Beijing Today (January 7, 2011)

28 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

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Pages 12-13 Gathering ballet’s best Page 15 CS combat goes live
Seize this rare chance to see the Meet the only real world
bewitching glamour of the world’s hot- Counter-Strike team made up
test ballet stars in Beijing. entirely of ex-soldiers.
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Gov reneges
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on tobacco
promises
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Tour industry
I threatens
the Mosuo
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PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Filmmakers
January 7 2011-January 13 2011
eye foreign
NO. 500 CN11-0120
HTTP://WWW.BEIJINGTODAY.COM.CN markets
CHIEF EDITOR:
JIAN RONG
NEWS EDITOR: Page 6
YU SHANSHAN
DESIGNER:YANG GEN
Fine gifts for
Spring Festival An industry
Page 16
Spreading
drunk on status
the gifts of
Chinese lit
In the West, red wine started as an essential part of daily meals before
becoming a part of culture. In China, the order is reversed: agents have to Page 14
make wine fashionable before consumers will appreciate its function. It’s
no surprise that quality can get lost in the mix.
Read more on Page 8
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January 7 2011
2
Draft law might make home Court frames
process to bust
illegal fundraisers
visits mandatory
s
By Zhao Hongyi
w Fundraisers that do not
follow national laws on fi nan-
By Han Manman cial regulation and management
e Adult children may be may be interpreted and pros-
required to visit their elderly par- ecuted for illegal fundraising,
N ents regularly, according to a according to an interpretation
draft amendment to relevant laws issued by the Supreme People’s
submitted this week to the State Court on Tuesday.
Council, Legal Daily reported The interpretation notes that
Wednesday. the unauthorized issuing of stocks
Delinquent children could be and corporate bonds to more
liable for damages to their par- than 200 people may also be
ents in court. prosecuted as criminal.
Though traditional Chinese Private fundraising attempts
parents believe children who have are growing increasingly
come of age have the duty to sup- common. Between June 2005
port and assist their parents, half and 2010, there have been more
of the elderly parents live alone than 10,000 cases of illegal fund-
without children. raising that drew in more than
Some cannot afford essen- 100 billion yuan.
tial care. There are expected to be
The draft amendment has a another 2,000 cases this year
chapter called “spiritual com- involving capital equivalent to 20
fort,” which prohibits family billion yuan.
members from isolating or The judicial interpretation
neglecting their parents. applies to all cases beginning
Wu Ming, an offi cial from the Tuesday.
Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), Most incidences of illegal
said though the new draft law fundraising have occurred in the
did not regulate how often adult agriculture, property, mineral,
children must visit their parents, manufacturing, health and edu-
they could be sued in court if cation markets, contacts at
their parents were unsatisfi ed. National Public Security said.
Almost 80 percent of the
Wu said the courts used to
funds raised illegally are used by
dismiss such suits, but the new
criminals for private consump-
law would force them to hear
tion: less than 20 percent of that
the case.
is traceable.
Zhang Fangju, a 67-year-old
Since 2008, Chinese police
retired teacher, said though she
has no plans to sue her son, she Half of the elderly parents in China live alone without children. CFP Photo have uncovered nearly 5,000
cases of illegal fundraising,
appreciates that the law gives
arrested 5,400 suspects and
elders some power to battle their I fall ill, I have no idea who would lion people older than 60 at the improving the social welfare
retrieved 12.2 billion yuan.
loneliness. take care of me,” Zhang said. end of 2009, accounting for 12.5 system. He said the new draft also
“The crimes seriously hurt
“It is ironic for a nation to Zhang’s concerns are well percent of the population. That encourages local governments to
the public and threaten our
legislate basic morals,” Zhang founded. Recently a series of proportion exceeds the fi gure of extend old social security payments
social stability,” the ministry
said. “I think this amendment incidents in Nanchang, the capi- 10 percent recommended by the to those older than 80 and provide
said in its report.
is more about promoting good tal of Jiangxi Province, in which United Nations. them with free medical care.
Individuals collecting more
moral values than punishment.” old people died unnoticed in The present population As for home-based care,
than 100,000 yuan and organi-
Zhang has a comparatively their homes, highlighted the structure is a heavy burden for social institutions, volunteers
zations collecting more than half
easy life in Beijing. However, plight of the elderly. young workers. In the early and community workers are
a million yuan will be defi ned as
she is not happy. Her husband In October, an old man in 1990s, 10 young Chinese work- being encouraged to offer door-
“serious offenders.”
died five years ago, and her only Fuzhou, Fujian Province, lay undis- ers supported one elderly to-door services. The interpretation sets the
son – who works in Guangzhou covered in his home for a week person. These days, every young The current Law of China on prosecution baseline as individ-
– visits only once every two to before neighbors alerted authori- couple has to support four par- Protection of the Rights and Inter- ual fundraising cases involving
three years. ties of an overpowering stench. ents and one child. ests of the Elderly was adopted on 200,000 yuan and organizational
“I have a good life and a stable Statistics from the MCA Wu said the country has put August 29, 1996, and went into ones involving 1 million yuan,
n income, but I feel lonely. If one day showed that there were 167 mil- much effort into establishing and effect October 1, 1996. or individual fundraising cases
a
Y involving more than 30 contrib-
ao Forensic institute opens high-tech utors or organizational ones with
h more than 150.
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ner: service to individuals for I1n0d0i,v0id0u0a ylsu mana yi nb ed haemlda glieasb l–e
sig organizations could expect to pay
e 500,000 yuan.
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an By Chu Meng vided by its 11 sections such as sic technicians can testify in court suits has also created a need for thatT hfuen dirnatiesrinpgre taatttieomnps ts stthaatet
m The Fada Institute of Forensic the Forensic Clinic Department if necessary, but the court makes forensic identifi cation since many use the media or text messages
n
a Medicine and Science, the coun- for labor injury evaluation, the the fi nal decision based on com- high-tech cases are beyond the to target people at random with
M try’s fi rst forensic science organi- Forensic Accounting Depart- prehensive evidence,” Chang said. scope of traditional evidence col- the promises of principal and
an zation authorized by the Ministry ment for financial records tam- Its service most requested by lection and testimony. interest will be classifi ed as
or: H otiffi Jcuastitoicne atop prelicceaitvieo njusd fircoimal iidnedni-- pAenrailnygs ias nDde pthaer tmTreancte fEorv icdreimncie- pRreiqvuatees tcsi ttizoe indse inst pifayt elornanit yr etecsetiipntgs., equ“iMppoerde, apnrdo fmesosiroen, aelx cfeolrleennstliyc crimTehso soef ilwlehgoa l fdaecpiliotsaittes .illegal
dit viduals, opened on January 1. nal espionage. contracts in outstanding disputes, institutes are needed across the fundraising by offering assistance
YE The independent institute is “We currently only accept law- wills of inheritance and medical country in the future,” Huo said in publicity will be punished as
a non-profi t-organization under suit-oriented applications from liabilities are also common. at Fada’s opening ceremony. accomplices.
A
the academic support and super- individuals. Fees range from hun- Huo Xiandan, an offi cial from Among the more than 1,000 Advertising service fi rms
D vision of China University of dreds to tens of thousands of the Forensic Identifi cation organizations that provide iden- which are involved in facilitating
Political Science and Law, the top yuan depending on the task and Bureau under the Ministry of tifi cation services for court use, illegal fundraising will be pun-
O
judicial university in China. its diffi culty,” Chang Lin, direc- Justice, said the last decade of only 10 including Fada are autho- ished for false advertising.
