ichina magazine 2009 feb. issue

Eyeing China with My Angle

February 2009www.ichinamag.com

• Democraticsocietyisaconsistentgoal • FDAOpensOfficesinChina • ZeroSalaryforChineseGraduates? • ShanZhai—theMostPopularWordinChina • GraffitiArtChina'surbannomadstargetgraffiticanvas,theWall • WinterFairyland-TheHarbinInternationalIceandSnowFestival • HainanIsland--TheHawaiiofChina

iChina

PublishedbyiChinaMediaG

roup&KFPublishingCom

panyGroup,U

.S.A

F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9IND

EX

FOCUS

02.Democraticsocietyisaconsistentgoal04.FDAOpensOfficesinChina

ECONOMY 06.HoldersShouldNotPayforFakeMoney07.ZeroSalaryforChineseGraduates?

PEOPLE

10.SmallBusiness,BigWorld-InterviewwithCarmonCrone

CULTURE

13.ShanZhai-theMostPopularWordinChina

ARTS

16.GraffitiArtChina'surbannomadstargetgraffiticanvas,theWall20.Beijingstreetfashion

TRAVEL

22.WinterFairyland-TheHarbinInternationalIceandSnowFestival25.HainanIsland-TheHawaiiofChina

FOOD

28.ColorfulFacesofDonuts30.AGreenHomemadeDinneronValentine'sDay

LEISURE

34.ChineseValentine’sDay35.LearntoPlayChineseMah-Jong36.TheBestWaytoRelaxinChina37.SymbolofChina-PandaorDragon?38.MonkeyKingJourneytotheWest41.Reader'sFeedback42.SurveyandSubscription

Note:Ifyoubelievethatyourworkhasbeenreprintedinawaythatconstitutescopyright infringement,pleasecontact iChina’sCopyrightAgent:[email protected].

iChinaispublishedmonthlybyiChinaMediaGroupandKFPublishingCompanyGroup.

EditorinChief:April ZhangExecutiveEditor: Huijie Feng ManagingEditor:May Ouyang ArtDirector:Jiangling Wu

AssociateEditor:Mingwu Gao, Zhao Zhao, Yu Chen, Hua Cheng, Angie Zhong, Sharon Wilson, Elizabeth Steiner

AssistantEditor:Stacy Liu, Qinqin Schoser, Michael Smith

CopyEditor:Rebecca Stout

MarketingDirectorXiaowen Bao

[email protected]

AdvertisementDirectorWei Yuan:

[email protected]

CirculationDirectorSicheng Liao:

[email protected]

Therearetwowaysofspreadinglight-tobethecandleorthemirrorthatreflectsit.~EdithWharton

Foradvertisementorsubscriptioninformation,contact:Phone:312-233-2087Email:[email protected]://www.ichinamag.com

Manypeoplehavebeenalwayscuriousto know if there is democracy in

Chinaor if it isthedirectionthesocietywillgoon.Actually,thisanswerdependsonthedifferentdefinitionsand theperspectives.Somepeople,withaverysimpleanddirectstandard,willsay:therealdemocracywhereyouareallowedtocriticize the leadershipdoesnotexist inChina.So, thedemocracyin China is an i l lusion. However, somepeoplemightnotagreewiththeabove.Asacommunist,seniorgovernor,HuangMengfuwillposehisopinionherebytherealstoriesthathappenedbetweenhimandtheChineseleadersonthehighestpositions.

Huang,Mengfu,seniorengineer,Vice-chairmanof the11thChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConferenceNationalCommittee ,chairmanofAll-China IndustryandCommerceFederation,chairmanoftheboardofdirectorsof theChinaFoundation forHumanRightsDevelopment,member of ChinaDemocratic National ConstructionAssociation(CDNCA),andmemberoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC).

DemocraticsocietyisaconsistentgoalNot long ago, anAmerican friend toldmean

interestingstoryaboutChina.HesaidanAmericancouldwriteabookafterreturningfromaweeklongtriptotheEastAsiannationbutcouldonlywriteabriefarticleafterathree-monthstay.

Nosingleword,however,couldbewrittenafterstayinginthecountryayear,hesaid.Thatisbecausethings intheboomingancientnationaremuchtoocomplicated.

Heis indeedcorrect. It isalsowhyIhavecometotheUnitedStatestocommunicatewithallofyou.

There isnodoubttheastonishingachievementsmadebyChinasince its initiationof thehistoricalreformandopeninguppolicy in1978arewortheulogizing.

Overthepast30years,thecountry'sgrossdomesticproduct(GDP)hasachieved9.8percentgrowthyearonyear,andthepeople's livingstandardshavebeensubstantivelyimproved.

Thirtyyearsago,bicycleswere themainmeansof transportation forChineseurban residentsandtelephoneswerea luxury,butnowprivatecarshavebecome common, andone in every twopeoplepossessesacellphone.

Thirtyyearsago,about250millionChinesepeoplelivedinsheerpoverty.Thisfigurewasreducedto15millionbytheendof lastyear,only1.1percentof itspopulation.

Thecountryhasbasicallysolvedtheproblemoffoodandclothing for itspeopleandsucceeded inbuildingamoderatelyprosperoussociety.

Itshumanrightseffortshavealsobeenimprovedremarkablynationwide.

IstillrememberthehomeofoneofmyfriendsontheoutskirtsofBeijingatwhichIstayedforaperiodoftimeinthe1960swhenIwasatuniversity.Hishomewasrathersparselyfurnished,andthefamily'smealsconsistedmainlyofcornbreadandvegetables.Today,hehasacolorTV,acellphone,acarandotherluxuryitems,andthefamilyislivingagoodlife.

PeoplewhohavevisitedBeijingknowthattodayyoucanheardiscussionson taxi cabsonpoliticalissues,andthosetakingpartarefreetodoso.

ColumnistNicholasD.KristofwroteintheNewYorkTimesonAug24,2008abouttheChineseInternetandsensitivepoliticalissues.

The freedom enjoyed by foreign journalistscovering theSichuanearthquakeand theBeijingOlympicsandParalympicsdemonstratedtheprogressthecountryhasmadeonhumanrightsissuesoverthepastthreedecades.

Intheirpursuitofabetterlife,theChinesepeoplearealsowell aware thatweare still adevelopingcountry.Wehaveyettosolveaseriesofthornyissuesonourwaytomodernization,suchashowtoslowpopulationgrowth, furthernarrowtheurban-rural

FOCUS

2 iChina Magzine•March 2009

3

divide,andhowtosetupasocialsecurity,educationandmedicalsystemcoveringthewholepopulation.

TheChinesepeoplearecommittedtobuildingademocratic,just,vigorousandorderlysocietyinwhichpeoplecancoexistwithnatureharmoniously.

AdiscussionbetweenlateChairmanMaoZedongandmygrandfatherHuangYanpeiinacaveinYan'an,theheadquartersoftheCPCrevolutionbeforethenewChinawas founded in1945, iswellknowntomanypeople.MygrandfatheraskedMaohowthenewPartywouldnotrepeattheoldmodelofaChineseregimefrombirthtoprosperity.

"Democracy",Maoanswered.Ademocraticsocietyhasbeenaconsistentgoal

pursuedbytheChinesepeople inmoderntimes.AdemocraticpathwithChinesecharacteristicshasbeenalreadychartered.

Ch ina has adopted a CPC- led mul t i -par tycooperationandpoliticalconsultationsystemandthe

NationalPeople'sCongresssystem. As the ruling party, the CPC is in close and

interactive consultationswithotherparticipatingdemocraticpartiesandsocialgroupsonmajorpolitical,economicandsocial issuesbeforeanydecisionsaremade.

Last year, President Hu Jintao andPremierWenJiabaoparticipatedin18suchconsultations.Not longago,PresidentHuchairedameetingwithdelegates fromtheAll-ChinaFederationof IndustryandCommerce,acomponentof theChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference,on rural constructionanddevelopment.As headof thegroup, I recommendedto the president that the governmentshouldpumpmorefunds intoruralareasto help farmers and reduce pover tyin the vast underdeveloped areas.Myrecommendationwaslateraccepted.

Earlierthisyear, IproposedtoPremierWen that the central government takeintoconsiderationthe interestsofsmall-

andmedium-sizedenterpriseswhileadoptingatightmonetarypolicy.Theproposalwasalsoincorporatedintothegovernment'screditpolicy.

AccordingtoasurveyconductedbytheUSPEWResearchCenter,86percentofChinesepeople feelsatisfiedwiththedirectionsofChina'sdevelopment,ranking itNo1 intheworld.Thatdemonstratestheconfidenceof theChinesepeople insocialismwithChinesecharacteristics.

Thecurrentworldisacolorfulanddiversifiedone.We respect the rightsof thepeopleofAmerica tochoosetheirdemocracyandsuchrightsoftheChinesepeopleshouldalsoberespected.

Theextentofdemocracy,freedomandopeningupChinahasachievedwasunimaginable30yearsago,anditwillnotslowoureffortstoimproveourhumanrightssituations.

TheChinesegovernment isnowactivelydraftingablueprint forhuman rights reform. Itwill furtherenhance thedevelopmentof thecountry'shumanrights.

ThearticleisanexcerptofHuang,Mengfu’sspeechatHarvardUniversityonNov24,2008.

FOCUS

http://www.ichinamag.com

FDAOpensOfficesinChinaByDanBraido

TheUnitedStatesFoodandDrugAdministrationopeneda smalloffice inBeijing,China. This

officeisonlythefirstinternationalofferingofaplanneddeploymentwhich looks to installoffices in India,Europe,LatinAmericaandtheMiddleEastaswellasofficesinGuangzhouandShanghaibytheendoftheyear. Whiletherehasbeenspeculationthattheofficeisbeingopenedindirectresponsetorecentreportsofmelaminebeingusedtodopesuppliesofanimalfeedanddairyproducts, it is actually thefirstphaseofan initiativedevelopedyears ago. Improperlyproducedorhandledproducts are inevitable inany industry,andrecentmediascaresarenot thedriving forcebehindanincreasedpushforoversight.Americanofficials realize that thewayof thetimes isglobalization,andasa resultan increasinglygreaterpercentageofAmerican foodanddrugswillbeproduced in foreigncountries. It isineveryone’sbest interest toensurethat such products not be taintedinanyway. Thisnewofficewillnotbecome responsible forperformingthe necessary inspections, but isexpectedtoactasaninformationhub.AmericanFDAofficialswillbeavailabletoChineseofficialstoprovideexample

guidelinesandtraining.ItisexpectedthattheChinesegovernmentwantstomakesurethatproductsbeingproducedinitscountryarecapableofmeetingcertainstandards,andthatthe“ChineseBrand”doesnotsufferanyundueindignity.

