CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, August 13, 2019 | 19 LIFE Clan of achievers

The Pei ancestral hall in a Shanxi village tells the remarkable story of a family and its accomplishments, Yang Feiyue and Sun Ruisheng report.

n unassuming ancestral These stone tablets are consid­ hall continues to attract Harmony and ered by experts to have great histori­ visitors from far and wide progress cal value and for students of thanks to its glorious his­ calligraphy. tory and inspiring setting. A In 1995, the Wenxi county govern­ There are no magnificent pavil­ Here are some quotes of ment decided to develop Peibai vil­ ions, winding galleries or lush green­ President Xi Jinping on Chinese lage into a cultural and tourism ery to greet visitors when they enter family values: destination by tapping into the the iron gates to the Pei ancestral We should make efforts to hall’s ancient heritage. hall in Peibai village, Wenxi county, enhance virtue and civility in It had 59 steps built to lead up to in northern Shanxi province. Chinese families and make them the existing hall, to symbolize the 59 While the quiet courtyard seems an important foundation for prime ministers from the clan, Pei unremarkable at first glance, a sense national development, progress Jianmin says. of grandeur develops when visitors and social harmony. Walls were also constructed and catch a glimpse of the inscribed por­ — At a Spring Festival gathering in tablets inscribed with the names of The Peis’ traits of historical figures across the 2015. the outstanding ancestors of the Pei family code square. clan, and a memorial hall was also The Pei ancestral hall was built Traditional family values have established. during the Tang Dynasty (618­907) been engraved in the minds and Now visitors are able to learn The dos: by the offspring of the Pei clan to melted into the blood of the more about the prominent Pei 1. Worship ancestors worship their ancestors — many of Chinese people. ancestors, such as Pei Xiu, one of the 2. Be filial to parents whom had left their mark on — At a Beijing conference to most outstanding cartographers 3. Love your siblings ancient Chinese history. honor model families across the from the Western Jin Dynasty (265­ 4. Live in peace with clansman Having produced 59 prime minis­ country on Dec 12, 2016. 316); Pei Ji, the first prime minister 5. Be friendly with neighbors ters and 59 senior generals since the of the Tang Dynasty; and Pei Xingji­ 6. Be prudent, sincere and Qin Dynasty (221­206 BC), around Don’t cut off true feelings an, a Tang Dynasty general who put magnanimous 500 members of the Pei clan have because of long distance, don’t an end to a rebellion by an ancient 7. Be hardworking and thrifty become well­known writers, artists, forget your true feelings because tribal people known as the Tujue. 8. Be firm with offspring scholars and scientists. of a busy life and don’t ignore The feats of the Pei ancestors have 9. Keep learning and pursue Their achievements in politics, your true feelings because of the also given rise to a distinctive clan wisdom economics, the military and diplo­ hustle and bustle of life. culture. 10. Be honest to relatives and macy have elevated the Pei clan — At a Spring Festival gathering The Pei clan has a family code that friends above scores of their counterparts. on Jan 26, 2017. consists of 12 dos and 10 don’ts. Top: Students from a calligraphy school recite and learn about Pei 11. Be cautious with words “The Pei ancestral hall sits by a These were written in a terse form of clan’s family traditions and code of conducts in Wenxi county, 12. Pay attention to social morality mountain and river, and enjoys We should advocate combining traditional Chinese and have been Shanxi province. Above: A 78th­generation member of the Pei’s magnificent views,” says Pei Jian­ the love for family with the love of passed down through the genera­ clan, Pei Jianmin, imparts the clan’s family culture to villagers in The don’ts min, one of the 78th generation of country so that every individual tions since the Tang Dynasty, when Wenxi county. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY 1. Rebel against parents the Pei family clan. and every family can make contri­ Pei Du, a prime minister, returned to 2. Insult ancestors The 42­year­old has been work­ butions to the big family of the the village and became a strong 3. Prefer boys to girls ing at the hall since 1995. Chinese nation. advocate for introducing education. dar, which is said to be the birthday how to maintain an honest work 4. Gamble Pei Jianmin developed a keen — At a Spring Festival gathering There is a room dedicated to of the first Pei. ethic in business, in government or 5. Steal interest in studying the Pei family on Feb 3, 2019. housing these pearls of wisdom that An ancestor­worship ceremony is in private,” he says. 6. Be addicted to sex history since a young age. keep the Pei family on the straight also held every year in Peibai village. Parents and children now form a 7. Be addicted to smoking and “The ancestral hall mainly serves CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL and narrow. Now, an increasing number of vis­ considerable section of the visitor drugs as a place to worship our ancestors The family rules hammer home to itors come to learn about the fami­ demographic. 8. Indulge in excessive drinking and and remind us to stay loyal to our Pei offspring the importance of such ly’s lore. “I encourage children to be inde­ fighting family,” he says. precious inscribed tablets and deli­ virtues as respecting their ancestors Pei Jianmin attributes the hall’s pendent, work hard and make good 9. Forget one’s roots and worship In ancient times, major village cate wood carvings. and parents, maintaining good rela­ popularity to President Xi Jin­ use of their talents,” he adds. foreign things and educational affairs were con­ Things began to pick up in 1975, tions with neighbors, being honest ping’s advocacy of good family tra­ The local authority has invited 10. Join a gang ducted at the hall, too. when the local government decided and modest, remaining hardwork­ ditions. Tsinghua University’s School of CHINA DAILY The hall was a grand palace which to build five houses on the ruins of ing and thrifty, pursuing profession­ Since then he has played a major Architecture to draw up plans to was restored during the Ming the original site. al skills, and following a strong code role in explaining his clan’s philoso­ reconstruct the ancestral hall to its Dynasty (1368­1644), Pei Jianmin “The hall still has some precious of social ethics. phy in simple terms to visitors from original state. ing patriotism, good conduct and adds. antiques and stone tablets,” Pei Jian­ Many Pei people from far and around the country and beyond. “The original floor plan is availa­ education will be added, he says. However, some of the buildings min says. In particular, the Peihong wide come and visit the ancestral Last year, the ancestral hall regis­ ble, and everything will be restored were destroyed during the wars of tablet carries a history of more than hall on the third day of the third tered more than 80,000 visits. based on it,” Pei Jianmin says. Contact the writer at the 1940s, along with many of the 1,400 years. month of the Chinese lunar calen­ “Many people come here to learn In addition, elements encourag­ [email protected] Germany promotes itself Shanghai launches new as a shopping destination program for tourists

SHANGHAI — Three of Shang­ gram and cooperate with Ctrip. By XU LIN shopping outlets for Chinese tour­ hai’s top destinations, the Shang­ Over 4.34 million inbound tour­ [email protected] ists. hai Science and Technology ists visited Shanghai in the first GNTB’s official data showed that Museum, the Shanghai Oriental half of 2019, according to the While Germany is famous for its China remains the second­largest Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Shanghai Municipal Administra­ automobiles, soccer and beer, the overseas market for Germany as a Wildlife Park, have jointly tion of Culture and Tourism. country is doing its utmost to appeal travel destination after the United launched a new city pass program Meanwhile, Shanghai has also to Chinese travelers as a destination States. In 2018, the number of over­ to attract tourists both from home unveiled a list of cultural activities for shopping. night stays by Chinese tourists in and abroad. and tour routes to boost its night­ The German National Tourist Germany was 3.02 million, an Under the Shanghai Pass ticket time economy. Board and Chinese mobile payment increase of 5.6 percent over 2017. system, visitors can book online A total of 105 scenic spots, art giant Alipay recently teamed up to Germany expects to have 5 million one­, two­ and three­day passes cov­ galleries, museums and memori­ hold the first German Shopping Fes­ overnight stays by Chinese visitors ering the three destinations. With als across the city have taken spe­ tival to attract Chinese tourists to by 2030. Berlin Cathedral is a landmark that attracts numerous tourists due different prices for adults and stu­ cial measures to meet the growing Germany to shop. And, when Chinese travelers to its neo­Renaissance architecture. dents, they