Beijing Today (January 4, 2008)

11.3 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

Y
Olympic Too edgy
housing for music’s
A
hunt mainstream
D Pages 7 Pages 12-13
Dog days for school grad
O
Failing to use what you learn
is a sure-fi re way to forget it.
T
For Lucky, a golden retriever
and guide school graduate, a
city with no regulations for
guide dogs could render his
years of education useless.
The dog has been barred from
buses, subways and stores,
G
and his owner says Lucky’s
training is slipping.
Page 3
N
I
J
I
E
B
Photo by Wang Bin
Urumqi fi re out
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
JANUARY 4, 2008 – JANUARY 10, 2008
after 20 hours
NO. 344 CN11-0120
HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
CHIEF EDITOR:
JIAN RONG
NEWS EDITOR:
YU SHANSHAN
DESIGNER: As many as nine fi re brigades and 61 fi re engines were dispatched to put out a blaze
ZHAO YAN Wednesday evening at the Dehui Hotel in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
As of press time, the fi re is reportedly under control. Three armed police were killed and one
was injured.
The home’s The cause remains under investigation.
hidden killers
Page 13
Xinhua Photo
New welfare Life can’t Artwork born Dining out
projects for wait for of disabled for musical
a new year regulations minds meals
Page 2 Page 5 Page 6 Page 11
Under the auspices of the Information Offi ce of Beijing Municipal Government Run by Beijing Youth Daily President: Zhang Yanping Editor in Chief: Zhang Yabin Executive Deputy Editor in Chief: He Pingping
Director: Jian Rong Price: 2 yuan per issue 26 yuan for 3 months Address: No.23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China Zip Code: 100026 Telephone/Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] Hotline for subscription: [phone] (Chinese) , [phone] (English) Overseas Code Number: D1545 Overseas Distribution Agent: China International Book Trading Corporation
January 4 2008
2
Welfare projects for 2008 New monitoring
system promises
student safety
s
By Li Fenghua
w By Han Manman construct and purchase 500,000 Transportation urban residents of working age. A new card system which will
The municipal government square meters of low-rent apart- Another 1,000 parking spaces Elderly residents without social
provide real-time surveillance of
announced 59 public welfare ments. As many as 1,400 resident will be added along 100 sub-main security will be covered by the
primary and middle school stu-
e projects for the year last Friday. compounds will be renovated for roads. Some old underground old-age pension system by which
dents in Chaoyang district may
Housing assurance, medical care 10,000 households. civil defense projects will be refi t- people ages 90 and over will
relieve some parents who worry
N and transportation topped the Dog raising ted to offer another 10,000 park- have senior pensions.
about the safety and attendance of
list. Canine care also made its The city’s fi nancial depart- ing spaces in some communities. Food
their children.
fi rst appearance on the govern- ment will earmark almost 2 mil- A plan for passenger transpor- The source-tracking system
The one-card solution, which
ment’s ledger. lion yuan to regulate dog raising. tation in the countryside will for food safety will be enlarged to
contains basic information of all
Offi cials began collecting The project will include informa- be implemented to ensure lower cover 20 butcheries and process-
the registered students in the com-
public suggestions and opinions tional fl yers, stray care programs transportation fees. ing plants, 55 large and medium-
puter, is already in use in a few of
last September and logged nearly and training. Environment protection sized stores and supermarkets
the district’s schools.
10,000 ideas submitted by tele- Community service Beijing will aim for 70 per- and six agricultural product
By the end of the month, 54
phone hotline, email and letters Communities will set up cent of next year to have clear wholesale markets.
primary and middle schools will
during the fi rst 20 days. Public household health fi les and per- skies and air quality at level two New public conveniences
have the system in place, and it
concern focused on urban man- sonal health fi les next year. All or higher. About 50,000 house- As many as 50 percent of
will be available in all district
agement, housing, employment the community clinics will pro- holds will be forced to abandon the public conveniences in old
schools by the end of the year,
and social security. vide traditional Chinese medicine traditional stoves in favor of clean urban bungalow areas in Xicheng,
He Jianxiong, Information Center
The following are some pro- (TCM) services. The clinics will energy for heating. Dongcheng and Chongwen districts
director of the Chaoyang Educa-
posed projects: offer a greater variety of non- Medical care will be upgraded, along with those
tion Committee, said.
Housing profi t medicines to relieve resi- The medical insurance in 11 parks including the Summer
Parents can go to the Beijing
In 2008, the government will dents’ medical burden. system will expand to cover all Palace and Temple of Heaven.
Telecommunication Bureau to
sign up to receive basic SMS mes-
sages about their children’s safety
New airport and attendance. “Additional mes-
sages, such as where the students
are, may incur additional fees,”
terminal ready the director said.
Important school sites such
as dormitories, mess halls,
for takeoff playgrounds, gyms and labs will
be monitored. Infra-red alarm
devices will be used to track stu-
By Han Manman mens AG’s China subsidiary, can dent activities in those rooms. The
The new No 3 terminal build- process 19,000 pieces of luggage surveillance system will be con-
ing at Beijing Capital Interna- per hour. nected to the Chaoyang Bureau
tional Airport (BCIA), which will The new building empha- of Public Security.
serve as the main support build- sizes passenger experience with School faculty will be able to
ing during this year’s Olympic a design that includes vast con- fi nd out where any registered stu-
Games, has fi nished construction, courses and uses space and natu- dent is by using an Internet link.
The system was assembled
a spokesman for the airport said ral lighting for a more comfortable
as part of the district’s conver-
on Saturday. experience, the spokesman said.
sion to a new database to record
“The terminal building will The 3.8 kilometer long termi-
basic information about its reg-
enter use in two phases. The fi rst nal consists of up to fi ve fl oors
istered students.
phase is expected to start trial with three basement fl oors. It has
While most of the parents are
operations on February 29,” a 120 departure gates.
satisfi ed with the monitoring
BCIA spokesman said. To ensure Its two prayer rooms for reli-
system, some have expressed worry
operations go smoothly, from gious passengers are the fi rst in
that it could cause a loss of tradi-
tomorrow through February 3, the country’s mainland. Auto-
tional childhood freedoms, He said.
BCIA will hold six large-scale matic shuttles are available to
rehearsals consisting of 500 to escort passengers throughout the
Brief news
8,000 participants to test the ter- terminal. Each women’s wash-
minal’s boarding, departure and room also contains a special
A fourth of netizens blog
inspection procedures, he said. breastfeeding room that is 10
The country’s blogger pop-
Designed by British architect square meters and has a mirror
ulation has reached 47 million
Norman Foster, the building and a sink.
out of 180 million netizens, 57
attempts to combine traditional The new terminal is a center-
percent of whom are women.
architectural elements with up- piece of the city’s Olympic devel-
n The survey data came from a
Ya to-date technology. Its red col- opments and offi cials hope it will poll China Internet Network
o umns and muted gold roof are relieve overcrowding in the air- Information Center conducted
ha symbolic of Beijing’s history of port’s other two terminals for the in late November.
Z imperial palaces and temples. Its next seven years.
er: more modern US $250 million Terminal No 3 broke ground The No3 terminal will help relieve airport congestion. OnNlino ein lsotittutetiroyn ss walilel bbea anllnoweedd
gn baggage system, made by Sie- on March 28, 2004. Photo by Nie Shou to sell lottery tickets over the
si
e Internet any more according to a
D
n Income tax threshold bumped to 2,000 cMiricnuislatrry i sosfu Feidn Wanecden, tehsed aMy ibnyis tthrye
a
m of Civil Affairs and the General
n
a Administration of Sports.
