Next Branch Meeting
Wednesday, 31 August 2016 at 5.45pm
Carl Worker
will speak on
Ten Years in Beijing
Carl Worker, one of New Zealand’s top diplomats and leading China experts, will speak on Ten Years in Beijing. Carl was Ambassador in Beijing from 2009 to 2015, had earlier postings in Beijing in the 1980s and 1990s, and was New Zealand Consul-General in Hong Kong from 1994 to 1998, spanning Hong Kong’s return to China. Carl is a fluent Mandarin speaker and has had a significant impact on New Zealand’s relations over several decades. He is also a Spanish language speaker and has served as Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. More recently, following the illness of Hon Mike Moore, Carl was appointed Acting Head of Mission in Washington DC in 2015.
An optional Chinese buffet meal, supplied by the Fujiyama Café, will follow the meeting at 7pm. Orders for the $12 meal (please pay at the door) will be taken up till 6pm. If you think you may be arriving late, please let the Secretary know in advance.
Connolly Hall
Guildford Terrace, off Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington (see map)
(Car park up Guildford Tce beside Hall)
Also coming up this month
16 July Wellington Multicultural Community and Mayoral Forum, 9am, Johnsonville Community Centre Hall, Johnsonville.
6 Aug Mandarin Corner, Seminar Room, 20 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington
12-28 Aug Wellington on a Plate, Wellington
23 Aug Wellington on a Plate Secret Dining Trails, CBD, 6-9.30pm
31 Aug-4 Sep Shaolin Warriors Performance, St James Theatre, Wellington
Until 7 Oct Feng Bin & Lee Ka-sing Exhibition, Level 3 Library, Victoria University of Wellington
Meeting Dates for 2016
The dates Connolly Hall has been booked for monthly meetings this year are 21 September, 19 October and 16 November.
New Wellington Branch Committee Member
The NZCFS is happy to announce Sam Macintosh has been co-opted onto the Wellington Committee. Sam is currently studying law and Mandarin at Victoria University of Wellington. We look forward to his work for the Society going forward.
New NZCFS Members
The NZCFS would like to warmly welcome Gerald Coyle. We look forward to your attendance at our events and meetings.
Ten Years, Fifty Cities and Enough Banquets, Meetings, Exhibitions, Interviews, Tours and Toasts to Last a Lifetime: July Branch Meeting Presentation
At the July branch meeting, Mr Chris Lipscombe delivered a fascinating presentation about his experiences and insights gained traveling in China during a decade that saw the establishment of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, the doubling of exports to China, and Chinese tourism now worth over $1 billion to New Zealand.
During this time, Mr Lipscombe represented Wellington businesses, built new relationships and developed partnerships in the People’s Republic of China. A highlight of his engagement with the big cities was the Shanghai Expo 2010 – a watershed event that created opportunities in the smaller centres. He also saw the positive impact on business of years of cultural exchanges and relationship-building in cities like Xiamen. He shared numerous insights gained during his travels, from how incredibly labour-intensive high-quality tea growing is, to the stamina needed when being hosted and toasted at lunch!
On a more serious note, Mr Lipscombe believes “we’re about to see something quite dramatic in China” and that we have only seen the first of a number of waves of Chinese prosperity. He also sees a Chinese turn to the west, to a more Eurasia focussed growth, and a shift from partnerships and engagement on a country level, to a more city focus. This will be interesting to see how New Zealand can realise and benefit from these changes.
His talk was also accompanied by images of some smaller cities and lesser-known places in China, including a unique gallery converted from an abattoir.
Mr Lipscombe fielded a number of interesting questions from Branch members, ranging from topics like the wine preferences of young Chinese (the more traditionally popular red, or white?), to intellectual property, the TPPA, consumer ethics and sustainable business.
NZCFS Wellington Branch Life Members
The Wellington Branch is delighted to invite a number of our prominent members to accept Life Membership of the Branch in recognition of their outstanding service over many years. The Society can offer Life Membership to members that have made considerable contributions to the NZCFS over a long time period, and have aided in the Society’s goals and aims at the local and national levels. We are very pleased to announce that the following are life members: Bernie and Elaine Richmond, Douglas Day, Christine Strickland, Ray Brownrigg, and Rob and Joan McGibbin. We would like to thank them again for the involvement, time and effort for the Society. We will recognise their contribution at the August Branch meeting.
Environmental Delegation to China
The NZCFS Environmental Delegation will travel to China for two weeks in October 2016, supported by the Simon Deng Li Fund and Beijing Youxie. The main purpose of the delegation is to build relationships with key government officials, NGOs and local communities in relation to the natural environment, challenges and opportunities, in addition to having a focus on areas of policy, management, innovation and community action. Deborah Robertson, Emma Hill, Dr Marc Shallenberg, Leana Barriball, Shreejan Pandey and Kirk McDowall have been selected for the delegation, each with experience in relation to the environment, and are currently working at the Ministry for the Environment, the Environmental Protection Authority, Te Runanga o Tao Rangatira, Otago University and Canterbury University.
