Sep 24, 2013

China To Free the Internet?

Tuesday, September 24, 2013
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I find this hard to believe, but according to the South China Morning Post, China is going to unblock the Internet (at least to a very limited extent). For those of you in the free Internet world, this might be hard to believe, but here in China many websites are blocked including some of the world's most popular websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Many foreign blog and news sites are also blocked such as the New York Times. Since this blog is hosted by Blogger, it is also inaccessible to the vast majority of people in China. Those of us residing in China that want to keep our online connection to the rest of the world must rely on VPNs.

On September 29, the city of Shanghai will become a free trade zone. As with many things in China, it's unclear exactly what this will mean, but arguably some of the changes will likely give foreign businesses a more equal playing field to compete with Chinese companies. Despite many reforms over the past 30 years, China is still very restrictive in terms of foreign ownership of business in certain industries. One such industry is media which is largely owned and or controlled by the Chinese government. 

 Whenever I've had conversations with Chinese people (mostly college students) about Internet censorship and why sites like Facebook are blocked, the inevitable response is "because they say bad things about China." Criticism of China is generally not allowed, especially on a worldwide public forum such as the Internet. However, I've always suspected that another reason for China's Internet censorship is to protect Chinese websites from having to compete with American and other foreign websites. The lack of access to YouTube has certainly helped Chinese video sites such as Youku become highly popular among Chinese netizens. Similarly, Weibo (China's dominant blogging site) has greatly benefited from the lack of foreign blog sites such as Blogger. 

 I'm just guessing, but this may have something to do with China's new "opening up" policy for the Internet in Shanghai's new free trade zone. Part of the free trade zone status involves allowing foreign telecommunications companies the opportunity to provide Internet access. Foreign telecoms might be less willing than Chinese Internet service providers to provide access in a market where they are required to restrict a large portion of the access provided, especially when the restriction includes the most popular foreign websites.

 By allowing greater Internet access in a very limited (although heavily populated) part of China, the government can monitor Chinese neitzens' reactions to less a less censored flow of information. While the impact of allowing greater Internet access just in Shanghai will be very limited, it could be an interesting experiment which, if successful in the eyes of the Chinese government, might eventually be replicated at least in part by reforms throughout China.


  • Author: David Moser

Aug 8, 2013

Chinese Missile Sites or Mud Houses

Thursday, August 08, 2013
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In 1986, American spy satellites under President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative hovering above the mountains of southeast China's Fujian Province spotted large, circular-shaped buildings suspected to be nuclear missile silos. The CIA sent spies to investigate these mysterious buildings only to find out that they were actually ancient buildings made largely of mud.

A view of a Tulou cluster from the top of a nearby mountain
The buildings are called Tulou (土楼) which literally means earth buildings (土earth + 楼 building). Tulous are large, circular-shaped (or sometimes rectangular) buildings built largely of compacted earth (or mud). Actually, the compacted earth was mixed with stone and other materials (sometimes even including sticky rice) and reinforced with bamboo poles to form walls up to 6 feet thick. A tulou is usually 3-5 stories high and many can house around 80 families. Tulous were truly a form of communal living, with many families within a clan banding together for defense as well as economic and social purposes.
A view from inside a Tulou
In more recent history, traditional Tulou communal living has faced serious challenges as younger family members generally prefer to move to nearby cities in pursuit of higher-paying employment and more modern lifestyles. Some of the tulou communities have adapted by becoming tourist destinations and converting part of their residences into hotel rooms. I recently traveled to Nanjing County, about a 3-4 hour drive from Xiamen, to go on a Tulou tour, staying overnight in one of these Tulou turned hotels.
Me on a bridge in front of a 700 year old Tulou
Many of the tulous were built by Hakka Chinese (客家 kejia; literally meaning guest families). Hakkas are part of the Han Chinese majority ethnic group, but migrated from north to south China over the centuries. They often encountered resistance from local inhabitants of the areas they migrated to, including Minnan people who also sometimes lived in tulous.
This is the King Tulou since its the biggest (and the most touristy and commercialized)
I have lots more photos posted here and if you'd like to find out more about the famous Fujian tulous, CCTV produced a series of videos about them called Secrets of the Fujian Tulou which can be viewed online. 


