BEIJING TODAY
Shaped by war Armed men and war almost prevented director Chen Fu from shooting Border Girl, the story of a girl whose life is shaped by such forces. The film follows Yang Meiqing, a Chinese girl in Myanmar who dreams of fleeing to China – where she imagines safety and happiness await.
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PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY January 11 2013-January 17 2013 NO. 605 CN11-0120 HTTP://WWW.BEIJINGTODAY.COM.CN CHIEF EDITOR: YU SHANSHAN NEWS EDITOR: HUANG DAOHEN DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
Harry Potter Genetics
Optional course
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Road rules met with rage Page 5
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To boil or not to boil
Water authorities have been scrambling to counter claims that Beijing’s water is unhealthy, if not unsafe.
Odd courses a let-down
“Pirate Studies” involves less adventure on the high seas than its name would imply.
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January 11 2013
News
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Experts and drinkers clash over water quality When was the last time you drank Beijing’s tap water? For one couple in Beijing, the answer was some time in the early 1990s, Nanfang Weekend reported. The report came at a time when more people than ever before are distrustful of the capital’s environmental safety and cleanliness. Although the municipal water department countered and says the capital’s tap water is safe, experts still recommend you boil any water that comes from Beijing’s pipes before you drink it. Municipal water authorities invite media to visit their water distilling mills and laboratories.
BEIJING TODAY
Editors: Yu Shanshan Zhao Hongyi Designer: Zhao Yan
Deteriorating quality
Zhao Feihong is an employee at the Beijing Health Protection Association. Her husband, Li Fuxing, studies public water quality for the National Economic Development and Reform Commission. They make their tea using Kunlun Mountain mineral water or Quanyang Spring water from the Changbai Mountains. They cook their rice in Beijing spring water that has been run through a purier. It’s for safety, Zhao says. The quality of Beijing’s tap water is on the decline, Zhao says. Five years ago, the water averaged less than 2 milligrams of nitrates per liter of water. Nitrates enter the water supply through waste, excrement and ltrate. Today, the average is up to 9 milligrams. The national health code sets a maximum limit of 10 milligrams per liter. In 1980, Zhao took a trip to the Miyun Reservoir, one of the city’s main water resources. “The water was so
pure, clean and sweet,” Zhao says. “It could compete on quality with water anywhere in the world – even Germany.” Last year, she found the quality had degraded dramatically. “Almost every waterway in Beijing is polluted by irresponsible discharging (of waste),” says Wang Jian, one of the founders of Lucky Water Research, a Beijing-based NGO. “Most of the pollution in the 1980s was macromolecules from mineral substances like arsenium and lead,” Zhao says. Such pollution is easily removed with an active-carbon lter or membrane. Today’s pollution comes from organic micro-molecules, which can only be removed using liquid chlorine. But dumping liquid chlorine into the water system is dangerous and difcult to control.
Fighting back
The day after Nanfang Weekend’s report, Beijing Running Water announced the quality of Beijing’s tap
water is high – perhaps the highest in China. “We check 58 pollution indexes, and the organic pollution in our water is low. Much lower than the national standard,” says Luo Liang, a technician at No. 9 Beijing Running Water Mill. “The national standards consist of 106 indexes, and our water meets them all – including the nitrate count and hardness,” says Lin Aiwu, director of Beijing Running Water Quality Inspection and Monitoring Center. The national standard requires that the minerals that make water hard measure no more than 450 milligrams per liter. The main contaminant, magnesium chloride, can account for no less than 380 milligrams of that. Lin says Beijing Running Water Group has the tools to check 205 pollution indexes, while most cities check no more than the nationally required 106. “We have many monitor-
ing sites throughout the city. Every month, we check hundreds of results collected by each,” says Liang Li, a spokesperson of the group. Liang Qianli, a news commentator, says trying to push standards is a losing battle. “No matter how high your standards, there will always be someone who wants them to be set even higher,” Liang wrote in The Mirror on Wednesday. “The government has to take care of the majority, and the most practical way to do that is to set minimum quality requirements instead of aspiring to the impossible peak.”
