ChinaDaily[971009-8]

[Chinese News]

China Daily

97 / 10 / 09 /

***************************************************************************
1. Liu's paintings -- pure and fresh to the eyes
2. TV series focuses on labourers
3. Culture Notes (Page 9, Date: 10/09/97)
4. Students get behind the wheel
5. What's on (Page 10, Date: 10/09/97)
6. [INLINE]
***************************************************************************

Liu's paintings -- pure and fresh to the eyes
A CHINESE saying goes: A scholar who has been away three days must
be looked at with new eyes.
It is seven years since Liu Yushan held his first one-man show.
And now his recent paintings have brought pure and fresh fragrance
to art critics and viewers.
Liu's personal art exhibition, which just ended at the China
National Art Museum, displayed his 30-plus ink paintings. It was
sponsored by the Chinese Artists Association, the Central Academy
of Fine Arts and the Beijing No 4 Middle School.
Vast grassland, blue skies, clear rivers, casual horses, yaks and
goats constitute Liu's art world, in which we see peace,
tranquillity and the harmony between man and nature.
"I love nature and desire to have a clean and unpolluted
environment," said Liu, who is editor-in-chief of the People's
Fine Arts Publishing House, a member of the Chinese Artists
Association and a member of the art education committee under the
State Education Commission.
Young women used to be Liu's favourite theme. He took "beautiful
women" as a motif to express his unique feelings, aesthetic
judgment and pursuit of beauty. In his paintings, all the women
are pure, pretty and graceful, and embody human nature, dignity
and compassion.
Liu has shifted his focus to the description of nature only in
recent years. Having grown tired of the noise of metropolitan
cities, he often sought out the wilds of Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur
autonomous regions. In front of the snow-capped mountains and vast
highlands, he was amazed at the greatness of nature and determined
to reflect its magnificent beauty.
Realism dominates Liu's paintings because he believes realism
lasts forever and is very accessible to ordinary viewers. In his
paintings, one sees familiar worlds and shares common experiences.
However, Liu is by no means limited by realism. He paints "at
will" to express his burning feelings. While maintaining the
tradition of Chinese ink painting, he has borrowed from oil
painting, printing and various folk arts.
Born in 1940 in Beijing, Liu entered the Central Academy of Fine
Arts in 1960 and learned printing from noted artists Li Hua, Gu
Yuan and Wang Qi. In the five school years, he laid a solid
foundation in basic techniques, a foundation which continues to
benefit him.
In 1966, one year after Liu's graduation, the "cultural
revolution" (1966-76) started. Liu had to stop his professional
work and served first as a People's Liberation Army soldier and
then as a worker in a county factory. A favourable turn came in
1980 when Liu was transferred to the People's Fine Arts Publishing
House, where he served as an art editor, director of the editorial
department, assistant editor-in-chief, and editor-in-chief since
1985.
While busy with the day-to-day work, the editor-in-chief never for
a moment forgets his much loved profession -- painting. In the
past decade, he has created large numbers of paintings with strong
individual character and published several albums. He has held his
one-man shows in Beijing and Hong Kong, as well as in the United
States and Canada. In 1994, he was honoured by the University of
California in San Diego as a "distinguished international
scholar." In 1995, he was valued by the University of Regin
a (Canada) as "outstanding visiting scholar."
With tireless eyes twinkling in his thin dark face, the
57-year-old artist is full of vigour and vitality. He continues to
seek new subjects and styles, and to push his talent to new
limits.
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 10/09/97_
_Author: Dong Bei_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

