That's magazines – June 2021

THE

SHANGHAI

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Your Quintessential Guide to Xiqu

How Divorce is Changing China for Better or Worse

400 633 8308 城市漫步上海 英文版6月份 国内统一刊号: CN 11-5233/GO

China Intercontinental Press 五洲传播出版传媒有限公司

JUNE JUNE 2021 2019

WORD

XJTLU Celebrates its Past by Embarking on the Future To mark its 15th anniversary, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou launches new academies and opens its innovative lifelong-learning platform to the public

J

ust one and a half decades ago, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, a partnership between the University of Liverpool in the UK and Xi’an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province, started with one building and 164 students.

Today, with 18,000 students, XJTLU is the largest joint-venture university in China. It boasts more than 1,000 staff from 50 countries and regions. The University’s successful alumni study at global top universities and work at worldleading companies. XJTLU’s teaching, laboratory, research and support facilities have won architectural awards and rival the best worldwide. Located in a district dubbed “the Silicon Valley of China”, the University, where all programmes are taught in English, is 25 minutes by train from Shanghai.

Key to its success is its unique blend of educational styles, which enable its students to develop into global citizens with an international mindset.

“XJTLU took reference from the flexibility offered by the American education system, the emphasis on a robust quality control system from the British system, and the focus on building fundamentals commonly seen in the Chinese system,” says Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU. With the arrival of an era driven by digital, artificial intelligence and roboticsenabled innovations, XJTLU has added focus on educating future international industry experts to lead those fields, and on industry-focused academic programmes. It’s recently added an emphasis on connecting the resources of education with society at large.

“It is our mission to explore the future and impact education,” says Professor Xi. As an institution constantly looking to the future, it’s fitting that XJLTU is celebrating its 15th anniversary with the launch of new academies and plans to expand outside its home province of Jiangsu.

Cross-disciplinary industry leaders In April, the University and Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute jointly established the XJTLU-JITRI Academy of Industrial Technology, which offers masters and PhD programmes aimed to develop professionals with industry and innovation skills who are capable of cross-discipline leadership.

A key attribute of the JITRI Academy is the fact that its masters and doctoral programmes are entirely demand-driven, said Dr. Fei Ma, Executive Dean of the Academy.

“JITRI and its cooperative companies put forward their need for talent cultivation first, and then our Academy considers whether to make a corresponding enrolment plan,” he said.

Education innovation for the future On 22 May, the University launched XJTLU’s Academy of Future Education – unique in that it encompasses not only research and education activities, but also training for educators in and outside of the University, support for students’ educational growth, and a platform for online and onsite lifelong learning around the globe.

“The future of education is not focused on teachers imparting knowledge to students, but instead on how educational institutions will support lifelong learning,” says Dr. Xiaojun Zhang, Executive Dean of the Academy.

Platform for lifelong learning To provide those tools, XJTLU and the Academy of Future Education in May also opened the XJTLU Learning Mall – previously launched in 2020 to XJTLU students and staff – to the public. Available educational offerings at www.learningmall.cn continue to grow, with partners including Adobe, Microsoft, McGraw-Hill Group, Alibaba Cloud and Digital China providing educational content, training and online certification tests.

Cultural and creative industry leaders May also saw the founding of XJTLU’s Academy of Film and Creative Technology, which spans three locations – the School of Film and TV Arts at XJTLU’s main location in Suzhou, the School of Cultural Technology at Taicang and, in its second phase, the XJTLU-Enlight Film School in Yangzhou.

“Partnering with media and creative industries will enable us to meet industry needs and train students and professionals to be cultural and creative industry leaders,” says Professor Stuart Perrin, Associate Principal of XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang).

Developing education-societal ecosystems XJTLU’s plans for the future include additional exploration of online-onsite educational models, as well as expansion to other sites like China’s Greater Bay Area (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau), where the University plans to establish the XIPU Innovation and Education College (GBA).

“In the future, XJTLU will redefine its social functions, acting as the catalyst and connector between the school and society,” says Professor Xi. “It will leverage the vast resources available to create a new educational ecosystem that promotes lifelong learning, innovation and entrepreneurship.” > For more information, please visit www.xjtlu.edu.cn.

China Insight Enhances Academic and Career Possibilities XJTLU’s popular Diploma in China Studies now available both online and onsite

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hina is one of the fastest-growing economies in the last four decades; a member of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation; renowned for contributions to art, language and trade; and home to scientific and technological research achievements and developments.

Those with insight into this country can expect to have an edge in a world of globalised trade, cultural exchange and mobility.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s Diploma in China Studies provides an understanding of China from educators with deep expertise. In autumn 2021, it will be offered both online – in time zones convenient for Asia and Europe – and onsite in Suzhou, China.

“To understand the world we live in, you need to understand China,” says Dr Dragan Pavlićević of XJTLU’s Department of China Studies and the Diploma programme’s director.

“Learning more about China’s society, politics and historical trajectories can provide a view into the future of the world.”

Flexibility meets students’ needs The Diploma programme, taught in English, is popular for gap years in study and employment, for undergraduates completing full-time degrees at other universities who want more China knowledge, and postgraduate students interested in academic enrichment or in converting to social sciences or China studies.

Business students and working professionals find it enhances their career development and boosts their competitiveness in the job market.

The programme’s flexibility is not limited to the fact that students can choose to study either online or onsite. The eight modules to be completed over a year for the XJTLU-accredited Diploma can be selected from a broad range, including Chinese language lessons at differing levels. At least two of the four modules typically taken each semester are Chinaspecific; others can be selected from the Department of China Studies or other departments with permission.

“This approach enables students to choose the focus and content of the studies out of the extensive selection of available modules and provides specialist knowledge which can be applied in reallife scenarios,” says Dr. Pavlićević.

“As such, the Diploma in China Studies will benefit both a student’s academic and professional prospects.”

“I very much believe that XJTLU offers a great entrance for anyone with the slightest interest in China,” says Lewis Roberts, who earned the Diploma in China Studies in 2018-2019 as an exchange student from the University of Liverpool in the UK. “Its students, teachers and modules

offer a wide array of subjects to fully immerse you into life in China whilst also retaining that international outlook that makes the University so unique.”

Roberts, who recently began a career in public policy, works for a UK Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister in the House of Commons. He said he hopes as his career progresses, he can work to strengthen UK-Sino relations.

Online-onsite convenience The 2021-2022 Diploma programme will build on XJTLU’s proven success in teaching hybrid flexible, or HyFlex, online-onsite classes. Students both in the physical classroom and those connecting online will study and work together to share their perspectives, situations and goals.

Students based overseas participate in all activities – including lectures, seminars, project and collaborative work, and consultations with lecturers – through online means. XJTLU’s HyFlex approach to teaching relies on its tailor-made digital platform and ensures meaningful studentto-student and student-to-faculty interaction.

Onsite students will attend classes at XJTLU in Suzhou, with its combination of rich artistic and literary history, modern amenities and vibrant economy.

“XJLTU and Suzhou offer very fond memories for me, from the beautiful campus to the diverse and engaging student community,” says Roberts. “It was a fantastic experience.”

Applications are live now and are open until 15 July.

For more information, please scan the QR code:

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JUNE 2021 | 1

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Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gandolfo 甘德发 Arts and Life Editor Phoebe Kut 吉蓁蓁 Travel Editor Sophie Steiner Nation Editor Alistair Baker-Brian Copy Editor Shawnathan Hartly Contributors Rakini Bergundy, Joshua Cawthorpe, Lindsey Fine Photo Contributors Gao Meilin (Cover Story)

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Editor’s Note

JUNE 2021

The word divorce tends to carry a negative connotation. When a marriage is terminated, it likely highlights a

conflict regardless of how big or small. But while some may view divorce as inherently bad, there are times when divorce provides a way out of a rough situation and a chance to start anew.

In this month’s Cover Story, we address the rising divorce rate in China, the reason women, in particular,

may be looking for a way out and how counseling and therapy are playing an increasing role in improving relationships. Check out the story on pages 38-47.

On a lighter note, in the Nation section, we catch up with our favorite Beijing-based photographer, Bruce

Connolly, to learn about the changing scenes of the capital city through his 40-plus years of experience (pg12-

15). In the Arts & Life section, we discover Sanya’s expat-founded art studio Segarra Art (pg22-23). For those into

gaming or just curious what all the hype is about, flip to the Business & Tech section to read about some of the hot games released at Tencent’s annual conference (pg36-37).

Lastly, summer is approaching, and there are so many places to visit right here in the Middle Kingdom. Check

out our pretty, pretty, pretty nice travel deals on pages 52-53 – and if you do travel, download some Curb Your

Enthusiasm episodes for hilarious in-flight entertainment.

Regards,

Ryan Gandolfo Editor-in-Chief

Frequent updates on news, current affairs and general weirdness from around China.

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THE WRAP

8 THE NATION 9 BETTER CALL WALL

17 KEVIN MCGEARY Author of The Naked Wedding.

12 BEIJING BOLD

Meet Sanya’s newest art gallery.

Two foreigners ‘Blacklisted’ after Great Wall incident.

Photos capture 34 years of change in China’s capital city.

24 TRAVEL 25 CANCELED CLIMBING

China cancels Mt. Qomolangma trips for remainder of 2021.

28 HELLO XINJIANG

Mountains and minorities, scenery and spices.

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16 ARTS & LIFE 22 ART IN PARADISE

32 BUSINESS & TECH 33 AMY DECILLIS Founder of Okra.

36 GOOD GAME

Four noteworthy games from Tencent Games annual conference.

38 THE D WORD HOW DIVORCE IS CHANGING CHINA FOR BETTER OR WORSE

48 FAMILY 49 LILIAN SHEN Board member of Zmack Improv Comedy.52 TRIPPIN’ WITH THE FAM Eight amazing trips to take around China.

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THE NATION Beijing Bold

Photos Capture 34 Years of Change in China’s Capital City p12

Quote of the Month P10

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The Podcaster P11

Two Foreigners Blacklisted After Great Wall Incident

By Alistair Baker-Brian

T

wo foreign tourists from Senegal have been put on a blacklist following an incident at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing’s Huairou district.

On April 30, the two men walked onto a section of the wall which is offlimits to tourists, according to People’s Daily. The pair were identified by the ticket registration system and surveillance footage.

A post on the Mutianyu Great Wall scenic area’s official WeChat account explained the incident. It also said that visitors are not allowed onto the ‘wild’ and ‘undeveloped’ part of the wall due to safety reasons and in the interest of preserving the wall.

Anyone who has visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall may recall that visitors are prohibited from going any further than the long ascent toward the No. 20 Watchtower. A sign in English reads, “This is the undeveloped section of the Great Wall. No crossing.”

Tourist behavior on the Great Wall came under the spotlight in March of this year when three Chinese tourists

CHINA CURRENTS

Better Call Wall were issued with fines for graffitiing on the Badaling section.

It’s also not the first time that the behavior of foreign tourists in China has made headlines. In October 2018, three foreigners were filmed causing damage to a wall at the New Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) in Beijing’s Haidian district.

In 2015, the Chinese government’s Tourism Department created a blacklist for ‘uncivilized’ tourists. Tourists on the list would be left with a “long-lasting memory,” according to the then department head.

It’s not clear if the two Senegalese tourists are on an official governmentmandated blacklist or a blacklist created by the Mutianyu Great Wall scenic area.

The original WeChat post simply states that the pair will not be allowed to purchase tickets in the future.

China has made a concerted effort in recent years to crack down on tourists deemed ‘uncivilized.’ Our advice? Stick to the rules and don’t be a nuisance.

For more China news, scan the QR code below:

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THE BUZZ RANDOM NUMBER

DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

845,697

Angry Tesla Ladies

is the number of foreigners living on the Chinese mainland, according to China’s seventh national census. The number has increased by a noteworthy 42% from 598,832 a decade ago.

Guangdong is home to the largest number of foreign nationals on the mainland with 418,000 residents in the province. This is followed by Yunnan with 379,281, Shanghai with 163,954, Fujian with 106,248 and Beijing with 62,812. The numbers also show that female foreigners slightly outnumber males with a 52%-48% ratio.

