A smallish museum containing artifacts from the past 2,500 years. The items are presented quite and are reasonably well lit. For persons who are particularly interested in history one and a half hours might be sufficient. Descriptions are given in Chinese and English. Occasionally, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. The permanent exhibitions are on the two upper floors, access by stairs only.[Photo/China.org.cn]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

People of the Miao and Li ethnic groups gather to splash water to pray for good fortune at the Qixi Festival celebration gala in Baoting Autonomous County of Li and Miao, south China's Hainan Province, Aug. 6, 2011. The Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 6 this year. On the day, people of the Li and Miao ethnic groups here usually observe the tradtion to splash water over their lovers, express their affection through water.[Photo/Xinhua]

With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest and most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple in late eighth century. The restorations from the Qing Dynasty onward has not changed the unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.[Photo/China.org.cn]

With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is the grandest and most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. King Yimouxun of the Nanzhao Kingdom built the temple in late eighth century. The restorations from the Qing Dynasty onward has not changed the unique mixed architectural style of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.[Photo/China.org.cn]

The Western Hills is a heritage monument, landmarks scenery, both the Forest Scenic Area. “Visiting the Western Hills on March 3rd of lunar" is Kunming's traditional Spring Outing practices. The area is the scenic spots with highways, water shipping and air tramway, so the traffic is very convenient.[Photo/China.org.cn]

The Western Hills is a heritage monument, landmarks scenery, both the Forest Scenic Area. “Visiting the Western Hills on March 3rd of lunar" is Kunming's traditional Spring Outing practices. The area is the scenic spots with highways, water shipping and air tramway, so the traffic is very convenient.[Photo/China.org.cn]

The Western Hills is a heritage monument, landmarks scenery, both the Forest Scenic Area. “Visiting the Western Hills on March 3rd of lunar" is Kunming's traditional Spring Outing practices. The area is the scenic spots with highways, water shipping and air tramway, so the traffic is very convenient.[Photo/China.org.cn]

Jiuxiang is known as the museum of karst caves, which boasts its caves as the largest in scale and number (there are about a hundred karst caves) and has the most wonderful in-cave scenes in China. The caves in Jiuxiang fall into four cave clusters: Sanjiao Cave, Dashang Cave, Diehong Cave and Dasha Dam Cave.[Photo/China.org.cn]

Jiuxiang is known as the museum of karst caves, which boasts its caves as the largest in scale and number (there are about a hundred karst caves) and has the most wonderful in-cave scenes in China. The caves in Jiuxiang fall into four cave clusters: Sanjiao Cave, Dashang Cave, Diehong Cave and Dasha Dam Cave.[Photo/China.org.cn]

Jiuxiang is known as the museum of karst caves, which boasts its caves as the largest in scale and number (there are about a hundred karst caves) and has the most wonderful in-cave scenes in China. The caves in Jiuxiang fall into four cave clusters: Sanjiao Cave, Dashang Cave, Diehong Cave and Dasha Dam Cave.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

As the 'First Wonder of the World', Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, a two-hour bus ride from Kunming, which covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.[Photo/China.org.cn]

The project to protect the ruins of the tenth-century Guge Kingdom, located in western Tibet's Ngari Prefecture, started in May and is estimated to cost 57.4 million yuan (8.9 million U.S. dollars) in the coming five years, said Li Xingguo, head of the cultural bureau of Ngari prefecture government.

Li said workers will repair the ruins' structure and consolidate the soil of the surrounding rocky mountains in addition to preserving the ancient Buddhist murals in the caves.

The ruins suffered damages such as cracks on the walls and landslides over the past decades due to increased rainfall on the otherwise dry plateau land, Li said, adding that the project will "comprehensively" lift the ability of the ruins to withstand natural disasters.

The government previously conducted two "rescue preservation" projects to protect the ruins in 1985 and 1997.

A young girl takes a lesson at Junxing horse ranch in Beijing. More parents are offering their children riding instruction, saying it teaches them patience and instills discipline. Jiang Dong / China Daily

It's a midweek morning and the parking lot outside Junxing horse ranch on the southwestern outskirts of Beijing is almost full. Han Xiaoyan, a teacher from Central Academy of Cultural Administration, affiliated to China's Ministry of Culture, has just arrived at the leafy 4-hectare spread for her 45-minute riding lesson, which costs 150 yuan ($23). "I come here every week if I can get time off work, but don't come on weekends because it's too crowded," Han says.

She started learning to ride on New Year's Day in 2010, after being inspired to do so by seeing horses galloping across the grasslands of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

"It was fantastic to see the horses and our cars keeping pace with each other," she says. "It was then that I decided to ride a horse. It's good exercise and I thought it could keep me healthy."

Han says she was a fast learner because years of playing the piano taught her to relax and balance her body correctly, both essential skills for a new horse rider.

Han says her instructor, Yuan Maodong, has not only taught her horse riding techniques but essential life skills as well.

For instance, on one occasion, Han couldn't get her horse to move, at which point Yuan said: "Try your best to make the horse trust you and think about a solution. (It's like life) you have to work it out for yourself."

"Horse riding needs emotional communication to build mutual trust," Han says. "Since I am on the horse I should trust it. If people can communicate with horses, which are unable to speak, what problem between two people can't be solved using vocal communication?"

The 29-year-old Yuan has been a coach for 11 years and won a national equestrian jumping championship in 2002. He says horse riding has psychological benefits.

"It's very important to reach a consensus between the rider and the horse," Yuan says. "After years of practice, you will share the same rhythm with your horse, and when you are closely attached to each other, you will feel a great joy which cannot be put into words."

Yuan adds that horse riding can improve a person's temperament. If the rider is feeling moody this will be picked up by the horse and will irritate it - and could prove dangerous.

Both Han and Yuan recommend horse riding for children as it helps shape values.

"A person's character is formed during childhood, so it's better to educate a child about humanitarianism as early as possible."

Wang Qiang, general manager of Junxing ranch, says two thirds of the novice riders on weekends are parents and kids, and the proportion is even higher during the summer break.

He adds more than 300 people take lessons every weekend.

Feifei and Fanfan are 9-year-old twin sisters who first visited the ranch in early 2010.

"I like horse riding, because it's boring staying indoors," Fanfan says, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Their parents say their daughters are overwhelmed by homework a lot of the time, while riding a horse in the countryside is a breath of fresh air and gives them courage and a sense of fulfillment.

Some riders buy their own horse. Seven out of the 54 horses at Junxing are privately owned.

A horse costs about 200,000 yuan ($31,032) and in addition the owner has to pay stabling expenses of 2,500 ($387) to 4,000 ($618) yuan a month, says Zhao Chunming, a manager at Knight Union equestrian club, which owns Junxing ranch.

Others choose to raise their horses elsewhere to reduce costs and enable a more flexible schedule for riding.

Chen Gang, who works in Cisco, the United States-based IT company, bought his hybrid horse for 100,000 yuan three years ago and stables it at a friend's private club for 1,200-1,500 yuan a month. He has bought a number of books about horse riding online from abroad because there aren't many books about the subject in Chinese.

Usually, Chen rides his horse at his friend's ranch, but sometimes he explores the countryside.

"Riding a horse in the countryside boosts my passion for life," Chen says. "It also makes me more consistent at work."

In mid-July, Chen made his debut at an annual cross-country endurance race for 135 riders on the Bayinbuluk grasslands, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

An eagerness to get close to nature has inspired an increasing number of riders to participate in cross-country races.

Qin Yue, a screenwriter, bought the horse she rode in a 2010 cross-country race in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia.

"It's not cool to leave behind a horse after it has run for miles for me," Qin says. "Though my friends all say it's not a well-bred horse I wanted to take it home and look after it, after it looked after me."

Now, she rides her horse, stabled on a farm in the countryside, once or twice a week, but she also takes riding lessons at a club.

"I still need the lessons, it's just like going to driving school to get a driving license," Qin says. "Though it's only a hobby, I want to be more professional."

When Wendi Deng made a rare public appearance a month ago at the Shanghai International Film Festival, together with her husband Rupert Murdoch, the strongest impression she left on my colleague was her height: "She is really tall and stands out," I was told.

Deng, possibly the most powerful woman on the global scene by family association, enjoyed something of a dubious reputation back in her home country. Suffice it to say, she was not universally loved or admired in China.

On the contrary, she was seen as the classic gold-digger. Her detractors constantly point out her less-than-glorious history: She was sponsored by an elderly American couple to pursue higher education in the United States, where she ended up marrying the husband - just long enough to obtain her green card.

To many in China, this ran counter to the quintessential Chinese moral principle. Not only did she break up a family, but she seemed to have done it for her own convenience rather than for loving the man, 30 years her senior.

No spinmeister could turn that episode into a touching love story. Even normally nationalistic youth in China have poured out sympathy for the American couple, Jake and Joyce Cherry.

But all that ill-will was largely washed away when Deng came down on Murdoch's attacker during Tuesday's Parliamentary hearing. Most online opinions in China hurrahed her.

In a Sina Weibo poll, about 70 percent cheered for her, 20 percent said the incident had completely changed their mind about her, leaving only 10 percent who still believed she is a manipulative woman whom they "dislike".

A lot of people associated her knee-jerk reaction with love. They were convinced Deng did it out of love for her husband. "This made us believe in love again," summed up a Tencent post, implying that the flurry of recent celebrity divorces have shaken public confidence in the foundation of a hallowed institution.

Some attributed Deng's "slam dunk", half-jokingly perhaps, to her volleyball skills that date back to her high-school years in Jiangsu province. Other jokes include suggestions that she should be assigned the task of safeguarding China's South Sea islands because of her uncanny ability to protect her territory.

Not everyone was convinced, though. A netizen with the handle "Walking Vivian" posted: "I respect Wendi Deng's choices in life, but I hope we do not elevate her to a source of pride. She destroyed the marriage of someone who had helped her because she needed a green card, and later she destroyed Murdoch's marriage that had lasted many years. She was unscrupulous every step of the way. If we admire her current success, that would be too materialistic and bone-chilling."

There are also conspiracy theories that put Deng's decisiveness and the subsequent rise of News Corp stock together, suggesting she could have arranged the pie throwing. "Sister Deng, do you need to pay the actor afterwards? After this, Rupert may have to change his will," writes "Doyen-Vest", a netizen suspicious of the whole affair.

The traditional virtues of a Chinese wife range from being demure in public to having multiple talents such as painting and music. This week Deng played the role to a hilt, and with a modern twist. She kept a low profile during much of the hearing, yet remained quite conspicuous by the color of her dress. When the occasion called for it, she displayed an agility and a physical stamina that are worthy of Chinese martial arts.

Zhang Yihe, a prominent female scholar, summed it up this way: "Whatever your attitude toward her as a person, she turns out to be the 'right' wife."

Chi Ma (second right) shares the computer sent to her by Liu Qibao, secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, with his schoolmates. Wu Chuanming / for China Daily

Chi Ma, a Tibetan intern in a company in the Chengdu High-tech Zone in the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, cannot contain her excitement over her new notebook computer.

"It is a gift from Uncle Liu Qibao," the 22-year-old says, referring to the secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Chi, a student at the Zhonghe Vocational School in Chengdu, is a beneficiary of the "9+3" free education program launched in Sichuan province in 2009.

The province allocated more than 200 million yuan ($31 million) to launch the program providing free vocational education for Tibetan students in Sichuan for three years after they finish nine years of compulsory education.

Hailing from Zhangna village, Litang county in Sichuan's Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Chi is one of the first students of the program.

Her father died when she was young and her mother is in poor health. Her older sister and brother are both farmers without much education.

After graduating from junior high school in 2009, she joined the vocational school in Chengdu under the "9+3" program.

Chi, who did not know how to operate a computer, studied hard. Now, she can type 230 English letters per second and also has a mid-level computer operator certificate.

Earlier this year, she became an intern inputting data in the Chengdu company and received her first monthly salary of more than 1,000 yuan last month.

Touched by her profuse expression of gratitude to him, Liu bought her a notebook and sent it to her with a letter of appreciation on July 8.

The "9+3" program has changed the lives of many Tibetan students like Chi.

Long Zhen, who comes from a Tibetan herdsman's family in Ganzi, is studying in a school that trains kindergarten teachers in Sichuan's Longchang county.

Earlier this year, she wrote to Liu, explaining how she had changed from a mischievous girl into a responsible student thanks to the program.

An increasing number of units and firms are enrolling students of the "9+3" program as interns.

"We welcome them because they are hardworking and polite," says Liu Huazhong, director of an automotive repair plant in Yibin, Sichuan.

Of the 8,500 students who joined the program in 2009, 7,214 have found jobs as interns, according to the provincial government information office.

Twenty-one of them have participated in national vocational skill competitions, and 19 have won awards, the office says.

Jiang Yunhan, Wang Huan and Fang Xiaohu contributed to the story.

Zhong Jie and Liao Hongbin at their popular swap shop, Change, in Beijing. Photos by Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

More people looking to optimize the use of unwanted household items are turning to an online network of 8.5 million members in more than 100 countries. Tiffany Tan reports.

How would you get rid of unwanted things that still have many years of use left in them? A) Give them to a friend; b) Sell them online; or c) Leave them for the garbage collector? Hayley Robinson and her husband, Beijing residents from Britain, who used their clothes washer/dryer to wash their newborn son's cloth diapers before switching to disposable ones, decided to offer it to strangers on Freecycle Beijing, an online community that advocates giving away things one no longer wants.

"We have picked up items from Freecycle, so we thought it was a good way for us to give back to the community," Robinson, 30, says in an e-mail from England, where she's vacationing with her 8-month-old baby.

Freecycle Beijing, which has been active since late 2006, has 1,000 registered members. A survey of its Yahoo! group page shows people offering things as varied as knitting magazines, a treadmill, a breastfeeding pillow, an iPhone and a pet rabbit "who likes to be petted on the head (a lot)".

Since Freecycle's is a two-way flow of products, the website is dotted with "wanted" posts, many of them for used cell phones and laptop computers. Some members, on the other hand, solicit items to be given to Chinese charity organizations.

The jewelry section of the Change shop. All items in the shop are secondhand.

"Last year, we received an enormous number of donations for orphanages, so much so that they had to ask me to stop bringing things because they didn't have enough space," says Malaz Asashhatap, from the United States, who has collected clothes, books, bags, toys and shoes from fellow members of Freecycle Beijing.

The Freecycle Network is a US import. It began in Tuczon, Arizona, in May 2003, organized by a 35-year-old who wanted to give away his bed, only to find out that local thrift shops did not accept beds fearing they might be playing host to fleas.

"I was a bit flummoxed but then tried my friends to see if someone could use it because it was a very nice bed," Deron Beal, founder of the nonprofit group, says in an e-mail. "It wasn't until I realized I had no choice remaining but to borrow a truck and haul it to the landfill that I really realized something was amiss in the world."

So, Beal started a network of 30 to 40 friends online and offered the bed.

Now that network claims 8.5 million members in 100 countries, who operate close to 5,000 online communities, including those in Chinese cities such as Beijing and Hong Kong.

Freecycle says its members are "keeping over 900 tons out of landfills daily" and that items they gave away in 2010 were "the equivalent of over 13 times the height of Mount Everest (also known as Mount Qomolangma) when stacked in garbage trucks".

Reusing appears to be one of the neglected Rs of the three Rs of recycling, which are reduce, reuse and recycle. Ninety-eight percent of all waste comes from the manufacturing process, Beal says, which means "if we all, as consumers, recycled 100 percent and had no waste, that 98 percent of the waste would still be out there".

"So, if you give away an old sofa, you are not just keeping 100 lbs (45.4 kg) out of the landfill, you are also keeping a ton of raw materials from being extracted from nature to make a new sofa," he says. "If we begin to think like this as consumers, then producers will gradually also begin to reuse materials and we'll effect change in a positive way for all."

Beijing, with its population of 20 million, generates 18,000 tons of trash each day, according to the Darwin Institute for Environmental Studies, a non-government agency that monitors recycling in the Chinese capital. Of that, a quarter is recycled while the rest ends up in landfills.

Two other people helping keep stuff away from Beijing's landfills are Liao Hongbin and Zhong Jie, a husband and wife who own Change, a shop on Wudaoying Hutong, where people can trade in things they no longer want.

The 20-square-meter shop, every surface crowded with items big and small, is how you' would envision Santa Claus' workshop to be if he dealt only in secondhand goods.

"How about the black attache case for father and the scarf in geometric print for mother?" You can almost imagine Father Christmas thinking. "The translucent iPod shuffle case would be ideal for big brother, while little sister would love the silver dangling earrings. And oh, the electric juicer is just what grandpa and grandma need."

There are also objects whose future seems more uncertain; for instance, a silver receptacle that's reminiscent of Aladdin's magic lamp, a curly-hair dryer from the 90s and a canteen shaped like an anchor with what looks like Genghis Khan on its leather cover.

But 35-year-old Liao, a native of Jilin province and an IT engineer by training, reminds people not to judge too quickly. "One man's trash is another man's treasure," he says, repeating an adage.

Thirteen months ago, few would have guessed a swap shop could make as much money as a reggae bar in the central business district, the couple's former business venture, whose building was demolished last year.

"We make money from customers who pay cash," Liao says of the swap shop, adding that a big attraction is that "you never know what you're going to find".

Change shop will take almost anything smaller than a microwave, except for clothes, shoes, cosmetics, cups and glasses, old electronic products, food and drinks and luxury-brand goods, whose value is quite tricky to determine. Customers who take items of less value than they bring are given credit toward their next visit, but anybody can come in and shop with cash, just like any other store.

The couple opened the shop not because of some heightened awareness of environmentalism, but because they needed to get rid of things from their old bar. Now, they themselves are using more and more second-hand goods, and Liao is one entrepreneur who prays for imitations.

"Many people who come up with creative business ideas are afraid of being copied," he says. "But we say, 'We welcome copies'. Every compound, every neighborhood should have a swap shop."

And as if to prove his prescience, one recent bright Thursday afternoon, four college students from Tianjin trooped into the shop to ask Liao for tips on opening their own swap shop.

Just when all language seemed to be going the way of Twitter and text message shorthand, a backlash to brevity is brewing. More words suddenly have more meaning, and they're making us stop and think.

"The nature of Twitter is you don't need to think about what you're saying," Katie Roiphe, an author and journalist, said in The Times. "Most of us need to think more about what we're saying, not less."

The United States Supreme Court is doing just that. Its use of dictionaries has boomed in the last two decades as justices ponder the meaning of every word. In May alone, the justices cited dictionaries in eight cases to determine what legislators meant when they used words like "prevent," "delay" and "report," The Times said. Justices have also looked up ordinary words like "of," "now," "also," "any" and "if."

"I think that it's probably wrong, in almost all situations, to use a dictionary in the courtroom," Jesse Sheidlower of the Oxford English Dictionary told The Times. "Dictionary definitions are written with a lot of things in mind, but rigorously circumscribing the exact meanings and connotations of terms is not usually one of them."

Nevertheless, a study in The Marquette Law Review found that justices used dictionaries to define 295 words or phrases in 225 opinions in the 10 years starting October 2000. In the 1960s, they used dictionaries to define 23 terms in only 16 opinions, The Times reported.

Even Web addresses ending in .com, .net or .org no longer seem meaningful enough. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers recently approved a vast expansion of the range of Web addresses. Get ready for URLs that are wordier and more descriptive, ending with phrases like iwant.beer or whatsfor. dinner or .whateveryouwant.

God, too, says thou shalt not be brief. The Roman Catholic Church has been preparing for significant changes to the Mass come November in the United States. The new Roman Missal, a book of texts and prayers used in the Mass, is intended to be closer to liturgical Latin. The changes make it more formal and include unfamiliar vocabulary, most noticeable in the Nicene Creed, a recited statement of faith, The Times reported. Currently, Catholics say that Jesus

is "one in being with the Father," but soon they will say that Jesus is "consubstantial with the Father." Awkward and archaic to some, but the Reverend Richard Hilgartner told The Times that it is "a little more poetic and evocative in terms of imagery and metaphor."

That's precisely the holy grail in the design world. To sell paint when home sales are depressed, paint companies are using fanciful names that tell a story or evoke a memory or emotion, wrote The Times. What they do not do is reveal the color. Valspar has Weekend in the Country. Benjamin Moore has Old World Romance and Dream I Can Fly. Pantone has Belgian Block and Tap Shoe. Although these words may not connect consumers with a precise color, they make people stop and think.

"I am perfectly fine if a certain name gives them a perplexed, thoughtful moment," Sue Kim of Valspar told The Times. "If the three-second glance gets us another five seconds as they pause to think, 'Why is that Metro at 5?' I think that's a good thing."

The New York Times

Jin-seng Park, a psychiatrist in Seoul, says new patients can be shocked at having to pay for talk therapy. Woohae Cho for the international herald tribune

SEOUL - It can sometimes feel as if South Korea, overworked, overstressed and ever anxious, is on the verge of a national nervous breakdown, with a rising divorce rate, students who feel suffocated by academic pressures, a suicide rate among the highest in the world and a macho corporate culture that still encourages blackout drinking sessions after work.

More than 30 South Koreans kill themselves every day. The recent suicides of four students and a professor at Korea's leading university shocked the nation. In recent weeks a baseball announcer, two professional soccer players, a university president and the former lead singer in a boy band killed themselves.

And yet Koreans - while almost obsessively embracing Western innovations - have largely resisted Western psychotherapy.

"Talking openly about emotional problems is still taboo," said Dr. Kim Hyongsoo, a psychologist and professor at Chosun University in Kwangju. "If someone goes to a psychoanalyst, they know they'll be stigmatized for the rest of their life. So they don't go."

Even when Koreans do seek out counseling, the learning curve can be steep. A prominent psychiatrist with a practice in Seoul, Jin-seng Park, said it was not uncommon for some new patients to come to his office, talk over a problem for 40 minutes and then be shocked when they're presented with a bill.

"They'll say, 'I have to pay? Just for talking? I can do that for free with my friend or my pastor,'" said Dr. Park. Most patients simply ask for, and expect, medication, he said.

"Koreans are getting more comfortable with Western psychotherapy, but this is limited to the highly educated and those familiar with Western ways," said Dr. Oh Kyung-ja, a Harvard-trained professor of psychology at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Meanwhile, the suicide rate in South Korea doubled in the decade between 1999 and 2009. Suicide pacts among strangers who meet online is a growing phenomenon.

"We have seen a rapid increase in depression, and I'd say 80 to 90 percent of our suicides are byproducts of depression," said Dr. Kim.

"That issue is still very closed. We still conceal it."

South Korean society has traditionally been underpinned by Buddhist and Confucian values, which emphasize diligence, stoicism and modesty. Some experts trace South Korea's emotional malaise to the decline of these traditional values and the rise of the country as a modern industrial power.

"As the society became more oriented toward materialism, people started to compare themselves," said Dr. Park. "We have a saying, 'If one cousin buys land, the other cousin gets a stomachache.'"

Golf and hiking, alcohol, organized religion, the Internet and travel are common stress relieving outlets now.

Shamanism, too, has made something of a comeback, with an estimated 300,000 shamans operating, many of them maintaining Web sites even as they continue to strangle chickens and commune with dead relatives.

"More Koreans see fortunetellers than psychiatrists," said Dr. Yoon Dae-hyun, a psychiatrist at Seoul National University Hospital.

Psychiatrists also get competition from room salons - after-work clubs frequented by businessmen who select from a bevy of personal hostesses who ply them with expensive drinks and listen to their problems.

"Koreans are trying to find their own 'package,' their own set of remedies," said Dr. Oh. "They are desperately searching for things to do to divert themselves from stress. They just don't have a good model."

The New York Times

Internet-savvy youth of the West are logging on to English-language websites of Chinese suppliers for fashion bargains. Todd Balazovic reports.

This year's summer high school proms in Europe sparkled with a touch of China, thanks to a growing trend of Western teenagers going in for Middle Kingdom fashion bargains. An increasing number of dresses made in China adorned the dance floors of high schools worldwide this year as clothing wholesalers in the East market their Oscar-style dresses online at a fraction of the normal cost. With parents strapped for cash and a progressively Internet-savvy youth, many are turning to the English-language websites of Chinese suppliers to buy luxury items. As designers such as Jovani and DressGoddess in the West demand prices exceeding 16,000 yuan ($2,472) for the latest fashion, hundreds of high school graduates shipped their 2011 prom dresses from China's manufacturing heartlands for a quarter of the price.

"It's beautiful, exactly what I wanted," says 16-year-old Beth Morris from England, who recently purchased her prom dress at the Chinese wholesale website DHgate.com, which is geared toward Western shoppers.

The long glittering pink dress cost Morris just 900 yuan ($139), including delivery.

With a tight budget from her parents, Morris says she was nervous she would not be able to find the right dress in time for the late June dance.

"It's important to look your best as it's a big event, but everything was so expensive so I wasn't sure what to do," she says.

But a friend at school told her about buying from China and it was mentioned in Internet forums where other teens were preparing for their big night, discussing the latest dress styles and where to get them.

Logging onto a Chinese wholesaler's English-language site, Morris found her perfect dress.

"In most of the UK department stores they wanted about 400 pounds ($633)," she says, adding that the only issue was the dress arriving later than planned despite paying 300 yuan extra for express delivery.

"It may be a beautiful dress, but don't order in a hurry."

Morris was just one of a number of the 739 students at her school in Cheshire County who turned to the East for a very Western tradition.

When showing off her new purchase, Morris discovered several other classmates had used similar sites, with one girl purchasing the same dress.

"We got our dresses much cheaper than others at our school," she says.

Comparable with the US Web merchant site eBay, businesses like DHgate.com and Dinodirect.com, offer small vendors a free platform to sell their products across international borders while collecting a transaction fee for each item sold.

DHgate, one of the most advertised wholesale sites in the prom discussion forums, links more than 970,000 small businesses in China with more than 230 countries worldwide, says its CEO Wang Shutong.

Their website advertises more than 30,000 variations of prom dresses, all going for approximately 650 yuan. The cheapest costs just 60 yuan.

In 2010, events and wedding dress sales grossed more than 65 million yuan ($10 million), according to DHgate figures.

"The best selling clothing items on the site are prom dresses, wedding gowns, evening dresses and cocktail dresses," Wang says.

"Custom sizing for dresses and other products provide women abroad with great quality dresses at bargain prices."

She says while most of their business is coming from the United States and the UK, Canada, Russia and Australia also provide ample business.

While these sites are providing dream dresses for many, several consumer watchdog sites urge users to exercise caution before using wholesale websites, warning that some sellers may try to sell low quality goods.

"Like any vendor platform, you have to be careful," one moderator, Nyla, writes on the consumer watchdog website FraudWatchers.org.

"You're only as protected as you make yourself, and the sites are only as legitimate as the individual sellers are honest."

Though some may question the quality, Dhgate's Wang says the reason they are able to provide the items at a low price is because the prices aren't inflated from branding costs.

"After the recession, many buyers are no longer as loyal to the big brands and are looking for other options. The made-in-China items sold on DHgate.com offer a real alternative to traditional brands without losing the quality," she says.

In addition to avoiding markups from carrying a large brand name, the site offers cheaper shipping, she says.

But quality isn't the only question, with several of the wholesalers providing remakes of designer dresses seen on the red carpets.

One vendor on wholesale site Dinodirect.com boasts exact replicas of the Elie Saab designed dress worn by Mila Kunis at the 83rd Oscar movie awards last February for just 851 yuan, a fraction of the 9,750-yuan price tag of most Elie Saab dresses.

But consumers purchasing replica goods, such as the Elie Saab dress, risk buying objects that break international intellectual property (IP) laws.

"If a vendor is selling something that a foreign designer can prove they created, it is against the law," says Ma Qiang, a lawyer from the Unitalen law firm and a doctorate from the Renmin University of China School of Law.

"Although the cost of the investigation can be high, I think it is worthwhile to do so."

He says if Chinese Customs or security abroad seize the items, the buyer may not receive their goods and, even if a formal complaint is filed, they may not receive a refund.

While the individual retailers on the website can be held liable, consumers are often not targeted for such IP cases, unless they are found reselling the counterfeit products, he says.

"They won't necessarily get in trouble, but they may lose some money or get fined," he says.

And although IP laws may be monitored by the authorities on both sides of the shipping lane, each site also does its own checks to make sure no customer gets a bad deal.

"On our platform, we control those untrustworthy businesses strictly," says Wang, though she admits sometimes they can slip through the cracks.

"Because there are thousands of suppliers on our platform, we cannot identify all the unqualified products at the very beginning," she says.

"We have a 'Trust and Safety' (TNS) department to supervise all of the products. If they find any unqualified ones, such as fake products and counterfeit goods, TNS will cancel the vendor."

But for now bargain-hunting teenagers are cottoning on to something that has been a fashion industry secret for years: looking East.

The health book market is booming and traditional Chinese medicine is particularly popular among Chinese readers. A Jing / for China Daily

The fall from grace of 'health godmother' Ma Yueling highlights the fraudulent practices of a number of self-declared health gurus. Liu Zhihua investigates.

Chai Zheng, a 20-something Beijing bank employee, was shocked to the core after watching a TV program that revealed the deceptions of Ma Yueling, a famous health writer whose books she had bought, read and followed enthusiastically.

Chai has been a fan of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since her college years and considered Ma's books particularly informative.

"I couldn't believe what I saw. I even considered the TV program might be a fake," Chai says.

Ma, a 48-year-old self-proclaimed "health godmother" and a former Nanjing nurse, rose to fame in 2007 after publishing the bestseller, The Wisdom of Staying Healthy, in which she introduced "TCM magic treatments". Ma claimed she was born sickly and the TCM treatments featured in the book were crystallized from her personal experience of battling illness.

The book's success led to TV appearances and the creation of Mayueling Health Group, which includes a food company, a trading company, a health consultancy and a catering company.

Another of Ma's hot commodities is Ma Yueling Gao, a kind of paste made of Chinese dates, donkey-hide gelatin, black sesame, walnuts, crystal sugar and rice wine, which Ma claims can treat heart disease, asthma, gout and other ailments.

Ma's company website has 207,120 registered members and provides health tips, online counseling, digital books and videos.

However, suspicions surrounding her medical practices have risen along with her fame, particularly after she recently announced on the company website she could cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

This chronic, progressive disease is marked by gradual degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movements.

ALS sufferers eventually become disabled, have difficulty speaking and swallowing, and may succumb to infections, particularly pneumonia.

Ma wrote that ALS is caused by the body gradually "freezing up" after running low on energy and being exposed to cold temperatures. She claimed warming the body would cure the affliction, adding she had cured 11 patients by having them eat live loaches and injecting Chinese angelica extract.

"The medical community has long been looking in vain for a cure for ALS but even the cause of the disease is still unknown," says Cheng Yiyong, president of the Chinese Nutrition Society.

"Anyone with common sense will know that ALS cannot be cured simply by eating loaches and injecting Chinese angelica extract," Cheng says.

Cheng says the loach is a freshwater fish that is no more nutritious than any other fish and has no listed medicinal uses. Moreover, they live in mud and eating a live one could lead to parasitic infections.

In 2010 it was reported that a number of people got parasitic infections after taking Ma's "magic treatment". Even so, many people still continue to believe in the efficacy of the treatment.

In early July, Nanjing's health supervisory authorities began investigating Ma for treating patients and giving prescriptions without a doctor's license. The sale of her books was suspended.

According to Nanjing health bureau, most of the patients Ma mentioned as being cured were anonymous. Of three phone numbers said to be of cured patients on the website, one was unobtainable, another was a wrong number and the third said his wife used to inject Chinese angelica extract under the direction of Ma, but did not do so anymore.

Ma did not answer phone calls from China Daily or respond to messages on her Sina Weibo microblog, asking for comments on the news.

"Ma takes advantage of people's trust in TCM and their anxiety to be healthy and give herself a halo," says Du Jinhang, a TCM doctor of the cardiovascular disease department at Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

One of the most important rules in TCM, he says, is that treatments have to be tailored to individual symptoms, and there is never a single cure that fits all cases. A TCM treatment varies not only from person to person, but also changes with the seasons and locations.

With their improving quality of life, Chinese are focusing more attention on their health and unqualified health experts have been taking advantage of this, Du warns.

Li Zhanyong, director of the China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine editorial office, says the health book market is booming because of this newfound obsession with health.

Li quotes the example of Eat Away the Illnesses Eaten In by Zhang Wuben, which sold 3 million copies in six months.

Zhang, a retired textile worker, became famous for his "food therapy" TV program in early 2010. He charged at least 1,000 yuan ($154.6) for one prescription, and he invariably prescribed a hefty amount of mung beans, calcium pills, eggplant, bitter melon, white radish, Chinese yam and corn for every disease.

In May 2010, it was revealed that Zhang's educational background and self-testimonials were fabricated. He did not have any medical credentials.

Many of his victims who were once healthy fell sick after taking his prescriptions, and those who were sick missed the opportunity to get treated properly.

In the past few years, several once-popular health experts have achieved instant fame, attracted legions of followers, and finally, proved to be con artists.

In response, the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) has tightened regulations for publishing health books.

The new regulations require editors of health books and publishers to be more questioning, says Li, of China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The administration further announced that among the 500-odd publishers in China, just 53 publishers are now qualified to issue health books.

Also, in early July, GAPP declared 24 health books would be suspended, including Ma's The Wisdom of Staying Healthy.

"Most people are unable to distinguish between genuine and false experts, so the media should be more responsible and careful when dealing with so-called health experts and publishing news report," says Cheng, of the Chinese Nutrition Society.

"Governing bodies should also be stricter about health market regulation."

The second-grader, surnamed Wu, is accompanied by her parents, and is hoping to improve her appearance in the belief there are "better plastic surgeons" in the capital.

With short hair and glasses, wearing a purple T-shirt, dark sport pants and gray sneakers, she says she is after medical advice about whether she should undergo surgical or non-surgical procedures.

Wu is one of the many high school students who get plastic surgery during the summer and winter vacations.

Around 3 million surgical and non-surgical operations to improve looks were conducted in China in 2009, and the figure is estimated to double every year, according to partial data from the Ministry of Health, released in October 2010.

Up to 80 percent of plastic surgery patients in Beijing last summer were high school and college students, with the rate expected to hit 90 percent this year, according to a study on the Beijing market by China Medical Treatment Orthopedics and Beauty Association.

A few days before Wu came to Beijing, another high school graduate surnamed Guo had a breast enlargement procedure at the same clinic, Guomao clinic of Plastic Surgery Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Guo, who has been admitted to Beijing Film Academy, also had work done on her eyes and nose during the last summer vacation. The three operations cost her wealthy mother nearly 100,000 yuan ($15,451).

The good-looking girl says she simply "wants to become prettier", while her mother admits a better appearance may help her daughter find more acting opportunities in the future.

"High school students usually aren't so clear about what they want, compared to their parents, especially those who want their children to have a career in entertainment," says Ding Xiaobang, a veteran surgeon at the clinic, adding he never sees anyone "ugly" come to his clinic.

Ding says high school and college students accounted for nearly 80 percent of the more than 100 operations he did in July 2010, the majority of whom were female high school graduates and students in their second year.

He says the most common operations are for double eyelids and nose jobs. He does not recommend that students under the age of 16 seek a sharper nose through surgery as their bones are still growing.

Hu Xiaogen, a doctor who works at the plastic surgery department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, says it is safer for women above 20 and men above 25 to undergo plastic surgery.

Besides being physically immature, Hu says high school students are less prepared mentally to make such decisions.

He says one 16-year-old student pulled out of an operation just as he was about to anesthetize her, as she was afraid the injection to her eyelids would be too painful.

Hu says students should seek operations at qualified hospitals, and it is better for them not to undergo surgery involving significant trauma, such as two or three small but simultaneous operations on the eyes.

"Parents should offer objective and reasonable suggestions to their children. Not all of them are suitable to become actors or actresses, even after they take the risk of undergoing plastic surgery," Hu says.

"Enhancing all-round capabilities is the correct way forward to a prospective career. Appearance is not everything."

Interventions designed to reduce overall screen time, including individual and family counseling, automatic monitoring of screen time and classroom curricula, have all been largely unsuccessful, wrote Catherine Birken of the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto. For the study, which appeared in the journal the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Birken and her colleagues reviewed 13 large studies involving more than 3,000 children.

The methods the studies tested were unable to help the children lose weight or watch less TV, she said.

"Obesity is a complex problem that is probably not going to be solved by one particular intervention in one particular setting," she said.

"That doesn't mean it can't be solved."

Experts for decades have worried about the effect on young viewers of the violence and sexual content in some TV programs, movies and video games, but another issue is that children watch TV or play video games instead of playing outside.

According to the report, one in four children in the United States watches an average of four hours of TV every day.

The study did find that some interventions succeeded with very young children, when preschool-age children had their screen time cut by nearly four hours per week on average.

"It's certainly possible to teach parents to reduce screen time in young children," Birken said.

Other medical professionals said the results did not surprise them. "Food is a very rewarding event to everyone. To children, so is screen time," said Robert Klesges at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, who did not work on the study.

"So it doesn't surprise me too much that interventions aimed at reducing two things children love struggle."

He noted that the interventions lasted from one to 24 months and were quite variable, which may explain why they were ineffective overall. "I think very often, they're comparing apples and oranges. I think it's premature to conclude that interventions aimed at (weight) and screen time are ineffective," he added.

Applying a facial:

Bee stings: To relieve bee stings, wet the spot immediately and cover with salt.

Cleaning teeth: To maintain a pearly smile, brush your teeth with table salt (sea salt is too coarse and will damage the enamel) as you do with your favorite toothpaste. Rinse, then brush again with water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards. Do this only once every two days.

Dry skin: To remove dead and dry skin, massage the area with salt after bathing. Rinse clean, and apply body lotion as needed to lock the moisture.

Fresh breath: To freshen up breath, mix equal parts of salt and baking soda and use it as a mouth wash.

Mosquito bites: To treat mosquito bites, soak the bite with saltwater to reduce redness and swelling. An alternative method is to apply a pinch of salt onto the bite, let it sit fo a few minutes then rinse with cold water.

Puffy eyes: To reduce puffy eyes, mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of hot water, soak cotton pads in the solution then apply on puffy areas for a few minutes.

Sore throat: To relieve sore throats, stir a half teaspoon of salt in an eight-ounce glass of warm water and gargle 3 to 4 times a day.

Tired feet: To relax aching feet, soak them in warm water with a handful of salt. Rinse clean in cold water afterwards.

Boiling water: To boil water faster, add a pinch of salt to it.

Brightening cutting boards: To keep the boards bright and light, rub them with a damp cloth dipped in salt. Rinse clean afterwards with running water.

Crisping salads: To keep salads crisp, season just before serving. Adding salt well in advance will draw out the water from the greens and make them soggy.

Fixing over-salted soup: To fix over-salted soups, add some chopped potatoes. The potatoes will absorb the salt and make your soup milder to the taste.

Flavoring coffee: To remove bitterness from over-cooked coffee, add a pinch of salt before drinking.

Keeping milk fresh: To keep milk fresh for longer, add a small pinch of salt to it.

Peeling eggs: To make hardboiled eggs easier to peel, boil them in salted water.

Preventing mold: To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with salt water before refrigerating.

Preventing sugaring: To prevent sugaring of cake icings, add a little bit of salt.

Removing pinfeathers: To remove pinfeathers from poultry, rub the skin with salt.

"Sweetening" containers: To "sweeten" and deodorize closed containers (such as thermos bottles or decanters,) wash them with salted water thoroughly.

Whipping cream and beating egg whites: To get a better, faster and higher whip, add a pinch of salt to the whipping cream or beating egg whites.

Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable-Lad, and a Jockey had been expected to fetch 20 to 30 million pounds excluding fees. The sale price included the buyer's premium.

The work was painted by Stubbs, renowned for his anatomically precise portrayals of horses, in 1765, and was described by the auctioneer as "a true masterpiece".

It depicts Gimcrack, one of the most admired 18th century racehorses which won 28 of his 36 races and finished unplaced only once.

The painting shows Gimcrack twice - in the background winning a "trial" and in the foreground with his trainer, jockey, and a stable lad rubbing him down.

Christie's said the result placed Stubbs third in the old master auction ranking behind The Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens, which fetched 49.5 million pounds at Sotheby's in 2002, and Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino by J.M.W. Turner which raised 29.7 million pounds at Sotheby's in 2010.

Also on Tuesday, Christie's set an auction record for Thomas Gainsborough, whose Portrait of Miss Read, Later Mrs. William Villebois sold for 6.5 million pounds ($10.5 million), nearly doubling the previous high.

However, another Gainsborough painting on offer, Portrait of Colonel John Bullock, failed to find a buyer, according to Christie's website. It had been expected to fetch between 3.5 and 5 million pounds.

Overall, the old master and British paintings evening auction raised 49.9 million pounds including fees, versus pre-sale expectations of 49.5 to 74.2 million pounds excluding fees.

A Magic Hospital volunteer plays with kids suffering from congenital heart disease at Beijing Huaxin Hospital. Provided to China Daily

An organization offers the right dose of laughter to treat children with terminal diseases or other disadvantages. Laura Nichols reports.

Every day he wakes up is a miracle. When 2-year-old orphan Xiao Xiao was admitted to Beijing Huaxin Hospital's pediatric cardiac ward, his skin was blue. Doctors performed life-saving surgery to reverse the effects of his pulmonary disorder. But every day spent in the hospital is a reminder of his congenital heart disease.

That is, except for the days when Magic Hospital volunteers arrive, armed with candy, books and games.

At one recent play session, initially shy children soon start laughing and interacting with the volunteers and the other children. By the end of the day, the only tears shed were for the volunteers - whom the children didn't want to see go.

Two-year-old Cong Cong's laughter turned into cries when the volunteers stepped into the elevator to leave.

The more outgoing Rui Rui, 5, tells the volunteers he looks forward to his new friends' return. He says he is most excited "to tell a story again".

At such sessions, children's stories are pantomimed, colorful pictures are drawn and games are played. This spurs competition among the children to see who will be the next to win a coveted lollipop.

Shrieks of laughter coming from the sunlit room give every indication these children have something in common - something more than their love of candy or their matching smocks.

Every child has a congenital heart disease. Some are recovering from life-saving surgeries at Huaxin Hospital.

Magic Hospital volunteers make no mention of any conditions the children might have, however severe they might be. They are like any other children, allowed to shed - even if only for an afternoon - the constant reminder of what keeps them in the hospital.

Magic Hospital is the driving force behind bringing smiles to children, whether they have disabilities, live in an orphanage or are at-risk. It has engaged 18,000 children in Beijing and the surrounding area in the last two years, Storytelling program coordinator Morgan Hutchinson says.

Frenchwoman Claudia Vogg, who wanted more emphasis placed on children's programs, started Magic Hospital in 2003. The China-based organization also runs programs in France, volunteer communications coordinator Maggie Hicks says.

Magic Hospital has developed ways for anyone anywhere to better children's lives - whether through directly interacting with the children, joining such activities as the Storytelling program or donating money.

Hutchinson says making a difference in children's lives is "so important", especially because they often don't have anyone else.

The flagship program in China is what essentially gave Magic Hospital its name, Hutchinson says.

In the Clowns & Co project, a clown travels around hospitals to perform magic for pediatric patients. The program has since expanded to include other events, such as outdoor days or the Abracadabra program that grants wishes to terminally ill children.

The nonprofit organization is always looking for more volunteers.

"We really believe that 'laughter is the best medicine'," Hutchinson says. "If we can make them happy, then we can help them in every aspect of their lives."

First-time volunteer Yu Zhouying says she came across the Magic Hospital website when she was looking for a way to make a difference. Not only is she very happy with the decision to join but also plans to continue with her efforts, she says.

"It's so fun," the 24-year-old second-year graduate student says.

"They're responding well."

She says the children are warming up to her and her 24-year-old partner, Pei Wei.

"They didn't talk a lot before," Yu says.

She explains there are reminders of misfortune everywhere but that is not something children diagnosed with terminal diseases need as a constant in their lives. They need to be able to have fun and be treated like they are no different from any other child, she believes. If she can bring them happiness, then she is happy, she says.

"Although these kids are (diagnosed with) severe diseases, they act so excited (and love) playing games and being told stories," Yu says.

"It makes me feel my work is not about helping someone in trouble but simply about having fun with them."

Dr Tong Xiaoling, a resident in Huaxin Hospital's pediatric cardiac ward, says some patients are admitted immediately after birth. Sometimes, the ward's 44 beds aren't enough to accommodate all of the patients, many of whom are orphans.

Some children have traveled from other parts of the country because their heart diseases are too complex for other hospitals to treat. While more than 50 percent of patients are cured through life-saving surgery, Tong says some patients are admitted too late, because their symptoms were previously undetectable.

There is something "more meaningful" in curing babies, he believes. The support from Magic Hospital volunteers gives the young patients a much-needed boost, he says.

Tong says the interactions with volunteers are good for the children - especially for the orphans, who don't normally receive any extra care.

Time spent with the volunteers does more than repair what surgery did, it cures the emotional scars that diseases leave in a child's heart. "You need patience," he says. "If there's no love in your heart - forget it."

The study looked at the risk of pulmonary embolism - blood clots in the lungs that typically arise from a vein constriction in the legs - among 69,950 female nurses over an 18-year period.

Previous research has highlighted a number of factors for this condition, including age, immobility on long-haul flights, obesity, smoking and hypertension.

The new research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle can be added to the list.

The risk more than doubled in women who spent more than 41 hours a week sitting down outside the workplace compared to those who were seated for less than 10 hours per week.

Results held even after age, weight and tobacco consumption were taken into account.

The study, published online by the British Medical Journal, is led by Christopher Kabrhel at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Researchers point out that the mean age of the women studied was 55, leaving open the question of whether younger women would be subject to the same risks.

A major review of previously published research by a committee of experts from Britain, the United States and Sweden concluded there was no convincing evidence of any cancer connection.

It also found a lack of established biological mechanisms by which radio signals from mobile phones might trigger tumors.

"Although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults," the experts write in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The latest paper comes just two months after the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) decided cell phone use should be classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

Anthony Swerdlow of Britain's Institute of Cancer Research, who led the new review, says the two positions were not necessarily contradictory, since the IARC needed to put mobile phones into a pre-defined risk category.

"We are trying to say in plain English what we believe the relationship is. They (IARC) were trying to classify the risk according to a pre-set classification system," Swerdlow says.

Other things deemed by the IARC to be possibly carcinogenic include items as diverse as lead, pickled vegetables and coffee.

Mobile phone use has risen hugely since the early 1980s, with nearly 5 billion handsets in use today, and controversy about their potential link to the main types of brain tumor, glioma and meningioma, has never been far away.

The largest study to date, published in 2010, looked at almost 13,000 mobile phone users over 10 years.

Swerdlow and colleagues analyzed its results in detail but concluded it gave no clear answer and had several methodological problems, since it was based on interviews and asked subjects to recall phone use going back several years.

Significantly, other studies from several countries have shown no indication of increases in brain tumors up to 20 years after the introduction of mobile phones and 10 years after their use became widespread, they add.

Proving an absence of association is always far harder in science than finding one, and Swerdlow says it should become much clearer over the next few years whether or not there was any plausible link.

"This is a really difficult issue to research," says David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study.

"But even given the limitations of the evidence, this report is clear that any risk appears to be so small that it is very hard to detect - even in the masses of people now using mobile phones."

Swerdlow is chairman of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection's Standing Committee on Epidemiology. The commission is the international body, recognized by the WHO, that constructs guidelines for exposure limits for non-ionizing radiation.

Since mobile phones have become such a key part of daily life, industry experts say a health threat is unlikely to stop people using them.

Gerontologist Aubrey de Grey believes stem cell technology and other innovations could radically prolong our lives.

Gabrielle Auzero is one of the 13,000-odd centenarians living in France. People aged 100 and over are the fastest-growing demographic in the world. Provided to China Daily

If Aubrey de Grey's predictions are right, the first person who will live to see his 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.

A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, De Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to "cure" aging - banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely.

"I'd say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I'd call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so," De Grey said in an interview before delivering a lecture at Britain's Royal Institution academy of science.

"And what I mean by decisive is the same sort of medical control that we have over most infectious diseases today."

De Grey sees a time when people will go to their doctors for regular "maintenance", which by then will include gene therapies, stem cell therapies, immune stimulation and a range of other advanced medical techniques to keep them in good shape.

De Grey lives near Cambridge University where he won his doctorate in 2000 and is chief scientific officer of the non-profit California-based SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) Foundation, which he co-founded in 2009.

He describes aging as the lifelong accumulation of various types of molecular and cellular damage throughout the body.

"The idea is to engage in what you might call preventative geriatrics, where you go in to periodically repair that molecular and cellular damage before it gets to the level of abundance that is pathogenic," he explains.

Exactly how far and how fast life expectancy will increase in the future is a subject of some debate, but the trend is clear. An average of three months is being added to life expectancy every year at the moment and experts estimate there could be a million centenarians across the world by 2030.

To date, the world's longest-living person on record lived to 122 and in Japan alone there were more than 44,000 centenarians in 2010.

Some researchers say, however, that the trend toward longer life-span may falter due to an epidemic of obesity now spilling over from rich nations into the developing world.

De Grey's ideas may seem far-fetched, but $20,000 offered in 2005 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review journal for any molecular biologist who showed that De Grey's SENS theory was "so wrong that it was unworthy of learned debate" was never won.

The judges on that panel were prompted into action by an angry put-down of De Grey from a group of nine leading scientists who dismissed his work as "pseudo science".

They concluded that this label was not fair, arguing instead that SENS "exists in a middle ground of yet-to-be-tested ideas that some people may find intriguing but which others are free to doubt".

For some, the prospect of living for hundreds of years is not particularly attractive, either, as it conjures up an image of generations of sick, weak old people and societies increasingly less able to cope.

