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29/11/07: Video's Beijing Open 2007
2035-04-30 00:00:00 Video's (and links to the official site) of the Beijing Open 2007 (Olympic test event) added.
Foreign Diplomacy, Beijing In 1974, China Business, Respek, And My Friend G
2008-06-25 01:53:00 Tom Plate wrote an interesting column the other day, entitled, "George I: American internationalist," regarding George Bush's (the elder) stint in China as Chief US representative to Beijing. The column actually focuses on the book "The China Diary of George H.W. Bush," recently published by Princeton University Press, which Plate describes as "balanced, prescient and helpful:" During the one year (October 1974 to December 1975) that George H. W. Bush served as the chief U.S. representative in Beijing, the future president thoughtfully scribbled down little jottings of his experiences and worries about the all-important U.S.-China relationship. The jottings have now been strung together into a coherent diary and with deft commentaries by Jeffrey A. Engel, an up-and-coming assistant professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Policy in Texas. The result is a quite readable, most likable and oft-illuminating set of yearlong musings about China and the U.S., about inter...
By: China Law Blog
Beijing Boom Towers Spark Hybrid Design
2008-06-22 14:00:00 Jamie Tomkins is an automotive designer with a great deal of talent. Recently he was tasked with creating a non-emissions vehicle for the Chinese population that could easily be used in the crowded streets. The inspiration for his final design came from an unlikely place. Technorati Tags: Cars and Motors Environment Gadgets Innovation Technology Travel
Beijing Beefs Up Security: No Fireworks
2008-06-10 13:45:00 Crackers and fireworks will be banned across Beijing from July 1 to Oct. 8 for safety considerations before and during the Olympics and the Paralympics, the city's safety administration said Monday. According to new regulations published on the administration's website, Beijing's cracker and fireworks ban, formerly applicable only in the city proper, will be extended to outer areas beyond the Fifth Ring Road.Crackers and fireworks are banned in Beijing's city proper except for the festive week of the Chinese Lunar New Year. But the festive explosives are almost always available in outer Beijing, where dealers have distribution and storage facilities. The new regulations will request them to suspend operation during the ban and put away all their stocks at warehouses designated by the safety authority. To tighten up safety during the Games, Beijing Work Safety Administration has also requested round-the-clock safety watch at gasoline stations within 300 meters to all Olympic venu...
SA paddlers on course for Beijing
2008-06-10 08:54:00 The tussle for South Africa's solitary women's K1 500m berth at the Olympic Games resulted in a slice of history being made when the two South African women vying for the place raced into the top five at the World Cup canoeing regatta in Hungary at the weekend.
Leona Lewis and David Beckham To Close Beijing Olympics
2008-06-09 10:47:00 Leona Lewis and David Beckham are to star in a spectacular closing ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.They will play a key role in the the official handover to Britain for the London 2012 Games.X Factor winner Leona, will sing to an estimated global audience of over 150million. And David Beckham will fly in from Los Angeles to play a leading part in the performance - designed to get the world excited about the 2012 event.A London 2012 source said: "Leona and Beckham have accepted the invitation to sprinkle some stardust on the show. They epitomise what London 2012 is about. Leona is a young global star from London who has risen from nothing. Becks has glamour and a profile around the world. He was also a key figure in the bid to win the Games for London."The pair will be joined by some of the best young athletes and performers from the UK, along with new London Mayor Boris Johnson and Premier Gordon Brown at the glittering three-hour ceremony on August 24.David Beckham was instrument...
By: Victoria Beckham
Sex And The Olympics. Sex And China Visas. A Beijing Brothel And The Magic
2008-06-08 16:56:00 Josh Gartner over at Cup of Cha blog notes how a brothel near one of his favorite restaurants in Beijing recently closed, apparently as part of a governmental effort to clean things up before the Olympics. Josh assumes the brothel will be back after the Olympics, if not before, and I am guessing he will prove right on this. In addition to cracking down on houses of ill-repute, the Chinese government has both stepped up its pursuit of visa violators and greatly tightened the requirements for securing visas. The question on visas is whether they, like the brothel near Josh's restaurant, will eventually be returning to their status quo of maybe six months ago. My prediction is that things will definitely loosen up again after the Olympics, but they will remain considerably tighter than in the past. In particular, I expect F visas (business) and L visas (tourist) will become much easier to get after the Olympics, but I expect the difficulties in getting them extended within Chi...
