01
JULY 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
CHINA OBSERVATIONS
Journey to the East
CHINESE WISDOM
The Soup Allegory of Harmony
MADE IN CHINA
QQ: The Little Penguin
Connecting the World
BUSINESS CHINA
Global China Insights
BrandzTM Top 50 Most
Valuable Chinese Brands 2013
CHINA TIMES
Lecture Professor Cheng Siwei
F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W
A Scientist’s Passion for Chinese
Philosophy and Poetry
GRONINGEN
CONFUCIUS
INST I TUTE
1
01
Global
China
Insights
binnenkant omslag (los)
July 2013
China City Culture
Wuhan
Impressions:
High Mountains and
40 Flowing Water
IN THIS ISSUE
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________
China Times
Doing Business with China
Lecture Professor Cheng Intercultural Business
Siwei: China’s Current
Communication:
Economic Situation 6 Germans Doing Business
in China
23
__________________________________________________
Business China
BrandZ™ Top 50 Most
Valuable Chinese
Brands 2013
10
__________________________________________________
Made in China
QQ: The Little Penguin
Connecting the World 14
____________________________________________________
2
Issue 1 July 2013
__________________________________________________
China Vogue
Dedicated Setter of
Fashion?
26
__________________________________________________
Feature Interview
A Scientist’s Passion for
Chinese Philosophy and
Poetry: Interview with
Professor Jan B.F.N.
Engberts
36
Chinese Wisdom
The Soup Allegory of
Harmony
4
China Observations
17
My Experience as a Preschool
Teacher in China; Soundscapes of
Handan; My Journey to the East
Aesthetic China
31
Media on China
44
GCI Culture Calendar
47
Chinese Classical Dance; 12 Girls
Band; Listening to the Rain; A
Taste of Chinese Painting and
Calligraphy; Living in Chinese
Style
A Bite of China: A Taste of China;
Book Introduction ‘China met
andere ogen’
General Information; Board
Members; Management Team;
Information on Cultural
Activities of GCI
1
Global China Insights ISSUE 1 July 2013
C OLOFO N
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
Published by: Groningen Confucius Institute
Advisory Board Members:
Su Zhiwu (苏志武)
Hu Zhengrong (胡正荣)
Pang Zengyu (逄增玉)
Johan Peter Rehwinkel
Hendrik Jan Pijlman
Sibrandes Poppema
Co-publishers: Liu Jingyi (刘婧一)，
Xuefei Knoester-Cao (曹雪飞)
Editor-in-Chief: Liu Jingyi (刘婧一)
Senior Editor: John Goodyear
Editor: Ingrid Fischer
Editorial Assistant: Teng Jiaqi (滕嘉琪)
Editorial Office Manager: Jasna Ros
Designer: Nynke Kuipers Grafisch Ontwerp BNO (Kuenst)
I
n the age of globalisation, it is easy to meet a foreign friend, common to study a foreign
language, and popular to visit a foreign country. All these experiences will quite probably open a
window, showing a marvelous new world and breathe new life into people.
Six years ago, I came to the United States and had a one-year academic stay at Michigan State
University. I found it highly significant and enjoyable observing and reflecting on different cultures.
Meanwhile, my attention was naturally drawn to explore and reflect on my own country and culture, as
I was frequently asked about China, Chinese people and Chinese culture. I felt ashamed that I could not
answer as an expert would. I also realized that people outside China have very limited resources to truly
understand the world’s most populated country. Many people have heated discussions about the real
nature of China. That reminded me of the story of the Blind Men and an Elephant, in which a group of
blind men argue about what the elephant looks like based on their own experience of touching different
single parts of the elephant. Everybody could possible describe China from their own perspective, based on
his or her own experience or information. Yet this can be so controversial! This stimulated my passion to
promote the world’s knowledge and understanding of China and Chinese culture.
Photographers: Sunny Gardeur, Xinhua News Agency
and others
Printer: Zalsman Groningen Media
Editorial Office Address: Oude Boteringestraat 42
9712 GL Groningen The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)50 - 36 34 688
Email: info@confuciusgroningen.nl
Editorial Email: editor@confuciusgroningen.nl
Advertising Email: advertising@confuciusgroningen.nl
Subscription Email: subscription@confuciusgroningen.nl
Website: www.confuciusgroningen.nl
I feel lucky and thankful that I joined Groningen Confucius Institute (GCI) in 2012. The ‘kingdom of
tulips’ reveals the beauty and novelty of Dutch culture, day in, day out, both inside and outside of my work
in the Netherlands. I am also advancing my dream to promote mutual understanding between China and
the rest of the world by working at GCI. I am particularly appreciative of and impressed by one version
of the story of the Blind Men and an Elephant: the blind men stop arguing about their own judgment and
start listening and collaborating to ‘see’ the full elephant. It is so precious that individuals are aware
of the value of communication and respecting different perspectives. This is also where my initiative
originates in developing a journal in which we share different perspectives on China and provide insights
into China from as many different aspects as possible. We aim to provide a full view of real China to the
readers as well as featuring international and comprehensive perspectives, cutting-edge topics, in-depth
reporting, classic interpretations and vivid exposition.
Available at:
Netherlands:
Groningen Confucius Institute
Municipality of Groningen
Groningen City Library
Atlantis Café Groningen
Germany:
City of Oldenburg, China Office
Academy of English, The China Room
China:
The first step on a journey is always exciting and challenging. We have such a great team at GCI, in
which we enjoy cooperation and synergy. It is a cross-cultural team, as we have members from China, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Mutual understanding is something of which we are very proud.
The efforts of learning both Chinese culture and local culture laid the foundation of our team’s innovation.
True to Chinese style, patience is a real important concept to which we adhere: being patient for the
long-term dream, being patient when facing a challenge, being patient with others and being patient with
oneself. That is one of the core values of Chinese culture and it is also the strength of our team. By sharing
we succeed. When you read the very first issue of Global China Insights, I hope you enjoy the beauty of
TULIPS, GCI’s spirit: Teamwork, Understanding, Learning, Innovation, Patience and Success.
Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban)
Communication University of China
Best regards from Groningen,
ISSN 2214-5761
© 2013 Groningen Confucius Institute
Liu Jingyi
Editor-in-Chief
2
3
CHINESE WISDOM
The highest good is like water.
Water benefits all things generously without striving with them.
Staying in the lowly place that men disdain,
It is close to Tao.
It knows to keep near to the ground in choosing the dwelling.
It knows to hide in the hidden deep in cultivating the mind.
It knows to be gentle and kind in dealing with others.
It knows to keep its words in speaking.
It knows to maintain order in governing.
It knows to be efficient in handling business.
It knows to choose the right moment in making a move.
Since it does not strive with others,
It is free from blame.
The Soup Allegory of
Harmony
Wang Keping (王柯平)
Whether a person eats to live or vice versa, everyone needs food. History
bears witness to humankind’s concept of food as a prerequisite for survival,
the fulfilment of which also brings enormous sensual pleasure. Speaking as a
Chinese person, enjoyment of food in all of its colours, styles and tastes, even the
— Tao Te Ching (道 德 经)
symbolic names given to dishes based on the cooking expertise and the materials
used, is part of my psyche. My experience and observations have given rise to
the theory that Chinese wisdom has practical associations with Chinese dining
etiquette.
When dining out in China at restaurants
frequented by locals, it becomes
immediately clear that the dishes placed on
the table are not specifically for those who
have ordered them, but are to be shared.
On a fresh dish being served, the host or
hostess picks out the choicest morsels for
their guests, who reciprocate. A dinner
generally begins with a warm-up period
when there is an exchange of small talk,
courtesies and toasts. Things then liven up.
Table conversation becomes animated, with
much joking and laughing. The whole scene
takes on a more familial ambience until a
moment of supreme harmony is reached
when discord born of class difference,
personal prejudice or the generation gap
momentarily dissolves; a feeling of shared
warmth prevails. Everyone present feels
cheered and secure within the ethos of
harmony – he (和).
The concept of harmony is the cornerstone
of the Chinese philosophy of life. It is
sought and nurtured in all occupations
and pursuits, most particularly in human
relations. Harmony is advocated in
Confucianism as a strategy through which
to address social problems and maintain
an even social keel: it stabilises human
relations and facilitates formation of social
groups. Among all analyses of the concept
of harmony, Yan Ying’s (晏婴) soup allegory
and its illustrative dialectical exposition is
The humane man, desiring to establish himself, seeks to establish others; desiring
himself to succeed, helps others to succeed. To judge others by what one knows
of oneself is the method of achieving humanity.
— Analects
zǐ yuē: “fū rén zhě, jǐ yù lì ér lì rén, jǐ yù dá ér dá rén.
most impressive. The commentary of Zuo
Qiuming (左丘明) on The Spring and Autumn
Annals (春秋) states:
Seeking harmony is like making soup.
Water, fire, vinegar, soy sauce and prunes
all go together to stew fish or meat. The
chef makes a harmonious melange of
these ingredients produce deliciously
savoury soup. In the process, he adds a
little of this and a soupcon of that to bring
its flavour and texture to perfection.
The diner enjoys a good soup because
it brings him enjoyment, hence peace.
The interrelationship between ruler and
courtier should correspond to this process.
On observing that what the ruler believes
to be right is flawed, the courtier points
out wrong aspects, while endorsing those
that are correct. On observing that what
the ruler believes to be wrong nevertheless
has a valid aspect, the courtier points out
that which is correct and rules out the
wrong. In so doing, governance retains its
peace and harmony without violating the
overall structure that keeps the masses free
from competitiveness and contentiousness.
子曰：“夫 仁 者，己 欲 立 而 立 人，己 欲 达 而 达 人。
néng jìn qŭ bò, kě wèi rén zhī fāng yě yǐ.”
能 近 取 擘，可 谓 仁 之 方 也 已。”
lún yŭ
—《 论 语 》
4
Zuo Qiuming goes on to say:
Ancient sage-rulers adjusted the five
flavours (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy
and salty) when making soup and
harmonised the five sounds (gong 宫,
Global China Insights
shang 商, jue 角, zhi 徵, yu 羽) – equivalent
to the five-note scale in music, in a
metaphorical sense adhered to this
process so as to ensure calmness of
mind when handling state affairs. But
a problem arises when the ruler only
pays heed to courtier Ju’s view of what
is right or wrong. This is like making
soup without seasonings, when it is so
tasteless no one wants it. It is also like
repeatedly playing the same note on
the qin-se (琴瑟). This has no interest
or enjoyment, so no one would want to
listen to it.
As this allegory concludes, delicious soup
cannot be made with a single ingredient,
and fine music cannot be played on a
single note. Soup made from a variety
of ingredients has taste because it is
an organic mixture of the five flavours,
each distinct, but which blend to give an
altogether richer and more appetising
piquancy. The same is true of music and the
integrated melody of the five sounds. It is,
therefore, advantageous to bring in more
ingredients as they produce better results
when functioning under the principle of
harmony.
Harmony, then, is an essential concept:
firstly, it embodies a complementary
relationship within which all the
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
components are interactive and mutually
beneficial. This is not only applicable to
making soup and music; it also works when
handling state affairs, as in the cooperation
between ruler and courtier. In governance,
it serves to eliminate the wrong and
emphasise that which is right. In China,
therefore, harmony is regarded as a crucial
facet of political philosophy or leadership.
Second, harmony as a strategy connotes a
dynamic process of creative transformation
during which all the elements involved
undergo a transformational synthesis,
changing and collaborating but maintaining
individual identity. Something entirely new
is thus created.
Last but not least, harmony suggests a
dialectic state in which opposites are united.
Further growth is made possible and all the
other positive aspects manifest themselves.
Yet, it must be pointed out that Yan Ying’s
description of harmony as a principle
focuses only on the positive aspects of unity
in opposites. His knowledge of dialectic
relations revealed by means of harmony is
limited and therefore simplistic as he fails
to detect the intrinsic conflict between
opposites. In other words, his soup is one
of harmonious proportions. Similarly, his
understanding of unity does not advance
beyond the level of reconciliation. His
philosophy is obviously aimed at providing
a theoretical foundation for his political
reformism.
shàng shàn
上
善
ruò
shuǐ
若
水。
shuǐ shàn lì
水
wàn wù ér
bù zhēng
善 利 万 物 而 不
争，
chŭ zhòng rén zhī suŏ wù
处 众 人 之 所 恶，
gù
jī
yú
dào
故 几 于 道。
jū
shàn dì
居 善
地，
xīn shàn yuān
心
yŭ
与
善
渊，
shàn rén
善
仁，
yán shàn xìn
言
善
信，
zhèng shàn zhì
正
shì
事
善
治，
shàn néng
善 能，
dòng shàn shí
动 善 时。
fū wéi bù zhēng
夫 唯 不 争，
gù wú yóu
故 无 尤。
dào dé jīng
—《 道 德 经》
5
china times
CHINA TIMES
Lecture Professor Cheng
Siwei: China’s Current
Economic Situation
Ingrid Fischer
On 24 May 2013, the Faculty of Economics & Business of the University of Groningen and
the Groningen Confucius Institute co-organised a lecture by the famous Chinese scholar
“The economy only
can guarantee our
today; science
and technology
can guarantee
our tomorrow;
but only education
can guarantee
our day after
tomorrow, so
investing in education
is investing
in our future.”
and statesman Professor Cheng Siwei (成思危). Known in China as the ‘father of venture
capital’, Professor Cheng delivered a lecture entitled China’s current economic situation in
All photos by Sunny Gardeur
connection to FDI (foreign direct investment) and venture capital.
International Crisis and Domestic
Problems
China’s current economy is demonstrating a drop
in growth. According to Professor Cheng, the
reasons for this economic slow-down are twofold:
international and domestic. Internationally,
the financial crisis is not yet over. The United
States, although slowly improving, is still in
economic straits; economic growth in Japan
remains sluggish and the European debt crisis
still continues to be a big problem. To illustrate
the huge effects of the international economic
crisis, he pointed out that, last year, the world
economy grew 3.2% and this is the first time that
economic growth in emerging and developing
countries is higher than growth in the developed
world.
Professor Cheng expects that the world economy
might improve a little this year, and provided
a prognosis for economic growth of around
3.5%. He anticipates that international trade
will improve a little this year, but not too
much because the demand from the developed
countries is still not very strong.
Another international problem for the Chinese
economy is the drop in foreign direct investment
6
coupled with the decrease in foreign demand
led to an accumulation of inventory, something
China is still trying to reduce to this very day.
(FDI). Global FDI was at its low point last
year at a total of only 1.2 trillion USD (€0.92
trillion), it is expected to improve only slightly
this year to 1.3 trillion USD (€1 trillion).
One of the major reasons, as Professor Cheng
elaborated, was that foreign investors are being
pulled back in order to reduce their leverage
ratio.
Another negative result of the stimulus package,
Professor Cheng pointed out, was the low
investment return. A lot of money went to stateowned enterprises and local government. Many
projects were started, some of which were quite
inefficient to begin with, providing low returns
and others were long-term projects characterised
by very small and very slow returns. As a result,
efficiency declined. Before the stimulus package,
1 RMB (€0.13) could generate around 0.5 RMB
(€0.07) GDP. In 2009, it only generated 0.21
RMB (€0.03). Investment efficiency really went
down.
Domestically, China also has its problems. In
September 2008, in order to fight the financial
crisis, the Chinese government announced a
financial stimulus package of 4 trillion RMB
(€0.98 trillion) to stimulate the economy, leading
to a 9.2% gross rate in 2009. According to
Professor Cheng’s research, the gross rate would
only have been 2.4% without this investment by
the government, which implies that the stimulus
package was quite a success. But, as Professor
Cheng pointed out, every policy has both its
positive and its negative sides. The negative side
of the stimulus package emerged between 2010
and 2012.
To make matters worse, a lot of environmental
problems emerged. According to Professor
Cheng’s research, the environmental cost,
including low energy efficiency, environmental
pollution and the damage of the ecosystem
equals 13.5% of China’s GDP in 2005. This
year's prognosis is that China’s GDP will only
increase by 10.4%, which means that the
environmental debts are something that are left
behind for “our children and grandchildren”.
To begin with, there was huge excess capacity.
Twenty-one out of China’s twenty-four industries
suffered from excess capacity. Another problem
was the existence of over-inventory. These facts
Global China Insights
The oversupply of money by the government
also triggered the danger of inflation. It led
Issue 1 July 2013
to a major increase in inflation rate. In both
2010 and 2011, inflation increased quite a lot.
In 2011, China’s inflation rate was at 5.4%. It
decreased a little in 2012, but it is still a problem
today. In China, local government debt has
ballooned, now standing at 10.7 trillion RMB
(€1.39 trillion) with around one-third of local
governments unable to pay back their debt.
Professor Cheng equates and compares this
problem of an inability of local government to
pay back the money with the sub-prime crisis in
the United States.
The financial stimulus package also led to the
housing market bubble. In 2009, housing sales
in China increased by 42.1%. The stock market,
in the first half of 2009, increased abnormally
from 1664 Shanghai index points to about 3000.
This increase was due to massive investments in
the housing market, particularly by state-owned
enterprises and local governments that had
borrowed money and has since resulted in large
unpaid debts.
Change China’s Development Pattern
Now in 2013, China is dealing with the negative
effects of the financial crisis. To tackle these
problems, Professor Cheng recommends
changing China’s development pattern and he
recommends several major changes to achieve
this.
7
china times
China needs to choose
its foreign investors
not only for their
money, but for
their strategic
importance for the
Chinese economy:
investors
that can help
improve technology,
management
and environmental
problems.
china times
China needs to change its reliance on foreign
demand to reliance on domestic demand, and
should focus especially on domestic consumption.
