Dealing With The Pressure to Marry on Chinese Singles

In contemporary Chinese society, there is still a constant pressure to marry on Chinese singles. This pressure has been perpetuated by the one child policy, as parents focus all their attention on the success of their one child. Having your parents wanting you to have a good career and marrying someone you love, is true the world over, but for most young Chinese adults they don’t have the respite from parents also focusing on other kids.  

In China there also remains a strong connection to family lineage. Retaining the family last name and continuing the family line is extremely important in a society that is traditionally very hierarchal and patriarchal. Ensuring this continuation becomes less guaranteed in families that only have one child, especially if the children keep putting marriage off in favor of a career and independence.

Source: http://www.abcsources.com/

Looking after ones elders

A further stimulus for Chinese children to get married is the lack of clear-cut government pensions and welfare schemes. Although many changes have been made in the past decade, state pensions are still not sufficient to live off, meaning most citizens’ will not be financially secure after they retire. Children and grandchildren have become vital ‘assets’ or financial security blankets for their elders. This financial security blanket becomes much more stable if there are two incomes supporting it; hence the need for marriage.

This pattern is then repeated for future generations as the average earner is unable to save for their own future when they are supporting older generations, and as such it becomes important that their own children become successful and marry too.

Finding a partner, parents weigh in

Parents are always ready to give a helping hand, even when it comes to finding a partner. This readiness to match-make their children can be seen no more clearly than at one of China’s ‘marriage markets.’ Parents go there to advertise their children by hanging up fliers, in the hope of finding them the perfect match. These fliers provide details of their most beloved, such as education, economic situation, and housing (as well as other assets, like a car). Some parents will also follow the traditional zodiac in order to find their child’s perfect match. 

The ‘Leftovers’: are they really that or was it a choice?

Since the 1980s, the one child policy has lead to abortions and gender discrimination, and left Chinese society with a demographic structure suffering from a severe gender imbalance, with some 117 boys born for every 100 girls in 2012, making finding a partner that much harder. For those who do not find partners, life can become quite miserable; some will feel dejected or feel an embarrassment to their family. This is especially so in the countryside, where attitudes towards marriage are still very traditional. On top of this, social welfare systems in the countryside are even less sturdy and so parents rely even more on children to fund their later years of life.

In addition to men in the countryside struggling to find wives, there is a phenomenon of single women over the age of 27 living in urban areas, who have been rather cruelly  labeled ‘leftover women’. But many of these are not ‘leftovers’ in any sort of way. It wasn’t that they were never chosen, but rather that they chose different priorities for their own life. These women are often highly-educated and successful, choosing to focus on education and careers rather than finding a partner straight away, are ‘modern and progressive’ in the sense that they are independent and feel strongly that they don’t need a man, or have very high standards.

Fake relationships and the LGBT community

Heading home for the holiday is often a dreaded experience for singles in China. The entire focus is on this person being single, throughout the direct and extended family. Women even report being terrified of picking up the phone to their family members while they are not at home, as all relatives in the extended family will frequently call up to ask whether or not they have found a boyfriend or even husband.

But commercialism has found a solution to these problems. There has been a growing number of websites and advertisements offering their services to be a pretend boyfriend or girlfriend for a family event, or even for a long visit home. These advertisements appear even more frequently around national holidays. Having a fake boyfriend or girlfriend, or even husband or wife, can ensure a decrease in pressure to marry on Chinese singles as family member no longer pester.

This option has become especially popular in the LGBT community, where gay men and lesbian women will often get together andsometimes even marry, in order to please their parents. In many cases, this couple will not actually live together, but will pretend to be in a relationship when they return to visit their respective hometowns.

However, there are many negative aspects too. Lying to family about their love life, many adults may feel themselves further distanced from their parents. This is during a time when youngsters tend to move out from their parents house earlier than their previous generation, and when individuality and independence is already on the rise.

The times they are a-changing

In first tier Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai, traditional ideas surrounding marriage and dating are changing. As well as the so-called ‘leftover women’, many Chinese men are not getting married at such young ages in favor of other aspects of life such as education, careers, and individuality.

Last month, the Chinese government proposed changes to the one child policy; specifically that for couples where one of the two is an only child they will be able to have two children. This, alongside changing attitudes, may help to relieve some of the pressure on marrying young, as having a sibling may deviate some of the pressure and attention on that one child to carry on the family name, and retain the family pride.

