The Nanjinger

Author: Laura Schmitt

  • Finding an Apartment in Nanjing

    Finding an Apartment in Nanjing

    Accommodation is probably one of the biggest headaches of moving to a new country. Especially in China, where tricksters are a common occurrence in the real estate business, there are definitely a few things to watch out for. For our house hunters, The Nanjinger has prepared a guide of how and where to find flats, while our guide on how to rent flats in Nanjing may also be of interest. Good look with the hunt!

    Flatmate or no flatmate? That is the question

    One question is of course whether or not to look for a flatmate; the obvious advantage being you will save money while the biggest drawback is that you do not know whether the other person will be reliable in terms of payment or whether they are a joy for you to live with. If you do want a flatmate, should it be another foreigner or a Chinese person. Here are some points to keep in mind:

    Foreign Flatmates

    If you are a professional and your flatmates are students (or sometimes teachers) there is a slight risk that you have very different schedules, i.e. they enjoy a good night out even during the week and wake you upon their late return when you are trying to get your very necessary sleep before a busy day of work. Of course, not all students are like this and it is possible you will find a quiet person who is really just here to study, but from experience I think it is fair to say a fair share of younger people here enjoy a good many nights out.

    Then again it can be so much fun to have exciting people around and enjoy fun evenings cooking, watching movies and just hanging out. Plus, if you are new, a foreign flatmate will quickly help you integrate and find a bunch of friends.

    The more serious issue tends to be that very few international flatmates are in it for the long haul, as they generally tend to stay in Nanjing only for about half a year to a year. Hence the question of what happens when they leave. Will you be the main tenant? If so, if that room is unoccupied come payday, the financial loss will be yours. Then there is of course the stress of finding a new flatmate at regular intervals, which is not much fun either.

    Read More

    Chinese Flatmates

    So, you have just moved to China and you are super excited to get down and deep with Chinese culture! One great way of doing that is by living with a Chinese person, as you get to practice your language and learn about Chinese culture every single day. Definitely, some of the most enlightening and enjoyable conversations come out of living with someone local, who can explain to you all those strange cultural practices you encounter and never quite understand. This will also make sure that you don’t drift too easily into the foreign circles and don’t hang out with Chinese people at all. However, you should take such a step with your eyes open; there might be some issues along the way.

    One has to acknowledge that the cultural difference can cause conflict. For example, I have found in the past that my female Chinese flatmate went to bed at 10pm and then asked me not to shower or make any noise after that time. For a night owl this can be very difficult. You might also encounter very different hygiene standards or expectations of what involves cleaning.

    Finally, there is the question of sharing food. This also depends on your personal preference, however coming from a Western background I find most people I know feel that, while it is no problem for a flatmate to take an egg or steal some bread, if they have run out, it is not great if this happens all the time. It is not uncommon for local flatmates to take food items bought by you on a regular basis, and you might often return home to find you do not have the ingredients you need to cook that meal you had planned. This is simply based in the cultural roots of China in communism where there was no individualist notion of “this is my food, and this is yours” but everyone shared everything. Of course not every Chinese person is like this, but from speaking to others this type of behaviour does seem fairly common. If this is something that ticks you off, you might want to reconsider living with a local.

    Finally, especially if you are a newcomer to China, not living with foreigners might be a bit full on, as it can increase the culture shock you experience, whereas if you live with international flatmates it can be very calming to know they have had the same experience.

    Living on your own

    If you want to make sure that your home life progresses at its own pace, you can clean, shower and cook when you want and no one but yourself touches your food, you will want to opt for living on your own.

    Then again, there are of course negative aspects to this, such as the higher rent and at times it can get a little lonely, or if you are fresh off the boat even a bit scary in an entirely new environment. In the end, it is up to you to decide, which type of living arrangement suits your character best.

    Which Area of Nanjing?

    Depending on whether you are here to work or study and on the address of the institution you are spending your time in most days, e.g. your office or uni. Here is a list of typical areas in Nanjing to rent:

    Downtown Shanghai Lu

    This is where you will find most students who attend Nanjing University, Nanjing Normal University or Hohai University, as all three of them are located in close proximity. This is a very vibrant part of the city with many international restaurants and going-out options, while the universities offer a lot of classes to workout. If you are a student or young professional looking for the action, the is the place to be. Because of the large number of foreigners, prices tend to be rather high.

    Hexi Wanda

    While not the centre of attention as opposed to Nanjing Uni area, this area is great for young professionals, whose office is close by and who are looking for slightly more affordable housing and a calmer lifestyle. The Wanda Shopping Centre offers everything the heart desires from great restaurants, to a cinema, KTV, shopping opportunities and even the Hilton bar, which is rather nice. The whole environment is modern, with big roads that have been constructed fairly recently.

    Jiangning

    Jiangning is very the place to be for families whose children attend The British School of Nanjing and for many teachers, as a lot of education institutions are located here. It is a far out; 35-40 minutes on the Metro from Xinjiekou. Still, there is little need since Jiangning boasts its own 1912 entertainment complex (bars and restaurants), one of Nanjing’s most popular malls that is Kingmo, a Golden Eagle mall and hotel next door plus other shopping and entertainment options. Also, since it is pretty much a suburb, the rent is a lot cheaper than in the immediate centre of Nanjing.

    Read More

    Xianlin

    Xianlin is popular with families, as the International School is located here. In addition, most universities have a “new campus” in Xianlin, so university professors and some students also find themselves in this part of Nanjing. On the northeastern outskirts of the city, this district is big, new and far out; 40 minutes on the metro from Xinjiekou.

    Xinjiekou

    This is as central as it gets. Xinjiekou is Nanjing’s central business district and boasts what is probably the largest metro station in the entire country (with 24 exits). Xinjiekou is busy, it is fashionable and it is exclusive. Shopping and dining options are so abundant you will never get bored. You better have a well-paying job though as rent in this area of Nanjing is as high as it gets.

