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CLINIC HOURS Mon-Sun; 0900-1800 1680 Shuanglong Avenue, Baijiahu, (Jiangning 1912) ENGLISH HOTLINE www.guzeclinic.com 17372253440 www.thenanjinger.com Contents THETHE APRIL 2020

Volume#10/Issue#5 6 Contributors 7 Nanjing Nomads 8 Editorial #93 9 Poem; April 4; A New Tradition 10 Draw Loom Enlightenment How China Helped Dress The Beatles 14 Hume, Hope & Happiness; A Tradition of Human Survival 18 How WeChat, Urbanites & Consumerism Destroyed China’s Traditions 22 Strainer Next Time, Baby, I’ll be Bullet Proof 23 Great Nanjingers (1) The 5th Century’s Human Computer; Zu Chongzhi 24 The Trip Yunnan; Tie Dye’s Blue & White Spiritual Home 26 For Art’s Sake Nanjing Mapped Out; From City Walls to Psychedelic Spectrograms 27 Our Space 30 The Gavel Civil Code of PRC; A Crossroads of Tradition and Innovation 31 Metro Map

4

Introducing some of our www.thenanjinger.com contributors, editors & THE APRIL 2020 designers

Our Editor-in-chief and Music Critic, Frank Sponsor 办单位 Hossack, has been a radio host and producer for SinoConnexion贺福传媒 the past 35 years, the past 27 of which working in media in China, in the process winning four New 编辑出版 York Festivals awards for his work, in the Publisher categories Best Top 40 Format, Best Editing, Best The Nanjinger《南京⼈》杂志社 Director and Best Culture & The Arts. 贺福是我们杂志的编辑和⾳乐评论员，在过去的35 Operating Organization 运营机构 年⾥⼀直从事电台主持和电台制⽚的⼯作。在中 Nanjing Hefu Cultural Media Co., Ltd. 国有近27年的媒体⼯作经验。⼯作期间他曾经四 南京贺福⽂化传媒有限公司 次获得过纽约传媒艺术节⼤奖，分别是世界前40 强节⽬奖，最佳编辑奖，最佳导演奖以及最佳⽂ 化艺术奖。 Contributors 特约撰稿⼈ Triona Ryan Francesca Leiper, from Scotland, is currently a Maitiu Brallaghan columnist at the Nanjinger. She studies art history Steven Yeh at Nanjing University of the arts and is fascinated by Nanjing’s Republican Period architecture. Francesca Leiper来⾃苏格兰，⽬前是南京⼈杂志 Columnists 专栏作家 的专栏作家。她就读于南京艺术学院艺术史专业， Francesca Leiper 对南京民国时期的建筑⾮常着迷。 Carlo D’Andrea Matthew Stedman Roy Ingram has over 25 years experience working as an artist and Creative Director. His early career Editor-in-chief 主编 was with agencies in London but for the past eight 贺福 years he has lived and worked in Nanjing. Frank Hossack Roy Ingram先⽣有着超过25年的创意总监和艺术 家的⼯作经历。他早期的职业⽣涯是在伦敦的⼀ Graphic Design and Layout 家机构⾥开始的，但是在⼋年前他决定来到南京 平⾯设计与布局 ⽣活⼯作。 SinoConnexion贺福传媒 Web: sinoconnexion.com Matthew Stedman has spent years living and working in China. He has sold Chinese tea in the UK, and loves discussing the miraculous leaf with Concept & Design 构想与设计 new (and suspicious) audiences. He however never 封⾯构想与设计 feels happier than when researching the product Roy Ingram here in beautiful South China. Matthew Stedman在中国⽣活⼯作了多年。多年在 中英两国从事茶叶贸易的他，喜欢和新读者讨论神 Client Liason Coordinator 奇的东⽅树叶(虽然有时他的读者保持怀疑态度)。 客户联络协调员 没什么⽐在美丽的江南⾛访品尝各种茶叶更让他开 Nancy Guo 郭蓓 ⼼的事了。 Legal Consultant 法律顾问 Legal columnist Carlo D’Andrea came to China Ma Haipeng 马海鹏 in 2005 and nowheads up a boutique law firm which is a point of reference as a well- established entity in the international legal General Enquires & Advertising: profession serving Chinese and foreign +86 13851522275 companies wishing to globalise themselves. He Email: [email protected] has been admitted to the Italian Bar Association and is Chairman of the EUCCC Shanghai Board. Volume 10 / Issue 5 / April 2020 法律专栏作家Carlo D’Andrea于2005年来到中国 ，如今正领导着⼀家精品律师事务所，作为国际律 “Tradition” 师界的标杆和翘楚，向中国和外国公司提供服务以 Copyright 2020, SinoConnexion Ltd. 助其实现全球化。他不仅是意⼤利的执业律师，同 Published in the United Kingdom 时还是中国欧盟商会上海分会的主席。 ISSN 2051-9974

6 NANJING Your Travels in the Digital Realm NOMADS #nanjingermagazine to see your photos on this page!

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Cyang_fromnj (10 Apr., 2020) Instagram Post. sesh_zy (6 Apr, 2020) Instagram Post. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/B-y1C3QlvkS Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ohjrunf7s

7 In Love With Useless

e begin a new monthly column in Elsewhere, many readers may be wondering as to this issue. And in a way, it’s odd the cover of this issue; what on earth could Wthat we’ve not done it before. Scotland have to do with Nanjing? Or China? More than you might think, as we investigate ties “Great Nanjingers”; prepare to make a between the two, or three, from the wonderful spectacular entrance. See p.27. world of weaving. See p.10-12.

