(This Chinese New Year greeting came via raffiaflower, and I took the liberty in sharing it. DeWang)
Various ways of writing '爱' - photo by raffiaflower at Huang Shan (黄山)
Hi, there!
Every language has a word for love. But Chinese is probably the only language that has so many possible written variations of the emotion. This has been the way, even since before Qinshihuangdi unified China and imposed standardized measures, including the universal script. Yet the writing variations of the old kingdoms are still known today. In a park on the way to Huangshan (one of the five sacred mountains) I came across this stone tablet, with at least 50 versions of the word `love’ 爱! (picture attached) Sure beats Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s: How do I love thee!
What better way to offer Chinese New Year greetings but with plenty of love, in all its written expressions. Read more…
Today also happened to be the day before new year (除夕)in the lunar calendar. I would like to wish everybody a happy, healthy and prosperous dragon year. Instead of the usual heavy subject matter, I would like to talk about something more light hearted. I am in a holiday mood today so I will address some concern about the lack of creativity in TV broadcasting in China. Instead of using academic discussion I will simply provide a link to a hot TV series that has taken my sister by storm. She is the one that actually sent it to me. In fact she considered this love/history drama so good that it triumphed all works from Taiwan and HK (of course that’s her personal view).
The TV series is “步步惊心” or “步步驚心”loosely translated as “Startling by Each Step”, I know the translation is always so corny. It is about a modern girl who went back through time to the later reign of Qing Kangxi period. If you are familiar with this period, you will know the palace intrigue that took place. Although it is considered science fiction, the costume and cultural aspect is very accurate. The author of the original work is 桐华. She did an awesome work by inter-weaning love and politics into the story.
Dan Harris over at China Law Blog made a bold post today relaying complaints students at the University of Washington have for their fellow international students from Mainland China. He qualified that the complaints were directed at students from China and not of students with Chinese ethnicity. He also qualified the students whom he got the complaints were “sophisticated, intelligent, and well-traveled.”
In this post, I’d like to address those complaints. Before I get into it though, I’d like to make several observations. Read more…
I was invited to Jun Lu Performing Arts as a guest photographer for their year-end performance at Santa Clara University’s Mayer Theatre this past Sunday. It was titled, “龙的传人.” Jun Lu is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Her dancers brought cheers and thunderous applause from the audience. The theatre house manager at the end of the show commented this was the best dance show he has seen performed at Mayer. I’ll just say – I was dazzled. I kept wanting to put down my camera so I could take it all in! Read more…
Following is a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” in Chinese. It’s a delightful performance. The Chinese performance struck me for having taken the music (in my opinion the great part) and replacing the lyrics (in my opinion the not so great part) with something that is much more palatable. While China has many problems to overcome, she is also benefiting from experiences in societies abroad. The benefit of coming from behind is you have the luxury to pick and choose. Not to mention, who would imagine there’s a connection between Lady Gaga and grandma’s and grandpa’s in China!
(Here is another performance by 钟辰乐 (Zhong Chen Yue) singing “Memory” accompanied by an orchestra. I think I still prefer his China’s Got Talent version from a while ago.)
When you think of the word, culture, what comes to mind? For some, it means identity. Others who accept Henry Kissinger’s argument, that China finds exceptionalism in culture while America pursues ‘freedom’ and ‘human rights’ with missionary zeal, culture defines values. When I think of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, (with due respect of course) I think of pockets of Chinese culture bifurcated during heights of Chinese civilization. Chinatowns throughout the world are time-capsules of Chinese culture too. A good friend of mine who was born in Vietnam once told me he was more ‘Chinese’ than me!
Today, I was thoroughly impressed by Chinese folk dance performances done by very young students of the accomplished Jun Lu Performing Arts Academy. Jun Lu is very much keeping this aspect of Chinese culture alive in the San Francisco Bay Area Chinese American community. I applaud her. I applaud the parents and students who dedicate time to these wonderful arts. Below are some pictures I took. Read more…
My strategy for fighting jet lag returning from Asia is to have a large breakfast followed by a large lunch on the departure date. Minimal fluid around lunch and depart in the afternoon. Sleep little the night before. And then sleep all the way in a window seat on the plane. On numerous occasions, I managed to be out before take off and waking up as the plane approaches San Francisco. Picture to the left was my breakfast (a promise I’d show Allen during a chat) from yesterday while in Japan.
Seriously though, I had a number of interesting encounters during this trip to Japan. Read more…
Does all Chinese dialect group have the same representation in politics historically? The question first appeared to me when I read Li Guangyao’s 李光耀(Lee Kuan Yew) autobiography, The Singapore Story and From Third World to First: The Singapore Story. He mentioned that Hakka is disproportionately represented in politics in Singapore and other Chinese communities. At the writing of the book, the political leader of mainland China is Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平, who is a Hakka, so is Li Denghui 李登辉 from Taiwan, Martin Lee 李柱銘 from Hong Kong and of course Lee Kuan Yew himself is a Hakka.
A story published a few days ago in the LA Times talked about an Israeli organization, Shavei Israel, which helped a few Keifeng Jews to make Aliyah (immigrate to Israel). It quoted a few Kaifeng Jews having made the trip as saying how Israel is superior to China. Consider the title of the article: Read more…
This might be old news to some (as the original painting was done during the Song Dynasty) but a digital version was created for the China pavilion during the Shanghai Expo 2010. After the expo it was displayed from November 9 to November 29, 2010 and is currently in Taipei from July 1 to October 4, 2011.
