China News

Two years ago, I posted the first blog in my blog, its named "Rainy Days", and two years later, Beijing rainning again. The sky is gray and the weather is cool, I like it, because it feels lonely and I like lonely.

In Chinese has an old saying: Spring rain is more precious than oil. It's spring now, so the rain must be important for farmers, it foretold this year is a harvest year in the Autumn.

In past time, Beijing was a lack water city, so rain is a valued resources. The emperors visited the Temple of Heaven every year, they asked god for rain and good harvest. Spring and summer, people put water urn in their quadrangle that catching or collecting the rainwater.

Today, Beijing changed to a modern city, there is no farm and farmers. But modern city need trees and green plants, so rain is also very important. But Beijing lacks water too, there blow sandstorm in Spring, last week the wind brought a lot of sand yet.

Yeah, today is rainny, so tomorrow must be a good weather.

By Erik Nilsson

Oliver Radtke believes Chinglish mistranslations may be fun, but are not to be made fun of.

More than that, they have become serious business for the German Sinologist, who believes the portmanteau adds spice to the alphabet soup that is English today.

"My message on Chinglish is: It should be conserved.



"It shouldn't be treated as a cheap joke for foreign tourists to laugh at but as a cultural treasure," said the 32-year-old multimedia designer, who frequently visited China for almost a decade before moving to Beijing in 2007.

"I'm trying to challenge the notion that there is only one type of standard English - the English that's spoken in America or in the British Isles - which is shortsighted, because Chinglish is already being used by millions of people to communicate with one another."

So, since 2005, the scholar has collected more than 5,000 specimens of "the wonderful results of an English dictionary meeting Chinese grammar" on his website www.chinglish.de and has published two books on the subject.

The website receives about 10,000 visitors a week, he said, and his first book, Chinglish: Found in Translation, has sold nearly 50,000 copies since it was published in September 2007 by Gibbs Smith Publishers. His new book, More Chinglish: Speaking in Tongues, hit the shelves this month and is available in Beijing at the Wangfujing Bookstore and The Bookworm.

"The two books are unique in that they go beyond the fun book you pick up at the airport in that they talk about this approach of conservation, the academic value of Chinglish, the creative combination of English and Chinese, and why we should keep it," Radtke said.

Patricia Schetelig, who works for the German Embassy in Beijing and regularly contributes to www.chinglish.de, said she appreciates Radtke's approach to Chinglish.

"What's important to me is that he's not making fun of the way things are translated," she said.

"There are other websites doing similar things, but they're making fun of Chinglish or saying it shouldn't be done this way."

Some of Radtke's favorite phrases include: "Welcome To Presence", "Wash after relief", "Little grass has life, please watch your step" and his first specimen, which sparked his interest in Chinglish in 2000 - "Don't forget to carry your thing".

Another darling is "STELIOT" - the mirror image of "toilets". Radtke said he loves this example because it came from the sign-maker's presumption that since Chinese characters were once written from right to left, English letters could be, too.

Part of his mission, Radtke said, is to preserve rapidly disappearing Chinglish specimens.

He was anguished while watching the government replace Chinglish signs with standard English ones in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

"That was a sad day for me and a sad day for Chinglish," Radtke said.

But American David Tool, who has been closely involved in cleaning up Chinglish in Beijing since 2001, disagreed.

"(Chinglish) takes away from the aesthetic, educational and cultural value we want these signs to provide," the advisor to the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Committee said.

"We get distracted when we're trying to explain something. It's not dealing with the issues with respect."

Radtke said that while Chinglish is swiftly vanishing from the public sector, it's still thriving in the private sector.

"Restaurants, private institutions, little shops - Chinglish will never die there. There's a massive amount of Chinglish being produced every day, and I'm happy about that."

He said he has contacted local governments, sign-makers and park managers to suggest they change their signage "back to something more creative and more local" but has received little response.

Radtke believes the fact that both English and Chinese are second languages to him is a boon, rather than a bane, to his understanding of Chinglish.

"Because I have this outside perspective, I'm far away from finger-pointing."

He added that he asks native English speakers to assess the Chinglish he collects.

Radtke said many Chinese web users were furious when he first started his blog and he often received hate mail.

"But that's all changed, because more people understand my point, which is that Chinglish is a window to the Chinese mind for non-Chinese speakers and a cultural bridge between the West and China.

"It should be regarded with pride."

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Venezuela agreed here Wednesday to step up cooperation in fields such as energy, agriculture, and high technology and take joint actions in the face of the global financial crisis.

The agreement was reached in a meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his visiting Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern and reached an important consensus.

Hu highlighted the robust growth of bilateral relations during the meeting, saying that China was satisfied with the positive outcomes from bilateral economic and technological cooperation, progress made on some key projects and close coordination on international and regional issues.

