26th of February 2011 (Weekend Ed)
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
Graeme has been using ChinesePod since 2007
"I highly recommend ChinesePod, I haven't found any Online teaching programmes that come close."
China Daily
Evacuees returning to the warm embrace of home
Scenes of joy at Beijing airport as evacuees arrive safely from Libya
Beijing - At 3:30 am, when his girlfriend emerged into the arrivals hall wearing a red jacket, 28-year-old Liu Xianyu heaved a sigh of relief after days of concern and a three-hour airport wait.
Shouting out his girlfriend's name above the din, he waved at her with one hand while the other held a bunch of red roses.
Scenes similar to this were repeated hundreds of times as people just like Liu, who had been waiting at Beijing Capital International Airport since late on Thursday night, greeted friends, colleagues, relatives and loved ones, who had escaped from the political turmoil in Libya.
Sectors pile pressure on 2015 energy goal
CPI report shows consumption rise in construction, transport
BEIJING - Construction and transport have become China's largest energy-consuming sectors, according to research released in Beijing on Friday.
A study by Climate Policy Initiative shows energy use in the building sector grew 28 percent from 2005 to 2008 due to rapid urbanization, with carbon emissions rising 25 percent.
Energy consumption in the transport sector also grew 25 percent over the same period and increased rapidly after 2008 due to the 4-trillion-yuan ($608 billion) economic stimulus package, which mainly went to infrastructure construction.
The changes did not hamper China from achieving its goal in the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) to reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent, said the study report.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
SOEs will expand foreign business
BEIJING - China's central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) will try to expand their business abroad over the next five years, despite public concern about their earning abilities and ongoing political turmoil in some overseas markets, said a senior official in charge of the State assets.
"Central SOEs should concentrate on completing their industry chains, increasing market share and developing into top-ranking enterprises in the international market during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015)," said Shao Ning, vice-chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
Real Estate Tightening measures hurt foreign investors
BEIJING - China's latest round of measures to curb property price growth has had a negative effect on foreign institutional investors, industry experts said on Thursday.
"We've investigated a number of projects since the last quarter of 2010. Though reducing market liquidity has made the price of assets more attractive, the tightening regulations have made investment much more difficult," said David Edwards, regional director at LaSalle Investment Management, a US real estate fund with $45 billion under management.
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
China adopts first law for cultural heritage
BEIJING - China's top legislature Friday passed the country's first law for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) to better preserve the nations's traditions of historic, literary, artistic or scientific value.
Three Gorges Project to be completed in 5 yrs
YICHANG - All construction works on the Three Gorges Project will have been completed by 2015, said a spokesman with the developer, China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), Friday.
13 crimes removed from death penalty list
BEIJING - China's newly revised Criminal Law eliminated the death penalty for 13 economy-related crimes, as the country moved to restructure its penalty system and better protect human rights.
Fifty-five crimes are now punishable by death, according to the eighth Amendment to the Criminal Law, which was discussed and passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) at a bimonthly session that closed on Friday.
The amendment marks the first time since the Criminal Law took effect in 1979 that the country has reduced the number of crimes subject to the death penalty.
"The 13 crimes that have been exempted from the death penalty are mainly economic and non-violent crimes," Lang Sheng, vice-chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said at a press conference following the three-day session.
Crimes that are exempt from capital punishment include tax fraud and "fraudulent activities involving financial bills". Also wiped from the list are offences involving the smuggling of cultural relics or of precious and rare animals.
Lang said the amendment aims to "temper justice with mercy".
Coal mine deaths fall 'but still remain high'
BEIJING - Colliery fatalities have dropped for the fifth consecutive year, though the death toll remains high in the world's largest coal producer, according to a leading work safety official.
Railway Minister axed by NPC after discipline claims
BEIJING - Liu Zhijun was on Friday formally dismissed from his post as Minister of Railways.
The decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, comes just weeks after it was announced the 58-year-old is under investigation for "severe discipline violations".
China to move 190,000 for water diversion
BEIJING - Some 190,000 local residents in central China will be resettled this year to make way for the country's south-north water diversion project, a senior official said on Friday.
Lingua franca
Chinese are learning English on a scale never seen before and the business of teaching is booming
In just a few years, it is theoretically possible that the number of English-speaking Chinese will outnumber the populations of all English-speaking countries in the world, combined. More than 300 million Chinese are studying English, accounting for about a quarter of China's population, according to English First (EF), one of the world's biggest language training institutions.
