Beijing Today (January 5, 2007)

14.6 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

Y
In the wake of Winter Royal festivities
Zheng He. wonderland. in the land of
a million rice
fi elds.
A
Page 5 Page 9 Page 21
D
Ghoulish pet owner bleeds stray
to save prize cat
O
Page 3
T New
regulations
for foreign

journalists
take effect
G
Page 2
N
Psychology
applied in
Correction
I
Centers
J
Page 4
I
Project to
E
preserve
Old
B
Shanghai’s
Jewish
district
FRIDAY
Page 8
JANUARY 5 2007 Chinese driver ready for desert
NO. 292 CN11-0120
HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
challenge in Dakar Rally
CHIEF EDITOR: Two faces
JIAN RONG
of the Wall
NEWS EDITOR:
Liu Bin will drive the Mitsubishi team’s Pajero Diesel in the T1 Diesel 4WD production model class in the
HOU MINGXIN
29th Dakar Rally, which sets off tomorrow from Lisbon, Portugal. Page 10
DESIGNER:
Photo provided by Mitsubishi Motors
ZHAO YAN
A revival of costume
customs.
Page 17
Under the auspices of the Information Offi ce of Beijing Municipal Government Run by Beijing Youth Daily President: Zhang Yanping Editor in Chief: Zhang Yabin Executive Deputy Editor in Chief: He Pingping
Director: Jian Rong Price: 2 yuan per issue 26 yuan for 3 months Address: No.23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China Zip Code: 100026 Telephone/Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] Hotline for subscription: [phone] (Chinese) , [phone] (English) Overseas Code Number: D1545 Overseas Distribution Agent: China International Book Trading Corporation
January 5 2007
2
New regulations for foreign
Passport applica-
tion speeds up
s
journalists take effect By Annie Wei
w The Municipal Public
Security Bureau’s Exit and
Entry Management Section
e recently announced their sim-
plifi ed passport application
N New Year’s Day saw only a permission to report outside their journalists to China; the Associ- organizations representing 49
procedure, in support of Chi-
few foreign journalists in Tianan- home base, usually Beijing or ated Press planned to hire local countries. Most were based in
na’s Passport Law.
men Square, in the past a favor- Shanghai, but under the new rules, staff to enhance its China reports Beijing and Shanghai, according
The law was approved in
ite haunt of overseas media which came into force on Monday, and the number of New York to fi gures from the Ministry of
April 2006 and changes the
looking to ask Chinese people they need only the agreement of Times journalists in China rose to Foreign Affairs.
validity period of a Chinese
about their hopes for the coming the person they are interviewing.” fi ve, making its Chinese bureau About 3,000 to 5,000 foreign
passport from fi ve to ten
year, Xinhua reported January 1. The new ‘Regulations on its largest in Asia. journalists come to China for
years, said Feng Chunling,
Some journalists chose to Reporting Activities in China by Benjamin Lim of Reuters, who short-term assignments every
vice director of the Exit and
travel to other parts of China Foreign Journalists during the has been in China for ten years, year over recent years.
Entry Management Section.
for more important news, a task Beijing Olympic Games and the told Xinhua that he interviewed a China has grown to be the
However, persons under 16
made easier by new regulations Preparatory Period’ state that for- person on Monday without going world’s fourth largest economy
years old will still be provided
that came into effect Monday eign journalists need only obtain through an application process, and foreign media coverage of
with passports valid for only
that allow foreign reporters the consent of interviewees to as he had been obliged to in the China has risen sharply in 2006,
fi ve years.
more freedom. interview organizations or indi- past, which he said was really a Cai Wu, director of the Infor-
The law also set 15 work-
Reuters fi led a story datelined viduals in China. step forward. mation Office of the State Coun-
ing days as the time limit in
Hohot on Monday, becoming the The new regulations also allow Lim had long wanted to inter- cil, said.
which government offices,
fi rst foreign media outlet to report foreign journalists to hire Chi- view the person, however, he was Liu Jianchao, spokesperson
across the nation, should
from a city other than Beijing nese citizens to assist them in unable to conduct the interview for the Foreign Ministry, said
complete the passport pro-
or Shanghai without having fi rst their reporting activities. And until Monday due to the compli- foreign journalists would enjoy
cessing. In Beijing’s Exit
applied to the authorities. relax other restrictions. cated application process. more and more freedom, as well
and Entry Management Sec-
In the Reuters story, their Foreign media organizations At the end of December 2006, as an improved working environ-
tion, however, everything
reporter wrote that, “foreign jour- reacted instantly to the new reg- China was host to 606 resident ment in China.
can be done in only five
nalists had needed government ulations. NBC decided to send journalists from 319 foreign news (Source: Xinhua; By He Jianwei)
days, said Feng.
In recent years, more and
Body of Olympic more Chinese have gone
abroad for business, travel or
American climber to visit family and friends,
torch
so obtaining a passport has
found, compan- become a necessity. In 2006,
readied for
Beijing had 737,000 overseas
ion still missing
travel applications, a growth
Mountain of 13 percent compared to
By Jiang Xubo that of 2005.
The body of a US climber who Everest
m has been missing for more than Translators needed
o a month was found on a remote
c By Jiang Xubo
et. mountain in southwestern China’s A rehearsal for the Olympic for Olympic Games
yn Sichuan province last Wednesday. fl ame’s fi rst trip to the top of
n@ A second mountaineer is still miss- the world will be held this year, By Jackie Zhang
xi ing and presumed dead, said the the Beijing Organizing Commit- Translators for several
uming Stiiocnh u(SanM AM)o, uinnvtoalivneede riinn gth Ae ssseoacricah- t(iBnOg CfoOrG th) ea n2n0o0u8n Ocelydm thpiisc wGeaemke.s lFarnegnucahg, es,S ipnacnluisdhin, g ERnugslsiisahn,
Ho and rescue operations. “This rehearsal will be very and German, are being
mail: of sTohmee b o5d,0y0 fo0u nmde atet rasn oenle vGaetinoine irmelpayo rtfaonrt ftohre aB seuicjicnegs sfOull ytmorpcihc rBeecirjiunigte d Yuawnopreldi widCee ntubryy
E- Mountain has been identifi ed as Games on the world’s highest Translation Company.
Charlie Fowler, one of the miss- peak,” Liu Jingmin, BOCOG vice Yuanpei made a joint
ing mountaineers. The body was president, said Tuesday. announcement with the
n transferred Saturday to the cus- “The torch is specifi cally Beijing Organizing Committee
Ge tody of the US Consulate General designed to burn at high altitude. for the Games of the XXIX
g in Chengdu and a cremation will The design is now in its fi nal stages, Olympiad (BOCOG) and
an take place within several days, the and we are training torchbearers became the offi cial translation
ner: Y SMA“T rheev veiaclteidm.’s family, colleagues for tThhee r etohrecahrs wali,”ll L rieua acdhd tehde. peak athned inBteeirjipnrge ta2ti0o0n8 s upOplylimerp oicf
esig aCnhde ngthdeu hUaSv e Cidoennsutilfi eGde tnheer ablo diny oslfo pEev ebreefsot ref robmea rietrss scoaurtrhye rint GamAess a lnas et swseenektieanl ds.ervice for
g D awse C fohuanrldie t hFeo bwoldery’ sla, stwt Wo eddanyse sadfateyr. dBoOwCnO Gal orenvge atlheed .n orthern face, tahne v igtaaml reosl,e .t Yraunasnlpateiio pnl apnlsa ytos
en We reached a consensus that an The ascent of Everest, which set up a professional transla-
hu M aLvi,a lsaenccrhetea hrya-dg celnaeimrael do hf ist hliefe ,S” MLiAn wexiplle cbteed btor obaed coanste ogfl otbhael lhy,i ghis- ttioo np raonvdid ien tlaenrpgrueatgaeti osner tveiacems
xin C saidC lhasrti sStaintuer daByo. skoff, another lBigehijtisn go Of ltyhme ptiocrsc. h relay for the for “thWee O layrme pnicosw. recruiting
ng climber, remains missing. Two China promised during its full-time and part-time trans-
Mi Sichuan-based military helicop- China Customs offi cers have successfully bred their fi rst pedi- Olympic bid over fi ve years ago that lators. English and French
u ters, which were sent by the gree sniffer dog puppy. Xin Hua Photo it would bring the Olympics Games’ translators are in big
Ho Chinese Ministry of Defense in fl ame to the world’s highest peak. demand,” Landy Wang, a
s: response to the call for assistance, Yuanpei recruiter, said.
