FEATURED STORIES: EUROPE & THE RETURN OF THE SILK ROADS FROM THAILAND TO LEEDS MIFUNE TOSHIRO
THE TEAM
George Black, Laura Prieto,Tim Van Gardingen, Demetria Paxton
Dear Readers, We are very happy to present you the Winter issue of EAST magazine! We have decided to go back to the origins of the magazine; a smaller version with a Winter and Summer issue as well as a brand new design. This year, our aim is to take you on a journey across Asia. We begin with a look into two very different aspects of food in China. We then shift our focus to Japan, to the Danjiri festival in Okayama, and a fascinating retrospective view on the actor Toshiro Mifune. This issue also explores the amazing revival of the Silk Road, the Malaysian Palm oil industry, North Korea, and the Thai monarchy. We are very grateful to everyone who has helped us with this edition. The content is as always provided by students travelling, studying, or interested in Asia.
We all hope that you enjoy our magazine. For those of you that would like to get involved in next semester or contribute to the magazine, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! See you again in the next edition, We wish you a Happy Chinese New Year!
Visit our website for all the latest information: lueastmagazine.com lueastmagazine @lueastmagazine lueastmagazine@gmail.com @lueastmagazine
IN THIS ISSUE 4
IN BRIEF
6
LUZHU HUOSHAO
7
VEGANISM + CHINA = ?
8
FIGHTING FESTIVALS
10
THE BUSINESS CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE
12
TOSHIRO MIFUNE:
14
EUROPE & THE RETURN OF THE SILK ROADS
By Mark McPhillips
By Vicki Leigh
A Slice of Japanese Tradition By Laura Pincher
Short retrospective on the Lion of Japanese Cinema By Andreea Tanase
By Timothy Van Gardingen
16
DREAM HOLIDAY TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA By Demetria Claire
17
MALAYSIA’S PALM OIL PROBLEM
18
FROM THAILAND TO LEEDS
By Timothy Van Gardingen
End of year-long mourning of King Bhumibol Adulyadej By Laura Prieto
IN BRIEF
37 WINTER 2018 CHINA “Great Intellegence”, the world’s first freight ship that is able to ‘think’, has been launched in Guangzhou. The ship is expected to not perform well for the first few months, as this is the period in which it teaches itself to run efficiently. After Great Intelligence has collected and analysed enough data from its journeys, it is expected to sail much better. The ship will for example be able to take wind speed and sea conditions into account, and make adjustments accordingly.
NORTH KOREA United Nations Political affairs Chief Jeffrey Feltman has been invited to Pyongyang for a “policy dialogue”. The trip was the first visit to North Korea from a senior United Nations official for six years. The timing of the meeting is significant, as North Korea launched its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile yet only last week, claiming it had sufficient range to hit the US.
MYANMAR Pope Francis has been criticised for avoiding the word Rohingya during his official visit to Myanmar. The pope talked instead of “Refugees from Rakhine State”. During his stay, he met with both military leaders and the de facto civilian leader and recipient of the Nobel Peace prize Auung San Suu Kyi. Pope Francis has depite the criticism expressed his solidarity with and grief for the Rohingya refugees.
INDONESIA Debris found in the Java Sea near Borneo has been confirmed to be the missing Air Asia flight QZ8501. The flight was carrying 162 passengers from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore. President Joko Widodo has urged relatives to remain strong while the search for survivors continues.
4-5
EAST MAGAZINE
Giving my palate a breather from the waves of meaty peppery goodness, I peered through the worn wooden divider by my head into the restaurant’s tiny kitchen, and over the great vat of stew to the snowy streets outside. I decided then, that even though winters in Beijing are bitterly cold, Beijingers certainly make the most of them.
LUZHU HUOSHAO
According to Loïc, this dish was popular in the capital about a century ago. Huoshao is a type of wheat cake, similar to British dumplings but far denser and chewier. The luzhu is a stew that holds not only the huoshao, but also tofu, lung and tripe (intestines). This meal was going to take a very open mind. Always one for a new experience, I scooped upmy first ever spoonful of lung, ignoring the very visible cross-section of the bronchus, and took a bite. It was delicious. It had the saltiness of meat, but with less brothiness and a slight metallic taste like iron; it definitely felt more nutritious than a bacon rasher. The tripe was a bigger challenge, more for the teeth than for the tongue. But that too proved to be a treat, especially together with the side dish chaogan — liver suspended in a dark gravy almost as thick as jelly.
