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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
8 Editorial 9 Poem London 10 Controlling our Environment; Thou Shalt Not Murder 14 China’s Unwritten Rules & The Population Time Bomb 16 Fiction From XXX Road Metro Station
20 The Gavel Rules; Purpose, Type & Why We Follow them
22 From B2B to B2C; True Innovation Made in (Nanjing) China 24 Nankinish Delights A Delicious Peek into Local Life Reminds of Good Old Days
27 Great Nanjingers (26) China’s Principal Islamic Figurehead; Muhammad Ali Yu Zhengui
29 Teenage Jailbreak Nothing but an Entire Wall of Noodles
30 Strainer Red Code to a Bull I’m All out of Green I’m So Lost without You
31 Capital Constructs ~10~ Nanjing Railway Station
32 Our Space 39 Metro Map
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
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THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
Editorial
I Fought the Law W
ith National day now behind us, so begins that final march toward the end of the year. Here in Nanjing, we are lucky that march enjoys the best weather around.
Also from the big smoke, we have Lillian Paetzold Chen continuing her Teenage Jailbreak and Matthew Stedman who has discovered the “joys” of a red health code(!).
Joining us this month from Shanghai (that’s three in this issue; you guys rock) is Timothy Natcher Pruett for our Fiction piece. A selfdescribed, theme-park enthusiast, he claims to have taken to 26 metro systems and over 100 roller coasters throughout China. It appears to have affected his wrtiting (p. 16-19). Sincere thanks also to all writers at Inkwell Chinawide who submitted potential stories for this issue.
Also making his debut this month, we welcome Nic Gibson, who for this month’s theme examines some of the quirkier regulations out there all over the world and the logic behind them, or lack thereof (p. 10-13). Welcome to “Rules” from The Nanjinger.
Ed.
S
can the QR Code to visit The Nanjinger on WeChat, from where you can download a free PDF of this issue, find a full list of distribution points for hard copies or arrange a subscription to have The Nanjinger delivered to your home or office! This magazine is part of a family of English publications that together reach a large proportion of the foreign population living in Nanjing, along with a good dash of locals, comprising: The Nanjinger City Guide www.thenanjinger.com Facebook, WeChat, Twitter & Instagram
All of the above are owned and operated by Hefu Media, the Chinese subsidiary of SinoConnexion Ltd; www.sinoconnexion.com
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THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
I wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
Whilst still his charter’d Thames does flow, Its source is miles from where it’d been. Like Birnham wood, it’s slowly rolling, Man forsaking, back to the sea. Our tears are dry, as too the soil, As summers lengthen, slow to turn To autumn. Crops, though, are quick to spoil As here in London buildings burn. What do we do as our world labours, Ice sheets melt and sea levels rise? We build our walls, and war our neighbours, To nature’s warnings avert our eyes. Now is the time for adaptation, New values as we face new trials: Resilience, relinquishment, restoration, As to the world’s new charter we reconcile.
By M a it iu Brallighan ‘2 2
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
CONTROLLING OUR U
nwritten rules seem natural and unquestionable. Commit a rule to writing or speak it out loud, however, and it can be probed at with logic, illuminated through debate, or, as parents and teachers will often be all too aware, sidestepped entirely. Let’s stroll past some quirks and oddities of the rules-based world we live in, and see what we learn along the way. By Nic Gibson
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It seems smart to start from a point of agreement and understanding; and indeed, most definitions of the word “rule” include some reference to rules being “accepted” or “understood”. The question then becomes, by who? Well, society, of course. But when were you given a chance to “accept” any of the rules you live by in advance? And what if you decide that in fact you don’t accept one of these rules? I recently conducted an entirely scientific survey of a group of teenagers in advance of reading Lord of the Flies (it seems a rule that students in a Western education setting come across this Don’t-Do-itYourself example of society building at one point or another). Reflecting on who creates rules, how they enforce them and what the purposes of these rules are revealed just how deeply ingrained unwritten rules can feel. It also reassured me that the classic, “You can’t leave the table until your dinner is finished”, rule is still alive and kicking.
The range of rules exposed this way ran from, “Don’t say bad words” (enforced by Mum and Dad) to, “Thou shalt not murder”, (biblical manifestation my own dramatic spin). Just as interesting were the purposes expressed behind the rules, often some form of, “To avoid getting in trouble”, indicating one of two things. Firstly, that the rule had succeeded in becoming invisible in that person’s mind, or secondly, that they didn’t really know why it existed at all. Where purposes were brought to light, rules at the less severe end of the spectrum were understood to exist so people could “not offend” or “keep harmony”, a fascinating indication of cultural values. Rules, and purposes behind them at the serious end of the severity range were perhaps more universal and less surprising. The widely agreed upon injunction against stealing inevitably had values of fairness and respect behind it. So, while this was reaffirming, especially to those of us who worry that the world is going to hell in a handcart and the youth are all to blame, it didn’t drill down into exactly how rules function, or explore what happens when they don’t.
