China Radio International www.crienglish.com

theMessengerVol.22 No.1

Jan. - Mar., 2011

NPC & CPPCC ANNUAL SESSIONS 2011 TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTUREEXPAT TALES

Editor'sMessage n May 1990, CRI's English Service started the bimonthly four-color newsletter "The Messenger" with an eye on strengthening ties with listeners. The publication was delivered to overseas listeners and to foreigners in China who work at embassies or consulates, foreign-owned and joint-venture companies, as well as students, teachers, journalists and tourists, or those who request it. It brought them information about Radio Beijing's (the former name of CRI) activities and future plans.

"The Messenger" has since evolved with a fresher appearance to reflect the tremendous changes in CRI's output as well as supply content devoted to China's breathtaking transformation over the past three decades. The current issue prominently features the annual sessions of China’s parliament and top political advisory body with first-hand stories from our reporters' unique perspectives.

All of the staff working on "The Messenger" will continue to strive for excellence because we believe that is what you deserve.

I

CONTENTS

Mailbag

FROM OUR LISTENERS

FEATURE: MOVIE REVIEW

FEATURE: ETHNIC FOOD CULTURE

11

12

12

13

14

14

16

18

19

20

21

22

24

28

29

31

The Long Road to Scholarly HonorGood Old Days

Black SwanBuddha MountainEternal MomentMy Own SwordsmanThe King's Speech

An Opulent Tibetan Escape in BeijingEscape to the TropicsThe Other Spicy

Reel China: One of a Kind

FEATURE: THEME MUSEUMS

FEATURE: TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTUREAddicted to ShoesBeyond his Years: Li Jing, 30-year Old Kite Master

FEATURE: EXPAT TALES

Simon: Exploring Chinese History

Ines Brunn: A Passion for Bikes

China Radio International www.crienglish.com

theMessengerVol.22 No.1

Jan. - Mar., 2011

NPC & CPPCC ANNUAL SESSIONS 2011 TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTUREEXPAT TALES

4

5

7

8

9

10

China Confident about Stabilizing Consumer Prices

Migrant Workers Need Treatment of Citizens: Mayors

Microblog, Legislators' New Way to Hear Opinions

Political Advisor Qin Wenjing

Two-Child Policy On the Way?

Will Chinese People Earn More in the Next Five Years?

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com4

China Confident about Stabilizing Consumer Prices Text / Photo by Zhang Xu

The Chinese government is increasingly concerned about the rapid price increases and determined to solve the problem that the masses feel strongly about.

China's January inflation remained stubbornly high at 4.9 percent despite a series of measures taken to cap price increases. Furthermore, higher grain prices following adverse weather conditions worldwide, rising oil prices, regional political tensions and turmoil, and the quantitative easing policies of the United States all added to price pressure in China.

Zhang Ping, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, said that the Chinese government had taken a series of measures to curb excessive price

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

hikes since 2010. He added the government had initial success with its efforts and that he was confident that general prices would remain stable.

"Objectively speaking, the supply of most industrial products in China exceeds their demand, and the supply of important commodities and means of production are abundant," Zhang said. "Stockpiled grain accounts for 40 percent of the annual grain consumption amount in China, far above the international security standard. These have laid a material foundation to keep general prices stable in China."

Zhang also said the government would take five measures to keep prices stable. First, it would energetically advance agricultural production to ensure an abundant grain

harvest. Second, it would strengthen the regulation and control of the grain market. Third, it would enhance facility construction connected with food distribution to cut distribution costs. Fourth, it would strengthen market supervision to crack down on illegal behaviors such as the forcing up of grain prices and hoarding and cornering of grain supplies. Fifth, it would tighten liquidity management to control the money element in price hikes.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Xie Xuren said that the government would prioritize its goal of keeping general prices stable.

"The Ministry will strongly support the production and supply of the necessities of life, including grain, cotton, vegetables,

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, opens its annual session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on March 5, 2011.

Finance Minister Xie Xuren speaks during a news conference in Beijing on March 7, 2011.

Mao Xiaoping, Mayor of Wuxi city in east China's Jiangsu Province, speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on Sunday, March 6, 2011.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

5

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

sugar, meat, milk and eggs," Xie said. "Moreover, we'll further standardize a fee-collecting practice in food distribution and promote the supply of agricultural means of production such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides."

But what do experts and local officials think of the government's latest efforts to curb inflation?

Yao Jingyuan, chief economist at the National Bureau of Statistics, said during a recent forum that an inflationary spiral would not occur in China this year, and the government's goal of keeping consumer price rises at around 4 percent could be realized.

In addition to an abundant supply of industrial products and stockpiled grain, Yao felt glad that this year's government work report added the control of grain and vegetable prices as one of the standards by which to evaluate local governments' achievements.

Jiang Daming, Governor of east China's Shandong Province, also expressed his confidence in controlling price hikes in his province.

"Now the most urgent problem comes

from consumer prices," Jiang said. "Last year the province adopted various measures to keep consumer prices stable. In 2010, Shandong's consumer price index rose by 2.9 percent, no more than 3 percent. This year we are confident that we can deal well with the work to curb price hikes."

Besides financial support from the central government, Mao Xiaoping, mayor of Wuxi city in east China's Jiangsu Province, said he believes that local governments also should subsidize distribution dealers to ease price pressure.

He said the Wuxi city government already gave subsidies to distributors.

"For example, if a supplier finds that the price of pigs has risen by two yuan, when he purchases the pigs he can report it to the government," Mao said. "If it proves to be true after a government investigation, the government will support the supplier with two yuan as a subsidy, but the supplier must guarantee that his pork prices are lower than those in other towns nearby."

Zhao Xijun, an economist with Beijing's Renmin University, said if the government

effectively carried out the policies as a countermeasure against further price hikes, it would reduce inflationary pressure. He also suggested that the government should implement different policies based on actual conditions during the rest of the year.

"It is not proper to implement all the policies, especially monetary policies, at one time," Zhao said. "The government should take measures according to factors affecting price hikes during different periods. In that case, we would not only decrease inflationary pressure, but also avoid large fluctuations in economic growth."

In his government work report delivered Saturday at the opening session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, Premier Wen Jiabao said the government will make stabilizing consumer prices a top priority this year and contain any inflationary increase at about 4 percent. He stressed that "This problem concerns the people's wellbeing, bears on overall interests and affects social stability. We must therefore make it our top priority in macroeconomic control to keep overall price levels stable."

Migrant Workers Need Treatment of Citizens: Mayors Text / Photo by Zhang Xu

Mayors from Chongqing Municipality and Hefei City have called for reforms of the household registration system, or Hukou system, to counter national labor shortages, adding that migrant workers should be given the same treatment as urban residents.

Shortly after this year's Spring Festival for family reunions, many enterprises in China again faced difficulties in recruiting employees, most of whom are migrant workers from rural areas, and the workforce shortages seem to be spreading from east China to central and western China.

On the sidelines of the parliamentary session in Beijing, Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan said that the fundamental way out of labor shortages lay in the reform of the

Hukou system."There are more than 200 million

farmers working in Chinese cities now, but every year they flow between urban and rural areas, just like migrant birds. Because without urban Hukou they can't enjoy citizens' welfare benefits on housing, education and health care, finally they must return to their rural hometowns. If the government conducts the Hukou reform to help migrant workers become citizens, migrant workers will feel a sense of security and stay at the factory for a long time." Huang said.

Huang revealed that the Chongqing municipal government has taken a series of measures to attract migrant workers. For example, qualified migrant workers working

in Chongqing's urban area can acquire urban Hukou. Moreover, migrant workers in Chongqing can apply for public rental apartments, which in most Chinese cities only citizens with an urban Hukou can apply for.

Wu Cunrong, mayor of Hefei in Anhui Province, attributed the labor shortage to two reasons.

According to Wu, first, central and local governments are developing new industries, but a great number of migrant workers who are flocking into cities, don't have the skills to work in them. So the Hefei government provides training classes for them to adapt. Secondly, many migrant workers sacrifice their youth for city construction, but finally must return to the countryside, due to

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com

treated as city residents, I believe the problem of labor shortages will disappear." Cai said.

6

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

unsatisfactory treatment in cities. The local government must make a systematic policy to solve them in the period of the 12th five-year plan. Recently, the Hefei city government has made eighteen preferential policies regarding migrant workers.

"We should make migrant workers live better in the city and finally become a more important part of our city. That's what we will face in the progress of urbanization," Wu added.

Professor Cai Jiming, who is deputy director of the Institute of Economics at Tsinghua University, agreed with the mayors and thought that treating migrant workers kindly is the only way to solve the workforce shortage problem.

Cai analyzed that actually now more of the rural population should transfer to cities, because based on China's advanced agricultural technology, less than 150 million farmers are sufficient to work at the total cultivated land of 1.8 billion mu in rural areas. Additionally, there should be a large number of surplus farmers to work in cities.

In that case, why does the labor shortage still occur in China? He thought the cities don't treat migrant workers kindly.

For years, migrant workers have been getting the lowest wages and worst treatment. In early times, they didn't care, since they could still earn more than working as farmers. Now, new migrant workers grew up and they care more about their incomes, working environment, guarantees of their rights at work and enterprise's prospects. Meanwhile, China invest more on its agricultural industry, including agricultural subsidies and abolishment of agricultural taxation, which made agricultural income rise in many parts of China while the income of migrant workers who leave their native

Some migrant workers arrive in Beijing for work on March 5, 2011.

Huang Qifan, mayor of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, speaks during a news conference in Beijing on March 4, 2011.

Wu Cunrong, mayor of Hefei City in east China's Anhui Province, attends a news conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 6, 2011.

places have increased slowly. So when the economy fluctuates, migrant workers would like to come back to their rural areas, since cities don't provide better welfare services for them and they don't feel a sense of belonging in the cities.

"The only way to solve labor shortages is to accelerate the process of urbanization and gradually make migrant workers own an urban Hukou. As long as migrant workers are

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

7

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

Microblog, Legislators' New Way to Hear Opinions Text / Photo by Zhang Xu

There is no doubt that microblog, a Twitter-like service, is one of the hottest topics during this year's parliamentary session.

Zhu Yongxin, vice president of the Chinese Society of Education (CSE), was among the first batch of NPC deputies, who is in Beijing for the NPC's annual session, to open a microblog to better communicate with people.

Zhu Yongxin told CRI that during this year's annual session, he updated at least five microblog postings every day to exchange views with online fans, as of Sunday evening that number amounted to almost 600,000 on

sina.com.cn , a popular Web portal."I opened a microblog more than a year

ago, since it is one of the most important ways to hear the public's voice. On the Internet, and especially on the microblog, the public can express themselves freely and easily by publishing what they want to share within 140 Chinese characters, and I can hear more real voices." Zhu said.