M China’s new draft amendment Price increases on various goods the cutoff point was preemptively could be varied in different Olympic-class food safety
an to income tax law may raise the have put a heavy burden on the set at 2,000 yuan per month. regions in line with local eco- A monitoring center for food
H monthly individual income tax already-burdened average family. A recent survey of almost nomic development. safety, established by the Beijing
or: threshold from the current 1,600 to The individual income tax 3,700 people showed that 97 per- They said living costs in eco- Municipal Food Safety Supervi-
dit 2,000 yuan. If passed, the amend- cutoff was raised from 800 yuan cent of citizens said the current nomically prosperous cities, such as sion, will be set up to command
E ment will take effect on March 1. per month to 1,600 yuan in 2006 individual income tax cutoff point Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, a safety network and issue warn-
Y Xie Xuren, Minister of following an investigation into should be readjusted. were high. The tax cutoff point in ings of food risks and handle
A Finance, said that the raise could the basic cost of living. Wang Yijiang, an economic those cities should be higher, and in food-related emergencies during
D mean a loss of 30 billion yuan in “Over the past two years, the management professor at Tsin- economically backward areas, the the Olympic Games.
state revenue. cost of citizens’ basic needs has ghua University, said with the threshold should be lower. New fuel standards in effect
O “The threshold increase is continued to rise. This forced us country’s fast economic devel- Still, it is unrealistic for the The city introduced new
T within the range of what the coun- to readjust the income tax cutoff opment, the government could government to implement differ- vehicle fuel standards on Tues-
try can bear and will relieve the point,” Xie said. afford the tax cut. ent cutoff points for different areas, day. Under the new standards,
G economic burden of the country’s Xie said each worker has an The Ministry of Finance pre- An Tifu, an economics professor at gasoline and diesel sold at all
medium and low-income earn- annual consumption expenditure dicted the country’s fi nancial rev- Remin University, said. It would Beijing outlets must meet the
N ers,” Xie said. of 19,030 yuan, or 1,586 yuan enue in 2007 would exceed 5 make talented people in western new China IV standards, which
I The consumer price index (CPI) per month, for food, clothing, trillion yuan, up 31 percent from areas more willing to move to big are equivalent to the European
J climbed 6.9 percent in November – accommodations and transporta- the previous year. cities, further widening the regional Union’s Euro IV standards.
I
the fourth consecutive month that tion. Because experts do not fore- Some Chinese scholars sug- social and economic gap.
E (By Han Manman)
B the index was above six percent. cast an end to the upward trend, gested that the tax threshold (By Annie Wei)
January 4 2008
3
City won’t throw guide dogs Local SOS
seeks ‘mothers’
s
a bone for orphans
w
By Jackie Zhang
The fi rst phase of Beijing SOS
e
Village’s opening preparations
ended last Friday and the new N
village is slated to open in June.
By Jackie Zhang the city proper – and training and
But before it can assume its
Lucky, the capital’s fi rst licensing cannot change the fact he
task of caring for infants, it
working guide dog, started his is a golden retriever.
needs mothers.
new life in early December with “If this continues, the dog will
Mothers are the souls of an
former Paralympic long-jump be unable to use any of the skills
SOS village, project manager
champion Ping Yali. But the he learned in school. He will even-
Ding Kaishan said.
stresses of the city and workers tually forget everything,” a staff
“[The mother] cares for the
unfriendly to guide dogs are member from the Dalian training
orphans and gives them a home:
causing Lucky’s skills to slip. base said.
that is the biggest difference
The dog was trained at the Luo Dan, a teacher from Beijing
between an SOS village and an
guide dog training base in Dalian, Union University’s special educa-
orphanage,” Ding said. The
Liaoning Province. When on duty, tion college said she pitied Lucky.
requirements are correspond-
Lucky wears a special red coat “Training a guide dog is excep-
ingly strict. Mothers-to-be must
with a working license issued by tionally expensive and the selec-
love children and be able to edu-
the Dalian Public Security Bureau tion requirements are strict. Only
cate them and manage a family.
(PSB) and Dalian Disabled Per- golden retrievers and Labradors
All prospective mothers
son’s Federation. can be trained,” she said.
should be between ages 25 and
However, even when Lucky Family descent is also impor-
45, and hold a high school
dons his red attire and approaches tant, she said. If a dog’s parents or
diploma or higher degree. They
the situation with professional- grandparents are guide dogs, then
must not have children of their
ism, he can hardly penetrate the it will be easier to train.
own. Mothers who work in a vil-
stalwart defense of bus drivers “The country currently lacks
lage for 20 years will be able
and shop attendants who bar him regulations and policies for guide
to live on a special platform in
from his task. dogs, and there is no national
the village and all their living
Ping said when Lucky fi rst tried department to identify and license
expenses will be provided by
to guide her onto the bus, the driver the dogs,” Luo said.
SOS-Kinderdorf International.
adamantly refused her and said no The China Association of the
Mother recruitment began
animals were allowed – even guide Blind submitted a rewrite of the
earlier this week. “We will recruit
dogs. Unwilling to abandon hope national Law on the Protection of
ten mothers from all over China,
in public transport, Ping headed for Disabled Persons to the state coun-
then prepare a list of which
the subway where she and lucky cil, and a section on guide dogs is
orphans will live in the village,”
were again refused. included, Li Weihong, the associa-
Ding said.
Today, Lucky no longer has any tion’s vice chairman, said.
The village’s first phase con-
reaction to buses. “Once the law is passed, reg-
sists of 15 two-story houses,
“I think it is because he was ulations to enforce the rights of
a training building, an office
refused by the driver. I worry that disabled persons with guide dogs
building and a kindergarten.
his skill at guiding me onto buses will be issued,” he said.
Each house will be home to
or into parks and supermarkets will Li said that there would be
eight children and one mother.
gradually be lost,” Ping said. temporary regulations in effect
The first floor includes the
When it came time to license during the Paralympic Games
mother’s room, living room and
Lucky as one of the capital’s dogs, this year to allow the competi-
dinning room. Four bedrooms
his name was all but proper. The tors’ guide dogs into the city’s
and independent washrooms
local PSB forbids large dogs within public areas.
will be on the second floor for
boys and girls respectively.
Send us your discounts & offers.
Based on the requirements
Email us: [email protected] or call: 6590 2626 of SOS-Kinderdorf International
and domestic conditions, eligible
ADVERTISE IN orphans must be mentally-stable
children aged three to six. The
Lucky has been Ping Yili’s eye for the last month. Beijing SOS Village is planning to
PLACE YOUR ADVERT NOW AND GET INSTANT RESULTS! Photo by Wang Bin match 15 families next year.
Call: Jian Zhong 139 0135 4788, Xiao’ang 136 0138 7065
n
e
G
g
n
a
Y
er:
n
g
si
e
D
g
n
Yi
ei
W
or:
dit
E
Y
A
D
O
T

G
N
I
J
I
E
B
January 4 2008
4
Gov to adjust export tariffs again
Baidu shares fall
on exec’s death
By Huang Daohen
s The Ministry of Finance is gories: the most-favored-nation In the agricultural sector, the be raised from 15 to 25 percent.