While Tesla has been quite a success story in China so far, some Tesla car owners have been less than impressed by the US electric car maker. On the opening day of the Shanghai Auto Show in April, two women protested at Tesla’s booth, reportedly airing grievances about the poor brake quality of their Tesla vehicles. Both women were wearing custom-made shirts with a Tesla logo and Chinese characters translated as ‘Tesla brake failure.’ One of the disgruntled female Tesla owners jumped on the hood of one of the vehicles and repeatedly yelled: “Tesla brakes lost control.” In a video taken at the scene that has since gone viral, the woman can be seen shouting and throwing umbrellas at surrounding security guards – a real power move, by our assessment.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“A plane is not a wishing well” ... said a Chinese airline in a Weibo post after a man tossed coins at the engine before boarding the plane in Shandong province in April. The man, surnamed Wang, was taking Guangxi Beibu Gulf (GX) Airlines flight GX8814 on April 16 from Weifang city to Haikou, the capital of Hainan. Wang had wrapped the coins in red paper and tossed them at the engine while boarding the plane, according to a Weibo post by GX Airlines.

The flight was canceled while airport workers recovered all six of the coins, and Wang was handed over to airport security.

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E D I T O R @ T H AT S M A G S . C O M

THE PODCASTER

Date Night China From first dates to worst dates, love to lust, and everything in between, the Date Night China podcast celebrates and discusses dating in one of the most exciting countries in the world.

Now in their second season, hosts Nathan Williams, Rachel Weiss and Eleanor Boniface talk about dating in your friend circle, body positivity and mental health, interracial relationships, catfishing on Tinder and Tantan, as well as monogamy and open relationships in China.

The banter is always fun and the stories shared on the

podcast range anywhere from cringeworthy to enlightening. It’s a fun one to follow along and get a pulse for what the dating scene is like in Beijing and around China.

You can listen to Date Night China on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. To learn more, scan their QR code on the poster above.

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BEIJING BOLD

T H E N AT I O N | F E A T U R E

Photos Capture 34 Years of Change in China’s Capital City Interview by Alistair Baker-Brian

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F E A T U R E | T H E N AT I O N

M

any present-day Beijing residents can only imagine what the capital looked like 34 years ago. A time before high-speed railway stations and trendy Sanlitun coffee shops – back when 798 Dashanzi Art District produced steel rather than artwork.

Scottish photographer Bruce Connolly has been fortunate enough to witness changes in the capital for more than three decades.

Connolly first arrived in Beijing by train in 1987 when China’s Reform and Opening-up was still in its infancy. And with his camera always by his side, he’s built up a comprehensive collection of photos.

Although at first he never imagined settling down in the Middle Kingdom, Connolly spent time working in Guangdong before moving permanently to Beijing.

That’s sat down with him to talk about changes he’s witnessed in the capital since he first arrived 34 years ago.

Before coming to Beijing, you had some vague preconceptions about China. Did you ever imagine you would stay here so long?

No, at that time it was financially very difficult for me as a school teacher to settle down in China. Airfare was expensive, and I was lucky to come here in 1987 by train.

Having traveled through the former Soviet Union and Mongolia, I was expecting China to be strict, austere and formal.

In fact, it was incredibly friendly. The very first words which were said to me at the border crossing were “Welcome to China!” as the border guard shook my hand. The same thing happened at Beijing Railway Station.

I’d walk outside the Friendship Hotel (in Zhongguancun, Haidian district) and see guys riding bicycle carts loaded with melons. If you look at the photos, you’d see a different city. Young people today look at the photos and say things like, “I grew up there!”

When you returned to Beijing in 1994, you stayed in the Overseas Chinese Hotel in a hutong area of Beixinqiao, Dongcheng district. What was it about the hutong which fascinated you?

It was a completely different life from other parts of Beijing. People there lived a hutong life. I had to study it because, at that time, there was very little information in English.

In the hutong, you lived the life of the people, which was very different from others in modern parts of Beijing even at that time.

And you can still find that hutong life in parts of Beijing today.

However, I also realized back in 1994 that the hutong were not popular among ordinary Chinese people. They were seen as old. I would bring tour groups from Scotland, and they all wanted to see the hutong areas.

But my Chinese colleague at the time didn’t want to go simply because they were old. For many Chinese people, they were seen as out of date.

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T H E N AT I O N | F E A T U R E

Nowadays, there are some hutong, such as Nanluoguxiang, which have become gentrified. Is there a danger that might happen to other places?

There was a danger. But I don’t think that’s the case now. Many have now realized the value of the hutong.

In 2000, I lived in a siheyuan (a Beijing-style courtyard). It was a five minute-walk from Nanluoguxiang, a traditional north-south hutong alley. There was one small backpacker bar called the Pass-By Bar, the kind of place you might find in Yangshuo or Dali.

You could find lots of local people, local markets, etc. It was wonderful!

After 2008, Nanluoguxiang became a tourist hotspot where people from all over China coming to Beijing wanted to visit. It was jammed with people, so I stopped going. I used to go there for solitude. I would sit in the bar, read and mind my own business.

In the new CBD area, are there any buildings you recognize from today which were still there during your early days in Beijing?

The original China World One is still there. Coming towards Guomao, the first building you came to was part of the original China World development.

On Guanghua Lu, there are houses for the factory workers which are still there. Just to the south of the China World Three building, you can still find some of the old worker’s homes.

However, the factories have all gone.

I remember around 2003, we started hearing reports about the city building a CBD. You looked at it, and it was old run-down areas. A lot of it was quite di-

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lapidated. In fact, at Hujialou, just north of the CCTV Tower, you can find the factory workers’ houses, which date back to 1950. On one side of the road is highend real estate. And on the other are these houses.

F E A T U R E | T H E N AT I O N

798 Art District (Dashanzi) used to consist of military factory buildings. Meanwhile, Shougang used to comprise steel factories and now includes venues for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics along with a cultural area. Tell us about the changes you’ve seen in these places.

The factories in Dashanzi, like many of the state-owned factories, were not competitive on the world scene.

The big debate was that if the area was pulled down, it could be used as real estate property. But many wanted to keep it as they saw it as part of the heritage of Beijing. It initially became an artists’ community before it was more gentrified.

Shougang was on a much bigger scale. The first time I saw the area was in 1995. I took Line 1 out to

Let’s talk about photography and how that’s changed during the time you’ve been in China. What was it like photographing when you first arrived in China? How does modern photography allow you to better tell stories about Beijing today?

When I first came here, I was using a 35-millimeter Canon camera. When you took your photos, you had to economize.

To capture certain images, such as the inside of a train, was quite difficult.

Pingguoyuan. I saw a lot of smoke and realized it was the steelworks! They weren’t in the guidebooks. But I later learned it was one of the biggest industrial plants in northern China.

In the early 2000s, I was taking photographs from the CCTV Tower.

There was one photograph, looking towards the western hills, where you could see all this smoke and steam.

And then, if you expand the photo, you can see the cooling towers and chimneys of the steelworks.

Again, there was this debate about whether to use it as real estate development or keep it as part of the city’s heritage.

I’ve been twice to Shougang, recently. It’s great for me as a photographer that they’ve kept it.

However, with modern photography, everything is much easier. I go into hutong alleys in the dark, and I can just set the camera for low-light filming for a night scene. Hold the camera still, and it will take five or six shots. So, you find that you’re able to take shots of poorly-lit hutong, with good lighting in the photographs. A digital camera has opened up a whole new game for me. > This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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ARTS & LIFE Art in Paradise

Meet Sanya’s Newest Art Gallery p22

Overheard P18

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Swim Good P20

SPOTLIGHT

KEVIN MCGEARY

Author of The Naked Wedding Interview by Ryan Gandolfo

Kevin McGeary always wanted to be a published author. After spending several years working in Shenzhen and Shunde, he decided to put pen to paper and published The Naked Wedding earlier this year. McGeary had come across dozens of stories about ordinary people in Shenzhen that never really made news outside of the Middle Kingdom. So, he put together a collection of fictional short stories inspired by the real-life experiences of Shenzheners.

Below, McGeary shares with That’s the inspiration for his book and characters.

What prompted you to write The Naked Wedding?

Around the same time I was starting a new job in Shunde, I was turning 30 and decided I’m at my best when I’m singlemindedly working toward something audacious. I wanted to become a published author, but I had no idea how to be a story writer. When I first jotted down some early drafts, I realized this would be a long haul.

Most of the characters I write about are from stories I translated at The Nanfang and Shenzhen Daily.

I used to travel to Shenzhen most weekends when I lived in Shunde to get a sense of the place and rhythm for how ordinary Shenzhen people talked because most of the protagonists’ characteristics have little in common with me.

What’s the setting of the book?

The stories are set during the time I lived in Shenzhen from 2009 to 2013. In my mind’s eye, the technology they used, the slang words and other aspects fit that era.

What did you learn while writing The Naked Wedding?

The real challenge was getting the individual pieces published. I started working on the book in February 2014, and the first acceptance letter came in August 2017 for The Naked Wedding.

My personal favorite [short story in the book] is ‘The Naked Wedding,’ but it’s

“Day-to-day life is never as glamorous close-up – nothing is as exotic as it seems in reality” also the most esoteric, quiet story. From the feedback I’ve gotten so far, people say their favorite was ‘Shuang.’

I got the seed of The Naked Wedding in part from Factory Girls by Leslie Chang. It’s the story of a female friendship that gets torn apart by Shenzhen’s economic miracle.

Before I started writing, I realized Shenzhen is the frontier for which China left the Cold War era and became a more capitalistic country. Whereas Beijing and Shanghai are full of city people, Shenzhen is populated by more country people.

It’s the sort of unsung engine room of the world economy because in those years around the 2008 recession Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta was one of the few parts of the world that was generating any growth.

The final story, ‘The Disposable,’ is another attempt to bring everything together. It’s narrated by an iPhone that was reincarnated from a Foxconn worker because 10 years ago people’s lives in the factory were so miserable that there was an epidemic of people jumping to their deaths. It’s the Foxconn factories that, in many ways, built the high-tech world we live in now by manufacturing those devices.

Everything written about Shenzhen is very macro-level, yet doesn’t tell the stories of ordinary people who live their lives day-to-day. One of my main goals was to demystify China. A lot of very sensational things happen in the stories, like a woman giving birth on the floor of an internet bar – which happened. Day-today life is never as glamorous close-up – nothing is as exotic as it seems in real-

ity. The idea behind the story ‘Shuang’ is from the seven most salacious, sensational stories I read when I lived in Shenzhen. For example, one story is about a pregnant mistress who crashes her ex-boyfriend’s wedding while wearing a wedding dress. So, I squeezed in six other stories that I had read or translated in Shenzhen.

Are you working on any new projects?

I’m 50,000 words into a novel that is set in a fictional Asian city. The setting is really Shenzhen, just with a different name.

This way, I have more artistic liberty to write about the place, the characters and things that aren’t necessarily present in Shenzhen. > This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Scan the QR code below to purchase The Naked Wedding on Amazon.

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STYLE RADAR OVERHEARD

“Coach remains the star brand… with particularly solid gains in Asia” Said the CEO of Coach’s parent company, Tapestry.

Although you probably ditched your Coach purse back in middle school, the New York brand is planning on expanding into second- and third-tier Chinese cities.

Coach currently has around 200 stores on the Chinese mainland and plans on adding 20 to 30 more stores this year.

Duty-free malls in shopping cities like Shanghai and Sanya have helped the brand achieve explosive growth. Dao Insights wrote, “The company’s sales in China increased by 175% year-on-year in the third fiscal quarter of 2021, which represents a 40% growth over the same period in 2019.” Good for you, Coach.

COVET

Snack Smarter Hate swallowing pills?

Premium low-calorie ice cream line 奈似 Nice Cream has just released a line of nutritional gummies called ‘NICE4U.’ The gummies have zero added sugar and come in three different flavors. There’s raspberry, which are vitamin C gummies, blood orange (collage peptide gummies) and mulberry, which are iron gummies. The raspberry flavor contains loads of vitamin C and zinc, which will help boost your immune system. > Search 奈似byNICE on Taobao to purchase or check your local grocery store.

