GoKunming

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Friday: Movie screening at TCG Nordica
TCG Nordica will be showing the film "Das Weisse Band" (The White Ribbon) by filmmaker Michael Haneke tonight at 5pm. Entry to the screening is free.

Friday: DJs at Uprock
DJs Mong and Yosof will be presiding tonight at Uprock. The free music starts at 10pm.

Saturday: Live music at Laowo Bar
Emo band Ensay (扣弦乐队) will perform at Laowo Bar on Saturday at 9:30pm. Tickets cost 25 yuan.

Saturday: "Cock Rock" at The Hump Bar
The music will start at 10pm on Saturday at The Hump Bar.

Sunday: Brunch at Sandra's
Sandra's is holding a Sunday brunch from 11am to 4pm. The 85 yuan spread includes cheeses, meats, homemade bread, Swedish cinnamon rolls, German apple pancakes, pizza and bloody Marys. Call 15825267010 for reservations.

Yunnan news roundup

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:10:00 +0800

Crime boss invokes coal mining alibi
Alleged Kunming gang leader Shen Chao (沈超) started his criminal trial yesterday in a Kunming court along with 32 other members of his gang, according to a Kunming Information Hub report.

Shen stands accused of committing a number of serious crimes between 2006 and 2009, including organizing illegal gambling, leading a criminal gang, possession of an illegal firearm, and murder.

The story quotes Shen as denying the crimes by explaining that he was, "too busy investing in coal mines in Zhaotong to commit the crimes."

The trial is expected to conclude today.

Kunming bombards clouds with no result
Kunming meteorologists fired 40 cloud seeding rockets from March 9 to 10 in an attempt to draw rainfall from the clouds covering the city earlier this week.

A Kunming Information Hub article on the operation reports that a light drizzle did fall in some areas around the city, but that the maximum recorded rainfall was just 0.7 millimeters.

As Yunnan's worst drought on record intensifies, government officials are under increasing pressure to appear to be taking action to address the widespread water shortages, crop failures, and wildfires that have been a result of the drought.

According to the article, as of March 9, 3,326 rockets and 3,019 shells had been fired in cloud seeding operations in southwestern China. There has been no mention of what substances are being used, although silver iodide is widely used around the world.

Kunming has an average annual rainfall of 1,040 millimeters, but the total for 2009 was just 571 millimeters.

Water management official commits suicide
The drought in Yunnan appears to have claimed its first fatality – Chinese media is reporting that a water management official in Lufeng county jumped from his office window on March 3, apparently due to mounting work pressures.

In addition to dealing with the drought, Lufeng water management bureau director Li Jianrong (李建荣) was also coping with the aftermath of a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck the area on February 25.

Li's colleagues told reporters that he was facing enormous work pressure from addressing both the drought and the earthquake.

Troubled waters ahead for China and Mekong countries?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

For the last decade, the elephant in the living room of China's relationships with the countries through which the Mekong River flows has been the growing number of dams built on and planned for the Lancang River – as the Mekong's headwaters in Yunnan are known.

The river - which in February was at half its normal level for that month - is a source of food and livelihood for the 65 million people living in its basin in Yunnan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva met with Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue, telling Hu that residents of the lower Mekong region were concerned about the river's recent low water levels and were uneasy regarding the lack of clear information about China's dams on the Lancang, according to a Nation report.

Despite Abhisit's polite request for better information, Thai officials came to China's defense, saying that the recent low levels in the lower Mekong basin – the lowest in half a century – were primarily due to a drought in Laos. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said that rain in Laos normally accounts for 35 percent of the Mekong's water supply and that only four percent of the river's total water was held behind Chinese dams.

China currently has three dams operating on the Lancang, with a fourth at Xiaowan scheduled to commence operation in 2012. If completed, the Xiaowan hydropower station will be the world's tallest dam, rising almost 300 meters and capable of retaining 15 billion cubic meters of water.

Plans for a protest outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok next month by residents of the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai suggest that residents of China's neighbors downstream may become increasingly vocal about the impact they feel Chinese dams are having on the river.

The Bangkok protest will be timed to coincide with the first Mekong River Summit, organized by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and scheduled to be held in the Thai beach town of Hua Hin from April 2 to April 5.

The conference's theme, "Transboundary water resources management in a changing world" is slightly undermined by the fact that the MRC's membership only includes Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, with Myanmar and China only participating as "dialogue partners".

It is difficult to imagine China making concessions to protestors, governments or anyone else for the time being. The Bangkok Post is reporting that a letter sent last month to Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong by the Chiang Rai provincial government demanding the release of water from Lancang River dams was rebuked by Qin, who said the water was needed in Yunnan for agriculture during the dry season.

