Vol.17 No.6 - CRIENGLISH.com
Transcription
Vol.17 No.6 - CRIENGLISH.com
China Radio International www.crienglish.com Vol.17 No.6 Nov. - Dec., 2006 theMessenger CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR Impressions of Yunnan Trevor and China Drive The Beijing-Changzhou Connection CONTENTS FEATURE: CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR A Selection of Reports The Tour in Numbers 3 13 FEATURED SNAPSHOTS Impressions of Yunnan Editor's Message In May 1990, CRI's English Service started the bimonthly four-color newsletter "The Messenger" with an eye on strengthening ties with listeners. The publication was delivered to overseas listeners and to foreigners in China who work at embassies or consulates, foreign-owned and joint-venture companies, as well as students, teachers, journalists and tourists, or those who request it. It brought them information about Radio Beijing's (the former name of CRI) activities and future plans. Since then, "The Messenger" has evolved into fresher looks to reflect CRI's tremendous modernization and changes over the years. "The Messenger" also wants its new masthead and layout to explore the breathtaking transformations China has undergone in recent years. All of the staff working on "The Messenger" will continue to strive for excellence because we believe that is what you deserve. We hope you will continue to share our adventure as we journey down new and exciting paths. I 14 FACES IN FOCUS Trevor and China Drive 16 FROM OUR LISTENERS Mailbag 18 The Beijing - Changzhou Connection 20 CRI News Briefs: CRI Recruits Journalists from Public CRI Launches OlYmpic Radio 22 Learn Chinese Now! 23 Tang Poem: Coming Home 23 Stamps: Olympic Sports on Stamps 24 Health Tips: Live a Longer & Healthier Life 24 China Welcomes "The Banquet" in September 26 Eighth CCTV-MTV Music Awards Presented 27 Wedding Fad Spreads at CRI 29 Self-drive Journeys to Tibet 30 Broadcast Times and Frequencies for English Language Service 32 Useful information from Pocket Beijing 34 Team Sets Out On Journey of Friendship 3 #Friendship Tour#!Arrives in Russia 5 President of Buriatia Republic Hails the Tour 5 The Tour Sees Successful Completion 10 #Friendship Tour#!Rounds Out 11 #Friendship Tour#!in Numbers 12 theMessenger CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR China-Russia Friendship Tour over, I'd like to say the Year of Russia in China and the upcoming Year of China in Russia is really a grand project. It can help promote bilateral exchanges in almost all fields." fully expressed the confidence and optimism they have for facing the possible upcoming challenges. Lai Xingcheng is the lead driver. "Since most of the drivers ney, I'm sure their driving skills will be greatly improved." During the planned 40-day journey, the team will go through the Eurasian continent, stopping at 23 cities in Russia, theMessenger operation as well as displaying the beautiful landscape and splendid culture in Russia. Moreover, Russian media counterparts will also participate in this activity. Participants in- In Brief rom July 25 to Sept. 4, more than 40 journalists from China and Russia drove 13 SUVs from Beijing to Moscow on a special reporting tour organized by China Radio International as part of the activities to mark "the Year of Russia in China" . During the journey, the team visited 23 Russian cities and interviewed over 1,000 people. Altogether, around 30,000 people from both countries participated in activities related to the event. F Team Sets Out On Journey of Friendship 2006-07-25 CRIENGLISH.com/Dandan A s part of the activities to com memorate the Year of Russia in China, a jour- ney of friendship from China to Russia set out from Tiananmen Square in Beijing on July 25th. As soon as State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan gave the order, 13 SUVs slowly left Tiananmen 3 www.crienglish.com Team members with the China-Russia Friendship Tour pose before setting out from Tiananmen Square Tuesday morning, July 25, 2006. Photo by Zhou Kun SUVs slowly left Tiananmen Square in a single file. Forty journalists from China's major media organizations, including China Radio International, China Central Television and Xinhua News Agency, are among the participants in the activity. Before they set out, a launching ceremony was held at the Tiananmen Square. Addressing the ceremony, Tang Jiaxuan said the joint reporting trip is a "long march" to strengthen the great friendship between China and Russia. He stressed that the two governments attached great importance to this event and hopes it will further promote understanding and friendship between the two peoples. The ceremony was attended by other distinguished guests, in- cluding the Russian Minister Counsellor in China, Igor Morgulov, who highly praised the activity. "This journey of friendship will solidify the strategic partnership between the two countries and deepen the understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples. More- State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, left, and China Radio International Director General Wang Gengnian attend a ceremony launching the China-Russia Friendship Tour at Tiananmen Square in Beijing Tuesday morning, July 25, 2006. Photo by Liu Ling Organized by China Radio International, this journey is a large-scale cross-border media coverage activity. Forty journalists driving the SUVs will first go to the northeast Chinese city Manchuria, on the border with Russia. Before they set out, they are journalists, we gave them special training on driving SUVs and how to ensure driving safety about two weeks ago. Moreover, along the whole journey we'll undertake, professional SUV drivers will continuously give them instructions. When they come back from the jour- Thirteen SUVs depart Tiananmen Square in single file as they set out on the China-Russia Friendship Tour Tuesday morning, July 25, 2006. including Novosibirsk, Kazan and St. Petersburg. After traveling around 15,000 kilometers, they'll finally reach their destination, Red Square in Moscow. The media team will send back timely reports introducing Sino-Russian exchanges and co- State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan signs a banner at a ceremony launching the China-Russia Friendship Tour at Tiananmen Square in Beijing Tuesday morning, July 25, 2006. Photo by Zhang Tiewei clude Itar-Tass, Russian First Channel, Russian News & Information Agency and Voice of Russia. Lead driver of the China-Russia Friendship Tour, Lai Xingcheng, is also a member of the Beijing Off-Roader 4WD Club www.crienglish.com 4 CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR theMessenger "Friendship Tour" Arrives in Russia 2006-07-29 Xinhua T he "China-Russia Friendship Tour" passed through Manchuria and arrived in Russia's Novosibirsk at 11 a.m. on 28 July. Group members will begin 40 days of interviews on Russian soil. More than 40 members from China's different news organizations constitute the special "China-Russia Friendship Tour" group. Yin Li, group leader and chief of the News Center of China Radio International, said "this report group will visit over 20 cities in Russia and interview locals and overseas Chinese, The sculpture of Lenin in New Siberia in this photo taken on August 6 ,2006 by a member of the China-Russia Friendship Tour. Photo by Rao Binbin An official from the Tyumen Oblast government signs his name on the banner supporting the China-Russia Friendship Tour Thursday, August 10. Photo by Zhang Tiewei P resident of Russia's Buriatia Republic, Leonid Potapov, says the China-Rus sia Friendship Tour will significantly enhance mutual understanding between the people of Russia and China. More than 40 journalists 5 www.crienglish.com President of Buriatia Republic Hails China-Russia Friendship Tour 2006-08-01 students and government officials as well as ordinary people." The aim of the interviews is to find out more about the history of China-Russia exchanges and develop new contacts, said Yin. Yin also said, "the report group will look at Russia's cities, natural landscape and social environment. We will show Chinese people who have never visited Russia the real, modern Russia in order to increase mutual understanding between the two countries." The report group left Beijing's Tiananmen Square on 25 July and has already traveled about 2,600 miles. The group arrived in Inner Mongolia's Manchuria on 27 July. According to the timetable, they will visit Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg and are scheduled to arrive in Moscow at the end of August. In total, they will cover 15,000 kilometers. The "China-Russia Friendship Tour" will end on September 4, after passing through 4 cities in China and 23 cities in theMessenger China-Russia Tour Arrives at Krasnoiarsk 2006-08-05 CRIENGLISH.com/Yixiu A ceremony is held in Omsk of Russia on Tuesday, August 8, 2006 to welcome members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour. Photo by Wu Wei A group of journalists reporting on the China-Russia Friendship Tour has now reached the city of Krasnoiarsk, located along Russia's Enisey River. The China-Russia Friendship Tour, organized by China Radio International, is aimed at commemorating Sino-Russian friendship and the many ties between the two countries. With the golden sunset gleaming on the surface of Russia's Enisey River, 13 jeeps, traveling together as part of the China-Russia Friendship Tour reporting team, pull into the city of Crasnoiasrsk, administrative centre of Krasnoyarsk region in central east Russia. Local people welcome the Chinese journalists in Crasnoiasrsk's central plaza, together with Russian journalists and over one hundred Chinese compatriots. An official from Krasnoiarsk's regional government, Andrey Uzhila, expresses his sentiments upon the team's arrival. "It's a great pleasure to have this group of reporters in the heart of Siberia. We've made a lot of preparation to welcome the team, and we sincerely hope they have a good journey for the rest of their trip." Comprised of over 40 journalists from key Chinese media organizations, the journey seeks to record stories about the culture, people and history of various towns in Russia. Yin Li, head of the driving team, says the visit has been impressive thus far. "This is the 6th city we've visited since we came into Russia. The total journey, thus far, has been more than 2,000 kilometers. Though we are only going to stay