26th of March 2011 (Weekend Ed)
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
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People's Daily
"Nobel" Obama's Peace and War fog
By Li Hongmei
How could the US-led Western military coalition brush away Muammar Gaddafi and drop democracy and human rights onto the soil of the embattled Libya from a height of 40,000 feet at the cost of civilians and without getting caught in a prolonged military conflict? How could the ongoing military intervention "bring peace" to a war-torn country? Perhaps, without cutting through the fog of war it's impossible to understand what's really going on in Libya.
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As imagined, the "Nobel" Obama weighs much more of the American interests and its geopolitical strategies in the Arab world than what the peace prize really means. Libyan turmoil is publicly propped up not only by the US-led Western diplomatic devices but also military intervention. The purpose is not as simple as the "regime change", which the U.S. denied, but focuses on isolating Iran, taking up the entire Arab market and further, spreading the political chaos to Russia and China in order to counterbalance the emerging strengths.
BRICS countries strive for common development, prosperity
The third formal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS countries will be held this April in China, and South Africa will participate in the meeting for the first time.
As the only representative of African countries in the BRICS cooperation, South Africa's participation has given this cooperation mechanism new topics for discussion.
When Jim O’Neill, the former chief economist of Goldman Sachs Group, put forward the concept of BRICS 10 years ago, many people had believed it to be a kind of marketing tool for Goldman Sachs to refer to emerging market countries. However, as the representative of emerging market countries, the BRICS mechanism has played an important role in promoting world peace, development and prosperity in the first decade of the 21st century and has attracted worldwide attention.
Nowadays, emerging market countries have transformed from passive to active participants in economic globalization.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
People's Daily Editorial: Bringing social cohesion into full play
"Bringing social vitality into full play and social harmony to the highest limit and reducing all the non-harmonious factors to a minimum," are the goals Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao set for at a symposium as he urged provincial-level Party carders to strengthen and innovate social management.
"People's welfare," "happiness" and "stability" have become the keywords for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan. It will enrich Marx's social management theory and make innovation to CPC's mass work in new phase by building an all-round well-off society, speeding up the process of modernization, examining closely the social vitality, harmony and stability from strategic perspective.
China is in a critical period of great social transformation, with social strata, social organization and social values having undergone or undergoing profound changes. The gaps between urban and rural areas, regions, industries and social members keep widening, the interest claims of the masses are showing signs of variation and diversification, and the conflict of interests are becoming more and more conspicuous.
With the progress made in economic growth, building of democracy and exchanges of various ideas and culture, people's ideology has become more and more independent, changeable and different, which has made the achievement of social accord all the more unattainable. It is an epic theme to adapt to this kind of deep change, accelerate and innovate social management and maintain social vitality and harmony.
China introduces homegrown Feiteng CPU server
The China-made Feiteng CPU general server was officially introduced by Inspur Group on March 25. The server is part of the first batch of important achievements in a major high-end nuclear project.
The basic frequency of the Feiteng-1000 microprocessor is one gigahertz. It adopts the 65nm technology and integrates a total of 350 million transistors.
Its performance is equivalent to the Intel/AMD multi-core processors introduced in 2006 and its computational efficiency is higher than that of the latest Intel six-core processors.
Terrorist poised to rule "Tibetan government in-exile" ?
The exiled Tibetans worldwide voted Sunday to elect a new "prime minister", the Dalai Lama's India-based "government in exile" said.
Lobsang Sangay also despises the Dalai Lama's "middle way", and calls for "self determination", a term often used by young radicals pressing for Tibet independence.
In all likelihood, a new-generation leadership to rule the "Tibetan government in-exile" would inject the more radical and extreme theory in "Tibetan Independence", and would also take desperate steps to obtain the highly coveted goal. And they will never cease to sow the seed of ethnic discords and fuel flames among the Tibetan people within China.
But it will prove to be a vain attempt.
Obama anxious to relinquish war command
By Li Hong
Four days after US President Barack Obama ordered Tomahawk cruise missiles and warplane sorties being launched on Libyan air defense facilities and Colonel Moammar Qaddafi's tanks and men, the Pentagon and the State Department, chief vehicles of American foreign policy and US global predominance, said Obama has directed them to "swiftly" move command of war to its allies in Europe, typically, Britain and France.
It is a bewildering decision made by the White House. It epitomizes traces of skittishness or prudence on the side of Obama, in sharp contrast to his predecessor George W. Bush. Affordability of waging a possibly long war with complex tribes on a vast expanse of sand has dissuaded Obama of doing more that might trap himself.
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The US-led bombardments in Libya are about to continue for a few days, and who will take up the command from the Pentagon is to be seen. Obama has said twice Qaddafi needs to go, and his hope is alive that that he could mimic Bill Clinton who led NATO allies in implementing two-month bombings over former Yugoslavia in 1990s before Slobodan Milosevic's regime was forcibly changed.