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Lord of the Flies itself does ask these questions. At the risk of spoiling a 70-year-old school stalwart for anyone who’s (somehow) managed not to read it, watch a version of it or encounter any of the many parodies of it, the answers are not good. The small society of all male, all English students make a good effort at first of upholding rules, law and order while simultaneously having fun and reaching for a childish Utopia, but slowly, surely collapse under the weight of the dark sides of their own humanity. The author, William Golding, argued that without laws, you’re finished, you’re done. They’re the only thing keeping us from our beastly inner natures. With this rather pessimistic view of humanity’s inner truth in mind, let’s see if any history or evidence backs up or refutes this stance. Of the few worldwide examples of successful anarchic societies, Christiania merits study. Founded in an abandoned military area in Denmark, the residents discourage private property; for example, ownership of private cars is forbidden. There are also basic bylaws against guns and violence. A contradiction emerges. It would seem that even in places designed to be as free from oversight and
intervention as possible, human beings still need to codify basic tenets of behaviour. Another small-scale example is the Twin Oaks Community in Virginia, USA. It is leaderless, aims to be self-supporting and is partly self-sufficient. It is “incomesharing”, with money generated by hammock, casual furniture and tofu production. Each member of the community works 42 hours a week in the community's business and domestic areas, and receives housing, food, healthcare, and personal spending money from the community. Again, this society exists on top of and through interaction with wider, rules-based societies (in this case, the rest of the USA) and so is difficult to hold up as a rule-less example. Still, it seems that if you are of a mind to reject (some of) the rules you were born in to, there are places in the world you can go. Understanding these rules seems a vital first step, but it is not as easy as simply pulling up a list of laws and rules that is applicable to the country you live in. Some rules, especially in countries where rules and laws have accumulated over time, seem to exist only within the minds of lawyers and the confines of a court room.
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And while many rules, and the purposes behind them, can be pleasingly transparent, there are some that logic seems to have bypassed. A choice few are as follows, and good luck divining the purposes behind these laws, though they do perhaps say some fascinating things about the values of the places concerned. • It's Illegal to Climb a Tree in Toronto, Canada • You Must Walk Your Dog 3 Times Daily in Turin, Italy • It’s Illegal to Handle Salmon Suspiciously in the U.K. • It's Illegal to Wrestle a Bear in South Africa • It's Illegal to Play Dominoes in Sevilla, Spain • It's Illegal to Drive a Dirty Car in Russia • Men Must Wear Speedos on French Beaches • It's Illegal to Be Shirtless in Barcelona, Spain • It's Illegal to Wear a Fake Moustache in a Church in Alabama, USA.
Silly, senseless, or strangely appealing? These laws may be on the kookier outward edge of human lawmaking, but they do point to an apparently innate desire to impose control on our environments, for reasons of fairness, respect, equality, avoidance of threat and even aesthetics. So, what about here in China? We all have experiences of friction with some of the rules and regulations imposed upon us during life here, especially during the turbulent recent years. I won’t go into restrictions upon movement and travel, as these deserve more space than can be afforded here. In pursuit of the light-hearted, I stumbled across a law in Luolang Elementary School in Guizhou Province, requiring children to stop and salute passing cars. The intended effect seems to be to reduce accidents, and how can drivers not stop and take notice of school children raising hands in deference? It has, by all accounts, been a wholly successful rule. So finally, to our very own Nanjing. What rules, written or unwritten, clear of purpose or oblique, guide our little lives in the Southern Capital? Speaking from my relative inexperience of the city, it seems to be a nation-wide rule: be ready for anything. Each of us, undoubtedly, will have pushed up against rules and regulations in our lifetimes, whether formal codified ones or rules our families and friends enforce. One way of looking at youth is as an extended exercise in learning the “rules of the game” in a low-stakes environment, to prepare us for adulthood, where we uphold, or break, these rules ourselves.
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
CHINA’S UNWRITTEN RULES & By Frank Hossack
News of China’s rapidly-aging population will not have escapes The Nanjinger’s alert readers. That’s right folks, people aren’t making enough babies. The problem of course, is the herd effect. And given China is an aspirational society driven by the concept of face, from a population standpoint, that’s a recipe for disaster. For the little ones simply have to be given everything, in order to achieve everything. Then, and only then, can they make it into the one of the world’s top universities, if only to make their parents look good. As the website, chinaeducationaltours.com, points out, “A degree from any of these types of universities not only practically guarantees success in life, but also stands as a shiny, golden reflection upon the parents themselves”. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, the parents have been snared by the trap known as “Keeping up with the Jones’”. And it’s a deep trap from which in China there is no way out. The Chinese phrase “不行” means “not allowed”, “won't do”, “out of the question”. It’s common everyday parlance, but especially among parents and grandparents when discussing a child’s behaviour or education and particularly the after-school activities/ classes in which they participate. The commonly-accepted standard is the child must excel, no matter the cost. And yes, it is all about nothing but money.
China Daily puts some numbers on this phenomenon. “More than 60 percent of Chinese children are taking extracurricular classes and 85 percent of parents pay attention to children's after-school activities, according to a recent survey”, that publication reported in 2019. Research institution, the China National Children's Centre, was responsible for said survey, which reportedly involved 14,874 children aged between 3 and 15. Respondents were scattered across urban and rural areas in 10 cities, far and wide across China. The Chinese are well aware of the shortcomings in their education system, which is why they accept that the only way to give their child a leg up is by forking out. But the cash is running out, fast. And in many cases it already has. If a child cannot be given that which society has decreed to be the only option, is it any wonder so few want to have any more children, especially given what else is happening in our world? A greater change of view is going to be essential. Without it, we’re going to start running out of Chinese people. Many would do well to consider that while their child is going to her piano lessons, there are girls in China’s remote rural areas who walk miles to school every day, up a mountain. The windows on that school are possibly sheet plastic, the girl’s parents barely able to afford the tuition.
Therefore, a child need walk a well-trodden road, one overshadowed by the unwritten rules of parenting.
But they do grow up, and many of them go on to excel at what they choose to do. It’s just not (usually) playing piano.
And it starts from a young age. “回家, 吃饭, 洗澡, 睡觉” (go home, have dinner, have shower, go sleep) is the ritual which starts them out on this highway of hope.
