The Nanjinger

Author: Maya Visari

  • Airport Check-in Service in Trial Operation at Nanjing South

    Airport Check-in Service in Trial Operation at Nanjing South

    Nanjing South Railway Station has been hard at work on the construction of a “terminal building”, designed to streamline the transit of passengers directly from the train station to their boarding gate at Nanjing International Lukou Airport .

    Trial operations began on 11 December. 2018, and aims to provide passengers with “one-stop” railway-airport assistance. According to the Nanjing government, the service will include: flight inquiry, check in, table reservation, airport bus pick up and baggage drop.

    The idea is for passengers to be able to check in their baggage whilst at the railway station and then go directly to the airport, pass through security into the boarding gate area without the hassle of check in at the airport.

    Nanjing International Airport is increasingly busier, with more people traveling regularly, and with the holiday season fast approaching, such a service is hoped to ease airport pressure at check-in.

    Passengers flying in and out of Nanjing Lukou Airport at present have the option to travel to and from by coach/shuttle bus (￥20), car rental (￥130-190), taxi (￥150-200) or the metro (￥5-7). All prices are approximate from downtown. Parking at the airport is charged dependent on length of stay.

    Originally built in 1995, Nanjing Lukou International Airport is one of China’s travel hubs with an increasingly innovative perspective. The airport now supports a 144-hour visa-free policy, which enables international transit passengers from certain countries to visit Nanjing, Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, for up to 144 hours.

    Nanjing Lukou International Airport carries a 4F rating, the highest available from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Annual passenger throughput exceeds 20 million passengers, while the China Post Air Express Logistics Nanjing Distribution Centre, with its Nanjing Lukou International Airport ramp, is the core of the China Post Express logistics network. The hub handles in well in excess of 100 million pieces of mail annually. China Postal Airlines operates six daily flights from Lukou, all departing late at night and in the morning’s early hours, away from the congested passenger flight schedule.

  • Jiangsu’s First Science and Technology High School Unveiled

    Jiangsu’s First Science and Technology High School Unveiled

    Jiangsu Province has celebrated the unveiling of its very first high-tech high school, the Qinshihuai Science and Technology High School; the first high-tech high school in the province, with enrolments to begin in September of 2019. 

    As China presses on with its drive to innovate in the field of high tech, it makes sense that it not only pursue top talent at higher education level, but also by beginning training beforehand. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Nanjing is at the forefront for the development of high schools dedicated to top-notch studies in science and technology.

    The Nanjing Municipal Education Bureau, along with the Qinhuai District Government and the Secondary School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University together, celebrated the signing and unveiling ceremony of the Qinshihuai Science and Technology High School, according to Sina News.

    With a curriculum that heavily emphasises science and technology at high-school level, this is just the type of progressive and modern education needed for China to succeed when competing with the rest of the world.

    With major investment from the government in the field of science and technology, high schools such as the new Qinshihuai Science and Technology high school are all set to receive just the support they need.

    The goal of the school is to build on “high-quality modern education and highlighting the characteristics of science and technology education”, said principal Ge Jun of the associated Nanshi Fuzhong Middle School.

    High schools dedicated to science and technology are not only popular in China, but are also trending around the world; innovation, after all, is a competitive place. The United States alone is home to several such high schools, including The McLain, Infinity Math, as well as Springfield and Carmen Middle/High Science and Technology High School.

  • Corruption Crackdown; Foreign Exit Bans in China Widen

    Corruption Crackdown; Foreign Exit Bans in China Widen

    China is increasing the use of exit bans, restricting foreigners from leaving the country if they or someone they know is suspected or involved in a legal dispute. While country’s use of exit bans is nothing new, it is perhaps its guilt by association factor that is most concerning.

    Lawyers and diplomats have reported an increase in the use of the law in recent times, prompting, “Officials to stop someone from leaving the country even if they are not suspected of a crime… In many cases, they are kept in the country because they are related to someone involved in a business or legal dispute”, writes Michael Smith for the Financial Review.

    Australian and American citizens have reported being refused exit from China for a matter of months or years at a time, with some even receiving jail terms.

    To give an example, Nanjing based Carl Mather was imprisoned for 12 months in in 2012 over a scuffle that had happened in his home. Even though his Chinese wife  insisted Mathers had acted in self defence, reacting to two men who had broken into his home angry over a business deal to do with his wife. Mathers was an English teacher in Nanjing.

    To provide another example, the American children of a Chinese fugitive, Victor and Cynthia Liu, together with their mother, were recently denied exiting the country after entering to visit their ailing grandfather.

