Memories of Home

COUPLES invited to participate in the '96 Beijing Golden Wedding Anniversary for the World's People's Tour stayed in the Shangri-La Hotel in western Beijing. The large contingent included Chen Dong and his wife Zhang Shujie. Shortly after arriving, one segment of a TV program featuring a Canadian woman recounting her experiences in China in the Chinese language aroused the attention of Zhang Shujie. That woman said she was born in Beijing at a time when her family lived at No.47 Waijiaobu Street. Zhang muttered to herself: "It's No.32 and not No.47." Zhang suddenly remembered     

"Pipa Fairy Maiden" Zhang Hongyan

WHEN Zhang Hongyan plays the completely traditional Chinese musical instrument, the pipa, she is called a "pipa fairy maiden" by her audiences, "the pipa queen with outstanding talent and appearance" by the Hong Kong press and "a national flower of the Women Philharmonic Orchestra" in Singapore. Having completed her master's degree program at the folk music department of the Central Conservatory of Music. Zhang is continuing there as a teacher. On the unforgettable night of June 9, 1992, Zhang Hongyan presented her first solo concerto concert at the Beijing Concert Hall, in cooperation with the celebrated Central Philharmonic Orchestra based in Beijing and its famous conductor Hu Yongyan. This concert made her the first folk musical instrument player to present a special concerto concert in cooperation with a Western style orchestra. It is the result of many years of effort. Zhang was born in Shengxian County, Zhejiang Province, famous as the home of Yue Opera. Her father is a musician with a Yue Opera     

ON THE COVER

SHEN Peiyi entered the Beijing Institute of Dancing in 1978. She graduated in 1986, but remained as a dancer with the Youth Song and Dance Ensemble of the institute. In 1988, she was named as national first class dancer because of her outstanding artistic achievement. At that time she was the youngest dancer to achieve this honor in the Chinese dancing field.     

Dizi—A Traditional Chinese Wind Instrument

RETIRED worker Zhang Guizhen knows a lot about dizi, a traditional Chinese wind instrument, because she worked in the Beijing Traditional Instrument Factory for 20 years and her only task was to make dizi.     

古丽米娜·麦麦提:用舞蹈展现新疆魅力

Gulimina was born in Dushanzi District,in Karamay,a city in Xinjiang,in 1986.Xinjiang is known as an“ocean of song and dance,”as many of the residents are good at singing and dancing.Gulimina displayed her talent in dancing as a child.When she was 6,she began learning to dance at a children’s arts center,where she realized dancing was not easy.     

The Soul of the Forest

"The Soul of the Forest." a ceramic work exhibited at the "Century Women" Art Show. is a fine example of the work of Zhang Wenzhi from Guangdong Painting Studio: this particular piece reflects the artist's concern for environmental protection. The ceramic objects created by Zhang are not for pragmatic use; instead. they are a kind of modern art: sculpture in essence. but cer amic in flavor. Zhang Wenzhi obtained her master's degree at Guangzhou Fine Arts Academy in 1993 and her book. Arts of Modern Materials. Was published in June of that year. The next year. she joined the European Synthetic Arts Soci-ety. In 1996. she held ceramics exhibition in the gallery of Illinois State University. Her work, "The World of Wine." Was collected by the former Culture Ministry. In 1997. her work. "Chinese" was selected for the first National Modern Ceramics Exhibition in Shanghai and awarded the silver medal.     

Shen Peiqi and her Dance

SHEN Peiyi grew up influenced by nature, art and religion. Her achievements in dancing won her the honor "national first class dancer" when she was 21 years old. Her dance was also popular with the public, and called "the dance of intelligence". The Flag of a Dancer In May 1993, "Dancer Shen Peiyi" a Special Performance Recital was held in Beijing. It aroused a burst of excitement and comment. The title of the recital was strange     

MARATHON LOVE AFFAIR

THE leading player in the 10,000meter race at the 1993 Seventh National Games held at the stadium of the Beijing Olympic Sports Center was not Zhong Huandi, the heroine of this article. Ousted by Wang Junxia, a girl ten years her junior, Zhong placed second, though she broke the world record.     

The First Chinese World Champion of Women's Floor Exercises

IN April of 1996, Kui Yuanyuan, a core member of the Chinese Gymnastics Team, won the only gold medal for the Chinese team at the World Gymnastics Championships in Puerto Rico. It was also the first gold medal for China in international women's floor exercises. Pretty and lively Kui Yuanyuan delivered another outstanding performance on behalf of the Beijing Team at the Eighth China National Games in 1997. Gauging from the enthusiastic response of the audience, she has     

Translator's Golden Harvest

AS an undergraduate student, I was familiar with the name Zhao Luorui. She is a professor at Beijing University and a well-known translator. I remember her well. Before my interview, I was imagining how she would meet me, with a walking stick or supported by her family? However,     