Hence to this month’s theme, and again, it is a Lastly, the Chinese calendar is literally awash with surprise that in almost 10 years, we’ve not thought festivals. But how has their observance of this one. diminished in the world of WeChat, consumerism and urbanity? See p.18-20. Firstly, totems and talismans tell tales of hope, human endurance and Humanity’s collective Welcome to “Tradition” from The Nanjinger. ability to overcome and thrive in times of adversity. Times like these. See p.14-17. Ed.

can the QR Code to visit The Nanjinger on WeChat, from where you Scan download a free PDF of this issue, find a full list of distribution points for hard copies or arrange a subscription to have The Nanjinger delivered to your home or office!

This magazine is part of a family of English publications that together reach a large proportion of the foreign population living in Nanjing, along with a good dash of locals, comprising: The Nanjinger City Guide www.thenanjinger.com Facebook, WeChat, Twitter & Instagram

All of the above are owned and operated by HeFu Media, the Chinese subsidiary of SinoConnexion Ltd;www.sinoconnexion.com

2 By April 4: Bralligan Maitiu A New Tradition

With fire crackers and streets of red, The Nian is once said to have been put to bed. Now “jia you” calls across cowed city towers, Inspiring new hearts in these darkest of hours.

Ifevery tradition begins with an action Which only through time becomes an abstraction Ofwhat it once was, well so let it begin. Maybe in time at NewYear we’ll sing

“Jia you” from windows wide open for luck, Then sit down to feasts of fish and duck Dishes. And our children’s grandchildren will wonder. What it’s all about, this communal thunder.

And they’ll be retold the story, told by families all, Ofhow a people stayed strong thanks to these calls, Defeated their demon with songs through the air... But for now, I can only offer my thoughts and my prayers.

9 Frank Hossack By

10 Key to our story is the draw loom.

11 Image courtesy Nanjing Brocade Institute

As the dynasties passed, Chinese brocade became joined by John Murphy, also of Glasgow, who in ever more complex, while its dynamic lines, rich 1827, published “A Treatise on the Art of Weaving”. colours and designs began also to exhibit reverence Now regarded as one of the classics in weaving for happiness, life and death, marriage, ancestry, literature, the treatise contains that era’s best nature, heaven and earth. As such, just like the known description of the draw loom. setting sun, the beauty of brocade garments All this well placed Paisley to be at the centre of the became famous across the world. weaving revolution. Egypt, Syria and Palestine were all early adopters of Everything changed for the town as Paisley Pattern the loom for creating patterns, likely later in the designs sprung up all over western Europe. That which second century. Then Europe took it to the next began as an imitation of the Kashmir shawl soon level that saw its zenith in the famous Mozac Hunter became the Louis Vuitton or Prada of their day, a symbol Silk in Lyon, France. Dated 671 CE, the masterpiece of wealth and status among upper-class women. employed one of the most sophisticated technologies of the time, the loon had at least 800 When the young Queen Victoria in 1842 was said to draw cords and 2,700 different combinations of have purchased 17 of them, the Paisley Shawl warp threads. became the de facto fashion garment for discerning ladies everywhere. With the onset of the 1860s, Then the learned Scots enter our narrative. For they Paisley had no less than 71 shawl manufacturers, and the Chinese were to be the world’s draw loom churning out not only the stuff of royalty, but also consummate craftsmen. affordable and accessible versions for people across The Scottish Enlightenment was a period from the late the world.

18th to the early 19th centuries in Scotland, which saw Bringing our story up to date, in the Year of History, intellectual and scientific accomplishments emerge Heritage and Archaeology that was 2017, the Paisley en masse. As such, there was a disproportionate shawlswere named as one of 25 objects that shaped contribution from Scottish writers in many fields of Scotland’s history. study, expertise and vocation. Nanjing has a sister city in England in York, but Among them was the “Practical and Descriptive not one in Scotland. There is a powerful case to Essays on the Art of Weaving” by Glasgow textile be made for the twinning of Nanjing and manufacturer, John Duncan, published in 1808. Paisley; as producers of perhaps the most iconic Therein were brief descriptions of the different garments ever made, the two would indeed sit types of draw loom in use at the time as well as comfortably at opposite ends of the axis of the principles on which they operated. He was global textile trade.