Shares of Baidu.com, the
announcing big changes to duties rate of duty, the annual interim government will continue to ful- Import tariffs for gasoline, diesel
s country’s most popular Internet
for certain categories of imports duty rate and conventional and fi ll its commitment to the World and jet fuel will be slashed from
search site, fell after news broke
e and exports to curb expansions preferential tariffs. Trade Organization. It will cut 2 to 1 percent. of the death of Shawn Wang, its
in high-energy-consuming and Import and export duties import tariffs on 45 commodities, A government representative
chief fi nancial offi cer.
n polluting sectors. have been adjusted annually for and will continue to manage tariff said the tariff adjustments should
Wang died in an accident on
This year, the government the last decade. quotas for 7 agricultural products, help ensure domestic supplies and
Thursday, a company spokes-
i will step up efforts to fulfi ll The average tariff level is now including wheat and cotton. better environmental protection.
man said Saturday.
s promises made when it signed 9.8 percent, with farm produce It will also restrict export of There are currently 39 devel-
A group of senior managers
as a World Trade Organization hitting 15.2 percent and indus- products from polluting indus- oping countries in Africa, the
u will assume his duties until a suc-
member six years ago. trial products at 8.9 percent. The tries with high energy consump- Middle East and Southeast Asia
cessor is named. Under Wang,
The export and import duty list of items subject to import and tion. Export taxes on wood pulp, which have preferential tariffs on
B Baidu’s shares soared past US
adjustment, which took effect export taxes has been expanded coke, alloy steel, steel billets and their exports bound for China.
$400 in the US last month, a
Tuesday, focuses on several cate- to 7,758 items. some fi nished steel products will (Agencies)
15-fold gain from their initial
offering of US $27.
Rat attacks South Korea Baidu is the only Chinese
company in the Nasdaq 100
index – the 100 biggest non-
fi nancial companies by market
value listed on the Nasdaq.
Deutsche Bank
open for business
(Reuters) – Deutsche Bank
started operations in China on
Wednesday through a locally-
incorporated unit, a move that
gives Germany’s biggest lender
broader access to the country’s US
$2.3 trillion in household savings.
Deutsche Bank’s spokesman
said the move allowed the com-
pany to conduct a broader range
of businesses in China, including
foreign exchange, and foreign
currency-denominated securi-
ties other than stocks.
The bank will put its branches
and sub-branches under the
Sales staff are showing off toy rats and rat-shaped piggy banks at a store in Seoul, South Korea.
locally incorporated unit, while
This year is also the Year of the Rat for the South Koreans. Rat-themed decorations and toys are hot sellers across the country.
retaining a wholesale foreign
Xinhua/AFP Photo exchange branch in Shanghai.
n
e
G
g
n
a
Y
er:
n
g
si
e
D
n
a
N
g
n
a
h
Z
n
e
h
o
a
D
g
n
a
u
H
or:
dit
E
Y
A
D
O
T

G
N
I
J
I
E
B
January 4 2008
5
Two kidney transplants
Debate of the week
Not the real thing
By Huang Daohen e
rejected by regulations An art gallery in Canada hosted
a controversial exhibit of archeo- t
logical artifacts from China, most
a
of which were stolen.
“Treasures Unearthed: Chi- b
nese Archeological Artifacts,” the
By Huang Daohen needed kidney transplants to save their lives pended when the ethics committee of the hos-
exhibition was held at the Art Gal- e
A proposal to cross donate kidneys was found, by accident, suitable kidney resources pital opposed the idea.
lery of Greater Victoria last week.
denied last week in Guangzhou, Guangdong within their respective families. The families The case of cross donation of human organs
However, local media dubbed the D
Province, triggering an extensive discussion on then decided to carry out the transplant surgery between families in China has the precedent.
event “Tomb Raiders” because
the human organ transplant. through a cross donation as soon as possible In April 2006, there were two pairs of couples
of its 500 featured objects plun-
Two uremic patients, He Zhigang and He and came to Guangzhou last December. in Wuhan, Hubei Province, who succeeded in
dered from Chinese tombs.
Yiwen, both from Hunan Province, who urgently However, the life-saving surgery was sus- the operation.
The whole exhibit dates
from the 16th century BC to
Response the 10th century AD, and most
pieces are bronze.
Objects range from elaborate
Hospital response
ceremonial daggers, saddle rega-
The Second Affi liated Hospital of Guang- lia, cooking braziers and food
zhou Medical College, which was supposed steamers, to bronze mat weights
to carry out the surgery, held a press confer- used by nomadic tribesmen
ence Saturday and to respond publicly to the carved in the shape of wild cats
incident for the fi rst time. Chen Delai, deputy attacking bovines.
director of the hospital, admitted that the halt- “These pieces, were pilfered
ing of the surgery was due to the ethic commit- years ago from ancient tombs.
tee’s decision. The show is very controver-
Chen said the cancellation is not a techni- sial,” ardent art collector and
cal problem. Before carrying out any human museum benefactor Joey Tan-
organ transplant operations, the college must nenbaum said.
get approval from the Human Organ Trans-
plant Clinical Application and Ethics Commit-
tee of the hospital. Rich kids
“Eight of the nine members voted
experience the
against it.” Chen told local Guangzhou
Daily reporters. poor side of town
The reason why the ethics committee made
the decision was in accordance with relevant By Huang Daohen
legislation, Chen said. According to regulations, An education advisory orga-
the recipient of a living organ is limited to the nization in Qingdao, Shandong
donor’s spouse or immediate relatives within Province, recently launched an
three generations. Genetics aside, the regula- experience activity for wealthy
tions also takes into consideration extended kids to experience a beggar’s
family trying to provide aid. life, causing controversy among
“Help and family relationships are indis- the public.
pensable. The ethic committee fi nally fi gured Wearing messy clothes, hold-
that this case had not reached the exceptive ing a bowl in one hand, over ten
condition.” Chen said. children from wealthy families,
However, if the supervisory department mostly primary and secondary
approves the surgery, the hospital will bow to The first kidney cross donation case between families succeeded in Wuhan, Hubei school students, begged along
the higher level, Chen said. province, in 2006, drawing public concern over legal loopholes in Chinese trans- the main road for a whole day
Puzzled family waits plant law. Photo by Zhuang Yixie and at destinations agreed upon
by their parents.