or tried to conduct further search for “Both Chinese applicants
dit Boskoff last Sunday. The aircraft, Italian offi cial receives environmental award and foreigners are required
E however, failed to land because of to have at least a university
Y
bad weather. undergraduate diploma. Of
A “Christine Boskoff was buried By Han Manman highest award Beijing bestows on Through Clini’s work, the course, they also need a good
D under heavy snow. We are not Corrado Clini, an offi cial from foreign experts, for his efforts Italian government has invested command of Chinese. We’re
sure of her whereabouts at the the Italian Ministry for the Envi- in establishing an environmental more than 30 million in bilateral also recruiting polishers for
O moment,” Lin said. “In addition, ronment and Territory, is the protection partnership between environmental projects in Beijing, our news releases. Knowledge
T the temperature has dipped to fi rst foreigner to be awarded the China and Italy. Zhang said. These include con- of Chinese is not required,”
-20(cid:1) degree in the evenings, and municipal government’s Beijing “Clini was a candidate recom- verting city buses to run on natu- Wang said.
G it is snowing now. It would be Environmental Protection Star. mended by the Beijing Environ- ral gas and establishing air quality Foreign applicants,
too diffi cult and hazardous for The competition was designed to mental Protection Bureau. He won monitoring systems used in daily especially polishers, must have
N
the established teams to continue acknowledge individuals who have the award through thousands of weather forecasts. For the Olym- related work experience or a
I the search for Boskoff. Both we helped make Beijing a better place local citizen’s vote,” said Zhang pic Games, they put up a solar suitable background. Appli-
J and the American people have to live in. Baosen, director of the Center for energy system at the Olympic Vil- cants can forward their resumes
I
E agreed to halt further search for He was also honored with the Environmental Education and lage that will supply hot water and to: [email protected].
B the moment.” Great Wall Friendship Award, the Communication in Beijing. electricity even after the Games.
January 5 2007
3
Ghoulish pet owner bleeds
Government
lists media
s
stray to save prize cat contacts
w
By He Jianwei
Beijing municipal government
last Saturday released a list of e
By Chu Meng Beijing Saijia Animal Hospital, eyes closed and breathing very on December 5 in our hospital.” spokespersons who will act as
A white stray cat brought had almost killed Big White in faintly. Other pet owners who Liu has spent 1,600 yuan media contacts for domestic and N
this Wednesday to the emer- a gruesome blood-harvest aimed witnessed this grotesque per- trying to save Big White, but she international reporters. The list
gency room of downtown Beijing at saving the pampered Siamese. formance were incensed at the is pleased to have done so. She included offi ce phone numbers.
WAWA Animal Hospital almost Tuesday afternoon, the Siamese animal hospital’s treatment of decided she would adopt him The list named 98 spokes-
died after having its blood taken needed an urgent blood transfu- the unfortunate stray cat. once he gets out of the hospital. persons and gave 95 telephone
by a ghoulish owner looking to sion, but Saijia Animal Hospital Liu said, “The hair on its Big White is past the crisis now, numbers for the institutions they
save his fancy pet. had no blood in stock matching neck had been shaved off and a WAWA vet says, and on the represent, including the Standing
Yesterday, after 16 hours of the animal’s rare type. you could clearly see four bloody road to recovery. Committee of Beijing Municipal
treatment, the stray fi nally Liu said, “Unbelievably, the needle marks. The cat owner and Vet Xu Xinling from the People’s Congress, and Beijing
regained consciousness, but Siamese cat owner brought in the pet hospital refused to do International Center for Veteri- Higher People’s Court.
remained very weak. The cat, nick- eleven stray cats a few hours anything to save the dying stray. nary Services (ICVS), one of the The named government
named Big White by veterinary later, that he’d caught around They wouldn’t even give it a stan- few international standard for- bureau spokespersons are deputy
staff, was still lying in the emer- the neighborhood he lives in.” dard saline drip. We were really eign-directly-invested veterinary directors of their agencies, whilst
gency room bed with a transfu- The cruel pet owner was offer- angry and ended up in a row clinics in the city, said yester- district governments will be rep-
sion needle attached to its leg. ing the strays as involuntary with that immoral cat owner and day, “No matter how much blood resented in the media by deputy
Liu Meiyun, the Good Samar- blood donors. Tests showed that the vets. We ended up taking the vets at Saijia Animal Hospital district heads. Two spokespersons
itan who saved the cat from only the cat now known as Big dying cat to the Beijing WAWA extracted from the stray cat, and were named for the Beijing Orga-
death at the hands of a heartless White had blood matching the Animal Hospital.” whether or not doing so endan- nizing Committee for the Olym-
pet owner, said, “We have had Siamese’s rare type. However, doctor Chen from gered it, they had no right to pic Games: Wang Wei and Jiang
it on a normal saline and white A nurse extracted three Saijia, who was on shift that treat any animal, even a stray, Xiaoyu, the two most senior offi -
protein drip for a second night. It syringes of blood, about 80 ml in afternoon complained, “We just like that. It is immoral.” cials listed as contacts.
seems to have passed any danger total, from Big White, and trans- extracted 40ml blood from the Xu said clinics should breed The list is designed to make it
of dying now.” fused it to the Siamese cat. Big homeless cat, far from the fatal their own healthy cats and dogs as more convenient for foreign jour-
Liu said the owner of an expen- White immediately fell uncon- amount for a cat. The Siamese blood donors, being sure to only nalists to arrange interviews, a
sive Siamese cat, in collusion with scious on the operating table, its cat was diagnosed with anemia extract strictly limited amounts. spokesperson for the municipal
government said.
Asian students As of January 1, all foreign
A tradition of renewal journalists who needs to interview
care about representatives of work units or
individuals in China will be able
looks, US peers to do so, so far as they have the
consent of the prospective inter-
self-satisfi ed
viewee, thanks to new regulations
on the activities of foreign jour-
By Han Manman
nalists which will be in force in
More Asian high school stu-
the run-up to and during the 2008
dents say they are conscious about
Olympic Games.
how they look than do their Amer-
“It is a modern government’s
ica peers, according to a survey of
responsibility to use the media to
young people’s attitudes carried out
inform the public of its work,”
in China, Japan, South Korea and
Zhang Nongke, spokesperson for
the US.
