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S. Karene Witcher Editor Hhtvq Hdth Jessica Yu News graphics director David Chan Art director Mary E. Kissel Taste page editor email [email protected] Cover: Dalat Palace Golf Club (talbotimages.com) This page (left to right): a Chang Jiang 750 bike ? ’œx‹ {tš ‘ ‘€ (Yiqi Motorcycle); Ocean Dunes Golf Club; M83 T-AA LMK33M =GOKE-A -L;-+ Joan Chen (Ismael Roldan)

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eet hurt? ports with two of the These days, stylish pairs. For compari- shoes come in two son, I also tried in- heights: flat and tower- serting arch sup- ing. Fashion magazines ports and toe 5and stores are showcasing more pads into some flashy high heels than ever—and of my own heels. sometimes adding on platforms There was a clear Stuart that we once thought only Elton winner for comfort married with Weitzman John would wear. style: Taryn Rose, the most expen- Rose shoes performed well—the There are soft sheep-leather This company’s The pinch of high heels isn’t an sive shoe in the group. With metal- company was founded by an ortho- linings, a layer of a shock-absorb- shoes, which issue just for fashionistas. At the lic leathers, slim wedges and peep pedic surgeon named, naturally, ing material called “Poron,” a have a thin office, high-heeled pumps are the toes, the shoe line looked highly Taryn Rose. sole made of a light material padding in the feminine equivalent of wingtips. A stylish. The $495 price for the The director of design, Rob- called “Wearlight,” and a bottom footbed and a woman who wants a power Daphne model I chose could make erta Covari, described to me a con- that is part leather and part rub- sturdy shank to shoe—or added height—will such shoes prohibitive for some struction process that starts with ber for flexibility where the foot minimize usually wear heels, even if pocketbooks, but special built-in a wide, ergonomic “shoe bends. Despite all this, Chief Exec- wobbling, carried they leave her supports made it a cradle com- last”—form around which a shoe utive Andrew Forbes said, “We me through a wriggling her pared with the others. is made—to allow the foot to don’t like to think about them as short flight. tingling toes A $275 pair of Stuart Weitz- “lean properly.” orthopedic shoes.” underneath man heels lacked thick padding, her desk. but this shoe’s sturdy footbed and Taryn Rose But in re- toe room made it one of my air- Some of these cent years, a port stompers. And the selection ergonomically small but fast- was the most glam of any brand, designed shoes have growing group with a wide range of materials more ortho-supports of shoemakers from patent leather to snakeskin. built in than others, have tried to Cole Haan’s $275 Nike Air pumps but I wore an combine height also deserve a special note for Italian-made model and comfort, combining comfort and style; (the Daphne, above) seeking solu- they come in a variety of sleek- for two days tions in ortho- looking styles, including razor- without discomfort. pedic and ath- point toes, open toes, slingbacks, letic-shoe tech- wedges and some with a nology. I decided to try some of small platform. Still, the latest heels that are marketed the pointy toe as comfortable and healthy, to see made my how they lived up to their billing. I toes also tried several shoe brands that numb. BLANCPAIN. A TRADITION OF INNOVATION. SINCE 1735. have long been known for being I also more comfortable, if sometimes looked at Naturalizer less fashionable. Naturalizer, Though they lack All these technologies attempt Aerosoles the bouncy inserts to absorb and spread pressure, ad- and Ecco— of Taryn Rose and dressing the fact that tiny foot brands that Cole Haan, my pair bones weren’t designed to carry have fo- didn’t hurt my feet. the weight that heels put on cused on But the man-made them. When you’re wearing a comfort for lining in these high heel of about 7.5 centime- years. Of the shoes made my ters, the pressure on the ball of three, the feet sweat. the foot is akin to the pounding $84 Natural- that part of the foot takes when izers blended comfort and style you’re running. And few people most effectively, and, given the run for 10 straight hours—the price, they were the best deal of length of many workdays. all six pairs. Aerosoles, $83, and To see which were most Ecco, $144, had more-limited of- comfortable for a full day ferings for office looks, though es i of work, I bought six they had wide selections in lower pairs of shoes heels and walking shoes.

e compan from U.S. retail- For inserts to my own not-com- Th ers, ranging in fortable heels, I tried Dr. Rosen- Cole Haan price from $89 berg’s Instant Arches in a favorite This brand has to $495, with pair of pumps, and I stuck Foot Pet- small air bags in heels from als cushion inserts in the toes. The “Fifty Fathoms Automatic” (ref. 5015-1130-52). the heel and toe, about 6.5 centi- result was an improvement, but but my pinched meters to 7.5 the built-in supports of the other toes went numb in centimeters shoes felt better overall. I would the model I wore. high. I wore recommend inserts only for peo- The company said I each one all day ple who want to improve a favor- The new Calibre 1315 with a power reserve of 5 days probably needed a and even hiked ite pair of shoes. wider size. through air- There’s a reason that Taryn

   
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Taipei, says timing is also impor- the last. A little oil goes a long tant—he adds the ingredients way, he says: “It’s really strong.” one by one, lets the sauce soak en- Some cooks like the flavor to tirely into the meat, then have more of a sweet ele- splashes the chicken with a bit ment—so much so that they add more rice wine and tops it with a cup of sugar. “That’s four-cup basil before quickly sending it chicken,” says Ms. Au Yang. out to the table, still in its cov- The Sources ered pot. “If you mess up the tim- 
  AoBa Taiwan Cuisine ing and toss all the ingredients in at once,” he says, “the chicken This restaurant skips the chili turns out dry and old-tasting.” peppers, serving up a tender and The simplicity of three-cup juicy portion of three-cup chicken leaves plenty of room for chicken that’s quite sweet. Pork- individual expression. Tony Le- blood cubes are added to raise ung, executive chef at Hong Kong the “QQ” factor, but you can ask Disneyland, seeks a flavor bal- that they be left out.
   ance by mixing light soy sauce, No. 116, Anhe Rd., Sec. 1. 11:30 In Taipei, a few kitchen staples give poultry a kick which is saltier, with dark soy a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, 5:30 p.m. . ;}j ?„v sauce, which is sweeter. Ms. Au to 11 p.m. for dinner. Yang says she eschews sesame  886-2-2700-0009. US$10.50 he classic Taipei dish culture. Ask Taipei locals where burnt, but it turned out pretty oil entirely, and adds shallots and three-cup chicken, or to get the best three-cup good,” Ms. Huang says. honey to the recipe. She also mar- Shin Yeh sanbeiji , may also be chicken, and they’re likely to The Setting inates her chicken, using ginger This traditional restaurant its easiest. The three point to the mountains. Taiwan- juice and yellow rice wine. Mr. serves up three-cup chicken on cups refer to the liquid ese chef Yang Wen-dian thinks This dish is flexible. You’ll Yang raises the heat—his version the spicier end and dry, without ingredients:M sesame oil, soy sauce peasants originated the dish to find it at banquets and at lower- makes use of both spicy pepper sauce. The waiters add the basil and rice wine. Perhaps not coinci- make the best of puny chickens end establishments, in home- powder and green onions. in front of you, and there are just dentally, those happen to be sta- they didn’t want to go to waste, packed lunches and on family din- Taipei resident Yuan-hsiao a few pieces of garlic and ginger. ples of most Chinese kitchens. using available materials. ner tables. The three-cup style Yen says that when she cooks the No. 12 Nan Shi West Rd. 11:30 Despite the name, the amount Others say that three-cup has been interpreted beyond the dish, she likes to end with a good a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for lunch, 5 p.m. of each ingredient varies from chicken has roots in mainland world of chicken, with every- bit of sauce left in the pan, for mix- to 9:30 p.m. for dinner. recipe to recipe, but what they China, with Ms. Au Yang speculat- thing from frog to squid. ing with rice. “The sauce is really  886-2-2523-6757. US$14 for a flavor is generous chunks of ing the Shanghainese brought it to The dish is also a popular bar fragrant,” she says. But Mr. Chen, half-chicken portion. chicken, stir-fried with ginger, Taiwan. Leslie Huang, assistant food—“it goes well with alcohol,” the Shin Yeh chef, argues, “You garlic, chili peppers and basil, tra- manager at Taipei restaurant says Mr. Yang, the Taiwanese chef. have to burn away all the sauce.” Tainan Seafood ditionally in small iron pots that AoBa, recounts one legend that The Judgment As for the amounts and pro- The three-cup chicken at this can withstand high heat. The siz- places the dish’s origins in the portions of the sesame oil, soy restaurant, a popular banquet zling golden-brown chicken that 14th century: When Song Dynasty One key to good three-cup sauce and rice wine, Mr. Jack spot, is heavy on the soy sauce, emerges teems with multiple fla- official Wen Tian-xiang was im- chicken is the chicken—no more uses a standard cup of each. But with big pieces of chicken. It’s rich vors—a balance of salt and spice. prisoned by invaders, the story using puny birds in the old peas- Ms. Au Yang says housewives typ- in garlic and ginger, cooked until “The best part is the aroma,” goes, an old man who admired ant style. The ideal texture for ically measure with things like they’re soft, with a little bit of says Lorraine Lin, a 26-year-old Wen visited with a gift of a chicken three-cup chicken, says Mr. Yang, the small cups used in ancestor sauce left in the pot. Try the three- Taipei resident who calls three- and wine, and asked the warden to is moist, tender and QQ, a Taiwan- worship. Mr. Chen uses about 50 cup squid as well. cup chicken “the classical dish” create a meal for him. The only ese term meaning “chewy.” milliliters of wine and sesame oil, No. 130 Jihe Rd., B1, Shi Lin of Taiwan. other ingredients available were Wei-nan Chen, executive chef but only a little soy sauce, while District. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for It’s so easy to make, says Ce- soy sauce and sesame oil—and so of the Shin Yeh restaurant chain in Mr. Leung uses twice as much soy lunch, 5 p.m. to 9:30 cilia Au Yang, a cooking instruc- three-cup chicken was born. sauce and rice p.m. for dinner. tor in Hong Kong, that it’s also In other origin stories, usually wine as he  886-2-2888-37 called “15-minute chicken.” But set in a rural mountain village, does sesame 99. US$9.25 for a the dish packs a punch. “Consid- the dish is created accidentally. oil—10 millili- small portion, ering how simple it is, the flavor One version has overworked ters of the first which serves two is quite complex,” says Stephen peasant cooks forgetting they two, just five of to three people, Jack, an Australian consultant left the pot with all the in- US$13.80 for a me- and food writer who cooks it at gredients sim- dium and US$18.45 home in Taiwan. mering on the for a large. The History stove. “The chicken was Like much of Taiwan- ese cuisine, this dish is rooted in peasant Liu Shu Chuan Lvqdƒhjtf ƒv bhd‹ vt Cocktail conundrum: to trim or not to trim . 3}jb 5dpƒdt

