NEXT BRANCH MEETING
Liu Guozhong will speak on “Shandan Bailie School, Cooperatives and NZCFS”
Liu Guozhong has been at Shandan Bailie School since 1989, and is currently a deputy principal of the school. During this time, he has visited NZ three times. He was the 2002 Rewi Alley scholar, and in 2009-11 completed a Masters degree in Agri-commerce at Massey University, supported by a NZAID scholarship.
In China, he served as acting secretary-general of GungHo (ICCIC -International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives) in 2005-7, and has served as a manager, consultant, and trainer for NZCFS’ Cooperative development projects in Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces, as well as with other international cooperative development projects.
He will talk about farmer cooperative development in Shandan and the North-west of China, including the NZCFS project contributions to this work, and about Shandan Bailie School itself.
Sunday, 24 June 2012, at 2:30 pm in Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, off Hill Street, Thorndon, Wellington. (Car park up Guildford Tce beside Hall)
Followed by Afternoon Tea, gold coin donation appreciated
ALSO COMING UP THIS MONTH (see below for details)
9, 16, 23 June, 3:15pm Mandarin Corner, 20 Kelburn Parade
28 June, 7:00pm Chinese Film, 101 Wakefield St
30 June, 3:15pm Mandarin Corner, 20 Kelburn Parade
NEW MEMBERS (since March)
A warm welcome to new members Chris Elder, Hamish Parker, Yingchun Zhou & Zhang Liang, Emma Moore, Jane Wang & Adrian Hargreaves and Anna-Marie Luke.
MEETING DATES FOR 2012
Thanks to the efforts of President Bernie Richmond we now have speakers lined up for most of the rest of 2012.
Sun 15 Jul Yet to be confirmed
Wed 15 Aug Counsellor Cheng Lei, Chinese Embassy
Wed 19 Sep Dr Les Molloy, “Travels in the Mountains and Deserts of China’s ‘Western Region’”
Wed 17 Oct Dr Andrew Butcher, “In Pleasant Places: The Story of the Duncan Family in China in the 1940s”
Wed 21 Nov Her Worship Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of Wellington, “Mayoral Delegations to China”
REPORT FROM LAST MEETING (by George Mills)
During our May meeting, we hosted as our speaker Chinese language teacher and Wellington Confucius Institute (CI) staff member, Yaru Liu. Besides his informative talk on the topic of teaching Chinese to foreigners, Yaru brought along his adorable daughter, who not only read out a Chinese poem (to demonstrate one of Yaru’s talking points about Chinese being “beautiful to the ear”), but also delighted us with a solo performance of a Chinese Opera piece, dressed in a most elegant Chinese Opera costume.
Yaru, who insisted that he was first and foremost a “teacher/translator”, outlined the current thinking in the PRC behind the teaching of Chinese to foreigners, and thereafter described the functions and goals of the CI, both in Wellington, and more generally worldwide. Yaru’s passion for his profession was obvious throughout his talk, and one suspects that language students who have studied under him are very fortunate indeed.
Yaru explained that prior to 2006, the PRC sent abroad Chinese language teachers who were Chinese language majors. While this was meant to ensure that Chinese was taught by the most qualified persons, it in fact proved problematic. Many of these teachers lacked knowledge of either English, or other foreign languages, and therefore found it hard, if not largely impossible, to teach to non-Chinese speaking students. Since 2006, the teachers sent from China to teach abroad have been English language majors instead (with, of course, a very deep understanding of the Chinese language as well), and this, Yaru noted, has made a world of difference. In describing features of Chinese that assist in teaching the language to foreigners, Yaru noted that Chinese was “most pleasant to the ear”, “most beautiful to the eye”, was quick to recognise and used less space to write, and its characters related to each other; knowledge of one character enabled the learner to guess/recognize the meaning of other words with that same character.
Yaru described the CI as originally modeled in part on the German Goethe Institute and the Spanish Institute Cervantes, with the first CI established in Seoul, South Korea in 2004. There are currently approximately 350 CIs in the world, and the PRC plans to bring that number up to a maximum of 500. The United States hosts 81 CIs, and New Zealand three. The CI is always attached to a host nation university, however “Confucius classrooms” are run in secondary schools around the world to bring the teaching of Chinese to secondary school students. As an example, Yaru noted that there are 299 such classrooms operating in the United States alone. Besides the teaching of Chinese, the CI in Wellington promotes Chinese culture; Yaru described examples of these efforts as through ballet classes, martial arts classes, and classes on Chinese opera, painting, and calligraphy.
At the conclusion of his comments about the CI, Yaru posed the question whether the teaching of Chinese to foreigners was a form of “cultural imperialism”, as perhaps some critics of the PRC have suggested. Yaru clearly did not think so, noting that it is “about culture and language, that’s all”.
