Beijing Today Metro (August 1, 2014)

Traditional values, practical needs clash on public transportation HTTP://BEIJINGTODAY.COM.CN/

Page 6

CHIEF EDITOR: JACK WANG • NEWS EDITOR: SU DERUI • DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN

CHIEF EDITOR: LI XIAOBING • NEWS EDITOR: DERRICK SOBADASH • DESIGNER: ZHAO YAN

August 1, 2014 No. 685 PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY CN11-0120 ￥3.00 (METRO & COMMERCE)

Cao Yong’s Spiritual World After seven years in Tibet, five years in Japan and 20 years in the US, artist Cao Yong is a master of bridging cultures.

Reluctant to box himself into a genre and unsatisfied with the artistic platitudes of his peers, Cao channels his heart through his brush to create sweeping works that bring viewers to tears and inspire some to kneel in veneration.

Pages 4-5

Point system for hukou reform

Page 2

New face of child abandonment

Page 3

Start shopping for Chinese V-day

Page 7

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

2

NEWS

August 1, 2014

Gov embarks on point-based hukou reform

By DIAO DIAO and YANG XIN Beijing Today Staff

Zheng Xin, an 18-year-old girl from northern China, is one of the lucky few students allowed to take the college entrance exam in Beijing in spite of her hukou status.

Prior to 2012, Zheng’s case would have been unimaginable. For decades, China’s hukou system has been the glue that binds together essential public services such as health care, housing, education and pensions, and which keeps them inaccessible to the city’s floating population.

But a draft policy unveiled at the end of July may open up the hukou of first-tier cities through a new points system.

Hukou by need

The new points-based hukou system would consider an applicant’s employment situation, his years in the city and his social insurance contributions in addition to social and economic needs. The exact number of points would vary by city.

The new policy remains in its early stages, and experts are still formulating their suggestions.

Zhang Wei, deputy director of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Population and Labor Economy, said that in addition to the basic requirements of a stable residence, a job and years of social insurance contributions, higher education degrees and professional skills may be required for Beijing hukou.

Duan Chengrong, vice president of the department of demography at Renmin University, said Beijing is unlikely to have any special requirements for its hukou, though it may require higher scores in each category than other cities.

Professor Yuan Xin at the Population and Development Institute of Nankai University said cultivating a balance between intelligence and skilled labor should be a goal of the program.

Both of the two think that a comprehensive standard is necessary. Beijing needs to be much fairer compared with other cities.

Lu Jiehua, a professor of sociology at Peking University, said he expects the effects of the reform to be earthshaking. With more than 70 percent of Beijing’s floating population paying into the city’s tax pool, the policy stands to settle a vast number of people. Still, it may be a while before ordinary people can learn the exact requirements for obtaining Beijing hukou.

Duan said the number of hukou given out is what matters the most. In some cities there are more than 10,000 people meeting all the requirements. Only 2,000 are expected to be eligible for hukou.

If the portion of qualified applicants is too small, the policy may fail.

A policy to benefit all

According to a circular on the hukou system released by the State Council on July 30, the government plans to settle 100 million people without urban ID records in towns and cities by 2020.

There will be no limits for those who want to settle in small cities and towns.

“Anyone who has a legal residence can register for permanent residence - even tempoEditor: Yang Xin

Chinese hukou reform is claimed to benefit 100 million migrant population by 2020.

rary tenants,” Vice Public Security Minister Huang Ming said.

Medium cities with a population of between 1 million and 3 million people will have the lowest threshold for hukou application, while megacities with more than 5 million residents may try to strictly control the influx of new citizens.

The new regulations also take an innovative approach to population management. A unified hukou registration system will be established along with the residential permit system and population management system.

In its final section, the draft guarantees the rights and benefits of China’s migrant population as well as permanent city residents.

Policy highlights

For the first time, college graduates, technical workers and those returning from abroad will be encouraged to settle in the cities so long as they are long-term residents and able to prove their competence in the job market.

The education and health care systems will be reallocated to support hukou reform.

Li Pumin, secretary of the National Development and Reform Commission, said enhancing the attractiveness of small and medium cities is an important goal of hukou reform.

“The government is taking steps to improve the infrastructure of its growing cities. We are encouraging higher education institutes to settle there and guiding large healthcare institutes to open up branches,” Li said.