Mindful of this, perhaps some Chinese parents may just feel motivated enough to bring another baby or two into the world. Before it’s too late. 14
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
By Timothy Natcher Pruett
Found taped to a life insurance advertisement adjacent to the escalators of exit 1B, XXX Road Metro Station, 13 October, 20:32. 16
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If you are the man, height 170-175 cm, full head of hair but some strands of gray, who takes the red line north and departs the subway via this exit every weekday evening at 7:30 p.m., give or take approximately 5 minutes, presuming you fulfill the above specifications, this letter is addressed & intended for you. You may be wondering why I decided to compose this missive. Firstly, and this may surprise you given our lack of direct communicative history, but I owe you an apology; while I ought to know your name & other facets of your identity such as age, occupation, marital status, etc., alas! I do not. And should you wonder why an anonymous letter-writer such as myself feels any obligation to know anything about your life, this brings me to: Secondly, I first noticed you approx. 8 weeks ago. It was a mid-December, Thursday, and a constant drizzle had persisted for 4 days, perhaps 5, and such weather had taken an expected toll on my mood, which is to say I was glum, perhaps verging towards a clinically diagnosable species of depression and my colleagues, and also friends, told me over and over how I exuded a mood-killing funk out of every pore & orifice. Something off in my expression, perhaps? Or in the cant of my shoulders? Anyhow one evening I was riding the subway home as normal and I saw a man in an amethyst coat and at first I simply admired the boldness of his sartorial choice (your sartorial choice), gawked at your willingness to ignore the unspoken regulations that trap the rest of us in grays and blacks and blues (gawking in admiration, to be clear). But then after my eye had been seized by the hue of your garment I noticed your face and really what I really noticed was that in the middle of an unremarkable subway car, pressed between office workers and young folk out for a night of fun and retirees whiling away their idleness, there you were, exuding a powerful, honest warmth. And as I continued examining your countenance I’m not sure how to put it exactly, but I felt less alone and less anonymous and also less hopeless about the world around me.
I don’t think you noticed me watching you.
I tried to be not-noticed, shuffled behind a big fat man watching videos at full volume on his phone. But I did watch you, not necessarily because I was enraptured by the curve of your eyebrow and dignity of your nose and the rich mingling of browns suffusing your irises but because you seemed like a brave person, brave and principled and willing to think for yourself, in other words a good person, and I couldn’t quite figure the precise reason for why I thought so, and so I kept watching until you disembarked. Then the next day, I made my same commute and saw a man who reminded me of the purple coat despite his navy jacket, and upon closer reflection I realized, same person, it was you. Which is to say, thirdly, we’ve been taking the subway together for the past few weeks, you standing by the door, me a few meters away, running a complex series of mental computations in the hopes of deriving what about you is so genuine and decent. And, finally, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve thought about committing to a course of action that will allow me to break free of the standardized routine of embarkation and silence and disembarkation, allow me to shift from not noticed to noticed. Like maybe tripping and falling or spilling a bottle of water or saying, “hi”, at exceptional volume. Because you’ve brightened my world, Mr. Sometimes Wears a Purple Coat, and there’s something in your features that makes me think maybe we could resonate with each other maybe. But every time I think about tripping or spilling or shouting, I tell myself I should be bold and have the courage to take a chance, but then I wonder about what-ifs and freeze, paralyzed by potential admonitions and denigrations, silences and snubs, and by the time I’ve once again persuaded myself to go for it, focus on the possible positives, the train’s passed XXX Road and you’ve disembarked and I tell myself I’ll be bold tomorrow. Then tomorrow I find myself once again paralyzed by potential disasters and embarrassments, and again the next tomorrow. There were moments when I came so close to doing something, stepping out into the middle of the subway car and making eye contact and saying, “hi”, or, “hello”, something along those lines. But every time I’d look up and you were already stepping out of the carriage, already in the station, head down,
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
The Gavel
Legal notes from The Nanjinger in association with:
D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel
Rules; Purpose, Type & Why We Follow them
R
ules are sets of instructions and consequences that are established to help individuals and whole communities, live and work together harmoniously. These rules are found everywhere, in schools for example, in workplaces, at social gatherings or places of entertainment. Rules are also found in the home.
this rule is familiarity and learning by way of imitation of our surroundings. Culturally supported and stemming from orthodoxy and the beliefs of past generations, some examples of cognitive rules are problem agendas, beliefs, bodies of knowledge, models of reality, categories, classification and search.
Such rules find a special place in our lives as since childhood, our minds are ingrained to follow them. These rules are subjective in nature and they vary from person to person and depending on the circumstances, and other variables, such as personal values and morals.
The Purpose of Rules
Types of Rules Rules come in different forms and functions. Some rules are made by the persons in authority and some are made by people themselves. For example, traffic rules, rules regarding day to day affairs of a country are made by the government. Other rules regarding behaviour and etiquette are personal rules and are made by individuals. Rules come in mainly three different categories; regulative, normative and cognitive. In the first, regulative rules are made by a person/authority in power and [in a democratic society] are backed by legally-sanctioned referendums. The mechanism to implement these rules may be by coercion and it follows the mentality of instrumentality. Some examples of regulative rules are formal rules, laws, sanctions, protocols, standards and procedure. In the second, normative rules stem from the following of a set of social obligations. They are essentially morally governed by individuals upon their own sense of judgement and correctness. Usually, the mechanisms to implement these rules are normative pressures such as social sanction and follow the mentality of the morally governed. Some examples of normative rules are values, norms, role expectations, duty and code of conduct. In the last, cognitive rules are usually ingrained in our DNA and we unconsciously follow them on the basis of what we see and observe around us. The basic nature of
Rules seek to maintain equal opportunities for all, together with the same limitations and restrictions. Without rules, people could get hurt or be at a disadvantage. When used and respected appropriately, rules provide a climate of consistency and security for each person. In essence, rules are developed to invoke a sense of fairness to each individual and the collective; avoiding that someone takes advantage over another. Without rules, everyone would undoubtedly do what suits them best. In some cases, their non fulfilment may have consequences, but that depends on the space, character, intensity, severity and type of organisation of the group, and their common goals. Rules are the basis for a harmonious and respectful coexistence of all civilisation. Many historians and sociologists claim that without the rules, society would be plunged into chaos and the human being would still be a savage individual. Generally, the last step in the evolution of the rules of a society is the creation and implementation of laws, whereby the rulers of a community give institutional character to their rules, establishing in turn reinforcement mechanisms for their compliance and sanctions for non compliance. People have long often respected rules to avoid punishment for non compliance, most often in the first years of life, meaning childhood and youth. But with the passage of time, the vast majority of inhabitants acquire the awareness and responsibility to comply with the rules for the simple and important reason of respecting order in society and each of the members therein.