here for one night, we've sensed the warmth of the local people and the beauty of the city. This experience will be brought back to China and shared with Chinese people. " The number one port city along Russia's Enisey River, Krasnoiarsk has gained fame as the center of industry and scientific research in east Siberia. Though the culture and history of Russia remains a mystery to many Chinese people, Chinese living in Crasnoiasrsk have got the feeling that communication between the two nations is advancing. Chairperson of the Chinese Association in Krasnoiarsk, Zhao Hong, says Chinese peo- ple residing in the area can be of help in promoting exchange between the two countries. "We feel that the rising up of our homeland provides a lot of opportunities for Chinese people like us-those living abroad. Working and living here has bright prospects. I'd like to do more to promote exchange between the two countries. " The cross-boarder adventure, sponsored by China Radio International, is scheduled to pass through 27 cities in China and Russia, including Shenyang, Manchuria, New Siberia, Kazan and St Petersburg, with Red Square in Moscow set as the trip's final destination. Russian media report on the China-Russia Friendship Tour in Krasnoyarsk on Friday, August 4. Photo by Wu Wei CRIENGLISH.com Radio Infrom difternationferent Chial, Potanese and pov said he wants to give his Russian media outlets are particifull support for the event, which pating in the trip, which will will help Chinese people learn pass through 4 cities in China more about Russia. He considand 23 cities in Russia from July ered mutual understanding and 25th to September 4th. trust an important factor in fosIn an interview with China tering bilateral trade. One of the 21 republics in the Russian Federation, Buriatia has close economic ties with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China. China accounts for around 36 percent of its foreign trade. Kazan people bless members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour as they introduce local snacks at a welcoming ceremony on August 15, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing Team members with the China-Russia Friendship Tour receive a warm welcome at Kazan on Tuesday, August 15, 2006. Photo by Fan Jing Yin Li, team leader of the China-Russia Friendship Tour, hammers nails to hang the mark of friendship on the border dividing Asia and Europe on Sunday, August 13, 2006. Photo by Fan Jing www.crienglish.com 6 theMessenger theMessenger CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR China-Russia Friendship Tour Meets CRI Listeners in Russia 2006-08-12 CRIENGLISH.com/Yixiu Yin Li, head of the News Center of China Radio International (CRI) and leader of the China-Russia Friendship Tour team, shakes hands with an 80-year-old CRI listener during a meeting in Omsk, Russia on August 9, 2006. Photo by Rao Binbin R eporters from China Radio International, has recently held a special meeting with local listeners in the Russian city of Omsc, a transportation hub in south-central Russia. The CRI reporters, with other Chinese journalists, are on a trip in Russia, namely, ChinaRussia Friendship Tour. In the Pushkin Library in Omsk's city center, more than 70 listeners gathered to meet CRI reporters. Some of the listerners, like 80year-old Rogulev Peter Gelasimovich, have followed CRI's Russian programs since its inception 52 years ago. A Russian boy practices Chinese calligraphy at the Confucius Institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on August 22, 2006. Photo by Rao Binbin Team members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour pose for a photo with listeners of China Radio International in Saint Petersburg on August 23, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing. A listener displays a radio given to him by China Radio International (CRI) during a meeting of CRI listeners and CRI members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour in Omsk, Russia on August 9, 2006. Photo by Wu Wei 7 www.crienglish.com I've been listening to China Radio International since 1949, mainly music shows. And, in 1954, I started listening to CRI's Russian programs. Ever since then, my knowledge and understanding of China has increased. China is our everlasting friend. And I sincerely hope it will achieve more progress. Audiences attending the meeting ranged from the elderly to an 8-year-old child. Some traveled to the city by train for the event, especially for the chance to see, in person, CRI's news anchors and reporters in the Russian service. Head of the China-Russia Friendship Tour, Yin Li, who also serves as director of CRI's News Center, appreciates the enthusiasm of Russian listeners. He explains the purpose of the ongoing Tour. During the trip, set to last more than 40 days, we will present Chinese listeners with various aspects of Russia, including its political, economic and cultural development. It's expected that the trip will testify to the connection that's been forged between the two peoples via radio waves. And, hopefully, this connection will be further strength- ened by the trip." Along the trans-Siberian railroad, the city of Omsk serves as a major commercial and industrial center in the Siberian region, with a population of more than 1.1 million. As one of the stops for the China-Russia Friendship Tour, Omsk and its local people have embraced the team with their curiosity and goodwill towards China. A listener, named Yelishev, presented his own poem, entitled "Neighbor" to praise the trip, which in many local people's minds is a boost to the Sino-Russian neighborhood. "If your neighbor has never invited you home, you might become enemies. But, if you make efforts to understand each other, you can be friends, based on mutual respect." A boy listens to China Radio International's Russian service at the Ivanovo International Boarding School in Ivanovo, Russia, on August 28, 2006, during a visit by the team members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour. Photo by Ma Xing www.crienglish.com 8 CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR theMessenger Friendship Delegation Arrives in St. Petersburg China-Russia Friendship Tour Sees Successful Completion 2006-08-20 CRIENGLISH.com T he China-Russia Friendship Tour reporting group arrived on Saturday in Russia's second biggest city of St. Petersburg. The group will carry out a series of reporting activities in the city, including interviews with municipal officials and visits to local tourism resorts like the Winter Palace. A ceremony marking the group's arrival in the city will be held on Wednesday. The group, sponsored by China Radio International, has completed a drive of more than 10,000 kilometers since its kickoff in Beijing on July 25. 2006-09-02 CRIENGLISH.com/ Yao Yongmei The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers on the periphery of Red Square in Moscow is seen in this photo taken by a member of the ChinaRussia Friendship Tour team on August 31, 2006. Photo by Fan Jing A fter a journey of more than 40 days, the "ChinaRussia Friendship Trip" is nearing its end. Sponsored mainly by China Radio International, the transnational group of reporters have successfully completed their reporting project. After traveling 15,000 kilometers and across both Asia and Europe, the transnational reporting group has wrapped up its "China-Russia Friendship Tour" in Moscow. Cheng Guoping is the Charged' Affaires of Chinese China Radio International Deputy Director General Wang Dongmei accepts a gift from the Russian people at a welcoming ceremony held in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday, August 23, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing Team members with the China-Russia Friendship Tour receive a warm welcome at a ceremony in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday, August 23, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing A painter draws a picture in Saint Petersburg on Sunday, August 20, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing A circus troupe in Saint Petersburg perform on Sunday, August 20, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing 9 www.crienglish.com theMessenger Artists wear ancient royal costumes to display Russian culture in Saint Petersburg Sunday, August 20, 2006. Photo by Rao Binbin The vice mayor of Saint Petersburg signs his name on the banner supporting the China-Russia Friendship Tour on Wednesday, August 23, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing A Russian soldier stands guard at Red Square in Moscow in this photo taken on August 29, 2006 by a member of the China-Russia Friendship Tour. Photo by Fan Jing. Embassy in Russia. He expressed his heartfelt appreciation of the work done by the group. "I think this activity has helped deepen mutual understanding between the people of the two nations and is one of the highlights of theųYear of Russia in China.ŴIt also plays an important role in improving the China-Russia relationship." Leonid Drachevschi, CoChair of the China-Russia Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development, also spoke highly of the tour. "You've come here and filed lots of reports about Russia. I am sure many Chinese people have become acquainted with Russia through your reports. You've done a lot for Chinese Russian friendship." The Itar - Tass News Agency is one of the reporting team's Russian participants. Its chief editor, Sergei Carmalito, says they have paid attention to crossborder reporting, writing a large number of reports on the way, to inform Russian people about both the group's trek and its surrounding activities in a timely fashion. He also says they are planning for the media activities for the "Year of China in Rus- sia," which falls in 2007, to give a comprehensive introduction to today's China. Director general of China Radio International Wang Gengnian says the tour has helped deepen mutual understanding between the people of the two nations. "Lasting such a long time and covering a large variety of fields,ųThe China - Russia Friendship TourŴhas introduced Russia to the Chinese people in a multimedia way - radio, television, the press and the internet. It is an important moment in China and Russia's diplomatic history." The Red Army Choid of Russia practices in this photo taken on August 30, 2006 by a member of the China-Russia Friendship Tour. Photo by Ma Xing. www.crienglish.com 10 theMessenger CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR "China-Russia Friendship Tour" " Friendship Tour" Rounds Out in Numbers 15 months It took for the China Radio International to organize the "China-Russia Friendship Tour" . Hundreds of formal mails were sent to the relevant institutions and organizations in China and Russia, and tens of thousands of phone calls were made. Out of all the international media projects CRI has organized, the "ChinaRussia Friendship Tour" took the longest time to prepare and involved the greatest number of staff. It has also proved to be the most influential. 