That's Guangzhou - May 2018 by That's - Pulse of The City

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城市漫步珠三角英文版 05月份

that's guangzhou

MAY 2018

that's shenzhen

SHIFTING TIDES: CHINA’S BOAT PEOPLE PLOT AN UNCERTAIN COURSE

British National Curriculum Chinese Traditional Culture STEAM Courses Enroll before 31 May to take advantage of a 20% discount on tuition fee for the academic year 2018-2019!

CIS GUANGZHOU SPRING MUSIC CONCERT A COLLECTION OF ICONIC CANADIAN MUSIC

WOAH, CANADA!!

Featuring all students, from Pre-K to G12

THURSDAY 17th MAY 2018 2pm | CIS THEATRE, NEW CAMPUS!! Hosted by Mr Planert

We welcome all the CIS families and community to this very special musical showpiece at our brand new campus in Merchant Hill.

that’s PRD 《城市漫步》珠江三角洲英文月刊

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发行 Circulation: 李若琳 Li Ruolin

Editor-in-Chief Matthew Bossons Shenzhen Editor Adam Robbins Guangzhou Editor Daniel Plafker Shenzhen Digital Editor Bailey Hu Senior Staff Writer Tristin Zhang National Arts Editor Erica Martin Contributors Lena Gidwani, Bryan Grogan, Mia Li, Erica Martin, Noelle Mateer, Dominic Ngai, Dominique Wong

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Editor's Note

MAY 2018

For this month’s cover story, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to introduce you to the neighbors you didn’t know you had: the shuishangren, or ‘people on the water’ in English. More commonly – and controversially – known as Tanka people, populations of shuishangren are found in various parts of the Pearl River Delta (Hong Kong, Dongguan and Foshan, to name a few), and on pages 34-43, we offer an insight into the lives of these river- and seafaring folks while also exploring the modern-day challenges facing their centuries-old communities. In our City section, on pages 10-13, we look at the important work being done by PFLAG China, named for – but unaffiliated with – America’s Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. We’ve also included a two-page photo essay from our colleagues in Beijing profiling China’s ‘Weird Architecture’ era (pages 14-15). Elsewhere in our May issue, we give you a breakdown of the best PRD-based events from this year’s Festival Croisements (page 32), pay a post-quake visit to Hualien in Taiwan (page 22) and meet the folks working to save Shenzhen’s coral reefs (page 45). Catch you all in June,

Matthew Bossons

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Editor-in-Chief

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Distribution across the Pearl River Delta: 63,000 copies

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34 COVER STORY

6 CITY

ON TIDES OF CHANGE

7 MAN ON THE STREET

Examining the uncertain future of Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat dwellers, the Tanka people.

Eel monger: a slippery, slithering sales job.

10 A DECADE SPEAKING OUT PFLAG China marks 10 years.

19 DAYTRIPPER Shuilianshan Forest Park.

22 SHAKEN UP Traveling in postquake Hualien.

26 ARTS

44 COMMUNITY

THE WRAP

16 LIFE & STYLE

68 EVENTS

27 CHEN TONG The artistic mind behind video bureau.

MAY 18

30 MINDING THE DIGITAL

The King's Singers

Visions of our future at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center.

54 EAT & DRINK

MAY 18-20 Affordable Art Fair

58 WEIRD EATS OF THE PRD Take a walk on the wild side.

61 MERCATO Believe the hype.

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MAY 22 Feast of the Drunken Dragon

MAN ON THE STREET

CITY Shooting Stars

The photographer documenting China’s ‘Weird Architecture’ era, p14

EEL MONGER

A Slippery, Slithering Sales Job By Daniel Plafker

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PFLAG China P10

r. Xie wears boots to work. And if you plan to visit him while he’s on the job, we recommend you consider doing the same. That’s because Xie’s place of work is the Huangsha Aquatic Products Market, aka Guangzhou’s biggest trading center for fish, crabs, clams, prawns, crocodiles and every other type of seafood that the rivers, bays and fish farms of South China can muster. The market’s winding lanes of huddled stalls and multi-level, open-air warehouse section are a storm of commercial activity. Terrified sea life of every imaginable variety flop desperately from brimming tanks and barrels, specially kitted-out trucks-turnedaquariums rumble through the crowded alleys at a snail’s pace and beleaguered men hurry from stall to stall dragging nets, stacking traps and pushing carts of shellfish amid the pronounced aroma that is the signature of

fish markets everywhere. It strikes a marked contrast with the stately, peaceful airs of Shamian Island, which lies just across a narrow moat to the east. The floor is a mire of guts, scales, dark puddles and crisscrossing streams of mysterious liquids. Hence the rubber footwear. It’s not the prettiest place that Guangzhou has to offer visitors but it’s certainly one not to miss. There’s something strangely beautiful about the stacked masses of doomed sea life and, between the sights, smells and deafening noise of hollering hawkers and bellowing buyers, there are few places in the city that offer a comparable blast of sensory stimulation. Not to mention, it’s a trove of ingredients for the culinarilyinclined. There are even a few shops on the upper levels that will kill, gut and cook up your purchases for you on the spot. The aforementioned Mr.

THE DIRTY DETAILS Monthly income: RMB2,000 and up Days per week: 7

Hours per day: 12 (4am-4pm) Xie, whose stall can be found near the southeast corner of the market, not far from the ferry pier, has a singular focus in his product range: eels. Two main varieties, the larger of which is as thick as a human arm, squirm and writhe in Medusa-like piles in large glass tanks. It’s a scene reminiscent the 2004 art-house film Anacondas 2: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. Their warden, the amiable Mr. Xie, is an early riser, arriving at 4am each morning to begin his 12-hour workday. “That’s not even early by our standards,” he insists. “Some folks have been setting up their stalls for an hour already by the time I get here.” Xie has spent 10 long years hawking his slithering charges, all of which are farmed – not wild-caught – elsewhere in Guangdong. “A truck comes with fresh stock most mornings,” he tells us. “The eels sell quickly.” Even so,

he maintains that the creatures can survive up to a month in their crowded tanks. Business is brisker in the wintertime than the summer, by Xie’s estimate. He suspects that this is because people prefer to eat eel in cold weather. The best preparation? “Steamed, with a bit of soy sauce,” Xie says with confidence. At RMB60 for a half kilo, there are cheaper, less squirmy meals on offer at the market, but few that are likely to put up as much of a fight.

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E D I T O R . P R D @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

THE BUZZ RANDOM NUMBER

4 … years. That’s the length of time that transpired between the death of Tiantian’s parents and his birth in Guangzhou late last year. Shen Jie and Liu Xi, had been married for two years when they decided to try to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization – a process in which extracted eggs and sperm are combined in a lab dish. Unfortunately, less than a week before the pair were to attempt the procedure, in March 2013, they both died in a motor vehicle accident in Jiangsu province. Over the following three years, the parents of the deceased couple engaged in several precedent-setting legal battles to obtain the frozen embryos left behind by their children. When the wannabe grandparents finally received custody of the embryos, they headed to Laos to locate a surrogate mother. In December 2017, Tiantian’s grandparents managed to get their Laotian surrogate to Guangzhou in time for the birth, after which they were able to demonstate a legal basis for guardianship through a DNA test. Last month, Tiantian celebrated his first 100 days of life. “Tiantian’s eyes look more like my daughter’s,” Beijing News quoted the child’s now-grandmother as saying, “but overall, he looks more like his father.”

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CITY SNAPSHOT

Scraping the Sky This month’s featured Instagram photo comes via Liu Qian and features Guangzhou’s towering, 530-meter-tall Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Finance Center, which is located in the city’s Zhujiang New Town area. Liu is a Harbin native and amateur iPhone photographer currently living and studying in Beijing. See more of Liu’s work on Instagram (@imclumsypanda).

Kenlao/ kěn lǎo / 啃老 v. to live off your parents or grandparents What do you do?

I'm trying to gain a following on Youku to become a professional Youku'er. Who pays your bills? My mom.

Tag #thatsprd on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our feed and in the magazine.

So you kenlao full-time. Yes.

BEHIND THE CONCRETE

Shenzhen Christian Church History nerds, gather round. We have a story to tell. It starts in 1846, when evangelists came to Shenzhen (called Bao’an county at the time). The foreigners were European, sent by the Protestant Basel Mission as well as Germany’s Rhenish Missionary Society, and both established churches in the area. In 1898, the Rhenish group happened to found an outpost in current-day Luohu District. Over the next five decades, through the rise and fall of two governments, invasion and civil war, the church survived. In 1949, the same year the People’s Republic of China was born, it even found a new home at 22 Heping Lu [‘Peace Road’], Bao’an county. The church was forced to stop services during the 10-year Cultural Revolution, and its pastors were sent home to farm while other work units took over the building. It took a historic 1978 government meeting – which also kick-started the ‘reform and opening up’ that would soon transform Bao’an county – to restore the freedom to

Times are tough now, comrades. It is harder and harder for kids from regular families to get into a good school, find a good job or secure a living wage. We all work hard to get into college, only to find out that it leads to unemployment. We slave away at every unpaid internship we’ve had since graduation, and now here we are, living on our parents’ sofas, writing grad school applications and wearing dad's old hoodie that we try to pass off as ‘vintage.’ Times are especially hard in China for this generation, as competition becomes more fierce in the country’s increasingly cutthroat market economy. With rising inequality and diminishing social mobility, whether you can make it or not depends more on who your parents are than your own merit. Our grandparents’ generation had cradle-to-grave social benefits; their parents’ generation had merit-based social mobility; and the current generation has, well, nothing. At least that’s the meaning of kenlao, the term for when today’s young people live off the social benefits of their grandparents or the savings of their parents. Literally meaning “to knaw off the elderly,” kenlao is the reluctant choice of millions of young people in China today. According to Modern Chinese Studies, about 65 percent of Chinese families include working-age adults dependent on the older generations. They either live with their families into their 30s, or have their families buy an apartment for them. They rely on their parents for cooking and housekeeping, while their parents spend their fixed income supporting adult children instead of enjoying their “golden years.” The internet makes kenlao increasingly easy. You can easily spend days or weeks streaming endless TV shows on Youku, playing Glory of Kings on your phone or practicing your karaoke skills online. You tell your parents that you “can actually make a lot of money playing video games professionally” when they ask you about getting a job. You are right, in a way, since getting a job is hard. We understand. Thanks for taking the time to read this while procrastinating grad school applications on your parents’ sofa. Mia Li

worship and begin to revive the congregation. In 1983, the Heping Lu location was reclaimed. By the following year, it had become the first church in Shenzhen to resume services post-Cultural Revolution. The years since then have been kind to the church. Despite being forced to move as a city sprang up around them, the congregation slowly grew into the thousands and, in 1998, was granted a large parcel of land from the government. The Shenzhen Christian Church, opened in the Meilin area in 2002, was constructed to (vaguely) resemble Noah’s Ark. The angular white building towers over an ample garden area, and houses two large halls as well as offices, meeting rooms and dormitories. Although the Heping Lu church is no more, a namesake Christian Peace Church lives on nearby, while a third building was bought and converted into Christian Luohu Church in 2011. Shenzhen Christian Church, 126 Meilin Lu, Futian District 福田区梅林路126号 (8311 8817, 8311 8837)

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A Decade Speaking Out PFLAG China Marks 10 Years

Under the bright lights, alone on stage, Joan is weeping. The slight, pretty woman traveled with other families from Guangxi to share her story with more than 500 friends and strangers at the Guangzhou regional conference of PFLAG China. “My husband drank too much one night and forgot his phone at home,” Joan explained. She is using a pseudonym, a common choice for times like this. “So when I called him, I heard it ringing and found it nearby. When I saw the text messages on the screen, I knew it was true.” Like an estimated 16 million women in China, Joan’s husband is gay. She’d suspected there were many boyfriends in the picture, during their year living in different cities, but the confirmation of those racy messages still left her devastated. She got an HIV test the next day and demanded a divorce after that. He refused and promised there’d be no more sex with others – here the silence of the room erupts into knowing laughter. Joan goes on to recount how she opened an account on Blued (the community and dating app for China’s gay men) to see if he was active. He was. She found evidence that just two days before the conference he’d broken his promise with not one, but two other men. The room gasps. “He continues to deny my divorce requests, so I filed suit. But he’s gone to the court to delay the case, again and again.” Adding to the difficulty, he borrowed huge sums from Joan that he’s yet to pay back. But she barely cares about that now. She just wants to get out and start her life again. The room swells with applause and support as she concludes and makes way for the next speaker, a psychologist who gives the parents in the room the frank diagnosis that “Being homosexual is not an illness.” She’ll repeat the message time and again that afternoon. In many cases, it’s penetrating the misunderstandings and helping China’s families avoid the fate of Joan. PFLAG China – named for, but unaffiliated with Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the US nonprofit – formed 10 years ago with that mission in mind. The earliest days in 2009 saw the group of volunteers launch an ambitious national conference in Guangzhou, inviting 50 people from across the country and offering to pay their

travel costs. Just six parents showed up. But in the decade since its founding by Wu Youjian and Ah Qiang (another pseudonym), the group has seen a rate of growth and support unprecedented in China’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Ah Qiang spearheaded the group’s expansion, with chapters in 55 cities across China, 3,000 volunteers and 130,000 members. Training and volunteering with the LA LGBT Center in the summer of 2011 gave him the organizing tactics, management tools and inspiration to make this his full-time job. “I saw that an NGO (non-governmental organization) could have this kind of very big, huge event,” he explained to Vanguard Now. “I met a lot of people there, made a lot of friends. I liked the feeling, the atmosphere. I said to myself, ‘I just want these feelings. I want people to trust each other. China is large and people don’t trust each other. So I just wanted to make those feelings happen in China.” Building that community of trust has been the mission since. And it’s been happening one story at a time. At meetings like the one we attended in Guangzhou, speakers are selected from volunteers who’ve trained in effective storytelling. It’s parents explaining the anxieties of suspecting, then learning, of a child’s orientation. It’s women like Joan sharing their heartbreak. But more and more, it’s stories of hope from parents who learn they’re not alone or couples who finally get permission to bring their adopted baby to visit granny and find relief in their parents’ continued love. “Earlier, most stories were sad and provoked tears,” explains Eros (another pseudonym), the PFLAG China volunteer turned fundraising staffer. “Now, they’re happier stories about coming out.” The change happened around 2016. Since then, “more and more younger parents are showing up to share their stories. [They] joke around more. They accept their children more easily. More and more parents can see ‘Oh, there are more parents like me. It’s not just our family. It’s okay.’ Many, many years ago, parents didn’t want to come out. After their children came out, they felt nervous because they didn’t see other LGBT families. Now they can.”

By Adam Robbins

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That open attitude is more pronounced in Tier One cities than in small towns, which is one reason the group plans an eightfold expansion, with chapters and volunteers in 400 cities across the country. “Every day, we get messages [saying] ‘How do I talk to my parents about this? I’m living in a small city; I can’t join the events in the larger cities,’” Eros tells us. “So PFLAG will organize more events in small cities. If I have a volunteer in that city, we will teach the people how to build a small support group in the small cities, to help parents and LGBT people [learn] how to support each other, how to create a small event and how to come out to friends and family. It’s very difficult but very meaningful for the local community.” It’s can be even more difficult for young women, who are underrepresented in PFLAG at roughly 16 percent of the national volunteer base. Shenzhen’s chapter is one exception, with female leaders making up half the core team. Fred, one of those women, is frank about the disparity other cities see: “Because of the patriarchal society. Gays and lesbians are obviously separated. [When] most of the founders are men, then women [are] unwilling to follow them.” Shenzhen’s strong female leadership helped Fred

feel comfortable joining a group that’s roughly 60 percent men, and her own positive coming out experience helped as well. That loving response from parents is more common recently, but her choice to come out to them on her own is less common for the PFLAG community. Most need the platform of the small group meetings to build their courage before bringing their parents back into their lives. Those small events give parents and children the chance to tell their story, and also serve as a fund-raising platform. While there’s some support from Chinese foundations and foreign embassies or charity events like next month’s SZUMMER PRIDE, overwhelmingly it’s individual donations that provide for an annual budget of RMB2 million. The funding has made it possible to train volunteers to host events in those 55 cities, as well as more expensive projects like their ten national conferences and other ground-breaking work. The very first project was a hotline, fielding calls from across China. The service’s first night, in 2008, saw 15 callers reach out for help with coming out or working out their child’s revelation. The project continues, expanded into WeChat, with roughly 1,000 reported calls in 2017.

Since then, PFLAG China has teamed up with Alibaba, Blued, and the Beijing LGBT Center to fly 10 same-sex couples to San Francisco for newly-legal weddings in 2015. Last year saw their national conference set sail, on China’s first LGBT cruise. On a five-day journey from Shanghai to Japan and back, 400 parents (of the 850 total who attended) were brought together to hear stories from women like Joan or gay men like Liu Feng, who took the opportunity of the cruise to come out to his parents for the first time. “I want to be free,” the 30-year-old PFLAG volunteer out of Hunan tells us. “But being gay made me hide my identity for a long time and repressed my nature. I felt bound by invisible chains. I didn’t want to go on like this. Coming out was the only way to unlock my nature. That’s why I’m going to be brave enough to live my life.” Liu tells us the gathering was “a good platform for

my parents to come out with a positive understanding of the gay community and its difficult situation. There were many volunteers and parents to help enlighten and comfort them, so they quickly rose up from the low ebb of emotion. After being out of the closet for almost a year, my mother has followed my lead and become a new volunteer. We’ve attended many local PFLAG activities, to continue this love and power, and help more gay families out of confusion and grief.” But if international waters are an ideal place to work for change, Ah Qiang has led a quieter campaign of advocacy on Chinese soil. The most public advocacy was an open letter signed by more than 100 parents to the National People’s Congress in February 2015. In it, they advocate for their children and women like Joan with a call for marriage equality. “The fact that they can’t legally marry puts them in a difficult situation when they try to adopt children, sign off [for] their partners’ [medical] operations, inherit assets from a deceased partner, or even buy a flat,” the letter reads. “Is our law trying to encourage homosexuals to marry heterosexuals? Won’t this produce bigger social problems?” Though the letter was covered in the CCP-owned China Daily, and two female members of the NPC have been in touch, there’s no indication of an official change from the ‘Three Nos’ policy toward homosexuality in China: 不支持, 不反对, 不提倡 (don’t encourage, don't discourage, don't promote). In fact, with last year’s regulation by the China Netcasting Services Association to prohibit “displays of homosexuality” online, and Weibo’s brief ban on LGBT topics last month, the road to progressive policy changes seems a long way off indeed. It’s a balancing act between advocating in public for social change and staying private enough to avoid trouble. But for 10 years the group has managed to maintain good relations with law enforcement and the ministries overseeing the country’s community groups. “We openly do our work,” Ah Qiang tells us. “If we do events, we try to have contact with the local police. If it’s a sharing meeting with the parents, it’s no problem. If you do some training to empower people, we have to be a little bit more careful.” With care as their watchword, PFLAG China steels itself for another decade of supporting families and helping them grow back together, with more strength and honesty than before. Join PFLAG for their annual meeting, next month in Shanghai. For more details visit pflag.org.cn or follow WeChat ID ‘qinyouhui002’.

“I want to be free. But being gay made me hide my identity for a long time and repressed my nature. I felt bound by invisible chains. I didn’t want to go on like this. Coming out was the only way to unlock my nature. That’s why I’m going to be brave enough to live my life.” 12 | GZ | MAY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

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Clockwise from top left: Wangjing SOHO, Beijing

eration interventions, and I was documenting it. So, Beautified China has become an overview of a period that will long be remembered in China’s architectural scene. Besides being a status update of the iconic architecture boom in China, the series is also very much a research project. My work as an architect and my photography are very complementary in that sense. Both passions influence each other.

(Zaha Hadid Architects); CCTV Headquarters, Beijing (OMA/Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren); Harbin Grand Theatre, Harbin (MAD Architects)

Why did you choose to focus on just a slice of each building?

SHOOTING STARS

The Photographer Documenting China’s ‘Weird Architecture’ Era

Interview by Dominique Wong, images by Kris Provoost

From Chaoyangmen’s Galaxy SOHO to Guangzhou’s Opera House, China’s iconic buildings are indelible marks on the country’s cityscapes. The last decade, especially, has seen a proliferation of otherworldly structures, and in 2016, China’s State Council said that new urban planning guidelines would forbid the construction of ‘bizarre’ and ‘odd-shaped’ buildings that lacked character or cultural heritage. But for Kris Provoost, the buildings are more than a fascination. Having lived in China for over seven years, and worked at firms like Zaha Hadid Architects and Buro Ole Scheeren, the Shanghai-based architect is a firsthand witness to the country’s construction boom. The Belgium native brings his keen designer’s eye to his ongoing architecture photography project Beautified China, photos of which can be seen on these pages. We chat with

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Provoost about the superficiality of iconic buildings and why the CCTV Headquarters is so extraordinary. What was the inspiration behind your Beautified China photo series?