By Mark McPhillips
When my new friend Loïc, a local Beijinger, offered to take me to Qianmen (“CHEN-men”) in the centre of town, I knew she was looking forward to showing off the old, traditional side of her hometown. We had the luck of it snowing all morning, which not only banished the usual horde of tourists, but also set the scene nicely for walking the olds streets of China’s cold northern capital. Around lunchtime Loïc sat us down for the crowning glory of her tour, luzhu huoshao (“Loo-joo hwoah-shao”).
37 WINTER 2018
And that is just with regards to food: on another level, foreign cosmetics that are to be sold on the Chinese market must be tested on animals, and many brands that would otherwise be considered vegan/cruelty free are thus not. Animal rights don’t really exist on paper in China. It’s just the way Chinese society has developed, and if the record on human rights abuses is anything to go by, animals currently don’t stand much of a chance either. A couple of years later however, and in hindsight I can see the flip-side of China when it comes to being cruelty-free. Hear me out. Like artisanal espresso drunk out of light bulbs, and pretentious craft beer (check out the Beijing hutong courtyard microbrewery scene if you don’t believe me), it is only a matter of time before this dietary ‘import’ takes hold. Modern, young Chinese netizens in the cities are so indubitably well-connected online with their VPNs to get on currently-banned social media such as Instagram and Google, that there is only a matter of time before young
Established organisations like Veganuary are also making inroads in China: exhibiting for the huge national fitness convention ChinaFit 2017 in Beijing means the idea of a plant-based diet is breaking out beyond the stereotypes of white, well-to- do, yoghurt-knitting hippies from the West. It is important not to demonise and ‘food-shame’ Chinese society with regards to its diet – after all it was only a matter of decades ago that an estimated 20+ million died from starvation during the “Great Leap Forward” and I believe China is still recovering from its consequences. There are however great benefits to be gained from Veganism in China, and the changes will happen soon. I’ve seen the future, and China + veganism = 太棒了 1 ！ 1. 太棒了 : A Chinese phrase for “Excellent!”
Vicki is a graduate of Chinese Studies at Leeds University, recipient of Generation UK British Council China scholarship, and former Editor of EAST Magazine.
Eating in many restaurants and at the school cafeterias, deep down I couldn’t help wondering: where did all this meat come from? From sweet and sour deep-fried fish, to pork dumplings, boiled shrimp, chicken hearts, and pig hooves; you can find it all in the huge sea of restaurants that is China. In fact, just think of China as one monstrous buffet that you have no chance whatsoever of finishing. Certainly, you never see any animals being bred for human consumption in the cities, but even in the countryside the land is still visibly free of farm animals. This disturbed me. I came to the conclusion that the abattoirs must exist en-masse outside of the cities, and so I left it at that.
There is an abundance of untapped vegan food to try: rice, grains, fruit, and vegetables… and even purple sweet potato. East Asia is the land of tofu and various soy-milk flavours are the national beverages of choice, along with its famous tea. Chinese food is so easily adaptable to veganism. It just doesn’t know it yet.
VEGANISM + CHINA = ?
Having experienced life in China twice, I can tell you that even from the language, veganism does not currently exist on a mass platform (as far as I know, Mandarin Chinese does not even have a word for ‘vegan’, only ‘pure vegetarian’). Both times I lived there I ate meat, eggs and dairy until it came out of my eyes.
Chinese people experiment with a plant-based lifestyle after seeing it on social media, just like growing numbers of young Westerners are.
By Vicki Leigh
‘China’ and ‘veganism’ aren’t two words the typical person would put together. China has everything: huge skyscrapers, an unbroken 5000-year old history, and an arguably large record of animal rights abuses. Would veganism ever work in China?