We will be travelling to Beijing, Yunnan province and Shanghai. In Beijing, we will aim to meet with key officials in Ministry for Environmental Protection, Beijing Youxie, and with non-governmental organisations such as Global Village of Beijing. The main focus will be on environmental challenges, policies and successes on a national scale. We will also have time to visit some of the main cultural areas in Beijing, such as the Forbidden City, Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. We will then travel to the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city and to China’s Power Valley in Baoding to meet with companies with a focus on sustainable energy.
The delegation will also travel to Yunnan province, visiting organisations in Kunming and Dali. Potential visits including meeting with the Centre for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge as well as ‘Ecowomen’, and visiting a number of project sites. The focus of the time in Yunnan will be on indigenous knowledge and challenges in relation to the environment. Finally, we will travel to Shanghai to possibly visit the Dongtan Wetlands and to Nanjing to meet with scientific institutions and university departments with a focus on freshwater and lake ecosystems. Through this delegation, we hope to gain a greater understanding of the environmental challenges facing China now and in the future, while strengthening our links in the environment sector. Following the delegation, members will give a presentation to the Branch.
Project Middle China – Work and Experience in Henan
The NZCFS will select up to 500 NZ graduates over 3 years to be Cultural Ambassadors working with education providers in Zhengzhou to teach Chinese students at all levels. While helping improve the students’ communication capabilities and their knowledge of New Zealand culture, at the same time they will have first-hand experience of China and its rich culture.
While these Cultural Ambassadors are in Henan, they will spend some of their time teaching Western culture and English language to the Chinese students, and the rest of the time they will experience the rich culture and life in Henan. The organisers are the NZCFS, Zhengzhou Youxie (Zhengzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries) and New Zealand Chinese Youth Federation.
To apply, please send your CV and a digital passport style photo to Ken Liu, our project manager, his email address is [email protected], please put “Project Middle China Application” in the Subject of your email. For more information, please visit: https://nzchinasociety.org.nz/24569/project-middle-china-work-and-experience-in-henan-where-chinese-civilization-began/.
Mandarin Corner 汉语角 Saturdays 3.15-5pm
Seminar Room, 20 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington.
Mandarin Corner (Wellington), established in 1995 by NZCFS, is a weekly event where students learning Chinese meet with native speakers of Chinese for conversation and cultural activities in a friendly, relaxed setting, and is open to all level. Come along if you are interested, and attendance is free. Mandarin corner does not run during school holidays. For more information contact Yinghui Li at [email protected].
Shaolin Warriors Performance
Direct from China, the legendary Shaolin Warriors will return to New Zealand, punching, kicking and tumbling in a spectacular, dynamic new production. Over the last 16 years, the Shaolin Warriors have become a worldwide sensation, playing to sell-out audiences and standing ovations wherever they have performed – from North America to the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Shaolin Warriors is more than a Kung-fu show; it’s a traditional strength through adversity story. Featuring 22 Kung Fu Masters, this breathtaking, fully choreographed show vividly illustrates the agility and miraculous physical endurance these warriors achieve through rigorous martial arts training and focused Buddhist mediation. Performances will be held from 31 August to 4 September at the St James Theatre, Wellington. Tickets are from $69.90, and additional information can be found at: http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2016/shaolin-warriors/wellington.
ANZCO Foods Taipei internship through asia new zealand foundation
The Asia New Zealand Foundation invites university students studying management and marketing to apply to do an internship with ANZCO Foods in Taiwan. ANZCO is one of New Zealand’s largest exporters, has sales of NZ$1.3bn and employs over 3,000 staff worldwide.
The aim of the internship programme is to provide New Zealand university students with an experience of working in a business environment in Asia in order to gain a better understanding of the people, place and culture of the host country. In addition to having skill-sets and interests relevant to ANZCO’s operations in Asia, applicants will need to be adaptable, confident and have a strong interest in pursuing a career involving the Asian region. The intern will be hosted by ANZCO in its Taipei office for a period of 12 weeks, from November 2016 through February 2017. While useful, the ability to speak Chinese is not a requirement of this internship. To find out more about how to apply, please visit: http://www.asianz.org.nz/content/opportunity-anzco-foods-taipei-internship.
Jock Hoe
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Joe Hoe last month. Joe passed away last month in Christchurch, aged 87. He was a Member and the Chairman of Wellington Branch in the seventies, and he moved to Christchurch in the eighties. We extend our deepest sympathy to his friends and family.
