Beijing Today (January 2, 2004)

19.2 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

During the year of ‘China in France,’ Best eats — a summary of our “She had a bad temper, and on more than
many Chinese tourists will visit Lille, favorite restaurants of 2003. one occasion she threatened me with a
2004’s cultural capital of Europe. Page 14 knife.” Page 9
Page 16
FRIDAY JANUARY 2 2004 NO. 136 CN11-0120 HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
Chinese Rescue Team Arrives
Suspected
SARS Case
in Quake-hit Iran
Remains
Unidentifi ed
A
By Xiao Rong 43-member Chinese rescue Ministry said Sunday that over 20,000 peo-
L
atest test results team began work Sunday short- ple have been confi rmed dead so far.
carried out Tuesday ly after arriving in the quake- At Kerman airport, scores of injured
on the suspected ruined city of Bam, in Iran’s people were waiting to be transferred to
SARS cases reported southeastern province of Kerman. other cities for treatment. Some were be-
in southern China’s The Chinese team, the fi rst Asian res- ing carried on makeshift stretchers by sol-
Guangdong province remain in- cue mission to arrive in the disaster area, diers.
conclusive, according to a joint has been divided into several groups and Many Iranians have fl own in from oth-
team of experts from China’s joined the local rescue teams in the search er parts of the country to fi nd news about
Ministry of Health and the World for survivors. missing loved ones.
Health Organization (WHO). A strong earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Meanwhile, the earthquake has caused
The ministry has decided Richter scale rocked Bam on early Friday, de- disruption of the water and power supplies
that samples will be sent to stroying 90 percent of the buildings in the and communication in the city.
a laboratory that is part of ancient Silk Road city. The Iranian Interior (Xinhua) Chinese rescue workers join local rescue teams in Bam. Xinhua Photo
the WHO international refer-
ence network. WHO said in
Blading South
a press release Tuesday that
carrying out tests at multiple
labs will enhance the testing
process.
A 32-year-old freelance tele-
vision producer was confi rmed
Three youths from Beijing make history skating across China
Saturday by the Ministry of
Health as a suspected SARS
Skating down hill was most risk-
patient in Guangzhou, capital
prone, because their professional fi ve-
of south China’s Guangdong
wheeled blades had no brakes, making it
Province.
easy to reach dangerous speeds.
His condition is stable and
Their worst fears were soon realized:
his temperature has been nor- Wang Sen, Yin Ziqi and Liu Nan in
Three days after setting out, they were
mal over the last several days, Daxing’anling Forest Area in September.
skating down hill towards a small vil-
a doctor at the No. 8 People’s
Hospital, where the suspected By Wang Xiaoxiao lage at the foot of the mountain, and
After over three months of hard just as the road leveled out, a barrier
SARS patient is receiving treat-
travel, three youths from Beijing blocking access to the mountain came
ment in quarantine, told Xin-
are on the last leg of a record- into view. Although the three were un-
hua News Agency.
breaking roller-blading journey from Chi- able to stop in time, Yin and Wang
“It is not unexpected that a
na’s far north to the southernmost tip of squatted down and skated under the
few cases of suspected SARS
Hainan. Yin Ziqi 18, Wang Sen 17 and barrier, however, Liu, the tallest of the
have been reported, since it is
Liu Nan 22, set out on September 13 three, was not so lucky. He struck the
not likely that the SARS virus
from Mohe, a village in the far north of barrier and fell, subsequently requiring
will die out so soon after its
Heilongjiang Province, to rollerblade all fi ve stitches in his jaw at a small hospi-
emergence,” commented Pro-
the way to Sanya, Hainan Province. tal in the village.
fessor Zhong Nanshan, direc-
When they started planning the jour- “We were so grateful that they didn’t
tor of the Guangzhou Institute
ney two years ago, they were confi dent ask us for a cent when they learned what
of Respiratory Diseases, who
that someone would sponsor them. The we were doing,” said Yin. Fortunately Liu’s
has been fi ghting SARS since
three drew up a long list of equipment injury was not serious and they were able
late last year.
they would need, including different types to set off again after a short rest.
This is the fi rst suspected
of shoes for various road conditions and Continuous rain in the following days
SARS case discovered since
sets of spare wheels. The wish-list came further hampered the journey. All three
May 23, when WHO lifted the
to a total of 50 thousand yuan, but after caught colds and they had to stop for
SARS-related travel advisory
being rejected by several companies, they two days at another village. “I thought
on Guangdong. The fi rst re-
lost heart. No one would believe the three to myself, ‘why are we suffering so,’ and
corded SARS case emerged in
youngsters would fi nish such an ambi- was hit by a feeling of homesickness, but
Foshan city, also in Guangdong,
tious journey. I got over it. That might have been the
in November 2002.
“We aren’t doing this for commercial hardest time for us I guess, the rest of
To date, none of the 42 peo-
purposes, perhaps that’s why the compa- our journey was much easier,” said Yin.
ple quarantined after having
nies were not willing to support us,” Yin The three averaged 100 to 150 kilo-
close contact with the suspect-
told Beijing Today Monday in a telephone meters a day, depending on the road con-
ed patient have shown symp-
interview from Guangzhou. “Most people dition, weather and their state of health.
toms of the disease, according
know very little about this amazing sport,” Their average speed was about 20 ki-
to the Ministry of Health.
he replied when asked why they wanted to lometers per hour and they skated six
Meanwhile, Chinese health
rollerblade such a vast distance. Liu add- to seven hours a day. “But at times, we
authorities will ban from con-
ed, “And if the 2008 Olympic Games would reached speeds of 50 or 60 kilometers
ducting further research all
add in-line skating because of our hard per hour. We even raced with cars on the
SARS research laboratories
work, how cool and great it would be!” roads,” said Yin proudly.
that fail new licensing tests set
Liu read in the Guinness Book of World Having passed through Heilongjiang,
up by the Ministry of Science
Records earlier this year that a Finn had Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin,
and Technology.
set a roller-blading world record by skat- Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui,
Experts will check that all
ing across Finland, a distance of about Zhejiang, Fujian and most of Guang-
labs conducting SARS research
2,800 kilometers. The three submitted an dong, the three are due to reach Sanya
nationwide strictly adhere to
application in April to the Guinness World early in the New Year. Each has spent
the set standards of grade-
Records liaison offi cer in China to make a 5,000 to 6,000 yuan of their own money,
three bio-security, the second
new world record. According to the offi cer, staying in the cheapest hotels and eat-
highest of the four bio-security
they should collect the postmarks of the ing the cheapest food.
levels, and those that pass
places they passed through as evidence of After being interviewed by several
will receive new licenses, an-
their journey.. newspapers and TV stations, they say
nounced the Ministry of Health
They fi nally set out on their journey of they have already become well-known,
Tuesday.
some 7,000 kilometers on September 13, and some companies have at last offered
WHO commented positive-
without any fi nancial backing. Both Yin to support them fi nancially, but have
ly on cooperation by the
and Wang are still students, and had to been politely refused. “Since we said that
Ministry of Health, represen-
ask their schools for special leave. In order we were doing this all by ourselves, we
tatives of which have met
to be easily visible to drivers, they wore won’t accept sponsorship any more,” Yin
daily with WHO officials and
yellow overcoats, and each carried a large said. “We’ve learnt a lot along our way,
provided WHO with com-
backpack weighing about 25 kilograms. much more than we could ever learn
prehensive information, in-
The fi rst few days were the hardest, from books alone. I feel happy and lucky
cluding the patient’s clinical
because they had to skate through the that we didn’t give up after the accident
history and test results, since
mountainous Daxing’anling national for- in Daxing’anling.”
the suspected case was re-
est area. Being the middle of the highest
ported last Saturday. EXECUTIVE EDITOR: ZHANG XIAOXIA
fi re-danger season, it was very quiet as
EDITOR: XIAO RONG
cars were not permitted in the park. Yin Ziqi and Liu Nan on Highway 104, 50 kilometers from Nanjing. Photo by Wang Sen DESIGNER: LI SHI
■Under the auspices of the Information Office of Beijing Municipal Government ■Run by Beijing Youth Daily ■President: Zhang Yanping ■Editor in Chief: Zhang Yabin ■Executive Deputy Editor in Chief: He Pingping ■Direc-
tor of the Editorial Department: Liu Feng ■Price: 2 yuan per issue ■26 yuan for 3 months ■Address: No.23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China ■Zip Code: 100026 ■Telephone/Fax: (010)
6590-2525 ■E-mail: [email protected] ■Hotline for subscription with Red Cap Company: [phone] ■ Overseas Code Number: D1545 ■ Overseas Distribution Agent: China International Book Trading Corporation
NEWS
2
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: XIAO RONG YU SHANSHAN DESIGNER: LI SHI
Evacuees from Deadly Gas
Probe 1 Put in Orbit
China launched a high-altitude
satellite into preset orbit on Tuesday
morning using a Long March 2C/SM
carrier rocket, according to witnesses
Explosion Heading Home at the Xichang Satellite Launch
Center in Sichuan Province. The sat-
ellite is the fi rst of its kind launched
by China and part of a space probe
program carried out jointly by China
and the European Space Agency
(ESA). The equatorial orbiting satel-
lite, named Probe No. 1, was launched
By Zhang Ran Sunday morning, some accompanied by
By early this week, nearly 60,000 medical personnel, after their villages at 3:06 am Tuesday.
Probe No. 1 is the fi rst satellite of
people evacuated following a were confi rmed safe. The local gov-
the Double Star Project and the high-
deadly explosion of toxic gas last ernment secured electricity supply and
est orbiting satellite China has ever
Tuesday in Kaixian County, Chongqing instructed all shops to open to guarantee
launched. The 350-kilogram craft is
Municipality, had returned to their availability of daily necessities.
expected to work in space for 18 months.
homes. The blast claimed 234 lives and A Xinhua report on Monday quoted
Proposed by Chinese scientists in 1997,
injured thousands. Zhang Shaozhi, director of the Chongqing
the Double Star Project is the fi rst
After struggling for two hours to pump Municipal Environmental Protection
China-Europe joint satellite probe pro-
mud into the well from which the gas Bureau, as saying, “According to analy-
gram. Probe No. 1 will be followed by
leaked, emergency teams and technicians sis of environmental data from the site,
Probe No. 2, a polar orbiting satellite
fi nally sealed it off at 11:00 am last Satur- both the atmosphere and surface water
scheduled to go up next year. The two
day, according to the Xinhua News Agency. quality are safe enough for villages to
craft will investigate important areas
Since Sunday morning, a team of 600 return home.”
of unprobed magnetic fi elds around the
workers has been carrying out massive “No gas has escaped since the well
Earth. (Xinhua)
efforts to disinfect the polluted area. Envi- was successfully sealed on Saturday,” said
ronmental protection staff, health and epi- Zeng Shitian, professor and engineer with
Fifth Ring Tollbooths
demic prevention workers and over 1,000 the Sichuan petroleum administration
soldiers, armed police and militia have bureau. However, the gas well will remain
joined in the rescue efforts. The Ministry of closed until practical safety measures are Closed
Civil Affairs has sent over 10,000 quilts to taken to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
the area, a spokesman for the county gov- That announcement was made by Wang By Zhang Ran
ernment said Sunday. Xianzheng, director of the State Adminis- The charging of tolls for travel on
An investigation team has been estab- tration of Work Safety and deputy direc- Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road stopped as of
lished to launch a probe into the acci- tor of the work safety committee of the yesterday. The road is now considered
dent. After the explosion, the death toll State Council, who is leading the State an urban expressway intended to ease
continued to rise to 234 as more bodies Council-organized survey team. downtown traffi c congestion and more
were found in nearby mountainous vil- On Saturday, the China Insurance Reg- closely link satellite towns with the city
lages, according to the local government. ulatory Commission (CIRC) urged insur- center, as announced at a press confer-
A total of 10,175 people have been hos- ance companies in Chongqing to pay ence held by the Beijing Traffi c Bureau.
pitalized, around 80 of whom remain in prompt compensation to victims of the The cancellation of tolls is likely to
serious condition. catastrophe. spur more use of the roadway. Many
By Sunday, the identities of 110 vic- Offi cial fi gures show that local clients new entrance and exit ramps and auxil-
tims from 58 families had been confi rmed, in the affected area have bought premi- iary roads will be constructed or rebuilt
according to Du Lianjian, director of the ums worth a total of 400 million yuan, 230 this year to allow greater traffi c fl ow.