Mother—My First Teacher

MY first teacher was my mother. It was she who taught me to read. It was she who planted in my heart a profound love of Chinese literature. She was also the one who set me on the road to independence. Today, I am teaching others—I am an associate professor of Chinese language and literature at the Central Institute for Finance and Banking, a member of the Chinese Poetry Society, a member of the     

迎奥运(英文)

China's Olympic Hall of Fame奥运名人堂Zhang Shan Outshot Men张山——巾帼不让须眉Chinese skeet shooter Zhang Shah is the only woman to win the shooting event,which included both men and women,at the Olympics.During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics,Zhang,then 24,from West China's Sichuan Province,caused a stir when she scored 200 hits in 200 shots to equal the world record during the qualifications. She went on to win the gold after defeating five male shooters by scoring 23 hits in 25 shots in the finals.During     

Cheng Fangyuan—a Singer Who is Bold in Making Ewploration

FROM the first moment I met Cheng Fangyuan, I was affected by her indescribable zeal, and her persistent pursuit of art. To be a singer is not her whole life, she treats scholarly honors and official rank as nothing. When she steps into the spotlight, she wears a calm smile, as brilliant as sunlight. That smile reveals her animation and her strong character to all. Cheng Fangyuan started her musical career with the traditional Chinese instrument, the erhu. During her childhood, she liked singing and dancing, and often participated in school activities. At the same time, she started to study the erhu. The melancholy and mild music appealed to her. In the single notes and chords of the erhu, Cheng found the beautiful world of music.     

1949:The First National Women's Congress

LOOKING back at the history of the Chinese women's national congress is a reminder of the storms weathered by pioneering Chinese women on their path towards emancipation. As the eighth National Women's Congress convenes in September in Beijing, it may be instructive to look at the first women's national congress, which was held on the eve of the founding of New China.     

记录(英文)

Athens Olympic Torch Relays in Beijing雅典奥运圣火在北京传递The Olympic flame cast its glow in Beijing for the first time on June 9 as a high-profile torch relay for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games was held in the Chinese capital.The olive-leaf-shaped torch was lit at 9:16 a.m. (0116 GMT) at the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People by Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing. Then it was passed from one bearer to the next on a specially marked route that passed through the city's most famous landmarks including the Heaven of Temple and the Forbidden City.A total of 148 torchbearers, aged 14 to 73, took part in the relay. The list of torchbearers was a who's who of Chinese sport, and also involved people from all walks of life.     

Unyielding Skater Becomes a New Star at Asian Winter Games

HARBIN, February, 1996. Only one Chinese athlete, wearing the No. 4 helmet, made it to the finals of the women's short distant speed skating at the Third Asian Winter Games (TAWG). She was surrounded by one Japanese and four South Korean athletes, including some who had set world and Asian records. Almost no one believed that the Chinese woman could win. However, at least one person believed that she could—Yang Yang herself. In a short two minutes, she displayed her brilliance, overshadowing those world and Asian record holders. One day later, she joined her teammates in setting a new world record in the 3,000-meter relay race. Yang Yang emerged as a new star in the winter games.     

那完美的另一半

Jane Maday, a young American woman, has been enjoying studying Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University since she arrived in Beijing five months ago. With the help of Wang Li, one of her Chinese friends, Maday has made rapid progress in her studies.     

Opera Star Guo Lanying's Fame Withstands Time

IF there is one name that is familiar to Chinese aged 10 to 80 it is Guo Lanying. Recently a recital was held by CCTV in honor of her 60-year career. When Guo Lanying took the stage, she was met with a lengthy standing ovation. Her voice was choked with emotion. Behind her was a smiling photograph of her that was taken at the start of her opera career. Guo Lanying was born in 1930 into     

Quest for BeautyTimes and Methods ChangBut the Goal is the Same

THE Chinese traditionally have held a contradictory attitude about female beauty. In the Book of Songs women's good looks are praised: "How pretty she looks when she smiles at the right moment, how inviting her beautiful eyes are." These are lines which remain famous because the ideal they convey is still popular in modern China. Even the Ballad of Mu Lan, written during the Northern Dynasty, describes how Mu Lan made up in front of the mirror after she returned from active service for her father. Female beauty and women's jewelry was so appreciated in the past that fendai (fen is cosmetic powder and dai is a black pigment used by women in ancient times to darken their eyebrows) and qunchai (qun is a skirt and chai a hairpin) became synonymous with women. Yet at the same time, female beauty was considered mysterious, a taboo whose temptation was very much feared by men. Historically, great beauties were placed in two     

At the Age of 70

AS the old saying goes, "Never too old to learn." But to learn an MBA course at the age of 70 is rare. Wang Wenhua is such a woman. When she became a student of Master of Business Administration at the University of International Business and Economics, she caused a sensation in the media in Beijing. Wang, former director of Beijing Fork Lift Plant had been retired 15 years by then. "I want to be sure about what a market economy is, not live ignorantly," Wang said. Working on an industrial front, she