In advance of grand gathering, a new Guangzhou

By Zhang Dongya

A couple of decades ago, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, was criticized for not living up to its reputation as the “south gate of China.”

The city has come a long way since. After rapid urbanization, it won the rights to host the 16th Asian Games, which will be held from November 12 to 27. Guangzhou is the second Chinese city to have earned this honor, following Beijing in 1990.

Spurred by the upcoming games, Guangzhou has undergone further development and beautification and is now praised as the “Oriental Manhattan.”

A hub of new landmarks

Guangzhou’s major changes are partially reflected in the work of photographer Xu Peiwu, who started taking photos of Guangzhou in 1995 and has held several exhibitions.

One of the most notable images in Xu’s portfolio is of Zhujiang New Town, the city’s central business district (CBD), which was planned and designed in 1992. Located on Guangzhou’s central axis, it begins from Huangpu Road in the north and stretches south to Zhujiang River, and from Guangzhou Road in the west to the South China Expressway in the east. Its construction was considered symbolic of Guangzhou’s ascension into the ranks of China’s three biggest cities, along with Beijing and Shanghai.

In Xu’s early works 15 years ago, the main road in today’s CBD was only a broad street with few buildings around it. Now, high rises crowd the street, including seven landmark buildings, including the Guangzhou Center for the Performing Arts, the Guangdong Province Museum, the Guangzhou Library and a TV and sightseeing tower.

High-end hotels have also flocked in, among which is the Four Seasons Hotel, located on the 70th to 100th floors in CBD’s International Finance Center in CBD, making it the highest hotel in the city.

Experimental director soars again

By Chu Meng

Experimental-theater director Wang Chong will present the China premiere of Hamletmachine, the most popular postmodern work of the 1970s, at the 2010 Youth Theater Festival next Tuesday.

The highlight of his latest work, Wang says, is the interpretation of the spirit of a surrealist Western drama through Peking Opera.

“I am directing a performance that explores the physicality of Peking Opera in a postmodern way,” the 28-year-old Beijing native said during his troupe’s final rehearsal at Fengchao Theater last Friday. “Both of my actors are Peking Opera performers, who are contributing something new to experimental theater.”

Thanks to his English skills, Wang himself translated most of the original script, written in 1977 by Germany’s Heiner Müller, described as “20th century theater’s greatest living poet.”

The drama, loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, does not possess a conventional plot. The story is tied together through sequences of monologues, where Hamlet steps out of his role and reflects on being an actor.

Though difficult to understand and even harder to interpret into contemporary theater, Wang chose to take on one of Müller’s “enigmatic, fragmentary piece” as it resonated with him.

Besides, Wang says, translation is never word-to-word replacement; rather, it is reproduction. “As an experimental-theater director, original scripts for me are just words,” Wang says. “They are only platforms from which to launch myself. I can fly high and wild, with great flexibility and in different forms … and since no other person knows me better than myself, I enjoy doing (the translations) myself.”

Wang is acknowledged as one of the most prolific artists of contemporary Chinese theater. His company Théatre du Rêve Expérimental, established in 2008, has staged the Chinese versions of plays such as Sara Kane’s Crave, Peter Handke’s Self-Accusation and the mainland premiere of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.

Wang’s e-Station, which debuted at the 2008 Beijing Fringe Festival, toured North America last summer, making Théatre du Rêve Expérimental the youngest Chinese theater group to tour internationally.

Hamletmachine
Where: Fengchao Theater, 200 meters east of Oriental Ginza, 12 Shizipo, Dongzhimen Wai Dajie, Dongcheng District
When: September 14-15, 7:30 pm
Admission:120 yuan, 80 yuan
Tel: 8836 8265

Friday, September 10

Movie

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Manhattan physician Bill Harford becomes obsessed with the idea of having a fling after his wife admits to sexual fantasies about another man. She later chastises him for not admitting his own fantasies.
Where: China Film Archive, 3 Wenhuiyuan Lu, Xiaoxitian, Haidian District
When: 7 pm
Admission: 20 yuan
Tel: 8229 6153

Nightlife

Boi Akih
The jazz group has been influenced by Indonesian traditional music, Arabic rhythms and West African songs.
Where: Star Live, 3/F Tango, 79 Heping Xi Jie, Dongcheng District
When: 9 pm
Admission: 200 and 280 yuan
Tel: 6402 5080

Exhibition

From the Three Shadows Collection – Works by Rongrong & Inri
Lovers Rongrong and Inri have been painting about youth, passion and harmony in nature since they met in 1999.
Where: Three Shadows Photography Art Center, 155 Caochangdi Village, Chaoyang District
When: Until September 30, daily except Monday, 10 am – 6 pm
Admission: Free
Tel: 6432 2663

(By He Jianwei)

