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MAR/APR 2017 004 SKYInflight Magazine TIMES A Land of Phenomenal Florescence Living Like a Local in Chengdu Yang Mei Zhu Xie Street Beijing’s Most Artistic Hutong Kingdom of Wheaten Food A VILLAGE OF CRAFTMANSHIP CULINARY DELIGHT Providing the Promise of a Discover a Whole New World ‘Life Well Travelled’ in Seychelles Inflight magazine with the largest circulation around the world. SKY TIMES | Editor’s Letter A SPLENDID SPRINGTIME of BREATHTAKING BLOSSOMS o matter how harsh conditions get in winter, there is always something to look forward to — the arrival of spring. The energetic season brings blooming flowers, warmer weather and a Nmore relaxing lifestyle. In Chinese, there is an old saying: “Make your whole year’s plans in the spring, and your day’s plans early in the morning.” There is a very positive meaning behind the saying and at the start of the New Year of the Rooster, we encourage our readers to be adventurous and take advantage of the splendid springtime. In the March/April edition, Sky Times will embrace nature, showcase rural surroundings and present a plethora of breathtaking blossoms. To bring you a selection of spring scenery, we have chosen several spots, from Heqing, the village of craftsmanship and culinary delights in Yunnan Province (page 14), to Xinjiang, the northwestern border of China (page 40), and from the land of abundance in Chengdu (page 20), to Jining, the cradle of Confucius’ culture (page 24). In addition, we also take you to Africa to witness the stunning islands scattered across the eastern Indian Ocean and experience the sunshine, passion and hospitality of Seychelles (page 28). In our daily lives, we often see posters advertising stylish and fashionable products, adorned with large logos and full of information. But do you Make your whole know the story behind the history of Chinese calendar posters? We will look year’s plans in the into the past and present of calendar posters and how they define modern China (page 36). spring, and your If you visit Beijing, listening to Peking opera and exploring the hutong day’s plans early in are two must-dos. Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo and Chou are the five main roles in Peking opera, among which, Dan is the general name for female roles, which the morning. may be played by either actors or actresses. Male Dan, skillfully portraying women and singing like women has carried a significant weight in the long history of Peking opera. We interview Hu Wenge, a disciple of Mei Baojiu and the sole male Dan descendant of the third generation of Mei School, who shares his story about his artistic pursuit of male Dan roles (page 60). In terms of hutong, Yang Mei Zhu Xie Street is the rising star. Located southwest of Tiananmen Square, it is a traditional hutong and the center of contemporary Chinese art. In our Lifestyle section, we take you to Yang Mei Zhu Xie Street to show you the perfect mixture of history and contemporary life (page 66). Sit back, relax and enjoy your spring- time with Sky Times. As always, we wish Cao Shenshen you a pleasant journey. Executive Editor 01 SKY TIMES Responsible Institution: Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Sponsor: China Civil Aviation Publishing House Now 04 President: Ma Songwei Publication: China Civil Aviation Publishing House Russian Swan Lake Editor-in-Chief: Li Yong Art and Animals Executive Editor: Cao Shenshen All Things Chocolate Editors: Feng Shuangqing, Wang Ruosi Kukeri with Scary Masks Editorial Consultant: Dominic McIver Feeding Time for Tiger Cub Editor-Visuals & Photographs: Lu Ning Carnival Atmosphere Advertising Director: Zong Miaomiao Full of Characters Designed By: Alinea Productions Advertising: Talk 09 Items 10 Data 12 CAAC Magazine Corporation Address: CAAC Journal, Civil Aviation Building A, Shilihe, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100122 Printing: Travel 13 C&C Joint Printing (Beijing) Co., LTD. A Village of Craftmanship, Culinary Delights / 14 Living Like a Local in Chengdu / 18 Advertise in Sky Times WOW Chengdu / 21 Email: [email protected] Tel: (86-10) 67654218 主管: 中国民用航空局 主办: 中国民航出版社 社长: 马松伟 出版: 中国民航出版社 主编: 李永 Jining: A City Steeped in Ancient History / 22 执行主编: 曹慎慎 编辑: 冯霜晴、王若思 语言顾问: 多米尼克 · 麦基弗 Discover a Whole New World in Seychelles / 28 视觉编辑: 路泞 广告总监: 宗妙妙 设计: 利雅法盛 广告独家代理: 中国民航杂志社 Culture 35 地址: 北京市朝阳区十里河民航空管楼A座 中国民航报社 Using Traditional Art to 印刷: 北京华联印刷有限公司 Define Modern China /36 ISSUE 4 A Land of Phenomenal Florescence / 40 March/April 2017 国际标准刊号: ISSN2096-1375 Luxury Hotels Offer Best 国内统一刊号: CN10-1381/G1 of Past and Present / 48 02 004 MARCH/APRIL 2017 People 53 Providing the Keeping the Feminine Promise of a ‘Life Well Beauty of Travelled’ / 54 Male ‘Dan’ Alive / 60 Lifestyle 65 Yang Mei