But De Grey says that's not what he's working for. Keeping the killer diseases of old age at bay is the primary focus.

"This is absolutely not a matter of keeping people alive in a bad state of health," he says. "This is about preventing people from getting sick as a result of old age. The particular therapies that we are working on will only deliver long life as a side effect of delivering better health."

De Grey divides the damage caused by aging into seven main categories for which repair techniques need to be developed if his prediction for continual maintenance is to come true.

He notes that while for some categories, the science is still in its earliest stages, there are others where it's already almost there.

"Stem cell therapy is a big part of this. It's designed to reverse one type of damage, namely the loss of cells when cells die and are not automatically replaced, and it's already in clinical trials (in humans)," he says.

Stem cell therapies are currently being trialed in people with spinal cord injuries, and De Grey and others say they may one day be used to find ways to repair disease-damaged brains and hearts.

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's biggest age-related killers and De Grey says there is a long way to go on these though researchers have figured out the path to follow.

Heart diseases that cause heart failure, heart attacks and strokes are brought about by the accumulation of certain types of what De Grey calls "molecular garbage" - byproducts of the body's metabolic processes - which our bodies are not able to break down or excrete.

"The garbage accumulates inside the cell, and eventually it gets in the way of the cell's workings," he says.

De Grey is working with colleagues in the United States to identify enzymes in other species that can break down the garbage and clean out the cells - and the aim then is to devise genetic therapies to give this capability to humans.

"If we could do that in the case of certain modified forms of cholesterol which accumulate in cells of the artery wall, then we simply would not get cardiovascular disease," he says.

De Grey is reluctant to make firm predictions about how long people will be able to live in future, but he does say that with each major advance in longevity, scientists will buy more time to make yet more scientific progress.

In his view, this means that the first person who will live to 1,000 is likely to be born less than 20 years after the first person to reach 150.

"I call it longevity escape velocity - where we have a sufficiently comprehensive panel of therapies to enable us to push back the ill health of old age faster than time is passing. And that way, we buy ourselves enough time to develop more therapies further as time goes on," he says.

"What we can actually predict in terms of how long people will live is absolutely nothing, because it will be determined by the risk of death from other causes like accidents," he says.

"But there really shouldn't be any limit imposed by how long ago you were born. The whole point of maintenance is that it works indefinitely."

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Zou Jiyu]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Zou Jiyu]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Na Lei]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Zou Jiyu]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Na Lei]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Zou Jiyu]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Wang Dui]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Na Lei]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Na Lei]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Na Lei]

The first part of the series is fully packed with pictures of Tibet's landmark structure—Potala Palace. The photos taken by three photographers, who are each connected with Tibet in their own way, capture the centuries-old world heritage in different moods and weather conditions. [Photo by Wang Dui]

Tourists enjoy cherry blossom during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 26, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

A woman enjoys cherry blossom during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 26, 2011.[Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists take boats to enjoy cherry blossom during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 26, 2011.[Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy cherry blossom during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 26, 2011.[Photo/Xinhua]

Visitors take photos of the cherry blossom during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 26, 2011.[Photo/Xinhua]

Non-Chinese diners often complain that there are few decent desserts to end the day after finishing off a fabulous Chinese meal. While it's true that dessert is not the highlight on most Chinese menus, there are certainly lots of choices for modern and more traditional Chinese-style desserts available here, and now.

An American friend, Kim Murch, had this to say about the traditional Cantonese tongsui or "sweet soup".

"When you're not brought up eating hot soupy desserts, it's hard to get used to them. They are tasty, but they don't feel like you're eating dessert in the cake, pie or ice cream sense."

Still, they are a nice way to round off a good meal, or can be eaten as a snack. Some purport to have medicinal properties and health benefits, so maybe you're also doing your body some good by ingesting some of these sweet soupy creations.

On the menu at Lung King Heen, a Michelin three-star Cantonese restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, they have a walnut cream listed. Murch's husband, Tim, took this to mean that it would be some walnut-based dessert with whipped cream. He was a little surprised, and perhaps a bit disappointed, when the dessert was served in a small soup bowl and was in fact a hot bowl of creamy sweet walnut soup.

According to my mother, walnuts are thought to resemble the brain, and thus, good for nourishing the brain.

The popularity of tongsui in Hong Kong has not diminished in recent years. Take Ching Ching Dessert, opened in 1993 in a narrow shop space by Tin Hau MTR station. It has been serving classic Chinese desserts such as black sesame and sweet tofu (known as the "black and white"), glutinous rice dumplings filled with black sesame paste served in a sweet ginger soup, and more modern desserts such as the mixed fruit sago soup.

Ching Ching has grown to fill a much larger shop space now, but it is still incredibly popular with queues outside the shop late in the evening. My favorite is still the traditional sweet potato in sweet ginger soup. It's something I grew up with and crave every so often.

Nearby on Tsing Fung Street, the newer Auntie Sweet shop has also attracted a loyal following. I'm told that if you like durian, this is the place to go for durian desserts. The durian sweetened tofu comes highly recommended. I'm a big durian fan, but if durian is not your thing, there is a large selection of less odorous fruits available. A few people have said that the passion-fruit mousse with mango is something they didn't expect to like as much as they did. Sweet, tart, fruity, and creamy, it is definitely a hit.

Honeymoon Dessert was originally a small shop opened in Sai Kung by a group of friends. The most well-known dessert at Honeymoon is mango cream with sago and pomelo, but for many, this was the original place to go for durian desserts. In fact, the shop was divided into durian and non-durian eating areas. They now have shops located all over Hong Kong.

Expect to spend between HK$20-40 ($2.57-5.13) per person at any one of these dessert shops.

The 20th cherry blossom festival in Yuyuantan Park will be held starting from March 22 to the end of April.

Best time to watch: March 22 until the end of April

Admission: 10 yuan

Address: in the middle part by the western third ring road, opposite of the CCTV tower. Take Bus 37, 121, 846 to the North Gate; Bus 32, 414, 617 to the South Gate; Bus 323, 368, 374, 394 to the West Gate; or Bus 114, 320, 717, 727 to the East Gate.

Magnolia at the Xinhua Gate [Photo/sina.com]

The amazing scenery does not always charge a fee. If you are seeking such places in the capital city of Beijing, just keep a close eye along Changan Street, the longest street in Beijing and you may well be captivated by dozens of elegant magnolias stretching their branches out of Xinhua Gate.

Best time to watch: end of March

Admission: free

How to get there: take subway to Tiananmen West station, walk west.

Magnolia at Dajue Temple [Photo/sina.com]

The magnolias at Dajue Temple in Beijing's western suburbs is widely known for its charming colors and smells. One of the magnolia trees, said to be transported from Sichuan, is famous for its large petals and inviting smells. During the Qianlong period (1736- 1796) of the Qing dynasty, the abbot of Dajue Temple died in Sichuan, and left a will to bring this flower to the capital. Since then the tree has an age of more than 300 years, renowned as the oldest of the magnolias in Beijing, and because of the location on a mountain, the blooming period of the magnolia in Dajue Temple is around 10 days later than the rest of the city. Flowers will bloom in early April and the blossom will last for about one week or longer in sunny days.

Best watching time: April 2 until April 9

Admission: 20 yuan

How to get there: bus 346, 903, or a tourist coach.

Peach at Beijing Botanic Garden [Photo/sina.com]

Here visitors can enjoy tens of thousands of peach blossoms varying in more than 70 brands. Besides the classic brands, the highlight will be the first manual cross breed brand solely produced by the Botanic Gardens. At the scenic attraction on the foot of Fragrant Hill, tourists can enjoy a fragrant and jolly tour amidst peach blossoms.

Best time to watch: March 22 until May 11

Admission: 10 yuan

How to get there: bus 634, 360, 331, 318, 737, 733.

Clove at Temple of Heaven [Photo: sina.com]

This top tourist attraction has got another reason to pay a second visit, as it's the largest area of clove trees in the capital city. In the west of Qiniandian, or the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, there is a clove wood taking up 6,300 sqm, with 240 clusters of clove trees with a history of 50 years. The aroma of the clove is believed to have the function of relaxing oneself and delighting the hearts.

Best time to watch: middle until late April

Admission: 15 yuan

How to get there: take bus 6, 15, 17, 20, 35, 120, 122, 803 and get off at Tiantan.

Clove at Fayuan Temple [Photo/sina.com]

Clusters of cloves are seen everywhere in Beijing's Fayuan Temple, from the front to the rear courtyard. Clovers here feature diverse brands from at home and abroad, as well as in multiple colors. Many former celebrities and masters of literature have paid visits to the temple before.

Best time to watch: middle April until early May

Admission: 5 yuan

How to get there: take bus 109, 105, 743, 57 to Niujie or Jiaozi hutong. It's in the east of the bus stop.

Clove at Jietai Temple [Photo/mtgtours.com]

Clove tree is one of the most precious plants in Jietai Temple. There are 1,100 clove trees, 20 of which are 200 years old. Jietai Temple boasts of being one of the oldest clove trees in Beijing.

Best time to watch: April 15 until May 15

Admission: 35 yuan

How to get there: take subway to the west end Pingguoyuan station, and transfer to bus 931.

Peony at Jingshan Park [Photo/sina.com]

Peony is popular for its elegance and grace. Jingshan Park is known for its diverse collection of peony in 150 brands, covering eight color series and nine flower shapes.

Best time to watch: April 18 until late May

Admission: 5 yuan

How to get there: bus 5, 60, 111, 101, 812. It's near the Imperial Palace.

Chinese flowering crabapple: Prince Gong's Mansion [Photo/sina.com]

The flower of the crabapple is considered to be the queen of all flowers by many Chinese, and it is bestowed with very good meanings for luck and fortune.

Consisting of large mansions in the typical Qing dynasty residence layout and gardens, Prince Gong's Mansion is known as one of the most ornate and extravagant residence compounds in Beijing.

Best time to watch: from early March

Admission: 20 yuan

How to get there: bus 13, 107, 111, 118,850.

Chinese Flowering Crabapple at Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Park [Photo/sina.com]

This park boasts of having the largest area of Chinese crabapple trees. Every spring, the annual flower festival draws hoards of visitors to appreciate sculptures, pavilions and murals among the aroma of crabapple flowers.

With a length of 9 kilometers (6.6 miles), the Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Park is divided into two parts connected by six bridges.

Best time to watch: March to April

Admission: free

How to get there: bus 392, 375, 902, 22, 38, 331.

Tulip at Sun Yat-Sen Park [Photo/sina.com]

The tulip exhibition in Sun Yat-sen Park features tens of thousands of tulips arranged in various themes.

Best time to watch: April 15 until May 10

Admission: 10 yuan

How to get there: take bus 1, 4,5, 10 and get off at Tiananmen West.

Apricot Flower at Phoenix Valley [Photo/sina.com]

The Phoenix Valley in Beijing's western suburbs will reach its prime season since pink apricot flowers grow and spread across the whole valley.

Best time to watch: April 1 until 10

Admission: 25 yuan

How to get there: bus 346.

Apricot Flower at Badaling Great Wall [Photo/sina.com]

Apricot flowers bloom around the Tomb Sweeping Festival, and last only 10 days. The complicated climate and geographic situation at Badaling makes the blooming period different in various sections. After apricot flowers, other flowers succeed with blooming, rendering a colorful great wall coated in floral springs.

Best time to watch: April

How to get there: take bus 919 at Deshengmen, or take a tourist coach at the Tiananmen tourist center.

The ruins of Guge Kingdom look quite mysterious against blue sky. [Photo:Sina.com.cn]

The ruins of Guge Kingdom look quite mysterious against blue sky. [Photo:Sina.com.cn]

Firewood was widely used by people in the Guge Kingdom to fight off the cold winters brought by the high elevation. Some smoke stains can still be seen on ceiling in the ruins.

Most of the sculptures are gold or silver Buddhist statues, among which the best one is a statue called "Guge Silver Eye" (Yinyan in Chinese). The kingdom's intricate murals are preserved in good condition, despite being hundreds of years old. The murals depict almost every aspect of ancient Guge society.

Guge Kingdom remains a mystery waiting to be explored, but the secrets of the ancient kingdom may never be recovered.

The murals inside the castle are preserved in good condition, although they are hundreds of years old. [Photo:Sina.com.cn]

The ancient Guge Kingdom disappeared mysteriously overnight and only the ruins left, telling its stories to millions of tourists. [Photo:Sina.com.cn]

Xinyide Baiyeju's signature dish, traditional Beijing-style hotpot with tripe, or baiye, that is briefly blanched. Ye Jun / China Daily

Chinese cuisine is known for its innovation, especially when it comes to the off-cuts of meat.

Many expatriates in Beijing may gaze upon a plate of beef tripe with great misgiving, but what they are looking at is probably one of the best-known signature dishes of the capital.

Baiye, the inner part of the beef stomach, is used in a popular specialty known as baodu, flash-poached tripe served with a sesame-paste sauce.

Given its reputation, I had still to be convinced that it can be delicious. The tripe I had tried was either too hard, or tasteless. That impression changed, finally, when a friend invited me to a restaurant named after the food - Xinyide Baiyeju (House of Baiye).

The restaurant offers mostly traditional Beijing-style hotpots, and tripe or baiye is their signature dish. Baiye literally means "hundred leaves" referring to the multiple layers of the tripe. There are two kinds offered here, the everyday variety at 26 yuan ($4) a plate, and a specialty plate at 28 yuan a plate, both with 300 grams of tripe.

The tripe is dipped into the hotpot for no more than 10 seconds and is fantastically tender and crisp, eaten with the sesame dip. According to the restaurant owner, the secret is that the tripe is freshly prepared, within 24 hours.

While waiting for the big bronze hotpot to come to a rolling boil, there are appetizers to while away the time. Tender turnip slivers are crisp and fresh, while the smashed cucumber batons soak up a tart and tasty dressing. The white-boiled lamb head cold cut is another winner.

Besides the specialty tripe, the restaurant offers a selection of fresh and frozen beef or lamb, shaved into wafer rolls. An indicator of the quality of the meat is the lack of foam floating in the cooking broth; the resulting base soup is very clear.

Other good options to go with the hotpot are frozen bean curd, enoki mushrooms and green vegetables. After that, get a plate of nice, warm sugar cakes for dessert.

The restaurant, like many others in the capital, is facing a shortage of staff and if you arrive at the peak hours, service may be slow. The menu is only in Chinese, but everything is illustrated in color and visitors can still point their way to a good meal.

The average bill is 60 yuan a person.

Longjing Manor offers traditional home-cooked dishes, served with Longjing, the dragon well tea, from which it takes its name. Provided to China Daily

Nestled by the banks of the West Lake is a place where au naturel is the keyword.

Longjing Manor by the West Lake in Hangzhou is not the first restaurant to advocate and serve "natural food", and it will not be the last, as healthy eating trends bloom across the country.

But for its thorough pursuit of "eating in accordance with the season and regional produce", Longjing is to be applauded.

This quaint and secluded complex has no main dining room, and its eight private rooms can accommodate no more than 80 at one seating. Everything served, from the appetizing soy milk drink to the signature scrambled eggs with chives to the vegetable juices, is guaranteed "natural" and untainted by chemicals or artificial flavorings.

"We believe the essence of the delicacy lies in the preservation of the original taste of the raw ingredient," says Dai Jianjun, the owner of Longjing Manor. Dai styles himself a custodian of traditional Chinese culinary culture.

To deliver the "taste of the raw ingredient", Dai makes it a rule that all food must be sourced from the farm instead of the local market, so the vegetables and rice are free of pesticides, livestock are reared without hormones, and even the cooking oil is home-pressed.

As a result, everything here tastes fresh and pristine. Most of the dishes are culled from Chinese home-cooking, like red-braised belly pork, stir-fried vegetables and chicken soup.

But Zhu Yinfeng, chef of the restaurant, describes working at Longjing as a "mission impossible" not unlike "undergoing a rehab program".

"I have to keep telling myself that it's OK not to use monosodium glutamate or other artificial flavorings considered indispensable in the industry. It's so hard that, at first, my hands were simply out of control. I worried constantly that diners would find my food tasteless," Zhu recalls.

"Luckily, the response was good," he says. Zhu now spends his time outside the kitchen tending to his bee hives for honey, learning about different kinds of vegetables in the field and making home-pressed camellia tea-seed oil.

At Longjing Manor, patrons are more than welcome in the kitchen, or on the farm where the ingredients are sourced, to supervise or to experience the whole process of preparing their meal.

The minimum charge for a meal set at Longjing is 1,600 yuan ($243), and there is no a la carte menu.

Customers make a call and indicate how much they are prepared to spend, and the kitchen sends out the buyers. The more you pay, the more luxurious the ingredients used in the meal.

"Customers can name what they want to eat, or how they want it cooked when making reservations so our buyers can source them from the countryside in advance. But again, it must be seasonal and regional, because we believe that's the healthy and natural way to eat, just as our ancestors did for thousands of years," Dai says.

Ingredients:

1 quantity basic foccacio dough

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

Sea salt

Olive oil

Method:

1. Spread out basic dough on oiled baking tray into a rough rectangle and poke out dimples with your fingers.

2. Scatter the rosemary on top, and add the garlic. Press some of the rosemary and garlic deep into the dimples.

3. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the dough and drizzle olive oil generously over the dough.

4. Bake in a 200 C oven for 15 to 20 minutes until foccacio is nicely browned.

Recipe | Foccacio buns

Ingredients:

1 quantity basic foccacio dough

1 egg, beaten

Your choice of filling (*see Food Notes)

Method:

1. Divide the dough into six to eight pieces.

2. Take a piece of dough and press it into a round with the heel of your hand.

3. Place a mound of filling in the center and pinch edges together tightly, making sure there are no leaks.

4. Turn the bun upside-down so crimped edges are tucked away underneath.

5. Place on a papered baking tray. Brush beaten egg over the top of the buns.

6. Bake in a hot 200 C oven for about 20 minutes. Five minutes before the buns are ready, give them another glaze of beaten egg. (You can also use honey or sugar and water as a glaze if you are using a sweet filling.)

Food notes:

This is a great way to use up over-ripe fruit or left-over chicken. My favorite savory filling is left-over chicken curry and I'll mash up the potatoes and de-bone the chicken. Mushroom and chicken stew is great, too, and I have even used chopped up vegetable stir-fry.

For sweet fillings, you may want to try skinned and diced peaches sweetened with honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Add a few soaked raisins for variety. When persimmons are in season, I like using a pulp made from very ripe fruit, seasoned with a pinch of ginger. Even a spoonful of thick jam or fruit preserves works well. Just make sure the filling is not too runny or you get a rather messy oven if it leaks.

Recipe | Roasted tomato foccacio

Ingredients:

1 quantity basic foccacio dough

300 g cherry tomatoes

Sea salt

Olive oil

Method:

1. Wash and drain the cherry tomatoes and squeeze each slightly so the pulp and juices leak out. (You don't want the juices or the tomatoes will take forever to dry.)

2. Spread out the cherry tomatoes on a well-oiled baking tray and then allow them to dry in a low 150 C oven for about 40 minutes to an hour. While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare the dough.

3. Spread out basic dough on an oiled baking tray into a rough rectangle and poke out dimples with your fingers.

4. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and arrange them on the dough, pressing them down well. If the tomatoes are oily enough, you won't need to add extra olive oil.

5. Sprinkle sea salt evenly and bake in a 200 C oven for 15 to 20 minutes until foccacio is golden and the cherry tomatoes are lightly caramelized.

Take pleasure in the warmth of a cosy night with Park Hyatt Beijing’s Comfort and Joy weekend package. Make a booking at the Awaken at the Park rate and arrive on Friday or Saturday to receive a 50% discount on the room rate for the second night.

The Comfort and Joy weekend package includes:

·Complimentary daily breakfast for two people 
·Enjoy a 20% discount on Tian Spa treatments or a personal training class (not applicable for Spa products) 
·Complimentary entrance to XIU on weekend nights during the stay 
·Welcome amenity (a bottle of red wine and two home-made cup cakes) 
·Complimentary DVD rental 
·1,000 Gold Passport bonus points per stay

This promotion is available until 28 February 2011 for arrivals on Fridays or Saturdays only. For reservations, please call the Reservations Department on +86 10 85671818 or visit hyatt.com. A minimum stay of two consecutive nights is required. Reservations are subject to availability and must be made in advance. Guests must quote offer code BEI328 at the time of reservation and pay the Awaken at the Park rate. All rates are per night and are subject to a 15% service charge.

As thick as thieves or perhaps the Three Musketeers, Japanese mainstay Hatsune stands guard over twin sister restaurants Kagen and Kagen Teppanyaki located directly below in He Qiao Mansion's basement. With just a discreetly-lit Kagen symbol out on the street and no signs on the stairwell, first-time diners are easily identified by their puzzled glances and furtive whispers. Impress your date or new business partner with a smoother entrance; simple swipe your hand over the red laser lights to one side of the door and it will magically open, 007-style. You’re in.

Follow the winding corridor and head left for Kagen, self-proclaimed specialist in Japanese yaki niku (BBQ) and shabu shabu (hot pot). In terms of décor, industrial chic is the name of the game; the exposed red pipes, stainless steel tables and a black granite floor make the restaurant look rather like a trendy war bunker. It is pleasantly unfussy and modern, although like traveling on the subway, perhaps not necessarily your first choice on a sunny afternoon.

The centre of each table contains a hole all ready to receive a steaming bowl of hot pot soup or toasty coals and a silver grill rack depending on your choice of dinner. We opted for the latter, and the table was quickly covered with an appetising-looking spread of raw veg and seaweed slices (for wrapping), strips of tender beef rib ‘kal-bi’ (RMB 88) miso marinated steak (RMB 55), and skillfully executed prawn skewers wrapped in chicken skin (RMB 55). Each table is assigned its own BBQ-er, and while I can’t speak for the whole team, our waitress was wonderful – every morsel was cooked efficiently and to absolute perfection, and she couldn’t have been more helpful in advising us on the best spices and sauces to use from the provided selection for maximum gastronomic pleasure.

There is also a decent selection of separate dishes for those not tempted by the BBQ or hot pot options. Shredded tuna salad (RMB 38) is a generous portion of softened kidney beans, cabbage strips, sliced tomato and marinated tuna fillet – healthy and satisfying. Kagen’s most popular dish, deep fried bacon & cheese roll (RMB 45) is as comforting and tasty as it sounds and the golden pin mushrooms in cream centre, while certainly not elegant to eat, is an ingenious touch for all-out indulgence. More delicate is duck breast rolled with gobo root (RMB 48), whose smoky taste and tender texture had my Chinese colleague swooning.

To turn your night from gastronomic blow-out to full-on party try one of Kagen’s six signature cocktails. The Long Island Iced Tea (RMB 45) has a nice twist of freshly squeezed lemon that cuts through the plethora of alcohol, while the fruity red Cosmo (RMB 38), which comes garnished with a maraschino cherry, is somehow both sexy and cute. For ‘designated drivers’, there is an extensive section of delicious fruity concoctions including Pussy Foot (RMB 28) – a delectable mix of apple, orange, grapefruit and pineapple juice with egg white and grenadine.

Kagen is one of those rare restaurants that live up to its PR hype; as promised it delivers an eclectic menu of well cooked and exquisitely presented food in a clean, modern environment. It is a rare customer that leaves disappointed.

Location

B1/F, Tower C, Heqiao Mansion, A8 Guanghua East Road, Chaoyang District, // 北京朝阳区光华东路甲8号和乔大厦C座地下1层

Service quality:

very good

Food quality:

very good

Price per head (RMB):

100-300

Environment:

very good

Feature dish or menu:

Deep fried bacon & cheese roll，Duck breast rolled with gobo root

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

A truly memorable night – attractive environment, well-presented and prepared food paired with fine wines, supported by great service.

BFIC was extremely fortunate to have been invited to a fabulous promotional Wine Maker’s Gourmet Dinner at the Basilico Trattoria & Grill in the new Intercontinental Shanghai Expo Hotel. This night was truly memorable – glamorous environment, succulent, well-presented food perfectly paired with impeccable wines, and supported by friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive (but not lurking) service. The restaurant is very tastefully decorated with lots of dark wood, leather chairs, gleaming display cases of over 2,000 bottles of vintage wines and Italian cold cuts. The restaurant also offers three private dining rooms, a balcony, and an incredible view of the colorful Nanpu Bridge. Yet, perhaps one of the most striking elements which brought the whole dining experience together is the brick and tile decorated open kitchen and round wood-fired pizza oven placed in the middle of the main dining area. These elements really enhance the feeling of eating a home cooked meal in a classic Italian kitchen.

The night began with the guests being greeted at the restaurant entrance with a glass of the New Zealand Auntsfield Long Cow Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (213RMB). This light and refreshing wine was a delightful and appropriate aperitif with a clean and crisp taste of berries and citric fruits, leaving our appetite eager for more.

Shortly afterwards, the guests were invited to indulge in the Welcome Antipasti self-service counter, comprised of a smorgasbord of delicious classic antipasti. The selection included various classic Prosciutto (Italian cold cuts) such as velvety soft, nearly transparent slices of slightly smoked Parma ham and Spanish Iberico ham, which was also sliced wafer thin but still maintained a meaty chewiness with a well-balanced hint of salt. Also on offer were some assorted seafood dishes such as melt-in-your-mouth seasoned smoked salmon and a garlic-rich tuna puree and white bean salad. The antipasti bar was with a variety of house preserved vegetables, including succulent marinated artichoke hearts, plump and tender sun-dried tomatoes, marinated Italian olives, well-aged crumbly parmesan cheese, and a selection of breads. Everything was so tasty that I required incredible self-discipline to not indulge in a return trip for a second portion, so as to leave enough room for the five more courses to soon follow.

The next course after the antipasti was seared scallops with Romano artichokes accompanied by a celeriac Sambuca sauce. The scallops were substantial and the sauce was a creamy concentrate of root vegetables. This first seafood course was well paired with the crisp, clean, intense pure stone fruit palate and the subtle sweet French Oak aroma of the Auntsfield Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2008 (306 RMB).

The pasta dish was a portion of three plump lobster raviolis wrapped by a light and tender skin in a spicy chili seafood broth accompanied with garlic buttered grilled scampi. The broth had a fresh, subtle fishy taste without being too fishy and its flavors were highly complemented by an Auntsfield Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (306 RMB). This Reserve vintage is a truly unique New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, oak aged for over 12 months for a full nose with a smooth, well-balanced, clean taste with just enough acidity to make the mouth water.

The I Secondi or main course of this incredible Tuscan dining experience, was Osso buco (slow braised Australian veal shank) on saffron Gremolate risotto paired with an Auntsfield Heritage Pinot Noir 2007 (982 RMB). This wine was truly special for several reasons, starting with its remarkable taste. The pairing of this wine was well chosen given the light, complex flavors of the Osso buco complemented by the complex and deep berries and slightly-leathery tongue of the Pinot. Another element making this a memorable wine is that a small percent of their 1905 vintage is blended in! Only 2,000 bottles were produced and each bottle is numbered with a Pewter neck seal and an embossed Pewter label is hand applied to each bottle.

The 2nd entree served was melt-in-the-mouth grilled Australian wagyu beef tenderloin with a dark porcini mushroom sauce, roasted rosemary baby potatoes, and arugula salad. The tenderloin cut like butter and the chosen Grade 5 wagyu balances enough marble to enhance the taste with enough fiber to remember that you are eating steak. This course was paired with a powerful, yet not over-powering, Australian Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz 2006 (480 RMB). The luscious sweet berry fruit, well integrated oak, fine silky tannins, and opulent aromas of dark plum, prunes and mocha with spice undertones of this top Pertaringa Shiraz ideally complemented the meaty steak juices and the deep, concentrated porcini sauce.

Rounding out the evening was a sampling of a remarkably semi-soft and creamy Taleggio DOP cheese served with a slice of full-grained, crusty, raisin bread, home-made tomato chutney framed by an aesthetically pleasing streak of toasted pine nuts. A semi-sweet, sparkling Australian Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2009 (168 RMB / 375ml) well complemented the sweet tang of the fruity, sticky chutney and the raisins in the bread.

In summary, I couldn’t ask for a more satisfying experience. Great food paired with great wine was served by professional staff. Enjoying all of this in a stylish and comfortable environment offering amazing views of the Huangpu River and Nanpu Bridge was truly like a dream come true.

Location

1188 Xueye Road, Pudong //世博洲际酒店内，上海浦东雪野路1188号 Tel:+86 (0)21 3858 -1188

Service quality:

excellent

Food quality:

excellent

Price per head (RMB):

200-300

Environment:

excellent

Feature dish or menu:

Pizza, pasta, and home style authentic dishes

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

At the Fizztastic Brunch, you are able to indulge in impeccable seafood, immaculate Portuguese food, traditional Chinese, and adventurous additions of Costa Rican cuisine. All of it is made from the freshest of ingredients and the Tattinger champagne enh

ances each flavor, with spritely jovial caresses.

Indeed the Fizztastic Brunch should be renowned for its superb grilled chicken, mouth watering dumplings and fresh soft heavenly cheeses. At the Fizztastic Brunch, the true feeling of brunch culture can be experienced as you savor delicious specialties right like home-made pastas, marinated steaks, fresh sashimi, tangy cold salads, grilled cod fish, and numerous wheeled stations of surprises. It will make you want to certainly go back for more.

Yet the Fizztastic Brunch has even been able to top itself, making last year’s brunch looking comely. The taste of their lobsters will amaze you! Choice lobsters that are deliciously sweet and succulent, light and airy, and delicate on the tongue.

It’s also hairy crab season, and Fizztastic doesn’t spare any expense. Their crab is downright fun, getting your hands smeared with bright orange roe, crunching, sucking and spitting through the claws and shells of one of the China’s favorite crustacean. Their steamed crabs are a gorgeous shade of vermilion, and its meat inside the crab shell is savored too greedily. Good, flavorful chunks of meat with the sweet, fragrant taste and freshness coming through loud and clear.

It is hard to find any dish at Fizztastic that doesn’t blend complexity with moist precision. The soups are subtle yet sophisticated classics, the Chinese section included textured tofu and crackling duck and relatively common fried rice dishes turned into something else.

Their western section still features their famous, eagerly anticipated grilled Portuguese chorizo, savory and not too rich, and shrimp Angola style that is tart yet spicy. The grilled sandwiches are equally wonderful with onions and peppers, and smoked meats.

The various steaks, pork, and lambs are beautiful plump portions cooked to perfection. The poached eggs looked like they were wrapped in tissue paper, and the salmon is fresh and moist. The various side dishes add to all the flavors on the plate. You won’t believe how much you’ll eat, and there is still the grand finale of desserts. The soufflés and puddings are enticing and vary in sweetness. The egg tart is out of this world, rich but filled with variations of savory. Of course the ice cream and fondue is still to die for! While we were eating all of these scrumptious delicacies the brunch was quickly coming to a close, and we were too absorbed in the sugary perfections to notice.

With one last sip of champagne and their ever flowing coffees and teas, we were overfed and overjoyed, and while saying our goodbyes we couldn’t help craving more of the Fizztastic’s tapestry of cuisine, as if we had never eaten.

The Hilton Wangfujing Fizztastic Brunch is better than ever, and finds an ambiance of casual and traditional brunch dining where authentic and novel dishes can be savored in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The Fizztastic Brunch is celebrating its one year anniversary, and it has done it again. Culinary delights of meals so delicious, words alone cannot describe them. It is a true brunch where you will have a culinary orgasm, when you can do nothing but sit back in awe at the taste.

Location

Hilton BJ WFJ, 8 Wangfujing East Street. //王府井希尔顿酒店内，北京王府井东街8 号 Tel:86-10-5812 8888 Ext. 8816

Service quality:

excellent

Food quality:

very good

Price per head (RMB):

300-400

Environment:

excellent

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

A special Christmas dinner featuring traditional European and American holiday dishes and desserts.

Having just dined at the Hongquan Radisson's Chinese Restaurant Ü last month, I returned to the hotel to try what Executive Chef Daniel Turner had to offer on the Christmas Party dinner menu at the Peony. The gingerbread house in the lobby (that took two weeks to bake and two more days to assemble!) is a great touch to the festive holiday decorations throughout the hotel. The menu features traditional European and American holiday dishes like roasted turkey breast and stuffing, honey-glazed Christmas ham, and mashed potatoes and grilled meats.

The highlight of the meal would definitely be the grilled station: we tried the local beef filet, a New Zealand lamb chop, and a silver hake filet. The lamb chops were grilled medium rare and amazingly tender and flavorful, simply seasoned with cracked black pepper and salt. The turkey breast and honey ham, though good, did not quite match up to the quality and taste of the lamb chops.

The hotel is a popular dining option for many of the locals, and the seafood selection and hairy crab is what really attracts Chinese customers and keeps them coming back. Hairy crab is still in season, and every table of Chinese diners had a plate piled with the steamed crustaceans. They're made to order and the servers bring the whole crabs out piping hot and with vinegar to dip the meat in. Although the crabs are smaller now that it's the end of hairy-crab season, they were still full of creamy crab roe and flavorful meat, so they are recommended.

The roasted duck breast with orange and apple was another highlight, with tender pieces of duck in a tangy and sweet sauce with chunks of real apples and oranges. And from the assortment of side dishes, the baked pasta with cheese sauce, made with blue stilton cheese, was a delicious addition and so were the roasted potatoes with herbs.

But you must save room for dessert, as the choices at the dessert buffet seem to be endless, and it features a chocolate fountain. With options like marshmallows, biscotti, cookies, and even gummy candies, you can cover anything with some Callebaut Belgian chocolate. The mixed berry Christmas pudding and minced pies are must-tries, but the pecan pie was unlike any pecan pie I've had before. Loaded with pecans, chopped walnuts, whole hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds, this pie certainly hit the spot and went perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Christmas buffet is a holiday treat from the Terrace, where Turner plans to alternate dishes on a weekly basis and have other themed specials throughout the new year. For only 168 rmb (+15% service charge) you get the buffet, one hairy crab (while they're still in season!) and unlimited drinks including juice, soda, tea and beer. The cornucopia of dishes along with the reasonable price makes this buffet a great pick for the holiday season.

Location

210 Taopu Rd., Putuo District, Shanghai // 上海宏泉丽笙酒店牡丹厅，上海普陀区桃浦路 210号 Tel:021-5355-9999

Service quality:

good

Food quality:

good

Price per head (RMB):

100-200

Environment:

good

Feature dish or menu:

Roasted turkey breast with stuffing, Grilled beef and lamb chops, Honey-glazed ham

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

After devoting an entire year to her family, actress Zhao Wei has announced her comeback role, actually two roles.

Zhao Wei will play two roles in "Underground Resistance" ("Shi Kong Di Dao"), a film that involves romance and time travel, the actress said Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at a press conference held for the film in Tianjin.

"But I can't say more at the moment. The scripts are still undergoing some changes," Zhao Wei was quoted in a report on Sina.com.cn.

The film, directed by Li Xin ("Dazzling"; 2002), will also star actor Huang Xiaoming ("Sacrifice"; 2010), Zhao Wei's classmate from the Beijing Film Academy.

It will be the first collaboration between them, who are both now A-list stars.

Shooting is scheduled to start in February, with a release date set in the second half of 2011.

Zhao Wei, whose notable films include "Painted Skin" (2008) and "Mulan" (2009), disappeared from the public eye in late 2009 after finishing her part in Daniel Lee's martial-arts film, "14 Blades". She gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, this April.

A file photo of Nishimura Yusaku. [Provided to China Daily]

Nishimura Yusaku, a Japanese student who just graduated from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing and is now the first foreign teacher hired by the top business college of China, spoke like a native Chinese.

And to be precise, he spoke like a dictionary of Beijing dialect.

Using a lot of rhotic suffix “er” such as "gemen'er” (buddy), “mei shi’er” (It doesn’t matter) and “wan’er” (play, have fun), the bespectacled man with a well-defined face and dense eyebrows was flawless in his speech and could convince anyone that he was a native Beijinger “yemen’er”(man).

The 36-year-old doctorate in finance has spent eight years at UIBE learning Chinese and studying finance, after his first brief visit to Shenzhen, in southern China’s Guangdong province in 1995 and subsequent one year’s study at Beijing Technology and Business University.

“When I first visited China in Shenzhen in 1995 on an exchange program between my university in Japan and Shenzhen University, I was deeply fascinated by the economic vitality demonstrated in this reform and opening-up window of China. It was amazing. It was at this time that I made up my mind that I would someday come to China again to study and realize my Chinese Dream,” Nishimura said.

It was also on his first trip to China that kindled Nishimura’s passion for Chinese.

“I couldn’t speak any Chinese when I visited Shenzhen, and when I saw some of my companions could communicate in Chinese, I was so envious,” he said. “I wanted to speak good Mandarin, too.”

He made the trip a year later in 1996, when he decided to choose a financial college where Japanese students were few in number.

“It’s not wise to choose a college filled with your countrymen if you really want to learn a foreign language,” he explained. “Living in an unfamiliar all-Chinese environment forced me to use the language. And it worked.”

The Japanese man, who is now working as a researcher of international investment at the Institute of International Economy of UIBE, beamed with excitement and pride while sharing his experience of becoming “Mr. China.”

Learning Chinese and even Chinese culture is not an easy thing for most foreigners. But Nishimura had his own method.

“When it comes to studying Mandarin, Fengdao (director Feng Xiaogang) is my headmaster and Gedaye (famous Chinese actor Ge You) is my head teacher,” he joked.

“As a fan of their movies, I use their works as my Chinese learning material. I find humor in the lines. The language use is vivid and lively. It fascinated me,” he said in fluent Mandarin with a strong “Jingqiang” (Beijing accent).

“I imitated Ge You’s lines in those movies, such as Party A Party B (Jiafangyifang), Be There Or Be Square (Bujianbusan) and If You Are the One (Feichengwurao).”

“I imitated whatever Gedaye said. He spoke a sentence. I would follow him,” he said. “I also enjoy the style of Director Feng’s movies and his way of showing human care about society. Most of his movies are about small things. But you can see big themes in them.”

Nishimura’s obsession with Chinese movies is not accidental. He was a fan of Jackie Chan when he was a schoolboy. Drunken Boxing (Zuiquan) and Police Story (Jingchagushi), starring Chan, were his initial encounters with Chinese culture.

The expatriate, who boasted of owning more than 400 DVDs of Chinese movies, also studies in his own method of how to command the language, which he concluded is a combination of learning from class, movies and practice with classmates. And to watch the so-called New Year greeting films, including If You Are the One 2 (Feichengwurao 2), Let the Bullet Fly (Rangzidanfei), was already on his agenda.

When asked why most foreigners find Mandarin difficult to learn, he cited the history and culture behind the language as the main reason.

“Many Chinese idioms have stories behind them. You need to have a clear picture of the story before you can understand the true meaning of the idiom. That can be difficult for foreigners,” he said.

Spending more than eight years transforming himself from a person who couldn’t utter a Chinese word to a true Beijinger, Nishimura couldn’t realize his Chinese Dream without the influence and support of his mother.

When speaking of his mother, who lives by herself in Japan, the man with masculine features was full of respect and love.

“My father went into a vegetative state after suffering a brain hemorrhage when I was only 2 years old. My mother was around his sickbed for 25 years until he died in 2000,” he recalled. “She never gave up. She was so strong and determined. Twenty-five years is really a long period of time.”

“My mother’s spirit of not fearing difficulties influenced me a lot. I thought about my mother whenever I encountered hardships in China. No difficulties I met could compare with hers. She sets an example for me and illuminates my life.”

As the only child in the family, Nishimura was hesitant about extending his stay in China after finishing his studies at Beijing Technology and Business University in 1997, because of his sick father. “I couldn’t afford not being around him if anything happened,” he said.

“So I talked to my mother and decided to go back. After my father passed away, I talked to my mother again and told her I still wanted to come back to China to fulfill my dream. She gave me her nod of approval and supported me. ”

He succeeded in his application for a national exchange program funded by the Chinese government in 2002 and finished his doctorate program at UIBE in 2010.

With the financial support offered by this program, Nishimura has been able to concentrate on his studies in China without any financial concerns.

Nishimura’s efforts were rewarded by a series of awards he won in scientific research and academic performance, among which he placed second in “National Doctoral Forum 2008” organized by the Ministry of Education and State Council.

However, the expatriate’s fondness for China goes far beyond Chinese words. Chinese food, especially Sichuan cuisine and Beijing BaoDu’er (boiled slices of cow or sheep's stomach eaten with sesame sauce), satisfy his taste buds. Chinese hospitality and kindness are also why Nishimura prefers a long stay here. But marrying a Chinese girl is not something he considers a sign of his affection for China.

“My girlfriend is Japanese. Romantic relationship is not something you can control. I can’t make a frame and find something to fit it,” he said.

As for his decision to work in China, Nishimura had a definite answer: that seeking work in China was his only option and he never thought about returning home.

“I’m very lucky to be recruited by the university where I studied for eight years. I hope I can play a role in increasing the academic communication between China and Japan.”

They've been foraging in the attic late at night and rummaging under the bed: Beware the Christmas present peekers.

About one in three British adults already know what they will receive for Christmas - because they have snuck a peek at their presents, a new study showed this week.

The survey of 1,000 people by British insurance company insurastore.com showed that 37 percent of British adults admitted to searching for their presents, and out of those, eight in 10 were successful in the hunt.

"Kids aside, it seems even adults have a fascination for what Father Christmas might have bought them and keeping surprises under wraps is a considerable challenge in any household," insurastore Managing Director Paul Maddicott said.

One in five British adults have torn the wrapping paper enough to be able to identify a gift and one in 20 admitted to unwrapping presents completely, the survey revealed.

The average snooper spends an hour and 15 minutes seeking out Christmas gifts. Respondents ranked the top of the wardrobe and under the bed as the most common hiding places.

However, more than half of those who discovered what they were getting for Christmas (56 percent) later regretted their curiosity and said they wished they had not looked. Four in 10 even complained that they had spoiled Christmas.

"We'd definitely urge anyone who's curious to try and resist temptation as the spoilt surprise and feelings of guilt are likely to take the fun out of Xmas day," Mr Maddicott said.

The study also found that women were more inquisitive than men, with 40 percent of women admitting to hunting for presents compared to 33 percent of men. But women were also more likely to own up with one in 20 admitting to their boyfriend or husband that they had sneaked a peek at their presents.

Twenty four percent of 1,950 U.S. adults questioned in the online survey conducted by Zogby International said high-speed Internet had the greatest impact on their lives, followed closely by Facebook at 22 percent and Google with 10 percent.

Of the technologies people say they cannot live without, high-speed Internet came in first at 28 percent and email was second at 18 percent.

When asked what they thought would be the greatest technological advancement in the next year, 24 percent said it would be in home entertainment and 16 percent said it would be in general computing.

Looking ahead to the next decade, 43 percent of those surveyed predicted there would be regular use of stem cells and cloning techniques to create human organs for transplant.

Forty percent said computer chips would be implanted in people to monitor their health, and the same number said robots would be capable of performing manual labor jobs.

Zhangjiajie is a fairyland of caves and karst formations that is full of history and even nods to the future with the Avatar Hallelujah Mountains, Erik Nilsson finds

One reason why Zhangjiajie is often called a "fairyland" could be that most stories about the place begin with "once upon a time", It seems a fitting start to any narrative about the phantasmal formations that shape this swath of Hunan province. Zhangjiajie is a place where surreal geology shapes real mythology, rendering landscapes as dreamscapes.

Yuanjiajie Scenic Area is a must-see in this UNESCO geopark. Huang Yanhong / For China Daily

Yuanjiajie Scenic Area is a must-see in this UNESCO geopark. Huang Yanhong / For China Daily

So, it was once upon a time that a wizard is said to have visited the cave in which the Dragon King dwelled. He had entered the firedrake's lair to request the creature conjure rain to end the drought baking the land.

But when the warlock saw only a light drizzle drip from the cavern's ceiling, he became enraged with the Dragon King's apparent lack of gumption. He drew his sword and hacked the dragon apart.

Upon exiting Yellow Dragon Cave, the sorcerer realized it was pelting rain outside and remorse overtook him.

Modern visitors to the site of this tragic tale pass through Happiness Gate, said to protect the lives of those who enter the place, where the dragon was murdered.

The cavern's mouth yawns into more than 7 km of expansive chambers that drip with stalactites, columns and stalagmites - the Dragon King's abandoned "weapons".

The dripstone spires inside the cave, like the 50 others bored into Zhangjiajie, appear as if subterranean reflections of the thousands of towering karst peaks aboveground.

The Yellow Dragon Cave's biggest column is the 9-meter-high Dragon Mouth Pillar. This crown jewel in the Aladdin's cave of geological treasures is insured for 2 million yuan ($300,000), and visitors should bear in mind: You break it, you buy it.

The largest stalagmite is the King's Throne, a 12-meter-high glob of limestone with a toothy mouth yawning from its side, a cavity said to form the seat upon which the Dragon King perched.

Near the "throne", the Celestial Waterfall tumbles for more than 27 meters from the cavern's ceiling. The cascade is said to take its name from the fact that the source can't be easily seen, and some believe it to be divine.

Water is both the mythological domain of the Dragon King, a ruler of seas and precipitation, and the geological cause of limestone cavity decay. So water continues to shape the physiognomy of Yellow Dragon Cave's rock and lore.

Unique rock formations make Zhangjiajie a popular tourist destination. Wen Zhi / For China Daily

Unique rock formations make Zhangjiajie a popular tourist destination. Wen Zhi / For China Daily

Two waterways, reminiscent of the River Styx, drag through ruptures in the cave floor. And, like the watercourse leading to Hades, they glide with watercraft paddled by ferrymen, who indeed appear ghostly in the subterranean illumination.

The longer of the underground canals, the Sounding River, is so named for the reverberations of its trickling.

But there's another noise that comes from these waters that creates a more chilling eeriness - the "banshee" squeal of Chinese giant salamanders.

The world's largest amphibians, which can grow up to nearly two meters long, are called wawayu (baby fish) because their cries sound like a human infant's.

They are perhaps the real dragons of Yellow Dragon Cave.

It also was, once upon a time, in a land not too far away from Yellow Dragon Cave, that Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) founder Qinshihuang procured a magical golden whip that could cut down mountains.

So, the ruler started felling alps as if they were trees to expand his kingdom to the Eastern Sea.

This drew the ire of the Dragon King, who arranged for his daughter to marry the emperor. But rather than truly giving the girl's hand in marriage, he used sleight of hand to swap his enchanted switch for a fake.

When Qinshihuang realized he'd been duped, he hurled the phony whip with such fury that it landed in Zhangjiajie and turned to stone.

Visitors today can see the 378-meter-high rock that legend claims is the Golden Whip, alongside its 7.3-km namesake stream.

The peak can be reached by navigating an obstacle course traditionally designed to assist the development of kungfu skills. Traversing this requires hopping among pegs, ancient coins and Buddhist hats made of stone. The less spry can take the sidewalk.

Most mountains along the stream have been anthropomorphized, with names such as Fairy Presenting Flowers, Royal Writing Brush and Old Man Collecting Herbs.

There are even stone caricatures of the principal characters from the classic novel Journey to the West - General Pig, the river ogre Sandy and, of course, the Monkey King.

This area is home not only to the enormous rock renderings of this monkey, but also to the smaller flesh-and-blood varieties.

Occasionally, visitors' presence will detonate an explosion of simian fur bombs in the treetops. The purpose of this primate pinball game, in which boughs become slingshots, is to create a display to coax the human spectators watching below to toss tasty morsels as prizes. It works well.

While the tales of Yellow Dragon Cave and Golden Whip Stream are of times long past, the title of Yuanjiajie Scenic Area's recently renamed mountain range comes from the future.

The Avatar Hallelujah Mountains take their appellation from the gravity-defiant topography of the fictional planet Pandora in James Cameron's futuristic film. As the local government puts it on its website: "Pandora is far, but Zhangjiajie is near."

While Zhangjiajie is neither an extraterrestrial terrain inhabited by humanoids, nor the heavenly dwelling place of immortals, it's pretty darn close to both.

So visitors can easily understand why its natural splendor gives rise to so many supernatural stories. But rather than start with, "once upon a time", they would perhaps better begin with, "once upon a place".

Your guide to Zhangjiajie's geological stars

Zhangjiajie's geography is as extensive as its geology is extraordinary, so it's advisable for visitors to plan their explorations well.

About 3,000 sandstone monoliths - dagger-point rock spires that rebel against gravity - thrust from 76 percent of the 9,563-square-kilometer wilderness reserve, slicing the partitions of a natural labyrinth replete with hidden caves.

Trails have been blazed to provide smooth passage through this topographical obstacle course by contriving connections between these remote points of interest. However, the expanse's vastness requires a bit of foresight to navigate. So, a standard route has been formulated to showcase the top wonders Earth has sired in Zhangjiajie.

Day 1: Huangshizhai and Golden Whip Stream

The saying goes, "If you don't visit Huangshizhai, you can't say you've been to Zhangjiajie." Even if you reject the premise, the cable car ride up, in which travelers drift over views of about 1,500 - roughly half - of Zhangjiajie's stone obelisks, makes it a worthwhile starting point for venturing into this UNESCO geopark. Huangshizhai also serves as an opportune entry point to the Golden Whip Stream, which ripples across a 7.3-km-long contusion in the Earth.

Day 2: Yuanjiajie Scenic Area

A Baizhang Valley trek leads to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, where an elevator ride up a karst spire leads to an eye-level view of the peaks formerly known as the Southern Sky Pillar - the Avatar Hallelujah Mountains. These seemingly levitating peaks inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron's blockbuster, Avatar - hence, the name change, the local government says.