“It is necessary to divert some functions of China’s megacities back to the hinterland to optimize population structure,” Huang Ming said.

“The key is combining the resource allocation strategies of the market with governmental regulation of social security and public services,” said Feng Jun, chief economic counselor of the Department of Housing and Urban Construction.

“We are asking governments at prefecture level and above to provide qualified migrants with housing security and take unit and dormitory type housing into con-

BEIJING TODAY

CFP Photos

sideration,” Feng said.

Chinese without urban hukou do not enjoy equal access to public services in cities, as all social services including health, housing, education and pensions are linked to the registry system.

Officially, China had 166 million migrant workers living in cities and towns far away from their homes as of last year.

The figure surged to 174 million by the end of this June.

Difficulties in execution

Settling migrants in the big city is harder than it seems. A recent survey of social services found that more than 20 categories, including social security, employment, education, health care and housing, will have to be overhauled to comply with hukou reform.

As the country with the largest population in the world, China continues to be plagued by unequal regional development. Finding the best way to allocate social resources while lifting the restrictions of the hukou system remains challenging.

Designer: Zhao Yan

FEATURE

August 1, 2014

New face of child abandonment in China

By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Intern

Thousands of children are abandoned around the world each year. In China, abandonment is often the last escape for parents left to grapple with financial ruin due to a child’s untreatable disease.

An 11-year-old girl from Hubei Province named Chen Shuzhen recently made the news when she was abandoned by her mother after testing positive for leukemia.

While she says she understands her mother’s decision, Chen is asking doctors to allow her to donate her corneas to improve the lives of other children.

Baby Refuges

Children are usually abandoned at night.

The name game

Child abandonment most often occurs at hospitals, train stations and on the street.

While a few parents can be located and brought back in contact with their children, most do not want to be found.

But as with many legally charged terms in China, the definition of “abandonment” remains murky.

The government prefers to call children “stranded” when they are abandoned by living parents: the term enables the children to avoid classification as orphans. Hospitals have no right to send stranded children to an orphanage or to put them up for adoption.

Xi Yiqun, vice president of Children’s Hospital of Shanghai, said more than 1,000 children are stranded at his hospitals each year. More than 1,289 children were stranded at the hospital’s five locations in Shanghai last year, and 80 children’s hospitals report similar numbers.

More than three quarters of the children are disabled or deformed; 9 percent have curable diseases; and 7 percent have incurable diseases.

The rest are normal, healthy children.

“Most of the children can be cured, and

It is considerate!

Birth info and wishings left by their parents

Facilities in the Baby Refuges

the cost is affordable for ordinary families.

It’s just that the parents are too ignorant and believe their children are doomed,” Xi said.

His hospital attempted to locate several of the parents using patient records, however the phone numbers and addresses all turned out to be false.

One mother surnamed Deng said she regretted leaving her three-month-old son at the train station in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province.

A police officer surnamed Xu who works at the station said Deng was the only mother who returned to claim her son in all of 2013.

The station has several abandoned children every three months, Xu sad.

The parents’ lack of courage and responsibility has given some unscrupulous doctors the chance to do illegal trade.

Zhang Shuhua, a doctor at Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shanxi Province, was sentenced to death earlier this year for his role in a child trafficking ring.

From February to July in 2013, Zhang told parents surnamed Dong, Wang and Wu that their children were born with incurable diseases and that it would be better to abandon them. Zhang sold the babies to traffickers for 70,000 yuan.

Causes of abandonment

CCTV’s program Face to Face recently explored the issue of child abandonment in depth.

According to its report, abanEditor: Diao Diao

3

doned children are typically those with severe disease, children born out of wedlock and baby girls.

The abandonment of girls is unique to China, where it is especially prevalent in the countryside. In Chinese tradition, only boys can inherit the family: the raising of a girl is seen as a loss.

Children abandoned by unmarried couples are typically the result of teen pregnancy. Doctor Feng at the pediatric department of Beijing Tongren Hospital said 10 percent of the children abandoned are left by unwed mothers.

“Last year, we had a 17 year-old girl who gave birth to a healthy baby. She left immediately without even looking at the baby,” Feng said. “Beijing Children’s Hospital seems to have more of these cases than other hospitals like us. Parents think someone else will take care of their babies.”

