To be continued soon ...

Guanyin of the South Sea (南山海上觀音聖像) :: Sanya :: © See-ming Lee


Looks gorgeous, right?

It's this time of year - the holiday season begins (for me, at least, fortunate as I am) and I won't be around the next couple of weeks.

I'll be back at the end of the lovely month of May and promise to present some new posts that you - hopefully - will find interesting enough to wait it out.

Next will be a longer post about the volatile situation in Taiwan where I had the pleasure to spend some study time at the end of the 1980s.

In the meantime, have some pleasant weeks and enjoy spring (if circumstances allow for that).

Stay sharp and 再见!

The timeless allure of a global city

The founders of Balmorhea :: Rob Lowe and Michael Muller :: © Matt Rainwaters


Asia Society's Dan Washburn just posted a wonderful music video set in one of China's most cosmopolitan cities. The video was produced when acclaimed American instrumental band Balmorhea was performing at Shanghai's illustrious MAO Livehouse.

Alternating hypnotic sequences of the long-awaited gig with night scenes from the small lanes around the well-known concert venue that is located in the popular French Concession neighborhood, the video makes you yearn for more.

To quote from Washburn's intro to the lengthy interview with the director and editor of this magnificent piece of art:

'When longtime Shanghai-based filmmaker Luis Tapia learned that Austin, Texas-based instrumental group Balmorhea was headed to town, he immediately knew he wanted to film their performance. 

And he had an idea to make it different from other concert films he had made in the past: take the cameras outside of the venue and onto the streets of Shanghai. 

The result is entrancing (a "time capsule of that night," to steal Tapia's words) and we can attest that the black-and-white, slow motion footage is enough to make any former Shanghai resident more than a little bit homesick.'

I wholeheartedly agree.



For more information about the amazing band, see here.

The next step in Chinese world domination?

Ma On Shan Recreation Ground :: Hong Kong :: © See-ming Lee


I admit, I'm still shocked by the disastrous last-minutes breakdown of German top team Borussia Dortmund versus a strong-willed, more impassioned and clever winning side, trained by former (and still much-beloved in the city) BVB coach Jürgen Klopp, by the name of Liverpool FC.

As a long-time supporter of the German 'Champion of the Hearts & Minds' (in the eyes of every German football addict, minus the fans of Bayern Munich, of course), I was aghast and nearly speechless when the heart-stopping game ended with a (much-deserved) triumph of the heroic Reds.

Then, on Saturday, I came across an article in venerable South China Morning Post (note: no paywall anymore courtesy of a novel approach by new owner Jack Ma!) that made me realize again that there's hope for fans of the most beautiful game (and eased my pain a bit).

Despite excessive commodification, endemic corruption and other ghastly phenomena in the sphere of contemporary football, grassroots football culture is very much alive - even in far-away corners of the world that wouldn't come to mind first as important breeding grounds for red-hot fan culture.

Enter the PR China.

The author of the above-mentioned Morning Post piece, entitled 'China sets out grand plan to become world’s soccer superpower by 2050', appraises the recently proclaimed and - as always - highly ambitious plans of Chinese sports authorities (clearly following 'orders' by paramount leader Xi Jinping who is said to be enthusiastic about the game) to rule the world of soccer in the not so distant future.

Announced in a document released last Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission, Chinese Football Association, Sports Bureau and Ministry of Education, the overall goal is to make China's football clubs as well as the National Team competitive at the highest level - first on the Asian, later on a global stage.

As they are not completely out of touch with realities on the ground, the bureaucracies involved have decided to start with the national Chinese Super League that is already engaging in an unprecedented buying spree. Later on, the National Team is expected to follow suit and be much more than the laughing stock it still is compared to European or other dominant football nations.

Many long-time observers of contemporary Chinese politics, culture and society (including the field of sports) have pointed out that the Chinese state is rather ingenious in following through with large-scale projects deemed as vital for economic, social or national stability.

In spite of the proven abilities of streamlined bureaucracies to fulfill their leaders' high expectations, the grand goal to establish China as a global superpower in the field of football remains a daunting task (for more facts about Chinese football, see an earlier post).

Despite the many obstacles Chinese football is facing, I'm quite optimistic when it comes to grassroots fan culture. It might not be acknowledged around here but most Chinese fans are very knowledgeable, passionate and faithful.

