Explore ‘water birth’ for less painful deliveries

Giving birth in the water can be less stressful and painful. Photo by Zhang Yifei/CFP

By Annie Wei

Pregnant women who want to deliver naturally but are fearful of the pain can explore “water birth” – giving birth in a tub of warm water, which is supposed to be less stressful for both mother and child.

China had its first recorded water birth in 2003, but the practice has not caught on as most women still prefer the familiarity of the hospital delivery bed. 

“Water birth crossed my mind before I gave birth to my son, but there just was not enough information available,” says Cui Hui, whose son is now 2 years old.

Fan Qingbo, a gynecologist at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, says water birth has not gained traction in China due to two major factors.

First, it is a service that is offered only in the country’s leading hospitals, which have huge clienteles and can afford the special water-birthing equipment and their maintenance.

Second, it is not suitable for first-time mothers, and the majority of Chinese women experience childbirth only once because of the country’s family planning policy. First babies usually take much longer to come out, and being immersed in water during the long hours of labor makes it difficult to monitor the infants’ vital signs, not to mention that it increases the probability of infection in the mother.

Fan says water births have been proven to be less painful than other birthing methods but that its claims to smarter infants, shorter labor and less trauma to the birth canal are not backed up by scientific data.

Yu Jude, a birthing expert with the Shanghai Obstetrics and Gynecologic Committee, advises mothers-to-be considering water birth to thoroughly discuss this option with their gynecologist. A woman who is either too young or too old, or someone who has undergone abortion, is not a good candidate.

The final decision on whether a woman can proceed with water birth can only be made a week before her delivery date, Yu says, explaining that the infant should weigh around 3 kilograms for it to be safe.

The cost of water birth in China is higher than giving birth on a hospital bed. The price ranges from a couple of thousand to as much as 100,000 yuan. Private hospitals are also offering the service. Below are two hospitals where mothers-to-be can start their research.

Qinghua University Yuquan Hospital
Where: 5 Shijingshan Lu, Shijingshan District
Tel: 8825 7755 
Antai Hospital
Where: Building 18, 1 Xinghecheng, Jiayuan Lu, Fengtai District
Tel: 6753 7758 or 6753 7768

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’ve just returned from a trip to North Korea, where I fell in love with the food there. I heard that some North Koreans have opened restaurants in Beijing. Can you recommend one that also holds song and dance performances?

Try visiting Yinpanguan Restaurant, a reputable chain that is based in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. Most of its ingredients are shipped from the North, which guarantees the dishes’ authentic taste, but are reasonably priced. You can find it on 11 Fangcaodi Xi Jie, Chaoyang District (Tel. 6581 8603).

I’m a collector of old-movie posters, but my hobby has suffered since I moved to Beijing. I’ve checked out numerous video shops, but no one has the posters I want. Do you have any leads?

Check out Kubrick Book Store at the Museum of Modern Art’s (MOMA) Broadway Cinematheque. There you can also find posters of classic movies, most of which are imported from Japan. It is located at MOMA’s Building T4, North area, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongzhimen, Dongcheng District (Tel. 8438 8202).

I’m new in town and still have not gotten used to the local food. I’ve been eating McDonald’s almost every day. I’d be happier with Burger King if I can only find a store in town.

There is only one Burger King store in Beijing and it is located at Terminal 3 of the Capital International Airport. It does not do home deliveries. A second branch is being planned at U-Town Plaza in Chaoyangmen, Dongcheng District. You can call the building management at 8561 1600 for more information. In the mean time, unless you’re willing to travel half an hour by subway or car to the airport every day, we suggest trying harder to appreciate local food.

(By Liang Meilan)

Humorous performance aims to popularize books

The second Literary Death match, a humorous literature-reading competition, was held at The Bookworm Tuesday night. Photo by Liang meilan

By Liang Meilan

The Bookworm became the Beijing literati’s equivalent of a Roman coliseum Tuesday as it hosted the second Literary Death Match, a humorous literature-reading competition.

The event aims to “make literature a part of pop culture again, by exploring innovative ways to present text off the page,” said Todd Zuniga, co-organizer of the competition and editor of New York City literary magazine Opium.

“It (literature) has sort of been pushed back by television, film and now the Internet. What I wanted to do was make people come out and celebrate literature in a really exciting way,” Zuniga said.

The Match’s four contestants – Susan Barker from the UK and China-based Mark Kitto, John Leary and James Palmer – had seven minutes to perform a piece and wow the audience and judges.