SAD NEWS
We note with sadness the passing of Gwen Ryan, who was a long-time member of the Wellington Branch.
2012 NZCFS NATIONAL CONFERENCE (conference report from Joy Bickley Asher)
‘By honouring our past we find our future’: the New Zealand China Friendship Society 60th anniversary annual conference, Auckland 18-19 May 2012.
The past: At this conference, the past energised us all to move forward into the future. It began with Rudall and Ramai Hayward’s pioneering 1958 film ‘Inside Red China’ including remarkable footage of Mao Zedong accepting a Māori cloak as a gift. Speakers reflected on past heroes of New Zealand China friendship; e.g., Rewi Alley, He Mingqing, and Tom Newnham. Madam Ma Baoru, from Baoding, Hebei talked passionately about her experiences of hosting New Zealand visitors. Early Society members attended and spoke; e.g., New Zealand women Cecil Fowler and Isobel Thompson, the latter reminiscing about her nursing experiences in pre-revolutionary China. Adrian Riegen talked about the earliest visitors between China and New Zealand – godwits and other birds. He indicated that China and New Zealand were working together to protect the birds’ future.
The future: H.E. Mr Liao Hui, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the China-Oceania Friendship Association confirmed the ongoing support and friendship of the Chinese government with the announcement of a gift of 1,000,000 RMB for scholarships. Liu Giozhong, deputy principal of the Shandan Bailie School, reported on the investment in the future that the school represents. Finally, a panel of five young people, Chinese and Kiwi and Kiwi-Chinese, showed us how energetically and skillfully they will lead us into the future. Altogether a fabulous experience.
Further, the Society National President Eric Livingstone received a letter of congratulations from Prime Minister John Key on achieving the 60 year milestone. A copy of the letter is attached for email recipients.
NEW FUND FOR CHINA FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGES ANNOUNCED AT CONFERENCE
The surprise announcement by Mr Liao Hui at Conference of the creation of the Rewi Alley Exchange & Friendship Fund was a major highlight for our Society’s celebrations of our sixty years since our founding. A press release can be found at nzchinasociety.org.nz/9892/new-fund-for-china-friendship-exchanges/.
NATIONAL AGM ON 20 MAY
At the AGM, the following people were elected unopposed to the National Executive: President: Eric Livingstone, NI Vice President: Dave Bromwich, SI Vice President: Royden Smith, Treasurer: Chris Goodwin, Secretary: Heiko Lade, National Executive: Margaret Cooper, Murray Hoare, John Hodgson, Judy Livingstone, Bernie Richmond, Sally Russell. Bernie Richmond will chair the Finance Committee.
Two remits were passed at the AGM. They were 1) to increase the number of Vice-Presidents to three on the National Executive and decrease the elected executive from six to five and 2) that all formal invitations for delegations from China to visit NZ issued by the National Executive, members of the NZCFS National Executive or by Branches are copied to the National Secretary and tabled at Executive meetings.
At the National Executive Meeting following the AGM, Christine Strickland was honoured by a Distinguished Service Award for her tireless work on the society website and George Andrews was co-opted to the Executive.
IDIOM OF THE MONTH (from George Mills)
滴水之恩,当以涌泉相报 (dī shuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǐ yǒng quán xiāng bào)
A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring.
HAKKA TULOU HOUSES OF YONGDING COUNTY, FUJIAN PROVINCE
The Tulou house is a large scale residential building that provides a place for clans to live compactly. It also had defensive functions. Since the walls are usually built by rammed earth, a building of this kind is called a Tulou house. Located in the southwest part of Fujian Province, Yongding County is famous for its beautiful landscapes, unique Hakka culture, and magnificent Tulou houses. In ancient times, the local Hakkas, who fled from the disturbances caused by war in the Central Plains, built many blockhouse-type buildings to protect themselves, and avoid conflicts with the original residents of the area. In the 2200 square 
kilometre land of Yongding, there are more than twenty thousand Tulou houses; almost five thousand are large scale buildings with more than three layers. The structure of the Tulou houses is integrated by earth and wood. There are more than twenty construction forms, in which the most common ones are round and square.
Huge Tulou houses can accommodate dozens of families of a large clan. Compared with other Hakka regions, Yongding Tulou houses are unparalleled in terms of scale and number. The Tulou houses in Yongding are almost faultless in both construction and function, as well as aesthetics. These houses all have a long history, large dimensions, profound connotations, and are well preserved. (from Cultural China, edited)
MANDARIN CORNER 汉语角 3.15pm Saturdays during school terms
Room 103, 24 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington. There is a topic for each session to stimulate interest (may change subject to unforeseen circumstances). All welcome. Gold coin donation.