In recent years, Chinese officials have paid more attention to communicating online with the public about state affairs and livelihood issues. During this year's annual session, the microblog as the modern and popular communications medium gained more popularity while more NPC deputies opened it to seek netizens' suggestions for their bills, or exchange views about China's hot issues with netizens. About 171 NPC deputies had opened microblogs on sina.com.cn, as of March 13.

During the annual session, Zhang Chunxian, Party chief of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, signed up for a microblog service on qq.com, another popular Web portal, and as of 10 p.m. Sunday 259,050 people had registered to become his subscribers.

Zhang, who is believed to be the highest-ranking Chinese official to use his real name for a microblog, told the media that although he was busy in the daytime for the annual session, he still browsed netizens' responses until midnight for days.

Zhang added he would adopt netizens' good suggestions in his future work.

Li Fang, a supervisor of microblog service on qq.com, believes that NPC deputies' microblogs will promote common people's political participation.

"The direct online communication with the public will effectively drive forward the solution of people's problems and it makes officials get closer to the public." Li said.

Meanwhile, some NPC deputies

who hadn't opened a microblog praised microblogs as a good way to hear the public's opinions, but they claimed they didn't launch a microblog, since they didn't have enough time to communicate with netizens in a long run due to their busy work schedules.

"I have a lot of work to do in most cases and I am not sure I can often update the microblog if I open it." Wu Zhongze, a member of NPC Standing Committee, told CRI.

Some media reports revealed that some NPC deputies who opened a microblog in last year's annual session failed to update it after the annual session ended last March.

Moreover, Zhang Zhaoan, NPC deputy and vice chairman of the Shanghai Committee of China National Democratic Construction Association, noted that the suggestions on the microblog couldn't reflect the wills of most Chinese people as in China there are some 450 million Internet users, which accounted for only part of the overall population of 1.3 billion.

Zhang Zhaoan often handed some bills to NPC and most of them had been adopted. He told CRI that the best way to hear opinions is to make on-site visit at the grass roots level.

"For example, in 2008 I proposed the bill of making People's Mediation Law after a long investigation as well as face-to-face communication with citizens, residential committees and people adjusters. Finally, to my delight, the bill was adopted by the NPC and this year the law went into force on January 1." Zhang said.

In fact, NPC deputy Zhu Yongxin also admitted that the microblog is only one more way to communicate with the public and the investigation in real life is more important.

"Anyhow, the microblog is a very good platform for the exchange of ideas with the public and I will continue updating it like before after the annual session." Zhu said.

Zhang Zhaoan, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and vice chairman of the Shanghai Committee of China National Democratic Construction Association, gives an interview to CRI in Beijing on March 11, 2011.

Zhu Yongxin, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and vice-president of the Chinese Society of Education, does an interview with CRI in Beijing on March 10, 2011.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com8

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

PoliticalAdvisor Qin Wenjing

Text / Photo by Zhang Xu

It's nine o'clock in the morning. In a Friendship hotel meeting room in Northwest Beijing, political advisor Qin Wenjing is discussing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's government report with other political advisors from China's ethnic minority groups.

She directly points out the main problems facing the government.

"In 2010, we expected to see housing prices be stabilized. However, prices were skyrocketing. Many young people feel depressed about that. I don't understand why it is so hard to curb housing prices."

"I've been to some village schools in Sanjiang County and Rongshui County in Guangxi. The students there don't have any other books except textbooks. All children are living under the same sky. How can the distribution of educational resources differ so greatly?"

50-year-old Qin Wenjing comes from the Maonan Ethnic Minority Group in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. She has been a member of the top political advisory body for 13 years.

As a book publisher, Qin worries that many profit-driven publishing houses are producing unhealthy materials with negative influences on children.

This topic has aroused heated debate among political advisors.

During the 11-day annual session, political advisors from all walks of life take part in a few plenary sessions in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

For the remaining days, the nearly 2,000 political advisors are divided into 58 groups based on the different circles they come from and also have panel discussions in various hotels.

CPPCC members play an important advisory role in state affairs. Every year, they bring proposals on various issues, which include economic and social development, governance and people's well-being to the annual session.

In the afternoon's panel, Qin, and other

members are discussing their proposals.She brought three proposals this year.

In one of the proposals she suggests that the government include five border counties in Guangxi in a national program. The program aims to revitalize border areas and enrich locals there.

"If the five counties can be included in the program, they can enjoy more preferential policies and financial support from the government. This is the local people's strong desire."

Qin says political advisors must conduct thorough investigations at the grassroots level so as to make high-quality proposals.

"If you are quite familiar with the situation, it takes about three to five months to complete a proposal. But if you are not an expert in the field that you are concerned about, you may spend the whole year collecting information and preparing for your proposal in your spare time. Only high-quality proposals can arouse the authorities' attention."

Qin says the proposals will be delivered to related departments after the annual session.

"I clearly remember the year before, I made a proposal about personal file hosting services. About two months after the session, an official from the Ministry of Personnel called me and discussed solutions with me. It's efficient."

Unlike legislators, political advisors have no right to put forward motions. But in the past 13 years, Qin witnessed many proposals taken up by the central government.

"What impressed me most is the year when the minister of China's Ministry of Transportation attended our group discussion. On behalf of the local people in Motuo County in Tibet, a Tibetan advisor suggested that the government build a highway there. Now the highway is under construction and will be put into use soon."

"This year, I am very glad to see that the draft of the 12th Five-year Plan says the government will allocate more money to solve housing problems for primary and middle

school teachers in rural and poverty-stricken areas. I made a proposal concerning the same issue last year. So, it means political advisors do have influence in policy-making."

After the panel discussion, Qin continues talking with other members about China's income distribution while walking to her room.

Entering her room, Qin first turned on her computer and logged on her microblog.

With microblogs becoming popular, many political advisors like Qin Wenjing have opened their own microblogs to solicit public opinions.

Qin says she didn't like computers before. But, she started to use it two years ago when political advisors were required to read documents and submit proposals through computers during the annual session. The move aims to reduce paper consumption.

"At previous sessions, we received a hefty pile of documents. Books, newspapers and files used to be seen everywhere in my room. Now, see, I only have a laptop here. All documents are contained in a disc. It indicates that people's awareness of environmental protection has been improved."

Qin says another big change of top advisory body is the appearance of more fresh and young faces.

"More young members in their 20s or 30s have become political advisors. They are full of vitality and represent the spirit of the times. Plus, political advisors' abilities have made a great progress. The quality of their proposals gets better and better. Many proposals showcase their deep thinking about state affairs."

When I leave Qin Wenjing's room, she is still reading bloggers comments.

She says, for her, the basic duty of a political advisor is to listen to the public.

"A political advisor should keep close contact with the public, especially those who are from our own professional circles. We should listen to their wills and complaints, and then convey their voices to the central government."

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

Certain ethnic minority groups have been exempt from the rules entirely.

And families in rural areas whose first child is a girl are also allowed to have a second child without punishment.

It remains unclear as to how the

proposed two-child policy will work, though it's being suggested that several big cities will be selected to try it before it's brought in around the country.

9

Two-Child Policy On the Way? Text by Wang Jing / Photo by Zhang Xu

Chinese lawmakers are now said to be debating whether to drop the decades old one-child policy.

Word of this follows earlier proposals from political advisors, calling on the government to relax the policy.

The proposal is from Wang Yuqing, a deputy director of the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment.

He is being quoted as saying he favors a gradual opening of a two-child per family policy, and says he believes the current limitations will be lifted by the end of the five-year plan in 2015.

The current family planning policy was initiated in 1979 to control China's rapidly growing population.

But some negative side effects have emerged, including a rapidly aging population.

Peng Xizhe is the Director of the Institute of Population Research at Fudan University.

"The one-child policy has fulfilled the goal initially set. Negative effects will pile up if it continues."

The President of Renmin University, Ji Baocheng, claims the labor force population between the ages of 28 and 40 will be halved in 10 years.

As an example, in Shanghai, which has the highest urban population in China, the number of Shanghai natives -- as in those with a Hukou -- has actually been dropping for the last 17 years in a row, even though the city's population has been increasing.

A possible reason for Shanghai parents not choosing to have a second child could be the rising cost of everyday expenses,

particularly the cost of education. "I don't think I'll have a second child

if the limit is removed. I'm simply a wage-earner, and I find it difficult enough to raise one child, so I won't consider the second."

But at the same time, there are still

people who think it would be nice to have two children.

"I will think about it. A lot of parents now are the only child in families, to have two kids means they can look after each other in the future, and of course, there'll be financial burden."

One-Child Policy has been relaxed in certain ways over the years.

In cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, if a couple is both the product of the one-child policy, they're allowed to have two kids.

Deputies attend the opening meeting of the Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2011.

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com10

NPC & CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

Will Chinese People Earn More in the Next Five Years? Text by Zhang Ru / Photo by Zhang Xu

Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics shows that last year the growth rate of Chinese rural residents' income surpassed that of urban residents' income for the first time since 1998.

Shen Jihui is a farmer from Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Last year, the total income of his family increased by more than 40 percent from the year before.

"As a farmer, if my income increases, I can spend more in improving my livelihood. I am engaged in aquaculture. I want to expand my production this year to further increase my income."

Although many local governments have increased the minimum wage and pensions last year, the rising prices still created discontent.

"The prices have increased several times a year while income only increased once a year. How can we live a better life?"

"Now the prices of meat and eggs are higher than before."

China's latest five-year plan seeks to lower annual economic growth while increasing the labors' income. Many local governments are planning to double their people's income in the next five years.

But, the public fears that the move would widen the income gap between the rich and the poor.

Cai Jiming, professor of economics at Tsinghua University, says the government should focus on raising the income of the low and middle income groups.

"I suggest the government include indexes reflecting income distribution in the latest five-year plan. The indexes should be used as a criterion for local governments' performance."

Cai says, the Gini coefficient, a commonly-used measure of inequality of wealth, is close to 0.5 in China, overtaking

the recognized warning level of 0.4."One of the targets is to lower the Gini

coefficient to 0.45 by income redistribution, including adjusting income tax, inheritance tax and gift tax. Plus, the government should narrow the income gap between employees from monopoly enterprises and other enterprises. Now, the average income of employees from industry monopolies is five times or even more than that of those from non-monopoly enterprises."

Chi Fulin, head of China (Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute, elaborates on how to increase the income of those from low and middle income groups.

"First the government should raise the minimum wage. Second it should promote the development of the national collective bargaining system to ensure employers rights. Third, the government should create a good environment for enterprises to gain more profits so as to lay a solid foundation to raise their employers' income."

In the next five years, China will shift its focus from the export-led sectors to increasing domestic consumer demand.

Chi applauds the decision.

"The public's consumption ability plays an important role in driving economic growth. There is

a huge potential consumption market among China's 700 million rural residents. If China can fully tap into this market in the next 10 years, the total consumption of Chinese farmers may equal that of one or even more European countries."

