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June is the month that marks the beginning of summer here in China, where more flowers have been blooming, more sun shining and more stories unfolding.

Collected in this issue is the latest in social happenings, online meme and pop culture which includes music, movies, TV, as well as online games.

This month’s design is inspired by the season itself. Ricky Li, our feature designer, explains that summer is made up of living particles of all shapes, colors and sizes therefor he has sprinkled the entire issue with colorful patterns as a tribute to the season.

HELLO SUMMER

CHINA SNAPSHOTNEW TERMS OF THE MONTHPOP CHINA

CHINA SNAPSHOTNEW TERMS OF THE MONTHPOP CHINA

INJECTED FOR SUCCESS June is the month of the Gao Kao (national college

entrance examination), one of the most strenuous time for Chinese youth.

This year’s Gao Kao goes to the extreme in a middle school in Hubei province, where high school seniors inject themselves with amino acid through an IV drip bag to boost energy and mental concentration.

There’s more. To avoid wasting time travelling from the classroom to the clinic, the school has arranged students to receive the injections right in the classroom as they study their way into the night.

CHINA SNAPSHOT

Photos from Southern Metropolitan Daily

GO DELAYERS! A cheerleading squad was spotted cheering in front of

5,000 passengers in the Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport.

This was an attempt to appease the 5,000 passengers who were delayed due to thick fog.

According to the airport, this is their way to showcase human-centered customer service, one of airport’s core value.

CHINA SNAPSHOT

Photos from Netease

BEATING THE RUSH HOURNew businesses across China have begun introducing a service where they offer substitute drivers during traffic jams for just 400RMB. (1USD = 6.3RMB)

The company will dispatch 2 drivers to you once you call for their service. One will drive you with to your destination with an electric bicycle, while the other driver replaces you and eventually drives your car to your designated location.

Companies will prepare contract beforehand to guarantee the competence and liability of the drivers.

Great business idea to solve everyday problems.

CHINA SNAPSHOT

REACHING NEW DEPTHS

Zhang Wuyi has always wanted to build something.

After losing his job at a textile factory in 2008, Zhang, with only a high school education rented an abandoned plant to begin research on building a submarine. In order to fund his invention, he sold all of his family property and borrowed large sums of money from family and friends.

Finally in May 2012, Zhang successfully tested his submarine in a press conference that attracted not just local media but also international media including Al Jazeera and Elle Men.

Having spent over 3million RMB (480,000USD), and failed numerous times, his submarines are now on sale and he has already acquired orders from 3 customers.

CHINA SNAPSHOT

Photo from Want China Times

EXPO OF LOVE

More than 20,000 lonely hearts attended the matchmaking event at Shanghai’s Expo Park this May.

Attendees were encouraged to wear masquerade masks at the beginning of the event, which can be removed later when the dating session begins.

Walls were plastered full of singleton’s profiles which include name, age, education, profession, monthly salary as well as number of cars, apartments, etc.

The standards people require of a partner have changed with modern dating. The importance placed on material factors is increasing more than ever.

This quote basically sums up the single scene of China:“In Chinese society, women prefer to marry men who are older, wealthier and more capable; men prefer the opposite,” says Zhai. “So in cities, those left behind are seen as the ‘best women and worst men’ [highflying women; underachieving men].”

CHINA SNAPSHOT

CHINA SNAPSHOT

NEW TERMS OF THE MONTHPOP CHINA

DIAOSI 屌絲

Diaosi men have now come to everyone’s attention thanks to a chatroom that gave birth to the term.

Diaosi is used to describe young men from humble origins who have worked hard to earn their university degrees but have hard times finding well-paying jobs. Diaosi can also be used to describe young men from the lower status of society who have not received much schooling. In other words, the word describes men who are ‘poor, short, and ugly’.

Diaosi with university degrees feel angry because their efforts have not given them an advantage in the job market. Diaosi who did not attend good schools or dropped out of school to work usually have an even harder time.

Chinese netizens have also added a humorous layer to the term to make fun of men who are inferior in terms of looks, education and financial status, yet dreams big of living the successful life that comes with a trophy girlfriend or wife, which in reality is almost impossible for them.