5 Must-Visit Historical Former Residences in Guangzhou

A stroll through modern-day Guangzhou will reveal a wealth of glitzy international malls, fragrant local eateries, trendy youth meandering through the lively shopping and nightlife districts and the general hustle and bustle of a booming Chinese city. But among the city’s thriving streets lie a number of buildings of major historical significance: former residences of famous and influential figures from China’s past. Brush up on local history and visit these five former residences in Guangzhou.

1) Lu Xun Memorial Hall 
Lu Xun (September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936) is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century. Though he was an influential essayist, he is probably best known for his collection of short stories which present his personal vision of Chinese society through vivid analogies and colourful characters. Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, Lu Xun lived at 215 Wenming Road in Guangzhou from February to September in 1927. While living here, Lu penned an impressive 43 essays, ten translated articles and 180 letters.

The memorial hall, which was once Zhongshan University, occupies 1,900 square meters and displays his bedroom (which also doubled up as his work space), emergency meeting room and registry office. Visitors can also see manuscripts and other historical items as well as learn about Lu Xun’s revolutionary deeds.

Add: 215 Wenming Lu, Yuexiu District, Guanzghou (near Guandong Provincial Museum)
地址：广州市越秀区文明路215号(近广东省博物馆), 鲁迅纪念馆
Tel: 020 8383 8432
Price: free
Opening hours: 8:30-17:00
Getting there: take bus No. 11, 40, 54, 65, 80, 184, 222 or 236 to Yuexiu Zhonglu (越秀中路)

Former Residence of Zhan Tianyou . Photo: http://www.abcsources.com

2) The Former Residence of Zhan Tianyou 
Zhan Tianyou (26 April 1861 – 24 April 1919), “the father of China’s railroad”, was responsible for the first railroad constructed in China without foreign assistance (from Beijing to Zhangjiakou). A Guangzhou-native, Zhan was chosen to study in America at the age of 12 and graduated from Yale University with a BA in civil engineering. Upon his return, Zhan’s contribution to China’s railway development cannot be understated.

The quaint former residence at 42 Yacai Lane includes a small garden that adjoins the neighboring primary school, and displays a large number of historical artefacts including a bell used on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway, drawing instruments used by Zhan, ink containers, calligraphy books and numerous documents hand-written by Zhan himself.

Add: 42 Yacai Lane, Enning Lu Shi’erfu Xijie, Liwan District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市荔湾区恩宁路十二甫西街芽菜巷42号, 詹天佑故居纪念馆
Tel: 020 8137 7281
Price: free
Opening hours: 8:30-16:30, closed Mondays
Getting there: take metro line 1 to Huangsha station, exit B. Alternatively, take bus No, 2, 3 or 8 to Enning Lu (恩宁路)

3) The Memorial Museum Of Generalissimo Sun Yat-sen’s Mansion
This nationally protected cultural heritage site was the former residence of Sun Yat-sen, the “father of China’s republic revolution”. During his time at this mansion, Sun made a number of political decisions that had far-reaching consequences for the political and historical course of China. From here, he initiated the Constitutional Protection Movement, suppressed the Armed Rebellion of the Guangzhou Merchants Group and perhaps most significantly, envisioned the first cooperation between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang.

Spread over 8020 square meters, the memorial museum is comprised of two Western-style buildings with a square in the west and a gate tower. It houses a permanent exhibition that includes photos and archives, but temporary themed exhibitions also tend to be held here from time to time.

Add: 18 Dongsha Jie, Fangzhi Lu, Haizhu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市海珠区纺织路东沙街18号, 大元帅府纪念馆
Tel: 020 8901 2366
Price: free
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, closed Mondays
Website: http://www.dyshf.com/
Getting there: take bus No. 8, 11, 24, 121a, 121, 131a, 131b, 182 or b21 to Dayuan Shuaifu (大元帅府站)

4) Deng Shichang Memorial Hall 
Deng Shichang (1849 – 17 September 1894), a Guangzhou native, was a military officer in the late Qing Dynasty, hailed for his courageous battle against the Japanese during the First Sino-Japanese War. After moving up the military ranks, Deng became the commander of the battle cruiser Zhiyuan, which came under Japanese fire on September 17, 1894. After being shelled by the enemies and blowing up in flames, Deng reportedly refused to evacuate the sinking ship and went down together with 245 officers.