UNDER THE LENS

A Reluctant Star Chinese fandoms are funny. A reluctant star was born from audiences mass voting for a contestant who didn’t want to be on the Chinese reality show Produce Camp 2021.

The premise of the show is as follows, 90 male trainees from different countries and agencies are shipped off to Hainan island to form an 11-member international boy group through viewers’ votes.

Vladislav Ivanov, whose stage name is Lelush (利路修), was overjoyed when he finally got voted off the show on the tenth episode. Lelush has lived in China for many years, working various jobs. Apparently, he was acting as a translator for two Japanese trainees as the show was about to begin and was offered the role as a trainee instead as they were short on contestants.

Not overly talented or enthused, Lelush’s popularity increased as memes were created about his indifference towards his chance to become an idol.

Perhaps that’s why audiences adored him, his relatability. Just like most of us, who really wants to work for a living? How often are we forced to do things we don’t want to do?

Maybe it’s just a matter of looking at the glass half full.

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E D I T O R @ T H AT S M A G S . C O M

CITY SNAPSHOT

@abeastinside

Super cool or downright ugly? Pictured here is the Seven Trees Hotel (Sanya Meili Zhiguan) on Hainan island which consists of a cluster of ‘trees’. However, we do spot nine buildings – not seven – in this urban forest. The hotel once held the Guinness World Record and China Records Certificate for the most rooms, with a whopping total of 6,668 rooms. Despite its glitzy exteriors, a quick search on Trip.com shows scathing reviews of the hotel’s outdated interiors and bad service. Perhaps having over 6,000 rooms makes quality control a bit tough at times. If you’re looking for the pinnacle of luxury, best to check out Capella Sanya in Haitang district instead.

The photographer who snapped this photo, E-Jay, specializes in drone photography and also funnily enough runs an Instagram account called @ ThatsHangzhou (no affiliation to us). > For more of E-Jay’s work, follow @abeastinside on Instagram.

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ARTS & LIFE | FASHION

SWIM GOOD 11 Bold Bathers That Will Turn Heads Compiled by Rakini Bergundy

In case you haven’t gone outside in months, it’s heating up. Step up your swimming game with these top-notch suits.

Oysho print Top: RMB299 Bottom: RMB169

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Frankies Bikinis RMB1,932 Scan the QR code to purchase.

Diesel RMB550 Scan the QR code to purchase.

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FASHION | ARTS & LIFE

Reina Olga RMB1,610 Scan the QR code to purchase.

Misbhv x Reebok RMB1,288 Scan the QR code to purchase.

Frescobol Carioca RMB1,305 Scan the QR code to purchase.

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Loop Swim

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Top: RMB450 Bottom: RMB450 Search Loop Swim Mini Program to purchase.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JUNE 2021 | 21

ARTS & LIFE | F E AT URE

ART IN PARADISE

Meet Sanya’s Newest Art Gallery

I

n recent years, Sanya has firmly established itself as one of the major tourist hotspots in China. With broad entertainment value, a free trade port and a steadily growing pool of expats, Sanya is now well on its way to becoming something of an international community. The only thing missing is international art and culture.

Segarra Art is the latest addition to Hainan’s up-and-coming cultural scene.

Founded by American painter Angelo Segarra, this dynamic studio and gallery is set to open its easels to the public on May 8. The small, bright rooms are filled with masterful paintings, half-finished sketches and amateur artists eager to improve their skills.

Segarra was interested in art from a young age but started treating it as a serious venture in college. Every week he and a group of friends would meet up to work on live model sketches of one another. “I think that artists should never really be alone. They need to work alongside each other, support each other,” he tells us. “They need a community. And that’s what we hope to create here.”

After college, Segarra moved to Bali to study watercolor and sculpture, and at

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29, returned to the US to open two galleries in New Mexico. In 2012, he moved to Harbin to teach English.

“When I came to China, I started to re-evaluate my art style,” says Segarra.

He devoted himself to his painting and quickly became involved with the Heilongjiang Contemporary Art Institute.

Segarra was given a gallery and studio, and in 2013 he exhibited his art in a oneman show through the patronage of the prestigious institute.

In 2018, he was awarded an honorary fellowship, and today his artwork is displayed in museums and galleries across China.

“The whole experience blew me away, actually. I felt really honored, and it made me think that I want to do something with this. I want to make it work,” he recalls.

Seeking to pursue his dream, Segarra moved to Sanya and started planning to open his gallery.

“I didn’t think this would be possible.

If it weren’t for the people I met here, this wouldn’t be happening.”

Shortly after arriving, Segarra met Dean Merritt, who specializes in helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. Merritt and his wife, Happy, bring their vast experience in commerce and customer relations to the gallery. “What we want is to be the catalyst for an active artistic community,” says Merritt. “We want to find passionate people and get them involved. We want to help Sanya to become an international center.”

The founding team has now expanded to include Angela M. Dekenah and Denique Widodo. Dekenah functions as the gallery’s event and media manager, working to increase exposure and organize workshops, talks and functions.

“We’re hoping that in Sanya, we’ll be able to cultivate new opportunities for cultural exchange, where arts and ideas can be explored, shared and celebrated,” Dekenah tells us.

F E AT URE | ARTS & LIFE

Widodo expresses that, “being surrounded by passionate people in art, despite our differences” gives her the encouragement and motivation to work harder and achieve her artistic goals.

Widodo is a talented and passionate artist, who has had experience working in a studio and selling cards and paintings online. “She brings a lot of life to the gallery,” says Merritt.

It’s clear that the Segarra Art team has big dreams for the gallery. But, as Merritt adds, “We’re big dreamers.”

“I feel so grateful to be in Sanya and for the people I’ve met. They go above and beyond for the studio. But we all have this incredible opportunity to do something that is greater than us as indi-

viduals, and that’s what’s exciting,” says Segarra.

Segarra Art offers starting artists the opportunity to hone their artistic skills and establish a channel through which to sell their art. Paintings by cubby-holders are displayed within the gallery, as well as on the gallery website and Fine Art America.

Subscription participants benefit from this opportunity to sell their works, unlimited access to the studio, access to necessary materials, private tuition and 50% off all workshops offered by the gallery.

Curious artists can test the waters with a free trial session or purchase subscription packages ranging from RMB1,200 a month to RMB8,000 a year.

Additionally, every Wednesday from 5pm the gallery will host Art Jams, where attendees can use and manipulate available materials on hand.

Located on the second floor of the little-known Winter Mall, across the parking lot of the Summer Mall, Segarra Art welcomes newcomers and inquisitive gawkers.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” says Segarra, “I love painting. It’s just a non-stop process of discovery for me.” > Daily 10.30am-9.30pm. Segarra Art. Room 214, 2/F, Entertainment City, Dadonghai Ruihai Shopping Park. 大东海瑞海购物公园娱乐城二层214室

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TRAVEL Hello Xinjiang

Mountains and Minorities, Scenery and Spice p28

Mile High P26 24 | JUNE 2021 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Hot Spot P27

EXPLORER

CANCELED CLIMBING

China Cancels Mt. Qomolangma Trips for Remainder of 2021

By Joshua Cawthorpe

C

hinese officials have announced the cancellation of all Mt. Qomolangma (referred to as Mt. Everest in the West) summit expeditions in the face of rising COVID-19 cases on the neighboring side of the mountain, according to Reuters.

Just a week prior, the Tibetan Sports Bureau announced plans to build a separating line to distance Chinese climbers from the hordes on the Nepalese side of Mt. Qomolangma. Something clearly easier said than done as they were unsure of the logistics when the announcement was first made.

Twenty-one Chinese climbers had already embarked on their expedition to the summit, while a further 17 had been permitted access to the Chinese base camp, Caixin Global reports. The window of opportunity to summit the mountain can be very short, with the first team reaching the peak from the Nepalese side on May 10.

The team of 21, including a female climber from Henan named Sun Ning, who successfully conquered the mountain in 2019, had already reached the summit camp. Henan News Radio reported that the team needed to turn back after ascending 7,300 meters – the peak sits at 8,848 meters above sea level.

The team has been on the mountain for 37 days as climbers must slowly acclimatize to the low-oxygen environment to avoid dangerous health complications.

Climbers in Nepal have been asked to return their used oxygen containers due to a shortage. Empty oxygen canisters are often discarded on the mountain, included in a plethora of trash left by climbers, which has raised calls for cleanup expeditions. In May 2019, the Everest Cleaning Campaign, along with help from a Nepalese army helicopter, removed 3 metric tons of garbage from the slopes in the first two weeks of a six-week campaign.

Additionally, Nepal’s hospitals are suffering from an oxygen tank shortage, Xinhua reports. Nepal is recording as many as 9,000 new infections daily for the past week after reporting just 70 to 100 cases per day back in March.

The growing fear is that Nepal’s COVID-19 crisis will mimic that of neighboring India. Nepal has fewer doctors per capita than India, as per CNN. China has donated oxygen and ventilators to Nepal twice as of press time – first on May 11 and again on May 16, according to Xinhua.

Some of Nepal’s hospitals reported being unable to accept new patients due to a lack of oxygen.

India experienced a similarly devastating oxygen shortage in its most recent surge in cases. As of May 8, India Today reported that 17% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 required oxygen support, a rate three times higher than during the first wave of the virus.

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ITCHY FEET ROLLER COASTER

MILE HIGH

Glass Bridge Down

Guangzhou Goals

One man will likely avoid glass bridges for the rest of his life after he was stuck dangling from a 100-meter bridge in China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture last month. Several pieces of the glass floor were blown away, leaving the man holding onto the railing for dear life. Fortunately, he was able to make it to a safe area of the bridge, and emergency personnel quickly arrived on the scene.

China has north of 2,000 glass bridges across the country, according to BBC. Glass bridges are considered a popular tourist destination, however, in recent years there have been multiple safety incidents.

Believe it or not, Guangzhou is home to the busiest airport in the world, according to 2020 passenger traffic data published by the Airports Council International (ACI). The council also made abundantly clear that 2020 was a horrendous year for air travel. The report states that passenger traffic at airports dropped by 64.6% – highlighting the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on flying. With China’s relatively quick recovery from the coronavirus outbreak, the country saw domestic air travel rebound faster than most countries, including the US. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which managed to jump 10 spots from 2019, overtook Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as the busiest airport in the world in 2020, with 43,767,558 total passenger trips.

HOSPITALITY HIGHLIGHT

Arkadia

Situated in the mountains of Zhejiang province in the equally lush and historic Songyang county sits Arkadia, a quaint six-bedroom bed and breakfast surrounded by mountains, the flowing Songyin River and tiny villages rich with more than 1,800 years’ worth of history.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted with freshly grown, local tea and a majestic view from every vantage point.

From Arkadia, set off through the trails, hiking through bamboo forests, a painter’s village and even to a crystal-teal flowing waterfall, just eight kilometers away.

Described by National Geographic as the ‘last mysterious place south of the Yangtze River,’ Songyang is the ideal rural escape, best enjoyed from a modern yet comfortable hotel.

Outside of exploring nature, Arkadia offers everything from yoga mats to French and Chilean wines, with weekly Saturday evening BBQs. Equipped with child-friendly facilities, Arkadia is both the perfect romantic getaway for couples and a fantastic family adventure destination.

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E D I T O R @ T H AT S M A G S . C O M

HOT SPOT

Masai Mara, Kenya

F

ollowing their arrival at a dirt airstrip, safari enthusiasts are greeted by 4x4 trucks as they enter the Masai Mara National Park for the annual great wildebeest migration. The park is an expansive space with hundreds of species making up the millions of animals migrating their way from the Serengeti in Tanzania across the Mara River and into Kenya to follow the food, grass and the nomadic path of their predecessors. This migration takes place annually between the end of July through the beginning of October.

Time out your vacation accordingly to ensure prime migration sightings.

Accommodation involve luxury tents, a form of glamping with an audacious side. Located on the border of the park, animals regularly roam through nearby camps. Masai Mara warriors patrol the camps around the clock, ensuring guests’ safety and fending off any animals if they happen to wander too close.