The diverse fan clubs of major Super League clubs, such as Beijing Guo'an, Shanghai Shenhua or Guangzhou Evergrande, are growing exponentially, the stadiums filling up easily with cheering crowds.

Up to now, physical violence has been mostly and admirably absent in and around big Chinese stadiums, but that doesn't mean verbal abuse is non-existent. Quite the contrary.

Hurling insults at teams other than the one supported or the fan base of opponents is kind of a sport in and for itself and the Chinese are notoriously inventive in naming and shaming imagined or real adversaries.

The so-called 'ultras', above all, are fervent supporters of their chosen teams; they live football as intensively as every hardcore Tifosi, Barça, Liverpool or Dortmund fan.

To get an impression of the sophisticated choreography, the incredible noise, ardent chanting and fierce insults directed at rival teams and fans, have a look at the following videos introducing ultras and the fans of two main Chinese Super League clubs.

And here comes 'The Royal Army' of Beijing Guo'an.




The next one records the spectacular fan choreography, cheering and slanders orchestrated by the backers of Guangzhou FC.

china beats presents :: Stolen

© Stolen


The long-awaited debut album from Chengdu-based indie / electronic rock band Stolen is titled 'Loop (Mimi xingdong 秘密行动)'. Released last August, the newcomers' first full-length work sounds very mature to me.

The five long-time buddies - all graduates of prestigious Sichuan Conservatory of Music - Liang Yi (梁艺 :: vocals), Duan Xuan (段轩 :: guitar), Wu Junyang (伍俊洋 :: bass), Fang De (方德 :: guitar), Yuan Yufeng (袁雨丰 :: drums) and French VJ FORMOL (Fu'er Malin 福尔马林) have experimented with various genres and influences for quite some time.

They were also lucky enough to win a slew of band competitions over the years. Well-established in the burgeoning Chinese underground scene by now, the band's PR text reads:

'In 2014, Stolen officially signed into the newly formed Beijing indie label D Force Records and travelled to the Taiwan indie music headquarter, 112F Recording Studio, to record their debut album.

The record is produced by Xu Bo, the guitarist of legendary Beijing rock band P.K.14. The record includes works the band wrote in the past two or three years and it contains internet hits "Electric Echo", "No Replay", "Suicidium Morbus" as well as previously unheard brand new songs such as "Aamir" and "Hook".

...

"Loop" not only occurs in music, but also in every aspects of our daily life. The band VJ, as well as the cover art designer, FORMOL, explains: "Loops represent endless possibilities. Some of which are too rational and even boring, the others are full of beauty and surprises." Loop the record, undoubtedly, falls into the latter category.'

(Bandcamp)

The full digital album is available for 14.99 USD. If you want to know more about the five young Chinese musicians and their gifted VJ, visit the band's Weibo page.

And when you are at it, why don't you have a look at the brand new Beijing-based D Force Records (Dafu Changpian 大福唱片)  (Douban / Facebook)?

Here the short intro:

'Founded in 2015, D Force has rapidly gathered a brilliant and diverse roster of young talents: from dance music to rock' n' roll, from experimental to folk...

You name it. D Force's agenda is simple and ambitious: to sign artists who have great potentials; to help produce quality music and to introduce these records to as many people as possible.'

(Bandcamp)

(Oh, and not to forget: Eclectic Beatmaster recognizes Stolen's potential, too. For more, see here.)

Who needs fiction anymore? :: The Panama Papers

Panamá City :: © Michael McCullough


Forgive me for not resisting the temptation to do a timely but premature post regarding the latest chapter in a global criminal story of seemingly epic proportions.

A financial, economic, political and social drama that is still evolving as I write this and also one that surely reverberates in the secluded quarters of Zhongnanhai in Beijing as well as in other places where China's top leaders congregate.

Call it Schadenfreude (a peculiar German term that doesn't translate well into English, hence no translation), but this is just too good to let it slide. When you finally convinced yourself that you can't be surprised by anything or anyone anymore, oops, there it happens again:

I am still a bit stunned by this major international scandal involving an illustrious offshore law firm (co-founded by a German, by the way) headquartered in the tax haven of Panamá City that inadvertently provided encrypted internal documents about its international clients (courtesy of a system hack by an unknown attacker and via an insider source) to a German newspaper.

The firm's extremely lucrative business model evidently includes services clearly intended to whitewash dirty money or hide, transfer and reinvest undeclared financial assets owned by the global lot of VIPs (mostly :: powerful, criminal, famous, obscenely rich and greedy men and women).