Beautified China is a photo collection I’ve created over the past eight years. It documents my footsteps through the country, and sort of encapsulates my career as both an architect and a photographer. After years of working and living here, I could see certain trends developing. I was photographing the iconic structures built by ‘starchitects’ throughout China after the country’s massive building boom. Some of the buildings overtook cities, redefined them, or established them. It was clear that there was a shift from iconic Chinese architecture toward subtler regen-

Taking the buildings out of context, all that’s left is the different shapes, textures, patterns and colors, so it’s easier to focus and see what makes the building stand out. However, architecture is all about context and how it sits in the city. [As] these elements are rather difficult to truly capture in photography, I’d rather use video to document the [full] architecture. So, in this photoseries I focus [more] on the aesthetics. I went for a rather strong blue tone in the pictures to camouflage the real conditions and give a much ‘fresher’ look. As we all know, China has a serious smog problem. Indeed. Do you have a favorite building in Beijing and in China?

My all-time favorite in Beijing – and China in general – is undoubtedly the CCTV Headquarters by OMA/Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. I lived and worked close by for many years, [and] it amazes me every time I look at it. What makes it so special?

It’s a unique project, from an engineering point of view, but also from a [visual] point of view. There are two defining moments, for me, which showed the impact and uniqueness of this colossal building. I will never forget riding on the [Third Ring Road] at golden hour, and seeing the sunrays peek through the large opening. No building plays better with sunrays than the CCTV Headquarters. Another defining moment for me was seeing the backlit profile rise up when the first light of day appeared after an intense all-nighter at the office. In the text accompanying your photo essay you write: “Nowadays architects or visitors in general know better where that new Steven Holl or Zaha Hadid is in a city, [instead of where an] ancient temple is located. Can this be called success or just superficiality?” Does it have to be one or the other?

It’s interesting that iconic architecture sort of elevates itself from architecture’s main purpose of serving its users. Much like the

Guggenheim made Bilbao famous, and became an expression on its own [Editor’s note: the ‘Bilbao effect,’ which denotes how the Guggenheim Museum revitalized the Spanish city, is now used in general to describe the cultural impact of buildings on their respective cities], architecture in China draws people to certain areas or even can establish new districts. For example the Wangjing SOHO project, designed by Zaha Hadid, sort of gave life to the Wangjing area. While there were already many things happening in Wangjing, [the SOHO building] sort of gave a reason to hop on a quick trip there – at least for architects or architecture enthusiasts. Higher quality residential and office buildings were erected adjacent to it. But, as a consequence, it also made the housing prices skyrocket, as the area became a well sought after place to live. In a way, this type of architecture is a gift for the area, but also a poison for affordability. So, in many ways, iconic architecture is seen as a success by group A, while it is despised by group B. On the other hand, it is also a superficial way of making a place become liked. How do you envision the future of architecture in Beijing?

My observations show it will be less iconic, or at least I hope. Beijing has many qualities that should be cherished instead of being wiped away for another iconic building that could have been built anywhere else. The ‘iconic decade’ was a way of maturing the city, to get it ready for the next decade. The buildings are used for marketing purposes, [like] profiling the city in international media. Perhaps Beijing can try to uplift its own

living quality for its millions of residents, instead of trying to appeal to visitors. In addition to Beautified China you also have a video project called #donotsettle. What’s it about?

#donotsettle is a project I run together with fellow architect Wahyu Pratomo. What we basically do is make short, fast-paced video about recently completed architecture. We visit the project and describe how the space feels, what the general atmosphere is like and how people interact with the project. We ask people what they think of the building and if it lives up to their expectations. When we started out, we tried to break the current architecture media ‘rules.’ While many architects talk and design with ‘the people’ in mind, it is very seldom questioned once the building is completed. Our aim is to give a more honest portrayal of the architecture. What you see in the video is how the building is on a normal day – rather than before it’s officially opened to the public, when conditions would be ideal. We hope that with our videos architecture enthusiasts can learn something new that makes them think and form opinions when they visit a building by themselves. What are you working on right now?

Professionally I’m working on various projects across China. Regarding photo and video, I’m seeing growing interest in what we are doing with #donotsettle. Of course, I’m also always expanding my Beautified China archive. There are still many buildings I would like to add to the set! To see more of Provoost’s work, visit www.instagram.com/krisprovoost

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SPOTLIGHT

LIFE

P HO T O E S S AY | CI T Y

CI T Y | P HO T O E S S AY

STYLE Shaken Up

Traveling in post-quake Hualien, p22

ALEXANDRA ROLFE Founder & Designer of RikRak Interview by Dominic Ngai

With a background in fashion and retail, London native Alexandra Rolfe moved to Shanghai in 2014, and eventually went on to set up her own vintage womenswear label, RikRak. We find out why the ’50s and ’60s are an inspiration for the designer.

Is there a special meaning behind the name ‘RikRak’? It’s inspired by the term ‘ric rac,’ the embroidery fashion motif that’s uniquely indicative of the styles of the 1950s to ’70s. It resonates with me personally, not only as it captures the history of that period, but also because it has a sense of individuality and playfulness that is at the heart of the brand. What drew you to the style of this period in the first place?

The 1950s and ’60s were a true celebration of the feminine form, and that means a lot to me personally. It was a time of pure optimism and dynamism, and it was when fashion became fun. I grew up [in London] around many charity shops and vintage stores, and I’ve always felt there’s something really inspiring behind the idea of rediscovering forgotten pieces.

Sneak Peak P20

“The 1950s and ’60s were a true celebration of the feminine form” how beautiful they were. These have always been a source of inspiration [for my designs]. This is also reflected in RikRak’s clientele – women with a sense of style and a timeless sophistication, and an appreciation for quality and design.

Is there someone that you associate with this style?

Being from London and living in Shanghai, how do these two places influence your design?

My grandma was a woman of her era and had an innate sense of style and respect for how she presented herself. She had a collection of vintage pieces, and I still remember

Much like London, Shanghai has so much heritage and architectural beauty that any creative can constantly feed off of. Having lived many years in Hong Kong, I felt that the

city has sadly lost touch with its colorful past. So when I first came to Shanghai, I found its culture and dynamism invigorating and as stimulating as my hometown. What are your plans for the rest of 2018?

Customers are increasingly looking for something that fits and reflects them. In the coming months, RikRak will focus more on made-to-measure customized pieces that are both timeless and unique for my customers. Find out more about the brand at rikrakshack.com

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E D I T O R . P R D @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

STYLE RADAR TAP THAT APP

Taffy If you’ve become bored of swiping left and right on photo-based dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble, you may be interested in this month’s featured app: Taffy. Profile pictures are blurred on Taffy and you choose who to engage with based on a text description. To set up an account, you’ll need to create a one-line ‘heading’ that says something fun about yourself, such as “I like dogs.” You’ll also be asked to list your interests and your motivation for using the app (hookup, friends, love, advice or chitchat). Taffy will only connect you with users that harbor the same social intentions and goals. Once you’ve completed your profile, you can begin browsing and chatting with other users. If a given user’s heading tickles your fancy, you can ‘flip’ their ‘profile card’ to view their interests before starting to chat or bookmarking it for future reference. As soon as you tap the ‘chat’ icon, a number of suggested conversation starters are offered, including “Want to help me kidnap three puppies?” and “I want our love to be like pi, irrational and never-ending.” The more you chat with someone, the clearer their profile image will become – incentive to quell your shallow side and really get to know someone. Happy dating! Taffy is available on iOS devices.

OVERHEARD

“Fashion bloggers from other countries have made the list before, but this is the first for China. My dream has come true!” DAYTRIPPER

Shuilianshan Forest Park … so writes Mr. Bags on a Weibo post after finding out he was featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia List this year. One of China’s most influential fashion KOLs, Tao Liang, age 25, has millions of followers on various social media platforms. Over the past year, he’s partnered with various luxury labels to develop limited edition collections aimed at the Chinese market, including a Year of the Dog handbag for Longchamp over Chinese New Year.

COVET

FP Justice The FP Justice is a dynamic piece of functional streetwear designed and developed right here in the PRD. Revolutionary shock absorption technology is built into the sole, distributing impact in a biomechanically precise pattern that adapts to an individual’s gait while flat laces and a durable suede upper mean you’ll be repping one of Guangdong’s most inventive designers in style. fpinsoles.com

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So, you find yourself in Dongguan: don’t fret! The little town of eight million has a few options to occupy your time. If your night wasn’t filled with too many craft brews in Xiaba Fang, wake up bright and early to explore the hiking trails of Shuilianshan Forest Park. Of Dongguan’s six forest parks, Shuilianshan is the most popular… which is a pro and a con, as families flock to the 6,000-acre space each weekend with rowdy kids in tow. Get there around the 7am opening for a more peaceful saunter to the peak. It’ll be cooler then, of course, which makes all the difference this time of year. Enter from the north, past the parking lot and up a wide paved boulevard. From there you can spy the namesake waterfall, distant enough to appear tiny but a pleasant sight nonetheless. Diverge from the main route to the lepidopterological pleasures of Butterfly Canyon (RMB20) – but skip the other animal attractions, as the conditions may

cause some heartache. Continue ascending until the road diverges into tributaries of winding, narrow forest paths. The paved gradient is never very difficult as you pass pavilions and rest stops to the 378-meter peak. Linger a while by the man-made lake – you can even hop in a boat to take a spin on the water – or divert yourself to the wide community space built up around the renovated Xishan Temple. When we visited, families burned incense, admired a large collection of sun-bathing turtles, tossed around the shuttlecock and photographed the costumed ayis as they danced. There’s food available – if you’re brave enough to savor RMB2 hot dogs – and water to purchase before ascending on. Give yourself three hours if you want to pashan straight to the peak, or five hours if you want to linger with a picnic or the other diversions. It might not surpass our favorite hikes in Hong Kong, but Shuilianshan Forest Park is a fine way to spend an active morning in Dongguan. AR

How to get there: Once in Dongguan, a No. 10 bus from Xiping MRT station should get you there in 48 minutes. But a taxi is by far the fastest way to get to Shuilianshan Forest Park – just remember that only the Chinese version of Didi works in Dongguan.

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Her

LIFE & STYLE | FASHION

DAD SNEAKERS

1 Nike,

RMB899 nike.com

Balenciaga

RMB5,014 farfetch.cn

New Balance RMB899 newbalance.com.cn

Calvin Klein

RMB5,681 farfetch.cn

Alexander McQueen RMB4,800 farfetch.cn

RMB899 nike.com

Balenciaga RMB4,446 farfetch.cn

New Balance RMB999 newbalance.com.cn

adidas by Raf Simons RMB3,154 farfetch.cn

Givenchy RMB8,490 farfetch.cn

These Chunky Kicks Are Cool Again

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Him

Nike

Compiled by Dominic Ngai

FASHION | LIFE & STYLE

From sports brands like Nike to high streetwear labels like Balenciaga, those big, fat shoes your dad wore back in the ’80s and ’90s are making a huge comeback.

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L IF E & S T Y L E | T R AV E L

SHAKEN UP Traveling in PostQuake Hualien By Bailey Hu

n arrival, Hualien, Taiwan, does not seem like a city recently hit by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake. Instead, the train station is bustling and the town serene, almost exactly as we remember from our last visit four years ago. Our taxi driver points out local landmarks as he drives – on this side a popular xiaolongbao stall, on the other a church built during the period of Japanese occupation. It’s evident that natural disasters aren’t the only challenge the city has faced. And yet it’s survived, and even thrived: over the years, Hualien has become a tourist destination thanks to a scenic gorge, gnarly waves and miles upon miles of Insta-worthy coastal highway. The town of just over 100,000 has adjusted to the attention. At the end of our taxi ride, for instance, the driver hands us his business card and tells us that he’s available tomorrow and the day after for private tours of nearby Taroko Gorge. Although not an uncommon offer, we

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can’t help but wonder if his schedule has been freed up in the aftermath of the earthquake. Just a week earlier, 17 were killed and well over 200 injured in the city. Photos of damaged buildings, one of them leaning so far it seemed stuck in the process of collapsing, featured prominently in media reports. While not as serious as some of Taiwan’s past disasters – exactly two years ago, a quake killed 117 in Tainan – it put a damper on tourism. It’s in the absence of normal peak season crowds that we set out to explore the seaside Highway 101. The trip turns out absurdly idyllic; there’s plenty of beach to go around, and we relish having whole expanses of gray sand or pebbles to ourselves. On our return to the city, we discover that it’s not as empty as we thought. Certain foodie spots – a tiny wonton soup shop, a roadside stall selling egg and scallion pancakes – reliably attract lines. While taking a detour for milk tea, we stumble across Hualien’s Cultural Park, an artsy enclave of restaurants and shops that doesn’t lack for visitors on a

sunny day. And as always, Taroko Gorge is full of people eager to trek alongside finely sculpted cliffs and precariously-perched temples. Hualien remains far from uncomfortably crowded, though, and we spend a

L IF E & S T Y L E | T R AV E L

quiet afternoon at the Pine Garden, a former Japanese military office converted into a museum and cafe. Once valued for its use in commanding air and naval forces, the building now supports small art exhibits and poetry readings. We stop by the local 228 Peace Memorial on our way back. Here, a dove sculpture and bell overlook the sea, commemorating a violent quashing of local protest against the KMT government in 1947. As we enjoy the views, an elderly lady on a nearby bench takes the opportunity to strike up a conversation, telling us to call her Mama Zhao. In between breezily asking us when we’ll get married and discussing her sons’ careers, Mama Zhao informs us that she too came to Taiwan on a trip from the mainland. Except that in her case, it was shortly before KMT leadership fled to the island in 1949. Zhao and her parents ended up stranded on one side of the strait, leaving behind a younger sister and grandmother in the People’s Republic. She hasn’t seen either of them since. But Zhao is determined not to dwell on the negative. She’s nonchalant about the earthquake too, choosing to focus her indignation instead on the spooked tourists who inconsiderately canceled their hotel bookings. Her confidence gives us courage later that night when a tiny tremor ripples through the furniture of our rented room. It’s unsettling, but so slight that it might have gone unnoticed outdoors. On the last night of our visit, we happen to come across the half-collapsed building that once made international headlines. We stand and watch for a while as a construction crew carefully takes it apart, sending plumes of dust and rubble spiraling into the cool night air. Then we continue walking, our path taking us closer to the cute shops, bustling food stalls and vibrant street scenes at the heart of Hualien.

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DRUMROLL

ARTS

CHEN TONG The Artistic Mind Behind Video Bureau By Bryan Grogan

Festival Croisements

or nigh on 30 years now, Chen Tong has been a stalwart of the Cantonese art scene. It started with his own personal art creations in the late ’80s and then progressed further in 1993 when Chen established Libreria Borges, an independent book store which focuses on translations of famed art texts and literature from around the world. Most recently, he established Video Bureau, a center that collects and displays artists’ work for public consumption. Every two months Video Bureau curates and exhibits works by two artists, with over 70 Chinese and international artists already represented at their headquarters on Taikang Lu. Most recently, on March 23, Chen and his team at Video Bureau published their collections of works by former Yangjiang youth Zheng Guogu and Germanbased performance artist Duan Yingmei. We sat down to speak with Chen about his artistic life.

Celebrating the best of French culture in the PRD, p32

When did you first become interested in collecting art?

It started in the ’90s. I felt like I wanted to do something public-related, apart from my own art creation. It feels like it was innate to me. I think there are two types of people: those that are for themselves, and those that are for other people. I fall into the second category. How different are art creation and art collecting?

They are totally different. When I deal with Video Bureau, I need to think about what the artist and the viewer want. In the management of art, I need to think about others first. With my own artwork it is less so, but I do have to deal with other people in the sense that if I ceased my artwork there would be no means to continue running Video Bureau.

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Minding the Digital P30

Your institutional work [Libreria Borges/ Video Bureau] is almost entirely funded by the sale of your artwork. Is that in order to stay independent, or because of a lack of funding from artistic bodies?

A part of the funding [for Video Bureau] is provided by 5 Elements Art Association. It is

our final goal to have more funding and input from the whole of society. We just don’t have that privilege right now.

Do you feel a kind of kinship to Guangzhou and the art centers here? I feel a responsibility for Guangzhou, but not due to a brotherhood of artists. I’ve lived here for more than 30 years. It is my hometown. I know the city very well, the characters, the people. Guangzhou still has many problems, but compared to Beijing, I prefer Guangzhou. What are the main differences between Guangzhou art and art in Beijing?

There is a larger market in Beijing. Guangzhou is a large city, but it is quite far from the capital, so on the domain of culture it still does not have a good location. Even though nowadays distance is not a

problem, there remains a small market in Guangzhou. That does not mean that artists in Guangzhou have less creativity than artists in Beijing. Creating or collecting: which is the most important in your 'artistic life'?

Both are important. My own artwork satisfies my own vanity; it reminds me that I am a talented person. Institutional work, on the other hand, has a meaning for the whole of society. I may not be the perfect person for this kind of work. There are people that are richer than me and more talented than me, but they did not choose this way. I chose this way. Follow Video Bureau on WeChat (ID: videobureau) Rear Building 3, 84 Taikang Lu, near Mupai Xinjie, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. 广州越秀区泰康路84号后座3楼木排新街附近

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E D I T O R . P R D @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

COLL AGE

SINO CELEB

WHAT’S NEW

From Fall Out Boy’s catchy club anthems to The Bilinda Butchers’ breathy dream pop, here’s the best of artists playing in the PRD this month.

COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

Edison Chen

NGMTMRE, Slander - GUD VIBRATIONS

To Western audiences, Edison Chen may be best known (professionally, anyway) for his brief cameo alongside Morgan Freeman in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight. For Chinese moviegoers, Chen was introduced via a number of Hong Kong blockbusters, including Infernal Affairs, which was remade by Martin Scorsese in 2006 and released as The Departed. Chen, the son of a successful Hong Kong businessman, was born in 1980 in Vancouver, Canada and spent his formative years there, before moving to Hong Kong at the age of 19. Chen is also an established hip hop artist, although he is probably best known globally for his numerous scandals. In January 2008, Chen was involved in a sex scandal that swirled around an online leak of hundreds of intimate photos of Chen with various female Asian celebrities, including well-known actress and model Maggie Q. The incident shook Hong Kong’s entertainment industry and resulted in the ban of future films starring Chen on the Chinese mainland. Although the indecent images were released without the consent of Chen, reproach in Hong Kong and mainland China resulted in the actor announcing that he would be stepping away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry “indefinitely.” Of course, that was not the case and Chen returned to acting and music production two years after the highly-publicized scandal. Now 38 years old, Chen is also an entrepreneur and fashion designer. In a three-part Vice documentary titled The Life and Sex Scandal of Chinese Star and Streetwear Icon Edison Chen (2015), the Vancouverite likens himself to Paris Hilton and states that he thanks those that hate him and lives to prove they are wrong.

Fall Out Boy - The Last of the Real Ones

Kind of like: a male Paris Hilton Famous for: photo scandal, Hong Kong streetwear brand Clot See him in: The Life and Sex Scandal of Chinese Star and Streetwear Icon Edison Chen

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ByebyeNoise - 短路 [Short Circuit] MAY 11

MAY 11

Avengers: Infinity War

Megan Leavey

With a cast that spans the entire Marvel universe and makes for a very crowded movie poster, Avengers: Infinity War sees the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up to stop the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) from acquiring the Infinity Stones and using them to destroy the universe. The ensemble cast features 22 superheroes, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and many more. Black Panther heroes T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will also appear.

Based on a true story, Megan Leavey follows the title character, a young American Marine corporal deployed to Iraq, as she develops a strong bond with Rex, the dog she trains while working as a K9 handler. After a bomb wounds both of them and Leavey is sent home, she advocates for Rex to be taken out of combat so that she can adopt him, reaching out to congressional officials and eventually seeking help from New York Senator Chuck Schumer. Critics praised the film for its emotional resonance.

OneRepublic - Love Runs Out Lil.Jet - 说句实话 [To Tell the Truth] A Finger -日落后 [After the Sunset] The Bilinda Butchers - Tulips 曹槽 - 北京以南 [South of Beijing] Joshua Radin - Only You 余佳运 - 我想 [I Want]

Gong Li and Jet Li to Star in Mulan Remake Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan gained some major star power last month after actors Jet Li and Gong Li joined the cast. The martial arts icon (Shaolin Temple, Fist of Legend, Romeo Must Die) is in talks to play the emperor, who sets Hua Mulan’s story in motion by ordering the army conscription of one male from every household. Powerhouse actress Gong Li (Red Sorghum, Farewell My Concubine, Raise the Red Lantern, Memoirs of a Geisha), meanwhile, takes on an even more central role as a witch who’ll serve as the film’s primary villain. Her role is a departure from the 1998 animated film, in which Hun leader Shan Yu was the primary bad guy. The two actors join Liu Yifei as Mulan and Donnie Yen as her mentor Commander Tung, another new character. Directed by New Zealander Niki Caro (Whale Rider), the film is set to begin shooting this August in China and New Zealand, with a release date of March 27, 2020.

HAO BU HAO

Hao

Amazon is reportedly in talks to adapt Liu Cixin’s acclaimed sci-fi trilogy The Three-Body Problem into a TV series with a USD1 billion budget. Though the deal hasn’t been confirmed, the company is planning a three-season run and allotting an extremely high budget in the hopes of creating a watershed Chinese sci-fi franchise. Given the sustained success over the past decade of sci-fi and fantasy books-turned-TV series, from Game of Thrones to The Handmaid’s Tale, the Amazon series could well be a major hit if it gets made.