By: China Law Blog
Beijing 2008 Olimpiyat Me?alesi
2008-06-07 12:06:00 Beijing 2008 olimpiyatlar? için özel olarak tasarlanm?? me?ale Çin karakteristi?ini ve Çin’in teknik tasar?m becerilerini yans?t?yormu?. Aliminyumdan yap?lm?? olan bu me?ale 72 cm uzunlu?unda ve 985 gram a??rl???nda.Alevi 25-30 cm yüksekli?inde olan normal me?aleler rüzgars?z ortamda 15 dakika dayanabilirken, Beijing 2008 için geli?tirilmi? olan me?ale saatte 65 km h?zla esen rüzgara ve saate 50 mm’lik ya?mura ...
By: Tasarim Gunlugu
Digital Beijing: The Olympic Data Center
2008-06-06 23:01:00 Data Center Knowledge – Digital Beijing, the data center for the 2008 Olympics, is one of the most interesting pieces of data center architecture youre ever likely to see. The enormous building spans 1.05 million square feet (98,000 square meters) and has been designed to resemble a huge integrated circuit board when… read more
USA stay top as Beijing beckons
2008-06-06 11:00:00 With just two months to go before the Beijing 2008 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, holders USA remain atop the global pecking order.
By: sports
Nike Hyperdunk - Beijing Olympics - China Colorway
2008-06-06 00:00:00 Here are some detailed pictures of the Nike Hyperdunk - Beijing Olympics - China Colorway. They will be worn by theChinese National Team this Summer, and use a similar colorway and blocking technique as the Nike Hyperdunk - China Olympics - Yi Jianlian. They feature a mostly red color scheme, ...
By: KicksOnFire.com
Superb designs for the Beijing 2008 Olympics
2008-06-05 23:59:00 Ever since I was a kid I remember the superb opening festivities at the Olympic Games. The dancers, the dances, the costumes, the olympic torch, all came together to create a great and impressive opening show. And judging by the superb arrangements below, I think this year, at Beijing will be quite a spectacle. These are ...
Nike Beijing Athlete 2008 Olympic Projections
2008-06-05 08:45:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LWAOt-Qafss Tags: Nike, Beijing, Athlete, 2008, Olympic, Projections
By: Individual Sole
Beijing Subway Line 8
2008-06-03 13:54:00 Beijing Subway Line 8 is the new Olympic line and is due to open on June 30 this year.The new spur connects with Line 10 at Beitucheng (formerly Xiongmao Huandao). Also on Line 10 Wanliu Station's name changed to Bagou.Hotels in BeijingBuy 2008 Beijing Olympics TicketsBooks on China and BeijingTagsBeijing subwayBook the Fujian Hotel Beijing Book the Beijing Qianyuan International Business Hotel
By: Beijing Visitor
Visiting Foreigners' Guide To 2008 Beijing Olympics
2008-06-02 14:55:00 China on Monday released a legal guide for foreigners about a wide range of issues such as their entry, exit, tourism and accommodation in the country.The guide, posted on the Beijing Olympic organizing committee's official website www.beijing2008.cn, includes 57 question-and-answer items for foreign athletes, officials, reporters and tourists. The guide says those who are believed to be likely to carry out terrorist, violent or subversive activities are not allowed to enter China.Click here to view the arrival and departure guidelines.Notice on the procedures for setting up Beijing Olympic 'One-Stop' services.
