That's Guangzhou - July 2018

The Women MMA Fighters Kicking Ass in China

that's guangzhou

that's shenzhen

城市漫步珠三角英 文版07月份

国内统一刊号: CN 11-5234/GO

China Intercontinental Press

JULY 2018

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 Shenzhen Digital Editor Bailey Hu Senior Staff Writer Tristin Zhang National Arts Editor Erica Martin Contributors Paul Finkbeiner, Lena Gidwani, Cassandra Gu, Ned Kelly, Mia Li, Erica Martin, Dominic Ngai, Daniel Plafker, Jesse Pottinger, Pete Reilly, Zhuorui Wang, Dominique Wong

HK FOCUS MEDIA Shanghai (Head Office) 上海和舟广告有限公司 上海市蒙自路 169 号智造局 2 号楼 305-306 室 邮政编码 : 200023 Room 305-306, Building 2, No.169 Mengzi Lu, Shanghai 200023 电话 : 021-8023 2199 传真 : 021-8023 2190 Guangzhou 上海和舟广告有限公司广州分公司 广州市麓苑路 42 号大院 2 号楼 610 室 邮政编码 : 510095 Rm 610, No. 2 Building, Area 42, Luyuan Lu, Guangzhou 510095 电话 : 020-8358 6125 传真 : 020-8357 3859 - 816 Shenzhen 深圳联络处 深圳市福田区彩田路星河世纪大厦 C1-1303 C1-1303, Galaxy Century Building, Caitian Lu, Futian District, Shenzhen 电话 : 0755-8623 3220 传真 : 0755-6406 8538 Beijing 北京联络处 北京市东城区东直门外大街 48 号东方银座 C 座 G9 室 邮政编码 : 100027 9G, Block C, Ginza Mall, No. 48 Dongzhimen Wai Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100027 电话 : 010-8447 7002 传真 : 010-8447 6455 General Manager Henry Zeng Operations Manager Rachel Tong Accountant Annie Qi Production Supervisor Jack Lin Designer Felix Chen Sales Managers Celia Yu, Justin Lu Account Manager Wesley Zhang Senior BD Executive Nicole Tang Account Executives Annie Li, Tia Weng Sales Assistant Sunnie Lü Marketing Supervisor Fish Lin Senior Marketing Executive Shumin Li Marketing Executives Peggy Ni, Kathy Chen, Wyle Yuan Distribution Luo Zhi, He Wei Wen National Operation CEO Leo Zhou Head of Communication Ned Kelly National Digital Business Director Vickie Guo HR/Admin Director Penny Li Financial Manager Laura Lu Digital Content Manager Bridget O'Donnell Digital Miller Yue, Amanda Bao, Orange Wang, Yu Sun, Elsa Yang, Jimmy Mi, Kane Zhu, Wayne Wu General enquiries and switchboard (020) 8358 6125 info.prd@urbanatomy.com Editorial (020) 8358 9847 ext 808 editor.prd@urbanatomy.com Sales (Guangzhou) (020) 8358 9847 ext 802 sales.prd@urbanatomy.com (Shenzhen) (0755) 8623 3210 ext 801 Distribution/Subscription (020) 8358 7749 ext 828 Listings & Events (Guangzhou) (020) 8358 9847 ext 808. (Shenzhen) (0755) 8623 3220 Web & IT (021) 5238 5459 Fax (020) 8363 3759 ext. 816

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Distribution across the Pearl River Delta: 63,000 copies

Editor's Note

JULY 2018

WIN

On May 30, several friends and myself made our way to Tianhe Sports Center to witness the debut of professional MMA in Guangzhou: REBEL FC. The event was action-packed, and, although I don’t categorize myself as a combat sports fan, I definitely enjoyed the show.

However, one major thing stood out to me at the fights: the lack of female fighters.

The only women that entered the ring over the course of the three-hour event were

“skimpily dressed and generically attractive” ring girls. At the evening’s conclusion, I silently pondered: where is China’s Ronda Rousey, where are China’s women warriors?

With this month’s Cover Story, we have an answer, courtesy of the always-fabulous

Dominique Wong from That’s Beijing. On pages 36-45, Dom takes an in-depth look at China’s rising female MMA stars and the challenges they face.

In our City section, I chat with a Guangzhou-based filmmaker and attempted to an-

swer a kinda bizarre question: is a man-eating species of salmon lurking in a Xinjiang lake?

Elsewhere in the mag, we introduce one of Guangzhou’s premier swimming holes

(which boasts some great cliff jumping spots, be careful!), chat with Shanghai punk

We’re giving away tickets to some of the very best events in the Pearl River Delta, alongside a host of free meals and other goodies. Follow our official WeChat feeds and sign up for our weekly newsletter for your chance to win major prizes! To stay up to date, visit www.thatsmags. com or scan the QR codes below and follow our WeChat accounts.

band Ugly Girls and share some stylish shirts for summer.

Catch you all in August!

ThatsGuangzhou

Matthew Bossons Editor-in-Chief ThatsShenzhen

Hourly updates on news, current affairs and general weirdness from around the PRD and China.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/ThatsPRD twitter.com/ThatsPRD youtube.com/thatsonline #THATSPRD

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36 COVER STORY

8 CITY

Heavy hitters: the female MMA fighters putting China on the international stage.

10 A DAY IN JULY The Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

16 TERROR TROUT Is a man-eating salmon lurking in a Chinese lake?

21 DAYTRIPPER

60 EVENTS

THE WRAP

18 LIFE & STYLE

GZ

Baiyun Mountain Reservoir.

24 MINIMALIST TRANSITION An artistic extension to an existing hotel property.

JUL 18

Dave Keyes

GZ

26 ARTS 27 UGLY GIRLS The Shanghai punk band on riot grrrl and women in music.

JUL 26

30 POETRY IN POLEDANCING

Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet

A Shenzhen burlesque dancer’s journey.

HK

50 EAT & DRINK

AUG 4

Bob Dylan MO

56 OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE American-style ‘Australian’ grub.

59 MANGO TREE Aroy Thai at its best.

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ONGOING La Parisienne - Cabaret Francais

CITY The Key to Guangzhou

Chatting with the man behind Canton’s first documentary webseries, p12

This Month in History P10 8 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Terror or Trout?

P16

MAN ON THE STREET

RECYCLING SCAVENGERS

THE DIRTY DETAILS

By Bailey Hu

Days per week: Varies

Dumpster Divers

T

hey lurk in the background of certain neighborhoods and gated communities.

Quietly, unobtrusively, they root through dirt-encrusted dumpsters and bulging plastic bags, picking out bottles or boxes and leaving the rest.

Like old-timey nomads, many carry their precious cargo on poles balanced over one shoulder, using cheap sacks of almost comic proportions.

Also like nomads, they’re elusive. One, an elderly whitehaired woman in lavender pajamas, tells us she’s simply “on a walk,” picking up any recyclables that catch her eye.

She’s in her “70s or 80s,” she says, and living with her family.

When we ask how much she can make from her small cache of plastic and cardboard detritus, she replies that she’s “not sure.”

Before we can ask another question she meanders off, most likely in search of another dumpster.

Fang Chunxiu, a Hunan migrant who’s lived in Shenzhen for a year, is more forthcoming.

Income: RMB7-10 per load Hours per day: Varies

She collects aluminum cans, cardboard and water bottles, selling them for about RMB7-10 per load.

Collecting recyclables is only a side gig for Fang. At night she washes dishes at a restaurant, earning RMB3,200 per month.

Life is better here than back home, she says, where she earned around RMB1,000.

Now, not only does she command a higher salary but also a way to supplement it, although she has yet to tell her son about her second line of work.

During daylight hours on her days off (usually Mondays and Tuesdays) Fang wanders through Shangsha, in Futian District, looking for items she can collect and sell. Why Shangsha? Because, unlike some places, “the sanitation workers won’t curse at you” when you pick up garbage.

Fang’s findings are either dug out of dumpsters (“if it’s not clean, I won’t pick it up”) or scavenged off the street. Her partially-filled bag, over half the

height of her diminutive form, “isn’t heavy,” she tells us. Some days she doesn’t even fill it up, depending on her luck.

Fang is only part of the picture, one segment of China’s massive recycling ecosystem. A step up from the scavengers are the middlemen, who collect and transport large amounts of plastics and cardboard to plants where they’re processed and reshaped.

The ones Fang sells to happen to be camped out by a nearby overpass. Their apparatus is spare, ready to be moved at short notice: two medium-size cargo trucks, scales and several massive bags full of sorted recyclables.

When we visit in the early afternoon, one truck is already half-full from the morning’s pickings. Two of the business owners sit in the shade, while another sweeps up debris from the street. Chengguan come by this corner every once in a while, one worker tells us, so it needs to look tidy.

The trio is from Anhui province and have only been in

Shenzhen for the last six months, he says. Around about 40 to 50 scavengers frequent their stop each day, out of an estimated 10,000 trash pickers citywide.

“If there was no one picking up [trash], society would be a mess.”

He has a point. Despite muchtouted recycling regulations and fines, actual bins have yet to materialize in areas like Shangsha. And even when trash sorting takes place, not all recyclables make it into the can.

Scavenging is doubly useful – not only are reusable items salvaged from incineration, but streets and sidewalks are left a little cleaner.

Despite benefiting society, though, their jobs are “the most bitter work.” For about RMB5,000-6,000 each monthly, the three spend 16 or 17 hours a day collecting and delivering trash, and sleep in their trucks at night.

For those with “no culture” and few opportunities, however, it’s “a way to survive.”

Additional research by Yiwen Wang.

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THE BUZZ A DAY IN JULY RANDOM NUMBER

3

… times. That’s how many visits that world-renowned chef, writer and TV personality Anthony Bourdain made to Hong Kong between his three hit TV series: No Reservations, The Layover and Parts Unknown. Having racked up 291 episodes over the course of 17 years, the ‘Elvis of bad boy chefs’ told CNN that his recent trip to Hong Kong was the “professional highlight of his career." Bourdain tragically took his own life on June 8 in a Paris hotel during the filming of an episode of Parts Unknown, but his legacy lives on. Rest in peace, Mr. Bourdain.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident One of the most important battles of the Second Sino-Japanese War – despite relatively low casualties – the Marco Polo Bridge Incident flared up on July 7, 1937, directly leading to Japan’s occupation of Tianjin and Wanping (today part of Beijing’s Fengtai District). It is generally regarded as the ‘official’ start of China’s resistance against Japanese aggression.

The Japanese army controlled the north, east and south sides of Beijing but the Marco Polo Bridge remained in Chinese hands.

In order to cut off Beijing entirely, Japan needed control of the bridge. Thus they manufactured a provocation that could be used to justify an escalation of hostilities.

The army held a military exercise without informing Chinese authorities, during which, according to an intelligence officer, a Japanese soldier was reported missing after gunshots were heard during the drill.

The Japanese used this as a rea-

son to enter Wanping to search for the AWOL soldier – which China refused.

At about 5am on July 8, the Japanese launched an artillery attack and both sides joined battle, with the fight soon taken to Tianjin; the city was captured at the end of July.

The incident marked the second instance of cooperation between the Communist Party and Kuomintang (KMT) forces. The anti-Japanese National United Front was formed, with the Red Army rebranded the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army of the KMT.

CITY SNAPSHOT

Belgium native David Lambert has taken shots of streets, landscapes and more over 12 years spent in China, but it’s only recently that he’s taken to the skies. Using a DJI Spark gifted by his wife, he set out six months ago to document Shenzhen’s “amazing architecture” from a bird’s eye perspective.

According to Lambert there are “great lines and compositions” to be seen from above, as in this roseshaped garden arrangement near Coastal City. Follow @lambeertje for more highflying perspectives on the city.

Tag #thatsshenzhen or #thatsguangzhou on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our feeds and in the magazine.

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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

URBAN DICTIONARY

Ganhuo / gānhuò / 干货 noun. real advice and insights without fillers or fluff My old trainer said I was bloated, but the new trainer said I'm just fat.

That is some ganhuo she gave you.

So I shouldn't be upset?

Not at all. You should thank her.

DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

Have you noticed when you buy things measured by weight, they are often wet? Supermarkets know that covering things in water makes them look more substantial. When you go to an action movie, you often have to sit through a bunch of boring B-plot that you don't care about, because the director has to make a 90-minute movie out of a few good stunts. You go to a comedy show, and the comedy doesn't start till after an hour’s worth of chit-chat about the weather by the host, because the comedian has to build a show out of three good gags.

This also happens to writings on the Internet. You click on something titled ‘The Real Secret to Becoming a Successful CEO,’ only to read some oft-parroted advice such as “hard work pays off” or “do the right thing.” Those cliches are fillers injected to puff up the article to make it look more substantial. They are like the water that the supermarket shrimps are soaked in – there to rip you off!

Imagine a world without unnecessary fluff. That is what ganhuo is.

Literally meaning ‘dried goods,’ ganhuo is the real deal – without the bells and whistles. It is what we all want in life and from the Internet. Content that can be certified ganhuo is direct and to the point. It solves problems efficiently and leads you straight to the relevant information. There is no long intro and no padded credentials of whoever is offering the advice. Like a good friend, ganhuo doesn't waste your time beating around the bush. If you are doing it wrong, ganhuo advice would tell you as it is, no sugar-coating.

So here’s a tip for navigating the Chinese internet: before you click on the next listicle, say ‘32 Ways to Win Friends and Be Popular,’ or ‘10 Ways to Lose Weight Fast,’ first go to the comment section. There, you’ll see if the article has been certified ganhuo. (Early readers will let you know in the comments, per Chinese internet etiquette.) Don't waste your time reading if it’s not. ML

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Ele.me Delivery Drone

Delivery service Ele.me recently announced that it will officially begin using drones to deliver food in Shanghai. Still in its trial phase, these drones will only be able to operate on 17 designated routes within a delivery area covering 58 square kilometers in the Jinshan Industrial Park neighborhood.

The drones won’t actually deliver food to your home or office. Instead, they will transport food from one distribution center to another, meaning drivers will have to pick up the drone orders and then deliver them to customers in person. Ele.me aims to decrease delivery times to just 20 minutes by using drones.

“You can call any old sh*t a Chinese proverb on the internet” So joked Twitter user @bokane after Ivanka Trump tweeted what she claimed was a Chinese proverb following the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore last month. First Daughter Ivanka erroneously attributed a quote to ancient Chinese philosophy, writing: “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” Social media users were left scratching their heads, with some

claiming it was a “fake Chinese proverb” that didn’t even come from the Middle Kingdom. Some pointed out that the quote may have actually originated from American novelist James Baldwin, while others noted that it first appeared as a comment in a Chicago newspaper from the early 20th century. The “proverb” even made an appearance in a sartorial US publication in the 1960s.

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THE KEY TO GUANGZHOU

Chatting with the Man Behind Canton’s First Documentary Webseries

By Matthew Bossons

M

ohamed Elsayed really loves Guangzhou. An Egyptian national, Elsayed arrived in China in 2001, a few months after his 15th birthday, and has called the Pearl River Delta home ever since.

Late last year, Elsayed reached out to That’s about a video series he had been planning, writing, filming and editing over the past several years. Titled 020 – The Key to Guangzhou, the project combines Elsayed’s love of Guangzhou, storytelling, filmmaking and drone videography.

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F E AT URE | CIT Y

In January, Elsayed released his first webisode in the series. It was a compact and well-edited look at the area surrounding the Canton Tower Metro Station, as well as the subway station itself, and our editorial team made the undoubtedly wise decision to publish it on our website, thatsmags.com. The feedback from our readers was overwhelmingly positive, with viewers praising the filmmaker's stunning shots of new Canton and his passionate narration.

