My Teacher and Helpmate

IN my life I have made many friends, both Chinese and foreign, quite a number of them intimate to the extent that I can repose in them my full confidence. Israel Epstein, known as Eppy to his friends, is one of the most outstanding. In appearance he is foreign, but emotionally he is Chinese, having taken Chinese citizenship in 1957. Those who have heard and read his analyses of Chinese issues are impressed with his deep insight. Epstein, who turns 90 on April 20, is a living witness to the radical changes that have     

LETTERS

I have been reading China Today for the past few years and find it very interesting for its extensive coverage of all that is new in China. I'm a student of modern Chinese history. In keeping with your idea of using China Today as a platform for making friends, I would like to give you the following basic details. I am a Sri Lankan doctor who knows a little Chinese (putonghua) and I would like to communicate with Chinese friends who can help me improve my Chinese and help me understand more of the long road China has traveled in     

How to Inherit in China as a Foreigner

My name is Robert. I'm 19 years old. My mother died of heart disease when I was 5. Three years ago, my father went to China to work as a foreign teacher in a big university in Beijing. Two years ago. he was married to a Chinese woman and they had a daughter who is now 8 months old. But last month, he died of an unexpected traffic accident and he hasn't made a will I'd like to know whether I have the right to inherit his bequest according to Chinese law? How much will I get?     

Israel Epstein： Witness to the Chinese Revolution

On April 20, our esteemed Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Israel Epstein, celebrates his 90th birthday. All of us here at China Today extend our sincere best wishes to the eldest member of our family, who helped Soong Ching Ling set up our magazine. Happy Birthday, Eppyl Epstein is a distinguished veteran journalist and a member of the CPPCC Standing Committee. There will be all kinds of celebrations to mark his 90th year, including a birthday party attended by State leaders, and Chinese and foreign friends. What's more, an exhibition will be held, displaying his personal achievements and devotion to introducing China to the outside world. A photo album illus- trating his 90 years' of life in China will also be published. The Chinese have a deep-rooted tradition of respecting the elderly. Within Chinese households, the greatest celebrations occur on the birthday of a senior family member. Chinese people have held such celebrations for Rewi Alley, George Hatem, Hans Mueller and many other foreign experts who ha     

Swimming Upstream

Wang Ziyi, a 14-year-old middle school student who lives in Yichang,central China's Hubei Province, can hardly conceal his excitement at laying his hand on the forehead of a Chinese sturgeon in a large temporary plastic fi shpond. "It is the first time that I have seen a Chinese sturgeon, and they are gentler and meeker than I originally imagined," said Wang. In spite of his fondness for animals,Wang's parents have consistently refused his appeals to keep one at home due to his tight study schedule.     

Raising a Wunderkind

SUN You, nicknamed You You, shows great inter- est in the picture book on birds that I and my colleagues have brought him, but says little. As we are about to enter his room, he tells his parents not to let us in. In Chinese you means good. This four-year-old is more than good - he is a wonder child. He has a sizable English vocabulary and knows more than 4,000 Chinese charac- ters, which is pretty amazing given that only 3,000 Chinese characters are in common use. One to three in every 1…     

ANINDISPENSABLE PART OF LIFE

<正>A Chinese woman's experience of using WeChat overseas By Lu AnqiWhile many of my friends in China revel in the convenience that the social networking platform WeChat has brought them,Chinese living outside China like me are also grateful forthe positive changes this homegrown application has brought to our personal and professional lives.It helps families,relatives and friends stay closer,making keeping in touch simple and trouble-free.I didn't use WeChat until I came to live and work in South Africa in 2013.Before then,I didn't yet have a smartphone,though I did have Internet access.With my computers at home and work having MSN,Skype and QQ messengers,I was well linked with relatives and friends no matter where they-or I-were.When I arrived in South Africa,I bought a smart phone and WeChat was one of the first apps I downloaded.I was happy to find I could add all my QQ and phone contacts to my new WeChat account.I contacted other friends who were not yet using the app to join me.After that,every morning when I launched WeChat,I     

Swimming Upstream An enterprise fulfills social responsibility and helps an iconic Chinese fish bounce back from the brink

