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Relocated pandas suffering from post-earthquake stressThursday, 17th July 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (1)
More than two months after the devastation of the 8.0 magnitude Wenchuan earthquake, the psychological scars of the earthquake and its aftermath are only beginning to heal for those who were affected by the massive tremor. In addition to the millions of survivors in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, the endangered giant panda, also known as China's 'national treasures' (国宝, guobao) are also recovering from the traumatic experience. China's largest giant panda breeding base at Wolong is only 30 kilometers from Wenchuan. Initially the three pandas Si Jia (思嘉), Qian Qian (芊芊) and Mei Qian (美茜) – all females less than two years old – were transported out of Wolong to another base in Ya'an, Sichuan. Due to continuous aftershocks and landslides, it was decided that the pandas would be moved to Kunming, where it is hoped they will recover from what is essentially post-traumatic stress disorder over the next two years.
The Wenchuan quake was catastrophic for the Wolong reserve, where 150 pandas had been living. More than a dozen of the base's 32 pens were destroyed, five pandas went missing and one died. Si Jia, Qian Qian and Mei Qian didn't come to Kunming alone, their zoo keeper Xiao Yi also moved to Kunming from Wolong. According to a Xinhua report, their keeper tries to soothe the three young pandas by saying nice things to them in the Sichuan dialect. "When they feel safe enough, the three pandas will enjoy themselves in the playground," Xinhua quoted Xiao as saying. "They roll all the way down the slope and stack themselves up, one on top of another, but they are extremely scared of loud noises."
According to Xiao, recent thunder in Kunming has had a startling effect on the pandas, who are having the same reactions to thunder as they did to the aftershocks and landslides in Sichuan. There are plans to build a new Wolong panda base, this time in Huangcaoping, Sichuan. Required investment for the project is estimated at two billion yuan (US$290 million). The new base, proposed by the Wolong reserve, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is expected to feature a panda laboratory, panda hospital, a 1,500 square meter cub pen plus a bamboo cultivation area. Kunming's three pandas will have to wait if they want to move back to Wolong – if approved, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2015. Image: clzg.cn Related article: Gentle giants arrive in Kunming Tiger fishing Tags: endangered species, environment, pandas, Sichuan, Wenchuan earthquake, Wolong Auguste François, Yin Xiaojun and Kunming at the end of the Qing DynastyThursday, 29th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Like most other Chinese cities, Kunming has been racing toward abstract ideas such as 'modernity' and 'development' via extensive demolition of the remaining older parts of the city to make way for gleaming high-rises filled with offices, apartments and retail space. First-time visitors to Kunming, be they Chinese or foreign, have to put a real effort into finding the few older parts of the city that are still around. Until 1952, Kunming was a walled city – the wall and its gates are long gone, but their existence still echoes today in place names like Xiao Ximen (小西门, 'Lesser west gate') and Beimen Jie (北门街, 'North gate Street'). There are also less obvious connections to the wall, such as Qingnian Lu (青年路, 'Youth Road'), which was once Kunming's east wall. The city government in 1952 ordered hundreds of young people to tear down the wall and use its bricks to make a new road running north-south. To show its appreciation for the young people that demolished the east wall, the city government named the new street after them. With the wall out of the way, Kunming began marching toward a future in which for several decades development trumped culture heritage. History is one of the primary contributors to any city's character, with older physical structures offering the most palpable connection to the past. In 2008, almost all of pre-1949 Kunming has been razed to clear a path for modernity. On some levels this could be considered true progress as many of Kunming's older buildings were built of earth and lacked simple amenities such as plumbing. That said, some may argue that wholesale demolition of a city comes at a psychological cost. "I feel that many Chinese people have no faith," Kunming native and private photo collector Yin Xiaojun (殷晓俊) told GoKunming. Yin has spent the last 10 years researching a collection of photos by Auguste François (1857-1935), who served as French consul in south China between 1896 and 1904, during which he spent several years in Kunming and elsewhere in Yunnan working on obtaining a concession from the local government to build the rail line from Vietnam to Kunming, which was then known as Yunnan-fu (云南府). "Many of us are looking for where we've come from and where we're going," Yin said. "Through the extensive photography of Auguste François, we can discover where we've come from. His photography is the earliest, largest and most complete collection of photographs documenting Chinese society at the end of the Qing Dynasty"