Hu also suggested the two nations should work closer and boost the various pragmatic cooperation, which would not only help resolve the impact from the international financial crisis, but also be conducive to laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of Sino-Venezuelan relations.

China highly values its ties with Venezuela and will join hands with the Venezuelan side to make efforts to push forward the bilateral strategic partnership to a higher level, Hu said.

Echoing Hu's views on bilateral relations, Chavez also applauded the progress made on bilateral cooperation in energy, agriculture, industry and technology.

He especially mentioned the successful launch and delivery of Venezuela's first telecommunication satellite thanks to cooperation with China.

Chavez noted that the world order is undergoing a profound change and China already played a significant and positive role in an effort to address the challenges posed by the international economic turmoil.

Venezuela is willing to cement its cooperation with China in such a new international context, the Venezuelan president added.

As Hu's guest, Chavez arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a three-day working visit.

He will also meet Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping during the visit, which is his sixth to China.

The Qingming Festival has also seen a surge in the number of passengers travelling across the Taiwan Strait, as many return to their hometowns to remember their ancestors. But this year, travellers are finding their trips much shorter and more convenient than they used to be, thanks to the opening of direct transport links across the Strait.

Passenger numbers for chartered flights this holiday have risen dramatically, compared with the same period last year. And tickets for some popular routes have already sold out. To meet the strong demand, many airlines are adding new flights, and switching to larger jets.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan are expected to launch more flight routes in July. Some Taiwan-based carriers are also planning to work with mainland airlines to meet the surging demand.

The number of foreign students in China reached a record high of 223,499 in 2008, a 14.32 percent increase over 2007, an official with the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Wednesday.

Foreign students were attending 592 higher educational institutions throughout the country, Zhang Xiuqin, head of the international cooperation and exchange department said at a press conference in Beijing.

"China has become one of the most popular destinations for foreign students because of its history and culture as well as improving government services," Zhang said.

The Chinese government increased scholarships for foreign students in recent years. In 2008, 13,516 foreign students received scholarship. That's 33.15 percent more than the previous year.

Those scholarships included tuition, housing and medical insurance, Zhang said.

According to the MOE, the Chinese government invested 500 million yuan (71.4 million U.S. dollars) in 2008 to finance foreign students. Recipients received a monthly stipend between 1,400 to 2,000 yuan (200 to 285 U.S. dollars).

Since March of last year, China has been using a database to keep track of every foreign student in the country. It also established an emergency response system especially for the safety of foreign students.

MOE statistics show that the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan were the top three sources of foreign students in China.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2009)

The Beijing Upper East Side International Culture Year 2009 opened at the Traders Upper East Hotel on March 29, 2009. This cultural exchange project, sponsored by Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Center and Yang Guang Company Limited, will vividly portray an image of Beijing's international community via various cultural activities. Wang Hui, director of Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, Wang Hongzhuan, deputy director of the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau, and Zhang Chunxiu, deputy head of Chaoyang District, attended the opening ceremony and announced the opening of the Beijing Upper East Side International Culture Year 2009.

The Beijing Upper East Side International Culture Year 2009 will focus on Beijing's international community culture and will become a multicultural platform for exchange. At the same time, it will showcase the contemporary internationalization of Beijing while serving as an example for and encouraging other communities to create their own multicultural and harmonious international homes.

The Beijing Upper East Side International Culture Year 2009 will feature an international wedding festival in May, an international jazz festival and beer festival in August and an international drama festival in October.

During the opening ceremony on March 29, Spanish flamenco and bop dances performances, a world photography exhibition, contemporary sculptural works, magic and other performances were presented. During the among-family interactive game, performances by children from an international school closed the event.

The Upper East Side community provides homes for nearly 2,000 families from 42 countries and will become a colourful international cultural exchange place with the opening of the Beijing Upper East Side International Culture Year. These international families brought their special lifestyles and cultures from every corner of the world, and they have also experienced Beijing's many positive changes. More importantly, they thoroughly enjoy the high-quality lifestyle provided by this mature international community. To connect the architectural arts with daily life, the Upper East Side provides an exceptional international environment and vigorous life for the residents. As the slogan of the culture year, "We Are Family" infers, residents and visitors to the Upper East Side will enjoy a happy life while making new friends with people from around the world and from different cultures.

Swede Ingela Palomaki joined more than 400 people to run the Second Dragon Bay Cup Family Day Fun Run in Beijing's Shunyi district yesterday in a race against herself.

And believe it or not, she won.

"We both beat our records," Palomaki says, smiling at her fiance Jonas Mauritzou.

Under glorious Beijing sunshine, she finished 5 km in 35 minutes and 9 seconds, and Mauritzou crossed the finish line in 23 and a half minutes.