  • Author: David Moser

Jul 26, 2013

China's Smartphone Generation

Friday, July 26, 2013
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A few weeks ago, the China Internet Network Information Center (a Chinese government affiliated agency) released information saying that there are now 591 million Internet users in China. That's almost twice the entire United States population, but represents slightly less than half of China's population. Some other interesting tidbits of information from a Bloomberg Business Week article discussing some of the effects of this massive online migration are:

 464 million of the 591 million Chinese netizens don't generally use computers to access the Internet. Instead, they use smartphones. One of the positive aspects of this is that many Chinese on the lower middle class end of the economic scale now have Internet access through their cellphones.

According to a UK research company's poll of 100,000 Chinese Internet users, the most popular online activities are social-oriented (chatting and online dating). This may not be much different than Westerners. However, Chinese netizens don't generally access the same social media websites as Westerners (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Instead, they visit Chinese social media sites that are largely unknown outside China such as Weixin (WeChat in English) and QQ (QQ International is an English-language version).

 Of course, the vast majority of Chinese Internet users only have access to a limited portion of the whole Internet since the Chinese government blocks many popular foreign websites (Facebook, Twitter, most foreign blogs, etc.). In addition to the goal of censorship, this also gives a huge benefit to Chinese online businesses over foreign ones. But I guess if Chinese people are mostly interested in chatting (in Chinese with other Chinese people) and online dating (with other Chinese people), they probably don't care much about (or aren't even aware of) what they're missing. Instead, like most people anywhere, Chinese people are primarily concerned with how they can use Internet technology in practical ways that affect their individual lives.    


  • Author: David Moser

Jul 18, 2013

Time for a Change of Face

Thursday, July 18, 2013
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One thing I've learned about China is that everything is about face - giving face (给面子 gei mianzi), losing face (失面子 shi mianzi) and saving face (mianzi). However, I never heard of changing face until a recent visit to Chengdu where I attended a face-changing performance.

Face-changing (变脸 bianlian) is a type of Sichuan opera where performers quickly change masks, appearing as if their faces change. After a long day climbing mountains and visiting ancient temple sites, I kinda felt like staying in at my hotel instead of going to what was described as a Chengdu opera performance. While my musical tastes are pretty diverse and I do like some Chinese music, I haven't quite become a fan of Chinese opera. However, I was glad I overcame my laziness and went to this performance since it was much more than just opera and was very entertaining. In addition to face changing and opera, it also included traditional dance, gymnastics, and shadow puppets.

Here's a YouTube video that explains and shows face-changing


  • Author: David Moser

Jul 14, 2013

Macao Relocating to China

Sunday, July 14, 2013
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OK, its not actually Macao that's moving to Mainland China (Macao is already part of China - although governed mostly independently as a special administrative region). Instead, the University of Macao is relocating to nearby Zhuhai on the mainland.  

A New York Times article talks about the novel move, especially notable for the fact that the university, although located on the mainland, will essentially operate separate from the People's Republic of China (PRC) government's control. This is no small matter since Macao is governed much differently from the PRC in some respects. For example, while China is known for strict Internet censorship (blocking many foreign websites), Macao allows pretty unrestricted Internet access. So, while University of Macao students and staff would be able to read the N.Y. Times article about their relocation, most mainland residents would not (since the NY Times is one of the many blocked websites).

 It's not difficult to understand the motivation for the move - the mainland campus will be much bigger and allow the university to expand. In this respect, its very similar to the trend among mainland Chinese universities located in densely populated cities to build new campuses outside their city center where there's much more space available for much cheaper prices.

