PARENTS'''' DILEMMA

Families are beginning to wonder whether their young children are paying too high a price to achieve superior test scores Ye Youxue has encountered problems in educating his only son, Ye Zi, since the boy entered primary school last September. "I adopted a hands-off approach to my son's preschool education, without forcing him to attend prep classes of Chinese or English like many of his peers," said Ye, adding that he had not expected that policy to backfire. In Zi's class, most children had attended classes, including Pinyin (the phonetic system for transcribing Chinese characters) and reading, while they were in kindergarten to prepare them for work in primary school. He didn't.     

Serious Games

When Ye Wei,a postgraduate from Macao University of Science and Technology,decided to join the game industry three years ago,his family was up in arms.Nevertheless,against his parents'wishes,Ye moved to Beijing to pursue his dream.     

LETTERS

The topic of＂dreams＂ reminds me of a text by the late Chinese writer Shi Tiesheng who was paralyzed when he was 21, in whichhe elaborated on his devotion to sports. He loved track and field the most, more than writing, and his favorite star was Carl Lewis whom, with a strong body and super speed, he regarded as the luckiest man on earth. Shi once thought that he would do anything to have Lewis＇ physique and vigor in another life, if there were one. But observ- ing the athlete＇s rise and fall after a doping scandal, he gained fresh understanding of success, happiness and life in general. He said his dream was to have a healthy body, a beautiful soul and life wisdom. While acknowledging that many think one should not be too greedy or ambitious, Shi＇s overriding belief was that everyone has the right to dream big, and to look forward to the best in the world.     

Running on All Cylinders

Ye Wei has been off to a running start in 2019,literally.The 35-year-old,who works at a state-owned enterprise (SOE),came 12th among Chinese runners at the Xiamen Marathon on January 6,clocking his personal best of 2:29 minutes.It showed how much his physical fitness has improved.The first time he took part in a full marathon in 2004,he couldn't even finish the run.     

Tide of Change

Li Zhengde regards the Yangtze River as the highway of his youth.Born in a small town in south China's Hunan Province,Li grew up near the Zijiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze,and in 1976, boats were the major mode of transport there.In the 1990s,he had to take a year off from school due to illness and sailed to nearby Wuhan Province on his cousin's wooden junk,It was his first trip outside Hunan and the one-month sailing experience is etched indelibly in his mind.     

Preface to "Tracking Down the Traes of Gods——Journey to Greece"

"Tracking Down the Traces of Gods-Journey to Greece", a collection of poems written by ChenHaosu, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), was published in Athens in December 1995, when he led a CPAFFC delegation to Greece toattend the Third Europe-China International Conference. This collection of his poems in Chinese waswritten two years ago when he paid his first visit to Greece in September 1993, then translated intoGreek by a friend of his, and polished and edited by Mr.Thiyado Patrikarias, well-known Greek poet.The Greek friends think highly of this Chinese-Greek bilingual collection of poems. Mr Patrikariassaid, "This collection of poems reflects the thrill the poet experiences when his soul touches Greece(both ancient and modern Greece), and it vibrates in each of his poems. This shows that Greece hasfound an understanding friend from China, a great country with a longstanding history and culturaltradition." With the consent of the author,     

An Auto Industry Legend

QI Yumin was vice-mayor of Liaoning's Dalian City until about a year and a half ago. Then he took the helm of the Brilliance Auto Company, based in the provincial capital of Shenyang. At the time, the ailing company was "waiting to be wound up." But Qi went on to change its destiny.When he was vice-mayor of Dalian, Brilliance was to Qi just another auto maker with the same old problems. In December 2005, he took a different view. He was appointed president of Brilliance Auto Company, executive president and chairman of the board of China Brilliance Automobile Holding Company, and president of Brilliance Jinbei Automobile Co., Ltd. En route from Dalian to Shenyang, Qi encountered a Christmas snowstorm. It just about reflected his mood. As he wrote in a text message to his sister, "I am going to a strange city to take a strange job in a strange company. I don't know what to feel."     

