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Fossilized crustaceans linked together in head-to-tail chains recently discovered near Kunming have been recognized as the earliest form of collective behavior on Earth and an important link in the evolution of life – and have raised new questions about some of the planet's earliest life forms. The 525 million year-old shrimplike specimens, located in the fossil-rich Chengjiang Lagerstätte roughly 50 kilometers southeast of Kunming, have been studied by a team of scientists from Yunnan University and University of Oxford and University of Leicester in the UK with their results published in the journal Science. The Chengjiang Lagerstätte is known among paleontologists for the fossilized sea life it contains, collectively referred to as 'Chengjiang Fauna'. Chengjiang Fauna is considered one of the 'Three faunas of the evolution of early life forms' along with Burgess Shale Fauna in western Canada and the Ediacaran Fauna of South Australia. Chengjiang Fauna centers around Maotian Mountain (帽天山) and contains numerous important discoveries, including Fuxianhuia, the ancestor of modern insects, which was discovered in 1994. It is known for its abundance of ancient arthropods, which include insects, spiders and crustaceans. A report in The Times of London speculates on how the chain of animals was preserved so well, during the act of migration:
When they died, possibly as a result of moving into water loaded with toxins or short of oxygen, they sank to the seabed, where they were covered in sediment. Researchers said that the migration they had embarked on could have been to reach a neighbouring area much as modern animals seek out winter feeding ground. Equally, it could have been a vertical migration, perhaps at night when the creatures may have travelled to the surface to feed in comparative safety. How, or even if, they swam when part of a chain has mystified the Anglo-Chinese research team because none of the limbs or antenna, assuming the creatures had them, have survived the fossilisation process. It is theorized that the animals may have simply 'surfed' currents or perhaps moved through a pulsating movement. According to Oxford professor Derek Siveter "It's still a bit of a mystery and there doesn't seem to be a direct comparison with any living animal." Images: Nature.com Tags: Chengjiang, Chengjiang Fauna, Chengjiang Lagerstätte, fossils, Leicester, Maotian Mountain, Oxford, paleontology, Yunnan University, 帽天山 Old Kunming: Gateway of the Emerald ChickenThursday, 9th October 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Editor's note: GoKunming is publishing photos from the collection of Auguste François (1857-1935), who served as French consul in south China between 1896 and 1904, during which he spent several years in Kunming. The photos have been provided by Kunming resident and private collector Yin Xiaojun (殷晓俊). GoKunming thanks Yin Xiaojun for providing us a glimpse of Yunnan at the beginning of the 20th Century. Year: 1900 Subject: Biji Fang (碧鸡坊), or 'Emerald Chicken Gateway' Location: Present-day Jinma Biji Fang (金马碧鸡坊), Jinbi Lu Background: This 108 year-old photo is taken facing westward toward Jinma Biji Fang, which is a popular place for tourists to take their photos with the two large paifang (牌坊, gateways), one named 'Golden Horse' (金马, jinma) the other 'Emerald Chicken' (碧鸡, biji) that are said to represent mountains to the east and west of the city, as well as sun and moon deities. This above photograph of the Biji gateway shows the original Biji structure, nearly half a century before it was destroyed, along with the Jinma gateway, in World War II. New gateways built to the same dimensions as the originals were built in the 1960s. Aside from the original structures being destroyed, another major difference between now and then is that homes and shops were built right up to the gateways, whereas today the area around the gateways is a large commercial plaza (see image below) with a labyrinth of discos and clubs.
