Beijing Today (January 3, 2003)

16 Pages·14.5 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

Beauty comes at a price in this Roast duck restaurants outsmart Acrobatics is the best medicine for the
otherworldly place. Page 16 traditional competition. Page 14 wife but is torture for the husband.
Page 9
FRIDAY JANUARY 3, 2003 NO. 86 CN11-0120 HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
Mayor Maps out
Olympic Outlook
BBy Xiao Rong
eijing is to renovate crumbling residences in the 62
square km downtown area to guarantee a better liv-
ing environment in the run up to the 2008 Olympic
Games.
“In achieving our goal of hosting the best ever Olympics,
it’s essential to improve people’s living standards and safe-
guard their interests instead of simply holding the Games,”
mayor Liu Qi stressed at a press conference last Friday.
2003 is a crucial year for Olympic preparation work, fo-
cusing on stadium construction, marketing, environmental
protection and the transportation network, said the mayor.
Olympic construction projects will mainly rely on invit-
ing international bids, guaranteeing transparency and fair-
ness as well as following international practices, according
to Liu.
He said that construction of the main projects is to begin
in the latter half of the year. The emblem for the 2008 Olym-
pics will be announced in April and the marketing plan will
be launched in May.
To better solve the traffic problems in the capital, a
comprehensive network of railway transportation is being
planned, with the total length of city railways to reach 300 Cloning Claim Reignites
kilometers by 2008.
To reduce air pollution, the mayor mapped out the prom-
ising prospect that for 60 percent of the coming year, capital
residents will enjoy air quality of or better than grade II.
Liu summarized that Beijing’s modernization with sound
economic development will lay a solid foundation for the
Fierce Debate
city to achieve the goal of “Scientific Olympics, Green Olym-
Brigitte Boisselier(middle), after the press conference
pics and People’s Olympics”. held in Florida December 27 to announce clone birth
Xinhua/Reuters Photo
Our New Long Marchers Andy McEwen and Ed When a Cloned Child was Born
Jocelyn have sent Beijing Today the second chapter
By Xiao Rong
of their ongoing adventure. Enjoy it by sharing the
loneliness of two Englishmen far away from the By Xiao Rong albeit a younger version. It and X-rays,” added He. “We The birth of allegedly the world’s first
usual creature comforts. A new round of controver- can be called grandchild, son cannot ban the research of cloned human was met with a chorus of de-
sy has been stirred up in Chi- or daughter, sister or brother a technology just because it’s nunciation and skepticism among the inter-
na about the ethics of human according to the age of the not perfect now. The main national scientific community.
cloning, following the birth clone, compared to the source problem of the human cloning Nicknamed “Eve”, the newborn was
last Thursday of the world’s of the genetic material. issue is that our ethics lag far claimed last Friday to be the replica of
first cloned human. But some ethicists contend behind the progress of mod- her mother by Clonaid, a cloning company
The Ministry of Public that this is not the main rea- ern technology.” under the Quebec-based Raelian sect that
Health reaffirmed its position son for their criticism. De- He appealed for the im- believes life on earth was created by ex-
that any reproductive cloning meaning human dignity by provement of ethical rules tra-terrestrials through genetic engineering
tests will not be approved, artificially creating a human to serve the common inter- 25,000 years ago.
granted, supported and ac- being through cloning is what ests of human kind as well Brigitte Boisselier, chief executive of
knowledged under any cir- really matters. as the sound development of Clonaid, said the 7-pound girl was delivered
cumstances. “Human cloning is a retro- science. by caesarean section last Thursday but she
Aside from governmental gressive step from sexual to “A cloned baby is first a hu- declined to reveal where the cloned baby
opposition to human cloning, asexual reproduction, which man, but it’s those ethicists was born. Nor did she announce the identity
most Chinese scientists and will harm the diversity of hu- that have deprived their right of the 31-year-old American mother.
ethical experts expressed man genes and may trigger to be born. For infertile cou- The baby will be facing an independent
their concerns over the safe- unknown diseases,” said Shen ples, homosexuals or couples DNA test either this weekend or early next
ty of cloning technology and Mingxian, director of the Eth- whose child has died, why week to verify whether she is really a clone,
The exhausted New Long Marchers take a break 200 meters above the Dong called for strict regulations ics Department of the South- shouldn’t human cloning help said Boisselier. Former ABC News science
minority village of Longping, their last stop before crossing the Guangxi- on its use. ern Research Center of the them?” said He. editor, Michael Guillen, is expected to be
Hunan border on December 15. Among overwhelming Chinese National Human Ge- Shen Mingxian echoed He’s chosen to do the test.
Topsy-turvy World of the condemnation, one voice has nome Center. view that ethics should evolve The announced birth was met with over-
been raised in support of the Shen told Beijing Today with the development of sci- whelming doubt and condemnation on ethical
research. that the attempt to clone hu- entific technologies, but he grounds, as well as an appeal by government
New Long March “The official position of man beings while animal clon- stressed the importance of leaders for a global ban on human cloning.
the Ministry of Public Health ing has proved to be so risky maintaining the stability of “The announcement in itself is an ex-
lacks basic discretion and ob- is irresponsible. It will only re- the ethical rules of society. pression of a brutal mentality, devoid of any
By Ed Jocelyn / Andy McEwen jectiveness, which will only sult in disasters by harming “Not all that technology ethical and human consideration,” said the
During the course of a typi- block the healthy progress of the interests of human kind. could achieve should be statement from papal spokesman Joaquin
cal English suburban childhood, China’s cloning technology,” Meanwhile, He Zuoxiu ar- achieved. Respect for human Navarro-Valls.
there are three fascinating facts argued He Zuoxiu, renowned gues that it’s better to ma- values and protection of hu- French President Jacques Chirac strong-
to be learned about China. expert in the field of theoreti- nipulate the evolution of man dignity in the process ly condemned the cloning and repeated calls
By far the most enthralling cal physics. human kind through clon- of scientific development can for a worldwide ban on attempts to clone
— one every English schoolboy cinating fact of all — is upside The 75-year-old academi- ing technology rather than never be overemphasized,” humans, which he said was “contrary to the
knows — is that if all the peo- down, like Australia. It’s only cian from the Chinese Acad- by natural selection. said Shen. dignity of man”.
ple of China were to jump up gravity that prevents Chinese emy of Sciences avowed his “It’s also ridiculous to Shen expressed the worry American President George Bush also
and down simultaneously, the people from falling off the bot- firm belief in human clon- imagine that human clon- that embarking on human expressed his concern over the human clone
resulting tidal wave would en- tom of the planet. ing during Beijing Today’s ing would lead to a huge cloning projects without prop- issue. The need for the new Congress to
gulf Western Europe. But it’s Philosophers can debate the exclusive interview. Profes- amount of clones with iden- er regulations or guidelines act on bipartisan legislation to ban all hu-
only a theory of course. Nobody tidal wave and excavation the- sor He is one of the few sci- tical genes. Even if scientists may lead to abuse of the tech- man cloning was renewed by White House
ever actually tried it. ories, but the third fact is in- entists in China to publicly clone a thousand He Zuox- nology for commercial profits. spokesman Scott McClellan last Friday.
Marshalling the masses into disputable. support cloning technology, ius, they will be quite dif- Facing the claim that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which
making a giant leap forward, For indeed, during the course stating his position as early ferent due to environmental world’s first cloned baby has regulates human experiments, has launched
rather than upward, Chairman of this New Long March, the as 1997, one year after Dolly differences in the womb and been born, both He and an investigation into whether Clonaid illegal-
Mao might have missed out world has turned completely up- the sheep was born. upbringing,” said He. Shen were skeptical as to ly performed any of the work on U.S. soil.
on the second most interesting side down. All things once deemed “I do admit the current risk Professor He agreed we its veracity. The United States has proposed a U.N.
fact about the People’s Repub- impossible are now possible. of cloning technology, and wor- should minimize any possi- If the baby girl is verified treaty banning all human cloning, but
lic available to an English sub- “You know I woke up this ry about the possible abnor- ble side effects of scientific to be a real clone, said the two France and Germany have proposed an al-
urban child. And that is, if you morning and thought ‘I really malities it may bring about technology by establishing experts, she deserves equal ternative to ban reproductive cloning but al-
start digging a hole in an Eng- want a KFC chicken burger.’ It’s in cloning humans,” said He. proper guidelines, but the respect and care just like any low therapeutic cloning, which can be used
lish garden — and then keep not often you wake up and think “But I am opposed to banning technology itself should be other child. to cure diseases like diabetes and cancer.
digging for a very, very long a thing like that,” Ed said today. human cloning solely on ethi- given enough space for “The child is innocent af- Despite worldwide outrage and skepti-
time — eventually — say, after Before the New Long March, cal grounds.” healthy development. ter all and should not be cism, Brigitte Boisselier, insisted the feat
a week, you will come out on Ed could never have said some- Professor He feels it won’t “Any scientific technology either discriminated or privi- would be scientifically proved, saying a sec-
the other side of the Earth and thing so simultaneously stupid be difficult to regulate the role is a double-edged sword and leged just because of her iden- ond cloned baby is due next week to a les-
find yourself in China. and dull. But dialectically, that of cloned humans in society may bring about both favor- tity. It’s those who created bian couple in northern Europe.
That is because China — is what makes it so interesting. because a clone is actually an able and unfavorable effects her that we should denounce,”
and this is the third most fas- (See Page 2) identical twin of its “parent”, to the world, like the A-bomb said Shen. EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
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TRENDS
2
动 态
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
Education for Profit
City Establishes
sector can not be completely oper- cation market should be divided
ated in the hands of market,” into public and private sectors. Financial Office
points out Wu Jinglian, a Besides the not-for-profit govern-
renowned economist. ment funded compulsory educa- By Shan Jinliang
The other side, however, tion, market orientation is needed The Financial Office
argued that the industrialization for the remaining sectors of higher under the Beijing Municipal
By Ema Ma calls to abolish this outdated ica, Eduventures have already of education will encourage more education, adult education and Government made its debut
The dispute over the industri- clause have become louder. prepared to enter the China investors to make up the gov- other non-basic education. At the late last week to promote
alization of education culminated With the exception of compul- market. ernment’s insufficiency in terms same time, private-support schol- credit card business, through
when the Law to Promote Private sory education, the huge educa- With the passing of the law, of funds and qualified teachers. arship should be brought into the which one quarter of the
Education was finally approved tion market from preschool to debate on the industrialization “Merely giving money is not real- market like the higher education city’s consumption purchases
last Saturday. For the first time in retirement is almost a blank in of education has become increas- istic in China’s present situation, to ensure equal opportunity. will be made by 2008.
China, making money from educa- China. That is why numerous ingly intense: considering the underdeveloped While lawmakers are Beijing is poised to pro-
tion is legitimate. The law will go investors, both local and over- One side argued; some inves- mechanism of public funding. immersed in endless arguments mote credit card business
into effect on September 1. seas, have eagerly sought any tors have gained huge profit in More surplus capital will flow over the extent of commercial- this year by offering favor-
In the past, education insti- loopholes. The English training the name of the so-called “noble into this untapped seller’s market ization, the demand for continu- able policies, said Cheng Yan-
tutions have been banned from market right now in Beijing is school,” violating the principle only when the investors are per- ing education seemed to have run hong, director of the office.
pursuing any activities for profit. one case. The world’s biggest of equal education opportunities mitted to gain profit,” said an offi- riot. Education has become the The settlement volume of
However, with the concept of life- private education group, Nobell for all. “Industrialization does cial from education authority. third largest expenditure after deals by credit cards is cur-
long education being accepted by and the most celebrated educa- not mean commercialization. As In the middle ground, most the home and car for ordinary rently less than five percent,
more and more Chinese people, tion resources website in Amer- a special industry, the education scholars agree that the entire edu- people, according to polls. while in developed countries
it is almost 50 percent.
The office will be respon-
State Railways to Accept sible for the city’s financial
Shenzhou IV
environment construction,
financial supervision and
Foreign Investment
financial risk prevention.