alter Gropius, founder Brandy Crusta, distinguished not Befriend any bartender who of the Bauhaus school by its liquid ingredients but by knows how to make a Brandy T of architecture, would the sugar on its rim and the large Crusta, whatever you plan to or- not like most cocktails these swath of lemon peel tucked inside der. He’s the sort of fellow who days. He railed against “florid aes- the circumference of the glass’s knows better than to sink your theticism” used to conceal “the lip. It’s tricky to make—the chal- Martini with an olive heat bomb. verities of structure under a wel- lenge has made it a favorite of ter of heterogeneous ornament.” those bartenders who call them- Email me at That is, he was antigarnish. selves “cocktail geeks.” [email protected] A new school of high-end bar- George Erml tending embraces this asceti- cism. Jackson Cannon, who mixes drinks at Boston’s Eastern Standard, isn’t opposed to gar- nish if the trimming can make a case for being in Brandy Crusta the glass. But ab- sent a compel- 45 ml cognac ling reason, the 8 ml orange curacao glass goes un- 8 ml maraschino adorned. liqueur When the 1 squeeze fresh lemon cocktail came juice into its own, in 1 dash Angostura the mid-to-late bitters 19th century, or- nament was all Shake with ice and the rage. Gilded strain into a properly Age drinks were prepared glass. often draped Prepare the glass with boughs of thusly: Moisten the mint and piled rim of a small shallow high with fruit. wine glass with a But such ex- piece of lemon peel, cesses were and dip it in superfine stripped away sugar. Then, cut as in the 1920s, broad and long a slice when Prohibi- of peel as you can tion made bar- from around the tending a more equator of a lemon. utilitarian affair Arrange it inside the in the U.S. and lip of the glass so that the style of the the peel extends well age turned above the rim. The streamlined. last step, according to Good garnish 19th-century does accentuate bartender-author Jerry a drink’s posi- Thomas, is to step tives. But bad or- back, admire your namentation is work, and “smile.” the death of it. “How many of my icy Martinis have been ruined by a heedless bartender skewering three huge heat-bombs of olives and thrust- ing them into my drink?” laments bar guru Dale DeGroff. A good measure of your bar- tender’s savvy is whether he or she thinks about garnish. The bet- ter mixers are scrupulous about the trimmings. For the Bauhaus crowd, that means avoiding gar- nish unless the drink demands it. But there is a competing school, big on the U.S. West Coast. At the better bars in San Francisco, you’re as likely to get candied peels of bergamots or rangpur limes as a plain old lemon skin. A Martini without an olive is still a Martini—likewise for a Man- hattan without a cherry, or even an Old-Fashioned without fruit of any sort. But a few rare birds of the cocktail bar are known by their plumage. Pre-eminent is the

   
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    A view of the capital’s colonial past and its recent tragic history by foot and by tuk-tuk

. -ttd 8p`tc other Southeast Asian metropolis. The original purpose of this tional Museum. This wide, tree- Angkor period (ninth to 15th cen- This half-day tour by foot and French-colonial villa, built in lined street, like many in the capi- tury), when Cambodian kings ambodia flourished in tuk-tuk taxi travels through 1920, remains uncertain. (Cam- tal, was designed by the French ruled unrivaled in the region. The the 1950s and 1960s as some areas of Phnom Penh where bodia was a French protector- to recall the wide boulevards of museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 the economy grew un- evidence of the city’s recent ate from 1863 to 1953.) How- their homeland. When silent p.m. daily. (Corner of Street 184, der the reign of the tragic history as well as some of ever, from the 1940s until the movie actor Charlie Chaplin vis-  855-23-211-753) young King Norodom its early-20th century architec- rise of the Khmer Rouge, it was ited Phnom Penh in 1936, he ad- Sihanouk.0 But domestic insurgen- tural gems still survive. the residence of Tan Pa, a mired the city’s shady avenues 3:30 P.M. AMBRE BOUTIQUE cies in surrounding countries wealthy Khmer-Chinese busi- and called them “little sisters” to After the National Museum, eventually seeped in, allowing 2 P.M. ROYAL PALACE nessman. The United Nations the Champs-Elysées—the grand- flag down a tuk-tuk—find one the Communist Khmer Rouge to Begin on the corner of Sam- Educational, Scientific and Cul- est avenue in Paris. with an English-speaking driver— gain power. dech Sothearos Boulevard and tural Organization renovated Take note of the park to your and head west along Street 178, In 1975, the rebel group Street 184 in front of the Royal the building in 1991 and rents it right. This is where the Royal which runs beside the museum. seized, sacked and left for dead Palace, a classically styled Cam- from the government. Plowing ceremony is held each Cross over Norodom Boule- Cambodia’s capital Phnom bodian complex of structures Many French colonial build- May, presided over by King Siha- vard and continue along Street Penh. The city’s two million resi- with soaring spires and flying ce- ings are disappearing in Phnom moni, of course. Oxen walk the 178 until you reach the house at dents were marched into the lestial eaves that dates back to Penh, as are other structures park’s sandy perimeter three No. 37. You can wander through countryside as the revolutionar- the late 1860s. built in the “New Khmer” archi- times and are then led to bowls this meticulously restored two- ies pursued a crazed plan to The palace—now home to tectural style, a term that refers that contain various grains. story French villa. It is home to transform the country into a King Norodom Sihamoni, a to Cambodian buildings dating Whatever grains the oxen choose Ambre, the clothing boutique of Maoist, peasant-dominated former ballet dancer and the son from the 1950s and 1960s. Those to eat, and the amount they con- rising French-Khmer designer agrarian cooperative. All told, it of Sihanouk—is one of the few im- who want to see the inside of the sume, are taken as indicators of Romyda Keth. Her elegant femi- cost a quarter of the country’s portant buildings spared by the Unesco building are out of luck; the size of the country’s next nine ensembles in colorful silk population their lives. Khmer Rouge after it captured it isn’t open to the public. But grain harvests. and organza fill the rooms. (37 Today, the scars of the brief, Phnom Penh. Pol Pot, the Khmer you’ll get an inside view of an- The russet-colored National Street 178;  855-23-217-935) brutal Khmer Rouge reign—the re- Rouge’s shadowy leader, and his other restored French villa later Museum is your next stop. The gime was overthrown in 1979 by senior henchmen stayed there in in the tour. museum, which is a colonial de- 4 P.M. PHSAR THMEY invading Vietnam forces—are visi- May 1975 as they plotted Cambo- sign that reworks the traditional (CENTRAL MARKET) ble in parts of Phnom Penh, but dia’s descent into madness. 2:20 P.M. NATIONAL MUSEUM Khmer pagoda, opened in 1920. It Leaving Ambre, have the tuk- even these are rapidly disappear- Across from the palace is the From the corner, walk west houses a collection of sculptures tuk drive toward Street 63, take ing as the city modernizes into an- lemon-colored Unesco building. along Street 184 toward the Na- and artifacts that date from the a right and head for Phsar


                Thmey, Phnom Penh’s central tied. Doctors dropped scalpels visiting dignitaries and celebri- aid workers occupied the by- market. The extraordinary art- and walked out of operating ties such as Jacqueline Kennedy, then-decrepit rooms. Eventually, deco building was completed in rooms, and patients, including who came in 1967.It was also a fa- the hotel was bought and refur- 1937.Today, it bustles with locals those with intravenous drips and vorite watering hole for French bished by the Raffles Group, buying food, clothes, electronics and jewelry. Rare U.S. maps of In- dochina from the 1960s can still The Hotel Le Royal opened in 1929 and was home to visiting be found there, among the mish- mash of stalls at the east en- celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy in 1967. By the 1970s, trance of the market. 5 P.M. POST OFFICE SQUARE however, it was filled mostly with war correspondents and the From Phsar Thmey take the French-colonial building was fenced in with barbed-wire barricades. tuk-tuk east along Street 130 to- ward Norodom Boulevard. At No- rodom turn left, and keep your eyes peeled for Street 102, where blood plasma bottles still at- bureaucrats and expatriates. which reopened it as the Hotel Le you will want to turn right. tached, were ordered to join the But by the tumultuous 1970s Royal in 1997. As you drive along Norodom march to the countryside. the guest list comprised mostly Walk into the hotel’s intimate, Boulevard, you pass a large pink war correspondents and Red high-ceiling lobby and from neoclassical building on your 5:45 P.M. HOTEL LE ROYAL Cross officials. During this period there make your way to the ele- right, which is the National From Vann Nath’s gallery, the hotel became known as Le Ph- gant Elephant Bar for a well- Bank of Cambodia, the country’s take the tuk-tuk around Wat Ph- nom and the exterior was fenced earned drink. (92 Rukhak Vithei central bank. The original cen- nom, veering off to the right onto in with barbed-wire barricades. Daun Penh, off Monivong Boule- tral-bank building was blown up Street 92 and to the final stop at When the Vietnamese over- vard Sangkat Wat Phnom, by the Khmer Rouge as part of Hotel Le Royal. threw the Khmer Rouge and occu-  855-23-981-888) its rejection of capitalism, a pol- The hotel, a blend of art-deco pied Cambodia in 1979 they icy that included abolishing and French colonial architecture, changed the hotel’s name to Sa- Anne Hyland is a money. The new bank was built opened in 1929 and was home to maki, or Solidarity Hotel. Soon, Bangkok-based writer. in 1990. Turn right onto Street 102 and continue until you reach Post Office Square. This Provençal-style square was filled with bistros before the 1970s. War correspondents used to telex their reports from the post office there. Today, a few restau- rants are returning to the square, such as Van’s, which is in the former Indochine Bank building. ( 855-23-722-067; open daily from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m) 5:15 P.M. VANN NATH’S ART GALLERY From Post Office Square ask the tuk-tuk driver to go toward Sisowath Quay and turn left. As you drive along Sisowath Quay you may see long-tail fishing boats on the river. During colonial times, it was common to see expatriates water-ski along the river’s safer parts. Turn left on Street 90 and fol- low it until it intersects with Street 47. At this junction is the 
    
    modest gallery of artist Vann 
     
  
  
 