 What makes the University of Macao's situation so different is that it will essentially operate as its own legal jurisdiction within the Chinese mainland. The article quotes unnamed experts who say there is "no recent precedence for a chunk of Chinese land being passed to another legal jurisdiction in this manner . . ." Actually, that depends on what you consider recent. In the not-too-distant past, China was forced to grant extraterritoriality to several foreign nations in the mid 1800s after its defeat in the First Opium War. Of course, the circumstances and motivations behind this experiment with "higher-education extraterritoriality" are much different.
Foreigners carving up pieces of China
Extraterritoriality after the Opium War's Treaty of Nanjing caused significant hostility since foreign residents in China were not subject to Chinese law and as a result were able to get away with things that they otherwise wouldn't have or would have been punished much more severely for. Similarly, this odd type of inequity might apply to situations that arise at the University of Macao. According to University of Macao law professor Jorge A.F. Godinho, if someone commits a crime on campus, they would be subject to Macao rather than PRC criminal law. This might seem hard to believe, especially for Westerners that tend to view the Chinese government as autocratic and totalitarian. However, in some situations, the PRC government tends to be more flexible than most of its critics realize or are willing to acknowledge.

 Maybe, this its a tiny first step toward some degree of opening up of Chinese higher education. It would be foolish to believe that China will embrace the Western notion of academic freedom or decide to allow unrestricted Internet access to all of Chinese society, but I think there is some realistic hope for additional educational reform that may result in greater access to information over time for Chinese society at large. Just as the extraterritoriality imposed by England resulted in reforms and affected Chinese society in various ways during the late 19th century, the University of Macao's experiment in educational extraterritoriality may result in changes that gradually spread throughout and affect China during this century.


  • Author: David Moser

Jul 11, 2013

Beijing State of Mind

Thursday, July 11, 2013
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Yo yo everyone, I just came across this very clever and well-produced video which has become somewhat of a YouTube sensation (at least among expats in China). 


The video is a play on the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song and video, Empire State of Mind. While many people not familiar with China and Beijing will not be likely to appreciate the Chinese terms and cultural references thrown in among the mostly English-language rap lyrics, those of us in China tend to find it very amusing and an accurate portrayal of modern big city China. One of my favorite lyrics is this line form the chorus in which just two words are changed:

"In Beijing, commie jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can do."

Another of my favorite parts of the video shows the most popular summer male fashion trend in China - the rolled up shirt, showcasing the midriffs of Chinese men of all shapes and ages (who said Chinese weren't exhibitionists). 

You can see guys doing this all over China
From what I've gathered online, it seems the video was made by photographer/videographer Mark Griffith and stars Andrew Dougherty (playing the Jay-Z rapper role) and Princess Fortier (in the Alicia Keys singing role).  The video features scenes of popular Beijing sites including The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, Bird's Nest Stadium, the Great Wall and even Zhongnanhai (home of the Chinese Communist government).

While most of the parody seems to be in good-natured fun, there is some serious criticism of current social problems in China such as the plight of migrant workers who come to Beijing and other cities from the Chinese countryside in search of higher paying jobs while leaving their children behind to be cared for by grandparents. 

For more about the making of this video, see Mark Griffith's blog.

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  • Author: David Moser

Jul 7, 2013

A Billion Stories

Sunday, July 07, 2013
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I just read New Yorker writer, Evan Osnos' blog entry, A Billion Stories. I immediately identified with his portrayal of Chinese migrant workers who sweep roads, collect trash and do other jobs that most people would dread having to do each day, especially for very meager pay.

I see people like this every morning when I ride my bicycle from my apartment to the university I teach at. Most of them are road sweepers, wearing straw hats (just as described by Mr. Osnos) and sweeping the dusty debris from the massive construction projects along the road where, just a few years ago, there was nothing but small farming villages.