The memorial hall is based within the Deng Clan Hall where Deng Shichang was born. The hall displays almost 600 photos, photocopies, sculptures and other artefacts related to the war hero. The courtyard also contains a peanut tree planted by Deng himself and a well.

Add: 2 Zhonglong Xianli, Baogang Dadao, Haizhu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市海珠区宝岗大道中龙涎里2号, 邓世昌纪念馆
Tel: 020 8439 1036
Price: free
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
Getting there: take bus No. 53, 113, 121a, 121, 243, 244a, 244, 250, 270, 273, 527, 530 or b8 to Baogang Dadao Zhong (宝岗大道中)

5) Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King 
This mouthful of a museum is dedicated to Zhao Mo (137 BC – 122 BC), the second King of Nanyue. In 1983 an impressive, well-preserved tomb was discovered 20 meters underground, constructed of 750 large stone slabs. At over 2100 years old, the tomb is the most important historical find in the region and the number of jade artefacts uncovered from the tomb is the largest ever found.

Nowadays, the museum is comprised of the original tomb and two exhibition buildings that cover 14,000 square meters of floor space. On display are over 10,000 artefacts including the above mentioned jade, as well as pottery, porcelain and ancient kilns. As well as exhibiting the treasures of the tomb, the museum has become an important educational center to learn about the history of Guangzhou, with regular temporary exhibitions held to promote knowledge of the region.

Add: 867 Jiefang Beilu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区解放北路867号, 西汉南越王博物馆
Tel: 020 3618 2920
Price: 12RMB/person
Opening hours: 9:00-17:30
Website: http://www.gznywmuseum.org/
Getting there: take metro line 2 to Yuexiu Park, Exit E

China’s President Xi Jinping Lines Up to Buy Steamed Buns

China’s president, Xi Jinping, was out and about in Beijing Qing-Feng Steamed Dumpling Shop Yuetan Store this week and showed citizens that he too is capable of servitude. Not only did he line up to buy his steamed bun from a small vendor, he also worked as a waiter, serving the buns to unsuspecting customers.

The owner of the bun shop didn’t know that December 28 would be his lucky day and was very surprised when his country’s leader showed up to perform the service. Once Xi had finished his shift, he joined a few of the patrons in sharing the buns he had worked so hard to sell.

The president’s appearance has lit a popularity fire for the little shop which has since seen more than 400 customers a day lining up to try a sample of the ‘bun fit for a president’. The meal, no called ‘The Chairman’s Meal’ consists of two large pork buns and a portion of onions, accompanied by a side of mustard. The meal will cost you 21 RMB. One customer even drove all the way from Wuhan to try the now-famous meal.

Two Americans Cyclists Reach the End of the Road in Shanghai

http://www.abcsources.com

Morgan and Chris set off from Paris in March 2012, and at 18:00 on December 12 reached Shanghai’s Chenyi square China. En route they have travelled throughout China, from Xinjiang to Yunnan, to Guangxi and Guangdong among others.

They met when they were 14 and decided to do this trip as a way to improve their writing and see the world. In addition to the many blog posts on their website postulateone, they have written for the Atlantic, Forbes and National Public Radio.

Having made us all feel lazy, they can now have a long sleep.

Finding the Perfect Gift to Bring Back to China: Its Harder Than You Think

Trying to shoulder your way into the fray of Chinese gift-giving culture is hard for many expats, and when it comes to finding the perfect gift to bring back to China from home, it gets even harder. In China, your relative social standing matters—if you’re living large and rely on your friends or business partners to keep you in money and lucrative contracts, then your gifts should strengthen those ties. If you’re an English teacher with the world’s cutest group of students, maybe you want to reward the kids for good behavior with something exotic from abroad.

Unless you come from a tourist Mecca where gift shops are as plentiful as tour buses, it might be hard to figure out what kind of souvenirs represent the place you’re from. On top of that, even if you are from Las Vegas, Rome, Sydney or somewhere else where touristy keepsakes are found by the bucketful, you have to make sure that the neat-O item that you just picked up in the gift shop is not actually manufactured in China. Bringing back made-in-China items won’t impress anyone.

