancement medicine salesman and his overweight wife, several gangs and two stupid murderers.
These characters find their lives interwoven with one another - and with murder, suspense and humor - in convincing and comical ways.
Ning came up with the original storyline in late 2006, and spent eight months with eight writers drafting the script. He was so demanding that at least six writers ran out of ideas.
One of the writers used an abacus to calculate the characters' intricate relationships with each other. He described the writing process as deciphering a "calculus" formula.
Another writer drew a story map of the characters' relationships. But it was so complex that it confused even Ning.
The film was one of the funniest of the year.
(7)The Founding of a Republic (建国大业)
This film was an event in the industry because about 80 stars, many of whom are A-listers such as Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi and Jet Li, appeared in it. Some of China's most famous directors, such as Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang, played parts too.
And all of them worked for free.
The stellar cast is largely attributed to the clout of Han Sanping, the film's co-director and head of China Film Group (CFG), the State-owned conglomerate. Han is a senior producer and CFG is the No 1 film company in the industry.
Telling a story of how the People's Republic of China was founded, the film was a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the country's founding.
It raked in 400 million yuan ($58 million), compared to the 430 million yuan of Transformers 2 in June.
(8)The City of Life and Death (南京！南京！)
Any film on the Nanjing Massacre will create a stir in China, especially if it is directed by a young Chinese director and narrated from an original point of view.
The film was controversial because it centered on director Lu Chuan's depiction of the Japanese troops.
Usually, in film treatments of the massacre, in which about 300,000 civilians and soldiers lost their lives, Japanese troops are portrayed as devils, rather than rounded individuals.
In Lu's film, soldiers share happy moments, making a pot of tasty soup, and one of them falls in love with a comfort woman. At the same time, they were part of a fine-tuned and ruthless killing machine. Some viewers were irritated, calling Lu a traitor who tried to humanize the Japanese invaders, while others marveled at his courage to raise a new point of view.
(9)Night and Fog (天水围的夜与雾)
Ann Hui's follow-up to her much-acclaimed The Way We Are (天水围的日与夜) is not really a sequel, but rather a presentation of the flip side of the coin.
Tinshuiwai, the Hong Kong residential community where both stories take place, is known for the family tragedy on which Night and Fog is based. But the Chinese titles are so similar they can be seen as an organic whole.
While The Way We Are depicts the subtlety and warmth of Chinese relationships, Night and Fog dives into the violent world of one family. A middle-aged Hongkonger marries a young mainland beauty with a shady past. Her can-do spirit clashes with his slothful dependence on welfare. When violence spirals out of control, she and her twin daughters fall victim to his inner demon and to a bureaucratic system.
As usual, Hui's latest offering has great acting, clear exposition, with rich textures and much food for thought.
(10)Bodyguards and Assassins (十月围城)
China's so-called costume blockbusters are often disappointing because they seldom live up to their hype. But not this film. The 16 A-listers embody their characters perfectly and the story - eight grassroots heroes' voluntarily protecting the revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat-sen in 1906 - fully engage the viewers. Also, the film stands out from conventional action films by being free of action in the first half, while the second half is a kind of action tsunami of dazzling kungfu scenes. Both parts are effective. The drama part is touching and the action part exciting.
Raymond Zhou has contributed to the story
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: 10 Movies most discussed in 2009
These are the films that had people talking . . .
No. 1: A Simple Noodle Story
If you expect too many laughs, then you might find it hard to laugh.
No. 2: Bodyguards And Assassins
A must see action movie in 2009.
No. 3: The Founding of a Republic
It's like reading a history book with no pain.
No. 4: The Message
Guessing is one difficult thing. Keeping secret is another.
No. 5: City of Life and Death
Movies force people to remember the incident of Nanking Massacre.
No. 6: This is it
No one can talk bad of dead people, but what about the living?
No. 7: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf
Big Big Wolf is a model husband for modern ladies.
No. 8: Avatar
Do you feel movie tickets are expensive? No！ The market determines the price.
No. 9: 2012
Good science fiction and a cautionary tale.
No.10 : Surrogates
Invention changes the process of human revolution.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
No. 1: A Simple Noodle Story
If you expect too many laughs, then you might find it hard to laugh.
No. 2: Bodyguards And Assassins
A must see action movie in 2009.
No. 3: The Founding of a Republic
It's like reading a history book with no pain.