In addition to the protest related to the Mekong's current low levels, some Thai villagers will also attempt to deliver a petition to China seeking compensation for flooding in 2008:

[quote]Next month, a group of 100 villagers from Chiang Khong district will submit a petition to the Chinese Embassy, and also seek compensation of Bt85 million from the Chinese government for damages from the flashfloods they experienced two years ago. Their leader, Niwat Roikaew of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group, accused China of releasing water from the dams, which raised the river's level by one metre overnight. Now, in the dry season, China does not release water, and the water level, at 0.38 metre, is the lowest in 50 years.[/quote]
In May 2009, the United Nations said China's plans to eventually build eight dams on the Lancang "may pose the single greatest threat to the river". China, however, is not the only country building dams on the river. Laos has plans for 23 dams on Mekong tributaries and the Mekong itself to be finished in the coming year, with Vietnam and Cambodia also planning dams of their own.

Lancang River image: news.china.com.cn

Getting away: Driving to Luang Prabang

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:30:00 +0800

Kunming resident Colin Flahive recently drove from the Spring City to Luang Prabang, Laos. His trip—through Mengla and the Mohan/Boten border crossing—provided culinary surprises on both sides of the border. If you have a story to share with GoKunming readers, please get in touch with us via our contact form.

The drive from Kunming to Luang Prabang takes about 16 to 20 hours under normal circumstances, so it is best divided into two days.

The border crossing, which lies about eight to 10 hours from Kunming, closes to foreigners at 5pm. Therefore, travelers planning on making it into Laos on the first day will need to get an early start.

There is, however, no need to rush across the border. The city of Mengla (勐腊) in Xishuangbanna prefecture, a 25-minute drive north of the border, is a great overnight stopping point.

Mengla's major draw is its Dai minority cuisine. One of the more adventurous culinary experiences can be had at Xiaomaocao (小猫草), a small family-owned, back-alley operation.

Some of Xiaomaocao's signature dishes include raw heirloom eggplant salad (凉拌茄子), banana flower pork soup (芭蕉花红烧肉) and sapie, a local specialty of seasoned ground beef eaten with raw greens (撒撇).

After crossing the border at Mohan (see more information about procedure and visas below) the drive to Luang Prabang is between eight and 10 hours.

After arriving in Luang Prabang and working one's way close to the banks of the Mekong River, the city's UNESCO World Heritage status becomes evident.

Quality accommodation options are plentiful and the city has some of South Asia's best shopping. The night market teems with interesting snacks, art and all sorts of souvenirs.

Luang Prabang has many Western dining options and it's easy to make the mistake of missing out on local delicacies. One of the best spots for eating and drinking is the elevated banks of the river, a beautiful spot to catch the sunset while sipping on cocktails.

Along the river, visitors will also find a row of restaurants with Lao hotpot, a unique hybrid of the Chinese style with open flames to grill seafood and meat. Ask the servers for help as the techniques involved take a bit of practice.

Other highlights in Luang Prabang include sunrise atop Wat Phu Si, a massage at one of the many spas, and hiking the Kouang Si Waterfalls 30 minutes south of town. For Kouang Si, be sure to pack a lunch, bring your swimsuit and be prepared for water fights.

Spending a day or two in Luang Namtha, located one and a half hours southwest of Mohan, is a pleasant stopover on the return trip to China. The road to Luang Namtha is in excellent condition because the Chinese government recently paid to have the route to Thailand repaved. It's a beautiful drive and a place where the benefits of having one's own vehicle are evident.

We parked our car at the Zuela Guesthouse just off of the main road, where the staff can provide visitors with a map of sites in and around Luang Namtha. Motorbikes are also available for rent.

The town of Luang Namtha has built a new town square just across the street from the guesthouse. It bustles at night and offers some of the finest delicacies in Laos.

This is the last chance to fill up on Lao food before the long drive back to Kunming. Along with a sampling of the unique cold dishes sold be street vendors, the whole rotisserie duck is not to be missed.

Travel information:
Roads: The highways in Yunnan are in good condition, but watch out for the speed cameras dotting the median—a 200 yuan fine awaits speeders. The road to Luang Prabang is in poor shape in some sections, but appears to be under repair.

Visa: Travelers from many countries can get a visa at the Mohan border crossing, but those wanting to err on the side of caution can get a visa ahead of time from the Laos consulate in Kunming, which has recently moved from inside the Camellia Hotel to Caiyun Bei Lu.

Border crossing: Travelers driving their own vehicle must register the vehicle on the second floor of the customs building where Chinese vehicle registrations are exchanged for temporary Lao ones. Chinese citizens are required to purchase malaria medication and mosquito repellent at the border.

Yunnan drought update

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0800

Yuxi fights fire with fire
Last week, firefighters in Yuxi used their "long-range intelligent forest fire extinguishing system" (远距智能森林灭火系统) for the first time, according to a Yunnan Info Daily report.

