2
W
ithout a doubt, the weather is an ornament of our life with the potential to change our influx of emotions, but even so, we can influence how it changes, predominantly, through our mindset. For instance, because people habitually associate weather with emotions, writers sometimes utilise the imagery of weather, for example, rain and thunder, to influence the mood of a scene or the feelings of a character. I am one such character…
By Steven Yeh
It was the excruciating dampness and heat of a rainy season’s tempestuous afternoon that made me feel unusually preoccupied, perturbed and lethargic. In an attempt to find inner tranquility through experiencing an alternative world, I grabbed a book from the shelf and started exploring a new realm. Engrossed in reading the novel on my bed, the faint sounds of pouring rain, bellowing thunder and roaring gusts of wind outside the balcony window became trivial.
Tersely, my focus was broken by the child upstairs’ dreadful blubbering. Gradually, my attention shifted to my surroundings. More sounds were perceived. It was subsequently conspicuous to me that the family upstairs were quarrelling. I could hear hollering exchanges between the parents and even household objects being thrown harshly on the floor, which caused a couple of disturbingly violent thuds. I became more fidgety.
Weather as Gauge to Emotion & Achievement
18
Amidst this squabble, I unexpectedly picked up on the pacifying sounds of an accordion. It was the elderly lady downstairs. Enchantingly, the melody massaged the disquieting altercation upstairs, through a combination of strident dialogue, rasping clatter and the appeasing instrument that all resembled an amusement park ambiance. Idiosyncratically, this contrast, along with the “irate” storm, jogged my memory back to sixth grade, when I was on a school trip, hiking the Hui-Hang Road, an ancient trail between Anhui and Hangzhou. “So clammy! Why are we even hiking in the rain?!” “I hate this weather!” “This is torture…”
Following one of the customary day-long hikes underneath the baking sun, we arrived at a village located in the middle of nowhere one evening. After dinner, I went outside the building and gazed up at a “morose” sky, noticing heavy clouds incessantly blown by the blustery wind, like moving curtains, obscuring the enlightening moon. Seeing everyone starting to depart from eatery to residence, I hastened my pace. “There’s a bug on my bed! There’s another one down on the floor!”, recoiled my still-awake roommate as I was stretched out on the cramped bed still trying to fall asleep.
Finally, I was slumbering. Then again, without prior notice, a few hours later came a curt, “Wake up!” My roommates, who were playing video games throughout the brevity of my sleep, started dressing themselves in their heavy cotton-padded rain jackets and pants. “What’s happening? It’s dark and raining outside. …Why are we waking up?”, I questioned bafflingly, while glaring cursorily between them and the window. Checking my watch, I realised that it was dark because it was 2 o’clock in the morning. Despite my bewildered state, watching my roommates expeditiously dressing in their rain gear promptly impelled me to stay present and disregard the weather. All appropriately dressed, we scurried downstairs and to breakfast amid the inclement gloom. Soon, eating over and done with, we queued to exit the back door and proceed with our hike.