Source: http://www.abcsources.com/

The best gifts from home can be divided into these categories:

1) Luxury 
These will probably be the most appreciated gifts. Giving gifts in China is a lot about giving and receiving face. Nothing does that better than an expensive gift. The more expensive and/or luxurious that item is said to be, the more face it represents.
Luckily, some things that are considered luxury items in China are actually cheaper abroad. One example is jeans. Original Levis jeans are quite expensive in China but can be relatively cheap in the USA. They’re practical too— I brought a Chinese friend a pair of 501s back home five years ago and she still wears them. Famous/world brands of chocolates (think Godiva), handbags and liquors or cigarettes will also be snatched up with Golem-like avidity.

An important note: when offering luxury goods, be sure to include all original packaging—this will make sure to show them that you didn’t just pick up a knock-off at a street-side market right here in China.

The problem with bringing luxury goods back as gifts is that it isn’t a very personal gesture. And, unless you really are the “rich foreigner” stereotype, it can take quite the chunk out of your travel budget.

2) Made in (insert country here) 
Shoppers, beware of that insidious “Made in China” sticker. To really get people ooh-ing and ahh-ing, make sure that there’s a prominent label (or hopefully, flags splashed on the packaging) that says that whatever you’ve gotten them is made somewhere other than the Middle Kingdom.

Wine can be a good gift, as are candies or treats iconic to your home country.  When buying food, however, keep Chinese taste buds in mind (our sweets may be too sweet or too rich for people who don’t often partake of Western fare). Think Reindeer sausages from Finland, real Champagne from France, Canadian smoked salmon as edible regional specialties are often a safe bet for gifts.

However, be sure to keep in mind the ‘who’ as well as the ‘what’ of what you’re offering. Canadians bringing back bottles of maple syrup have often met blank stares from their Chinese counterparts. The reason? Chinese don’t have a clue (or a North American pancake) what they’re supposed to eat it with.

3) Practical 
For a more personal touch, think about finding things your friends or colleagues could actually use. Are they studying English and need a good textbook? Do they love to drink coffee but can’t find a good French press here?

Odds are, if you comb the web long enough you’ll be able to purchase just about anything you want in China and get it delivered. But if you know there’s something that a friend could really use, it is more heartfelt to go to the trouble of getting it for them abroad and bringing it back.

In this category, if you’re looking for gifts for your female friends or colleagues, you might consider buying some skin creams, hand lotions or other cosmetics. Anything that has an “organic” or “100 percent natural” guarantee will probably be appreciated.

4) Homemade or handmade 
A woman I met through the Couchsurfing.org travel group told me she always brought hand-knitted and crocheted dish towels to give when she was travelling through China. She said they were useful, colourful and her Chinese hosts always appreciated them.

A personal, framed greeting card, handmade jewellery from the artisan’s fair in your hometown, carved wooden toys for kids—any of these will make a special gift for your Chinese host, friend or acquaintance.

Know, however, that some people will think that if you made a gift yourself, you’re just being too cheap to spend money to give them something. Consider the recipients before taking this route.

Finding the right balance

To summarise, when you’re making a list of perfect gifts to bring back to China to give to your guanxi network, think either a) expensive, or b) unique. Even when bringing stuff from these categories, it’s still hard to find the right balance between something great and something that your intended recipient will actually like. Either way, the gift should be something that they can “brag about” to their friends or, if they really don’t want to use the item (or maybe if it’s “too nice to keep”) be able to re-gift to another friend to help them garner some more face of their own.

Drown the Night Away: 5 Popular Expat Bars in Wuxi

Wuxi is not exactly known as a nightlife capital which makes finding a good bar all the more challenging. But with alcohol revenues in China growing at a yearly average of 27.2 % and bar culture creeping into more Chinese cities than you can keep track, you can be sure to find a suitable place to guzzle your worries away. Here are five of the most popular expat bars in Wuxi.

Red Lion, Wuxi. http://www.abcsources.com

1) Red Lion
A relatively new bar in the Wuxi nightlife scene, the owner of this bar is an Australian expat (who used to own Blue Bar) and the chef at the helm in the kitchen was a former chef at the Indonesia Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. Red Lion – with its sold selection of food, cocktails and beers – has quickly turned into one of the most popular expat hangouts in Wuxi. The bar hosts regular events from live bands to comedy acts to open mic nights (on Tuesdays).