The expert adds one of the measures to mitigate the income gap is to create same opportunities for rural residents as their urban counterparts.

An ethnic minority deputy attends the opening meeting of the Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2011.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

11

Movie Review

REEL CHINA: ONE OF A KIND

CRIEnglish.com, the website of CRI’s English Service, has a new flagship show: REEL CHINA. Every week, REEL CHINA introduces viewers around the globe to the latest movie news in China. And, as host and writer Robu (北极熊) explains, it’s the only English-language show of its kind on earth. “Reel China is unique in that sense. And I believe it serves an important purpose. The Chinese movie industry is growing in leaps and bounds right now, and we want to share its progress with the world. After all, most people in the west believe that China produces

nothing but low budget, poorly lip-synched chop socky movies – and that’s simply not the case.” Robu’s co-host Kjin (金典), a film production graduate from New Zealand, is of the same mind. “You see all sorts of genres represented on Chinese cinema screens:

historical epics, social dramas, romantic comedies. China is positioning itself as the Hollywood of the East.”

REEL CHINA began life six months ago when Robu, a passionate film enthusiast, approached Kjin with an outline for the show. Soon enough, the pair added Zhang Lin (张林) to the line-up. Zhang Lin, a graduate of the hugely prestigious Communication University of China, jumped at the chance to join the team. “I always knew the show would be something special. Robu brings his amazing sense of humour to the show, both in terms of script and presentation. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite so charismatic. I might even categorize him as a creative genius. Kjin is also hugely talented, albeit

on the technical side. Her editing ability is second to none, and her drawings are close to perfect.”

The drawings Zhang Lin mentions are an integral part of REEL CHINA. Each episode features a number of original and

amusing cartoons, based on the content of the show. First of all, Robu comes up with the cartoon concept; Kjin then draws this concept on paper, before uploading it to Final Cut Pro; finally, Zhang Lin paints the various cartoons and animates them. It’s a hugely time-consuming process, according to Kjin, but it adds an extra dimension to the show. “We push ourselves to make the most entertaining show possible on a very limited budget. As the only English-language show in the world about Chinese movies, it almost feels like we’re ambassadors for the Chinese movie industry.” Zhang Lin doesn’t mind the hard work, either. “We three are all highly motivated, and we push each other to produce the best work possible. There are no

Zhang Lin

Robu

Kjin

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com12

Movie Review

weak links in this chain.” Besides working together every day,

the team are also good friends outside the office. Kjin points out that they are “friends first, colleagues second”. The three can often be found socializing in bars, at KTV, at the cinema and around the malls of Beijing. Zhang Lin believes that their deep friendship adds an extra dimension to the show. “We trust each other, and we can be honest with

each other. Sometimes we have fights, but that’s natural. We share the same passions, and at the end of the day we all want to make the best show possible.”

Robu is keen to develop the show even further. “It’s been six months since we shot the REEL CHINA pilot, and we’ve made a lot of progress since then. A lot! But the show still needs to move forward. In future, when the REEL CHINA brand is better known, I hope

we can conduct exclusive star interviews. Shu Qi is top of my wish list.” Kjin is looking forward to having “The Lost Bladesman” actor Jiang Wen on the show, while Zhang Lin is holding out for Taiwan beauty Vivian Hsu. Hopefully their dreams will come true, sooner rather than later.

Catch a new episode of REEL CHINA every week in the video section of CRIEnglish.com.

Accompanied by the music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, with technically complex and exquisite camerawork and sweetened with the grace and dexterity of ballet, the movie Black Swan offers something that's beyond a good dance film. It is a brilliant work of art that is all things to all people.

A young and timid dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) trains hard in her ballet troupe to win the chance to dance the Swan Queen. But her company's artistic director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel) maintains that she is only suited for half of the double role. She perfectly embodies the pure-hearted White Swan but can never get into the character of the dark twin, the Black Swan.

Then the movie's director Darren Aronofsky exerts masterful skills to detail the evolution of the depressed girl from a vulnerable candidate to the demonic dance queen that has the crowd on its feet during the debut. He blurs the distinction between reality and fantasy, juxtaposes Nina's real life

Black SwanText by Zhao Kun

and what she imagines, and makes it into a gothic psychological thriller that takes your breath away.

At the center of this dreamlike story is Natalie Portman's fascinating performance.

She communicates Nina's emotional fragility with an aching desire, and flaunts acting talent that can easily create two sets of opposite personalities in one role. The complexity she delivers, which in a flash is a strong mind and a shaky psyche, a paranoid mindset and then a menacing manner, already goes far ahead of what an Oscar nomination requires. Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique match her prowess. They show Nina's teetering sanity with a camera that pirouettes, lurches and lunges, along with the variation of Tchaikovsky's classical tunes.

When you reach to the finale under the spell of the movie's director, the message that the movie tries to send out suddenly becomes clear and explicit: no artist could get to

the top notch without losing control, or even sanity.

On my one to ten movie scale, I give Black Swan 9.5.

Buddha Mountain Text by Zhao Kun

Flooded with actioners and comedies, cinemas in China don't usually give much living space to art movies, unless they pull off a great coup at international film festivals. The Chinese movie Buddha Mountain just takes this beaten path that Jia Zhangke and an array of other art house directors have trodden out. At the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival, the movie picks up Best Artistic Contribution Award and the Best Actress title also goes to the movie's lead Fan Bingbing.

And now it's on show in cinemas.The fourth directorial work of young

female director and writer Li Yu, Buddha Mountain revolves around those from problem families in the southwestern city of Chengdu. Ding Bo (played by Chen Bolin) estranges his father after his mother dies and a step mother comes in. He refuses to go to college after high school and, as his father worries, "has no future". Small town girl Nan Feng (played by Fan Bingbing) comes to

Chengdu and sings at a bar, leaving a family of violence and alcoholism. Overly obese and often bullied, Fatso (played by Fei Long) makes faithful pals with Ding Bo and Nan Feng. They don't see hope and thus lead a wild and carefree life.

When the trio needs a new place to live, they meet the landlady Chang Yueqin (played by Sylvia Chang), a widowed and retired Peking Opera singer who is in extreme anguish and distress over the recent

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

The sequel to a popular TV drama twelve years ago, the new romance movie "Eternal Moment" swept cinemas across the nation shortly before Valentine's Day. It has already caused an immediate stir among

Chinese in their 20s and 30s, posting box office earnings of 70 million yuan in only three days. But just imagine what would happen if the movie were released on a day that had no romantic connotation?

Of course, there we can't blame movie makers for releasing a romantic movie on Valentine's Day. But when stores are decorated with hearts and arrows, radio and TV shows talk about love and romance all day long, and love is in the air, it just seems unwise to give the movie a critical review that could spoil the atmosphere and do no good for your relationship. That said, a love story regarded as "OK" on a dating night could be one rung lower, to say the least, if watched on a different occasion.

Directed by Zhang Yibai, "Eternal

Moment" starts from where the 20-episode teleplay ended and offers three distinctive stories after the college couple Wen Hui

(performed by Xu Jinglei) and Yang Zheng (performed by Li Yapeng) leave

school. The first act features the bland long-time marriage in an affluent Beijing family. The second reveals the luckless and bitter life of a single mother in Shanghai. And the last is about a reignited romance in Bordeaux, France. You may find out in the end that all

these stories tell you, instead of what makes an eternal moment, just one simple theory claimed by Karl Marx that "the economic

base determines the superstructure".Each story bears a different style and

flavor. The first is a bit surreal and art-house, while the second gets down to earth and the third is more of what you might see in a music video or a tourism promotion commercial. But the three-part movie fails to provoke thoughts on life and eternality and instead forces a sigh: what a contrast in life between the rich and the poor! With some interviews

13

Movie Review

death of her 20-something son. The four live together in the apartment but clash over their distinctive lifestyles.

The director adopts long-tracking and shaking shots to show the unstable mentalities of the foursome and to create a sense of cluttered space which perfectly serves the growing tension between the two generations. But after all the conflicts and

squabbles, the helpless helps the helpless out of sadness and frustration: the three young people light up the heart of depressed Chang Yueqin while she in return plays the role of mother in this surrogate family and takes good care of them. Eventually they develop a special bond that looks very authentic and convincing on screen.

Beautiful actress Fan Bingbing proves in this movie that she can do much more than look good. Her effortless characterization of Nan Feng as a tough-from-the-outside but weak-from-the-inside girl adds a lot of glamour to the story.

The rest cast also match her prowess and never allow viewers to sense any fake emotion throughout the 100-minute

complexity of love, hatred, despair and relief, even though there are a few jumps in the story development that fail to connect one emotion to the next advanced level.

The movie Buddha Mountain touches upon the big topics of life and death. It takes in such symbols as a broken car and a quake-ravaged temple to suggest the relation between destruction and rebirth.

For most of the screening time, the story runs at a steady pace without any hysterics. It tries to show you some profound interpretations of life but never in a straightforward way. However, approaching the end, the movie explicitly tells you what's at issue here, which here somehow spoils all the previous efforts in maintaining the aesthetic perception out of the obscurity and ambiguity the director has created.

On my movie scale from one to 10, I give Buddha Mountain a subtly and suitably soulful 7.5.

Eternal MomentText by Zhao Kun

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com14

Movie Review

of real couples inserted in the fiction, the director seems to create a McDonald's Happy Meal: It can kill the hunger but can never be a good treat for your taste buds.

I am a firm believer that one of the

least romantic days of the year is Valentine's Day. The majority of men act like robots, purchasing flowers and chocolate or taking their sweethearts to a Valentine's movie out of obligation. Now the day has passed and

you may think of better ways to make your next Valentine's Day a bit more creative.

On my one to ten movie scale, I give the movie a FIVE.

My Own Swordsman

Text by Zhao Kun

After innumerable re-runs of the eighty-episode sitcom on the Chinese television, the kungfu comedy, "My Own Swordsman" makes its debut on the big screen. Setting to win more laughter and keep up its popularity among viewers, the theatrical version tries to differentiate itself from the original source while bringing along an entirely old cast and crew.

Of the same name with the original teleplay, the movie injects quite some modern sense of humor into the story that takes place in the Ming Dynasty, since such anachronistic trick worked wonders on TV. The movie presumes that audiences in the cinema are those sitting in front of a TV and therefore cram lots of jokes and jest into the script without

leaving much time for characterization and background introductions, which might put the first-time audience in a fog.

Director Shang Jing transfers the public

groan on the skyrocketing housing price in today's China to the fictional Qixia Town 400 years ago, where a wealthy merchant colludes with local government to develop real estate projects and reap staggering profits. Then you just see in the film what Beijing and other domestic cities have experienced over the last decade: insane price hikes, crazy speculation, large-scale demolition, house purchase binges and at last scrimping and saving of ordinary people.