AsthefirstinternationalbranchesoftheFDAcomeonline, there isanother initiativebeingexploredtoensurethequalityoffoodproducts inEastAsia. TheUSDAispushingfortheuseofthirdparty inspectioncompanies. Privatecompanies inspectgoodsboundforexport, thusreducingtheburdenonUScustomsofficials. Lastyearover13million food itemswereimported to theUS. However, thenumberofFDAinspectors responsible for these goods has notchangedappreciably.Asaresult,only1percentoffoodand ingredientshipmentscrossingUSborderswereinspected.Asidefromactualfood,thenumberoffoodingredientshipments,manyofwhichimportedtotheUSfromChinahasmorethandoubledfrom82,000in2002to199,000in2006andarerapidlyincreasingstill.Evenatthislowinspectionrate,stillhundredsofitemsfromChinaandIndiaarerejectedeverymonth. Soitwouldfollowthatforeveryoneunsafe itemwhichisrejected,thereare99unsafeitemsthatareacceptedbydefault.Thissituation,withoutblaminganyindividualparty,isunacceptable.

FromtheperspectiveoftheUnitedStates,increasinginspectornumbersandbudgetsinU.S.portsrepresentsaratherlargeandunrecoverableexpenditure. Heavilyinspectinggoodsafter theyhavereachedU.S.portswouldreducethechanceof taintedproductsbeingimported,butitwillnotreducethenumberoftaintedproductsbeingproduced. Itwouldbemuchmore

FOCUS


5

efficient toensure the itemsareacceptablebeforetheyareshipped. Areduction inrefusedshipmentsrepresents a reduction in both production andtransportationcostsforthemanufacturer. Improvedoversight inthecountryoforiginmeansthatnotonlygoodswhichareexportedwouldneedtomeetstricterguidelines,butgoods fordomesticusewouldaswell.Theexpansionofoversightdoesrepresentasignificantfinancialburden;however,it is a necessary step forCh i n a w i t h i t s r e c en temergenceupontheworldstage.Unfortunately,intheworldofbusinessitisoftencheaperandeasiertobribeanofficialorinspectorthantomake theirproducts theproperway.

Whilethestatedmissionoftheofficesmaybetoofferadviceandtraining,therewillcertainlybeadditionaleffectsofanincreasedAmericanregulatorypresence. Bribingofficialswouldbecomemoreexpensive,orattheveryleastmoredifficult. There isanoldarmysaying,“It’sonlywrongifyougetcaught.” Thisgoesdouble inChina,where thedeathpenaltyis carriedout swiftly fora relativelybroadrangeofoffences. Oneof thesurestwaysto receive sucha sentence is tocause theChinese government to lose face in theinternational community. If the chancesof being punished for corrupt practicesincreased,inspectorswouldmostlikelywantalargerbribeinresponsetothisgreaterrisk.Inaddition,inspectorswouldbelesslikelytoaskproducerswhofollowtheimposedguidelines

forabribeaswell. Themosteffectivewaytoensureproducerswillfollowtheimposedguidelines is tomake it thecheapestoption.

The opening of FDA off ices inChinamarksanimportantstepontheway to aproperly regulatedglobalmarketplace.Theimportantthingnowis to followthroughonthepromisesthisrepresents. Atfirstopening,eachofficewillbestaffedwitheightofficials.While thisdoesmean theUShas itsfootinthedoor,itisababyfoot,anditdoesnottakemuchtocrushababy’sfoot.Ifthisventuredoesshowpromise,hopefully, thenumberofofficialsperofficewill be increased, at least to50. Furthermore, if thepresenceofFDAofficialsactually results in lower

rejectionratesof importedgoods, thiswill increasetheacceptanceofFDAofficesintheotherdesignated

districts.

FOCUS

http://www.ichinamag.com

ECO

NO

MY

HoldersShouldNotPayforFakeMoneyByShinanLiu

Extremely"real looking"fakebanknoteshaveappeared

in several provinces and citiesacross thecountrycausingpanicamongthepublicbecause therewerereportsthatevenbillscannersfailedtodetectthem.Tostopthepanic,bankauthoritieshaveissued

statements to assure thepublicthattherewasnopossibilityoffakemoneygettingthroughthebanks'scanners.Thestatements,however,sound too feeble toassuage thepublic'sfear.

The assurancedoesn't seemconvincingenoughbecausethere

hadbeen reports of customersgetting fakemoney fromATMs.Thelatestcaseoccurredonlyafewdaysago,whenamansurnamedQianwithdrew1,000yuan($147)fromanATMatabankinMianyang,Sichuanprovince,but later foundnineoftheten100-yuannotestobecounterfeit.Ashehadnotaskedforan invoicefromtheautomatictellermachine,themancouldnotprovethesourceofthemoneyandhadtobeartheloss.

Thisisreallyscary,forcustomerswould feel unsafe when evenbanks'ATMsspewoutfakemoney.Whatismorefrustratingisthatonecanhardlyproveit.Lastyear,amansurnamed Li allegedly received500 yuan in fakenotes fromanATM inDongguan,Guangdongprovince.Afterashoprefusedtotakethemoney,Liaskedthebanktopayhimforthelossbutthebankturneddownthe request, saying

imagecaption:AnemployeeinChongqingfoundouthismonthlysalaryisfake.


ECO

NO

MY

XiaoFeng(alias)has interned ina localcompany inShijiazhuang,acitysouthwestofBeijing,foralmost

oneyear, andhasn'tmadeacent.Shenevercomplainsaboutitbecauseshewantstoaccumulateworkexperienceinordertogeta jobsheactually likes.Asa largenumberofcollegegraduates finish theschoolyearandstep intotheemploymentmarket,moreandmorefeelthecutthroatcompetitionwhentheyare job-hunting. "Moreandmorecollegestudents inChinahaveconsideredsacrificingpaytodayforabrighterfuture."XiaoFengisnoexception.

Afteryearsofstunningeconomicgrowthrates,including11.9percent in2007,China'seconomyhasseenitsgrowthslowforthefirsttimesince2002.TheWorldBankprojects9.4percent in2008and7.5percent in2009.TheinternationalconsultingfirmATKearneypredictsChina'seconomywillexpandbyonly6percentnextyear.

YuYonddingoftheChinaAcademyofSocialSciencessaystheChineseeconomymustgrowbetween8and9percentannuallytoabsorbthe24millionnewworkerswhoenterthelaborforceeachyear.Of5.5millionuniversitygraduatesthisyear,800,000haveyettofindwork.Withhighereducation

ByMichaelStandaert

that"it is impossibleforsuchathingtohappen".Themansmashedthemachineinfurybutendedupbeingarrestedbypolice.Therehavebeenothersuchcasesacross thecountrybut inallof themthecustomershavebornethelosses.

Ruralmigrantworkersareparticularlyvulnerabletothefakemoneytragedy.OnDecember23lastyear,SunYunandWuLi,acouplefromZhongxian,Chongqing,received2,400yuan ($353) fromtheirbossaspartoftheiryearlysalary.Whentheybegantospendthemoney,theyfoundthat19ofthe24100-yuanbillswerefake.Thebosssaidthemoneywaswithdrawnfromalocalbank.

Thecouplewerehonestcountry folks.Theysaidtheywouldnotspendthe fakemoneybecause it isillegal;but theycouldnotbear thepainofhandingoverthemoneytothebank."Weearneditatthecostofourbloodandsweat,"theysaidtearfully,accordingtomediareports.

Stateregulationrulesthatfakemoney,whenfound,shouldbe confiscated. Inotherwords, the loss isbornebywhoeverholdsit.Theregulationisbasedonthetheorythattheactofkeepingacounterfeitbank

noteisillegal.Inreality,however,mostholdersoffakemoneyobtainitwithoutknowingit.Thefactleavestheregulationquestionable.

Althoughapersonwhoaccidentally receivesafakenote isblamed fornotbeingcarefulenoughtodetect it,he/sheshouldnotbeheld100percentresponsible for themistake.Besidestherecognitionof thephonynotes, theproblemalso involves theirmakingandtrafficking,andtheyhavebecomemoreandmoredifficulttodetectthankstotheadvancingofthetechniquesofforgingthem.Thesefaultsshouldnotbeblamedoncommonpeoplewhoinvoluntarilybecomeholdersoffakemoney.Instead,itistheState'sresponsibilitytostop,andcrackdownonthemakingandtraffickingoffakemoney.

Therefore, the State should share the loss bycompensatingtheholderofacounterfeitbanknotesomewhatwhenconfiscatingit.Otherwise,onecannotruleoutthepossibilitythatpeopletrytospendthefakemoneygiventhe fact that ithasbecomemoreandmoredifficulttodistinguishitfromtruemoney.Inthatcase,itisthenationaleconomythatwillsufferthemost.

ZeroSalaryforChineseGraduates?

7http://www.ichinamag.com

ECO

NO

MY

expandinginChina,thenumberofuniversitygraduatesisexpectedtoreach6millionbyJune.

Inthefirstsixmonthsof2008,some67,000plantsclosed,andasmanyas2.5millionworkerswilllosetheirjobsbythebeginningof2009insouthernGuangdongprovince'smanufacturingsectoralone,accordingtostatestatistics."ThisistheworstthatIhaveeverseen,"saidDengLina,a23-year-o ld fu rn i ture fac tor yworker, who recent lyquit her job af ter herf i rm s topped pay ingovertimetosupplementapaltrymonthly salaryof$112.Denghassincemovedbacktohernativep r o v i n c e o f H e n a n ,joining some 300,000migrant workers whoreturned to their ruralhomesinSeptemberandOctober, according tolaborofficials.

I n a n a t t emp t t obolstertheeconomy,thegovernment re leaseda $586 bi l l ion st imuluspackageandcutinterestratesto5.58percent,themostsignificantcutin11years.Thetwo-yearplanisexpectedtocreatejobsbypumpingmoneyintoinfrastructure,healthandsocialwelfare,agricultureandhousing."Ithinkthe[government]isrespondingwell,butitneedstopresentavisionofwhat isgoingtohappen,"saidScottRozelle,asenior fellowat theFreemanSpogliInstituteofInternationalStudiesatStanfordUniversity."Thereisgoingtobetwoyearsofbelttighteningformanyandthenhopefullyrenewedgrowth."

Backat the job fair takenplace inGuangdongrecently,somestudentsquietlyrehearsedofftothesidewhattheywouldsaytothepotential91employersthatshowedup,whileothersporedoverpublicitymaterials

and compared resumes.When theyfinallyreachedthecovetedtables,manyinterviews looked likea speed-datingchat.The fair is oneof 44 scheduledforGuangdongprovince inupcomingmonthswithfewercompanieswillingtoparticipate.ArecentrecruitingeventatSunYat-SenUniversityinGuangzhoucityattractedonly13firms,downfrom40in2007.InDongguan,arecenttwo-dayjob

fairhad30percentfewercompaniesthanthepreviousyear,according to theGuangdongcareerguidancecenter.

"Whatdoesitmatterif Idon'tgetpaid,aslongasIgetagoodjoboutofit,"ZhengzhouUniversitystudentZhangJunlisays.XiaoLiu(alias),agraduatestudentatHebeiUniversitysaysgraduatestudentshavetoaccept

thezero-salarypolicy if theywanttogetagoodjob."Thecompetition isso fiercethatwehavenootherchoicebuttoacceptit.""IamquiteluckybecauseIhavesignedacontractwithacompanyunlikemypoorfellowstudentswhodevoted themselves to interningbutgainednothing,"hesays.