It should come as no surprise that members of China's so-called 'red nobility' are quite numerous in this special group of One-Percenters who are confident to deserve even more luxury condominiums and real estate, sports facilities, yachts and planes, sports cars, jewelry, mistresses (ernai, in Chinese) and 'canaries' (the male version) or high-end spa treatments for themselves, their relatives and trusted business partners.

The strange behaviour and odd hobbies of the Chinese 'bling aristocracy' (aka new rich), especially the ones exhibited by the offspring of current or former political top brass (dubbed 'princelings' and 'princesses' or taizidang), have been a thick thorn stuck deeply inside every honest, tax-paying and law-abiding Chinese citizen for decades.

When newly-elected president Xi Jinping vowed to combat corruption at all levels and to hunt down 'flies' as well as 'tigers', many Chinese were skeptical at first. Alas, the lofty promise to eradicate age-old systemic corruption was made to the Chinese people so many times before.

But soon after, it became quite clear that the new helmsman at the major steering wheel was deadly serious - much too serious for some factions inside China's opaque party apparatus.

What would they think? Founding group of the CCP / CCP Museum, Shanghai :: © Gavin Anderson


The enormous data leak involuntary provided by incriminated law firm Mossack Fonseca in Panama sheds new light on the dubious business dealings of Gu Kailai, wife of former up-and-coming polit star and mayor of Chongqing, Bo Xilai.

Gu Kailai was finally sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of the murder of an English business partner in crime by a high Chinese court. Her husband, who first proved very successful in making one of the Chinese mega-cities a lot more 'red' (meaning 'socialist' in neo-Maoist propaganda speak), soon became the first prominent 'tiger' to fall from grace and end up in prison for life.

But more embarrassing to the Chinese government (and highly explosive given the current political climate in the PR China) as the murder-cum-corruption affair involving Gu Kailai and her English / French business associates is the pile of documents containing names and shady financial transactions of close family members of other former or current CCP top officials.

The countless phony companies and business transactions spotted in the massive bulk of data obtained by Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with The Guardian and others implicate not only the daughter of former premier Li Peng, but also the brother-in-law of reigning strong man Xi Jinping, the brother of former vice-president Zeng Qinghong or the son of former politburo member Tian Jiyun, for example.

(For more on China-related disclosures in Süddeutsche Zeitung, see here; for an English-language account, look here)

Eight members of the CCP elite whose family members used offshore companies to camouflage their riches and assets have been revealed so far in the on-going series about findings in the so-called 'Panama Papers'. And as usual, the well-oiled Chinese censorship machinery reacted swiftly.

An army of online 'soldiers' seems to be working nearly around the clock to remove all traces of this latest criminal story involving highest-ranking Chinese officials and their relatives from Chinese web and social media sites and to block international coverage of the unfolding mega-scandal.

The first question that came to my mind after reading some of today's pieces:

Who needs Shanghaiesque or Hollywoodesque film productions or fictional book projects about the connection between semi-legit offshore companies, secretive overseas investment, capital flight and tax evasion, systemic corruption, moribund banking systems and ethical failure when the real stuff is so much more exiting (and irritating)?


P.S.::

Kudos to the small bunch of investigative journalists and their assistants who (hopefully) thoroughly analysed, fact-checked and closely cooperated with each other to enable (criminal justice) courts around the world to convict at least some of the 'characters' involved and put them where they actually belong: behind bars.

Working brothers in arms :: Xiong Di

The brand new short documentary 'Xiong Di (兄弟)' or 'Fellas' by Enric Ribes & Oriol Martínez (aka Häns) just premiered in Doc X by Dazed. The two Spanish film-makers and producers were also in charge of the concept and directed this amazing short film.

Ribes & Martínez closely follow the everyday lives of the four 'fellas' or 'brothers' (xiongdi) Qu Maomao, Wu Zhihua, Zhang Qi and Zhang Beike who have been working and living in an industrial complex owned by Antex (Deqing) Fashion Co., Ltd., a manufacturing giant located in Zhejiang province, for several years.

As prototypical young migrant workers from rural China they live a life confined by rigid factory rules and boring work routines - their only way out of the monotony of factory life is by practicing kickboxing in their spare time.

To be able to face an uncertain future in the city, they rely heavily on their immediate social network, the close friendship with each other and the hope to find a nice (and suitable in the eyes of often traditionally-minded parents) girlfriend.

