hina nsight C Fostering business and culturalI harmony between and the U.S. VOL. 12 NO. 8 SEPTEMBER 2013 New Chinese Consul General of Chicago visits Minnesota By Greg Hugh, Staff Writer hao Weiping, newly appoint- hao Weiping, newly appoint- will send a group to Minnesota to assist ed Consul General for the ed Consul General for the in visa matters so those needing Chinese ZPeoples Republic of China in ZPeoples Republic of China in visa services will not need to travel to Chicago, visited with representatives Chicago, visited with representatives Chicago. The next time this service is of the Chinese community and Chi- of the Chinese community and Chi- available in Minnesota will be Oct. 12, nese newspapers in Minnesota in July. nese newspapers in Minnesota in July. 2013. Watch for details online at www. The meeting was organized by Vincent The meeting was organized by Vincent chinainsight.info. Mar, a board member of the Chinese Mar, a board member of the Chinese Although appointed in February American Association of Minnesota. American Association of Minnesota. 2013, Consul General Zhao had wanted Accompanying Consul General Zhao Accompanying Consul General Zhao to schedule his first visit to Minnesota Page 8 from the Chicago Consulate were Wang from the Chicago Consulate were Wang to include a visit with Governor Mark Yun - Consul of Cultural Affairs and Yun - Consul of Cultural Affairs and Dayton. Unfortunately, scheduling dif- Wang Ruibin - Consul of Political & Wang Ruibin - Consul of Political & ficulties meant he would have to accom- Press Affairs. Press Affairs. plish that on a return trip as he didn’t More than 20 leaders from different More than 20 leaders from different want to put off a trip to Minnesota any Chinese organizations attended the wel- Chinese organizations attended the wel- longer. Zhao stated that he was very im- come dinner held at Little Szechuan in come dinner held at Little Szechuan in pressed by the diversity of local Chinese St. Louis Park. During his introductory St. Louis Park. During his introductory organizations and the great services they remarks, Mar commented that the Con- remarks, Mar commented that the Con- Page 5 sulate was committed to continuing the Consul General continues on Chinese visa program and the Consulate Consul General Zhao Weiping Page 12 State exports flat in first quarter innesota exports, includ- Offsets Export Decline in Asia ing agricultural, mining Mand manufactured prod- • Minnesota exports increased to ucts, remained at US$4.9 billion and all regions, except for Asia. Between showed flat growth (although slightly the top two regions in the first quarter Page 7 up by US$17 million) between the first of 2013, Minnesota’s exports to North quarters of 2012 and 2013. The state’s America (US$1.7 billion) edged out top 10 markets accounted for 70 percent those to Asia (US$1.5 billion). Exports of state exports. A challenging global to North America grew 6 percent, large- economic environment resulted in state ly due to increased demand in Canada exports growing to only four of them. (up 8 percent to US$1.4 billion). State exports to Asia were down 11 percent, influenced by sharp losses across , South and India. • Overall sales to Europe performed well for Minnesota businesses, growing Page 14-15 6 percent to US$1.2 billion. In particu- lar, exports to European markets outside the European Union (EU) were up 29 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE percent to US$131 million, while those to the EU were up 4 percent to US$1 Pronouncements...... 2 U.S. exports also showed flat growth billion. Technology...... 3 during this period. Exports decreased for • State exports to Africa picked up Education...... 4-5 half of the states. steam, increasing 68 percent to US$68 Culture...... 6 For the manufacturing sector alone, million in the first quarter of 2013. Other Food...... 7 Minnesota manufactured exports were smaller regions also had notable growth: Major Products Provide Community...... 8 up 1.6 percent to US$4.5 billion in the exports to Central and South America Expanded Export Opportunities Sports...... 9 first quarter of 2013, higher than the increased 8 percent to US$239 million Books...... 10 U.S. growth rate of 1 percent. while those to the Australia-Pacific • The top 10 two-digit product Entrepreneurship...... 11 region increased 4 percent to US$140 groups accounted for 74 percent of the Business...... 12 Export Growth in Most Regions million. state’s total exports of goods. Although Economy...... 13 Travel...... 14-15 Exports continues on Finance...... 16 Page 3 PAGE 2 > SEPTEMBER 2013 pronouncements www.chinainsight.info Publisher’s Pronouncements ChinaInsight Publisher/Editor: Greetings: Gregory J. Hugh After enjoying our annual summer hiatus, all of us at China Insight hope that your summer has been a fulfill- [email protected] ing one. We are pleased to reconnect with you again after taking the of August off to recharge ourselves. During our summer break, the Twin Cities hosted a number of traditional events like the Dragon Festival and Manager of Operations/ the Aquatennial, along with other perennial favorites. The summer will close with the State Fair and Renaissance Circulation: Festival as many families prepare for a new school year. Richard He The summer also saw many visitors from China that included business, cultural and education delegations. [email protected] One of the largest Chinese student groups came from Loudi, Hunan Province, to visit its sister school in Eden Prairie. China Insight was pleased to assist in making the arrangements. See p. 5 for an article on the visit. On Marketing: the social scene, the Chinese Heritage Foundation held a celebration to pay tribute to its founder, Ming Tchou. Yin Simpson See article on p. 8. [email protected] While Minnesotans still await the arrival of Indian summer, Chinese Americans get to celebrate yet another holiday. The Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, falls on the 15th day of the 8th , Staff Writers: which is usually the first in September. It is a harvest festival where wheat is traditionally harvested in the north, and rice in the south of China. It is the Chinese equivalent of American Thanksgiving, and one of the Greg Hugh [email protected] most important traditional events for the Chinese. See article on p. 6. As we resume our task of fostering business and cultural harmony between China and the U.S., we do so with Shilyn Chang a restructured, all-volunteer staff. Jenny Nordin, our faithful and loyal editor for almost 10 years, has decided to [email protected] “retire” and will be sorely missed by yours truly since she has diligently served as my valuable right-hand gal. She Elaine Dunn will be bestowed the title of editor, emeritus. Joining our volunteer staff is Yin Simpson, marketing representative. [email protected] We are also pleased to announce that Patrick Welsh has joined the staff as a contributing writer. Welsh’s first article and biography can be found on p. 13. We trust that you will find his articles informative. Anthony James We’re also happy Raymond Lum will continue to provide his book reviews. . [email protected] Thank you for continuing to support China Insight. I also welcome any comments you have that will aid us in Jodi Yim James continuing to serve the community. [email protected]

Sincerely, Contributors: Gregory J. Hugh Raymond Lum Gregory J. Hugh [email protected] Publisher Patrick Welsh [email protected]

Honorary: Jennifer Nordin, Editor Emeritus

About ChinaInsight ChinaInsight is a monthly English language newspaper fostering business and cultural harmony between China and the U.S.

ChinaInsight is a Member of The Minnesota Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).

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All Rights Reserved. www.chinainsight.info technology SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 3 Reawakening the dragon: China’s space program might herald a new era of innovation By Anthony James, Staff Writer With the U.S. shuttle program gone, with a series of unmanned spaceflights. What separates a nation from being a space enthusiasts might be looking to While missing their initial deadline by leader rather than a follower of innova- China for their interplanetary travel fix. three years, China sent its first Chinese tion comes from its ability to not only Though still small in comparison to the astronaut, Yang Liwei, into space in demonstrate great technological feats, U.S. or Russian programs, it is most October 2003. Since then, the Shenzhou but also invent new ones. For China’s surprising how China has not only made program has sent 11 more astronauts future, the centuries of inventive stagna- vast milestones in its space program in into orbit. Shenzhou 7, which launched tion after the 1700s might just become only a few short years when it had taken in 2008, marked the first Chinese space- a small whisper in its long historical the U.S. and Russia more than 20. And, walk. China’s first woman in space, Liu it had done so with little- to-no support Yang, travelled with the Shenzhou 9, Exports continues from Page 1 from non-Chinese space programs. whose crew was the first to dock with Moreover, China’s program shows no the Tiagong 1. sign of plateauing; lunar missions and The final phase of China’s space sending its Taikonauts to Mars are very station is not the only plan for its space much on the agenda. program. In 2004, the People’s Republic Back in June 2013, with the touch- of China announced it would be work- down of its fifth manned spaceflight in ing toward unmanned lunar missions Inner Mongolia, China’s space program to collect samples with the goal of put- completed its longest spaceflight ever. ting a man on the moon by 2025. Sun Docking with its space lab Tiagong 1, Laiyan, head of the CNSA, announced the three-man crew spent 15 days pre- in July 2006 that it was making prepa- paring China’s next step in space travel: rations for Mars exploration missions overall growth was flat, exports among to US$4million). completing a fully functional space sta- with the hope of launching around 2040 the top 10 products increased 5 percent, • Other major products with sharp tion by 2020. Coincidently, 2020 is the or earlier. as a group, between the first quarters of declines were plastics and machinery. same year that the International Space The effectiveness and independence 2012 and 2013. In particular, aircraft/ • Plastic exports were down Station will run out of funding; which that the CNSA has shown during the spacecraft, vehicles and beverages led US$40million, particularly due to could mean that China might be one last few years mark a political and cul- in export gains. shrinking sales of self-adhesive mate- of the only countries that will have an tural statement for China. Joining only • Exports of aircraft/spacecraft were rials and plastic sheets/plates. Sales in active manned program in orbit. Given a handful of countries with their own up 108 percent (or up US$87 million) China (down US$10 million to US$54 the long, arduous history of the China space programs, China is proving itself to US$166 million in the first quarter of million) and Singapore (down US$13 National Space Administration, the en- to, again, be a world leader in scientific 2013. These exports mainly consist of million to US$18 million) declined the titlement, if given, is a bit of a surprise. and technological advancements. For civilian aircraft parts. The largest con- most. The formal beginnings of China’s politics, the space program will give tributors to growth was the Netherlands • Machinery exports dropped by space program occurred under the China influence as a major collaborator (US$47 million, up US$44 million), US$42 million due to decreased sales Sino-Soviet friendship period immedi- and possibly be a military/intelligence followed by Singapore (US$10 million, in some major markets such as the ately following the spark of the U.S.- superpower. Superiority with rocket up US$8 million), South Korea (US$7 United Kingdom, France, India, Japan U.S.S.R. space race. With the launch of technology that comes with satellite million, up from less than US$120,000) and Brazil. The most adversely affected U.S.S.R.’s first artificial satellite Sput- and spacecraft will also demonstrate and New Zealand (US$14 million, up product segments included computers nik I in October 1957, Chairman Mao China’s capabilities with missile flight US$7 million). and computer parts, machinery for pro- Zedong ordered his congress to add the and payload extraction, both important • Vehicles grew 17 percent to ducing semi-conductors, and spraying goal of satellite launches with their bal- for science and military use. US$432million. Canada (up 21 percent machinery.  listic rocket program, which was already As the nation that brought along to US$242 million) and Belgium (up 122 underway. Over the following decades, the invention of gunpowder and later, percent to US$25 million) contributed Minnesota Quarterly Export Statisticsis progress toward a manned program was the early versions of manmade rocket much of the gains. The strongest per- the most current resource available for tracking the state’s manufactured export either halted completely or moved at a propulsion, the PRC might find itself forming product areas were passenger trends and is prepared for the Minnesota snail’s pace because of internal political again at the forefront of technology and cars (including snowmobiles),special purpose vehicles, motor trucks and Trade Office (MTO) by the Department of turmoil and lack of cooperation from science with the space travel program. Employment and Economic Development’s tractors. the Soviets. (DEED) Analysis and Valuation Office (Thu- In the wake of de facto restoration • International sales of beverages Mai Ho-Kim, 651-259-7180). Starting with of capitalism in China’s economy in the increased US$47 million, mainly to the first quarter 2011, the quarterly and ‘90s, the satellite program was jump- Advertisers Canada, which accounted for 98 percent annual statistics reports primarily cover started, but soon found its reputation of these exports. The primary growth export data based on the Harmonized Tariff tarnished with disasters. In 1995, a Your potential customers product segment was denatured ethyl System (Schedule B), collected by the U.S. failed launch of a telecom satellite killed alcohol. Department of Commerce (USDOC) and are reading ChinaInsight. distributed by the Global Trade Informa- six and injured 23 from falling debris; • Demand for non-manufactured tion Services, rather than data based on the very next year another satellite Shouldn’t you be bringing goods showed more volatility, with sharp declines for agricultural commod- the North American Industry Classification exploded 22 seconds into the launch, them in the door with an System industries (NAICS), collected by ities, such as cereals (down 46 percent falling onto a nearby village. This time ad? the USDOC and distributed by the World the death toll was in the hundreds. At to US$52 million) and miscellaneous Institute of Social and Economic Research. the same time the satellite program was Contact: grains(down 28 percent to US$49 mil- Thus, reports covering 2011 and later data lion), and mined goods such as ores/ struggling, an ambitious manned space Greg Hugh may not be comparable to previously pub- program emerged from a failed project slag/ash (down 47 percent to US$41 lished reports. All reports are available on from the ‘80s. Project 921 was born in (952) 472-4757 million). the DEED website on the Export Statistics 1993, declaring that before the new mil- • Sales of meat dropped sharply page (www.PositivelyMinnesota.com/ Data_Publications/Data/Export_Statistics/ lennium China will have its first manned Email: (particularly for fresh or frozen pork), driven mostly by weaker demand in index.aspx). spaceflight. [email protected] But by 1999, 921 was renamed South Korea (down 48 percent to US$15 Project Shenzhou and well underway million) and Mexico (down 71 percent PAGE 4 > SEPTEMBER 2013 education www.chinainsight.info President Kaler solidified partnerships and student opportunities on summer Asian trip

