FOLLOW US ON WECHAT Editor-in-Chief: Ziv Glikman Content Manager: Jodie Renée Frain Art Director: Joe Zhu Graphic Designer: Elsy Lu Social Media Coordinator: Jone Zheng 05 WeChat Editor: Charlene Fu Photography: Lester Leung AROUND HERE! Sales & Events Director: Billy Lam FUN FACTS AND COOL STUFF Admin Manager: Cathy Chan Marketing Coordinator: Winnie Lee GOING ON IN OUR CITY Marketing Assistant: Gagie Wu Outdoors Coordinator: Daniel Chung Sales Associates: Kate Lin / Jen Liang Anson Chiu / Lin Chen Contributors: Julie Axelsson / Michael Kelly Tracy Lu / John Acton / Giliam Johan Winckler 06-08 Fernando Munoz / Adam Thacker Interns: Yilia Chen / Ingrid Ou SCENES Cynthia Zhong / Elva Xiong WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY? 10-11 OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES AROUND DG FOR KIDS AND ADULTS 14-19 WHAT WAS DG LIKE 20 YEARS AGO? 12 VOLUME 164: MAR 19 OP-ED THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION 22-32 SEEN SOMETHING INTERESTING? IN CHINA MEGAPIXEL Contact us at: FEATURING ONLY THE BEST +86 769 2234 7730 IMAGES OF DONGGUANERS (Mon–Fri, 10 am - 6:30 pm) Send us an email: Sales HERE! - [email protected] 13 HERE! Dongguan - [email protected] PartyHERE! - [email protected] CULTURE HERE! Outdoors - [email protected] ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN DG & 33 HERE! Coaching - [email protected] AROUND THE GLOBE WHERE TO PARTYHERE! HERE! Design - [email protected] HERE! Productions - [email protected] THE BEST OF WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE! Entertainment - [email protected] IN DONGGUAN THIS MONTH HERE! Internships - [email protected] HERE! F&B - [email protected] HERE! Mall - [email protected] 14-19 Find us on social media: DG THEN VS NOW WeChat: HEREDongguan FOUR EXPAT VETERANS Facebook.com/HEREDongguan 34-37 Twitter: @HEREDongguan REVEAL ALL THE MAPS Youtube.com/HEREDongguan DONGGUAN CITY MAP HEREDG.COM HOUJIE TOWN MAP 20 DONGCHENG CITY MAP A PEEK AT THE PAST HERE! Dongguan uses only original material. Letters to the editor may be edited before publishing. MEGAPIXEL BACK IN THE DAY Our publication is produced for and by Dongguan’s international community and reffllects its diverse characteristics. Views and opinions expressed in this publication belong to the contributor and are not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights reserved to HERE! Dongguan. Please recycle this copy. 50 TEACHER TALES ANECDOTES AND ADVICE FROM OUR INHOUSE EDUCATOR 51 CROSS-CULTURAL AN INSIGHT TO A CROSS- CULTURAL MARRIAGE IN CHINA 52 WELL READ NEW STORIES. NEW WRITERS. EVERY MONTH 53 THE WEEKENDER 38 43 YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE ON WHERE BUSINESS SOMETHING TO DRINK TO GO FOR A WEEKEND AWAY STAY CURRENT WITH CHINA’S STAY HYDRATED AND CHECK OUT LEGAL & BUSINESS TRENDS A NEW BAR THIS WEEKEND 54 WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH... 41 47 INVESTIGATING AND EXPLAINING SOMETHING TO EAT HOTEL HAPPENING THE ODDITIES OF CHINA GETTING STUFFED AT A FRESH GO FORMAL AT THESE RESTAURANT EACH MONTH FEATURED HOTEL SPECIALS 55 MANDARIN RULES ON THE JOURNEY OF LEARNING PUTONGHUA 56 WHAT DO THEY KNOW? DISCOVERING THE HEROES OF 05 DG, ONE MONTH AT A TIME BACK IN TOWN EDITOR’S SAY LETTER OF A DAY IN THE LIFE, DG 2003 THE MONTH Hello Editor! t was September 2003 when I arrived in Dongguan. What sticks in my mind I am Seraph, a regular member of the hiking from that time is acknowledging the New World Garden (NWG) strip once we group. May I ask how to join the Hash had reached Dongcheng, having left the SZ border. I remember the novelty of my Harriers group? I took part several years ago surroundings, the peculiarity of unfamiliar territory. If I recall correctly, my first in GZ, I miss that. lunch outside was at the infamous NWG Clubhouse Restaurant. I’m sure that some of you reading this now have similar memories. Thanks! The Western community was living mostly in the “Dongcheng bubble” with Dynatown and Dena emerging only after a few more years. Among a few small Western bubbles in some of the towns surrounding the city, Chang’an would be a notable one. Seeing foreigners Hi Seraph, in NWG was a frequent occurrence. Whether you were Brazilian or not, there was a good chance you’d be greeted with “Tu du bom” or “Bom dia” quite often. Yes, Brazilians were a It’s great to see you getting involved with lots force in this city. They still are, but not as much as back then. of outdoor activities in Dongguan! We will connect you with Megan who is in charge of the So, what did a day in the life look like for a Dongguan expat 