Finding China: Keary Liu
2008-06-02 06:14:00 Photography exhibit by Keary LiuIf photography and China interest you then you may well enjoy a visit to Beijing and China photographer Keary Liu?s latest exhibition in Shi Tang Alternative Space found within the Jiu Chang Art Complex.Keary presents a wide range of beautifully mounted and framed photos of both famous and not so famous places around Beijing and China. Viewing Keary?s work will soon make you realize what a talented photographer she is with the way she composes her photographs and the angle she uses to capture her images. Anyone wanting a memorable quality souvenir from China would do well to buy one of Keary?s very fine photos at very affordable prices.Seeing these magnificent prints is like taking a whirlwind tour of some of China?s most beautiful provinces. The photographs take you from the Summer Palace, hutongs and temples of Beijing to the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Hebei Province, Sichuan Province, Guilin and Anhui Province. Keary also presents a range of greeting ...
By: Beijing Visitor
Archery: Big boost for Beijing-bound recurve team in World Cup - Malaysia S
2008-06-02 01:50:00 Archery: Big boost for Beijing-bound recurve team in World CupMalaysia Star, Malaysia - 4 hours agoWhile the Malaysians' route to the final was made easier after the first-round exit of world champions South Korea, their latest performance in Turkey will ...
Beijing 2008 Live: SouEast
2008-06-01 13:20:00 Beijing 2008 Live: SouEastSouEast, which has joint ventures with Mitsubishi and Dodge, attempts to become a fully fledged manufacturer. In Beijing, he presented no less than three prototypes.SouEast was born in 1995, when Fujian (which then produced Mazda minivans under the brand Forta) has partnered with the Taiwanese China Motor Co (partner Mitsubishi.) At the time, the Chinese authorities were using subterfuge rather than work openly with the "intimate enemy" Japanese. Please note that SouEast has the right to use the services of VRP No. 1 Mitsu, Jacky Chan. In 2007, a second joint venture was established with Dodge, to produce the Caravan.As with GAG or BAIC / BAW, SouEast is now a weight-industry average Chinese, and there is no outside its joint ventures. Beginning 2008, the rumour ran that BAIC / BAW going to buy. As it produces sedans through its joint ventures, it has already licensed the manufacturing and theoretically does not need the agreement of Beijing to launch its b...
National Aquatics Centre of Beijing
2008-06-01 06:26:00 Beijing National Aquatics Centre disebut juga Water Cube ( disingkat [H2O]3) merupakan sebuah pusat olahraga air yang dibangun berdekatan dengan Beijing National Stadium untuk menyukseskan acara olimpiade tahun 2008.Awal pengerjaan water cube of Beijing pada tanggal 24 desember 2003 dan didesain oleh PTW Architects, CSCEC International Design dan Arup. Pembangunan water cube sendiri digarap oleh CSCEC (China State Construction Engineering Corporation). Hal yang menarik dari water cube itu sendiri yakni bahan bangunan terbuat dari ETFE ( sebuah bahan material tembus cahaya yang terbuat dari teflon ). Dan dinding terluar terbuat dari struktur Weaire - Phelan ( sebuah kombinasi busa dan gelembung ).Kapasitas di dalam gedung aquatics centre kurang lebih 17.000 penonton dan akan dipakai untuk renang, menyelam dan hal - hal yang berhubungan dengan olahraga air.Penghargaan atas bangunan water cube“ The special award for the most accomplished work in the section Atmosphere is awarded ...
Kael Becerra no consigue marca y se aleja de Beijing 2008
2008-06-01 05:15:00 10,37 segundos en los 100 metros logró Kael Becerra en el Grand Prix de Cochabamba, quedando a 9 centésimas de la marca necesaria para clasificar a los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2008. Todavía le quedan el Torneo de Londrinas y el Campeonato Iberoamericano para buscar la clasificación.
By: La Página
Kristel Köbrich clasificó a Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2008
2008-05-31 21:32:00 La nadadora Kristel Köbrich clasificó a Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2008 en la categoría de aguas abiertas a la que se suma las de 400 y 800 metros libres, categorías a las cuales ya había clasificado.
By: La Página
More than 30 days from London to Beijing
2008-05-31 16:23:00 I paid to upgrade my flickr to Pro Account last month, and Flickr gave me a gift, 10 Moo mini cards and free shipping for me. I have got the gift, it is very lovely and beautiful, I like it very much. The mini cards are small, it is great diaphanous. I selected 10 best photos ...