This has always been one of my favourite painting so I think I will share it here. The actual painting is (24.8 by 528.7 cm) (9¾ in by 17 ft 4 in) Hope you like the digital version below:
I would have to say the movement of the “Han people” is very complex. Most casual observers would think that the Mandarin version of Chinese language is the most “proper” version. In fact, it is the most modern version with the Beijing dialect heavily influenced by the Man language. Both the Minanese and Cantonese would claim their “version” as the most original Chinese. Scholars are still debating whether Minanese or Cantonese are the older form of Chinese or which is the Shang or Zhou version.
Some poetry buffs may want to offer a translation for the following song. My take is it is about ‘departure’ between a couple. The mood of it might resonate with some of you, perhaps over those who departed in the recent train crash and bus accident. The song is neat in combining modern pop and traditional Chinese opera. I have always appreciated Chinese artists who bridges the past with the new, linking the older generation with the young. (Another example here.)
James Fallows is a national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and one of the more accomplished journalists in the West. Throughout the years, he has also become a well known “China hand.” I have high regards for his views about Western media; he is like a sage. As a Westerner, his views about China are more nuanced (relatively speaking), and I appreciate his efforts promoting understanding. For example, I recall a debate between Fallows and Niall Ferguson on the topic of ‘Chimerica’ where Ferguson constantly tries to rachet up doom and gloom but only to be fizzled by Fallows more moderate (in my view correct) take on the relationship. Read more…
If you check the definition of 阴阳 in Wikipedia, you will see the following :
“In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin yang (simplified Chinese: 阴阳; traditional Chinese: 陰陽; pinyin: yīnyáng) is normally referred to in the West as “yin and yang” and is used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn.”
And “Yin yang are complementary opposites that interact within a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system.”
Is this the way how Chinese understand 阴阳 ? I beg to differ. Read more…
Following is a story of triumph about 高逸峰 (Gao Yifeng) on the wildly popular “中国达人秀” (“China’s Got Talent”) show. According to the Baike page, Gao once owned a very large business. Through mismanagement, his company went bankrupt. He re-emerged into a much more modest endeavor. Below is my translation of his conversation with the judge before he performs, “从头再来.” This song is one of my favorite, and with Gao bearing his battle scar while performing it, I can see how he was able to move his audience to tears.
Judge: What are you performing?
Gao Yifeng: Sing a song
Judge: Where are you from?
Gao Yifeng: Anhui
Judge: How old are you?
Gao Yifeng: 49
Judge: Your hair is very special. It looks great. Did you color it or is it naturally that way? Read more…
Two weeks ago, Henry Kissinger’s new book “On China” went on the shelf. I have the honor of being asked recently to review the book. Henry Kissinger – preeminent American political scientist, diplomat, National Security Advisor and later concurrently Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford – requires no introduction. So I’ll go straight to the book.
In my opinion, “On China” is destined to become a best seller and an important resource on China – on the level of Jonathan Spence’s “In Search of Modern China” – for English readers. The book provides fascinating angles to so many chapters of Sino-American diplomatic history and has the character of an elder statesman telling not only a good story, but of imparting wisdom on a next generation of political leaders.
While focusing on 20th century Chinese history, the book also gave sufficient background on Chinese history to give context to current events – as well as a vision of what can be possible. Kissinger masterfully (but coolly) tells the story of China’s struggles through its centuries of humiliation, starting with the Opium War and its attempts to resist colonialism and foreign invasions. The book traces the story of the Communist rise to power, and the immediate turmoils – both domestic and international – that put the nascent state and the Chinese people immediately to the test.
One of my favorite aspects about the book is the way it tells – with wit, insight and cogency – the hair-triggering geopolitical games the Soviet Union, U.S., and China played. Read more…
While visiting Yangshuo in our China trip last month, we got to see the spectacularly produced Zhang Yimou show, “Impression Liu Sanjie.” (I shared some photos in an earlier post.) All the performers on that show were locals. Below is a documentary on the excellent “Story Board” program on CCTV entitled, “Fisherman’s theatre.” It showcases the performers, many of whom are still fishermen today, their lives, and their training for the show. Read more…
“We Chinese – 我们中国人” by M. Scott Brauer is a glimpse into the minds of the ordinary Chinese. I personally like this form of street photography where the subjects are near where they live, work, or just happens to be. The image themselves give many clues to society. I enjoy this type of work too (see “Faces of Guilin“), and I know it takes genuine curiosity and friendship to win cooperation from the subjects. Brauer also asked what they thought about China and their future. Follow the link to see their responses. Read more…
In the current Strategic and Economic Dialog between U.S. and China, Secretary Clinton reiterated the importance of the 100,000 Strong Initiative. According to the Institute of International Education, there are ten times more Chinese students studying in the U.S. than the other way around. The initiative is to raise the number of Americans studying in China to 100,000 in four years. Clinton said it is “an essential building block to a more solid foundation of a relationship going forward.” China believes in this initiative as well and has already committed 10,000 “Bridge Scholarships.” This initiative was announced last year, so how far has it come along? Read more…
Aging hippies and childish idealists. All capitalist free markets are driven by greed and corruption and characterized by a tiny minority holding disproportionate wealth. It’s also the only model known to work consistently. Tax the rich, put down regulations, sure. But there’s no way around the nature of the system itself. The only viable route is not to loathe the rich, but try to outcompete them. (xian)
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