It is tricky if Obama could repeat history. At least, a rising number of sovereign states are calling for U.S. and its allies to immediately stop air strikes which create civilian casualties. And, Obama does not want a nasty war to cost his political future, too.
Premier Wen Jiabao Full Text: Report on the Work of the Government
The following is the full text of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress on March 5, 2011 and adopted on March 14, 2011:
See CCTV9 Dialobue below
NPC & CPPCC Sessions
2006 - 2010
People's Daily
China Tibet Online
See Kaixin's
China Daily
Coalition hits more Libyan targets
WASHINGTON - The international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya hit more targets in the Northern African country, while the United States is in the process of transferring control of the Libyan mission to NATO, Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. Joint Staff, told a Pentagon briefing Friday.
Wen renews anti-corruption call
Officials to be made accountable for misdeeds, face strict supervision
BEIJING - On Friday, Premier Wen Jiabao renewed his call for a fight against corruption, which he believes can undermine social stability if it is not dealt with properly.
At a meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, Wen listed a series of priorities set for China's anti-graft efforts in 2011, calling on the government to strive to prevent abuses of power, dereliction of duty and other types of misconduct.
Inflation to ease later this year: NDRC
BEIJING - China's consumer prices are expected to rise about 4.9 percent in the first half of this year, and inflation is expected to ease in the second half, China's top economic planner said in a report published by China Securities Journal on Friday.
PBOC foresees weak dollar, high commodity prices in 2011
BEIJING - China's central bank said Friday the US dollar is expected to weaken with the slow recovery of the US economy, and global commodity prices will increase due to greater demand.
Fears regarding the European sovereign debt crisis and the spread of geopolitics could support the US dollar temporarily, according to a report on the 2010 global financial market published by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) on its website.
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
CNNC: Nuclear power still valid
Expert says crisis in Japan should not derail the industry's development
BEIJING - Japan's nuclear crisis should not derail China's plan to develop the nuclear power industry, said the head of research at China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), the country's largest nuclear plant operator, on Friday.
"China should not change its development plan in the nuclear power sector," said Pan Ziqiang, director of the Science and Technology Commission at CNNC. He added that nuclear power is a major and reliable source for China to meet its energy demands, and one which is environmentally friendly.
"China has a sound record in nuclear safety," Pan said. "We have never had a nuclear incident beyond level two."
Training program to boost employment in Xinjiang
URUMQI - A total of 22,000 jobless college graduates in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, mostly ethnic Uygurs, are slated to receive at least one year of job training free of charge in universities and companies in China's developed regions in the next two years.
As a result of a massive employment program introduced by the autonomous region's government, posts in government departments and institutions, as well as in State-owned enterprises, will be offered to students who finish the training and return home. The program's goal, though, isn't necessarily to bring people back to Xinjiang; the students will also be encouraged to take jobs elsewhere.
The autonomous region's government estimates the program will cost 850 million yuan ($130 million).
Geithner will travel to China next week
WASHINGTON - US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is traveling to China next week for meetings with Chinese officials and to attend an international financial conference.
Cities show support for Earth Hour
BEIJING - More than 80 Chinese cities plan to take part in "Earth Hour", an international event in which households and businesses are to turn off unessential electrical devices for an hour, starting at 8:30 pm on Saturday.
The number is more than twice as large as it was in 2010, according to the China branch of the World Wildlife Fund, an environmental group.
This year, the campaign encourages participants to "go beyond the hour", and to commit themselves to taking steps to protect the environment far into the future, according to Andy Ridley, co-founder and executive director of the Earth Hour movement.
Volunteers and students of the No 1 Middle School in Hanshan county, East China's Anhui province, display a painting on Friday promoting the Earth Hour movement.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Hainan to let travelers avoid duties
Mainlanders for first time can buy products on island import-tax free
HAIKOU - Starting April 20, mainland travelers will be able to buy duty-free goods in Hainan as long as they leave the island by air and return to the mainland, the Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday.
The policy will prevent mainland visitors from paying various types of taxes on up to 5,000 yuan ($762) worth of imported goods bought at selected duty-free stores on the tropical island province in South China.
With the change in place, the prices of certain goods in Hainan are expected to fall by 15 percent to 35 percent for Chinese travelers.
City of joy- Hangzhou
Welcome to the 'world of smiles' where life meanders slowly
Consider China as a house. If Beijing is the decorated living room, where the family politely greets guests, then Hangzhou is the backyard garden where a family can really show off their home's true beauty and where visitors can sit back and relax.
Heavenly Hangzhou's slow life tempo and beautiful natural surroundings for many centuries has made it the tourist toast of the nation.
In a new BBC documentary, Hangzhou was dubbed the "world of smiles, and the city of happiness".
Hangzhou is the capital city of East China's Zheijiang province, only 180 km southwest from Shanghai. As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou has been one of the most prosperous cities in China for more than 1,000 years.