Compromise
Zhao and Li say relying on bottled spring water and mineral water was their own choice, and say the quality of water resources and ltering technology in Beijing is the highest in the country. “We recommend that everyone drink and use it without fear,” Li Fuxing, the husband, says on his microblog.
Xinhua Photo
The couple says they were talking about water being both safe and healthy water: Beijing’s tap water is safe – it’s just not very healthy. “There needs to be more attention given to the byproducts of purication and sterilization, which can be hazardous to one’s health. Additionally, the network paths that deliver water to each home are also at risk of being polluted,” Li wrote. Zhu Yi, a professor of Food Science and Nutrition at China Agricultural University, disagreed. “The running water in Beijing is safe and reliable,” he says. “The best thing is to get your water from alternating sources rather than to rely on only one supply, be it tap or brand-name bottled water.” “There are a variety of ways to make it safer, such as don’t drink the running water in the morning and let the water stand for several minutes before drinking .” (By Zhao Hongyi)
Beijing sets new emission reduction targets for 2013 Beijing will continue to lower emissions of major pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen this year, local authorities said Tuesday. The four pollutants are each expected to be cut by 2 percent from levels recorded last
year, according to Qiao Shufang, an ofcial with the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. Last year, the city planned to cut emissions of sulfur dioxide, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen by 2 percent and that of nitrogen oxides by 3 percent from the
previous year. Qiao said it is believed that last year’s targets have already been met, but the Ministry of Environmental Protection is still examining Beijing’s performance in the emission cut. In recent years, the permanent population in Beijing has been growing by over 400,000
annually, which is nearly the size of a medium-sized city, Qiao said, adding that the growth has put great pressures on the city’s pollution control efforts. The growing population can raise chemical oxygen demand levels by 15,000 tons and ammonia nitrogen levels by 1,500 tons each year, and the
city has to build a new sewage treatment factory every year to treat newly added pollutants, Qiao said. There are also 400,000 new vehicles on the city’s roads each year, increasing the difculty of treating air pollution, Qiao added. (Xinhua)
desktop. The rst version of WeChat went mostly unnoticed, since being able to send free messages and photos is nothing new. The second version, which added audio messages, made it a hit. In August, Tencent added location-based features. WeChat allows users to shake their phones and discover nearby users, and to send out “oating bottles” that may be discovered by strangers. “It’s like an adventure. I made several friends using the ‘shake it’ function,” said Christina Chen, a student at Peking University. Rapid growth Last year, Zhang’s team took further steps to transform WeChat into a social platform. The “friendship circle” function allows users to share photos and short journals with their friends. Corporations pounced on
WeChat as a way to build brand awareness. Using veried accounts, companies and brands can post “rich media content,” including video, text, audio message and photos, to their WeChat streams. WeChat’s Membership and barcode scanning functions further link online and ofine activities. It lets brands target users with specic offers during certain seasons. “Consumers can build a relationship with every restaurant, theater and hotel they visit in WeChat,” said Dai Zhikang, manager of WeChat’s Membership card business. And with its upcoming integration of Tenpay, Tencent’s online payment system, business-to-consumer retailers are getting involved too.
Going abroad WeChat is Tencent’s rst product intended to win abroad. The software is available in more than 100 countries and regions, and in 16 languages. “China got a late start during the PC era, and it was difcult for us to lead in innovations abroad. The mobile Internet is a new opportunity,” Zhang said. The international scope of mobile software stores, such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play, helped WeChat to reach consumers abroad. However, international downloads still account for less than 5 percent of WeChat’s daily downloads. The majority are from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Similar products, such as WhatsApp in US and Kakao Talk in Korea, are tough competitors. Zeng Ming, product manager of WeChat, said the biggest challenge for the team is how to explore WeChat in the European and US markets. As many as 100,000 people in the US became WeChat users last September, but that is only a fraction of its yearly 1.2 million downloads. “Why is the US market the most difficult to enter? Aside from the product itself, it’s the cultural differences,” Zhang said. “We have to match the demand for technical quality, and then break the foreigners’ preference for using their own products.” To improve the user experience, the team opened data centers in the US and Southeast Asia, said Liu Lejun, WeChat’s program manager. Tough as it may be, Zhang sees hope. He said he believes the superior product should win in the market, and WeChat’s next version is only two months away. “We want WeChat to go beyond the culture where it originated to become a universal symbol,” Zhang said.