T The Beijing-based institute tor of Fada, said. economic boom has created an rized by the ministry. “The criminals and facilita-
will process forensic cases fi led Applicants are responsible incredible demand for forensic “During the next Five-year tors involved will be punished as
G by judicial organs and arbitration for collecting evidence-bearing sciences and techniques. Plan, we will open more judicial much as possible within the law,”
N agencies, as well as handle judi- materials. For the same reason, Chinese services and resources to private the interpretations said.
cial identifi cation requests by law “People should be aware that citizens’ demands for indepen- citizens and tighten our supervi- The interpretation excludes
I
J fi rms, insurance companies, cor- any results and conclusions from dent forensic identifi cation have sion of current identifi cation orga- private fundraisers between rel-
I porations and individuals. forensic identifi cation only serve also grown tremendously. nizations to foster a more just, fair atives or within an organization
E Categorized services are pro- as references for the court. Foren- The rise of sophisticated law- and open environment,” Huo said. from punishment.
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January 7 2011
3
Embassy intervenes to aid
s
Russian wife in divorce
w
e
By Chu Meng intends to remain in Beijing with cially after Korableva said she “About 1,000 mixed couples mostly Russians.
N
A Russian mother of two, her sons, ages 3 and 9. Originally wanted to return to work. tie the knot every year in Beijing. Liu Weimin said there were
who was repeatedly abused by from a remote and impoverished “I was getting less and less In 2009, the number was 1,269. three reasons for the popularity
her wealthy Chinese husband, Russian village, she has been respect in the family. I needed There were 88 divorces among of Russian brides. Russia has
has divorced with the help of the living in Beijing for the last to be able to support myself, my mixed couples the same year,” only 88 men for every 100
Russian embassy. decade. sons and my parents, who are the law professor said. women. Moreover, many Rus-
She was awarded 300,000 “I met my ex-husband at a also living in Beijing,” she said. Sergei Razov, the Russian sian men are deemed unmar-
yuan in compensation by the dance club and restaurant in “I could easily fi nd a job dancing ambassador to China, said Chi- riageable because of excessive
court on Tuesday in Beijing. Heilongjiang Province. We fell or teaching language.” nese police were lazy in their drinking and aggression. Most
Korableva, whose given name in love in 1999 when I was 20. “I am fi lled with regret,” Liu, mediation of mixed couples’ Russian girls also consider life
is protected in the court record, I was still a simple girl at that a manager at Hummer Club, told disputes. in China to be economically
suffered a ruptured spleen and time, wanting to fi nd a rich Xinhua News Agency. “I hope to “Domestic violence is secure. Moreover, whereas
severe bruises after being husband in China. I married compensate my wife. I can give ignored or seen as trivial domes- China limits families to one
attacked during fi erce arguments him and moved to Beijing in her the villa, the cars and money. tic affairs by Chinese police. child, Russia is paying its
with her husband, Liu Jue, at 2000. But I don’t think I could Just for the forgiveness. All of Korableva had reported to the women to have more children.
their multi-million-yuan villa in adapt to a life back in my old our arguments were caused by police several times before fi ling One website, promoting
Shunyi district on May 10, 2010. village,” she said. some domestic trifl es.” a criminal case, but no one paid itself as a matchmaking site for
Liu, 39, a businessman and Their marriage was fi ne Liu Weimin, a family law pro- real attention. In Russia, hus- single Russian women, has 436
former boxer, was charged with until 2007, when Korableva fessor from Peking University, bands normally receive much members eager to fi nd a for-
assault and ordered by the Bei- says Liu began developing a said Korableva is not alone in more severe punishment,” the eign spouse.
jing Second Intermediate Peo- temper problem. her plight. Statistics show that ambassador said. Liu Weimin said he would
ple’s Court to pay 300,000 yuan “It started with him beating domestic violence is a problem In the past decade, mixed like to remind the young
in compensation to his wife. my sons over the head with a in 30 percent of Chinese fami- marriages between Russian women that “fi nding indepen-
He was detained shortly after scabbard while they were read- lies. The statistic falls to 20 per- women and Chinese men have dent economic support is very
the trial and remains at the ing their primary school books. cent in mixed marriages. been common in the northeast. important for a foreign wife
Shunyi jail while he awaits sen- He insisted it was his way of edu- According to data from the Near Shulan, Jilin Province in China, especially those from
tencing. Liu may face up to fi ve cating and wouldn’t let me inter- municipal bureau of civil affairs, – three hours from Changc- less developed countries. If they
years in prison. fere,” she said. the number of mixed marriages hun – there is a village full are suffering from regular vio-
Korableva, 31, has a slim build Gradually, Liu progressed to between a Chinese national and of Russian brides. In Sihe Vil- lence at home, they are better
and fair hair and skin. She said beating her using sticks and belts foreigner in Beijing has grown lage, 90 percent of the rural off contacting the embassy
that despite the divorce, she during their arguments – espe- steadily since 2000. men married foreign women, instead of the police.”
A year of Chinese
new media in review
New media is growing fast and Internet Ghostwriters working took a downturn with numer-
infl uencing people’s lives in ways few “Internet Ghostwriters,” or shui- ous smaller networks shutting down.
things have before. jun, are people who write message Even the leading Kaixin001.com had
Last year, China’s new media board threads at the behest of public to accept that its number of visitors
industry saw explosive development. relations agencies. They are often was plummeting.
But with “new” comes uncertainties employed to sabotage reputations on Apparently a number of Chinese
and challenges. The following are brief the Internet. netizens did not grasp the essence of
reviews on the development of China’s China’s Tort Liability Law, which social networking, but only logged on
new media and outlooks on its future. took effect in July last year, stipu- to play games, like stealing vegetables
Micro-blogging lates that in cases of privacy viola- from their friends’ farms.
At a time when netizens have lost tions or damaged reputations, the Also, many users were said to be
interest in lengthy articles and elites victim has the right to inform the only interested in other people’s pri-
seek to stay in the spotlight, micro- Internet service provider (ISP) to vate information while being reluctant
n
blogs make their wishes come true. delete harmful postings and that the to share their own. Ya
Short and convenient, micro- ISP must face joint liability for dam- Networking itself is not the goal. o
a
blogs experienced a “big bang” last ages if it fails to act. What these websites should do is h
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than six months. ijun to stop the problem at its source. value through networking, media g
Afterwards, the other three major Team-buying experts said. esi
web portals, including Sohu, QQ.com Group purchasing websites devel- Government websites D
and 163.com, each set up its own oped rapidly in 2010 when Wang Xing, In 2010, it has become a trend for n
a
micro-blogging services. founder of Twitter-like “Fanfou.com,” the government to collect public opin- m
With more government offi cials started Meituan.com, the mainland’s ions and allow people to voice their n
a
and entities registering, China’s fi rst group purchasing website. concerns on the Internet. M
micro-blogging services are widely The potentially lucrative business However, a staggering 78.5 per- n
a
expected to play a more important model of online team-buying is spread- cent of some 450,000 Chinese citi- H
role in connecting the public and the ing, and the number of group pur- zens surveyed were unsatisfi ed with or:
government in 2011. chase websites doubled to 900 in July, government websites, according to a dit
Search engines according to fi gures from a Beijing- 2010 report. E
Baidu’s dominant position in the based Internet analysis fi rm, Analysis These respondents complained Y
search engine market is being chal- International. that some government websites were A
lenged by Sohu, Microsoft Bing and Despite the large number of exist- not updated for long periods and
D
Goso.cn, run by the People’s Daily, the ing competitors, three of the top four netizens’ messages were often
fl agship newspaper of the Communist portal websites launched group pur- ignored. Also, many services and O
Party of China. chasing services in July. pages were not accessible.