The system consists of a truck-mounted launcher that fires rockets filled with an unspecified fire-extinguishing substance. It is intended to keep firefighters out of harm's way and fight fires on steep hillsides that are difficult to access on foot.

According to the report, firefighters were initially planning on firing rockets at a mountaintop where a forest fire was encroaching on high-voltage power line towers, but were seemingly foiled because they were afraid of destroying the very power lines that they were trying to protect.

Several hours later in another area firefighters succeeded in firing ten rockets at a fire burning near a highway.

As Yunnan continues to suffer from the worst drought on record there have been a large number of forest fires across the province. Kunming alone reported 81 forest fires between November 10 of last year and February 7 of this year.

Cloud seeding in Yunnan
Kunming Information Hub is reporting that the rain and snow that fell last week across Shangri-La County, Deqin County and Weixi Lisu Nationality Autonomous County were artificially triggered.

During the drought, the Yunnan government has been occasionally claiming that snow and rain in the province were artificially triggered, but such claims are difficult to prove because the precipitation may have occurred anyway without human intervention.

CCTV has an interesting video of cloud seeding in action in Qujing.

Water shortage continues
Water is selling for 100 yuan a cubic meter, or 10 yuan a liter, in some parts of Yunnan according to an article in Kunming Information Hub.

Fear of water shortages has prompted the Qujing government to shut down businesses such as car washes and saunas that rely on intensive use of water. Additionally, Kunming has raised its fines for businesses discovered to be wasting water.

Images: Yunnan Info Daily (rocket), CCTV (cloud seeding)

China blogs: Bureau chiefs gone wild, pornography, corruption

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:15:00 +0800

The biggest story on the Chinese Internet this week seems to be the not-so-secret diary of Guangxi Tobacco Bureau chief Han Feng, who rather stupidly kept a detailed log of his daily activities, including taking bribes and bedding girlfriends, but most of the time, it seems, playing with electronics. The diary was, of course, later uploaded to the Internet, provoking much mirth. EastSouthWestNorth has the full translation, ChinaSMACK has netizen comments, and ChinaHush translates a Han Han post that claims that Han Feng is in fact one of the good officials.

New China blog china/divide, powered by some of the more prolific China bloggers on the scene, has been desperately trying to get your attention this week with some controversial topics and sex-related posts: see "Pornography should be legal in China" for a case in point.

The CPCC (that's the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) started this week, and Chinayouren has a round up of the stories coming out: Free laptops for delegates, thundering proposals, and the sly placing of a grass mud horse on one newspaper front page. Meanwhile, China Media Project provides a more detailed analysis of the tax-payer laptop giveaway.

Finally, how Confucian should a daughter be these days? Does it extend to doing as your parents say and paying for a younger brother's wedding to avoid being disowned? Netizens seem split on this moral conundrum. Little Red Book and ChinaSMACK have the goods.

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Friday: Kunming Hat registration party at Chapter One
Players in the 2010 Kunming Hat ultimate frisbee tournament will be gathering at Chapter One tonight to meet and mix. Late registrations will be accepted at the party for anybody wanting to play in the tournament. There will be drink specials for registered tournament players.

Friday: Exhibition opening at TCG Nordica
The exhibition "Four Seasons·Spring," a showcase of female artists in Yunnan, opens tonight at 8pm at TCG Nordica.

Friday: Ska band The Trouble at Camel Bar
Chengdu-based band The Trouble (热超波乐队) is back in town following a well-received show last weekend. They will be playing tonight at Camel Bar at 9:30pm. The 10 yuan entry fee includes a free shot of Jameson or a gin and tonic.

Friday: Yang Meng at On We Go
Yang Meng, the lead singer of the Beijing-based band Spring & Autumn (春秋) plays tonight at On We Go. Tickets for the 9pm show cost 40 yuan.

Friday: Yun871 at Uprock
The Yun 871 DJ crew will perform tonight to celebrate Uprock's second birthday party. The event starts at 8pm with free entry.

Saturday: Ultimate frisbee party at Speakeasy
Participants in the Kunming hat tournament will be partying at Speakeasy Bar on Saturday starting at 9pm. Tournament players will receive free beer. The party is jungle-themed and costumes are encouraged; there will be costume and dance competitions. Entry is free and everyone is welcome to join regardless of whether they are playing.

Saturday: Ska band The Trouble at On We Go
The Trouble will take the stage Saturday at 9pm at On We Go. Tickets are 40 yuan at the door or 30 yuan in advance.

Saturday: AK-47 at Laowo Bar
Punk band AK-47 will play at Laowo Bar at 9pm on Saturday. Tickets cost 40 yuan with 30 yuan student tickets available.

Saturday: Yankadi music at The Hump Bar
The International Kunming Drum Circle will be performing traditional African percussions at The Hump Bar on Saturday. The free, 9:30pm show will also serve as a farewell to Martin Bancroft.

