APRIL 2022
www.thenanjinger.com
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 12 ISSUE 06 | APRIL 2022
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Contributors
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Nanjing Nomads
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Editorial
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Poem; Entwined
10 Hydrogen or Haircut? “I Do Practical things forthe Masses”! 12 The Flight of the Starling; Pure Reaction to the Situation at Hand 16 Recharge; On Low BatteryLife in a High EnergyWorld 21 The Gavel Howthe Law Deals with Popular Mass Culture
22 FancyYour Own Startup? Free Market Research for New Foreign Biz 23 Great Nanjingers (21)
Neuroscientist & Son of Presbyterian Missionaries; Theodore Holmes Bullock
24 Nankinish Delights
“Shaobing”; the Muslim Importwhich became a Nanjing Staple
26 StrainerThousand Island Picking; NotWorthWaking the Tea Master 27 Capital Constructs (5) ZhongshanWharf 28 VintageVinyl andVenerable Classics 30 Our Space 35 Metro Map
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 12 ISSUE 06 | APRIL 2022
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 12 ISSUE 06 | APRIL 2022
Editorial
The Marshall Plan
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irst order of business this month is to welcome all readers of The Nanjinger on board any China Airlines flight worldwide. You read correctly; as of 27 March, this humble publication became available as part of the new in-flight entertainment system on that particular airline, one of Asia’s finest. Also new for this month, “Nankinish Delights”! As alert readers may suspect, this debut charters the best, not necessarily most famous, of Nanjing cuisine. We welcome new columnist, Wu Zeyuan (p.24-25).
So to this month’s theme. Regular contributor and minstrel, Triona Ryan, takes a look at the weird and wonderful things humans are capable of when they get together en-masse (p.12-14). We also have a look at a concept that has emerged across China of late; that of “I Do Practical things for the Masses” (p.10-11). Finally, Casey Mayer makes his debut in our fiction section, with a tale of low-battery life, on a personal level. Welcome to “The Masses” from The Nanjinger.
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can the QR Code to visit The Nanjinger on WeChat, from where you can download a free PDF of this issue, find a full list of distribution points for hard copies or arrange a subscription to have The Nanjinger delivered to your home or office! This magazine is part of a family of English publications that together reach a large proportion of the foreign population living in Nanjing, along with a good dash of locals, comprising: The Nanjinger City Guide www.thenanjinger.com Facebook, WeChat, Twitter & Instagram
All of the above are owned and operated by HeFu Media, the Chinese subsidiary of SinoConnexion Ltd; www.sinoconnexion.com
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Just as the pale moon, running from the sun, needs the earth and the earth, on its own race rotating, still needs the sun, so are we in our masses, a tangle of paths entwined. Just as the forest reaches down, roots kneading the rich ground; roots without which the soil itself becomes dirt in a gale, so, intrinsically, are we in some manner entwined. Just as the head knows how it needs the body and just as the body boldly holds the heart, so we, many parts but one body, are, in one intricate weave, entwined. Thus, just as the sea grasps at the hand of the land that it molds, crafts and so lovingly clasps, so I’ll always need you; for we too are forever entwined.
By M a it iu Bra lligan ‘2 2
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HYDROGEN OR HAIRCUT?
“I Do Practical things for the Masses”!
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omething which is often forgotten about China in the global discussion is the way it is fundamentally organised; for the people. After all, it is the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Liberation Army, the Municipal People’s Government, etc. The foundation of the Chinese Communist Party lies in the people, its blood lies in the people and its strength lies in the people. The people are therefore the greatest foundation for governing the country. From 8 to 11 November last year was held in Beijing the sixth plenary session of the
19th CPC Central Committee. There, with the Communist Party’s centenary marked just months before, it was time for deep reflection on the historical experience of the Party's centennial struggle, while a resolution was put forward recognising that one of the historical experiences of the previous 100 years is "upholding the people first”. It was also then that a new piece of Chinese lexicon was officially born; “I Do Practical things for the Masses” (我为群众 办实事). By the sound of it, and given the sheer numbers of the masses in question, that surely is only a good thing.