Editors: Yu Shanshan Bao Chengrong Designer: Zhao Yan
Strategy “WeChat entered the mobile messaging market at the right time,” said Zhang Xiaolong, its founder. The smartphone revolution has seen China’s netizens switching to their handsets when it’s time to communicate, game and conduct business. More than 388 million are using mobile Internet, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). With its access to Tencent’s existing QQ user base, it’s no surprise WeChat won. In 2011, QQ had more than 145.4 million users, half of whom connected from their phones. That shift in the market inspired Tencent to put its efforts into a new mobile instant messaging platform. Unlike QQ, WeChat was accepted by office workers who have been married to MSN Messenger on the
Renmin Photo
WeChat team members
BEIJING TODAY
By Bao Chengrong Tencent’s WeChat blew past MiTalk and Feixin to become China’s most popular mobile messaging platform in 2012. As of last March, the service had 200 million users. Tencent says it expects WeChat to have more than 300 million users by the end of the month. That means roughly 70 percent of China’s 3G mobile Internet users choose WeChat.
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Business
How WeChat won
January 11 2013
January 11 2013
Electives courses caught in battle of balance
Feature
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BEIJING TODAY
Editors: Yu Shanshan Zhang Nan Designer: Zhao Yan
By Liang Xiying China’s universities are slowly warming up to elective courses as a way to attract students. But critics say some wander too far from the spirit of academic studies. Unlike standard offerings, elective courses live and die based on enrollment. Finding the balance between interest and scholarly value may be a big challenge for school administrators. A big let-down As soon as he saw that his school was offering a class in “Pirate Studies,” Hong Dashui knew he had to enroll. In the weeks before the spring semester began, RenRen was buzzing with discussion about the new course at Dalian Maritime University. It was a let-down for most students: swashbuckling and treasure maps were not part of the curriculum. “Actually, the course is not too different from other electives,” said Hong, a senior. Dalian Maritime University is one of many schools offering courses with “interesting” names in hopes of convincing the student body they offer something out of the ordinary. Pirate Studies is taught by Dong Zhen, who obtained his Ph.D in Marxist philosophy at Jilin University last year. Like most electives, Pirate Studies was created based on Dong’s own interest. The rst time it was offered, there were 180 students who enrolled.
CFP Photos After facing questions about internship opportunities in Somalia and how one can become the pirate king, Dong had to concede his students had been misled. It didn’t help that the course was poorly prepared. In addition to his normal course and research load, Dong is the acting director of the sociology department and a replacement for several other administrative positions. The risk of carrying an empty class load for the semester discourages teachers from focusing only on their electives, Dong said. Successful classes So how is it that the University of California, Berkeley has a class called “Exploring the Three Kingdoms: The Classic Chinese Novel and Sanguosha the Card Game”? The class is a rare example of the successful melding of academic purpose and popular entertainment. Sanguosha was a popular card game with Chinese students at the school. During
the class, students were arranged into groups to play the card game, improve their general knowledge about the Three Kingdoms period and increase their appreciation for Chinese history. Inspired by the success, Nanjing Agriculture University opened a Bridge course to improve students’ analytical ability and cooperation. The “Tree Climbing” class at Xiamen University, which taught how to safely climb up and down a tree and move
around the branches, was also inspired by foreign curriculums. The school’s president said it would teach students practical survival skills. Changing model Education is increasingly being viewed as a commodity with teachers its salespeople. In Japan, teachers are being instructed to treat their students as clients and not to scold them if they arrive late for class. Unusual electives are
another component in a school’s sales pitch. Zhou Jun, a journalism instructor at Renmin University, said the university is a place to help students cultivate a distinct personality – courses with interesting names and boring content do little to help achieve this goal. And when teachers are expected to be the sales force, offering classes where the content doesn’t match the name is a quick way to end up red. Such was the case of Holland University, which formerly offered a class in prostitution. Rather than teaching students how to become a prostitute, the school taught how to protect prostitutes. The course mainly covered topics such as the country’s prostition laws and safe sex. “An elective course has to do three things,” Zhou said, “It must help students to develop some ability, it must have an innovative teaching method and it must improve the students’ critical thinking abilities.”