Professionally edited, with captivating music and some really funny scenes (one of the guys musing about the incredibly large bras he helps to produce on a daily basis for world markets, for instance), 'Xiong Di' is a prime example of state-of-the-art, deeply touching but unsentimental documentary film-making.

(For the Vimeo review, see here; for a recent interview with the Barcelona-based directors, see here).

Spring is in the air :: Some necessary changes to be made

© llee_wu


When I started this blog project back in 2013, I was a total newbie to the blogosphere. As a notorious latecomer to many if not most tech trends, I was more than happy to have somebody at my side who expertly introduced me to the technical, design, typography and photo stuff I didn't know much about.

After lobbying patiently for weeks or even months, my distinguished chief design officer finally convinced me to give the whole thing a smart design makeover to propel it into the 21st century.

What you see now is the result of many hours of painful labour by said specialist and I sincerely hope you like it as much as I do!

The Chinese grandpa everyone adores

© Ding Guoliang aka Xiaoye Jiexi (Jesse) 小野杰西 :: FRUK Magazine

At the beginning of this year, Chinese netizens went nearly crazy about this really old but incredibly charming chap. Following a lengthy photo session in the bustling streets of southern metropolis Xiamen (Fujian province) organized by his grandson, professional photographer Ding Guoliang aka Xiaoye Jesse, the pictures were posted online and went viral in a matter of days.

No wonder the distinguished 85-year-old gentleman, named Ding Bingcai, became one of the latest Chinese fashion icons and a widely adored web celebrity. The hilarious shots even made into China's mainstream online media, such as People's Daily Online or China Daily. The foreign media scene was not immune to the charms of the elderly heartthrob and stylish yet demure 'fashionista' either (for one example, see here).

Elaborately met in scene by his talented grandson Jesse, the man in question shows a grace and dignity that is extremely rare in this line of business. Expertly presenting borrowed designer suits, shoes, shirts, hats and all the other relevant accessories, the octogenarian had the time of his life, according to 30-year-old Ding Guoliang who always had an avid professional interest in fashion.

To use his grandpa as a willing novice model was definitely a brilliant idea and has brought the Xiamen-based young photo artist a lot of international acclaim that won't hurt his future business ventures.

© Ding Guoliang aka Xiaoye Jiexi (Jesse) 小野杰西 :: ifeng.com

The grand old man himself grew up in a small rural village on the outskirts of Shaowu city in Fujian province. Born in 1931, he started his adult life as a subsistence farmer growing rice and cutting bamboo. Ding later experienced all the hardships of the Great Leap Forward and the following famine that ravished whole districts, but survived and was finally able to marry his childhood sweetheart in 1961.

His five children now live in different Chinese cities, raising or having raised their own children and taking turns in looking after the retired farmer after his beloved wife passed away in 2014.

Looking at fascinating and really touching portraits such as the ones taken by a loving grandson of his intriguing, immaculately dressed elderly relative, a beautiful old soul that has seen it all and lived through some of the worst man-made nightmares imaginable without ever losing his dignity and kindness, gives a small glimmer of hope in these rather trying times. Wouldn't you agree?

(For more examples from the photo session in Xiamen, see here.)

Chinese city planning and social engineering

Bird's-eye view of the Forbidden City :: Beijing (Oct. 2013) :: © Dimitry B.

Have you ever wondered why Chinese city planning is so highly structured and concise but also anarchic, informal, megalomaniac or just damned weird at the same time?

Over the years, I've been mystified and trying hard to get a deeper understanding of the links between ancient and modern urban planning patterns, demographic and economic change, diversifying lifestyles or traditional and contemporary techniques of social engineering by various officials in imperial China or modern state bureaucrats respectively.

An article in the fine series 'The story of cities', published recently on The Guardian's web site and entitled 'Beijing and the earliest planning document in history', is a fascinating and highly instructive read in at least two respects.

First, it's definitely high time to have a closer look at historical precedents regarding Chinese city planning to be able to determine the hidden or not so hidden driving forces behind current urban planning programmes.

Second, the example of the long-serving Chinese capital is especially useful in terms of a capital city's general importance to the political / cultural / economic elite and the general public alike as well as in terms of long-term planning priorities of urban bureaucracies and members of the ruling classes now and then.

Oliver Wainwright's piece in The Guardian mentions the earliest planning document in Chinese history, the so-called 'Kaogong Ji (考工记)' or 'Regulations of Construction', that was widely used during the rule of the Ming emperors.