This is not easy, but according to Professor
Cheng it can be done by: synchronising the
economic growth rate with people’s income;
linking salary with the inflation rate; and raising
the wages alongside increases in productivity.
Over the last two years, the Chinese government
has already managed, particularly in the public
sector, to link the minimum wage in China to the
inflation rate. The income floor has been raised
several times from 800 (€104) to 1600 (€208)
and 2000 (€260) to 3500 RMB (€455), with
only 9% of people having to pay income tax in
China. But, linking salary with productivity is
one problem that has not yet been solved, as
Professor Cheng pointed out. In recent years,
salary increases have been higher than increases
in productivity.
In order to boost domestic demand, people
need an environment in which they feel secure
enough to consume. That is why Professor Cheng
advocates improvements to China’s social
security system. Changes should be made to the
pension system, unemployment, medical care
and so on.
Feeling safe is not the only condition that needs
to be met to stimulate demand. People also need
interesting products to buy. Therefore, China
needs to trigger and stimulate innovation to
8
provide more products to people. According to
Professor Cheng, it is time to change the kinds
of products people want to consume. During the
time of the Cultural Revolution, there were three
major assets to have in any household: a bicycle,
a sewing machine, a watch. Then it changed to
a colour TV, a washing machine, a refrigerator.
Now China needs to provide new types of
products for households to aim for, to attract
people to consume.
extensive growth (increase capacity) to intensive
growth (increase productivity). According to
Professor Cheng, industrial productivity (value
added per person per year) in China is only
one-fifth of the productivity in Germany, which
is a problem. Wealth creation is important,
too: low productivity and not enough wealth
creation can cause significant long-term
structural difficulties, e.g. Greece’s debt crisis
is attributed to high social expenditure and low
productivity. In Professor Cheng’s opinion, it is
most important to raise productivity by intensive
growth. Only if China can create more wealth,
people can receive higher salaries. Intensive
growth can be achieved by innovation, by
improving management, and also by horizontal
and vertical integration of industry.
However, this kind of innovation cannot be
stimulated by the government alone; therefore,
Professor Cheng claims that China needs to
develop its venture capital business. In 1998,
Professor Cheng already submitted a proposal
to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) to promote venture capital
business, which was accepted and named the
No. 1 proposal of that year. After acceptance,
venture capital boomed in China and is just
behind the USA as the leading venture capital
country today. Venture capital in China stands
at 40 billion USD (€30.8bn) and in the United
States it stands at 90 billion USD (€69.3bn).
But the problem with venture capitalists is
the vast majority invest in the later stages
as opposed to the early stages of projects––
something that is not ideal for stimulating
innovation.
Another necessary action proposed by Professor
Cheng is to upgrade foreign trade. Even though
he argued that China needs to rely more on
domestic demand, that does not mean foreign
demand should be ignored. He underscored
that China should also pay attention to foreign
demand and improve foreign trade. China is now
second in foreign trade in the world, only a little
bit behind the US. With some improvements,
Professor Cheng believes that “maybe this year,
we can be number one”. But this cannot be
achieved without some improvements. China has
to promote the increase of independent foreign
trade as foreign demand cannot be controlled.
Foreign trade should be focused more on Africa,
Latin America and South East Asian nations,
thereby becoming less reliant on USA, Japan
and the EU, especially as protectionism is
gaining ground in these countries. Professor
Cheng also pointed out that China needs to
choose its foreign investors not only for their
money, but for their strategic importance for
the Chinese economy: investors that can help
improve technology and management, and can
help solve environmental problems.
Solutions to the Problems
The question now remains: how can China’s
current economic situation be improved?
According to Professor Cheng, several courses
of action are needed. Venture capital investment
needs to be made more successful. Professor
Cheng has always pointed out the important role
of venture capital, which is why he initiated the
China Venture Capital Forum in 1998. In recent
years, he has come up with new ideas to make
venture capital business more successful: by
promoting entry-investment, by getting investors
to invest in the early stages, and by supporting
the innovators. Additionally, he puts forward
that social venture capital should be promoted
by encouraging successful venture capitalists to
invest in social businesses. Other ideas include
training innovators and scientists to become
entrepreneurs, and teaching them how to
manage and market their innovative ideas.
Global China Insights
But, promoting venture capital investment
and upgrading foreign trading alone is not
enough. Professor Cheng argued that Chinese
companies also need to implement several
internal changes. There has to be a change from
Issue 1 July 2013
And finally, which might be one of the
most important changes, there should be a
change from external momentum (subsidies,
investments, bank loans) to internal momentum
(people’s activity and creativity). Chinese
people work hard; they want to make a better
life for themselves. On the one hand, education
can raise the level of science, technology,
morality and culture; and on the other hand
it can foster innovative people. Therefore, the
Chinese government should pay more attention
to education, as Professor Cheng puts it: “The
economy only can guarantee our today; science
and technology can guarantee our tomorrow;
but only education can guarantee our day after
tomorrow; so investing in education is investing
in our future”. He added that “only education
can make China have a bright future!”
Conclusion
Professor Cheng concluded by reiterating the
conclusions he made in his speech at the United
Nations in April 2013, entitled China Story:
although we have accomplished a lot of notable
achievements, we still have a long way to go;
although we still have a long way to go, we are
on the right track; although we are on the right
track, there will be many pitfalls on our way to
the future. So we need to always keep a very
prudent attitude towards the future, because like
the meaning of Professor Cheng’s Chinese name:
when you are successful (成), you have to think
about threats (思危).
9
BUSINESS CHINA
business china
BrandZ™ Top 50
Most Valuable
Chinese Brands
2013
Brands are becoming more important to Chinese
consumers and businesses
Technology brands see biggest rise
Chinese brands strengthen overseas presence
The third annual BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Chinese Brands
study, commissioned by WPP and undertaken by Millward Brown,
was released on 4 December 2012 in Shanghai (上海). This year’s
ranking shows that brands are becoming more important to the
Chinese consumer. Despite a challenging economic environment,
strong brands outperformed their competitors and the broader stock
market.
China is not immune to the global economic environment, and
this year the total value of the BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable
Chinese Brands fell to US$320,224 million, down 1.6 percent on
2012. Despite this, brands continued to grow in importance. The
BrandZ Top 50 Brands Portfolio outperformed the MSCI China
Index by 11.4 percent as of September 2012.
This year, China Mobile (中国移动) retains the number one spot in
the rankings with a brand value of US$50,589 million. Leading
financial institutions also continue to head up the rankings – with
ICBC (中国工商银行) and China Construction Bank (中国建设银行) in
positions two and three respectively.
China’s technology brands have seen tremendous growth, as
Chinese consumers spend even more time – and money – on internet
and mobile platforms. Baidu (百度) has moved up two positions
to number four and Tencent (腾讯) has moved from position 10 to
number five.
China’s private sector and entrepreneurs are seeing growing
success in building Chinese brands, with the share of Non-State
Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the Top 50 rising to 27 percent from
22 percent in 2011.
David Roth, CEO of The Store, WPP said: “As the growth rate
TM
expanding group of privately-owned Chinese brands are growing
value by meaningfully differentiating their brands.”
Strong Brands Outperform the Stock Market
TM
An analysis of the BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Chinese
Brands as a ‘stock portfolio’ over the past two years shows that it
consistently outperforms the MSCI China Stock Market Index.
While the total return on investment (ROI) for all companies in
the MSCI China Index was -5.6 percent in September 2012, the
BrandZ Top 50 Brands Portfolio provided a 5.8 percent ROI. This
proves that companies with strong brands are able to deliver better
value to their shareholders.
TM
TM
10
TM
of the Chinese economy slows, brands become a more important
discriminator of consumer choice. As this study shows, strong
brands help Chinese companies grow faster. This is set to accelerate
as the Chinese economy rebalances. This, combined with the
requirement for more Chinese companies to be successful overseas,
will drive the necessity for creating strong Chinese brands as a
critical factor for success.”
Adrian Gonzalez, Head of Greater China, Millward Brown said:
“Building strong brands domestically is a vital template for the
increasing number of Chinese brand owners exploring international
markets. This year’s BrandZ Top 50 gives an insight into how an
TM
Global China Insights
Newcomers
Four new brands have joined the rankings this year. Bank of
Communications (交通银行) leapt into the rankings for the first time
in position 15, its success due to both financial and brand factors.
Key also to its inclusion is that 20 percent of its earnings came from
retail banking, a key eligibility criteria for this ranking. The beer
brand Harbin (哈尔滨) joined the ranking in position 39; it linked its
advertising to key sports events and carved a distinctive space in a
competitive category. The apparel brands Youngor (雅戈尔)
and Semir (森马) were the other new entrants this year in
Issue 1 July 2013
positions 45 and 49 respectively. Youngor benefited from a shift in
taste to smarter attire and Semir continued its focus on youth whilst
investing in retail outlets and the supply chain.
Overcoming Category Challenges – Top Risers and
Category Leaders
Coupled with a flagging international economy, certain categories
are facing increasingly tough competition domestically. Still, there
are several standout brands that have grown in value despite a
challenging year, these include:
Septwolves (七匹狼 )
Men’s apparel brand Septwolves has increased its brand value
by 44 percent and is second only to Tencent in this year’s list of
fastest risers. By focusing on its strategy to become the top-tier
apparel brand in the lower-tier cities, and by carefully controlling
its expansion, Septwolves has sidestepped competition from foreign
brands and the issues of excess inventory that have affected some of
the other brands in the apparel category this year.
Hainan Airlines (海南航空)
Chinese airlines faced a difficult environment due to increasing
competition from domestic high speed rail and rising fuel prices,
11
business china
resulting in a 22 percent decline for the entire category. However,
Hainan Airlines bucked the trend with a 23 percent increase in
brand value, moving up five places in the ranking. Hainan Airlines
has built a strong brand and reputation for excellent customer
service under its Customer First Strategy; in 2011, it became
the first Chinese airline to be awarded five stars by Startrax. By
concentrating on the customer, and by remaining heavily focused on
the Chinese domestic market, Hainan Airlines, which first entered
the rankings last year at No. 46, has become one of this year’s top
risers to No. 41.
Gree (格力)
The closure of a white goods subsidy programme at the end of
2011 badly affected the home appliances category, resulting in
a 14 percent drop for the sector. However, Gree has been able
to maintain its brand value. Sticking to its core markets of air
conditioning, creating a clear message and offering its customers a
wide choice of models, Gree has grown to control over 50 percent
of the market in China and become the number one air-conditioner
brand in the world.
Chinese Brands Overseas
Chinese brand builders are increasingly active overseas across many
categories and include both State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and
market-driven organisations. Market-driven organisations are those
that are set up in response to market needs and motivated by profit.
This is in contrast to the SOEs, which although now are increasingly
seeking profit were originally set up by the government.
12
business china
Lenovo (联想)
Lenovo (No. 23), this year became the world’s largest PC maker by
volume, according to Gartner, with overseas revenues representing
58 percent of total revenues.
Tencent (腾讯)
Tencent launched its WeChat service (a version of Weixin for nonChinese markets) which is enjoying growing popularity.
Haier (海尔)
Haier engaged in activities to strengthen awareness of the brand
overseas, including a sponsorship of the Science Museum in London
and renewal of basketball sponsorship in the USA. It also invested
heavily in e-commerce.
Materials
Available from
www.millwardbrown.com/ChinaTop50
Infographic explaining the results
Videos about each of the Top 50 Brands
Photographs of the Top 50 Brands
Full report about the ranking with
analysis and commentary
Mobile and iPad magazine
Background and Methodology
Commissioned by WPP and undertaken
by Millward Brown, the BrandZ Top 50
Most Valuable Chinese Brands ranking
is the only study to combine measures of
brand equity based on interviews with over
35,000 consumers in China. It conducts
a rigorous analysis of the financial and
business performance of each company
(using data from Bloomberg and Kantar
Worldpanel) to identify the value that a
brand plays in driving business revenue and
market capitalisation.
Criteria for the Chinese brands included in
the Top 50 ranking were:
Brand must be owned by a publiclytraded enterprise
TM
Chinese Consumers’ Shifting Tastes
For Chinese consumers, brands are becoming more important than
ever, playing an increasingly significant role in their consumption
choices – a trend that is well established in first-tier cities and
becoming more deeply entrenched in China’s lower-tier urban
populations. While brand competition is intensifying in both top
and lower-tier cities, companies face the choice of becoming a
smaller brand in top-tier cities or a bigger brand in lower-tier
cities. Septwolves (No. 38) and Youngor (No. 45) are brands taking
advantage of this strategy.
Chinese consumers are increasingly brand selective when making
purchase decisions. This provides exciting opportunities for the
companies who are investing in their brands now.
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
T
he publicly-traded enterprise must
report positive earnings
B
rand must originally have been created
by a mainland Chinese enterprise
W
hen valuing financial institutions, we
only included banks that obtain at least
20 percent of their earnings from retail
banking.
About Millward Brown
Millward Brown is one of the world’s
leading research agencies and is expert
in effective advertising, marketing
communications, media and brand equity
research. Through the use of an integrated
suite of validated research solutions – both
qualitative and quantitative – Millward
Brown helps clients build strong brands
and services. Millward Brown has more
than 86 offices in 56 countries. Additional
practices include Millward Brown’s Global
Media Practice (media effectiveness
unit), The Neuroscience Practice (using
neuroscience to enhance traditional
research techniques), Millward Brown
Optimor (focused on helping clients
maximise the returns on their brand and
marketing investments), Dynamic Logic
(the world leader in digital marketing
effectiveness) and Firefly Millward Brown
(a global qualitative research business).
Millward Brown is part of Kantar, WPP’s
insight, information and consultancy
group.
About WPP
WPP is the world’s largest communications
services group with billings of $71.7 billion
and revenues of $16.1 billion. Through its
operating companies, the Group provides
a comprehensive range of advertising and
marketing services, including advertising;
media investment management consumer
insight; public relations and public
affairs; branding and identity; healthcare
communications; direct, digital, promotion
and relationship marketing; and specialist
communications. The company employs
over 162,000 people (including associates)
in 3000 offices across 110 countries. For
more information, visit www.wpp.com
13
made in china
MADE IN CHINA
QQ: The Little
Penguin Connecting
the World
Teng Jiaqi (滕嘉琪)
“Du, du, du” is the sound coming from Albert’s laptop, a Dutch engineer
working for a New Zealand company. At the same time, a little penguin
starts blinking in the right-hand corner of the screen. He knows that his
Chinese business partner is calling him, and Albert quickly taps on the
keyboard to catch up with his Chinese friend. The communication software
Albert is using is called QQ, a very famous software brand in China. We
asked Albert about his experience with QQ, he said:
T
here are quite a few social media
programmes available these days:
WhatsApp, Skype, QQ, Google Chat,
WeChat and Viber. So many that it is sometimes
hard to choose which one to use. I guess it
depends heavily on the function you want to use
and the people you want to communicate with.
These days, social media programmes also offer
other services, making it harder to choose among
them all.
14
Over the years I have made a lot of Chinese
friends. At first, I had difficulty communicating
with them and most of the time I used email to
share my thoughts with them. The tools I used to
communicate were not all that common in China
and I had to adapt in order to be able to talk to
my friends and colleagues. After some research
and advice from a good friend, I started using
WeChat. I also started using QQ not all that long
after.
Using these programmes opened up China for
me. I could finally talk to all my friends. After
using QQ for a while, I learned that QQ provides
high standard services and enables me to
exchange information in different ways. Any way
I need to. If people ask me what social media
programme I like best and use often these days, I
would say QQ.
Kerisa, a British secretary working at a
company in Britain’s second largest city,
Birmingham explains: “I use QQ to make
Chinese friends. I talk to them in Chinese and
English. The chatrooms are great because there
is always someone online. When you are learning
a language you should use the tools that speakers
of that language use and QQ is China’s number
one communication tool.” Friends recommended
using QQ when she started to learn Chinese two
years ago. Now she enjoys talking to Chinese
friends on QQ. She also created a QQ chatroom
where she talks to Chinese-speaking people
everyday. She can now speak Chinese very well
by talking with Chinese friends using QQ.
Global China Insights
So far, Tencent has
grown into one of
China’s largest and
most used internet
service portals.
Issue 1 July 2013
Sonny, a young Dutch man, works at a
company in Groningen. He met his Chinese
girlfriend online. He said: “I started using QQ
four years ago because my girlfriend persuaded
me to use it. I use the International Edition as it
is in English. Now I use it everyday to talk with
my girlfriend who is in China (I use WeChat a lot
now). QQ is very stable, great audio and video, I
love the emoticons.”
As an overseas Chinese teacher, the most
convenient way to communicate with my family
and friends in China is to use QQ. I often upload
recently taken photos to the QQ Zone to share
with friends. At the same time I can read my
friends’ news too. I also recommend using the
programme to my students, because, just as
Kerisa said, “when you are learning a language
you should use the tools the speakers of that
language use.”
You will find the famous penguin at the bottom
right corner of Chinese computer screens if you
look very carefully. This little penguin now plays
a powerful and significant role in Chinese daily
life.
QQ was developed by the giant technological
company Tencent Holdings Limited in 1999. Just
like most Chinese internet-related programmes,
QQ was based on a foreign model, which is an
American messenger program ICQ. But now, QQ
has become the first widely used popular instant
messaging software service in China. In addition
to instant messaging, it also offers a variety of
services, including online social games, music,
shopping, microblogging,
group chat. According to
Millward Brown Optimor’s
report, “From March 20,
2013, there are 798.2
million active QQ accounts,
with a peak of 176.4 million
simultaneous online QQ
users, making its audience in
China comparable in size to
Facebook globally”.