6-7
EAST MAGAZINE
Hidden in the Chugoku Mountain range of West Japan, in the north of Okayama Prefecture, lies Maniwa City. With a population of only 46,000, and spread over an area larger than Tokyo, it is both a huge city and a tiny one. Originally 9 different villages, they came together to form Maniwa in 2005. Although each region has kept its own individuality - from Hiruzen in the north, with its highlands and deep snow in winter, to Hokubo in the south, part of Okayama’s “Land of Sunshine”. Each region has its own personality, its own festivals and celebrations, and its own pride as a region. Two of the regions in particular, Kuse and Katsuyama, have their own festivals, translated in English to “fighting danjiri”. There are similar fight festivals found in other parts of Japan, but these events/festival are unique to their area of origin. Even Kuse and Katsuyama, despite being neighbouring villages, have different styles. The danjiri could be described as a giant wooden float; built by hand, blessed by monks and used for years until it can’t be repaired any more. There are several danjiri per festival, each with their own team, often separated by the tiny areas within the former villages themselves. The teams take it in turns to “fight”, which comprises of slamming their giant floats into each other, over and over again. Katsuyama’s festival comes first, on the 19th and 20th of every October. With a flat wooden block jutting out from the front, the danjiri make a large, dull sound as they collide, accompanied by continuous shouts of おいさ! (oi-sa), as the teams attempt to push the other back to gain ground and
ultimately win the bout - despite the lack of a declared winner at the end. The teams take it in turns to fight. Once they have all fought, they switch partners and make their way to a new spot further down the street, and repeat until they hit the end of the road. It takes an exhausting 4.5 hours, from 18:00 until 22:30. The smell of alcohol lingers in the air, and you can understand why - I would need it for the first hour, let alone the following three. Let’s not forget that this happens two days in a row. Kuse’s festival follows on the 25th and 26th of October. There is parade during the day of all the floats, following a set route around the streets. The men in this area seem to get much more drunk than in Katsuyama – often considered a nuisance by others when they drink themselves sick. Here the fights stay around one specific spot, rather than moving up and down the street. The fighting in Kuse is also a lot more dangerous. With the front tapering into a point like a boat, the danjiri do not slam directly into one other, but often slide off and can veer into the crowd – leading to a lot more men protecting the spectators on the streets, standing in front of them to take any blows. The crowd is often jostled and pushed back as the end of the danjiri swing around into them, but luckily, there are rarely serious injuries. The tapering leads to a less resonating boom as they hit, but this is more than made up for with the constant shouts of oisa and the loud, never-ending chime of the bells and drums inside the floats.
37 WINTER 2018
8-9
The thing I love most about these festivals, excluding the loud, exuberant atmosphere, is the friendliness of it all. Despite the fact that they are fighting, the teams are friendly towards each other. Even the taunting and jeering is of that of among friends. Especially the leaders of the danjiri, despite shouting taunts and competitive words during the fights, end with a grin, a laugh, and a friendly slap on the back as they pull away. The friendliness, above all, is what makes this festival for me.
Both festivals began in the 1600s, and have lasted almost 400 years, but with the declining birth rate and the constant moving of younger men to the cities to find work, the teams are slowly getting smaller, and I wonder how long it will continue as serious man power is needed to push the danjiri. Although many of the men who move away save up their holiday and use it to come back for the festival - eschewing traditional holidays such as Obon and New Years in favour of the danjiri I still wonder how long it will continue. They have started allowing middle-schoolers to join in, in order to keep the teams going, and while I understand, it still scares me that 15 year-olds are allowed to join such an intense and possibly dangerous festival, however amazing it may be.
FIGHTING FESTIVALS – A SLICE OF JAPANESE TRADITION
By Laura Pincher
It is an epic tale of sorts. I am amazed that more injuries don’t occur, though there have apparently been deaths in the past when men get stuck between the two floats. Not to mention the brief moment of terror that the participants must experience as the danjiri comes closer. I have trouble running towards stationary objects, let alone a giant float that is also coming towards me. You can see the way the men on the float are jolted as they are slammed into the other, and I am amazed that no-one goes flying. The men who get to sit are often the most senior and are either too old to push the danjiri, or have been pushing it for the longest. They guide the others as to when to push and when to retreat using signals that I do not fully understand.
THE BUSINESS CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS 利兹大学商务孔子学院
TAKE OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL CHINESE PROFICIENCY EXAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
The HSK (汉语水平考试/Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) has 6 levels and assesses your ability to use Chinese in your daily life, and in academic and professional situations. The HSKK (汉语水平口语考试) has now also been introduced to test speaking via a computerised exam. You need a HSK certificate if you want to apply for scholarships to study in China. 2018 HSK exam dates •
Saturday 24 March (register by 25 February) – HSKK speaking exam also available on this date
•
Sunday 10 June (register by 14 May)
•
Saturday 10 November (register by 14 October)
The Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds promotes the understanding of Chinese language and culture in the UK, with a business focus on helping companies to communicate with Chinese customers more effectively. We are a test centre for internationally recognised HSK and BCT exams awarded by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban).