Overseas online purchasing comes into fashion
Attractive price and range of goods lure shoppers seeking a better deal, Gao Qihui reports in Beijing.
She paid 557 yuan ($85) for her boots from a Chinese Australian who runs an online store for Chinese mainland customers. The same boots in a franchised store on the mainland would have cost more than 2,000 yuan, Jia said.
Jia is one of millions who have been attracted by overseas purchasing services, most of which provide online agents. The primary attractions are price, selection and quality, including the safety aspect of some products. And the results are lucrative.
Use of the services by mainland customers via the Internet last year was worth 12 billion yuan ($1.8 billion), a 140-percent increase from 2009. The total is expected to double this year, said the Monitoring Report on the Data of China's E-commerce Market in 2010 by the China E-commerce Research Center (CERC).
Consumers can buy directly from other foreign websites, but Chinese mainland consumers rarely use them. Foreign online shops are unfamiliar to them. Plus there are language barriers, shipping restrictions and requirements that bank cards be set up for international use.
Brands from outside the Chinese mainland are the shoppers' primary targets because of big price differences between goods found in the mainland and other markets, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. That's why Jia chose to buy her boots from Australia, thousands of kilometers from China.
CCTV
CCTV Chinese evacuees from Libya arrive in Beijing VIDEO
More than 220 Chinese evacuees arrived just hours ago aboard a chartered flight from Libya. A total of 12-thousand Chinese nationals have been evacuated from the North African country since unrest broke out there. A second flight with Chinese evacuees will arrive in Beijing later on Friday.
After a 12-hour flight from Tripoli, the first Air China chartered plane touched down at Beijing International Airport in the early hours of Friday morning.
Most of the evacuees were engineers and technicians working in Libya as well as their family members.
Evacuees expressed their gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Libya.
CCTV Studio interview: Effect on curbing demand of building subsidized homes VIDEO
For more analysis into the building of subsidized homes, let's again talk to our current affairs commentator, Professor Liu Baocheng, from the University of International Business and Economics.
Q1: It's estimated that the construction of 10 million subsidized homes will cost something like 1.4 trillion yuan. Where will such a huge amount come from?
Q2: Many say the government's latest measures have moved from curbing speculation to curbing demand. Do you think that's so, and will this massive building exercise help ease demand?
East Africa, China explore new areas of cooperation
NAIROBI, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The East Africa Community (EAC) and the Chinese government held talks on Wednesday to explore new areas of cooperation and boost trade between both sides.
A statement from the EAC Secretariat said China's Ministry of Commerce Director Department of West Asian and African Affairs Chai Zhijing held discussions with Secretary General of the East African Community Juma Mwapachu on bilateral cooperation. "The Chinese delegation were at the EAC Headquarters to explore areas of cooperation specifically trade and investment opportunities in areas such as agriculture, animal-husbandry, production and processing of mineral and other natural resources, manufacturing, commerce and logistics, and tourism," the statement said.
It noted that the delegation wants to know how China could support and facilitate cross-border infrastructure projects such as transport, communication and power.
CCTV State Council discusses subsidized housing VIDEO
The state council has convened a meeting to discuss the building of government-subsidized apartments.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural development has instructed local governments to start building by the end of October. The meeting will detail policies on the size, requirements and subsidies for rental accommodation.
It will also outline regulations on partial purchase of low-rent houses and the proportion of commercial and low-cost homes.
The central government has vowed to provide 10 million subsidized apartments nationwide to low-income families this year. That figure roughly translates into half the housing floor space sold in 2010.
CCTV Studio interview: Effect on curbing demand of building subsidized homes VIDEO
For more analysis into the building of subsidized homes, let's again talk to our current affairs commentator, Professor Liu Baocheng, from the University of International Business and Economics.
Q1: It's estimated that the construction of 10 million subsidized homes will cost something like 1.4 trillion yuan. Where will such a huge amount come from?
Q2: Many say the government's latest measures have moved from curbing speculation to curbing demand. Do you think that's so, and will this massive building exercise help ease demand?
CCTV Mainland chief negotiator visits Taiwan VIDEO
Chen Yunlin, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, has arrived in Taiwan to start his six-day tour on the island. Chen is leading a mainland business delegation to explore expanding business cooperation with Taiwan.