January 11 2013
Comments
Difcult to stop! In China, there are so many intersections that don’t have countdown screens to help drivers time their stop. How can we estimate the possibility to slow down and stop our cars while driving? I’d suggest installing more equipment. - Wang Cheng, law professor, Peking University How did new rules come about? The revision seems to have come out of thin air, as there was no prior notice given to the public. The change is having a huge impact on citizens’ rights and obligations. Why haven’t there been any public hearings or efforts to seek opinions from relevant parties? I believe these new rules are fundamentally illegal. We need to rethink them from the beginning. - Sun Xiaoxia, law professor, Fudan University The new rule is good I don’t want to get caught and have to attend trafc school. The new rule is very strict, but somehow, it is good to create a more courteous environment on the road. I’ll follow the new rules carefully and suggest all drivers do the same, for their own sake. - Yu Ran, manager of an environmental protection company in Beijing It’s a relief to me! I have less concern on the road now. There is no such thing as being too cautious while driving. People are forced to be more careful when they face severe penalties, which is good. I feel safer, for myself and my daughter, who is a new driver. The new regulation is really relief to me! - Luo Ren, driver in Chongqing More warning needed The new rule is good at decreasing trafc accidents caused by running yellow lights. I’d suggest installing more warnings for drivers to slow down before crossing the intersection, like yellow lines on the road. - He Pingping, deputy director, Beijing Youth Daily CFP Photo
Debate
rity’s Traffic Administration has pledged to remain open to reasonable suggestions regarding the change, as well as promised to announce more details regarding the implementation of the revised regulation. The revision affects millions of people in China, as the country is home to 114 million automobiles driven by 186 million motorists, according to the ministry. Ofcials from the ministry said drivers will understandably need time to correct their driving habits. The changes have evidently already had an effect on trafc violations. The ministry said Thursday that failure-to-stop cases dropped by 66 percent year on year during the rst three days after the revision took effect. The ministry said the decrease indicates that the revision has been effective in regulating driving behavior and preventing accidents. Authorities have tightened trafc regulations amid the explosive growth of the country’s auto market in recent years. Drunk driving became a felony punishable by jail in May 2011, with the number of drunk driving cases dipping dramatically following the change. About 62,000 people died from trafc accidents in 2011, according to the State Administration of Work Safety, dropping from nearly 89,000 the previous year. “The intention of the Ministry of Public Security is to reduce trafc accidents. But public affairs need to be handled according to the rule of law and be based on public opinion,” Sun said. (Xinhua)
Editors: Yu Shanshan Liu Xiaochen Designer: Zhao Yan
Drivers are complaining about a new regulation that increases penalties for running yellow lights. Netizens claim that the rule runs contrary to the laws of physics. Some experts have centered their opposition on the origin and legality of the revision.