But the hospitals do not provide any further care for the children, Feng said. Abandoned children are sent to Hepingli Hospital for a check-up before being processed at the Child Welfare Office, said Cai Hanming, director of the Welfare Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs.

Social welfare is not the only way to solve the problem: legal action also plays an important role.

The Criminal Law of People’s Republic of China stipulates that persons who refuse their obligation to support an aged or infirmed family member or an infant shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of no more than five years. In some cases, the punishment can be criminal detention or public surveillance.

When children are abandoned in a dangerous location and the abandonment causes their death, the parents may be charged with intentional homicide.

irresponsible parents to rely even more heavily on society. One center in Guangzhou received 50 abandoned children in 50 days: a center in Shandong Province received more than a hundred children in 11 days.

Xu Jiu, president of Social Welfare of Guangzhou, said the centers play a critical role in sheltering unwanted children: the alternative in many cases would be death, he said.

Zhou Haibo, a representative at the National People’s Congress, said compulsory premarital medical screening should be provided by local hospitals to ensure the health of unwanted children. “Legal adoption should be encouraged to create a family environment for the abandoned children. China’s current requirements for adoption are too strict,” he said.

Another NPC representative Zhu Lieyu said individuals need to be made more aware of their legal responsibility.

Professor Wang Yuhong at Shandong Women’s College said schools are also to blame. “Sex education is something we are missing at the college and high school level,” she said. “It’s important to make people take responsibility for both their family and society– especially those young mothers who are under 18 years old.”

CFP Photos

It is encouraging the abandonment.

Isn’t it?

Seeking solutions

To reduce instances of total abandonment, China began opening “Baby Refuges” in more than seven cities following a notice by Civil Affairs Bureau. The structures are intended to serve as temporary residences for abandoned children regardless of their information status.

However, many have criticized the centers for enabling

BEIJING TODAY

Designer: Zhao Yan

"VHVTU

$&/5&3 #Z :"/( 9*/ 1TXYX]V C^SPh BcPUU )N THE YEAR SINCE IT OPENED #AO 9ONG !RT 7ORLD HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST VIS ITED ART SPACES IN "EIJING S !RT :ONE 5NLIKE MOST LOCAL ARTISTS THE #HINESE !MERICAN #AO 9ONG BUILT HIS FAME IN THE !MERICAN AND *APANESE ART COMMUNITIES BEFORE BRINGING HIS CREATIONS TO #HINA

4QJSJUVBM BXBLFOJOH QPXFSGVM BSU

.BTUFSQJFDFT

1IPUP QSPWJEFE CZ $BP :POH "SU 8PSME

&EJUPS :BOH 9JO

0]h^]T bcT__X]V X]c^ 2P^ H^]V 0ac F^a[S f^d[S QT WPaS _aTbbTS c^ \Xbb CWT FP[[ cWT VP[[Tahzb RT]cTa_XTRT P]S P bT[TR cX^] Ua^\ P bTaXTb cWPc fPb X]b_XaTS Qh 2P^zb bTeT] hTPab X] CXQTc ;^]V Z]^f] Pb cWT {7^[h ;P]S| ^U cWT 2WX]TbT _bhRWT CXQTc PfPZT]TS 2P^zb PacXb cXR b^d[ X] P] d]_aTRTST]cTS fPh 2P^ b_T]c P] T]cXaT hTPa [XeX]V P[^]T X] 0[X P] d]_^_d[PcTS PaTP X] cWT UPa fTbc ^U cWT aTVX^] 3daX]V cW^bT SPhb 2P^ b_T]c WXb cX\T R^_hX]V cWT aT\PX]b ^U P]RXT]c fP[[ _PX]cX]Vb SPcTS QPRZ c^ cWT 6dVT :X]S^\ P]S \X]V[X]V fXcW ]PcdaT {<h Tg_TaXT]RT X] CXQTc Q^d]S \T TeTa \^aT R[^bT[h c^ ]PcdaT | 2P^ bPhb {CXQTc Xb cWT R[^bTbc h^d RP] VTc c^ WTPeT] ^] cWXb f^a[S 8 R^d[S UTT[ cWT bZh cWT PXa P]S TeT] cWT fX]S cP[ZX]V c^ \T P]S VdXSX]V \T fWX[T 8 _PX]cTS | 0c cWPc Yd]RcX^] ^U cWT \PcTaXP[ P]S cWT TcWTaTP[ 2P^ QTVP] f^aZ ^] cWT abc # _XTRTb X] CWT B_[Xc ;PhTa ^U 4PacW) <^d]c :PX[Pb WXb bTaXTb cWPc ST_XRcb cWT [XeTb ^U CXQTczb \^]Zb P]S [Ph_T^_[T EXTfTab ^U WXb VP[[Tah fW^ PaT \^aT X]cTaTbcTS X] TPacW[h QTPdch cWP] b_XaXcdP[ PfPZT]X]V \Ph T]Y^h cWT [P]SbRP_Tb ^U WXb A^\P]cXR 6PaST] BTaXTb 6^[ST] 2^Pbc BTaXTb P]S 7PfPXX BTaXTb X\PVTb QPbTS ^] 2P^zb hTPab X] cWT fTbcTa] D]XcTS BcPcTb 2P^ T\XVaPcTS c^ cWT DB X] ((# U^a WXb PacXbcXR _dabdXcb 3daX]V WXb abc UTf hTPab (SBTTMBOE JO 8JOUFS