Day 3: Yellow Dragon Cave

The geological freak show that is Yellow Dragon Cave burrows farther into the ground than any other Asian cavern. And its entrance is adjacent to the waterfall-fed Baofeng Lake, constellated by temples.

A network of sinophiles combines delicious food and good company to plug Britons' 'knowledge gap' of the Middle Kingdom. Zhang Haizhou reports

Before her 18th birthday, the only thing H-J Colston had learned about China was the Opium War. Such ignorance about Chinese history is a gap in the British education system, Colston says.

"Students can learn more about China from the Internet now. But in the actual curriculum, how much do they know about China?" she says.

"As a nation, we are very ignorant in that regard."

The Chopsticks Club, a British network for China-related professionals, is one of the best agents to help bridge that gap, Colston says. The 40-year-old has been committed to the club since its founding in 1993 and has become its director.

The club has about 300 members, about half of whom are Chinese, Colston says. These members represent a culturally rich and diverse network of professionals, such as academics, politicians, lawyers and businesspeople involved with China.

In addition to offering Mandarin classes, the club organizes activities on the first Tuesday of every month. Most are talks on China-related issues, including politics, business, society, history and culture. The events are usually held in a big private room at a Chinese restaurant in London's Chinatown, where members can "discuss China while enjoying delicious food".

At the most recent event this month, Colston and another member spoke about their recent trip to a remote township in Southwest China's Guizhou province, where they offered a weeklong English-language training course for teachers at a local school.

"Over the past 15 years, we have held 180 dinner/speaker events, entertained nearly 9,000 people, eaten over a ton of noodles and devoured 17,000 crispy duck pancakes," Colston says.

The club was founded as "China Tuesdays" back in 1993 and comprised 10 China studies graduates from the University of Durham in northern England. The club's founding members included Rupert Hoogewerf, who is famous in China for his Hurun Business Report.

It was also Hoogewerf who planned the regular meetings among peer graduates working in London in 1993.

"There was no Internet or mobile phone. We relied on letters and landlines to stay in touch," Colston recalls, adding that "Tuesday" members then met regularly at an Italian restaurant near central London's Green Park.

"It was just a group of people staying in touch with China and keeping abreast of the enormous changes happening in China in the early 1990s," she says.

Some founding members are still in China, she says.

Colston's own interest in China originated in the mid-1980s, when she visited Hong Kong and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, to spend the Easter holiday.

The moment she set foot on the soil of the then British colony Hong Kong, Colston realized she knew nothing about it or the Chinese mainland.

"I was actually sort of let down by the education system in the UK," she says. "We hadn't been taught anything about China."

During her two-week stay, Colston spent an "amazing" day on a trip to Guangdong by train. She saw not only the huge differences between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, but also a China that was "a huge place, a huge country, a huge population. The history was fascinating."

On returning from Hong Kong, Colston decided to study Chinese at Durham University, where she met Hoogewerf.

Durham University and Renmin University of China had an exchange program so Colston had the opportunity to study in Beijing for a year in late 1990, during which time China charmed her completely.

Outside of their Mandarin classes, the group of about 20 Britons spent all their time exploring the "mysterious, oriental country". Colston cycled almost everywhere she went, from the campus to Tian'anmen Square and the Summer Palace.

In the early 1990s, it was a China where almost every man wore the same kind of blue jacket, where people in Beijing piled up frost-resistant cabbages outdoors when they had no fridge and where each foreigner was charged 60 yuan ($9) to enter the Forbidden City, while Chinese visitors paid only 1 yuan.

It was also a country where people were really friendly, Colston says.

One day, a local man came up to Colston when she was waiting for a train in a small township in Guizhou province because foreigners were "rare" at that time.

The man invited her to lunch. She agreed and jumped on the back seat of his motorbike. He took her home and introduced her to all his family members.

After lunch, the man returned her to the train station to see her off.

"It was a crazy thing I did in my 20s, and I'd never do it now," she recalls, adding that she felt the Chinese were extremely warmhearted.

In China, Colston also met Theresa Booth, an entrepreneur and environmentalist, who opened a Western sandwich shop in Beijing. The two women took over the management and direction of the club and renamed it the "Chopsticks Club" in the late 1990s.

They also built a website, www.chopsticksclub.com, and designed a logo - a bowl of noodles and a pair of chopsticks - to increase the network's visibility.

While the club became increasingly influential, funding became the most difficult challenge for Booth and Colston, as their work with the club was voluntary.

"I have a great husband, who fully supports my work," Colston adds.

She remained committed to promoting China. Colston started a Mandarin course at a primary school in Holt, a small village about 20 minutes' drive from Bath.

While her class attracted only five students - two of which are her sons - out of more than 100 pupils, Colston says she will continue teaching it.

Her commitment also won approval from Chinese authorities. Two Chinese ambassadors to the UK - Fu Ying, now vice-foreign minister, and current ambassador Liu Xiaoming - have spoken at the club's events.

Colston was even invited to Beijing in September to commemorate China's 50th anniversary of receiving foreign students and the 61st National Day. She got a chance to attend a banquet with more than 700 other guests and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Colston says her long-term vision is to build the club into a "real gateway" for Britons going to China. She even hopes to find a partner in China to co-develop the club and host joint events.

"The great thing is there are always familiar faces ... and there are always new ones," Colston says.

Traditional Chinese medicine cosmetics have a history of 1,600 years but have only recently started to compete with modern international brands. Cheng Anqi delves deeper

University student Lu Jing has been battling acne for the past three years, using dozens of products to get rid of the disfiguring scars on her face - all without success. Three months ago, however, a doctor prescribed her traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine in her hometown in the Innner Mongolia autonomous region. He told her to mix a mystery powder with egg white every night and apply it to the face. Now, the 25-year-old has a clear complexion free of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) and with just a few fading scars.

According to the Chamber of Beauty Culture and Cosmetics of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, foreign companies have more than half the domestic cosmetics market and rake in 80 percent of the profits.

But people like Lu are increasingly turning to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cosmetics to sort out their skincare problems, moving away from Western beauty products.

So, when Lu returned to Beijing, she stopped using imported skincare products and instead went to reputable domestic pharmacies to buy suitable TCM cleansing milk, creams and facial masks, such as products from the 140-year-old pharmacy, Beijing Tongrentang Group Co Ltd.

"Tongrentang promotes TCM cosmetics products and has become the market leader," says Huang Xing, the general manager of Guangzhou Yanzhuang Cosmetics Ltd.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaojun, director of the Tongrentang publicity department, says the company's skincare products have passed the test of time.

The company's products include medicine originally prescribed by Wang Tao, a Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) doctor that uses tuckahoe, the root of red-rooted salvia, ginseng and herba leonuri to improve sallow skin and moisturize.

Many young customers come to buy the whitening-and-moisturizing facial masks, says Zhang Can, a shop assistant at Tongrentang.

"Nearly 100 boxes are sold every day," she adds.

The move away from foreign cosmetics brands to domestic versions is a slow one, as domestic consumers have grown to trust and admire foreign brands.

Huang, of Guangzhou Yanzhuang Cosmetics Ltd, recalls that in the 1990s the senior manager of an international cosmetics company said Chinese companies could not build a global brand because they were just making copycat products.

"His words were unpleasant because they labeled Chinese goods as imitations, but it was true and to the point," says Huang, who has been involved in TCM cosmetics for 17 years.

"My friends always ask me to take a large empty case every time I go abroad and bring back luxury cosmetics, because they are cheaper abroad. It upsets me a bit," Huang says.

He believes TCM cosmetics have three directions in which to develop.

One is developing traditional eco-cosmetics, such as curing chloasma with honey and tuckahoe powder, a long-standing folk remedy.

Second is developing TCM cosmetics that meet modern cosmetic and marketing requirements, such as Tongrentang's whitening-and-moisturizing facial masks.

Third, extract chemicals from traditional Chinese medicines, such as amylase, polypeptides and alkaloids, and do research on their safety and beauty treatment values.

With a history of 1,600 years, TCM cosmetics will not fade away as trends change, Huang says.

He refers to beauty products from the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618); the 81 products for facial care written by Sun Simiao, China's King of Medicine in the Tang Dynasty; and the 168 facial care products recommended in Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"These facts cannot be changed by multinational companies, and it surely creates an opportunity for domestic cosmetics companies to compete with foreign brands."

World-class brands have a genetic blueprint, Huang says. If Chinese elements are built into the foundation of cosmetics, then strong brands like Tongrentang will find their place in the international market.

A special year-end menu featuring indulgent and decadent Chinese delicacies for the fall and winter.

Once you walk into the Chinoise Story, you feel the elegance and luxury that it offers. Winner of countless Best Restaurant awards and listed in all the travel guide books, it seems to be THE place to be and be seen for Shanghainese, and one glance at the menu explains why. It is full of rare Chinese delicacies like liver, abalone, fish maw, and shark's fin. Their present set menus are a year-end special and give diners the chance to sample each of these renowned delicacies. The fantastic general manager Mary planned a set menu perfect for us to taste their cold-weather specialties.

We started off with a rich and creamy foie gras with fruit and nut salad (148rmb). It was obvious from the first glance that this was nothing like the foie gras you see at French restaurants, it looked almost like a piece of duck breast. The liver itself seemed more natural, un-trimmed and therefore full of fat. I didn't complain because the extra fat made it taste even more decadent. Exquisitely paired with a sweet and tangy salad of candied walnuts and dried goji berries, which also have medicinal qualities in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this appetizer perfectly blended a traditional Western dish with Asian flavors.

As I savored every bite of the appetizer, our server brought two shallow bowls full of a thick orange soup, one of the restaurants signature lavish dishes: slow-cooked shark's fin and fish maw (300rmb). The last time I had shark's fin, I was young and unaware of the harmful way the fins are collected. But fish maw I had never tried before but heard of it and Mary mentioned its benefits for your skin; it is a natural source of collagen and helps keep your skin healthy during the cold. I used to love shark's fin and have been curious to try it again, and this soup did not disappoint. It is true that shark's fin and fish maw do not have their own flavors, it is their textures that distinguishes them. Slippery, rubbery and chewy, they really are an acquired taste. The best you can hope for is that they are cooked in a tasty sauce or broth because they absorb them well. This soup was decadent again: rich, buttery and perfect for the cold weather.

Now I was craving for a salad or side of steamed vegetables with our main course, as the first two dishes were just so fatty. We were served the slow-cooked veal steak in abalone black-pepper sauce (58rmb). The meat was tender and fell right off the bone, roasted perfectly and smothered with what tasted like a barbecue sauce. The dish itself was served only with two broccoli florets, and they didn't serve the mini steamed pumpkin with vegetables until we had finished the steak. I would have preferred more vegetables, as the pumpkin only had one piece of asparagus, and a single piece of mushroom, water chestnut, and cucumber chopped up inside.

As we waited for our desserts, we perused their full menu and commented on the restaurant itself. Although a weekday evening, there were a number of visitors, mostly Asian but with a few Westerners. The contemporary seating arrangement made it a private dining experience, another Western feature of the Chinoise Story. Looking back at our meal, I probably should have ordered wine with the foie gras and veal. One look at their comprehensive wine list, I regretted not having a chance to sample it. I discussed with my dining companion why the restaurant was so popular and we both agreed that the fusion works perfectly: Chinese locals enjoy eating Chinese food cooked in a Western way while Westnerners find it easy to try Chinese dishes that have European flavors. I am not sure when I will be back since this place is not cheap, but it is definitely worth the splurge. I would highly recommend this venue for special occasions, especially anniversaries.

Location

No. 59 South Maoming Rd. //锦庐，茂名南路59号，锦江饭店一层 Tel:021-6445 1717 Shanghai

Service quality:

excellent

Food quality:

excellent

Price per head (RMB):

300-400

Environment:

excellent

Feature dish or menu:

Shark’s fin and fish maw, foie gras

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

The restaurants at the two year old Radisson Shanghai Hong Quan, including the 24-hour buffet at the “Terrace”, are the responsibility of Manchester, British Executive Chef Daniel Turner. Chef Turner previously worked under Michelin star chef Richard Kersley and later opened Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen Melbourne. He and his executive sous chef, locally-born Frankey Yang, cook all of the dishes at a 5 star standard.

The “Terrace” is a clean, bright, quiet, and spread out area with a lively open show kitchen. Restaurant staff attentively circulates around the dinning area, provided helpful service whenever needed. Enjoyable, light background music was performed by a live Filipino cover band.

A diverse collection of western and eastern traditional fare comprises this hearty, meat-lovers buffet. However, the shining star, of the night, in my opinion, was the mouth-watering Indian mains. The hotel’s highly-skilled Head Indian chef Vipin Kumar from Delhi ensures that even large groups of Indian guests can enjoy authentic Indian curry standards.

Among the Indian fare that were available on the night of my visit were five different curries, a lamb fried rice, and light, crispy Papadum. The first curry, an authentic Lamb Rogan Josh, was filled with meaty and tender chunks of lamb in a mildly-spicy, rich, dark, curry sauce. Their Fish Curry was also lightly spiced, and consisted of plump, tender fish fillets. The Chicken Curry contained savory and juicy boneless chunks of chicken, served in a mildly spicy, creamy-rich, yellow Biryani curry sauce. The Squid and Clam Curry was in a medium-spiced green Thai-style curry sauce. The squid was perfectly cooked, not rubbery as I often experience. A vegetarian yellow Dahl of firm lentils with a delightful, full-bodied taste was also on the menu. Rounding out the Indian section of the buffet was lamb fried rice consisting of tender full-flavored cubes of lamb in curry-seasoned fried basmati rice.

Beyond the Indian mains, several other tasty hot entrees were also on hand. Among the highlights was a fresh, firm, and meaty Braised Sole and was served in a light lemony sauce. The Roast Leg of Lamb in a dark, rich sauce had a delightfully strong lamb flavor without being overpowering. Sweet barbequed Roasted Pork from the hotel’s Chinese restaurant was also a very nice addition.

Sashimi is a staple on many buffets around Shanghai. Terrace’s buffet is no exception and offers generously-sliced, flavorful, melt-in-the-mouth, fresh Salmon Sashimi. Of particular note, however, is the very fresh and very crunchy Giant Clam that was also available (one of my absolute favorite sashimi fishes and almost impossible to find in Shanghai)!

The cooked shellfish bar on ice offered a plethora of tasty choices including Hairy Crabs, long Crab Legs, Scallops, Mussels, Clams, and Snails.

Those on a diet will enjoy the salad bar which offers many commonly found salad bits, along with some less commonly found choices; such as a tasty Couscous, and a very fresh, crunchy Jelly Fish Vinaigrette Salad. Fresh breads and cheeses were also offered, along with a Mushroom Soup with a hearty mushroom broth and a Thai-style Tom Yum Tahleh Seafood Soup.

With just a little room left to sample the dessert bar I found that the moist and flavorful four-layer Opera Cake really satisfied my sweet tooth. I decided to save trying the melted White Chocolate Fruit Fondue for my next visit.

Soda, juice, tea, and beer are also included in this substantial buffet, so if you are seeking a good selection, the Terrace offer a great feast without paying a King's ransom.

Location

No. 210, Taopu Road. // 宏泉丽笙酒店内，上海市普陀区桃浦路210号 Tel:+86 21 5355 9999 x3777

Service quality:

good

Food quality:

good

Price per head (RMB):

100-200

Environment:

good

Feature dish or menu:

Indian curries

This article is brought to you by Best Food in China (www.bestfoodinchina.net ). Best Food in China is the first and leading English-medium website featuring reviews on food, cuisine and restaurants in China. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net.

 China Daily

A couple, played by Sun Honglei and Yao Chen, holds a divorce  ceremony.

Famous funnyman Feng Xiaogang shows his dark side in his upcoming comedy. Liu Wei reports

Since 1997, when Feng Xiaogang's Dream Factory - the first of his New Year's comedies - premiered, moviegoers have come to think of catching his funny flicks as something of a tradition. But audiences should expect to shed tears of both joy and sorrow this year, as the 52-year-old will bring a tragicomedy to the silver screen on Dec 22.

If You are the One 2 is a sequel to the romantic comedy with the same title that screened last year.

In the first installment, middle-aged protagonist Qin Fen meets air hostess Liang Xiaoxiao on a blind date, and they fall in love. In the second installment, they cohabitate to see if they are ready, or not, to tie the knot.

The film's first half is still hilarious, as it's laced with Feng's typical street humor. But it makes an about-face around halfway through, becoming an introspective look at a middle-aged man grappling with death, marriage and love.

The film opens with a divorce ceremony, in which a couple, clad in black, place their rings back in the box and place their hands on a pile of cash.

"Do you promise, to money's ordinance, that you will not have and hold each other from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?" the emcee asks. "Yes," the couple says. And the guests applaud, cheering, "It's over! It's over!" Innovative, indeed. But the mood is perfectly different during an equally clever funeral for a living person in the film's second half.

Some lines stand out as golden nuggets: "I fear death. Death is like walking in the darkness of night and you open a door. You don't know what's behind it. Is there a colorful world or an abyss? I fear it's neither an end nor a beginning."

"All marriages are mistakes. A long marriage makes the most of a mistake."

"To die with dignity is better than live with humiliation."

The divorce ceremony and the funeral for the living were the ideas of Wang Shuo, who co-wrote the script with Feng.

Wang, also 52, became the country's favorite writer in the 1990s for his vivid use of Beijing dialect and ironic insights into life. Older writers criticized his style as that of a "hooligan", but young readers celebrated him as an icon.

Many of Feng's films were adapted from Wang's novels, including Dream Factory and A Sigh. The pair hadn't cooperated since 1997.

Feng puts it this way: "There is a kind of cocktail in which you place a small cup of Erguotou (a Chinese liquor brand) in a big glass of beer. Drinkers think it's beer because of its appearance, but it's much stronger than you'd expect. I am beer, and Wang is Erguotou."

As often happens when two middle-aged men who have experienced ups and downs meet, they are likely to ponder their lives and share their reflections.

When the two were younger, they were acclaimed for their quick wit and boldness. But now, their conversations hinge more on melancholy and pessimism. At least, that's what If You are the One 2 suggests, and Feng doesn't deny it.

"To tell you the truth, I'm indeed pessimistic about life," he says.

"Why? Many things disappoint me. I'll share one from a newspaper: A man in Wuhan stood on the top of a building, ready to commit suicide.

"The crowd stood in the street, yelling, 'Jump, bastard, jump!' No one tried to stop him. They just wanted to see an event.

"When the man jumped and fell to the ground, the crowd just dispersed."

"How can I not be pessimistic?" he asks, lighting another cigarette. "Life is where happiness meets sadness."

The director, who just made the highest-grossing domestic film, The Aftershock ($88 million), earlier this year, has thought about retirement and death.

"I have lived two-thirds of my life if I die at 70," he says.

"It is time to summarize my life. When I forged my career as a production designer, I did it just for fun.

"I found my hobby could make money when I made Dream Factory in 1997, but before Assembly (his 2007 war epic), I knew it was again time to make films for fun."

The secret to enjoyment lies in only making films he likes. He doesn't need to worry so much about revenue anymore, he says.

He isn't concerned such a sad movie will disappoint viewers, who prefer to see jolly flicks during the festive season, he says.

"One hundred million yuan ($15 million) is enough," the director says. "Films aren't only about jollification. The audience likes to be moved."

He plans to do five more films with Huayi Brothers, the production company with which he has cooperated for 11 years, according to their contract.

"That's probably it," he says.

"Living in a house beside the sea and mountains when I am old - that's what I expect from retirement. I'll stay alone and not see anybody in my final days," he continues.

"I have talked about this with Wang Shuo. Neither of us will use drugs to prolong our lives. We would rather leave the world earlier."

It may be chilly in the northern hemisphere as the Christmas holidays approach, so a lot of people are dreaming of hot and sunny beach holidays.

For those with the time and money, online travel advice website Expedia.com.au (www.expedia.com.au) reveals its Top 10 best beach destinations. 

 1. Cable Beach Broome, Western Australia

Located 7 km (4 miles) from Broome, Cable Beach is one of Australia's premier beach destinations. Featuring 23 km of pure white sand and crystal clear turquoise water, the beach is almost perfectly flat and ideal for swimming and surfing. Bordering the Indian Ocean, and surrounded by the vast inland wildernesses of Western Australia, Cable Beach has an atmospheric "last outpost" feel. Travellers can explore the exquisite beach on foot or by four-wheel drive. Cable Beach is also renowned for its sunsets, which can be enjoyed whilst riding a camel along the beach, or from the comfort of one of the many beach-side restaurants. 2. Ao Nang Beach Krabi, Thailand

Ao Nang is known as Thailand's best all-round beach destination, due to its central location in the Andaman Sea and magnificent scenery. Ao Nang beach is relatively unspoiled and days can be spent relaxing by the shore or taking part in one of the many activities on offer, such as, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking. The beach is also conveniently located to restaurants and bars. The equally spectacular Railey Beach is only a 15-minute ferry ride away and is approximately two hours from Phuket. 3. Nha Trang Beach Nha Trang, Vietnam

Nha Trang is the known as Vietnam's premier "traditional" seaside resort - a lively seaside town where travellers relax by day and party by night. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, Nha Trang Bay is considered among the world's most beautiful bays and one of Vietnam's best beaches. The beach is long and flat, with golden sands and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. It is also the gateway to a cluster of quieter islands which offer outstanding snorkeling and scuba diving trips. 4. Paradise Beach & others Yasawa Island, Fiji

Yasawa Island is famous for its fine sand and exquisite beaches, including Paradise Beach and Champagne Beach, and its limestone caves, which put the Island on the map when "The Blue Lagoon" blockbuster movie with Brooke Shields was filmed there in the 1980s. Yasawa Island, the largest of about 20 volcanic islands in Fiji's Yasawa island archipelago, is renowned for its spectacular rugged scenery and palm-fringed white sandy beaches. Yasawa Island is the only island in this outlying archipelago with an airstrip. 5. Azeda Beach Búzios, Brazil

Armação dos Búzios (better known as Búzios) is a peninsula surrounded by 8 km of islands and beaches, and made famous in the 1960s when film star Brigitte Bardot passed through, drawing the attention of adventurous tourists around the world. The beach is now dotted with hip restaurants, bars and boutiques. Búzios' premier beach, Adeza Beach, is considered one of the prettiest in Brazil. Accessible on foot, the beach boasts a 300-meter (yards) stretch of fine white sand and crystal clear water. With waves virtually non-existent, it is perfect for snorkeling. 6. Lanikai Beach Oahu, Hawaii

Located about 30 minutes' drive from Honolulu - in the town of Kailua - Lanikai Beach is a 500-meter stretch of powdered sugar sand, and a perfect spot for travellers seeking a quiet, remote location to relax. It is sheltered by a wide, protective offshore reef and has a clear view of the spectacular Na Mokulua islands, certainly living up to its translated name, "heavenly sea." 7. Isola Bella Beach Taormina, Sicily, Italy

Located on the east coast of Sicily, with views of Mt Etna, and protected by the bay and mountains, Isola Bella beach is without a doubt one of Sicily's most prized natural assets. The beach is located close to Taormina, a quintessential Italian beach town, and a popular holiday destination amongst artists and celebrities. The beach features pebbles rather than sand, typical of many European beaches, and crystal clear water, making a dip during the hot Italian summer irresistible. Depending on the tide, beachgoers can walk to Isola Bella, the nature reserve on the tiny islet adjoining the beach, or swimmers can swim or snorkel around the island. Taormina itself is a charming town and perched on the cliffs above its gorgeous beaches, which can be reached by an aerial tram. 8. Clifton Beach Cape Town, South Africa

Actually four adjacent beaches separated by giant granite boulders, and set against the most spectacular backdrop of the majestic Twelve Apostles mountain range, Clifton Beach is considered one of Cape Town's "glamour" spots - where the rich and famous live and beach-loving locals and tourists go to relax. Each with its own identity, 4th Beach is the most popular and entertains beachgoers with volleyball and Frisbee. Although sheltered from the prevailing Southeaster in the summer, the chilly Atlantic Ocean means a quick dip is all that is required to cool down from the baking sun. The best time of the day is just before sundown, as you can kick back to watch the sun set over the sea. 9. Seven Mile Beach Negril, Jamaica

Located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea, the island of Jamaica has long been the playground of sun worshippers the world over. On its western shores - at Negril - is Seven Mile Beach. Close to scores of hotels that hug the curved shoreline, it is the longest continuous stretch of beach in Jamaica. At the end of the beach is a lighthouse, with majestic views of the surrounding cliffs and spectacular rock formations. The beach is popular with families, but there are plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained including snorkeling, kayaking and glass-bottom boat tours. 10. Mughsayl Beach Salahah, Oman

Salalah, in southern Oman, has a unique charm with its coconut groves and banana plantations growing right to the water's edge. It is also blessed with great beaches - popular for swimming and beach football. Mughsayl Beach is one of the most popular of Oman's 2,700 km of untouched sandy beaches. The golden sands and sparkling water contrasting with the rough mountains and cliffs, make Mughsayl a truly memorable and visually unique beach experience. During rainy season the huge waves cause dramatic explosions of water through blow holes at one end of the beach. Mughsayl Beach is approximately 45 km from Salahah City, but certainly worth the trip.

The new centre is double the size of the one it replaces and ensures that we have appropriate facilities to cope with the welcome increases in demand. It aims to provide the same experience visitors to the UK will have. It is modern and welcoming, and it strives to provide first class customer service.

In the first 9 months of this year, demand for UK visit visas in China has grown by nearly 50% compared to 2009. With more Chinese opting to travel abroad, the UK is keen to continue to grow as the tourism destination of choice. Prime Minister David Cameron said “I want to see the UK in the top 5 tourist destinations in the world. Currently we only have 0.5% of the market share of Chinese tourists. If we could increase that to just 2.5% this could add over ½ billion pounds of spending to our economy”

The centre opens just weeks after a major campaign was launched by Visit Britian to entice more tourists to the UK. By September this year over 130,000 visit visas had been issued in China.

British Ambassador Sebastian Wood said “The UK has so much to offer, from great heritage to modern art, from national parks and historic gardens to some of the world’s most popular museums. “

“The UK is a leader in cutting edge technology, in the field of sport and entertainment we are world renowned. I believe we have something to offer everyone. With the Olympics in 2012 and a royal wedding in 2011, we hope to welcome more and more Chinese visitors.”

The new application centre will also provide better services to Chinese students who want to benefit from the UK’s first class education system. More students come to the UK from China than from anywhere else in the world.

Between January and September this year, nearly 42,000 student visas were issued to Chinese nationals, a rise of 20% on 2009. Around 85% of those visas were issued to students going to university, underscoring the very high calibre of Chinese students.

I love shopping but I hate the crowds. I love my family but I've just about given up buying them gifts I know they will like. In these days when everyone's got everything they want or need, the best way to my boys' hearts is well, through their stomachs.

That's why I'm baking every spare minute I have this week. It's also easy to make up little hampers of cookies, bars and sweets for friends, and be assured that the presents won't get recycled, or worse, take up precious space in the back shelves of some store cupboard.

It also saves me fighting the crowds and waiting in futile desperation at taxi queues that seem frozen in time.

Through the years, my Christmas cookie repertoire has been fine-tuned. Most are easy to do, and the ingredients are simple, every-day pantry basics.

My favorite peanut butter cereal bar cookie is made from a jar of the sticky stuff, marshmallows left over from Thanksgiving and whatever cereal I have in the pantry - puffed rice, puffed wheat or cheerios. For Christmas, I jazz it up with a drizzle of lemon icing.

The all-time favorite is Rocky Road, that classic nut and marshmallow chocolate squares that everyone loves. And it's dead easy. If you know how to boil water, you can make this. Chocolate chips are now easily available at most supermarkets, and all the cooking you need to do is to melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water.

For my festive Rocky Road, I added edible gold foil and little golden dragees. That's all it needed to make a very garden-variety sweet look downright regal.

The butter cookie, too, undergoes its festive transformation with a quick roll in chopped nuts and sugar. Or, place one single, perfect almond in the center of each cookie.

The basic butter cookie dough can be made into lemony crisps by rolling them in a zest and sugar mixture. The sugar melts during the baking and the citrus perfume is released, and it has become a favorite with the girls who like a little tartness in their sweet.

Finally, the Christmas cookie platter is incomplete without the tantalizing aroma of spicy gingerbread. These chewy spicy cookies are so comforting with a mug of hot tea that I often hold back a batch just for the cook.

Ginger snaps are fun too. You can cut out shapes and decorate, or draw funny faces on them as I did this year.

Try baking some cookies as gifts this Christmas for friends, or as a treat for yourselves. They are all easy, and won't take you all day. Besides, the smell of cookies baking in the kitchen is the best air freshener you will find.

Happy holidays!

Ingredients (about 2 dozen large):

2 cups plain flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

150 g butter, soften

1 cup icing sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup castor sugar

Zest of 1 large lemon

Method:

1. Sift flour, cornstarch and baking powder together.

2. Beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

3. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix or cookies will be tough.

4. Put dough in a covered bowl or wrapped in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes to let it relax.

5. Shape spoonfuls of dough lightly into balls and roll in the zest and sugar mix.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

7. Transfer to racks to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Ingredients (24 cookies):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp five-spice powder

2 tbsp ground ginger

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

150 g butter

1 large egg

Method:

1. Sift together flour, five-spice powder, ground ginger, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar until thick and creamy. Add egg and beat well.

3. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until it's well mixed. Knead the dough with your hands until it comes together in a ball.

4. Wrap dough in cling film and place in the fridge to chill over night, or at least four hours.

5. Shape teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Or roll out dough and cut out shapes.

6. Place cookies on a paper-lined tray and bake in a pre-heated 180 C oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool and keep in air-tight tin.

Ingredients (12 squares):

300 g semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp butter

12 large marshmallows

200 g walnuts, toasted

200 g dried cherries

100 g raisins

2 sheets edible gold foil

Little golden dragees

Method:

1. Line a 20 cm square baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Place chocolate chips and butter into a metal mixing bowl and sit on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

3. Mix in raisins, walnuts, cherries and marshmallows and mix well so that nuts, fruits and marshmallows are evenly coated.

4. Turn chocolate mixture into paper-lined tray and spread it out evenly. Leave the tops lumpy. While it is still sticky, drop the golden dragees on top and apply the edible gold foil.

5. Cool and cut into squares.

Ingredients (makes 24 bars):

150 g butter

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 packet marshmallows

8 cups puffed wheat cereals

Icing sugar

Lemon juice

Method:

1. Oil a 5 cm deep baking tray and line it with an overhanging layer of parchment paper.

2. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan and add peanut butter and marshmallows. Cook at a simmer until blended. Add cereals and dried cherries and stir to coat well with mixture.

3. Turn mixture on to the oiled and papered baking tray and smooth it evenly out.

4. Mix just enough lemon juice into the sifted icing sugar to get a soft icing. Use a fork and drizzle ribbons of icing over the top of the cereal and peanut butter mixture.

5. Cool completely and cut into bars with a large sharp knife. Store in airtight containers.

Recipe | Nutcracker sweet

Ingredients (about 2 dozen large):

2 cups plain flour

1 tbsp corn starch

1 tsp baking powder

150 g butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1 tbsp castor sugar

Method:

2. Beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

3. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix or cookies will be tough.

4. Put dough in a covered bowl or wrapped in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes to let it relax.

5. Shape spoonfuls of dough lightly into balls and roll in the chopped nuts and sugar mixture.

6. You can also form little dough balls and press a single almond into the center for those who prefer a cookie that's not so sweet.

7. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

8. Transfer to racks to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Hsu Chi says she suffers from "blind date panic" in real life. Jiang Dong / China Daily

Blind dates may be the main theme in If You are the One, but Hsu Chi, its lead actress, says she suffers from "blind date panic".

Hsu plays an airhostess in the romantic comedy, whose sequel will hit theaters on Dec 22. She gets to know middle-aged Ge You on a blind date. The two fall in love in the first film, and will test their relationship by living together in the sequel. Will they eventually marry? That will depend on whether director Feng Xiaogang goes in for a third installment of the film.

Hsu says she dare not go back to Taiwan, because her mother, aunts and friends will set up one blind date after another for the 34-year-old, known as a seductress of Chinese cinema.

"I am more reasonable now and do not expect love at first sight to happen," she says.

Like many young women, Hsu says she goes on dates only with a friend. If she does not like the man, having another person around is less embarrassing, she says. Her little trick, however, has made a couple of one of her friends and her blind date.

Hsu says all she seeks in a boyfriend is that he should be nice and have enough money to make a life.

The ideal candidate so far, Hsu jokes, is Ge You, her love interest in the film.

Ge impressed Hsu the first time they met two years ago. Arriving tired after a long flight, she was surprised to see Ge and Feng Xiaogang at the airport to pick her up. Ge brought flowers and drove the car.

"It was the first time I felt so esteemed," she says. "Both the director and leading actor had come to receive me. I felt very warm."

The two have forged a closer bond in the film's sequel, in which they go through a trial marriage. This leads to many funny situations. But Hsu is quick to add that this is not something she would try to test a relationship.

"I may travel with my boyfriend for a week to see if our habits are compatible, that should be enough," she says.

If You are the One screened in late 2008 raked in 340 million yuan ($50 million) and was the highest grossing film that year.

The Ocucaje Desert contains troves of marine fossils. Mario Urbina-Schmitt rested next to a fossilized skeleton of a seal. Traffickers sell the prehistoric treasures, which are found in desolate areas like those below. [Photo/Moises Saman/The New York Times]

But to the bone hunters who stalk the Ocucaje Desert each day, the punishing winds here have exposed a medley of life and evolution: a prehistoric graveyard where sea monsters came to rest 40 million years ago. These parched lands, once washed over by the sea, guard one of the world's most coveted troves of marine fossils, a trove now threatened by smugglers.

Discoveries here include gigantic fossilized teeth from the legendary 15-meter shark called the megalodon, the bones of a huge penguin with surprisingly colorful feathers and the fossils of the Leviathan Melvillei, a whale with teeth longer than those of the Tyrannosaurus rex, making it a contender for the largest predator ever to prowl the oceans.

"This is perhaps the best area in the world for marine mammals," said Christian de Muizon, 58, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in Paris who led an expedition here in November. He ranks the Ocucaje and adjacent sections of desert with top fossil areas like Liaoning Province in China, where ashfall preserved plumed dinosaurs.

But beyond the boon to science, the discoveries here have attracted the attentions of another class of fossil hunters as well: smugglers. Officials in the capital, Lima, say seizures of illegally collected fossils are climbing.

Peru is astonishingly rich in archaeological and paleontological sites, so much so that the issue is part of a delicate political debate here. The loss of national treasures to collectors from abroad has set off concerns about sovereignty, perhaps best exemplified by the feud between Peru and Yale University in the United States over Inca artifacts taken by Hiram Bingham, the American explorer typically credited with revealing the lost city of Machu Picchu to the outside world a century ago.

For now, the Ocucaje remains open to just about anyone who wants to search for fossils here. Peruvian law, while vague, classifies fossils as national patrimony and requires fossils found in the country to remain in Peru, unless special permission is granted.

But enforcement and preservation here seem like a distant dream. The government controls the desert but leases parts to mining companies, which could damage or destroy fossils. Looters have already ravaged archaeological burial sites on the desert's fringes. The police rarely even enter the area.

An assortment of fossil hunters have their own visions of how the Ocucaje should be managed. One comes from Roberto Penny Cabrera, 54, a former naval officer who says he is a descendant of Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera, the conquistador who founded the nearby city of Ica in 1563.

Mr. Penny Cabrera, who guides both backpackers and paleontologists into the Ocucaje, contends that some of the fossils should be left in the ground. Another option, he said, would be to create a museum - not in Lima, much less Berlin or Paris - but in Ica.

On the streets of Ica and nearby towns, visitors can already see such fossils - and buy them. Merchants sell fossilized shark teeth, about the size of a man's hand, at prices from $60 to $100 apiece. They say other fossils are available, at higher prices.

Meanwhile, seizures of illegally obtained fossils are increasing, surpassing 2,200 this year, compared with about 800 last year, largely at Lima's international airport, said José Apolín of the Ministry of Culture's office of recovery.

Sometimes officials stumble upon large fossils by chance; in 2008 the police found a jawbone thought to be that of a mastodon in the cargo hold of a bus.

The fossil hunters sometimes even turn on one another. In 2008, Mr. Penny Cabrera pushed for the authorities to arrest Mario Urbina-Schmitt, 48, a well-known researcher for Peru's Natural History Museum, while he was working with a French paleontologist, Gilles Cuny.

Mr. Urbina-Schmitt, who faces time in prison if convicted on charges of illegally removing fossils, said the case against him was absurd. He also said the focus on his case had shifted attention away from other episodes, like a 40-million-year-old whale fossil spirited out of the desert. "My crime is that I do good work," he said.

The debate over trafficking aside, paleontologists say the prized fossils of the Ocucaje remain vulnerable to yet another factor: erosion.

"If we leave them in the desert," Mr. de Muizon said of the Ocucaje fossils, "they will be dead for the second time."

The New York Times

Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club hosts polo games every month, in Pinghu, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xu Xiaolin/China Photo Press]

Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club hosts polo games every month, in Pinghu, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Xu Xiaolin/China Photo Press]

Dubbed the 'game of kings' polo is fast making a comeback in China as the game of the newly rich. Xu Junqian reports.

November is not exactly a good season to play polo. Horses become slower, players stiffer and chilly winds keep spectators indoors. But on a vast, perfectly manicured lawn fronting the sea and ringed by lush mountains in Zhejiang's little known city of Pinghu, a polo match is about to kick off, amid rolling drums, neighing horses, and thousands of excited spectators.

Eight gentlemen, in uniform shirts, tight white pants and tall leather boots, gracefully mounted on robust ponies, grab T-shaped mallets and line up in two teams of four.

At the blow of a whistle, the riders, like arrows from a bowstring, gallop away, swinging their mallets after a tiny white ball, to score their goals. The triumphant cheers of the spectators are submerged in the thunder of hooves. It is quick and intense: seven minutes a chukka, or game.

Back in the white tents stretching miles from the field, a spirit of celebration permeates the crowded space, where handsome valets, dressed like Ralph Lauren models, serve bubbling champagne and sizzling roasts, and ladies in exquisite gowns and elaborate hats cheer their husbands and sons, from tables covered in velvet drapes and scattered with poker cards.

The celebration is not only for the winners, but also for the return of the king of sports, polo, to China, where it has had a long and distinguished past.

It is not the first time a polo match has been held at this remote village. Games have been held every month since British-born Steve Wyatt and his Chinese wife, Hua Huicong, an avid polo playing couple, founded Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club, named after its location, four years ago.

The pull of polo is becoming ever stronger, drawing the affluent from all over China to be a part of this most exclusive sport by paying a membership fee of at least 500,000 yuan ($75,000) to the club, the nation's first and best-known.

Built in 2006, on the couple's first trip back to China, the club now has two international-standard polo fields, 200 ponies imported from Argentina, 160 stables and a total area of 5,000 square meters.

"We had anticipated no more than three members in the first year, and maybe another five in the second," says Hua, who founded the club with her husband only to feed their own cravings for the sport.

"But the demand for membership far exceeded our expectations. Around 200 people showed up on the club's opening, mostly businessmen from nearby Shanghai and Hangzhou. Some were driven by investment considerations," Hua says.

While that expectation is yet to be realized, the couple's "careless decision", an investment of 200 million yuan ($30 million), has built enough interest among the country's potential polo aficionados, with the club's membership currently standing at 500.

"It just feels like playing golf on horseback in an earthquake. And I promise, once you try it, you will get hooked," declares Shi Weirong, a Shanghai native and winner of the Best Polo Beginner in a 2010 national championship.

The 29-year-old started playing polo two years ago after joining a program started by the Wyatts, dubbed "Zero to Hero".

Shi, a senior executive of a private automotive trim company, says that polo has become such a major part of his life that he drives all the way from Shanghai to Pinghu in his BMW7 three times a week, to practice.

The annul fee of 500,000 yuan, Shi believes, is not enough to help him become a professional.

But for the majority of the club's members, polo, with its long-standing image as a classy pursuit of British royals, is more a tool of social contact than a serious sport.

"The 500,000-yuan membership fee is just a threshold to block out unwanted entry into this exclusive circle, so that members can enjoy a private space to make new friends and business partners," Hua says.

Despite all the glamour of the sport, Hua tells China Daily it is an unrewarding business for the investor.

But the shrewd couple have made it.

Their secret sounds simple enough: gather the rich and big brand names in the same room in the name of a polo match. The rich shop while also playing polo, the sponsors get their publicity and also sell their products; and the club makes money from both sides.

The sponsors typically include some of the biggest names in corporations and real estate. According to Hua, sponsorships have brought in 150 million yuan in the past three years; some 30 property developers have also approached the Nine Dragon Club with investment ideas.

Encouraged, Hua is now hatching plans for a second clubhouse in the suburbs of Shanghai, and an expansion of the Pinghu site.

Success has drawn others. In Tianjin, an exclusive polo club opened at the city's landmark building, Goldin Metropolitan Hotel, a 117-story luxury compound in November. And in Beijing, a similar one covering an area of 153,000 square meters was built two years ago.

Hua appears more than happy with these developments, saying the industry still has plenty of room for others. Numbers from the Chinese Equestrian Association support Hua's optimism, and say the value of equestrian sports will exceed 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) in decades, and of these polo is the most promising.

Polo club founder Hua Huicong is also an avid player. Provided to China Daily

Overlooking her 5,000-square-meter spread of land in Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang province, Hua Huicong outlines her ambitious plans for polo in the country.

The vice-president of the China Equestrian Association, mother of three and co-founder of Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club, says this is the first polo club in China.

Before taking on polo as a business venture, the 40-year-old established two PR companies in Hong Kong, representing high-profile brands, such as Cartier, Rolls-Royce - a business she has left to her sister.

She developed the first tours between Hong Kong and Vietnam in the 1990s, when the country had just recovered from the war. She recalls her mom warning her to be careful about mines.

Hua says she was inspired to play polo after meeting her "brilliant" British husband Steve Wyatt and has become such an obsessive fan of the game that she "cannot bear living in a city without polo".

The couple moved from Singapore to Australia because there were more opportunities to play there and eventually bought some land and a polo club.

On a business trip to China, they decided to establish another polo club, here, which has since become a prosperous business.

"I am just the hands and feet, handling the trivial matters, while Wyatt is the real brains, making the important decisions," she says of her husband, who has two master's degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and is a senior business consultancy associate.

Even so, Hua has raked in more than 150 million yuan ($22.54 million) in sponsorship since opening in 2006, though she adds it isn't just about the money.

"People never become rich by dealing in horses. They only do that after becoming rich," she says.

"Polo is a game that can be played by the family. Compared to golf it advocates team spirit, a quick mind and a sense of judgment. It's connected to nature and animals."

"We are just astonished that no one in China knows more about it," she adds.

As such Hua is a pioneer spirit, promoting polo by editing and publishing a 50-page polo magazine every three months.

Hua predicts, however, that it won't be long before polo is in vogue among the country's rich.

"It took 15 years for golf to become popular in China, five years for yachting. Maybe polo will be just as fast, then I can retire even earlier so I can be just a player," she says.

Show me the money

Nine Dragon Hill, the country's first polo club. Provided to China Daily

The saying that polo is a game for those who make $20 million a year, while golf is for people who make $20,000 is a slight exaggeration but it does convey the message that it is primarily for the rich and powerful. A player's ability is most important, but his or her polo pony is a crucial factor.

Most polo ponies are around 15 hands high, while regular horses are usually above 16 hands. Polo demands quick bursts of speed and agility and larger horses cannot achieve this so easily.

A variety of horse breeds are used. In the United States, thoroughbred polo ponies are crossed with quarter horses, known for their nimbleness. The most popular polo pony is a thoroughbred polo pony crossed with Criollo horses from Argentina.

Polo ponies cost from 50,000 yuan ($7,514) to 200,000 yuan. In a game, a pony is only allowed to play two periods out of the possible six sessions of a match, in case they get tired and injured. Therefore, three ponies are needed for each player.

It is usual for the ponies to be looked after by the club, which costs about 3,000 yuan ($451) a month, partly due to the 1 ton of straw it eats, in addition to carrots, oatmeal and corn. There are also the vet and grooming bills. The ponies also require a saddle, bridle and so on.

Traditional attire for the players includes a helmet, mallet, knee pads, gloves, white pants for tournament matches, and a pair of special riding boots required for standing on the stirrups for long periods. This equipment costs from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan.

For the match, the ponies must have their manes hogged and tails plaited, so as to prevent their hair tangling with the mallets. Previously, tails were usually docked, but now they are trimmed and folded up against the tailbone. A polo field is the size of nine soccer grounds, or 275 meters in length and 160 meters wide. There are two three-meter-tall goalposts at both ends of the field.

A polo match consists of four to six chukkas (periods), each lasting for around seven minutes. Lovers of the sport will tell you that the seven minutes can be as exciting as a one-and-a-half-hour soccer game, as the ponies run at up to 35 km/h. Ardent fans of polo will tell you there are only two things that will prevent them playing the game, death and bankruptcy.

Singer He Jie emerges from a self-imposed hibernation after a roller-coaster ride post Super Girl 2005 with a new resolve to stay true to herself. Chen Nan reports.

When singer He Jie talks about goals, she barely mentions chart toppers and best-selling CDs. Instead, she talks about more personal benchmarks, like learning to be more understanding, staying true to herself and living her life with a purpose. "I don't want to live my life in vain," says He, 24, who released her third album in three years, Return to He Jie, in October. "That's the most important thing."

Her new focus reflects lessons learned from a tumultuous time, including her roller-coaster ride to success, her involvement in a photo scandal and a lawsuit that had her paying 250,000 yuan ($37,500) to her record company for breaking her contract.

"I have learned a lot these past few years," she says quietly as she sits in a cozy coffee shop near her agent's office in eastern Beijing.

"Like the title of the new album makes clear, my biggest wish now is to return to myself," she says.

The album came out after a one-year break in 2009, at the end of a period of questioning and reflection.

"Suddenly I felt that I had lost myself. So I didn't do anything in 2009, no singing, no acting and no public appearances, to find myself," she says.

Unlike the previous two albums, which mainly feature electronic music and sweet love songs, the new album tells the story of her growth. Her fans will notice that the singer is eager to express herself through her music. Songs like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and He are personal favorites, although not very popular in the market.

"I miss the days in the campus when my friends and I sang together freely. I was happy," she says. "So I have kept this album simple and sing what I like. If the listeners don't like it, it's fine. I believe there will always be some people who will connect with my songs."

Born into a family of the Yi ethnic group in Guizhou, He took to singing when she was just 3. Having participated in various singing contests since childhood, He says that she didn't expect the Super Girl competition to change her life so dramatically.

"Wherever I performed, I was introduced as 'Super Girl He Jie'. I enjoyed the adulation. Even middle-aged mothers knew my name. It felt really good," says He, who was still a student of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music when she joined the competition.

However, her overwhelming success was not easy to handle. Her first album, The Jie, was released right after the competition, and was not as well received as the record company expected. Critics raised doubts about He's talent pointing out that the album's sales did not match that of first albums of other Super Girl winners, such as Li Yuchun and Zhang Liangying. Tabloids had a field day with news of her battle with her weight and rumors of plastic surgery.

Even though He kept up with her singing, dancing and acting schedules, she gradually withdrew from the spotlight.

She left her longtime label, EE-Media, which built up the Super Girl brand, after the disappointing sales of 2007's Not An Angel.

"I didn't really know what to do. But those days without music was very lonely," she recalls.

She reunited with longtime friends at her hometown and began writing songs. Despite the release of her new album in October, her comeback has been rather low profile.

"I may not have as many fans as before but I am fine with that. At least, my name stands alone without the 'Super Girl' appellation and I feel like my life hasn't been in vain," she says. "I am not sure whether I will remain a singer to the end. I may even quit by the time I'm 30. If my new album contributes to uplifting people, it will be great. I don't think I've ever felt this way before."

"I suffer from accurate self-esteem," a miserable drunk announced in a New Yorker cartoon.

He may be in the minority. For if some recent psychological studies are to be believed, few people are qualified to judge themselves objectively.

Think you look good? Think again. A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin revealed that most people, when comparing Photoshopped and unenhanced images of themselves, judge themselves to be about 20 percent better-looking than they really are.

"Although we do indeed see ourselves in the mirror every day, we don't look exactly the same every time," Nicholas Epley, an author of the study, told The Times. "Which image is you? Our research shows that people, on average, resolve that ambiguity in their favor, forming a representation of their image that is more attractive than they actually are."

So that stranger with the bedraggled hair, pallid complexion and bloodshot eyes who shows up in the mirror some mornings may be you after all. Of course, looks aren't everything. Moral principles are far more important. But before you congratulate yourself for your high-minded ideals and deeds, there are studies to show how we delude ourselves about that as well.

As Benedict Carey reported in The Times, "Psychologists have exposed the many ways that people subconsciously maintain and massage their moral self-image.

They rate themselves as morally superior to the next person; overestimate the likelihood that they will act virtuously in the future; see their own good intentions as praiseworthy while dismissing others' as inconsequential. And they soften their moral principles when doing a truly dirty job, like carrying out orders to exploit uninformed customers."

Memory, Mr. Carey wrote, plays a particular role. Research shows that we tend to lessen the import of our moral lapses as time passes, while accentuating our propensity for performing good deeds.

Of course, such benign self-delusions can grow into a more malignant form of narcissism. Nearly everyone has shared a workplace or family gathering with someone so pompous and self-aggrandizing as to be utterly insufferable. But when does such annoying behavior constitute a true personality disorder? The American Psychiatric Association isn't sure. As The Times reported, the organization is debating whether to drop its diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. The problem, unfortunately, is not a lack of narcissism.

