That's Shenzhen - February 2020 by That's - Pulse of The City

G re at er B ay A re a

THE FUTURE SOUND OF CHINA The Conflicting Tides of Digital Streaming and Live Music

China Intercontinental Press

that's guangzhou

Advertising Hotline

that's shenzhen

国内统一刊号: CN 11-5234/GO

FEBRUARY 2020

城市漫步珠三角英文版 02月份

International School of Nanshan Shenzhen FIRST FULL CONTINUUM IB WORLD SCHOOL IN SHENZHEN, CHINA

APPLY TODAY

LEARN MORE

The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen aims to provide students in Early Years (ages 4-6) with educational experiences that develop a positive approach to learning. With this approach in mind, we hold screenings to provide students the opportunity to experience the joys of learning at ISNS. During the screenings, they will meet their potential teachers, student support teams, principal, community, and future friends. This holistic approach eliminates the pressure of interviews and standardized testing and allows the student and teacher to interact in a more comfortable environment. In addition, parents attend an informative workshop about ISNS and IB education presented by our Early Years Coordinator.

APPLY TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISNS EXPERIENCE

UPCOMING SCREENING DATES

KINDERGARTEN AGE 5 (K5): February 19th, 2020 KINDERGARTEN AGE 4 (K4): February 26th, 2020

www.isnsz.com admissions@isnsz.com

that’s GBA (Greater Bay Area) 《城市漫步》粤港澳大湾区英文月刊

主管单位 : 中华人民共和国国务院新闻办公室 Supervised by the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China 主办单位 : 五洲传播出版社地址 : 北京西城月坛北街 26 号恒华国际商务中心南楼 11 层文化交流中心 11th Floor South Building, Henghua lnternational Business Center, 26 Yuetan North Street, Xicheng District, Beijing http://www.cicc.org.cn 社长 President: 陈陆军 Chen Lujun 期刊部负责人 Supervisor of Magazine Department: 付平 Fu Ping 编辑 Editor: 朱莉莉 Zhu Lili

发行 Circulation: 李若琳 Li Ruolin

Editor-in-Chief Matthew Bossons 马特 Guangzhou Editor Ryan Gandolfo 甘德发 Shenzhen Editor Phoebe Kut 吉蓁蓁 Senior Staff Writer Tristin Zhang 张岳烽 National Arts Editor Bryan Grogan Contributors Mia Li, Herlina Liu, Barnaby Lofton, Naomi Lounsbury, Valerie Osipov, Aron Solomons Cover Artist Mayura Jain

HK FOCUS MEDIA Shanghai (Head Office) 上海和舟广告有限公司上海市静安区江宁路 631 号 6 号楼 407-408 室邮政编码 : 200041 Room 407-408, Building 6, No.631 Jiangning Lu, Jing'an District, Shanghai 200041 电话 : 021-6077 0760 传真 : 021-6077 0761 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 深圳广告代理电话 : 0755-3665 4903 Beijing 北京广告代理电话 : 010-8639 4209 General Manager Henry Zeng 曾庆庆 Operations Manager Rachel Tong 童日红 Finance Assistant Sunnie Lü 吕敏瑜 Senior Designer Felix Chen 陈引全 Designer Cilla Yang 杨美婷 Regional Sales Manager Justin Lu 卢建伟 Account Manager Wesley Zhang 张炜 Account Executives Rason Wu 伍瑞鑫 , Alice Zeng 曾爱淳 , Moon Sun 孙诺璇 Senior Marketing Executives Peggy Ni 倪佩琪 , Kathy Chen 陈燕筠 Marketing Executive Johnny Huang 黄俊霖 Sales and Marketing Assistant Wyle Yuan 袁咏妍 National Operation CEO Leo Zhou 周立浩 Financial Manager Laura Lu 陆晓岚 Director of National Communications Ned Kelly Digital Content Manager Bridget O'Donnell Director of National Digital BD Doris Dong 董雯 National BD Manager, Hospitality Tina Zhou 周杨 Director of National Digital Products Vickie Guo 郭韵 Digital Marketing Manager Bridget O’Donnell Digital Elsa Yang 杨融 , Kane Zhu 朱晓俊 , Ruyi Jin 金如意 , Yu Sun 孙宇 , Joana Wang 王琼 , Kim Kang 康玉林 , Susan Xu 徐晓纯 General enquiries and switchboard (020) 8358 6125 info.gba@urbanatomy.com Editorial (020) 8358 9847 ext 808 editor.gba@urbanatomy.com Sales (Guangzhou) (020) 8358 9847 ext 802 sales.gba@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

www.thatsmags.com 广告经营许可证 : 京海工商厂字第 8069 号法律顾问 : 大成律师事务所魏君贤律师 Legal advisor: Wei Junxian, Dacheng Law Firm 国际标准刊号 : ISSN 1672-8041 国内统一刊号 : CN 11-5233/GO 定价 : 25.00 元邮发代号：46-193 如发现印刷装订问题 , 请与广州白云天马印刷厂联系部分非卖品 , 仅限赠阅

2 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Distribution across the Greater Bay Area: 63,000 copies

Editor’s Note

FEBRUARY 2020

Welcome back to reality, after the Spring Festival break. I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday and is ready for big things in the Year of the Rat - I know our team is!

In this month’s edition of That’s GBA, our cover story explores China’s music industry and the successes and

shortcomings of music streaming and live concerts. A big tip of the hat to our national arts editor, Bryan Grogan, for crafting such an informative look at the PRC’s music scene (page 36).

Elsewhere in the mag, we meet some clowns (page 12) and, on page 17, a Shenzhen-based designer who has

had a fascinating career in South China (he even designed a vibrator!).

Of course, there is so, so much more, but I’ll let you discover and explore the content in this issue on your own.

Surprises are fun, so go forth, flip through this enthralling edition of That’s GBA, and be surprised.

I’ll finish this month’s note by sharing some exciting news: We are in the process of preparing some exciting

new digital content (a podcast, perhaps...), so be sure to stay tuned to thatsmags.com and our trusty smartphone app!

Ciao,

Matthew Bossons Editor-in-Chief

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

4 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

facebook.com/ThatsShenzhen

youtube.com/thatsonline

twitter.com/ThatsShenzhen

#THATSSHENZHEN

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 5

THE WRAP

8 CITY

16 LIFE & STYLE

9 AVIATION ACCOUNTABILITY

17 BENNY DAY

Plane engine coin tosser fined RMB120,000.

Founder of Day Design Studio.

12 CLOWNING AROUND

20 WATCH OUT!

Bringing laughter and joy to Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s migrant children.

Time is precious.

26 ARTS

46 EAT & DRINK

30 DIGITAL SPACE INVADERS

52 ENSUE

Six PC games set to make a splash.

Farm-to-table fusion.

32 HKRC

53 BC PHO

HKRC founder Gavin Wong talk about building a radio community.

6 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Fresh pho.

36 COVER STORY THE FUTURE SOUND OF CHINA The conflicting tides of digital streaming and live music.

56 EVENTS SZ

FEB 8

FEB 14-17

Swimming Tapes

Masters of Hong Kong

FEB 24-27

FEB 14

Int’l Large Screen Display Technology Exhibition

Latin Passion – Valentine’s Day Concert

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 7

CITY

Class Clowns

Laughter is the Best Medicine, P12

Slovenian Slapper P10

8 | SZ | FEBRUARY2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Chinese Slang P11

TALES OF THE CITY

AVIATION ACCOUNTABILITY Plane Engine Coin Tosser Fined RMB120,000 By Matthew Bossons

emember that idiot that threw coins at a jet engine in Anhui province last year for good luck? Yah, so do we – him and the hundreds of the other bozos (a slight exaggeration) that decided that tossing a piece of metal into a highly complex machine that transports people through the air is a good idea. Anyway, we’ll get to the point: A 28-year-old man identified in legal documents by the alias ‘Liu Qiang’ has been fined a whopping RMB120,000 for tossing coins at an airplane’s jet engine at Anqing Tianzhushan Airport. The incident occurred on February 17, 2019, when Liu (whose actual surname is Lu) threw two RMB1 coins at the engine of flight 8L9960 to Kunming for good luck. Prior to takeoff, the flight crew noticed a coin on the ground and asked if anyone

had thrown coins into the plane’s engine, to which Liu answered that he had tossed two coins. The flight was then delayed while maintenance personnel hunted for the currency. One of the coins was then found in the plane’s left engine. While the flight was originally scheduled to leave Anqing at 3.05pm, the plane was not able to leave the airport until 7.30am the following morning. The whole episode was presumably super annoying for passengers, who had to spend the night in Anqing, and very expensive for the airline, Lucky Air (or, as we’ve dubbed it, Unlucky Air). In the immediate aftermath of Liu’s misguided attempt to attain good luck, or bless the flight, or whatever it was he thought he was doing, he was detained by police for 10 days. Lucky Air also announced that it would take legal action against Liu, seeking damag-

es estimated to be around RMB140,000. The airline’s quest for compensation reached its climax last month, when a court in Anhui province issued Liu a fine of RMB120,000 for his coin-throwing antics. Liu pled guilty in the case, but did take the time to blame the airport for not informing him of the fact that passengers are not allowed to throw items into the plane’s engines (errr – okay, Liu). The defendant also noted that flight 8L9960 was to be his first time traveling by air, and that he was ignorant of how aircraft operate. As noted at the start of this piece, Liu is far from the first superstitious traveler to toss a coin at – or into – an airplane engine; there were at least 10 instances of people throwing coins at jet engines in the first half of 2019 alone.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 9

THE BUZZ RANDOM NUMBER

DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

210 MILLION

Memi Becirovic

Shannon Lee is seeking RMB210 million in compensation from Guangzhou-based fast-food chain Real Kung Fu (Zhen Gongfu) for using the likeness of her father – Bruce Lee – without permission or payment. Additionally, she is asking that Real Kung Fu immediately cease using her father’s likeness and make clear that the company has no relation to Bruce Lee. Originally called ‘168 Steamed Fast Food Restaurant’ and ‘Seed Double Food,’ the chain rebranded as Real Kung Fu in 2004 after its founder sought the services of a veteran marketing firm. Since the rebranding, Real Kung Fu has used the image of a man who looks suspiciously like the late Bruce Lee for its logo.

Jiangsu Dragons head coach, Slovenian Memi Becirovic, was ejected from a CBA game against the Liaoning Flying Leopards last month after he slapped a spectator in the face during the game. The man was standing courtside when the coach approached him and got into an altercation. The two were eventually separated by players and staff. The fan on the receiving end of the hit is believed to have gotten into a verbal spat with the coach’s wife, who was sitting courtside, according to Xinhua. Meanwhile, local media reports claimed that the fan had made an abusive gesture towards Liaoning’s Lance Stephenson. The Dragons went on to lose 111-103 to the Flying Leopards, and Becirovic received an automatic one-match courtside ban, while the fan has been banned from CBA games for life.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“To come across a good boss requires luck – if you don’t have a kind boss, you might work strenuously for a year, and in the end may not get paid for it”

10 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

So wrote one Weibo user after news that a company in Dongguan gave two employees new lake-view apartments as a year-end bonus. The apartments, which are said to be worth around RMB2 million each, were given away as part of a 10-year plan to help out employees going through a tough time, according to Zhong Mingyu, the company’s chairman of the board. Additionally, the company allotted money for furnishings for both of the lucky employees (100-gallon turtle tanks a top priority, we’d imagine).

E D I T E D B Y M A T T H E W B O S S O N S / C I T Y @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

CHINESE URBAN DICTIONARY

A yunv wugua / yùnǚ wú guà /雨女无瓜 “none of your business” Why are you always on your phone? Put it down and go play outside.

I am an influencer. It’s my job.

Playing with your phone all the time will not give you a good life.

Yunv wugua.

s we celebrate Chinese New Year, let us remember how time flies. If you saw the original Lion King at age 8, you are now in your 30s. Those that spent their college years watching Friends are now the wrong side of 40. The post-2000s generation is now in college or entering the workforce. As they gain internships in the glossy offices of global conglomerates, they are already taking over pop culture in China. This post-2000’s generation, sometimes called Gen Z, has no idea who Marcel the monkey is, nor seen Simba in 2D form. They have their own pop culture and memes inspired by childhood memories and nostalgia. Yunv wugua is one of them. Literally meaning “rain girl has no melons,” it can be confusing to see when used in chats – who is rain girl and why doesn’t she have any melons? The phrase comes from a 2000s kids’ TV show titled Babala the Fairies (芭芭拉小魔仙), where a group of schoolgirls cast magical spells and turn into powerful warriors to defeat evil creatures (kinda like Sailor Moon with more clan members). It features an icy and aloof prince whose favorite phrase is “none of your business”

(yunv wuguan). However, the laconic prince wears a clumsy plastic helmet that severely restricts his nasal passages. When he utters his catchphrase, it sounds like yunv wugua, aka “rain girl has no melons.” The prince, being a highly aspirational character, immediately made yunv wugua the most fashionable way of asking someone to butt out of your affairs. Kids across the nation adopted the phrase and began to confuse their parents with stern statements of rain girls and melons. In the vein of “ok boomer,” yunv wugua is today’s kids’ phrase of choice when older people tell them what to do. When their parents tell them that the way to a good life is to get a ‘real job,’ get married or have kids, “yunv wugua,” is what they’ll say back. They know those things can no longer guarantee a good life; they are facing a vastly different world than their parents, where social classes have solidified, power and wealth are entrenched and no amount of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps can make up for class differences anymore. So the phrase is their defense against judgment from the older generation. In their world, rain girl has no melons. Mia Li

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 11

CIT Y | F E AT URE

CLOWNING AROUND

Bringing Laughter to China’s Migrant Children By Aron Solomons

Bjorn Dahlman has been clowning in China since 2014. Together with Bian Xiao, they have been performing as the Toad King and Frog Emperor since 2017, using the power of laughter to benefit some of China’s most marginalized children.

Bjorn Dahlman as the Frog King and Bian Xiao as the Toad Emperor

12 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

CIT Y | F E AT URE

hina has a long history of comedic performance and clowning. Clowns were present at Imperial Courts as far back as the Zhou Dynasty (founded 1046 BC). The story goes that a clown named Yu Sze, who served Great Wall-building Emperor Ch’in Shih Huang-ti, managed to convince the Emperor not to paint the massive structure. By doing so he saved thousands of lives, and became a national hero in the process. The Frog King and The Toad Emperor are not national heroes. They are two friends who, along with the rest of their clown posse (yes, the collective noun for clowns is ‘posse’), bring clowning to children all over China. Bian Xiao has been working in Children’s Theater in China since 2008. He came across Bjorn Dahlman’s videos on WeChat, and was immediately attracted to creating a different type of children’s theater: one that was aimed at the kids themselves, rather than the parents. “Often in children’s theater, the parents expect the theater production to teach their kids something,” says Bian. “We have both experienced wanting to do something because the kids will like it, only to be told by production companies that the parents won’t. Our challenge is always, ‘Who are we performing for? The kids or the parents?’ and they say ‘The parents, because they pay for the ticket!’” For both Bian and Dahlman, clowning can be an empowering experience for children. “We want to empower kids,” says Dahlman. “Make them feel like the best in the world for half an hour. We want them to feel that this is their show. Every single scene is designed so that kids feel ‘I can do this.’ We get into problems and the children run on stage to help us. This little 5-year-old boy watching knows he is great because he is helping an adult, and that is the core of it.” That can be seen in the very physicality of a clowning performance. Bian Xiao describes how, “A clown places themselves on either an equal or lower level to children. In theater, actors are normally above the audience. This only enforces a message of ‘I am an adult and you are a child. You must listen to me.’ In a clown performance, the kids are shouting ‘You screwed up!’ ‘You are wrong!’ ‘You dropped your hat!’ It’s a very different experience.”

The Frog King in his flippers

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 13

CIT Y | F E AT URE

This empowerment is very important in the social outreach of the project. The pair work with Clowns Without Borders, an international organization that seeks to spread joy, laughter and hope to children in crisis. When Dahlman came to China in 2014, he did some work for a Swedish theater company which wanted to arrange some test performances. “At that time, I had just come from India doing a Clowns Without Borders tour,” Dahlman says. “I thought, if we are doing a rehearsal performance for free, why don’t we find kids who are struggling and do it for them? So we performed at a center for the children of sex workers, and then did a joint workshop with the parents and kids.” In China, Bian and Dahlman often perform for the children of migrant and sex workers – those unable to get a hukou, and thus access to state services, and always work with local NGOs. As a Swede, Dahlman in particular is very conscious of avoiding a politicized narrative.

We want to empower kids, make them feel like the best in the world for half an hour

14 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

“We don’t want to step in and say this is a message we want to spread in your country, we are coming from Sweden to save you.” He also notes the suspicion that exists towards NGOs in China, especially ones with foreign connections. They work with Stepping Stones, a not-for-profit charitable organization with a mission to improve the education and general welfare of disadvantaged children in China, and YouDao, which runs kindergartens. Their next big goal is to reach out to leftbehind children in the countryside – those kids who remain in rural regions of China while their parents leave to work in urban areas. They are also always looking for collaborators, and have recently performed with local jugglers and magicians. “Since 2017, the door is open,” says Dahlman. “Anyone that is willing to get up at 5am and get on a metro can join the show. It is designed in such a way you can just add a person.” They have also recently started a channel on short video platform Douyin. Fittingly for two clowns, Bian started the Douyin page as a joke, not expecting many people to watch, but one of their first videos racked up an incredible 7.5 million views. “In China, you have loads of people in offices and their pressure is massive. When you have that much pressure you need a release,” says Bian, who has done many corporate performances. “When your boss isn’t looking, you go on Douyin and have a quick watch and you feel fulfilled.”