Bu Hao

Just a few weeks after a March announcement by the Chinese Football association that players cannot have any tattoos visible during games (leading to a lastminute withdrawal from a match by heavily inked central defender Zhang Linpeng), the ban on tattoo culture has spread to one of the nation’s biggest music festivals. The Hangzhou outpost of Modern Sky’s Strawberry Festival circulated a message prohibiting all musicians from having visible tattoos onstage. The notice asked tattooed musicians to wear long sleeves, and suggested that those with ink on their neck and hands hide them with scarves, stickers and bandages.

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F E AT URE | ARTS

ARTS | F E AT URE

“A lot of designers looked to nature for inspiration, but now with digital tools they can produce more complex structures and generate a deeper understanding of nature, through design.”

MINDING THE DIGITAL

Visions of Our Future at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center By Adam Robbins

n the dim heart of the space, an orb glows silently. Watch carefully enough and you can track the shift of colors evoking fire to those reminiscent of water, or earth or wood or metal. Emerge from the shadowy corners of the room and the orb notices, changing the swirl of light as you approach or retreat. It’s watching. And in its inscrutable way, it’s communicating. ‘Anima II’ – from the Latin for ‘spirit’ – is one of dozens of cutting edge works of art on display at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center. In Minding the Digital, the center’s inaugural exhibit seeks to stretch our understanding of what our newly-crafted world can do, to help our thinking catch up with what’s already begun. “It’s a bit spooky in its dark space,” Senior

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Curator Carrie Chan tells us. “We don’t want to just celebrate [digitalization], but we want people to reflect. Is it scary if a lamp understands how we feel? That’s why it’s important to share this and represent the feelings of the digital era.” With “digitalization” Chan means “how the widespread integration of technology is shaping our lives through art, design and... a certain domination of [our] thinking about life.” With the exhibit, on display until June 3, “it’s not just about the invisible but about the tangible.” They mark the beginning of the era as 2009, when third generation (3G) mobile phone networks were first approved in China, quickly emerging as the ubiquitous mobile network we know, explains Assistant Curator Tang Siyun. After that, “everyone is staying

connected, constantly online.” WeChat appeared in 2011 and achieved ubiquity in 2013 along with the rest of the BAT trifecta. Ofo took to the streets in 2014 and Mobike the following year. “After 2015,” Chan notes, “the Chinese government echoed this phenomenon with policies that celebrated this change: ‘Internet+’. These were the two defining moments.” Internet+ was the buzzword of 2015’s two political sessions, with Premier Li Keqiang calling for China to integrate IT, big data, cloud computing and the ‘Internet of Things’ into every aspect of the nation’s economy. Internet+Finance, Internet+Agriculture, Internet+Medicine: it’s part of what drives Shenzhen to invest in labs for Nobel scientists, to create new cures and new products with a

range of yet-unimagined technology. And in their inaugural exhibit, the Design Society – the team in charge of art curation for the Center – brings us something like Internet+Art. The main unifying thread of the exhibit is digitalization, thought it appears in radically different ways. “A lot of designers looked to nature for inspiration,” Chan explains, but now “with digital tools they can produce more complex structures... and generate a deeper understanding of nature, though design.” “Especially 3D rendering and manufacturing,” Tang adds. “Those are very difficult to achieve without digital technology.” That’s clear in the displays of elaborate fashion that would make Lady Gaga blush. Even more so in ‘Research Pavilion 2013-2014.’ In that multi-layered room of curved spaces, designers looked to the beetle for inspiration. Inspecting the complex structure of their elytra (the hard shell protecting delicate wings) the artists envisioned how to build such a complex structure themselves. With the help of digital friends, of course. “Not just the physicality – the shape

and materials – is digitally generated,” Chen explains, “but also the fabrication” thanks to robots that assembled the piece. Elsewhere it feels like the artist is the machine’s assistant, as with ‘Kaleidome.’ The LAAB artists took the shape of a half-sphere and used computers to divide it into irregular cells. Then, with precise measurements and painstaking craft, the artists cut and bent metal to the appropriate shapes to build what their algorithms had wrought. The effect, beautiful as it reflects a shifting array of lights, also sets our minds to wonder how else our convenient machines are adding to our work. Some – like a series of instruments from Meng Qi or the hologram cast upon fog that bursts to flame when touched – are playful fun. Others, like the ‘PolyThread’ canopy that opens the exhibit, cast our minds to contemplation. The alien canopy envelops us as we enter, with lighting that simulates the shift from night to day refracted through the threads. As with the dome, the shape is inspired by cell structures, with computers devising the shapes and stitching them with another machine. There’s some hand stitching as well; a lingering token of the human touch. “Th[is] spirit of digitalization that’s adapting [to newly invented technologies] really represents the spirit of the times we’re in,” Chan tells us. “We’re constantly surrounded by all these changes. From inside [‘PolyThread’] you can feel all around you it’s changing.” When you emerge, the world is a little bit different. Some cutting-edge app or device or algorithm has just emerged, about to change all our lives once again. But maybe, with the engaging works of Minding the Digital, you’ll better understand how it can all work together. Open daily through June 3, 10am-10pm. For details about the curator-guided tour on May 20 or the closing party, visit designsociety.cn.

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MUSIC | ARTS

ARTS | MUSIC

FESTIVAL CROISEMENTS 2018

String Quartet Concert by the Ensemble Philéas Classical Music

Celebrating the Best of French Culture in the PRD

Ensemble Philéas, composed of musicians from Radio France orchestras and leading French soloists, was started by Vincent Dormieu. Audience members at this concert can expect four talented musicians delivering a “rich and demanding repertoire,” according to festival organizers. Ensemble Philéas, like many of the other artists included in this story, will be paying homage to Claude Debussy by presenting ‘Quartet in G Minor Op. 10,’ the French master’s only quartet composition.

By Matthew Bossons

he cultural exports of a country are, in many ways, the face it shows to the world and France has not been shy in sharing its diversity, arts and celebrated culinary prowess with people around the globe. In the PRC, we are able to celebrate the very best of France each year with Festival Croisements: a showcase of talented musicians, French films, award-winning exhibits and theater and dance ensembles. Now in its 13th year, the 2018 Festival Croisements began on April 24 and will run until June 24 in 30 Chinese cities. Below, we take a look at a selection of the festival’s fantastique events happening across the Pearl River Delta.

France eMotion Visual Arts A collaboration between Atout France and the Institut Français, France eMotion, le voyage animé aims to “make French cultural tourism a worldwide experience.” The exhibition sits comfortably at the junction between AR, animation and photography and takes observers on a digital journey to 35 of France’s great cultural landmarks, including the Château de Chambord and Mont-Saint-Michel, among others.

Apr 27-May 9; free entry. The Canton Place, Haifeng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区珠江新城海风路广粤天地 (020-3837 1338) May 18-Jun 17; free entry. Canton First Estate, 333 Golf Road, Nanhai High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Foshan 佛山市南海区高尔夫路333号广佛新世界 (0757-8177 8888)

Concert de l'Orchestre Symphonique de Guangzhou Classical Music

Sun Jun 3, 8pm. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (020-8735 3869) Tue Jun 5, 8pm. Shunde Performing Arts Centre, 6 Bishui Lu, Shunde Qu, Foshan 佛山市顺德新城区碧水路顺德表演艺术中心

Internationally recognized virtuoso pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is coming to Guangzhou’s Xinghai Concert Hall on May 12. Thibaudet currently splits his time between France and the United States and will be in Guangzhou to perform a commemoration concert for the centenary of the death of celebrated French composer Claude Debussy.

Sat May 12, 8pm. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (020-8735 3869)

Les Habits de la Lune

Opus 7 Circus

Performance

The seven artists that make up Opus 7 deliver a performance that is a strange yet wonderful combination of circus mayhem and marching band magic. This group is able to deliver a comical and festive atmosphere with their unique musical repertoire, which sits somewhere “between Balkans music and American big-band jazz.” Opus 7 will engage and impress audience members of all ages.

Director Laurent Laffargue’s new visual poem, which was co-written with Frédéric Kristiansson, is a diverse mismatch of opera, theater, fashion, dance and cinema. Les Habits de la Lune tells an impossible love story between the Moon and the Sun, with the former refusing a thousand stars to replace the latter.

Jun 19-20, 8pm. Shenzhen Grand Theater, 5018 Shennan Dong Lu, Luohu District, Shenzhen 深圳市罗湖区深南东路5018号深圳大剧院 (0755-2590 6000)

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May 5-6, 4:30pm; free entry. Design Society 1, Sea World Culture & Art Center, 1187 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 深圳市南山区蛇口望海路1187号海上世界文化艺术中心 (0755-2162 5455)

Music Day Concerts Enjoy two days of free concerts in Shunde on June 16 and 17, including performances by electric party-pop group Pony Pony Run Run and pop band Colours in the Street, both from France. Pony Pony Run Run is notable for their catchy fusion of British indie rock and ’90s dance music, which together creates a symphony of energetic electro-pop that will have everyone moving their hips and feet. At barely 20 years old, the members of Colours in the Street have already released their first album and have made waves in the French musical scene with their vibrant pop tunes. In addition, four Chinese musical groups will also hit the stage over the course of the weekend: hey! lily! (黑莉莉), lure (诱导社), Groovers (菊花合唱团) and Mercader (梅卡德尔). Jun 16-17, 7.30-11pm; free entry. Park Shunfengshan, Nanguo Dong Lu, Daliang, Shunde, Foshan 佛山市顺德大良南国东路顺丰山公园

Forecasting Performance

Debussymania Classical Music

This eclectic performance uses YouTube videos as a fiction trigger to establish a unique storytelling framework. Here is how it works: a performer manipulates a laptop to show footage from YouTube that has been specially selected to meet “the human size scale”; next the performer interacts with the moving 2D images to create a “dizzy hybrid experience,” according to festival organizers. Forecasting was honored with the ‘Special Jury Prize’ at the 56th Mess Festival in Sarajevo.

To mark 100 years since the death of French composer Claude Debussy, Debussymania will see two talented French pianists, Hugues Leclère and Jean-François Zygel, perform well-known Debussy pieces in both solo and duet improvisations. This must-see (or more appropriately: must-hear) concert is intended to introduce Chinese audiences to the magic of Debussy’s music and celebrate the man, who has been hailed as one of the most significant composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Tue Jun 16, 4.30pm; free entry. Design Society 1, Sea World Culture & Art Center, 1187 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 深圳市南山区蛇口望海路1187号海上世界文化艺术中心 (0755-2162 5455)

Fri May 25, 8pm. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 广州市越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (020-8735 3869)

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34 Cover Story

ON TIDES OF CHANGE

35 Cover Story

The Uncertain Future of Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boat Dwellers Text by Daniel Plafker with additional reporting and images by Tristin Zhang

MAY 2018

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“T

here’s seven things that a Tanka lives and dies by,” Lin Hongyang tells us. The old man’s back is to the village’s narrow rows of modest houses. His eyes fix on a point beyond the muddy riverbank that forms their doorstep, past the line of battered wooden fishing boats that bob in its ebb, across the quick and murky waters of the coursing Bei River and towards the distant shore. “The weather,” he starts to intone, “including the skies and tides; the place he works – its geography and water quality; the tools of the trade, be they boat, nets or engine; his diligence; his boldness; his skill; and,” perhaps most importantly, “his luck.” Looking around the garbage-strewn stretch of waterfront in northern Foshan, where Shuishang Village sits, it’s hard to say whether Tanka people’s luck might be starting to run out. Lin, the tall, thin, aged man who recites the ‘seven words’ from memory, is certainly one of the fortunate ones. Though born to a fishing family, Lin managed to become one of the few Tanka of his generation to receive a formal education, ultimately securing work as an English teacher at a nearby rural middle school. Together with the proverbial ‘seven words,’ he is also able to recite surprisingly true-to-form English translations of decades-old speeches by Chairman Mao. But despite Lin’s impressive career in village linguistics and countryside education, his boat has always remained close at hand. Said boat, along with several dozen others, sits hauled up on the deep mud with more floating just offshore. The distinctive wooden craft has long been the defining article of Tanka life, a symbolic and literal vessel that has for centuries contained and carried their

MAY 2018

unique, river-bound culture across the tides of time. Professor He Jiaxiang, a researcher at Sun Yat-sen University, has studied Guangdong’s Tanka communities for nearly two decades. He tells us that prior to the establishment of the People’s Republic, there were several hundred thousand such people living on the province’s bays and rivers. Here, as well as in Fujian and Hainan, both of which still contain significant Tanka communities, these boat-dwelling fisherfolk have constituted a sort of segregated sub-caste for countless generations. The origin story of the culture remains as murky as the waters that give it life. But Professor He agrees with the prevailing view that the Tanka people were descended from the ancient Yue inhabitants of today’s South China, later banished to boats by Han invaders. “We can probably regard the Tanka people as the aboriginals – or the first settlers anyway – of this piece of land. That is, of course, until immigrants came from the north,” Professor He explains. “The newcomers later divided the land of Guangdong into three parts. One part was to be inhabited by the socalled Guangfuren – the most powerful immigrants from the north who actually established and still inhabit the city and area of Guangzhou. Another part went to the Chaoshanren, or Teochew people of the east. And still another part went to the Hakka. The aboriginals, who we now know as the Tanka people, actually did not get a share. They were marginalized in this process of resettlement.” Whatever their precise origins, the lives of countless generations of Tanka people has been colored by hardship, poverty, stigma and social exclusion. Modest reforms in the early 18th century abolished some of the legal

My children have already left to find work elsewhere. They come back once a year to help but otherwise the youth here are few. framework for their formal economic marginalization, but the exile of Tanka life to the waterways proved deep-rooted with farming, education and marriage to outside groups remaining beyond reach for most, especially in Cantonesespeaking areas. Like many of China’s poor and dispossessed, the material conditions of the Tanka people began to improve dramatically following Liberation in 1949. Thousands were resettled into land-based housing, communities were targeted for health and literacy programs and new opportunities were made for participation in fields of economic production outside of fishing. Even the name ‘Tanka,’ a fraught term,

which is used in this English text after much critical reflection, began to fall into question. “The term Tanka can really be considered quite derogatory,” Professor He points out, noting centuries of stigma. “Many prefer the more neutral term shuishangren, which simply means ‘people on the water.’” While this latter term emphasizes Tanka people’s humanity and is widely accepted in Hong Kong, it is not in common use on the Chinese mainland and is ultimately too generic to capture the regional and cultural specificity of these unique communities. Meanwhile, as Professor He points out, by fixedly associating Tanka people with the watery realm, shuishangren implies a lack of belonging on the land; as if

the river is somewhere Tanka people are from rather than a place they were displaced to. But despite these semantic debates and impressive material gains, the post-liberation improvement in Tanka people’s lot only went so far. Many were left behind, cultural prejudices remained entrenched and, partly due to not receiving official recognition as an ethnic minority group under the government’s sanctioned taxonomy, the rich water-faring culture, cultivated over centuries of boat-bound life, was given no institutional outlet for expression or preservation and has, in some places, faded.

MAY 2018

Cover Story

Adrift on Troubled Waters

Today, the community is facing yet another period of flux and transformation. Though thousands continue to call the river home, fish populations have collapsed across the province in the face of industrial pollution and overfishing. For the younger generation of Tanka people, who have had the benefit of basic education and some knowledge of Mandarin, the grueling, dirty, cramped conditions of fishing work is an increasingly unattractive prospect. Like so many of their rural peers elsewhere in the country, they are moving in droves to heed the clarion call of migrant wage labor, leaving behind the lines and nets of their parents’ fishing boats for the factory lines and internet of the Pearl River Delta’s sprawling metropolises. Back on the riverbank in Shuishang Village, though, it’s clear that this migratory vanishing act is not an option for everybody. We meet Chen Azai while he is painting his boat. At 83 years old and 5 feet tall, the man’s dark, lined face cuts a sharp silhouette against the grey of the gathering clouds. A lifetime of fishing work has left its mark on his wellworn body. He’s the kind of man that’s unlikely to maneuver for a late-in-life career change. The annual four-month springtime fishing ban, introduced less than a decade ago to try to manage the rapidly diminishing fish population by giving the creatures a chance to spawn without harassment, has just begun and the villagers can be seen in force on the beach, mending their nets, patching their hulls and oiling the boards of their wooden boats to keep out rot. Not far from Chen and his bucket of bright blue paint, his wife chops wood with a ferocity that belies her advanced years. The pair have plied the waters of the Bei River for as long as they’ve lived. “I was born on boats,” the old man tells us in a toothless Cantonese. “I’ve been fishing ever since I was teenager, nearly every day for more than 60 years.” Chen and his wife came here a decade ago from Lubao, about 30 kilometers upriver. By leaving that floating community behind for a house on dry

MAY 2018

land, Chen hoped to secure a better education for his grandchildren. Prone to gummy smiles, the muscular grandfather appears to be taking the move in stride. The boat he is painting was bought then for RMB300 – part of a downsize to a smaller vessel since his housing was otherwise accounted for. Today, the same craft would sell for 10 times that price – and it’s not the only costs that have skyrocketed in Tankacountry in recent years. “The government pays us RMB9 a day per person during the enforced fishing ban to compensate for our lost income, but it’s not nearly enough.” On top of this, Chen’s family gets an additional RMB800 a year in diesel fuel subsidies, a sum that varies greatly based on boatsize and engine power. “Of my four sons,” Chen tells us as a light rain begins to fall, “only two have decided to stay on boats and continue the fishing tradition. The rest have left the area to find work elsewhere. There are fewer and fewer fish than before, it’s not as easy to make a living.” Adding to difficulties, subsidies and lostincome compensation are not paid out till the end of the ban period, leaving families to rely on savings in the interim. “We sell what we can to the wet markets and wholesalers,” Chen explains. Tanka boats have an area of the hull where holes are drilled so fish can be kept alive in transit. “What we can’t, we dry and eat ourselves during the ban.” Chickens and ducks that forage on the bank supplement the local diet and income but Tankas have rarely turned to farming. The steady drizzle that has been falling on our heads while we talk has turned to full downpour but the busy people on the beach appear unfazed, continuing their work of mending and maintenance. “We’re used to working in all weather,” our happy companion shrugs. Finally though, the rain becomes too heavy to ignore and we hurriedly help Chen cover his half painted boat with a plastic tarp before beating a hasty retreat to the couple’s brick-and-mortar home. The narrow lanes of the shoreside village are now veritable rivers of their own and it’s

not easy to keep up with Chen’s hasty shuffle. His wiry, white-haired wife pulls up the rear, heavy axe still in hand. Once we are safe and settled under the roof the family’s modest, landbound home, a notso-well-kept secret about Tanka economic life quickly emerges. For the second time in as many hours, we hear that in the face of the tightening profit margins, rising cost of living and falling fish populations, some in the community are turning to poaching during the fishing ban as a way of making ends meet. “They go out at night,” Chen says between drags of a slightly damp cigarette. “They electrocute the fish with special equipment, then scoop them up quickly with nets.” This method of fishing is illegal any time of year, and criminally so during the fishing ban. If caught, poachers will have their nets and boats confiscated, a devastating blow to a Tanka fisherman. Elsewhere in the village we hear of steep fines and even prison labor sentences imposed. Because electro-poaching doesn’t discriminate between valuable big fish and unsellable small ones – not to mention killing off countless mothers before they have the chance to spawn, it can decimate fish populations and speed the spiral of ecosystem collapse that drives some Tanka fisherfolk to the practice in the first place. It’s no wonder that Chen’s sons, and so many others like them, have chosen to leave these odds behind to try their all-important Tanka luck elsewhere. We leave Shuishang Village and head north, bumping along winding riverbank roads with questions knocking against each other in our heads. With collapsing fish populations and a rapidly modernizing regional economy, how viable is the old life for Tanka people who continue to eke out a boat-bound living? For younger Tanka abandoning ship for work in China’s low-end labor market, what chance is there for meaningful ties to their ancient riverbound heritage? MAY 2018

Cover Story

Shifting Currents

We hope the town of Datang can offer some answers. This midsized township seat, not far from the border with Qingyuan prefecture, appears no different from any other rural hub. Dingy restaurants, sleepy hardware stores and a noisy market give way to tightly packed brick houses which, in turn, end abruptly at fields of wandering water buffalo. Beyond, the land slopes gently towards a high earthen embankment, erected to keep the river, and all that it contains, safely at bay. It’s a poignant dividing line and the symbolism is hard to miss, because when this grassy berm is crested more than 200 wooden boats and Tanka cooking fires come into view. The Datang community is one of the region’s largest and, unlike in Shuishang, the families here have no house but their watercraft. The modest wooden boats bob in tight clusters like floating relics of another century while cars zipping overhead on a modern freeway bridge and a steady stream of passing steel freighters strike a strange anachronistic contrast. Here, too, the seasonal fishing ban is in full effect, and the long sandy beach remains a hive of activity. Wicker baskets and woven traps are sifted for clams and river snails; speedy, sunbrowned fingers fly through folds of netting, checking for tears; gas generators sputter; welders straddle overturned boats, scattering sparks; steam rises from countless pots as evening meals are prepared and dogs and chickens root among the sand and pebbles. On the far end of the beach we find another Mr. Lin (no relation) squatting by the waterline aside his dissembled engine block, hands coated in motor oil. Though approaching middle age, he’s one of the younger fishermen still living full time in this floating community. “Very few people under the age 40 have stayed in Datang to make their living as fisherfolk,” the busy man tells us. Lin holds our gaze casually while he speaks but the flying wrench in his hand doesn’t slow for an instant. “It’s better to have a job in the city – the income is more stable, the conditions are safer and you have better access to services.” It’s easy to see what he means. The scream of a nearby generator provides some of the floating homes with electricity, (the price of gas is a constant source of conversation) and children can row to a nearby school, but lodging is

MAY 2018

cramped and the work is hard. “My children have already left to find work elsewhere,” he states frankly. “They come back once a year to help me with the busiest part of the fishing season but otherwise the youth here are few.” Lin says he hopes his grandchildren will get a good enough education to be able to avoid this kind of work altogether. His understandable desires highlight a challenging dilemma for the waterbound culture’s survival. Though widespread and ancient, the Tanka way of life lacks official recognition as an ethnic nationality and the associated benefits that come with it. Though the traditions and customs of Tanka life are rich and varied, they are also tied very closely to fishing as a field of economic production and the houseboat as a place of dwelling. When a young Tanka person leaves these things behind, and assimilates into a land-dwelling life (the lack of a distinct language or dialect, in contrast to other Guangdong subcultures, makes this more possible), what is there to stop her from leaving her Tanka identity behind, too? Centuries of stigma and discrimination make many reluctant to volunteer their Tanka heritage when entering the formalized workforce. Even Henry Fok, a billionaire and politician ranked by Forbes as Hong Kong’s ninth richest tycoon, only rarely admitted to humble Tanka beginnings. One young student we met on our journey along the Bei River, two generations removed from fishing life, thought of his grandfather as Tanka but not himself. As the Pearl River Delta continues its march from global manufacturing hub to future-tech megalopolis, it’s easy to see this well-worn patch of the region’s cultural fabric fading away altogether.