The BCT (Business Chinese Test) assesses your ability to use the Chinese language in business and common working environments. There are two levels: BCT A and BCT B. 2018 BCT exam dates • Sunday 10 June (register by 14 May) • Sunday 4 November (register by 8 October)
TIPS FROM A HSK EXAMINER
STUDENT CASE STUDY
童雨婧 (Yujing/Olivia Tong) is a Chinese instructor at the Business Confucius Institute. She is trained to mark HSK exams, and has seen exam papers from lots of different students! Here are her top tips for success in the HSK.
Demetria Paxton is a penultimate year student of Chinese in the East Asian Studies Department. She spent her study abroad year at Beijing Capital Normal University. Demi took HSK level 5 in November this year, after taking part in the BCI exam preparation course for EAST students.
General HSK tips 根据不同的场景，积累不同的词汇。做听力时， 第一时间 判断发生的场景很有必要。例如：饭店的 场景，就会出 现“服务员、菜单、点菜”等词汇； 医院的场景，就会出 现“医生、护士、吃药”等。 听力开始前，用铅笔把选项的关键信息画出；听力过程中， 速记关键信息；听力结束后，迅速选完， 不要过度停留在 一道题上。1、2级听力播放两遍， 3-6级听力只有一遍。 阅读时，短文章先读全文，再做题；长文章先读 题目， 再通过题目去读文章。 书写题，根据不同的等级，有不同的题型。填空题，根据拼 音写汉字；排序题：先确定句型，然后更改 词序；写作： 根据不同的主题展开，围绕主题作文。 Tips for levels 4-6 听力只播放一遍，而且语速 加快，要注意判断场景，记 下关键词。
We asked her about her experience and her tips for other students thinking about taking the exam. Why did you decide to take the HSK exam? I chose to sit HSK 5 because I know that the intensity of BA Chinese studies varies from university to university, and I wanted independent proof for future employers / institutions of my level of Chinese. I also used to it to force myself to keep motivated with my study routine, as I paid for the exam myself. How did you decide which level to take and did you feel that it was the right choice? I knew I could sit HSK 4 with no trouble but that I would need to study hard to get a high grade in HSK 5. I thought that this level would be a manageable challenge, and I am satisfied with my choice. How different is the exam from tests you are used to in your degree?
阅读部分，搭配题注意问题 前后的逻辑衔接、词义 搭 配；阅读理解开始出现大篇 幅的文章，这种题目建议先 读问题 再读文章，带着问题去读 文章。
It was very different to what I’m used to at university. My university work is translation-based, and it was a nice change to just be able to sit down and show off my general Chinese, rather than have to worry about every single little nuance.
书写部分，排序题需要先判 断句型，找到主要的动词， 再调整句子的顺序；作文 题，围绕主题展开， 开头和 结尾要和主题保持一致。
I think the hardest part was definitely the huge jump in vocabulary. Studying for this exam has definitely pushed me and has helped me a lot with my general comprehension of the language, and has taught me a lot about what I don’t know. Cramming the hundreds and hundreds of new words was difficult, but I am very grateful for it.
Which part was most difficult and why?
Email us at confucius@ leeds.ac.uk if you would like the English translation of these tips.
Visit our website for all the latest information: confucius.leeds.ac.uk/language/exams/
@BCIUL
@LeedsConfucius Confucius@leeds.ac.uk confucius.leeds.ac.uk
What advice do you have for other EAST students taking a HSK exam? If you have the money to spare then I would definitely say go for it! My biggest piece of advice would be immersion alongside sit-down study. Have a drama playing in the background as you get ready in the morning, listen to a Chinese news broadcast on the bus - there’s so many ways to incorporate Chinese into your life. Don’t just rely on textbooks!