civil affairs bureau of Kaixian County. million yuan of which is property cover- Nearly 60,000 people were evacuated from villages in Kaixian County, Chongqing, following The nearly 100-kilometer long Fifth
Evacuees began returning home age and the rest life insurance. last Tuesday’s tragedy. Xinhua Photo Ring Road opened to traffi c on Novem-
ber 1 last year and runs through or
near several large residential areas,
Ban Slapped Banking Regulations Get
questions about the preparedness of the
Olympic venues, science parks and the
three national watchdogs for China’s
Beijing Economic Development Zone.
banking, securities and insurance indus-
However, traffi c use over the past few
on Beef from Stamp of Approval tries, the China Banking Regulatory months was limited, presumably as a
Commission (CBRC), the China Securi-
result of the tolls.
ties Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and
America the China Insurance Regulatory Com- Local Car Shows
By Wang Xiaoxiao “The new law is practical and mission (CIRC). “Laws have to impose
Three key banking regulations, the designed to meet the needs of the long- rigid regulations upon banks that wish
Reunited
draft law on banking supervision, the term operation of the CBRC,” Zhang to engage in non-banking fi nancial busi-
By Ma Jianfei amendment of the Law on Commercial Xiao, a member of the NPC Standing nesses, since supervision mechanisms
Following the outbreak of mad cow Banks and the amendment of the Law Committee, told Xinhua Monday. are not yet in place,” Jiang Qiangui, By Xiao Shan
disease in the US, on December 26, on the People’s Bank of China, were CBRC Chairman Liu Mingkang has vice-chairwoman of the NPC Law Com- The two Beijing auto shows sched-
the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and approved last Saturday at the sixth ses- also assembled a council of interna- mittee told Xinhua. uled for this year will be merged into
Quarantine Bureau sealed up three sion of the Tenth National People’s Con- tional advisors, including Sir Edward An article in Monday’s Financial one larger event, the Beijing Auto Show,
batches of beef imported from Amer- gress (NPC) Standing Committee. George, former governor of the Bank of Times said the move is aimed at giving the organizers of the two exhibitions
ica, weighing a total of 70.77 tons and The NPC Law Committee formally England, to help the supervisory body domestic banks access to additional announced at the China International
worth over 360,000 yuan. ratifi ed the creation of the China Bank- handle reforms. revenue sources before the industry is Exhibition Center. The main exhibition
Bureau staff sealed off the beef ing Regulatory Commission (CBRC), the The amendment of the Law on Com- opened to further foreign investment hall of the China International Exhibi-
after it had been declared at customs body set up in April last year to take mercial Banks relaxes rules regarding in 2006. tion Center will serve as the primary
at Capital International Airport. They over supervision of banks and fi nancial lenders and leaves room for banks to The amendment of the Law on the venue for the event, scheduled to run
proceeded to quarantine and disinfect institutions, investigate illegal banking possibly engage in non-banking fi nancial People’s Bank of China focuses on the from June 9 to 16, and the China
the transport planes and carefully dis- operations and mete out punishments businesses. Commercial lenders were central bank’s performance in mon- National Agricultural Exhibition Center
pose of garbage and waste water from for violations of the law. previously barred from entering such etary policy management. With this will be the secondary site.
the aircraft. The law symbolizes the shift of the fi elds as securities and insurance. Under reform, the central bank has new Beijing has organized seven interna-
Investigations into cattle imported country’s bank supervision policy from this revised law, strictly supervised rights to crack down on money laun- tional auto shows since 1990, but the
from the US in the past few years, simply monitoring the legitimacy of authorization of non-banking fi nancial dering nationwide, crimes previously four organizers of the original events
as well as their progeny, have been operations to putting equal importance business will begin on February 1. dealt with by the Ministry of Public split into two groups last November,
launched by the bureau. on both legitimacy and risk control. However, that reform has raised Security. each planning to hold their own concur-
The bureau has also released a rent events in June.
notice demanding that all its branches Beijing-based Fortune Times com-
All Aboard! Batong Subway Line
stop accepting applications for entry mented last Thursday that traffi c
and quarantine approval for cows and and limited exhibition space were rea-
most related products from America Up and Running sons for the creation of two shows.
and directly forbidding their import. Though Wang said the 2004 auto show
Possibly infected cattle are to be By Dong Nan line cost 2 yuan and transfer tickets 4 would have an exhibition fl oor space of
returned or destroyed immediately, and The new Batong Subway line, the yuan, each 1 yuan lower than original 120,000 square meters, the combined
any cows or related products from the capital’s fourth underground line, plans. The prices were cut after many area of the China International Exhi-
US in Chinese ports not yet declared opened at 9:25 am on December 26. participants at a public hearing held bition Center and Agricultural Exhibi-
are to be sealed and quarantined. Its fi rst passenger was Xu Chen, 14, December 13 suggested such a move. tion Center falls nearly 50,000 square
Gu Zhaoxue, assistant to the gen- a resident of Banbidian in Tongzhou Beijing Today reported on that hearing meters short of that mark.
eral manager of the Xinfadi food District. on December 19.
market in Fengtai District, told The Batong line runs outside the According to statistics from the SK Sets up Hospital
Beijing News last Friday that sales East Fourth Ring Road, starting at Beijing Public Traffi c Company,
from beef had dropped, though little the Sihui station of the No. 1 line and 120,000 person-time trips are made By Shan Jinliang
American beef is sold at the market. ending at Tuqiao station in Tong- between Tongzhou and downtown Face lifts, tummy tucks and nose
Managers of supermarkets and gro- zhou. There are 13 stations along every day, rendering transfer spots jobs have become more available in
ceries near Wangfujing and Xidan the 19 kilometer route. Trains run Sihui and Sihuidong two of the most the capital following the trial open-
described similar situations. Photo provided by Ragnhild Myklebust at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes and congested areas in Beijing at rush ing of the SK Hospital Beijing, a joint
Mad cow disease has never it takes on average just 32 to travel hour. The opening of the Batong line venture facility established by South
appeared in China, said Zhang Capital Hosts Nordic from start to fi nish. is directly aimed at relieving traffi c Korea’s SK Group, on Tuesday.
Zhongqiu, deputy director of the Minis- Single tickets for travel on the new jams in these growing areas. SK Groups holds a 70 percent stake
try of Agriculture’s Animal Husbandry in the hospital, set to offi cially open in
Ski Race for BOC (Hong Kong) Authorized
and Veterinary Bureau, in Beijing on March. The International Exchange
December 27. He reassured the public and Cooperation Center of the Minis-
Disabled as RMB Clearing Bank
that national prevention and monitor- try of Health owns a 20 percent stake
ing systems are likely to keep this and Fuzhou Shuxin Technology Cor-
country mad cow-free. By Su Wei The Bank of China (BOC) would etary Authority (HKMA) said last poration holds the remaining share.
To date, economic damage from the Norwegian skier Ragnhild Myklebust, spare no effort to support BOC Hong Wednesday it had been notifi ed by SK Group is South Korea’s third larg-
tightened security around American 60, who has won 22 Paralympic gold Kong (BOCHK) to provide settle- the PBOC of its decision to appoint est enterprise and mainly engaged in
beef has been minimal, in part because medals despite being stricken with polio, ment service for yuan transactions BOCHK as the clearing bank for the fi elds of energy and telecom.
many restaurants use domestic beef. glided to another victory on Tuesday in Hong Kong, a bank spokesman RMB yuan business in Hong Kong The new hospital, located in
“Though our hotel has used beef evening in a sit-skiing competition at said last Wednesday. for a term of three years. Shuiduizi, Chaoyang District, is tar-
from the US, all our meat has passed Chaoyang Park. Second place went to Li BOC, the largest shareholder of The central bank signed a coopera- geted at middle and upper class fam-
animal quarantine certifi cation. We Xin, 17, of Heilongjiang Province. BOCHK, was very glad to see that tion memorandum for conducting Ren- ilies, meaning those with monthly
will increase our imports from Aus- Over 100 people showed up to cheer it was appointed the clearing bank, minbi business in Hong Kong with incomes of 20,000 yuan or more, said
tralia, so the ban on American beef at the race, a prelude to the Ridderrenn, spokesman Wang Zhaowen told HKMA on November 19 last year. SK Hospital Beijing CEO Choi Chang
should have little infl uence on us if the world’s largest annual winter sports Xinhua after the People’s Bank of Licensed banks in Hong Kong will be Ik at Tuesday’s opening ceremony.
it continues for a long time,” the food event for physically disabled people, to China (PBOC), the nation’s central permitted to conduct yuan services con- SK China is talking with domestic
and beverage manager of the Beijing be held in March next year in Norway. bank, authorized BOCHK to act as fi ned to four areas, yuan deposits, Hong partners regarding its plans to open 20
Lidu Holiday Inn hotel, who requested Eleven athletes, six from China and fi ve a clearing bank for individual RMB Kong dollar-yuan conversions, yuan chains nationwide by 2010 and estab-
anonymity, told Beijing Business on from Norway, participated. yuan business in Hong Kong last credit cards and yuan remittances, lish research institutes in Beijing and
December 25. Wednesday. The Hong Kong Mon- starting this month. (Xinhua) Shanghai.
22 33
0000
EVENTS 3
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: XIAO RONG DESIGNER: LI SHI
M
arking the start of this New Year, Beijing Today presents six pages of our top stories from 2003,
REVIEW including key news events, controversial topics, exclusive probes, unforgettable features and dra-
matic cultural phenomenon, as well as comments from special fi gures.
Fortune Global 500 Beijing Today
Crowd into Contributes to
China Market
SARS Coverage
By Xiao Rong
Two Hundred fi fty-eight For- By Xiao Rong
tune Global 500 (2001) listed In the atypical spring of 2003
multinational companies have es- when severe acute respiratory
tablished operations in Beijing, an syndrome (SARS) hit the capital,
increase of 15 on last year, accord- Beijing Today published a series
ing to the 2003 survey conducted of SARS specials detailing some
by Beijing Today and released on of the close encounters of Beijing
September 12. residents with the epidemic.
Since March, Beijing Today has The paper also highlighted the
interviewed 55 CEOs and chief endeavors of the foreign commu-
representatives of the 258 compa- nity, who stood up in support of
nies in Beijing, who discussed their
the city and its struggle against
latest business progress and ini-
the virus. Most of the expatriate
tiatives, as well as criticisms and
workers in Beijing chose to stay
suggestions to the city.
rather than leave and some
For those among the 55 com-
shared with us their experiences
panies that have begun operations
in the face of SARS.
in China, China or the Asia-Pacif-
Our staff reporters also braved
ic region is playing an increasingly
the quarantined areas to inter-
important role in their businesses
view those special fi gures, from
worldwide. The huge potential of
the growing Chinese market is a medical staff to logistics teams in
key reason that companies like hospitals, from suspected SARS
Motorola, Toshiba, Samsung, Nor- victims under quarantine to vol-
tel Networks, have established re- unteers, whose courage and dedi-
gional headquarters or made major cation constitute elements of real
investments here. news stories.
Automobile manufacturers and With the progress of the
companies related to the automo- city’s battle against SARS,
bile industry seem to have benefi t- Beijing Today also focused on
ed from the burgeoning automobile the efforts of different indus-
market in China, especially in tries in minimizing the impact
Beijing, where car ownership now of SARS and promoting eco-
stands at two million.
nomic recovery.
The insurance industry has
begun to experience encouraging
changes after patiently waiting for
the opening of China’s insurance Peasant Millionaire Group, was accused in September school was reliant on funds from business by raising funds from
market following the country’s
by Xushui County Procuratorate the Group to keep operating. Af- employees and local villagers.”
WTO entry. Of the six insurance Sentenced on Iffy
Court of violating banking laws ter investing nearly 1.7 million In the opinion of Li Zhiying,
companies Beijing Today inter-
and State Council regulations by yuan in the school, Sun began to secretary of Beijing Renben De-
viewed, fi ve set up new, fully Financial Charges
borrowing over 13 million yuan seek outside fi nancing to support velopment and Research Center,
licensed branch operations in Chi-
from almost 5,000 local farmers its operation. Sun Dawu’s case refl ects the uni-
nese cities in 2002.