“The core is the same,” Dahlman summarizes. “You’re a kid, we make you laugh. You’re an adult that wants to feel like a kid, we make you laugh too!” Additional reporting and translation from Alex Gomar. All photos supplied by Bjorn Dahlman.

CIT Y | F E AT URE

More satisfied customers

A little boy reacts to a clown show by the posse

Bjorn Dahlman performing level with a child, which to clowns promotes a sense of equality

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 15

LIFE &

STYLE

You and Whose Army? Exploring Imperial Capital Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, P22

Big is Beautiful P18

16 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Watch it! P20

SPOTLIGHT

BENNY DAY FOUNDER OF DAY DESIGN STUDIO By Phoebe Kut

Day Design Studio is the brainchild of Britishborn Benny Day, who’s been living in Shenzhen for the past six years. His design company focuses mainly on F&B and commercial interiors, in addition to branding and product design. Day speaks with us about starting a business in China, offers advice for budding designers and discusses one of his more intriguing projects, designing vibrators. How did you get started in interior design, and how did you end up in Shenzhen? I went to university in London to study interiors, but with a focus on architecture, and had a cool friend whose older sister had a large interior design company, so I started working in the summers with her. After finishing university in London, my lecturer recommended that I try out a job in Shenzhen. I thought I’d do six months here, six months in Japan and Korea, then go back as the Asia expert and finish. But nope, got here and realized I didn’t know anything and stayed!

What was the process like when you started your own design company? I was freelancing for four years, and registered the company two years ago. When I first arrived, I worked for a company and that year we did 41 projects. To put that in perspective, some large UK studios may do 40 projects in their career. Being in China, everything happens very quickly. By the end I realized I understood the process, but was I experienced? Did I have a style? Perhaps not, but I jumped out anyways and flopped quite early. My growth and placement right now is all built on failure. It was definitely a journey. But a year went on with one client and I started to build momentum and have been going since. Why do you prefer designing for F&B clients in particular?

F&B is quantifiable; it’s data-driven. Say, if you’re designing a restaurant, they need a kitchen, a certain amount of seats, an entrance and fire exits. After that, it follows trends, fashion and the project lifecycle is much shorter. In comparison, hotels take on average three to four years to design and create and you’re not really following trends or fashion. That’s what I find more exciting: the fun, fashionable elements and the quantifiable data. Is starting a business as a foreigner in China hard?

As one of my clients put it, “It’s like you’re growing up in public.” China has such a different market than anywhere else, and you don’t have time to hide; you’ve got to work it out in public and if you fail, you fail. I’ve learned a

few good things: relationships are everything, and don’t rely on one thing. I’ve diversified my company. Instead of just interior design, I’m doing a bit of branding and graphics. It’s about having that balance, and never focusing on just one client. Lastly, you’ve got to be resilient, and you don’t necessarily need a Chinese partner. Any advice for any designers who are just starting out?

It’s not your project until the money is in the bank. Never guarantee timelines to clients as they may come back and say they don’t have the budget or they’ll delay the timeline. Have other options. If you’re green, try to learn on someone else’s time. Tell us a bit about designing vibrators?

Yeah, this project is actually for a Singaporean company called Smile Makers and they’re a great company. They’re educating beginners about the vibrator world while also providing education and awareness about sexual health and sexual wellness to a lot of people who may not openly talk about sex. For them we designed two vibrators, condom packaging (which will be in Watsons) and we’re in talks for their lubricant range too. I think I got into this space because it was more about brand strategy, launching and brand identity – each product has its own name (ie. the Romantic, Explorer, Ballerina) and personality. We did a lot of mood boarding, about the personality, shape and product goals.

Check out more of Day Design Studio’s work on Instagram (@daydesign.studio) or contact him on WeChat: bennyday

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 17

STYLE RADAR HOT ON TAOBAO

Diva Ring Light China’s e-commerce livestreaming-market is big business. The practice of reviewing and featuring products in videos designed for consumers has made waves throughout Chinese e-commerce platforms in recent years, with celebrity livestreamers cashing in. Austin Li, a widely-known male beauty blogger and KOL, reportedly sold 15,000 tubes of lipstick in 15 minutes during one of his live-stream sessions. Even older consumers are buying into the world of livestreaming, as made evident by the ayi we sat next to on the bus recently who watched a live-streamer feature two vinegar products. Vinegar! Aside from a phone and a product to sell, this growing legion of livestreamers relies on one key component: a diva ring light. Used to enhance your look during video shooting, no livestreamer would dare to feature that new makeup item or clothing product without this essential lamp. So, if you’re thinking about throwing your eggs into the livestreaming basket, consider this must-have equipment.

> The diva ring light is available on Taobao by searching 手机直播光灯. Prices start from RMB39.

18 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

COVET

Style and Structure Ladies, what’s the perfect accessory that can tie a whole outfit together? A staple handbag. You’ve been searching for it far and wide. Do you pick a trendy bag that will (hopefully) last a season, or opt for an investment piece with craftsmanship? Enter SELECTIV, a Shanghai-based Nordic fashion and lifestyle brand for the design-conscious individual. Their signature mini handbags (RMB2,800) are a chic statement for the modern woman (or man, we don’t judge). Lead designer Kashan Sing, an architect by trade, wanted to design a timeless and special piece for his first foray in fashion. Made with genuine leather, the optional crossbody bag can hold all your essentials and is perfect for day or night. SELECTIV’s line also includes tote bags, leather notebooks (which are perfect for journaling) and leather bracelets. > Pictured is the SELECTIV vintage mini handbag, shop their WeChat store by searching SELECTIV

UNDER THE LENS

‘Micro-fat’ Influencers and Industry on the Rise The Chinese plus-size market is a multibillion-dollar opportunity. Four decades ago, 11.3% of Chinese adults were overweight; now that number is closer to 25%. However, there aren’t English equivalents to terms like ‘plus-size’ or ‘curvy’. Vogue Business reports, “the most common words used are the cutesy ‘micro-fat’ (微胖) or the slightly patronizing ‘meaty’ (肉肉).” A niche group of micro-fat influencers are on the rise, like Deng Deng, who has amassed 2.5 million followers on Douyin since appearing on the scene a year ago. Deng explains, “In 2018, there were almost no influencers like me, fat girls dressed down, not up. This is changing. Big girls are seeing women who look like them wearing beautiful clothes, and they want in.”

RMB48 and up.

TAP THAT APP

Interesting Sports 趣运动 Anyone who enjoys sports and lives in China has likely faced the daunting task of finding a venue at which to play. With millions of residents in your city and – depending on your Chinese skills – a language barrier to overcome, locating a good basketball court or football pitch can be a nightmare. We came across ‘Interesting Sports’ (趣运动, Qu Yundong in pinyin) while having trouble finding a decent tennis court in Guangzhou. The app proved to be a big help by providing a list of courts around the city with venue phone numbers and a map. Best of all, you can book a reservation through the app (or website) for your next outing. Interesting Sports serves 80 cities in China, linking users with venues for football, basketball, badminton, tennis, swimming and more. You can book by the hour up to a week in advance. It’s worth noting that the app is only offered in Chinese, but you’ll have an easy time navigating once you know your go-to sport’s name in Chinese. Now that you’ve got the tool to get you back on the field, it’s time to lace up those cleats and go beast mode on Wesley from sales.

> Interesting Sports (趣运动, Qu Yundong) is available on iOS and Android devices. Visit quyundong.com or add their official WeChat account (趣运动) to learn more.

SPRING OF LINGNAN ( 岭南春晖 )

MEET CELEBRITY CHEF JACK LIN AT INTERCONTINENTAL GUANGZHOU EXHIBITION CENTER

elebrity Chef Jack Lin ( 林述巍 ) is famous for his appearance in popular reality TV show Chinese Restaurant ( 中餐厅 ) Season 3 and for his commitment to bringing innovation to Chinese fine dining. Chef Lin was recently promoted to be the Insider Chef Ambassador by InterContinental brand. By partnering with experienced InterContinental chefs with strong reputations, the Insider Chef program aims to provide global travelers with an unforgettable culinary experience. From February 25-27, Chef Lin’s fans in Guangzhou will have the opportunity to meet him at InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Center where Lin will work with hotel’s Chinese Executive Chef Andy Wu ( 吴玉擎 ) and Executive Chef Norman Zhong ( 钟荣华 ) to present “Spring of Lingnan” special menu to Guangzhou. Trained as a specialist in Cantonese cuisine, Lin’s short visit in Guangzhou will be a homecoming occasion for him. The three chefs will create an eight-course menu to pay tribute to Cantonese cuisine. Lin will

bring his treasured recipes of modern Canton to blend with Chef Andy’s expertise in traditional Shunde and Chaozhou cuisine. Chef Norman will take care of the overall menu design to ensure the menu is well structured and perfectly presented. The menu boasts Guangdong’s coastal delights, and will feature both fresh and dried seafood. Guests will enjoy a fascinating combination of classic light saucing presented by Chef Andy and the increasingly popular spicy flavor by Chef Lin, favored among the younger generation. One course guests will absolutely love is the steamed lobster with egg white and yellow wine, presented by Chef Andy, which is a medley of textures and soft, elegant flavors. Chef Lin’s braised abalone and beef ribs with truffle is another stand-out dish, and it contrasts well with the silky eggs of Chef Andy’s aforementioned dish. “Spring of Lingnan” special menu will be available at Canal Luna, InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Center from February 2527. WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 19

LIFE & STYLE | FASHION

s e c pie u on e im Yo T 1 1 eep to K k c a ime r T T . s iou eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ut eK

y db

ile mp

eb Pho

rec . T im ese p e is oney th th m i T l s m e wi a d equ our si ches. t y on sh wa li st y Co

h ba atc ao Sw 40 he T . B8 ith t ase RM n w urch a Sc to p p ap

t so Tis ,700 he B2 ith t to RM n w pp a a Sc bao . e o Ta chas r pu

a en ob tiz 8 e Ta . 5 Ci ,1 h e B1 ith t as RM n w urch a p Sc to p p a

20 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

o ba sio ao Ca T 8 e 5 B3 h th se. RM n wit rcha a u Sc to p p ap

FASHION | LIFE & STYLE

Tis

n gto llin e lW ao ob nie 0 a a T D ,69 he . B1 ith t ase M h w R n urc a Sc to p p ap

o ba en ao tiz i 5 T C ,17 he . B2 ith t hase M R n w urc a Sc to p p p a

so RM t Sc B5,6 a 0 ap n w 0 p t ith o p the urc Ta ha ob se ao .

Ka te RM Wo o Sc B1,2 d an 88 ap w i p to th th pu e rc Tao ha se bao .

d ao oo ob W a T 8 te Ka 1,18h the se. t B a i h RMan w urc Sc to p p ap

C by

o -G ba BY ao A T B 90 he . B5 ith t hase M R n w urc a Sc to p p ap

Ap p RM le W Sc B3, atch a 1 pu n th 99 rch e Q as R e. co

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 21

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

XI’AN

ew cities in China can lay claim to as rich a culture as Xi’an. Famous for being the home of the Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an’s 3,000-year history has played an enormous part in shaping China’s cultural heritage. Xi’an got its big start as a city during the Zhou Dynasty, for whom Xi’an was the capital, from 1046-256 BCE. Under the rule of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BCE), China became unified for the first time. Obsessed with longevity, Emperor Qin commissioned the construction of an ‘army’ of terracotta warriors to guard his mausoleum and protect him in the afterlife. Today, the Terracotta Warriors are considered one of China’s must-see attractions.

22 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Xi’an was also the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. It was here that merchants, envoys and traveling monks would trade their wares, particularly valuable silk and live horses, and prepare for the long and frequently perilous journey to the West. Such was the extent of trade and civilization in Xi’an that the city became the largest in the world by the 8th century. Xi’an’s fortunes changed, however, with the fall of the Tang Dynasty, and it was not until the Ming Dynasty, in the 14th century, that the city would be fully revived. Several lasting emblems of the Ming era are today some of Xi’an’s most prominent sights.

Looking for more expert guides to China’s biggest cities and hottest destinations? Scan the QR code now to purchase our Explore China travel guide, which offers insider tips, detailed city guides and awesome day trips.

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

Ming-Era City Walls Inner-city Xi’an has plenty of its own charm. Nearly 14 kilometers long, the imposing city walls were built to protect the city during the Ming Dynasty, and are an astonishing 15 meters thick. One of the best ways to get acquainted is on two wheels. Bike rentals start from RMB40 for 100 minutes (RMB80 if you choose to go tandem), and afford great views of the heart of Xi’an. The ride itself is fairly leisurely (and entirely flat, for the effort-opposed), and can be accomplished in two hours depending on pace. Be sure to bring hydration, as vendors in the area are few and far between. If you’re lucky you’ll catch the changing of the guards at the South Gate, which happens three times a day.

Terracotta Army No trip to Xi’an is complete without a visit to its most famous attraction, the most significant archaeological discovery of the 20th century. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a literal treasure trove of Chinese history that can easily take a day for history buffs to explore. With thousands of unearthed military figures, the Terracotta Army was designed to guard over the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BCE). Following his death, it was believed they would travel with him to the afterlife to continue their service. Fascinatingly, no two members of the army are identical – their various parts were made modularly and assembled so that each would be unique.

Hot Springs at Huaqing Palace After you’ve ticked the requisite Terracotta Army visit off your list, it’s time for the next chapter of Xi’an’s history – the Tang Dynasty. At the foot of Mount Lishan are the hot springs at Huaqing Palace, which were the setting for the famous romantic tragedy Song of Eternal Sorrow, written by celebrated Tang poet Bai Juyi (772-846 CE). A classic imperial tale, the poem describes a tragic love affair between Tang emperor Xuanzong (685-762 CE) and his beloved concubine Yang Guifei (719-756 CE). Visitors can enjoy daily performances of the classic poem during the spring and summer, and soak up imperial vibes at the neighboring hot spring baths. WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 23

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

Mount Hua One of the most famous mountains in China, Huashan is a must for active travelers. Stunning vistas and precipitous peaks are a given, and your trip here can easily take up a whole day. The mountain has five peaks that top 2,155 meters, each with its own charm. Reach the top by gondola, and expect a fairly terrifying hike to the tallest peaks. During the summer months, high numbers of visitors can make the narrow walkways crowded, so do be aware of that when planning your visit. True daredevils can get their adrenaline fix along the Chang Kong Plank Road – a ramshackle wooden pathway just 50 centimeters wide affixed to the near-vertical rock face. The pathway was first laid out by the Taoist priest He Zhizhen nearly 700 years ago, when monks would journey to the mountain’s remotest peaks in search of prime meditation spots. A RMB30 deposit for safety harnesses is required.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda Built during the Tang Dynasty, the 1,300-year-old Big Wild Goose Pagoda is perhaps Xi’an’s most eye-catching heritage site, standing at seven stories and 64 meters high. The pagoda is dedicated to the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who is credited for aiding the dissemination of Buddhism by bringing back sutras from India and translating them into Chinese. His journey also served as inspiration for one of China’s bestknown works of literature, Journey to the West. Today, tourists can climb to the top of the pagoda to take in the sights of the city and expansive pagoda square below. Here, locals brush up (literally) on their calligraphy by using calligraphy brushes dipped in water on the flagstones.

24 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Muslim Quarter Xi’an’s vibrant Muslim Quarter is a wonderful place to pick up souvenirs and sample Xi’an’s local delicacies. Situated in the heart of the old town, the Muslim Quarter encompasses a neighborhood of just 1,800 square meters, but is home to 10 mosques and over 20,000 residents. During the heyday of the Silk Road, this district played host to travelers from the Middle East, India and beyond, who would barter their wares and stock up on supplies for the next leg of their voyage. Some historians have suggested that the notoriously dangerous Silk Road journey gave rise to the establishment of numerous temples of Islamic, Buddhist and Taoist faiths, as merchants would visit to seek blessings for safe passage. Make sure to arrive with an empty stomach – the Muslim Quarter is teeming with local street food, including grilled meat skewers, hearty fried dumplings, hand-pulled noodles and, of course, roujiamo. The main action starts at 6pm, when the vendors start setting up shop for the evening’s service.

Terracotta Warrior Replicas After seeing the real thing, pick up a vivid replica of the terracotta sculptures for all your friends who have yet to see the famous archeological wonder. They’re available in a variety of sizes, from small to life-size (you know, if you’re into overthe-top home decor), and each have a different appearance and facial expression. We suggest heading to the Xi’an Art Ceramics and Lacquer Factory, where they still cook clay in large outdoor kilns and handpaint and finish every single exemplar.

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

Roujiamo and Liangpi Wherever you find roujiamo (sometimes translated as ‘Chinese hamburger’), you’ll also find liangpi (cold noodles). For Xi’an locals, the two go together like horse and carriage. The former consists of a leavened flatbread, typically cooked on a hot iron furnace, stuffed with braised meat that is stewed with 20 different spices. Locals will tell you that the best roujiamo is found in the Muslim Quarter, where the filling is lamb rather than pork. The cold noodles that so often accompany are made from rice flour and topped with a spicy red oil and sliced cucumber.

Biangbiang Mian Not only are these deliciously thick noodles unique to Shaanxi province, they are also famous for the notorious 57-stroke character used in their name, one of the most complicated in the Chinese language. As thick and wide as a belt, a single noodle can fill a bowl, and biang is an onomatopoeia for the sound that the noodle dough makes as it hits the counter while being pulled into shape. The chewy noodles are usually cooked with spicy oil and steamed bok choy.