Zhu Xie Street Beijing’s Most Artistic Hutong / 66 Chic / 70 Kingdom of Wheaten Food / 72 Books & Films / 76 Creating Unity and Peace Through Ethnic Music / 78 French Elegance Found in Frankfurt / 79 Ultimate Indulgence at China World Summit / 80 Discover a Whole New World in Seychelles / 28 Flying 81 Beijing Boasts Record-breaking Passenger Numbers / 82 Chinese Aviation’s Great Leap Forward / 82 Becoming First-class International Aviation Hub / 86 Challenges for Aviation Industry Cloud Year Ahead / 90 News / 94 Dissecting the Millennial Mindset / 96 03 SKY TIMES | Now Russian Swan Lake Swans are seen in the Altai Krai, a region in Western Siberia. Legend has it that the supreme Altai god Ülgen was flying on a white swan when he created this wonderful land. In a continental climatic zone, Altai is a unique place where swans remain for winter, and it is one of only two swan preserves in Russia. Every winter, the lakes house more than 300 swans. In April, birds fly to polar regions, returning to Altai in autumn with cygnets. 04 05 SKY TIMES | Now Art and Animals The public art event of Colored Painting of Water Buffalo held in Vietnam on Feb. 2 attracted artists from around the country to Ha Nam, a province in the north of the Red River Delta. Water Buffalo are decorated with different colors to celebrate the Colored Water Buffalo Festival. All Things Chocolate A woman wears a dress made from chocolate at Salon Du Chocolat Brussels, a three-day event held from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12 in Brussels, Belgium. The event showcases the most advanced products and services, including various kinds of chocolates, as well as the latest trends and techniques used in the chocolate industry and the food and beverage industry as a whole. 06 Kukeri with Scary Masks Thousands of “Kukeri” from different regions of Bulgaria as well as from all around the world gather in Pernik, Bulgaria, for Kukeri, or Surva, Festival on Jan. 29. Kukeri is a pagan Bulgarian tradition of Thracian origins — in ancient times, the old Thracians held the Kukeri Ritual Games in honor of Greek god Dionysus. The games are performed only by men, dressed in colorful handmade costumes and wearing scary masks. The masks are decorated with threads, ribbons, lace and usually represent animals such as goats, bulls, rams, or even chicken. Feeding Time for Tiger Cub A zookeeper feeds a three-day-old Malayan tiger cub at Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. Malayan tigers were previously classified as Indochinese tigers until DNA testing in 2004 showed them to be a separate subspecies. Malayan tigers are found only on the Malay Peninsula and in the southern tip of Thailand. Their Latin name — Panthera tigris jacksoni — honors Peter Jackson, the famous tiger conservationist. 07 SKY TIMES | Now Carnival Atmosphere The Carnevale di Venezia, or Carnival of Venice, this year runs from Feb. 11 to Feb. 28. The water parade is a typical feast for Venetians and all guests interested in local traditions. Music and dancing accompanies the parade, with people dressed in costumes on gondolas being rowed along the Grand Canal to the city’s Cannaregio district. Full of Characters Russian pupils participated in the first final of a Chinese character dictation competition held by Far Eastern Federal University’s Confucius Institute in Vladivostok, Russia. 08 SKY TIMES | Talk Are there any What is your stereotypes you used preferred mode to believe about of transport for China or Chinese, traveling in but have found to China? ? be untrue since your arrival in the country? Since I started working, I have not traveled inside of China — only as a That they eat rice all the time. flight attendant. Before I used trains Not true — sometimes they eat a lot, but now flying is my method of noodles! transport. I hope that in the future, I will be able to travel more in China. (Hungary,Lilla Flight Attendant) Untrue stereotype: Tofu is boring. Not true. In Bullet trains — they are amazing. It is the United States, most so cool to be able to get from Beijing executions are flaccid and to Shanghai so quickly and comfort- tasteless. In China, the ably. Now, they just need to improve variations in texture are the food service. almost fantastical, and the tofu dishes are very flavorful. (UnitedMike States, Peters Journalist) I have traveled by car, bus and air- plane, but my favorite form of travel in China is high-speed rail. It is more I have taught at universities in China comfortable than any of the other for 12 years, but have also taught forms of transport as you can get up students at other levels. When I first and walk around. It is not as fast as a arrived, I was told that Chinese stu- airplane, but going by train can save dents spend all of their time studying time in other ways.