By Xiao Rong since 1995. The amount stood as Xushui county government, versal diffi culty of China’s private
The improvement in the con-
The announcement on October high as 181 million yuan at the however, maintained that it was enterprises in raising fi nance for
struction of infrastructure and
30 of well-known peasant million- beginning of Sun’s detention. illegal for Dawu Group to raise development.
public facilities, especially the mu-
aire Sun Dawu being sentenced “Local villagers volunteered to funds from the general public “Most private enterprises in Chi-
nicipality’s efforts in curbing air
to three years’ jail and four years’ invest their money in our compa- without authorization from the na have actually been trying under-
pollution, are visible changes that
probation for illegal fund-rasing ny to support our development, People’s Bank of China. The Xush- ground loans as a way of raising
have won appreciation. The aware-
highlighted for many the pitfalls because Dawu Group has contrib- ui People’s Bank told the company funds, given that the government
ness of the Beijing government to
increase effi ciency and transpar- of China’s fi nancial system, which uted a lot to the local economy repeatedly to stop the illegal fund is monopolizing the fi nance sector
ency has also been highly praised. impede the development of pri- over these years,” said Sun’s son raising, according to Yu Zhenhai, by only authorizing state banks to
Nevertheless, many suggestions vate domestic enterprises. Sun Meng, now acting chairman director of the press offi ce of the grant loans,” he said.
were forthcoming as to what needs Not long after Sun was de- of the Group. county party committee. According to Liu Ping, Sun’s
to be improved regarding the con- tained by local police in Hebei Dawu Group has provided jobs “Due to our rapid develop- case is being used as precedent
sistency of policies and regulations Province this July, Beijing Today to over 300 people in Langwu- ment, we have frequently ap- for dangerous attacks on private
and the interactive communication visited Xushui county, where Sun zhuang village and paid salaries plied to borrow money from entrepreneurs, as some local gov-
between local government and for- has built his empire since 1985, totaling over two million yuan local state banks since 1998, ernments in Shanxi, Shaanxi and
eign enterprises. and published the story on page 1 per year, according to him. Sun but seldom with success,” said Guizhou provinces are lining up
“China’s infl uence over the glob- on July 25. Dawu also established the private Liu Ping, acting vice president to punish some other private en-
al market seems to be getting Sun Dawu, 49, chairman of Dawu High School in 1998, keep- of Dawu Group. “That’s why we trepreneurs on the same grounds
heavier and stronger. We cannot Dawu Agriculture and Breeding ing tuition charges low so that the had to fi nance the growth of our Sun Dawu that ended up putting Sun in jail.
ignore a very competitive market
like China,” comments Takano Aki-
yoshi, chairman of Sanyo Electric
(China), which is a common belief Right to Die remains a central element in people’s life innocent of committing any crime fi ve
that most Fortune Global 500 com- and thought. years later.
Challenges Traditions
panies interviewed shared. In announcing the brain death of Mao Seventeen years later, the man who
Zijun’s father in accordance with China’s once helped his terminally ill mother die
Childcare Expert Sues By Xiao Rong latest “Brain Death Diagnosis Criteria,” is now himself dying of advanced stom-
As brain death and euthanasia leg- Wuhan Tongji Hospital in central Chi- ach and liver cancer. Since early 2003,
China Youth Daily islation remains a blank area in China, na’s Hubei Province has also been under Wang Mingcheng has been repeatedly
two cases that have aroused heated con- great pressure as a result of Mao’s case making requests for euthanasia to Xi’an
troversy stand out in 2003 and are set to Zhang Suming, one of the doctors in Jiaotong University No.2 Hospital. He
By Sun Ming
Liu Jie once had the reputation become milestones in changing the cen- charge of treating Mao’s father, claimed presented his handwritten three page
of being China’s leading childcare turies-old prejudices. their ultimate goal by making the an- application, which took him ten days to
expert, but her reputation was tar- In Beijing Today’s front-page story on nouncement to the media is to accelerate fi nish, on June 6.
nished early this year when fi ve April 18, Mao Zijun expressed his fi rm the legislation process concerning brain In the application, he wrote, “I, my-
people reported to Beijing Zhan- belief that by allowing doctors to turn off death in China and to help the public self, request to have euthanasia. I want
lanlu Police Station that Liu had the life support system that was keeping learn more about the issue. to be relieved from the pain, to reduce
cheated them. his brain dead father breathing, he did Wang Mingcheng has become anoth- the economic burden brought on my fam-
Many of Liu’s clients believed the right thing. er fi gure that should be remembered for ily and end this waste of social resources;
in Liu not only because of the me- “Honestly, I didn’t know my father his 17 years of struggle to safeguard his it is a symbol of humanity’s civilization
dia hype but also because of her was the fi rst case of ‘brain death’ in Chi- right of euthanasia that ended with his and social progress.”
book introducing her experience of na. I just accepted the fact that he was death on August 3. However, Wang’s request was reject-
helping babies and her theories. dead at the time, when the doctors told Wang’s mother, Xia Suwen, became ed by the hospital on the grounds that
Liu told of how she trained the son me. I believe them, it’s science,” said Mao the fi rst euthanasia case in China in there is no law governing euthanasia
of renowned CCTV host Bai Yan- Zijun, 30, the only son of the family. 1986. Wang Mingcheng, who requested in China. “No one has the right to de-
song in the book. Mao and his family have become the that his mother be allowed to die, and prive another person of his right to be
However, according to some cli-
target of intense criticism from some cor- Pu Liansheng, the doctor who wrote the alive,” was the explanation offered by
ents, what Liu said and did was al-
ners of society where fi lial piety, or devo- prescription, were arrested and charged the hospital in Beijing Today’s front-
ways the same with all babies and
Wang Mingcheng tion to one’s parents and family members, with homicide. The two were declared page story on June 13.
was very strange. For example, she
said babies should lie face down
to avoid damaging their head and
should drink cold milk to train Peasants and each by the local government, the highest who discovered the Terracotta Warriors.
their stomach.
reward ever for individuals reporting the Five of the men have already passed
According to the fi ve clients who Treasures
discovery of ancient relics. away, but Yang Xinman, Yang Peiyan and
reported Liu to police, Liu never re-
With annual incomes averaging 1,500 Yang Quanyi have belatedly presented an
turned money to clients who were
By Xiao Rong yuan, the 20,000-yuan prize was a wind- application in December to local authori-
dissatisfi ed with her service. China
A shovel or two of dirt uncovered 27 fall for all fi ve, whose story appeared on the ties for a certifi cate naming them “Discov-
Youth Daily published stories from
priceless artifacts and changed the lives of front page of Beijing Today on March 14. erers of the Qin Terracotta Army,” the fi rst
February 8 to 12 claiming that Liu
fi ve peasants. While the fi ve struck it rich for their case of this kind in China.
has cheated a number of clients.
“It’s totally good luck,” said Wang Laq- big fi nds, another nine farmers, also from “We fulfi lled our obligation to protect
However, Beijing Today inter-
viewed several Liu’s clients on the ian, who, together with four colleagues, Shaanxi Province, who unearthed one of and report the cultural heritage when we
phone on February 12 and some Wang Ningxian, Wang Mingsuo, Zhang Qi- the most extraordinary archeological fi nds discovered it. Why should we not have rec-
are quite satisfi ed with Liu. nhui and Wang Qinning, were treated to The fi ve peasants at the exhibition opening. in history were not so lucky. ognition? Without a certifi cate, the value of
In an interview with Beijing To- a special trip to the capital on March 9 The site the men found when digging a what we did will not be clear,” stated Yang
day on February 11, Liu denied to attend the opening of an exhibition of covery is the largest of its kind, in terms well back in 1974, now turns out to be Pit Xinman.
that she had cheated anyone and the bronzeware artifacts they unearthed in of the number of pieces, their size and the One of the Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army. In the opinion of Mao Jiaxing, the law-
said no one had asked for their their hometown in Mei County, Shaanxi on quantity of the inscriptions, and were de- As a reward, the authorities gave the yer hired by the three peasants, recogniz-
money back. Liu brought a law- January 19. scribed by experts as being of inestimable nine 30 yuan at the time to share between ing them as discoverers could help promote
suit against China Youth Daily to A total of 27 pieces of rare bronzeware, value to archaeological research. them. They considered it enough then, but protection of cultural heritage and make
Beijing Dongcheng District Peo- dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty Lending drama to the story is the fact now they want something more, not mon- people more active in bringing cultural
ple’s Court last month. (1066-771 BC), were unearthed. The dis- that the fi ve were awarded 20,000 yuan ey, just recognition that they were the ones fi nds to the attention of the authorities.
22 33
4 0000
VOICE
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: CHEN YING DESIGNER: LI SHI
REVIEW
Give it Back!
Chinese organization rejects museums’ declaration
By Chen Ying China’s Lost Cultural Relics Recovery
Should artworks taken from countries Program
centuries ago be returned? It is a vexing The artworks would be more beautiful and
problem between the current owners of awe-inspiring in their original environment.
the artworks and the countries of origin. Neil MacGregor, Director of the Brit-
The issue came to the public eye again ish Museum
when 19 international museums and The British Museum is the best possible
institutions issued a declaration at the place for the sculptures from the Parthenon
end of 2002 saying that it would be to be displayed.
improper to return ancient overseas art- Ildiko DeAngelis, Director, Museum
works to their original countries. Studies Program, George Washington
In Beijing Youth Daily on January 13 2003, University
China’s Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Pro- Museums are facing requests for the return
gram (CLCRRP) said that the museums decla- of some of these objects. The problem I see is
ration contradicted the spirit of the UNESCO where does this stop? Are we going to empty
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and every museum around the world and return
Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and objects to the geographic boundaries in which
Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property they were created? What happens then to the
(1970). The convention seeks to protect cul- idea of a common cultural heritage?
tural property against theft, illicit export and Harold Holzer, Vice President for
wrongful removal. Communications and Marketing at
A great number of museums in Europe, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
America and Japan, including the Louvre Without the works and art, there would be no
Museum in Paris and the Metropolitan reason for great museums to exist. There would
Museum of Art in New York, have collected be no way for people to be introduced to the cul-
thousands of artworks from other countries. ture of the East here without the works of art.
Greece, Egypt, China and many other Jiang Yingchun, curator, Poly Art
countries have joined the clamor for ancient Museum
artworks removed over the centuries to It’s like saying that slaves were always
be returned, especially those looted during hungry before the slave traders took them
wars or acquired through illegal means. to America and that they were at least fed
Opinions follow: by their owners. Would you praise the slave
Wang Weiming, the chief executive of traders for protecting slaves? Issue 88
The British Museum’s controversial Parthenon Sculptures
Special Issue for SARS Born a Scholar, Made a Butcher
People will never forget what happened during By Dong Nan survive by opening a modest Tian Yongqiang, proper “background”. with total disregard for his
the fi rst half of 2003 in China. The whole nation The 38-year-old Lu Buxuan butcher shop. Educational Administra- Zhao Jingjing, student of true ability, personal effort
had to battle with severe acute respiratory syn- enjoyed his two days of fame on “I can’t afford to talk about tion department, Beijing Beijing University and individual personality,
drome (SARS). Fortunately, we conquered all the July 26 and 27 last year, when grand words such as ‘ideal’, but University If the media focuses on one then I think it’s just sense-
diffi culties, but at the price of many lives. The key the Chinese media reported it might not be so bad if I Traditional ideas remain, guy just because he gradu- less and unfair
now is to sum up lessons and take measures so his story: top-ranking student can be a good butcher,” Lu told such as “a good student should ated from Beijing University, Issue 116
that it doesn’t happen again. The following are in the college entrance exam- Huashang Daily with a bitter work as an offi cial” and “study
some of the ideas that emerged. ination in Chang’an, Shaanxi smile. is supreme.” Today they are
Joerg Wuttke, chairman of the German province in 1985, graduate of Lu’s extensive media cover- groundless. Society needs a
Chamber of Commerce in China the Chinese language depart- age won him nationwide com- wide range of people. Students
In my opinion, it is not a medical crisis, ment of Beijing University in passion and concern. Many can be butchers too.
as out of a population of 13 million people in 1989. The once acclaimed colleges and institutes offered Lee, retired offi cial
Beijing less than 2,000 were infected. I feel it is scholar is now a butcher. him a job as a Chinese teacher. Ironically, people talk about
a confi dence crisis. People did not trust the gov- After graduating from Lu’s alma mater, Beijing Uni- the “shortage of talent” every-
ernment and they still struggle with the idea of Beijing University, Lu was versity, also expressed concern day, but most leaders pay no
whether the authorities can cope with the situ- assigned to a diesel oil machine and the desire to help. Suddenly attention at all to talented
ation. Only co-ordinated transparent action by factory in Chang’an, until the faced with so many opportuni- people. In the elementary school
the government will help to restore confi dence. factory closed down several ties, Lu admitted to feeling “a of my hometown, mere junior
Claudio Bonfatti, Italian, Agrilandia years later. Then unemployed, bit dazzled.” high school graduates are hired
farm owner in Shunyi district, east of Lu tried his hand at a number What does Lu’s story say as teachers by high-ranking
Beijing of trades including selling fur- about today’s society? Does offi cials. But my cousin, who
The information should be more balanced. I niture and a drugstore, but having a diploma make any dif- graduated from a technical
think in this kind of situation, people have to be all ended in failure. Finally ference to one’s fate? Opinions secondary school, was refused
warned not to be scared. in 2000, Lu just managed to follow: because he didn’t have the Lu Buxuan and his diploma
I see many bulletins coming into our embassy
and other sources. They just warn people to
use precautions to pay more attention but they Sex Blog Cuts Deep By Dong Nan / Wang Xiaoxiao Muzimei’s story. Soon after that, the she is seen as subversive. I like her
don’t tell people how many have died. This just
Muzimei, a 25-year-old editor of server for blogcn.com broke down style of writing and her stories.
scares people.