Add: opp. Nikko Hotel, 12-2 Nanxiatang Nanchang Jie, Nanchang District, Wuxi
地址：无锡市南长区南长街南下塘12-2号(日航饭店对面)
Tel: 150 5213 9791
Opening hours: 17:00-late
Getting there: 乘坐27路或106路公交车在金塘桥站下车可达

2) Blue Marlin
Founded in 1999 in Suzhou, Blue Marlin has branched out with a whopping ten bars in the Zhejiang/Jiangxi area. Part of the bar’s success has been in providing a “home away from home” atmosphere complete with authentic Western dishes and a solid selection of imported beers. The bar’s specialty is their hand shaken cocktails and long frozen drinks; to enjoy these without breaking the bank head there on a Tuesday when it’s buy-one-get-one free on all cocktails. With monthly themed parties, live bands, drink deals and other events, Blue Marlin looks set to stay.

Add: 19 Yangchungang, Yongle Donglu, Nanchang District, Wuxi
地址：无锡市南长区永乐东路9号阳春巷19号（近日航酒店）
Tel: 0510 8503 8857
Opening hours: 10:00-02:00
Website: www.bluemarlin.cn
Getting there: take bus No. 15, 19, 27, 32, 41, 55, 62, 92, 113, 502, 505, 765 or 767 to Miaoguang Qiao (妙光桥) stop

3) Blue Bar 
One of Wuxi’s longest running gastropubs, Blue Bar is a no-frills place that provides everything a punter needs: good drinks, a foosball table, dart board, a laid back atmosphere and a steady stream of expat customers. They serve standard Western food such as burgers and chili cheese fries and have happy hour food and drink deals throughout the week.

Add: 53 Zongning Lu, Chongan District, Wuxi
地址：无锡市崇安区崇宁路53号(公安局对面)
Tel: 0510 8275 9866
Opening hours: 17:00-02:00
Getting there: take bus No.3 to Jianchayuan (检察院) stop

4) Paulaner Bräuhaus
Since opening its first location in Beijing over 20 years ago, Paulaner Bräuhaus has taken China by storm. In Wuxi, the German beer emporium can be found on the first floor of the Kempinski Hotel and just like its international branches, has expert brewers who ensure customers are always served top quality brews. Paulaner Bräuhaus is not cheap but it is one of, if not the best spot in town to enjoy authentic Bavarian food and drinks. The Bavarian atmosphere is further channelled through the nightly foreign bands who provide musical entertainment every night of the week.

Add: 1F, Kempinski Hotel, 18 Yonghe Lu, Nanchang District, Wuxi
地址：无锡市南长区永和路18号凯宾斯基1楼(近太湖大道), 普拉娜德国啤酒屋
Tel: 0510 8108 8420
Opening hours:11:00-14:00; 16:30-24:00
Getting there: take bus No. 29 or 57 to Yonghe Lu (永和路) stop

5) Jason’s Bar
Jason’s Bar is great for a more quiet night out, with jazz, blues, Latin and American country music being the soundtrack of choice here. Owned by an American expat, Jason’s Bar has a free foosball table, dart board and large TV screen for airing live sports games.

Add: 93-95 Xintiandi Holiday Plaza, 8 Changjiang Lu, New District, Wuxi
地址：无锡市新区长江北路8号新天地假日广场93-95号(近汉江北路)
Tel:  0510 8522 1198
Opening hours: 18:00-02:00 (Sat-Sun, 15:00-02:00)
Getting there:
乘坐36, 70, 76, 765, 新世界国际专线公交车在长欣公寓站下车可达

Overseas Returnees Open Baozi Shop in Chengdu

In this Chinese translated report, the spotlight is shone on five such overseas returnees; who not long ago opened a baozi (steamed bun) shop in Chengdu despite none of them knowing how to make baozi. This decision may sound surprising but the following article explains that it is in actuality a very normal thing to do for these overseas returnees.

Source: http://www.abcsources.com/

According to CCTV, this year marks the highest number of overseas returnees coming back to China. Asked why they chose to come back to work in China, the majority claim that it is because of family. Returning doesn’t stop them dreaming though.