DISCLAIMER This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Although the information in this article was obtained from reliable official sources, no guarantee is made with regard to its accuracy and completeness. For more information please visit dandreapartners.com or WeChat: dandreapartners
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
From B2B to B2C;
True Innovation Made in (Nanjing) China By Frank Hossack
Victor Du, MEI Awards Secretary General, with some of the products granted a MEI Award, at the Made-in-China.com headquarters in Nanjing’s Jiangbei New Area
I
nnovation. That’s a word which in Nanjing is bantered around like baozi. But slapping the label “innovative” on something doesn’t make it so.
To find the genuine article, The Nanjinger first asks the question, what does Africa’s number 1 music APP, Boomplay, have in common with a bunch of students at Nanjing University of Science & Technology (NUST)? We’ll get to that. First, a little story about a Nanjing success story. We all know Alibaba and Amazon, but outside of the manufacturing and export sectors, few in the international community might be aware of Made-in-China.com. Dating back to 1998 and with over six million Registered Supplier Members, Made-in-China.com taps business opportunities for Chinese suppliers and overseas buyers, providing one-stop services for promoting international trade between the two sides. And it’s all proudly happening in Nanjing. But with so many suppliers, how is a buyer supposed to know which ones really do provide the top-quality products that they claim to and which the rest of the world demands?
Say hello to the Made-in-China.com initiative, the Manufacturing Excellence & Innovation Awards (MEI Awards). Initiated in 2011 in celebration of excellence in Chinese product manufacturing, the contest brings together the brightest of Chinese manufacturers in the launch of a series of outstanding products. These are then showcased at global events where Chinese manufacturers display their exemplary creations and share industry insights. All well and good. But here comes the innovative part, as was recently explained to The Nanjinger by Victor Du, MEI Awards Secretary General. Africa is now of course an emerging key market for Chinese manufacturers. And Africa has a lot of young people, somewhere now in the vicinity of 260 million in fact. And what do young people like? Music. Therein, in addition to the sales of albums and videos, merchandise (let’s be cool and call it the “merch”) makes up a sizeable portion of an artist’s income. And in order to bring in as many of those South African Rand or Nigerian Naira as possible, that means the merch must be of high quality.
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That’s where the innovation comes in. By agreeing to order their lovely merch from Mei Award-winning manufacturers, Made-in-China was able to leverage their localness to bring in design students at NUST.
supporting the students’ portfolios. It goes without saying that the students jump at the chance to work with pop stars, while obviously the promotion/ manufacturing chain is happy too.
It’s a true “win-win”. The artists get what they want and at the same time tap into a new audience, as well as
The way it works is the students in Nanjing hold online meetings with African artists, including the likes of 9ice and Kaptain, who provide a little direction as to the kind of merch in which they may be interested. With that look into the artists’ minds, they students get a feel for the direction they are going to take. That merch is then worn by the artists themselves in their music videos, during their concerts and undoubtedly throughout the duration of their much-Instagramed life. Fans order the merch, by MEI Award-winning factories listed on BoomMall (Boomplay’s online shopping mall) and the circle is complete. In two words, it’s pure genius.
So what designs are the NUST students coming up with? Dog tags and tshirts are especiallypopular items. Du disclosed to The Nanjinger that factories have reported to him some of these items of merch have quickly been sold out. What’s not to love? As a concept, the initiative in a nutshell connects the artists with their many fans, as well as manufacturers here in China with African consumers, in the process transcending the numerous barriers to business presented by COVID. For Du, his baby that is the MEI Awards fits nicely into his broader picture. A Nanjinger through and through, Du’s mission is see his city become synonymous with the word “quality”. Now if there’s ever been a better example of inspirational innovation, this publication is yet to see it. And it’s all proudly happening in our very own Nanjing.
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
NANKINISH By Wu Zeyuan
Y
ou know there is a sort of restaurant in every city. They often look small and unpretentious from the outside, despite their long-standing reputation in the community. They specialise in local favourites; nothing too fancy, but simply tasty and comforting. The prices are affordable, the vibe casual and friendly. Inside, surrounded by glasses clinking, people chatting and perhaps kids crying, you peek into the everyday life of locals and as the night goes on, eventually find yourself becoming part of them. It might get too loud sometimes, but having been through all that we have in the past 2 years, we begin to better appreciate the liveliness and vitality of small businesses which we used to take for granted. One of these very restaurants in Nanjing is Fulinxuan. Tucked away on a backstreet off Jiqingmen Da Jie, it is surrounded by a few residential compounds which were built well before the rapid rise of the Heixi area. In contrast to the iconic LED lights of Golden Eagle World which is within walking distance, the street where Fulinxuan is located was a bit dark on the rainy autumn night when we arrived. The breeze was cool and humid. The dim street lights were reflected on the wet pavement. What we needed at that moment was exactly the scene of bustle and warmth inside Fulinxuan, along with the aroma of food. Luckily, we had a reservation, as all the tables quickly became occupied by 6 pm on that workday. The interior decor looked quite decent, albeit moderately timeworn. With only seven tables (and three banquet rooms upstairs), the limited space was nevertheless packed with energy. The servers hurrying between tables were efficient and loud. A group of young lads sitting next to us sounded particularly excited, with beer bottles everywhere around them. However, the most distinguishable sounds came from the kitchen; from the other side of the restaurant we could clearly hear someone calling out the tickets. It was quite impressive,
considering how loud the dining area already was. Then I learned that was the chef and co-owner. He apparently has the bigger voice. The menu is quite focused by Chinese standards, but enough to cover everything you would need for a meal. I like the fact that every dish on the menu is visualised in photographs, which is particularly helpful if you don’t read Chinese. Their signature dishes even have names in English, although they seem to be poorly translated by some basic software and can be completely off sometimes. The restaurant specialises in Nanjing cuisine. Many of the items on the menu would seem familiar to any local resident. I am convinced that everything here should be promising based on the seven dishes we ordered, but if you would like some recommendations to get the ball rolling, here they are.