Unlike the first Match, which centered on sexual matters, this week’s competition covered subjects as diverse as death, the cultural differences between Mongolian and Han Chinese and the character of Shanghai.

Leary, a writer living in Shanghai who presented a stream-of-consciousness piece about death, emerged the champion. Gady Espstein, one of the three judges, described it as “opera, Giselle Knowles, Jimmy Carter, lesbian sex and a marriage to Beyonce, all in one presentation.”

To audiences, the event meant forming closer bonds with people in Beijing’s literature community. “I came to support my friend who was one of the contestants,” said Lynne Smith, an expat from the US. “But now I know six more writers whose works I find interesting.”

Beijing was the 24th city to host the Literary Death Match, which is held regularly in major metropolises such as New York City, San Francisco, London, Paris and Montreal. Zuniga said the organizers are just getting warmed up and that they are hoping to bring the event to Shanghai next month.

Zuniga also said they are planning a larger, bilingual match in Beijing to get more people involved. “I think we can have at least one round of Chinese writers and another round of English writers,” he said.

“It is really exciting to think about what that would mean to the domestic literary community, because China has such a huge population of literature lovers and experts,” he said.

The Match is apparently not going to stop at book shops. “Audiences in the US will see a TV show on the Literary Death Match next year. And the show will hopefully go online shortly after,” he said.

Film festival on outdoors sports returns in October

The Banff Mountain Film Festival will bring exciting sports documentaries to commercial cinemas next month. Photo provided by Banff Mountain Film Festival

By Wang Yu

Outdoor lovers’ favorite film festival returns to China next month with screenings in Beijing, Shanghai and Yangshuo, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Organizers of the festival said Monday that it will be the first time Banff Mountain Film Festival’s documentaries will be shown in commercial cinemas in China.

Banff, which features the best short films and documentaries on mountaineering, outdoor sports and the environment, will screen 20 films, four of which were domestically produced.
 
Gao Feng, director of Central News Documentary Films and co-organizer of the event, said the festival will be a great chance to continue building the documentary scene in China.

Lu Chuan, director of the war film Nanjing, Nanjing, said he was amazed at some of this year’s Chinese entries. “I watched all the films that will be shown in China and there was one called Impossible Climb, which really moved me. It’s about a climber who continues to challenge a mountain even though he once fell from 30 meters. I think that represents true bravery,” said Lu, who has won a Banff award for Kekexili, a film about protecting Tibetan antelope.

Another film to watch out for is Solo, a documentary about Andrew McAuley, who in 2007 set out to become the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand.

“He spent more than 30 days at sea and almost died by the time he reached dry land,” said Qian Haiying, project manager of Banff’s China leg. “At first I thought this might scare the audience, but later realized McAuley’s spirit can encourage people to be more adventurous,” she said, adding that the film almost didn’t make the cut because of her initial fears.

Mark Steven Kruger, minister counsellor of the Canadian Embassy, said the festival is a good chance to promote cultural communication between China and Canada.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival was launched in 1976 in Banff, Alberta.

Event

Lecture by top international shoe designer

Georgina Goodman and her husband BJ Cunningham founded the fashion brand Georgina Goodman in 2002, which has since made a mark in the shoe design business. The couple will share their experience in building their brand, as well as their views on creating fashion, in this lecture sponsored by the British Council.

Where: Auditorium of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, A2 Yinghua Dong Jie, Chaoyang District
When: September 3, 6:30 pm
Tel: 6421 6141
Cost: Free

Slow food Saturday

The Slow Food Beijing Convivium gives city dwellers a chance to enjoy a day of natural food and fun at the Great Wall. Besides cycling, hiking and walking around the neighboring Great Wall, attendees will taste a variety of dishes made from the freshest local ingredients such as brown sugar sorghum dumplings, teppanyaki trout, wild vegetable dishes and home-made ice creams.

Where: The Roadhouse at Mutianyu, 12 Mutianyu Village, Huairou District
When: September 4, 10 am – 6 pm
Tel: 13810521254
Cost: Foods cost 5 to 20 yuan, bus ride 80 yuan round-rip

FunGym Opening

FunGym, a chain of children’s gyms based in Canada, will open its first store in Beijing on Sunday with free roller-skating lessons, free climbing classes and a football friendship game. The gym features programs and facilities to help children develop not just their physical but also their cognitive, emotional and social skills. Regular classes start on September 13.