T
Xinhua is also preparing to While group purchases may People’s rights to know, supervise

launch a search engine together with attract many Chinese netizens, insid- and participate can be protected via G
China Mobile. ers warn that the process is unsu- the Internet and the credibility of the
Goso and Xinhua both have the pervised and unregulated, and that government can be improved. But in N
advantage in terms of providing con- buyers should exercise caution to order to fully explore this high-tech I
tent, while Bing has the edge in tech- protect themselves. shortcut, the country’s leaders at all J
Chinese police offi cers update their micro-blogs during an nology and funding. They are expected Social Networking levels have a long way to go. I
E
online interview in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. IC Photo to pose threats to Baidu in 2011. In the latter half of 2010, social net- (Xinhua) B
January 7 2011
4
Five years in, country still fails
to control tobacco
e
r
u
t By Zhang Dongya
When China signed on to the WHO
a
Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (FCTC) in 2006, it made a pledge
e
to halt smoking in indoor public places
F and workplaces by January 9, 2011.
Sunday is the deadline of that for-
gotten pledge.
The 2010 China Tobacco Control
Report, published by the Chinese Center
for Disease Control and Prevention,
states that the country still has more
than 1 million people who die from
smoke-related diseases each year.
Indeed, it seems the country’s
tobacco controls have backslid: the
number of people regularly exposed to
second-hand smoke increased by 200
million during the last three years.
“Tobacco control is a global agenda.
But for the last fi ve years, China has
been hesitant, lingering at the launch
stage with no progress to note,” says
Wu Yiqun, 62, deputy director of
Think Tank Research Center for Health
Development, a NGO serving public
health since 2001.
Slow progress The balancing act between politics and public health continues to dog tobacco reform. CFP Photos
Chen Jiayu, 32, a lifelong Beijinger, has anti-smoking message.
been smoking for more than 10 years. He But without enforceable laws or penal-
averages a pack a day, but can limit him- ties, real progress in stamping out tobacco
self to 15 or 16 cigarettes on occasion. was elusive.
He smokes in restaurants, on the road A great obstacle
and at home. Article 11 of the Convention provides
“I have never been told not to smoke in that health warnings must cover 30 percent
a public area, let alone been fi ned,” he says.
of each cigarette package – ideally half –
“The only change has been the addition
front and back. It suggests adding pictures
of non-smoking sections in restaurants. I
to the packs for illiterate smokers.
respect the signs and avoid smoking when
In the past fi ve years, China has made
I sit in one of those sections.”
no effort to meet these requirements.
But restaurants lack partitions, making
Canada and Spain use gruesome photos
n it easy for smoke to waft throughout the
e of patients dying of lung cancer, but China
G restaurant.
g While the capital passed its Regula- keeps only one line of small type reading
n “Smoking is hazardous to your health.”
a tions to Ban Smoking in Public Places in
Y During the last century, the presen-
er: 1w9a9s5 r,e tchoer dfi erds ti na cMtuaayl 2v0io0la8t.i on of this ban tation of cigarettes and liquor as gifts
n became a standard cultural custom in
g The regulations required that smokers Cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have regulated smoking, but only
si China. Packages are adorned with images
e who refuse to put out their cigarettes be during brief international events.
D of famous mountains and rivers, and del-
fi ned 10 yuan: organizations violating the
a regulation would be fi ned between 1,000 ten regulation. To their credit, many of the indoor public places. egations rebuked the Convention saying
gy and 5,000 yuan. capital’s smokers chose not to smoke in Restaurants were the most critical the required images were “an insult to
n public during the Olympics. target because they gather many people, the public that strikes at the heart of Chi-
o It was only after a promise to provide
D They have been making up for lost time especially young people and women – nese customs.”
ng tthhea t wciotryl do ffiw ciitahl sa r e“msmemokbee-rfreede ”th Oisl yfomrgpoicts- ever since. the key victims of second-hand smoke. “At least we can pass a better law to
a Insiders says the existing anti-smoking Internet cafes, the smokiest places, were control tobacco, and then beef up the force
Zh law is technically unenforceable because the another high-profi le target. and funding used to make sure smokers
an Administrative Punishment Law enacted in But even hospitals failed to control obey,” Wu says.
Shansh F1is9sa9u6iin lpgir ntoichgkibe ttitshs t oes av nCioitloaattnioornvs .einnspteicotonrs from tHvoisebiaaTtlcshtc hiton oD uk mes veoTe.rlaoen ptkmh aeRnn et1 sm0e aahrdocesh up nitCaaenlsnn,t oeduru nrcifneodgr rGeugauSnloag tfzeah rto,o utbh aeacrnceod i. s WH nahoni lngeaz Bthieooiunji anlhg-al,e vSvehe alp nlaagswhs aetdio,
Yu At the fourth session of the Confer- which student volunteers photographed local regulations, these are enforced to
s: ence of the Parties (COP-4) to the WHO smokers and cigarette butts throughout varying degrees.
or Framework Convention on Tobacco Con- the hospitals. While Shanghai banned smoking in
dit trol in Uruguay last November, China The most popular place for smoking all public spaces and Guangzhou banned
E was once again the recipient of a Dirty smoking in offi ces, these measures were
Y was the waiting areas for each doctor.
Ashtray Award. like the Olympics-inspired smoking ban:
Some people smoked near the windows
A Since it was passed in 2005, the inter- short-lived and event-oriented.
and threw the cigarette butts out of the
D national tobacco treaty has been signed by building. Students photographed roofs “Local media reported that China
O more than 170 nations: China included. under the windows that were full of ciga- would make progress in controlling
But unlike the other signatories, China rette butts. “One roof had more than 100 tobacco by 2015, but they did not say how
T failed to meet the demands of the conven- cigar butts,” Wu says. that would happen or who wants it to
tion, says Wu Yiqun, the country’s current While these hospitals were designated happen,” Wu says.
G champion of tobacco control. as “smoke-free,” some were found to be “I hope they follow through. To the
N According to the Framework Conven- selling cigarettes along with medicine. Chinese government, tobacco control is as
tion on Tobacco Control, China had to At Think Tank’s urging, several much a political issue as a public health
I
J China has a custom of presenting cigarettes take two very basic steps: it had to com- Internet cafes posted signs to ask one. Any action it takes has to balance
I and liquor as gifts that makes tobacco con- pletely ban smoking indoors and get rid patrons not to smoke and set the desk- long-term interests and immediate bene-
E trol taboo. of its smoking sections in restaurants and top wallpaper on computers to have an fi ts,” she says.