Saturday: Ladies night at Uprock
The event, celebrating International Women's Day, will start at 10pm on Saturday with free entry and selected free drinks for women.

Weekend specials
Aomai's kitchen is holding a special from Saturday until March 26 to celebrate International Women's Day. Customers who order a main course at the Aocheng Mall or Zhengyi Mall locations can enjoy a range of sides, desserts, and drinks for 3.8 yuan each.

The Box has dessert specials on mousse, pudding and cakes until 7pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday is Super Sunday at Gingko Tree Massage with 2-for-1 aroma oil massages or buy one hour of aroma oil massage, get the second hour free.

Around Town: Kunming municipal pump house

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:10:00 +0800

As a result of the drought currently parching Yunnan, the reservoirs surrounding Kunming are becoming lower by the day. Those reservoirs provide most of Kunming's water and once they are empty there is little chance of replenishment until the rainy season starts, hopefully, in late May.

The specter of Kunming's taps suddenly running dry conjures many images for those of us who live here. Particularly stomach-turning to a resident of the Green Lake area must be the thought of resorting to the final source of water in the neighborhood: Green Lake itself.

In fact, during a cleaner and simpler time in Kunming's history a large number of residents did get their water from Green Lake.

GoKunming recently visited the two-room "History Museum of Kunming Water Supply" (昆明市自来水历史博物馆). The museum is inside present-day Green Lake Park, and is housed in the building that once pumped 1,000 cubic meters of water daily from Green Lake's spring-fed Nine Dragon Pond (九龙池) and along a 9.5 kilometer network of municipal water pipes.

The pump station was completed in 1917 and started operating in 1918. It continued to be used until 1957.

The current museum still contains what appear to be the two original French-made electric water pumps, along with a small collection of old photos and other curios, such as tokens that could be used to buy water from any of the more than 50 public water taps that were part of the system.

The museum is located inside the park's east gate, which is actually located in the southeast of the park. Visitors walking through the gate will see the museum about 100 meters directly ahead of them.

Entry to the museum is free and it is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Getting away: Yuanyang's rice terraces

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:40:00 +0800

Most of Yunnan's popular travel destinations are places where visitors chill out, take in some scenery and maybe go for the occasional trek or daytrip to surrounding areas. But some places such as Luoping and Yuanyang primarily attract photographers – Luoping for its mountains and yellow fields of rapeseed flowers and Yuanyang for its rice terrace-covered mountains.

During the Chinese New Year holiday, we spent four days in Yuanyang with two shutterbug friends in search of that perfect rice terrace shot. After driving six hours due south from Kunming, we arrived at the Yuanyang county seat of Nansha (南沙), taking the high road into the mountains another 28 kilometers before reaching Xinjie (新街, image below), the nearest town to the rice terraces and the place people are usually referring to when discussing Yuanyang.

It had been four years since our last visit, and not much had changed in the town itself. As it was the new year holiday, there were throngs of visitors, most of them staying in the Yunti Hotel or the Yunti Shunjie Hotel, which was once a dreary hotel run by police.

It was when we went out to visit the terraces that recent changes became evident. The upper road that leads out of Xinjie toward the rice terraces had been relaid as a brick road and was much smoother than before. The fork where the road splits off to the Duoyishu/Bada scenic spots or the Laohuzui scenic spot were finally marked, but there was also now a ticket booth for Duoyishu and Bada. Commercialization of the rice terraces has begun in earnest.

Aside from road improvements and ticket booths, the composition of the people shooting the terraces was dramatically different from a few years ago. Whereas Yuanyang previously attracted primarily Europeans, Japanese and Hong Kongers, domestic tourists outfitted with thousands of dollars of equipment were ubiquitous. The majority of mainland tourists to Yuanyang nowadays hail from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Kunming.

Sunrise and sunset are the best times to shoot the terraces – during our time in Yuanyang we shot three sunrises and three sunsets. Here are some brief introductions to some of the top spots for taking photographs in Yuanyang:

Laohuzui (老虎嘴)
Laohuzui is the most popular place in Yuanyang to shoot sunsets. The spot's name literally means 'tiger mouth', as somewhere in the myriad curving terraces there is reputedly something resembling a tiger's mouth. We were unable to see anything remotely tigerlike, but it was breathtaking nonetheless.

Laohuzui has two viewing platforms, one high up near the access road that has recently been enclosed by a 200 meter fence. There is also a lower platform that can be reached after walking down a set of switchbacks. You may want to skip the lower platform if you have bad knees or smoke three packs of Honghe cigarettes a day, as the climb back up is fairly strenuous.

There is no shortage of young Hani women offering to help carry camera bags, tripods or backpacks back up the hill for five yuan. On the surface some may seem a bit jaded by the growing number of wealthy tourists, but in general they are all happy to converse if you make the effort.

