See China

No flattery, no thanking and bowing, no solicitation for applauses, he made me sleep for four times, and that’s what a dignified poet is supposed to do. — Zuoxiaozuzhou on Bob Dylan’s April 6th Concert in Beijing

Set in a small town in Xinjiang which was hollowed out by two tunnel-digging fanatics and a huge project of oil-drilling, the much-discussed fiction Zaokong has brought people to reflect on the impact of modernization on the rustic life of Xinjiang.

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (狄仁杰之通天帝国), a new film by famous Hong Kong director Tsui Hark (徐克) featuring the Tang Dynasty legendary detective Dee Renjie will become another hit on the Chinese film market. Chen Chusheng (陈楚生), winner of 2007 Superboy Contest, interpreted its promotional songs with quite a touching voice. Drumbeats and ballad-style melody are very catching.

Do city people eat artificial rice? How can you find your home in your city where all houses look alike? If a student acts naughty in class in the city, will the teacher see it from the computer? How do you ride a plane? Do you sit on its wings or in its belly? These are some of the 100 questions written by primary pupils from remote Chinese countryside in Yunnan province.

Wu Guanzhong (吴冠中，1919-2010)，one of the most accomplished and outspoken Chinese painters, died at the age of 90 on June 25. He is famous for combining Chinese and western painting techniques, tenaciously pursuing beauty in adversities and calling for reform of China’s artistic administrative system.