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CHIEF EDITOR: JACK WANG • NEWS EDITOR: SU DERUI • DESIGNER: TIAN HU
CHIEF EDITOR: LI XIAOBING • NEWS EDITOR: DERRICK SOBADASH • DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN
August 15, 2014 No. 687 PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY CN11-0120 ￥3.00 (METRO & COMMERCE)
Red Cross wrecker behind bars Whether she goes down in history as a gambling kingpin or China’s most shameless professional mistress, it will take more than Guo Meimei’s confession to repair the Red Cross Society. In a tearful clip aired on CCTV, Guo admitted to fabricating the story of her employment with the Red Cross’ non-existent “Chamber of Commerce.” But Guo’s lie was the catalyst that prompted further investigations of China’s biggest charity: investigations that revealed Guo Meimei may be the least of the Red Cross’ problems.
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Crackdown spells the end for qunzufang
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Monk’s master works of Zen on display
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Writer finds little to praise in Chinese men
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Beijing Today’s reporters cannot accept bribes in exchange for coverage. To report offenders, call +86 (010) 6590 2515 or email hr@beijingtoday.com.cn. 媒体监督热线：+86 (010) 6590 2515，hr@beijingtoday.com.cn ■ Under the auspices of the office of Beijing Municipal Government ■ Run by Beijing Youth Daily Group ■ President: Zhang Yanping ■ Editor in Chief: Yu Haibo ■ Director: Li Xiaobing ■ Address: No. 23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China ■ Zip Code: 100026 ■ Telephone: (010) 65902515 ■ Fax: (010) 6590 2525 ■ E-mail: info@beijingtoday.com.cn ■ Advertisement: (010) 6590 2515 ■ Hotline for subscription: (010) 6590 2520 / 2521 ■ Overseas Code Number: D1545 ■ 邮发代号1-364 ■ Online Distribution Agents: Spider.com.cn and Kankan.cn
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NEWS
August 15, 2014
City seeks to stamp out qunzufang in new crackdown
Many qunzufang agents divide their rooms into one-bed “luxury spaces” and ask for more money.
By ZHAO HONGYI Beijing Today Staff The municipal government seems determined to stamp out group-rented homes, also known as qunzufang, the unsafe yet affordable bastion of Beijing’s underpaid service workers. Inspired by the capsule hotels of Japan, many of Beijing’s homeowners have been illegally partitioning their real estate for lease to low-wage earners since the late ’00s. According to the Capital Comprehensive Administration Office, more than 19,500 such illegally partitioned units have been closed during the last eight months. The office said it intends to completely dismantle the remaining qunzufang before October 1, Chinese National Day.
Housing crackdown
On August 5, the Beijing Municipal Government announced a plan to step up its crackdown on qunzufang, the bulk of which are found in the districts of Tongzhou, Daxing, Chaoyang and Shijingshan. The 19,500 demolitions to date have resulted in the arrests of 129 individuals and the closure of 218 “hotels,” said Miao Lin, director of the Capital Comprehensive Administration Office. Qunzufang partitions are primarily leased to service sector workers employed in new urban areas. They are often found Editor: Zhao Hongyi
flanking universities, shopping malls, college campuses, industrial zones and traffic hubs. As many as 60 percent of the tenants are between 16 and 30 years of age and 72 percent did not complete middle school. Miao said the Bureaus of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of House and Urban-Rural Development will be investigating a shortlist of 24,000 families and 99,000 suspected qunzufang during the next month. While it may seem cruel for residents with few other options, the city government’s message is clear: if you can’t afford to settle down in Beijing, don’t.