12

Hume, Hope & Happiness; A Tradition of Human Survival

raditions tell us how to be who we are. This year, for the first T time in the historyofThe Republic, Ireland has had to cancel its St. Patrick’s Day Parades, and even worse, the pubs have been closed as well. At a time when Nanjingers are looking to erudites of similar extraction for hope, David Hume, the Scottish

Triona Ryan Enlightenment philosopher of the 18th century, springs to mind

By as an example of sense and pragmatism in the unsettling “Times of Cholera”.If Covid-19 is going to close the pubs on the Irish, a pox must indeed be upon us.

14 riters have long used the concept that essentially, any idea of a self or soul that of plague to explore the depths of persists through time and change is mere W Humanity’s compassion and self- illusion, a fabrication of the mind. Hume awareness. From Gabriel García Márquez’s believed that the prevalent notion of the self “Love in the Time of Cholera” to Albert as a solid identity was incorrect, a flat earth Camus’ “The Plague” and Somerset to the globe of consistent layers of self laid Maughan’s “The Painted Veil”, authors have down over time. explored the possibility of life suddenly and Emotion shapes our responses to stimuli, permanently ending, and the strange tricks and these responses are recorded as this assertion of finality plays on the human sensorial memory. If we feel scalded and psyche. We contemplate our mortality, and angry at the sharp sting of a nettle, we plug our ears to the soul screaming that avoid the hairy demons in future. follows, asking ourselves, “Where is that However, our memory recall of this ghastly noise coming from?” And then? responses is also filtered through This is when we summon up our self- emotional lenses, so each time the reliance and powers of reason and attack memory of the nettle’s seething white the heart of the matter. In a case like Covid- spots exploding on my ankle is conjured 19,a“Coronapocalypse”,we summon up up in the mind, it is coloured by the our best self, activate our critical thinking contemporary self who recalls it. Our skills and rationally work towards the best recollections are shaped by the self that is solution. Right? doing the recalling. Is that self happy? Mad? Amused?Any memory is therefore Hume calls hokey. susceptible to subjective reevaluation In his “Treatise on Human Nature”, (1739), over time, as the self constructing and Hume posits that, “The self is nothing but a evaluating is also in a constant process of bundle of impressions and ideas”. He argues flux, growth and change.

15 This is important when it comes to and new year’s resolutions; songs, swish, smoke. dealing with new experiences and Traditions worldwide jump on the ceremonial challenges. We must be aware of the bandwagon. Here in Nanjing, we burn money on the power of the “passions”, as Hume calls sidewalk and incense in temples. We sweep away them, to colour our perceptions. old pig symbols of newyears past and paste up new rats for the coming year. We gaze at the moon and Now, I mention this because us Irish also know a bit ask, like Seán O’Casey’s brave Captain, “What is the about the self, and tradition. For many years, Ireland stars, what is the stars?” struggled to establish a Hibernian identity, learning a navigate a new world, in a new mother tongue. We acknowledge time, impermanence. Despite the Penal Laws and the outlawing of the Traditions often mirror life in their Irish language, the catholic religion and the old ways eclectic randomness. Rolling with the of life woven into each Gaelic syllable, tradition randomness seems to be the way played a huge role in maintaining the strong Irish forwards, using traditions as clearings sense of identity during the years of occupation. in the brush to hop over life’s nettles.

Hedge schools popped up in the.., erm.. hedges, When it comes to the idea of tradition, we often where subjects were taught in Gaelic, while the assume that there’s a bundle of it out there world-weavers, the Seanachaí, travelled from house somewhere, a nicely rolled ball of belief, like yarn, to house each dusk, their words shaping the heroes stretching from the beginning of time immemorial to of old, giving them longings and loves and losses, now, made up by people who knew what they were tales from the old country, when we were still a free doing. The naming of a child when it is born, for and noble people. example, or the celebration of a birthday or even the ceremonial acknowledgment of the passing of a These stories reminded us of who were, who we loved one. Tradition is culture blind. Worldwide, we used to be. They contained the promise of a better use it as an umbilical cord to our soul, to reinforce future, when, like the heroes in the stories, we would our belief in ourselves. And we made them up as we overcome. Music from our grandfathers’ went along, the same as we are doing right now. grandfathers’ soaked into the smoothed timber of the instruments handed down at wakes. Taking time to sit with ourselves, to contemplate our traditions, lets those traditions remind us of who we Our collective past is woven into these stories, these are, of our common past and shared present, our acts of connection with the lifeblood of our cultures. anticipated future. They allow a time for St. Brigid’s crosses made of rush on 1 February to introspection and for understanding the natural laws bless the house for the year ahead, the burying of the of nature.They permit the mind to kaleidoscope and Child of Prague head-first under an apple tree the consider past selves, in different times, the changes night before a wedding to ensure a dry day, sweeping that have transpired since last year, or last season or the old year out across the threshold on 31 December “the last time”. The allow us to craft the narrative of and welcoming the new one in with song and laughter experience that we refer to as “the self”. Myself. a second later. Traditions that make no sense, just like life. The story is ours to tell.