Orbits Beijing had 52 financial
institutions by the end of
By Hou Mingxin
June last year, and finance
China’s state-owned railway industry is to
the Earth is now a pillar industry,
open wider to foreign investment, including
accounting for 15.3 percent
private investment from domestic enterprises.
of the city’s gross domestic
Minister of railways, Fu Zhihuan, made the state-
product.
ment at the 2002 state railway annual working
conference on December 28. China launched its fourth Construction Starts
The Ministry of Railways is drafting a series unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou
of investment policies to ensure fair market con- IV using a Long March II F on No. 5 Subway
ditions for healthy competition, according to Fu. carrier rocket early Monday from
By Ema Ma
“All the fields that the Chinese government the Jiuquan Satellite Launch
Work began on the No. 5
promised to open to foreign investors in its com- Center in Gansu Province. The
subway line last Friday. When
mitments to the World Trade Organization will launch brings China one step
complete, the new subway
allow entry of international companies, using closer to manned space travel.
line will run 27.6 kilometers
various forms of co-operation,” said the minister. Controllers in the launch center
from the Beijing Develop-
Fu also said that major areas of the railway monitor Shenzhou IV’s flight
ment Area (BDA) in the south
construction and transportation market could
to Changping District in the
open up to international investors but he did not
north of the city. The project
give details.
will require an investment of
The ministry is expected to recommend some
about 12 billion yuan, and is
profitable railway construction projects for global
scheduled for completion in
bidding in early 2003.
2006.
Fu said all the areas to be open to foreign
The design of the No. 5 line
investment would also be open to domestic enter-
incorporates facilities making
prises, as long as they are suitably qualified.
it accessible to the disabled
and includes large-scale park-
Russian Embassy
ing lots at either end to help
alleviate traffic jams in the
Opens Website downtown areas.
Third Stage of World
By Su Wei
Trade Center Launched
The Russian Embassy in Beijing has launched
a website in Russian, Chinese and English after
By Hou Mingxin
a six month trial operation.
The third stage of the
“No matter what nationalities the organi-
China World Trade Center
zations and people belong to or what their
(Guomao) was officially
identifications are, they are able to get the offi-
launched at a press confer-
cial information released by the Russian gov-
ence last week.
ernment,” says Yuri Metelev, counselor of the
The 300-meter-high new
embassy.
building will have a construc-
The embassy hopes the website www.
tion area of 540,000 square
russia.org.cn will help strengthen relations
meters, with total investment
between the two nations, with information offered
estimated to be more than
on culture, science and technology, trade and eco- Xinhua Photo US $800 million. According
nomics.
to officials from municipal
The website also includes consular informa-
government, the new trade
tion, the curriculum vitae of Ambassador Igor Philips Wins Intellectual Property Case
center will be a “symbolic con-
Rogachev, the location of the embassy and means
struction of the city.”
of contact, information about the Russian feder-
The third stage project of
ation including a brief introduction to the life
By Ema Ma Philips claimed: “The razor by the court states that the tain qualifications: “Whether the China World Trade Center
of Russian President Vladimir Putin and docu-
Royal Philips Electronics design patent granted to the difference between the two or not the patent should be is also one of the major proj-
ments signed by the Chinese and Russian gov-
won a lawsuit against the applicant, Yang Weijiang, is patents is mainly reflect in granted is somewhat con- ects of Beijing central business
ernments.
State Intellectual Property actually the same as the prod- the head of the razor. cerned with the judgments district, which will accommo-
Visa applications can be downloaded, as well
Office (SIPO) related to an uct of Philips registered before Since revisions to the based on reviewer’s experi- date leading domestic and
as information about education in Russia, Rus-
industrial design patent in SIPO. Therefore, Yang’s patent law went into effect ences and technical knowl- international corporations.
sian news and the links to major news agencies.
recently. intellectual property right on July 1, 2001, decisions edge, not the written rules. The Beijing government
“It is just the start,” says Metelev. “We will
The court rescinded the should be declared invalid.” made by the Patent Re-exam- In order to lessen the chance has set up a series of policies
provide detailed information about every state
decision made by SIPO that However, the Patent Re- ination Board are no longer of an error of judgment, the to compensate residents and
university on the website.” He says the website
rejected Philips’s request to examination Board final. The patentees have the Re-examination Board usu- companies that will have to
has already received 5,000 queries about higher
declare a patent for a razor concluded that there were right to seek judicial rem- ally consists of three experts move to make way for the
education in Russia. “We also plan to provide
by Yang Weijiang as null and conspicuous differences edies if they are not satis- with rich experiences in the project. According to an offi-
links to websites of Russian trade missions and
void. “SIPO must reconsider between the two products, fied with the results handed approval of patents. Consid- cial, compensation measures
provide more economic and commercial opportu-
its decision,” said the court and that customers were down by the board. ering this, how can the court’s include money and various
nities online,” he said.
in its ruling. unlikely to confuse the two But the examination judgment be unquestionably kinds of services.
In the legal proceedings products. experts from SIPO seemed to right? “ queried Li Jü, the The first stage of the
Maglev on Trial filed on March 6 this year, The final decision made accepted the decision, with cer- senior reviewer from SIPO. China World Trade Center
went into operation in 1990.
The third stage of the proj-
The Shanghai Transrapid Maglev New Long March electric street of three — hong Hotel and, safe inside
ect is scheduled for comple-
Line, a high-speed transportation no wait — four-story build- our rooms, removed bushels
tion in 2007.
system, was put into trial operation on ings. Some, Andy noted with of prickly shrubbery from
Monday. mounting excitement, were various small and medium- Overhaul for
The Shanghai Maglev is the world’s (Continued from page 1) much care for it.” spectacularly ugly. sized orifices. In the bath-
Third Ring Road
first and only high-speed commercial For on the New Long Now we know exactly what We finally entered the room, there was a hot shower
commuting system using the state-of- March everything once he means. One day almost a filthy, litter-lined main street and — the clincher — a West- By Ema Ma
the-art technology. deemed ugly and hateful has month ago, we found the right of this typical Chinese con- ern toilet. Repair work began on the
The line links bustling Pudong Air- become beautiful and beloved. trail and descended through urbation to be met by bored We paid our 50 yuan, Third Ring Road last Satur-
port with the subway system that runs And vice-versa. the bracken to wade across young men on motorbikes locked the door and rested our day, and is expected to be
through Shanghai’s urban areas, cut- Since leaving Quanzhou 13 a sparkling twilit stream yelling “hello” and almost fell weary heads on fluffy laun- completed by August.
ting traveling time from the airport days ago, we have marched towards our appointment with to our knees in delight. White dered pillows. For a moment, Forty-eight kilometers
to downtown Shanghai from about an 320 kilometers over three the historic town of Huajiang. lavatory tiles and karaoke as he closed his eyes, Andy long, with over 40 overpasses
hour to just eight minutes. mountain ranges. Traversing A villager carrying a live opportunities surrounded us feared gravity might suddenly and with an average daily
raging rapids and wild water- rat home for dinner directed in all directions. stop working and he would traffic of 200,000 vehicles, the
falls, we have seen magnif- us — wrongly, as it trans- “It’s the most beautiful wake up face down in the wil- Third Ring Road, along with
icent mountain peaks, tilled pired — towards our goal. thing I have ever seen,” said derness. the recently repaired Second
terraces and kick-ass karst Coming down the last moun- Ed — his new habit really But the warbling of a Ring Road, carries over 40
landscapes. Colorful peasants tain path at 6:30, we tramped kicking in that day. night-time troubadour echo- percent of the cities traffic.
speaking in strange tongues past curious mumbling from When the original Long ing from some distant fairy- By reinforcing the surface
have welcomed us to drink within wooden cabin homes Marchers passed through a land reminded Andy he was of the road, expanding light-
cold tea in their mudbrick and and caught glimpses of shad- typical small town — and warm and safe indoors. ing and extending the green
wooden homes. owy figures gathered around Huajiang could not have been “Our modernizing mother- belt, travel on the road will
When we asked a real Long glowing hearths. Some beck- more typical — the leaders land is magnificent,” crooned be made more comfortable
Marcher a while ago back in oned us in, but on we still would make sure to snaffle the pink parlor performer. for drivers.
Beijing what he made of all trudged. all the fanciest lodgings avail- “Indeed it is,” mumbled In order to reduce disrup-
the natural splendor, he said, We turned a corner and able. Likewise for us laowais. Andy, and fell into a deep blue tion of traffic, most of the
Xinhua Photo
“Frankly at the time, I didn’t there it was — a shimmering We proceeded to the Fen- electric dream. work will be done at night.
DEVELOPMENT
3
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
China’s First Fund JV
Debuts in Shenzhen
By Hou Mingxin
On December 30, 2002, Dutch financial giant Inter-
national Netherlands Groups (ING) announced that it
had established China’s first joint fund managing com-
pany in the southern city of Shenzhen, according to ma-
jor state media.
ING holds 30 percent of the new venture which has
registered a capital of 100 million yuan. ING’s main
partner, China Merchant Securities Co. Ltd, holds 40
percent, while the other three partners China State Pow-
er Finance Co. Ltd, China Huaneng Finance Co. Ltd, and
COSCO Finance Co. Ltd each own 10 percent.
ING and its partners have received official approv-
al from the China Securities Regulatory Commission
(CSRC) on December 26, as a key step in the gradual
opening of the country’s huge financial markets, ac-
cording to a report published in Shanghai-based Se-
curities News.
The ING venture would put out its first fund in early
2003, which could total two to three billion yuan, accord-
P
h ing to a senior ING executive.
o
to Three other foreign ventures including Fortis NV, Al-
b lianz AG, and Socité Générale have received initial ap-
y
P proval from CSRC to set up such funds, but they have
h
o not announced formal launches yet.
to
c Under China’s WTO commitments, foreign part-
o
m ners may hold up to 33 percent of joint ventures
e
China State Power funds, increasing to 49 percent in the three years fol-
market before the grid industry’s
lowing WTO entry.
property rights are diversified.
Zeng Peiyan, director of both the Beijing Logistics Harbor
State Power System Reform Group
and the State Development and Plan- Now Under Construction
ning Commission, said breaking the
Breaks Monopoly
monopoly is only the first step of
By Ema Ma
the final successful power reform. He
Beijing Logistics Harbor, invested with 10 billion
added that regional and provincial
yuan, is now officially under construction.
grid companies will be established in
Located in the southeast of Beijing, beside the ex-
the new year, soon to be followed by
pressway joining Beijing with Tianjin and Tanggu,
asset and financial auditing and a
BCy Shan Jinliang panies, after breaking the telecommu- er Grid and Southern Power Grid, power trading center. Northern China’s two major ports, the harbor’s key po-
hina makes another step in nications industry in December 2001 which will compete for contracts Electricity price dropping sition will make Beijing the new destination port for
breaking the country’s monop- and the civil air industry last October. with the above five power gener- The reform aroused nationwide container transportation by sea, as well as support the
oly by splitting the State Pow- The same day, the State Power ating companies. Meanwhile, four attention, as it was hoped electricity logistics of the nearby Central Business District (CBD)
er Corporation into eleven small firms Regulatory Commission was estab- other companies will continue to prices would drop. While no formal and Beijing Development Area (BDA).
on December 29. This initiative will lished to replace the previous market operate the entire peripheral busi- Power Law exists yet, analysts say By the time of its expected completion in 2007, the
hopefully introduce private and for- player in overseeing the industry. ness in China. it will not affect the progress of elec- harbor will provide a series of services on warehousing,
eign capital to the industry, as well as Private and foreign capital on On the State power breakup, in- tricity price reform. customs, distribution, packaging, garbage disposal, ex-
lower the price of electricity. the way dustry experts are still concerned Beginning early last year, a few hibition and other related services in banking, insur-
With two million staff members According to the reform, the pow- about whether the monopoly will be electricity companies have already ance accounting and law.
and 145 million dollars in assets, State er-generating assets of the State demolished as expected. A senior of- cut their prices, and Huaneng Inter- According to plan, the annual capacity for container
Power Corporation used to be the larg- Power Corporation will be shared ficial from the State Economic and national and four electricity listed handling will reach 300,000 units. Meanwhile some in-
est monopoly in China, ranking 77th by five companies, each holding Trade Commission said work is far companies in Guangdong province ternationally known chain shopping malls have already
in the Fortune’s 500 last year. This an annual electricity-generating ca- from over, as five major monopolized reduced their prices by 15 to 20 expressed interest in cooperating with the harbor.
last step was seen as a solid effort pacity of 32 million kilowatts, less companies may still be established, percent last October. Economy In- The Hong Kong-based investor, Beijing Holdings
to advance the country’s market econ- than 20 percent of the total assets. while other experts suggest intro- formation Daily predicted that the Ltd (with 60 percent of shares) is said to have intimate
omy reform and encourage market Grid operation will be divided into ducing domestic and foreign capital electricity price will fall further ties with the government. Its president and general
competition among state-owned com- two separate operators, State Pow- and opening up the grid’s financial very soon. manager were respectively ex-vice mayor of Beijing
and ex-chairman of Beijing Municipal Foreign Eco-
nomic Relations & Trade Commission.