At first, I could barely see my surroundings, not even the people in front of me. I turned on my camping headlamp, as did everyone. Under its brilliance, I could but only see a small part of the precipitous and rock-strewn path in front of me, accompanied by the misgiving sensations of opaque and unfamiliar surroundings. By this point, the deluge and tropical-rainforestlevel humidity had soaked through my rain gear. The hiking head wrap on my neck engulfed by the rain-gear hoodie was drenched with sweat after stoically walking ad infinitum without knowing time had passed. We soldiered gingerly on with our hiking sticks, apprehensive of tripping, slipping, slowing others down or falling behind ourselves. When seeing everyone resolutely moving forward in the wilderness without rest before sunrise, who dares to stop? A while later, we ascended a long way on an even tighter path; stacked slick rocks to our side. And in this weather, one can well imagine how many people up ahead were complaining. Yet, those behind me relentlessly hiked in silence without grievance, despite the arduous, grueling trek. Unconsciously, the hours passed, then came the morning mist, filtered by the hazy illumination of headlamps. At last, we saw the sunrise upon our destination. A friend hiking behind me said, “We just finished hours of hiking in the dark in that rain! It was such a challenging and unforgettable experience! So surreal! Even though it was strenuous and I’m absolutely sodden at the moment, I would be so remorseful if I had never hiked that trail in my life! Now I feel content”. To an extent, people discourage themselves by saying, “It’s raining today. … It’s going to be just another mediocre day”, or, “This overcast, sullen day is making me melancholic”. However, remember the apartment building? Despite the “gloomy” weather, there was both a family upstairs bickering and a lady downstairs delighting in playing the accordion. Knowing that weather does not define our mood, the more optimistic and motivated might think, “I am so fortunate to be alive, so I will fully experience every day and live to my potential regardless of my environment”. One day on Earth passes swiftly no matter our emotions. Whether we let it pass with gratitude or despondence is simply a choice. 19
FOR ARTS SAKE with Francesca Leiper
Worth a Penny 5 ŇŊ ŦçȅȌ¨ —ĕȇřŲŲŖĕČ } ŲČĕȇŦ } çȌΩĕȇ
W
hile Van Gogh apparently sold only one painting in his lifetime, Picasso resorted to burning his to keep warm. As for Gaughin, he left the world penniless, with all but an inkling of the impact his work would leave on future generations. And so goes the story of the Chinese modernist painter, San Yu. Born into a wealthy family of silk manufacturers in Sichuan in 1901, he died 65 years later in Paris with almost nothing to his name, and yet today his paintings are among the highest valued on the lucrative Chinese art market. Just last month at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong, one of his coveted nude paintings, “Quatre Nus”, sold for US$33.3 million. According to the Artprice database, the extraordinary success of his works at auction in 2019 placed him 16th in the world pecking order for biggest seller last year. But perhaps his inability to break through was in fact the drive behind his unswerving dedication to painting, and to staying in Paris where he mingled with avant-garde artists and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Picasso and Giacometti. In a letter written in 1932, some 10 years after his arrival in Paris, he wrote, “The misery of the lives of artists. They ought to be poor, always poor, until the end. ... I could abandon all that I have now. ... But there is a chance: My love has not died yet”. San’s love for art was evident from childhood. The youngest of twelve children, his father recognised his artistic potential and made sure he was well versed in Chinese painting and calligraphy before sending him to
study in Paris. He was one among a wave of young Chinese artists who took advantage of a government scholarship to study abroad, except San, unlike most of his contemporaries, chose not to return to China. He felt, in his own words, “obliged to stay in Paris to live the life of a bohemian”. San’s grounding in Chinese fine arts continued to inform his work, particularly in his sensitivity to line and his calligraphic manipulation of the brush, which set him apart from his European counterparts, who opted for the sketchier quality of charcoal and pencil. The female nude became a subject of his fascination and one that would have been almost unthinkable in his native China at the time. With a few calligraphic strokes, he delineated his characteristically plump figures, padding them out in fleshy pastel colours. But despite San’s persistent efforts to combine European modernism with Chinese painting techniques, he made little impact on the art world in his lifetime. Having considered moving back to Asia, he died of a gas leak in his Paris apartment in 1966. It was not until much later that his unusual painting style and background drew the attention of Taiwanese art dealers. By the 1980s and ‘90s, his works gradually became featured in exhibitions and catalogues that explored artistic exchange between China and France, teasing his works out of private collections and onto the market. One after another, his paintings today fetch millions at auction, part in thanks to the extraordinary buying power of mainly Chinese collectors, earning him the nickname, “Chinese Matisse”ǵ 20
SENSE&SUSTAINABILITY With Natalie Amezcua
People Make Waste
& China has a lot of people
L
ast November, on Singles Day, China’s State Post Bureau expected to handle a reported 2.8 billion packages, roughly two packages per person on the country’s largest shopping holiday of the year.
“We want to be a one-stop shop for everything that you need”, co-founder Joe Harvey told The Nanjinger. “We now almost got everything someone would need to live a normal lifestyle.”
