Learn Chinese online - Jolie shows off new tattoos of kids' birthplace

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Jolie shows off new tattoos of kids' birthplace

(ANI)
Updated: 2007-06-06 20:09



Angelina Jolie has a new tattoo on her arm - the geographical map
coordinates for the birthplaces of four her children.



Angelina Jolie attends the premiere of "Ocean's Thirteen" at the
Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California June 5, 2007. The
movie opens in the U.S. on June 8. The tattoos on Jolie's arm represent
the coordinates of the birth places of her children. [Reuters]


Jolie's new tattoos

Though Jolie tried to keep tattoo, that has been etched onto her left
arm, hidden, photogs got a glimpse of the four-part scribing on her left
shoulder as she and beau Brad Pitt shows up at public.







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HSK - Paul Newman donates $10 mln to Kenyon College

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Paul Newman donates $10 mln to Kenyon College

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-04 08:58





Actor and founder of the 'Hole in the Wall Camps' program Paul Newman
speaks at the 'Singers and Songs Celebrate Tony Bennett's 80th concert'
at the Kodak theatre in Hollywood, California, in this November 9, 2006
file photo.[AP]

Actor Paul Newman is giving $10 million to Kenyon College, the Ohio
school from which he graduated, to establish its single largest
scholarship fund.

The Gambier, Ohio-based school said in a statement on Friday the gift by
Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation was part of the college's $230
million fund-raising campaign, along with $35 million from two other
donors.

"This fund ... is meant to be more than just a gift to a college,"
Newman, 82, said in a statement. "I believe strongly that we should be
doing whatever we can to make all higher education opportunities
available to deserving students."

Newman, a 1949 graduate of Kenyon, and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward,
were the honorary chairs of Kenyon's most recent fund-raising campaign
from 1998 to 2001, the college said.

Last month, Newman, who won an Oscar for "The Color of Money," and earned
nine other Academy Award nominations for films such as "The Hustler,"
"Hud" and "Cool Hand Luke," said he was retiring from acting. He is also
the founder of a food company, Newman's Own, to fund charities.

At Kenyon, Newman studied English, theater and economics and started a
popular laundry service to earn extra money, the college said.

"I owe Kenyon a great deal," he said. "I even started my first business
there, and I depended on that extra $60 a week. I personally feel great
affection and a debt of gratitude for Kenyon."

The fund-raising campaign includes $70 million for scholarships, $33
million of which already have been committed, said the liberal arts
college, which was founded in 1824. The Newman-supported scholarship fund
will generate at least $450,000 each year for minority and other
underrepresented groups.












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Learning Chinese - 'Pirates' sequel sets new world record

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






'Pirates' sequel sets new world record

(WENN)
Updated: 2007-05-31 08:51


Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has smashed the record for the
biggest worldwide opening in history--the movie raked in a massive $401
million in its first six days of release.

The second sequel in the Walt Disney-made series has already broken box
office records in the U.S. for the best Memorial Day weekend debut, after
making $142.1 million.

At World's End beat the previous record for best opening set by the
release of Spider-Man 3 earlier this year, which made a total of $382
million in its first few days.

Walt Disney Studios spokesman Mark Zoradi says, "We knew that audiences
all over the world were excited to see Johnny Depp and the rest of the
fantastic Pirates cast in this latest adventure, but this record-setting
response at the global box office has been nothing short of incredible.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End now has the biggest opening in
movie history, and we're extremely proud of that achievement."









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Chinese School - Anna Nicole's family secret exposed by jailed brother

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Anna Nicole's family secret exposed by jailed brother

(WENN)
Updated: 2007-05-28 19:19



HOLLYWOOD - Anna Nicole Smith's jailed half-brother has exposed a
terrible family secret: His youngest sibling was once shot in the head by
his mom Virgie Arthur's gun.

Larry Dale Hart, who is serving time in a Texas prison for aggravated and
sexual assault, has revealed his younger brother Donny was accidentally
shot when he was just three.

Speaking exclusively on TV news show Insider last night, Hart recalled
how his brother was left with a severe head wound after a gun in his
mother's purse went off by mistake as he played with it.

He said, "Donny went to climb on the bed to knock the purse down and the
gun went off inside the purse. We saw blood coming out."

Arthur, a former police officer, ordered all her kids to get into her car
and she dashed Donny to hospital, where, according to Hart, she went into
shock.

He adds, "They had to give her some kind of tranquillizers... She never
talked about it after that."

Arthur hit the headlines after her daughter's tragic death in February
when she challenged burial rights and then custody for Smith's daughter.







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Chinese Tutor - "Balloon" has more bad gas than the Hindenberg

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






"Balloon" has more bad gas than the Hindenberg

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-05-25 14:06



CANNES - Albert Lamorisse's transcendent 1956 film "Le Ballon Rouge" is
more vital than this hodgepodge homage from Taipei filmmaker Hou Hsiao
Hsien.

Weighted with the dreary ballast of a heavy-themed family saga and
grounded by the conceit of letting the players ad-lib their dialogue,
"The Flight of the Red Balloon" drifts, poofs and ultimately flops.
Audiences may rightly discern that this "Balloon" is in both form and
content an egg.

Bad hair, rather than the pliant red balloon, is the central image of
this dolorous monotony. Hou shoots mostly from the side, so we're
constantly subjected to the side profiles of all the players: the
beatific kid, Simon (Simon Iteanu); the frazzled mother, Suzanne (
Juliette Binoche); the implacable Chinese nanny, Song (Song Fang); and
the melanges of mangy others. Such a sideways visual strategy does little
to draw us to the characters, and, most egregiously, we never come to
care about this modern-day family.

In this demi-ditty, mop-haired Simon is a quiet kid who endures stoically
the shrill hysterics of his theatrical mother. He tries to draw away into
his own world of old-style pinball games, but he's undeniably stunted by
his crummy family life and his mother's relentlessly flaky hysterics.
Rounding out this familial menagerie is Song, a stoic film student who
acts as the boy's nanny while the mother is preoccupied with her career
as a vocal artist for a puppet company.

Without delineating the details of this family portrait, suffice it to
say that Hou has further enervated the already drab proceedings with dull
padding: a piano lesson for beginner Simon, or several snatches of
Simon's simple pleasure, playing pinball. Other banalities abound, in
large part courtesy to the conceit of not writing dialogue in the script
and the choice of shooting in long or side shot. Unfortunately, Hou does
not merge these aesthetics by mitigating the bad dialogue by shooting it
long, out of earshot.