Chinese drivers are complaining this week about a new regulation that increases penalties for running yellow lights, with some doubting the new rule’s legality. Netizens have claimed that the rule runs contrary to the laws of physics, as drivers who are operating their vehicles at normal speeds cannot bring their vehicles to a full stop within seconds of seeing a yellow light. Vehicles must come to a complete stop at yellow lights unless part of the vehicle’s body has already crossed the line, according to a revised regulation from the Ministry of Public Security that took effect on New Year’s Day. In an online poll hosted by Sina Weibo, a major microblogging site, opponents of the regulation outnumbered supporters by almost 5 to 1, with more than 40,000 people responding to the poll. “The three lights serve their purposes respectively in accordance with the law. Treating a yellow light the same as a red one is unreasonable and could be legally contradictory,” said Li Wei, chief lawyer at the Beijing Fada Law Ofce. Yellow lights in China ash for just a few seconds before turning red, making it difcult to bring vehicles to a full stop in time. In addition, few intersections have visible countdown timers, making it even more difcult for drivers to gure out how much time they have to stop. Wu Bihu, another professor at Peking University, has led a request for the details surrounding the revision at the Ministry of Public Security. The Ministry of Public Secu-
BEIJING TODAY
Chinese drivers question new traffic rule
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Indie lm
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Director Chen Fu
ry in Kokang. to is h f o e s a h p is I hope to record th fford to miss a ’t n a c e w t a th It’s history
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January 11 2013
Compelling insight into the lives of Burmese war refugees
By Chen Nan Border Girl is a documentary that three chronicles years in the life of a girl living on the Burmese border as she hopes to cross over to China to pursue a safer life. With 162,193 votes, it won Phoenix’s (ifeng.com) “audience’s choice” prize last month as part of the media company’s annual Documentary Awards.
BEIJING TODAY
Editors: Yu Shanshan Chen Nan Designer: Zhao Yan
S
et in Myanmar, Border Girl portrays a young protagonist’s personal growth amid military conict and geopolitical suspense. The lmmaker demonstrates how residents are traumatized in violent conicts in the Kokang Special Region, where 90 percent of the residents have Chinese ancestry. Several clashes between Burmese junta forces and ethnic minorities broke out in the Kokang in August 2009. The exchange of re caused thousands of refugees to cross into Yunnan Province. Instead of focusing on the carnage, Border Girl tells the story of the civilians who are constantly at risk of becoming collateral damage. The lm follows Yang Meiqing, a 14-year-old, who wants to ee to China, where she thinks she’ll live safely and happily. Through her accounts of her family, her beloved boyfriend, her business and school life, her inner world and personal growth are revealed. After a border incident, Yang returns to a school in Myanmar. Yang, who grew up in a Chinese language environment, nds it difcult to adjust. Then she quits school and hopes to rush toward China. “I long to marry a Chinese man to change my fate,” she says.
But for her dream to be fullled, she must leave her hometown forever and jeopardize her life. The rst postwar images Filmmaker Chen Fu, 29, was a journalist and TV producer before turning to movies. He said that rather than being a political story, the short 30-minute lm simply enables him to tell the story of a girl’s growth. After several skirmishes in 2009 in Myanmar, some images were published in newspapers showing Kokang in ruins. Chen, who wanted to visit, couldn’t help but ask: to what extent would the war alter local citizens’ lives? He proposed a project to lm around the Kokang area. “I just attempted to get a few friends together,” Chen said. But securing the necessary permits and passes wasn’t easy. Chen eventually got in touch with some friends in Myanmar, who helped him and his crew enter Kokang in October 2009. The director’s rst impulse was to expose images of post-war Kokang, which was blighted by violence and destruction. When he arrived, armed men and defense forces constantly roamed the streets. Filming was nearly impossible, unless they did it with hidden cameras.