"There's a lot of self-centeredness in the world, and narcissist has become an instantly recognizable type," Dr. Andrew E. Skodol II, a research professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told The Times. Extreme cases of narcissism, he stressed, compensate for deep inadequacies and require a complex diagnosis, hence the call for a distinction from the all-too-common variety.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from narcissism is the malady known as body dysmorphic disorder.

Those who suffer from it so obsess on a perceived physical flaw that they often refuse to leave the house without covering their faces. Others turn to drugs, alcohol or compulsive cosmetic surgery, although when one imagined flaw is "corrected" another often arises to take its place. The best treatment, The Times reported, is a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and serotonin-enhancing drugs. In the therapy, patients learn to incorporate the imagined defect into a more complete view of themselves.

They might also be wise to heed the advice of an old adage: When looking in the mirror we are looking at the problem. But also, the solution.

The New York Times

Self-starters like Stephanie Kaplan, left, and Windsor Hanger are finding niches online. [Photo/Matthew Cavanaugh/The New York Times]

Five years ago, after graduating from college with a film degree and thousands of dollars in student loans, Scott Gerber moved back in with his parents in New York City. He then took out more loans to start a new-media and technology company, but it went broke in 2006.

"It made me feel demoralized and humiliated," he says.

So Mr. Gerber considered his career options. Using his last $700, he started another company.

With Sizzle It, Mr. Gerber vowed to find a niche, reduce overhead and generally be more frugal. The company, which specializes in short promotional videos, was profitable the first year, he says.

Mr. Gerber, now 27, isn't a , but he has paid off his loans and rents his own apartment. In October, he started the Young Entrepreneur Council "to create a shift from a résumé-driven society to one where people create their own jobs," he says. "The jobs are going to come from the entrepreneurial level."

Responding to high unemployment, Scott Gerber, near right, founded a group to help young people start businesses. [Photo/Andrew Burton/The New York Times

The council consists of 80-plus business owners across America, ages 17 to 33. Members include Scott Becker, 23, co-founder of Invite Media, an advertising technology firm recently acquired by a Google unit; and Aaron Patzer, the 30-year-old who sold Mint.com to Intuit for $170 million.

The council serves as a help desk and mentoring hotline for individual entrepreneurs. Each month a group of council members will answer 30 to 40 of their questions in business publications like The Wall Street Journal and American Express Open Forum, and on dozens of small business Web sites.

Council members assert that young people can start businesses even if they have little or no money or experience. But roughly half of all new businesses fail within the first five years, according to United States federal data. And the entrepreneurial life is notoriously filled with risks, stresses and sacrifices.

But American unemployment is at 9.8 percent. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 24.4 percent of 2010 graduates who applied for a job had one waiting for them after graduation (up from 19.7 percent in 2009). The lesson may be that entrepreneurship can be a viable career path, not a renegade choice.

"It's not a pure dichotomy anymore that entrepreneurship is risky and other jobs are safe, so why not do what I love?" says Windsor Hanger, 22, who co-founded HerCampus.com, an online magazine.

Thanks to the Internet, there are fewer upfront costs for entrepreneurs, who can build a Web site, host conference calls, create slide presentations, and host live meetings and Web seminars - all with very little capital.

For $300 a year, Mr. Gerber rented an address from ManhattanVirtual­Office.com, which forwards mail from a recognizable address. He says it saved him $100,000 in rent and gave Sizzle It credibility; his clients now include Procter & Gamble and the Gap. He does most of his work at home and in coffee shops and shared work spaces.

Open-source software can reduce or eliminate the need for tech support.

"All you need today is a laptop, patience and willingness," says Shama Kabani, 25, a council member and founder of Marketing Zen, a digital marketing firm in Dallas, Texas, with yearly revenue in the seven figures. Ms. Kabani hired all of her 24 employees online; 15 are in the Philippines. "I've never met any of them," she says.

But start-ups do need some financing. So Mr. Gerber, whose message is "No one will give you money," is also starting the Gen Y Fund, from which young entrepreneurs can seek funding.

The goal is not to find the next Facebook or sexy Web start-up, he says; instead, it will look for practicable, marketable business ideas. In fact, a favorite phrase of his is "boring is better."

Mr. Gerber has never taken a business or economics class. "I e-mailed people in my circle and figured who knew what I needed to know," he said.

Lack of experience can be an asset. When Ms. Kabani started Marketing Zen, she tried to hide her age. "Then one of my clients told me he hired me because I was 23. He wanted someone who spoke digital as a first language."

Ms. Hanger says being young helps attract advertisers like New Balance and Juicy Couture to HerCampus.com, which recently started turning a profit.

For many of these entrepreneurs, success didn't happen overnight. It took Eric Bahn, 29, another council member, several years to get his company, BeatTheGMAT.com, a community for business school applicants, off the ground. Now it generates close to seven figures in revenue.

Ben Brinckerhoff, 28, started Devver.net, an online tool to test computer software in 2008. It folded last spring.

"There are very real cons to starting a company," he said. "It can hurt your ego, and financially it's a big hit."

The New York Times

Polo club founder Hua Huicong is also an avid player. [Photo/China Daily]

Overlooking her 5,000-square-meter spread of land in Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang province, Hua Huicong outlines her ambitious plans for polo in the country.

The vice-president of the China Equestrian Association, mother of three and co-founder of Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club, says this is the first polo club in China.

Before taking on polo as a business venture, the 40-year-old established two PR companies in Hong Kong, representing high-profile brands, such as Cartier, Rolls-Royce - a business she has left to her sister.

She developed the first tours between Hong Kong and Vietnam in the 1990s, when the country had just recovered from the war. She recalls her mom warning her to be careful about mines.

Hua says she was inspired to play polo after meeting her "brilliant" British husband Steve Wyatt and has become such an obsessive fan of the game that she "cannot bear living in a city without polo".

The couple moved from Singapore to Australia because there were more opportunities to play there and eventually bought some land and a polo club.

On a business trip to China, they decided to establish another polo club, here, which has since become a prosperous business.

"I am just the hands and feet, handling the trivial matters, while Wyatt is the real brains, making the important decisions," she says of her husband, who has two master's degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and is a senior business consultancy associate.

Even so, Hua has raked in more than 150 million yuan ($22.54 million) in sponsorship since opening in 2006, though she adds it isn't just about the money.

"People never become rich by dealing in horses. They only do that after becoming rich," she says.

"Polo is a game that can be played by the family. Compared to golf it advocates team spirit, a quick mind and a sense of judgment. It's connected to nature and animals."

"We are just astonished that no one in China knows more about it," she adds.

As such Hua is a pioneer spirit, promoting polo by editing and publishing a 50-page polo magazine every three months.

Hua predicts, however, that it won't be long before polo is in vogue among the country's rich.

"It took 15 years for golf to become popular in China, five years for yachting. Maybe polo will be just as fast, then I can retire even earlier so I can be just a player," she says.

Nine Dragon Hill, the country's first polo club. Provided to China Daily

The saying that polo is a game for those who make $20 million a year, while golf is for people who make $20,000 is a slight exaggeration but it does convey the message that it is primarily for the rich and powerful. A player's ability is most important, but his or her polo pony is a crucial factor.

Most polo ponies are around 15 hands high, while regular horses are usually above 16 hands. Polo demands quick bursts of speed and agility and larger horses cannot achieve this so easily.

A variety of horse breeds are used. In the United States, thoroughbred polo ponies are crossed with quarter horses, known for their nimbleness. The most popular polo pony is a thoroughbred polo pony crossed with Criollo horses from Argentina.

Polo ponies cost from 50,000 yuan ($7,514) to 200,000 yuan. In a game, a pony is only allowed to play two periods out of the possible six sessions of a match, in case they get tired and injured. Therefore, three ponies are needed for each player.

It is usual for the ponies to be looked after by the club, which costs about 3,000 yuan ($451) a month, partly due to the 1 ton of straw it eats, in addition to carrots, oatmeal and corn. There are also the vet and grooming bills. The ponies also require a saddle, bridle and so on.

Traditional attire for the players includes a helmet, mallet, knee pads, gloves, white pants for tournament matches, and a pair of special riding boots required for standing on the stirrups for long periods. This equipment costs from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan.

For the match, the ponies must have their manes hogged and tails plaited, so as to prevent their hair tangling with the mallets. Previously, tails were usually docked, but now they are trimmed and folded up against the tailbone. A polo field is the size of nine soccer grounds, or 275 meters in length and 160 meters wide. There are two three-meter-tall goalposts at both ends of the field.

A polo match consists of four to six chukkas (periods), each lasting for around seven minutes. Lovers of the sport will tell you that the seven minutes can be as exciting as a one-and-a-half-hour soccer game, as the ponies run at up to 35 km/h. Ardent fans of polo will tell you there are only two things that will prevent them playing the game, death and bankruptcy.

They are part of the treasured collections of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Imperial robes from the Forbidden City on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. [Photo/Zhang Chunyan / China Daily]

"Most of them have never left China before. The exhibition gives the British public a rare view of royal robes from China," says Ming Wilson, senior curator of the Asian Department at V&A.

The exhibition Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City features more than 50 garments, 20 accessories and 15 pieces of fabric worn by Qing emperors and empresses.

Highlights include an intricately woven brown gauze robe with golden dragon roundels dating back to the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) and a wedding gown worn by Yehe Nara Jingen when she married the Emperor Guangxu in 1889.

"Garments are cultural symbols and give shape to our thoughts and creativity. They bring us artistic enjoyment and provide an opportunity to learn more about China," Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, said at the opening of the exhibition on Dec 7.

It will help mutual understanding between China and the UK, Liu says. "Culture is a bridge that reaches into the hearts of people and brings them closer."

"The dynamic cultural exchanges between our two countries are a good example of how mutual learning of cultures leads to common development and prosperity," Liu adds.

According to Wilson, the V&A contacted the Palace Museum in 2008 and the two parties reached an agreement in 2009.

Mark Jones, director of the V&A, says: "We are excited to be able to show these amazing and beautiful imperial robs for the first time at the V&A."

During the Qing Dynasty, garment colors were subject to a strict hierarchy: bright yellow was reserved for the emperor, apricot yellow for his sons, and pale blue for moon festivities.

The dragon motif was also a prerogative of the emperors.

The exhibition is on till Feb 27, 2011. It arrives close on the heels of The Three Emperors and the First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army exhibitions held in London in recent years.

Christmas concerts

The Forbidden City Concert Hall will host a series of performances to celebrate Christmas. Veteran conductor Yang Hongnian will lead The Children and Young Women Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra, to present festival favorites such as Jingle Bells, Ave Maria and Edelweiss. On Dec 27, a classical Christmas concert will feature American countertenor Daniel Bubeck (pictured) and harp performer Eva Legne, among others.

7:30 pm, Dec 25, 27. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 010-6559-8285

Turkish dance

In 2004, a Turkish dance Fire of Anatolia triggered a nationwide craze for belly dancing. Six years later, this wildly popular dance returns to the nation's stages with some of Turkey's top performers presenting a night of belly dancing, folk dancing and tap dancing to mark the start of its 2010 China tour.

7:30 pm, Dec 17, 18. Beijing Exhibition Center Theater, 135 Xizhimen Waidajie, Xicheng district. 010-6417-7845, 400-610-3721

Quarterly auction

A preview of the 24th Guardian Quarterly auction revealed more than 4,000 works of ink calligraphy, besides paintings, ceramics, jewelry, and vintage moutai and pu'er tea. The auction will be held at the same venue from Dec 18 to 20.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 18. Beijing International Hotel, 9 Jianguomennei Dajie, Dongcheng district. 010-6512-6688

One-man show

Young artist Zang Kunkun is holding an exhibition of his oil paintings, installations and mixed-media works. On show are about 30 of his latest works that are "philosophically charged", according to curator Zhu Zhu.

10 am-6 pm, until Jan 31. Linda Gallery, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-5978-9565

Autumn bonanza

More than 1,000 works of art are on display at the Future Sifang auctions autumn sales. Highlights include works by contemporary artists Xu Bing, Chen Wenling and Wang Mingxian, and calligraphy by veteran artist Ma Zikai. The exhibition pieces will go under the hammer at the same venue on Dec 22.

9 am-5 pm, Dec 20-21. Beijing Hotel, 33 East Changan Avenue. 010-6513 7766

Ink paintings

A retrospective of veteran ink artist Shen Xichun (1910-2008) is being held at the Arc Gallery. On display are more than 40 ink works of animals, landscapes and figures.

9 am-6 pm, until Dec 18. 33 East Changan Avenue, Dongcheng district. 010-8500-4151

Shanghai

Philharmonic concert

Joe Hisaishi will conduct the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra to present classical music and his most-loved compositions. The Japanese composer, pianist, conductor and writer is best known for his music for the animation movies by Hayao Miyazaki.

7:30 pm, Dec 18, 19. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 021-6217-2426

Christmas melody

The upcoming concert by Austria's Brassissimo Wien will have Strauss waltzes, opera melodies by Mozart, Bizet and Rossini, as well as jolly Christmas songs. The group comprises five musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, who have toured the United States, Japan, and many countries in Europe, since 1990, when they formed their own band.

7:30 pm, Dec 24. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 021-6217-2426

Countryside scenes

Lou Shenyi's latest paintings, entitled Never Land, depict the landscape and lifestyle of water towns, in simple colors and compositions, reflecting the artist's longing for quiet country life.

10 am-6 pm, Dec 3-Jan 16

Red Bridge Gallery, A3-103 570 Huaihai Xilu. 021-6280-1089

First off, Lu wrote a few posts saying he was looking forward to meeting the Matrix star and added for good measure that he would be having a "wild, boozy time" with him. On the day of the dinner engagement Lu's excitement mounted to dizzying heights. He even videotaped himself leaving for the party and provided a shot of the dinner table.

The party included A-list actors Chen Kun, Zhou Xun and Xu Jinglei (more later) and Lu couldn't wait to inform his micro blog followers the evening had been an immense success. He said Reeves was able to drink his companions under the table, metaphorically speaking, despite his jet lag. Then Lu judged his own drinking capacity, saying he "outgunned most of the participants, but didn't have many bullets left".

Lu's followers were more concerned with Reeves' werewolf-like beard, posting comments such as: "How did he eat his soup without it ending up in the bowl?" Lu, uncharacteristically, had no comment to make on this occasion.

Reeves was in China to invest in the action film Tai-Chi Tiger, according to Chinese Businessman Newspaper reports. He met up with the movie's lead actor Chen Hu, a student of the choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, who worked on the Matrix trilogy. Filming is set to start in April 2011.

As for actress-turned director Xu Jinglei, she's in love, but she won't say who the object of her attention is. The famously secretive star was speaking at a press conference to promote her new film Eternal Moment, when she let slip the news.

Eternal Moment is a follow-up film to the immensely popular TV drama of the same name 12 years ago and features many of the original cast, such as singer Faye Wong's husband Li Yapeng. On the subject of first loves, the theme of the movie, Xu said she has fond memories of her first kiss (etc) and is still friends with the guy.

Finally, Yan Fengjiao, a former guest on the dating show If You Are the One, has some advice for wannabe models after she was caught in a nude photo scandal.

Yan continues to insist she was bullied into posing without a shred to cover her modesty, though photos of the shoot seemed to suggest she was enjoying herself.

"My case is like an alert for the public. I want models just starting out to be more careful. Don't get cheated like I was," she said.

The reaction of netizens, however, was cynical with many suggesting she was just trying to exploit the situation. "Stop the hype and don't taint the next generation," was one comment.

Their new play, Soft, or Rou Ruan, which is showing in Beijing, is the third installment of the couple's Pessimism Trilogy, after Rhinoceros in Love in 1999 and Amber in 2004.

Comprising just three actors, including mainland actress Hao Lei, Taiwan actor Fan Jik-wai and Hong Kong's award-winning actor Chim Sui-man, the 110-minute play, like Meng's usual exploration of the intense and confusing reality of relationships, revolve around a female doctor embroiled in tabloid rumors and a young man confused about his gender identity.

The scriptwriter Liao spent six years writing the story which, she says, is harder and bolder than the previous two. She explains that she has written a complex story about the clash of two genders rather than a simple love story about two young people.

"The previous two plays explored the power of love and the confusion of sex. This new play attacks your soul," Liao says. "It's a risk to do such a story."

The play premiered in Beijing in November and impressed audiences with its unconventional stage design, involving two disconnected but intertwining spaces and a 360-degree circular stage. Each actor plays two roles; the dialogues are sharp and bold, and get to the core of each role.

Leading actress Hao, who won the Taiwan Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Fourth Portrait, plays the female doctor in the play. She also starred in the 2003 version of the couple's experimental play, Rhinoceros in Love.

For young actor Fan, this is his first performance in a drama. Since the role is about gender confusion, the actor alternates between appearing in bright red lipstick and having sex with the female doctor.

Veteran Hong Kong stage actor and comedian Chim plays a clothing designer who is fond of cross-dressing, and prefers to be called a talented tailor. The role is modeled after Fan Qihui, a costume designer and good friend of the scriptwriter, who committed suicide on Oct 12.

Yang Feiyun, curator of the two exhibitions, presents his life painting Woman in Blue.

Life paintings and reproductions are key to the tradition of oil painting. Track its history in China at an on-going exhibition. Zhang Zixuan reports.

An on-going exhibition at the Chinese Academy of Oil Painting offers a look at China's oil painting history while also exploring the challenges facing this genre. Face to Original, along with another exhibition Paint from Life, that ended on Wednesday at the National Art Museum of China, puts the spotlight on more than 500 life paintings and reproductions of classic masterworks.

The more than 110 artists span three generations: from pioneers such as Xu Beihong and Wu Zuoren, who studied in Europe in the 1930s, and seniors such as Luo Gongliu, Lin Gang and Li Jun, who studied in the former Soviet Union in the 1950s, to contemporary artists such as Chen Danqing, Yang Feiyun and Liu Xiaodong.

"These introspective exhibitions attempt to explore such questions as, 'What changes have occurred from one generation of artists to the other?' and, 'What is the role of life painting and reproductions and do we still need them?"' says Yang Feiyun, dean of the Chinese Academy of Oil Painting and curator of the two exhibitions.

"We have never had a chance to summarize the development of Western painting in China for the past 80 years," says Chen Danqing, realistic artist and co-curator. "The two shows are an attempt to do this and may even throw up a negative picture."

Paint from Life, that included more than 400 portraits, still lifes and landscapes painted from sight, Chen says, was aimed at drawing attention to the mismatch between the huge numbers of artists and students who call themselves realistic painters, and the long absence of life painting.

Since the 1980s, Chen says, the rapid growth of photography and digital image technologies have dramatically changed the way artists see and paint. Some 90 percent of the so-called realistic paintings today, from large-scale creations to small-sized still life practice pieces, are all painted from photos and not the actual objects. Colors too are no longer natural but defined by the processing of prints and photos.

"Painting from still images leads to a loss of sensitivity, which is vital to an artist," Chen explains. "The new painting method might be an opportunity for contemporary art to flourish in the digital age, but it is the end of the road for traditional realism."

Face to Original, on the other hand, focuses on reproductions, which most artists agree are as important as life painting for their artistic development.

A number of exhibited works from more than 20 middle-aged realistic artists were painted this summer, during trips to New York and St. Petersburg organized by Yang, the curator.

For over two months, these artists stood in front of world-famous masterpieces in the art museums of the two cities, and painted for hours.

"We didn't just imitate but reproduced what we saw partly or entirely based on different emphases," says Yang, who contributed seven pieces to the exhibition.

"Only when you go brush by brush can you really discover the truth of those masterpieces with which you thought you were very familiar."

Chen believes the fine imitations created by the first generation artists have themselves become masterpieces, just like Chinese calligraphy.

"In more than 50 years, this is the first time that their reproductions are being exhibited. Many art school students and professors don't even know they exist," Chen says.

"We want to show our respect to them and also bring back a more sincere approach to painting through this exhibition."

The Era of Supernova (1999):

A radiation caused by a suddenly glowing supernova is destined to kill everyone over 14 on Earth in a year's time.Only children, whose tissues might still heal, can survive. As each country tries to put together and train a band of select boys and girls who will rule the world, a big question mark looms for the future of a planet inhabited and governed by minors.

The Rural Teacher (2001):

A village schoolteacher engages his students to resist the threat of destruction looming large on Earth. The story begins with the vulnerable human being's urge to fight the mighty and mysterious against all odds, but eventually takes off to a different zone altogether - the deep and unknowable cosmos.

The Cloud of Poems/ Dream Sea (2003):

A ruthlessly single-minded artist, who believes in the supremacy and sustainability of art over life and all else, competes with his match from the alien world. They use the Earth and the sea as raw materials, covering the Earth's surface with a poem in the form of clouds.

As a pre-teen, the protagonist saw both his parents reduced to a heap of ashes, struck by a ball of lightning. It becomes his mission to demystify the bizarre natural phenomenon, leading him to people who are planning to utilize the same to annihilate enemies.

She is about to be sent to a labor camp, when Ye is kidnapped by mysterious figures and taken to a secret base. She invents a method of sending out messages into space through a high-volume ejector. The messages alert the Three Body people (aliens inhabiting a three-star stellar system) who threaten to invade Earth.

Dark Forest (2008):

Earthlings are preparing for the final battle even as the aliens have arrested Earth's development in technology. The best brains of the world try to break out of the alien's block. The universe is now like a jungle and the only way to survive is by killing the next man, annihilating others. An alien spaceship destroys the frontline defenses and the Earth is as vulnerable as ever.

Dead End (2010):

Cheng Xin, a scientist who had cryogenically frozen herself, returns to save the Earth from the Three Body people after a time lapse. In an apocalyptic battle the entire solar system gets flattened to a two-dimensional one that Cheng must now revive even if it threatens her own existence.

Liu Cixin, hailed as the face of China's sci-fi writing, at the Great Wall, during his trip to Beijing. [Photo/ China Daily]

Nation's most prolific and popular sci-fi writer says he writes for the masses and is simply driven by a never-ending curiosity. Chitralekha Basu and Guo Shuhan report.

Liu Cixin is self-effacing to a fault. When we met him on a gloomy December morning in the Spartan offices of Science Fiction World in Chengdu, he spoke in a mild voice, hardly ever meeting the interviewer's eye.

His reserved demeanor is quite unlike that of some of the characters he creates - the vainglorious artist, the mercenary scientist or the astrophysicist Ye Wenjie in the first book of the trilogy Three Body: Earth Past who, on an impulse, connects with the aliens, daring them to attack the Earth (see sidebar "Liu Cixin: Career milestones").

Given that Liu is eight-time winner of the Galaxy Award for science-fiction writing and recently won the first Xingyun (Nebula) Awards given by the World Chinese Science Fiction Association, jointly with fellow writer-critic Han Song, a hint of vanity would not be out of place.

But Liu, widely acknowledged as the face of China's sci-fi writing, keeps trying to tone down the halo surrounding a much sought-after writer. He writes for the masses, he says, and is concerned, primarily, about popularizing science. His work is more in line with the racy sci-fi flicks, he says.

"I am not a literary writer," he reiterates. "If my writing seems invested with such elements I would give the credit to the translator (in this case, Joel Martinsen)."

Most of his peers engaged in writing, documenting and critiquing sci-fi in China at this moment disagree. They are saying it especially loudly since his latest book, the much-awaited final volume of the Three Body trilogy, was launched on Nov 27. Dead End, in which the aliens of Three Body stellar system and the humans who have been bracing themselves to resist the alien attack hurtle toward the inevitable clash, is being hailed as a stunning piece of work, powered by an extraordinary artistic vision.

"His stories provide readers with a scene of the whole universe. The imagination is splendid even as it incorporates touching details," says Yao Haijun, vice editor-in-chief of Science Fiction World magazine. Human beings are as much in focus as science in Liu's work, Yao adds.

"The third book of Three Body has surpassed the first two. And it has also crushed all our previous science fiction stories into powder," says fellow writer Han Song, marveling at the scale of the story in which the author flattens solar systems and makes universes disintegrate and vanish into thin air, reappear and multiply as if he were a magician, shuffling a pack of cards.

The Three Body trilogy is a humongous work of 880,000 Chinese characters, of which the third volume, which Liu took a year to write, accounts for 360,000. "That's not much," Liu says, dismissively, seeing our jaws drop. "I write from 11 pm to 2 am every night. Sometimes I have to allow it to be published even if I'm not too happy with my work," implying, but not stating, the perennial demand of the market on his time.

He has retained his day job as a computer engineer with a State-run power plant in a remote part of Shanxi province, although he probably does not need it any more to earn a living. Rather, it helps him to stay grounded, enabling him to "gaze at the unblemished sky" as many of his co-workers do. A lot of them are not too awed by his fame as a writer, and that helps. They talk to him freely, expressing their ideas about the future of the planet.

It is the commoners, and Liu, with characteristic modesty, counts himself as one of them - like the village schoolmaster who gets embroiled in a mission to save the Earth or the window cleaner who finds himself thrown into space in Chinese Sun (2002) - who figure in his fiction and it is people like them, he insists, who he writes for.

"Science fiction is, generically, a popular form," Liu says. It is the new generation of writers, born in the 1980s, who have introduced "elite concepts" to sci-fi, he says.

Born in the late 1950s, Liu, the child of a PLA soldier-turned-mine-worker and a primary schoolteacher, grew up during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) years, trying to get his hands on anything in print.

"Science fiction was pretty much all that I got to read in those times, most of these being translations from works by foreign authors," he says.

His favorites included Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, besides some Russian authors. When he published his first short story, in 1991, it was primarily about reaching popular science to a mass audience.

"There weren't that many writers writing in this genre in Chinese at that time."

He is still a voracious reader of sci-fi fiction from abroad. In fact, he is translating a work by the American writer Paul William Anderson, but denies getting "influenced or inspired" in any way. He is driven purely, he says, "by a curiosity toward nature, and his reading of science as part of his academic (he majored in water power engineering from North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power) and professional life".

His skepticism about military research - which is essentially about inventing ways to kill people precisely and professionally - came through in the novel Ball Lightning (see sidebar).

In a world that's getting too crowded for comfort, Liu has proposed rather radical alternative survival strategies. He feels it's worth exploring the possibility of finding/creating habitable spaces beyond Earth, that it's time for the present-day Christopher Columbuses (buoyed by their enthusiastic patrons and governments) to set off on a space hunt.

"The key to a wonderful life is a fascination with something," says the protagonist's father in Liu's novel Ball Lightning, minutes before he reaches out to touch a galloping ball of lightning and is reduced to a pile of ashes.

That's a maxim Liu Cixin swears by. The man who loves risky aviation sports like hang-gliding and floating in gas-propelled balloons - although his engineer wife and 10-year-old daughter do not particularly approve of these acts of derring-do - is captivated by the idea of what lies beyond the Earth as we know it.

For him, the worlds of miners, window cleaners, wage laborers and schoolteachers also have an enduring, even mysterious, charm.

Liu's Three Body trilogy - Earth Past, Dark Forest and Dead End - is acclaimed for its extraordinary artistic vision.

Writing in the future perfect

The year 2010 turned out to be particularly eventful for Chinese science fiction writing. International attention was evident at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where French publishers and Japanese sci-fi magazines showed strong interest, the latter carrying special reports on the evolution of science fiction writing in China.

Chinese science fiction and fantasy writing is being compiled and published in Italian (Shi Kong: China Futures edited by Lorenzo Andolfatto). The upcoming fall issue of the Hong Kong-based Renditions will feature a selection of Chinese sci-fi stories translated into English.

"The Chinese sci-fi industry has boomed in the recent years," says Yao Haijun, vice editor-in-chief of the magazine Science Fiction World, China's most popular periodical of its kind, published from Chengdu in Sichuan province, which has maintained an average monthly circulation of 300,000 copies through the past decade.

The science fiction genre was introduced to China by the noted intellectual and academic Liang Qichao (1873-1929), in the last years of the 19th century. Lu Xun (1881-1936), possibly China's biggest literary stalwart, carried the tradition forward. The genre fell out of favor during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). Science fiction was discouraged because it was out of step with the emphasis on social realism.

It wasn't until China's reform and opening up in 1978 that science fiction emerged once more, though it drew a mixed response.

This skepticism changed to unbridled enthusiasm only after the Beijing International SF Conference held in 1997. Partly funded by the government, the meet helped showcase some of the country's finest sci-fi writers - Wang Jinkang, Yang Xiao, Xing He, Han Song - and inspired a mushrooming of magazine articles, fanzines and competitions around sci-fi writing.

"Since then an increasing number of foreign writers have tried to enter the Chinese market and more foreign scholars have looked closely at our stories," Yao remarks.

Han Song, a prolific writer of science fiction, as well as the author of several critical appraisals of the Chinese science fiction scene, thinks the increased international attention is an offshoot of the world's interest in what China is up to. It is as if science fiction produced in China is a code for what Chinese scientists and leaders might be thinking about the future of the planet.

Science Fiction World has certainly boosted the profile of science fiction within the country. The Horizon Project, in which 25 sci-fi books, either in the original Chinese or translated works by noted foreign authors, are published every year, has proved to be extremely popular. Two to three mature works by a younger generation of writers are being published as part of a series titled Xingyun.

While science fiction in China today reflects more social realities than it did two decades ago, it's the business of sci-fi "to show an interest in the future of human civilizations", Yao says. He feels Chinese sci-fi stories will, increasingly, address real-life concerns, like advanced agricultural methods, exploring space and environmental pollution.

When it comes to depicting social reality, Han says sci-fi has at least two advantages over regular fiction. By setting a story in the future, the writer can review contemporary reality from a distance - a perspective that arguably makes it more incisive. The exaggerated situations of such novels (a way of viewing reality in extreme forms) can help expose and underscore the problems that, being routine, often do not stir readers in their everyday lives.

A radiation caused by a suddenly glowing supernova is destined to kill everyone over 14 on Earth in a year's time.Only children, whose tissues might still heal, can survive. As each country tries to put together and train a band of select boys and girls who will rule the world, a big question mark looms for the future of a planet inhabited and governed by minors.

The Rural Teacher (2001):

A village schoolteacher engages his students to resist the threat of destruction looming large on Earth. The story begins with the vulnerable human being's urge to fight the mighty and mysterious against all odds, but eventually takes off to a different zone altogether - the deep and unknowable cosmos.

The Cloud of Poems/ Dream Sea (2003):

A ruthlessly single-minded artist, who believes in the supremacy and sustainability of art over life and all else, competes with his match from the alien world. They use the Earth and the sea as raw materials, covering the Earth's surface with a poem in the form of clouds.

As a pre-teen, the protagonist saw both his parents reduced to a heap of ashes, struck by a ball of lightning. It becomes his mission to demystify the bizarre natural phenomenon, leading him to people who are planning to utilize the same to annihilate enemies.

The Three Body Trilogy:

Earth Past (2007):

University student astrophysicist Ye Wenjie witnesses the persecution and death of her father at the hands of the Red Guards in 1967. She is sent to be re-educated in the countryside and subsequently charged with being a counter-revolutionary. She is about to be sent to a labor camp, when Ye is kidnapped by mysterious figures and taken to a secret base. She invents a method of sending out messages into space through a high-volume ejector. The messages alert the Three Body people (aliens inhabiting a three-star stellar system) who threaten to invade Earth.

Dark Forest (2008):

Earthlings are preparing for the final battle even as the aliens have arrested Earth's development in technology. The best brains of the world try to break out of the alien's block. The universe is now like a jungle and the only way to survive is by killing the next man, annihilating others. An alien spaceship destroys the frontline defenses and the Earth is as vulnerable as ever.

Dead End (2010):

Cheng Xin, a scientist who had cryogenically frozen herself, returns to save the Earth from the Three Body people after a time lapse. In an apocalyptic battle the entire solar system gets flattened to a two-dimensional one that Cheng must now revive even if it threatens her own existence.

Chinese science fiction and fantasy writing is being compiled and published in Italian (Shi Kong: China Futures edited by Lorenzo Andolfatto). The upcoming fall issue of the Hong Kong-based Renditions will feature a selection of Chinese sci-fi stories translated into English.

"The Chinese sci-fi industry has boomed in the recent years," says Yao Haijun, vice editor-in-chief of the magazine Science Fiction World, China's most popular periodical of its kind, published from Chengdu in Sichuan province, which has maintained an average monthly circulation of 300,000 copies through the past decade.

The science fiction genre was introduced to China by the noted intellectual and academic Liang Qichao (1873-1929), in the last years of the 19th century. Lu Xun (1881-1936), possibly China's biggest literary stalwart, carried the tradition forward. The genre fell out of favor during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). Science fiction was discouraged because it was out of step with the emphasis on social realism.

It wasn't until China's reform and opening up in 1978 that science fiction emerged once more, though it drew a mixed response.

This skepticism changed to unbridled enthusiasm only after the Beijing International SF Conference held in 1997. Partly funded by the government, the meet helped showcase some of the country's finest sci-fi writers - Wang Jinkang, Yang Xiao, Xing He, Han Song - and inspired a mushrooming of magazine articles, fanzines and competitions around sci-fi writing.

"Since then an increasing number of foreign writers have tried to enter the Chinese market and more foreign scholars have looked closely at our stories," Yao remarks.

Han Song, a prolific writer of science fiction, as well as the author of several critical appraisals of the Chinese science fiction scene, thinks the increased international attention is an offshoot of the world's interest in what China is up to. It is as if science fiction produced in China is a code for what Chinese scientists and leaders might be thinking about the future of the planet.

Science Fiction World has certainly boosted the profile of science fiction within the country. The Horizon Project, in which 25 sci-fi books, either in the original Chinese or translated works by noted foreign authors, are published every year, has proved to be extremely popular. Two to three mature works by a younger generation of writers are being published as part of a series titled Xingyun.

While science fiction in China today reflects more social realities than it did two decades ago, it's the business of sci-fi "to show an interest in the future of human civilizations", Yao says. He feels Chinese sci-fi stories will, increasingly, address real-life concerns, like advanced agricultural methods, exploring space and environmental pollution.

When it comes to depicting social reality, Han says sci-fi has at least two advantages over regular fiction. By setting a story in the future, the writer can review contemporary reality from a distance - a perspective that arguably makes it more incisive. The exaggerated situations of such novels (a way of viewing reality in extreme forms) can help expose and underscore the problems that, being routine, often do not stir readers in their everyday lives.

The Bruce Lee legend never fades but it might surprise some to learn that among his legion of fans was Chairman Mao, who called him a hero.

Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976) and Bruce Lee the martial arts legend (1940-1973) both declared - in their unique ways - that the Chinese people had "stood up".

Mao made this proclamation on the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Oct 1, 1949, Lee said it in a cinematic way that needed no translation when he kicked and smashed a wooden panel bearing the words: "Chinese and dogs not allowed", one of the iconic scenes steeped in fiery nationalism from Fist of Fury.

The words are supposedly from notices at the entrance of public parks in colonial Shanghai, and have come to symbolize the country's humiliation.

It turns out the Great Helmsman was a huge fan of the kungfu legend.

By 1974, Mao was diagnosed with a cataract and was advised by his doctors to refrain from reading. Thus he turned to movies. After a heavy dose of foreign biopics, such as those on Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon, he moved on to Hong Kong fare.

The task of collecting these films fell to Liu Qingtang, then deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, a ballet dancer who shot to prominence by affiliating himself with Jiang Qing (Madame Mao) and starring in her "model repertory".

At that time there were no cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland. Liu flew down to Guangdong and sought the help of the local authority, but it had no recourse either. Finally, the Hong Kong bureau chief of Xinhua News Agency was summoned. He knew an attorney who was a friend of Sir Run Run Shaw, Hong Kong's movie mogul at the time.

Shaw was reluctant at first, it was said, fearing his films would be the target of mainland political campaigns. He relented, however, without knowing exactly who would be watching the movies. Among the prints on loan were three films starring Lee, then totally unknown to most mainlanders due to China's self-imposed isolation.

Reeve Wong, a noted film critic from Hong Kong, who shared the details with me, says there is one inaccuracy in the above account: Lee's main body of work was by Golden Harvest, a competitor of Shaw's studio. Wong says even so, Liu Qingtang insisted it was Shaw who loaned the movies. Here, Wong reasons that it could be a slip of the tongue, or Shaw's name stood for all the people who loaned films, because he had the biggest name.

Liu, who sat with Mao during the screenings, said he watched The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon. Mao would burst into eulogies when he got excited.

While watching Fist of Fury for the first time, Mao dissolved in tears, Liu recalled, and said "Bruce Lee is a hero!" Mao watched the film twice more. Liu said he did not know of any other movie that Mao viewed three times.

When it came time to ship the prints back to Hong Kong, nobody dared do so lest Mao got another urge to watch them. Only after he was terminally ill were two of the movies returned.

Think of it, had Mao publicized his approbation, Lee would have instantly become an exalted figure like Lei Feng, the good Samaritan every Chinese student was encouraged to imitate.

But Lee did not need Mao's help. He became more than just a national hero, transcending geopolitical boundaries. As Mao correctly observed, Lee's movies portray the fight between good and evil and Lee invariably embodied the good. That's something everyone can relate to.

A few years ago I was asked by a film magazine to name the biggest Chinese film star of all time. After a long period of deliberation, I picked Lee. Agreed, he was not the best thespian, nor the best looking, and he had a very limited oeuvre. Yes, he was a brilliant kungfu fighter, but we trained them by the busloads in martial arts schools or opera academies, didn't we? But Lee had an appeal that went beyond the screen, or kungfu for that matter. He personified an aesthetic that shattered the stereotype of the Asian male.

It is very difficult for an Asian man to take the center stage in Hollywood productions, which shape public consciousness on a global scale. In the early years, Asian male roles were portrayed by non-Asians who resorted to painting their face yellow, slanting their eyes and adding buckteeth. Asian females had a relatively easier time of it compared with their male counterparts. Although their roles were highly restricted, they at least got to impart exotic beauty. Men were relegated to nerds, axiom-spewing sages or bad guys.

Even if you take into account the accomplishments of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun-fat, the situation is not much better. They are niche players with obvious limitations. And none of them project such a robust image of the Asian male as Lee did. (Japan's Toshiro Mifune, an Akira Kurosawa regular, had an opportunity to do so, but he rarely strayed from period dramas, which were too overblown to be a role model for contemporaries.)

Lee combined dexterity with a virility that busted the hoary stigmas of the Asian male. Alas his reign was too short-lived.

There is a new biopic of Lee in his youthful days, Bruce Lee, My Brother. Interestingly, the filmmakers dug out details of his life that contradicted his public persona. For example, he suffered from severe myopia. (Can you imagine Bruce Lee wearing a pair of thick glasses?) As a teenager, he was sometimes shy and would rather dance with his brother than ask the girl he had set his eyes on. Of course, tales of his street fighting are even more legendary.

Lee's screen debut was in 1950 with The Kid. I saw the movie and he was so good it is no exaggeration to say he was a child star on a par with the best in the world. In 1957, he played the idealistic younger brother in Thunderstorm, adapted from the classic play, still the stepping-stone for many a young thespian hoping for a breakthrough. It is not easy to catch snippets of Lee's early movies, but they show Lee with multi-faceted talents. Given proper guidance, he could have become Hong Kong's king of drama.

I was also surprised when I heard Lee speak English - in documentaries of course. Sure, he was born in San Francisco, but he was 3 months old when he headed to Hong Kong and only returned to the United States when he was 18. I can only say he was a quick learner.

In terms of cinematic charisma, Lee was in a league of his own. His best-known work was made in Hong Kong but gained an unprecedented following worldwide. He did something nobody had done before and nobody in Chinese cinema has surpassed since. The Chairman was spot on when he declared Lee "a hero".

The Bruce Lee legend never fades but it might surprise some to learn that among his legion of fans was Chairman Mao, who called him a hero.

Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976) and Bruce Lee the martial arts legend (1940-1973) both declared - in their unique ways - that the Chinese people had "stood up".

Mao made this proclamation on the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Oct 1, 1949, Lee said it in a cinematic way that needed no translation when he kicked and smashed a wooden panel bearing the words: "Chinese and dogs not allowed", one of the iconic scenes steeped in fiery nationalism from Fist of Fury.

The words are supposedly from notices at the entrance of public parks in colonial Shanghai, and have come to symbolize the country's humiliation.

It turns out the Great Helmsman was a huge fan of the kungfu legend.

By 1974, Mao was diagnosed with a cataract and was advised by his doctors to refrain from reading. Thus he turned to movies. After a heavy dose of foreign biopics, such as those on Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon, he moved on to Hong Kong fare.

The task of collecting these films fell to Liu Qingtang, then deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, a ballet dancer who shot to prominence by affiliating himself with Jiang Qing (Madame Mao) and starring in her "model repertory".

At that time there were no cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland. Liu flew down to Guangdong and sought the help of the local authority, but it had no recourse either. Finally, the Hong Kong bureau chief of Xinhua News Agency was summoned. He knew an attorney who was a friend of Sir Run Run Shaw, Hong Kong's movie mogul at the time.

Shaw was reluctant at first, it was said, fearing his films would be the target of mainland political campaigns. He relented, however, without knowing exactly who would be watching the movies. Among the prints on loan were three films starring Lee, then totally unknown to most mainlanders due to China's self-imposed isolation.

Reeve Wong, a noted film critic from Hong Kong, who shared the details with me, says there is one inaccuracy in the above account: Lee's main body of work was by Golden Harvest, a competitor of Shaw's studio. Wong says even so, Liu Qingtang insisted it was Shaw who loaned the movies. Here, Wong reasons that it could be a slip of the tongue, or Shaw's name stood for all the people who loaned films, because he had the biggest name.

Liu, who sat with Mao during the screenings, said he watched The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon. Mao would burst into eulogies when he got excited.

While watching Fist of Fury for the first time, Mao dissolved in tears, Liu recalled, and said "Bruce Lee is a hero!" Mao watched the film twice more. Liu said he did not know of any other movie that Mao viewed three times.

When it came time to ship the prints back to Hong Kong, nobody dared do so lest Mao got another urge to watch them. Only after he was terminally ill were two of the movies returned.

Think of it, had Mao publicized his approbation, Lee would have instantly become an exalted figure like Lei Feng, the good Samaritan every Chinese student was encouraged to imitate.

But Lee did not need Mao's help. He became more than just a national hero, transcending geopolitical boundaries. As Mao correctly observed, Lee's movies portray the fight between good and evil and Lee invariably embodied the good. That's something everyone can relate to.

A few years ago I was asked by a film magazine to name the biggest Chinese film star of all time. After a long period of deliberation, I picked Lee. Agreed, he was not the best thespian, nor the best looking, and he had a very limited oeuvre. Yes, he was a brilliant kungfu fighter, but we trained them by the busloads in martial arts schools or opera academies, didn't we? But Lee had an appeal that went beyond the screen, or kungfu for that matter. He personified an aesthetic that shattered the stereotype of the Asian male.

It is very difficult for an Asian man to take the center stage in Hollywood productions, which shape public consciousness on a global scale. In the early years, Asian male roles were portrayed by non-Asians who resorted to painting their face yellow, slanting their eyes and adding buckteeth. Asian females had a relatively easier time of it compared with their male counterparts. Although their roles were highly restricted, they at least got to impart exotic beauty. Men were relegated to nerds, axiom-spewing sages or bad guys.

Even if you take into account the accomplishments of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun-fat, the situation is not much better. They are niche players with obvious limitations. And none of them project such a robust image of the Asian male as Lee did. (Japan's Toshiro Mifune, an Akira Kurosawa regular, had an opportunity to do so, but he rarely strayed from period dramas, which were too overblown to be a role model for contemporaries.)

Lee combined dexterity with a virility that busted the hoary stigmas of the Asian male. Alas his reign was too short-lived.

There is a new biopic of Lee in his youthful days, Bruce Lee, My Brother. Interestingly, the filmmakers dug out details of his life that contradicted his public persona. For example, he suffered from severe myopia. (Can you imagine Bruce Lee wearing a pair of thick glasses?) As a teenager, he was sometimes shy and would rather dance with his brother than ask the girl he had set his eyes on. Of course, tales of his street fighting are even more legendary.

Lee's screen debut was in 1950 with The Kid. I saw the movie and he was so good it is no exaggeration to say he was a child star on a par with the best in the world. In 1957, he played the idealistic younger brother in Thunderstorm, adapted from the classic play, still the stepping-stone for many a young thespian hoping for a breakthrough. It is not easy to catch snippets of Lee's early movies, but they show Lee with multi-faceted talents. Given proper guidance, he could have become Hong Kong's king of drama.

I was also surprised when I heard Lee speak English - in documentaries of course. Sure, he was born in San Francisco, but he was 3 months old when he headed to Hong Kong and only returned to the United States when he was 18. I can only say he was a quick learner.

In terms of cinematic charisma, Lee was in a league of his own. His best-known work was made in Hong Kong but gained an unprecedented following worldwide. He did something nobody had done before and nobody in Chinese cinema has surpassed since. The Chairman was spot on when he declared Lee "a hero".

The way we use words, their pronunciation and tone, all play a very important part in how well we understand each other. Even the slightest slip can lead to unexpectedly funny results.

Recently, I was giving one of my classes an individual speaking exam, in which students had to have a conversation with me for about five minutes. Things were going smoothly, until one of my students said: "I can't sleep. I live in a documentary."

I blinked, and she continued, "And I share it with five other girls."

For a horrible moment, I thought I was being recorded in this documentary, and glanced about for a camera crew.

Then it dawned on me that she'd made an error in pronunciation.

She wasn't a reality TV star after all, but did live in a dormitory. I quickly explained to her the difference between the two words, jotted down her score on the page, and sent her on her way.

When I returned home, I told the story to my wife, Ellen. "So", she said, "she's not the only one who makes mistakes. Remember when I first took you to meet my parents?"

Remember? How could I forget.

Ellen's parents don't speak any English, and I don't speak any Chinese, so communication between us is generally limited to pointing and nodding, and not a lot else.

So when Ellen's mother pointed to Ellen and said, "Chen Xin", I thought it must mean something like "beautiful", and I filed the word away for future use.

About an hour later, we were watching a movie on TV, and a pretty Hollywood actress came on the screen. I seized the chance to show off the newest addition to my miniscule Chinese vocabulary, pointed at Ellen and said, "Chen Xin!"

When everyone stopped laughing and Ellen stopped hitting me, she pointed out that "Chen Xin" was her name.

Which explained why no one else in the room could work out who "Ellen" was.

Not long after that, Ellen asked me to cook something special for her, so she could watch me in action.

I said that would be great, "But I'll need to set up my mise en place first though".

"That's OK", she replied, "I'll help you find it. What does it look like?"

Thoroughly bewildered at this point, I knotted my apron and said: "What does what look like?"

"Your missing piece."

As I rolled my sleeves up, I explained to Ellen that a "mise en place" isn't something you've lost, but the way a cook sets up the kitchen and ingredients, before starting to prepare a dish.

My awful Chinese pronunciations have driven cab drivers to distraction. I once leapt into the back of a taxi, and said "taobao ji!" to the driver.

I don't know where I would have ended up, if Ellen hadn't pointed out that I should have said "Taobao Jie", instead of asking for a chicken.

Perhaps the most memorable mispronunciation for Ellen and I is one that revolves around the upcoming holiday season.

We'd spent the day traveling to Beijing, to get some documents processed at the Australian Embassy. On the train coming back, Ellen asked me: "What are we going to do for evil?"

"Sorry, Ellen, what evil do you want to do?"

"You know, Christmas evil!"

It transpired that Ellen had been talking with one of our neighbors about Christmas traditions, and how they'd always shared a meal with family and friends the night before Christmas. Now Ellen is keen to do something.

Although, hopefully, nothing too evil, on Christmas Eve.

It's amazing what 500 yuan ($75) can buy when you're a foreigner dealing with a borderline-crazy Chinese driver. This became clear on a recent three-day camping trip to a mountain in Pingdingshan, Henan province.

Getting from Zhengzhou to Pingdingshan was a simple bus ride, but the last leg required additional help, which was where the driver came in.

He was a short, middle aged and pleasant man. It's possible he'd spent his entire life previous being calm and sensible, not at all given to recklessness, but that wasn't our experience.

The minute we began negotiating our journey with him, it didn't matter what we asked, this guy was in for the long haul.

We split into two groups and vans. I was in the group with the aforementioned driver and his wife joined us, a nagging, angry woman who didn't appear to share her husband's affection for foreigners. From the first she doubted that we knew where we were going and was particularly put out when our poor driver went up the wrong side of the mountain.

The driver of the other van likewise wanted to quit this journey into the unknown, but our driver was not deterred, he even purchased instant noodles and a toothbrush, hoping to stay and camp with us - which we opted against. Instead, he agreed to return two days later to fetch us, and with that he reluctantly departed.

When we reached our destination, it was a world away from the big cities.

The fresh air was a joy and the mountain where we stayed was near the 108-meter tall bronze Buddha statue in Lushan county, which is said to be the tallest of its kind in the world. The mountain was popular with day-trippers, who arrived in the morning and hiked until dusk before heading home.

The spot where we stayed was visible from the trail and our group of three Americans, a Russian, five Brazilians, and my Filipino girlfriend, became quite a tourist attraction in itself.

Each morning we woke to hear footsteps around our tents and voices discussing our presence. Occasionally people rummaged through our bags for empty bottles, which they could redeem for money. All day long we were merrily greeted with "hellos" requiring a response, which was tough to muster after a few hours.

After being treated like a cross between a celebrity and a caveman at a zoo ("Look how they live!") we were eventually happy to leave.

When our driver picked us up that afternoon, his devotion to us was still evident. But, unfortunately, he was obviously tired and the ride down the mountain was steep and winding, with perilously few road barriers. He actually nodded off at the wheel, nearly hitting an oncoming vehicle. In addition, one brake was as tired as its owner, and periodically squealed and smoked until he got out and poured water on it.