    Olympiad

    Another business district, which after the Youth Olympics has become the in-place to be. Less cramped and more modern than Xinjiekou, this area is great for young and highly paid professionals, though it is also convenient for families who are sending their children to EtonHouse international School.

    Hopefully this has given you an idea of where you might be best suited. 

    Finding A Flat in Nanjing

    There are a number of channels to search for vacant flats both online and offline; depending on what type of living arrangement you are looking for (Chinese, Western or no flatmate), each have their appropriate channels.

    If you are looking for a flatmate, online is probably the best option. If you want to find a Chinese flatmate and affordable housing, Lianjia, House365 and 58同城 are two of the biggest websites for vacant real estate. While they are all in Chinese only, Lianjia likely has the best reputation among foreigners.

    If you are looking for a Western or an internationally-minded Chinese flatmate, a good offline approach is to visit Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University and find their classified walls, where people can also hang notices looking for flatmates.

    BEWARE of fake flats online. Because real estate agents are under a lot of pressure to sign contracts, they have developed a trickster method that has become very common on online real estate websites. They will upload pictures of an entirely different place, of course a lot more fancy and often bigger than the real deal to lure customers. Most of the time sadly you cannot trust those images on websites. If you go straight to the agent’s office you won’t waste your time on a pipe dream; also you can tell them your exact requirements and they will try their best to meet them.

    If the online listing is looking for a flatmate and is a private person, there is less chance of you being taken for a fool since obviously someone already lives in the flat and therefore it must be in an inhabitable condition.

    Also, if possible bring a Chinese friend. Knowing that you are a foreigner might tempt people to try and overcharge you for rent, as they tend to think you have lots of money. A Chinese friend can give you feedback as to whether the prices you are being given are realistic. Moreover, when it comes to the legal side of things, they can make sure everything is ship shape.

  • Born in Style; Chinese Obstetrics

    Born in Style; Chinese Obstetrics

    Each country has their own birthing rituals and practices that shape their health industry, influencing its very nature as well as bringing forth institutions hitherto unheard of in the other parts of the world. In China, one needn’t look far to chance upon a unique combination of local characteristics; high-end, c-sections and “month centres”.

    As with many things in China, it has been the one child policy in combination with the rising middle class that have led to a substantial transformation of the pre and post-natal health care sector.

    In terms of where and how to give birth, local standards have risen exponentially. This has led to the existence of what can only be termed luxury gynecologists. With only one shot at producing a healthy heir, families are happy to pay vastly for a high-end delivery experience in hospitals that increasingly resemble five-star hotels.

    One such is the HSCYBele hospital close to Mouchou Lake. Taking inspiration from the American approach, one cannot help but feel that one has indeed stepped into the Chinese version of a US medical TV show, with the staff in their pink and purple nurse’s scrubs. The entire hospital has its own eco-system including baby spa and swimming pool, baby photography studio and rooms for pre-natal classes. The luxury chandeliers and gold-bespecked decorative items reveal quite a different approach than the sanitized, impersonal institutions with which one is familiar in Europe. In China, for a cost of between ¥10,000 and ¥35,000 the whole five-star experience is yours, including a 5-day post delivery stay and a nanny to show you the ropes depending on which set deal you order.

    Back in America, the same equipment and service would probably be unaffordable, but in a society that values ancestry and familial heritage as much as China, nothing is too expensive when it comes to ensuring a smooth arrival in this world for the long awaited offspring. Gynecological hospitals, much like any other area in the Middle Kingdom, have been bling’d up in the latest fashionable equipment, be that medicinal or interior decoration-wise, for the ultimate birthing experience.

    Smooth Operator;The Rise of C-Sections in China

    Aside from the where, another aspect of birthing traditions that has been unhinged over the past decades is the how. The delivery process has, much like America, seen a stark tendency towards Cesareans. The trend of having one’s sterilized belly slit open rather than going the old fashioned route has spread through the country like wildfire. The WHO has calculated that China’s Cesarean rate quadrupled in just eight years from approximately 5 percent in 1993/1994 to 20 percent in 2001-2002. Five years later, the figures had shot up to almost 50 percent in 2007-2008, putting the Middle Kingdom in the global lead for the highest percentage of birth by operation, an ominous title that is viewed critically by many international health bodies, first and foremost the WHO. Their recommended threshold for C-sections lies at 15 percent, while an operation is deemed necessary in merely 10 to 15 percent of cases worldwide.

    A number of factors play into the popularity of the procedure, particularly the set-up of the obstetric care system and certain cultural factors.

    Once again, the impact of the one child policy on today’s birthing landscape should not be underestimated. The same logic that sees the mother checked in to incredibly expensive specialist institutions is a considerable driver behind the trend to cut. The go-to midwife for foreigners in Beijing known as MK explained to UK newspaper The Telegraph in 2013 how the fear that something could go wrong during the birth and the perception among locals that c-sections are the safer option is driving pregnant women to put themselves through the procedure. In addition, NetEase asked in 2010 “Why do so many Chinese mothers want C-sections?” suggesting that the one child generation is too afraid of the pain of vaginal birth, an argument with which some staff at HSCYBele and Beijing midwife MK agree. “Many women born in the 1980s and 90s – the ones under the one-child policy – … are protected and more spoilt, they are not at all into suffering or pain,” explains the medical professional up North.

    Then there were those arguments to be found in the NetEase article that can seem a little “out there” to Western minds. For example, a common issue is that the parents-in-law decree, often with help from a professional fortune teller, an auspicious date for the baby’s birth. A c-section is the logical conclusion in order to ensure everything proceeds according to schedule. Auspiciousness of certain dates can even go as far as to cause a “c-section rush hour” as it were. According to local media reports, the number of operations scheduled before the Chinese New Year 2015, which rung in the year of the sheep, was uncharacteristically high due to beliefs associated with this Chinese zodiac. Sheep are seen as meek creatures with a docile character made for following others rather than becoming leaders, on top of which they are also said to suffer bad luck in love. Its predecessor, the year of the horse, on the other hand is considered very auspicious, resulting in parents and grand-parents rushing to hospital to make sure the next generation won’t end up a bleating disappointment.