In the months since that first webisode, our friend Mr. Elsayed has been busily at work on a follow-up video profiling Guangzhou’s historic train station in Yuexiu District and its dynamic surroundings.

We caught up with Elsayed last month to chat with him about his inspirations, dreams and concept behind the series.

What inspired you to start capturing video of Guangzhou?

What inspired me is that I’ve witnessed most Chinese cities, specifically Guangzhou and other nearby cities, are booming like no other city ever has. As I’ve grown up in Guangzhou, I’ve witnessed the city grow from the ground up, with all its infrastructure developing according to the latest technologies. There are thousands of accomplishments and success stories by my Chinese brothers and sisters and I think it’s time to share these stories with the world.

When did you get into drone photography?

How I got into drone photography is an interesting story. I had a dream that started coming to me repeatedly about four years ago. In this dream I saw myself flying over buildings,

like Superman, and in the dream Guangzhou was always the location.

In the beginning, I didn’t understand the message but the dream kept coming back until I connected this dream to drones. I had my first [drone] flight around three years ago and the dream has never come back since. I guess it’s not needed anymore, I’ve got the message and have been flying almost every day since.

Tell us a bit about your current project: what inspired you to profile Guangzhou?

My current project is called 020. I chose these three numbers as the name of the show because these are the numbers you dial to call Guangzhou from any place in China and the world. Simply put, the show holds the same idea, to make connections between my city and the whole

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CIT Y | F E AT URE

Scan the QR code above to watch the first webisode of Elsayed’s series and scan the code below to view the second.

world by sharing important information and developing the biggest archive of Guangzhou footage available on the web in English.

You take a very positive look at the city and it is clear that you love being here. What is your favorite thing about Canton?

My favorite thing about China and about Canton is definitely the people. They’re very open, warm and accepting of others, I’ve never felt I’m a foreigner in China – especially in Guangzhou.

Wherever I go filming or flying my drone, everyone in the street is happy and helpful and that’s what makes me keep up with my Cantonese lessons. I hope by the end of 2018, my [Cantonese] level is enough to have a decent conversation with any local.

Your first video profiles the Canton Tower area, what can viewers expect from your second webisode of 020?

The second episode is a little different from the first one. While the first episode was focused

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on the newest parts of the city, in episode two I explore the traditional downtown through one of city’s earliest metro stations – Guangzhou Railway Station on Line 2. Another difference between the two videos is that, this time, I decided to go deeper around the metro station and show nearby attractions in more detail to help viewers experience what it is like to be there.

You've split the second webisode into three parts. Tell us a bit about why you decided to do this.

As I mentioned, the newest episode covers the chosen area in more detail and it turned out much longer than the first episode. So, I decided to split it into three parts, with each portion reviewing a famous attraction around the Guangzhou Railway Station subway stop.

How many metro stations do you plan to cover in your webseries?

Well, my plan is to keep going until I have covered all of Guangzhou’s subway stations and their surrounding areas. I plan to split the episodes into seasons and each season will be eight episodes.

What do you hope viewers will take away from your videos?

I hope my videos of a beautiful city in China called Guangzhou inspire the whole world. There’s great things happening here everyday and it’s time for the world to learn from Guangzhou. I hope this can be a build up to the first real talk show that represents Guangzhou to the world.

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TERR T U O OR TR

ing in a Chinese Lake k r u L n o m l ?

Is a Man-Eating Sa ns

ew Bosso

By Matth

F

amed for its rich cultural heritage and cuisine, Xinjiang resides in China’s far-flung northwest.

One of the Middle Kingdom’s five autonomous regions, the territory’s landscape is a scenic patchwork of rivers, lakes, prairies, forests, deserts and imposing peaks. It’s also the supposed home of lake monsters.

We first heard the tale of Xinjiang’s aquatic leviathans a couple years ago, while researching China’s best fishing holes online. Although we can’t recall the source, the story we accessed made a passing mention of an unknown species of monstrous – and potentially man-eating – fish lurking in the depths of Lake Kanas, located in the autonomous region’s Altay prefecture.

At the time, we made a mental note of the creepy story (because we simply love weird tales) and moved on with our investigation into China’s fishing hotspots. This month, we’ve decided to try and answer the question: is a man-eating trout lurking in a Chinese lake?

Lake Kanas is China’s deepest alpine lake and is located in a valley running though the Altai Mountains, near China’s borders with Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia. The area surrounding the lake is home to sizable populations of ethnic Tuvans and Kazakhs.

In the Tuvan language, the mysterious lake monsters are called hobzhk, which translates to ‘strange’ or ‘changing,’ according to

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‘Myth and majesty in China’s Xinjiang lake district,’ an article carried by the Guardian in June 2017. Local lore contends that the freshwater beasts are tasked with maintaining the lake’s water level by plugging a hole in the lake’s bottom to prevent its liquid contents from disappearing into the earth.

It’s difficult to ascertain exactly how far back the story of the Lake Kanas cryptids

goes, although we can assume at least 800 years; according to the Guardian, eight centuries ago the legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan stationed troops at the lake to guard the creatures.

In the 1980s, Yuan Guoying, from Xinjiang University, reported seeing 50 fish that he assessed to be 10-15 meters in length.

The fish were reddish-brown in color and Yuan’s students estimated their weight could exceed 4 tons, according to Xinhua.

F E AT URE | CIT Y

In the mid- to late-aughts, a video surfaced showing unknown animals cruising along the surface of Lake Kanas. The footage was aired by various Chinese news programs and has been viewed over two million times on YouTube. On September 9, 2013, hundreds of tourists visiting the lake allegedly witnessed a creature surface for several minutes before disappearing back into the depths.

A 20-year-old tour guide quoted in the Guardian piece claims that farmers who have taken their livestock to the shore of the

lake have returned later to find only skeletal remains. This claim is repeated in domestic news reports on the lake, as well as on various online blogs and forums dedicated to cryptozoology.

The same guide, referred to as Xiao Yue, also dropped a suggestion as to what the animal might be, telling writer Sam Gaskin, “Technically, the hobzhk are huge fish that love to eat meat. Their scientific name is hucho taimen.” She added she believes the species are a danger to humans and that she cautions tourists not to swim in the lake.

Yue's assessment of the creatures is partially correct, by our assessment: we also believe the 'monster' is likely a taimen, sometimes more ominously referred to as the ‘Mongolian terror trout.’ Where she is wrong, though, is that human flesh is not on the menu for the taimen – the largest member of the salmon family.

The taimen, similar to Yuan’s 1985 account, has a reddish-brown body, while its head is typically greenish-gray. It also gets big (although we think 10-15 meters is a stretch), reaching lengths of over 2 meters and weighing up to 200 pounds. The largest one ever caught weighed in at 231 pounds.

According to Gaskin, Yue claimed that fish “exceeding 12 metres in length have been caught on camera in Kanas,” although we were unable to find any video evidence of this online.

Located in northern Xinjiang, Lake Kanas is also in the right geographical region for taimen, with the neighboring nations of Mongolia and Russia boasting the only significant populations of the fish.

Video of the ‘monsters’ also appears to back up the taimen theory, with much of the footage showing several creatures cruising the surface of the lake, consistent with the way the species forms ‘packs’ to chase down prey – earning them the moniker ‘river wolves.’

There are, however, a few problems with assuming the species is responsible for the various Lake Kanas monster sightings. For one, taimen typically only live in rivers and, when they do appear in lakes, it tends to be near a tributary.

The other issue is that the salmonid is extinct or near extinct in China due to overfishing, according to National Geographic.

In August 2005, a team of volunteers and ecological experts, once again led by Yuan Guoying, undertook an expedition to Lake Kanas to investigated the monstrous fish and the stories surrounding them, according to a Xinhua report. We presume they didn’t find anything, as no follow up appears to have been published.

If the taimen does reside in Lake Kanas, it goes without saying that the animal is (probably) not responsible for killing livestock grazing near the lake – further removing it from the monster of legend. Still, all things considered, and discounting the generic debunker explanations like unique wave formations and floating logs, the taimen is the most likely culprit for the sightings. But is a 12-meter-long, cow-eating salmon really lurking in the depths of Lake Kanas? Perhaps not. If it ever is discovered though… *dusts off fly rod*… we’ll be the first ones there!

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LIFE

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

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

&

STYLE Minimalist Transition An artistic extension to an existing hotel property, p24

Daytripper P21 1 8 | | GGZZ | | J JUULLYY 22001 188 | | WWWWWW. .TTHHAATTSSMMAAGGSS. .CCOOMM

Button Up for Summer P22

SPOTLIGHT

ASH DYKES

The UK Adventurer Takes on the Yangtze Interview by Dominic Ngai

After being the world’s first person to trek solo through the Altai Mountain and Gobi Desert in Mongolia, as well as conquering Madagascar’s rugged terrain, Ash Dykes will embark on a yearlong journey to walk the entire length of the 6,440-kilometer Yangtze River this month.

Before his departure, Dykes tells us about his preparation for the trip, and a few memorable brushes with death he has encountered on his record-setting journeys.

Why did you decide to take on the Yangtze River as your next challenge?

When I first visited China in 2010 (aged 19), I knew that one day I would return to take on something epic through the heart of the country. The Yangtze carves through so much of China’s beauty and diversity; I knew it would offer a unique experience.

“The anticipated step count is over 8 million”

Can you tell us more about your route?

I’ll start in the southern part of Qinghai at over 5,100 meters above sea level, trekking through the mountains for a few months before entering southwest Yunnan through the V-shaped valleys. This is also the first bend of the Yangtze, which leads me northeast through a more populated section, but with equally tough terrain. From the halfway point near Yibin (in Sichuan), I’ll continue to head east until I reach Shanghai, where the Yangtze pours into the East China Sea. The whole journey will take me around one year to complete, with an anticipated step count of over 8 million.

What are you most looking forward to on this trip?

Besides the challenges, the people, the food, wildlife and culture, I also look forward to sharing the journey, as it will be one of the world’s most interactive expeditions, whereby I’ll be livestreaming, posting photos, videos and blogs. I also look forward to giving back to the local communities; I’ll be carrying

‘Water-To-Go’ filter bottles with me, which gives me access to clean drinking water the entire time thanks to a high-tech built-in filter. Their team will be meeting me during different sections of the trip to provide local communities with these bottles, too.

How are you preparing for this trip? Any adjustments to your workout routine and diet?

I have always trained hard. It’s something that I’m very passionate about. For the Yangtze, I have trained a lot in calisthenics, including balance, coordination, agility, flexibility and so on. It’s important that my body is durable and able to withstand the various challenges I’ll face.

During your previous adventures, what was the most dangerous situation that you encountered?

There have been many dangerous situations, from being held up at gunpoint by the military in Madagascar and crossing crocodile-

infested rivers, to catching the deadliest strain of malaria and almost losing my life in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. But what matters more than challenges you face and the mistakes you make, is what you’re able to learn from them.

If you were stranded on an island and can only bring three things with you, what would they be?

I would bring a knife, a fire flint and a WaterTo-Go filter bottle. All of these can help me hunt and gather, build a shelter, cook and stay hydrated while I find a way to escape.

If I could add one more item, it would be my music player.

Do you have a go-to song for these adventures?

One song that has never left my music player since I started traveling in 2010 is Moby’s ‘Porcelain.’

Follow his journey on ashdykes.com or his various social media accounts.

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STYLE RADAR TAP THAT APP

OVERHEARD

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds

“Will she get her deposit back?”

You’ve seen it on the metro. In the break room at work. On the screens of young students stealing a cheeky game break at lunchtime. It’s the ‘battle royale’ gaming sensation that’s sweeping the nation and it’s a digital fight to the death.

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), the brainchild of South Korean gaming giant Bluehole, pits 100 players against each other in a trigger-happy virtual death-dance on a post-apocalyptic island – not unlike a live-fire version of the Hunger Games. As you battle, a noxious blue gas progressively encloses players in ever-tightening dragnet, precipitating a dramatic final showdown.

Widespread critical acclaim and addictive replayability catapulted the game to global fame, with Chinese players quickly coming to account for as much as 40 percent of regular players. In a major commercial coup, Tencent Games secured exclusive rights to distribute PUBG in the PRC late last year, with more than 10 million players on the Chinese mainland preregistering for downloads almost immediately.

Predictably, the ‘kill-everything-thatmoves’ approach to battlefield tactics that characterizes the battle royale genre did not initially thrill media regulators in the country. But promises by Tencent to adapt game elements to conform with “socialist core values and traditional Chinese cultures and moral norms” – blood splatter in the Chinese version of the shoot ’em up is replaced by a wholesomely ambiguous green liquid – ensured a smooth mobile release on local app stores earlier this spring.

Playerunknown’s Battleground is available on iOS and Android devices (search 绝地求生 刺激战场 juedi qiusheng: ciji zhanchang)

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… so comments a netizen on Weibo when Karlie Kloss was spotted posing with an Ofo bike on the streets of Shanghai. The 25-year-old model from Chicago was in the City of Devils (again!) last month to attend the Vogue Film premiere event. Despite the Middle Kingdom’s notorious Great Firewall, Kloss kept her Instagram followers around the world updated on her brief trip, which included an obligatory visit to the Bund, and a meet-and-greet session with her fans outside a luxury mall on Nanjing Xi Lu.

HOT ON TAOBAO

Max Glasiz Wooden Sunglasses With South China’s monsoon season in full swing, there may be days when you ask yourself, why on earth do I need a pair of sunglasses? But the days of torrential rain also coincide with our region’s other bout of intense weather. We’re talking, of course, about extreme heat, and the blinding summer sun.

Fortunately, Taobao has got just the thing to protect you from those horribly aggressive rays of light: handmade zebra wood sunglasses by Max Glasiz.

For decades, wood has been used to class up everything from home decor to the side panels on old station wagons. So why not brighten up your style by bringing that natural look right to your face?

With the exception of the lens and hinges, these glasses are made entirely of wood, sanded smooth and lightly varnished, so there’s no need to worry about taking a splinter to the eye. And, unlike those cheap RayBan knockoffs

that broke two days after you put them on, these shades will actually stay in one piece, with polarized lenses that come in a variety of colors to ensure your vision remains 20/20.

RMB499 Max Glasiz Wooden Sunglasses; available on taobao.com (search Max Glasiz斑马木太阳镜, banma mu taiyang jing)

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

DAYTRIPPER

Baiyun Mountain Reservoir Let’s face it. Staying dry in Guangzhou in midsummer is no easy task. Between the soup-like, humid air and the ever-threatening typhoon rains, even leaving the apartment can seem like an invitation to get drenched. With wetness an all-but-guaranteed component of daily life in July, we at That’s contend that the best solution is to simply get it over with and jump in a lake.

Just a short 20-minute saunter from the semi-industrial sprawl of Baiyun District’s truckchoked highway-scape lies a 400-square-meter sheet of crystal-clear water surrounded by

looming cliff faces and fragrant eucalyptus groves.

Part of what makes a visit to this luscious reservoir so appealing is that, despite its incredible accessibility from the city center, it remains a little hard to find. The inglorious trailhead begins near a dusty driving school off the northbound lane of the Guangcong Highway. As the unmarked, garbage-strewn path works its way east into the sharply rising hills of the Baiyun Mountain Primeval Forest Park, you’ll pass such scenic natural splendors as a hydrocarbon gas depot and a delivery logistics

sorting facility.

As potholed paving gives way to gravel, then to mud, you’ll come upon the Dashantang Reservoir, a key landmark to let you know you’re on the right track. The fenced-in, dammed-up lake is pretty, but the true treasures are still to come. Keeping the reservoir on your right, follow the path as it curves south, and as you come upon a crumbling farmhouse, turn sharply left down a disused driveway.