OneofZhang'sschoolmatesXuYuntaoarguesthatthezero-salarypolicyisnotapreconditionforagoodjob."Iwon'tworkwithoutpay,evenifitmeanstheonlyjobIcangetisinmanuallabor."Accordingtoasurvey,moreandmorequalifiedgraduatestudentsfeeltheyhavenootherchoicethantoacceptthezero-salarypolicyiftheywanttowork.Datacollectedfrom1,200enterprisesshowthat34percentofstudentsdemandasalaryof1,000yuanpermonth(US$125).


ECO

NO

MY

According to someexperts,moreandmorestudentsarequalifiedfortop-tier jobswhentheygraduatebutcompetitionissofiercethattheyareforcedtotakejobswithlittletonothingintermsofpaymentinordertoentertheworkforce.Manyenterpriseshavetakenadvantageofthistrendtogetasmuchworkfromgraduatesaspossibleforaslittlemoneyaspossible.Expertsalsosaypeoplewillquestionthenecessityofgoingtocollege.Theywillthinkgoingtoschoolisuselessifsomeonewithalesserdegreecanearnmoremoneythansomeonewithahigherlevelofeducation.


SmallBusiness,BigWorld-InterviewwithCarmonCrone

ByQinqinSchoser

PEOPLE

Lastyear,IaccompaniedmyfriendCarmonCroneandhissonJamie

forabusiness trip toChina,andhalfyearlater, Ithinkitwouldbefunifwecouldsittogetherandrecapthattrip.So I calledCarmontocomeover fora casual talkona sunnyafternoon.Before Istarted,Carmonaskedmeif IcouldfindoutthemailingaddressofthehotelwestayedinShenzhenduringthattrip,ashewantedtosendacardtoawaiternamedCookie.Why?Carmonisamorningbird,andwhenwewentto Shenzhen, he stuck to his earlyschedule.On thevery firstmorning,hegotupbrightandearly,askingforacupofcoffee.Itwassoearlythatthecafeteriawasnotopenyet.But luckyforCarmon,hemetCookie,whowasonthemorningshiftandservedhimcoffee.Duringthefollowingcoupleofdays,whenCarmongotupearlierthantherestofus–whichhappenedtobethecaseeveryday,hewouldgoupstairshavinga cupof coffeewithCookiewhilewaiting forus.HewasdeeplyimpressedbyCookie’shardworkandpositiveattitude,andhewouldliketoexpresshisappreciation.Sure, Iwouldhelphimfindthecorrectaddress formailingthecardtoCookie.Well,anicestart.SinceItoldhimitwouldbeaninterview,fromwhichwe’dliketosharewithourreaderswhatanAmericanbusinessmanthinksandfeelsaboutChina,ourconversationwasmorelike“Q&As”.

Qinqin(Q):Let’sstartwithabriefself-introduction.Wouldyou tellabitmoreaboutyourself?Likewhatyoudidandwhatyoudo?

Carmon(C):Well, Iwasbornin1945. IgrewupinwesternColorado.Imarriedmyhigh-schoolsweetheart,andwe’vebeenmarriedfor40years.Wespentsome

time inDurango,Colorado,where Iworked forFortLewisCollegeasassistantmanager forhousing. In1981wemovedtoNewMexico. Ihavebeenafamersinsuranceagentfor20years.Wealsohavesomeothersmallbusinesses, includinga ski shop inDurango,a snowboardshop,abicycle shop,andacompanyinAzteccalledNewMexicoBoardandSki,andtwoclothingstores inOregon.MywifeLindahasbeenineducationfor36years,asa teacher, librarianandsoftwareinstructor.

Wehavetwochildren,andtheywerethereasonwewenttoChina.OurdaughterRachelwasborn in1975,andgraduatedfromFortLewisCollege.OursonJamieis29.TheyownamanufactorycalledGoldStarin


Tacoma,Washington,andwewenttoChinalookingforsuppliers.

Q:Igotit.Yourfamilyhasbeenrunningsmalllocalbusinesses.SobeforeyouplannedthetriptoChina,didyouhaveanyinternationalbackgroundorexperience?

C: IhavebeentoAustria,FranceandEngland.MydaughterRacialstudied4monthsinFrance.Hercollegehadagooddeal.Theyhadabusinessclass in junioryearandthewholeclasswastakentoFrance.Youwerejustpayingtheflightsandnormalboardingandtheysentyouthere.SinceLinda,JamieandIhadneverbeenoutoftheStatesbythen,wedecidedtotake2weeksoffforatripoverseas.Butitwasjustforthetourist.SoIconsideredmyselfknowingnothingaboutinternationalstuff.That’swhyIdidn’tknowweneededavisatogetintoChinauntilyoutoldme.

Q:HaveyoueverheardanythingaboutChina?HaveyoueverythoughtaboutgoingtoChina?

C:NationalGeographic.Well,no, IknewnothingaboutChinaexceptthat it isaverybigcountrywithahugepopulation. Iwouldnever thoughtaboutatriptoChinauntil themomentmysonaskedmeif Iwouldgowithhim.Iwasveryexcitedbecauseusuallywhenyourchildrenget29yearsold,youdon’tgetmanyopportunitiestogettogetherorhaveatripwiththem.Butwewereabletodoso. Iwasexcitedmostlyforthefamilyside.ButIwasalsocurious,nervousandeverything. Language isabigbarrier.Ourbiggestmistakewouldhavebeengoing therewithoutyoubecausewewouldbeunabletodosomanydifferentthings,toknowwhatwewereseeing,whereweweregoingandwhatwewereeating.Whenwewent toFrance we hada very dif f iculttime.We didn’texperience thatinChinabecauseof you. Itwas acomfortzone.(Q:You couldget alocalguidewhospeaks Engl ishtoo). Iguessyoua r e r i g h t b u ta g a i n i t g a v eme a l e v e l o fcomfort. Itmightbemoredifficultforpeopleatmyage.The youngpeople usual lyhavenofearandarewillingtofaceeverything.

Q : I k n o wthat Jamieused

toimportfromchina,whatmadehimdecidetogotoChina?

C:Hewaslookingtoexpandhisbusiness infutonmanufacture.Forthesameproduct,thecostwouldbewaylessinChinathaninTacoma.Hedidtheresearchon the Internet and found several companieshemightmakepurchasesfrom.Hecontactedthemanddidasmuchresearchashecould.Thenhewantedtophysicallycheckthemout,whichwouldreallyhelp.

WhenJamieshowedmethe listof the factoriesinChina, itwasa long list.Butweonlymaketosixoutofthetwelvefactoriesonthelistduetothetimeconstraintandscattered locations.Wedidn’texpectsuchahugeindustrialzoneinChina.Thefactorieswerelocatedindifferentcities,andthecitiesarehuge.Wespent2hoursinvehicletogettooneofthem.

Q:DidyouhaveanyconcernsbeforeyouwenttoChina?

C:Therewereacouplethings.IthinkIhavefearforanyothercountrythantheUS.Therewillbethingsyoudon’twanttodo inMexico; therewillbethingsyoudon’twanttodoinRussia;sowillbeinChina. Itmaynotbecalled fear.Whenyouareput insomewheresurroundedbyunfamiliarcustomsandculture,you’reoutof your comfort zone.And the things you’veheardbeforealwaysplayintoyourfeelings,especiallypolitically,becausesinceIwasalittlekidIhaveknownthatChinaisgovernedbyCommunist.Thatseemedtogoagainstourpoliticalsystem,soIwasatoddsoveritinthefirstplace.IpersonallywasamazedthatIdidn’tseeanyarmedtroopsinChinaduringourtrip,andthesecurityguardswedidseewerenotarmedwithanyweapons.

PEOPLE


Q:So,whatimpressedyouinChina?C:Well, Ihadneverbeensoexcitedtowakeupin

themorningbecauseeverydayIknewthatIwasgoingtoseesomethingIhadneverseenbefore.

Iwasemotionallyveryexcitedaboutthetrafficthere.Weweretherefor7daysandtraveledliterallyathousandmilesbut Ididn’tseetoomanystoplights.Anditwasahigh-populatedarea.Thatfascinatedme.Weneverdrovemore thanaquartermilewithoutseeingnewconstructions.Itwasconstant;Idon’thowtheycouldmanagethatspeedanddensity.Therewerehugeconstructionsgoingon.AndalsoIwasfascinatedbythebambooscaffoldings.ForsomereasonIdidn’trealizethatyoucoulddothat[buildingoutofbambooscaffoldings]. [Thereis]nobambooscaffoldingintheUnitedStates.Ihadneverseenthembefore.

Ihadneverseensomanypeople.Sometimeswedrove100milesaday fora tripandwenever leftapopulationarea.That I foundunbelievable.Oneofthingsyoudon’tseeintheUnitedStates isthattwo-wheelbicycles, three-wheelvehiclesandMercedes-Benzsallcruisealong.IsawmoreMercedes-BenzandBMWs[inChina]thaninanypopulatedcitiesintheUS.IguessallthebicyclesproducedintheworldweregoingtoChina,because therewouldn’tbeany leftwhenall theChineseusebicycles. Ihadneverseenthreewheeledvehiclesusedfortransportationbefore.

Weweredrivingonaneight-lanehighwaywithahedgethatwasperfectlymanicured.Ijustcan’timaginethelaborforthatwork.Theotherthingyoudon’tseeintheUSisthateveryavailablepieceofgroundwasundercultivation.Whenthereisanopenpropertytherewillbesomebodyfarming.UnlikefarmersinKansasintheUnitedStatesthatusuallyhavelargefarmlands,peopleinChina farmson littlepieces. InKansas, youmaydriveat60m/hfor5minutesandnotgobeyondonefamer’sland,andseeallplantsplantedandharvestedbymachine.WhileinChina, it’scompletelydifferent. Idon’tthinktheUSfarmercanmakealivingbyfarminginChina.

Local farmingwas impressive in China. Everymorningwesatatthecafeteriainthehotel,wecouldseeafamer’sdistributionmarketacrosstheriverfromus.OneofthingsInoticenowintheUSisthattryingnottobringfoodfrom1,500milesaway. It’sstrangethat lettuces inaNewYorkmarketaredeliveredbya train fromCaliforniaevery8days.Not tomentionthetransportationcosts.WhattheU.S. istryingtodoiswhatChinaismodelingnow–toallowthefoodtogrowlocally.

AnotherimpressionIhavewasretails.YouknowmyfirstretailimpressioninChinawasaboutgaragestores.Theyallhadgaragedoors. Inonegaragestoretheremightbenothingbutsoysauce.Thenthenextmighthaveonlyshoes.Thenitgoesextreme…extremeistheword Iwas lookingfor,extremeofeverything.WhenIwent toabigstorewithmyson,wesawsomanypeoplebuyingshoesthatwetriedto figureoutthe

number.Butwesimplycouldn’t.Wherecanyousee500peoplebuyingshoesatthesametime?Noplaceexcepthere. It just fascinatedme.Wewent toaveryneatshoppingareatheotherday,andwereoverwhelmedby theamountofpeople. Itwasanopenareabutdefinitelyfullofpeople.