Good Luck Beijing 2008 China Athletics Open
2008-05-30 16:32:00 The Good Luck Beijing 2008 China Athletics Open event at Beijing's National Stadium took place last Thursday 22 - Sunday 25 May.The competition was a trial run for this summer's Olympic Games and involved over 900 athletes competing in 42 Olympic and 4 Paralympic events.The stadium and atmosphere were praised by British athlete David Weir who won the 5,000 meter wheelchair race: "The crowd was great....there was a brilliant atmosphere."Thousands of people have flocked to the morning and evening events to enjoy the spectacle of watching world record holders compete in their chosen sports. Many have also attended to simply experience the amazing new National Stadium (Bird's Nest) sports venue.On Friday night the 50,000 or so spectators were treated to seeing the great Liu Xiang, current world record holder of the Men's Open 110m Hurdles compete against other aspiring athletes. The crowd was not disappointed as Liu Xiang both acknowledged the standing ovation he received as he ente...
By: Beijing Visitor
Filipino Sculptor Wins Beijing Olympics Sculpting Contest
2008-05-29 10:16:00 A Filipino artist has won the grand prize for the sculpture category of the Olympic Sports and Art Contest of the International Olympic Committee and his works will be on display at the Olympic Expo in Beijing, reported local TV network GMA News on Wednesday.Joe Datuin, who is from Dagupan, Pangasinan in northern Philippines, bested other artists from 36 countries and regions for his masterpiece entitled "Dancing Rings", said the report. Inspired by the 2008 Olympics emblem "Dancing Beijing," Datutin's "Dancing Emblem" which looks like a man (in white) dancing and surrounded by the color red would be rewarded 30,000 U.S. dollars and a diploma, according to the report.This is not the first award from the Olympics of the Filipino artist. In 1980, Datuin's poster outshined 6,000 participants from other countries in the Moscow Olympic Poster Design.A graduate of the prestigious Fine Arts student in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he had already exhibited his artworks of envir...
Jiu Chang Art Complex
2008-05-28 02:24:00 Art in BeijingA very newly developed collection of art galleries can be found at Jiu Chang Art Complex on An Wai Bei Yuan Lu, Chao Yang District Beijing.This area using factory buildings from a recently demolished hutong makes for a fascinating wander among many different galleries displaying photography, pencil sketches, oil paintings and sculpture. New restaurants and coffee shops are also springing up amongst the galleries to make this a delightful addition to visiting many of Beijing?s well known art areas and galleries. You are far more likely to pick up an affordable piece of quality work in this area.Visit the Shi Tang Art Complex or International Art Garden displayed at Segmentspace.com (C 9001) galleries currently exhibiting photography by Keary Liu and Zhang Zhaoming respectively. Keary presents an excellent range of photos from around Beijing and China. Zhang exhibits a unique style of work combining wedding photography and Beijing cityscapes, including the National Stadi...
By: Beijing Visitor
Inaguran aeropuerto más grande del mundo en Beijing
2008-05-28 02:16:00 Justo a tiempo para las Olimpiadas (que parten en agosto) se ha inagurado el nuevo aeropuerto de Beijing, actualmente el más grande del mundo. Obra de la oficina Foster + Partners, el aeropuerto tiene un largo de 3.25 kilómetros, con 1.3 millones de ... Link: FayerWayer Tags: Justo, tiempo, para, Olimpiadas, (que, parten, agosto), inagurado, nuevo, aeropuerto, Beijing,, actualmente, ...
Beijing Airport: gateway to China
2008-05-27 10:19:00 Biggest airport of the world, the Beijing Airport, is finished just in time to welcome the guests for the Olympic games.The dragon-like design by Foster+Partners who also are behind the Millau Viaduct in France or the Blibao Metro, forms a gateway to China for an estimated 50 million passengers by 2020. source and photo: www.archdaily.com
By: Ruyi Travel Book
Beijing Update
2008-05-27 03:51:00 Qianmen RenovationsFor those wanting to revisit the ancient city area of Qianmen just south of Tianmen Square the long wait is coming to an end. The much anticipated reopening of Qianmen is due to take place in early July. The huge renovations will deliver us a street returning to the 1920?s style featuring an two old trolley cars from that era. Many of the popular and famous old shops like Quanjude and its delicious roast duck along with new stores like Starbucks will be available. Subway Line 10 The 25 km long Subway Line 10 is scheduled to open on June 1st. This line will follow the east 3rd Ring Road for much of its route and allow passengers much quicker access to venues in that area than travel by bus or car. Line 10 also brings travelers so close to Olympic Park they can either take a healthy walk or a short taxi ride to reach the famed Olympic area. Hotels in BeijingBuy 2008 Beijing Olympics TicketsBooks on China and BeijingTagsBeijing China Qianmen Renovations Beijing 0lymp...