Start off each morning watching the sunrise over the African grasslands, as hot air balloons ascend in the distance.

Nocturnal animals end their waking hours with full bellies, and the rest of the food chain shakes off sleep, thanking their lucky stars they made it through another night.

Like the animals you came to observe, spend the sunny afternoons napping in the shade and conserve your energy for a second round of safari drives around sunset when the animals emerge again, and the cycle continues. In the African wild, it’s the circle of life.

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TR AVEL | F E AT U R E

HELLO XINJIANG Mountains and Minorities, Scenery and Spice

By Sophie Steiner

E

ncompassing shifting sand desserts, natural wonders, lively cities, a cultural mix of ethnic minorities and much more all in one province, Xinjiang is China’s best-kept travel destination secret.

The land-locked Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region spans 1.66 million square kilometers, covering an altitude from 157 meters below sea level in the Turpan Depression – the third-lowest place on Earth – to 8,611 meters above sea level at K2 – the second highest peak in the world.

Summer sees boiling, dry heatwaves, while winter plummets into Arctic-level freezes. Spring and autumn allow visitors to enjoy the best of both worlds, along with an abundant harvest of seasonal fruits and nuts, like Turpan grapes, Yecheng pomegranates, Hotan walnuts and more.

Much like its landscapes, Xinjiang’s population is equally diverse. With a rich Silk Road-influenced history, the region is a cultural melting pot of Han Chinese, Uyghurs, Tajiks, Mongols, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and many more.

Still relatively new to the tourist scene, Xinjiang provides travelers with bona fide experiences, meaningful encounters and authentic interactions with the people, culture, cuisine and history of this extraordinary region of China. In the following pages, we share the sights and tastes of Xinjiang, along with a travel tour recommendation.

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F E AT U R E | TR AVEL

Kashgar Old Town On the far western side of Xinjiang sits Kashgar, a once crucial trading point along the Silk Road between China, the Middle East and Europe.

At the center of the now modern city is Kashgar’s Old Town, a replica of what once existed that still maintains its cultural significance. Hustling food vendors dot the twisting alleyways, calling out their daily specials between handicraft stalls packed with local products – like embroidered silk scarves, Hotan carved jade, pounded copper tableware and dried fruits and nuts.

Weekend mornings see hordes of people congregating at the Kashgar Sunday Bazaar, a bustling livestock trading point, filled with food hawkers and street vendors on the outskirts.

Only interested in the street snacks? There’s a night market filled with all the local delicacies every evening along Ou-er Daxike Lu directly across from the Id Kah Mosque – the largest of its kind in Xinjiang.

Don’t miss the Afaq Khoja Mausoleum, a masterpiece of Uyghur traditional architecture just a few kilometers away from the Old Town, or a hiking trip out to Shipton’s Arch – the highest rock arch in the world – less than two hours outside of Kashgar.

Urumqi

Karakoram Highway

Xinjiang’s capital city is home to 3.5 million people, modern skyscrapers and a contemporary lifestyle, yet it’s one of the most remote cities on the planet and farthest from an ocean than any other city in the world.

Although it lacks an ancient history and an old town per se, it is a major jumping-off point for seeing northeast and southeast Xinjiang, plus a foodie haven for regional favorites.

The heavenly Karakoram road originates in Kashgar, crosses the Pamir and Karakoram mountains and continues onwards through the Himalaya and Hindukush mountains – the highest on the planet – before descending into the Indus River valley in Pakistan.

After passing through the Ghez River Canyon, stop at the Baisha Lake – surrounded by powdery sand dunes – followed by a visit to the stunning Karakul Lake, with its pristine backdrop reflecting the ginormous Muztag Ata mountain behind it.

Known as the most beautiful drive with the highest border crossing on Earth, travelers can finish this scenic journey at Taxkorgan, the final town before the border crossing. The nearby Stone City Ruins – with its 2,000-year-old history – coupled with the sprawling Golden Grasslands make this primarily Tajik-influenced village a worthwhile visit.

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TR AVEL | F E AT U R E

Turpan Referred to as The City of Grapes, Turpan is one of Xinjiang’s jewels, famous for its Uyghur culture, unique geographical location and historical value.

From the majestic Yarkhoto (Jiaohe) Ancient City Ruins – the oldest, best-preserved earthen architectural site in the world, dating back to the second century BC – to the looming, crimson Flaming Mountains that appear to be on fire in the mid-day heat, Turpan is a true desert town.

Find respite from the heat in any of the sprawling grape vineyards that surround the city, the ideal place for a local lunch, or at Emin Minaret, an 18th-century mosque converted into a photographer’s playground.

Heavenly Lake in the Tianshan Mountain Range The Tianshan Mountains stretch from Uzbekistan into Xinjiang, with Bogda Shan, one of the easternmost sub-ranges, being particularly impressive.

With fantastic glacial peaks rising over deep alpine valleys, Tian Chi, or Heavenly Lake, is a national park blanketed in grasslands, forests and glistening waters. Hike around the park for a visit to a monastery built into a mountain, a dribbling waterfall and panoramic views across this mountainous paradise.

If it’s more stunning lake views you’re after, the Kanas Lake – located in the valley of the Altai Mountains, is a picturesque body of water bordering Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

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F E AT U R E | TR AVEL

Big Plate Chicken (Da Pan Ji 大盘鸡） A heaping portion of slowly braised chicken stew, big plate chicken is a platter made for sharing comprised of chicken, bell peppers and potatoes cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, chilis and a variety of spices – ranging from cumin and star anise to ground Sichuan peppercorns. The dish is customarily served with laghman, or wide, handpulled noodles that soak up the leftover spiced broth, allowing consumers to savor every last drop.

Xinjiang Pulled Noodles （Ban Mian/Laghman 拌面） A common Uyghur dish, handmade, ropey noodles – made simply from flour, water and salt – are rolled, stretched and pulled before boiling until al dente. Commonly topped with stir-fried lamb, bell peppers, chilis, onions and tomatoes all simmered together in a meat stock, a bowl of this everyday pasta goes for RMB10-20 around the entire region.

Each restaurant has their secret recipe, sometimes adding in seasonal vegetables, like cabbage or green beans – but the building blocks are always the same – chewy, unctuous noodles interlaced with stewed seasonal vegetables for a resulting dish that’s excellence applauds and transcends its humble ingredients.

Another equally unforgettable alternative is ganbian chaomian (干煸炒面), with thick cords of noodles stir-fried in oil and spices, along with spicy dried chilis, onions, garlic, spinach and a sprinkling of white sesame seeds.

Rice Pilaf (Zhua Fan/Polo 抓饭 )

It’s impossible to visit Xinjiang without relishing in a steaming plate of local rice pilaf. Enormous vats holding hundreds of portions are filled to the brim with fat-glistening rice, chunks of caramelized sweet carrots and slowly braised lamb meat.

Many venues top the dish with pickled carrot shreds, raisins, apricots or nuts for added texture, flavor and seasoning. Grab yourself some additional grilled lamb skewers (chuar) and tandoori-oven roasted Uyghur naan bread for the most authentic Xinjiang street-side meal around.

How to Visit Flying into major cities, like Kashgar and Urumqi, is relatively straightforward. However, getting around to the irreplaceable natural vistas is best done with a tour guide to avoid any unnecessary stress at security checkpoints.

We traveled around Xinjiang with Wanna Travel, a Shanghaibased tour agency that offers both seven and 12-day trip options in the region, along with numerous other trips around China. To book your next Xinjiang adventure with Wanna Travel, visit www.wannatravelshanghai.com.

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BUSINESS & TECH Good Game

Four New Noteworthy Games from Tencent Games Annual Conference p36

Chart Attack P34

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Highs and Lows P35

GAME THEORY

AMY DECILLIS

Founder of Okra Interview by Ryan Gandolfo

W

hen we came across Amy DeCillis’ company origin story, it sounded like quite a rollercoaster. After graduating from New York University Shanghai, DeCillis was at a crossroads, unsure whether to return to the US amid a pandemic or stay in a safe place in Shanghai. She opted for the latter and devised a creative plan to live and work here legally – by forming a company. She admits that it wasn’t initially her entrepreneurial spirit that sparked the founding of Okra, but she’s excited about the prospect of where this venture may lead her. Below, DeCillis shares her experience registering her company in China.

What initially brought you to China?

I was born in China then adopted and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. My parents were always supportive and encouraged me to go back to China. As the only adopted sibling of five, my parents enrolled me in a private school because it had a Chinese-language program. My grandfather used to live in Hong Kong and Taiwan and worked for the US government. He could speak Cantonese and would teach me some characters, so I was encouraged to learn about China.

I first did a study abroad program in Beijing in high school. I learned about New York University Shanghai on that trip and ended up going there for my degree.

I wasn’t planning on staying in Shanghai after graduation in 2020.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, I saw a lot of my classmates fleeing and going to the New York campus. I felt loyal to Shanghai and China and wanted to stick it out. I’m glad I stayed.

How did you decide on starting a company as a means to stay in China legally?

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, I decided to stay in China because I felt like it was a better choice. I looked at my options but didn’t know what I wanted to

“Starting my own company sounded like the best bad idea” study [in graduate school]. I knew I wanted to stay in China with the US job market crashing, but I needed a work visa.

I had played soccer my whole life, and my coach at NYU Shanghai is local Shanghainese, so I reached out to him for advice as well as my former boss at my internship, who is a good friend and mentor. I also emailed NYU Shanghai, and the feedback I got was to work in the free trade zone, work in education, or start my own company. Starting my own company sounded like the best bad idea.

My coach was saying that I don’t need to be an entrepreneur, but I could be my own anchor. I wouldn’t need to rely on random tutoring jobs for my visa, and it is also easier to get hired if you already have your visa sorted since the company doesn’t have to cover as many costs.

The total cost of setting up my business was around RMB20,000 for everything, including signing up the company, financial services, visa fees, criminal background checks and more. But I did a cost analysis with my family, and we decided it made sense.

I get that it’s not the easy option for a lot of recent graduates, but it worked for me, and I ended up getting hired through one of my soccer teammates. They heard I was looking for work, so I joined WildChina, a tourism company. Basically, they pay my company, and then I pay myself. It’s good because I have more flexibility.

How did you decide on the name of the company?

When I was hashing out the plan – and again, I’m not an entrepreneur – I didn’t

know exactly what I wanted to do with it. So, when I was thinking of a company name, I didn’t want to make it something too serious. I kept thinking: Apple is a dumb name for a company, and if Steve Jobs can name his company Apple, then I can call mine Okra.

I named the company Okra because I’m from the south [in the US], and none of my other friends in Shanghai are from there. I’m always talking about how good the food is down south, and a lot of my friends don’t actually like okra. It doesn’t mean too much, but the last character of the Chinese name means ‘to incite or something provocative’ – or at least that’s what Pleco told me.

I didn’t discuss the Chinese name with any locals. I think that the Chinese name has a somewhat better intention, but the whole point was to have a placeholder.

So, what’s the plan for Okra?

Again what I do with the company is still undecided. I’m close with the NYU Shanghai community, and my senior year I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Some friends mentioned they wanted to mentor younger people, so I set up a mentoring slash networking event that’s like speed dating style – something fun and quick – and that was the first thing I did with Okra.

I hope it could be a company that helps other companies start-up, but we’ll have to see. > This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

To learn more, scan the QR code:

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TAKE STOCK TAP THAT APP

CHART ATTACK

Dewu

Team Meituan

> Dewu (得物) is available for iOS and Android devices.

With news coming out last month that Ele.me was handed an RMB500,000 fine for misleading business practices, Sina Tech took to Weibo to ask users which food delivery platform they prefer. Check out the chart to see which team folks are supporting.

There are a surprising amount of sneakerheads in China. And a lot of them shop on Dewu, an online second-hand shopping community that’s known to authenticate and inspect its products for quality assurance. There’s nothing worse than making a massive purchase on the new Jordan’s only to find out they’re fake.