The drive back to Pingdingshan was intense, as we watched the road and driver, who had taken to smacking himself in the face to stay awake. Even his wife was quiet.

When we finally arrived, safe, the driver managed to once again scare and amaze us - he wanted to drive us back to Zhengzhou, right then and there. We thanked him, paid an extra 100 yuan, and may have set a land-speed record in getting as far away as possible from him as we could!

Singer offers with Russian flavor

Vocalist Zhao Yunhong gave a recital of Chinese and Russian songs at the China Conservatory recently, as part of the Chinese Language Year in Russia.

An associate professor with the conservatory and director of the Chinese Diplomats' Choir, Zhao has held more than 80 recitals around the world, and toured more than 20 cities in Russia.

The conservatory recital included traditional Chinese folk songs Flowing Water in a Creek and Longing, as well as a number of Russian songs.

Forum boosts China, Australia film

To facilitate communication between Australian and Chinese film industry professionals, the first Australia-China Film Industry Forum was held in Beijing on Dec 8.

An initiative of the Australian Embassy in Beijing as part of Imagine Australia, the Year of Australian Culture in China, the four-day forum was jointly organized by the embassy and China Film Co-Production Corporation.

The forum was attended by key players in the film industries of both countries, including Han Sanping, chairman of China Film Group Corporation, and Geoff Brown, executive director of the Screen Producers Association of Australia.

Building a leader in charity work

The One Foundation, founded by Chinese Red Cross ambassador Jet Li in 2007, in collaboration with the Handan municipal government, is planning to build itself into the nation's "leading charity city."

Located in the south of Hebei province, Handan is famous for its history and beautiful scenery.

The city is also known for its volunteering spirit, as the Handan Red Cross has more than 60,000 members and 7,000 volunteers.

The launch of the city project saw around 1,000 Handan residents putting on a tai chi performance. Li said charity work, like tai chi, called for patience, strength and passion.

Thai, South Korean actors to share stage

Thai and South Korean actors will be the highlight of the New Year TV Gala of Anhui TV.

Thai TV dramas, as well as those from South Korea, are enjoying popularity among Chinese viewers now.

Thai and South Korean TV actors will join about 300 of their Chinese counterparts to present a variety show on Dec 31 and Jan 1.

Anhui TV has bought eight Thai dramas to broadcast in 2011, and has built a strategic partnership with South Korean TV network KBS. Of the nation's provincial TV stations, Anhui TV is known for the variety of its TV series. Many hit shows have premiered on this station.

Elderly Miao villagers give a performance during the Guzang festival, which falls once every 13 years in Xijiang, Guizhou province. [Photo/China Daily]

While most films about the Miao ethnic group focus on their vibrant culture and customs, a new documentary aims to present the flip side of this. Xu Lin reports.

Director Liu Dapeng, 29, says he was unprepared for what he saw when he arrived in Guizhou province's Xijiang, in November. In the town to shoot a documentary about the Miao, he says he sensed conflict in the community, brought about by tourism.

His film is part of the Images of Chinese Ethnic Groups series, sponsored by Tencent Charity Fund and Shenzhen Pai'ai Culture and Technology Corporation Limited.

Xijiang is one of the largest Miao-inhabited towns in China, with more than 1,000 households.

Liu says when he arrived he felt lucky to be able to capture the ethnic group's Guzangfestival that happens just once every 13 years.

During this festival, the Miao beat drums to summon their ancestors' souls, believed to reside in them, so they can take part in sacrificial ceremonies.

The Miao put on their traditional costumes, watch bull fights, slaughter pigs and cattle, enjoy feasts and perform traditional dances.

After the festival, they dress in their everyday clothes, except for those who work at scenic spots and Miao-themed restaurants.

Like elsewhere in the country, tourism has brought tremendous change to once secluded Xijiang, which did not even have a cement pavement before the 1980s.

In the past, floods and wars drove the Miao deep into the mountains and it became a tradition that the higher a family lived in the mountains, the greater was their status.

But now, it is those traditionally considered lower in the pecking order, living at the foot of mountains, who are the new rich, with their hotels and restaurants catering to the throngs of tourists.

Those living higher in the mountains make a meager living, as most tourists aren't keen to climb at least 20 minutes to patronize restaurant there.

As a result, today the higher a Miao's social status, the poorer he is.

"I could never have learned this from any book," Liu says, adding the newly rich are challenging the traditional Miao hierarchy.

Villagers living at the foot of the mountain told Liu that Xijiang's Guzangtou, the person who oversees the Guzang festivities and lives at the top of the mountain, used to be elected and that this tradition should be restored.

But the current Guzangtou insists this prestigious title has traditionally been passed on from father to son in Xijiang, although he does concede that this is not the case in other Miao-inhabited areas.

"Although the villagers were willing to tell me about all this they kept silent in front of the camera. So I could not record this part in the documentary," Liu says.

After living closely with the Miao people, he feels clashes between the demands of tradition and those of modernity pervade most Miao families.

He gives the example of Li Yuliang and Yang Xiaolan, who once worked as migrant workers in cities and now work at the local tourism bureau. Their 20-year-old daughter, Li Fangfang, who opened a barber shop in Beijing with her Han boyfriend, has returned home because of her parents' pleas.

The daughter's yearning for urban life does not go down well with her parents, who want her to retain a sense of belonging to Xijiang.

When Li Fangfang visited her parents, her mother tried not to quarrel with her. But when the mother failed to negotiate with her daughter, she simply insisted Li stayed in Xijiang.

Liu says this is a story about all of China. Many youngsters leave for the city to study or work, while some parents believe they can lead a better life in their hometown.

"The mother reminds me of my mom, who wants me to leave Beijing for my hometown in Northeast China's Liaoning province," Liu says.

"The film will show a new picture of the Miao," says the media art major from Beijing Film Academy.

In 2006, Liu joined an exchange program to work as a documentary director for Yokohama Fund, Japan, where he did a film on the Japanese artist Koji Enokura.

The 90-minute Image of Chinese Ethnic Groups - Xijiang will premiere in theaters at home and abroad in May 2011.

Small injuries usually heal within a few days, but a gaping wound will take longer to heal, and an infection can take hold after several days. Dressings protect the site of the injury.

But to check the wound, those have to be removed. This can be painful for the patient and, moreover, it risks giving germs the chance to enter and cause infection.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich have developed dressing materials and plasters which indicate pathological changes in the skin. If an infection is present, the color of the dressing changes from yellow to purple.

This enables nurses to instantly spot trouble and take immediate action, the researchers say.

"We have developed an indicator dye which reacts to different pH values, and we have integrated it into a dressing and a plaster," says Sabine Trupp, scientist at the EMFT, explaining the chemical reaction. The intelligent dressing material makes it possible to regularly check wounds from the outside without disrupting the healing process.

She points out: "Healthy skin and healed wounds usually show a pH value of below 5. If this value increases, it is shifting from the acid to the alkaline range, which indicates complications in the healing of the wound. If the pH value is between 6.5 and 8.5 an infection is frequently present and the indicator color strip turns purple."

Production of the color control strip posed a number of challenges for the researchers, as it had to meet several different requirements.

"The dye has to remain chemically stable when bonded to the fibers of the dressing material or the plaster to ensure that it does not get into the wound. At the same time, the indicator must show a clear change in color and also react sensitively in the right pH range," Trupp says.

The experts succeeded in meeting all these requirements. A prototype of the dressing has already been produced and initial tests have proved successful.

The researchers are now thinking about how to develop their innovation further. There are plans to integrate optical sensor modules into the dressing to measure the pH value and indicate the results on a reader unit. This method would allow the value to be read off precisely, providing information about how the wound is healing.

The next step will be to use the dressing in a hospital environment at the University of Regensburg's dermatology clinic. Dr Philipp Babilas will be the medical supervisor of the project.

"Our studies of the pH value in acute as well as in chronic wounds have shown that it plays a key role in wound healing," Dr Babilas explains.

At present, Trupp and her team are looking for an industrial partner to produce the dressing commercially.

Even limited exposure to tobacco or secondhand smoke can lead to cardiovascular and other health problems, a new United States public health report says.

The US Surgeon General's report, the latest update to its first study in 1964 highlighting the dangers of tobacco, says that even an occasional cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke is harmful.

The latest report "substantiates the evidence that there is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke," says Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, who serves as the top public health adviser to the White House.

"You don't have to be a heavy smoker or a long-time smoker to get a smoking-related disease or have a heart attack or asthma attack that is triggered by tobacco smoke," the report says.

"Low levels of smoke exposure, including exposures to secondhand tobacco smoke, lead to a rapid and sharp increase in dysfunction and inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which are implicated in heart attacks and stroke.

"Evidence in this report provides additional understanding that the risk does not increase in a linear fashion with increasing exposure, and even low levels of exposure to tobacco are sufficient to substantially increase risk of cardiac events," the report says.

"Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Hundreds are toxic and more than 70 cause cancer ... the chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the toxicants to every organ in your body."

Breaks necessary for workers in winter

Now that winter weather has gripped the northern hemisphere, people who work outdoors should regularly take breaks to prevent hypothermia, advises Kersten Bux, a climate expert for Germany's Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

When temperatures fall below -5 C, workers such as letter carriers, trash collectors, police foot patrol officers, cycle couriers and forest laborers should be outside no longer than 90 minutes at a time and take 15-minute breaks to warm up, Bux says.

At cold temperatures above -5 C, the maximum recommended duration of work outdoors is 150 minutes at a time, followed by 10-minute warm-up breaks, Bux says. Below -18 C, 30-minute breaks every 90 minutes are recommended.

Precipitation and wind can intensify the subjective sensation of cold air. Wind chill can cause the body to cool down much more quickly than windless cold.

To protect themselves from the cold, outdoor workers should dress in layers. Wearing several thin garments on top of each other is better than wearing one thick one, Bux says. The face, hands and feet should be especially protected.

When choosing shoes, outdoor workers should make sure that the soles are sufficiently thick to keep out the cold, Bux remarks.

She also says it is important not to sweat outdoors in cold weather. "Sweaty clothing is very bad," she warns, noting that it causes someone standing in the cold after strenuous activity to cool down faster.

Allergic reactions to kiwi fruit emerge

With kiwi fruit ubiquitous in grocery stores worldwide, reports of allergic reactions have also increased. But some varieties may be less likely to trigger allergies than others, a study says.

In fact, in Sweden, France and Finland, kiwi has become one of the top 10 sources of food allergies, says Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber at the Medical University of Vienna, who led the study reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

In tests of 37 adults with kiwi allergies, Hoffmann-Sommergruber and her colleagues found that certain varieties of the fruit - including the "gold" variety - tend to be less allergenic than the common deep-green variety known as Hayward.

Six varieties were assessed, including the most commonly available Hayward, with bright green flesh and medium-brown skin, and Summer 3373, a variety in the same kiwi "species" as Hayward but with light green flesh. Summer 3373 came to the market later but its availability is growing.

The other tested kiwi fruits included "Hort 16A," marketed as "Zespri Gold" and the most widely available golden-fleshed variety, Jintao, a newer golden variety, and two varieties of a species called Eriantha.

In general, the Hayward kiwi triggered the most significant skin reactions, while the lighter-green Summer and gold Hort 16A led to the mildest reactions.

DPA - Reuters

Acupuncture is used to treat children with shortsightedness at a Hefei hospital in Anhui province. [Photo/Liu Bingsheng /China Daily]

A new study shows acupuncture needles can help children with a 'lazy eye' but experts caution this is not a definitive conclusion.

Sticking acupuncture needles into points on the body classically associated with vision in Chinese medicine could prove to be an alternative to bothersome patches or drops for older children with a 'lazy eye', suggests new research.

Children who received needling from a certified acupuncturist saw similar improvement in their affected eyes as those who underwent the standard treatment of wearing a patch over the strong eye for a couple hours a day in order to strengthen the weak eye. Most participants in both groups advanced two lines or more on an eye chart over the course of the study.

Experts don't recommend that parents swap patches for acupuncture treatments just yet, however. Further research is needed to confirm the findings and to better understand just how the therapy works.

"Acupuncture has been used for a lot of things in Chinese medicine," says senior researcher Dr Robert Ritch of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. "And it's being used more and more in the West. But evidence-based medicine to see what it actually does is relatively lacking."

Up to 5 percent of people around the world suffer from amblyopia, a condition characterized by poor vision in one eye and colloquially called lazy eye. It is the most common cause of vision problems in children.

Between 30 and 50 percent of amblyopia cases are caused by differences in the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness between the two eyes, termed anisometropic amblyopia.

The problem can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses if caught at an early age. But both are less effective for children beyond about the age of 7, who have traditionally been treated with patches.

"Patching can be annoying for kids," says Dr Matthew Gearinger of the University of Rochester, New York, who was not involved in the study. "It may be socially tough to wear a patch at school, and wearing a patch at home can interfere with homework."

Specially medicated eye drops, another common treatment, blur sight in the good eye and can also make homework difficult, Gearinger adds.

In the new study, Ritch and Chinese colleagues looked at 88 children in China between the ages of 7 and 12 who suffered from lazy eye and had already been wearing glasses for at least 16 weeks. They randomly assigned about half the children to wear a patch over the good eye for two hours every day, and the other half to attend five acupuncture sessions weekly; both groups underwent their respective treatments for up to 25 weeks.

All the children were also given new glasses to wear and asked to perform an hour of daily near-vision activities.

By the end of the 25 weeks, the researchers found that at least seven out of 10 children in each group saw their lazy eye's sight improve by at least two lines on an eye chart.

More than twice as many children who received acupuncture overcame the condition compared to those who wore an eye patch: 42 percent versus 17 percent.

While Gearinger suggests that the concept is interesting and the potential for an alternate treatment for lazy eye encouraging, he cautions that the number of children studied was small. He also notes that the treatment option may be impractical in the United States, where there are few acupuncturists with experience treating lazy eye.

Even if they were available, "it is a lot to ask parents to drive to a local acupuncturist five days a week, rather than just using drops or a patch at home", he says.

Dr Peter Lipson, of the University of Michigan, also points to some limitations of the study, including the fact that "everyone knew who was patched and who got acupuncture", which could have biased the outcomes.

Lipson, who was not involved in the work, further suggests that without an untreated group the study can't rule out the possibility that not doing anything, or simply using corrective glasses and performing daily exercises, would work just as well.

"This is not, in my opinion, evidence of acupuncture being as good as standard care, only that in this particular study children did about the same if they received standard care or non-standard care," Lipson says. "It says nothing at all about acupuncture."

The researchers speculate in the Archives of Ophthalmology that acupuncture needles placed at vision-related points on the body might work by increasing the blood flow to both the eye and brain. But they acknowledge that what lies behind acupuncture's apparent success remains unclear.

Ritch and his team are following up with more studies to improve the understanding of how acupuncture may be helpful for lazy eye.

"Don't knock Chinese medicine," Ritch says. "It's been around for more than 3,000 years and there's a lot we don't understand yet."

This is the result of a study by scientists of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, the University of Dundee and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin.

The researchers found that the diabetes drug metformin counteracts alterations of the cell structure of tau protein in mice nerve cells. These alterations are a main cause of Alzheimer's disease. They also uncovered the molecular mechanism of metformin in this process.

"If we can confirm that metformin also shows an effect in humans, it is certainly a good candidate for an effective therapy on Alzheimer's disease," says Sybille Krauss from DZNE.

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that affects almost exclusively elderly people. Neurons in their brains die, leading to cognitive impairment.

At the molecular level, the disease is characterized amongst other things by the formation of tau protein deposits in nerve cells. Tau is a molecule that usually binds to the supportive cytoskeleton and performs a function in the transport system of the cell.

In Alzheimer's disease, tau is tipped too strongly with phosphate groups. This phosphorylation causes removal of tau from the cytoskeleton and aggregation.

To counteract this problem, researchers targeted the regulation of the protein PP2A. This protein is normally responsible for removing phosphate groups from tau protein. In Alzheimer's disease, PP2A is not active enough - leading to an increased phosphorylation and deposition of tau.

The scientists led by Krauss, therefore, looked for a drug that increases the activity of PP2A. "So far there is no drug on the market that targets the formation of tau aggregates," Krauss says.

In cell culture experiments with mouse nerve cells, the researchers showed that metformin directly protects PP2A against degradation by preventing the binding to special degradation proteins. This mechanism of metformin has been unknown so far.

In addition, an increase in PP2A activity leads to a reduction in tau phosphorylation.

In an additional step, the scientists added metformin to the drinking water of healthy mice. This also led to a reduction of tau-phosphorylation in brain cells.

In further experiments, the researchers now intend to investigate whether metformin also prevents the decomposition of tau proteins in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and improves cognitive performance of the animals.

The effect in humans will then be tested in clinical studies. There is no risk of unexpected side effects, due to the fact that the drug is already used against diabetes.

The 6th Lianzhou International Photography Festival, Lianzhou Foto 2010, brings together more than 7,500 photos, created by over 100 photographers from all around the world.

While many other arts festivals are expanding, Lianzhou Foto aims "to present exhibitions of a smaller scale but better quality for participants and viewers", says festival curator Duan Yuting.

The solo exhibitions, almost 60 in all, are on view at three venues - the Shoe Factory, the Granaries and the Candy Factory - accounting for more than 20,000 square meters of exhibition space in this small city in southern Guangdong province.

Peripheral exhibitions, such as ink painting exhibitions, local specialty fairs and shows of works by amateurs hang on billboards in the streets of the old city.

Built around the theme Is the World Real? the 2010 festival aims to explore the meaning of photography and the relationship between photographers and social reality.

Highlights include works by established international and Chinese photographers such as Jean Baudrillard, Patrick Zachmann, Liu Heung Shing, Zhu Xianmin and Zhang Dali.

"Young and emerging photographers, some of whom have received no formal education in photography, are also participating", art director Fei Dawei says.

"Young photographers know no conventions. So they have more freedom taking photos," Fei explains.

For example, the 100-odd photographs of Tang Wenjing, a 20-something amateur, at the Granaries exhibition area, are attracting huge attention.

A rural girl from Hunan province, Tang was surprised when she was invited to participate by the organizers.

"This must be a joke, I thought," the second-year art design major says.

She took a serious interest in photography in 2008 and bought her first camera in 2009, uploading her works onto her blog and message boards.

The festival's curators found her on the Internet.

Speaking of the festival's host city, Qi Huahai, a local publicity official says: "It is a win-win situation. On the one hand, it promotes the city and its tourism, and on the other it gives lovers of photography art a very different experience from that of urban festivals."

The festival is on till Dec 26.

Xiao Yang, a lead actor in the popular website-produced program Old Boys, playing guitar in the studio. [Photo/Xinhua]

Major Chinese websites are transforming the video-programming environment by making films themselves. Leading video sites such as Tudou.com, Ku6.com and Youku are among the established players making shorts or episodes of shows, while popular Internet portals like Sina.com.cn are getting in on the action too.

One of the best examples of the new website-produced shows is Old Boys, made by Youku and China Film Group Corp (CFGC), which has racked up tens of millions of video views within a month since it first premiered on the Internet on Oct 28.

"With the development of video websites, abundant capital has poured into the industry," says Wei Ming, senior vice president of Youku.

"It's a natural commercial activity for these sites to spend money producing their own programs.

"Other countries with a mature Internet industry have already set a good example that we are learning from."

In 1995, while directing commercials for the Fattal & Collins advertising agency, American filmmaker Scott Zakarin created The Spot, said to be the world's first Web series, which heavily featured product placement from the show's sponsors.

Following the same business model, in 2008, Ku6 produced China's first Web series, I Love Fantasy, attracting investment from FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company (FAW-VW). A year later Youku shot Office Quartet, funded by Ting Hsin, a food processing company.

But the recent wave of website-produced programs features more than just collaborations between websites and corporations.

In some respects, this sea change is due to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which issued a string of policies cracking down on piracy of films and TV programs in 2009, which led to a sharp rise in copyright fees.

Some websites snapped up the copyrights of shows, transforming themselves from being a platform into a distributor; while others started to produce their own videos and own the copyrights in the first place, thereby saving money and generating future profits.

"In the current circumstances, it is inevitable that websites buy up the copyrights of some video programs," says Zhang Guowei, video director of Sina.

"But when all of us purchase the same copyrights, website content starts to look the same.

"The key to avoiding homogeneity is websites making their own programs. Only by realizing its own projects will the cyber space of videos become diversified."

Youku's Wei Ming adds the reason many websites want to make video shorts, films or serials is to break the monopoly of television companies.

"It will enable us to shift the former supply-demand relationship, as we move from the bottom of the food chain to the top," Wei says.

"China's websites will find their own way in the new marketing scenario."

Tudou, recently set up a video-making department and produced its maiden Web series, Welcome Love.

Although the budget for shooting Welcome Love was just 6 million yuan ($900,000), copyrights of the show have been sold to 11 countries and regions.

The most expensive episode is worth 200,000 yuan ($30,000).

"Besides the profits, what is remarkable is the role reversal between the buyer and the seller," says Wang Wei, Tudou's CEO.

The popularity of website-made shows has drawn some familiar names from showbiz.

Scriptwriter Ning Caishen, who is best known for his smash-hit TV series My Own Swordsmen, wrote a program for Ku6, while Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung served as executive producer for Sina's The Nail Trimmer, which had 20 million hits just a few days after it was broadcast last month.

The high-profile names and initial success of the films are morale boosters, but even so some websites are taking a cautious approach to the developing phenomenon.

"Where there is opportunity, there is risk," says Sina's Zhang Guowei. "We will not venture into film production with big money right now."

But with more "brands" and profitable shows, like Pang Ho-cheung and The Nail Trimmer being released in the Web-original programming circuit, he adds, there will be more enterprises that tend to emphasize videos made by websites.

"That will generate further profits and increase the number of shows produced by websites," he says.

Willow Smith doesn't have to follow any rules set by her parents.

Jada Pinkett Smith - mother of the 10-year-old 'Whip My Hair' hitmaker - admitted she and actor husband Will Smith try not to impose rules on the youngster, as they would rather "guide" Willow and her actor brother Jaden through life.

She said: "We don't have rules. We come up with agreements. Kids are little people, and we're in life to guide them. Trying to rule someone is always an illusion, and it's no different with children."

Instead, Jada explained the pair try to come up with solutions when they have altercations, such as when Willow went against her mother's advice and set up a page on a social networking site.

She added: "I told her not to, so I was so mad. I said, 'What do you think I should do now?' So Willow said, 'Mom, take my computer away'. And I said, 'How long for?'. She said a month.

"So it's negotiations. I'm not saying it's always perfect. I have my bloops and my blunders. But I'm doing my best."

The actress also thinks it was inevitable her daughter would eventually end up in showbusiness, but she still needs "guidance" to ensure she grows up as any other 10-year-old girl would.

Jada added to Style magazine: "Being part of the family she's from, and working in the industry she's chosen, she needs some guidance. So I'm here to teach her how to look after her later.

"Willow isn't the breadwinner. Most times in this situation, a kid is supporting herself and an entire family. She's not doing it to support a family, so she can do as much or as little as she wants to."

Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the United States' oldest cities. It is home to historical sites and with 50 colleges and universities in the area it has a lively, youthful feel.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a 48-hour visit.

FRIDAY

5 p.m. - Boston's Children's Museum, featuring a variety of exhibits on history and culture, offers a discounted $1 admission from 5 p.m. till 9 p.m. on Friday nights. The museum is usually boisterous, particularly around the three-story enclosed climbing structure where children can burn off any nervous energy. (308 Congress Street (www.bostonkids.org/)

7 p.m. - Walk along the Fort Point Channel near the site of the Boston Tea Party, which is one of the events that led to the revolution of the former British colonies, toward the harbor to the Barking Crab (88 Sleeper Street, www.barkingcrab.com/). It is a casual waterfront fish shack that features local oysters, lobster rolls and, for picky young eaters, macaroni and cheese.

If fish is not your thing, cross the channel and walk 3/4 mile along Boston Harbor to historic Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market (between Chatham and Clinton Streets, near the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, here).

The food court, housed in a 250-year-old market building, features a variety of choices, from pizza to creamy New England-style clam chowder. The complex also offers sit-down restaurants, including a replica of the bar from the iconic 1980s U.S. television series "Cheers."

SATURDAY

9 a.m. - Get a behind-the-scenes look at Fenway Park, the 98-year-old stadium that is home to the city's beloved Red Sox. (4 Yawkey Way, here) The 50-minute tours run all year round, though you'll only have a chance for a look at the players on game days. Walk on the field, see the dugout and get an up-close look at one of Major League Baseball's last hand-operated scoreboards.

11 a.m. - Stroll through the Public Garden. From mid-April through mid-September, visitors can catch a ride on the pedal-powered swan boats (here), which little ones might recognize from the 1941 Robert McCloskey book "Make Way for Ducklings." Out of boating season, fans of the book can walk to the northeast corner of the garden for to see a bronze statue of the heroine, Mrs. Mallard, and her eight ducklings.

Cross Charles Street and walk into Boston Common, a 50 acre (20 hectare) park where 17th century Bostonians grazed livestock. Make your way to the Frog Pond, a summertime wading pool becomes an ice-skating rink from November through mid-March. (here)

2 p.m. - Make your way toward the Charles River, which separates Boston from Cambridge to visit the Museum of Science (1 Science Park, www.mos.org/). The museum has exhibits to appeal to all ages, on everything from local wildlife, to math, to a replica "Naboo Starfighter" from "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace."

5 p.m. - Cross into Cambridge, home to two of America's top schools -- Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stroll the leafy campus of Harvard, the United States' oldest institution of higher learning (www.harvard.edu).

Venture out into Harvard Square, a bustling shopping district, where you'll find everything from sweatshirts bearing the school crest to high-end jewelry. If your family members are avid readers, pop into Curious George & Friends, a two-story children's bookstore. (30 Brattle Street, Cambridge, www.guriousg.com)

7 p.m. - Harvard Square has no shortage of restaurants, from the high-end New American fare of Upstairs on the Square (91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, to the casual Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, where the line often stretches down the street. (1246 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge (www.mrbartley.com).

If you're looking for a place where a little noise won't be noticed, amble over to Border Cafe for moderately priced Mexican food in a festive setting. (32 Church Street, Cambridge, www.bordercafe.com)

After dinner, splurge on a sweet at L.A. Burdick Chocolate. If it's chilly, don't miss the hot chocolate, which comes in white, milk and dark varieties. (52-D Brattle Street, Cambridge, www.burdickchocolate.com)

SUNDAY

9 a.m. - If you want to catch the major sights, including the two-century old U.S.S. Constitution warship and the New Old South Church, hop on a Duck Tour. (800 Boylston Street, www.bostonducktours.com)

The "ducks" are amphibious vehicles first used by the U.S. military in World War Two, so after driving the streets, the tour heads onto the Charles River for a view of the skyline.

11 a.m. - After seeing the skyline from sea level, look down on Boston from the top of Prudential Tower. The 52-story skyscraper is New England's second tallest building -- the nearby John Hancock Tower is taller, but does not have a public observation deck. (800 Boylston Street, here)

1 p.m. - After enjoying the feeling of freedom that comes with a 100-mile view, how about some time in prison? Head to the Liberty Hotel (215 Charles Street, www.libertyhotel.com), built in the city's former Charles Street Jail. Inside, the restaurant Clink serves Sunday brunch-- with a menu ranging from oatmeal to a smoked salmon, spinach and burrata cheese scramble -- till 3 p.m.

The dining room still features the brick walls and iron bars that once held prisoners.

Sick of coming back from those short business trips exhausted and rundown? Men's website AskMen.com (www.askmen.com) offers 10 easy tips to help you get through those difficult one to three days away for work looking and feeling good.

1. Never check luggage. Unless we're talking about a two-week gambling retreat in Monte Carlo, this rule is never to be broken. Travel is frustrating and exhausting because of all the waiting -- for a cab, in traffic to the airport, for the plane, on the plane -- so do everything you can to maximize your time and avoid relying on the efficiency of others. Not to mention there's a solid chance your checked bag will be delayed, damaged or burgled.

2. Maintain your health. As a traveler, your propensity to get sick isn't just linked to hygiene; you're also changing your diet and exercise regimen. Pack vitamins to keep your immune system on track and running shoes so you can still go for that morning jog. Ask the flight attendant for a full bottle of water, rather than having to beg for refills in that tiny plastic cup. They'll happily give it to you and you won't end weary and dried out like you usually do.

3. The Dopp kit. There are a lot of factors working against you, hygienically, on airplanes. From the water coming out of the sinks to your proximity to so many other people to the lack of clean air, the chance of becoming ill is heightened. Pack small versions of everything you use at home, especially moisturizer, eye drops and hand sanitizer. Use something natural that won't ruin your hands and smell like a hospital. And don't forget a small towel to wash your face.

4. Wear the right shoes. Like to travel in your webbed sandals? Flip-flops? It may be comfortable, but it's Busch league travel. Instead, wear a pair of classic Oxfords, low profile boots or canvas plimsoll shoes that go with the rest of your wardrobe. This will allow you to leave shoes out of the luggage altogether or sub in a pair of running shoes.

5. Featherweight packing. The two most common mistakes in packing for a short trip are bringing too much and bringing the wrong things. In most cases, this is all the clothing you need: slim dark jeans, a blazer (tweed is great for cooler months, black hides dirt well), two neutral dress shirts (one of which you'll be wearing), a sweater, extra socks, and briefs. If you're thinking, "I want to have options," you're just being indecisive about your wardrobe.

6. Carry one good bag. Owning a quality weekend bag is the first line of defense against extra baggage. Avoid small rolling luggage -- it lacks style altogether, and a framed bag is really unnecessary if it's just going in the overhead compartment. Check out classic, durable weekend bags made from leather, canvas and waxed cotton. Stick with neutral colors.

7. Bring a flask. Another way to stay warm is with coffee... or whisky. One of the most humiliating events in travel is when the flight attendant offers you a little cup of apple juice or viscous coffee -- just because you're traveling like cattle doesn't mean you can't maintain some dignity. Bring a small flask to fill up with your favorite tipple after passing through security. You could also take a thermos to replenish with coffee on morning trips. These items take up minimal room in your luggage and make a big difference in your quality of living.

8. Stay warm. It's the classic airplane situation: You board the plane exhausted, pass out and wake up two hours later shivering in a petite fleece blanket and resting on a hospital-issue pillow that looks and feels like a gauze Chiclet. Don't do this anymore. Pack a classic wool throw. They're fairly inexpensive; more importantly, you'll be comfortable and your neighbor will envy your foresight.

9. Invest in noise canceling headphones. No matter how comfortable your seat is, planes are filled with a host of aural distractions that keep you from truly relaxing and enjoying your trip. Thankfully, this problem is perfectly rectifiable. A pair of sleek, super-comfy headphones allow you to dig into your new audio book or the latest album without having the experience sullied by the drone of an engine or a crying baby.

10. Wear a good watch. A watch is a staple in every wardrobe, and having multiple options (they don't have to be expensive) is even better. Anyone who travels often knows how disorienting it can be. A watch with multiple time zones or a world time feature makes the transition easier by tracking the local time at your destination and at home. You'll also check in on friends and family without thinking twice about whether it's too late to call.

A parade opens the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival, the first of its kind in the southern metropolis. [Photo/Kuang Siming /China Daily]

African djembe drummers, martial arts performers, break-dancers and even animal protection volunteers were part of a boisterous parade on Shenzhen Bay avenue in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 4. When the parade arrived at Haide Square, MCs announced the opening of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival, the first of its kind in the southern metropolis. "In Chinese culture there is a tradition of parades, but mostly for military and religious purposes. What we are doing is a different kind of parade. The most important thing, I tell participants, is "Keep it cool!" says American artist Chad Leslie, director of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival parade, who has directed similar parades in Macao and Taipei.

From Dec 4 to 12, the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival presents a variety of events, including a crossover concert by Tuvan throat-singing group Huun-Huur-Tu and Hong Kong sound artist Dickson Dee, an improvised drama by the students of Shenzhen University, a flash mob by local animal protection volunteers, performance art/dance by the Made in J-Town group of Shandong province, and the premiere of a new film titled Thomas Mao made by novelist Zhu Wen.

These events are being held at a number of Shenzhen's public spaces, mostly outdoor venues like squares, parks and shopping malls. Nearly all the events are free of charge.

"This festival is not meant to showcase high arts, but to get more people involved in arts and provide a platform for cultural diversity," says Zhu Decai, executive director of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival.

The concept of a fringe festival originated in Edinburgh, 1947, when eight art groups that were not invited to participate at the Edinburgh International Festival decided to organize their own performances.

The idea has since been adopted as a term for alternative arts, and fringe festivals that now take place around the world.

A Fringe Shanghai was begun in 2006, and a Beijing Fringe Festival that focuses on theater started in 2008.

Shenzhen, which celebrates its 30th anniversary as a special economic zone this year, is not well known for its culture, but Zhu argues that today's Shenzhen residents are now in a better position to enjoy cultural events thanks to its economic development.

Zhu believes Shenzhen has a unique personality that will help the growth of his festival.

"A city of immigrants, Shenzhen is a meeting point for people from all over China and has an open and tolerant atmosphere that is suitable for a fringe festival," Zhu says.

With financial support from Shenzhen's Nanshan district government, the festival is organized by a group of local artists. Zhu says the 20-plus events of the fringe festival cost less than other largescale events previously held in the city.

A number of performance groups from nearby Hong Kong and Macao are also taking part.

"The integration of diverse cultural forms is a vital part of an international city, and the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival is a good start," says Hong Kong sound artist Dickson Dee, who gave an open-air concert at Haide Square in Shenzhen.

A cutting-edge artist, Dee wants to play to more than just audiences in small clubs.

"When a variety of sounds can be heard by people walking in the street, people's cultural horizons will widen, and the overall cultural quality of a city will improve," Dee says.

With the theme "everywhere is art, everybody is an artist", the festival intends to get everyone involved.

"We all have creativity within us and we all have a fundamental need to express ourselves through arts and creative languages. It's part of the human spirit," says festival parade director Leslie.

"I hope in the future we will have time to do more workshops with the local community to develop the vision completely. When we give people more opportunities they will get more involved. The fringe festival is for both performers and audiences."

More than 20 events were held as part of the festival. [Photo/Kuang Siming /China Daily]

This was one of China's entries to the 1915 World Exposition at Panama, along with a leg of Yunnan ham. The Xuanwei ham got all the culinary accolades, and the world was introduced to a gold-medal winning Chinese baijiu, to mixed reviews.

Some thought it smelled like the barnyard and tasted like turpentine. Others praised it for its unique fragrance. It went on to win more gold medals, including another at the Paris Expo in 1985.

At a state banquet, when ping-pong diplomacy brought Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger to Beijing, Kissinger was supposed to have told Deng Xiaoping this: "If we drink enough maotai, we can solve everything."

Perhaps because of its mellowing influence, maotai is one of the spirits served at state banquets even now, and the labels quickly exploit this, with "state banquet" or "VIP spirits" blatantly used in the advertising. While most baijiu is popular in the north, maotai (or "moutai" as it is commonly misspelled even on the bottle labels) is from the south, in the heavily tribal region of Guizhou province, named after a town there.

In many martial arts movies, especially in the Louis Cha classics, the heroes are often seen tippling generously on white spirits, calling in for frequent refills at the local inns. Sometimes they share their liquor with exotic tribal ladies known to keep pet snakes and scorpions.

In reality, maotai only became popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It belongs to the "sauce fragrance" category of white spirits and has become most representative of this category. "Sauce fragrance" is so named because the after-taste of the spirit is reminiscent of soya sauce, another fermented brew.

For that reason, too, maotai is often paired with pickles, as it is believed the soy-sauce soaked vegetables will accentuate the spirit's fragrance.

Maotai is pretty strong, and not for the faint-hearted. It averages about 53 percent by volume in alcohol, although there are milder versions that go down to about 35 percent. Veteran tipplers won't bother with anything less than 50 percent.

Maotai is made from sorghum, and like most baijiu, it first undergoes the fermentation process, and then it is double- or triple-distilled, giving it that deceptively clear color that looks like water but burns its way straight through gullet and guts.

Together with Beijing erguo tou and wuliangye (distilled from a fermented brew of five cereals), maotai is one of the top-selling spirits in China. There are also some claims that it is the third most popular liquor in the world, after whisky and cognac. I can well believe there are enough Chinese drinkers of maotai to give it that boost.

Maotai is a strong spirit that will go well with hearty meat dishes. Think of a whole roast lamb, and you can imagine quite a few bottles of maotai strategically placed nearby.

Caprice's racan pigeon feuillet with foie gras, nori seaweed sauted artichokes in warm vinaigrette.[Photo/China Daily]

Hong Kong

Looking for a place to have an intimate, romantic dinner with sophisticated French food, great wine, superior setting and beautiful ambience? Look no further than some of Hong Kong's Michelin-starred restaurants.

When people celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, they often use it as a chance to indulge a little and splurge at one of the many high-end restaurants that are centered in the heart of Hong Kong, such as the French restaurants which have earned themselves prestigious Michelin stars.

Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel is the only one among them to have earned three stars. Chef Vincent Thierry offers contemporary French cuisine that is crafted in an open kitchen so diners can share the experience at every moment. The food is, of course, accompanied by an excellent wine list and a helpful sommelier.

Service is attentive and the staff always friendly and knowledgeable.

The dining area sets the mood with regal crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and ornate furniture. The open kitchen is definitely not traditional, but it does not deter from the grandeur of the surroundings.

For me, the delectable selection on their cheese trolley is enough to have me raving about the dining experience long after it should be a distant memory.

Both Amber at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in the Landmark come up next with two stars to their credit. Amber's dramatic chandelier is a focal point of the restaurant, while at L'Atelier, the open kitchen is the main draw.

Amber is decorated with warm tones while L'Atelier plays with light and dark and uses a dark palette with subdued lighting.

The chef at Amber is Richard Ekkebus from the Netherlands whose culinary creativity is showcased in the four-course "surprise" menu created with daily market produce, somewhat along the bistro concept.

Joel Robuchon needs no introduction. As an award-winning, world-renowned French chef and restaurateur with a total of 26 Michelin stars to his name, he is a giant among his peers. Each dish at L'Atelier is served on a plate specially designed for it.

Another renowned French chef reigns at Pierre, housed on top of the Mandarin Oriental. Glamorous and enticing, Pierre is decorated with rich blacks and violets but its main attraction is the chef - Pierre Gagnaire, famous for creating dishes using uncommon combinations of familiar ingredients. You can dine on the Turner veloute here, which the chef created specially for Tina Turner.

With such grand options available, your main difficulty will be choosing one. Whatever your choice, however, the experience will definitely be memorable.

Shanghai

Good food can be delightful and healing. It can make you forget your diet. And in the case of Vincent Liu, it can make you throw caution into the winds, quit your job and become a business partner in a restaurant that he says serves the "" he's ever had.

Malaysian-born Liu shares his "love-at-first-bite" story. As a frequent visitor to Beijing while working and living in Shanghai, Liu often ate at Haiku by Hatsune, a Japanese restaurant offering sushi. He ate here so often, in fact, that he became its business partner in Shanghai.

Liu says what differentiates his sushi spot from the usual restaurants are the unique combinations, the varied menu and most importantly, the perfect balance between style and substance.

For a start, the names alone were enough to intrigue the diner: 119 roll, Princess Li roll, Caterpillar roll, and Moto-roll-ah. Does the last ring a bell? Apart from the quirky names, these rolls also brighten the senses with their combination of eye appeal, scent and taste.

But, wait. There is a surprise waiting even before you pick up your chopsticks. You have to choose which pair to use. For that, a waitress will present a tray of colorful chopsticks, each pair wrapped in brocades and a small red ribbon. There are no rules to dictate which to choose, but it is a pleasant way to pass the time while your sushi is being made.

The top choice cheekily named Moto-roll-ah uses deep-fried spicy tuna, snow crab, maguro and avocado, topped off with sweet "secret" sauce. You are supposed to eat the whole piece in one bite, which will leave you speechless and it won't be because your mouth is full.

The heavier but equally flavorful G roll is a must-try. It stars a winning combination of soft shell crab, unagi and crisp, sweet flying-fish roe.

It tastes like a seafood party, with crispy fried crab falling apart, tender eel rolling around and little explosions of roe like fireworks at the end of the party.

The juicy grills are also satisfying, and perfect with beer for a more casual meal.

As Liu explains, the restaurant is here to cater to expatriates like himself, and that is why you will see Fish-and-chip Haiku, Mexican Taco with Japanese stuffing, and Californian-style rolls.

"It's all about fusion, fun, and creativity," Liu says.

Beijing

Beijing is not known for its fresh seafood, but tucked away off the main road near Yansha Bridge, a crab feast waits. Pauline D Loh takes a crack at the banquet.

When they say crabs, they mean crabs. None of your puny local river crabs here, and we are certainly not even talking about common mud crabs or blue swimmers.

Cage's Crab House offers serious crustaceans for the dinner table - huge arm-span sized Alaskan king crabs, 2-kg Tasmanian mottled snow crabs, US West Coast Dungeness crabs, and something the staff recommended as "bread crabs".

Of course, the size of the critters is directly commensurate with the magnitude of the bill, but for an occasional treat, nothing beats a good crab feed to satiate that seafood longing.

As soon as you push open the door, you stumble upon a double aquarium displaying the crabs. Most diners will stop and gape.

It is an impressive display, with the Alaskan kings dominating the tanks with their giant legs splayed in aggressive display against the snow crabs. The Dungeness crabs huddle behind the water filters and bread crabs pretend to be fossilized lumps at the bottom of the tanks.

Bread crabs? That's what the enthusiastic waiters say they are called. Further queries unearthed the scientific name - Calappa philargius. Whatever the name, they are a gourmet crab-eater's dream come true.

These creatures are actually known as box crabs, and they inhabit the coastal seas from the equatorial flats of Indonesia to the freezing shores of the North Sea.

Here at Cage's Crab House, box or bread crab is served in a set meal that includes salad, soup, and a little basket of fish and chips that is arguably the best in Beijing. It even comes with malt vinegar.

The crab itself is steamed and regally presented on a specially made platter with "Cage's Crab House" emblazoned on it, together with a pile of napkins and a wooden mallet.

Our waiter took pains to explain how we should go about eating our box crab. Place the napkins on top of the shell and go at it with the mallet. Once the brittle shell has cracked into pieces the roe is exposed. And what vast amounts of roe!

It seems that the box crab probably devotes its entire existence to reproduction and in season, the crab is all roe and very little meat - and it's fully 25cm across. The roe itself is surprisingly delicate, and remains quite creamy, unlike the hard sandy clumps you often find in other crabs.

A little tub of lemon butter comes with the crab to help it on its finger-lickin' way.

We also ordered the snow crab, which is eaten for its meat, and which is noticeably sweeter.

The Alaskan king crab also comes in a set meal for four to five diners, and the whole meal includes one huge steamed crustacean, individual salads, soups, a bread basket, crab cakes, fish and chips and ginger tea.

That's the local touch to a very Western way of eating crabs. The Chinese believes crab is a cooling food, too much of which will tamper with the yin yang balance of the body. To counter that, a hot mug of ginger-infused tea with dark brown sugar does the trick.

My colleague asked a pertinent question which solicited a laughing response.

Why is the restaurant called Cage's Crab House? Well, apparently the mistress of the restaurant is a fervent fan of actor Nicolas Cage, whose likeness is plastered all over the walls of the restaurant, in-between photographs of famous crabs of the world.

It says much of Beijing's culinary sophistication that you can now find a crab house here that looks as if it was transported straight from Fishermen's Wharf in San Francisco. The service is friendly, the atmosphere is cozy and you get fresh crabs to eat that were staring at you out of a tank just moments ago.

If the price tag is a little steep, well, what do you expect? Someone has to pay for the air tickets.

Traditionally math and science have not enjoyed high esteem in Poland, but the Copernicus Science Center draws crowds. [Photo/Piotr Malecki/The New York Times]

"I see this as a vanguard in a revolution in education," said Professor Lukasz Turski, a physicist with the Polish Academy of Sciences who lobbied the government to build the Copernicus Science Center, which opened in November.

The idea is to overcome a view of the hard sciences as inferior to the arts and humanities, a lingering perception that is today hampering Poland's efforts to advance.

In a nation that struggled to remain a nation even while it did not exist, wiped off the map for more than a century, the arts proved to be a thread that bound generations of Poles together.

"The only form to create national identity was literature," said Janusz Reiter, a former ambassador to Germany and the United States.

So the humanities were important to Poland's survival, while math and the sciences languished.

"The reason we had a poor mathematical tradition is rather clear," wrote Wieslaw Zelazko, a mathematics professor with the Polish Academy of Sciences. "In the 19th century, a period of great development of mathematics in Western Europe, Poland was not an independent country."

Poland, Professor Zelazko continued, did have a period of math excellence that began after World War I, though in the sweep of history it was a relatively brief period, cut off by World War II, when the Nazis silenced, drove out or killed Poland's intellectuals. Later, after 40 years of Soviet domination, Poland moved quickly to overhaul its school system. But it failed to change the attitude toward math.

In 2001, the Education Ministry ruled that math was not needed to graduate from high school, Professor Turski said.

So lots of people just skipped math - a legacy that Poland's fledgling high-tech sector is struggling with today.

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, a Polish daily newspaper, recently reported that job opportunities in these areas outnumbered applicants by 10 to 1.

Economists say that Poland lags far behind other nations of comparable resources in patent applications, and that in 2012 Poland will probably lose out on European Union financing for research and development.

"I am not qualified to be considered intelligentsia in this country," Professor Turski said. "It is more important to sit and discuss Plato than to know how the chip in the computer works."

The decision to make math studies optional was finally reversed this past May, Professor Turski said, part of a long, slow process of trying to persuade Poles to forge values relevant to the modern world, and to get past values that evolved in very different times.

But it is still not clear, he said, that there is a general understanding of the need to improve education in science and math.

He is hoping that the Copernicus Center can at least inspire people to embrace science and math.

The center is always filled, with families on weekends and schoolchildren during the week.

Ilona Rusin was watching as her son, Sebastian, 10, dropped marbles into a long maze.

"No," she said, "when I did my studies, I did not take math."

Her son looked up and said with a shy smile that he loved computers.

"Everything in the world has something to do with math," he said.

The New York Times

Paris

In a "Sex and the City" episode, Miranda goes speed-dating and wastes her eight-minute pitch three times by giving away that she is a corporate lawyer. The fourth time she says she is a stewardess and gets asked out by a doctor.

What made the episode poignant was not just that Miranda lied about her success, but that her date did, too: it turned out he worked in a shoe store.

Is female empowerment killing romance?

Sexual attraction in the 21st century, it seems, still feeds on 20th-century stereotypes. Now, as more women match or overtake men in education and the labor market, they are also turning traditional gender roles on their head, with some profound consequences for relationship dynamics.

There is a growing army of successful women in their 30s who have trouble finding a mate. There are the alpha-women who end up with alpha-men but then decide to put career second when the babies come. But there is also a third group: a small but growing number of women who out-earn their partners, giving rise to an assortment of behavioral contortions aimed at keeping the appearance of traditional gender roles intact.

Anne-Laure Kiechel is an investment banker in Paris who makes more than five times more than her boyfriend, a communications consultant. She keeps watch on their finances and pays for all big invisible expenses, like vacations.

But in public, it is he who insists on pulling out his credit card to avoid, he said, looking like a "gigolo."

"It makes me laugh," Ms. Kiechel said. "But if it pleases him, that's fine."

Timothy Eustis, once a New York City teacher, is a stay-at-home dad and occasional wine consultant, who moved to France with his wife, Sarah, when she was offered a senior management post at the French lingerie brand Etam. Neither has a problem that she is the chief earner and her salary aliments the joint account. But both cherish what he calls "those little traditions" to keep the romantic spark alive.

"I make an effort to hold the door, I almost always drive the car, and when it's time to pay the bill, I pay the bill," he said. "Sarah probably intentionally lets me do these things because she thinks it benefits the relationship."

Some men have more fundamental issues. One 38-year-old Italian manager complained that her boyfriend suggested she change jobs because he no longer felt able to "seduce her" after her salary rose above his. A French management consultant said her husband, a teacher, stopped coming to parties with her because he felt inadequate every time anyone asked him what he did. A German banker said one reason her ex-husband left her for a physiotherapist was "because she would have more time for him."

"It is amazing how even many liberal-minded men end up having sexual and emotional difficulties being with more obviously successful women," said Sasha Havlicek, the 35-year-old chief executive of a London research group. A friend of hers resorted to feigning helplessness with her partner to promote his sense of masculinity. "The male ego can be a more fragile thing than the female ego, which is used to a regular battering and has hence developed a sense of humor!"

Anke Domscheit-Berg of Microsoft Germany, who has stories of past would-be boyfriends fleeing after seeing "director" (of communications) on her business card, put it this way: "Success is not sexy."

"Men don't want successful women, men want to be admired," said Gesine Haag, 43, who used to run match.com in Germany. "It's important to them that the woman is full of energy at night and not playing with her BlackBerry in bed."

Bernard Prieur, a psychoanalyst and author of "Money in Couples," says men who earn less than their partners struggle with two insecurities: "They feel socially and personally vulnerable. Socially, they go against millennia of beliefs and stereotypes that see them as the breadwinner. And the success of their partner also often gives them a feeling of personal failure," Mr. Prieur said in the November issue of the French magazine Marie-Claire.

But are things changing as the number of female high achievers increases?

Ms. Kiechel in Paris says her boyfriend encourages her career and brags to friends how intelligent and hard-working she is. Ms. Haag and Ms. Domscheit-Berg both earn more than their husbands and report that their men actually enjoy watching the waiter's reaction when they say their wife will pick up the tab.