Wellington on a plate
The Visa Wellington on a Plate will be held from 12 – 28 August 2016. This is New Zealand’s largest and tastiest culinary festival set to serve good times and great deals. A number of restaurants around Wellington will have special deals for this event, including a number of Asian restaurants. Ancestral, located on Courtenay Place, is a restaurant that aims to showcase the marriage of Chinese culinary traditions and philosophy with a contemporary approach and cooking techniques, translated with local accents and ingredients, reflecting the diversity of the best New Zealand has to offer. To find out more information for Wellington on a Plate, please visit: http://www.visawoap.com/.
Wellington on a plate – secret dining trails
Take the backstreets and alleyways under the guidance of a local expert to the hotspots, hidden gems, institutions and the undiscovered – sampling signature flavours from an eclectic snapshot of Wellington restaurants, tuckshops and takeaway joints, bars and cocktail lounges along the way. Learn where to find the best of the best Chinese, Korean and Indochine flavours while meeting some of Wellington’s most interesting foodie personalities. It will be held on Tuesday 23 August 2016 from 6 – 9.30pm. Presented in association with the Asia New Zealand Foundation: http://www.asianz.org.nz/content/wellington-plate-korean-secret-dining-trails
Feng Bin & Lee Ka-sing Exhibition: Landscape | mindscape
This exhibition juxtaposes two suites of photographic works: Feng Bin’s Hutong at Night (2005), large brooding nightscapes of the vanishing old neighbourhoods of Beijing, and Lee Ka-sing’s Z FICTION (2008), intricate mindscapes based on the fictions and legends of the past, yet each with a narrative arc towards the future.
Feng Bin studied photography at Beijing Film Academy and has exhibited work in China, Germany, Poland, New Zealand and the USA. He lives and works in Shenzhen, China. Lee Ka-sing is one of the foremost photo-based artists in the Hong Kong art scene during the 1990s. He moved to Toronto in 1997 and set up Lee Ka-sing Gallery in 2000 and INDEXG in 2006. Landscape | mindscape runs from 12 May to 7 October, 2016 on Level 3 in Kelburn Library. For more information about this exhibition contact the Confucius Institute at Victoria University at [email protected].
惠风和畅 A Gentle Breeze Brings Harmony and Joy: Chinese musical instruments join the New Zealand School of Music
A suite of musical instruments from China was unveiled at Victoria University on 15 July on the occasion of the renaming of the Asia-Pacific Music Studio at Te Kōki New Zealand School of Music (NZSM). Celebrating the occasion was Victoria University Pro Vice Chancellor Jennifer Windsor, joined by NZSM Director Euan Murdoch and staff, Confucius Institute Director Wen Powles, Arts Adviser Dr Luo Hui and staff, guests from the Chinese and Indonesian Embassies, and performers and students.
The string (guzheng, guqin, pipa) and percussion instruments are the latest in the growing family of non-Western instruments in the NZSM collection, comprising Māori, Pasifika, Indonesian, Thai and now Chinese instruments. The Chinese collection was made possible by the generosity of Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing and with the assistance of Victoria University’s partner, Xiamen University in Wellington’s sister city of Xiamen. The home of two historic gamelan orchestras on permanent loan from Indonesia, the Asia-Pacific Music Studio at NZSM is famous for its association with music icon, Jack Body, who pioneered Asia-Pacific music and composition at Victoria University.
Following the successful model developed with the Indonesian gamelans for over 40 years to involve students, staff and community, the Chinese instruments will spur new musical endeavours by the NZSM and the Confucius Institute in our creative capital city, across New Zealand, and with China. With a gentle reference to Wellington’s famous zephyrs, the collection has been named 惠风和畅 (hui feng he chang) by Luo Hui.
NZCFS Explore China: The Northwest/Silk Road Tour – October 2017, 21 Days in China
The latest NZCFS educational tour in the “Explore China” series The Northwest/Silk Road Tour – October 2017, 21 Days in China is a first to travel deep into Xinjiang, skirt around then cross the Taklamakan desert to explore the ancient civilisations as well as the dynamic cultures in this area. Follow the silk road west through Gansu to enjoy the legacies left by diverse travellers on the road, ending with NZCFS’ own connection to Bailie schools and cooperative through Rewi Alley.
Xi’an to Kashgar: Explore the ancient historical civilisations and buried cities in the vast Xinjiang Province. Enjoy the culture of the Uighur and other peoples, and travel through dramatic landscapes as we journey east by train and coach along the Old Silk Road into Gansu. Follow the legacy of Rewi Alley and the Bailie school he founded.
A full PDF of this newsletter is available at NZCFS Newsletter August 2016.