Yangrou Paomo Arguably the signature dish of Xi’an, this Arabinfluenced delicacy might appear unusual to the uninitiated. You’ll be served a bowl of hot, gravy-like mutton soup with vermicelli and a leavened flatbread; but before you tuck in, pull apart the bread into pearl-sized pieces and drop them in the soup. A time-consuming effort, yes, but for locals of Xi’an the ritual is therapeutic, and besides, the dish tastes better when hand-pulled. WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 25

ARTS

Welcome To The Club

Cutting Edge Nightspots Around China, P34

Digital Space Invaders P30 26 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

HKCR P32

New Albums P35

DRUMROLL

KARP

BurgerSuicideClub and Silver Spoon Founder Talks Experimentation By Bryan Grogan

We caught BurgerSuicideClub at a RADII event in ALL Club in late 2019 and were blown away by the four-person group. Making a soup of sounds that incorporates industrial music, punk, experimental electronic beats and spoken-word poetry, the music felt transporting and fresh. Musician and artist Karp (who identifies using the pronoun ‘they’) started the project themself, intending to focus it around their solo work, but over time the group expanded and new musical ideas were introduced. A member of psychedelic group Peaking O, Karp also founded a performance art event called Silver Spoon a little over two years ago. Blending together music, poetry, performance, video and more, Karp takes the lead as director-curator of the show. We caught up with them to speak about the influences that drive BurgerSuicideClub and Silver Spoon. Tell us about BurgerSuicideClub. It was originally a solo project. Later, the musician Fish joined and we became a duo. We were originally called Eraser Head, but later renamed ourselves BurgerSuicideClub, mainly due to the influence of a group in Berlin called Pizza Suicide Club. Fish exited at the end of 2018, and the musician Empress CC! joined. She has used an Ableton, drum machine and synthesizer to bring a new musical expression to BurgerSuicideClub. Later again, guitarist Zongshi and poet Sanky joined one after another to make the current four-man lineup.

The sound of the group is very unique. Can you talk about what inspires the music? Each of our four members is affected differently by music, so the final sound is very strange. When I was young I became attracted to dark music. Later, I came into contact with experimental music and minimalism. I also started to make music based around noise and beeps. After a while, I became interested in the Western psychedelic rock of the ’60s and krautrock. Industrial music also had a profound impact on me. Zongshi is more influenced by traditional rock bands like Sonic Youth, Radiohead, etc. At the same time, he also produces electronic music, with people like Aphex Twin providing inspiration. Empress CC! is an electronic music fanatic. Originally inspired to become a musician by Einstürzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk, she began producing experimental electronic music, and, over the course of a long period

[spent] harnessing her skills, is now an adept producer who makes beats with an Ableton and various other hardware. Sanky was influenced by the early proto punks, such as Patti Smith, and later got into rougher and more provocative industrial music by bands like Throbbing Gristle. All four of us like industrial music, and this is the basis of the music for the BurgerSuicideClub. We heard that you are planning to release some music. What form will it take? Yeah, we plan to do a digital release of an album. We’ll probably also publish a CD, or, if we have enough money, maybe release on vinyl.

As well as BurgerSuicideClub, you organize Silver Spoon. What exactly do you try to show with Silver Spoon? Silver Spoon is a plan that I started in Xiamen in 2017. At that time, I began a public account called ‘Water Ripple,’ mainly to interview local artists in Xiamen, as well as consulting on art and performance activities. After publishing a few times, I wanted to present my own content. The first activity was called ‘Eat Sunflower Seeds and Sound Quartet.’ It was inspired by Yan Jun’s exhibition How to Eat Sunflower Seeds. I found four artists to create a fusion of sound, music, performance, video and poetry at a livehouse. Later, I did live shows for Silver Spoon, mainly when I was triggered by a concept, bringing people from different fields together.

How important is it for Silver Spoon to combine various mediums, such as music, performance art and fashion? At present, a lot of groups and labels that perform in China tend to combine various mediums. Silver Spoon is not the most special. The only difference with Silver Spoon is that I see the performance as a work of art and take the role of a director. My favorite director is Alejandro Jodorowsky from Chile. His films are very visual and dramatic, using costumes, color and discussions about life and religion. Films with a large proportion of narrative scenes are for me organized art events and act as inspiration. Although I don’t do much visual creation, I always think that the visuals and the music are equally important in a Silver Spoon event. Can you talk about your upcoming plans for Silver Spoon?

We will have a performance after Spring Festival related to intimacy/artificial intelligence. We’re currently selecting the venue for that show. We can’t disclose the specific details at the moment, so everyone will have to wait and see. To hear more from BurgerSuicideClub, scan the QR code:

For more information about Silver Spoon, scan the QR code:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 27

COLL AGE

See the QR codes on this page? Scan them with the That's App when you see them to find more multimedia, photos and videos related to the feature you are reading. Genius, eh? Download the That's App at www.thatsmags.com/app

TRANSCRIBED

COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

“Can anyone judge? If the judges don’t even know the most famous logo in the world, how can they be a judge?” FEB 14

Horror Shark Not the most inspiring film title in the world, this horror slash thriller slash adventure movie’s Chinese name translates directly as ‘Blood Shark,’ and sees its main characters attempting to out-maneuver mutated, man-eating sharks. Simple enough. Building on the continued interest in adventure films, and also the global love for shark-based thrillers, this blockbuster should pique the interest of fans of these genres.

FEB 22

Troll: The Tale of a Tail Created by Quebec-based company Squeeze, Troll: The Tale of a Tail is an animated adventure telling the story of a troll prince who has three days to save his father, King Grom, who has been turned to stone and had his tail stolen by an evil presence. The perfect flick for a family with young kids.

For more new movies releases, scan the QR code below:

28 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

That’s what one netizen said after learning the news that the Dalian tourism board had blatantly ripped off the Walt Disney logo (as well as a bunch of other famous logos). The comical news came to light in December and pointed to a general lack of awareness from judges overseeing the competition to design the new logo for the Northern tourism board.

HAO BU HAO

Hao A bunch of excellent Chinese film releases in January, including Lost in Russia, Detective Chinatown 3 and the spiritual successor to Ne Zha, Jiang Ziya • In a similar vein, the news that international films Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit and Little Women have been taken on by Road Pictures for distribution in China • The continued insurgence of clubs that are straddling the borders of fashion and art throughout the country • Awkwafina became the first woman of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe in a lead actress film category, winning for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her role in The Farewell.

Bu Hao Shanghai’s Dada closed the doors on its Xingfu Lu venue after 10 years • Ne Zha missing the cut as a nominee for Best International Film Feature at the 2020 Oscars • While the news that iQiyi is seeking international investment may sound good, it also points toward the slowing market for TV streaming sites in China • The Farewell was not among the nominees at this year’s Oscars, despite Awkwafina’s success at the Golden Globes.

E D I T E D B Y B R Y A N G R O G A N / A R T S @ U R B A N A T O M Y. C O M

SINO CELEB

Eddie Peng Yu-yen

He’s the US military-trained revenger in the 2018 Jiang Wen-directed Hidden Man and he’s the Monkey King in Chinese fantasy-action film Wu Kong. Taiwanborn Canadian actor Eddie Peng Yu-yen stumbled across an opportunity to star in a TV idol drama when returning to the island for a funeral in his sophomore year of college. It turned out to be a stepping stone to his immense popularity in show business. The handsome actor was recognized for his Golden Horsenominated portrayal of a gymnastic athlete in 2011’s Jump Ashin!, for which he trained professionally for eight months. You can catch him on the big screen in Chinese adventure film The Rescue this month. But first, here’s five fast facts about Peng before you grab yourself some popcorn. Child Gourmand As a child Peng loved to chow down. These days, he has retained his love for snacks, but maintains a muscular figure by exercising on the regular. Great White North At the age of 13, Peng immigrated to Canada, where he later studied economics at the University of British Columbia.

College Dropout The excitement of studying economics was not enough for Peng and he dropped out of university to pursue a career in acting.

Sea Turtle Savior Peng is the ambassador of global conservation organization WildAid’s mission to save sea turtles, and his journey to help the reptiles was featured in marine conservation documentary Between the Sea and Shore. Filial Son When not shooting movies Peng travels the world, bringing his mother along while he’s at it.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 29

ARTS | VIDEO GAMES

DIGITAL SPACE INVADERS Five PC Games Set to Make A Splash in 2020 By Bryan Grogan

C gaming has been popular in China ever since the government banned video game consoles in 2000, a restriction which lasted for 15 years. That love for the PC format has never gone away; Chinese is now the most popular language on major video game platform Steam, according to PC Gamer. Reacting to this, platforms like Steam host games like Chinese Parents and The Scrolls of Taiwu, only heightening the appetite that gamers, and game developers, have for the increasingly lucrative market. Below, we highlight five games that we think will prove to be smash hits in 2020.

Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story This game, made in 2.5D format (in order to appear to be 3D when it is, in fact, not) takes the player through a terrifying world that mixes cyberpunk and mythology. Developed by Toge Productions, the game’s official Twitter account places the action in Neo-Hong Kong. Players take the role of Mei Lin Mak, a de facto detective, investigating technological glitches that have infected Neo-Hong Kong. She must break a family curse in order to fix the spooky real-world glitches. The game has been receiving a ton of hype for the unique scope of the story and gorgeous visuals, and is set to be released later this year on a variety of platforms and consoles, including Windows PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. To learn more, scan the QR code below:

Luna: The Shadow Dust Set for release in February of this year, this long-awaited release, developed by Lantern Studio and published by Coconut Island Games, has already received awards for its music and artwork. After gaining global recognition for the excellent Chinese Parents, which was released back in the middle of 2018, but has enjoyed a fabulously long lifespan on Steam, Coconut Island Games is a company to watch. Luna: The Shadow Dust is just one of the games that it has slated for release this year, alongside Rascal Fight, a “fun and exciting fighting game,” and A Perfect Day, which rewinds to 1990s China. The point-and-click game has gorgeous visuals, while gameplay is wordless; a young boy and his companion make their way through an adventure inspired by games of old. To learn more, scan the QR code below:

30 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

VIDEO GAMES | ARTS

Sands of Salzaar This surprise (read: under-the-radar) hit was released on January 3 through Steam, and quickly climbed to the top of the week’s best sellers on the gaming platform, selling 50,000 copies in under a week. Developed and published by Han-Squirrel Studio, based out of Shenzhen, Sands of Salzaar is an open-world fantasy game that takes place in a desert, with players tasked with recruiting a variety of characters to shape the future of their world. Reviews of the game have been largely positive; gamers and media outlets have been impressed by its ambitious scope, which takes place across an unfolding world, with large battle sequences. To learn more, scan the QR code below:

Wanba Warriors Now for something a little bit different. This super zany fighting game is based around the idea of calligraphy combat, with fighters using blobby characters holding calligraphy ink brushes to defeat their opponents. Purported to make use of bizarre swing mechanics, and with characters capable of harnessing incredible supernatural abilities, this game sounds like a blast. It also supports local multiplayer mode so you can battle with or against your friends. Developed by game company BigYu, a demo for Wanba Warriors was released in mid-2019, with the full game expected to drop in 2020. Beijing-based Zodiac Interactive, the same folks who brought us the super-weird Candleman, is also behind publishing for this one. To learn more, scan the QR code below:

The Rewinder Taking China’s reinvigorated mania for mythology and packaging it in game format, indie developer Misty Mountain Studio has made this 2D side-scrolling point-and-click game, The Rewinder. Artwork for the game has already been called gorgeous by a number of media outlets. Due to come out in 2020 on Steam (though a specific date hasn’t been assigned), The Rewinder should appeal to fans of animation and mythology alike. Taking on the role of a special agent, gamers are tasked with interacting with monsters and deities and helping spirits to achieve a rebirth and to return to the living world. To learn more, scan the QR code below:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 31

ARTS | MUSIC

TURN ON YOUR RADIO

Co-founder of HKCR Gavin Wong Talks About Building Communities By Bryan Grogan

e’ve been covering online radio more and more recently, as a number of new stations crop up around Greater China. One of the first to get off the ground was Hong Kong Community Radio (HKCR), which has been a vital stronghold for underground music in the Fragrant Harbor since 2016. Founded by Gavin Wong, the mind behind essential Hong Kong label Absurd Trax, and Davy Law, who runs another excellent Hong Kong-based label, Neoncity Records, HKCR has become one of the most important music outlets in the Asia Pacific region. We spoke to Wong about the station. When and why did you start HKCR?

We started out in late 2016. I found radio culture so amazing when I was studying in the UK. Even though pirate radio isn’t something new here, I don’t think there was an online radio that was solely dedicated to music sharing. I wanted to create a platform that is dedicated to people in music, primarily because 32 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

we really need this kind of tool to convene broader ideas and connect with other people locally and globally.

There’s quite a bit of equipment and other stuff to take care of. How are you funded? We don’t receive any funding at the moment. Davy Law and I bought everything. We started out with a webcam and a borrowed CDJ in a corner of a friend’s leather jacket shop (shout out to Oldies Leather Jacket). We kept the setup mobile so we could stream in different spaces (we streamed at a bookshop, a clothing shop, my friend’s cha chaan teng and so on). Eventually we invested in a CDJ (digital music player for DJing) and found all the other pieces by scavenging through secondhand recording gear and leftover furniture. Of course, from time to time we receive help from the community as well. We moved into the Foo Tak Building two years ago. The rent is at a remarkably discounted rate, which is amazing considering

the location. We’re very appreciative to ACO who show us massive support in our project.

When it comes to the music side of things, how do you decide on what international acts or China-based acts you like to have on the show? I try to not dictate who’s going to come in and who’s not. The station is obviously not about a single musical style or idea; most people who came around before were people who got in touch with us to ask if we could host them for an hour on the radio stream. They may or may not know anyone here, so we facilitate as a connecting hub for travelers and locals. We try to accommodate the best we can, but obviously due to the aforementioned limitations we can’t really take everyone. The station gives a platform for creatives in Hong Kong to express themselves through music. What kind of feedback do you get from musicians and producers to

MUSIC | ARTS

sets/appearances on talk shows? To be honest, you can’t really be sure of how feedback is most of the time. I hope we don’t have haters. [Laughs.] I hope to show people a timeline of something in the making, a community of some sort that is naturally coming together. I don’t want to micromanage or cultivate an image of mine, but I think in a way there’s still a lot to be desired in terms of the production quality. It’s an interesting time in music now because it’s very visual too, so we need to constantly take care of the visual department. That being said, I think people appreciate it’s an amateur project that is something to be treasured. We are always reflecting on this aspect and how to get the best of both worlds. You guys have been recognized at Mixcloud awards for online radio stations. Have these awards helped you guys to grow the awareness of your platform? I think so, but that kind of awareness is still within the ‘circle.’ I think our job is to get more people outside the circle to be aware of us.

Can you talk a bit about the underground community in Hong Kong? I think the underground community is very insulated from everywhere else in a way. Just talking about music releases, they are so infrequently put out. Everything is very decentralized, so there are many small circles,

“I proposed to all the community radios to work on a compilation together, there is a limitless amount of things we can all work on. Hopefully in 2020 we can cross paths a bit more”

but there’s no way for them to intersect with each other, and that makes the scene into an echo chamber of sorts, with evolution often stalled. It’s pretty disappointing in 2020 that many people still have the general consensus that independent music means bands playing guitars, or electronic music means people pushing buttons and twisting knobs. People need to radicalize their way of thinking about music before any changes happen, rethinking how we should relate to music; we can’t just think of it as someone who produces a consumable product for another person to buy. HKCR is connected to Absurd Trax, both of which you help manage. Is there any crossover between the two entities?

To be honest, I try to segregate both as much as possible. But I always welcome my label mates to go on HKCR if they want to use the platform. I don’t want HKCR to reflect my own tastes; I want it to be anything, with me just as a person facilitating that. Of course, in real terms it’s very hard to completely avoid my influences in the station programming.

You have co-operated with Shanghai Community Radio in the past – is that something that you are interested in doing more of? We definitely want to do more stuff together; I proposed to all the community radios that we work on a compilation together. There is a limitless amount of things we can all work on. Hopefully in 2020 we can cross paths a bit more. To tune in to Hong Kong Community Radio, scan the QR code below:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 33

ARTS | FOR THE RECORD

Cutting Edge Nightspots Around China By Bryan Grogan

hanghai is ostensibly the home of experimental electronic music in China. With excellent labels like SVBKVLT, Genome 6.66mbp, Eating Music and more, the city is helping to guide tastes within the country and perceptions of the Chinese music scene around the globe. At the center of the city’s vibrant music scene are clubs like ALL, Elevator and Dada (until last month). Acting as incubators and meeting points for Chinese kids with strange tastes, these clubs have been integral in growing the city’s music scene, while pointing towards social change and growing acceptance of urban subcultures as a whole. With interest in weird music growing, we take a look at some of the more influential clubs in four major Chinese cities outside of Shanghai.

Shenzhen The papa of the Shenzhen scene is by far and away Oil. The best club in the Southeast of China, by our estimation, Oil has been operating for just over two years out of a side-street in the city’s central Chegongmiao area. In the course of the club’s life, it has received numerous shout-outs – by the likes of Kode9 and, more recently, British drum and bass legend Fabio – for its atmosphere and sound quality. In neighboring Nanshan district, Vinylhouse offers a space for those more house-inclined, in the form of a cocktail bar slash vinyl record store slash music space. Run by a group of co-founders, including Polish DJ and producer Tomasz Guiddo, the venue provides invaluable space for the growing number of house and techno DJs in the seaside city.