In my opinion, there are
several reasons for QQ’s
popularity in China. Firstly,
QQ’s logo, the little penguin,
is eye-catching. Second, in
addition to its main function
as a piece of communication
software, QQ also has additional features, such
as emoticons, chatrooms, games, personal
avatars, online storage and internet dating
services. These features attract a lot of young
people because they can choose their personal
avatars and skins to show their own unique
characteristics. The majority of internet users
are young people. So QQ has become popular
among Chinese youth first. With the increasing
popularity of internet in Chinese daily life, only
after a few years QQ has become widespread
among the general public. Third, it distinguishes
itself by offering a lot more online features than
other messaging programmes, for example, QQ
Zone, which is a customizable web page where
users can upload text, photos and music, or QQ
group, which is a platform where people with
a certain common interest can talk freely and
share their ideas.
Tencent Holdings Limited (known popularly
as Tencent) was a small company when it was
founded by Ma Huateng (马化腾) in 1998. After
many years of development, it now continuously
releases new functions and new products. So
far, Tencent has grown into one of China’s
largest and most used internet service portals.
In 2012, it made the top five of Millward Brown
Optimor’s list of the most Valuable Chinese
Brands.
With the increase of the number of smartphone
users and the development of mobile devices,
Tencent is now shifting its priorities to WeChat.
In 2011, it launched WeChat, which is also a
15
made in china
C H I N A O B S E RVAT I O N S
BRANDZ TOP 50 Most Valuable Chinese
Brands 2013
TM
NO. 5: Tencent
COMPANY: Tencent Holdings Ltd.
BRAND VALUE: US$20.2 Billion
YEAR-ON-YEAR CHANGE: 60%
HEADQUARTER CITY: Shenzhen
INDUSTRY: Technology
YEAR FORMED: 1998
DYNAMIC TECH LEADER DIVERSIFIES,
EXPANDS
Driven by the rise of mobile, Tencent is
shifting priorities. Tencent Weibo, the brand’s
Twitter-type service, and its mobile messaging
app Weixin are now among Tencent’s most
significant products.
The open nature of Weixin and its variety of
mobile features make it an important part
of Tencent’s strategy to diversify and expand
internationally. Meanwhile, QQ, Tencent’s wellknown instant messaging service claims over
700 million active users, making its audience in
China comparable to Facebook's size globally.
Tencent reorganised its business during 2012 to
develop internet opportunities more effectively.
The company purchased 49 percent of
Singapore game maker Level Up for $27 million
and a minority stake in Epic Games, a US 3D
technology company. Tencent also entered into
an agreement with Disney, in which Disney will
help develop animation content for distribution
on Tencent platforms.
In another deal, Tencent will provide software
for a 26-inch flat-screen TV made by TCL
that allows users to shop and access online
games and videos. The deal marks Tencent’s
first collaboration with a consumer electronics
maker. The deal illustrates the dynamism
of Tencent, a brand that achieved market
leadership in about a decade.
Tencent derives most of its revenue from
internet value-added services but also relies
on mobile and telecommunications, online
advertising and e-commerce with a brand called
buy.qq.com, which it launched in December
2011. In 2004, Tencent Holdings Ltd. was listed
on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Tencent
ranks 37 in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable
Global Brands 2012.
My Experience as a
Preschool Teacher
in China
Stefan Penchev
TM
First entering the kindergarten where I presently work as an Academic
very widely used messaging app in China now.
The company even coined the phrase “The Era
of WeChat” to describe the app’s popularity.
The most remarkable feature of WeChat is its
voice messaging function and its portability.
With these useful new features, WeChat is
very popular among Chinese young people.
As of January 2013, it had 300 million users,
according to the Managing Director of Tencent
Ma Huateng. Because of its open nature and
its variety of mobile features, WeChat is an
important tool in Tencent’s ambtition to diversify
and expand internationally.
Tencent’s QQ penguin is becoming increasingly
16
famous, not just in China but around the world.
Some countries are known through their world
famous brands. For example, when talking
about the brand Nokia, Finland springs to
mind. The brand Samsung is connected with
South Korea. Apple is associated with America.
Shell is connected with the Netherlands. With
the growth of Chinese internet companies and
popularisation of Chinese brands, sight of the
QQ penguin in the bottom right-hand corner of
computer screens will soon recall the country
of China. More and more internationals will
recognise QQ, the little penguin connecting the
world.
Global China Insights
Director, my nerves were reminiscent of those just before an important
exam. Even with more than thirty years of teaching experience, I felt
totally unprepared for the job of kindergarten teacher. I just knew a
couple of nursery rhymes but no games and activities for toddlers.
Actually, I knew nothing!
As it happens, the children expect at least
two new songs a week as well as a rich
repertoire of crafts, games, indoor and
outdoor activities. It turns out that teaching
preschool children is a job of its own with
its specific requirements and expertise. My
boss, fortunately, was patient, granting
me a short induction period to familiarise
myself with this new environment.
Preschool children live in a different
world. We, adults, are like elephants
in a china shop: unwise to their deep
sensitivities. Young children get
emotional over events that adults consider
commonplace and trivial. Chinese children
are like any other children, yet from
my experience they come across more
expressive and emotional. Some of them
cannot tolerate even mild scenes of violence,
which are often present in children’s
movies. The best scenes for them are those
showing beauty, harmony and evoking
positive emotions. Surprisingly, they feel
happy with movies without conflict. They
are quite at home with films portraying
peaceful environments, and this is reflected
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
through the expressions on their faces. I
see the traces of this inborn mentality in
the teachings of Confucius (孔子) and his
assertion that the relationship is primarily
one of harmony rather than of confrontation
or conflict.
The positive aspect of teaching young
children is that they are very receptive and
teachers can see the result of their work
much earlier than with older children or
adults, bringing a feeling of fulfilment and
confidence to both sides. Soon my initial
alarm to approach the world of toddlers and
preschoolers subsided, and after two years I
would not like to leave this beautiful, dainty
and peaceful world of young children.
China is a fast developing country,
and education transforms accordingly.
In the past, the collective approach to
teaching––teaching the class as a whole
group––was the dominant teaching
method. But recently, the care for the
individual child is starting to gain ground
and is becoming increasingly sought after.
There are no national standards in China
for kindergartens. Both supervision and
funding is the responsibility of the provincial
government. In 2001, the Chinese Central
Government defined basic guidelines for
Early Childhood Education, encompassing
Physical Education, Language, Sciences
(Maths, Science), Arts and Social Studies.
Most parents are impatient to see their
child reading and demand that teachers
deliver their toddlers phonics, letters
and mathematics. Parents are also keen
on taking their children to a variety of
extracurricular courses: ballet, dancing,
piano, violin and English lessons.
After teaching a few months, I was
promoted to Academic Director of the
kindergarten. Our objective was to nurture
international children, who will feel at
home in any corner of the globe. We needed,
therefore, a suitable curriculum, which
lays the foundation for future worldly,
inquisitive adults and a curriculum that
promote cultural tolerance. Given that
the principal of the kindergarten was a
Canadian national, he suggested adopting
a North American study programme,
but I convinced the management of the
17
china observations
C H I N A O B S E RVAT I O N S
advantages of the British system.
The British National Curriculum has a
very well-organised framework for early
childhood monitoring and education. Its
core concept is the uniqueness of each
child and this is exactly in tune with the
changing approach of childcare practice
in China. The British government’s Early
Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a
framework for preschool-aged children,
has a sound structure together with an
abundance of teaching aids and guidance.
Its programme for mathematics is an
advanced modern framework, teaching
both methods for solving problems and
thinking mathematically. Such an approach
is crucially important for tomorrow’s
engineers and scientists. But the most
important feature of the EYFS framework
is the assessment criteria, which provides
standards for measuring the child’s
development and achievements, something
I have found to be lacking in the Chinese
education system.
The profession of kindergarten teachers
has an array of consequences, both
personally and socially. Experiences during
early childhood are vitally important
for learning and laying the foundations
for future emotions and personality in
adulthood. According to the May issue
of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent
Medicine, “experiences between birth and
age 5 matter significantly to children’s
long-term emotional and psychological
health, and changing these experiences for
the better pays dividends” (Science Daily,
May 7, 2010). Simply said, a happy child
makes a happy person. Confucius (孔子)
underpinned this principle with these words:
I am optimistic about early childhood
education in China. China is a dynamically
developing industrial country requiring
knowledgeable and creative professionals.
The human factor, the ‘we’ in the Confucius
(孔子) quote, is the major driving force for
any country's progress. This fact is also
acknowledged by the Chinese Central
Government. They have demonstrated their
willingness to improve education across the
board. Professional academic management
of kindergartens and stricter control are
the keys to academic success and high
professional achievements, advancing
China’s development in the future.
先治其国；
Soundscapes
of Handan
( 邯郸 )
To put the nation in order, John Goodyear
To put the world right in order, 古之欲明明德于天下者，
we must first put the nation in order; 欲治其国者，
we must first put the family in order; 先齐其家；
To put the family in order, 欲齐其家者，
we must first cultivate our personal life. 先修其身.
Culture Shock is defined as the feeling or perception of being in a place whose
customs are far removed from those experienced at home. Reading up on a
country prior to departure can do much to reduce the severity of the shock. The
textual nature of travel guidebooks, absorbed with the eye, ensures for a visual
glimpse into a country. And yet, visual readings of place cannot prepare the
visitor’s ear for the shock of the urban soundscape. This was true of my own
acoustic experience of China: a cultural shock to the ear that no guidebook can
prepare the visitor for.
As a 24-year-old British language graduate,
I went to China to discover the Orient. My
knowledge of this culture was very much
informed by what I had seen on television,
particularly the BBC travel documentary
Around the World in 80 Days. The footage
of China is still fresh in my mind: the masses
of bicycles in Shanghai, the multitude of
people in Beijing and the quiet hum of
street activity in Guangzhou. Commentary
of Chinese street life was accompanied
by the documentary theme tune, one that
was remastered into a quintessential
Chinese sound with the Chinese harp and
the bamboo flute. This was my acoustic
perception of China before departure.
18
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
My first port of call was Beijing. Unlike
the conventional traveller, I took the
train from Moscow to Beijing. Getting off
the train at Beijing’s Main Station soon
collapses the acoustic myth of the Chinese
soundscape being defined by sounds similar
to the ones in the documentary. The acoustic
tempo and pitch were much speedier
and harsher than on the documentary.
On arrival, the sound of a multitude of
people’s footsteps rustling across the station
platforms, luggage trolleys rolling across
gangways, thousands of voices speaking a
four-tone language landed on my acoustic
organ with an immediacy and penetration
that would shock the ear.
The soundscape of Beijing, just like
its visual landscape equivalent, had
undergone rapid transformation between
the BBC documentary of the 1980s and
my arrival in 2004. A mass expansion of
the transportation network ensured that it
was not the bicycle bell that governed the
soundscape of Beijing’s streets, but the
high-pitched car horn. But the car horn is
not just an acoustic hallmark of the Chinese
capital; it also dominated the soundscape,
perhaps to a greater degree, at my next
and final destination: Handan in the Hebei
province.
On arrival into Handan, a city of then
eight million people, the soundscape
came across as much more disorganized
and chaotic than Beijing, not least
because it was concentrated on a more
condensed space. Sounds of cars, buses,
motorbike engines; radios, loudspeakers,
announcements and raised voices; the
verbal shouts of salesmen, taxi drivers
and random pedestrians blended together
to give me my first acoustic impression of
Handan: a concentrated loud din that was a
far cry from the somewhat assonant musical
backdrop of the BBC documentary. Being
19
china observations
C H I N A O B S E RVAT I O N S
new to me, this Handan soundscape was
exciting yet exhausting. What made it even
more exciting was the ability to surprise
and shock, at the most random times in
the most random places.
Early morning risers in Handan are
confronted with an incredible sight: the
enthusiastic elderly out in force for their
morning exercises. Whether it be Tai Chi in
Congtai Park (丛台公园) or the coordinated
street dancing of old women to pre-recorded
music―the sounds generated would project
peace and tranquillity in the middle of the
city yet to rise for its daily work. It is still
possible at this time of the morning to hear
the natural tones of birds and the constant
20
buzz of insects in Handan. This brief early
morning acoustic calm soon gives way to the
cacophony of business and school traffic at
around 6am.
The start of the school year in Handan is
accompanied by the sound of pre-recorded
revolutionary Chinese patriotic military
music. This music blares out from schools’
loudspeaker systems. Not stopping at the
confines of the school gates, it penetrates
out into the local community. The school
year is acoustically announced patriotically
to the local neighbourhood. From my
apartment, I would watch parents arrive
with their Primary school-aged children,
walking to the moderately quick tempo of
the military music. Despite its ear-splitting
volume, the tempo acts as a kind of crowd
control to ensure that the flow of the new
intake occurs at a pace with which the
school’s capacity can cope.
It is not just the ushering-in of a new
academic year that is heard as much as
seen. Ceremonial inaugurations in Handan
shock the ear. Whilst it is customary in
Western cultures to quietly cut a ribbon, the
Chinese hold true to the belief that noise can
ward off evil spirits. Ear-splitting, explosive
devices painted in red for good luck are
ignited. Letting off fireworks does not just
signal the opening of something new, but
it wishes it well. A typical grand opening
would be set to quick successive acoustic
bangs, booms and crashes, ones that my
ear eventually heard as a sonic whole. This
acoustic phenomenon has an interesting
effect: it cuts through the mundane,
everyday soundscape, announcing the
arrival of something new to the city.
It is not all noise though. The soundscape
of Handan is dominated by the sounds of
Chinese voices. A walk along Renmin East
Rd (人民东路) in Handan, a central city street
housing banks, government departments
and a mosque, confronted my ear with a
range of Chinese accents. The standard
Chinese known as Putonghua (普通话), the
heavily accented countryside dialects of
Handan’s rural immigrants and the Chinese
of the Uyghurs landed on my untrained ear
as acoustic shock. Yet, the ear adapts to
the new acoustic environment. It did not
take me all that long to make distinctions
between ethnicity, status and background
through different individuals’ verbal
utterances.
This, then, was a brief hear-back (as
opposed to a look-back) of some of those
distinctive sounds that formed part of
the Handanese soundscape. Far from the
theme tune on the BBC documentary that I
thought was reminiscent of China, I came to
find an urban acoustic environment richer,
deeper and louder than I first imagined. It
blended the noisy with the cacophonous,
the human with the mechanical, the
assonant with the dissonant. Booms, buzzes,
crackles, hums, laughs, rings, shouts,
scrapes, zooms―these were just some of
the sounds that shocked and surprised my
ear. Yet, as with every human organ, the ear
attuned itself quickly to the new conditions
and accepted them for what they are:
aural stimuli without whose presence the
experience of the city would be incomplete.
Global China Insights
My Journey
to the East
Arwin Timmermans
Just like every year, we had to pick
a destination for our family summer
holiday. And just like every year, we
were short of time but full of ideas.
My oldest brother wanted to go to
the United States, my middle brother
wanted to explore Africa, and I
wanted to experience China. I think
you can guess which place we decided
on, because otherwise I would not be
writing this article and you would not
be reading it: we went to China.
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
China has always been a source of
fascination to me. This appeal probably
stems from the great distance between
our two countries, the allure of a language
based on a completely different system, in
addition to the fact that China is the country
with the largest population on earth. It has
always been somewhat of a mystery to me.
It was a dream of mine to go there and see
it for myself.
After a long flight, we arrived in
Shanghai (上海). The airport was huge and
buzzing with people. A high-speed train took
us downtown, where we checked in to our
hotel to have a little rest before exploring
Shanghai for the first time. One of the first
places we went to is the river boardwalk on
the western bank of the Huangpu River
(外滩) known as The Bund. The atmosphere
is really relaxed and friendly, and in the
evening you get a beautiful view of a
completely illuminated skyline. Besides the
view, you also get to experience how the
locals spend their leisure time, and this way
the visitor gets a feel for Chinese culture
there.
The best way to get to know the city
centre of an enormous metropolis, such as
Shanghai, is to just wander around and get
lost. On the main streets, you are bound
to run into huge fashion stores, the very
prominent and luxurious financial centre,
and numerous big restaurants. To escape
from the vibrant and lively main streets,
we retreated to one of Shanghai’s many
bookstores and cafés. These are great
places to wind down and read about Chinese
culture.
During our visit, Shanghai was in the
grip of the World Exposition. The Expo
was a huge area filled with structures built
especially for the occasion, in which more
than 246 countries and companies displayed
expositions representing the unique traits
of their people. One of the reasons why our
visit took us to Shanghai was to witness
this spectacle. The exposition was aimed at
displaying future plans for improved quality
of life in a setting that celebrated diversity
and international cooperation––it made for
an enthralling experience.
At the Shanghai Expo I had a very
interesting conversation with a Chinese
girl. She was about my age and was also
interested in seeing more of the world.
Her reason for visiting the exposition was
the same I had for visiting China. She
was interested in foreign cultures, and by
visiting the Expo she could discover a lot
of different cultures for the first time. For
me, her attitude illustrated three things.
Firstly, Chinese people want to know more
21
china observations
about other cultures, just as I wanted know
more about Chinese culture. Secondly,
even though a large language barrier
existed between me and the Chinese girl,
with a bit of effort, we still found a way to
communicate because we shared common
interests and aspirations. And finally, while
I used to think that a big part of Chinese
culture would be unfamiliar to me, some
goals just seem to be universal.
Next we went to the city of Suzhou
out about the museum being fake after the
visit, when we turned a corner and found the
official silk museum. And although we felt
a bit cheated, fake or not, both museums
were fun.