Dewu is also turning into a trend indicator in the PRC, with a growing community of influencers sharing sneaker and fashion-related content. According to Daxue Consulting, Dewu has around 40 million monthly active users as of 2019.

Source: Sina Tech

HOT ON TAOBAO

Can Opener Whether you’re crushing a CocaCola or craft beer, rip off the lid with this handy gadget and enjoy your beverage in a whole new style. We’ll admit it can be a little tricky getting the lid off if you don’t have a flat surface (spillage warning). Regardless, it’s a fun way to serve a drink by pouring out a little Coke and adding in some rum for the summer parties ahead. > This can opener is available on Taobao.

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E D I T O R @ T H AT S M A G S . C O M

HIGHS AND LOWS

Highs

• China’s industrial output rose nearly 10% year-on-year in April, signaling strong growth as the economy continues to bounce back. A statement by the National Bureau of Statistics noted, “Production demand continued to grow... and the economy continued to stabilize and resume development.”

With more economies returning to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for Chinese goods is also picking up.

• Congratulations are in order following China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe’s successful landing on the Red Planet last month. China is now the second country in the world to accomplish this feat, with the Beijing Aerospace Control Center receiving a letter of congratulations from President Xi Jinping. China has big plans in space this decade so expect plenty more great achievements.

• China is a land of patents, as indicated by the 530,000 invention patents that were authorized in the country last year.

China is the only middle-income country in the top 30 on the Global Innovation Index 2020.

Lows

• Birthdays are banned in Yunnan’s Funing county, according to a report

by The Paper. The rules also include a cash gift limit of RMB200 on weddings and funerals. If you’ve ever taken part in Chinese weddings, you’d know they cost an arm and a leg. The local government drafted the new rules to limit excessive spending and thwart bribes. A government official told The Paper during a phone interview that the expectation for extravagant celebrations such as birthdays has led to some people taking out loans to afford it. BBC reported that the rules only apply to civil servants, village leaders and communist party members. Hosts who are public servants in the county will need to submit details and costs of weddings and funerals to the local government. Weddings, funerals and other celebrations are seen as an opportunity to display a family’s status by hosting lavish gatherings. People online voiced approval of the new rules but questioned how they’ll be properly enforced. “It seems impossible to monitor. If someone gives a gift of RMB500 then how will it be reported? Will they get a reward?” wrote one netizen. The main reason this ended up in the Lows, however, is the fact that we have to resort to this.

• Tesla sales in China fell in April by 27% from March, according to data released by China Passenger Car Association. The sales slump may come as no surprise following multiple fatal accidents that were widely shared on the Chinese internet in recent weeks. There was also a protest by two women at the Shanghai Auto Show that called out the electric carmaker for its ‘faulty brakes.’

• Meituan founder Wang Xing made a USD2.1 billion mistake after sharing a latenight social media poem that concerned investors. There was initial speculation that the poem, written by Zhang Jie 1,000 years ago, alluded to sensitive topics.

However, Wang claimed the post referred to Meituan’s ecommerce rivals.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JUNE 2021 | 35

BUSINESS & TECH | F E AT URE

Four New Noteworthy Games from Tencent Games Annual Conference

By Ryan Gandolfo

I

n May, Tencent Games announced the release of more than 60 new games during its virtual annual conference. The gaming arm of internet giant Tencent is an industry leader, with over 140 self-developed and licensed games in more than 200 countries.

The list of new games displayed the gaming industry’s expanding range for both entertainment and education purposes. China Daily reported that some games were even designed for public service objectives.

Tencent Games also released games designed to promote science and medicine knowledge as well as coding courses for young learners.

On the same day as the conference,

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Tencent’s Senior Vice President Steven Ma provided some insight into video games’ direction, and a concept called ‘Hyper Digital Reality.’

“Hyper Digital Reality is our understanding of the nature of the game,” Ma said, adding that video games are driven by technology and provide a broader way to connect with people. He noted that the meaning of video games needs to expand to “explore the future possibilities with the industry.”

While we witness some aspects of traditional culture starting to fade, Ma makes a case for how video games can play a role in preserving cultural elements.

“The audience pool for Chinese traditional Yue Opera is shrinking, perhaps

just tens of thousands of people watch live Yue Operas each year. We found a master of the Yue Opera to help us design a skin known as “Butterfly Lovers” in Honor of Kings, which means the character design, voice and movements are all connected with Yue Opera.

About 80 million players have used that skin.”

Still, a character skin in a video game is a far cry from attending Yue Opera. But as Ma points out, with technology driving the industry, who knows how Yue Opera and other cultural traditions will be honored in the virtual world in the future.

We highlight four noteworthy games released at the Tencent Games conference coming to a phone near you.

F E AT URE | BUSINESS & TECH

Our Planet If you like space exploration, Our Planet is a game to truly get lost in. The sandbox (open world) genre mobile game drops you off on a massive planetary continent waiting for you to discover. From the most recent trailer, the graphics look ultra-high quality, and the high degree of freedom of gameplay should keep you very much engaged. In the game, you can take on challenges with different partners, gather resources to build a home and live the martian life. The game is based on Unreal Engine 4 – the video game creation tool that gave us Daylight and Dead Island 2, among others. > Pre-register on iOS, coming soon on Android

Project: Fighter Based on the Japanese manga series One Piece, Project: Fighter – like Our Planet – was also crafted using Unreal Engine 4, giving the street fighter-style game great display and color. Gamers will be able to play as one of the heroes from the One Piece series. There’s a lot of hype in the gaming community, but unfortunately, a release date has not been set as of press time. > Coming soon on iOS, pre-register on Android

Handmade Planets Another sandbox genre mobile game in this quartet, Handmade Planets is a giant multiplayer game created by Tencent Games. It’s drawn many comparisons to Minecraft and offers gamers adventure, community and creation, according to mobile game sharing community TapTap. > Pre-register available for iOS and Android

Pavlov: Brain’it on

As you may have gathered in the title, this game focuses on training the brain. Pavlov: Brain’it on is the first brain cognition training game jointly developed with Tencent Games and Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (TCCI). The game’s main goal is to “improve different aspects of the brain’s cognitive ability, including attention, speed of thinking and memory, among others.” Expected to go live this year, Pavlov: Brain’it on is quite different from the aforementioned games as it employs scientific methods “such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain activity and the cognitive impact in different game scenarios.” The game shows Tencent Games’ increasingly diverse portfolio of games. > Coming soon

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JUNE 2021 | 37

THE

D

How Divorce is Changing China for Better or Worse

By Phoebe Kut, additional reporting

by Ryan Gandolfo and Joshua Cawthorpe

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Y

ou know what they say, ‘Happy wife, happy life’ – but what happens when a marriage goes sour? When bickering turns into heated arguments? Or issues arise with infidelity or finances? When both people are past their limit, divorce is often the answer.

It has been well-reported that the overall divorce rate in China has been rising for the past two decades – and fast. China’s young married couples are untying the knot while others hope to ‘save the date’ for a later stage in life or avoid it entirely. Various factors can be attributed to the influx in divorcees such as the rise of social stability for women, communication breakdowns, changing thoughts on romance and the lack of intimacy education.

In the following pages, we address how society in China is shifting the perception of marriage and what’s being done to help couples stay committed through thick and thin.

NEWLYW M

any modern marriage customs in China can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE-256 BCE). As one may presume, though, marrying for love was not the goal in feudal society.

Marriage was mainly seen as a union and strategic alliance between two families to ultimately continue the ancestral line. In comparison, marriage today is a mishmash of factors like emotions, culture and sex to bond husband and wife.

These added elements make marriage both complex and fragile. When marriage quality fails to meet a partner’s expectations, they are often less afraid to give up on the relationship and live independently.

We reached out to Dr. Sharon Kong, a Shenzhen-based marriage consultant, who is wellknown for her work in psychological counseling and has appeared on various South China television programs.

She tells us that the main reason behind China’s budding divorce rate is the rise of women’s power.

Over the years, an increasing number of Chinese women have received higher education, growing their income and independence.

According to tradition, women were educated to uphold ‘Three Obediences and Four Virtues,’ which are ancient moral codes for single and married women. The Three Obediences are as follows: a woman is to obey her father before marriage, obey her husband once married and, after the husband dies, obey her son. All these principles implied that women existed for men.

Modern education shifts the focus inward, concentrating on women’s self-esteem and selfreliance. Statistically, it has been found that girls

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perform better than their male counterparts in both mental maturity and academic performance.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics released a 10year report in 2020 which found that over half of college graduates were female (50.6%) – a decade earlier that figure was 47.9%.

Education is the main driver helping women to narrow the pay gap, allowing for more independence. Especially in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, women are allowed to flourish and show the full extent of their capabilities in the workforce.

Dr. Kong notes, “The phenomenon of overshadowing men is very common. Sometimes in a family, the woman is more decisive and assertive.”

While female empowerment is becoming more prevalent across industries in China, perhaps nowhere is it more visible in the public eye than the entertainment industry.

On May 20 (known as China’s unofficial Valentine’s Day), Xinjiang native Tong Liya, one of China’s most popular actresses, announced her divorce from actor and director Chen Sicheng.

Both Tong and Chen posted separate announcements on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, with Tong saying that she is “looking forward to the future.”

The 36-year-old actress had met Chen while filming the TV series Beijing Love Story around 2012, and they married two years later. Chen’s alleged affairs had plagued the relationship for several years, which ultimately led to public praise upon hearing news of the divorce. The positive perception of Tong’s divorce seems to be a defiant shift from past norms.

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WEDS

“The phenomenon of overshadowing men is very common. Sometimes in a family, the woman is more decisive and assertive”

Divorce Rates in China

Divorce rate per 1,000 couples

3.5

Continuously Rising

3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

Source: 泽平宏观

2019

2018

2017

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2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

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2000

0.5 0.0

Changing ideologies of romance throughout generations have also affected the divorce rate.

A 2017 sociology study by Yu Zhang summarized that Chinese women’s ideas on ‘romantic love’ are primarily influenced by the generation they lived in.

These different beliefs and values surrounding love coincide with the increasing divorce rate over the past two decades.

The 2021 China Marriage Report reveals that the average age of marriage in the nation is currently around 25 to 29 years old.

This is a significant shift from what used to be the norm of 20 to 24 years old decades earlier. It also reflects a global trend of waiting longer before marrying.

The current majority who are getting married were born in the ’90s and have a very different understanding of sex and intimacy than Chinese women who were born in the ’50s.

In the ’50s, an intimate relationship was considered one between parent and child, where sexual love was an afterthought.

Upholding a family was the most important matter: “When asked if they had ever thought of a divorce, their responses were ‘then what about my kids,’” Yu notes in her study. Even when husbands were caught cheating, marriage was kept at all costs. Due to family pressure and social expectations, married women in this generation had little recourse. More women may have left their husbands if they had more freedom to do so.

Those born in the ’70s lived during the economic reform and opening-up of China. A time of optimism, these women “hoped for a love and marriage,” or amatonormativity.

Amatonormativity is a

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term coined by philosophy professor Elizabeth Brake to describe the “widespread assumption that everyone is better off in an exclusive, romantic, long-term coupled relationship.” Divorce to these married women is often seen as a failure, even when family violence is present.

As for the ’90s babies, they grew up in a time of globalization. These women are independent and more self-aware, making divorce a logical option in the case of an unfulfilling marriage.

As generations pass, the notion of ‘romantic love’ changes and the attitudes towards marriage and divorce change as well.

However, the ideals of previous generations can still impact the choices of the next. Zhao Xia of Hubei province got married in 2018. At the time, she felt confident in her relationship but pressured to get married quickly. She acknowledges that her partner wasn’t quite ready.

“I wasn’t thinking about money, family or background. I thought I loved him and he loved me,” she told That’s. “But also, I was under pressure because […] my family were pushing me so much. They said, “You are old enough. If you don’t get married, it will be too late for you, and you’ll miss your chance to have a baby.

If you don’t get married, we will introduce somebody to you, and we will decide when you get married.” So, at that time, I just registered [to get married].” Zhao got divorced from her husband after two years of marriage.