Liangfen Noodles for Everyone I was excited to see this on the menu, and I would be disappointed if you went there without ordering this. Not just me, but everyone else in the restaurant would be disappointed if you didn’t. Just take a look around, and you would find this dish on every single table. In fact, as a group of three, we finished two plates of them, and we could finish three had we ordered another. So, what exactly are “liangfen” (凉粉) noodles? Well, in fact, the word is defined differently in different parts of China. Although it always involves some cold, transparent noodles, as the Chinese term suggests, the making of the noodles and the flavours vary considerably from region to region. In Nanjing, liangfen is a widely loved street food made from pea starch. Over 20 years ago, you could easily find a Liangfen stand anywhere around you. On warmer afternoons, a portable table or two would be set up by the roadside, where passersby would sit down for a quick snack. 24
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Using a soap-dish-shaped grater, the liangfen maker would shave off a bowl of transparent noodles from a big chunk of gelled starch, and then season it up with some sweet and sour dressing and finely diced pickles. Chili oil would also be available upon request. Those stands are now rarely found due to street regulations, so are the liangfen noodles in Nanjing style. That’s perhaps why this humble food is so much appreciated by every local diner at Fulinxuan. Although the noodles here are served on a plate instead of in a disposable bowl, the texture and flavours are exactly the same as the old days. They are perfect as a starter; refreshing and appetizing, and low in calories so that your stomach won’t be filled before the mains. In fact, they also serve as a palate cleanser, so we ended up having another plate after the mains.
For Meat Lovers Another dish that every table seemed to have ordered was braised beef. Fulinxuan uses a cut near the ribs which is full of big bones and cartilage, and turns this inexpensive cut into a pot of deliciousness with slow cooking and balanced flavours. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and moist, and goes well with the gelatinous cartilage for a complex texture. “Pork stuffed river snails” is a common dish in the lower Yangtze area, which takes some effort to make. The meat of the snails is firstly removed from the shells. It is then finely chopped, seasoned and mixed with minced pork, and stuffed back into each shell. The stuffed snails are then cooked with spices, soy sauce and Chinese yellow wine. It also takes some effort to eat as you need to pick the meat out from the shells, but all that effort will be rewarded for with the best of both worlds; the earthy, umami taste of the snails and the fatty juiciness of the pork.
For Adventurers I know you don’t mind eating animal organs if you are reading this. So how about “pork kidneys and bean
sprouts” or “stir-fried chicken giblets and mushrooms”? Organ meats are usually the most flavourful dishes in any Chinese restaurant; you know why that is, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. If those are not enough, there is another classic Nanjing dish called “Double Stinks,” typically made with stinky doufu and pork intestines. Here in Fulinxuan, the former is replaced with stinky Mandarin fish which you might be keen to try.
For Veggie Lovers The roasted kabocha squash is a must-have. For at least one moment, this dish made me feel like I could survive the season without pumpkin spice. Cubed with skin on, the squash was roasted on a bed of sweet onions. It was warm, sweet, creamy, nutty and slightly salty. Of course, there was no trace of cinnamon, or nutmeg or ginger, but you would forget about those and be completely satisfied with the original flavour of the winter squash. We also ordered “stir-fried baby bok choy with pork scratchings.” It used to be a classic vegetable dish that people made at home as a great use of pork scratchings; a byproduct of rendering lard. It is less often seen these days as most people no longer render lard at home and have become more concerned with fat intake. The menu also has two dishes featuring luhao (芦蒿) which are now out of season. Luhao is a kind of wormwood which is grown for its edible stalks. It has a refreshing, herbal aroma which is how spring tastes like in Nanjing. I will come back for them next year.
A Plus for Drinkers Just a few steps away along the street, there is a nice craft-beer bar called Ning. Cozy and smoke-free, Ning offers a good selection of domestic and imported beers with eight taps and more bottles in the fridge. It is a convenient stop for some beer digestif. Alternatively, you can bring some beer from here to Fulinxuan to go with your meal. You won’t be judged either way.