By Frank Hossack
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The concept had in fact been floating around since April of last year, but it took the plenary session to kick it up a notch. Following the session, all Party organisations nationwide were to encouraged to promote the study and education of Party history together with the implementation of the spirit of the plenary session. Thus they should be able to effectively improve quality in efforts to do practical things for the masses. In a nutshell, this is where the ideological and the practical come together as one. Ever since, Chinese official media outlets have been awash with articles led by the “I Do Practical…” headline. The implication of course is that they be efforts led by an individual. But that does not have to be the case, especially in a place the size of China, where one person makes little difference in the overall scheme of things. Take for example Sinopec, which the Fortune Global 500 says is the largest energy company in the world by revenue. For them, a fulfillment of the ideology behind “practical things for the masses” meant Sinopec guided Party members, cadres and ordinary workers in enhancing their consciousness of commitments to development with environmental protection in mind. On a practical level, Sinopec has promoted the construction of the entire hydrogen energy industry chain. Significant breakthroughs have been made in hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen production technology and other fields, which today provide for an annual hydrogen production capacity of more than 3.9 million tons. That’s fantastic. But wait a minute. These are not the efforts of one person; rather the actions of the world’s largest employer. Does this mean that any large-scale undertaking which serves in the development of the Middle Kingdom as a whole could be described as doing practical things for the masses? It certainly does, but the concept filters down all the way to grass-roots level. “They braved the wind and snow and brought us cheap coal. It's really ‘sending charcoal in the snow’!”. As part of a Chinese proverb, these were the words of one Yan Zhanquan, who lives in Xiyaozi village, a
remote outpost in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as he poured coal into the stove with a smile on his face. He was one of many villagers who had benefited from county-level efforts to make a practical difference in their lives as the long cold nights began. Therefore, there was established a dedicated team responsible for the purchase and distribution of coal, while making sure it was affordable. And it worked too. On 15 November, the first batch of 100 tons of so-called "warm-hearted coal" arrived, making Yan a happy man. Nearer to home, 81-year-old Zhu Yufu lives in Xinhe village under the administration of Xiejiaji district of Huainan City in our neighbouring Anhui Province. There, the District takes the cause of providing for the aged as an important livelihood initiative, seeking to help the elderly enjoy their old age. As a result, the interior of Zhu’s home now resembles some of the top caring for the aged to be found in any of the world’s top performing societies. Bathchairs and armrests have been installed in the bathroom and antiskid floor mats laid, while there is also now an additional bed for a nurse in the home. In the manifestation of “practical things”, there also has emerged the catchphrase, “Focus on small details and solve big problems!” (紧盯小细节，解决大问题), by way of motivation for groups such as volunteers. In our own Jiangsu over in Suzhou City, but still with the aged, a volunteer effort is bringing haircut services to retirees in the comfort of their own home, reported the Yangtze Evening News on 13 March. In just one afternoon, the volunteers provided haircuts for more than 30 villagers. While they were waiting, the volunteers talked to the elderly about the trivialities of life, understood their needs and physical condition, and cleaned up the homes of those in need. A retiree surnamed Li was full of praise for the initiative and the volunteers’ efforts. Lu said, “This kind of haircut activity is really a real service for the people. I'm in my 90s. Usually, I can only wait for my children to come back and take me for a haircut. Now I can get a haircut for free without going out. It's really great”. At its heart, the concept of “I do practical things for the masses” is an expression of the pragmatic in gathering the magnificent power of unity and struggle to lead hundreds of millions of people in creating a better future.
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PURE REACTION TO THE SITUATION AT HAND
By Triona Ryan
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he scream activated my paralysed legs, and the distance to the room across the corridor has never been covered so fast, neither before nor after. My class in tow, the class across the way quite reasonably assumed that we were being pursued by an axe murderer, and a delicious bout of hysteria ensued. Thankfully, my colleague does not suffer from ornithophobia, and quickly dispatched the plumed beast. Many years have passed, I am almost recovered, and yet, this five-minute frenzy has stuck with me ever since as a salient example of how easily mass hysteria can ignite. In the classroom, a basic awareness of crowd psychology and group dynamics is a must if one is to get out of it with their sanity intact. The desire for harmony and conformity within any group facilitates social cohesion, which has led to optimal survival rates for homo sapiens since time immemorial. It’s also led to the ubiquitous rise of The Floss, The Dab, the fidget spinner, slime, stress balls, and poppers, to name but a few of the phenomena that have enchanted the hearts and minds and hands of the masses in recent years. Isn’t it lovely when things catch on? Yes, and no is the simple answer to that. For whilst the individual may understand that the purpose of a stress ball is to occupy the hands and free up mental energy to focus on the subject at hand, once the group gets a hold of this satisfying manipulable, it becomes a missile, a weapon, a big messy splodge on the carpet. What, then, turns a group of otherwise sentient and rational humans into a non-sentient, irrational mob? First off, we need a group; a group here is defined in sociological terms as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular common objectives. This is also one of the most basic organisational structures of humankind, so thankfully, they abound.
Once formed, let the Group Dynamics ferment and bubble. These dynamics depend on attitudinal, behavioural and contextual characteristics, and will influence the structure and processes and overall functionality. In the process, members derive a sense of identity and self-esteem, as well as fostering trust and (hopefully) positive interactions. Yet even a cursory scroll through the annals of human history show that sometimes, the group goes bad. According to the Science Daily publication, researchers have found that “being in a group makes some people lose touch with their personal moral beliefs”. Cases of mass hysteria have baffled and amused onlookers in equal parts since the dawn of time. According to the book, “Epidemics of the Middle Ages”, by J. F. C. Hecker, a bunch of nuns began to miaow like cats, sometimes miaowing the face off each other for hours on end. Eventually, the neighbors called in the army to whip the cat miaows out of them. In 1518, St. Vitus’ Dance saw over 400 people boogie down in the streets of Strasbourg following a bout of disease and famine. The danced ‘til their feet bled and they passed out, with some of them shuffling off this mortal coil from exhaustion. The city brought in musicians and set up a stage to facilitate the movers and the shakers, but eventually, they banned all dancing and carted off those still busting the moves to the shrine of St. Vitus to be exorcised. A similar psychological illness befell Italians in the south of Italy in the 15th-17th centuries. Known as Tarantism, sufferers danced ‘til they dropped, literally. They also believed that it was caused by a tarantula bite, hence the name. Salem, Massachusetts, saw the imprisonment of over 200 people, mostly women, and the death by hanging of 19 in 1692 when the town was gripped by an all-consuming terror of