Wherever there is oppression, there is resistance. It's the same in all ages. Even though at first the order of demolition stirs the Tongfu Hostel into a tempest, our old chaps, led by the landlady Tong Xiangyu (played by Yan Ni), stand firm against the order and thus

incur the murder plotted by the real estate developer. There a knock-down-and-drag-out fight begins.

Thanks to the lack of a movie rating system in China, "My Own Swordsman" takes a violent approach when depicting the battle between the Tongfu Hostel clan and the professional killer Ji Wuli. What you see in the teleplay as some showy but not practical martial arts upgrades to dazzling and expensive fighting scenes in the movie, seemingly justifying the 80-kuai ticket you already pay for. But the action-packed montages are working the opposite and relegating the delicate comedy to a mediocre actioner that looks not much different from others of the same genre. When you hear the sound of wringing necks and see blood splashing around, you would just find out the adaptation is somehow inconsistent with the TV drama that's filled up with warmth and goodwill.

On my 1-to-10 movie scale, I give "My Own Swordsman" a SIX.

A solid reason for Great Britain to keep its monarchy is that the royal family frequently provides people and the media with a good source of conversation and headlines. Apart from current gossip and talk about the royal members' health, wealth, marriage and divorce, some mossy tales of past kings and queens are favored on the big screen and at times even dress up in award-wining bling-bling.

With 12 Academy Award nominations,

the English movie, "The King's Speech" is expected to receive much honor at the

Kodak Theater in late February. Starring Colin Firth, the British historical drama is about the stammer of King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. He's a man born to public life but can barely speak in public. The movie opens with the scene of the stutterer, the Duke of York, addressing

the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, and strangling on every word that is

broadcast via radio to a quarter of the world's population ruled by the British Empire.

He makes efforts to live up to his royal obligations and tries out an array of methods to remove the stuttering problem. His fear, hopelessness and anger are crafted by Colin Firth with so little visible effort that you soon forget those impressive roles he previously played and feel his self-irony and self-loathing in an

The King’s SpeechText by Zhao Kun

www.crienglish.com

theMessengerChurchill showing up for a few seconds to reveal his determination against Nazism. Nevertheless, the movie is far from even a quasidocumentary. The dramatic plots should go under careful examination and even the severity of the king's stammer is a matter of debate. I couldn't help but ask: is that such an important thing that a king can make an encouraging speech in order to win a war? But the movie's director, Tom Hooper, puts in intelligence, variety and pace not to excess to the movie and turns the banal history fragments to a showpiece project in the field of cinema when you judge it by whatever standards from camera work to screenplay, and original sound track to costumes.

It seems it's a bit redundant to wish the movie good luck on Oscar night.

On my 1 to 10 movie scale, I give "The King's Speech" an EIGHT.

15

intimate way. Even if the king cannot get over the speech impediment, Firth should prepare a decent speech for the Oscar ceremony.

Meanwhile, the performance of the movie's supporting roles is firm and delicate. Geoffrey Rush plays the duke's long-time speech therapist, Lionel Logue, who insists on having things his own way to develop trust and friendship with his special patient. The Australian unorthodox therapist brings confidence and self-esteem to the king and helps him make his war-time radio speeches, which are widely-acclaimed to buoy public morale under the Nazi threat.

As King George VI fights against a serious stammer, the movie is dotted with a spicy history lesson about Edward VIII marrying the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson after abdication, Adolf Hitler befogging the minds of people and waging the Second World War, and Winston

China through the Lens: National Film MuseumText / Photo by Angela Pruszenski

Chinese films are more than just kungfu and period dramas, and before Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Ge You, there were scores of other stars that brought memorable stories alive on screen.

The 38,000 square meter China National Film Museum pays tribute to China's long and colorful movie-making history and reveals some secrets of film production.

The world's love affair with films began in 1895 when the Brothers Lumiere debuted their 50 second motion picture showing a busy French train station at the Grand Cafe in Paris. Audiences around the world were enthralled with the new form

of entertainment, and the industry exploded. China first experimented with movie-making

in 1905 with the production of a 3 minute Peking Opera short, "Ding Jun Shan," or "Conquering Jun Mountain."

Half of the museum's 20 exhibition halls are dedicated to illustrating the history of Chinese film, with a special hall dedicated to the film industries of Macao, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Much of the story is illustrated using old pictures of movie stars and film scenes, with about 4,300 stills in the entire museum.

Other displays include life-sized figures of actors or scenes, including a re-enactment of the first film screening and China's first

movie production. One of the more unique items is director and Chinese cinema

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com16

Theme Museums

pioneer Zheng Zhengqiu's old desk, which may remind visitors of the desks for very early Hollywood writers. "The exhibition about Chinese film history is very popular, especially among seniors because they grew up watching old Chinese films. Currently, only our museum has information of these old films," Gu Liang, an interpreter and tour guide at the museum explained.

The other half of the exhibition halls delve into the behind-the-scenes tricks of film production. And entire set created to look like the Chinese countryside is on display,

and production equipment visually creates different times of day, along with rain and snow. Visitors can watch all these changes take place from a balcony. Other models show various early cinema camera tricks, such as reverse-action shots and using graphics on a piece of glass to simulate difficult to build sets.

Visitors can get in on the fun here; aside from simply looking at displays about film-making, there are two blue-screen scenarios to try. One scene involves visitors sitting on a

motorbike surrounded by a blue set, while the screen shows them furiously trying to outrun a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The other allows visitors to sit on a magic carpet that moves and turns, while the screen replaces the blue set with aerial views of China's best scenery.

No film museum would be complete without a theater, and the China National Film Museum has plenty of those — three 35mm theatres, a digital projection hall, and a massive, 27 meter wide and 21 meter high IMAX theatre. "IMAX films use 70mm, offers a much higher resolution," according

to Maggie Song, assistant director of the film museum's administration office.

Films are screened Tuesday-Sunday, and tend to attract large audiences. When the film Avatar debuted in IMAX, the theater managed to serve about 10,000 people in back-to-back showings.

The museum was founded in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Chinese film, and is the largest professional film museum in the world. ""When the museum was founded, a group of film experts

and artists researched and collected these films and photos from China and all over the world." Maggie Song said of the museum's collections. The entrance to the museum features autographs of famous film stars and directors from all over the world, who attended the museum's opening.

Getting to the museum is a bit of a hike, with its location near the Airport Expressway in Beijing's northeastern part. However, visitors with enough time for the long commute will find the China National Film Museum, the world's largest professional film

museum, well worth the visit for its vivid look at Chinese film history and a rare look at old techniques.

Logistics:Address: 9 Nanying Lu, Chaoyang

DistrictHours: Tue-Sun 9am-4.30pm (last

entry 4pm)Admission: Free (bring passport or ID

card), movie ticket prices varyPhone: 6431 9548

There are about 4,300 photos on display in the China National Film Museum's exhibition halls, illustrating Chinese film and its history.

There are about 4,300 photos on display in the China National Film Museum's exhibition halls, illustrating Chinese film and its history.

The Long Road to Scholarly Honor

After a visit to the Museum of the Imperial Examination System, you will never complain about today's exams again. Imagine spending nine days dining and sleeping in a small stone cubicle and answering endless exam questions. The Chinese imperial scholars who endured these conditions in hopes of beating out the competition for official posts would say that today's students

have it easy. According to Yao Yuanli, the owner of

the museum, over the 1300-year reign of the Imperial Examination system, only around 700 hundred people have made it to the top, earning the title "Zhuangyuan" or "Number One Scholar."

Two substantial stone figurines, one of which was excavated from the tomb of

Emperor Qianlong's fourth daughter, guard the museum's entrance, making it impossible to miss along the folk culture street in the capital's historical Gaobeidian village.

The 3000-square-meter museum showcases the history of China's Imperial Examination system through a diversified collection of stone and wood tablets, documents, and other relics.

Text / Photo by Duan Xuelian

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

17

Theme Museums

Yao established the privately-funded museum four years ago out of personal interest. To educate visitors about the global influence of the Chinese Imperial Examinations, Yao has spent the last sixteen years researching and traveling across China to search for valuable items. His collection includes over 3000 pieces.

The most precious antique in his collection is a stone gate which dates back to Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 A.D.) and acts as the centerpiece of the main exhibition hall. Such gates were usually placed at the entrance of schools to indicate the students' wish to pass the imperial exam and make their name known.

The history of the examination system from its advent in Sui Dynasty (580-618 A.D.) to its demise in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.) is demonstrated through a display of wood carvings, photos and documents; the main exhibition hall also dedicates a special glass case to documents reflecting on the international influence of China's Imperial Examination System. Among them is a quote from an article titled "China: A New Departure" in the September 1888 issue of The Westminster Review: "The Imperial Examination System of Chinese polity deserves termless laudability."

The exhibition halls that surrounded the back courtyard explain the four phases scholars had to go through before being granted the chance to enter the imperial examination. The students had to pass various exams during the four stages, which were roughly equal to today's middle school level, high school level, preparatory period for college level and college level.

The imperial examination was held every three years. According to legend, one student tried 20 times to pass the exam, meaning he spent 60 years--his whole adult

life-- preparing and taking the exams.

Scholars who pass top-level exams experience a significant change in status. Local officials would likely present a special banner for the scholar's family to hang at the entrance to their homes. The scholar's success would then be remembered for generations to come.

Yao, the museum owner, believes the old examination system still affects people's mentalities today, and is clearly manifested in society's high regard for the college entrance examinations.

Some of Yao's collection is quite detailed and intriguing. For instance, one exhibition hall displays writing brushes, ink pads, authentic exam papers and even children's school bags. The exam answer sheets, protected by a glass plate, show off the fine calligraphy skills expected of imperial officials.

Many visitors, including foreign tourists, leave their thoughts on Yao's collection in the museum's message book. A visitor named Susan wrote: "A wonderful museum! Full of interesting and historically valuable materials" after a tour of the museum in 2009. Another visitor named Eddy showed his gratitude for the museum owner saying "More people must come to see (this museum). Thank you for the excellent effort & result!"

Realizing the educational value of the museum, Yao said he is working with universities in Beijing to make the museum a regular studying base for students who major in history.

LogisticsAddress: 1366 Folk

Culture Street, Gaobeidian Subway: Batong Line,

Gaobeidia StationMuseum hours: 9 a.m.-4

p.m. (closed on Mondays)Tickets: 40 yuan / per

person, 25 yuan for students

The entrance gate of the museum is a stone structure from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Intricate carvings on the gate depict the celebration ceremony for those who have made the top place in the imperial examination and became a Zhuangyuan.

The backyard of the museum is designed in the traditional Chinese style.