EAST MAGAZINE One can easily state that what John Wayne was to Western movies, Toshiro Mifune was to the image of the samurai. A prolific actor who starred in more than 150 feature films, he is best known for his collaboration with Kurosawa, which spanned 16 movies in almost 20 years. While Kurosawa is a household name around the world, Mifune is largely unknown to the Western public, despite appearing numerous times on American screen. Lately, there have been attempts to raise awareness on the actor’s legendary status in the Golden Age of Japanese cinema, for example through the documentary ‘Mifune: The Last Samurai’ (2015). Yet, it paints an incomplete image of the actor by focusing only on his roles as a samurai, even though the documentary is attractive to a Western audience: the narration is provided by Keanu Reeves, and the documentary contains interviews with both Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. The latter having worked with Mifune in the war comedy ‘1941’ (1979), notable for being the only American movie in which Mifune’s English was not dubbed. However, before speaking about Toshiro Mifune and his career acting in foreign films, one should start with his first breakthrough, ‘Drunken Angel’ 「酔いどれ 天使」 (1948), which also marks his first collaboration with Kurosawa. Dubbed the first post-modern yakuza film, the then-28years-old Mifune plays Matsunaga, a gangster suffering from tuberculosis which finds an unlikely guardian angel in an alcoholic doctor. It is interesting to note that although Kurosawa’s intention was to denounce the ways of the yakuza and portray them as silly through Matsunaga, Mifune’s charisma and performance makes the audience empathise with him to the very end, taking the spotlight from the main character. Indeed, whilst applauded for his performances as the gruff samurai or nameless ronin - which provided inspiration for several Westerns, including Clint Eastwood’s ‘man with no name’ character - Mifune’s range spread much further than the samurai archetype. A good example of his range can be experienced when viewing the post-war, nuclearparanoia drama ‘I live in fear / Record of a Living Being’} 「生きものの記録」(1955). While obscure for a Kurosawa film, especially compared to its predecessor and successor (‘Seven Samurai’「七人の侍」and ‘Throne of Blood’ 「蜘 蛛巣城, respectively) and also a flop. One needs to praise the performance of Mifune as Kiichi Nakajima, an elderly man who wants to flee to Brazil with his family, all out of his fear of what he thinks is reserved for Japan’s future: an impending nuclear war. Greying, always-frowning, walking with a cane and with his ribs sticking out- an image so different from the usual character Mifune offers to the audience. That is not to say Mifune’s filmography is composed only of commercial successes and obscure, overlooked movies that still present him as an actor with a great range. ‘The Great Thief’/’Samurai Pirate’ 「大盗賊」 (1963), a fantasy movie that seems to be a mix of ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ and ‘The Princess Bride’, features wizards, witches, pirates,
37 WINTER 2018
12 - 13
After ‘Red Beard’「赤ひげ」(1965) and his inability to act in other features during its production, as he had to keep a beard continuously during the filming he was put in a financial strain. His collaboration with Kurosawa ended but his career in the West started flourishing. A critically-acclaimed flop, ‘Hell in the Pacific’ (1968) stars Lee Marvin and Mifune as two soldiers stranded on an island during the Second World War. The film barely has any dialogue and lacks subtitles or dubbing - perhaps not made for a bilingual audience, the viewers are meant to understand either only one of the characters, or neither. Yet it is one of the few foreign movies which did justice to Mifune. Others, such as ‘Red Sun’ (Soleil Rouge) (1971), a European-produced Western film with hints of Orientalism, while interesting in the choice of the international cast, finds Mifune portraying almost a parody of the samurai through Kuroda Jubei. His quest is to find a ceremonial sword offered to the President of the United States that was
stolen by bandits, and thus he follows a reluctant cowboy to find the respective bandit. The climax of the movie represents a group of Comanches attacking as the bandit is found and confronted by the ‘heroes’, and they all set aside their differences to fight against the Native Americans. That is not to say Mifune’s career saw a downward descent from the moment he parted ways with Kurosawa. For example, in spite of the American miniseries ‘Shogun’ (1980) not being received well by the Japanese public - it swooped the United States. Unfortunately for the cinematic world, Mifune passed away in 1997, but, aware or not of it, left a lasting mark on many, be fans or fellow colleagues.
TOSHIRO MIFUNE: SHORT RETROSPECTIVE ON THE LION OF JAPANESE CINEMA
By Andreea Tanase
rebels, a fictional kingdom and a princess to be saved, bringing us more onto the territory of Western fantasy movies rather than the usual period-dramas Mifune is a lead of. While the costumes and sets are magnificent and elaborate, it focuses too much on comedy and casts aside a necessary factor for the genre it is part of: the action, which is packed only in the last part of the movie.
EAST MAGAZINE
EUROPE & THE RETURN OF THE SILK ROADS By Timothy Van Gardingen
The Silk Roads are returning. China’s largest and most ambitious international economic plan, the “One Belt One Road Initiative” (yidaiyilu) will see its influence tangibly spread over Asia, Africa and Europe. With newly planned trade corridors over much of the world, a vast number of countries will be affected by the initiative. The question arises: how will “One Belt One Road” affect Europe?
The “One Belt One Road” initiative has not appeared over-night. Xi Jinping first announced his masterwork in September 20131 and has since then developed into an extremely ambitious vision. The Chinese leader pictures a better connected world, held together by free trade and global cooperation. The proposed maritime ‘road’ leads over South-east Asia to Africa, where China has been carrying out major infrastructure projects already for a number of years. The ‘belt’ stretches across Central Asia and all the way to Western Europe2.