Chengdu One of the most turbulent cities on this list, just like Shanghai and Beijing, Chengdu has gone through waves of closures. Yet the city’s underground electronic scene continues to grow. TAG is at the center of it all, taking inspiration from clubs in Berlin and Amsterdam, and acting as a prime landing spot for the best international electronic acts. More recently, local DJ Postunk opened Cue, which has already hosted friends of That’s such as Eating Music, Bl1nk and Yikii. Influential in the city’s electronic scene, Postunk was reportedly planning to start a community radio station in Chengdu until he got busy with Cue. That role was filled by Kristen Ng (aka Kaishandao) and Aymen Hajlaoui, along with a group of friends and like-minded contributors, who launched Chengdu Community Radio in November last year. Elsewhere, Funky Town has crafted a diverse range of events and interests, including their first-ever drag night. 34 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Hangzhou Buoyed by the rise of experimental electronic group FunctionLab, as well as the presence of a large contingent of experimentally minded creatives from China Academy of Art, Hangzhou has been building itself as a home of weird, cutting edge sounds. Loopy, based at the end of a deserted corridor of shops, is the center point for a lot of what is good musically in the city. Right next door to Loopy, video artist and leader of the irreverent art group Martin Goya Business, Cheng Ran, has opened a mini-exhibition space called The fART (we’ll bypass our urge for low-hanging jokes on that one), showing how important the nightlife scene in Hangzhou is for bringing together creative minds. The folks behind that venue have also opened another, more centrally located venue by the name Wulin, which boasts a special sound system, but is still in the early stages of taking shape.

Three New Homegrown Albums on Our Radar This Month

CHINA MUSIC CORNER

By Bryan Grogan

The Sound of Walking: Hexi Corridor by Namu Label Having been recognized by the Chinese Golden Melody Awards as one of 100 recommended 2019 albums to listen to, this album is based around the sounds you might encounter in the Hexi Corridor, an important historical trade route in Gansu province. The Sound of Walking shines a light on the musical stylings of minority cultures living in the area, taking stock of their fascinating intangible cultural qualities. The album opens with the aptly named ‘Intro’ from Beijing-based American producer and multi-instrumentalist thruoutin. Playing and interspersing the sound of birds, wind, percussion and a peculiarly tough, thick stringed instrument with magic editing skills, the track does exactly what it says on the tin, preparing us for what is coming next. The album is diverse, with six different musicians entering the foray throughout its 10-track run. The guttural and sparse Chinese singing style on Wang Yue’s ‘Xian Xiao•Kaipian Ci’ contrasts greatly with the more atmospheric, vast spatial characteristics of Bai Jin Hua. The latter’s contribution is markedly impressive, as the vocals of a 65-year-old woman from the Yugu minority are placed within gorgeously edited ambience to create very forgiving, clean tracks. Scan the QR code to listen:

Ruyi Lane by White Elephant Nanjing band White Elephant dropped their debut album, Ruyi Lane (named, for the record, after the red light district in the capital of Jiangsu province), on Beijing-based indie label Maybe Mars. While the band began life with a more raucous sound, on Ruyi Lane they open proceedings with a slow, taught piano that plays over the sound of conversation and life. Spoken-word vocals and a spine-tingling, high-pitched and high-paced guitar enters on the second track, ‘Mouth.’ The record continues to be a slow-boiling, atmospheric, almost ambient piece, with Kaliening’s spoken-word vocals acting as a metronome of sorts, narrating the action while keeping the music centered and steady. ‘Mrs Tang, Please Dance for Me Again’ takes the already slow pace and introduces a violin before Kaliening’s vocal becomes faster, more irritated and the guitars begin to swirl around, plucking and strumming unorthodox sounds into the air. Scan the QR code to listen:

Extinct Melodies From The Canto Club by Fauve Records Having begun life as an online radio station based out of Hong Kong, the Fauve collective managed to raise enough funds to begin their own label. With the station seemingly taking a back seat to releases on the label, Fauve Records have already released a pair of records, the first called Extinct Melodies From The Jungle Zone and the second by the name of Extinct Melodies From The Canto Club. Both are retrospectives of sorts, with the latter focusing on a bygone era of “party people with shoulder pads, big hair, white Rolls-Royces, panama hats” in the Fragrant Harbor. We get off the ground with Romain Fx’s super funky edit of a Cantonese track called ‘Big Ball.’ There’s much to love on this opener, a tight, infectious rhythm with what sounds like cowbells surrounding the female Cantonese vocalist. Midnight Runners’ edit of ‘Do it For Love’ enters next, and it is pianosoaked pop given a house makeover, an excellent tribute to the legacy of disco-infused Cantopop. Closing out the record with a trio of Romain Fx edits, this album is the ideal party starter: tropical, fun and funky. Scan the QR code to listen:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 35

THE FUTURE

SOUND OF CHINA

The Conflicting Tides of Digital Streaming and Live Music By Bryan Grogan

onsumption of digital music in China is growing rapidly. Streaming site Tencent Music claims to have reached 800 million users, while Netease puts its number of users at around the 600 million mark. Both have raised huge sums of funding in the past few years, helping to drive consumption of music in digital spaces. But what does this mean for the live music industry? As more promoters, festivals and live music venues enter the fray, along with increasing investment from the government, it has become more and more obvious that the number of Chinese music fans willing to head to live shows is not rising nearly as fast as investment into the live music market might suppose.

Im ages c o u rtes y o f S pl it Wo rks

Swimming with the Stream

n the past few years, the explosive growth of music streaming investment in China has caused the music industry as a whole to boom. The country’s cultural power brokers have taken notice, investing label and artist time into music and video streaming sites. With giant Chinese conglomerates like Tencent and Wanda having invested heavily in the global film industry for years, music seems like the next step for the most populous country in the world. It was recently announced that Tencent Holdings will buy a 10% stake in the world’s biggest record label, Universal Music Group (and are reserving the right to buy another 10% by mid-January 2021). This comes after Tencent Holdings’ subsidiary Tencent Music raised USD1.1 billion in its US initial public offering (IPO) at the end of 2018. “We have seen Chinese investment Im ages c o u rtes y o f S pli t Wor k s

Image courtesy of Fake Music Media

I don't think that we necessarily need to accelerate the growth but rather control it, regulate it and create a healthy music ecosystem where every company plays its part and we don't have one dominant player

going into the film industry for a while now,” says Philipp Grefer, co-founder of Fake Music Media, which represents Chinese rock bands The Hormones and Nova Heart. “I think what is new is that, now, China is not only taking center stage in trade deals or geopolitical maneuvering, but is also taking a more assertive role in the international entertainment industry, and the music business is the newest addition to that.” The Tencent-Universal Music Group deal is huge news for other reasons too; it points towards a future in which China takes intellectual property (for which it has had a pretty bad reputation on the global stage) more seriously, allowing musicians, producers and labels to harness more money, contributing to the growth of the industry as a whole. Adding increased awareness of the need for strong IP laws, Tencent’s music streaming site is increasingly using paid models, gradually getting audiences used to paying for their music online, in the same way that sites like Spotify have done in the West. These paid models have allowed the global music industry to continue to grow despite the drastic downturn in album sales, with more and more big-name artists putting their latest releases behind paywalls. The rate for these releases may be as little as RMB10 for an album, but the potential that conditioning audiences to buying music has for the Chinese market is huge. One of Spotify’s most important features is the playlist portion of the app, while the recommended artists section has been revolutionary. Chinese apps are doing similar things, though they’ve also adopted what you could call a ‘social media method’ of inserting and promulgating the use of articles, charts and banner headlines for new artists, which are proving to act as fantastic promotional tools.

For musicians, the ease of access that mobile apps afford is a great boon, allowing listeners to tune in to a new or recommended album on the subway to and from work, and the exposure from these platforms is proving to be extremely helpful in getting the word out about their music. “So far, we have had great responses on Netease, Xiami and Apple Music,” say Xu Bo and Zhao Yue, CEO and COO of indie label Merrie Records. “Apple Music has given our artist, Shii, special promo in their Taiwan and Hong Kong stores and this has resulted in her tracks getting on the top 100 iTunes list.” In terms of the economics of the industry, it is easy to get sucked into the idea of more growth. But those working within music are aware that the market now needs to take stock of itself, take a look at fundamentals and focus on building steadily. Grefer puts it plainly, “I don’t think that we necessarily need to accelerate the growth but rather control it, regulate it and create a healthy music ecosystem where every company plays its part and we don’t have one dominant player.”

TOP 10 MUSIC MARKETS GLOBALLY 1. USA 2. Japan 3. UK 4. Germany 5. France

6. South Korea 7. China 8. Australia 9. Canada 10. Brazil

Source: IFPI Global Music Report 2019

39 Im age c o u rtes y o f S pl it Wo rks

40 When we're planning a tour now, if you compare our targets to, say, three years ago, you can do a really shit-hot job. You can really create quite a compelling campaign around a release that, three or four years ago, would have been unfathomable

Finger on the Pulse

t is undeniably hard to avoid the topic of money when discussing music labels in China. While smaller local crews like SVBKVLT, Do Hits, Ran Music and Genome 6.66mbp have captured local and global imagination, the larger music labels have been trying hard to keep up with the cool club kids. Taihe Music Group – which picked up storied rock label Maybe Mars back in 2017, Mintone Records (Mingtang) in 2018 and operates indie label Ruby Eye Records – launched their own electronic music label and distributor, E-Werk, at the end of 2019, seeking, it seems, to enter the underground club market. Elsewhere, one of the country’s major labels, Cao Tai, has also dipped its toes into the electronic market with the launch of sublabel Crater Records. While Crater has been largely inactive over the past year, they have signed new artists and are looking at the release of a new compilation

album for 2020. At the same time as mega-labels seek to corner the markets that various rising genres offer, smaller, independent labels are securing funding for their larger aspirations. One of the most encouraging stories from 2019 was the news that alternative music label Merrie Records, created by the team behind D-Force Records, had found a solid investor to put money into their vision. The label, which brings together some of the stalwarts of the Chinese music scene, has quickly set out a number of impressive initiatives. On the one hand, they have been quick to open up the label into subcategories or sublabels. That move is based on their experience running D-Force Records, which covered a wide range of music, but was largely seen as being inclined towards indie rock or indietronica. With Merrie Records, the folks behind the label are aware of the need to establish

I ma ge s cou r te s y of S p li t Wor k s

unique brands and identities early on. Thus far, they have divided themselves into three different labels. Merrie Records will continue to cover indie pop (with electronic elements) and indie rock. Little Soul will cover experimental music and is run by Zhu Wenbo, the influential founder of a Beijing institution from a previous era, weekly experimental music performance Zoomin Nights. And new sublabel Captcha will release music coming out of the underground club and electronic scene. Captcha is set to be run by Wang Changchun, who releases music under the name ayrtbh, known widely for creating glitchy, electronic music. Another of Merrie Records’ significant moves was the founding of Pelican Music Academy, which has already released a guidebook for beginners entering the music industry. The aim is for Pelican to act as a business school. “We think young artists need help with

Im ages c o u rtes y o f gu i

CULTURAL INTERCONNECTIVITY professional skills,” Merrie Records’ CEO Xu Bo and COO Zhao Yue explain. “Things like how to run your own social media, how to work with streaming platforms and with brands, how to book and promote your own shows and more.” As the number of outlets for musicians to reach new fans grows, with the right advice musicians can earn a living off their music alone, something that, for many young artists, might have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Ross Miles, booking agent as well as promoter and manager of Chinese electronic musicians like Howie Lee and Scintii, speaks to the idea that the infrastructure for music in China has grown tremendously: “When we’re planning a tour now, if you compare our targets to, say, three years ago, you can do a really shit-hot job now,” he says. “You can really create quite a compelling campaign around a release that, three or four years ago, would have been unfathomable.”

One of the major trends in the club music scene in China has seen creatives from a variety of visual industries getting involved, leading to a crossover of mediums, establishing clubs as centers of culture. In Hangzhou, locally-based video artist Cheng Ran has set up The fART, an exhibition space devoted to the work of his collective, Martin Goya Business, right next door to Loopy, the nucleus for underground club music in Hangzhou. In Beijing, M. Woods became the first museum in the world to open its own dedicated club space, guī. Tom Mouna, who is taking the lead on guī, speaks about the increasing interconnection of art and music in China over the past decade, “I think it’s something that has been prevalent in China for a while, with clubs like ALL [in Shanghai] and OIL [in Shenzhen], as well as promoters like Asian Dope Boys, and an overall greater emphasis on the originality and progressiveness of club night posters and visuals. It’s definitely not something that is unique to China, and perhaps is connected to an overall

academic turn of electronic music.” One of the more impressive artists in this realm is 33EMYBW. A visual artist and fashion designer as well as a musician, her recent works seem to guide the listener through a narrative story, based around ideas of the future and humanity’s role in it. While her music fits within the club, it also feels like a story, an idea or a concept. Labels all over China have been publishing works that tend to fit with what has been labeled as conceptronica by Pitchfork, with Echoloop, SVBKVLT and Genome 6.66mbp all giving space for artists to experiment. Scan the QR code to listen to 33EMYBW’s album ‘Arthropods’

Rise of the Talent Show

eturning to the mainstream, there are certain aspects of the industry that uphold, but also threaten young artists within the music business. Over the last few months of 2019 and continuing on into 2020, TV talent show The Big Band has been putting on performances at music venues and live houses around the country, bringing together young bands for a talent concert of sorts in the style of a ‘battle of the bands.’ The winning bands from this group of shows gain the opportunity to take part in the second season of The Big Band, to perform at festivals and have the chance to sign with Taihe Music Group. The talent show format is not new. Music shows have been around for years, with artists like Yunggiema and Hanggai getting breaks into the mainstream on shows like Chinese Idol and Sing My Song. Recently, however, more refined and focused shows have been working at breaking scenes open for the general public in China. A prime example is Rap of China, which brought young rappers and musicians like PG One, Gai, Wang Yitai, Lexie Liu and more to fame. The show has undoubtedly been good for the growth of the rap scene, bringing a huge new fan base to the

genre. It also seems to have provided the impetus for large TV streaming companies to use the same model for different niches of music; iQiyi quickly brought the format to indie music with The Big Band. RADII’s Culture Editor Josh Feola has been outspoken in his skepticism of how beneficial the talent show format truly is for artists: “My attitude about the most recent developments in the Chinese music industry, and where it will go next, is somewhere between cautious optimism and skepticism. It hasn’t yet crossed into worry, or full-blown cynicism, but let’s see what happens in 2020. “I still hold out hope that there will be artists who bypass the talent show system and use the older and more traditional methods that have sustained the underground scene from the ’90s to now: independent labels, small venues, grassroots organization, DIY operations.” One of the downsides of the talent show format is that bands and artists are being white-washed, or having their image toned down in order to appear on the show. Artists who have appeared on The Big Band have complained the show’s producers decide on outfits and band narratives. That proves problematic for

Im ages c o u rtes y o f S pl it Wo rks

3 NICHE TALENT SHOWS acts that have been operating with their own identities within the indie scene for decades. On the other side of that argument, bands that have been active on local scenes for years stand to finally gain a larger audience, leading to commercial opportunities with brands and shows at huge stadiums like the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. It remains to be seen, however, whether this popularity is sustainable, or if it is merely a flash in the pan. “The more potentially useful function of the platform created by The Big Band and other shows will be to train an audience – this is who ultimately will support young bands in the long run,” says Feola. “But it’s not clear to me that the viewers of these shows will be repeat customers or directly support bands by buying music, merch or concert tickets.”

The expansion of musical tastes within the mainstream has caught the attention of large video streaming companies throughout the country, with a trio of niche talent shows taking China by storm over the latter part of the last decade.

RAP OF CHINA The original ‘niche’ music talent show, Rap of China was a smash hit, and could even be termed revolutionary. Seen as the catalyst for the launch of Kris Wu’s global appeal, the show was, on the one hand, a fantastically effective marketing tool for Wu’s career, but also helped to bring the music of Wang Yitai, Gai, PG One and others to the mainstream.

RAVE NOW With big names like Alan Walker and Lay Zhang involved with this EDM-based show, and with the market seeming to be expanding endlessly for the high-octane musical genre, this show shone a light on upcoming electronic musicians, while also setting the scene for Lay Zhang’s entry into the global music market via collaborations with Walker and, later, Jason DeRulo.

THE BIG BAND Initially drafting three mega labels, Taihe Music, Modern Sky and Cao Tai – as well as music distributor Street Voice – to provide artists for the show, The Big Band proved to be wildly popular with Chinese audiences, helping to introduce a number of rock bands, who had slogged away playing underground venues for years, to music fans. The likes of Hedgehog, New Pants and Miserable Faith saw a breakthrough, leading to endorsement deals and a boom in audience numbers at live shows.