Four sessions in June 2012:
9 June – Why Chinese People Like the Colour Red 为什么中国人喜欢红色 16 June – Father‘s Day 父亲节
23 June – Duanwu/Dragon Festival: Commemorate the great poet Qu Yuan who was in distress, by chanting his poems. 端午节: 纪念受难的伟大诗人屈原 – 楚辞吟 Recommended viewing: Commemorate Qu Yuan by Appreciating Poems and Paintings – 品诗画 话端午 / 端午节纪念屈原 youtube.com/watch?v=mImSDH6taLs
30 June – What is China’s National Flower 中国的国花是什么
Contact: Ellen Yang 杨川, 473-7558, 027-4756888, [email protected]
CHINESE FILM 中国电影 Date: Thursday 28 June Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Gold coin donation.
7pm – Documentary PALACE MUSEUM TAIPEI RARE CALLIGRAPHY, 7.30pm – Feature Film BLISS
Bliss (浮生 Fú shēng; literally “Floating Lives”) is a 2006 Chinese family drama film directed by Sheng Zhimin and produced by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan.
Bliss premiered at the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival where it won the NETPAC award, and had its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. It also screened at the 2007 Shanghai International Film Festival, where it picked up a best picture prize for the New Talent side-competition. (96 minutes, English subtitles)
Director: Sheng Zhimin, Starring: Liao Zhong, Wang Lan, Xu Tao, He Qin, He Xingquan, Guan Jiangge.
AN UNWANTED GROCERY ITEM (by Luke Qin 秦瞳)
I was given the unenviable task lately of sending some baby formula to China for my one year old cousin and I am sure I am not the only one that is doing it in spite of a daily quota at my usual supermarket which has made it all the more difficult to source. The quota, a result of unusually strong interest shown in a particular product by Chinese customers, now stands at two cans per day per group of customers.
It may sound precious but I did feel a huge relief when Maggie and I bought the last two cans to complete our order and I think I am fairly safe to express my opinions here as the chance of my cousin getting to read this article is pretty slim. I trust he will understand nonetheless it is not a matter of Uncle Luke just happening to live in a country that produced the best dairy product in the world and was too lazy to send it over for me.
I am 100% certain that China has what it takes to produce products that will rival their NZ counterparts and before long my cousin will laugh at the story of mum and dad having to ask Uncle Luke to sort out his tucker. Fortunately investment of five dairy farms equipped with NZ standards and expertise has already been committed in Hebei Province which will no doubt contribute to the Chinese dairy industry lifting its standards collectively for the betterment of our future generations and maybe I will miss the good old days of having to buy two cans of baby formula to go with my groceries.
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE NEWS(from the CIVUW team)
In May, the Confucius Institute at VUW successfully monitored the placement of a new Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA), Ms Hu Yufang, at Tauranga Girls’ College. Yufang is our third MLA who has been placed in regional schools to help strengthen their Chinese language programmes.
VUW students did exceptionally well in the 5th New Zealand ‘Chinese Bridge’ Speech Competition held on 26 May in Christchurch. Asher Stadlin-Robbie won First Prize and Kristen Ng took Third Prize in the tertiary category. Asher, along with Top Prize winner Annelise Posthuma (Canterbury) will represent New Zealand in the International Finals to be held in China later this year.
The CI at VUW has launched Discover China! workshops – a mini cultural festival designed to promote Chinese culture and language in New Zealand schools and communities. Each workshop features a Chinese cultural theme, such as music, dance, painting, calligraphy, martial arts, or a combination of the above. A Discover China! martial arts workshop was held in Samuel Marsden College on 22 May; a Discover China! painting workshop was held in Wellington High School on 31 May. For more 
information, visit: www.victoria.ac.nz/ci/courses-and-programmes/china-workshop.aspx.
In June, the CI will present two guzheng (ancient zither) performances featuring two talented Chinese instrumentalists, Chen Xiyao (at left) and Zuo Ruoyan. On 12 June, they will perform a 20-minute instrumental showcase at the CPA ‘China Dreams’ concert. On 17 June, Chen Xiyao will perform a solo concert at St Mary of the Angels Church, with Zuo Ruoyan as guest performer. For further details, visit: www.victoria.ac.nz/ci/news-events/index.aspx.
UPDATE ON NZCFS NATIONAL RAFFLE
Since Air NZ has suspended direct flights to Beijing, the national raffle prize now offers a flight for two to Shanghai only, but does include domestic connections within NZ. Travel must occur before 30th November 2012 or between 1st March and 30th September 2013. Tickets are available at our monthly meetings.
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS
Thanks to those who have already renewed their 2012 subscriptions. If you are yet to do so, please use the renewal form on the website: nzchinasociety.org.nz/join-now/wellington-branch-membership-application/. Please fill in all the details on the subscription form each year to confirm that we have your correct information.
