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March 2008 - Posts
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 A China visa agency in Hong Kong has just put up the following notice on its website:
We are informed by the China visa office that effective from 28 March 2008-17 Oct 2008 there will be no more multi entry (F) visas available. For those who still need visas can only apply single or double entry visas instead (Duration of each stay is 30 days). All this will last till the Olympic games finished.
Shanghaiist reader Gregory Prudhommeaux who sent us the above tip also had this to say: "Working as a consultant, I had a client who faced this situation in Paris last Saturday, and another one this morning in Hong Kong."
Our housemate is now in Hong Kong on a visa run (good luck Vainui!), so watch this space for an update when she returns.
Previously on Shanghaiist
China tightening F visa applications?
Photo from Heidi D
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Current TV's Sherif Soliman travels along the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir and does a commendable job of describing how life has changed for the 1.5 million people that were displaced by the project, which some experts have described as an environmental disaster in the making. We find in Soliman's observation that "nothing will get in the way of China's one-way ticket to modernisation" an eery echo of some of the statements that were made in that The Onion clip we showed you earlier.
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 Taikang Lu is best known for its quiet galleries, trendy cafes and relaxed atmosphere but hidden away inside Building Three are a group who take beating you into submission very seriously. Unlikely as it sounds, studio 311 is home to top Brazilian Jujitsu and MMA trainer Tony Eduardo Lima.
Mixed Martial Arts encompasses several styles and professional competition circuits. American and Japanese fans follow big fights and big names in comps such as K-1, UFC and Pride, but it is just starting to catch on in China. Once the sport had time to develop it became apparent that Jujitsu fighters were dominating and soon all fighters were coming to teachers like Tony Lima to get ‘ground game’. In Brazil, the art is highly traditional and highly developed through the Gracie Family and their schools. It is a complete style and a way of life.
Inspired by the Gracies, Tony Lima trained BJJ since he was twelve years old. His friend, Shanghai based Ryan Melchiano, was returning to the city and persuaded him to come along for the ride. The new studio at Taikang Lu is a welcome addition to Shanghai’s growing martial arts scene and definitely a step towards the pre-war days of famous schools and infamous ‘lei-tai’ challenge matches.
Professor Lima’s studio is at Studio 311, Building 3, Lane 210 Taikang Lu.
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From Al-Jazeera: The UN has said that emerging economies face challenge in achieving growth without damaging the environment.
Tony Cheng reports on Chinese factory workers in Henan province, paying a high price for the country's push to go green.
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 We know that this sounds like an April fool, but China could be facing a rice shortage. No, seriously. We told you a few days ago about KFC upping their prices; now the cost of the other staple in Shanghaiist's diet, rice, could be facing a hike due to fears over supply. For the moment, the government has frozen the price of rice — as well as that of other goods such as cooking oil — in an effort to curb food costs following their 23% leap in February, but has not ruled out price rises in the near future. They have also announced that farmers will receive increased prices for both rice and wheat as China attempts to avoid the rice production problems currently engulfing some other Asian states.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the rice price rise in the region has seen the crop's value double since the start of the year, provoking Vietnam to dramatically cut its rice exports, India and Cambodia to effectively ban rice from leaving the country, and Pakistan to deploy troops to guard trucks carrying rice, wheat, and flour.
The recent spate of bad weather across the region, together with the rapid development of China and India is being blamed for the international shortage of rice — a staple for just under half the world's population.
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 Fans of tight-fitting non-branded clothing rejoice! Following the much-heralded invasion of H&M and (the slightly less heralded) C&A, dedicated followers of fashion have the arrival of another Western brand to look forward to, after American Apparel announced that they will be hitting the streets of Shanghai in the next month or so. Location details have not yet been released but the chain is currently negotiating a lease for a downtown store in Shanghai, as well as planning to open in Beijing and Suzhou.
From the American Apparel site:
We're coming to China!
In the next few months American Apparel will be opening its first stores in China with locations already slated in Beijing and in Shanghai.
In a rare industry occurrence, we will be bringing Made in the USA clothing to China and we intend to pay employees there gross wages that exceed the US minimum.
Get those job applications in now then folks. According to fashion news site DNR, the brand could opt for a so-called 'soft opening' in China — with a relatively low-key advertising campaign and little fanfare surrounding their store openings — due to fears that some of their usual advertisements may ruffle feathers over at SARFT towers. As you'll probably recall, our good friends at the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television launched a crackdown on "social pollution" last year by banning a whole host of evil adverts that featured people in (gasp!) their underwear. For some reason then, American Apparel reckon that ads like the one pictured above might not go down too well in the Middle Kingdom.
They're expecting a warmer reaction from Chinese consumers to their line of no-nonsense clothing however, and, despite entering the Chinese market, will continue to manufacture their products in their factory in downtown LA. Bizarrely then, you'll soon be able to buy products in China with a 'Made in the USA' label on them, rather than vice-versa.
Thanks to Micah Sittig for the tip via our Contribute page.
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BBC: "Protests in the Nepalese capital Kathamndu turned violent as police made arrests outside the Chinese embassy."