Im ages c o u rte s y of S p li t Wor k s

Live and Kicking?

he general impression around the live music scene going into 2020 is somewhat bleak, with venues continuing to close. One of those is Dada Shanghai, which shut its doors after more than a decade of operation, due to the condemnation of the building in which it was located. While it’s not necessarily a surprise, given that the best of the city’s underground venues – like Elevator and Shelter – have been forced to move or close completely over the past couple of years, it begs the question as to why important cultural venues seem to lack protection in an age of continuous urban redevelopment. The situation up north is similarly bleak, with much dismay at long-running Beijing venue Yugong Yishan officially shutting its doors in early 2019. At the same time, the Beijing government started the new decade by declaring its intention to become an “international capital of music,” with a music and related industries revenue goal of RMB120 billion by 2025. To realize this, they have pledged to set up a special fund for the industry, build live music establishments, music towns, music industrial parks and encourage original music with subsidies. It will also build a big data platform for online music and protect music copyrights, according to their guidelines. That announcement has been met with skepticism from music watchers and promoters around the country, who are unsure of how investment in AI, music data banks and music compounds will benefit local music scenes. Archie Hamilton, co-founder of music company Split Works, was one of the first to put on a music festival in China back in 2007. “For the first six or seven years, everyone was saying, ‘You’re barking up the wrong fucking tree,’” says Hamilton. “But we were absolutely convinced that humans are humans. Ultimately, everyone

I ma ge s cou r te s y of S p li t Wor k s

likes getting together and listening to music, everywhere in the world, so it’s going to work here as well.” Fostering a culture of live music in China, Split Works got to the point where they felt they were going to pull it off. Then big international festivals with big money began to enter China, increasing competition for space in the market and raising the price tag of headlining acts. “We fought hard for nearly a decade, and then suddenly EDM came in hard and some of the bigger companies got massive, massive amounts of sponsorship and investment. We did our own deals, managed to secure some investment and decent sponsorship over the years. But, like anything in China, the market just saturated itself,” Hamilton says. “At a certain point it looked like you could make money out of festivals, but,

whenever anything looks like it could be profitable or interesting, all the dumb money in China piles in. Suddenly, what was a thin emerging marketplace became completely unsustainable for everyone.” Split Works’ Concrete & Grass Festival had proven to be a favorite among music fans over the past few years. However, they were forced to cancel the festival last year, after what Hamilton describes as a very difficult 2018. His feelings about the industry in China reflect those of Philipp Grefer – viewing this moment in time as the perfect opportunity to take stock and reflect on what the future holds. Moving forward, Split Works is going back to its roots, putting on more evenkeeled tours and shows, while looking for new and interesting ideas for their events, rather than focusing on big, headlinerbased music festivals.

In terms of the club-based music scene, Ross Miles says that promoters are also taking a step back to reconsider how to get people to go out and party. Miles, who has worked in promotion in China for the better part of the past decade, speaks to the shrinking number of fans at Shanghai clubs on any given weekend. “When I first moved to Shanghai in 2012, we did our first party at Shelter. Back then, Shelter was going through quite a green patch. A good night at Shelter then would have 350 people,” says Miles. “Now, a good night at ALL is half that, or less than half that. You look at the numbers and notice there’s a drop off. But then, you look at the audience and you see – not just at ALL, but at Elevator now and 44KW as well – a dedicated audience who are really plugged into that particular club or that particular scene.”

This trend again speaks to the power of streaming and listening to favorite artists online, with audiences growing increasingly savvy about underground music; with the ease of access to music growing, tastes have developed. “It’s that kind of scene building versus running a business, and unfortunately those two things don’t always align very well,” says Miles. “Having a club with 150 predominantly Chinese kids in is great for your legacy creatively or otherwise, but if you’re looking to run a business with relatively high rent and labor costs involved, you’ve got to sell tickets and sell drinks. Often, you’re just about selling tickets and you don’t sell very many drinks. How do you wed those things together? That’s what everyone’s trying to figure out right now.” Taking stock of the Chinese music industry as we enter a new decade, then, all is not necessarily well. On the one hand, we see the market for digital music booming. On the other, the ailing health of an increasingly competitive live music industry has its main players worried about what the future will hold. Will increased streaming give rise to increased musical knowledge and larger fan bases for a variety of genres? Or will kids be disinclined to go to a live show when they can just listen to their favorite artist online? Does the increased involvement of government in the development of live music promise sustenance for upcoming artists? Time most certainly will tell, but, as of now, for those who care about the growth of a vibrant musical culture in China, more money means more problems.

40 YEARS YOUNG When it comes to music in China, most of the current trends have had, at most, no more than 40 years to develop. Looking back, 1978 was a very fruitful time for experimental, alternative forms of music around the world: Brian Eno released the album Ambient 1: Music for Airports, the first to be explicitly created under the label ‘ambient music’; Kraftwerk released their iconic album The Man-Machine, refining their mechanical style; and Talking Heads released More Songs About Buildings and Food, the first in a trio of experimental and critically acclaimed releases. Things were not so fruitful in China. Up until that point, styles like Cantopop, Mandopop and Northwest Wind had dominated. Then, in 1979, a group of foreign workers based in Beijing called The Peking All Stars became the first rock band in China. Fast forward to 1984 and the ‘Father of Chinese Rock,’ Cui Jian, formed his first band, Qi He Ban, influenced by the likes of The Beatles and Talking Heads. Western influences had started to enter the country; Cui was one of a number of music fans who gained access to Western music via the importation of illicit records by acts like Simon and Garfunkel and John Denver. He shot to fame in 1986 after performing at Beijing Worker’s Stadium, and China’s rock music scene began to lift off, In the mid-’90s, music crept further into underground spaces, with bands like Brain Failure introducing punk music to kids, and summing up the boredom felt by the middle class. Around the same time, rap music began to take hold as acts like the group Lazy Mutha Fucka from Hong Kong and MC Hotdog out of Taiwan made waves.

45 Im ages c o u rtes y o f S pl it Wo rks

FOOD, DRINK

& EVENTS

Mood Food

Aphrodisiacs to Spice Up Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, P50

IN SHENZHEN

Ensue P52 46 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

We Tried It P48

Crops of Hops By Ryan Gandolfo

Chengdu, China’s picturesque metropolis out West, is most well-known for giant pandas and spicy cuisine. In fact, a visit to Sichuan’s capital isn’t complete until you’ve made the trip to the Chengdu Panda Base and indulged in some melt-your-face-off edibles at one of the city’s many lively hot pot restaurants. But beyond the bambooloving bears and mouth-burning dishes, Chengdu is home to a key player in China’s craft brewing revolution: Chengdu Harvest Brewing Company.

he story of Harvest Brewing Company is one of passion and perseverance. Founder Wang Rui navigated the bureaucratic red tape to establish his brewery, but incurred damages of RMB1 million after a nearby factory caught fire and destroyed Wang’s brewing equipment, according to an article by Sixth Tone. However, China’s craft beer community, among others, rallied around Wang and his boozy ambitions and helped him rebuild. Now that you know the background of the beer, here’s our take on the brewery’s Fumo IPA (fumo loosely translates to ‘de-

feating evil’). Coming in hoppy and with a 6.9% ABV, this American-style brew is as smooth an IPA as we’ve had in recent memory, putting those bad beer spirits to rest. Its fruity aroma, paired with a citrusy flavor and a crisp aftertaste, make it a year-round champ. But for a relatively mellow IPA, it still contains that bitter taste we know and love. In addition to being a cheers-worthy brew, the Fumo IPA boasts a tasteful, eyegrabbing design. The Chengdu brewery clearly holds the exterior of its cans in high regard, using the space as a canvas to showcase unique artwork, such as aliens

relaxing on lychees, among other creative drawings. Only fitting for a Chengdu brew, we see the Fumo IPA pairing nicely with your next hot pot adventure or spicy noodle order, helping to fan the flames of those famous Sichuan peppercorns. So, be sure to check out this IPA, preferably while visiting Chengdu. It’s about time you saw some pandas. Scan the QR code below using the Taobao app to purchase Chengdu Harvest Brewing’s Fumo IPA.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 47

BEER OF THE MONTH

CHENGDU HARVEST BREWING’S FUMO IPA

GRAPE VINE THE SCANDALOUS SCOOP

WE TRY IT

We’re digging:

Spicy Crayfish and Fried Crab Lay’s

The fun NYE countdown filled with hors d’oeuvres and live music at wann lounge; the grand reopening of the newly renovated NYPD Pizza at Central Walk in Futian; the largest KFC in China opening in Shenzhen; and a new pig cafe called 猪廊咖啡馆 (Zhulang Kafei Guan) opening in Luohu.

We’re done with:

Real Kung Fu, after Bruce Lee’s daughter, Sharon Lee, launched legal action against the restaurant chain last month for using the likeness of her father without permission or payment; and Lay’s spicy crayfish flavored chips, which are a major letdown if you consider yourself a fan of xiaolongxia.

48 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

While recently browsing the shelves at our local convenience store, we noticed that one of our favorite inventors of bizarre potato chip flavors – Lay’s – has a couple of new releases: spicy crayfish flavor and fried crab flavor. The spicy crayfish flavor comes in a rather lovely pastel pink bag, and is outdone only by the pastel green packaging of the fried crab chips. Both packages caught our attention, so we figured ‘what the hell’ and bought them both. Upon cracking open the spicy crayfish-flavored Lay’s, our nostrils were hit with an odor that was surprisingly similar to that of the ever-popular, chili-imbued Chinese xiaolongxia. The similarities end there, though. Taste-wise, the chips are underwhelming and lack the advertised spicy kick we were hoping for. Best described as a Lay’s Original with a subtle fishy taste, Lay’s spicy crayfish flavor is a letdown – particularly if you actually enjoy xiaolongxia. The fried crab-flavored Lay’s take a different tack: While the crayfish chips lacked in flavor, the fried crab variety go well overboard – and it isn’t pleasant. The chip seasoning is highly reminiscent of the shellfish you find at late-night barbecue joints in China’s coastal areas, where piles of garlic are used to cover up the taste of week-old oyster. Because the flavor is so pungent, Lay’s fried crab flavor doesn’t get better the more you eat; it remains overpowering and, frankly, repulsive. Who’s eating them: We honestly don’t know. We have a feeling that even those expats who like pig brain, intestines and blood in hot pot might avoid these Price: RMB7

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

BREAKING BITE

Beat the Clock This deal is simply too good to pass up. Evil Duck is holding a special ‘Beat the Clock’ promotion on their beloved grilled cheese sandwiches. Every Monday starting from 5pm, all grilled cheese sandwiches start at RMB10 and increase RMB10 per hour until they’re back at menu price by 10pm. They also do happy hour every day from 3-8pm, so it’s really a win-win. Open daily, 11am-2am. Building 76, 21 Shuiwei Wu Jie, Futian District 福田区水围五街21号76栋 (8325 3823)

WIN! One Free Copy of The Golden Forks: A Greater Bay Area Dining Guide 2019-2020 We’ve heard, we’ve listened and we’ve responded: You wanted a food guide by local experts, a guide that looks beyond Cantonese food to examine the amazing range of world cuisines available in the Greater Bay Area – and now we’ve delivered with our first-ever foodie guide book: The Golden Forks: A Greater Bay Area Dining Guide 2019-2020. Our comprehensive dining and drinking guide informs expats, visitors and locals alike on the myriad of food and beverage options available in the Greater Bay Area. From Indian food to German, Italian, French, Mexican and American-style cuisines, we have you covered in our 141-page perfectly-bound book. If you’re a foodie living in or visiting the Greater Bay Area, consider this book your essential companion! Win a free copy by messaging your name, phone number and favorite restaurant to our official WeChat account (ID: ThatsShenzhen).

To purchase a copy, head over to thmart.com.cn

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 49

E AT & DR INK | F E AT UR E

MOOD FOOD Aphrodisiacs to Spice Up Valentine’s Day

his Valentine's Day, why not turn it up a notch and indulge in some sensual aphrodisiacs with your partner. Egg yolk, cinnamon, ginger, bananas, honey, pomegranates, caviar and of course, oysters have all been linked to increased sexual desire. Here are some restaurants serving food to get you in the mood.

Life on Mars Bubble Bobble Cinnamon and dry pink grapefruit pair with a duo of smoky and fruity scotches. Hibiscus flower adds a sweet floral angle and its crowned with a bubble filled with applewood smoke. Pop it! RMB108 Unit 103, 1/F, A1 Building, North Area, Oct Loft, Xiangshan Dong Jie, Nanshan District 南山区香山东街华侨城创意园北园A1栋首层 103号店铺

Shaugnessy Steakhouse Kusshi Oysters RMB68 for one piece, RMB398 for half a dozen, RMB698 for a dozen Shop 10-11, 1/F, China Chuneng Building, Keyuan Lu, Nanshan District 南山区科苑路中国储能大厦负一楼10-11号

50 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

F E AT UR E | E AT & DR INK

V.O. Lounge Sautéed winter sweet Chinese flowering cabbage, Amur Beluga caviar, clam and chicken rice sauce This dish is included in a 13-course tasting menu which costs RMB1,588 per person.

Baked Steamed Buns with Amur Beluga Caviar RMB288/488/1088 10g/20g/50g Shop L2-S209, UpperHills, 5001 Huanggang Lu, Futian District 福田区皇岗路5001号深业上城(南区)L2层S209铺

Auvers Granola with seasonal fruits, herbs, passion fruit yogurt, brandy snap and truffle honey RMB68 L154A, East Block, One Avenue Mall, Fuhua Lu, Futian District 福田区福华路深圳中心One Avenue商场东区L154A

Godiva Box of assorted chocolates, six pieces RMB290 Scan the QR code to see listings for Godiva stores:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 51

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

ENSUE

Farm-to-Table Fusion By Phoebe Kut

The Place For a Michelin-level gastronomic journey, look no further than Ensue, which is perched on the top floor of the Futian Shangri-La. This farm-to-table concept comes from Californian chef Chris Kostow and his talented team. Chef Kostow is one the youngest chefs in the US to receive three Michelin stars and has maintained the honor since. The menu at Ensue pays respect to local products and the unique palate and culinary traditions of South China. We had the delightful opportunity to sample Ensue’s 13-course tasting menu, which comes priced at RMB1,888 per person.

The Food

The restaurant’s unique ingredients are sourced from all over China, from places like Shunde, Xinjiang, Dalian and beyond, keeping in line with the farm-to-table ethos. One of our favorite first bites is the foie gras and tea course. The presentation is impeccable, with foie gras served on a golden plate, a slice of brioche bread tucked in a napkin and a cup of tea freshly

52 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

brewed tableside by our server to wash it all down. The friendly bilingual servers kindly explain each course and where the ingredients are sourced from. The tasting menu follows the seasons to ensure the freshest of finds. During our dinner, there are two types of caviar served to showcase the quality of Chinese salt-cured roe. The first is beluga caviar from Qingdao Lake, which is served traditional-style on a small blini. Later in the evening, Ossetra caviar from Chengdu is presented in a beautiful, small, iridescent jar, layered onto sweet corn from their farm along with sturgeon bone marrow jelly and smoked sturgeon glaze. The contrast of the subtle sweetness from the corn balances out the saltiness of the caviar. There are critics who claim that you can judge the quality of a restaurant by their chicken and Ensue’s chicken definitely does not disappoint. The poultry, which is organic and fed a strict diet of sunflower seeds, comes baked in a sourdough loaf. Our server carves the bread at the table and serves us some of the juiciest chicken we’ve ever tasted. Pieces of sourdough were also left for soaking up the chicken jus.

The Vibe There is never a moment we aren’t cared for by our attentive servers. Water and wine topped up and crumbs dusted off the table after each course. If you’re looking for the pinnacle of fine dining and a truly gastronomic experience, Ensue is among your top choices. The Californian vibe is apparent as you make your way to the food-prep area. The open concept white-tiled kitchen has fresh herbs growing by the windows, and is bustling with energy and young talent. To evoke a feeling of the California mountains at twilight, the dining room is outfitted in rich leather and warm tones, perfect for an intimate and unforgettable dining experience. Price: RMB1,888 for the 13-course tasting menu Who’s going: Michelin hunters, adventurous palates Good for: intimate dinners, expanding your culinary horizons, organic fine dining Nearest metro: Shopping Park (Exit A), 8 minutes’ walk

Open Tue-Sun, 5.30-11pm. 40-41/F, Futian Shangri-La Hotel, 4088 Yitian Lu, Futian District 福田区益田路4088 号福田香格里拉大酒店40-41楼 (188 2343 7333)

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

V.O. LOUNGE Tea-Infused Tipples By Phoebe Kut

Known for their innovative and organic Asian fusion cuisine, Voisin Organique has moved from its old location to a sleek new space nestled in UpperHills. The move has allowed for an upsizing of the bar, which has been aptly named V.O. Lounge. Before our visit, we were expecting the bar to be drinks-focused and leave us wanting on the food front, but were pleasantly surprised when we arrived. As V.O. Lounge shares the same kitchen as Voisin Organique, there are an endless array of small plates to choose from. We started off with foie gras-filled egg rolls (RMB38), which, while delicious, need to be eaten promptly – lest they turn soggy. Must-try snacks include the spicy fried chicken wings (RMB68) and the char siu rice (RMB188). All chicken is sourced from their own organic free-range farm in Huizhou. What’s more, the staff swear that eggs are only laid when the chickens are happy.

BC PHO Fresh Pho By Phoebe Kut

The Place Intrigued by the name BC PHO, we decided to stop by the month-old eatery for a lunchtime visit. Upon entering the 14-seat space, we were greeted by the booming voices of Jay-Z and Biggie and an unquestionable North American touch. Could the owner be from the same BC (British Columbia), Canada from which this writer hails? We later spoke to owner Calvin Su (also the proprietor of Shaughnessy Steakhouse) who affirmed the hunch. A proud Vancouverite, Su remarked that his goal was to create a simple shop that “serves awesome pho.”

The Food

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the broth. Any pho shop worth its salt needs to deliver on that front, and BC PHO does just that. For the soup base, we opted for the clear beef soup. The pho is prepared by Vietnamese chef Anthony Vu, who doesn’t utilize any synthetic MSG in his broth. Instead, he uses sa sung, a natural substitute for MSG. (Fun fact: sa sung are dried marine sea worms.)