Tags: Auguste François, Jinma Biji Fang, old Kunming, Yin Xiaojun
On September 27 a group of high-profile names from different circles in Chinese society were named 'outstanding contributors to China's reform' during the China Reform and Development Summit in Beijing. Before an audience of high-level central officials, national media and well-connected intellectuals, the accomplishments of economist Li Yining, environmental minister Pan Yue, 'father of hybrid rice' Yuan Longping, Olympic official He Zhenliang, SARS hero Dr Zhong Nanshan and China's first astronaut Yang Liwei were praised as major contributions to the PRC's 30 years of "reform and open" (改革开放). Slightly out of place, the seventh VIP of the evening was Kunming Municipal Party Secretary Qiu He (仇和), one of the most ambitious, controversial and visible party chiefs Kunming has seen to date. After becoming Kunming's party secretary in December 2007 – his previous job was vice governor of wealthy Jiangsu province – Qiu made waves immediately by publishing the name, job responsibilities and office phone number of every Kunming official in local Kunming newspapers – including his own. The attempt at increasing official accountability and government transparency was applauded by media throughout the country. Since then, things have been changing in Kunming much faster than usual. Thousands of surveillance cameras have been installed citywide, dozens of large 'urban villages' (城中村; older, poorly built neighborhoods surrounded by modern city) have been slated for demolition by the end of the year, a large 'turtleback flyover' was built at Xiao Ximen, trees have been planted virtually everywhere they can be fit, a plan to privatize the city's hospitals has been unveiled and major education reforms are also underway. Anyone familiar with Qiu He's record in Jiangsu would not be surprised at what has happened to Kunming under Qiu's leadership. During his tenure as party secretary of northern Jiangsu's Muyang County in the late 1990s and vice mayor/vice party secretary/party secretary of the city of Suqian, Qiu gained a reputation for taking a heavyhanded approach to government focusing on improving education, health services, transportation and environmental conditions and rooting out local corruption all with an eye on attracting investment. Qiu's cult of personality and a no-nonsense, 'my way or the highway' style similar to that of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji have earned the Jiangsu native plenty of media scrutiny and citizen complaints. That said, he seems to eventually win over many of his critics in the long-term and has a track record of success that has won him the respect of some officials at the highest levels of China's central government. After initially rocking the boat in Muyang, Qiu was able to let his accomplishments speak for themselves, despite many complaints regarding his way of getting things done, which has been called 'autocratic' by his detractors. The website China Elections and Governance notes that in the end, Qiu had put up some solid numbers: …the success of Qiu He's "rule by man" in Muyang has been evident. This once backward region of Jiangsu added almost 600 kilometers of paved road before 2005. The local high school attendance rate increased from 48 percent to 89 percent, higher than the province's average. The average cost of medical treatment also decreased by 26 percent at the township level. In 2005, the city attracted over 10 million yuan in investment; its GDP reached 38.7 billion yuan, up from 20 billion yuan in 2000. In Kunming, Qiu has what may be his biggest challenge: a massive, sprawling city with an inefficient and underdeveloped economy, severe traffic problems and major environmental disasters that plans to nearly double in size and add several million residents in the coming few years, during which time it is supposed to become the main trade and transport gateway between China and Southeast Asia. Despite the daunting task given him, it seems that Qiu He is not only up for the challenge, but has just been given a good report card by Beijing. Qiu He image: clzg.cn Tags: China Elections and Governance, corruption, environment, government, Jiangsu, Muyang, Qiu He, Suqian, traffic, turtleback flyover, Zhu Rongji Yunnan HIV infections jump among women, gay menTuesday, 7th October 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)According to the study, which was authored by Zhang Linqi, executive director and professor at Tsinghua's Comprehensive AIDS Research Center in Beijing, HIV infections spread via heterosexual contact accounted for 38 percent of all cases in 2006 in Yunnan. Intravenous drug use, which had accounted for all of Yunnan's infections in 1989, dropped to 40 percent in 2006. Intravenous drug use was how HIV first entered and spread throughout Yunnan, which is located just north of the Golden Triangle. As of 2006, Yunnan had 48,951 HIV cases and 3,935 AIDS patients. In general, intravenous drug users are being surpassed by women and homosexual men as the fastest-growing gender demographics, while in ethnic and socioeconomic terms urbanized Han Chinese are overtaking rural minorities "HIV/AIDS is spreading beyond the high-risk populations," Zhang told Bloomberg, "It is the responsibility of every citizen to help control the further spread. More needs to be done in a much bigger and more effective manner." The study focused on 3.2 million blood samples taken in Yunnan between 1989 and 2006. It found that between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of Yunnan HIV cases that were women rose from 7.1 percent to 35 percent. In 1996 the gender ratio for HIV infections was one woman to every 13 men, by 2006 that ratio had changed to 1:1.9. In addition to gender pattern shifts, ethnic trends have also changed. Between 1989 and 1995, the Dai and Jingpo ethnic minorities in rural southern Yunnan were most at-risk for HIV infection – today the Han ethnic majority accounts for 60 percent of Yunnan's HIV cases. "The high percentage of infected are now due to sexual contact," Bloomberg cited Zhang as saying. "It has begun to move from farmer, minority groups in rural areas into worker, Han-majority urban settings." The study's researchers concluded that although less than one percent of China's population is HIV-positive, resolute action must be taken to address China's HIV/AIDS situation before it makes further headway into the general population. The study called for expansion of social programs targeting HIV as well as free medical treatment for the infected. Related articles: Interview: Curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Yunnan China praised for HIV/AIDS efforts Tags: Dai, ethnic minorities, health, HIV/AIDS, Jingpo, Tsinghua University, Zhang Linqi