No. 4: The Message
Guessing is one difficult thing. Keeping secret is another.
No. 5: City of Life and Death
Movies force people to remember the incident of Nanking Massacre.
No. 6: This is it
No one can talk bad of dead people, but what about the living?
No. 7: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf
Big Big Wolf is a model husband for modern ladies.
No. 8: Avatar
Do you feel movie tickets are expensive? No！ The market determines the price.
No. 9: 2012
Good science fiction and a cautionary tale.
No.10 : Surrogates
Invention changes the process of human revolution.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: Catchwords that struck a chord in 2009
Updated: 2010-01-01 08:58
Society
By Wang Zhuoqiong (China Daily)
Celebrations of a nation's founding. A path-breaking US president. A flu which raised fears of a global pandemic. A summit of the world's top 20 economies held against the backdrop of a global financial crisis.
These were among the topics that garnered the most media attention, says an annual report on the most popular catchwords of the year, based on their use in China's mainstream media.
They were jointly released yesterday by the National Language Resource Monitor and Research Centre, Beijing Language and Cultural University and China Communication University.
The top 10 catchwords according to the report are:
60th anniversary of the founding of New China: A nation swelled with pride as it had plenty to celebrate with pomp and pageantry.
Implementation of scientific outlook of development: A doctrine that promotes coordinated development on the basis of social harmony, environmental protection and energy conservation, in addition to economic expansion.
H1N1: The global outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, often referred to as "swine flu" in the media.
Barack Obama: China, along with the rest of the world, was captivated as the first black president was sworn in the US.
Climate change: One of the hottest topics which reached a crescendo at the Copenhagen conference last month.
(11th Chinese) National Games: The 13-day event ended successfully on Oct 28 with host Shandong topping the medals table.
G20 Summit: The leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies met in Pittsburgh against the backdrop of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Post-quake reconstruction: The massive efforts to rebuild homes and infrastructure in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, which were hit hard by the devastating earthquake on May 12, 2008.
Crackdown on organized crime: An effort that intensified in 2009, most notably in Chongqing, where a massive crackdown on gangs that began in June has resulted in more than 2,900 suspected gangsters or officials protecting them being detained.
Medical reform plan: A blueprint for health care reform over the next decade unveiled in April, which kicked off a long-awaited plan to fix the ailing medical system and ensure fair and affordable care for all 1.3 billion citizens.
The report also listed 120 other keywords covering social, political, economic and cultural affairs. Some examples are:
"Being employed" was the most popular term of the year in the social sector.
The term originated from a practice by many universities listing jobless fresh college graduates as "employed". Names were included in employment agreements to boost the universities' standing in campus recruitment but the graduates did not actually have jobs.
"The popularity of 'being employed' is an irony given the fact that a large number of college graduates are unemployed this year," the report said.
Lou Cuicui, meaning fragile building, originated from a new 13-story apartment building in Shanghai which collapsed in June because of shoddy construction.
"We are entering an era where there is no guarantee for the quality of real estate in which people invest their life savings," the report said.
Other words that typified social problems were "fake banknotes", "drag racing" and the "hide-and-seek incident".
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
Society
By Wang Zhuoqiong (China Daily)
Celebrations of a nation's founding. A path-breaking US president. A flu which raised fears of a global pandemic. A summit of the world's top 20 economies held against the backdrop of a global financial crisis.
These were among the topics that garnered the most media attention, says an annual report on the most popular catchwords of the year, based on their use in China's mainstream media.
They were jointly released yesterday by the National Language Resource Monitor and Research Centre, Beijing Language and Cultural University and China Communication University.
The top 10 catchwords according to the report are:
60th anniversary of the founding of New China: A nation swelled with pride as it had plenty to celebrate with pomp and pageantry.
Implementation of scientific outlook of development: A doctrine that promotes coordinated development on the basis of social harmony, environmental protection and energy conservation, in addition to economic expansion.
H1N1: The global outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, often referred to as "swine flu" in the media.
Barack Obama: China, along with the rest of the world, was captivated as the first black president was sworn in the US.
Climate change: One of the hottest topics which reached a crescendo at the Copenhagen conference last month.
(11th Chinese) National Games: The 13-day event ended successfully on Oct 28 with host Shandong topping the medals table.
G20 Summit: The leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies met in Pittsburgh against the backdrop of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Post-quake reconstruction: The massive efforts to rebuild homes and infrastructure in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, which were hit hard by the devastating earthquake on May 12, 2008.