 Nath, which sits between a phar-            macy and a shop selling billiard   
    

 
    tables. If you look hard, you’ll find a small painted wooden sign for the Khmer Art Gallery. No. 17, Street 47. ( 855-92-549-089; Web: www. vannnath.com) Vann Nath is a survivor of the Tuol Sleng torture center. About 16,000 men, women and children were sent to Tuol Sleng, a high school that be- came the infamous detention and torture center of the Pol Pot regime. Of the seven people known to have survived, only three are alive today—one of them being Vann Nath. Tuol Sleng, also known as Security Prison 21 or S-21, is now a mu- seum. It is not included in this tour, however, because it re- quires several hours and is best done separately. Today, Vann Nath, 63 years old, is a self-taught artist, and    !& $&
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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam aving spent part of the Vietnam War era as a protester and part as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia—just a hop across the South China Sea from Vietnam— there are two things I would never have predicted: that I would eventually love the sport of golf or that I’d go to Vietnam to play it. But golf in Vietnam is booming, to the degree that it has become a travel-writer’s cliché to note the ironic twist in the Ho Chi Minh Trail: The route that the U.S. bombed so ferociously during what the Vietnamese call the American War has now been dubbed the Ho Chi Minh Golf8Trail, with courses such as Chi Linh Star that wouldn’t be out of place in such high-ticket golf desti- nations as nearby Thailand or even Hawaii or Spain. Vietnam now has 17 golf courses, nearly matching Singapore’s 18, according to Nguyen Ngoc Chu, general secretary of the fledgling Vietnam Golf Association. With 30 more under construction, he says, and a further 50-plus in the planning stages, Vietnam is on target for some 100 courses. That’s not quite in the league of Thailand (213 courses) or Indonesia (218), but in December the International Associa- tion of Golf Tour Operators designated Vietnam as the “undiscovered golf destination of the year.” The number of international visitors to Vietnam in 2007 was up more than 16% from 2006, accord- ing to the country’s Trade Information Center. Tourists, though, aren’t the only ones on the courses. Vietnam also has local golfers: 8,000 of them, according to Mr. Chu, whose Vietnam Golf Association is linked to the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “And it’s still early days,” he adds. Vu Van Yen, deputy editor of Vietnam Golf magazine, estimates the number is growing 15% to 20% a year. Golf, closely associated with capitalism and colonialism, hasn’t had smooth sailing in this Commu- nist country. The rich man’s pastime had to be repositioned to become socially acceptable. A breakthrough came in the early 1990s, Mr. Chu says: Then-Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam, attending a regional meeting, felt isolated when the other diplomats went off to play golf. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, then Malaysia’s foreign minister (and now its prime minister), took Mr. Cam aside and encouraged him to learn the game. Mr. Cam returned to Hanoi and promoted golf among his colleagues. He faced resistance, Mr. Chu says, including a concern that golf courses would Long Thanh Golf Club “take land from the people.” Still, Mr. Cam helped to set up an informal golf academy for high-level govern- ment officials. Now honorary president of the Viet- LONG THANH GOLF CLUB nam Golf Association, Mr. Cam plays with an 18 handi- Long Thanh cap. Long Thanh mixes the kitsch of an Asian theme park Attractive golf courses can be found throughout with meticulous horticulture and maintenance to cre- ate a very special complex with two 18-hole courses. Vietnam, with many new layouts—several involving The Hill Course, designed by California-based Golf- superstar designers like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Nor- Plan, was a pleasure to play even if my golf wasn’t too man—on the way. I asked Mr. Chu which course is the good that day. It’s beautiful and natural, with numerous best. A mathematician with a philosopher’s bent and ravines and tricky doglegs to clear—and then there’s the fourth hole. a diplomat’s smile, he replied, “A golf course is like a For this par-three, the golfer stands on the tee and lady. Each one is beautiful in her own way.” sees two greens to choose from, across two different During a recent trip I played some of the courses ravines. One is 164 yards out and some 50 yards on offer in the country’s south and south-central re- down, making for one of those dramatic elevated tees gions. Here are the highlights: that golfers adore, while the other is 206 yards out and about level with the tee. Two greens is peculiar enough, but what makes this hole even more unusual is that its amphitheatre-like layout is enhanced by a simulated Great Wall of China in gray concrete Vietnam Golf and Country Club blocks. The Lego-like ring of crenellated turrets seems either charming or horribly out of place—take your pick. Nguyen Huu Thanh, Long Thanh’s director of golf operations, says the feature was the brainchild of the owner, Le Van Kiem, and his wife, Madam Tan Cam Nhung. The Lake Course is flatter and has a distinctive East Asian feel. Korean-style pagodas serve as refreshment stands, while rest stops have marble benches and beaded curtains, as if Suzie Wong will come along with a cold towel. It’s painstakingly maintained, even sculpted: Shrubbery takes the form of giant teapots, dragons and ox-carts. In the water hazard are small


                Trip planner

Long Thanh, Vietnam Golf and Dong Nai can be easily scheduled as day trips out of Ho Chi Minh City. Places to stay include the Caravelle Hotel, one of several iconic Vietnam-war hotels that have been refurbished to an international standard. They would hardly be recognizable to the war correspondents who once filled them, though that doesn’t stop hotels—and watering vpe holes—from publicizing their war-era credentials and mystique.  84-8-823-4999 d }jbh q`t wv}ƒ Web: www.caravellehotel.com

Ocean Dunes is a tedious 2 1/2-hour drive away, too far for a day trip. A far more relaxing option is to stay at Phan Thiet. Hotels include the somewhat run-down but comfortable Novotel Ocean Dunes and Golf Resort.  84-62-822-393 Web: www.novotel.com

The charming town of Dalat, a three-hour drive from Phan Thiet (or, more conveniently, a half-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City), offers many hotel options. The luxurious colonial-era Sofitel Dalat Palace has a golf package that includes greens fees.  84-63-825-444 Web: www.sofitel.com

Several travel agents offer packages that might prove the most hassle-free (and economical) way to play an array of courses. A selection:

Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail www.hochiminhgolftrail.com Luxury Travel Vietnam www.luxurytravelvietnam.com Vietnam Golf Tours www.vietnamgolftours.com AIP Golf www.vietnamgolf.vn

Here’s how to contact the courses directly. Long Thanh Golf Club  84-613-512-512 Web: www.longthanhgolfresort.com.vn Vietnam Golf and Country Club  84-8-280-0124 Web: www.vietnamgolfcc.com Chi Linh Star Golf and Country Club Dong Nai Golf Resort  84-61-386-6288 Web: www.vietnamgolfclub.com boats filled with flowers. memberships sold (at $37,000 each) were to Vietnam- Dalat Palace Golf Club Pham Thanh Minh, Long Thanh’s deputy general ese golfers, enriched by strong land prices and a rising  84-63-821-201 manager, is proud of the course’s man-over-nature ap- stock market. Web: www.vietnamgolfresorts.com proach. When I hit a wayward drive onto the rough, he pointed out that my ball was still sitting up nicely on the grass. “Our rough is better than most courses’ fair- DONG NAI GOLF RESORT ways,” he said proudly. Bochang Two courses are just the beginning—there are plans Just over an hour north of Ho Chi Minh City, this at- for a complex that will include six 18-hole courses, tractive 27-hole course winds through some rich forest   6,000 villas and a 500-room five-star hotel. Not to men- and meanders around Cloud River Lake. If you give it a tion a highway to downtown Ho Chi Minh City so golfers try, I would suggest a weekday. On the Sunday morning 
can avoid one of the ugliest 90-minute drives in Asia. I played it was über-crowded, and I spent four hours and 40 minutes to get through just 16 holes. (Slow play   is one reason I avoid weekend golf in Asia.)   VIETNAM GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB The other problem on the morning I played was District 9, Ho Chi Minh City the smell of the lake, the product of the dead fish As a neighbor to the heavily manicured, pumped-up that could be seen floating near the shore. Dong Long Thanh, the two forest-lined 18-hole courses of Nai’s marketing director, Huang Chao-Yuan, attrib-  Vietnam Golf and Country Club stand out as natural— uted the die-off to fishermen’s practice of dumping  even a bit unkempt. The East Course, one of the rare commercially unsuitable fish back into the lake after   Asian layouts designed by golfing legend Lee Trevino, catching them.    is challenging but not a killer—except for the undulat-   ing greens, which twist like a Vietnamese dragon. Mr.    
Trevino, a famous money player, is said to appreciate OCEAN DUNES GOLF CLUB   the give-and-take of match play, and few putts on these Phan Thiet      
roller-coaster greens are “gimmes.” The par-four 11th Designed by the English golfer Nick Faldo, Ocean   hole is particularly enjoyable, offering the choice of go- Dunes was one of Vietnam’s first modern courses when       ing left or right around a pond to reach the green— it opened in 1994, about the same time as the Vietnam  which, of course, slopes severely. Golf and Country Club course.     About 55% of the members are Korean expats, but Phan Thiet has another distinction in golf history:        Blair Cornthwaite, Vietnam Golf’s New Zealand-born It’s where a U.S. infantry officer by the name of Earl       general manager, says that last year half the individual Hpd`d ƒ„}t ƒv tdŽƒ w`fd  


talbotimages.com (3); Shutterstock (background)

   
            
  

Make par, not war

Some coming courses that could raise the game in Vietnam:

SEALINKS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Mui Ne Ten kilometers north of Ocean Dunes, SeaLinks leads the bravado stakes with billboards promising “the most challenging links-style golf course in Asia.” Or, in the words of its designer, Ron Fream, “intentionally tough by design and with sadistic intent.” “They can put ‘the bastard who created SeaLinks’ on my cremation urn,” he adds. I toured the 18-hole course, whose first nine holes are slated to open midyear, with the director of golf, Simon Tinkler. The course is set on hills overlooking the ocean, giving 16 of the 18 holes sea views. From the elevated tee of the 474-yard, par-four seventh hole I looked at a narrow, undulating fairway with trees on the left and a sharp out-of-bounds cliff on the right. Assuming a good tee shot, not at all a sure thing, the second Dalat Palace Golf Club shot would have to carry the ravine to a green sitting on a narrow peninsula. And so it goes—elevated tees, fairways that appear ridiculously tight and bumpy, forced carries over 0vtƒjt„dc e}vq w}dŠjv„ w`fd but championships were held. “In fact, the reign- water and cliffs. And lest we forget, a screaming Woods befriended Vietnamese officer Vuong Dang ing Vietnam champion is the son of the 1967 cham- wind—the Phan Thiet/Mui Ne area is a leading Phong during the war. Col. Woods later honored pion,” says Mr. Sullivan, managing director of Man- destination for serious wind-surfers and his Vietnamese comrade by giving his own son Eld- darin Media and one of the men who coined the kite-boarders. No doubt the pro shop will do a fine rick the nickname Col. Phong was known by: Tiger. phrase “Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail.” business in selling “previously owned” balls. Ocean Dunes is one of the few true resort During the war Dalat even hosted American Web: www.sealinksvietnam.com courses in Vietnam—you can roll out of bed and be golfer Billy Casper. In the country on a U.S. State playing golf in a couple of minutes. It’s a pleasant Department tour, he played a round on the course, MONTGOMERIE LINKS VIETNAM track whose 18 holes include several on the sea- which was then a rough track with greens made of Danang side, but it’s showing a bit of wear. Danao Interna- oiled sand. The new course generating the most buzz by tional Holdings and its majority shareholder In- Dalat is in considerably better shape now, and is far is Montgomerie Links, which is near some of doChina Land plan to invest $100 million to reno- being further improved with new irrigation and the most emotionally charged places in the country. vate and expand the Phan Thiet properties, accord- drainage systems. That’s all for the better, though I The 30-kilometer-long China Beach, initially a ing to Jeff Puchalski, Danao’s vice president. The worry about the plans for a new clubhouse. The major Vietcong redoubt, became a rest-and- improvements will include returfing the course, current pale-yellow Tudor-style building, so small recuperation site for American GIs. It’s also not far building a new clubhouse, villas and commercial the pro shop and restaurant share a room, is part from the hamlets of My Lai and My Khe, where the center, and upgrading the existing four-star Novo- of course’s charm. American 11th Brigade massacred hundreds of tel hotel into a five-star property. Lam Dong province, which includes Dalat, is an- Vietnamese civilians in 1968. And now, 40 years In Binh Thuan province, which includes Phan other area of Vietnam that’s on the verge of a golf later, the area is to be home to a major new 18-hole Thiet and Mui Ne (see SeaLinks, right), developers boom, with three new golf-course projects li- links-style course designed by Scottish golfing star have received licenses for nine new courses. censed and three others under consideration. Colin Montgomerie, likely opening early next year. Phan Thiet is an unpleasant and dangerous four- The Vietnamese are nothing if not pragmatic. hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, but a planned Paul Spencer Sochaczewski is a Bangkok-based There’s also a history of golf in the area, sort of. highway would reduce the journey to perhaps 2µ writer with a 26 handicap. Soldiers near Danang are said to have created a hours, and construction is expected to begin soon small course in 1969, using C-ration cans as cups on an airport to serve the region. and red sand for greens. Today some of the best-known luxury-hotel groups, including Raffles, Banyan Tree, Kor and DALAT PALACE GOLF CLUB Hyatt, are developing resorts in the region. Dalat Indochina Capital has invested some $45 million This 18-hole course seems to be everyone’s fa- for the Montgomerie Links course and 50 vorite in Vietnam, praised for its intelligent lay- residential villas, part of its $500 million out, good maintenance and laid-back atmosphere— investment in golf and resorts in Vietnam, and I would add the climate to the list. It’s a plea- according to Indochina Capital CEO Peter Ryder. sure to be in cool Dalat, altitude 1,500 meters, and  84-510-943-888 I imagine if I actually lived in polluted and bustling Web: www.montgomerielinks.com Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi I would be even happier to retreat to this hill station, as the French did in CAMBODIA-VIETNAM FRIENDSHIP GOLF colonial days. RESORT Dalat played an important role in Vietnam’s Located on the main highway between Ho Chi golf history. According to Jim Sullivan, an expert Minh City and Phnom Penh, this 18-hole on the history of golf in Vietnam, French architect transfrontier course will have nine holes in each Ernest Hébrard, who laid out the hill resort for the country. The par-five 18th hole will be truly French in 1922, allotted space on Doi Cu Hill for international—golfers will have the amusement of what would be the country’s first golf course. (Mr. teeing off in Vietnam and hitting a second shot Hébrard also redesigned the Greek city of Thessal- over water to a Cambodian fairway. The hole will oniki after it was swept by fire in 1917.) end with an island green that has the international Among those encouraging the plan were Bao border running through it. Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, but by the time The 400-room hotel will also straddle the of his abdication in 1945 the course had been border, though the accompanying casino will be abandoned. And by the late 1950s, Mr. Sullivan located entirely in Cambodia. Course construction is says, it was so overgrown that in attempting to slated to start this year. revive it, local doctor and avid golfer Dao Huy Hach “had to rely on aerial photos to pick out the —Paul Spencer Sochaczewski putting surfaces.” Even during the Vietnam War years some in- trepid golfers continued to play. There were only Ocean Dunes Golf Club two courses open—Go Vap in Saigon and Dalat—

talbotimages.com (Ocean Dunes); Dalat Palace Golf Club


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. -p`t H`„p Mr. Liang made his major-tour- nament debut at the U.S. PGA Championship last season, but he n search of its own version of viewed his invitation to Augusta Yao Ming, the Houston Rock- as a major step up. “It’s an oppor- ;ets star who has turned mil- tunity I really cherish,” he said in lions of Chinese into fans of the the pretournament interview. National Basketball Association, Golf is already a rapidly grow- golf reached out to the Asian mar- ing sport in China. Just 24 years ket by inviting three Asian Tour after the first course opened in players to play in the Masters Guangdong province—next to Tournament earlier this month. Mr. Liang’s middle school—the “Our objective,” says Billy China Golf Association estimates Payne, chairman of the Masters that the country has one million Ed Fotheringham and Augusta National Golf Club, golfers and more than 400 “is to utilize the Masters reputa- courses. According to Youth tion and positive recognition to Wong and Selim Jin, editors of -bv„}d jt q`ttd} help grow the game internation- Golf Digest China magazine, a ally. One way to do that is by invit- quarter of the courses have ing deserving international play- opened in the past two years. G„} f„jcd ƒv fdƒƒjtf `pvtf ‹jƒh vƒhd} fvped} ers who, by playing in the Mas- Mr. Liang’s own career re- ters, can inspire and create inter- flects the steady rise of Chinese est in golf in their home countries. golf. The son of a peasant farmer, Reuters (2) . =vht H`„p Ed‹wv}ƒ “We think golf has the poten- he was born in 1978 in the city of tial to explode internationally,” India’s Chiranjeev Milkha Singh Zhongshan, where six years later everal years ago I took a friend who was a newbie golfer out Mr. Payne adds. the Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf to play a round. He knew how to connect with the ball, but The invitations—to China’s Li- Club opened. Mr. Liang learned to Lunfortunately didn’t seem to know how to yell “Fore!” ang Wen-Chong, Thailand’s the top 16, which would have qual- play golf at the course at about “You mean people actually say that?” he replied, when I sug- Prayad Marksaeng and India’s ified him automatically for next age 15. gested he do so after he narrowly missed a woman on a nearby tee. Chiranjeev Milkha Singh—drew year’s Masters. He donated all of the $183,000 To newcomers, the etiquette of the game can seem quaint. But criticism from Scottish golfer “I made some management he won from his victory at last there are reasons behind it. Safety is one—getting hit by a golf ball Colin Montgomerie. He wasn’t mistakes” over the weekend, he year’s Clariden Leu Singapore is no laughing matter—and so is the fact that in one round a typi- high enough in the world rank- says. The 36-year-old, who Masters to the club where he cal foursome has to choreograph more than 400 cumulative shots. ings to qualify automatically for honed his game at Abilene Chris- started, to aid the development of Golf etiquette has evolved, in large part, to keep things moving. this year’s Masters, but he tian University in Texas, was the golf in China. “I really want more All this activity can be intimidating to a novice. But by under- ranked higher than the three first Indian to qualify for the Eu- children to be able to have the standing just a few underlying principles of golf etiquette, plus a Asians. “It would be easier to ropean Tour. It would be one of same opportunities I did,” he handful of key rules, it’s possible for even the rankest rookie to swallow if no one was invited and many firsts for him. Last year, he said. “I wanted to repay the club fake savoir-faire on the course. it was done on sporting and not became the first player from In- for what they gave me.” commercial criteria,” he told re- dia to play in the Masters, mak- The third Asian golfer compet- PRINCIPLE No. 1: If you’re not paying attention, golf can be dangerous. porters before the tournament. ing the field as one of the top 50 ing in the Masters this year, Mr. Safety concerns determine the flow of the game, which creates An Augusta National official golfers in the world. He was also Prayad, had to pull out halfway the framework for all etiquette. Pay attention when someone else said the club declines to comment. the first to play in the U.S. Open, through the second round with is hitting. After the tee shots, allow the person farthest from the Golf’s effort seems to have paid when he qualified in 2002. back trouble. The laid-back, hole to play first; advance to your ball only when it’s your turn, so off. Interviewed by phone before Born into an athletic family— smooth-swinging 42-year-old you’re never standing between the person hitting and the hole. the tournament, Mr. Liang said his father finished fourth in the Thai has played professionally that after his inclusion in the Mas- 400 meters at the 1960 Rome since 1991, and had the biggest PRINCIPLE No. 2: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. ters was announced, there was a Olympics, and his mother once win of his career last year when he In golf, the course is your opponent, and the challenge is to see surge in traffic on his blog—and captained India’s national volley- captured the season-ending Volvo which competitor scores lowest against the course. To make the he was getting messages of “affir- ball team—Mr. Singh had his best Masters of Asia on his home soil. competition fair, and thus fun, all players deserve the same mation and support.” Mr. Singh, year as a pro in 2006, winning As a child, Mr. Prayad had to chance to do their best. So whatever conditions you need to play the only one of the three golfers to four times in Europe and Asia. walk through a golf course daily your best, try to create for others. make the cut at Augusta and so Mr. Liang was the second Chi- to get to school, prompting him Be still and quiet when someone else is hitting, and stand in play the final 36 holes, says when nese golfer to compete at Au- to craft a club out of bamboo and the right spot—generally, facing the player addressing the ball. he returned to India, people were gusta. Zhang Lianwei played in scrap metal and take up the On the green, don’t stand behind someone’s ball as they are about waiting at the airport to greet him 2004, when he shot 77-72 and game. His career got a boost to putt. Avoid walking on the intended line of someone else’s and congratulate him on his per- missed the cut by one shot; Mr. Li- when he played alongside Greg putt, even if this means making a detour to get to your ball. Many formance. ang shot 76-78 to miss by seven Norman at the 1996 Dubai Desert golfers are also distracted by the sight of another ball on the “People have come up to me shots. The 29-year-old native of Classic and the Aussie great green when they putt, so mark your ball’s position on the green and said, ‘Well done,’” he says. Guangdong province, who has tabbed him a world-class player. with a coin and replace the ball only when it’s your turn to putt. Mr. Singh himself was disap- been golfing professionally since pointed with his tie for 25th. It’s 1999, was recently honored as Mr. Paul is a writer in Beijing. PRINCIPLE No. 3: Know a few rules. The rules are not etiquette; they his best showing in any of the Asia’s top player, becoming the Tariq Engineer in New Delhi are mandates. But it is a matter of etiquette to know the most com- four major tournaments, but he first Chinese to win the Asian and Kersten Zhang in Beijing mon ones. Most golfers would do well to spend time with one of says he was aiming for a spot in Tour’s Order of Merit. contributed to this article. the many books—such as “Golf Rules & Etiquette Crystal Clear” by Yves Ton-That—that seek to explain things in simple terms, with illustrations. Focus first on rules 24 to 28, which explain what to do when your ball is lost, in a hazard or otherwise unplayable.