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witchcraft. One recalcitrant farmer was also pressed to death beneath stones for refusing to give testimony. In Tanzania (then Tanganyika) in 1962, three young girls began to laugh at a boarding school in Kashasha. Before long, 95 of the 159 students were LOLing, eventually causing the closure of the school three months later. However, the girls brought the laugher bug with them, with more than 1,000 people affected and 14 schools closing before the laughing pandemic came to an end. These are but few of the cases of mass hysteria that were significant enough to be recorded. The flight of the starling pales in comparison, thankfully. At times, however, the group may turn this fear and frustration outwards. Little good comes from people goaded to violence. And yet, "a group of people will often engage in actions that are contrary to the private moral standards of each individual in that group, sweeping otherwise decent individuals into 'mobs' that commit looting, vandalism, even physical brutality". Concentration camps, Gulags, genocides and massacres provide tragic and irrefutable proof of this. And that’s in the 20th Century alone. Healthy heaping’s of Groupthink tend to reduce the capacity for individual assertion of morals. William H. Whyte Jr. derived this term in 1952, “We are not talking about mere instinctive conformity – it is, after all, a perennial failing of mankind. What we are talking about is a rationalized conformity – an open, articulate philosophy which holds that group values are not only expedient but right and good as well”. Almost two thirds of people will defer to the hive mind when instructed to do so by a figure of authority. The Milgram Experiment in 1974 had one participant electrically shock another for each wrong answer in a controlled setting. With each, the intensity of the shock increased, ‘til reaching a fatal 450-volt shock. 65 percent of
participants administered the maximum level of shocks when instructed to do so, presumably “killing” the test subject in the other room. Thankfully, both the shocks and screams of agony were simulacra. Still though…. Asche’s Conformity Experiment examined behaviour under the pressure of social forces. Participants were asked to look at one line on the left, and choose the line of corresponding length on the right. One line was clearly correct, the other two clearly not. 37 percent of the research subjects conformed with the group in choosing the incorrect line. Over the 12 critical trials, about 75 percent of participants conformed at least once. Only 25 percent never conformed. In a control group, less than 1 percent of the participants gave the wrong answer. Do people act according to their disposition, personality, or because of the situation at hand? We like to think that we are impenetrable paragons of integrity. An optimistic reading of the above experiments shows that whilst 65 percent of us would fry a fellow human when pressed to conform, another 35 percent would not, and one solid quarter of us would stand firm and call a spade a spade, despite social pressure to conform. Our fragile sense of identity and self-esteem leaves us vulnerable to acts of foolishness at times, if not downright malice. The starling got out of my room alive because one member of our group had the valor to march right on in there and open up the windows. Had we decided to wage war on the starlings for our own safety, who knows what kind of Lord of The Feathers type scenario might have evolved. We must value and honour our diverse and disparate voices, now more than ever. “We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly- that is the first law of nature.” Voltaire.
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By Casey Mayer
On Low Battery-Life in a High Energy World
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hey say the ones who seek constant crowds are but nothing alone. Their souls lie in the masses, existing only as a part of something bigger. An organism of its own, born from an unspecified quantity that despite broken down by just its elements are powerless, it amounts to power greater than an individual in weight, volume, and voice. Marcus bent over to tie the laces of his shoe. He stood up before the front door of his apartment and stared into it as if it were a portal into another world. A world that was loud, chaotic and unpredictable. He routinely patted his pockets making sure he had his phone, wallet and ... but thoughts rushed his mind, distracting him as they do. So big and loud this mass of nothingness. Big and fearsome like a monster in a child’s dream. Preying upon him, fueling nightmares and fears that would grow up alongside him, in a generation plagued with social anxiety and a lifestyle of commercial convenience which would enable this fear to newer and higher limits. He put his hand on the door handle and listened for one last time in comfort to the noises from the other side being muffled behind the walls of drywall and brick. Birds singing, children laughing, cars honking in chorus with the cacophony of traffic. But then what of I... The one who seeks constant solitude. He who has infinite battery life safely stowed away in the prison of his
own design. However, not a watt to charge the amount it would take for a flick of the wrist to gesture a ‘hello’ at a neighbor when he takes out the trash. But then what of I... where is my power? Marcus opened the door and walked out, closing the door leading into his haven behind him as his body tensed when exposed to the reality of being outside. He froze for a moment. After a moment of adjusting his breathing to the oxygenless crowded world, he pulled the hood of his hoodie up and over his head. He walked down the stairs of his apartment complex and saw his first big hurdle, a group of children playing all sorts of games. Some kicked a ball, while a few rode around in circles on bicycles, and the remainder chased each other around playing soldier with toy guns. As he descended the steps he walked astray from the guided path, intending to avoid the young crowd and their stabbing glares. However Marcus’ attempts were for not, as the children could smell the fear that wafted off of him. They looked over to the man in his middle twenties concealing himself in a hoodie on a hot summer’s day. A child did not scare Marcus. But more than one times two was not a child, but a nightmare. Marcus walked faster, anxiety having set in. His eyes darted to the ground as he momentarily met with those of the genial
groundskeeper pushing his wheelbarrow of gardening tools in his cursed direction. He passed him, pretending to have not seen him but he felt the old man’s overly friendly eyes on him as he walked by. He then heard someone call his name from across the way. After processing it he recognised it as his neighbour from across the hall, Sandy. She was a talker. And he would gladly agree to a text message conversation or even a chat on the phone with her while he was back in his apartment... but not out here in the open where it, the monster lurks... He had just one quest to seize, the whole reason why he chose to leave the sanctuary of his cozy flat on this Sunday afternoon. To pick up a package the delivery man left in his mailbox in the management office. Marcus hauled to the office and in a flash, using his quickly diminishing battery life, he walked inside and approached his mailbox. He reached in his pocket for his keys when... Where were his keys...? His hands kept feeling around an empty space, but kept searching... in denial that what he was looking for, what he desperately wanted to believe was there, and at the crux of the matter, what he needed there to be to breathe. Marcus sat on his rear, while his arms hugged his knees on the floor below the lockers. He was locked out of his mailbox... but more importantly... he was locked out of his apartment. His mind