It is the first time for Chen will lead a business delegation to Taiwan. The 50 member group is to investigate the investment environment and business opportunities on the island to help mainland companies enter the island's market and promote industrial cooperation.
They are scheduled to visit four major industrial cities on the island and meet business people there. They also visited a cross-strait business forum in Taiwan. Taiwan opened its market to mainland investors last June after both sides singed the ECFA agreement, a free trade deal between mainland and Taiwan.
But figures show investment from mainland is still disappointing. Mainland investors urge Taiwan to ease restrictions exist to reserve the trickling trend.
CCTV Tele interview: Chen Yunlin's schedule to Taiwan VIDEO
For more on Chen Yunlin's (Chen Yunlin 陈云林is the current chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the body responsible for negotiations with Taiwan in the People's Republic of China) visit to Taiwan, we're joined on the line by Lu Yuhan, a journalist in Taipei. Hello, Lu Yuhan. Thanks for joining us.
Q1: What's Chen Yunlin's schedule for the visit, and what arrangements are being made by Taiwan for him?
Q2: What is the Taiwan public's reaction to his trip and what are their expectations of the visit?
CCTV Tele interview: Significance of Chen Yunlin's visit CCTV
For more on Chen Yunlin's visit to Taiwan, we're joined on the line by Joanna Lei, who is the managing director of Azul Management . Hello. Thanks for joining us.
Q: What's the significance of Chen Yunlin's visit and how will it affect the cross-strait economic relationship?
CCTV Cross-Straits body meets on business cooperation VIDEO
A business delegation from the Chinese mainland is visiting Taiwan to attend the first meeting of cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Committee which opened Tuesday in Taiwan's Taoyuan County.
A spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council told a press conference in Beijing that during the meeting, six working groups will be established. Yang Yi said ARATS president Chen Yunlin will also pay a six-day visit to Taiwan to learn about the island's agricultural sector.
CCTV China reviews vehicle tax bill VIDEO
The size of your engine will determine what tax you must pay. That is the assessment of China's top legislature after conducting a second reading of a draft law on taxing vehicles and vessels.
At present a one size fits all process is used when it comes to tax and vehicles. If a new tax bill is approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee during its ongoing session taxes will be charged at seven different levels, depending on the size of the engines. Bigger means you'll pay more while you'll pay less for a smaller car.
Global Times
The UK taught the world how to produce in the 19th century, the US showed the world how to consume in the 20th century, and China needs to demonstrate how to develop in a sustainable way in the 21st century.
Turmoil in China is wishful thinking
In the wake of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, popular protests have swept the Arab world. Some lost no time in hyping that the wave would make its way to China. Nevertheless, such a misjudgment would only lead to disappointment.
A few Western media outlets are seeking hints of a Chinese-style "Jasmine Revolution." With a colossal population, China inevitably has a few dissidents, who are energized by the public revolts in the Middle East and call for protests or even a revolution in China. Such people do exist, especially in larger cities.
Recently, a number of Western journalists gathered at an appointed place, watching a performance art version of the "Jasmine Revolution" given by several Chinese. The number of journalists and bystanders there overwhelmed that of the performers. However, some overseas media outlets reported this as a massive popular movement, and barely veiled their expectations for turmoil in China.
Their reports essentially became stage photography, rather than investigative journalism. Strictly speaking, such careless sensationalization was rather news forgery than journalism.
Anyone knowing about the Chinese society would never predict a Chinese-style "Jasmine Revolution." This society is now generally stable. This is not merely a reflection of the state of society, but a widely held public opinion.
Indeed, China has many problems and conflicts - imbalanced development and a wide poverty gap have incurred plenty of complaints. The nation has formed a political determination to address these problems, and possible solutions are being considered.
Chinese society has no interest in solving these problems through revolution. Many still vividly remember the social upheavals that occurred decades ago. They have more faith in the strengths of reform and development.
China is far more stable than some would think. Thousands of years of history have demonstrated the stability of Chinese civilization. The social complexity here has also help created a thorough social balance.
Most problems in China are by-products of the nation's growth. China is not a dumpsite full of problems - it is more like a wharf where both accom-plishments and problems are laid. As long as the nation still keeps the momentum of growth, these disappointments will not become a Gordian knot.