She adds, “one month after I got divorced, they wanted me to meet another guy and get married again. […] They didn’t care how I felt. I was hurt and maybe I didn't want to get married anymore, but they didn’t ask.”

Another factor is the lack of intimacy education

in China. In current society, resources on how to love and manage marriage are not always readily available.

There is an insufficient amount of premarital education, and, as a result, the changes in identity and roles after marriage are not identified. Many enter a marriage without any form of training on how to be a husband, wife, or parent.

Dr. Kong shares, “Marriage is a matter of learning. Young people who have not studied accordingly will encounter many obstacles in marriage as they don’t know how to communicate with each other, and they don’t even have the consciousness to hire a professional marriage counselor.”

While Chinese parents are quick to seek out the best coaches and teachers for their children’s success, the notion of seeking someone qualified to help improve their marriage is not commonplace.

“They turn to their friends or parents whose suggestions are always subjective and unprofessional, which leads to conflicts between the couple not being dealt with in a timely manner. At this time, it is very easy for another person to wreck

They turn to their friends or parents whose suggestions are always subjective and unprofessional

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the relationship or give a long-term silent treatment [to their partner], which eventually leads to divorce,” she adds, noting that these incidents are more common than we think.

“The internal reason is that two people don’t understand how to get along closely. Even if they marry another person in the future, they are very likely to divorce again because they know nothing about being a husband or being a wife.”

In March 2021, a Chinese legislator also suggested premarital

training sessions for couples before they decide to officially wed. Chen Aizhu, a deputy from the National People’s Congress, explained the training could “help to improve people’s sense of responsibility to the family, encouraging the new couples to be loyal in marriage and cherish their family.”

From a professional and legislative viewpoint, this could provide a solution for couples planning to get married. But how about married couples already considering a divorce?

INCONVE TRUTH W

What I regret most in my life is getting married and having a kid. How wonderful to just be alone

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e spoke to Silvia, a 38-year-old local Guangzhou resident who gave us insight into how divorce is perceived in China. Agreeing to talk with us without using her full name, Silvia says she currently has friends who are in the process of getting a divorce.

She notes that the discussion around divorce is still largely taboo in Chinese culture despite the growing number of divorcees. Silvia believes divorce is less commonly discussed due to pride and privacy.

Gao Meilin, a Beijing-based photographer, managed to push past the challenging topic and gain a unique perspective of divorced couples around the Middle Kingdom.

“After talking with over 100 divorced couples, 12 agreed to let me take souvenir photos for them,” Gao says. She started capturing photos of divorced couples in 2019 for her graduation project at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, a project that lasted two years.

Her parents had divorced when she was young and, like presumably many other children, had to pretend her parents were still together when friends visited her home.

Gao also included her parents in the project, where she also asked each couple to write a secret note to their former partners. “They didn’t know what they had written, but they were moved when I later brought them a picture of them together with their notes,” she tells That’s via email.

ENIENT

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One of her most memorable shoots was with a couple who had divorced two years prior but were still working together to support their daughter who was preparing for the gaokao.

She recounts in a Sixth Tone article published in March, “When I arrived, they had just finished doing a couple’s wedding photos at the studio. I told them to leave the setting as it was, with a red cloth hanging in the background, and photographed them then and there.”

Gao tells us that she still believes in marriage and family. “Although people’s attitude towards divorce in China is changing all the time, [my parents’] generation is very special. Before them, the divorce rate was low in China, while the divorce rate of our generation is so high that it even needs laws to slow it down.”

On January 1, 2021, the Chinese government enforced a new law to deter couples from impulsively getting divorced: They would first have to wait 30 days. This ‘cooling period’ does not apply to lawsuits that involve domestic violence and has ‘worked’ in some instances.

Silvia informs us that one of her friends has delayed proceedings because of this law. Instead, they are choosing to quietly separate, settling into different homes and dividing assets themselves.

Data from the Wuhan Civil Affairs Bureau show that after a 30-day cooling-off period and a 30day processing period, 58% of couples gave up registration after applying in March 2021.

In addition to the 30 days, both parties must agree to divorce and the application can be rejected if one party refuses. These new stipulations have been viewed as detrimental, especially for those in abusive relationships that are unreported.

An article published by South China Morning Post in May 2020 revealed that 20% of Chinese women in 2019 were deeply unhappy and regretted their marriage. Unequal division of housework is a big issue and one that is consistent across the world.

The article goes on to tell the story of Liu Fang, a married Shanghai woman in her 30s who reached a breaking point in her family and took to the internet to share her frustrations. “What I regret most in my life is getting married and having a kid. How wonderful to just be alone!” Liu posted on Weibo.

Expecting to enter a happy marriage, Liu says the amount of work tripled. As an employee at a financial data firm, she notes that the burden of office work, chores at home and childcare make divorce an appealing option.

MOVING ON

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ivorce rates in China are also rising because of a gradually shifting attitude and increasing openness towards divorce in society, paired with low cost. Divorce is no longer seen as ‘谈 虎色变’ (tan hu se bian), a Chinese idiom which means ‘scared at the mere mention of.’

The total number of divorces registered by the Civil Affairs Department has steadily gone up since 2007. However, the total number of registrations was 3.73 million in 2020, a 7.66% decrease from the previous year and even lower than the total in 2018, 3.8 million.

Beijing-based relationship coach and therapist Li Wen has witnessed attitudes towards divorce change firsthand with her clients.

“In recent years, the status of Chinese women is changing. In the past, it was more difficult for women to leave an unhappy marriage because men were the breadwinners of the family. But as we see more women earn good money to support a family, they feel confident to take action and leave a marriage that isn’t fulfilling,” Li tells us on a call from the capital city.

Women make up 73.4% of the plaintiffs looking for a divorce, and the reasons often cited are irreconcilable differences (77.5%) and domestic violence (14.9%). The time frame in which divorces usually happen is between two to seven years after marriage.

China is one of the countries in the world where divorce is relatively free with simple procedures. In a mutual separation, a couple can head to their local marriage bureau to apply for a divorce for free.

In comparison, to apply for a divorce in the UK, it costs GBP550, and in Canada, it costs approximately CAD632 (including court fees).

The new marriage law weakens the constraint of economic interests on marriage. In other words, the extent of property losses caused by divorce is greatly reduced, which further lowers the cost.

The lower the cost of divorce, the easier it is to give up the union, which makes people potentially less invested in the marriage. It seems people spend less time searching and making careful decisions before marriage.

As a result, the husband and wife are often mismatched, which in turn leads to more divorces.

Beyond the marginal costs of leaving a spouse, Li points out that another key reason couples are divorcing is that they get married before they truly know each other.

“One of my clients mentioned that she only knew her partner for three months before they got married. She soon after learned that her spouse was irresponsible,” Li tells us.

“Now she is pregnant and also considering a divorce.”

While Li notes that relationship counseling and therapy are quite expensive, she adds that simply reading self-help books can improve a relationship by better understanding how to communicate feelings.

But for some couples, divorce is a way to set a precedent. As Gao tells us, “My father later told me that my mother’s last words to him before the divorce were, “I wanted to set an example to my daughter that if she was unhappy in her marriage, she would have the courage to divorce.””

Whether we’ll see divorce become more commonly accepted in Chinese society remains to be seen. But it’s clear that more children today are growing up with divorced parents than ever before in China.

How this family dynamic will shape their future relationships will impact perceptions of both marriage and divorce.

With societal standards and notions of romance changing, coupled with the rise in women’s power – marriage, a social construct, no longer seems to serve the same purpose it once did.

On the other hand, marriage counselors and lawmakers aim to rebalance the scale by providing more education to the public on the true responsibilities of marriage.

If counseling and therapy become mainstream, it could help turn the tide for couples of future generations.

But for now, it’s clear that a growing number of people are disenchanted by marriage, which will have a significant impact on China – for better or worse.

FORMIDABLE COUPLES Dr. Kong shared with us five suggestions that she believes can help couples better communicate and, ultimately, lead to a fruitful and happy marriage.

1 2

1. Accept professional counseling before marriage Setting clear boundaries and expectations before a union is important. You are responsible for supporting and helping your partner and making both your lives happier and more successful. However, many people are not aware of this, they get married only hoping to get something from others. They may think you are my husband or wife, so you should do what I want you to do.

There are also some sensitive topics such as money, sex and the relationship between parents that should be openly discussed in professional premarital counseling.

2. Set Rules

The second is to set some rules that both the husband and wife must obey as these irrefutable rules are a defense line to protect the marriage. There is a rule between my husband and me: no quarreling overnight, and at midnight, one of us must apologize and the other must accept it. There is also a fixed agreement between the two of us to set a time for us alone. We cannot quarrel in front of the child, and so on. We set rules and strictly obey them.

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3 4 5

3. Learn to deal with conflicts Each conflict is actually the best opportunity for us to understand ourselves and each other. We should learn to deal with the conflicts between husband and wife, and find out what are the unmet needs behind the emotions, and learn to communicate our emotions and needs. This kind of discussion will not lead to divorce, but a more intimate relationship.

4. Keep learning and improving Marriage seems to be a matter of two people.

However, only one is enough to determine the happiness in marriage. If you change, the other person will also change. Therefore, we suggest that both spouses or at least one of them should keep learning and improving, learning how to manage an intimate relationship, how to communicate, how to improve so that when problems occur, we can find solutions to problems during learning.

5. Find a professional marriage counselor Leave professional matters to professional people. Many couples who came to me were in trouble and were about to divorce.

After professional counseling, the problem was solved quickly. If your marriage has problems, it is still recommended to turn to a professional marriage counselor for resolution.

FAMILY Trippin’ With the Fam

8 Amazing Trips to Take Around China p52

Dad’s Book List P50

48 | JUNE 2021 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Veggie Mama P51

FULL HOUSE

LILIAN SHEN Board Member of Zmack Improv Comedy Interview by Ned Kelly

Shanghai-based improv family Zmack recently turned 12, and they had a whole load of shows lined up to celebrate their last year before becoming a teenager. We caught up with Lilian Shen, who has been onboard for six of those years, to find out more about the crew.

How did Zmack come about?

Zmack was founded in 2009 by Curt Mabry, who at the time was hosting improv shows, workshops and open mic nights; a catalyst for the growing comedy community in Shanghai. Zmack was really born out of passion for improv and making people happy, creating a wonderful community of positivity and support. Now Zmack has weekly shows, classes and applied improv corporate training.

Your background is in finance – tell us about taking up improv?

When I first joined Zmack in 2015, I was a financial analyst at a boutique investment bank specializing in cross border mergers and acquisitions. I always had a flare for creative endeavors – visual arts, dance and crafts – but never had the opportunity to pursue those interests in my career because they weren’t ‘serious.’ I had never even heard of improv until I was working in Shanghai.

What can people expect from a Zmack show?

People can expect to be surprised, to laugh their butts off and to have a wonderful time with warm-hearted people. Improv really decreases the distance between the typical ‘performer’ and ‘audience’ dichotomy. The audience is as much a part of a show as the performers.

Zmack is always innovating. We have improv teams in English, Chinese and French and have new projects with puppet improv, long form immersive improv theater and even an all-women’s improv team!

One of the beautiful things about improv is that it is so malleable; you can integrate almost any art form with it!

“No matter where we go and what we do, we always have a blast when we are together“ Where have you guys performed?

Chicago, Manila, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beijing, Suzhou, Changshu... all over! Some of my best memories with Zmack are when we travel and always have smiling faces and warm embraces on the other side of the world waiting for us.

I’ve shared rooms with many Zmackers, played video games, rehearsed on rooftops, relaxed on the beach, performed on state-of-the-art stages and theaters, taken trains, airplanes, buses, ferries and really, no matter where we go and what we do, we always have a blast when we are together.

How do you find your inspiration?

Like Charna Halpern says in Truth in Comedy, our inspiration comes from life and from each other. In Zmack, our philosophy is to be authentic, honest and genuine. We don’t need to invent when we can discover the moments that create magic, when we connect with our partner on stage.