Palomaki says it usually takes her about half an hour to clock up 4 km and the couple has been going to the gym regularly to get in shape.

Why?

"So we'll look beautiful in our wedding clothes," she says, pointing to their wedding in August. "This was the perfect event for us."

One of the best things about the race, the couple says, is that it dragged them away from inside the gym and out into the capital's great outdoors. "In the city, it's kind of hard to get out in the fresh air and do some outdoorsy stuff," Palomaki says.

"There aren't many marathons in the city, so it's a good opportunity to do something different in Beijing."

The event, sponsored by Yosemite Villas, featured 2-km, 5-km and 10-km races for adults, and 2-km races, and bicycle and tricycle races for the more than 150 kids that participated.

Eight-year-old German Tim Kobiolka runs every day and says the event was a chance to enjoy his favorite pastime with his little friends.

After finishing the 2-km run, Tim dashed off to the playground and started bouncing on an inflatable play-place without pausing to catch his breath.

"That's because he only did the 2-km, not the 5-km," his mother Michaela Kobiolka says. "He loves running. He went to the (Beijing) Olympics and now, if you ask him what he wants to do when he grows up, he'll say he wants to win a gold medal."

Tim says the reason he's infatuated with getting the gold is simple.

"I want to be No 1," Tim shouts.

(China Daily March 23, 2009)

Beijing's subway Line 2 resumed normal operation at 9:55 a.m. Thursday after suspension for around 1 hour and 45 minutes, the Beijing Subway Company said.

Counter-clockwise trains on the loop line were suspended at 8:12 a.m. after a cable fell from the tunnel roof and caused a power blackout near Jishuitan Station, according to subway company officials.

It said the suspension did not lead to commuter crowds as the morning rush hour was almost ended when the accident happened and passengers were evacuated immediately.

New vehicle restrictions are likely to be announced Friday in the capital, given that a post-Olympics system has "significantly improved" traffic conditions and air quality, Beijing officials said Thursday.

"New car restrictions will probably be unveiled Friday to replace the current ones," said Wang Zhaorong, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications.

Figures released by the Beijing Transportation Research Center (BTRC) Thursday showed that traffic jams were reduced by five hours and 15 minutes a day during the six months since the post-Olympics restrictions have been in effect. Vehicular emissions were reduced by 375 tonnes, or 10 percent, every day.

BTRC statistics showed about 90 percent of city residents said they supported the restrictions and 89 percent said they were willing to see the rules extended.

Beijing's trial post-Olympics vehicle restrictions began on Oct. 11 and are set to expire on April 10. The rules, based on license plate numbers, take 20 percent of the city's 3 million vehicles off the road on weekdays.

The current restrictions apply within and including the Fifth Ring Road from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for private cars and around the clock for government and corporate vehicles. The ban does not apply to emergency vehicles, mass transit vehicles or other public service vehicles.

The Olympics restrictions, based on an odd-even license plate system, took 45 percent of the cars off the roads and helped clear the skies, but as soon as the ban was lifted in September, traffic jams resumed.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2009)

Tears, messages to heaven for quake victims on Tomb Sweeping Day

Tears fell down her cheeks, like the rain dropping on her umbrella.

"I dreamed of my granddaughter several times," Tan Yunlan said while sobbing.

Supported by her daughter, the elderly woman gazed at a pile of rubble which used to be an apartment building in the former Beichuan county seat.

Tan's son-in-law arranged several bricks to burn incense, while her daughter took out a folded handkerchief from her bag. She opened it and placed the photo of a four-year-old girl inside, then gently placed it on the ground.

Behind the family, people walked slowly in twos and threes, holding candles or white chrysanthemums. Firecrackers would sound sporadically.

As Saturday was China's traditional Tomb Sweeping Day, survivors of the quake-leveled county returned to what's left of their homes to mourn loved ones.

Grief in Quake Zones

More than 80,000 people were confirmed dead or missing after the May 12, 2008 earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province.

One of the worst-hit areas, 15,645 people were killed in Beichuan. Another 4,311 others remain missing. Because of the destruction, the county has been closed-off since May 20 last year. For the first time since then, former residents were allowed to return for four days of mourning starting Wednesday.

Life forever changed for Zhu Xiuhua after her husband was buried under the county's vegetable market.

"He was considerate and diligent, earning 3,000 yuan a month to support the family," she murmured, eyes swollen.

After the quake, Zhu became the family provider, taking care of her parents-in-law and two sons. Although the local government gave her some subsidy, she now has to work at construction sites like a man.

Facing the debris of the market, she drew a circle on the ground with a stick and wrote the name of her husband.

"There were too many people who died in the quake. I am afraid he can't find the money I gave him," she wept.