Olivia O’Connor, an English teacher living in Nanjing, identified the overwhelming reality of waste and went out of her way to mitigate it. Joining the rest of the country in its online shopping culture, she visited Taobao and ordered a set of metal straws; a first step in the fight against the climate crisis.
Lagom Planet offers a variety of waste-free alternatives to household, personal care and everyday products, that are sustainable, reusable and biodegradable.
“I started to realise how much plastic that actually is”, O’Connor said of the countless disposable straws used every day. She wanted to do her part to help. A few days later, O’Connor received a package containing the items she had ordered to assist in her waste-free journey. It also contained, of course, an excessive amount of waste. The straws arrived in a cardboard box. Inside the cardboard, O’Connor said, was, “a big blown-up bubble wrap thing”, with a plastic bag protecting a plastic container more than capable of transporting the items she had ordered on its own. After opening that container, O’Connor then found the five objects comprising her metal straw kit, each object individually wrapped in plasticǵ O’Connor was dumbfounded. One package out of 2.8 billion, on just one of the many shopping holidays scattered across the Chinese calendar. “The first thing I thought of”, O’Connor said, “was the irony that I had ordered this to save plastic. In a fast-pace consumer culture, how does one go about ditching plastic waste consumption? One possible solution, named Lagom Planet, previously The Bulk House, hopes to offer relief for China’s ecoconscious citizens. The country’s first zero-waste social enterprise has used Taobao and Weidian to reach conscious consumers dedicated to combat plastic waste by, “making zero waste convenient for all”.
A Swedish word that doubles as a philosophy, Lagom roughly translates to, “Not too much, not too little, but just right.” Harvey described the word’s meaning as fundamental to his company’s ethos. Lagom Planet is driven to not only limiting plastic waste, but to promoting an entire waste-free business, by promising waste-free packaging that includes biodegradable tape and recycled newspaper as padding. This is a hopeful alternative and movement to the immense plastic waste many fall victim to on a daily basis in China, whether it’s via online shopping or purchasing a “bao zi” from a street vendor. What initially began in 2016 as a personal challenge between Harvey and fellow co-founder, Carrie Yu, to limit their own waste to one jar per year has evolved into a business dedicated to providing China with items to aid a waste-free lifestyle. “When we started we didn’t really think of this going anywhere”, recalls Harvey. The social climate surrounding a waste-free lifestyle, however, is still relatively new, Harvey said. “I remember doing a search about zero waste in Chinese and English back when we started this and there was nothing coming up on WeChat moments or through WeChat accounts”˙ Ňĕ ȇĕăçřřĕČǵ The lack of knowledge and awareness in plastic waste led Harvey and Yu to begin their journey by sharing moments on WeChat, writing blogs and self educating on zero waste. But it wasn’t until after hosting a workshop to teach composting for an audience of 30 people that they realised they were influencing their community; people were interested. 22
Through trial and error and lots of confusion sprouting from customers and viewers alike, Harvey and Yu have successfully grown their business with the same mission they started with; making zero waste convenient for all. Now, with demographics displaying about 95 percent Chinese customer support, Lagom Planet is showing that zero-waste living and a plasticwaste-free lifestyle is brewing in a country that has long thrived on plastic waste. “I felt a bit angry”, O’Connor said of her limited options toward sustainability. “I felt like these companies are taking advantage of people who are trying to buy environmentally friendly stuff, and actually we have no idea what the process involved in making and producing these environmentally friendly options is.” Plastic waste, it is argued, interrupts nature’s process of revitalising itself. Adopting a zerowaste lifestyle is just one way of limiting our footprint on Earth. When customers or friends who have doubts about zero waste question this concept, Harvey simply directs the conversation to the bigger picture. “This isn’t Carrie and I’s ‘concept’. This concept is nature. That’s all it really is.” “Next time you need a toothbrush, buy a bamboo one”, Harvey suggested. “And that’s it. That’s all you have to do. And the great thing about that bamboo toothbrush is that you use it twice a day and now you’re being reminded about the environment twice a day by brushing your teeth.” Whether a metal straw or a bamboo toothbrush, Harvey said, there are concrete measures his customers can take toward helping the planet.