 I often feel a mixture of pity and admiration for these people, especially during the sweltering heat and humidity of summertime in Xiamen. Despite their harsh working conditions, they seem to have good attitudes and are usually very friendly, smiling at the foreigner biking by them. Sometimes I see them at lunch time, sitting on the ground at the side of the road eating and chatting. 

 I doubt that many of them are aspiring poets like Qi Xiangfu described in Mr. Osnos' article. However, I can't help wondering where they come from and what they chose to leave to move hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away from their homes to take jobs sweeping dusty roads each day that will be just as dusty the next day.


  • Author: David Moser

Jul 5, 2013

Yingxiu Earthquake Tourist Town

Friday, July 05, 2013
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Yingqiu Town (映秀), a small town in Sichuan Province has become somewhat famous due to the May 12, 2008 Sichuan Earthquake which killed about 80,000 people.  Yingxiu had the unenviable distinction of being at the epicenter of the earthquake which destroyed most buildings and killed almost one-third of the town's population.

 The Chinese government invested heavily in rebuilding the town as well as the rest of the surrounding area devastated by the earthquake. As a result, Yingxiu has become a tourist attraction, drawing mostly Chinese tourists as well as a few foreigners such as the group I went there with from Belmont University.

 The most moving sight in Yingxiu town is not any of the new many houses, buildings, or commemorative museum, but the ruins of a middle school where 43 students died. 

A before and after (earthquake) photo of the school
The natural disaster was made worse by allegations of corruption, basically that government officials pocketed part of the money that should have been spent to build stronger buildings able to better withstand a serious earthquake. 
Hollow bricks may have increased the impact's damage
Here's some photos from a nearby mountain overlooking the new rebuilt town.

 Here;s a slideshow with more photos from my visit to Yingxiu town and you can click here to view these pictures at larger size.




  • Author: David Moser

Jul 2, 2013

Chengdu Pandas

Tuesday, July 02, 2013
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Recently spent a few days in the city of Chengdu and had a trip to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The pandas here have a pretty charmed life - basically it seems to be a 24-hour a day all-you-can-eat bamboo buffet. 

Taking a short eating break to ponder the meaning of life
According to our excellent tour guide, whose English name is Jack, since these pandas get so big, they have to eat a lot and conserve their energy. In the wild, they live a mostly solitary life since each grown up panda eats so much, it needs its own territory. Giant pandas only stop their virtually constant eating to take a 2-week vacation each year to go search for a mate and (according to Jack) some of them don't even really like to give up valuable eating time even for that.

 Although these guys are into kung fu (功夫, pronounced gongfu in Chinese) like their Hollywood namesake Kungfu Panda, I did find one youngster who, like many young Chinese, are crazy about the sport of basketball.
Basketball Panda (maybe a good premise for a future Dreamworks animated film)
In addition to the giant pandas, the Chengdu Panda Base also has some of the smaller and lesser known red pandas. 

 For more panda pics, feel free to take a look at the slideshow or click on this link for larger sized photos.


  • Author: David Moser

Jun 24, 2013

China's Cheating Culture

Monday, June 24, 2013
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Cheating has become an endemic part of the Chinese education system as illustrated by an article from the Telegraph entitled "Riot after Chinese teachers try to stop pupils cheating." The cheating culture can probably be best summarized by a quote from a group protesting against school administrators trying to prevent students from cheating on the college entrance exam:

"We want fairness. There is no fairness if you do not let us cheat."

 In my first semester teaching at a Chinese university, I noticed how prevalent cheating was during a written final exam where students were blatantly copying each other's answers. Even after repeated warnings to stop, they continued with no apparent concern for any consequences. I've tried dealing with this in several ways, possibly to a modest degree of success. For example, I print two different copies of a multiple choice exams, with the same questions, but in different order so that if a student blindly copies from someone sitting next to him or her, it won't be very helpful. 

 There is certainly cheating on exams in other countries, including the United States. However, when it becomes so accepted that students (and their parents) protest for their right to cheat (and riot when not given this right), I think you have to wonder about the underlying cultural values that make this possible.