See Kaixin's Feature - Hangzhou
Buddha, please don't let any beings get sick - VIDEO
On the mountains, across the river, prayer flags in five colors wave in the air. They represent the five elements of the nature.
Worship the blue sky, the white clouds, the red fire, the yellow earth and the green water. China Daily's multimedia reporter Feng Xin was in Tibet on the third day of the Tibetan New year. She takes you to follow some locals' ritual.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Students at a primary school in Dongxiang county, Jiangxi province, perform local opera on March 23. To celebrate upcoming World Drama Day, on March 27, the school invited professionals to teach them the basics of the traditional entertainment for a themed class session.
Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit
2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET & Jambhala (Photographer)
CCTV
Chinese, Russian top diplomats call on West to restrain in air strikes against Libya
MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China is deeply concerned about the situation in Libya and urged the Western forces to prevent more civilian deaths in the North African country, the visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov here Thursday.
China has always emphasized the priority to protect the civilians in Libya, and China opposes any military actions that would cause more civilian casualties or humanitarian disaster there, said Zhang.
The Western coalition forces must comply with international law while conducting military operation against Libya, the Chinese diplomat stressed.
He also said China supports the policy to solve Libya crisis through dialogues.
CCTV Chinese, German FMs discuss Libyan situation over phone VIDEO
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle have talked on the phone, to discuss the situation in Libya.
On Thursday, Yang expressed China's great concern over the civilian deaths due to air strikes launched by Western powers, and urged an immediate cease-fire. He said the crisis should be resolved by dialogues on the basis of respecting Libya's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. Yang also said China supports the diplomatic efforts by the special envoy of the UN, the African Union and Arab League.
CCTV Cross over: NATO's role in Libya VIDEO
For more information on the tensions in Libya, we are now joined by our correspondent Vanessa Mock, in Brussels.
Q1:NATO is now going to take over a coordination role in Libya. Do we know anything more about what it will do exactly?
Q2, France has really resisted calls for NATO to step over the command of the operation, why is it so against it?
CCTV African Union official comments on Libya VIDEO
The chief of the African Union's Human Rights and Refugees Office has shared his opinions on the Libya issue.
CCTV BRICS think tank meeting concludes in Beijing VIDEO
The five emerging economies known as BRICS have just concluded a think tank meeting in Beijing.
The theme of the symposium was development, cooperation and sharing. More than sixty policy advisors from Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa and China have gathered to make suggestions for the leaders summit scheduled for next month in Hainan province.
Last year, the growth rate of the emerging countries including BRICS reached an average of 6.5 percent. They outperformed the global average of about 4 percent.
CCTV House price control targets unveiled VIDEO
Ten is the magic number in preventing further property price hikes at the moment. In a bid to cool down the property market, the central government has requested municipal authorities to set the annual property price control targets by April. With the deadline just around the corner, only a small number of cities have unveiled their targets so far.
Of the six hundred cities in China, only about 30 second and third tier cities have published their annual house price control targets. Most of the targets are about 10 percent with the majority based on the annual growth projection for local GDP and per capita disposable income.
CCTV US to introduce China's high-speed rail VIDEO
Chicago is on track to become the first American city to introduce China's high-speed railway system. Chinese companies are also expected to fund this billion-dollar project.
That's the word from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. He's on a two-week visit in China at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
CCTV Beijing faces water crisis VIDEO
Beijing's water shortage is reaching a crisis. A twelve-year drought is making the relatively dry capital even more water-starved. The Miyun reservoir, which is the only supplier of drinking water to the capital, is only able to meet the needs of half of the residents in the city. CCTV reporter Zhang Nini went on a recent field study to find out more about the problem.
Seventy kilometers away from downtown Beijing, is Miyun county. It rests on the Chaobai River. This was the source of water for Beijing. But underneath the ripples is water from the nearby Miyun Waste Water Disposable Factory. Fish can no longer survive here.
CCTV insight: How important is nuclear power to China? VIDEO
The nuclear crisis at Fukushima has raised safety concerns in neighboring countries. Here in China, people may be wondering how many nuclear power plants the country has and how safe they are. To talk more on that, our CCTV reporter Zhang Bo joins us in the studio.
Q1.How many nuclear power plants does China have now, and where are they?
CCTV Japan's Kyodo News: Earthquake opportunity to remedy ties between China-Japan VIDEO
Since the devastating earthquake hit Japan over a week ago, China has been actively participating in the search and rescue operations to help the neighboring country. Japan's Kyodo News says this may provide an opportunity to remedy ties between the two countries.
Tensions between China and Japan have been simmering since last September, when Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing boat. The Japanese side claimed the Chinese fishing boat collided with two Japanese Coast Guard boats near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
Under China's strong opposition, Japan finally released the Chinese captain. However, tension between the two neighbors remained with negative emotions running high.
But now, the crack may be getting smaller.
According to a Kyodo News report published on Saturday, China's current help in the massive earthquake may also help with diplomatic ties.