    The mother was detained and the children later discovered at the airport; they were not allowed to leave “even though they were not being investigated nor had been charged with a crime”. It is thought that by holding the family in China, their fugitive father, Liu Chiangming, who is wanted in connection to a US$1.4b fraud case, will be lured back to China.

    The United States and Australian governments have issued China travel warnings that state citizens can be held in China on the grounds of a legal dispute even if they are only associated with those involved.

  • Swan Lake and Saltbush to Warm Nanjing’s Winter

    Swan Lake and Saltbush to Warm Nanjing’s Winter

    A rich mixture of local, national and international troupes are incoming to the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts over the next few months, giving us many more options for entertainment during the coming bleak, wintery days.

    Two of the upcoming performances of likely interest to readers of The Nanjinger are Swan Lake and Saltbush.

    The former hardly needs introduction. Starring Yekaterina Chebykina, Anastasia Kolegova, Yekaterina Osmolkina, Timur Askerov and Yevgeny Ivanchenko, together with orchestra conductor, Alexei Repnikov, this rendition is a world-famous dance drama, integrating ballet, theatre performance and symphony art.

    Swan Lake runs from 23 to 25 November at varying times. Lasting 190 minutes, the show will be performed at the Opera Hall of the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts.

    If it’s a less formal, more integrative performance you’re after, than check out the Australian presentation Saltbush, which journeys through the culture and landscape of Aboriginal Australia, utilising live dance, music, song and stories.

    Collaborating on the project to produce the highly acclaimed work are Aboriginal artists, working with Insite Arts and the internationally acclaimed Italian company, Compagnia TPO.

    Perhaps what makes this performance so unique is the fact that children are invited to explore, play and dance with the performers, as the landscape unfolds around them, providing a unique immersive experience where the audience becomes part of the visually beautiful journey.

    Saltbush runs from the 22 to the 25 of November at varying times, with some in the day, as well as evening performances. Lasting 45 minutes, the show will be performed in the Function Room of the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts.

    Tickets for both Swan Lake and Saltbush can be purchased via the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts website @ www.jsartcentre.org.

    Located in Olympiad, close to downtown Nanjing, the recently-built grand theatre is a bucket list item for any Nanjinger. Consisting of six different auditoriums and a gallery, the entire theatre can seat close to 9,000 people, with each stage dedicated to its unique performing art. Truly a state of the art, the architectural marvel that is Jiangsu Centre for Performing Arts is a beauty unto itself.

  • Taking the Stress from the Move

    Taking the Stress from the Move

    In need of a removals company, The Nanjinger decided to enlist the help of Asian Tigers Mobility, a company that not only deals with international and domestic moves, but is happy to help with a trip across town too.

    Spending our days writing stories, making magazines, websites and videos, we have little time for packing. So we put Asian Tigers Mobility to the test; could they move and office full of material built up over 6 years, in one day, and have the new office ready for action the day after? As it turned out, we are happy to report that they did their utmost to fulfill this wish, with not a book missing, a desk broken, or a CD out of place (yes, we’re geeky enough to number them).

    After settling on a price, the company was expected to arrive at 10am; they came at 9:40. Four workmen and one supervisor entered the office and had a look around. Note, we had not moved anything from its original spot as we were told all packing would be done by the company.

    After a 10-minute inspection, they got to work, two men were in charge of packing and the other two the heavy lifting (up and down elevators to the 14th floor). The supervisor spoke good English, which helped to coordinate communication.

    Work began at 10am; every single item was wrapped carefully in either bubble wrap or thick paper, and packed into boxes, which were sealed and marked with their contents. The company paused for a 1-hour lunch break, after which they continued packing.

    By 2pm, we were locking the door to our empty office and on the way to our new digs. All we needed to do was open the door and in came our boxes, tables, chairs, bar and shelves. The men obligingly reassembled a very troublesome shelving unit, lifted the heaviest of objects into parts of the room as directed and cleaned up after themselves.

    Throughout the entire process, the company behaved in a professional manner, handling everything with care. Come 4pm, everything was reassembled, in its place and we were left to unpack the boxes and decorate as we wished.

    Overall, we were very impressed with the service we received from Asian Tigers Mobility and can highly recommend them for any local, domestic or international move.

    The company arranges trucks with special permits to travel through the city in order to avoid traffic restrictions during the day, in addition to organising any special handling and preparation. If necessary, they can continue with overtime/evening/night-time work to finish the job, at an extra charge.

    With 11 offices in China and over 280 staff, Asian Tigers Mobility has been a pioneer in the office relocation business in China for many years and owes much of its success to its focus and dedication to quality, as well as firm commitments to international standards.