37 WINTER 2018 “Inclusiveness” (baorongxing) is the central word to Xi’s rhetoric for the project. For many outside of China, this standpoint seems uncharacteristic of a country renowned for its history of closed borders and secrecy but China has been gradually opening up business since the start of economic reforms in the late 70s. China is now not only more open economically, but also confident in its business know-how. The “One Belt One Road” initiative signals China’s desire – and capability - to join the major players of the world economy. A number of European countries have officially given their support to China’s global project amongst them is the ‘16+1’ group of east European nations, which is just one of many former economic plans which has been absorbed into “One Belt, One Road”3. The potential or Eastern Europe to change its view from west to east is significant. Some members of 16+1 feel let down by the EU and increased cooperation with China may lead to a further distancing. It is however too soon to say with certainty. In Germany, some media outlets are however already expressing their fears over the new silk roads. Wary Critics point to China’s track record for promoting their own form of ‘illiberal free trade’ at ends with the western model of international trade, expecting its development to be damaging to German companies. The BRICS states are portrayed as an enemy of a more just existing western system, with China at the centre of the trouble4. The closeness of Putin to the Chinese leadership and his willingness to be part of the project scares the German media further5. There is concern for China’s apparent desire to make economic in-roads into the Eurasian region on their own conditions6. This behaviour is generally known as making trade agreements, and both Europe and America are quite used to doing it themselves. Any bilateral agreement does of course have political implications, but Germany’s fear of working with China on predominantly Chinese terms is telling of previous agreements where Europe has been the instigator of negotiations. More justified would be a view of caution towards the kind of company, rather than Chinese FDI in general. Up to now mainly only state-owned companies have been involved in the initiative7. That could potentially lead to more Chinese political influence internationally in trade compared to Chinese private companies. Some European companies are however openly enthusiastic, with eyes fixed solidly on new business opportunities. Duisburger Hafen in Nordrhein-Westfalen already considers itself a central point for trade relations not just between China and Germany, but also Europe. In October 2016 the port claimed that “when you are in Duisburg, you are in Europe”8, as part of an announcement regarding expanding its China business. Duisport already cooperates with Urumqi, Far-western China’s trade powerhouse; a city central to the new Silk Road’s expansion due to its strong position in central Asia. A number of ports in the Mediterranean are also positioning themselves to be part of the Chinese project. COSCO, A Chinese stateowned Freight company, already sails to and from Piraeus in Greece9. Trieste, Genoa and Venice in Italy are also showing strong interest10.
14 - 15 European nations often do not appreciate the very general sounding rhetoric China prefers to use when it talks about official plans. Just like the extremely vague (and clearly related) Chinese Dream (zhongguomeng) back home in China, there is no exact, set in stone plan for the new Silk Roads. Instead China offers a lofty dream with networks of possible trade corridors on maps with a mysterious lack of national borders. Some European observers believe that the new Silk Road is more of a conglomerate of many individual initiatives rather than one unified grand plan11. From the Chinese perspective, this pragmatic approach is perfectly normal; indeed it is part of modern Chinese culture. There is understandable apprehension in some European nations as China’s “One Belt, One Road” seems to becoming closer to a reality, but outright fear is unjustified. As a number of companies across Europe are already finding, the new Silk Roads will, and already are, creating new business opportunities for the European market. A tentative approach to the project is however necessary; although its total future influence is impossible to predict, one thing is certain: the new Silk Roads will change global political and economic relations drastically.
1. SCIO. 2016. 哈萨克斯坦：“一带一路”从这里走向世界. http://www.scio.gov.cn. 2. Telepolis. 2017. China: Der Traum von einer neuen Seidenstrasse 3.
Brookings. 2017. Europe’s mixed views on China’s One Belt, One Road initiative
4-6. Zeit Online. 2017. Chinas Traum einer neuen Seidenstrasse 7.
DW. 2017. Die deutsche Sicht auf Chinas Seidenstraße
8.
“Duisburger Hafen. 2016. Duisport is expanding its China Business „when you are in Duisburg, you are in Europe”
9.