The museum has a collection of authentic exam papers.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com

As a result, he committed suicide on the palace steps. Later, the emperor dreamed that Zhong Kui ate a ghost who was stealing palace treasures and worshipped him as the vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. The Chinese traditionally display his picture on unlucky days to ward off evil spirits, such as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which is akin to Friday the 13th in western cultures. In some rural areas, people also put up Zhong Kui's portraits for the Spring Festival to scare away evil spirits that come with the New Year.

Qu Yuan's story goes back

even further to the Warring States period 2,000 years ago. According to legend, he tried to advise his king how to achieve peace, but was ignored. Other officials routinely made fun of him until Qu Yuan was removed from office and banished. He wrote the famous poem "Li Sao" ("On Encountering Sorrow") and drowned himself in the river the next day after hearing his country had been conquered. People raced dragon boats to save him, but were unsuccessful. In the end, they poured rice into the river to keep fish from nibbling

18

Theme Museums

Good Old Days: Folklore Museum Preserves Chinese Traditions Text / Photo by Angela Pruszenski

The Beijing Folklore Museum is a hidden surprise behind the Dongyue Temple in Chaoyang District. While housing a museum inside a temple may seem unusual, the Dongyue Temple has been a center of folk culture in Beijing for more than 700 years.

Opened in 1997, the Beijing Folklore Museum holds rotating exhibitions to promote Beijing's old folklore culture.

The current exhibition unveiled in June 2010 features more than 300 items detailing traditional Chinese festivals. The

displays in the three first-floor exhibition rooms introduce 20 Chinese traditional holidays in both Chinese and English as well as artifacts related to each. Relics include children's toys from the early 20th century, Qing Dynasty rabbit figures, traditional tiger hats and loads of paintings. But object descriptions are only in Chinese.

The museum typically receives more than a hundred visitors a day and many more during festivals, according to Guan Xin, Deputy Curator of the Beijing Folk

Museum. He said the museum fills a need in the increasingly modern city.

"Chinese love to come here to recall the olden days, but many foreigners also come here to get a taste of traditional culture," Guan said.

Some characters of interest in the Traditional Festivals exhibition are Zhong Kui and Qu Yuan. Zhong Kui, who supposedly lived during the Tang Dynasty, had the top score on the imperial service examination, but was disqualified because of his ugliness.

Traditional tiger hats worn by children during festivals are on display at the Beijing Folklore Museum.

Rabbits dominate the entrance to the Dongyue Temple/Folklore Museum Temple Fair on Tuesday, February 8, 2011.

Red tags with New Year wishes are tied to the rails of the walkway in the Dongyue Temple.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

19

Ethnic Food Culture

his body. This story is the basis for the Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, which is also held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

The Traditional Festivals exhibition was a great add-on to the temple fair held at Dongyue Temple during the Spring Festival holiday.

"The temple fair at Dongyue Temple dates back to the Yuan Dynasty," Guan said. "It is one of the oldest temple fairs in Beijing. People come here to pray for good fortune,

good health and a safe life."In addition, the temple fair featured

traditional performances and activities, as well as merchant booths with traditional festival souvenirs such as pinwheels and clay rabbits. While the temple fair is small as compared to that of Ditan Park, it has managed to maintain the traditional aspects of old Beijing temple fairs.

The Beijing Folklore Museum is an excellent complement to an afternoon exploring the drama of Taoism at the

Dongyue Temple, but visitors who have the chance should definitely make the trip during a holiday celebration.

LogisticsAddress: 141 Chaowai Avenue,

Chaoyang District Subway: Line 2, Chaoyangmen Station,

take exit A and walk five minutes east along the avenue.

Museum hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (closed on Mondays)

An Opulent Tibetan Escape in Beijing Text / Photo by Angela Pruszenski

For many people, Tibet is a land shrouded in mystery and tradition. Because of its location in China's extreme west, everything from Tibetan food to decorations, clothing, and traditions differ from those

of eastern China. But enthusiasts do not have to go West to experience the culture. The Tibetan chain restaurant, Makye Ame, aims to bring a little bit of Tibet's allure to Beijing.

Makye Ame has two branches in Beijing. One branch, near Silk Street, relates the style of common Tibetan homes; but the Tuanjiehu branch is a lesson in Tibetan opulence. Decorated in royal Tibetan style, the restaurant's large, stuffed couches, intricately carved and painted walls, displays of curiosities shipped in from the autonomous region, and beautifully-costumed Tibetan staff members create an authentically rich

Tibetan atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Beijing.

The deep yellow hue that sets the tone for the restaurant's décor also relates the restaurant's history. Makye Ame's first

restaurant in Lhasa, Tibet, is in a yellow building, while all the surrounding buildings are painted stark white.

"In Tibet, only the houses built for religious purposes and the houses used by the Dalai Lama can be painted yellow," Mu De Jing, the restaurant's deputy general manager, said.

The yellow building was once a bar frequented by the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso. There,

he met a beautiful woman who inspired the Dalai Lama's poem, "Makye Ame" ("Pure Lady"). He never saw the woman again, but the building and its story are the basis for the modern Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant chain.

The Tibetan atmosphere doesn't stop at interior design. Many of the restaurant's ingredients are flown in from Tibet. Some of the common additives and spices are on display for guests to see, such as yak cheese and barley flour.

Yak meat is heavily featured on the menu, which is a rare find in Beijing. Tibetan cuisine is meat-based with beef and lamb being most common. Dairy products are also widespread in Tibetan cuisine, which is a departure from other types of Chinese cuisine. For vegetarians in Tibet, various kinds of mushrooms are favored. Tibetan

Some common additives in Tibetan cuisine such as barley flour and yak cheese are on display for guests to see. These ingredients are sourced directly from Tibet.

An attendant waits near the entrance of the Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant in Beijing.

The dining room at Makye Ame was packed during dinnertime with foreigners and Chinese natives alike seeking a taste of Tibet in Beijing.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com

food is mostly roasted or boiled, and salty flavors dominate.

According to Mu De Jing, one of the most unique characteristics of Tibetan cuisine is the use of three ingredients hardly found elsewhere in Asia -- saffron, snow lotus herb and aweto. These ingredients are also known to have medicinal qualities.

Tibetan performances are held nightly from 7:45 p.m.-10 p.m. with performers in intricate costumes singing traditional Tibetan songs and dancing. While the performers are not professionally trained, Mu De Jing is

quick to assert their inherent talent."It's not fair to call them 'amateurs'

because every Tibetan is good at both singing and dancing," he said.

There are four branches of the Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant. The flagship location in Lhasa, Tibet, opened in 1997. The Beijing branches near Silk Street and Tuanjiehu opened in 2001 and 2005, respectively. The branch in Kunming, Yunnan Province, has been in operation since 2003. Emboldened by the chain's steady growth, owner Tsering Wangqing has plans to open a Shanghai

branch in the next few years.Eating here will cost guests

approximately 100 yuan per person, but the restaurant is an escape from the quintessential Beijing dining experience. By coming to the restaurant, Mu De Jing hopes that customers will learn more about traditional Tibetan décor and costumes as well as cuisine.

With Chinese and foreigners alike enamored of traditional Tibetan culture, the Makye Ame restaurant serves as a convenient haven to admire it even more.

Escape to the Tropics:Dai Restaurant in Beijing

Baoqin Daiwei Restaurant is one of many ethnic selections near Minzu University, but the cuisine, native to the Dai minority

of Yunnan province, stands out for its light, tropical, but dynamic flavors.

The restaurant was opened on July 1st 1997. "It was the same day that Hong Kong was returned to China, so we thought it would be a lucky day," explained owner Ma Shoubing. "We opened our doors at exactly twelve noon that day."

The former Minzu University philosophy professor, who also taught Chinese language to foreign students, is a native of western Yunnan and part of the Dai ethnic group.

While many of the common ingredients, such as the meat, are bought locally, the ingredients that create the distinctive flavor

of Dai food are sourced from Yunnan. Many of the special ingredients cannot be bought locally, including sour bamboo. The rice wine is made in-house from alcohol and fermented sticky rice, though the alcohol content is weak compared to other Beijing liquor.

Lemon flavorings and sour cabbage are also popular in Dai cuisine, along with cuisine cooked with pineapple or papaya. The pineapple sticky rice, actually served in a pineapple, is a special treat, as is the sweet and sour pineapple chicken. The lemongrass-flavored roasted fish rivals any from a tropical

island.Dai cuisine is also famous for being

spicy; the Shuan Shuan La pepper is an

important ingredient with an interesting story behind its name. Shuan means "to rinse" in Chinese. "A family would stir the soup broth with the pepper, and that would make the soup very spicy," said Ma Shoubing. "They could give it to another family, and they would do the same. One pepper could make spicy soup for a whole village."

The restaurant's steam pot chicken has more neutral flavoring, with the broth reminiscent of western home-made chicken soup. But, the soup is not what draws western guests to this restaurant; Ma Shoubing noted

Text / Photo by Angela Pruszenski

A Dai Feast: Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken; Ban San Si (sliced chicken, cabbage, noodles, and potato powder); Fried Potato Balls, and Steamed Pot Chicken.

The Pineapple Sticky Rice is served in a hollowed pineapple.

The Qi Guo Ji, or Steam Pot Chicken is prepared in a special pot for steaming.

20

Ethnic Food Culture

www.crienglish.com

theMessengerthat his restaurant's fried potato balls are particularly popular among his foreign guests, with many groups having to order more than one heaping plate of them.

While Ma Shoubing admitted he has toned down the intensity of the flavors just a bit for Beijing tastes, he has found other ways to bring the Dai atmosphere to his restaurant. The dining room is decorated with green bamboo, and the beverage bar near the front resembles a tiki bar. The chopsticks are made of reusable bamboo; they are washed and boiled at the end of the day.

The staff all come from Dai villages in Yunnan; Ma Shoubing travels to the province to recruit staff for his Beijing restaurant. The servers all wear Dai ethnic costumes consisting of long, silky skirts, and in the warm weather, yellow short sleeved blouses.

To round out the decorations are wall photos representing the Dai minority. The largest photo in the restaurant, however, is actually of Zhou Enlai, the first premier of China, meeting a group of students in 1958. One of those students is owner Ma Shoubing. While he was a student at Minzu University, he was chosen as a Dai representative to meet Zhou Enlai during an official visit. At that time, Ma Shoubing was unaware that a photo was taken. In 1977, a year after Zhou Enlai's death, a Beijing museum held a memorial photo exhibition. An old teacher of Ma Shoubing attended the exhibition and was surprised to find his former student in a poster-sized portrait of Zhou Enlai. After hearing of the photo, Ma Shoubing was able to track down a copy for himself.

The restaurant bustled with local

professionals during lunch hour, and Ma noted that the restaurant can serve up to 200 guests a day, more on weekends. He currently employs about 20 staff members, including 4 cooks who have been trained in-house. However, he has no plans to expand or open any branches. He says he's not concerned about how to make the most money, but how to improve the dishes offered by the restaurant.