The dream for these five returning students has manifested itself in the form of a baozi shop in the city of Chengdu. This particular baozi shop is run by two overseas students, two former students that studied at US universities, and a graduate from the Southwest University of Communications.

The baozi shop hasn’t been open long

At 04:00, I arrived at Ximianqiao First East Street, a road that is lined by a dozen or so shops. On this street sits the “Vigor Fresh Juice Handmade Bun Shop”, opened by Lu Huaishu and her friends. The store is white with orange highlighting and looks fresh, inviting and eye-catching.

At 05:30 when the skies begin to gradually brighten, business at the baozi store starts to pick up; the store bustles as many customers come to buy buns. Today, Xie Shiyu is managing the store. She wears a work apron, stands at the cashier, and prepares to begin work. “Two meat buns and two mantou; all together, that will be 5 and a half RMB…”

Five young people cooperate on this one venture

One day this past July, Lu Huaishu met Wei Tao after the two were introduced by Cai Zhengyu, “Everyone chatted very happily, and we talked about all sorts of topics; in the end, we spoke about breakfast.” After returning from abroad and seeing the noodle shops throughout the large, and small, streets of the Chengdu, Lu noticed that the pace of the city was very quick, and that eating noodles took up too much time. She kept worrying about this state of food. “I can’t remember who first brought up the idea of opening a baozi store, but everyone agreed upon it. We talked about it until 01:00 the next morning.”

They were all very excited but waited a couple of days before finalizing their plans to open a baozi shop together. “After two days’ worth of consideration, we were all still committed to the idea,” said Lu. The five of them then began a city-wide investigation, “We looked into family-run stores in Chengdu which seem to be operated mostly by people from Anhui and Hubei Province.” Invigorated, they spent every morning and evening closely observing these baozi stores during peak times and making detailed reports: “Every half an hour we would take records of the rate of customers these stores would have and compile this information into a report.”

After about two months of investigation, Lu and her business partners established a detailed business plan as well as picking out a store front from which to set up their business. “At the time, I wanted to apply for an enterprise fund from the YBC China International Young People Enterprise Plan. We had written out a business plan that covered every last aspect of the business: advantages, market, competitors, prices, and future development.”

They also decided that each of them would invest tens of thousands of dollars towards opening the baozi shop.

Abandon the high international salaries, return home to start a business

Lu Huaishu was born and bred in Chengdu, China. During university she took the US TOEFL examination, and was subsequently admitted into the News Media Academy of Missouri where she majored in advertising. In 2010 after she graduated, Lu was quickly offered a position in an Ohio advertising firm. But one year later she returned to China.

When she first raised the idea of coming back to China, Lu’s mother was extremely against the idea. “I wanted to come back to the country to start a business, but her way of thinking is extremely conservative. She wanted me to work for two years in a foreign company and get experience before coming back,” said Lu. Her salary from her US job had been several thousand American dollars per month. “I only spent a thousand dollars on myself each month.”

Speaking about her life in the US, Lu says that she doesn’t have any memories of exceptional experiences from that time. “Each day at the company I would have lunch with marketing representatives. On Fridays, the boss would come around and pass out beer to the employees and remind everyone to relax.” However, this wasn’t the life that Lu had wanted for herself. Upon her return, Lu started a technology company involved in making videos for phone apps and the internet.

Lu’s life has not been very relaxed since the group started the baozi store, “Before this, I had no idea what this business was about. There were many things that I had to learn.” During the hiring process of the dough chef, they were looked down on by the very people they were hoping to hire. “We interviewed many people during the hiring process during which some of the more experienced cooks thought that we were using ingredients of too high a caliber, and said that we didn’t know what we were doing.”

These days, Lu Huaishu and Xie Shiyu wake up at 05:30, and Wei Tao, the male business partner, wakes up at 04:00 to grind the soy beans for soy milk. “Previously if I didn’t stay up all night, I wouldn’t be able to go to bed; nowadays I’m already tired at 8 or 9 o’clock. Every day I’m like the fireman, when one fire is put out, another one sprouts up somewhere else.”

Even though Lu thinks that she is working very hard, she remains happy about it. “Any time I receive a compliment, I am very happy. Last weekend we had an auntie come by. She bought 10 RMB worth of buns and said that she was going to visit her mother.”