“We can do anything”, he said, “but we can’t do everything”.
By Matthew Stedman
Pu’er of the Dog; Plumbing for the Hangover
You’re not completely sure how you got home last night. You’re worried what you might have said to those friends you were with. You just cannot find that cash which you keep in your wallet for emergencies. Strainer cannot help you with any of these problems. You’re listless. Every movement requires double the effort. There’s a headache on the horizon. Now we’re talking. It’s about time this column got around to hangover strategies. And I’m sure you won’t be surprised to see tea playing a role in the recommendations here.
Sweat it out? Actually, it may pay (slightly) to get sweaty right now. Yes, the previous night’s alcohol will be evicted from your body sooner or later, mostly from downstairs. But sweat (and even breath) can contribute a few extra percent. While sweating in a sauna or jogging in a rubbertracksuit could make this dehydration (much) worse, sweating because of a hot drink can perhaps help just a little. So try heating your drink more than you usually would; yes, even in summer! See if it works for you.
The Caffeine Factor Contrary to its role in popular culture as “wake up juice”, caffeine isn’t exactly alcohol’s opposite. “Uppers” and “downers” don’t cancel each other out, just as sugar doesn’t cancel salt. Some of today’s undesirable symptoms may actually be redoubled by caffeine; the racing heart rate and the bathroom urge. That dry carpet covering your tongue is unlikely to be improved by coffee. But caffeine delivered by tea may help you keep your eyes open for the next few hours. After a drunken night’s (REM-deprived) sleep, it may just be your best option until you can hit the hay again.
Anti-Oxidants? As well as the upper/downer dichotomy, there’s that pairing of the “poison” and the “panacea”. It seems intuitive enough; alcohol was the devil that got you into this trouble; maybe green tea can guide you back to normal. Well, don’t forget any of that stuff about flavonoids and catechins; that may be useful in the long term. But it’s not going to aid your hangover very quickly.
Electrolytes I’ll admit I’d long thought of electrolytes as a marketing myth; it sounded enough like “electricity” to seem like just another apocryphal rocket-fuel energy drink ingredient. But these minerals may actually be more important to you now that you’re hung over than after a heavy gym workout, especially if yesterday’s food bounced out. In this respect, a Gatorade may actually be more effective than pot of tea (which contains a little potassium, but not much else). But, sticking with tea, there are ingredients you can add; lemon and ginger are obvious ones. Coconut water and honey may also be worth investigating. And mint may help with the nausea. Anecdotally, I favour a really dark tea at such times; a dark oolong or a pu’er. But I’ve occasionally been grateful to other teas, too. Let’s be honest; whichever seems least disgusting right now is probably your best hydration partner for the day. At the very least, making tea is a comforting ritual. The positive feedback loop from a manageable task is welcome relief from the other frustrations of the “second day”. And it’s comforting to know that, from now on, no drink stronger than tea will ever pass your lips.