The upper platform can quickly become a noisy traffic jam before sunset, when tour buses, private cars and trucks clog the narrow road outside the upper viewing platform. Regardless of which platform you choose, it is advisable to show up at least an hour before sunset to get a good spot.

Entry to Laohuzui is 30 yuan or 15 yuan for children, the elderly or disabled and is paid at an on-site ticket booth.

Duoyishu (多依树)
We left the hotel a bit before 6:00 to catch the sunrise at Duoyishu an hour later. We weren't the only ones looking to secure a prime spot for viewing the sunrise – about 200 photographers had their tripods set up when we got there, and many more arrived afterward.

In addition to photographers, there were plenty of local Hani of all ages selling hard-boiled eggs for one yuan each, plus some older Hani women cooking potatoes and stinky tofu on small barbecues.

If you are looking for more variety than the two viewing platforms can offer, you may want to consider heading into the fields. The footpath connecting the viewing platforms heads downhill into the terraces – this is how most photographers get into the terraces.

An alternative way to get into the terraces is to walk about 200 meters south on the road near the upper viewing station. On your left there will be a handful of small footpaths leading from the road into the terraces, offering a different perspective on this expansive valley without having to shoot into the direct path of the sun's light.

Entry to Duoyishu is paid at the aforementioned fork in the road – 60 yuan gets you access to Duoyishu, Bada, Quanfuzhuang and several other spots along the same road.

Bada (坝达)
Most visitors to Bada stop by in the morning on the way back to Xinjie from Duoyishu or they come out in the late afternoon to catch the sunset. Bada has one of the biggest collections of terraces and is easy to photograph from different angles.

Bada has two viewing platforms that offer views at similar heights but different lateral perspectives. Additionally, there are a few footpaths near the second platform leading up into some of the higher terraces, or down below, where new vantage points into the valley open up.

In addition to the countless soft curves and hard bends that can be found in the terraces below Bada, there are also plenty of small huts which make for interesting objects with which to anchor one's shots. Due to the height of the mountain behind Bada, the sun's rays don't hit the terraces below until an hour after Duoyishu.

Should you be tired from waking up to catch the sunrise, there is a small restaurant at Bada offering instant coffee.

Quanfuzhuang (全福庄)
Our last morning in Yuanyang, we decided to do something different and try the comparatively lo-fi viewing areas at Quanfuzhuang. While your correspondent was passed out in the car, his companions managed to take some of their most gratifying shots of the trip.

Should you tire of the crowds at the three aforementioned sites, Quanfuzhuang is highly recommended. In addition to fewer people, there is also easier access to the terraces.

Quanfuzhuang image: John Seelinger

When the cage smashers come

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:10:00 +0800

The Kunming government has made many seemingly spur-of-the-moment decisions to change the city's image in recent years, from eliminating most outdoor dining to planting 800,000 trees in one year to the current campaign to remove the anti-burglar metal cages mounted outside of windows.

After initially announcing that it would require the removal of all the protruding cages, known as fangdaolong (防盗笼), public backlash persuaded the Kunming government to only require that the cages on windows facing streets be removed.

Your correspondent was recently notified that the cages outside the streetside windows of his sixth-floor apartment were to be removed yesterday afternoon at 4:00. We've heard both good and bad stories from different people about their experiences with the cage removal, so we thought we'd share ours:

3:50 pm
I return home early from the office. A crew of four men are hard at work removing cages from the building next to mine. One man is looking down from the roof of the building, another is looking up from the bottom and two are inside cages, their power saws emitting showers of sparks.

I'm told that there are several apartments ahead of me in the queue and mine will have to wait until after five. I go up to my apartment, drop my bag onto the sofa and head for the kitchen. After contemplating a sinkful of dirty dishes in need of attention, I decide to head down the street for a beer in the sunshine, with the idea of being home by five.

4:30 pm
Just as my beer arrives, I receive a phone call from my landlady saying that the cage crew has been ringing my doorbell trying to get started on my cages. I ask her to tell them to wait 15 minutes. After downing the beer faster than I would have liked to, I'm on my way back home.

4:44 pm
I arrive outside my building. A man in a cage on the third floor starts scolding me for making him wait. I apologize for the inconvenience after reminding him that he told me they wouldn't be working on my apartment until after five. We both seem to take some pleasure in screaming at each other.

5:09 pm
The man in the cage, apparently in his early 40s, enters my home and surveys the work at hand. My apartment has two cages that need removal: one outside a spare bedroom, approximately two and a half meters across and another one wrapping around my kitchen, about ten meters in length. He says he and his crew are from Dali. They've been busy doing this for more than two months.

5:10 pm
The man begins screaming out the window, yelling directions at his younger coworkers. A power cord is lowered from the roof to the outside window, as is a small saw with a rotating disc used to grind through metal. After plugging in, he's ready to go.