China Unicom Bets on CDMA Profits in 2003
Logistics are known in the industry for being the
“Third Source of Profit,” as reported warehousing and
transportation expenditures account for 40 percent of
all manufacturing costs in China. Annual logistics ex-
By Tony Shaw within the group is cut in half. Other user goal was reached as claimed, penditures amounted to 1,788 billion yuan in 2001, ac-
China’s second largest telecommu- major cities such as Guangzhou also the company must have paid 800 to counting for 20 percent of the GDP.
nications operator, China Unicom, an- offer preferential advantages to users, 16,000 million yuan. If these expenses were to decrease by only one per-
nounced on the eve of the new year such as 30 percent off calling fees. So China Unicom’s half-year report cent, total costs could be cut down to 17.8 billion yuan.
that it would develop 13 million CDMA far, China Unicom’s efforts have been showed that CDMA revenues were Experts estimate that China’s logistics industry will
users in 2003, three million more than applauded by the market ever since only 454 million yuan, while the busi- truly take off in the next decade.
the previous plan. Industry analysts they were promoted last October. ness cost was 1.057 billion yuan, and
Zhongguancun Launches
said it will be risky for Unicom, but it Apparently a large number of new the loss was almost 600 million yuan.
may be the only way to compete with CDMA users are former GPRS users Under this high cost pressure, Chi-
its big brother, China Mobile. of China Mobile, since the number na Unicom will complete the second First Overseas R&D Organ
China Unicom’s 13-million goal of CDMA users has grown much fast- phase of the CDMA network in early
was set after its president Wang er than mobile phone users. Fur- 2003 with a volume of 30 million us- By Shan Jinliang
Jianzhou claimed that Unicom’s thermore, China Mobile has issued ers. As analyzed by Beijing Times, the The Zhongguancun Administrative Committee an-
CDMA (Code division multiple ac- Wang Jianzhou, president of measures to stabilize high-end phone second phase requires a greater num- nounced last week that the Zhongguancun Science
cess) network users had exceeded China Unicom users in Guangdong, a key market for ber of CDMA users, so if the number Park had established its first overseas Research and
Photo by Photocome
seven million by December 25, 2002, the two leading telecom operators. of CDMA users fails to meet the chal- Development (R&D) branch in the University of Mary-
according to the annual plan. buyers. Analysts say the higher num- From the end of last month, China lenge, a bigger loss will arise from land, US.
Experts say it was tough for Chi- ber of CDMA users expected this year, Mobile’s Guangdong branch offered the inefficiently used network. On the As a central R&D and IT center in China, the
na Unicom because the number of coupled with increasing pressure from 6,000 mobile phones free of charge or other hand, if a large amount of sub- Science Park not only attracts a number of world-
CDMA users was only one million the industry, has forced the company at a favorable price to its users, as sidiaries is spent on attracting more leading IT companies, including Fortune’s 500 com-
last June; however, it will be even to rely on group buyers to secure the only part of the one million mobile users to the market, the much higher panies, but also encourages companies within the
harder this year as China Mobile increase of CDMA users. phone purchasing plan this year. The cost will make achieving the profit park to establish branches, R&D centers and produc-
starts to fight back with favorable In Beijing, with a guarantee from new phones are expected to exceed by goal impossible. tion bases overseas, before helping them to enter the
policies to stabilize its GPRS (Gener- the company, a group of at least 50 a few times the number of phones pur- While China Mobile takes mea- world market.
al Packet Radio Service) user num- people can purchase CMDA mobile chased from China Unicom last year. sures to stabilize its high-end con- The committee has decided to set up R&D cen-
ber from last month. phones with zero down payment, once High cost, high risk sumer market in the new year, other ters and production bases in India, Vietnam, Russia
China Mobile ghts back the users sign a contract with Unicom Insider analysts say China Unicom problems on the horizon are trou- and other countries later this year, and is now dis-
Market statistics indicate that in to use the network for over two years has paid a high price for its rapid bling current CDMA users. Some say cussing establishing overseas incubators for Chi-
the past few months, China Unicom and make calls for an monthly fee of expansion since it began to develop CDMA mobile phones are not easy nese companies.
has reduced its preferential policies on no less than 200 yuan. Unicom sets up CDMA on January 8, 2002. Each new to fix, and they find being indisposed The park already has four overseas liaison offices
individual CDMA users while offer- a suppositional network or intranet CDMA user costs at least 200 to 400 to use the same phone for two years in the Silicon Valley (US), Tokyo (Japan), Amsterdam
ing more preferential prices to group for 50 people, so that the calling fee yuan, and if the seven million CDMA quite an inconvenience. (Netherlands) and Toronto (Canada) to introduce Chi-
na to overseas technology scholars.
Department Stores Grab Home Appliance Market
Huaxia Bank Soon to Be Listed
By Shan Jinliang
By Shan Jinliang sulting from the growing number of ager of Gome Beijing, said it will ex- Huaxia Bank won approval from CRSC to launch
On the eve of its 10th anniversary home appliance chain stores such as pand its store to rural districts such its initial public offering (IPO) in the domestic yuan-
celebration, Blue Island Mansion an- Dazhong, Gome, and later Suning. as Changping, Shunyi and Huairou in dominated A-share market last week, but the date of
nounced it would open two to four Although department stores Blue the first half of this year, to avoid the listing is undecided.
more home appliance chain stores in Island, Xidan, Cuiwei, Chang’an Mar- already fierce competition in town. Previously the board of directors of Huaxia Bank
the new year, and Beijing Evening ket and Shuang’an Market all still “Our brand name is a big advan- said the listing plan will issue one billion shares in
News reported that Xidan Depart- retain their home appliance section, tage, but Dazhong and other home ap- the A-share market with a per share price of four to
ment Store and Cuiwei Tower are also they are no longer a major source of pliance chain stores are also building five yuan. The funds from the market will be utilized
preparing to launch their own home profit, said Huang Hao, general man- up their brands,” said Huang Hao, ad- to enlarge the office scale, including the application
Blue Island Mansion Photo by Xiao Shan
appliance stores. ager of Blue Island. However, they mitting the pressure he felt. and registration of overseas branches.
Both Xidan and Cuiwei declined may still attract more consumers to distributed to the chain store and Blue Industry experts predict that man- Established in October 1992, Huaxia Bank is a
to give Beijing Today any details on buy clothes and costumes. Island Mansion by the same center, to agement expertise and capital will be Beijing-based nationwide commercial bank, and it
the future chain stores but did not Huang Hao said in keeping with cut costs,” said Huang. no obstacles for the new chain stores’ will become the fifth listed bank in China following
deny the information. The above-men- the trend of home appliance chain The new chain stores will be lo- initial development, but that their Shenzhen Development Bank, Shanghai Pudong De-
tioned three are among the few stores stores, Blue Island opened Computer cated in the newly developed areas competing scale will result in bottle- velopment Bank, China Minsheng Banking and China
which have maintained their home Franchise Store in rural Tongzhou of Wangjing, Changping and around neck. Gome said the home appliance Merchants Bank. Shenzhen Development was listed
appliance departments. Most of the District in 2000, as well as Longhua the West Fourth Ring Road, in order chain store market is presently far in the Shenzhen Stock Market in April 1991. The four
city’s department stores abandoned Blue Island Home Appliance Square to avoid strong competition from Da- from saturation, which explains the major state-owned banks, including China Construc-
their home appliance business from in rural Shunyi District in 2001. “All zhong, Gome and Suning. At the same sudden entrepreneurship of these de- tion Bank and others, expressed the same hope to list
1997, due to sharply cut profits re- home appliances and computers are time, Huang Xiuhong, general man- partment stores. in the market.
OUTLOOK
4
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
Washington to Give Nanotech $37B Boost
Rehnquist: More Bankruptcy Judges Needed
WASHINGTON, Jan.
1 (Reuters) - The US
Supreme Court Chief
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 promised an allocation of $20 mil- Analysts’ Take: and measurements, and so on. Justice William
(thedeal.com) - New legislation now lion over three years. The State of At the government level, nano- Rehnquist said on
before President Bush could result in California is matching every $2 of Jiang Lei, senior researcher technologies can be used in military Wednesday that the
$37 billion in new funding over the non-State support with $1 in State for the application of nanotech- industry, including new arms devel- Congress needs to name
next five years for the National Science funding up to $100 million. nology, Institute of Chemistry, opment and information transmis- more bankruptcy judges
Foundation - money that is expected The money is to be used prin- Chinese Academy of Sciences sion, space industry, nanobiology in the wake of the sharp
to boost venture capital investments cipally to equip the facility with Nano, together with IT and biol- and nanopharmics. increase in the number
in nanotechnology and emerging bio- state-of-the-art high-tech instru- ogy, are the three major technolo- The commercial use of nano-tech- of bankruptcy filings.
tech sectors. mentation, and for graduate fellow- gies that will play important roles nologies can promote the overall In his 2002 Year-End William H. Rehnquist
The bill authorizes $5.5 billion ships to attract the best students in the 21st century. progress of a nation, its economy Report on the Federal AP Photo
in funds for 2003, rising to $9.83 worldwide to advance nanoscience Nanotechnology can be used in and competitiveness; strengthen its Judiciary, Rehnquist said no new bankruptcy judge-
billion by 2007, for the Foundation, and nanotechnology research, to aid the manufacture of daily products, defense capability and social secu- ships had been created since 1992 although the
a primary source of research grants high-tech American businesses. from clothes, houses, vehicles to medi- rity. number of cases filed has increased by more than
for universities and, in turn, many “Innovation in American industry cines, medical tools and equipment, In China, more than 50 univer- 570,000 since then.
start-up companies. has been intimately connected to dis- telecom products and information sities and 21 independent research Rehnquist said the number of filings in bank-
The increased funding is specifi- coveries in basic science,” points out storage products, by improving the institutes are involved in research in ruptcy courts grew 8 percent in the year to an all-
cally targeting research on campus David Awschalom, director of the quality of the products we are using this field. Led by the Chinese Acad- time high of 1,547,669 cases filed. Bankruptcy filings
and startups involved in nanotech- Center for Spintronics and Quan- today and developing new ones. emy of Sciences, Tsinghua Univer- have risen 72.5 percent since 1993.
nology and plant genome research tum Information Processing, Univ- Nanotechnologies can bring a sity, Beijing University and Fudan
ECB Chief Says Willing to Stay on Longer
and applications. erisity of California, Santa Babara. “revolution” in materials used by University, most of the research
(Katherine Goncharoff) “With the disappearance of basic sci- industries such as textiles, construc- institutions are concentrated in BERLIN, Dec. 29
New Center for Nanoscience ence research in industrial laborato- tion materials, chemicals, petro- Beijing and Shanghai. (Reuters) - European
Innovation Transfers ries, the US government is concerned leum, auto, military facilities and Meanwhile, 323 corporations, Central Bank president
Santa Barbara, California - The about the source of future innovation. telecommunication. most located in the three industrial Wim Duisenberg said he
Center for Nanoscience Innovation So the new center is an experiment The development of nano prod- belts of Beijing-Tianjin, Shanghai was willing to extend
for Defense has been created to to back a group of universities to do ucts can also stimulate the and Guangzhou, are producing his stay in office if nec-
facilitate the transition of research fundamental science and work with prosperity of other industries such nano related products. 15 percent essary until a successor
innovation in the nanosciences into industry, to keep them informed of as manufacturing equipment and are products for industrial uses and was found, although he
applications. The US government the latest developments.” machines, new quality standards 85 percent for civilian uses. did not think this would
be the case.
French central bank
For 2003, Media
head Jean-Claude
Trichet remains the front-
runner to replace Duisen-
Sector Fomenting
berg, but Trichet’s
ongoing trial related to a
Wim Duisenberg
Rebellion bank scandal in France Reuters Photo
might force European
Union leaders to appoint someone else.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (Los Ange-
General Electric Faces First Strike in 30 Years
les Times) - Many media pundits pre-
dict that next year will be a time for NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (FT.com) - Many of General
rebuilding. But just as surely, it will be
Electric’s US plants could be crippled as the world’s
a time for rebelling.
biggest industrial company faces its first strike in 30
Granted, tremendous turmoil in the
years.
media sector this year is likely to lead
The strike alert, which could herald a tough year
to a search for stability in 2003, as
ahead for GE on the industrial relations front, was
leading media companies such as AOL
triggered on Wednesday when an average rise of
Time Warner Inc., Vivendi Universal
about $200 a year in the amount employees and
and Walt Disney Co. focus intently on
retirees must pay to the company’s managed health-
recovery rather than rapid expansion
care plan took effect. The increase raises each work-
through acquisitions.
er’s contribution towards healthcare to about $700 a
Indeed, for most media executives,
year.
cost cutting will be the order of the day
GE raised employees’ contributions because the
as they hunker down amid a still-lethar-
cost of its managed care plan had risen by about 45
gic economy and continued accounting
per cent over three years, reaching $1.4bn in 2002.
probes in pockets of the industry.