May 16, 2013

Chinese Playboy (Pfulyboy) Shirts

Thursday, May 16, 2013
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Chinese consumers are obsessive about brands and the popularity of Western luxury and lifestyle brands is high (although slightly decreasing lately). A week ago, I passed by a small clothing store in Xiamen with a big sale sign in front and decided to take a look. At first glance I didn't pay much attention to the brand since I'm a pretty brand unconscious shopper, but it didn't take long for me to see that I was about to buy some pfamous (typo intended) brand shirts. 

Yes, that's right, not Playboy but Pfulyboy
There are actually lots of stores in China called Playboy, but instead of selling anything to do with nude women, they sell clothes. In fact, I'd guess that the majority of Chinese people (other than some boys/men who spend too much time online) have no idea of what the Playboy brand means to the rest of the world. Instead, the brand is so popular because of the bunny logo - cute sells here in China and throughout most of Asia (to adults as well as children) as the Hello Kitty phenomenon firmly established years ago.
Playboy logo
Pfulyboy logo on the shopping bag
I imagine Playboy licenses the use of its very famous trademarked name and bunny logo to various clothing companies and retail outlets. I also imagine that Pfulyboy is a Chinese attempt to avoid licensing and related legal concerns. In China, just about any famous brand is copied or mimicked and Hugh Hefner's venerable bunny brand is no exception. Since trademark laws are much more flexible here in China than the U.S. (and rarely enforced), Pfulyboy might be a perfectly legal brand. For me, the purchase decision turned on finding what seem to be some decent quality shirts at a pretty low price. So sorry Hef, I'm afraid I'm not much of a Playboy, but possibly more a Pfulyboy.

Apr 30, 2013

Shakespeare in Xiamen

Tuesday, April 30, 2013
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About a week ago I attended a drama competition at Xiamen Institute of Technology (厦门理工学院). There were 13 short scenes performed, all of one of which were in Chinese. The one English scene was from Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Hamlet.
In the scene, Hamlet is losing it a bit
I had been recruited by the students performing the Hamlet scene and met with them once to help them rehearse their lines. Although speaking in Shakespearean English of the late 16th century was a serious challenge for the Chinese students, they made a good effort not only in trying to pronounce the dialog, but also acting out the scene with dramatic flair the Bard himself would be proud of. Apparently the judges also appreciated the effort since the Hamlet group made it into the finals of the competition to be held sometime in May (getting exact dates for anything more than a few days in advance is virtually impossible in China).

 I actually also enjoyed the Chinese performances. While I couldn't understand most of the dialog, I was able to get a general idea of what was going on just from watching the action (helped a bit by a Chinese student who whispered brief explanations to me).
This girl with a painted on beard was quite amusing
Here she slapped this guy, who not able to remain in character, broke out laughing
A traditional Chinese dance
An Emperor and a few of his concubines
3 girls portraying Chinese soldiers
Evening ending musical finale

Apr 23, 2013

Marriage in China - For Love or Money?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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In China, marriage is all about love, but love of what? It seems that for many Chinese women (and their families), love of money may be more important than love of the man they marry.  An NPR article, For Chinese Women, Marriage Depends on the Right 'Bride Price,' discusses how young Chinese men are growing up in a society where they must buy a bride and there's been serious bride inflation over the past decade.

Traditional marriage in China
I see some of the effects of this among the college students I teach in China. When I ask them what their goals are, by far the most common response among the boys is to find a "beautiful girlfriend" (the word beautiful virtually always precedes girlfriend). Most of them do not have (and have never had) a girlfriend and they're worried about being able to find a girlfriend (i.e., future wife) - and maybe even more worried about being able to afford one.