Over the last ten years, Yin has researched his entire collection of François' photographs, comparing them to documents from the Yunnan provincial government's archives as well as translations of François' memoirs. In order to make the photos more useful in a historical context, he has spent the last decade ascertaining the subject, location, social background and photographer. After acquiring 1,241 François photographs and motion pictures via purchase and exchanges with French cultural organizations, Yin held his first exhibition of 360 photos from the collection in Kunming in 1997 at the Yunnan Provincial Museum. More than 250,000 people bought tickets to take a look at Kunming at the start of the 20th Century, setting an attendance record for a single exhibition at the museum that still stands today. Subsequently Yin was invited by 44 mainland cities to bring his collection to their top museums – he chose four: Beijing, Xi'an, Zhengzhou and Chengdu. In 1999 he ceased exhibiting the photographs because he felt a need to find out as much as he could about each shot's story. Fast-forwarding to today, Yin says he has completed his research and is preparing several projects related to the François photo archives. In October of last year, he traveled to the locations of all the François photos to document the current conditions of the places François shot more than a century ago. His travels took him to Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan and Shanghai. He is planning on using the then-and-now photos in a new book he began writing this year. Yin said he would also like to organize a new exhibition of François' photos highlighting the massive change in China over the last century. His end game, however, is to build a museum that displays the collection permanently. GoKunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing a sample of photos from the François archives to share with our readers. Over the coming months we will publish 25 photos and their stories every Wednesday. We hope that the photos will help bridge the gap between Kunming's distant past and its dynamic present. Contact Yin Xiaojun: His ten years of researching the François photos behind him, Yin Xiaojun is open to discussing possible cooperation with individuals and organizations interested in the collection. Yin can be contacted at yinxiaoj(at)public.km.yn.cn. Auguste François image: Association Auguste François Tags: Auguste François, Beimen Jie, Guangdong, Guangxi, history, Hong Kong, photography, Shanghai, Sichuan, Singapore, Xiao Ximen, Yin Xiaojun, Yunnan-fu China's Ministry of Commerce to participate in Kunming FairWednesday, 28th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The 16th annual Kunming International Import and Export Commodities Fair - aka the Kunming Fair (昆交会) - will take place again this year at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Center (昆明国际会展中心) from June 6 to June 10. The Kunming Fair is a regional trade fair jointly sponsored by the governments of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Tibet, Chongqing and Chengdu. Last year's Kunming Fair saw 162 companies exhibit their products and more than US$158.5 million in completed deals over five days. The total reported value of contracts and agreements signed at the event exceeded 68.1 billion yuan (US$8.9 billion). According to Kunming media reports, this year China's Ministry of Commerce will participate in hosting the fair for the first time with the stated goal of increasing the scale and quality of the fair. Yunnan Commerce Bureau Director Sun Xiaohong (孙小虹) said this year the fair will feature 2,318 exhibits, adding that 2,148 exhibitors were already confirmed for the event. Sun said that exhibits by Burmese and Sichuanese enterprises will be slightly fewer in number than last year due to the recent Myanmar cyclone and Wenchuan earthquake, respectively. Under orders from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the Kunming Fair will include a "Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Corridor Forum" (GMS经济走廊论坛) for the first time. The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) includes Yunnan Province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. For the third consecutive year the fair will also feature a 'China-South Asia Commerce Forum',(中国-南亚商务论坛) as well as the clumsily named 'ASEAN Chinese Business Investment Southwest Promotion Meeting and Asia-Pacific Chinese Business Forum' (东盟华商投资西南项目推介会 