Liang Wen-Chong,the PRINCIPLE No. 4: Keep Up. Slow play is golf’s biggest buzz kill. Be second Chinese to play in ready to hit when it’s your turn. Use the time when others are mak- the Masters Tournament, ing their shots to prepare. For a quick exit from a hole, park the cart became the second to or leave your bag between the green and the next tee. Write down miss the cut. scores on the next tee. And don’t be afraid to pick up your ball and not finish a hole if everyone’s waiting—as a rule of thumb, after reaching double par (eight on a par-four hole, for instance).

PRINCIPLE No. 5: Ask questions. Last year I sat in on a Manhattan chapter meeting of the Executive Women’s Golf Association geared toward new players, and the questions made me realize how unfamiliar the culture of golf can seem to outsiders: Do I need permission to use the practice putting green? How much do I tip the caddy? Where does my bag go after the round? No one could know these things without having played before, so don’t be afraid to ask. Golf as an industry doesn’t do enough to welcome newcomers, but most individuals are eager to help.

Email me [email protected]

   
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GOOD GADGETS These gizmos may actually improve your game

. Mjqvƒh =+ 0`}}vpp tee or somewhere along the hole while playing it, and won- dering how far it is to carry a olfers love gadgets. bunker or a pond, golfers can Whether it’s a get the yardages from a small $600 driver or a $200 hand-held device. training aid or a new- GolfLogix Inc.’s device, $299, fangled tee that you and SkyHawke Technologies 6can get free at the country-club LLC’s SkyCaddie, which comes pro shop, golfers are constantly in four versions from $259 to on the lookout for anything that $429, are two of the top hand- can help them improve their held devices that offer yardages game, even if ever so slightly. from the golfer to the green and And the good news is that the hazards along the way. some of this stuff actually works. The SkyCaddie, which can “There are some very pur- hold as many as 10 premapped poseful, very useful learning courses, allows a golfer to map aids” on the market, says Dave a course that’s not among the Pelz, the short-game guru who 17,000 in its database. Golfers is Phil Mickelson’s coach. can store up to five courses that Still, he adds, “most golfers they mapped themselves. (Both don’t know what the problem in A DeadSolid Golf home simulator lets you play Pebble Beach whenever you want. companies emphasize that their their game is,” making a training- offerings of mapped courses are aid purchase a “hit-and-miss constantly growing.) thing.” Further, Mr. Pelz says, can insert easily into driving- ting a club on the ground straight With GolfLogix, golfers can’t training with a bad gadget, or the range mats, are built to hold back on the intended target line, map their own courses, but in- wrong one, or even having the what is in effect a regular tee. and then keeping the lower laser stead send a note to the company right device but using it incor- shining on that line, a golfer asking for a course to be profes- rectly, is “worse than no prac- GETTING INTO THE SWING starts on the correct plane. sionally mapped. The company tice. Practice does not make per- Heavy clubs, light clubs, promises to map the course in- fect; practice makes permanent. hinged clubs, dual-hinged clubs, PRACTICE BALLS side 14 business days, but says And if you practice as poorly as clubs with fans on the end to While real golf balls are full of it’s more likely to be as little as a most golfers do, then you will be slow the swing and power it up, technology, practice balls are get- week before the course is added a permanently bad golfer.” clubs with form-fitted grips: All ting almost as sophisticated. to the downloadable database of To separate the good from the promise extra yardage that if When looking to practice, golf- 15,000 courses. GolfLogix’s de- not-so-good, we went on a golf- added together would let golfers ers used to have three basic op- vice can store up to 20 courses. er’s dream reporting assign- hit balls to the moon and back. tions, all with drawbacks: Head One of the most important ment: Find some new and innova- The SKLZ Gyro Swing, made to the local driving range and hit features of both products might tive gadgets that will allow a by Pro Performance Sports LLC balls (not so affectionately called be the ability to see the distance golfer to get better. If only a little. of San Diego and selling for $220 rocks) off mats that won’t allow to the front and the back of the online, has a 20,000-rpm gyro- for a proper divot; hit whiffle green, allowing golfers to bet- TEEING OFF scope in the clubhead that balls in the backyard, where the ter plan their shots. In addition, When starting a hole, most doesn’t promise extra distance, wind distorts any feedback; or golfers are able to track how far golfers think about the hazards per se, but will help golfers, in hit real golf balls, which then they hit a particular club, not- on the hole, their swing, and the words of its celebrity en- must be regathered from points ing where they started and where the beer cart is. But not dorser, “make the right golf east to west to be used again. where they ended; the device many think much about the tee. swing without a thought.” The Point3 golf ball—made by does the math. Others, though, have thought Rick Smith, a top teaching pro almostGolf LLC and sold online about it for them. in Florida who endorses the in a 36-pack for $29.95—weighs PUTTING PRACTICE The Brush-T, made by Bonfit Gyro Swing, notes that 85% of 14.5 grams (a real golf ball Mathematically, putting is Sport Inc. and costing about $2 golfers in the world slice, most weighs just under 46 grams). half the game of golf. With a par apiece, has bristles on it like a of the time because they don’t The outside of the ball is just soft of 72, fully 36 of those theorecti- toothbrush, the better to sweep have the correct feel for what a enough to compress slightly on cal strokes are putts. Golfers, the ball off the tee, the company golf swing is supposed to do. impact, resulting in a flight however, rarely devote half of says, promising up to seven “Words are useless,” he says, about one-third of a traditional their practice time to putting. more yards. One version of the and the golfer, trying to correct ball. It’s soft enough to be used in Developers of the Kure, a new Launcher Tee, made by Tee the swing by beating balls at a backyards. And even with its putting-training device made by Guard Inc. of Washington state, range, only makes it worse. The short flight, it is heavy enough Solid Golf of Georgia, say that is made of hard plastic with a battery-powered gyroscope in and responsive enough to show about 90% of the time golfers bubble on the stem to ensure the the Gyro Swing emits a hum as if the golfer is slicing or hooking. aren’t aiming the putter face— tee is put into the ground the the device is slowly swung back The BirdieBall, made by Bird- the part that actually hits the same distance each time. A four- and forth. If the swing gets off ieBall Inc., is shaped like a napkin ball—at their target. The Kure, pack retails for $5.99 online. plane—as it does for most ama- ring, and flies about 40 yards which sells for $199 online, con- Many of the tee innovations of to- teurs—the gyroscope fights to when struck with a full shot. sists of a small piece that at- day reflect the need to protect get it back on plane. When the They sell online and in sporting- taches to the shaft of any putter the environment. For instance, in swing is on plane, the motion be- goods stores for $24.99 a dozen. and a target that looks like a sci-fi making its tees, PrideSports of comes almost effortless. The hard plastic “ball” can be hit version of a spider. The piece on Tennessee, recycles part of the A second, simpler—although off the grass, but most times is the shaft sends out a light that, wood formerly discarded in the not less-expensive—new swing hit off a hard plastic sheet the when aimed and aligned cor- manufacturing process to use in trainer is the SmartStick, which company calls a StrikePad. rectly, receives an amber light as other tees. sells for $229 online. Made by feedback from the spider. One of the best new gadgets is Grip It Golf of New Jersey, the FINDING THEIR WAY Using a second green light the development of a rubber tee SmartStick is a bright-orange In recent years, the rules of atop the spider, and a small light holder, like the Dura Launcher stick with small lasers at each golf have been amended to al- on top of the piece that hangs Practice System for $9.99 from end that are used to trace the low for hand-held GPS devices from the shaft, putters get feed- Tee Guard or the SpineTee from ideal plane of a golf swing. Most on the golf course, allowing a back on a square impact position SpineTee Inc. of Florida, for the golfers snatch the club to the in- look at a hole that is more com- and the rhythm of their stroke. driving range. Instead of holding side on their backswing, which of- plete than just your eyes can pro- The device, using techniques also a ball, the rubber tees, which you ten results in a weak slice. By put- vide. Instead of standing on a employed in the aerospace indus-


                Minding your Ts and Qs

1. How many golf balls were sold world-wide in the past 10 years? a. 5.5 billion b. 9 billion c. 13 billion d. 16 billion Point3 practice ball The 2. So how many golf balls is that, actually? can show if a golfer is slicing or hooking; the a. enough, laid in a row, to circle the earth more than 13 times Brush-T has bristles to help b. enough, put on a scale, to balance two aircraft carriers sweep the ball off the tee. c. enough, piled atop one another, to reach halfway to the moon d. enough to cover Tasmania

3. The word “golf” derives from… a. an Irish word for “hole” b. a Dutch word for “club” c. a Scottish word for “ball” try, ensures the eyes are over Valhalla Golf Club, site of this d. a French word for “impossible” the putting line, the shoulders year’s Ryder Cup. Now, imagine and arms are used correctly, and never having to actually get out 4. Why do many golfers shout “Fore!” the golfer stays in balance. of your pajamas. when they hit an errant shot? Welcome to the world of a. It’s a term they borrowed from