The prices of Ma Shoubing’s dishes are extremely fair, considering the generous portions of quality food. Prices range from about 10-50 yuan, with the majority of dishes falling between 15-30 yuan.

The Baoqin Daiwei Restaurant may be out of the way for many Beijing residents, but the owner is friendly and the dynamic southern flavors are worth the trip.

The Other Spicy: Cuisine from Guizhou Text / Photo by

Angela Pruszenski

Fans of spicy food have long flocked to the city's Sichuan restaurants with spicy and dynamic dishes from Guizhou Province largely ignored. However, restaurants representing Guizhou's cuisine have sprung up around the capital. The Jun Qin Hua restaurant's owner, a pleasant Miao woman, was one of the earliest to bring the province's hot and sour flavors and family atmosphere to the city.

While some of the dishes on the menu appear daunting, with whole fish floating in bright orange sour soup and even a dish featuring dog meat, diners should not feel discouraged. Orange colors indicate either a strong spicy taste, as in the rice tofu or peppery chicken, or a unique but strong and refined sour taste as in her famous sour soup.

The rice tofu is the house favorite made from rice and vegetable juice. The restaurant's owner, Ms. An, explained the process, "The rice tofu is made from rice and vegetable juice. The tofu is then cut into strips and combined with chilies and other ingredients, such as bean sprouts."

Chili is a common additive to

dishes here and several kinds are always on hand. Zaola, made from crushed chilies, is Guizhou's special condiment and the central flavor in several popular dishes. The lazi ji (spicy chicken) made with diced chicken and smothered in zaola and garlic cloves is a must-have and the potato slices cooked with zaola is another delectable choice.

To distinguish Sichuan cuisine from that of Guizhou, the owner noted that Guizhou natives often do not like Sichuan food, and that starch and sweet flavors are not added to authentic Guizhou dishes.

The six table restaurant near Beijing's Art Museum has become a gathering place for artists and Guizhou natives. Ms. An opened the restaurant in 1997 at the urging of some friends from Guizhou. She says the food is prepared the same way as in Guizhou, not adapted to the tastes of Beijing residents.

Despite the restaurant's success, the owner has no plans to expand. "The restaurant is operated by family members, there are not enough staff," she said. "I don't want the cooking skills to spread

Rice tofu, a house favorite, at the Jun Qin Hua Restaurant.

The Jun Qin Hua Restaurant's decorations feature fish and butterflies, which are auspicious symbols for the Miao people.

21

Ethnic Food Culture

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com22

Traditional Chinese Culture

to others. There are few Guizhou restaurants that can make authentic sour soup." Her two apprentices are family members.

The "family" mentality spreads to her loyal customers, noting that frequent diners return to the restaurant even after long absences from Beijing. She considers these diners as friends. When faced with the pressures of inflation, she chose not to raise her prices, "We don't use money to judge friendship; the family feel is the character of our restaurant."

Dining here is affordable. The owner says costs run around 50 yuan per

person, but with most dishes running between 10 and 40 yuan, even economical diners can

find ways to satisfy their hunger. Those looking for the restaurant should

keep an eye open, as the restaurant looks like a non-descript eatery to passerbys. Once inside, the Guizhou roots are more apparent with decorations on walls featuring the fish and butterfly symbols characteristic of the Miao people.

The small restaurant may get a bit busy during peak lunch and dinner times, so choose to dine at a slightly earlier or later time than normal would be a good idea. Those with limited Chinese skills can relax; the menu features English descriptions. Jun Qin Hua's cuisine is a refreshing break from the usual Beijing offerings and worth a try, especially for spicy food lovers.

Addicted to ShoesThe glass cabinets of

Wang Guanqin's apartment walls are filled with colour. When you open the doors, you find row on row of delicately embroidered shoes. Each pair is in its own glass box. Each pair has a story. "Like these ones, for example. These are from a famous Chinese book, The Plum in the Golden Vase. These are the shoes worn by one of the characters, Zheng Aimei."

She makes Rabbits. Roosters. Snakes. They're three-dimensional. Perched on the toes of the shoes. It's like they're alive. Many people have wanted to buy them. But Wang's shoes are NOT for sale. "I love each pair of them as I love my children. I love my shoes so deeply. Many people want to buy them, but they are not for sale. Because they are my kids, my daughters. I don't want to let them go."

Chinese women have been making embroidered shoes for more than 2000 years. Wang learned the handicraft from her grandmother. Her posture is regal and her

movements are slow and graceful. She is 71 years old. But when she talks about shoes, her dark eyes become larger. She is excited. Passionate. Young again.

When she was 6 years old, she first saw embroidered shoes on the feet of a bride as she stepped down from her sedan. "The

moment I saw those shoes – Aiya! A love for them just overtook me. Just six years old but I was so moved by these shoes!" Wang begged her grandmother to teach her how to make them. But her grandmother said she wouldn't - until Wang understood one thing: shoes made just with your hands are

Text by Allie Johnson / Photo by Yang Yong

Wang Guanqun and her handmade embroidered shoes

Guizhou's famous suan tang, or sour soup, at the Jun Qin Hua Restaurant.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

23

Traditional Chinese Culture

ugly. Only shoes made with your heart can be beautiful. With her pinky finger pulling the thread, she asked, "What does it look like? Isn't it like a swallow?" I replied, "Yes." Then she recited a poem. "The needle flies and my hand are like a swallow. Colorful threads in-and-out of the top of the shoe. Embroidered with my best wishes. Whether it is a couple of mandarin ducks or a pair of lotus flowers, they all represent love."

Many of Wang's shoes are inspired by classical poems and stories. Others are replicas of the ones worn by nobles in ancient China. She has studied historical documents to ensure they are perfect copies. Phoenix

shoes for the queen… And yellow dragon boots for the emperor: "The bright yellow color can only be worn by the emperor, for the dragon stands for the emperor's authority. If anyone else wore the dragon or the color yellow, his head would be chopped off."

Wang's shoes have been displayed in exhibitions all over China. China's Ministry of Culture has honored her. It says her shoes are treasures. Part of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage. But Wang says this Chinese tradition - is disappearing: "I had many sleepless nights. I tossed and turned, worrying this tradition would not be passed on." But now, Wang is passing on her knowledge to future

generations. She will only take students who have a deep knowledge of Chinese history and literature.

And, just as HER grandmother told HER, they must have a passion for the craft.

Ning Liang is one of Wang's students: "Right now the modern Chinese – they like Western things a lot. Especially the teenagers. They didn't like any traditional things anymore. So I think it is my duty to continue it." Ning Liang says she thinks Chinese youth will, over time, feel a NEED to turn back to their traditions. She hopes they don't wait too long…because this tradition won't be around forever.

Kungfu Goes Global in BeijingText by Lance Crayon

Kungfu originated in China and has been around for thousands of years. It's actually older than Confucius. Kungfu's popularity is spreading across the globe now more than ever. As the world watches China, many young adults are becoming curious about its culture, rather than just its language.

At the Beijing Language and Cultural University, students from all over the world come here to study Chinese. But in between their Chinese language classes they can take full advantage of the Tai Chi and Kungfu lessons offered on campus.

Juven, from Portugal, has been attending the Beijing Language and Cultural University for four months. But Chinese isn't the only subject he studies, since he takes full advantage of Tai Chi classes in the school's gymnasium. Tai Chi is a branch of Kungfu and known for its positive effects on those who practice it.

"Tai Chi is very relaxing, but today I'm a little nervous because it's my exam. I feel Tai Chi is a great Chinese sport. With Tai Chi my breathing problems appear less than in Portugal. I think Tai Chi is very great for my health."

Laura, from Newcastle, England, studies Chinese at BLCU and Tai Chi as well. She thinks she has an amazing Chinese Tai Chi teacher.

"We've learned so much in three months. It's a really good way to relax and enjoy being in China. I took a Tai Chi course back in England

but it wasn't anything compared to this, he's an amazing teacher."

Of course, Tai Chi isn't the only martial art taught at the Beijing Language and Cultural University. Kungfu is just as popular, if not more so, especially with male students.

Mokte Siderman is from Finland and studies Chinese and Kungfu at BLCU. He first studied Judo for eight years when he was younger, but began studying Wushu (the Chinese martial art) when he was nine years old.

He said, "It's great exercise and a lot of fun. I find it freeing. A lot of people practice their Wushu solely based on forms, but I try to escape from the form and think more just of movements."

For foreigners who are curious about studying Kungfu Mokte offers some advice:

"Just do it. It's not difficult, it's not awkward, people are very friendly and it's a lot of fun. I find in life you regret the things you don't do more than the things you fail."

Cameron, another BLCU student, is half Norwegian and half English. He studies Kungfu for eight hours a week when he's not studying Chinese. He likes Kungfu for many reasons.

He said, "Being able to defend yourself, and hopefully building up some strength in your upper body."

The Shichahai Sport Training School, located in Houhai, is another popular school where foreigners study Kungfu. Qi Yuewei is in charge of foreign student affairs at the school.

"I've noticed the increase in foreigners coming here for Wushu training, for example, last year, there were about 150 students, and beginning in July of 2010 we had more than

250 students enrolled here."The sport of Wushu is both an exhibition

and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was created in China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.

Recently, China claimed the first Wushu gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, garnering more exposure for the sport throughout the world.

Yin Yuzhu is the coach of the Beijing Wushu Team. He teaches Kungfu at the Beijing Shichahai Sports Center, considered to be the premiere sports training facility in China.

"Kungfu is one aspect of Chinese culture, which has developed through body language. The core of Kungfu relies on its essence, energy and spirit. People can become more fit and flexible by practicing Kungfu."

As an expert, Yin Yuzhu feels the Chinese should carry forward and further develop Kungfu, as well as share it with the world by the helping more foreign friends to study it.

His advice for foreigners who want to study Kungfu is, "If you want to study Chinese Kungfu, you'd better learn about Chinese culture first, and the theory of Yin and Yang, because it helps to learn Kungfu by combining it with the study of Chinese culture."

Right now China is the most popular destination in the world. More people are coming here to visit, live, and work and they're doing so for a variety of reasons. China has much to offer, and although Kungfu is just one aspect of its culture, it's a big one. Its influence is just one of the many ways in which Chinese culture is impacting the world.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com24

Traditional Chinese Culture

Beyond his Years: Li Jing, 30-year Old Kite Master

In the world of Chinese folk art, Beijing’s Li Jing is anomaly. He’s just 30-years old, but already a master folk artist. Li teaches kite-making and has crafted hundreds of original pieces of aerial art. Li says he’s had his head in the clouds, since he was a child.

“When I was a little kid, my father and I always went out to fly kites at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. And when I was four years old, my dad took me to Zhong Shan Park. There is a grocery store in the park that sells many kite-making tools, like frames, glue and thread. My father bought me some and I was able to make my first kite. ”

Li’s current teacher is the renowned master, Kong Lingmin, who is a successor of the Chinese traditional “Cao” school of kite-making. Li also has his own students, and has taught kite-making to people living in rural China. In 2008, he sold some of his kites and

Li Jing and his teacher Kong Xiangze. Li Jing working on his kite at his home in Beijing.