Beijing’s Municipal Committee of
Young Koreans seemed to care
Construction, said.
most about appearances, with 83.2
percent of those surveyed claiming
Brief news
to care about their image, followed
by 68.5 percent of Chinese students Record high fi scal revenue
and 66 percent of Japanese. US The capital’s fi scal revenue
students admitted the least inter- reached over 111 billion yuan
est at 33.4 percent, according to fi g- (US$12 billion) last year, up more an
Y
ures reported in the survey. than 21 percent from that of o
US students display the great- the previous year and exceeding a
h
est ‘individuality,’ with 88.2 percent US$100 million in a single year Z
agreeing that, “people should look for the fi rst time, according to the er:
out for their own interests instead People of the Hani ethnic group in Yunnan province celebrate Gatangpa, a traditional festival municipal fi nancial bureau. gn
of others.” This fi gure was much of renewal, at the beginning of the year. Xinhua Photo Increased tax take esi
higher than the 69.6 percent agree- The country’s total tax reve- D
ing in Korea, China’s 48.8 percent nue rose to over 3.7 trillion yuan o
and Japan’s 47.6 percent. The very model of an ancient (US$470 billion) last year, up ub
And generally speaking, Ameri- some 22 percent on that of 2005, X
can students are the most satisfi ed the State Administration of Taxa- ng
with themselves, followed by Chi- Tartar capital tion announced this week. Jia
nese students and Korean students. Fire casualties n
Young Japanese are the least satis- The country saw a total of xi
g
fi ed with themselves. By Annie Wei and the former residences of some more demanding, requiring much nearly 223,000 fi res nationwide n
Chinese students evaluated As urban regeneration and of the many famous people who collection of information including last year, leaving some 1,500 Mi
their Korean peers most highly, property development see much spent at least part of their lives in surveying still extant buildings. This people dead and more than 1,400 ou
believing Korean students to be of old Beijing disappearing under what was once the Tartar capital week, Yang and two fellow group injured, the Ministry of Public H
kind and well-mannered. How- the wrecking ball, a small group of Kublai Khan. members have been busy in Dash- Security announced this week. s:
erevceirp, roKcoarteea nth isst uedsetnetesm ,d idgi vninogt osef revne tthhues imasetms oarrey otrfy tihneg aton cpierne-t and“ Tahrte fsopremcisa lo ef nCghinineaer’si nagn sckieilnlst ialna di no tQhiearn amrcehni,t emcteuarsaul ridnegt adilos osros FewAe tro traol oafd s odmeea t8h9s,400 people Editor
the lowest evaluation of Chinese capital by building a replica of the architecture have thousands of they can reproduce the street in were killed in traffi c accidents last Y
students, who they think are city in miniature. years of history, but no one can scale miniature. year, down more than nine per-
A
unobservant and not suffi ciently The group, ‘Liuzhu Beijing’ deny much of the built legacy is dis- It is not an easy task. Yang says cent from that of 2005, according
hard-working. American students (Keeping Beijing), is a not-for- appearing fast. Future generations the group currently only has a few to the Ministry of Public Security. D
reported the highest evaluation of profi t volunteer project. Leading will only be able to appreciate it members and he fears their survey New government website
O
their Chinese peers. member Yang Yi is a stagecraft from historical records,” Yang said, work cannot keep pace with the for complaints
The survey, conducted by the designer, with all the skills neces- “That’s the main reason we want to ongoing demolition of old Beijing. A new government web page T
China Youth and Children Research sary to make models of traditional record these beautiful things in a One reason that group member- where Internet users can register
Center, the Japan Youth Research Beijing streets and scenes. vivid and precise replica.” ship is small is Yang’s preference complaints about offi cial mal- G
Institute, the Korean Youth and The projected replica will be Yang’s group is not the fi rst to for volunteers with a civil engineer- practice has been established at N
Children Development Institute a 1:25 scale replica of the old attempt to record historical Beijing; ing or architectural background. www.mos.gov.cn/gjb, Qu Wanx-
and a US company, is the fi rst of its city, featuring its signature hutong many photographers, both profes- Yang expects the project to take iang, vice-minister of Supervision, JI
kind. A total of 7,304 high school lanes and alleys, courtyard houses, sional and amateur, are attempting a year to complete, and is seeking announced last Saturday. I
students from 156 schools were sur- and notable buildings such as the to preserve the old city in pictures. venues to display the replica city (By Jiang Xubo) E
veyed over the course of a year. old provincial guild halls, theaters The Liuzhu Beijing project is far when it is fi nished. B
January 5 2007
4
s
u
c
o
F
Psychology applied in Correction Centers
By Jackie Zhang when he returned home.” with others. When her class’s the camp in 2004 for severely
A group of women of vari- “I helped him with a techo- manager asked me to help injuring others.”
ous ages cover their eyes with nique called systematic desensi- her, her symptoms were seri- “He couldn’t face what he’d
scarves, keeping silent and tization. I asked him to imagine ous. She pulled at her hair done and didn’t communicate
communicating with fi ngers or his life when he returned home, like it would help pull the bad with others. He always had
stomping. They are told to line and then, his former drug-abus- thoughts out of her head. She nightmares, which were dreams
up according to their individual ing friends, and gradually, asked told me she was worried her of hurting others or being hurt.
numbers without saying a word. him to imagine a small package husband cheated on her.” He shut himself off and wouldn’t
It is a psychological game of drugs in his hand. At fi rst, he When Wu probed into why let anyone else in. It was hard
played by new arrivals at the rejected and feared the drugs, the woman was so disturbed, for me to understand him at
Women meet for group psycho-
Beijing Women’s Camp of but fi nally, he could face his past she realized it was because of fi rst. I tried to get him to trust
logical consultation in the Beijing
Reeducation Through Labor. and drugs. He went home last the award system in the camp. me. I talked with him about
Women’s Reecducation Camp.
“The game is to help them July and I phoned him after- “Every three months, the camp the Internet and online games.
fi nd more ways to communi- wards. His girlfriend answered evaluates people’s behavior and Gradually, he’d smile when he
cate, and to get accustomed to a the phone and told me he was awards a selected few. If chosen, saw me. I told him he could try
strange environment,” said Wu very well.” the detainee has a chance to to solve his problems through
Lihua, psychological counselor Psychological counselors in return home sooner. Wang came psychological counseling. One
at the camp. camp to the camp in a group with six day, he fi nally came and asked
Beijing’s southern Daxing The Beijing Women’s Camp other women. The other six were whether I could help him.”
District is home to most camps is located near Beijing Xin’an praised, but never her. therefore, “I helped him with System-
n
e of reeducation through labor, or Camp of Reeducation through it was the neglect left her disap- atic Desensitization, asking him
G
lao jiao suo in Chinese. People Labor in Daxing District. Many pointed.” Wang began to believe to relax when thinking about his
g
n who are guilty of illegal acts women here are being reedu- she was not as good as the others past. Gradually, he was more
a
Y but who have not broke crim- cated for selling pornography and became more and more anx- outgoing and his nightmares
er: inal law are detained here for discs and prostitution. ious. “It is natural for obsessive- became less frequent. He made
n reeducation. Here, the police Wu Lihua, a psychology grad- compulsive people to transfer many friends in the camp and
g
si act as psychological counselors uate, started to work in the wom- People are doing psychological their worries to a loved one. So could face what he’d done.”
e
D responsible for detainees’ emo- en’s camp in September 2002. catharsis in the catharsis room. Wang began to intensely suspect The number of police psycho-
g tions and thought. “At fi rst, I worked there an ordi- her husband.” logical counsellers in the reedu-
n Escaping the shadow of nary staff member,” Wu said. “At “The best way to treat obses- cation system is increasing.