AP: "Greek officials handed over the Olympic flame to organizers of the Beijing Games on Sunday amid small protests by a pro-Tibetan group. The ceremony was held where the first modern Olympics were staged in 1896. (March 30)"
AP: "Eight giant pandas from a breeding center in southern China are set to travel to Beijing for the Olympic Games after being picked in an online vote."
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 The following update from Beijing-based AIDS activist Wan Yanhai (万延海) is currently being circulated among gay and other AIDS-related online groups (proxy/VPN required) on the mainland:
Account of police raids targeted at LGBT in Beijing
Wan Yanhai
First instance: in the second half of January 2008, the police in Chaoyang District visited the residence of a LGBT activist. They enquired about her ex-roommate residence permit, asked for her picture, and enquired about the nature of her job. The police made an appointment with the landlord and acted as if they were investigating the residence. They enquired about issues not exclusively related to her residence permit. At the same time, another LGBT activist received a phone call regarding a matter related to his residence permit. In the afternoon of 21 March 2008, the day after releasing the news about the signature exhibition of supporting homosexual marriage , the police paid another visit to this residence and enquired about the nature of her job, a LGBT website etc.
Second instance: on 9 March 2008, a popular LGBT night club in Beijing, called Destination, was visited by the police. The police said the club was too crowded. As a result, people's access to the club was restricted and the music stopped. The club was shut down and resumed business only a few days after.
Third instance: in the afternoon of 17 March 2008, a number of police officers visited Dongdan Park, in the East District of Beijing. Public security officers and armed police carried out the interrogation at the park, taking away the gay people in park to the police station inside
the park£¬where more than 40 people were waiting to be enquired. The people taken away by the police were all requested to show their ID, and their details were checked on the computer. They were all requested to write their name on a white paper, and hold the paper with their
names before their chest to be photographed. Some people refused to be photographed and released without being photographed. Some others, as a result of refusing to be photographed, and because their details were not found in the computer records, were taken to the police station for further interrogation. A gay volunteer of Aizhixing Institute was taken to the police station because police said that his name was not found in the computer records, and released after the lawyer of Aizhixing showed up at the police station. When the individuals were taken away, the police reported that a person was killed inside the park a day before, and everyone had to cooperate in the investigation. But after being walked to the police station, the individuals were not asked any question related to a criminal case.
In the following days, many people in the park were asked to show their ID. Every evening after 7, a police car drove into the park to inspect the surroundings. For a small imprudence, people would be taken away by the police. Later in the evening, the police would clear out the park.
In the afternoon of 22 March, 2 young people were taken away by police officers as soon as they walked into the park.
Fourth instance: in the afternoon of 20 March 2008, more than 10 police cars visited "Oasis" club, the most popular gay bath house in Beijing. More than 70 people, including all the members of staff and clients were taken away. After more than 30 hours, in the early morning of 22 March, the clients of the house were released. But the members of staff were kept detained. In the early morning of 21 March, the police visited another Oasis bath house near Dongsishitiao Bridge, and took away all members of staff, but not the clients. At present, these two bath houses have been shut down. It was reported that at the same time, in another part of the city, another gay bath house was also shut down.
Fifth instance: one evening around mid March 2008, in one of the alleys of a gay park in Haidian District, the police conducted an interrogation among people strolling in the area.
Sixth instance: according to information from Beijing Tongzhi (LGBT) chat rooms, the police have detained over 80 male sex workers via those chat rooms in Beijing. A chat room announcement reads as follows: "these days, Beijjing is clearing out the city and carrying out a
crackdown on sex work, the police has currently detained more than 80 sex workers, this website does not welcome people with illegal intentions, and hopes everyone works together to fight illegal behavior, thanks for your cooperation!"
Finally, in recent days, a gay bath house in Shanghai has been shut down. Evidence shows that this time, crackdowns are being carried out at national level.
We have also been told that the police "visit" to Destination in Beijing happened on the same evening that PinkHome in Shanghai was "visited". In PinkHome's case, several guys were arrested, but on what charges we don't know.
Such a huge crackdown on gay-frequented establishments/spaces executed within such a short period of time has been unheard of in China, and therefore it is raising alarm bells with good reason. Gay life in China has been enjoying pretter much unfettered development over the last decade, so it could be that we're at a point in time when the authorities see the need to rein in the unbridled growth. Are the crackdowns being executed as part of a larger "spring cleaning exercise" ahead of the Olympics so China would be able to project to the world its best image, whatever that means to the powers that be? Only time will tell.
Wan Yanhai is the founder of the Aizhixing Institute, and is one of the most outspoken AIDS activists in China. He was jailed in 2002 for a month on charges of leaking an internal government report on the blood-selling schemes in Henan Province which led to a huge spread of the disease. His latest detention was in 2006 after he accused government officials of "falling asleep" as the disease continues to spread and was forced to cancel an AIDS conference that would be attended by delegates from around the world. His fellow activist Hu Jia (胡嘉) was recently charged with subverting state authority, while his wife continues to be under house arrest.