Worse, they constantly dealt with the possibility of fresh combat “We couldn’t just wait and do nothing,” Chen said. So he convinced his acquaintances to introduce him a local leader, Bai Suocheng, who is his town’s highest ofcial. “I hope to record this phase
Photos provided by Chen Fu of history in Kokang,” Chen said to Bai. “It’s history that we can’t afford to miss.” Eventually, the lmmaker convinced Bai to let them lm, the idea being the movie could be used as part of larger efforts to help the region recover. Funding from unexpected sources Before the lmmaker began production, he faced the daunting task of fundraising. “Choosing appropriate methods of funding depends on many factors, including the subject of the lm and the cast and crew involved
in the project,” Chen said. Funding came from many sources, including private investors, family, friends and, most of all, random netizens. The lm took Chen three years to nalize. Postproduction was difcult due to lack of resources, but he was able to secure some funding from Demohour.com, a crowdfunding platform. The NGO Shanghai Cinderella Group also donated 10,000 yuan. In exchange, Chen credited them as a co-producer. “Most importantly, I just saw a bunch of young, purpose-driven friends on the Internet trying to help me,” he said. Their support was at times overwhelming. “Some comments went beyond my expectations,” he said. “I guess maybe this is part of the enchantment of documentary lms: it provokes myriad thoughts.” After funding was secured, the next question was how he could maximize audience exposure. As it later turned out, Chen didn’t have to do it himself. A TV talk show took interest in the lm. Chen was invited onto Fei De Will Watch to talk about his lmmaking experience. He then obtained cash from Youku, which now has the right to stream the lm.
January 11 2013
Cute puppy shoes and outfits are available from online vendors at affordable prices.
A shelter is needed if you take your puppy outdoor for a long time in the cold.
CFP Photos
Shopping Editor: Wei Ying Designer: Zhao Yan
A woman walks her bundled-up pooch.
By Annie Wei Owning a puppy can bring a lot of joy. They are cute, loyal and playful. They also keep your life on track, forcing you to get up each morning to walk them. But here’s where it gets complicated for owners: should your pooch be dressed when it goes out? Most animals don’t seem to like it, but what if they get cold? This week, Beijing Today asked Mary Peng from the International Center for Veterinary Service (ICVS) whether it was necessary for puppies to wear clothing. Peng said it’s not common to see it in foreign countries, even in the rain or snow. When she moved to Beijing, she noticed that people liked dressing up their pets. The clothes seemed less for practical purposes than fashion. “Animals do not like clothes. The owners do the dress-up for themselves instead of the animals,” Peng said. Shorthair dogs can go up to 30 minutes on a cold day without clothes and be perfectly ne. Longhaired dogs, especially big ones like huskies, have thick fur to protect themselves from the cold, so they really don’t need clothes. But hairless puppies may require an extra layer of protection. Chihuahuas, for instance, could use clothes, especially since they have a weaker immune system. Peng also said that if a dog is constantly moving, it can generate heat to keep warm; if your dog stops moving whether with or without clothes, it can get cold. “If they stay outside, they need a shelter, and it’s necessary to place a wood oor underneath,” she said. Owners should be more careful when bathing animals during the winter, Peng said. They need to be dried properly afterwards, and one should wait a few hours before taking them outside. “Even when their hair is dry, there’s still water in the roots, scalp and pores,” she said. Where to buy: shop61081541.taobao.com qpet.taobao.com
BEIJING TODAY
Puppywear for winter
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January 11 2013
Food
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Domus – Fine dining in a traditional yet modern setting
BEIJING TODAY
Editor: Wei Ying Designer: Zhao Yan
Private dining room
By Annie Wei If you want to impress clients or loved ones with a unique dining experience in Beijing – one with quality food and a comfortable environment – we recommend Domus. The newly redecorated high-end restaurant has an outstanding location, tucked in an ancient hutong called Nanchizi near Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City. The young but experienced chef Rochat Shi has a passion for food, especially creating new recipes with seasonal ne ingredients. Before Domus, he worked at Maison Boulud, the leading French restaurant in Beijing partnered with Daniel Boulud, an American French chef and restaurant entrepreneur in New York. The menu will be updated seasonally. From now until Valentine’s Day, its recommended menu includes foie gras, mackerel, baby pig, veal shank and ravioli (1,500 yuan), offering a lighter fare compared to the rich and greasy foods people indulge in during Spring Festival. We liked the white wine poached foie gras, prepared