B
January 7 2011
5
Heritage for sale
Commercial expansion threatens world’s last matriarchy k
o
Where women rule
It is probably the last matriarchal tribe in the world. There is no marriage and men and o
Two women row a canoe made of drift- women can change and choose partners as they please. But the arrival of tourism and commercial
wood across a lake, their eyes fi xed on a l
development has put the Mosuo culture in danger.
destination in the distance. The woman in t
the foreground bites her bottom lip with
determination. There’s steeliness in her In southwestern Yunnan lives one of u
expression that says she’s done this many the most unique ethnic groups in the
times before. country – the Mosuo people. O
In a series of exceptional photographs, Huang Jinguo/CFP Photo
Italian photographer Luca Locatelli spent a
month documenting the lives of the Mosuo
tribe, often described as one of the last
matriarchal societies in the world.
Locatelli travelled to Lugu Lake in south-
west China, 2,700 meters above sea level,
taking two days to reach his destination by
road. There, in a valley on the border of the
Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, he shad-
owed a society where women are in charge
and where there are no words to express
the concepts of “father” or “husband.”
Locatelli describes Lugu Lake as “para-
dise.” “The water is clear and clean and the
surroundings are peaceful and beautiful –
it’s perfect,” he says.
Known as the “Kingdom of Women”
throughout China, 40,000 Mosuo people
live in a network of villages around the lake.
Women here make most major decisions;
they control household fi nances, have the
rightful ownership of land and houses, and
full rights to the children born to them.
But Locatelli feels something is chang-
ing the world’s last matriarchy. As com-
merce tries to elbow tradition out of the
way and younger generations of the Mosuo
are tempted by outside infl uence, a darker,
seedier side has emerged in recent years.
Tourism is booming, and local government
is keen to market and monetize the Mosuo
to tourists.
“Arriving in Luoshu was a shock – it
was tacky and not how I expected,” says
Locatelli. “There were a lot of people asking
for money.” (The Observer)
The third eye
Endangered ethnic minority culture
By Huang Daohen choose to move out into cities to fi nd would be somewhat sissified. How- verge of extinction.
Will commercial development and employment. ever, Mosuo men are masculine, like Wang suggested local governments
tourism spoil the Mosuo culture? Profes- “In cities, these young people will cowboys, Wang said. establish specifi c functional zones for
sor Wang Qingren from Minzu Univer- accept new lifestyles and gradually Local Mosuo men told Wang that tourism to protect the Mosuo culture n
e
sity of China said it has been a dilemma lose interest in inheriting their tradi- they had no problem with women in while developing the tourism industry. G
ever since the country opened up and tional singing, dancing and clothing,” charge. Men have physical strength, so Wang said the special zones would g
n
set economic growth as its main goal. Wang said. they do work that requires strength and be more like tourism villages that con- a
Y
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it also has wrought major changes on pretation by outside writers and the They have to inherit the culture and ing and food. Cultural performances sig
the everyday life of the Mosuo people, media, which can lead to misunder- speak for themselves, Wang said. can be shown in this village, and visi- e
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WaWnga snagi ds.aid he has visited Lugu Lake stanWdainnggs asbaoidu tb Mefoosrueo hcuisl tufirres.t expe- cultWuraen agl ssoa ifda cem tahney Metohsnuioc dmileinmomritay. torsT chaen zionnteer accatn w siethp aloractael sl.o cals from en
several times and found that while vis- rience with the Mosuo, he assumed Many traditions and languages of ethnic tourists and protect traditional culture, h
o
itors pour in, many young villagers that men in a matriarchal culture minorities in China are now on the Wang said. a
D
g
n
About Mosuo culture a
u
H
A matriarchal world without marriage or:
dit
The Mosuo tribe is probably the last sleep in communal sleeping rooms; only But walking marriages have caused property. The man will continue to live in E
matriarchy in the world, where women the women have the luxury of a private misperceptions, such as that the Mosuo his family’s home, and his responsibili- Y
have the power of the house. There is no bedroom. Thus, women tend to be the are promiscuous and change partners ties are to that family; while the woman A
marriage in the village and people have ones in control of relationships. all the time. This is not exactly true, as will continue to live in her home, and be
D
no concept of lifetime pairings. Children Traditionally, a Mosuo woman will many Mosuo pairing will last for years, responsible to her family. The man will
are often raised without knowing who invite a man to spend the night with her. even decades. visit her at night, but the rest of the time O
their biological father is. The man will come to her home at night, There is no social stigma if someone they generally live separate lives.
T
In Mosuo culture, men and women sneaking in through her window, spend- does change partners often, but it is But what if they have a baby? In gen-

can change and choose partners as they ing the night, and then leaving early the more common for each pairing to last for eral, fathers have little or no responsibility
G
please. Monogamy is not considered spe- next morning before everyone wakes up. an extended period, and people won’t for children, as the baby will be raised in
cial or even particularly desirable. This is the important interesting generally have multiple partners while the mother’s home. However, that does N
Usually, the Mosuo people live in large aspect of the Mosuo culture: it is known as in a relationship. not mean that the men have no responsi- I
extended families, with many generations “walking marriages” because men must However, even among couples who bility: their responsibility is to care for the J
all living together in the same house. Men walk to and from their assigned rendez- are together for decades, they generally children of his sisters, nieces or aunts. I
E
don’t have private bedrooms and they vous each night. will never actually live together, or share (Agencies)
B
January 7 2011
6
Creating China’s own Hollywood
s
Will Chinese cinema fi nd its way abroad?
s
e
The nation’s box offi ce
n earnings grew 60 percent last
year to set a record high of
i 10 billion yuan, about $1.47
s billion. The earnings were due
largely to domestic hits like
u
Let the Bullets Fly and If You
Are the One 2.
B
After seven years of consol-
idation, the country’s movie
industry may be ready for Hol-
lywood-like success.
Chinese people rediscovered
their love of cinema last month
while the rest of the world was
shopping.
In December, a string of locally
made feature fi lms cleaned up at
the box offi ce, with Sacrifi ce and
Just Call Me Nobody, each raking
in 100 million yuan during the
fi rst week of release.
Let the Bullets Fly and If You
Are the One 2 did even better,
grossing a total of 400 million
yuan in their fi rst week. Let the
Bullets Fly even beat Avatar to
set a Chinese single-day box offi ce
record of 60 million yuan.
Bona Chairman and CEO Yu Dong and actress Gong Li attend the ringing of the bell to open the Nasdaq in New York City.