Fulinxuan 富临轩私房菜, 188 Jiqingmen Avenue 集庆门大街188号 Tel: 52267778. Hours: 11:30-13:30 / 16:30-20:30 25
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
Great Nanjingers (26)
China’s Principal Islamic Figurehead; Muhammad Ali Yu Zhengui By Frank Hossack
Muhammad Ali Yu Zhengui (余振贵) was a former Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Former Vice President and Secretary General of the China Islamic Association. Born in Nanjing in February, 1946, of Hui ethnicity, Yu was to become renowned for his research in to the history of Islam in China, as well as ethnic and religious issues. Graduating from the History Department of Fudan University in Shanghai, Yu was first a teacher for Pingluo Railway Station Middle School in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This was followed by stints working with the Northwest Coal Mine Machinery Plant in Dawukou and the Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences, between 1974 and 1999. It was during this latter term that his future as a leading Muslim in China took shape, with Yu becoming a consultant to the China Islamic Association. Among his many, many other roles, Yu also served as the Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, Secretary General of the China Religious Peace Commission and Deputy Secretary General of the Asian Religious Peace Commission. Awarded the titles of "Young and Middle-aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions" and
“Advanced Individual of National National Unity", Yu was able to enjoy special allowance of the State Council. During his life, Yu authored more than 40 papers and 10 academic monographs that were published in journals at home and abroad. Among them, “Annotated Summary of Chinese Islamic Documents” (中国伊斯兰 文献著译提要; 1993), co-authored with Yang Huaizhong (杨怀中) and signed by Yu himself, sells for ¥298.00 even today. Yu passed away of illness on 18 August, 2019, while the farewell ceremony for his remains was held at the China Islamic Scripture Institute in Beijing. A loyal Communist Party member, Yu’s death was described by media as a great loss to the Chinese-Islamic academic community. Upon his passing, those expressing their condolences or attending Yu’s funeral included representatives of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Peace Commission of Chinese Religious Circles, World Religion Research Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Religious Society, Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences, Central University for Nationalities, Beijing Union University, Hui Society, Jiangsu-Iraq Association, Ningxia-Iraq Association and the Nanjing-Iraq Association. 27
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
Teenage Jailbreak ;Nothing but an Entire Wall of Noodles
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
You’re 17 years old. And your parents have given permission for you to go to SHANGHAI byyourself for the day. RULES OFTHE GAME: Take a morning train, and be sure to be on the last fast train back to Nanjing that night.
WHAT DO YOU DO? WHERE DO YOU GO? By Lillian Paetzold Chen Calling all instant noodle lovers! One way to get the attention of the youth is with instant noodles. I guarantee you the majority of your friends enjoy the occasional (or frequent) packet of noodles, whether as a guilty pleasure or a commonplace snack, quick and simple, or with a few add-ins. So why not take them to… RAMEN BOY IN SHANGHAI Hidden from plain sight, Ramen Boy may be hard to find and is certainly not the biggest bistro you’ll encounter in your life. But I assure you, there’s no other place with as many options for ramen within a 100-kilometre radius than Ramen Boy, a direct translation from “泡面男孩”. Located inside the community at 112 Xikang Lu in downtown Shanghai (上海市西康路112号小区里), look for the white entrance canopy with the big, burgundy characters. Choose to sit in their quaint, outdoor seating area with the instant noodle vending machine, or indoors to gaze upon their Instagram-worthy wall of noodles. The clean, calm atmosphere is accompanied by attentive and friendly staff. The joint is also scattered with unique figurines, ranging from cartoon characters to the miscellaneous. Not to mention their odd painted depictions of people eating ramen and a lit-up sign reading, “My favourite type of men, is ramen”. Their wall of noodles displays over 200 different kinds of instant noodles from all across east Asia, although not all are available all year-round. The menu separates ramen by country of origin; Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Malaysian and
Indonesian. Also on offer is a wide array of side dishes and noodle toppings. A signature noodle menu consists of the house favourites and the best sellers, varying in price and flavour. They’re not the cheapest option out there, with the average price being ¥48, depending on the number of toppings and noodle choice. A limited-time offer has the cheapest at ¥8.8 for a bowl of “Lo mien” that comes with a fried egg and veg. At the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive is no more than ¥60. Not only are the menus in English or have pictures, there are also an impressive amount of vegetarian and vegan options and alternatives, 11 in fact, titled the “Green Choice”. They come with Omni-pork alternatives to place atop your noodles or vegan cheese for those who prefer their noodles cheesy, along with vegan side dishes. So, don’t worry vegetarians, you won’t starve here. And there is also a wide variety of seafood-based options. For the spicy-noodle enthusiasts, check out the ample choices of spicy-Korean noodles, their spiciness indicated by the amount of “flames” in the descriptions, ranging from none and getting gradually spicier, with the spiciest having 10 flames! Finally for dessert, a combination sweet and savoury, with the signature Spam and Crispy Ramen Ice-Cream for a mere ¥28. And to work off all those calories, Ramen Boy is located in a lively shopping district perfect for a post-ramen afternoon stroll. 29 29
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
By Matthew Stedman
I’m All out of Green I’m So Lost without You So I’m a red risk all of a sudden. It’s a shock for someone who’s conjured only green codes from so many apps this past quarter-of-adecade. My red code will be a shock for some reading this, too. Perhaps, blissfully green for as long as such colours existed, you just experienced a twinge in your buttocks, before remembering that, no, printed paper cannot transmit pathogens from some guy in Shanghai, and nor can an LCD screen. Mindful of the two negative results after my nearexposure and before my colour-slander, it’s not concerning me that I might be incubating something or living something asymptomatically. This is merely a sickness in my account. Of course, as well as addressing those complacent virgins (me last week), I also need to acknowledge the actual people who have experienced the actual thing. You, probably, are not shocked, except at my exaggerated indignation over an unflattering code. It’s this group who I fully expect to join in the fullness of time. Myself and all readers. Naivety does not sustain. Yes, that’s a significant word. Search Engine it if you can. And I’m not just out of green codes; I’m out of green tea as well. I’m forced to dredge up the dregs of the apartment. The new job has left me too busy to buy any new tea, and it’s also the locked building where I’ve left most of my favourites. Now I’m home for a while.
