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Avril Lavigne to play Lijiang music festival in OctoberThursday, 28th August 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Canadian pop-punk star Avril Lavigne will play in Lijiang on October 2 at the third Lijiang Snow Mountain Music Festival (丽江雪山音乐节), according to the musician's official website. Lavigne's performance is part of her return to China after previously playing in Shanghai. This time she will perform in Shanghai, Beijing, Macau, Chongqing and Guangzhou in addition to her stop in Lijiang. Apparently keen to reach more of the Chinese market, she has also released a Mandarin version of her song 'Girlfriend'. Aside from Lavigne - who is presumably the headliner - little has been made public about which other acts will participate in the festival, which is organized by China's most famous rock musician, Cui Jian (崔建). The festival, which has been held in 2002 and 2007, has traditionally featured a primarily Chinese lineup with many Yunnan-based performers. Lavigne's star power should be good in increasing outside interest in Snow Mountain, which is hampered by Lijiang's relative remoteness in China. Tickets for the event are available nationwide via Emma Ticketmaster. Avril Lavigne image: Beattrend.com Related articles: Snow Mountain Music Festival to return to Lijiang Tags: Avril Lavigne, Cui Jian, Lijiang, live music, Snow Mountain Music Festival
Tuesday night at Halfway House both floors were packed with people who had come to see Wu Hongfei (吴虹飞) play an unplugged set in support of her new album Rouge (胭脂). Accompanied by local musicians Sam Debell, Zhang Shuang and Ma Li, the diminutive Wu – also known by the nickname A Fei – gave the large crowd a personal and intimate performance that by all appearances was very well-received. A few hours before the show, Wu sat down with GoKunming to talk about her new album, life in modern China, and her personal and professional dreams. Despite being one of the most famous female rock musicians in China – primarily due to being lead singer of the popular band Happy Avenue – Wu was very approachable and extremely modest. Here is what she had to say: GoKunming: You're here in Kunming and then on to Lijiang to promote your new album, which is a very personal work… where did you find the inspiration for the album's songs? Wu Hongfei: My inspiration for Rouge comes from my life experiences, my thoughts, love secrets – even being a nanfangren [native of southern China]. In China, especially Beijing, much of the focus is on the north of the country. I felt the need to say something about south China on the album. GK: How do you find life in Beijing, being a southern girl from a small town in Guangxi? Wu I've been in Bejing for more than ten years now… I feel it is kind of like a lonely island – interpersonal relationships tend to be much colder than what I grew up with. I'm a southerner. I like being around lots of friends and enjoying myself. GK: You are a solo musician and also play with a band, you are also a magazine journalist and an author – what do you think suits you most out of all of this? Wu I prefer to be with the band… they're all just adorable people and loads of fun to be around. When I'm around them I find that my emotions intensify. GK: You graduated from Tsinghua University – arguably China's most prestigious science institution – with a degree in environmental engineering. How is it that you ended up reorienting yourself towards writing and the arts? Wu: The Chinese education system is pretty rough. I got nothing from school. I had great grades, but after I graduated, I discovered that I couldn't do anything. That I hadn't learned anything. I decided I had to learn from life. GK: What are your feelings about China today? Wu: China's reality is constantly changing – sometimes it's ridiculous and it is often strange, plus the people can be very complex. GK: With regards to your music, do you have any ambitions to play outside of China? Wu: I'd love to perform in New York with Happy Avenue. When we performed our first gig in Hong Kong the band really enjoyed it. I've been to New York before just to have fun, I didn't know anybody there before I went and ended up having a blast. GK: You've been playing recently with a group of Kunming-based musicians that you only met days ago, how is that going? How did you find them? Wu: It's been a joy practicing with Ma Li, Zhang Shuang and Sam, they're all really friendly and easy to be around. I ended up being introduced to them through some friends of mine in Beijing, now I have more friends here in Kunming next time I come back. GK: As a writer who has published seven books, what kind of process do you go through when you write a book? Wu: From a very young age I didn't live with my parents. I used to send them long letters often, many of which were filled with stories from my life at the time. Also, I'm very introverted. This is probably why writing is a very natural process for me. For me, writing is like breathing, although I always want to write better. GK: What are your personal or professional goals for the next year or so? Wu: Wow, I have a lot of those! Hmmm… I want to make my third album, I'd like to find a boyfriend and have a baby, and I definitely want to come to Yunnan more often – with the band. Tags: Happy Avenue, Lijiang, Ma Li, Sam Debell, Wu Hongfei, Zhang Shuang Shui On Land leading investment in Yunnan's tourism industryMonday, 7th July 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)The group of eleven is led by HK-listed Shui On Land (瑞安房地产), best known for being developers of the Xintiandi and Corporate Avenue project in Shanghai. Total investment by Shui On Land in Yunnan this year is expected to reach 48 billion, more than the other 10 companies combined. In December 2007, Shui On signed a cooperation agreement with the provincial government – today it is working on four major projects in Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Diqing. Smart Hero Group (骏豪集团), another Hong Kong developer, will invest more than 25 billion yuan in the city of Chengjiang, 70 kilometers southeast of Kunming. The project, located at the Sun Mountain International Ecological Tourism and Leisure Holdiday Area, will commence construction in September. Smart Hero has existing tourism and hospitality projects in the cities of Xiamen, Sanya and Chongqing. Smart Hero's investment in Chengjiang is indicative of a larger trend in Yunnan – in addition to established tourist cities such as Kunming, Lijiang, Dali and Shangri-la, smaller cities and lesser-known areas in Yunnan are beginning to attract larger amounts of investment. Other examples include Pu'er and Yangzonghai. Related article: Property giant Shui On moving into Yunnan Tags: Chengjiang, Chuxiong, Dali, Diqing, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Shui On Land, Smart Hero Group, tourism, travel, Xintiandi
Just weeks after China implemented a nationwide ban on free plastic bags, Yunnan province is once again putting itself at the forefront of the country's environmental movement – this time with a total ban on production, sales and use of plastic bags across the province next year. According to a Xinhua report, the ban will begin January 1, 2009 and will cover plastic bags of all thicknesses, as opposed to the current national ban on plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeters. The report said that throughout Yunnan, 'truly environment-friendly shopping bags' will be provided free or for a fee to customers at supermarkets, department stores, shopping outlets, hotels, restaurants and other venues. Prior to the nationwide ban on free plastic bags that went into effect on June 1 of this year, Yunnan had already earned a reputation for being one of China's most environmentally conscious provinces with plastic bag bans in the popular travel destinations of Shangri-la (Zhongdian) and Lijiang. In Shangri-la and Lijiang, local residents quickly adapted to not using plastic bags, switching to reusable, biodegradable bags after experimenting with newspaper and woven baskets. In addition to addressing the problem of 'white pollution' – the plastic and polystyrene pollution that can be found throughout China – Yunnan is also emerging as one of the more progressive provinces in terms of developing solar energy resources. Both the cities of Shilin and Dali will soon boast some of China's – and Asia's – largest solar power projects, and Kunming, where half the city's residents use solar energy to heat their water, was named China's 'Solar City' by the Worldwatch Institute. The Kunming municipal government is also reportedly considering developing the city into a production base for degradable plastic bags. Image: hb.newssc.org Related articles: Free plastic bags banned across China China's larges solar power station to be built in Shilin Dali to build large-scale solar power base Solar-powered trip around the world stops in Kunming Tags: Dali, environment, Lijiang, plastic bags, Shangri-la, solar power China's visa policy affecting international tourismMonday, 30th June 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (1)
As China prepares for the Beijing Olympics on August 8, it is becoming obvious in cities from Beijing and Shanghai to Dali and Lijiang and elsewhere around the country that international travel to China has dropped off considerably. According to a recent New York Times article, which noted a 14 percent drop in foreign tourist visits to Beijing in May: "With the Beijing Olympics less than two months away, hotel operators, travel agencies, and foreign businessmen say new Chinese visa restrictions are proving bad for business, casting a pall over Beijing during what was supposed to be a busy and jubilant tourist season leading up to the Olympic Games." Beijing and Shanghai, two of the most popular business and leisure travel destinations in China, are not the only cities wondering where the foreigners went and when they'll come back. The international trade mecca of Yiwu in Zhejiang province is profiled in a Los Angeles Times story with a similar theme – businesses that rely on foreigners coming to China are struggling. One year ago, there was much speculation among the hotels, restaurants and bars of Kunming, Lijiang and Dali that the runup to the Olympics plus the several weeks after the games would provide a small windfall for the businesses that played their cards right. Today, most businesspeople's high hopes have been dampened. Last week on a trip to Dali, GoKunming spoke with tour operators and owners of guesthouses and restaurants. There was little need to ask people how business was – normally June is a big month for foreign tourist visits to Dali's old city, but instead of the throngs of backpackers and package tourists that typically fill the city's narrow streets, there were very few foreigners to be found. One guesthouse owner surnamed He said that her guesthouse and hotel had both experienced a major drop in foreign bookings this year. "We're willing to help with the paperwork to help people get their China visas, but many people are deciding it's not worth the hassle – they're just skipping China this year," she said. "To make matters worse, a lot of people think that Dali and Yunnan are unsafe because of their relative proximity to the Wenchuan earthquake… they don't know we're actually quite far from the disaster zone." One small business owner surnamed Liu said that recent business at his bar and guesthouse was noticeably slower than usual this year, he did not speculate on the reasons why. "There's not so many foreigner tourists here right now – it's definitely strange," Liu said, "It's a bit of a conundrum because although the city is a lot quieter and more pleasant than it usually is at this time, everyone's having a tough time making money." Although Kunming