The two patients He Zhigang, 39, and Comment The event, named “From
He Yiwen, 17, are from ordinary families
beggar to prince,” aims to let chil-
in Henan Province. He Zhigang is a local n
dren know more about life through e
farmer and He Yiwen is still a high school Netizens: all in favor of the cross donation fi rst-hand experience. “Physical G
student. They are now hospitalized, waiting The release of the veto by the hospital’s ethics committee last week was a hot topic. After memory is an instinctive one,” Tan ng
transplant surgery. reviewing the main domestic website, we found that a majority of Internet users opposed the Xin, the organizer, said. “We hope Ya
“We have now spent more than 30,000 hospital’s decision. kids will cherish life.” er:
yuan in Guangzhou. We are really puzzled why However, others doubt the n
g
the hospital promised to do the surgery before Ethics vs lives if the patients were their own family mem- effectiveness of the activity, claim- si
we decided to come and now object to it,” He When people’s lives are endangered, bers? Time is life. Time won’t wait for two ing that it’s a self-propaganda De
Zhigang said. ethics may become less important. critically-ill patients. show rather than an education. n
The money they spent was basically donated – Simon21 – lawbreak Na
by the locals in his hometown, He Zhigang In the end, is the hospital’s code of ethics Saving life is the point! The patients cer- Winner takes the g
said. “If the surgery cannot be done, I do not important, or is the patient’s life? tifi ed that the two sides were willing and an
know how to face the people back home,” he – Clare not coerced. How could the ethics commit- money and runs Zh
said, adding that he is still waiting for the sur- Life is precious. One should strive to live tee stand by such regulation? Isn’t helping n
gery to be approved. even if the hope is a mere glimmer, let alone the sick the sworn duty of every doctor? By Huang Daohen he
Fear of breeding illegal the disease is curable. – Xiaohei A sophomore student in ao
– Hunter Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, D
organ trade chose to quit school last week g
Another interpretations n
In response to this incident, Chen after winning a fi ve million a
Who should decide people’s lives? The law prohibits cross donation of u
Zhonghua, vice chairman of the organ yuan lottery jackpot. H
transplant center of the Chinese Medical savOinngl yo peeigrahtti oinnd! iIvti’sd unaonlss evnostien.g on a life- kai dsonrety so,f bcurot svso dluonntaatriyo nb.l oWoed sdhoonualtdi osnto ips The student Zhang Yong or:
Association, pointed out that the current – baa3527 donating blood. (pseudonym) from a technical dit
Human Organ Transplant Ordinance has college bought the lottery ticket E
loopholes in the law. The doctors should show mercy. What – Della111 by chance on Christmas Eve. Y
“For uremic patients, living kidney trans- Background Learning he had won the follow- A
plantation is not the only solution, nor is it the ing day, Zhang hurriedly took
D
best way,” Chen said. the ticket and his ID card to the
Besides, the domestic organ transplant China launched a new rule to regulate The new law is also a response to years lottery award center. O
fever contains the risk of breeding illegal organ organ transplants last May. According to the of suspicion that hospitals are conducting Zhang gave his roommates T
trade. “Nowadays, there are illegal traders new law, it will be mandatory for all organ a lucrative and expanding trade in selling 2,000 yuan each, and then
using loopholes in the law,” Chen said. transplant operations in China to be dis- organs to foreigners who arrive in the coun- packed up his belongings and G
However, he believes that it is not neces- cussed with and approved by a medical sci- try on tourist visas. went home.
sary for revision since the implementation ence and ethics committee. Amnesty International, a NGO, estimated Zhang’s quitting shocked his N
of the new regulation is less than one year The measure will play a vital role in ban- that the number of US residents on the organ schoolmates and the teachers I
as well. Some understood, while J
away. “Revision of laws always triggers new ning the sale of organs and putting a stop to transplant waiting list usually hovers around
others thought study should I
problems, but that does not mean it won’t be practices that violate the ethics and medical 100,000. Approximately 25,000 in the US E
come fi rst.
revised in the future,” Chen said. standards of organ transplants. transplants are performed each year. B
January 4 2008
6
Legendary soprano Mentally-retarded
artists show their
works
t
seeks Asian voice
a
p
x
By Han Manman closely linked with the greatest for young singers and musicians
New Zealand soprano Kiri Te tenors of her age, in particu- from her native New Zealand.
E
Kanawa, 63, a living legend from lar, tenors Jose Carreras and At Tuesday’s news confer-
the world of opera, presented Placido Domingo, as well as ence, Dame Kiri said her foun-
a gala evening at the National maestros such as the late Sir dation is also looking for a
Grand Theater Wednesday. Georg Solti. Dame Kiri is well- “good voice” from Asia. She
Dame Kiri has sung in every known for her performance at said many Asian singers have A mentally retarded person draws
major opera house and concert the wedding of Prince Charles very charming voices and she a picture.
hall and has won the hearts of and Lady Diana in 1981 at wants to help them perform on Photo provided by Beijing Huiling
millions of opera fans around the which she performed for one of the world stage. She recently
world both for her royal looks and the largest telecast audiences discovered a tenor from South Kiri Te Kanawa By He Jianwei
the silky beauty of her voice. of any singer in history esti- Korea and recommended him Photo by Chen Hong In a courtyard house east of
On Wednesday night, she sang mated at over 600 million. to the Metropolitan Opera Beihai Park, 50 paintings and hand-
sensational debut as the Count-
arias and songs from operas by After stepping down from House in New York. icrafts made by mentally-retarded
ess in Le Nozze di Figaro at
Mozart, Puccini, Bellini and Rich- the opera stage in 2004, she has New Zealander Te Kanawa people were showcased last Sunday
the Royal Opera House, Covent
ard Strauss with the Hong Kong focused on concerts and recit- hails from Maori aristocracy and afternoon.
Garden in 1971. From there, she
Philharmonic Orchestra under the als. She also devotes her time to she was appointed a Dame Com- Visitors to the exhibition could buy
moved rapidly up to the front
baton of Julian Reynolds. the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, mander of the British Empire the handicrafts and paintings. All the
ranks of international opera and
Her rise to fame was leg- which provides musical mentor- in 1982. She gained legendary works were created in the Beijing Huil-
has become one of the world’s
endary and her career has been ing as well as practical support status almost overnight after her ing’s workshop The Three Primary
most famous sopranos.
Colors. The Beijing Huiling is a NGO
Where did the countdown fi nd you? founded in April 2000 to serve people
with mental disabilities.
The Huiling offers a community-
based service and a public place of
study for the mentally retarded.
“It differs from the traditional and
enclosed type of schools for these spe-
cial individuals, as it truly is rooted
in the community, using community
resources and facilities,” Jane Pierini,
executive director of peopleLINK, a
professional social work consulting
center based in Beijing, said.
Pierini helped the Beijing Huiling
set up. “The Three Primary Colors” in
2000. “Painting is a good interaction
between the trainers, and trainees and
the result is beautiful,” Pierini said.
In 1996 Pierini met Meng Weina,
the founder of the Huiling in Guang-
zhou, Guangdong Province. Pierini
is a social worker and works for
the NGOs. “We trained the staff and
helped the Beijing Huiling to estab-
lish its model,” she said.
The school has accepted 50 men-
tally-retarded students. “The purpose
and goal is to help them to acquire
independence, consciousness and con-
fi dence. We strive for equal opportunity
and equal participation for the men-
tally-retarded,” Meng Weina said.