The mothers passed down the songs, the words came to us through women. The songs, the swish of the brush, the crisp cool air at midnight, thick with coal smoke

16 Right now, Coronapocalypse is upon us. A man is interviewed by the CDC. They explain that “What should we do? How can we he has two options for quarantine. A solemn survive this?”, we all ask. When voiceover says, “You can A.) Go into quarantine with confronted with the end, the human your wife and child, or B.)…” spirit flinches. “Not me”, we say. “Not “B. B. Mmmhmm. Definitely B,” now.” replies the man, eyebrows like To understand the soul screaming, we need to admit Golden Arches. to ourselves that life sounds ugly, scraped and frail, Our capacity to see beauty and laugh in these times sometimes. When life spits in your eye and stomps manifests itself manifold. We stay in. We stay on your foot, it is not targeting you. It’s just like a positive. We stay striving. child, doing its thing from time to time. Traditions are totems and talismans, telling tales of And just as at times, we react with composure, hope, of human endurance and Humanity’s compassion and calm to the minor gales that blow collective ability to overcome and thrive in times of though our days when raising little people with adversity. When the world is spinning so fast that growing brains, so too, do we respond with you don’t know whether you’re pushing out of the equanimity to adverse life circumstances, like scary hurricane or into the eye, don’t stop. But remember, apocalyptic virus’ that swoop down upon us with the whilst you push, the Scotsman’s advice;“Beauty in same predictability as a 3-year-old’s temper things exists in the mind which contemplates them”. tantrum.Other times, we lose our sh*t. We do have a choice as to how we remember this time, Hume argues that destroying the idea that there is a this defining moment in our generation. Let it be single, enduring, self is the key to empowerment. contemplated as a mother does her child, as a student “The tendency to joy and hope is true happiness.” does campus, as the Irish shall the re-opening of the By allowing that change is life, that we cannot Temples of the Lord, Arthur Guinness. always react optimally to situations that set our emotional kaleidoscopes tripping, we can give space to the waves of justified anxiety and terror, yes, terror, that come with the thought of homeschooling and other calamities of life.

As the west begins its journey through the Coronapocalypse, the memes begin.

“The Irish close the pubs due to Covid-19. The Irish develop new 15-minute test to diagnose Covid-19. Cold fusion by the end of the week, lads, if we can keep sober.” “The Covid-19 epidemic has been engineered by women to shut down sporting events and close the pubs.”

17 how WeChat,urbanites& consumerismdestroyed China’s traditions hen I was a third grader, my family

used to take moon cakes and chairs

outside to sit in front of the lake,

admiring the full moon for an hour. It

was exciting for the first 5 minutes, Wbut later, I realised there were lots of mosquitos flying in my face and around my legs, trying to bite me. Plus, I was so bored staring

at the moon that I asked my parents whether we could go back.

Since that year, we have only glanced at the full moons for a few

seconds before continuing our work; we think it’s useless to gaze

at the moon, sitting still for an hour.

Somehow, I miss the peace of that evening with the mosquitos.

Steven Yeh mosquito 蚊⼦ (wén zi) By

18 In the rapidly evolving 21st century, people Then there is the are so caught up with work that many do not commercialism that has value some of the cultural traditions inherited from generations past. Yet, they remain part of immeasurably distorted our culture and identity, even though their traditional festivals. context and meaning have changed. The historical context of moon worship inthe Also known as the moon festival, the Zhou dynasty and the homemade moon cake Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival eating of the later Ming Dynasty and Qing originating 3,000 years ago in the Zhou dynasties were purposed for family reunion. Dynasty. Each year, its emperors worshipped On the other hand, today’s trend of buying, the moon goddess, Chang’e, because they gifting and regifting luxurious moon cakes for believed it would result in a plentiful harvest social purpose has diminished the festival’s next year. Conversely, today’s urbanites are so cultural significance. obsessed with work that they only remember the version of the familiar legend that is With people also now realising that Chang’e and Hou Yi flying to the moon. moon cakes are sugary, calorific and Not being farmers, they forget its origin, unhealthy, an increasing disdain for the making the moon festival seem very archaic. Mid-Autumn Festival is the result.