Success is the best theory - no wisdom could question success. China is seeing economic and social progress now. It has drawn worldwide at-tention during the first decade of the 21st century. No matter whether they are applauded or rebuked today, these achievements will turn out to be a great success in our history. And history's dustbin is always littered with those who aspire for China's collapse.
Unrest tests wisdom of world powers
Revolution in the Middle East may gravely disrupt global development and profoundly change the world's interest structure that was established over the past half-century. The consequences of these changes will not be evenly distributed around the world. As such, how China turns these risks into opportunities will be vital to its rise in the decades to come.
National competition in the era of globalization is more cruel than it seems to be. Changes in global positioning could once be achieved through internal development or regional adjustment, but they now require global "re-identification," which cannot be achieved in a short space of time.
Reading too much into a jasmine bunch
A few people in Beijing, Shanghai and several other Chinese cities attempted to mimic the "Jasmine revolution" Sunday, as highlighted by mainstream Western media. These people, however, are like beggars in the streets - they never fade away, while the rest of the country moves forward.
The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have spread in the Middle East, and some in the West want China to become "the next Egypt." This is simply impossible. China is huge and will always contain certain problems. But a few people chanting slogans or throwing jasmine flowers in the street will not slow the country's momentum.
China's government holds the support of the majority of society. Some people do complain - occasionally because they enjoy the thrill of standing up to authority and showing off their bravado - but Chinese society as a whole cannot be represented by these agitated few. There is no collective will for revolution in China.
The Middle East has a place for China
Social revolution is reshaping the Middle East, but China has remained a spectator of this revolution, reducing the diplomatic risks at play. In terms of shaping the future of the Middle East, there is little China can do. The changes in the Middle East do affect the global outlook, with China's interests at play.
Although the US has pretended to support street democracy in the Middle East, its real support lay in a different area to that which was claimed. The US has strongly promoted the expansion of street protests in Tehran, but has not commented on the police repression in Bahrain. The reason for this is that the former is an open enemy of the United States, while the latter is the home of the US Fifth Fleet.
Democracy is more colorful than imagined
The worldwide shift toward democracy is unstoppable. However, with globalization, democracy has become more like a Russian doll: you always see the one on top, but not those hidden inside.
From the perspective of history, the global wave of democratization will remove a Western-focused center of interest.
The beginning of the Egyptian revolution is like a constitutional revolution. There seems to be a wide gulf between Egypt and Western cultures, with some external influences blocked out and some allowed in.
In the future, the US-backed Egyptian military and democrats will compete with the Muslim Brotherhood. It is still too early to assert that Egypt and the Middle East will embark on an anti-American road.
But it is even more foolhardy to conclude that the Egyptian revolution was a victory for the West. The current world order is unfair, just as a nation's richest city is filled with affluent Western influences while many live on in poverty. They will ask: Why?
The late American scholar Samuel P. Huntington wrote in The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century that elections in non-Western countries often induce politicians to come up with the claims that can win the most votes. These often have racist, religious and nationalist hues and will aggravate divisions, leading to more support for anti-Western rhetoric and policies.
For some Muslim countries, Huntington's conclusion is that people there can only choose between anti-democratic secularism and anti-Western democracy.
Dialogue
A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:
China's policies to avoid property bubbles
Wider impact of food price hikes
Controversy over fireworks in China
Security adversity on China's periphery
See Kaixin's - Tiger Mum - Amy Chua 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'
International News Sources
The Wall Street Journal
China Defends Yuan Policy In Ad
There was a lot of hand-wringing at last weekend’s Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in Paris about China and what should be done about its allegedly undervalued currency, the yuan.
On Friday, the Chinese shot back in an advertising supplement to the Washington Post. The special advertising section, “China Watch,” is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China.”
The story’s lead sentence says, “Excessive spending by Americans and low interest rates, instead of the yuan exchange rate, should be blamed for the trade imbalance between the United States and China, some U.S. economists suggest.”
See Kaixin's - YUAN REVALUATION & INTERNATIONALISATION
Crude Shock for China's Refiners
Instability in the Middle East is bad news for China's national oil companies. But while the giant China National Petroleum Corp. is evacuating workers from Libya, shareholders of refiner Sinopec are watching the situation at home carefully too.
The past week has been a volatile one for the stock. After dropping 10% in the four sessions through Thursday, the shares rallied 1.6% Friday.