Photo from cies.org
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We passed by the Huxi Mosque on Changde Lu the other day, walked around and loved it. Here's some history of the mosque that we found on ChinaCulture.org: The Huxi Mosque is one of the famous mosques in Shanghai City. It was originally called Yaoshuinong Mosque and located at Xikang Road, and moved to Changde Road in April 1992. In 1914, Moslem paupers from Hubei, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui provinces lived together in the area near Xikang Road. For their religious needs, they rented a small room as the temporary worship place. In 1921, with the efforts of some religious people, they raised money and began the construction of the mosque. The construction was completed in 1922. There were three worship halls, three wing halls and one wing room. After the repair in 1935, the worship halls could accommodate 200 people. The mosque resumed religious activities in 1979.
In 1990, the construction on a new mosque at Changde Road started, and was completed in April 1992. The main body of the new mosque is a two-storeyed worship hall with double-heart-shaped arches and fan-shaped vaults. The minaret is over 25 meters high. The main worship hall has two floors, including men's and women's bathrooms, pulpits, the imam's room, and reception rooms, etc. There are colorful fountains both in the front courtyard and the back courtyard. The courtyards are covered by six domes, three of which are decorated with a crescent sign each.
The Huxi Mosque is the first mosque that is rebuilt in Shanghai City after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Shanghai Huxi Mosque
1328 Changde Lu (常德路1328弄)
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Fluent passing, solid defending and a winning performance were the unexpected hallmarks of Shanghai Shenhua's 2-0 victory over Shenzhen in their first CSL fixture of the season at Hong Kou stadium last night.
Shenhua normally make somewhat sluggish starts to their championship campaigns but if last night's showing was anything to go by, 2008 might just be their year.
Most impressive of all were the performances of new foreign signings Erick Scott and Emil Martinez. The central american pair looked much fitter, livlier and competant than the usual standard of foreign player Shenhua bring in (Carsten Jancker anyone?). Their flicks, tricks and crisp passing gave the home side the edge in this clash between the 2003 and 2004 league champions.
Even better for Shenhua however was the fact that it was Chinese players who got their names on the scoresheet - Chinese international defender Du Wei with a header from close range after 20 minutes, and midfielder Yu Tao with a low drive from the right hand side of the box seven minutes after half time.
It wasn't all plain sailing however and young keeper Wang Dalei almost had to pick the ball out of his own net following a wayward backpass which rolled past the post with a Shenzhen attacker in hot persuit. Not long after a looping header towards the Shenhua goal bounced ontop of the bar and came back into play before being cleared for a corner.
Mao Jianqing, Shenhua's rising star and a player Shanghaiist continues to tip to go onto greater things, had a lovely swerving shot saved by the Shenzhen keeper mid way through the second half, and Erick Scott squandered a great chance when he connected with a clever lay off but screwed his shot wide. Shenhua were comfortable winners however in a moderately entertaining game which could have seen a few more goals for either side.
Despite the new Metro line 8 station outside the stadium making it easier than ever for fan's to get the game, the 35,000 seater stadium was only a third full. That may chance however should the home side keep up this level of performance.
Shenhua's next home match is on next Saturday against Tianjin, at 7.45pm
Youtude clip courtesy of Jake Newby
Also on Shanghaiist
Return to spiritual home as Shenhua kick off 2008 season
Shenhua bid reluctant farewell to Hongkou Stadium
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Snooker is often billed as a gentleman's sport and, as we all know, two crucial characteristics for being a gentleman include being gracious in defeat and showing impeccable manners. Or so we thought. Apparently Shanghaiist's interpretation of gentlemanly behaviour differs somewhat from that of China's Today Morning Express, after they reported that Ronnie O'Sullivan, during a post-match press conference at Beijing's China Open snooker tournament this week, "kept his gentlemanly manners". Having watched the above video (following a tip from Shanghaiist reader Rob), where the Essex-born potter repeatedly makes lewd references and compares his microphone to his penis, we're not sure we entirely agree with the Express' assessment.
While O'Sullivan's inappropriate comments and suggestive handling of the microphone might have gone unnoticed and unreported by the Chinese press, his behaviour has landed him in trouble with Snooker's governing body and has been widely reported in the British papers who, let's face it, love this sort of thing. Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Sir Rodney Walker, didn't find O'Sullivan's attitude quite so amusing however and moved swiftly to condemn the player's behaviour:
"The matter has been referred to the disciplinary committee and is under review. On behalf of World Snooker, I have apologised in person today to the promoter of the China Open. I would also like to send my apologies to the people of China for any offence that may have been caused."
O'Sullivan, who once stated that he didn't like playing in China because "they don't speak English", was (reluctantly) answering questions via a translator following his 5-4 defeat to Marco Fu in the first round of the China Open. Despite claiming that he "tried very hard", this is not the first time that 'The Rocket' has crashed out in the first round in China following a lacklustre performance and he was not the only big name who seemed happy to collect their appearance fee and leave — Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis joining Graeme Dott in exiting early on as well.
Maintaining a good image in China is seen as crucial to snooker's governing body having steadily built the sport's popularity in the country on the back of homegrown star Ding Junhui. While the Beijing fans will be happy with a Chinese player winning the tournament, the apparent lack of interest from some of the sport's star attractions has already been causing headaches for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and it's fair to say that O'Sullivan's comments will have done little to help matters. It might not be a scandal of Edison Chen proportions, but it's probably as close as snooker will get for a while.