Crackdown on organized crime: An effort that intensified in 2009, most notably in Chongqing, where a massive crackdown on gangs that began in June has resulted in more than 2,900 suspected gangsters or officials protecting them being detained.
Medical reform plan: A blueprint for health care reform over the next decade unveiled in April, which kicked off a long-awaited plan to fix the ailing medical system and ensure fair and affordable care for all 1.3 billion citizens.
The report also listed 120 other keywords covering social, political, economic and cultural affairs. Some examples are:
"Being employed" was the most popular term of the year in the social sector.
The term originated from a practice by many universities listing jobless fresh college graduates as "employed". Names were included in employment agreements to boost the universities' standing in campus recruitment but the graduates did not actually have jobs.
"The popularity of 'being employed' is an irony given the fact that a large number of college graduates are unemployed this year," the report said.
Lou Cuicui, meaning fragile building, originated from a new 13-story apartment building in Shanghai which collapsed in June because of shoddy construction.
"We are entering an era where there is no guarantee for the quality of real estate in which people invest their life savings," the report said.
Other words that typified social problems were "fake banknotes", "drag racing" and the "hide-and-seek incident".
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
CHINA: 2009 top ten news
Editor's Note: China has taken the lead in recovering from the global financial crisis, and offers huge market potential in many industries. Here are ten areas where China has scored - or is destined to make – number one in the year 2009, as selected by China Daily website editors. We have left infrastructure projects, which include many top 10 candidates, for a separate category.
1. Fastest GDP growth
2. World's No 1 exporter
3. Top IPO destination
4. World's biggest auto market
5. Best performing air transport industry
6. World's longest natural gas pipeline
7. World's largest gold consumer
8. China leads in nuke capacity
9. China's average housing prices top the world
10. World's largest wind turbine market
1. Fastest GDP growth
With the world still haunted by recession, China seems to be the promise land with a 7.7 percent year-on-year economic growth rate in the first three quarters.
The figures outperform all the other countries, including India, China’s old rival in terms of economic growth rate, ensuring China an annual GDP growth over 8 percent in 2009.
China’s year-on-year GDP growth stood at 6.1 percent, 7.9 percent and 8.9 percent respectively for quarter one to quarter three, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, showing a robust but stable recovery.
China, together with other emerging economies, plays an important part in leading the world out of the economic downturn, analysts said.
2. World's No 1 exporter
China will "very probably" surpass Germany to become the world's largest exporter this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on December 27.
According to the World Trade Organization, during the first half of 2009, China had, for the first time in the past seven years, edged narrowly ahead of Germany in exports. During the January-June period, China exported goods worth $521.7 billion, slightly more than Germany, which exported $521.6 billion worth of goods.
Economists predicted such momentum will be sustained during the second half of 2009 and the years ahead, especially with the toll the financial crisis has taken on developed countries, including Germany.
Although the figure for December has not yet been announced, Zhong Shan, vice-minister of commerce, predicted that China’s exports for the whole year in 2009 will drop by 16.5 percent year-on-year to $1.19 trillion. Given the drops in China’s exports that have already taken place this year, that actually means that exports for December will likely grow by 9.6 percent compared to last year, to $121.86 billion.
3. Top IPO destination
Chairmen of the boards from companies ring the bell in Shenzhen Wuzhou Hotel on Dec 30, to announce the first batch of companies' IPO debut on China's Nasdaq-like ChiNext bourse.
Companies raised more capital through initial public offerings (IPOs) on Chinese stock exchanges, including in Hong Kong, than in the US this year – the first time the US has not been the top IPO destination since 2006.
Companies raised $51.6 billion in China, including $27.2 billion in Hong Kong and $24.4 billion on the mainland. In the US, companies only raised $26.5 billion, according to statistics from the British research company Dealogic.
Companies from the mainland accounted for 46 of the 66 new listings on the Hong Kong exchange this year. China Minsheng Banking Corporation raised the most, with HK$30.2 billion ($3.89 billion), and eight of the top ten largest IPOs were mainland companies.
4. World's biggest auto market
GM sold 1.459 million vehicles in China in the first 10 months. Hao Ran
China's total vehicle sales exceeded 12 million in the January-November period, retaining its leading position in auto sales and production since January, according to statistics released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
China sold 7.22 million new vehicles in 2006, overtaking Japan as the second-largest auto market after the US. In January 2009, China sold 735,500 home-made vehicles, surpassing US as the world’s top auto market.