After our time in Shanghai, which is
China’s business centre, and in Suzhou, the
historical centre for ‘Su-silk’, we went to its
political centre: Beijing (北京). This is where
the government sits, where Tiananmen
Square (天安门广场), the largest public square
power.
One of the things I would advise everyone
to try in this city is the world famous Peking
Duck. In a huge restaurant completely
devoted to this dish, we got to experience
the taste sensation of Peking Duck for the
first time, prepared by a real expert.
We visited a lot of famous sites, including
the Summer Palace (颐和园), the Forbidden
City (紫禁城), and we were also extremely
lucky to visit a part of the Great Wall that
Intercultural Business
Communication: Germans
Doing Business in China
John Goodyear
It all started out as a trial in 1978: the opening-up of China to the outside
world for trade and commerce. Since then, China has emerged as an
economic powerhouse. It is increasingly exporting its ‘Made in China’
(苏州). It has been called ‘Venice of the East’,
which used to be an important city for the
Chinese silk trade. Given its historic value,
Suzhou has been added to the UNESCO
World Heritage List. Here we got tricked
into visiting a fake silk museum. We found
22
in the world, is situated and where the Great
Wall (长城) stands strong, still to this day.
The most impressive feature of Beijing is its
scale. The buildings are massive, the public
squares reach as far as the eye can see and
everything in the city breathes an air of
was very quiet, which allowed us to enjoy
the magnificent site of the wall and the
serenity of the valley.
Unfortunately, all good things come to
an end, and soon after our visit to Beijing,
we had to return home. During our journey
to the East, we experienced a complete
culture shock, we saw some awe-inspiring
structures and we met interesting people
with fascinating ideas, but I am well aware
that we experienced less than a fraction of
what China has to offer.
After this trip I decided that I would one
day learn to speak the language and return
to China to experience the country, less as a
tourist and more like a Chinese person
(中国人). This opportunity for me to return to
China has come a lot sooner than expected,
because this summer I will join the GCI
Summer Camp to study Chinese at the
Communication University of China for two
weeks.
Global China Insights
products around the world and importing foreign goods and services into the
country. Increase in trade between China and the rest of the world has been
accompanied by increased human contact between Chinese and Western
business people. This is very much the case between China and the country
home to Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes: Germany.
I
DOING
BUSINESS
WITH CHINA
Issue 1 July 2013
n his first overseas tour as
Chinese premier, Li Keqiang (李克强) made
his only EU stopover in Germany. “Made
in China,” he said at a press conference, “is still
emerging and ‘Made in Germany’ has already
matured.” Combining the two, according to
Li, has the ability to create a “dream couple”.
During the course of this German-Sino meeting,
17 declarations and cooperation agreements
were signed, further deepening economic
relations between the two countries. Volkswagen
agreed to open a factory in Changsha (长沙) with
its Chinese joint venture partner by 2016. In a
further agreement, the German chemical giant
BASF will cooperate in two new joint ventures
in Xinjiang (新疆); and both parties also agreed
to strengthen investors by lending them greater
support and assistance.
Strengthening ties between Germany and
China will undoubtedly unleash a greater need
for a wider awareness and understanding of each
other’s cultures. How should Germans conduct
business with the Chinese? How should Germans
communicate with new Chinese colleagues and
business partners? What are the taboo areas
when trying to seal the all-important deal? These
will be some of the questions that will not just
occupy Volkswagen and BASF managers on an
increasingly regular basis; they will be questions
that German small and medium-sized companies
will also have to face in doing business with
China. These companies are the real bedrock of
the German economy: small to medium-sized
companies manufacturing high-quality ‘Made
in Germany’ products that are becoming well
sought after in China. These products are not
necessarily from Berlin, Hamburg and Munich,
but from towns and cities little known to the
outside world, let alone in China.
One such town is Oldenburg, located in the
north-western part of Germany. So important
23
doing business with china
For a German,
smiling when the
situation becomes
‘ernst’ [Eng: serious]
suggests something
quite different:
the severity of the
situation has not
been fully understood
by the Chinese
business partner.
24
DOING BUSINEES WITH CHINA
are the ties with China, both inward and
outward, that the city’s government has
even launched its own “China-Initiative”.
Established by the city’s mayor, Professor Gerd
Schwandner, in May 2007, its aim was two-fold:
to bring the Oldenburgers and Chinese people
closer together; and to strengthen economic,
academic and cultural ties between Oldenburg
and China. Establishment of the China-Büro
[Eng: China Office] in Oldenburg has created
the necessary structures in local government
administration to handle Oldenburg-China
relations. Though the city’s China Office, the city
has organised intercultural seminars, primarily
aimed at individuals in Oldenburg conducting
business in China. The most recent intercultural
management seminar, delivered by Yuan Xueli
(袁学礼) from the Munich-based consultancy
firm Asia Contact, not only went into questions
of business conduct, taboo areas as well as
communicating with Chinese employees or
customers. The seminar also underscored the
challenges and opportunities that China has
to offer to German small and medium-sized
companies in the future.
How should Germans behave in front of
Chinese business partners? The German manner,
especially when communicating in spoken
English, tends to take on non-Chinese traits, ones
that are very direct, incredibly blunt and subject
to understatement. Mr. Yuan cited the example
of one of his Chinese students who came to him
rather distressed and said that his German boss
had said his performance was “nicht schlecht”
[Eng: not bad]. Such a moderately positive
phrase in German and translated accordingly
into English did not go down well with the
Chinese colleague. Losing sleep, the student
was reassured by Mr. Yuan who informed him
that ‘not bad’ from a German was somewhat
positive. Where the German colleague went
wrong was the use of a double negative: “nicht”
[Eng: not] and “schlecht” [Eng: bad]. This
example together with many others highlighted
an important aspect for Germans doing business
in China: the ability to praise colleagues (and, in
the German sense, overly praise them) in positive
terms is a more effective strategy to motivate a
team of Chinese employees or business partners
and to get the right results.
Focussing on the positive as opposed to the
negative is not just confined to the verbal; it is
also expressed through body language, according
to Mr. Yuan. Chinese individuals often deploy
a smile, particularly in difficult situations. For
Yuan, the Chinese regard it as a sign of good
manners, diplomatic tact and good will. For a
German, on the other hand, smiling when the
situation becomes ‘ernst’ [Eng: serious] suggests
something quite different: the severity of the
situation has not been fully understood by the
Chinese business partner. Frustration is the
result. Such cross-cultural occurrences can, of
course, lead to severe miscommunication at best
and a total breakdown in confidence at worst.
Failing to trust and understand the partner will
fall short in providing a conducive platform on
which to do business.
Staying with language, Mr. Yuan emphasised
the importance of visualisation for Chinese
business partners, particularly if it regards
difficult processes and systems. In his opinion,
abstract ideas are better served in pictorial
form, because it taps into the ideographic
nature of the Chinese language, one consisting
of graphic symbols that represent ideas or
concepts. As process and systems are best served
in ideographic and pictorial form, numbers
with many digits should be written down,
i.e. visualised, to avoid confusion. Mr. Yuan
remarked that Chinese business partners have
difficulty with large numbers, although maths
skills of the Chinese are well above average. The
reason lies in the fact that after 1,000 the next
major division is 10,000 with Chinese colleagues
placing the decimal place in the wrong position,
usually providing numbers that are off by a
factor of ten.
One of Mr. Yuan’s key messages during the
seminar was how inexact German perceptions
are of China and the Chinese. German
stereotypical notions that the Chinese are polite,
traditionally-minded and modest may still
hold true in the traditional China of the rural
countryside; yet the China of the twenty-first
century is much more complex and diverse. Yuan
talks about three types of China, something
that German business contacts need to consider
when travelling and doing business in the
country. ‘Traditional China’ consists of the eldest
generations over the age of sixty and now in
retirement. This generation may come close to
Global China Insights
these stereotypical traits. ‘Socialist China’ is
aged between 45 and 60 and is the generation
that lived through the Cultural Revolution and
the implementation of the “Market Economy
with Chinese Characteristics”. The final China
is ‘Modern China’: young, dynamic, ambitious
citizens under the age of 35.
Different generations’ knowledge and
perceptions on Germany and on Germans
may differ somewhat. The ‘Traditional China’
generation generally possesses less knowledge
on Germany compared with ‘Socialist China’
and ‘Modern China’. For the latter two Chinas,
Germany and its world-famous trademark ‘Made
in Germany’ are not just characteristic of high
quality and fine engineering, but are related to
status symbols–from German fridges and fitted
kitchens to cars and home accessory devices.
Behind these products, according to Yuan, lie
the characteristics of a people as reflected in
German products which are either assembled
and sold in China or imported into the country.
For the Chinese, Germans are innovative,
perfectionist, exact and honest.
Despite these positive connotations, Germans
are regarded in China as being inflexible.
This inflexibility is illustrated in an example
provided in Yuan’s course handouts: the four
potential meanings of the word ‘yes’, even if
uttered by a Chinese business partner in English.
For Germans, as with most other Western
European cultures, a ‘yes’ would suggest the
affirmative; it is positive acknowledge of a
question or statement. However, Yuan pointed
Issue 1 July 2013
out during the course of his seminar that a
‘yes’ has four different translations with four
completely different meanings when coming
from a Chinese person: firstly, there is the ‘yes’
to signal a willingness to communicate, i.e.
“Yes, I hear you”. The second form suggests an
intellectual and acoustic understanding: “Yes,
I understand”, whilst the third takes the form
of conflict avoidance: “Yes, I don’t want to
have a conflict with you.” And finally, as Yuan
put it, the fourth yes is similar to the German
appreciation of the word: “Yes, I agree with your
opinion or description.”
This latter example goes to show the multifacetted and diverse nature of conducting
business in China. It is not without its hardships
and constraints, its misunderstandings and
miscommunication. For Germans, as with any
other Europeans, the country is wrapped up
in cultural and language differences that may
appear alien –– or to use the German––‘fremd’
as a first-timer in China. Companies who want to
do business in and with China need to undertake
considerable groundwork before departure.
Such pre-trip preparation can go some way in
dispelling prejudices and stereotypes towards
China and Chinese people. Not only that, it can
also bridge the gap between understanding and
misunderstanding. Moreover, hard and soft
skills can be gained to communicate and interact
with Chinese partners or clients efficiently and
effectively.
25
CHINA VOOGUE
CHINA VOGUE
O
ver the past 50 years, China’s
First Ladies were often overlooked due to
age and health reasons. However, Peng
has been one of the best-known public figures
in the country since the 1980s. People knew her
way before they knew her husband, Xi Jinping,
the current President of China. She is charming,
confident, vigorous and approachable. It is only
natural that the Chinese expected much from her
debut as the First Lady.
Unsurprisingly, the moment she stepped off the
plane in a classic belted double-breasted navy
long coat matched with a sky-blue silk scarf and
a simple logo-free black satchel, Peng’s stunning
look triggered unprecedented excitement among
the people. No sooner had her photos been
released on the internet than the curious Chinese
‘netizens’ started a heated discussion on what
brands she was wearing.
not wearing high-end foreign brands on formal
public occasions. However, Peng’s husband,
the new president, has called for austerity and
advocated the use of domestic brands. The First
Lady has apparently passed both tests.
All photos by
Xinhua News Agency
Her debut was successful and influential.
According to Taobao.com, the largest consumerto-consumer online shopping platform in China,
consumer search for the key word ‘Exception’
increased to 1035.6% within seven days. Of the
brand’s followers, 79% were female between
35-40 years old with above-average disposable
incomes. News from China’s largest news
agency, the Xinhua News Agency (新华社), showed
that four Exception stores in Chengdu, Sichuan
province (四川省成都市) saw an immediate increase
in their sales, and some of the very hot items,
including the First Lady’s satchel, were soon
out of stock. Up to now, Exception’s Sina Weibo
account is being followed by nearly seventy
thousand fans.
Besides Exception, the First Lady has also
increased the popularity of China’s timehonoured skincare brand called Bai Que Ling
(百雀羚). During her later visit to the Women
and Development Foundation in Tanzania, Peng
presented the brand’s skincare products as
national gifts. Unlike Exception, Bai Que Ling
Crazy as it is, I was one of them.
I remember when I was checking Sina Weibo (新
浪微博), China’s most popular microblogging site,
Dedicated Setter
of Fashion?
Huang Sangruo
(黄桑若)
Many Chinese women my age never cared deeply about politics, but recently
politics seems to have become chic and compelling in our society. In March,
China’s folk singer Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛) emerged as a diplomatic fashion star
on her first overseas trip with her husband, President Xi Jinping (习近平).
26
my friend tweeted Peng’s photo and signed off
with the words: “Wow, it seems she’s carrying
an unbranded Prada!” Being a bag-holic, I
immediately disapproved of his observation,
retweeted his post and disputed, “No! It more
resembles a Tod’s!” For the rest of the day, I
was conceitedly waiting for my precision to be
praised, and felt satisfied as many other Weibo
users shared the same opinion.
Unfortunately, when people use their ego to jump
to conclusions, the results inevitably bring about
problems. Later that day, I was shocked to learn
that the First Lady was in fact dressed in the
Chinese local fashion brand Exception (例外) that
was created in Guangzhou (广州) in 1996.
This is surprising because foreign luxury brands
are sort of status symbols in modern Chinese
society. It is hard to imagine high-profile people
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
27
china vogue
If a person likes the
brand sponsor, who
is perceived to be in
favour of the brand,
the person will like the
brand more so as to
attain psychological
balance. And who
does not love our
new First Lady?
china vogue
was founded as early as 1931 in Shanghai
(上海). The brand conjures up nostalgia of a past
age when its famous cold cream was an essential
moisturiser on many grandmas’ dressing tables.
Women my age can hardly forget how the brand
had accompanied us through our childhood.
One Weibo ‘netizen’ amusingly commented
on Peng’s gift-giving: “A leader’s wife has to
take the responsibility of marketing national
brands!” Following his comment, a quick survey
of other Weibo users’ responses also revealed
that consumers became more proud of using this
brand.
The First Lady’s appearance has even boosted
shares of three mainland-listed clothing stocks.
According to an analysis in the Wall Street
Journal, investors bet that Peng’s impact
on stocks will resemble her US counterpart
Michelle Obama, whose mentioning of J.Crew
on television in 2008 almost tripled their stock
share. However, analysts were less positive and
speculated that her impact on clothing stocks
was likely to be short-lived in China due to the
country’s “chronic inventory gluts” and “stiff
local and foreign competition”.
for this by incorporating the royal image of the
First Lady overnight. However, it is unknown
if the strategy will have a long-term impact.
Meanwhile, other Chinese domestic brands still
need to find appropriate strategies of their own
to compete with foreign brands.
Another question is, can the First Lady’s impact
lead to the creation of iconic brands or products
such as Gucci’s Jackie O bag after Jacqueline
Kennedy, Hermes’ Kelly bag after Grace Kelly,
or the Lady Dior bag after Princess Diana? We
would always see the three ladies carrying these
bags whenever they appeared in public. The
bags have come to be part of their life story and
have fashioned an identity. In his book Fashion
Brands, Mark Tungate mentions that a brand
needs to have a story to tell to succeed, and
iconic brands have created their own narratives.
Although the scope and the extent of the
First Lady’s effects are hard to predict in the
long term, I still cannot help but wonder:
assuming our First Lady will be consistent in
wearing domestic brands for her future public
appearances, will it stimulate a continuous trend
of ‘going local’ among Chinese consumers?
Although these domestic premium clothing
brands are familiar to local designers and elites,
most Chinese are unaware of them. So why
should consumers risk buying an expensive brand
that has lower recognition? The best approach
for companies is to increase their brand value.
Exception and Bai Que Ling have set an example
Overall, foreign brands still dominate the
country’s market. Seeing the First Lady in
domestic brands may wake up the Chinese
people’s national consciousness and arouse their
patriotic passion for local brands.
Inspired by the globally popular song Gangnam
Style, the Chinese people have affectionately
created the phrase ‘Liyuan Style’ to define
the First Lady’s looks. The style comprises the
Chinese domestic brands, and certainly creates a
good start for the brand’s stories. From now on,
let us just wait and see how the stories unfold.
Additionally, scholarly studies in brand
endorsement have shown that consumers tend
to associate brand sponsors with the brand.
Sponsor characteristics, such as expertise
and trustworthiness, will enhance consumer
confidence in the brand. Other psychological
mechanisms, such as the balance theory, have
taught us that people are motivated by cognitive
consistency or psychological balance, and that
they want to maintain their values and beliefs
over time. If a person likes the brand sponsor,
who is perceived to be in favour of the brand, the
person will like the brand more so as to attain
psychological balance. And who does not love
our new First Lady?
On the other hand, brands such as Exception cost
as much as many well-known foreign brands.
28
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
29
AESTHETIC
CHINA
A Beautiful
Language:
Chinese
Classical
Dance
Chinese classical dance originated in ancient
China. It combines actions and movements
from martial arts with those of classical
Chinese dance drama. There is a special
emphasis on the role of the eyes and on
breathing in the performance, which makes the
dance very expressive. Each dance is unique
in what it expresses. It is displayed in fineness
and elegance. The beauty of the body in motion
tells the inner voice of the soul. Without words,
Chinese classical dance is a beautiful language
which not only pleases the eyes, but also
pleases the heart.
30
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
Lu Xiaowei's (路晓娓) Story
Dancing is my passion, my dream. Even when
I was young, there was something inside of me
that pushed me towards dancing professionally.
I was not only good at dancing, but I loved it.
Appreciating Chinese dance as a very young
child, I began classical Chinese dance training
at the age of eight. Chinese classical dance is
not just expressive coordinated movements,
but it is also a translation of Chinese culture.