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 Shanghaiist was at Yuyintang last night to see indie rockers Boys Climbing Ropes. The renovations are nearly done. The bar area has taken shape and given a bit more depth to the main hall. There is a CD shop just inside the front doors which saves us the trip to Yangpu when we want local music, although 2046 is still worth the visit.
小自然 (Xiao Ziran) opened with a tight pop-punk set and a good sound. The set was just the right length for an opening band too, let it be an example for future multi act shows. However, cynical muso types might wonder if a power ballard with the chorus "Happy Birthday to My Friends" is particularly punk. The show wasn't loaded with 'journos' and hipsters like the Hedgehog show but we did run into Dan Shapiro of the Rogue Transmission who is recently back in town.
Next up, the Dropkicks blasted into their rock set. Soon in, the frontman broke a guitar string and didn't have a replacement string or guitar to hand. This was the start of tech problems that would blight the whole show. Having borrowed a guitar, the sound never recovered. One song after Boys Climbing Ropes took the stage an amp went out completely. Boys Climbing Ropes have great songs and deserve better in the sound/tech department. Still, fans of the band still enjoyed the performance.
With the new Yuyintang venue shaping up into a finished product, why not have them back soon.
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 Though this article is a little old, from Reuters we learn that McDonald's is expanding its delivery service, which we first wrote about way back when. Apparently, demand for home delivery was strong but the restaurants could only meet orders within walking distance. But now, after spending the past year outsourcing its delivery operations and investing in 300 motorcycles across its 42 locations, McDonald's is in a better position to compete with rival Yum! restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, which have been delivering to customers for years.
McDonald's said last month it would ramp up store openings in China, with plans to open at least 125 restaurants this year and about 150 in 2009.
"For so many years, customers called into our stores to order food for delivery, but our staff were so busy and could only meet the needs of those within walking distance of five minutes," (Shanghai GM) Li said.
He said the company had spent a year preparing for home delivery in Shanghai, but gave no forecast for how much the service would contribute to sales.
Speaking of KFC, expect to see some price increases as the popular chain starts passing some of its spiking food costs onto its customers. According to China Daily, certain products like hamburger and breakfast food will see price increases ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 RMB. Last year saw inflation greatly affect food prices, which rose 12.3% from the previous year. 2008 is off to an even more inflated start, with February alone seeing a 23% price jump. Yikes!
"We will try to keep the prices stable if we can still bear the burden of rising costs," said Sarah Bai, a public relations personnel of KFC. This is the first time the fast food chain has raised its price this year. Another major fast food chain, MacDonald's, raised prices of some of its product in January following another round of hikes last October.
"Paying 13.5 yuan for a hamburger seems too much," said Jin Jing, a 26-year-old legal professional in Beijing. "But that will not influence my choice since prices in other restaurants are also increasing."
Photo by Augapfel via the Shanghaiist contribute page.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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A Saturday time-waster brought to you by The Onion
Especially quote-worthy: "The labour of the people has made the sky black with the smoke of progress."
"The sky over China is now a rainbow of grace reflecting all the shades of our prosperity."
"If pollution ruins a river, we will build a new river. If pollution destroys a mountain, we will build a new mountain. At long last, the world cannot ignore our growing prosperity."
Just don't ask us why the name of this supposed Chinese ambassador was spelt in Wade-Giles instead of Hanyu Pinyin!
And for those of you that aren't aware yet, The Onion is a satire website, ie., it is NOT meant to be taken seriously.
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 Well, as we reported a while back, the word on the street was that the live music was going to stop completely at the Blues Room (that is, until they told us it was only a temporary hiatus). Fortunately, that has proven untrue, with a new band playing three nights a week. The new group playing there, headed by Willow Neilson, features various musicians and vocalists on different nights. The core group, however, includes Erica Li on vocals, Steinar Nickelson or Sean Higgins on organ, and Nicholas McBride on drums. The trio's name is "Three point strike", possibly a reference to the burgeoning kung fu prowess of the band leader. They rock out with a mix of not only jazz but also funk, afro-beat, soul, and R&B flavors among other musical stylings.
Three point strike is playing three nights every week: Thursday (from 10pm to 1am), Friday and Saturday (11pm to 2am), and we understand they have ditched the Southern soul food menu and are serving the same food as the City Diner upstairs.
The Blues Room. 146 Tongren Lu. 铜仁路14弄
Live music now every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
Cross-posted at Shanghaijazzscene.com
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By Rebekah Pothaar
Here is a warning to all. Don't buy those cute, little baby bunnies off the street or at the flower markets around the city.
Shanghaiist is feeling a little broken hearted this morning when we found our little bunny that we had received as an Easter Sunday present dead. Little Massimo only lasted a week.
Photo from scruss.com
A number of people have told us that the same thing has happened to them. They get a little pet, fall head-over-heels in love with the little cutie, but the longest they generally last is about three weeks. And where in this large city is one to bury the little thing?
The problem seems to be that they are taken from their mothers too early and are too young and weak.
We would love to get another one, but the memory of his still warm, but lifeless body this morning warns not to make the same mistake twice.