The Diplomat. 2016. How a Greek became a Chinese „dragon’s Head“
10. Portseurope. 2017. Italian ports are strategic for China’s One Belt One Road Initiative. 11. DW. 2017. Die deutsche Sicht auf Chinas Seidenstraße
EAST MAGAZINE
Until 2001, Sweden was the only nation to have diplomatic representation in North Korea and they have historically emphasised that “disrespect against the North Korean nation, its leaders and its symbols are regarded as very offensive”, with the tolerance level for disruptive behaviour being minimal. The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends against all travel by U.S. citizens to the country, citing previous incidents of arrest and long-term detention of its citizens (with at least one death reported). And yet, it is estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 Western tourists visit the hermit nation every year. In 2015, I was one of those tourists. Our group was small and eclectic. A travel-mad office worker determined to tick off every country, a middle-aged couple “keeping things interesting”, an eccentric vegetarian taking a gap year from life, a retired Stanford professor, an older gentleman whose fashion sense was comparable to the Man in the Yellow Hat and his young, blonde girlfriend, and three twenty somethings who were meant to be in Beijing on their year abroad. All except me had read books, watched documentaries, heard stories about the country, and were excited to see it for themselves. I had decided to go in blind, and was nervous and regretful as the train pulled across the bridge spanning the Yalu River, which forms the border between North Korea and China. The time spent in the country was only three days, but it seemed to stretch on for so much longer. We were cold but eager. Accustomed to the pollution-insulated mildness of Beijing, the air on the peninsula felt icy and shiver-inducing. I can’t speak for the others, the least grounded among us seeming to be having a whale of a time, but everything – felt – tense. I couldn’t breathe.
DREAM HOLIDAY TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Article Demetria Claire, Images Marcus Rowe
It is common knowledge that travel to and around North Korea is tightly regulated by the government. These tourists are strictly controlled and are only allowed to enter the country through approved travel agencies with bright blue visas that they take back from you on departure – records of your trip existing only in memory, and perhaps photos if you dared take any.
The Stanford professor had a lens on his camera half a foot long and thought it was hilarious to joke about “shooting the children” – meaning he wanted to shoot photos of local children we saw. This didn’t help my anxiety, the tour guide conspicuously keeping an eye on him.
We were allowed to see a Pyongyang comprised of wide, empty streets and towering buildings, a (I must add the caveat of “relatively”) prosperous Kaesong, and the fabled Demilitarised Zone. The countryside between towns was sprawling and mountainous, deep orange sunsets decorating the sky in the evening. Quiet mutterings between tour guides, bribes slipped to officials to ensure smooth passage, the quiet knowledge that your hotel room was more than likely bugged. The trip was an exercise in humility and keeping your head down.
37 WINTER 2018
16 - 17
Malaysia currently accounts for 39% of the world’s palm oil production. Together with Indonesia, that proportion rises to 84%. As the proportion rises, yet more of the rainforest falls. Why then is such a destructive crop so prevalent in Malaysia? The palm oil industry has for one brought many out of poverty. Striking a balance between poverty alleviation and environmentalism is in fact one of the biggest challenges in regards to palm oil production. Producing palm oil is also cheap and efficient – up to 10 times more efficient than alternatives such as soybean and Rapeseed oil. Regardless of how much space is used for palm oil production, other oil sources would demand much more. This shows in the oil’s global demand. In 2012, the EU alone consumed 6.1 million tonnes of palm oil. The price of Palm oil is simultaneously dropping rapidly, which can only encourage even more production to make up the costs.
The answer may lie in ‘sustainable’ palm oil. There is pressure on the major palm oil companies to avoid expanding onto surviving rainforest and pursue more sustainable methods, but that isn’t appealing to all growers. A sustainable approach adds up to 15$ for every tonne to production costs; an additional cost which adds up very quickly. Looking down from my plane flying out of Kuala Lumpur was an incredible sight. The plantations seemed to stretch on for miles, and the clearing fires glowed dimly on the horizon.
MALAYSIA’S PALM OIL PROBLEM
By Tim Van Gardingen
Looking down from my plane flying into Kuala Lumpur was an incredible sight. South East Asia’s famous rainforests seemed to stretch on for endless miles, as far as the eye could see. But something wasn’t right. As the plane descended and the treeline became more defined, it dawned that there was no rainforest. The Malaysian peninsula was one giant palm oil plantation.
EAST MAGAZINE
A Country Turns Dark - 13th of October 2016
Thailand - 26th of October 2017
After 70 years reigning over the Kingdom of Thailand, the longest reigning monarch in the world passed away.