CCTV Studio interview: Turning point for China-Japan relations? VIDEO
For more discussion and analysis, we're joined in the studio by our current affairs commentator Dr. Zhang Chuanjie. Hello, Dr. Zhang. Welcome.
Q1: The Kyodo News report says maybe this could be a turning point for China-Japan relations. What do you think?
Q2: The China, Japan, ROK foreign ministers' meeting was held as originally planned, despite the devastating disaster. Why wasn't it postponed? What's the urgency?
Greenery rises on Tian'anmen Square
BEIJING - Shrubs will soon sprout along the east and west sides of Tian'anmen Square, replacing the existing lawn to make the capital's most famous landmark more lively, local media reported.
See Kaixin's - China & Tibet
Global Times
The UK taught the world how to produce in the 19th century, the US showed the world how to consume in the 20th century, and China needs to demonstrate how to develop in a sustainable way in the 21st century.
Odyssey Dawn must be viewed soberly
The Pandora's box of the Libya crisis has been opened. It is now irretrievably set to be a bewildering and painful process, no matter whether the crisis ends with Gaddafi's downfall or Libya's separation.
It is predictable that this region will not know real order for months, or even years.
The entire world will suffer from the Middle East's unrest. The US, the UK and France are probably the three most uncomfortable powers. It is a burdensome and risky task to guide the Middle East revolution in a certain direction, and the three powers have now become locked in this quagmire.
Anti-intervention voices must be heard
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa criticized the US, Britain and France for their air raids in Libya on March 20. The coalition operations are facing increasing opposition from global public opinion. The veil of this military intervention under the banner of humanitarianism is rapidly being stripped away.
In this complex world, the situations in this region are much more complex than the description given by Western media. The US, Britain and France attempted to create a simple end in Libya that was beneficial to Western values, which, however, is contrary to reality. It means this military action cannot be as accurate and clear as a Tomahawk missile's trajectory.
Within 24 hours of air strikes, the African Union, China, Russia, India and many other emerging countries stood out to oppose them. German displeasure has also been made clear. Moussa's criticism indicates the dissatisfaction in the Arab world.
It is easy for the US, Britain and France to defeat the military power of Gaddafi, but the final outcome of military action in the Islamic world does not depend on the success or failure of military action alone. The Iraq invasion in 2003 went smoothly at first, but several thousand Americans died after the eradication of the Saddam regime. The war in Afghanistan has now lasted more than twice as long as World War I.
CPC must keep high public satisfaction
In such a chaotic world, China should reflect on its own path. By being active and vigilant, China can achieve an unprecedented rise by drawing experience and lessons from around the world.
After more than 60 years of the Communist Party of China being in power, China's economic strength, national defense capabilities and public recognition of the national path are at a peak, which has formed the basic conditions for China's overall development. However, social discontent is spreading among certain people with the Internet intensifying this trend. Chinese society still lacks enough ability to handle instability.
Chinese top leaders have attached great importance to solving these current problems. The ruling party should work hard toward improving social stability. Social stability rests on people's satisfaction with the ruling party. Therefore, the most important is to constantly improve public satisfaction with the CPC.
Internet supervision a tough challenge
Regulating the Internet has become a tough job for public opinion management in China. The Internet mirrors not only the complexity of Chinese society, but also the interactions between China and the world. It is a hodgepodge of ideas and opinions.
Stemming from Western society, the Internet has a Western cultural pattern that China has copied thoroughly. Friction and maladjustment inevitably take place as China syncs up with the Internet. This is bound to be a process of mutual change and compromise.
Recently, the West has slammed China for its "stern" Internet regulations. They hope China could keep the original Internet background of a Western social environment. They have aimed similar criticisms against other nonWestern countries. Some small countries have given up their efforts to localize the Internet, which actually demonstrates their acceptance of reform to the beat of a Western drum.
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China needs both the Internet and social stability. The two do not necessarily conflict with each other. They actually see much more fusion than friction, and China must try its best to press home this advantage.
Dialogue
A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:
International News Sources
The Wall Street Journal
Reading Policy Signals from a Rare Earth Tax
A new tax on Chinese exports of rare earths may be less interesting for the underpinning effect it could have on already firm metals prices than it is for possible policy implications that have little to do with costs.
China Sees Food Need Rising
BEIJING—China may not be able to meet sharply rising food demand from its domestic resources, a senior Chinese agriculture official said, indicating room for further growth in imports.
Chen Xiwen, director of the State Council's executive office on rural policy, questioned the policy wisdom of setting increasingly higher targets for grain output as China struggles to wring more yield out of scarce arable resources.
His comments seemed to depart from statements by other parts of China's government that emphasized trying to meet the country's demand for key grains from domestic supplies. Just a day earlier, the State Council vowed to ...
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Twitter Won't Be Able to Ignore China, Co-founder Says
Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone thinks his company eventually will have to deal with China despite disagreements over censorship, but it has no plans to do so immediately.