Kaler speaking in Shanghai Kaler and wife, Karen, with alumni Simon Wong and Iris Leung in Hong Kong

University of Minnesota President that was established in 2008, and is Eric Kaler returned recently from a considered one of the most successful highly successful trip to Asia - his first Confucius Institutes in the U.S. international trip in his two-year tenure While in Tianjin, Kaler and oth- at the University. The trip solidified ers visited the Tianjin University of partnerships with key universities and Sport, home to the University’s unique explored research as well as student and American Cultural Center for Sport. The scholarship exchange opportunities for program is partially funded by the U.S. the University in the Greater China area. State Department is brings culturally The trip also helped launch the upcom- oriented instruction, exchanges, and ing celebration "China 100," which is a engagement to Chinese people using the yearlong celebration honoring the first medium of sport to examine deeply held students from China and the wealth of cultural values within American society. connections that have come since. Kaler also outlined the differences Kaler met with leading education, between China’s research and technol- government and business officials, and ogy transfer practices and those in the attended four gatherings with alumni. United States in a talk, “Global, In- Kaler’s small contingent included his novative, and Open For Business: The wife, Karen, Meredith McQuaid, the as- American Research University in the sociate vice president and dean of Inter- 21st Century,” at Shanghai Jiaotong College of Education and Human Development Associate Dean Ken Bartlett with national Programs; Joan Brzezinski, the University and the Graduate School his first graduate student Yu Wen Liu in Taipei, Taiwan executive director of the China Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Confucius Institute at the Univer- (Beijing). He also promoted the idea that sity of Minnesota; and other University the liberal arts and critical thinking are deans and leaders who joined the group elements of innovation. in various locations. The trip included “We learned much and renewed and stops in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, built strong relationships,” Kaler said of Tianjin and Taipei where a total of 10 the trip that was a great opportunity to cooperative agreements were signed travel halfway across the world to make with universities and research centers. new connections with a nation that now “China’s best and brightest want to has a century-long relationship with the be our students. China’s top universi- University. ties and research centers want to be our partners. And we want to ensure About the University of that our Minnesota-born students and Minnesota’s China Center: others from the United States gain the The China Center was established global competency that comes through in 1979 to manage the University of exchanges with China’s best higher Minnesota's exchanges with the Greater education institutions. I expect a large China area. For more than three de- return on investment from this trip,” cades, the China Center has reflected said Kaler. the firm and long-standing commit- In Beijing, Kaler met with incoming ment of the University to international Kaler speaking in Beijing first-year students at the University’s research, teaching and outreach. Learn Beijing Office. They were attending more about the China Center at the Uni- new-student orientation in prepara- versity of Minnesota by visiting http:// tion for their journey to Minnesota in chinacenter.umn.edu. Learn more and the next few . Also in Beijing, participate in the China 100 celebration Kaler renewed a five-year partnership by visiting http://china100.umn.edu.  Read the paper online at agreement at Hanban/Confucius Head- quarters, which supports the Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota www.chinainsight.info www.chinainsight.info education SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 5 Eden Prairie School HOST FAMILIES NEEDED Host a Chinese student and make a difference... District hosts Enrich their experience and enhance your own! students from w As a host family you share American culture with a student from China and Loudi, China provide them more than they could learn in a classroom. By Greg Hugh, Staff Writer w Learn about their culture, explore the differences and develop new connections.

Global Learning Alliance (GLA) is a Twin Cities based organization that serves as a facilitator to assist students from China that want to study in the United States. To ensure that these students obtain the best experience possible, GLA seeks to place the students with host families. The length of their stay could vary from a few to a full school year and include high school and college students of both sexes.

Since we recognize that hosting a student from China may place a financial burden on many families, we will provide some financial reimbursement but expect a family to be a host because of the mutual cultural exhchange that both will receive and not just the financial aspect.

To learn more about being a host family, contact Richard He at (612) 987-6540 or email, [email protected]. Loudi students and teachers visit the Minnesota state capitol in St. Paul

A record group of 48 Chinese stu- the students attended English classes dents and four teachers arrived in Min- and classes on American culture and nesota on the evening of July 16 from the history of Minnesota. At the end Loudi No. 1 Middle School, Hunan of the day, the host families picked the PRC, to start their 10-day visit in Min- students up from EPHS. They had the nesota. Their host families greeted them evening to continue learning about each at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International other’s cultures and way of life. Airport as they began the trip they have Over the course of their 10-day been vying for with hundreds of other sojourn, the visitors from Loudi toured students from Loudi during the past St. Paul: the State Capitol, the History year. Center, Science Museum and St. Paul This group of 52 is the fourth and Cathedral. They also visited Minneapo- largest group that has now visited Eden lis sites: the Walker Sculpture Garden, Prairie. The first group came in 2007 as U of M campus, Lake Calhoun; and the result of an accord that both schools Stillwater, where they walked around signed in 2006, establishing a sister- downtown and took a St. Croix boat school relationship that incorporated cruise. Other destinations included Wil- an educational/cultural exchange at low River State Park, a full day shop- each other’s school on alternating years. ping at Mall of America, a visit to an Students from Eden Prairie High School Eden Prairie farm, the Minnesota Zoo visited Loudi in 2008, 2010, 2012 and where they took in an IMAX movie, and will visit again in 2014. Valley Fair. The final day was a tour of The cultural aspects of their visit schools in Minneapolis. were immediately put into effect as they The in-between weekend was left Loudi students and teachers visit an Eden Prairie farm spent an evening getting acquainted up to the host families to do whatever with their host families prior to attend- they wanted, but all were welcome to nesota visit the next morning as their generosity of host families is especially ing many days of all types of arranged attend an optional BBQ and pool par- host families said their goodbyes at the important in such an exchange; so, much activities planned for them. While stay- ties hosted by two of the host families: airport. The students continued their thanks to all who opened their homes to ing with their host families, the Chinese Daisy and Thomas Haung and Jackie U.S. journey with stops in Boston, our visitors from Loudi.  students were welcomed as part of the and Jim Olsen. New York and Washington D.C. before family and participated in activities a It should also be noted that any mem- returning to China. typical American family would nor- bers of the host families were welcome All travel arrangements were han- mally do on a daily basis, be it mowing to accompany the Loudi students on any dled by CIAC Travel and the staff at the lawn, shopping for groceries or of the activities and only needed to pay Eden Prairie Schools, lead by Chinese washing dishes. the admission fees or their own meals, language teacher Ergan Xu. The following day, the formal edu- where applicable. China Insight and its China educa- cational portion of their visit began. On the Friday evening before depar- tion affiliate, Global Learning Alliance, The host families dropped the students ture was a dinner and presentation of were honored to assist Eden Prairie off at Eden Prairie High School where certificates of achievement to the Loudi Schools and Loudi No. 1 Middle School they boarded buses that took them to students and certificates of appreciation in coordinating this visit. Richard He, a breakfast reception and a briefing at to the host families. About 120 people president of China Insight and Global Eden Prairie City Hall. A tour of the city attended the farewell dinner held at Learning Alliance, is originally from followed. At noon, they were welcomed the Garden Room at the Eden Prairie Loudi city and continues to be com- by members of the Eden Prairie School Community Center with food catered mitted to ensuring that these visits take District and given a tour of the high by Panda Express. place so memorable cross-cultural ex- Farewell dinner for Loudi guests school. Following a pizza luncheon, The Loudi group ended their Min- changes can be experienced by all. The PAGE 6 > SEPTEMBER 2013 culture www.chinainsight.info What’s the occasion? Mid-Autumn Festival