can scan QR codes to demand for nighttime leisure Using Alipay’s app, shoppers who return home after their holiday in FRANCESCO CAROVILLANO / DEUTSCHE ZENTRALE FUR TOURISMUS E.V. enter each of the destinations dur­ from both Shanghai residents and travel to Germany can browse dif­ Germany, they can use Alipay to ing the validity of their pass. tourists, according to the munici­ ferent stores from a city map, read apply for tax refunds via their The new program will mainly pal culture and tourism bureau. shopping tips in Chinese, receive smartphones, using a Chinese cus­ focus on popularizing science and Parks and leisure spots includ­ electronic discount coupons and toms service. Also, the system is the acquisition of knowledge as ing the Shanghai Ocean Aquari­ join in a lucky draw for exemption more efficient as people no longer the city receives an increasing um and Shanghai Jinjiang Action from payment of one’s bill. have to wait in a line at a counter number of student visitors. Park have extended their opening In some restaurants in Germany, and it takes less time to get the The three destinations also hours, while destinations such as tourists can use Alipay to scan a QR refunds. The service is provided by inked agreements with online the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tow­ code and take their order on a smart­ Germany­based Travel Easy Group. travel agency Ctrip to cooperate er, Shanghai Wildlife Park and phone, just like in China, where According to Travel Easy Group, further on marketing, activity­ Shanghai Happy Valley have mobile payment is extremely popular. in 2018, Chinese travelers spent 150 planning and communications. launched special late shows and “It’s important to enhance the billion yuan ($21.8 billion) in total Apart from the discounted pri­ night­tour programs. shopping experience of Chinese visi­ on their travels in Europe, nearly ces, the city passes provide more Museums including the Shang­ tors, for example, to allow them to half of which was on on­site shop­ convenience for tourists, especial­ hai Museum and the Shanghai use a way they are familiar with ping. The number is expected to hit ly inbound tourists, says Xu Ting, Natural History Museum have when paying for purchases,” says Li 200 billion yuan by 2020. Among the secretary­general of the also launched special nighttime Zhaohui, director of GNTB’s Beijing those who traveled to Europe, about Shanghai Tourism Association. exhibitions, lectures and explora­ office. half said tax­free shopping was very Nearly 100 travel destinations tion activities. Last year, global market consult­ appealing to them. have confirmed that they will par­ ancy Nielsen and Alipay released a “Germany remains one of the ticipate in the Shanghai Pass pro­ XINHUA survey, which showed that Chinese favorite European destinations for tourists used mobile payment over­ Chinese visitors. There are more The area of the seas far more frequently than their direct flights between Germany and The Rhein­Galerie shopping center in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Yuyuan and non­Chinese counterparts, and over China compared to other European Germany. RHEIN­GALERIE, LUDWIGSHAFEN Chenghuangmiao 90 percent of Chinese tourists would countries. That makes it easier for (City God Tem­ prefer to use mobile payment meth­ Chinese tourists to travel to Germa­ ple) is crowded ods overseas if given the option. ny,” Li from the GNTB’s Beijing key factor in drawing Chinese visi­ ging from luxury goods and daily at night with It showed that during their most office says. tors to Germany in the future. necessities to household electrical tourists recent trip overseas, Chinese tour­ “Also, business travelers from Chi­ She says that the shopping festival appliances and food. trying to get a ists spent an average of $762 per na constitute a steady flow of visi­ is a platform to promote German Li also says that GNTB plans to view and a taste person on shopping, far exceeding tors to Germany, and they have brands among Chinese visitors, and open a store on Alibaba’s Tmall of traditional the spending by non­Chinese tour­ higher purchasing power.” more businesses are interested in online shopping platform to sell Shanghai. ists ($486). Duty­free shops, Li is confident about Germany’s joining next year’s activity. reputable German brands that are PROVIDED TO department stores and supermar­ attractiveness as a destination for According to her, Germany is not so well­known to Chinese con­ CHINA DAILY kets ranked as the most popular shopping. She hopes that it will be a known for its quality products, ran­ sumers.