The imagery of the classic movie, where a spirited red balloon wafts
unpredictably over Paris, never even attempts to reach a metaphorical
height, nor does it even engage us compositionally. For the most part,
the heart of the classic is transmuted through the film-student lens of
the foreign film student, such is the minimalist scope of this piffle.

In her performance as the dark-rooted, bottle-blond, mother artiste,
Binoche soars. She delivers a wondrously conflicted gaggle of emotions
and movements. Archly irritating, she is nonetheless sympathetic in her
flailing. As such, the film might be retro-titled from "Red Balloon" to
"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." Indeed, since the balloon
does not appear all that often, a few snippets of the editor's tool might
align this movie mess, at least in theme, with another grander film with
at least a more similar theme.

As the beatific child, Iteanu sports a thick and tossed neo-Beatles look
and seems to have an intriguing face, when we're permitted to see it.
However, his performance, if he delivered one, is obscured by the obscure
framings and, most clearly, Hou's tenuous grasp on trying to figure out
what movie he was making, or in this case, what classic film he was
defiling.

Cast:

Suzanne: Juliette Binoche

Simon: Simon Iteanu

Song: Song Fang

Marc: Hippolyte Girardo

Louise: Louise Margolin

Director: Hou Hsiao Hsien; Screenwriters: Hou Hsiao Hsien, Francois
Margolin; Producers: Francois Margolin, Kristina Larsen; Directors of
photography: Yorick Lesauz, Mark Lee Ping Bing; Production designer: Paul
Fayard; Editors: Jean-Christophe Hym, Ching Sung Liao.












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Chinese Speaking - Bayer stays committed to Chinese market

/ S5-6








Bayer stays committed to Chinese market
By Xiao Jia
Updated: 2007-05-24 07:09




Bayer has stepped up its involvement in China. The Chinese mainland, Hong
Kong and Taiwan province together present Bayer's largest single market
in Asia, with sales of around 1.5 billion euro in 2006.

"China is of central importance to Bayer's global strategy. We strive to
mirror the developments in China with our strategic decisions, offering
solutions for China's needs," said Michael Koenig, president of the Bayer
Greater China Group.

Market presence

Bayer is represented in China by 18 companies across the group, including
subgroups Bayer CropScience, Bayer HealthCare and Bayer MaterialScience,
as well as Bayer Technology Services.

A broad-based cooperation agreement between Bayer and the Ministry for
Chemical Industry signed in 1993 laid the foundation for the expansion of
the firm's business activities in China. One of the company's first major
projects under the cooperation agreement was completed in November 1997,
when Bayer HealthCare Co Ltd began producing a wide range of
pharmaceuticals in Beijing.

Its second production company, Bayer (Sichuan) Animal Health Co Ltd,
started operations in Chengdu in 1997. In 2006, Bayer AG acquired
Schering AG, Germany, to set up Bayer Schering Pharma.

Bayer has also expanded its position in the Chinese agriculture market.
Bayer CropScience Hangzhou Co Ltd was established in 2000 for the
production of the insecticide Regent (fipronil), one of China's leading
rice insecticides, as well as formulating and packaging a broad range of
other crop protection products.

In the field of innovative materials, Bayer MaterialScience operates the
joint venture company Bayer Guangyi Panel Co Ltd, set up in Beijing at
the end of 1996, to manufacture and market polycarbonate sheeting and
other products for the Chinese construction industry.

In March 1999, a polyol formulating plant came on stream at the joint
venture Bayer Jinling Polyurethane Co Ltd in Nanjing, while Bayer
MaterialScience Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd was founded in August 2005.

Bayer Technology and Engineering (Shanghai) Co Ltd, established in
November 2003, offers technical support to Bayer's operating subgroups in
China and also to external customers in Asia.

Integrated Site Shanghai

In 2001, Bayer started to establish world-scale production facilities at
its integrated site at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. In recent
years, more and more facilities have started operation at the site,
including those producing the polycarbonate Makrolon, a splitter for
separating crude MDI and the coating raw material HDI.

Other projects are being planned or under construction. The overall
project represents total capital expenditure of about 1.8 billion euro
through 2012 and is Bayer's biggest-ever project outside of Germany.

Education, research projects

Bayer also actively supports research and education in China, especially
through joint scientific projects like the research cooperation agreement
signed in April 2001 with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The company also sponsors a Chair of Intellectual Property Rights and a
Chair for Sustainable Development at Tongji University in Shanghai, and
supports research into the further development of a comprehensive public
health system at the China Europe International Business School Shanghai
(CEIBS).

Social commitment

As a global corporate citizen, Bayer's social commitment in China is
based on the principles of sustainable development and the endeavor to
reconcile economic interests, ecological aspects and social
responsibility. It is involved in local community life through the Bayer
Young Environmental Envoy Program and the Bayer Environmental Award for
Media, as well as its partnership with the Special Olympics Organization.

Bayer supports public health programs like the Tsinghua-Bayer Public
Health and HIV/AIDS Media Studies Program, and funds a community
development project in Fujian Province.


(China Daily 05/24/2007 page28)
















China Daily PDF Edition











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Learn Chinese online - A Mighty Heart

ENTERTAINMENT / Coming Soon






A Mighty Heart


Updated: 2007-05-21 15:45





On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever. Her husband
Daniel, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was
researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to
Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As
Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner.
He never returned. In the face of death, Danny's spirit of defiance and
his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write
about his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual
murder in her memoir "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My
Husband Danny Pearl." Six months pregnant when the ordeal began, she was
carrying a son that Danny hoped to name Adam. She wrote the book to
introduce Adam to the father he would never meet. Transcending religion,
race and nationality, Mariane's courageous desire to rise above the
bitterness and hatred that continues to plague this post 9/11 world,
serves as the purest expression of the joy of life she and Danny shared.

Also Known As: The Breve Life and Death of my Husband Danny Pearl

Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release

Logline: A memoir of the life of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002.

Genres: Drama, Adaptation and Biopic

Release Date: June 22nd, 2007 (limited)

MPAA Rating: R for horror violence, some sexual content and language.

Distributors: Paramount Vantage

Production Co.: Revolution Films, Plan B

Studios: Paramount Vantage

Filming Locations: India
Pakistan
London

Produced in: United States












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Chinese language - Juliette Binoche arrives for the 60th Cannes Film Festival

ENTERTAINMENT / Latest Album






Juliette Binoche arrives for the 60th Cannes Film Festival


Updated: 2007-05-18 13:54







French actress Juliette Binoche (L) arrives with cast member Simon Iteanu
for an evening gala screening of Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien's
film "Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge" which opens the "Un Certain Regard"
competition at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, May 17, 2007.��Reuters]


1 2 3 4 5 6 7










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� 'Right to be silent' may be granted

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� Chinese premier pledges currency reforms





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Learning Mandarin - Beijing's New Capital Museum

NI HAO from China






E-ZINE / Where to Enjoy






Beijing's New Capital Museum


Updated: 2007-05-15 09:23







Located on Fuxingmenwai Dajie,Beijing's new Capital Museum , is a
five-storey building allowing for a maximum of 13 concurrent exhibitions,
which can be viewed in about 5 hours at the price of 30 yuan per visitor.