By: Beijing Visitor
Beijing: Made in China Part 14
2008-05-26 07:09:00 Arts Coffee Haven25 Chengxian Jie St., Dongcheng; 86-10/6405-2047; dessert for two $10. Where to shop Guang Han Tang Chinese Antique Furniture & ArtTreasures spotted here recently: a Ming dynasty bed; pharmacy cabinets smelling of medicinal herbs. Ships internationally.Jichuang Fulu, near Nangao Rd., East Dashanzi, Chaoyang; 86-10/8456-7945; www.guanghantang.com.What to readExhibiting Experimental Art in ChinaBy Wu Hung. Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 2000. Rong Rong's East VillageBy Wu Hung. Chambers Fine Art, 2003. Tui-Transfiguration By Rong Rong and Inri. Timezone 8, 2004. Beijing 798 Edited by Huang Rui. Timezone 8, 2004. A 50-year history of the Factory. Nine Lives: The Birth of Avant-Garde Art in New ChinaBy Karen Smith. Scalo Verlag, 2005. Most titles are available through Timezone 8 bookstore, Factory 798. 86-10/8456-0336; www.timezone8.com.Web only: Where to go outPause Cafe 4 Jiuxianqiao Rd. (one block down from the CIMG building)Dashanzi Art District86-...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 13
2008-05-26 07:09:00 GalleriesRed GateThe respected gallery's new space at 798 was previously a liquor factory.2 Jiuxianqiao Rd.; 86-10/ 6438-1005; www.redgategallery.com.Chinese- ContemporaryFactory 798, 4 Jiuxianqiao Rd.; 86-10/8456-2421; www.chinesecontemporary.com.Lon-g March Space (formerly 25,000 Li Cultural Transmission Center)Factory 798, 4 Jiuxianqiao Rd.; 86-10/6438-7107; www.longmarchspace.com.Imagine- Gallery Laiguangying DongluFeijiacun Donglu and Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang; 86-10/6438-5747; www.imagine-gallery.com.China Art & Archives WarehouseA gallery opposite the Nangao police station, in an area just outside The Fifth Ring Road.Caochangdi Cun, Jichang Fulu; 86-10/8456-5152. Where to stayBamboo Garden HotelCharming hotel in a small hutong near the Jiugulou subway stop.24 Xiao Shiqiao Jiugulou Dajie, Xicheng; 86-10/6403-2229; www.bbgh.com.cn; doubles from $94. Grand HyattA modern, elegant retreat steps from Tiananmen Square.1 E. Chang An Ave.; 800/233-1234 or 86-10/8518-1234; www.gr...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 12
2008-05-26 07:08:00 When to goSpring or fall is best. Temperatures average 55 to 79 degrees in September and May, the month when the annual Dashanzi International Art Festival takes place.Getting thereBeijing's Capital Airport has 98 international air routes linking the city to 39 countries. From the States, stopovers are typical, but United Airlines and Air China offer direct service from JFK, LAX, and San Francisco. Continental flies nonstop from Newark, as does United from Chicago O'Hare.Getting aroundTaxis are relatively cheap in Beijing. Unless you are fluent in Mandarin, have the address of your destination written out in Chinese. The subway is also easy to use but doesn't go out to Dashanzi.