Although the food menu is only in Chinese, the drinks menu is bilingual so there won’t be a problem when choosing your beverages. V.O. Lounge’s specialty are their innovative cocktails, which infuse premium organic Chinese tea with your favorite spirits. One cocktail that stood out to us was Quietly Elegant (RMB108): Japanese sake, jasmine silver needle white tea and orange flower water are combined to create a floral, mellow drink that is refreshing and smooth. No strong notes of alcohol or sweetness overpower the drink. If gin is your preferred spirit, try Giardino Della Melagrana (RMB108), a seasonal cocktail paired with dahongpao (a type of oolong tea), osmanthus and pomegranate served in a coupe glass. Lastly, for the ladies, Sunset Clouds (RMB108) is a deep pink concoction of English black tea, lemon, pumpkin, ginger and shiso gin that is tart and sweet in nature. The impressive interior (which is an art piece in itself) is inspired by Antelope Canyon in Arizona, which you instantly

get a sense of from the warm beams of light streaming from the faux skylight. Art, food, drink and music combine to form a tranquil and complete dining experience. Chef Rosetta, who designs the menu and cocktails, also curates the music. Peaceful tinkles of xylophones and lush sounds of clacking cups add to the ambience and surround the space with a sense of zen. For an evening of refined cocktails and fusion fare, this is the perfect date night spot – an escape from the chaotic pace of Shenzhen life.

Options for meat include sliced rare M3 wagyu rib eye (RMB42) or meatballs (RMB48). Su recommends not to throw the bean sprouts directly in the soup until you’ve finished the noodles as it may give the broth a slightly bitter taste. Instead, squirt some fresh lime all over the fragrant bowl of noodles and don’t be shy to try any of the accompanying sauces on the side. The balance of sweet, salty, sour and hot in the soup was just right. If you like your pho with a bit of kick, try the sour ‘n’ spicy soup base. Apart from pho, the restaurant also serves delicious banh mi (RMB42) made with fresh buns courtesy of local bakery Chickadee. They’re stuffed to the brim with your choice of meat, fresh herbs and pickled veggies – a great on-the-go option for lunch or a quick dinner. There are also small plates like their summer rolls (highly recommended), crispy spring rolls and fried chicken wings, which all are priced at a modest RMB28. In true Vietnamese fashion

we sipped on an iced coffee (RMB18) to round off the meal.

Price: RMB300 Who’s going: art appreciators, couples Good for: tea-infused cocktails, fusion small bites Nearest metro: Lianhua North (Exit A2), 20 minutes’ walk

Open daily, 5.30pm-2am. Shop L2-S209, UpperHills, 5001 Huanggang Lu, Futian District 福田区皇岗路5001 号深业上城(南区)L2层S209铺 (133 2298 7869)

The Vibe

Su shows that he is a versatile restaurateur, with this modern hole-in-the-wall a stark contrast to his upscale steakhouse. BC Pho is casual, fun and the food is reasonably priced for quality and hearty fare. Not far from MixC mall, if you’re tired of the same pho haunts (ahem, Pho Nam) then this shop is definitely worth checking out. Price: RMB78 Who’s going: banh mi boys, the healthconscious, hungover folk Good for: MSG-free pho, flavors of Southeast Asia, savory Saigon snacks Nearest metro: Hi-Tech Park (Exit B), 9 minutes’ walk

Open daily, 11am-2.30pm, 5.30-9pm. Shop 1-111, Building H, Dachong Dushi Huayuan, 55 Tonggu Lu, Nanshan District 南山区铜鼓路55号大冲都市花园H座 1-111 (3320 3357)

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 53

E AT & DR INK | A D V E R T OR I A L

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Four Spots to Drink and Dine this Valentine’s Day

They say that if you truly love someone, then every day is Valentine’s Day. We beg to differ, because, frankly, it’s not every day that you can attend romance-fueled events and take advantage of epic hotel deals. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the most romantic spots to spend Valentine’s Day.

GRAND HYATT SHENZHEN Make this Valentine’s Day special with your loved one at one of Grand Hyatt Shenzhen’s four scrumptious restaurants. Sip on Miraval rosé while enjoying a romantic dinner at Belle-Vue Grill, or indulge in a four-course authentic Italian set dinner at La Terrazza. If you prefer fresh seafood, a sumptuous buffet awaits at The Show Kitchen.

1881 Banan Nan Lu, Luohu District 罗湖区宝安南路1881号深圳君悦酒店 (2218 7338)

PIPETTE FRENCH RESTAURANT Nothing quite says ‘I love you’ like French fare. Celebrate this special day in style with InterContinental’s French restaurant Pipette, which will be beautifully decorated on Valentine’s Day. Enjoy live performances all night, setting the romantic mood for you and your partner. If you forgot to buy something special for the big day, don’t fret, because you’ll have the chance to win some amazing prizes in the lucky draws. The team at Pipette has carefully curated a sumptuous menu, which includes foie gras, shrimp, consomme, M7 Wagyu beef and halibut. Craving some extra privacy? The Wine Room (RMB11,529) or Latour Room (RMB19,691) are available for reservation, booking includes romantic decorations and a bottle of Dom Perignon or Chateau Latour 2000 Grand Cru Classe. 1/F Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, 9009 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District 南山区华侨城深南大道9009洲际大酒店首层 (3399 3388 ext. 8581)

54 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

A D V E R T OR I A L | E AT & DR INK

WESTWOOD FIRE&SMOKE Westwood is the first restaurant in Shenzhen to specialize in tender, slow roasted prime rib. Easily considered one of the best cuts of beef, prime rib is a type of classic roast beef made from the beef rib primal cut, usually roasted bone-in and served with a tasty reduction called au jus, a sauce made from the drippings. Their impressive red wine collection is sourced from all around the world and specially selected by the culinary team. Mark your calendars, because on Valentine’s Day the first 10 couples can enjoy free welcome drinks.

Shop NL119, MixC World, 9668 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District 南山区深南大道9668号华润万象天地 NL119铺 (8668 7399)

JW MARRIOTT HOTEL SHENZHEN BAO’AN Who really wants to cook on Valentine’s Day? Let The Shenzhen Kitchen arrange a decadent seafood buffet which will available at lunch (RMB308/person) and dinnertime (RMB558/person, RMB999/couple). The Shenzhen Kitchen is a timeless yet contemporary all-day dining restaurant with an outdoor terrace, offering authentic specialties from China, India, Japan and Europe prepared in open kitchens. 8 Baoxing Lu, Bao’an District 宝安区宝兴路8 号 (2323 8888)

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 55

HEAR

Sound Intersection Guitar

Int’l Large Screen Display Technology Exhibition

Two young Japanese guitarists, Yuki Matsui and Seiji Iguso, will be gracing Hou Live this month. Since his debut, Yuki has been widely praised and well-received by the YouTube community. Seiji has a more traditional academic upbringing and has won numerous awards. Together they will share the stage and showcase their talents, get ready for a rhythmic night! Sat Feb 22,7.30-9pm; RMB200-380. Hou Live, B112A, KK ONE Shopping Center, 9289 Binhe Dadao, Futian District 福田区滨河大道9289号KK ONE购物中心负一层B112A (damai.cn)

Suchmos Rock It’s a lights extravaganza at this exhibition! The four-day event will feature screen display technology, audio-visual integrated system, LEDs and signage from more than 2,000 exhibitors, bringing an immersive experience to global buyers. The highlight of this year’s exhibition will be the introduction of six exhibition areas, each providing a display solution for various business scenarios: smart city, new retail, smart campus, pan entertainment, museum and digital cinema and security and information flow. Mon-Thu Feb 24-27, various times. Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, 1 Zhancheng Lu, Bao’an District 宝安区展城路1号深圳国际会展中心 (isle.org.cn)

BritCham GD Greater Bay Area Technology and Innovation Symposium

Inspired by a range of genres, including rock, jazz and hip hop, Suchmos will make their presence known when they arrive in Shenzhen this month to perform at B10. The Japanese band, formed in 2013, performed on the main stages of 14 music festivals last summer, giving fans a whole lot of rockin’ vibes. Tue Feb 11, 8.30pm; RMB280 presale, RMB380 at the door. B10 Live, North side of Building C2, North Area, OCT-Loft, Xiangshan Dong Jie, Nanshan District 南山区香山东街华侨城创意文化园北区C2栋B10现场 (247tickets.com)

Swimming Tapes Indie

The long-awaited Greater Bay Area Symposium is back on February 17 at Bee+, with a focus on those who would like to expand their business footprint in the Greater Bay Area. The main focus will be on the tech and innovation industry in Shenzhen, where there is a growing focus from investors, governments and technologists. Hear speakers share their views on British business and start-ups in GBA, acceleration through local subsidies, fintech growth in Hong Kong and navigating the ‘one country two systems’ philosophy. Contact events@britchamgd.com to register or for more information. Mon Feb 17, 1-6pm; RMB150 member, RMB400 nonmember. Bee+, Fortune Building, 88 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District 福田区福华三路88号财富大厦Bee+ (020 8331 5013 ext. 607) 56 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Swimming Tapes have had a clear agenda from day one. The band formed when four friends settled in London from Northern Ireland. Slow-burning instrumental sections swoon alongside the rapid-fire pop songwriting that quickly won Swimming Tapes fans. Drawing on a range of musical influences, from the effortless summer melodies of The Beach Boys and Wild Nothing’s dreamy, shoegazing hue through to the interweaving guitar work of Real Estate, the indie outfit formed the unmistakable sound of Swimming Tapes and self-released their debut single ‘Souvenirs’ in March 2016. Sun Feb 8, 8.30pm; RMB120 presale, RMB150 at the door. B10 Live, North side of Building C2, North Area, OCT-Loft, Xiangshan Dong Jie, Nanshan District 南山区香山东街华侨城创意文化园北区C2栋 B10现场 (247tickets.com)

SEE

Urban Interactions Exhibition

Shenzhen Aviators Basketball

Catch the Shenzhen Aviators in action before the season is over! They’ll be going head-to-head with opponents from Shanghai, Tongxi, Beijing, Qingdao and Jilin. Last season, Shenzhen was ranked fourth, with 33 wins and 13 losses. Shenzhen Universiade Center, 3001 Longxiang Dadao, Longgang District 龙岗区龙翔大道3001号深圳市大运中心体育场 (damai.cn)

From Mediterranean to China: Selections from Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum Collections

This exhibition showcases cultural relics from ancient civilizations along the Silk Road collected by Japanese artist Mr. Hirayama Ikuo. Items ranges from the Mediterranean area, Mesopotamia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Expect precious artifacts like painted Greek pottery, Greek sculptures, Roman and Persian glassware, Persian gold and silver ware, gold and silver coins, Central Asian tapestries, India Buddhist sculptures, as well as some of the sketches drawn in Dunhuang by Mr. Hirayama. Tue-Sun until Mar 29, 10am-6pm; free entry. Shenzhen Museum, Section A, Shenzhen Citizen Center, 3 Fuzhong San Lu, Futian District 福田区福中3路深圳市民中心A区深圳博物馆 (shenzhenmuseum.com)

The theme of the 2019 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism Architecture (UABB) is ‘Urban Interactions.’ The team of chief curators includes Architect and Director of MIT Senseable City Lab Carlo Ratti, CAE Academic Meng Jianmin and famous curator and art critic Fabio Cavallucci. The exhibition consists of two sections, namely ‘Eyes of the City’ and ‘Ascending City,’ which explore the evolving relationship between urban space and technological innovation from different perspectives. Tue-Sun until Mar 8, 10am-6pm; free entry. Futian Railway Station, Fuzhong Lu, Futian District 福田区福中路福田地铁站 (szhkbiennale.org.cn)

Values of Design: China in the Making Exhibition

This exhibition focuses on seven values closely related to the development of design history: performance, problem solving, materials, identity, communication, cost and spectacle. Two questions are also explored: How do we measure the value of things? And how do these values in turn drive design development? Daily ongoing, 10am-7pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-9pm (Sat-Sun); RMB68. V&A Gallery, 1/F, Sea World Culture and Art Center, 1187 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District 南山区蛇口望海路1187号海上世界文化艺术中心1楼 (designsociety.cn)

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020| SZ | 57

Chinese Spring Festival Journey Home Today, there are many gateways to China for the world to observe and experience modern Chinese society and old traditions. Among these gateways, the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, can be considered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fast trackâ&#x20AC;? to understanding Chinese culture and is perhaps the most interesting of the Chinese traditions.

HONG KONG & MACAO CALENDAR HK

FEB 8-9 SAT-SUN

Hong Kong Marathon, various times, prices and venues (hkmarathon.com) The Hong Kong Marathon is taking place this February, and this year’s event will be the first time that a 10-kilometer wheelchair race for disabled participants is included! The race includes a variety of events, from 800 meters (Kickoff Family Run) to the full-length 42-kilometer marathon, and is considered one of Hong Kong’s most popular sporting events.

FEB 14-16 FRI-SUN

Masters of Hong Kong, 8pm; various prices. AsiaWorld-Expo (longinesmasters.com) There’s something about watching horses run that is simply enthralling. Masters of Hong Kong will kick off this month, combining heart-pounding racing with topnotch entertainment, art and gastronomy. The event runs alongside Asia Horse Week, where the key players of the horse world meet (excluding BoJack Horseman, of course).

FEB 21-23 FRI-SUN

UNTIL FEB 8

This Valentine’s Day, catch the beautiful and talented Latvian accordionist Ksenija Sidorova at this Latin-themed concert. Sidorova picked up the accordion at the age of 8 and has been active on stage since 2009. She will be performing in concert with the Macao Orchestra under the baton of Polish conductor Michal Nesterowicz.

CNY Dinner at Vida Rica, noon-3pm, 6-10.30pm; various prices. Vida Rica Restaurant (Mandarin Oriental, Macau) Enjoy festive dishes and themed menus over an extended period this Chinese New Year at Mandarin Oriental, Macau’s Vida Rica Restaurant. Both Western and Cantonese set menus are available for one patron or a group of diners during lunch and dinner. For reservation, call 853 8805 8918.

FEB 24

UNTIL FEB 13

Feast of the God Tou Tei, Fok Tak Chi, Horta da Mitra. Tou Tei is the God of Earth in Chinese folk religion, who is believed to be everywhere. Celebrations are held at the Tou Tei Temples on Taipa and elsewhere around the city. Chinese pastries are offered to Tou Tei on the occasion, while Cantonese opera performances will be staged in front of the Fok Tak Chi temple. Lion dances and other traditional shows will round out the festivities.

DAILY

FROM FEB 13 THU

Hong Kong Arts Festival, various times, prices and venues (hkartsfestival.org) February is the best month of the year in Hong Kong for lovers of the arts scene. And while we’ve never heard anyone specifically state it, after checking out all the music and dance programs for this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival, you better believe it! Starting on February 13, be sure to check out their website to find a show that will amaze.

Vegetarian Food Asia, various times and prices. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (10times.com) With the goal of promoting a healthy and sustainable vegetarian lifestyle, the Vegetarian Food Asia exhibition is the perfect event to learn more about the fast-growing market. You’ve read it in the news: Food trends are changing from hamburgers to Impossible Burgers, with a more mainstream appeal for vegetarian food and products. Buyers from around the globe will be at the event.

Red December, 10am-7pm; free admission. Tap Seac Gallery. Red December is a solo exhibition of Macao-born Renaissance man Carlos Marreiros, an architect, city planner, painter, writer and poet. It features the namesake large-scale artwork by Marreiros, as well as a number of paintings from his sketchbook, depicting a utopia in which historic Chinese and Western figures from various periods converge to converse with each other.

FEB 14

MON

FEB 29-MAR 1 SAT-SUN

The Procession of the Passion of Our Lord, St. Augustine’s Church. This iconic procession is a unique religious celebration in Macao. An image of Christ carrying the cross is taken in solemn procession from St. Augustine’s Church to the Cathedral of Macao for an overnight vigil and then returned through the city via the stations of the cross, accompanied by a magenta-robed escort and crowds of the faithful and curious.

FRI

Latin Passion – Valentine’s Day Concert, 8pm; MOP150-250. Macao Cultural Center (macauticket.com)

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 59

HOTEL NEWS PROMOTIONS

Weekday Set Lunch

Classic British Roast Dinner

Bring your friends or workmates to a delicious weekday lunch at La Terrazza and enjoy a three-course Italian set menu with an appetizer or soup, one signature Italian main course and one dessert, priced at RMB158 per person.

Every Wednesday night until February 7, Duke’s at The Langham, Shenzhen presents a traditional British roast dinner that’s perfect for families and friends. Well-prepared prime rib is slow roasted to ensure juicy flavors. A layer of rich gravy is poured on the prime rib, which is accompanied by a fluffy Yorkshire pudding. Served with wholesome vegetables, a perfect British roast dinner awaits.