Zhōng Qiu Jié (中秋節) By Elaine Dunn, Staff Writer China was saved! rice to make rice . Mongols. Officials from the previous The Goddess of the As the Burger King slogan goes, were not happy about Western Heaven was have it your way! being ruled by the uncivilized Mongols. impressed by Hou Yi’s Secret messages instigating a rebellion good deed and reward- What happens on this day? on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festi- ed him with an elixir The Chinese regard the full moon val were baked into , which of eternal life. He and a symbol of family unity. Therefore, were only eaten by the Han Chinese. his wife, Chang’e (嫦 Mid-Autumn Festival is also a time for This mid-autumn uprising successfully 娥), decided they would family reunions. It is one of the seven ended the Mongols’ rule. From then on, drink the elixir on the legal holidays in China. This year, the people ate mooncakes to commemorate 15th day of the eighth legal holiday in the People’s Republic of the mid-autumn rebellion. See “Moon- moon when the moon is China is from Sept. 19-21, giving many cakes: A Mid-Autumn Festival tradi- at its brightest. Unfor- a chance to travel home to celebrate the tion” p. 7, for additional details about tunately, a wicked man festival with family. For those unable to the . heard about the elixir get home, they will probably look up at Besides mooncakes, the Imperial When is it? and tried to steal it for the moon and think of their relatives. Court used to serve nine-jointed lotus Man may have landed on the moon himself while Hou Yi was out hunting. roots, which symbolize peace, and in July 1969; but according to Chinese To prevent the wicked man from getting Mooncakes and carp cakes watermelons (a symbol of fertility with legends, others may have landed and the elixir, Chang’e swallowed it and One of the most common foods as- its many seeds) cut in the shape of lived on the moon thousands of years al- immediately started to float away. She sociated with Mid-Autumn Festival is lotus petals, which symbolize reunion. ready. And, we’re not talking little green eventually landed on the moon where the mooncake (月餅). Often likened Nowadays, regional specialties eaten at men either! So who are these moon oc- she lives to this day. to the western fruitcake, it’s a must- Mid-Autumn Festival are cooked taro, cupants of ? There are When Hou Yi returned from the hunt have item for traditional reasons, but water caltrop (língjiǎo, 菱角, a special many stories associated with the Moon and learned what had happened, he de- not many will ever touch the lips of its type of water chestnut that looks like a Festival, which is known officially as cided to honour Chang’e with and owners! It’s one of those either-you- miniature black buffalo horn) and river Mid-Autumn Festival. Depending on cakes that she had enjoyed on earth. As love-it-or-you-don’t items. Even many snails stir fried with sweet opal basil. which story you choose, the resident on word about Chang’e spread, folks also little kids learn at an early age to give Duck is also popular as it is rich and the moon may be a woman, a woodcut- displayed fruits and cakes in her hon- it a wide berth! Pig-shaped mooncakes tasty. Depending on the region of the ter or a . our on the 15th day of the eighth lunar (see photo) were given to this writer’s country, the duck may be prepared with Mid-Autumn Festival is the second- month, gazing at the moon to catch a kids in the mid-1990s. The relics’ only taro, osmanthus flowers, steamed in soy most important festival after Chinese glimpse of Chang’e’s shadow. purpose since is to make an appearance sauce or smoked with brine and . New Year. This year, Chinese families in at the table each Mid-Autumn Festival Traditional fruits include star fruits, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well The legend of the woodcutter as a “conversation starter” or for a trip pomelos and persimmons. as those in Malaysia, the Philippines, (吳剛) was a lazy wood- down memory lane! One unusual item that may strike Singapore and Vietnam will spend the cutter with a bad attitude. He offended There are hundreds of varieties of a chord with Minnesotans is the carp evening of Sept. 19 gazing at the beauti- the gods in his perpetual attempt to mooncakes. Typically, they are approxi- ! In Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian ful full moon. achieve immortality. The gods banished mately the size of a hockey puck and Province, there is an old tradition of In Mandarin, Mid-Autumn Festival him to the moon and told him he could have a dense filling of red bean paste ( gifting carp cakes (鲤鱼饼) to kids by is Zhōng Qiu Jié. “Zhōng” literally achieve immortality only when he 豆沙) or lotus seed paste (蓮蓉) embed- the maternal grandparents. The carp means middle, “qiu” is autumn and finished chopping down a 5,000-ft tall ded with nuts, melon seeds, orange peel cakes are made entirely of flour - no “jié” is festival. For thousands of years, cassia tree. Not only was the tree’s size a and, sometimes, the yolk(s) of salted fish! – with fillings similar to that in the Chinese had been celebrating Mid- giant obstacle to Wu Gang’s mission, the duck eggs. Nowadays, the combination mooncakes. However, instead of being Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the tree turned out to be a self-healing tree! and ingredients are limited only by the round, carp cakes are in the shape of eighth lunar month, which usually falls What Wu Gang managed to chopped bakers’ imagination! All the ingredi- (what else?) two carps facing each other. around the autumn equinox. The festival away would instantly grow back. ents are baked inside a golden-brown The old saying of "carp jumping over probably began as a harvest festival as However, determined to achieve pastry crust made out of flour, syrup, the dragon gate" refers to the fish swim- there is an abundance of agricultural immortality, Wu Gang kept chopping lye and vegetable oil. The crust on top ming against the current. The cakes, products harvested this time of the year. away to this day! is imprinted with the Chinese character therefore, encourages the recipients to The custom of worshipping the moon by for longevity or harmony, or characters strive for high achievement. Han and minority nationalities can be The legend of the moon rabbit identifying the main ingredient of the traced back to the ancient Xia and Shang One day, Buddha disguised himself filling. The characters are surrounded Festival activities Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.) when as a hungry old man and visited the by decorative images and patterns. There are usually many outdoor ac- people held ceremonies to celebrate the earth. He asked three animals for food: Needless to say, the more ingredients, tivities arranged for this family festival. bountiful harvests with loved ones and a fox, a monkey and a rabbit. The fox the more expensive! Most mooncakes The eating always took place outdoors, greet the arrival of winter. By the Tang caught a fish and brought it to the old are purchased for gifts and not eaten by be it in the courtyard of old homes, on Dynasty (A.D. 618-907), folks had man. The monkey presented the hun- the purchaser. the rooftop of modern apartments, by taken to celebrating the festival with gry old man some fruits. When it was Mooncakes also played an impor- the lake or on beaches. The types of outings to nearby lakes to observe the the rabbit’s turn, the rabbit told the old tant role in Chinese history. In the 13th celebrations vary from region to region. bright, full moon in the dark. man that it had “grown up in the woods. century, the Yuan Dynasty was ruled by Hong Kong takes a thoroughly Herbs and grasses are my food. I have modern approach: the metropolis’ neon The legend of the moon lady nothing else to offer you but my body. glow gives way to glowing lanterns; It was believed that around 2170 Eat me, please!” and threw itself into fiery dragons dance through the busy B.C. there were 10 suns circling the the fire. streets. In 2012, a Hong Kong business earth. One day, all 10 rose at the same Moved with gratitude, Buddha resur- sponsored a “Golden Moon” built over time. The heat they generated was so in- rected the rabbit and sent it to live on an artificial pond decorated with float- tense that crops wilted away and people the moon forever. Some versions of the ing lanterns. Inside the 60-ft diameter died of thirst. Hou Yi, an expert archer story have it that Buddha sent the rabbit “moon,” visitors were treated to a light with a red bow and white arrows, shot to the moon to keep Chang’e company, show from more illuminated paper down nine of the suns and the weather where it pounds the ingredients for the immediately cooled. Rains fell, rivers elixir of life for her. In Korean and Japa- Pig-shaped cakes Mid-Autumn Festival continues flowed and crops grew once again. nese stories, the rabbit pounds away on on Page 7 www.chinainsight.info food SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 7 Mooncakes: A Mid-Autumn Festival tradition By Shilyn Chang, Staff Writer