Two men, both in their 20s, one in a yellow jumpsuit, the other in red, rappel down on thick ropes, stopping outside the spare bedroom cage. The older man on the inside grinds away at where the cage meets the building.

5:27 pm
The two rappelers start yanking on the cage, as the man from Dali pries at the cage with a screwdriver. The cage eventually gives, offering a pleasant unobstructed view of Changchong Mountain in Kunming's north.

5:29 pm
The rappeler in the red jumpsuit walks into my bedroom with a confused look on his face and asks if it's possible to exit my apartment via my bedroom closet door. I direct him to the entrance of my home and he disappears.

5:37 pm
Work starts on the cage outside my kitchen, with the man from Dali squatting over my sink. The man in the red jumpsuit has reappeared outside my window from above.

5:41 pm
There are three men with power saws hitting the cage at different locations. The floor of my kitchen is vibrating.

5:53 pm
The three men try to figure out why one section of the cage outside my kitchen is not cooperating. After a short discussion, a consensus is reached regarding where to cut. The guy in red makes way for the guy in yellow, whose power saw is evidently superior.

5:58 pm
My apartment is filled with the smell of smoke. The guy in red notices that I'm taking photos of them working.

6:04 pm
The first section of the kitchen window cage is lowered down to the bottom of the building. All three men disappear and regroup on the roof of the building. Ropes are repositioned to offer access to the next section of cage.

6:13 pm
The men have returned, the elder man, standing on my kitchen counter, puts three cigarettes in his mouth, lighting all three and taking a deep drag. He hands one cigarette to each of the men dangling outside my kitchen. Grinding recommences. The elder man screams something indecipherable over and over. It is unclear who, if anyone, he is addressing.

6:21 pm
The elder man says that they've been hitting the shorter cage segments first, before finishing up with the longest segment. He then continues on in much heavier dialect, exhaling smoke. I furrow my brow and pretend to understand before grunting in agreement.

6:23 pm
The elder man says something in dialect that I can't understand. Laughing, he walks out of my apartment. The two younger men outside the window remove the penultimate cage segment. The end is in sight.

6:33 pm
The men are repositioned and are hitting the home stretch. All three are grinding away in different spots, sparks flying in multiple directions.

6:39 pm
I am called into the kitchen by the elder man. He informs me that it's okay to close my windows now - they've finished their work. Before I can snap a final shot, the largest segment of cage outside my apartment is lowered away. I say goodbye to the elder of the three, who has already left my apartment. I turn my head just as the two younger men drop out of sight, yelling up at their coworker on the building's roof. Contemplating the sinkful of dirty dishes, I once again feel thirsty.

Interview: Independent filmmaker Zhao Dayong

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Independent filmmaker Zhao Dayong (赵大勇) is riding a growing wave of media attention and critical acclaim: he was the only Chinese director with a film in last year's New York Film Festival and in March he will be a featured director at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Zhao will also premiere his new movie The High Life at the Hong Kong International Film Festival later the same month.

Western media has taken to Zhao, with some writers considering Zhao to be the newest Chinese-director-of-the-moment, following in the footsteps of Zhang Yimou and Jia Zhangke.

Zhao's film Ghost Town (废城) has been the main driver of the growing buzz around the director outside the mainland. The film is a stark look at the Yunnanese town of Zhiziluo, where the local Lisu population's Christian residents are coping with demons of the past and extinction in the future. Ghost Town made its domestic debut in Beijing in 2008 and was well-received at the Yunfest Visual Forum in Kunming last spring.

Zhao, a Manchurian from Liaoning who was once an oil painter in Beijing and runs an ad agency in Guangzhou, teamed up with David Bandurski of China Media Project in 2008 to found the film company Lantern Films China. To date, his company has produced five films.

In addition to filming and traveling in Yunnan, Zhao is also connected to Kunming by marriage. This Chinese New Year he stopped by GoKunming's office for a pot of Yunnan coffee and a chat. Here's how things went:

GoKunming: Welcome back to Yunnan, sorry our office is such a mess.

Zhao Dayong: You guys are lucky to live in Yunnan, I wish I could. Don't worry about your office, this is what a young company's office should look like. My office is a mess too.

GK: Much of the attention you've received has been for Ghost Town, what was it about Zhiziluo that made you want to film there?

Zhao: Seeing people with belief and faith. I'd never seen that in my life. I was going to shoot a film at a site in rural Yunnan and my father-in-law mentioned there was a place not far from there where kids' textbooks were all in English. It wasn't English, it was the language of the Lisu people – a missionary created a Romanization system for them a while back.

GK: When did you first start coming to Yunnan?

Zhao: I first came here on holiday in '99. I went to Lijiang and remember an old woman sweeping an alley and how good it looked in the light. She then started fanning a small coal oven – the interplay between the morning light and the smoke was fantastic.