Li Jing and some of his students, flying a huge kite in Beijing.

Li Jing teaching children how to make a kite.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

25

Traditional Chinese Culture

donated the profits to victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

Li makes kites in all shapes and sizes. Rabbits, dragons, birds and Chinese characters. He creates them in his Beijing home, which he shares with his parents.

“You know, without the support of my family, I could never totally enjoy my kite-making. They shared a lot of housework to make sure I have time with my kites and they never complain about it. Instead, they encourage me a lot.”

Kites are a Chinese invention. The

first appeared more than 2,500 years ago. Originally, kites were used by the military to send messages to its troops. Back then, kites were made from wood. Today, they are constructed with colorful painted bamboo-paper or silk, allowing an infinite number of designs.

Li Jing flys one of his kites.

Li Jing working on his kite at his home in Beijing.

Li Jing’s kite work: An Eagle.

Li Jing’s kite work: A Butterfly.

Li Jing’s kite work: “Shou”, a Chinese character

meaning “long life”.

Li Jing’s kite work: A Traditional Beijing Sha Yan Kite.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com26

Traditional Chinese Culture

Chinese Printmaking Art Blossoms in BeijingText / Photo by Wang Wei

Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. It normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Prints are created by transferring ink from a matrix or through a prepared screen to a sheet of paper or other material.

New Year's Fine Art Print Festival, organized by Amelie Gallery, is an annual printmaking exhibition which started in 2008. Originally held in Beijing's famous 798 Art District, the exhibition is dedicated to the introduction of printmaking to more Chinese people, and attracting more people to enjoy the art. This year it moved to the Shin Kong Place, a shopping center in Chaoyang District.

Tony Chang, artistic director of the gallery and curator of the festival, explained the reasons why they decided to move the exhibition.

"For this year, we came to Shin Kong Place department store, and we have an opportunity to access a different audience. So this year the festival can achieve more impact."

The exhibition is divided into four parts, including landscape, heritage vs. contemporary experiments as well as two solo shows by prominent artist Chen Qi and young star Huang Kai.

Contemporary artist Chen Qi has spent 25 years of dedicated practice reinvigorating the Chinese cultural tradition of water-based ink printmaking. At this year's exhibition, Chen Qi's mesmerizing works give visitors vivid impressions about the truth and

beauty of life, especially his 2010 masterpiece 'Notation of Time'.

Jessica Zhang is the Director of Amelie Gallery. She told CRI how Chen Qi got the idea for this work.

"Notation of Time's idea comes from a beautiful experience. Chen Qi had a show in the British Museum. At that time, he always went to the British library. He saw an antique book on a top shelf, which hadn't been touched for ages. When he opened the book, he saw small bookworms on each page, digging small holes. On the same page, maybe the bookworms didn't know each other at all, but they just devoted their time and life there. Time is changing; maybe it's a kind of fate. Chen Qi saw that, and can't forget it. So gradually he moves to notation of time, he began to do research on the universe, the time, even for his own, about the timing, life, experience. That's why he made the 'Notation of Time'."

Up-and-coming artist Huang Kai's Hutong series artfully depicts his naughty and naive memories of growing up in the hutong alleys. With frank and sincere techniques, he upholds Chinese narrative traditions in a unique way.

"They (these works) are all about Chinese hutongs in the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, I was also born in the 1970s, we didn't have funny toys. We and our brothers and sisters only had wooden guns, and all toys were made by hand. So these sweet hutong prints bring back the best memories of the past. We also hope people could cherish Chinese traditional culture, don't demolish hutongs, and also can see the fun and past joys of hutong living," said Zhang.

Small children are enjoying making their own prints with the help of staff from Amelie Gallery.

Children's work on the wall of the exhibition hall.

Visitors are listening carefully to lectures by a tutor from Central Academy of Fine Art.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

27

Traditional Chinese Culture

From Huang Kai's works, one can see the extensions of a "homeland", such as street blocks, neighborhoods, fellow townsmen and imagine the previous generations' neighborhood relations; the works also embody a sense of soberness in an onlooker.

The exhibition halls' location meant not only lovers of printmaking could have the opportunity to see the prints. Besides enjoying the works by both masters and young talents in China and aboard, visitors could also take part

in some interactive programs organized by the exhibition.

"Each weekend we'll have a printmaking workshop, introducing the process of print making. Also we'll have lectures by very professional tutors from the Central Academy of Fine Art. From 10 am to 6 pm each day, we'll invite visitors to make their own print," Chang introduced the printmaking workshop.

The exhibition had no doubt successfully fulfilled its goal of helping more people

experience the art. Many small children enjoyed making their own prints with the help of staff from the gallery.

"This is a print of a rabbit I just made. It's very interesting. I'm going to give this to my mother as a present," 12-year-old Chen Ying showed her work to CRI reporters excitedly.

The exhibition ran until the end of February, and attracted the attention of many art lovers. With their passion for the art, the future of Chinese printmaking art can blossom.

Antique Fever Text / Photo by Wang Wei

There are now many TV shows in China where you can have your family heirlooms examined, to find out their value.

These antiques were crafted hundreds, or even thousands of years ago. They represent China's past, and people in China respect the past.

Yang Yong is a dealer of porcelain, ivory and jade in the antique city. He explained why people were so crazy about the antiques.

"These antiques cannot be reproduced. They are rare and a representation of culture. They are tools to represent rich people. Therefore, people pay attention to them."

At Beijing Antique City, you can buy ancient Chinese jade, porcelain, furniture and jewelry. You can also get your antiques appraised, and find out their value. It is the biggest antique market in Beijing, with the biggest customers.

"In the past, most of my customers were foreigners. Now it's reversed. 70 per cent, or even more of my customers, are Chinese," said Zhao Chengyuan, Director of Beijing Curio City Antique Watchmaker Shop.

"As China's economy grows, so does the personal wealth of Chinese people. After they buy a house and decorate it, they will start to think that they need some valuable things for their homes. Some of them will come to my shop to buy an antique clock," Zhao Chengyuan added.

Antiques don't just beautify your home. They can also beef up your bank account.

Mr. Ma, a constant customer of Beijing Antique City, was once an antique dealer

himself many years ago."I collect these antiques

mostly for re-evaluation. That's the first consideration. I would be very happy if the value of antiques I bought could rise." Ma said.

The prospect of making money makes these ancient relics even more desirable.

Zhu Jingwei is the General Manager of Beijing Antique City. He held a positive attitude towards the future of the antique market.

“Many investment fields in China, like real estate and the stock market, are already saturated.

However, because of their rarity, historical and cultural value, antiques have high potential to increase in price. Therefore, people are enthusiastic to invest their money in antiques."

For people who want to invest their money in something special, something that's one-of-a-kind, something that's rare, and represents China's history, antiques are their best choice.

Sharpen Your Scissors!Paper cutting is a Chinese invention. The

oldest example was discovered in Xinjiang and dates back to the 6th century.

In the ancient world, paper was a luxury only available to noble and royal women,

who would decorate their hair with gold and silver foil cuttings. But as paper became more available and affordable, the art form spread throughout China and the world.

Gu Xiaoling is a master paper cutter and

a member of Beijing Arts and Crafts Society. She’s been practicing the craft since she was a little girl.

“I started paper cutting when I was 13 years old. At that time, it was very popular.

A bird's view of Beijing Antique City

At Beijing Antique City, you can also have your antiques appraised. Or, you can add to your collection. But you'd better hurry up!

Antique collecting is becoming more and more popular in China. And once these ancient relics are gone, they're gone!

Text by Bao Congying

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com28

I’ve always loved it. In my eyes, the paper cut is so magical and beautiful. I have made many different kinds of paper cuts and have preserved all of my favorite works. Now I have hundreds of paper cuts.”

Paper cut is an art form that takes time and patience. “In my opinion, the most difficult part of paper cutting is the tiny details. For example, when you make a rabbit, it’s very hard to cut out the fur,” says Gu, a Beijing native.

Ines Brunn: A Passion for Bikes

Gu teaches paper cutting to people of all ages. She also donates a lot of her time to charity. In 2008, she cut hundreds of paper mascots and donated them to elementary schools and hospitals in her community to promote the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Gu says paper cutting continues to be popular in China today. People create designs to decorate their windows and doors during festivals, weddings, birthdays and holidays.

“It is amazing!” “Wonderful!” “It is magical!”

Various cheers flowed from a crowd of people outside Ditan Park in Beijing on a sunny spring afternoon. The crowd was enthralled as they watched a beautiful young woman performing tricks on a fixed-gear bike.

However this was not an acrobat performing on a stage. It was really nothing more than just another day for Ines Brunn, a bicycle enthusiast from Germany.

When Ines first came to China ten years ago, she couldn't wait to experience life in the "Kingdom of Bicycles."

She recalled, "I remember standing on the foot bridge over the street, and watching the flow of bicycles, and I was so happy to see many people riding bikes, and the car lanes were empty.”

But today, Ines thinks bikes are not the main mode of transportation in China as the automobile has replaced the bicycle. She is concerned China is focusing on its growing car culture. Regardless, Ines has maintained her passion for pedal power.

Every morning she rides her bike through heavy traffic to her bike shop, Natooke. It is China's first fixed-gear bike shop.

“If I have a bicycle shop, it helps me to invite more people to join us, and people can see how nice these colorful bikes are compared

Text / Photo by Qin Mei

with the old ones. It is very easy to ride on these nice bikes."

Ines doesn’t only ride her bike to work. She rides everywhere. Regardless of weather conditions or distances she said, "I had a

meeting in Fangshan, and it was 40 kilometers from my shop. I rode my bike there and back.”

Along with her shop, Innes also runs a club, which brings bike lovers and those new to bikes, together.

She has done so much because she is waiting for people to get back to their bikes, and enjoy the feeling of riding around. She said, "There is so much pollution in China from

cars. People living here want blue skies. We try to find ways to prevent pollution, and for me, one means is motivating people to get back on bikes."

Julien Chol is Ines' boyfriend and appreciates her efforts very much. He said, "She is amazing, for what she is doing here, and the shop she has built in two years and the committee around her.”

72-year-old Sun Baolin is one of Ines' good friends. He said, "She is very easygoing. She takes good care of us and is much like a member of my family."

Zong Liwei, an employee at Natooke, said he likes working with Ines, but offered a suggestion, "Her shortcoming is she works too hard. She usually arrives very early and leaves late which makes us tense. We hope she can find more time to relax."

However, Ines never stops, and she will continue cycling and motivating more people to ride bikes.