Even after a year-long preparation for the cremation of the King, no one was ready to say goodbye. It is estimated that during the past year more than 12 million people have paid their respects to the King from all over Thailand and more than 250,000 people flocked to the capital for a five-day funeral. They were queuing early in the morning, some for several days, to have a glimpse of the Royal Palace. For them, they felt like they needed to be there, to get closure on the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
News around the world was flooded with images of devotion unseen before – a kind difficult to put into words. The news attracted new attention to a country mostly famous for its beach holidays, street food, crazy tuktuks, elephants and the overcrowded, ever-growing capital that is Bangkok. There was a feeling of collective sadness, and shared sense of loss where people united and started mourning their beloved King by gathering around the Royal Palace to pay their respects. We could see tears on the faces of many while praying, chanting, holding candles or white flowers. Bright coloured clothes were banned, and black clothes became the uniform of Thai people. Businesses and festivities were halted. Cinemas and schools were closed. Thailand for a moment was at a standstill. It stopped to breathe and changed the course of its history. The population mourned their lost King and waited for their new one, who delayed his coronation in order to mourn with the Thai people. It is maybe difficult for a lot of us to picture such admiration and love for a King. Not only was he a monarch but during his reign he also managed to build a really close relationship with his people which to some extent is a bit controversial. Pictures of him were in every public place, and every home. This is why for a lot of people Rama IX was not just their King but also their Father. He was seen as immortal, divine, and a figure that managed to keep the country somewhat stable in times of rapid social and political changes.
The ceremony, that is said to have cost £60,000, recreated ‘Heaven’ as pictured in Buddhist belief. Gold adorned the pyre, the most important focal point of the funeral. Nothing was too grandiose for Rama IX, their most beloved King. This message was all over social media: ‘I am proud to have lived under the Reign of his Majesty the King Rama IX’. For a lot people social media is how they discovered the news of the death of King, and messages of love and sadness truly spread all over; a true reflection of a country that is rapidly changing. People were glued to their televisions, not wanting to miss anything of the ceremony. For a long time, it was believed that the cremation would be broadcasted for everyone to see. It was however seen as too public, losing everything that makes Royals exceptional persons. How can you truly portray the death of the almost divine? The only thing that was seen of this final goodbye was the smoke coming out of the crematorium, with the tears of Thai people not really believing that this was the end of an era, wanting to hold onto their King for a little bit longer.
37 WINTER 2018
18 - 19
It’s 6pm. It’s dark, chilly, and strangely I find myself in front of big mansion, with a giant picture of the King, his portrait lit up by spotlights shining into the dark. This mansion is a Thai Buddhist temple in the middle of Leeds. From the outside, just by looking at the architecture there is no similarity with temples we have in Thailand. Nevertheless, a lot of people are gathered at this unusual location which is protected by trees, giving it a sense of secrecy. We are all assembled under a white tent, all wearing black. Heaters are blasting hot air, we are all keeping each other warm, we forget about the cold, and we believe that the warmth and heat is the same as that in Thailand. There is a shared silence, as if no words were good enough to explain the grief and sadness of not being in Thailand with others to share this critical moment. And then, the silence is replaced with Buddhist chanting. Sacred words are echoed across the tent as we all pray together. When it stops, a monk says: ‘If you are here, you are all Thai because you care enough about Thailand to be here with us to say our final goodbye to our King’.
Nothing could have been truer for an audience that was predominantly Thai and with few westerners. We end the evening by going outside to face the portrait of the King, candles in our hands we sing the Royal Anthem. I hear some voices breaking under the emotion. It is a strange feeling to feel connected to people next to me but also to a whole nation in grief. It’s a Thai community abroad and for a moment we needed to gather to feel the same collective adoration for our King, to feel special and united. It is an emotional farewell, one that only happens once in a lifetime. For a brief moment, we are in Thailand, having the same emotion as the people in a country that is 10 000 km away, our imagination taking us home.
FROM THAILAND TO LEEDS: END OF YEAR-LONG MOURNING OF KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ - RAMA IX
By Laura Prieto Image: Supanut Arunoprayote, Wiki Commons
Wat Buddharam, Leeds - 26th of October 2017
SUBMISSIONS WANTED We are currently accepting article submissions to feature on our blog and in our 2018 EAST Magazine Summer Edition! The requirements are simple: keep it East Asia related and under 1000 words if possible. We accept articles, travel accounts, photography - essentially anything high-quality and related to East Asia. To submit your work, please email it to us by the 11th of March. Send your submissions to: lueastmagazine@gmail.com