X] cWT R^d]cah WT [XeTS X] =Tf H^aZ 8c fPb P cX\T ^U bcadVV[T Pb WT caXTS c^ _a^eT WX\bT[U P]S ST\^]bcaPcT WXb PQX[Xch c^ P] X]cTa]PcX^]P[ PdSXT]RT 7Xb ^][h R^\_P] X^] fPb C^Qh P _Tc R^RZPcXT[ {C^Qh fPb \h ^][h UaXT]S 8 _^daTS \h WTPac ^dc c^ WX\ TeTah SPh >][h WT Z]Tf P[[ \h Y^h _PX] R^]UdbX^] P]S cWT STcPX[b ^U \h SaTP\b | 2P^ bPXS {C^Qh [TUc \T fWX[T 8 fPb ]XbWX]V ?PaPSXbT b^ 8 STSX RPcTS Xc c^ WXb \T\^ah | 8c f^d[S QT cWT abc ^U \P]h f^aZb 2P^ STSXRPcTS c^ cWT \T\^ah ^U ST_PacTS UaXT]Sb 8] WXb RaXcXRP[[h PRR[PX\TS _XTRT 5aTTS^\ 2P^ RP_cdaTS cWT b_XaXc ^U ST P]RT X\\T SXPcT[h U^[[^fX]V cWT BT_cT\QTa cTaa^aXbc PccPRZb X] =Tf H^aZ {8 dbTS c^ R[X\Q c^ cWT _TPZ ^U CfX] C^fTab fXcW \h UaXT]Sb P]S [^^Z fTbc fPaS c^fPaS CXQTc 0UcTa \^eX]V c^ ;^b 0]V[Tb \h WTPac bWPccTaTS X]c^ P \X[[X^] _XTRTb fXcW cWT c^fTab Pb 8 fPcRWTS cWT\ R^[[P_bT ^] \h CE | 2P^ bPXS 0UcTa cWT PccPRZ WT Sa^eT " \X[Tb c^ cWT adX]b ^U cWT F^a[S CaPST 2T]cTa X] =Tf H^aZ c^ \^da] cWT [^bc [XeTb {CWXb _PX]cX]V ST\^]bcaPcTb \h QT[XTU cWPc cWT b_XaXc ^U UaTTS^\ fX[[ c^fTa d_aXVWc PQ^eT cWT faTRZPVT ^U cWT F^a[S CaPST 2T]cTa P]S cWPc TeTah^]T fW^ bTTb cWPc bRPa fX[[ ]S X] Xc Q^cW SXV]Xch P]S X]b_XaPcX^] | 2P^ bPXS FWT] TgWXQXcTS Pc cWT D]XcTS =PcX^]b P 2WX]TbT #Z ;IBOH ,FSVJ SX_[^\Pc fPb \^eTS c^ cTPab P]S