Saturday, September 11

Exhibition

Instant Again – Yang Hongxun Solo Exhibition
Yang, a photojournalist, captures the details of everyday life through Polaroid.
Where: Qianliang 32 Cafe, 32 Qianliang Hutong, Dongsi Bei Dajie, Dongcheng District
When: Until October 3, daily except Monday, 10 am – 6 pm
Admission: Free
Tel: 6404 6297

Movie

The Sea Inside (2004)
Former sailor Ramon Sampedro, a quadriplegic for 28 years, is in a court battle to defend his right to practice euthanasia, with the support of an association that defends freedom of choice.
Where: Broadway Cinematheque, 2/F Building 4, North section of Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongcheng District
When: 2 pm
Admission: 40 yuan, 30 yuan for students
Tel: 8438 8258 ext. 8008

Zhang Huan Studio (2007) and Making of Semele (2009)
Two documentaries about the artist Zhang Huan. The first shows the process behind Zhang’s art, featuring interviews and clips of him at work on his signature sculptures, ash paintings, wood carvings and prints. The second reveals Zhang as director and stage designer of the opera Semele, which was performed in Brussels last year and will be staged in Beijing later this year.
Where: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
When: 7 pm
Admission: 15 yuan
Tel: 8459 9269

Nightlife

Backyard Surgeons
The Australian band, which has just released its latest EP, Totally Numb, plays fast, melodic punk rock.
Where: D-22, 242 Chengfu Lu, Haidian District
When: 10 pm
Admission: 40 yuan, 30 yuan for students
Tel: 6265 3177

The Last Chance for Young Love
The band Happy Avenue, formed by journalist Wu Hongfei in 1999, has just released its third album.
Where: Yugongyishan, 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu, Dongcheng District
When: 8:30 pm
Admission: 40 yuan advance purchase, 60 yuan at the door, 50 yuan for students
Tel: 6404 2711

(By He Jianwei)

Sunday, September 12

Exhibition

Sleepless Tonight – Yan Shilin Solo Exhibition
Yan contemplates adulthood through his sculptures of children who look like aliens in another world.
Where: Faurschou Gallery, 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
When: Until October 6, daily except Monday, 11 am – 6 pm
Admission: Free
Tel: 5978 9916

Movie

Mon Oncle (My Uncle, 1958)
Monsieur Hulot’s nephew grows up in a house where everything is fully automated. To minimize Hulot’s influence on the boy, his brother-in-law gets Hulot a job at his plastics factory.
Where: French Cultural Center, 1/F Guangcai International Mansion, 18 Gongti Xi Lu, Chaoyang District
When: 3 pm
Admission: Free
Tel: 6553 2627

Nightlife

Choir of Young Believers
The music of the Danish band, founded by singer-guitarist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis in 2006, is characterized by dark lyrics, folk melodies and orchestral instrumentation. It was named Best New Act at the 2009 Danish Music Awards.
Where: Mao Livehouse, 111 Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District
When: 9 pm
Admission: 40 yuan for students, 60 yuan at the door
Tel: 64025080

(By He Jianwei)

Glimpse of modern Russia – ’80s writers keep sharp eyes on contemporary situation

Photos by Jiang Li

By He Jianwei

Russia has made great contributions to the literary world since the 19th century, through its celebrated writers Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Anton Chekhov.

But Russia’s contemporary writers are unknown to the world outside. To bring exposure to new talents, Natasha Perova, founder of Moscow-based publisher Glas, brought six of the country’s top young writers – the winners of the Debut Prize – to the 2010 Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF).

To coincide with the appearance, the People’s Literature Publishing House and Glas released a Chinese edition of Squaring the Circle, the first anthology of Debut Prize winning works.

“[These] writings provide a glimpse of present-day Russia, its thoughts and future direction,” Perova said.

Founded in 2000, the prize aims to encourage writers under 25. “The Debut inspires young Russian writers to complete their first book. It prompts them to commit to literature their unique experiences – what might be described as the shock of their first encounter with grown-up life,” said Olga Slavnikova, director of the awarding body.

Last Wednesday, the young writers spoke about their books and connection to Russian literary tradition.

Bookworm book listing

Vivian Wang from the Bookworm recommends the following bestsellers to Beijing Today readers.

Fat China: How Expanding Waistlines are Changing a Nation
By Paul French and Matthew Crabbe, 250pp, Anthem Press, $29.95
China’s economy is booming, but with a potentially disastrous side effect. Obesity now threatens the country’s fragile healthcare system, and today’s overweight Chinese can look forward to bright economic hopes for their country and to deteriorating health for themselves. The rising obesity rates are startling when compared to 20 years ago: an era when diets were limited by food availability and famine was a recent memory.

The Devil that Danced on the Water: A Daughter’s Memoir
By Aminatta Forma, 412pp, Flamingo, $14
This personal history is the account of an African who, as a child, witnessed the upheavals of post-colonial Africa, the bitterness of exile in Britain and the terrible consequences of her dissident father’s stand against tyranny.