Special recommendation:



Jingdezhen Ceramics Exhibition

From 4/27/2007--6/15/2007

It tellss the story of ancient Beijing, which has served as a capital
city for more than 850 years and the Chinese capital, more or less, since
the mid-17th century. It is expected to receive as many as 2,000 visitors
per day.The Capital Museum is second only to China National Museum in
terms of size.It will provide an English language city museum map and
currently gives English-language museum brochures. Some information will
be provided in Japanese. It also has other useful services such as a free
cloak desk and a well-stocked museum shop.

The original museum was situated in the Confucius Temple on Guozijian
Street.it was founded as early as 1981. but it was not convenient due to
its location within the ancient temple. Actually it functioned primarily
as a warehouse of relics. It was temporarily closed last year when its
collection was moved to the new 60,000-square-metre building, located
near the Muxidi subway station exit on Line 1, which runs under Chang'an
Avenue.

Open Time: 9:00 to 17:00 Tuesdays through Sundays (sales stop at 16:00)

Ticket Prices: Full Price: RMB 30; Half Price: RMB 15















Where to Enjoy




� First Modern Drama Museum Inaugurated

� S. Korean Art Exhibition Opens

� Drama:I Heart Beijing

� Drama:The Life Comments of Two Dogs

� Shanghai Film Festival-- A Hot-Ticket Item





Editor's Picks




� Is the Internet killing culture?

� The World of Antoni Gaudi

� Subtropical Paradise: the Dai Villages

� First Modern Drama Museum Inaugurated in Beijing

� S. Korean Art Exhibition Opens





Hot Topics




� Is the Internet killing culture?

� The Great Wall in "New 7 Wonders of the World" Election

� Two Chinese sites listed on world's 100 most endangered

� Cast for "Dream of the Red Chamber" Remake Announced

� New version Kunqu Opera aiming at youth





Previous Issues




� Chinese Drinking Table Guide

� Qin Mausoleum and Terracotta Warriors

� A Chinese Carnival in Spring

� The Secret to Chinese Cooking

� Elegant Collision between East and West





An American in China






� Matt Doran : A Rugged Great Wall Trip




� Orr Shtuhl :A Patch of Heaven







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Free Chinese Lesson - No nude scenes for me, says Brad Pitt

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






No nude scenes for me, says Brad Pitt

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-05-07 11:24


What's new with Hollywood star Brad Pitt? He needs another butt.

No, not because there is something wrong with the original one but
because the actor is refusing to reveal his bare bottom in his latest
movie Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

So the producers are in a fix and are now looking to find a double to
replace his rear.

But this is not the first time he has been caught in a 'butt' issue, he
showed off his naked behind in 2004 film Troy but has now refused to do
it again, reported contactmusic.com.

"Casting notices have been put out looking for suitable rears. Maybe
Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie doesn't want him stripping off for anyone
else these days,�� reported the Sun.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 film adaptation of the 1922
short story by the same name penned by F Scott Fitzgerald.

The film is being directed by David Fincher and stars Brad Pitt and Cate
Blanchett in the lead roles, to be be released in 2008.







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Chinese Speaking - Diet blog: a place to share

CITYLIFE / Hip & New






Diet blog: a place to share

By Yao Minji (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-04-28 11:01



Chinese women, like women worldwide, are obsessed with losing weight, and
one sign of get-thin thinking is the popularity of diet and exercise
blogs. Some call them embarrassing, others call them a riveting and a
useful way to fight fat.

Many people say that losing weight and keeping it off require a lifetime
of dedication, even passion. True, but one is usually more passionate
just before it gets warm enough to wear tight T-shirts and short skirts.

There are many weight-loss and weight-control methods. Everyone has her
or his own favorites. There are diets of fruit only, meat only, even ice
cream only. There are different types of medicine that can suppress
appetite and help burn fat; there are different exercises to reduce fat
and build muscle in different parts of the body - like flattening the
belly. There are machines, acupuncture, hypnosis, support groups, 12-step
programs, and so on.

The next trend might be publicly posting one's weight-loss/control diary
online, as demonstrated by weight-loss blog competitions. Some have been
organized by blog Websites or blog owners, others by pharmaceutical
companies.

Some say it's a fad and embarrassing, some say it actually helps dieters
to commit themselves publicly in a blog; they claim that the daily
recording of diet and exercise leads to better weight loss and control.

One of the latest, started early this month, is called "2007 Pan Asia
Reductil Challenge," organized by the pharmaceutical company Abbott to
support the launch of its non-prescription weight-control product,
Reductil (Nuomeiting), an appetite suppressant, in China.

The first round will be an online pre-screening that ends May 7. The
third and final round on the Chinese mainland ends July 28. The first
prize is merchandise worth 7,766 yuan (US$1,005). Then there are Asian
semifinals and finals.

Participants in the first round are required to write at least two
entries about weight-loss each week. In addition to recording his or her
weight, the participant must also do two exercises - one must be belly
dancing - and upload exercise videos.

Tracy Tan, a 28-year-old sales manger who has been on diet since 18,
considers it "embarrassing" to post her experience online. She compares
weight loss blog owners to the notorious Furong Jiejie (Sister Lotus),
who became famous by posting her own sensual pictures. Sister Lotus is
actually normal-looking but she posed herself (fully clothed) near
flowers, showing off her curves.

"Those who post weight-loss experiences online just want to show off and
get famous. At least, their blogs will get high browsing rates," says Tan.

True, although these blogs are not numerous, they are frequently visited
and commented upon. A typical blog contains the owner's daily diet,
weight, and exercise. Some even post pictures of themselves before and
after dieting.

One of the most famous is the blog of Moxuan, 22, who lost about 80
pounds (36 kilograms) in three months. The overseas Chinese student in
Canada gets more than 40,000 browsers and several hundreds comments for
each entry. She posted dramatic before and after photos and she has
become an inspiration for many dieters. She now weighs about 45
kilograms; she is 162 centimeters tall.


1 2










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Top ten backpackers' favorite hotels in China

� Play hide and seek with summer sunshine

� 36 hours in Shanghai

� Solo travel, why not?