 It's not the same for the young women who may realize that statistics are seriously in their favor - 117 baby boys born for every 100 girls, leading to a 24 million bride deficit by 2020 according to the article. Some of these young women are obviously aware of their market value and are holding out for the best deal they can negotiate. I'm sure it's not just the young women, but also their parents and other family members, putting pressure on them to get the highest possible price in return for their marriage commitment.
Modern marriage in China?
A few months ago, I heard that a former student of mine (a 21 or 22 year old woman) got married. I was a bit surprised since the last time I had spoken to her, she didn't even have a boyfriend and (as far as I could tell) didn't seem to be in a rush to find one. Apparently, her parents had introduced (matched her) to a young man and, after a week or two of courting, they got married. It may have been love at first sight, but it might also have more to do with the fact that the man she married is apparently a fairly wealthy businessman who can buy her a house, car, etc.

 In a society that long subjugated woman, forcing them to bind (and deform) their feet and treating them as property (of their father until marriage and husband thereafter), it may be a form of ironic revenge that Chinese women are now taking advantage of their economic appreciation. In response to the unfavorable balance of trade for Chinese men, women are being increasingly imported as brides from other countries such as Vietnam. 
Importing bide from Vietnam
I was recently asked by a group of Chinese college students if I believe in love at first sight. My response was to ask "first sight of what - man or money?" They laughed, seemingly  understanding exactly what I meant. 

Apr 22, 2013

China's Most Popular Film Director's Speech Censored

Monday, April 22, 2013
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Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚) is probably the most commercially successful Chinese film director of the past decade. He's known in China for films such as romantic comedy If You are the One (非常勿扰) featuring actress Shu Qi (舒淇) as well as more serious historic dramas such as Aftershock (about the 1976 Tangshan earthquake) and Back to 1942 (about a major famine during war with Japan). 

 Recently, Feng was honored as Director of the Year by the Chinese Film Director's Guild. During his acceptance speech, Feng took the opportunity to speak out against film censorship by China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). Ironically, the Chinese word for censorship was censored out of the TV broadcast.  

Feng's censored speech (censored part at a bit over 3 minutes)

Feng has criticized the Chinese government's censorship previously and although he may believe he can get away with doing so since he's immensely famous and popular in China, it still takes some courage. Some of China's most famous and successful directors have had their films banned and been prevented from working in the past, including Zhang Yimou. 

 A translation of Feng's speech includes the following: "A lot of times when you receive the order [from the censors], its so ridiculous that you don't know whether to laugh or cry, especially when you know something is good and you're forced to change it into something bad. Are Hollywood directors tormented the same way?" 

 A few other Chinese directors have also criticized China's film censorship system, often objecting that its virtually impossible to know what will be censored any why. While there are certain topics that directors should know are clearly forbidden such Tibetan or Taiwanese independence or any direct criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, there are apparently no clear rules that SARFT follows in making individual censorship decisions and SARFT generally does not give any reason for its decisions. The Chinese government has recently decided to merge SARFT with the General Administration for Press and Publications although its unknown whether this will have any affect on censorship policies. 

 While Chinese films can be difficult for Westerners to appreciate (even with English subtitles) due largely to cultural differences, I've enjoyed all of Feng Xiaogang's films that I've seen. My favorite is one of his lesser-known ones, Big Shot's Funeral (大碗), which stars American actor Donald Sutherland as well as Chinese actor Ge You (who's in almost all of Feng's films). I found it hilarious for its satiric portrayal of modern Chinese society and Hollywood. 

Apr 16, 2013

My Chinese iPad (or cPad)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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I recently purchased a new technology toy. However, I'm not sure exactly what to call it. When I've shown it to Chinese friends and students, they almost invariably say "Oh, you have iPad." I then try to explain that its not an iPad - instead, its what I call a "Chinese pad" or "cPad."

My cPad made by Chinese company, Ainol
The i-Pad, as most people know, is a tablet computer made by Apple Inc. My new tablet computer is very similar to Apple's iPad Mini, a smaller (8 inch) version of the 9.7 inch iPad or the Google Nexus 7. My tablet, whose real product name is Ainol Novo Flame (or Fire), is made by a Chinese company called Shenzhen Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. The company doesn't seem to have an English-language website, but does have a Facebook page.