TV series focuses on labourers
"CANADIAN Steel, Chinese Sinew," an eight-part TV series, is being
shot by the China Who's Who Research Association and the China
Railway Commission for Education of Younger Generation.
In a documentary style, the TV series tells the historical event
of the Canadian government's investment in construction of the
Pacific Railway from 1880 to 1885, for which over 17,000 Chinese
labourers crossed the ocean to help build the railway between the
east and west coasts of Canada.
The railway was an important element in Canada's political,
economic, cultural and social history. It played an especially
important role in the preservation of Canada's territorial
integrity and national unity.
"Canadian Steel, Chinese Sinew" will recreate, re-examine and
rethink this part of history, fully reaffirming the wisdom of the
Canadian government's rail-building policy, presenting the
historical background of the Chinese labourers' leaving their
homes to go to Canada and their participation in the rail-laying
process, receiving the lowest wages in return for the highest
output; their showing of the traditional Chinese virtue of bravery
in the face of hard times and difficulties; their industriousness
and perseverance.
The series will show how the descendants of these Chinese
labourers have participated in Canadian political, economic and
cultural life together with Canadians of different ethnic
backgrounds, creating wealth for the prosperity of Canada.
The series will also give special treatment to the ways in which
outstanding people of Chinese descent have made important
contributions to Canadian life and give due praise to the 17,000
Chinese labourers who laid the earliest foundations for
Sino-Canadian co-operation. At the same time, the series will
depict the suffering and hardships experienced by these labourers,
and their struggle to achieve equality.
Director Chen Jianguo says that the creative style of the series
will be easily accepted by Chinese and Canadian viewers alike.
"Canadian Steel, Chinese Sinew" began production on August 29, and
is scheduled to wrap up on October 15. It is planned to have
simultaneous broadcast in Canada and China towards the end of the
year.
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 10/09/97_
_Author: Wu Ming_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

Culture Notes (Page 9, Date: 10/09/97)
Drama festival
THE Fifth China Drama Festival will be held November 15-27 in
Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.
The drama festival will put on 20 dramas, including "Geologists,"
a stage play; "Trading a Leopard for a Prince," Peking Opera;
"Border Town," a dance drama; and "Quick Time, March," a comedy.
In the drama festival, an award ceremony will be held honouring
the 22 winners of the 14th China "Plum Flower" Drama Awards. They
are promising actors and actresses of local operas, stage plays,
children's plays, operas and dance dramas.
The event is sponsored by the Chinese Dramatists Association and
the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government.
'Film bank'
TO help improve the quality of cultural life for millions of
Chinese children, the "Sun Chime Film Bank" has been released
throughout the country.
The film bank consists of more than 1,000 domestic and foreign
films, including animation, feature films, comedies, sports,
song-and-dance, historic figures, war, adventure, kungfu and
popular science.
The bank also includes textbooks on the audio-visual art for
primary and middle school pupils. Priority will be given to the
600 primary and middle schools in poverty-stricken areas financed
by the Project Hope.
The Sun Chime Film Bank is a project of the China Youth
Development Foundation and is organized by the Beijing Sun Chime
Cultural Development Co.
Data base of terms
THE first phase of the "China Encyclopaedia Terminological Data
Base" project has been completed in Beijing.
Approved by the State Press and Publication Administration, the
project started in July 1995 with the joint efforts of the
Encyclopaedia of China Publishing House and the Beijing University
Founder Group Corp. By now, the data base has collected 700,000
data and technical terms covering science, engineering and
technology, philosophy, history, literature, arts and social
sciences. The data base will help improve the present
encyclopaedia editing conditions by using modern science and
technology.
New department
BEIJING University has set up the Department of Art Studies to
keep pace with the rapid development of education.
Beijing University has a long tradition in art studies. As early
as the May Fourth Movement in 1919, Cai Yuanpei, then president of
the university, was already a strong advocate of aesthetics and
art education. In modern Chinese art history, the university has
produced a number of masters and famous art scholars, including Xu
Beihong, Liu Tianhua, Shen Yinmo and Xiao Youmei. The university
has been an important base for the study of Chinese art, however,
it never had a centre around which the strengths of all scholars
could be rallied.
The recent establishment of the Department of Art Studies has
filled such a blank. The department has three undergraduate
programmes: art studies, art and culture management, and
advertising.
Auricular therapy
"HANDBOOK to Chinese Auricular Therapy," published in English by
the Foreign Languages Press, is considered a unique "teach
yourself" reference book.
Chinese auricular therapy is the use of the auricle for preventive
and therapeutic purposes. Specific acupuncture points on the
external ear have been used to treat illnesses for over 4,000.
This handbook deals with Chinese auricular therapy in the
practical sense only. It is written in two main parts. Part One
introduces the basic theories of Chinese auricular therapy,
including the characteristics of Chinese auricular therapy,
locations, functions and indications of Chinese auricular
acupoints, auricular diagnosis, principles of selections of
acu-points, techniques of manipulation and auricular analgesia.
Part Two is devoted to a detailed description of the treatment of
common diseases and disorders, which are minutely discussed as to
etiology, pathological differentiations, principles and methods of
treatment and prescriptions of auricular points, complete with
clear illustrations in black-and-white drawings.
Included in this handbook are special techniques that have been
greatly developed from simple needling, embedded needling,
electro-needling, hydro-needling, laser needling, bloodletting
therapy, magneto therapy, seed-pressure therapy, auricular
moxibustion and massage. (CD News)
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 10/09/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