    Reason number one for mums to choose the operating table, however, is more rooted in societal structures than superstition. “Because everyone else does it” seems to be the main consideration for Chinese women according to the NetEase report; in a collectivist society where fitting in with the masses is as important as the polluted air we breathe, the latest hype takes only a few days to spread throughout the entire country, c-sections are just another, albeit rather risky, game of “Keeping up with the Wangs”.

    The final reason is altogether more sinister, leading us away from cultural and on to structural issues with China’s obstetric system. The fact that many doctors and nurses alike pressure young women into ignoring nature is a concerning but sadly all too common practice. Due to the high number of overall deliveries in China and low staffing levels in non-private hospitals, c-sections are the more time efficient approach. Reports cite a level of 1.5 nurses per capita, less than a sixth that of the UK. With natural births taking many more hours on average and being unpredictable in terms of duration, doctors prefer to take the operative route. Most importantly, though, the preference for the knife is further solidified by the fact that many physician’s salaries are subject to bonuses based on patient volume as well as certain types of procedures. Not only do c-sections deliver a higher completion rate, in the Chinese medical system they also pay more. It is therefore of financial motivation when medical staff are quick to “guide” their patients down the route of an operation.

    That being said, private hospital HSCYBele’s Dr. Wang insists that they favour a natural approach. “We look to steer clear from the operating table whenever possible. We even have a quota prescribed by the government we are not allowed to rise above.” While doctors might push less in non-public institutions, it remains questionable whether paying patients demanding an operation would be refused that request.

    The veritable Cesarean epidemic is now at a point of becoming dangerous. With the loosening of the one-child policy, in the near future more women will be going through a second pregnancy. However, c-sections hold well-known risks for any follow-up pregnancy, considerably increasing complications such as potential hemorrhage, and therefore making a natural birth mostly impossible for child number two. After all, the fancy name does much to disguise the fact that this is a serious surgery with severe effects on one’s health. In light of this, experts the world over agree that something must be done to steer the Chinese populace in a more natural direction. How this will be achieved in the face of a system that rewards people for cutting is the real challenge the country will have to face in the near future.

    Month Centres – An Innovative Health Service

    The local tradition of confinement, or sitting the month, as it translates literally, has given rise to an entirely new health service sector unknown in the West; the “Month Centres”.

    The custom of Yuezi has been reported on by many a Western media. The accepted practice for women who have just given birth is to return to their home for a month of rest, during which time family members (mainly the mother, mother-in-law and other female relatives) would help care for the newborn. During this time strict rules are to be followed, especially in terms of diet, but also relating to physical hygiene, where in conservative families women are not permitted to shower for the entire month or even brush their teeth, though this is fairly uncommon in today’s modern age.

    Living under the same roof as one’s in-laws is not a simple task to many, even under normal circumstances. Add a newborn baby to the mix plus differing ideas of child rearing between two generations and conflict is almost inevitable, even more so since grandparents at an advanced age are likely not open to new ideas and often find they lack the patience for taking on a newborn full time.

    This is without a doubt one of the motivators that led to the invention of the Yuezi Centres. Having come into existence in the mid-1990’s, the luxury confinement centres have been steadily growing in popularity as an alternative to having mum-in-law move in. These institutions, of which a few can also be found in Nanjing, are staffed with a variety of health professionals whose job it is to take care of mother and baby for this critical month after birth. Post-natal care medical staff, nurses, pediatricians, nutrition experts; a host of medical personnel is on-call for fresh mothers 24/7, while they rest-up in their luxury suites.

    An argument in support of this latest health trend is over the many rules that need to be obeyed during the period after birth, be they in relation to the mother’s food intake or basic training on how to take care of the little human being one has just produced. Pre-natal classes, though on the rise, are not as integral a part of Chinese culture as they are in the West, Here, once again, the one-child policy rears its head as there are no older siblings who needed care; as a result fresh parents are unprepared for the obligations that come with a newborn.

    Yet, the Yuezi centres are facing criticism for their approach of taking the child away from the mother as soon as it screams, which has adverse effects on mother-child bonding. Even at HSCYBele one cannot help but notice how it is the nanny that carries around the few days old newborn in her arms, while the mother strolls leisurely alongside them.

    A possible lack of bonding though has done nothing to stymie local’s enthusiasm for the overpriced institutions that in Taiwan charge around ¥3,000 per day. The 21st century Chinese, however, seems to feel more secure with the help of an army of professionally trained people than the household remedies of an older generation.

     

    This article was first published in The Nanjinger Magazine, September 2015 Issue. If you would like to read the whole magazine, please follow this link.

  • Dealing with China Noise

    Dealing with China Noise

    Noise. Probably the single most unnerving aspect of Chinese city life for anyone from a country with reasonable standards of decibels is the concerning rate of noise pollution. As you plan on making your new life in China or are returning from a relaxingly, or disturbingly, quiet break in your home country, brace yourself against the wall of sound that will regularly assault your hearing organs. We have prepared a few tidbits on what to expect and how to escape the daunting decibels that loom in Nanjing. Whether its the concert of a thousand honking cars stuck in a traffic jam, the chatter of customers in a restaurant that reaches astonishingly high levels or the incessant hammering and drilling of one or the other construction site at what to foreigners are often ungodly hours; in China it seems if it does not make noise, there is something not quite right about it.