The explanation for this lies in the outlook for oil prices. Sinopec buys 80% of the crude it refines, rather than ...
China Drops Death Penalty for 13 Offenses
BEIJING—China dropped the death penalty for more than a dozen nonviolent crimes Friday and banned capital punishment for offenders over the age of 75, in a move seen as symbolically important but unlikely to significantly reduce executions.
Huawei’s PR Strategy: Everything But the Boss
Whatever one thinks of the debate over Huawei’s relationship with the Chinese government and how it should be treated in the U.S., one thing is clear: The Chinese company has dramatically upped its public relations game in its quest for American acceptance.
CIC Goes Shopping in Japan, for Property
China Investment Corp.’s most high-profile real estate investment in Japan so far is just the sovereign wealth fund’s latest move in steadily building up its property portfolio.
Libyan Turmoil Prompts Chinese Naval Firsts
China has sent one of its most modern warships to protect vessels extracting thousands of its citizens from Libya, in the Asian power’s first naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea and its first deployment of military hardware in a civilian evacuation mission.
The Fight of ‘The Warriors of Qiugang’
In 2004, Zhang Gongli began a legal battle to rid his community of pollution caused by a nearby pesticide plant. The farmer’s once-idyllic village of Qiugang in China’s eastern Anhui province had become choked with toxic waste: Residents fell ill, crops suffered and waters filled with dead fish.
Mr. Zhang’s years-long struggle is the subject of “The Warriors of Qiugang”.
Watch the whole documentary HERE
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Bloomberg
LinkedIn Blocked in China After ‘Jasmine’ Protest Postings
LinkedIn Corp., operator of the largest networking site for professionals, became inaccessible in China after a user posted comments that Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution should spread to the Asian country.
TechRice
LinkedIn Blocked in China. Oh Happy Day for Chinese Copies!
Reports are pouring in that LinkedIn too has now succumbed to the Great Firewall. I can’t access it from Shanghai without using a VPN. Sometimes such blockages are temporary, but I’m guessing this one has permanent implications.
But it’s not like LinkedIn ever seemed to care much about China. Maybe they judged (perhaps correctly) that they didn’t have much chance here anyway.
Definition - What is the difference between a VPN and a proxy?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, which means that you secure your connections to connect to a server.
Proxy means that there is a computer somewhere else doing the job instead of your own computer.
For example, instead of asking your computer to connect directly to Facebook, this “proxy” will connect to Facebook, and then send you the webpage.
Mixing VPN and proxy helps you to connect to Facebook, Youtube and other blocked websites directly from China, or from any other country with limited Internet Access.
Global Voices
China: The Risk of Shutting Up Sina Weibo is Zero!?
The reaction of the Chinese government towards the anonymous “Jasmine Revolution” message circulated around overseas dissident websites and Twitter has alerted investment banks' analysts to cut the rating of Sina's stock value. Some banks apparently anticipate an increase in the risk of the Chinese government tightening regulations on social media, in particular on “Twitter-like” service such as Sina Weibo.
...
However, the issue at stake is probably not whether Sina Weibo will be able to survive, but on Sina Weibo users' toleration of its censorship practice. Sina blogger Fan Wenxin points out that the space for free speech relies on government's confidence.
See the response from users in China.
Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. Miller-McCune.
Media and Revolution: Tiananmen to Tahrir
New media inspires new generation to protest? It’s an old trope, argues a China scholar taking a practiced eye at the turmoil in the Arab world.
The New York Times
China Telecom Giant, Thwarted in U.S. Deals, Seeks Inquiry to Clear Name
By DAVID BARBOZA
The Chinese telecommunications group said that its American expansion has been undermined by false allegations that it had ties to Chinese authorities.
Caixin Online
How CNPC Stays On Track for Oil in Iraq
Years of hard work to secure access to Iraqi oil is finally paying off for CNPC, but major hurdles remain
Global oil giants were drooling in 2009 when Iraq started auctioning its first oil and gas service contracts since oil industry nationalization in 1972. Bidders were expected to offer a production plateau target and per-barrel remuneration fee.
Clad in Purple, Big Oil's Iron Lady in Iraq
CNPC executive Wang Shali drives hard bargains, takes risks and in business matters would rather forget her gender
China National Petroleum Corp.'s point man in the Middle East is a woman who refuses to let gender stand in the way of her persistent push for oil field access.