From practicing and learning from my teachers
and mentors I have learned a lot about Chinese
traditional culture.
When practicing and training, I always push
myself to the very limits of my ability to capture
what the chorographer or composer is trying
to express. As every dance piece tells a story, I,
as a dancer, am a protagonist in this story, just
like an actress playing a role in a film. I like
to take on the character in my mind, using my
body language to depict and represent the story.
Loving the limelight of the stage, I get a feeling
of ecstasy when all of the lights focus on me.
I drop any negative thoughts I might have. It is
just me, dancing and enjoying myself on stage.
I like teaching people to dance as well. For
two years now, I have been teaching weekly
Chinese dance classes. In the beginning, I only
had two students, both of whom had tentative
notions about Chinese dance. After just two
years of training with me,
their understanding of
Chinese dance broadened
immensely. Word got
around and the number of
students increased, so much
so that I now run my own
school: Susie’s Chinese
Dance School in the UK.
It is always gratifying to
hear students say “we love
you” and “we love Chinese
dance”.
In addition to my school
commitments, I also give
Chinese dance workshops in
primary schools around the
UK. I design each workshop
to the finest detail, even
using numerous props,
such as fans, ribbons and
handkerchiefs – dancing aids that are popular
in Chinese dance. It is always interesting to
see the delight of children when they use these
props in their dance performances at school.
Not only do these tangible props and their use
generate a fascination, but it has broadened
an interest among these children for China and
Chinese culture. They like asking questions about
China and, I remember, once a group of year
two students sang me a kids’ song in Chinese
after my dance class. I was taken aback. My
experience in the UK is that children generate
an interest in one subject, such as dance, that
leads into interest in other subjects, e.g. Chinese
history, language and even song.
Li Yunxuan's (李韵譞) Story
Dance is like a shadow of mine which I can never
abandon throughout my lifetime. I was born into
a family where the arts are very important. My
dad is a choreographer and my mum is a famous
singer in my hometown Shandong Heze (山东菏泽).
They treated me as a student and were always
very strict. So the memories of my childhood
are filled with practicing Chinese dancing and
singing. This precious experience helped me a lot
on entry into university. I joined the university’s
dancing team and made a lot of friends who
shared the same interests with me. We entered a
dancing competition in the University Students
Art Festival of Hebei (河北) Province together and
won first prize.
When I was a graduate student I taught
some international students Chinese language
and classical dance, from which I obtained
confidence, experience and even friendship. Now
that I have finished university with a major in
Chinese teaching, I can use my experience in
Chinese dancing in my language teaching. I have
discovered that when teaching Chinese language
to international students, paying attention to
Chinese classical dance sparks interest and fuels
enthusiasm, stimulating students to learn more
about China and Chinese culture. I have to say, in
my opinion, it is one of the most effective ways to
communicate internationally. I am very excited
that I am about to embark on a new journey
in my life as a Chinese teacher at Groningen
Confucius Institute, where I can share my
knowledge of both Chinese language and Chinese
classical dance.
31
Listening to the Rain:
Limited Translation, Infinite
Jan B.F.N. Engberts and Li Qian ( )* Enjoyment
AESTHETIC
CHINA
李茜
Here follows the Chinese and pinyin text of
the poem.
(虞美人) 听雨
少
年
12 Girls Band: East meets
Ingrid Fischer
West
A
t first glance, the 12 Girls
Band may seem like just another
pre-packaged music group of girls
groomed to be stars: pretty, young and
dressed up in beautiful outfits. A recipe for
an interesting spectacle on stage? But this
‘girl band’ truly sets itself apart from the
Western idea of mainstream popular girl
bands. For one, they do not sing, but they
play ancient Chinese instruments such as
the zither (古箏 gǔzhēng), the fiddle (二胡
èrhú), the lute (琵琶 pípa) and the bamboo
flute (竹笛 zhúdí). Also, their music mixes
the classical and the modern, bringing
together traditional Chinese folk songs and
classical music with jazz, modern rock and
pop influences.
Bringing together Chinese and Western
music was what Wang Xiaojing (王晓京), the
band’s manager and founder, had in mind
when he formed the group in 2001. His
32
reasons for combining these two seemingly
opposite worlds were twofold: he wanted
to popularise Chinese folk music; and at
the same time, he wanted to break into the
international market. The music played by
the band can be roughly divided into two
styles. On the one hand, they play wellknown Chinese folk songs, such as Jasmine
Flower Song (茉莉花 mòlìhuā) and Kangding
Love Song (康定情歌 Kāngdìng qínggē), with
modern rock, pop and jazz rhythms aimed
at popularising Chinese folk music. On the
other hand, they play well-known Western
pop and rock songs, such as Coldplay’s
Clocks and Enya’s Only Time, on classical
Chinese instruments aimed at opening up
the Western market to Chinese music. This
strategy proved very successful, and has
resulted in sell-out performances, platinum
albums and several awards in China and
Japan.
Global China Insights
雨 歌
楼 上，
烛
昏
罗
帐。
hóng zhú hūn luó zhàng.
T
he classical Chinese cultural
tradition is based upon a weaving
together of philosophy, poetry,
calligraphy and painting into a unity of
wisdom experience . In the early poetic
works, the cosmology of the Yi Jing
(易经) as well as Taoist (道家 dào jiā) and
Confucian (儒家 rú jiā) ideas are mixed in
the poet’s world view, and in later times
Buddhist elements are also introduced.
The poet shares his personal message with
the reader, putting his experiences into the
flux of the world. Good is what is seen in
nature, and there is a strong inclination
to view the human being as part of the
universe in which life evolves. The poems
are usually brief, well structured, written
in rather familiar language and aimed at
being understandable for the reader. When
reading Chinese poetry, the reader has to
relax, to open his or her heart and to listen.
Because of the rather different
cultural traditions of China and the
West, translation of a classical Chinese
poem can be a significant challenge.
Particularly important is that the translator
is sufficiently aware of the world view
of the poet; and that the language of
the translation mirrors this aspect. The
translation might well fail to do full justice
to the experiences which the poet wished
to communicate. As argued elsewhere ,
it may be better in some cases to present a
Chinese poem as “Poetry in Prose”. Despite
the obvious disadvantages, including loss
of form and metre, the version in prose
allows the use of more text to convey to the
foreign reader the emotions and experiences
of the poet without the restrictions of the
conciseness of the Chinese poem. We have
employed this approach for the short Ci
poem Listening to the Rain, written by
(1)
(2)
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
听
shào nián tīng yŭ gē lóu shàng,
红
The band is made up of 12 members, and
was formed by auditioning girls from three
top conservatoires in China: the Central
Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院 zhōng
yāng yīn yuè xué yuàn), China Conservatory
of Music (中国音乐学院 zhōng guó yīn yuè
xué yuàn) and Central University for
Nationalities (中央民族大学 zhōng yāng
mín zú dàx ué). Every member is a very
talented, classically trained musician.
The traditional instruments, the beautiful
visual presentation, and the hugeness of the
production, combined with the skills and
talents of the musicians, make for quite an
interesting show, and illustrate the ideal of
the band to create ‘Visual Music’.
Popularising traditional folk music has
already proven to be a successful formula.
In Ireland, for example, Michael Flatley’s
Riverdance, a well-known theatrical show
of Irish dancing, has helped popularise
traditional Irish folk music. Even the 12
Girls Band plays songs from this Irish show.
Now, it is time for the band to introduce a
traditional Chinese sound to the Western
world. In addition to Riverdance, Enya
and Coldplay, the band also plays songs
ranging from Take Five by Dave Brubeck
to American Christmas songs and El
Cóndor Pasa, a Peruvian folk song. To the
Western ear, their use of authentic Chinese
instruments infuses these well-known songs
with an exotic, classical Chinese sound. So,
not only do they combine the traditional
with the new, but they also bring Chinese
and Western music together. This mix of
Eastern and Western influences might make
the 12 Girls Band a good way to introduce
Western listeners to Chinese music.
(yú měi rén) tīng yŭ
Jiang Jie (蒋捷 1245 –1310), a poet from the
Southern Song Dynasty (南宋 1170 –1279).
He tells the reader his life story and we hear
about his experiences in a particular period
and environment. Three time periods are
described: as a young man, as a middleaged man and finally as a man in the later
part of his life.
He communicates his experiences while
listening to the rain. The drizzle, falling
quietly on a spring night, is symbolic of the
most precious virtue of mankind. Water has
been frequently employed as a metaphor in
Chinese poetry and philosophy . Listening
to the rain evokes an experience that
the eternal natural processes cannot be
disturbed and the poet is feeling that he is
part of them. In these poems, the Chinese
poet often articulates the truest music of the
human soul .
壮
年
听
雨
客
舟
中，
zhuàng nián tīng yŭ kè zhōu zhōng,
江
阔
云
jiāng kuò
而
今
低
断
雁
叫
yún dī duàn yàn jiào
听
雨
僧
庐
西
风。
xī fēng.
下，
ér jīn tīng yŭ sēng lú xià,
鬓
已
星
星
也。
bìn yǐ xīng xīng yě.
悲
欢
离
bēi huān lí
一 任
阶
合
总
无
情，
hé zŏng wú qíng,
前
点
滴
到
天
明。
yí rèn jiē qián diăn dī dào tiān míng.
(3)
(4)
Let the poet now speak in English as we
heard him:
Listening to the Rain
In my youth, I was listening to the rain
which gave me joy like the singing of the
girls high above in a luxurious mansion
with dim red candles and silky curtains.
(1) Engberts, J.B.F.N. (2010). The natural sciences,
In my prime, I was again listening to the
classical Chinese philosophy, process thinking,
rain when I was forced to escape from
and brain lateralization. Process Studies
my home town by boat. Travelling on a
Supplement, 16, 1–39.
(2) Engberts, J.B.F.N. and Li, Q. (submitted).
Chinese poetry and process thinking. The
challenge of translation.
(3) Engberts, J.B.F.N. (2008). Water as a
wide river with the clouds hanging low
above the water, I heard the cry of a
goose, lonely, and struggling against the
west wind. Autumn was coming.
metaphoric model in process thought. In Dibben,
And now, I am listening to the rain
M. and Kelly, Th. (Eds), Applied process thought
again. The hair at my temples is
I, initial explorations in theory and research,
(pp. 223–236). Frankfurt: Ontos Verlag.
(4) Hamill, S. (1994). Midnight flute. Chinese
poems of love and longing, London & Boston:
Shambhala.
already turning grey and I am resting
in a temple, talking to monks. I accept
sadness and happiness, separation and
reunion as yin and yang, not stirring
unnecessary emotions. Let it all be so.
*S
tratingh Institute, University of
Groningen, Nijenborgh 4,
9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Many memories come up. And then I
wake up, hearing the gentle drops of rain
falling on the stairs till the sky is bright.
33
A Taste of
Chinese Painting
and Calligraphy:
Professor Li
Junming’s (李俊明)
Art Gallery
C
hinese calligraphy is the
highest form of Chinese art. It is
the epitome of a five-thousandyear history of Chinese civilisation, and it
has evolved in tandem with the creation
and development of Chinese characters.
Nowadays, Chinese calligraphy is still one of
the most representative art forms of Chinese
cultures, and has wide practical value and
characteristic artistic value. Calligraphy
can not only bring the enjoyment of artistic
beauty, but also mould the temperament and
purify the mind.
Chinese painting is the traditional
style of painting in China. It is one of
34
Liu Bingsen (刘炳森) and Qi Gong (启功).
He has been practicing and teaching
Chinese calligraphy for decades, strongly
holding on to the inheritance and
development of traditional calligraphic art.
He has held many exhibitions of calligraphy
and published several calligraphy books
both in his home country and abroad.
He has rich experience in teaching
the oldest artistic traditions in the world
that is still practiced. It contains cultural
literacy, mode of thinking, aesthetic and
philosophical concepts, which reflect the
characteristics, temperaments and wisdom
of the Chinese people. Chinese painting uses
a brush pen dipped in black or coloured ink
to paint on paper or silk, always integrating
poetry, calligraphy and seal cutting. It
forms a unique system in the world’s
painting circles because of its distinctive
characteristics and styles.
As a calligrapher and Chinese painter,
Professor Li Junming (李俊明) describes
Chinese painting and Calligraphy as
“wordless poems” and “soundless music”.
Professor Li started learning Chinese
painting and calligraphy from his father
when he was a child, and later he was
guided by famous Chinese calligraphy and
painting educators Zhao Jiaxi (赵家熹),
AESTHETIC
CHINA
C
calligraphy and painting to both Chinese
and international students. His classes are
extremely popular among his students. He
will be teaching calligraphy and painting
courses at the Groningen Confucius
Institute this September.
Global China Insights
hinese furniture has a long
history. The earliest piece of furniture
was found in a tomb from the late
Warring States Period (战国时期 475–221
BC). Back then people knelt on mats, so the
furniture was low to cater to a lifestyle in
which people ate, slept and worked on the
ground. By the sixth century, high chairs
and tables appeared, and during the Song
Dynasty (宋朝 960–1279) you could find a
multitude of all-purposes furniture pieces.
But the real golden era of Chinese furniture
making was the Ming Dynasty
(明朝 1368–1644). Design and
craftsmanship reached new heights, and
the typical Ming style with its simple,
smooth running intricate lines and elegant
ornamentation is still very popular today.
Unfortunately, genuine Ming furniture is
very rare and hard to come by. Then, during
the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644–1911), a new
style evolved that was characterised by
increased sizes and plump and heavy feel.
Throughout the reign of the Qianlong
(乾隆) Emperor (1736 – 1795), ornate
carving and rich designs and decorations
became popular.
A piece of furniture that was very popular
during the Ming Dynasty is the kang (炕)
table. The kang table pictured here is a low
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
Living in Chinese Style
Gerlinde Pehlken
table made from elm wood, and it is more
than a hundred years old. The top is tightly
woven rattan in a wood frame. The bulging
legs end in horse-hoof feet. Europeans often
call it an opium table, but it was made for
a ‘kang’, a brick platform that was heated
from below by hot air from nearby stoves.
Kangs are especially found in northern
China where the winters can be very cold.
The two armchairs with horseshoe shaped
armrests are made from bamboo. They
were produced in the last period of the Qing
Dynasty.
Display cabinets were popular in all
dynasties, and they were widely used to
showcase antiques and rare items. This
small cabinet in the top-left picture from the
Qianlong period was manufactured in the
Guangdong province. It is very unique and
it was made for a government official who
collected small treasures. The cabinet is
made from camphor wood and is lacquered
in black and red and adorned with gold.
The doors of open lattice work remind us
of Chinese aniseed. This design has been
well known since the beginning of the 12th
century. The doors have wonderful carved
panels at the top which depict the scenes
of a Chinese story with each door hinge
etched with a poetic verse. The first says: by
washing the ink stone, the fish drinks ink.
The opposite hinge says: when boiling tea,
the crane flies away from the fire. The next
line tells us that flowers and trees prosper
in spring time. And the last verse informs us
that the ghost of the zither and the book is
everlasting. The artisan made this cabinet
for a man who admired culture, literature
and music, and it is highly likely that this
man lived in the countryside.
Today, real antique furniture is becoming
very rare in China. There is still some
furniture from the Qing period on the
market, but it is very hard to find genuine
Ming furniture. One of the reasons for that
is that the Chinese Cultural Relics Bureau
has strict rules: any item produced before
1949 is considered a cultural relic which
cannot be taken out of the country without
government permission and a red wax
seal. Furniture made before 1797 cannot
be removed from China at all. As a result,
all across China, especially in the south,
near Hong Kong (香港) and Macau (澳门),
‘Antique Markets’ are emerging. Most
of the items offered at these markets are
reproductions of older pieces, and for many
people that is just fine. They do not care
about the age and history of their item; it is
the style that matters. The true collector, on
the other hand, wants original pieces and is
willing to pay almost any price for them. To
them, owning an original piece is a glimpse
into Chinese history.
35
FEAture interview
F E AT U R E I N T E RV I E W
last fifteen years ––is that ancient Chinese
philosophy is not in contrast with modern
scientific views. It is metaphysics, what I like to
call scientific metaphysics. In natural science,
there are a number of questions that cannot
be answered by scientific methods, and those
questions are, in fact, answered or discussed in
Chinese philosophy, which I find fascinating.
I am following the latest developments in
physics, quantum mechanics, but also in bigger
systems. How did life originate on this planet for
instance? And there are new ideas now on how
life derived and these are, again, not in contrast
with traditional classical Chinese philosophical
views.
A Scientist’s Passion for Chinese
Philosophy and Poetry:
Interview with Professor
Jan B.F.N. Engberts
GCI: Is that related to your interest in Chinese
poetry?
Engberts: As for poetry, my grandfather was
a poet, and my grandmother was a translator,
who sometimes wrote poetry too, so perhaps it
is programmed somewhere in my genes. Also, I
think Chinese poetry is the most beautiful music
in the world. I like Chinese poetry very much,
also because it is so closely related with Chinese
philosophy.
What’s more, I was born and raised in Leiden,
which is a real ‘sinologist-town’. Leiden has
Interviewed by Liu Jingyi (刘婧一)
Written by Ingrid Fischer
Professor Jan Engberts is a retired professor of Physical Organic Chemistry,
who has been working for the University of Groningen since 1967. Officially
retired in 2004, he held an honorary position until 2009 and is still highly
active in the academic community, occasionally teaching and publishing
papers (so far he has published about 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals).
He is a member of various committees, referee
for international journals, guest lecturer, he
develops teaching programmes, and he also
studies scientific process philosophy. He has
lectured extensively all over the world, including
Europe, USA, China, Japan and South America.