China’s auto sales hit 10.9 million in the first ten months of this year, up 37.8 percent over the same period last year, breaching the 10-million barrier for the first time ever.
Boosted by government stimulus measures such as tax cuts and subsidies for trade-ins, sales of all automobiles for the whole year are set to break the 13 million barrier, which has consolidated China’s top position in the global automobile market.
5. Best performing air transport industry
Tourists bound for an overseas destination board an Air China flight at Beijing Capital International Airport. [Agencies]
China’s air transport industry made a total profit this year of 11.8 billion yuan ($1.73 billion) as of November, defying a forecast by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the industry would lose $11 billion globally this year.
"The performance of China's air transport industry is the best in the world," Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China（CAAC）, told China Central Television.
The figure, which includes profits from both airlines and airports, released by CAAC on its website on December 14, shows that China’s airlines have weathered the global financial crisis without too much turbulence.
A strong domestic market and the government's policy support have contributed to the profits, analyst said.
6. World's longest natural gas pipeline
Chinese President Hu Jintao, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Uzbek President Islam Karimov turn on the flow of natural gas together in the gas plant on the right bank of the Amu Darya River, Turkmenistan, on Dec 14, 2009. The four leader attended the inauguration ceremony of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline here on Dec 14.[Xinhua]
A new “Silk Road” linking China and Central Asia was opened on December 14: a 1,833-km natural gas pipeline, that starts in Turkmenistan, and winds its way through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China's Xinjiang region. It is the world’s longest natural gas pipeline ever constructed.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and his counterparts from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jointly opened the pipeline at a ceremony in Turkmenistan. Hu said the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline is a model of solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation among the four countries.
Once it reaches full capacity between 2012 and 2013, it will be able to deliver 40 billion cubic meters of gas each year. That is more than half of China's current annual gas consumption.
China consumed 77.8 billion cubic meters of gas in 2008.
7. World's largest gold consumer
A couple selects gold jewlry at Caibai Store. Gold rings and necklaces are popular New Year gifts among local people. [Mirror Evening News]
China is set to overtake India as the world's No 1 gold consumer this year.
Metals consulting firm GFMS projects that China's gold demand will total 432 tons this year, and that India's will total 422 tons.
Gold demand in India fell by more than half in the first nine months of this year through September, according to the World Gold Council. In contrast, China's demand was up 8 percent in the same period.
8. China leads in nuke capacity
Chinese vice premier Li Keqiang (R) and visiting French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unveils the biggest Sino-French joint venture to construct and operate the first-phase project of the Taishan nuclear power plant at a ceremony marking the official start of construction of the plant in Guangdong province, Dec 21, 2009 [Xinhua].
With 24 nuclear power blocks under construction and a planned capacity of 25.4 gigawatts, China now has the world’s largest nuclear power capacity under construction, according to a December 26 report of the National Development and Reform Commission.
China recently started constructing the Taishan nuclear plant in Guangdong province, which is expected to be the world’s largest after completion. A total of 50.2 billion yuan ($7.35 billion) was invested in the first-phase project, whose unit capacity can amount to 1.75 million kilowatts.
According to China’s nuclear power plants long and mid-term development plan, the installed capacity is expected to reach 40 million kilowatts by 2020 generating 260 billion to 280 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year, accounting for 4 percent to 6 percent of the country's total.
China now has 11 nuclear reactors in operation, with a total nuclear power installed capacity of 9.08 gW.
9. China's average housing prices top the world
China’s average housing prices have topped the world when compared to average incomes, Xie Guozhong, board member of Rosetta Stone Advisors said.
According to statistics of the first three quarters of this year, the average annual income of Beijing residents amounted to 26,720 yuan ($3,913.18). If a couple wanted to buy a 100-sq m second-hand apartment on loan they needed to save money for 49 years without spending a penny as the price would now be two million yuan.
The same situation is happening in other first-tier cities.
Research held by the Beijing News showed 80 percent of the 50 main buildings being sold in Beijing this year had a price rally of more than 50 percent.
The loose monetary policies of the Chinese government have spurred a record of $1.27 trillion in loans this year and the huge liquidity had created serious bubbles in China’s stock and real estate markets that threaten the economy.