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raced for a solution to his problem. But with each second devoted to resolution, he lost a minute of battery life. This was the end. Although a metaphorical lightbulb went off in Marcus’ anxiety induced mind ( however wasting even more energy in doing so...) ‘Alex’, he thought. He had left a spare key with one of his closest friends, who he hadn’t seen in a while. His name felt blurry to him as well... But he had a one track mind and couldn’t focus on anything else but his goal, fueled by the desire for survival. Marcus stood up from his defeated slouch and looked towards the street facing the management office, and all the cars and people and quantity which roamed and owned the streets. “I’m going to have to face the monster...”. Marcus waited for the bus tapping his shoes on the ground, impatiently depending on the late bus backed up by traffic to arrive. He would have driven... but no keys equals no car. He stood as far away from the group of people who sat in the shade, even though he stood in the beating hot sun. At least he stood alone. The bus finally rolled up and as it screeched to a halt and the doors aggressively flung open he saw people as they spilled out, packed so close together they
could make one giant bussized human meatball. Marcus stepped back in horror and he ran away in fright. Just as he thought he had escaped the presence of that terrifying sight the sky grew dark and it began to rain, the streets became tighter and heavier with congested traffic, the whole city conglomerating into one giant mass. It was there... the monster that grew from the deepest darkest depths of Marcus’ fears. And it kept growing bigger and stronger and flooded down the streets until it absorbed everything and everything was all one and the same. Alex cut carrots on a chopping board, listening to the pitter and patter of rain on the window sill of his apartment. Out of the blue from the dark and stormy sky he heard a knock on the door. He put the knife down calmly and wiped his hands off on his apron and walked casually but curiously to the door. As it opened he saw a man in a hoodie soaking wet and shaking. “... Marcus...?”Alex said in surprise with a soft tone. Just as he did Marcus fell forward from total exhaustion and Alex sprung forward with almost fatally slow reflexes and caught Marcus before he fell to the floor. Marcus sat across the dining room table from Alex. His eyes
were glazed over, fixed on the spare key to his apartment and mailbox placed before him on the table. Alex sipped a hot cup of coffee and stared at Marcus from afar at the opposite end of the table. “You know you could have called first before showing up on my doorstep like a wet lost puppy”, Alex teased. Marcus blinked but he remained entranced by his key, the end result of his trials and tribulations. Alex sighed and laughed empathetically. “It’s ok though. It’s been a while I haven’t seen you or really heard from you since the quarantine began. But... it’s coming to an end, Mark... you can put your fears aside now and we can resume normal life...” he said sweet and tenderly. Marcus blinked and looked up at his old friend. “I know”, he said. “Battery is just... low...”. Alex stood up from his chair and walked over to Marcus without making a single sound with his feet and handed him a phone charger. “Here then. Recharge your battery. Then you should stay for dinner”, Alex said smiling. Marcus’ eyes glimmered and he smiled in return as he took the charger from Alex’s hand. “We can face the monster together... as a crowd of just two”, Alex said.
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THE NANJINGER | 2022.04
Legal notes from The Nanjinger in association with:
D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel
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How the Law Deals with Popular Mass Culture
hile every single last human thinks, acts and behaves differently, their needs and interests are all different from one another but ironically they are still referred to as the “Common Man” or “The Masses”.
movie actors and singers instead. The creation of mass culture also dealt with peoples becoming consumerist societies and the effects of mass manufacturing, as well as the consumption of products.
In any society that is based on a democratic principle, the Masses enjoy certain rights and privileges, along with the obligations that are entrusted upon the common people. With these societies equipped with powerful techniques of distribution, the participation of the masses in cultural life and the expansion of work adapted to the needs of this new and vast common people have become imperative in today’s time. At every stage of economic development, an industrial and democratic society seeks validation from its masses.
Laws & Mass Culture
Origin of Mass Culture “Mass culture”, is referred to as a culture that has been germinated from the centralised production processes of the mass media. This culture emerged from Germany and became very popular from the late 19th century as part of its modern, industrialised society. After 1918, technological innovation, together with the expansion of leisure time, growth of new and existing audiences, and new regulatory frameworks, led to an expansion and diversification of mass culture. It was also during this time that the mass media gained recognition as a significant culture force in democratic societies.
Effects of Mass Culture During the early 19th century, there was a rapid increase in the production and consumption of social media, exposure to radio, television, news, campaigns, movies and theatre all had a major impact of the birth of the mass culture. The common man started associating itself with the exposure provided by mass media and started identifying itself with it. This had a tremendous effect on the masses' forming of popular opinions and interests, and sparking the creation of celebrities who weren’t just politicians or generals but
Most problems of societies are addressed in the laws enacted. Legal systems are a part of political, social and economical development, and areas of cultural expansion. No major social change occurs or is put into effect in a society which is not reflected in some kind of change in its laws. Legal institutions are responsible to social change, moreover they have a definite role as an instrument that sets off, monitors or otherwise regulates the fact or pace of social change. While legislators make laws and the courts enforce them, it is the citizens who actually shape the law. Law is created by the masses, it is the judgement and the opinion of the common people that decides the law. Legislators merely put the opinion of the common people into words enacted into law as it is called today. In today’s time, common society believes that laws requiring unjust enrichment and discrimination of its people which are unaccepted by the masses are eventually required to be overturn by the Court. Most laws enacted are laws that take the customary practice of the masses into consideration. For example, in the early modern period, the “Introduction to Dutch Jurisprudence” synthesised Roman law and Dutch customary law into a cohesive, complete and whole law, on account of the desire to systematise scattered, disparate legal provisions and local customary laws, bringing them into harmony with rational principles of civil law and natural law. The masses form society and are instrumental in any change affecting it. Exposure to mass media creates a mass culture. However, it is imperative that the mass culture is lead in the right directions for the uplifting of that society.