We can regard the Tanka people as the aboriginals of this piece of land – or the first settlers, anyway MAY 2018

Cover Story

Finding Safe Harbor The story of the Hong Kong’s Tanka community may offer some solutions to the dilemmas of those on the mainland. As in other Cantonese-speaking areas, the lives of Hong Kong’s Tanka people were long characterized by stigma, poverty and exclusion from landbased life. Their position in the island’s harbors, however, made them some of the first local people the British colonizers encountered and their profound alienation from their shoredwelling neighbors made some more than happy to profit from collaboration with the European newcomers. Many accounts indicate that, due to alleged unwillingness on the part of mainstream Cantonese prostitutes to service foreign patrons, Tanka women enjoyed a nearmonopoly on sex work with Hong Kong’s Westerners throughout the 19th century. Some maintain that this preference was so strong that many of the territory’s ‘Eurasian’ population today are the product of these early commercial encounters. Despite these enterprising adaptations, conditions remained poor in Hong Kong’s ‘floating villages’ and, through much of the 20th century, low literacy, poor health and overcrowding continued to plague the community. As maritime regulations grew tighter and the fishing industry became increasingly formalized, Hong Kong’s government began to corral Tanka households behind newly erected ‘typhoon shelters’ to keep them off the seas. In the 1960s and 1970s militant political movements, Catholic missionary work and infectious disease alike found fertile ground in these aquatic ghettos. Hong Kong’s Tanka people needed a way to make a living outside of fishing that was still rooted to their heritage and deep connection to the region’s bays and MAY 2018

harbors. The community fell upon an unlikely solution: tourism. Today, the quaint wooden houseboats of Hong Kong are more closely associated by the land-dwelling class with pleasant weekend cruises and floating seafood lunches than insurgent leftist militancy and tight-packed squalor. Zhu Yanping, a lifelong resident of her houseboat in Aberdeen on the island’s southern coast, has even managed to learn Mandarin from ferrying mainland tourists across the narrow strait to Ap Lei Chau. She’s visited distant relatives in Tanka communities in various parts of Guangdong and recognizes that Hong Kong’s Tanka live a very different way of life. “Shuishangren on the mainland,” Zhu tells us, using Hong Kong’s preferred term, “are mostly making a living as fisherfolk. Here in Hong Kong, many of us are now using our boats for tourism. We park our boats here and, all day long, we try to recruit tourists to come aboard for tours of the harbor. That’s been our business since I was young: ferrying tourists. We’ve never once gone out to sea for fishing.” The modest rowing vessel received an engine when Zhu, now 66, was still a muscular youth. Both she and her sister promptly obtained pilots’ licenses. The community here is one that’s used to moving with the times. Zhu’s children moved ashore at the first opportunity and now have families of their own. “They’ve all been educated,” she explains, “it’s what we want for the next generation, we want them to go ashore and at least see what it’s like.” But her landlubbing sons still visit their mother’s boat frequently. Public

transportation is close at hand and the harbor-dwelling generation is able to live in sanitary, dignified conditions without having to choose between abandoning their children or heritage. Meanwhile, art-installations in the vicinity pay tribute to Tanka culture rather than sweeping it under the rug. It feels like a positive model for a balanced transition to a new mode of economic participation that doesn’t require cultural traditions be thrown overboard. But Professor He warns of the pitfalls of ‘Disneyfication,’ cautioning against the lure of packaging a culture into easily digestible performances that can be consumed by curious tourists. “Nowadays, in Zhongshan and in other areas here in Guangdong you can find a kind of a rehearsed version of the traditional way of life, demonstrated in a touristic way. You can listen to songs that are alleged to be sung by Tanka people. I really sense a kind of danger in this; in the commercialization or commodification of traditions.” While there are more promising and optimistic examples of adaptation to a touristic economy, namely restaurants and other food-related initiatives that center fishing as a traditional practice while bringing higher value to its output, Professor He’s concerns seem well-founded. Indeed, the difficulties in reconciling cultural preservation with ongoing economic viability may come down to something even more fundamental. “Tanka people’s marginalization,” the professor explains “can be traced back to the traditional emphasis placed on agriculture. In the long past, agriculture meant stability, immobility. And the Tanka people went from place to place,

they were always on the move, and they were not easy to control. Their traditional way of life was actually in sharp contrast to the dominant forces at that time.” While agriculture is no longer as central to China’s society, it’s certainly true that an untethered, difficult to control population is neither desirable nor particularly profitable for the dominant forces in China today. Unless these contradictions can be resolved, it’s

difficult to imagine traditional Tanka culture flourishing in an undiluted way in the years to come. Thinking back to Lin Hongyang’s ‘seven words’ on the riverbank, it’s striking how many of the old standbys are fading fast. The previously reliable weather is, in the age of cataclysmic climate change, no longer so predictable. The waterways, after damming and ongoing pollution, are less recognizable than

ever. Tanka people continue to give up the tools of their trade, selling or abandoning boats and nets for new work in the new economy, while the all-important skills of the fishing profession find few inheritors in the younger generation. It seems that the future of the Tanka people will have to rely on the remaining three: their diligence, their boldness, and – perhaps more than anything – their luck. MAY 2018

COMM UNITY

FEATURE

MAKING A SPLASH

Meet the Folks Working to Save Shenzhen’s Coral Reefs By Matthew Bossons

Through My Eyes

Introducing the creative collaborators at Destined For Greatness, p46

Take Five P47 44 | GZ | MAY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

TCM Goes Menstrual P48

n preparation for writing this story, we conducted an unscientific survey and asked friends, family and colleagues to share the first word that came to mind when thinking about the waters off the Pearl River Delta. We received a variety of answers: the most commonly mentioned word was ‘polluted,’ followed by ‘dirty,’ though on a more positive note, ‘dolphins’ made an appearance in the mix. There is definitely truth to the notion that the waters off our coast suffer from pollution, both industrial and otherwise. Particularly troubling is the sheer amount of plastic that has found its way from the megalopolises of the Pearl River Delta into the ocean. According to a recent article by South China Morning Post, participants in the esteemed Volvo Ocean Race – which passed through the region earlier this year – were surprised how far from land floating junk could be found. Floating rubbish combined with unsustainable fishing methods, land reclamation activities and the occasional typhoon, has put our region’s coral reefs – which are in many regards the backbone of the marine ecosystem – under threat. At the forefront of the effort to protect Shenzhen’s reefs is Dive for Love, an organization initiated in 2012 by Doyouhike.com with support from local dive enthusiasts and the government of Dapeng District. Formally registered under the name Shenzhen Dapeng Coral Conservation Volunteer Federation in 2014, the group undertakes a number of initiatives aimed at protecting the city’s coastal ecosystem and raising public awareness about the plight of Shenzhen’s reefs. Most notable of the group’s projects is the coral conservation station in Da’ao Bay, where fragments of broken – but still living – coral are collected from the ocean floor and attached to a coral nursery, where they can recover. Dive for Love also works to rid Shenzhen’s reefs of garbage and abandoned fishing nets, according to Zhou Yan, a part-

time coral conservation and restoration program worker with Dive for Love. In 2017, the organization removed 225 kilograms of trash from the sea over the course of six cleanups. “Coral restoration and conservation is the main focus of Dive4Love’s work,” Zhou told That’s via email. “It is observed that with the restoration of the coral community, marine life also recovers with increased diversity.” In addition to underwater cleanup efforts, Dive for Love places importance on community education, which is achieved through the Dive for Love Classroom Training Program. The initiative aims to raise awareness among Dapeng’s students about the importance of marine protection and has been rolled out district-wide in both primary and secondary schools. Last year alone, 70 instructors delivered 130 classes to over 6,500 students. Another aspect of Dive for Love’s community outreach involves engaging with local fisherman in an effort to motivate them to protect the marine ecosystem on which they rely to for their living. “Dive for Love constantly helps and motivates local fishermen to protect coastal ecosystems via transforming traditional fishing methods into more sustainable practices,” said Zhou. Some of the fisherfolk have even joined the volunteer ranks of Dive for Love. According to Zhou, six Shenzhen fishermen

now volunteer as guards to prevent fishermen and boaters in the area from dropping anchor into the coral nursery. If you too would like to get involved with Dive for Love, we should note that volunteers are welcome, although underwater helpers are required to have a scuba diving certification. Learn more about Dive for Love on WeChat (ID: dive4love)

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COMM UNITY

E D I T O R . P R D @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

AROUND TOWN

DEAR JAMIE

SOCIAL SKILLS

Sitting the Month

Destined For Greatness

Dear Jamie, I’m an overseas Chinese man who was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved back to China only two years ago. I now live in Huizhou with my wife, whose family all live together with us, and we are currently expecting our first child. It is an exciting time to say the least, but there is one minor issue: my wife’s family is very traditional and are insisting that she not wash for a full month following our child’s birth. I find this extremely repulsive and have broached the subject with my wife, who has repeatedly shut me down. I need to make it clear to her that not showering for a month is not an option and that I don’t want to share a bed with someone actively accumulating a month’s worth of BO. What should I do? -Repulsed in Huizhou Dear Repulsed, It’s a clash of cultures, a battle of the baths! You, sir, might be sh*t out of luck: your wife’s body ultimately belongs to her, and as such, you really can’t force her to shower if she doesn’t want to. When your child is born, your wife will’ve been carrying said child inside her body for nine months and if she doesn’t want to shower I’d recommend sucking it up and supporting her decision. I realize this is probably not the answer you were looking for, so I’ll offer another suggestion: maybe try and compromise with her. Instead of insisting she shower, maybe point out that many Chinese women nowadays refrain from washing their hair during the postpartum month, while still washing their bodies. Just a thought, and congrats on the little one! -Jamie Smells a-brewing and trouble a-stewing? Email Jamieinchina@outlook.com.

TAKE FIVE

Lessons from the Frontlines of Hospitality Richard Liu is a man who knows hospitality. The industry veteran has worked at all levels of the tough and competitive hotel business – from bellhop to general manager – and has learned a thing or two along the way. Now, having arrived as the new GM of DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou, this master hotelier and tea aficionado is hoping to draw on a lifetime of experience to leave his mark on one of the city’s most coveted accommodations. We sat down with Liu to get his two cents on challenging guests, social media and going the extra mile.

our promotions rapidly, but social media can also be destructive. Take the recent viral report on the bad hygiene of China’s five-star hotels. We have to make use of these tools but also be sure to always put our best face forward.

From my standpoint as a hospitality employee, there’s no such thing as ‘the most difficult’ guest situation. It’s how you cope with these situations that matters. Through solving problems for hotel guests, you will earn their loyalty and even friendship.

What does it take to be successful in the hospitality business?

What is the most difficult guest situation that you have had to deal with?

How do you view social media's role in the hospitality industry? Social media is a double-edged sword for the hotel industry. On the one hand, it lets us spread

If you go to a hotel as a guest, what’s the most important element you pay attention to? It depends on the purpose of my trip. Hygiene, privacy and detailed service are fundamental. If it’s a business hotel, executive facilities come first; for a resort hotel, facilities tailored for children become a significant priority. Diligence, sacrifice and a willingness to learn. What is it that makes your current employer, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Guangzhou, really stand out?

First of all, it’s the location of the hotel being in the heart of old Guangzhou, where different aspects of traditional Cantonese culture converge. We’re also in close proximity to the popular

shopping street – Beijing Lu. It’s very convenient for our guests to experience local customs, which is a priority for many of them. Secondly, it’s a fitting hotel for the area, delivering five-star service that isn’t too over-the-top. It’s no surprise we stay busy – throughout the year we’ve seen a 90 percent room occupancy rate. Finally, DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou offers a unique personal touch with meticulous attention to detail, whether it’s our well-received welcome cookie or our xiguan-inspired conference room. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Leeza Gordon, the woman at the forefront of an artistic group called Destined For Greatness (DFG), has been organizing art shows and speaking events in Guangzhou since the beginning of 2017. When Leeza arrived in Guangzhou, she noticed that there was a strange lack of artistic events in the city, but rather than merely complaining about the fact, she began putting together a group of artsy folks who wanted to create something new. “When I first came to Guangzhou I was struggling to find places where I could feed my soul. So, I decided to create a small intimate group where people could come together, to showcase their talents,” says Gordon. April saw DFG organize an event called ‘Through My Eyes,’ which included performances by South African poet Tia, Korean painter Milo and British photographer Keven Leedee to raise money for Freeleaf, a charity that aims to aid abused women. “What we are striving to do is to raise money for charities and to continue to build bonds within the community,” says Gordon. “As DFG becomes more popular, I don’t want to lose the intimacy that we currently have: all the events feel like a family gathering.” According to Gordon, the heart of DFG is diversity and the group’s most recent art exhibition included artists from around the globe. “The one big lesson I have learned in life is not to be closed-minded, even when you feel that you are doing the right thing,” Gordon tells us. “This is the main reason why DFG has evolved to what you see today. There are all types of people from all different walks of life together under one roof.” Gordan is currently in the process of setting up a website (www.DFGworld.com) and the group has a number of upcoming events, including a play, fashion show and some public speaking engagements. Destined For Greatness holds monthly events on Wednesday or Thursday nights at Brasston Gallery. Follow Destined for Greatness on WeChat (ID: gh_069206d68ef3)

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EDUCAT ION | COMMUNIT Y

COMMUNITY | HE ALT H

CHINESE MEDICINE GOES MENSTRUAL A Personalized Approach to Women’s Health

DEGREE DEVALUATION

A University Education May No Longer Guarantee Success By Lena Gidwani

By Jonathan Hanlon

raditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the contemporary use of historic healing treatments developed in China over several millennia, is often dismissed in the West as esoteric or the stuff of hokey superstition. In China however, this complete medical system, which is flexible enough to manage complex, modern medical problems, is considered mainstream. TCM hospitals abound and many Western medical hospitals include a TCM department, where TCM doctors practice alongside Western medical specialists. Common treatments like herbal medicine, massage and acupuncture, together with more specialized therapies like moxibustion (the burning of herbs to warm pressure points) and guasha (a deep friction technique to relieve muscle tension and pain), can be used to treat a wide range of health problems. As in Western medicine, the aim of these TCM treatments is not to cure pathologies directly but rather, to stimulate the body’s self-healing functions. When paired with individualized advice on exercise and diet, they form a holistic, context-specific approach to overcoming disorder. Nowhere are these principles more essential than in the field of women’s health and gynecology – a major area of my TCM practice. Whether it’s an irregular cycle, heavy periods,

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infertility, menopausal hot flashes or the physical and emotional challenges that arise from pregnancy, women’s health challenges can come from plethora of sources. Because it seeks to treat the root causes of medical disorder rather than merely ease symptoms, TCM has a good track record in treating these complaints effectively. Take period pain as an example. Though common enough, this ailment can come from any number of complex causes specific to each individual. Perhaps the internal environment is too cold, which causes contraction and pain; or maybe the energy needed to move blood smoothly is deficient; or, alternatively, stress, diet and exercise could be the main culprits. If a standardized treatment were applied, only 10-20 percent of women would be likely to experience relief. Rather, treatments must be tailored to specific health conditions, informed by a knowledge of a person’s overall wellbeing. What is your menstrual cycle like and what is its history? What is the timing and

quality of your pain? What about your current digestive function, emotional health and sleep quality? When applied in this complete context, TCM has the power to offer effective outcomes with lasting benefits. TCM approaches are natural, safe, effective and deeply rooted in thousands of years of history. They can be used on their own, or in combination with Western medical treatments. The ultimate aim, of course, is for a gradual improvement in health and overall quality of life. If you or someone you love is troubled by women’s health problems – or any others – TCM may be the solution. Jonathan Hanlon is a TCM doctor at United Family Guangzhou Clinic. He uses acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to help people enjoy healthy, pain-free lives. United Family Guangzhou Clinic, 1/F, Annex, PICC Bldg., 301 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 越秀区广州大道中301号人保大厦南塔副楼首层

ith high school exit exams just around the corner, there is a common tendency at this time of the year for students about to graduate to reflect and refocus on what matters most. And from what we’ve heard, most of them have one thing on their minds: university. The past few decades have seen unprecedented growth in high school graduates saddling up and heading off to university. We’re told that earning a degree expands our minds, widens access to higher-paying jobs and boosts the economy. But an alarming and seemingly unhinged ideology is brewing out there: university degrees could very well just be a big waste of your money and time. Why, you ask? Think of it like inflation, just academically. All things equal, if an organization has a choice to hire someone with a qualification or someone without one, they'll more likely hire the person with one. This puts pressure on everyone to get a degree. Demand breeds supply, so universities rise to the occasion, popularizing and commercializing products and services to ensure easier access and more opportunities, all while charging more and more each year. The popularization and commercialization of the degree, led by those seeking to set themselves apart from the rest, eventually makes (almost) everyone look the same. And once everyone has a degree, the value of

having one inherently goes down. The reality is thus clear: a larger supply of graduates in the job market causes academic inflation and credential devaluation, arguably making a qualification barely worth the paper it’s printed on, especially with rising rates of job cuts and redundancy due to automation and other advances. Bryan Caplan, economics professor and author of a provocative book The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money, brazenly concurs with the above-mentioned notion, cheekily questioning the usefulness of degrees and whether it’s even worth getting one. While many disagree with him, there is something immensely refreshing about his perceptions concerning the disparity between academic offerings and job opportunities, and the value of university. That being said, progressive decisionmakers at top firms, including multinationals like Apple, Google, Ernst and Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, among numerous others, have recently dropped a bombshell: they’ve discarded degree requirements as a pre-filter for talent altogether, choosing to assess candidates on merit with psychometric, aptitude and performance-based testing. According to Ernst and Young, they “found no evidence to conclude that previous success in higher education correlated with future success in subsequent professional qualifications undertaken.”

Individuals like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, James Cameron and Sir Richard Branson are among those who gave up a degree to find success down a different path. If the aforementioned companies are progressive enough to realize that there are better ways to find top talent, and these folks are brave enough to take the less conventional route to fame and fortune, then you too should ask yourself: why are you going to university? Now, don’t think for a moment that we’re disputing the utility of a university degree. Most jobs these days require a degree and, even though you may be bogged down by student debt, the more qualified you are and the more practical skills you have, the more likely you are to command a bigger paycheck. Let’s leave this controversial debate here with this caveat: while a degree is important and counts for plenty, it’s what you gain while earning that degree that matters most, whether it’s at a top Ivy League institution, vocational training center or apprenticeship. In a world flooded with devalued credentials, the goal should be to emerge from education with a nurtured and expanded mind rich with creativity and practical know-how; to find inventive, inspired ways to stand out from the pack. These are the outcomes that matter, not the path one takes to reach them.

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CITY SCENES REBEL Fighting Championship Press Conference Held at Conrad Guangzhou (Supported by )

Heavy-hitting claims were made and heated words exchanged at the press conference for REBEL Fighting Championship 8: A Warrior’s Return, held on the afternoon of April 12 at the Conrad Guangzhou. Three highly anticipated bouts will take place on May 26 at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Sports Center, pitting some of the best MMA fighters in China against their skilled, international counterparts: Australia’s Chris Morris and Brazil’s Marcelo Tenorio, along with Konstantin Linnik of Ukraine, will face off against Wu Chengjie, Liu Wenbo and Wang Sai.