There are few things more looked in the U.S. range from $10 to $20 dollars 7. Bake the cakes for about 5 to 7 minutes. They are done when the forward to in Chinese holidays than the for four cakes, and can run much higher. minutes. Remove them and brush each pastry turns a beautiful golden-brown delicious treats that pop up everywhere Mooncakes purchased at well-known cake with the egg wash, and return them color. Remove from the oven, cool and as the festivities draw near. In addition establishments can run up to $200 per to the oven to cook for an additional 5 enjoy!  to being incredibly appetizing, these cake. Because making these cakes is specialty dishes remind partakers of the fairly labor-intensive, few people will rich history and tradition that surround actually make them at home. Besides them. Being part of a culture that is having to find the proper ingredients, widely known to be in love with food there is also the additional difficulty and dining, the Chinese people have (especially in the United States) of find- come up with tales about their beloved ing the moulds necessary to create their foods, which have been passed on for shape and the design on the cake tops. generations, as if these dishes were Fortunately, they can be found in some heroes of Chinese mythology. One of Asian grocery stores and online, so even the most epic of these stories belongs people here can make mooncakes. to the mooncake — a widely recognized For those who are a little more Chinese treat, yet surprisingly difficult ambitious, or for those who wish to try to find in the Twin Cities. The mooncake making these tasty morsels at least once, is a dense, flavorful pastry roughly the here is a simple recipe for a traditional size of a hockey puck with a variety mooncake filled with lotus paste (makes of fillings. They are closely identified 12 cakes): with the Mid-Autumn Festival — see Ingredients: “What’s the occasion, p. 6.” The amount Pastry of mooncakes that are made, bought and ● ¾ cup flour consumed around this festival time is ● 3 tablespoons golden syrup staggering. Bakers all over China, Tai- ● ½ teaspoon alkaline water wan and Southeast Asia begin working ● 2 table spoons vegetable oil longer shifts a month out from the start Filling of the festival, producing thousands of ● 420 grams (approx. 15 oz.) lotus pu- mooncakes every day. ree/paste (from an Asian grocery store) Even with this level of preparation ● 6 salted egg yolks (from an Asian and production, bakeries still have grocery store) difficulty keeping up with consumer ● 1 tablespoon rose-flavored cook- demand. In order to meet consumer What’s the occasion? Mid-Autumn Festival ing wine needs, many kitchens don’t even have Zhōng Qiu Jié (中秋節) Egg Wash the relief of having to make only one ● 1 egg yolk product again and again. Why? Because Continues from Page 6 ● 2 tablespoons egg white the mooncake comes in many styles and Directions: lanterns. Eight Immortals” are played to help the flavors, all of which are in high demand. 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line In the southern Chinese city of process along. One of the most popular versions of a baking tray with parchment paper. Guangzhou, the local government puts Where there’s romance, there’s po- this cake — the one also most com- Combine the golden syrup, alkaline on a huge lantern show with thousands etry! And much poetry has been devoted monly seen in the United States — is a water and vegetable oil and mix well. of differently shaped lanterns all brightly to this romantic festival. Following is -style pastry with a thin flaky Slowly fold in the flour and knead lit - a fantastic contrast with the bright one of the most famous poems by an crust and filled with lotus seed paste and everything into a dough. Cover it with . equally famous poet that every Chinese a salted duck egg yolk. The appearance plastic wrap and let it set for about 40 In East China's Zhejiang Province, elementary school student has commit- is beautiful: the pastry a glossy, golden minutes. watching the flood of the Qiantang ted to memory: color with a design embossed on the top 2. Mix the salted egg yolks with River on the river’s bank is popular with of the cake, usually including the name the wine. The egg yolks will become locals and tourists alike. The ebb and Thoughts in the Silent Night of the bakery or restaurant it came from. 静夜思 opaque. Wipe them off and cut each yolk flow of coincide with the waning ( ) Other popular fillings are sweetened red 李白 in half. Set them aside. and waxing of the moon. The sight of ( ) bean paste, jujube paste, and a “five ker- 3. Divide the lotus paste into 12 the rising tides at the narrow mouth of The moonlight is shining through the nel” filling which is made up of finely 床 前 明 月 光 equal portions (35 grams each) and roll the Qiantang River can top out at an window ( ) chopped nuts and seeds (sesame seeds, each portion into a ball. Set these aside. impressive 10 feet. And it makes me wonder if it is the frost , walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.). 疑 是 地 上 霜 4. Whisk the egg yolk and 2 table- In Taiwan, outdoor barbecues have on the ground ( ), However, with the changing preferences spoons egg white together to create the become a popular affair for family and Looking up to see the moon ... of the younger Chinese generation, and egg wash. Run the mixture through a friends. As of 2011, the densely populat- (举 头 望 明 月) the desire to have healthier and more ex- fine sieve. ed city of Taipei designated 11 riverside Looking down I miss so much about my otic flavors, new contemporary versions 5. After the dough is finished parks to accommodate barbecues for the hometown (低 头 思 故 乡). of the cake have appeared. The influence resting, divide it into 12 portions, and public. A stroll in the city parks is not a of Southeast Asia has introduced more roll them into a small ball. Flatten out good idea for the hungry! On the night of Sept. 19, look hard at tropical flavors such as pineapple and each ball into a disk. Take a lotus paste Mid-Autumn Festival is also a per- the bright, full moon. Maybe you, too, durian, and with the high caloric content ball and with your finger, make a small fect night for romance! There’s usually will see Chang’e in her flowing gown, of mooncakes (around 1,000 calories indentation large enough to fit a piece of a light, mild breeze blowing under a the woodcutter chopping away at the per cake, give or take), fat-free versions the salted egg yolk inside. Fold the paste clear night sky, ideal for hugging cou- cassia tree, or the rabbit pounding away made of jelly or fat-free ice cream also around the yolk, and shape it back into ples to “keep each other warm!” Girls … And for the gastronomically adven- have appeared. a ball. Wrap the yolk-filled lotus paste are known to pray to Chang’e to have turous, perhaps you will be savouring a The high demand for mooncakes, ball with the dough and seal the dough their romantic wishes fulfilled. In some piece of mooncake as well! as well as the evolution of the different around the ball. Repeat procedure to parts of China, young men and women However you choose to celebrate styles of cakes in Asia, have turned this make 12 mooncakes.. attend specially organized dances to the night, may the bright moon bring traditional treat into a highly desired 6. Grease the mooncake mould so find partners. A number of traditional you merriment, peace and romance!  phenomenon. They are often purchased the dough won’t stick to it, and press a games from the 1920s and 1930s such as highly desired gifts by businessmen, mooncake in the mould. Place all the as “Ascend to Heaven,” “Descend to friends or family members to impress moulded cakes on the lined tray. the Flower Garden” and “Descent of the the intended recipients. Average prices PAGE 8 > SEPTEMBER 2013 community www.chinainsight.info Ming Tchou: Her life and contribution to the Twin Cities’ Chinese community

By Shilyn Chang, Staff Writer

a unique and interesting story of how they came to know Ming. Pictures at the event told the story of Ming’s life: the adventures she had coming from China, her involvement in the Chinese American community, and of the many close friendships she has made and sustained over the past 89 years. There were also photos at each table of guests who had volunteered at various Chinese Heritage Foundation events. Each photo had a personalized “thank you” message from Ming written on the back — an ex- ample of the dedication and passion she has toward her friends and toward her personal mission of keeping the Chinese culture alive in Minnesota. After dinner, the entire CHFF board took turns speaking about Ming’s re- markable life. Born into a family of Ming Tchou elite scholars, Ming grew up with an understanding of the importance of he Chinese Heritage Founda- education and having an open mind Chinese Heritage Foundation Friends Board: (back row) Greg Hugh and Ida tion Friends held a dinner for that was ready to learn. In 1940, she Lano; (front row L-R) Ken Lau, Yin Simpson, Margaret Wong, Ming Tchou and T115 guests at Hotel Sofitel traveled from Guangzhou to Shanghai Pearl Bergad last month to honor one of the most re- alone to study law — an amazing feat at spected and well-known figures in Min- that time for a young woman in China. foundation: history in the 20th century. This History nesota’s Chinese community — Ming There she met her future husband James (1) Education — to promote the Fellowship has produced three Ph. D. Tchou, CHFF’s founder. It was not only Tchou, who was in Shanghai studying understanding and study of Chinese graduates, all of whom have found jobs a celebration of Ming’s 89th birthday medicine. The invading Japanese army history and literature in China, Taiwan and the United States. and the amazing life she has led, but also forced Ming back to her home city of (2) Arts and culture — to promote CHFF itself also hosts several events recognition of her efforts and achieve- Guangzhou. The two continued their understanding of Chinese arts and en- in order to promote Chinese culture in ments toward promoting Chinese cul- courtship through written correspon- courage the development of new artistic the Twin Cities, such as A Leisurely ture and history in the United States. For dences. Mail was unreliable at the time, endeavors based on Chinese themes Evening in a Chinese Home, which years she has facilitated the education so their letters were numbered so the (3) Chinese heritage — to encourage focused on learning about calligraphy, of Americans about China, as well as other would know the correct sequence Chinese Minnesotans to learn about , Chinese games and even Chinese provided ways to connect Chinese and of the letters. their heritage New Year customs; and the ever- American people in Minnesota. When the war ended, Ming returned (4) Chinese seniors’ well-being — to growing A Passage to China event at The celebration began with a social to Shanghai to marry James and soon promote/initiate programs tending to the Mall of America. Ming will always hour where guests were invited to enjoy after, the couple moved to Hanoi, Viet- Chinese senior citizens in Minnesota, volunteer her time at these events, of- appetizers, which included a whole roast nam, where James established a suc- and fering her expert knowledge of jade, pig, view a photo presentation of Ming’s cessful practice. Later, he continued his (5) Communication — to facilitate playing mahjong, catching up with old life and admire a ginger sculpture cre- studies at the Sorbonne, France, (where interaction between the Chinese and friends, or meeting new ones, helping ated by Bob Bergad, husband of Pearl Ming’s father, grandfather and several Minnesota communities the thousands of guests learn more about Bergad, executive director of CHFF. uncles had studied law) and eventually In the past nine years, the Chinese China and Chinese culture. The CHFF board also presented Ming in the United States. They traveled all Heritage Foundation has more than In addition to its involvement in the with a special calligraphy couplet. over America, living briefly in many upheld the mission that Ming set nearly Minnesota community, the CHFF has states such as Pennsylvania, Texas and a decade ago. It has awarded a total of begun to stretch its influence outside of Kansas before settling in Minneapolis 38 grants to various artists and organi- the state. On this auspicious occasion, in 1961. Ming worked for a while as a zations across Minnesota, such as The the foundation announced that it is medical technologist until she realized Minhua Chorus, CAAM Chinese Dance undertaking a major project that would there was a demand for Chinese goods Theatre, Minneapolis Museum of Arts, continue and extend Ming’s passions for in the Twin Cities. She opened Ming etc., in order to encourage the devel- preserving Chinese culture and promot- at the corner of 50th and France in opment of Chinese art and history in ing understanding between Chinese and Edina — an import/export store selling Minnesota. It also established the CHF American people. While some details Chinese antiques and jade. She opened Graduate Fellowship in History at the of this project were shared exclusively a second store in Rochester after the University of Minnesota in 2005, which at this special gathering, a formal an- Ming receives a special calligraphy success of the first. concentrates on the study of Chinese nouncement will be made to the public couplet from Stephen Mao In addition to her success in the when additional details are finalized. entrepreneurial world, Ming became As the evening came to a close, the Guests were serenaded with piano heavily involved in Chinese nonprofit audience stood to toast their dear friend and guzhen performances by young art- organizations. She served on the boards and sang her a rousing chorus of Happy ists who have performed at A Passage of the U.S. China People’s Friendship Birthday (followed by the Chinese ver- to China. At the end of the social hour, Association and the Chinese Senior Citi- sion). The night was a clear reflection of everyone was ushered into the banquet zen’s Society. In 2004, Ming founded the ongoing success of Ming’s mission room that had been festively decorated the Chinese Heritage Foundation to give to encourage education and cultural under the artistic eye of CHFF board back to the community and to encour-  member, Yin Simpson. age understanding between Chinese understanding of her beloved country. People gather to honor Ming Tchou Each table hosted guests of differ- and other cultures in Minnesota. She ent backgrounds and origins, all with laid down five key priorities for the All photos by Cindy Bai Kids AppreciAtion dAy September 29 • Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians 1st 10,000 fans 14 & under will receive a 2013 team poster