GK: You're attending international film festivals and getting plenty of good press in the West, but are still relatively unknown in China… how does it feel to be increasingly well-known overseas but not in your own country?

Zhao: We want more Chinese to see our films because they're about our lives. Mainland China is a huge market but the channels for reaching this market are very limited. Most foreigners who watch our films find them fresh and different, but it may be difficult for them to appreciate on a deeper level.

GK: A lot of Chinese filmmakers have started out with strong independent film credentials, only to later become wealthy and accused of losing their edge. Are you afraid of making money?

Zhao: No, I'm not afraid of making money, but I'm not afraid of not making money either. You're not going to make money making independent films – be it in China or elsewhere – the most important thing about making an indie film is that you do it for yourself. You can do it for the rest of your life and you'll never feel poor or bored. If there's enough cash to finish the film – and eat – then that's good (laughs).

GK: What were your reasons for starting Lantern Films?

Zhao: Of course you need to be a legitimate entity in order to distribute your own films, but we also have a long term plan. In the future we may start releasing other people's works.

GK: What role do you think film should play in society?

Zhao: Some films make money and some make people happy, but if you're talking about art, a director can give the audience insight into life, into society. For a film to impact society, there needs to be space for contemplation – you have to affect people's thinking. A film like Avatar does well because there's no need to think.

GK: The Kunming government has declared its intention to make Kunming into the 'Hollywood of China', what are your thoughts on this?

Zhao: I think this is empty thinking, it has nothing to do with us.
First and foremost, the government wants to make money. Sure, Kunming and Yunnan have great weather and beautiful scenery, but there needs to be a plan, a market, better traffic infrastructure and the bureaucracy needs to be streamlined.

GK: How do you decide what to shoot?

Zhao: I need to shoot what I'm feeling. There's more out there than any one person can shoot – I just need to focus on what matters to me.

GK: What are your plans for the year of the tiger?

Zhao: I've got a script for a new film and am looking for investment, I need to put out at least one film every year. I'm a workaholic.

Photo credits David Bandurski/Sara Yurich

China blogs: Organic farming, soccer scandals, Internet censorship, more

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:10:00 +0800

How can the countryside in China regain a attractive image and develop sustainably? This post on Asia Snapshots holds Chengdu's local organic food farm in Anlong as a worthy model after they chat with Gao Qingrong from the Gao Family Farm in Anlong, Sichuan.

Chengdu and Sichuan have both come under fire during the crackdown on soccer corruption. China Sports Daily has a round-up of the latest scandals.

The state-owned newspaper The Global Times has run a particularly open article about the extensive controls on the internet within China and their effect on users and Internet companies. If you're too lazy--er, pressed for time--to read the whole thing, DigiCha posts some choice quotes.

China Beat has a long and wide-ranging article by Ross Terrill, author of the biography Mao, about the book's publication in China, Mao fever, and Mao's changing place in Chinese thought.

The stereotype of the old, baijiu-quaffing, banquet-eating male government official might soon be displaced by the under-qualified but connection-rich and altogether cuter next generation. To Rise From Ashes and ChinaSMACK translate skeptic netizen reactions to the appointment of 20-something-year-olds high up the hierarchy of officials.

There's still no access to YouTube here for most of us, but you can always head over to Youku Buzz, which has a selection of the most-viewed videos to hit their site this week, including the hottest beggar ever to stroll Chinese streets and Chinese cross-talk comedy.

GoKunming Weekend Preview

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Friday: All-you-can-eat BBQ at Sandra's
The barbecue tonight at Sandra's will include Australian T-bone, sirloin, rib eye and Kobe-style rib eye steaks. For reservations or more information about this 6pm event, call 15825267010.

Friday: Nevada Lundemo & Amigos at The Hump Bar
Entry is free tonight for this showcase of original songs by Nevada Lundemo & Friends at The Hump Bar. The event begins at 10pm.

Friday: DJs at Uprock
Tonight at Uprock DJ Yan, DJ Maxi, and M-Laox will hit the turntables starting at 10pm. Entry costs 10 yuan.

Saturday: All you can eat BBQ at Sandra's
Sandra's will hold another iteration of its barbecue at 6pm on Saturday. Call 15825267010 for reservations and information.

Saturday: Live ska at Laowo Bar
Chengdu-based ska band The Trouble (热超波乐队) will play at Laowo Bar on Saturday as part of its western China tour. The show starts at 9:30pm and tickets are 30 yuan or 20 yuan for students.

Saturday: DJ Yoknapatawpha at The Hump Bar
DJ Yoknapatawpha, reputed to be a Mississippi native in real life, will be DJing "low down swamp trash" at The Hump Bar on Saturday. The swampiness begins at 10pm with free entry and 10 yuan tequila shots on special.