STAYING COOL home simulators. Prices start at artillery men. Jason Schneider Bobby Jones quit competitive about $30,000 and can run b. It’s a reminder not to twist the forearm, golf at the age of 28 after he more than double that, depend- the leading cause of errant shots. would routinely lose a half a ing on manufacturer and c. It’s Scottish for “four,” the start of a dozen kilograms or so during a model; a typical installation gen- countdown before the ball lands out tournament week. “Some people erally costs $40,000 to $50,000. of bounds. think they’re concentrating,” Mr. There are more than a dozen d. It’s short for, Get out of the way before the ball hits you. Jones is quoted as saying, “when manufacturers in the U.S., with they’re merely worrying.” DeadSolid Simulations Inc., 5. Tiger Woods won his first Masters tournament in 1997 by a HeartMath is a product that, AboutGolf Ltd., Full Swing Golf dozen strokes, with a 270 that’s the lowest-four-round score ever. while not strictly for golf, aims Inc. and Interactive Sports Tech- Who came in second? to ease the worrying and allow nologies four of the bigger and a. Constantino Rocca players to play their best golf. better-known ones. b. Tom Watson The HeartMath LLC device, sold In the past decade or so, golf c. Tom Kite online for $199, was brought to simulators have gone from pro d. Tommy Tolles the golf world almost a decade shops—where they are routinely ago by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Mar- used to find the right ball and 6. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il established himself in golf riott, best known as members of best-fitting club—to the home legend with his very first round on the country’s only course in Swedish golf sensation Annika market. Using the latest high- 1994. Which feat did he allegedly accomplish? Sorenstam’s coaching team. tech tracking gear, the simula- a. an eagle on the first hole Golf is partly a game of emo- tors measure the results of a golf b. an 18-hole total of 34 tions, says Ms. Nilsson, and the swing, showing the virtual ball’s c. five holes-in-one person who can control his or flight on the screen. Courses are d. all of the above her emotions best often has the painstakingly mapped by the better chance of winning. Heart- simulator companies, so when 7. Evidence suggests the Chinese played a game much like golf in Math doesn’t try to eliminate golfers slice into the woods they the 14th century. What did they call it? emotions, just control them, can be stymied electronically by a. cuanbang b. colf c. chuiwan d. shaobangchui she says. “It’s not walking the same tree they would be if around like a zombie and not be- they actually went to the course. ing into the game,” she says. Some companies’ models even The device measures heart- connect to the Internet so you ANSWER KEY rate variability, the small, very can play, in real time, with other subtle changes in a heart’s golfers in their game rooms thou- 1. c. 4. a. It essentially means, “look Clockwise from top: The beat-to-beat rhythm. The abil- sands of kilometers away. 2. a. While 13 billion golf balls out ahead,” and likely a military BirdieBall practice ball flies ity to control the small heart- would outweigh six Nimitz-class term to warn forward troops of about 40 yards when struck rate changes—that is, the stress THE HOME HOLE aircraft carriers and make a stack artillery fire from behind. with a full shot; the SKLZ level—separates, say, Tiger Not all golf gadgets need to be high enough to go all the way to 5. c. It was the third time Gyro Swing is a training aid Woods from whatever golfer is expensive with lights, bells and the moon and 160,000 kilometers Mr. Kite finished second at with a battery-powered finishing second that week. whistles. Many can be found at beyond, to cover Tasmania would the Masters, but the first time Segway’s x2 Golf gyroscope; Golfers who have trouble man- home. One of the simplest is a take more than 34 trillion. he was alone in second place. machine can travel at just aging their heart-rate variabil- mirror. Because much of the golf 3. b. The Dutch word kolf or 6. d. For the record, the lowest over 19 kilometers per hour; ity will often find it tough to vi- swing happens behind the golfer, kolve was used for a game 18-hole score ever achieved in a the Kure is a new training sualize their next shot, or their it’s almost impossible to know played with a stick and ball on PGA tournament in the U.S. is 59, device for putting that uses frozen canals. Perhaps picking up accomplished three times. aerospace technology. tempo will feel off, or they what’s going on back there with- won’t be able to make a deci- out a mirror, or a video camera the basic idea from Dutch sailors, 7. c. “Chui” meaning to hit and sion on what club to hit. A bad on a tripod. A second easy home the Scots created a game they “wan,” which means ball. opening tee shot, Ms. Marriott aid is to swing a whisk broom. In called goff or gouff. The name says, and the golfer will think, addition to being a good exercise didn’t become “golf” until the Sources: WSJ reporting; National “‘Oh, it’s going to be that kind of to strengthen the golf muscles, 16th century. The French word Golf Foundation; U.S. Golf day,’ and you know they’re by slowly swinging a broom a for impossible is “impossible.” Association; Pellucid Corp. cooked for the entire round.” golfer can train the proper se- quence to impact: The lower TRAVELING IN STYLE body moves first, then upper =—t†›—r‚} One aspirational golfing gad- body, then arms, lastly wrists. get is a Segway transportation Finally, one of the biggest = ^‘Ÿ— ^‹sš Ÿ‘—Š‘œš ˜˜˜ ‘ device, fitted with a rack to carry problems golfers have is finding a golf bag. The x2 Golf machines, the sweet spot on all of their C†›¥ Cœ——}y¥ hd³ which cost just under $6,200, clubs, especially when putting. can travel from tee to green at To ensure constant contact with A—œ˜˜‹˜ B2} ± } just over 19 kilometers per hour the sweet spot in putting, put H—sŠ€œ—š B ±¬ and zip 22.5 kilometers between rubber bands or Band-Aids off to e‘Š¢‘ L··} ±¬ charges. There are 11 U.S. courses both sides of the sweet spot on K‘ S‘ KS± ¼· ±· and seven overseas, including the putter face. That way, if the two in Russia, that offer the Seg- sweet spot is missed, the feed- U‘|‘ G ­ ±¬­ way to their customers. The mu- back is instantaneous as the ball ^s— ˜ B · ±¬­ nicipal course in San Jose, Cali- shoots off to one side or stops b‘ B ¼ ±¬ fornia, will rent you a Segway for less than 50% of the way to the [Ÿ n‘—Š ±·­ $26 for 18 holes, the same price hole. By missing a putt by only as a traditional electric cart. 10%, golfers can fool themselves c‘œ‹ ··­­­ Ÿ‘ ±·· into thinking things weren’t that c s’‘— c±¨2 ±6¼ ^‘Ÿ— ^‹sš Us|— Fš—’— ˜˜ NEVER LEAVING HOME bad, but with this feedback, [‘š$ H‘— s ·£ š‘ ­£ œš ˜˜˜ ‘ Imagine playing the best there is no fooling anymore. ^— {˜ {‹œ|  šs¡˜ s˜ ’—‘ || x¢ {š—s‹‹¢ courses in the world every night: And isn’t that the whole ‹‘{sš| —šs ‹—˜  s{ƒ { š¢ s—s| s| Pebble Beach, Harbour Town or point of feedback? {‘—š| š‘ šƒ s—˜š gc |‘‹‹s—˜ The companies

   
          


 Special Advertising Section At the top end, it’s a seller’s market around the world

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there were sharply smaller price increases — and even some HILE the broad res- declines — last year. idential property Liam Bailey, head of research W sector is suffering in in Newmark Knight Frank’s Lon- several countries because of the don office, says good opportunities current credit crunch, so far for investors now lie outside the the luxury sector of the market % % $  traditional markets. appears unscathed. “Singapore [luxury property] Although residential markets prices have risen steadily to show around the world have seen a a 31% rise over the past 12 months. decline in transactions and, in In Hong Kong, prices for all some locations, sharp price drops types of property rose 24% in too, so far, the top end has not.   
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" 2007, with almost half of that Figures from Dubai-owned growth occurring in the last quar- realtor Hamptons International quarters. With such high demand, at $4,100 a square foot. So far, investors and holiday-home buy- ter alone,” he says. show property in prime locations, prices are driven higher by lack the borough has not become mired ers have also performed well Higher taxes in Beijing and measured on a dollar-per-square- of supply. in the subprime crisis and has despite growing economic pes- Shanghai mean those markets foot basis, have recorded price “There’s not enough good- extended its prime area by con- simism, according to a world are now cooling, but foreign increases of between 5% and 15% quality stock on the market. This verting part of the Plaza Hotel price index by New York-based investors are instead encouraged during the year to February 2008. is illustrated by our two most at Central Park South into lux- realtor Newmark Knight Frank. to put money into secondary loca- London is most expensive with recent sales, a large [4,800-square- ury apartments. Columbus Circle For example, there was a 12.3% tions. Says Mr. Bailey: “House its prime West End, Knightsbridge foot] apartment in Knightsbridge is a new prime location, too, price increase last year in South prices in 70 cities rose 10.5% and Mayfair areas exceeding that sold to the first person to with the Time Warner Center Africa, a long-time favorite holi- over the 12 months to December $7,900 ( 4,989) a square foot see it, and another property sold and 15 Central Park West. A day-home destination for Western 2007. The fastest growth is in after a 15% annual rise. “Demand before it was even completed, survey by realtor and lender Pru- Europeans, although set against the city of Urumqi [in the north- is particularly high for apart- let alone on the market,”says Mike dential Douglas Elliman shows an inflation rate of 9%, this growth west of the country] — just ments in new developments, but Spink, managing director of Manhattan apartment prices up appears less attractive to investors. under 25%.” the number of developments Spink Properties, a British firm 13.2% in the year to March. Bulgaria, which has a thriving Mr. Bailey says the emergence available is very limited,” says specializing in renovating homes After London and Manhattan, buy-to-let sector in the capital, of these hitherto little-known Rob Bruce, Hamptons’s London- and selling them for $20 million the three most expensive loca- Sofia, as well as holiday resorts markets demonstrates how the based director of research. to $200 million. tions for luxury properties are on the Black Sea coast and in global property investment model Hamptons says over 10% of The house sold before comple- Hong Kong (US$3,750 a square the Bansko and Pamporovo ski is changing in the light of volatil- the world’s 1,125 dollar billion- tion was London’s most expensive foot, up 12%); Moscow ($3,560, areas, saw price rises in those areas ity in the banking sector. aires own property in London, ever, a Victorian villa in Kensington up 8%); and Rome $3,085, up of 33% in 2007 despite signs of “Prices in Europe and America while 65% of Fortune’s Global bought by Ukrainian industri- 5%), the percentages show annual oversupply in some locations, are suffering; prices in Asia and 500 companies — a key barometer alist turned philanthropist Elena rises up to the end of last year. according to Newmark Knight elsewhere in the world are per- of the world’s financial opera- Franchuk for $158 million. Tokyo came sixth at $3,405, up 1%. Frank. Even so, it remains inex- forming very well. The luxury tions — have chosen London Manhattan is second in Hamp- Many lower-price international pensive even compared with the market, however, remains in good as their European or world head- tons’s table of high-price locations locations favored by individual rest of Eastern Europe, where shape almost everywhere.”