    As early as 1980, a year after the Opening-Up and Reform, when cars were still few and far between, noise measurements of the city of Nanjing rendered shocking results. Less than 5% of the city qualified as very quiet 35 years ago and over 61% were classified as noisy to varying degrees. One can only imagine what three and a half decades and new technology have done to hurry along the increase of decibel levels in our town of residence. In many Chinese cities, noise now ranks third among pollutants after air and water in terms of severity. Luckily, the Chinese government has recognized the issue and as part of their campaign to clean up the soundtrack of the city, measures such as outlawing the sales staff in front of stores screaming into their megaphones have been mostly successfully implemented. That being said, every trip down to Suguo often comes with an audio accompaniment that makes one’s hair stand on end, while the very basic street vendors will continue to loop a pre-recorded cacophony of their daily offering in a megaphone. There is still a long way to go.

    Some might wonder why anyone would make such a big fuss about a bit of extra noise. Consider that with noise pollution come seriously harmful effects to people’s health. On the most basic level, noise can keep us from sleeping, and we all know the issues that come with sleep deprivation. In a second instance, noise can cause loss of hearing, tinnitus, elevated blood pressure, headaches, vertigo, stress, anger and depression, a whole host of physical and psychological problems.

    Being aware of the issue, one can actively seek out quiet in one’s daily life to the extent that this is possible and realistic. We have carried together some suggestions and noise-avoidance tactics to help you with the quest for a low-decibel lifestyle.

    Accommodation

    Don’t move into entirely new buildings.

    The newer, the better? Not in this case. If you move into a new building, let’s set the definition for new as constructed no earlier than two years ago, chances are a lot of small scale construction will be taking place as residents start individually fitting out their flats. Then of course there is countless furniture to be assembled upon arrival of new residents. Prepare for hammering, banging, clanking, drilling and any other construction related noise, giving you a rough start to your Sunday and every other morning of the week at around 7am.

    Don’t move into non-secure compounds.

    Flats that are not safely shaded from the public through gates and security guards are prone to street vendors walking right up to one’s window in the early morning hours screeching out their services; one of my personal favourite is the knife sharpening guy who used to wake me up at 6.30am.

    Don’t live next to a big crossing.

    Maybe not rocket science, but with the Chinese love for anything that honks, you generally want to remove yourself from any major crossings that turn into unrelenting traffic jams and result in a rendition of “Honk Your Heart Out” from 7am to 8.30am each morning and then again in the early evening.

    Don’t live next to a large square or park.

    Even international news outlets have reported on the dancing damas in China, pensioners and middle-aged ladies who meet up in the evenings to go through their daily dance routine to stay fit and healthy. The Bollywood, Canto-Pop or even Techno compositions emanating from their ghetto blaster though is anything but healthy. Visit any potential flat during the evening hours to assess the presence of the dancing threat to your eardrums.

    Don’t live next to a car park.

    Obviously the only way those e-bikes, mopeds and cars are safe from theft is if they make an absolute racket each time anyone so much as breathes in their vicinity. A large car park close to your window (a 200 m radius equals close) should set your alarm bells off, as you will spend your night being persistently dragged out of your sleep in a rather ungentle manner by the sirens howling across the lot.

    Consider a flat layout.

    Depending on the size and layout of the flat you are looking to rent, the number of people above, below and on each side of the room you sleep in will vary and as a result so will the amount of noise from which you will suffer. Ideally find a flat with a bedroom in the corner of the building and rooms on either side.

    Live high up.

    The easiest way to avoid many of the issues mentioned above, dancing damas, howling alarms and screeching vendors, is to live as far-up as possible, so the noise cannot reach you anymore. From the 20th floor upwards is a good rule of thumb; you better not suffer from vertigo. Also, plan in an extra 10 minutes to work for the elevator wait.

    Live less central.

    Yep, another rather obvious one, but if you decide to live in the Shanghai Lu downtown area, the Xinjiekou CBD or Gulou, the so-called hot spots of Nanjing, noise levels will rise accordingly. Look towards districts that are less populated such as Hexi New District, Jiangning or Xianlin, for a more tolerable audio environment.

    Don’t EVER open your windows at night.

    This is the be all and end all. If you open your windows, all of the above shall mercilessly burst into your flat and into your ears, plus the sound of an army of howling dogs of course. It’s not like the air is fresh anyway, so only open those glorious glassy noise dispersers unless you absolutely have to, for example if you thought an indoor barbie was a great idea and the flat is all smoked up and you are about to die from asphyxiation.

    General Life

    Don’t go to restaurants during rush hour. 

    Aside from the fact that you will most likely have to queue up at more popular establishments before being admitted into the hustle and bustle of clanking cuttlery and screamersations, this is not the type of relaxing dining experience you were probably hoping for. Therefore, if you can stomach it, chose to go for food at an unusual hour such as late afternoon, to avoid the masses and have an altogether calmer meal.

    Take-Out instead of Eating In 

    If you just need to have your food at a certain hour, that unfortunately coincides with dining rush hour, or you just want to make sure you have more control over the noise levels you are being exposed to, go for the take-out or delivery options and have your food at home, where you can tell your partner off for talking too loudly.

    Don’t go to Suguo unless you have to.

    Of course it is next to impossible to never go to any large supermarket in China; at some point or other you will have to drag yourself along the isles of employees screaming angrily in your face that shower gel is BOGOF this week. However, Nanjing, as many other Chinese cities, is full of little convenience stores that sell your basic necessities and they generally neither need nor could afford any staff announcing the latest uninteresting offer into their microphones. Granted they might have the TV running, but because the shop is so much smaller, the whole process will be over a lot quicker and overall it will be a lot less painful.

    Steer clear of street stalls and push carts.

    If you see a vendor on the other side of the road with a push cart you can safely assume they have a megaphone hidden somewhere between those grapes or tools and they are just waiting for the right moment to pull them out and blast an audio affront towards your ear canals. Maybe stay on this side of the street.

    Seek out quiet spaces.

    On the weekend, instead of going shopping in the city centre or having dinner at the latest fashionable restaurant, actively seek out “calm locations” that give your eardrums a break. A walk in the Olympic Park or the Fishmouth Wetlands, for example, places that are almost entirely deserted by human presence, natural scenic spots with few tourists such as Laoshan Mountain or such places where one is not allowed to talk. A public library?

    Have noise-canceling headphones or earplugs on hand.

    In any event, you might want to consider purchasing one of the above and carrying them with you for those times when the noise takes over. They might not look cool but they will save you from unnecessary pain. Especially during Chinese New Year, which could aptly be renamed “week-long racket”, they might come in handy to shield you from the worst effects of China’s noise pollution.

    While an overtly noisy environment is something that needs to be taken seriously, there is no need to buy that plane ticket back home just yet. Consider your body’s ability to adapt to new environments. While upon your initial arrival in China things may seem awfully loud, after a while you will usually get used to most of the noises. You might even find yourself completely oblivious to certain sounds that were driving you crazy when you first set foot on the mainland. It is not until your visiting friends and family complain of all the different assaults on their ears that you begin to notice how many of them do not even faze you anymore. Welcome to China.

  • Chinese Regional Cooking Styles

    Chinese Regional Cooking Styles

    That Chinese people have a passion bordering almost on obsession for food is no secret, and as many of us quickly discover upon arriving, the variety of “local” dishes is about as plentiful as this country’s population, taking us miles beyond Chop Suey and Chow Mian. 

    The regional variation in food is in fact so vast, that the Chinese have a long-standing system of classification for their cuisine. In its latest incarnation, the Chinese regional cooking style guide includes 8 different major regions.  

    This guide is meant to help you get an overview over the different types of local cuisine, so next time you don’t end up mistakenly walking into a Hunanese restaurant that unexpectedly kills your taste buds (yes, we’ve been there). 

    Different Systems of Classification

    The broadest differentiation in Chinese cuisine is probably, as with many other aspects in Chinese life, the North South divide. This has been present since the Tang Dynasty and in its simplest form is summed up as Northerners like noodles and Southerners eat rice. During the early Qing this rather crude definition was expanded and four major cuisines identified: Sichuanese, Cantonese, Huai’Yang and Lu cuisines. By the end of the Qing dynasty, the menu has been extended by another four styles to make up a total of eight major cuisines 八大菜系, which we will introduce in the following. 

    鲁 Lu (Shandong)

    Lu cuisine can be seen as one of the founding members of Chinese cooking; mentioned in chronicles as early as over 2750 years ago. Lu cuisine as it is still eaten today goes back to the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian reign of China proclaimed in 1271. Many modern cuisines in China, such as Beijing, Tianjin and Northeastern, are branches of the original Lu cuisine. 

    Characteristic of Shandong cuisine are corn and peanuts; in fact big platters of roasted peanuts are often served at banquets. Vegetables are more restricted than in the Southern parts of China and typically include potatoes, tomatoes, cabbages, mushrooms and eggplants, meat-wise pork is heavily features. Finally, the area is famed for its vinegar production.

    川 Chuan (Sichuan)

    The spice of Sichuan cuisine is infamous throughout the country, the ma la 麻辣 cooking style, which translates to numbing spice is particularly well-known, as the little pepper corns literally make your mouth go numb when you bite them. 

    Most Sichuan food has a tell-tale fiery red colour drenched in chilis oil or populated by hordes of dried chilis. The taste for spicy came originally from necessity rather than a culinary preference; due to the incredibly humid and muggy climate in Sichuan, which means many foods have to be preserved. Since this sometimes leaves a less enjoyable taste, one argument is that the heavy use of chilis is a way of masking the not-so-fresh taste of the ingredients. In addition, in traditional Chinese medicine, chili serves to reduce internal dampness, the ideal way of dealing with the humidity surrounding one from outside. 

    Typical Sichuan style goods are Dandan Noodles 担担面，Chongqing spicy chicken 重庆辣子鸡, a dry fried chicken, sometimes with batter casing and way to many chilis than is safe, Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐 or water-poached fish 水煮鱼, though ironically the water has a thick layer of, you might have guessed, red hot chilli oil floating on top, so calling it “water” is just ever so slightly misleading. 

    苏 Su (Jiangsu)

    Jiangsu cuisine, ah yes, our very own province is also represented among the big 8. Down here in Jiangsu provinces, cooking is not just a matter of getting food on the table; it is subject to detailed rules. There is a strict selection of ingredients according to season, e.g. eating aubergines in autumn reportedly causes loss of hair (still, who can resist an aubergine?!). Furthermore, colours and shapes are matched up in Jaingsu style cooking for an aesthetic dining experience. Textures are generally soft, but not mushy. Famous Jiangsu dishes include the “hongshao: 红烧 or “red-braised” sauce, a combination of soy sauce and sugar, as well as lion’s head meatballs 狮子头, and seafood such as  crayfish, the blazing red little baby lobsters that are piled into huge towers at local restaurants when in season or crab-meat dumplings 蟹黄汤包.

    A subcategory of Jiangsu cuisine is the Huai’yang cooking style; it often overshadows its parent having belonged to the original four traditional cooking styles during the early Qing dynasty. Huai’yang cooking can be found in the region surrounding the lower reaches of the Huai and Yangtze rivers, mainly in the cities of Huai’an, Yangzhou and Zhenjiang. Such is the fame of Huai’Yang cuisine it has been served on a number of historically important occasions, i.e. during the first state banquet of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and again for its 50th anniversary and finally during the visit of US president Bush. Taste-wise, Huai’yang is very light, sparingly using ingredients such as salt, pepper or chili. Famous representatives of this region are Yangzhou fried rice 扬州炒饭, tofu noodles 干丝 or sauerkraut fish 酸菜鱼. 

    粤 Yue (Guangdong/Canton)

    Cantonese cuisine is not only famous in China, but has a reputation on an international scale. Since many Chinese migrants hail from these regions, overseas China towns still brim with Cantonese restaurants. Having long been a trading port, Cantonese cooking uses many imported ingredients. 

    However, much more importantly. Cantonese have a reputation of eating anything that has legs (or rather any part of the animal a human could technically chew or swallow), including offal, chicken feet, duck’s tongue and many other slightly controversial animal parts. 

    Dishes feature a wise variety of sauces the most famous of which are Hoisin (seafood) and Oyster sauces, as well as Cha Siu marinade. Furthermore, although generally Cantonese cooks value the freshness of ingredients, a number of preserved foods are often used in combination with fresh items, such as dried small shrimps or salted fish. To keep dishes from being too greasy and heavy, steaming and blanching are quite common cooking techniques in this area. Famous dishes include sweet and sour pork, steamed vegetables with oyster sauce, chow mien, shrimp wonton and dim sum or roasted goose.

    闽 Min (Fujian)

    Fujian province cuisine is especially focused on soups and stews as well as elaborate use of sauces. Its taste is light but flavourful, as umami flavours are strongly used. Due to its closeness to the sea, this regions works a lot with seafood, as a result of which it developed its famous fermented fish sauce. Furthermore, the region is well-known for its “drunken” cooking style, in which dishes are marinated in wine. 

    One of the most famous soups hailing from the region is “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall”; this is made of many different and exclusive (if not slightly contested) ingredients such as shark’s fin, abalone, sea slug, dried scallops, duck, chicken breast, pig’s trotters, pigeon’s eggs and many others. In total, the soup reportedly contains 30 ingredients. The curious name hails from a legend that the lingering fragrance of this soup tempted a monk to jump over the wall of his monastery to taste the dish, forgetting his vows to be a vegetarian. 

    浙 Zhe (Zhejiang) Zhejiang province, so close to Jiangsu, characteristically favours fresh and soft flavours. Due to its many and large lakes, the area has many freshwater fish and seafood dishes to offer. Futhermore, especially Hangzhou has a leaning towards adding bamboo shoots to a majority of its dishes. 

    A famous local dish is Dongpo Pork 东坡肉, in which the fatty meat is pan-fried and then red-braised (红烧) with soy sauce and wine. Beggar’s chicken is another dish which is typically associated with the region, although it actually originates in Jiangsu province. 

    徽 Hui (Anhui)

    As our neighbouring province, Anhui is influenced by cooking of the Huangshan mountains and as such shares certain similarities with Jiangsu cuisines. Typical of this area is the use of wild herbs from both land and sea. Preparation methods are rather simple.

    Well-known Anhui dishes include Luzhou Roast Duck. While our minds tend to jump to Beijing almost instantaneously at the mention of the feathery friends, actually the Anhui method of preparing this bird is nationally renowned, so much so that it has won awards in China. 

    Egg dumplings are another classic, often seen as “rural cooking”. Instead of heavy dough made from flour to wrap up the filling, thin sheets of egg are used as rapper. Filled often with minced pork and soaked in a soy sauce, these little gems are also a commonly found treat in Nanjing.  

    湘 Xiang (Hunan)

    Xiang cuisine encompasses the Xiang River, Dongting Lake and Western Hunan province. This character is one you should pay attention to, as walking into a Hunan restaurant amounts to somewhat of a death wish. If you thought Sichuan with its numbing peppers and chilis was difficult to handle, stay away as Hunan cooking features a peppery spice which to many is way worse than anything Sichuan can throw at you. 

    A hotspot for agriculture, dishes from this region have a great variation of ingredients, including many cured meats. Similarly to Jiangsu, dishes change depending on the season, with cold dishes in summer, such as cold meats, cooling down the body in the humid heat of Hunan. In winter, hot pot is very popular since it is thought to warm up the body when it is cold outside, which in all fairness is quite accurate if you have ever experienced the steam emanating from the boiling bad boys. In Hunan, a famous hot pot variety is the Yuanyang hot pot, which translates as lovers hot pot and is made up of two broths, one non-spicy and one spicy one. 

    Other Famous Styles

    Of course, things are never as simple as they seem and while these eight styles cover a vast majority of the food you will encounter in the big Chinese cities, there are quite a number of more niche types of food, that are also very common and famous. The major ones are 

    North-Eastern cuisine 东北菜

    Think jiaozi, potato dishes and stews, heavy dishes for a cold climate, many inspired by closeness to Russia  

    Shanghai cuisine 本帮菜/沪菜

    Small wonton soup, the famous Xiaolongbao 小笼包, dumplings filled with pork and sweet soup, yes sweet, not savoury as you tend to get them abroad and the heartier fried Shengjianbao 生煎包 are some Shanghai classics.   

    Jiangxi cuisine 赣菜

    Spicy, with chilis used a vegetable rather than ingredient to enhance flavour, Jiangxi cuisines is also heavy on tofu and famous for freshwater fish banquets. 

    Hubei cuisine 鄂菜

    With over 2,000 years of culinary history, Hubei dishes feature fresh water produce with a focus on steaming. Matching colours plays a big part in this cooking style, which considers aesthetics aside from taste.   

    Beijing cuisine

    Heavily influenced by the Shandong style of cooking, Beijing is most famous for its duck and Shuanyangrou, a mutton-heavy, non-spicy hot pot, as well as Zhejiang noodles. 

    Hebei cuisine 冀菜

    Touted as the “ninth big cooking style”, Hebei cuisine is prestigious especially due to it being the home of Chengde, the imperial summer resort, and therefore imperial cooking. Savoury, save heavy and deep fried all describe the cooking characteristics of the province surrounding Beijing.