Thelastbutnotleastimpressivethingwasthatthefactorieswewenttoseemedtogetbetteralongtheway.Thefirst factorywasalmostdepressingandthefacilitieswereinverybadshape.Youalmostthoughtthattheemployeeswereslavesbecauseoftheworkingconditions. I stilldon’thavean ideahowtheycouldwork there.So the first factoryexperiencewasnotgood.Butaswewenttotheotherfactoriesoneafteranother, thingsgotbetterandbetter.Theone fromwhich Jamie chose tomakepurchaseshad safetyrules,qualitycontrolandinspectionprocedures,fullycomputerizedcustomerservicesystem.Theyalsohadverybeautifulbuildings. Ialso remember thesupersupernice furniturewesaw; theywerebeautifullydesignedandcrafted.Itwentfromoneextremetotheother.Wehappenedtoseealmostallthetypesofthefactoriesinthisbusiness,fromfamilyshop,totrader,tobrokerandtothemodernizedfactory.

Carmonand I talked for a long timeabout thememoriesof that trip.“Best trip Ieverhad”, ishowCarmondescribesthetriptoChina,numeroustimes.A fewdays later,whenhis sonJamieanddaughterRachelcametovisithim,IwentoverandtalkedabouttheChinatripwiththemaswell.EverythingCarmonandJamietoldaboutthetripmadeRachelwanttovisitChinabadly,buttheyall jokedthatshecouldn’tstandthecrazyChinesedrivers.JamieandRachel’sbusinessisdoing fine.When Iasked themwhethera trip toChinawouldaffectthebusinessofasmallAmericanenterpriseliketheirs,theybothsaid,ohsure.Thetripopenedtheirmindandbroughtopportunitiestotheirbusiness.Rachelsaidsheusedtothinkitwouldbeveryhardtodo internationalbusiness likethisbutthingsturnedoutprettysmoothly.Theytoldmethat theywerelookingforwardtoimportingmoreproductsfromChinain2009.

Irememberedthesmalltask“assigned”byCarmonbeforewestarted the interview– findingCookie’smailingaddress.Icalledthehotelandgottheiraddress,butunfortunately,Cookiewasnolongerthere.Hequitandleftforabetterjob.Carmonwasalldisappointedtoknowthatwecouldn’tgetholdofCookie.Butnomatterwhat,IbelieveCookiewillhaveabetterlife,andJamieandRachelwilldobetterintheupcomingyear.

PEOPLE


In the 2008 P re s iden t i a lelectionintheUnitedStates,

one of themost unforgettableshowswasSaturdayNightLivebyNBC.TinaFay’s“I can seeRussiafrommy house” even took thefirstspotof thetop10quotes inthe2008YaleBookofQuotations,leavingSarahPalinherselfas thesecondplace.Thehilariousshowmade2008electionevenmoredramatic thantheelection itself.Well, if the showhadevergotachancetobebroadcastedinChina,Tinawouldhavehadanewname-ShanZhaiSarahPalin.Well,ofcourse,thegreatfemalecomedian,AmyPoehlerwould havebeenShanZhaiHillaryClinton.

Iunderstandthatmanyreadersdon’tknowmuchChineseandtheywill certainlyask,what theheckdoesShanZhaimean?Intheabovecase,ShanZhaicouldbeexplainedasacopycat -acreativeone.

L i t e r a l l y ,S h a n me a n sm o u n t a i n sa n d Z h a imeansvillages,especiallysmalla n d r em o t evi l lages. HowcomeShanZhaihas anythingt o d o w i t hSarahPalin orTinaFay?Ifyouhappened tospend a longtime in Chinai n 2 0 0 8 a n dpaidattentionto the med ia ,youwouldhave foundout thatShanZhaiwasoneofthebiggestbuzzwordsin2008. Ifyouwanttogetwiththecoolwords inChina,

yougot to remember this one:ShanZhai.

Nowadays when you walkalong the street in China, youmay be shocked by howmanyChineseteenagersaretalkingontheir“iPhone”–oneofthesleekestand trendiest“must-haves” forthe younger generation acrosstheworld.Well, thequestion is,iPhoneisnotthatpriceappealingtomanyAmericans, and is notevenavailableinChina,thenhowcomeitfloodstheChinesemarket?Gofigure.Askthemtoshowyou,andyouwill findtheanswer.TherealphonemightbeaHiPhone

– yes,with anH added, loadedwithidenticalfunctionsandlookswithiPhone.Similarly, ifyouseea

Nakiaphone,don’tquestion thequalitycontrolofNokia. It isnotamisspelling.ThereisaphonebrandnamedNakiaandtheirproducesdo look like the onesmadebyNokia.

Wanna jump up and ye l l :“Hey, stop!This isnot right!Thisis theviolationofthe intellectualproperty!”Calmdown,myfriend.Theywon’tpublishmyarticle if Iamonthesideofacrime.Since IboughtacococolaonceIneverhadanygoodfeelingsaboutthiskindofnamebrandtricks.

ThewordShanZhaistarted inthecellphoneindustry.ShanZhai

cellphonesaredifferent from“black-marketc e l l p h o n e s ”p eop l e u s edtohear about.T h e C h i n e s ec e l l p h o n em a r k e t h a d

been dominated byMotorola,Nokiaanda fewotheroverseasbrands for a long time. Back totheyear2000, the licenseofcellphonemanufacturingwas verystrictlycontrolledandthedomesticbrandscouldn’tcompetewiththebig brands on technology andquality.Whensomemanufacturercopied theoverseabrands, theirproduc ts could on ly be so ld

ShanZhai—theMostPopularWordinChina

--IsShanZhaiPhenomenonFakeorFun?

CU

LTUR

E


ShanZhaicellphonewiththebird'snest

shape.

on“blackmarket”whichwas illegalat that time. In2006,withthe inventionofMTKchip, thecellphonemanufacturing cost dropped dramatically. Plus,thestrict licensepolicywasabandoned in2007.Sothedomesticmanufacturers tookadvantageof thetechnologythatbigbrands(suchas iPhone)alreadyhad, andaddeda lotof extra features tailored toChineseconsumers.Plus, theycreatedbrandnamessimilartotheprototypes,e.g.,HiPhonevs.iPhone,and

Nakiavs.Nokiatoattracteyeballs.ThereborntheShanZhaicellphones.Theyareverytemptinginthatyoucanhaveacellphonethat looksandfunctions just likeatwinbrotherofiPhone,ifnotbetterwithadd-ons,atafractionofthepriceofiPhone.Theyknownichemarket.Somecellphonesaremadeinthesportscarshapeorcigaretteboxshape;somehavestereoringtones;somecanbeusedasaspeakerinacrowd;somecanworkasaregularTVset.Allofasudden,whenyouinputShanZhaiJi(ShanZhaiCellphone)inaChinesesearchingengine,over5millionresultswillpopup.JustasapopularChinesecommercialgoes,youwillcertainlyfindtheone.

ButShanZhaiphenomenondidnot juststopatthecellphonemarkets.Itstartedfromcellphone, andgrew intoeveryaspectofpeople’s life.ShanZhai,asthemostpopularword in2008, isusedbytheChineseeverychance theyget. Anything that looks orfunctionsquite likeawell-knownprototypewouldberegardedShanZhaiversion.Somepeoplecall itcopycat,butsometimesit’snotevenanintentionalcopycat.

ItalmostlookslikethatthereisnowaytoavoidShanZhai.Lastyear,therewasapicture

ofadogthatgotthousandsofclicksonline.Thedoglookedlikeagiantpanda,withblackeyesandears.AndthatdogwascalledaShanZhaipanda.Whenafamousactressworea3000-RMByuandressthatlookedsimilartoa10,000-USdollardesignernumber,guesswhat?Theactressgotherselfthenickname-ShanZhaidressqueen.Popular showsandmovieswere redonebyunknownnetizens,whowouldusuallycopypartsoftheprototypesandthenremixthemtocatertoyounger

viewers.Somenetizens turnedtheirnamestothebigshotsbymakingShanZhaimovies.

Oneof thehottest debatetopics in the lastwholeyear inChinawaswhetherShanZhaiwashurtingoractuallyhelpingtheeconomyandculture.AccordingtoarecentsurveybySina(www.sina.com.cn),oneofthebiggestChinesewebsites,68%ofpeoplethinkShanZhai is acceptablevs.18%thinkit isashame;53%thinkShanZhaiculturewillhaveabright futurevs.27%think intheopposite.Around20-30%people, however, seem tobestruckbythecultureshockanddonothaveanyopiniontowardsthephenomenon.

Peoplewhostand forShanZhaiusuallythinkthat itmeetstheneedsofmanyconsumers.On theeconomical side, some

people think thebirthofShanZhaiproductsbrokethe long-timedomination in certain industry andaccelerated innovation.Someevencompared itasarevolution, implyingthat it isabattlebetweensmallbusinessesandbigbrands.Abloggerthinksthatthisisalsoaresultoftheglobaleconomicalcrisis,aspeoplewhousedtospendthousandsofdollarswithoutablink

HereisanotherShanZhaBird'sNest.SomefarmersinShuangxi,Hangzhou,ZhejiangProvince,madeabambooBird'sNestofthescale1:20,whichtookthemhalfamonthandspentalmostathousandpiecesofMaozhu,thelocalbamboo.

AShanZhaipropeller-drivenaircraft

CU

LTU

RE


on luxurybrandproductshadtocutback todealwith the crisis,andtheyfoundidenticalShanZhaiproducts a great replacement.Speakingofcopycat, someevenpointedout thatBillGatesbuiltMiscosoftoutofhis learningfromIBM, and Sohu, one of the topChinesewebsites,wasoriginallyspelledSohoo,somederivativeofYahoo.Well, inamarket-orientedeconomy, theregottabeagood

reasonthatShanZhaicouldtakethestageinashortperiodoftime.

Ontheculturalside,peoplewhosupportShanZhai regard itasaverycreativeculturaldevelopment.Whi le opponents point the i rfingersatShanZhaistagedramaas they think it very superficialandabig insult to theoriginal,advocatesthinkShanZhaidramareinvigoratestheoldversion,andpavesapathtotherealboomingof stage drama. Xie Xizhang, aliteraturecritic,tooktheShanZhaiNewYearGalaasanexample.WhenthetraditionalCCTVNewYearGalabecamelessandlessappealingtotheaudience,theShanZhaiversionsprangupandbroughtfreshair.

ThoughtheSinasurveyshowsthat only 18%of people thinkShanZhai is a shame, thevoiceaga inst Shan Zha i has neverbeen low. Some of them areevenashamedtocall itaculturephenomenon. On themarket,theythink thatShanZhaiplayedagainst the game rules of themarket,andwilleventuallycause

damagetothewholemarket.TheyarecallingformoreregulationfortheShanZhaimarket.TheythinkthattheShanZhaiproductsmeetsamorbidpsychologicalneedsofa certaingroupofpeople,whoareafter the luxury lifestylebutcan’tafford it,and finddesignerlook-like, low-profile pieces tocomfort themselves.Someof theShanZhaiproductsaredefinitelyagainst certain laws about theintellectualrights.Worstofall,theysaid, ShanZhai is anobstructeron the way of innovat ion, aspeopleplacemorefocusonsimplycopyingormanipulating ratherthan innovative researchinganddevelopment.