City Pictorial, a magazine in Guang- because so many visitors were trying Wei Jiang, 32, female
David N. Tool, visiting professor at zhou, has excited considerable inter- to read Muzimei’s diary. She’s not the only one that has
Beijing Second Foreign Language Insti- est with her online diary Yiqingshu “I take these sexual affairs as they chaotic relationships with men, but
tute (Memo of Love) recently. come. Like other things, it is what she’s the first one to tell us all
There are times when we must spit, but it
Miss Mu was already well known people need,” Muzimei wrote in her about it.
can be done in a safe manner and in a safe
for her racy magazine column that diary on November 6. Li Peng, 26, male
place. Just as education of the people in the
dealt with love and sex. From June 19 The discussion about Muzimei’s If we take it as some kind of lit-
West ended this major transmission of tuber-
this year, she also began to post her attitude and her writing style on the erary work, it doesn’t deserve much
culosis (TB), better education and attention to
diary on blogcn.com, the largest web- Internet have already been described attention. So just let it be. We don’t
this dreadful social practice is needed in China,
site in China for “blog”, the Internet as the “Muzimei phenomenon”. Opin- have to make such a fuss.
as well as warnings that it can spread SARS.
term for online diaries. Most of the ions follow: Wei Neng, 32, male
Issue 102
contents are about her sexual expe- Li Yinhe, renowned sociologist Actually people like to talk about
Journalists in the Front Line riences with different partners every and sexologist sex, but are afraid to. She is helping
couple of weeks. In the diary, she I think society should be able to to open this theme in public.
By Ivy Zhang often uses the men’s real names. tolerate different values. Stephan, 45, male, German
Twelve journalists died within three weeks of In August, Muzimei wrote about Zhou Xiaozheng, sociologist, Muzimei is just doing what she
the outbreak of the war in Iraq, accounting for a night she spent with Wang Lei, a Renmin University likes; she didn’t break the law, so
2% of the 600 journalists covering the confl ict. well-known rock star in Guangzhou. Muzimei’s sexual diary is even why is she to blame? It’s the fault
In response to questions about the incident She described all the details, even more terrible than erotic VCDs. of the Chinese media! It doesn’t
at the Palestine Hotel, which was crowded with down to Wang’s sexual ability. Huangaidongxi, renowned nov- provide controlled outlets for this
international reporters and was fi red on by a Earlier last November, China’s elist, column writer, lives in kind of thing, that’s where the
US tank, killing a Reuters journalist and a three biggest websites, sina.com, Guangzhou problem is!
Spanish journalist on April 8, Victoria Clarke, Muzimei sohu.com and netease.com reported All she’s doing is having sex. But Issue 130
the US Defense Department’s spokeswoman,
said she had repeatedly warned the news media
that “war is a dangerous, dangerous business.” Humor or Humiliation?
Is it worthwhile for journalists to report on
such a dangerous business at such risk to their By Chen Ying Nanjingers insulted by foreigners’ T-shirt an insult to Chinese people.
lives? Insiders’ opinions follow: Locals in Nanjing were enraged Cai Fanghua, commentator
Ed Lanfranco, UPI Bureau Chief, Beijing when they saw a foreigner wearing sorted out and the foreigner promised from Beijing Youth Daily
I do not value the life of a reporter above a T-shirt with Chinese words read- not to wear the T-shirt again. Being tolerant of criticism shows
those of the combatants and non-combatants ing “ten warnings for Chinese” on “The girl told me they just an open-minded psychology. So if
who also perished during the Iraqi war. June 14 last year. thought the T-shirt was humorous,” Nanjingers see a foreigner wearing
All deaths on all sides are a tragedy. War cor- When the male foreigner, accom- Xing Yuanyuan, a reporter from a such a T-shirt again in future, I
respondents go into dangerous situations accept- panied by a Chinese girl, entered a local newspaper, told Beijing Today. suggest they discuss it with them
ing a high risk (possible death) for high reward restaurant on Yanggongjing Street, “As the foreigner said, the T-shirt he instead of quarrelling.
(great stories). he soon found people paying more wore was made in China. It’s improper Andrew McEwen, from Britain
Determining whether or not those who died attention to him than normal. to say he intended to insult Chinese,” I believe in freedom of speech.
did so in vain depends on the nature of the They felt angry after seeing the a spokesman from the Propaganda It is something written deep in the
peace and social justice secured after the war. tips for Chinese printed on the back Offi ce of the Political Department of western soul and psyche, and some-
Winning the peace is just as important as vic- of the foreigner’s T-shirt: don’t stare Nanjing Police Bureau told Beijing thing I cherish as an Englishman. It
tory in war. at foreigners; charge the same price Today. is something I did not even know I
Dr. Gary Rice, a Fulbright Lecturer at for both Chinese and foreigners; Was the foreigners’ behavior an cared about until I came to China.
the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing don’t say hello or OK to foreigners; insult to Chinese? Or is there nothing It is true one cannot shout ‘fi re!’
and Nankai University in Tianjin. He has don’t give them fake money or offer to get upset about? Opinions follow. in a crowded theater and so it must
taught a class in War and the News them an unreasonable exchange Xia Xueluan, professor from also be true that no freedom of
Media in the United States. rate; allow foreigners to stay in Department of Sociology, speech can ever be absolute. Each
If truth is the fi rst casualty of war, journalists cheap hotels. Beijing University society and its government there-
themselves have been frequent casualties in this An angry exchange ensued and I think the Nanjingers’ reaction fore chooses its own limits. Here
confl ict. I cringe every time I hear of a journalist police had to be summoned to take was reasonable. The important thing in China, as everyone knows, those
dying, but I also know that each and every one those involved to Huaihailu Police is who can wear this kind of T-shirt. limits are far more stringent than
chose to be there, doing their jobs for a variety of Station near the restaurant. Soon two Of course, if a Chinese person wears in the West.
reasons. All were aware of the dangers and risks offi cers from the Foreign Affairs Offi ce it there’s no problem. It could even Maybe I am just a crazy West-
when they elected to go. Soldiers have to go into of Baixiaqu Police Bureau came to help in treating foreigners properly. erner, but I fi nd it easy to tolerate
combat, journalists choose to go. the station to mediate in the case. But it’s totally different if a foreigner an insulting T-shirt. Bombs — now
Issue 100 About an hour later, the argument was wears the T-shirt. In my mind, it’s they upset me. Issue 109 Take it off!
22 33
0000 5
PROBE
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: SU WEI DESIGNER: LI SHI
REVIEW
Is it Safe?
By Su Wei ing to do to kill time.
Wang Kai is one of a growing number of se- In July this year, forty different stories
curity guards in Beijing who has found himself about security guards beating people were re-
the subject of criminal proceedings. He was ported in major Beijing newspapers. The rea-
sentenced to two years in prison this August sons for these accidents were almost always
after putting out a fi re on a bus. This might the same: disputes about entry cards being
sound harsh, except it was him who started shown when residents returned, taxis driv-
the fi re. “My wages were just a few hundred ing into living communities and car parking.
yuan per month,” he said. “One of my com- In October 2001, Dai Dahong, a migrant
pany’s policies was that security guards who worker, was beaten to death by security
were brave and put out a fi re would be given guards of Wumei Market, Huixin Xijie af-
some cash reward. It would be a quick and ter being caught stealing chewing gum.
easy way for me to get some money.” Eleven security guards involved were de-
From July last year to July this year, 41 tained by local police.
cases involving 50 security guards charged A security guard in a supermarket near
with committing crimes have been handled Renmin University told Beijing Today, “If we
by Haidian People’s Procuratorate. The miss any suspicious person and some goods
number is nearly as high as the total num- are lost, we can be fi ned between several
ber of such cases for the whole of Beijing hundred and thousand yuan.” Eight of the
from 1999 to 2000. theft cases handled by Haidian People’s Proc-
In Beijing, the number of security guards uratorate related to security guards taking
has been rising by nearly 400 per month advantage of their jobs to commit theft them-
since 2000 and has reached around 60,000. selves or conspiring with others.
Most of the 50 security guards dealt Zhuang Xiaojing of Haidian People’s
with by Haidian People’s Procuratorate Procuratorate says security guards commit
were from rural areas such as Hebei, crimes because it’s easy for them to fi nd an-
Henan and Shandong. other job. “They are usually non-Beijingers
Last December, a cleaner in Tongzhou Dis- and are temporarily employed. So mobility
trict was beaten to death by two security is not a problem,” he said. “Security guard
guards with beer bottles and an iron stick management companies, organizations hir-
while on his way home. The two parking lot ing these security guards and even police
security guards, Chen Hua and Wu Jian, told do not care where they come from or what
police it was merely because they had noth- their experience is.” Issue 123
Part Time Lovers Risky Business government departments accepted
any blame for the accident.
By Dong Nan By Su Wei Of the 1,500 small coal mines
More than a quarter of married couples in China The fi rst thing Zhang Zihua in Heilongjiang, around 80 percent
are passing up lovemaking, mainly in order to wanted to do after he got out of the are rented by individuals, which
focus on their careers. According to a survey mine was go and have a drink. He has resulted in complete separa-
run by Pan Suiming, a sexologist at Renmin Uni- was a survivor in the Jixi mining tion of the ownership and the
versity, 28.7% of Chinese couples aged between accident in Heilongjiang on June management rights. “It has be-
20 and 64 make love once a month or less 20 last year which killed 124 peo- come common for individual coal
in an average year; for 6.2% it’s once a year. ple. He raised a toast to his col- mine owners to make a lot of mon-
According to Pan’s report, many young couples leagues. “Those drinking with me ey while transferring the risks to
around 30 years old believe their careers are at the today may not survive tomorrow,” state-owned coal mines or the gov-
most crucial stage, so they pay more attention to he said. “There will always be fatal ernment,” Qu said.
their job than family life. accidents in this industry.” Unfor- Some Chinese media have
Couples above 50 years old are a large segment tunately, recent evidence indicates blamed offi cials’ corruption as an
of those in non-sexual relationships. that the number of accidents is ris- important reason for frequent min-
Pan’s survey reveals Chinese men have sexual ing fast. ing accidents, especially those in
intercourse for the fi rst time at 23.3 years old on Statistics from the State Safety small coal mines. In an investi-
A lucky survivor is helped clear.
average. They then have sex once a month, on aver- Production Monitoring and Man- gation after 15 people died in a
age, until they’re 43.9 years old. Apparently, male agement Bureau show that last year mining accident in Shanxi on Sep- According to a Xinhua report on mining accident in Loudi, Hunan
sexual activity tends to tail off at the age of 55.9. 14,900 people died in mining acci- tember 13, 2001, says, “Life as a June 3 this year there seems to be a Province in May this year, offi cials
In another words, they have just over 30 years of dents. The number is expected to miner is 10 times better than being connection between increasing de- in Loudi were found to have shares
sexual activity. be higher this year. In the fi rst a peasant back at home. The money mand for coal and the growing fre- in the mine.