National phenomenon
In spite of their frequent association with Beijing, qunzufang-like living arrangements have shot up nationwide in the last three decades. Not all are occupied by uneducated service workers: some qunzufang cater to China’s highly-educated and under-paid technology workers. Tang Xinyuan, a graduate of Beijing University of Science and Technology from Tangshan, Heibei Province, moved into a qunzufang compound in Tangjialing Village on northwest Fifth Ring Road. Most of his fellow tenants were similarly underpaid graduates seeking a foothold in the capital. When their unit was demolished in 2012, Tang and his neighbors relocated to
another qunzufang in Shigezhuang Village that cost even less. “As fresh university graduates we cannot find work that pays enough to cover our rent. That’s why I’m opposed to this crackdown,” Tang said. Tang now has to switch buses four times to get from Shigezhuang to the company where he is employed. In a compound on Huayuan Lu, Haidian District, the situation is slightly better. Many 70-square-meter homes are partitioned into three sections with a shared kitchen. Prices range from 1,100 to 1,200 yuan for space in the qunzufang: about half the cost of neighboring homes. When Beijing Today’s reporter posed as an interested tenant, the real estate agent said the shared kitchen was just for show and that it could not be used for cooking. Fires are the top danger in any qunzufang and all tenants share responsibility for fire damage. The 1,100 yuan slice of the apartment occupies less than 12 square meters. A double bed and small desk occupy 90 percent of the floor area. Its lone lamp is powered by a wire that leads into an adjacent room. The agent introduced a neighboring qunzufang that was still being renovated. Sections of its partitioned guest room are expected to lease for 1,200 yuan. Depending on the district and location, such partitioned guest rooms can cost anywhere from 300 to 2,000 yuan.
BEIJING TODAY
CFP Photo
New regulations
As part of its campaign against qunzufang, the municipal government has passed regulations that require agents to guarantee that every tenant has at least 10 square meters of living space in their apartment. But with the costs of firefighting, safety and security, few agents can turn a profit on rooms of that size. Although qunzufang have been compared to “Chinese-style” capsule hotels, their use is actually quite different. Unlike hotels, qunzufang must provide cooking and washing space, as well as personal space for dating or eventually raising a family. “This campaign against qunzufang is really a backhanded way of trying to elbow students like me back out of Beijing,” Tang said. The average two bedroom apartment in Beijing costs 4,000 yuan – far more than the salary offered at most entry-level jobs. “Even if we could pay the rent, there would be nothing left to save,” Tang said. “We have to think of the future. One day we will want to marry, have a baby and support our parents.” Faced with the imminent demolition of their homes, young tenants like Tang are searching for options. “Once the campaign comes to my neighborhood I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll probably have to spend two thirds of my salary to get a room downtown,” he said. Designer: Tian Hu
3
FEATURE
August 15, 2014
Guo Meimei’s confession can’t save the Red Cross Society By LYNNE WANG Beijing Today Staff
The 23-year-old woman whose extravagant lifestyle and lies shattered the nation’s trust in the Red Cross Society of China has been arrested. Guo Meimei, known in media circles as China’s “most shameless professional mistress,” stands accused of illegal gambling, sex work and spreading rumors – charges for which she may face up to 10 years in prison. But even Guo’s very public arrest is doing little to rehabilitate the image of the Red Cross.
Confession
Beijing police announced the breakup of an illegal World Cup soccer gambling ring on July 9. Headed by Guo Meimei, the group earned money by claiming a percentage of the winnings of participants in their private casino. Apart from gambling, Guo maintained relationships with dozens of lovers who paid for her services with luxury goods and cash. In order to promote both her gambling house and herself, Guo spread lies that she was the manager of the Chamber of Commerce of the Red Cross of China. Dressed in an orange prison uniform, Guo made her tearful confession during an interview aired on CCTV. She said that most of the wealth she flaunted online came from her illegal gambling operations, commercial performances and her lovers. “I had nothing to do with the Red Cross Society of China and I feel sorry about how my actions have damaged it,” she said. Regardless of whether her apology is sincere, Guo’s words have done little to rehabilitate the tarnished image of China’s Red Cross. Indeed, her very appearance was a reminder of the 2011 Red Cross Incident and the organization’s reputation for unreliability.
Guo and the Red Cross
In June 2011, Guo Meimei captured the attention of the Chinese Internet and became a household name overnight. Using social media, the then 20-year-old woman claimed to be the manager of “Chamber of Commerce in the Red Cross.” The announcement was followed by details about her luxurious life and photos of her expensive cars, private houses and branded bags. Netizens were quick to speculate on the source of her wealth and whether China’s largest State-run charity was properly using its public donations. Within a week, the Red Cross replaced Guo as the topic of discussion. Although Wang Rupeng, secretary-general of the association, issued three statements denying the employment of any worker named Guo Meimei and the existence of a Chamber of Commerce in the organization, the damage had been done. Guo later altered her tone on social media by saying the information was written by her sister for the sake of “interest.” In spite of explanations from both sides, the public remained suspicious. Editor: Lynne Wang
During the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, a Red Cross worker interviewed by CCTV said the organization would distribute 1,000 tents worth 1.3 million yuan to the victims. The idea of individual tents costing 10,000 yuan led many to speculate that the organization was funneling money to corrupt channels through its purchases.