Am o n g t h e o p p o n e n t s ,ProfessorGeatFudanUniversitysaid that theso-calledShanZhaiculture isashortcut to fameandsuccess formanypeople.While itcostsa lotof resourcesandtakesa lotoftimetocreatesomethins,be itcellphone,movie,song,etc,it iswayeasier todoShanZhai.ProfessorGe said, ifwe tolerate

the ShanZhai culture, the realinventionwouldhaveareallyhardtimetogrowinChina.

Besides the advocates andopponents that have s t rongopiniontowardsShanZhai, thereare still a lotofpeople standingin themiddle.On theonehand,theyenjoytheShanZhaiproducts;whileontheother,theyfeeluneasyandcan’thelpwondering if theyaredoing the right thing.Someof themhavedouble-standards:theywouldliketowatchShanZhaishowsthatmayberenovatingtosomedegree,butobject touseShan Zhai cellphones that aresimply knockoffs in their eyes.Thequestionis: Isthereafinelinebetweenthesetwo?Idoubtit.

The debate of Shan Zhai iscarries on, and probably therewon’t even be an end of thisdebatewithmillionsofChineseparticipating.Butone thingweknowforsure-italwaysfeelsgoodtohaveourvoiceheard.

ShanZhaiCelebrity:JayisoneofthemostfamouscelebritiesinChina.ButthisyoungmanisnotJay,heisonlyaShanZhaiJay.

CU

LTUR

E


ARTS

Atwenty-yearoldkidstealthilycreepstowardstheGreatWall -amonumenttothecountry's

grandeur,audaciousandbold.He'snotouristupfromShanghaiforalookatoneofthesevenwondersoftheworld.He'sapproachingthewallwithachatteringbagofspraycans,andaslightstep.Forthisyoungrebel,theWallisacanvas,mileaftermercifullyblankmile-agraffitiartist'sdream.AndhismomentsalonewiththeWallaretickingawaylikeatimebomb.

NoprizeismorecovetedforagraffitiartistinChinathanthatoftheGreatWall,butforallthoseouttobethefirst tomarkthepristinestone, it's too late.LastweektheGreatWallgot"bombed"."Bombing,"orillegalactsofgraffiti,arenothingnewtoChina.

Sic isoneof theseartists.Softspoken, fewwould think this nineteen year-old femaleun ivers i ty a r t s tudent i s capable o f the"bombings"ofpublicbusesandpolicepaddywagons.Affectionate and lithe,GuangzhounativeSicfixesyouwithanevenstareandsays,"Somepeoplepreferdoingthe legalstuff. It'smoreobedientbut I like itoutonthestreets. Iguessmyheart'snotyetatease."

Flashingamellowsmile, it'shardtoimaginehersneakingout lateSaturdaynightsonpre-dawn raids, armedwithadigital cameraandspraycans.ButthosearethetoolswithwhichshefoundedMadeinGuangzhou(MIG),theChinesemainland's firstgraffiti crew,and theironline

graffitigallery.Her in t roduc t ion

camethroughamiddleschool classmatewhos h ow e d h e r s om eAmericanandEuropeangraff i t i s i tes. " I t wascrazy!You coulddo itanywhere. I t wasn ' tnecessarilybeautifulbutitwasdaringandbrave."

S h e b e g a ns c r i b b l i n g " t a g s "(s ty l ized render ingsof an assumedname)in her notebook andworkingupthecourageto t r y i t out on thestreet. Perhaps itwashe r f a the r ' s adv i cethat f inal ly gave hertheedge. "At thetime,

graffitididn'texist inChina.My fatherhadalwaysencouragedmetobethefirsttodosomething,tobethebest!"

WhereasgraffitibeganintheWestasareactiontoanover-commercializedartworldthatbecamedetachedfromtheartists' livesandasamovementtobringarttothepeoplewhoneededitthemost,thoselivinginpoorconditionswithuglysurroundings,China'skarmawithwritingonwalls isdeepanddated. IntheclassicnovelOutlawsoftheMarsh,heroandleaderSongJiangmakeshisrevolutionarydeclarationagainstthecorruptstatewithapoemdrunkenlyscrawledonateahousewall.DuringtheCulturalRevolution,peskyneighbors

Graffiti Art China's urban nomads target graffiti canvas, the Wall


couldbeeliminatedthroughaccusationspostedonacommunitywall.WhenDengXiaopingmadehismoveforopeningandreform,hedesignatedawallinBeijingwherepeoplecould freelywrite their thoughts.Hemayneverhaveimaginedthattheythoughtsomany

"dangerous"things.Nicknamedthe"DemocracyWall,"itquicklymetitsend.

Today's graffiti has entered into advertising,branding,anddesign.Sprungfromurbanyouthcultureand spreading from thepopulationcenters to theprovinces likeanuncheckedwave, it isasignofthenextgeneration.

AlthoughSic's fathermightnothavehadgraffiti

inmind, it didn'tmatter.At thedawnof thenewmillennium,withextra-widemarkersinhand,sheandclassmateSuestarteddecoratingthewallsaroundtheirmiddleschool.

Eager to learnmore,SicbegancontactingHongKongartistsviatheInternet.Afterchattingonlineforoverayear,second-generationHongKongcrewFDC(agraffitigroup)cametoGuangzhouin2001togiveSicandMIGtheirfirstlessons.

BroughttoHongKong inthemid-80sby foreignstudentsandvisitinghipsters, itwould takeoveradecadeforlocalHongKongcrewslikeMCYan'sCEAtobeginthefirstgenerationofChinesegraffiti.Aship-hopandurbanstreetculturegrew,sodidthecrews.HongKonghiphopgroupLMFcutanalbumandfeaturedgraffitiartonthecover.Itwasmorethansimplywritingyournameonthewall.Itwasanewvoice.

Theyworkedontheoutlines,fill-ins,andeffectsthatmakeup"pieces"or largegraffitimural.FDCbroughta"piecebook,"oraphotocollectionoftheirwork."By

showingusthesepieces,theygaveusdirectionbutwecouldn'tcopy,"remembersSic."Itwasuptoustofindourownstyle."

Inamale-dominated field,Sicstandsapart fromothergraffitiartistsasafemale"bomber".Vibrantandstrong,herchoiceofbright,richcolors,sensual linesandcheerfulillustrationdebunksthemyththatgraffitiisonlyforurbanmalcontentsandagro-males.

"I'magirlandIwantedtodogirlthings,"Sicsays."Istartedaddingflowers.Nowwhenpeopleseetheflowers,theyknowit'smywork."

Hungry for recognition,she rackedherbrain forwaystoone-uprivalcrews.Graffiti is inherently localanddifficulttodisplaytoabroadaudience.Itisalsoafleetingartform,aswallsareconstantlypaintedoverorknockeddown.

"The Internetseemedthefastestandmostdirectwaytopromoteourwork,"explainsSic."Wewerethefirstmainlandcrewwithawebsite.Inthatsense,MIGisveryadvanced."

FBL,anotherGuangzhoucrew, focusesmoreonthelegalaspectsofgraffitiart.Askedwhy,memberLiDongyoulaughed,"Lookather(Sic's)face.Ifyouwere

ARTS


acopwouldyouarresther?We'reallguys,wehaveamuchhardertimepullingofftheillegalstuff."

MCYan, longtimegraffitiartist,disagrees:"I'm32andItageveryday.FBLismoreartschooloriented.Sicis hardcore, she's onthestreet."

Danger is integraltograffitiart. It'swhatgetsyoushaking

beforeapieceandlaughing af ter. S ic ,loosening up, jokesabout he r f avo r i tespots to hit . " I lovethebusdepot.Publicbuses a re exc i t inga n d t h e s u r f a c e sare perfect.There'reguards but there'realsoblind spots."Onaverage,Sic says that10-20minutesatonesiteislongenoughtogettheworkdonealthoughhighprofilespotsaretroublesomesuchattheGuangzhouHotelonthePearlRiver.

Inthisparticularincident,theyhadn'tbeenworkinglongwhenhotelsecuritygrabbedthem,findingtheirspraycansandescortingMIGaway from thearea."Theyhadnoideawhatgraffitiwasthough,"explainsSic. "Wetoldthemwewereartstudentstestingoutourworkonsociety.Theyassumedall artistswereloons,unfathomablebynormalpeople.Theyletusgo,demandingwereturnthenextdaytorepaintit."

ButasChinagainsadeeperunderstandingoftherebelart,willpenaltiesbecomemoresevere?

Their reaction to thebombingof theGreatWallcouldbethelitmustest.

GraffitimaystillbealittleknownphenomenontomostChinesebutthis ischanging.Celebratingtheirone-yearanniversarylastweek,Urban,China'sfirstfreestreetculturemagazinehasbeenworkingtoteachthemassesaboutthenewstyle.

Theirfocusisstreet-styleandincludeship-hop,punkrock,X-Games,fashionandgraffiti.Withanestimatedreadershipof30,000middleschoolandcollege-agedhipsters,thedistributionofthisShanghaimagazinehasalreadybegunreachingoutbeyondthecoastalcitiestothein-landprovinces.

It's adynamicnewmarket andbigbusiness isfollowing suit. Eager to capture the imaginations,andpocketbooks,ofwealthyurbanyouth,mega-corporations likeNike,Reebok,andAdidassponsorUrban. Last year,Nikebranded severalbasketballcourtsaroundShanghaiwith itsubiquitousswoosh,christeningthemNikeParks.Graffiticrewswerehiredtodeckthewalls.

It seemstobeworking.A localShanghaimiddleschoolstudentcommentingonthepark,gushed,"Thisisaplacetomakeyourdreamscometrue.Lookaround,

everykidouttherewantstobethenextYaoMing."Amidstthefearthatcommercialismwilldiminish

thequalityof theart is thehopethat itwill spreadgraffiti'smessage farandwide. Itmaybe that the

tensionbetweenthetwothatpushesartiststonewheights.

HimmWong,creatorand edi tor of Urban,i s tak ing i t in s t r ide."There isarealneedforincreased exposure inChina. Chinese youthhave feweroptions forentertainmentthantheirwesterncounterparts,"heexplains."They'reusuallyl imi ted to shopping,karaoke,andtraditionalsports.Wewant togiveyoung peop l e mo rechoices,moreways to

enjoylife."While themagazine isstill80%advertorial, they

feature frame-by-framebreakdancing and skateboardinglessonsandessaysfromlocalhip-hopMCs.Graffitimakesuptheirshowcaseoflocalart.

"We're still far fromourgoals," concedesWonn."MoststylesarestillcopiedfromTaiwan,Japan,SouthKorea,HongKong,andtheWest.WewanttocreateanorganicChinesestyle,ourownvoice.WewantUrbantobetheflagship."