The body of water that comes into view as you crest the next sharp rise is one of the cleanest we have ever seen on the Chinese mainland – the greens of the swaying trees and the blues of the summer sky all reflect on its pristine surface.

A narrow line of roughhewn steps hugs the nearest cliff, carrying you down to a muddy bank with a tiny crude shack erected for changing. No ticket-takers.

No souvenir hawkers. No nosy bao’an. Just pure, unharried outdoor bliss.

The lake-bottom plunges sharply to a depth of more than 3 meters, offering endless opportunity for extravagant dives from

the temptingly climbable cliffs.

Daredevil visitors might try their hand at some deep-water solo, though we obviously encourage readers to test the depth themselves before trying anything too risky.

For more peaceful fun, swim across to the south bank, where large boulders rise high enough to sit upon in silent quietude. Be still long enough and tiny ‘doctor fish’ will soon surround you to nibble on your dead skin and any remaining city filth. Because the only thing better than a great summer swimming hole is a free spa treatment to go with it. DP

How to get there: From Exit B2 at Metro Line 3’s Yongtai Station, take the 833 bus seven stops north to Dongping Lukou.

Then walk 20 minutes east into the hills. (Reservoir coordinates: 23°14'57.7"N 113°20'02.3"E)

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LIFE & STYLE | FASHION

H&M RMB79.9 HM.COM

ZARA

ASPESI

RMB229 ZARA.CN

RMB2,112 FARFETCH.CN

With an average temperature of 5,000 degrees and relative humidity of 280 percent in South China, short-sleeve shirts are your bet for any occasion that calls for a smart casual dress code this season.

Here are some of our favorites.

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H&M

ZARA

RMB159 HM.COM

RMB259 ZARA.CN

FASHION | LIFE & STYLE

Button Up for Summer Compiled by Dominic Ngai

DSQUARED2

THOM BROWNE

RMB2,763 FARFETCH.CN

RMB3,120 FARFETCH.CN

BEAMS

COMME DES GARCONS

RMB1,190 BEAMS.CO.JP

RMB 4,384 FARFETCH.CN

PAUL SMITH RMB1,869 FARFETCH.CN

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LIFE & STYLE | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

MINIMALIST TRANSITION

An Artistic Extension to an Existing Hotel Property Words by Dominic Ngai, Photos by Dirk Weiblen

Project name: HOW Art Museum Location: Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai Area: 7,000 square meters Design company: ARES Partners The brief: Opened in late 2017, HOW Art Museum in Pudong’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park is an extension to the hotel building of the same name. For this threestory art space, which includes a 4,200-square-meter exhibition area, an art store, a library and a small gallery, architecture firm ARES Partners took a minimalist approach for both the exterior and interior.

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The main exhibition space features solid walls of different shapes and sizes, which allow viewers to become more engaged with art pieces on display.

The translucent U Channel glass window panels filter the amount of natural light that comes into the reception area, adding just the right amount of brightness and warmth to the room.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN | LIFE & STYLE

In order to create a seamless link between the existing and new structures, the architects added a 22-meter-long glass tunnel to the west side of the building to serve as the entryway to the art space, echoing the original facade of the hotel.

Emo quotes have become a regular decor feature on the walls of galleries and museums these days.

Fluorescent light from the entryway brightens up the sidewalk at night.

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ARTS Kinky Boots

A heartwarming story of friendship and high heels, p32

Coming to a Theater Near You P28 26 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Poetry in Pole-Dancing P30

DRUMROLL

UGLY GIRLS

The Shanghai Punk Band on Riot Grrrl and Women in Music

By Erica Martin

Shanghai band Ugly Girls burst onto the scene in a major way last summer with the release of their debut album, Welcome to the Suck.

The record is brimming with razor-sharp, hilarious social commentary paired with a healthy dose of righteous punk. We caught up with vocalist Casey Li Brander and drummer Ceridwen Brown to learn more about the band, and the two touch on everything from the fluid definition of ‘riot grrrl’ to Margaret Cho to women in music today.

How would you sum up Ugly Girls’ particular brand of punk?

CLB: Ugly Girls makes funny angry honest punk music you can shout along and dance to. We’re awkward art weirdos showing the world how cool it is to be extremely uncool.

How and when did you first become interested in riot grrrl? What does it mean to you?

CLB: Labels are tricky because language is constantly shifting. Saying ‘riot grrrl’ is like saying feminism; no one really agrees on what that is exactly. Of course feminism is gender fairness, but the means of achieving this are always up for debate, and even the definitions and categorizations of gender are always in flux. It’s an important conversation, though.

CB: We don’t mind the riot grrrl tag on our music. Of course we acknowledge the importance of that movement and love the bands it produced, but our music is current and original and its own thing.

Tell us about your ongoing China Grrrl project – especially the fact that it was inspired by the idea that the Chinese music scene is more inclusive of women.

“We were both struck by the amount of Chinese female musicians playing in the scene here compared to back in our home countries” CB: I started the China Grrrl project last summer after pitching the idea to US magazine TomTom, which is all about female drummers. Casey and I were both struck by the amount of Chinese female musicians playing in the scene here compared to back in our home countries and the diversity and originality of the music they were making was super cool. We’ve been interviewing bands and filming live shows ever since. I write them up into articles that are being released gradually as an online series.

Casey, since you’re also a comedian, how has your comedy affected your songwriting for the band?

CLB: Margaret Cho was so important to my development. I listened to her album Revolution in middle school, and I remember feeling so understood and not alone and it was extremely healing.

Being able to take control of your narrative like that - to go from being someone else’s punch line to writing your own punch lines - is extremely powerful.

That’s what I’m going for in my comedy.

It’s not really meant to be for everyone, it’s more meant to heal myself and anyone else who can relate to what I’m saying. I mean, I

love a good fart joke as much as the next person, but I feel like there has to be a balance.

Healing laughs are way more valuable than just pure entertainment laughs.

Tell us about the recent ‘gender is not a genre’ concert you participated in.

CB: That show was organized by our friend Anlin, who used to be the singer for Beijing band Xiao Wang before she moved to Canada.

She’s back for the summer, so they’re on a small tour with the Gender is Not A Genre theme.

They are sick of always being called riot grrrl and don’t see it as a musical genre, but as a movement from another place and cultural context. We totally understand their frustration with that and agree that it’s an overused lazy term slapped on any band with a female voice.

For me personally, putting the China Grrrl shows together was not about creating an exclusive or ‘safe’ space for the bands to perform. All of those bands are doing just fine representing themselves regularly in unmarginalized local scenes across the country.

We play with all kinds of bands, all kinds of shows. I don’t think it boils down to versus… the more opportunity the better.

Listen at: uglygirls-shanghai.bandcamp.com/releases

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COLL AGE SINO CELEB

COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

Ye Si (AKA Gogoboi) Ye Si began his career as an English teacher before moving into the fashion industry, working as a junior fashion editor at Grazia China. In 2010, he began posting his own personal commentary on celebrities’ outfits on his Weibo account, under the handle Gogoboi. Known for his snarky and raw critiques, Ye garnered online attention and earned a steady growth of followers. His witty commentary provides a provocative look at the curated images of those in the limelight, challenging their qualifications as rightful spokespeople of high fashion.

Though some dismiss Ye’s opinionated critiques as a rather distasteful means to seek public attention, it didn’t stop him from cultivating a cult following. With over 75 million followers on Weibo and more than 100,000 views per article on average on WeChat, Ye is now one of the most influential fashion bloggers in China.

In 2016, Ye set up his own channel on Youku, China’s YouTube-like platform, where he interviews international celebrities such as Karlie Kloss, Cate Blanchett and Tim Burton, alongside presenting his own shows.

In 2017, Ye launched his WeChat boutique, called Bu Da Jing Xuan, which sells a curated selection of luxury goods. Today, Ye has partnerships with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci and Dior, as well as high-street brands like Uniqlo and H&M. Representing a new kind of player in China’s luxury fashion world in the digital age, Ye has evolved from a mere social media personality to a fashion brand with commercial value.

Kind of like: American fashion critic Cathy Horyn Famous for: snarky critiques on celebrity styles See him on: almost every Chinese social media platform

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Skyscraper

JULY 15

JULY 8

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Set in the world’s tallest skyscraper, a fictional building in Hong Kong that essentially functions as an independent society, Skyscraper stars Dwayne Johnson as a family man, former FBI hostage rescue specialist and amputee who’s in charge of security for the building. When it inevitably comes under attack from a group of terrorists, he must step up to save the day, and nail-biting action sequences ensue. Many a joke has been made about how closely this campy plot parallels action classic Die Hard, but dramatic drone footage of the cityscape, two unbelievably cute curly-haired kids and The Rock’s indefatigable charisma might just make it work anyway.

This sequel to acclaimed 2015 film Sicario picks up where its predecessor left off, as hardened assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benecio del Toro) teams up again with ruthless CIA agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to kidnap the daughter of a Mexican cartel leader for a somewhat shadowy higher purpose concealed by the US government. When the mission goes wrong, they are ordered to kill the young woman (Isabela Moner), but del Toro’s character refuses, so a manhunt for them both begins. Sicario’s celebrated director Denis Villeneuve did not return for the sequel, but Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Wind River) has again penned the screenplay.

HAO BU HAO

Hao Celebrated filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai made history during graduation season this year when Harvard University awarded him an honorary degree, which he accepted while looking like a boss in his trademark sunglasses.

Joining the likes of Nelson Mandela, JK Rowling, Stephen Hawking and Oprah Winfrey, plus fellow director Pedro Almodóvar, Wong is the first Asian filmmaker to receive the honor. Harvard described him as a creator who “stands among modern cinema’s most influential auteurs,” citing his unmistakable visual style and worldview.

Bu Hao

Netizens on Weibo just about lost their minds during the last week of May, when Cui Yongyuan, a garrulous and famously outspoken TV presenter, claimed that Fan Bingbing had been paid millions of dollars for just four days of work, publishing screenshots of what looked like Fan’s contract. A week later, he alleged that Fan actually had two contracts for that and other gigs, an illegal but fairly common practice to avoid paying taxes. Fan’s studio quickly responded by threatening legal action, but the incident has sparked a debate about whether or not celebrities deserve their lavish salaries and special treatment.

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

Our favorite tracks from artists playing in Guangzhou and Shenzhen this month. For fun nightlife and gig listings, visit www.thatsmags.com

‘Among the trees’ (2012) E321

‘Inside’ (2005) Bang Gang

‘WeChat’ (2017) Higher Brothers

‘Conurbation’ (2017) 一三

‘想入非非’(1995) The Face

‘我的写字台’ (2016) Xu Fei

While it may not be everyone’s jam, this Swedish shoegaze creation slowly builds into a richly textured soundscape of murmured vocals and hard-rock harmonies.

They just don’t make music like they used to. But this rocker duo makes a fairly good effort, with folksy vocals and a good old-fashioned guitar solo.

Despite the name, this Icelandic pop band opts for a subdued, melancholy sound paired with lyrics on lost dreams and loves.

Ever wondered what a Chinese hair rock band might sound like? The Face comes pretty close with this expansive rock anthem, complete with cowbell.

If you follow Chinese hip-hop at all, you already know of this Chengdu quartet.

If you don’t, now’s the chance to get acquainted through one of their viral hits.

Indie artist Xu Fei delivers a straightforward, sugary-sweet pop ballad with imaginative lyrics and acoustic guitar counterpoint.

WHAT’S NEW

Tencent and J. J. Abrams Launch Video Game Company Bad Robot, the enormously successful production company helmed by American director J. J. Abrams and responsible for everything from Lost to Westworld to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, announced last month that they are expanding into video games. To make this happen on the widest possible scale, Abrams has finagled what an official statement has deemed a ‘strategic relationship’ with megacorporation Tencent.

Bad Robot Games is poised to enter the market for mobile, PC and console games, so partnering with the company behind both WeChat and the world’s most successful games business by revenue last year is no small feat. Several Abrams creations, especially the recent HBO hit Westworld, have found a large fan base in China, so audiences may see a video game set in the show’s dystopian amusement park sometime in the not-so-distant future.

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ARTS | D M AUNSCI CE

POETRY IN POLEDANCING A Shenzhen Burlesque Dancer’s Journey

By Zhuorui Wang

A

Shenzhen native, burlesque dancer Zixy pursued a degree in Fine Arts at the Institute of

Chicago and there gained experience as a pole dancer, a career choice rarely seen among Chinese students overseas. Years later, she’s positioned herself at the center of the world burlesque dancing scene: New York City. Her journey has had its ups and downs but in the end, she's discovered poetry in her work as a pole dancer.

Here’s the account of her lyrical journey from Shenzhen to New York.

Tell me about some of your formative experiences in Shenzhen.

Besides studying in a liberal environment [at Shenzhen Middle School], I also started mingling with adults and people in the real world when I was in high school. I moved out with a classmate… into a studio apartment, so we had our own space and own lives outside of school.

How did you get into the art of burlesque?

I did Chinese traditional dance before. A lot of my inspiration and moves still come from my childhood exposure to traditional dance.

Frankly, I got into pole-dancing [in high school] out of coincidence. When I was practicing and teaching dance, I met one person doing poles. He asked me to try. I tried. I had never expected to fall [in love with] poledancing so much. But as I began doing more and more of burlesque, it became a part of my life.

Have your parents ever argued against your dancing? And how did your poledancing develop while you were in Chicago?

No, they were supportive. I have a great family, and they love me. In Chicago, everything went well. I kept practicing over there, stud-

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ied Fine Arts and used the opportunities the city offered, like [going] to events, [and] kept fine-tuning my dancing moves. Then I started teaching. Gradually, over four years, I accumulated more students, more [of a] reputation, earned money and for sure my skills became better as well.

How did you end up in New York?

By the time graduation loomed, I was facing a lot of pressure to have a real job. [I was] a mess, I do not know how I got through it. I applied for a fellowship program in New York with my current dancing firm, which I had wanted to enroll in since my first year. They only take a handful of people globally and they took me. I felt it was the right chance to come, and I needed to change my life – I couldn’t stay in Chicago anymore.

How is New York so far?

New York is amazing. Way more opportunities and a faster-paced life... For example, this year, I choreographed a pole dance duet with an amazing dance partner and dear friend Brand On. This dance portrayed the kind of romance that has often been called “toxic” or the “crazy kind.”

Each rehearsal is a deep conversation between us. We trust each other, invite each other into our most vulnerable memories,

DANCE | ARTS

share painful feelings and the ugly stories that lie beneath the butterflies and happy romance in our individual histories. We seek unity, and we are curious about the unknown.

Together we made a team and walked on an introspective journey together.

It is very rare to find a friend that you can put so much trust in. He has a lot of strength and I have flexibility. Our skillsets are complements to each other while we practice.

Besides crafting our movement, we spent a lot of extra time building connections and discussing the details of our expressions.

Sometimes we do not touch our apparatus for the whole rehearsal, but just practice looking into each other’s eyes. We want to find the right gaze. Sometimes we hold each other’s hands to feel the right touch.

On our last show, we literally started arguing right before getting on stage. We warmed up too much for our emotions and we got into our characters. The stage monitor had to calm us down and tell us to “save the energy for the stage.”

Zhuorui Fu is a style journalist and entrepreneur based in NY, London and Paris. She has also founded a fashion collection (zhuoruifucollection.com).

Do you ever feel over-eroticized by others?

Frankly… no matter where you are, the whole entertainment industry is very sexualized. I embrace the fact instead of rejecting it.