...at least not until the next time. 24
Great Nanjingers (4) By Frank Hossack
Conducting Maestro who was King of the Choirs Yang Hongnian Y
ang Hongnian Dz 杨鸿年dzwon more awards in international choral competitions than any other Chinese conductor, leading the Beijing Philharmonic Choir ensemble around the world for more than 30 years. Born in Nanjing in 1934, Yang first worked as conductor for the Nanjing People’s Radio Station’s Chorus in 1951. He was to go on to be vividly remembered. In 1983, the leaders of the Beijing Guanyuan Art Training Centre wanted to organise a children’s chorus of the highest level in China. They were recommended Yang, who readily agreed, famously promising, “Let the choir become the best in Beijing within 1 year, the best in the country in 2 years, enter the international ranks in 3 years and reach a truly international level in 4 years”. Those 4 years later, the Children and Young Women’s Chorus of China National Symphony Orchestra (now the Beijing Philharmonic Choir) performed in the Third International Children’s Choir Festival in Washington D.C., USA, in 1987. There they received a Highest Appreciation Certificate, signed by then-US president, Ronald Reagan. On the other side of the pond, the Austrian capital of Vienna is famed for its New Year’s Concert (Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker), making the city’s citizens hard to impress. When Yang and his choir performed there in 1990, then-Austrian president, Rudolf Kirchschläger, heaped on the praise, saying, “A concert of such brilliance should be heard by everyone in Vienna”. By now, the awards were mounting up. In May, 1997, the ensemble won the only special prize at the International Art Festival in Moscow commemorating the 200th anniversary of Pushkin’s birth. Taking the choir on frequent tours abroad, Yang’s
efforts helped over 5,000 Chinese children and young women experience the cultures and welcomes of many other countries and regions, including Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, Singapore, Sweden and Taiwan. Under Yang, they sung over 1,000 performances worldwide, releasing no less than 32 CD and DVD albums and seven collections of children’s choral music. Yang became famous worldwide not only for being prolific in his field, but also for a musical prowess that saw him conduct with zeal and precision. In recognition of his outstanding artistic achievements, conductors from various countries elected Yang Vice Chairman of the International Society of Children’s Choral and Performing Arts on three consecutive occasions. Yet, Yang’s zenith, as well as that of his choir, arguably came about as part of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The choir had been selected to be a key ingredient in the bidding process for both the 2000 and 2008 Games, by an organising committee keen to impress the IOC with a potential cultural contribution to the Games. With the latter bid a success, on 8 August, 2008, 66 lucky choir members were among the Chinese and foreign children who sang The Olympic Anthem at the opening ceremony of the 29th Games of the Olympiad. It was a fitting climax for the ensemble whose motto is “Love and Devotion”. In January 2014, Yang was awarded the honorary title of “2013 Chinese Cultural Figure”ǵ He once sighed that the timbre in children’s voices is the clearest and most ethereal in all of the human lifespan; its moment in the sun snuffed out all too quickly. Yang passed away of illness, aged 86, on 26 July, 2020. 25
Nanjing’s Cultural Attractions Unity through Destruction? By Roxie Wang
U
pon the relics of our ancestors, we strew technology and investment in the name of reinvigoration. Then, on those formerly dusty sites, we gladly bestow the brand-new architecture with blossoming light bulbs and vining glass ornaments.
Such is how Nanjing’s new cultural landmarks have been created in the last decade. They are hybrids of history and modernity. Standing in the Porcelain Tower Relic Park, I was aware of this change that seems subtle but has nevertheless suffused corners of the city with which I am so familiarǵ 26
if ΩŊŢ ĕ ȇĕ‘ ŊŦČȌ ΩŲ ΩŇĕ ‡ ĕçȇȌ‘ ŇĕŦ “cultural attractions” ȌΩŊřř Ţ ĕçŦΩ “keeping our historical relics just as they are”˙ b‘ Ųṭ řČ Ňç—ĕ ČĕȌăȇŊ ûĕČ çŦ˝Ŋ Ŧļ ȅȌ çΩΩȇçăΩŊ ŲŦȌ çȌ ǽṭ Ŋ ĕΩ̇ ŲřČʼī çȌŇŊ ŲŦĕČ ǫřçăĕȌ‘ ĕ —Ŋ ȌŊ ΩȌŊ Ţ ǫř‡ ī Ųȇ ΩŇĕ ȌçŖĕ Ųī ǫç‡ Ŋ Ŧļ ΩȇŊ ûṭ Ωĕǵ¾ΩçŦČŊ Ŧļ ŲûȌΩŊ ŦçΩĕř‡ ‘ Ŋ ΩŇΩŇĕŊ ȇČŊ Ţ ‘ çřřȌçŦČ ȌŲřĕŢ Ŧ çΩŢ ŲȌǫŇĕȇĕ˙ ΩŇĕ‡ çȇĕ ī ȇŲ⁵ ĕŦ ΩŲŖĕŦȌŲī ΩŇĕ ǫçȌΩȓ ȌŖĕřĕΩŲŦȌŲī ΩŇĕ ŲřČ çŦ˝Ŋ Ŧļ çřŊ —ĕ ŲŦř‡ Ŋ Ŧ ŇŊ ȌΩŲȇ‡ ûŲŲŖȌçŦČ ļ ȇçŦČǫçȇĕŦΩȌȅΩçřĕȌǵThe space locked up within those imposing red walls, city walls and marble walls was always immense, but there was no way I, a modern-era child in today’s clothing, could blend in without being a pebble dropped into an undisturbed pond.