ARTS


AsianstreetcultureguruandmentorMCYanmaybeleadingthepack.Hislatestgraffitiproject,entitled"ChinaManTagging,"displaysagroundbreakingfusionofeasternandwesternarttraditions.ReproductionsoftraditionalChinesepaintingsfeatureeccentricancientstaggingthewalls.Lookingfor intersectionsbetweentraditionalChineseandmodernart,heseizedontheconceptof incorporatingpoetryintopaintings. Set againstbold, in-your-facegraffitibackdrops,Yanwriteshisownhip-hoplyricslikegraffiticalligraphy.And,inwhat

ispossiblyHongKong's largestevergraffiticoup,hedesignedaMcDonald'saddcampaignthatwillcovertenentiresubwaytrainswithgraffitiart.

"Idomyownworkand Idocommercialstuff tosupportmyself,"saysYan."Ialwaysletthecorporationsknowthatit'sapackage.Iftheywanttheimage,theyhavetotaketheart."

Mostartists realize thatcorporationshave littlevested interest ingraffitiandwillabandonitonce itceasestosell.Theyareeagertoseizetheopportunitiesnow.However,at theendof theday, it's theworkyou'vedoneandyourcrewthatmattermost.What'smore,thenumeroussmallertribesfromdifferentcitiesare inclosecontactandoftencooperatetoproducelargerworks.

It'sonethingtotagdecrepitwalls inGuangzhoubutwhetherornottheGreatWallcanstandanattackbyanewurbannomad,thisremainstobeseen.

ARTS


Beijing street fashionARTS


ARTS



Winter is never dul l in Harbin,thecapital cityofHeilongjiang,

China’snorthernmostprovince..KnownasaParadiseofIceandSnow,Harbinisontopofthemust-golistofalotoftourists,despitethebelow-zerotemperature.OnthenorthpartofSonghuaRiver,liesanenchantingplace–HarbinIce&SnowWorld,featuringamazing icysculpturescreatedbyskillfulcraftsmenfromallovertheworld. It’s themagicofthecity.

TheHarbin International IceandSnowFestivalmadeitsdebutin1985.Thefestivalhasbeenheldannuallysincethenandhasnowbecomeoneoftheworld’sfourlargest iceandsnowfestivals,alongwithJapan’sSapporoSnowFestival,Canada’sQuebecWinterCarnival,andNorway’sSkiFestival.Since1999,thecityofHarbinstartedbuildingtheHarbin International Ice&SnowWorldeveryyear,coveringanareaof40acresandcomprisedofover200,000cubicmetersoficeandsnow.

The25thHarbin International Ice&SnowFestivalandthe10thHarbin International Ice&SnowWorld–themedaboutthe24thWinterUniversiadekickedoffonJanuary5 th2009,andconsistedof5themedexhibitions-WinterUniversiade FlameCastle,GlamourCity ofHarbin,thePassionoftheWinterUniversiade,theNewTimeMagicWorld,andtheSplendidIceandSnowLand.

During thedaytime,youcan takepart inavarietyofcultural,athletic,andcommercialevents.Whileatnight,youcansimplyindulgeyourselfinthebreathtakingIce&SnowWorld,litupwithcolorfulLED.Yes,weknowitisfreezingcold,butit’sabsolutelyworthit.

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

BYCINDYLEE

WINTER FAIRYLAND

TRAV

EL


The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

BYCINDYLEE

WINTER FAIRYLAND

TRAVEL


Time:1/5/2009-2/5/2009Ticket:CNY150Howtogetthere:FlyortakeatraintoHarbinTips:1. Wearwarmclothing,shoes and accessories, e.g.,downcoat,boots,gloves,hat,scarf,earmufflers.

2. Do notfo rget to keepy o u r c am e r a ,camcorder, cellphone,andotherelectronicdevicesin warm placeswhennot inuse.Otherwise, thecoldnesswill runup the batter yveryfast.

ViewsAlike:TR

AVEL


ViewsAlike:

Hainan Island -- The Hawaii of China

This is China’s i s land of pr ist inebeaches, tropical landscape, and

runawaytourism.Locatedjustoffthesouth-easterntipofChina,adjacenttoGuangdongprovince,Hainan Island iswheremostChinese people aspire to take to thebeachesorescapechillywinter. It alsoattractsalargenumberofRussiantouristssince it is relatively close toRussia, aswellasother international touristsandbackpackers. I stayed in theSanya region,whichperhapscanbe regardedas theWaikikiof the island,onDadonghaiBeach.Thisregionisdevotedentirelytotourism,butIfounditinterestingnonethelessbecauseithasanextremelydifferentfeelcomparedtothemainlandonlyastone’sthrowaway.Thebeach ispleasant,andatnight theChinese-stylecheesetakesover,withlaserbeams,neon,andstrobe lightsburstingoutfromtheresortsovertheSouthChinaSea,andmarketsoffoodstallsandtouristtrinketstakingoverthewaterfront.

ByNickKembel

Top:Sanyacity

Bottom:DadonghaiBeachatnight

TRAVEL


PerhapsmyfavoritepartofHainanwasobserving thehoardsofChinese tourists,deckedoutinmatchingultratackyHawaiianstylebeachgear. I sawentirebusloadsofChinesepeoplepulleduptoshops,allwentinandpurchasedtheexactsamematchingflowerprintshortsandshirt,andthenspicedupwitha little fannypack,digitalcamerapouch,andsunglassesonastringaroundtheneck.Thentheymaytravelled inconvoytothedifferentcheesysitesandthemeparksintheareasetupfortourists just likethem. Itwasquiteentertainingtowatchthiswithmyowneyes. Wedidn'tspendtheentiretimeonthebeach.FirstwevisitedtheNanshanFojiaoWenhuaYuan (SouthMountainBuddhistCulture Park), a hugeoutdoor Buddhistthemepark,whichcompleteswithtemples,statues, peaceful parks, and vegetarianrestaurants.ThecenterpieceoftheparkistheenormousA-Mastatuewhichis354feethighand53feethigherthantheStatueofLiberty,makingitthetalleststatueintheworld!A-MaisafemaleBuddhathatisverypopularwithfishermenthroughthispartofEastAsia.

Top:Thetalleststatueintheworld:A-maStatue,BuddhistCulturePark

Bottom: Imagine thousands ofpeople dressed like this.That'sHainan!

Right:Signatureson temple rooftiles

TRAV

EL


Anotherdaywegota ride inlandandvisitedan excellent outdoorHillTribeMuseum,withentireLiandMiao (two localminorities)villagessetup,.Wesawtraditionaldanceperformances,snakeandlizardwinemaking,turtlesshapedandtraditionalhouses.Therewerealotofgoodphotoopportunities.

Finally,wedidahikeuptoLuhuitouPeninsula,asortof lovethemedparkonapeakoverlookingSanya townandharbor,perfectly timed for anincredible sunset over thebeautiful southernHainancoast.

Winter isalwaysthehottestseasonforHainanIsland,aspeoplealloverthecountrytrytospendtheholidaysatawarmplace.Seaandbeach?Evenbetter.Comehereandjointheparty!

Top:Traditionalhomes

Left:LiDancing

Right:Miaochild

TRAVEL


FOOD

LastNovember,Dunkin’Donutsre-enteredChina’smarketwithlesssugar. Itseemsto

workwellthistime,astheyaretryingtoproducemorelocalizeddonuts.Haveyouevertriedcurrydonuts?Well, Ihaven’t,butIwastoldthatcurry-flavoreddonutswere the favorite for a lotofChinesepeople.UnlikeAmericanpeople,mostChinesedon’thavea strongsweet tooth,andoftentimes, theywouldchoosesalty foodover

sweetsforbreakfast.YouprobablyhavelearnedabitfromthearticleaboutChineseburgersintheJanuary issue,andthis time, let’scheckouttheChinese-versiondonuts.

Shouldadonutberoundshapedwithaholeinthecenter?Hmm,you’dbetterbemorecreative,becauseyoumaybesurprisedby thecolorfulfacesofChinesedonuts.

BySharonWilsonPhotographbyYummie&Mary

COLORFUL FACES OF

DONUTS

YouTiao,whichispopularallaroundthecountry, isbasicallyfriedbread. Literally,YouTiaomeans“grease stick” -moreappealinglytranslatedinEnglishas“cruller”. Itismadefromtwolongstripsofdough–usuallyaboutafootlong,twistedtogether

anddeep-fried. It endsupcrispoutsideyetpuffyandsoft inside. Ittastesabitsalty,butnotreallystronglyflavored. Whenserved forbreakfast, itcan be eaten as is, ordipped in soymilk (inNorthernChina)orhotcongee ( in SouthernChina). YouTiao is sopopularthat,believeitor

YouTiaoinsoymilk

YouTiao

FOOD


not,evenKFCinChinaservesitforbreakfast.IfyouhaveaChinesefriendfromBeijing,askhimabouttraditional

snacksinBeijing. IfhedoesnotmentionJiaoQuan(frieddoughring),youmaywanttodoublecheckwhereheisfrom.JiaoQuanisoneoftheoldestbreakfastpicksfortheBeijingers,andtherewasaJiaoQuanKing,areallygreatcookspecializedinmakingJiaoQuan.JiaoQuantastesreallycrisp,andisusuallyservedwithShaoBing(bakedcake)andsoymilk.

M i a n Wo ,a n o t h e rt y p e o fC h i n e s edonuts, isalocal snackin Wuhan,H u b e iprovince. Idon’tknowwhe r e t h en ame c amefrom,butIdothinkitlooksliketherealdonutsbackintheU.S. It isfriedricebread,andagain,doesnot

t a s t esweet. In

stead,itislightlyflavoredbyblacksesameseedsandonion.Well,doyouwant to try something sweet?Hereare some

Chinesedonutholes.InTianjin,thereisafamoussnack-ErDuoYanZhaGao(EarHoleLanefriedricecake),whichhasahistoryofover100years.InQingDynasty(1644-1911),amannamedLiu,WanchunwaslivingonmakingZhaGao(friedricecakes),andhemadereallygoodcakesandhisshopwasalwayspacked.HisshopwaslocatedattheentrancetoErDuoYanHuTong(EarHoleLane)andhence,hiscakeswerenamedErDuoYanZhaGao(EarHoleLanefriedricecake).Thecakeismadefromamixtureofdifferenttypesofriceandstuffedwithgroundedredbeans,flavoredwithbrownsugar.Ittastescrispoutsideyetsoftandflavorfulinside.

SimilartoErDuoYanZhaGaoinTianjin,TangYouGuoZi(friedsweetriceball) isapopular“oldgood”snackinChengdu,Sichuanprovince,withaneven longerhistory. It ismadefromgroundedpearlrice,friedwithbrownsugarandcoveredwithwhitesesameseeds.Accordingtothename,literally,youcantellitcontainssugar

( “ T a n g ” ) ,f r ied withoil (“You”),and looksl i k e f r u i tba l l s ( “GuoZi”).TangYouGuoZiisalwaysservedwith5-6ballsonabamboostick.Ittastesbestwhenservedhot–crispwithablendedflavorbybrownsugarandsesame.