2006-09-05 CRIENGLISH.com/ Shuangfeng A fter a journey of more than 40 days, the "China-Russia Friendship Tour" has wrapped up at the Red Square in Moscow. A grand closing ceremony was held at the square on Monday to draw an end to the successful journey. The deputy mayor of Moscow, Valery Vinorgradov, read out a congratulatory letter from the mayor, Yuri Luzhkov. "Please allow me to express my sincere congratulations to the reporting group on behalf of mayor Yuri Luzhkov. We highly regard your work in driving through the broad land of Russia and successfully completing the friendship tour." Liu Guchang, the Chinese China Radio International Director General Wang Gengnian, center, exchanges gifts with the vice-mayor of Moscow, Valery Vinorgradov, at a ceremony celebrating the successful end of the China-Russia Friendship Tour in Red Square in Moscow on September 4, 2006. Photo by Bai Heshan ambassador to Russia, also made a speech during the event. "The friendship tour is the first event in Sino-Russian diplomatic history, in the media field, that involved several media sources from the two countries and reached some twenty cities. It will greatly improve cooperation in the press." Wang Gengnian is the director general of China Radio International, the main sponsor of the friendship tour. He expressed his appreciation to all the group members at the ceremony and announced the official closing of the activity. "I would like to offer my sincere tribute to all of our members because you have overcome so many difficulties during the trip. You spread our friendship along the road from Beijing to Russia. The transnational reporting activity, 'ChinaRussia Friendship Tour' has now concluded." Three staff members of China Radio International, left, meet officials from St.Petersburg of Russia in preparation for the China-Russia Friendship Tour on June 16, 2006. Photo by Huang Wenhua 13 vehicles On July 28, the motorcade arrived in Manchuria, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at the China-Russia border. It took all The on the "China-Russia Friendship Tour" set a record when they traveled for 15,000 39 13 reporters kilometers. without any accidents or major mechanical failures. Every day, the motorcade drove for an average of and vehicles only minutes to pass 40 10 hours. The longest distance they traveled in one day was the customs inspection and enter Russia, making it the shortest time any Chinese tour group has spent at the border. 859 kilome- ters. The reporters changed their living quarters roughly every two days and most only slept around 4 hours a day. Team members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour celebrate on August 19, 2006 after traveling 10,000 kilometers since leaving Tiananmen Square in Beijing on July 25. Photo by Wu Wei The Russian police guarded the team of reporters throughout their tour in Russia. The effort involved a total of 110 500 Team members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour as well as Chinese and Russian officials pose for a photo at a ceremony celebrating the successful end of the reporting trip, at Red Square in Moscow on September 4, 2006. Photo by Bai Heshan 11 www.crienglish.com theMessenger Team members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour wave as their motorcade leaves the Red Square in Moscow after a ceremony on September 4, 2006. Photo by Liu Jiansheng A team member of the China-Russia Friendship Tour poses for a photo on August 1, 2006 with four Russian police officers who are escorting the motorcade from UlanUde to Irkutsk. Photo by Ma Xing patrol cars and more than Russian policemen 43major inter- Over the course of the "Friendship Tour" , the reporters conducted around 100 views and more than minor interviews. The team interviewed more than 1000 people from both countries and produced more than 500 reports. www.crienglish.com 12 theMessenger CHINA-RUSSIA FRIENDSHIP TOUR On September 4, the Moscow Municipal Government held a farewell ceremony on the Red Square. More than 10 Russian senior government officials showed up to congratulate "Friendship Tour" on its success. This was the first time Russian authorities ever held a ceremony for a foreign motorcade on the famous Red Square. A Russian girl presents a gift to China Radio International's Director General, Wang Gengnian, at a ceremony celebrating the successful end of the China-Russia Friendship Tour at Red Square in Moscow on September 4, 2006. Photo by Rao Binbin The vice mayor of Saint Petersburg accepts a T-shirt signed by members of the China-Russia Friendship Tour at a welcoming ceremony on Wednesday, August 23, 2006. Photo by Ma Xing 28 senior government officials from China and Russia were either interviewed by reporters from the "Friendship Tour" or participated in related activities. A total of were held across both countries to either welcome or farewell the reporters' motorcade. Altogether, around 30,000 citizens from both countries have participated in the tour. 27 ceremonies The team of reporters on the "Friendship Tour" visited 23Russian cities held 7 seminars and During "The Year of Russia" in China, 80 % of all the Chinese media reports on Russia originated from the reporters on 13 www.crienglish.com to communicate and exchange information with Russian journalists. It was an unprecedented level of exchange between Chinese and Russian journalists. the "Friendship Tour." The Russian media also interviewed the team more than 100 800 pieces. times and produced more than FEATURED SNAPSHOTS Impressions of Yunnan Y unnan Province in southwestern China is famed for its scenic landscapes and even more colourful inhabi tants, which are made up of more than 20 ethnic minority groups. CRI reporter Liu Chi toured the province in September and captured the beauty well in his camera's lens. 5. The city gate of Dali. The characters etched on the stone say "Civil and military officials must dismount here." 1. Local merchants sell souvenirs in Dali. 2. A Jingpo ethnic girl. Yunnan province has the most ethnic minority groups in China. 6 3. An old lady on a Dali street. 4. Ethnic minorities are famous for their hospitability. Local people hold a torch party for guests. 6. Batik is a folk art craft in Yunnan province. 1 5 7. Curious Dai ethnic villagers 8. A local inn 3 2 4 7 8 FEATURED SNAPSHOTS 8 5. Yunan is home to many peacocks. 6. An interesting phenomenon Űtrees embracing a pagoda. Different angles may have different views. 1 7. Three pagodas at Chongsheng Temple, Dali 8. Wanding Bridge connects China and Myanmar. 9. A corner of a local ruler yamun. A typical Bai minority-styled architecture. 3 2 4 6 1. Earth Forest in Yuanmou, formed by geological movements and soil erosion from one or two million years ago 2. Moli tropical rain forest 3. Bamboo forest 4. Clouds and mountains are the most frequently observed natural scenes in Yunnan. 5 7 9 FACES IN FOCUS theMessenger By Trevor Metz, the co-host of China Drive on CRI I arrived in China on a very cold January night nearly two years ago. I was an award winning investigative journalist in British Columbia. I had a nice career going in B.C. but I kept hearing whispers about China. I kept hearing how China was undergoing huge changes and history was being made. I wanted to experience it with my own eyes. My friend and fellow journalist told me about CRI and I decided to apply. The first night in any new city is the hardest. I spent that first night in the Friendship Hotel. The thought that was running through my head was, "Oh boy, did I make a vocational error?" Sitting alone in my room my fears of the unknown were running around my mind. I could not help but wonder if I would like the people at CRI and they would like me. I had no idea of where I would fit in. I was nervous because of the language barrier and I had no idea if my style of broadcasting was something CRI was interested in. That was nearly two years ago and I can safely say now that I made a great career choice. My first week in Beijing seems like a blur now. I remember when I finished work I would walk around the streets in utter amazement. The streets and boulevards are massive. I have traveled around the world and been to most of the great cities on the planet. But I had never seen so many people just going about their daily lives. I was completely overwhelmed. Beijing is a striking city with its large buildings and neon signs. You can hear about it and see pictures but nothing really prepares you for the real thing. I think I lost five to ten pounds that first couple of Trevor Metz with China Drive Team weeks because I was scared of ordering food and had no idea of what to order. Most westernized Chinese food is not very good and it's fairly uniform so when I came here I was shocked to find out what real Chinese food was. Needless to say I have gained back my five pounds and then some as I am in love with Chinese cuisine. I never knew there were so many delicious types of Chinese foods. I always thought there were only a few dishes that we get in the west, how wrong I was. I imagine I felt the same way about Chinese food as many Chinese feel about western food. Western food is not only hamburgers and hotdogs and Chinese food is not only gong bao ji ding and gulao rou. Part of the reason I have put the weight back on is that I found my perfect girl who happens to be a fabulous chef! Next year I am planning on getting married to my girlfriend Jing Jing. We met by accident on the street. She studied abroad and her English is excellent. I thought she was very beautiful. We struck up a conversation and the rest as they say is history. Both my parents have been to China and spent time with Jing Jing and they both love her. Over my two years in China I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit around this beautiful