PbZTS 2P^ c^ RaTPcT P bX\X[Pa _PX] 2WX]TbT T[T\T]cb 7Xb P]bfTa fP cWT >aXT]cP[ P] T_XR ^] RP]ePb {8 ]TeTa cW^dVWc \h Pac R^d[S _T^_[T b^ \dRW | 2P^ bPXS {8 P[fPhb aT\T\QTa cWT f^aSb RaXcXR 7T bPXS WT QT[XTeTS cWT \ bh\_PcWh ^U EPXa^RP]P 1dSSWP 8 _ cWT [TUc QP[P]RTS ^dc cWT _^fTa P] aT_aTbT]cTS Qh ^a]P\T]cP[ R^[d\ aXVWc CWT fTP_^][Tbb cTaaP R^ccP WT bPXS fTaT cWT \^bc U^a\XSPQ[T fPa | 2P^ bPXS BdRW [PhTaTS QTPdch P]S bdQc[T \PZT 2P^zb f^aZ aTb^]PcT bca^] eXTfTab {5a^\ cX\T c^ cX\T 8 bT \^eTS c^ cTPab Pc \h TgWXQXcX^ WdV \T [XZT 8 fPb P UP\X[h \T\ ^RRPbX^]P[[h Z]TT[ X] Ua^]c ^U \ X]Vb | WT bPXS BX]RT aTcda]X]V c^ 2WX]P aTRTXeTS PRR[PX\ Pb fT[[ Pb bZ Ua^\ cWT 2WX]TbT Pac f^a[S FWX[T b^\T S^dQc cWT 2W X]Sdbcah Xb \PcdaT T]^dVW c^ W _a^\^cX^] ^U 2P^zb f^aZ cWT PacXb c^ WPeT ^cWTa V^P[b {CWT 2WX]TbT _T^_[T PaT _T^_[T \^eTS c^ aTb^]PcT fXcW \ X]Vb 8 bcX[[ aT\T\QTa fWT] P 2W SXTa Z]T[c S^f] X] Ua^]c ^U E^ >aXT]cP[ ^]T ^U \h TgWXQXcX^]b ZX]S ^U iTP[^db aTb_^]bT cWPc T] \T c^ RaTPcT \^aT | WT bPXS

"%)*).'

"VHVTU

3 45"(&

H EFôOFT $BP :POHÃ&#x2013;T

]cX]V fXcW Pb E^XRT ^U X] dT]RT

^U ^]T Pac \TaRh P]S _PX]cTS ^] ]S a^hP[ch \] ^] cWT P fPaaX^ab T ca^^_b X]

T T\^cX^] ]V[h fXcW TT _T^_[T ^]b CWTh \QTa P]S \h _PX]c

2P^ WPb ZT_cXRXb\

X]TbT Pac P]S[T cWT bc P__TPab

[XZT P]h \h _PX]c WX]TbT b^[ XRT ^U cWT 8czb cWPc ]R^daPVTb

"SUJTUJD QFSDFQUJPO 2P^zb bch[T aT\PX]b ]^c^aX^db[h SXU Rd[c c^ _X] S^f] 8] \^bc ^U WXb _PX]cX]Vb eXTfTab ]S P] d]RP]]h X]cTVaPcX^] ^U R[PbbXR a^\P] cXR P]S aTP[XbcXR ST_XRcX^]b 8] cWT f^a[S ^U \^STa] Pac fWTaT PacXbcb bTT\ STb _TaPcT c^ _PRZPVT cWT\bT[eTb fXcWX] ^]T VT]aT 2P^zb UaTTfWTT[X]V P__a^PRW bTT\b d]X`dT {8 S^]zc ]TTS c^ QT [PQT[TS | 2P^ bPXS {0ac Xb PQ^dc cWT PacXbczb X]]Ta _TaRT_cX^] ^U cWT ^dcbXST f^a[S 8c RP] QT a^\P]cXR Xc \Ph QT bTaX^db Qdc cWT [Pbc cWX]V Xc ]TTSb Xb c^ QT R^] ]TS c^ P VT]aT | {2P^ WPb QdX[c cWPc _TaUTRc QaXSVT QTcfTT] T[TVP]RT P]S _^_d[PaXch P]S U^d]S cWT QP[P]RT QTcfTT] PacXbcXR Tg_aTb bX^] P]S _dQ[XR P__aTRXPcX^] U^a fWXRW b^ \P]h PacXbcb bcaXeT | bPXS HP]V IWXYX] SXaTRc^a ^U cWT <X]Xbcah ^U 2d[cdaT 8]STTS Xczb P aT\X]STa cWPc cWT QTbc Pac Xb cWPc fWXRW c^dRWTb cWT eXTfTa cWT \^bc 2P^ _[P]b c^ ^_T] \^aT VP[[TaXTb X] RXcXTb [XZT BWT]iWT] P]S IWTYXP]V SdaX]V ! # Pb _Pac ^U P] TUU^ac c^ {PfPZT] _T^_[T fW^ WPeT QTT] ]d\QTS Qh cWXb UPbc Qdc RWP ^cXR f^a[S | FWT] PbZTS PQ^dc WXb UdcdaT RaTPcX^]b 2P^ ^][h `d^cTS P] P]RXT]c _a^eTaQ) [Tc ]PcdaT cPZT Xcb R^dabT 8U P]hcWX]V Xb RTacPX] Xcb cWPc TPRW _PX]c X]V c^ R^\T ^dc ^U 2P^zb WP]S fX[[ R^]cX]dT c^ QT c^dRWX]V P]S _TTa[Tbb