(Vincent Boland)
Yet that doesn’t mean there won’t
be plenty of battling between media Pepsi Loses Appeal Against Coke
giants, as well as within them. Among
the expected developments: Cable com- NEW YORK, Dec. 30
panies will revolt against their program (Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc.
suppliers over pricing, and at least a lost an appeal in a four-
couple of top executives will face muti- year-old suit against its
nies within their own ranks. rival Coca-Cola Co.
(Sallie Hofmeister) Pepsi, the No. 2 bev-
erage producer, argued
Analysts’ Take:
in a 1998 suit that No. 1
Yu Guoming, vice president, producer Coca-Cola vio-
Institute of Journalism, Renmin lated antitrust laws by
University of China barring food distribu-
In the last few years, the world media tors that sold its
industry, represented by the US media, fountain drinks from
focused on large scale expansions. It selling any Pepsi bever-
is understandable: size means success, ages. Pepsi had argued
particularly in a sophisticated market that Coca-Cola was ille-
Beyonce Knowles replaced Brit-
with fierce competition. gally monopolizing the ney Spears as the spokeswoman
Models for profiting in the unique market. for Pepsi-Cola.
media industry are quite simple: to US District Judge AP Photo
have what the others don’t; and to Loretta Preska
have better and cheaper ones than the dismissed the suit in September 2000 saying Pepsi
others. failed to present enough evidence in support of its
Of the three models, the third one can claims to warrant a trial.
provide an answer to the size expan- A US Appeals panel affirmed Preska’s ruling in a
sion in the US media industry last year. Tuesday decision.
Only with a large enough size, can you
Kodak Combating Digital Appeal
achieve reasonable efficiency, both in
media products and market sales. Dec. 27 (Washington Post) - Eastman Kodak
But contents are the fundamental Co., the world’s largest maker of photographic film,
elements, the soul, of the media indus- launched a public relations blitz designed to keep the
try, its products, and its success. It’s film manufacturer from becoming a technology casu-
the same basic requirement as print, alty of the early 21st century - or at least to stave off
Clerks in the Eurodollar pit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange signal prices during the final minutes of
audio and visual, and online media. what may be inevitable.
trading December 31, 2002. The exchange celebrated its third consecutive year of record-breaking volume in
The picture is like the construction of The company greets the idea that digital cameras
a year which saw the business world marred by accounting scandals, a lackluster economy, paltry corporate
highways. No matter how long or what might replace film with enthusiasm. Kodak, however,
profits and steep declines in stock prices. Reuters Photo
quality the highways are, there should argues that there are things film can do that digital
be vehicles using them. Otherwise, it’s video cannot. Film can store more than twice as much
all meaningless. Citibank to Invest in China’s Pudong Bank visual data - more color, more grain, more tone - than
The expansion of media enterprises can digital video. (Frank Ahrens)
also has its disadvantages and risks. It
needs highly skilled and sophisticated SHANGHAI, Dec. 31 (Reuters) percent of the small Bank of Shang- to three billion yuan ($362 mil-
management expertise. A death of a part - Citibank, a unit of US financial hai. Private US equity fund New- lion), down from an earlier target
of the large group can bring the whole giant Citigroup, plans to buy a stra- bridge Capital Group is planning of five billion.
empire crashing down. The failures of tegic 8.26 percent stake in Shang- to acquire nearly 20 percent of Lin Wei, banking analyst at
media groups like French Vivendi and hai Pudong Development Bank in Shenzhen Development Bank. Capital International Holdings,
Germany’s Kirch have provided exam- its first banking investment in the Analysts said Pudong Bank’s said Citibank could help Pudong
ples in this regard. potentially massive China market. main attraction was a steady prof- Bank develop its credit card busi-
It is an inevitable tendency that Pudong Bank president Jin Yun itability record in recent years and ness, a nascent but rapidly grow-
media enterprises are advancing said on Tuesday China’s central growing branch network headquar- ing market in China, as well as
towards being larger. It’s right. But don’t bank had given approval on Monday tered in Shanghai. help with risk management and
forget you need to be strong enough in to Citibank to become a strategic Shares in Pudong Bank, one Internet banking.
your fundamental business before any investor in the medium-sized, of China’s four listed lenders, fell Many Chinese banks, laden with
expansion. Strength means a higher Shanghai-based lender. 4.03 percent to 9.28 yuan today, as bad debt or too small to compete
quality of your contents in the media Many foreign banks are looking domestic investors took no cheer effectively, are in talks with giant
industry. at acquisitions in China, hoping a from the long-expected Citibank foreign competitors, hoping to clinch
It is fortunate that the US media strategic partnership with a local news, focusing instead on the new partnerships before China opens
industry has finally realized the for- bank would help them tap the share issue diluting capital, brokers the shuttered sector more widely
Famous director Steven Soderbergh used traditional film to
mula for their success, even though country’s $1 trillion in personal said. under its WTO commitments.
shoot some of his movie “Full Frontal,” but most of it was
coming after so many restructurings, savings. Pudong Bank said its addi- (Tiffany Wu, with additional recorded with a digital camcorder.
as well as up and downs in 2002. Last year, HSBC bought eight tional share issue would raise up reporting by Lee Chyen Yee) Photo by Bob Marshak
CITY
5
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: LI SHI
Another Ming Brick in the Wall
150,000 Yuan Embezzled
By Sun Ming
A lovesick accountant was caught with
150,000 embezzled yuan at Beijing West
Railway Station last Friday, just as he was
BTy Chen Ying ing the demolition of the nasty, because the city wall have also been found at the about to jump on his connecting train.
housands of ancient ancient city wall, built dur- of the Yuan Dynasty was No.1 Factory of Coal Com- Yang Liwei, 32, from the countryside of
bricks are being re- ing the Yuan and Ming dy- made from earth smashed pany near Qingnian Road Heilongjiang Province, intended to give the
called to reconstruct nasties, then located at the tightly above the stumps, in Chaoyang District. The money to his lover in Lanzhou, Gansu Prov-
the Ming Dynasty City present Second Ring Road, which were buried under- factory also used the demol- ince, before committing suicide there. Yang
Wall. deemed disadvantageous to ground. ished Ming bricks to set up had been emotionally divided between his
Beijing Normal Universi- city planning. The government is cur- a section of railway foun- wife and his lover for the past five years, po-
ty recently began to demol- To save money, students rently building a Heritage dation about 1,000 meters lice said.
ish its old outside swimming were elected to transport Park for the Ming Dynasty long and three meters high “I couldn’t bear the situation any more.
pool, removing many of the the dismantled bricks from City Wall in Chongwen- during 1960s, but the facto- But I wanted to repent by offering them both
ancient bricks from the Huokou, now an intersec- men. Unfortunately, only ry will soon move out of the an apologetic sum of money before leaving
pool’s body and foundation. tion along the Second Ring one third of the project has urban district, and the rail- this world,” Yang told the police.
The bricks’ noble origin is Road. The bricks were so so far been completed, be- way foundation will be de- Yang fell in love with Xia Li (pseudonym)
described in the memoirs heavy that girls could only cause it lacks the original molished. who had lived in his village since 1997. Xia
of Xu Jialu, an alumnus of carry one at a time, while Ming bricks. Aware of the “We’ve contacted govern- divorced in order to marry Yang, who was
the university and now a boys could only carry one issue, Beijing Normal Uni- ment administration. We’ll also married. But because Yang was also the
famous linguist. and a half, Xu recalls. versity decided to contrib- contribute our bricks to the father of a four-year-old boy, he could never
According to Xu, the uni- Beijing Youth Daily re- ute its own bricks to the cultural relic department as bring himself to divorce.
Ming bricks on the demolished swim- versity built the pool in ported on December 29 that park. soon as they are removed,” “The money was supposed to be the wag-
ming pool at Beijing Normal University 1958. At that time the gov- these bricks seemed to be Meanwhile, a large quan- said a factory spokesman es and bonuses for 280 teachers in my home-
Photo by Cao Boyuan ernment was also organiz- made during the Ming Dy- tity of Ming city wall bricks surnamed Zhou. town,” Yang said. “Then I withdrew an extra
20,000 yuan in cash from the treasury de-
Mainstream Meets Minority partment of my county on Dec. 24.” Yang
was the accountant of the Educational Of-
Jest &
fice of Tianshan County.
By Xiao Rong for his innovation in adapting the Yang left 50,000 yuan at home to make
Renowned vocalist Guo Song original folk tune. up for his adulterous life, and without tell-
never expected the folk song that However, based on profession- ing his wife, left for Beijing on Dec. 27.
promoted him to nationwide al verification by the China Music “I planed to go to my girlfriend’s universi-
household name status to also con- Works Copyright Association, ty in Lanzhou, see her one last time and give
Shout
demn him as a violator of folk art Beijing No.2 Intermediate People’s her the rest of the money,” confessed Yang.
copyrights. Court ruled that the Wusuli Boat- Li Zhongxiang, the policeman on patrol
Last Saturday, Guo Song and man’s Song was an adaptation of at the railway station, noticed a very ner-
China Central Television were Missing the Lover, another He- vous-looking Yang whose ID card and work
ruled to publicly announce that zhen minority folk melody. certificate revealed different names.
the Wusuli Boatman’s Song, which Legal experts have commented Li then searched Yang’s luggage and
Guo has been performing for over that Guo’s case is a typical folk art- found two bottles of poison and a dagger.
40 years, was adapted from folk work copyright dispute in China. Yang believed he would guarantee himself
melodies of northeast China’s He- The final judgment may set a prec- a successful suicide using both methods, Li
zhen minority nationality. edent for future legislation on the said.
The case opened with a heated protection of folk art copyrights.
debate last April, when Guo was “Due to the lack of specific reg-
charged by the Hezhen township ulations regarding folk artwork
government in Heilongjiang Prov- protection, it’s difficult for judges
ince for infringing copyright of to settle the increasing number
the traditional Hezhen Boatman’s of folk art copyright disputes in
Song by claiming authorship as recent years,” said Wang Fanwu,
the composer. chief judge of Guo’s case.
In Beijing Today’s front-page Wang appealed for a balance
report of the lawsuit (“Folk Artists between the protection and evolu- Photo by Jackey
Ensnared in Copyright Cases”) on tion of folk arts, calling for the ac-
June 14, Guo Song expressed his tive revitalization of China’s folk By Sun Ming fields, including students, white-col-
confidence in winning the case art resources. 12,000 English-learning fans ral- lar workers and retirees, shouted af-
lied at Beijing Workers’ Gymnasium ter Li while histrionically gesturing Taxi driver Zhang Naibo refuses 150,000 yuan.