A long way to go
Guo Meimei’s arrest failed to salvage the public’s trust in the Red Cross.
The damage wrought by Guo on the Red Cross – indeed, on all Chinese charities – was profound. Within a month of the incident, donations to all charities plunged 50 percent according to the data from China Charity Information Center. The Red Cross alone lost 679 million yuan in donations and was forced to cut a quarter of its operations, according to the 2012 Report on China’s Charity Donation. During Ya’an Earthquake of 2013, the Red Cross met with intense resistance from the public when it attempted to raise funds online. Tens of thousands of netizens expressed their distrust of the organization and called for them to “get lost.” “In only three days, this woman ruined the reputation that the Red Cross of China built over 100 years,” said by Zhao Baige, vice president of China’s Red Cross Society. While Guo’s arrest and confession may bring an end to the story, the Red Cross may have to start from the beginning to rebuild its image.
Confession no cure
Guo’s scandal is only one of the many blows the Red Cross Society of China has endured in recent years. In July, when typhoon Rammasun battered China’s southern coastline harder than any storm in the last four decades, the Red Cross sent 2,000 duvets and 5,000 jackets. With the extreme temperatures of the tropical south, online watchdogs were quick to condemn the organization’s illogical waste. Although officers said the blankets were to offer protection from the large
Photo by CFP
temperature difference between day and night, many doubted the organization’s competence. Before that, Fang Lijun revealed that the 80 million yuan raised by himself and other artists for victims of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake was never disbursed to areas in need as recently as April 2013. “I have no idea where our money went or how it was ultimately used. I hope the Red Cross can provide a reasonable response,” Fang said. Donation flow and the purchase of supplies are persistent problems for the organization. In 2011, the Nation’s Auditing Administration investigated the Red Cross and flagged 6.4 million yuan as having been used suspiciously. The advent of frequent corruption cases has further amplified public distrust of the Red Cross and other government-affiliated organizations. In July 2011, Ruan Huan, one of the organization’s top planners, was found to have embezzled more than 56,000 yuan in donations to spend on clothes, shoes and perfumes. In September 2011, a cashier in the Wenzhou Red Cross Society was accused of embezzling 1.26 million yuan from the charity. Graft is not limited to individual officers: thanks to information leaks and media coverage it has become the face of the entire system. In 2011, a journalist named Wu Chenguang found that the Red Cross headquarters owned a great number of expensive cars. Every leader at the bureau-level was given free use of two expensive cars.
BEIJING TODAY
“Establishing a transparent financial platform is the most urgent mission for the Red Cross. The majority of scandals have been the direct result of its lack of financial transparency,” said Xia Long, a scholar of public management. Although the Red Cross launched a platform to monitor donation flow in 2011, the simplistic and patently false information failed to pacify the public. Moreover, financial information for local branches remains completely inaccessible. Reliable supervision from a thirdparty is the best hope for the Red Cross, according to analysts. “As a State-run charity organization, the Red Cross has the rare privilege of raising funds. People are sensitive to any power abuse,” said Zhou Xiaozheng, a sociologist at Renmin University of China. “The only way around this is for the Red Cross to cut away its bureaucratic nature and position itself as a grassroots organization under the supervision of a third-party.” The Red Cross launched a Social Supervision Committee in 2012, but due to its limited influence and unclear membership standards, it has had no discernable effect. “In the digital age, communication between organizations and the public is increasingly important. Efficient communication is required if you want to win trust,” said by Liang Jian, a public administration researcher. Obviously, this is true for the Red Cross. “In order to overcome its negative image, [the Red Cross] has to empower some body to supervise it, such as by establishing an online reporting system,” said Song Shinan, a professor from Southwest University of Nationalities. “Guo Meimei represents only one aspect of the problems in the Red Cross China. Increased transparency, justice and public interaction will be required before it can rebuilt its trust,” Beijing Daily said in an editorial. Designer: Tian Hu
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6
CULTURE
August 15, 2014
Article skewering Chinese men goes viral
Photo provided by 360doc
Photo provided by tianya.cn
Some foreign women don’t see eye to eye with popular opinion and have a happy marriage with their Chinese husbands.