For tickets: 612-33-TWINS or www.twinsbaseball.com

Kids Appreciation Day ad - CI.indd 1 8/22/13 1:38 PM PAGE 10 > SEPTEMBER 2013 books www.chinainsight.info BOOK REVIEW Mike Ellis, Chinese Slanguage: A Fun Visual Guide to Mandarin Terms and Phrases (Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2010), 95 pp. ISBN 978-1-4236-0750-2 Reviewed by Raymond Lum, China Insight Contributor

and got plain flu; or, told rendering of the Chinese mei mao to lie on the beach, he laid [eyebrow]. a towel there instead and But Chinese is a tonal language, lied about lying there but meaning that, in speaking, how one the towel still lay there). raises or lowers the sound, or even And Chinese is hard? moves it sideways, almost totally indi- Ellis’ book is a humor- cates the words’ meanings. In the writ- ous attempt at rendering ten language, tones are not important Chinese sounds and words as meaning is imbedded in the written into some semblance of form, which is pronounced differently English. Thus the “Knee” in the many regional variations (errone- of the title appears below a ously called “dialects”) of the spoken drawing of a human knee, language. In this book, Ellis neither and “Ma” beneath a draw- mentions nor includes tones. But tone- ing of a mother holding less spoken Chinese can hardly be un- her child. Throughout this derstood, particularly because spoken charming and selectively Chinese is rife with homonyms. It is accurate book, drawings only the tones and the contexts that dif- are used to illustrate ap- ferentiate one homonym from another. proximate sounds. The Ellis does offer this note: “This product word “nei bu [inside],” for may produce Americanized Mandarin.” example, shows a drawing Another note says “For free sound bytes, of a ghost above “boo.” visit slanguage.com,” which I did with- And peas in a pod are used out finding anything about the Chinese to illustrate “pea joe [pijiu, language except an ad for this book. he New York Times has different kettle of fish or beer].” And thereby hangs a tale (or is it a become more and more di- While we are on the subject, Manda- Nowadays, Chinese rarely say “Ni tail?). Tdactic, frequently crossing rin itself is a foreign concept in China. hao ma (How are you)?” as a greeting, Do you want to learn Chinese? If so, the line between news reporting and The term came into English from San- but prefer the more colloquial “Ni hao?” take a course at a college. Do you want opinion. The newspaper seems to revel skrit via Portuguese to denote the ruling which is more akin to “Hi!” only to have fun with Chinese? If so, in giving peoples’ ages, even when that class. For centuries, the ruling class of Many of the Chinese equivalents buy this book.  information is irrelevant to what is be- educated Chinese officials resided in in this book are in fact misrecorded or ing reported. A 3-year-old’s age might Beijing, the home of the Imperial Court misheard of on the part of the author or be important if the news is that she was of the emperors. Their language, based his informants. For example, the Chi- the youngest person ever to receive a on that spoken in Beijing, came to be nese word for “beer” is not pronounced Raymond Lum Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, encoded in the minds of Westerners as “pea joe,” but more like “pea jill.” A but the age of 31 given for a person “Mandarin.” From that grew a garrison pronunciation guide would have been Raymond Lum who simply subscribes to China Insight of relationships that are found mostly most useful. The word for “pine [tree]” (林希文) is Librar- might not be so relevant. in Chinese-American restaurants: is given as song shu with a musical note ian for Western The New York Times also has Mandarin cuisine, served along side drawn above “song” and a shoe above Languages in the taken to including what its reporters Cantonese and Sichuan. Alas, there “shu.” But the Chinese word “song” is Harvard-Yenching convey as the pronunciation of foreign is no such thing as Mandarin cuisine, not pronounced like the English word Library, where he is names, insinuating its readers are not but no matter. Chinese-American food “song.” The “o” is more like the “oo” also curator of historic photographs. sufficiently cosmopolitan or educated (and how did we get on this topic?) in in the English word “moon.” A native of Chicago’s Chinatown, he enough to figure it out for themselves. restaurants includes such aberrations During the Second World War, Yale studied Chinese there and in Taiwan. Thus, in a July 2013 article about a as “pu-pu platter.” I used to tell my University developed a Romanization He holds a master’s in library science Chinese-American who is buying up students that pu-pu comes from dog- system for Chinese, which is no longer from the University of Michigan, and and renovating much of downtown dog and should not be eaten, even in used except by diehards, to teach Chi- an MA and PhD in East Asian Lan- Las Vegas, it gave the pronunciation of restaurants. Oh, and “Crab Rangoon.” nese quickly to Americans. One of the guages & Civilizations from Harvard the man’s surname, Hsieh, as “Shay,” The last I noticed, Rangoon is a city in anomalies of the system was the use University. From 1968 through 1970, which it is not. That surname, spelled Burma, now known officially as “Myan- of the letter “w” to indicate the sound he was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in the now largely defunct Wade-Giles mar.” But that’s another story. Crab of the following “o.” Thus, “swo” was in Sarawak, Malaysia. Formerly, he system for Romanizing Chinese words, Rangoon is cream cheese with a bit of pronounced as if the “w” were not pres- also was Harvard’s librarian for South is in fact, pronounced like the English crab meat, albeit infrequently, wrapped ent and the “o” pronounced as the “oa” and Southeast Asia and Instructor in word “shed” but without the final “d.” in wonton noodle dough and deep fried. in the English word “oar.” But Ellis Chinese in the Harvard University Modern Mandarin has no sounds Has no one noticed that most Chinese appears not to have been aware of that. Extension School. He is the book re- that do not exist in English, but they are lactose-intolerant and do not ingest His rendering of the word for “camel” view editor for a new (debuting 2010) are not always in the same place as in cream cheese? So, authenticity is not is “L’Whoa T’Whoa,” but if one elimi- online scholarly journal, TransAsia English. For example, the sound “cai” in what it’s cracked up or deep fried to be. nates the “W,” one will be closer to the Photography Review, and contributes Mandarin can be found in English, but The is considered correct Chinese pronunciation. the column “Asia Resources on the not at the beginning of words. Say “It’s by many to be an extremely difficult lan- Ellis has done a good job in breaking World Wide Web” to the Asian Stud- high” and then say it again without the guage to learn; the Chinese people are Chinese words into syllables recogniz- ies Newsletter of the Association for initial “i” and you have it. The modern not among them. The language certainly able in English; in fact, this book is Asian Studies. He has directed sev- spelling of Chinese in the system is complex, but it is neither as highly de- easier to use if one does NOT know eral Harvard projects that digitized invented and adopted by the Chinese veloped as Japanese nor as irregular as Chinese. For example, his “Maim Ow” photographs and other visual images government after 1949 is an entirely English. Consider this: I flew on a plane means nothing to me, but it is a good of Asia. www.chinainsight.info entrepreneurship SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 11 Hero Store is finalist in Entrepreneur 2013 contest

Holly Chan, a graduate student in the love to lead it in happening. It’s pretty [Purdue University College of Technol- critical.” ogy] Department of Technology Lead- Her summer internship offered Chan ership and Innovation, has been named additional perspectives in corporate sus- a finalist in the College Entrepreneur tainability. She secured an internship at category of the Entrepreneur of 2013 Apple Inc., first for the office engineer- contest presented by The UPS Store. ing team and second with Lisa Jackson, Chan’s idea of a zero-waste grocery vice president for environmental initia- store, dubbed The Hero Store, is one of tives and former EPA administrator. five finalists for this year’s award. Chan is one of five finalists in the “After studying sustainability and contest. The public is able to vote for the green movement as part of my their choice (one vote per person) graduate program, I decided to bridge through September 17. The winner of that with my passion for natural food,” the college category will receive, among Chan said. “There is so much waste go- other prizes, $5,000 in seed money to ing into our landfills. One-third of it is help launch their business idea. just containers and packaging. I want to To see Chan’s full business startup do something to reduce this statistic by profile and video — and to vote — go eliminating packaging at the front end. to entrepreneur.com/e2013college. The Hero Store would provide a differ- Finalists will receive a percentage of ent way to get the product to people.” points based on the number of online This passion for environmental ini- votes they receive, which together with tiatives kept Chan at Purdue after she voting points allocated to each of the earned her bachelor’s degree in 2012. panel of judges will determine the final Faced with a choice of a career in indus- winners .  Chinese economist try or two years of fostering sustainabili- ty within the College of Technology, she to lecture on China’s chose graduate studies in the college. In Editor’s Note: This article has been addition to her coursework, she works reprinted with permission form the for Dean Gary Bertoline to improve the Purdue College of Technology. Holly macroeconomy on culture of sustainability within the Col- Chan is a 2008 Bloomington Jefferson lege of Technology. High School (Bloomington, Minn) Chan’s finalist status is great expo- graduate and now a graduate school Sept. 22 sure for her project, which is still in the student at Purdue University. Her un- On Sept. 22, Chinese economist connections that have come since. The planning stages. She hopes the extra dergraduate degree at Purdue was in Dr. Yuan Gangming will deliver a celebration will honor the past and take a visibility will help her find great people technology, leadership and innovation lecture titled, “China's Macroeconomy look forward at the engagement between to fill out her management team. in Purdue’s college of technology. She’s - Adjustment and Risks of Economic the University of Minnesota and China. “Right now, the Hero Store is very now one year into her graduate studies Slowdown” in Mandarin Chinese at the For details about China 100 and much in the building-the-concept phase. in sustainability through the college University of Minnesota’s University to R.S.V.P. to the lecture, please visit We’re still molding it,” she said. “En- of technology. Information about The International Center, room 101 from china100.umn.edu. trepreneurs are sometimes protective of Hero Store and voting for the contest 2-4 p.m. The event is a collaborative The China Center was established their ideas. I’m here to share my idea. can be found online at bit.ly/em2013ce. I just want this to happen. And I would between the University of Minnesota’s in 1979 to manage the University of China Center and the Tsinghua Alumni Minnesota's exchanges with the Greater Association – Minnesota Chapter. China area. For more than three de- Dr. Yuan’s lecture will focus on: cades, the China Center has reflected • growth slowdown: adjustment or the firm and long-standing commit- Call for Articles recession ment of the University to international Concerned about misconceptions about China? • policy initiatives of new leadership research, teaching and outreach. Learn • stimulus package and market more about the China Center at the Uni- ChinaInsight is a local newspaper fostering U.S.-China cultural reform, and versity of Minnesota by visiting http:// and business harmony. • feasibility of China's economic chinacenter.umn.edu.  growth with increasing risks We are interested in publishing articles that engage audiences Yuan is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Science Institute of in America. Potential topics range from understanding daily life Economics, Tsinghua University China, in China (or for Chinese in America) to discussions of business and the World Economy Research markets from both an American or Chinese viewpoint. Center, and is an academic recipient of ASIAN a special stipend from the China State BLOOD DONORS If you have an article on a topic that might be of interest to our Council. NEEDED readers, please contact Greg Hugh at (952) 472-4757 or email The lecture is one of several Univer- [email protected]. sity events planned as part of China 100, Call 1-800-59-DONOR a yearlong celebration honoring the first for more information. students from China and the wealth of PAGE 12 > SEPTEMBER 2013 business www.chinainsight.info Investment in U.S. to Consul General continues from Page 1 create jobs By He Wei in Shanghai, China Daily