Beijing Women Keep House Best to shout “Crazy English” on the first their emotion. Photo by Mily
day of the new year. Crazy English is an unconvention- 150,000 Yuan Refused
Li Yang, 34, packed audiences into al method of English learning that
By Sun Ming eight years ago, and after trying the stadium to repeat English after encourages learners to enunciate the By Sun Ming
No more is housekeeping re- out various outfits as a snack ven- him in the corporate-sponsored ac- language as they study, breaking One careless passenger has one honest
served for poor migrant workers dor and a part-time hospital work- tivity. with previous methods widespread taxi driver to thank - for a 150,000 yuan
from the countryside, as more and er in the critical care ward, she Li has become a celebrity in Chi- in China heavily focused on reading, ($18,000) cash return - no receipt required.
more high and haughty Beijing finally decided to become a house- na after developing “Crazy English,” writing and grammar. It was a big day last Thursday for Feng
women are now taking over the job. keeper in 2000. She says house- a teaching method which involves “His method of just speaking out Yong, 31, owner of a small beauty salon in
Last Thursday, 508 female keeping is by far the most fun. students shouting English phrases helps rid us of our shyness when Beijing, as he took a taxi to a real estate
Beijingers (a.k.a. aspiring house- Beijing employers also wel- at the top of their lungs. talking to foreigners,” affirmed Li property to pay for his new apartment. To
keepers) signed draft contracts come Beijing housekeepers. Zhang “I can make it!” “Just do it!” All Wen, a student from the Beijing avoid attracting attention, the home-buyer
with their future employers at a Xiaoyan, a civil servant from the kinds of people from all kinds of Technology Institute. carried the full cash amount in a common
meeting held by the Beijing Com- Ministry of Health, called BCSC plastic bag.
munity Service Center (BCSC). to find a Beijing housekeeper two “It may not look that way, but I’m really
“We really didn’t expect so many weeks before she gave birth to her a very cautious person,” Feng told Beijing
“Cambridge” Prep Courses
local women to apply as housekeep- son last month. She followed the Today. He had purposely invited his uncle
ers,” said Wang Xuan, BCSC staff example of several of her co-work- along to videotape the entire process of sign-
member. “Right now Beijing just ers who had also employed local ing the contract with his realty developer.
needs more housekeepers,” he con- housekeepers. Fail the Test Feng sat in the front of the taxi, while his
cludes, as next month many regu- “We believe it’s much safer to wife and uncle sat in back. They all got out
larly employed house servants will hire Beijingers as housekeepers,” at the “Sunlight New Lines (阳光新干线)”
leave the capital to celebrate Spring said Zhang. “It’s much easier to By Sun Ming also wanting to cash in on the trend,” residence in Yayuncun. The plastic bag con-
Festival in their hometowns. find out their background and Nearly one-fourth of preparation said Sun. taining 150,000 yuan, however, remained on
In the past, finding a local house- where they live.” courses for the highly esteemed Cam- Each preparation course is usually a the front seat.
keeper was no easy task. Beijingers Zhang also appreciates the fact bridge Youth Learners English Test one-year program charging up to 3,000 It was not long before Zhang Naibo, 45,
tended to cling to their traditionally that her housekeeper lives just (CYLET) were shut down last month in yuan in tuition per student. driver of the taxi, noticed the black plastic
noble status as residents of China’s nearby, so doesn’t need to be ac- Beijing. “They aren’t even ashamed to cheat bag, as well as the many paper money bills
historical capital, and were rarely commodated, unlike most migrant Since CYLET first came to China kids out of their education!” indignates peeping through its holes.
seen in housekeeping aprons. employees. in 1997, its growing popularity has led Li Qingzhu, mother of a fourth-grader. “Actually, the first thing that popped into
“But modern Beijing women are However, BCSC says that there to an outburst of preparation courses Li’s daughter Ming Fei is eager to take my mind was that those passengers must be
opening their minds and changing is still a high demand for house- all over the country, and especially in the CYLET, along with most of her class- really worried,” Zhang told Beijing Today.
their economic situations,” said keeping Beijingers, many of whom Beijing. However amidst this booming mates next year. “Good thing I didn’t “So I immediately turned back.”
Wang. are still preoccupied with saving new business, not all of these courses send her to one of those scams,” said Li. It was a good thing he did.
Liu Cuixia, 44, a housekeeper face in front of their relatives. were opened with the honest intention Zhang Siqi, president of the official- Feng and his wife and uncle were sitting
who cares for a newborn baby, told “I don’t tell my own family of educating the nation. ly qualified Siqi Training School, said around the table, obliviously, waiting for the
Beijing Today that she is quite sat- what I do,” admits Liu Yanzhen, a Beijing Education Examinations Au- that most parents have no idea about realty developer, twiddling their thumbs,
isfied with her current job. “I can 42-year-old housekeeper. “My own thority (BEEA) surveyed all 254 or- CYLET. “They don’t even know Eng- when Zhang rushed into the lobby, shouting
make 600 yuan a month, which is social standards may have evolved, ganizations which had opened CYLET lish, let alone how to choose a good “Whose plastic bag?”
better than before,” she said. but the shame of housekeeping is preparation courses in the city within preparation course for their child.” Only then was Feng struck by the obvi-
Beijing residents are officially still a die-hard conventional idea the past two months. Out of these, 56 Now more than ever, Chinese are ous.
entitled to 250 yuan per month in among most Beijingers.” were subsequently asked to close due forking out to learn English, spending “As soon as I saw my plastic bag in his
unemployment benefits. Liu lost Only her husband knows her to poor teaching conditions and qualifi- some 10 billion yuan every year in hand, I jumped up and grabbed it from him,”
her full-time job as a waitress undercover identity, Liu confides. cations. the English education market in Chi- said the absent-minded client. “I shudder to
Hosted by the prestigious Univer- na. Beijing Youth Daily reports that think what would have happened if I hadn’t
Fair Welcomes Foreign Concubines sity of Cambridge, CYLET tests the over 25,000 children will take the next taken Zhang’s taxi.”
ability of children aged 6 to 12 years CYLET this March 22. A total of 37,000 Not five minutes had passed between the
By Sun Ming Beijing Grand View Garden, opened to use English in their daily lives. Al- students took the CYLET last year in time Feng had walked away from his cash
Fair and foreign young ladies in 1986, was designed to reproduce though the exam is not compulsory, March and September, representing a and the time it was back in his hands. He
are invited to audition for a cameo the garden in the novel. many top middle schools prefer stu- 30 percent increase over 2001. knew that if it weren’t for Zhang’s heart of
role as a concubine in next month’s Yuan’s starring role consists of dents who have successfully passed the gold, he would never have seen his money
Spring Festival performances. sitting in the sedan chair carried CYLET. Not surprisingly then, prep- again. “I didn’t ask for a receipt. And there
Every year for the past six by eight men and protected by one aration courses are highly valued by are 60,000 taxis in Beijing.”
years, the classical play Yuan- hundred Royal Guards. Beijing parents. Zhang refused to receive one cent in com-
feixingqin (元妃省亲), literally the Temple Fair announced that all “But this time, the classes we shut pensation, instead accepting a handwritten
Royal Concubine Visits Home, has foreign women aged 15 to 35 are down had absolutely no guarantee of thank-you note from Feng.
been performed in the Beijing welcome to audition for the part. quality at all,” said Sun Xiuqun, deputy “I was quite startled when I learned that
Grand View Garden (北京大观园) Six lucky ladies will be chosen to director of BEEA. BEEA requires that the plastic bag contained 150,000 yuan in
at Honglou Temple Fair (红楼庙会) play Yuan for each of the six days the teachers hold an English Bachelor cash, but I don’t regret my action at all,”
during Spring Festival, but this is of the performance. degree, and be specially trained by ex- said Zhang, who only earns 1,500 yuan per
the first year foreign actresses will Temple fair is a traditional Spring perts from BEEA. Each organization month. His wife, Li Lan, who had just lost
star in the festive performances. Festival activity, with a variety of en- should also have at least 600 students. her job, received 300 yuan per month for un-
Royal concubine Yuan is a figure tertainment including folk art drum “Unqualified organizations only had Underhand shot of unqualified preparation employment.
of one of China’s four classic novels, and puppet performance, as well as an average of 30 students. They rent a course at the Beijing Anzhongli Primary “My wife praised me after I told her the
Dream of the Red Chamber. The a taste of old Beijing snacks. couple of classrooms in primary schools School Photo by Tony story,” Zhang beams.
VOICE
6
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER:LI SHI
Art Lovers —or Just
Voyeurs?
New rule In Xi’an
outlaws body-painting
shows
By Lily Li clothing company. A masked fe-
A popular event held during male, naked apart from a bikini
last year’s World Cup featured in- bottom, showed off the flower de-
ternational model Rebecca Romi- sign painted on her upper body
jn–Stamos wearing the designs to the astonished crowds. The
of New Zealand artist Joanne show became the subject of many
Geyer. At first glimpse, the model a heated discussion in the city in
appeared to be dressed in a col- the following days.
orful shirt, but on second glance, The event was not without
onlookers realized that in fact precedent in the mainland. Crowds look on in amazement, Shaanxi Province Gymnasium, November 26. Photo by Cai Jingrui
she was naked. Body–painting had its maiden
Naked that is, except for a show in China in May last also admitted, “it was the quiet- of their locale. People’s level of I can’t tell who are interested tion center in the Public Security
covering of paint. The art of year in Wuhan. Up to now, ten est moment of the evening.” enjoying art in certain places can- in the beautiful pictures on the Bureau is a place for prostitutes,
body–painting has excited much similar shows have been held Hengyang Police said that not reach so high, and many view body and who are only watching and it’s illegal and unfair to make
interest recently. Instead of a in Guangzhou, Shenyang and such shows should only be held this art as having an erotic con- the body with the beautiful pic- the models stay with these girls.
canvas, artists use spray guns Beijing, said www.163.com. But in places like art galleries. These tent. I can understand why they tures, and I think only the audi- What’s more, whether the show
and a person’s body. Popular Xi’an is the first city to impose activities held in entertainment forbid such activities. ences can give the answer. But is legal belongs to the remit of
in western countries, in China an outright ban. venues are just inferior and dirty Some art–forms have become undoubtedly, it gives an oppor- the Culture Bureau instead of the
it has not been welcomed with However, Hengyang city, methods for the organizers to at- tools for entertainment, which tunity for the audiences to be Public Security Bureau.
open arms. Hunan Province was the first tract more guests and get more certainly could lead to damages shocked. Anyway, it’s a question of art,
On December 24, the Depart- place to actually arrest models benefits, and should be viewed as in society’s healthy environment. We seldom touch the model’s not of eroticism.
ment of Culture and the Depart- for taking part in a show, stating obscene performances. Under the banner of art, destroy- bodies during the drawing pro- Fan Di’an, Vice Dean, Cen-
ment of Public Security in Xi’an that “body–painting shows are How should we define body ing people’s sense of beauty is cess, and the models don’t just tral Art College
established a new rule banning obscene activities.” Mr. Zhao, who painting? Is it an art–form or also a kind of cheating. show their private parts which are To some extent, we can judge
the organization or performance declined to reveal his full name, merely obscene? Is it right for Vincent Ho, Hong Kong body usually covered by interesting pic- what the public’s perception of
of any body–painting events, told a Xiaoxiang Morning Post re- Xi’an to make such rules and for painter tures and colors, so I don’t think beauty is from such discussions.
except for sanctioned profession- porter that he was waiting for Hengyang Police to arrest mod- Body–painting, which seems this art should be forbidden. On But nowadays body–painting
al photographic activities as of the show to begin along with 500 els? Opinions follow: quite the vogue, in fact existed the contrary, we should encour- shows in our country, I dare say,
November 26, Xi’an Huashang other eager audience members at Liu Feng, employee in from ancient times when our an- age public interest in it. are not the true ones but business
newspaper reported. the Heaven and World Plaza on Longzhiji Culture Propaga- cestors wore nothing, with only Zhu Dazhi, writer for activities, using art as a camou-
The rule stipulates that per- September 13. Suddenly, local po- tion Developing Company pictures on their bodies as deco- www.people.com flage. The aim of such shows is not
formances of striptease, lady boys lice rushed in, and arrested the People shouldn’t take the is- ration. I view it as a tradition as I think body–painting shows, to enhance people’s taste of beau-
and performance art with violent two models, later taking them to sue too seriously, it’s just a kind long as there have been naked like fashion shows can be used ty but to tempt the audiences.
or erotic content should be for- a detention center. of art. Designs on the body can bodies. for business purposes. And there What I really mean is a real art-
bidden. All the organizers, impre- The designer at the show pro- give us a new and different world In China, there is also a won- is no legal basis for Hengyang ist wouldn’t produce such works.
sarios and actors involved will be tested the arrest, saying the art of pictures, can’t they? derful body–painting art — facial police to stop the performance And the people who produce
judged as criminals. of body–painting is an legitimate But at the same time, I don’t makeup in operas, and it’s the of it. body–painting works for business
It was made after a modelling art–form. The audience watch- think it’s wrong for Xi’an to make pinnacle of all the body arts. Even if the performance is ille- shows are not good artists, to say
event took place outside Shaanxi ing was very quiet and respect- the rules and for policemen to Based on such a long history, gal, the people who are arrested nothing of being excellent ones.
Provincial Gymnasium on No- ful, so it was wrong for the police enact them because these deeds body–painting is anything but a first should be the organizers and They don’t exhibit the bodies from
vember 26, to publicize a local to disturb the shows. Mr. Zhao are all related to the practicality dirty and unhealthy activity. painter, not the models. A deten- an artistic standpoint.
