A NEWSLETTER TO INFORM AND ACKNOWLEDGE CERS’ FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS CHINA since 1986 EXPLORERS CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY VOLUME 22 NO. 1 Spring ISSUE 2020 3 Rarest Among Books CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 8 CERS Artist Residency and Agency Post boat being pulled up rapids of the Yangtze (see rope 13 Research Report on the Huangdi Dong in front of boat). Tibetan family in northern Myanmar. 18 Northern Myanmar Enclave Stamping of fussy-haired Einstein. 24 Forbidden Roads and Mysterious Beasts Fussy-haired Golden Langur spotted near Monpa village 27 The black pearl of Bhutan – first contact with in Bhutan. the Monpa people 32 The Balay House of Leh Old Town 34 CERS Mandalay House 35 News / CERS in the Media and Lectures 36 Thank You / Current Patrons Founder / President A NEWSLETTER TO INFORM AND ACKNOWLEDGE CERS' FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS WONG HOW MAN Directors: CHINA DR WILLIAM FUNG, CERS Chairman, Chairman of Li & Fung Group CHENG KAI MING EXPLORERS Professor at the University of Hong Kong CHRISTABEL LEE CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY Managing Director, Toppan Vintage Limited VOLUME 22 NO.1 SPRING ISSUE 2020 VIC LI, Co-founder Tencent AFONSO MA President’s Message MARTIN MA OLIVER MOWRER SILSBY III Keep CERS healthy!” It seems like DERRICK PANG the right time to bring in a new tag CEO of Chun Wo Group line. Health suddenly dominates all ELIOTT SUEN conversations in light of the global JANICE WANG pandemic. The world, naturally and CEO of Alvanon “appropriately, shifts its priorities as well as its GILBERT WONG Founder Chairman of Bull Capital focus. China, while no darling to the West, is no WELLINGTON YEE longer in the front line of the smearing, except BILLY YUNG for some die-hard media outlets that set their Group Chairman, Shell Electric Holdings Ltd. conclusions before looking for stories to fulfill Advisory Council: their agenda. The sweet and praising articles of CYNTHIA D’ANJOU BROWN the western media a decade ago, however, have With Elvis one of our original Burmese cats Philanthropy Adviser been relegated to the dustbin. That will remain and Burmese art behind ERIC S. CHEN Vice Chairman, SAMPO Corporation the same for some time to come. JAmeS CHEN goes, we might as well lay blame on the weak Managing Director, Legacy Advisors Ltd. CERS, however, is not China based, nor, for and despotic Qing Court that led China to where JUDITH-ANN CORRENTE over a decade, has it been China focused, it was in the 20th century”. Philanthropist, President of Met Opera despite that our headquarters is in Hong Kong, DANCHEN Enough political ranting. This issue of our Former Vice-Party Secretary of Tibet a part of China, though often ranked top in its RAREST AMONG BOOKS Vice-President, China Writer’s Federation freedom in the world. Today, we are truly an newsletter testifies to our shift to an Asian HANS MICHAEL JEBSEN Asian organization, making exploration and focus. Once again, as in many previous issues, Chairman of Jebsen & Co. Ltd. conservation efforts throughout the region. As we bring to our friends and supporters stories 20 copies made circa 1934 BARRY LAM By Wong How Man Chairman, Quanta Computer, Taiwan our own Dr Bleisch quipped over tea with me, that are diverse, both in topics and in geography. DAVID MONG “Exploration in China is not what it used to We share with you stories of our architectural Hong Kong Chairman, Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund be. These days, you have to pass traffic jams conservation project from Ladakh India, an DR MICHAEL J. MOSER of tourists in SUVs travelling in caravan from anthropological study of a tiny ethnic group International Attorney Beijing to Lhasa. And teams from the Chinese from Bhutan, an exploration expedition to TUDENG NIMA Tibetan Scholar Academy of Sciences with an 18 wheeler truck the northern margin of Myanmar, and a very Go ahead take it home with you,” offered Captain Moon JOHN E. STRICKLAND or two just to carry all their fancy equipment. It’s historic piece on China’s postal system from a Retired Chairman, HSBC more fun to work in the rest of Asia, where there century ago. Chin casually. “Huh, are you sure?” I asked in return. CERS Field Staff: is still much to explore and conserve.” “Why not, I’m turning 106 in a few months,” Moon added. WILLIAM BLEISCH, PhD, Science Director Perhaps it may also be worth noting that Anyone would understand the high value of such a book, but CAO ZHONGYU, Logistics Support I found it hard not to concur with him. But practically all our staff are localized now, TSERING DROLMA, Education Officer few would appreciate it as much as I do. Now the burden is after a drink, I felt