Financial support for the Beijing
n Huiling comes from two areas. “Thirty
Ya percent is the fees from the parents and
o the rest is from donations,” Meng said.
a
h An Australian tour agency,
Z
er: Ignrotrueppsi dt To rapvaerlt,i cairpraatneg eisn smHaulill itnogu’sr
n
g Countdown at the China Millennium Monument. Photo by Feng Li “Hutong Tour.” Each of the trainees
esi shows off their singing and dancing
D By Gan Tian ence joined in. At countdown time, Alex Kidman, 28, fashion skating was a good choice. talents as well as serving cookies and
n The New Year walked into peo- the big screen didn’t disappoint designer, Happy Valley Frank Lee, 28, teacher, tea and teaching calligraphy.
a
m ple’s lives to the tic-toc of the big – the stars, hearts and fl owers My company arranged for us Drum Tower “Their paintings touch many
an clock. Where people went for their that bloomed with fi reworks, let to go to Happy Valley and we Counting down to the New hearts and give us much happiness,”
M personal New Year’s countdown us know the New Year was here! had a great time. There were Year at the Drum Tower was Stuart Beard, manager of Intrepid
n revealed the city’s most compel- Locus Ribbons, 29, student, thousands of people there count- really a typical Chinese thing. Travel, said.
a
H ling places. 798 Art District ing down the seconds to the Staying in China for the New Beard fi rst visited the Beijing Huil-
or: Chenny Yang, 24, sales I saw their advertisement, zero mark. Santa Clause, the Year should be like this and here ing in July 2005. “They taught me
dit representative, the Place saying “New Year’s Eve sees the deer, the angels, the snowmen you could hear the sounds of calligraphy. At that moment, I wrote
E My friends and I went to the beginning of the end for the little ... if you weren’t familiar with ringing bells for miles. down my Chinese name ‘Laohu (tiger).’
Y Place at about 10 pm. It had backwater town we call Beijing,” the word, “Carnival,” you should Tone Chow, 24, translator, Traveling here not only allowed me to
A the biggest screen and a good so I visited 798 Art District. have come here to see what it the New World Shopping see the beautiful scenery, but also to
D plaza, so we thought that their It was great! In particular, the was like. Sometimes we thought Center know the lifestyle,” he said.
party would be outdoors and Acupuncture Records’ “Genesis we were too old, but the activ- I spend New Year’s Eve Since 2005, there have been two
O free. However, to our great dis- 2008” party! The 4000-square ities and excitement turned us every year at the New World sessions of art exhibitions held. In the
T appointment, we found that they meter gallery and workshops into kids again. The New Year Shopping Center. The shop- aftermath, Huiling has received sev-
had built a stage in the center of in the 798 were packed with at Happy Valley spotlighted ping malls offer the best dis- eral invitations to participate in other

G the plaza and only allowed people people. Beijing’s top local DJs dreams, fantasies and love. counts and, after two hours of art exhibitions for disabled people.
with invitations to enter. were there. It was so creative. Amor Mao, 25, editor, shopping, we stood under the This year’s exhibition will take
N
Many people gathered on the The only downer was that Nanshan Skating Center biggest Christmas tree in town place in three places. Besides the
I higher stairs to watch the show the 100-yuan admission fee I went skiing and skating to feel the New Year spirit. Huiling Courtyard, it will also be
J
and that’s where we went. When was a little expensive for some with my friends at the Nanshan Beijing is a luxurious city and staged at Shuiguiqi Bar in Jiu Gulou
I
E Taiwanese star Wilber Pan started local students and it was so Skating Center. New Year should we should expect it to become Dajie and at Xingfu Jiayuan Offi ce in
B singing familiar songs, all the audi- chilly outside! be white with snow, so I fi gured much more international. Guangqumen Dajie.
January 4 2008
7
Looking for a room AASSKK
Beijing Today
Email your questions to: e
during the Games [email protected]
s
I plan to visit Tianjin some
weekend soon, but I would u
prefer to take high speed
train. I heard about a 45-min-
ute train. Is this true? n
The Beijing-Tianjin (45
a
minute) line is not in operation
yet. Right now, the fastest train
c
between these two cities takes
about 75 minutes. News reports
say that the new line will begin u
operation in February. Beijing
Today will have further details
when the line offi cially opens to s
the public.
w
All my friends have been to
the Ice Festival in Harbin. I e
am wondering when it starts
and what people can actu- N
ally do there?
It starts on January 5 every
year. You can visit the Bingxue
Dashijie, or World of Ice and
Popular hotels like this one in Nanluguoxiang have an early reservation list. Photo by Zhang Kaixin Snow, which is highly recom-
mended by visiters. It has an
By Han Manman reservations. Star-graded Beijing hotels Jijiang Inn provides Olym- Olympic theme this year and
Although the opening cer- Hotels expect that during the have many reservations. pic rooms from 399 yuan to 699 charges 150 yuan for entrance –
emony of the 2008 Olympics Games, about one million domes- Family hotels, which might yuan per day for their mem- half price for students. Skiing or
is still eight months away, tic visitors and 500,000 foreign not be comparable to star- bers. Super 8 and Home Inns snowboarding around Harbin is
local hotels are already taking tourists will come to Beijing. graded ones, still remain offer Olympic rooms from 999 easy, and the snow is much better
appealing to some visitors to 2,500 yuan per day. than that found in Beijing.
No need now to fl y to Hong for their comfort. Some hotels say they have
Offi cial reception hotels received group room reserva- Do you know how can I get
Beijing Olympic orga- tion for the Olympic Games and my cellphone number back
Kong for visa changes
nizers unveiled 132 offi cial predict that single reservations if I lose my mobile phone?
reception hotels for next will peak this March and April. If your SIM card service is
year’s Games last Friday. Home-stay inns China Mobile, just go to a China
By Annie Wei The Beijing Organizing Many local families do not Mobile Service Center near you.
I bet two out of every ten Committee for the Olym- want to miss out on a golden Tell them you lost your phone
foreigners in town have expe- pic Games (BOCOG) said business opportunity during the and want the same number back.
rienced visa drama: coming to 120 contracted hotels are Olympics. Many have advertised You will need to pay 20 yuan
China with a travel visa then in Beijing with 38 being their vacant rooms online and for the service and sign some
wanting to change it into a work five-star hotels, 45 four- the price is not cheap. papers. You will get a new SIM
visa; coming to China for a three- star, 22 three-star and 15 At present, an ordinary card with the same number and
week project that gets delayed not yet rated. The hotels home-stay inn with one bed- the same credit that was in the
and the visa is about to expire; supply about 30,000 room located in the downtown phone when you lost it, assuming
drinking or dating too much Foreigners spend as much time rooms in total. Beijing area usually costs no one else has used your phone
and discovering your visa card in the Exit and Entry Bureau BOCOG said the average around 1,500-2,000 yuan per in the meantime.
already expired. as in bars. Photo by Liu Ying room rate for a double room month. During the Games, A China Mobile Service
No matter what goes wrong in a fi ve-star hotel is 2,799 many of these vacant rooms Center is different from stores
with your visa, you have to get it applies for a one-month business yuan, 2,155 yuan in a four- will be rented out, and some that sell China Mobile sim cards.
sorted out. The most popular way, visa,” Wang said, “But the proj- star hotel. The three-star may charge as much as 1,000 Call 10086 for directions.
to date, for long-term expats is to ect changes and he needs to be in hotel charge is 1,466 yuan yuan per night. It means that,
fl y to Hong Kong and get a multi- China for a year: we need to help with two-star hotels at 980 in less than one month during I am thinking of getting a
entry F visa. him with a work visa.” yuan per day. the Olympic period, the room counterfeit money detector.