China’s real estate market will not show a downward trend unless the US Federal Reserve increases the interest rate, which will lead to the appreciation of the dollar and obvious inflation expectations.
10. World's largest wind turbine market
China is overtaking the US as the world’s largest market for the installation of wind turbines in 2009, People’s Daily reported, citing Arthouros Zervos, president of European Wind Energy Association.
In the first half of this year, China had new wind turbine installations producing 4.5 million kilowatts of power, surpassing the US, which had new wind turbine installation of 4 million kilowatts of power in the same period.
The data of China’s total wind turbine installation of 2009 is yet to be announced, but it is predicted to overtake the US as the world's largest market for wind turbines this year.
The government’s encouraging policies are seen as the main driving force to help create huge market demand for wind turbines. As a result, manufacturers propped up and investment flocked into the sector.
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
1. Fastest GDP growth
2. World's No 1 exporter
3. Top IPO destination
4. World's biggest auto market
5. Best performing air transport industry
6. World's longest natural gas pipeline
7. World's largest gold consumer
8. China leads in nuke capacity
9. China's average housing prices top the world
10. World's largest wind turbine market
1. Fastest GDP growth
With the world still haunted by recession, China seems to be the promise land with a 7.7 percent year-on-year economic growth rate in the first three quarters.
The figures outperform all the other countries, including India, China’s old rival in terms of economic growth rate, ensuring China an annual GDP growth over 8 percent in 2009.
China’s year-on-year GDP growth stood at 6.1 percent, 7.9 percent and 8.9 percent respectively for quarter one to quarter three, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, showing a robust but stable recovery.
China, together with other emerging economies, plays an important part in leading the world out of the economic downturn, analysts said.
2. World's No 1 exporter
China will "very probably" surpass Germany to become the world's largest exporter this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on December 27.
According to the World Trade Organization, during the first half of 2009, China had, for the first time in the past seven years, edged narrowly ahead of Germany in exports. During the January-June period, China exported goods worth $521.7 billion, slightly more than Germany, which exported $521.6 billion worth of goods.
Economists predicted such momentum will be sustained during the second half of 2009 and the years ahead, especially with the toll the financial crisis has taken on developed countries, including Germany.
Although the figure for December has not yet been announced, Zhong Shan, vice-minister of commerce, predicted that China’s exports for the whole year in 2009 will drop by 16.5 percent year-on-year to $1.19 trillion. Given the drops in China’s exports that have already taken place this year, that actually means that exports for December will likely grow by 9.6 percent compared to last year, to $121.86 billion.
3. Top IPO destination
Chairmen of the boards from companies ring the bell in Shenzhen Wuzhou Hotel on Dec 30, to announce the first batch of companies' IPO debut on China's Nasdaq-like ChiNext bourse.
Companies raised more capital through initial public offerings (IPOs) on Chinese stock exchanges, including in Hong Kong, than in the US this year – the first time the US has not been the top IPO destination since 2006.
Companies raised $51.6 billion in China, including $27.2 billion in Hong Kong and $24.4 billion on the mainland. In the US, companies only raised $26.5 billion, according to statistics from the British research company Dealogic.
Companies from the mainland accounted for 46 of the 66 new listings on the Hong Kong exchange this year. China Minsheng Banking Corporation raised the most, with HK$30.2 billion ($3.89 billion), and eight of the top ten largest IPOs were mainland companies.
4. World's biggest auto market
GM sold 1.459 million vehicles in China in the first 10 months. Hao Ran
China's total vehicle sales exceeded 12 million in the January-November period, retaining its leading position in auto sales and production since January, according to statistics released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
China sold 7.22 million new vehicles in 2006, overtaking Japan as the second-largest auto market after the US. In January 2009, China sold 735,500 home-made vehicles, surpassing US as the world’s top auto market.
China’s auto sales hit 10.9 million in the first ten months of this year, up 37.8 percent over the same period last year, breaching the 10-million barrier for the first time ever.
Boosted by government stimulus measures such as tax cuts and subsidies for trade-ins, sales of all automobiles for the whole year are set to break the 13 million barrier, which has consolidated China’s top position in the global automobile market.
5. Best performing air transport industry
Tourists bound for an overseas destination board an Air China flight at Beijing Capital International Airport. [Agencies]
China’s air transport industry made a total profit this year of 11.8 billion yuan ($1.73 billion) as of November, defying a forecast by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the industry would lose $11 billion globally this year.