Zhu then lit a candle and placed it alongside the pork she had cooked and set by the debris. Pork, was her husband's favorite food. She then burned ghost money- one sheet after another, as an offering to help the dead in afterlife.

"Don't worry about us. We can manage it," she whispered to him.

In Qingchuan County, flower seller He Xiantong brought a bunch of chrysanthemums to an earthquake memorial park in Donghekou.

"Somewhere in the county, 40 meters underground, lies my wife," he said. "I feel that we are so close."

At the same time, their son, He Kaiyuan, who is in Chengdu, less than 300 kilometers away, stands facing Qingchuan. He also bought flowers for his mother and placed them on the ground.

"Dad visits mom every day," he said. "Mom, dad is with you. You must be happy in heaven."

In front of the tomb of Tan Qianqiu in Deyang city, just north of Chengdu, many strangers stopped to mourn.

The teacher, from the Dongqi middle school, sheltered four students with his arms when the quake jolted the building. When rescuers arrived, they discovered Tan had died, but the students all survived.

Huang Jing, a girl who was from Hunan province, dedicated a bouquet to Tan.

"He is also a native of Hunan," she said. "Although he didn't know me, I brought him greetings from his hometown."

Mourning from Elsewhere

In Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian province- some 2,000 kilometers away from the quake's epicenter- a ceremony was held for people to mourn victims.

In front of more than 100 people, two girls tied letters they had written to deceased relatives, to the legs of pigeons, then let them go.

"Dear little sister, how are you in heaven?" wrote 16-year-old Dong Yu.

"Does it still hurt? How are uncle and aunt?" her letter went on to say. Her cousin was just eight months younger than her.

"Mom still weeps sometimes, but there are so many people from Sichuan in heaven, you won't be lonely."

Together with 33 other students from Sichuan, Dong was sent to a vocational school in Fuzhou after the disaster.

"I am doing well here," she read, smiling, with tears.

People also chose to mourn the dead on the Internet.

"Chen Jian, I'm Xiaofeng. How are you in heaven?" This message was from Chen's wife Tan Xiaofeng on the website cq.qq.com.

After the earthquake, Chen, worried about his pregnant wife. He survived 73 hours under crushed concrete and twisted steel rods. He passed away after he was pulled out of the debris.

Netizens on the portal website Sohu, list his story as among the ten most touching from the earthquake.

"I miscarried," Tan Xiaofeng wrote.

After the earthquake she moved away from her hometown and went to work in eastern Jiangsu Province.

"I will be back to sweep tombs for him later this month," she said.

The website claims to be the first online platform for visitors to mourn quake victims on Tomb Sweeping day. So far, more than 7,000 messages were left by netizens. Photos showing touching moments during the quake and its aftermath were also posted.

On Sina.com, the page for mourning showed candles forming "5.12" and a white chrysanthemum. More than 2,373,000 people had visited the site as of Saturday afternoon. Some posted their own messages for victims: "There is no disaster in heaven," and "Hope the survivors can be strong and live a better life."

Looking into the Future

Outside the barbed wire fence around the collapsed Beichuan middle school, 15-year-old Lu Chunqiao closed her eyes and held burning incense.

Four other students nearby burned a letter. In Chinese, there is a superstition that if you burn a letter, you are sending it to the dead.

The ninth grade students then knelt down, keeping their foreheads close to the ground.

They survived the quake, but more than 1,000 of their classmates were dead or missing.

"We want to tell them (the dead) the changes during this past year," Lu said. "Construction of the new school building is to start next month."

About one kilometer away from the Beichuan county seat, work rebuilding Qushan Township just began.

Amid roaring machines, Liu Chunyi, an engineer from eastern Shandong province said, "it is the greatest comfort to the dead to have those alive live a better life."

In Wenxian County of northwestern Gansu province where 114 people succumbed in the quake, Liu Wencheng placed fruit and tea for his dead wife in a graveyard.

He told her that their two daughters were doing well at school.

Liu had 0.2 hectares of land, where he planted wheat, corn and potatoes.

"Life has to go on," he said.

After the quake, the local government sent him a quilt, food and electric blankets. Each affected family was also given 20,000 yuan (almost 3,000 U.S. dollars) for reconstruction. It was not enough to build a house which is why Liu still lives in a tent. He is not sure how long he will be there.

In Sichuan, however, there is a timetable.

The province vowed to rebuild all damaged houses in rural areas by the end of this year and those in cities or townships before next May.

More than 90 percent of roads and 98 percent of the power supply system would be restored by Sept. 2010.

But it will take longer than that for wounds in people's hearts to heal.

Many people suggested Tan Xiaofeng, who is just 26, should re-marry.

The idea just makes Tan cry.

"I can't accept another man," she said while shaking her head. "Not now."

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2009)