Chinese women have even less time. They have three months this year there were I earn here in a year is the same as quency of mining accidents. Qi Tiejia party secretary of He-
their fi rst sexual experience at 22.12 years on av- 36 mining accidents – each of which what I would get for six years work Luo Yun, president of the Con- gang Mining Bureau, Heilongjiang
erage, but it all peters out at 52.48 years old. Ac- claimed the lives of between 10 and at home,” he says. His wage is paid struction Safety Technology School says around 24,000 miners would
cording to Pan’s survey, nearly one half of women 29 people – four more than in the day by day, amounting to around of China’s Geology University, says become unemployed if coal mines
under 40 years old do not know where their clito- same period last year. 1,000 to 1,500 yuan per month. “I that from the traditional Chinese attached to the bureau were closed.
ris is, and the number is two thirds among wom- “We are treated better in this don’t see any reason to change my point of view, investment in safety “How could society face up to the
en above 40 years old. The survey also points out coal mine than in others,” Zhang job,” he says. measures is regarded as a kind of sudden increase in the number
men who had sexual intercourse in the last week said. “In some coal mines, people are Wu Yun, 28, whose husband died burden for enterprises and cannot of laid-off people?” he asked. The
had an average salary of 1,369 yuan per month, required to sign an agreement say- three years ago in a mining accident bring any tangible profi t. bureau has signed contracts with
and men who had had no action in a year had an ing the company bears no responsi- in Guangxi, says there is a saying Fuyuan Coal Mine in Shanxi, individuals to run coal mines inde-
average salary of less than 770 yuan a month. But bility for death caused by accidents. in her hometown in Jinzhou, Hubei which does not have a license, kept pendently for a period of three or
Pan doesn’t take development of economy as the But in this mine, if a man dies, his Province. “Dying in an accident is operating even after the State Coun- four years. “Can we simply cancel
major solution. family can receive compensation of better than dying of hunger,” she cil urged all illegal coal mines to be these contracts? We cannot. Other-
“I think the culprit for non-sexual relationships up to 30,000 yuan. That’s a large says. “Dying in accidents is avoidable closed in June 2001. Five months wise we would lose our credibility
is the absence of love and the lack of sex education,” amount for these families.” and accidental. But dying of hunger later, a mining accident happened and be sued,” he said.
he says. Issue 120 Chen Sanshan, a survivor of a if you’ve got no food is inevitable.” and 21 people died. None of the local Issue 110
Stamp Forgery Rampant
Migrant Children and are Beijing children. I am a mi- ing them cold in winter and hot each student between 300 and 400
By Liu Yuan/Ema Ma grant child.” in summer. Although 77 percent yuan per school term, but parents
Almost all of the different kinds of stamps issued the City Her parents, from Heilongjiang, of the migrant children surveyed don’t think they’re as good.
by China’s State Post Bureau (SPB), whether pre- are called migrant workers even live in houses like his, around 10 In state schools there are a vari-
cious collectibles or just for daily use, are currently By Su Wei though they have been running a percent live in basements and just ety of extra fees that migrant fam-
available on the black market. An Ding, deputy di- Lili, 9, has long wondered what cloth-making store in Haidian Dis- over four percent live in places ilies often have to pay for their
rector of the Industry Regulation Department of the difference was between her trict for over ten years. which can only be described as children to be accepted. “Every year,
the SPB, revealed there has been a number of forg- and her classmates. Like them, she In Beijing there are around shelters. we have to hand in an extra fee
ery cases detected in Liaoning, Sichuan, Zhejiang, was born and grew up in Beijing; 420,000 children of migrant par- Over 72 percent of the children of several thousand yuan for the
Henan, Shanxi and Hebei in recent years. she wears the same uniform and ents. The cheap houses that mi- surveyed study in state schools. school to accept our son,” said Li
The biggest case last year in Chongqing, Sichuan learns the same subjects with the grant families live in are usually Around 22 percent study in schools Yufen, a migrant mother with a
Province uncovered over 3,000 kinds of counterfeit same teachers. “But we are differ- dilapidated, dark and wet. They of- specially for migrant children. These 10-year-old son in a public school in
stamps with a total value of 160 million yuan. ent,” she told Beijing Today. “They ten have asbestos roof tiles, mak- ones are cheaper and usually charge Changping District. Issue 113
Last October, a joint action by police and Da-
lian’s post bureau in Liaoning Province unearthed
a counterfeiting gang who had been selling stamps
in Shanghai, Liaoning and several other provinces. It’s So Expensive Here! 126.1 points. Osaka takes third posi-
Among the things they found were 11 commemora- tion (112.2) followed by Hong Kong
tive stamps worth a total of eight million yuan. (111.6) and Beijing (105.1). Shang-
“This is getting out of hand. If forgery can not By Sun Ming hai (98.4) is ranked 11th. Asuncion
be curbed, the fl ooding of counterfeit stamps onto A new survey measuring the in Paraguay, which has an index of
the market will disrupt the whole mailing sys- cost of living in cities around the 36.5 points, has replaced Johannes-
tem,” said An. world has found that Beijing is burg as the least expensive city in
While cracking down on forgery production the world’s fi fth most expensive the survey.
lines, there is also the problem of “recycled city, pricier than New York which According to Zhang Shidong, the
stamps”. Police recently traced a man who was comes in tenth. It was released by global information survey practice
advertising “reconditioned” used stamps in Tongx- Mercer Human Resource Consult- leader with Mercer Human Re-
iang, Zhejiang Province. He offered “a new stamp ing, an American-based group, one source Consulting China, getting
in exchange for three used envelopes; must be at of the largest consulting fi rms in around in Beijing is far more expen-
least 1,000 envelopes.” the world, on June 16. It covers 144 sive than in New York. “Transpor-
“Students also recycle stamps,” An said. Stamps cities and measures the compara- tation in the survey mainly covers
covered with glue can be reused by the receivers tive cost of over 200 products and car prices, including buying cars or
after clearing off the postmark with an eraser. An- services in each location. These in- renting cars,” Zhang said.
other trick used by students is covering the stamps clude food, alcohol, utilities, cloth- “Mercer collects golf and tennis
with transparent adhesive tape. The postmark is ing, household goods, transport, expenses in the questionnaire. Golf
“Golf is a very popular sport in America which most professionals can afford. But in
sealed on the tape which can then be torn off. sport and entertainment. is a very popular sport in America
China, like Japan and Korea, the price is extremely high; it is just for elites.”
“The laws are not easy to enforce. Because the us- The survey says Tokyo has re- which most professionals can af-
ers of counterfeit stamps are mainly scattered peas- placed Hong Kong as the world’s ford. But in China, like Japan and
ant workers, small companies and students, it’s often most expensive city and Asia is now Korea, the price is extremely high,” magazines are also expensive. foreign workers in Beijing are from
diffi cult to fi nd these people,” An said. “But some mea- the most expensive region with fi ve says Zhang. “And tennis is not ex- The prices of electronic applianc- developed countries, when choosing
sures can be taken. In addition to adding counterfeit- of its cities in the top ten places actly cheap in Beijing.” es in Beijing are also higher than samples in Beijing, we mainly chose
proof features to stamps issued in the future, we have in the survey. The Mercer index uses It is also costly to go to the gym in New York, as expatriates who international brands or medium
strengthened supervision procedures.” New York as the base city with 100 or fi tness center in Beijing. And movie prefer to buy imported brands will and high-grade services in the city,”
Issue 104 points. Against that, Tokyo scored tickets, international newspapers and know. “Considering that most of the said Zhang. Issue 112
22 33
6 0000
PHENOMENA
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: MIAO YAJIE DESIGNER: PANG LEI
REVIEW
How Free Can Art Be? By Darlene Lee
With an impressive ar- Michael Lyon’s sculpture studio
ray of international art
By Iris Miao
events being held in the
Avant-garde performance art is often aimed
capital in the extended run-
at getting a rise out of its audience, but the or-
up to the 2008 Olympics,
ganizers of the Guangzhou Triennial show in
an increasing number of
late 2002 must have had no idea as to how of-
foreign artists are calling
fended one young man from the art fi eld would
Beijing home.
be. Su Jian, a teacher at the Guangzhou Acad-
Lisa Norton, associate
emy of Fine Art, was so disturbed by two works
professor at the School of
he called “pornographici”and “obscene” that he
the Art Institute of Chi-
fi led a lawsuit against the Guangdong Pro-
cago, said, “I love Beijing.
vincial Gallery in February, seeking 20,000 in
It’s so elegant and beauti-
compensation for damage to his physical and
ful with a strong sense of
spiritual health, a refund of the 30 yuan ticket
history while being chaotic
and a public apology.
at the same time.”
After Su lost his fi rst lawsuit, he fi led anoth-
She continued, “The art-
er with the Guangzhou Intermediate Peopleis
work here is the best kept
Court on July 2, 2003. The cases were the fi rst
secret in the art world: the Home’s Where the Art Is
of their kind in this country and raised ques-
quality, the integrity and
tions not only about the works on trial, but also
the power. It’s not fully un-
about performance art as a whole.
derstood externally in its own context and I hope to help bridge
The show that sparked the suits was the
that gap when I get home.”
fi rst Guangzhou Triennial, run with the theme
In 1998, German Elahiu von Erlenbach became the fi rst for-
of “Re-contemplate: A Decade’s Experimental
eign conductor to move to China. Now wielding the baton for
Art in China (1990-2000)”. The two-month
the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, he is also Cultural Ambassa-
show drew around 80,000 visitors and was
dor for Tianjin among other positions. He said, “I love the spon-
hailed by the New York Times as an “epoch-
taneity of the people in Beijing, there’s so much feeling. It’s my
making exhibition”. The two works under le-
luck that destiny brought me to China.”
gal scrutiny, 12 Square Meters by performance
After fi rst coming to China as a student in 1993, Katharina
artist Zhang Huan, and the video performance
Schneider-Roos from Scheibbs, Austria returned in 2001 to
work In the Bathroom by female artist Cui Xi-
teach at Beijing National University. She teamed up with Ger-
uwen of Beijing, were displayed constantly on
man Solveig Klassen to make My Camera Doesn’t Lie in 2003,
screens of the exhibition hall. In 12 Square Me-
a documentary of the independent fi lm industry which has
ters, Zhang Huan daubed his body with honey
toured fi lm festivals in Berlin, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singa-
to attract fl ies to cover him head to toe. While
pore, South Korea and Vienna.
some scorned the piece, Zhang’s work has ap-
She said, “The increasing relaxation of censorship has
peared many places as an example of cutting-
opened up a new way for artists to have public access and rec-
edge experimental art in China.
ognition, so it’s a very exciting time in China’s fi lm industry
For In the Bathroom, completed in 1999, Cui
since these people will be giving the existing fi lm system a new
Xiuwen took a video camera into the women’s
energy with new perspectives and subjects.”
bathroom of a luxurious nightclub in Beijing. “Cui
Australian Brian Wallace, owner and manager of the suc-
is a very serious artist and her work indicates that
cessful Red Gate Gallery, set up the capital’s fi rst private sector
human beings have devolved. It is a piece with
artist residency program ten years ago. The program has since
real social signifi cance,” said curator Huang Du.
hosted over 50 international artists, including Brit Michael Ly-
The controversial case was a new chapter in
ons, who has won awards for work completed during a Red
the trials and tribulations of modern Chinese
Gate residency.
art, as performance art remains generally mis-
“Like other places in Asia, it will take time for the local
understood by the public while increasing num-
establishment to accept that foreigners can play a construc-
bers of domestic artists participate in fi rst-class
tive part in the arts establishment, not just on the fringe,”
contemporary art shows around the world, such
Wallace noted. “Beijing has great resources but needs to
as the Venice Biennale. Li Gongming, art history
seek input at all levels of the art world. It is happening
professor at the Zhuangzhou Academy of Fine
slowly but could benefit from a sustained booster.”
Art speculated that one lawsuit would not be
Issue 131
enough to stem that tide or to otherwise inter-
fere in artistic creation or the trend of develop-
12 Square Meters by Zhang Huan ment in performance art in China. (Issue 113)
Alors, La Chine? art,” said Fan. “It is no exagger-
ation to say that contemporary
Chinese art is qualifi ed to engage
By Iris Miao / Xiao Hang in equal dialogue with the inter-
In 1974, having taken a three- national art world regarding con-
week carefully guided tour of temporary concepts.”
China, French semiotic theorist At the center of the exhibition
Roland Barthes described this was artist Lu Hao’s immense
country as “fl at” and “not colorful” model of the Chinese capital, ti-
in his Alors, la Chine? Of course tled I Love Beijing, which rep-
what he witnessed was China in resents the disappearance of the
the last throes of the Cultural ancient parts of the city.