Art and Money：Selling Out in Xiaozhou

XIAOZHOU Village on the southern outskirts of Guangzhou is a place of boundless opportunity - at least for Liu Jiusheng and Xie Guozheng. Liu opened his guqin （ancient zither） workshop in the village in 2007. He loves the guqin and is a skilled player. Once he bought an old one and disassembled it, finding its construction not as complicated as he had imagined. At that moment, he was struck by the impulse to make his own zithers of superb quality, and hired 26-year-old carpenter Xie to help him realize the dream.     

The Mysterious Forest in Xishuangbanna

Shen Xueren was born in Weifang City,Shandong Province in June 1941.He graduated from the Central Academy of Arts in 1966,and re- ceived a doctor's degree at the United Nations International University. Now,he is a member of the China Artists Association and the Chinese Calligrapher Association,a consultant for the China International Association of Celebrity,the arts and cultural exchange ambassador of the World Peace Foundation,an honorable member of the British Royal Joint Academy of Sciences,a researcher at the Research Center of the World Cultural Arts and an honored painter of the Cultural Market Development Center of the Ministry of Culture. In 1978,Shen created the Flower Painting Association.In the same year,he participated in the setting up of Beijing Painting Shop.In 1980,he created the Research Association of Flower and Bird Paintings together with his friends.In 1999,he set up Shen Xueren Art Gallery and Shen Xueren Art Museum.From 1982 to 2000,he had many art exhibitions in many countries including the U.S.A.,Japan,France,Canada and Singapore.Wu Zuoren,Chairman of China Artists Association,attended the opening ceremony of his exhibition in Beijing.The chairman of the Artists Association hosted his exhibition in France.The Chinese Ambassador in Canada,Yu Chen,hosted his exhibi- tion in Canada. The local TV and newspapers report on his exhibitions,and his artwork is collected by embassies and museums.He was invited to draw pictures for the National Museum of China,the Great Hall of the People, Xinhua News Agency,the People's Daily and CCTV,and was also invited to the University of Toronto to give lectures on Chinese painting. Shen has won many awards in many countries.These include an award of excellence for international ink paintings held in Japan in 1986, an award of excellence for new in- ternational art exhibitions in 1988 in Japan,the gold medal of the second Chinese Art Competition in 1999,a sil- ver medal in the 2000 World Chinese Art Exhibition,and a special award from the 2001 Beijing International Art Exhibition.In 2007 his artwork was collected by the UN World Peace Foundation and was awarded the World Peace Art Achievement Award. He was given the title World Art Master.     

Liu Wanfu：Defender of Social Justice

IN 2006, Liu Wanfu, one of Jiangsu Province＇s leading lawyers, founded the first individually-owned law firm of Nanjing, capital of the province. Well established in his fidd, he believes a good lawyer should be righteous, conversant in legal knowledge and ready to lend a helping hand and shoulder due social responsibility. These are the standards he requires of his employees.     

Zhang Kun：Capturing the Beauty of Real Life

The first thing that strikes anyone looking at a figure painting by Zhang Kun is a strong sense of realism. Zhang never distorts his figures with exaggerated lines and shapes, nor does he blindly follow any particular fashion, instead concentrating on the depiction of real life. Not only does Zhang imitate nature, he simplifies and orders it so as to capture its essence, and any adjustment he attempts is in order to bring greater depth to such simplicity. His consummate skills contribute to the purity of his paintings, his poetic language being heard through his representation of ordinary life. His works present man and nature in a simple and harmonious relationship, the very thing that modem people yearn for,     

Tudeng Kezhu:Professor from“Roof of the World”

It was in March 2003. I had the honor to meet a Tibetan young man coming from the snow-capped plateau. Slim and tall, he looked delicate and easy in manners. Wearing a pair of glasses, his eyes were bright and shining. Born in a pasture in the Qamdo area of Tibet, he speaks fluent Han language, revealing that he received higher education in the Han-inhabited area. He is Tudeng Kezhu, now serving as the deputy dean and associate professor of the Economics Department of Tibet University in Lhasa and came to Beijing for the first session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).     