Get a cat and save yourself the pain.
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Yet another fake of everyone's favourite racist toothpaste.
Some background from Golden China Brands: Darlie, (黑人, hēi rén, or “black people”) is a toothpaste brand of the Hong Kong-based company Hawley&Hazel. Meanwhile it belongs to one of the US based multinationals. The original name when I started using it (about 25 years ago) was “Darkie”. Darky, or darkie, meanwhile is a racist term used primarily in America and the UK to refer to black people. The package featured an image of a wide-eyed, big-smiling, dark-skinned Black male wearing a top hat and tie. Because of the contrast with very dark skin, it was a common perception that the teeth of people of African descent were exceptionally white.
Due to changing sensibilities regarding race and racism, over time the brand has gone through several re-naming and re-packaging activities. However, the Chinese name of the brand, “黑人牙膏” (in English, “Black Man Toothpaste”), has not changed; a Chinese-language advertising campaign reassured customers that “Black Man Toothpaste is still Black Man Toothpaste”. This is because the term “黑人” does not have any negative meaning in Chinese. The phrase 黑人(hēi rén) in Chinese is a general term for persons of African descent.
“Mr. thumbs-up” was actually created by Qianbaimei Daily Chemicals Co. Ltd. , a famous toothpaste manufacturing company based in Guangzhou spilling out over 350 million toothpastes a year. More of their products under the Meiyijie-Label can be found here 美怡洁.
See how Darlie has evolved over the years here.
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From Slate V:
In Slate V's ongoing effort to bring you the worst in world cinema, our bad-movies curator, Mark Jordan Legan, has a sampling of good vs. evil epics from China, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The China entry is actually from pre-handover Hong Kong, but wow — it sure is crappy. File these films (can we use that word here?) under the so-bad-they-are-good category. We think we might like the Filipino one the best, but we could be biased since we watch Filipino TV every day.
Yes, the guy dove in front of the giant papier-mâché boulder ... and he got what was coming to him.
Watch this video. It will have you tying cobras into knots in no time.
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 After a forgettable 2007 exiled in Pudong, Shanghai Shenhua return to their beloved Hongkou Football Stadium to kick off their 2008 Chinese Super League season against Shenzhen Shangqingyin tomorrow.
The two-time domestic champions of China spent an unhappy year at the unatmospheric athletics sports facility on the other side of town whilst their home was refurbished, somewhat needlessly for the women's world cup. A corresponding fall in attendances, a troublesome merger, a first-ever defeat at home to bitter rivals Beijing Guoan, and a miserable Asian Champions League campaign were just some of the lowlights that culminated in a mediocre 4th-placed finish.
But hopes are high that Shenhua's return to their spiritual home tomorrow will help them shake off their tag as Chinese football's perennial under-achievers. Indeed, all followers of Shenhua have much to look forward to this season. Crowd favourite Wu Jing Gui, who coached the side to their last title in 2003, is now back in the hotseat for the third time after leaving last year as part of the controversial merger with Shanghai United. In defence, Chinese international pair Li Wei Feng and Du Wei have signed new contracts. Columbian striker Hamilton Ricard will also stay for another year, whilst this year's new foreign players are Honduran midfielder Emil Martinez and Costa Rica striker Erick Scott. Developments unlikely to be viewed in the same light however are rumours that unpopular club owner Zhu Jun, who masterminded last year's merger, will step down from his post as CEO of The 9 gaming company to concentrate on the day-to-day running of Shenhua.
This year, the league will finally feature 16 teams at the third attempt. Last year only 15 clubs competed, after the two Shanghai teams merged, and the season before that Sichuan Guancheng folded to leave an odd-15. Further interest is added this year in the form of two newly-promoted teams. Chengdu Blades, owned by English Championship side Sheffiled United feature for the first time since adpoting their new moniker a few years back, and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical bring top-level domestic football back to China's third city after an absence of nearly a decade. Making way for these two to bring the CSL up to 16 teams was Xiamen who now find themselves in China's second division.
On a different but related note, talks are underway to bring a team from Hong Kong into the mainland league next season, and the League has a new sponsor in the shape of domestic wine brand Jinliufu.
All in all it looks like it will be an interesting season for the CSL as last year's surprise winners Changchun try to defend their title. After years of scandal, match-fixing and all manner of untoward shenanigans in Chinese football, crowds increased modestly last season and allegations of corruption were conspicuous by their absence. It will be interesting to see what influence the Olympics has on proceedings this year. All those with an interest in Chinese football will hope that, from an organizational perspective, Beijing 2008 will leave a fitting legacy for China's domestic sports competitions to benefit from. Frankly, there are few who doubt the desperate need for such lessons to be learned if Chinese football is to pull its way out of the malise which it has found itself in after the boom years of the 90s.
Season tickets priced at a mere 300rmb for 15 home games, are available and will get you into the crazy ultras section for the rest of the season. Call or text Frank Ding on 15800594141 if interested.
Shenhua kick off their match at Hong Kou Football Stadium tomorrow night at 7.45pm.