There’s the inoffensive oolong I wrote about several months ago. There’s that pu er cake that never lived up to its fine wooden box. There’s jasmine tea, the popular favourite that just isn’t a favourite of mine. There’s the high-mountain oolong whose candiedpeach chunks annoy me even more now than when I first watched them instantly sog in the cup. I suppose I can chew the fruit before brewing the good tea. And there’s lemon in the fridge, always a palatability booster. These last teas may last me through. But I know that, right there at the back of the cupboard, there is another dried drink waiting to be opened. It’s the drink of 1848 and all that. It’s the drink which, assumed to be a better gift to give a foreigner, I have a lot of. There’s a powder keg there at the back of the cupboard. Hopefully, I can order some more tea. Maybe some nice red tea would suit this new badge. Soothing red tea. Calming red tea. Tea is a big part of being here. It’s helped me through stints of enforced nonvalescence before. Let me speak up for that wonderful cake of white tea started in March and just treated to a photo finish; it was two weeks ago that I expressed my gratitude to the giver of that beautiful gift, recalling how many times its herbal aromas offered refuge. Thank you again for that cake. Tea is important. Friendship is important. Hopefully, I will never have to reach the back of that cupboard. 30
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
The Building of Nanjing
~10~ Nanjing Railway Station By Frank Hossack
At 01:10 on 12 November, 1999, a fire broke out in the waiting room of Nanjing Railway Station. Later it would be discovered the cause was the aging of internal wiring. The fire quickly spread to the entire facility, while the Nanjing Municipal Fire Department dispatched 30 fire trucks to the rescue. The fire was extinguished at 02:15, but not before the entire waiting room had burned down. Its 1,841-squaremetre roof collapsed, and a 60-year-old employee on the second floor of the waiting room suffocated. It was the end of an era which began some 31 years earlier. In the 1960s, construction of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was underway, but there was a snag. The original Pukou Station and the former Nanjing Railway Station (now Nanjing West Railway Station) would not be able to connect to the new bridge. Therefore, a brand-new new railway station was also needed. The engineers and construction workers prevailed and on 1 October, 1968, the new Nanjing Railway Station was opened at the same time as the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. After the fire, reconstruction work was halted with the announcement that an entire new station instead be built, as one of the key projects for the 10th National Games that were to be held in Nanjing in 2005. On 28 June, 2002, the foundation stone was laid for the ¥350-million new station.
For that money, the number of tracks running though the station was to be increased from eight to 10; another platform built, bringing the total number to four; while all platforms were to be raised to door level, over which 50,000 square metres of columnfree canopies would be installed. Two passenger overpasses and one underpass were also to be built. As for the exterior, the look of the new Nanjing Railway Station was provided for and designed by French architecture firm, AREP. Given that it faces Xuanwu Lake, the architects therefore took sailing as inspiration for the design aesthetic that was also their first railway-station project in China. A mast and cable-stay suspension structure, the 18 masts rising from the Station’s roof support the structure’s transverse steel beams. They could easily pass for the masts of those in a vast armada of wooden sailing ships. That suspended roof is complimented by a large glass wall which inserts a counter curve reminding of Purple Mountain's gold and purple colours. Two rows of canopies, in harmony with the lake horizon, protect the inner spaces. In the years to come, a northern expansion to the Station was to follow, which included putting in more tracks and lines, as well as the building of the Nanjing Railway Station North Square. The expansion was officially opened on 8 August, 2014, the same day the Youth Olympics kicked off.
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
Additional info, online version or Chinese contact/ directions via the QR code that follows each review.
GASTRONOMY By Frank Hossack
Finally, a Mediterranean Heaven Lands in Nanjing
S
ome of our more talented-in-the-kitchen readers may recall being told they should perhaps think about opening a restaurant. Dinner table banter maybe, but get told it enough and the very few will inevitably entertain the proposition with some seriousness.
They’re taken with the food for sure, but also the decor (a bit overboard with the blue and white perhaps, but Chinese do like a fully-immersive experience) and the story of Vanessa Yiannikouros. Greek, obviously, Yiannikouros is all about connecting people with her home country, through food. We have her mother to thank for that, in the dishes Yiannikouros learned to cook from recipes handed down through the family for generations. Upon stepping into seemingly-small Santorini, the first order of business is to transport oneself, Tardis fashion, upstairs, where ample seating is to be found for the non waifs among us. There, each table is stocked with salt, a black pepper grinder, extra-virgin olive oil and, in presumably-true Greek fashion, paprika. It’s a nice touch, and one that immediately hints at we are indeed about to experience the real thing.
Such a scenario sets the scene for Santorini, a new haven of Greek delight which has had Nanjing’s international community hyping the heck out of it. But is that deserved? Sitting across the road from Nanjing International School in the bazaar of fried-chicken joints, nail centres and tyre-kicking hairdressers, Santorini has quickly become a firm favourite with teachers and staff with the aforementioned.
Those boxes ticked, approach the menu. And at this point, The Nanjinger wishes to emphasise that we were on this day a sizeable group; five in fact, and that generally, gluttony is not our thing.
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
Keeping the kitchen busy, our table (we’d put two together but there would soon still not be enough space) was soon filling up with the very-shareable Greek Mezedes Platter (¥48), Greek Lettuce Salad (¥42), Greek French Fries with Feta and Oregano (¥28), and those those traditional Greek meatballs that are Keftedes (¥48). Then there was Makaronia Me Kima (spaghetti bolognaise essentially; ¥68), Oven Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Lemon, Greek Grilled Lamb Chops (two for ¥88) and the Cuts of Sirloin served with Potatoes (¥138).
Under ordinary circumstances I would likely not have bothered to participate in the street’s delicate dance between yielding, standing my ground, pretending not to notice and genuinely not noticing the frustrated motorists attempting to force their way past one group of disinterested pedestrians or another.
While all the aforementioned scored highly, special mention elsewhere is reserved for the Traditional Greek Mousaka (¥72), Chicken Souvlaki (both kebab and pita versions; ¥42 and ¥30 respectively). In a word, standout.