At the end of the day, improv is about communicating and taking care of the people we are on stage with. I suppose that’s why it has been called “Theater of the Heart.” > This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

WWW.THATSMAGS.COM | JUNE 2021 | 49

LIVING ROOM DAD’S BOOK LIST

CLASS CLOWN

Children’s books recommendations from That’s editorial team:

You Got Schooled

Ages 7+

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Arguably Roald Dahl’s best-known story, this classic tale is a great read for children and parents alike. Published in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is about a young poor boy named Charlie who wins the opportunity of a lifetime – along with several other children and parents – to visit the extraordinary Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. We learn about the owner, Mr. Willy Wonka, and the real reason he’s organized the contest and tour. Before your kids catch the 2005 movie remake, which raked in USD475 million, give them the book to appreciate the work of Dahl.

Ages 5+

The Rock from the Sky If your child loves a good story about turtles (we sure do), then The Rock from the Sky is a must-read. This book dives into the intricacies of friendship and those funny feelings we get throughout life, starring a turtle and an armadillo. Jon Klassen’s latest publication, which came out in April, has been well received for its humor and brilliant artwork.

Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma’s elite business school in China, formerly called Hupan University, was changed to Hupan on multiple social media platforms. SCMP reported that the school, based in Hangzhou, was never officially licensed as a school by the education ministry.

A video clip of a worker removing the university characters from one of the signs on campus went viral on Chinese social media. It seems the school’s subtle attempt to change its name has been ridiculed. Hupan had become a sought-after school in recent years because of his reputation.

ECO HOME

Reusable Ice Cubes It’s hot, humid and we’re just looking to chill our drinks.

Since ice machines are virtually nonexistent in China, we’re often left to fill clumsy ice trays for our much-needed ice cubes. It’s not necessarily a water saver, as you’d still need to wash the cubes after each use, but should be easier to rinse and re-chill for more cold drinks to get you through summer. Most importantly, these won’t dilute that expensive Taiwanese whiskey your father-in-law gave you. > Reusable ice cubes are available on JD.com and Tmall.

50 | JUNE 2021 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

Children’s Wellness Checks Made Affordable and Easy

ADVERTORIAL

SinoUnited Health Offer a Seamless Service Across Four Clinics in Shanghai

By Ned Kelly

N

othing is more important to a parent than their children’s’ health. That is why regular Children’s Wellness Checks, from infancy to adolescence, are a must. As a parent, however, you can feel like you are going in blind, so you want to know that you are in good hands. Having had Dr. Marina looking after my daughter from birth, to a now lively four-year-old, we can certainly vouch that at SinoUnited Health you are.

The foremost reason for children’s Wellness Checks is to keep up-to-date with the vaccine schedule – vital in disease prevention.

Checkups also allow doctors to do important examinations to evaluate how your child is growing – both physically and mentally – which can both be reassuring, and also an opportunity to draw attention to any issues that may have been missed, or not obvious to those without medical knowledge.

Important examinations like checking your child’s weight and height, calculating their body mass index (BMI) and plotting the measurements on the growth charts; checking your child’s blood pressure, vision and hearing using standard testing equipment; and asking questions, addressing concerns and offering advice are important for a healthy upbringing.

Laboratory tests are also done, with blood and urine samples taken (depending on age), giving further clues on how the child is doing.

Doctor, parent and child discussions also develop an exchange of ideas, and parents can take home nuggets of information on how best to take care of their child.

SinoUnited Health’s service on all of the above is impeccable from start to finish, from putting children at ease in an unfamiliar setting, to follow-up consultations with parents once the results have been accessed.

Small touches make all the difference in these situations, and SinoUnited gets it right, with fun kid-inspired decor and the child’s perspective always being considered – symbols on the eye chart, for example, mean you can turn it into a fun game rather than a scary test.

The standout, and arguably most important thing of all, however, is the pediatric personnel. Everyone, from the reception to the nurses and doctors, is welcoming, with a warm manner that puts parents and children alike at ease.

After a seamless set of tests and a talk with the doctor, a comprehensive list of results is presented to you within an hour of entering the clinic. The doctor will then explain them to you, making what could be indecipherable or intimidating, into something invaluably useful.

Friendly feedback is then given, with relevant advice on everything from diet to hygiene, and any follow-up requirements.

Doctors recommend Wellness Checks once a month up to six months of age, once every two months from six to 12 months of age, once every three months over the age of 12 months, and every year after that.

As a first time father who was looking for reassurance, sound advice and the warmth of people who genuinely care for you and your family, Dr. Marina and her team have been exactly that for me. Let SinoUnited Health look after you on every step of your journey.

About SinoUnited Health SinoUnited Health is a leading medical service provider based in Shanghai. Their team of medical specialists is selected from both China and abroad and are renowned for their excellence and rich experience in their respective fields of medical expertise. Their vision is to provide patient-oriented care by strictly adhering to medical practice guidelines, incorporating the latest technologies and respecting patient’s individual needs.

SinoUnited Health For enquiries, please call 400 186 2116 For more information visit www. sinounitedhealth. com.cn or scan the QR code: Children’s Wellness Checks are offered at the following four clinics: Shanghai Centre Clinic Opening Hours: Mon-Sat, 9am6pm Address: Suite 301, 3/F; Suite 601, 6/F, West Offices, Shanghai Centre, 1376 West Xi Lu, Jing'an District, Shanghai 200040 Gefei Center Clinic Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 9am6pm Address: Gefei Center, 757 Mengzi Lu, 3/F, Suite 304-307, Huangpu District, Shanghai 200023 New Bund Clinic Opening Hours: Mon-Sun, 9am6pm Address: The New Bund World Trade Center (Phase I), Lane 255, Dongyu Lu, Building S7, Suite 101B, 2/F and 3/F, Pudong District, Shanghai 200126 Zhangjiang Clinic Opening Hours: Mon-Tue, ThuSat, 9am-6pm Address: U-Plus Building, 268 Xiangke Lu, Suite 101-102/105108, 1/F, Pudong District, Shanghai 201210

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F A M I LY | T R A V E L

Trippin’ With the Fam Eight Amazing Trips to Take Around China

W

ith summer vacation officially here and not too many international travel options, take the family on what could potentially be the trip of a lifetime right here in the PRC. Here are some of our favorite trips we highly recommend.

June 9-15 | 7-Day Classic Xinjiang Tour with Kashgar Xinjiang, the remote land of Northwest China, is a place of glittering cultural relics and breathtaking views. This seven-day southern Xinjiang tour features comfortable vehicle rides through the vast desert and plateau to discover Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar and Tashkurgan.

Explore the history and culture of disappeared kingdoms and experience the local exotic flavor.

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June 11-14 | 5-Star Resort Luxury Lakeside Getaway Qiandaohu, or Thousand Island Lake, located west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province is a designated AAAAA scenic area, the highest level achievable in China. With more than a thousand islets scattered among its 573-square-kilometer water area, Qiandaohu is blessed with a superb natural environment and ever-enchanting scenery. There are also plenty of activities to do in the area, including hiking, cycling and kayaking, all while staying in a luxury hotel with delicious dinners and steaming hot springs.

June 11-17 | 7-Day Yunnan Tour with Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La With great weather, breathtaking landscapes and scrumptious food, Yunnan truly is paradise on earth. This sevenday tour is a wonderful opportunity to have a deep exploration of this fascinating land. Walk in the Bai villages and get to know the culture; visit morning markets and experience the real life of local people; explore Tiger Leaping Gorge, a landscape that only the brave can conquer; and relax in ancient towns.

T R A V E L | F A M I LY

June 12-14 | Huangshan & Hot Spring Resort Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China’s major tourist destinations. Located in Anhui province it is an absolute mustsee destination in the country and has served as an inspiration to Chinese painters for hundreds of years, with its scenery of peculiarly shaped granite peaks, pine trees, hot springs, sunsets and views of the clouds from above.

July 5-11 & 19-25 | Exploring the Art of Amdo Tibet Rebkong is a small monastic town that lies 180 kilometers south of Xining, the capital of Qinghai province.

Situated on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau at an elevation of 2,600 meters (8,530 feet), the town is surrounded by mountains and expanses of nomadic pastureland in a region historically known to its nomadic inhabitants as Amdo Tibet. Home to several monasteries and villages around the main hub of the central town, the area has hundreds of professional artists – many of these teenagers with steady hands and excellent eyesight that lend well to the detailed skill of Thangka painting. You will have the chance to meet monks and learn about the significance of Tibetan Buddhism, worship and prayer to the local people of Qinghai and their culture.

July 31-Aug 7 | 8-Day Silk Road China Adventure Tour This trip is the perfect combination of culture, adventure, history and natural wonders. Visit everything from UNESCO World Heritage sites to magnificent mountain ranges and deserts. Starting in Lanzhou, you will then have the chance to visit Chaka Salt Lake, Zhangye Danxia Landform, Jiayuguan Pass Great Wall and Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Enjoy a sunset view of the colorful Rainbow Mountains, marvel at the geometric beauty of the Weijin Tomb Murals and enjoy a camel trek in the desert sand.

June 12-14 | Qiyun Mountain Qiyun Mountain, meaning ‘as high as the clouds,’ is one of the four sacred mountains of Taoism. Located in Anhui province, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, breathtaking scenery and embrace the wonders of sacred Taoist culture. Don’t miss this all-inclusive trip to a truly outstanding area of natural beauty. > To book these awesome trips and more, scan the QR code below:

8-Day Tibet Tour with Lhasa & Everest Base Camp One should never miss the opportunity to visit Tibet; the culture and stunning landscape will leave you with unforgettable memories. This eight-day Adventure Tour of Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Mount Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest, takes in the highlight attractions on the roof of the world. You will visit the holy Potala Palace, majestic Sera Monastery and breathtaking natural landscapes like Yamdroktso Lake and Karola Glacier plus take a far view of the Holy Mother Qomolangma.

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LISTINGS

Beijing Kerry Residence Whether you’re a single business executive or a busy family, Beijing Kerry’s fully- furnished 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments will feel just like home. As well as enjoying all the comforts of modern living – including a well-equipped kitchen, entertainment systems, high-speed broadband and much more – residents are just moments away from the Kerry Centre’s shopping mall and sports facilities. The rest of the CBD is on your doorstep too. >1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区光华路 1 号 (8535 6888, www.beijingkerryresidence. com)

BEIJING

Middle 8 Restaurant 中8楼 An oasis at the top of Taikoo Li, Middle 8 is the go-to destination for fresh authentic Yunnan cuisine. The restaurant, stylish yet understated, has plenty of flavorsome wellpriced dishes and a killer view to boot. > Raffles: Daily 11:00am-10:00pm, 5 Floor Of Raffles shopping center Dongzhimen Dongcheng District. 来福士店 : 东城区东直门来福 士购物中心 5 层 8409 8199/8409 8234 > Indigo: Daily 11:00am-10:00pm, Jiuxianqiao Road No.20 Indigo F2 , Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥 路 20 号颐堤港 2 层 8420 0883

GTC RESIDENCE BEIJING One of the top residences in Beijing, GTC Residence is located beside the third ring road with 5 minutes’ walk to subway line 5 , 10 minutes’ drive to Hou Hai . It is also within easily reach of CBD, embassy area, Financial Street and other urban commercial,shopping and recreation areas. Fully equipped apartments with impeccable quality offer you a cozy living system and will meet all of your requirements for room decoration, furniture, electric appliances etc..

Unique sky garden with golf practice field and barbecue area is another symbol of GTC Residence. > sales@gtcresidence.com, website: www. gtcresidence.com Tel:56756666 Beijing Lianbao > Unite 1C, Building 7, Xingfu Yicun Xili, Chaoyang District 朝阳区幸福一村 西里7号楼1C (6415 8001, 138 1093 6118, hanxingyue1127@126.com)

Oak Chateau Beijing Oak Chateau Beijing has 236 stylish and contemporary fully serviced apartments from studio, onebedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four bedroom suites available, mea-

suring 64 to 260 square meters. There is a 24-hours guest reception, and housekeeping is offered twice a week.