正Wang Ziyi,a 14-year-old middle school student who lives in Yichang,central China’s Hubei Province,can hardly conceal his excitement at laying his hand on the forehead of a Chinese sturgeon in a large temporary plastic fi shpond."It is the first time that I have seen a Chinese sturgeon,and they are gentler and meeker than I originally imagined,"said Wang.In spite of his fondness for animals,Wang’s parents have consistently refused     

The Way to Healty

The daily exercise routine is catching on with more people, both young and old It has been five years since 63-year-old Shen Yuxi began to do his morning exercise in Beijing's Purple Bamboo Park. He arrives early each morning, jogs for a few minutes, then does some shadowboxing. Sometimes he brings a Chinese chess set and plays with his friends who are also doing their morning exercises in the park. "I first came here to exercise because I     

Dr. Herbert K. Abrams,An American Doctor Who Devotes Himself to US-China Friendship

Dr. Herbert K. Abrams will have his 90th birthday on July 11 this year. Now, he is a professor at the University of Arizona Medical School. In the long years of his life, he has always concerned about the medical care of the Chinese people and done his best to improve the friendship between the American and Chinese people.     

A Note of Friendship

Seventy-four years after he died, Chinese composer Xian Xinghai is touching hearts again, this time through a film made on the tragic last years of his life that hit the screens in China and Kazakhstan in May. Chinese director Xinzat Yahup's biopic The Composer, the first China-Kazakh coproduction, shines a light on the man regarded as one of the greatest Chinese composers, who was forced by circumstances to spend his last years in Kazakhstan and Russia, where he took his last breath.     

Incomparable Huangshan

MING Dynasty Chinese geographer and traveler Xu Xiake(1587-1641) traveled on foot to 16 provinces in east, north, southeast and southwest China. In his travel notes, he writes, "Of all the mountains I have seen, not a single one can compare to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). Seeing it obviates the need to go to any other." In the 400 years that have since passed, Xu's opinion still holds good. Huangshan is representative Chinese mountain, and a topographic symbol of China, along with the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. The Chinese saying goes, "No ordinary mountain is worth seeing after a trip     

Journey to the West

For as long as I can remember,my dad had talked of the jewel in China's western territory,Tibet Autonomous Region.As a student of international relations and Chinese,I have been living in China for the past three years.Tibet was a region I was desperate to see but its remoteness and my inability to find the right time to go delayed my journey.After a few e-mails back and forth with my dad,who is based in the UK.     

From West Virginia to Xi''''an

I first began to learn about Xi'an from three Chinese men who were visit ing scholars at my university in the USA. They were studying American business, and I tutored them in English conversation and American culture. We became good friends during their six months' stay in my hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia.     

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.     

Speech by Vice Premier Qian Qichen at Opening Session of Eighth National Council Meeting of CPAFFC

I am very glad to meet so many friends who are engaged in nongovernmental diplomacy. On be-half of the State Council I extend my congratula-tions on the convening of the Eighth NationalCouncil Meeting of the CPAFFC and greetings tothe comrades who have contributed to our coun-try's nongovernmental diplomacy.     

Speech by Mr. Indrananda Abeysekera,Executive Secretary of Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation

May 3rd this year ushered in the 50th birthday of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). As I am honored today to attend this grand commemorative meeting, my heart is filled with joy and gratitude. Being an old friend of the Chinese people, I have the pleasure, on behalf of the friendship-with-China organizations of various countries, to express the warmest congratulations to the esteemed Association and dear Chinese friends.     

Nanxiong,Autumn Fairy Tale of the South

NANXIONG,a county-level city in northeastern Guangdong Province,is where I was born.In my dreams,I often return to this town of my childhood,where there is no hustle and bustle of the city life,but tranquil streets,murmuring rivers and lush grasslands,all bathed in sunshine.I have had the impulse to go back many times.But on starting to pack,fear of urbanization and the changes it would make to the hometown of my dreams and memory have stopped me.     

Wolf Totem

PUBLISHED in April 2004 and a hit at Chinese bookstores,Wolf Totem is the touching tale of young man from Bei-jing, his life among herdsmen, and his love for a wolf. It isbased on the personal experience of the author. Jiang Rong, wholived in Inner Mongolia from 1967 to 1978.The story is set in a remote part of Inner Mongolia's vastgrasslands in the late 1960s. The Beijing-born Chen Zhen and agroup of his friends leave their hometown for Inner Mongolia - aland he imagines as mysterio…