country. I have been to Shanghai several times as it's one of my favorite cities on the planet. I have also been to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guizhou, Dalian, Xi'an, and Hong Kong. I think this is a golden age in China. It probably has the world's most dynamic economy and change is the only unchanging fact in the country right now. While China's cities are going through enormous change, nowhere is change more prevalent than at CRI. I began my career at China Radio Internation- al working on Real Time Beijing, a daily magazine show targeting primarily CRI's domestic audience. When I first began hosting with Xiao Hua, the entire program was scripted and there was not much room for banter and opinion. In my first week on the job I began to veer off the script to Xiao Hua's horror. Being the consummate professional that she is, she quickly adapted and began to enjoy non scripted radio. The relaxed and casual style became an instant hit with listeners. The feedback we were getting was very positive. We were looking for more ways to interact with our audience so I came up with the idea of Topic of the Day, where we could ask people to write into our forum on various topics. The show was beginning to change from a business and pseudo political show to a lifestyle and personality show. We added SMS interaction www.crienglish.com 16 theMessenger between us and our listeners and the messages began to roll in. Our topics began to reflect the fast-paced and changing Chinese society. We discussed issues that had never been broached on English radio in China. We tackled issues on sex, relationships, fashion, love, family, work, and school. Our listeners became the stars of the show as they were getting their opinions heard on the air across China and rebroadcast around the world. We started getting messages from every corner of the globe. We developed faithful listeners in Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia. As much as Xiao Hua and I were changing as hosts, the show was undergoing massive FROM OUR LISTENERS FACES IN FOCUS restructuring. Real Time Beijing changed its name and philosophy to become China Drive. We wanted to keep our casual fun approach to radio but add in more daily features and reports from across China. Chef Dan became a star by creating culinary delights on the radio. Who would have ever thought making food on the radio would be a hit? We added another reporter to our Shanghai bureau to get comprehensive coverage of the eastern metropolis. We added movie reviews and practical science segments. English and Chinese popular music began to play a larger role in our programming. Our team of reporters changed their focus from covering events like news conferen- ces to hitting the streets and talking to real people. We started presenting extraordinary stories about ordinary people. The biggest change, however, came as CRI began broadcasting two versions of China Drive. The 11am to noon show stayed as it was but we added a two-hour China Drive that runs between 5pm and 7pm. This gives us the chance to interact with our listeners a couple of times a day and keep our fingers on the pulse of the nation. I have many memorable moments working on China Drive. I remember reading a story about a guy who was accused of torturing animals at a Shanghai university. I was pontificating on how wrong this was and no sooner had I finished my rant when the student in question wrote an SMS to us asking us to stop talking about him. One of my favorite moments on air was when Xiao Hua and I started talking about how different animal sounds are in English and Chinese. We were laughing so hard we could hardly continue the show. One listener told us he was laughing so hard he nearly drove off the road. As long as China keeps changing and moving forward China Drive will be in the fast lane right along side it. It's my pleasure to congratulate and greet you all behind the microphones and desks in CRI studios and transmitter sites on the happy occasion of CRI's 65th birth anniversary! From the year 1972 I listen to short waves and among the very first broadcasters I listened to, Radio Peking was one! It was the Tamil service that attracted me as many of the announcers spoke in Tamil that was a bit different! They were Chinese who learnt Tamil for this purpose! Radio Peking English service gave programs mostly on Chinese politics and so I listened to it for QSL and Contests! I do remember the prizes I have won from Radio Peking and Radio Beijing, a TShirt, a scarf and a silk tablecloth! After the policy changes in the Chinese government the programs were found to be more interesting and informative! These changes attracted more listeners and CRI became one of the top few broadcasters with very large number of listeners! CRI programs inform their listeners with news from China, Asia and the world. The news items are current and unbiased! They are vivid and right from the source! The magazine programs bring in every aspect of life in China and portrayed nicely for the benefit of us, your listeners. China Horizon, Biz China, Frontline, China Drive and Life in China are very popular among your listeners. The Listeners' Garden broadcasts the seeds of friendship across the globe! You answer our questions, acknowledge our mails and explains Chinese idioms! CRI Online is a colorful magazine that every visitor enjoys, learns and admires. The layour and design are unique. Lots of information, music and video are simply a click away! Thanks a lot! Your Contests need a special mention! It tells us a lot about a particular topic and asks us to answer some simple questions. The questions are quite simple yet the prizes are quite greater appeal, Your news is more balanced, non-biased, easily understood and I enjoy listening to it. What really shines through these days with CRI programs is the friendliness of the presenters and they seem quite relaxed and comfortable with their presentations. I note that your program producers appear to now be going to far greater efforts in researching really fascinating and interesting stories. I think with China now going through a huge change and growth period that theMessenger tions department. Your staff are friendly, listener responsive and quick to acknowledge correspondence - you are very attentive to listeners. Thank you. Ian Baxter Australia Yasukuni shrine.... Emperor did not go after 1978 This is GOOD reporting, because it tells most of the matters even for European. If there has been ONLY a news of how Korea and China are protesting, the basic idea of the demonstrations would have stayed unknown. Mailbag Trevor Metz at the tug-of-war game in CRI 17 www.crienglish.com great! The grand prize happens to be, almost in all contests, an all expense paid trip to China! Dr. T. Elampooranan India My first exposure to China & the Chinese people began as a 15 year old school student when I first discovered your English language broadcasts. You were then known as Radio Peking. I listened frequently to your local evening broadcasts at the time. Admittedly your programming was a just a little rigid & pro-political back then, but your programs still had lots of appeal to me and were well heard. Today I am happy to say that CRI programs hold much there's now a good deal of interest from foreigners towards China and Chinese life. CRI is doing a wonderful job in capturing the changes happening in China from a social, economic and developmental perspective. Where many shortwave broadcasters have ceased broadcasting or greatly reduced their services, CRI has seized the opportunity by increasing its transmission services and improving its reception in target areas. I really appreciate the extra services, choice of frequencies & great signals. Also I really like the big improvement in your audience rela- http://en.chinabroa dcast.cn/ce_critoday/a rchives/2006/08/15/index.htm The Finnish correspondent of Helsingin Sanomat http://www.hs.fi Mr. Sami Sillanpaa (who also writes a lot about China) reported that ac- cording to the Japanese media his imperial highness the Emperor, stopped going to Yasukuni 1978, when the leading priest have had the names of those 14 war criminals had been WRITTEN somewhere or gravured some where. That meant especial honor to the war criminals who had been buried there earlier. I think that before 1978 Yasukuni was not a problem for the Koreans or the Chinese or was it? I also think that perhaps I would be worth of telling, that even though Koizumi promised in 2001 to go every year to Yasukuni, the Emperor stopped go- www.crienglish.com 18 theMessenger ing there in 1978. Generally this featured Yasukuni site of CRI is good and informative. It also says, that the question of Yasukuni on controversial even in Japan itself too. Also it is a good idea to present some foreign medias, which share CRI's and China's worry about Yasukuni... Olli-Jukka Paloneva Finland I enjoy listening to News and Reports for the comprehensive news coverage. I was just thinking that the Japanese Yasukini Shrine would be the equivalent of Germany having a World War II shrine honoring Adolph Hitler and the holocaust. Imagine the world outcry if that existed. It is not something worth honoring. Mike Peraaho USA Hello! I am not sure where this message will end up, or who will be the one reading it, but I would like to express my appreciation to CRI's Listener's Garden, and CRI! First off, many radio stations will tell you what they will do, if one writes to them, and at times, you may have to wait six weeks or more for a response! Not only did CRI answer my messages promptly, but also CRI was kind enough to surprise me with answers to my questions about the disabled in China! Thank you so 19 www.crienglish.com FROM OUR LISTENERS FROM OUR LISTENERS much for your time, great efforts, and great success in all you do!!! In closing, I would like to say, I will stay connected, and I know that I will enjoy high quality and educational programs of CRI. Again, thank you so much! Sandra Ann Catherine USA I am very happy with your quick response. Many thanks! I love to listen to your Radio programs and I share with my colleagues, too. They really appreciated your broadcast and say it was the most trusted station. I trust your source of getting the news. I will share with you what are the oppinions of my friends in East Africa. Abdirahman Mohamed Ali Kenya Thank you for an excellent Listeners Garden tonight. I