Just before the recent national holiday, Kunming got its second look at one of the bands at the forefront of China's modern rock scene when P.K.14 played Speakeasy Bar as part of its current national tour. The band was well received by a modest weeknight crowd that seemed to generally enjoy the show and demanded an encore at the end. After finishing up their sound check, Beijing-based P.K.14 - listed as one of the five Asian bands to watch in 2008 by Time Magazine – joined GoKunming for some across-the-bridge rice noodles and a chat about how things have changed since the band last played Kunming in 2004. Since then, vocalist Yang Haisong (杨海崧) and drummer Jonathan Leijonhufvud (雷坛坛) have been joined by guitarist Xu Bo (许波) and bassist Shi Xudong (施旭东, also of Guai Li, Subs and previously Brain Failure) and are now on their own label, Maybe Mars Records (兵马司). Yang and an American friend founded Maybe Mars Records a year ago in Beijing with the goal of being self-reliant and more focused on innovative sounds based on its own aesthetics. "I think we need a self-reliant system which can fully support the new music and more concentrated as well," said Yang. The label is now home to notable Beijing bands such as Carsick Cars and Joyside. The band is currently touring in support of its new album City Weather Sailing (城市天气航行) on Maybe Mars – it had previously released two albums on Beijing label Modern Sky Records. The new album returns with the band's combination of thrashing chords, dark bass lines, post-punk beats and neurotic vocals, yet with more string melodies and a darker feel. Yang explained it was inspired by the theme of death. "I was feeling blue because of a friend's death, and didn't realize the music had become so gloomy and full of despair till we had made it," Yang said. When asked about the process of music making, he added, "We usually compose the music together and I write the lyrics either later or before. It is quite spontaneous. We just express our emotions and thoughts during the composition without defining exactly what these things are. The message is left for various interpretations."
Bassist Shi said that the band prefers to think of itself as a rock band rather than be pigeonholed in trendy subgenres such as post-punk or new wave. Shi emphasized the band's diverse musical tastes. It may not be surprising that the band claims Fugazi and Joy Division as musical influences, but they also draw inspiration from Bob Dylan and 1960s British Mods. Yang said he is also influenced by 20th Century American writers and French existentialists. According to Yang, who is also the band's songwriter, the name P.K.14 evolved out of the original name Public Kingdom for Teens as it was easier for audiences to remember. Samples from P.K.14's album City Weather Sailing can be listened to on the band's MySpace page. Band image: Neocha.com Concert image: Kris Ariel Tags: Beijing, Jonathan Leijonhufvud, live music, Maybe Mars Records, Shi Xudong, Xu Bo, Yang Haisong Around Northwest Yunnan: Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and DaliThursday, 25th September 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)The week-long holiday is expected to provide a boost to the country's tourism industry, which is still recovering from the Olympics travel boom that never happened. Around 146 million people traveled during the National Day holiday last year, spending 64.2 billion yuan (US$9.3 billion). Many of these people (and their money) will be travelling around northwest Yunnan during the next ten days, looking to experience stunning scenery, different cultures and some of the cleanest air in China. Tourism is one of the pillars of Yunnan's economy and is a major influence on the direction of the province's development. GoKunming has been travelling around northwest Yunnan – albeit not as much as we'd like – since 1999. Last week, while on assignment updating a US-based China travel guidebook, we visited the popular destinations of Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Dali. How have these places held up over the last few years? Here's what we found:
Lijiang (丽江) Lijiang's old town of Dayan (大研), a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the most popular travel destination in Yunnan, with 5.31 million tourists passing through in 2007 and spending 5.8 billion yuan. Tourism has changed much of what was once a rustic town into a mix between a shopping mall and a theme park. Lijiang's commercialization has emerged as a source of concern for UNESCO, but even if it were to be de-listed, it's difficult to imagine that tourism would drop off – especially domestic tourism. Despite the seemingly innumerable guesthouses, restaurants, cafes and shops aimed exclusively at tourists, the old town's old buildings, stone bridges and fish-filled streams still make for a nice place to stroll around – especially the further one gets from the center of the old town. That said, the old town feels like it is being maxed out in terms of how many visitors it can handle. In the last few years, the nearby old town of Shuhe (束河) has emerged as an alternative to Dayan. Much of Shuhe is occupied by new buildings intended to look old, but there is still an old town that feels like there are still local Naxi people living there. Although considerably smaller than Dayan, Shuhe seems destined for a similar fate. Cafes, bars, guesthouses and shops aimed at the new Chinese middle class have sprung up throughout the old town. Only a small number of domestic tour groups come to Shuhe now, usually early in the morning. Expect that to change quickly.
Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡) Once slated for damming, Tiger Leaping Gorge was granted a reprieve at the end of last year when government officials scrapped plans to dam the gorge, through which the Jinsha River (金沙江) – which eventually becomes the Yangtze River – flows toward Shanghai and the Pacific Ocean. The gorge is formed by the flow of the Jinsha River between 5,596-meter Yulong Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) and 5,396-meter Haba Snow Mountain (哈巴雪山), forming spectacular 2,000-meter cliffs. A mountain trail – referred to as the 'high path' in contrast with the paved road once known as the 'low path' that passes through the gorge – enables visitors to hike the gorge between the towns of Qiaotou (桥头) and Daju (大具) over a total distance of roughly 40 kilometers. The hike is usually done in two days, with one night spent at one of the growing number of guesthouses on the trail. We aimed to take the trail in one day, leaving Qiaotou at 9 am after arriving from Lijiang. Early morning clouds obscured the majestic peaks on either side of the gorge and the air was cool – ideal hiking weather. Taking the trail from Qiaotou to Daju means getting most of the climbing out the way before settling into a generally easy but rather long hike. The trail is well-marked in general, but a map will generally help reduce wrong turns as well as being useful in gauging one's progress on the hike. Maps of the gorge are available at the Gorged Tiger Café in Qiaotou - located just past the booth where the local government collects a 50 yuan entrance fee. There are a few small villages along the trail, with some homes converted into guesthouses with restaurants and travel provisions. When the sun is out it is intense, so sunblock and a couple of liters of water are recommended when packing. Foodwise, it is good to bring snacks – be they local walnuts or the candy bars available in Qiaotou and on the trail – but as guesthouses are frequent enough, there is little need to pack a full meal. Around ninety minutes into the hike, one hits the trail's toughest stretch - a steep 600-meter switchback ascent known as the 24 bends. Even experienced hikers will likely need to take a break or two at some point on this ascent, which tops out at 2,400 meters. After this point the trail becomes essentially a contour path before merging with the road below at Walnut Garden some 20-plus kilometers into the hike. Shortly after completing the 24 bends the sun came out in full force. Determined to make it to Daju before the sun went down, we ignored the sun and pushed on until hunger forced us to stop for lunch around 2 pm. After refuelling, we completed the high path and joined up with the low road, taking it several kilometres before discovering that the old ferry which is the only way to cross the Jinsha into Daju finished at 5 pm, ending our hike just short of our goal. Maybe next time. Thanks to the gorge not being dammed and filled, there can be a next time.
Dali (大理) The old town of Dali has been one of the most laid-back towns on the Yunnan travel circuit and remains so, but there is little doubt that the city has changed drastically in recent years. In 1999, Dali was an established travel destination for domestic tourists as well as foreign backpackers. Most of the guesthouses, cafes and restaurants targeting travelers were located on the upper section of Huguo Lu, which was already primarily known by its nickname of Yangren Jie or 'Foreigner Street'. Today Huguo Lu seems to only attract domestic tour groups and foreigners with outdated travel guides. One street over, Renmin Lu is now brimming with cafes, restaurants and guesthouses – seemingly all the way down to Erhai Lake. In 2000, the street was almost entirely 'local'. Since '99, some of Dali's top sightseeing attractions have been repackaged in ways to maximize ticket revenue. A massive Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple has been built behind the Three Pagodas, helping justify the hefty 121-yuan ticket to enter the Three Pagodas site. The Cangshan Mountains (苍山) are still a short walk to Dali's west, but now it costs 30 yuan to even set foot on the mountains – there is an army of old men scattered throughout the mountain area to make sure that tickets have been paid. Despite recent commercialization, Dali's chilled-out vibe remains, and as more people from around China and the world discover it, more people are looking to Dali as a place to live or have a second home. Not surprisingly, Dali property prices have been some of the fastest-growing in China. All in all, it appears the money will keep rolling into Dali – the biggest investment at the moment being a 10 billion yuan project by megadeveloper Shui On Land. Despite all the change that has taken place in Dali, there is something about its idyllic surroundings, slow pace of life and the feeling of being far from the rest of the world that suggests the town will remain a good place to take it slow for years to come. Tags: business, Cangshan Mountains, Dali, environment, Lijiang, Shui On Land, Tiger Leaping Gorge Report: Kunming court to handle crimes against the environmentWednesday, 24th September 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (2)