seems increasingly unlikely to benefit from any previously hoped-for Olympic travel boom, the old towns of Dali and Lijiang are likely to be on the receiving end of an Olympic exodus. There are already many Beijing residents relaxing in both ancient cities at the moment, many of whom told GoKunming that they and or their friends will return to Yunnan to avoid from the chaos of the Olympics. "I have a lot of friends in Beijing that will come down here to chill out during the Olympics," a young woman surnamed Wang said. "I'm from Qingdao – we're only hosting the sailing events but there are still some people I know there who will be coming down here to get away from everything." Related article: China tightens visa policy in runup to Olympics Tags: Dali, Lijiang, Olympics, tourism, visas Olympic torch in Lijiang, next stop Shangri-laTuesday, 10th June 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The Olympic torch relay is passing through Lijiang today as it continues its path through Yunnan province toward earthquake-ravaged Sichuan. This morning, 13-year-old Zhang Zilan (张紫兰) of Wenchuan, Sichuan shared her torch relay responsibilities with 12-year-old He Zhensheng (和震生). Zhang is one the many children from the earthquake disaster zone that have been relocated to Lijiang, where they are now attending school. He, whose name Zhensheng literally means "born from a quake", was born during the deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Lijiang in 1996. Tomorrow the torch will make its last stop in Yunnan in Shangri-la (Zhongdian). The next day, the ethnically Tibetan area of Shangri-la will hold its annual horse racing festival (赛马节), which was supposed to take place on Sunday but was postponed by the local government – thanks to reader Steph Jensen for notifying us of the postponement. Editor's note: If you have a story idea or a tip you'd like to share with GoKunming please feel free to contact us via our contact form. Image: clzg.cn Tags: Beichen, He Zhensheng, Lijiang, Olympic torch, Olympics, Shangri-la, Steph Jensen, Wenchuan earthquake, Wenlin Jie, Zhang Zilan, Zhongdian Olympic torch relay in Yunnan delayed by two daysWednesday, 28th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
During last week's three-day national period of mourning in China, many teahouses, restaurants, bars, clubs and other 'entertainment' venues closed or were shut down for three days. The Olympic torch relay, winding through mainland China en route to Beijing, also paused for three days. The torch's delay left Chinese Olympic officials with the new logistical challenge of getting the torch through all the previously planned destinations, but three days faster than before. Not surprisingly, the torch relay schedule has been delayed for several locations, including cities in Yunnan. Originally slated to pass through Kunming, Lijiang and Shangri-la from June 7 through June 9, the Olympic torch will now pass through the three cities from June 9 through June 11, according to Kunming media reports. Related article: China mourns Olympic torch to pass through Yunnan Tags: Beijing, Lijiang, Olympic torch, Olympics, Shangri-la, Wenchuan earthquake Yunnan contributing to earthquake recovery effortTuesday, 27th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Yunnan's proximity to the devastation of the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan has brought out all the concern and compassion one would hope to see when a neighbor is suffering. In addition to local fundraising efforts plus the recent transfer of injured survivors to Kunming for medical treatment, Yunnan is doing its part in other ways. Here are just a few: Shifang orphans relocated to Lijiang The English-language website of People's Daily is reporting that more than 40 orphans from Shifang, Sichuan have been relocated to the Lijiang Orphan School. The relocation was organized by the All-China Women's Federation. In a strange twist of fate, the orphanage – home to more than 460 orphans – was built in 1999 primarily to assist orphans from Lijiang who had lost their parents to deadly earthquakes in 1996 and 1998. Temporary housing shipment leaves Kunming Yesterday a shipment of 5,000 temporary homes left Kunming for the city of Mianyang in Sichuan. Provincial party secretary Ding Shaoxiang presided over a sendoff ceremony for the housing, saying an ad hoc team organized by the Yunnan provincial government was overseeing the production, transport and assembly/installation of the housing in Mianyang and Pingwu County. The temporary housing will reportedly provide more than 100,000 square meters of shelter for earthquake victims. The Yunnan government will also assist in the construction of five primary schools, three middle schools and one trash collection facility. ChinaONEcall offering free interpreting services for disaster area Kunming-based telephone interpreting service ChinaONEcall is offering free interpreting services for people needing to get in contact with the disaster zone: "Following the recent earthquake in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, ChinaONEcall is offering free help for victims of the Chinese earthquake, and for anxious family or others needing to contact them or the victims, doctors/nurses in the affected area. Just telephone the service direct within China to 4006 88 66 99 or from overseas to +86 871 805 8503, quoting 'earthquake crisis' and the ChinaONEcall team will do their best to help." "They operate a 24/7 interpreter service for travellers (business or leisure) and are making available their 15 strong team to give interpreter support to those on this present crisis…Please note we will do our best to help, but cannot locate victims, doctors etc as this will be done by the relevant governmental and aid agencies." Image: clzg.cn Tags: ChinaONEcall, Lijiang, orphans, Sichuan, Wenchuan earthquake Next 1 2 3 |
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