really felt warm in my heart when I heard the old international call of Radio Peking, the chimes playing the East is Red. Actually this tune was played at the end of my wedding in 1989. And the international call of Radio Peking completely changed my life and made me attached to Chinese culture ever since I was a teenager. I have a great collection of Chinese music from different periods. Some of my music was sent to me on tapes by Radio Peking some 20 - 30 years ago. Arnthor Helgason Iceland I am glad to associate myself with China Radio International, Beijing - China. I like most of your programmes particularly the English Service News is very informative. I normally get CRI live after 6:pm Ghana time on my old radio set. I would be grateful if CRI could help me to learn more about CRI and China as a country. I wish I could also visit CRI once in my lifetime. Musah Baba Imoro Ghana Several years ago I found CRI English on my shortwave radio. Since then I am listening to CRI several days a week. I'm always fascinated with China and Chinese people, and everything I have learned on CRI about your fascinating country. I appreciate CRI very much because you tell listeners everything about China - really everything, good or bad news and facts. Ivica Smolcic Yugoslavia Hello! My name is Diloram Ametowa. I'm from Uzbekistan. I study at the university, in the third course. I like your radio channel very much and want to thank you for your hard working for us, helping us to spend our time spontaneously and interesting and usefully. I wish your channel further prosperity and all your colleague health, good spirit and happiness in their private life. To be honest I began listening your radio channel recently, for 2 months. I always used to listen to Uzbek channels, but once I decided to turn to other channels, I looked for a good and funny thing and at last I heard such a pleasant voice, so I stopped my choice on this channel and I began to listen it everyday and believe me I wasn't sorry. I love to listen to "News and Reports" because in that way I feel more content with life of China and with world as well, and of course "Learning Pub". You know I 'm interested in Chinese and even know some phrases in Chinese. Diloram Ametowa Uzbekistan theMessenger THE BEIJING - CHANGZHOU CONNECTION Excerpts from a 1st Prize Winner's Travel Diary By Christian Henke (Germany) Introduction D o you remember? There was a Charming Changzhou Knowledge Contest last year. Like nearly 25.000 other CRI - listeners I Saturday - December 3, 2005 After a total travelling time of 18 hours plus a nearly sleepless night - the long abided reunion with Beijing! First contact with the new Chinese banknotes CRI prize-winner Christian Henke took part and after the final decision a good fairy informed me that I'm the 1st Prize Winner, the one who gets a free trip to Beijing and Changzhou. Well, to introduce myself in short: I'm a 57 years old financial manager working with a freight car building company at Niesky in the very south - eastern part of Germany near to the borderlines to the Polish and the Czech Republics. Listening to CRI's German broadcasts since 1964, I soon became acquainted with the English Service too. My China-experience dates back to 1997 when I first came to Beijing and Inner Mongolia as a guest of the German Service and a top-winner of another CRI-quiz. bearing a portrait of Chairman Mao and different scenic spots of China when exchanging my Euros at a rate of 1 € = 9.16 yuan. The arrival hall of the Beijing International Airport was crowded with impatiently waiting people who wanted to pick up their dear ones. Wow - just now I looked at a highly visible sign searching for ŶMr Christian Henke from Germanyŷ held by a fascinating young ladyLiu Min from the English Service of CRI. What a welcome, what a joy, what a nice person! Rushing from the airport to the downtown of Beijing - it showed me the changes since I first came to your capital 8 years ago. The city is more than ever internationalized, the traffic has once again increased, fewer bicycles are crossing the roads and what a surprise - Father Christmas is greeting from all corners of Beijing! We had a lunch in the bestknown Beijing duck restaurant where even Chairman Mao already took his guests along. Delicious! Heavy and frosty winds (the price for sunny days says Liu Min) blew in the evening when leaving for the Hohai bar area, a traditional living quarter (Hutong) at the north - western part of the inner city, nowadays a booming restaurant - and entertainment - district. Cold hands met warm hearts at a reuniondinner with Dou Xiaowen and Sun Jingli, my very good friends from the German Department of CRI. Later on Jingli and I actually took the stage for singing the German lyrics of Beethoven's "Song of Joy" as a duet... Walking to another end of the street I really fell in love with the ambience of a No. 1 bar illuminated only by candles and open iron - made stoves. What a night! ... Sunday - December 4, 2005 Another sunny, but frosty and windy day starts. Liu Min and I take the chance to discover the Panjiayuan Antique Market, a huge area filled with stalls and hawkers who sell antiquities, handicraft and souvenirs from all corners of China especially on weekends - we even met happy girls from the Miao - nationality. Thinking of my colleagues at home I came to the idea to enjoy them with Chinese chops bearing their names in Latin and Chinese characters and their appropriate sign of Zodiac accord- ing to the Chinese lunar calendar. 8 persons - 8 engravings in stone! That needs time. So we went to several other places of the market viewing, marvelling and/or shopping: hand - made furniture, wooden mini - bikes, traditional Chinese comics in a small notebook - format, old Chinese banknotes, chopsticks, metal incense burners... If you leave this real popular flea market either you have got a higher qualification in bargaining - skills or you have lost a lot of money there. Guess what happened to me... Monday - December 5, 2005 Morning has broken like the first morning... this famous song was on my mind and in deed it was my first morning in charming Changzhou and a likewise charming guide told us so many stories about the Dragon City, its foundation and its cultural heritage. After a welcoming breakfast amidst persons in charge of local People's Radio there was only little time left before the Awarding Ceremony in the Changzhou Grand Hotel started. I confess to became a little bit nervous when seeing the many participants from all walks of life. After opening-speeches by People's Radio, CRI and the local authorities I was awarded with the 1st Prize Certificate and presents of the more traditional branches of Changzhou's industrial and artistic skills: an ornate wooden comb of the famous White Elephant Comb Factory and a brilliant scissors-cutting by a well-known artist. Then it was my turn to deliver a short speech, reciting also from a poem by Master Su Shi who lived in Changzhou in the 12th century and to answer some www.crienglish.com 20 theMessenger FROM OUR LISTENERS theMessenger questions. It was also an unexpected experience to realize that some Chinese students are thinking about to establish a company of their own right after finishing the exams. ... CRI Recruits Journalists from Public U nder authorization from the State Administration of Film, Radio and Television, China Radio International is recruiting 10 journalists from the Tuesday - December 6, 2005 Departure for Tianmu Lake area! A bright and sunny day, moderate temperatures like in spring and a good-humoured team - ready to go. In Tianmu Lake area we could witness how successful the harmonization of the fragile ridge between industrial development zones on one side and a nearly perfect protection of the environment of the lake on the other side was advantaged. A motorboat trip proved however that spring is a season to come and not to be... It was a pleasure to walk through the landscape of Tianmu for many kilometres after all the big cities' impressions. Conifers, deciduous trees and bamboo accompanied us on our mostly wooden planked hiking trail. Oh, and there were some obstacles for tough hikers: Ropes and vibrating bridges feeling like monkeys for a while! What a scenic spot to shoot some photos at the lookout pavilions when the heavenly eyes of my companions met the heavenly eyes of the lake (that's the meaning of Tianmu). If there's really a paradise on earth, then Tianmu is part of it. Suddenly we found a small stage beside the path and soon a group of ethnic singers and dancers rocked the scene. Dancing between moving bamboo rods with the visitors - I preferred to watch it through my camera's eye but Liu Min took the stage and stylishly succeeded (perhaps she practised it secretly in a KTV-studio?). Our quite late lunch was another highlight because of the 21 www.crienglish.com public for overseas postings. This is the first of time a state-owned media organization has selected journalists from the public. Applicants must be un- der 45 years of age. They must be able to work outside of China for a long duration. Doctorate degree graduates with working experience are preferred. Applicants also need to be proficient in one foreign language and have mass media experience. The recruiting period ends on October 15. CRI Launches OlYmpic Radio W ith two years to go to the 2008 Olympic Games, CRI launched a brand new news channel, AM 900 or Christian Henke with CRI staff typical dish of this region: fishhead in a casserole. The fish behind the fish-head from the clear Tianmu Lake was pretty savoury, but what about the head? Traditional Chinese medicine says that eating the eyes of an animal betters the own sight. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again - the fish was eyeless... Thursday - December 8, 2005 This is my last day of sightseeing in Beijing. A bright winter sun woke me up as always. The tough Liu Min was touched by the flu but this didn't bar her from continuing our sightseeingtour including three spots from my personal wish list. First we went underground to use the Beijing subway, a very reliable and cheap mean of public transportation. Stepping off at Tiananmen Square the whole panorama of this huge place with the dominating buildings is attracting every observer. My companions Liu Min and Panda enabled me to go inside the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong together with thousands of Chinese people most of them with flowers in hands. I could see and feel that Chairman Mao as the founder of New China and the political father of the People's Republic earns highest respect among the Chinese people. Next place to go was the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan). This temple was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. As Chinese emperors called themselves "The Son of Heaven", they dared not to build their own dwelling, "Forbidden City" bigger than a dwelling for Heaven. The Temple is divided by two enclosed walls into inner part and outer part. The most magnificent buildings are The Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Also, there are some additional buildings like Three Echo Stones and Echo Wall - and yes, we successfully unravelled their acoustical secrets. Almost all of the buildings are connected by a wide bridge called Vermilion Steps Bridge or Sacred Way. The numbers of stones in the various tiers are all multiples of three - a prevailing numerological theme at Tiantan. Temple of Heaven has been converted into a park popular with foreigners and residents alike. In the park and along the corridor we watched a lot of people singing Beijing opera, doing shadow boxing, dancing or playing. A fine place to sit down and rest amidst a captivating scenery. "CRI Olympic Radio," on August 8. "CRI Olympic Radio" will broadcast 24 hours a day in various languages, including Chinese, English, Russian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean and German. In a speech to commemorate the event, CRI Director General Wang Gengnian said "the opening of 'CRI Olympic Radio' will meet the growing demand for information on Beijing, China and the Olympics." CRI Director-General Wang Gengnian delivers a speech at the launching ceremony of CRI Olympic Radio. CRI staff at the launching ceremony of CRI Olympic Radio. Leading officials from the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV and China Radio International. Leading officials launches CRI Olympic Radio. These are shortened travel diaries from CRI listener Christian Henke. Go to the web page http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/2866/ 2006/10/20/202@153016.htm to read his full stories about the Beijing-Changzhou Trip. If you want to share your photos and experience with our readers, welcome to send in your contributions to the Messenger. E-mail to:crieng@crifm.com www.crienglish.com 22 theMessenger you here again! This time we are going to talk about something related to Chinese food, and they are 'chopsticks' and 'bowl'. want to order a soup, then we'll also need to have spoons. ்ᄲᆩฑጱ(wo3men yao4 yong4 shao2zi). Spoon in Chinese is ฑጱ (shao2zi). If you want to know more about "Learn Chinese Now" , please log on our website: http://en.chinabroadcast.cn, click onto learn Chinese. As you know when having Chinese food, we need to use chopsticks, ்ᄲᆩጱ (wo3men yao4 yong4 kuai4zi). ் (wo3men), we. ᄲ(yao4), need. ᆩ(yong4), to use. ጱ(kuai4zi) is chopsticks. If you And we also need bowls. ்࣏ᄲᆩྜྷ (Wo3men hai2 yao4 yong4 wan3.) ྜྷ(wan3), 'bowl' , as in soup bowl. ்ᄲ(Wo3men yao4), we want. ்࣏ᄲ(Wo3men hai2 yao4), 'and we want', or 'and we also need'. Next time we'll talk about delicious Chinese food. Take care. Bye for now! ࣮ၕ౾ກ Coming Home ኪቤ He Zhizhang O n August 8, 2006, the State Post Bureau issued a fourpiece set of commemorative stamps, entitled "The Games of the XXIX Olympiad-Olympic Sports (I)" , with a total face value of 5.2 yuan. The pictures on the stamps are named "Basketball" , "Fencing" , "Sailing" and "Artistic gymnastics" respectively. Basketball originated in the United States. The men's basketball was listed in the program of the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games and the competition rules were standardized throughout the world. Since late 1950s, higher requirements in terms of speed, physical ability, techniques, tactics, mentality and style have Stamps been demanded of the players because of the change of rules, which has promoted the development of basketball. The women's basketball was listed in the program of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. Directly descended from the duel in ancient times, fencing in modern Olympic Games is divided into three events using different weapons: foil, epee and saber. Fencing was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and one of the only nine sports in the early modern Olympic Games. Two rivals stand opposite each other and feint, lunge, parry and riposte with fencing weapons until one scored the required number of hits to win. Sailing originated from a means of water transport by the ancient people living by the sea. In the modern sense, sailing came into being in the Netherlands. It was formally listed in the program of the Paris 1900 Olympic Games, where time handicaps were used to adjudicate the race. The race format and the classes of competing boats have changed frequently since then while sailboats have also been improved. Olympic sailing is now conducted with boats categorized into one-design classes based on similar weights and measurements. Sailing event participants used to have men and women mixed in Olympic competitions, but in 1988, separate men's and women's competitions were introduced. Artistic gymnastics is a kind of sport in which the practitioner exercises the body with or without equipment. The sport can be traced back to ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago. The word itself derives from the Greek word gymnos, meaning naked art. The sport is generally regarded as a perfect fusion of athletics and aesthetics. It was included in the first Olympic Games and has remained in it to this day. Modern, competitive artistic gymnastics began in Europe in the 18th century. The gymnast is required to do complicated and coordinated movements on specific equipment, and referees will give scores according to the value of the point, difficulty, composition and completion of each movement. Olympic Sports on Stamps ၭณॆ࣮ٷLjၕᅼ߀Ỽற١ă! ܹཡ၎९փ၎๎Ljၲ࿚ਜ਼ٗࢆتઠǛ! I left home young and not till old do I come back, My accent is unchanged, my hair no longer black. The children don't know me, whom I meet on the way, "Where do you come from, reverend sir?" they smile and say. Introduction to the Poet: By Zhao Pingping Health Tips HE ZHIZHANG (659-744) He Zhizhang came from Yuezhou-Yongxing (in what today is Xiaoshan County, in Zhejiang Province). He was one of a group of four poets from the Lower Yangtze Basin that included Zhang Ruoxu. He was a politician and a poet who retired from politics at 23 www.crienglish.com age eighty-five to become a Daoist hermit near Lake Jinghu in Zhejiang Province. He was a great friend of Li Bai, and in fact gave him his appellation of the "Banished Immortal.," He was himself called one of the "Eight Immortals of the Winecup," by Du Fu and as he was known for his idiosyncrasy, also earned the appellation "Crazy Zhang," He was known for his openhearted love of the lower classes, and for his free thinking, and in later Daoist tales is presented as a man who achieved immortality. Only 19 of his poems remain. Live a Longer E veryone wants to have longer and healthier lives. Some people have better genes, but there are many ways all of us can maximize the potential we are born with. That is to develop a healthy life style, which undoubted- & Healthier Life ly can add years to our lives. According to researchers, there are many practical steps we can all take on a daily basis for longevity. These steps listed below include mental outlook, diet, exercise and sleep. 1 Don't worry, be happy: People with a bright outlook may live longer than those who take a dimmer view. It's important to go about your day with a positive attitude and in a happy mood. Many experts have pointed out that stress can ultimately lead to a decrease in longevity. 2 Watch your weight: Cutting calories may do more than help you shed excess weight. A low calorie diet may also slow agerelated changes in the heart's genes that can lead to chronic disease. Restricting calories can www.crienglish.com 24 theMessenger help inhibit potentially diseasecausing changes in the immune system and suppressed apoptosis, or programmed cell death. To achieve longevity, there's no need to go on a starvation dietjust be aware of limiting excess caloric intake. 3 Keep Cool: It appears that cooking at high temperatures creates changes inmole- ing regularly is helpful in keeping joints and ligaments supple. 5 Stop smoking: Doctors believe that on average, smokers die several years younger than non-smokers. It has long been proved that smoking can cause harm to your health. Also try using relaxation techniques when you get to bed. For those techniques, you need to consult your doctor. 8 Play mind games: Keeping your mind young can slow the onset of dementia or Alzhei- meant to be active and productive in the outdoors, exposed to fresh air and sunshine. China Welcomes The Banquet 6 Feel the Love: Researches 9 theMessenger in September D irector Feng Xiaogang's debut martial arts film "The Banquet" made its grand premiere in Beijing on September 9th, amidst both criticism and recognition. cules that may not be properly used by the body, and can create toxic substances within foods. When possible, eat well-washed, raw, organic fruit and vegetables. Some doctors believe that people may be able to lower their risk of heart disease and diabetes by consuming cool foods, or dishes cooked at relatively low temperatures. 