4/$!9

2P^ H^]V 0ac F^a[S FWTaT) 1 ! &(& A^PS &(' 0ac I^]T 9XdgXP]`XP^ BcaTTc 2WP^hP]V 3XbcaXRc FWT]) ) P\ %) _\ P[[ hTPa a^d]S CT[) $&%!% '& FTQ) fff RP^h^]V db

%SFBN PG 4FB

#Z $IFO 3FO

%FTJHOFS ;IBP :BO

6

CULTURE

August 1, 2014

Tradition trumps need in bus seat standoff The elderly appeal to show equal respect by giving up their seats.

CFP Photos

By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Intern

W

ang Dandan, a university student, thought nothing of it when she was asked to give her seat to an elderly woman. At least until she learned the passenger beside her was the woman’s 17-yearold grandson.

“She started to insult me for not being kind to my elders. I couldn’t bear her ironic tone,” Wang said. “Her grandson was just sitting there playing with his phone the whole time.”

Care and respect for the aged is a long standing part of Chinese culture, but in recent years many of the nation’s elderly seem to be taking it for granted.

Cao Lihui, a young office worker who commutes to work on a bus that stops at the Fragrant Hills Park, says she has endured torrents of verbal abuse on her commute. While she often gives up her seat, the tired office worker says she is occasionally too tired to yield to the elderly tourists.

In extreme cases, Beijing elders have stepped up their game, moving from scolding and shunning to raining blows on the city’s younger bus-goers.

For many young people, access to a seat is based on practical needs rather than filial posturing.

Quan Wei, an 18-year-old Beijinger, Editor: Diao Diao

“I’m older than you! I derserve the seat! Stand up!”

says he always gives up his seat for elderly people, pregnant women and small children. But others ask why able-bodied elders out for a shopping trip need a seat more than men and women who work 10 or more hours per day.

“Giving up seats is a part of tradition that is enforced by public opinion,”says

He Jihuan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

In a recent online poll, some 48 percent of the respondents said young people should always yield their seat to an elder; 30 percent said it depends on needs; and 22 percent said they would only give up their seat due to public pressure.

BEIJING TODAY

Society calls on the young to take care of the old as part of traditional virtue, He says. But “elderly” is a relative term with different meanings depending on one’s region, age group and education level.

Some are too eager to take favorable treatment for granted, He says.

The biggest difference is between educated and illiterate people, and between those with children and the childless, he says. The next biggest split falls along rural and urban lines.

“There is nothing we can do to change the objective realities of society, but there needs to be balance rather than allowing the aged to take advantage and walk all over the young,” He says.

Over the past decade, the government has pressed the issue of respect for the elderly, demonizing youth as selfish or uneducated when they refused to yield their seats. But young people are more than doormats for the elderly, He says.

A few progressive senior groups are encouraging their peers to avoid taking the bus during rush hour and to give equal respect to the young.

“I used to think that giving seats to elderly was the right thing to do until I looked around and saw how many young people were being forced to sleep while standing up,” says Zhang Yibi, a 73-yearold Beijinger.

“They take care of us, so we should think of them as equals,”she says.

Designer: Zhao Yan

7

SHOPPING

August 1, 2014

Get prepared for

Qixi

By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Intern Time flies, and Chinese Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

The Qixi Festival, which falls on July 7 of the lunar calendar, is known in folklore as the only day China’s original star-crossed lovers Niu Lang and Zhi Nü can allowed to cross the Milk Way and be together.

Tradition has it that Niu Lang will bring Zhi Nü a special gift every year. What about you? In Chinese tradition, flowers and chocolate are must.