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ls e S e H T h O Hig d n O a p hi B s d n e Y i r fF K o y r N o I t KA Heartwarming S

ARTS | ADVERTORIAL

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ADVERTORIAL | ARTS

O

ne of Broadway’s most jubilant musicals arrives in South China for the first time this August.

With a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (best known for originating the role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray) and a score by ’80s music icon Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots was a sensation when it opened on Broadway in 2013. The show was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, and won six, including Best Musical.

It’s still regularly selling out shows on Broadway today, and debuted on the West End to much acclaim and three Olivier Awards in 2016.

Adapted from a 2006 film of the same name (which is in turn based on a true story), Kinky Boots tells the story of straitlaced British shoemaker Charlie Price and his attempts to salvage his struggling family business. After a chance meeting with drag performer Lola during a London

business trip, Price learns that drag queens usually perform in women’s shoes not built to hold their larger frames, which break often and can cause injury. Inspiration strikes, and Price and Lola go into business together to create a new kind of shoe for a niche market.

Set to an upbeat score with Lauper’s signature synth-pop sound, Kinky Boots has a heartwarming message of friendship, as two very different shoe lovers come together as business partners and learn they have much more in common than either ever imagined.

With action that spans a shoe factory in the sleepy town of Northampton to the catwalks of Milan, Kinky Boots continues to inspire audiences all over the world. Previous productions include a past US National Tour that played more than 80 cities, an extended run in Toronto, two productions in Korea, and a Japanese language production. Now the show is coming to Guangzhou, starring Lance Bordelon as Charlie Price, Jos N. Banks as Lola and Sydney Patrick as Price’s colleague Lauren. Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets to witness this spectacular story come alive on stage.

Thu-Sat Aug 9-19, 2.30pm/7.30pm; RMB1801,080. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江西路1号广州大剧院

W W WW. W T HWA. TT SHMA AT SG M S .ACGOSM. C|OJMU L| YJ U2 L0Y1 82| 0G1 8Z | 3 3

ARTS | MUSIC

CHINA MUSIC CORNER

Three New Homegrown Albums on Our Radar This Month

By Erica Martin

Into Sparks by Dream Can One of Shanghai’s most original new bands and a leading light of female-led acts in China, Dream Can have finally dropped their debut album on Maybe Mars, a finely composed eightsong journey drenched in psychedelia. The band reveal right away that they are not messing around with the massive eight-minute opening track, ‘Cheap Cheap Time I Live, Money Money Saves Me,’ showing practiced restraint with its spare opening that builds until it soars. The band cites Acid Mothers Temple as an influence, and their repeated veering between spare and poignant twangs and frenzied guitar rock recalls the Japanese psych-rock giants as well as older bands like Big Brother and the Holding Company circa 1968. The decidedly trippy song ‘Time is Fractured’ creeps toward paranoia with a maze of twists and turns in sound that feel both manic and tightly composed. Their slower songs are lovely as well, especially the sad spaceship cruise that is ‘I am a Lonely Girl,’ which showcases A Re’s otherworldly vocals. Into Sparks sounds like music from another era, but it’s still brimming with innovation and, well, sparks.

Listen here: downloads.maybemars.org/album/into-sparks

Monster KaR Vol. 3 by Monster KaR ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome Aboard Monster KaR Airlines’ are the opening lines of Monster KaR Vol. 3, which give a good indication of the serene weirdness of the trip ahead from this Guangzhou-based band. They’ve labeled themselves on Xiami as ‘hallucinogenic pop,’ and they do manage to convey a psychedelic and lightheaded feeling without relying on the more in-your-face noise guitar of psych rock. This is most successful on the dizzying track ‘Fight Club,’ largely thanks to the vocals, which are light, breathy and eerie. Monster KaR explore other genres on the album as well, like a sweetly retro 90s R&B on the melancholy ‘In Brown’ and ‘Don’t Leave Me When I’m Alone,’ which sports a soulful beat and some boy-girl spoken word interludes that feel especially 90s. This is music for the most gentle and peaceful of mind-altering substances, making it a less ubiquitous take on psychedelic music that feels crisp and refreshing.

Listen here: www.xiami.com/play?ids=/song/playlist/id/1803202269

Migration by Diva Li The latest release from Beijing label Ran Music is a vibrant club-centric EP by producer Diva Li. An ear for dance floor rhythms is apparent right away, and Li displays a funk and disco sensibility woven into all the tracks, though her main focus is minimal techno and dub that’s been washed clean of the bro-y overtones that can plague the genre. Her punchy vocals push the energy level of each track skyward, making the EP fly by and an itch to hit the dance floor grow as you listen. The tracks get heavier and darker as the EP goes on, hitting their deepest in the throbbing bass of ‘Awakening’ and then rising in tempo again for the frenzied, dubby finale ‘Travel By Myself.’ Li was preoccupied with the migration of fish across the ocean when she created this album, hence its name. She “imagined herself as one among the hordes” swimming along in an Atlantic fish migration as she composed, and the thematic connection between feeling at one with your school of fish in the sea and with your fellow dancers at the club should not be overlooked.

Listen here: ranmusicbj.bandcamp.com/album/migration

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ADVERTORIAL | LIFE & STYLE

AWESOME PRODUCTS AT THMART FOR YOUR SUMMER HOUSE PARTY Summer is upon us and thMart has an astounding assortment of homeware and kitchen appliances to match the rising temperatures.

And is there anything better than to celebrate the season by having your friends over for a house party? Check out these handy wine sets, beautiful bouquets and much more for your next gathering.

Umbra Wine Products, from RMB60

Enhance your wine drinking experience with these stylish wine sets by Canadian design studio Umbra. Wine toppers are certainly not a new thing and there are tons of variations available, but Umbra’s also come with a range of wine glass charms to separate yours from someone else’s. Last but definitely not least is their assortment of corkscrews, which perfectly signify the simplistic design philosophy of the brand.

Sunny Smile Bouquet, RMB168

Want to give your apartment a summer look? This Sunny Smile Bouquet is your answer. Containing six sunflowers and other floral treats, these lowmaintenance plants will brighten up your home in a symphony of warm color tones. If you order one of these arrangements before noon, they’ll even be delivered on the same night.

BRITA Marella 3.5L + 6-pack MAXTRA+ filters, RMB428 Sick of dragging water bottles back home in the heat? World-renowned water filter company BRITA presents a solution with its 3.5L water pitcher, which is designed to get rid of all the toxins in tap water, so it’s safe for you and your guests to drink.

Don’t forget to buy these replaceable MAXTRA+ filters along with your pitcher!

Midea Air Fryer TN20A, RMB550

Fried foods are easy crowd pleasers at parties, and this air fryer by Midea is definitely your best kitchen assistant at your next gathering. Using 80 percent less oil than its conventional counterparts, this air fryer can remove excess fats from foods and retain all the natural oils, all while cutting back on calories, making it a healthier option for you and your guests.

For any business opportunity, please email us at thmart@urbanatomy.com.

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The Female Fighters Putting China on the International Stage

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S

“

he’s going to try and choke her!” a commentator yells as MMA fighter Xiong Jingnan, or ‘The Panda,’ jumps onto Singaporean Tiffany Teo’s back.

It’s the first round of the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Championship. Two women battle barefoot inside a round cage to the cheers of a rapturous crowd in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the unheard cries from streamers watching online.

The Panda slips off but manages to send a kick to her challenger’s face moments later.

Xiong is lightning fast, and by the end of the third round, her opponent looks shattered.

“Teo’s face is a mess,” the commentator observes.

Shortly into the fourth round, Xiong’s relentless pummeling proves too much for ‘No Chill’ Teo. The judge declares Xiong the winner by technical knock out, and ‘The Panda’ is hailed the first Chinese champion in the history of ONE Championship.

Xiong ties the national flag of China around her neck like a superhero cape as she accepts the title belt, while the commentator booms: “The age of China is upon us.”

MMA, or mixed martial arts, owes its roots to The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), an American MMA organization that pioneered the sport. Beijing-based Jiu-Jiutsu coach Andy Wang grew up in Denver, the city that held the first UFC fight in 1993. “There were no rules, no referee stoppages. It would just be a fight to see what star was the best,” he tells me over lunch. “Now, the UFC is a global brand. Back then, MMA was a curiosity. Now it’s an accepted sport.”

Already popular overseas, the activity has gained traction in China in the past few years, with the number of combat sporting clubs in the country having quadrupled since 2008, the New York Times reports.

Today, international organizations (called ‘promotions’), like Singapore-based ONE Championship, are increasingly visible. UFC held its first mainland event in front of a sold-out crowd in Shanghai last November.

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Meanwhile, events shown live on CCTV draw up to 20 to 30 million viewers, according to Jetli.com, a kung-fu blog run by the eponymous martial arts star.

A combat sport that uses techniques from a range of wrestling and striking disciplines, like boxing, Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA bouts typically last for three 5-minute rounds.

But there’s more to MMA than physical skill – it’s also entertainment. There’s the cage that spectators press up against; the ring card girls, skimpily dressed and generically attractive; the trash-talking and bizarre crossover match-ups (boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs MMA fighter Conor McGregor, anyone?); the over-the-top walkout music and booming voice of the announcer.

Often bloody and always violent, MMA has traditionally been a male-dominated sport.

However, awareness of women fighters in the sport is growing, thanks to trailblazers like Americans Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. In China, fighters like Xiong Jingnan are making their own mark on the scene.

Xiong’s title win has put her name firmly on the radar of those in the industry. I meet the champion and her manager, Libya native Ali Elezzabi, at their training center in Beijing, before she heads home for Chinese New Year.

Xiong is nursing a broken hand, suffered in the second round of the title fight. It’ll take another month to heal.

“Every time I had to think twice before using my hand,” Xiong says. “I don’t think anyone can understand how excruciatingly painful it was. But I had to keep focused during the fight.

“I was really excited [leading up to the fight] because I knew that if I won it, then I would be China’s first female fighter to win an international world title.”

The Jakarta bout was Xiong’s second time competing in ONE since she signed a two-year contract with the brand last year (she was previously signed to Chinese promotion Kunlun Fight). Xiong’s contract means that she can fight in ONE events only. The 30-year-old’s first

Above: Professional MMA fighters Tian Yang (left) and Meng Bo relax in their apartment Left: Tian strikes a fighter’s pose

ONE fight was so impressive – she delivered a knockout in the first round – that the outfit promptly offered her a shot at the title.

“She’s like a sponge,” Elezzabi says.

“I’ll show her a technique and it’ll take her two or three times to do it. Most people go back to their comfort zone.

She’s not afraid to lose, and that’s what makes her evolve.”

Xiong’s success has opened the door to lucrative sponsorships, namely with Gre3n coconut water and AWBR Nutritions Alliance Jiu Jitsu China, both of whom she name drops. The importance of these can’t be overstated, Elezzabi says: “On a monthly basis, her bill can reach RMB10,000 on diet alone.” Although Xiong is from a working-class family in Shandong province, Elezzabi tells me that her family “doesn’t rely on her for support.”

Yet financial reward is a major incentive for many in the sport, Wang says. “A lot of fighters, especially in China, come from bad backgrounds. It’s a way out.

You don’t see a lot of rich white dudes, or any [rich] dudes, boxing in America.

Here, it’s the same.”

“Apart from sleeping and showering, everything is with guys.

Training, eating, everything” Wang, a former UFC fighter himself, has “seen it all” and doesn’t recommend going pro. “It’s a blood business.

You will bleed mentally, emotionally, physically and, for a lot of people, financially.”

But for Xiong, the sacrifice is worth it.

“Before the fight, I was training so hard, I could hardly bear it, in my heart and in my mind. [But] the only thing I could see was the belt,” she says. “The belt is every fighter’s dream.”

The Panda may be a warrior in the cage, but, free from training, she lets her guard down. When told to ‘be herself’ during our photoshoot, Xiong bear hugs a punching bag with a huge grin across her face.

Xiong credits her father as the person who’s influenced her the most. “My dad has seen all my fights. He watches them all the time. Sometimes I’ll get a call from him, saying, ‘I watched your fight, and you had a mistake here and here.’

“He always told me to be kind to everyone. I hope [I’ll also] influence others,” Xiong adds. “Especially Asian women.”

Although MMA is growing in China,

event lineups are overwhelmingly male, Wang says. “If you go to an event, out of 10 fights, only two of them will be women and the rest men.”According to Wang, the number of professional female fighters in China is still relatively small.

“People want to see men because, in the end, what gets people excited [in sports] is violence. And men can produce more violence,” he says matter-offactly.

Between MMA and kickboxing, Elezzabi estimates about “six or so” professional female fighters in China. (The US, in comparison, has over 100 notable female MMA artists.)

Professional MMA fighters Tian Yang and Meng Bo offer a more generous number. “There’s about 100 professional and amateur women [MMA fighters] in China altogether,” Meng says during my visit to the Beijing apartment she and Tian reside in. “But, really famous ones – around 20.”

And men? “A lot more, about 500, probably,” Tian says. “But not many famous ones. It’s harder for guys because the competition is so good.”

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RIght: Pro MMA fighter Gita Suharsono prepares for a fight at the ONE Warrior Series tryout

Below: Surharsono spars with her coach before the fight

“The real prize is victory. It tastes so sweet, it’ s addictive”

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Tian and Meng, both 23, fight together and room together.

While neither lay claim to an international title, Meng’s fight record has her ranked No. 5 out of female fighters in China, according to MMA database Tapology (Xiong sits at No. 3).

Unlike Xiong, the two are free agents, meaning they aren’t tied to one promotion. Tian has fought for Chinese Kungfu (CKF) while Meng’s most recent fight was for Fight Nights Russia (FNR).

Hailing from Liaoning province in Northeast China, Meng has 10 years of combat sport experience. “When I started practicing sanda [Chinese kickboxing], there were only two of us [female fighters]. The other, Wu Yanan, is a UFC fighter now.

“I started practicing MMA in 2012 because I wanted to reach the highest stage in the arena,” Meng continues. “At first, my family was worried. They’d ask me if I got injured or not, but when I continued to persevere, my family grew to support me.”

Sporting glasses and layered up in winter clothes, Tian is relaxed and welcoming – a far sight different to her WeChat profile picture, a commanding shot of her silhouette against a sunset, one leg kicked high in the air, ready to strike.

Originally from Enshi, a prefecture-level city in southwest Hubei province, Tian has practiced combat sports for four years. The Wuhan Sports Institute graduate comes from a fighting background. “My dad used to be a police officer and my uncle a judo fighter.”

Like Meng, Tian says her family was hesitant about their daughter taking up MMA at first, but: “I was very persistent and dedicated, so they eventually had my back. They’re pretty open-minded.”

The fighters train every day with different coaches, depending on their practice, but if they have a fight coming up, it takes them two months to prepare, Meng tells me.

In addition to physical training, fighters also have to ‘cut weight,’ to ensure they stay within their designated weight grade.

Tian explains: “A lot of Chinese women are uninformed about [combat sports]. They think their body will get bigger and they’ll hurt themselves. To them, MMA is really strenuous. They couldn’t accept this kind of toil, and they wouldn’t be able to bear it, either.”

Due to the limited pool of fighters, women have no choice but to train with men, explains Meng. “Every day you need to practice with guys. Apart from sleeping and showering, everything is with guys. Training, eating, everything.”

The upside of this, according to Tian, is that they “can train with guys that are better [than us] and this will help us improve faster.”

When I ask about whether the industry is sexist, Tian and Yang say no. According to Xiong Jingnan, though, women in the industry are not equal with men.

“Other people’s manner towards female players is different, whether its fans or bosses,” she says. “They even pay women less. It’s the culture [of MMA]. I just train,” she shrugs.