Wang Shali, vice president and Middle East business chief for CNPC's subsidiary China National Oil & Gas Exploration Corp., is well-known for a strong personality that's helped her beat men and westerners in the Iraq oil patch.
Bank of China's Li Lihui: Notching Up Success
China's international banker BOC is growing at home with what its president calls a 'serious' domestic strategy
Bank of China (BOC) may have passed Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) to become the nation's third-largest bank in terms of assets, moving up a notch on the Big Four ladder.
See Over for the 25th of February 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
Big spenders hit expo to plan big day
BEIJING - Beauty may take your breath away, but a glamorous wedding is almost certain to take your savings away.
That was the message many young couples took from the first day of the annual China Wedding Expo in Beijing on Friday.
The expo, which lasts until Sunday, is a one-stop shop for those planning their big day. It is packed with 1,800 retailers, from caterers and florists to photographers and cake designers.
Thousands of future brides and grooms were busy pinning down the little details that go into creating the perfect wedding, although many found the array of choices and high prices somewhat overwhelming.
"I like this one better. It might cost more but I just want everything to be perfect," said newly engaged Peng Ning, as she looked in the mirror while trying on a 20,000-yuan ($3,000) Spanish-made La Sposa wedding dress at the expo. "It's a once-in-a-life event, so I don't want to settle for less."
Peng's mother, who is paying for the wedding in July, could not agree more with her 28-year-old daughter. "Of course, it's a lot of money to spend on a dress that will only be worn once, but she has no interest in cheaper brands," she added.
A young woman tries on a wedding dress at the China Wedding Expo in Beijing on Friday. The three-day event, which ends on Sunday, gathers 1,800 shops together in the hope of providing one-stop shopping for couples.
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China Ancient & Modern
Artist moves from bustle of city, finds peace in work
RUILI, Yunan - There is an old Chinese saying that goes: "Gold has a price, but jade is priceless."
But this adage is only a half-truth for Wang Chaoyang, a Beijing-trained jade artist, who has been carving out new ideas about the creative process in Ruili city - the "hometown of jade" - near the border with Myanmar in Southwest China's Yunnan province.
"People here value the artistic creativity of jade carvings as much as they value the stones' quality," said Wang, who has lived in the city since 1997.
"Ruili offered me a second chance in life."
Village holds good harvest parade
Villagers look on as others celebrate during a traditional parade in Yanzhao village, Shantou city, South China's Guangdong province, Feb 24, 2011. The "tuoshenou" parade, literally means to drag down god's statue, involves fierce body confrontation in which people try to get hold of the statue protected by a guardian and is carried on the shoulders of dozens of others. The activity is a traditional custom for praying for a good harvest.
CCTV Gala celebrates Hakka festival VIDEO
Tuesday marked an important festival for the Hakka people in China. An evening gala featuring traditional Hakka songs and dances was broadcast live on Tuesday night. Taking place in Taoyuan Gymnasium in Taiwan, the gala was co-sponsored by Fujian province and Taiwan island.
The gala, titled" Song of the Hakka" kicked off with a grand ceremony worshipping the heavens. It was presided over by hosts from Fujian and Taiwan.
Top artists and troupes from both sides of the Taiwan Straits shared the stage.
The Taoyuan Gymnasium was fully packed with some ten-thousand spectators, the majority of whom were Hakka.
WU Chin-Yang, Mayor of Taoyuan County, said, "Taoyuan is one of the counties that have the biggest Hakka population in Taiwan. Many Taoyuan residents have their roots in Fujian province."
'Water gypsies' fear lifestyle sea change
Tanka communities face wave of uncertainty, Shi Yingying reports in Hainan.
Wen Changgao, 45, fishes in the same way his Tanka grandpa did half a century ago - at night with lights ablaze. "The fish follow our boat's light, giving us a better chance of catching them."
But Wen no longer lives on the wooden junk, sailing on the blue expanse for days and nights as his grandfather did. He has moved to terra firma and become one of the "onshore people".
Many things changed with that move. And more profound changes are likely, if plans to expand Sanya, on Hainan island, as a luxury resort proceed. New resort hotels, inns and tourist attractions require land, land where many Tanka now live.
"The older generation never wore socks or shoes because there was no need to; they spent their whole lives at sea," Wen said. "My grandfather used to tell me he never actually stepped on land in his entire life. That's why they ('onshore people') call us 'gypsies on the water'."