Despite the condescending definition, humble men across China identify themselves with the term, accepting their ‘fate’. As it turns out, Diaosi online groups being to grow with more and more members by the day.

“I don’t feel alone anymore, I am so glad I can share my frustration with others who look and feel the same way as I do.” – Anonymous Diaosi

NEW TERMS OF THE MONTH

The opposite of a Diaosi is a “tall, handsome and rich” man.

GOD FATHER 干爹When a young and attractive woman claims an older man her god father, she actually means Sugar Daddy.‘God Fathers’ are usually older, wealthier, and often married and look for young model-looking girls to be his mistress. And vice versa.

Mistresses can go as young as college girls, and they come with a price also dubbed as ‘monthly allowance’.

God fathers also tend to shower their god daughters with gifts. Many a times, these god daughters will share what they have received on their weibo account, which often causes controversy over the internet, especially if the said ‘god father’ is a member of the Communist Party.

NEW TERMS OF THE MONTH

CHINA SNAPSHOTNEW TERMS OF THE MONTH

POP CHINA

LEGEND OF ZHENHUANLegend of Zhenhuan is a 76-episode drama series adapted from a novel of the same name. The series is set in the Imperial Palace during Qing Dynasty (1544-1911), with a plot centering around schemes between Emperor Yongzheng’s concubines.

The series begin with a 17-year-old Zhen Huan who had been selected as the Emperor’s new concubine, however, soon after she enters the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce conflicts and competition between the empress and the concubines. But with her wit and talent and strong survival skills, Zhen fights her way through and wins the emperor’s affection, ultimately becoming the most powerful concubine in the Imperial Palace and ascending to unparalleled glory and wealth.

Legend of Zhen Huan has been praised as one of the best historical dramas in China in recent years. Through the series, audiences can also learn about ancient Chinese poetry, fashion and wardrobe of the era, court etiquettes, and herbal medicine.

TV SERIES

POP CHINA

XIN SHU (ANGEL HEART)Xin Shu is a modern day soap that explores the interactions between doctors and patients in China. In the past 10 years, doctors have been suffering from public and media attacks due to unethical scandals, not being able to save lives, etc. However, Xin Shu provides an objective perspective on doctors, telling a story without bending to populist views.

Xin Shu follows the daily lives of doctors, from residents to fellows, as well as attending physicians at a prestigious hospital in southern China. The show focuses on the challenges faced within China’s medical profession, even including doctor’s own personal safety. Life as a doctor in China is increasingly a high-risk profession, as disgruntled patients resort to physically attacking doctors as a way to show anger towards their failure. To improve physician safety, the government has ordered all large hospitals and medical institutions to open police stations on their premises.

However, netizens have been quick to point out that the hospital in the show is much fancier than their real-life equivalents, and hardly representative of reality. Beijing Youth Daily’s online entertainment site mocked the show, and quoted a viewer: “I watched two episodes of Xinshu and feel it’s just a bunch of handsome doctors and pretty nurses in hospital whites.”

POP CHINA

TV SERIES

Guns N’ Roses

Set in the 1930 in Manchuria, north-east region of China, the movie tells a story of a group of young Chinese men planning to raid a bank during the Japanese occupation in China.

The director, Ning Hao, says it’s a coming-of-age film with adventures in a chaotic era.

The film’s lineup of professionals include Let the Bullets Fly cinematographer Zhao Fei and Korean action director Yang Kil-young (Old Boy, Monga).

You may wonder why a Chinese movie would be named after a Western rock band, but Ning Hao says it is to pay tribute to a kind of idealism that the band represents.

MOVIE

POP CHINA

FULL CIRCLE

Full Circle tells the story of a group of elderly people at a nursing home, dealing with generational gap as well as aging issues.

In the nursing home, the residents have been abandoned by their children for various reasons and none view it as their real home and none are able to leave. One resident named Old Ge becomes the leader of the group that rehearses their own show in order to escape from the nursing home and get on TV to find his daughter.