By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Staff Since earlier this month, an article titled “Chinese Men Don’t Match Chinese Women” has been making its rounds on the Web. The article pulls no punches in pointing out most women on the street look far more presentable than men and unloads a list of the complaints Chinese women have about their suitors. It didn’t take long for foreign women to weigh in with their own comments. Early on in her book Research on Chinese Men, Zhang Jiehai, a doctor of psychology at the Shanghai Academy of Social Science, attempted to explain why Chinese men make such a terrible impression on women. Her interviewees were asked to be blunt about the most unbearable traits of Chinese men. Most cited appearance problems, such as not dressing properly, not being handsome, smart and strong, and personality defects. While some of these may be debatable: untidiness is not. Ines, a foreign resident in Shanghai, lamented that all the Chinese men she met smelled like they hadn’t showered in more than a Editor: Diao Diao
month and showed up for dates with filthy clothes and greasy hair. “An intern at my company looks well educated and smart, but he spits on the ground. That’s awful. A man should be at least clean. It’s basic respect,” she said. Little has changed about the unwillingness of Chinese men to look or act better. Hou Hongbin, a female media persona, went as far as to publish an article analyzing “why Chinese men are so ugly.” Hou blamed it on their unwillingness to dress themselves or take basic care of their bodies. Her assentation seems to be upheld by recent research by the Guangzhou Daily, which found that 86 percent of
male respondents spent less than 20 percent of their salary on clothing or skin care products. If untidiness wasn’t enough, the lack of confidence among Chinese men has reached epidemic proportions. More than 21 percent of foreign women polled said that it’s not that they are unwilling to date Chinese men: it’s that Chinese men aren’t even brave enough to look them in the eye. One woman from the UK broke up with her boyfriend saying that he had no interest in her beyond showing off that he had a girlfriend with blonde hair. Many foreign women also said Chinese men have severe self-esteem problems that prevent them from apologizing even when they are wrong. The facts, while negative and hard to debate, stem from Chinese cultural definitions of social and familial roles, said Ma Jianwen, president of the Aijia Institute of Psychological Studies. “Chinese men are supposed to earn money and support the family. Most wish they had 25 hours a day to work. How can they have time to dress themselves?” Ma said. He said Chinese men also prefer to distinguish themselves with Photo provided by yaolan.com career success rather than personal
BEIJING TODAY
appearance. That obsession with success swallows most of their time. Research by the China International Fitness Conference found that the main reason Chinese men never go to the gym is because they don’t have the time. Ma also said that Chinese men are often preoccupied with their parents because, in Chinese tradition, boys inherit the family. Many foreign women have tried to brainstorm ways to reinvent the image of the Chinese man. While the presentation of Chinese men in Hollywood is almost uniformly atrocious, China has made precious few films featuring positive male leads that found success abroad. But for all the negativity, Chinese men must have redeeming qualities: there are plenty of foreign women who are happily married to Chinese husbands. Jenna, a teacher at an international school in Beijing, has few complaints about her marriage to Hu Zixi. She said she appreciates her husband’s honesty and how he loves both their parents. He is willing to pitch in on housework and rarely drinks to excess, she said. “While I’ll admit he lacks a sense of humor and romance, his being conservative is not all bad. I feel warm, safe and satisfied,” she said. Designer: Tian Hu
7
SHOPPING
August 15, 2014
Get creative with your desktop By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Staff
Bored with your office desk, or – God forbid – your cubicle? Some interesting tabletop distractions might make your day less dreary. Beijing Today hunted down a few creative items that can bring a spark of fun to your workplace. The designs are interesting enough to entertain and practical enough to keep your boss from ordering them off your desk. Three-in-One Pen
This pen serves as a touch screen stylus, a 2GB USB storage device and an ordinary ink pen. The USB connector is found under the cap. The pen can be disassembled into two parts with the pen at the bottom and the rubber stylus at the top. It’s really useful when taking notes on your tablet. Web: quwan.com