La Terrazza, Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, 1881 Bao’an Nan Lu, Luohu District 罗湖区宝安南路1881 号深圳君悦酒店 (2218 7338)

Duke’s, The Langham, Shenzhen. 7888 Shennan Dadao, Futian District 福田区深南大道7888 号 (8828 9888)

Weekend Lobster and Oyster Brunch The start to a great weekend always includes brunch. Every Saturday and Sunday from noon till 3pm, enjoy lobster and oysters, with unlimited selection of a variety of appetizers, soup and warm plates. Finish with amazing desserts, culminating in a relaxing weekend at The Glasshouse. Brunch includes a free flow of soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea all for RMB388/person. Add free flow wine or beer for RMB568/person. 47/F The Glasshouse, Park Hyatt Shenzhen, 5023 Yi Tian Lu, Futian District 福田区益田路5023 号酒店47层深圳柏悦酒店皓堂(8829 1234)

60 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Melody-themed High Tea The Lounge introduces a ‘melody-themed’ afternoon tea, inspired by musicals and films, giving guests a unique opportunity to enjoy pastries inspired by music. A selection of desserts and refreshments designed by the culinary team of Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan will attract music lovers, while live piano performances will create a relaxed atmosphere for guests to unwind. Sip on tea and enjoy stunning harbor views to make for an exquisite afternoon. The Lounge, Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan, 43/F, 8 Haide Yi Dao, Nanshan District 南山区海德一道8号深圳中洲万豪酒店 (8436 8255)

TRAVEL DEALS Two-Night Stay at The Westin Blue Bay Resort & Spa, Sanya Enjoy a relaxing two-night stay in a luxurious deluxe oceanfront room at The Westin Blue Bay Resort & Spa, Sanya this month for only RMB2,388. This rate includes daily buffet breakfast for two adults and one child under 6 years old, a restaurant meal (one per stay, lunch or dinner), a RMB288 spa voucher, complimentary pickup or drop off service and free access to the children’s playground, infinity pool and wave pool, among other perks. Trust us when we say there’s no better way to start the Year of the Rat than with a beach vacation, and this package is the perfect excuse to ditch the city and enjoy a little sun and sand.

For booking and further information on this package, scan the QR code:

Two-Night Stay at Banyan Tree Spa Hangzhou If seaside fun isn’t your cup of tea, thMart has an alternative for you: Enjoy a two-night stay in a water-view villa at Banyan Tree Spa Hangzhou for only RMB3,999. In addition to daily Chineseand Western-style buffet breakfasts, this package also includes dinner with authentic Hangzhou dishes, admission tickets to Xixi National Wetland Park and discounts on purchases at the hotel gift shop. For travelers with kids, it also offers a complimentary extra soft bed with daily breakfast for your little one.

For booking and further information on this package, scan the QR code:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020 | SZ | 61

CITY SCENES Bravo New Year’s Countdown Party (Supported by )

Mercato New Year’s Countdown Party (Supported by )

At Bravo’s New Year’s Countdown Party on December 31, a ‘Wealth&Honour Peace Cider’ was unveiled to thirsty patrons.

A great number of partygoers and fashionistas converged at Mercato on the evening of December 31 to ring in the arrival of 2020. Against the backdrop of Guangzhou’s CBD area, Mercato transformed into a party space on the last day of 2019, entertaining visitors with live music, dancing, champagne and much more.

Whiskey Tasting at Beeplus Super Bakery (Supported by )

New Year’s Countdown Party at wann lounge (Supported by )

Beeplus Super Bakery, billed as Asia’s biggest of its kind, played host to a whiskey tasting on December 30. Invitees included startup founders and entrepreneurs from various industries, who mingled and exchanged ideas. Beeplus’ whiskey tasting is shaping up to be a regular social gathering for like-minded individuals residing in the ever-changing city of Shenzhen.

With an exciting red theme, the countdown party at wann lounge on December 31 saw a slew of partygoers don their best red attire. The upscale lounge in Shenzhen hosted a fun-filled party with a live band and DJ, while giving out prizes to lucky attendees.

62 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

GBA FOCUS

his January, Yue Jing Xuan at Park Hyatt Guangzhou earned the title of Two-Diamond Restaurant in the 2020 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. This is the third time the restaurant has won the culinary award.

rowngrove School Mission Hills in Shenzhen held its Chinese New Year celebration on January 17. The event featured homemade food, live music, dragon dances, a cheongsam fashion show and many other festive activities.

n January 15, the British Consulate General in Guangzhou held a press conference where statistics about Sino-British trade and investment, visa reviews and more were provided.

N Holdings recently unveiled their new development, LN Residence, Changdi Guangzhou, which is located on the north bank of the Pearl River. Apartments ranging from luxury singles to two-bedroom suites meet diverse needs. Residents can enjoy 180-degree views of the Pearl River inside the rooms.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020| SZ | 63

LISTINGS

Scan for complete listings

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

Winner of a That's Food & Drink Award 2018

OPEN DOOR

ITALIAN

FOOD & DRINK AMERICAN

Element Fresh1) 1/F, Zone B, Sea World, Shekou, Nanshan District (2681 4848) 2) L27/7A, Wongtee Plaza, 118 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8323 7249) 1) 南山区海上世界广场B区B130-210号 2) 福田区福华三路118号皇庭国商购物广场L2-7/7A号

Baia Burger Concept 1) 1C-077-078A, 1/F, Shopping Park, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8290 6696) 2) A2303 3/F, Second Building Section A, Sea World, Shekou, Nanshan District (2681 8890) 1) 福田区福华三路购物公园

1楼078A 2) 深圳市南山区蛇口海上世界A区2座3 楼3号

The Butchers Club B101A, PAFC Mall, Ping An Finance Center, 5033 Yitian Lu, Futian District (8272 5669) 福田区益田路5033号平安

金融中心B1，下沉式广场B101A商铺（观光厅入口旁边）

Morton's Grille N901, 9/F, PAFC Mall, Ping An Finance Center, 5033 Yitian Lu, Futian District (8326 8333) 福田区益田路5033号平安

金融中心9楼N901

Hard Rock Cafe Shenzhen 9 Mission Hills Blvd, Longhua New District (3395 2888) 龙华新区观澜高尔夫大道9号www. hardrockhotels.com/shenzhen

Blue Frog Shop 28, 2/F, Wongtee Plaza, 118 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8255 3646) 福田区福华三路118号皇庭国商购物广

PAPI Italian Restaurant N702, 7/F, Ping An Finance Center, 5033 Yitian Lu, Futian District (8326 6833) 福田区益田路5033号平安

金融中心7楼N702号

Artisans 1/F, Block A, Poly Cultural Center, Houhaibin Lu, by Haide San Dao (8628 7109) 南山区保利文化广场A区40号店铺 Alla Torre #101, Area B, Sea World, 1128 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2685 1322) 南山区蛇口望海路1128号海上世界B区101 Blue Italian Seafood & Grill Restaurant 3/F, The Venice Raytour Hotel Shenzhen, 9026 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District (2693 6888) 南山区深南大道9026号深圳威尼斯

睿途酒店3楼意大利餐厅

Baia Restaurant Bar Grill B301, Bldg B, Zone B, Sea World Square, Shekou, Nanshan District (2681 8836) 南山区蛇口海上世界广场B区3楼B301

La Terrazza 1/F, Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, 1881 Baoan Nan Lu, by Jiabing Lu (2218 7338) 罗湖区宝安南路1881号深圳君悦酒店 Paletto 2/F, The Ritz-Carlton, 116 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (2222 2222) 福田区福华三路116号深圳星河丽思卡尔顿酒店二层

Oggi Trattoria Pizzeria 3-14 Golden Century Lu, Phase 3, Coastal Rose Garden, Shekou, Nanshan District (2689 0118) 南山区蛇口金世纪路南海玫瑰花园三期金世纪路3-14号

场2层28铺

PIZZA

CHINESE CANTONESE

Pizza Express Shop 568, 5/F, the MixC, 1881 Bao'an Nan Lu, Luohu District (2215 9036) 罗湖区宝安南路1881号万象城5楼568

号商铺

Hoi Fan 1) North gate L/F, Yijing Central Walk Shopping Mall, 3 Fuhua Yi Lu, Futian District (8322 6165) 2) Rm 16 3/F, Raffles City, 2163 Nanhai Dadao, Nanshan District (2640 8664) 1) 福田区福华一路3号新怡景商业中心L层北大门 2) 南海大道2163号来福士广场3层16号

Kiwi Pizza 1) Shop B14, COCO Park, by Fuhua Lu (8329 2299) 2) 8 Outlets Minkang Lu, by Huanan Lu 3) B1, 138 Mintian Lu, by Fuhua Yi Lu 1) 福田区购物公园B1楼地铁商业街

B14铺 2)龙华新区奥特莱斯8号仓店 3) 福田区民田路138号购物公园B1楼

Baia Da Marco Shop #28 Coastal Rose Garden, Shekou, Nanshan District, shenzhen (2681 8849) 南山区蛇口街道望海路南海玫瑰花

Diandoude Dim Sum 4/F, Greater China IFC, Shennan Dadao and Caitian Lu Interchange, Futian District (8321 9215) 福田区

园（二期）33—36裙楼28

Jade Garden 22-31 L2/F, Yitian Holiday Plaza, 9028 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District (8860 6228) 南山区深南大道9028号益田

NYPD New York Pizza Delivery 1) Shop 26, HaichangJie, 1 Gongyuan Nan Lu (8887 6973) 2) 3 Fuhua Yi Lu, by Zhongxin Si Lu (8887 6973) 1) 南山区公园南路1号海尚国际26

深南大道和彩田路交汇处大中华IFC四楼

假日广场L2楼22-31号

号铺 2)福田区福华一路中心城FL1015商铺

FRENCH

SICHUAN Rong Yue 1) 468 4/F, MIXC, 1881, Bao'an Nan Lu, Luohu District (2221 6888) 2) L3/F, Yitian Holiday Plaza, 9028 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District (8665 6877) 1) 罗湖区宝安

南路1881号华润万象城一期4层468号2) 南山区深南大道9028号益田假日广场3层

THE LOTUS POOL BY MOONLIGHT The COLI Lofty ‘The Lotus Pool by Moonlight’ is an artistic dish that is highly recommended by Executive Chef Tiger Zhang of The COLI Lofty. Using delicacies like foie gras, Chef Zhang constructs a cultural Chinese diorama on your plate, each element edible and scrumptious. The COLI Hotel, 168 Dayun Lu, Longgang District 龙岗区大运路168号深圳中海凯骊酒店 (8989 9888)

Lan Ting 23/F, Hilton Shenzhen Futian, Tower B, Great China IFC, 1003 Shennan lu, Futian District (2130 8888) 福田区深南大道1003号大中华国际金融中心B座大深圳中华希尔顿酒店23楼

SHANGHAINESE Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao B1/F, KK MALL, 5016 Shennan Dong Lu, Futian District (2265 9183) 福田区深南东路5016号 KKMALL京基百纳空间B1层

Din Tai Fung 3/F, MixC, 1881, Bao'an Nan Lu, Luohu District (2598 2779) 罗湖区宝安南路1881号华润万象城一期3层

Shanghai Min A-1F, OCT Bay, 13 Baishi Dong Lu, Nanshan District (4008209777) 南山区白石路东13号欢乐海岸曲水湾A-1F

64 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Belle-Vue Grill 37/F, Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, 1881 Bao'an Nan Lu, Luohu District (2218 7338) 罗湖区宝安南路1881号君悦酒

店37楼

L’etoile Building A 302-303, Ecological PLAZA, OCT, Nanshan District (8166 8111) 南山区华侨城生态广场A 栋302-303

La Maison Shop 108, Nanhai Rose Garden, 91 Wanghai Lu, Nanshan District (2685 7030) 南山区望海路91号南海玫瑰花园108号

Taste Moment Restaurant 1st floor, Bldg 1, Block A, 1979 Cultural and Creative Park, 1011 Qiaoxiang Lu, Futian District (8255 6173) 福田区侨香路1011号1979文化生活新领

域A区1栋1层

GERMAN Haxnbauer 1) L1C-055B, 1/F, Coco Park, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8359 2080) 2) L1-15, Raffles City, 2163 Nanhai Ave, Nanshan District (8652 6580) 1) 福田区福华三路星河Coco Park一楼L1C-055B 2) 南山区南海大道2163号福士广场L1-15

OPEN DOORS

Paulaner Brauhaus 1) C-005, Huanchuan Square, Sea World, Shekou, Nanshan District (2668 7230) 2) 8/F, Shop 801, PAFC Mall,Ping’An Finance Centre, 5033 Yitian Lu, Futian District (8253 5187) 1) 南山区蛇口海上世界环船广场C-005 2)福田区益田路5033号平安金融中心8楼801

SPANISH

Kyoku Japanese Cuisine B-17 Qushui Bay, OCT Bay, 50 Baishi Lu East, Nanshan District (8654 1122) 南山区白石路东50号欢乐海岸曲水湾B-17

Nishimura 1/F, Macro Polo Hotel, Fuhua Yi Lu, by Mintian Lu (3339 7709) 福田中心区福华一路马哥孛罗好日子酒店1楼

Kanpai Classic 9/F, PAFC Mall, Ping An Finance Center, 5033 Yitian Road, Futian District (6182 2987) 福田区福华三路平安金

融中心第9楼

Ling Spanish Kitchen 1011 Qiao Xiang Dong Lu, 1979 Cultural Park, Nanshan District (8322 7522) 南山区侨香东路1011号1979

KOREAN

文化新天地B区1层

MIDDLE EASTERN

Minikor Kitchen L01-B01, Coco Park, 269 Fuhua San Lu, by Mintian Lu, Futian District (8606 9266) 福田区民田路福华三路269号星河

Coco Park L1-B0

Bus Grill Turkish Steakhouse Shop 134, 1/F, Shopping Park B Area, Futian District (158 2044 6962) 福田区购物公园B区134铺 Les 5 Chef's Miznon 143 Laojie, Shekou, Nanshan District (132 5889 0561) 南山蛇

Bornga Korean Cuisine A-11A, Qushui Wan, OCT Bay, 42 Baishi Lu East, Nanshan District (8654 1158) 南山区白石路东42号欢乐

海岸曲水湾A-11A

口老街143号

The Istanbul Restaurant 1-22 Huafa Bei Lu, Huaqiangbei Jiedao, Futian District (3309 7180) 福田区华强北街道华发北路1-22号

MEXICAN Teqo FL1018, Yijing Central Walk Shopping Mall, 3 Fuhua Yi Lu, Futian District. (18928448542) 福田区福华一路3号怡景中心城FL1018号铺

Orale No. 1026, Zhonghang Beiyuan V Shangjie, Zhenhua Lu, Huaqiangbei, Futian District (2396 4990) 福田区华强北振华路中航北苑V尚街1026号铺

Tacos 3118#, Sea World Square, 32 Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2161 1006) 南山区蛇口太子路32号海上世界广场A3118店铺

Latina No. 1128, Sea World, Wanghai Lu, by Nanhai Dadao (2667 7679) 南山区蛇口望海路1128号海上世界广场C区

INDIAN Bombay Indian Restaurant & Bar Shops 20-24, Sea World, Nanshan District (2667 6049) 南山区海上世界商铺20-24号

VIETNAMESE Lian Shop 562, 5/F, The MIXC Shenzhen, Luohu District (8266 6366) 罗湖区万象城商场5楼562铺

Muine 1) L2-203, Coco Park, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8271 2527) 2) B139 and B139-2, B1/F, Jiufang Shopping Mall, ShennanZhong Lu, Futian District (2681 7828) 3) No. 219, 2/F, Shekou Garden City Center, Nanshan District (2681 7828) 4) B2-017A, King Glory Plaza, Luohu District (2220 3052) 5) RL1094B, Yijing Central Walk Shopping Mall, 3 Fuhua Yi Lu, Futian District (8273 2993) 6) G-025B, OCT Bay Shopping mall, 13 Baishi Dong Lu, Nanshan District (8671 7326) 1) 福田区福华三路COCO Park L2-203 2) 福田区深南中路华强北九方购物中心B1层B139 & B139-2 3) 南山区南海大道1086 号花园城中心第2楼219号铺 4) 罗湖区人民南路金光华广场B2层B2-017A号 5) 福田区福华三路中心城广场L层RL1094B号 6) 南山区滨海大道2008号欢乐海岸购物中心G-025B

湖宾馆地下一层

利文化广场A区2楼48-49号商铺

Little Papa Indian Restaurant #116, Building 6, Nanhai E-Cool, Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2686 0020) 南山区蛇口太子路南海意库6栋116号

JAPANESE BOA 3/F, West side of International Bar Street, Sea World, Shekou, Nanshan District (130 4894 9034) 南山区蛇口海上世界国际酒

B26C商铺

THAI The Terrace Restaurant & Bar #201, Sea World Square, 32 Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2682 9105) 南山区蛇口太子路32号海上世界广场商铺201

Very Siam 1/F, A3 Bldg, Xiangshan Dong Jie, OCT-Loft, Nanshan District (8623 3225) 南山区OCT创意园香山东街A3栋1楼

Yes Thai 1) 4/F, KK Shopping Mall, KK Financial Centre, 5016 Shennan Dong Lu, by Hongbao Lu (2290 0333) 2) 5/F, Costal City, 33 Wenxin Wu Lu, by Haide Yi Dao (8635 9989) 1) 罗湖区深南东路5016号京基百

纳空间购物中心4楼 2) 南山区文心五路33号海岸城购物中心五楼

La Maison D'Elephant 8/F, PAFC Mall, Ping An Finance Center, 5033 Yitian Lu, Futian District (8831 9918) 福田区益田路5033号平

安金融中心8楼

BUFFETS Café Zen 1/F, Futian Shangri-la Shenzhen, 4088 Yitian lu, Futian District (2151 3825)福田区益田路4088号深圳福田香格里拉大酒店1层

－L121店

Komachi B-132, North Side, Shopping Park, Futian District (8290 5806) 福田区购物公园北园B区132号

The Ritz-Carlton, Shenzhen, 116 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District 福田区福华三路116号深圳星河丽思卡尔顿酒店(2222 2222)

生活新领域B区

Tang Ben Jia #FL1011, L/F, Yijing Central Walk Shopping Mall, 3 Fuhua Yi Lu, Futian District (8280 1086) 福田区福华一路3号怡景中心城广场L楼FL1011号

Stefano Nicodemo, Western executive sous chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Shenzhen, jointly presents unique tasting adventures with Jose Manuel Miguel, one-star Michelin guest chef from Spain, and Erzal Stiawan, head mixologist from the W Xi’an. Perfectly blending Italian and Spanish culinary arts at Paletto and infusing the glamor of creative cocktails with international gourmets at Flavorz, the three experts are set to delight diners’ palates with creativity and passion.