Despite high-profile trade cases, While certain foreign investment Chinese [foreign direct investment] deals in industries deemed as "sensi- (FDI) into the United States is expected tive" are often politicized and ultimately L-R: Greg Hugh, Consul General to continue apace blocked, those in the American business Reception for the Consul General Zhao, Richard He Chinese companies are expected to community say they believe that regula- provide the local Chinese community. Wisconsin, where there are more than employ between 200,000 and 400,000 tory issues should not bar investment According to Zhao, the mission of the 300,000 Chinese nationals or Chinese Americans by 2020, as cumulative Chi- from China. Consulate is to safeguard the legal rights Americans and about 50,000 Chinese nese investment in the [United States] Shao added that typically less than and interests of Chinese citizens in the students from Mainland China. tripled in the past five years, a new study 10 percent of Chinese transactions went consular district and provide consular During their brief inaugural visit has shown. through any formal national security services related to passport, visa, nota- to Minnesota, the Chicago Consulate New York-based Rhodium Group review process by the U.S. Treasury-led rization and authentication, as well as to group also met with Meredith McQuaid, Llc found that total foreign direct in- Committee on Foreign Investment, and promote the exchanges of and coopera- associate vice president and Dean of In- vestment from Beijing rocketed from even the vast majority of those which tion in extensive areas between China ternational Programs for the University US$280 million in 2004 to over US$22 do, are approved. and America's Midwest. of Minnesota system; staff members billion in 2012, with the figure increas- U.S. delegates at [the Jun. 21] event Consul General Zhao also com- of the China Center and the Confucius ing threefold since 2008. agreed that the current setbacks being mented that the Internet had made it Institute; students from China studying Last year alone, saw US$6.5 bil- encountered by telecom companies faster and easier to know what is going at the University of Minnesota; repre- lion worth of new investment, a level Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE on in China. He said his sincere hope is sentatives from the Minnesota Trade expected to be at least repeated again Corp are likely to be temporary, as long that their website will enable the public Office; Saint Paul Mayor Christopher this year. as the U.S. government stops sending to learn about their services as well as B. Coleman; representatives from Arts China has remained one of the few contradictory signals that might deter China's development, its friendly rela- Midwest and representatives from sources of investment into the [United Chinese investors in the long run. tions and cooperation with America's the U.S.- China Peoples Friendship States] that is growing, contribut- To avoid further conflict with inves- Midwest, the main focus being the Con- Association-Minnesota. ing greatly to the country's economic tors such as Huawei, Shao suggested sulate’s services. He further noted that For more information about the Chi- growth, said Rhodium. a bilateral investment protection pact his consular district covers nine states: nese Consulate in Chicago, visit http:// Brenda Foster, president of the should be sought by the two parties. Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kan- www.chinaconsulatechicago.org/eng  American Chamber of Commerce in Robert Theleen, chairman of Am- sas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Shanghai, told the 2013 "Chinese FDI Cham Shanghai and CEO of private into the US Conference" on [Jun. 21] equity firm ChinaVest Ltd, said the two Consul General Zhao’s Biography that U.S. state governments, through cases were complicated, simply because their economic development arms and of the sensitivity of the industry. led by local governors, are clearly vying "It's safe to say that technology has for Chinese capital with a view toward overtaken the ability of political lead- Birthplace: Zhejiang Province, China creating more local jobs, ers, and so they have tended to make Birthdate: July 1967 "I can tell you from my personal conservative decisions," he said. Education: graduate of China Foreign Affairs University experience, that U.S. states and cities But he added that such conflicts do Family: married are very interested in Chinese FDI to not reflect the current robust business support their local economies," she told investment environment in the [United Experience: delegates, revealing the Chamber had States], where many Chinese enterprises February 2013: Chinese Consul General to Chicago hosted governors from over a dozen thrive and enjoy overall success. American states last year, as they visited APCO Worldwide Inc, a U.S. busi- 2010-2012: Ambassador to the Independent State of Samoa China looking for investment. ness strategy firm, recently completed Shao Ning, chief executive of the a survey of 50 Chinese business execu- 2006-2010: Counselor, then Deputy Director-General, Department of Center of American States, which repre- tives, and found 94 percent considered North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs sents eight U.S. states in China, predicts their experience in the U.S. market as that direct investment is likely to play successful. 2003-2006: Counselor, head of Congressional Affairs, Chinese Em- an even more prominent role than trade Around 92 percent of respondents bassy in the United States of America in promoting bilateral relations between said, however, that overcoming cultural the two sides in future. difference was their primary challenge, 2002-2003: Counselor, head of Political Office, Chinese Embassy in "Chinese companies gain enor- and 70 percent expressed concern over Canada mously by investing in the huge U.S. access to the market, hindered by the market, raising their technology levels country's regulatory environment. 1997-2002: Third Secretary, Deputy Director, then Director, Department and their brand awareness. Such invest- Kenneth Jarrett, chairman of APCO's of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ment reaches local American communi- China operations, said that business ties and helps forge a profound, positive leaders reported their enterprises had 1994-1997: Attaché 3, Third Secretary, Chinese Embassy in Australia impression of Chinese enterprises in the had a relatively easy time entering country," said Shao. the [United States], with good access 1991-1994: Attaché, Department of North American and Oceanian Eugene Qian, managing director and to capital and existing relationships Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China head of corporate and investment bank- playing a key role. "To succeed in the ing at Citigroup Inc China, said that a market, you have to down play your growing number of Chinese firms are Chinese characteristics and operate as realizing that green field investment in a U.S. company." particular - in which a company begins Advertisers a new venture in another country with Reprinted by permission of China the construction of new facilities as Daily (www.chinadaily.com.cn) Your potential customers are reading ChinaInsight. Shouldn’t you be bringing well as creating new jobs - can help them in the door with an ad? them avoid potential trade barriers, get Contact: Greg Hugh immediate access to local customers, (952) 472-4757 and deliver higher profit margins than Email: operating locally. [email protected] www.chinainsight.info economy SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 13 China’s currency issue with the United States By Patrick Welsh, China Insight Contributor