e
M addiction that time, there was a woman sive-compulsive disorder is to “Starting in August 2004,
u Fan Wenyong is the psychol- with a foul-temper here. She was coax the patient into giving up the Bureau began to select police
h
C ogy counselor at Beijing Xin’an a hunchback who hated herself. their need for control. They do for psychological training and
n Camp of Reeducation through Even though she’d been in many not have to obsess over every organized exams to certify them.
xi
g Labor. He majored in law while classes, no matter which class thought to enter their head. It There are 65 professional con-
n
Mi in university, and was fasci- she went to, she quarreled with is just not necessary. I helped sultants with national certifi -
u nated by psychology. When he everyone there. Then, she was Wang relax her body fi rst, giving cation in the camps now,” Ji
o started to work in the reeduca- sent to my class.” her some medicine to reduce Zhibin, a representative from
H
s: tion camp, he found out how “I found her bad temper was the symptoms. Then, I worked the education department of
or necessary psychology was in mainly caused by self-hatred. with her to transfer her focus to Beijing Administration Bureau
dit helping detainees and began to Although she was very irritable, interesting activities like assist- of Reeducation through Labor,
E study on his own. This June, he she was nimble-fi ngered and ing her class manager. Wang said. “Another 38 police had
Y was certifi ed as a professional liked writing. I talked with her has already returned home. She been just tested. The results will
A psychology counselor. often and helped her to recognize was well when she left and had be released later, but I expect
D “My fi rst case was in April, her talent. Once she concentrated a better relationship with her most will be certifi ed.”
2005,” Fan Wenyong recalled. more on the things she liked, husband.” “Nearly all the police work-
O “The man was about 30 years old she forgot her disadvantages. She Bringing teens back from ing in the reeducation centers
T and came to the camp for drug changed gradually and liked to the edge have psychological training
abuse. He couldn’t sleep and felt communicate with people. I think Yu Zhaoyang used to be periodically,” Li Jing, the politi-

G anxious all the time. He always it was my fi rst case.” a primary school teacher, and cal commissar of Beijing Xin’an
quarreled with others. He was Another of Wu’s patients now works in the teens’ reeduca- Camp of Reeducation through
N
reserved and did not like to say was a woman with a serious tion camp. “My most impressed Labor, said. “All the police need
I too much. It was the third time obsessive-compulsive disor- Fan Wenyang guides a man in sand- case, and also the comprehen- basic psychological knowledge
J
he had been to camp for drug der. “Wang Ling (not her real play therapy. sive, was Wang Yulin (not her to work well and get along with
I
E abuse. He was very nervous and name) was extremely prideful. real name),” Yu said. “Wang was the people being reeducated in
Photos by Fan Xuliang
B afraid he would take drugs again She always compared herself 13 years old when he came to the camps.”
January 5 2007
5
By Han Manman like pulling teeth. Even in his news conference,
China’s fi rst solo sailor, 38-year-old artist he said less than fi ve sentences, leading report-
Zhai Mo, will set out alone by sailboat tomorrow ers to believe he’s very reserved, Wang said.
from Rizhao in Shandong Province on his one- The fi rst time I phoned Zhai, he was panting,
man quest to circumnavigate the globe. said he was in the middle of repairing his boat, e
Before the interview, his friend Wang Dong- and asked if I could call another day. It took four
fei said Zhai rarely talks about himself to others. days of calls before I had a chance to connect r
Zhai Mo poses with one of his
Getting information from him in an interview is with Zhai again.
paintings u
t
a
e
F
Chinese artist
sails
the world
Zhai Mo’s around-the-world dream will soon come true. Photos provided by Zhai Mo
The voyage through Bay of Bengal, then head August 2001, he sailed around manned solo, the race is run
For his sea route, Zhai will sail for the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, New Zealand to visit local exhi- non-stop and competing sailors
from Rizhao, the Chinese Water around the Cape of Good Hope, bitions of Polynesian aborigine are prohibited from receiving any
Sport City, by way of Ningbo. up to the Mediterranean, west to art, and to open his own paint- sort of assistance along the course
Then on to Meizhou Island, Quan- the Caribbean and so on. ing exhibits. In September 2001, for fi ve months. All who enter en
zhou – the start of the ancient Zhai will pass through more he set out from Auckland on the must have voyaged around the G
‘maritime silk road’ – Victoria than 40 countries and regions in eight-meter boat and crossed the world at least once. g
n
Harbour and the Xisha Islands. the Pacifi c, Indian Ocean and the South Pacifi c Ocean. “It is the highest class voyage Ya
Acrfotesrs tthhaet ,S hoeu’tllh h Ceahdin fao rS eJaa,k apratsas, ARtizlahnatoic f, otrh ean t eovtaeln t3u0a0ll,y0 0re0t umrnil etos Zhai and the Norwegian couple faceIdn mthaen lya sdt afenwge yrse aorns, Zthhea ih higahs choamrspheetsitt iocno minp tehteit iwonor. ldE, vaenrdy otnhee ner:
at sea over one year. seas: storms, billowing waves, sub- who fancies sailing dreams to join. g
si
The start of the trip coincides merged rocks, shark attacks and However, every time, at least one e
D
wceinthtu ardiems iraaglo Z. hIefn Zg hHaei ’ss ruocucetee dsisx, fsoaoilded sinhtoor taa tgyepsh. oOonn teh atti msher,e dZdheadi phlaasy enre vdeire sb oere ng oaens Amsiisasni npgl.a yTehre rine an
he will surpass Zheng He and set his sails. The seawaters crashed the competition before: I will be the m
n
a new sailing landmark in Chi- onto the boat and fl ooded his fi rst,” Zhai said. a
M
nese history. cabin. Zhai tied himself to the boat To join, players must own a
n
“I prepared this voyage for and injected anesthetics into his 60-inch standard boat valued at a
almost six years,” Zhai said. Six injured foot, then closed his eyes more than 20 million yuan. Play- H
years ago, when Zhai bought his With aborigine friends and tried to blank. Three hours ers also need to fi nd enough spon- xin
fi rst boat, he dreamed of sailing later, the typhoon passed, and the sor to join the event. Zhai said g
n
around the world. However, his “If I hadn’t held the exhibit in battered Zhai emerged from his the State Aquatic Sports Adminis- Mi
fi rst boat cost 400,000 yuan and New Zealand and met with the old cabin to sail again. tration Center and China Yachting u
o
was too small and weak to with- Norwegian couple, I’d have never He said no matter what dangers Association would sponsor him in H
stand big winds on the open seas. had the chance to sail the world,” he meets, he will never give up sail- the competition. s:
Worth a million yuan, Zhai’s Zhai said. “When the couple said ing. “Danger is nothing compared After the Vendee Global, Zhai’s or
current boat is 12m long and 3.8m they had already sailed one and a with nature and all the interesting next challenge is a voyage around dit
E
wide. Zhai said he chose to start half circles around the world and things I’ve been able to experience. the Arctic Ocean. No one has ever
Y
his journey in winter, because even described how beautiful the jour- I’ve made many friends in odd succeeded yet. “I’d prefer to keep
A
though it’s cold, it’s a safer season ney was, I made up my mind to places, even many aborigines.” this secret from my family. I don’t
for sailing. start my own trip. I sold all my want them to worry about me. If D
Norwegian couple pictures to buy my fi rst boat – a Future plans they see it in the media, I’ll tell O
second hand boat that was eight After Zhai fi nishes his voyage, them it isn’t true.”