HONG KONG

                


 Special Advertising Section increasing a little faster, so there is mild pressure on rental rates High expat demand for luxury apartments,” he says. “We expect rentals to soften a little this year, because of the sends Hong Kong % % increase in supply, and even if there is some growth [in rates], rental prices soaring it is not likely to be significant.” Luxury apartments in Shanghai face growing competition from "
  Kong, especially in core markets villas and, especially, serviced like the Peak, Mid-Levels and the apartments. “The serviced apart- UELED by fast-growing south side of Hong Kong Island. ment market is very competitive local economies and a As a result, some newcomers are with a lot of new entrants,” says F continuing influx of over- looking for smaller units or lower- Simon Dowell, director of sales seas employees, residential rental quality buildings, or are considering and marketing at Marriott Exec- markets in China remain strong, options in Kowloon or the New utive Apartments — Tomorrow with leasing rates either steady Territories, says Mr. Chan. Square, in Shanghai. “There are or rising, depending on the city, The average luxury apartment more properties out there, so as and vacancy rates steady or falling. rental in Hong Kong costs about each month goes on we find it The Hong Kong rental mar- US$60 a square meter per month, ever more challenging to secure ket is by far the most robust in and the vacancy rate is just 5%. premium rates.” China. With land supply for new In Beijing and Shanghai, where !
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!# In the villa market, rentals in developments sharply limited, supply is more fluid and new Shanghai are about $20 a square rental prices are surging. Luxury residences are easier to build, leas- Olympics, which start on Aug. 8. Shanghai expects to get some meter per month, but that could residential rental rates rose 18% ing prices are lower and vacancy “We foresee that rentals will go tourist overflow from the Olym- rise in the face of increasing in 2007, and are set to rise another rates higher. up maybe 10% to 20% or higher pics, but beyond that it is business expatriate demand, says Mr. Lee 15% to 20% by the end of 2008, In Beijing, the average rental over the next two quarters, due to as usual in China’s second city, of Colliers International. Relo- says Marcos Chan, head of research for a luxury apartment was $22 a the strong impact of the Olympic with supply and demand gen- cating families often prefer villas, for Hong Kong and Macao, at square meter per month at the Games, and this is conservative,” erally in balance, as they have he says, because they are roomier international real estate firm Jones beginning of the year, up from says Carlby Xie, senior manager, been for several years. During and closer to Shanghai’s inter- Lang LaSalle in Hong Kong. about $20 at the beginning of 2007, research and consultancy, at Col- the past three years, rental rates national schools, which are in “Rents are going up as a result with a vacancy rate of around 20%, liers International in Beijing. for high-end apartments in Shang- the suburbs. For the next three of strong expatriate leasing demand according to a Hong Kong-issued After the Olympics, rental rates hai have been inching up, and years, across all residential sec- on the back of very tight sup- report by property consultancy will likely return to previous lev- are now at about $25 a square tors including serviced apartments, ply,” he says. “Major multinational Colliers International. els, he says, but ultimately, they meter per month, according to villas and luxury apartments, Mr. companies had aggressive expan- As in Hong Kong, demand in will be supported by incoming Colliers, with a vacancy rate of Lee predicts a steady increase sion plans last year, adding a lot Beijing is driven by multination- businesses. “Naturally rents will around 18%. in rental rates in Shanghai, driven more expatriates to the pool.” als, which continue to establish come back to a normal level, More of the same is predicted by rising demand from over- The newly arriving expats, headquarters in the capital. But but because of continued expan- for the rest of 2008, says Hing seas. In that respect, the Shanghai many of whom work in bank- Beijing also has its own unique sion in the local economy, the Yin Lee, director of research and rental market is just like its ing, finance and law, will find attraction, which is expected to rental rates will remain pretty consultancy at Colliers Inter- counterparts in Hong Kong limited rental options in Hong boost housing rates: the Summer stable,” says Mr. Xie. national in Shanghai. “Supply is and Beijing.

HONG KONG

   
        
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By Ying Ma selves one day becoming the myth- she was! How dare you?!” Teacher fully understand what we had year, I could tolerate myself no ical kung fu figures described in Yang pounded her podium so done wrong, we admitted guilt and longer and groveled for forgive- It was the fall of 1984. It was be- popular, and riveting, Chinese mar- loudly now that she looked as if endured the reprimands, or in my ness. “I’m sorry,” I finally mus- fore the world began obsessing tial arts tales. she might reach over and hit him. case, denied involvement and let tered the courage to say to him. He about the rise of China, before the The summer before third I could not fathom why watch- others take the blame. looked surprised, almost as if he days of double-digit annual eco- grade, the boys invited me to join ing or practicing pseudo martial Nothing serious or seriously never believed an apology was nec- nomic growth, before the massacre their group. I did not know, and arts was gang activity, but as the harmful happened to us “gang” essary or would be forthcoming. of peaceful pro-de- did not ask, why. I captain of the class, I was not used members. After all, we were just In his look of surprise, I realized mocracy protestors assumed it was be- to questioning my teachers’ judg- children. We were not organizing that he did what he did because he in Tiananmen Childhood cause every Chinese ment and wanted even less for on behalf of peasants rights, chal- believed it was the right thing to Square, and before ri- martial arts story Teacher Yang to be angry with me. lenging the one-child policy, or ri- do. ots in Tibet disrupted games collide had a heroine and I The boy, hardly a model student oting against Chinese control over Six months later, I emigrated to Beijing’s preparation with adult accepted the invita- and no stranger to her disapproval, Tibet. Many years later, those who the United States with my family. I for the 2008 Summer tion believing that took on her anger, including that did would discover at gun point or never saw or heard from the boy Olympics. repression. their story could which he did not deserve. in prison the price that their advo- again. Despite her tirade and her I was in third have no better hero- “Who else was part of this ille- cacy would exact. In 1984, I only disbanding of my “gang,” Teacher grade in Guangzhou, ine than me. gal outfit?” Teacher Yang Yang remained my favor- China. My favorite instructor, to But even childhood fantasies pounded on the podium ite instructor for years af- whom we referred respectfully as had a way of becoming an offense again, her face even redder ter my departure from Teacher Yang, was angrier than I under authoritarianism. On this af- now. One by one, the boys Guangzhou. had ever seen. “How could you?!” ternoon in the fall of 1984, mem- from the rooftop stood up. Daily life under authori- She chastized me, “You’re the cap- bers of our silly little martial arts Unlike me, they did not aban- tarian rule is not always tain of the class! You are supposed group discovered that we were don their friend or their about the heroics of politi- to set an example for everyone also gang members. “gang.” As each one rose my cal dissent challenging the else.” Pointing at me and at a boy Upon learning of our group’s ex- face got redder and hotter. absurdity of government standing alone in the front of the istence, Teacher Yang exploded For the next half hour, control. It is also about the classroom, Teacher Yang thun- into a fit of rage. “Absolutely ridic- Teacher Yang continued ambiguity of the rules and dered, “Were you or were you not ulous! Is this what I have taught pounding the table and in- the ambivalence of those part of his gang?” you? To form a gang?” Upon order- structed all the “gang” mem- who live under them. For I looked at the boy standing in ing the boy who led the group to bers to go home and reflect some living in China today, front of the classroom. My cheeks stand alone in front of the class- on their wrongdoing. From this may mean detesting were red hot. room, she turned to me. “Were you that day on, our martial their own government A gang was a danger to society. I or were you not part of his gang?” arts group was disbanded. while still condemning pro- was a model student and had been Mortified that I could be in real It was only many years testors in Tibet and their handpicked by my instructors to be trouble for the first time in my life, later that I realized that au- overseas supporters for ru- the captain of my class since first I slowly made a noise that sounded thoritarianism is always, al- ining China’s coming out grade. My position required no like “No-o-o-o-o.” ways suspicious of orga- party before the summer leadership skills, but I had the best Teacher Yang apparently did nized activity springing up Olympics. For the nine- Ryan Inzana grades, a spotless record and the in- not notice my hesitation or my outside of its purview. As year-old me in 1984, who children growing up in imagined myself fit to be structors’ favoritism. I had no busi- bright red cheeks. She immedi- knew that I had lied and in turn, a ness joining a gang, but I was in- southern China in 1984, we just the heroine of any story, I discov- ately unleashed her anger on the boy had lied to protect me. deed a member of his gang. boy standing alone in the front of wanted to go outside and play. The ered, amid ambiguity and ambiva- For the rest of the school year, I His gang consisted of about the class. “You lied?!!” Pounding rules of authoritarianism, how- lence, that the hero of my story half of the boys of our class. From the podium with her fist, Teacher ever, apply to everyone from the tried to ignore him. He said noth- was a boy standing alone in front time to time, they practiced kung Yang demanded to know, “Was the aged to the innocent and are en- ing, demanding from me neither of the classroom, who taught that fu on a rooftop. They had no in- captain part of your gang or not?” forced by everyone from media the regret nor gratitude to which I there was also friendship and loy- structor and no idea what they I froze and waited for his re- censors to public security officials felt he was entitled. His friends fol- alty, leadership and defiance. were doing, but they were unde- sponse. He did not hesitate. “She to guardians of the next genera- lowed suit and also said nothing. terred. Like numerous other Chi- was not,” he said. tion, like Teacher Yang. Though But guilt gnawed at me, until one Ms. Ma is a New York-based law- nese boys, they imagined them- “And you spread rumors that members of our “gang” could not day, near the end of the school yer. |} œ˜š xœ˜ By Joseph Sternberg ê CvŠjd C`fjbª 8vtf ?vtf•Lƒpd

HONG KONG—Having come funded Hollywood cousins. ernment in 2007 established a “The Detective,” suffered for cently of “Lust, Caution,” is one of movie-going age in the U.S., At heart, it’s because Hong HK$300 million ($38.5 million) the main character’s sentimen- example. Stephen Chow, direc- I’d long assumed that the pres- Kong filmmakers maintain a fund to subsidize productions. tal backstory about his long-lost tor and star of “Kung Fu Hustle” ence of subtitles in a flick sense of the fun of moviemaking Whatever the reason, the parents, which was distracting. is another. Even so, Western au- served as an imprimatur of artis- that’s absent from so many Hol- viewer can detect mental box- But I was still on the edge of my diences don’t always see them tic merit. That was before I saw lywood films. Even many of the ticking on the part of writers, di- seat. at their best. Mr. Chow has had “House of Mahjong.” serious dramas and thrillers rectors and producers. Roman- The considerable local acting a successful Hong Kong career The Cantonese movie, re- have a sense of humor—a pass- talent helps. “House of Mah- since the early 1990s, and long- leased last year, won’t be show- ing joke about the film industry, jong,” for example, stars Sam time fans prefer earlier outings ing up in New York art houses an oddly comical dead ele- Lee and Candy Lo, two leading such as “God of Cookery” or any time soon, and with good phant at the end of a car lights of Hong Kong comedy “All’s Well Ends Well” to the reason. A slapstick comedy chase (you’ll have to trust whose gifts were sadly mis- newer work most Americans heavy on scatological humor, me on this one), or a used in this particular film. know. it’s closer in spirit to “Talladega slightly self-effacing (Ms. Lo is a Canto-pop star, to Hong Kong also offers up its Nights” than “Remains of the martial arts sequence. boot.) Mr. Lee made a better share of serious films to match— Day.” Its reliance on Cantonese The movies often fea- showing in 1998’s “Bio Zom- and sometimes inspire—the puns doesn’t translate. And a ture truly artistic bie,” a horror-comedy in best of Hollywood. “The De- plot built around shopowners at touches. Almost every which he starred alongside parted,” best picture Oscar win- a mall who “pay” their rent by movie, no matter how Jordan Chan, himself an ac- ner for 2006, was a Hollywood cheating their doddering old banal, will feature at tor with a remarkable abil- remake of “Infernal Affairs,” a landlord at mahjong renders the least one flash of thes- ity to look believable in 2002 Hong Kong production film incomprehensible to non- pian brilliance, or per- roles as varied as mall rat, that some, including myself, players. It culminates in a haps an inventive shot. professional con man and think was better. The drama and 20-minute mahjong “shoot-out” But they always have one loutish investment banker. suspense in such movies are between the principal charac- eye on the audience and un- As Hong Kong’s movie in- hardly less acute for having to ters that is full of wit and drama derstand they need to provide dustry has grown more depen- read the dialogue at the bottom . . . if you know the rules of the enjoyment as much as art. dent on the mainland Chinese of the screen. game. Perhaps it’s because in an en- market, with many films now But the majority of Hong My passing interest in Hong vironment of fierce competition dubbed in Mandarin, Hong Kong movies aren’t great works