Director Zhang begins the film with tense conflicts and despair, then injects it with optimism and hilarious plots. During Old Ge’s adventure, tough family relationship issues are resolved, wishes are fulfilled, and there is forgiveness across the generations. If you’re up for a feel good movie, this is the one to watch.

MOVIE

POP CHINA

The film depicts Taiwan’s half-century of Japanese colonial rule from the point of view of a fierce tribe of indigenous headhunters known as the Seediq. The Seediqs were forced to deny their own culture and give up their faith, causing an uproar of rebellion.

The film has already broken record as the most expensive Taiwanese film ever made. It has been cut to 152 minutes from 4 and a half hours when it was released in mainland China but the box office remains dull possibly due to the lack of familiarity with this foreign tribe and it’s aboriginal culture.

WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE

MOVIE

POP CHINA

A BITE OF CHINA

A TV program titled A Bite of China hit CCTV last week creating a huge discussion amongst Chinese audiences. The production team traveled to various places in China to present audiences with the stories behind food and the culture it contains.

The first part of the program examines specific tastes while the second part studies the changes and development food influenced by China’s social economy.

Liu Wen, director of CCTV-9, said the point of the program is to let foreigners admire Chinese food and learn about cultural traditions and social changes.

DOCUMENTARY

POP CHINA

LOVE IN THE BUFF OSTIn Love in the Buff, the highly anticipated sequel to the acclaimed romantic comedy Love in a Puff (2010), director Pang Ho Cheung continues the love story between Hong Kongers Jimmy (Shawn Yue) and Cherie (Miriam Yeung) as they try to rekindle their romance in Beijing.

The original soundtrack album composed by Alan Wong and Janet Yung has gained a much better score from audience than the movie. A couple of songs courtesy are from Canada-based Mainland singer-songwriter Qu Wanting.

One of the theme songs is the touching English ballad Drenched, which became entirely popular soon after the movie was released.

MUSIC

POP CHINA

Founded in the 90s, the band from Hebei changed its English name from “The Nico” to “Omnipotent Youth Society” in 2002 but still weren’t recognized until 2007.

Inspired by American rock band Blind Melon, their style is melancholic and infused with Chinese elements while lyrics are written poetically. They have also added instruments such as violins, trumpets and harmonicas into their composition. Their most famous singles include ‘Qinghuangdao’ and ‘Kill That Man From Shijiazhuang’.

This year, the band will begin a China tour in July with Taiwanese post-rock band Sugar Plum Ferry in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou.

OMNIPOTENT YOUTH SOCIETY

MUSIC

POP CHINA

Seer is a virtual game world created for 7-14 year olds. The game has picked up it’s popularity soon after its release early this year. In the web game players are required to explore the universe and search for new energy.

Taomee, the game company, considers the game as healthy, interesting, adventurous and smart, but parents and school teachers have been concerned that it is taking away too much time from their children.

Taomee’s other popular webgame Mole’s World and Seer are both successful as brands for offline businesses. Their miniature toys as well as it’s own cartoon show have become particularly popular amongst primary school kids in China.

SEERGAME

POP CHINA

DOUBAN READOn May 7th, Douban became the newest Chinese web company to launch a retail platform for ebooks. After more than a year of programming, the Douban Read platform is now live, selling both full-length ebooks and shorter ‘works’. Most of the ‘works’ are priced at 1.99 RMB (30 cents), though longer works sell for as much as 8 RMB. Books, by contrast, are priced at 9 or 10 RMB ($1,5 USD). Prices are set by Douban, and authors receive 65-70% of net revenue.

The store provides content in four formats. Three are meant for online viewing using Douban’s reading app: on a web browser, on iOS devices, and on Android. The fourth, the only downloadable format, is a mobi file for use on the Kindle line. Douban has noted in the press that the iPad version of its reading app is currently most popular with readers.

Douban audience seem to have a distinct ‘personality’: young, hip, perhaps a touch elitist. This is also visible in the other content providers Douban has partnered with, including Zhang Yueran’s youth literature magazine Li, and the experimental fiction website Heilan.

INTERNET

POP CHINA

AUTHOR:Charinee Chairasmisak / Leon Lin / Sue Wu DESIGNER:Ricky Li

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