Where: Ole Sports Center Beijing, 5 Shimencun Lu, Baiziwan Qiao Dong, Chaoyang District
When: September 5, 9 am – 2:30 pm
Tel: 6776 4705
Cost: Free

Gifted child evaluation

The China Trade Commission and Whiz Kids International Testing Center are giving parents a chance to find out for free whether they have “gifted children.” It is open to children between the ages of 4 and 7. The one-hour evaluation includes observing children in a special play setting, where they act out roles and solve a variety of problems. Four visiting European experts will conduct the evaluation, which normally costs 3,500 yuan.

Where: Whiz Kids International Testing Center, Room 700, 11 Wanliu Dong Lu, Haidian District
When: Daily, ends September 30, 10 am – 6 pm
Tel: 8255 1838
Cost: Free

(By Liang Meilan)

Design competition collects faces for Cable 8

By Zhang Dongya

Six projects from the US, Iran and China won the first Architects in Mission (AIM) international competition last Friday at Cable 8 Creative Center, the last factory in Beijing’s central business district (CBD).

The competition was held by ZNA, a Boston-based architecture and urban design firm aiming to collect ideas for the future development of the factory.

The first prize went to Iran architects Massoud Afsarmanesh and Ali Afsarmanesh, who designed a glass cover to place over the old space and function with it.

“They won the competition because their project was doable and practical. Their model was fluent, bright and eye-catching,” said Darren Chang, senior architect of ZNA.

“Since China is promoting large, landmark structures, their design was exactly the kind we need,” he said.

Other works like the third-prize winner “Civilian Gardens of a Big City,” submitted by Chinese competitors Wu Yang and Han Xili, placed rentable gardens in Cable 8 in an attempt to fuse rural agriculture and the urban balcony.

“We hope the awarded projects will get influence Cable 8’s decision makers when they consider making the transformation,” Chang said.

Similar folk creations and academic competitions have influenced the development decisions of other governments abroad, he said.

“We hope this could also happen in China, even if it is a long shot,” he said.

Cable 8 is located in the former Beijing Electric Wire and Cable Factory on Jianguo Road.

The factory complex, built in 1958, began its transformation into a culture and creative center three years ago.

Eight of its 20 buildings were redecorated. However, the architecture – typical of industrial buildings of the 1950s and 1970s – was left untouched. They have since become home to art galleries, design offices, photography studios, advertising agencies and clothing shops.

The juxtaposition of old and new elements in each design is intended to raise awareness of the country’s ties to its recent industrial past – a visual reminder of why it today enjoys prosperity.

Cable 8 appears on many industry tour lists in the city, but how it will further transformation is unclear.

“Actually using one of the designs will be difficult and complicated. It must balance the demands of the developers, architects and the government. Technology usually becomes secondary,” Chang said.

ZNA said they it would continue the competition next year with new topics on urban design. It is targeting college students who are majoring in architecture and young architects who have fewer than five years of work experience.

China, the Philippines mourn hostage crisis victims

Leaders of China and the Philippines have expressed deep sorrow over the hostage crisis that ended in the deaths of nine tourists from Hong Kong.

A working team sent by the Chinese government is now in Manila to deal with the aftermath.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao expressed their condolences on Tuesday to the families of the Hong Kong tourists killed during Monday’s hostage crisis in the Philippines.

In a joint letter to Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, chief executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hu and Wen expressed their deep sorrow for the families of those killed and consolation for the injured.

“We are in grave shock and grief on hearing that eight Hong Kong compatriots fell and many others were injured in the Manila hostage incident,” the letter said. One of the injured later died in the hospital.

“We hereby express our grave condolences and our deep sympathy to the families of the Hong Kong compatriots, and we hope the injured will recover soon,” the letter said.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has declared August 25 a day of national mourning for the victims of the hostage crisis.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, during a telephone conversation with his Philippine counterpart Alberto Romulo, said the Chinese government was shocked about the incident, deplored the slaying of the Hong Kong tourists and strongly condemned brutality against innocent tourists.

The Chinese government demanded the Philippine government launch a thorough investigation into the incident and inform the Chinese side of related details as soon as possible, he said.

(Xinhua)

Philippine embassy in Beijing lowers flag to half-mast

By Chu Meng

The Philippine embassy in Beijing lowered its flag to half-mast on Wednesday to show sympathy for the deaths of nine Hong Kong tourists in Monday’s hostage crisis.

According to an announcement issued on the official website of the Philippine Embassy of China, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III issued a proclamation on Tuesday ordering all government agencies, including the country’s embassies and consulates abroad, to lower the Philippine flag to half-mast.

“These deaths are a great loss to the people of Hong Kong and the Philippines, and [we] call for the most solemn commemoration and respect at a time of grief for our two people,” the proclamation said.