In addition to his interest in physical organic
chemistry, he has a deep-rooted interest in
process philosophy, Chinese philosophy and
Chinese poetry, which he has researched
thoroughly, and on which he has written several
papers.
GCI: Professor Engberts, people in the
University of Groningen probably associate you
mainly with physical organic chemistry, but from
your other publications we recognise you have
great interest and numerous insightful ideas in
Chinese philosophy and Chinese poetry. How did
this interest get started?
36
Engberts: My father had an interest in
philosophy, and he had quite an extensive book
collection on philosophy. The first book I read on
philosophy was My Way to Self-Knowledge by
the Russian thinker, Nicholaj Berdjajew, but my
father also had books like Tao Te Ching
(《道德经》dào dé jīng) on the bookshelf. My
father’s book collection sparked my interest
and fuelled my youthful curiosity, and I started
reading these books. From that moment on, I
liked philosophy in general, Chinese philosophy
in particular, and I continued to study it. Then,
when I was a student in Groningen, I was also
very interested in Indian philosophy, Hinduism,
Buddhism, and I took lectures on these subjects.
I am no longer pursuing this. Although I am still
very much interested in Buddhism, my interest in
Chinese philosophy took over.
been home to quite many famous sinologists,
one of the most famous being the late Professor
Duyvendak. Currently, there are several
professors in Leiden who are well known all over
the world for their translations of Chinese poetry
and articles on Chinese philosophy. Many years
ago, I have had the pleasure of meeting one of
them, Professor Hulsewé. I spent some time at
the Institute of Sinology in Leiden, and Professor
Hulsewé invited me to his room. He showed me
his Chinese dictionary, which consisted of around
one hundred books. He was very proud of his
dictionary. Every morning, this professor came
to the Institute on his bicycle, completely dressed
in tropical clothing: white hat, completely white
jacket and trousers. He was a very traditional
person. So I have had the opportunity to
see some interesting books and meet some
interesting sinologists.
GCI: Reading interesting books and meeting
interesting people is a great way to learn and
experience different countries and different
cultures, and so is travelling around the world.
Have you ever travelled to China?
Engberts: Yes, I have been to many parts of
China and Wuhan (武汉) is one of them, where
I visited the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼). There
GCI: What do you find special about Chinese
philosophy?
Engberts: One of the reasons I am drawn to
Chinese philosophy is that I find it very beautiful,
particularly relationships to nature. As it says
in the Book of Changes (《易经》yì jīng), your
behaviour and your ethics should be in relation
with nature and natural behaviour, and I like
those ideas very much. Another reason ––
and this has really been developing over the
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
37
feature interview
FEAture interview
is one legend, about a little brook close to the
Yellow Crane Tower, where the famous Chinese
poet Libai (李白) wanted to write a poem. But
he was so impressed by somebody else's poem
already written on the wall that he said to
himself that he would not write a dedicated
poem. Then he washed his brush in the brook,
and the water turned black. And ever since that
time, the water has been black. So when I was
in Wuhan, I wanted to check if this little brook
was actually black. I found it with the help of a
local friend, and indeed the water is still black.
The poem Libai saw was about the legend of the
Yellow Crane.
GCI: Yes, it’s a great poem. In China, many
people can even recite it. Have you also heard
the story of the Yellow Crane?
Engberts: Yes, there are several versions of the
Yellow Crane story. This is one as told to me by
my friend in Wuhan.
About 1600 years ago, a young man named Xin
(辛) opened an inn near the old bridge over the
Yangtze River (长江) close to the city of Wuhan.
Business was slow; the inn did not get many
visitors. One day, an old Taoist priest came by
and asked for wine, but the sage did not have any
money. Xin gave him the wine anyway as a token
of his respect and reverence for the wise old man.
Everyday the sage returned, and to show his
38
gratitude, he painted a beautiful yellow crane on
the wall of the inn. Then something very special
happened: every night the crane came to life and
danced the most wonderful dance for the visitors
of the inn. After an hour, the crane would return
to its spot on the wall and change back into a
painting. Everyone enjoyed the crane’s dancing,
and more and more people came to visit the inn.
Business was booming. This continued for ten
years, during which time the sage was not seen
again.
But then one afternoon, the sage returned
playing on his flute. The sounds of the flute
brought the crane to life, and the old sage
climbed on its back. Xin wanted to thank the old
priest, but before he got the chance the crane
went up in the air and with the sage on his back
flew eastward over the waves of the Yangtze.
Everyone present was deeply moved by these
events, and this story has been passed on from
generation to generation ever since.
To commemorate these events, the Yellow Crane
Tower was built.
number of times, what are your observations and
reflections on the Chinese people based on your
own experience in the country?
Engberts: I have a very good friend in China,
Professor Yajiang Yang (杨亚江). He is a chemist
and he came to my group here for more than a
year after his doctoral degree and we became
very good friends. His granddaughter is our
Chinese granddaughter, because in China if you
have a good friend, then their child is also your
child. My wife and I visited him quite a few
times, and he took us on a trip through China. So
we have been to many different parts of China.
Having my friend as guide was not only very
pleasant, but also very handy, because my wife
and I do not speak the language.
Based on my experience with China and Chinese
people, I think the Chinese are hardworking,
very clever people, and they cherish friendship.
Friendship in China, also in the old philosophy,
is highly favoured, and I have seen that at first
hand. If you have a nice conversation with
someone, very rapidly a friendship develops
from that. I have developed some very good
relationships with Chinese colleagues from
working together on various projects. So, I not
only like the country and the countryside, but I
also like the people.
In Chinese philosophy,
water is also
extremely important
as a metaphor.
GCI: Beautiful story! It is really a typical
Chinese story as it always encourages people to
do good deeds to others. In stories, people who
help others usually get well rewarded, although
he or she did not expect it when he was doing
the good deed. As you have been to China a
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
GCI: You do research in Chemistry and Chinese
philosophy. The two fields seem so different from
each other. Have you found any connection or
interaction between the two fields?
Engberts: Yes, I have. Traditional organic
chemistry focuses on making new compounds,
to be used as, for example, a medicine or as a
material. So you put two compounds together
and you hope that they react, and then you
get a reaction product which is purified and
characterised, etc. I am a physical organic
chemist, which means I operate in a field
between physics and chemistry. So I look at the
reaction, but I look in detail at how the reaction
runs its course to find out the exact reaction
mechanisms. What are the rules for reactions
to take place? I try to understand why one
reaction is very fast and another one is much
slower. And my particular interest for many
years has been chemistry in water. Water is a
wonderful liquid that is not very well understood,
yet all life processes depend on water. Water is
necessary for all reactions in biological systems.
Everything that occurs in living entities must
occur in the presence of water. There is a desert
in South America that is completely dry. There
are places in this desert where there has been
no rain for perhaps ten thousand years. There
is absolutely no life because there is no water.
So water is important. In Chinese philosophy,
water is also extremely important as a metaphor.
I have written an article about that: The Earth,
Life and Water (水哉! 水哉! Shui Zai! Shui Zai!).
Traditional Chinese philosophers all mentioned
water somewhere. Confucius (孔子 kŏngzĭ)
used water, when he stood at a river and said
everything is flowing; Lao-Tze (老子 lăozĭ) used
water as a metaphor in his book; Chinese poets
used water many times. Water is fluid; it is
never the same, just as life. This overlap between
chemistry and philosophy really stimulated my
interest and research in both areas.
GCI: Do you have any future research plans for
Chinese philosophy and poetry?
Engberts: I have so many ideas that I would like
to research. One of them is to do research on
tolerance in the future. I was so impressed by the
way that traditional religions – Taoism (道 dào), Confucianism (儒 rú), Buddhism (佛 fó) – are accepted in China. People do not
fight each other because their world views differ,
unlike in other parts of the world. This struck me
most when we, my wife and I, visited Taishan
(泰山). Taishan is a very high and holy mountain
in Shandong province (山东). You can go to the
top of this mountain, where there is a beautiful
gate. Here you will find 22 temples, among
which there are Taoist (道家 dào jiā), Confucian (
儒家 rú jiā) and Buddhist (佛家 fó jiā) temples.
We were accompanied by a lady who very much
wanted to have a baby, and when we reached
the top of the mountain, she went to a Taoist,
Confucian, and Buddhist temple to pray. To
see her going to each of these temples was very
impressive. She told me that she appreciates
the ideas of all the different religions and
philosophies, so why not pray to them all. That
is impossible in the Western world. And I really
appreciate this kind of tolerance, so I would
like to do some more research on the concept of
tolerance in Chinese history.
39
Wuhan Impressions:
High Mountains and
Flowing Water
CHINA
CITY
C U LT U R E
Zhong Ziqi (钟子期). Since then, they were very
good friends. They made an appointment to meet
each other at the same time next year.
Boya kept the appointment, but Ziqi did not
show up on that day. Boya was very curious, but
he got the news that Ziqi had passed away. Boya
was so sad, as nobody would understand his
music like Ziqi did. He played for the last time
over the grave of Zhong Ziqi, then smashed his
lute because the only person able to appreciate
his music had died.
People are taking the set phrase “High
Mountain and Flowing Water (高山流水 gāo
shān liú shuĭ)” to refer to understanding and
appreciating a close friend. ‘The Lute platform’
(断琴台 duàn qín tái) was built to memorise the
deep friendship between Boya and Ziqi. The
birthplace of this renowned legend is the city
Wuhan (武汉).
For most Europeans, when talking about
Wuhan little may come to mind. Regarded as
the ‘Chicago of China’, there is more to Wuhan
than meets the eye. One reason for this saying is
the key role it plays in domestic transportation.
When looking at a map of China, Wuhan is
located at the geographical heart of China, as
well as on the banks of the Yangtze River
(长江). With its important geographical position,
dozens of railways, roads and expressways
passing through the city, it makes for a major
Teng Jiaqi (滕嘉琪),
Ingrid Fischer
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋时期 770 – 467 BC), there was a man called
Yu Boya (俞伯牙), who was a famous music master at that time. He had a good
temperament and superb skills in playing musical instruments. It is said that whenever
Boya played the lute, the wonderful music would draw the horses away from their grazing
to listen to Boya’s sweet musical sound.
All photos by
Xinhua News Agency
40
Once, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar
month, Boya was sightseeing by boat. The
moon was bright and a cool breeze was blowing
gently. With myriads of thoughts swirling
in his mind, he began to play the musical
instrument. The melodious music became more
and more beautiful when a man on the bank
shouted “bravo!” Hearing the man’s shout,
Boya disembarked from the boat, and saw a
woodcutter standing on the bank. He knew that
this man was keenly appreciative of his talents as
he understood his music.
He immediately invited the woodcutter to
his boat and, full of enthusiasm, he played the
musical instrument for him. When Boya played a
piece of music eulogizing the high mountains, the
woodcutter said: “Wonderful! The melody is as
magnificent and dignified as Mount Tai
(泰山) which reaches the sky!” When he played
a piece of music depicting the turbulent waves,
the woodcutter said, “Wonderful! The melody
is as vast and mighty as the great rivers!” Boya
was excited, and said, “Intimate friend! You are
really my intimate friend!” That woodcutter was
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
transportation hub in China. Another reason
is Wuhan’s robust industrial sector and its
educational provisions. Wuhan’s GDP ranked
number 9 among Chinese cities in 2012. It is also
the third centre of science and education after
Beijing (北京) and Shanghai (上海).
In the feature interview column, Professor
Engberts mentions the Yellow Crane fairy tale.
This fairy tale is, indeed, set in Wuhan. Today
the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼 huáng hè lóu)
still stands tall on Snake Hill (龟山 guī shān) on
the banks of the Yangtze River. It has become
one of the must-visit spots in Wuhan, enjoying
the reputation of “the first tower under heaven”
and “one of the Four Great Towers” in China.
Most Chinese people who learn about The Yellow
Crane Tower may not know of the Yellow Crane
fairy tale, yet they will know the two famous
poems: one is written by Cui Hao (崔颢) called
Yellow Crane Tower in the eighth century; and
the other is written by Li Bai (李白) called Seeing
off Meng Haoran for Guangling at Yellow Crane
Tower (《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》huáng hè lóu sòng
mèng hào rán zhī guăng líng) in the seventh
century. The famous legend of the Yellow Crane
Tower provides information about the ancient
and civilised metropolitan city of Wuhan.
The city is recognised as the political,
economic, financial, cultural, educational and
transportation centre of central China. Wuhan
comprises of three parts:
Wuchang (武昌), Hankou
(汉口) and Hanyang (汉阳),
commonly called the ‘Three
Towns of Wuhan’ (hence the
name ‘Wuhan’, combining
‘Wu’ from the first city and
‘Han’ from the other two).
The consolidation of these
three cities occurred in 1927,
establishing Wuhan as we
know it today. These three
parts face each other across
the rivers and are linked by
bridges, including one of the
first modern bridges in China,
known as the ‘First Bridge’.
Like Wuhan’s geographical
position in China, the
political role in China’s
history is also impressive.
41
CHINA CITY CULTURE
CHINA CITY CULTURE
Going through history, there are two big events
which took place in Wuhan. In the third century
AD, one of the most famous battles in Chinese
history and a central event in the Romance of the
Three Kingdoms –– the Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之
战 chì bì zhī zhàn)–– took place by the cliffs near
Wuhan, the culmination of which led to end of
the Han Dynasty (汉朝 206BC–220). Originating
in the city, Wuhan recalls an important event,
“Wuchang Uprising” (武昌起义 wŭ chāng qǐ yì),
which took place in October 1911 and saw the
overthrowing of the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644–
1911). This was the beginning of the Republic of
China.
I guess these historical feats more or less are
reflective of Wuhan people’s characteristics and
culture. The people in Wuhan are more openminded, very wise, very to the point and possess
a hot temper, which is probably down to the
hot weather. Their accent sounds like they are
shouting, even though they are not. A Wuhan
friend of mine, explained to me, in a funny way,
the reason why Wuhan people have a hot temper:
“There are many ports in Wuhan which can bring
fortune, people are so eager to occupy the ports
that is easy to fight with others.”
There is a saying that “nine-headed birds
live in the sky. On earth live the cunning Hubei
People” (天上九头鸟，地上湖北佬 tiān shàng jiŭ tóu
niăo, dì shàng hú běi lăo). People with nine heads
can see things from numerous perspectives. This
is a fitting phrase to describe Wuhan people’s
wit. Considering that Wuhan is the capital of the
Hubei province, the metaphor comparing Hubei
people to nine–headed birds can be traced back
to Chu (楚) culture in the Spring and Autumn
42
Period, which represents the history and
culture of Chu state which is located at the
middle of the Yangtze River. The nine-headed
bird is the red coloured god bird of Chu State.
Its body is shaped like a duck and it has the
characteristic nine heads. There is a legend
that the ancestor of the Chu people, Zhurong
(祝融), is the embodiment of Phoenix. The
nine-headed bird is the half man and half bird
totem image of Chu State in ancient times.
Based on archaeological finds, Chu culture
was initially quite similar to that of other
Zhou (周) states (1046 –771 BC). Later on,
Chu culture absorbed indigenous elements
as the state expanded to the south and
east, developing a distinct culture from the
traditional Northern Zhou states.
Chu province is known for its distinct
music. Archaeological evidence shows that
Chu music was annotated differently from
Zhou music. Chu music also showed an
inclination for using different performance
ensembles as well as unique instruments. For
example, the ancient musical instruments,
Zenghouyi Bells (曾侯乙编钟), which were
unearthed in 1978 in the Zenghouyi Tomb
(曾侯乙墓) in Sui County (随县), Hubei Province.
According to historical records, “it is the
largest scale and best reserved unearthed bell
in China so far. Each bell in the Bells can play
two tones with three degrees interval between
them. The tonal range of the Zenghouyi
Bells is from C2 to D7. In the middle area
of the tonal range, it can play all twelve half
tones. In addition, there are more than 2800
characters related to temperament and music
terms engraved in bells, which shows the
advanced level of Chu music.”
Chu culture is also known for its affinity
for employing shamanistic rituals, strongly
supporting Taoism (道 dào) and native
shaman folk beliefs supplemented with some
Confucian ideals and the vivid depiction
of wildlife, mystical animals and natural
imagery, such as snakes, mystical dragons,
phoenixes, tigers and free-flowing clouds and
serpent-like beings.
The special Chu culture is grown from
the local natural environment that is full of
mountains, forest and lakes.
Because there are a great number of
Global China Insights
lakes and pools, Wuhan is called ‘hundreds of
lakes city’. Lakes are very important in Wuhan
people’s daily life. East Lake (东湖 dōng hú) in
Wuhan is the largest lake within a city in China.
It is six times the size of West Lake (西湖 xī hú)
in Hangzhou (杭州). Zhu Yinan (朱乙南), a Wuhan
native who is currently a PhD student at the
University of Groningen said: “East Lake is
more beautiful than West Lake, but West Lake
is more famous. In the springtime, the shores
of East Lake become a garden of flowers with
the plum blossoms as the king and the cherry
blossom as the queen among the species. Another
famous flower is the lotus (莲花 lián huā). At East
Lake, you find fascinating gardens like the Mei
Blossom Garden, Forest of the Birds, Cherry
Blossom Garden and monuments from ancient
times, beautiful hills and green nature.”
Lakes are not only important because of the
beautiful scenery that surrounds them, but they
also affect the people’s food consumption. People
in Wuhan enjoy fresh things from the lake, like
freshwater fish, and the lotus flowers and lotus
root. Lotus root soup with ribs is the most typical
home cooked dish.
