18 | Tuesday, November 17, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Lawyer’s anti­racism leadership lights the way for action

This year has witnessed an crimination against the Chinese against racism and discrimination, inspire Chinese around the world rights under the law or even feel My hope is that Zhu and the alli­ alarming spike in hate incidents community in the UK, including such as reporting incidents to to combat racial discrimination. inclined to act, such as filing a ance represent a turning point in against Asians around the world. stories of children being targeted at authorities and taking legal Every day, members of the WeChat police report or a lawsuit. After all, the international Chinese commu­ The surge of openly racist and xen­ school, Zhu believed something recourse. group share and exchange infor­ in a March 2020 Chinese­language nity and its allies, a time marked ophobic attacks has needed to be done. And as a lawyer, More than 8,000 people from mation on the topic, to raise news report by China News Service, by the emergence of powerful anti­ only exacerbated the she considered it her duty to help over 10 countries attended the awareness and spur more people Zhu noted that most overseas Chi­ discrimination activism around dark reality of a cruel people in the Chinese community forum, and the online replay to safeguard their rights. And in nese habitually endure discrimina­ the world. Her leadership may gal­ pandemic overshad­ protect their interests and legal attracted some 10,000 views. This the future, Zhu hopes to expand tion in silence. vanize a new generation of Chi­ owing the globe. rights. extraordinary reception was a tes­ and strengthen the alliance by I’ve observed this sad reality nese — who in the face of But this tragic situ­ Zhu came up with the idea of tament to the significance of racism inviting more individuals to join in among my Chinese friends in the discrimination, may choose cour­ ation has also having an online forum for Chinese to Chinese around the world, and while also ramping up efforts to US, who have shared with me far age and action, confident in the Jocelyn sparked hopeful communities on responding to made Zhu realize the need for an promote the group. too many tales of suffering such knowledge that they are not alone Eikenburg activism, forging racism during the pandemic. The international group to forward the While Zhu’s leadership has indignities on their own, as part of in this fight. Second some new heroes in May 27 event, organized by the UK cause. arrived at an urgent time, I believe “eating bitterness” abroad. But if Thoughts the battle against Beijing Association, the UK Society Building on this momentum, the international Chinese commu­ there had been an international Contact the writer at racism and discrimi­ of Chinese Lawyers, and the Zhu founded the International nity has long needed a prominent movement against racism and dis­ [email protected] nation — including Xiaojiu Zhu Roundtable of Southern California Chinese Alliance Against Racism lawyer to champion this cause. crimination, supporting people to PhD, MBE, a distinguished lawyer Chinese­American Organizations, (ICAAR), uniting over 100 lawyers, Racial discrimination didn’t begin stand up for their rights, I believe Online at the Cruickshanks firm in Lon­ featured keynote speakers — leaders of Chinese communities with the COVID­19 pandemic. And my friends’ stories may have had Scan the code don, the United Kingdom. including Zhu — who encouraged and media representatives from victims living in a foreign country ended with something closer to jus­ to hear an audio In the face of rising reports of dis­ people to take positive actions over 30 countries and regions to may not always understand their tice. version. Candid camera: Play time Livestreaming helps farmer reap sales with millions of followers

NANNING — With a hoarse “The short video industry was voice yet shining smile, Gan You­ emerging in China at that time, qin chatted with her followers yet few of the protagonists were and promoted sales of citrus farmers,” says Zhang, who decid­ fruits of her hometown in her ed to seize the opportunity and nightly livestreaming session. work as Gan’s full­time photogra­ The 40­year­old woman, who pher at that time. used to be a farmer and house­ As Gan’s fame grew, she began wife in a small village in Ling­ to sell fruit from her family shan county of South China’s orchard, but it soon fell short of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous demand. They then launched an region, is one of the most popular e­commerce company selling online celebrities in China, various kinds of agricultural attracting over 4.26 million fol­ products from all over the region. lowers on Douyin, the Chinese Gan’s company has been a big version of TikTok. success. It sold over 4 million kg After the livestreaming show, of agricultural products in 2018 Gan brought some citrus fruit to and 6 million kg in 2019, with her employees who worked over­ sales revenue totaling 67 million time to prepare for sales on Sin­ yuan ($10 million). gles Day, which fell on Nov 11, a Gan has become a role model super online shopping day in in her field and received lots of China. awards for her achievements in “We worked till midnight every boosting local agricultural prod­ day as online orders surged ucts sales. recently,” says Gan, who helped The success stories of Gan and villagers sell nearly 100,000 kilo­ other rural online celebrities grams of citruses from Nov 1 to 9. have attracted lots of attention Gan says more citrus growers around the country, and more turned to her for help as fewer and more people in rural China A father on his mobile phone and his son playing with a toy car wait at a bus stop displaying an Online merchants came to the village to are entering the short video and advertisement on how best to teach children mathematics in Beijing on Sunday. GUO JIANSHE / FOR CHINA DAILY Scan the QR code for make bulk purchases because of livestreaming industry. subscription or to get a the COVID­19 pandemic this “People often invited me to copy of today’s paper. year. She is now trusted and sup­ give lectures on livestreaming ported in her hometown for her skills and how to make popular great success in boosting sales of videos,” says Gan, who admitted farm produce there. the four­year engagement in the Gan is known as one of the short video industry brought her pathfinders of Chinese online pleasure as well as pressure. Ancient books unveil chapters of history rural celebrities who shared Gan is now fully occupied in country life and promoted sales shooting videos and livestream­ of related products online. She ing and often works from early in By WANG KAIHAO the Five Dynasties and Ten King­ languages are also included in the was encouraged by her nephew the morning to midnight. [email protected] doms period (907­960). The Nation­ directory. A highlight is a copy of the Zhang Yangcheng, and posted “I may leave the industry in the al Library of China collected it in first volume of Das Kapital by Karl her first video in May 2017, which future, so I am happy to see more They may be flimsy, they are cer­ 2015. Marx, which was printed in Ham­ received 200,000 views in less young people go back to their tainly not solid or weighty. But they “It’s also a rare physical proof of burg in 1867. than a day. hometowns to join the e­com­ are treasures nonetheless and these early­stage printed work anywhere Recent surveys of ancient books Zhang used to work for media merce industry. I am willing to do books showcase the uninterrupted in the world,” Rao Quan, the director also led to key discoveries among col­ in cities but returned to his what I can to help them,” says Gan, lineage of Chinese civilization. of the national library, says. lections of museums and libraries. hometown in 2017, asking Gan to who plans to offer more free train­ Earlier this month, the State This sutra is also the world’s sec­ For example, Rao cites that, dur­ be the main character in his ing to those who love the industry. Council, China’s Cabinet, released ond­oldest known dated printed ing reign of Qianlong (1736­95) of short videos featuring country the sixth list for the national directo­ work, only after the Diamond Sutra. the Qing Dynasty (1644­1911), the life. XINHUA ry of precious ancient books, includ­ That Buddhist scripture printed in emperor ordered a rubbing replica ing 752 new entries of major 868 is also from China, and is now a of the Confucian classics, which was historical significance. collection of the British Library. carved on the stone stele in the Applications for recognized status Another highlight in the list, Libu Guozijian (the imperial college) in to be inscribed in the list began in Yunlue (or “the concise rhymes from Beijing. The rubbing was bestowed 2018, and the Ministry of Culture the Ministry of Rites”), was released to the Confucius’ Family Mansion in and Tourism organized 86 top­tier by the government of the Northern Qufu, Shandong province, in 1796. experts, working all over the country Song Dynasty (960­1127) for prepara­ A map of Beijing, drawn during It was rediscovered last year when to evaluate the 3,981 candidate tion of national­level examinations. the reign of Emperor Daoguang researchers checked the inventory of books through rounds of appraisal, It was collected by Nanjing (1821­50), is among documents a museum in Qufu, and was selected starting from early 2019 to Septem­ Library in Jiangsu province in 2013, released on China’s sixth list of for the directory this time. As the ber, according to Chen Binbin, an bought from an auction, and is also the national directory of original stele in Beijing has been par­ inspector from the ministry. widely hailed by academia as “one of precious ancient books. tially eroded due to its age, this repli­ A rigid academic attitude was the biggest discoveries of ancient PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ca on paper is hugely significant for maintained during the process. Chinese books in recent years”. academic reference. “The panel had a close­up inspec­ According to Quan Qin, deputy According to Chen from the Min­ tion on the candidates one by one,” director of Nanjing Library, this copy en slips, among others are also istry of Culture and Tourism, it is Chen says at a news conference in of Libu Yunlue, compiled between included. estimated that China has more than Beijing, hosted by the ministry, on 1037 and 1066, is the earliest surviv­ A colorful map of Beijing, drawn 30 million copies of ancient books, Friday. “If there was a dispute among ing printed edition of the book, and during the reign of Daoguang (1821­ and about 90 percent of them have experts on a specific edition or is also the only remaining example of 50), has a detailed and comprehen­ been registered in details in the understanding of contents, we that edition. sive recording of the capital’s road national survey. would halt inscribing it onto the list. The 700­odd newly titled trea­ networks, city layout, princes’ man­ China has also established 12 “We would rather leave an empty sures embrace a wide variety of sions, government offices, and other national­level restoration centers of position there than make a mistake,” styles. key landmarks. ancient books to rescue the aging he says. Li Zhizhong, the chief expert of the And Water Margin, Journey to the pages. And 203 libraries, museums, Indisputably, the finally inscribed appraisal committee for candidates West, and Dream of the Red Cham­ universities, and other conservation works are outstanding examples. of the list, explains the books are ber — three classic ancient Chinese institutions — including 23 newly From a 10th­century Buddhist basically categorized into four varie­ novels — written in Mongolian, titled this month — are listed as sutra, which is the earliest­known ties, following the traditional classi­ shows close connection and fre­ national­level key venues on protec­ dated printed work in China, to the fication of books in ancient time: quent cultural communication tion of ancient books. one­millennium­old printed official Confucian classics (jing), history among different ethnic groups, Rao Digitized copies of about 72,000 dictionary of poetic rhythm, this rel­ (shi), writings on various philoso­ from the national library notes. varieties of ancient books have been atively short sixth list — compared phies and religious scriptures (zi), In China, “ancient books” are usu­ uploaded to a national database for with the total 12,274 items being and poetry and literature (ji). ally defined as those published public access. Chen also says more included in the previous five — is full Nevertheless, he adds that other before 1912, the end of Chinese mon­ ancient Chinese books, which were Top: Gan Youqin, a livestreamer from the Guangxi Zhuang of heavyweight stars. varieties like maps, books written in archy. However, for books in non­ lost to overseas during war or for autonomous region, shares her experience at a conference in The Bodhisattva Maitreya’s Pre­ languages of non­Han ethnic Han languages, the time span could other historical reasons, can be Beijing in September. GUO HAIPENG / FOR CHINA DAILY Above: A girl vious Life in Tusita Heaven (first groups, stone rubbings, writings also be expanded to before 1949. “brought home” in digital forms to watches a livestreamer promoting local products in Beichuan volume), was printed in 927 during on silk pieces or bamboo or wood­ Some precious books in foreign fill in the gaps in domestic studies. county, Sichuan province, on Saturday. JIANG HONGJING / XINHUA