Xiong regularly encounters stereotypes. “My family and close friends accept me, but other people don’t see me as feminine,” she says. “They won’t directly tell me, but will ask, ‘When are you going to get married? When are you going to grow your hair? How long are you expecting to do this for?’”

Even commenters on social media platforms will say she looks like a boy, or a “lady boy,” manager Elezzabi says.

It’s hard to imagine male Chinese fighters receiving the same kind of comments about their looks. For her part, Xiong is nonplussed. “I cut my hair because it got pulled out while practicing Jiu-Jitsu. People can say what they want – I don’t care. I know what I need to do.”

Although Meng prefers to keep a natural look when fighting, she doesn’t like women MMA fighters being put into a box. “Other people don’t have to say anything. At the end of the day, we’re women and we ourselves can keep up our own appearances.”

Yang agrees, saying: “Even though we’re usually busy training, when we have time off, we like to do our hair and that kind of thing.”

Because of numbers – and the added entertainment-value – Tian’s and Yang’s fights are always against foreigners. Yang doesn’t mind – in fact, she hopes that more women fighters from other countries will train in China in the future, because “if they come here, we can learn from each other.”

One such fighter is Yang’s friend, Gita Suharsono, who is also based in Beijing. Over coffee, the Indonesian native tells me she recently transitioned from kickboxing to MMA. Tall and lean, Suharsono is a former journalist who, unsatisfied with her lifestyle, quit her job and took up combat sports to get back into shape two-and-a-half years ago. After one fight, she was hooked. “I felt so alive,” she says.

Suharsono trained and has previously fought in Thailand.

Although she has won every fight of her career so far, she is especially effusive about her competition in China. “Chinese female fighters are not joking. They are the toughest fights I’ve ever had, because in China, if you want to be a fighter, you really [have to] want to.”

As a foreign female fighter in China, Suharsono is different. “A lot of Chinese women fighters are stockier. They train like that to survive in a male-dominated sport,” she explains.

“But you don’t need to be like that – women can be anything.

That’s the type of message I want to give.

“I’ve seen a lot of [foreign] fighters just do it for the money [...] but for me the real prize is victory. It tastes so sweet, it’s addictive.”

A few weeks after we meet, Suharsono is accepted to try out for a spot in Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series. A former UFC middleweight champion and now vice-president of ONE Championship, Franklin travels around Asia, from Manila and Seoul to Beijing, to find the next undiscovered superstar fighter from the continent. The ONE Warrior Series is part reality show – in one YouTube episode Franklin’s colleague gets a tattoo in Bangkok – and part “minors to a professional league,” as Franklin describes it. Show participants who are offered contracts are guaranteed four ONE fights.

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Pro MMA fighter Xiong 'The Panda' Jingnan puts her opponent in a chokehold at the ONE Women’ s Strawweight Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia (photo by Dux)

“Chinese female fighters are the toughest, because if you want to be a fighter in China, you really have to want to�

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The Beijing audition takes place in a combat studio in Haidian District on a blustery Sunday. Dozens of wannabe professional fighters wait nervously for Franklin and his team to arrive, while Chinese kids practice sports on the other side of the room. In addition to Suharsono, there is one other woman trying out – Shanghai karate teacher Wang Xue, who has traveled up for the weekend.

Suharsono has a cold. She’s just come back from a training trip in Thailand, she tells me croakily. But, as soon as Franklin arrives, she rushes up to introduce herself and Franklin compliments her top – a Captain America muscle T-shirt.

The two women, the second pair of the day, compete against each other in a series of grappling and striking challenges.

Both are impressive. Suharsono, a head taller, is tenacious, all long limbs and fury.

Wang is quieter, but grapples well.

During the event’s lunch break, Franklin tells me he’s noticed an increase in female fighting talent while scouting in Asia. “It’s not just China,” he says, before explaining his surprise at turning up to auditions in Bangkok and Manila to find over half a dozen women trying out.

“I don’t mean it to sound the wrong way, but when we thought about scouting, we kind of automatically thought, subconsciously, that we were going to

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“A lot of fighters in China come from bad backgrounds. It’ s a way out” look for male talent,” Franklin admits.

The former champion puts the rise in female participants in Asia down to natural progression as the sport grows. Plus: “Martial arts are marketed differently here. [MMA] is marketed for things like self-defense, [but] that’s not how is it in the States.”

When it comes down to actual signings for the series, Franklin says he doesn’t follow a quota.

“Hey, Jonathan,” he yells to Jonathan Fong, director of ONE Warrior Series, sitting at the judges’ table a few meters away. “How many females did we sign?

Two or three?“ “One,” Fong replies.

“Only one?” Franklin asks, surprised.

“There was one in Manila we were on the fence [about] and we decided to go with her brother instead,” Fong says.

“Oh, that’s right,” Franklin recalls. “OK, so we’ve had one solidly signed female at this point in time. Realistically, to build the sport, I’m probably more interested in

finding good quality female talent, than male talent.

“I’ve had a couple [of women] where I’m like, ‘Look, your time in the league is going to be short [at four fights]. So, I want you to work on X, Y and Z, and let’s see you try out again in six months.’”

At the end of the event, both Suharsono and Wang are offered contracts for the ONE Warrior Series. Suharsono accepts.

After some consideration, Wang ultimately declines.

The contract offers are a good sign for other China-based female fighters hoping to have a crack at the international professional league.

Meanwhile, back at Tian and Meng’s apartment, the two are adamant that more Chinese women will take up the sport and that the level of Chinese female fighters will improve.

When I comment tentatively that, in the future, perhaps they will have the opportunity to fight against more Chinese women, Meng laughs: “No, a Chinese guy!”

Left: 'The Panda' relaxes in her Jiu-jitsu training studio in Beijing

This page: Xiong savors her title win (photo

by Dux)

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CITY SCENES AmCham Spring Ball 2018 (Supported by )

On May 26, the American Chamber of Commerce in South China hosted its annual Spring Ball, titled ‘Studio 54 East,’ at the LN Garden Hotel. With a theme of vintage American ‘70s pop culture, the event opened with a cocktail reception dedicated to departing US Consul General in Guangzhou Charles Bennett. After the cocktails were all served, the party moved into the hotel’s Grand Ballroom where guests enjoyed a selection of delicious Italian dishes served with a contemporary twist. Amid the spectacular dining options, singing and dancing kicked off in grand fashion before a lucky draw capped off the evening.

Stone Eden Hosts Peter Rabbit-theme Family Events (Supported by and )

Exquisite Ecuador Food Festival Held in South China

On June 16, Stone Eden British Nursery joined hands with That’s PRD and Urban Family to hold an event titled ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit.’ More than 20 families enjoyed the nursery, fun art classes and had the chance to play with two real rabbits! Additionally, all families received prizes from Stone Eden and Urban Family. During the event, participating children were given the opportunity to experience loving childcare and participate in educational activities, such as ‘vegetable painting,’ a scavenger hunt, storytelling and other rabbit-themed fun. The activities were designed to help boost the children’s confidence, independence and creativity.

In cooperation with Longyatt Hotel in Foshan, Pro Ecuador launched a gastronomic festival – Exquisite Ecuador – on May 28. Presented to PRD-based diners for a period of three months, the Ecuadorian dishes on offer are created by the hands of seasoned Ecuadorian chef José Luis Molestina. The opening celebration was attended by local businessmen, chefs, chambers of commerce and catering service professionals from Guangdong province. Guests not only tasted Ecuadorian dishes, but were also shown live cooking demonstrations, where Chef Molestina presented different preparation techniques native to the nation of Ecuador.

46 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

(Supported by

)

Marché Mövenpick Opens Shenzhen Marketplace (Supported by

)

On June 14, popular Swiss foodservice concept Marché Mövenpick opened its first China marketplace restaurant in Shenzhen’s fast-growing business district near UpperHills. The new establishment combines the modern flair of a European-style marketplace with distinctly alpine features to create a uniquely cozy Swiss atmosphere. Guests can stroll through the 800-square-meter space and choose from a wide selection of fresh, quality products to customize the perfect meal. Watch the chefs prepare home-cooked dishes at Marché’s open show kitchens, and choose from a plethora of house specialties, European delicacies and mouth-watering desserts, as well as coffee, tea, juice, wine and beer.

Dongfeng Nissan and NBA China Announce Extended Partnership (Supported by ) Last month, on June 2, NBA China and Dongfeng Nissan announced a multi-year extension of their marketing partnership. Senior members of both organizations told Shenzhen press that the renewal would involve continued promotion of basketball in China through events like NBA Fan Day, NBA Cares, interactive visits from current and former NBA players and official NBA China games. As NBA China’s key partner, Dongfeng Nissan will play a leading role in these programs, and work to engage fans year-round, specifically during the NBA Playoffs and Finals. Since its inception in 2015, Dongfeng Nissan and NBA China have hosted a number of notable events throughout the country, including NBA 5v5, several NBA China games and an NBA Chinese New Year celebration.

Annual French Guinguette Party (Supported by ) The French Guinguette party, held in Shenzhen on Saturday, June 9, by catering company French Touch Kitchen, once again gathered an impressive crowd this year. Around 350 enthusiastic guests enjoyed fine dining from France and beyond. Cheese, French wines and international cocktails were in abundance. An accordion show and live bands entertained partygoers, contributing to a festive and relaxed atmosphere that was enjoyed by all.

PRD FOCUS T

he Italian Consulate in Guangzhou held a reception on June 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic.

O

n June 8, Vietnamese restaurant Muine held a ceremony and brand conference at OCT Harbour O'Plaza in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. Numerous media organizations were invited to the event to witness a presentation on Muine’s interior design. Attendees were also able to sample a selection of new dishes.

M

usic Day, a yearly music festival organized by the French Consulate in Guangzhou, enlivened Foshan’s Shunde District from June 16 to 17. A lineup of both French and Chinese bands and musicians entertained a diverse mix of both local Foshanren and foreigners.

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H

KS Group International Limited announced that it will join hands with the Centre d’Art Contemporain SinoFrançais (Sino-French Modern Art Center) to establish a platform for international art and fashion design – Avant Fashion, which will focus on creating a program called ‘The Road of Talents.’

T

o celebrate the 2018 Turkey Tourism Year in China, the Consulate General of Turkey in Guangzhou held the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition, Reunion of Turkey and China Silk Road Exhibition – the Last Caravan, on June 19 at the Guangzhou Library.

S

tudents from the British School of Guangzhou visited the Guangdong Provincial Maternity Center on Children’s Day to perform and hand out gifts. Along with charity organization Hopeful Hearts, the school continues to raise money to help fund life-saving operations for young children.

O

n May 29, Guangzhou United Family Hospital held its official dedication ceremony. The latest and largest addition to the network of United Family Hospitals across China is located in Guangzhou’s Pazhou area. The hospital will deliver comprehensive, world-class healthcare services including labor and delivery, post-partum rehabilitation, surgery, inpatient hospitalization and 24-hour emergency care.

FOOD, DRINK

& EVENTS IN GUANGZHOU K11 Eats

A foodie’s tour through Guangzhou's newest mall, p54

All-You-Can-Eat Sushi P52 50 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM 50 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

10 Shanghai P57

By Paul Finkbeiner

You’d think it would be impossible to confuse milk tea with flavored water at a convenience store. But Japanese beverage company Suntory has fooled us all by producing a variation of milk tea that looks and tastes pretty watery.

That’s right – it's clear, just like good ol’ fashioned H2O. Aside from the bottle’s label, which features pictures of cream and a glass of milk tea, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the bevvie for water or oddly-packaged baijiu.

Any misconception about what the liquid might be, though, is quickly dispelled when you open the bottle: Suntory’s milk tea unleashes a surprisingly aromatic tea leaf scent. Compared to a cup of Coco-brand milk tea, in fact, we found the Suntory variety had a stronger, more fragrant odor.

Unfortunately, smell doesn’t translate to taste in this case, and we found the clear milk tea to be a watered-down version of the real deal. With an off-putting sugary aftertaste, the Suntory beverage reminded us of one of those clear, flavored drinks that try to pass themselves off as substitutes for Gatorade or Powerade.

While the clear milk tea does list a dairy sweetener in the ingredients, the creamy smoothness of milk is nonexistent and the taste, overall, screams artificial.

Suntory’s milk tea certainly gets points for innovation and creativity, but it just can’t compare to standard milk tea. If you’re feeling adventurous, give it a try. Otherwise, stick to milk tea's classic variety.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JULY 2018 | GZ | 51

WE TRY IT

SUNTORY CLEAR MILK TEA

GRAPE VINE THE SCANDALOUS SCOOP

OLDIE BUT GOODIE

We’re digging:

Dongdu Japanese Buffet

The Connoisseur’s fantastic baked oyster dishes, which feature prominently on their new summer menu; a new craft beer hangout at Party Pier (stay tuned…); scrumptious Shanghainese cuisine at 10 Shanghai in K11 (page 57); the epic F&B promotions currently accompanying the FIFA World Cup; the garlic shrimp quesadilla at Morgan’s Public House (a secret menu item well worth trying); the new Hazy IPA at The Strand Beer Cafe; and the rooftop patio at The Happy Monk’s recently opened Party Pier location.

We’re done with:

The deportation of 15 foreigners to Hong Kong following a drug raid at a certain Shenzhen bar; uninspiring edibles and lackluster service at Guangzhou’s first Outback Steakhouse (page 56); and the hype surrounding Suntory’s transparent milk tea, it sucks.

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Dongdu Japanese Buffet is something of an institution for those ‘in the know.’ The chain, which operates three restaurants in Guangzhou, charges RMB178 for a two-hour all-you-can-eat dining extravaganza, which also includes a free flow of wine, beer, sake, soda and fresh fruit juices.

Upon being seated, Dongdu staff will provide you with an encyclopedia-like menu that features a wide range of Japanese cuisine, from sashimi, nigiri and various rolls, to tempura, noodle bowls and teppanyakistyle edibles.

As this is an all-you-can-eat establishment, we recommend starting with Dongdu’s raw seafood offerings: you don’t want to fill yourself up with fatty, greasy dishes on the first order – make the most of the two hours. Next, move on to the grilled lamb chops, which come well seasoned with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

Once you’ve had your fill of salmon, tuna, lamb and booze, be sure to cap your meal off with the fried banana and ice cream dessert.

While we’re unabashed fans of just about everything Dongdu serves up, we’ll be the first to admit the service here can be a tad slow. Our recommendation is to order lots the first time around and be sure to follow up with your server if you notice certain dishes don’t make it to the table.

Tianhe location: Shop 17, BM/F, Citic Plaza, 233 Tianhe Bei Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河北路233号中 心广场BM层后街17号铺 (3877 1862) Haizhu location: 2 Duhui Lu, Gongye Dadao Bei, Haizhu District 海珠区工业大道北都会路2号 (2917 2984) Huadu location: Unit 12-13, Building E, Xilideng Yinshi Fengqing Jie, Baishou Lu, Huadu District 花都 区百寿路喜立登饮食风情街E栋12-13号 (3685 5112)

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

COCKTAIL

Timmies’ Coffee Old Fashioned The Old Fashioned was originally called a ‘whisky cocktail,’ way back in the early 1800s.

There were also variations of the drink that utilized rum and gin instead of whisky.

As time passed, cocktails became flashier: mixologists began experimenting with new ingredients, blending liqueurs and fruit juices into cocktails.

Some bar goers, though, hankered for a drink made ‘the old fashioned’ way.

This month, learn how to make an Old Fashioned with a caffeine kick: the Coffee Old Fashioned. This recipe calls for Canada’s favorite coffee, but feel free to experiment with your preferred coffee blend.