� Make yourself an "S" plan!





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Save shroom for soup
Bars&Cafes: Hip and cute to boot
Weekend&Holiday: Best-kept holiday secrets
Shopping: Discounts & bargains
What's on: Double take







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Culinary chameleon
Bars&Cafes: Rock and renovated
Weekend&Holiday: Have a chef at your home
Shopping: Always France
What's on: Portraits reflect real life





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Learn Chinese online - Invite nature into your home

CITYLIFE / Hip & New






Invite nature into your home

By Victoria Fei (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-04-23 10:31




"Nature Addict" model. [Photo by hola.com.cn]
Fresh and natural is always the trend in home furnishings and it's easy
to bring a bit of freshness into your home this season. Hola Home
Furnishing Store offers "Nature Addict," "Secret Garden" and "Pop Art"
selections.

Escaping the concrete jungle is everybody's dream, but meantime it's
possible to create a feeling of freshness and nature in our own homes.

Hola Home Furnishing Store recently displayed this season's three trends
of home furnishings, offering an original flavor of nature.

The trend of "Nature Addict" is themed by green, white and colors of
earth and wood. With a small amount of yellow as a highlight, the
mix-and-match design can brighten a room. To display furniture's clear
lines, natural materials with even veins such as cotton, bamboo, wood and
vine are being used. Leaves, grass and flowers are the most popular
patterns, contributing to a fresh-feeling environment.

Going more feminine, the "Secret Garden" style changes a room into a
secret garden from childhood, where pink is the main color.

"The idea of Secret Garden originated from the British country style. It
is actually the extension of 'Natural Addict'," says the French designer.
"This series is permeated with the fragrance of flowers. When pink is
mixed with off-white, the style feels romantic and classic."

Holding a cushion with patterns of peach blossoms, Yolaine demonstrated
how such a small article would make so great a difference to the whole
look of a room. "Look, the cushion matches up with the sofa while you
watch TV, bed while you have a nap and even the ground while you play
with your kids. This style really gets relaxation high, pressure low, and
most important, one can heal himself or herself emotionally here in this
garden," Roger says.

Featured by extensive use of geometric patterns, a fashionable "Pop Art"
style is gradually gaining popularity among young people. Using bright
colors and new materials of modern technology, it provides a
light-hearted effect.

Modern, updated and functional, Hola makes a call of nature within easy
reach. Do some simple mix-and-matches of color and patterns, one will be
free from a concrete world.

Hola Home Furnishing Store

Shanghai
Location: B2, No.88 Xianxia Xilu
Tel: 021-52191919

Beijing
Location: No.117 Xisihuan Beilu, Haidian
Tel: 010-88495555










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Top ten backpackers' favorite hotels in China

� Play hide and seek with summer sunshine

� 36 hours in Shanghai

� Solo travel, why not?

� Make yourself an "S" plan!





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Save shroom for soup
Bars&Cafes: Hip and cute to boot
Weekend&Holiday: Best-kept holiday secrets
Shopping: Discounts & bargains
What's on: Double take







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Culinary chameleon
Bars&Cafes: Rock and renovated
Weekend&Holiday: Have a chef at your home
Shopping: Always France
What's on: Portraits reflect real life





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Chinese language - Go fishing in spring

CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Go fishing in spring

(Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-04-11 09:05



Spring is a good season for fishing. It's time to wipe the cobwebs off
the fishing tackle for another season. Some people like fishing in small
streams while others prefer in pounds. No matter where you choose,
fishing offers a great time to relax and enjoy the flourishing season.

Beijing

Xiaomuwu Fishing Garden

Located inside a beautiful garden, this place is very popular among
Beijing's fishing lovers. It's very quiet thought not far away from
downtown. .Visitors here get fully relaxed without going a long distance.
Besides, Xiaomuwu provides free wireless internet service helping killing
time when waiting for the fish..

How to get there: Drive from Badaling Expressway to Beianhe Exit. Then
move westward along Beiqing Road.

Location: Inside the Daoxianghu Park, Sujiatuo, Haidian District
Tel: 010-62404942 /13641258820

Shangzhuang Reservoir

Known as the heaven of wild fishing, Shangzhuang Reservoir is a good
place of fishing while enjoying natural views. Lots of people go there at
weekends. Don't forget bring your own fishing tackle.

How to get there: Jingcheng Expressway-North Five Ring Road-Shangzhuang
Road. Or you can take Bus 652 or 303 to Shangzhuang Reservoir Station.

Location: Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District
Tel: 010-51770006

Guoao Fishing Club

Being an indoor fishing place, Guoao Fishing Club hosts as many as 200
persons. The club rents first-class fishing tackles. For your
convenience, it provides kinds of food with waiter serving you at your
fishing spot.

Address: Inside Olympic Sports Center, No.1, Anding Road, Yayuncun,
Chaoyangdistrict
Tel: 010-64910902

1 2










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� A free meal isn't far away

� The magic of strawberries

� Slow down and enjoy three meals a day

� Beat the heat at the beach

� More foods, more smiles





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Being a veggie in Beijing
Bars&Cafes: Free-standing bar
Weekend&Holiday: Enter the dragon
Shopping: The rules of engagement
What's on: Every dog has its say







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Pick up something Chinese
Bars&Cafes: A diet date with ice cream
Weekend&Holiday: Art exhibition for 80s generation starts
Shopping: Music pavilion
What's on: Cirque du Soleil debuts





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Free Chinese Lesson - Keep healthy in 2007

CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Keep healthy in 2007

(www.ce.cn)
Updated: 2007-04-02 10:44



Everyone needs a healthy plan for 2007 to keep yourself fit, if you're
healthy you stand less chance of getting ill. While for office workers,
they need easier ways to keep both body and spirit healthy. Here we
recommend some, they may not relate to physical exercise, but do you good
as well. Read on and discover how to take care of yourself.

1. Cultivation of the mind

The word "cultivation" refers to a healthy living style originating from
eastern countries. It emphasizes on building up both your body and mind.
It is a physical and spiritual exercise which may strengthen your body as
well as your mind. The common ways of cultivation include Taiji, Yoga and
Pilates.

2. SPA

SPA gets the name from from Latin, which means "solubrious par aqua." In
English, it means getting health through water. Today's spa is a healthy
center for healing and nourishing mind, body, and spirit. Office workers
go to spas for fitness, stress management, peace of mind, pampering and
pleasure, and health and wellness.

3. Striding

You may feel confused when you see striding stands among our list, it's
too common. But it does work. When striding, your whole body gets
exercised. Striding is an easy but effective way to keep fit, which has
been approved by doctors worldwide.