New Zealand Chef Robert Oliver Food Sharing (Supported by ) With the support of the New Zealand Consulate in Guangzhou, celebrated chef Robert Oliver shared a selection of his delicacies with over 100 guests at Guangzhou’s The Happy Monk Kingold location. Robert Oliver is a New Zealand chef who owns restaurants in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Sydney. In 2013, Oliver released his book Mea’ai Samoa: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Polynesia, which won the ‘Best TV Chef Cookbook in the World 2013’ award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Beijing.

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2018 Interchamber Networking Drinks Successfully Held in Shenzhen (Supported by ) The successful 2018 Interchamber Networking Drinks, organized by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (CCIFC) and the Australian Chamber, with support from the European chambers of Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Benelux and Italy, was held on April 3 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shenzhen. Over 170 attendees gathered in Alenha restaurant to meet new friends and partners while indulging in a charming buffet dinner.

PRD FOCUS T

his year, 23 Art Space joined hands with Lingnan Tiandi in Foshan to officially establish the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Cultural Venture Cooperation Platform to integrate domestic and international resources. The Foshan art space formally debuted last month, with an exhibition featuring product designs.

his year’s Festival Croisement started in April and offers the opportunity to discover the best of France. The celebration aims to promote the diffusion of cultural industries and to allow French and Chinese artists to share their inspirations.

n April 7, a fashion show was held at Yajule Center, an event that showcased an array of fashionable pieces created by Q by Alice Yu 2018 SS. Ahead-of-the-curve designers were able to present their creative new collections at the show, which coincided with the launch party for Alice Yu Couture.

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he British School of Guangzhou’s Shoebox Appeal event generated over 50 gifts for Huiling School for Children in Need. Teachers, students and parents delivered the donated parcels, which contained toys, crafts, books and games.

hina Hotel, a Marriott Hotel recently participated in Journey Week, a brand-promotion event held from April 16-20. Journey Week is part of a series of events held at hotels across the AsiaPacific region designed to motivate existing personnel while also attracting new talents.

ocated in Zhongshan’s Gangkou town, Marriott International’s luxury hotel brand Le Méridien Hotel & Resorts will soon open its second hotel in Guangdong, after it graced Huizhou with a magnificent seaside establishment last spring. At a recently-held recruitment event, more that 200 job postings at the new hotel were offered, which attracted many individuals looking for work in the hospitality industry.

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CRÈME DE LA CRÈME

& EVENTS

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Revealed

IN GUANGZHOU

By Cristina Ng

Weird Eats of the PRD

t the end of March, Asia’s culinary elite gathered at the Wynn Palace in Macau to name Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. It was quite the to-do and China managed to land 12 restaurants on this year’s list – one more than 2017. The two mainland restaurants to make the list include Tony Lu’s upscale Chinese vegetarian restaurant, FuHeHui, which climbed 18 places to make the cut at No. 30 and Shanghai’s Ultraviolet, helmed by Paul Pairet, which held strong at No. 8. No mainland restaurants outside of Shanghai made the cut. Hong Kong had more movement with nine restaurants on the list. Greater China is not in the top five this year as Richard Ekkebus’ contemporary French eatery, Amber, has dropped from fourth to seventh place. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana and Lung King Heen also placed lower in the list than in 2017. Danny Yip’s Contemporary Cantonese destination, The Chairman, jumped to No. 22 from No. 47 earning this year’s Highest Climber Award. Ever-popular Ronin also climbed up four spots to No. 41 and FrenchJapanese, Ta Vie moved from No. 33 to No. 16. New entrants included purveyors of homey French-Italian cuisine, Neighborhood, as well as the French bisto,

'Cockroach' on the menu, p58

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WE TRIED IT

FOOD, DRINK

Healthy Hawaiian P62

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2018: Belon, opened in 2016 by the Black Sheep Group. Two Michelin-starred Caprice (in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong) is back on the list at No. 46 after a two-year hiatus. Their pastry chef, Nicolas Lambert, was also named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef. Over in Macau, where the awards were held, the Cantonese fine dining outlet Jade Dragon was awarded a spot at No. 35, three spots lower than last year. It is currently the territory’s only ranked restaurant. The World’s 50 Best awards have been subject to scrutiny due to gender representation and yet only two women made the Asia regional list this year. Bee Satongun is the 2018 recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef award, itself a hotly contested award. Her restaurant, Paste, entered the list at No. 31. The only other woman represented this year, also based in Bangkok, Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava shares the No. 37 slot with her husband, Dylan ‘Lan’ Jones. The 2018 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna and run by William Reed Business Media who also run The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. This year’s sixth annual regional list was decided by “more than 300 restaurant industry experts in Asia.”

No. 1 Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand No. 2. Den, Tokyo, Japan No. 3 Florilège, Tokyo, Japan No. 4 Sühring, Bangkok, Thailand No. 5 Odette, Singapore No. 6 Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan No. 7 Amber, Hong Kong, China No. 8 Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China No. 9 Nihonryoi RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan No. 10 Namh, Bangkok, Thailand No. 11 Mingles, Seoul, Korea No. 12 Burnt Ends, Singapore No. 13 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China No. 14 Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand No. 15 Raw, Chinese Taipei No. 16 Ta Vie, Hong Kong, China No. 17 La Cime, Osaka, Japan No. 18 Mume, Chinese Taipei No. 19 Indian Accent, New Delhi, India No. 20 L’Effervescence, Tokyo, Japan No. 21 Locavore, Bali, Indonesia No. 22 The Chairman, Hong Kong, China No. 23 Waku Ghin, Singapore No. 24 Lung King Heen, Hong Kong, China No. 25 Ministry of Crab, Colombo, Sri Lanka No. 26 Jungsik, Seoul, Korea No. 27 Sushi Saito, Tokyo, Japan No. 28 Il Ristorante Luca Fantin, Tokyo, Japan No. 29 Les Amis, Singapore No. 30 Fu He Hui, Shanghai, China No. 31 Paste, Bangkok, Thailand No. 32 Neighborhood, Hong Kong, China No. 33 Eat Me,Bangkok, Thailand No. 34 Hajime, Osaka, Japan No. 35 Jade Dragon, Macau, China No. 36 Corner House, Singapore No. 37 Bo.Lan, Bangkok, Thailand No. 38 Quintessence, Tokyo, Japan No. 39 Issaya Siamese Club, Bangkok, Thailand No. 40 Belon, Hong Kong, China No. 41 Ronin, Hong Kong, China No. 42 TocToc, Seoul, Korea No. 43 The Dining Room at the House of Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand No. 44 Jaan, Singapore No. 45 Nihonbashi, Colombo, Sri Lanka No. 46 Caprice, Hong Kong, China No. 47 Shoun RyuGin, Chinese Taipei No. 48 La Maison de la Nature Goh, Fukuoka, Japan No. 49 Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai, India No. 50 Whitegrass, Singapore WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | MAY 2018 | GZ | 55

E D I T O R . P R D @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

GRAPE VINE THE SCANDALOUS SCOOP

OLDIE BUT GOODIE

We’re digging:

Ultra Eggie

The miraculous, sudden and completely unexpected reopening of Zagol Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant in Taojin; fresh, fishy, Hawaiian-inspired eats at Poke Remix (page 62); The Happy Monk’s newest incarnation – and first location in Haizhu District – on Party Pier; epic city views from Mercato’s patio (page 61); the myriad of new F&B spots that recently debuted in the brand spankin’ new K11 Mall in Zhujiang New Town; and the return of Thursday night pub quiz at Hooley’s.

We’re done with:

The departure of ‘Szechuan’ and gongbao McNugget dipping sauces at Chinese McDonald’s locations nationwide; the depressing reality that no Guangzhou restaurants managed to crack the esteemed Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

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Ultra Eggie is a humble snack shack with a noble mission: to take the custard derived from salted duck eggs and inject or slather it onto every food item imaginable. In fact, short of mainlining it intravenously, you can get the nutritious slurry just about any way you like it. The humble storefront on Jiangnanxi’s busy commercial drag, just opposite Icon Mall, is a shrine to the oozy ova, presided over by a strange robotic chicken god that serves as the shop’s logo. The store boasts a dubious Singaporean origin story and a sister-branch in Shenzhen, along with a devoted following among Haizhu District’s snacking population. The most popular products are a range of freshly baked croissants. Crispy and dusted lightly in sugar, the palm-sized cornettos are baked fresh before being injecting with a pantheon of gooey, egg-infused fillings ranging from melted cheese, to creamy yoghurt, durian, and spicy yellow curry. There’s even a Thai-style tom yum gong filling, boiled fresh each morning from imported ingredients, which really stands out. At RMB5 a pop, you can afford to try them all. For more substantial fare, try the Italian-style spaghetti (RMB10-18) topped with fish, chicken, crab or beef and drizzled

WHAT’S ON WAIMAI

Donkey Meat ‘Burrito’ It’s China’s answer to the burrito and it is available right here in Guangzhou: the donkey meat wrap. Prepared with care at a restaurant called Shanxi Sliced and Pulled Noodles (山西削面拉面), located near the Guangzhou Zoo, the donkey meat wrap (驴肉卷饼, RMB20) is a unique take on the traditional donkey burger – lürou huoshao – of northern Chinese cuisine. This particular rendition is based on the version served in Hebei's Wu'an county. Succulent and savory slices of donkey meat are wrapped with Jello-esque globs of donkey fat and onions inside a soft, flour-based, tortilla-like flatbread. While the taste and texture of donkey meat, like all meat, will vary depending on the age of the animal and its diet, we found the donkey prepared by Shanxi Sliced and Pulled Noodles restaurant kind of gamey, with a texture that can only be described as a hybrid between beef and lamb. We recommend this handheld meal for anyone who enjoys robust edibles of the North China variety, or for those just plain curious about what donkey meat tastes like. For an accompanying dish, order the cold shredded tofu salad (凉拌豆腐丝, RMB12), which comes tossed in a tangy and delicious garlic dressing. Hailing from the northern reaches of the Middle Kingdom, this dish hosts an

array of textures and packs an invigorating and flavorful punch that contrasts brilliantly with the soft, savory taste of the donkey meat wrap.

Price: RMB20-30 Good for: quasi-burritos with Chinese characteristics, donkey meat delivery Search for: 山西削面拉面 shanxi xiaomian lamian Available on: Meituan

lovingly with – you guessed it – salted egg yolk custard. Have the stomach for more? Teach your grandma to suck eggs with Ultra Eggie’s salted egg milkshake. We told you, they take this stuff seriously. It certainly won’t be a healthy meal, and by no means a tidy one, but if flavor, novelty and affordability is what you’re after, Ultra Eggie can deliver. 8 Jiangnanxi Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区江南西路8号名店城

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F E AT UR E | E AT & DR INK

E AT & DR INK | F E AT UR E

WEIRD SNACKS OF THE PRD Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Cow’s Three-Star

By Tristin Zhang

Don’t let the genteel name fool you – this time-tested dish is made up of less than glamorous ingredients. Composed of a cow’s heart, kidneys and liver, ‘cow’s three star’ is a soup for those who like their viscera with a side of scallion and pickled cabbage. It’s become so popular over the years that this medley of innards can be found at nearly any Cantonese restaurant in the city, but to find the dish’s authentic roots one must make a gutsy pilgrimage to the historic Xiguan neighborhood of Liwan. A bowl of cow’s three star typically sells for RMB18.

It’s widely known that eaters here in Guangdong rarely shy away from unusual bites. From pig guts to pupae, eating out in the PRD can often feel like an exercise in one-upmanship. This month, we challenge our readers to take a walk on the culinary wild side with these out-of-the-ordinary street snacks.

Fish Skins Popular along the length of China’s coast from Shandong in the north down to Guangdong in the south, snacking on fish skins is a deep-rooted tradition. These piscine pelts can be found at back alley eateries throughout Guangzhou’s more historic quarters. The crispy, deep-fried version is considered more approachable, while the chewy, cold rendition –tossed with scallions, ginger, soy sauce and peanuts – can be a challenge to the palate for first-timers. Try them both on Baohua Lu in Guangzhou’s Liwan District for RMB24 a portion.

Pig Blood Curd In the 1990s, old women carrying wooden containers of homemade pig’s blood soup were a common sight on Guangzhou’s streets. Known in Guizhou as ‘blood tofu,’ the curdled treat can be eaten on its own or as flavor boosting addition to hot pot and congee. Steeped in a peppery soup and seasoned with diced scallions, this is iron-rich Southern comfort food at its best. Try it at Liwan District’s Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street for RMB5.

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Pig’s Trotter with Ginger This time-honored stew is said to have come into existence more than 600 years ago during the Ming Dynasty. Believed to be of great benefit to women after childbirth, it’s often given to relatives and neighbors as well as new mothers to celebrate the arrival of a newborn. The knuckles of a pig’s trotter are marinated with vinegar and ginger before being stewed with eggs and brown sugar until rubbery. Try it at Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street for RMB12 a bowl.

Water Cockroaches There are some lines that, even in the name of journalism, we are not willing to cross. While we have not sampled this highly nutritious snack first hand, some Guangdong natives will swear by so-called ‘water cockroaches’ (in fact, a member of the beetle family) as a protein-packed, low-fat treat that is also eaten Mexico, Japan and Thailand. In Guangzhou, it’s usually found in seafood restaurants where it is fried with salt and pepper or cooked with wasabi. Try this bug yourself at the seafood restaurants on Haizhu District's Yanjiang Zhong Lu.

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NE W R E S TAUR A N T | E AT & DR INK

E AT & DR INK | NE W R E S TAUR A N T

HEMEI JAPANESE CUISINE

Galloping-Good Eats

MERCATO

By Tristin Zhang

Believe the Hype By Lena Gidwani

The Place Tiyu Dong Lu has no dearth of Japanese restaurants and sake spots, which is why the addition of another similar establishment is tempting to overlook. But spend a night of wining and dining at Hemei Japanese Cuisine and it’s clear that the place gallops ahead of the greasy-spoon herd. Tucked away in an alley off Tiyu Dong Lu, Hemei lurks on the second floor hallway of an old building that also harbors a whiskey bar and, yes, yet another Japanese restaurant. A door slides open and waitresses greet our arrival in Japanese before ushering us to a second floor. Wooden walls and low ceilings strike a cozy tone, while tatami mats and knee-height tables round out the intimate atmosphere. Shoes off, it’s time to eat.

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The Place The Food When patrons are seated, Hemei makes a gesture of its hospitality by offering a large complimentary mushroom, deep-fried and stuffed with pork. Don’t balk at their sprawling bilingual menu (Chinese and Japanese only). Instead, ask the waitress for the day’s list of rotating specials and, if you’re lucky, put your name in for a portion of their precious little supply of basashi. This pink horsemeat sashimi (RMB78) is one of their imports from Japan – obtained, according to the manager, through ‘secret channels,’ at a volume of three plates per day. Sliced radish, ground ginger and soy sauce are served alongside, to spice up the surprisingly mellow equine cuts. Follow it up with something hot, like the sublime seafood croquettes (RMB45): deep fried balls of shrimp, crab, potato, mushroom and cheese concealed in a crispy golden coating. For a glorious seafood main, embrace the savory sophistication of the roast kaibianhua lingcod (RMB45), a North Pacific fish of unparalleled texture. Prefer your meat cooked? Play carnivore’s roulette with the combination skewer platter (RMB65), comprised of

a random mix of meat and veg from Hemei’s vast yakitori selection. Beware, though, as mushy cow liver might make an unexpected appearance. Pair the flavorful dishes with a bottle of warm (RMB60) or iced (RMB70) sake served by attentive and knowledgeable wait staff who respond with swiftness to a convenient tabletop bell.

The Vibe

Although we don’t quite see eye-to-eye with Hemei’s J-pop soundtrack, sitting on zaisus with your legs resting on tatami is a blissful way to dine and, judging by the satisfied Japanese regulars, we’re not the only ones who seem to think so. Price: RMB200 Who’s going: the after-work Japanese crowd, worldly female diners Good for: impressing a date, warm sake, unparalleled service Nearest metro: Tiyu Xilu (Exit B), 8 minutes Open daily, 5.30pm-midnight; Shop 207, 2/F, 74 Tiyu Dong Lu, Tianhe District 天河区体育东路74号2楼207铺 (3893 6839)

Award-winning Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, owner of a slew of Michelinstarred restaurants, had only one thing in mind when he opened Mercato at K11 Mall: to offer us ravenous Southerners simple yet sophisticated plates featuring high quality ingredients that shine. And if the folks waiting in line for seats have anything to say about this upscale gastroteca, then Vongerichten, who has almost 40 restaurants to his name, appears to have hit the culinary jackpot with this latest opening. Past the narrow entrance lined by chilled bottles of fine wine, the wide space is a gorgeous, blend of casual chic and stylish warmth, punctuated by industrial and leather accents. On one side, the bar beckons. On the other side, aromatic pizzas emerge magnificently charred and bubbling from a combination wood-and-gas-fired oven. As the swivel of heads and the staring mob scene attest, these artisanal pizzas look and smell exquisite.

The Food

From the eight-pizza menu, we choose the dearest of them all: the aromatic black truffle and trio of cheese (RMB218) exudes a powerful fla-

vor, while the whole egg (yes, and it’s amazing) adds texture and depth. A selection of crudo and appetizers make for perfect tapas-style shareables. Try the sliced kingfish with crushed olives and dill (RMB98); house-made ricotta swirled with strawberry and olive oil on bread (RMB98); and the woodoven-roasted asparagus with prosciutto and fontina cheese (RMB98). Homemade pastas and risotto also feature; try the lobster and shrimp ravioli, doused in olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs (RMB138/198). Light and clean, it speaks volumes to those who understand what real pasta should taste like. If you crave a meatier main, order the crispy beef short rib (RMB368), served with a glazed, sticky topping of smoked chili, cranberry and chianti, with a side of polenta fries covered with shaved parmesan. The rib is expertly braised for 12 hours, after which all excess fat is trimmed off. It’s then fried for a mere three seconds, resulting in a delicate yet crispy exterior and tender, juicy, pull-apart perfection within. If all this feasting works up a thirst, Mercato has the cocktails to quench it. Our picks are the Mercato negroni (RMB78) and the bass basso spritz (RMB68). Fancy some wine or champagne? The affable sommelier will have just the thing. To finish things off, sink your teeth into the homemade tiramisu (RMB68), enough for two or three.

The Vibe Mercato is as upscale as it comes, whether you seek a lively atmosphere by the bar or an intimate dinner under the stars. Take your meal al fresco or enjoy stunning post-meal views of Zhujiang New Town from the commodious outdoor patio. Just don’t flinch when you get the tab; whoever said Guangzhou was cheap obviously hasn’t been to K11. Price: RMB400 Who’s going: well-suited high rollers, devout fans of modern Italian fare Good for: crispy beef short ribs, tapas, artisanal pours Nearest metro: Huangcheng Dadao (APM Line), 5 minutes

Open daily; 802, Level 8, K11 Art Mall, No. 6 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城珠江东路6号K11购物艺术中心8楼802商铺 (6681 8086)

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NE W R E S TAUR A N T | E AT & DR INK

E AT & DR INK | NE W R E S TAUR A N T

SINDO

The East Indies Come to East Station By Lena Gidwani

The Place Sindo, once a tiny counter serving affordable, unadulterated Indonesian fare to hungry students and curious neighbors, has recently graduated to a full-fledged sit-down eatery. First timers to this authentic, well-priced gem should follow signs for a cinema at the nearby mall. Sindo is tucked away near the ticket counters.

The Food

Portions are generous, the conveniently illustrated menu is varied and, since the price points are approachable, we recommend ordering a broad spread. Start with gado gado (RMB25), a rich medley of cold boiled veg, or the peanuty chicken satay (RMB26). For a more filling, all-inone treat, try the turmeric rice (RMB38) which combines the fragrant yellow grains with fried chicken, sambal egg, a potato patty, shrimp crackers and a fresh side salad. Soto soup and the coconut-rich chicken curry (RMB 28 each) both

POKE REMIX

‘Island Dining’ Arrives in Guangzhou By Matthew Bossons

The Place Inconspicuously located on the second floor of Fuli Dongshan New World, the small and casual interior of Poke Remix is dishing out delicious Hawaiian-inspired eats that will satisfy lovers of seafood, salad and rice bowls all at once. What struck us upon first entering this new eatery was how clean the interior is, with glistening white tiles on the walls and a floor so squeakyclean you could almost eat off it. We’re told by proprietor Eddy Lau that this cleanliness is the result of twice (and occasionally, thrice) daily bouts of vacuuming and washing. Although Poke Remix 62 | GZ | MAY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

only hosts seating for around 15 people, the restaurant currently offers delivery via KK Rabbit and Meituan – so you can get your Hawaiian food fix in the comfort of your own home or workplace.