4 Keep moving: It is never too late in life to start exercising. Physical activity prolongs life and improves mental function by inducing the growth of capillaries in the brain, which in turn helps many nutrients reach neurons. Regular exercise is especially important later in life as the aging process leads to a decrease in blood supply to the brain. Physical exercise also encourages deep sleep, which gives the brain a chance to consolidate memory, rebalance hormones and brain chemicals, and prepare us for a new day. Stretch- 25 www.crienglish.com Some Beijing audiences said the traditional language in the film sounded comical and unnatural, while others praised the movie as having everything you could hope for in a blockbuster. have consistently shown that those with strong connections are better able to resist illness. People who age successfully keep their minds, relationships, and passions in high gear. Instead of sitting in front of television sets, they keep in contact with friends and relatives. Of course, it's important to have a harmonious family life. 7 Sleep deeply: A good night's sleep enhances energy, mood, and vitality and reduces the risk of developing chronic medical conditions. Caffeine from sodas, chocolate, coffee, or certain teas is best avoided after dinner. Some people may be so sensitive to caffeine's stimulant effects that drinking coffee even at lunch can interfere with sleep. mer's disease, and memory and intelligence can improve through mental training such as playing cards or chess, etc. Brain cells (neurons), just like muscles, are dynamic structures. When the mind is kept active, brain cells grow and dendrites (the tree-like communicating arms between neurons) lengthen and form additional connections with neighboring neurons. These serve to improve mental function. 9 With a Chinese dream lineup, including Chinese director Feng Xiaogang at the grand premiere in Beijing on September 9th. Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Ge You and Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu, the film is likely to become the box office champion in China this year. Advertised as a loose adaptation of "Hamlet," the film depicts an empire in chaos. The emperor, empress and prince all have their own enemies, who they would like to finish off at a banquet. The film is set to represent Hong Kong in the competition for nominations for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars this year. Go back to nature: Green nature and sunshine are linked to longevity. Whenever the weather permits, take a walk in the woods or a garden. Humans were not meant to spend most of their time indoors. We were 26 www.crienglish.com Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attended the premiere in Beijing on September 9th. 8Awards Presented theMessenger Eighth CCTV-MTV Music T rophies for the eighth annual CCTV-MTV Music Awards were presented to outstanding Chinese pop stars at Beijing's Exhibi tion Theater on October 12. Taiwan pop king Jay Chou was crowned this year's outstanding artist in Asia, while JJ Lam won the most popular male singer award. Last year's outstanding artist award went to Tsai Chin, a performer who's been famous in China for the past 20 years. Jay Chou said he was deeply honored by the award. "I hope I have a positive influence on the young generation. I hope you will all lend more support to Chinese music and show less of a craze for Japanese and Korean music. I've written many Chinese-style songs and I'm glad to see more musicians are following suit." Pop queen Joey Yung won the Most Popular Female Singer in Hong Kong Award Taiwan pop king Jay Chou(middle) and singing group Nan Quan Mama walked the red carpet at the eighth CCTV-MTV Music Awards in Beijing on October 12. Angela Chang was named the Most Popular Female Singer in Taiwan Other highlights of the night included Chinese mainland singer Jin Haixin finally being crowned the most popular female singer six years after her first album. Twins easily took the most popular singing group award with no strong competition. Jay Chou topped Outstanding Artist in Asia Award Jay Chou, winner of Outstanding Artist in Asia, and Nan Quan Mama, winner of Best Singing Group in Taiwan 27 www.crienglish.com Joey Yung, Eason Chan and Angela Chang were the other big winners. Angela Chang performed at the eighth CCTV-MTV Music Awards www.crienglish.com 28 theMessenger theMessenger By PENG Ran ince this spring, people working in the CRI English Service have found more candies than ever on their desks and heard themselves saying "congratulations" more than ever, as nearly 10 of their colleagues have gotten married since the Chinese New Year (January 29). And still more are busy preparing to experience this wonderful moment of their life before the end of 2006, which is known as the "peach blossom year" according to Chinese tradition. S Wedding Fad Spreads at CRI "Peach Blossom Year" The "peach blossom year" refers to any Chinese lunar calendar year that includes two "Beginnings of Spring.ŷThe "Beginning of Spring" is one of the 24 seasonal division points ("jie qi" in Chinese) and usually falls on February 4th in the Gregorian calendar. The current Chinese lunar year started on January 29, 2006, and will end on February 17, 2007. Therefore, it covers two "Beginnings of Spring," and as per tradition, it is a very favorable year in which to get married. On the other hand, a Chinese lunar year that has no "Beginning of Spring" is called a "widow's year" and is, evidently, considered a bad time for weddings. Since 2005 was one such "widow's year," many young couples who still observe traditional wisdom decided to postpone their weddings to 2006, making it an extremely busy and profitable time for wedding planners. The two 7-day "golden weeks" of the May Day Holiday and National Day Holiday are also "golden times" for weddings in China. A local newspa- 29 www.crienglish.com per reported that about 3000 couples held their weddings on May 3rd in Dalian, which is only a mid-sized city in China. It's estimated that the number of Chinese couples registering for marriage in 2006 will be 10-20% greater than that of 2005. In addition, since the Chinese usually consider the wedding ceremony as the official beginning of a marriage, lots of couples who have in fact been registered as married for years choose to have their weddings in 2006. A typical modern Chinese wedding usually consists of two parts, a ceremony and a banquet afterwards. For the ceremony, more and more Chinese brides are choosing to wear westernstyle wedding dresses, and the couple say their wedding vows just as westerners do, but they still bow to their parents and to each other according to the Chinese tradition. Later the bride will change into a traditional Chinese-style dress when the couple toast the guests one by one at the banquet. Before setting off for their honeymoon trip, on the second day after the wedding, the newlyweds attend another banquet hosted by the bride's parents, which is called "the return home." And later, when they go back to their jobs, the new husband and wife hand out candies to their friends and colleagues to spread the happiness. "Golden Piggy" After the wedding, it's natural for a couple to think about when they will start a family. At CRI English Service, one new mother has just returned to work, and two of her colleagues are pregnant. Has the fad of giving birth to a "golden piggy" baby already spreading at CRI? If 2006 is the year of weddings, 2007 is the year of births. Chinese people still observe the traditional "sheng xiao" system, in which twelve animals (mouse, cattle, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and pig) are used to symbolize the year in which a person is born. 2007 will be the year of the pig, which is considered an especially auspicious time to give birth, as custom suggests that people who have the pig as their "sheng xiao" are more blessed. Though many traditional Chinese customs are now denounced as being superstitious, quite a number of prudent Chinese parents-to-be still will not take the risk of their children missing out on any potential luck. This explains why so many women are eager to get married this year, just in time to have a child next year. However, the mommies-tobe at CRI English Service seem to be unaware or simply indifferent to the "golden piggy" rule. The two ladies with child are both expecting their babies before 2007 rolls around, and those who plan to become a mommy next year seem to have other reasons. "I'm planning to have a baby next year because I'm finally ready to be a mother," Eva says, "I don't care what 'sheng xiao' the baby may have." Meanwhile, some other newlyweds are actually deterred by the likely baby boom of 2007."I'm determined not to have a baby next year. Currently in China the competition for getting into university and in the job market are fierce enough. I don't want my child to face an even worse situation due to a higher number of rivals of the same age," says Rana, who just got married in May. Self-drive Journeys to Tibet Translated by DUAN Lei ibet, the roof of the world, the land of snow, the mysterious kingdom of Buddhism, is close to the deepest part of people's hearts. T The Sichuan-Tibet Highway The Sichuan-Tibet Highway might be one of the most dangerous routes in the world, but it's also among the most beautiful ones. Taking the Sichuan-Tibet Highway can help you beat altitude sickness. The road starts in Chengdu, located in the Sichuan basin. As you drive west, the altitude rises gradually. Though the highest part surpasses 4000 meters, the flourishing forests along the road produce oxygen to help you reduce the effects of altitude sickness. There are plenty of towns and villages along the road where you can enjoy delicious treats from different parts of China. However, since landslides often happen on the highway and block portions of the road, it's essential to bring lots of ready-to-eat food in your car. Avoid the rainy season. Weather is an important factor when traveling in Tibet. Rain can cause landslides. The rainy season in Tibet is July and August. Be sure to bring tents, a sleeping bag and enough clothes with you. Sometimes landslides can keep you in a place for several days. Protect your cameras and all other electronic devices. betan and Naxi minorities in Dali. You will also find many foreigners there. The famous "Foreigner Street" is located in Dali. The Yunnan-Tibet Highway The Qinghai-Tibet Highway The Yunnan-Tibet Highway starts from Dali in Yunnan province. If you go this route, you will encounter many local ethnic groups. There are Miao, Ti- The Qinghai-Tibet Highway is among the busiest routes of the four main roads to Tibet. Like the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, there are landslides on occasion. Travelers are advised to make full preparations before travelling. If you take this path, you www.crienglish.com 30 theMessenger theMessenger BROADCAST TIMES AND FREQUENCIES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SERVICE should be wary of altitude sickness. The average altitude of the road is above 4,000 meters, giving it its nickname, "The Way to Heaven." (Beginning Oct. 29th, 2006) Transportation on the highway is pretty busy. Sometimes accidents happen along the way. Drivers need to pay attention and not drive when tired. There are many wild animals along the road, like the chiru, or Tibetan antelope, and Tibetan wild donkeys, but it's always hard to take a nice shot. There are also many Muslim restaurants and hotels, so there is no need to worry about accommodation. Frequencies (kHz) Service Area Middle Asia UTC 17725; 17855 22:00 - 23:00 5915 12:00 - 13:00 11690 23:00 - 00:00 6145 9765 Southeast Asia 08:00 - 10:00 9415 10:00 - 16:00 5955 06:00 - 08:00 13645; 17710 03:00 - 05:00 Siberia 10:00 - 12:00 13720; 13590 1341 10:00 - 11:00 Siberia 9730 16:00 - 18:00 Rangoon 12:00 - 13:00 The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway 13:00 - 14:00 Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Vientiane 11980 One is advised to find a guide if you want to drive along this path. There are many crossings on the highway. Taking a wrong turn will waste plenty of your time, not to mention gas. Gas is very precious and even priceless in this area. If you run out, you will have to beg others to sell you gasoline. Driving along the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway is a challenging journey. Compared with the other three highways to Tibet, the Xin- For more information on traveling in Tibet, please go to www.crienglish.com, and click "Travel". 