Students get behind the wheel
"I LOST nearly 10 pounds in the summer vacation and was nicknamed
'black monkey' when I returned to campus. Nevertheless, I'm very
glad that I did very well both in the driving skills test and the
rules test."
Holding his recently received driver's licence, the speaker,
identified only as Ma, exulted in his Beijing University
dormitory.
Like Ma, more and more college students in China are learning to
drive.
Eye-catching ads from driving schools can be seen in almost every
college and university.
Standing among a group of students before the ads for a training
school on campus, Tang Tao and two of his classmates said they
were trying to choose a suitable school to attend the training
course.
The tendency is no doubt a blessing to the driving schools, but it
arouses concerns of college teachers who worry that learning to
drive will distract students from their studies.
The major reason for the trend on campus is the increasing number
of families that own private cars and many students now consider
driving essential to their future careers.
As China's economy has developed rapidly in the past decade, the
demand for private cars continues to soar. There are more than 2.5
million private car owners, and the number has been increasing at
a rate of 26 per cent annually, the Beijing-based Science and
Technology Daily reports.
Most students interviewed during their driving courses said they
had access to cars, which belonged to family or friends. Most of
these students come from China's relatively prosperous areas, such
as Beijing and Shanghai municipalities and Guangdong, Jiangsu and
Zhejiang provinces.
Students from those areas exhibit more enthusiasm in having a
driver's licence than those from other places. They hold that
driving skills, like foreign language and computer skills, are
essential to their future careers.
"My brother has a car, and he encourages me to learn driving,"
said Wang Xiaofen, a major in electrical engineering at Beijing
University. "I don't think a driver's licence will earn me much of
an edge when I look for a job. I do it just because it's a skill
and I want to be versatile. Besides, driving cars is exciting and
a lot of fun."
But a few believe that a driver's licence will help sharpen their
competitive edge after graduation.
"I know that not many companies require a driver's licence in
recruiting new employees," said Yang Yuanqing, a law student at
the University of International Business and Economics of China,
"but I believe if I have the same qualifications as others, the
company might well choose me for my driving skill."
College students in South and Southwest China display more
enthusiasm for learning driving.
For example, Chongqing University, in Southwest China, is offering
an optional course in response to a strong demand from students
who want to obtain a driver's licence before they leave the
university.
Most driving schools in Beijing provide college student discounts
varying from 100 yuan ($12) to 300 yuan ($36), making the average
cost about 2,500 yuan ($300) -- a sum nearly equal to the total
expenses for a semester, including tuition, housing, food and an
allowance.
In the South, the cost for a driving course is 3,000-6,000 yuan
($360-$720).
Besides the increased demand for driving schools, the net profit
to be made -- more than 1,000 yuan ($120) from each student -- is
another reason the driving school business is booming, said Li
Qiang, vice-president of Haidian Driving School in Beijing.
Statistics from the Beijing Traffic Control Bureau indicate there
are 210 drivers' training schools in Beijing.
China has more than 3,000 driving schools, and more than 30
million people hold driver's licences. One million are now
enrolled. More than 40 per cent of the drivers are 20-29 years
old.
Despite the demand for driver's training, the tuition fee of 2,500
yuan ($300) is apparently what keeps more students from learning
to drive.
Out of 45 in his class at Qinghua University, only five have
attended the driving course, Zhou Hongliang said.
Yet, the driving schools remain optimistic about the potential
market of college students. "Last year, we had about 600
university students in our school, which makes 10 per cent of the
total, and the number keeps going up this year," said Li,
vice-president of the Haidian school. He said the school is ready
to place more ads on campus.
The number of learner drivers remained largely the same last year
in most of Beijing's training schools, such as Longquan and
Beifang.
Students usually choose summer vacation and winter vacation to
attend the training course. To tap the market's potential, schools
use various methods to appeal to students, such as further
lowering expenses and offering weekend classes and transportation
to and from campus.
And what do the university teachers think of the new movement on
campus?
Few find it encouraging. Some think it's just a sign of the times.
And some say, let the students learn to drive, as long as they
continue to do their homework.
Some teachers are not so lenient. A professor from the People's
University of China who refused to be identified said students
were supposed to concentrate on their studies. It's all right if
they study driving after graduation, but he believes one's time at
a university is too valuable to squander on learning how to drive
a car.
Some teachers were concerned that some students started part-time
jobs to earn money for driving school.
Yan Huifen, a lecturer in Beijing Technology University said:
"They start to drop classes. I think it's still too early to know
how to drive a car while there are lots of more important things
for them to know."
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 10/09/97_
_Author: Jiang Jin'gen_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