暨亚太华商论坛). A preview of some of the products on offer can be found on the fair's official website. The website also features other information of less obvious value, including 'Britney Spears loses custody of children', 'Goal-driven achievers less prone to Alzheimers' and 'Abdul says she's straight up ready for a baby'. The Kunming Fair runs from Friday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 10 from 8 am to 6 pm. GoKunming called the fair's office, which told us the admission fee had yet to be announced (last year tickets to the fair cost 30 yuan/day). For more information, call the fair at (0871) 6269886 or 3155519. Image: finance.sina.com Related articles: Yunnan-ASEAN trade continues to boom Kunming hosting Asia-Pacific trade meeting Kunming Fair breaks US$150 million mark GMS agreement to facilitate regional transport Tags: ASEAN, Britney Spears, business, Chengdu, Chongqing, foreign trade, GMS, Guangxi, Guizhou, Kunming Fair, Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Ce, Ministry of Commerce, Myanmar Cyclone, Paula Abdul, Sichuan, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sun Xiaohong, Tibet, Wenchuan earthquake Yunnan contributing to earthquake recovery effortTuesday, 27th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Yunnan's proximity to the devastation of the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan has brought out all the concern and compassion one would hope to see when a neighbor is suffering. In addition to local fundraising efforts plus the recent transfer of injured survivors to Kunming for medical treatment, Yunnan is doing its part in other ways. Here are just a few: Shifang orphans relocated to Lijiang The English-language website of People's Daily is reporting that more than 40 orphans from Shifang, Sichuan have been relocated to the Lijiang Orphan School. The relocation was organized by the All-China Women's Federation. In a strange twist of fate, the orphanage – home to more than 460 orphans – was built in 1999 primarily to assist orphans from Lijiang who had lost their parents to deadly earthquakes in 1996 and 1998. Temporary housing shipment leaves Kunming Yesterday a shipment of 5,000 temporary homes left Kunming for the city of Mianyang in Sichuan. Provincial party secretary Ding Shaoxiang presided over a sendoff ceremony for the housing, saying an ad hoc team organized by the Yunnan provincial government was overseeing the production, transport and assembly/installation of the housing in Mianyang and Pingwu County. The temporary housing will reportedly provide more than 100,000 square meters of shelter for earthquake victims. The Yunnan government will also assist in the construction of five primary schools, three middle schools and one trash collection facility. ChinaONEcall offering free interpreting services for disaster area Kunming-based telephone interpreting service ChinaONEcall is offering free interpreting services for people needing to get in contact with the disaster zone: "Following the recent earthquake in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, ChinaONEcall is offering free help for victims of the Chinese earthquake, and for anxious family or others needing to contact them or the victims, doctors/nurses in the affected area. Just telephone the service direct within China to 4006 88 66 99 or from overseas to +86 871 805 8503, quoting 'earthquake crisis' and the ChinaONEcall team will do their best to help." "They operate a 24/7 interpreter service for travellers (business or leisure) and are making available their 15 strong team to give interpreter support to those on this present crisis…Please note we will do our best to help, but cannot locate victims, doctors etc as this will be done by the relevant governmental and aid agencies." Image: clzg.cn Tags: ChinaONEcall, Lijiang, orphans, Sichuan, Wenchuan earthquake
Friday: English movie and discussion at Chicago Coffee Chicago Coffee will host its weekly English movie and discussion at 7pm tonight. Admission is free with any purchase – call 5389288 for movie details. Friday: Earthquake benefit dance party at TC/G Nordica Beginning at 8 pm tonight TC/G Nordica will host a dance party with all proceeds from the door going to the earthquake relief effort in Sichuan. Admission is 10 yuan. Friday: Jiabe school benefit at The Hump Bar Beginning at 9pm on Friday night The Hump Bar will hold a benefit show to raise money for renovations to a dilapidated school in the small Tibetan village of Jiabe in northwestern Yunnan - see this post for more details. Performers from Makye Ame Tibetan restaurant will start off the evening, followed by the Tribal Moons, Lumberjack Jon and DJ Fan. Admission is free with performers donating their remuneration to the school in addition to 30 percent of bar takings. Saturday: Excess Luggage at TC/G Nordica Saturday night TC/G Nordica will be hosting Norwegian piano-organ-drum trio Excess Luggage for an 8 pm show. Admission is 30 yuan. Jiabe kids image: Matthieu Lelievre Tags: Chicago Coffee, Excess Luggage, Jiabe, Makye Ame, Sichuan, Speakeasy Bar, TC/G Nordica, The Hump Bar, Tribal Moons, Wenchuan earthquake