4. Being a temporary recluse

The modern society always takes too many pressures. When having troubles,
just find a quiet place, become a temporary recluses and release
yourself. It will make you calm down and get away from worries.

5. Being a backpacker

Back packing becomes fashionable because it strengthens people's body and
mind. During the self-help vacation, you get rid of pressures from work,
enjoy the the beautiful scenes and meet more friends.

Edited by KK Zhao










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� A free meal isn't far away

� The magic of strawberries

� Slow down and enjoy three meals a day

� Beat the heat at the beach

� More foods, more smiles





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Being a veggie in Beijing
Bars&Cafes: Free-standing bar
Weekend&Holiday: Enter the dragon
Shopping: The rules of engagement
What's on: Every dog has its say







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Pick up something Chinese
Bars&Cafes: A diet date with ice cream
Weekend&Holiday: Art exhibition for 80s generation starts
Shopping: Music pavilion
What's on: Cirque du Soleil debuts





Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Pnyin - And you can quote me on that

ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






And you can quote me on that

By Wang Xiaofeng (Chian Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-20 10:21



While I was in high school, my language teacher would give writing
assignments and I had some difficulty in deciphering her intent.

When she wanted exposition, I would narrate; when she asked for
narration, I would turn in comments. Fortunately, there are only so many
forms of school essays.

Once, her topic was "On Something". She outlined the structure and wanted
famous quotes to embellish our arguments. It went smoothly. I quoted
everybody whose maxims I could recall, from Marx to Maradona. I felt the
sparks of my literary genius flying.

I was waiting for commendation, but my piece barely got passing grade.

She singled out all the quotes I had used, leaving only 400 of a
1,000-word article. She had saved my face by not letting me fail.

That was a heavy blow. For a long time, I did not dare quote anybody, or
simply dare not write. Whenever I heard a topic, such as "knowledge" or
"reading", I couldn't help thinking of what famous people in history had
said about them.

These adages were posted on classroom walls, and printed in calendars and
notebooks. And there are volumes of quotations that you can cram into
memory. Whenever I put pen to paper, these words would pop up in my mind.

They decorate the facade of one's writing. Well used, they make reading
agreeable; otherwise, they become stumbling blocks.

I began to understand why my teacher had cleansed me of my quoting craze.

But one day, she told me: "You could be a journalist in the future." The
old lady must be pulling my leg. Maybe it was just a rub to soften her
multiple slaps. But it turned out to be an accurate prediction.

She had taught me a lesson in using quotations. From then on, whatever I
want to say, I'll say it in my own words.

Maybe I'll blurt out a few aphorisms of my own.

I came to discover that the so-called famous sayings are just sayings by
famous people. There are better utterances from ordinary people. Lately,
I saw the writings of the young scholar Xu Zhiyuan. How can I be so
ignorant?

See how profusely he is quoting? The words he quotes could not be
Googled; the names he quotes may not have records in a big tome of
biographical dictionary... Reading him, I realized I was just a toad
trapped at the bottom of a well.

A few days ago, I flipped channels and stumbled upon Professor Yu Dan,
the television equivalent of Sister Hibiscus. What an eloquent speaker!
She could talk for five or six minutes without any oratory hiccup.

Her speech, with the exception of the subject, was completely made up of
quotes from classic poetry.

I was dumbfounded.

I felt she must have an embedded Google in her head, and its searching
speech would make Bill Gates green with envy. If Professor Yu had
invented a computer chip, it would surely catapult China past the US in
high tech.

Imagine Xu Zhiyuan and Yu Dan in a room and they are not allowed to quote.

What will they ever write about?


(China Daily 03/20/2007 page20)










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Chinese Tutor - Salma Hayek engaged, pregnant

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Salma Hayek engaged, pregnant

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-03-10 09:11


LOS ANGELES - Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek is pregnant and engaged to
a French businessman whose firm owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, her
spokeswoman said on Friday.



"Francois-Henri Pinault and his fiancee, Salma Hayek, are happy to
announce they are expecting the arrival of their first child,"
spokeswoman Ina Treciokas said in a one-paragraph statement.

In a brief telephone call, Treciokas said no other details, including the
date the child is due to be born, would be made public.

Pinault, 44, is chief executive officer of his family's luxury goods firm
PPR, whose lines also include Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and
Stella McCartney.

Hayek's films include "Frida," for which she received an Oscar
nomination, and she is executive producer of the hit U.S. television show
"Ugly Betty," in which she plays a key role.

Hayek, 40, previously was romantically linked to actors Edward Norton and
Josh Lucas.








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Chinese School - Not so happy New Year for snakes on a plain

ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






Not so happy New Year for snakes on a plain

By Graham Bond (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-01 09:26



Call me a killjoy, but when New Year rolls around, I account it high time
to get golfing. It's not that I don't like having firecrackers thrown at
me or being made to hand out cash-stuffed envelopes. There is a perverse
thrill/sense-of-grating-fulfilment associated with each.

My chief gripe concerns the seething mass of humanity. Not even my own
living room is protected against crowds, noise and billows of second-hand
smoke. The fairways represent the only sanctuary I know.

So it was that I found myself striding down the 14th hole of my nearest
course, a 418-yard Par 4 with trees to the right, green-side bunkers and
barely a crowd-control marshal in sight. Peace and quiet was finally
mine. That was until the caddy began screaming.

Apparently the signs warning players to "Beware of Snake" had not been a
joke as the mythical beast had materialized before us. Anyone unfortunate
enough to hear the girl's howls would have concluded that the "snake" was
an anaconda with giant fangs and an ability to fly and not as was the
case a 12-inch tiddler idling across the grass.

But someone did hear the screams and form this very same impression, for
a knight in shining armor and a "marshal" cap on his head now appeared on
the horizon. Imploring his electric buggy to greater and greater feats of
speed, he veered onto the fairway and charged towards the scene of terror
in a peculiar zigzag angle of attack.

Given the marshal's inability to remain on a linear course, it was
especially courageous of him to decide to save us by running the creature
over.

What steely nerves he possessed to remain cool as the snake disappeared
under his tires, only to emerge virtually unharmed! How few would have
had the presence of mind to remedy this impotency by running it over
again, this time using reverse! And how many former saviors of women and
children would then have had the courage to step down and engage the
half-flattened snake in hand-to-hand combat!

With wooden stick in hand, the marshal gallantly beat the beast until its
tail could spasm no more and the caddy's screaming had abated. With the
carcass squeezed dry, the marshal formed a pincer with thumb and
forefinger and dropped the leftovers into a bag before re-mounting his
buggy, winking at us and disappearing into the distance.