Revolution, four years before the Conspicuous space in the hall
era of reform and opening was was also given to three ancient
launched by Deng Xiaoping. treasures, a Neolithic jade cong
Bridging the Social Gap
A exhibition of contemporary (c.3,300–2,000 BC), a bronze mir-
Chinese art, which took its name ror from the Western Han Dy-
directly from that book and kicked nasty (206 BC–24 AD), and a By Yu Shanshan
off on October 13 in Parisi Centre calligraphy work by Zhu Yunming, The millions of migrants moving from poor rural towns to
Pompidou, was aimed squarely I love Beijing by Lu Hao a Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) urban centers in China have created new communities in these
at refuting Barthes’ dated judg- master, to provide background cities with their own fl eeting cultures. At the same time, these
ments and presenting the new in total expenses made the four- tion works, videos, movies, mul- and prospective for understand- transient groups have encountered many problems and put
face of a dynamic, opening China month show “the largest and most timedia creations and musical ing modern China. pressure on city governments. This complex phenomenon in-
to the French people. It was the profound in structure of any exter- works by such famous fi gures Chief French curator Alfred spired the art on show at the Together With Migrants – Com-
fi rst collective Chinese contempo- nal exhibition of Chinese art in his- as Wang Guangyi, Zhang Yonghe Pacquement said that Barthes’ rade Mingong Contemporary Art Exhibition, held November 22
rary art show to be held in this tory,” according to Fan Di’an, the and Zhang Yimou. book Alors, la Chine? infl uenced to 30 at the Today Art Gallery.
avant-garde art center and the show’s curator and deputy dean of “The profound reality of Chi- French perception of China and Part of the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cul-
initial event in the China-France the Central Academy of Fine Arts. na’s changing society and the de- hoped the exhibition would show tural Organization (UNESCO)’s four-year research-action proj-
Culture Year program, which will The sprawling exhibition hall velopment of traditional Chinese audiences a “truer China” greatly ect “Together With Migrants”, launched in February 2002, the
continue until this July. was given an open design and culture have enabled contempo- changed since the troubled times exhibition presented photographs, sculptures, video and instal-
The prominent names involved fi lled with a range of paintings, rary Chinese artists to do far of the Cultural Revolution. lation works by 15 Chinese artists.
and the nearly 10 million yuan sculptures, photographs, installa- more than simply copy Western (Issue 110) “This is more than an art exhibition,” said curator Yang
Xinyi, “it’s the fi rst time for the UN, academic institutes, artists
a private gallery to all pay attention to and take action about
By Yu Shanshan Young Actors Reviving the social issue of mingong (migrant workers).”
A slightly out-of-way yet beauti- Sculptor Liang Shuo’s well known life-like fi berglass sculp-
fully decorated theatre on the third Peking Opera Tradition tures series Fashionable Peasants: Eight Brothers and Migrant
fl oor of Qiantie Cinema, built over a Workers in the City evocatively show the humanity in the anon-
century ago as China’s fi rst railway Du Peijun, the theater’s plan- ymous faces of the millions of Chinese migrant workers. Pho-
station, has returned to life since ning director and Fei’s girlfriend, tographer Xing Danwen recorded migrant workers constructing
early November 2003 when it was said that they struggled at fi rst get Beijing’s National Theatre, showing their importance to the
transformed into the Old Station capital, but fi nally sold the idea to capital’s dynamism, while Yang Yong’s photographs put more
Theatre. This ambitious theater is three investors. Through personal emphasis on the feelings of change, loss and hope at the heart
home to nearly 30 young, profes- connections, Fei is able to rent the of migrant communities.
sional actors, including director Fei venue for free, save electricity and The real highlight of the show was Song Dong’s perfor-
Henan, determined to revive au- water payments, but money is still mance art Together with Migrants on the opening day. He
thentic Peking Opera. a problem. employed 200 migrant workers, promising them 30 yuan
Dismayed by limited performing However, fi nancial stress has not each and a warm lunch, and then stood them in groups
opportunities and the degeneration had kept fi ne actors from giving sol- around the gallery’s elevator, stairs, hallway and entrance,
of their art into stunted performanc- id performances on the Old Station and had 64 walk bare-chested through the audience (see
es for mostly foreign tourists, Fei, 25, Theater’s stage. Fei noted, “People photo above).
and some of his colleagues at the are surprised to see how seriously “I wanted to remind people that mingong have permeated
prominent Beijing Opera Theater de- the people in our theater take their Actor Li Yang puts on his make-up in the Old Station Theatre. every corner of urban life and we can’t simply avoid or ignore
cided to set up a troupe to perform roles and that’s because they all them,” Song explained.
full versions of opera classics. know this kind of chance is not easy tion to the problem was found by Such praise is one of the rea- Reaction was mixed. Critic Chen Lusheng opined, “This sets
On the theater’s opening night to come by.” inviting a traditional storyteller, or sons Fei, Du and the other mem- a new low for works of artists playing with poor people. The em-
on November 8, they performed a So far, audiences tend to be made pingshu, to introduce the plots of bers of the troupe at the Old ployer-employee relationship between the artist and the work-
full version of the two-hour-long up of older opera fans and some operas before the curtains go up. Station Theater are determined to ers in fact reveals how the workers are not able to control their
classic Si Lang Tan Mu (Silang Vis- university students. Fei realized One elderly couple from Shang- soldier on. Fei said, “With so many own lives. They were sent to do the job by their construction
its His Mother). Such authenticity early on that drawing more young- hai, who attended a performance talented young people here work- foreman.”
comes at a sacrifi ce of fi nancial suc- er viewers would require fi nding a on the theater’s second weekend, ing together towards the goal of Yet Wen Pulin, director of the Dongtai Academy of Arts, one of
cess, however, as tour agencies de- way to give them information ex- told Du that they thought the act- rejuvenating Peking opera, how the organizers of the show, said the participants “fulfi lled the art-
mand that shows be limited to less plaining the now unfamiliar stories ing was superb, it was just a shame could we not succeed? ” ist’s responsibility, which is to tell people, ‘Pay attention to this!’”
than one hour. and obscure words. A creative solu- the audience was so small. Issue 130 Issue 132
22 33
0000 7
FACE
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHAO PU HOU MINGXIN DESIGNER: PANG LEI
REVIEW
Opening the Door to crops such as rice, corn and sug-
arcane. Aware of the doubts from
to the Opium Kingdom the outside world, Han is deter-
mined to use his camera to defend
Bao, with whom he has developed
By Zhang Huan
a deep friendship.
Han Yunfeng has been pay-
In 2000, Han recorded a relo-
ing close attention to opium pro-
cation project launched by Bao
duction in the Golden Triangle
to move the poppy planters from
since 1994. The fi lms he has re-
the northern hill areas to the
corded not only show the chang-
plains near the border of Burma
es of the opium economy in the
and Thailand, where the climate
Golden Triangle, but more im-
and soil are suitable for rice and
portantly, help the outside world
corn as well as poppies. Despite
come to a better knowledge of
claims that the real purpose of Death-Defying
poppy growers’ lives in the Wa
Bao’s project was to extend the
state, an armed opium produc-
reach of his drug empire to stra- Discoverer
tion tribe in the Golden Triangle.
In 1997, Han took his digital tegic border territories, Han be-
video camera to the border area lieves Bao had no choice but to
By Zhao Pu
of China and Laos and began re- move the people so they could Try to imagine a geographical
cording the stories of two cous- learn to grow rice and corn.
version of Indiana Jones and you’d
ins, Ai Lun and Ai Mai. Ai Lun, By 1999, Han had recorded
probably come up with someone a
the elder cousin, has a stable life more than 200 tapes in the Gold-
bit like Liu Shaochuang. He’s bat-
in South China’s Yunnan prov- en Triangle. His tapes were later
tled freezing temperatures, man-
ince, planting rice and sugar- used by Bill Kurtis, a famous US
eating polar bears and forged new
cane. Ai Mai plants poppies in documentary producer, in his in-
territory in exploration.
Laos and leads a much poorer vestigative documentary titled
As a researcher with the Insti-
life with an annual income of “Warlord,” which brought the
tute of Remote Sensing Applica-
less than 1,000 yuan. Han was pies was actually less than that ing and publicizing the efforts of tion. Despite international scepti- world’s attention to the real life
tions (IRSA), part of the Chinese
shocked by the huge contrast be- from planting sugarcane. Chairman Bao, leader of the Wa cism, Bao says he wants to cease of the Wa people and Bao’s plan
Academy of Sciences, Liu has made
cause he had never realized that In the past few years, Han’s state, who claims to have been all opium production in the state to eradicate opium production.
a number of solo expeditions to the
the income from growing pop- major work has been document- trying to eradicate opium produc- by 2005 and to move its economy Issue 94
North Pole and sources of the prin-
cipal rivers of China in the past
few years.
Wanted: Wang Keqin threat from racketeers who said from some government offi cials Last February, Liu set out on
they would break his legs and who thought Wang’s investiga- a solo Arctic trip, his mission to
By Zhao Pu / Zhang Huan skin him alive. tions would have a negative in- walk unaided to the North Pole. He
As a journalist, Wang Keqin After one report that he fl uence on the image of Gansu overcame the dangers of freezing,
didn’t expect to uncover dark published in January 2001, and on foreign investment. It drowning and being eaten by polar
inside stories. It was when his family received threatening was not until a journalist from bears. He also had to get from lati-
calls, and Wang was informed Xinhua News Agency wrote an
Wang was investigating an in- tude 81 to 83 degrees north.
that a criminal syndicate was internal report about Wang’s
side story in the “black” or il- On April 27, Liu arrived at the
offering fi ve million yuan for stories, followed by praise from
legal stock market in Lanzhou North Pole. The 39-year-old scien-
his head. To ensure the safety the central government, that
(Gansu Province) in 2001 that tist had become the fi rst Chinese
he gained a taste for investi- of his family, Wang had to send Wang’s hard work was fi nally adventurer to complete a solo trek
gative journalism. his wife and son out of Gansu recognized. on foot to the North Pole.
During his work, Wang risked just before the Spring Festi- Apart from his report on Compared with his polar expe-
his own life a number of times val. On the traditionally fes- the black stock market in Lan- dition, Liu’s trip to the source of
and suffered both misery and tive eve of the lunar New Year, zhou, Wang also published “In- the Mekong River in Qinghai Prov-
humiliation, but the determined he ate instant noodles and fro- side Story of Evil-Doers in ince was obviously less dangerous,
journalist claims he was simply zen dumplings alone while re- Min County (Gansu Province)”
though in terms of scientifi c prog-
doing his job. When reporting vising his report in fear. and “Monopoly Secrets of the
ress, it was far more important.
on the black stock market in What’s more, Wang also had Beijing Taxi Trade.”
He pinpointed the exact spot of the
Lanzhou, he received a brutal to face criticism and opposition Issue 116
river’s source, and also calculated
the length of the river at 4,909 ki-
lometers using remote sensing sat-
By Zhao Pu Subway Superstar bring him a prize, it brought the ellite technology.
“People call me ‘subway sing- idea of a new lifestyle. Huang Liu’s discovery made headlines
er,’” says Huang Shan. It seems came back to Beijing in 2000 and around the world last October. “The
to be the only true and proper for most other fringe singers decided to sing in a subway. “I river is up to 700 kilometers longer
name for him, simple and imper- scattered among the numerous wish to touch other people with than previously calculated in other
sonal which gives him comfort subways in the city. my songs, at the same time as studies, including those made by
and confi dence. But involvement with Poloarts making a living by singing,” he the French and British Royal Geo-
In summer 2000, Huang came has made little difference to the planned. graphical Societies,” said an AFP
to Beijing from his hometown rhythm of Huang’s daily life. He Huang says he liked the feel- report.