    Henan cuisine 豫菜

    Though technically a Northern province, Henan shares many commonalities with our own Jiangsu province in terms of food, i.e. using rice vermicelli as opposed to thick wheat noodles and cooking based on seasonality, just as is the case in Jiangsu.   

    Hakka cuisine 客家菜

    Especially prominent in Guangdong province, where many of the Hakka minority migrated to in the past, this cooking style is very present in other countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia or Singapore. In 2014, it was listed on the first Hong Kong inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.  Some classics include salt-baked chicken, tofu with minced meat or aubergine with salted fish.

    Halal cuisine/Chinese Islamic cuisine 清真菜

    Developed by muslim minorities such as Hui or Uighur. As is generally the case with Halal food, there is no pork; instead more of a reliance on lamb. Most famously, lamb skewers and the famous Lanzhou noodle soups represent this cooking style. 

  • Buying Underwear in Nanjing 101

    Buying Underwear in Nanjing 101

    Welcome to our Guides to Nanjing section. Today we are taking a look underneath our clothes in this guide on where and how to buy underwear in China.

    Best places to buy underwear

    H&M

    While one cannot help but feel a bit ripped off by the fact that walking into an H&M in China means paying more money in relation than one would back home for exactly the same clothes, it is a classic go-to for clothes and underwear. The quality, though not outstanding, is acceptable and you know what you are getting; men’s and women’s underwear are available and the style is fairly bog-standard.

    Watch out for the sizes though, as you might want to go for something slightly larger than your European equivalent.

    Victoria’s Secret

    Since moving to China, I have developed an insatiable passion for VS undies. Sorry, dear men, nothing for you in stock here, but the ladies can enjoy a broad range of colours and styles and more importantly the material is really rather comfortable. Even better, one is able to fit in one’s regular sizes, as opposed to H&M, which is a bit of a boost for one’s battered self-esteem.

    Because of the characteristics of the Chinese market, VS has decided not to offer their bra range in the Middle Kingdom, push-ups are apparently still too risqué in the opinion of their marketing pros; though one look at local stores and I highly doubt that claim. Yet, this is always a good stop to stock up on some women’s underwear. Prices are slightly higher than H&M (around 50 HKD a piece in IFC, Hong Kong Island), but by god is it worth it.

    The great news is that with the beginning of this year, the secret is finally out and about on the mainland. While previously only Hong Kong and Macau could call themselves home to the not-so-secret stores, now you can find a limited range in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Chengdu. Let’s hope it goes well and the Shanghai flow-over effect takes hold, in which case the secret’s arrival in our very own Nanjing won’t be far off.

    Supermarkets

    Admittedly, Walmart and Suguo are not the places I initially thought of when it came to underwear but as it turns out,  amid all the frilliness, crazy colours and weird shapes, an occasional gem can be found at ridiculously good prices. While I find most Chinese bras have a really broad strap at the sides, which looks rather impractical and uncomfortable, I did manage to find a normally shaped flesh-coloured bra, that did not make me want to poke my eyes out and has since become my absolute favourite; especially considering it set me back a mere 50 RMB. So, next time you are in Suguo, give that undies lane a go.

    Oversize

    Of course for many women with more voluminous cleavage it is difficult to find any bras in China. If this is you, you might be interested to know that a number of Taobao stores have cropped up catering particularly to the heavy-breasted.

    IMPORTANT TIP: One thing to consider, as a local instructed me on one such underwear shopping tour, is that locals love feeling things. In the same vain as you will find fruits with pressmarks, it is very common for the average Chinese to open up the packaging of the underwear to take it out, examine and feel it in order to know exactly what they are buying. Now, the idea of strange hands rummaging around in what might become your unmentionables soon, even though you are certain to run them through the washing machine before wearing them, is not necessarily tempting to our sensitive European minds. Therefore, when choosing boxed up underwear, go for the one hanging in the far back and stear clear from any boxes that have been ripped open.

    That is all you need to know before bracing the treacherous world of knickers, boxers and bras in China. Enjoy!

  • Police Busts Nanjing Pyramid Scheme, Arrests 236

    Police Busts Nanjing Pyramid Scheme, Arrests 236

    On the evening of 30th June, police stormed a residential compound in Yuhuatai district, capturing 236 suspects.

    (more…)

  • Using the Nanjing Public Transportation Card

    Using the Nanjing Public Transportation Card

    Once you have settled into your new Nanjing home you might want to start exploring the city. Part of that is making use of it’s expansive public transport system; with countless busses, six brand new metro lines, two thirds of which opened only in the past year and even its very own tram, Nanjing is well covered for those who want to get around without a car. Of course having to dig for the exact change of ¥2 each time or having large sums of coins returned at the metro stop can turn into a bit of a fuss.

    Enter Nanjing’s very own Smart Card, the 金陵通. This is a stored-value card that can to be used to pay for transport, groceries to fast food and even petrol. Two types of card are available; registered 记名卡 and unregistered 记名卡, with the former requiring your passport and a deposit of ¥30. The latter only requires a down payment of ¥25 and no ID is necessary. There is a minimum top up of ¥50. The advantage of the registered card is the ability to cancel it if lost, whereas with the unregistered one the money in the card is lost if it is stolen or misplaced.

    Currently the card can be used for buses, metro, tram, taxis (make sure to inform the driver before you get in the car, as some of them do not want to accept it), at Suguos and a number of other local supermarkets, gas stations, car parks, car wash and car repair stores as well as major Nanjing tourist attractions (some of which are eligible to discount with use of the card). Aside from this multitude of uses in Nanjing, you can take your card with you to Yangzhou, Huai’an and Jurong, though ONLY if it is not registered and top-up or other services are only possible in Nanjing.