The text dates from the fifth century B.C. and was part of the famous 'Rites of Zhou (Zhou li 周禮)', an ancient Confucian manual of bureaucracy and organizational theory. Wainwright vividly demonstrates the relevance of such invaluable ancient official documents to legions of officials, philosophers, politicians, administrators or planners.

Historical dimensions of contemporary phenomena are rarely discussed in mainstream media outlets (or academic writings, as a matter of fact). And that's clearly a shame because many puzzles would become much easier to piece together and contextualize.

Think, for instance, of the age-old pattern to build hermetically cordoned-off living (and working) quarters with security guards and all of the essential infrastructure, such as workshops, shops, sport facilities, schools and hospitals, inside the actual premises.

Modern-day gated communities located in the suburbs or premium central areas of big cities echo earlier socialist danwei (work unit) living / working structures as well as even earlier building complexes that were inhabited mainly by well-endowed literati or wealthy land-owners (the so-called 'gentry') and their countless servants.

City Planning Museum :: Beijing (Sept. 2009) :: © Ivan Walsh

Even today's 'urban villages' (chengzhongcun 城中村) and their mostly disenfranchised inhabitants in many Chinese cities share some important traits with their historic counterparts; strategies by urban administrations and the security apparatus, for example, are not that different in terms of strictly policing mobile (and thus possibly unruly and dangerous) populations and in trying to safeguard order on behalf of state and society.

Then and now, peasants, workers, the unemployed, weak, old and poor are still at the bottom of a widely accepted social hierarchy whereas the old / new rich, the ever-growing middle-class and the politically connected have profited enormously in an era of economic reforms and rapid social change.

This seems to be not entirely different from earlier, imperial times in China's long history when day labourers, slaves, servants, peasants or unskilled workers didn't enjoy the rights and privileges skilled workers, administrative personnel, the gentry or the literati claimed for themselves.

But back to the 'urban villages' as just one example how contemporary trends may reflect earlier phenomena: Intimidation, eviction and resettlement are most prominent among the various measures city governments take to get out or keep out unwanted 'guests' who don't belong.

Only recently, the central government and city governments have begun to realize that the real estate bubble is threatening the country's economic and social stability and are thus more inclined to make good on promises made a very long time ago.

By giving rural migrants the right to buy less expensive homes in cities and thus being able to obtain an urban hukou (household registration) with all the privileges it entails, the Chinese government is desperately trying to fix the multiplying problems in an overheated real estate market as well as further advance an ambitious urbanization strategy.

The many paradoxes and excesses in contemporary urban planning projects are surely not lost on the writer of the article in The Guardian. He convincingly makes the point that city planning has always been a distinct Chinese method to order society according to preconceived, ancient notions of propriety, class, age, gender, family relations and a classic as well as an up-to-date mechanism to exact a rigorous form of social engineering.

After crossing the Nanpu bridge from Pudong over to Puxi :: Shanghai (2008) :: © Jakob Montrasio

The author puts it this way (and I tend to agree):

'The ancient cosmological symbolism may long have fallen away from the streets of Beijing, but the role of city planning as a means of enforcing social order is as strong as ever.' 

(The Guardian, March 17, 2016)

I highly recommend to have a look at the other eight parts in 'The story of cities' series, namely the articles covering the examples of Alexandria (part 1), Rome (part 2), Baghdad (part 3), Benin City (part 5), Potosí (part 6), Philadelphia (part 7), St Petersburg (part 8) and Kingston (part 9).

The Guardian plans to publish 50 parts in total to outline past and present of global urbanization. A new article has been published nearly every day so far and the editors have been largely successful in recruiting well-informed and witty writers.

I continue to love 'The Grauniad' for exciting novel projects such as this one (the whole 'Cities' section where the series runs is supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, by the way).

A life-long passion for music :: Shanghai's coolest jazz band

© Autlook Filmsales

'As time goes by in Shanghai', a lovely 2013 feature documentary by acclaimed German director, cinematographer, screenwriter, editor and one-time musician Uli Gaulke came to my attention belatedly. The documentary film (DE & NL) has been invited to some of the more important international film festivals and won the Audience Award at the Saratov Sufferings International Documentary Drama Film Festival.

(Note: the DVD is available on Amazon or you can stream it in case you are Amazon Prime customer)

In this adorable gem of a documentary, the German film-maker accompanies and interviews the members of one of the most graceful old-school jazz bands (still) alive: the 'Peace Old Jazz Band'.