DISCLAIMER This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Although the information in this article was obtained from reliable official sources, no guarantee is made with regard to its accuracy and completeness. For more information please visit dandreapartners.com or WeChat: dandreapartners 21
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Fancy Your Own Startup? Free Market Research for New Foreign Biz
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tarting a business has never been harder, and coming to China to do such these days is out of the question. Hence Nanjing is launching a new initiative that offers complimentary market research and other services for startup ideas during these testing times. The initiative got underway last month, it’s called Nanjing INC and simply put, it’s your eyes and ears on the ground to set up in Nanjing. So if you are thinking of investing in China, or setting up a business in China, such as a startup or a high-tech incubator, Nanjing INC stands by to assist projects to land in our fine city. And it’s free of charge. The non-profit, consulting-service platform seeking to attract international elements is a presentation of the Nanjing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, assisted by the Nanjing Foreign Affairs Service Association. Strategic partner for Nanjing INC is the China (Nanjing) AI Valley. While the initiative is primarily aimed at businesses in other countries, individuals based locally also stand to benefit, should their project qualify. After all, the market research provided by Nanjing INC may be just the thing needed to prove to an investor that your idea has merit.
So how shall Nanjing INC work? Each project selected shall be assigned a Project Execution Team, formed by students at Nanjing University’s School of Foreign Studies (SFS), who shall
carry out research according to the needs of the project, and write and translate a research report. Also on hand are no less than 15 seasoned business professionals who make up the Nanjing INC Advisory Board. Among them, past and present executives of Siemens, Intel, BSH, Deloitte and Cushman & Wakefield. They, together with representatives from well-known business associations, consulting and financial institutions, legal entities and international enterprises, shall provide the projects and each project team guidance on industrial research, technical appraisal and access to China. It is envisioned that qualifying projects shall fall into one of five categories; enterprises, talents, product suppliers, capital investors and event organisers. That said, those who suspect their project does not fit therein should not be put off from applying. In addition to the market research, projects selected stand also to receive additional benefits, dependent on their sector. Such may include access to the Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) program; guides on how to get government support policies and grants; logistics and human resources support; as well as links to suppliers, potential customers, retailers and local venture capital. With the support of SFS, project applications may be submitted in seven languages; English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Korean. To find out more and to submit your project idea, visit www.nfasa.org.cn/nanjinginc 22
Image courtesy Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
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Great Nanjingers (21)
Neuroscientist & Son of Presbyterian Missionaries; Theodore Holmes Bullock
Theodore Holmes Bullock was to become a founding father of that interdisciplinary science combining neuroscience and ethology into Neuroethology. As a child, he had also once had Sun Yat-sen himself as a guest in his home. Born in Nanjing on 16 May, 1915, Bullock was second of four children to Presbyterian missionary parents, Amasa Archibald Bullock and Ruth Beckwith. Returning to his parents home in the USA, a cousin got him interested in shell collecting. This was to be his calling. A celebrated neuroscientist, amongst Bullock’s work across all major animal groups was that on Crotalinae, which led to the discovery of the snake’s thermal imaging capabilities via their pit organs. But for us, this Great Nanjinger is of interest for the time he and his family spent in various parts of China. Writing in his autobiography, Bullock explains that his parents had come to China in 1909. It was their honeymoon, a seemingly odd choice explained by the fact Bullock’s father had a few years prior spent a year in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, teaching chemistry, which had been his major as a student at University of California, Berkeley. Bullock writes that there his father, “fell in love with the people, their eagerness to listen, and their respect for learning”. This fired up the young Amasa, to the extent that he started to see China’s experimenting with western-style education as his niche, especially teacher training. Therefore, with his time in Chengdu at an end, he returned to the USA, to Chicago where he took a master's degree in education. This was to pave
By Frank Hossack
the pay for his life’s turning point and many more trips to China. Undertaking advanced work in psychology at Columbia with esteemed American psychologist, Edward Lee Thorndike, Amasa had a roommate with a sister readying herself to be a missionary with the Hartford Theological Seminary. Nature took its course and before long the new couple were back in China, where Amasa joined the faculty of Liangjiang Normal College, now Nanjing University, to assist with the formation of its teachertraining school. It was during this time that the family home was visited by Sun Yat-sen. Bullock writes that most of his childhood memories were centred on their latter home in Wuchang, one of the three cities which were merged to become today’s Wuhan. Returning to Wuhan in 1980, Bullock was delighted to successfully find the old family home, and that it had been turned into a preschool. Long before that though, the Bullock family had made many return trips to the USA. Christmas of 1926 was spent in the home of Bullock’s cousin, Mary Beckwith, and this was the point of no return. Having ignited his interest in anthropology, Bullock writes, “Back in central China I continued to collect freshwater and terrestrial shells in kitchen middens and on ivy-covered walls. “To identify my prizes I took them to the museum in the British Concession in Shanghai.” The rest, as they say…. Bullock fathered two children with Martha Runquist, who remained his wife for 68 years, until this Great Nanjinger passed away on 20 December, 2005. 23
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NANKINISH With Wu Zeyuan
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anjing’s long-standing food vendors and eateries in downtown neighbourhoods offer a real taste of city and local life. I go back to those places when I can, preferably later in the afternoon to bring something home for a simple supper, and, like many other Nanjingers (or the older ones perhaps), I always get a bag of “shaobing” (烧 饼). You must try them if you haven’t, but it is even better to appreciate these humble pastries in some cultural context. “Bing” apart from being a search engine which you’d use only when you don’t have a VPN, is a major category in the diverse world of Chinese wheat foods. Simply put, it’s anything that is flat and rounded, whether steamed, fried, or baked, leavened or unleavened, with or without fillings, round or oval, gigantic or petite. But we’re talking about a specific type of bing; the shaobing, which means “baked bing” in classical Chinese. Whereas almost all wheat foods in China were boiled or steamed, as suggested by archaeological findings, it was perhaps not until the 2nd century CE that travellers from the Middle East or Central Asia introduced “baked bings” to the Chinese, presumably sharing the same origin with naan and pita bread. In fact, many shaobing bakeries today still bake in tandoor-like ovens. These baked, exotic bings soon became popular in China and, along with some major migrations in Chinese history, were brought to almost every corner of the large empire in the following millennium. The shaobing made in different areas continued to develop into numerous variations in the hands of local bakers. In Jiangsu province alone, you can easily find at least a dozen major variations. This makes it impossible to translate “shaobing” into a single English term; it may be “flat bread” in this city and “pie” in another.