Ms. Domscheit-Berg, who is also active in the European Women's Management Development International Network, advised well-paid women: Leave the snazzy company car at home on the first date; find your man in your 20s, before you've become too successful. And go after men who draw their confidence from sources other than money, like academics and artists.

"The more different their activity from your own, the better," said Ms. Domscheit-Berg.

The New York Times

Sixteen years after the publication of his prophetic bestseller Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World, KK is sure its newly released Chinese translation will find a large audience in China.

The book, with the central theme of how a decentralized social system can be a great power in the world, foresees the advent of new technologies such as cloud computing and the Internet of things.

"I wrote the book because I am interested in looking at organisms and have found something in common among all complicated things," KK says.

He closes the book with nine laws that he thinks will facilitate our understanding of the world.

Interestingly, the Chinese translation of the book corroborates the legitimacy of his top two laws: "distribute being" (everything is distributed over a multitude of smaller units) and "control from the bottom up" (overall governance must arise from the most humble interdependent acts).

Zhao Jiamin, proofreader of the book, started looking for a translator almost three years ago. The actual translation started in May 2008. With one translator working alone, only a quarter of the book was covered by the end of the year, falling far behind Zhao's expectations.

Zhao decided to recruit more translators online. Eight qualified ones were chosen and the work was thus distributed among nine translators.

The assignment was completed in a month and a half, with all the translators interacting in the virtual community, exchanging ideas on how some terminologies should be handled.

The "control" of the book was then transmitted from the nine grass-roots translators up to Zhao, who finally unified the manuscript's tone and style.

"The whole translation process is a perfect example of how KK's two laws can function," Zhao says.

KK has just finished his new book What Technology Wants. During his visit, he gave lectures on his understanding of the future, the Web and new technologies, and had talks with Chinese IT engineers, university students as well as lay readers.

It was an Asia tour in 1971 that made the university dropout believe that real change was possible. The access to the Internet in 1981 changed his thinking about technology and he remains optimistic about constant changes. He even makes "change changes themselves" his ninth law.

Norwegian fulfills life's mission to traverse the Great Wall. Erik Nilsson reports.

As one of the first few persons to walk the entire Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall, Norwegian Robert Loken knows that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step but in his case it was a sojourn of 6,000 km. On Dec 2, 601 days after departing from the Wall's westernmost terminus, Gansu province's Jiayuguan, the 42-year-old stomped over the final brick of the final eastern watchtower, Liaoning province's Hushan.

"I had converted a 21-year-old dream into living moments, moments in life," Loken says.

"It's not about being the first, or walking the farthest or the fastest. It's about the experience of following my dream."

Fulfilling his life's goal required surmounting the treacherous distance of about 140 marathons before reaching the final pass, at the border of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On one of the final days, he walked more than 40 km "without sitting down", he says.

While about a dozen foreigners and even more Chinese have followed the Ming Wall from Jiayuguan to the end of the existing bulwark in Hebei province's Shanhaiguan, Loken was the first to continue on to retrace the Ming-era maps' original route - the stone of which centuries have mostly ground away - to Hushan. He conquered those final 1,370 km through Liaoning in 41 days, pushing to finish before his visa expired on Dec 5, he says.

"When I reached (Hushan), I could finally let my shoulders down and relax for the first time in a year and a half," Loken says.

The adventurer had spent nearly two years dealing with snakes, scorpions and wild dogs. He ran out of water in the Gobi Desert and nearly passed out in a blizzard in Central China. He broke his left big toe in Shanxi.

Loken was happy to return to his parents' home in Oslo, after an airline strike canceled his homecoming flight, postponing his return by a day.

"We were relieved and joyful at having him safely back home after 20 months," says his father, Tor Loken.

His mother, Jean Loken, adds: "So much could have gone wrong, but it went much better than we could have hoped for It's an incredible achievement for Robert, and we are very proud of him."

Loken says what he has done has not yet "sunk in", and he is looking forward to "processing" it while recuperating in his homeland.

"Physically, I'm at the peak of my life. But I'm tired in the top floor," he says, tapping his index finger against his temple.

"I'm tired of all the experiences, tired of being on the move for such a long time. It's not the uncertainty of life, but rather, it's the ever-changing. I wake up in the morning, and I don't know who I'm going to meet, what I'm going to see or experience and where I'm going to sleep that night."

But the quest has been every bit the glory he had envisioned, as chronicled on his blog, www.thegreatwallker.com.

Loken says keeping the blog helped him grapple with solitude and provided "inspiration".

In addition to spending long stretches of time alone, he never saw the same person more than once on the Wall - that is, except for one woman in Hebei province's Panjiakou, whom he had met when he and his brother were hiking along the Wall 12 years earlier.

"I remembered where she lived and knocked on her door, and this fantastic woman opened the door," Loken says.

"She took my hands and led me in, and showed me a picture of my brother and I with her and her husband she'd put on her wall."

It was an intensely emotional moment, he says.

"I'd been going for a year and a half without being recognized by anyone I met, and that does something to you mentally I was always moving on. I'd say, 'hello' to someone in the evening and 'goodbye' the next morning."

Having kayaked the entire coast of Norway and hiked Hadrian's Wall in the UK, Loken is no stranger to solitary living.

He realized he had to get into his sleeping bag by about 4 pm every day to make it through the winters in North China, after a close call when he nearly passed out repeatedly during a mountainside blizzard in Shanxi. He only survived because he retained the wherewithal to faint with his head between his knees, causing blood to rush to his brain. That revived him for long enough to pitch his tent and insert himself into his sleeping bags, he recalls.

He passed the majority of the season, when most hours of a day in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region are monopolized by the bite of blasting Arctic winds, cocooned in his sleeping bags in his tent, writing and listening to audio books about Genghis Khan.

"Being completely alone is something I could handle. I'd only be lonely around other people," Loken says. "Because of the language barrier and culture it was hard."

He started the trip equipped with two months of Mandarin lessons - taken more than 12 years before.

"I didn't know words like 'return', 'yesterday', 'tomorrow' or the days of the week The words I know now are like 'desert', 'mountain' 'tent', 'sleeping bag' and 'snake'. But these aren't so useful in town," he explains, laughing.

He carried a card with his mission printed on the back in Chinese to hand to curious people along the way.

"Along 80 percent of the Wall, I was perhaps the first foreigner they'd ever seen," Loken says. "Sometimes, women would run into their houses and come out holding up their kids to see the waiguoren (foreigner)."

One of the more amusing misunderstandings occurred when he asked villagers where he could find a xiaomaibu (convenience store) and they instead tried to bring him to a Xiao meipo (a village matchmaker surnamed Xiao).

Loken plans to take Chinese-language courses in Norway, so his next potential adventure in China - he's considering "something" involving the Yellow River - "will be more interesting".

Having sold his house and quit his job as an information technology consultant before his Great Wall expedition, he says he plans to initially support himself through lectures and photo exhibitions about China, its culture and his experiences.

Despite his loneliness, Loken says some of his happiest experiences were engaging local people, especially bus station workers and drivers.

"They'd find me the warmest seat on the bus, and during their breaks, they'd take me for meals," Loken says.

"I'll remember them for a very long time. I'd been traveling alone in China for so long. Their friendships were very special."

China Great Wall Society Vice-President Dong Yaohui, who spent 508 days on the Wall starting in 1984, says Loken's trip was "monumental".

"People need to come to the Wall to understand its importance," he says.

"Robert's trip serves as a great example, and we welcome people from around the world to undertake similar treks."

Loken says he learned so much about the Wall and China from his journey, but one personal lesson stands above the rest.

"Dreams define who we are," he says. "If you have a dream, follow it."

Free tai chi classes are offered to enrich the guests' experience, at which Daniel Chao (second from left) is a regular. Provided to China Daily

Hotel Profile | Beijing

General manager of Novotel Peace Beijing, Daniel Chao, first visited China 30 years ago and has realized his wish to return. Liu Weifeng reports

Daniel Chao dreamed of returning to China and pursuing his career here since he left in 1981, when he was a teenager.

"I told the human resources at Accor that I wanted to return to China and serve as general manager," Chao says, recalling how he eventually got his China assignment after 11 years at Accor, the France-based hotel management giant that has a list of hotel brands, including Novotel and Sofitel, in its portfolio.

He worked in Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Guadeloupe, France, Malta and Tunisia before he came to China.

As general manager of Novotel Peace Beijing since April, 2008, Chao's mission is to upgrade all aspects in the hotel.

"When I look back at the past two years, I'm satisfied with what we've achieved, but I'm also frustrated by how much more we have to do."

From booking rates to guest satisfaction, from service diversity to product quality, all aspects are noticeably better, according to Zhang Jun, the assistant general manger.

The greatest challenge for Chao is to make his hotel stand out among the other hotels in the capital city.

Located beside Jinyu Hutong and Jinbao Street, near the prosperous commercial Wangfujing area, the hotel competes with a wide variety of hotels.

"Make it different and give customers a reason to want to stay," Chao says.

"I couldn't think of a better authentic way to add an extra dimension to enrich our guests' experience, than instituting a culture center," he says.

The culture center gives free tai chi classes to customers, among other offerings, and Chao says he's a regular, attending every morning at 6 am from Tuesday to Friday.

Making a guest culture-affiliated and connected with the hotel is likely to result in repeat visits, he says.

In addition, since September, three cultural events have been held, attracting both guests and hotel staff members.

The first was a presentation about contemporary art given by two French authors. The second was a Traditional Chinese Medicine seminar, providing up-close learning and discussion of ancient

oriental therapy.

The third event was a lecture and presentation by a photographer traveling around the world.

Chao, who grew up in Washington DC, in the United States, has a Chinese father and American mother. He went to Hefei University of Technology in the capital city of Anhui province from 1979 to 1981.

His father is an information technology expert and helped set up the microcomputer institute at the university, one of the earliest such institutes in China.

"My father was welcomed and met by the then vice-premier Fang Yi. We had a wonderful meeting and a photo taken," Chao recalls.

After leaving China, Chao had little opportunity to speak Chinese and says he had to pick up his Chinese all over again. Now Chao speaks Mandarin in short sentences and gives concise speeches.

His criteria for an ideal employee are that they should be enthusiastic, interested in doing things and curious to learn.

He believes the ideal boss is somebody who gives people the freedom to express themselves, allows his team to enter new territory and make mistakes, and correct them.

He says the hospitality industry is 100 percent about people, both customers and employees. The general manager should know what the guest is looking for and what his team needs.

He says it is a paradox, but "Everyone is different, and everyone is the same."

"Everybody wants respect, wants to be listened to, to be appreciated. Everybody is looking for opportunity. But the way we communicate these desires and the way we express them are very different," he adds.

He likes the 798 art zone and reading. He is currently reading two books, Small is the New Big by Seth Godin and Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow.

Candlelight dinner

Justine's French Restaurant at Jianguo Hotel Beijing organizes a traditional, romantic gourmet dinner on Christmas Eve, at 2,010 yuan per person. The price includes a glass of champagne, free flow of red and white wines, besides local beer and soft drinks. There will also be live entertainment, a lucky draw, and a Christmas gift.

010-6500-2233 Ext 8192

Seafood fest

East 33 at Raffles Beijing prepares a buffet featuring seafood, with a range of nutritious broths, in addition to lobsters, prawns, crabs, prime-cut meats, and mushrooms. End your dinner with a dessert buffet and Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Available from 6 pm, Sunday-Thursday, 248 yuan per person, plus 15 percent surcharge.

010-6526-3388 Ext 5171

Festival extravaganza

Grand Hyatt Beijing's Christmas Eve Extravaganza in the Grand Ballroom features free flow of pre-dinner French champagne, an exquisite buffet, besides wonderful prizes, and a performance by international band Hot Shock and an all-female in-house band. The cost is 2,888 yuan per person.

010-8518-1234 Ext 3738

Christmas with a view

The Summit Club at Hotel Kunlun, a revolving restaurant with a good view of Beijing, offers a semi-buffet dinner with free flow of imported wine and soft drinks, performances and a lucky draw, with the big prizes being an iPad, and return tickets to Spain. 6-9:30 pm, Dec 24.

010-6590-3388

Italian delicacies

Chef Massimo will cook up a five-course dinner at Barolo, The Ritz Carlton Beijing, full of authentic flavors. All diners will enjoy one complimentary drink at the Ritz Carlton Bar.

6-10:30 pm. 1,088 yuan per person for five-course set dinner, and 1,288 yuan per person for five-course set dinner with wine.

010-5908-8151

Shanghai

Dynamic duo

The two award winning restaurants at the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai - Tables and Palladio - will become one on Dec 25 to offer a splendid Christmas brunch. Chefs Gianluca and Roy take diners through a culinary journey featuring their favorite Christmas Day dishes. The brunch, which includes free flow Moet & Chandon, red and white wine, is priced at 668 yuan per person plus 15 percent surcharge.

021-6279-7977

Japanese delight

I.Z.K.Y., the Japanese Izakaya restaurant at Guoman Hotel Shanghai, held its official opening in December. The restaurant, with an authentic Japanese cuisine and casual atmosphere, is a good place to relax after a day's work. The restaurant highlights a selection of well-loved Japanese delicacies in three fabulous set menus, starting from 228 yuan for two people. Price excludes a 15 percent surcharge.

021-6095-8888

Christmas buffet

Get in a festive mood at the signature Essence restaurant at the Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao to enjoy traditional Christmas dishes, including roasted American turkey, honey mustard glazed country ham, roasted boneless lamb leg with garlic and rosemary and a range of seafood specialties. The Christmas Eve buffet dinner is priced at 588 yuan per person and the Christmas day brunch is priced at 498 yuan per person with free flow of champagne.

021-3323-6571

Boutique hotel to launch on the Bund

Hotel Indigo, the upscale boutique brand of InterContinental Hotels Group, will launch Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund, the brand's first hotel in the Asia Pacific region, by the end of 2010. The 184-room hotel is located at the southern end of the Bund, offering a unique view of both sides of the Huangpu River. Like other Indigo brand hotels, Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund is designed to reflect the culture, character and history of Shanghai through local works of art, furniture, fabrics and locally sourced materials.

800-830-8998

Jazz brunch

The O2on2 All-day-dining Restaurant at the Longemont Shanghai now features Sunday jazz brunch, which combines a live jazz band with amazing food such as minute beef steak, chicken vegetable skewer, snow crab, scallops in a half shell and more. Diners can enjoy the brunch for 268 yuan per person with free flow of soft drinks. An additional 200 yuan gets you free flow of Moet Chandon champagne, red and white wines and local beer.

021-6115-9988 Ext 8220

Peking University, one of the most admired colleges in China, may try a new approach to recruiting high school students in 2011, its president Zhou Qifeng says. The idea is to pilot the examination methods 11 professors put forward last month.

"I hope in 2011 Peking University will use the method the professors proposed," he says after addressing the second World Innovation Summit for Education, held in Doha from Dec 7 to 9, on the issue of innovative trends in education.

"We will likely launch it in several regions to see how it works," he adds.

On Nov 5, 11 renowned professors from Peking University wrote to Zhou, suggesting a test scrutinizing not only the scores for the conventional nationwide college entrance examination, or gaokao, but also incorporating an interview assessment.

"To use the gaokao as the only criterion is not fair. We believe that, at least at Peking University, it is time for reform."

The professors suggested that Peking University set a minimum gaokao score as the criterion for an interview by teachers from various departments, who will examine the students' academic performances at high school, their keenness to study and innovate, among the attributes to be noted.

In an open reply published on the university's website three days later, Zhou shared his willingness for reform, and called for more suggestions from a wider group of the faculty and alumni.

Now the university is holding discussions about the new approach. If the measure is adopted, gaokao scores will no longer be the only standard to admit a student. Even so, Zhou said he was not about to abandon the gaokao.

"We have about 10 million high school graduates applying to colleges every year, and there are not sufficiently good educational resources for them," he says.

"With such fierce competition the gaokao has been, so far, a relatively reasonable and fair test in which students show certain learning abilities That's why we still want to use it as a preliminary filter. "

While some worry the emphasis on interviewing could encourage corruption and unfairness, especially for students from impoverished areas who may have fewer chances to perfect their presentations, Zhou says the professors have addressed this issue in a second letter.

These include specified measures, such as how to select qualified teachers as interviewers, what abilities should be examined in the interviews, and how to ensure fairness among rural and urban students.

"It still needs time to perfect the practice and determine its results, but I do believe it would be a significant step if we made it," Zhou says.

Shenzhen's "City of Design" Creative Industrial Park hosts over 160 design companies. Lu Hanxin / Xinhua

The city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province has an ambitious plan to double its design and innovation industry volume in five years.

"By 2015, the design and innovation industry will become the leading industry of Shenzhen, and further enhance the city's influence as the City of Design," said Wang Rong, secretary of the Guangdong Party committee, during a speech at the Creative Cities Network 2010 Shenzhen International Conference held on Monday and Tuesday.

The Creative Cities Network, launched by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2004, included 27 international cities, who shared their experiences and looked to create new opportunities for each other.

Shenzhen was presented the "City of Design" award by UNESCO on Dec 8, 2008. The Shenzhen government's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) intends to develop the creative and cultural industries into pillars of the national economy.

Shenzhen's design and innovation industry grew from 8.5 billion yuan ($1.28 billion) in 2003 to 24.5 billion yuan in 2008.

In 2009, the number of related business increased nearly 30 percent, innovation enterprises now comprising 10 percent of the 300,000 companies in Shenzhen.

"The traditional understanding of design as part of the culture industry was one-sided," said Zheng Shuyang, deputy head of the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University. "The design and innovation industry actually includes every aspect of the relation between humans and nature, and between people and the world."

Traffic jams are an example of this. Designers take note of various factors, such as population, the highway system, public transit and the automotive industry into consideration when designing a new city.

"The concept is to reorganize the resources of a city in a more effective way," Zheng said, "and it represents the world's development trend."

"The City of Design title was just the first step for Shenzhen," Georges Poussin, head of the Division of Arts and Cultural Enterprise of UNESCO, was quoted as saying. "As a booming city, Shenzhen can develop creative tourism and provide new ideas for other cities."

Poussin added the city could also apply to UNESCO's culture sector for the "World Book Capital City" honor.

 its kind in the southern metropolis. Kuang Siming / for China Daily

More than 20 events were held as part of the festival. Kuang Siming /  for China Daily

Shenzhen is boosting its cultural profile with an innovative fringe festival. Mu Qian reports

African djembe drummers, martial arts performers, break-dancers and even animal protection volunteers were part of a boisterous parade on Shenzhen Bay avenue in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 4. When the parade arrived at Haide Square, MCs announced the opening of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival, the first of its kind in the southern metropolis. "In Chinese culture there is a tradition of parades, but mostly for military and religious purposes. What we are doing is a different kind of parade. The most important thing, I tell participants, is "Keep it cool!" says American artist Chad Leslie, director of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival parade, who has directed similar parades in Macao and Taipei.

From Dec 4 to 12, the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival presents a variety of events, including a crossover concert by Tuvan throat-singing group Huun-Huur-Tu and Hong Kong sound artist Dickson Dee, an improvised drama by the students of Shenzhen University, a flash mob by local animal protection volunteers, performance art/dance by the Made in J-Town group of Shandong province, and the premiere of a new film titled Thomas Mao made by novelist Zhu Wen.

These events are being held at a number of Shenzhen's public spaces, mostly outdoor venues like squares, parks and shopping malls. Nearly all the events are free of charge.

"This festival is not meant to showcase high arts, but to get more people involved in arts and provide a platform for cultural diversity," says Zhu Decai, executive director of the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival.

The concept of a fringe festival originated in Edinburgh, 1947, when eight art groups that were not invited to participate at the Edinburgh International Festival decided to organize their own performances.

The idea has since been adopted as a term for alternative arts, and fringe festivals that now take place around the world.

A Fringe Shanghai was begun in 2006, and a Beijing Fringe Festival that focuses on theater started in 2008.

Shenzhen, which celebrates its 30th anniversary as a special economic zone this year, is not well known for its culture, but Zhu argues that today's Shenzhen residents are now in a better position to enjoy cultural events thanks to its economic development.

Zhu believes Shenzhen has a unique personality that will help the growth of his festival.

"A city of immigrants, Shenzhen is a meeting point for people from all over China and has an open and tolerant atmosphere that is suitable for a fringe festival," Zhu says.

With financial support from Shenzhen's Nanshan district government, the festival is organized by a group of local artists. Zhu says the 20-plus events of the fringe festival cost less than other largescale events previously held in the city.

A number of performance groups from nearby Hong Kong and Macao are also taking part.

"The integration of diverse cultural forms is a vital part of an international city, and the Shenzhen Bay International Fringe Festival is a good start," says Hong Kong sound artist Dickson Dee, who gave an open-air concert at Haide Square in Shenzhen.

A cutting-edge artist, Dee wants to play to more than just audiences in small clubs.

"When a variety of sounds can be heard by people walking in the street, people's cultural horizons will widen, and the overall cultural quality of a city will improve," Dee says.

With the theme "everywhere is art, everybody is an artist", the festival intends to get everyone involved.

"We all have creativity within us and we all have a fundamental need to express ourselves through arts and creative languages. It's part of the human spirit," says festival parade director Leslie.

"I hope in the future we will have time to do more workshops with the local community to develop the vision completely. When we give people more opportunities they will get more involved. The fringe festival is for both performers and audiences."

Nothing smells like Christmas more than gingerbread baking in the oven. This spicy cookie is a seasonal favorite that is very easy to make. Pauline D. Loh spells out the pointers.

Two weekends before Christmas is when I dive into the store cupboard and dust off my baking sheets. It's gingerbread time, and this is when I bake enormous batches for friends, family and the Christmas tree. These festive biscuits are more than just good eating, they make great tree ornaments as well.

We have baked our own hearts and stars for our potted evergreen for several years now. The best thing is, when it's time to return it to the garden again, most of the dcor is already gone, pinched by boys, girls and puppies as they trot past the tree.

I learned how to make gingerbread from a classmate's mother. We were poor students away from home, and scant pocket money had already gone into new outfits and little presents for Christmas. We had a tree whose bare branches were decorated with meager strands of tinsel and a paucity of ornaments that shamed us.

The kind lady decided to donate a few crystal globes for our dormitory tree but her greatest gift was an invitation to her kitchen, where she taught us how to make gingerbread ornaments. We made shooting stars, hearts, angels and boy and girl cutouts. To make them hang right on the tree, we poked holes into the top of the biscuit with a drinking straw and threaded the cookies with brightly colored ribbons.

That year, we had the proudest little Christmas tree in Berkeley.

Some of us are grandmothers now, but those of us still in touch regularly share recipes via e-mails, and you can be sure that one of the most frequent exchanges at Christmas revolves around Aunty Genene's original gingerbread recipe.

My version of the original has undergone its fair share of changes as I adapted it to my own family's preferences. Still, I think I have stayed true to the spirit. These gingerbread cookies are delicious fresh from the oven, but they also develop a very mellow flavor as the spices gentle.

I have a lot of fun baking these cookies in many different shapes, but I have even more fun decorating them. All you need is a batch of white icing, lots of sugar balls and dragees and plenty of imagination.

I found some Mickey Mouse cookie cutters, and also used my traditional gingerbread man and teddy bear cutters. This year, I even made bone-shaped biscuits for the dogs. I reckon they might as well get their portions since they steal all the cookies hanging on the bottom branches any way.

This is one recipe that really is foolproof. The only thing you have to worry about is not to let them get too scorched in the oven. As usual, baking time depends on the sort of oven you have, so be sensible and watch your cookies. When they turn a light golden brown, take them out. They will harden as they cool, and the color will also darken.

If you want to hang these up, remember to poke a hole at the top end of each cookie. I find that a sturdy drinking straw is ideal for the purpose. Press the straw down where you want the hole to be and give the straw a little turn to release the soft dough. Works like a charm every time.

If you are very ambitious and want to make a gingerbread house, go online and get a template, and remember that you will need to roll the dough out thicker so the sections of the house won't crumble. A thicker icing will make a fine "mortar".

Recipe | Gingerbread

Ingredients (makes lots!):

Dry ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp 5-spice powder (or mixed spice)

120 g butter, room temperature

100 g soft brown sugar

1 large egg

160 ml dark honey

2 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger

Icing:

Lemon juice

Icing sugar

Silver or gold dragees

Colored sugar balls

Method:

1. Sift dry ingredients together.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and honey and beat until well combined. Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Fold in finely chopped crystallized ginger at the end.

3. Divide dough into two batches. Wrap in plastic and chill.

(This helps you get evenly rolled dough.)

4. Preheat oven to 175 C. Line baking sheets with baking parchment.

5. Roll out dough between two large sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. The dough will stick to the rolling pin if you roll on it directly.

6. Shape cookies and transfer to lined baking sheets.

7. Make a hole in each cookie by wiggling a pointed chopstick or skewer to create a hole. You can use a drinking straw to poke a hole as well.

8. Bake cookies for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how large or small you have cut them. Watch the first batch to estimate your timing. Cool cookies down on rack before icing.

To make icing:

1. Sift icing sugar into bowl and slowly add just enough lemon juice to form a spreadable icing.

Add less rather than more juice and adjust consistency till you get it right.

2. Ice the gingerbread cookies and decorate as you will.

Food notes:

If you are catering for a more adult party, you can cut the gingerbread cookies into squares or rounds. Brush the top with a little water and top with granulated sugar crystals. Bake them a mite longer than you would for the recipe above so the cookie hardens more. This is the much-loved ginger snaps in the traditional biscuit tin. Enjoy!

Canadian-born Norma Ratcliffe did not know much about winemaking before she and her husband purchased the Warwick wine estate when they moved to Capetown, South Africa, in 1964.

It took another 20 years before the first Warwick vintage, a Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in 1984. But her growing interest in wine making led her to not just give wine away to appreciative friends, but also to become South Africa's first woman winemaker.

The energetic, charming woman made her first visit to Beijing recently to promote Warwick wines, which have started to become popular in China, with her son Mike, now the winery's managing director.

"I just love wine," says Ratcliffe. "I'll never have a BBQ or dinner without drinking wine."

The winery not only holds wine parties for people, but also blind tasting at home and at Christmas parties - especially after Ratcliffe's daughter Jenny became a Master of Wine. At 29, she is the youngest to earn that distinction in South Africa.

Ratcliffe does not share the commonly held view that women make better wine tasters than men. She says that idea gained ground only because more women work in the kitchen. Women winemakers compete with everyone, not just other women, she says.

Since 1986, The Trilogy, a Bordeaux-style blend, has emerged as one of the flagship wines of the South African wine industry. Tom Stevenson, wine author, holds Warwick Estate in high regard: "Rich, complex wines make Warwick one of the youngest, smallest, and most exciting boutique wineries on the Cape winemaking scene." Warwick 2005 Trilogy was awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator magazine.

The wine sells "really well", according to Selina Tian with EMW, Warwick's representative in China. The most popular wines are those priced from 100-300 yuan ($15-45), and those priced around 600 yuan.

Ratcliffe has stepped down after 20 years as Warwick's winemaker, and is succeeded by Louis Nel, widely considered to be one of the most talented winemakers in South Africa. Ratcliffe also served as the first chairwoman of the Cape Independent Winemakers' Guild.

"Nothing is harsh when you are passionate, young and energetic," she says. "I never felt it was hard work. It was demanding, but I never felt tired."

She has learned to play bridge and golf in her spare time. But she is still involved with style management and quality control at the winery.

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

Chinese actress Zhao Wei graces the January issue of Harper's Bazaar China. In floral print dresses, Zhao looks extremely glamorous with radiant femininity.[Photos: Harper's Bazaar/sina.com ]

New words that are creeping into the Chinese language indicate how vibrant the mother tongue of Confucius has become

Recently, I hosted a forum that discussed the translation of new words and phrases from Chinese into English. Instead of the usual crop of bureaucratic jargon, this time the focus was idioms spreading like a prairie fire at the grassroots, some of which had to be explained before they could be understood by senior members of the forum.

This is language at its most vibrant, breaking out of fractured rocks like the legendary Monkey King, spurning conventions and hopping from treetop to treetop.

The hottest word of the year could well be geili, or literally "give power or force". Reportedly it originates from a dialect, but we could not determine which one - some say northern China and others Fujian or Hainan. After it was used in the dubbing of a Japanese comic of the Monkey King story, it caught on, as the latest buzzword for "cool" or "awesome".

Then The People's Daily used it in its headline, taking many by surprise. I happened to run into its editor on a recent trip to New York. She laughed it off as a storm in a teacup: "People see us as stodgy, but we not only used the word but turned it into a verb." In which case it means "energize", "beef up" etc.

The surprise did not end there. Geili soon took on an English form, patterned after the soundalike "believable". As such, "gelivable" is an exclamation of being impressed and "ungelivable" one of disappointment.

Most memes carry more social and cultural connotations than geili. They come predominantly from news stories, especially those that stoke the public imagination and give voice to a feeling or attitude that cannot be neatly conveyed by existing expressions.

There is an assortment of words that describe the living conditions of today's urban youth - those who have graduated from college and are seeking better opportunities in the nation's metropolises. They live like ants in the far suburbs, hence "the ant tribe". They put themselves up in "capsule apartments", basically beds that can be locked up and take up as little space as bunker beds. One young man even invented an "egg home", slightly more elaborate than a tent, that he set up in the courtyard of his company to save rent - until it became a news item and the local authority moved to shut it down.

All these are manifestations of "dwelling narrowness", the English name of a popular television drama series that clicked with the public and, ironically, had to be removed from the tube. At the translation forum, some suggested using "pigeonhole", or "poky room" to better convey the meaning. But I ruled out "humble abode", which, in the Chinese original, is a polite way of referring to one's own home - even though that home may be a mansion.

New coinages abound in the realm of demographic formations and shifts. Apart from "ant tribe", we encountered a more difficult term - "surplus women". It refers to women who are beyond the perceived age of marriage but are still available. The Japanese call them "3S ladies", standing for "single, seventies (born in the 1970s) and stuck". An alert was raised at the forum that the term itself implies prejudice and should be handled with caution.

Another untranslatable tag for emerging demographics is "peacock women" and "phoenix men". The former refers to those who have grown up in urban areas and have never faced hardship in their lives, and the latter to rural boys who have successfully overcome adversity and now carry the burden of an entire family. As the symbol of the birds may not be self-evident to English-speaking readers, we at the forum opted for the plainspoken but less colorful "pampered girls" and "self-made men".

In a similar vein are "lever women" and "budget men" - women who use their connections as a leverage to help their husbands and men who may not make much money but do not have expensive habits either. Some translators suggested "low-maintenance men" for the latter. I thought that adjective is more suited to women or their habits. Besides, the men in question are not just frugal homebodies, but a step lower than the so-called "golden tortoise men", men born with silver spoons in their mouths. It is said more women in China have lowered their expectations, choosing pragmatic men over those privileged ones.

There were questions whether existing terminologies can be accurately ascribed to the Chinese situation. Take "vacancy rate". The dictionary defines it as the percentage of all units, as in hotels, that are unoccupied or not rented at a given time. If you come upon a business report about Beijing's real estate market, how do you interpret its "vacancy rate"? Units not sold or rented out? Actually it goes beyond that and includes those units deliberately left vacant because the owners have bought them as pure investments and are waiting for housing prices to keep skyrocketing. For them, rental income is just peanuts. How does "vacancy rate" account for that?

If you live in China, you've probably seen waves of transliterated words. They are no longer confined to hutong, laobaixing, baozi and so on, but take on lives all their own just like "gelivable", described in an earlier paragraph.

Chinese are traditionally demure. If you read old novels, a typical reaction - whether a person is the target of commendation or ridicule - is to smile and say nothing. Some genius merged "smile" and "silence" and came up with "smilence", which perfectly captures that quintessential Chinese prudishness or stoicism.

The Internet is a great platform for innovation in kvetching. If you hear people talk about the "Chinternet" (Chinese-style Internet), "goveruption" and "livelihard", and refer to themselves as "shitizen", you'll probably have a sense of the level of unhappiness with the way things are.

"Suihide" has a back-story so rich and ironic it deserves an etymological flourish. In 2009, a 24-year-old man died while under police custody in Yunnan province. The cops said he hurt himself playing hide-and-seek in the cell. The excuse was so lame it has since come to epitomize all explications assigned to suspected victims of police brutality, which invariably take some form of suicide as justification.

Most of these words may never gain currency in the English language. But the fact they were coined at all and spread as part of pop vernacular is indication of linguistic globalization, if it can be so called. Even many of the Chinese words and phrases in vogue will lose their potency after a period of intense use.

China does not have the equivalent of the Urban Dictionary. It does have scholars like Huang Jiwei who compile witty - and often new - sayings collected from every corner of the universe of speech. But much of the grassroots wisdom will be lost like "fleeting clouds", another hot term of the year.

One of the phrases Huang cherry-picked was an utterance by poet Ye San, who wrote: "Words are the basement I built for myself." And, maybe, for a few like-minded friends - virtual or otherwise. The Chinese language has been through thick and thin, and the new age of Web surfing is injecting a heavy dose of vitality into the mother tongue of Confucius and Li Bai.

Who knows, some of the hot words may have longer staying power than the tech platforms that enabled them.

The Song Dynasty guqin Stones among the Pine Trees.[Photo/China Daily]

A rare Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) guqin, a traditional plucked seven-stringed zither, sold for a record 136.64 million yuan ($20.52 million) at Beijing Poly's autumn auction on Dec 4.

It is the first Chinese instrument to fetch an auction price of more than 100 million yuan.

The last record for this kind of musical instrument was set in 2009 at China Guardian Auctions when a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) guqin titled Yuelu Zhiyin went under the hammer for 28.14 million yuan.

Since 2003, when a guqin named Remnants by the Mahatma (Dasheng Yiyin) crafted in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) sold for 8.91 million yuan ($1.34 million), the guqin has been attracting much attention in the Chinese auction market.

Its rarity is one of the reasons for its growing popularity among collectors. It is estimated that there are only about 2,000 extant ancient guqin.

The one sold at Beijing Poly's auction, named Stones among the Pine Trees (Songshi Jianyi), is believed to be the only well-preserved one from the Song Dynasty. It was produced by the imperial workshop during the reign of Emperor Song Huizong (1082-1135).

It came under Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who not only left inscriptions on it but also had a special case made for it.

"It (the auction price) is a bit of a surprise, but also a delight," says Li Yizhou, director of the antiques and rare curios section of Beijing Poly. "Five buyers indicated they were looking at around 5 or 6 million yuan before the bidding started, so we thought that would be the final purchase price."

Li says it was 2003 that saw a group of mature guqin buyers and collectors emerging, pushing auction prices into millions of yuan for the first time.

He also attributes the soaring prices to the growth of the art market.

"It's a reflection of this historical instrument regaining its traditional high position," Li says. "The instrument was admired greatly by ancient intellectuals, even ranking higher than ancient China's four precious articles of the writing table - xuan paper, brush, ink and ink slab."

Guqin master Chen Leiji, who performed at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, says the guqin has been languishing for a long time.

The 43-year-old recalls seeing the record-breaking Song Dynasty guqin at collector Fan Boyan's home in Shanghai when he was a child and marvels at its good condition.

"This is a time of revival of traditional culture. After being listed as an intangible culture heritage by UNESCO in 2003 and appearing at the Beijing Olympics, the guqin has become known to more people at home and abroad." Chen says.

Gao Peifen, a fifth-generation inheritor of the Zhucheng school of guqin-playing, stresses that every guqin is a work of art that combines sculpting with calligraphy. Many come with poems inscribed on the inside cover and the imperial seal on it. Some even have a decorative jade head.

"The instrument is ornamental as well as practical. Some of the Tang or Song Dynasty guqin sound even better than newly-made ones," Gao says.

When asked about criticisms of the "whopping price" for some guqin, Wang Peng, an acclaimed guqin maker who appraised the record-breaking Song Dynasty guqin, becomes agitated.

"The guqin is an embodiment of Chinese music, philosophy and culture. When a violin with only a few hundred years of history behind it can sell for hundred of thousands of dollars, why can't the guqin, with a history of thousands of years, attract high prices?" Wang says.

"We should show confidence in, and love for, our own culture."

An acclaimed novelist, Su, 56, appeared on the literary stage in Taiwan in the late 1970s. Beijing Jiban Book Co Ltd now introduces her works to the mainland.

Dressed in a gray coat and brown scarf, the frail writer met readers in a Beijing bookstore recently. Speaking in a gentle voice, with an occasional shy smile, Su tried hard to hide her sadness.

"Perhaps, this is my last novel," Su reportedly told Hong Kong literary critic Leung Man-tao.

The book is, in many ways, about death, but Su makes it unique by detailing her own experiences and observations.

"Although I seem to be writing about death, I am really writing about life," Su says.

She weaves in details of how her husband fought cancer and faced death with dignity, humor and an indomitable will.

"My husband saw himself dying without tears or sadness. He always said - 'people die, whether they fear it or not'," Su writes.

"Being a soldier, he would have rather died fighting on the operation table but he didn't get the chance as his cancer was too advanced for surgery.

"When talking about my husband, I am trying to understand the void in relationships that death brings."

Su also introduces an entirely fictional group of vagrants to illustrate how her husband, who she thinks was like a vagrant, lived.

"Vagrants have no destination, they just have to keep moving," Su writes.

A one-time editor with United Daily News, Su is currently an assistant professor of Chinese literature at the National Cheng Kung University based in Tainan.

David Der-wei Wang, a distinguished Taiwan-based critic and lecturer at Harvard University, says, "Four years in military school and eight years of military service gave Su's early works a strong flavor of military novels.

"But it was her later works in the 1980s such as Staying with Him but for a While and Secular Women, which revealed her feminine side and a fresh style of writing, that drew much attention from the public."

Su grew up in juancun, settlements built for soldiers and their families who retreated to Taiwan from the mainland in 1949.

Although these settlements were gradually demolished in the 1980s they were a notable cultural phenomenon in Taiwan and a ready subject for literature, according to Wang.

It influenced Su's creations greatly and many of her works, such as Say Goodbye to Tongfang (1990), were set in these communities.

"Growing up there is quite a memory, although it's hardly a pleasant one," Su says. "It has enriched my life and allowed me to understand its vicissitudes."

Artists, academics and people who worked in cultural fields, including foreigners like him, would be sent to watch and participate in farm life. At the Foreign Languages Press, Kraeuter was primarily engaged in translating and editing propaganda material.

"So they wanted us to experience first-hand what we were writing about," the author says.

Kraeuter was inspired by what he saw. "In theory it was great. Our good life was the result of the hard work put in by farmers," he says.

Mingling with the farmers came easy to him, coming from a background where he was used to interacting with working-class people. "I still believe it's useful for intellectuals to experience life in the fields. The lack of it can be a huge shortcoming."

His meeting with China's first prime minister, Zhou Enlai, was a complete change of scene. Zhou, who had been ill for a while and was working from his hospital bed, hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People on Oct 1, 1974.

"There were some 60 to 80 noted Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, following him. The clapping was thunderous," Kraeuter recalls.

He visited the Great Hall of the People again in September 1976, where former chairman Mao Zedong's body was lying in state. Kraeuter recalls shaking hands with acting prime minister Hua Guofeng and other top leaders. He was slightly shocked when "my Italian neighbor started crying loudly".

The scale of mourning was overwhelming, as was the pervasive sense of horrified confusion and uncertainty. Even as he wondered how China, at that moment apparently like a radar-less ship, might be able to steer itself out of the crisis, Kraeuter was assured that the future of the country was secure. The message was loud and clear: Chairman Mao will never die.

By October 1976, the resentment against the Gang of Four, blamed for human rights violations perpetrated during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), had snowballed. Their trial and subsequent downfall brought about a drastic change in people's attitudes.

"A friend borrowed a pair of jeans from me," Kraeuter recalls.

It was an indication of the changes to come.

Let's begin at the beginning. She was first spotted by sharp-eyed netizens shopping on the Big Apple's 5th Avenue. It turned out she was interviewing for the New York-based SinoVision TV and hoped to become a roving reporter. In the video of the interview that was released by the TV station, Sister Phoenix demonstrated her trademark confidence.

"I'm the hottest Internet celebrity in China right now," she says. "If you type my name into Google or Baidu, you'll get heaps of data about me."

She says she admires former US presidents (Abraham) Lincoln and Roosevelt (not sure whether it was Theodore or Franklin D.) and reckons that getting an interview with the present incumbent would be no hard task.

"I read two pages of a speech he gave and I thought it was OK," she opines. "I'll wait for him and ask him for an interview when he passes."

Having aced the first round interview (obviously), the 25-year-old was scheduled to do some news gathering with some real reporters for the second test. Instead, she went into a tailspin and wrote on her micro blog that she realized the TV station was shamelessly using her for publicity purposes and didn't intend to offer her a job in the first place.

She called SinoVision a "garbage TV station" and added: "They can trample on my dignity, but not my life." She also added, for good measure, she was considering committing suicide on the SinoVision office doorstep.

One of the reasons Sister Phoenix is so hard to ignore and so easy to love, yes we said it again, is she has this American kind of confidence in her abilities. It's kind of unique among Chinese, who generally emphasize the Confucian-influenced virtue of humility. It's as though she's swallowed a library of self-help books and really believes in the power of self-transformation.

But she's a breath of fresh air precisely because she doesn't look like a toothpaste advertisement model. In an environment that emphasizes a winning smile over substance, Sister Phoenix is the exception to the rule. She works hard, she's fearless and impervious to the naysayers. She's a heroine to the masses, like Joan of Arc, or Mulan. What's not to love?

Finally, the Canadian comedian who's a Chinese celebrity, Dashan, has discovered he's a "big stupid egg". On his micro blog he revealed that his brothers were named Ben and Dan. Put them together and what you get in Chinese is bendan, meaning stupid egg. Since Da (shan) means big, that means he's a "big stupid egg."

He says his parents were ignorant of this fact when they chose their children's names, as they don't speak Mandarin, which got Dashan thinking it was an act of God that he learned the language.

"Otherwise, who in our home could understand His humor?"

South Korea's Ryu Jeong-seok plays the role of Arrow in Shooting Star. [Photo/China Daily]

The musical Shooting Star is an attempt to combine popular South Korean culture with China's ethnic culture.

The story revolves around a South Korean band whose lead singer, Arrow, leaves the group after losing his girlfriend and his passion for music.

He seeks inspiration at a Dong village, an ethnic group in Guizhou province, Southwest China. There he meets Ling, a born singer. She encourages Arrow to regain his confidence and write more music.

When Arrow returns home to stage his solo concert, he recalls his time with Ling and realizes that what he really wants is to be with his true love.

First-time scriptwriter Shelley Cao says: "We've seen actors from South Korea and China starring in the same movie and TV series, and singers from the two countries sharing the same stage. But we have never tried a musical to present the two styles. "

Directed by Hwaug Hyun-min, it has South Korean Ryu Jeong-seok in the lead role and actress Lee Ai-rin, as well as two actresses from China, playing Ling.

The dancing and singing will see popular South Korean musical elements and Dong music. The clothes and accessories of the ethnic group will also be shown.

"South Korea's soft power has a long reach in China but Chinese culture, especially the culture of Chinese ethnic groups, is rarely known in South Korea. We want to turn this around," Cao says.

"I know what audiences expect and what they are going to laugh at, but I won't try to squeeze laughs out of them," Chen Peisi says. Zou Hong / China Daily

 

Veteran actor Chen Peisi turns to French comedy for his latest dramatic venture. Chen Nan finds out more.

When Chen Peisi makes an entrance, it's nearly always followed by raucous laughter. This was the case the other day when he ambled into a restaurant to talk about his new play, Ridiculous Dinner, which is adapted from the 1998 classic French comedy Le Diner de Cons by Francis Veber.

Dressed in a gray jacket and black cloth shoes and wearing a scarf he's had for nearly 20 years, Chen, 56, joked about his outfit and his bald head.

He gets serious, however, when he starts talking about Ridiculous Dinner, "one of the French comedies I like the most", adding he wants to introduce Chinese humor to it.

In the play, Chen plays a wealthy publisher, Pierre Brochant, who likes a dinner game, the object of which is to invite an unsuspecting idiot and the winner is the individual who brings along the biggest idiot.

The character Brochant thinks he has found a good choice in the good-hearted Franois Pignon, but hurts his back.

"I love the story and the comic effects generated by the various roles. Throughout the play, we see the dim-witted Pignon turn Brochant's life upside-down," Chen says.

French comedy is generally not well received by Chinese audiences because of language and culture differences. But Chen, who started his comedy career in the early 1980s, has made it more approachable and he's sure local audiences will enjoy it.

His confidence comes from decades of success in the field of comedy, ever since he first appeared in a sketch, Eating Noodles. In it he plays a young man who auditions for a role. The role made him a star at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, in 1983.

Since 1999 he has been concentrating on theater and works such as Tuo'er in 2001 and Balcony in 2005 have achieved both commercial and critical success.

"I know what audiences expect and what they are going to laugh at, but I won't try to squeeze laughs out of them," Chen says of Ridiculous Dinner, his first comedy adaptation.

"I wrote my own stories before, which are original and designed for local audiences. This French comedy was a huge success in France but it doesn't necessarily mean it will be one in China, which is a challenge for me."

He spent two years rewriting the script, and directs and plays the lead role himself. All the actors he works with in the play are old friends, such as actress Wu Yujuan, with whom Chen worked 10 years ago in Tuo'er, and a relative youngster, Ban Zan, who Chen says inspired him with his youthful, creative acting.

"They are really good actors Most importantly, they are my long-time friends and I don't have to pay them a lot," he jokes.

The pressure to make money is reduced, Chen says, because of the success of his previous plays. His comic drama Lao Zhai, or Old House, which finished touring in October, grossed over 2 million yuan ($300,400) in the first week.

"Lao Zhai was an experimental play I conceived three years ago. It is a detective story, different from my usual 'small potato' tales. I didn't expect it would make money," he says. "But from that success, I am determined to do comedy because I know that audiences are hungry for it. They need laughs in their lives."

He also says that life as a comedian can be demanding, as viewers mistake his jester persona for his real personality.

"I am serious about comedy. Making people laugh is not an easy task," he says. "Every comedy has its elements of tragedy, which requires the actor to turn tears into laughs."

"One of my middle-aged friends told me that he would prefer to watch a cartoon rather than a skit on TV because it's not really funny at all," he says.

"What on Earth have comedy writers been doing? I have been thinking of retirement for years. But I can't. I look on comedy as a holy job, to make people laugh, and I am looking for people who have the same idea."

"I'm married to China," says Uwe Kraeuter, a German who has witnessed the country's progress over the past 36 years. Li Zhe / China Daily

German's book attempts to brush the cobwebs off the cliched ideas and prejudices traditionally held against China. Chitralekha Basu reports.

As a child growing up in Hitzacker (Elbe), West Germany, in the 1950s, Uwe Kraeuter would hear enchanting stories about Shanghai - a city his sailor grandfather had passed by on his way to Japan. A deep mystical connection must have formed between the young German and the land that his folks oft en said was "further away from the moon".

In July 1974, Kraeuter landed up on Chinese shores. He has been here ever since.

Any foreigner who has lived in China for the past 36 years, and there aren't that many of them, has seen many momentous events and dramatic reversals - from community kitchens to de-collectivization of agricultural produce, from the spontaneous nationwide mourning at the passing away of legendary figures such as Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong (see sidebar "Kraeuter's 're-education' in the countryside") to the spectacular extravaganza of the Beijing Olympics that stunned the world.

While there are hundreds of books from the outsider purporting to unravel the China "enigma", Kraeuter's Grenzueberschreitung - 35 Jahre in China (Crossing the Border), published in Gong Yingxing's Chinese translation, by the China Youth Publishing House, in October, stands out.

After all, Kraeuter reached certain milestones well before it became commonplace for other foreigners to do so.

"I am probably the European who has lived here continuously for the longest time. I did a lot of firsts for a foreigner: facilitated cultural exchanges between China and Germany, started the trend of simultaneous translation, married a Chinese actress," Kraeuter informs.

The actress in question is Shen Danping, whom Kraeuter met almost by mischance. His friend, the film director Ling Zifeng, invited a young actress, Liu Feng, to an evening with Kraeuter. Liu, who did not want to go alone, brought along her roommate, Shen.

Shen's glowing smile and impish charm - still fresh after 25 years of marriage - was an instant hit with Kraeuter. It was primarily the Oriental mystique about Shen that attracted him, Kraeuter says - a mystery that still endures. The heady romance was thwarted somewhat when the two applied for a marriage license.

"The Chinese leadership was not too keen to have foreigners marrying Chinese girls. Shen was a well-known actress. So her marrying outside the community would have set a precedent," Kraeuter says.

"But I was never a foreigner to Shen. I had already lived here for 10 years and spoke Chinese," he adds. Kraeuter had, by that time, adapted to the Chinese way of courting a girl he was serious about.

Their two children, Elizabeth, 24, who works in the hospitality industry near Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and Anna, 14, not surprisingly, have grown up imbibing the culture and values of both worlds.

"They are Chinese in terms of sensibilities but admire the West, having been there several times," Kraeuter says.

Photographs of the winsome foursome hang on the walls of their cozy apartment, to the west of Chaoyang Park in Beijing, alongside a quirky portrait of Kraeuter, painted by renowned Chinese artist Huang Yongyu. In it Kraeuter resembles a one-eyed owl.

The original version was castigated by guardians of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), who felt the "wink" was a mockery of what was perceived as a repressive system that did not allow artistic freedom. Later, Huang gave the owl Kraeuter's features.

Huang was among Kraeuter's big circle of friends persecuted during the "cultural revolution". Cao Yu, playwright and former director of Beijing People's Art Theater, Yang Xianyi, who translated A Dream of the Red Mansions into English, actor Zhao Dan, and film director Ling Zifeng were all pulled up for offending the establishment in some way or the other.