"I want more people to ride bikes, to join our club, to feel the joy on bikes, and for that I will continue to promote cycling in China.”

Ines performs tricks on a fixed-gear bike.

Ines in her shop.

Expat Tales

Gu Xiaoling's papercut work: Scenes of Old Beijing.

www.crienglish.com

theMessenger

kinds of old things from all periods and places.

“Lots of photos were taken in China by foreigners who lived here during the 1890s and 1940s. They took these photos and went back home with them, so today they are maybe selling these photos in the free market or Internet or somewhere. I also found some pictures here in Panjiayuan or at flea market.”

Aside from collecting photographs, Simon also writes articles on Chinese history, travel and culture, and hosts exhibitions of his pictures and gives talks on various subjects related to the photos.

One of his recent talks was about the history of Chinese maps which was held at the Bookworm in Beijing. His Chinese wife and son were also in attendance. His wife Deng Fu had this to say about her husband:

“Simon is a very nice person. He is always working carefully. If he likes something, or he is interested in something, he will work on it without caring what the result will be.”

With a happy family, a successful business and an interesting hobby, Simon is optimistic about his life in China. He said, “I hope business grows, and I can give more talks on Chinese history to tell more people about Chinese history, and share my passion with other people.”

Simon:Exploring Chinese HistoryText by Qin Mei / Photo by Yang Yong

If you're interested in retracing the footsteps of China's history, then a shop located in Nanluoguxiang, one of Beijing's most popular and historical hutongs is worth visiting. Simon Gieroe, the store's owner who comes all the way from Denmark, will regale you with stories from China's past by using images from its fascinating history.

In this quaint shop, one can discover images of China's past on postcards which cover the store's walls. Simon, who is 37, is much more than a businessman; he is a story teller of China's past, always ready to share with others the stories behind the postcards.

Simon cherishes the photos very much and has been studying Chinese history since he was a child.

“When I was around 11 years old, we got a new girl in class. She came from China where she spent several years with her family. Her house was full of antiques from China, and it was like going to a museum and a treasure for me.”

Many years later, he came to China to study Chinese after finishing high school and his military service.

“First at Sichuan University in Chengdu, and I chose Chengdu because there were not many foreigners in 1995 and not so much foreign influence, so I was looking for old China.”

In order to learn more about Chinese culture and history, Simon collects all

Simon Gieroe poses outside his shop Beijing Postcard in Nanluoguxiang in Beijing on February 21st, 2011.

29

Expat Tales

Simon Gieroe, owner of the Beijing Postcard store, shows a CRI reporter a postcard of an old picture of Chinese family kids.

theMessenger

www.crienglish.com30

Learning Chinese

Ask Pingping and Jules: Confucius

P: 你好！Welcome to "Ask Pingping and Jules", your bridge to Chinese culture. I'm Pingping.

J: 你好！I'm Jules. 我是朱利安。Pingping, I went to the Confucius Temple yesterday.

P: Cool. Did you have a good time?J: Yeah, I liked it very much and I learned

a lot too.P: Why did you choose to visit the

Confucius Temple?J: Because I wanted to learn more

about Chinese people, especially their thought patterns and values.

P: Right. If you understand Confucius' philosophy, you understand Chinese people.

J: The influence of Confucius' exists within Chinese people's value systems, right?

P: Yes. Even if they don't know exactly what Confucius philosophy is, they behave according to what Confucius said. Well Jules, let me give you a test related to your trip.

J: No problem.P: First, could you give a brief

introduction to Confucius?J: Of course. Confucius, also known

as Kongzi or Master Kong was born in the late-Zhou dynasty. Here is a question for you, oh wise friend, what is the background to Confucius' thought emerging in China?

P: There was a period of constant small-scale warfare at the end of the Zhou dynasty and these conflicts between rival landlords left much of the population in poverty. What's worse, public morals seemed in decline.

J: So in order to preserve harmony, Confucius said that the social hierarchy should be respected.

P: Do you know what that means?J: Yes. Fathers should love their sons and

sons should respect their fathers, the people should listen to their leaders and the leaders should rule by virtuous example, not by strict laws and punishments. That type of thing. This contains his political philosophy.

P: Cool! I'm sure you know the core of his social philosophy.

J: Beside harmony, 和 (hé) in Chinese,

there were three kinds of behaviours: 礼 (lǐ), 义 (yì) and 仁 (rén).

P: Yes. 礼 (lǐ) means that people should restrain themselves in accordance with li. It was related to the social hierarchy of the Zhou dynasty.

J: Right. 义 (yì) which means "righteousness" is my favourite. It encourages helping others and acting for the benefit of the many.

P: And 仁 (rén) was the best quality to strive for — love, charity and sympathy.

J: Another question. When people mention Confucius, why do they call him "a great educationist"?

P: Confucius began to lecture on his ideas in his thirties. He took in students from various social classes and personally taught more than 3,000 young people. You know, before that, feudal officials had monopolized education and schooling had been confined to the children of nobles.

J: Yes, and I know one of his most famous educational theories; teaching should be tailored to the individual student.

P: Perfect! Do you know The Analects? All of Confucius' philosophies were collected in it by his disciples and it is known in the west as "Confucius says…".

J: Yeah, I have one. Some people say that the Confucian philosophy isn't a real philosophy. What do you think?

P: In my opinion, Confucian philosophy is indeed a real philosophy and it has remained central to Chinese and Asian thinking for some 2,500 years. It has instructed Chinese people on how to behave and get along in their social life for generations and it has achieved widespread recognition abroad.

J: Right. Confucius has had a great influence on the spread of Chinese language and culture all over the world.

P: Yes, we have more than 200 Confucius Institutes around the globe. The reason for choosing this title is that Confucius has been symbolic of Chinese culture for thousands of years.

J: Well, today we talked about China's

most influential philosopher—'Confucius'. If you've got any comments, suggestions or would like to suggest a topic, you can contact us at CRIEnglish.com or send us an email to.

P: askpingpingandjules@cri.com.cn. You can also leave a message in the comment box below.

J: Until next time, 再见! P: Bye-bye!

Notes:"Ask Pingping and Jules" is produced

by CRI. It aims to introduce certain aspects of Chinese culture to foreigners. If you'd like to listen to the audio version of this program, please log on to www.crienglish.com and click on "Learn Chinese." There you can find other interesting episodes.

www.crienglish.com

theMessengerordinary working Chinese. Raising that standard should probably be the most important issue on the agenda and should, of course, include measures to provide affordable (but good-quality) housing, fair income distribution, and subsidies for low-income people.

Further, I believe that even at this time of market reforms, socialism also means FREE quality education for all. No child or college

student should drop out because of his or her parents' inability to pay tuition fees.

Finally, I am all for affordable health care, but I think the ultimate target should be FREE medical treatment for all. This also includes fighting corruption in health care

at all levels.I live in a country where nearly all

socialist gains have already become a thing of the past. That is why I would be happy to see a prosperous socialist China in which every citizen feels socially protected and cared for.

Dmitry TychininRussia

31

From Our Listeners

My best greetings for the annual meeting of NPC & CPPCC. I wish the representatives real good luck for their decisions and concepts facing the current problems and future development of China. I am looking forward to follow the reports and coverage of these important events on CRI. There is definitely no better and more current source of information about these assemblies, there processes and decisions.

I think the major issue to be discussed will once again be the importance of environmental protection. There are enormous challenges, especially caused by the large population and the high and rapid growth of the Chinese economy. I wonder in which way and to which degree the renewable energies and green projects will get important in the new concepts to be worked out by NPC & CPPCC.

Another important point will again be the differences between the Chinese East and the lower developed western regions as well as between cities and the countryside.

I wish you, your country and especially the representatives of NPC and CPPCC a very good and successful term and a lot of good luck for the coming year.

Helmut MattGermany

Congratulations on the successful opening of 4th plenary session of the 11th CPPCC. Its spring time again, and the whole world is awaiting this major political event in the world's most populous nation. Surely this year, a lot of pertinent issues of concern are again tackled at the sessions. I’m interested at how the government curbs inflation, protection of the environment, social harmony by strengthening the principle of socialist democracy. With unrest erupting in the Middle East, I feel proud that the Chinese government was able to evacuate all its nationals inside Libya at a short span of time, keeping them from harms way. This proves that the government is very concerned for the people's welfare even away from the homeland and has done an epic undertaking of the mass exodus of 30,000 Chinese and brought them all home. I commend CRI for its objective coverage of the 2 sessions as well as other news.

Aaron TiuPhilippines

Mailbag

As someone who advocates for minimum death punishment, I am glad that China has once again made in-road on her effort to reduce the death penalty. According to CRI today, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) had passed the amendment to reduce the number of crimes punishable by death from 68 to 55 which means that 13 of economic-related non-violent offences are no

longer punishable by death. In line with the decision in 2007 that all verdicts involving the capital punishment should be reviewed and approved by the Supreme People's Court (SPC), it become obvious that court judges should be more cautious and can only hand down capital punishments in the most extreme cases. Statistically the Supreme People's Court has already overturned 10 percent of death sentences nationwide since 2007.

Lu DermingAustralia

The annual 'two sessions' in China will

not only map out the country's major policies in the following five years(2011-2015), but also show China remains dedicated to peaceful development and achieving win-win results in its dealings with other countries. I hope due to these NPC and CPPCC sessions can greatly narrow the gap between the rich and the poor peoples. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s speech was also very important. I think his speech was complete about all sides, this speech also shows that Chinese government has strongly grip on all issues. The question is whether the government is able to drive the change fast enough. I think Yes, The government has been well aware of the problems really. While the government has attempted for quite sometime to push the Economy to the direction that will rely less on exports and investments, things did not always work according to plan.

Caudhry Nazir AhmadPakistan

My major concern in connection with the sessions is the standard of well-being of

Sir,Happy traditional Chinese New

Year and congratulations for China become the second largest economic power in the world. It is the great achievement of the great China. China replaced Japan which was on position no.2 for 40 years. PRC is progressing very fast.

I am sending my photograph here with this letter; please print in your magazines with my name and address. Thanks.

Yours sincerely,Balbir Singh

India

English Service CRI, 16A Shijingshan Road,Beijing, China 100040Tel: 86-10-68891617/ 1580

Fax: 86-10-68891121

Email: crieng@cri.com.cnWebsite: www.crienglish.comEditors: Tang Minguo, Xie QiaoExecutive Editor: Shen SilingDesigner: Zhang Nan

The Messenger is free of charge. For extra copies, further information and sending in your contributions, please contact:E-mail to: crieng@cri.com.cn

The Messenger magazine is the internal journal of the English Service of China Radio International, published bimonthly for CRI listeners and web visitors.

theMessengerChina Radio International

Director: Yang Lei

Director-General: Wang Gengnian

China at your fingertips

CRImobile brings you all aspects of China including news, reports, travel services, and Chinese language through video and audio programs.