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| Caught this bird in flight heading toward the Mid-Hudson bridge from the old Poughkeepsie Bridge which used to be a railroad bridge, but has been converted into a walking bridge, The Walkway Over the Hudson. It was a bit too cold to go walking on when I was there in mid-January though. |
An article written by Yu Xiaodong in the January 12 edition of News China magazine, A Hundred Flowers More, notes that cultural development in China, although touted by the government on one hand, is severely limited by the other hand. The article notes that Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) has "stressed the importance of promoting cultural development," but that the government's political control has the effect of limiting cultural development. This inconsistency has been criticized by Chinese academics as well as some famous Chinese creators such as writer/blogger Han Han ( 韩寒) and film director Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚).
A Chinese friend recently showed me a movie online that she thought might interest me. I don't know the name of the film and that really isn't important. One thing that did cross my mind though when watching it was that, unlike most movies viewed online in China, it was probably legal to watch this one because it wasn't a traditional feature film. Instead, its what's known as a micro-movie - a short, low-budget, film shot on digital video and usually intended primarily for online viewing.
After watching President Obama's State of the Union speech last night, I couldn't help asking myself the question, made famous by the great American philosopher Rodney King: "Can't we all just get along?" I think it really shows the extent of political gridlock in America when the opposing party get more digs in a State of the Union address than the scapegoat foreign enemy (China) - which is somehow stealing American jobs, even though its largely American companies taking advantage of the cheaper labor market in China. Wouldn't it be nice to have an America where people of different race, religion, ethnicity, and even political party could all just get along. Anyway, here's a funny animated video which gives me hope for a better world.
By the way, the question posed above is purely rhetorical. I know the answer is no, but I can't help continuing to dream of a more united America where, instead of partisan party bashing, the government might actually be able to get something useful accomplished.
The Chinese invented fireworks in the 7th century, purportedly in the ancient city of Luòyáng (洛阳) during the Han Dynasty (汉朝; Hàn Cháo) by cramming saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal into bamboo tubes. Fireworks were used to pray for happiness and prosperity as well as to scare away evil spirits. Two thousand odd years later, the novelty hasn't by any means worn off. Fireworks are a very common part of Chinese life, often used at weddings and other celebrations. In fact, I hear them almost weekly from my apartment in Xiamen (I think originating at a nearby restaurant which hosts wedding parties).
Nothing, however, compares to the proliferation of pyrotechnics during the Chinese New Year. In addition to fireworks displays, it seems almost every Chinese person feels compelled to shoot off firecrackers which end up littering and sometimes literally covering the streets. I actually think there must be a Chinese law that requires each member of China's 1.3 + billion population to at least shoot off a few, cheap firecrackers. According to the Guardian, New Year celebration fireworks have caused a dangerous rise in Beijing pollution (which is bad enough under normal circumstances).
While the constant month-long ruckus of firecrackers going off all around you can be annoying, some of the fireworks displays can be spectacular. For those of us that aren't in China, here's a video of a fireworks display in Hong Kong's scenic Victoria Harbor.
The Chinese New Year has just begun and I have to admit that I'm kind of glad not to be there to witness it. Its not that I have anything against the Chinese New Year. Actually, I really enjoy some of the New Year celebration customs such as watching lion dance performances and I love eating jiaozi (dumplings).
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| Chinese Lion Dance |
I've recently been back in the USA to deal with some family matters and have been staying in my Dad's house in Poughkeepsie, New York. Yesterday, I happened to notice some deer enjoying the grass in the backyard and took some photos.
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| Christian Bale stars in Chinese blockbuster The Flowers of War |
Finally got around to sorting through all the photos I took on a trip to Wuyi Mountains (武夷山; Wǔyí Shān) several weeks ago. I was invited to be part of the 2011 Provincial Tour for Overseas Experts in China's Fujian Province which meant a very nice all-expense paid trip. It was a very organized and included education on local culture (e.g., Wuyi's famous tea, etc.) as well as hiking and rafting excursions on the scenic Wuyi Mountain.
One morning, our activities started with a demonstration of the traditional Chinese tea ceremony along with several singing and dance performances by students from Wuyi University, all of which were extremely well done. The performances ranged from traditional Chinese music and dance to modern hip-hop.
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| Tea demonstration accompanied by traditional Chinese music |
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| Traditional Chinese instrumental music performance |
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| Traditional Chinese fan dance |
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| A little more modern hip-hop dance |
There's a very interesting article in December 10, 2011 edition of The Economist about the effects of China's joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) ten years ago. While there are many critics that want to blame much of the United States' economic woes on China, the economic reforms which began 10 years ago have resulted in substantial changes in China's economy, many of which are beneficial to countries doing business with China.
To join the WTO, China has had to eliminate or limit thousands of tariffs and quotas restricting importation of foreign goods. Largely as a result, many foreign companies have developed profitable business relationships in China. Another WTO benefit for foreign businesses is that China publishes draft laws and allows 30 days for comment. Even if China doesn't respond to the comments, at least this gives foreign firms the opportunity to know what the rules are (although it is still often difficult to know when and to what extent rules will be enforced).
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