Montecito Acquires Film Rights to 'Big In China' (Exclusive)
Journalist Alan Paul's new memoir about his unlikely adventures in Beijing is being developed with an eye for Ivan Reitman to direct.
Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollock’s Montecito Pictures has acquired the film rights to journalist Alan Paul’s new memoir Big in China: My Unlikely Adventure Raising a Family, Playing the Blues and Reinventing Myself in Beijing.
Big in China is being developed with an eye for Reitman to direct. Project is out to writers.
Caixin Online
Geithner to China: We're Open for Investment
Treasury chief Timothy Geithner insists the United States embraces foreign investors, including Chinese
(Washington) – America is open for Chinese investment and a key government foreign investment review agency focuses solely on national security concerns, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said.
Asia Times Online
THE ROVING EYE
Endgame: Divide, rule and get the oil
By Pepe Escobar
Western moral uprightness on Libya to coalition Gulf countries goes something like this: If you sell us a lot of oil, buy our weapons, and smash al-Qaeda, that's fine; you may even kill your own people, provided it's dozens, not thousands. That's how Saudi Arabia can get away with anything. The forces of counter-revolution are now joined at the hip with the West.
Syrian sauce for the Chinese gander
By Peter Lee
The official Chinese mood over Libya is shaped by the speed with which a regime was stripped of legitimacy and exposed to military intervention, but whether it will shake the convictions of China's interventionist liberal hawks is another matter. The darkening fate of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which models itself on China, is altogether more pertinent to Beijing's yearning for stability.
The issue in Libya is the astounding ease with which a regime that found itself at cross-purposes with the United States was unilaterally stripped of its legitimacy and exposed to military intervention through aggressive and creative interpretation of an ambiguous UN resolution - in a mere three days.
Kaixin OpEd - An insightful analysis
See Over for the 25th of March 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit
2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.
WSJ - Beijing Dance Troupe Takes on Banned Ming Erotica
The veil of caution that surrounded the rehearsal is par for the course with “Jin Ping Mei,” a Ming dynasty novel usually prefaced with adjectives like “pornographic” and “notorious” that has been banned in China because of its explicit sex by successive governments starting with the Kangxi Emperor in 1687.
Between “Jin Ping Mei” and the overseas tour of “Haze,” the Beijing Dance Theater will create two new programs for premiere in China. “Middle,” with the French choreographer Anthony Egéa, incorporates hip-hop, ballet and tai chi, giving the dancers a chance to train in a different way and, Ms. Wang and Mr. Ling hope, enticing young hip-hop fans to modern dance. (Performances are scheduled for Kunming, Changsha and Wuhan in July.) The second piece, “Hesitation,” to be created with the theater director Lin Zhaohua, is based on another famous literary work: a collection of dark short stories by the 20th-century scholar Lu Xun.
Hong Kong Artes Festival - HOME
Beijing Dance Theatre
The Golden Lotus
Jin Ping Mei
A forbidden tale of lust and infamy
Choreographer Wang Yuanyuan
Jing Ping Mei is the most notorious novel in Chinese literature. Also known as The Golden Lotus, it was banned for centuries because of explicit sexual content. Nonetheless, its reputation and literary merit ensured that it was valued by generations of literati, eventually to become established in the Chinese literary canon.
Internationally acclaimed ballet choreographer of The Peony Pavilion and Raise the Red Lantern, Wang Yuanyuan takes on this tale of debauchery and excess, and liberates its three female protagonists through dance: Pan's quest for sexual empowerment, Li's longing for everlasting love and Pang's struggle for social independence.
The Beijing Dance Theater is known as the first Chinese company to fuse ballet and modern dance. So expectation is high as Wang and her sought-after creative team, headed by Oscar-winning designer Tim Yip and Music Director of the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony Chen Qigang, lead China's most daring dancers in recreating the house of merchant Ximen Qing and its web of household politics spun by wives, concubines and servants.
Wang Yuanyuan
Wang Yuanyuan is one of China's leading modern dance choreographers. She was born and raised in Beijing where she studied choreography at the Beijing Dance Academy. She also trained at the prestigious Master of Fine Arts program at the California Institute of Arts School of Dance.
She has worked as choreographer for the National Ballet of China, the New York City Ballet and on the ceremonies for the hand-over of Hong Kong and the Beijing Olympics.
Wang is the first choreographer in Chinese history to win the top prize for choreography in four different international ballet competitions having done so in France, the US, Russia and China.
A photographer telling China's story - VIDEO
"I want to show the happy lives of Chinese people, because in the last 30 years, China has (experienced) so much change," said Steve Zhao, founder of China Story, a photographic project which aims at telling the rich and fascinating stories of China through the faces of its most ordinary people and their lives.
Zhao joined China Daily reporter Song Wei in an interview Monday afternoon, sharing his experiences doing the project and his unique story in becoming a photographer with a physics major in college.
