China
All the Tea in China
August 31, 2010 by Duncan Mills
The people of Chengdu love tea. No question about it.
The city has the highest density of teahouses of any city in China. There are literally thousands of teashops, where people go to play cards, chat and relax… with a good cuppa, and endless refills.
We tend to think that we Brits are good tea drinkers – a nation of tea drinkers, we claim. But actually although we drink a lot of the stuff we tend to stick to good old English Breakfast tea or Earl Grey.
The Chinese are far more dedicated and adventurous. Black, green or green with jasmine leaves perhaps, one of countless blends and variations. The name I liked the most? ‘Snow on top of the mountain’ tea. Wonderful.
At Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage (see previous blog) I sat down in a secluded courtyard garden for my own quiet tea moment, sipping from a teacup on which was painted the figure of Lu You, a poet almost as famous as Du Fu himself.
Sitting at a table with elegant calligraphy on the tablecloth – with words meaning ‘dragon’, ‘happiness’ and other such things in Chinese –
I learned how to drink tea the Chinese way, using…
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Chengdu: the World Panda Capital
August 30, 2010 by Duncan Mills
Chinese languages reveals a lot about pandas. In Taiwan they refer to them as ‘cat bears’ – cuddly black-and-white animals, with Mickey Mouse ears and an endearing appetite for sitting around harmlessly chewing bamboo. Elsewhere in China, the emphasis switches and their name translates as ‘bear cats’. Wild. Untamed. Not fully understood.
In truth, they’re probably somewhere in the middle. But our understanding of panda behaviour is certainly improving, thanks in a large part to pioneering research currently being done in the Sichuan city of Chengdu, the so-called ‘panda capital of the world’.
To say that the city is proud of its connection with giant pandas is an understatement. I travelled there recently and saw images of pandas everywhere: they appear on the bonnets of the city’s taxis, on billboards, on all manner of souvenirs and even on cigarette packets.
Chengdu’s panda ambassadors
The Chengdu authorities have also recently appointed two ‘panda ambassadors’ – the Chinese actor Jackie Chan and British wildlife presenter Nigel Marven – to help raise awareness of the plight of this lovable yet threatened species, as well as the research being undertaken to try to preserve them. Chan adopted two pandas and donated £100,000 to research.…
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Du Fu – China’s Shakespeare
August 27, 2010 by Duncan Mills
Two orioles chirp on green willow trees, a row of egrets fly into the sky.
Through the window I can see the ancient snow of the Xiling snow-capped mountain.
Near my door anchor boats from distant East China.
Above is one of the best-known verses by Du Fu, a celebrated Tang Dynasty poet who lived for a number of years in Chengdu during the eighth century.
During his time in Chengdu he was at his most creative, writing a number of poems depicting the peaceful life he had there in his famous ‘thatched hut’, among them My Thatched Hut was torn apart by Autumn Wind.
Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage (albeit a reconstruction) remains just as peaceful today – set within a tranquil park of quiet courtyards and gardens, with carp-filled ponds, tall pines and bamboo thickets, open-sided shrines and bronze and stone statues of the great man.
It’s a getaway from the modern buildings and congested roads of Chengdu, where locals come to practice Tai Chi in the mornings and listen to the song of laughing thrushes.
Video: Beijing Armless Man is a Foot Pianist
August 27, 2010 by Fred Hatman
Inspiration. I don’t know about you but I can’t get enough of it.
And it doesn’t come much better than in the form of Liu Wei of Beijing.
As he says, “who said piano has to be played with your hands?”…
I kept getting that cold, shivery feeling which starts at the nape of my neck and my forehead and simultaneously snakes over my head and down my back. How did it feel for you?
And have you ever tried to pick up a small stone with your toes?
I love Liu Wei. As I have loved Nick Vujicic who has no arms, no legs, just a voracious appetite for living life. Just as I loved Kseniya Simonova and her extraordinary ability to create something so beautiful with sand. But Kseniya has hands.
I liked that line used by one of the “China’s Got Talent” judges after Wei’s incredible performance. “Live like wonderful.”
Let us all live like wonderful this weekend. And we might as well continue with that maxim for the rest of our lives. Because who said life can’t be lived like wonderful?
* A valiant if vain attempt…
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New “Super-Bus” To Solve Beijing’s Traffic Woes?
August 25, 2010 by Richard Burger
They’re saying this contraption can ease Beijing’s infamous traffic by up to 30 percent, though special track will need to be laid everywhere. Where was it when I was living there?
A prototype of the super bus is expected to roll out onto the road by December, three months after the 40-day-long design phase is completed, the official Global Times newspaper reported today.
It is expected to commence trials on a six-km stretch of road along the West Sixth Ring Road in Mentougou district.
The concept of the ‘straddle’ bus is unique as cars could drive under its huge uplifted passenger compartment between its 2.2-meter-long legs. The two bus legs leave a ‘tunnel’ wide enough for two lanes of small or medium-sized vehicles — 1.55 to 1.6 meters high, in general — to drive right through under the moving bus.