less inclined to mince my Tibetans in the Tibetan region of China, Burmese LI NA, Kunming Admin. Officer on me to become a good custodian of this extremely rare book, leather LIU HONG, Speleologist words, having worked in China since 1974 in Myanmar, Filipinos in the Philippines, and “ EI THANTAR MYINT @ Sandra, Country Manager, Myanmar and mused, “People are hung up about the Laotians in Lao. Our commitment will remain bound and with a name inscribed in gold on its cover. SU HLAING MYINT, CERS Field Biologist Chinese government, which undeniably made true to our mission, contributing to our region ASTOR WONG, Staff Anthropologist WANG JIAN, Kunming Director numerous mistakes, some deadly and hard-to- and our world at large. For that alone, “Stay This is not the first time Moon has given me something so valuable. ZHANG FAN, China Director forgive, generations ago. The leadership today, healthy, CERS!” Many years ago, he handed me a Dunhuang mural piece that was Headquarters Staff: however, are a totally different breed, much exchanged in 1946 for sale of his downstairs home with a garden in the BRENDA KAN, Office Manager better educated and far-sighted. As history XAVIER LEE, Filmmaker French Concession area of Shanghai. At that time, he had just founded TOP TO BOTTOM: TRACY MAN, Financial Controller his first airline, Central Air Transport Corp (CATC), and bought one Guizhou: Postal courier passing memorial chastity BERRY SIN, Logistics Director of the corner villas from Mayor Wu Tieh-cheng in the tony district on arches. Days saved by Air Mail compared to Service mail. Editor: Kang Ping Road for 185 gold bars. WILLIAM BLEISCH, PhD Design and Printer: TOPPAN VINTAGE LIMITED Wong How Man But for me, the most valuable gift has been our friendship, and the Founder/President CERS (852) 2973 8600 wonderful stories that he has recounted to me over the almost two decades that we have known each other. I visit Moon at least twice a HOW TO REACH CERS: With respect to the entire contents of this newsletter, including its photographs. Unit 7 & 8, 27/F, Tower B, SouthMark, year, staying at his home in San Francisco for a night or two. If I am All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2020. @ China Exploration and Research Society. s 11 Yip Hing Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong phone (852) 2555 7776 fax (852) 2555 2661 Please contact CERS for reprint permission. pressed for time, I still make a day trip to spend time with him. e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.cers.org.hk PAGE 2 CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY CHINA EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY PAGE 3 Still, this book is precious. The name inscribed on the cover is Huang Kiang Chuan. At the time the book was produced, in 1934, only twenty copies were made, each with actual black & white prints meticulously set on pages with wax paper between, like an album. The one I received is labelled Number 11, handwritten on a space left for that purpose. Huang was the Chairman of China National Aviation Corp (CNAC), put in place by the Nationalist government for a joint venture with Pan American Airways. China’s government at the time held a 55% share, whereas Pan Am had 45%. Since 1931, Moon had been a pilot and had quickly become the most experienced Chinese pilot for CNAC, flying until the end of the Second World War when he founded his own airline. During the latter part of the War, Moon pioneered the first flight across the Karakorum to open the western Hump route. It was a precaution in case the Japanese would take all of Burma, thus closing the Hump of the eastern Himalayas,the life-line to supply the Chinese forces resisting the Japanese advance. Later in 1951, he was to found another airline, Foshing Airlines in Taiwan. “High up in the mountains where the headwaters of the Yangtze lie. It seems natural that this book would be The packed snows thaw slowly in a warming spring sun. The waters passed down from CNAC’s Chairman to the begin to flow…slowly at first, then more and more swiftly. They Chinese Chief Pilot. But from Moon to me, it tumble, swirl and froth, and on reaching the narrow gorges, they is strictly through trust and friendship. become a mighty river. Tumultuous, whitecapped, roaring and echoing up the towering mountain sides, obliterating all other sound. The short introductory note that precedes the prints is titled “The Mail Must Go”. Some of Against this inferno of water a junk moves upstream. From her prow us may be familiar with the Disney song with the tow ropes stretch, taut as over lines, to curl around the shoulders a similar title, about how, against all odds, the and bodies of her trackers trudging the narrow tow path. Foot by foot mail must go through.