Today 243 people injured in last week's Wenchuan earthquake arrived in Kunming for medical treatment. As Sichuan's medical infrastructure feels the strain of tens of thousands of dead and hundreds of thousands of injured, the Chinese government is shifting 8,000 injured out of Sichuan to Chongqing, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Guangdong and Yunnan. It is the largest shifting of injured since the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 that killed a quarter of a million people. Hospitals including Stone Forest Tianqi Hospital are preparing entire floors of beds for quake victims. The hospital said it had been preparing more than 200 beds taking up three floors since Monday. Located on Sichuan's southern border and home to a large Sichuanese population, Yunnan has made significant contributions to the relief effort. According to Kunming media, as of 2:00 pm on Wednesday the entire province had donated nearly 370 million yuan (US$53 million) in goods and more than 338 million yuan in cash to the cause. Yunnan schools are also accepting children from Sichuan whose schools were destroyed or damaged in the 8.0 magnitude quake. Image: clzg.cn Related article: Earthquake benefit raises more than 10,000 yuan Tags: Chongqing, Guangdong, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Wenchuan earthquake
Despite being held on a rainy Sunday evening with little notice, last night's Wenchuan earthquake benefit at Speakeasy Bar succeeded in raising 10,987 yuan (see above image) for the Chinese Red Cross and its efforts in the disaster zone. GoKunming would like to thank Speakeasy Bar for co-organizing and hosting the event – we also thank the talented musicians who gave their talents and efforts to the cause: Zhu Xiaolong, Eddie, Nicole, JP, Nevada Lundemo, Kat and Colin, Fang band, Synthatron, Co Op Sol, Li Fan and People's Rhythm. Special thanks also to Kris Ariel, who did double duty as a host of the event and a performer. We are also grateful to the Red Cross representatives who stayed on until late in the evening. Most importantly, GoKunming would like to thank everyone who showed up and donated what they could to assist in the recovery effort in Sichuan. Further donations to the Red Cross can be made here. For those that like to spread their donations around, the Chengdu Bookworm has outlined some very concrete needs of the recovery effort. See comments (below) for more. Today at 2:28 the government is asking people to fall silent as car, train and ship horns as well as air raid sirens sound in memory of the earthquake, which took place at 2:28 one week ago today. The Wenchuan earthquake, which China has recently revised to an 8.0 magnitude tremor, has killed an estimated 50,000 people, with thousands still missing beneath rubble. Tags: Co Op Sol, Fang band, JP, Kris Ariel, Li Fan, live music, Nevada Lundemo, People’s Rhythm, Red Cross, Sichuan, Speakeasy, Synthatron, Wenchuan earthquake, Zhu Xiaolong
With more than 20 million people affected by Monday's Wenchuan earthquake, an official death count of 15,000 and 40,000 still missing, the next few days are likely to see a jump in the number of dead. As the focus of relief efforts shifts from saving lives to clearing rubble and rebuilding what once were towns and cities, the economic toll of the quake is expected to be massive. With Kunming's proximity to Sichuan and its large Sichuanese population, there are many local residents concerned about how to help their neighbors to the north. Earlier this week we posted information on how to contribute to the Chinese Red Cross - also this Sunday night Speakeasy Bar and GoKunming are co-organizing a night of music to benefit the Red Cross' efforts in Sichuan. Beginning at 8:30 pm, the earthquake benefit show at Speakeasy Bar will feature a diverse sampling of Kunming's local music scene, including Co Op Sol, Zhu Xiaolong, JP, Li Fan, People's Rhythm, Synthatron and DJ Kris, with more acts likely to be added in the next couple of days. Admission to the show is a 20 yuan donation, which includes a complimentary bottle of Yanjing Beer. All takings at the door – plus 30 percent of the takings at the bar – will be donated to the Red Cross, which has agreed to send a representative to the show. Additional donations are also welcome. GoKunming thanks Speakeasy Bar and all the performers donating their time and talents to this worthy cause. Update: Nevada Lundemo has been added to the evening's lineup Tags: Co Op Sol, JP, Li Fan, People’s Rhythm, Red Cross, Sichuan, Speakeasy Bar, Synthatron， DJ Kris, Wenchuan earthquake, Zhu Xiaolong Next 1 2 |
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