In Nanjing, shaobings are a favourite companion with mini wontons or duck-blood noodle soup, and they are often made with, unsurprisingly, duck-fat shortening. They first appeared in Chinese Muslim (Hui) restaurants and delicatessens which have been popular in Nanjing for centuries. Using the by-product of Nanjing’s favourite bird, these shaobings started as a halal substitute for the lard-laminated ones made in other parts of Jiangsu and Anhui. But over time, they have evolved into a distinctive regional type that eventually defines shaobing in the Nanjingers’ lexicon. They are about the size of a palm, with dozens of paper-thin layers that are crunchy and soft at the same time. They come with two shapes and two fillings; the oval-shaped are savoury, flavoured with minced scallions and softened fat at the centre, while the roundshaped are sweet, using a fine layer of sugar crystals (and often with ground black sesame) instead. Both are generously covered with white sesame seeds on the top. Which store makes the best shaobing in Nanjing? That question is of little interest to locals, just like New Yorkers do not travel across the city to find the best bagel shop; they just buy them downstairs. They are too commonplace. It was not until recent years, with the rise of social media and review websites, that some better shaobing bakeries became renowned beyond their communities. Among all the delicious shaobing bakeries in the city, Chengcheng (成诚酥烧饼) has always been my favorite since 2009 when I moved to the neighbourhood and discovered this hidden gem. Setting the competition of “the best” aside, there should be no doubt that Chengcheng at least makes the flakiest shaobing in town. To me, the flakiest means the best. You will love them if you are, like me, a fan of mille-feuille, baklava and
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croissant. Be aware, however, if you only look for halal food. Even local people would often assume Chengcheng use duck fat like many other places. Indeed, they look and taste very similar to the duck-fat ones, but they use lard. The owners of Chengcheng started their business in the city centre before they moved to the current location about 20 years ago. Located at 127 Shuiximen Da Jie, steps away from the south gate of the Mochou Lake Park, this small bakery is well situated in the Nanhu area; one of Nanjing’s largest neighbourhood built in the 80s and renowned for some of the busiest markets, eateries and delicatessens around.
Chengcheng offers four types of filling for you to choose from; salted scallion (葱油; ¥1.4 each), sweetened black sesame (脂麻; ¥1.4 each), sweetened red bean paste, (豆沙; ¥2.2 each) and ground pork (肉; ¥4 each). All of them are regarded by most as shaobing. Technically speaking, however, only the first two are shaobing, whereas the latter are “mooncakes.” The terminological difference is spelled out on their menu board, and I like that precision. Each of the four fillings has its own loyal fans, and I would recommend anyone to try all. Suppose, however, that Chengcheng decide to keep only one option and stop making the rest three, I would hope they keep the scallion one. As mentioned earlier, standing in the queue is almost inevitable before getting your baked goodies, but that should take no more than 10 minutes. In fact, it is always an enjoyable experience for me as I watch other customers come, order and leave. Those who jump back and forth to read the menu board are usually first-time buyers from other parts of the city who found this place by recommendation. Those who ask directly for “the scallion” or “the sesame” without the help of the board are often the younger or newer frequenters. Older people who have been living in this area for decades do not use words like that. They use “the savory” (scallion) or “the sweet” (black sesame) instead. This may seem confusing because there are other savory and sweet options, but the staff here never fail to understand the jargon.
numbers, by which time she would have also told you that the sum is ¥76.4, all done with amazing speed and accuracy. I appreciate her professionalism so much that I never mind how fierce she sometimes looks and sounds.
Once it is your turn, order perhaps thirteen pieces of the scallion, eight of the sesame, five of the red bean, and nine of the meat. While the QR code that you scanned for payment is still loading, the lady by the shop window would have already collected each of the flavours from different baking trays in their correct
Originally known as an exotic bread from Central Asia, shaobing has long become one of the most loved foods all over China and a representation of various regional flavours. To me, a piece of scallion shaobing with a bowl of wonton soup is all I need for a nostalgic taste of home and an eternal source of comfort and happiness.
An exceptional advantage of buying from a busy bakery like Chengcheng is that you always get your pastries fresh and warm, as they bake while they sell. Sometimes they sell out a batch so quickly that people have to wait for the next batch to come from the oven, but who would mind that? One of my best memories is walking back home at sunset while eating shaobing from Chengcheng’s plastic bag. But beware that the crispy layers tend to break into small pieces and fall off everywhere like snowflakes along with the sesame seeds. Think twice if you are on your first date.
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Thousand Island Picking
By Matthew Stedman
“Not Worth Waking the Tea Master” We had just 1 hour; 60 minutes to fill four baskets. Any less, we were told, and the local tea master would reject the batch as a waste of effort.
my thumb nail had nipped it throughout that hour. No blood, but that browning chlorophyll stained the finger for days.
So off we went to work on a hillside overlooking a road on the edge of Qiandaohu [千岛湖] in neighbouring Zhejiang Province. With baskets attached to our bellies, our job was to pick those leaves from the bushes which were big enough to be called leaves but small enough to retain the desired pale green shade and moist texture.
Lao Lao’s efforts matched mine, as did my elder daughter’s, though we were nowhere near the requisite four baskets’ full. The baby wasn’t for hanging around, and we took the bread-van back to the hotel, hoping for mercy.