changed his life
meters long.” At that time, Zhai he will prepare for the Vendee As for sailing in China, Zhai T
Zhai, at 16, came to Beijing didn’t even know how to sail his Globe competition in 2012. He will said there’s a giant gap. He hopes
alone to start work. He drew bill- boat back home. The seller helped not only be China’s fi rst represen- people will see his voyage and take G
boards, did independent canvas him sail home, and taught him tative, but also the fi rst representa- an interest in the sport. “Sailing is
N
work, and even some jobs in fi lm how to steer and use the sail. tive from Asia. very popular in western countries,
and television. In 1998, he was After that day, Zhai moved every- The Vendee Globe is a round- but few Chinese people are famil- I
J
invited to France and New Zea- thing he owned onboard to begin the-world yacht race held every iar with it. I hope my journey will I
land as a young modern artist to a life at sea. four years. It’s defi ned by three raise interest in ocean exploration E
Zhai’s sailboat hold his personal exhibition. From February 2000 to additional factors: boats must be and culture.” B
January 5 2007
6
Bus passes pass on, Dogs in Beijing
enjoy better lives as
owners spend more
k
replaced by swipe cards on their pets
o
BEIJING (Channel News Asia)
o – In recent years, many Chinese
have become ardent pet lovers.
l A special section in one of Bei-
t BEIJING (PTI) - Millions of jing’s biggest parks has been set
u Beijingers have bid farewell to aside as a dog playground where
the monthly bus pass, available canines can splash around in their
O to city residents for 56 years, own pool or do laps under the
after the local administration watchful eyes of owners.
replaced them with electronic pre- Pet owners hope there will be
paid cards. more such places in the city for pets
The move came as the and their owners.
municipal government encour- Zhang Jie, a dog owner, said,
aged people to make full use of the “Our dog is the happiest. He can
public transport facilities ahead eat, play and meet other dogs.”
of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Chen Hongyun, another dog
The capital introduced owner, said, “Unlike around our
monthly bus cards in 1950 as home where there are restrictions,
part of its social welfare system. it can play wherever it wants here.”
However, the cards proved loss- Owners like 24-year-old execu-
makers for bus companies, and tive Liu Liangyao are happy to give
reduced passenger numbers on their dogs a taste of the good life at
bus routes where the monthly bus a special pet restaurant.
cards could not be used. “I came and I fell in love with
Cui Jinhu, a saleswoman, said this place. I have fi nally found a
she had mixed feelings about the place where my dog and I can have
monthly bus cards. a good time. Most places in the city
Though she knew the cards are only for people, dogs are barred.
were “behind the times,” they I think this is very unfair. Dogs are
have been part of city life for more also living things, they should be
than half a century. “I will keep treated equally,” Liu said.
the old bus card as a souvenir,” Judging by how he wolfs down
she said. Offi cials hope Swipe cards will entice people to use public transportation. CFP Photo his set meal, Han Dou, Liu’s dog,
A trader, Wang Hua said the defi nitely agrees.
new electronic pre-paid card was ing total investment to US$511 by 15 percent annually in the ernment needs to invest more in A set meal costs more than
very convenient, especially since million. The cancellation of capital, where authorities are infrastructure construction for US$3 for small dogs and nearly
the government will offer a hefty monthly bus cards will help exploring ways to ease the traf- the city’s public transportation US$5 for the bigger breeds.
60 percent discount on fares. attract more passengers to travel fi c congestion ahead of the 2008 network. Beijing needs more That is up to fi ve times more
A heated debate on changing by bus rather than in private Beijing Olympics. main transport hubs and more than a cheap bowl of noodles for a
the monthly bus card system has cars and taxis, and should help Expert comment designated bus lanes. Second, person in Beijing.
rumbled on for years. Authori- ease traffi c congestion in Beijing, we need detailed regulations on Hou Zhihong, who manages the
ties were wary of reform since director of the Charges Manage- By Jiang Xubo who is to benefi t from these mea- Cool Baby Pets Theme Restaurant,
any change might hit low-income ment Department of the Munic- It is a breakthrough in the sures and how that can be made said, “We thought of this. It isn’t
groups hardest, people already ipal Development and Reform capital’s public transportation to happen. Last, the new mea- comparable to noodles (for man)
on the losing end of the widen- Commission Qi Jia said. reform. I have no doubt that the sures should change the way the and it’s harder to make.”
ing income gap in the Commu- Beijingers buy more autos measures will help ease the city’s city runs its public transporta- Despite the cost, dog owners
nist nation. than residents of any other Chi- traffi c congestion, because the tion system, so the public trans- are more than willing to spend on
To keep the cost of a bus trip nese metropolis, according to the city’s public transportation lines port workers will also need to their darlings.
down, the city government offers latest survey by a vehicle infor- will surely see a further, larger change the way they work and Liu said, “I think he likes it -
a 60 percent discount for those mation consultancy. Figures of round of reorganization. It also provide a better service. you saw the way he ate, right? It
using electronic cards. Passengers 155,936 vehicles registered in the reduces the cost of transporta- It will take people some time was almost shameful. I’ve ordered
swipe the cards each time they city in the fi rst six months of the tion for low-income people in to get used to the new measures, another set meal so he can have his
n take a bus, deducting the cost of year represent seven per cent of the city. Public transport will but I am sure as time goes fi ll as it’s a rare opportunity for him
Ya each trip from their stored credit. the national total. become cheaper and more conve- on most Beijingers will happily to eat out.”
ao The Beijing government This almost 160,000-increase nient, which will encourage more accept them. Even when it comes to seeking
h decided to invest an extra brings the total number of regis- people to use it. – Zhang Guowu, profes- medical help, the animals are rather
Z
er: UimSp$r1o6v6e pmubillliico tnr anisnp o2rt0, 0b7ri ntgo- t2e.r7e md ivlleihoinc.l eTsh ien tBoteailj iinsg g troo woivnegr donMe,u hcho wsetvilelr . rFemirsati,n tsh et og obve- svoerrs, itByeijing Jiaotong Uni- spoiled for choice.
n
g
si
e
D Polluted Beijing raises clear-skies target Beijing gearing
o
b up for ‘Olympic
u
X
g weddings’
n BEIJING (AFP) – Beijing ing the capital Beijing, were human control. We need to do
a
Ji authorities have set a target of 245 plagued by serious air pollution more than just focus on how BEIJING (UPI) – The term
n clear air days during 2007 as they on more than one-third of the many ‘blue sky days’ there are, as “Olympic wedding” has become pop-
gxi step up their drive to improve days in 2006, damaging the one bad incident could be enough ular in China, referring to nuptials
Min the city’s environment ahead of health of some 15 million people. to ruin a city’s environmentally- planned around the opening of the
u the 2008 Olympic Games, offi - Last month, studies by the friendly image, even if they are Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
o cials have announced. Asian Development Bank found scoring well on clean air days over China Radio International
ors: H luteOd ncei toiefs ,t hBee wijionrgl de’sn jmoyoesdt p2o4l1- tthhaant a hira lpf oal mluitliloionn w paeso kpilleli ning A msoiarne twhreo nwgh otloe jyuedagre. aIt cmitya’ys gaelsnoe rbael rbeepinogrt medo trhe atth adnes ap iyteea trh aew Oalyy,m sopmices
Edit seox-cceaeldleindg ‘ ibtlsu tea rsgkeyt ’o df 2a3y8s ,i tnh e2 c0it0y6’s, The capital is working to achieve csiigtine so ef vimerpy ryoevairn agn.d showed little awihr eqnu athliet yc ibtyy stuhfef ewrso rfrsot mfew se driaoyuss, ystoaurnt go nco uthpeleirs parree pgaertatitniogn sa.n Weaerdly-
Y environmental watchdog said. more clean air days for the It cited Beijing as one of the pollution, but serious pollution on ding companies have reported the
A Further improving Beijing’s Olympic Games. CFP Photo worst cities along with the likes of a few days is likely to cause severe most popular days being chosen by
D air quality will be the city govern- fumes from the fast-rising number Dhaka, Hanoi, Jakarta and New damage. prospective newly-weds as August
ment’s top priority in 2007, the of cars contributed in 2006 to DelEhi.xpert comment We could set up an early 6, 8 and 10 of 2008.