The sudden resurgence of
Taylor Hill/Getty Images/CFP
cinema comes six months after
Aftershock, another Chinese fea- tion company Best Video. Jun, a manager of Beijing-based Analyst
ture, broke records by earning 100 “With local Hong Kong distributor New Movie-Alliance.
million yuan in its fi rst three days. movies, I haven’t seen growth Gao says cineplex construc- Capital market fuels domestic
With the country’s economy during the last several years. But tion in second-tier markets will be
enjoying double-digit growth, it for the big movies, the co-oper- a major business in the coming movie’s overseas expansion
seems many people are prepared to ations between Hong Kong and years because cinemas are scarce
spend 100 yuan for a movie ticket. China, you can see the numbers in many of the country’s small- By Huang Daohen zhen late 2009. The state-run
In the fi rst half of last year, the going up and up,” he says. and medium-sized cities. Though the country’s fi lm China Film Group recently
country’s box-offi ce takings were In the 1990s and the early Because of the limited number industry has achieved record- announced its plan to publicly
up 86 percent on the same period 2000s, he says, most Chinese block- of screens, cinema investments setting box offi ce returns, it list in Shanghai.
the previous year, totaling 4.84 busters were created solely by Hong yield more stable revenue for still has to draw on capital “Business expansion and
billion yuan. Kong production companies, but domestic studios than fi nal movies. markets to make its own Hol- accumulation through the
Wang Yunping, a researcher now “most movies that we see are Aside from producing fi lms, large lywood, says Lillian Yang, an capital market is the top pri-
at the Institute of Industrial and made by Hong Kong and Chinese.” studios, such as China Film Group analyst with Standard Char- ority for domestic fi lm com-
Technological Economics, an “It’s more mainland Chinese Corp. (CFGC) and Beijing Polybona tered Beijing, which helped panies,” Yang says. But the
economic planning body under oriented,” he says. Film Distribution, all have distri- domestic fi lm companies to market still needs improve-
the National Development and More screens bution systems and cinema invest- raise funds. ment. The industry is short
Reform Commission, was quoted The country launched 150 new ments in their business portfolios. Last month, PolyBona of agencies to supervise fi lm
as saying the movie industry in cineplexes and 1,000 screens last The wholly owned cinema Film Distribution, one of the production.
China had “entered a period of year, putting the total number of investment division of CFGC cur- country’s largest film distrib- “This brings risks and pre-
n
e phenomenal growth.” cineplexes and screens under 34 rently owns stakes in 20 cineplexes. utors, became the third lead- vents investments from more
G
g Chinese fi lm critic Raymond distributors nationwide at 1,670 By 2011, that number is expected ing domestic movie studio to professional funds because
n Zhou is already predicting box- and 6,000. About 80 percent of the to reach 50. Polybona launched its go public, this time on the investors can only rely on their
Ya offi ce takings are on their way to 1,000 new screens are digital. fi rst cineplex in Beijing’s You-town Nasdaq. judgment of the producer’s
er: exceeding those of the US, where But 6,000 screens are far from Shopping Center and will build 20 The Beijing-based company credit,” she says.
gn last year’s gross is expected to be enough to meet the demands of more in three to fi ve years. offered $80 million worth of Yang, however, says there
si just below $10.6 billion. 1.3 billion. The US, with one third In order to deliver better per- shares for its IPO. Its chief will be a completely secure
De There is still a long way to of China’s population, has 40,000 formance in terms of its busi- executive Yu Dong says the fi nancing system when the
n go, but with takings having dipped screens. ness stability, risk-proof capacity reason the company chose to country’s movie market reaches
e slightly in the US last year, and with As movie production studios and cash fl ow, Huayi Brothers, list in the US is because 50 billion yuan annually.
h
o Chinese box offi ce revenues pre- like Huayi Brothers grow stronger, which used to adhere strictly to entertainment stocks are more “Financial talents are
a
D dicted in a report by First Group to the movie industry will become the business of movie production, mature there. expensive, and the 10-billion-
g be 20 billion yuan next year, it is a contributor to greater economic recently announced its plan to Yang believes PolyBona’s yuan market is just not big
n
a hardly an unrealistic prospect. growth, but the limited number build six cineplexes in two years US move aims to open the enough,” Yang says.
u
H Foreign participation of cinemas could inhibit further and 15 in fi ve years. company to investment from Yang says another prob-
or: It should be no surprise that for- expansion of the industry, says Gao (Agencies) abroad. “The global capital mar- lem that hinders Chinese fi lm
dit eign cinema operators are keen to kets are beginning to recognize from being promoted world-
E get a slice of the growing market. Chinese fi lm,” she says. wide is the perceived quality.
Y The Canadian group IMAX However, in addition to Most Western viewers
A plans to open 100 new cinemas on certain institutional investors, expect all Chinese fi lms to
D the mainland, having signed con- foreign capitals are still not be about martial arts. The
tracts with a string of partners. In allowed to invest directly in the many Chinese fi lms that have
O September, IMAX inked a deal with nation’s entertainment and been successful with fi lm crit-
T the Seoul company CJ CGV, which publishing industry. ics rarely win audiences.
runs the largest chain of multi- Polybona’s domestic fel- Now with access to better

G plexes in South Korea, to open 15 lows are making similar funding, Chinese fi lms may be
big-screen cinemas in China. moves. Huayi Brothers, the able to penetrate the world
N The Chinese fi lm-making country’s fi rst privately-owned market, Yang says. “The most
I focus is also shifting onto the entertainment company, important thing is to make
J mainland, away from Hong Kong, debuted on the new small- fi lms that audiences really
I
E says Sam Wong, a project man- Domestic fi lms like Let the Bullets Fly are setting new records at companies market in Shen- want to see.”
B ager for the Hong Kong produc- the box offi ce. Ren Yuming/IC Photo
January 7 2011
7
Is it necessary to change city
names for development? e
t
a
By Zhao Hongyi Comment b
Last year, several cities in China
changed their names in order to attract A confused move e
attention and gain economic benefi ts, I just learned that I’m now a citizen
according to Xinhua reports. of Xiangyang instead of Xiangfan! My D
At the beginning of the year, the city parents told me that their life didn’t
of Leiyang, Hunan Province changed change at all: ID cards, property docu-
its name to Chailun, a nod to the fact ments, business licenses and names of
that paper-making was discovered here schools, railway stations, everything in
2,000 years ago; Taoyuan (peach blos- the city stayed the same. I’m really puz-
som) in the same province changed zled why the hell the city felt it needed
to Taohuayuan (paradise of peach to change its name.
blossom); Xinzheng, Henan Province – Lemon, netizen in Xiangyang
changed to Xuanyuan (name of one of Waste of social resources
the founders of the Han nationality); It’s another type of bureaucracy and
and Nanping, Fujian Province changed waste of social resources. Our govern-
to Wuyishan City, paying homage to the ment officials do nothing but daydream
Wuyi Mountains. in their offices, waiting for budgets from
Many cities and counties change their the central government and to collect
names for the same reasons: to link their taxes from their citizens.
cities with historical fi gures or pursue eco- – Li Jian, commenter
nomic benefi ts and development. of a news story
Xiangfan, Hubei Province, changed
Economic benefit
its name back to the original Xiangyang The point is to develop the economy,
last December, which is what it was not change your names! To develop the
called during the Three Kingdoms Period local economy, you have many choices
(220-280). It claims to be the hometown
Name changes are good for business for sign makers. and alternatives. The basic premise is to
of Zhuge Liang.
develop more products, services, cultures
Xiangyang adopted the name Xiang- Li Fuhua/IC Photo
and attractions – but not history! Names
fan in the 1950s, when Xiangyang and may be Zhongdian County in Yunnan Prov- ports, tourism and their economies,” an
have their histories – leave them be.
Fancheng counties merged. The State ince – now known around the world as offi cial in Xiangfan City said.
– Han Maoli, professor of city plan-
Council accredited the city in 1986 as Shangri-La. But scholars warn that changing city
ning and environment,
one with rich culture and history – Other successful name changes and county names can have unintended
Beijing University
but few people recognized “Xiangyang.” include: Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, consequences.