No Hero Worship
BZy Chen Ying Background SOUND BITES
hang Yang (pseudonym), As the most popular movie na-
a lawyer in Hangzhou, tionwide this winter, Hero has al- “So we must first manage
Zhejiang Province, sued ready broken records in the domestic things well underfoot. People
a local cinema and a market. In an article published cannot enjoy other rights if
movie production company be- on January 1, Nanfang (Southern) they have no right to travel
Lawyer sues cinema and movie-company for
cause the cinema screened four Daily said the domestic box office freely.”
minutes of advertisements before unexpected advertisements takings had surpassed 130 million — Zhou Mingzhong, a section
showing the main program Hero, yuan. Zhang Weiping, one of the director in the Communica-
the latest hit movie by director producers, said he thought the film tions Bureau, Guizhou Prov-
Zhang Yimou. Experts’ Opinions: would earn “more than 200 million ince, after having roamed
Zhang Yang went to Zhejiang Zheng Chengliang, the president yuan around the country.” throughout the province for
Cuiyuan Movie World, to watch of the National Judges College Despite it’s box office success,
36 years, in a quest to link
the movie on December 23. Ac- The length of advertisements is the Hero was the most expensive Chi-
every village to a highway.
cording to the ticket, the movie key to whether the court should sup- nese movie ever made. Sanlian Life
was due to commence at 21:30. port the plaintiff in this case. The audi- Week put the movie’s production
“North Korea has been dig-
But Zhang and the other patrons ence would feel they were cheated if the costs at US$31 million, not includ-
ging deeper into isolation these
had to watch about four minutes screening time of the advertisements ing marketing and promotion. “In-
of commercials before it began was too long. Then the court would think vestors may have to wait at least a days, and the United States
at 21:34. But Zhang was not hap- about the audience’s loss caused by the year to see a return on their invest- is pouring hot water into the
py to wait. He thought paying long advertisements and force the cin- ment,” said Zhang Zhenyan, anoth- hole to force it to come out. At
customers were there to appreci- ema to compensate. It may be improp- er producer of the movie. this hard time, North Korea
ate a movie, not to be forced to er that the audience sued the cinema In order to minimize potential increasingly sees that South
watch advertisements, whether if the cinema only screens commercials losses, the distribution company Korea is its only friend, as it
they liked it or not. for several minutes before a movie. Then agreed to screen adverts along with tries to avoid the brunt of U.S.
Patrons leaving Dizhi Cinema, December 20. Photo by Lily
Three companies — Beijing the court shouldn’t support the request the movie. diplomatic pressure.”
New Picture Distribution Co., The agent thought: for compensation. — Koh Yoo–hwan, a North
Eldo International Group and It’s very common now to see adver- Korea expert in Seoul’s Dong-
Beijing New Picture Distri- Guan: Have you ever
Elite Entertainment Company, bution entrusted Beijing Sino– watched a TV play on some tisements in the cinemas in China. It Internet surfer, from kuk University, regarding
which produced the movie, had Film Montage Advertisement cable TV stations? It often can be seen to have broken the con- 62.252.224.* North Korea’s urging South
attached the advertisements to Company to deal with the happens that you have to wait tract if the movie doesn’t screen on time The cinema would show twenty min- Korea Wednesday to back its
the movie. advertising on Hero’s behalf. several minutes in front of the from the view of civil law. utes of advertisements before screen- confrontation with the United
Zhang sued the cinema and Guan Yingshi, the manager and TV. Although you thought you Liu Zhihui, associate professor, ing a movie in Britain when I lived States over its nuclear pro-
Beijing New Picture Distribution spokesman for the company sat down on time, the station China University of Political Sci- there. And the start time printed on gram, sensing an opportu-
in Xihu District People’s Court answered Beijing Today’s ques- transmitted many advertise- ence and Law the tickets indicates the time of show- nity in the recent widespread
in Hangzhou December 25, de- tions about the case. ments before the program. I The theater–going public has made ing the advertisements. Whether the anti–American sentiment in
manding the cinema should stop Beijing Today: How long have think it’s the same for the a contract with the cinema after buying advertisements shown before a movie South Korea
playing the advertisements and China’s cinemas screened com- movie industry. the ticket. The time printed on the tick- belongs to the movie is the key to
refund the ticket cost of 40 yuan, mercials before the movie? Beijing New Picture Distri- et is the screening time according to the case. As the media said, the com- “If at the end of my mandate
plus another 40 yuan as compen- Guan: As far as I know, some bution owned the copyright of the contract agreement. So the cinema panies who want to put their commer- all Brazilians have the possi-
cinemas began to play some Hero and advertisement is a
sation. Zhang also wanted the should play the movie on time. cials along with Hero got the rights bility to eat breakfast, lunch
advertisements or trailers at kind of by–product. As an
distribution company to cut the In this case, the actual screening through bidding. Apparently, the adver- and dinner, I will have fulfilled
the beginning of 1980s. This is industry, each movie com-
commercials from movie copies. very common in Western coun- pany wants to benefit from time was four minutes later than the tisements should belong to the movie. the mission of my life.”
Zhang Yang’s action surprised tries. The China Film Group its production. It’s reasonable time printed on the tickets. The cinema There are only two reasons to ex- — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
the media. It may be the first actually broke the contract with the au- plain the lawyer’s motivation in my
even issued a document al- to put some advertisement Brazil’s rst elected leftist
time an individual has put such lowing cinemas to show some along with the movie if you dience. The cinema should take the re- mind — making himself well known president, taking ofce
an appeal before the Chinese advertisements several years have the production compa- sponsibility for breaking the contract. and making our country’s correspond- Wednesday and pledging to
court. No matter what the out- ago. The group will publish a ny’s permission. Personally, I think the compensation ing laws more sound. I think it should ease the agony of countless
come is, there may have to be movie advertisement manage- I’m a little bit surprised for the loss caused by such a delay be the latter one. But I now ask myself
impoverished and hungry
some changes in operating and ment regulation next year. about the lawyer’s behavior. But should be equal to the benefit that the if there is something wrong with our
Brazilians who inhabit South
managing advertisements in Chi- Beijing Today: What do the court will give a reasonable cinema got through screening the ad- consumer consciousness, and whether
America’s biggest country
na’s movie industry. Will it be bet- you think about the lawyer’s judgment in accordance with vertisements. The plaintiff in this case the people are unable to adapt to the
ter or worse? We’ll have to wait. appeal? the laws and regulations. should get support from the court. more developed free market economy? By Chen Ying
PROBE
7
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER: LI SHI
Holding Up Half the Glass Ceiling
S
By Su Wei “It is hard for women to move ered unfair by female cadres. themselves often feel inferior
urveys conducted by to a new area. Once we are ap- Li Qing, a vice factory head in and satisfied with their current
In government departments and non-govern-
the women’s associa- pointed to one department, we Chongwen District, recalls her conditions. “They are afraid of
tion of seven Beijing are certain to stay there for ment organizations from the community to the vain efforts to promote a female the risks of exposing themselves
districts (Dongcheng, ever,” says Li Yuming, vice direc- municipal level, women hold around 46 percent senior engineer in her late 40s. to competition.”
Xicheng, Chongwen, tor of an administrative depart- of the management positions in Beijing. These “I never realized the reflec- She recalls in public selection
Xuanwu, Pinggu, Shunyi and ment in Chongwen District. tions of the male heads would be of cadres, some of the female de-
female cadres tend to have an average age be-
Changping) in December 2002, Around 31 percent of the sur- so strong. They supported a male partment heads share the opin-
tween 30 and 45, at least a three-year universi-
provide an insight into the situ- veyed female cadres in Dongcheng, nominee, of the same age but ions that even when they were in
ation of female cadres, and the especially vice directors of bu- ty degree, and a monthly salary between 1,000 less capable. ‘He can work till their 30s, they still prefer not to
difficulties and problems they reaus, agree that the infrequency and 2,000 yuan. he is 60 years old, and so make take part in the competition for
face. of opportunities for them to trans- However, of these 400,000 women, only 16 a greater contribution, though position of bureau heads — voic-
fer to different departments, as it will take him one or two ing such sentiments as “I never
percent are bureau heads and 24 percent are
Sexual discrimination compared to their male counter- years to accumulate experience.’ think about competing for such
The term “sexual discrimina- parts, results in decreased self- department heads. The titles of the majority are The rationale sounds reasonable, higher positions. I cannot see
tion” does not actually appear in confidence and ambition. preceded by “vice-”. doesn’t it?” I have any advantage over my
any of the surveys, however “in- “It is because the ability of fe- male colleagues.”
fluence of traditional ideas” is male cadres to adjust to a new Family Factors
highlighted as a major problem environment and handle differ- All the surveyed female cad- Managing to be
faced by those surveyed. ent matters under a variety res agree with the contention more capable
“Some senior (male) cadres of conditions is doubted. The that they may have a greater All the seven surveys reveal
still have the idea that women standards to assess female cad- burden than their male col- that the female cadres consider
are less courageous, resolute, res are higher than those for leagues, as they have to spend they cannot become more capa-
and generous. There is a fre- males,” claims Xu Feng, director more time on housework. ble merely through taking polit-
quently used expression ‘The lon- of a women’s association branch. Of the around 50 percent ical theory classes. Taking part
ger the hair, the narrower the “However, no one is born suit- of the surveyed female cadres in a variety of training programs
horizon,’” says Liu Fei, a vice able for a particular position,” working 10 or more hours per is seen as essential.
head of a state research insti- she adds. day, over 80 percent said they “Some of my colleagues are tak-
tute in Xicheng District. Xu says it is hard to under- spent over two hours a day on ing economic management and
Liu says the influence of “tra- stand the rationale that “requires housework. Half of these say it law classes in their spare time,”
ditional ideas” becomes more ob- people to have a variety of expe- is rare for their husbands to give says Wang Jufang, an office direc-
vious in the public selection of rience but deprives some of the a hand. tor in Xicheng District, who began
government cadres. right to gain such experience.” Sun Weihua, a director in studying psychology at Beijing
“In some areas, all the cadres In the survey conducted by the Haidian district government, Education Institute three months
are male. Some job descriptions the Chongwen women’s associ- whose husband is a manager ago at her own expense.
even state that only male candi- ation, female cadres were more in a government department re- “Through studying psycholo-
dates are acceptable.” The survey vociferous in their complaints sponsible for infrastructure con- gy, I am learning how to deal
conducted in Changping District (up to 50 percent) about their in- struction and spends almost one with people with different per-
reveals that no new female cad- ability to be promoted to top po- third of each year away on busi- sonalities and engage the inter-
res were appointed in a recent sitions, than their counterparts ness trips, says the housework est of all the department staff,
public selection. in other districts. is always her responsibility. “It allowing their full potential to
Five of the seven surveys con- The surveyed female cadres is impossible for me to stop him be brought into play in a short
clude that female cadres “are at the Chongwen branch say it is working and I never think about time,” says Wei Hua, a vice di-
less properly distributed in the difficult for them to devote them- asking him to share the house- rector of a governmental finan-
relevant positions — the major- selves to their full time jobs, work when he is back from a cial institute.
ity work in district and commu- especially the cadres of com- trip.” For the female cadres sur-
nity governments,” and suggest munity women’s associations. “I She says it is difficult for her veyed in Dongcheng District,
that more female cadres be in- even cannot say what I am re- to be not affected by the burden they see the provision of more
volved in departments such as sponsible for. I am appointed as of housework. “As a manager, I training in the areas of ceremo-
finance, taxation, economics and the head of a community. But I have to work hard and maintain ny and propriety as a priority.
business. am always asked to look after en- a pleasant demeanor, even when “Some hope to learn how to be-
“It seems that women are vironmental protection and the sometimes I am concerned with have properly and gracefully at
more suited to be subordinates management of the immigrants,” my ill son. I cannot frequently a social gathering or during a
to male heads, even when we says Wang Yang of Chongwen ask for leave. I do not want to media interview,” says Li Ru,
have the same educational back- District. leave myself open to criticisms responsible for conducting the
ground,” says Wang Weiqing, a She says she sometimes hears along the line of ‘women are eas- survey.
vice director in a government the female cadres referred to as ily distracted by non job-related Liu Fei contends that the va-
department in Xicheng District. “the housewives.” “The only dif- issues.’” riety of demands facing female
“My male colleague and I work ference in the minds of those For those surveyed in rural leaders is a result of greater
together to set and carry out who describe us as such is that areas or holding lower positions, competition and an increasing
specific planning and superviso- we are responsible for a much many have less confidence in awareness of individuals’ capa-
ry activities. But when there is larger family.” always more likely to be accused woman, with the spurious justi- their ability to handle difficult bilities, and suggests that wom-
an opportunity to be promoted, Su Ming, a communications of being uncooperative in orga- fication that men are more en- situations, compared to their en are facing greater challenges
the first consideration is given to head in Xicheng District agrees, nizing activities. ergetic and mature,” says Shang male colleagues. to win senior positions than men.
him.” Wang says when she ques- complaining that few people “We are not a non-govern- Jie, an office director in a wom- “Maybe I think too much “Men are trying to maintain
tioned her superior, also a male, treat the female cadres seriously. mental organization. We are en- en’s association branch. “But about details, so sometimes I their power in society,” she says,
he explained, “We need thorough “We frequently need to cooperate titled under law to carry out our woman in their late 40s or early cannot make a decision or say “however there is a trend toward
consideration and to make some with other law administration work,” she points out. 50s are overlooked because they who is wrong or right in public,” women gaining power, at men’s
balance.” departments. Whenever there is Age is also an area where fe- are ‘too old to be appointed or says Chen Fen, a community expense.”