China Story is an absorbing photographic celebration of China, and yet it’s more than that. It is an artist’s attempt to tell the rich and fascinating story of a complex, much misunderstood country.
| Part II: Scenery |
| Part III: Art and Culture |
| Part IV: Chinese beauty |
1st National Intangible Cultural Heritages Expo opens in China's Yunnan
A craftman displays a leather-made puppetry during the First National Intangible Cultural Heritages Expo in Guandu Township, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 22, 2011. A total of 26 cultural heritages are exhibited here. China's shadow play has a history of more than 1,000 years.
Large photo exhibition showcase China's achievements in past five years
A large photo exhibition is held at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing, capital of China, March 22, 2011. Over 600 photos are displayed in the exhibition showcasing China's achievements in the realms of politics, economy, diplomacy, national defence, science and technology during the past five years.
NYT - Monuments to Clan Life Are Losing Their Appeal
YONGDING, China — The gargantuan buildings are so iconic that they appear on a Chinese stamp. The most famous have distinctive round shapes, appearing from a distance like flying saucers that have plopped down in the middle of farm fields. Some were reportedly mistaken for missile silos by American officials poring over satellite images.
Chengqi lou, a 17th-century tulou, or earthen building, in Yongding, China, consists of concentric rings rising four stories. More Photos »
A bridge filled with prayers
People cross an arch bridge to pray for harmony, harvest and health during a folk gala in Anxian county, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, March 24, 2011. A total of 100,000 locals and people from other regions of Sichuan take part in the ritual, named Caiqiao - or bridge stepping - which has lasted for more than 200 years. People also beat drums and watch a traditional dragon dance during the blessing.
People invited to share their climate change ideas
BEIJING - With examples of extreme weather apparently becoming more common around the world, China is working on legislation to tackle climate change and guarantee the country's sustainable development.
A cyclist navigates his way along frigid streets in Kashgar, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Monday. Extreme weather appears to have hit China more frequently in recent years.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Return of the Tiger Mother
Amy Chua will appear with her husband, novelist Jed Rubenfeld, at the kick-off event of the Journal’s new Ideas Market speaker series, March 29, at the New York Public Library.
It all started with a simple argument about why Chinese mothers are superior.
Then, the floodgates opened.
The responses ranged from a defense of laissez-faire parenting to a critique from former-Harvard president Larry Summers, who advocated for creativity over discipline and accuracy.
See Kaixin's - Tiger Mum - Amy Chua 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'
Bluestocking Blues
By Nailene Chou Wiest
A glance at the dominant codes of gender in China through cinematic representations – and the implied constraints on the intellectual authority of women
Tsinghua has scores of illustrious alumni in science, letters and politics, but women alumni are nearly invisible. A Google search retrieves the name of Chen Hengzhe, who was one of the first 10 female students sent to study in the U.S. in 1914.
Kaixin OpEd - An excellent article
Jin Feng - Asssociate Professor of Chinese
See Kaixin's - Women in China
CCTV Longjing Tea reaches record high price VIDEO
In the East China's city of Hangzhou, the price of locally packaged Longjing Tea has reached a new high. Its producers say the quality is well worth the steep price tag, but critics claim it is just a marketing ploy.
Starting this Friday, tea farmers in Hangzhou will start harvesting Longjing. It's one of China's most prestigious teas, and this year, the price of the most refined Longjing has reached 60 thousand yuan per kilo.
Zhu Baichang, Longjing Tea Group said "We have the best Longjing in China, and we select one kilo from every 8 kilos. We also have a very elegant package to go with the tea."
Zhu says the tea is purchased from the leading tea farms in China at a price of 6 thousand yuan per kilo. Before packaging, each leaf is selected manually to ensure uniformity in appearance and weight.
"We also have strict rules in the color, neither too green nor too yellow, we will ensure that the selected tea is the most refined."
See Kaixin's: The story of the Pu'er Tea 普洱茶 the famous red tea of China.
Chinese green tea -Tie Guan Yin’s story 铁观音
Magic Tibetan Tea - Po Cha 'Tibetan Butter Tea'
CCTV "Fresh" Longjing Tea not fresh VIDEO
There's just three days until market shelves are to be loaded up with fresh Longjing tea and some shops are already selling the tea, renowned for its high quality. But insiders say the early-bird vendors are actually selling last year's supplies.
CCTV insight: Why are Chinese so fascinated with tea? VIDEO
ANCHOR: We're now joined by our reporter Wang Mangmang in the studio to talk more about tea. Hello Mangmang, why are Chinese so fascinated with tea?
MM: Well, the practice of drinking tea has a long history in China. Popular legend says tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong in ancient China. At first, tea was used as a ritual offering. Then tea leaves were eaten as a vegetable, or even used as medicine. Until the Han Dynasty more than two thousand years ago, tea was a new drink. Some classify tea into four categories, white, green, oolong and black, while others also add scented and compressed teas. Among all those, green tea is the most popular. Tea is produced in vast areas in China, from Hainan Island down in the extreme south to Shandong Province,from Tibet in the southwest to Taiwan across the Straits.