Pho Nam Shop B26C, Link City Passage, by Fuhua Lu (8255 7048) 福田区连城新天地

吧街西侧三楼

Bincho Ya L120-121, Bldg 2, Times Square Excellence, Fuhua Lu, Futian District (8278 2760) 福田区福华路卓越时代广场二期L120

The Ritz-Carlton, Shenzhen

Mon Saigon Block B, 1979 Cultural and Creative Park, by Qiaoxiang Lu, Futian District (8270 3282) 福田区侨香路1979文化

Saffron Indian Restaurant and Bar Floor B1, Jinhu Hotel, 1005 Wenjin Lu, Luohu District (8219 1115) 罗湖区文锦中路1005号锦 Indian Cottage Shop 48-49, 2/F, Area A, Poly Cultural Centre, Wenxin Wu Lu, Nanshan District (8628 7265) 南山区文心五路保

THE MICHELIN-STARRED SENSATIONS

The Show Kitchen 32/F, Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, 1881 Baoan Nan lu, Luohu District (2218 7338) 罗湖区宝安南路1881号深圳君悦

酒店32层

FROM RANCH TO TABLE Kanpai Classic Kanpai Classic (老干杯) is a steakhouse originating from Taiwan, which has also earned a Michelin star in Shanghai. It serves high-grade Australian wagyu and is known for professional and meticulous service. From ranch to table, the Australian wagyu is chilled and shipped over two weeks to maintain freshness. Shop 530-533, 5/F, MixC, 1881 Bao’an South Road, Luohu District 罗湖区宝安南路1881号华润万象城5层530-533号铺 (2298 9960) WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020| SZ | 65

OPEN DOOR

Silk 2/F, The Langham, Shenzhen, 7888 Shennan Dadao, Futian District (8828 9888 ext. 8921) 深圳东海朗廷酒店2层秀·自助餐厅

福田香格里拉大酒店福田区益田路 4088 号

Market Café 2/F, Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Airport, Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, Boa’an District (2345 1234) 宝安区深圳

福田区福华三路 138 号

宝安国际机场深圳机场凯悦酒店2层

Café Marco 1/F, Marco Polo Shenzhen, 28 Fuhua Yi Lu, Futian District (3322 7777) 福田区福华一路28号深圳马哥孛罗好日子酒店1层

Yitian Lu, Futian District (8828 4088).

Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen 138 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8826 8888) Grand Hyatt Shenzhen No.1881 Baoan Nan Lu, Luohu District (8266 1234) www.shenzhen.grand.hyatt.com 罗湖区宝安南路1881号 Hardrock Hotel Shenzhen， Hard Rock Cafe Shenzhen，No.9 Misson Hills Road,Shenzhen，0755-3395 2888 深圳硬石酒店观澜高尔夫大道9号

NIGHTLIFE The George & Dragon is a quintessential British Pub; good draft beers, ales, and cider; comforting pub food and great BBQ; non-stop sports on three screens; secluded beer garden. Your home away from home. Also available for catering your parties and events. www.george-dragon. com; e-mail: manager@george-dragon.com; tel: 2669 8564; Shop 3, behind Taizi Hotel, Taizi Lu 5, Shekou. 南山区太子路5号太子宾馆 1楼后排3号商铺

Club Viva No. 140, Fuhua Lu, Coco Park, Futian District 福田区福华路城建购物公园140 号 Dazzle Club 3/F, Central Commercial Building, No.88 Fuhua 1st Road, Futian District (2348 1542) 福田区民田路中心商务大厦三楼 McCawley’s Irish Bar 1) Shop 151-152, Coco Park, Futian District (2531 3599) 2) Shop 118, Sea World, Shekou, Nanshan District (2668 4496) 1) 福田区购物公园151152 2) 南山区蛇口海上世界广场118号

Pepper Club 2/F, Shopping Park, Fuhua Lu, Fustian District (8319 9040) 福田区福华

Hilton Shenzhen Shekou Nanhai 1177, Wanghai Lu, Nanshan District

深圳蛇口希尔顿南海酒店南山区望海路 1177 号 (2162 8888)

Hilton Shenzhen Futian Town B, Great China International Finance Centre, 1003 Shennan Dadao, Futian District (2130 8888) 福田区深南大道1003号大中华国际金融中心B座

JW Marriott Shenzhen No.6005 Shennan Dadao, Futian District. (2269 8888) 福田区深南大道 6005 号

JW Marriott Shenzhen Bao’an 8 Baoxing Lu, Baoan District (2323 8888) 深圳前海华侨城 JW 万豪酒店宝安区宝兴路 8 号

Marco Polo Shenzhen Fuhua Yi Lu, CBD, Futian District (8298 9888). www. cn.marcopolohotels.com 福田中心区福华一路 Shangri-La Hotel East of the Luohu Train Station, Jianshe Lu, Luohu District (8233 0888). www.shangri-la.com 罗湖区建设路火车站东侧

Sheraton Dameisha Resort 9 Yankui Lu, Dameisha, Yantian District (8888 6688) 盐田大梅沙盐葵路 ( 大梅沙段 )9 号

路购物公园二楼

St. Regis Shenzhen No.5016 Shennan Dong Lu, Luohu District.(8308 8888)

The Terrace Above Starbucks, Sea World Plaza, Shekou, Nanshan District (2682 9105) 南山区蛇口海上世界广场2 楼星

The Langham, Shenzhen, No. 7888, Shennan Dadao, Futian District (8828 9888).

巴克楼上

EDUCATION

深圳瑞吉酒店罗湖区深南东路 5016 号

深圳朗廷酒店福田区深南大道 7888 号

The Ritz-Carlton, Shenzhen 116 Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (2222 2222) 福田区福华三路 116 号

American International School, No. 82,Gongyuan Lu, Shekou,Nanshan District (8619 4750)

The Venice Raytour Hotel Shenzhen No.9026, Shennan Dadao, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District (2693 6888)

Green Oasis School No. 4030, Shennan Middle Road, Tianmian, Futian District. (8399 6712) admission@greenoasis.org.cn   www.greenoasis.org.cn

The Westin Shenzhen 9028-2 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan District (2698 8888) www.westin.com/shenzhen 南山区深南大道

南山区蛇口公园路82号青少年活动中心

福田区田面村深南中路 4030 号

International School of Nanshan Shenzhen A Canadian school accepting application for Pre-Grade 1 through Grade 12. 11 Longyuan Lu, Taiyuan Sub-District, Nanshan District (2666 1000, 2606 6968). admission@isnsz.com www.isnsz.com

深圳威尼斯睿途酒店南山区华侨城深南大道 9026 号

9028号-2

Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Bao'an District 深圳机场凯悦酒店宝安区深圳宝安国际机场 (755-2345 1234)

InterContinental Shenzhen, No. 9009, Shennan Road, Nanshan District 深圳华侨城

南山区龙源路11号

洲际大酒店，南山区深南大道9009号 (3399 3388)

Merchiston International School No. 12 Shilongzai Road, Daliang SubDistrict, Longhua District, (400 867 0177) admissions@merchiston.cn, www.merchiston.cn 龙华区大浪街道新石社区石龙仔路12号

The Courtyard by Marriott Shenzhen Bao'an, No.46 Dongfang Road, Songgang, Bao'an District 宝安区松岗东方大道46号 (2986 9888, www.courtyardshenzhenbaoan.com)

Peninsula Montessori Kindergarten The Peninsula one, Jin Shiji Lu, Shekou Nanshan District ( 2685 1266)

半岛城邦国际幼儿园南山区蛇口东角头金世纪路1 号半岛城邦一期

CHINESE TRADITIONAL DISH, POON CHOI Chao Yi Court Chao Yi Court’s team of chefs have selected the top ingredients, such as delicious abalone, nourishing fish maw, crispy pork belly, gold oyster and more than 10 other ingredients, to create a deluxe poon choi. Come and enjoy the Chinese traditional dish with your family and friends in Chao Yi Court restaurant this February. 3/F, Chao Yi Court, Courtyard by Marriott Shenzhen Northwest, 6259 Bao’an Dadao, Bao’an District 宝安区福海街道宝安大道6259号深圳同泰万怡酒店三楼潮怡阁精品厨房 (2708 8888)

66 | SZ | FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Quality Schools International 2/F Bitao Center, 8 Taizi Lu, Shekou,Nanshan District (2667 6031). www.shk.qsi.org 南山区蛇口太子路 8 号碧涛中心 2 楼

QSI International School of Shenzhen (Futian) A1, TCL Science Park, No. 1001 Zhongshan Yuan, Nanshan District (8371 7108) 南山区中山园路1001号TCL 科学园区A1栋 Shekou International School Jingshan Villas, Gongye Er Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2669 3669). www.sis.org.cn 南山区蛇口工业二路鲸山别墅内

Shen Wai International School 29 Baishi San Lu, Nanshan (8654 1200, www.swis.cn) 深圳外国语学校国际部南山区白石三道 29 号

HOTEL Futian Shangri-La Hotel Shenzhen No.4088

HEALTH Vista-SK International Medical Center Lvl 4, Bldg 4C, Shenzhen Software Industry Base,Xuefu Lu, Nanshan District (3689 9833) 南山区学府路软件产业基地4栋C座裙楼4层 J&C Dental 4FG, China Economic Trade Building, No.8, Zizu Qilu, Futian District (13418536301) 福田区紫竹七道8号中国经贸大厦4FG

HarMoniCare Women & Children's Hospital 12018 Shennan Dadao, by Nanshan Dadao (3339 1333) 深圳和美妇儿科医院南山区深南大道12018号

C-MER (Shenzhen) Dennis Lam Eye Hospital 1-2/F, Shengtang Bldg, 1 Tairan Jiu Lu, Chegongmiao, Futian District (4001 666 120, 3322 7188) 福田区车公庙泰然九路一号

盛唐大厦1-2层

IMC(International Medical Center) serves the local community and expatriates from all over the world. We are proud to provide private, personalized healthcare for each patient. Our experienced staff from Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas provide comprehensive medical services including general and specialty outpatient services, health assessments, inpatient

services and more. Scan QR Code above for more info of IMC. 深圳市福田区海园一路，香港大学深

圳医院国际医疗中心 International Medical Centre，The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, 1, Haiyuan 1st Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (8691 3388）

OPEN DOOR

HAIR SALONS Shang Hair B2S-001, Coco Park, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8887 9899)福田区福华三路星河

Coco Park商场负二楼B2S-001

Toni & Guy 1) S248, The MIXC Shenzhen, Luohu District (2290 9505) 2) 103, Section C, Sea World, Wanghai Lu, by Xinghua Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2290 9521) 1) 罗湖区宝安南路 1881号万象城S248商铺 2) 南山区蛇口望海路海上世界C区103店

BUSINESS China-Italy Chamber of Commerce Rm220, 2/F, International Chamber Of Commerce, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (Tel: 8632 9518; fax: 8632 9528). www.cameraitacina.com ` 福田区福华三路国际商会中心 2 楼 220 室

European Union Chamber of Commerce Rm 308, 3/F Overseas Chinese Scholars Venture Building, southern section of High-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District (Tel: 8635 0920; fax: 8632 9785). 南山高新科技园南区留学生创业大厦 3 楼 308 室

French Chamber of Commerce in South China (CCIFC) Room 318, 3/F Chinese Overseas Scholars Venture Building,South section of Hi-tech Industry Park, Nanshan District (Tel: 8632 9602; fax: 8632 9736) www.ccifc.org 南山区科技园南区留学生创业大厦3楼318室 German Chamber of Commerce Room 4A-11, Zone C, Zhong Ke Nano Building Yuexing Liu Lu, Nanshan District (8635 0487) www.china.ahk.de 中国深圳市南山区粤兴六道中科纳能大厦C区4A - 11 The American Chamber of Commerce in South China Rm 208, 2/F Overseas Chinese Scholars Venture Building, southern section of High-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District (Tel: 2658 8342; fax: 2658 8341). www.amcham-southchina.org The British Chamber of Commerce, Shenzhen Sub-Chamber Rm 314, 3/F Overseas Chinese Scholars Venture Building, southern section of High-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District (2658 8350). 深圳市南山区高新科技园南区留学生创业大厦3楼314室 Morefoods No1,1F,Building A ,OCEAN city Garden,Shekou New Street, Nanshan District,shenzhen (8827 9078) 深圳市南山区蛇口新街澳城花园A栋一楼1号铺

CLASSIFIEDS JOBS OFFERED CANTON GLOBAL ACADEMY (CGA) is an international school in Guangzhou operating the UK National Curriculum. It is part of the Canadian International Educational Organisation. Currently it has recruited students from Nursery (aged 3 years) to Year 6 (aged 12 years) and the school is growing quickly. Required for January (or sooner) Fully qualified and experienced Primary Years teachers. Preference will be given to applicants who have knowledge of and experience in teaching the UK National Curriculum Primary programme and to those who may have specialist qualifications for example in ESL, science and Music. CGA OFFERS *Initial two-year contract *Competitive salary *Annual flight allowance *International Health insurance *Benefits including accommodation allowance, end of contract bonus Applicants should send a full CV listing two independent educational referees and a letter of application on/by 31 December to Charles Chao, Chief Operations Officer, on charles.chao@cgagz.com from whom further information may be obtained. Mobile Game company business development position. A NASDAQ-listed Shenzhen-based mobile game company. iDreamSky is looking for an expat for one business development position, native English speaker and fluent in Mandarin a must, well versed with mobile games or business negotiation experience a plus. Responsible for looking for Western games suitable for the Chinese market and contacting the game developers. Our office is located in Nanshan district, Shenzhen. If interested, please send resume to Evan at evan.liang@idreamsky.com.

MOVING & SHIPPING AGS Four Winds is a leading international moving company that offers a full range of relocation, moving and storage services. With 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: +8620 8363 3735/ +86 139 2277 1676 Email: manager.guangzhou@agsfourwinds.com Website: www.agsfourwinds.com

SEAFOOD BUFFET DINNER Pavilion Courtyard Shenzhen Bao’an offers guests fresh and tasty seafood from around the world. From Monday to Sunday, customers can savor Boston lobster, Irish brown crabs, giant tiger prawns from Vietnam, abalones and scallops, abalone rice, Taiwan oysters and sheep from Ningxia. What’s more, there is a free flow of wine! Courtyard Shenzhen Bao’an, 46 Dongfang Dadao, Songgang, Bao’an District 宝安区松岗东方大道46号 (8120 1265)

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | FEBRUARY 2020| SZ | 67

That’s hen Shenz

FEBRUARY

Horoscopes

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in China. BY BRYAN GROGAN

Aquarius

Pisces

1.21~2.19

One of your nearest and dearest will pressure you into answering an impossible question: Which of the great eight cuisines is your favorite? Luckily, Venus, the planet of love, is in your corner and will imbue you with a gorgeous midwinter glow. Use that confidence to keep your secrets under wraps.

2.20~3.20 The boundless Asian horizon is calling you towards that yoga retreat you have been following on Instagram for the past few months. Give into the temptation and take a few weeks away from work and the futility of the rat race.

Gemini

5.22~6.21 Chinese New Year means a nice long break from the teaching slog. Use this precious time to research new job opportunities and hobbies to expand your professional horizon.

Libra

9.24~10.23 Your professional life seems to have devolved into posting on Weibo every hour on the hour. Quit seeking likes and reshares, and refocus on the fundamentals to see a marked improvement in your professional prospects.

Cancer

6.22~7.22 Your favorite dumpling shop has closed and you don’t know what to do and who to tell. In public you are all smiles but in your heart of hearts you know you’ll never again get the same quality of xiaolongbao anywhere else.

Scorpio

10.24~11.22 The middle of the month will see you embrace a new romance, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Don’t be afraid to be your fun-loving self in front of this new partner, in order for the relationship to flourish.

Aries

3.21~4.20 Your last business venture didn’t go too well. Who knew being a cat manicurist could be such a hazard. Take stock of your mistakes and ease yourself into the next effort. At the same time, don’t be afraid of your instincts; just don’t let them lead you astray.

Leo

7.23~8.23 You are a fount of energy this month, little lion man, and you’re thirsting for something to get your competitive j u i c e s f l ow i n g . S i g n u p fo r t h e badminton tournament at your local sports center and you might just find your new favorite hobby.

Sagittarius 11.23~12.21

You have been ruminating on the idea of leaving China for years, but this Chinese New Year will give you renewed reason to leave. Don’t move too fast, talk to close friends and family and take time to meditate on your motivations in order to make the right decision.

Taurus 4.21~5.21

The cool group at your local HIIT session will hit you up (get it?) this month. They’ve noticed your impeccable squat form and want to invite you out for lunch. Jump at the chance and be your best, gorgeous, healthy self.

Virgo

8.24~9.23 The festive season has worn you out. It’s time now to recalibrate and focus on having fun. Whether your idea of a good time is hiking the Avatar mountains at Zhangjiajie or getting crunk in the club on Saturday night, set aside time to indulge your happiness hormones.

Capricorn 12.22~1.20

You’re considering a big purchase, but are unsure of the asking price. You’ve honed your bargaining skills with the toughest of street market vendors, so put them to use and ensure you get bang for your buck.

EVERYTHING

SHENZHEN

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. NEWS

EVENTS

FASHION

ART

RESTAURANTS

HEALTH

BARS

CULTURE

NIGHTLIFE

GUIDES

MUSIC

GIVEAWAYS

GO ON, FOLLOW US.