Archive for the year 2011
Photo Gallery: Sū zhōu “Venice of the Far East” (苏州画廊） Posted by Stephen on Apr 26, 2011
Video Slideshow: Thumbnail gallery: All photographs are courtesy of Stephen M. Fiedler, twitter: @seeitbelieveit Please contact for any use of these images.
Music Festival Season Kicks off in China Posted by sasha on Apr 20, 2011
Ever wondered what it’s like to go to a camping music festival in the grasslands of China? Well, wonder no more! These days, weekend long music festivals are becoming more and more common in China. In Beijing alone, over the May Day (五一) holiday, there are three festivals. Each summer, more and more festivals pop…
Smoke ’em Because We know You Got ’em: Cigarettes (抽烟) Posted by Stephen on Apr 18, 2011
Smoking cigarettes or 抽烟 (chōu yān) may be China’s favorite past-time. No matter where you go, be it inside restaurants, hospitals, at weddings or inside a cab, everyone is ripping cigarettes. More than half the male population of China smokes, and seeing how the cheapest cigarettes in China cost a mere 5 kuai 块，it’s not…
Camping on the Great Wall Posted by sasha on Apr 16, 2011
With the arrival of spring, Beijingers can finally come out of hibernation and enjoy the great outdoors. The long, cold, dry winter is finally gone, and there are just a few short weeks of moderate weather before the intense heat of summer hits. This short window of opportunity between freezing and sweating needs to be…
The Coast with the Most: Income Inequality (收入不平等) Posted by Stephen on Apr 13, 2011
Much like inflation, housing speculation and unemployment, income inequality is becoming a hot topic issue in China, stoking nationalist sentiment and prompting social movements and protests. For a supposed communist nation (although we know better), such a divide in wealth foments anger and fosters reactionary sentiment. As income inequality grows, so does the 800 pound…
Making Chinese Dumplings (饺子) Posted by sasha on Apr 11, 2011
If you’ve been to China, chances are you’ve munched on one of the many varieties of dumpings, or 饺子, that are eaten all over the country. Whether you get them boiled, fried, or steamed, they are all incredibly delicious. Having lived in China for around two years total now, and having eaten hundreds upon hundreds…
History of the PRC – Part Seventeen Posted by sasha on Apr 7, 2011
After the New Fourth Army Incident, things were not looking good for China in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The tension between the Nationalists and the Communists of China was escalating, and it became clear that the two sides could not put aside their hatred for each other to cooperate against the Japanese. It was apparent…