Turning the Baozi Shop into a Franchise Chain

According to Lu, the baozi shop has opened a Weibo and Weixin account, as well as a QQ group. Every month they will collect online opinions and ideas; for example, letting netizens vote for the newest flavor of baozi that the store would sell. “There are some people who’ve made a special trip here to buy baozi after reading a Weibo post.”

Lu Huaishu, Xie Shiyu and Wei Tao are all responsible for buying the raw ingredients, collecting the money, and managing all of the baozi shop’s “offline” duties. Cai Zhenguy and Huang Liurong, both of whom are still studying in the US, are responsible for taking care of promotions on Weibo and Weixin and other “online duties”.

Lu, Xie and Wei have all tried very hard to make baozi on their own, but say, “We still don’t know how to do it ourselves.”

Following their business plan, they are able to sell over a thousand baozi a day. Lu and her business partners want to turn this baozi store into a franchise chain down the line, but said for now, “We don’t want to be too ambitious; we’ll wait until business stabilizes before we open another shop.”

History of Guangzhou

Guangzhou has a history that spans over 2,200 years. As early as the Zhou Period in the 9th century BC, the city (then known as “Chu Ting”) served as a commercial exchange center for the Baiyue people and people of Chu State in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. The Emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC) unified the Lingnan region (the area of modern-day Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan Island and the South China Sea Islands), and established the city of Panyu, now a suburb of Guangzhou. In 226 AD, the Emperor Sun Quan created the name Guangzhou Prefecture as part of a political division of the region, and the name was later given to the city.

By the 10th century AD, Hindu and Arab merchants had established a presence in the city. With this influx of traders, the city’s reputation extended as far as Europe, and by 1511, the Portuguese, principally interested in silk and porcelain, had secured a trade monopoly, but the British broke this in the late 17th century. In the 18th century, the French and the Dutch were also permitted to trade. But much was about to change since the British relied heavily on its trade in opium to maintain its balance of trade with China. By 1839, the issue of opium had attracted so much attention in China that the emperor commissioned Lin Zexu, commissioner of Guangzhou, to eradicate the drug problem. This led to the first Opium War, which ended with the Treaty of Nanking, ceding Hong Kong to the British. A later treaty allowed the French and the British to occupy Guangzhou.

In 1911, the city was a seat of a revolutionary movement under the guidance of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. It was in Guangzhou that the Republic of China was proclaimed on January 1 1912. In 1927, Guangzhou was briefly a seat of one of the earliest Communist communes in China. The city was occupied by the Japanese from 1938 to 1945, and in October 1949 the city was taken over by the People’s Liberation Army. When the Chinese economy was opened up in the early 1980s, the early phase of market liberalization centered on the southern coastal regions, and Guangzhou saw rapid economic growth. Today, the city is the nerve center of the booming Pearl River delta economic zone, and one of the most economically important of China’s cities.

Guangzhou Metro Line 6 Will Opened on December 28

Guangzhou’s metro network will grow by an entire line on December 28 with the addition of line 6. The new, purple line will begin at Xunfenggang station in the east of the city and end at Changban station in the west, passing through a total of 22 stations. Two more stops, Shahe and Yide, will be added at a later stage. Line 6 will also intersect with lines 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Line 6, as does the other line in the network, has segmented pricing with the lowest fare at 2 RMB and the highest at 6 RMB.

2013 Shanghai Art and Design Exhibition Begins

The 2013 Shanghai Art and Design exhibition is currently being held at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art and will continue until closing on March 30, 2014. This exhibition has been held every two years since 2000; to date, it has been held a total of 6 times. Besides the three main categories of special topic exhibitions, invitational exhibitions and foreign exhibitions, this show also incorporates exhibitions put on by ordinary residents. As such, this is an experimental art and design exhibition that should be experienced by everyone.

Where: Shanghai Museum of Modern Art, #200 Huanyuangang Lu, Huangpu Disrict, Shanghai
上海市黄浦区花园港路200号，上海当代艺术博物馆 
Time: 9:00-17:00;  the present until March 30, 2014.
How much: free
Website: http://www.design-shanghai.com/
How to get there: Take Metro Line #4 or 8 and exit at Xizan Nan Lu Station