The Food

Before we dive into Poke Remix’s choice dishes, some background: poke (pronounced 'poh-kay') is a salad composed of raw fish that hails from the beautiful American state of Hawaii. In many regards, the dish is comparable to fish Carpaccio or Japanese sashimi and it can be served as plain 'n' simple raw fish in sauce (such as soy sauce and sesame oil) or with additional ingredients, like rice, nuts and fruit. Guangzhou’s Poke Remix tackles the dish in a contemporary manner, with fresh seafood paired with greens, pickled veggies, nuts, beans, grains, fruit and mouth-watering sauces. On our recent visit, we sampled the ‘Traditional Remix’ bowl (RMB79), with comes with 100 grams of diced ahi tuna, house sambal and ponzu sauces, avocado, gomasio, edamame, dried bonito and seaweed all set on a dark, blackish-brown bed of five-grain rice. It's a refreshing blend of edible components that offers a range of textures and tastes.

get honorable mentions, but avoid the balado beef (RMB30); the admittedly delicious sauce does not make up for the meat’s disappointing toughness. Wash the meal down with some authentic Indonesian drinks, like the traditional cendol (RMB20) – a liquid carnival of coconut milk, sugar palm, shaved ice and green rice flour jelly.

The Vibe

It’s hard not to love this casual cafe with its bright, contemporary colors and decorative nods to heritage. Overall, Sindo hits the spot with lip smacking spice that brings fire to the palate without burning a hole in your wallet. Price: RMB50 Who’s going: curry lovers, hungry students Good for: eating with your hands, homestyle Sumatran cooking Nearest metro: Guangzhou East Station (Exit J), 20 minutes

Open daily, 11am-9.30pm; 1/F, 30-34 Dongguanzhuang Lu, Tianhe District 天河区东莞庄路30-34号首层 (135 0148 4002)

We’re told that the ‘Poke Prawn and Shrimp’ bowl (RMB69), which spices things up a notch with chipotle mayo dressing, is also worth a dabble. Vegans will be happy to know that your soon-to-be-pals at Poke Remix also offer two vegan bowls (RMB49), while picky eaters are offered the option of BYOB (build-your-own-bowl). Wash your bowl down with one of the shop’s smoothies (we recommend the ‘Performance’ smoothie, RMB45) or a Hawaiian craft beer.

The Vibe

Four parts island-vibe, two parts health-vibe, one part Keanu Reeves in Point Break-vibe: this is as close as we’ll ever get to accurately summing up the Poke Remix feel. Price: RMB50-80 Who’s going: homesick Hawaiians, surfer bros, pescetarians Good for: healthy edibles, building your own meal Nearest metro: Yangji (Exit B), 15 minutes

Open daily, 11am-8pm; Shop 205, 2/F, Block F, Fuli Dongshan New World, 345 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Yuexiu District 越秀区广州大道中富力东山新天地F栋2楼205铺 (2492 9720) WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | MAY 2018 | GZ | 63

SEE

Revel's World of Shakespeare Drama

DO ASAP Mob & Marty Baller Hip Hop Party

Where Are You Going Tonight Exhibition

In this exhibition, staged at the newly opened K11 mall, artist Chen Wei creates the artistic equivalent of a film scene. Chen’s creation is inspired by modern literature and conceptual photography in the 20th century, boasting a cinematic feel. By creating an exceptional space that straddles the boundaries between virtuality and reality, the artist allows audiences to become the protagonist of their own scenes. Daily until May 20, 10am-9.30pm; free. 4/F, K11, 6 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江东路6号 K11购物艺术中心

Bocuse d’Or Cooking Competition

REBEL Fighting Championship Guangzhou Stop

MMA

Written and performed by globally acclaimed actor Joseph Graves, Revel's World of Shakespeare is coming to Guangzhou this month. Drawing heavily on his considerable personal experiences with Shakespearean plays and extensive study of the plays’ articulations, Graves magically weaves a wildly comedic and deeply moving tale of childhood confusion and exploration, relating it all to the greatest of English writers, William Shakespeare. Sat May 26, 7.30pm; RMB180-380. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江西路 1号广州大剧院 (3839 2888, gzdjy.org)

Three highly anticipated bouts will take place on May 26 at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Sports Center, pitting some of the best MMA fighters in China against their highlyskilled, international counterparts: Australia's Chris Morris and Brazil's Marcelo Tenorio, along with Konstantin Linnik of Ukraine, will face off against Wu Chengjie, Liu Wenbo and Wang Sai respectively. Visit REBEL Fighting Championship's website for more information. Sat May 26, time and price TBD. Tianhe Sports Center, 299 Tiyu Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区体育西路299号天河体育中心 (rebelfightingchampionship.com)

Two-time BET Awards-winning hip hop group ASAP Mob are visiting Guangzhou this month. The American group is made up of rappers, record producers, fashion designers and music video directors. The New York legends will be accompanied by ex-member Marty Baller, who is known to ignite excitement and fervor in the group’s adoring fans. This is one party that Guangzhou’s hip hop fans will not want to miss. Fri May 4, 10pm-late; RMB120. Hangover Bar, 6/F, Honder International Hotel, 2 Dongguanzhuang Lu, Tianhe District 天河区东莞庄路2号鸿德国际酒店6楼 (159 7631 7940)

AmCham Studio 54 East Spring Ball

Transcendent Landscape: Artworks of Lin Yong Exhibition The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Drama

This exhibition showcases Chinese painter Lin Yong’s recent works on mountains and rivers. From the 40 or so art pieces on display, audiences can enjoy scenes of wild mountains, miscellaneous trees and flowers, bamboo groves tangled in old vines and smoky countryside tableaus, among other scenes. Tue-Sun until May 22, 9am-5pm; free. Guangdong Museum of Art, 38 Yanyu Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District 越秀区二沙岛烟雨路38号广东美术馆 (gdmoa.org) 64 | GZ | MAY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Bocuse d’Or, often described as ‘the Olympics of cooking’, is a biennial event that draws top chefs from around the world to compete for glory in Lyon, France. For the very first time in the history of the contest, the Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific is taking place in China. Guangzhou will be hosting the continental selection round of the prestigious gastronomy contest. Register on bocusedor-asiapacific.com to witness some of the world’s most skilled chefs in action. Tue-Wed May 8-9, 9am-5pm. Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center, 1039-1045 Baiyun Dadao Nan, Baiyun District 白云区白云大道南10391045号广州白云国际会议中心 (bocusedor-asiapacific.com)

This play is a successful stage adaptation of its namesake novel. It is presented as a play-within-a-play, rather than the first-person narrative featured in the book, telling stories about a 15-year-old amateur detective named Christopher John Francis Boone who is a mathematical genius and appears to have an unspecified autism spectrum disorder. This seven-time Oliver Award winner is to be staged in Guangzhou from June 1-3. Fri-Sun June 1-3, 2.30pm/7.30pm; RMB80-880. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江西路1号广州大剧院 (3839 2888, gzdjy.org)

win!

We have two pairs of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before May 28 with the subject ‘Dog’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

Guangzhou Evergrande host Hebei Fortune F.C.

Football

Local football giants Guangzhou Evergrande will go head-to-head with their visiting northern foes on May 12 at the team’s home stadium in Tianhe. This will be Guangzhou fans’ only chance to see their ‘boys in red’ live in the city this month in what is sure to be a gripping showdown. Sat May 12, 7.35pm, Tianhe Stadium, 299 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河体育场 299天河路天河区

The now-defunct Studio 54 in NYC was formerly a world-famous, exclusive nightclub and disco from the 1970s that was favored by celebrities. Entry was only admitted for those in style. Today, its golden times can only be witnessed in photographs. This May, however, AmCham South China’s Spring Ball will bring the legend of Studio 54 to life with a night filled with disco, confetti and extravaganza. For tickets, contact Ms. Wing Xian / Joyce Hu at wxian@amcham-southchina.org / jhu@amcham-southchina.org or 8335 1476 ext. 12 / 20. Sat May 26, 7pm; RMB1,000. LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District 越秀区环市东路368号广州花园酒店 (8335 1476 ext. 12 / 20)

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Hand in Hand International Children’s Music Festival

The Bilinda Butchers

Dream Pop

Fengzi Chinese Folk

Juntian Yunhe Music Band String Music

Castle in the Sky

Concert

HEAR Joshua Radin Concert

Even if he never intended to become a live performer, when Joshua Radin’s first song ‘Winter’ was featured on an episode of Scrubs, popular acclaim drove him to a record deal and countless world tours. Now, a half million record sales later, Radin has seen his songs featured in more than 150 different films, commercials, and TV shows. He tours China in support of last year’s album, The Fall, which was the first produced by himself. Sat, May 12, 8pm; RMB150. MAO Livehouse, 1/F, Zhongzhou Trading Center, Huizhan Nan Wu Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区会展南五路中州交易中心1楼 (showstart.com)

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne

Classical Music

The renowned German orchestra is making their first visit to Guangzhou since their last appearance in 2015, this time performing under the baton of Finish maestro Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Masterful in their exploration of the depths and essence of classical music, the orchestra will accompany two German choruses ¬– WDR Rundfunkchor and SWR Vokalensemble – to present Beethoven’s time-tested ‘Symphony No. 9.’ Tue May 15, 8pm; RMB280-1,580. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District 越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (8735 8735, ticket-easy.cn)

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This is China’s first international music festival intended for the whole family. Disappointed in the lack of new children’s music in China, Chinese singer-songwriter and author Liu Jian and his American journalist wife Rebecca Kanthor created Hand in Hand so their children, and all kids in China, could have a chance to hear the best live music for families from around the world and learn about different cultures through music. Over the next five years, Hand in Hand will bring the coolest bands for kids from 10 countries to tour 100 cities throughout China. Hand in Hand's Guangzhou stop will feature Grammy and Emmy-winning husband and wife duo – Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band from the States, as well as Hippe Gasten from Holland. Sun May 6, 4.30pm; RMB160-560. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, 259 Dongfeng Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District 越秀区东风中路259号中山纪念堂 (247tickets.com)

win!

This San Francisco-based band take their name from shoegaze group My Bloody Valentine’s vocalist and guitarist – Bilinda Butcher. The band experiments with genre-mixing and dramatic themes to create cinematic soundscapes. Their music is also influenced by Japanese music to some degree, as demonstrated in their first album Heaven. Wed May 16, 8.30-10pm; RMB150. Mao Livehouse, 1/F, Zhongzhou Trading Center, Huizhan Nan Wu Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区会展南五路中州交易中心1楼 (showstart.com)

win! We have a pair of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before May 13 with the subject ‘Butchers’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

We have two pairs of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before May 4 with the subject ‘Hand’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

This rambling troubadour is plugging in his well-travelled six-string and gracing Guangzhou audiences with tales of the road. Having trekked and hitchhiked in some of the nation’s most unforgiving frontiers and after synthesizing his experiences into his latest release The Deepest Self, Fengzi has taking his musical travelogue on a nationwide tour. Catch him as he rides into T:union on a northwest wind. Fri May 18, 8.30pm; RMB80 presale, RMB100 at the door. T:Union, 361-365 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Yuexiu District 越秀区广州大道中361365号东方花苑1层凸空间 (showstart. com)

Juntian Yunhe is an instrumental ensemble who perform Chinese traditional music with the steady hands of seasoned professionals. Each of the band’s members boasts cultivation and education in traditional Chinese music and is an excellent solo performer in their own right. See them perform live at Guangzhou Opera House this month. Fri May 25, 7.30pm; RMB80-680. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江西路1号广州大剧院 (3839 2888, gzdjy.org)

Rhodes Indie Pop

The classics of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki come to life this month at the Xinghai Concert Hall in an audiovisual extravaganza. Performers from some of the country’s best conservatories will come together to deliver a sensational, family-friendly musical rendering of such pioneering anime legends as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro and Valley in the Sky. Sat May 26, 8pm; RMB180-480. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District 越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (showstart.com)

Mono Inc Gothic Rock

Nerve Passenger

The King’s Singers 50th Anniversary World Tour A

Psychadelic Rock

Cappella

British a cappella ensemble The King’s Singers enjoyed widespread acclaim in the 1970s to 80s. With members coming and going over the years, the group has always, by tradition, comprised of six singers. Today, The King’s Singers bring their diverse repertoire, which consists of both pop and classical music, to audiences across the world. The ensemble will stage a concert in Guangzhou this month as part of their 50th anniversary tour. Fri May 18, 8pm; RMB100-680. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District 越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (8735 8735, ticket-easy.cn)

This Shanghai-based psychedelic rock trio has been honing their previously melancholy sound into a mature and well-rounded post-rock vibe that's worthy of the national stage. Now, the group’s six-city tour is taking the magic to Guangzhou with an appearance at Panyu’s NT Livehouse. Fri May 25, 8.30pm; RMB60. NT Livehouse, 1 Suishicun East Gate Plaza 番禹区大学城穗石村东门广场一楼 (showstart.com)

Known for his haunting vocals and ethereal electric guitar, British singer-songwriter David Rhodes has captivated fans since releasing his first single ‘Raise Your Love’ in 2013. For anyone who carries a torch for the bruised melancholy of Jeff Buckley or the soul searching tenderness of Antony and The Johnsons, expect to find an echo in Rhodes’s upcoming Guangzhou performance. Tue May 8, 8.30pm; RMB120 presale, RMB160 at the door. T:union, 361-365 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Yuexiu District 越秀区广州大道中361-365号东方花苑 1层凸空间 (showstart.com)

Fans of German gothic rock are rejoicing this month as heavyweights of the genre, Mono Inc., prepare to make their innagural China tour. The Guangzhou leg of the hardcore will feature a stop at MAO Livehouse. With such carefree titles as ‘Voices of Doom’ and ‘Symphony of Pain,’ the show promises to be a light-hearted and whimsical musical experience. Sat May 19, 8.30pm; RMB380 presale, RMB 480 at the door, RMB880 VIP. MAO Livehouse, 1/F, Zhongzhou Trading Center, Huizhan Nan Wu Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区会展南五路中州交易中心1楼 (showstart.com)

win!

We have one pair of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before May 6 with the subject ‘Rhodes’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | MAY 2018 | GZ | 67

HONG KONG & MACAU CALENDAR A Michelin Experience at the Taikoo Lounge

Set Menu

TA S T E

Delicate Japanese Cuisine at Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel

Japanese Food

MAY 5 SAT

MAY 13 SUN

MAY 8 TUE

TWG Tea Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Set

MO Catholic devotees commemorate the miracle of Fátima in Portugal in 1917. It will feature an open-air mass, while white-robed women carry the statue of Our Lady of Fátima through the historic streets of Macau.

MAY 22

Throughout the month of May, TWG Tea is offering Guangzhouers a glamorous afternoon tea set with a Parisian twist for two people. Enjoy a selection of dainty canapés and pastries and tea-infused gourmet sandwiches accompanied by a cup of Renaissance or Paris-Singapore tea. Also included in this tea set is a St. Honore cake infused with vinilla Bourbon tea , as well as two scoops of TWG Tea’s signature tea-infused ice creams. Daily ongoing, 2-6pm; RMB388 for two, RMB168 for take-away cake. TWG (IGC), 1/F, IGC, 222 Xingmin Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tinahe District 天河区珠江新城兴民路222号IGC首层 (8757 1837); TWG Tea (Taikoo Hui), Shop L213, 2/F, TaiKoo Hui, 383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路383号太古汇2楼L213铺 (3808 8233)

Enjoy an exclusive four-day ‘wine and dine’ experience prepared by Nicolas Boujéma, a renowned Michelin-star chef from the legendary Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo’s one-star Michelin restaurant Signature. Chef Boujéma will showcase his remarkable culinary and plating skills by offering diners a three-course lunch and a seven-course dinner set menu. Sat-Tue May 26-29; RMB288/488 for lunch, RMB788/1,188 for dinner, plus 15 percent. The Taikoo Lounge, Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, 389 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路389号广州文华东方酒店 (3808 8881)

Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel’s Bene Seafood Restaurant presents not only a popular Japanese buffet, but also an innovate series of a la carte dishes. Over 80 courses have been created by hotel chefs, boasting an extensive selection of seafood, including New Zealand shrimp, Argentina red shrimp and abalone sashimi. Daily Ongoing; 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-9.30pm. Bene Seafood Restaurant, Sheraton Guangzhou Hotel, 208 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路208号广州粤海喜来登酒店 (6682 2557)

Harry Styles Live on Tour, 8pm; HKD488-4,888.Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hall 5BC (hkticketing.com) The 24-year-old One Direction alum added 56 more dates to his first world tour, in response to demand from fans. The young heart-throb still plays some of the boy band’s songs, but more recent works from his self-titled album offer, in Variety’s words, a "classic cocktail of psychedelia, Britpop, and balladry.” Whether or not you swoon over his looks, the princeling of British pop performs with a confidence and clarity we can all enjoy.

MAY 12 SAT

WED A-Ma Festival, morning. A-Ma Temple. District Race, 7am-3pm; HKD383450. Central Harbourfront Event Space (districtrace.com) The second-ever iteration of the “urban exploration race” pits runners against The Grid of virtual citywide challengers. As a first-of-itskind concept, there is no set route nor distance, letting participants devise their own routes to explore more than 80 virtual checkpoints. Challenges require different skills like speed, city knowledge, dexterity and problem-solving acumen, and participants can choose the challenges that play to their strengths. Download the app and get ready to run.

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MAY 12 SAT

MAY 18-20 Food and Drink Showcase by The Wine People

FRI-SUN Wine and Dine in Mediterranean Style

Super Junior, 7pm; MOP780-1980. Cotai Arena, The Venetian Macao (venetianmacao.com) As part of their world tour, the popular Korean boy band Super Junior are set to visit fans in Macau this month, performing songs from their eighth album, Play. Since forming in 2005, the highly soughtafter boy band have been deemed one of K-pop’s most defining acts and are credited with helping spread the genre’s popularity to global audiences.

Seasonal Menu

Happy Hour at Bar 5

Choose one beer or cocktail from a wide range of tipple options and pair it with savory dim sum dishes and crispy tacos at LN Hotel Five’s newly redecorated rooftop bar. Set against the beautiful Pearl River views afforded by Bar 5’s rooftop position, this promotion offers you a scenic and tasty night ‘on the town.’ Daily ongoing, 5.30-8.30pm; RMB198 plus 15 percent. Bar 5, LN Hotel Five, Guangzhou, 277 Yanjiang Zhong Lu, Yuexiue District 越秀区沿江中路277号广州岭南五号酒店 (8931 0505)

This festival celebrates the goddess A-Ma, from whom Macau is said to derive its Cantonese name. After a ritual ceremony, a parade will commence in honor of the deity – known in mainland China as Mazu, or the goddess of the sea – to celebrate the beliefs and customs surrounding this UNESCO-recognized tradition.

Guangzhou Loves Fusion is a culinary occasion conceived by The Wine People. The two-day event is composed of two parts: Black Tie Dinner, to be held on May 26 at Park Hyatt Guangzhou, will see top Guangzhou chefs each compose a signature dish to dazzle judges and attendees with exceptional ingredients, creativity and excellent flavor, while The Wine People provide hand-selected wine pairings. The following day, the same venue will play host to Sunday Kitchen Party, wherein some of the city’s outstanding restaurants will set up live food stations to offer a food and wine tasting. All proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Wilber Foundation. For more information, contact Giulia on WeChat (ID: GiuliaBibi). Sat May 26, 7pm; RMB1,400; Sun May 27, 12.30-3.30pm; RMB380; Park Hyatt Guangzhou, 16 Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城华夏路16号广州柏悦酒店

Enjoy classic Mediterranean fare with a local twist in a contemporary setting. Alfresco’s new menu combines Mediterranean cooking techniques with ingredients commonly used in local cuisines. The menu’s main focus is on prawns, crab, seabass, cod, and other seasonal seafood cooked using olive oil to produce healthy dishes with a light flavor. Daily until June 30, 6-10pm; various prices. Alfresco, Langham Place, Guangzhou, 638 Xingang Dong Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区新港东路638号广州南丰朗豪酒店 (8916 3568)

Puccini's Tosca, 5.30pm; HKD210. HKAPA Béthanie Landmark Heritage Campus (hkticketing.com) Two extraordinary sopranos alternate in the title role of the jealous prima donna in Sir David McVicar’s lavish production. Sonya Yoncheva and Anna Netrebko play the doomed Floria Tosca with Vittorio Grigolo and Marcelo Álvarez alternating the role of her revolutionary artist lover Cavaradossi. The torture, murder, suicide and endless passion of Puccini’s most popular opera unfold under the conductor’s wand of Emmanuel Villaume.

MAY 13 Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, 11am / 12pm May 18. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Hall 3DE (hkticketing.com) Over 115 galleries showcase a broad range of art, all priced between HK$1,000 and HK$100,000. Highlights include the cutting edge Young Talent Hong Kong exhibition, the large-scale installations and the Creative Hub with M+ Rover 2018: Travelling Creative Studio. New for 2018, #ForArtSake on Friday evening will help raise awareness of mental wellbeing and art therapy and host an international lineup of artists performing live for charity.

SUN

Procession of Our Lady of Fátima, 5.30pm. St. Domingo’s Church. Starting from St. Domingo’s Church and working its way to the Penha Chapel, this annual procession of

Feast of the Drunken Dragon, morning. Kuan Tai Temple (near Senado Square) The Feast of the Drunken Dragon, also known as the Drunken Dragon and Lion Dance Gala, is a local traditional folk festival celebrated by fishmongers in Macau, which later on developed into an annual festivity on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. A ‘drunken dance’ is performed with a wooden dragon, as well as a ‘drunken dragon parade,’ lion dances and the distribution of ‘longevity rice,’ the grains of which are said to repel evil spirits.