19 When it comes to Tomb-Sweeping Day, in my family, we never sweep tombs during the 3 day festival because it is too rushed for us to do the roundtrip between Nanjing and Taiwan. Essentially, we don’t believe tomb-sweeping has to be at a specific time of the year. Therefore, we tomb sweep when we have the chance to go to Taiwan. Besides the actual tomb-sweeping, spring outings and flying kites were “spring-welcoming” activities during the festival which I did with my family when I was a first and second grader. These What’s more, red envelopes (“hong bao”) unforgettable childhood memories are are traditionally given by elders to juniors not likely to be experienced again on New-Year’s night, but now, for many because, compared to the Chinese New- Chinese families, red envelopes sent Year holiday, the 3 days can be seen as a using WeChat have become a more relaxed work day at home for many. replacement for the real deal. However, The tight schedule of school and work this physical-to-digital transformation continues after the short break, likely lessens the meaning of the “lucky making employees and students “not in money,” as red envelopes are supposed the mood” for days off. to be placed under the pillow to rid the whole year of bad luck. Without the same Equally, many Chinese level of blessing from family and friends, people are likely to forget the intention New Year traditions are and connotation behind the gift. less likely to happen Yet, these traditional festivals have one thing in common; they enable people to because of urbanisation. rest and spend quality time with family. Strong family relationships have health One such tradition is killing the new benefits such as reduced stress. year’s pig, but people during the Research by the Harvard Medical School agricultural era and those living in rural suggests that they decrease the risk of areas today rarely eat pork since they premature death by 50 percent. sell pigs for living. That, together with urbanites and their quality living In addition, life satisfaction, decreased conditions who often eat pork, make this job stress, increased creativity and tradition pointless. improved mental health, together with physical improvements from quality rest Then there are the fireworks! The are all associated with taking a holiday. Chinese government has banned As a package, they enhance our spiritual firecrackers and fireworks in hundreds health, says independent mental health , due to air of cities, including Nanjing social network, Psych Central. pollution and safety concerns. Many families like ours therefore use Therefore, instead of overlooking electronic fireworks, but without the real the Mid-Autumn Festival, using Tomb- fireworks, the neighbourhood seems to Sweeping Day to work or thinking lack a New-Year-Festival spirit. about how Chinese New Year is meaningless, it is more beneficial to use the time available during these traditional festivals to slow down in our fast-paced, busy lives, so that we can reconnect with ourselves, our family and our values.

20

Next By Matthew Stedman BaTime,b y, I’ll be Bullet-Proof

e’s been described as “half the man he used to In the event, like my wife, I preferred it with salt. It be”; the UK politician who has dramatically tastes more like a meal that way. And, with that oily film Hlost weight. Asked on the radio about his outward on the top, it somehow needs to taste like a meal. Sugar transformation, Tom Watson explained that he had been may be nice instead, but probably not with salt. addicted to sugar but weaned himself off. The result was similar to the Milk Tea that friends from Conversation then shifted to the drink in his hand, the Inner Mongolia have given me. Despite this being “fresh” interviewer identifying it as a“bullet-proof coffee”; coffee rather than made from powder, I don’t consider the taste with not milk, sugar or even cream, but butter. very different. Nice? Well, it has to be tried. I do know many real fans. It’s a lot better than the onion one. And I Yes, butter! That, said Watson, was the other secret of will drink this again if anyone ever offers me a real yak- his weight loss. butter version. Now, it seems entirely counter-intuitive that butter could When I set out writing this article, I was taking full be any kind of slimming agent. At around 750 kCal per ownership of this coincidence; the connection seemed 100g, only lard (900+) and extra virgin olive oil (1000+) mine to make. But that’s where I was wrong. are more calorific. You see, the term isn’t longstanding slang. It isn’t like“on The key to bullet proof’s purported function is“ketosis” . the rocks” or“going comanche”; it’s onlyabouttenyears Not only does this butter coffee replace your breakfast now, old, according to Wikipedia. it allegedly also suppresses appetite and helps burn remaining calories in the body during the fast. The etymology leads us to David Asprey, a contemporary Californian body-hacker. And “bullet proof” doesn’t I’m less a coffee than a tea man. But FOMO had my mouth describe the butteriness of the coffee; it merely name- foaming. And I thought today’s home-made “bullet -proof checks his own lifestyle brand. This could easily have been tea” sounded like an innovation on the concept. called Livestrong or Goop Coffee instead. Of course, when preparing it, I was also very aware of the Tibet is to Asprey’s bullet-proof butter what Thailand is to Tibetan tradition of preparing tea with butter and salt. As Dietrich Mateschitz’s taurine (the Red Bull ingredient). The with the“onion stuff” I drank in a previous Strainer, this diet guru allegedly discovered the concept while trekking was something I’d been wanting to try. I used the same there and drinking tea like today’s, later translating it to Henan dark brick tea.And (foolishly, it turned out) I American Joe. So much for my innovation and insight. boiled it up for even longer this time. I’ve just found all this out. I put a lot of butter in the teapot. But, with the liquor lacking that paleness I’d seen in pictures online, I added Did butter tea suppress my appetite? Well, it certainly some milk as well. As recommended in a B-P Coffee fan delayed my lunch, because I was suddenly so grumpy I didn’t site, I used unsalted butter (“because salty coffee would want to sit down anywhere with anyone. I did finally eat a be gross!”), but expected to add salt itself later, so as to lot, after returning from a long, grumpy cycle-ride in the taste it both ways. rain. I guess that’s more caffeine than is good for me.