This month’s cocktail comes to us from Rob Turnbull and Zach Friedenberg, whiskey connoisseurs from Whispers in Guangzhou.

Ingredients (two servings) - 60ml Bulleit Bourbon - 20ml Tim Horton’s coffee - 15ml homemade simple syrup - 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Directions

In a mixing glass, combine the bourbon, coffee, simple syrup and bitters with a handful of ice. Stir until the outside of the glass builds up some condensation (approximately 30 stirs) and then strain over a perfectly clear ice ball in a short glass.

Garnish with orange zest, expressing the oils around the rim of the glass.

WHAT’S ON WAIMAI

QUIZ

Miandianwang

Weird Foods of South China vs. Southern US

With its uninspiring corporate appearance and perfunctory service, Miandianwang isn’t exactly date night material. That’s why you should opt for delivery instead when craving a taste of this massive South China chain, which boasts 16 shops in Guangzhou alone.

The flaccid dumplings may be subpar, but other offerings can satisfy even the most jaded fast-food diner: a generous RMB12 plate of broccoli, for instance, is flavorful with salt and sesame oil.

Zhajiangmian (RMB18) is served with a decent amount of vegetables and can be customized with regular, thick-cut or pricier whole-wheat noodles (RMB25). You can even add broth to your bowl, if you’re into that.

Other types of noodles can also be tailored to taste, although we recommend you

steer clear of those featuring questionable chunks of meat.

Instead, opt for the braised spare ribs (RMB35), which yield a satisfying if messy carnivorous experience.

The same goes for the sweetsmelling, slightly crispy sesame buns stuffed with braised pork, which sell for RMB8 a pop. In fact, steer clear of overly processed meats on the menu and you can almost imagine you’re ordering from a nice little momand-pop store instead of a soulless corporate chain.

In China, where duck innards and chicken feet are considered a commonplace snack, Cantonese folks are notorious for eating anything and everything. In the US, Southerners have been known to enjoy banana-mayonnaise sandwiches and pickles brined in Koolaid.

To test your knowledge of obscure and bizarre foodstuffs, we’ve put together a fun online quiz in which you need to decided where unusual food items hail from: China, the US or both.

We’re confident the results may surprise you! Scan the QR code to take the test.

Price: RMB18-25 Good for: cheap noodles, stirfried veggies Search for: miandianwang 面 点王 Available on: Baidu Waimai, Dianping, Eleme, Koubei, Meituan

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A FOODIE’S TOUR THROUGH

K11

MALL

What to Eat – and Avoid – in Guangzhou’s New ‘Art Mall’

By Tristin Zhang

Billing itself as an ‘art mall,’ Zhujiang New Town’s new K11 mall is not only visually stunning (with its aesthetically pleasing art installations) but also palatably attractive, offering those of the mall-going variety a global medley of eateries. K11 has been a topical venue since opening in April, that’s why this month we’ve decided to scout out some of the mall’s F&B offerings. Below, what to try and, perhaps most importantly, what not to try in K11.

Theater Magic Kitchen & Pub

Sushi Hanzou Verdict: Price: RMB100-200 Shop B115 (8883 5505)

Marine cuisine mavens greet diners at a corner on level B1 of the mall outside Sushi Hanzou. Inside, high-quality Japanese fare is prepared fresh, from succulent slices of sashimi to rolls and lip-smacking nigiri. Dishes are ordered from a checkliststyle menu, on which prices range from RMB6-48 per piece of sushi. Sushi sets (RMB88-238) and sashimi bowls (RMB68188) are also available.

Staff are posted throughout the small restaurant – which harbors less than a dozen seats – to answer questions and suggest newly-arrived seafood varieties. While Sushi Hanzou comes highly recommended, it’s worth noting that eating here is an exercise in patience: expect to wait in line for at least half an hour during dinner time.

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Verdict: Price: RMB100-150 Shop B129 (8883 5194)

Silence of the Lambs, The Shawshank Redemption and The Shape of Water. With titles such as these on the menu, you’d be forgiven for assuming that you can choose a flick to watch while you dine. But alas, this is not the case: dishes at Theater Magic Kitchen & Pub are quirkily named after famous films. The interior decor is modeled after an old-style stage theater, with the establishment’s small bar decked out with a burgundy curtain and yellow light bulbs running along the edge of the ceiling.

Here, creative Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine attracts long lines at supper time, with diners eagerly awaiting the chance to sample Theater Magic Kitchen’s beautifully presented dishes. Take, for example, Operation Red Sea (RMB78), a delicious slab of medium-cooked salmon in spicy and sour sauce with asparagus and walnuts. The dish is named after a 2018 Chinese war film.

Reservations can be made from Monday to Thursday.

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Verdict: Price: RMB100 Shop B120 (8883 5306)

Sa Jiao

There is a prevailing belief that the quality of a restaurant’s food goes hand-in-hand with the length of the queue at dinner time. Well, at Sa Jiao there is no cue at dinner time, and for good reason: the food isn’t great. Although tastefully decorated inside, this restaurant delivers subpar renditions of classic Chongqing dishes, such as Chongqing spicy chicken (RMB59) and boiled fish with agastache rugosa (RMB128). There is also room for improvement when it comes to Sa Jiao’s service staff.

‘Skin care,’ ‘anti-aging’ and ‘dietary fiber’: these are just a few of the healthy lifestyle keywords that Meal Salad throws at its customers. And while we can’t vouch for any of the alleged health benefits of eating here (we aren’t doctors, or particularly healthy for that matter), we can tell you this shop serves up some mean, green edibles.

The centerpiece of its menu is a DIY salad option, the perfect choice for picky eaters. Ingredients, ranging from veggies, fruits, nuts and beans to eggs, meats and dairy products, are priced as low as RMB3 for a portion of green peas and RMB12 for Australian rib-eye steak. A lazy eater? Take your pick from the ‘regular’ and ‘warm’ salad list, among which the black pepper beef and mushroom salad (RMB46), a mix of black pepper beef, nuts, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, mustard potatoes and mixed quinoa coupled with an appetizing honey mustard dressing, is as good as it gets.

Meal Salad Verdict: Price: RMB40-70 Shop B206 (8883 7151)

27 Fruits Verdict: Price: RMB30-60 Shop L413A (8883 5250) This shop specializes in Chaoshao-style fruit salads: fruits served in a blend of plum juice and Chinese liquorice. Ingredients are all imported, mostly from Taiwan and New Zealand.

Five salads are featured on the menu and prices vary depending on the size. For example, the strawberry salad with dragon fruit, sour mango, guava, cantaloupe and watermelon sells at RMB42 for 600 grams, RMB66 for 1,000 grams and RMB82 for 1,300 grams.

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OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

American-style ‘Australian’ Grub

By Jesse Pottinger

The Place Outback Steakhouse: it’s your classic Australian-style restaurant straight from the outback of… Tampa, Florida. An Australian themed, US-based chain in the People’s Republic, what could go wrong? As it turns out, a fair bit.

With news of Outback abruptly closing a large number of its branches across the Chinese mainland in May, we were doubtful the Guangzhou location would see the light of day, but, sure enough, it’s here, tucked inside the bottom floor of Parc Central.

The Food

Upon being seated, we were promptly served a complementary loaf of warm bread and

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butter to start us off – so far, so good. Aside from the steaks, the menu consists of an array of dishes, including flatbreads, pastas and salads.

Among the selection of appetizers is the Bloomin’ Onion (RMB62), Outback’s answer to onion rings. It’s a modest-sized onion chopped thin, battered, fried and plated to resemble a blooming flower, with a generous portion of zesty dip in the middle. While there were some spots where the batter didn’t seem to stick to the onion, it was a great snack. And if you’ve ever experienced the struggle of biting into an onion ring and removing the entire onion, only to be left with a hollow shell of fried batter (and if you’ve eaten onion rings, then you have), you’ll appreciate this dish even more.

The crab-stuffed mushrooms (RMB58) were similarly tasty, although, with only five pieces, the portion was fairly small.

Here’s were things start to go downhill.

The quesadilla (RMB98) was not bad, but nothing to write to your mates in Australia about. We ordered the chicken strips and fries (RMB48) from the kids’ menu (for the wee one at the table, obviously) and were shocked to learn that the breading contained enough salt to be potentially fatal to a grown adult (we’re only slightly exaggerating).

The most troublesome part of our meal

had to be the tomato mozzarella flatbread (RMB68 with set lunch), essentially an ultrathin crust pizza served semi-cold and lacking cheese. We would compare this to a frozen pizza, but there are some damn good frozen pizzas out there. It was truly awful.

To be fair to Outback Steakhouse, we didn’t try any of their steaks so we can’t speak to their specialty, but next time we’ll probably pass on this Aussie eatery and grill some shrimp on the barbie at home.

The Vibe

The (sort of) Australian-inspired decor and friendly staff make for a casual dining experience, good for a relaxed lunch or dinner with friends, family, colleagues or, if your network of peers have eaten here before, probably all alone.

Price: RMB150 Who’s going: curious laowai and locals alike, but probably no Australians, as they know better Good for: steak, hopefully?

Nearest metro: Tianhenan (APM Line), 2 minutes Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5-9.30pm; Shop B259260, F/B2, Parc Central, 212-220 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路212-220号天环广场地下二层B259260号 (3788 7732)

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

10 SHANGHAI

Huaiying Treasures, Revived

By Lena Gidwani

The Place Shikumen-inspired, with a juxtaposition of Western and ancient Shanghainese elements, 10 Shanghai adds plenty to the dining scene that is K11. Glass panels depicting the iconic Bund split the large space into two, resulting in privacy without compromising on style. Wooden accents and high chandeliers abound, and those who know their design motifs will marvel at the highly creative use of houndstooth checks, adding a whimsical trendiness to an otherwise sober and refined space. In a nutshell, suitably designed and located for entertaining those near and otherwise.

The Food

Light. Nutritious. Elegant. It should then come as no surprise that Huaiyang cuisine is often featured at state occasions. There’s a certain refinement to the bold menu that may not appeal to all, but if you do have an acquired taste for finesse and rich flavors, look no further than these appetizers.

Aged Shaoxing huadiao-brined chicken (RMB58) comes in a chilled glass bowl, with tender, lean slabs of protein that do not overpower the palate. The Jiangsu-style smoked fish (RMB58) retains its crunchy texture and is worth an order or two, as is the sauteed prawns

with scallion and crispy tea leaves (RMB68).

Seafood is a drawcard here: try the wokfried mud crab with glutinous rice (RMB298), it is finger-licking worthy. Brasher palates will enjoy the river shrimp with crab roe (RMB148), although it does require some getting used to.

For a milder, more ‘expat-friendly’ taste, opt for the sweet and sour mandarin fish with pine nuts (RMB188).

Showcasing knife carving skills at its best is the shredded tofu soup (RMB38). This veganapproved source of protein is expertly sliced into a flower-shaped arrangement that holds its shape and is set in a refreshing double-boiled soup with bok choy, black mushrooms and dried goji berries.

There is handmade dim sum too, and it lives up to expectations: the chef’s special pan-fried xiaolongbao (RMB32/four pieces) are a classic treat, with crispy bases that hold steaming hot broth and tender pork fillings. The menu ends on a sweet note, with a gamut of sweet and savory desserts at very good prices.

Pair the meal with a tipple from their beverage menu; there are teas, mocktails, reds, whites, juices, Chinese liquors and even smoothies.

production process visible to customers. There are chefs working away behind a glass window that is prominently positioned at the entrance, giving off a sturdy, comforting and warm atmosphere that is immediately apparent. Service works a treat too, and is prompt and welcoming.

Price: RMB150 Who’s going: business wheeler-dealers, refined diners who appreciate bold food Good for: large family reunions, negotiations over a meal Nearest metro: Huacheng Dadao (APM Line), 2 minutes Open daily, 11am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm; 7/F, K11, 6 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城珠江东路6号k11艺术购物中心7楼 (8883 5323)

The Vibe

Operated by 1957 & Co. (Hospitality) Limited, a Hong Kong-based restaurant operation and management group, there was a clear goal in mind when 10 Shanghai opened: to make the

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KAI XIAOZAO 开小灶 Indulge in Chaoshan’s Answer to Sashimi

By Tristin Zhang

The Place Having opened its doors only two months ago, Kai Xiaozao – meaning ‘cook with a small stove’ – humbly greets patrons with a shop front resembling the facade of a traditional house of the Chaoshan or Teochew region in eastern Guangdong.

Inside, the Haizhu-based bistro is furnished with six bamboo tables and a dozen or so bamboo chairs, unadorned. Another bamboo table sits in the corner by the door

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and, on our visit, proprietor Xiaoyu is seated there, engaged in lively chatter and drinking tea.

The Food

Handwritten, but unfortunately only in Chinese, the menu groups dishes into meat, seafood, veggies and soups, as well as traditional Chaoshan desserts, listing home cuisine that can be found on the table of any households from the region.

The signature dishes here are marinated shrimp (潮味海虾, RMB38) or crab (潮味膏 蟹, RMB148) and both are a must-try. Dating back over a thousand years ago, to the Song Dynasty, the practice of consuming marinated seafood, typically shrimp, crab and mantis shrimp, has prevailed in Chaoshan for many a generation, perfected in the hands of the ‘gourmand’ folks. Said seafood are cleaned and steeped in a marinade of water, salt and soy sauce, before being spiced up with red chili, coriander and garlic. The crab or shrimp are then eaten with a dip of white vinegar.

For Chaoshan folks, this dish is their version of sashimi: it’s all about that juicy mouthfeel and rustic taste of seafood.

Another specialty on the menu is Puning tofu (普宁豆腐, RMB28): small tofu cubes are deep-fried and served, here in Kai Xiaozao, with white vinegar as a dipping sauce. We’re leaning toward the more popular way of eating this tofu dish: dipping the cubes in a sauce made of saline water, diced Chinese chives and mint leaves.

Another snack worth sampling is the caipu egg (菜脯蛋, RMB20), a common and simple dish of fried eggs with diced caipu (pickled and dried white radish).

The Vibe Homey, the bistro has a relaxed and casual ambiance to it. Friendly service puts diners at ease.

Price: RMB50-80 Who’s going: Haizhu’s Teochew community Good for: homemade Chaoshan food Nearest metro: Xiaogang (Exit C), 5 minutes

Open daily, 11pm-10pm; Shop 2, 23 Xigang Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区细岗路23号2号铺 (137 6086 7293)

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MANGO TREE Aroy Thai at its Best

By Lena Gidwani

The Place Whoever wants to experience the flavors of Thailand, doesn’t necessarily have to travel.

With branches in Bangkok, Hong Kong, London and Dubai, Mango Tree is a welcome addition to Zhujiang Xincheng, given that there aren’t too many Thai restaurants left in the vicinity.

Owned by a gentleman who spent part of his youth in the ‘Land of Smiles,’ the space is sleek and stylish, with mention to be made of the twinkling, starry ceiling lights and palm tree motifs at the entrance that add a sense of playfulness to K11. A sign of good food is a long line of patient diners; Mango Tree draws crowds so it is wise to call ahead and make a reservation.

The Food

The menu features all the local crowd-pleasers and plays it safe in terms of spice. In all honesty, it works in the grand scheme of things. That being said, ask for flavors to be cranked up, as there is a native Thai chef at the helm of the kitchen.

The pomelo seafood salad (RMB68) is refreshing and light, with julienned veggies and fruit, crispy bits of fried onion and peanuts, in a light dressing. Looking to impress? Turn it up a notch with the spicy and sour prawn sashimi (RMB138), served exquisitely in shot glasses with a delicious, aromatic sauce that you can drink in one gulp.

