NEXT BRANCH MEETING
Dr Han Xi will speak on “Chinese Teaching and Learning in Schools”
Dr Xi Han is the National Chinese Language Adviser. She was sent by Hanban, the Ministry of Education of China, to work with International Languages Exchanges and Pathways (ILEP), the Ministry of Education of New Zealand.
Xi’s job is to supply advice and support for Chinese teaching and learning in NZ schools. She has organized various activities to upgrade the knowledge and understanding of Chinese language and culture of New Zealand school students, including the visiting performance of Moppets Troupe from China, New Zealand “Chinese Bridge” Speech Competitions, China Camps, Chinese Book Corners and workshops for teachers of Chinese.
Xi is an associate professor at Peking University’s International College for Chinese Language Studies. She had taught international students Chinese for over 20 years before she came to New Zealand. She has published books and articles on Chinese and American literatures, Chinese language studies etc. Dr Han has degrees in English Literature, Comparative Literature and World Literature from Nanjing University.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011, at 5:45 pm, Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, off Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington. (Car park up Guildford Tce beside Hall)
An optional Chinese buffet meal, supplied by the Fujiyama Café, will follow the meeting at 7 pm. Orders for the $11.00 meal (please pay at the door) will be taken up till 6 pm. If you think you may be arriving late, please let the Secretary know in advance.
ALSO COMING UP THIS MONTH
6, 13, 20, 27 August 3:15pm Mandarin Corner, 20 Kelburn Parade
14 August, 6.30pm Xin Hai Concert, St. James Theatre
24 August 7:00pm Film Evening, 101 Wakefield St
See below for further details.
NEW MEMBERS – Alan & Jewel Robb, Robert Smart and apologies for missing David McKenzie last month.
IDIOM OF THE MONTH (from George Mills)
旁若无人 [páng ruò wú rén] act as if there were no one else present – be self-assured or overweening
REPORT ON LAST MEETING (from Douglas Day)
Unfortunately our scheduled Guest Speaker, Professor James Liu, was not able to be present at the meeting on Sunday 17 July. We hope to have his presentation on “Chinese Indigenous Psychology” at a later date. In these changed circumstances, and to an attendance of 46, President Bernie Richmond arranged for impromptu presentations from five members.
New member Ferne McKenzie spoke a little about her recent “Chin Woo” tour of China with husband David, over December 2010/January 2011. This was their first visit to China. President Bernie Richmond highlighted a variety of his interesting experiences in attending with the official delegation, the Shanghai “Expo” last year. Past National President and Past Branch President Mary Gray promoted the fascinating NZ publication “Legends and Tales from Ancient China”. The few copies Mary had with her were snapped up at the meeting. Members should contact Mary (Tel: 973 5939) if they wish to purchase the book, which costs $25.00. Past President Douglas Day spoke about the upcoming programme for 2012; which year marks the 40th Anniversary of NZ and China establishing diplomatic relations. A special Branch Meeting is being planned for November 2012 to recognise the anniversary. Lastly, new Committee Member and a member of the Newsletter Team, Luke Qin of Sichuan, gave a lively account of his experiences of living in NZ since arriving as an international student at Linwood College in 2003. Luke is now a Business Manager at BNZ specialising in SME in the Wellington region.
In another vein, Treasurer Doreen Launder took the opportunity to speak of the urgent need for the renewal of subscriptions for 2011, there being about 50 Subscription Renewals yet to be paid. (For information, the membership, including those yet to renew, stands at 190, a recent high).
At the conclusion we all enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea provided by Elaine and Bernie Richmond.
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MEETING DATES FOR THE REST OF 2011
September 21, Wednesday 5.45pm: HE Mr Xu Jianguo, PRC Ambassador, “China’s Economic Outlook and Peaceful Development”
October 19, Wednesday 5.45pm: Mr Chris Elder, “Reflections on China”
November 16, Wednesday 5.45pm: Mr David Feickert, “Mine Safety in China: Lessons for New Zealand”
CHINESE CARPETS
Until the first half of the 19th century, Chinese carpets were woven almost exclusively for internal consumption, though this changed after Chinese contact with western nations. The centuries old Chinese textile industry is rich in history. While most antique carpets are classified according to a specific region or manufacturer, scholars attribute the age of any specific Chinese rug to the ruling emperor of the time. The earliest surviving examples of the craft were produced during the time of Ch’ung Chen, the last emperor of the Chen Dynasty (557–589). Carpet weaving appeared in China during the West Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24). During the 8th century, Chinese felt carpets prevailed, and they were even stitched by silver threads.