Police officer keeps safety on track
ANQING, Anhui - The 30 kilometers of railroad track wind through 100 villages populated with more than 14,000 people.
Yet for the past decade, one person has dedicated herself to keeping the tracks safe for trains and citizens alike: Li Shuhua.
"I have to ensure that no one gets injured along the 30-kilometer railway line under my watch," said Li, a 46-year old railway officer in Taihu county, Anhui province.
Li Shuahua, a 46-year-old railway police officer, teaches a group of children about railway safety
CCTV China's ancient bronze art on display in National Museum of China VIDEO
The National Museum of China will reopen its doors to the public on Sunday after nearly four years of repairs and renovation. China's ancient bronze art will highlight the new start as the first exhibition to open in the new facility.
104 pieces are selected as the most symbolic bronze art of ancient China. They are lined up to chronicle the past glory running through 12 centuries, from late Shang Dynasty to the end of Warring States Period, around the second century B.C.
The exhibit covers a wide range from various vessels to weapons and some 30 pieces will make their first appearance in 20 years.
Balancing a cracking old tradition
People balance eggs in Huaibei, Anhui province, March 21, 2011, to mark the vernal equinox, or Chunfen in Chinese. The Chinese tradition of balancing eggs on the day of the vernal equinox is said to be 4,000 years old.
A club to cure Beijing's lovesick
Beijing’s lonely hearts are getting a little tonic for love sickness from a new group dubbed the Love Dinosaur Park, CFP reported.
Manager Gong Yelong said he initially started the group to help a friend a year ago.
"At that time, one of my friends was to marry soon, but he didn’t know how to deal with the letters and things from his past lovers. He turned to me to keep them for him. It then struck me that why not set up a “Bank” to store these things for people in need," he said.
After meeting with other people struggling to come to terms with a former relationship, Gong found many were still bothered by love sickness, so he organized for these unhappy people to sit together to talk about their problem and encourage each other to share.
"About one hundred members have joined the club to relieve from the troubles of the past. I remember a girl Xiao Wang used to sit in the corner in silence when she came, but now she is revived to be a happy girl and helps others often," Gong said.
By taking lessons and tests, and communicating with each other, many members have rebuilt their confidence in life and have found new love, according to reports.
CCTV Open lectures on Chinese opera in Shenyang VIDEO
Chinese opera is regarded as one of the nation's historical treasures. And now, Shenyang has carried out a project of bringing the traditional operas closer to the public. Recently, some local people there were treated to a series of open lectures on Peking Opera, Pingju Opera, and tutorials on Chinese traditional musical instruments.
The role "Qingyi" refers to young delicate women in Peking Opera. The tutor and students are sitting, but it's not an easy lesson, as the "Qingyi" Role requires a lot of singing.
Zhang Guirong, Lecture Attendee, said,"It's very difficult. But now under guidance, voice control and tone are easier to handle."
Pingju Opera is one of the regional opera branches in northern China. The old and young opera lovers gathered to learn how to sing in Pingju style.
The role "Qingyi" refers to young delicate women in Peking Opera.
Ethnic groups in Xinjiang set for spring
Herdsmen from the Tajik ethnic group vied for a goat on the backs of yaks during the festival of Nowruz, which marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the day on the Iranian calendar, in Tajik autonomous county of Taxkorgan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, March 19, 2011. Goat grabbing is a traditional entertainment played by herdsmen from Kazak, Tajik, Uzbek, Kirgiz and Uygur ethnic groups during the Nowruz festival.
Praying to the sun at the Temple of the Sun
Actors in traditional costumes perform with axes and shields during a ceremony adapted from an ancient Qing Dynasty tradition where emperors offered prayers to the sun, at the Temple of the Sun in Ritan Park, central Beijing March 20, 2011. According to organisers, the ceremony is held on Chunfen, also known as the vernal equinox, which falls on March 21 this year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
China’s Bi Feiyu Wins Man Asian Prize
The winner of the the 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize, Chinese author Bi Feiyu, almost didn’t attend the awards ceremony Thursday.
“When I was on the shortlist,” Mr. Bi said last night when he accepted the award, “my friends and the media in China were all saying, ‘Impossible, there’s no way a Chinese writer can get a third one,’” he said, referring to the fact that two of the previous three winners of the Man Asian Literary Prize — Jiang Rong (for “Wolf Totem”) and Su Tong (“The Boat to Redemption”) — were also Chinese.
Porcelain paradise
The gray view along the highway and the cookie-cutter buildings by the streets make my trip to Quyang County in Hebei Province feel just the same as any visit to other similar and indistinctive small counties in Northern China. However, the various rare European-style stone sculptures along the streets remind me of Quyang's uniqueness and glory throughout history.