The seafood pad Thai (RMB68), a classic favorite, is encased in a thin egg veil, with all the condiments ready to be mixed up and enjoyed. It’s mild, so do add spices if seeking a

bold hit. The yellow curry is a must order; the sauce is thick and creamy and there are options, from chicken (RMB68) to Australian lobster (RMB368). Another stand-out is the steamed spicy and sour seabass; the flesh falls off the middle bone and the sauce is so well-balanced, that you can swig spoonful’s and still be craving for more.

Given the local penchant for greens, the fried water spinach in balacan sauce (RMB48) is perhaps one that will keep locals returning.

Fancy some pad kra pao gai or moo (RMB68)?

This traditional Thai dish consists of minced chicken or pork perfumed with fresh basil and chili and is done well at Mango Tree. Ask for a side of steamed jasmine rice, with a cold Singha (RMB35) or a lemongrass mojito (RMB68) and boom, you’ll have yourself a smashing meal.

Thai desserts tend to be both sweet and savory, and feature generously here too. Frankly, there is little on the menu that seasoned Thai food lovers would not enjoy, which may leave you hankering for more.

The Vibe Paying homage to Thailand’s casual vibe, the floor plan is open, with a large outdoor space for al fresco dining. You’ll instantly get in the mood for food, with most tables full every day.

And it’s no wonder too, considering that the most popular destination for local travelers in recent times is Thailand (after Hong Kong and Macau, of course). Go on and have a try; it won’t disappoint if you’re seeking a wholesome, wellbalanced meal at decent prices.

Price: RMB150 Who’s going: those who reminisce about Thai food, steamed fish lovers Good for: freshly prepared flavors, taste buds that need tickling Nearest metro: Huacheng Dadao (APM Line), 2 minutes

Open daily, lunch 11am-2.30pm, dinner 5.30-11pm; 7/F, K11, 6 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城珠江东路6号k11艺术购物 中心7楼 (8883 5313)

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Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet Classical Music

All-American Boys Chorus

HEAR Bang Gang China Tour 2018 Indie Pop

Icelandic pop band Bang Gang, founded in 1996 by Renaissance man and multiinstrumentalist Bardi Johannsson, are recognized for their blend of songwriting, electronica and glacial atmosphere.

Johannsson, described as “an island within the music industry in Iceland” by a local magazine, left the band in 2008 but returned in 2014 with the album The Wolves Are Whispering, in which he reflects on both his technical and personal growth.

Fri Jul 13, 8pm; RMB380 presale, RMB480 at the door, RMB680 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 (247tickets.com)

The Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet boasts a unique make up: unlike other quintets, in which a normal string quartet is augmented by either a second viola or cello, the additional instrument here is a double bass. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch the world-renowned, musically gifted fivesome at Xinghai Concert Hall this month, where they will perform two programs: Mozart’s ‘Divertimento in F Major K.138’ and Beethoven’s ‘String Quintet, Op. 104.’

Thu Jul 26, 8pm; RMB180-880. 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 (ticket-easy.cn)

Consisting of over 100 boys between 8 and 15 years old, All-American Boys Chorus is a California-based group that has been touring the world for over 40 years. With an unparalleled passion for their craft and extensive vocal training by expert leadership, the AABC performance is sure to be a unique and memorable evening.

Sun Jul 22, 8pm; RMB180-880.

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 (247tickets.com)

Ball in the House A

cappella

E321 Post-rock

With influence from both post-rock and shoegaze, E321 was born in the Swedish industrial city of Vasteras in 2011 and went on to release their first, homemade EP – Among the Trees – the next year. It wasn’t until the end of 2014 that the band released their debut album – Id, a portrayal of humankind’s most primitive thoughts and feelings. Head down to SD Livehouse as E321 embarks on their very first visit to Guangzhou.

Fri Jul 6, 8.30pm; RMB80 presale, RMB100 at the door. SD Livehouse, Building No. 7, Huacheng Wangshi Creative Area, 132 Gongye Dadao Bei, Haizhu District 海珠区工业大道 北132号花城往事创意园7栋 (247tickets.com)

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Since its formation, Ball in the House has been very active on stage, performing at various musical events and opening for countless big names, such as The Beach Boys and The Jonas Brothers.

The Boston-based musical group, which consists of five vocal talents with a dynamic range of timbres, has also snagged a number of awards, including 2014 APCA Band of the Year and 2009 Best of Boston for Outstanding Musical Performers.

Sun Jul 29, 3pm; 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)

win!

We have one pair of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before July 26 with the subject ‘Ball’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

Ryo Natoyama Ukulele

Japanese ukulele performer Ryo Natoyama was a child prodigy, having started performing at age 14. With nine albums released to date, Natoyama is active on stage the world over. This month, he is to visit Guangzhou and meet the city’s ukulele lovers.

Sun Jul 8, 8pm; RMB100 standee, RMB180 seat, RMB240 VIP. Mao Livehoue, 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)

Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki Chamber Music

Cadence A cappella

“Instruments are for surgeons.” This is Cadence’s stance on non-vocal sound devices.

An a cappella group from Canada, Cadence has been wowing audiences with their pure voices in their home country and around the world for almost 20 years. The vocal group’s acclaimed albums Cool Yule, Speak Easy, Twenty for One and Frost Free have won numerous awards. Come check out this vocal phenomenon for yourself as they visit Guangzhou Opera House this month.

Sat Jul 28, 3pm; 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)

win!

We have one pair of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before July 25 with the subject ‘Cadence’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

Dave Keyes Blues

Brain Failure Punk/

Rock

Brain Failure (Nao Zhuo) or, if you use a translator, Brain Turbidity Band, is a punk rock group from Beijing famed for their groovy guitar riffs and raspy vocals. The band has toured extensively throughout China, as well as elsewhere in Asia, Europe and even North America. To get a feel for what these guys are all about, look no further than the lead singer’s leopard print head of hair — the same funky style that they display in their music. With a combination of English- and Chinese-language lyrics, their feel-good tunes will have you on your feet and dancing, even if you can’t understand a word they’re saying.

Fri Jul 27, 8.30pm; RMB80 students, RMB100 presale, RMB120 at the door. SD Livehoue, Building No. 7, Huacheng Wangshi Creative Area, 132 Gongye Dadao Bei, Haizhu District 海珠区工业大道北132号花城 往事创意园7栋 (showstart.com)

Kid Francescoli Electro-

Instrumental

This young Polish duo, a violinist and accordionist, are regular prize winners at music performance contests. From Baroque to the 21st century, Karolina Mikołajczyk and Iwo Jedynecki exploit on the repertoires from an array of musical periods. Their performance in Guangzhou this month will offer listeners a selection of great works by some of the world’s best composers.

Sat Jul 21, 3pm; RMB180. 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)

A 30-year veteran of the blues and Americana music scene, New Yorker Dave Keyes is known as ‘king of the keys.’ Named the ‘best unsigned artist’ by Keyboard magazine, Keyes has performed with David Johansen, Bo Diddley and rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef, to name a few. His albums and live shows are rooted in blues, soul and rock and roll. This month, at Guangzhou Opera House, the blues master will take audiences on a journey through ‘the blues’ – the original and most famous music genre of the American South.

Wed Jul 18, 7.30pm; RMB80-480. 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 one pair of tickets to this show to give away! Message our official WeChat account (ThatsGuangzhou) before July 15 with the subject ‘Keyes’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

Kid Francescoli is a new(ish) electronic band that produce electro-folk and indie instrumental music. Their debut album With Julia proved an instant classic, due in large part to the catchy single ‘Blow Up.’ In 2017, the group released Play Me Again, an album on which band members blended electro-dance with reggae to great success. If you’re looking for a light-hearted evening, make sure to join Kid Francescoli at Mao Livehouse this month.

Fri Jul 27, 8.30pm; RMB80 presale, RMB100 at the door. 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)

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War and Peace Opera

Crazy Hospital Comedy

SEE Keiichi Tanaami Exhibition

Showcasing a pop art collection of more than 40 pieces by Japan’s 82-year-old, avant-garde artist Keiichi Tanaami, this exhibition is perfect for creative minds and fans of the the pop art genre.

Exhibits include oil paintings, print works, sculptures and collages. Looking at his creations is like gazing into a kaleidoscope, in which the octogenarian has poured his memories of World War II, China and more. Don’t miss this chance to view some of Tanaami’s best works!

Tue-Sun until Sep 2, 10am-9.30pm; RMB80. chi K11 Art Space, 4/F, K11 Art Mall, 6 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Tianhe District 天河区珠江东路6号K11购物艺 术中心4楼chi K11艺术空间

Saint Petersburg-based Mariinsky Theatre is to stage the epic and majestic opera War and Peace at the Guangzhou Opera House this month. Based on Tolstoy’s namesake novel, one of the greatest works in the wide world of literature, the two-act opera was created by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. With nearly 70 solo roles and magnificent choral content, it boasts a superb cast which mixes new and experienced singers. First produced during the ill-fated Soviet Union, War and Peace is performed in Russian.

Thu-Fri Aug 2-3, 7pm; RMB280-1,280. 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)

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Let’s Talk About the Weather Exhibition

The Nutcracker Ballet

When All Was Green Puppetry

A puppetry show by Israel’s Key Theatre, When All Was Green is the story of a boy and a tree, and about fields lost between gray concrete and one green bud of hope. Key Theatre is composed of a puppet-loving husband-wife duo, both experts at scriptwriting and performing.

The pair has toured the world with their memorable and artistic puppet shows, inspiring curiosity in countless children around the globe.

Pororo Theater, 3/F, Block A, Fuli Haizhu City, 11 Jiangnanxi Lu, Haizhu District 海珠区江南西路11号富力海珠 城A区3层Pororo乐园剧场 (damai.cn)

An award-winning Ukrainian circus, comprised of professional clowns, comedians and acrobatic performers, will put on a hilarious comedy show at Guangdong Performing Arts Center Theater. The show, titled Crazy Hospital, is about lunatic patients and helpless doctors and nurses. Audience members can expect an eclectic composite of mimery, acrobatics, magic, dance and martial arts.

Sun Jul 15, 10.30pm/3.30pm; RMB80160. Guangdong Performing Arts Center Theater, 1229 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Tianhe District 天河区 广州大道中1229号广东演艺中心剧院 (damai.cn)

One of the world’s most popular ballet acts, The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian’s best composer in the 18th century, boasts magnificent stage scenes, amusing performances and emotional music. This month, witness the celebrated ballet being performed by the Moscow Vishnevskaya Children’s Ballet at the Guangzhou Opera House.

Sat-Sun Jul 20-21, 3pm/7.30pm; RMB80-480. 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 July 18 with the subject ‘Nutcracker’ and why you should win. Please include your full name and contact number.

Let’s Talk About the Weather is an exhibition that includes local and international artists, architects, thinkers and activists, showing both existing and newly commissioned work. The project raises pertinent questions about how we understand ‘nature,’ our relationship to the non-human, the relationship of climate change to social, political and economic conflicts, epistemic hierarchies and alternative ways of co-inhabiting the planet.

The diverse artistic practices within the exhibition have been framed through four themes: Contaminated Civilization, Mapping Matter, Energetic Histories, and Archeology of the Future.

Daily until Aug 19, 10am-6pm; RMB30, RMB15 for students and teachers. Times Museum, Times Rose Garden, Huangbian Bei Lu, Baiyun Dadao, Baiyun District 白云区白云大 道北黄边北路时代玫瑰园 (2627 2363, timesmuseum.org)

Watch the World Cup at Rooftop Bar Drink Deals

TA S T E FIFA 2018 at Tavern Bar Food and Drink Promotion

Get into the FIFA spirit and witness the greatest moments of this year’s World Cup tournament at LN Garden Hotel’s Tavern Bar. A classic English pub, Tavern Bar will be serving a zesty snack platter (good for three-five people) accompanied by five draft beers for RMB300 during live matches. All games airing between 5pm and 1am will be shown at Tavern Bar. Daily until Jul 15, 5pm-1am; RMB300 for snack platter and five beers. Tavern Bar, 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)

Enjoy the FIFA World Cup, a free flow of select local and imported beers and the beautiful Pearl River views afforded by LN Hotel Five’s rooftop position for only RMB398 (for two people) at LN Hotel Five. The establishment is also presenting patrons with the FIFA 2018 Limited Edition Beer Fan Collection by time-tested German beer company Brander Urstoff. This promotion only applies to matches taking place between 6pm and 1am. For reservations, call 8931 0505.

Daily until Jul 15, 6pm-1am; RMB398 for two. Rooftop bar, LN Hotel Five, Guangzhou, 277 Yanjiang Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District 越秀区沿江中路277号广州岭 南五号酒店 (8931 0505)

Italian Semi-buffet

New Menu at Connoisseur

One of Guangzhou’s finest steakhouses, The Connoisseur at LN Garden Hotel recently debuted its new summer menu to the delight of local gastronomists. The hotel’s seasoned executive chef, Robert Conaway, presents the most iconic culinary specialties from his hometown – San Diego, California. Menu highlights include succulent Canadian scallops with lemongrass foam and kaffir lime meringue, beef carpaccio, baked oysters with king crab meat, smoked and slow-cooked Wagyu tri-tip and American Black Angus boneless short ribs. Try these dishes and more this summer at one of Guangzhou’s most elegant fine dining establishments: The Connoisseur.

Daily ongoing, business lunch: noon-2.30pm (Mon-Fri), dinner: 6-10.30pm (TueSat). The Connoisseur, 3/F, 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)

Alfresco's Italian semi-buffet allows diners to enjoy a limitless supply of antipasti and desserts. There’s also a daily special, homemade soup served on rotation. For main courses, choose from a wide range of edibles, including fish, duck, lamb and pasta dishes. The surf and turf - Australian lobster tail gratin with mushroom crusted black Angus beef – is not to be missed. Call 8916 3568 to place a reservation.

Daily ongoing, 6-10pm; RMB268 plus service charge and tax. 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)

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SPONSORED

OFF THE VINE Indulge in English Wine When it comes to quality wine, England is probably not the first country that pops into your mind, however times are changing. For centuries, the English have been large wine consumers, but in the past decade, England has become an exciting new force in the wine world.

The English have been producing wine commercially since the 1970s and, in recent years, have been winning some major awards – in some cases beating major Champagne houses in blind tasting competitions. Although some still wines are produced, it’s the traditional sparkling wines (made by the same method as Champagne) that consistently captures people’s attention and also represents the majority of English wine production.

English wine is now starting to appear around the globe and The Wine People are excited to be one of the first importers to bring this unique product to China.

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Bolney Bubbly NV Made from an interesting combination of 34 percent Muller-Thurgau, 30 percent Chardonnay and 30 percent Reichensteiner (5 percent others), this bubbly offers delightful floral and brioche notes that combine with zesty citrus fruit, honeysuckle and elderflower, finishing with just a hint of sweetness. The grapes used in this wine are selected due to their early ripening and ability to ripen without disease in wet conditions. A great aperitif, Bolney Bubbly NV can also be paired with fish, especially oily fish dishes such as seared tuna, salmon en croute and smoked mackerel pate.

Eighteen Acre Rose 2011

Made from Rondo and Dornfelder grapes, this wine expresses aromas and flavors from red fruits, especially ripe strawberries and red cherries. Layers of complexity result from the ageing process and, as such, this beverage brilliantly balances clean acidity with a slight sweetness, giving a nicely rounded mouth feel. A perfect wine for an aperitif, an afternoon tipple or alfresco dining, as well as being the perfect partner to afternoon tea or red fruit based desserts such as red berries with mascarpone.

Find the Bolney Bubbly at the Park Hyatt Guangzhou. Order both these wines online (www.thewinepeople.cn) and have them delivered directly to your door.