The plan by their concerned but very persuasive manager to have them make an appearance at the most prestigious international jazz festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival Rotterdam, is met with restrained enthusiasm. Obviously, the guys have to chatter, eat, smoke and practise their respective instruments quite some time before leaving for their latest adventure in foreign lands.

The biggest problem is to find a suitable female singer for the performance in far-away Rotterdam. Jasmine Chen, a renowned artist in her own right, is arguably the best fit by far and consequently hired on the spot.

Upon arrival in Holland, the old-boy band is warmly greeted and pampered around the clock by their Shanghainese (female, of course) caretaker. After getting a short crash course in Dutch culture, answering a few (rather stupid, in their opinion) questions by the media and some downtime, they are ready for the big event.

Unfortunately, one of the guys, Lao (Old) Sun, is suffering from a swollen foot and has to go to a hospital. But that doesn't hold him or his colleagues back for long - really nervous at first, sweating and anxious, they finally step onto the stage and begin to play their old-fashioned tunes like the masters of traditional American-inspired jazz music they once were in the old days.

Mr Sun Jibin :: © Flying Moon Filmproduktion :: Rick Liston

Zhang Jingyu (73 years, piano), Li Mingkang (77 years, contrabass), Sun Jibin (80 years, sax & clarinet), Gao Honglin (71 years, alto sax), Lu Mengqiang Lu (53 years, trumpet) and Bao Zhengzhen (93! years, drums) are the names of the members of this exceptional band that has performed at the famous Peace Hotel in Shanghai for - literally - ages.

Many visitors, tourists and residents alike, frequent the hotel only to enjoy the venerable boy band playing its special kind of American jazz that was so widely celebrated during the roaring 1920s in China's most sophisticated metropolis.

The 'Peace Old Jazz Band' has made history and the men constituting it have lived through so many political upheavals and personal catastrophes (think of the Civil War, the defeat of the Guomindang troops and the founding of the PR China, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, Mao's death and the reign of the Gang of Four, the subsequent rise of Deng Xiaoping, the advent of turbo-capitalism, and so on) they are quite immune to emotional overload, undue nostalgia or excessive worries (but not to more or less severe health issues, evidently). And it's exactly this trait that makes them unique among the residents of contemporary Shanghai, especially the younger ones.

I would recommend to have a look at a short article as well as a longer video that closely follows the band's preparations for the trip to Rotterdam, the actual journey and the final festival appearance - filmed by Uli Gaulke and his team - on Al Jazeera's English-language site here.

In this very nice piece that was published in the so-called 'Witness' series, the German film-maker reminisces about the evolution of this amazing but quite challenging film project:

'Two years ago, I read a magazine story about a band in the booming metropolis of Shanghai, which had been stoically playing American jazz every day for the past thirty years. In a city that is continually striving to erase its past, these elderly gentlemen seemed like rocks in the waves, concealing a treasure trove of fantastic stories ... 

But even though our musicians could tell wonderful stories, I initially felt little empathy for them. They were always in a hurry to tell their tales and let them quickly vanish behind a brash smile. 

This was the greatest challenge for me; putting on the brakes and finding the time and space where they could have the peace of mind to let their memories re-surface. After much trial and error, I discovered that these moments came during and after meals. Now our real work could begin ...

In the end, I chose to focus on Mr Sun and Mr Bao - two men whose amiability and dry humour were infectious and who enjoyed being in front of the camera. In moments such as the flirting scene with the female singer, I could feel the people I was portraying, and experience a moment of great truth.' 

(Al Jazeera 'Witness'; June 5, 2014)

And now prepare yourselves for some jazzy tunes, a few beats and the most charming twinkle of Lao Sun.

A happy New Year of the Monkey!

This time I won't post any of the incredibly dramatic pictures & graphs showing the effects of the 'largest human migration' that is routinely taking place around Chinese New Year.

I'm quite sure many of you have already seen the nightmarish photos depicting thousands of stranded travellers in Guangdong province or other places in China. Just let me wish you all the best for the Year of the Monkey instead.

Celebrating the upcoming New Year :: Singapore (Feb. 4, 2016) :: © aotaro

If you want to know more about the auspicious year of the monkey and the various political and other intricacies it may bring for the Chinese (and, probably, the rest of the world), read Geremie Barmé's (Australian Centre on China in the World / independent scholar) recently posted article '2016: The Golden Monkey 金猴, a Year to Remember'.