The Second World: How Emerging Powers Are Redefining Global Competition in the Twenty-first Century
By Paraq Khanna, 496pp, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $16
The author, chosen as one of Esquire’s 75 Most Influential People of the 21st century, reveals how America’s future depends on its ability to compete with the European Union and China to forge relationships in the Second World, the pivotal regions of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South America, the Middle East and East Asia, that are growing in influence and economic strength.

(By He Jianwei)

New twist on old tales – Monaco’s ballet reinterprets the classics

By He Jianwei

For most theater managers, reproducing classics is one of easiest ways to guarantee attendance. But artists who try their hand at reproduction face greater risks.

Jean-Christophe Maillot, a French choreographer and director of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, continues to grant old tales a new face despite a string of difficulties. This autumn, his troupe will perform adaptations of two classical repertoires.

It has been 10 years since Monaco’s ballet company last visited China. At that time, his modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet astonished local theatergoers and the media.

For this second tour, Maillot is adapting Marius Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty into a contemporary ballet titled La Belle and Sergey Prokofiev’s Cinderella into Cendrillon. The adaptations will add new ideas and visual effects to the story, as well as introduce modern abstract concepts through dance.

Born in Tours, France in 1960, Maillot has worked with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo since 1987, two years after its founding. During the 1992-93 season he was artistic director, and in September 1993, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover appointed him director-choreographer.

Although the company is relatively new to the ballet world, it has a deep history with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, the cradle of contemporary dance and choreography.

In 1909, Diaghilev brought his itinerant company of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg’s best dancers to Paris, and then continued a tour of Britain, Spain and the US.

Diaghilev’s was one of the most influential theater companies in the 20th century, due in no small part to its ground-breaking collaboration with the greatest painters, composers and dancers of the day, including Balanchine, Massine, Ravel, Stravinsky, Debussy, Picasso, Pavlova and Nijinsky.

Unfortunately, after the director’s death in 1929, the dancers scattered. In 1938, the company was reassembled in Monaco, and that residence is today the home of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.

Salt (2010)

Movie of the week

If you are looking for total realism, stand at a bus stop for two hours. It’s free.

If you are looking for a film that is more James Bond than James Bond with a little Bourne thrown in, then go and see Salt. But you will have to wait and see how this film turns out and who the real heroes are.

This is not a film for people preoccupied with gender or age, always searching for the next new concept. It is pure excitement as is rarely done better. Its release couldn’t have come at a more relevant time since a major Russian spy ring was broken up in the US last month.

Synopsis

Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent and highly respected by all, including her boss, Ted Winter. Out of the blue, a Russian spy walks into their offices and offers a vital piece of information: the President of Russia will be assassinated during his forthcoming visit to New York City to attend the funeral of the recently deceased US Vice President. The name of the assassin is Evelyn Salt. Concerned about the safety of her husband, who she cannot contact, she goes on the run. Who is Salt and what is she planning?

Getting a fix of far-out slang

Chinglish story

This column focuses on Chinglish mistakes in our daily life. If you have any experiences to share, send them to Wang Yu at wangyu2008@ynet.com.

By Zhao Hongyi

My 18-year-old nephew is an energetic and boisterous guy. This month, he came to Beijing to prepare to attend the Beijing University of Technology in the fall.

My nephew is very good at his studies, especially English, as he knows quite a number of slang terms and idioms. He’s cultivated his language skills through a passion for music, especially hard rock.

He’s made full use of the last of his pre-collegian days: scouring TV channels for programs that feature his music of choice.

The other day, he got two tickets for a Sunday evening rock concert from his friends. He began preparing for the concert that very morning by stuffing his backpack with beer and snacks.

He was so excited and enjoyed the concert so much that he did not return home until midnight.

“How was the concert?” I asked.

“Far-out,” he replied.

I didn’t know what that meant.

“It means great,” he explained as if I were his student.

“Then how far out is it?”

“The four guys on stage sang for nearly four hours without a break,” he said. “It was the most exciting experience I’ve ever had.”

He mimed some of the actions of the singers. “We were so excited that we cried after their performance,” he said.

“How do you feel about following the performers alongside drunks and addicts?” I asked.
My nephew shrugged. “We in the audience cried from time to time to have another fix.”
I didn’t understand “have another fix.”

“Another dose of drugs!” he replied. “They get pretty crazy on stage.”

“Was it worth it to party all evening?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to hang out with your friends from Beijing in another setting?”

“They’re too flaky to do anything together,” he said.

Naturally, I didn’t understand the meaning of “flaky.”

“Unreliable!” he replied, then shooed me out the door, no doubt irritated by an uncle who couldn’t make heads or tails out of his slang. (Although, as you can see, I’m not completely oblivious to English idioms!)