White-wine-poached foie gras Photos provided by Domus
in consomme with mixed vegetables. The foie gras is tender, and the consomme, made of tomato and cucumber juice, cooked with herbs and mixed with a bit of white wine or champagne, is delightful. Shi said the soup is warm and a good starter for opening diners’ stomachs. The citrus marinated mackerel might be the best we’ve ever had in town, extremely fresh and tender, well paired with artichokes, fennel and eggplant puree. Unlike those small mackerels you see at the local seafood market, the ones here are big. They’re caught in Japan and served within 24 hours. Because of this, diners need to pre-order at least two days in advance.The restaurant needs time to contact the supplier,
as fresh mackerel is only available every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For diners who enjoy real meat, they will love the combination of baby pig and veal shank. The Iberico pork is considered the best in the world, as the pigs only feast on acorns from the holm oak in Spain. They are paired with Borlotti bean puree and caviar, offering different textures and avors of pork. Most restaurants offer veal shank, but theirs are normally prepped ahead of time, sliced and frozen. When a diner wants to eat veal shank, Domus makes a special order to get a whole shank from their supplier, slow braise it for 36 hours, then serve it with saffron risotto and veal juice. Like proper presentation for Bei-
jing duck, the chef will slice the meat at your table. After raviolis lled with langoustine and avocado, diners nish with a dessert of hazelnut Bavaria. We loved the restaurant’s intimate ambiance. Domus means “home” in Latin. The renovated courtyard is decorated with a cozy yet modern home theme. It’s retains its traditional structure with old bricks, and stocked with many original art pieces and furniture from Cassina, Maxalto, Baxter and Minotti. The basement has an open kitchen, a wine cellar and a dining section. Domus’ manager San San said they only serve four tables every day. The restaurant used to be a wine club with dining available to members only. Starting this year, the restaurant is open to even nonmembers, but reservation is a must. Domus Prive Where: 15 Nanchizi Hutong (opposite Tiandi Yijia), Dongcheng District Open: RSVP Tel: 8511 8015
Raviolis Photo by An Jianguo
The kitchen
Veal shank
Japanese hotpot for sumos Hotpot, 138 yuan
Roasted skipjack, 88 yuan Photos by An Jianguo
By Annie Wei The restaurant Wuzangliufu is an established beef intestine hotpot eatery for the Japanese community. One year ago, it moved from Lucky Street to Xinyuanli. Although the new location is harder to nd – the online directions are vague – the restaurant has retained its low-key yet cozy environment, with an authentic Fukuoka avor and loyal Japanese customers. It’s said that the beef intestine hotpot was introduced
to Fukuoka from China at the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The ingredients are simple: intestines, garlic, cabbage, chives and tofu. Compared to modern hotpot, it seems so simple. Add handmade noodles to the pot and it becomes a delicious meal that lls your stomach and warms you from inside out. Wuzangliufu’s two-person serving comes in four avors: soy sauce (138 yuan), miso (138 yuan), salt (128 yuan) and spice (148 yuan). For extra ingredients, you
can add pork belly (35 yuan) or burdock (12 yuan.) The waitress said soy sauce and miso are the most popular back in Japan. As beef intestines are very nutritious: the hotpot is listed as suitable for sumo wrestlers. Other recommended dishes include grapefruit sauce roasted skipjack (88 yuan). The skipjack is fat and fresh, slightly roasted on the outside and sliced into thick pieces. When you eat it, top the skipjack slice with onions, tomatoes and a piece
of lemon. Don’t eat the skipjack alone, because it might be too fatty. Other specialties include clam fried butter (35 yuan) and teppanyaki beef intestines (68 yuan). The barbecue screw is a bit average, starting from 4 yuan for mushrooms. Wuzang Liufu Where: 39 Xinyuan Jie (in the alley between a middle school and Xinyuanhui compound), Chaoyang District Open: 5 pm – late Tel: 13691239970