What's on (Page 10, Date: 10/09/97)
CONCERTS
Italian symphony -- Myung-Whun Chung, a world-recognized Korean
conductor, will lead the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia from
Italy during two performances in Beijing.
A pianist as well as a conductor, Chung has worked with leading
orchestras. He has also devoted his attention to opera. Since
1986, he has conducted many operas. From 1989-94, he served as
music director of the Opera de Paris. Now he is music director of
the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
On October 10, at the Great Hall of the People, the orchestra will
perform Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No 5" and "Symphony No 5."
The following night, in Beijing Century Theatre, they will perform
opera arias with Italian soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci, during
the first half of the concert, and in the second half, the
orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No 6."
Time: 7:30 pm, October 10-11
Place: The Great Hall of the People (October 10); Century Theatre
(October 11)
Tel: 6608-4160, 6495-1005, 6523-3611
Weekend music series -- The Chinese Music Masterpieces Performance
Series is running at the Beijing Theatre, until the end of the
millenium.
Performed by the Central Nationalities Orchestra, the China Opera
and Dance Drama Theatre, the China Song and Dance Ensemble, the
Central Conservatory of Music, the China Conservatory, and several
other art troupes, the programme is trying to "revitalize national
music and raise national spirit." Altogether, 120 performances
will be given.
Time: 7:15 pm, every Friday until December 19
Place: Beijing Theatre, 10 Sanqu, Anhuili, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6491-0516, 6491-1228
DRAMA
Tragic-comedy -- "Get Lost" (Zhaobuzhao Bei), a tragi-comedy
looking at the lives of Beijing's common people, has been in the
capital for three months. It premiered in mid-June.
Performed by the China Youth Art Theatre and the China Research
Institute of Drama, Film and Television, the play describes the
different lifestyles, feelings and concepts of two brothers, one a
bricklayer and the other a painter.
In humorous style, with strong local flavour, the play criticizes
money-worshipping and appeals for true feelings in the current
commercial environment.
The play is directed by Du Peng. The cast includes Lin Liankun,
Hou Yaohua, Zhang Ju, Lu Wen and Zhao Tingxiu, all well-known
stage actors.
Time: 7:15 pm, October 10-19
Place: The Cultural Palace of Nationalities, 49 Fuwai Dajie,
Xicheng District
Tel: 6602-2530
Puppet tale bewitches children -- "Qiong Flower Fairy," a fairy
tale about flowers fighting evil, will be staged by the Yangzhou
Puppet Theatre.
It is the first show the theatre has created especially for
children, with a simple story and hilarious puppet skills. The
puppeteers have already given more than 700 performances since
premiering the show in 1994 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province.
The show is filled with a variety of folk songs and dances.
Time: October 9-12
Place: China Children's Art Theatre, 64 Dong'anmen Dajie,
Dongcheng District
Tel: 6513-4121
ACROBATICS
Joyful jugglers -- The China Acrobatic Troupe is juggling, cycling
and tumbling every night at Chaoyang Theatre.
The 46-year-old troupe, one of the best in the country, has toured
more than 60 countries and won international-competition awards.
The company's repertoire includes tightrope walking, martial arts
and traditional Chinese magic tricks.
Time: 7:15 pm, daily
Place: Chaoyang Theatre, 36 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6507-2421
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 10/09/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

[INLINE]
[INLINE]

Updated on September 24, 1997

[INLINE]

[INLINE]

_[1]The 15th Party Congress_

_[2]Sep. 12 - Sep.18, 1997_

[INLINE]

[3][LINK] _[4]General Secretary Jiang Zemin's
Report to the 15th Party Congress_
[5][LINK] _[6]New Party Leadership elected,
Top Leaders' Profiles_
[7][LINK] _[8]Communique of 15th CPC Central
Committee's First Plenum_

[INLINE]

Feedback: [9]cd...@chinadaily.net

_Copyright by CBnet ®, China Daily Information_

References

1. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
2. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
3. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
4. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
5. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
6. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
7. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
8. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
9. mailto:cd...@chinadaily.net

***************************************************************************