Also on Shanghaiist
Shenhua bid reluctant farewell to Hongkou Stadium
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It's the best that we have, though we have to admit this video doesn't do justice to the incredible spectacle that was made up of North and South Korean fan contingents at Hongkou Stadium for the two Koreas World Cup qualifier play-off on Wednesday. The action on the stands was just as, if not more, amazing to watch as the action on the field.
Here are other vids we found on Youtube:
General atmosphere:
North Korea thank their fans:
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Two recent stories from the Shanghai subway system might be worth your notice: - A score of news reports are heralding new measures to alleviate passenger load on Line 2 trains on the Pudong side, where Zhangjiang High-Tech Park station has become one of the metro system's highest trafficked stations due to what the Xinmin Evening Post calls “白领客流”, the "white-collar passenger flow". More trains are being added to both the morning and afternoon rush hours, and morning hours at Zhangjiang are being extended to match Zhongshan Park's early hours with a first train at 5:55 in the morning. The changes are already reflected on the Shanghai Metro company's website. Also, Zhangjiang Station has begun to use both platforms to send passengers off to Puxi and now has the option of restricting passenger access to the station during overly crowded periods.
- Just like last year's Trojan ads, a new but more risqué Durex ad featuring a woman in hot pants and a construction worker that is being shown on subway and office building LCDs has offended passengers and white-collar workers, and is on its way to being banned within the next week for not passing inspection by the State Food and Drug Administration as an ad for a medical product. A popular editorial titled "Sex Ed is not going to fall from the sky" by SHEN Ruoyu opposes the possible ban and argues that the ostrich approach to sex is not appropriate in this day and age.
Cross-posted to the Shanghai Public Transportation weblog.
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Beijing's tightly scripted, carefully choreographed tour for a select group of 26 foreign journalists from 19 media organisations including the Associated Press, the U.K.’s Financial Times, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao and Taiwan’s Central News Agency, was upstaged by 30 young Tibetan monks, some clearly emotional and weeping, who pushed their way into a news briefing at the J*kh*ng Temple.
This is what they managed to tell journalists in the 15 minute outburst before media minders tugged at the journalists telling them it was "time to go": "They have destroyed the way we are seen by the people," one monk said. "We are like prisoners here," said another.
As the monks blurted out a stream of complaints, one cried: "The government is always telling lies, it's all lies."
"They killed many people. They killed many people," a monk said.
Later, a monk speaking in Chinese said the death toll was far higher than the government was saying. "The cadres and the army killed more than 100 Tibetans. They arrested more than a thousand."
"Tibetans have no freedom," a monk said after some of them switched to Chinese. "We want the Dalai Lama to come back," said another, adding that they were certain they would be detained when the reporters left.
"They want us to curse the Dalai Lama and that is not right," a monk added.
Xinhua was by no means silent on the incident. It also assured: These monks are not to be punished, said Baema Chilain, vice chairman of the regional government at a press conference to domestic and overseas media on Thursday evening.
"But what they said is not true. They were attempting to mislead the world's opinion," said the official. "The facts shouldn't be distorted."
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Do films with titles like "Feathers of Dongtan" and "Sounds. Breaths" give you a tingle in your special area? If not, fret not, there's still some time to develop that acquired taste which is promotional films for really-big-Chinese-events. "Vision Shanghai", like "Vision Beijing," is going to feature documentary films by famous directors, thought the names of those directors have yet to be released. However, Shanghai Film Group has announced its next Expo film, a full-length doc by Jia Zhangke. We've been hearing about this intermittently for awhile, and whatever our reservations about promo films, we're still curious to see what Jia's up to with this film.The article says that trailers are being shown on TV soon, but we haven't seen anything new on the video-sharing sites.
From Blogcritics.org we find a post about Orlando Bloom taking the lead role in the upcoming Hong Kong Phooey live-action movie. Toonzone links to a Variety article reports that Bretter Ratner's Rat Entertainment is going to produce this film. Kirsten Dunst is reportedly playing the lead female character, telephone operator Rosemary. The movie is based on a short-lived Hanna-Barbara Saturday morning cartoon. Blogcritics says that Johnny To is going to direct – and then proceeds to call To the "Jerry Bruckheimer of Hong Kong," which we would find insulting if we were To. But who knows, maybe he'd take it as a compliment.
Supporters of Tang Wei, the Lust, Caution that was recently banned by SARFT, has become a bit of a cause celebre – Danwei translates an open letter to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao asking that she be allowed to work again.
Lastly, again from Variety, is news that some French films are going to screen in Shanghai as part of the fifth French Film Panorama： “Pics include "Asterix at the Olympic Games," "Towards Zero," "Hunting and Gathering," "Dragon Hunters" and "Go West! A Lucky Luke Adventure." We were just in Paris and some of these movies are still being advertised and still showing in the theaters. So they're newish movies, yes, but tend to fall on the schlocky side of the spectrum. Not really the most representative slice of French film perhaps, but in case you're interested, this is happening from April 15-19, though we don't know which four Shanghai cinemas they are screening at.
Cross-posted at China Film Journal
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By Rebekah Pothaar
Few animals get tabloid coverage of their sex lives splashed across international media like our furry friends the pandas. Their being few is what the fuss is about. And now their enclosures have become Big-Brother-animal-sex episodes where their lack of procreativity is monitored as scientists continue to ply panda eyes and orifices with strategic tactics.