Learn from world cities
That’s why the city government had which used to be Dayong; Dujiangyan, “The names are formed under certain
Many cities in foreign countries have
been trying to change its name for a Sichuan Province, which used to be Guan historical, economic and political back-
a long history, like Washington, New
decade to better promote the city as a County; and the tourist hotspot Jiu- grounds,” Zhou Zhenhe, deputy director
York, Stockholm, London. They emerged
tourist destination. zhaigou, Sichuan Province, which used to for the Association of Chinese Administra-
as world-class cities over the years, but
The city is currently quarreling with Nan- be Nanping County. tive Regions and Counties Study, said.
they have never changed their names.
yang, Henan Province, which also claims “These were poorly developed cities “Frequent changes of city names waste
Hard work is the only way to success,
itself as the birthplace of Zhuge Liang. before they changed their names in the social resources, and no one can be sure
either for yourself or your city.
Many Chinese cities have changed 1980s. Then these cities and counties saw the changes will bring positive effects,”
– Rodirigo Gary, student from Chile
names in the past. The most noteworthy the rapid development of highways, air- he said.
Local gov’t trying to censor Confucian,
other classical Chinese texts
By Pang Xiaoqiao n
Comment e
Local education authorities in Shan- G
dong Province, home of Confucius, said Confucian texts are being g
they would prohibit schools from using revised in some parts of Learning through different readings an
the country. We shouldn’t hide information just to Y
the Tfuhlel tSehxat nodf osnogm Pe rCoovninfucicaial nE tdeuxctas.t ion Chu Yongzhi/CFP Photo cut off unpleasant details. In Italy, all of the er:
teachers encourage us to learn about real- n
Department made this announcement g
lmasatn awgeeemk einnt ao rf egitusl attriaodni ttioo nsatrl ecnugltthuerne iatvyo itdh raonuyg hp adritfsf eorre pnat rrteicaudlainrgss. but never Desi
education. The “bad content” of some – Tea Fantigrossi, Italian exchange n
student studying at e
classical Chinese books, such as from h
Three Character Primer and Standards Beijing Lu He middle school. ao
for Students, might be objectionable to Adult standards could D
students and contrary to modern values, fetter children’s thought ng
In the 100-year strategy of a nation, a
officials said. u
Similar cases were also seen in Hubei education is the most important and most H
Ppmrrioosvvsiiidnnegcde . s setSnuotdmeennec tesss c chllaoiskoselis,c t“heOaxvft es otlahdlar, te atadhryee baWarees aics ,hc aoinun l daw ffhteeiclclth othaue r sslciithguihladtt ricoehnna anevsg eear yiwnthh ioonnlgee., Editor:
and honestly. After learning and debat- Y
mother of Mencius chose a neighbor-
hood,” and, “In textbooks you will find ing, children have the right to choose what A
to believe.
girls with complexions like jade and – Guo Zhien, doctoral student D
houses made of gold.”
in cultural communication O
The former quotation appears in a
story that teaches people the environ- Contrary to mainstream values T
Classic literature is a product of his-
ment can influence one’s behavior.
tory and should be recommended as ele-
The latter quote basically means G
mentary education, but some of their
through studying, one can gain success
views are contrary to mainstream values. N
and fortunes will follow. But censors
And things change. Can you imagine if we
worry that conveys the wrong message I
– that knowledgeable people should were still wearing the clothing of previous J
centuries? I
eschew helping society in order to pursue E
– He Yingyi, CNR editor
personal gain. B
January 7 2011
8
Salud! - sorta
e
r
Red wine sales are booming, but behind
u
the scenes the industry is more chaotic
t
a
than people like to admit
e
F
By Wang Yu
A CCTV investigation recently
stunned local red wine buyers. In
Changli County, Hebei Province,
some wine factories were produc-
ing fake wine using water, food col-
oring, alcohol and essence. All the
products had labels of big overseas
producers. More than 400,000 cases
of such wines were put into the Chi-
nese market last year.
It was an astonishing report to
ordinary buyers, but insiders have
long known about this dark side
of the wine industry. Since 2005,
when wine sales — especially of
imports — began to boom, illegal
dealers have been gradually enter-
ing the wine trade.
China has already become the
“next big opportunity” for many
foreign brands that face economic
recession and saturated markets in
the West. But what they must deal
with here is a scene still in its infancy
— which means chaos.
The boom The imported red wine market has grown too fast for Chinese buyers who are still novices when it comes to wine. CFP Photos
Red wine was fi rst introduced in China. People eventually dis- red wine business in 2004. Last
to China during the Tang Dynasty covered Hong Kong agents were year, it began to focus on Greek
(618-907), but it never became controlling the prices, as foreign wines, which most Chinese buyers
an essential part of the culture. wines have to stop in Hong Kong are not familiar with. In coopera-
Baijiu and beer were the domi- before entering the mainland. tion with the Greek embassy, the
nant drinks at Chinese tables until There is also the inexperience company has held wine tasting
the late 1970s, when the country of Chinese buyers. Some spend up events in Beijing in an attempt to
began its opening up. to 30,000 yuan on a bottle of wine accelerate its business.
But imported red wine for no other reason than because “Greek wine is a niche in
remained a luxury for two more the bottle is priced at 30,000 — China. We don’t have to be afraid
decades. In 2005, the import tax they have no idea whether what of severe competition and fake
for red wines was fi nally lowered, they’re buying is of high quality. wine,” said company CEO Peter
en allowing the market to grow —rap- “Similar to fashion brands, Zhu. “The quality of Greek wine
G idly. Many international trade luxury labels like Lafi te usually is good, and the country’s history
ng companies saw this new opportu- have side labels that are much helps us promote its wine. We
Ya nity and began building a trading Red wine is a symbol of elegance in China, as elsewhere in the world. cheaper, aimed at ordinary have cooperated with fi ve Greek
signer: ntoe trweFduo rewklii nntoge .t rtahnes fegrr othwetihr bwuasisn easns There’s a saying that’s emerged in the nbCuohwyine arcs,o ,as” tbsSo hutetplne t osofa 1Lid0a.,fi 0 “t0He’0os wsyiuedvaeen lra,, b uienpl wwiinllO er evthaileclahrg 2ec0os ma tnhpdias h nyoieepaser .ta”hree ncuhmanbegr-
De increase in consumer purchasing last three years: French wine owners are from 3,000. That’s crazy.” ing up their tactics. Sunrise Com-
an ptoo waderv.e Trthisee m reeddi aw ailnsoe daisd aitns pealer-t in China, or they’re on their way out. attrTachtee dh migahn yp rroefid t w minaer geixnpse rhtsa vtoe mbaesrecde , ain lonZghteimjiaen gw inPer odveinacleer,
eil gant, high-class drink. Soon, Chi- start their own business. But mid- became the exclusive agent of
ng M nanesde refadm wiliinees bweecraem set opcokpiunlga ru aps, into China due to their home or they’re on their way out,” Shen dmleomneeyn togoe:t iat choustgse ac lhout nokf mofo ntheye Dlaugerf oinrt -BVoivrednesa,u ax F. rSeonmche w dineae lveirls-
n Lia gSiofutst.h CAommepraicnaie sb eigna nE uerxoppaen dainndg cou“nItnr ieCs’h siantau, raift edy omua rokregtasn.ized Csahida.os behind the scenes tgoo satororeu nwdin teo, raensdta iut rtaaknetss aagnedn btsa tros ltihkee rSoulne roisfe aCgoemntms, edrrcaef tninowg cpolany-
ha a dinner party, serving red wine The Changli revelation is an to negotiate “entrance fees.” tracts with foreign wine villages
ns meant you had good taste,” said extreme case, but that insiders And fi nally, while drinking directly to save cost.