UNTIL MAY 31

29th Macao Arts Festival, for specific programs, please visit icm.gov.mo The 29th edition of the annual Macao Arts Festival (MAF), themed ‘Origan,’ will launch this month with a wide range of mindexpanding topics. With 26 captivating programs that fall into seven categories (Thematic Highlights, Groundbreakers, Cross-Disciplinary Creations, Family Entertainment, Quintessence of Tradition, Concerts and Exhibitions), the MAF is the perfect occasion for audiences to appreciate classics of the musical, theatrical and visual arts refined through time.

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HOTEL NEWS

TRAVEL DEALS

NEWS DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou To celebrate Earth Hour 2018, the team at DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou held a fun quiz on environmental knowledge on Saturday, March 24 from 8.309.30pm. The event was one part of the hotel’s drive to promote sustainability efforts; staff also switched off unnecessary lights at the hotel to aid in energy conservation. Sofitel Guiyang Hunter The Sofitel Guiyang Hunter recently celebrated its first anniversary with a number of landmark events, including a Vertical Marathon on April 22. Since its opening in April of last year, the hotel has established itself as a benchmark of French style and traditional oriental hospitality in the capital city of Guizhou.

Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport For the fourth consecutive year, Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has been honoured at the Skytrax World Airport Awards with the title of ‘Best Airport Hotel in China.’ The Skytrax World Airport Awards are the most prestigious recognition in the airport industry. This year’s results were based on 13.73 million airport survey questionnaires completed by over 100 different nationalities of airline customers during the survey period.

Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou

Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou

In an effort to celebrate local art and the newly opened K11 Mall, the RitzCarlton, Guangzhou is helping promote Where Are You Going Tonight, an art exhibition held at K11 Art Space. The exhibit is the work of contemporary artist Chen Wai and features photography and installations that will allow viewers to “release their passion.” Available from April 1 to May 20, the "An Inspiring Art Getaway" package, with prices starting from RMB1,488, offers guests two tickets to the exhibition. 3 Xing'an Lu, Tianhe District 天河区兴安路3号广州富力丽思卡尔顿酒店 (3813 6898)

To celebrate the Year of the Dog, Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou is offering visitors the option of bringing their furry friends with them when staying at the hotel. Specific pet-friendly rooms have been allocated and filled with adorable pet amenities such as water and food bowls, toilet pads and exclusive sleeping cushions, allowing for a memorable and comfortable stay for you and your pet. 389 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路389号广州文华东方酒店 (3815 1360)

PROMOTIONS Sands Resorts Macao Kicks off Asia-wide ‘Search for a Star’ Themed Roadshow in Guangzhou Sands Resorts Macao hosted a cocktail and dinner event in Guangzhou on March 27 to introduce launch the resort’s series of roadshow events in 15 Asian cities to shed light on its unique hotel offerings, entertainment and dining.

Rejuvenate with Tai Chi in a Serene Garden Setting Book a stay at LN Garden Hotel and get a chance to learn about the culture, origin and art of traditional tai chi. The hotel introduces complimentary sessions for in-house guests who will be taught by a professional coach in its beautiful back garden. LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District 越秀区环市东路368号广州花园酒店 (8333 8989)

Special Bath Treatment at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou Turkish Airlines Introduces Turkish Culture and Classic Cuisine to Guangzhou In collaboration with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, Turkish Airlines hosted a mouthwatering food festival at Guangzhou’s LN Garden Hotel. Dubbed the ‘Turkey Promotion and Turkish Food Presentation, the culinary extravaganza brought together authentic dishes prepared by special guest chefs for distinguished guests from the Turkish Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Travel Agency Association of Turkey, as well as prominent Guangdong travel agencies.

Indulge in a 120-minute floral Jacuzzi bath, accompanied by a whole-body exfoliation using floral aromatics. The bath is followed by a 60-minute traditional Chinese tuina acupressure massage using rose oil, a treatment that relieves daily pressures as well as body aches and improves circulation, leaving you feeling completely rejuvenated. The bath treatment is priced at RMB1,800 plus 15 percent. Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, 389 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路 389号广州文华东方酒店 (3808 8879)

Thomas Friendship Party with The Little Big Club All Stars at Sands Cotai Central Starting on April 1, Sands Resorts Macao started a new afternoon party experience for families to enjoy, staring characters from Thomas & The Little Big Club. The new games and activities are ideal for family bonding, children’s birthday parties and other special family occasions.

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FEATURED LISTINGS

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FOOD & DRINK 1920 Restaurant 1) 4/F, 1 Jianshe Liu Malu, Yuexiu District; 2) Shops 67, 69, 72 & 76, The Canton Place, Qingfeng Jie, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (8388 1142); Shop MW01-03, 05, Central Zone, Mall of the World, 89 Huacheng Dadao, Tianhe District (8709 6033) 1920 咖啡厅 1) 建设六马路一号前幢 4 楼 ; 2) 天河区珠江新城清风街 48 号广粤天地 67, 69, 72, 76 号铺 ; 3) 天河区花城大道 89 号花城汇 MW01-03, 05 商铺 Aroma Bistro Shop 117, 1/F, Voka Street, 460 Tianhe Bei Lu, Tianhe District (185 0200 1416) 天河区天河北路460号沃凯街首层 117铺

ensured that the food delivers to both local and foreign palates. Enjoy a gratifying meal, with a menu that boasts a wide range of appetizers, soups, pastas and both meaty and marine-filled mains. On the occasion of The Eating Table's 2-year anniversary this past October, Michelin-starred chef Michel Portos has crafted a series of appetizing dishes for this winter. Shop 401, 4/F, GTLand Winter Plaza, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城高德置地冬广场4楼401室 (8398 0860)

383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (2808 6333) 宝莱纳 , 天河区天河路 383 号太古汇广场 L307

Buongiorno 1) 3/F, Yi An Plaza, 33 Jianshe Liu Malu, Yuexiu District (8363 3587); 2) A7, Xinshijie Haoyuan Diyi Ju, 168 Dongcheng Nan Lu, Dongguan (0769 2339 6499) 邦奴意大利餐厅 1) 越秀区建设六马路宜安广场3楼; 2) 东莞市东城南路 168 号新世界豪圆第一居 A7 号

Slow Life An organic, health-conscious Western restaurant that excels in Spanish cuisine, Slow Life aims to be a place where guests can take a break from their busy schedules to visit with friends and family over a feast of delicious fusion dishes. Shop 107, 1/F, Gaozhi Dasha, 120 Huangpu Dadao Xi, Tianhe District 天河区黄埔大道西120号高志大厦首层107铺 (3788 7173, 3788 7172)

Element Fresh 1) Shop L302, TaiKoo Hui, 383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (3808 8506); 2) G/F, 42 Qingfeng Jie, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3828 8482) 新元素 , 1) 天河区天河路 383 号太古汇广场 L302 店 ; 2) 天河区珠江新城清风街 42 号首层 Happy Monk 1) Back of Yi’an Plaza, Jianshe Wu Malu, Yuexiu District (8376 5597) ; 2) No. 109, 7Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3877 8679); 3) Outdoor Plaza, Happy Valley Mall, 36 Machang Lu, Tianhe District (3832 5317) 1) 越秀区建设五马路宜安广场后门 ; 2) 天河区珠江新城兴盛路 7 号 109 号铺 ; 3) 天河区珠江新城马场路 36 号太阳新天地户外广场

Bravo Bet your ‘bravo hour’ poker chip on a blind taste test. If you guess the beer correctly, we will give you an extra beer on the house. If you don’t guess the beer correctly, you lose your free ‘bravo hour’ beer. When you lose your free beer token, bravo will donate 1 RMB to an animal welfare charity. Shop 114-115, 6 Huajiu Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城华就路6号114-115铺 The Brew Sports Bar & Grill 1) Unit 9-11, Huanan Country Garden, Panyu Dadao (across the road from Chimelong Theme Park), Panyu District (3482 0401); 2) West Section, Bao Lin Yuan, Huaxun Jie, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3408 9549); 3) Shop 11-13, Yuhai Food Street, 1 Jianshe Liu Malu, Yuexiu District (8382 8299) 1) 番禺区番禺大道华南碧桂园碧华商业2街9-11 号; 2) 天河区珠江新城华讯街保林苑西区加拿大布鲁咖啡馆, 近发展中心; 3) 越秀区建设六马路誉海食街11-13号铺 The Eating Table With seats for more than 200 diners to explore gastronomy at a less frenetic pace, The Eating Table's warm, alluring design enlivens the senses. The owner, who spent years in Melbourne, has

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Shami House 2/F, Zhao Qing Da Sha, 304 Huanshi Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District (8355 3012 / 8355 3091) 莎米屋 , 越秀区环市中路 304 号肇庆大厦 2 楼

M9 Restaurant Lounge Shop 112, 9 Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3802 0171) McCawley’s Bar & Grill Shop 101, 16 Huacheng Dadao, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3801 7000) 天河区珠江新城花城大道 16 号 101 铺

Oggi Pizzeria 1) Shop 119, 8 Xingsheng Lu, Tianhe District (3805 1282); 4) 1 Tianlun Garden, Jianshe 4 Lu,Yuexiu District (8356 1196) www.oggirestaurant.com 卡布里西餐厅 1) 天河区兴盛路 8 号 119 铺 ; 2) 越秀区建设四马路天伦花园首层

Paulaner Bräuhaus L307, 3/F, TaiKoo Hui,

HEALTH All Smile - Dr. Lu Int'l Dental Clinic Rm 603-604, 6/F, Metro Plaza, 183 Tianhe Bei Lu (24-hour hotline: 8755 3380). Mon-Sat 9am6pm (other times by appointment) 大都会牙科，天河北路183号大都会广场六楼 603-604 Bellaire Medical Center Rm 302D, Fuli Park, 28 Machang Lu (3891 0511/ 24-hr 152 1881 8990), Bellaireclinic.com 贝利尔诊所，天河区珠江新城马场路富力公园28 商业区302D Deron Dental 3905-3909/F, Tianying Plaza East Tower, No.222 Xingming Lu, Tianhe (3886 4821,www.kaiyiyk.com) 德隆齿科诊所，广州市天河区兴民路 222 号天盈广场东塔 39 楼 3905-3909 Dr. Sherily Xiao Master of Medicine. 20 years TCM & Acupuncture & Massage & Physiotherapy Experience.Only for appointment. Fu Lai Garden Shui Yin Zhi Jie Shui Yin Road Yue Xiu District Guang Zhou. （Tel: 137 1052 6617. E-mail: xiaoshuilan@ hotmail.com. L5, Zoo station, C exit) 广州市越秀区水阴路水阴直街福莱花园

Hooley’s Irish Pub and Restaurant 1)101, 8 Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3886 2675); 2)Section 2, Yijia Yuan, 7 Xingzhongdao, Zhongshan 1)爱尔兰西餐酒吧, 天河区珠江新城兴盛路8号101; 2) 中山市兴中道7号颐嘉苑2卡 In·Side·Out By Threedrops 3/F, 10 Xietianli, Lingnan Tiandi, Chancheng District, Foshan (0757-8203 1400, 189 885 25470) 佛山市禅城区岭南天地协天里10号3楼T

Xincheng, Tianhe District (8550 3038); 2) On the right side of the Huanan Country Garden, Yingbin Lu, Panyu District (3482 4882, www.tavernchina.com) 致盛 1) 天河区珠江新城华就路 6 号保利 108 公馆 ; 2) 番禺区迎宾路华南碧桂园大门右侧

Rebel Rebel 42 Tiyu Dong Lu, Tianhe District (8520 1579) 天河区体育东路42号

Ricci Creative Eats Shop 015B, G/F, Popark Mall, No.63 Linhe Zhong Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China (Across the street from IKEA) (3809 6330) 天河区林和中路 63 号东方宝泰购物广场首层（宜家家居对面）

Eur Am Medical & Dental Center 1/F, North Tower, Ocean Pearl Bldg, 19 Huali Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng (3758 5328, 24hr urgent care: 137 1041 3347, www. eurammedicalcenter.com) 广州康辰医疗 , 珠江新城华利路 19 号远洋明珠大厦北座首层 Summer House Directly behind the Marriage House, Xietian Li, Lingnan Tiandi, Chancheng District, Foshan (133 9223 6374, www.summerhouse.com.cn) 佛山市禅城区岭南天地协天里（嫁娶屋正后面）粤天地 112-116号铺

Sultan Restaurant Turkish BBQ 1) 1-3/F, 367 Huanshi Dong Lu, between Baiyun Hotel and Friendship Store, Yuexiu District (8349 4170, 8349 4171); 2) Shop 102 & 114, Zhonghai Jinghui Huating, 31 Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, TianHe District(3801 5002) 1)苏坦土耳其烧烤餐厅, 越秀区环市东路367号1-3楼(白云宾馆与友谊商店夹位处); 2)广州市天河区珠江新城兴盛路31号中海璟晖华庭二期商铺102 & 114 The Tavern Sports Bar Traditional English style bar that fosters a cosy intimate atmosphere. Both Taverns offer an extensive menu of Western favorites and different theme nights throughout the whole week. 1) Poly 108, 6 Huajiu Lu, Zhujiang

United Family Guangzhou Clinic 1/F, Annex Bldg, PICC Bldg, 301 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong (4008 919 191, 24-hr urgent care: 8710 6060) 广州越秀和睦家门诊部 , 广州大道中 301 号人保大厦南塔副楼首层

H&H Dental Center 1/F, Mingmen Building, 4 Huacheng Dadao, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3808 0700, 3808 0729; 24-hour hotline: 139 2516 2826; E-mail: hnhdental@163.com) H&H 牙科中心（嘉茜医疗门诊 ), 天河区珠江新城花城大道 4 号名门大厦正门首层 iBorn Clinic Rm 2202-2203, Qiaoxin Kingold Century, 62 Jinsui Lu, Tianhe District ( 3736 2020/ 24-hr 3736 2110) 爱博恩综合门诊天河区珠江新城金穗路侨鑫金融中心2202-2203 iBorn Women’s & Children's Hospital No.6 Longkou Dong Lu, Tianhe District (2811 6375/185 2018 8335) 广州爱博恩妇产医院 , 天河区龙口东路 6 号 Sing Health Medical 2 Xian Cun Rd, Zhu Jiang New City, Tian He District, Guangzhou, Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, SatSun 9am-3pm, Tel:3739 2500 Open Every Day 广州新宁门诊，天河区珠江新城冼村路 2 号

SO’ O LK (Hair Salon) 1) G/F, 545 Binjiang Dong Lu, Haizhu District (3425 7429); 2) Shop 103A, World Trade Centre, 371-375 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District (8760 6299); 3) Shop101, 712 Binjiang Dong Lu, Haizhu District (8419 1022); 4) Shop101, Fuli Edinburgh Apartment, 2 Huali Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District(3826 3718); 5) Shop 15 2/F, Chateau Star River Hotel, Yingbin Lu, Panyu District(3479 0641); 6) Shop81-82, G/F, New City Plaza, Olympic Garden, Luoxi New Town, Panyu District(3452 1826); 7) Shop 21, Agile Phase II, Fenghuang Bei Lu, Huadu District(3692 8686) 苏豪路易士，嘉玛发廊，1) 天河区天河北路 366 号都市华庭 13 铺 ; 2) 越秀区环市东路 371-375 号世界贸易中心首层 103A; 3) 海珠区滨江东路 712 号 101 铺 ; 4) 天河区珠江新城华利路 2 号富力爱丁堡公寓 101 铺 ; 5) 番禺区迎宾路星河湾酒店 2 楼 15 号铺 ; 6) 番禺区洛溪新城奥园城市花园首层 81-82 号铺 ; 7) 花都区凤凰北路雅居乐二期 21 号铺 True Pilates China Studio provides Pilates & Gyrotonic lessons for everyone. Add: 503-12 Huajiu Road, Zhujiang New Town （South of GZ American Consulate) www.truepilateschina.com 18620076022 珠江新城华就路 12 号 503

EDUCATION American International School of Guangzhou (AISG) 1) 3 Yanyu Nan Lu, Ersha Island (8735 3393); 2) 19,Kexiang Road Luogang District,Science Park, Guangzhou (3213 5555) 1) 广州美国人，二沙岛烟雨南路 3 号 ; 2) 广州罗岗区科翔路 19 号 Canadian Foreign Language School Cambridgshire Garden, Panyu District (39191868 ext. 0) 广州市番禺区剑桥郡加拿达外国语学校，广州市番禺区剑桥郡花园 Canadian International School of Guangzhou Cambridgeshire Garden, Nancun Town, Panyu District (3925 5321) www.cisgz.com 广州加拿大人国际学校，番禺区南村镇雅居乐剑桥郡花园内 Canadian Internatioanal Kindergarten Agile Garden, Yinbin Lu, Panyu District (8456 6551). 加拿大国际幼儿园，番禺区迎宾路雅居乐花园 Canton Global Academy 4 Chuangjia Road, Jinshazhou, Baiyun District, Guagnzhou (180 2401 1757) 广州寰宇外籍人员子女学校 , 广州市白云区金沙洲创佳路 4 号 Clifford School International International Building, Clifford School, Clifford Estates, Shiguang Lu, Panyu District (8471 8273; 8471 1441; 8471 1694) 祈福英语实验学校，番禺区市广路

瑜翠园北一号 ISA International School Guangzhou Block C2-2, 128 Yuancun Siheng Lu, Tianhe District (8890 0909, info@isaschool.com) 广州爱莎国际学校, 天河区员村四横路128号红专厂创意园C2-2 The British School of Guangzhou 983-3 Tonghe Lu, Baiyun District (8709 4788) 广州英国学校, 白云区同和路983-3 Trinity International Kindergarten 663 Huacheng Dadao, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (8558 3287) 圣心国际幼稚园, 天河区珠江新城花城大道663号

6688, www.ritzcarlton.com) 广州富力丽思卡尔顿酒店, 天河区珠江新城兴安路3号

8516 8133) www.kanton.diplo.de 德国领事馆，天河路 208 号粤海天河城大厦 14 楼

W Guangzhou 26 Xiancun Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (6628 6628) 广州 W 酒店 , 天河区珠江新城冼村路 26 号

Greece Rm 2105, HNA Building, 8 Linhe Zhong Lu (Tel: 8550 1114; Fax: 8550 1450; grgencon.guan@mfa.gr) 希腊领事馆 , 林和中路 8 号海航大厦 2105 室

White Swan Hotel 1 Shamian Nan Jie, Liwan District (8188 6968) 白天鹅宾馆 , 荔湾区沙面南街 1 号

CONSULATES

Utahloy Int’l School www.utahloy.com 1) 800 Shatai Bei Lu, Baiyun District (8720 2019, fax 8704 4296); 2) Sanjiang Town, Zeng Cheng (8291 4691 fax: 8291 3303) 广州誉德莱国际学校，1) 白云区沙太北路 800 号；2) 增城三江镇

Argentina 2405, Teem Tower, 208 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (3888 0328, cguan@ mrecic.gov.ar) 阿根廷共和国领事馆 , 天河区天河路 208 号粤海天河城大厦 2405 单元

HOTEL

Christian Fellowship Hilton Hotel Guangzhou Tianhe , 215 Lin He Xi Heng Lu, Tianhe District (6683 9999) (Foreigners only. Please bring ID) Worship Hours: 10am11:30am.every Sunday. 广州天河新天希尔顿酒店 , 广州天河区林和西横路 215 号

Chimelong Hotel Panyu Dadao, Panyu District (8478 6838, gz.chimelong.com) 长隆酒店 , 番禺区番禺大道 Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel Hengqin New District, Zhuhai (0756-299 8888, www. chimelong.com) 长隆横琴湾酒店 , 珠海市横琴新区 Chimelong Penguin Hotel Hengqin New District, Zhuhai (0756-299 3366, www.chimelong.com) 长隆企鹅酒店, 珠海市横琴新区 Chimelong Circus Hotel Hengqin New District, Zhuhai (0756-299 3399, www.chimelong.com) 长隆马戏酒店, 珠海市横琴新区 China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel 122, Liuhua Lu (8666 6888) www.MarriottChinahotel.com 中国大酒店 , 流花路 122 号 Conrad Guangzhou 222 Xingmin Lu, Tianhe District (3739 2222) 广州康莱德酒店，天河区兴民路222号 DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou 391 Dongfeng Lu, Yuexiu District (2833 7215; 2833 2888) 广州希尔顿逸林酒店 , 越秀区东风路 391 号 Grand Hyatt Guangzhou 12, Zhujiang Xi Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (8396 1234 www.guangzhou.grand.hyatt.com) 广州富力君悦大酒店 , 天河区珠江新城珠江西路 12 号 Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe 228 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (6108 8888) 广州正佳广场万豪酒店，天河区天河路 228 号 Langham Place Guangzhou 638 Xingang Dong Lu, Haizhu District(8916 3388) 广州南丰朗豪酒店 , 海珠区新港东路 638 号 LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou 368, Huanshi Dong Lu (8333 8989, www.thegardenhotel. com.cn) LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District 广州花园酒店 , 越秀区环市东路 368 号花园酒店 (8333 8989) LN Hotel Five, Guangzhou 277 Yanjiang Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District （8931 0505）广州岭南五号酒店，越秀区沿江中路 277 号 Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou 389 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (3808 8888) 广州文华东方酒店 , 天河区天河路 389 号 Park Hyatt Guangzhou 16 Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (3769 1234) 广州柏悦酒店天河区珠江新城华夏路 16 号