There was no way these settings and I
construction of the Porcelain Tower Relic
could become one with the inevitable gap
Park was completed, and the tower that
of time and style wedged between.
was once one of Seven Wonders of the
So I inquired as to their secrets with silent gazeǵ
Middle Ages was reborn as a tower of
When modern technology found its place
aimed to reinvigorate those relics with a
in Nanjing’s newly emerging cultural
more modern intelligence.
attractions, the first splashes were indeed breathtaking. In 2014, the Six Dynasties Museum,
masterpiece
of
Mr.
Bei
glass. All three projects took place upon Nanjing’s important relics, and all three
Interestingly, as a native Nanjinger, I came
to
know
about
emerging
Changjiang Lu. In 2015, Niushou Shan’s
dinner-time chats with my elder family
Usnisa
lavishly
members (like I used to when they gave
embellished dome and marble corridors
me advice on which fun parts of Nanjing
that wore the lustre of ¥4 billion, made a
to explore after school), but through
stunning debut. In the same year, the
social media.
with
its
not
newly-
Jianzhong, joined the cultural block of Palace,
landmarks,
those
through
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Additional info, online version or Chinese contact via the QR code that follows each review.
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baths. Good value, at 50 percent discount, the able masseuse delivers a Thai and oil massage ably, in a peaceful nest of solitude. It’s best to book early as demand is high and the attention to knots and sore spots on point. We only spent 2 days, but it felt like a week in Thailand, almost from the comfort of our own home. We shall return. Racha Thailand is located at 70 Qijia Village, Sechun Village, Dongshan Subdistrict, Jiangning District. Tel : 19825067410.
GASTRONOMY By Frank Hossack
Fine Organic Dining in Nanjing; ATough Claim?
I
But then it came to the mains. Having voiced our complaint that half of our meat was slightly over-cooked to our liking, a manageress immediately appeared and offered a complimentary alternative; a filet mignon, priced at ¥168. That which arrived could not be faulted; non-vegetarian readers coming here for the beef will be happy they did.
t’s official. Nanjing can now hold its own in the world of fine dining, no longer reliant on Shanghai skills to bring master chef-class creations to life in the Southern Capital.
We’re talking about Natural EATery, a dining spot of such quality it is surely impossible for it to have escaped our notice until now, almost a year and a half after its opening. That said, it is easy to miss. Located at the very western end of Jiqing Men Da Jie, The Nanjinger thought for a second the map was wrong. It wasn’t, but the tiny logo and darkened exterior (the sun was still well up upon our arrival) disguised it well. As to those organic claims, Natural EATery’s slogan is, “From farm to table”, while the restaurant also pronounces its produce to be grown organically on its own farm. The Nanjinger got things going with burrata caprese (¥48; you wont go near mozzarella again), ravioli (¥88) and lobster taglioli (¥188), accompanied by a glass of Petite Faiblesse Sauvignon Blanc (¥60; a finer dry white you’ll be hard pressed to find in Nanjing).
The beverage menu is worth a shout too. No less than 25 varieties of gin are present over three different menus; the “G&T”, the “Fan Selection” and the “Master Selection”. Lovers of the more earthy whiskies will be delighted in that Islay is the in-house choice of malt. If there were anything to criticise, it may only be our slightly arrogant opinion that a place of this class ought to have a few people about who can speak English. Yet, the menu is bilingual, therefore little difficulty is presented. Natural EATery is located at 272 Jiqing Men Da Jie, as Unit E07 of Suning Intelligent City. Tel : 57798688. 30
Jiwu Hot Spring Park in Tangshan was the location for a kayak activity organised by the Parent Committee from the British School of Nanjing, where participants were showed how to paddle forward, backward even how to run across kayaks, also known as playing the piano! All are looking forward to return.
