The market on Chinese cultural information is currently saturated with publications that pour over traditional topics like tea, harmony and the Great Wall. While the latter are significant elements of China, their coverage has been quite repetitive. That is why here at The World of Chinese, we have made it our mission to provide fresh approaches on Chinese culture. China is constantly changing and growing; while its past holds strong, there is an entire present and future to be accounted for, and we want to be on the front lines.
You¨ll also find that our new and improved content aims to be useful, particularly in the Trade section. So many professionals come to China expecting an exotic replica of their own culture, but many fail to realize that in the Middle Country, business is culture. That¨s where we step in, with case studies, market trends, business Chinese, cross-cultural hints and much more!tips to make sure you don¨t trip. Also, for you devout language connoisseurs out there, check out our Charming Chinese section for some advanced vernacular fun.
Speaking of vernacular: since hanyu hardly falls under the amo, amas, amat category, much of the Western world is hungry to know more. Regardless how long you live in a different country, perception of a foreign culture and its nuances will never be complete without knowledge of the native language. And it is partly the language that has kept China so seemingly mysterious to outsiders. A recent article in Newsweek, entitled ^China¨s 2009 Remake, ̄ talks about how most communication issues between Westerners and Chinese stem from the former not understanding the language. There just isn¨t enough context without language. That is why we have made learning Chinese such an integrated, useful and simple player in our brand. The idea is that, regardless of your language level, as long as you are interested in the articles in this magazine, your Chinese will improve. See page five for an explanation of our new, three-level, color-coded system.
2009 begins with a bold step forward into a new period of change, and we are excited to have you along for the ride. Any thoughts or comments on our new brand will be greatly appreciated, as its being perfected for you and you only.
Brief introduction to this issue
The market on Chinese cultural information is currently saturated with publications that pour over traditional topics like tea, harmony and the Great Wall. While the latter are significant elements of China, their coverage has been quite repetitive. That is why here at The World of Chinese, we have made it our mission to provide fresh approaches on Chinese culture. China is constantly changing and growing; while its past holds strong, there is an entire present and future to be accounted for, and we want to be on the front lines. You¨ll also find that our new and improved content aims to be useful, particularly in the Trade section. So many professionals come to China expecting an exotic replica of their own culture, but many fail to realize that in the Middle Country, business is culture. That¨s where we step in, with case studies, market trends, business Chinese, cross-cultural hints and much more!tips to make sure you don¨t trip. Also, for you devout language connoisseurs out there, check out our Charming Chinese section for some advanced vernacular fun. Speaking of vernacular: since hanyu hardly falls under the amo, amas, amat category, much of the Western world is hungry to know more. Regardless how long you live in a different country, perception of a foreign culture and its nuances will never be complete without knowledge of the native language. And it is partly the language that has kept China so seemingly mysterious to outsiders. A recent article in Newsweek, entitled ^China¨s 2009 Remake, ̄ talks about how most communication issues between Westerners and Chinese stem from the former not understanding the language. There just isn¨t enough context without language. That is why we have made learning Chinese such an integrated, useful and simple player in our brand. The idea is that, regardless of your language level, as long as you are interested in the articles in this magazine, your Chinese will improve. See page five for an explanation of our new, three-level, color-coded system. 2009 begins with a bold step forward into a new period of change, and we are excited to have you along for the ride. Any thoughts or comments on our new brand will be greatly appreciated, as its being perfected for you and you only.
Contents
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 壌遍囂
TWOC NEWS 仟療
JOURNEY 唾余
CITY STROLL 廓偏只化 Harbin: Snow Sculptures & Stroganoff ON THE ROAD 壓揃貧 East Meets West Meets North Meets South in Xi¨an TRAVEL TRICKS 赤壓唾余 Old Wives¨ Tales FOLDABLE FUN 京京酔赤 Don¨t Lose it. Wall-et! KALEIDOSCOPE 承騏亶 Human Hutongs
TRADE 斌暦
BUSINESS CULTURE 斌暦猟晒 Micro to Macro CROSS CULTURE 睡順篇泣 Crossing Borders with Creativity ANYONE CAN INNOVATE 繁繁幹仟 Are Chinese People Innovators? BUSINESS CHINESE 将坦査囂 For First-Timers in China BIZ TIPS 峺泣痴薯 Organizing an International Press Conference MARKETPLACE 偏魁 Communication Failure at Business Meetings CASE STUDY 倖宛冩梢 Taking the Frontline GOOD READS 埣響亀宛 Turning Bricks into Jade COVER FEATURE 撃中絞並 CROSS-CULTURAL STEPS
ETHOS 猟晒
CHI LE MA? 郭阻宅 SOUP! HUMOR 蝕伉匯震 Two Pandas Walked into a Bar... TODAY IN CHINA 書晩嶄忽 Capital Creations 30 YEARS 扮高 Dreams on Wheels DID YOU KNOW? 低岑祇宅? Marco Polo Never Mentioned the Use of Chopsticks in His Travel Journals of China? Tea is Actually a Chinese Word? CHINESE IDEAS 帽猟壓徃 Life is Learning The Life of Confucius CHARMING CHINESE 帆査囂 On the Chinese Character^才 ̄ Affection Chinese Surnames and Given Names Happy Ox Year! PIONEER 斤三枠傑 The Spring of South Beauty Redefining Chinese Hotels THE VIEW FROM HERE 厘心嶄忽 Fast Track to Instant Friendships How Funny