“I Love You” postcard Lock and key

“I Love You” Postcard

These postcards are rainbow colored. The bright tones will remind you of the sweet and happy days you spend together while the dark ones will remind you of the quarrels. Record those touching moments on the postcards to show her how much you value your time together. The dozen cards have “I love you” written in different languages.

Web: liwuyou.com

Electric blankets

These bear-shaped blankets are popular with girls because they look so cute and innocent. There is a pocket at the back of the bear where the blanket can be rolled up and tucked in.

The bears also work as a portable hand warmer. This cotton gift is thought to be considerate since many women have problems with cold hands during the winter.

Web: liwuyou.com

Lock and key

This pair of bracelets may be the most popular gift for lovers this year. The bracelet is for the woman, and the key to open it can be worn like a necklace by her man. The gift alludes to life’s troubles and the way only that special someone can understand you and help you to solve life’s puzzles. Both are made of silver.

Web: liwuyou.com

Music bear pillow

Musical cup

This singing cup has a speaker under its lid that can play the birthday song, the wedding march, Canon in D, For Elise and With Mascfca. The lid and the handle can be bent into a heart shape. Place a picture of one of your happy memories on the outside of the cup.

Web: liwuyou.com

Music bear pillow

Musical cup

This brown, sleeping bear is a music player. The bear has a velvet exterior and cotton stuffing with two hidden speakers in its right arm and the right leg.

The volume is locked to something that is appropriate for sleep and not dangerous to your hearing. Copy some music with a special meaning to the bear so your lover can enjoy sweet dreams.

Web: liwuyou.com Photos by liwuyou.com and baidu.com

Editor: Diao Diao

BEIJING TODAY

Electric blankets

Designer: Zhao Yan

8

FOOD

August 1, 2014

Yogurt station serves up traditional specialties

By DIAO DIAO Beijing Today Intern China may not be known for its dairy creations, but yogurt has a comparatively long history in Chinese cuisine.

The fermented creation was discovered more than 4,500 years by accident when northern shepherds storaged batch of goat milk in a goatskin flask.

Aided by the bacteria in the skin, the mild fermented naturally into a form suitable for long-term storage.

In the past, when food security was a more serious concern, yogurt was a safe and easily portable food product.

Today, there are many yogurt shops offering delicious and safe traditional yogurt.

Jiayouge is one yogurt station about 5 minutes’ walk from Chaoyangmen subway station.

The cozy and tidy sop is a good place for an afternoon break.

Jiayouge offers a free palate-cleansing glass of lemon juice while your yogurt is being prepared.

The original flavor yogurt is its most popular product. Unlike boxed yogurts found at the supermarket, yogurt in Jiayouge is thick and neither too sweet nor too sour.

Other popular products pair yogurt with fruits or cereals.

Mocha and osmanthus yogurt comes covered with mocha cookies and vanilla icecream. It goes well with the roasted bread, which is included in the order. Crispy cereals are selected to match the yogurt’s taste.

Yogurt cakes are another Beijing specialty. The soft custard cakes are covered with frozen cheese and fresh yogurt.

Snacks such as roasted garlic bread and personal-size pizzas are available with afternoon tea.

The afternoon sets cost 50 yuan for two people.

Where: Chaoyangmen SOHO, Nanzhugan Hutong, Dongcheng District When: 8:30 am-8:30 pm workdays, 9:30 am-7:30 pm weekends Tel: 6517 5658

Make yogurt at home

It’s easy to make your own yogurt at home. The idea in making yogurt is to let the milk ferment, so you will need a fermenting agent. A bit of yogurt from an existing cup should have just enough bacteria to begin fermenting your next batch. Honey, fruits or nuts can be added to change the flavor.

Ingredients: 500g milk 65g yogurt Instructions: 1.Boil water in your pan to clean it and ensure you have a bacteria-free environment.

2.Add the milk to the pan and heat over a small flame. Remove the heat when the milk reaches 40°C. 3.Add the old yogurt and stir evenly.

4.Immediately cover with plastic wrap and a thick towel.

5.Let stand for 8 hours, then remove the towel and transfer the pan to a freezer.

6.Remove when you are ready to eat.

Photos by CFP & dianping.com Editor: Diao Diao

BEIJING TODAY

Designer: Zhao Yan