Once he heard first-person accounts of the gagging of artists and writers, Kraeuter's initial euphoria about the success of socialism in China gave way to skepticism.

When he arrived in Beijing to work as an editor with the Foreign Languages Press in 1974, soon after having participated in a demonstration against US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara - commonly perceived as the chief architect of the American attack on Vietnam - Kraeuter was moved by what the communist leadership had achieved for their people.

"I did not see any poverty here," he says, adding that China's anti-Vietnam War stance had enhanced his admiration of the country.

"I got the real story from my artist friends, who suffered immensely during the 'cultural revolution'," Kraeuter says.

A rebel by nature and passion - he was tried in absentia back home in Germany for his political activities and would have had to serve a prison sentence if he weren't living in China in 1975 - Kraeuter says he was impressed with the idea of communist politics and the fact that China could make it work.

But he wasn't prepared for the excesses that the socialist system generated in its wake, "the fact that it came to be guided by a faction with the aim of strengthening its own position and power".

But that was then. "China has progressed more than any other country in the past 30 years, including in the area of human rights," Kraeuter remarks. "We should not analyze and judge China from Western perspectives of development, see our own politics as naturally the best in the world and therefore universally accepted."

His book is a small attempt at brushing the cobwebs off the clichd ideas and prejudices traditionally held against China.

He now works as an independent filmmaker, producing and directing TV series and documentary features. In between, he has dabbled in simultaneous translation, was instrumental in taking a stage production of Lao She's Teahouse to Germany, has worked as a TV producer, presenter and actor and been a facilitator for cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Life has become a bit more relaxed since he moved to his present address. He loves the landscaped garden and sinuous architecture of his new home, besides, of course, the access to amenities.

"Finally, I can walk rather than having to drive in Beijing. I can just hop across to Sanlitun, the Kempinski Hotel or Chaoyang Park."

When he does go out for a spin it's in a Mercedes Benz. It's always been that way. The German car "is kind of an anchor". Living in Beijing is beautiful for this silver-haired man who has spent the better part of his life building cultural bridges but "you still need a bit of your background" to sustain that flow, he says.

He is still 100 percent German. "But I'm definitely more than a visitor in China. You could even say I'm married to China," Kraeuter says, suddenly cheerful about the double entendre he has just made. He hastens to add that as a foreigner one can never really belong to the country he has made his home.

In his book he writes about this sense of detachment. "But this loneliness is healthy as it keeps you mentally alert," Kraeuter explains. "You can never stop thinking about and comparing the two cultures you live between."

He is glad about the dual cultural experience that has enriched his life. "I totally enjoy being different in China," he says.

After 36 years, China has not exhausted its storehouse of magic and mystery that Kraeuter had heard about from his grandfather more than half a century ago.

Li Lianxing contributed to the story

Kraeuter's 're-education' in the countryside

There is an image showing Uwe Kraeuter leaning against stacks of harvested paddy, flanked by farmers somewhere in the Chinese countryside in the mid-1970s in Grenzueberschreitung - 35 Jahre in China (Crossing the Border). This was a shot from one of the several trips he made to rural China, to experience farm life as part of a government "re-education" initiative.

Artists, academics and people who worked in cultural fields, including foreigners like him, would be sent to watch and participate in farm life. At the Foreign Languages Press, Kraeuter was primarily engaged in translating and editing propaganda material.

"So they wanted us to experience first-hand what we were writing about," the author says.

Kraeuter was inspired by what he saw. "In theory it was great. Our good life was the result of the hard work put in by farmers," he says.

Mingling with the farmers came easy to him, coming from a background where he was used to interacting with working-class people. "I still believe it's useful for intellectuals to experience life in the fields. The lack of it can be a huge shortcoming."

His meeting with China's first prime minister, Zhou Enlai, was a complete change of scene. Zhou, who had been ill for a while and was working from his hospital bed, hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People on Oct 1, 1974.

"There were some 60 to 80 noted Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, following him. The clapping was thunderous," Kraeuter recalls.

He visited the Great Hall of the People again in September 1976, where former chairman Mao Zedong's body was lying in state. Kraeuter recalls shaking hands with acting prime minister Hua Guofeng and other top leaders. He was slightly shocked when "my Italian neighbor started crying loudly".

The scale of mourning was overwhelming, as was the pervasive sense of horrified confusion and uncertainty. Even as he wondered how China, at that moment apparently like a radar-less ship, might be able to steer itself out of the crisis, Kraeuter was assured that the future of the country was secure. The message was loud and clear: Chairman Mao will never die.

By October 1976, the resentment against the Gang of Four, blamed for human rights violations perpetrated during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), had snowballed. Their trial and subsequent downfall brought about a drastic change in people's attitudes.

"A friend borrowed a pair of jeans from me," Kraeuter recalls.

It was an indication of the changes to come.

Films from Israel

A retrospective festival of Israeli director Amos Gitai's major works of the past 25 years - including Kadosh, Kippur and Free Zone - is now on at Beijing's UCCA.

The filmmaker has received many international awards for his documentary films. One Day You'll Understand won the Best Director award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2008, while Free Zone, starring Natalie Portman, bagged the Best Actress award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2005. Screenings will be in the original language with French and Chinese subtitles.

On till Dec 11. 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-8459-9269

Veteran ink artist Chen Ping's solo show presents 60 of his latest ink paintings, calligraphic scrolls, painted ceramic pieces, essay and poem collections and seal-cutting works.

A studio in the exhibition hall also presents the traditional lifestyles of ancient artists whom Chen greatly admires.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 12. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district. 010-6401-7076

Russian oil paintings

A group show of 200 Russian oil paintings is being held in Beijing.

Highlights include several works by late Soviet painter Konstantin Maksimov (1913-1993) who introduced the socialist realist school of oil painting to China, and whose style influenced Chinese oil art for decades.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 17. Cultural Palace of Ethnic Chinese, 49 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng district. 010-6602-4433

The latest creations of Zhang Xiaogang, an influential contemporary artist from Sichuan, are on display at Today Art Museum.

The exhibition features some 20 oil paintings, all done to a widescreen TV size, to reflect Zhang's perception of life in the Internet age.

10 am-5:30 pm, until Dec 26. Today Art Museum, 2/F, 32 Baiziwanlu, Chaoyang district. 010-5876-0600

Brass quartet

Exit Brass from Belgium is a dynamic brass quartet known for its high musical standards and a repertoire that includes original compositions. Its program will have classical music from Beethoven and Bizet, as well as adaptations from pop songs and folk ballads, besides their own compositions.

7:30 pm, Dec 16. Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 021-6217-2426

German orchestra

Hamburg Symphony will present a New Year concert at Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Founded in 1957, the German orchestra is in residence at the Hamburg Music Hall.

It has worked with many acclaimed singers such as Pavarotti, Domingo and even Hong Kong pop star Eason Chan, thanks to its versatility.

7:30 pm, Dec 30. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 021-6217-2426

Impressions of a visit

Artists from Shanghai Painting and Sculpture Institute (SPSI) recently went on an academic visit to Ecole superieure des Beaux-Arts de Marseille of France. An exhibition presents their creations inspired by this visit.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 22. SPSI Art Museum,111 Jinzhu Lu. 021-6275-9930

Water-ink paintings

Zhou Xuebin makes ingenious use of acrylic in Chinese water-ink paintings of mountains and rivers. The exhibition at Zhu Qizhan Art Museum brings together 73 such paintings transported all the way from Guangdong.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 18. Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, 580 Ouyang Lu. 021-5671-0742

We Americans are famously overfed. Only in China did I realize that my eyeballs are fat and lazy too.

Before I came to China I read about China's 1.3 billion brains. In psychology classes, I read about experiments showing that when you give 100 American and Chinese people a picture to look at, the Americans spend most of their time staring at the middle, but Chinese eyes dart all over the picture.

But the experiments were all missing something: a reason. It's the mystery of 2.6 billion eyeballs.

That mystery had been running around in my mind, all the way to an elevator on a cold Beijing night. The old man next to me looked me and my bike up and down and said in Chinese: "Why don't you drive?"

I certainly don't bike to look cool. If I did, I wouldn't have bought a girl bike. I've never understood why men subject themselves to tiny seats and crossbars dangerously close to our manhood, when half the world's bikes are safer and comfier.

I realized in that elevator that biking around China had led me to a basic truth I would never have discovered on foot: the truth of 2.6 billion eyeballs.

Visitors to Asia often talk about reaching enlightenment on a Buddhist mountaintop, or in a terraced rice village. But my realization came on wheels, with terrifying heart palpitations.

It came when I dodged a taxi only to find myself face to face with a horse cart.

As I see it - from behind the curved handlebars of my girl bike - Chinese eyeballs dance around like ping-pong balls because they want to keep the brain behind them from spilling out.

There's so much happening in the streets of Beijing - motorized transport, horses going the wrong way down the street - that just staying alive is a nine-to-five for the eyeballs.

And besides the things that might flatten me, there are so many other things to look at, such as, is that baby pooping in a trashcan?

When I was young, my American eyes grew fat and lazy because the suburban streets were so empty of cars, bikes and other visual stimulation that they didn't have to work out.

But now, in China, they're as lean and nimble as hutong rickshaw drivers.

Since globalization seems to be flattening the world's cultures into a single being, are China's 2.6 billion eyeballs going to end up the same as America's 620 million eyeballs?

Fear not, I say. Bikes are slowly leaving China's streets, but its cars and unannounced U-turns are ensuring that these 2.6 billion eyeballs won't be getting lazy and fat anytime soon.

So to that old man in the elevator: I bike to discover truths like these - to experience life on street level, where most of those 2.6 billion eyeballs dart just like mine now do.

 rock art. Li Taihang / China Daily

A 31-meter-long reclining Sakyamuni Buddha in Dazu. Provided to  China Daily

Dazu county lies just 80 km away from bustling Chongqing, but its Buddhist rock carvings and sculptures will take you back more than 800 years. Sun Li reports

Chongqing is often associated with high-end shopping and dizzying high-rise offices, but just 80 km southwest of this Southwestern municipality lies a quiet, meditative retreat ?Dazu county.

Amid the knobby hills of the county, are 50,000 magnificent Buddhist stone carvings and sculptures, dating back more than 800 years.

Known as Dazu Rock Carvings, this UNESCO World Heritage site never fails to stun visitors.

Scattered over 40 cliffs around Dazu, one of the best clusters of carvings is to be seen at Baoding Hill.

In autumn, along the road to Baoding Hill, lush terraced rice paddies stand out against the hills.

About the year 1160, Zhao Zhifeng, a famous monk of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), chose Baoding Hill for its abundant rocks and oversaw the carving of Buddhist images to reflect his teachings of Tantric Buddhism.

It took 70 years to complete the 10,000 carvings, three to 12 meters high, cleft from the rock face in a horseshoe-shaped cliff.

Most stone sculptures are concentrated in Dafowan (Big Buddha Crescent), the center of Baoding Hill. The chief object of veneration is the Thousand-Hand Guanyin (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) covering some 88 square meters of the eastern cliff of Dafowan.

According to Buddhist lore, Guanyin was the third daughter of an ancient Indian king who fell ill and had to be treated with a medicine that called for the use of his daughters' hands and eyes as ingredients. While the two older daughters refused to comply, the younger princess sacrificed hers to cure the king.

The Sakyamuni Buddha rewarded her for her filial piety with a gift of 1,000 hands and eyes.

The nearly eight-meter-tall sculpture which actually has 1,007 arms and sits on a lotus-shaped plinth, is believed to embody boundless compassion.

I was struck by the incredible effort the statue must have taken to make. Its 1,007 hands - each with a different gesture and holding a holy object like a scroll - feature an eye in each palm.

Located in a dim and shallow niche, the statue looks like a giant gilded peacock splaying its extravagant feathers.

In the middle of Dafowan, you will see another extraordinary statue, a 31-meter-long reclining Sakyamuni Buddha in Nirvana, or eternal bliss.

Lying on his right side, the Buddha wears a peaceful expression, his eyes half closed. The legs of the Buddha lie buried in the hills, triggering many fancy stories about the statue's precise size.

Nearby are the Bodhisattvas and disciples wearing various facial expressions. Half buried, some have knitted eyebrows, and some pursed lips, while yet others gaze at the Buddha with a contemplative air.

From the Buddha's belly rises a platter piled high with offerings of fruit and lotus flowers. Nine fairy maidens hewn from the cliff face above, are shown blessing the scene with their arms extended in the service of the Buddha.

Near the reclining Buddha is a grotto showing the new-born Sakyamuni bathed by spring water.

According to Buddhist legend, at the time the Buddha was born, nine dragons immediately flew to him, their open mouths forming a spout from which gushed the waters that washed his body.

In reality, what visitors will see is a work of architectural brilliance that allows spring water to be channeled through the carved dragon mouth protruding from the cliff face.

Another place that demonstrates the same clever craftsmanship is Yuanjue (Perfect Enlightenment) Cavern, a rectangular rock shelter in the western part of Dafowan.

Sitting in this six-meter-high, nine-meter-wide and 12-meter-long cavern are statues of 15 Buddhas and a kneeling disciple.

A small skylight above the entrance allows natural light to fall directly on the central statue, giving the cave a theatrical feel.

But later, my guide revealed a secret of the cavern's design that amazed me.

In the rainy season, tourists can hear the sound of falling rain but cannot see where the water is flowing.

It turns out there is a hidden conduit above that allows the water to flow through. And by the east wall of the cavern stands a statue of an old monk holding a gigantic bowl. The rainwater falls into the bowl and then goes through the body of the monk to an underground system.

Unlike other sites with Buddhist stone sculptures, the Dazu tableaus showcase a Buddhism with Confucian influences.

The best example is Sutra on the Importance of Parental Love, a series of statues that underscore the Confucian ideas of family harmony, in the northern part of Dafowan.

There is a statue of a pregnant woman with her hands on her stomach and wearing an agonized look, also a couple holding a baby, oblivious to all worldly concerns.

Such scenes of harmony and contentment can be found everywhere in the Dazu Rock Carvings and help visitors temporarily forget their worldly cares and experience true inner peace.

An actor known for his good-guy cinematic characterizations, Jiang Wu will present his "wildest onscreen image ever" in the upcoming blockbuster, Let the Bullets Fly, which also marks the first time he has co-starred with his brother Jiang Wen, also the director of the film.

"In Bullets, I'm a pugnacious, cruel villain with frizzy leonine hair and a tempestuous personality, a role that subverts my previous ones," says Jiang, who appears amused and surprised on hearing that one of his lines in the movie has already become a popular Internet phrase.

The line, "I have nine methods to crush him" is aimed at the character played by Hong Kong legend Chow Yun-fat, and reflects the ferocity of Jiang's role. Netizens regard the line as a powerful expression of the confidence to overcome obstacles.

Jiang Wu considers the role a career landmark. Since making his celluloid debut in Grandpa Ge (1992), Jiang has taken on a variety of roles, such as a high school teacher, a taxi driver and a tourist guide.

The actor shot to fame portraying Erming, a mentally challenged and innocent character in Shower (1999), a film that earned him international and domestic plaudits.

"I'm fine with playing good-natured people because the characters are like me, simple and nice," says Jiang, wearing his trademark smile.

"The success of playing Erming jump-started my career, but it seems like the people who are casting assume I'm only suitable for the unsophisticated, goody type roles, as almost all the scripts I receive have characters like this," he says.

Jiang has been longing to play a bad guy, or someone like Leon, the taciturn and tough hitman in the eponymous 1994 film by Luc Besson.

Jiang did find a suitably transformative role in The Robbers, last year, a costume comedy in which he played a violent bandit.

Even so, many viewers thought the bandit was a cute figure, given Jiang's comedic performance.

Now, Jiang is glad that his brother has given him the chance to play an outright baddy and "to let it all hang out in an action film about heroes, gangsters, fights and gunshots".

It is not the first time Jiang Wu has appeared in a Jiang Wen movie.

In 2000, Jiang made a cameo appearance in Devils on the Doorstep, Jiang Wen's second directorial work.

Asked why it took so long to play another role in one of his brother's films, Jiang says it is because he felt embarrassed about asking his brother for a part.

Jiang Wen's directorial debut, In the Heat of the Sun, a movie hailed by Richard Corliss in Time as the best film of 1995, was made when Jiang Wu was still a student at Beijing Film Academy.

"I could have asked for a role in Heat, and it definitely would have been a fantastic opportunity for me to practice my acting," Jiang says.

"But I couldn't demand a role because it would have been like stealing something from someone else's pocket," he says, adding that if his brother asks him to play a part it's like gift-giving and thus more acceptable.

As such Jiang took the gift of a role in Bullets from his brother without hesitation.

"To act with my brother is fun and a little weird," Jiang Wu says. "Because we are so familiar with each other in real life, sometimes I couldn't help laughing at the scene and thinking, 'Hey, this guy is my brother'.

"The only special right I have is that I can call Jiang Wen my brother, while the others have to call him director."

The film will premiere on Dec 16.

Gu Changwei's feature film about AIDS comes with a documentary about the real roles of six HIV-positive people who worked on the movie. Liu Wei reports

Fiction is not powerful enough for director Gu Changwei, whose new feature film, Life is a Miracle, is the subject of Together, a documentary about AIDS patients. Six HIV-positive people joined the film crew for Miracle, a bitter romance about two youngsters affected by the fatal disease. Zhang Ziyi and Aaron Kwok lead the cast.

Gu invited the HIV-positive crew members to make the film more convincing, and to emphasize his team's anti-discriminatory attitude to those afflicted with the disease. Before filming, Gu's wife Jiang Wenli, who also stars in the film, suggested he make a documentary at the same time. Jiang has worked as an ambassador for AIDS prevention for eight years.

"You will see in the documentary how people interact with the patients," Gu tells China Daily.

It was a tough task, however, for director Zhao Liang, who directed the documentary under Gu's supervision, to find six HIV-positive people who were willing to be filmed.

Zhao started with online communities for the group. He talked to them and won their trust before making the invitation. Still, most of them refused him.

"My mother would collapse if she saw me on the screen," one HIV-positive person told Zhao. "Nobody will talk to me if they know I am an HIV carrier," said another.

Zhao talked to about 60 AIDS patients before six finally agreed to work on the set, or star in the film. Even so, half of them insisted their faces were covered.

Gu Changwei shows how people interact with AIDS patients in the documentary Together.

Among the three who did agree to have their faces shown was 12-year-old Hu Zetao, a student at Red Ribbon School, an institute for 16 children with AIDS in Shanxi province. Hu's mother died of AIDS when he was 4. He lives with his father and stepmother. When Gu's crew went to Hu's home, they found the family ate separately from the boy. After they finished the meal, he washed his bowl alone.

The scene was captured in Together. Gu told Hu to recall his experiences of being bullied by people and cry as loudly as he could. He immediately did so and could not stop for many minutes.

Hu's teacher Liu Qian worked on the set, too, taking care of the child. Liu has been HIV-positive for 10 years, after an illegal blood transfusion. To her 16 students, the pretty woman is like a loving mother.

The middle-aged Xia, from Shanghai will not reveal how he got the disease. He was the actors' stand-in to test the lighting.

"If my face can change people's attitudes toward the disease even a bit, then let it be uncovered," he says in the documentary.

Xia's biggest dream is to find a stable job in Shanghai. Presently, he cannot even find a place to get his hair cut, as barbers know he has the disease and refuse his custom.

Xia had to leave the set prematurely because he became ill. Before he left he went to every crew and cast member to say goodbye, including Zhang and Kwok.

"I thank everybody," he says in the documentary, "because nobody here discriminated against me".

After three months of shooting, Hu Zetao's family now eat with him. Liu works at the school, taking care of her children, while Xia is still looking for a job.

Living with HIV-positive people affected the crew. At the beginning of the documentary, one crew member was too scared to open his mouth when he knew he was sitting beside an HIV patient. At the film's end he said he now knows the importance of respect.

Not all were equally courageous, though. Two crew members quit the film when they knew HIV carriers were working with them.

Jiang Wenli and other actors tried to build trust between the team members. Zhang Ziyi's niece and Jiang's children visited the set and played happily with Hu Zetao.

"Respect is not about vain speech, it is action. When our colleagues saw my children play with the patients, they learned something," Jiang says.

Several medical experts stayed with the crew, too, providing knowledge of the disease and preventative measures.

When the documentary wrapped up, director Zhao Liang took an HIV test.

"I did that to tell everybody, it is totally OK to befriend these patients if you know how the disease spreads," he says. "They are not guilty, they need our love and respect."

The 84-minute documentary has been regularly screened for free at Beijing's Broadway Cinematheque since Dec 1, with English subtitles. Life is a Miracle will hit theaters in early 2011.

People who've experienced heart failure and eat a high-salt diet are more likely to end up in the hospital, a new study finds.

"High salt intake is particularly dangerous for heart failure patients, even for those who are doing well and are stable on their medications," says author Dr Gary E. Newton of Mount Sinai Hospital in Ontario.

In the study, people who ate an average of 3.8 g of sodium per day - equivalent to nearly two teaspoons of salt, and more than twice the maximum recommended by the American Heart Association for healthy people - were twice as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure within a three-year window as people who ate fewer salty foods.

Health experts generally suggest that people limit their salt intake, but the scientific evidence to support that recommendation for people with heart failure is generally "scant", Newton says.

To investigate what effect a saltier diet might have on heart failure, Newton and his team followed 123 people with stable heart failure, the final stage of cardiovascular disease marked by shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling.

A small percentage of people with heart failure die each year, Newton explains, but many take medication and live with the condition, at which point it becomes chronic.

Rather than hiding the salt shaker - which would be largely "ineffectual" - people should check the labels of every food product they buy, Newton says, since salt can sneak in everywhere from vegetable drinks to bread. Cooking more at home, and avoiding cheap restaurants, is another good step, the researcher adds.

Tuberculosis explained

Certain stem cells protect tuberculosis (TB) bacteria from being destroyed, which explains why TB can lie dormant for years or even decades in the human body, researchers say.

The human immune system produces T-cells that can kill TB, but the body also deploys mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to sites of TB infection, researchers say in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"MSC are recruited to the sites of infection. What happens is these stem cells make a barrier ... between the T-cells that are supposed to kill the bacteria, and the bacteria," says Gobardhan Das, staff scientist at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biology in New Delhi.

"MSC produce nitric oxide that kill bacteria, but the amount is not sufficient to kill the TB bacteria, it just keeps them in check," Das says. "Nitric oxide also inactivates T-cells. So the presence of MSC inhibits the proliferation of the bacteria and T-cells, and there is an equilibrium established. That's why the incubation is very very long and can maintain for an entire lifetime."

Nearly all TB infections are latent, with carriers showing no symptoms and they are not infectious. One in 10 will become sick with active TB in their lifetime, primarily as a result of a weakened immune system.

Das and colleagues appealed for more research to be aimed at fighting this function of MSC.

"MSC create a suppressive microenvironment ... they are almost like a nest. If they (TB bacteria) don't have a nest, they will be exposed to our regular immune system and will be killed by our immune system," Das adds.

Kick off your shoes to beat stress

Walking barefoot is the most natural and effective foot reflex therapy available.

"Putting the soles of your feet in contact with all the normal sensations helps to relieve internal tension and reduce stress," says Dieter Breithecker, head of Germany's Federal Institute for Posture and Mobilisation Support.

"Shoes, on the other hand, prevent direct contact with the ground and so adversely affect the health of our feet, our balance and posture."

It is worthwhile at least at home, in the garden or unpolluted green spaces, to do without shoes while walks on sandy or pebble beaches are considered perfect.

"The unevenness of the surface underfoot has to be compensated reflexively by complicated muscle work," Breithecker explains. "This strengthens the metatarsal arch and leads to a sustainable and healthy posture."

At the same time, walking barefoot also trains the blood vessels. Breithecker recommends the therapy for people suffering from varicose veins in their legs.

"Wet stones and damp meadows caused by the autumnal morning dew are especially beneficial," he says. "The coldness stimulates the circulation, strengthens the immune system and encourages organ function."

DPA - Reuters

The Third Party

This exhibition, which takes place in three separate parts, is an experiment in continuity.

The Third Party is a show conceived to unfold in three consecutive sessions in the Platform China Art Institute project space.

The first installment is dubbed How to Be Alone, the second The Stranger and the third The Third Party.

Each lasts roughly 20 days. The three moments of this show are devised to disclose their conceptual and thematic associations as in a chain-reaction, where the individual frameworks are determined by the critical inputs presented by a preceding one.

The Third Party explores the shaping relationships between narrative and aesthetic objects to foreground an inquiry in the realm of the "ordinary", specific to the Chinese context.

Until Jan 24, 11 am-6 pm. Platform China Art Institute, 319-1, East End Art Zone A, Caochangdi, 6432-0091 or 6432-0169.

草场地村319-1艺术东区A区内站台

Works by Xie Xiaoze

Chambers Fine Art Beijing is pleased to announce the opening of Layers: New Works by Xie Xiaoze.

For his first exhibit with the gallery, Guangdong-born Xie presents a series of highly colored realistic works in oil on canvas as well as a book-and-video installation.

In these works the artist develops his long-term interest in the world of the printed word, libraries and archives.

Layers: New Works by Xie Xiaoze includes a series of large-scale magazine and newspaper paintings that sample recent Chinese news print media.

Xie has widely exhibited in the United States, where he has lived for the past 15 years. This exhibition is an important step in the artist's work, becoming more familiar to audiences in China.

Until Dec 18. Chambers Fine Art, Red 1-D, Caochangdi, Chaoyang district, 5127-3298.

北京市朝阳区草场地红一号D座

Emerging artists

On display are the works of young artists from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA).

Born in the 1970s and 1980s, social concern and personal awareness appear as their primary artistic characteristics.

The environment in LAFA is considered relatively simple and unimpressive, which is said to force the artists at the academy to become absorbed in their own ideas and emotions.

With this in mind, artists from LAFA attempt to present any conflicts in today's China.

Until Jan 2, 11 am-6 pm. Mountain Art Beijing and Frank Lin Art Center, 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, 798 Art Zone, Chaoyang district, 5978-9558.

朝阳区798艺术区山艺术画廊

Events

Stage: Jane Eyre

Based on Charlotte Bronte's classic novel of the same name, this production was wildly popular when it debuted last year. Zhu Jie and Wang Luoyong play the lead roles.

Last June was the first time that Jane Eyre, a drama adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's novel with the same name, had been put on China's stage.

It was a huge success, with all the tickets sold out for all 10 sessions. Over 10,000 people enjoyed the drama.

The National Center for the Performing Arts is now ready to bring it back, just in time for Christmas.

Dec 9 to 23, 7 pm. National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, 6655-0000.

国家大剧院

Stage: Rhinoceros in Love

This is a renowned drama from Meng Jinghui, suggested by some as a prominent director in China over recent years.

Rhinoceros in Love has been performed many times since it was first put on in the capital in 1999.

The play tells the tale of a young boy, Ma Lu, who falls madly in love with a mysterious girl call Ming Ming.

When Ming Ming rebukes his attempts to get close, Ma makes the desperate decision to kidnap her and the story turns darker.

Performed in Chinese only.

Dec 1 to 19, 7:30 pm. Fengchao Theater, 200 meters east of Oriental Ginza, 12 Shizipo, Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Dongcheng district, 6415-7332.

东城区东直门外大街十字坡12号东方银座东200米蜂巢剧场

Ballet: Swan Lake

The National Ballet of China once again takes on this classic ballet.

This time around, the ballet will be choreographed by the renowned prima ballerina Natalia Makarova.

Swan Lake has a long history. In 1876, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky created the immortal music and it was given a major performance in 1895 by the Imperial Russian Ballet.

In 1958 the ballet was first performed in China, by the National Ballet of China, under the guidance of former Soviet Union expert Pyotr Gusev. Today, Swan Lake is a global favorite.

Natalya Makarova is a legendary figure. Her version of Swan Lake, based on the original, is one of the most popular versions in the international ballet world.

Dec 9 to 12, 7:30 pm. National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, 6655-0000.

国家大剧院

On Dec 4, the 10th annual Academy Awards of the Animation School of Beijing Film Academy was wrapped up in Beijing, giving out awards in nine professional categories and 10 kinds of scholarships to recipients.

Themed as "Specialty, Artistry and Originality", the three-day event provided a platform for animators at home and abroad to showcase their artworks and communicate with each other.

During the awards ceremony, an activity of "Global Animation Rally by a Hundred Universities" was launched. The activity, which will last for one year, marks the first animation rally in the world.

Beijing film fest planned

The first Beijing International Film Festival, organized jointly by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the Beijing Municipal government, will kick off on April 23, 2011, and last six days.

Among the festival's highlights are various academic forums, screenings and trade fairs, including a forum that brings together well-known Chinese and international directors and a fair to promote Chinese films to international buyers. There will also be a forum where chairmen of international film festivals discuss the influence of such festivals on a city's economy and culture.

Beijing is the center of China's film arts and industry. About 80 percent of film studios in China are located in Beijing. Of the 500 feature films produced in 2010, 260 were made in Beijing. An estimated one-eighth of the box office earnings come from the city.

New TV travel channel

China Network Television (CNTV), the country's major Web-based multilingual TV broadcaster, launched its travel channel in Changshu, Jiangsu province, on Dec 3.

It features numerous original video travelogues, vignettes and articles about various travel destinations in China.

The opening ceremony also marked the strategic partnership between CNTV and Changshu, a city boasting four sites rated AAAA on China's national tourism scale, including Yushan Mountain and Shanghu Lake.

Chinese culture abroad

The 9th "Strategy of Chinese Corporation Goes Abroad" Forum will be held at the Great Hall of the People on Dec 10. It is jointly hosted by the WRSA Entrepreneur Alliance and China Overseas-Educated Scholars Development Foundation.

According to Feng Zhicheng, founder and director of WRSA Entrepreneur Alliance, the past eight forums have seen high-level government officials, scholars and entrepreneurs sharing their experiences and views about working overseas and have sought to promote the internationalization of Chinese enterprises.

Xu Changdong, co-director, said the Chinese cultural industry should play an increasingly important role in economic development and seize opportunities to be showcased abroad. The theme of the 2010 forum is how Chinese culture industries can work with international partners.

More than 700 representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan will participate.

Good to eat, better seen

Elle Decoration China's 2010 Dining for Design awards put the spotlight on the best restaurant interior designs in China's first- and second-tier cities.

Tiandi Yijia and Maison Bouluda Pekin in Beijing; Yongfoo Elite and Franck in Shanghai; and Hutong in Hong Kong were voted as being the best representatives of local culture, while Green T House in Beijing; Table No 1 in Shanghai; Steam House at Amanfayun in Hangzhou; and The Pawn and 208 Duecento Otto in Hong Kong; were deemed to have the best interior design.

The restaurants offering the best views include Capital M in Beijing; 100 Century Avenue, Vue at Hyatt on the Bund, and Mr & Mrs Bund in Shanghai; and Sevva in Hong Kong.

The awards also looked at eco-friendly restaurants, which include Paper in Beijing; Downstairs with David Laris, and Wu Guan Tang in Shanghai; Dragon Well Manor in Hangzhou; and Shi Yang Culture Restaurant in Taipei.

Poetic oil paintings

Ukrainian artist Mykhailo Guida is holding his first solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

On display are more than 80 poetic oil paintings, including some works inspired by his decade-long stay in eastern Zhejiang province.

Guida carved a name for himself in landscape and portrait painting in the early 1980s, in Ukraine. He has taught at universities in Zhejiang since 2000 and was endowed with a West Lake Friendship Award in 2006 as an outstanding foreign expert in art education.

Organized by Artron.net and Hangzhou municipal government, the exhibition ends on Dec 9 in Beijing.

Shitai's diplomatic gloss

A photo album of "The Most Beautiful Original Regions of China" was presented in Beijing on Nov 30.

Sponsored by Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and People's Government of Shitai in Anhui province, it puts together selected photos taken by 60 diplomats from 30 countries who were taken on a three-day visit to Shitai in April.

The presentation ceremony was attended by 150 envoys from 110 countries and more than 10 managers of domestic and overseas travel agencies.

Of course, such things are usually easier said than done.

Teaching my wife, Ellen, to swim has been fraught with danger - but not for her.

For me.

When I discovered that the university I work at has a swimming pool, I was quite pleased. Swimming is a great way to exercise, because the water reduces the strain on the joints.

Added to that, I just like splashing about in water.

So when I suggested to Ellen that we should go for a dip, she declined. At first, I thought it was because she thought it might be too cold to go swimming, but as the summer heat rolled in, she continued to resist my offers to go and frolic.

Eventually, I asked her what was stopping her, and was surprised to hear, "I can't swim!"

Most Australians learn to swim fairly early on, with school programs teaching it. With the population of Australia mostly clustered around the edge of the continent, going to the beach and swimming in the sea are incredibly popular things to do, so someone who can't swim is fairly uncommon.

That's not the case in China. When I did a quick survey of my students, I found that only a handful had learned to swim. "The beach is too far away, and pools are too expensive - unless you live by a quiet river, you're never going to have the chance to learn," one young lady told me.

Ellen's confession of her lack of aquatic expertise drove me to make a foolish offer - that I would teach her to swim.

If I'd foreseen the problems that were to come, I would probably have never set foot in the pool.

At this point, I must point out that the pool at the university isn't some dinky backyard job, but a full Olympic-sized one, complete with lane ropes and starting blocks. It wouldn't be my first choice of a teaching venue, but beggars can't be choosers when facilities are limited.

Luckily, someone had seen fit to put a false bottom in two of the far side lanes, reducing the depth from 2 meters to 1, so at least Ellen could touch the bottom at all times.

Once we got past the initial hurdle of the water being "too cold", "too scary" and having "a funny smell", I persuaded Ellen to put her arms around my neck, and try to let her legs float out behind her, while I gently towed her along.

That night, I tried to sleep without moving my neck, as Ellen's death grip had almost torn my head from my shoulders. She'd panicked after a small wave had splashed some water up her nose, and nearly drowned the pair of us in the resulting flailing of arms and legs.

I think it was at that point I decided to buy her a large inflatable ring, so that she could float along without clinging to me. From the relative safety of a few feet away, I encouraged her to kick her legs to propel her along "like a frog". Ellen's kicking isn't so much froglike, more like a duck, as her legs move frantically beneath her.

We're looking forward to visiting my parents in Adelaide early in the New Year, and I hope, by then, Ellen will be a little more confident in the water. They're already planning to take us down to the quiet beaches at Robe.

But, just in case, my father's invested in a life jacket for her.

"All women have two great loves, chocolates and jewelry", says Jacqueline Rabenberg. [Photo/China Daily]

Former flight attendant Jacqueline Rabenberg has finally found her calling in life as a jewelry maker in Beijing. Usha Sankar finds out more.

While some people believe the key to understanding the Chinese mind is learning Chinese characters, Jacqueline Rabenberg sees them as works of art embodying spiritual and philosophical meaning. Further, she believes wearing them close to your heart can guide you through the trials of life.

And that is why this winsome, blonde, former flight attendant, who has been living in China since 2007, launched a jewelry collection called Earth, which turns Chinese characters into rhodium-plated sterling silver pendants, earrings and rings.

Attracted to all things beautiful and colorful from a young age, this 38-year-old Dutch mother of three children says she was drawn to calligraphy the first time she set eyes on it.

Her beautiful home in Beijing's largely-expat neighborhood of Shunyi is ample proof of this fascination. Chinese characters, that she says reflect national characteristics, are set against the flags of countries as diverse as Japan, Switzerland and India, and are mounted in large frames on the walls of her house.

In 2008, she was introduced to the calligraphy of artist Bai Lin at the 798 art district and decided to give him "a way to express the meaning of his work through another product".

But why jewelry?

"You know, all women have two great loves, chocolate and jewelry," says Rabenberg, her eyes twinkling, adding that her Chinese name is "Qiaokeli" or chocolate.

That led to her second collection, Life.

Describing herself as a creative person - "I never just wrap up a gift, but make something different out of it" - she says it took living in China to bring out the designer in her.

"I've finally found what I want to do with my life. I'm happy and I know I make others happy because they tell me what wearing my jewelry has done for them.

"I'm attracted to calligraphy as I like the design of it, the look of it. But also, one character has different meanings," Rabenberg says.

"For example, the character le for happiness also means music. There is a deeper meaning to the way the characters are written and I want to convey this meaning through my jewelry."

Her first collection, Earth, gathers the characters for happiness, wisdom, and love. It also has zhong, which stands for: "China is the center of the world; Beijing is the center of China"

"Zhong also has strong connections to Confucius," Rabenberg says, her eyes straying to a copy of Quotations from Confucius lying on the table.

"I am amazed by the fact that so many of Confucius' sayings are still so relevant," she says, pointing out that some popular Dutch quotations, such as, "A craftsman must prepare his tools beforehand in order to do his work well" are from Confucius.

Every piece of her Life collection features 12 characters in the calligraphy of Bai and comes with a message such as, Dance "with your heart", or Buddha "will be with you".

"My jewelry will speak to you. Life is tough, but a happiness pendant can help you focus on all the good things in your life. It is nice to wear something with a positive meaning close to your body," Rabenberg says.

When not wearing the jewelry you can still enjoy its positive vibes by looking at it - hung on the wall, in beautiful, framed black boxes.

Rabenberg points out that every piece in her collections is hand crafted.

"The Western perception is that the quality of 'Made in China' goods is not that good, but I want to change that perception."

Unsurprisingly, her limited edition collection of just 88 pieces (the lucky double eight), cost up to 2,500 yuan ($375) and generally retail at five star hotels.

"Quality and exclusiveness come at a price," she insists.

After finding her true calling in China, Rabenberg is now ready to spread her wings. She is currently working with Dutch pop artist Clemens Briels, known for his use of vivid colors, for her soon-to-be launched Brielliant collection, that will feature his works, with a message appropriate for these strife-torn times: "Pass the dialogue, unite the world".

"It's a gift to be in China, to be here at this special time of great change. I feel very attached to China. I'm happy I created something here. I will keep the attachment forever," she says.

The new collection focuses on color and composition, as opposed to Earth and Life, which were about simplicity.

"I want to explore a variety of art forms in my designs," Rabenberg comments.

The study, sure to renew controversy over the safety of mobile telephones, does not demonstrate that cell phone use causes the behavioral problems and does not suggest a possible way that they could.

But the researchers say their findings are worth checking out.

"It is hard to understand how such low exposures could be influential," Dr Leeka Kheifets, an epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles who led the study, says.

"It is just something that needs to be pursued."

Controversy still remains over the health risk from cell phones. [Photo/China Daily]

Kheifets and her team looked at data from 28,000 7-year-olds and their mothers who took part in a large Danish study that has been tracking 100,000 women who were pregnant between 1996 and 2002.

The mothers of about 3 percent of the children said they had borderline behavioral problems, and 3 percent showed abnormal behavior, such as obedience or emotional issues.

The children whose mothers used cell phones while pregnant and who also used the phones themselves were 50 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, the researchers report in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Children whose mothers used the phones but who did not themselves use mobile phones were 40 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, they found. They found the children were no more likely to have epilepsy or delays in development.

About 5 billion mobile phones are in use worldwide. The World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health have found no evidence that cell phone use can damage health.

In May 2009, experts who studied 13,000 cell phone users over 10 years hoping to find out whether they cause brain tumors found no clear answer.

International researchers launched the biggest study to date into mobile phones and health in April.

Kheifets tried to account for other possible causes, such as whether women who used cell phones were different from women who did not, especially during the time of their pregnancies when cell phone use was less common than it is now.

"We looked at social status, we looked at the sex of the child, we looked at the mother's history of behavioral problems, we looked at the mother's age and stress during pregnancy and whether the child was breastfed or not," she says.

"One thought was that it was not cell phone use but mothers' inattention that led to behavior problems. While it was important, it didn't explain the association that we found."

Nonetheless, some experts questioned the findings.

"I am skeptical of these results, even though they will get a lot of publicity," says David Spiegelhalter, a professor of Biostatistics at Britain's University of Cambridge. "The authors suggest that precautionary measures may be warranted because they have 'virtually no cost', but they ignore the cost of giving intrusive health advice based on inadequate science."

Experts at the US National Institutes of Health had no immediate comment.

Although aspirin may guard against cancer, experts warn that people who want to take aspirin on a regular basis should talk to their doctors first. [Photo/China Daily

A new report from British scientists suggests that long-term, low-dose aspirin use may modestly reduce the risk of dying of certain cancers, though experts warn the study isn't strong enough to recommend healthy people start taking a pill that can cause bleeding and other problems. In a new observational analysis published online in the medical journal Lancet, Peter Rothwell of the University of Oxford and colleagues looked at eight studies that included more than 25,000 patients and cut the risk of death from certain cancers by 20 percent.

While some experts say the analysis adds to evidence of aspirin's potential to cut cancer risk, others say it falls short of changing advice to healthy people, and it fails to show the benefits apply equally to women.

The trials mostly compared men who took a daily dose of at least 75 mg of aspirin for heart problems to people who took a placebo or another drug. On average, the studies lasted at least four years.

Researchers used national cancer registries to get information on participants after the studies ended, though they weren't sure how many aspirin takers continued using it or how many people in the comparison groups might have started.

The researchers said that the projected risk after two decades of dying from cancers like lung and prostate would be 20 percent lower in groups who had taken aspirin and 35 percent lower for gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. These odds are figured from smaller numbers - there were 326 lung cancer deaths in all, for example.

Only one-third of people in the analysis were women - not enough to calculate any estimates for breast cancer. There appeared to be no benefit to taking more than 75 mg daily - roughly the amount in a European dose of baby aspirin and a bit less than the baby aspirin dose in the United States.

The analysis left out a high-quality experiment that tested aspirin every other day in nearly 40,000 US women. No reduction in cancer risk was seen except for lung cancer deaths in that trial.

No funding was provided for the new Lancet analysis but several of the authors have been paid for work for companies that make aspirin and similar drugs.

Scientists say it would take some time to digest the study results and figure out which people should take aspirin.

Eric Jacobs, an American Cancer Society epidemiologist, calls it a "major contribution" and says the study results, in addition to previous research, suggested aspirin's effects on the risk of dying from several cancers "appear likely".

Others say the study wasn't strong enough for doctors to start recommending aspirin.

"I definitely think we wouldn't want to make any treatment decisions based on this study," says Dr Raymond DuBois, a cancer prevention specialist who is provost of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

One concern is that the studies were designed to look at cardiovascular risks, so the groups of people being compared may differ on things that affect cancer risk, such as family history of the disease. DuBois also questions drawing conclusions about people's cancer risk beyond the several years they were tracked.

Aspirin has long been recommended for some people with heart problems. But it can have serious side effects, like bleeding in the stomach and intestines, and poses risks in groups like the elderly who are prone to falls.

"Balancing the risks and benefits of aspirin is really important and probably something that needs to be done on an individual basis," says Ed Yong, Cancer Research UK's head of health evidence and information. He was not linked to the study.

"If anyone is considering aspirin on a regular basis, they should talk to their doctor first," Yong says. He warns people should not think of aspirin as a guarantee against cancer and other prevention strategies like not smoking and keeping a healthy body weight were essential.

S. Alexandra Burt and colleagues at Michigan State University also found that men with fewer nasty qualities were more likely to eventually end up married.

Among men who did marry, some showed signs that bad behavior - specifically traits associated with antisocial personality disorder such as criminal behavior, lying, aggression and lack of remorse - decreased after they tied the knot.

Burt says that married men "are just not as antisocial to begin with. And when they get married, they get even less antisocial".

In the study, presented in the December Archives of General Psychiatry, Burt and her colleagues followed 289 pairs of male twins for 12 years, from age 17 to age 29. More than half of the twins were identical.

Men who married during the study period, about 60 percent of them, showed less antisocial behavior at ages 17 and 20, suggesting that men with more of these traits are less likely to get married in the first place.

By the age of 29, unmarried men had an average of 1.3 antisocial behaviors, compared with 0.8 among married men.

However, among identical twins in which one was married and one wasn't, the married twin had fewer antisocial behaviors after the union than the unmarried twin.

Given that identical twins, with similar genetics and childhood environments are likely to have the same antisocial tendencies, this indicates that marriage helped weed out those bad behaviors.

It's not clear why men's behavior might improve after marriage, says Ryan King at the University of Albany, State University of New York, who was not involved in the study.

Married men may spend more time with their spouses than their friends, and bad behavior such as delinquency and binge drinking tend to be group activities, he notes.

In addition, married men "have more to lose" if they're caught engaging in illegal activities, and may care what their spouses think.

"Not everyone is equally likely to enter the institution of marriage, but those that do enter into it get some benefit from it," King says.

The results help explain consistent findings from other studies that men who are married commit fewer crimes. One recent study, for example, showed marriage was associated with a 35 percent reduction in crime.

Studies have also found that married people as a group tend to be healthier than singles, though recent research suggests the health advantage of marriage may be fading. But married people tend to live longer, be less depressed and suffer less from heart disease and stroke.

Reuters

A Chinese ophthalmologist examines a cataract sufferer in Zimbabwe. [Photos[Huang Yiming / China Daily]

A team of Chinese ophthalmologists has been helping thousands blinded by cataracts in Africa. Huang Yiming reports.

In late November, at a hospital 30 km from Zimbabwe's capital Harare, Thicayo, an elderly woman, shouts in glee as the gauze covering her eyes is slowly rolled off - "Mr president! How wonderful it is to see you." Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was there to welcome a team of Chinese ophthalmologists for the non-profit project, 2010 Journey of Bringing Light to Africa, aimed at helping people blinded by cataracts and providing medicines and training at local hospitals.

"The project opens up a very promising mode of cooperation in joint efforts to battle blindness," Mugabe said, "and shows the sincere desire and resolution of the Chinese people to offer a (helping) hand to the African people.

Members of the Chinese delegation travel on the backs of elephants in Zimbabwe

"The brotherly ties between the two sides have been strengthened."

Thicayo's cataracts had left her blind for seven years and she said she was really grateful to the Chinese medical team for restoring her sight, that has let her see her grandson for the first time.

She is among an estimated 120,000 blinded by cataracts in Zimbabwe, of whom only 5,000 receive treatment every year at the hands of 20 native ophthalmologists, according to Zimbabwean statistics.

Lack of access to drugs and surgery, together with the inability to pay, leave many Zimbabweans at risk of permanent loss of sight.

Some 300 patients were among the lucky few to be treated by Chinese doctors from Nov 19 to 24 in the capital.

Another group of 20 Chinese doctors were busy in neighboring Malawi, helping another 300 cataract sufferers. The country has 70,000 people blinded by cataracts, of whom only a few can be treated by the available medical facilities.

Many of those treated said they felt like they had experienced a miracle.

The African initiative is part of the Journeys Bring Light Program of the National Organization for the Prevention of Blindness and Beijing Tongren Hospital, financed by companies such as Hainan Airlines.

The program benefits more than 30,000 in China, especially in remote areas.

Since 2008, teams of eye doctors under the program have been traveling to neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Mongolia.

Chinese ambassador Xin Shukang with doctors and nurses at a hospital.

The dispatch of the 2010 team to Africa marks the 10th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, says Chen Feng, chairman of Hainan Airlines, one of the sponsors.

Chen says it is a gift to the African people who have been helping Chinese enterprises to establish their businesses there, especially in infrastructure.

The project has taken the country's top ophthalmologists and the most-advanced medical equipment to the African people.

The Chinese doctors also train their African peers.

Zhu Siquan, one of the team's star ophthalmologists, is an experienced surgeon from Tongren Hospital known for his swift operations. Despite the summer dryness and heat in southern Africa, the doctor removed one cataract every three minutes, on average.

"I feel the warmth of the people and am content to bring light to more people," he says.

Zhang Lu, a representative of Hainan Airlines, visits a woman suffering from cataract.

A warm welcome ceremony is staged at Harare airport.

Hu Ailian (second from right), a member of the Chinese ophthalmologist team, checks the condition of several patients.

As Arctic blizzards swept across southeast England, stranding hundreds in their cars and bringing motorways to a virtual halt in whiteout conditions, Kent police received a strange call on their emergency number.

"I haven't been out to check on him for five hours but I went outside for a fag (cigarette) and he's gone," said the female caller.

When the operator asked who had gone she replied: "My snowman. I thought that with it being icy and there not being anybody about he'd be safe.

"It ain't a nice road but you don't expect anybody to nick your snowman," she added.

Police were most definitely not amused.

"This call could have cost someone's life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn't get through. It was completely irresponsible,' said Chief Inspector Simon Black.

A transcript of the call was released by the force to highlight what they said was misuse of the emergency number 999 system.

The findings suggest that trends toward earlier puberty aren't limited to girls, who have already been shown to be developing sexually at increasingly younger ages.

In the study, reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles compared 6,200 healthy Bulgarian boys with a similar 1970s study. Both measured height, weight, testicular volume, penis length and circumference.

"Studies done several decades ago in the same population reported that a leap forward in sexual development occurs at ages 13 through 16," said Fnu Deepinder, who led the study, in an email to Reuters Health.

"However, our study indicated that this spurt takes place between 12 and 15 years old."

Deepinder and his colleagues found that boys' testicles did not grow substantially until the beginning of puberty, around age 11. But penises appeared to grow gradually from birth to sexual maturity, starting at around 5 cm (2 inches) and reaching an average length of nearly 9.5 centimeters (4 inches) by the age of 19.

However, both penises and testicles grew most rapidly between ages 12 to 16, while boys added the most inches in height and gained the most weight between 12 and 14 years gold.

The study also found that while boys of the same age in the 1970s study had relatively smaller genitalia, men are not necessarily more well-endowed today, with size differences disappearing by age 17.

