Notes from the Editor: Asia, with or without?

Many. Much. Mucho. By the basketful:

• Signs that say ‘squat’
• Dumplings
• Lazy Susans
• Cigarette smoke
• People
• Jade
• Silk
• Panda & Tiger hats
• Earmuffs
• Smart & Dedicated Students
• Bottled Water
• People Making Peace Signs!
• Tsing Tao
• Sparkling Clean Floors

Little. Less. Not so much:

• Signs that say ‘sit’
• Hand Soap
• Toilet Paper
• Clean Water/Air
• Middle Class
• Dairy
• Workers Rights
• Diet Soda
• PBR
• Unadulterated Alcohol

Day 5: Tian’ amen Square & Last Night in Beijing

Oh Siberian winds, you don’t scare us. We know how to layer. Just look at our smiling faces!

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Day 4: KUNG-FU Show!!!

We sure did do a lot today. Nothing like a little Kung-Fu to end the night. We weren’t technically allowed to take photos during the performance, but I did what I could. Was I scolded? Yes. Deported? No.

Day 4: Lunch Time

Today began the USF China Study Tour MBA debate of who would win in a battle, a lone tiger or polar bear? Opinions vary. My vote is on a tiger, they are agile and sneaky. Until we get the two on fair terrain, the answer is still a mystery.

In between visiting companies and schools, we’ve been buying ear muffs, hats with pom poms, and grubbing on a variety of food. Unlike Monday, there was no dog on the menu. Today the majority of us ate hot pot. All in all, it was a good lunch.

Shanghai-Shanghey-Shanghello

The Shanghai Scoop:

• Shanghai is called Hu for short
• Serves as the most influential economic, financial, international trade, cultural, science and technology center in East China
• Shanghai is located on the east tip of Yangtze River Delta
• Shanghai has some offshore islands, such as Dajinshan Island, Xiaojinshan Island and Fushan Island
• The Bund has been an important financial area and is referred as the ‘Oriental Wall Street’
• The Bund is one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of Shanghai.  The word ‘bund’ derives from an Anglo-Indian word for an embankment along a muddy waterfront and that is what it was in the beginning, when the first British company opened an office there in 1846

• Yuyuan Garden is believed to have been built in the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago.
• Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai is an active temple, with 70 resident monks who can be seen worshiping. The temple was built between 1911 and 1918 in the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)
• Shanghai Old Street is an ideal place to discover what Shanghai was like in the old days. Fangbin Road, aka. “Shanghai Old Street” is adjacent to Yuyuan Garden
• The Jin Mao Building symbolizes  Shanghai emerging into the 21st century. It is the tallest building in the country and third tallest in the world; it hosts the tallest hotel ever built
• Zhujiajiao, Known as “the Venice of Shanghai”, is a well-preserved ancient town in water country in Shanghai

Getting into the Beijing of Things

Books. Art. Cafes. Markets. Places to go. Things to see. Here are some top-notch places to check out when it comes to doing some serious adventuring in Beijing.

Books

• Bookstore: The Bookworm in Beijing, China has and continues to play a significant role in promoting local and foreign literature. There are over 16,000 books – including ones that are banned in the country. There are some cool events at the store, ranging from the annual literary festival to a whisky bar and a monthly wine club. Oh yes, and free WiFi. Sa-weeet. Address: Building 4, Sanlitun Nan Lu, Changyang

• Book: China Underground by Zachary Mexico. Description excerpt: American writer Zachary Mexico spent two years absorbing information about these subcultures, living in China from 2002-2004. Fascinated with the streets humming with the energy of constant change, he determined to return as soon as possible for the purpose of formal research on the subject of how the changing environment has affected the Chinese of his generation.

Art

798 Art District: Beijings leading concentration of contemporary art galleries. Most galleries are closed on Monday. Located on the street: 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu

798 Photo Gallery Prints from the Cultural Revolution

Long March Space 11AM-7PM — Mixed Media

Chinese Contemporary Beijing 11AM-7PM — Contemporary Art

Beijing Tokyo Art Projects Conceptual Art

Cafes & Markets

• Cave Cafe: Good coffee with unique decorations. Get ready for this- they have a hand-inscribed dedication from Lin Biao, Mao’s chosen successor who ‘mysteriously’ died in a plane crash. Near art galleries.

• The Dirt Market aka Panjiayuan: This market sells everything ranging from Cultural Revolution Memorabilia to Buddha heads. Bargain hard folks, bargain hard. Open from dawn to 6PM on the weekends. Located on Dongsanhuan Nanlu.

• Donghuamen Night Market: This place is a food zoo that sells lamb kebabs, smelly tofu, cicadas, quails’ eggs, squid, strawberry kebabs and more. Look out for the dragon-spouted copper kettles of xin gren cha vendors for an almond-flavoured sugar rush. Open 5:30PM-10:30PM during the week. Located on Dong’anmen Dajie. Transport: Wangfujing.
• Tourist testimony: The markets were a lot of fun here and we found this extremely talented young man who made doll replicas of yourself for only 180 rmbs. Nikki had to have one – she’d seen these artist at Behai Park and they were selling them for 300 rmbs so she had a doll made. She had to pose for approximately an hour whilst this young man moulded, carved, sculpted this doll to resemble her – it was really amazing and the crowd we drew was incredible – at one stage we would’ve had over 100 people surrounding us!!! Frightening.

This video below shows some awesome live scorpions being sold for consumption at the Night Market.

• Niuge Jiaozi aka Dumplings!!: They have an English tourist menu that you’re supposed to swat aside and just order some nice steaming plump dumplings of lamb and onion or roast duck. Apparently this place has no English sign, but is opposite of a building signed ‘Hualong Street’. Sounds adventurous. Open from 6AM-10:30PM located on 85 Nanheyan Dajie. Transport: Tiananmen Dong.

Whether you’re a extra-sauce-for-my-scorpion or a tea-drinking-book-reading kind of adventurer, it looks like there is something for everyone in Beijing!