    Ticket Discount

    One great benefit of the card is that it will save you money in the long run, as the public transport fare is discounted when using this electronic ticketing method. The price reduction as opposed to cash payment is 20% off for buses (40% for students), ¥1.6 during the cold and hot months and ¥1.2 during non-air conditioned months (March to May, October and November), compared with the regular cash fee of ¥2 irrespective of the season. Metro tickets are 5% off, the price of a trip depends on the distance travelled and can range from ¥2 to ¥8, in which case the maximum discount is ¥0.4.

    In addition, switching from metro to bus and vice versa within an hour automatically results in another ¥0.4 discount. While this sum of money on its own might seem rather insignificant, the savings can add up. In case of a daily bus trip to and from work in the temperate months, you would end up saving over ¥30 a month.

    Where to Buy and Top-Up the Nanjing Metro Card

    There are many locations to find the card, two principal places for expats being firstly Gulou metro station (between exits 1 and 2; look for the “IC Card Recharge Service” sign. The booth is tucked in a corner and there is usually a queue) and secondly Xinjiekou metro station (at the north end of the station, just outside the passenger transfer passageway leading from Line 1 to Line 2. This is a big station, so if you get lost just ask an attendant for “IC ka” (third tone).They’ll point you the right way).

    When it comes to adding credit to your card, many stations have top-up machines, which might not be incredibly easy to spot, mostly standing on their own away from regular ticket machines, but are definitely worth the search as they offer an incredibly simple top-up process, if you are particularly lucky with an employee to guide you through the process.

  • NJ to LA; New Flight Connection Opens Today

    NJ to LA; New Flight Connection Opens Today

    Despite the raging storms and floods, Nanjing’s Lukou airport today celebrates the opening of a new route with the first direct flight between the Southern capital and Los Angeles, expanding Nanjing’s aerial connections by one exciting destination.

    (more…)

  • Wedding Site Exploits Child Trafficking for Marketing Stunt

    Wedding Site Exploits Child Trafficking for Marketing Stunt

    In a shocking marketing ploy a marriage dating website has high-jacked the serious issue of child trafficking as a publicity stunt.

    Over the past few days, our WeChat Moments have once again witnessed a message go viral as it only can in China. Child trafficking written in white characters on a black background, across it the red angry words “death penalty” send a very clear message. The image is seemingly part of a survey conducted amongst users officially in order to determine the opinion of the Chinese populace with regards to handing out the death penalty for abductors of society’s most vulnerable members.

    Participants enter their personal details and answer the multiple choice question as to whether people who steal children deserve to be killed. Chinese media reports suggest that 80 percent of users support the idea of handing out this sentence for those criminals who make money from tearing families apart.

    As the virality of the post makes crystal clear, the topic is one that hits a serious nerve with the general populace; China’s child trafficking problem is considered so serious it has even caught the attention of international media outlets such as the BBC or The Guardian.

    Charles Cluster, a documentary film maker familiar with the subject matter writes for the Guardian that the phenomenon, which has been a problem since the 1980s, is caused by a number of factors ranging from the one-child policy to parents willing to sell their illegal offsprings, from the domestic adoption market for kidnapped children to the fines faced by illegal reproduction, which make child-napping more attractiv

    That the topic was going to touch a nerve must have been the consideration of the dating and marriage website who is behind the so-called survey, which is in reality nothing but a publicity stunt, as the company has already publicly admitted. A link to their site at the bottom of the page means they have probably reached every single household in possession of a smart phone within China, and certainly a few abroad. 

    China Mobile was the one who first exposed the message for what it truly was, suggesting that ￥1 250 000 profit would have approximately been made from this campaign, based on the calculation that 1 000 000 users sign the petition and share it on their WeChat moments. At this point, there have already been 800 000 virtual signatories, so it seems China Mobiles estimates are not far off at all.

    At the same time, the marketing ploy fell flat as users jumped on to the content, starting to share pictures online with the same message yet not affiliated to the company. Still, the damage is done, leaving the question open if there is anything some companies wouldn’t do for their 15 minutes of fame and fortune.

    In an avalanche-like chain reaction, not only has the accused dating website abused user’s emotional connection to the topic for click bait; many other outlets have jumped on the bandwagon, some of them even featuring interviews with child traffickers.

    While one might feel rather critical of this approach to gaining followers, said interview, allegedly publicised by a police officer who was shocked to discover the attitudes of those involved in the trade of minors, gives a chilling insight into the mind of a trafficker caught by the police. The word for word rendition is now to be found all over the Chinese internet, yet NanjingExpat was unable to verify the source and reliability of the information.

    As a justification for their actions, the criminal explains that it is “fast and easy money” and that “it’s just a child, the parents can simply have another one”. The accused goes on to elaborate on the two step process involved in trafficking; first the snatching, their responsibility, and in second instance the selling, performed by another person to ensure the children cannot be found by the police.

    The perpetrator then continues to non-chalantly describe how they abduct children, adapting their strategy from trickery to outright violence, depending on the liveliness of their victims, as well as their disinterest in what happens to the children once they have been snatched. “No idea where they are sold too, I am just responsible for abducting them. They are sent wherever there are people who want them.” It’s a buyer’s market after all, albeit one with a high price for all involved.

    The vetting process for potential victims includes “healthy looks and beautiful clothes”, since “only if the quality is good will you make good money”.

    The final question sends goose bumps over one’s body as the arrested admits that he witnessed the death of a young girl, killed by the partner in crime since she was making too much noise. Yet, the interviewee is quick to shirk responsibility, with the argument that, in a twist of irony too cruel to be true, sounds like a child defending themselves to their kindergarten teacher. “It was him, not me!”

  • Tiering Up;China’s Tier System All Smoke & Mirrors?

    Tiering Up;China’s Tier System All Smoke & Mirrors?

    “We often hear of China’s first or second or third tier cities, yet what actually makes a city tier? The terms are so often used, yet there is no official formula for determining what tier a city falls in. Instead, everyone makes up their own rules.”

    chinasourcingblog.org, July 2011

    (more…)