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Dec 24

I almost forgot: it’s already Christmas Eve in much of Asia – so here is “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” for everyone at Foolsmountain!

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Dec 20

China’s journey of reform and opening up over the last the last 30 years have definitely been, if nothing else, colorful and eventful.  Last week, Chinese officials marked the 30 year anniversary of China’s reforms and opening up with a series of meetings and speeches. Continue reading »

Dec 07

We’ve had impassioned discussions about Tibet this year.  But the controversies surrounding China has not just been about Tibet – they have also been about Africa.

In anticipation of a series of posts on Africa, I thought I would put a few feelers out to see if people on this forum would be interested in discussing the topic, and if so, where people initially stand.

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Nov 08

The Indie Music Scene In China

Written by: Steve | Filed under:culture, General, media, music, video | 113 Comments » newest

Chinese culture has undergone tremendous change in the last 20 years. We tend to notice the big events: Massive new skyscrapers, world class airports, new symphony halls, the Olympic Games, 5 star hotels and restaurants, etc. But what we might not see is that below the surface, there are other changes taking place.

China has developed an exciting indie music scene throughout the country. Though strongest in Beijing, excellent bands have appeared in Shanghai, Guangzhou and other parts of the country. Though there is a huge pop music industry with many very popular singers, these are acts that are less known but have developed a core following among the young. I’d like to introduce you to a few bands and hear about others you know that you can share with us. Follow the links to their myspace sites and the songs will usually play automatically. For the Neocha site which is in China, you need to click on the “play” button. I’ve included descriptions of each band either from the web or from my own knowledge. Continue reading »

Sep 05

Commissioned by BBC FOUR and distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide, A Year in Tibet follows a calendar year inside the secret confines of a Tibetan monastery and charts the lives of those living in Gyanste the small town which surrounds it and surrounding villages. The 5 x 1hr series examines the reality of life today for Tibetans living in Modern China.

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Aug 28

The Olympics are over (except for the Paralympics, that is) and people have trickled out of Beijing, but still in their heads and mine is probably this catchy (some say annoying) song that was sung by an ensemble of veritable who’s-who in today’s Chinese popular music world. Chinese people seem to really like this kind of qunxing (群星) or star-ensemble singing, where phrases are sung by their favorite stars.


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Aug 10

My wife and I, along with a German, an Aussie, a TCK (third culture kid), and an American watched the Opening Ceremonies on a giant screen in one of Tianjin’s biggest parks. There were thousands of people there, and very few foreigners. We’ve posted pictures, video, and blogged the experience, particularly the crowd’s reactions to different things (Watching the Opening Ceremony with a few thousand Tianjiners!).
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Jul 26

Tiananmen at sunrise

Written by: Buxi | Filed under:culture, video | Tags:, ,
14 Comments » newest

With a jet-lagged baby, I thought this morning would be the perfect time to attend one of my favorite events in Beijing: watching the raising of the national flag on Tiananmen square.  It is a daily ritual at sunrise, but always thrilling with its simplicity, elegance; I’ve only attended a few times (emphasis: sunrise), and always found it deeply moving. 

Here’s a video, from 5/19, when the flag was lowered to half-staff to remember the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake:  (Why isn’t it a video of my trip? Explanation below.)

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May 27

Farmers Laboring In the Rubble

Written by: Buxi | Filed under:culture, video | Tags:
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This touching blog entry was referred to us by long-time reader Bing Ma Yong. Thanks, BMY.

After interviewing on the front lines for more than 10 days, I’ve seen too much tragedy, I’ve witnessed too many touched moments, I’ve seen too many shocking pictures. But there is one more thing that has really moved me with an indescribable sense of sadness mixed with pride: the farmers I saw laboring in the rubble of their destroyed homes (in Pengzhou).

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May 03

Kishore Mahbubani on China

Written by: Buxi | Filed under:Analysis, video | Tags:, ,
1 Comment » newest

From TVOntario’s flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin

Kishore Mahbubani is dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and the author of “The New Asian Hemisphere.”

“One of the greatest flaws in western discourse is the assumption that the 900 million people in the West speaks for the world. They don’t!”

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Apr 27

What do you want from us?

Written by: admin | Filed under:video | Tags:,
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