While the caddy swooned, I lamented my latest failure to secure some New
Year respite. Judging by the twinkle in the marshal's eye (and his
Cantonese extraction), I began to suspect that his victim would likely
spend 2007 contributing to the slow fermentation of a jar of homemade
snake wine.

And thus, my resolution for the next New Year was conceived. I pledge to
spend the week blind drunk on she jiu (snake wine). Not only will I be
oblivious to the crowds, firecrackers and requests for "lucky money", I
may also have the comfort of knowing my reptilian friend didn't die in
vain.

To comment or contribute e-mail hotpot@chinadaily.com.cn


(China Daily 03/01/2007 page20)










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Learn Chinese - 'Music and Lyrics' an odd combo

ENTERTAINMENT / Review






'Music and Lyrics' an odd combo

(AP)
Updated: 2007-02-14 08:40




Actors Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant are photographed at the New York
premiere of their new film titled Music and Lyrics, Monday, Feb., 12,
2007. ( AP Photo/Stuart Ramson)

"Music and Lyrics" is a weird little hybrid of a romantic comedy that's
simultaneously too fluffy and not whimsical enough.

Writer-director Marc Lawrence is definitely aiming for a retro '40s feel,
with his bustling New York setting and witty characters who repeatedly
burst into song. But he's infused the movie with a forced contemporary
flavoring, including a Britney Spears-style pop diva and references to
performers like Shakira and Justin Timberlake, and he gets too bogged
down with industry types and their business meetings.

The songs are catchy, though - especially "Way Back Into Love," the tune
Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore's characters craft together, which will be
stuck in your head like a psychotic episode for days if not weeks to
come. (It's playing in this particular critic's mental jukebox during the
writing of this review. Somebody please make it stop!)

And it's nice to see Grant aging gracefully. Yes, he's only 46, but he's
learned to wear his years well. He's moved past the recent bad-boy era of
the "Bridget Jones" movies and seems well aware that he's far removed
from the charmingly befuddled persona on which he based his career.
That's charming in itself.

As washed-up '80s singer Alex Fletcher - formerly part of a band called
PoP that's clearly and hilariously modeled after Wham! - Grant is
self-deprecating but he's also not afraid to look pathetic, lonely and a
little sad. It actually makes him more attractive.

A vision of PoP's heyday - a music video for their synthesized hit "PoP!
Goes My Heart" - serves as the film's side-splitting opening, as well as
its high point. Rather than being overtly campy, the video is so dead-on
reflective of the genre with its big hair, skinny ties and bad key
effects, you could easily imagine it playing on VH1 Classic.

(It's almost as if Lawrence, who previously directed Grant in "Two Weeks
Notice," knew the video was the best part of the movie; he plays it again
at the end as if to say, "Remember this? This is the thing you thought
was so funny an hour and a half ago.")

Alex is Andrew Ridgeley to his former musical partner's more successful
George Michael type, and is now stuck playing county fairs and high
school reunions to crowds of giddily nostalgic thirtysomething soccer
moms.

But he also has a younger fan in singing star Cora Corman (Haley Bennett
in her confident film debut), who wants Alex to write a new song for her
with the title "Way Back Into Love," based on her favorite book about
spirituality. (Cora takes herself very seriously but has no idea what
she's talking about.)

Of course he only has a couple of days to do this, and in another
contrivance of the genre, it's the cute woman who waters his plants who
ends up helping him.

Barrymore's Sophie Fisher absent-mindedly mutters potential lines for the
song while Alex struggles with melodies at the piano. In no time they're
working side by side, and from there it doesn't take much longer for them
to end up underneath the piano, naked and rolling around (which actually
sounds quite painful).

While the difference in their characters (and ages) may seem unexpected,
everything about Sophie's character makes her a cliche. She's neurotic,
clumsy, damaged and guarded in the wake of a bad breakup. She also
dresses in jaunty, bohemian vests and scarves. And naturally, she drowns
every plant she touches.

Since this is a romantic comedy, though, there must be some arbitrary
event or misunderstanding that keeps Alex and Sophie apart before their
eventual reunion (at a sold-out Madison Square Garden concert, no less).
Brad Garrett as Alex's manager and Kristen Johnston as Sophie's older
sister help keep them occupied, with Campbell Scott making a brief
appearance as the writing professor who broke Sophie's heart.

A lot of this romantic downtime is extraordinarily draggy, and it makes
"Music and Lyrics" feel longer than its manageable running time. Every
once in a while, though, it has a good beat and you can dance to it.

"Music and Lyrics," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for
some sexual content. Running time: 95 minutes. Two and a half stars out
of four.












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Pnyin - Angelina Jolie's mum last wish: Angelina should marry Brad Pitt

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Angelina Jolie's mum last wish: Angelina should marry Brad Pitt

By HeatherH (Fametastic.co.uk)
Updated: 2007-02-02 09:59


Angelina Jolie's mother Marcheline Bertrand reportedly wanted Angelina to
marry Brad Pitt.

Angelina, Brad and Angelina's brother James Haven were at Marcheline's
bedside when the 56 year old died at the weekend after a six year battle
against ovarian cancer.

A source told Us Weekly: "Everybody cried. Marcheline told Angelina and
Brad that she loved them. It was incredibly emotional."

"Marcheline approved of their relationship completely. And Brad loved
her."

A second source told Star magazine that Marcheline "spent the most time
with Angelina [and] she told Angelina that her dying wish was for
[Angelina] to marry Brad."

"Marcheline adored Brad and believed he was an angel sent into their
lives to take care of Angie."

Star also reports that while it's not marriage, Angelina and Brad held a
simple commitment ceremony on the beach during their Christmas holiday to
Costa Rica: "They stood in the sand in their bare feet, looked into each
others'eyes and promised to love each other forever and to be loving with
their children for just as long."

The source added that they exchanged simple rings, which they wear on
their right hands, to symbolise their relationship.








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Chinese Pinyin - Rumors of Andy's death greatly exaggerated

ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






Rumors of Andy's death greatly exaggerated

By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-01-10 21:27



Fans in China would jump through hoops for their idols, but few have a
chance to show such loyalty. I was lucky, because I put my life on the
line for one of the most adored superstars. And I'm not even his fan.

On the afternoon of December 28, I was riding the subway to the China
Radio International building for the taping of a talk show. Shortly after
I switched from the Loop Line to Line One, a vendor appeared, carrying a
stack of bluish newspapers. He shouted: "Andy Lau was shot dead by triad
members last night in Hong Kong!"