Within several metres, yards or for those who prefer sporting analogies over units of distance, the toss of any sort of ball, there are four establishments which are worthy of your patronage.
However, whilst Diaoyutai was once a backstreet that would be of little interest to anyone except its residents, things have more-recently changed.
First to arrive on the scene was Walden, which is a rather smart bar which instantly won my approval on account of the fact it is open for much of the afternoon and Le Bonheur, which has rapidly become a vogue coffee shop. Following in their wake are two craft beer bars, one which specialises in imported draft craft beer, “Latte Coffee and Craft Beer” and another, “Oasis Space” offering more modestly priced local beer.
On the downside (for us at least), the two Greek Frappes we ordered came with liquid sugar as the default. Apparently though, that’s the way it’s actually done in Greece, so we cannot criticise any lack of authenticity. And with their sweet tooth, the Santorini Frappes will be a hit with many a Chinese. Santorini 桑托里尼 is located at 1-42, 5 Xueheng Lu in Xianlin, Qixia 栖霞区学衡路5号 There is also a rather smart gentlemen’s hairdresser 1-42室. Tel 13338619256.= amidst this cornucopia of delight, but I am not sure why I have mentioned it, and the editor may well take his pen HOSTELRY By Matt Ford to this unnecessary embellishment.
Fishing for Afternoon Aperitifs along a Nanjing Backstreet
J
ust as along many other backstreets in China, Diaoyutai (钓鱼台; fishing stage) plays host to an uneasy truce between pedestrians, cyclists and the occasional motorist wishing they had not been tempted by an apparent shortcut.
The trick is to start at Walden which opens at 15:00 and, confusingly, has different cocktail menus for the afternoon and the evening. There are plenty of unique creations, some on an afternoon “happy hour” deal, making the consumption of at least two essential. The owner will also rustle up any classic cocktail you fancy. You could do worse than to ask him for a “Li Mat Yu”. You may need to remind him that this is a 1:1 mix of Fernet Branca and Campari, with a little syrup to taste, a few drops of vanilla essence, served straight up in a glass
THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
Latte still not be open once you have had your fill of coffee at Le Bonheur). Once any combination of your wallet, liver and tastebuds have taken a suitable hit it is time to move on to Oasis, which is diagonally opposite. In common with a number of Nanjing venues, the theme here is camping, with interior gravel, fold-up chairs from which you think you may never rise and a large number of potted plants: garden centre meets beer meets indoor camping, but it doesn’t really matter. After your Walden cocktails and strong imports at Latte you will likely look benevolently upon this curious folly.
rinsed with Absinthe and garnished with orange zest. This is one of the unsung greats (unless you are neither a fan of Fernet nor Campari). After this, Le Bonheur will fill the classic Nanjing timewarp beer void whilst the bars get their act together and consider opening. The actual opening hour for Latte seems to vary between 17:00 and 18:00. The crafty gambit at Le Bonheur is to grab a window seat and sup your dark roast Dirty Coffee whilst keenly watching the door opposite. At just the right moment, you can descend upon Latte, looking at your watch with Unlike Latte, the staff here have little English and, save studied confusion, suggesting that the hour at which they for the sight of “IPA” on the menu you will have no idea deign to open is not without consequence (despite the fact what to choose. This is part of the fun of course, and my that for them, it clearly is). advice is to have a random beer or two before heading You will find a dozen imported draft beers in this tiny bar, which also dabbles in coffee and chocolate cake, which is bold considering their neighbour opposite. The place is hopelessly small, but the windows pull back to create a lovely open street-bar so this is the ideal time of year to visit. (Now I remember why I had mentioned the hairdresser next door. It is a potential distraction should
back out into Diaoyutai. Now you can safely (or more likely not) fall into the category of “genuinely not noticing the frustrated motorists” as you wend your way through the street without a care in the world along with your fellow Nanjingers, pondering where you might head for a bite to eat. Talking of food, Walden is due to open a kitchen any time now. I don’t know what they will serve, but I did my best to convince the owner that what Nanjing needs is a civilised place like his serving decent bread, plenty of imported cheese and a good selection of Italian ham (or Spanish, I am not fussy). There is a restaurant directly above Walden and, of course, plenty on offer nearby in the heart of Laomendong, which has the added bonus of more craft beer on draft at Table Space. Cheers! Diaoyutai 钓鱼台 is located off Zhongshan Nan Lu 中山南路 and Jiqing Lu 集庆路, intersecting
the
two
in
a
northwest-
southeast direction. 34
THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
The NIS Lion treated Nanjing International School’s Early Years Centre to a surprise visit after hearing about the new students in Pre-K and Kindergarten. The students gave the Lion a warm welcome and were eager to show off songs and dances that they’d learned. The NIS Early Years Centre is designed specifically for small children beginning their learning adventure, to discover and play in a safe and inclusive environment.
10 September, 2022
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THE NANJINGER | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 01 | OCTOBER 2022
It was a fun-filled lead up to National Day for students at EtonHouse Nanjing. Through “Pizza and Pyjama Day” for older students, "Crazy Hat Day" for middle years and a "Teddy Bear Picnic" for kindergarten students, the day’s aim was to foster self expression, creativity, diversity and inclusion among the school’s learners.
EtonHouse Na n j i n g 30 September, 2022
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THE NANJINGER | 2022.10
Metro Map THE
Download this map to your smartphone via The Nanjinger website
The Nanjinger’s Metro Map is the only printed map of the city’s metro system to include first and last times for every station, perfect for planning a late night out or an adventure to somewhere new with an early start. In the case of last trains, passengers are advised to enter the station of departure at least 10 minutes before the train time.
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