The lack of opportunities to any dispute, no matter how cor- male cadres are more likely to be promoted.’” head in Haidian District. (Beijing Today has used the
change jobs is another influence rect we are, we are always the discriminated against. “A man The retirement age of 55 for Yang Hong, responsible for pseudonyms for all the inter-
of “traditional ideas” revealed by last to be considered,” she claims. in his 30s is more likely to be women — five years earlier than public relations at a women’s viewed female cadres.)
the surveys. She says the female cadres are appointed or promoted than a for men, is also widely consid- association branch, says women Photo / Tony Stone
FOCUS
8
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: LIU FENG DESIGNER:LI SHI
Tigers –
Not for Consumption!
BPy Ivy Zhang tree and the State Forestry es, promoting public awareness sponsible to allocate 31.5 hect-
ork, mutton, fish, snake Administration immediately de- and demonstration is permit- ares of land and holds a 30
and even dog meat can nied the claims. ted. But current state policy percent equity, while the other
be found at some dinner Chi Zengqing, a Thai nation- bans the eating of tiger meat, three parties are to invest a to-
tables. al and board director of Mai- says Wang Weisheng, director of tal of 300 million yuan.
But can people really feast tree, told News Morning Post the Wild Life Management De- “The company is also apply-
on tiger flesh in Sanya, Hain- that eating tiger meat is “defi- partment of the State Forestry ing for 267 hectares of land, 67
an Province? No, it is nothing nitely impossible.” Administration. for tiger houses and 200 for croc-
more than a rumor, according to Chi says Bangladesh tigers Wang says tigers are a Cat- odile pools,” Zhuang says.
China’s State Forestry Admin- are rare wildlife and protected egory One endangered species. The Greatest World of Love
istration. under Chinese law. “How can “Not only in China but all over Park, located in the east of Tian-
In a statement released Mon- we dare to slaughter them and the world, eating tiger meat is yahaijiao, a popular Sanya tour-
day, the administration declared, eat their meat in public? One banned. The trading of tiger ism site, is scheduled to open on
“The killing and eating of tigers of the important purposes for products is also banned world- October 1.
is forbidden in China.” Thailand to cooperate with San- wide, “ Wang says. The park will house tigers,
On Christmas day, Sanya ya on this project is to protect Beijing Today approached crocodiles and elephants and of-
Maitree Concept company took the Bangladesh tigers. To this Zhuang Zexiong, from the Proj- fer animal performances as well
delivery of 100 Bangladesh ti- end, a special breeding research ect Planning Division of the San- as Thai folk performances.
gers and 2,000 crocodiles from center has been established.” ya Tourism Administration, for So far, the 100 tigers, six ele-
Thailand, for its Greatest World As for “visitors delivering ti- more information. phants and the first 2,000 croco-
of Love theme park, scheduled ger cubs,” Chi clarified that the Sanya Maitree Concept, reg- diles are in place. A further 18,
to open this October. truth is “visitors will only be al- istered in September 2001 with 000 crocodiles will arrive in Feb-
The animals arrived in San- lowed to feed tigers and help capital of 80 million yuan, is a ruary.
ya on a China Southern Airlines baby crocodiles hatch from their joint venture between the Sanya “They plan to breed 300,000 Fire vehicles rush to the site. Photo by Shi Yibo
Boeing 737 and were delivered eggs.” municipal government, and pri- crocodiles in Sanya,” Zhuang
in 55 military trucks to the In China, the breeding and vate businesses in Taiwan, Hong says. “This is a poverty-allevi- Gas Explosion Rocks
company’s Breeding and Tam- taming of wild animals for the Kong and Thailand. ation project. Young crocodiles
ing Research Center for Tigers purpose of expanding resourc- The local government is re- will be given to local farmers
and Crocodiles in Tiandu town, to feed. One or two years later, Apartment Building
about 10 kilometers from San- when they have reached ma-
ya’s downtown area. turity, they’ll be given back.
The same day, the Jiangnan Each participating household
Times published a story titled can make 10,000 to 20,000 yuan
“Sanya Expected to Allow Tigers a year.” By Su Wei cal staff had arrived.
A
to be Eaten in Public,” which Zhuang said the tigers will n explosion last Sat- Police cordoned off the
aroused a storm of controversy be used mainly for performanc- urday in an 18-floor building, and firemen and
across the nation. es, while the crocodile will be residential and commercial rescue workers reached the
The report stated that “in the bred in large numbers. building in Changchun, twelfth floor at 4:20, around
coming few years, Sanya is ex- “I heard the Thailand boss say Jilin Province has left three 20 minutes after the blast.
pected to be the only city in the crocodile skins are more valu- people dead, dozens injured The injured were taken
world in which people can taste able than gold,” Zhuang says, and at least 20 residents to the nearby China-Japan
tiger meat in public, according adding that crocodile meat can homeless. Union Hospital of Jilin Uni-
to Sanya Municipal Government be used to make medicine while “At 4 pm, ten minutes af- versity.
and Maitree company.” It also their skin can be made into ter I arrived home, I heard When Beijing Today con-
claimed that visitors might be purses and bags. a frightening ‘boom.’ Pieces tacted the emergency clinic
able to feed tigers and even help of wall, glass and window of the hospital on Tuesday, a
tigers to deliver cubs. Zhang Xiangsheng, vice board chaiman of Maitree Concept, poses for a photo (Sources: CCTV, Xinhua News frames were flying every- doctor on duty, who refused
The Sanya government, Mai- with a tiger cub more than five months old. Agency, News Morning Post ) where,” said a Mr. Chen, a to give his name, said none
60-year-old resident whose of the injuries were serious
full name was not revealed and the 11 people admitted
by the local media. had all been discharged the
Safe and bones and pork. The feed is prepared by train- Law Modified to Chen, who lives on the previous day.
tenth floor of the building in “It is an accident, not
ers from Thailand. There are 10 trainers now.
the Noble Garden communi- a criminal case,” a police-
As the animals grow, more trainers will come. Protect
ty, said, “Seeing a crack ap- man of the Public Order De-
pear in one of my walls, I partment of the Changchun
Beijing Today: It has been reported that
Healthy Animals rushed into the corridor to Public Security Bureau. The
the tigers are housed in damp and smelly en-
find that the door of the lift officer, who declined to give
closures. Is that true?
had blown out and was lying his name, told Beijing Today
Liu: No. Our tiger houses are built in com-
China’s Wild Life Protection by the stairwell.” he was in charge of the inves-
pliance with standards set by China’s State
Law and Management Regulations The windows of apart- tigation into the incident.
Forestry Administration and Thailand Royal
on Laboratory Animal are in the ments 1202, 1302 and 1402 “We are certain it was
Forestry Bureau.
process of modification and review. were shattered and part of caused by a gas explosion in
By Ivy Zhang The houses are permanent and will be reno-
When the new rules will be imple- the exterior wall of the build- apartment 1302.”
Beijing Today interviewed Willton Liu, a vated over time. We can say both the tigers’
mented is still uncertain, accord- ing collapsed. He confirmed that the ex-
manager of Sanya Maitree Concept. Following safety and life come in line with international
ing to the Regulatory Department Doors to apartments on plosion caused three fatali-
is an edited transcript. standards.
of State Forestry Administration. and above the tenth floor ties.
The center covers an area of about 27 hect-
Some articles to be added to the were buckled by the force of “They are the residents of
Beijing Today: Could you brief us on the ares, including tiger houses and a park. The
Wild Life Protection Law promul- the explosion. apartment 1302. One was a
Greatest World of Love project? tigers have good places to take bath, drink and
gated in 1988 are expected to re- The blast also shattered policeman of the Provincial
Liu: The Greatest World of Love is a theme roam around.
flect the idea of animal welfare windows of another building Public Security Bureau, the
park designed to reflect the interaction be-
and punish those who hunt wild 30 meters away and cars other two were his mother-
tween humans and the environment and be- Beijing Today: Has the report that the ti-
life or destroy the environment. parked nearby were dam- in-law and his daughter aged
tween humans and animals. gers could be eaten had any influence on your
In recent years, there have been aged by falling debris. below seven.”
In the park, people can take photos with project? Are you going to sue the newspaper?
several highly publicized incidents Police arrived on the scene “We cannot tell you when
tiger cubs and brush the teeth of little croco- Liu: Some tabloid newspaper reporters
of animals being maltreated, re- minutes after the explosion, the investigation will be
diles, bathe them, even help them hatch from might have made up the report. They are lack-
sulting in an increasing awareness according to local media, and completed, but it is likely to
their eggs. For crocodiles in the wild, only 30 ing in legal sense and have no media ethics.
of the need for better legislation to within 10 minutes, six emer- take quite some time,” said
percent can break their shell and get out into As a company, we’ll retain the right to sue
protect animals. gency vehicles and 18 medi- Meng.
the world. the newspaper, but we don’t think it is nec-
Professor Song Wei, a legal ex-
essary to pursue their responsibility for two
pert in the animal welfare field,
Beijing Today: The tigers are wild. Were reasons.
defines maltreatment as the un- Follow Up
they anesthetized for the journey to Hainan? First, our importing of animals is strictly in
necessary suffering imposed by hu-
Liu: These tigers have been raised and accordance with United Nations and China’s mans on animals. Guilty or Not ?
trained with high technology. Their wildness Wild Life Protection Law. We just raise and
“To allow animals to live in a
is minimized. They are very safe. The animals’ train them. We do not slaughter them. Other-
healthy and non-suffering or less-
wildness is the result of two factors: inheri- wise, we would be punished by law.
suffering status is the starting point
tance and environment. Second, the government and 99.9 percent of of animal welfare,” says Song. By Ivy zhang / Lisa Lee
According to our research, wildness can pass the media support us. The Wild Life Protection Law Two law enforcement officers in Gansu Province have
from mother to cub within a very short period clarified the legal position of wild received prison sentences on charges of failure to pre-
after birth. Cubs are not naturally wild when Beijing Today: To raise tigers is costly. life in China and this law does play vent a crime.
they are born. Some estimate that each tiger can eat five ki- a great role in wild life protection. As reported in Beijing Today on December 20, the
As soon as they are born, we separate them los of meat every day. The feed for one tiger But what about other animals? two officers, Shan Huizhong, former director of Weiyuan
from their mothers and use a sow to feed them would cost 20,000 yuan every year. How do “Animals used for working, eco- County Judicial Bureau, and Yang Haiping, a local police
milk until they can eat themselves. So, they you cover this expense? nomic, experimental and entertain- officer, were present when Sun Xiangyu, a four month
are rather mild and meek. Liu: The crocodiles will be developed as an ment purposes do not enjoy legal pregnant primary school teacher was hacked to death by
industry by our company. protection in our nation,” says Song. her husband on April 4 this year.
Beijing Today: How old are the tigers? Based on more than 10 years medical re- He expresses the hope that related Longxi County People’s court found that Yang “failed
Liu: They range from six months to three or search, specialists from Thailand have found laws can be passed, the sooner the to take initiative to carry out his duty, which resulted
four years old. that crocodiles’ eyes and livers, in combination better. But they must go through in severe consequences.” While Shan “failed to rescue
with Chinese traditional medicine, are an ef- a process including legislative re- the victim himself and misdirected others when they
Beijing Today: How are the tigers now? fective cure for lung cancer and leukemia. search and consideration on execu- were about to attempt a rescue, resulting in severe con-
Liu: They have settled very well into our re- Development of this business is promis- tion and punishment. sequences.”
search center. They are very safe and healthy. ing, and will easily cover the cost of raising The two were sentenced to be detained for six months,
Each tiger eats two to three kilos of chicken the tigers. Edited by Ivy Zhang with one year’s probation.