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) still cherishes his commitment ing that everybody was looking For Liu, expeditions are an in-
in Anhui province, and began to to his audience in the subway. at him but that nobody knew evitable part of his career. “Man-
perform in the subway. In the “I give people instant inspiration who he was, in this big city. kind learns to know the world from
past two and a half years, he has and pleasure in the subway,” he “When they introduce me, they expeditions. It was explorers who
become a regular part of the sub- proudly declares. And that, he just call me ‘subway singer’. I discovered the new continents and
way scene and has made a name says, is his best way of communi- like this title,” he says. seas. And thanks to the spirit of
in this underground communi- cation with his audience. Several papers were interest- exploration, big progress can be
ty. The happiest thing for him is Huang’s real fanbase are the ed in his story and interviewed made in science and technology,”
making a lot of new friends with people who live nearby and walk a safe and peaceful lifestyle be- isfying,” he says. “But that kind him. But few published his sto- says Liu. “Of course expeditions
the people who like his music. through the subway regularly. hind, to pursue the “ideal and of safe and leisurely life was not ry. “They wanted to write a sad have dangers, but even riding a
Poloarts found him in his sub- They usually greet him with a pure” life he has now. for me. To me, it seemed like and sentimental story about a bicycle might bring an accident.
way in 2001, and offered him a smile and sometimes they will After graduation, Huang a waste of my life living like vagrant singer, and were mostly Everything involves risk. It is im-
contract in 2002. Many people also have a small chat with him. joined a big hospital in his home- that.” disappointed when they found I portant that you realize the loom-
say Huang is lucky to win the But few of them know he used town. “The work there was very Huang came to Beijing in was happy and contented with ing dangers and fi nd out possible
favor of a famous entertainment to be a doctor in a hospital in easy. I worked only several hours 1997 to take part in a national my life,” he smiles. solutions beforehand.”
company, which is still a dream his hometown, and that he left per day, and the salary was sat- singer contest. Though it didn’t Issue 87 Issue 98
22 33
8 0000
INTERACTIVE
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHAOHONGYI DESIGNER: PANG LEI
REVIEW
Your AIDS Story Wish for Peace I Need BT for To Be with You The Young Reporter It Deserves a Larger
Touched Me Morning Coffee Is from a Young Readership
The fi rst time I came I was still a freshman at
across Beijing Today was Beijing International Studies
Newspaper
I was having my holidays at the “International I have been a loyal reader of University when I fi rst came After relocating to Beijing in
in Beijing and came across Academic Conference in Beijing Today ever since its very across Beijing Today at a news March 2002 to paint full-time, I
Beijing Today at one of the Commemoration of the fi rst issue. Is it Friday? Good - kiosk. It was in the summer I still remember the fi rst read everything I could fi nd in
subway stations. 850th Anniversary of I need to have my BT issue for of 2001, several months after time when Beijing Today English to stay informed. Upon
I was delighted to read an Beijing as the Capital of morning coffee. the paper was launched. I was contacted me. fi nding Beijing Today at the
English language paper, as it is China” held at the Beijing My fi rst personal contact attracted by the fashionable It was before the Spring news stand inside Jianguomen
a medium that I was familiar Conference Center on with BT was before the 2002 design and in-depth reports. Festival of 2002 when a subway station, I was delighted:
with. The articles made my stay September 22 this year. Spring Festival. Just imagine After that, I became a faithful journalist from Beijing Today nice layout, decent writing,
in Beijing more meaningful. I was attracted by the - I open the paper and see reader. called me, requesting an interesting topics and so much
I read with a heavy heart in-depth reports in Beijing my own photo on the front At that time, the content of interview with Igor Rogachev, better than the other stuff I’d
the article on the orphanage Today, and started page! The week before I had China Daily was too diffi cult our ambassador. But the waded through. I told all my
in Henan, how a man with subscribing from October attended the activity organized for me, while the English in ambassador was extremely friends about it while reading it
AIDS has adopted 53 children this year. I also cancelled by the Chinese Culture Club 21st Century was too simple, busy. However, the reporter regularly myself.
orphaned by this epidemic in my subscription to a rival - foreigners writing chun lian, not suitable for a language was so persistent, I told the Meanwhile, I had started
his village. I emailed the editor publication. auspicious wishes for the student like me. Only Beijing ambassador that the young writing about the contemporary
from Beijing Today to fi nd out To me, the more articles upcoming holiday - where the Today introduces the traditional journalist was from a young art scene in Beijing for various
more about this man and his there are about Beijing, photo was taken. I contacted culture and relics of Beijing in newspaper. That persuaded publications. Beijing Today is
village, with a slim hope that the better. Foreigners Beijing Today as I wanted to English. I enjoyed reading it him. one of them.
the editor would reply. living in this city cannot have more copies to send home immediately and introduced it We have subscribed to a After contributing regularly
To my amazement, he did. obtain suffi cient local to my family and friends. to my classmates. variety of offi cial newspapers for a few months, Ian Provan
Not only did the editor provide news. I have subscribed Later I was invited to give This summer, I became such as People’s Daily and from Beijing Today called to ask
me with the details of the to three local newspapers my opinions regularly on certain interested in rock music. To my Guangming Daily. We will if I’d be interested in being a
place, he even volunteered in Chinese. I can always topics for the “Voice” page. surprise, Beijing Today started also subscribe to Beijing “polisher” while he went home
to accompany me to the fi nd useful articles in the What do I like about the a new column titled “Rock Today this year. I have got to Australia for Christmas. A
village! Kudos to the team Chinese newspapers, and newspaper? It is different from Review”. I wrote an article used to looking through few weeks later, I found myself
in Beijing Today for their believe these stories other English language media introducing Wan Xiaoli, a ballad Beijing Today whenever I sitting in a cubicle on the 18th
professionalism! should be published in in China. Not too offi cial but singer, and emailed it to the have it in my offi ce. I like the fl oor of the Beijing Youth Daily
From Beijing Today, I also English, because expats in eye catching, really informative editor. It was published soon newspaper as it is interesting building looking over newspaper
found out about the exhibitions Beijing want to know this and interesting. It’s a pity that after. Encouraged by the little and has a lot of useful proofs. What I discovered in the
of the National Geographic information too. it is only weekly, not a daily achievement, I wrote more information, such as culture, offi ce was a young, energetic
Society and the Roman and I hope for peace in newspaper - sometimes when stories on another two Chinese relics and sightseeing. and remarkably dedicated team
Egyptian Civilizations. I visited the new year, and no it comes out, many stories bands. More addresses and of people working many long
all of them. recurrence of the SARS are actually not in the news Unfortunately, Beijing Today directions to get to some nights to bring out Beijing
As a tourist, not only epidemic. At least SARS anymore. does not advertise itself enough. sightseeing places might be Today every week.
was I exploring the city’s taught us to help each I really appreciate that BT Many people only know China provided. Sometimes I can Constantly improving and
sights and sounds, I was also other and to develop isn’t afraid to tell stories of Daily. Also, maybe the columns only fi nd English names for raising its standards, Beijing
looking for opportunities to community spirit. shortcomings and problems in in the paper should be thinner, some places. It would be better Today will certainly continue to
involve myself with the local Virginia Fumiyo China. It doesn’t think about more like those in foreign if their Chinese names were do so in 2004. It deserves a
communities. I hope Beijing Anami is the wife of ‘losing face’ - good job, guys! newspapers, such as USA given as it is too diffi cult to much larger readership than it
Today can do more pieces the Japanese Ambassador Actually when you are able to Today. Sometimes the quality of fi nd a place in China without currently has. It’s been great
on what the local people to China. She held a discuss problems and the ways printing isn’t so good, because its Chinese name. fun working with Beijing Today
are doing, and how foreigners photo exhibition focused on to solve them, it is a sign of printing ink often damages the I wish happiness and and I’m looking forward to more
like myself could be able to the villages around Beijing maturity. paper. prosperity for all Beijing collaboration in the new year.
participate. and their fragility with Inesa Pleskacheuskaya Beijing Today is such a good Today’s readers in the coming Darlene Lee is an American-
Thanks to Beijing Today, three other photographers is the Beijing bureau chief newspaper I hope it can be new year and the spring born artist living in Beijing.
my stay in Beijing was last November. of “Belarus Today” (aka published twice a week. festival.
certainly more colorful. “Sovetskaya Belorussia”) Wang Yao is now a third- Yuri Metelev is counselor
Jenny Ong, 30, is from newspaper and Belarus year university student and a of cultural and educational
Singapore. She was staying in National TV. contributor to Beijing Today affairs of the Embassy of the
Beijing from 11 - 30 December She is also the author of “The Russian Federation to China.
2003. Country Under Heaven”, a book
about China.
Your Paper Is Reliable, New Long Marchers
People Buy It Come Home
I opened a news stand at By Xiao Rong
Oriental Plaza two years ago. Aside Back in the autumn of 2002, when
from the Chinese publications, they offi cially informed Beijing Today
only two English newspapers are staff of their ambitious plan to retrace
available at my booth: Beijing the entire route of the original Long
Weekend and Beijing Today. March of the Chinese Red Army, nobody
I can sell 15 copies of Beijing took it seriously. But fi nally, on November
Today every week. I used to 3, 2003, their dream came true.
sell 21st Century (another English Starting on October 16, 2002 from
weekly run by China Daily). But Yudu, Jiangxi Province, Andrew McEwen
only a few copies were bought so I and Ed Jocelyn crossed ten provinces and
Beijing Feels Good
stopped selling it. autonomous regions, becoming the fi rst
I can’t read English. But I foreigners to tread this route since Otto
Today
can see Beijing Today is warmly Braun, the German military advisor who
received by my customers, accompanied the original Long Marchers.
In August 2003, a friend of especially in the tourism seasons, To the whole world, they are New
mine who works for Beijing because I usually ask for fi ve more Long Marchers who became famous
Today asked me to comment copies to sell. Seldom do I have overnight for their 384-day trek. But for
on raising pets. After the paper to return Beijing Today to the Beijing Today, the duo are old friends
came out, she sent me several distributor. As it is published every who have witnessed the growth of the
issues. It was the fi rst time I Friday, usually the last issue of city’s fi rst English language newspaper. Andrew McEwen (left) and Ed Jocelyn on their New Long March
read the paper. I found it was Beijing Today at my booth is sold Both worked as polishers before for
the best way to learn about by the next Tuesday. several English publications in Beijing, especially when they set out and when a better job introducing and explaining
what is happening in Beijing. People think your newspaper and the two Englishmen begun their they fi nished the journey. the life of Beijing.
Quite by accident, another is more reliable than Chinese special attachment to Beijing Today in After over one year of absence from McEwen appreciates the effort of
friend of mine asked whether tabloids such as Beijing Times and 2001 when McEwen became a polisher Beijing, they are both struck by the city’s most Beijing Today staff members in
I had had anything to do Beijing Star Daily. Especially when for us and Jocelyn gave a hand to great changes, as well as the speed at constantly striving to go one step further
with animal protection because big events happen, people like to Village News, a daily tabloid for the which their favorite old places have been than Chinglish and yearn for real
they found the article on the read Beijing Today because they 21st Universiade run by Beijing Today in disappearing. exchange, which he thinks will make the
internet. This was when I think the contents are true to the August, 2001. “I am delighted to see train lines being paper succeed.
learned I could read Beijing facts. “This offi ce seemed to me to contain built, transport infrastructure being “At Beijing Today, there are many
Today on the internet. Since But the size of Beijing Today the best and the brightest of China, a constructed for commuters and so on,” staff members willing to go that extra
then, I have been reading is a problem for readers. If you microcosm if you will for its future,” said said McEwen. “Maybe we need to think mile into English. They know fi rst
Beijing Today online in fully open the paper, you have to McEwen, adding that it was a unique even further ahead and introduce night hand how Chinglish doesn’t help you to
Holland. stretch your arms wide, which is chance for him as a foreigner to work buses like London. Or a 24-hour subway, understand foreigners, our culture or our
I believe Beijing Today is inconvenient. If the paper could be alongside progressive and open-minded like New York.” way of thinking,” McEwen said.
one of the papers that are good smaller, the same size as Beijing Chinese journalists. Despite his love for progress and With the aim of studying and
for your mental health. People Weekend, I might sell more. Due to the New Long March, development, McEwen still expressed his documenting the living history along the
can select nearly all topics they The price is not a problem. Only McEwen’s work with Beijing Today hopes that the city could benefi t more route of the Long March, the two have met
want to read. While reading a few people can write news in halted in September, 2002. But the pair’s from tourist dollars. 11 Long March veterans and interviewed
the paper, you can always feel English. Thus the two yuan price is connection with the paper continued For the new year, Jocelyn hopes that 107 witnesses of the march, compiling
Beijing feels good Today. reasonable. throughout their trek, during which they Beijing Today can continue to develop two notebooks of diaries and over 20,000
Ferry van de Pavert, 57, is Luo Jingli is the owner of an have been contributing exclusive column into an important source of information photographs. So the most urgent thing for
a private doctor in Hilversum, underground newspaper kiosk at stories for the paper. Beijing Today has on the city, setting an example for other the duo in 2004 is to prepare for the New
Holland. Oriental Plaza. also been chasing for their march stories, newspapers in Beijing to follow by doing Long March photo exhibition.
FACE
9
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail:[email protected] EDITOR: ZHAO PU DESIGNER: PANG LEI
(Right) Peter with Dandong primary
school students in Denmark, 1999
By Shan Jinliang
Niels Peter Arskog has
been emotionally and
fi nancially burned by
his time in China but he
scoffs at any notion of
returning home to Denmark.
His fantasy of coming to live
in China began when he
was a six-year-old boy, living
in the hometown of Hans
Christian Andersen. It took
him more than forty years
to achieve this dream but
now that he’s here, not even
a disastrous marriage with
a Chinese woman, a painful Still Following the Fairy Tale
divorce and near bankruptcy
has put him off.