Chuang Chuang watches the filth-movie from metro.co.uk
Panda sex labs are coming up with yet more odd behavior—not on the part of the under-sexed pandas, who prefer cuddling to coitus — but rather on the part of the humans in their charge. The panda's position as an endangered species paired with their apparent lack of libido has driven scientists to increasingly odd measures.
First it was "panda porn", then live panda porn, then Viagra, then artificial insemination, then electric shocking and administering anesthetics.
Now the situation has reached new levels of absurdity — in The Times (UK) article "China uses panda porn and sexercise to increase population of national icon" reports that they are teaching pandas "sexercises" to strengthen their legs and pelvises in order to make them more fulfilling lovers. And the best part is, they reward the pandas with apples…yes, apples… for each successfully completed sex-yoga workout.
The Times says: An apple is dangled from a string above the panda, luring it to stand on two legs as it tries to reach the treat. The exercise helps the panda to walk on its rear legs, thus strengthening the pelvic and hip muscles and better equipping it for sex. After pandas succeed in taking the standing-up exercise, we feed them apples to reward them…But the keepers are relying on more than pornography and dangling apples to improve the sexual skills of the panda. One official said: 'We arrange lovemaking between two excellent pandas in front of inexperienced pandas which have never had sex. It does work.'
Shanghaiist would like to interview anyone involved in the panda sex industry, be it sex therapists, sex yoga personal trainers, porn videographers or porn choreographers. We're intrigued, so send them to us first if you have connections in the industry.
According to the article, 239 pandas live in captivity within China and another 27 live overseas. Saving the world from panada extinction seems to be an increasingly challenging task.
Stay tuned for tantric panda sex. It will come, even if they won't.
Read more tabloid-pervy-panda sex stories:
Pandas sent to 'sexercise' classes
Sex videos fail to engage pandas
Panda porn exercise appears unbearable
Panda porn pays off
Legless panda needs a hand to improve sex life
Male panda gets too fat for sex, keepers say
Porn cage for sex novice pandas
Porn sparks panda baby boom in China
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From yesterday until April 29th, this is the list of airlines which will use the new Terminal 2 at Pudong:
- FM Shanghai Airlines
- BA British Airways
- VS Virgin (UK)
- NW North Western (USA)
- 5J Cebu (Philippines)
- GA Garuda (Indonesia)
- QF Qantas (Australia)
- AI Air India
- AZ Alitalia (Italy)
- MH Malaysia Airlines
- PR Philippine Airlines
- QR Qatar Airways
- RA Royal Nepal
- UN Transaero (Russia)
- VV Aerosvit (Ukraine)
N.B Even though your ticket might say one airline, the actual flight could be being run by another airline. So it's still worth checking your ticket and the boards at the airport.
Happy Trails Hans!
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- The trial of Chen Liangyu (陈良宇), Shanghai's former Communist Party chief and the highest party official to be ousted in more than a decade for corruption, has just begun in Tianjin.
- Vegetable prices in Shanghai have plummeted by as much as 20 percent as a vast amount of produce from neighboring provinces flows into the city
- Shanghai's Metro Line 2 will dispatch its first train at 5:55am from today, half an hour earlier than before, said Shanghai Metro Operation Company officials yesterday.
- Tongji University has developed an automated greenhouse which protects plants from snow and frost while saving energy.
Photo by nocas.
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By Kate Merkel-Hess
 I recently received two new travel books (of sorts) in my mailbox, one of which I wrote a few short bits for. Beijing Time by Michael Dutton, with Hsiu-ju Stacy Lo and Dong Dong Wu, (due out in May from Harvard University Press) and Urbanatomy: Shanghai 2008, edited by Nick Land (published by China Intercontinental Press in 2007) fall at opposite ends of a rather loosely envisioned “travel book” spectrum, but both promise an on-the-ground look at “new” China.
Beijing Time, by Goldsmiths, University of London Professor of Politics Michael Dutton and independent scholars Hsiu-ju Stacy Lo and Dong Dong Wu (the advance copy I read did not clarify how research and writing was split between them), is a theory-driven investigation of Beijing as both location and symbol. The authors explore Beijing through layout and buildings, investigating how Beijingers interact with their city’s built environment, and asking, ultimately, what that interaction says about the city’s (and by extension, China’s) past and future.
The book begins from a premise that has almost achieved the level of trope in writings about China: the idea that contemporary China is full of strange juxtapositions—from the linguistic to the economic—and that out of these ironies a deeper truth and meaning can be excavated. For instance, in describing a series of buildings along Changan, the authors write that “in a very Chinese way they are examples of what Mikhail Bakhtin might have called ‘grotesque realism’—that is, the absurdist, carnivalesque ‘turning of the tables’ on the good-taste aesthetic realism of the ruling elite.” That China does indeed mirror Bakhtin’s dreamscape/nightmare carnival vision is apparent to anyone who has spent more than a few days in China1. But I feel that not only has this idea been extended almost as far as it can go, but that, in its worst forms, it veers toward an Orientalist celebration of China as so potentially “other” as to be incomprehensible.