Kong cinema has morphed into a they must entertain to survive. M.E. Cohen Kong stars can hope for some of art, despite the presence of time- and money-consuming fas- The 50 to 60 movies produced lo- tic subplot? Check. Martial arts measure of fame in the world’s subtitles. Which is, ultimately, cination. I’ve actually come to cally each year are far outnum- sequence? Check. Gross-out most populous nation. Holly- what makes them so much fun. prefer Hong Kong movies—even bered and outbudgeted by Holly- bodily function humor? Check. wood fame is more elusive. the ones that rate critical scorn, wood pictures. The industry has Tragedy in the leading charac- Some big local names have Mr. Sternberg is an editorial page as “House of Mahjong” did—to periodically struggled finan- ter’s past? Check. One of my re- gained overseas attention. writer at The Wall Street Journal their more elaborate, better cially, to the point where the gov- cent favorites, a thriller called Tony Leung Chiu-wai, most re- Asia.


                 8jƒ Ajƒ Xie Jin Ms. Chen considers Xie Jin her first acting teacher. “He taught me everything that I needed to know to be in front of a (camera).” The director spent a lot of time rehearsing scenes with her for “Youth” (1977), to make sure she had a deep understanding of the character she played. “We did a   lot of these exercises. It was like my acting school.” Zhang Zheng and Huang Jian-zhong Working with this directing duo and other young crew members on the set of “The Little Flower” (1979), says Ms. Chen, was a unique experience. “To be with these people   who were trying to make something that wasn’t ever seen in China at that time was great fun.” The film tells how a family separated during World War II and the subsequent Communist revolution is reunited through happenstance.

Bernardo Bertolucci
  Ms. Chen admires Mr. Bertolucci’s use of moving-camera Actress—and budding director— shots. “I remember my last scene in (“The Last Emperor”), where he followed me—a completely broken person—up into Joan Chen on filmmakers the hall, up the stairs, all the way.” While working with who influenced her Mr. Bertolucci, she says, she fell in love with the process of filmmaking, which led her to direct her own films. . 0p`„cj` .p„qd

oan Chen’s acting career began about 30 years Oliver Stone ago when Mao Zedong’s last wife, Jiang Qing, discov- Dedication, strong opinions and courage—Ms. Chen admires ered the 16-year-old Shanghai native at a rifle range and cast her these qualities most in the U.S. director. “You can or cannot = agree with his opinions, but he always has something to say,” in a movie. Three years later, Ms. Chen won China’s best-actress award for her performance in the melodrama “The Little Flower” (“Xiao Hua”). she says. “My time with Oliver Stone (while shooting the film Over the years, Ms. Chen, who turns 47 this weekend, has successfully “Heaven & Earth,” which was released in 1993)...made me who maintained a career in China and the U.S., starring in movies such as I am today professionally.” “The Last Emperor,” “Heaven & Earth” and “Lust, Caution.” But she’s probably just as well-known for her first turn as a director: Her movie “Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl,” won critical acclaim, but because it was made in Jiang Wen Tibet without permission, Ms. Chen was subsequently banned from the Chi- Mr. Jiang is also a well-known actor in China, a fact that Ms. nese film industry. (The ban has since been lifted.) In March, she won a best- Chen says makes him a better director. “I always thought I sort of knew what to do—I have been (acting) since I (was) supporting-actress award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for “The Sun Ismael Roldan Also Rises,” which takes place during the Cultural Revolution. Here, she talks 14,” she says. “But when I was on Jiang Wen’s set, it was about the directors who have most influenced her. like teaching an old dog new tricks.” She credits Mr. Jiang for her best-supporting actress award at the Asian Film Awards Claudia Blume is a Hong Kong-based writer. in Hong Kong in March.

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Bangkok Hong Kong Singapore CONCERT EXHIBITION THEATER Barry Douglas: In an all-Beethoven A Taste for China: Part of the city’s The Hypochondriac: One of concert, the Bangkok Symphony Or- Le French May celebration, this exhibi- Molière’s most popular come- chestra will be led by Mr. Douglas, tion aims to recreate rooms where Pa- dies, this is the story of a rich who will also solo in the Piano Con- risian collectors and scholars dis- man convinced he’s suffering certo No. 5. Perhaps best known for played their Chinese works in the from several exotic diseases. his 1986 triumph in the Tchaikovsky 18th and 19th centuries. The 170 Drama Centre, National Left, Tokyo: ‘Mother and Child, Divided’ (1993), by Damien Hirst is one of the works by International Piano Competition, Mr. pieces on loan from French museums Library, 100 Victoria St., Turner Prize winners on display; Singapore: Molière’s ‘The Hypochondriac’ Douglas has performed with major or- include porcelain, furniture, lacquer, Third floor; chestras all over the world. The pro- bronzes and paintings. May 7 to 18, 8 p.m., gram includes two other crowd-pleas- Hong Kong Museum of Art, additional ers: the “Coriolan” Overture and the 10 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsiu, 3 p.m. performance on weekends; Symphony No. 7. Kowloon; to June 15, no performance May 12. pianist Lang Lang at some concerts in CONCERT Main Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., to Admission: S$30. China and Japanese violinist Midori at The Osmonds 50th Anniversary Tour: Ratchadapisek Road, Huay-Kwang; 8 p.m. on Saturdays, closed  65-6348-5555 some in Japan. Ticketing information The siblings have collectively sold over May 2, 8 p.m. Thursdays. Web: www.sistic.com isn’t yet available for Beijing. 100 million albums. Expect the brothers Admission: 400 baht to Admission: Tokyo: Main Hall, Suntory Hall, to sing such hits as “One Bad Apple”— 1,500 baht. HK$20. Tokyo Akasaka 1-13-1, Minato-ku; May 23 and Donny and Marie to bring out “Lit- 66-2262-3456 852-2721- and 27, 7 p.m.; May 24, 2 p.m. tle Bit Country and Little Bit Rock &   EXHIBITION Web: 0116 Admission: 9,000 yen to Roll.” Singapore tickets on sale April 28. History in the Making: This exhibition www.thaiticketma http://hk.art 40,000 yen. Perth: Burswood Dome, is the first to bring together works by jor.com .museum 81-3-3584-9999 Burswood Entertainment Complex, all the winners of the Turner Prize,  Web: www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall Great Eastern Highway; one of contemporary art’s most cov- Beijing Shanghai Hyogo: Grand Hall, Hyogo June 5, 7:30 p.m. eted awards. The list includes Damien CONCERT DANCE Performing Arts Center; Admission: A$98 and A$160. Hirst, known for jarring works such as Symphonic Concert: And I Love You 2-22 Takamatsu-cho Nishinomiya-shi, Web: premier.ticketek.com.au a shark suspended in formaldehyde, Hear two works that So: From Ger- Hyogo; May 25, 4 p.m. Taipei: Taipei Arena, No. 10, Nanjing and Wolfgang Tillmans, known for his derive from Chinese many, the State Admission: 5,000 yen to 20,000 yen. E. Rd., Sec. 4; June 8, 7:30 p.m. abstract and still-life photographs. legend and history Theatre of Braun- 81-798-68-0255 Admission: NT$800 to NT$8,000. Mori Art Museum,  and mix Western schweig brings Web: www.gcenter-hyogo.jp 886-2-2341-9898 53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower,  and Eastern musical dances on the Seoul: Sejong Center, 81-3, www.ticket.com.tw 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; styles. “Butterfly Lov- theme of love. Sejong-no, Chongno-gu; Manila: Plenary Hall, Philippine to July 13, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ers,” from 1959, is The music in- May 30 and 31, 7:30 p.m. International Convention Center,

to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. Mark Harrison (Douglas); Astrup Fearnley Museum Oslo (Hirst); Gideon Koh Photography (‘The Hypochondriac’) based on a tale of cludes songs by Admission: 40,000 won to CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd.; Admission: 1,500 yen. star-crossed lovers; Ray Charles, Tina 200,000 won. June 14, 8 p.m. 81-3-5777-8600 “Yellow River” is a Turner, Edith  82-2-399-1114 Admission: 2,625 pesos to Web: www.mori.art.museum  rousing piano con- Piaf, Jacques Web: www.sejongpac.or.kr 15,750 pesos. certo, written in the Brel, Shirley Bas- Guangzhou: Xinghai Concert Hall,  632-891-9999 1940s to rally the sey and Louis Tours: Asia No. 33, Qing Bo Rd., Er Sha Island; www.ticketworld.com.ph masses in the war Bangkok: Barry Douglas will be Armstrong. CONCERT June 6, 8 p.m. Singapore: Singapore Indoor against Japan. soloist and conductor of a Lyceum The Philadelphia Orchestra: Marking Admission: 680 yuan to 1,980 yuan. Stadium, Kallang; June 17, 8 p.m. Beijing Concert Beethoven concerto. Theatre, 35 years since becoming the first U.S.  86-20-8776-8558 Admission: S$58 to S$178. Hall, 57 Maoming orchestra to play in the People’s Re- Web: gz.piao.com.cn  65-6348-5555 1 Beixinhua Jie, Rd., Luwan public of China, the Philadelphians will Shanghai: Shanghai Oriental Art Web: www.sistic.com Xichen District; District; present a variety of programs, with Center, No. 425, Dingxiang Rd., Genting Highlands: May 1, 7:30 p.m. May 7, 7:30 p.m. works including the sixth symphonies Pudong; June 7 and 8, 7:30 p.m. Arena of Stars, June 21, 8 p.m. Admission: 80 yuan to 880 yuan. Admission: 100 yuan to 300 yuan. of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven and the Admission: 200 yuan to 2,200 yuan. Admission: 110 ringgit to 480 ringgit.  86-10-6417-7845  86-21-6217-2426 fifth symphonies of Shostakovich and  86-21-6854-1234  60-3-2718-1118 Web: www.piao.com.cn www.culture.sh.cn Prokofiev. Among the soloists: Chinese Web: www.shoac.com.cn www.genting.com.my