O Beijing environmental protection heavy pollution that forced the warning system, so we can shut “The year 2008 will see the
T bureau said on its website. government to issue health warn- By Jiang Xubo down some major polluters in the Beijing Olympics, which will be cel-
The bureau classifi es blue-sky ings to residents in November and The ‘blue sky’ project needs to capital when disadvantageous ebrated by the whole nation,” one
G days as days when air quality reg- December last year. be positive and practical so we weather conditions are forecast. young person preparing for a 2008
isters level two or better on an In a report released in Novem- can fi nd better ways to control This will help to reduce the risk of wedding said. “It will be auspicious
N index that runs from level one, or ber, China’s State Environmental pollution and improve the envi- serious cases of pollution, espe- and happy to marry at that time. As
I excellent, to level fi ve or hazard- Protection Administration said ronment. cially smog. many people will have similar plans,
J ous to health. air pollution in China’s cities was However, many serious cases – Wang Qiang, director, we have to be early birds making
EI Heavy industry, sandstorms affecting the health of millions. of pollution stem from bad cli- training center, China Mete- reservations with wedding compa-
B from the Gobi desert and exhaust It said 11 major cities, includ- mate conditions and so are beyond orological Administration nies and restaurants.”
January 5 2007
7
First market-based interbank RBS air lease
tie-in to BoC
Beijing, January 3 (Telegraph) s
rates launched
– Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank
of China are likely to work together s
in the fi eld of aircraft leasing.
RBS, which took a fi ve percent e
Beijing, January 4 (Dow Jones) The rates, known as Shibor, are will include overnight, one and two- It didn’t disclose the names of
stake in Bank of China in 2005,
– China has launched a new set of the latest attempt by Beijing to week, and one to 12 month tenors. the 16 banks, but said they have has identifi ed aircraft leasing as a n
market-determined interest rates create benchmarks for China’s rap- The rates will be the average “relatively active yuan transactions
potential business.
called Shanghai interbank offered idly growing debt market. of daily quotes for eight maturities and relatively adequate informa-
RBS’s aircraft leasing business, i
rates (Shibor) Thursday, the Peo- The Shibor has been on a trial of interbank rates provided by 16 tion disclosure.”
based in Ireland and Chicago, is one s
ple’s Bank of China said. run for more than a month. commercial banks that are either Clear interest rate benchmarks
of the world’s fi ve largest and its
The move is part of the gov- The central bank currently primary dealers or market makers are a prerequisite for China to fl eet of planes is one of the newest. u
ernment’s efforts to ‘further liber- uses one-year deposit and lend- in the money market. The Shibor develop more derivatives prod-
alize interest rates and cultivate ing rates as the benchmark, but maturities will range from over- ucts, such as interest-rate swaps.
B
a benchmark interest rate system since adjustments are infrequent night to one year, the PBOC said. Though a system of China inter- ICBC to buy Indo-
for China’s money market,’ the the rates fail to refl ect market The rates will be published at bank offered rates, or Chibor, was
nesian Bank
PBOC said in a statement posted changes in a timely manner. 3:30 GMT each day on an offi cial launched a decade ago, the market
on its web site. The central bank said Shibor web site, shibor.org. largely ignored it. Beijing, January 4 (AP) – The
Industrial and Commercial Bank
of China, which had the largest-
China plans ever IPO in October, said it had
agreed to acquire the small Bank
auto export BenQ-Siemens mobilephone Halim of Indonesia in its fi rst such
overseas purchase.
quotas ICBC said it would buy 90 per-
fi les for bankruptcy cent of Bank Halim, with an option
Beijing, January 3 (AFP) –
to buy the remaining 10 percent
China, which doubled its auto
from shareholders in three years.
exports last year, plans to introduce
No value for the deal was given.
a system of quotas to weed out local
vehicle makers that are too small to
China Life Prop-
be serious global contenders, state
media has said. erty’s strategic
China’s auto industry exported
partner
a total of 340,000 units in 2006,
an increase of 96 percent from Beijing, January 3 (Dow Jones)
173,000 units the year before. – China Life Property & Casualty
“China is aiming to lift the value Insurance Co, which is owned by
of its vehicle and auto parts exports China Life Insurance Co and its
to 10 percent of the world’s total parent, will introduce at least one
vehicle trading volume in the next strategic partner, the Financial
10 years,” said China’s vice minister News reported Tuesday.
of commerce Wei Jianguo, accord- The property insurer will com-
ing to Xinhua. plete its nationwide network in
The ambitious goal compares three to fi ve years. The report didn’t
with auto and auto part exports that give further details on the strategic
currently account for just 0.7 per- partner plan.
cent of global trade in those prod-
uct categories.
CITIC buys
Despite the plan to boost auto
exports, the government has Kazakh oil fi eld
decided to establish a system of
Beijing, January 3 (AFP) –
export quotas for 2007.
CITIC announced it had acquired
This is to prevent domestic car Lawyer Martin Prager of BenQ-Siemens BenQ purchased Siemen’s mobile phone
the Kazakhstan oil assets of Can-
makers getting into cut-throat com- addresses a press conference in Munich, Ger- business in October 2005. BenQ was deter-
ada’s Nations Energy Co for
petition and also to weed out small many, Wednesday. mined to catch up with Nokia, Motorola and
companies that cannot compete on Prager announced he has been unable to fi nd Samsung in the world mobilephone market, US$1.91 billion. en
a gloCbhainl leesvee la, uXtionsh aurae s amida.inly sold amnayn nye aws i3n,0ve0s0t oerms,p sloo ytheees c womillp laonsey twhielilr c jloobsse.. A s binu tt hhea slfe cat oyre. aBre lnaQte-rS, iaedmmenitst emd athrkeeyt hsahvaer efa iinl ed biggTehset oavgererseemaes not il– aocnqeu isoift iothnes ng G
to emerging markets in the Middle BenQ-Siemens applied for bankruptcy last the world mobilephone market had declined made by China – allows CITIC to Ya
East, Latin America and Russia. September. Prager’s announcement means the from 5.5 percent to less than three percent. dine vweelostpe rtnh eK aKzaarkahzshtaannb.as oil fi eld er:
DaimlerChrysler company has gone into legal proceedings. (Getty Images) gn
si
to produce van S Korea’s surplus De
Fifth shoemaker joins suit with China yi
locally ng
Beijing, January 4 (Dow Jones) o
H
Shanghai, January 4 (Reuters) Beijing, January 3 (AFP) – A producer in the country, fi led suits ing court action due to the high – South Korea’s trade surplus with o
– Car maker DaimlerChrysler AG China reached US$23.2 billion in a
fi fth Chinese shoemaker, Taiwan- at the court. cost of litigation. h
has received government approval 2006 and will likely reach a similar Z
to set up a joint venture to manu- invested Apache Footwear, has The EU imposed a 16.5 percent Chinese shoemakers and the level this year, an offi cial at South n
facture vans in China. joined a lawsuit against the Euro- anti-dumping tariff on imports of government in Beijing said the Korea’s embassy in Beijing said. gxi
The company’s Mercedes-Benz pdueatine s Uimnpioonse do ovner i tsa pnrtoi-dduucmtsp. ing Cbehgininensein sgh Ooectso wbeitrh 7 l.eather uppers maneda sWurTeOs dreidg unloatt icoonnsf.orm with EU The offi cial said trade between Min
brand will form a venture with Late last month, four other In all, over 1,200 Chinese European consumers vote with both countries will likely rise about u
Fujian Auto industry Group and 20 percent to between US$134 bil- o
Chinese companies including the companies are affected, with most their feet, buying huge numbers of H
Taiwan’s China Motor Corp in Aokang Group, the biggest private of the rest opting out of launch- Chinese shoes. lion and US$135 billion this year, s:
which the fi rms will invest more from US$112 billion in 2006. or
than 200 million euros. Movie group wins piracy case dit
The venture is expected to have E
US$63.81 bln FDI
an annual output of about 40,000 Y
mid-sized and light cars. Beijing, January 3 (AP) – A China is regarded as the cally in China. expected A
The fi rms expect to start manu- Beijing court has ordered the pop- world’s leading source of illegally According to the MPA, Sohu Beijing, January 3 (Reuters) – D
facturing DaimlerChrysler’s Viano ular Chinese web portal Sohu.com copied movies, software and other distributed Harry Potter and the China expects to attract US$63.81
and Vito minivans and Sprinter to pay US$140,000 in damages goods, despite repeated govern- Prisoner of Azkaban, The Lord billion foreign direct investment O
transport vans by the end of 2008. for distributing Hollywood movies ment promises to stamp out the of the Rings: The Fellowship this year. This will be a four percent T
DaimlerChrysler already pro- online without permission. underground industry. of the Ring, S.W.A.T. and other increase compared with 2006.