It didn’t take long for the baby to lose interest. Barely walking at that moment, 1 year ago, she wasn’t even into tearing bushes apart. So she climbed into my wife’s basket, and they went off somewhere to bounce and dance. That left just Lao Lao (maternal grandmother), Lao Da (my big daughter) and me. And we got our heads down. We hadn’t expected to be given this chance. It was just something discussed over breakfast. The hotel owner happened to own a small plot of teagrowing land. Her 90-something grandfather was too old to run it as a cash-crop, and guests like us were allowed to go and play. This wasn’t even a tea holiday. But we were pretty determined to fill those bags. Turns out, this is back-breaking work. Tea bushes are too low for anyone’s comfort, never mind a man’s. The whole body needs to maintain a stooped structure while peering and picking. There is a rhythm to it, but one I had to keep it in check. For, as soon as I felt something like flow, I also saw a larger proportion of the harder, thicker leaves falling in the basket. Concentrate. On that spring morning, the sun was already a discomfort. And to my surprise, the wind sometimes threatened to blow everything out of the basket, moving branches I was trying to pick from. My most lasting injury was to the tip of my middle finger, where
The owner poured all the baskets’ leaves onto the tiled floor and shook her head. “Not worth waking the tea master for”, she said. And there was no equipment in the kitchen to perform the withering or firing necessary to make tea. For the others, that was enough. They were happy to leave the leaves behind as we moved to our next hotel. But I collected as many as I could in my bag. It became a proper Labour Day holiday, long enough for me to break a rib in a karting crash, long enough to discover that no one eats Thousand Island Dressing in Thousand Island Lake; their delicious freshwater fish don’t need it. But all the while I knew that, there on the table of the hotel room, my leaves were trying to wither. And, each day, I introduced them to hot water, monitoring the changes in taste. Unable to offer these poor leaves sunlight or dryness, they started turning purplish. And that made them more interesting too. One of the things I learned is that I basically like the taste of tea. Even in its rawest form it has a banana-skin aspect which I like. This is partly why I’m enjoying white teas so much these days. One day I may be brave enough to tell you about my attempts, back home, to fire my aged leaves in a wok. But, dear Strainer reader, right now, I’m just too ashamed to share with you the many, many mistakes I made. One day, I will be the local tea master. But I’ll need a thousand more of those hours. 26
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The Building of Nanjing
By Frank Hossack
Zhongshan Wharf is where, on 23 April, 1949, troops of the People's Liberation Army landed to recapture Nanjing. It was the last time the city would be capital of China. But the story of this, one of Nanjing’s most iconic buildings, goes back nearly another quarter of a century. Today’s Zhongshan wharf was built in 1925; on 8 August, 1928, the wharf was completed and named "Capital Wharf of the Jinpu Railway" (Tianjin-Pukou Railway). History was then to unfold and the wharf would find itself bang in the middle of events regarded as among the 20th century’s most significant. Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan) died in Beiping (now Beijing) in 1925. According to his last wish to be buried in Nanjing, on 28 May, 1929, his coffin was moved from Beijing to its final resting place in the Zhongshan Mausoleum on Purple Mountain. With the Wharf being the landing point in Nanjing for that coffin, it was felt fitting to rename the wharf in his memory. It is also important to note that this was in fact also a landing point for a train ferry. On the north side of the Yangtze River was the terminus of the Tianjin-Pukou railway at the now-beautifully restored Nanjing Pukou Railway Station. Before the train ferry, passengers would need alight and take to the ferry on foot, but its arrival meant they could stay on the train, while the carriages in which they sat were shunted on to the ferry.
~5~
Zhongshan Wharf In 1933, Nanjing Railway Bureau rebuilt Zhongshan wharf and added a 100 metre-long barge, three steel trestles and a waiting room. The road from the Wharf to Yijiang Men was also later widened and a large car park built. With two floors on both sides and three floors in the centre section, the wharf’s facade is the epitome of the Republic of China, while actual ferry embarking and disembarking takes place to the rear of the building. The second floor on the right is the ferry-ticket office and night-tour ticket office, while the middle part sits largely idle. In 1968, with the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge complete and open to traffic, demand for ferry crossings of the River decreased sharply and passenger throughput at Zhongshan Wharf began to quickly ebb. At its peak, the Wharf saw about 150 ferry crossings daily, moving more than 100,000 people across the River. Today, less than 10,000 cross the River in this way each day. The 2.8-kilometre ferry ride takes around 15 minutes and a one-way fare is ¥2. Use the Nanjing "jinlingtong" transportation card and get it half price. Meanwhile, the Zhongshan Wharf Waiting Hall, located at 21 Jiangbian Lu, is an Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Building, as well as a District-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.