Also, there is a special Wuchang fish, known
as Tuantoufang (武昌鱼 wŭ chāng yú), which is
very famous because Chairman Mao Zedong
(毛泽东) wrote a poem about this fish. In one of
his poems, Mao Zedong said with pleasure:
“No sooner had I drank water from Changsha
than I savored Wuchang fish (才饮长沙水, 又食武昌
Issue 1 July 2013
鱼 cái yĭn cháng shā shuĭ,yòu shí wŭ chāng yú).
According to historical records, “Chairman Mao
lived in Wuhan for a very long time, he liked it
a lot. He liked to swim in the Yangtze River.”
Wuhan has a festival every year where people
swim across the Yangtze River. This festival is
in the winter, and the river is very wide and very
deep, so it is quite challenging.
It is generally said that Guangzhou (广州) is the
paradise for eating and Shanghai for dressing,
while Wuhan is a combination of both. Sitting
favourably at the heart of China, Wuhan has
gathered and mixed together various traditions
and customs from neighbouring cities and
provinces in every direction. In Wuhan, there is
a local tradition called guozao (过早), in which
local residents go out for breakfast and taste all
the new dishes brought by traders. For guozao,
no place in Wuhan is tastier or livelier than Hubu
Alley (户部巷). This breakfast street has dozens of
stalls set up with food ranging from tasty pastries
to spicy fried frogs. It is said that for three whole
months you could go there for breakfast every
morning and have a different breakfast every
day. The most typical local food for breakfast is
Hot Dry Noodles (热干面 rè gān miàn), consisting
of long freshly boiled noodles mixed with sesame
paste. There is a story behind it: in the early
1930s, there was a small restaurant operated
by Li Bao (李包), who made a living by selling
bean noodles and noodle soup near a temple
in Hankou (汉口). One day, by accident, he spilt
sesame oil over his noodles. The next day, he
eventually boiled those noodles and added shallot
and other condiments. Next morning, his noodles
soon became very popular because of their
unique taste. Many people asked Li Bao what
kind of noodle it is, Li Bao answered: Hot Dry
Noodles.
If you want to go for dinner in the evening,
then you should choose another famous street
named Jiqing Street (吉庆街). It contains
many road-side restaurants and hosts street
performers during the evening. The signature
dish of Jiqing Street is Duck’s neck (鸭脖子 yā
bó zi) which is a local version of this popular
Chinese dish, made of duck necks and spices.
High Mountains and Flowing Water, hot
weather, spicy food, smart people, splendid
history and culture –– they characterise Wuhan
as one of China’s most colourful cities.
43
MEDIA ON CHINA
MEDIA ON CHINA
China Through Different Eyes:
Lianne Baaij
A Book by Annette Nijs
A Bite of China: A Taste of
Hao Cui (郝翠) China
A Bite of China (舌尖上的中国 shé jiān
shàng de zhōng guó) is a seven-episode
Chinese documentary television series
on Chinese cuisine, produced by China
Central Television (CCTV) in 2012. It
first appeared on CCTV in May 2012, and
quickly gained popularity. The documentary
introduces the diversity of Chinese food and
cooking methods, told through stories of
ordinary Chinese people with each episode
focusing on a particular food-related
topic. The production team of about 20
people visited more than 60 places across
China in 13 months and shot more than 80
kinds of food for the seven episodes. With
topics raning from from characteristic
ingredients to various cooking techniques,
the documentary reveals a time-honoured
history of Chinese cuisine.
The series has stirred heated discussions
both online and offline. Watched millions
of times online and on TV, the episodes
have attracted an unexpectedly high
viewer audience. In a country famous for
its delicious food, audiences were initially
drawn to the series by the good-looking
food, but were later impressed by the human
dimension. The documentary tells stories
about the most ordinary people in the most
remote corners of China. These stories
remind modern people of how their Chinese
ancestors treated traditional food in a
natural and harmonious way.
The programme not only shows audiences
the value and quality of Chinese food, but
also the changes in Chinese society today.
The programme revolves around two major
themes: on the one hand, it is about food
and how it tastes on the tongue; and, on
44
the other hand, it is about the changes that
have been taking place in China over the
centuries. Food and changes in China are
closely connected. As Chen Xiaoqing
(陈晓卿), the Director of the documentary,
puts it: “We expect that audiences
will learn about the love that Chinese
people have for food and about the
fast development of the Chinese social
economy.”
A Bite of China is a pleasant way to make
the world understand China a little better.
The aim of the programme is to show the
real and true China. According to Chen
Xiaoqing, the programme is about food,
but that is not all there is to it. It allows
people all over the world to learn about
Chinese food and Chinese culture. It takes
you on a culinary journey, at the same time
demonstrating China’s vast and colourful
ancient cultural heritage.
Aside from food culture, A Bite of China
also focuses on food safety, ways of living
and inheritance of tradition. According
to Yu Dan (于丹), a famous scholar, and
a Professor of Media Studies at China’s
Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学
běijīng shīfàn dàxué), “In a time when
food safety is becoming a hot topic, A Bite
of China offers a sense of modest trust
and relief, that when there have been no
chemical additives and modern procedures,
Chinese people do also eat very well. It
shows confidence in Chinese way of living.”
At the same time, traditional methods
of cooking are demonstrated that might
otherwise be lost. Some of the people
cooking in this programme are the last in
their generation who cook the way they do.
Their children have moved to big cities, and
have no interest in learning their parents’
traditional cooking ways. Without this
programme, “their craft will be lost in the
river of history.”
The second season of A Bite of China was
launched by CCTV-9 in Beijing in January
2013. In this second season, local food
customs and social realities in Shandong
(山东), Henan (河南) and Ningxia (宁夏) will
be shown.
Episodes Season 1
1. Nature’s Gift (自然的馈赠 zì rán de kuì zèng)
2. The Story of Staple Foods
(主食的故事 zhŭ shí de gù shì)
3. The Inspiration of Transformation (转化的
灵感 zhuăn huà de líng găn)
4. The Taste of Time
(时间的味道 shí jiān de wèi dào)
5. Secrets of the Kitchen (厨房的秘密 chú fang de mì mì)
6. Balancing the Five Tastes
(五味的调和 wŭ wèi de tiáo hé)
7. Our Rural Heritage (我们的田野 wŏ men de tián yě)
Global China Insights
References
A bite of China (2013).
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_
Bite_of_China
A bite of China Season 2 launched (2013).
Retrieved from
http://en.gmw.cn/2013-02/18/
content_6722266.htm
A bite of China sparks Chinese culture and
cuisine (2012).
Retrieved from http://english.cntv.cn/program/
cultureexpress/20120601/108556.shtml
Documentary ‘A bite of China’ to hit on CCTV
(2012).
Retrieved from http://english.cri.
cn/7106/2012/05/11/102s698860.htm
Over the years I have read many books on
China. It is my hobby, my area of expertise
and how I make my living. But one book
in particular has a special place in my
heart: Annette Nijs’ China met andere
ogen [Eng: China through different eyes].
Although already published in 2009, I
still recommend this book to many of my
customers and students. What makes
it special is that the author offers an
appealing, unique perspective: China as
a role model for success and happiness.
Also, the pictures in the book, made by
‘streetologist’ Reineke Otte, are real pieces
of art that provide insights into daily
Chinese life and illustrate the views of the
author vividly.
In her book, Annette Nijs completely
sets aside the more common discussions
on human rights, corruption, freedom of
speech, labour safety and environmental
damage. In her work as executive director
of the China Europe International Business
School in China, as Vice-Minister for
Education and her work for Shell, which
have enabled her to travel to China
frequently, she learnt a lot and she has
read extensively about China, its people
and its culture. In doing so, she has seen
the downsides of China, but she was more
intrigued by the country’s many positive
aspects. Nijs does not shut her eyes to the
negative issues, but it is not the main focus
of her work. Instead, China met andere
ogen sets out to demonstrate the positive
aspects of Chinese culture, highlighting
certain values and styles of government
policy, conducting business and general life
philosophy. She provides facts as well as
details on systems and models of Chinese
Product Information
Price €24.95
Author Annette Nijs
Illustrator Reineke Otten
Language Dutch
Size 19x230x171 mm
Weight 756.00 gram
ISBN109072219473
ISBN 139789072219473
Ji, S., Wang, J. and Zhang, Y. (2012)
‘A bite of China’ fills viewers’ hearts and
stomachs.
Retrieved from http://news.xinhuanet.com/
english/indepth/2012-05/28/c_131616036.htm
You are what you eat? Try a bite of China!!!
(2013).
Retrieved from http://www.a-bite-of-china.org/
Issue 1 July 2013
Issue 1 July 2013
45
MEDIA ON CHINA
GCI Cultural Calendar
GCI OVERVIEW
Groningen Confucius Institute
society, adding to our theoretical knowledge
of China, and adding to our understanding
of China. The book offers interesting
insights, well-founded by examples and
clarifications of many well-known experts,
all of which might even be beneficial to
Western society.
The book is divided into three parts. In
the first part, the author discusses Chinese
state government. She explains the benefits
of bottom-up consultative democratic
process, which is common practice in China.
She describes how this form of governing
ensures that the population participates
actively in establishing policy. In addition,
she clarifies that China’s leaders take
good care of their people, which is largely
due to the influences of Confucian (儒家 rú jiā) principles. Finally, the efforts of central
government to stimulate innovation are
highlighted. Huge budgets are provided
and certain policies are favoured to create
an optimum atmosphere for innovation.
In other words, participation, taking care
of people and fostering creativity are
important to Chinese state government, as
reflected in its policies.
In the second part, the author discusses
how Chinese business is conducted. She
asserts that, in general, Chinese business
46
follows the Chinese economy model based
on the idea of “think nationwide, act
local”. She argues that Chinese managers
are holistic thinkers, so they take a wide
and complex range of factors into account.
This way, they are well equipped for any
situation and can rely on a fundamental
‘Fingerspitzengefuhl’. She points out
that Chinese companies are very keen on
innovation and sustainable growth. At
the same time, business in China is based
on mutual trust, which truly stimulates
successful cooperation. In this section, the
author argues that Chinese people are very
active and competitive entrepreneurs, and
that strong central leadership is vital for
the success of companies. At the same time,
a safe, innovative environment based on
mutual trust is just as essential.
The third and final part of the book
focuses on the art of living. Annette Nijs
starts by explaining how the sense of
wanting to enjoy luxury really provides
chances for Chinese markets. If people
enjoy having and using luxury products and
want to buy them, then the result is much
higher demand, for which the companies,
then, in turn need to provide. She goes on
to describe the deep respect the Chinese
have for their culture and that they are
very proud of their legacy, one which is
deeply rooted in the way people live and
lead their lives. In particular, she points out
the Chinese traditions of loyalty and social
responsibility, old Confucian virtues. She
also discusses the growing awareness the
Chinese have for their surroundings, which
is not only reflected in the environmental
policies, but is also entrenched in the
individual people’s daily lives. She finishes
by arguing that, even though there is strict
state censorship, the Chinese people’s
creativity enables them to, nonetheless, get
access to any information they want. In
short, the Chinese art of living is based on
Confucian virtues, environmental awareness
and resourcefulness.
In conclusion, this book will inspire you.
It provides a more balanced perspective
on China, also highlighting some positive
and inspiring aspects: the importance
of social responsibility and mutual
trust, environmental awareness, and the
importance of creativity and innovation.
We all know about the challenges China is
facing, but it is worthwhile to learn more
about these valuable assets Chinese culture
has to offer.
Global China Insights
The Groningen Confucius Institute (GCI 格罗宁根孔子学院) is a
partnership between the Communication University of China and
Groningen Confucius Institute Foundation, which consists of the
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the University
of Groningen and the city of Groningen. The GCI is part of a wide
network of Confucius institutes all over the world and is supported
by Hanban (汉办) China. Our goal is to strengthen the mutual ties
between China and the Netherlands and north-western Germany. By
combining our strengths and knowledge at GCI, we offer services in
the areas of language (Chinese courses and English/Dutch-Chinese
translations), culture (cultural courses, tailor-made training and
cultural events) as well as business (business training, networking
activities and consultancy).
Hanban
Hanban (汉办), Confucius Institute Headquarters as a public
institution affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, is
committed to providing Chinese language and cultural teaching
resources and services around the world. It places huge emphasis on
meeting the demands of foreign Chinese learners and contributing
to the development of multiculturalism and the building of a
harmonious world.
Functions of Hanban include making policies and development
plans for promoting Chinese language internationally; supporting
Chinese language programmes at educational institutions of various
types and levels in other countries; drafting international Chinese
teaching standards and developing and promoting Chinese language
teaching materials.
Communication University of China
Located in Beijing (北京), and with a history of almost 60 years,
Communication University of China (CUC 中国传媒大学 ) is the cradle
of many celebrated media personnel. Established with the concepts
Issue 1 July 2013
of all-encompassing communication and all perspectives of the
media, CUC is a prestigious leading university in teaching and
training high-end professionals for the media industry, including for
radio, TV, film, print media, publication, internet and new media.
Being one of the universities enlisted in Project 211, CUC has
established its curricula with two concepts: to create uniqueness
and perfection, thus maintaining excellence; as well as focusing
on what makes CUC unique and to integrate everything that makes
CUC a comprehensive university.
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen is a research university with a global
outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, City of Talent. Quality has had
top priority for four hundred years, and with success: the University
is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking
tables. In addition, the University collaborates with a number of
renowned foreign universities, including Uppsala, Göttingen and
Ghent. The University of Groningen is very popular with its 27,000
students and 5500 staff members from home and abroad. Talent
is nurtured, enabling the University to bridge the gap between
science and society. It is committed to actively collaborating with
social partners, with a special focus on the research themes Healthy
Ageing, Energy and Sustainable Society.
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Hanze UAS), Groningen, is
the largest of its kind in the northern part of the Netherlands and
is located in the vibrant student city of Groningen. Hanze UAS
has a wide variety of Bachelor programmes, Master programmes,
certificate programmes, exchange programmes, dual degree
programmes, preparatory courses and minors. In addition to its
academic programmes, Hanze UAS has various modern facilities on
campus to offer its students.
The university is also internationally oriented in the sense that it
offers various fully-taught programmes in English and works closely
together with partner institutes from all over the world. In addition,
the university is home to over eighty different nationalities.
47
G C I C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R
GCI CULTURAL CALENDAR
B oard M embers
Municipality of Groningen
Around three thousand officials support the Board of the
Mayor and Aldermen in governing Groningen and in making
and implementing the Board’s decisions. In addition to the
mayor, Groningen’s Board consists of six aldermen, each of
whom has their own portfolio. The municipality is formed of the
City Council, consisting of 39 councilors, the mayor together
with the aldermen. The majority of the 3000 officials perform
municipal tasks, such as street cleaning, rubbish collections,
facility maintenance (schools, sports fields, swimming pools
and the City Theatre) as well as providing amenities to the
general public. Groningen has an international character, not
least because it houses the University of Groningen, the Hanze
University of Applied Sciences and UMCG (University Medical
Center Groningen). Many foreign students have made this city
their home. Over the last few decades, the city has invested in its
international relations, including with a number of Chinese cities.
China Office of the City of Oldenburg
Oldenburg’s China Office, Division of International Relations of
the Municipal Business Development Department, is a strategic
partner of GCI. The China Office was established in 2007 in the
context of the city’s China Initiative. This China Initiative aims
to bring together partners from the field of economics, science,
education, culture and administration, ones who are active in the
city of Oldenburg's and in the wider Oldenburg region. Integrated
into the Business Development Department, the China Office is
responsible for the following areas:
C
onsulting on establishing contacts in China
M
ediating with partners from China
O
ffering support in all matters from partners who have contact
with China
N
etworking through regular China Roundtable meetings, the
China Newsletter and intercultural training programmes
P
reparing and accompanying delegation trips to China
S
upervising delegations to China
L
ocation marketing
E
xpo Trade Fair project
48
Dr. Peter Rehwinkel
Groningen-born Peter
Rehwinkel has been mayor of
Groningen, the northern Dutch
city since 2009. A graduate of
the University of Groningen, he
became a member of the House
of Representatives of the Dutch
Parliament (1995-2002) and
was Mayor of Naarden (20042009). He was also a Member
of the Dutch Senate (20072009). In 2010, Rehwinkel
was elected President of the
Commission European Affairs
and International Relations
of the Dutch Association of
Local Municipalities (VNG).
In the same year, he became
Chairman of the Board of the
Groningen Confucius Institute.
Recently, he was commissioned
by the United Cities and Local
Government (UCLG) to explore
the opportunities for a local
government disaster response
centre. As leader of the official
Groningen delegation
Mr. Rehwinkel visited China
several times.
Professor Sibrandes Poppema
Professor Sibrandes Poppema
was appointed as President of
the University of Groningen
in 2008. In 2012, he was
re-appointed for a second
term until 2016. Under his
guidance, the university
introduced the three focus areas
Healthy Ageing, Energy &
Sustainability and Sustainable
Society, progressing to the
top 100 in various university
rankings. In 2011, he received
an appointment as Honorary
Consul General for the Republic
of Korea in the Northern
Netherlands. Professor
Poppema serves on a wide range
of committees and boards, for
example as Chair of the Board
of the Energy Academy Europe,
Member of the Supervisory
boards for the Energy Delta
Institute and Energy Delta Gas
Research.
Global China Insights
Drs. Henk Pijlman
Chairman of the Executive
Board of Hanze University of
Applied Sciences, Groningen
since 2004. He studied History
and Frisian Language at Ubbo
Emmius College of Education
and at the University of
Groningen. After his studies,
he worked as a history teacher.