Kunming municipal officials intend to create a trial court which will only handle environment-related lawsuits, according to Chinese media reports. Should the court be approved by the local government, it will handle criminal, civil and administration cases related to crimes against the environment. Defendants found guilty of such crimes will be "given severe punishments and must treat the areas they have polluted to clean them up," according to the reports. The news comes shortly after reports of heavy arsenic contamination in Yangzonghai Lake. It is likely that a large percentage of the more than 26,000 people living around the lake had been ingesting arsenic-tainted water for years. Now the area is suffering a shortage of drinking water, with the government shipping in supplies (see image above). Local officials in Kunming and the counties of Yiliang and Chengjiang are now engaged in finger-pointing and responsibility dodging, according to the website china.org.cn. According to reports: According to a County official in charge of environmental protection, officials were unaware of the high levels of arsenic accumulation in Yangzonghai Lake until June 28, when they received calls from the Yunnan Provincial Government. "We do not monitor Yangzonghai Lake, since Kunming City is responsible for that. They provide all our data. In the past, we knew little about arsenic pollution," he said. However, an official from the Environmental Protection Bureau of Chengjiang County emphasized that they have been making efforts to monitor the Yunnan Chengjiang Jinye Corporation, but it refuses to abide by the relevant regulations. Between 2002 and 2008 the company has been fined six times for environmental pollution infringements. Although the maximum fine of 100,000 yuan (US$14,653.52) has been imposed several times, the sum is trivial in comparison to the company's profits. As China Environmental Law Blog puts it: Thus, this wasn't a case of turning a blind eye to polluters, it was a failure of the regulatory system to provide sufficient disincentives to pollution. In other words, the lake is polluted with arsenic because even maximum penalty amounts are so "trivial" that it makes economic sense to "pay to pollute." Yangzonghai relief image: china.org.cn Tags: Chengjiang, environment, law, pollution, Yangzonghai Lake, Yiliang Editor's note: As interest in Yunnan cuisine increases around China and the rest of the world, GoKunming contributor Guo Duomi will occasionally offer recipes for traditional Yunnan dishes. If there is a certain dish you would like to see a recipe for, please send us your ideas via our contact form. Yunnan Style Spring Rolls (春卷, chunjuan) The Yunnan version of the ubiquitous spring roll is generally made larger than its Cantonese cousin. It is also made using a thicker and more porous pastry which gives it a more deep-fried flavour. Ingredients 1/2 bunch (approximately 100 grams) chives 250 grams bean shoots 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt 100 grams minced pork (vegetarians can use chopped tofu and/or mushrooms as a substitute) 1 tablespoon cornflour oil for deep frying 30 pre made spring roll rounds -These rounds can be made at home with wheat flour, egg white and water or purchased in a local market. Part one – Preparing the filling Fill a wok halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add chives. Boil for around 30 seconds to blanche the chives and then remove. Chop the chives into 2 cm lengths. Add bean shoots to the water, boil for one minute and then remove. Place chives, bean shoots and minced pork in large mixing bowl. Add soy sauce, salt and a tablespoon of cooking oil and mix thoroughly. Mix cornflour with about 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Keep this 'glue' handy.
Part two – Rolling Place a small amount of the mixture onto a round and spread it lengthways approximately 1/4 of the way into the round. Roll up the round until about halfway then fold in the edges after applying a little of the cornflour 'glue' with a finger to each of them. Apply a little glue to the end of the round and roll along to complete the rolling process. Place completed spring roll on a plate and then repeat with the next round until the filling is used up.
Part three - Frying Heat a sufficient depth of oil in a wok to just under a boil and place the first spring roll in. After a short while add the second. Cook each roll until nice and brown, which will require turning them over in the wok. Ideally, you will want to have your own 'production line' of 4-6 rolls in your wok at any time with a new roll going in one end as the longest-cooked roll is taken out the other.
When browned each roll should be removed from the wok and placed on a plate, ready for eating. The spring rolls are ordinarily served hot without any dipping sauce alongside the other courses of a meal. Tags: food and drink, Yunnan cuisine Next 1 2 3 4 ... 85 |
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