FACE
9
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHANG XIAOXIA DESIGNER: LI SHI
Don’t Cry Out Loud
By Zhao Pu dom spoke with the boys,” says Cai. In
“J
inyu, hurry up, you’re the eyes of extroverted and outspoken
next!” whispered an Ling, Cai was just a diligent and quiet
old man, fi nding Cai girl.
Jinyu still casually Finally, as they entered the China
dressed backstage. Acrobatics Troupe together in 1995,
“How long is this act, ten min- they fell in love. That year they both
utes?” she asked. turned 20 years old, already a ripe old
“Fifteen.” age in acrobat years.
“No problem.” Encore
She went on with her makeup. Be- Ling never liked acrobatics. Even
fore getting changed, Cai took out now, he abhors the profession. If it
fi ve candleholders from a cabinet and were not for his wife, he would have
placed them on the dresser. When she left the stage long ago.
re-emerged in her pink costume a few Cai loved acrobatics all along. Even
minutes later, her husband Ling Lihao now, she lingers on stage at an age
had already lit the candles, all dressed long past her time. “I can’t leave the
up and ready to go. (left) Waiting for the next show backstage stage, I’ll stay here as long as I can,”
But she still had one last step of (right) Ling lights the candles as Cai dresses up. she declares.
preparation left in her routine warm- ing! I’ve never before seen such Cai was one of only three girls “We made the same choice, which
up exercise. She extended her arms, beautiful acrobatics. She’s great!” admitted into the same training was right for her, and wrong for me,”
tucked in her neck, bent her waist, exclaimed Amy Chan, a tourist program as Ling. the husband concludes. Usually, after
folded her legs, and let her body re- from Hong Kong. “I loved dancing as a little the age of 20, most acrobats leave the
main in full handstand position for After her performance, Cai re- girl. When the Beijing Acrobatics stage or shift to conjuring. Out of the
one minute. turned backstage, where Ling Troupe came to our elementary total ten students who entered the ac-
Meanwhile outside, the drum of the gave her a soothing massage. school to choose students, I was robatics troupe together in 1986, only
Beijing Opera performance now on “She has problems with her lower selected for my good dancing Cai and her husband still survive the
stage beat faster and faster, announc- back,” he explained. They chatted skills,” says the wife. acrobatic profession.
ing the act’s imminent conclusion. with other performers and waited She didn’t really know what Cai and Ling married in 1998. The
Next up was the fourth act, Cai’s ac- for the next show. she would do with acrobatics. She following year, Cai gave birth to their
robatic performance Rolling Light. She Every Monday through just thought it would be some- son. She resumed practice right after
walked on stage, calm and confi dent. Wednesday, the couple performs thing like dancing. the operation. “The nurses in the hos-
Now in her sixteenth year of acrobat- at the Tiandi Theatre with the And so they each entered the pital were astonished when they saw
Warm-up exercise before the performance at Laoshe
ics, she was much too experienced for China Acrobatics Troupe. Every- world of acrobatics, one playing me doing sit-ups in bed the second day
Teahouse
stage fright. day for the rest of the week, they truant, the other dreaming of be- after the operation,” recalls Cai.
Playing with fi re perform at the Laoshe Teahouse. coming a dancer, but both soon to Although she tried her best to keep
The daily show at the Laoshe Twisted fate discover the true face of contortion. her place on stage, she knew she was
Teahouse in Qianmen is a famous The day the two of them met “It was too cruel,” says the cou- no match against the younger acrobats
tourist attraction, displaying various was the day they both began to ple. who out-performed her and fi nally re-
traditional Chinese performing arts to learn acrobatics, 16 years ago, From their second week of placed her in the troupe.
tourists from all over the world. Cai when they were both only 11 training, the boys were made to So she conjured up a new and chal-
and her husband have been presenting years old. hold a handstand for one hour lenging act, performed by no one else
their acrobatic show here for the past “It was 1986, the Beijing Ac- everyday. Whoever bent or shook in the troupe, in order to maintain her
four years. robatics Troupe had published an his legs during the handstand was reputation on stage. “You can’t teach
Last Friday was no exception. Cai advertisement in the Beijing Eve- beaten. an old dog new tricks, they said. My
appeared on stage with a glowing can- ning Post,” the husband recalls. It Asked by his teacher what friends and colleagues all told me to
dleholder in one hand and a bright was his mother who fi rst spotted he wanted to be when he grew drop the idea. They all thought I was
smile on her face, preparing to show the ad. up, Ling answered, “An acrobatics ridiculous,” says Cai. Even her hus-
off the fl exibility and balance of the “I didn’t really know what teacher.” “I didn’t say it was only band — and stage partner — offered
human body. acrobatics was at that time, I because I wanted to beat up my her no support.
Cai contorted her body into differ- just thought it would be some- teacher’s own child in revenge,” “But I am someone who pursues my
ent poses, never letting go off the fl am- thing like sports,” says Ling. He Ling jokes. desire, no matter how diffi cult it is, no
ing candles in her hand. Her husband believed joining the acrobatics The girls were trained sepa- matter what others say,” she insists.
followed her on stage, offering her a troupe could be his escape from rately from the boys. “Our teacher When she demonstrated her new act
second, a third, a fourth and fi nally a school books and exams. “I was was not as cruel as theirs, but we to the leaders of the troupe, they knew
fi fth candleholder, which she balanced not a good student,” he laughs. still had a very hard time at the her better.
successively on her hands, feet and So he took the entrance test beginning. I cried in pain almost Now the couple still performs sev-
forehead. and was luckily accepted as one every evening during that period,” en days a week, sometimes giving two
As the performer’s body moved of seven boys who entered the admits Cai. performances a day. Cai never misses
slowly and gracefully on the table, troupe. “Little did I realize that I During their second year, they a single performance, even when she
highlighted by torches of sparkling had just leaped into an abyss of began to perform with the troupe. is sick. “Acrobatics is the best medi-
candles, the audience gasped in admi- suffering, much more painful than Ling Zhi, their 2-year-old son is a loyal fan of his It was far from love at fi rst sight. cine,” she smiles. “The stage is my
ration as cameras fl ashed. “It’s amaz- study,” Ling sighs. parents’ acrobatic show. Photos by Wang Wei “I was very introverted and sel- drug.”
LEGACY
10
JANUARY 3, 2003
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHANG XIAOXIA DESIGNER: LI SHI
Beijing Laoshan
Lady’s Head Portrait
Jiuliandun Tomb No.2
under excavation
Remodeled
By Iris Miao / Zhou Du was not certain that the fe-
The excavation of the male originated from the
Laoshan Han Dynasty tomb Western Regions of China.
in the west of Beijing’s Shi- The restoration of the
jingshan District was one skull took two weeks, says
of the most sensational ar- researcher Lin Xuechuan
chaeological events of the from the Anthropology
year 2000. However, since Room of the Center. Model-
the tomb has been emptied ing the three-dimensional
of its treasures through suc- effect on the computer and
cessive pillaging over the matching hair and costume
centuries, much work is added another two weeks,
now left to research and making the complete head
imagination. Recently, a portrait a month-long proj-
three-dimensional head ect. The hairstyle, costume,
portrait reconstructed from and pattern on the cos-
the buried female’s cranial tume all referred to un-
bones was successfully re- earthed relics and frescoes
produced at Jinlin Uni- of the Han Dynasty, es-
versity. The head portrait pecially those from the
Discovering the Kingdom of Chu
depicts a graceful lady from Mawangdui Han Tomb in
the Central Plains of China Changsha, Hunan Prov-
in her 30’s. ince, as the buried female’s
The restoration was done social status was similar
by the Frontier Archaeolo- to the one buried in the
gy Research Center of Jin- Mawangdui Tomb, both of
through Jiuliandun lin University. Her flat, long whom were nobles.
face, relatively high nose Lin Xuechuan has been
and cheekbones, and wide in the business of restor-
jaw are all typical features ing ancient bones for many
of the Central Plains. A re- years. Previously Russian
port by the Center reveals theories were most popu-
that her bones also bear larly adopted, but Lin is a
traits of Mongolian race, national pioneer in bring-
BAy Iris Miao / Zong He chief conductor and cura- The fifth significant as-
resembling modern Mon- ing the ancients back to
fter three months of tor of the Provincial Muse- pect of the Jiuliandun Tomb
golians in East Asia. In sculptured life using com-
excavation, field- um of Hubei, lists the many excavation is that many of
other words, she is a rep- puter-generated 3-D tech-
work has nearly significant aspects of the the unearthed articles have
resentative of the Central niques. While traditional
concluded on the Jiuliand- grand tomb site. never before been seen,
Plains race in ancient Chi- model restoration takes
un Warring States Period First of all, Jiuliandun such as funerary chariots,
na, which belongs to the about one month, Lin’s 3-D
(475-221 BC) Tomb in Za- Tomb is the largest site dis- a drum with a tiger-shape
same category as the Han techniques can do the job
oyang, Hubei Province. covered in Hubei Province base and bird stand, and
nationality in North China. within a week.
Although the two bodies in the past half century. many others whose names
According to the left thigh- Since Jinlin University
in Tombs No.1 and No.2 Previous discoveries such and functions have yet to
bone and fibula discovered, and Beijing Cultural Rel-
have long decayed, their as the Baoshan Chu King- be identified. Among the
her height is estimated at ics Research Institute have
skeletons are well pre- dom Tomb and Zenghou Yi’s most important discoveries
about 159.8 centimeters. begun cooperation on the
served. A pair of em- Tomb are only single tombs, are: a complete set of wood-
Another head sculpture investigation of unearthed
broidered shoes and a while Jiuliandun consists en ritual articles, the string
was restored in Beijing one bones in Laoshan Tomb,
cloud-patterned comb were of two pits with chariots marks on the se, a zither-
and a half years ago, but be- the race analysis and res-
found in Tomb No.2, sug- and horses, two tombs with like instrument, and two
cause of its deformed skull toration of the head is al-
gesting the noble origins of coffins, and relics of tomb muscial reeds. In addition,
left uncorrected, the re- most done. Only scientific
the buried, but their social garden architecture. the more than 1,000 well-
production greatly differed DNA examination is still
status cannot be confirmed Second, tomb garden ar- Bronze huo, a cooking vessel unearthed from Tomb No.1 preserved bamboo slips un-
from the original, and it under way.
until experts have inter- earthed are invaluable.
preted the inscribed bam- chitecture was first ob- in good shape, but it con- “The abundant discover-
boo slips unearthed along served in Chu Kingdom tains the first six horses ies of the Jiuliandun Tomb
with them. tombs such as this one. representative of the char- provide crucial material for
Ever since last Septem- Similar architecture has iot system adopted by Chu researching the politics, eco-
ber, the excavation has been found in tombs from Kingdom nobles. nomics, culture, art, reli-
produced a number of sur- the Eastern Zhou Dynasty Fourth, although Tomb gion and many other fields
prises. Over 1,000 articles (770-221 BC) to the War- No.1 had once been robbed, of the period,” says Yin Wei-
(sets) have been discovered, ring States Period, and lat- it did not suffer a great zhang, senior researcher at
among which over 600 piec- er in the tombs of princes loss. Meanwhile Tomb No.2 the Archaeology Institute of
es from Tomb No.1 and over of other kingdoms. Jiuli- perfectly survived all pos- the Chinese Academy of So-
500 from Tomb No.2 are andun Tomb represents an sible damage, thus preserv- cial Sciences, who also par-
now being sent to the Pro- unprecedented resource for ing a complete set of burial ticipated in the excavation.
vincial Museum of Hubei the research of Chu King- artifacts which provide au- “It is an important relic of
in Wuhan, 300 km away dom burial customs. thentic information on the both the Hubei region and
from the excavation site, for Third, the pit of chariots burial rituals of high rank- the Kingdom of Chu, and
further cleaning, identifica- and horses is the largest ing Chu Kingdom officials it will certainly greatly pro-
Chariot wheels
tion, and research. of its kind ever discovered. during the Warring States mote the research of Chu
Wang Hongxing, on-site Photos by Cheng Min Not only are the pieces Period. culture.” Skull and portrait of Laoshan Lady Photo by Xu Jiajun