Back from the Brink Rescuing the White-Headed Langur

PAN Wenshi is a living legend in the Chinese zoology community. Having spent 16 years in remote mountain regions investigating the behavioral patterns,living conditions and genetics of giant pandas,he is known to his scientific brethren as "The Father of the Panda." Given the great success of his research,most people would expect Pan to retire to a quiet life in his twilight years.     

Remembering A Reformer

正Commemorating China’s chief architect of reform and opening up inspires latest revisions As a teenager,Zhang Weiying,now a prominent economist and former Dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University,thought he could be nothing more than a farmer like his illiterate parents.In an article written in memory of the year he was admitted to college,Zhang,born in 1959,noted that he spent the first 19 years of life in his hometown,a remote village in China’s northwest Shaanxi Province.As someone     

Teen Athlete Training- No Mean Feat

"I really admire Li Xiaopeng," says 14-year-old Yang Rui fervently and with a rapt smile, despite the pain of his ankle injury. Yang, a member of the Chinese National Gymnastic Team, injured his ankle a few days ago while training. Until he recovers he must be content to sit on a bench in the SGAS Training Bureau's new gymnasium and watch his teammates train.     

The New Term

Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his fourth term with a land-slide victory in mid-March, winning around 76 percent of the vote. According to Russian law, Putin wil hold the post for another six years until 2024, at which point he wil have ruled the country for 20 years. During his fi rst three terms, Putin has com-mitted to rejuvenating the once powerful country. He likely intends to make several more notable contributions to guarantee his legacy in the history of Russia and the world. In his fourth term, can Putin finally realize his dream of reviving Russia, and what internal and foreign policy will he adopt to crown his long career as the head of the Russian state?     

A Homecoming

正I first met Dorje Tseten on his daily circumambulation,the ritual of circling a Tibetan Buddhist holy site and praying,along Lingkhor,the sacred path in Lhasa,capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.While he no longer has the agility of his youth,the 84 year old insists on performing his prayer wheel ritual every day.On completion he takes the bus home."I have the card for senior citizens that entitles me to free bus travel,"he said.Dorje Tseten returned to Lhasa from a decades-long exile in 1999.He left     

BAD BOYS, BAD BOYS, WHATCHA GONNA DO?

Wang Lijun is coming for you. IN Western media, Chinese police officers generally get bad press. Tales of torture, intimidation and miscarriages of justice frequently appear in news bulletins and RSS feeds. But if the chief of police in Jinzhou, a city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, has his way, all that is about to change. Wang Lijun is using his considerable experience and knowledge in the field to train his charges in a whole new way. He hopes the results can serve as a model for the entire country. The police have perhaps never before been under as intense scrutiny as they are in this age of information and camera-equipped mobile phones. These days the public pays much more attention to their actions. So eliminating corruption from the force - a difficult job in any country - seemed to Wang Lijun a good place to start, and he says he's personally overseeing that task. He's revamped the complaints department - notorious wastes of space in China - and personally interviews local citizens that have complaints against the cops. He says he has done this 700 times in the three and a half years since the new system was put in place, and 95 percent of the complaints were satisfactorily resolved.     

Zhou Jianhua——Faithful Recorder of Miao Customs

Zhou Jianhua is quite a celebrity in Huayuan County, Hunan Province. That fame comes mainly from his photography, a path he started out on very early. As tar back in the 1980s when he worked in the educational field. Zhou used to carry a film camera to different schools to photograph various activities, as well as graduating students together with their teachers. Zhou does not grudge what he spends on his passion, so, after retiring he bought a full kit of Nikon＇s top digital camera equipment. Every time he came home from a shoot, he would select several images, have them enlarged, and give them to his subjects for free. What was once a pleasurable pastime has made him something of a name. For the last few years, he has devoted himself to photographing Miao folkways in western Hunan. Having amassed a large portfolio of such material, one top-notch photograph has followed another, and national magazines have used his shots in features on ethnic customs, many of those pictures winning awards at photographic exhibitions. Zhou Jianhua is not only a faithful recorder of Miao customs in western Hunan, but a leading photographer in Huayuan County.