Flying to Hong Kong does “Last time, we had one guy The other 12 offi cial recep- can make money equal to a Do you know where can I get
not always mean a fabulous who had to stay longer, but tion hotels are in six co-host year’s rental fee. one and the cost?
shopping trip. So, since August his visa was going to expire cities, including Hong Kong, There are currently five You can find them easily
2Ep0rno0tcr7ey,d uBtrhueer ecaaBulel eijsditn ag“rG terEdex einat Vnaienswda w“nWeitl hea inanpd p tglwoietod it df doaory nsthe,” e in Wg raea denangy c.”sh aaind-, SQBhiunednhguyaaenntg gh,d oaTtoiea anlnsjidn S, hQainngghdaaio. , haercovcmaetpei-toisnntasg y nO olwaygm. epnicci erso omon rliense- aZtrthi comtn, googsrut aBonafci untnah,oe h HuIiTa iodsnita oCnr hesad oiiysn-- ao Yan
Channel” to introduce a more Huge numbers of foreign vis- For most tourists, the Two of them, “Homestay angmen Wai Dajie. It’s called Zh
conTvhene ie“ngtr veeisna sveirsvai cec.h annel” icteosrsse da reth iesx pyeecatre.d Jtio Wbee i,p raon- hhiogthel-sp raircee do uotf fio cf iraal nregcee. pTthioeny BHeoimjinegst a2y,0”0 a8r”e aonpder a“teCdh inbay “Tyhaenrceh aaoreji ”m ina nCyh imneosdee lpsi,n yainnd. ner:
helps people with an L (travel) offi cer from the Beijing Exit and are trying to fi nd reasonably- a group of expats living in prices range from 10 yuan up sig
visa or F (business) visa convert Entry Bureau, said the number priced hotels for the Olym- Beijing. According to China to several hundred. De
iBt etioji nag w. oArlkso v, ifsoar wfoitrheoigunte lresa vwihnog ocef nfto rlaesigt nyeerasr ionvcerre a2s0e0d6 2. 0 per- pthices p oapnudl abr ucdhgoeicte .h Couterlrse natrlye HCooomkees, ttahye y mhaavnea g5e5r6 sJpaaccoebs My roommate and I are shar- ng
ngreeeedn t oc lheaanvne eCl hhinealp usr gsehnotrltye,n th ae proHceodwuerev eri,s thneo tg raeveani lcahbalen nteol thhoetreels airne Bneeiajirnlyg 2p0ro0v ibduindgg eat rTehme afeinei insg U Sfo $r8 0n0ex pte rA puegrusostn. ionf g6 a,n0 0ap0a rytumanen tp weri thm ao rnetnht, Wei Yi
fio nvee- odra ytw roo udtaiynse. procedure into everTyh feo rmeiaginne rta irng teotsw na.r e Olym- totaSl eovf e1r3a,l0 00b urdoogmet s.hotels fpoerr iodth, ew itehn tair em axfoimuru-mwe eokf bmuet tmhayt rsohoem cmoualtde njuots tw tiothld- or:
Elisa Wang, assistant to human pic-related: judges and coaches such as Home Inns, Super 8, two guests per house. draw enough money because dit
resource director of Beijing Olym- with the Olympic committee, the Jinjiang Inn and 7 Days Homestay Beijing 2008, of a 3,000 yuan per day limit E
pic Broadcasting (BOB), said it staff members working for the Inn have started accepting run by Piet Dos, a Dutchman on Chinese ATMs. Is this Y
makes her job a lot easier. BOB, Olympic broadcasting com- reservations. Prices range living in Beijing, has 200 dif- true? What is the normal A
Wang said that before the panies, sponsors and contrac- from hundreds to thousands ferent homestay accommoda- withdrawal limit on most D
Olympic Games kicks off in tors; senior management staff, depending mostly on the tions available and all its hosts Chinese ATMS?
August, there will be 1,000 over- project contractors working for inn’s location. speak English. Since June 2007, the total O
seas technicians and experts Beijing’s high-tech enterprises or withdrawal limit on Chinese T
coming to Beijing for short-term the world fortune 500 compa- Links ATMs has risen to at most 20,000
projects. Although these people nies; high-ranked intellectuals for yuan per card per day. But each G
homestaybeijing2008.com
will all have their visas done Chinese government bodies, busi- chinahomestay.org machine might have limit. If she N
prior to their visit, unexpected ness investors, foreign employees can wait in the bank to see a
olymhomtel.com/cn
things can happen. who work at Beijing’s key enter- teller, she can withdraw up to I
2008bay.com J
“For example, a technician prises or industries and spouses 2008inn.com 50,000 yuan. I
is scheduled to come to China and children of the aforemen- (By Wei Ying) E
for a three-week project, so he tioned people. B
January 4 2008
8
By He Jianwei distribute their works without the aid of a commercial
Two decades ago, music came on cassettes. A decade record label. For such artists, independent means atti-
ago it was the Discman. Today, music is downloaded tude. Although the only word that comes to mind when
n
d or streamed off the Internet. Regardless of the medium, talking about modern mainstream music is “sordid,” a

n music is always part of our lives. more and more independent recoird labsels are appearing

However, some people in the music making business to fi ll thei void oef creativity.
e d
– especially those genres which fl y under then radar –
I
r
T
Independent music in tow
Hitlike’s In
Shanshui
s: He Jianwei Designer: Yang Gen E-mail: [email protected] ztiihwnntaepieadaol cab wVnsinlWeoear uMd.oot pf Atbamhml2 ib fritpSaoar“lei a le 0yhbnlau’beade urlaaI lcof ,0Su iss.tont set rnofn”nhswnDfaeapehoiutmp5l d r d e“charn iVdcrelrree n“ols Tw e,ewfreo eee cdcsK Lc”.teroV seap hcil c rnsl e S AalaksifietSoreildcoe. aeeenm dkeiufasAensal tmcuanrrncr plec veei inis adeda ottcb<ndggccddtelosrebri w nosarm oetn,D .o reeolldsa itror2cmradvnnes nn anonao aea pat n ebohmsCdc2 m tiimnwpprorot3pdcid eec’i0shcIt haieisafaf .eplali .cici l m i0 i i as .icrsxmprai“ndaimfint s”s kmytsr 2e I,tfmeeu eapor e o iugalS.Cua f vts oes rueiafiauraboTrsnhtsniO ritan tsoman dimcn2lri ohadacecsietc miVnedec damlnoidle a u ,we uanabo sy” Oler n ss o sblenl ldt teu ageadpahhitsisgXvhhvuatdelcs shmb o auaemeaeeSiae a rms. eecsr t mr itirr n hpl sHh ne effiwelyssa yamr a otdarel uudee itgte aiiroeooisrnc eaen ssnl dhuecisan r wwdoulss, dsaS ot d.kctsl sCa e.rhuema i inihn rioegsetgnnamIt.chnucdh doamahrteisf weIgeiid m nrette,nit nh lS–rd thRploso a g wsl yttaahnuoa o imeibrah heav2m s.ldefhgnafkrmmeac ui e 0 isamgamis’ oclie-n swic0oo.t-nieneo,lr ethge yelTnv3 daac nod < ce epeshms- r td r tleeriaoae no lcte n aeeanid scy e Lfamot“ltcacbTaouaodiluLumr MhnshltomLsmtimmltihe t.eeaewc“ioP t ue IsaTc,Mdlsultlusn3” a eistTk wheaaos ktai pbi Loil flnioiuScneernaoecdoelsi regdoas es ntvdlgtr.aePl yun imeara gtfa ou oieC ohaenr’buititft r nvatyl errDwe d erata ttSe et g,b halht,dlr to- an s fL haylyeieRfaeiler n’onf mbeidia t krico.mfitna u ,d rut tsCaas “tecl gtlf