This is definitely an “only-in-China” type of innovation, where size truly matters. More power to them if the eco-friendly super-bus actually works.
Update: Speaking of traffic in and around Beijing, it’s interesting to see that this story of China’s 60-mile traffic jam has gone mainstream.
China Passes Japan for Second Place in GDP
August 24, 2010 by Kiyoshi Kurokawa
The GDP of Japan which used to be the 2nd largest in the world fell to 3rd after China.
This news itself is not so much to worry about because GDP is strongly affected by the size of the population. For China, with a population 10 times larger than Japan, to overtake her (Japan’s) position of the 2nd in the world ranking of the GDP was something that was predicted for a long time the only question being ‘when’.
What truly matters is the GDP per capita. Japan has fallen off the position of 2nd in GDP per capita in the world and has been somewhere around 18th or so for quite a while. This is not surprising, since, to begin with, Japan’s GDP has not grown in the least for 15 years. I suspect that Japan is the only nation in the OECD (in Japanese) that has not achieved any growth in GDP for these 15 years.
Up to date no signs of growth are observed in Japan, and few in the world expects little sign of change from Japan, thus no investments come to Japan. Changes in other OECD nations are obvious since the 2008 ‘Lehman Shock’…
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China and U.S. Debt
August 19, 2010 by Richard Burger
For anyone who has the time and fortitude, there’s a very long, detailed and brutal post up on Zero Hedge about China’s insane (in the author’s eye) purchase of US debt and its long term implications, all of which, he says, are terrible.
Not being an economist or a prophet, I can’t say whether he’s onto something or not, but it sure makes for some interesting reading. I’m just going to quote the opening and closing grafs for their sheer evocativeness:
Some people in Asia burn joss paper, also called ghost money, on the Lunar New Year, to give their deceased ancestors something to spend in the afterlife. Because ghost money doesn’t represent a claim on any actual goods or services in this world, there is no reason for its issuers to exercise any particular restraint, and in Singapore it is possible to find notes issued by the First Bank of Hell, with the mythical Jade Emperor’s picture on the front, in denominations ranging into the millions and billions of dollars. Perhaps we’re counting on this charming tradition to make Asian investors comfortable with the prospect of continuing to add to their holdings of European and American
Let Go of Dirty Asia
August 19, 2010 by Melinda Skea
Outside of the dusty smog roundabouts are some of the most pristine forests, breathtaking vistas, blue waters and exotic colors--and a few animals--you'll ever find.
Let go of the Europe, and step into a grittier, cheaper, heavenly place. I’ve had a lot of discussions with Americans about traveling over the years, and I always chuckle at how well we, as a society, have been indoctrinated. I’m not sure where the love of Italy and London come from or at what exact age the propaganda starts… but Americans are OBSESSED with them.
Now, I will admit that yes, the first place I wanted to go on my own dime was Italy (and I did.) I ate up all the propaganda…and a lot of gelato along the way. But since then I’ve branched out, and boy oh boy am I glad I did.
Where else could I get an hour massage for $6 (and at roughly 9,000 rupiah to a USD, how can you not get at least one a day)? Or–sorry copyright lovers– a [fake] Louis Vutton carry-on bag for $15? Or buy a black pearl necklace/earrings/bracelet set for $30? Or hire a guy to drive…
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White People for Rent in China
August 19, 2010 by CultureWizard
In China, according to the CNN video above, companies hire Caucasians to pose as employees or even business partners, which effectively bolsters the “face” or reputation of the company. In the video, one man posed as an Italian jeweler for a Chinese jewelry company producing pieces inspired by Italian design, which in the eyes of the Chinese customers made their products more authentic. However, the man was in actuality an American actor. In another case, a young Caucasian male was hired to sit in an office that faced the street to visibly show passersby the company had people from the West working there.
The employment of Westerners in this way is less surprising considering the importance of face in Chinese culture. How does this strike you as an approach to the marketplace in China?
Is this way of marketing and doing business unlike advertising of the 21st century where illusion and exaggeration play a key role?
Posted by Sean
Huge Expansion Of Solar Production Capacity Continues
August 18, 2010 by Mark Boslet
The manufacturing capacity of crystalline silicon solar panels is set to grow by about 80 percent this year as producers, especially in China, hastily build out factories.
The added capacity should amount to between 11 gigawatts and 13 gigawatts – or roughly the equivalent of this year’s entire market demand, equipment supplier Applied Materials said Wednesday. The company expects sales this year to be above 12 gigawatts.
It’s “a heck of a lot of capacity,” CEO Michael Splinter said on a conference call. “There is a huge expansion in China.”
The onrush of new capacity is likely to lead to further price declines in coming quarters. It also could pressure profit margins at producers.
Applied offered its observation on a third-quarter conference call, where it said it saw solar demand increasing next year in addition to supply. Growth in Germany, the world’s largest market, could moderate from this year. But sales elsewhere in Europe, in China and in parts of the United States should increase.
The company has a particular good vantage point from which to observe production increases since it sells manufacturing equipment to the industry. On the conference call, it said:
*Spending on equipment to make crystalline silicon…
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