Born in Denmark in 1945,
Peter is now a freelance
journalist in Beijing, working
mainly for the Danish and
Icelandic media. He’s
struggling to make ends meet
at the moment having been a daily newspaper. Peter that vision of the country to live and work. So in 1996,
taken for virtually every dime gradually started working was and how much China after three tumultuous years
by his former wife in the for a number of Danish had changed. Peter was in Demark, Peter sold all his
divorce court. And as if that’s Peter still newspapers, radio and TV fascinated by the country property and moved to China
not enough, he’s trying to believes Chinese stations. He married a and the people he met, so he permanently.
fi ght off increasing problems people are very Danish girl in 1968. The contrived to come back again A nasty shock
with his lungs. His Christmas, childhood dream of going and again in the following In 1997, shortly after
spent quietly with some kind and that his to China was forgotten and years to report on China’s having moved to China,
Chinese friends, was misfortune was buried for almost 30 years. development. Unlike many Peter heard about some
interrupted by a visit to simply to have Things started to change western reporters, he focused middle school students who
Chaoyang Hospital for in the 1980s, as his work on the positive aspects of the were hoping to visit the land
met the “wrong”
treatment. This cost him became increasingly busy. changes in China, gaining of Hans Christian Andersen
almost 4,000 yuan and he was Chinese girl.. “I There was only one national him popularity in media so he helped fi nance their
forced to borrow the money want a third state-owned TV channel and circles here in China. In visits. This infuriated his
from a Chinese friend. three radio channels in 1998 he was named vice wife who wanted him to
marriage but not
Peter never complains country, and the growing president of the Foreign charge the students and
about his life, and attributes a third divorce.” trade the union movement Correspondents Club of make some money, Peter
his health problems to years was clamoring for a new China. “By nature, I have told Beijing Today. Divorce
of smoking rather than any Peter typewriting at 15, as the young- voice. Peter began working a positive attitude to proceedings soon began.
emotional distress. When his est editor-in-chief in Denmark to broadcast their message everything in life,” he says. Peter believed in the
fi rst marriage ended back in as widely as he could, both Then she walked in fairness of the local legal
Denmark after 20 years, he in writing and helping In 1993, Peter met Kong system and expected a fair
decided to try two things he’d establish new private radio Qingyan, a Chinese woman share of his property, as in any
always wanted to do. One was and TV stations. 18 years younger than him. other country. But the court
to take up smoking, and the This meant long periods of Kong began to write letters decided he was the culprit and
other was coming to China. traveling and time away from to him expressing her awarded Kong virtually all of
A dream of China Peter in Tian’anmen Square, 1999 the family. In a typical month devotion and she visited him the couple’s possessions: their
Peter’s father worked for he would stay with his family in Denmark. house, car, furniture, and even
the Salvation Army (a for only three or four days. Though he denies that Peter’s Danish and Icelandic
Christian charitable In addition to his role as he was naive about the books. All Peter got was his
organization) all his life. an adviser and consultant for relationship, Peter says his clothes, some old furniture
When Peter was six years various local radio and TV father taught him to have and some books.
old, he met one of his father’s stations, in 1985 he got a top a trusting attitude towards That wasn’t the end. In
friends, a missionary who job at City TV, a private TV others. He’d also come to the summer of 2003, Kong’s
told vivid tales of his life in station in Copenhagen. The believe Chinese girls were mother sued Peter in
China before 1949, as well pressure led to the breakup of traditional and kind, and Chaoyang District Court. She
as praising Chinese people’s his marriage in 1988. “There normally nervous about said her daughter owed her
kindness. The missionary are always two parties in getting to know foreigners. 35,000 yuan and was unable
had been helping poor a divorce,” he told Beijing So when Kong suggested to pay it, so she wanted Peter
Chinese people for more Today, while mentioning his marriage, Peter had no to pay it instead.
than 20 years but had to regret at being drawn apart suspicions about her Fortune after misfortune
leave the country after the from his wife and two intentions. Nuptials soon Fortunately, Peter has
founding of the People’s children. followed and the couple set been able to rely on sterling
Republic of China. Peter China dream comes true up their home in Denmark. support from his Chinese
started to dream of becoming But after the divorce he At the time, Peter was friends, even though they
a doctor and also going to remembered the two earning a monthly salary criticized him for being
work in China. “desires” he had never been of 35,000 Danish Kroner, naive. Peter still believes
However, as he grew up able to indulge: smoking and higher than most Danish Chinese people are very kind
he found himself drawn to going to China. He started people at that time, but and that his misfortune was
journalism instead. At 15 to smoke a pipe, and began his wife was not satisfi ed simply to have met the
and while still at high school, planning how to make his with this. She wanted him “wrong” Chinese girl.. “I
he started a monthly childhood dream of life in to become a businessman want a third marriage but
magazine for teenagers. This China come true. to earn more, which was not a third divorce,” he says.
made him offi cially the Financed by Nordjyske unacceptable to Peter. Soon His various travails have
youngest editor-in-chief in Stiftstidende, a Danish he started to feel he was not dented his spirits too
Denmark, albeit partly newspaper, he made his fi rst being used. severely. With his long white
because the country’s media visit to China in March “She had a bad temper,” hair, he dressed up as Santa
was fairly small and 1990. During seven weeks says Peter, “and on more Claus during the Christmas
undeveloped at the time. The Peter visited Beijing, Wuhan, than one occasion she Season to amuse his friends,
magazine became popular Shanghai, Guangzhou and threatened me with a knife.” and likes to perform songs
nationwide but it never Shenzhen and experienced a Peter thought things might or recitals of fairy tales. And
made any profi t and Peter very different China from be better if the two moved maybe his luck is beginning to
had to shut it down when at what he had read about in back to China, where Kong turn. He’s just won an air ticket
18 he got an apprenticeship Danish books and media. had her family and friends, to Europe. The only thing is,
as a journalist working for He realized how backward and where he actually wanted does he want to use it?
LEGACY
10
JANUARY 2, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHAO PU DESIGNER: LI SHI
Zhihua Temple
Rings in the
New Year
By Yi Yi
The loud music coming from the 560-year-
old Zhihua Temple in tranquil Lumicang
Hutong attracted many people from the
neighborhood Tuesday morning. The small
front courtyard of the temple, now called
Beijing Cultural Relics Exchange Museum,
was soon fi lled with a growing crowd.
Jing music, a special heritage of the tem-
ple, boasts a history of at least six hundred
years. The performance, lead by 26th genera-
tion master Benxing and six newly recruited
apprentices, was for the opening ceremony of
the temple’s bell and drum towers, reopened
to the public after restoration.
“We are the only temple in Beijing munici-
Still from the TV series, National Treasure pality that has opened the bell and drum tow-
ers to the public,” Wang Dan, curator of Zhihua
Forbidden City Seeks Return of
Temple, told Beijing Today Tuesday. “We invit-
ed many old residents around the neighboring
hutongs to beat the bell and drum to mark a
good beginning of the new year.”
An exhibition on the history and cultural
Missing Treasures connotations of bell and drum towers is cur-
rently underway. Visitors have the chance to
learn about the traditional construction tech-
niques and the architectural characteristics
of the bell and drum towers.
Many elderly locals queued to climb the tow-
By Bai Lu / Zhao Pu safeguarding for half a century, and no progress ers to beat the bell and drum for good luck. For
National Treasure, a new TV series produced was made. them, the temple, which reopened in 1992 as
by China Central Television unveils a little- Nanjing Museum pointed out that former direc- a museum, is a familiar stranger. “We’ve been
known episode of history to the public. The tor of Palace Museum Wu Zhongchao stated verbal- living nearby for ten or twenty years, but have
story centers on the transfer of a large quantity of ly in 1960 that if the cultural relics had not been never come in to look around,” a Mrs. Zhang told
treasures from the Forbidden City to South China returned by 1961, they could remain at the Nanjing Beijing Today, “it’s very nice of the museum to
for safekeeping in the 1930s. Museum. The Palace Museum protested and de- invite us to participate in the event.”
Although the majority of the treasures were re- manded a text testimony. The bell, 1.6 meters in height, 1.05 meters
turned long ago, some 2,000 crates of porcelain When Beijing Today contacted the director of in diameter, was cast in 1444, when the power-
wares are still in the possession of the Nanjing Mu- Nanjing Museum Xu Huping, he declined to com- ful eunuch Wang Zhen built this family temple.
seum. Today, the Palace Museum wants them back, ment on the issue. “I can’t provide any comment be- There are delicate lotus petal designs around
but the Nanjing side is reluctant to let them go. fore some matters are solved,” he said. However a the rim, and on each petal are Sanskrit inscrip-
senior researcher in Nanjing, who declined to reveal tions. There are 1,030 Sanskrit characters in to-
Southern refuge his name, said that in fact the Palace Museum had tal. The drum, a replica of the original, is 1.45
When Japanese troops invaded north China in already selected the most precious items from these meters in length, 1.07 meters in diameter, and
1931, the Kuomintang government decided to move Chaotian Palace in Nanjing Museum, storehouse of these treasures and moved them back to Beijing. The part is vividly decorated with a design of two drag-
part of the national treasures in the Forbidden City treasures Photo by Wang Jian remaining in Nanjing are mainly porcelain wares. ons playing with a pearl on each side.
to southern China. From February to May of 1933, The quantity and quality of cultural relics are a The original drum now is kept in the Hall
more than 10,000 crates of treasures from the Im- treasures were secretly divided into three groups vital criteria grading a museum. It is natural for of the Tathagata, where the damaged lacquer
perial Palace, the Summer Palace, and Guozijian and transferred to remote areas in Guizhou and the Nanjing side to want to hold on to these impe- layer is being restored.
(the Imperial College) were shipped south. Sichuan provinces. rial porcelain wares, said the researcher. Zhihua Temple is famous for its glazed
These cultural relics were taken via Shanghai At the end of World War II, the cultural relics black tiles and magnifi cently painted caisson
and Nanjing to Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, were moved back to Chaotian Palace, and during Overdue return ceilings. The biggest one in the main hall was
and were preserved in remote areas such as Le- the subsequent War of Liberation, the Kuomintang There are over 2,211 crates, with over 100,000 stolen and sold to a dealer in the 1930s, and
shan, Emei and Anshun. When the Anti-Japanese selected 2,972 crates from the over 13,000 to take pieces of cultural relics from the Forbidden City is now kept in the Nelson Atkins Museum of
War ended, they were moved back to Nanjing. to Taiwan. With these cultural relics, Taipei’s Palace in the Nanjing Museum, including about 90,000 Art in the US.
Given the immense value of the relics, the entire Museum was established. antique porcelain wares produced in offi cial kilns,
operation was carried out in the utmost secrecy, and After the founding of New China in 1949, many 1,332 copper Buddhas, 135 brush pens and 74 me-
has ever since been shrouded in mystery. of the relics remaining in Nanjing were returned morial tablets of the Qing Emperor’s ancestors, as
to the Forbidden City. But during the Cultural well as some incense burners.
Negotiation Revolution, the work of returning them was sus- The Nanjing Museum exhibited a part of these
Deputy director of the Palace Museum Liang pended. imperial cultural relics together with its own collec-
Jinsheng told Beijing Today last week that there The Palace Museum signed an agreement with tion in Japan in the 1990s.
are actually 2,211 crates of treasures from the the Cultural Bureau of Jiangsu Province in 1960 “These cultural relics refl ect the history of the
Forbidden City still kept in the Nanjing Museum. stating that the cultural relics belong to the Palace Imperial Palace, and they can only show full value
In recent years, he said, the Palace Museum has Museum and should be returned. in the Forbidden City,” said Liang Jinsheng, deputy
been negotiating with the Nanjing Museum for But when the Palace Museum sent staff to fulfi ll director of the Palace Museum, “For example, the
their return. the agreement in 1979, the Nanjing Museum pro- memorial tablets of the ancestors of the Qing Im-
According to Liang, these cultural relics were posed to take over these treasures eternally. There- perial family. It makes no sense to display them in
transported to Shanghai before the Anti-Japanese fore, the return was again put aside. places other than the Forbidden City.”
War, and many specialists in relics preservation In 1987 and 1988, the Palace Museum sent “At present the Imperial Palace is going through
were dispatched to Nanjing’s Chaotian Palace, personnel to Nanjing to negotiate on the matter a large-scale renovation. Not only the buildings
where the Nanjing arm of the Palace Museum had of the return of the treasures, but Nanjing Mu- need renovation, the collection of national treasures Eighty-year-old master Benxing (left) playing the
been established. When the war erupted in 1937, the seum was reluctant to let go the relics it had been should be restored too,” he added. yunluo (gong). Photo by Miao Yajie