China’s National Tourism Administration (NTA) issued a caution on its website to Chinese tourists traveling to the Philippines. For those already in the Philippines, the NTA reminded them to take note of security conditions and strengthen their personal protective measures and suggested Chinese tourists go to the local police or contact the Chinese embassy in case of emergencies.

“Our tourism visa policy for China’s tourists has not changed,” a visa official from the Philippine Embassy in Beijing said on Wednesday afternoon. “We see no need for Chinese tourists to cancel or postpone travel plans to the Philippines during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Holiday.”

 “There hasn’t been many cancellations or postponements from our registered tourists. But we’ve had more callers question the tourism environment and security situation in the Philippines,” said Zhen Hongjuan, manager of the outbound tourism department at China International Travel Service.

Zhen said security is a travel agency’s top concern. Since no other potential security hazards in other major Philippine cities were reported, registration to the Philippines tour remained open. 

However, some citizens have had second thoughts about going to the Philippines. Bao Lei, a Beijing citizen who is planning a National Day trip with his family, just crossed out the Philippines from her list.

“I decided I want to travel to Taiwan next month,” she said. “I just don’t want to be in the Philippines during this emotional time.”

The Chinese government demanded a thorough investigation on how the hostage crisis was handled and urged the Philippine government to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens in the Philippines.

Nepali ambassador will lead walk into birthplace of Sakyamuni

By Li Zhixin

Nepali ambassador Tanka Prasad Karki announced at a news conference Monday that he will participate in a walk to Lumbini, the birthplace of Sakyamuni, from Lhasa, Tibet, during the first International Walking Around the Himalayas Day in October.

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of China-Nepal diplomatic relations, Nepal’s embassy, the Nepali Tourism Administration, China Volkssport Association (CVA) and Tibet’s Tourism Bureau will jointly hold the walk from September 26 to October 8.

The walk will start at Lhasa’s Potala Palace near Yangdork Lake and the north face of Mt. Qomolangma. The team plans to reach Zhangmu Port on the China-Nepal border on October 3. The ambassador will join the team at Katmandu and lead the participants through Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar and Tyangboche before arriving at Lumbini on October 8. The team will return to CHina three days later.

During the trip, participants will get to appreciate and experience the ethnic customs of Chinese Tibetans and Nepalese Sherpas. “This will be the first walking diplomacy between the two countries. I believe the event will strengthen the countries’ rapport and convey a message of peace to the world,” Karki said.

Those who are interested in the event can enroll at chinawalking.net.cn or through VCA at 8489 6319.

Swiss culture festival focuses on China

By Han Manman

Chinese art and culture will be highlighted at this year’s Switzerland culture festival starting September 16, according to the Swiss embassy.

The three-month festival “Culturescapes” aims to provide a panorama of China by featuring events such as live music, art exhibitions, film screenings and literature readings, said Terence Billeter, counselor of the Swiss embassy’s culture and media department.

Billeter said the festival includes 300 events and will be carried out in 18 cities in Switzerland and nearby countries Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein.

He said the festival, with an overarching theme of “traditional and modern,” will be divided into four parts: seeking roots, rethinking history, rebirth and across borders.

Xiang Xiaowei, assistant director-general of the Ministry of Culture said China will bring Yueju Opera’s The Butterfly Lovers and Kunqu Opera’s The Peony Pavilion to Switzerland.

Xiang said they didn’t select Peking Opera because Peking Opera has already enjoyed worldwide success, and the ministry wanted to promote some other prestigious but perhaps lesser-known opera troupes.

Xiang said they chose The Butterfly Lovers because it has historical significance. In April 1954, premier Zhou Enlai led a delegation to attend an international conference in Geneva, Switzerland – the first time New China participated in a major international conference.

During the Geneva Conference, the film version of The Butterfly Lovers was shown and was very popular. It helped many Westerners understand Chinese culture and how Chinese people thought.

Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China when it did so on January 17, 1950. This year marks the 60th anniversary of that occasion.

“Sixty years ago, in the context of the Cold War, this decision was bold and even visionary,” Billeter said, adding that some events at this year’s festival will commemorate this important anniversary.

Formal diplomatic relations were established on September 14th of the same year.
“Since then, and especially since the beginning of the reform and opening policy in China, bilateral relations between the two countries have intensified and diversified,” he said.

Culturescapes has become an important event on the Swiss cultural calendar ever since its first edition, highlighting the country Georgia, in 2003. The annual event reflects the variety and distinctiveness of heterogeneous cultural landscapes and provides a panorama of their art and cultural scenes.

The festival will focus on Israel next year.