Boys in rural areas had slightly longer penises than their urban peers, although the difference was only about 0.4 cm (0.2 inches).

Deepinder said that genetic, environmental, nutritional and educational factors could all be behind the faster development today, but it remains unclear what impact earlier puberty might have on men's health.

It also remains unclear whether specific differences exist between populations from different parts of the world.

Moral support and encouragement comes in all forms. In early September, it was the Chinese traffic warden who watched me cross the road, calling out "yi (one) - er (two) - yi - er" in time with my running steps, mimicking me jogging on the spot.

Fast forward two weeks, and it was the German construction workers whose enthusiastic calls of "eins - zwei - eins - zwei" helped me relax during my last training run for the 2010 Berlin Marathon.

Within seconds, their words took me back to the streets of Shanghai, and the months I had spent pounding the pavements in preparation for my biggest event of the year.

After making the decision in April that Berlin would be my physical challenge for the year, I set about planning, and then running, numerous routes through the streets of Xuhui, Luwan and Jing'an districts, in a sweltering Shanghai summer.

The challenges encountered in trying to run through a city not designed for runners was at times overwhelming - the people, the traffic, the smells, the pollution and the oppressive heat - but thankfully the opportunity to experience another side to life in China kept my passion for this pastime alive.

The random interactions with traffic wardens became a regular highlight of my early morning runs.On many occasions as I waited to cross an intersection, the warden stared at me with curiosity, before striking up a conversation.

The limited chat usually involved him asking me where I came from, I would tell him "Ao da li ya" (Australia), then he'd say something very quickly which I wouldn't understand ("ting bu dong!"). He would point at me and jog on the spot,to which I would say "dui" (right) with a big two-thumbs-up.And then the lights would turn green and I'd be on my way.

Some interactions with 7-Eleven check-out ladies proved equally as entertaining.Often they would be asleep with their head resting on the counter when I walked in. They would stare at my iPod with pure fascination, which turned to great amusement when they moved closer to hear Kylie Minogue.

Fuxing Park was another highlight of my early morning runs, providing a feast of Chinese idiosyncrasies.Sometimes it was a swing dance class bursting at the seams, the dancers swishing along to cassette recorder music.The tai chi masters were majestic as they practiced their moves, oblivious to the chaos around them.The slow-motion walkers were regularly out in force, their exaggerated steps seven or eight seconds apart.

Occasionally, I'd spot a tree-hugger offering the tree a little pelvic thrust to complement the full-bodied embrace.Choirs stood by the lake singing heartily.The bird watchers admired each other's feathered friends, exchanging an occasional chat, cigarettes, and cling-wrapped rice balls.The men playing poker were there every day without fail, sitting at their card table next to the rose garden.Old ladies with their water-pens purposefully wrote Chinese characters in water on the footpath, unfazed by the people walking straight over them.

One week before departing for Germany, I knew there wasn't much more I could do other than rest up and stay in good health.I was happy to put my feet up by then, after reaching a point of physical and mental exhaustion from all the training.

When the big day finally arrived on Sept 26, the conditions couldn't have been any more different from what I'd trained in. The cold, rainy streets of Berlin, cleared for the marathon runners, were a stark contrast to the hot, dry streets of Shanghai which are permanently congested with people, traffic and general chaos.

But nonetheless, running is running, despite the geographical differences, despite the climatic differences, and despite the differences in the language and culture of the people who stand on the sidelines to cheer.

I'm proud to say I covered the full 42 km, and truly felt the magic of Berlin in those four hours. And during the countless hours spent training in the months leading to that day, my running also provided me the privilege of feeling the magic of Shanghai.

An ocean voyage to prove that ancient Austronesians originally came from China has been successfully completed by Hiria Ottino. Zhu Xingxin and Wei Tian report

After a South Pacific voyage of 116 days, French Polynesian Hiria Ottino and his five crew members finally berthed their canoe at Mawei harbor, Fujian province, where they believe their ancestors departed on a similar voyage 5,000 years ago.

"When we left French Polynesia four months ago, few people thought we would make it to China. They said our little canoe would capsize in a hurricane," the 42-year-old said on his Nov 19 arrival.

The former adviser to a French Polynesian president says: "We managed to visit 10 countries, travel 16,000 nautical miles (29,632 km) and finally return home."

There are about 270 million Austronesian people scattered on the islands of Oceania and Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

Archeological and linguistic evidence seems to show they were originally from coastal areas in Southeast China. Even today, people in Polynesia are familiar with the names "Mawei" and "Pingtan", two cities in Fujian province.

"I have always been curious about what our forefathers went through and how they survived crossing thousands of kilometers across the ocean," says Ottino, who has learnt to speak fluent Chinese over the past two decades.

"For us Polynesians, there is more to learn about our past before we look into the future."

Ottino first came to China in 1987. After years of serving as a diplomat between the two countries, Ottino quit his job in 2009 and decided to find out more about his ancestral roots.

Sailing outrigger canoes built from stone axes, Chinese pioneers are said to have reached as far as Madagascar and Tahiti. Ottino decided to repeat one of these voyages and test whether they were actually feasible given the limited technology of the time.

Built according to a plan drawn up in Tahiti by Admiral Paris around 1820, Ottino's canoe is called Freedom and is 15 meters long by seven meters wide, and weighs four tons. On the mast hang the national flags of the 10 countries they visited, with the Chinese national flag on top.

Ottino did not take any modern devices or products on the voyage - not even instant noodles - in order to make it as authentic as possible. Orientation depended purely on reading the stars and ocean currents, while fishing was the only source of food.

After departing Tahiti on July 27, the canoe followed the winds and currents. On board, however, was Koronui, an experienced sailor in his 60s who Ottino refers to as the "human GPS".

"I just gave him a general direction and he took us there," Ottino says.

"He could tell the depth of water by tasting the salinity, and calculate the distance to land by identifying bird species, because they have different flight ranges."

But even with Koronui on board there were big problems - such as their encounter with typhoon Megi.

"The waves were as high as eight meters and mercilessly crashed into us," Ottino says. "The good thing was that we were not caught out deep in the center of the storm, otherwise even a steel-hulled ship would not have survived it."

Freedom was supposed to reach the Chinese coast on Oct 31, the closing date of the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Because of the delay caused by the typhoon, it arrived 20 days late.

Ottino believes the effort and sacrifice of the journey was worth it.

"I've always felt like there was some connection between the Pacific and China. I hope our journey helps people recognize this connection," Ottino says.

"The world is so complicated and peace is what we are all looking for. If it turns out that we are from one family, peace will be there for us."

But for his long-suffering Chinese wife, Wang Xin, her husband's return is seen in simpler terms. It means she doesn't have to worry about her husband on the high seas any more.

"It means I don't have to worry about storms in the South Pacific thousands of kilometers from home any more," she says.

Sitting by his 120-meter-long painting that covers the walls of the exhibition hall, 56-year-old artist Zhang Qingzhi turns emotional.

Gazing at the scenes of relief work in Yushu, Qinghai province, that was hit by an earthquake on April 14, 2010, he says, "Life is so fragile. In the twinkling of an eye, everything can be lost."

The former paratrooper, who was also in the disaster zone in 2008 - when an earthquake flattened Wenchuan in Sichuan province - says while shocked by the scale of the devastation, he was also deeply moved by the mammoth relief efforts, which he expressed in a 120-meter-long, two-meter-high painting.

His work on the Yushu relief has many scenes showing soldiers from the People's Liberation Army helping Tibetans, and national leaders overseeing the relief work.

Asked whether he worries that his paintings will be seen as politically motivated, the usually calm Zhang gets agitated.

"Nowadays, in our society, a strange phenomenon is occurring - anything that is related to the government and officials is often viewed negatively," he says.

"I see no hidden meaning in the central government saving and helping Tibetans in need, so why can't I record the truth in my painting?

"While there are problems in our country, there are also achievements that need to be represented by artists," he says.

Born in 1954, in a Shandong province village, Zhang had a deprived childhood and frequently went hungry. When his mother died, his father found it even more difficult to care for Zhang and his sister, and the boy often resorted to begging.

One day, while nearly dead from starvation, an old woman gave him two sweet potatoes. A grateful Zhang picked up a twig and drew a portrait of the woman, who was surprised to see a striking likeness of her staring back from the ground.

In 1974, the primary schooled Zhang left the village and joined an army unit of paratroopers stationed in Hubei province.

But he would always squeeze some time from his military training to paint. His works, mostly traditional Chinese landscape paintings, gradually began to be noticed in the army.

In 1982, an Air Force magazine took notice of his paintings and took him on as an art editor. This gave Zhang the opportunity to travel across the country, and his new experiences found expression in his works.

In 1990, after retiring from the army, Zhang became a full-time artist and held his first solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in 1998.

His works are collected by both museums and private collectors. One of his works - The Ode for World Peace, was presented to former Russian president Boris Yeltsin as a gift.

In Wenchuan, seeing young soldiers risking their lives to save others, moved him to tears. He says witnessing brave paratroopers trying to extricate survivors from blocked mountains made him want to join them, once gain.

"As I saw people put up with the constant aftershocks, I felt like I had found the soul of this nation," Zhang says. On his return from the disaster zone, he spent 28 days pouring his emotions on to canvas.

Enthusiasts of Renaissance art in Beijing can get up close to the classics at the Central Academy of Fine Arts' Cafa Art Museum, where a major exhibition is on until Jan 23.

On view are 121 portraits, drafts, graphics, lambskin illustrations, architectural layouts and pattern designs, on loan from the Louvre in Paris.

Some of the works have not been previously seen outside the Louvre.

Works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, the three most influential figures of the Renaissance are included.

Also on show are a series of unsigned prints, created in Florence. Although they are not attributed to anyone they "still hold an important place in Western art history", says Catherine Loisel, chief curator of the drawings and prints department at the Louvre.

"We have invested much time and energy to realize this show over the past year," says museum director Wang Huangsheng.

The Renaissance movement, from the 14th to the 17th century, witnessed a revival of the arts, society and politics. It has long been held as a classic source of inspiration for Chinese oil painters and print makers since the early 20th century.

Even today, copies of works by ancient masters are still models for art majors at the academy, Wang says.

The exhibition serves as a "timely complementary factor" to Internal Voyage: 60 Years of Chinese Sketches, a large-scale show that was initiated last December and is now on tour at art schools across the country. It looks at how sketching, a typical discipline of Western art, has become part of the art education system of New China, according to Wang.

Critics are saying the Renaissance art show reveals the Western passion for art of this period, a role model for the emerging Chinese nouveau riche who are now showing a strong interest in art collecting.

All the exhibits are from the collection of Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild (1845-1934).

A French-born member of the Rothschild banking family, he pursued artistic and philanthropic interests throughout his life.

Over time, he built a mammoth collection of engravings, drawings and sculptures. His family donated them all to the Louvre in 1935, according to his final wishes.

The exhibition marks the first cooperation between the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China's top institution for art education, and the Louvre.

"Over the past years, we have been making efforts to reach out and share part of our treasures with viewers from around the world by holding exhibitions such as this one," said Herve Barbaret, general administrator of Louvre Museum, at the show's opening.

A major exhibition featuring Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) art works from the Forbidden City will be held at the Louvre next year, to strengthen cultural understanding between Chinese and French people, he added.

Best-selling artist Liu Xiaodong goes back to his roots for his new exhibition in Beijing. Chen Nan reports

Liu Xiaodong believes good art requires patience and honesty. To create his latest works, he spent three months earlier in 2010 in his hometown of Jincheng, Liaoning province, which has a population of less than 10,000. He stayed at home with his family, childhood friends and neighbors, recording his life by painting, taking pictures, videotaping and writing diaries.

The result is the Hometown Boy series, now being exhibited at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. The 30-odd oil paintings, together with more than 200 pages of diary entries, mark a return to his original vision of life.

"I had been thinking of going home for years but I was reluctant and shy to paint in front of people who know me so well," the 47-year-old artist says.

It was UCCA's invitation to do a solo exhibition that finally convinced him he needed to return home.

"The organizer asked me to create some new paintings and gave me a long time to prepare. The eagerness to return home popped into my head again," he says.

The new oil paintings, including The House Where I Grew Up, Han Shengzi Buys Land and Shu Jun with His Chubby Son, are inspired by Liu's childhood memories and people he has known all his life.

Through the works, he addresses his identity and the current state of his hometown, which was built in the 1950s. Most of Liu's family members and the people he knows in Jincheng worked for a paper mill.

"The paper mill is still the center of the town and everything there, the factory, the tall chimney, the whistle, the crowds, are the same."

But he also noticed some changes. Traveling by train, he found that much farmland had been redeveloped and his childhood friends who still live there had been laid off and put on weight.

"I thought I would feel nostalgic but the reality was different. The pace of urbanization is so fast, and when I observed and painted this, my emotions were complicated," he says.

In a statement he prepared for the exhibit, Liu writes: "Once upon a time we were hired farmhands, poor peasants, rich peasants and landlords. We were the proletariat, the working class, an army of workers and peasants. Now we are making great strides, moving single-mindedly toward the future, becoming the propertied class - and we've got the bricks and cement to prove it."

Liu left the town in 1980 to study oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Though he learned to paint at primary school he focused on martial arts at middle school. He says he was shy at university.

"My family has four children and I am the youngest, so I was pampered by my parents. They sent me to study in Beijing because they wanted me to leave this small town," Liu says.

"At university, my classmates were versatile, some played guitar or spoke English, while all I could do was martial arts and pencil sketches."

After four tough years at university he got a stable job at a subsidiary middle school to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, where he had his own studio. For two years, he painted his friends and people around him after teaching classes.

In 1990 he held his first solo exhibition at the Central Academy of Fine Arts gallery. The vivid portraits, which combine classic oil painting and modernism, made Liu a star.

"I am lucky because very few people had solo exhibitions then. People came to my exhibition and they were hypnotized because they just saw my works and no one else's," he jokes.

"I was young and I enjoyed the praise. That exhibition fulfilled my dreams then," he says.

With the money he made through the exhibition, he bought a jeep and built a studio on the outskirts of Beijing.

In 1993, he visited the United States, with his wife Yu Hong, who is also an artist and graduated from the same school as Liu. During that year he lived in New York and absorbed influences from the Western art world, but nevertheless was determined to draw in his own style.

Later, when the Chinese contemporary art market was noticed by the West and the price of Liu's works rose, he started focusing on society, rather than friends and family. He traveled to Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai and Taiwan, painting landscapes and reflecting on the country's progress.

The New Immigration of the Three Gorges, a three-by-10-meter oil painting that chronicled construction of the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River, was priced at 22 million yuan ($3.3 million) in 2003.

At the end of 2005, Liu went to the Three Gorges again with film director Jia Zhangke, who made a documentary called Dong (East) while Liu created his Hot Bed series. The series went under the hammer for more than 57.12 million yuan, which broke the record for mainland oil paintings.

Now a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Liu says that he enjoys being a teacher and having a regular life.

"I have been wondering what an artist is. Does he behave weirdly? Is he rebellious and aggressive? Is he abnormal in society?

"For me, I just want to be a person who can paint. I make money through my brushes and canvases. I have a wife, a daughter and I go home every day. That's what I want."

As for his painting, Liu says that he will keep to his style. "I just paint what I see. I can't create a vision that doesn't exist."

When you visit Englishman Stephen Perry's home, expect to be offered Chinese tea. The choice reflects the deep ties that the 62-year-old and his family have with China.

Perry is the chairman of 48 Group Club, an independent business network committed to promoting positive links with China. Together with his father Jack Perry, he is part of a select group of people who played a major role in breaking the ice over China's trade with Britain and the United States.

As early as the 1950s, the elder Perry was one of the first Britons to do business with the mainland after the founding of New China.

Taking over the baton, Stephen Perry later helped New China reach its first major business deal with the United States; bring the first English soccer team to the country, and introduce Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals to the Great Hall of the People.

"It was a mission for me, like my father," says Perry in his house next to Regent's Park in central London.

It was in 1952 when Jack Perry gave up his business and traveled to China for trade, at a time when the Cold War threatened world peace. It took a team of 48 people, who formed the precursor of the 48 Group Club, seven days to fly to Hong Kong in July 1952, when Americans "were trying hard to stop people going to China".

The team overcame the hurdle with the help of then premier Zhou Enlai's emissary. They spent three days getting to Beijing and saw "terrible poverty and malnutrition".

Struggling to emerge from the predicament, China then imported "very basic things to start a country" from the Perrys. Beijing bought items ranging from grain and copper to machines and medicines.

But as the family business grew, its ties with the West floundered. Many people back home threatened him and local newspapers even called Jack Perry and his peers "the Communist Reds".

In 1972, the father and son boarded a plane to China. It was the younger Perry's first trip to the country.

Traveling from Beijing down to Guangdong province, Stephen experienced a China that was different from his expectations. He saw poverty and the hard life of the farmers. But there were people "spending a lot of time talking, philosophically, on what was the right way to go. I was very impressed", Perry says.

The Perrys later appeared in Washington to meet Henry Kissinger, then national security advisor for former president Richard Nixon, and his staff.

"They asked lots and lots of questions about China. My father helped them understand China in the early days," Perry says.

Following the end of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and the introduction of the reform and opening-up policy, the family managed to break more ice in Sino-British exchanges.

Perry brought West Bromwich Albion soccer club to Beijing to take on the "China Eleven" on Aug 1, 1979, making the Premiership side the first English team in China. But it was only 25 years later that he found out late leader Deng Xiaoping was sitting in the stadium that day.

About two decades after the match, Perry helped bring British musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber to China. Jesus Christ Superstar performed in Beijing in 2001.

After the success of the musical, Perry brought more of Webber's shows, such as Cats and Phantom of the Opera to China. Perry says he never thought his family's China stories were just about business alone.

"I thought I was fortunate ... to see this as an unfolding experience of bringing a world back together."

A Chinese benefactor is being sought to save from closure the home of one of the key figures in China's opening up to the West, Andrew Moody reports

The house of former British prime minister Sir Edward Heath, which has been open to the public for the past two years, could be put up for sale despite being a popular visitor attraction. The property, called Arundells, which is in the center of the English cathedral city of Salisbury and which dates back to the 13th century, contains a number of valuable Chinese artifacts, including a pair of Qianlong vases gifted to Sir Edward by former chairman Mao Zedong on the British ex-premier's first famous visit to Beijing in 1974.

The trustees are seeking permission to sell the house, which could fetch up to 6 million pounds ($9.45 million) since they argue it is losing money.

Yet a campaign group wanting to prevent the house's closure is hoping a Chinese philanthropist, or even an investor, comes forward to save it at the last minute.

Tony Burnside, campaign coordinator of Friends of Arundells, says the house holds a lot of interest to anyone from China.

"We would welcome any support from the Chinese community who would be prepared to underwrite the house. It could take as little as $78,715 to keep the house open for a further two years by which time it could be profitable," he says.

The opening of the house to the public has been a popular success with visitor numbers increasing by more than 60 percent from 8,000 in 2008 to 13,000 this year. In fact, 2,000 had to be turned away this year.

The trustees have applied to the Charity Commission, the body that governs charitable trusts in the UK, to close the house because it is running at a loss despite the visitor numbers.

Because any closure is likely to be contentious, a final decision may have to be made by a tribunal in the New Year.

Two trustees resigned in March over the issue and the remaining five are said to be divided as to what to do.

Stuart Craven, the manager and curator of Arundells, who managed the house for Heath for 20 years until his death at the age of 89 in 2005, said he was confident the trustees would be open to the involvement of a Chinese benefactor.

"If a wealthy Chinese businessman came in, I am sure the trustees would be amenable to that," he says.

Lord Armstrong, chairman of the trustees, agrees he might be open to Chinese involvement.

"I can say no more than much would depend on the nature and extent of the benefaction envisaged," he says.

Heath, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974, met Mao shortly after losing power and was greeted by several thousand Chinese dancing and waving flags.

Mao felt that was not enough and insisted when Heath left that he was given a full military guard of honor.

"He was really feted by the Chinese despite being leader of the opposition and later only a backbench member of parliament on his return visits to China," says Philip Ziegler, author of Edward Heath, a biography of the former premier published this year.

He made a number of subsequent visits to China, meeting former leader Deng Xiaoping on several occasions and fostering business contacts between China and international companies. He had close links with companies, such as COSCO, China's State-owned shipping and transport company.

Heath had described China as "the country of the future" as early as the 1960s, also saying: "There's something quite exciting about being near the beginning of a great power."

An organ scholar who was also almost a professional-standard musician, Heath was one of very few foreigners to have conducted in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Craven, the manager of the house, says Heath, a lifelong bachelor, would often phone at an appointed time when he was in China.

"He would phone from his hotel in Beijing and ask me what the weather was like in Salisbury. They used to take him to all the best places and treat him as a head of government, which, of course, he wasn't then. He always said he had a fantastic time and that it was lovely there," he says.

One of the key features of the house is the staircase hallway, which is decorated with hand-painted wallpaper made by a Beijing company, depicting the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

The Qianlong vases, gifted by Mao, have been conservatively valued at nearly $160,000 but could easily be worth several times that given their provenance.

There is also a Tang (AD 618-907) horse, dating back to around the 8th century AD, which was originally acquired at an auction in China.

Burnside says it will be very sad if the house, which employs 25 mostly part-time staff, has to close for good, only to be sold off and stripped of its possessions.

"Sir Edward took great pride in the house and wanted it to remain open to the public. The proposal to close and sell Arundells is highly contentious," he says. "We would like to invite a Chinese entrepreneurial businessman or woman to step forward and help us save this important piece of heritage."

With the year-end festive season almost upon us, it's time to start planning for the rounds of parties involving family and friends. Pauline D. Loh brings out the dessert trolley.

Alcohol-laden fruitcakes, spicy gingerbread cookies and buttery shortcakes aside, the year-end double whammy of Christmas and New Year on consecutive weekends is just begging for more sweet celebration. And that means you will be seeking out sugar-laden desserts that will tempt the most hard-hearted guests. My family is fortunate to have benefitted from an international melting pot of epicurean influences. We commemorate all our Chinese festivities with the greatest enthusiasm, but we have also celebrated Christmas regularly in both spiritual and culinary senses.

Very early in my son's childhood, we established a family tradition. We would share our Christmas or Watch Night dinner with guests who may not have family with them at the moment, either because they are students away from home, or expatriate colleagues in need of a surrogate family.

Both my husband and I spent a good part of our lives in Britain and America, and we will always remember the kindness of our friends at Christmas and New Year. When we came home, we made a pledge to pass that forward if we got the chance.

Half the fun in entertaining our guests was to cook them food that incorporated our culinary heritage and theirs. For them, it was familiar flavors that made them feel at home and I have found that nothing hits the spot quite like that final touch - dessert. I became pretty adapt at what I call my "festive trinity", sweets that are classics on their own, and terribly impressive when they become the centerpiece of the celebration table.

The first is the Italian tiramisu. It may be Italian in origin, but it has become such a popular sweet that it now belongs more to an international menu. From Chennai to Chicago, and Paris to Hong Kong, the tiramisu not only appears in all guises and adaptations, but has now evolved into a flavor on its own - as in tiramisu ice-cream and lollies.

This dessert involves almost no cooking, and all it needs is an aesthetic eye for presentation and a steady hand for when you liberally soak the sponges. It is a heady mix of whipped custard and cream folded into soft, buttery cheese and topped with deep, dark chocolate. To me, the tiramisu is the perfect party dessert, especially since it can be made well ahead of time.

My personal favorite is the trifle, a very English pudding that recalls the dark-paneled dining halls at boarding school. Trifle was served only during festive occasions, such as school day or Christmas. The only thing I do not like is the gritty hundreds and thousands of sugar hearts and stars that was the cook's idea of fancy decoration. It got into the cracks between teeth and inevitably scattered all over the table and floor.

But the whipped cream, jelly, fruit cocktail and wine-soaked sponge more than made up for that slight imperfection.

Finally, the pecan pie is my tribute to American friends who made us feel at home in Washington, Berkeley and San Mateo. This sticky sweet confection is delicious piping hot, aromatic with burnt toffee and nuts. The eggy jam-like filling that encased the nuts was the most fascinating flavor I encountered as a fledgling cook.

Pecan pie is part of the culinary magic that so permeates good American home-cooking.

None of these classics are difficult, and probably the most effort goes into making the pastry for the pie. If you are short of time or patience, go for ready-made short-crust pastry. Why not? Your focus is on the filling, not the shell.

I hope these classics will become part of your festive repertoire, and may you pass forward the spirit of giving this sweet season.

Recipe | Celebration trifle

Ingredients (serves a party!):

12 sponge fingers (lady fingers)

50 ml quality sherry

50 g fruit gelatin (jelly crystals)

300 g canned peaches or fruit cocktail

100 ml chilled double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

Sugar hearts and stars

Method:

1. Sprinkle the sherry over the sponge fingers and settle them at the bottom of a large glass bowl.

2. Dissolve the jelly crystals in 100 ml of hot water and cool slightly before pouring over the sponge fingers. Chill until set.

3. Dice fruit pieces if they are any larger than bite-sized. Tumble them on top of the sponge and jelly base.

4. Whip the double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks and pile the whipped cream on top of the trifle. Chill until ready to serve.

5. Just before serving, sprinkle the sugar hearts and stars on top.

Food notes:

You can also add homemade custard before piling on the whipped cream, although I prefer just cream alone for a lighter touch. If you are adding the sugar hearts and stars, remember to do so at the very last minute. You really do not want the color bleeding into the whipped cream. I like serving my trifle in individual portions for neater servings, but a huge crystal bowl full of festive colors can be really impressive.

Recipe | Tiramisu

Ingredients (serves 6 - 8):

3 eggs (at least 55 g each), yolks only

100 g castor sugar

250 g mascarpone cheese

100 ml chilled double cream

1 cup strong black coffee

4 tbsp citrus-flavored liqueur

18 Italian sponge fingers (lady fingers)

50 g quality cocoa powder

Icing sugar

Method:

1. Beat egg yolks and castor sugar together until pale and creamy. Add orange liqueur and slowly beat in mascarpone cheese.

2. Whip the double cream until soft peaks form, then fold into the mascarpone mixture.

3. Arrange half the sponge fingers in a large glass tray. Pour over half the cooled brewed coffee evenly.

4. As the sponge fingers soften, arrange them neatly so they form an even layer. Spread half the mascarpone mixture on top of the sponge fingers. Repeat with remaining sponge fingers and mascarpone.

5. Smooth over the top of the final layer of mascarpone and chill until ready to serve.

6. Dust top of tiramisu generously with cocoa powder and add decorative lines or festive stencils of icing sugar.

Food notes:

The traditional liqueur used in a tiramisu is Marsala but I like using the sharper orange liqueur because it cuts through the richness of the cheese and cream. This dessert can be made ahead and frozen. To serve, defrost at room temperature and add the final dusting of cocoa and icing powder. If you like, a colorful scatter of lemon or orange zest will make it more decorative. Or, you may go for total decadence and shave lots of dark chocolate curls on top.

Recipe | Pecan & Walnut pie

Ingredients (serves 6 to 8):

200 g chilled butter, cut into cubes

200 g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

150 g butter

100 g light brown sugar

50 g castor sugar

1 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs (at least 55g each), beaten

300 g pecan or walnut halves

Method:

1. Place the sifted flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and drop the butter cubes in. Lightly toss until butter cubes are evenly coated with flour. Using a pastry cutter or butter knife, cut the butter into as tiny pieces as you can manage, tossing the flour to coat as you go.

2. Wash your hands under cold water and dry them well. Lightly "rub" the mixture between forefingers and thumb until it resembles breadcrumbs. If there are still tiny chunks of butter in the mix, don't worry. They'll flatten out when you roll the dough.

3. Add enough ice-cold water spoon by spoon until the dough just comes together without cracking. Rest the dough ball in the fridge for a half hour to relax the gluten.

4. Roll the dough to fit your pie plate, trimming the edges as you go. Press down the edges of the pie with the tines of a fork, or if you are a pro baker, scallop the edges with your fingers.

5. Prick the bottom of the dough and bake in a 180 deg C pre-heated oven 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

6. When pie shell is baking, prepare the filling.

7. Melt 150 g butter in a saucepan and add the sugar, stirring in honey and vanilla. Keep stirring until sugar is totally dissolved.

8. Remove from heat and cool slightly, Whisk in the eggs and add the nut halves.

9. Pour nut and syrup mixture into the pie shell and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour in a moderate oven of 180 deg C. Pie is done if the filling does not wobble anymore.

Food notes:

Pecan pie is the ultimate American festive food, more representative to me than apple pie. I have to apologize for substituting walnuts for the pecans, but I cannot seem to get pecans that taste like pecans in Beijing. But I have discovered some really milky and delicious local walnuts, and they seem to work very well. Another ingredient that I have swopped is honey for corn syrup. This is a personal choice. I find using honey, a natural product, a lot more comfortable than a processed thickener like corn syrup. If the texture suffers a modicum because of this, I'll take it with the other benefits.

Confidence, and conspicuous consumption, are rebounding among New York’s financial elite. Guests at the Whitney Museum gala in October. [Photo/Michael Nagle/The New York Times]

Bookings are up at expensive restaurants. Michael Lomonaco, the head chef at the Porter House in Manhattan, is seeing more business. [Photo/Marcus Yam/The New York Times]

Two years after the onset of the financial crisis, the stock market is recovering and its moneyed elite are spending again - at times cautiously, but sometimes with a familiar swagger.

It's true that firms scaled back the corporate excesses for which they were vilified as a brutal recession gripped America and much of the world. Many of those constraints remain in place.

But when it comes to personal indulgences, the wallets are beginning to open up. Traders and executives say that jobs seem much more secure. Businesses whose fortunes ebb and flow with the financial markets are thriving again.

"Wall Street is back spending as much if not more than before," said Dr. Francesca J. Fusco, a New York dermatologist whose business is booming.

Christie's auction house says investors from the financial world who fell out of the bidding market during the 2008 credit crisis are "pouring" back in.

Marc B. Porter, a senior executive at Christie's, said this resurgence has followed the recovery of different economies, be it Hong Kong or the United States.

Expensive restaurants report a pickup in bookings, and real estate agents say Wall Street executives have already begun lining up summer rentals in the Hamptons, an exclusive seaside resort east of New York.

Dolly Lenz of Prudential Douglas Elliman said the bidding was "hotter and heavier" than previous years. Just recently,she said, three people bid more than $400,000 for a summer rental in Southampton.

Compensation on Wall Street this year will not be much higher than 2009, and may even be lower.

So the change in attitude appears more a matter of confidence and security than income.

"The mood is absolutely better, much better than even a year ago," says David M. Gildea, a health care trader at the Wall Street firm Cowen & Company.

In 2008, he said, he and other traders were reluctant to even go out for a drink after work, uncertain if they would keep their jobs.

Now, Mr. Gildea said, "there is a definite buzz on the Street that hasn't been there in some time."

J.T. Cacciabaudo, head of equity trading and sales trading at the regional brokerage firm Sterne Agee, agrees, saying while there is some concern in the market about the fourth quarter, optimism about the longer term "has come back" and firms like his are in growth mode.

"Going into the third quarter, there was chatter about layoffs and most of that didn't come to fruition because firms seems more optimistic about 2011 than the past two years," he said.

Yet bonuses on Wall Street are not likely to be up much from last year. Over all, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase have set aside $89.54 billion this year to pay employees, 2.8 percent less than a year ago, according to data from Nomura.

Total revenue for the five firms, meanwhile, has fallen about 4 percent this year. A study by the compensation expert Alan Johnson says that bonuses will be up 5 percent this year across all financial services companies, with employees in some businesses like asset management getting increases of 15 percent.

This is a big change from 2007, when some firms on Wall Street set records for compensation payouts.

In the years leading up to the credit crisis some executives became famous for their expenditures, like L. Dennis Kozlowski, the ex-chief executive of Tyco International whose $6,000 shower curtain became a symbol of unnecessary extravagance.

Some of that excess remains. A Morgan Stanley trader recently tried to hire a dwarf for a bachelor party in Miami, according to e-mail exchanges. The trader, who wanted to handcuff the dwarf to the bachelor, was recently fired.

Most expenditures, however, are for more mainstream indulgences. Deborah Killoran, a client of Dr. Fusco's, is scheduled for an ulthera, a nonsurgical face-lift that costs $3,000 and upward.

Ms. Killoran, who runs a Brooklyn-based insurance company, says that over the last two years she cut her annual spending on cosmetic surgery in half, to about $3,000. She is now spending at pre-2008 levels. "I have to meet a lot of people, and this is part of investing in myself," she said.

The New York Times

Chesa's cheese fondue is cooked in champagne or beer, and served with sourdough or rye bread.

The hot Mont d'Or cheese with Calvados is on promotion at Classified.

Hong Kong

While other cities may be heading for the hot pots now, cosmopolitan Hong Kong has more choices in winter warmers. Donna Mah drops a hunk of bread.

A pot of hot bubbling melted cheese flavored with garlic and wine, beer or even champagne is a great way to fend off the blustering cold.

In Hong Kong, cheese fondue is not a common meal choice, but there are some exceptional fondue restaurants waiting to be explored.

The Chesa in the Peninsula Hotel at Tsim Sha Tsui is a longtime favorite. The Peninsula was opened in 1928 and is a legendary icon along the Kowloon waterfront. It is also better known for its high tea, which attracts the most glamorous crowds every afternoon.

The hotel's lesser known but equally popular Chesa has been serving Swiss cuisine since 1965 - including an impressive selection of cheese fondues. There is a basic Emmentaler and Gruyere cooked with roasted and crushed garlic, served with baguette cubes.

You can also ask for the Emmentaler fondue with a dash of champagne, served with sourdough bread. Or try a spiced up fondue of gruyere cooked in beer and served with rye bread, or the milder goat cheese or brie fondues.

The cozy atmosphere at Chesa is very welcoming and makes you forget you are at the Peninsula in Hong Kong. Instead, you feel as if you have been magically transported to an alpine chalet in Switzerland.

My husband grew up in Europe eating cheese fondue, and it remains one of his favorite meals. It reminds him of childhood and enjoying this much-loved meal with family and friends. To him, it is a dish best shared, but can also be enjoyed by one.

Another good place to bring the family for a fondue meal is Swiss Chalet along Hart Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui. Here you can get very typically Swiss dishes like raclette, deer carpaccio, air-dried meat, chocolate fondue and of course, cheese fondue. The dcor is meant to recreate a warm and cozy chalet and it succeeds, with lots of wooden furniture, knick-knacks and other little touches.

They have a very colorful menu that is a bit hard to read at first, but once you've figured it out, you may find yourself wanting to try everything. The cheese fondues here are served with cubed bread, and it's not uncommon to see one on every table in the room. Popular among locals and expats, this small bit of Switzerland in Hong Kong appeals to a wide range of diners.

For melted cheese and bread on Hong Kong Island, Classified on Hollywood Road is the place to go.

They serve cheese fondues and boast Asia's first walk-in temperature- and humidity-controlled cheese room. Classified is not only a place to eat, it is also a gourmet shop. They are currently promoting the Mont d'Or cheese with Calvados (French apple liqueur), served hot from the oven with green apples, sweet potatoes, and fresh crusty bread for dunking.

You can, of course, also choose to buy the cheese from them and make fondue at home.

Life-sized bronzes populate the magistrate's court, a replica which shows Southern Song justice at work. [Photos by Pauline D Loh / China Daily]

Quiet moss-coated paths are now silent and green.

A little river town in China once changed the course of European history when it defeated a great Khan. Pauline D Loh tells the story.

Our little motorcade made its way noisily through the main street, police escort blaring its sirens to clear the way. We squirmed a little in our official black limousine, unused to such privileges and uneasy about the inconvenience we were causing the local folks, some of whom had stopped marketing to stare, curious about the commotion.

Thankfully, we were soon out of town and climbing up the mountain roads to Diaoyu Cheng, or Angling City, an historic site in Hechuan that is 45 minutes away from the municipality of Chongqing.

Many years ago, students from China's most famous military school, the Whampoa Academy, also took this road.

They, like us, came here for a lesson in strategic warfare, to learn how a little army of Southern Song soldiers held on to a river town outpost for 36 years against unrelenting attacks from the invading Mongol army.

It was here that Mongka Khan, one of Genghis' grandsons and his heir, stubbornly besieged the unassailable cliffs for more than three decades. He was wounded in a last battle in 1259, and some say he died in a fit of rage when the Song governor sent him a live fish - a message that Diaoyu Cheng had enough food and water and could hold out to the bitter end.

The town folks are very proud of the fact that this memorable battle averted a huge Mongolian invasion that would have changed the course of European and African history. After Mongka's death, the other khans leading the attack on the West turned back and hurried home, as the jockeying for the next in line to the Mongol empire began.

It was another decade before a concerted effort by the Mongolian army finally battered down the defenses and paved the way for the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled China for almost 100 years from 1271 to 1368.

These days, the only sounds at Diaoyu Cheng are the echoes of history, with intermittent bird calls disturbing the verdant quiet. Bamboo groves fringe the stone paths that lead through spring-fed reservoirs, retrofitted military barracks and moss-covered ancient city walls.

Cannon platforms dot the battlements, and our guide leads us first to the one at the east gate where the shell wounding the Khan was reputedly fired.

We stand on the edge, looking down sheer cliffs to the sloping banks far below, now carpeted with terraced rice fields and vegetable gardens. The riverine mist rises and veils the vista with a filmy layer that gives the whole scene an otherworldly dimension. Suddenly, we can almost hear the battle cries of the Mongols as they charge up the embankments.

Diaoyu Cheng, like most river habitats along the great Yangtze, has many Buddhist relics. Along one cliff, an ageless reclining Buddha rests, carved out of the rock, its face blurred by thoughtless attacks in an age where youth had lost its reason. No one knows exactly how old it is, although it had been here for as long as anyone can remember, before the Song and probably dating from the Tang dynasty.

It was thought-provoking to realize that these serene images of peace and universal goodwill should have witnessed the bloody battles between two armies.

We wandered back along vertigo-inducing steps to where the old city gate stands. It is still an imposing edifice with a steep stone path that dips frighteningly downwards. This flight of steps was added a lot later. During the heated battles those thousands of years ago, it had been all sheer walls.

To get up and down, the locals had chiseled out buttress holes in the cliff face to support wooden planks that could be removed in the event of an enemy attack, leaving no toeholds for the opposing army.

As we panted up the steps again, we saw a plaque left by the Whampoa Academy students 70 years ago, a sort of formalized graffiti that said: "We were here!"

It brought a smile to the spouse's face, and he reminded me we also had the venerable Jiangwu Academy in our home city of Kunming, another famous military campus.

Our next stop was Diaoyu Tai, the natural stone embankment where legend says a heavenly deity once saved the town from famine by casting his rod into the river.

He certainly had a great view of the waters, at a point which marked the confluence of three rivers - the Yangtze, the Jialing and a smaller tributary.

As my husband hurried down cliff to see more Buddhist relics, I decided to stay put and admire the sites of the old granary and the arsenal factory.

Deep groves had been carved out of the solid granite ground. We can still see the foundation on which the great stone mill rested, turned by donkey or horse power. A sort of minor irrigation system made sure that the milling ground could be washed easily after the work was done.

Farther along, the old arms factory stood separated from other human settlements on the hill.

Deep depressions marked the site, and I was told this was where gunpowder was produced. Now, recent rains had filled the cavities, and the little ponds reflected the skies above - an oddly tranquil image for a historical relic with such potential violence.

The juxtaposition of war and peace continues as the eye travels east from the armory and meets a temple, where the Song soldiers must have gone for spiritual solace and comfort.

On Diaoyu Cheng, efforts have been made to preserve Song Dynasty life as it was, including a well-thought-out representation of a magistrate's court of that era.

Life-sized bronze sculptures represent the officials and guards in the court, and a spirit screen guarding the entrance to the court is embossed with a mythical creature that closely resembled a kylin, the Chinese unicorn.

No, says our guide. It is not a unicorn.

It is a creature named tan, whose legendary greed was so great it not only swallowed everything made of gold within reach, but it was about to swallow the sun, which looked like a great ball of gold to it.

"Tan" means greed in Chinese, and the creature was embossed on the spirit screen so officials going in and out of the court were reminded constantly of the dangers of corruption.

At the end of our tour, I could not help but feel awed but also a mite maudlin.

History is so relentless. Diaoyu Cheng is now applying to get on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. I hope it succeeds, if only because it has so bravely held on to its heritage all these years.

Exhibits

Beyond Fashion

Between fashion and art there is always ambiguity and passion - they learn from each other with inspiration and they show that the world is filled with temptations and thoughts.

Beyond Fashion is an exhibition, held at Beyond Art Space, which features the crossover between fashion and art.

Eight outstanding young contemporary artists and eight fashion designers have been selected as partners to design 24 pieces of fur style fashion.

Fashion designers and contemporary artists make an in-depth crossover cooperation where they share the philosophy behind art and design.

The works are full of thought and creativity, proving that art and fashion can share the results of fusion and recreation.

Participating fashion designers include Dong Xiaoxiao and Fan Ran, with artists Chen Jie and Chen Ke, among others.

Until Dec 12. Beyond Art Space, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiaolu, Chaoyang district, 5978-9561.

Zhao Liang

Studio-X joins the Three Shadows Photography Center to host a solo exhibition of the photography and video works of Zhao Liang.

The show features a 25-minute video, Narrative Landscape, documenting the Great Wall crumbling in an evening sandstorm, and works from his Water and Beijing Green series.

Printed on rice paper scrolls, these photographs evoke traditional landscape paintings as they portray the environmental and social costs of urban development in China.

As a complement to the exhibition, Studio-X will also hold screenings of Zhao's documentary works on Sundays at 8 pm.

Until Dec 7. Studio-X Beijing, A103, 46 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng district, 6402-8682 or 138-1173-8783.

Solo show by Li Chevalier

The National Art Museum of China will hold a solo exhibition of works by artist Li Chevalier on Dec 7.

After successfully exhibiting at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in London, the Grand Palais and the new gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris, Li shares her longing for pure aesthetics in this most prestigious location for Chinese art.

Known internationally, Li has been active in the world's art scene over the last 15 years.

She earned two postgraduate degrees in philosophy and fine art from Sorbonne University in Paris and from the highly prestigious Central Saint Martins' College of Arts and Design in London.

She has been involved in more than 40 solo and group exhibitions and her work is held by hundreds of collectors across the globe.

From Dec 7 to Dec 15. National Art Museum of China, Grand floor hall 6, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, 6401-7076 or 6401-2252.

五四大街1号

Events

Christmas Eve splendor

A magical gala celebration in carnival-style splendor with premium tables at 51,188 yuan net, per table of 10.

That gets 10 beautifully-appointed "Horizon Club Deluxe Room" nights stay with breakfast at China World Hotel.

There are also 10 chances to win a lucky draw, with prizes that include a luxury holiday for two to Taipei with Asia Miles on Cathay Pacific/Dragon Air, as well as staying in a suite at Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei.

The evening will be decked out to dazzle with a kaleidoscope of colorful festivities, samba rhythms, international dances, grand lucky draw prizes, lavish buffet spread of Chinese and international festive specialities, and unlimited flow of Chandon, wines and soft drinks.

China World Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, 6505-2266 Ext 6644.

Christmas set dinner

Gather with family and friends to celebrate this most cherished tradition over a well-prepared festive set dinner with paring wines.

Alternatively, focus on a romantic New Year's Eve. Enjoy a great combination of food, wine and music with elegant surroundings and capture the moment forever.

Dec 2 to 23, 5:30 pm-11 pm. Set meals run between 298 to 498 yuan (+15 percent). The Westin Beijing Chaoyang, 7 North DongSanhuan Road, Sanlitun Yanshaqiao, 5922-8888.

东三环北路7号

Book the Christmas party

A massive feed with all the festive trimmings for the whole month of December (for pre-bookings).

This is the ultimate Christmas dinner, priced at 150 yuan for 3 courses (children under 12 can eat for 100 yuan).

Minimum booking of 10 persons. Booking for Christmas Day is highly recommended.

The Stumble Inn, S3-31, 3/F, Sanlitun Village South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, 6417-7794.

三里屯路19号三里屯Village, 3号楼3层S3-31

Mongolian herder Altandelger hopes to pass on the traditional craft of saddle-making. [Photos by Zhang Zixuan / China Daily]

As the authorities step up efforts to save the grasslands from over-grazing, herders struggle to protect an abiding icon of their ethnic identity - the horse. Zhang Zixuan reports.

Buyandalai, 48, a herder of Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, says he owes his life to his horse. But for its furious kicking to alert him to two wolves closing in on him on a full moon night in the open in 1985, he would never have been able to flee the scene in time. Buyandalai points out that Mongolians have been identified as "an ethnic group on horseback" since the time of Genghis Khan (1162-1227).

"The horse is a totem of the Mongolian people," he says, but laments that they are fast losing their iconic status.

Since the early 1980s when Inner Mongolia, along with the rest of the nation, introduced the system of farmland quotas, the traditionally nomadic herdsmen have become settlers. This has meant the grasslands are no longer grazed seasonally by rotation but intensely all-year round on the allotted lands.

"Horses only eat the grass tip so they need to move around. Free-range breeding allows grass sufficient time to grow, and this helps sustain the ecology," says Ortnastb, from the Inner Mongolia University in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region. "When horses are fenced in, they die, and so do the steppes."

The sight of thousands of galloping horses, a common one at the time of Buyandalai's father is fast becoming the stuff of fairytales.

According to the Statistic Yearbook of Inner Mongolia, in 1975 there were 2.39 million horses in the autonomous region. That figure had fallen to 914,000 in 2002. And in 2010, there are less than 500,000 horses, decreasing constantly at the rate of 5.5 percent every year.

In 2003, the local steppe administrative bureau began to restrict the number of horses based on the yield of grass in the allotted grasslands. Horses that exceed the number attract a fine of 180 yuan ($27) each.

And in 2008, Buyandalai and other herders of Hexigten Banner were given notice that all large herds of horses in the banner would have to be sold within three years.

"Horses create little economic value and have lost their practical use as tools of transport and production," says Hobiskhaltu, deputy director of Hexigten Banner. "It's only a matter of time before they disappear."

But herders vehemently disagree. Oljei, a 62-year-old herder who sold all his 2,000 goats in 2002 in response to the call to protect the steppes says, "Unlike goats, horses don't destroy the grass roots. It's unfair to attribute the deterioration of the grasslands to horses."

He points out that much greater damage has been done by human exploitation through mining and tourism.

Altandelger, 60, who grew up on horseback, says horses are intelligent creatures who can warn herders about impending danger and foul weather.

"When they stop eating and move their ears, it means something dangerous is nearby," he says. "And if they keep on yawning, it indicates good weather the next day."

Living on the undulating Gungger steppe, Buyandalai still uses his horse as his means of transport, which he says is faster especially in winter.

But what he cares about much more is the cultural significance of the horse to his ethnic group.

"Mongolian culture is not just about singing songs and eating meat; it has got spirit," he says. "The Mongolian horse defines who we are."

The herder continues to own some 20 horses despite being fined more than 20,000 yuan ($3,000) between 2005 and 2009 by the local administration.

"The steppes can only support so much grazing and we have to consider the balance of the ecosystem," says Hobiskhaltu, the banner's deputy director. "We don't want to take the horses by force so fines offer the best deterrent."

To protect the Mongolians' horse culture, Buyandalai and Altandelger founded the Horse Culture Association in August 2009. Free to all herders, it received an enthusiastic response, with some 240 herder-families joining in with their more than 3,000 horses. The voluntary organization celebrated its foundation with a grand Nadam Fair, a traditional Mongolian event comprising activities such as horse racing and wrestling.

The one-day fair attracted some 6,000 participants and more than 300 horses and was finally extended to become a three-day event, the biggest such fair in Hexigten Banner after the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

The two herders took another bold step, traveling to the south of Hexigten Banner thrice during August and September to buy 23 purebred iron hoof horses there.

Iron hoof horses from Hexigten have tremendous stamina. They played a significant role while Genghis Khan and his cavalry conquered the world. "But their numbers have fallen from more than 2,000 in the 1950s to only around 100 now," says Manglai, vice principal of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University and secretary general of China National Horse Industry Association.

Manglai says setting up a breeding base offers the best way to protect them.

"But iron hoof horses are not pandas as yet. Only when the authorities officially recognize them as endangered can such a base be realized," Hobiskhaltu says.

But Buyandalai and Altandelger were not prepared to wait. They pooled their resources of 10,000 yuan, borrowing another 60,000 yuan, to buy the 23 horses.

On Nov 8, Buyandalai received a notice from the local administration saying herders must sell all their horses before Nov 15. He was also asked to prepare his fine for 2010.

The herder is unfazed. "If a fine can let me keep my horses on the steppe, I'd rather pay it," Buyandalai says.

He is also determined, like Altandelger, to maintain his identity as a Mongolian herder.

Altandelger lives in downtown Hexigten and spends most of his time making horse saddles, a craft declared a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in Inner Mongolia.

"A traditional Mongolian saddle set takes more than one month to make," Altandelger explains. "It begins with a wood base, which is then covered with sharkskin or leather. Other accessories such as stirrups and silver decorations are added later."

Although the horse is no longer the primary means of transport in the grasslands, making the saddle is an art that Altandelger wants to pass on.

Buyandalai, meanwhile, insists on living in a Mongolian yurt with his wife when other herders are replacing their traditional dwellings with brick houses.

He says there are less than 20 families in his banner who still live in yurts all year long like him.

The number of iron hoof horses in Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia, has fallen from more than 2,000 in the 1950s to about 100.

Altandelger with his 4-year-old granddaughter. The 60-year-old Mongolian is determined to maintain his identity as a herder.

Buyandalai and his family still live in a yurt while other herders have moved to brick houses.