Eclipse English Education 18D, No.368, Tianhe Bei Road, GZ (Tel:38780382,18922769713) 爱誉英语, 天河北路, 368号, 18D

Shangri-La Hotel Guangzhou 1, Huizhan Dong Lu, Haizhu District (8917 8888, www. shangri-la.com) 广州香格里拉大酒店 , 海珠区会展东路 1 号

Guangzhou Nanfang International School No.1 Yu CuiYuan North, Yinglong Lu, Longdong, Tianhe District (3886 6952, 3886 3606, Fax: 3886 3680). www.gnischina.com 广州南方外籍人员子女学校，天河区龙洞迎龙路

Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich 988 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Tianhe District (3883 8888) 广州圣丰索菲特大酒店 , 天河区广州大道中 988 号 . www.sofitel.com The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou 3, Xing’an Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (3813

Guangdong Int’l Volunteer Expatriate Service (GIVES) Contact Rosaline Yam (8778 2778; givescn@ yahoo.com) www.gives.cn Guangzhou Women’s Int’l Club (GWIC) For contact information, visit www.gwic.org Brazil Rm 1403, 10 Huaxia Lu, R&F Center, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (02083652236; cg. cantao.itamaraty.gov.br) 巴西驻广州总领事馆, 珠江新城华夏路10号富力中心1403室 Australia 12/F, Zhujiang New City, Development Centre, 3 Linjiang Lu (Tel: 3814 0111; Fax: 3814 0112) www.guangzhou.china. embassy.gov.au 澳大利亚领事馆，临江路 3 号珠江新城发展中心 12 楼 Belgium Room 0702, 7/F, R & F Center, Unit 2, 10 Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (Tel: 3877 2351; Fax: 3877 2353) 天河区珠江新城华夏路 10 号富力中心 7 楼 0702 室 Cambodia Rm 802, The Garden Hotel (Tower), Huangshi Dong Lu (Tel: 8333 8999 - 805; Fax: 8365 2361) 柬埔寨领事馆，环市东路花园酒店大楼 808 室 Canada 26/F, Tower 1, Taikoo Hui, 385 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (Tel: 8611 6100, Fax: 8667 2401) www.guangzhou.gc.ca 加拿大领事馆，天河区天河路 385 号太古汇一座 26 楼

Guangzhou Narcotics Anonymous Meetings: Monday 6.30pm and Friday 7pm. (For help: 188 9857 0042 (French, Chinese & English), 133 3287 0750 (Persian), 185 8876 4470 (English), www.nachina.com) India 14/F, Haichuan Dasha, 8 Linhe Zhong Lu, Tianhe District (8550 1501-05) 印度领事馆，天河区林和中路 8 号海船大厦 14 楼 Indonesia Rm 1201-1223, 2/F, West Building, Dong Fang Hotel, 120 Liuhua Lu (Tel: 8601 8772; fax 8601 8773; kjrigz@public.guangzhou. gd.cn) 印度尼西亚领事馆，流花路 120 号东方宾馆西座 2 楼 1201-1223 室 Israel 19/F, Development Center, 3 Linjiang Dadao, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District (8513 0509) 以色列领事馆，天河区珠江新城临江大道 3 号发展中心 19 楼 . Guangzhou.mfa.gov.il Italy Rm 1403, International Finance Place (IFP), 8, Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang New Town (Tel: 3839 6225; Fax: 8550 6370) 意大利领事馆，珠江新城华夏路 8 号合景国际金融广场 14 楼 1403 室 Japan 1/F, East Tower, The Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu (Tel: 8334 3009; Fax: 8333 8972) www.guangzhou.cn.emb-japan. go.jp 日本领事馆，环市东路 368 号花园酒店东塔 1 楼 Korea (Republic) 18 Youlin Lu, Chigang Consulate Area, Haizhu District (Tel: 2919 2999; fax 2919 2980; Guangzhou@mofat.go.kr) 韩国领事馆，海珠区赤岗领事馆区友邻路 18 号 Kuwait 10A-10D, Nanyazhonghe Plaza, 57 Lingjiang Dadao, Zhujiang New Town (Tel: 3807 8070; Fax: 3807 8007). 科威特国总领事馆，珠江新城临江大道 57 号南雅中和广场 10A-10D Malaysia Rm 1915-1918, 19/F, CITIC Plaza, 233 Tianhe Bei Lu ((Tel: 3877 0765; Fax: 3877 2320) 马来西亚领事馆，天河北路 233 号中信广场 19 楼 1915-1918 室 Mexico Rm2001, Teem Tower, 208 Tianhe Bei Lu (Tel: 2208 1540; Fax: 2208 1539) 墨西哥领事馆，天河路 208 号粤海天河城大厦 20 楼 01 单元 Netherlands 34/F, Teem Tower, 208 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe Bei Lu (Tel: 3813 2200; Fax: 3813 2299) www.hollandinchina.org 荷兰领事馆，天河路 208 号粤海天河城大厦 34 楼

Colombia Unit 12, 36/F No 5, Zhujiang West Road, Tianhe, Guangzhou (8883 4826, cguangzhou@cancilleria.gov.co) 哥伦比亚驻广州总领事馆，珠江西路 5 号广州国际金融中心主塔写字楼 36 层 12 单元

New Zealand Rm C1055, Office Tower, China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel, 122 Liuhua Lu (Tel: 8667 0253; Fax: 8666 6420; Guangzhou@ nzte.govt.nz) www.nzte.govt.nz 新西兰领事馆，流花路 122 号中国大酒店商业大厦 1055 室

Cuba Rm 2411, West Tower, Huapu Plaza, 13 Huaming Lu, Zhujiang New Town (Tel: 2238 2603 / 2238 2604; Fax: 2238 2605) 珠江新城华明路 13 号华普广场西塔 2411

Norway Suite 1802, CITIC Plaza, 233 Tianhe Bei Lu (3811 3188 Fax: 3811 3199) 挪威领事馆，天河北路 233 号中信广场 180 室

Denmark Rm 1578, China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel, 122 Liuhua Lu (Tel: 8666 0795; Fax: 8667 0315) 丹麦领事馆，流花路 122 号中国大酒店写字楼 1578 室  Ecuador Room 1801, R&F Building, 10 Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang New Town (Tel: 3892 7650; Fax: 3892 7550) 厄瓜多尔共和国驻广州领事馆，珠江新城华夏路 10 号富力中心 1801 室 France Rm 1901-1907, Central Tower (Kaihua International Center), 5 Xiancun Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (www. consulfrance-canton.org; Tel: 2829 2000; Fax: 2829 2001) 法国驻广州总领事馆，天河区珠江新城冼村路 5 号凯华国际中心 1901-1907 室 Germany 14/F Teem Tower, 208 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (Tel: 8313 0000; Fax:

Peru Unit 01 on 32/F 5 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe (Tel: 6184 6244; Fax: 6631 1804) 秘鲁驻广州总领事馆，珠江西路5号广州国际金融中心主塔写字楼32层01单元 Philippines Rm 706-712 Guangdong Int’l Hotel, 339 Huanshi Dong Lu (Tel: 8331 1461; Fax: 8333 0573) www.guangzhoupcg.org 菲律宾领事馆，环市东路 339 号广东国际大酒店主楼 706-712 室 Poland 63 Shamian Da Jie (Tel: 8121 9993; Fax: 8121 9995) 波兰领事馆，沙面大街 63 号 Singapore Unit 2418, CITIC Plaza, 233 Tianhe Bei Lu (Tel: 3891 2345; Fax: 3891 2933) 新加坡领事馆，天河北路 233 中信广场 2418 室 Spain Rm 501/507/508 5/F, R&F Center, 10 Huaxia Lu, Pearl River New City (Tel: 3892 7185 / 3892 8909; Fax: 3892 7197). www. maec.es/consulados/canton 西班牙驻广州总领事馆，珠江新城华夏路 10 号富

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LISTINGS 店主楼 1613 室力中心 5 楼 501/507/508 室 Switzerland 27/F, Kingold Century, 62 Jinsui Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (Tel: 3833 0450; Fax: 3833 0453) 瑞士领事馆，天河区珠江新城金穗路 62 号侨鑫国际金融中心 27 层 Thailand Rm M07, 2/F, Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu (Tel: 8385 8988; Fax: 8388 9567) 泰国领事馆，环市东路 368 号花园酒店 2 楼 M07 室 The Russian Federation 26/A, Development Centre, 3 Linjiang Dadao, Zhujiang New Town (8518 5001 Fax: 8518 5099 (office)/ 8518 5088(visa section)) 俄罗斯联邦驻广州总领事馆 , 珠江新城临江大道 3 号发展中心 26/A

http://guangzhou-ch.usembassy-china. org.cn/   美国领事馆，天河区珠江新城华就路 43 号 Vietnam 2/F, Hua Xia Hotel, Haizhou Square, Qiaoguang Lu (Tel: 8330 5911; Fax: 8330 5915) 越南领事馆，侨光路华沙大酒店 B 座 2 楼北部

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Turkey Rm. 23A, Development Center Building, 3 Linjiang Dadao, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3785 3466, bkesmen@mfa.gov.tr) 天河区珠江新城临江大道 3 号发展中心 23A

American Chamber of Commerce Suite 1801, Guangzhou International Sourcing Center, 8 Pazhou Dadao Dong, Haizhu District (Tel: 8335 1476; Fax: 8332 1642; amcham@amcham-sunthchina.org) www. amcham-southchina.org 美国商会，海珠区琶洲大道东 8 号广州国际采购中心 1801 室

United States 43 Huajiu Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (Tel: 3814 5000)

Australian Chamber of Commerce Rm1714 -15, Main Tower, Guangdong

International Building, 339 Huanshi Dong Lu (Tel: 2237 2866; Fax: 8319 0765; mail@austcham-southchina.org). www. austcham-southchina.org 澳洲商会，环市东路 339 号广东国际大厦主楼 1714 – 15 室 BenCham, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) Chamber of Commerce in China, Pearl River Delta, Floor 34, 208 Teem Tower, 208 Tianhe Lu (155 2118 2708 ). 荷比卢商会 , 天河路 208 号粤海天河城大厦 34 楼 www.bencham.org British Chamber of Commerce Unit 2201B, International Financial Center, 5 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District ( Tel: 8331 5013; Fax: 8331 5016; events@britchamgd. com) 英国商会，天河区珠江西路 5 号国际金融中心 2201B European Union Chamber of Commerce Rm 2817, Tower A, Shine Plaza, 9 Linhe Xi Lu, Tianhe District (Tel: 3801 0269; Fax: 3801 0275) 中国欧盟商会，天河区林和西路9

号耀中广场A塔2817室 Spanish Chamber of Commerce Rm. 1305, 13/F, Main Tower, Guangdong International French Chamber of Commerce in South Building, Huanshi Dong Yuexiu DisChina 339 (CCIFC) Room 802,Lu, 8/F, Leatop trictPlaza, (Tel: 32 3892 7531; Fax: 3892Lu, 7127; www. Zhujiang Dong Zhujiang spanishchamber-ch.com) Xincheng, Tianhe District (2916 5535) 越秀区环市东路 339 号广东国际大厦主楼 1305 天河区珠江新城珠江东路 32 号利通广场 8 层室 02 单元 German Chamber of Commerce 1903 Leatop Plaza, 32 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Tianhe District (Tel: 8755 2353; Fax: 8755 1889; chamber@gz.china.ahk.de) china. ahk.de 天河区珠江东路 32 号利通广场 1903 室 Italian Chamber of Commerce Rm 948, Office Tower, the Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu ( Tel: 8365 2682; Fax: 8365 2983) 意大利商会，环市东路 368 号花园大厦 948 房 www.cameraitacina.com

HOMELAND

China-Philippines Chamber of Commerce Rm 1613, Main Tower, Guangdong International Hotel, 339 Huanshi Dong Lu (8331 1888-71613; Fax: 8331 1983; E-mail: cpcc2005@21cn.com) 中国菲律宾商会，环市东路 339 号广东国际大酒

Zooming in on Iran through a Camera Lens BY WANG YAO

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS SERVICES Asiabs & B.string Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai 1) Setting-up HK, BVI and other offshore company 2) Setting-up WFOE, JV, Representative Office in China mainland 3) Accounting, Taxation, HR, Visa & Trading service Tel: 852 8102 2592 /  86 21 58362605       86 10 65637970 Website: www.AsiaBS.com www.Stringbc.com E-mail: info@stringbc.com CENTURY, a Comprehensive Office Services Company 1. Office Relocation, Personal Relocation 2. Second-hand Office Furniture Resell 3. Office Cleaning Services 4. Landscaping/Indoor Plant 5. Carpet Cleaning 6. Pest Control Tel: (86 20) 2816 5345 Email: guangzhou@centuryrelo.com

Harris Corporate Solutions Ltd Guangzhou | Shanghai | Beijing | Hong Kong Established since 1972 • WFOE & Rep. Office Set Up • Accounting & Tax Compliance • Payroll, HR & Visa Solutions • Hong Kong & Offshore Company Registration • Hong Kong & China Bank Account Opening Serving all your business needs for investing in China. Call us for a free consultation. Tel: (86)20-8762 0508 Mobile: 135-703-48815 Email: info.gz@harriscorps.com.cn Romeo Lau & Co. work visa, WFOE, JV, RO, HK company, auditing, car rental,driver license. www.romeolawoffice.com Mobile: 13570993252, 020-38865269, dmc_ canto@yahoo.com

CHURCH CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Expatriates welcome! Large group multinational, non-denominational expatriate Christians hold English services Sundays 10.00am to 11.30am. Need foreign citizenship proof. Website: www.gicf.net Tel: 177 2768 5019.

JOBS OFFERED

HiTouch Consulting Leading business and legal solution provider • Company Registration • Tax & Accounting • Intellectual Property • China Visa Tel: (8620) 8355 5515 Website: www.hitouch.com Guangzhou丨Shanghai 丨Yiwu

ACCOUNTING FIRMS

74 | GZ | MAY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

South China HR English Website (English.job168.com) China's most famous & professional job hunting website 8/F, Nanfang Jingdian Building, No. 198 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou 1/F,Huapu Building, No.104 Tianhe Road,Guangzhou (Tel: 85584676) 南方人才网英文站(english.job168.com) 广州市天河路198号南方精典大厦八楼广州市天河路104号华普大厦西座一楼 Eclipse English Education Native English teachers wanted. Competitive pay with flexible scheduling. Free Chinese classes for employees.Tianhe location. 13902273359 or (020) 38780382 Mrs.Wong

The Australian Chamber of Commerce South China is hiring an Events and Communications Manager to facilitate Australia-China business relations through industry event management and China-ready marketing. The Events Coordinator is responsible for the Chamber's events program and related communications. The events program is one of the Chamber's main streams of revenue. For more information, please call the AustCham office at +86 020 22372866 and to apply, please email a 1-2 page CV and 1-page cover letter to asha.forsyth@ austcham-southchina.org.

AGS Four Winds is leading international moving company offers a full range relocation, moving, and storage services. Our global network of over 300 offices worldwide plus 40 years experience in the moving industry, we know your concerns and have the ability to serve you anywhere in the world. We are FAIM & ISO 9001-2008 accredited, members of the FAIM and FIDI. Contact us for FREE survey and quotation: Tel: +86 20 8363 3735 Email: manager.guangzhou@agsfourwinds. com Website: www.agsfourwinds.com

fter documenting Israel and Russia the first and second book in her Homeland series, photographer Wang Yao is back again with the third release focusing on yet another exotic location: Iran.

HOMELAND: IRAN

Wang Yao April 2018 250mm ×250mm 180 pages, ¥198.00 Chinese-English hardcover 978-7-5085-3358-2

Much like Wang’s previous work, Homeland: Iran is a visual documentation of the picturesque landscape and the colorful culture of the Middle Eastern nation. Zeroing in on the daily lives of the locals, the collection reflects not only the environment in which they live, but it also vividly depicts their aspirations in life.

REAL ESTATE Life Partner provides house leasing, housekeeping and other personalized services to expatriates from Multi Corporations and foreign institutes as well as to individuals. Guangzhou/Foshan/Zhaoqing/Zhengzhou/Wuhan Since 2004 Contact Person: Ellen Pan, Tel: 020-3881 3137, Mobile: 159 1878 3607 Email: panhj@lifepartner.cn Web: www.lifepartner.cn

TRAVEL Free N Easy Travel An International Travel Agency in GZ, offers you the most competitive airfares, best discounted hotels worldwide and great getaway packages. Call our Toll free no.800-830-2353 or Tel 3877 2345 or email us at Guangzhou@ fnetravel.com or visit us at our travel center at 218 Sky Galleria, CITIC PALAZA, 233 Tianhe North Road or check for more details at our website---www .fnetravel .com Turkish Airlines Rm. 6107, Citic Plaza, 233 Tianhe Bei Lu, Tianhe District (3877 1690, 3877 1691, www.turkishairlines.com)天河区天河北路233号中信广场6107室

MOVING & SHIPPING

HOMELAND: ISRAEL

HOMELAND: RUSSIA

Asian Tigers Mobility Is an international relocation specialist started in 1988 handling visa and immigration, orientation, home finding, international, domestic and local moves and settling in services in China. We are FAIM & ISO 9001-2008 accredited, members of the OMNI and FIDI which gives us the global representation. Contact us: Tel:(8620) 8326 6758 / 8666 2655 E-mail: general.can@asiantigers-china. com Website: www.asiantigers-mobility.com

April 2017 250mm ×250mm 180pages, ¥198.00 Chinese-English hardcover 978-7-5085-3359-9

July 2016 250mm×250mm 180 pages, ¥198.00 Chinese-English hardcover, 990g 978-7-5085-3366-7

Rayca Moving & Transportation Services With 10 years experience, Rayca provides international, domestic, local moving services & pet relocation service. We can effectively move you anywhere with competitive price! You move, you save! Service hotline: 400-048-9099 Email: info@raycatrans.com Website:www.raycatrans.com

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | MAY 2018 | GZ | 75

That’s

gzhou

Guan

MAY

Horoscopes

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in Guangzhou. BY DOMINIQUE WONG

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

4.21~5.21

5.22~6.21

6.22~7.22

7.23~8.23

You’re itching to travel but this is not your month. Instead, opt for a staycation in Yuexiu Park or the K11 Mall. Pretend you’re new to Guangzhou: marvel at the Canton To w e r a n d w h e n y o u s p o t y o u r colleague on Xingsheng Lu, ignore them.

Home takes focus with renovations and redecorating lighting up your stars. Trawl your ‘buy & sell’ WeChat groups for a good deal on sofa beds but always inspect before you buy. Employ a feng shui master for good measure.

With Saturn opposing your sign, things will get a little testy this month. Depending on your hobbies this may mean a doctor’s visit, Hooley’s pub quiz or HSK exam. Down a shot of baijiu every morning for good luck.

Your favorite time of the year is fast approaching: ‘Beijing bikini’ season. Prepare by eating copious amounts of jianbing and scaling back your workouts to zero. No pain, no gain. And don't forget the sunscreen.

8.24~9.23

Virgo

9.24~10.23

10.24~11.22

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Your new ‘consultancy’ job turns out to mean American college admission advisor and you’re not even from the US. Oh well, at least your office is in Xiaobei, the best spot for fufu i n tow n . S to p re fe r r i n g to i t a s ‘Chocolate City,’ though.

While your fairness is admirable, it’s time to get off the fence when your landlord proposes a rent hike because of the new trash-sorting policy, which in no way affected your urban village neighborhood. What a load of garbage!

Your glass is half-full this month – literally, the water in your garden will mysteriously turn off at the crappiest moment, like when you get a bad bout of food poisoning from the street cart outside. No worries, though, eh Scorps?

Congratulations on staying in Guangzhou for this long. Celebrate by getting the hell outta the heat. Try Harbin – there's a beer museum and quality dumplings there, or so we hear.

Capricorn

Aquarius 1.21~2.19

Pisces

2.20~3.20

Aries

3.21~4.20

Live a little. Like, try Mobiking a different route to work or order something new on KK Rabbit (do you really need another pizza right n o w ? ? ) . O r, t r y M e i t u a n : t h e i r delivery fee is cheaper and money is tight this month.

You have three planets in your sign this month meaning that you must do everything in threes at all times. Drink three Zhujiang's, eat three bowls of gongzaimian , date in threes and... (you get the point).

You’re in an even dreamier mood than usual this month so be on high alert when wandering though your hood or Grandview Mall, lest you end up in the wrong courtyard entirely. Eat congee everyday for good luck.

It’s time for your visa run but you’re ‘over’ going to Hong Kong. Try somewhere exotic, like Russia or Mongolia. But electrical glitches are rife this month, so make sure you book the correct date. Pack red underwear only.

12.22~1.20

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Libra

11.23~12.21