or
dit
E
Y
A
D
O
T

G
N
IJI Stereo Chocolate What Has Happened To Me In This World
E
Photos provided by these independent record labels
B
January 4 2008
e 9
d
u
t
t i Bye Bye Rock’ N’ Roll
t
a
d
n
e
r
T

wn
Bedzoo
rmiwaecpunahsoers2 ndoLrntoi0ht“ d cietwmaIu0ie h.T iaf L hon4aeo“tihndrIhoi n .tvuesgk eepo“js i r su iaMd seWutonw sluhi eg utn toohecaeahh p swiif l ovatdsm t,iw e i”ati iselsoo a nion oohvukfancdrt enreae hue ekvelt l o d ssmeo pisifdsa pnrl aetaeufyeiemdonrodcns aeeli udt.idp laev rgs nIebndir otnnbdndoaeetn,deu tvt l soihs , eiaiicmt feadg.miu l s mi tn“euErid huInl ensual.anisrevies bsidc pco dcaiek e(cllw n lasvicpi nindiaawteencfdnstd no)ac o C crrosdaib nermmh fneeae a inm i iu anvthmtftetossiaua esdm iar,pcscud lariB,mhsua c”enb,ael s ”auLiiydidz zntc Lsi aeiztu ioiarcoodcu,dna i o , a r ,s ”ni-an si d .cwahinmhl“iBbfpTvioruotcLeotohhofhIrudmal menee vo zndsT i e osufntws 2Teohtduo oar h0yc:haem un i wleehi0s“ deun nfia fBua i 6aa.dodntrsrsser ,hsrp,e g aeiw 1det sctrtima a2srh rhe a.c ’tt eansaseemewaol t t e ee bguail Bouwsolaaleule iusesnbdtas dciatecehecr tiilc bczrnteiWlebeaooio engdpussnmn o ct ysumEmisis e tosceb f s,a oVowp u”sBl mno rir e rhhyfsA edw aourhebeo ,oekusn1 ee siBuim2psrn dacds py el oint r pMadAherytfoebeif .l osRmwoeoearen fxymrVlow oe,id ma”co2ir ie cvkioutmh0n sth’iprs el0id Ne y g ob toa4s rn w’Apewn aus,Re d,.oisdcr hdroSp , o sYE”sa.wlilu ltnlgtoPh.eaun ocuL“ ecsdrketTt r ie a si euh talo aLdhel in.owiasi e dapMdt sna r.es ,tnos ,i s.ts stts
Snapline makes a performance Maybe
Mars
omudusCaas“teclgtlfn ,mroboolS e ohus llaaabdtuus uoo ieulinSosnnt tutnelntmmchn, olo dgd”pttpah doediiu o esn .rarhtsaif.frie t nt o oonelr npeTtpi rtsdde‘ mmou hcu LaeohAsodlu gneoerarha iaeofusect tcdanp itatstta tLtgdho’sa el l shistsIemueie.va n i utenir w sdspesttSdwerucfot le uh o–y iel bhshwt e2neti uy i y mxSn oao0jcedit n utpIso .n hhx0elhC y dsee“iupdleip6 kt dyhsA,rht nee ’e,m ei ”th il olrclmdn4on alieiahib su,2d mdbao heutebCss e.eeuenaa reaiynDsldncraltvn i abt a ao d l,eit- i ”urlnf.od emt . os , Booze AHto Nuesipntgu nYeo’us tDhawn cwhgfuoloeiernactcCgkcotrdtuho eDrsTeHhn,r aaoir”mw-rateetno H Ro IlihFhscohugubv u .teiec ii eesusisag“m no oAir. is mIlhranclutenbanfsaen,.gltli seu” dbedleidTud llnmYaeieZrnfi. hng .esploh’2Z s.e texe“e iuta0 h MIsnphfihnoit 0at rdtehenadtsEi e3hl iv dd aeyBedsiR:,eenil aM csenadlhr untt ubis t.’e riOjlitcmhsexaios endthe,ei bnhr utn egn ahmeahims c cv ilfitmeiri s ueecuotdmen og dsufslaehiiie lui ssndrrciabcpahistse yiscycsatiteal co ehe,tncsdn o adco od r’ hsesa nenb e nainl- tes eneodY asfi,du To t sePr rrsrehamCseeakir bet“ddeaJer,p “M Br tre oldhtWLotEsasAy’ipyyeas aQonaituat sal Tcce reridnofgBttniirskdir sdahhhdn“c d.mdo tod m cMO hioeCieelsSpiwHWgaepotost caaMayto uan,odWtevoaane uiiizei Mobnasn lsnpdcgsndrke ruteB siolicigtweq aeorhsMAWTWTicheanrr d e rdtoakyeiliAaca nihut y,aoti neesnowt yi egas o ait anewouhhasrhtdPhmaes’oclltbvh .ngoa inl da::.Ns sonsl wkeeee Nnodoa iemt J t Blstm nI e66sSlmLwrr e iritil ar e ea b tDeam Mntteenyemi36Pao aknu tanbaeuenvpoaie::i rhdn 5i4sneds sao,rjr nruleisannsfdut n 73iiuette7 t i0 ai sCui t,nretsuosapdne Tstces9t p” oetrtres iniSniq 3heigs fontw la e6dis8cfoseYgd csw ai chsaue3.oReaudCi,k.roo6enl h u on n,t’milAluua5oht.cnsn ptefna2s daextuobega lo 1nyiicr droheS bD 0ileeomct otmuhtsf-tayasomdnw,she nne ho aor aiBtu innrD ib oalcd tda tro inw nnadwa,tahggisd kut peibfenhrk CXanMgs , nsau b.CctenhUnD”rly geem.tdh isiieoa ceaiot,roan smsunLn i s riio ndrairsepseC myutaneq icaiesrt aotd a bvll’nactfBesQ,u d rysaibelsfnl ra ,eelrhsigsi a e , ey ieouiccmncn2rs le ieo onna MietaaniCtsmlimw d nhauscpddgBiJb2urit hn ttakth e b is eg s0siCil yhstiiiurd onna te:i lnuthnCa0,sDe ch.qs bn egw i iae R a5Y imth-d-ade mesdn ,2aar,oa lra .o asaeairs 2baemnsanur’in sj u s askngoCisnnerldaint t apLFmXBjuerd .Bado uH ni ii i allweieunT uBfivnr lnebe tpussecearkgu,tsaahiaa e ud r shmfsWTPWTWoiSjoSoioHbtsseoeisoitictmeei jnrdeenufc eoihlr“erv kdirfhhh aonevellL neda Mg,lmonrsge s::oue a iaeeemCg p g X g fui drcgi68lftacsnlcrrrnoaa nseoola,e shn,Dittoieeehnw 6i2r y nadg cucnc irneavrd:::bt yao1db0inhaacat s ene eoe sf46eBe3oRrhrne Re ml8r eers.t,cdiaaada Dt01 u .es nror n6 aeMah ncc reiaC 3e.ieiI tcBminidlgno,1ctcDy ldto csnci1h liebau8 te iesmiuodnt8on ossD tiinrrSutrpptiA2’b n te rr,3g sahrhiZpgCainm”o Sedecsud”awsn de a ahtnfahc amt s Ht’gioi ssmldnsiaserphncoPdinaut:f nie olnyi hlane behK celstJiNdEa neg lny ntstedunos tt d n1g ’elhteea2eCa sy,4X ywg’r id eBmn0-hssd,unl ii o 0ieaiL .cZauasdD in7ahwin thse .tiagi.,oavee c jyX eidn ue gi,,tn o- JING TODAYEditors: He Jianwei Designer: Yang Gen
I
Focuses on promoting the Tel: [phone] E
B
January 4 2008
10
Rothian ghost makes his exit
k
o
o
B
By Charles Zhu
With the publica-
tion of Exit Ghost (Hough-
ton Miffl in, 292 pp, US $26),
Philip Roth, one of the most prom-
inent Jewish writers on the American
literary scene and a master in Freudian
psychoanalysis, brings to a close his Zucker-
Leading French
man saga.