Constant target

It gave me a twinge of despair. I love his work. Yes, he is a mediocre
singer and a so-so actor, but he really tries. On top of everything, he
seems to be a very nice person. I've never met him, not even seen him in
concert, but every entertainment reporter I know tells me that Andy is
the nicest possible person in showbiz. And that's saying a lot. Moreover,
his songs are the only ones I can sing in karaoke without resorting to
falsetto.

"What? Andy is dead? Again?" I shuddered. "How many times does he have to
die so unscrupulous entrepreneurs can profit from it?"

I was angry. About 30 percent of the time when I ride the subway, I hear
this headline broadcast from car to car by a one-person sales army. Can't
they just take off their clothes and streak to sell papers? Why should a
favorite entertainer become the fodder for the survival of a tabloid?

Andy Lau must have died two dozen times in the past two years when I
happened to be on the Beijing Metro. The first time I heard it, I was
shocked. But then I noticed the other passengers were so calm, they must
have encountered it before. As I can remember, only one passenger -- an
old gentleman -- bought a copy. I don't think he is Andy's fan, but who
knows? Wherever Chinese is spoken, everyone loves Andy.

Why should I care if someone fabricates a story and makes a living out
it? According to a Youth Weekend report, a vendor makes an average of
3,000-4,000 yuan a month hawking this paper, which is grandiosely titled
The Legal Star.

Why do tabloids take on such unimaginative names? (By the way, I used to
think The National Enquirer was published by the US Information Office).

I had a traumatic experience about 20 years ago. I was in the Beijing
Railway Station plaza, where millions pass through every year to get on
the train home. A young man was hawking a similar newspaper. He blurted
out a few names that were hot in entertainment at that time, such as
"read about Liu Xiaoqing dumping another of her husbands". Seeing no
response, he got into a creative mood and yelled: "Jiang Qing killed
herself! Read all about it here!"

You know what? Madame Mao did end her own life several years later. Gee,
these people are not only illegal vendors, but they are crystal-ball
readers as well.

Brave action

With that flashing before my mind's eye, I took out my digital camera and
snapped the subway vendor.

A few seconds later, another went by. I did the same, trying not to
attract their attention. But traffic was sparse. They spotted me -- five
of them.

After they moved to the next car, I checked my photos. Most were blurry
or just showed the back of the head. Just as I was kicking myself over my
unprofessional photo-taking skills, they returned.

"Why did you take pictures of us?" one of them approached me.

"I was not taking pictures of you." I wanted to add that I was shooting a
pretty girl nearby, but I figured I didn't have the comic chops to make
them laugh.

"Delete them or we won't let you go!" they demanded.

People looked at us with indifference. Only one young couple tried to
mediate: "Please don't fight. Everything can be settled peacefully."

Hey, they should work for the UN, or better, the Bush administration.
That could have saved the US tens of billions of dollars.

There was no cop in sight. Couldn't they station some of the ubiquitous
security guards inside the cars instead of having them jam the platform?
I was getting desperate as I looked around.

Would I get the respect and eulogy bestowed on Daniel Pearl, the reporter
from The Wall Street Journal slain by terrorists, if I got killed in a
subway train by a band of poor farmers-turned-illegal vendors?

I should have asked my boss to send me to Iraq to cover the war. I should
have insisted on sneaking into a coal mine for my scoop. I should... My
mind was darting about in every direction.

I was even envisioning Andy Lau singing at my funeral. He could choose
the song The Man Who Did Not Make It -- not one of his better known, but
it would fit the occasion, after all.

The newspaper vendors, including one woman, encircled me and squeezed me
into a corner.

"Could I invite you guys to Starbucks? and you may want to share your
stories with me. I could pay you for your time," I tried to lighten the
atmosphere.

From the lack of expression on their faces, I instantly knew I had failed
as a Woody Allen imitator. Ironically, I was on my way to a talk show on
Woody Allen. I wish I had secretly admired Jackie Chan instead.

"We don't want to cause trouble," they said. "Just delete your photos."
They were very firm.

I guess they were not too bad. They did not want to take my camera. So, I
slowly took it out and showed them the photos. The images were so hazy
that they wouldn't be much use to the police, let alone to my editor.

As I was pretending not to know how to use the Delete function, one of
them pointed to the button, which was marked only in English. You'd be
amazed how tech-savvy these people are. They could all work for Home
Electronics Guide.

After ensuring every photo was erased, they vanished into the next car.
Everyone else looked at me as if I was the biggest fool they had ever
seen.

Maybe I should ask Andy Lau for a hidden-camera cell phone with a
fast-shutter lens. After all, I was the one who stood up for his name
when it was in danger of being sullied by a sleazy and illegal tabloid.










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Learn Chinese - 'Spy' course planned

CITYLIFE / Hip & New






'Spy' course planned

(Shanghai Daily )
Updated: 2007-01-15 10:33


The city is expected to launch a professional qualification certificate
for business competition intelligence analysts, an occupation that is in
high demand but lacks systematic training.

Part of a company's strategy development department, intelligence
analysts are responsible for searching, collecting and analyzing
information about industry development, market prospect and competitors
for their employer.

The "spy-like" professionals will be trained to acquire the information
through legal ways such as searching the media and Internet. More
importantly, they should be able to get business updates by interpersonal
communication skills.

"As information and technology are the two key factors to success in
modern society, business people have come to realize that a good
information-capture ability is core to winning market competition," said
Zhu Lemin, director of the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau's
training center.

Training center officials said that most big companies, especially
multinationals, had set up at least one or two market intelligence
positions. That has generated a professional demand of 100,000 people in
the city.

A business intelligence analyst is paid 5,000 yuan (US$625) a month on
average, with highest salary exceeding 10,000 yuan a month.

However, most of the working intelligence analysts had no systematic and
professional training, said Chen Biaofeng, one of the qualification
certificate program designers.










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Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

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sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Horoscopes help you find the special gifts

� Romantic Valentine's Day dinner

� Jazz up your life

� Sports' dress codes

� The high price of love





Beijing Guide




Eating out: The Revolution lives on!
Bars&Cafes: VJ meets DJ at Centro
Weekend&Holiday: Summer Palace to hold "Royal carnival"
Shopping: Gift ideas for Valentine's Day
What's on: Love dance







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Reignite the spark
Bars&Cafes: Cave-like club
Weekend&Holiday: Forefront of celebration
Shopping: The way to a girl's heart
What's on: Lovers of 'Era'





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Chinese School - Cold season, hot pot

CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Cold season, hot pot

(dianping.com)
Updated: 2007-01-04 09:44



Hot pot restaurants are especially popular during the winter season when
the city cools down and diners are looking for a nice hot meal. For
newcomers to this style of eating, ordering at hot pot restaurants can be
a little tricky, as finding the best mixture of meats and vegetables is
developed through experience. So here are nine reputable hot pot
restaurants in downtown Beijing for newcomers to start their hot pot
journey.