2221 Great Nanjingers(1)

By Frank Hossack The 5th Century’s Human Computer; Zu Chongzhi

Bust of Zu Chongzhi in the Beijing Ancient Observatory. Image courtesy Hans A. Rosbach

Zu Chongzhi (祖冲之) had a thing for circles. In fact, he Such findings also paved the way for Zu’s calculating of knew his way around an ellipse better possibly than the planet Jupiter’s year. He found it to be 11.858 years. gravity itself. Today’s astronomy puts it at 11.862 years. That’s 1,500 years of progress for you. Such was the extent of Zu’s influence, this Great Nanjinger had parks, roads and schools named after him. Zu also calculated the orbits of Earth, Venus, Mars Commemorative silver coins have even been struck in and Saturn. his image. Above us in the heavens, Zu’s name has been No wonder, therefore, that the far side of the moon given to asteroids and craters. sports a small impact crater named “Tsu Chung-Chi” And as we will see, the modern automobile industry (one of many photographed by Luna 3 in 1959; politics of owes him a debt of gratitude too. the time dictated that the list include an American and a Chinese) and that “1888 Zu Chong-Zhi” is the alternative Zu wasthe mathematician of his day, but he also had a name for asteroid “1964 VO1”. keen interest in natural science and literature, philosophy and astronomy. In retrospect, we might In the realm of mathematics, as the Sheng-Ming reign today describe Zu as the essential link between period (477–479 CE) was coming to an end, Zu found mathematics and astronomy. himself commissioned to perfect the “south-pointing chariot”. Born in 429 CE, when Nanjing went by the name of Jiankang, Zu’s ancestral home was Xishui County in The British scientist and historian of the time, Joseph Hebei Province. The family settled in our neck of the Needham, wrote that, until Zu, “these vehicles, woods after an en-masse migration brought on by the constructed as they had been by barbarian (Qiang) outbreak of war. workmen, did not function particularly well. Though With his grandfather a master of civil engineering and called south-pointing carriages, they very often did not a family involved in astronomical research, Zu’s point true, and had to negotiate curves step by step, with exposure to astronomy and mathematics brought the help of someone inside to adjust the machinery”. about in him a love for numbers. Without Zu’s solution, a precision three-gear Yet, he was also a revolutionary thinker who wished not differential, not only would the south-pointing chariot to blindly accept conclusions of the ancients. His talent not have been perfected, we would also not have the cars earned him much repute as an astronomer who we love driving around in so much today. calculated time values with unprecedented precision. More than a millennia and a half ago, this Great As a youth, Zu successfully predicted four solar eclipses Nanjinger brought to the world many of its first over a 23 year period. His method utilised Zu’s own modern inventions and discoveries. Zu’s lasting legacy calculation for the length of the moon’s nodical however, would be a feat that was not to be surpassed period (draconic month) as 27.21223 days. We know today for 800 years; the calculating of pi to seven decimal the actual number to be 27.21222 days. places, somewhere between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927.

23 Yunnan; Tie Dye’s Blue & White Spiritual Home

TTHE rip By Frank Hossack

If there was one word to describe Yunnan, likely that word would be “spiritual”. And if there were roads to Heaven, they would look like the tarmac strips that ascend the skies over this gem of southwest China. This is where the Himalayas begin. Yunnan is of course a huge tourist draw, particularly during China’s major holiday periods. Not so at Christmas, which is when The Nanjinger chose to go to Lijiang. It’s cold, for sure(a dry, bearable cold; lip balm essential), but the lack of people makes it tranquil.

24 Lijiang lies in northwestern Yunnan Province from Our tie dye teacher was an old women who spoke in the where it is only about 100 kilometres to Myanmar as the Bai tongue that is one of the Tibeto-Burman languages. crow flies. At an elevation of 2,400 metres, flying into Making an uneducated guess at one word in ten, we fumbled Lijiang is excitement in itself, as the mountains on either our way through the stitching, twisting and tying part of the side of the plane seem to get nearer and nearer. process, after which our creations were plumped into the vast wooden vat of isatus tinctoria for the dying. Dawn of day 1 was spent waiting for the sun to rise sufficiently to reveal our target; Jade Dragon Snow Mountain that is Their proximity to those great, wide skies has given the Bai the most southerly snowcapped mountain in the Northern their favourite colours. The blue and white can be seen Hemisphere.At 5,596 metres, it would tower 800 metres everywhere; from their tie dye to their architecture. It is said above Mont Blanc, the summit of Europe. that the contrast of these two colours reflect the beauty and simplicity of the Bai’s peaceful and tolerant minds. As part of the 5A scenic area, Yulong Snow Mountain National Scenic Area and National Geological Park, an ascent of the Back in Lijiang, the World Cultural Heritage Site that is mountain was our first order of business. However, the Lijiang Old Town is the most important traditional habitat of increasingly blustery winds that morning forced a closure of the Naxi ethnic minority. Indeed, the majority of the the cable car that would have taken us most of the way, before 300,000-strong tribe live in Lijiang. There, the Naxi a climb of a few hundred steps to one of the highest ancients created the “Dongba” script that dates back to the observation platforms in the world, elevation 4,680 metres. 7th century. It is now the only living hieroglyph in the world. The disappointment was only partial, as everywhere we Treading the cobblestones of the Old Town is the way to looked were views that were almost biblical. discover hidden delights, such as the museum that tells of the Ancient Tea Horse Road.With Myanmar and Bengal at With all three of us feeling the effects of altitude sickness one end, and Tibet and Sichuan Province at the other, kicking in, this is where the disposable oxygen bottles came Yunnan was the link along which Tibetan ponies were out. And where our driver’s advice and local knowledge traded for Chinese tea in a practice dating back at least became a great enhancement to the holiday. He then turned 1,000 years. Such sturdy horses were vital in China’s the car southwards, destination Zhoucheng town on the fighting of the warring nomads in the north. outskirts of Dali, 2 hours drive away. As a worthwhile break from the geographical monotony This is the home of the irresistible summer of China’s eastern China, the Trip to Yunnan was also accessory that is tie dye. standout for us as an underscoring of the vast diversity of the Chinese people. While the craft itself is thought to date back to the central plains of China 1,000 years ago, in Zhoucheng, tie dye is If you don’t like the cold, and don’t mind a few crowds, practiced by the Bai people, just one of the 25 ethnic minorities The Nanjinger recommends to visit Yunnan in April, May which comprise some 38 percent of the Yunnan population. or October (avoiding holidays).