In the nine novels since Ghost Writer,
author dead at 97
Zuckerman’s fi rst full-blown appearance, Roth
followed the life of this writer who is so closely
By He Jianwei
like but adamantly unlike himself.
Julien Gracq, one of
The novel begins in late October 2004 in a post-
France’s leading authors of
September 11 America. Zuckerman was living on
the 20th century and
his mountain-top house near a bird refuge. His coun-
known for surrealism, died
try neighbor Larry, a solicitous family man and retired
at age 97 on December 23
insurance company lawyer, developed a fast-spreading
in a hospital in Angers in
cancer and killed himself, leaving a note urging Zuckerman,
northwestern France.
also suffering from cancer, to seek treatment in New York.
Gracq, who turned
Zuckerman goes to a New York hospital for an operation,
down France’s highest lit-
and though his impotence is already beyond repair, there is
erary award the Goncourt
a new technique to relieve him of diapers. At the hospital
in 1951, spent most of his
Julien Gracq coffee shop, Zuckerman spies a key fi gure from his past: Amy
life in retreat in the small
Bellette, the object of his youthful dreams and fantasies. But
village in western France
Amy is already an old woman, an old wreck whose face has
where he was born.
been ravaged by time.
“[He was] one of the
He avoided talking to her.
greatest French writers of
When he visits Amy in her broken, walk-up
the 20th century, who, far
apartment with bare bulb lighting and urine smells
from the worlds of fashion
in the hallway in the later part of the fiction,
and society, built up a
he felt intense sympathy for cherishing of the
system of original thought
past. She greeted him as a girl, dressed for the
and a powerful body of
occasion, and talked incessantly about her love
work,” French President
of younger days with her dead writer lover. It
Nicolas Sarkozy said after
seemed the only thing she cared about in life.
Gracq’s death.
Through a deal with a young couple to exchange his
Gracq was a poet,
mountaintop house with an apartment in New York,
novelist, playwright and
Zuckerman came to know 31-year-old Jamie Logan,
critic. His literary debut
the wife in the couple. Jamie Logan was an aspiring
came with At Argol’s
writer struggling to get her voice out. She was jittery
Castle, which sold only
150 copies and was pub- and sensitive to terrorist attacks after September 11, yet CNPIEC Bookstore
was an expert in handling male desire. Zuckerman pre-
lished in 1938 at his
sumed that energetic Jamie must have a more aggres- book listing
own expense.
sive lover than her husband who lived comfortably off
He won acclaim for
her family money.
his 1950 masterpiece The The China National Publication Import and Export
In a series of dialogues written by Zuckerman
Opposite Shore (La Corporation’s (CNPIEC) bookstore recommends the fol-
in fantasy after his talks with Jamie, he steps up
Rivage des Syrtes), about lowing new releases for Beijing Today readers.
his own fl irtations. Finally, he succeeds in talking
collective suicide in an Sea of Lost Love
Jamie into coming to his room for a rendezvous.
imaginary landscape. In By Santa Montefiore, 416 pp, Hodder & Stough-
In Zuckerman’s part, he gets cold feet, packs
1951, he shocked the liter- ton, 90 yuan
his belongings and returns home with the com-
n ary world by turning down For Celestria, the highlight of the summer of 1958 is a
Ya the Goncourt. panions of dead authors writing about death. lavish ball in honor of Archie Montague’s 50th birthday.
ao “Julien Gracq” is the pseudonym of Louis Poirier, has Idni stchues nseodv eelv, eRro stihn crea iGsehso tshte W isrsiuteer h: ev ital She is looking forward to practicing her fl irtation skills,
h born in 1910. He worked as a teacher of history and but her grandfather encourages her to play detective and
Z youth challenges tired age as represented
ner: gmeeotg Aranpdhrye aBtr ae tPoanr iasniadn t hheig Shu srcrheoaloisl,t sa.n Adl,t ihno 1u9g3h9 , by ZuRcoktehr mcoannfi. rmed in his interview thoe rs eseeka rocuht, asnh ee xtrpalnasnfaotrimons fhoerr tsheelf b freowmild ae sreinlfig s ehv geinrtls t.o O an
sig infl uenced by the movement he established his own that Zuckerman will never appear mature woman and saves the family home.
e distinctive style. Dylan on Dylan
D in his books again. However, crit-
ei a lea“Wdineg l ofi sgt uar de iosfc rceoentt memanp,o aranr iyn Fdreepnecnhd leintetr matiunrde,, ” ics say it would be unsurpris- PapBeyrb Baocbk ,D 11y0la ynu aannd Jonathan Cott, 464 pp, Hodder
w ing if Zuckerman makes a
n French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said. This book gathers for the fi rst time 29 of the most sig-
Jia Gracq did not have many readers in China. Two reatnunronu, ansc ethde h aisu tehxoitr s heavd- nifi cant and revealing conversations with Bob Dylan. The
e of his books have Chinese editions: Yilin Press pub- conversations are collected from the earliest days of his
or: H elirsahteudr eh Aisr Bt aPlrceosns yp uinb ltihseh eFdo rTehset aOnpdp Coshiaten gSjhiaonreg iLni t- erRaol tthimiaens i bnesftoalrlem tehnist . cfraormee rR ionl l1in96g2 S tthonroeu bgyh J 2a0n0n4 W. Henignhelrig, hJtosn iantchluand eC ionttte, rKvuierwt s
dit the 1990s. Loder and Mikal Gilmore, as well as with Playboy.
E
Lin Yidong, 28, a doctoral student in linguistics Let Me Eat Cake
Y of Hunan University, read Gracq’s Balcony seven By Paul Arnott, 240 pp, Sceptre, 110 yuan
A years ago. He knew Gracq’s name from an article The book tells the true story of one slightly over-
in a magazine. The article introduced several great weight but still mobile father of four, and how he got
D
authors that the Chinese readers did not know. through life on a diet of sweets, chocolate and cakes.
O “I’m fascinated with the imaginary and ideal The history of the sweetmeats he has scoffed in the
world that Gracq creates in his books, but actually, last four-and-a-half decades is dovetailed into a well-
T
the world was like the real world – full of anxiety,” researched account of the international sweet and cake

Lin said. trade since the ancient Greeks.
G
The Opposite Shore is diffi cult to fi nd in China CNPIEC Bookstore
N because its production run included only 2,000 vol- Where: the second fl oor of CNPIEC, No 16 Gongti
I umes. “I have tried to buy it at a second-hand book Dong Lu, Chaoyang
J fair, but I haven’t found it yet. Maybe after his death, Open: 8:30 am-6:30 pm
I some Chinese publishing houses will pick up his Tel: [phone]
E
B works,” he said. (By He Jianwei)