Reflecting on the country's troublesome last century and the upcoming year of the 'Golden Monkey', Barmé lists major historical incidents that may, or may not, be commemorated during the year 2016.

Artfully connecting modern Chinese history and the heavy psychological and political burden it entails with contemporary politics in the PR China, he concludes his insightful and beautifully illustrated essay: 'This Year of the Monkey has been over a century in the making.'

May all of you have a peaceful, healthy, prosperous and exciting New Year!

Why China should matter to us

In an earlier post about professional China watching in Germany, I've mentioned the non-profit 'MERICS Mercator Institute for China Studies'.

The Institute was founded in 2013 by private European 'Stiftung (Foundation) Mercator' and is based in central Berlin.

High on the agenda of the new player in the field of contemporary China studies is to spread up-to-date knowledge of Chinese foreign relations, domestic politics, economic, technological and social trends or European China policy in a way that appeals not just to academics but to stakeholders in European politics and business circles as well as a wider general public.

The Mercator Institute provides a wealth of online publications and offers regular fellowships in seven fields of research.

The extensive use of multimedia and multi-channel presentation is a smart (if sometimes overblown) move by MERICS' President Sebastian Heilmann and his team (and long overdue in the academic business in Germany) to reach a more diverse and international clientèle.

Another laudable venture is to build a platform for exchange where Chinese and non-Chinese voices from varied professional fields can be heard. Visiting the site a few days ago (beware: don't use Firefox; other browsers do better with ill-fated Flash), I came across the podcast & video sections and decided to share a few highlights.

The first one is kind of an introductory video produced by the new research and analyses institute that asks an age-old question: Why should China matter to us after all? ('us' meaning in this context Germany / Europe).

The (German-language) video presents several German specialists from different backgrounds stating their views on crucial questions regarding the future of the PR China and the manifold economic, political, social or environmental challenges ahead - not just for the country itself but the whole world.

 

In case your attention span is rather limited or you are very busy these days, you might be elated to hear that MERICS' videos are very short (around three minutes each) but expertly produced. The interviews conducted so far introduce a few of the more renowned members of the academic & professional China watcher guild in Germany (sorry, in German only).

The second video I chose to embed here sheds a new light on the ever-evolving digital start-up scene in China by focussing on three intriguing examples of up-and-coming young entrepreneurs (in Chinese language with English subtitles).



Last but not least, there is an interesting series of podcast episodes produced by MERICS' Simon Lang in cooperation with 'China Sandwich (Zhongguo Sanmingzhi 中国三明治)' that is available on the Institutes's site as well as on SoundCloud.

Four episodes of 'MERICS Experts', as the programme is called, have been completed so far, and the results are quite enjoyable. Hear the following one, No.4 of the series, with well-known American China scholar Scott Kennedy who specializes in economic policy, global economic relations and political economy.

china beats presents :: Howie Lee

I sincerely hope you made it safe and sound into 2016!

I'm going to start the new blog year with a short post introducing the Beijing sound artist / DJ Howie Lee to you. 'Mù Chè Shān Chū', the brand new album by innovative globetrotter Lee is a real gem if you are into electronic sounds.

Being a prolific producer, master sound curator and popular representative from the Chinese musical underground, Lee was born and raised in Beijing where he lives nowadays after a longer stretch in London and some successful recording sessions in Taipei.

Released by small digital distributor / record label Alpha Pup in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, the album's thirteen tracks are eclectic affairs combining youthful playfulness with elaborate electronic experiments. Blending classical Eastern music genres and traditional Chinese instruments with dance floor grooves and bass-driven beats, the results are - in my humble opinion - really superb.

Truly unique and neither celebrating nor masking his Chinese descent, Howie Lee is an artist who has made it into music locations, magazines, web sites and blogs around the world despite his rather young years (for two examples, see here or here).

 

Lee's American debut album by boutique digital music distributor Alpha Pup is the latest addition to an enormously booming global electronic music scene. Might just be the right soundtrack to start fresh into a hopefully glorious new year ($9.90 USD on Bandcamp & $9.99 USD on Alpha Pup's Bandcamp site are not that much for these vibrating but also contemplative tracks).

Last but not least, I don't want to deprive you of this amazing music video by Taipei-based animator and illustrator Rob Jabbaz. Have fun!