These "Gypsies" are widely believed to be descendants of participants in a failed uprising in the latter stages of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420). As part of a peace pact with the authorities, these early Tanka people were forbidden to live on land or marry people from the land, or to become public servants.
Over the dynasties, these restrictions became customs, forming the core of the Tanka identity: People were not only born on the fishing smacks, but also grew up, worked and died there. The boys could only become fishermen and the girls married from one fishing boat to another.
A young member of the Tanka community navigates his boat in waters off Sanya, Hainan province
One for posterity
An NGO is helping China's ethnic groups keep a record of their age-old customs and rituals. Shi Xi reports.
Driving into A'er village in Sichuan province, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Luo Jihua had a strange feeling. The ancient village has been home to the Qiang ethnic group for nearly 1,000 years.
"Although I am a Qiang, I know so little about my own community," Luo says.
Born and raised in the Beichuan Qiang autonomous county, Luo had always known she was a Qiang but had no idea what set aside her ethnic group, as she went to the same schools and lived the same life as most of her Han friends.
"The school taught me everything except who I was," Luo says.
CCTV Afternoon tea culture in Shanghai VIDEO
It's refreshing. It's elegant and it's convenient. What am I talking about? Afternoon tea. What a great way to grab a peaceful moment in a bustling city.
So on today's feature story, we'll take you to Shanghai to explore the diversity of that city's afternoon tea culture.
Daluo, where you flow - VIDEO
Is there a place where you don't feel walking but flowing? China Daily's multimedia journalist Feng Xin takes you to explore that place: Daluo.
He saved 20,000 Chinese in Nanjing Massacre
Sindberg helped to save nearly 20,000 Chinese in Nanjing Massacre
Sindberg's heroic feat was re-discovered after the diaries of John Rabe were published in 1997
"To us Chinese people, especially the people in Nanjing, he (Sindberg) is a friend in need and a friend indeed, who is entitled to our everlasting gratitude and respect." -- Chinese Ambassador
AARHUS, Denmark -- Bernhard Arp Sindberg, a Dane who helped save thousands of Chinese lives during the Nanjing Massacres of 1937-38, was honored and commemorated on Saturday in his hometown Aarhus, Denmark.
"We remember Mr. Sindberg for his heroic acts during the horrendous Nanjing Massacre, when up to 300,000 Chinese were murdered by Japanese occupation forces," said Rabih Azad-Ahmad, vice mayor of Aarhus, at the ceremony.
"As a Dane and a member of the City Council, I am very proud to know that a fellow Dane from Aarhus found the courage to stand up against the Japanese occupation forces, and by doing so, saved the lives of thousands of Chinese," Azad-Ahmad said.
"And I am grateful that Sindberg proved that even in the most difficult times, there is always the little glimpse of hope."
See Kaixin's - Nanking Nanking
Emperor's private collection opens in New York + VIDEO
Currently showing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City showcases about 90 works of art created for the emperor Qianlong (1736-95), a man whose desire to unify "all under heaven" is clearly noted in the extravagance of this loan exhibition organized by the Peabody Essex Museum.
Sky lanterns light up the sky at a square in Pingxi, a rural district in the eastern part of New Taipei city, Taiwan, Feb 17, 2011. People in Taiwan celebrate the annual Lantern Festival by flying sky lanterns, which are made of oiled paper and bamboo frame, and contains a candle or other lighting inside.
Students read excerpts of Confucius' analects during a memorial ceremony at the Confucius Temple of Nanning, capital of Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Feb 20, 2011. More than 2,600 students from Fuzhuang School, mostly children of migrant workers, took part in a memorial ceremony for Confucius here on Sunday, to mark the start of a new semester.
Mausoleum find rekindles ancient horse legend
XI'AN - The bones of 80 horses unearthed from the mausoleum of a Chinese emperor who lived more than 2,000 years ago have rekindled an ancient legend about blood-sweating "heavenly" horses from central Asia.
The skeletons were found in two sacrificial pits within the mausoleum of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) in Xingping city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, said Yang Wuzhan, a researcher with the provincial archeological institute.
Yang and his team began excavating the two pits in September 2009, but had published few of their findings until Monday.
Each of the two pits was a huge cavern containing 20 caves - each "guarded" by two stallions and a terracotta warrior, Yang said.