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 11
2008-05-26 07:07:00 The Mount Fuji photographs were taken with a self-timer: they show the artists from a distance, hand in hand, walking toward the mountain. In many of the photographs, there's so much snow that you can't see Fuji, only a trace of horizon and the twig-like figures of the artists in the white landscape. In other shots, they lie together on the frozen ground, or crouch like animals in the snow. In the last photographs, the massive cone of the mountain suddenly appears, shrouded in clouds?just as the artists vanish, leaving two sets of crooked prints. "There really is a Fate?or some sort of intermediary," Rong Rong said. "We came across this beautiful environment. The irony is that we wanted to photograph Mount Fuji, but in the end you could hardly see the mountain." "A gift from God," Inri said.I knew that nothing remained of the original Beijing East Village, but I was curious to see the place where it had once existed. Today you enter the south side of Chaoyang Park through a futuri...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 10
2008-05-26 07:06:00 On one of my last evenings in Beijing, I visited Rong Rong and his wife, the Japanese artist Inri, at their apartment just outside the Fifth Ring Road. The Beijing-based Canadian photographer Karen Patterson had agreed to translate for us. The first thing a visitor sees upon entering the double-height living area is a large photograph of the couple, naked and holding hands. It was taken at 798, when the complex was still a derelict industrial space. Even with the skyrocketing rents, the famous photographers could have their studios at 798 if they chose; a series of 16 of their prints recently sold in the United States for $100,000. But like many Beijing artists, the couple doesn't feel that Dashanzi is a good place to create art. "Too many people," Inri told me, making a face. Rong Rong added: "This is our life. This is our work. Over there, it's almost as if the artist's studio becomes a public place." Rong Rong and Inri's home is a kind of temple to photography, where the tool...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 9
2008-05-26 07:06:00 When I met them, Wang and Zhang had just returned from a show in Guangzhou; although his photographs have been shown all over the world, this was the first time they had been officially exhibited at a major museum in China. For the show he chose relatively conservative work (the nude girls were left at home), including Follow Me, a three-by-nine-foot photograph of the artist as a teacher, in front of an enormous chalkboard scrawled with error-riddled English and Chinese slogans: "Let the world learns about China!" and "Is it possible for me to exchange some British pounds for the U.S. dollars?" The piece was inspired by an English course that aired on Chinese television in the eighties, after Deng Xiaoping's reforms took effect. Wang remembers trying and failing the course, gathered with his neighbors around the rare television set, while the news reported the program's success stories?an ordinary soldier who graduated from the course and became an English professor, for example. ...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 8
2008-05-26 07:05:00 The scene wouldn't have been unfamiliar to many of Beijing's more established artists, like Wang Qingsong, who lived in Songzhuang, Beijing's oldest surviving artists' village, in the mid 1990's. Because artists weren't allowed in the area at the time, he was constantly hiding from the police: "I moved ?ve times in one year," he told me, when I visited him and his family at their home. Wang, whose strikingly beautiful large-format photographs at once criticize and celebrate the "global" commercial culture of today's Chinese cities (his work often includes a Coke bottle or McDonald's golden arches), now lives with his wife, Zhang Fang, their son, and Zhang's parents in a spacious but casual apartment in the eastern district of Tongxian, a neighborhood known for the number of artists living there. (The noted performance artist He Yunchang has an apartment downstairs.) A Donald Duck bicycle was parked underneath one of Wang's most famous pieces, China Mansion, a scroll-like p...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 7
2008-05-26 07:03:00 As Beijing expands, its artists move farther and farther from the city center. Those whose work is selling look for bigger studios and (marginally) cleaner air; the ones who are just starting out simply look for the cheapest possible rent. I visited the international art communities of Feijiacun and Suojiacun, where Chinese painters and sculptors work alongside visiting and expatriate foreign artists. Laetitia Gauden, a French curator who started the Imagine Gallery in Feijiacun in 2003, took me next door to Suojiacun to see the new live-work space she shares with her husband, a musician in a Beijing hard-core band, and their son. Gauden was tremendously excited about the potential for Suojiacun, which was attracting artists with its large, warehouse-like studios and low rents?it's significantly cheaper than Factory 798's. She showed me the border beyond which the community had recently expanded. "People kept coming," she explained. Soon after I returned to New York, however, the ...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 6