The denomination of China’s cur- in the eyes of the Chinese. On the other rency is the renminbi ( literally trans- hand, the weaker yuan of previous years lated as “Peoples’ currency”). The was a boon for the American traveler in major unit of the renminbi is the yuan. China and importers of Chinese goods. Many Americans believe that the yuan Today, as the value of the China’s yuan should strengthen further against our continues to strengthen against the dollar. They cite as evidence the fact dollar and other currencies, the prices that the value of China exports to this of Chinese goods have become less country far exceeds that of our exports competitive in world markets. In Janu- to China. In 2012, this deficit reached ary 2003, US$1.00 bought CN¥8.26 US$315 billion, much of which is be- in China. Today in mid-August 2013, cause many of our products are priced US$1.00 only buys CN¥6.19. This has too expensively in China. Also cited resulted in higher levels of layoffs and is that in dollar terms, the wages of greater unemployment in China. Chinese workers are extremely low. My 4. There is no doubt that a weak own experience is that many common yuan has played a role in the loss of Chinese dailyuse products are about some manufacturing jobs here. For- one-fifth to one-seventh the price of the tunately China’s own bureaucracy, same goods in this country in terms of inflation and higher transportation costs the US dollar, – well enabling China’s have compelled many American firms to population to purchase what it needs. rethink their former strategy and bring These contentions are largely true these jobs back home. and I can fully understand the argument The question still remains then, just for some further strengthening of the how much stronger would we like to see yuan against the dollar, yet they leave the yuan become? open the question of just how much fur- Some legislators have been trying ther China’s currency should be allowed to enact tariffs and trade legislation to strengthen against ours? aimed at forcing China to strengthen its How does China set its exchange yuan even further. However, should this rate? China sets the value of the yuan actually happen and the yuan becomes to always equal a set amount of a basket too strong, U.S. consumers would find of currencies, which includes the dollar. themselves paying higher prices for both In other words, China pegs its currency Chinese and "Made in America" goods. coast. From them he learned various stable China-United States relationship. to the dollar using a fixed exchange As China's investment in our debt be- Chinese dialects: Cantonese, Toisanese, Through his work at the Northern Trust, rate. When the dollar loses too much comes smaller, The United States would Mandarin, Shanghainese, Taiwanese Welsh met many members of China’s value, China buys dollars through U.S. then have to allow our interest rates to and Fukien. When his family moved new leadership who wanted Western Treasury borrowings to support the rise here in order to attract other lenders to Lake Forest, Ill., in 1948, he found firms to feel comfortable about working dollar. In this way, the yuan's value to replace the lost money lent to us by two Chinese language-learning books with them. Welsh’s command of Chinese is always within its targeted range. As China. This in turn is likely to threaten at the library. These provided him a made him stand out. Chinese officials long as the yuan's value is low enough, our recovery from the current recession. fundamental understanding of Chinese visiting the bank took an interest in him, China's goods will remain cheaper in This is why I believe that it's unlikely syntax and characters. one of whom was Li Xiang, minister of comparison. that too much will be done here to re- After getting a Master’s degree in Foreign Trade. After giving an informa- What the trade deficit means to us duce the trade deficit. This is also why Oriental Languages and Literature at tive and well-received presentation in and the Chinese: we would want to have the yuan not(?) the University of Kansas in 1972, he Chinese in Chicago to a delegation from 1. For us China’s trade surplus too much stronger. Let’s face it, most began his Ph.D. program at the Univer- the People’s Bank of China, Welsh met with this country has been so successful people would rather pay as little as pos- sity of Michigan. This course of study Pu Ming, chairman of the Bank of China that, in order to avoid inflation at home, sible for computers, electronics, tools further convinced Welsh the beauty who was also a member of the China’s most U.S. dollars earned are invested and clothing, etc. -- even if it means and advantage of using Chinese- and State Council. Pu took him under his back here in the United States, most of other Americans lose their jobs.  Japanese-language resources to study wing. Later in China, Welsh further im- which is their purchasing of our national the history, politics, economics and pressed Pu by speaking a dialect close debt mentioned above. This has played About Pat Welsh culture of those countries. From 1975- to Pu’s hometown. After this incident a significant role in enabling American 1985, Welsh worked in the Asia-Pacific Welsh, in his own words, “could do no borrowers, including our government, to Pat Welsh’s interest in China and Division of the Northern Trust Bank in wrong” in Pu’s eyes! Another influential borrow at extremely low rates of inter- the Chinese language was piqued at the Chicago where the payoff for his Asian contact was Wang Guangmei, the very est. tender age of 5 by missionary “movies” studies came into fruition. He worked learned wife of Liu Shaoqi. Liu had 2. For Chinese investors, as the shown by priests in his Chicago neigh- not only with Taiwanese banks, he also been the head of the communist party yuan strengthens against the dollar, the borhood. The impactful “movies” were, developed a relationship with the Bank from 1961-1966. Through her, Welsh Chinese investor is incurring significant as Welsh later realized, documentaries of China and its Hong Kong subsidiary, met other high-ranking officials in the foreign exchange losses. For example, of the Shanghai and Nanjing Massacres the Nanyang Commercial Bank. He economic and foreign trade arenas. if in 2007 a Chinese investor had taken in China. Why would the priests think also worked with accounts in Austra- By invitation of the Georgia State CN¥1000 and converted it to U.S. dol- these could motivate kids to missionary lia, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Department, Welsh taught Chinese in lars for an investment here, that invest- work? But that’s another story … Pakistan and Thailand. Georgia high schools from the 1986 to ment today would be worth only about Between 1947 and 1972, Welsh’s After Mao’s death in 1976, the disas- his retirement in 2007. CN¥760. This is another motivation for interest in world affairs grew. He trous Cultural Revolution that devas- Welsh credits his insight on how China to keep its USD earnings here in had learned early that if he knew the tated China’s economy came to an end. decisions were made in China and what the United States rather than convert it language of a country, he could learn Hua Guofeng restored Deng Xiaoping China’s priorities were as times changed back into renminbi. It is also a reason much more about it than merely relying and others to power in 1977 and the to his relationships with the Chinese why China has been slow to let the yuan on English resources. He focused on new leadership opened itself up to the officials and to the friendships of col- strengthen against the dollar. China because growing up in Chicago, West, motivated by a desire to bring leagues he met while teaching. 3. Today’s stronger yuan means he had met Chinese from China’s east China into the 20th century, promising a that American goods are less expensive PAGE 14 > SEPTEMBER 2013 travel www.chinainsight.info Qiannan Prefecture – The land that time forgot