The carpets of dragon images during the 17th and 18th centuries were especially magnificent, and were possibly the peak of Chinese knotting art. Few ancient carpets produced before the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) are preserved. In the early 20th century, Americans and Europeans established carpet factories in Tianjin, Qingdao and Beijing. The main raw material was wool, but silk was applied at the time as well. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the carpet-weaving industry was further developed. A lot of new designs appeared such as Peking Design, Aesthetic Design, Floral Design, Embossed Design, and Antique Design. China became one of the leading worldwide producers of the best Oriental carpets in the 1980s. The finest silk carpet in the world, with a density of 1,000,000 knots per square foot (1000 lines per foot), was from Zhenping, Nanyang Prefecture in Central China. That carpet was listed in Guinness Book of World Records in 1998. Chinese silk carpets are woven out of high quality silk. They are graceful and vary in design, harmonious in colour matching, shining and smooth in surface, soft yet durable in texture, and well proportioned in pattern. (From China-Culture.com; edited)
NZ ORIENTAL ARTS SOCIETY
Children & Adult Chinese Calligraphy & Painting Classes. Term 3 Sundays: 7 Aug 2011, 21 Aug, 4 Sept, 18 Sept and 2 Oct 2011; every alternate Sunday at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm at The Toi Poneke, 61 Abel Smith Street, Te Aro
Enquires to Sinyee Hailstone 4765208 or Rosemary Jones 3873074.
MANDARIN CORNER 汉语角 3.15pm – 4.30pm Saturdays during school terms
Mandarin Corner currently meets Saturdays (excluding school holidays), 3.15-4.30 pm at the Seminar Room, 20 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington. There is a topic for each session to stimulate interest.
All welcome. Gold coin donation.
Four sessions in August: 6 August – Qi Xi Festival 七夕节, 13 August – Xinhai Revolution 辛亥革命
20 August – Rugby World Cup 橄榄球世界杯赛 21 August – Mobile Phone 手机
Contact: Ellen Yang, 473-7558, 027-4756888, [email protected].
CHINESE FILM 中国电影 Date: Wednesday 24 August Time: 7.00pm – 9:30pm
Venue: Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Gold coin donation.
Turn Left Turn Right (向左走,向右走), director Jonnie To, starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Gigi Leung (金城武 , 梁咏琪), 100 minutes
This is a movie about two people (Gigi Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro), who are destined to be together but by some twist of circumstances they never find each other. Preceded by a documentary 7:00 – 7:30pm.
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE NEWS (from Director LUO Hui)
August will be an exciting time at the Confucius Institute. The CI will offer three Chinese courses from early August till mid-October: 1) Chinese for Business; 2) Chinese for Travellers; and 3) Preparation for Studying in China. These 10-week short courses are open to both students and the public. Those enrolled in CI courses will be eligible to apply for Hanban scholarships to study in China.
Fans of murder mysteries take note: Qiu Xiaolong, author of the acclaimed Inspector Chen series, will give a talk in Wellington at the invitation of the CI: ‘Crime, Fiction and New Millennium Nostalgia: Shanghai in the Eyes of Inspector Chen’ (20 August, 1pm, Te Papa). Qiu Xiaolong will also speak about ‘Anxiety in Translation: Overcoming Tension between T.S. Eliot and Tang Poetry’ (18 August, 12pm, VUW).
On 13 September, the CI will present a Chinese theme concert in association with the CPA (Capital Performing Arts) at ‘THE PINES’ in Houghton Bay. The evening starts at 6pm with dinner, followed by music performances by the CPA orchestra as well as Chinese and Kiwi guest performers. The programme features the Chinese classic, Butterfly Lovers (Liang Zhu), as well as original compositions by Jack Body and Shen Nalin. Please phone ahead (04 387-9853) to reserve your seats! Admission $37 (dinner included)
For details and updates on CI news and events, please visit http://www.victoria.ac.nz/ci.