Proud Mary 25 July, 2020
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The Nanjing International Industry and Finance Centre (Launch Pad) opening ceremonywas held in its dedicated facility in the Qinglong Green Belt of Nanjing Jiangbei NewArea. Chen Chanmei, Member of the PartyWorking Committee & Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Nanjing Jiangbei NewArea, delivered a congratulatory speech, joined by representatives of foreign enterprises, many of which had brought along their spouses and children to enjoy the adjacent skate park and other entertainment on offer.
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’ 28 June, 2020
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After a 6-month hiatus due to Covid, the expat community, InterNations, held a cocktail mixer at the InterContinental’s Prime bar, with over 80 expats representing 34 countries in attendance and new ambassadors, Hanqi and Isaac, making their debut as organisers to carry on the legacy set up by the outgoing Ricardo. Photos courtesy A. Kevin Photography.
Let’s Do Lunch 25 July, 2020
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Legal notes from The Nanjinger in association with:
D’Andrea & Partners Law Firm
Too Hot to Work? Employees’ Rights During High Temperatures
D
uring the hot summer season in China, outdoor workers are exposed to significant risks in regard to health and safety, which raises general public concern, as well as further considerations, as unfortunately, heat strokes or even accidental death are not infrequent for those engaged in outdoor labour and service. Therefore, with the overall mission to protect employee’s health, promote their wellness and contain heat-related risks, the State Administration of Work Safety, together with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the All China Federation of Trade Unions have implemented the Administrative Measures for Occupational Heat Stress (the “Measures”), which entered into force in 2012 and is effective at a national level. The aforesaid measures are aimed at establishing limitations as for the possibility of outdoor work depending on the weather conditions (in particular, temperature and humidity), a pecuniary subsidy system for employees, a health prevention and check system for outdoor workers, and an administrative and trade union surveillance system. As for the limitations for outdoor work, Article 8 of the Measures outlines the measures that employers shall adopt, under high temperature conditions, to reduce labour intensity and outdoor operation time. In more detail, when the daily maximum temperature is ≥40°C, the employer shall suspend outdoor operation; when the daily maximum temperature is ≥37°C but ＜40°C, outdoor working hours shall not be more than 6, and the consecutive working hours shall not exceed the limit prescribed by the State; when the daily maximum temperature is ≥35°C but ＜37°C, the employer shall arrange for shift work, reduce continuous operation time and shall not arrange outdoor overtime. Particular limitations apply to juvenile workers and female
employees who are pregnant; neither can be assigned to work outdoors if the temperature is above 35°C, or even within the workplace if the temperature is above 33°C. As mentioned, the Measures in Article 17 introduce a subsidy system for employees. Employees engaged in high temperature operations are entitled to receive a subsidy, to be added to the total wage, if they are assigned to work outdoors and the external temperature is not less than 35°C. The same applies when the indoor workplace temperature cannot be reduced to below 33°C. As the standards on the high temperature subsidies are formulated by the provincial administrative departments of human resources and social security, jointly with other relevant departments, there are differences at local level. Based on the increase approved in June 2019, employees in Jiangsu Province shall receive a monthly subsidy of ¥300. With the aim of protecting the health of employees, the Measures also provide that the employer with occupational exposure to heat stress shall appoint a specific person to monitor high temperatures daily, detect and assess the occupational hazards according to regulations, provide occupational health training for the employee and provide sufficient occupational heat stroke prevention beverages. Moreover, the employer shall establish dedicated rest areas in high-temperature locations, equipped with stress prevention facilities (such as air-conditioning) and formulate a contingency plan against heat stroke. Trade unions also play a key role in implementing the Measures. In fact, Articles 20 and 21 of the Measures provide that trade unions shall supervise the execution of the occupational heat stress prevention measures, request the employer to rectify violations, and in case of refusal, request the relevant department to deal with such infringement(s) in accordance with the law.
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 36
THE
Download this map to your smartphone via The Nanjinger’s official WeChat account
The Nanjinger’s Metro Map is the only 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.
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