Saturday: DJs at Uprock
DJ Miki from Qingdao will be joined by DJs Tonny and Shonny at Uprock on Saturday starting at 10pm. Entry is free.

Getting away: Daju Town

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:30:00 +0800

Upon completing the stunning trek of Tiger Leaping Gorge, many travelers simply turn around and return to Lijiang by roughly the same route along which they came—going back southwest to Qiaotou and then arranging transportation to Lijiang.

This approach has a few pitfalls. First, it requires that one see the same scenery twice, which is bad for people on short vacations who want to fit in as much sightseeing as possible.

Additionally, the paved road through the gorge has been impassable during much of the last year due to rockslides and dynamiting, which can make it a challenge to get back to Qiaotou at all.

The alternate route back to Lijiang through the town of Daju (大具) is a great way for travelers to get back without retracing their routes or getting snarled in blockages on the Tiger Leaping Gorge public road.

Daju is situated past Walnut Grove at the northeast end of Tiger Leaping Gorge, on a large flat shelf of land on the opposite side of the Jinsha River from the Tiger Leaping Gorge trails.

To get to Daju from Tiger Leaping Gorge you will have to hike for a few hours or hire a minivan to get to one of two ferries (new and old) across the Jinsha that, for tourists, range from 20 to 30 yuan per passenger. The final ferry of the day typically runs around 5pm. Your guesthouse in Tiger Leaping Gorge can help you organize the passage.

Daju is composed of a large central town with several satellite villages. These settlements are in turn surrounded by lush fields of grain and vegetables, which are fed by springs and rivers gushing out of the surrounding ring of mountains.

The locals are very friendly, and there are plenty of opportunities for wandering around the fields and seeing village life in action. Also, there are some small, steep paths leading into the mountains to the north of the town, which make for good hiking and offer great vistas of Daju and the entrance to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Once travelers are ready to move on, they can hop one of the daily public buses back to Lijiang at 7:30am or 1:00pm, for about 20 yuan. It is recommended that you reserve a seat as far in advance as possible through your guesthouse.

This road back to Lijiang goes around the east side of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain range and on clear days will offer passengers views of the glaciers creeping down the faces of those mountains. Going to Lijiang via Daju also avoids the 160 yuan entrance fee to the Jade Dragon tourist area, although be advised that if you try to get to Daju coming from Lijiang you will likely be charged the fee.

Guesthouses in Daju are concentrated in the satellite village of Xiaomidi, near the edge of the river. Two good options are the Daju Inn and the Xiaomidi Inn.

Yunnan news roundup

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:30:00 +0800

Yunnan drought damage intensifying
The rain and snow that fell across northern Yunnan last week was not nearly enough to relieve the record drought that has left Yunnan with countless water shortages, forest fires, and failed crops. Government projections now have the drought lasting into early summer.

Estimates now stand at almost six million people and 3.6 million livestock in Yunnan lacking normal access to water—including 1.8 million people in the Kunming area alone—along with 2.5 million hectares of cropland affected. The number of people lacking normal access to drinking water could rise to nearly eight million in March without further rain.

The drought is now also affecting shipping traffic on the Mekong River.

After years of Chinese civil engineering projects such as dredging channels and blasting shoals, the upper Mekong River, known in Yunnan as the Lancang River, has become a major freight conduit between China, Laos, and Thailand, carrying oil shipments and other cargo up and down the river.

Reuters is reporting that the river is at half of its usual level for this time of year and China has halted the operation of 21 Chinese boats and stopped issuing border crossing permits to cargo boats seeking to enter China from the south.

Additionally, the drought has hit Yunnan and neighboring Guangxi's sugar farmers hard, leading to a 12 percent decrease in national sugar production for this growing season compared to last year. This development could drive up national prices if China begins to import more sugar.

Kunming apartment rents rising fast
If it seems that your landlord is trying to bleed you dry when you re-sign your lease this year, you might take consolation in the fact that other renters across Kunming are being similarly squeezed.

According to a Xinhua Net article, rental prices for small-sized family dwellings in the downtown area have increased by 10 to 15 percent in recent weeks as a surge of outside workers return to Kunming from Spring Festival vacations and a new crop of college graduates begins to flood the rental market.

The increase comes on the heels of rising prices last year.

Viewing China's stimulus package through Chenggong
A Financial Times article that appeared on Sunday used the example of Kunming's Chenggong new area to examine whether rapid development, China's economic stimulus package, and property speculation have caused a national property bubble.

The article focuses on the breakneck pace of residential construction in Chenggong, which for the moment is home to row upon row of mostly uninhabited apartment blocks and other buildings.

Kunming, however, has a rapidly growing population and very little space remaining around the original city center. With government offices and universities preparing to relocate there, it is difficult to imagine Chenggong remaining a ghost town for long.

Image: Sina News