'Naked' Marriage - Shanghai
As a young girl from Shanghai, Fan Fan used to dream: she would meet a handsome, kind man, he would lavish romantic gifts on her, their families would approve, and after a blissful wedding they would move into a large penthouse apartment that her doting husband had bought for her. Like I said...that was her dream.
As a pretty woman in Shanghai, it wasn’t that she was short of suitors. “A lot of boys liked me,” she quietly giggled, “but most of them were stupid. I guess I just care more about love than money.”
She finally found a man she loves, but with his salary, he could never afford an apartment in Shanghai. She admitted, in a serious tone, “He might not even have money to buy me a ring... But I can accept a ‘naked marriage.’ I think he is a good man.”
Don’t get too carried away. By “naked,” Fan Fan doesn’t mean they won’t wear clothes at their ceremony. It’s a Chinese expression (裸婚) that means getting married with no house, no car, no diamond ring and no proper wedding ceremony. With the insane housing prices in China today, it’s a growing trend that makes quite a bit of sense, especially for people like Fan Fan and her boyfriend. But my contacts in Shanghai tell me that most girls in the city aren’t going to get married without a place to call home... their home.
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China: Ancient & Modern
CCTV Sweet Ball festival held in Qingdao VIDEO
The annual Festival of Sweet Ball -- a traditional snack food in north China, is being held in the costal city of Qingdao. The sweet event has attracted many people from home and abroad.
Sweet balls are sticks of sugar-coated haws. Different kinds of sweet balls are showcased here, which enable visitors to taste a variety of this delicious snack. Children come together with their parents to participate and enjoy the fun.
Maotai Riddle: Pricier in China, cheaper abroad
BEIJING - Foreign luxury products have monopolized the shopping list of Chinese tourists heading overseas for years, but more Chinese tourists are grabbing up Chinese brands sold on foreign markets, since they are sold at lower prices.
When a man surnamed Li, a clerk from a foreign company in Beijing, returned from the United States after visiting his family, he brought home several bottles of Moutai, one of the best known Chinese liquor brands.
"It is much cheaper abroad, many of my friends also buy high-end tobacco and wine of Chinese brands from overseas," Li said.
CCTV Universities pioneer new entrance tests VIDEO
A new type of entrance exam is being pioneered by some of China's top higher learning establishments. It's hoped the process will be more convenient for applicants applying from remote areas and also ease pressure on students taking enrollment exams.
The tests are being conducted in 29 sites around the nation. The new exams mainly focus on testing student's knowledge, potential, and practical and analysis capabilities, which is different from the tradition college entrance examination. The old exams focussed on general knowledge taken from text books and used a grade point average to select candidates.
CCTV Panda mother and cub adapt to new home in Sichuan VIDEO
A panda and her young cub have moved into their new home at a wildlife sanctuary in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The pair is adapting well to life in captivity, where they will spend the next two years before being released into the wild.
Cao Cao started her training program last summer at Wuloong Panda Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Just a month later, she gave birth to her first cub. The pint-sized male panda has been in special care ever since.
Huang Yan, Deputy Engineer of Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, said, "The panda cub has had little contact with people since his birth. He sleeps in the open air, despite the chilly weather. The good news now is that he no longer relies on pandakeepers to survive."
CCTV Ullens' collection's planned $16.7 m sale at Sotheby in Hong Kong VIDEO
Sotheby's in Hong Kong is to offer 106 works from the famed collection of Guy Ullens. The Belgian ranks as one of the most noted collectors of Chinese contemporary art and founded the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing in 2007.
The Belgian Baron has been collecting Chinese contemporary art for the last 30 years and the works all date from the 1980s and early 90s - before China's contemporary artists aroused significant attention in the West.
The auction is expected to earn up to 16.7 million US dollars with a likely focus on Zhang Xiaogang's 1988 triptych "Forever Lasting Love", which bears a presale estimate of 3.2 to 3.8 million.
Other highlights include key early works by Zhang Xiaogang, Mao Xuhui, and Zhang Peili, which were first shown in the seminal 1989 "China/Avant-Garde" exhibition.
Chinese mummy on display in Philadelphia
A 3800-year-old mummy is on show during the "Secrets of the Silk Road" exhibition, featuring archeological findings in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at the museum of Pennsylvania University in Philadelphia, Feb 18, 2011. It is the third leg of the exhibition in the US, which will last until March 28, 2011.
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