Iamtryingto introducesomeofthemostpopularChinese-styledonuts toyou,and Ihave tosay, it isatoughcalltodecidewhichonestoinclude.IwishIcouldhaveover100pages,justtotalkaboutvariousdonuts.Ifyouhavemoretorecommend,pleasesharewithus!

JiaoQuan

ErDuoYanZhaGao

TangYouGuoZi

MianWo


FOOD

Asmoreandmorepeople start to switch toaneco-friendly lifestyle,Valentine’sDayhas

becomegreenerandgreener.Accordingtothenewsreport,alotofChinesepeopledecidenottobuyrosesorplastic-packagedgiftsbutoptforagreenValentine’sDay instead.This year, facing the tough financialsituation,it isofgreaterimportancetolivegreenandhealthy.Ifyouplantodineoutatafinerestaurant,whynottrydinner in instead?Shopyourfavoriteorganicfood from localgrocer, andmakeaoneof a kinddinnerforyoursweetie.Doingsowillnotonlycutback

expense(youknowhowimportantitisinsuchatoughfinancialturmoil),butalsoaddextraflavor(I’dcalllove)totheromanticdinner.

Comparedwithstir-fryordeep-fry,boil, steam,andbake/broilarehealthierwaysoffoodprocessing.Thus,theV-Dayrecipewearegoingtosharewithyouconsistsprimarilyofboiledorbaked/broiledfood.Now,let’srollupthesleevesandfixsomeeasyyetflavorfuldishes,withanOrientaltwistblendedin.

BySharonWilsonRecipesbyDannyOngandAmyBeh

PhotographbyKano,YuckyandSharon

A GREEN HOMEMADE DINNER

ON VALENTINE’S DAY

FOOD


A GREEN HOMEMADE DINNER

ON VALENTINE’S DAY

Appetizer–CookedSpinachSalad Spinachcontainsavarietyofflavonoidcompoundsthatfunctionasantioxidantsandasanti-canceragents.Italsobenefitsbrain,eyesight,energy,andsoforth.Whencooked,itiseasilytoputintodifferentshapes,andthatmakesitaperfectstarterfortheV-Daydinnertable!

Ingredients:1/2lb.freshspinach1/4tbllemonjuice3/4tbloliveoilfreshmint,parsleyorchivessaltpepperchickpeasifdesired

Dressings:1/3clovegarlic1/4cupplainyogurt

Garnish:1mediumsizecredtomato

Directions:1. Wash the spinachwellandeithersteamitorcookitinjustthewaterclingingtoit.2. Drainthoroughlyandleavetocool.3. Chopthecooledspinachandputitintoabowlwiththelemonjuice,oliveoil,andsomesaltandpepper,tossingitgentlysothattheoilandlemonjuicearewelldistributed.4. Peelandcrushthegarlicandthenmixitwiththeyogurt.5. Putthespinachsaladontoaflatplateandmaketheminheartshape.6. Spoonsomeoftheyogurtmixtureontop;garnishwithchoppedgreenherbs.7. Garnishwithtomatorose.Startingatthetopofthetomatocutthepeelorskinpartonlywithasharputilityknife1/2-inchto3/4-inchwideinacontinuousunbrokenstriplikepeelinganapple.Rollthetomatoskinupastightlyaspossiblewiththeshinysideout.Turnthetomatoroseupsidedown,adjusttherollifnecessarytoresembleaflowerandsetonaservingplate.

MainEntrée–BoiledSalmon Salmonisanotherhealthysourceofnutrientsforyourdiet.EventhoughitisnotaChinesetradition,thisrecipegivesitanOrientalflavor.

Ingredients:1/2poundsalmonsteaksorfillets11/2tblsoysauce1tsplemonjuice1clovegarlic,minced1tspgroundpepper1tblfinelychoppedfreshcilantro

Directions:1. Mix soy sauce, lemon juice,groundpepper,andmincedgarlicinabowl.


FOOD2. Cutthesalmonsteakintotwo;marinadewiththemixture.3. Coverandrefrigeratefor40-60minutes.4. Drainsalmon;reservemarinade.5. Makeatrayfromheavydutyfoilpaper.Arrangesteaks(arrangefilletsskinsidedown)inthecenter.Foldtwoshortsidesoffoilpaperandthensealthetwolongsides.6. Arrangethesealedfoiltrayonabakingpan(oronanoiledgrill).7. Broilorgrillfor5minutes.8. Takethemoutandaddthereservemarinade.Resealthefoilpaper,andputbacktobroilforanother5minutes.9. Setoneortwoplatesandsprinklewithcilantro.10. Garnishwithlemonslices,ifdesired.

SideDish–GrilledShiitakeMushroomandGoldenNeedleMushroom Mushroomshavebeentheobjectofscientificresearchformanyyearsandareconsidered tohavevaluable immune-buildingandanti-cancerproperties.ShiitakeisalsoknownasXiangGu(Fragrantmushrooms)inChinese.Beingmorefragrant(richandsmokyflavor)than theotherkindsofediblemushrooms, it isawidely favoritemushroomofAsianpeople.Goldenneedle,alsoknownasEnokitake,isskinnierandlonger,andalwayscomesintufts.Youcanfinddriedshiitakesandpackagedfreshgoldenneedles inmostAsiangrocerystores(or,tomakeiteasy,shopatwww.iChinamag.com).

Ingredients:5driedshiitakes1/2lbfreshgoldenneedles1/2onion2tblwhippedcrèmesaltgroundpepper

Directions:1. Soak 5 dried shiitakes inwater,rehydrateforanhour.Drainthemushrooms,and reserve1/2cupof thesoaking liquid.Cutoffthestems,andcutthemushroomsintoslices.2. Wash thegoldenneedles,cutoffthestems,andsplitthem.3. Slicetheonion.4. Mixthetwokindsofmushroomsandonioninabowl,seasonedwithsaltandpepper.5. Evenlyspreadwhippedcrèmeinthecenterofapieceoffoilpaper,putthemixtureontop.6. Sealonesideofthefoilpaper,add

Dessert/Snack–Wife(Sweetheart)BiscuitCheckoutthename–sweetheartbiscuit(betterknownaswifecake),howcanyounottryone?Therewasabeautiful legendbackinafeudalsocietyinChina.Adaughter-in-lawofferedherselfforsaleinreturnformoneytocureherill-healthfather-in-law.Inadesperateattempttoredeemher,herhusbandcreatedakindof

FOOD


gourmetcakeforsaleinthebazaar.Hiscakesgotsopopularthatheeventuallymadeenoughmoneytogetherwifeback.Hisrecipethenspreadfromplacetoplace,winningthename“WifeCake”.Personally,Ithinkittastesmorelikebiscuitwithfilling,ratherthancake.Nomatterwhat,afterameal,youneedsomelight,sweettreatjustlikethis,nottoosweet,lowinfat,carbohydrate,andsodium.Ingredients(for6servings):

Filling• 41/2ounceswintermelonstrips,candied,andchopped• 11/16ouncessesameseeds,toasted• 11/4ouncessugar• 11/4maltsugar• 11/2ouncesglutinous-riceflour,cookedWaterdough• 5ouncesall-purposeflour,sifted• 1tablespooncastersugar• 11/2teaspoonsgoldensyrup• 17/8ouncesshortening• 1/8teaspoonvanillaexact• 1/3cupwater

Oildough• 21/8ouncesall-purposeflour,sifted• 17/8ouncesshorteningGlaze• 1/2egg,beatenwith1/8tspsalt

Directions:1. Mixfillingingredients.Frywintermeloninapan(withnooilorwater)for30minutes.Thenaddsugar,glutinous-riceflour,andmaltsugarinorder.Removethepanandaddsesameseeds.2. Dividefillinginto6portions.3. Mixwaterdoughingredients.Setasidefor1/2hour.Divideinto6portions.4. Mixoildough.Placeinplasticwrapandplaceinfridgefor1/2hour.Divideinto6portionsalso.5. Wrapoildoughinwaterdough.Rollflatintoroundpieces.6. Placefillingindough,sealandrollflatinto3”-diameteredcakes.7. Slightlyprickontopofeachcakewithtoothpick,orcutwithknife.8. Brusheggglaze.9. Preheatovenat350°F.10. Placecakesongreasedcookiesheetandbakeat350°Ffor20-25minutes.

Drink–GreatWallRedWine NoV-Daydinneriscompletewithoutwine.GreatWall isatop-brandredwineproducerinChina,andprovidesavarietyofredwinedatingfrom1995topresent.Pickabottleandsimplyindulgeyourselfinitsdeliciousinclusions.Nomattereasyorhard,cookingisfun,especiallywhenyouaredoing it foryoursweetie.Wehopeyou lovethehealthy,yummy foodonourV-Day’smenu.Haveagreen, romanticValentine’sDay!

ChineseValentine’sDayEditedbyStacyLiu

EveryoneknowsSt.Valentine’sDayisonFebruary14theveryyear.Especiallyinwesterncountries,itisthetraditionalholidayonwhich loversexpress theirlovebysendingcardsandgifts.Butnota lotofpeopleoutsideChinahaveeverheardofChineseValentine’sDay,alsoknownasQiXi (七七).There isabeautiful lovefairytaleaboutQiXi:AyoungcowherdnamedNiulangcameacrossseven fairysistersbathing inalake.Encouragedbyhismischievouscompaniontheox,hestoletheirclothesandwaitedtoseewhatwouldhappen.The fairysisterselectedtheyoungestandmost beautiful sister Zhinv toretrievetheirclothing.Shedidso,butsinceNiulanghadseenhernaked,shehadtoagreetohisrequestformarriage.Sheprovedtobeawonderfulwife,andNiulangagoodhusband.They livedhappilyandhadtwochildren.ButtheGoddessofHeavenwasfurioustofindoutthatoneofthefairygirlsmarrieda

meremortalandandorderedherreturntoHeaven.DownonEarth,Niulangwasveryupsetlearningthathiswifewasgone.Suddenly,hiscowbegantotalktellinghimthatifhekilledhimandputonhishide,hewouldbeabletogouptoHeaventofindhiswife.Withtearsflowing,hekilledthecow,putontheskinandcarryinghistwochildrenwithhimandoffhewenttoHeaventofindZhinv.TheGoddessfoundouthehadcomeandwasveryangry.Takingoutherhairpin,theGoddessscratchedawideriverintheskytoseparatethetwoloversforever(thusformingtheMilkyWay,whichseparatesAltairandVega).Zhinvmustsitforeverononesideoftheriver,sadlyweavingonherloom,whileNiulangwatchesherfromafarandtakescareoftheirtwochildren.ButonceayearallthemagpiesintheworldtakepityonthemandflyupintoheaventoformabridgeoverthestarDenebintheCygnusconstellationsotheloversmay be together for asinglenight,theseventhn ight o f the seventhmoon. OnQiXi,a festoon isplacedintheyardandthesingleornewlymarriedwomeninthehouseholdmake an o f f e r i ng toN i u l a n g a n d Z h i n vconsistingoffruit,flowers,tea, and facial powder(makeup).After finishingtheoffering,halfof thefacialpowder is thrownontheroofandtheotherh a l f d i v i d ed amongtheyoungwomen. It isbelievedby doing thisthewomenareboundinbeautywithZhinv.