Nestled within the landscaped gardens of the Ocean Express commercial and residential complex, Oak Chateau Beijing is very close to the third Embassy Area and shopping and dinning services at the Beijing Lufthansa Center. There are only 19 kilometers to the Beijing Capital Airport. > 北京市朝阳区东三环霞光里 66 号远洋新干线 D 座 邮编 100027 Block D, Ocean Express, 66 Xiaguang Li, Third East Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100027, P.R.C Tel: (86-10) 84465888 Fax: (86-10) 84465999 Email oak.chateau@oakchateau.com Website: www.oakchateau.com Oakwood Residence Damei Beijing The only serviced apartment in the city that has its own in-house supply of natural hot spring water supply. Expansive city views are available from floor to ceiling windows with the apartments situated from level 23 to 35 in the building complex.

The 171 stylish contemporary serviced residences range from studios to threebedroom apartments and offer an elegant range of amenities and facilities to ensure each resident’s stay is comfortable and well taken care of. > Building No.1 Damei Center, 7 Qingnian Road, Chaoyang District Beijing 北京市朝阳 区青年路 7 号达美中心 1 号楼 Tel: 86-10 8585 2211 (8:30am-5:30pm) 86-10 8585 2888 (5:30pm-8:30am) Fax: (8610) 8585 2666 website OakwoodAsia.com

marketing@thatsmags.com 54 | JUNE 2021 | WWW.THATSMAGS.COM

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SCHOOL NEWS SHANGHAI

Wellington College Science Week

PYP Exhibition at WISS: Inspiring Projects to Change the World

Wellington College International Shanghai explored the intersection of science and science fiction with its annual Science Week. From May 4–7, pupils took part in a variety of enriching activities across the entire curriculum, from liquid nitrogen experiments to water rockets to Klingon Hamlet.

This year, under the rather long theme of ‘Global issues that define our lifetime require creative thinking to inspire solutions,’ WISS students from Grade 5 analyzed global problems through a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process to create solutions to make our world more sustainable, and our lives healthier.

NAIS Pudong Year 3 and Year 4 Students ‘Dragon Days’ Production

Multi-Talented SCIS Student Receives Full Scholarship to Boston University

NAIS Pudong students dazzled the audience with their acting and singing skills throughout their Dragon Days performance, showing clearly that hard work and dedication produce wonderful results. The moral behind Dragon Days emphasizes key themes that children embody in the school of respect, kindness and inclusiveness when the dragon is found to have been misjudged and becomes an unlikely friend. Parents and teachers alike were overcome with pride when seeing many students shine on the stage, especially for those who have grown and developed so much since joining the school.

Sevillana Ettinger of SCIS Hongqiao ’21 couldn’t believe the news when she received a full-ride scholarship to Boston University (BU), one of her top choices. Passionate about human behavior, she is gearing up to study psychology as part of BU’s honors college. The program will allow her to continue learning in a similarly intimate and communal atmosphere that she has been used to at SCIS.

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SCHOOL NEWS SHANGHAI

GBA

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Receives Official IB Authorization

Whittle School & Studios Shenzhen Host National Events

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is proud to announce that it has received official authorization as an IB World School for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. As an IB World School offering the Diploma Programme, Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi joins ‘a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring young people who will be ready to negotiate their futures successfully and make contributions resulting in a more harmonious and peaceful world.’ The major milestone is yet another fantastic achievement on top of the many exciting developments at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi in their 5th anniversary year.

On May 8, Whittle School & Studios invited Professor Myron Belfer from Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School and Ke Xiaoyan, who is the director of Children's Mental Health Research Center, Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, to give a virtual lecture to Whittle community, including parents in Shenzhen and Suzhou. They represent the best knowledge in the field focusing on children’s mental health and bring their precious findings and expertise to the parents through simple language, which gives parents an informative and valuable session.

BEIJING

2021 Sports Day at AISB- Hope International On Friday, April 30, the Knights at AISB-Hope International participated in Sports Day Olympics. With enthusiasm and commitment, they competed in events to win points for the country they were representing. Parents were present to cheer on students, as they did track and field events, soccer games, long jump, ping pong, tug of war and more. Under the direction of Coach Merrill, students were well prepared for each event. They played well and were good sports throughout the event.

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Fostering a Lover Of Learning And Creativity: CIS’s STEAM Fest was a Success!

On Friday, May 7, the gymnasium at CIS was buzzing with innovation.

Students came together for STEAM Fest to present to each other how the worlds of science, technology, engineering, art and math are used within their classrooms. It provides a chance to hypothesize, research, investigate, explore, experiment and perhaps invent. Students and teachers set up tables and panels showcasing their projects and thought processes.

The British School of Guangzhou Holds Annual Camp-Outs Last month, The British School of Guangzhou held its annual Camp-Outs, with students aged 6 and 7 staying overnight at school for a unique, outdoor experience – helping them to build confidence and self-assurance.

Extending the Mother Tongue Programme at Utaloy International School Guangzhou At UISG, one of the programs they are most proud of is the Mother Tongue language program. The school currently offers students in K3 and older students classes in six Mother Tongue languages: Chinese, French, German, Korean, Japanese and Spanish. They’re happy to announce that starting with the 2021-22 school year, they will be extending the Mother Tongue language program to include K2 students (4 years old).

Lady Eleanor Holles International School Foshan School Open Day

PYP Exhibition: A Community Project at Zhuhai International School

LEH Foshan welcomes all international families to join the School Open Day on Sunday, June 6 from 9am to 5pm to know more about how an LEH education enriches your child’s learning. For more information, contact the Admissions team at (0757) 6688 1881 or add Admissions WeChat ID: LEH_Admissions.

While the students are making their in-depth inquiries into their chosen topics, they are not alone. They have the support of all the Zhuhai International School to help them in this process. “The exhibition is a shared learning community responsibility. The learning community encourages and actively supports the well-being of the students throughout the process of the exhibition."

- IB The Learner 2018 In this PYP Exhibition, the ZIS community has shown its support for the Year 6 students in various ways.

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HOTEL NEWS BEIJING

SHANGHAI The 1515 West Chophouse & Bar Unveils New A La Carte Menu

O’Bar Brings You New Live Performances By Cuban Duo

O’Bar welcomes a new Cuban singer and pianist duo featuring lead singer Elsamu every Tuesday to Saturday. You can now add a touch of Havana dance music and rumba to your urban nightlife in the capital city.

The PuXuan Hotel and Spa Appoint Basil Yu as Executive Chef The PuXuan Hotel and Spa has appointed Basil Yu as Executive Chef. In his role, he will be overseeing daily operation and management of the hotel’s Western kitchen culinary offering, which includes Rive Gauche, The Lobby Lounge, Tea Room, In-Room dining and The PuXuan Club.

The contemporary American-style restaurant brings diners’ meal appreciation up to another level with its new a la carte menu crafted by Executive Sous Chef William Mahi.

Famed for his innovative presentation and utmost respect for the tradition, Chef Mahi sources inspiration from seasonal flavors and uses his unique methods to unfold the international tales by capturing the different textures of ingredients. Call (86 21) 2203 8889 to make a reservation.

Indulge in Seasonal Delicacies at Ming Court at Cordis, Beijing Capital Airport

Swissotel Kunshan is Kunshan’s Only Government-Certified 5-Star Hotel

Like its Michelin-starred namesake in Hong Kong, Ming Court at Cordis, Beijing Capital Airport features some of the best Cantonese cuisine in the capital.

Enjoy seasonal spring dishes using the freshest ingredients, including Chinese toon leaves and bamboo shoots. Savor tender tofu with chilled fresh toon, a popular spring dish among diners. Succulent Wenchang chicken braised with spring bamboo shoots and fresh basil are sure to tickle those spring tastebuds.

Open daily from 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm.

Swissotel Kunshan is conveniently located in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kunshan, voted among the top 10 most charming cities in China. It is currently Kunshan’s only government-certified 5-star hotel, offering warm Swiss hospitality to travelers. Kunshan Railway Station is a mere 3.8 kilometers away with high-speed rail access across China and a 16-minute train ride from Shanghai.

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GUANGZHOU

HEBEI

Tapestry Collection by Hilton Debuts in the Chinese Mainland Club Med Holds Brand Conference in Guangzhou Club Med, the leading brand of premium all-inclusive vacation packages, recently held a brand conference in South China’s Guangzhou city. With the theme of ‘Club Med Cares - Perfect Vacation Experience Provided with Cares,’ it fully showcased the charm of the Club Med brand for the tourism market in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Club Med also shared its future expansion plan to help boost the development of domestic high-quality leisure holiday experience in the post-epidemic era.

618 Flash Sale – More Jumeirah Guangzhou Discounts and Privileges Coming Soon Jumeirah Guangzhou’s outdoor swimming pool and poolside bar – Al Fresco Dining & Bar just opened in May this year. It will soon become the new destination for relaxation in the CBD area. The hotel will launch a 618 Flash Sale from noon on June 11 to noon on June 18. Guests can enjoy a variety of discounts, privileges and products, including guestrooms, food and beverage, spa, weddings and so on. For more information, please scan the hotel WeChat QR code.

Hilton recently announced the opening of Hollick Hotel Wen’an, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, the first Tapestry Collection hotel on the Chinese mainland. The 266-key hotel welcomes guests to experience a journey inspired by nature and wine. The property is owned by China Green Development Investment Group and managed by Hilton.

SUZHOU

Park Hyatt Suzhou celebrated its first anniversary on May 29 Located near freshwater Jinji Lake in the heart of Suzhou Industrial Park, Park Hyatt Suzhou has 178 elegant rooms including 19 suites, as well as three different styles of restaurants that strive to offer exemplary cuisine, premium drinks and exceptional service in all its venues. With a prized location by Jinji Lake, sophisticated interiors, a renowned reputation for culinary excellence and solid experience in staging spectacular events, Park Hyatt Suzhou has its sights set on being the city’s preeminent location for successful events, big or small. It has been designed as a refined, contemporary version of a traditional Suzhou mansion that blends the architectural heritage, exquisite craftsmanship and artistic elegance of the city with vibrant modern design to deliver tailored luxury experiences to guests. To make a reservation, call + 86 512 8666 1234.

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That’s

JUNE

Horoscopes

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in China.

By Joshua Cawthorpe

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

5.22~6.21

6.22~7.22

7.23~8.23

8.24~9.23

A new relationship is just around the corner, but not in the places you’ve been looking. Take a break from Tantan and try a wine and paint night or an InterNations gettogether instead.

Stop paying so much attention to the ‘energy in the room’ and focus on your own attitude. Being a laoyoutiao isn’t helping your prospects.

Yes, most people find you annoying. But work it, baby!

Start making Douyin videos and turn that avoidance into an allowance.

Perfectionism is a form of insanity. Your Chinese is understandable despite your loose tones. The gap in your teeth is cute.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

9.24~10.23

10.24~11.22

11.23~12.21

12.22~1.20

Pick up some eye drops from the pharmacy. Your eyes aren’t itchy from the AC – you have pink eye.

You are the only one who doesn’t think you deserve a raise, but nobody is going to offer it while you keep chuggin’ along. Recognize your worth and ask for it.

With travel still restricted, the beaches of Hainan will be crowded. When planning your summer vacation, look for something elusive and historical.

You are far too wellrested. Stay up and binge The Serpent or whatever series you’ve been portioncontrolling. Nobody will know.

Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

Taurus

1.21~2.19

2.20~3.20

3.21~4.20

4.21~5.21

A dark cloud approaches on the horizon of your life. Bring an umbrella and hope it’s rain and not bees.

Mars is in line with Uranus and it’s definitely time to buy a Tesla (and not Dogecoin).

Now is not the time to be ambitious, Aries. Your shirt is soaked in sweat and you’ve already changed it twice. Save your side hustle for September.

Collect your thoughts with evening walks, and remove the bullsh*t from your life.

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• Historical and geographical facts and points of significance • Where to stay, eat and drink, with must-try dishes and local delicacies • Transportation information, airports, railway and road connections • A shopping guide with tips and local products worth looking out for • UNESCO World Heritage Sites and sacred mountains • Informative features to help you understand China • Fun day trips and destinations to visit from major cities • China’s ethnic minorities and their culture • Chinese characters and pinyin to facilitate travel and communication • Must-have apps, and how to set up a phone and digital payment system

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