By Wu Meiling, China Today area is nonetheless extremely tecting them from being “drowned.” incantations all indicate that they moved fragile; any major natural It’s almost as if the trees are wearing from the south of China – there are many disaster, and especially fire, rubber boots. references to water and even the sea. In would wreak havoc. Deforesta- The Wangpai Peak is home to a many Shui customs fish constitute a very tion and illegal logging is also stretch of “funnel forest.” The funnel important element. a concern. Primeval forests are is a 400-meter-deep cone-shaped hol- Many scholars now believe that the especially fragile, not just in low, the walls of which are covered Shui are actually one clan of the Baiyue, a Libo but the world over. For in dense foliage. Looking down from collection of tribes that inhabited southern this reason, there are few such the top of the peak into the hollow, the China in ancient times. But the question is forests – especially in karst depth is startling. yet to be conclusively settled – the Shui’s regions – of the scale found in A peerless spectacle in the re- written language seems to suggest they Libo remaining in the world serve is the underground forest. It’s might be from the central area of China, Among Libo’s unique flora not a metaphor. In the darkness of a and that they could have been an ancient is the Kmeria septentrionalis limestone cave, unexcitedly called Han Chinese tribe. Dandy, a dioecious tree species “Cave 1285,” grows a sprawl of eerily The Shui have their own written lan- The Xiaoqikong Scenic Spot in Libo. that was announced extinct by warped trees whose leafless branches guage. The pronunciation of the spoken QIANNAN Bouyei and Miao international scientists back in all stretch downward. On closer in- tongue is very different from modern Chi- Prefecture in southwestern China’s 1933, and wild Paphiopedilum emer- spection one sees that the “branches” nese, but in some ways resembles ancient Guizhou Province boasts dual bless- sonii, an orchid species. All in all, the are actually the root system of aboveg- Chinese. Shui Language and the Origin ings from mother nature – the uncanny region holds 1,203 floral species includ- round woods that, astonishingly, have of the Shui Ethnic Group, a monograph beauty of karst topography and primeval ing 32 genera of wild orchid. It is also pierced dozens of meters of bedrock by renowned sociologist Professor Cen forests. It’s hard to say which aspect of home to 316 species of vertebrates and to reach the cavern below, and have Jiawu, mentions, “The written language the landscape is more arresting – the 800 species of insects. More than 170 continue to grow down even further. of the Shui is the product of an ancient wild Avatar-esque alienness of the plants and animals are under top-level Another charming feature of the area, quite possibly the Shang Dynasty vertiginous peaks, or the forests, which national protection. reserve is its water system, which (circa 1600-1100 BC). It bears close re- have sustained an ecosystem brimming Chinese botanist Qin Renchang first includes waterfalls, rock pools and semblance to oracle bone characters and with life for millennia upon millennia. discovered the Kmeria septentrionalis rivulets both above and under ground. inscriptions on ancient bronze objects.” For tourists, the question is moot; both Dandy in neighboring Guangxi Zhuang A standout that makes for a postcard Indeed, the surviving 200 Shui char- can be appreciated in equal measure on Autonomous Region in 1928, though photo is the Yuanyang (Mandarin acters are mostly pictographic, much short trips from the prefectural capital it died out there a few years later. In Duck) Lake – two major lakes, four like the oracle bone script, bronze ware of Duyun. 1937 the international botanical com- smaller ones and a number of intercon- inscriptions and other ancient Chinese munity announced the species extinct. necting brooks form a dynamic maze characters. Distinguished scholar Mo Half a century later, however, a grove of waterways that bulge and shrink Youzhi believes the Shui characters rep- Libo, a Legacy of History of as many as 20,000 of the trees was depending on the season. They say resent a language of the pre-Qin period A 2005 poll by Chinese National found deep inside Libo; many towered the color of the water also changes de- (2100– 221 BC). In his research on the Geography magazine voted the karst to a height of six to seven meters. The pending on the time of day, and glim- language, he found an important clue in scenery in Libo, Qiannan Prefecture, the news caused a sensation in international mers in up to seven different shades. a line that read “copying writings from No. 8 most fascinating such formation biological circles. Experts were over the bamboo slips,” which indicates that the in China. That’s quite an achievement, moon about the news of the survival of earliest version of Shui books were writ- considering Libo is way off the beaten The Shui Ethnic Group these “botanic giant pandas.” ten in a form common in ancient China. tourist trail, and the other top 10 place- In the south of the prefecture is Sitting below the canopy of a tower- The finding is also in accordance with getters are overtly commercialized. Sandu Shui Autonomous County, ing Kmeria septentrionalis Dandy tree, I records from Shangshu, or Book of Docu- Karst topography is the geological China’s only autonomous county of remembered a poem by the Sixth Dalai ments, an ancient tome about the history phenomenon created by the dissolution Shui, an ethnic minority of 400,000. Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso: of the pre-Qin eras, which noted that only of one or many layers of soluble bed- Legend says the scenery there is “as See me or not, people of the Shang Dynasty had docu- rock. It is named after the Kras plateau beautiful as the feather of a phoenix.” I am always here, ments and books. region of eastern Italy and western And sure enough, with Yaoren Moun- Not gleeful, nor rueful. In the year 221 BC, when the Qin Slovenia (Kras is German for “barren tain, the Dulliu River, Chandan Cliff, Think of me or not, monarchy conquered large swathes of land”). The landscape on most karst which “lays stone eggs” (more on that My love is always here, the territory of China, the emperor sent terrains is rocky and barren, with a thin oddity below), and the “Moonlight Never going this way or that. a contingent of 500,000 soldiers to Ling- layer of soil to support vegetation. In Tree,” which shines in the evening, the nan, an area covering the whole of today’s Guizhou’s Libo, however, the situa- county does not disappoint. The Maolan National Forest Reserve Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and part of tion is very different: the soil covering But the real treat here is meeting in Libo sees the four features of the neighboring provinces. The troops were the karst landscape is rich; the area is the locals. Fully half of all Shui live karst forest brought out in spectacular led by a general named Wei Sui. In the home to 20,000 hectares of primeval in Sandu. display: trees surviving – and thriving – Qin period, there was no standard way to forestlands. The origins of the Shui people are between bedrock, up through sinkholes, record people’s names, and a citizen was Anyone who has the chance to view indicated in a folk song passed down out of streams and in underground usually called after his or her demeanor this expanse of green that rolls up and through the generations and still sung caverns. The 20,000 hectares of lush or achievements. “Wei Tu Sui” literally down the rugged mountain surely comes today: green on the otherwise lifeless rocky means “Slaughterer of the Sui”; could away with a different perspective on life. In the late Shang Dynasty, terrain stand testament to the ability of this Sui be the “Shui” of modern times? So few people have ventured here over From the southern mountains we nature to thrive in seemingly impossible This history was recorded on a stone the course of human history that with came. conditions. relief found in Shibanzhai Village of every step, the visitor could well be the With our language, the gift of our The Xiaoqikong area of the reserve Sanshuiqian Town. The carvings are fluid first person ever to walk across a rock ancestors, is the prime location to see the “woods and delicate, representing the style of the surface that has been untouched for 100 Home in Yelang Kingdom we on the water.” Normally trees can’t Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). The figures million years. claimed. survive in rivers, but several elements depicted in the relief wear either long The Libo region emerged out of the Looking back to my forgotten land, collaborate in Xiaoqikong to create robes or armor. sea following tectonic plate movements I see the moon reflected in rivers exceptional circumstances. The forests In the center stand three people. The about 200 million years ago. As the grand. in the area originally grew out of soil, central figure wears an official’s hat and landscape continued to develop over The song thus tells us that the Shui before being flooded by water from shows kindness on his face; on the right the following millennia, biodiversity in are not the aboriginal inhabitants of underground caves of soluble rock. The stands an elderly man with a long beard the area grew. Sandu, but migrated from another calcium carbonate in the water, at high who is holding a stick in his left hand Today, the flora and fauna of Libo region. From where exactly did they concentration, soon accumulated and is unique. The ecosystem of the karst come? It’s hard to know. Popular folk formed a crust around the roots, pro- legends, songs and even religious Qiannan continues on Page 15 www.chinainsight.info travel SEPTEMBER 2013 > PAGE 15 Qiannan continues from Page 14 and, with his right, is handing to natural basin in Pingtang. Since the mid- a child. The child is held by a woman, 1990s, Chinese astronomers and their standing on the left, who wears a strik- colleagues from other countries have ing headband. The three are guarded visited the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau on by a phalanx of soldiers who hold flags many occasions to search for an ideal that feature a dragon. Their flag-waving location for their huge telescope. They has startled a flock of geese, who have finally chose Dawohan, and the whole soared up into the sky. area is set to benefit from the influx of The stone relief vividly depicts a scientists. scene of migration. After Qin conquered The Dawohan area is home to karst Lingnan, the ancestor of Shui presum- landforms with natural hollows scat- ably went upstream along the Duliu tered among the verdant mountains. River to a place between modern-day The hollows are like naturally formed Guizhou and Guangxi, and settled there. shelters, which, scientists say, provide In the inland, however, small ethnic perfect conditions for the construction Villagers of Guluzhai Village in Sandu County perform traditional bronze drum dance. groups soon assimilated into the more of the world’s largest and most sensitive populous Han people. Many of their single-aperture radio telescope. the outlying suburbs. 1.5-meter-wide and 2-meter-high tunnel cultures disappeared. The Shui written Construction of the telescope is well The inner city sits high on the top connected the fortified city with the riv- language presumably survived thanks underway. After it is completed, the of a hill and enjoys a commanding er. It was most likely used for obtaining to the group’s mountainous homeland. powerful instruments will be turned to position over the whole cityscape. A water during times of war. There are five Despite the Shui’s official recog- the sky to spy on the wonders of the uni- river winds downhill and connects the beacon towers on the mountains around nition, most people today still know verse. But there are wonders on earth as inner and outer city sections. The outer the Zhuwang City. The soil around the relatively little about the ethnic group’s well, and some of them are right next to city stretches to surround three sides of river is extremely fertile, and provided customs and culture. For instance, the the telescope. Hiking around Dawohan, the inner city – as protection in former sustenance for Zhuwang’s citizens. On Duan Festival of the Shui, which cel- visitors can take in picturesque scenery times. The three parts form a staircase- leaving, we decided it was a great pity ebrates the New Year, lasts about 49 of rising peaks, purple Chinese wisteria, style defense system. There are two that this once glorious state had ceased days, making it the longest annual fes- karst caves and old, traditional villages. stone arch bridges across the river to to exist. tival in the world. Come summertime, There are many peculiarly shaped connect the inner and the outer city. Iron One spot not to miss in Fuquan is the Shui celebrate the Mao Festival, the rocks around Pingtang County. For in- lock gates feature at the entrance to the Fuquan Mountain, a holy site for Taoists world’s oldest festival for lovers. The stance, there is one particular rock face bridges from the outer city, ostensibly located to the south of the city. Zhang grand Jingxia Festival has a history of in Cangzi Rock Valley that has cracked to cut off the waterway and prevent Sanfeng, a legendary Chinese Taoist over 1,000 years. It involves worship of in a way to resemble the five Chinese sneak attacks. During the An Bangyan priest during the Ming Dynasty, lived on the Shui’s rain god and takes place once characters “the Communist Party of Rebellion against the Ming Dynasty the mountain for eight years. Standing every 60 years. The Horsetail Broidery China.” The locals call it “a letter from from 1621 to 1627, Fuquan, thanks to on the top of the Fuquan Mountain and technique of the Shui is a living fossil: as heaven.” its defenses, withstood and beat back an looking down, we saw undulating slopes its name suggests, hairs on the horsetail Getting to the valley where the attack from 30,000-odd enemies with a folding out from the banks of a nearby make part of the threads used. It was rock is located requires hiking, but the skeleton army of a few hundred. river. It was extremely pleasant, and no among the first cultural heritages to be route is lovely and dotted with creeks, Six hundred years later, the city’s doubt a peaceful environment to come officially recognized – and protected – waterfalls and bamboo forests. The un- appearance hasn’t changed much. The and contemplate life’s inner meaning. in China. canny inscribed monolith, called Hidden river still flows and the four towering Zhang Sanfeng is believed by some Arriving in Sandu, we heard about Words Rock, is actually at the end of the city gates still look magnificent – and people to have achieved immortal- reward of RMB 500,000 for the per- valley. It has split into two pieces, both imposing. ity. Whatever his mortal status, during son who could solve the mystery of of which are around seven to eight me- Within the broader Fuquan city lim- his time he was a master philosopher, Chandan(Egg Laying) Cliff, which, as ters long and three meters high. There’s its lies Zhuwang, capital of the ancient painter, calligrapher and poet. He was mentioned, is said to “lay stone eggs.” a gap of about a meter separating the two Yelang Kingdom. also known as an expert in medicines, Located just nine kilometers away from rocks, and the five Chinese characters Over 2,100 years ago, Yelang King Qigong (breathing exercises) and Tai the county town, the cliff is located in are on the middle part of a fractured Zhuduo is reputed to have rhetorically Chi. In one letter to Emperor Yongle of a typical Shui village where residents surface on the right-hand piece. The posed a question to a Han imperial en- the Ming Dynasty, he wrote: still live in stilt houses and wear tradi- “writing” was actually formed naturally voy: “Which is greater, Yelang or Han?” “If you want to ask me how to tional costumes. Once every 30 years, around 200 million years ago – when In the end the king’s arrogance led to achieve immortality, I would reply that several stones the size of dinosaur eggs Guizhou Province was at the bottom of the state’s demise with the defeat of his there is nothing special about immortals. are found at the foot of the cliff. No one an ancient sea. One day, the logic goes, 100,000-men army. Exactly how the Mortal or otherwise, the most impor- knows where they come from. They the huge rock rolled down from the top Yelang faded away is something of an tant thing for maintaining physical and aren’t pieces that have crumbled off the of an ocean peak into the valley and unsolved mystery. Today the historical mental health is moral cultivation, con- cliff, nor are there any such rocks on top broke into two pieces. The fissures that ruins of the kingdom are still on display tinence and keeping a peaceful mind.” of the cliff. Needless to say, we didn’t make up the characters could actually be in Fuquan. A memorial temple has been built solve the mystery. imprints of the fossils of brachiopods, Within Zhuwang itself is a village on Fuquan Mountain to commemorate according to scientific studies. called Yanglao. Most streets and lanes Zhang’s stay here and his brilliant con- Pingtang County Fuquan and the Yelang Kingdom in the community are paved with blue tributions to health and martial arts. In Pingtang County has karst mountain Visiting Fuquan City, we leave the slabstones, which at first glance appear the temple there is stone-carved portrait and river views to rival any other scenic epic natural scenery behind and take to be very old. But there is no record of the master, which fully reflects the spot in the autonomous prefecture. In a tour down history lane. Fuquan was proving the streets were paved when transcendent demeanor attested to him. China Pingtang has already gained a the seat of Qieland Kingdom during the Yelang was at its prime. For those wishing to pay tribute to reputation as a geological marvel. It has Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 Emperor Jianwen (1377-1402) of the the legacy of Zhang, a visit to Fuquan over 100 recognized sites of sightseeing BC), and was also the capital city of Ming Dynasty fled to the region after a Mountain is a must. interest, including Pingzhou River, the the ancient state of Yelang over 2,000 coup by his uncle, and left behind his Fuquan City is also home to 130-odd Jiacha Scenic Area and the Longtang years ago. Plenty of historical sites have inscription on the cliff of a lotus-shaped ancient bridges, all of which have their Scenic Area. In 2009 Pingtang was survived, and visitors today have plenty peak near the village. It reads “God- own special features. Among them is the elected as one of China’s 10 most beau- of choices. carved Lotus.” One Step Bridge from the Qing Dynasty, tiful small cities. The first site we visited in Fuquan The ruins of Zhuwang City attest to a the smallest in China. One step, and Oddly enough, Pingtang’s renown as was the ancient city wall. The city’s lay- well thought-out layout and an imposing you’re across it. a spot of peculiar natural beauty is some- out and construction techniques reflect array of grand architectural achieve- That one step proved to be one of my what overshadowed by its reputation the wisdom of planners during a period ments. The streets are in a grid layout, last in Qiannan Prefecture. It’s a shame, as a future hub for scientific research. of war. Standing on the city wall, visi- the major thoroughfare eight meters because I felt I’d barely scratched the News broke recently that an enormous tors gain a panoramic view of Fuquan. wide. Lanes, four meters wide, branch surface of this fascinating pocket of radio telescope, measuring 500 meters The city itself is divided into an “inner off from it. The Yanglao River flows past China. in diameter, will be built in Dawohan, a sanctum,” the middle “water city” and the foot of the city. A 150-meter-long, May your blessings be as full as the moon Let’s celebrate in the light of the Harvest Moon Festival together

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