LEIS

UR

E


LearntoPlayChineseMah-JongEditedbyStacyLiu

ABriefHistoryofMah-Jong Thehistoryofmah-jongdatesback4,000yearstoatimewhenChinesearistocratsweretheonlypeopleontheplanettoplaythegame.Therulingclasswassosnobbyaboutkeepingthegametothemselves, thattheykepttherulesasecretfromtheChinesepeasants.

Mah-jongonlybecamepublicknowledgewhenChinabecamearepublicin1911.

TheBasicConceptofMah-Jong Youwilldiscoverwhenyouget into the rulesofmah-jongthat thegame isactually justaversionofginrummy,albeitmuchmorecomplicated; it'saboutgroupingtiles(inplaceofcards)togetherbyeithersuitsorsequences.So ifyouknowhowtoplayginrummy,

you're95%there.Mah-jongisusuallyplayedwithfourplayers.Aplayer'sbasicgoalistodiscardandclaimtilestoformcombinations,untilallofhis/hertilesfitacertainpattern.Justlikewithcards,amah-jongplayer'ssetoftilesiscalleda"hand"andthegamegoesaroundinacirclesothateachplayergetsaturntoorganizetheirtilesintoawinninghand.

Mah-JongTitlesAmah-jongsetconsistsof144tiles:108suit tiles,28honor tiles, and8bonus tiles.Most sets comewiththreedice,fourracks,andahandycarryingcase.Theracksarelongflatboardsforyoutoputyourtileson.They'rejustlikescrabbletile-holders.Somesetsalsoincludescore-keepingparaphernalia.Whileabouthalfofthetileswillhavedotsorlinesonthem,theotherhalfwillhavelittlepicturesofChinese

characters.Undertheassumptionthatyoudon'tknowhowtoreadChinese,youhavetwooptions:1.Learnthecharacters(mostfollowapatternorarecolorcodedtohelpyou).2.BuyasetofAmericanizedtilesthathavenumbersonthecornerofeachtiletohelpyou"read"them.

LEISUR

E


TheBestWaytoRelaxinChinaByJuliannePage

Gettingamassage isoneof life'spleasuresandoneofthebestwaysIknowtounwindandrelax. Inthosebigcities likeBeijingorShanghaiwearespoiled forchoiceandcanchoose fromanynumberofstyles.There'sfootmassage,bodymassage,massagethatfocusesontheface,thebackor thespine.Then there'sbodymassageperformedbyvisually impairedpeople,headmassageperformedbyhairdressersandforthemoreadventurousvacuumbottletreatmentsandearcandleprocedures.Phew!Sowheretostart? Itreallydependsonwhatfeelsrightforyou.Ifyoudoneedanexcusetogetamassage,considerthis.Massagecan improvecirculationandde-toxifymuscles aswell asmaintain physical,emotional andmentalwell-being. So don'tfeelguiltythatyou're justbeingself-indulgent,massagehasrealhealthbenefitsforeveryone. Oneofmy friends inBeijingMeng loves togotomassageeveryweek.Her firstexperiencewasabodymassagebyablindmasseur.Beijinghasmanyblindmassagebusinessesprovidingemployment to a large number of visuallyimpairedworkers.Mengwashooked.Iaskedherwhysheparticularlyenjoyedgettingamassage.

"Iteasestensionandworkstressesand it can alsohelp revivemyenergy", she said.Mengenjoysclimbingmountains and findsthatthis typeofservicecanalsounknottiredandachingmuscles.There'snoneedtoworryaboutbreakingthebank inthepursuitof this typeof relaxationeither.Compared towhat youmightexpecttopaybackhomealltypesofmassageinChinaarecheap.Soifyou're looking tounwindandreviveafteraharddaysightseeingaround China or a busy dayatwork, head to your nearestmasseur,sitbackandrelax.

LEIS

UR

E


SymbolofChina-PandaorDragon?

ByKateChan

AShanghaiTVhostrecentlyproposed inaprogramthatthegiantpandabe considereda s Ch ina ' s na t iona lsymbol.The viewhassparkedheateddebate.TheBeijingYouthDailycarries a story, sayingt h e d r agon h a s a l lalongbeenviewedasthe symbol of Chinaa n d c h a ng i n g t h i simagewouldbequiteha rd . Acco rd ing toan earl ier survey, 90percentofpeople feltthe dragon was thebest symbolofChina.In fact,Chinesepeopleconsider themselvesasdescendantsof thedragon.However,giantpanda

i s gett ing more andmore attentions fromtheworld nowadays.Recently, twopandasTuan Tuan andYuanYuan,whosenamessaidtogethermean‘unite’,wereflowntoTaiwanonaTuesdaywithsteamedcorn buns and f reshbamboointheirluggageandastandbysupplyofair-sicknesspills.Giantpanda i s beyond i t scuteappearanceinthis“pandadiplomacy”. Inwesterncountries,the imageofdragon isalwaysevil-lookingandcruel. It isverydifferentf rom the l egendar ydragon. In that case,peoplewould assumethat people in othercountriesprefergiantpandatodragonasthesymbolofChina.

LEISUR

E


LEIS

UR

E


LEISUR

E


Find the Right College Today!1-888-751-6938

FIND THE RIGHT COLLEGE TODAY!

CALL TOLL-FREE 1-888-751-6938Hours: M-F 9am-10pm EST and Saturday 9am-6pm.

Finding the right school used to be a long and tedious process... Not any more.

The Academic Advising Center has researched over 10,000 Colleges, Universities and Trade Schools already.

Whether you’re a High School Senior looking for a University in your area, a Business Professional

pursuing an Online MBA, or a Carpenter interested in Contracting, our Academic Advisors will help you

narrow down your search and find the right program for your goals, budget and lifestyle.

Give us a call today and one of our Academic Advisors can save you hours, even days, on your search!

This is a free service for students of all ages and education levels.

Ad provided by MediaBids.com. 1-866-236-2259.


Whenglancingat the indexof theJanuaryissue,thearticle“WhathaveoverseascontributedtoChinainthepast30years”caughtmyeyeinthefirstplace.Itmademewonder,hmm,iftherecouldbeasimilararticletellingthestoriesaboutwhatcontributionoverseasAmericanshaddonetotheU.S.Maybeno.Inthepastfewyears,Chinahas“exported”alotoftalentsabroad.Idon’tknowwhetheritcouldbeconsideredbraindrainornot,butIdobelievethosepeoplemakeadifference.Nomatterwheretheyendedup-intheU.S.(oranyothercountrythantheirmotherland)orbacktoChina, theyhavekindofbuiltupachannelforinterculturalcommunication.Ihavemetwaymorenon-Americanpeople, includingChinese,thanmyparentsdid.Andfromthem, I learnedbetterabouttheworld–myworld,theirworld,andtheworldatlarge.

- Julie,SanJose,CA

Oneofmyfavorites is“MyChineseWi fe” se r ies . None o f my fami lymembershas internationalmarriage,soitisreallyinterestingtoreadthetruestorieswrittenbyotherstolearnaboutthedifferencesandfeelthehappinessbroughtbytheauthors.

- Annie,SanAntonio,TX

IwasinvitedtoaChineseNewYearDinnerthisyear,andhada lotof fun.Sincetheparty-goerswere fromdifferentareasinChina,wehadsuchawideselectionofChinesefoodthatwehad to take threemini-dinners thatnight: someSouthern-styledishesas“appetizers”;dumplingsasmain“entrée”;andTaiwanesecreamcakeas“dessert”.Whatafeast!Iwishwecouldhavethebigmealsonceamonth–gettingallfriendstogetherandtryingoutdifferentdishes.

- Joey,Urbana,IL

IwasreallyimpressedbythebreathtakingviewsofDanxiaLandformintheJanuary issue.Itisamazingthatnaturecreatesthesesimilarviewsonthetwoendsoftheworld,anditismoreamazing thatwe find them. IhavebeentotheGrandCanyonseveral times,and Icould findsomethingneweverytime. It’sthebeautyofthenature.AndIhopesomeday Icangocheckout theDanxia Landform inChina!

- Dan,WestJordan,UT


BFL国际咨询公司www.BFLassociates.com

COMPREHENSIVEEXECUTIVESEARCH&STRATEGICBUSINESSSERVICES

SINCE1970

USAlocation:11GreenwayPlaza,#545Houston,TX77046U.S.A.

Tel.(713)9652136国语(713)9652158Fax(713)9652114

[email protected]

AboutBFLAssociates,Ltd.

BFLAssociates,Ltd.isa37-yearoldretainedexecutivesearch/consulting firm specializing inhigh levelsearchesandinformationgatheringonaglobalbasis.FoundedinNewYorkCityby,Mr.BjornF.Lindgren,BFLhasservicedagreatmanyofthemulti-nationalfirmsintheUS,Europe,andnowtheircounterpartsinAsia. BFL alsoworks in the consulting arena,helpingaccounting,economicand legal firmswiththeirspecificrequirementswithrecruitingpartners,highlevelPhDeconomistsandMBAfinancepracticeleaders.Two years ago, recognizing theuniqueopportunitiesandneedsinChina,BFLestablishedaBeijingofficeintheOrientalPlaza.Historically,BFLhasstrategicallypositioneditself inmarketareaswherebusiness intelligencegatheringand relationshipbuildingallow for“gettingone’shandsaround”abusinesssector.Thisstrategyhasallowedthefirmtogodeepintoveryspecificareasandbecomeexpertinthem.

ReadershipSurvey

Asahighlyvaluedreader,youcanhelpus improveiCHINA.Pleasetakeafewminutestocompletethissurveyandgetachancetowinaspecialgifts fromChina.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Collectedinformationwillonlybeusedforresearchpurposes,andwillbekeptconfidentialandneverdisclosedtoanyotherparty.

Sex:____Male____FemaleAge:______Race:____white____Asian____African____HispanicorLatino____ChineseMaritalStatus:___Single___Married___DivorcedHighestEducationLevel:_________________________Employment:___________________________________Ifemployed,yourjobtitleis_______________________HouseholdIncome:$_____________________________

SubscribetoiChinaandSave

1year(12Issuesx$2.99)for$2822%offthecover

2years(24Issuesx$2.99)for$5130%offthecover

Studentrate,oneyear,$25

Paymentenclosed.ONEfreeissueonaone-yearsubscription,12inall;orTWOfreeissuesonatwo-yearsubscription,24inall.

Billme(CashandCheckaccepted)

FullName: Title/Position StreetAddress: StreetAddress(line2):City/State/Zip EmailAddress:* Sendthisformto:iChina,7515BLACKMOUNTAINDR. AUSTIN,TEXAS78736

GIFTSAMPLES

Gift1:ChopstickCover

Gift2:Purse

Gift3:Handbag

Gift4:ShoulderBag

Sendyour

resumetousnow!


ichina magazine 2009 feb. issue

Documents

zhao zhao

thedemocracyin china

eyeing china

michael smith copyeditor

qinqin schoser

sharon wilson

stacy liu

angie zhong