We offer free home delivery within Guangdong for orders of 6 bottles and above.

Please scan the QR code to get in touch with us and let us know your order.

HONG KONG & MACAU CALENDAR HK

JUL 21-22 SAT-SUN

Lan Kwai Fong Beer and Music Fest, 1pm to late; free admission.

With its well-known reputation for debauchery, it’s no surprise that a beer festival would take place at Lan Kwai Fong. With over 40 booths displaying 200-plus beer brands from across the globe, as well as games, eats and a variety of performances all day long, you won’t have to be a beer drinker to have a good time. But if you are, pace yourself!

JUL 27-29 FRI-SUN

JUL 27-31 FRI-TUE

Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong, 10am-9pm; HKD35 (Tickets available at 7-11 and Circle K). Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (ani-com.hk) A massive amalgamation of entertainment, animation, toy, comic and game industry titans congregate at this enormous event each year – one of the biggest of its kind anywhere in Asia. Visitors can expect a weekend jam-packed full of activities ranging from a cosplay carnival to model kit competitions to autograph signings, as well as a range of forums, presentations and live performances.

AUG 4 SAT

Hong Kong International Darts Festival, competition times vary; HKD380-580 (free admission to carnival). Star Hall, Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre (HKIDF.com) As the sport of darts has grown in popularity throughout Hong Kong in recent years, from a drunken bar game to, for some, a more competitive activity, 3S Entertainment Group introduced the island to its first-ever darts festival last year. The 2nd annual festival will include several live performances, a carnival and, of course, numerous darts matches, with competitors from Hong Kong and around the world going head to head.

Bob Dylan, 8.30pm; HKD488 and up. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre American music icon Bob Dylan is returning to Hong Kong next month for what is expected to be one of the city’s hottest summer shows. Over the course of 50-odd years, the singer-songwriter has covered an eclectic range of musical genres, from blues to rock to folk and even gospel music. Most recently, though, Dylan made headlines after being awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. To his fans, Dylan will remain most notable for his numerous hits (‘The Times They Are a-Changin,’ ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ to name a few) and celebrated voice. Tickets are sold out online, but if past concerts are any indication, there will be numerous scalpers to look out for.

JUL 6 FRI

China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Gala, 8pm; MOP50. Macao Cultural Centre (macauticket.com) This month, the Macao Cultural Centre will see artists from eight Portuguese-speaking countries and from China’s Gansu Province gather to present stunning cultural and artistic performances, including a festive folk performance that portrays the heritage of distant lands in Northwest China, singing performances by musicians from Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Brazil, as well as traditional dances by performers from Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and East Timor.

MO Macao Museum of Art. This exhibition is dedicated to the great Russian painter Marc Chagall.

Born in 1887, in the Russian Empire, Chagall spent the twilight years of his painting career in southern France, where the famed artist was inspired by the bright landscape of the French Rivera and the Mediterranean Sea, as is showcased by this exhibit.

ONGOING SAT

JUL 7-8 SAT-SUN

Macao Philharmonic Festival 2018, 8pm; MOP80. Dom Pedro V Theatre (macauticket.com) The Macao Philharmonic Festival is a two-day musical occasion organized to delight classical and jazz music fans. On the first day, the festival brings together classical music groups from Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macau on the stage of Dom Pedro V Theatre to perform selective works by some of the world’s most famous composers, while on the following evening, two jazz ensembles from Hong Kong and Macau are set to perform some catchy, jazzy tunes.

Macau Junk – Saturday Sunset Cruise, 5pm; MOP 350 adults, MOP200 children aged 10 and below. Doca do Lam Mau, Avenida Marginal do Lam Mau (853-6284 5289, macausailing.com) Organized by Macau Sailing, this leisurely Saturday cruise at sunset covers the city’s Inner Harbour and waterfront, taking guests onto a century-old, traditional junk – or flat-bottomed sailing vessel – capable of carrying 45 people. Macau Sailing can also customize tour packages to fit any customer’s demand, be it a party, company meeting, birthday, team building, wedding or just about anything else.

ONGOING TUE-SUN

ONGOING TUE-SUN

Marc Chagall, Light and Colour in Southern France, 10am-7pm; free.

La Parisienne - Cabaret Francais, 5pm/8pm; MOP188-488. The Parisian Theatre (macauticket.com) By using state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, La Parisienne Cabaret Francais takes audiences on an immersive tour of Paris, passing by the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, The Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral before heading to Macao. Join in with an international cast of stunt performers, illusionists, world champion skaters, international models and awardwinning entertainers, as they take you on an astonishing 65-minute journey.

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HOTEL NEWS NEWS Romantic Wedding Show Held at DoubleTree by Hilton Heyuan

The St. Regis Zhuhai to be Unveiled in September 2018

On May 20, a romantic and stunning summer wedding show, organized

by DoubleTree by Hilton Heyuan, delighted attendees with fabulous music and wedding gowns. The show was held in conjunction with many sectors of the wedding industry, including wedding planning and photography companies and jewelry retailers. The organizers also invited more than 150 couples to participate in a fashion show.

The prestigious St. Regis hotel brand is set to unveil their 10th Greater China accommodation in Zhuhai this fall. The St. Regis Zhuhai is ideally located in Zhuhai Tower (from the 41st to 72nd floors) on the waterfront in Wanzai, a beautiful coastal area. The hotel enjoys breathtaking views coastal views, as well as panoramic views of Zhuhai and Macau.

Featuring 251 exquisite guest rooms and suites, over 1,500-square meters of meeting space, an array of firstclass restaurants and lounges and the hotel’s signature Iridium Spa and Athletic Club, the St. Regis Zhuhai is bound to offer an exquisite hospitality experience.

Crowne Plaza Sanya Haitang Bay Resort Officially Opens Crowne Plaza Sanya Haitang Bay Resort officially opened its doors on June 20.

With the launch of the luxurious resort in Sanya, IHG continues to expand one of the world’s leading hotel brands in China. It’s the hospitality group’s third hotel in the city.

PROMOTIONS Summer Getaway for Children at Holiday Inn Guangzhou Airport Zone

Australian Barley Technical Workshop Held in Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe Hosted by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre, Australian Trade and Investment Commission and Barley Australia, the Australian Barley Technical Workshop took place on May 29 at Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe. The workshop was intended to share technical insights into the growing, accreditation and processing of quality Australian malting barley for the Chinese malting and brewing industry.

Christoph Hoeflich Appointed General Manager of Langham Place, Guangzhou Christoph Hoeflich was recently appointed general manager of Langham Place, Guangzhou.

Hoeflich, a German native, has an innate passion for the hospitality industry and a truly international career. He has worked in Europe, the Middle East, the USA, Brunei and China, through which he has gained a profound understanding and knowledge of the hospitality market worldwide.

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Hyatt Holds First Pastry Masters Workshop for Greater China The first Hyatt Greater China Pastry Masters Workshop was successfully held at the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou from June 7 to 10 in yet another demonstration of Hyatt’s commitment to culinary excellence and innovation. Over 40 pastry chefs from Hyatt hotels across the Greater China region captivated the public with their delectable creations, while collaborating to create ever more heavenly recipes. The highlight of the workshop was the ‘Sweet Encounter Dessert Showcase’ on the afternoon of June 9, where all the pastry chefs exhibited their extraordinary creations.

Enjoy a summer getaway at Holiday Inn Guangzhou Airport Zone, where a sumptuous buffet awaits. At the hotel’s Fresco All-Day Dining Restaurant, buffet dinners are discounted from RMB188 to RMB128 for students and RMB93 for children under 1.4 meters. The hotel will also hold cooking classes for children throughout the month of July.

Holiday Inn Guangzhou Airport Zone, 11 Jingu Bei Lu, Huadong Town, Huadu District 花都区花东镇金谷北路11号广州富力空港假日酒店 (3691 6888)

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou is the first and only spa in Guangzhou to receive a five-star recognition from the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide. It’s also the only spa to provide harmonic sound therapy, which utilizes sound waves and vibrations. The auditory therapy comes in two packages, one is a pure sound therapy and the other includes both sound therapy and a meridian massage. The latter treatment is performed by two therapists: one plays a 60-string Chinese harp-like instrument under the massage bed, while a second therapist performs a meridian massage. Both the harmonic sound therapy and the sound therapy and massage are 45-minute sessions and priced at RMB580 and RMB980 respectively (plus a 15 percent service fee). For reservations and more information, call 3808 8879.

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)

TRAVEL DEALS Taste The Dream – Wine & Dine at Sea Dream Cruises introduces an exclusive, unique culinary experience to guests boarding the luxurious cruise liner World Dream. Six world-class chefs have been invited to prepare meals alongside the ship’s culinary team. The fine edibles will be available to guests who book a two-day weekend room package at ‘The Palace,’ the vessel's 'ship within a ship' concept that offers 154 spacious suites with European-style butler service and private dining and lounge areas. A series of menus will offer molecular cuisine, modern Cantonese cuisine, French-style Chinese cuisine, as well as themed dinners inspired by classic works of Chinese literature.

There will also be an exclusive 'chef's table,' and interactive workshops. To book ‘The Palace’ room package, call 400 8499 848. Visit dreamcruiseline.cn for more information.

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LISTINGS 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

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)

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 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

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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）

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

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

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

Want to see all restaurants, hotels and more in Guangzhou? Check out www.thatsmags.com or follow our official WeChat account by scanning the QR code.

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

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 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

Scan here for complete Guangzhou listings

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) 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

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

M9 Restaurant Lounge Shop 112, 9 Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (3802 0171)

H

Paulaner Bräuhaus L307, 3/F, TaiKoo Hui, 383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District (2808 6333) 宝莱纳 , 天河区天河路 383 号太古汇广场 L307 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

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 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

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 of TCM & Acupuncture & Massage & Physiotherapy Experience. Only for appointment. Fulai Garden, 23 Xi Liu Xiang, Shuiyin Zhi Jie, Shuiyin Lu, Yuexiu District（Tel: 137 1052 6617; E-mail: xiaoshuilan@hotmail. com) 越秀区水阴路水阴直街西六巷23号福莱花园

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

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

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

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 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) 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: hnh-

dental@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 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

LIFESTYLE 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 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

(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 Eclipse English Education 18D, No.368, Tianhe Bei Road, GZ (Tel:38780382,18922769713) 爱誉英语, 天河北路, 368号, 18D Guangzhou Nanfang International School No. 1, Yucuiyuan North, Yinglong Lu, Longdong, Tianhe District (3886 6952, 3886 3606, Fax: 3886 3680, www.gnischina.org) 广州南方外籍人员子女学校，天河区龙洞迎龙路 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 Stone Eden Nursery School A316, Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District (8852 6503, info@ stoneedennursery.com) 英诺儿英国早托 , 天河区珠江西路 1 号广州大剧院 A316 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 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

HOTEL 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

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

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

Canadian International School of Guangzhou Merchant Hill, Dongyi Lu, Panyu District (3925 5321, www.cisgz.com) 广州加拿大人国际学校，番禺区东艺路招商金山谷

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

Canadian Internatioanal Kindergarten Agile Garden, Yinbin Lu, Panyu District

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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: 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 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 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 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 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 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

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JULY 2018 | GZ | 69

LISTINGS

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 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

United States 43 Huajiu Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (Tel: 3814 5000) 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 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 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 French Chamber of Commerce in South China (CCIFC) Room 802, 8/F, Leatop Plaza, 32 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District (2916 5535) 天河区珠江新城珠江东路 32 号利通广场 8 层 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 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 店主楼 1613 室 Spanish Chamber of Commerce Rm. 1305, 13/F, Main Tower, Guangdong International Building, 339 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District (Tel: 3892 7531; Fax: 3892 7127; www.spanishchamber-ch.com) 越秀区环市东路 339 号广东国际大厦主楼 1305 室

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS SERVICES

4. Landscaping/Indoor Plant 5. Carpet Cleaning 6. Pest Control Tel: (86 20) 2816 5345 Email: guangzhou@centuryrelo.com

ACCOUNTING FIRMS

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 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

70 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.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 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.

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 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 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

A1 AIRFIELD The Legend of a B-29 Crew in China During WWII Written by Yang Song, Translated by Wei Jing

L

ocated near a historic town on the Western Sichuan Plains in Central China, the A1 Airfield has been abandoned since WWII came to an end in 1945. Based on her research on aviation industry and her own experience as an army surgeon in the Chinese military, this book is Yang Song’s first of a trilogy of fictional stories centering on pilots during the war.

Translated by US-based journalist and author Wei Jing, A1 Airfield: The Legend of a B-29 Crew in China During WWII is about a brief romantic encounter between an American Air Force officer and a young Chinese woman that sparked a longing that spans nearly half a century.

BOX 中英书名： 《A1机场，一个美丽的传说》 A1 AIRFIELD — THE LEGEND OF A B-29 CREW IN CHINA DURING WWII ISBN 978-7-5085-3413-8

Author: Yang Song

Translator: Wei Jing

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JULY 2018 | GZ | 71

JUNE JULY

Horoscopes

That’s zhou Guang

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in Guangzhou.

BY DOMINIQUE WONG

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

6.22~7.22

7.23~8.23

8.24~9.23

9.24~10.23

It’s make or break time with a certain relationship – you know which one we’re talking about. Water may be your natural element but after last month’s pool shenanigans it’s best to steer clear of Blackbird Pool. Also, don’t shower this month.

Try to avoid conflict – it’s bad mojo leading up to your birthday month.

So when your Didi driver calls you, like, a million times asking you where you are, calmly repeat after this horoscop e: “Xingsheng L u.

Xingsheng Lu.”

Business ventures look good this month – start your own dumpling cart or self-help business. Leave the uninspiring advice at home though (“Have you ever tried meditating?”).

Wear red everyday because it will invigorate your clientele.

Yo u r E n g l i s h s t u d e n t s ’ p a re n t s continue to badger you – despite it being the summer holiday – leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Restore your physical balance by taking up yoga.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

You know things are bad when the office ayi asks why you look like d ea t h . G e t i n to a p h i l o s o p h i c a l discussion about ‘what is death’ and – by the way – can she come to clean your apartment next Saturday.

Don’t do anything hasty this month.

Like volunteering to look after a friend’s crazy cat while they go back home for the summer or going on a date with that random you met at notorious hunting ground Party Pier.

If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that nothing is ever certain. Like, remember that time you said you would never, ever go to Fishermen's Wharf in Panyu? Well, guess where you’re going this month thanks to your visiting college friend.

People may try to take advantage of your good nature this month. ‘Go Dutch’ every meal. Fapiao every cab. Check every WeChat wallet transaction. And whatever you do, don’t talk to anyone inside or within 100 meters of Grandview Mall.

Pisces

2.20~3.20

Aries

3.21~4.20

Taurus 4.21~5.21

5.22~6.21

Your intuition has been whack lately.

This may have something to do with the fact your phone is literally glued to your hands. Throw it into the nearest water source at hand, ideally the Pearl River.

Brutal honesty is required this month.

Tell your significant other how you really feel. No you don’t want to move to Shanghai. And no he is not funny enough to perform stand up at The Brew.

Ta ke a h i ke t h i s m o n t h Ta u r u s , literally: head out to Huadu and hit the trail! Bring triple the amount of water you planned and 1 to 2 kilograms of cocktail sausages. Don’t ask why.

Your birthday may be over but the party is just getting started. Getting older is fun! It means you can only drink one cocktrail at Social&Co before almost passing out on Huajiu Lu. Take it easy.

10.24~11.22

72 | GZ | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM 72 | JULY 2018 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

11.23~12.21

12.22~1.20

1.21~2.19

Gemini