Dutton et al., clearly familiar with the city, manage to avoid such an extreme, as the goal of this book is—in a pursuit that will certainly be replicated in many different media as this summer’s Olympic Games draw closer—to uncover a “hidden” Beijing. To that end, the most interesting section of Beijing Time is the final two chapters, in which the book considers the varied meanings of authenticity and inauthenticity in Beijing. This is a theme others have explored as well: Peter Hessler, for instance, deployed this same theme in Oracle Bones (2006). “Authenticity” does not take quite the same manifestations in China as it does in the West, and this is indicated here through various illustrations of the authentic and the inauthentic in China. This is a topic with clear room for further work, however, as the many Beijing Olympic stories that litter publications these days have at their heart a narrative of trust/distrust and authenticity (Will Beijing have clean air, as the government promised? Is the government trying to hide the real China behind glossy new buildings and freeways? Etc.). This tension deserves more thoughtful consideration than it is currently getting in the popular press, and requires a heavy dollop of self-reflection in addition to articulation of these issues as they play out in China.
Urbanatomy: Shanghai 2008 guidebook is just the thing backpackers might make room for (particularly those who are planning to stay in the area a while). I wrote two very brief historical pieces for this book last year—one on the author Ding Ling and another on May Fourth in Shanghai—though I have absolutely no financial stake in whether any of you buy it. (Jeff Wasserstrom, another China Beat contributor, also wrote for the guidebook, as did a number of other scholars and journalists.) The book is thick—almost 600 pages of glossy type and pictures, so it’s not easily toted around during the day (my favorite for this is an old standard—the Lonely Planet Shanghai City Guide—if you have favorite guidebooks, please feel free share your suggestions).
One of the nicest features of the book is its breakdown by neighborhoods, with an occasional listing of shops, museums, and hotels along their respective streets. Most guidebooks, of course, organize their materials in this fashion—but 600 pages leaves room for a lot of detail, and the historical background and interviews with prominent Shanghai figures (both expat and Chinese) sets this one apart. As those who have visited and lived in Shanghai know, its neighborhoods do have distinct characters, and it is refreshing to see that reflected in a guidebook, both in text and in image. Moreover, many of the guidebook’s writers are based in Shanghai (those familiar with Shanghai’s English-language That’s Shanghai will recognize a number of names in the guidebook, including the book’s editor, Nick Land; That's Shanghai is one of Urbanatomy's publications) and the book’s features reflect this easy familiarity with the city’s young expat life, from an interview with Chinesepod’s Ken Carroll to recommendations for yoga studios and fashion boutiques.
1 This is a reference to the lively book by Russian scholar Mikhail Bakhtin, Rabelais and His World, which was originally published in 1965 and published in English translation in 1993. The book analyzed the novels of French Renaissance author Francois Rabelais and defines in them two strains of thought that Bakhtin believed had been overlooked in previous readings: “carnival” (a time during which European masses felt free to subvert the hierarchy through humor), and “grotesque realism” (basically, scatological and sexual humor; the main means by which subversion of hierarchy was accomplished).
This article was written first appeared in the China Beat. The author is a graduate student in modern Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine.
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 One of the main perks of moving to China is the relatively low cost of living. If any expats tell you otherwise, they're lying. The flip side is that it can be incredibly frustrating when you come across certain items that cost the same or more than you would normally pay in other countries. Beer and alcohol, particularly at bars and mid/high-range restaurants, immediately come to mind as do computers, name brand electronics, and cheese. One of the biggest disappointments, though, has been what seems to be the incredibly high cost of prescription glasses. We've seen them range anywhere from 500 to several thousand kuai, which seems a little fishy when every other person wears them in this country.
Luckily there is a viable answer out there for the myopic and farsighted among us. Acting on a hot tip earlier this week, we found ourselves at the eyeglasses market beneath the Shanghai Railway Station and just couldn't believe our eyes (sorry for that one). This place had stall after stall of quality frames one after the other, most carrying entirely unique products. Most of the brands they carry aren't big-name, not that they'd be real anyways, but the quality is still quite good. If you're in the market for some contact lenses or sunglasses for the summer, you can find those there as well.
They have the same bogus prices pasted all over the place (1000-2000RMB frames), but when you finally get around to asking for a price it's so low that you'll feel guilty even trying to bargain. This particular Shanghaiist picked up two pairs of glasses for a total of 300 RMB, and could've dropped that even lower had it really been necessary to press the issue. This was for the whole shabang: eye exam, lenses, frames, etc. Needless to say, we'll be going back, bringing all of our visually impaired friends and family with us.
You don't need to take our word for it, go and see for yourself (sorry again).
Shanghai Eyeglasses Market
Shanghai Railway Station
Line 3/4 Exit Number 3
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ESPN.com's David Thorpe recently published a look at the NBA's 2008 rookie class, suggesting for each one an NBA veteran they should study in order to maximize their potential. And according to Thope, China's Yi Jianlian (易建联), that reluctant Milwaukee Buck, had better start working on his tattoo collection. The veteran he should emulate is Marcus Camby (without all the injuries, we assume).
Here is what Thorpe says:
Yi is a gifted player, maybe the second-purest talent in this cl | |
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