25 FORARTS SAKE with Francesca Leiper

It’s 22 February, 2020 and Xuanwu Lake has just reopened to the public after a long spell of closure in attempts to control the spread of the new coronavirus. I open up Baidu maps to suss out the best route and find them not to be the usual grey, but rather a panoply of colours, like oil spilled on water. Red blotches indicate areas with a high density of people, which gradually flood Nanjing through orange, yellow and all the colours of the rainbow to purple. That’s where I find myself, in one of the quiet spots. It’s a nifty feature, and the child inside me is drawn to the multicolour shapes that continuously morph throughout the Mapped day. But for all its colourful vibrancy, this version of Nanjing maps, somewhat ironically, marks a rather less colourful time to be staying in China. Out Maps are one way in which we visually process and understand the world around us. We often think of them as objective and accurate, but in fact they conceal just as much as they reveal. From City Walls to They may be useful tools for navigation, but equally they can be made as propaganda, as works of art or fanciful imaginations of Psychedelic Spectrograms non-existent worlds. Ifyou look at a world map in China you’ll find the Middle Kingdom is placed front and centre, with the “West” sat on what appears the eastern half of the map. Who’s to say where is east, west or middle, but this simple example demonstrates how our different views of the world are manifest in maps. The earliest painted world map in China follows the above format, although interestingly it was made in collaboration between the Italian Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci and Ming dynasty official Li Zhizao. The map exists in several later copies, one of which can be seen in a large reproduction at Solar Villa (Mingshe Puzhai) in Nanjing. Around the main image, additional maps and diagrams explain the logic of other astrological phenomena, such as solar eclipses and how to calculate the 24 solar terms; ideas that would change the Chinese people’s understanding of the universe. Combined into one huge painted image, this map in many ways represents the merits of cross- cultural engagement at that time. Maps of what we now call Nanjing were made from as early as the 3rd century. Often vastly disproportionate in scale, ancient maps instead highlight important features of the city at any given moment. Nanjing’s magnificent city walls for example consistently feature prominently in maps of the last 600 years. When Nanjing became capital again in 1927, there was a great frenzy of mapmaking as the government drew up blueprints of a city that was to be an exemplar of modern China. Maps were made to demark districts, to carve out the transport and sewage systems, but in reality few of them reflected the true state of the city at the time – predominantly open fields with a number of overflowing shantytowns.These map were idealised visions of a Nanjing to be. They were not made to navigate through the city, but to navigate through Nanjing’s, and indeed China’s, “glorious rejuvenation”. It’s easy to think that with satellite imaging maps these days lack the complexity of hidden meanings found in their earlier editions, laden with inaccuracies and distortions, but just as maps become evermore sophisticated, so they are embellished with more intricate layers of meaning that have plenty to say about when, where and who is sat at the drawing board.

26 BEAUTYBy Frank Hossack Top Cuts in Jiangning; Top Scissors!

e’re willing to bet you need a haircut, like bad. And Wwe’re also willing to bet that you’d prefer to avoid a crowded hairdresser where every customer, more or less, needs to take their mask off.

Hence the timing for this review. Less well known is the cosy branch of Top Scissors in Top Scissors has, in fact, been going strong for 8 years. Many Jiangning District, close to Biajia Hu. Located on the 6th floor an expat downtown has made their main store in Deji Plaza of the Golden Eagle Summit Hotel on Shuanglong Avenue, the go-to choice for a hairdresser that knows what they’re beside the hotel’s gym and swimming pool, this hidden gem doing with our foreign locks. opened for business just over a year ago.

Such a location is a clue as to the standards on offer; this publication can testify to the fact that Golden Eagle are sticklers for quality.

Here, an excellent basic haircut will set you back ¥150, with no difference in price for man, woman or child. Same goes for ¥220 in the Top Scissors Deji Plaza HQ. Owner, Mr. Qin, takes his time to give you the right look, with very little prompting; it’s clear he knows his way around a head. Qin also speaks a degree of English.