Mixing Cup
Tired of mixing juice and coffee with water? Can’t find a stirring rod? This mixing cup is the best solution for the lazy office worker. The cup is covered in cow print and is made of temperature-proof materials. Batteries are at the bottom of the cup and waterproof buttons prevent a short circuit. Web: quwan.com
Tumbler Cup
Office cups often end up spilled on documents or into keyboards. This cup is designed to withstand such abuse. A rubber sucker on the bottom keeps it firmly attached to the desk. To remove the cup and drink from it you only need to lift it straight up. Web: quwan.com
Tool Pen
Mouse Knife
This mouse shaped knife helps to cut papers without irregular edges. It can rotate 360 degrees and has a porcelain grip that won’t cause injuries. You can cut different patterns by simply twisting your wrist. It feels smooth and is safe for both kids and adults. Web: quwan.com
This pen is designed for engineers. Besides the ballpoint pen, it also has a touch screen stylus, a level gauge, four scales, a 4-inch ruler, a 3-meter scale and Phillips and flathead screwdriver. The pen is hexagonal and made of metal. It is portable and feels tight when in the hand. Web: quwan.com
Eternal Pen
The company claims you can use this pen for 25 years. It’s made of a special kind of metal. The letters look like they were written with a pencil and the friction leaves metal molecules on the paper that are hard to erase. The pen has been tested to not decay when exposed to water, extreme temperatures, humidity or other adverse conditions. Web: quwan.com Photos provided by quwan.com
Editor: Diao Diao
BEIJING TODAY
Designer: Tian Hu
8
FOOD
August 15, 2014
Snack like it’s 1980 By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Staff All the venom hurled at the 1980s generation during the last decade may be nothing more than a bad case of sour grapes. Children born during that decade were the first generation in memory to enjoy a prosperous and peaceful China. And the nation’s family planning policy ensured that the little emperors and empresses were able to revel in it. The 1980s brought a lot of new things: martial arts fiction, comic books, Hong Kong pop, Japanese cartoons and almost every snack imaginable. For foreigners looking to capture a bit of Chinese childhood or locals looking for nostalgia, we’ve rounded up some of the most beloved snacks of the 1980s that are still on the market.
Suanmei Powder
Tata Chewing Gum
Tata chewing gum comes in seven flavors and is super soft. It was one of the popular gums of the 1980s, and kids often competed in bubble blowing matches after class. Popped bubbles would usually end up stuck all over your face. Back in the day, four pieces of Tata gum cost about 1 yuan. As time went on, Tata introduced a new tape-like gum that could be cut to different lengths by children. Gums with jelly on the surface were also popular. Tata gum can still be found in the bulk candy section of most local supermarkets.
Crispy Noodles Xiajin Milk
Xiajin Milk is back on supermarket shelves after disappearing for nearly a decade. The popular milk comes in red and blue bottles. The red is sweetened while the blue is plain milk. The milk is produced in a Hui majority area of the Ningxia-Hui Autonomous Region.
Without a doubt, this is the snack that defined the 1980s. Anyone alive during the decade can remember the TV advertisements for Xiaohuanxiong with the singing and dancing raccoon. The noodles come with different seasoning packets. The most popular flavors are barbecue and spicy crab. Kids liked to crush the whole bag of noodles, add the seasoning powder and shake it up. The result is a thousands of noodle fragments coated in flavor.
Instead of cola and coffee, parents of the 1980s preferred suanmeitang, Beijing’s popular plum juice. But buying bottles can get expensive. A better option is suanmei powder: think of it as Chinese Kool-Aid. The drink is highly refreshing during the hot summer months and kids love its sweet and sour taste. The powder includes osmanthus, licorice, hawthorns and rock sugar: all healthy ingredients. Well, maybe not the rock sugar. Parents would often make a big jar to keep in the refrigerator throughout the summer.
Rice Chips
Rice chips are made from the burned rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot. They smell good and are very crunchy. The snack protects the stomach and aids digestion. Eventually, the crust was made on purpose and bagged and sold in supermarkets. Sunrise Rice Chips are the most common and popular brand. The baked chips are made of crunchy rice, millet and corn and pea flour.
Photos provided by yhd.com Editor: Diao Diao
BEIJING TODAY
Designer: Tian Hu