In Chinese culture, the horse represents intelligence, courage and untamed freedom. It is also a powerful symbol of capability and success, often embodied in the mythical beast qian li ma – a winged steed not unlike Pegasus in Greek mythology – which is said to be able to travel long distances in a very short time. Qian li ma is also used to describe a person with extraordinary talent.
Despite its great speed, the horse came in seventh in a race that the Jade Emperor, considered the ruler of heaven, used to determine the order of the Chinese zodiac cycle, according to legend.
China Taxicab Chronicles: Mr. Le offers Career Advice in Xiamen
Mr. Le picked us up at the entrance to the Zeng Cuo’an tourist area in Xiamen. We were going to the ferry terminal and it was the middle of the day, so we had a bit of a ride ahead of us. I was immediately struck by his unique vehicle. (guess I should have been looking where I was going, amirite? *ba-dum tiss*)
Actually, what I meant to say is I immediately noticed his distinctive vehicle. It was a BYD EV, but I’d never seen one like it before. It was shaped like a smaller SUV crossover but had sliding doors and a somewhat boxy roof that offered lots of headspace like a minivan.
“Hey shifu, what is this car model? I’ve never seen it before. The BYD what?”
Mr. Le responded enthusiastically. "We just call it “Little Green” (小绿). BYD designed a car for rideshare drivers, as a partnership with Didi. It sold very well in Xiamen."
Wang Ou: Migrant workers, after the honeymoon
Sociologist & child of migrant workers shares stories of young migrant workers through marriage and parenthood—and finds where everyday lives collide with urban rules.
A young woman who once described her cheery days in Shenzhen later sits on a doorstep in a Guangxi village, exhausted, saying the happiest and brightest days of her life are behind her. Mothers leave before dawn while children are still asleep, or ask grandparents to take them out so they will not see the goodbye, dreading the day they return and the child no longer calls them “Mum”. The promise of the city fades once migrants begin to ask a simple question: not how to work there, but how to belong.
China’s cities have a way of making migrant workers feel welcome—right up to the point they try to bring a family into the picture. As long as the newcomers are young, single, and mobile, they can look almost indistinguishable from urban youth: earning wages, spending freely, dating, drifting between jobs, sampling the city’s pleasures in dormitories and urban villages. Then a child arrives, and the city’s welcome mat is suddenly pulled back.
An 11-year-old girl in China who often sends text messages to her dead grandfather has moved millions of internet users in the country.
According to a report by media outlet The Cover, the girl’s mother known as Han, who lives in the southwestern Sichuan province, discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone-watch.
The little girl has a careless personality and seldom talks about the grandfather’s death.
As a result, Han was surprised and touched when she found the messages. She later shared them on social media and gave her reflections on her daughter’s education.
At Chinese Premier’s policy roundtable: Who were invited this time?
Representatives from academia, the business community, and sectors including education, science, culture, public health, and sports were invited to offer views on key documents.
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang chaired a high-level symposium to solicit opinions on two key policy documents: the draft Government Work Report and the draft outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development.
Such meetings are a long-standing practice in China’s policy process. Before the Government Work Report is formally presented to the National People’s Congress, senior leaders typically convene representatives from different sectors to gather feedback and calibrate policy priorities.
A video clip released by a woman in China in which her husband is seen smashing up their home because she bought a 1,500-yuan (US$215) dishwasher has gone viral on social media.
The woman, who lives in Guangdong province, southern China, said in a video posted on January 8, that she had bought the machine from an online platform without telling her husband.
She said she needed it because the tap water in winter was too cold for her to wash by hand, the Dahe News reported.
This weekly newsletter is put together by DeLisle Worrell, President of the ABCF. Visit us at Association for Barbados China Friendship | (abcf-bb.com).
Thanks to everyone who sent contributions for this week’s Update. Please send items of interest to me via the contact page at ABCF-BB.com or to info@DeLisleWorrell.com
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