The home screen of my Flame
So far, I'm very pleased with my purchase. While I would expect that Apple's iPad provides a bit better performance in terms of processing power, the Ainol Flame works fine for my needs. One of the main uses for me is as an e-book reader (an absolute necessity since I'm an avid reader and its impossible to find most English books in Chinese bookstores). I had been using a several year old Kindle, but can only use that for reading and downloading books from Amazon. In addition to functioning as an e-book reader, the Flame also allows me to access the Internet, download applications (chat software, Facebook, games, Chinese dictionaries, etc.), and even has 2 reasonably decent built in cameras (front-facing and rear-facing). It can also be used to store and listen to music and watch videos (although I'm so far resisting using it for videos in hopes of maintaining the eyesight I have left).
Pleco English-Chinese dictionary, a very handy app here
The Ainol Flame uses the Android operating system and even has some advantages over its Apple iPad and Google Nexus 7 competitors. The Flame has expandable memory, HDMI output,and unlike Apple devices is unlocked (you can use any third-party Android software on it). All in all, its a great, small and versatile portable device.
BBC New App
Although I'm very happy with my Flame so far, a Chinese 12-year old boy I tutor in English isn't as impressed. He uses an iPad which he says is much better. Of course, his main use is playing games which the iPad is likely a bit better for. The Flame seems to work fine for the few games I've tried on it, but I don't play games very often so that's not a very important consideration for me. Instead, the main reason I bought a Flame instead of an iPad mini is price. I paid just under 800 yuan (about U.S. $130), about $300 cheaper than an iPad Mini costs here and at almost $100 cheaper than a Google Nexus 7.

 I find it ironic (although not surprising) that many Chinese consumers opt to pay the much higher price for an iPad, mostly due to Apple brand recognition and the status it gives them by being able to flaunt their expensive gadget. I, on the other had, being a much more bargain than status-conscious American, will gladly stick with my comparable, but much cheaper Chinese pad.

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  • Author: David Moser

Apr 13, 2013

Jane Zhang's Impressions of West Lake

Saturday, April 13, 2013
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I have to admit that I, like most Westerners in China, find most modern Chinese popular music to be very simplistic and monotonous to listen to. China's musical development was dealt a devastating blow during the Mao era when the only music allowed was so-called "Red Songs," patriotic Communist songs used as a form of propaganda.

 While much has opened up in China over the past few decades, music is still subject to a significant amount of censorship. As a result, much of China's commercially popular music tends to sound like Asian-inspired, mind-numbing muzak to Western ears. This is not to say that there aren't any talented Chinese singers and I do occasionally find some that are a bit different. One example is Jane Zhang (张靓颖; Zhang Liangying), who became one of China's most popular singers after competing in the Super Girl televised singing competition in 2005 (similar to American Idol).

In the video above, Zhang performs a song with Japanese composer/musician Kitaro, who wrote the music for an opera about the city of Hangzhou's famous West Lake. The opera was directed by China's most famous film director, Zhang Yimou (no relation to Jane, who shares the same, very common Chinese surname), and provides a historical and cultural summary with music, dance and technology. The show takes place on a a stage stored below the lake's surface during daytime which is raised at night for actors to perform on. 

 While Jane Zhang's performance of Impressions of West Lake is evidence of her vocal ability (including a very wide vocal range), she unfortunately often falls victim to what's become a Chinese tradition of singing syrupy pop ballads and bland hip-hop-inspired dance tunes. Possibly, this is what a majority of the Chinese audience wants, but I suspect that this is largely due to the relatively restrictive musical environment that's denied them much of the variety found in Western popular music. If Ms. Zhang and other talented singers could find more interesting songs to record, Chinese musical development might start mimicking the nation's rapid economic development.
Here's a music video of the same song which contains some video from the outdoor opera mentioned above.

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