15-20 years ago? Well, it went Harriers and she will add you to the group. something like this… You were probably in the footwear or furniture industry. In the morning, a car would pick you up from home to go to the office/factory. At lunch you may go to Dickens with a client or some of your colleagues. (Remember Dickens? It was that restaurant where Murray’s is situated today. The Filipino band was our prime entertainment during those days.) In the You are the HERE! Letter of the Month evening after work you’d venture to Walmart’s second floor for some cheap copy DVDs winner! You can look forward to your and perhaps to exchange foreign currency from “you know where.” On the way home from Sandford Orchards Devon Red six-pack, valued at 210 RMB in total. Thanks for Walmart, of course you would make a quick stop at No.1 Supermarket for a few imported your feedback. goodies, and once you were home, you’d order pizza from the new Pizzeria Calzone. After dinner, you were likely to head over to China Groove at Ying Feng Lu in Nancheng, for a drink or two. And so, that was the life of a Dongguan expat in 2003/4, before the “golden age” unfolded, presenting a number of foreign restaurants, bars and other recreation venues to make us all Chic Fun Bowl, named as a homophone of Qifeng mountain, recently feel more at home. Nowadays, trust me, there’s nothing to complain about. opened on the second floor of Dongcheng Market. At the moment, it’s Sandford Orchards is one of the only bowling club in Dongguan’s city zone. Step up to 10 well-equipped the top award-winning cider lanes, and if you have never played before, don’t worry, just have fun and you pressers in the U.K. and you may be a natural. If you’re a master of pins, show them how it’s done! The venue can enjoy it here in Dongguan. To experience the refreshing is open from 1 pm to 12 am on weekdays and from 12 pm to 12 am on taste, visit cooperating bars & weekends. Price is calculated per game or hour: play between 6 pm and food establishments. 12 am on Fridays or any time during Editor-in-Chief the weekends, and each game costs 36 RMB; per hour/lane costs 198 RMB. Go during the week to pay a bit less for the experience. Besides that, the rental FIND THE fee for bowling shoes is 5 RMB. FAKE AD Soft-opening promotions like “buy one hour get one hour free” (from Monday to Friday) are ongoing. Eric Can you spot the Fake Ad this month? Send your entry to editor@heredg. Chan from Guangzhou and his partner from Hong Kong opened this com. Two lucky winners will each receive one free hour of bowling from CHICFUN place for Dongguaners to get fit and enjoy the fun from bowling—as well CHIC FUN Bowling Club, valued at 396 RMB in total. as to promote real bowling culture. Their Dongguan team are recruiting members for a league with Guangzhou and Shenzhen teams coming BOWLING soon. Stay tuned! Congratulations to those who found last month’s Fake Ad on page 38: 旗峰匯 Q-CUT FOOT. Esther Liu was last month’s randomly selected winner, who CLUB will receive an experience card from YUYILIN Hospital, valued at 388 RMB Address: No. 66, Gongye Avenue, Wo Ling in total. 涡岭工业大道66号 4 HERE! DONGGUAN » March 2019 AROUND HERE! T OF THE M TY FACT EN ON CI S V TH E SELF-COMBED WOMEN IN DG HOLI FESTIVAL SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 3 – 7 PM As of 2019, there are now only 15 self-combed women left in Dongguan, with an average age of 97. Due to their significant impact in @ MOON BAY PLAZA history, a Self-Combed Women Museum was opened in Changping for locals It’s that colorful time of year again, when to remember this part of vanishing history. Self-combed women are those who Dongguaners unite for a day full of fun and determinedly chose to remain unmarried for vibrancy, during which adults and children alike their entire life, during the late Qing dynasty can simply enjoy themselves. Celebrating the when the silk industry in the Pearl River Delta renowned Indian festival means a true community was affected by the impact of European and spirit, bringing laughter, mischief and plenty American colonial countries. At that time, of dancing! Get down to Moon Bay Plaza, numerous women left China to the area of Nanyang (south-east countries around the South Dongcheng and grab a t-shirt this month, watch China Sea) to make a living. Most of them out as other participants ensure that any white wanted to earn more money and to transfer it patches are painted with as much color as possible! back home rather than being in a relationship, so they defiantly plaited their hair Get ready for bags of fun, music, food and games.