    If you’re strapped for cash, then perhaps a local mover will be more suitable for you. Cheap, however, is no guarantee that your stuff will make it there, and all packing will be done by you; good luck that nothing breaks. Then there is the almost inevitable argument, which will lead to you paying more than originally agreed. Certainly, the services of Asian Tigers Mobility, however stellar, do not come cheap, yet, with moving house ranked as one of the most stressful things in life itself, perhaps it is all worth it.

    Contact Asian Tigers Mobility via jason.lin@asiantigers-china.com or visit www.asiantigers-mobility.com

  • 2nd Creative China Festival Takes Place Across America

    2nd Creative China Festival Takes Place Across America

    The Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF) and the Creative China Center in New York (CCC) are proud to announce the 2nd annual Creative China Festival (CCF) that will take place from September, 2018, to March, 2019, in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Seattle.

    北京当代艺术基金会（BCAF）和纽约创意中国中心（CCC）自豪地宣布，第二届年度创意中国节（CCF）将于2018年9月至2019年3月在纽约、波士顿、华盛顿特区、洛杉矶、旧金山、匹兹堡、圣地亚哥和西雅图举办。

    Compelling works from a new generation of Chinese artists will provide an infusion of vitality to America’s cultural diversity. Governments, cultural institutions and businesses will jointly explore ways of fostering multi-layered cooperation in public culture as well as in the creative industries.

    新一代中国艺术家的引人注目的作品将为美国的文化多样性注入活力。政府、文化机构和企业将共同探讨在公共文化和创意产业领域开展多层次合作。

    With the theme “China Now! New Era”, CCF shares the influential and dynamic works of Chinese contemporary arts and culture through forms including discussions, films, dances, theater, music, design, art, youth program, artist talks, workshops, fellowships, family programs, publication grants, US arts delegations to China and arts study tours.

    CCF以“中国现在！新时代”为主题，通过讨论、电影、舞蹈、戏剧、音乐、设计、艺术、青年项目、艺术家讲座、工作坊、奖学金、家庭项目、出版资助、美国艺术代表团访华、艺术考察等形式，分享中国当代艺术文化中具有影响力和活力的作品。

    CCF 2018 launches new initiatives for dance, theatre and youth programs. Leading Chinese entrepreneurs from Tencent Group and iQIYI will also share their vision with their American counterparts. The festival aims to showcase Chinese artists’ observations and attitudes toward the current world and culture.

    CCF 2018 推出了舞蹈、戏剧和青少年项目的新举措。腾讯集团和爱奇艺的中国领先企业家也将与美国同行分享他们的愿景。该艺术节旨在展示中国艺术家对当今世界和文化的观察和态度。

    Throughout 18 months of preparation, BCAF has worked with over 40 prominent institutions and organizations to curate, organize and promote more than 80 events.

    经过18个月的筹备，BCAF与40多家知名机构和组织合作，策划、组织和推广了80多项活动。

    US Ambassador to China Mr. Terry Branstad hailed the Creative China Festival as, “Top-level, highly acclaimed and overwhelmingly successful, promoting friendship and good will between the US and China”.

    美国驻华大使特里·布兰斯塔德先生盛赞创意中国节“高水平、广受好评、取得巨大成功，促进了美中之间的友谊和善意”。

    Supported by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, CCF is committed to becoming a platform to nurture innovative creators and foster in-depth collaborations between China and the US in the fields of contemporary arts and culture.

    CCF在中国文化和旅游部的支持下，致力于成为培养创新创作者、促进中美当代艺术文化领域深度合作的平台。

  • Finnish Minister for Environment Visits Nanjing

    Finnish Minister for Environment Visits Nanjing

    15 September, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Housing of the Republic of Finland, Kimmo Tiilikainen, visited Nanjing on environmental diplomatic duties.

    According to ScandAsia, Minister Tiilikainen attended a tour of the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System (SORPES) at Nanjing University. SORPES is a fraction of the university that was developed in cooperation with the University of Helsinki.

    The Sino-Finnish Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Centre will, “support cooperation in the fields of investment, environmental protection, innovation, cultural tourism, economic trade, social science research and other fields of mutual interest”, says JKMM Architects.

    “Joining together as joint venture to create Nanjing Sino-Finnish Centre, [there will be] a new signature building and symbol for sustainable development in Nanjing. The aim was to create simultaneously beautiful, intelligent and technologically high quality architecture.”