7135; 7215 South Asia 1323 Islamabad 23:00 - 24:00 Delhi, Colombo 00:00 - 02:00 Delhi, Colombo 5915; 7180 6075; 7180 684 02:00 - 03:00 Manila 1341 03:00 - 04:00 Delhi, Colombo 15110; 11770 05:00 - 09:00 Delhi, Colombo Islamabad 11880; 15350; 15465; 17540 Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Vientiane 11980; 9730; 9870 14:00 - 15:00 9870 15:00 - 16:00 7325; 9870 23:00 - 24:00 13620; 15120 Ho Chi Minh City Middle America jiang-Tibet Highway is remote and hard, but at the same time, also mysterious and sacred. Once you have experienced it, it will be worth your whole lifetime to remember it. 9425 9460 1080 Laos, Vietnam Manila cult route among the four roads. It's very remote and its average altitude is even higher than the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. However, the unique scenery along the road draws many people to risk the difficulty of the journey. 00:00 - 01:00 03:00 - 05:00 11650; 11885 16:00 - 18:00 00:00 - 02:00 A Yaroadside Convenience store. Photo by Duan Lei. Frequencies (kHz) Service Area East Asia 04:00 - 06:00 13:00 - 15:00 The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway is probably the most diffi- UTC 09:00 - 11:00 15350; 17750 15190; 15350 10:00 - 11:00 11:00 - 12:00 5990 Caribbean Sea 11770; 13640 Delhi, Colombo Islamabad 1269 1269; 9570 11650; 11795; 13645 11:00 - 12:00 UTC 16:00 - 17:00 Frequencies (kHz) Europe 12:00 - 13:00 17:00 - 18:00 7205; 7255 6100; 7100 20:00 - 22:00 7190; 9600 20:00 - 22:00 5960; 7285 22:00 - 23:00 7170 00:00 - 02:00 7130 07:00 - 09:00 11785; 17490 09:00 - 11:00 17490 11:00 - 13:00 13665; 17490 12:00 - 13:00 13790 13:00 - 14:00 13610; 13790 14:00 - 15:00 9700; 9795 15:00 - 16:00 9435; 9525 1188; 1269; 7250 Delhi 1188; 1269; 12080 Katmandu 7255; 9435; 9525 18:00 - 19:00 Dhaka 1188; 1269 12:00 - 13:00 9460; 11650 7300; 9655 13:00 - 14:00 Delhi,Colombo 14:00 - 15:00 Islamabad Dhaka Katmandu 15:00 - 16:00 Dhaka 7300; 9460 1188; 1323; 7160; 9785 Delhi, Colombo West Asia Ankara, Damascus, Amman 19:00 - 20:00 Baghdad, Kuweit 7295; 9440 Teheran 20:00 - 21:00 Iran. Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan 7295; 9440 05:00 - 07:00 Iran. Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan 17505 Kuwait 06:00 - 07:00 Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh 15140; 11770 Kabul Mount Nianqing Tangula. Photo by Duan Lei. 31 www.crienglish.com www.crienglish.com 32 Useful information from Pocket Beijing BROADCAST TIMES AND FREQUENCIES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SERVICE (Beginning Oct. 29th, 2006) UTC Frequencies (kHz) Service Area The South Pacific 09:00 - 11:00 Aust.E.S.T 15210; 17690 N.Z.S.T Canberra, Sydney 15210; 17690 12:00 - 14:00 11760; 9760 11760; 9760 Wellington, Moresby Port East and South Africa 16:00 - 18:00 Lilongwe, Kigali, Bujumbura 9570; 7150 Antananarivo, Mogadishu, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Adis Abeba, Djibouti 9570; 7150 20:00 - 21:30 Lilongwe, Kigali, Bujumbura, Harare, Lusaka 11640; 13630 14:00 - 16:00 Antananarivo, Mogadishu, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam Lilongwe, Kigali, Bujumbura, Harare, Lusaka 13685; 17630 Antananarivo, Mogadishu, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam 13685; 17630 11640; 13630 West and North Africa 19:00 - 20:00 20:00 - 21:00 Pocket Beijing is available for free. With the guide in your pocket, you won't be lost in the giant capital city of China. Get your copy by sending your mailing address to chinastic@crifm.com. FACTS AND TIPS International Calls: China's country code is 86. China's exit code is 00. To call from China: Dial 00 + country code + area/city code (if applicable) + phone number. To call China from aboard: Dial home country's exit code + 86 + Chinese city code (drop the first zero) + phone number. Domestic Calls: To call someone in your present city: Simply dial their phone number. To call someone in another Chinese city: Dial their city code + phone number. Exchanging Money: To maximize your foreign currency, use credit cards whenever possible, and when you need cash RMB, use an ATM. China: 220 V, 50 Hz. BEIJING CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 9440 N'djamena, Yaoundl, Abuja, Porto-Novo, Bangui, Tunis 9440 Cairo, Khartoum 9440 Airport Information Center: Lome, Accra, Yamoussoukro, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako, Nouakchott 7295 (86 10) 6454 1100 N'djamena, Yaoundl, Abuja, Porto-Novo, Bangui 7295 Cairo 7295 Lome, Accra, Yamoussoukro, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako 9440 Quanjude: (Beijing duck) (86 10) 6511 2418. Daily 11am-1:40pm, 4:30-8:00pm. 32 Qianmen Dajie, Chongwen District, Beijing, China. Tian Chu Miao Xiang: (vegetarian) (86 10) 6489 2248. Daily 9:00am-2:00pm, 5:009:30pm. In Yuhui Xili, behind Bldg. 9, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. BANKS Bank of China: (86 10) 95566. 8 Yabao Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. 800 830 3811. 1/F Block A, Fu Hua Mansion, 8 Chaoyangmen Beidajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China. Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp., Ltd.: (86 10) 6526 0668. 1/F Block A, COFCO Plaza, 8 Jianguomen Neidajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China. Airport Shuttle Info Line: (86 10) 8788 9552 RELIGIOUS SERVICES Four shuttle lines connect the airport and the city. Buses leave every 15 minutes. Buddhist: N'djamena, Yaoundl, Abuja, Porto-Novo, Bangui, Tunis 9440 Cairo, Khartoum 9440 Lome, Accra, Yamoussoukro, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako, Nouakchott 7295 Tickets: RMB 16 Yuan Chinese. N'djamena,Yaoundl, Abuja, Porto-Novo, Bangui 7295 7295 TRAVEL AGENTS Jewish: China International Travel Service (CITS): English. 05:00 - 06:00 7220 17505 Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania,Niger 11750 06:00 - 07:00 Frequencies (kHz) UTC North America (East Coast) Frequencies (kHz) UTC North America (West Coast) Guangji Temple: (86 10) 6616 0907. Services in Kehillat Beijing: www.sinogogue.org. Services in (86 10) 6515 7671 Muslim: China Travel Service (CTS): nese. (86 10) 6461 2586 23:00 - 24:00 6040; 11970 23:00 - 24:00 6040;11970 CAR RENTAL 24:00 - 02:00 6020; 9570 01:00 - 02:00 9580;6005;6080 01:00 - 02:00 9580; 6005; 6080 03:00 - 04:00 9690;9790;6190 Hertz China: 03:00 - 04:00 9690; 9790; 6190 04:00 - 05:00 6190 04:00 - 05:00 6190 05:00 - 06:00 6190;5960 05:00 - 06:00 6190; 5960 06:00 - 07:00 6115 06:00 - 07:00 6115 11:00 - 12:00 5960 11:00 - 12:00 5960 13:00 - 14:00 9570;11885;15230 13:00 - 14:00 9570; 11885; 15230 14:00 - 15:00 13740;13675;15230 14:00 - 15:00 13740; 13675; 15230 15:00 - 16:00 13740 15:00 - 16:00 13740 Niujie Mosque: (86 10) 6353 2564. Service in Chi- Roman Catholic (non-Chinese citizens only): 800 810 8883 SHOPPING Panjiayuan Antique Market: (86 10) 6775 2405. Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm, SatSun 4:30am-4:30pm. 18 Huaweili Panjiayuan Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. Liulichang Culture Street: (street lined with arts & crafts stores) Near Hepingmen, Xuanwu District, Beijing, China. Tongrentang: (traditional Chinese medicine) (86 10) 6303 0221. Daily 8:00am-8:00pm. 24 Dashilan Jie, Xuanwu District, Beijing, China. 33 www.crienglish.com DINING Bank of East Asia: Power: Lome, Accra, Yamoussoukro, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako Cairo 05:00 - 07:00 theMessenger theMessenger British Embassy: (86 10) 5192 4000. Services in English. Protestant: Beijing International Christian Fellowship: (86 10) 8454 3468. Services in Chinese, Cantonese, English, Korean, French, and Indonesian. EMERGENCY NUMBERS Emergencies & Ambulance (120) Fire (119) Police (110) Police, Foreign Affairs Division (8401 5300) Traffic Accident (122) China Radio International theMessenger The Messenger magazine is the internal journal of the English Service of China Radio International, published bimonthly for CRI listeners and web visitors. President: Wang Gengnian Director: Yang Lei The Messenger is free of charge. For extra copies, further information and sending in your contributions, please contact: E-mail to: crieng@crifm.com The CRI Digital Photography Competition has now entered the voting stage. More than 70 remarkable photos submitted by people from over 10 countries around the world tell stories that are worth remembering. English Service CRI, 16A Shijingshan Road, Beijing, China 100040 Tel: 86-10-68891617/ 2971 Fax: 86-10-68891121 Come find your favorite photos on the Travel Channel of www.crienglish.com. The winners will be decided by YOU! Email:crieng@crifm.com / crieng@cri.com.cn Website: www.crienglish.com Publisher: Liu Chi Editor: Xie Qiao Executive Editors: Zhao Jianfu, Li Yongjing, Yu Jie Designer: Zhang Nan SUBSCRIPTION CARD Help us to keep your copy of the Messenger coming regularly by filling in the correct information below and then return to us: The Messenger English Service, China Radio International 16A Shijingshan Road, Beijing, 100040 China Full Name: Country: Address: Post Code: E-mail Address: The Messenger welcomes comments and suggestions. Please leave your messages here: