18 | Friday, August 7, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Shaobing stack up as perfect treat even in sultry August

When I think of shaobing, the ture, which might seem an unsuita­ gy days when you’d prefer to spend shape a crater and then stuff it with bing, the sight of which would sure­ brim with shaobing, and spoke of fried flatbread that has become a ble thing for the month of August, less time in the kitchen. the filling and seal the edges. ly draw me to the dinner table with how his mother stayed up late the favorite treat of mine from my especially when the “autumn tiger” For the filling, mince onion and a After placing a round on a cut­ a spring in my step at any time of evening before to fry them before mother­in­law’s pounces across the country with its pickled or salted vegetable of your ting board, press down on it with the year. he left. I nearly shed a tear at the kitchen in rural ferocious summer heat that lingers choice (such as the salted bamboo your hands from the center on out, Not surprisingly, my affection for sight of this, her special — and deli­ Zhejiang province, around. shoot my mother­in­law uses), and flipping it and repeating until you the food hasn’t gone unnoticed by cious — way of saying “I love you”. I often recall a sul­ But if you had ever sank your then combine in equal proportion can roll it out with a rolling pin. my mother­in­law. After witnessing Try your hands at shaobing try August after­ teeth into a piece of my mother­in­ with just enough oil to bind them Then use the pin instead of your the many times I would sigh with sometime, and perhaps you too will noon a few years law’s shaobing just fresh from the together. hands to repeat the same process, much satisfaction over each crispy find yourself swooning over this back, when, amid pan — where the crispy, golden The dough comes from a simple until the edges become very thin. mouthful during visits, she started treat in your kitchen, even in the Jocelyn the drone of late­ exterior gives way to a savory filling mixture of flour and water, adding Finally, heat up some oil in a wok sending me and my husband Jun heat of summer. Eikenburg summer cicadas, of onion mingled with salted bam­ the latter until you can handle the or pan, and fry the flattened round home with a heaping bag of her Second she invited me to boo shoot — you would understand dough without having it stick to for one to two minutes on each side, homemade shaobing to freeze and Contact the writer at Thoughts sit at a wooden that this irresistible delight inspires your fingers. You knead it until it until it is crispy and slightly reheat later for lunches or a quick [email protected] stool beside her cravings that know no season or becomes elastic, shiny, smooth and browned and no longer sticks to the snack. Once, when Jun returned to well­worn cutting board to teach circumstances. lump­free, and then roll into a log pan. Beijing after a business trip that Online me how to prepare it from scratch. Besides, preparing her shaobing that gets cut into rounds. While cra­ Depending on how much flour included spending a few days at the Scan the code Making her shaobing involves proved easier than expected — dling one of the rounds in the palm and filling you have, your efforts family home, he lifted out of his to hear an audio frying with oil at a high tempera­ something welcome on those mug­ of your hand, use your fingers to can yield a significant stack of shao­ suitcase a plastic bag stuffed to the version. Candid camera: Water art China’s fight against COVID­19 pandemic inspires Yemeni student

TIANJIN — Although it’s sum­ He shot videos to chronicle all mer vacation, Moohialding Saleh that transpired during China’s Mohammed al­Kahtani, a Yemeni anti­epidemic fight. He filmed PhD student, has immersed him­ people screening temperatures in self in research materials in his markets and sterilizing car tires university campus in North Chi­ before entering into the commu­ na’s Tianjin. nity, and personnel disinfecting The 32­year­old civil engineer­ elevators. He uploaded the clips ing major at Tianjin University on social media platforms. says he feels the need to accelerate “I want to record everything so his research work that was delayed that more people across the world in the first half of the year due to could learn about China’s contri­ the COVID­19 pandemic. Follow­ bution to the global anti­epidemic ing the outbreak, the university fight,” al­Kahtani says. One of his campus was closed and studies videos garnered over 700 reposts were moved online. and more than 1,200 likes. The school has remained open In one of the videos, his 8­year­ throughout the summer to help old son and 4­year­old daughter students catch up with their aca­ extended their blessings and demic work. expressed solidarity with China, Al­Kahtani’s family of five stayed speaking in fluent Chinese. “We in China during the epidemic. On were born and brought up in Chi­ Feb 20, he went to a local police sta­ na, let us overcome the difficulties tion in Tianjin and left a handwrit­ together. Stay strong, Wuhan. ten letter in Chinese along with Stay strong, China.” 500 yuan ($72). “During the epidemic control “China is my second home. I period, the university teachers know this little money may not visited my home once a month, make much difference to the anti­ and brought me face masks and epidemic fight, but I do hope you hand sanitizers,” he says. can accept it and contribute the Al­Kahtani hopes other coun­ amount to help my dear Wuhan. tries can learn from China’s dis­ Online A powerboat churns the water to create a swirl at Dashawan amusement park on Liandao Island, Lian­ Let’s overcome the difficulties ease control efforts and eradicate yungang, Jiangsu province, on Tuesday. The city is holding a tourism festival featuring music, drama, a Scan the QR code for together,” he wrote in the letter. the pandemic as soon as possible. subscription or to get a night market and beach carnivals. It is scheduled to last through late October. WANG CHUN / FOR CHINA DAILY “My wife and I met and fell in Since the pandemic has not yet copy of today’s paper. love in China. All my three kids ended, al­Kahtani suggested that were born in China,” al­Kahtani overseas students in China follow says. local anti­epidemic guidelines. He has been living in China since “Protecting ourselves would be 2009, and his family is accustomed our best support to China’s epi­ to life here. demic prevention efforts.” Ancient Great Wall in northwest put into clear focus “No matter what, we will face “China loves us, and we love and overcome difficulties together China. The feeling is mutual. As YINCHUAN — It all happened in conduct an on­site investigation,” with the Chinese people,” he says. an international student, I am a series of clicks. Holding his breath, Chen says. Al­Kahtani says his family, like willing to make my humble con­ Li Peng squatted down and pressed Chen adds that the more photos thousands of other families in tribution to the anti­epidemic the shutter button successively as he she took, the more duty­bound she Tianjin, have complied with the fight. In the future, I aspire to be focused his camera on a beacon tow­ felt to document the section. city’s epidemic control and preven­ an outstanding engineer and live a er at the ancient Great Wall, stand­ Last year, Chen and her husband tion guidelines. better life in China with my fami­ ing beneath a starry sky. published a collection of pictures “Chinese medics and other ly,” al­Kahtani says. Minutes later, Li scrolled through taken over the past nearly 10 years front­line ‘warriors’ have worked the photos he just took, picked out with financial support from the extensively to ensure our safety. I XINHUA one of his most satisfying clicks and county government. cannot be a silent bystander,” jotted down a caption for the picture “It was arduous but worthwhile,” al­Kahtani says. — “looking into the star­studded sky”. she says, recalling the grueling days The man with a 1­year­old “The images of the Great Wall in when she and her husband had to daughter said he was in tears when different seasons and at varied times sleep in a tent during their frequent he saw the photograph of a medi­ provide people an opportunity to outings. cal worker wearing a protective reach out to its long history,” the Li says that mining activities suit and holding a baby infected 46­year­old says. alongside a section of the Great Wall with COVID­19 in her arms. The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Tourists walk past exhibits of the 2019 China Great Wall at the eastern foot of the Helan He recalls how his Chinese Heritage Site, consists of many inter­ International Foto Week at Badaling, Beijing, in August last year. Mountains used to pose threats to its friends promptly raised 300,000 connected walls. Regarded as the More than 300 photographers, including those from Ningxia Hui historical features. However, in yuan through the internet for his largest and greatest fortification sys­ autonomous region, showcased some 1,500 photos of the wall. recent years, Ningxia has ramped up surgery after he had a car accident tem in China’s history, the Great SHI YONGPING / FOR CHINA DAILY efforts to protect the Great Wall by in 2016 in Southwest China’s Sich­ Wall was built across the country shutting down mines and restoring uan province. during different dynasties to protect about the Great Wall through his remains of the Great Wall. “I did not know the names of the its territories and resist invasion more than 20 years of researching Last year, the Ministry of Culture donors, but I know they are Chi­ from various nomadic groups. and photographing experience. and Tourism and the National Cul­ nese,” he says. It has always been However, few people know that Ningxia not only has “Ningxia not only has a wide tural Heritage Administration joint­ in his mind to reciprocate the aside from the famous Great Wall in a wide range of range of architectural remains of the ly released a comprehensive favor. Beijing, Northwest China’s Ningxia ancient Great Wall, including the conservation plan for the preserva­ Hui autonomous region is also architectural remains remaining walls, beacon towers, tion and utilization of the Great home to many ruins of the Great of the ancient Great trenches and passes, but also has Wall. Wall and is dubbed as the “museum abundant natural features along­ When Li was transferred to the of the Great Wall”. Wall, including the side, covering high mountains, Ningxia Museum in 2018, he Research shows there is 1,038 remaining walls, deserts and grasslands,” Li notes. launched a campaign to solicit pic­ kilometers of the Great Wall remain­ Shutterbugs, like Li, deem captur­ tures of the ancient Great Wall in ing in Ningxia. beacon towers, ing the views of the Great Wall as a Ningxia. More than 200 shutterbugs As a researcher from the Ningxia trenches and passes, way of preserving its heritage. from across the region contributed Museum and a voracious photogra­ Chen Jing, 50, is another avid pho­ some 1,800 photographs. pher, Li has been taking photos of but also has tographer. She is a teacher at a voca­ He then hosted an exhibition the Great Wall for the past 20 years. abundant natural tional school and initially began her based on the works he collected. So Li’s odyssey with the camera start­ rendezvous with the Great Wall far, more than 100,000 people have ed around 1998 when he began doc­ features alongside.” through a borrowed camera. Now, visited the exhibition that has umenting a section of the ancient Li Peng, photographer and she has purchased a professional spanned for more than a year and a Great Wall in Qingtongxia city, his researcher, Ningxia Museum camera and various lenses. Chen has half. hometown. At that time, he was even obtained a commercial drone “It is of great significance to working with the city’s cultural rel­ license to nurture her hobby better. unfold the cultural landscapes of ics administration department. Wall,” he says. “I’m a native of Yanchi county. My the Great Wall and to pass on and “Back then, in my spare time, I Li can’t remember exactly how father has authored books on the carry forward the connotations of often got up in the middle of the many pictures he had taken of the 260­km section of the ancient Great the ‘Great Wall spirit’ like grit and Top: Moohialding Saleh Mohammed al­Kahtani, a Yemeni night and tramped over mountains ancient Great Wall. Wall in the county. At first, I just persistence,” says Li. student at Tianjin University, holds a calligraphy piece and through ravines for hours to However, what he does remember wanted to bring back the photos of encouraging China and Wuhan. Above: Al­Kahtani and his three photograph the ancient Great is the general condition and details Great Wall to him as he is too old to XINHUA children. PHOTOS BY XINHUA