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By Lillian Paetzold Chen
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The backstreets of downtown Nanjing have now become a burrow known for their second-hand books and vintage vinyl. Scattered along Hankou Lu, you’ll find bookstores and miscellaneous shops replete with items of the ages. “Scholar Bookstore”, located at 48 Hankou Lu, is filled to the brim with relics of the past, as well as second-hand books. Unlike most such stores you’ll find in Nanjing, Scholar has their fair share of English novels, as well as some in French. While not known for a plethora of English titles, you’ll still be able to find a couple clothbound classics in decent condition, such as “Oliver Twist” and “Moby Dick”. If you’re into French literature, there are novels from the 1930s, poems and an unexpected quantity of French-translated Russian novels priced for ¥10-¥30, with occasional ¥5 books. Throughout, you’ll find bits and bobs of sheet music, postage stamps, and to my surprise, a Backstreet Boys cassette. Upstairs, traditional antiques of more value, such as boxes of jewlery and ancient books, as well as sheet music from more well-known composers, such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky. The 19th century décor is accompanied by suitable furniture; an antique piano, plus tables and chairs that look like they came straight out of Emily Dickinson’s house. On the stairs themselves, the walls are embellished with portraits and paintings featuring the occasional duck plus collectable teaspoons. Further down the lane you will find the quaint, “Lair Vintage”, which poses as a hub for all things vintage fashion. Bringing back the retro chic with flying colours, the store captures a pleasant blend of retro clothing in a modern society. Their wider collection of vinyl carries the theme of the shop, having vinyl from both past and present, along with soundtracks from movies such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Call Me by Your Name”. Out front is mainly clothing, ranging from overalls to leather jackets and a prominent collection of
sweaters. While the accessory and music section may not be as large a collection, the vinyl and CDs are equally cared for and of favourable quality. As an amusing aside, the owner of the store can often be seen strutting their featured items of clothing in both the store, as well as on their WeChat moments as Outfit of the Day (OOTD). Finally for the pièce de resistance; Vintage 101 serves as a haven for all things modern rock. Aside from the immaculate collection of 90s vintage t-shirts and Doc Martins, the eclectic CD collection would be reason enough to visit because there is surely something for everyone. To note just a few standouts, their wide range of 90s varsity jackets and sweaters is accompanied by iconic John Lennon Windsor glasses. Not everything can be purchased with pocket money, but you will be able to find a couple of graphic t-shirts for around ¥30. When it comes to their range of CDs, the shelves hold the perfect balance of rock, folk and alternative, with the occasional bit of psychedelic rock, all collected along the owner’s vast global travels. The shop’s charisma can be experienced all the way from the hidden entrance decked with Beatles memorabilia and amusing posters, to the unique step into the past captured by the eclectic décorandvibe. Don’t be fooled by the shop’s petite size; it carries an ample collection of irresistible trinkets for music enthusiasts and an assortment of Bohemian bling. While every shop varies, the owners are all a delight to speak to and will help if there’s something else you’re looking for, as what’s in the shops is only a fraction of the whole collection. With multiple restaurants and bars in the surroundings, this hot spot near to Nanjing University is undoubtedly the new destination for lazy weekends simply lost in time. 29
Additional info, online version or Chinese contact via the QR code that follows each review.
GASTRONOMY By Edward Moran
The Sting of a Sequel or More Unparalleled Brewing?
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Roommate’s smokiness and sometimes crowded nature may stop us at declaring this on the level of Godfather 2 in terms of sequels. However, I would certainly take it over the latest Matrix movie in a heartbeat. Be sure to pop down. A classy experience with a speakeasy vibe that, for me, is worth replaying on a monthly basis. Roomate is located 1F3018, The Central, 237 Jiangdong Zhong Lu 江东中路237号中央商场 1F3018. Tel: 52807279.
with truffle, while those with a sweet tooth shall undoubtedly be tempted by the raspberry pistachio eclair. Trying not to look at the full breakfast, we settled on tagliatelle Bolognese (¥68) and a salami panini (¥58). The former is perfectly acceptable and beautifully presented, although there was the usual quibble with the pasta that it not be “al dente”. Some neobread with the pasta would have also been nice.
GASTRONOMY By Frank Hossack
All-Day Wine! If that’s what the Sign Says, it’s a Steal! The panini was a different matter. Hot salami is key here, accompanied by jalapeno peppers, tomato and lettice in, yes, a Sichus pepper ciabatta! It’s not all as spicy as it sounds. But these were dishes served whole meal times apart. We’re not kidding; half of our dining party had finished their entire meal (including the drinks) before the other half’s arrived. Introduced to us as “nearly Shanghai”, our visit to Wine Thieves left us feeling that particular big smoke remains 280
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hina is nuts for auspicious dates, which might make you question the wisdom of opening a restaurant in Nanjing on 13 December that is the anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. Nevertheless, that’s not the way auspicious dates actually work and Wine Thieves is still with us. Self described as a “neo-bistro”, Wine Thieves is precisely what you might imagine that to be and would not be out of place halfway up the Alps. Thumbs up first to the pleasant waitress who served The Nanjinger in exceptionally clear English, a trait equally well reflected on Wine Thieves’ thankfully printed menus.
kilometres away, at least until the wrinkles are ironed out. All foibles aside, Wine Thieves remains a great addition to the western dining scene in Xinjiekou. It’s also not alone, with numerous drinking and dining options in the same area having opened in the last year or so. Next month, The Nanjinger continues its exploration of this part of our city in recent years dubbed “the Soho of Nanjing”. Wine Thieves is located 94 Wangfu Da Jie in Xinjiekou 新街口王府大街94号. Tel: 18913047661.
We were there for lunch, for which a trimmed down version of the dinner menu has been simply labelled “Brunch”, but does also include distinctly early-in-the-day items such as a full breakfast. A glimpse at the dinner menu revealed that a return visit after sunset should certainly be contemplated, especially for lovers of water-borne cuisine; Perle Noir French oysters, white-wine poached mussels and crispy frogs legs being the highlights therein. Meat lovers’ eyes shall be caught by the Tournedos Rossini 31
It's been that time of year for years 12 and 13 at The British School of Nanjing to prepare for their A level examinations in Chemistry, Physics and Biology. As such, the school’s eldest students were the first to be permitted to return to campus for in-person learning after the recent outbreak of COVID in Nanjing. Then they were able to get in that all-important time in the lab!
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THE NANJINGER | 2022.04
THE
Download this map to your smartphone via The Nanjinger website
The Nanjinger’s Metro Map is the only printed map of the city’s metro system to include first and last times for every station, perfect for planning a late night out or an adventure to somewhere new with an early start. In the case of last trains, passengers are advised to enter the station of departure at least 10 minutes before the train time.