duces Mercedes-Benz cars and A subsidiary of Sohu.com Inc The MPA blames piracy in titles in 2004 and 2005 through The commerce ministry said G
other models in China with Beijing also must publish an acknowledg- China for costing US studios a subscription download service China’s FDI in the fi rst 11 months N
Automotive Industry Holding. ment of wrongdoing, the Motion US$244 million in lost box offi ce on its web site. of 2006 stood at US$54.26 billion,
Chrysler said last week it had Picture Association said. revenues last year. In a statement, the MPA said up 2.14 percent from a year ear- I
signed a pioneering deal with Chi- Sohu spokeswoman Zhang Xin The group says fi ve of the 10 it has 35 others lawsuits pend- lier. That fi gure does not include IJ
na’s Chery Automobile Co to pro- said the company was aware of the movies cited in its lawsuit against ing in Chinese courts alleging foreign direct investments in the E
duce a new small car for export. ruling but had no comment. Sohu were not released theatri- movie piracy. fi nancial sector. B
January 5 2007
8
Project to preserve Old
e
Shanghai’s Jewish district
t
a
b
Gerti Brender, from Australia,
It began with a tourist visit to shows a passport and photos
e a Shanghai synagogue. Five years from old Shanghai. Brender was
later, a Canadian artist and his a girl when she lived in Shanghai
D
partners are on the verge of a with her parents in the 1930s.
US$1 billion project to preserve
and develop the historic Jewish
district of Old Shanghai.
The site was an area of approx-
imately one square mile in the
Hongkou District of Japanese-
occupied Shanghai, where about
20,000 Jewish refugees lived
during World War II, having fl ed
The street in Shanghai where
from Nazi Germany, Austria,
Brender lived together with her
Poland and Lithuania. The refu-
parents.
gees were settled in the poorest
and most crowded area of the city.
Local Jewish families and Amer-
ican Jewish charities aided them
with shelter, food and clothing.
The project had its roots in 2001,
when Ian Leventhal, a Toronto
commercial artist best known for
redesigning 150 outlets of the Jews from around the world came to Shanghai to attend the exhibition of the 1930s Shanghai landers. Brender’s parents ran a boots
Second Cup coffee chain, took an CFP Photos shop in Shanghai.
ordinary tourist trip to China. One
day at the historic synagogue in Comments:
Shanghai, he met an elderly Chi-
nese man who related his personal That would be great! After restoration takes place, there is a are documented in China as crowded. It would be a human-
memories of the 25,000 Jews who nearly fi ve decades of ignoring travel company in Toronto that early as the 7th or 8th century, itarian gesture to give the resi-
had found shelter in the neighbor- its Jewish legacy, Shanghai is does guided tours to Shanghai. but may have arrived during dents modern housing.
hood in the 1930s and 1940s. now waking up to this unique – Vickky Angstrom the mid Han Dynasty. By the – Jo Geoghegan
The stories captured his emo- part of the city’s history and look- Some of the old architecture time of the establishment of the The Shanghai project is also
tions, and Leventhal decided to ing at preserving aspects of the in the area could be vacated to restoration, it might explore the an object lesson in the risks of
organize a collection by Canadian Tilanqiao area, which has been attract artists or writers. It would history of Jews in China and urban development in China. I
artists as a gift to Shanghai. Lev- listed as one of the 12 key histori- help in providing some cultural help Chinese Jews rediscover learned that the project was once
enthal later formed a partnership cal zones in the city. atmosphere, which is important their heritage. delayed by rising costs, and the
with Toronto designer Tom Rado, – Simpson for such historical zones. – Simon Zhang growing complexity of relocating
and together they made 17 trips to To recreate the old Jewish – Jimmie Frank The renovation should be 15,000 residents from the area.
Shanghai to promote their vision, neighborhood culture of Tilanq- It’s going to be a true resto- focused on the protection of his- – Ku Ningshing
known as the Living Bridge proj- iao, authorities urgently need to ration – brick by brick and stain torical sites rather than exploit- The renovation of Tilanqiao
ect, which aims to guide a massive get rid of the temporary shacks by stain. This district will become ing its commercial potential should introduce some high-end
project to restore the neighborhood illegally put up by locals. They a national treasure. Your eyes – F. Perdue businesses to the area. The cur-
where Jews found refuge. are ruining the original look of sparkle when you see how you This project is good news. rent rash of low-standard eat-
Crucial meetings with offi cials the community and obscuring can bring it back to how it was. The residents now live in diffi - eries and food stands not only
in Shanghai next month would give those nice historical buildings It’s project heaven. cult conditions. Up to 10 fam- affects the look of the streets, it
the fi nal approval to the project, – Wang Weiqiang – Terry Archibald ilies are crowded into each also ruins the view of existing
with the fi rst phase aimed for com- This is a remarkable story. Jews and Judaism in China house, with steep rickety stair- old buildings.
n pletion by the time of Shanghai’s For those who want to visit the have had a long and often enig- cases and a shortage of run- – Popeyez
e
G World Expo in 2010. original settlement site before the matic history. Jewish settlers ning water. It’s very small and (By Huang Daohen)
g (Globe and Mail.com)
n
a
Y
er: Days without Internet show the world is not fl at
n
g
si
e
D
gyi und erS ixt hem aPjoarc ifi Icn teOrcneeat n cawbeleres South Korea Japan C omments:
n
Ho berrno kseena inof af nT eaaiwrtahnq uoank eD ienc seomubther- Shanghai How ironic! We (bloggers) gatherings with friends.
ao 26. Internet connections in China, have just been selected by the – Seany boy
Zh including the mainland and Hong Times as the person of the year. Luckily, that day was the
n Kong, were badly affected, and We celebrate the fact that we fi rst working day between
xi many were forced to live without live in an information age and Christmas and New Year and
ng the Internet for several days Hong Kong Taiwan Okinawa enjoy convenient communica- many people were still on hol-
Mi around the year-end. Macao tion. However, we are so pas- iday. Companies and corpora-
u Those with Internet censor- sive. We depend on cables under tions that have to depend on the
o
H ship circumvention tools (proxies) the sea, computers and electric- Internet would have had a dif-
s: already installed on their comput- ity, but none of these are under fi cult time. However, for ordi-
Editor ebrust sfeoerm H toon bge K dooningg a an dli tmtlea bineltatnerd, our control. – Duke Aka ntoa rfoyr nceet itzheenms,s tehlvise ws atos ad oc hsaonmcee
Y China, access was mostly limited I really hated it when the other interesting things.