More importantly, Top Scissors offers solitude. With the salon’s other stylist absent on account he hails from Wuhan, what could be better these days than just you and your hairdresser?

To guarantee that privacy, The Nanjinger recommends calling to make an appointment.

After the cut, expect your new look to be invigorated with some Kérastase Paris (part of L’Oréal Professional) beauty oil, no doubt a means to tempt you to purchase from the conveniently-placed display.

Top Scissors is located on 6F, Golden Eagle Summit Hotel, 1688 Shuanglong Avenue. Tel: 15151822866.

27 The oldest students from Year 9 upwards welcomed back to classes at the British School of Nanjing by a glorious Spring day. With new routines and a much quieter campus, those permitted to return enjoyed catching up with Brand New friends and teachers. Younger students are unlikely to return for some time, and so the school also distributed “home learning boxes”, with parents picking Day them up from the front gate, each one packed with activities and materials to keep the tiny ones busy at home. 7 April, 2020

28 With 87 percent of schools in the world experiencing Covid-19-related closures according to UNESCO, Nanjing International School (NIS) became one of few schools in the world to able to host students on campus this week; a tribute to our excellent Operations team, committed Starting teachers and entire NIS crew. Some 85 students in grades 9 and 12 were some of the first in China to return to classes, while there is still plenty of online learning taking place for stu- Over dents that are not yet back on campus. Supporting them is something that is essential to the school’s approach in the coming days, weeks, and months. 30 March, 2020

29 Legal notes from The Nanjinger in association with: D’Andrea & Partners Law Firm

Civil Code of PRC; A Crossroads between Tradition and Innovation

n occasion of the upcoming Annual Session of the National group was dissolved by the Standing Committee of the OPeople’s Congress, a complete Draft of the first Civil Code of National People’s Congress in 1981. However, the General the People’s Republic of China is expected to be finally Principles of Civil Law (GPCL) was promulgated in 1986 as an submitted for deliberation, concluding an ambitious project interim solution to meet the urgent needs of social and that started in 2012, butwith a much longerhistory behind it. market development.

In fact, this great work, which confirms the Chinese legal The GPCL laid down an important foundation for private law system as belonging to the tradition of the Civil LawSystems, development in China. For the first time in PRC history, that is not entirely new, as the idea of a comprehensive Chinese the law explicitly stipulated that it shall govern property Civil Code can be seen in various eras of Modern China. relations among the nation’s subjects with equal legal status. Therefore, it not only provided the urgently needed rules A first attempt at modern codification dates back to the late and guidelines, but also laid the foundation to develop a civil Qing Dynasty (1902–1911), in which basic laws were and commercial law system in China. introduced as per tradition in Western countries. This became the first attempt of modern legislation in China, and The Chinese leadership was finally able to announce the it included both civil law and commercial law, modelled after codification of Chinese civil law in 2012. The General Rules of the codes of Germany and Japan. Civil Law of the People’s Republic of China (GRCL), adopted on 15 March 2017, were intended to be the first section of a Afterwards, following the 1911 Revolution, the nationalist codified PRC Civil Code, containing general legal principles government promulgated the first civil code in China’s also applicable to other sections of the planned Code, history in 1930. This also followed the style of the German covering the law of personality, obligations, property law, Civil Code (Burgerliches̈ Gesetzbuch; BGB), mainly inspired family and estate law. by Roman Law and in particular the great corpus iuris civilis (“Code of Justinian”). This particular structure still evokes the BGB and, indirectly, the traditional Code of Justinian. However, the current The selection of a civil law system, instead of a common law process of civil codification in China appears to have system, by Chinese leaders was down to circumstances distinctive features in many respects. deeming it a better fit. However, the establishment of a socialist government in 1949 led to not only the complete The complexity of modern society and the economy has led abolition of the former legal system, but also to a western legislators to approve a myriad of special laws, domination of the Soviet-style planned economy for more which complements the civil code, frustrates the original than three decades. aim of having a single code and expression of general principles which may govern any inter-subjective relations. Therefore, the next round of codification was not initiated until the late 1970s after the economic reform and opening- In contrast. the Chinese civil code thus represents how the up policy was introduced by Deng Xiaoping. Although two traditional and original structure of civil law codification drafts with more than 460 articles were prepared, political may be reinterpreted and readapted for a contemporary uncertainties of the time, together with insufficient and complex society. Whether or not the Chinese legislator experience and theoretic preparation, rendered it very has accomplished this exceptional goal is the next question difficult to achieve further progress. As a result, the drafting to be asked.

DISCLAIMER This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Although the information in this article was obtained from reliable official sources, no guarantee is made with regard to its accuracy and completeness. For more information please visit dandreapartners.com orWeChat: dandreapartners 30 THE

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The Nanjinger’s Metro Map is the only map of the city’s metro system to include first and last times for every station, perfect for planning a late night out or an adventure to somewhere new with an early start. 31