Yu Sha sSeadhmietnoer t Ziomifc ehW,a loion,c eae lxM beucausgitanivzeeisn sevm.i ce“enA tch hatihveeef acerernnT.’ht esu urnpirviseerdsa ilsl ya acaccuespet feodr cporno-- pdnrreeisnfsek drieninngnc heeasr bs imotsra hgyra ovhueap vn ego at.ct hhAeatr nbignuegsdsi-,, bwuinyBee ruw tc aoassn cfif uhrssoitio canens. Iiennsc streheneat siWae,l e spsoat d,r tro eeodsf
s: replaced baijiu or whisky with red cess of importing wines is to for instance, etiquette dictates that daily meals, then a part of culture.
Editor wteinnde toa tc obnussuimnees se xdpiennnseivres. wTinheesy, iimngp otrhte tmhe min vtioa csapsekcsi balelfyo rlea pboeulerd- dbeineer ros rc,h yuegs ,f uwlli ngela. sMseusl toifp lleiq buootr-, Iang eCnthsi nhaa,v eth teo omradkeer wisi nree vae frassehd-:
Y especially from France, which is a bottles in local factories. The pro- tles can get emptied in a fl ash. ionable before getting consumers
A symbol of class.” cess is fraught with potential prob- Out of the mainstream to appreciate its function. It’s no
Meanwhile, local wines, sold lems. There is no way to quality For international red wine wonder that quality is sometimes
D at low prices, helped introduce the control the wine, because once a agents, the biggest challenge in the lost in the mix.
O luxury to average consumers. bottle is opened, it cannot be put local market is the dominance of “I think the chaos in the market
T for Tehveer pyioen hea. sI no n2ly0 0go7,t tiemn pboigrgteedr on tThhee srhee alfr aen aylmsoo prer.o blems with lcaobuenlstr fireosm li kwee lFl-reasntacbel,i sIhtaedly wainnde mbuaty t choen stiitnuuaet ifoonr aint l emaasjto fi rv cei ytieeasr iss,
G brerda nwdsin oec csuapleies di n8 pCehrcinean.t oBfy t otthael pmraicriknegt., Dcuoen stuom tehres hsuogme entaimtivees Stipoani,n s.o Tmoe sdiedaelsetresp h tahvies cchoomsepne ttio- cwhilalninggin tgo, ”le Sahrnen it s.aid. “People are
N end of last year, that number had hoard wines, driving the price of import wine from other countries, “When ordinary consumers go
I reached 20 percent. some luxury brands to 10 times with varying degrees of success. to the convenience store and on
J A bottle of Lafi te can sell for tens “There’s a saying that’s the original. Beijing Longvity International their way back buy a bottle of wine
I of thousands of yuan in China. emerged in the last three years: In 2007, French brand Cha- Trading Company is one of these for dinner, that’s when you can
E French wine owners are in China, teau Lafi te’s prices began to rise dealers. The company started its say the native market is mature.”
B
January 7 2011
9
Better to teach bakery
than give them bread s
w
e
n

t
a
p
Cecile Cavoizy
x
in China, hotels and bakeries E
are struggling to find quali-
fied bakers.
“Through the SYB training,
we hope to address both these
needs, by giving orphans useful
training that will basically
guarantee them a job after they
graduate from the program,”
Cavoizy said.
Orphans who graduate from SYB often fi nd work in hotels and big bakeries. Photos provided by SYB Cavoizy, who is a human
resources specialist, has experi-
By Liang Meilan offers one-year training in can only work for SYB on eve- European bakery before join- enced fi rsthand the pressure on
Established in 2008, a traditional French bakery so nings on weekends. ing the program. fresh graduates to fi nd jobs.
school called Shanghai Young that they can integrate into She is now mainly in charge Most of them develop a pas- “A large number of orphans
Bakers (SYB) is famous among society with a meaningful job of brainstorming ideas and going sion for it and strive to do cannot even fi nish elementary
bakeries in Shanghai. Gradu- upon graduation. to meetings with partners. well and complete their exams. school in China. But hope-
ates from the school enjoy a SYB is run by a team of Cavoizy beams with pride- A few pursue further educa- fully, SYB will help them fi nish
good reputation for their tradi- volunteers with various back- when talking about the tion, but the majority fi nd work their compulsory education
tional French bakery skills. grounds and nationalities. school’s latest big news: three for hotels like Four Seasons, and grant them the skills for
But if they don’t tell, Cecile Cavoizy, 30, from of its most promising stu- Wagasa and Sofi tel. fi nding a job,” she said.
people will never know that France, is one of the leaders. She dents will be sent to France “I’m greatly moved that Although she works without
all the students in the school has lived in Shanghai for the last for six months of bakery they are very ambitious and any fi nancial compensation,
are orphans. eight years and joined SYB as a training at the prestigious ready to put in extra hours in Cavoizy said she is determined
SYB, the school, is actually volunteer in June 2009. Ecole Francaise de Boulange- order to learn as much as pos- to stay with SYB for as long as
an NGO relying on funds from “I was amazed by the rie d’Aurillac. sible and fi nd good work after she can.
foundations like Carrefour energy of all the volunteers “They can become teachers they graduate,” Cavoizy said. “I would say that it has
Foundation and Chi Heng in ensuring the success of for the next generation of SYB YSB’s work helps address become a part of my life now,”
Foundation. the orphan students,” Cavoizy students upon their return,” she two needs, Cavoizy said. she said. “And the students’ spir-
The school was initiated by said. “And I was impressed by said. “And I’m so proud that our On one hand, many NGOs its and toughness inspire me a lot.
12 French volunteers from the the number of organizations best students are excited and help orphans go through com- They gradually develop not only
Junior Chamber of Commerce that joined forces to make the committed to help SYB grow.” pulsory education, but they valuable skills but also real self-
in France. The idea was bor- program work.” Cavoizy said the students are not always equipped to confi dence, independence and a
rowed from a similar project Like other SYB volunteers are mostly from outside give them the skills to be inde- sense of community and team
in Vietnam. who practically dedicate all Shanghai, from Henan, Anhui, pendent in life afterwards. spirit. I think I’ve learned more
SYB, rather than collect- their free time to the program, Shandong and Guangxi prov- On the other hand, as the from them than they’ve learned
ing donations for its orphans, Cavoizy has a full-time job and inces, who had never heard of bakery industry grows rapidly from the program.”