"The performance of China's air transport industry is the best in the world," Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China（CAAC）, told China Central Television.
The figure, which includes profits from both airlines and airports, released by CAAC on its website on December 14, shows that China’s airlines have weathered the global financial crisis without too much turbulence.
A strong domestic market and the government's policy support have contributed to the profits, analyst said.
6. World's longest natural gas pipeline
Chinese President Hu Jintao, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Uzbek President Islam Karimov turn on the flow of natural gas together in the gas plant on the right bank of the Amu Darya River, Turkmenistan, on Dec 14, 2009. The four leader attended the inauguration ceremony of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline here on Dec 14.[Xinhua]
A new “Silk Road” linking China and Central Asia was opened on December 14: a 1,833-km natural gas pipeline, that starts in Turkmenistan, and winds its way through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China's Xinjiang region. It is the world’s longest natural gas pipeline ever constructed.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and his counterparts from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jointly opened the pipeline at a ceremony in Turkmenistan. Hu said the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline is a model of solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation among the four countries.
Once it reaches full capacity between 2012 and 2013, it will be able to deliver 40 billion cubic meters of gas each year. That is more than half of China's current annual gas consumption.
China consumed 77.8 billion cubic meters of gas in 2008.
7. World's largest gold consumer
A couple selects gold jewlry at Caibai Store. Gold rings and necklaces are popular New Year gifts among local people. [Mirror Evening News]
China is set to overtake India as the world's No 1 gold consumer this year.
Metals consulting firm GFMS projects that China's gold demand will total 432 tons this year, and that India's will total 422 tons.
Gold demand in India fell by more than half in the first nine months of this year through September, according to the World Gold Council. In contrast, China's demand was up 8 percent in the same period.
8. China leads in nuke capacity
Chinese vice premier Li Keqiang (R) and visiting French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unveils the biggest Sino-French joint venture to construct and operate the first-phase project of the Taishan nuclear power plant at a ceremony marking the official start of construction of the plant in Guangdong province, Dec 21, 2009 [Xinhua].
With 24 nuclear power blocks under construction and a planned capacity of 25.4 gigawatts, China now has the world’s largest nuclear power capacity under construction, according to a December 26 report of the National Development and Reform Commission.
China recently started constructing the Taishan nuclear plant in Guangdong province, which is expected to be the world’s largest after completion. A total of 50.2 billion yuan ($7.35 billion) was invested in the first-phase project, whose unit capacity can amount to 1.75 million kilowatts.
According to China’s nuclear power plants long and mid-term development plan, the installed capacity is expected to reach 40 million kilowatts by 2020 generating 260 billion to 280 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year, accounting for 4 percent to 6 percent of the country's total.
China now has 11 nuclear reactors in operation, with a total nuclear power installed capacity of 9.08 gW.
9. China's average housing prices top the world
China’s average housing prices have topped the world when compared to average incomes, Xie Guozhong, board member of Rosetta Stone Advisors said.
According to statistics of the first three quarters of this year, the average annual income of Beijing residents amounted to 26,720 yuan ($3,913.18). If a couple wanted to buy a 100-sq m second-hand apartment on loan they needed to save money for 49 years without spending a penny as the price would now be two million yuan.
The same situation is happening in other first-tier cities.
Research held by the Beijing News showed 80 percent of the 50 main buildings being sold in Beijing this year had a price rally of more than 50 percent.
The loose monetary policies of the Chinese government have spurred a record of $1.27 trillion in loans this year and the huge liquidity had created serious bubbles in China’s stock and real estate markets that threaten the economy.
China’s real estate market will not show a downward trend unless the US Federal Reserve increases the interest rate, which will lead to the appreciation of the dollar and obvious inflation expectations.
10. World's largest wind turbine market
China is overtaking the US as the world’s largest market for the installation of wind turbines in 2009, People’s Daily reported, citing Arthouros Zervos, president of European Wind Energy Association.
In the first half of this year, China had new wind turbine installations producing 4.5 million kilowatts of power, surpassing the US, which had new wind turbine installation of 4 million kilowatts of power in the same period.
The data of China’s total wind turbine installation of 2009 is yet to be announced, but it is predicted to overtake the US as the world's largest market for wind turbines this year.
The government’s encouraging policies are seen as the main driving force to help create huge market demand for wind turbines. As a result, manufacturers propped up and investment flocked into the sector.
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