In 1985, he was elected as
a councillor for the political
party D66 in the municipality
of Groningen. In 1990, he
became Alderman for the city of
Groningen. Mr. Pijlman is also
Chairman of the Supervisory
Board of the North Netherlands
Symphony Orchestra (NNO)
and Member of the Supervisory
Board of the Groningen
Museum.
Issue 1 July 2013
Professor Su Zhiwu (苏志武)
Chairman of the Board of GCI.
President of Communication
University of China (CUC);
Trustee of the Chinese Institute
of Electronics; Associate
Director of the Beijing Institute
of Electronics in Broadcasting
and Television; Trustee of the
Higher Education Institute
of Beijing; Member of the
Information Section of the
Science and Technology
Committee; The Ministry of
Education Standing Member
of the Science and Technology
Committee of the State
Administration of Radio, Film
and Television. His research
areas include broadcasting and
television technology and higher
education management. He
served as the Dean of the School
of Engineering and CUC Vice
President before he took office
as the President in 2006.
Professor Hu Zhengrong
(胡正荣)
Vice President of the
Communication University of
China (CUC); Director of the
National Center for Radio &
TV Studies. Professor Hu is
also Chair of Journalism and
Communication Discipline
Evaluation, State Council’s
Committee of Degrees, Chair
of the Advisory Committee of
Journalism and Communication
Education in China, Ministry
of Education; Member of
the Standing Committee
of the Beijing Journalists
Association; member of the
editorial committees of Media
Asia (Singapore), Global
Media and Communication
(UK). Professor Hu has been a
research fellow at Shorenstein
Center on the Press, Politics
and Public Policy, Kennedy
School of Government at
Harvard University (2005) and
is an Honorary Doctor of the
University of Westminster.
Professor Pang Zengyu (逄增玉)
Dean of International College
for Chinese Language Studies
in Communication University
of China (CUC); Member of
Chinese Teaching Guiding
Committee of the Ministry of
Education; Standing Director
of Chinese Modern Literature
Research Association and has
also been awarded special
government allowances
from the State Council. His
research field is modern
and contemporary Chinese
literature and art criticism. He
has published 150 academic
theses and numerous influential
academic monographs. He
was the Dean and Professor
Committee Director of College
of Liberal Arts in Northeast
Normal University before he
joined CUC in 2007. He used to
be a Visiting Professor at Soka
University of Japan in 2001
and at J. F. Oberlin University
in 2003.
49
G C I C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R
GCI CULTURAL CALENDAR
M a n a g ement T e a m
E d i tors
O ffice M anager
Xuefei Knoester-Cao
(曹雪飞 ), Director of Groningen
Confucius Institute and Senior
Policy Advisor in the area of
International Relations to
the Board of the University
of Groningen. She holds a
Master's degree in International
Business from the University
of Groningen. She is also the
Board member of the European
Study Centre in Tsinghua (清华)
University and Project leader of Dutch Studies Centre in Fudan
(复旦) University, China. She has worked, among others, as a
business consultant in Shanghai (上海) and as a researcher in
economics in Netherlands Economic Institute. She has published
both in China and internationally in international business.
Dr. John Goodyear, Senior
Editor of Groningen Confucius
Institute’s Global China
Insights, Groningen, The
Netherlands; Director of
Studies and Member of
the Board of Directors of
the Academy of English,
Oldenburg, Germany; News and
Current Affairs Correspondent
on English Radio, Oldenburg;
Member of the Board of the
Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft, Oldenburg. Having worked in
China, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom as a languages lecturer,
he established the Academy of English in Oldenburg in 2009
alongside his doctoral studies in German cultural history at Queen
Mary, University of London. His research interests include the
cultural history of German soundscapes, noise and musical cities.
Jasna Ros, MA, Office
Manager at Groningen
Confucius Institute. She
holds a Bachelor’s degree
in Romance Languages and
Cultures (2001) and a Master’s
degree in Communication and
Information Studies (2006),
both obtained at the University
of Groningen. She studied
to become a Management
Assistant at Noorderpoort
College and received her certificate in 2011. Before joining GCI
in 2011, she worked as an Office Manager at the Department for
International Relations at the University of Groningen.
Dr. Liu Jingyi (刘婧一), Chinese
Director of Groningen
Confucius Institute (GCI);
Editor-in-Chief of Global China
Insights; Associate Professor at
the Communication University
of China. After her BA (1998)
in Political Science and MA
in Cultural Philosophy (2001)
from Northeastern Normal
University, she received her
PhD in Applied Communication
from CUC in 2007. One-year postdoctoral research in Media
Economics at Michigan State University (MSU) between 2007
and 2008 was followed by another academic year as a visiting
scholar on the Political Marketing Strategies programme in 20112012. Before joining GCI in November 2012, she was the Research
Director of Panmedia Institute, China’s first Media Think Tank,
between 2010 and 2012.
Ingrid Fischer, MA, Editor of
Groningen Confucius Institute’s
Global China Insights; Member
of the exam board at Hanze
University Groningen. Private
teacher of English as a Second
Language (ESL), specialised
in Chinese ESL learners. She
has a background in linguistics
with a Bachelor’s degree in
English Language and Culture
and a Master’s degree in
Applied Linguistics (cum laude), both obtained at the University of
Groningen. Having worked at University of Groningen as a research
assistant, she plans to conduct her research in the field of (second)
language acquisition in the context of new media and (possible)
emerging new literacies by joining a PhD programme.
T eachers
Teng Jiaqi (滕嘉琪), BA,
Chinese teacher at the
Groningen Confucius Institute;
Editorial Assistant of Global
China Insights. After receiving
her Bachelor’s degree
in Chinese language and
literature from Tianjin Foreign
Studies University
(天津外国语大学 ) in 2010, she
taught Chinese at a middle
school in Thailand from 2010
to 2011. She has worked at GCI as a Chinese language teacher
since March 2012. In addition, she is responsible for organising and
managing the Chinese proficiency tests and is one of the initiators
and hostesses of GCI’s monthly events, such as Chinese Evening
and the Chinese Film Club.
Zhang Di (张笛), Graduate
student at the Communication
University of China, studying
Teaching Chinese to Speakers
of Other Languages from
2012 to 2014. She has a
double Bachelor’s degree in
Literature and Law and she
holds the National Certificate
of Psychological Consultants.
Her expertise includes singing,
In the GCI management team, Mrs. Marieke Havinga and Mr. John Ebink held the post of Vice
Director from January 2011 to March 2013. Their professional background, extensive network and
constructive ideas have made invaluable contributions to the establishment and development of GCI in
the first two years. Since March 2013, they returned to their work at the Hanze University of Applied
Science and the city of Groningen respectively, through which they still retain strong links to GCI. They
continue to remain active and supportive for future cooperation.
50
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
Chinese calligraphy, tea arts, video editing and paper-cutting.
She has been working as a volunteer Chinese teacher for the GCI
since October 2012 and she is active and innovative in all her jobs,
including teaching and co-hosting cultural events. She will be the
lead teacher for the 2013 GCI Summer Camp to China.
Hao Cui (郝翠), Master’s degree
in Teaching Chinese to Speakers
of Other Languages, graduated
from the Communication
University of China in 2013.
She received her BSc in
Economics and Management of
Agriculture and Forest in 2009
and conducted her internship in
Confucius Institute in Belgrade
as a Chinese language and Tai
Chi teacher from October 2011
to June 2012. She is a Chinese Kungfu player, and she has taught
Martial Arts on the Canadian students’ training programme at
CUC. She was also a Chinese-English translation volunteer for the
European Golf Challenge Tour in Qingdao (青岛) in 2008. She will
start her work as a volunteer Chinese teacher for GCI in August
2013.
Li Yunxuan (李韵譞), Master’s
degree in Teaching Chinese
to Speakers of Other
Languages, graduated from
the Communication University
of China in 2013. She taught
Chinese listening in the
International College for
Chinese Language Studies at
CUC from March to December
in 2012 as well as short-term
training programmes for
students from Thailand and Canada. She obtained her Teacher
Qualification Certificate during her studies at university. She is a
dancer whose expertise covers both Classical dance and Chinese
folk dance. She has also been learning to play the Chinese lute for
more than ten years. She will start her work as a volunteer Chinese
teacher for GCI in August 2013.
51
G C I C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R
GCI CULTURAL CALENDAR
C ultural E vents
J anuary to J une 2 0 1 3
and quiet café Atlantis. During Chinese Evening, a cultural aspect
of China will be highlighted, for example: Chinese chess, Mahjong,
popular culture, tea ceremony, Chinese painting and calligraphy.
Every Chinese Evening, Chinese native speakers will be invited to
encourage the guests to speak and practice their Chinese.
Chinese Evening May Edition
Chinese Film Club
Film Festival
On 8 and 9 February 2013, on the eve of Spring Festival in China,
Groningen Confucius Institute organised the Confucius Film
Festival in the film theatre ForumImages in Groningen to celebrate
Chinese New Year. The Film Festival started with a reception
opened by the Mayor of the city of Groningen, Dr. Rehwinkel.
After the reception, Dr. Liu Jingyi, Chinese Director of GCI, gave
a lecture entitled On Chinese Film Culture. She vividly showcased
the development of Chinese films from a century ago, explaining
the cultural identities of Chinese films, and introducing the unique
Chinese film’s WuXia culture and the culture of film viewing in
China. More than a 100 visitors came to see three beautiful and
authentic Chinese movies: House of Flying Daggers, Together and
11 Flowers. These films reflect the characteristics of the Chinese
film culture from different angles. As the selected films are
characterised more as art films, GCI especially chose the famous
art theatre ForumImages to show the films.
52
Lecture Professor Cheng Siwei
On May 24 2013, Chinese economist Professor Cheng visited
Groningen and Groningen Confucius Institute. Professor Cheng
Siwei stated:
“Foreign companies want to do business with China have
to learn Chinese culture first. Chinese culture attaches
special emphasis on friendship, mutual understanding and
trust; overseas companies need to be patient to build up a
relationship of trust with their Chinese counterparts. Only
a deep understanding of Chinese culture can bring foreign
companies true success. A lot of foreign enterprises have
realised Chinese culture’s huge influence on business after
they have been cooperating with Chinese companies for a
number of years.”
Rounding off, Professor Cheng encouraged GCI students to go to
China as “Seeing is Believing”.
Global China Insights
On the evening of 5 April 2013, GCI launched the monthly
event ‘Chinese Film Club’. Chinese Film Club takes place every
first Friday of the month. In each Film Club, different Chinese
movies will be shown, which will give the audience an insight into
Chinese social life and culture. Every Film Club starts with a short
introduction to the movie and ends with a discussion. GCI aims to
enhance the understanding of Chinese culture and to stimulate the
interest in Chinese language learning. As the debut of this event,
we selected the Chinese film ‘Gua Sha’, which vividly reflects the
difference between Chinese culture and Western culture. GCI
teacher,
Ms Zhang Di, hosted this activity. The audience consists of GCI
students and also Chinese people living in Groningen. They shared
their curiosity and interest in the traditional Chinese therapy ‘Gua
Sha’ and also their enjoyment of the touching film. Some were
deeply moved to tears while they laugh at some funny and awkward
moments. GCI hopes to link students and GCI tightly through this
activity and create more opportunities for local residents to get
close to Chinese film and Chinese culture.
Chinese Evening
On the evening of 19 April 2013, GCI launched the monthly event
‘Chinese Evening’ at Café Atlantis in Groningen, hosted by Ms.
Gineke ten Holt. Chinese Evening is a monthly event which takes
place every third Friday of the month. In this event, we aim to
bring people together who are interested in practicing their Chinese
language skills and in tasting Chinese culture in the comfortable
Issue 1 July 2013
24 May 2013, Tasting Hong Kong Food, Sharing Food Culture,
Learning Fun Idioms, Speaking like a Chinese.
At this event, co-hosted by Gineke ten Holt, Teng Jiaqi, Siu-Hong
Chung as a special guest host introduced many kinds of Hong Kong
snacks and gave a detailed introduction on Hong Kong food. The
attendees tasted delicious Hong Kong snacks, enjoyed the Hong
Kong food culture and learned idioms related to food, for instance:
“津津有味 jīn jīn yŏu wèi, 细嚼慢咽 xì jiáo màn yàn, 狼吞虎咽 láng tūn hŭ
yàn”.
Experience China in SKSG Picasso Center
On 22 May 2013, Chinese teachers Ms. Zhang Di and Ms. Teng
Jiaqi brought Chinese songs and Chinese Study Treasures to
Picasso, a SKSG Centre (Local Childcare Centre). By singing and
painting, the children (2 – 4 years old) got a glimpse of Chinese
arts.
Jiaqi started by teaching the children how to say hello in Chinese
and how to sing a Chinese song. Zhang Di showed them how to
use the paintbrush, rice paper and ink to make a magical painting
of a cute panda. The little students were all immersed in Chinese
song and painting, even those who were too young to really paint a
panda, but they loved painting very much. Finally they all finished
their own ‘works’. This was the second time for GCI teachers to go
to Picasso and GCI intends to create more opportunities to expose
Chinese culture to young children in the future.
53
G C I C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R
GCI CULTURAL CALENDAR
upcoming events
1. T
he Conference of
Chinese Language
Teachers in the
Netherlands
Date: Saturday 29 June 2013
Location: Jaarbeurs,
Jaarbeursplein 6, Utrecht,
The Netherlands
Time: 1.45 pm – 6.30 pm
Time: 7.30 pm – 10.00 pm
The Academy of English
shall hold its monthly
English language Meet-UpGroup on 2 July to mark the
sixteenth anniversary of the
British handover of Hong
Kong to China. Together
with an exhibition of Hong
the first edition of Global China
Insights shall have its first
German launch to much fanfare
and celebration: Chinese music,
Chinese tea and Chinese food.
3. Chinese Evening
Dates: Every third Friday of the
month
Location: Café Atlantis,
Gedempte Zuiderdiep 61,
Groningen, The Netherlands
Time: 8.00 pm – 10.30 pm
Chinese Evening is a monthly
event which takes place every
third Friday of the month. In
this event, we aim to bring
people together who are
interested in practicing their
Chinese language skills and in
tasting the Chinese culture in
the comfortable and quiet Café,
Atlantis.
Topics:
July Judge Di: A Chinese
Novel from a Dutch Writer
August Chinese Jokes
September Chinese Version
of International Brand Names
October Chinese Calligraphy
November Weiqi
December Chinese Regional
Accents and Dialects
movies will be shown, which
give insights into Chinese
social life and culture. Every
Film Club starts with a short
introduction to the movie and
ends with a discussion.
Students of GCI are invited to
join this Summer Camp to learn
Chinese and experience Chinese
culture in China, enabling them
to experience the realities of
China.
5. Summer Camp
6. Noorderzondag at
Noorderzon Performing
Arts Festival
Date: 6 July to 20 July
Location: China
This year, GCI organises its first
Summer Camp in cooperation
with the Communication
University of China (CUC).
Date: Sunday 25 August 2013
Location: Noorderplantsoen,
Groningen, The Netherlands
Time: 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm
Date: Tuesday 2 July 2013
Location: The Academy of
English, Alter Postweg 125,
26133 Oldenburg, Germany
54
Kong pictures and English
presentations on the city, the
Academy of English shall
officially open its newly
designated China Room. Held in
the partner city of Groningen,
8. Chinese Day
Date: Saturday 28 September
2013
Location: Waagplein,
Groningen, The Netherlands
Time: 11.00 am – 4.00 pm
Chinese Day is a special event
to celebrate the traditional
Chinese Mid-Autumn festival
and demonstrate Chinese
language and its rich culture.
During the day, you will
experience China in the most
magnificent way possible with
performance of Chinese dance,
Martial Arts and Music!
Tai Chi Course
Chinese Song course
Chinese Lute course
Chinese Dance courses
Tea Culture and Tea
Ceremony Course
Taiji Bailong Ball (Roliball)
course
7. China Dichtbij (Closer to
China)
Date: Thursday 10 October
2013
Location: Oude Boteringestraat
19, Hanze Sociëteit Groningen,
The Netherlands
Time: 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm
On 10 October, there will be
a networking event for the
people who have an interest in
China and would like to find
chances of studying, working
and developing cooperation
with China’s companies in
Groningen. It is a place to
meet people and discuss their
activities with China. The
conversations can be business
oriented, but you can also
come to practice your Chinese
language skills! GCI offers the
first drink.
4. Chinese Film Club
2. E
ast meets West in
Oldenburg
Noorderzon Performing Arts
Festival is a 10-day annual
music and theatre festival
which takes place in a beautiful
park in Groningen. On the last
Sunday of the festival, GCI will
be there to give people a taste
of the Chinese language and
culture.
Dates: Every first Friday of the
month
Location: Groningen Confucius
Institute, Oude Boteringestraat
42, Groningen, The Netherlands
Time: 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm
Film Club is a monthly event
which takes place every first
Friday of the month. In each
Film Club, different Chinese
Chinese Culture Courses:
I n addition to all levels of
Chinese Language Courses, we
will offer more cultural courses
from September to December:
Chinese Calligraphy Course
Chinese Painting Course
C
hinese Wushu (Martial
Arts) Course
Global China Insights
Issue 1 July 2013
55
T H E editorial team
From left to right: Dr. John Goodyear; Dr. Liu Jingyi (刘婧一); Ingrid Fischer, MA; Teng Jiaqi (滕嘉琪), BA.
Oude Boteringestraat 42
9712 GL Groningen
The Netherlands
56
T +31
50 - 363 46 88
E info@confuciusgroningen.nl
I www.confuciusgroningen.nl
Global China Insights
57
ISSN 2214-5761
58