A to local sites. China’s largest Inter- Philippines cables went down and it dis- – K. Smith
net portal website, Sina.com’s blog rupted my life. As well as being What does the crippling of
D site, made almost no mention of cut off from Internet gaming, the Internet show us? Hong
O the earthquake or the blackout, The earthquake to the south of Taiwan seriously disrupted Internet even my most hardworking and Kong would be ruined by a
and RSS feeds slowed to a trickle communications between East Asia and North America. boring friends were complain- single company telecoms
T around lunch time that day. MSN CFP Photo ing and had been trying to log monopoly. Let’s count, how
and Yahoo have been affected as in their MSN. I couldn’t receive many foreign ISP (Internet Ser-
G well, although QQ and GTalk are restored after the earthquake. Most emergency plans to repair the my clients’ e-mail, and they vice Provider) companies we
N operating normally. Phone calls to international calls are back to damage. China Netcom said two couldn’t receive mine. I had to have in Hong Kong? Don’t put
other continents, some bloggers are normal, while the undersea fi ber- boats had already been sent to shift to phone and fax, it was all your eggs in one basket; this
JI saying, don’t connect. optic cables carrying Internet ser- the area, with three others getting a lot of trouble – and expen- is the truth of fair competition.
I International telecommunica- vices are still being repaired. Major ready to help out with repair work. sive. I had to spend more time – Former LAer
E tions services are now partially telecom providers have launched (Danwei.org) and effort to arrange weekend (By Huang Daohen)
B
January 5 2007
9
s
n
e
L
Arches in Tuanjiehu Park are dusted white. Cleaners clear the muddy streets. Beijingers play in the snow at Tuanjiehu Park.
Photo by Huang Liang Photo by Wang Zhenglong Photo by Tian Yufeng
Having a ‘snowball‘
By Han Manman
Snowfall at the
end of 2006 ush-
ered in a happy
2007, citizens and
soldiers mobilized
in the streets with
brooms and shov-
els, and families
used the chance to
enjoy some winter
fun. Beijing Today
sent fi ve photog-
raphers to shoot
the way Beijingers
enjoy the season.
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Beijing’s fi rst snowfall brought families outside for winter fun. Photo by Jia Ting Ya
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The police arm themselves with snowshov- n
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Residents scrape snow off their vehicles for the A
fi rst time in 2007. Photo by Tian Yufeng
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A Beijinger plays with snow in great ecstacy by the ‘Water Cube’. Snow did little to deter winter swimmers.
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Photo by Li Feng Photo by Wang Zhenlong
January 5 2007
10
Events
Penguin Classics
literary lunches
y
Journalist Eric Abrahamsen
talks about The Fight and Other
t
Stories by maverick critic William
i Hazlitt over a two-course lunch,
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coffee and a glass of wine.
Where: Bookworm, Building 4,
u
Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang
When: January 10, 12.30pm
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Cost: Price to be confi rmed
Tel: [phone]
Visit Erguotou liquor factory
m
Join CCC’s half-day tour to the
Beijing Erguotou Factory to see how
this famous yet surprisingly inex-
o
pensive brand liquor is produced.
C You’ll also see the entire traditional
production process, including the
Two faces of the Wall distillation and fermentation in
gigantic woks and their wine cellar
containing old vintage bottles
Where: Meet at the Chinese
Culture Club (Kent Center, No 29
Anjialou, Liangmaqiao Road, Cha-
oyang). Bus leaves at 10am.
By Wang Xiaoyuan When: January 11, 10am-
What would the Great Wall say 12:30pm
if it were able to speak about its Cost: 100 yuan, includes trans-
gradual transformation in the past portation and ticket
century? Visitors may get a clue Phone: [phone]
through the photography exhibition Pet care information session
The Great Wall Revisited: From the The International Center for Vet-
Jade Gate to Old Dragon’s Head. erinary Services (ICVS) is holding
Housed at the Capital Museum, a pet care information session in
the exhibition uses rephotography Shunyi to update owners on dog own-
to present 72 pairs of photos of the ership regulations and registration
wall shot as early as 1871 and as late requirements. With spring around
as 2006. Rephotography means the corner, ICVS will discuss key
shooting pictures of the same sub-
issues regarding purchasing puppies
ject at the same spot, from the same
and kittens from local pet markets.
angle, in the same season and at
Where: The Open Gallery , No 5
the same time of the day.
Kaifa Jie, Xibaixin Village, Shunyi
Each pair shows an ‘old’ and
New photo shot in 2005 (above) to compare with the old one in 1937 When: January 8, 10am-12pm
‘new’ picture, and visitors were
Photos provided by International Friends of the Great Wall Cost: Free
astonished at the dramatic con-
Tel: [phone]
trast, commenting on how much tion of how to preserve the great- direction, same angle, but with one my most formidable challenge,”
An Inconvenient Truth:
‘greater’ the wall used to be. ness of the Wall,” said William major difference – a beacon tower he said. “I’ve been hunting for
There’s a pair on a section of Lindesay, exhibition organizer and in the center of Geil’s old photo tiny places, usually lacking a place- A global warning
the wall in Laiyuan, Hebei Prov- photographer of the latter pictures. had completely disappeared by the name caption and, of course, with- Former US Vice President Al
ince. The old one, shot in the winter A native of Britain, he’s also per- time I got there 80 years later.” out GPS co-ordinates. Sometimes Gore presents a compelling view
of 1937 by the Eighth Route Army haps the best-known Great Wall Lindesay began his mission in the location was perfect, but the of the future of our planet and
photographer Sha Fei, shows three researcher in town. the spring of 2004. He walked time was diffi cult to confi rm, or our civilization.
complete beacon towers; however, The idea of revisiting the wall across mountains and deserts in suddenly there was a piece of cloud Where: China Environment and
in its 2005 counterpart, only a half- was inspired by a serendipitous North China, with over 300 old pic- coming to cover the sun. What Sustainable Development Refer-
bald ridge is left. event: Lindesay saw a familiar tures shot by other passionate pho- could you do then? Just wait for ence and Research Center, No 1
“We all know that the Great Great Wall photo in a book pub- tographers from around the world. another day!” Yuhui Nan Lu, Chaoyang
Wall is much different from how lished in 1909 by another William In his 1,200 lonely days on Based in Beijing for the past When: January 12, 4-6pm
it was before, but using Repho- – William Edgar Geil. “I found the wall, bad weather and pre- 18 years, Lindesay, 49, founded Cost: Free
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Ya tograpy is a way to give the viewer a one identical location in both our carious paths were not Lindesay’s the International Friends of the Tel: [phone]
o stroke and trigger the reconsidera- books, same remote place, same main headaches. “Scale has been Great Wall. (By He Jianwei)
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