2008-05-26 06:55:00 The situation is very different today. At home and abroad, Chinese artists are being exhibited and fêted, and their work is being sold for record prices. An oil painting by Liu Xiaodong that went for $20,000 two years ago now goes for $200,000, and in 2004, Hong Hao became one of the first Chinese artists living on the mainland to have his work acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Although most of the buyers at this level are foreign, Christophe Mao, the director of Chambers Fine Art, a gallery representing Chinese artists in Manhattan, says it's only a matter of time before mainland Chinese collectors descend on the market: "Just wait," he predicted. "Once they start, you won't be able to get your hands on any of it." While grateful for the attention, some Chinese artists are a bit suspicious about why they're suddenly so popular. "Any article you read from the West starts with one of two things: the Cultural Revolution or June 4," Ho said, referring to the demonstr...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 5
2008-05-26 06:54:00 Tung's prediction came true in January. After years of uncertainty, the Beijing municipal government designated Factory 798 a cultural landmark, protecting it at least for the near future. The owners have requested a master-plan proposal from Studio Works, a Los Angeles?based architecture and urban-design practice that will set up a new design center in the factory. In collaboration with Chinese architects, the new studio will focus on developing an environmentally sustainable vision for the unique site. I met Wang Wei and his wife, Rania Ho, at the Arts Coffee Haven, a tiny, welcoming place west of the Confucius Temple with Buddhist murals on the ceiling and a wood-burning stove. There, earnest art students consume mocha lattes, green tea cheesecake, and something called "masala toast"?a menu that highlights some hidden perils of globalization. Ho, who is an artist and a curator, was born and raised in California; the couple met as students at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Ar...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 4
2008-05-26 06:54:00 The pace of change in Beijing has been rapid but inconsistent?and that patchwork transformation is reflected in the art world as well. Shows are still canceled, but not necessarily the most transgressive ones. Because of 798's uncertain future, curators and artists who occupy these impressive spaces are forced to be flexible. The Long March Space, which is well known for its public-art projects along the route of Mao's Long March, uses its space at 798 more as a base than as a gallery. When I visited, members were displaying the results of their "Great Survey of Paper-cutting in Yanchuan County," a collaboration among artists, government officials, and the residents of one agrarian county in Shaanxi province. The subjects of this artistic census?people of all ages?were asked to cut traditional red latticework patterns into the design most familiar to them. The results ranged from scenes of village life, to profiles of Mao Tse-tung, to the logo of the official Chinese television st...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 3
2008-05-26 06:53:00 Factory 798 is constantly rumored to be on the point of destruction. Perhaps that is the secret to artistic vitality in Beijing. The international attention the old factories have received, combined with the lobbying efforts of artists and gallery owners, has persuaded the municipal government of 798's value?as architecture, as a cultural asset, and as a tourist draw during the upcoming Olympics. "They won't demolish it at least until 2008," said Jenny Wong, one of the curators at the Chinese Contemporary gallery, when I visited Beijing recently. "They wouldn't have time to build something new and glossy before then." Even in Dashanzi, it's hard to forget the 46-foot clock hanging over the National Museum in Tiananmen Square, ticking down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Wong gave me a tour of her gallery, an airy second-floor space with its original wood-beamed ceiling. Ma Liuming's arresting self-portraits were on display ...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 2