THE GREAT WALL STILL STANDING TALL (from Luke Qin 秦瞳)
To many the 7-foot-6 “Great wall of China” YAO Ming was nothing more than a Chinese sports icon who plied his trade in the glitzy National Basketball Association in the US, raking in tens of millions of dollars, of which a percentage purportedly found its way into the bank accounts of the General Administration of Sport of China as it helped YAO reach worldwide superstardom. Although the news broke earlier this month of his alleged retirement and the subsequent denial of Team Yao due to obvious reasons financially, one could sense that the time has come for the Bruce Lee equivalent in the sporting world to finally retire having played against the seemingly physically superior US & European ballers for nine long years with a fragile ankle in the NBA. That aside, YAO was, still is and most certainly will be an outstanding ambassador representing not only the Chinese basketball prowess but also the increasing awareness of the need for social responsibility in China and abroad. “With great power, (sporting or otherwise), comes great responsibility” says Spiderman. “When the buying stops, killing can too.” says YAO against the exploitation of sharks for their fins and cruelly thrown back to sea to a callous death all in the name of the fabled Shark Fin Soup. The thing about YAO making it in the big time is in a nutshell his ability to adapt to the environment and turn the apparent negative into the positive as he successfully overcame the language barrier and most importantly the cultural barrier to success in a foreign country. He was a manifestation of the Chinese wisdom (he once played for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association) and perseverance and displayed the universal values that the whole of the human race would all treasure. So long YAO, pass down the torch.
XIN HAI CENTENARY CONCERT (100 years since the revolution) to raise funds for Canterbury Earthquake Relief, hosted by Wellington Chinese Community Groups. Sunday 14 August, 6.30pm. St. James Theatre. Tickets $25 from Ticketek or contact Luke Qin: phone – 02102166668; email: [email protected]
NEW ALERT ON THE THREE GORGES DAM
The Three Gorges Dam, the flagship of China’s massive hydroengineering ambitions, faces “urgent problems” the government has warned. In a statement approved by premier Wen Jaibao, the state council said the dam had pressing geological, human and ecological problems. The report also acknowledged for the first time the negative impact the dam has had on downstream river transport and water supplies.
Since the start of construction in 1992 about 16m tonnes of concrete has been poured into the giant barrier across the Yangtze river, creating a reservoir that stretches almost the length of Britain and drives 26 giant turbines. The world’s biggest hydro-power plant boasts a total generating capacity of 18,200MW and the ability to tame the floods that threaten the Yangtze delta each summer. But it has proved expensive and controversial due to the rehousing of 1.4 million people and the flooding of more than 1,000 towns and villages. Pollution, silt and landslides have plagued the reservoir area.
A statement on the government’s website read: “At the same time that the Three Gorges project provides huge comprehensive benefits, urgent problems must be resolved regarding the smooth relocation of residents, ecological protection and geological disaster prevention”. There were few specifics but China’s cabinet, the state council, admitted several problems had not been foreseen. (from “The Guardian Weekly”)
HAVE YOUR SAY ON TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (from Joy Bickley-Asher)
Twenty one health professions in Aotearoa/New Zealand are regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA Act, 2003). This Statute requires that health professionals maintain their competence in order to keep the public safe from harm. Under the Act, decisions on scopes of practice, qualifications and measures of competence are entirely in the hands of the authority that is given the responsibility of regulating the profession. The latest profession to be considered for inclusion is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This move is in keeping with international trends: TCM is regulated in China and several other Asian countries as well as in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia.
The primary criteria for regulation under the HPCA Act are that the profession delivers a health service as defined by the Act and that the proposed service poses a risk of harm if practised unsafely. The Ministry of Health has put out a call for submissions from the public asking such questions as: Is TCM a health service? Is there a risk of harm to the public? Are TCM practitioners agreed on the qualifications required? Is it in the public interest to regulate TCM? The details of the proposal can be found on the Ministry of Health website at www.moh.govt.nz. The deadline for submissions is Friday 19 August to:
BOOK CORNER (from Douglas Day)
Non-fiction
On China, by Henry Kissinger, Allen and Lane, 2011
A valuable study from the former US secretary of state.
Kissinger will always remain controversial but this elegant book reminds us that on one of the biggest questions of the post–second world war world, his judgment was right.
Fiction
The Song Of Everlasting Sorrow (A Novel of Shanghai), by Wang Anyi, trans. by Michael Berry and Susan Chan Egan, Columbia University Press, 2008.
First published in Chinese in 1995, this novel traces the life story of a young Shanghainese girl from the 1940’s all the way till her death after the Cultural Revolution. In this, the most famous novel of Wang, there are vivid and detailed descriptions of Shanghai itself.
(This year Wang Anyi was nominated for the “Man Booker International Prize”.)