Dubbed "China's hometown of sculpture," Quyang's sculptures are sold to more than 80 countries. Quyang is also the original home of the Ding kiln, a Song Dynasty (960-1270) kiln renown for its fine porcelain.
Unfortunately, the methods of making Ding porcelain were lost for more than 800 years and were only revived in the 1990s. Today, there is just one factory in Quyang which can produce Ding porcelain, and the professionals in this field have shrunk from thousands in the 1970s to less than 100 today.
What happened to this historical town? And who is still in charge of maintaining its rich tradition?
A peek at ancient glory ...
Tibet: To pray, to spread - VIDEO
Pray for things you wish and spread the Buddha's spirit – these are two main rituals Tibetan people practice in the second half of their 15-day New Year, beginning March 13 and leading until 19.
Tibetan people have carried this tradition since the 13th century, when Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect, or the dominant Tibetan Buddhism branch, first started the prayer festival 700 years ago.
China Daily's Multimedia reporter Feng Xin is in Tibet to walk you through the prayer processes.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET
Tea grower returns to plant his roots
XIAMEN, Fujian - Tea merchant Li Zhihong is striving to tame Taiwan Oolong tea on the mainland.
"The tea originally came from Fujian, just like me," said Li, whose father moved to Taiwan for business in 1947.
The 50-year-old merchant said the Oolong tea in Taiwan also originally came from Fujian hundreds of years ago. Affected by humidity and high altitude on the island, it gradually evolved into Taiwan Oolong tea, with its unique fruity aroma.
"Now I'm trying to bring it back to the mainland, which has a larger growing area and a bigger market," said Li, who founded a 160-hectare tea plantation in the mountainous town of Yongfu in Fujian province in 2004.
Li has invested more than 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in his plantation and production will reach 50,000 kilograms this year, up from 35,000 kg last year.
Li patrols his garden every morning. He said the Taiwan plants have taken root and flourished after years of effort.
Li Zhihong, a tea merchant from Taiwan, visits his 160-hectare tea plantation in Yongfu, Fujian province, in March. It is the hometown of his ancestors and the Taiwan Oolong tea.
See Kaixin's: The story of the Pu'er Tea 普洱茶 the famous red tea of China.
Chinese green tea -Tie Guan Yin’s story 铁观音
Magic Tibetan Tea - Po Cha 'Tibetan Butter Tea'
People's Daily - FEATURE
Challenge to the traditional view of love and marriage
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China: Ancient & Modern & Women in China
Worship goes green
A Taoist temple has just spent a fortune to clean up its environmental footprint. But some people are not pleased about the high cost of worship and the high-tech embellishments that go with it. Guo Jiaxue reports.
After paying HK$100 admission, you may walk through the tri-roller gates where you encounter a large tripod for burning incense. A number of Taoist priests, in their red ritual robes, walk across the wide marble floor.
Were it not for the incense stand and the priests, you may find it difficult to distinguish the place from a Mass Transit Railway station or a supermarket. But this brightly illuminated modern room, presenting no traditional Chinese-style wooden structures, is actually the newly constructed hall of a Taoist temple.
It took three years and cost over HK$100 million to build the new hall at Wong Tai Sin Temple. The hall is dedicated to the worship of Taisui, the yearly god in China's Taoist tradition. There are 60 Taisui gods, also known as the 60 heavenly generals, who are charged with assisting the Jade Emperor to oversee the well being of the world.
A new chapter for literary festivals
International literary festivals in China in February and March are growing in number, size and the range of authors, and the diverse cultures they come from.
Performance poetry and gourmand feasts are being added to up the entertainment quotient. Quizzes, translation slams and cabarets celebrate the glory of the written word and extend its ambit.
The first Capital M Festival started on Feb 26, adding to the kitty of five thriving annual literary do's in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu and Jiangsu's Suzhou city.
So, why have another show in Beijing, where the Bookworm International Literary Festival (BILF) - now in its fifth year and firmly ensconced on the world map of noted international literary festivals - is hosting 74 authors from 19 countries and more than 100 events?
"There's always room for more than one literary festival in cities the size of Beijing and Shanghai," says Tina Kanagaratnam, organizer-in-chief of the M Literary Festival, which started nine years ago in Shanghai.
"We are getting 30 of the 85 authors coming to our Shanghai festival to go to Beijing to take part in 15 events."
This might create a tough choice for literary festival junkies - and there are quite a few, judging by the pace at which tickets sold out to events featuring authors Bi Feiyu (Moon Opera, Three Sisters) and Peter Hessler (River Town, Country Driving).
Famen Temple in Shaanxi province
A man cleans a Buddhist statue inside Famen Temple in Famen town, Fufeng County, 120 km (74 miles) west of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, March 13, 2011. The temple dates back to the second century AD and was built to house parts of a sacred bone of the Buddha presented to China by India's King Asoka
Photo Courtesy of China Daily