    At the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department, Minister Tiilikainen participated in a signing ceremony, a Sino-Finnish agreement between Pes-Architects and South New Town, after which the Minister Tiilikainen paid a visit to the Mayor of Nanjing Mr. Lan Shaoming.

  • Hit & Run Puts Elderly Man in ICU; Police Hunt Woman Responsible

    Hit & Run Puts Elderly Man in ICU; Police Hunt Woman Responsible

    At 13:00 on 15 September 2018, a young woman riding an e-bike, was filmed on CCTV cameras colliding with an elderly man who had been riding a bicycle.

    The collision took place at the Tangwang Garden in Guangling district, Yangzhou city, not far from Nanjing. After the collision the woman is seen turning to look at the man and then fleeing immediately after.

    Shortly after, the woman is seen returning to the scene pretending to be an onlooker for 7-8 minutes, behaving as if nothing happened. After watching for some time, she fled the scene once more.

    The nephew of the injured elderly man, Mr. Zhu, told reporters that the woman had suddenly overtaken his uncle, scraping the front wheel of his bicycle and knocking him off of his bike.

    Covered in blood, the elderly man was sent to hospital for treatment, where it was discovered he had suffered an intracranial hemorrhage. He is still recovering in the ICU. 　
    　　
    The family of the man is angered at the disappearance of the woman and are seeking justice. Yangzhou police said that they are searching for the woman and hope that she can take the initiative to surrender herself.

  • Sweden Accused of Chinese Tourist Human Rights Violation

    Sweden Accused of Chinese Tourist Human Rights Violation

    A Chinese family comprising mother, father and son arrived at their hotel in Stockholm 1 day early on 2 September, 2018. 

    2018年9月2日，一个由母子组成的中国家庭提前一天抵达斯德哥尔摩下榻的酒店。

    As a result, hotel staff allowed the family to wait in the lobby, however, after verbal threats were made, staff called the police and the family were forcibly removed. 

    结果，酒店工作人员允许一家人在大堂等候，但在受到口头威胁后，工作人员报了警，一家人被强行带走。

    During the incident, the family threw themselves to the ground crying and wailing, trying to deface the police and seek assistance from passing pedestrians. 

    事发过程中，一家人扑倒在地痛哭流涕，试图辱骂警察并向路过的行人寻求帮助。

    At one point in the short video posted online, police are seen carrying a family member away from the hotel, while the son yells, “This is killing… This is killing”. 

    在网上发布的短视频中，有一次警察将一名家庭成员抬离酒店，而他的儿子则大喊：“这是杀人……这是杀人”。

    According to The Guardian, “Chinese Tourists Mistreated By Swedish Police” has been searched over 130m times and has a related 85,000 posts on China’s main microblogging site Weibo. 

    据《卫报》报道，中国主要微博网站微博上，“中国游客遭瑞典警察虐待”搜索量已超过1.3亿次，相关帖子达8.5万条。

    It has been assumed the incident would not have usually garnered such a media reaction had the Beijing government not demanded an apology from Sweden for “brutally abusing” Chinese citizens. 

    人们认为，如果北京政府没有要求瑞典就“残酷虐待”中国公民道歉，这一事件通常不会引起如此大的媒体反应。

    The incident has sparked huge discussion online, with some Weibo commentators talking of embarrassment while others are in favour of the apology. 

    该事件在网上引发热议，一些微博评论者表示尴尬，而另一些人则赞成道歉。

    “We only know that we have done everything we could do for this guest, but at the same time we cannot accept that our staff are exposed to threats and that other guests will suffer from a threatening situation”, the hotel manager told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

    酒店经理告诉瑞典报纸《Aftonbladet》：“我们只知道我们已经为这位客人做了一切我们能做的，但同时我们不能接受我们的员工受到威胁，其他客人也会受到威胁。”

  • Woman Finds Mouse Foetus in Hot Pot Soup

    Woman Finds Mouse Foetus in Hot Pot Soup

    A pregnant woman, surnamed Gao, eating at a hot pot restaurant in Shandong Province was surprised when she fished a dead mouse foetus out of her hot pot soup.

    Dining at the restaurant Xiabu Xiabu in Weifang City one recent evening with her family, Gao found the mouse at around 18:30. After initially complaining, the restaurant only agreed to a one time compensation payment of ￥5,000.

    The woman informed the restaurant that she was going to get checked at the local hospital, due to safety concerns about her unborn child. The restaurant subsequently agreed to pay￥20,000 compensation to the woman should she choose to abort the baby.

    Xiabu Xiabu is a popular chain of almost 800 hot pot restaurants that opened in 1998 and is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.