2008-05-26 06:53:00 Zhang's performance, called 12 Square Meters, was dedicated to the artist Ai Weiwei, who as a child accompanied his father, the famous poet Ai Qing, when he cleaned latrines in western China during the Cultural Revolution. Two weeks after the performance in the toilet, the police came and arrested several of the Dong Cun artists, and in 2001 the village was razed to make way for a public park. In the last dozen years, Beijing has stretched its borders; what used to be the periphery is now prime real estate, and some of the most interesting galleries and studios have had to migrate outside the city proper. Just inside the Fifth Ring Road, the tourist-friendly "art district" Dashanzi is still the best place to see what Beijing artists are doing today. Dashanzi is home to Factory 798, a cultural center housed in the complex of brick workshops that was once Asia's largest military electronics plant. Constructed in the 1950's with the help of East German engineers, many of the buildin...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing: Made in China Part 1
2008-05-26 06:52:00 Beijing's vibrant arts scene has gone from underground to big-time. As the city rushes to transform itself, Nell Freudenberger tags along with a few of the Chinese art world's brightest stars.Not long ago, at the Asia Society on Park Avenue in Manhattan, I saw a photograph I couldn't stop thinking about. It showed a young Chinese man, naked from the waist up, sitting in profile against a raw concrete wall. His arms and one knee (the only parts of his body not in shadow) glistened as if they'd been oiled; around his eyes, his ears, and all up and down his arms were clusters of black flies. What was most striking about this picture was the concentrated expression on the young man's face, as if he were looking at something spectacular and inaccessible, just outside the frame. The photograph was taken by Rong Rong, one of a group of artists who lived in the early nineties in a village a little beyond Beijing's Third Ring Road?what was then the outskirts of the city. The artists re...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing Prepares for the Olympics Part 2
2008-05-26 06:47:00 Pollution: The city's choking pollution and snarled traffic will be controlled during the 17-day Olympics when at least one-third of 3.3 million vehicles will be banned, and dust-spewing building sites and sooty factories are shuttered. Billions have already been spent moving industry out of town.Venues:Beijing is the site for 31 Olympic venues?12 new, 11 under renovation, and eight built as temporary structures. Most are located in four clusters in the north of the city.Five more venues are located outside Beijing in mainland China?for soccer and sailing. Another venue, for equestrian events, is in Hong Kong.The Olympic Village is located at the far northern end of the Olympic Green, a high-rise compound for 10,500 athletes.The Olympic Green area, site of half the competition venues, is about 10 times larger than it was in Athens and four times what it was in Sydney.The two centerpiece venues?buildings that will be talked about for years to come?are the Bird's Nest National Stadi...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Beijing Prepares for the Olympics Part 1
2008-05-26 06:46:00 China is sparing no expense in preparing Beijing for the Olympic spotlight?including providing English classes for cab drivers and a government-sponsored etiquette campaign.ere's a look at some of the venues and preparations under way in Beijing for this summer's Olympics.The Games: The Beijing Olympics begin Aug. 8, 2008.People: Organizers expect 550,000 foreign visitors and 22,000 journalists, with 550,000 local volunteers lined up to help?one for every guest.Infrastructure: Beijing is spending $40 billion to remake its subways, roads and image. The hubbub is driving up hotel prices.Etiquette: Government-sponsored etiquette campaigns are working to stamp out bad manners like jumping ahead in line, spitting, littering and reckless driving.English: Cab drivers are under pressure to learn some English. A program called "Crazy English" draws 10,000 volunteers to gung-ho assemblies. Officials are trying to wipe out "Chinglish," the unintelligible English that abounds on billboards, m...
By: AMAZING ASIA
Shaken pandas go to Beijing for the Olympics
2008-05-24 20:53:00 Eight pandas from a Chinese reserve severely shaken by a deadly earthquake are expected in the capital this week to go on display for the Olympics, a Beijing Zoo spokesman said Wednesday.
Beijing Flag Image
2008-05-24 16:55:00 China's flag will be much in evidence come the 2008 Beijing Olympics in August.The Chinese people have a tremendous pride in their country and this will be demonstrated to the outside world in the summer Olympics.Hotels in BeijingBuy 2008 Beijing Olympics TicketsBooks on China and BeijingTagsBeijing 0lympicsBook the Fujian Hotel Beijing Book the Beijing Qianyuan International Business Hotel
By: Beijing Visitor
[Unlikely] Dalai Lama will go to Beijing Olympics if Tibetan peace talks ar
2008-05-22 05:31:00 Guardian
Llevarán a Beijing a ocho pandas tras sismo
2008-05-22 02:18:00 Algunos de los pandas continúan nerviosos, comen y duermen menos desde el terremoto, declararon funcionarios, por lo que sus cuidadores los acompañarán ... Link: El Universal: Mundo Tags: Algunos, pandas, continúan, nerviosos,, comen, duermen, menos, desde, terremoto,, declararon, funcionarios,, cuidadores, acompañarán |
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