n
a
Y
o
a
h
Z
er:
n
g
si
e
D
n
a
m
n
a
M
n
a
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or:
dit
E
Y
A
D
O
T

G
N
I
J
I
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B
January 7 2011
10
Increasing productivity Event
Beijing International New
Short Play Festival 2011
with Beijing Coworking Beijing Innovative Theater
y Experience, a non-profi t the-
ater organization bringing
t together professional and
i amateur actors worldwide to
n By Liang Meilan present innovative theater, is
Many work-at-home profes- holding its third annual Inter-
u sionals and freelancers choose to national New Short Play Fes-
work in public spaces like coffee- tival. Themed “Fish Out of
houses, but what happens when Water,” this year’s festival
m
these places get too noisy and plays on the humor and
distracting? poignancy of living outside
Perhaps try Beijing Cowork- one’s culture, featuring plays
m ing, designed for independent about foreigners in China. For
workers in the capital. It’s a way more information, visit anna-
for people to gather at various grace.net.
o venues in town every week for Where: Penghao Theater,
the express purpose of working 35 Dongmianhua Hutong,
C together – but independently. Dongcheng District
Created by Michael Daugherty, When: January 6-16,
26, a startup entrepreneur from 7:30-10 pm
Boston who is working on an online Tel: [phone]
company called Bespoke Row, Bei- Cost: 80-120 yuan for
jing Coworking began organizing three nights
meetings in the spring. There have
been about 100 so far, with three to Forum: Current state of
four people showing up each time. Sino-US relations and the
Twenty-four people are currently context of public opinion
signed up for its weekly email. Two Sino-US relations
Mostly the group meets at experts, Professor David M.
Mucha Cafe on Gongti Xi Lu and Lampton from Johns Hopkins
Costa Coffee in Raffl es City. University and Professor Tao
As a work-at-home profes- Wenzhao from Tsinghua Uni-
sional, Daugherty started Beijing versity, will present their opin-
Coworking because he got tired of Michael P. Daugherty (left) and other co-workers at Costa Coffee in Raffl es City ions on how public opinion
working from home by himself. He infl uences relations between
Photo provided by Michael Daugherty
visited Shanghai last spring and the two most powerful nations
found a coworking group there ally takes a vote. people from other vocations. “It’s working on startups, but in Bei- in the world.
called Xindanwei. At the meetings themselves, particularly helpful for people who jing, most local startups are located Where: Capital M, 3/F, 2
“I had a really memorable “even though coworkers usually are their own boss, but anyone who in Haidian District. Most expats, Qianmen Pedestrian Street,
experience there,” he said. “I concentrate on their own projects,” doesn’t have an offi ce to go to for meanwhile, live in Dongcheng or Dongcheng District
found a project engineer who Daugherty said, “everyone is open work would probably appreciate Chaoyang districts. When: January 9, 4-5 pm
exchanged ideas with me on to helping everyone else.” it,” Daugherty said. “We’d love to bring these two Tel: [phone]
topics we are both interested in, Every other Wednesday, mem- The small community faces two communities together, but traveling Cost: 65 yuan, includes a
and I got a lot of inspiration.” bers who are working on startups major challenges. between the two parts of town takes drink
Back in Beijing, he organized discuss their goals for the next two One is the cost of offi ce space. a long time. So if we just choose one
the fi rst Beijing Coworking meet- weeks and the challenges they face. Daugherty would like to rent a fi xed location for an offi ce, it would prob- Salon: Yang Xiaoyu, Chi-
ing with some of his expat friends. Then at the next meeting, they ask venue in Beijing, but the cost may ably be good for one group, but not na’s rising violinist
“I found the startup com- each other if they were able to be prohibitive. the other,” Daugherty said. The Bookworm invites
munity in Beijing was sparse, achieve their goals. “When I was looking in the Daugherty is encouraged by Yang Xiaoyu, a concertmaster
not much like Boston or in Sil- “This can help us stay focused summer, a 200-square-meter increased interest recently, and at the National Center of the
icon Valley, where gatherings of by providing a deadline. Otherwise, offi ce would cost 27,000 yuan is determined to fi nd a perma- Performing Arts, to give a pri-
startup entrepreneurs are fre- when you don’t have to report to per month, but we don’t want to nent location within the next few vate concert before discuss-
quently seen,” Daugherty said. anyone, it’s easy to convince your- charge people more than 1,500 months. ing his career, his music, the
The way it works is this: some- self that it’s OK to move deadlines yuan a month membership,” he “I hope that our group will difference between being a
one suggests a location via an back, and you therefore don’t get as said. “We’d have to have at least 18 become a hub for independent and soloist and a concertmaster,
online form (mpdaugherty.wufoo. much work done,” Daugherty said. people to cover the rent.” creative people in Beijing so that and why concertmasters are
com / forms / beijing-cowork- Besides startup entrepreneurs, Another issue is geography. people don’t feel lost like I did when so important to any orchestra,
ing), and then the group eventu- Beijing Coworking also welcomes Coworking is an ideal for people I fi rst moved here,” he said. especially new ones.
Where: Bookworm, 4
Online discussion puts focus on Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
District
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a When: January 9, 7:30-9
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o migrant children all over the country pm
a Tel: [phone]
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Z Cost: 30 yuan, 20 yuan for
er: student
n By Liang Meilan FYSE is an organization dedi- also share information about their capital are forced to drop out and
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si An online discussion hosted by cated to supporting young social efforts in helping migrant children. try to enter the workforce or attend Learn to make traditional
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D the Foundation for Youth Social entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacifi c So far the discussion is cen- vocational training. Chinese crafts
g Entrepreneurship (FYSE) about region who want to tackle the tered on how to provide education The only other option is to get Lily’s Showroom, an
Yin the children of migrant workers is most pressing social and environ- for migrant children and the qual- lost in the shuffl e of society. antique store at Gaobeidian
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dit shared an offi ce building with Com- has launched the online discussion CMC, said one of the interesting on informal land,” Hursh said. “In calligraphy and other crafts
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Y passionate Compassion for Migrant to enable more people to join the things he learned several years short, they live informal lives. This will be taught in classes illus-
A Children (CMC), a nonprofi t orga- discussion, to learn and to voice ago seemed like a paradox at is a big problem because it keeps trated with tales and tradi-
nization committed to helping chil- their opinion and experience. fi rst. “The top graduates of middle them from accessing opportuni- tions of ancient China.
D dren of migrant workers in China “It is important to learn from school were returning to their ties that reward them appropri- Where: Lily’s Showroom,
O and their communities through people who might not be in Beijing villages, while those with lower ately for the positive contributions 3/F, Gaobeidian Furniture Jie,
social and educational programs. and to provide them with learn- marks stayed in the city,” he said. they make in our cities.” Chaoyang District
T
Those interested in joining ing opportunities,” said Andrea Migrant children only have one The discussion is not just for When: every weekend, 9
the discussion should visit Krause, FYSE executive director. chance at entering college, and expats. Although so far all posts am – 5 pm
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socialinnovationmeetup.com. “People from everywhere can go that’s through the national college are in English, Chinese replies are Tel: [phone]
N Experts will reply to all relevant online whenever they have time entrance exam, which they can only accepted and will be translated. Cost: 100 yuan, includes
postings. and contribute.” take in the city where they’re legally “We welcome suggestions for material
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J Expers are from CMC and Experts in charge of the discus- registered. In other words, they further discussion topics after this (By Liang Meilan)
I another leading NGO in the fi eld, sion from the three organizations have to leave Beijing to enter high one, as the plan is to organize more
E the Migrant Children Foundation. not only reply to the questions but school. Those who remain in the of these forums,” Krause said.
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