Similar to fondue cooking, hot pot is a style of cuisine in which diners
select meats and vegetables and prepare their own communal meal in a
large pot filled with a usually spicy broth. Hop pot restaurants are
especially popular for large parties as they create a collective cooking
and eating experience.

Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant: for free treatments

Haidilao has five branches in Beijing, all which have good reputations
among diners. Haidilao provides authentic Sichuan hot pot. All dishes are
available in both full and half portions. But what makes dining at
Haidilao a pleasant experience is its various free services which make
queuing for the dishes a pleasure in itself. At Haidilao all diners are
entitled to free ice water, fruit salad, melon seeds, nail care and shoe
shining, and they may also play chess or cards while they wait. Another
shining point is Haidilao's Lalamian (pulled noodles) performance which
features a young boy pulling noodles while dancing.

Location 1: No.2 Huayuan Donglu, north to Mudan (peony) Hotel, Haidian
Tel: 010-62033112

Location 2: No.29 Nanmofanglu, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-87798911/87798677

Location 3: 3F, Beiao Mansion, Jia 2 Huixin Dongjie, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-84639300/83273345

Location 4: No.2, Dahuisilu, Haidian
Tel: 010-62133511

Location 5: 1-2F Zhongjian Erju Building, No.42, Guanganmen Nanjie, Xuanwu
Tel: 010-51816880

Ningmeng Yezi (lemon leaves): a celebrity-owned restaurant

Owned by Taiwan pop singer and TV star Wu Qilong, Ningmeng Yezi is a Thai
style little eatery featuring hot pot as well as fried dishes. Three
kinds of hot pot broths come highly recommended, the curry broth, spicy
and sour broth and the legendary Benz hot pot whose pot has three
compartments holding three different-flavored broths chosen from an
available six. After dinner guests get a free taste of the famous Taiwan
dessert Hongdou Bingshan (red pea ice mountain). Ningmeng Yezi also
boasts tasteful design.

Location: No.15 Xiaoyunlu, Chaoyang
Tel: 010-64625505


1 2 3










Feature




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Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

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sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Cold season, hot pot

� Home bubble baths

� Hearty parties

� There's more to be found at hot springs than hot water

� Fit for fat in Beijing





Beijing Guide




Eating out: What's on New Year's Eve
Bars&Cafes: New Year's Eve parties
Weekend&Holiday: New Year's events
Shopping: Thumbing through a potential read
What's on: What's on New Year's Eve







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Eating out: Lebanese fare provides pleasant surprise
Bars&Cafes: 2 for 1 pink drinks
Weekend&Holiday: Jazz and Gospel music
Shopping: Ring in the New Year
What's on: One night appearance





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Chinese Mandarin - Homemade flowers become popular

CITYLIFE / Hip & New






Homemade flowers become popular

(chinanews.cn)
Updated: 2006-12-30 10:38


Flower market is a hotspot in Shanghai this year, with homemade flowers
winning most people's favor instead of imported species.


It is learned that the homemade flowers, mainly from Yunnan, Shandong,
Taiwan, and Hongkong, have taken up 80 percent of the market, with the
quality improved greatly and the prices much lower than imported ones.

As the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is drawing near, Lanling Flower
Market, the largest in Shanghai, witnesses hustle and bustle everyday,
and it promises to provide at least 500 varieties of flowers during the
Spring Festival holidays and up to 300,000 pieces a day.

Related salespersons said the prices will be stable, but will rise
inevitably on Valentine's Day and the Spring Festival.










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� There's more to be found at hot springs than hot water

� Fit for fat in Beijing

� Something other than Curse of Golden Flowers, please!

� Season of sales

� All I want for Christmas...





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Ring in the New Year with a dinner bell
Bars&Cafes: Cheap and cheerful
Weekend&Holiday: Enjoy real mountain skiing
Shopping: Every little thingabout piglets
What's on: Recent performances







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Lebanese fare provides pleasant surprise
Bars&Cafes: Amnesia Ibiza
Weekend&Holiday: New year with Mark Brain
Shopping: Ring in the New Year
What's on: The Dream boats





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Chinese language - Deck the Halls

ENTERTAINMENT / Review






Deck the Halls

By Gene Seymour
Updated: 2006-12-06 16:02





Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito

Ho-ho-hum! Stick-in-the-mud eye doctor (Matthew Broderick) is at war with
his neighbor (Danny DeVito) over Christmas lights. Add a star if people
falling down in the snow is all it takes to make you laugh.

Since "Elf" and "Bad Santa" came out three years ago, the bar should have
been raised on making movies for the holidays. One would think that you
now have to go all out to either placate or challenge traditional
expectations. "Deck the Halls" strains to be both naughty and nice with
much clamor and not much conviction.

The best that can be said about this lazy farce is that your attention
level can drift in and out of its storyline without feeling you've missed
a whole lot. For some, that's a solid investment of their entertainment
dollar. Others may want to use the time to shop further for that very
special waffle iron or nose ring.

Indeed, the only thing "classic" about "Deck the Halls" is its set-up:
the uptight spoilsport, a small town eye doctor (Matthew Broderick),
squaring off against a nimble-minded roughneck, a car salesman (Danny
DeVito), who's moved in across the street. If you're old enough to
remember the "Fox and Crow" comic books, you know that the guy who can't
loosen up will have his sanity strained, his possessions demolished and
his dignity flattened by the well-meaning trickster next door.

The doctor's uptight because he wants his Christmas season planned to the
last stream of tinsel while the salesman wants his life to matter (I
guess). Hence, the latter's over-the-top crusade to put layer upon layer
of outdoor lights on his house so it can be seen from space.

Let the -- what? profundity? -- of that sink in while you take note of
the low-flying, sluggish slapstick, the nudge-nudge-wink-wink jokes about
the cross-dressing police chief and the salesman's fetching twin
daughters. Then there's the outright vapidity of the roles conceived for
both Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth as Mrs. Doctor and Mrs.
Salesman, respectively. But then, vapid characters can't be helped or
hurt by a vapid movie and both Kristins manage to come out of this
bumper-car ride without looking too shabby.

In fact, at movie's end, Chenoweth deploys her formidable pipes on "O
Holy Night." Given the crassness of what comes before, the hymn seems at
first like a sudden left turn on slippery ground. But her lovely
rendition is the only thing in the whole film that doesn't feel processed
or superfluous. It deserved classier surroundings.










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