Category Archives: Ideas in Chinese Life

Entire Kunming （昆明） Apple Store: Fake (With Photos)

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Richard

From the WSJ China Real-Time Report: A blogger in Kunming posted photos on Wednesday of a local store which, from a distance, looked just like one of the consumer electronics giants’ iconic full-service retail stores. It featured a glass exterior, … Continue reading →

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Video: Car Mounts Pedestrian Bridge to Avoid…Oh, Gee, You’ve Got to See It

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Richard

The TV anchor describes the extraordinary (but not so for China) actions of a driver during rush hour: driving over a traffic jam on a pedestrian overpass! A man holding a baby attempts a blocking manuever — senseless in itself … Continue reading →

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Here We Go Again — Something for “Asians,” Whatever They May Be

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Richard

“Asians” using the term “Asian” in an “Asian” context.  From the “Asian” Wall Street Journal:

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Szpilman and Saaler on Pan-Asianism — Part 2

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Richard

[Continued from this page.] Yet, for all this cultural tension, the material advantages of the West and of modernity in general became obvious to most Asians, except for a very small number of reactionary obscurantists. Western-style modernity was an indispensible … Continue reading →

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Make Sure Your Buns are Fresh — Scandalous Chinese Food

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Richard

The stories about food in China sicken as they entertain: “mineral water” from the Shanghai tap, lead in tea (dried by the exhaust of military trucks), rice coated with machine oil (to increase weight) and now recyled buns. On a … Continue reading →

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Szpilman and Saaler on Pan-Asianism — Part 1

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Richard

[Editor's preface: "Asia" means what, exactly? Think on that. Perhaps one or more of these ring true: A landmass of indeterminate size A cuisine of indeterminate regional origin A people of indeterminate nationality and ethnicity To modern Americans, the term … Continue reading →

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Three Observations on Taiwan Today

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Richard

A generation's worth of changes on Taiwan, of which Rich discusses three, observed on his most recent trip to the island. [The text version of this podcast may be found directly below.]

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Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen: Taiwan as Tourist Destination for Mainland Chinese

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Richard

[The audio podcast of this post may be found directly above this on www.asiabizblog.com or at any podcast service, including iTunes.] Your Editor recently returned from several weeks on Taiwan, after an absence of more than a decade. I’ve always … Continue reading →

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Good Cat in Screenland – An Interview with Richard Cohen

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Richard

Today’s post is my interview with the documentary filmmaker, Richard Cohen. In Mr. Cohen’s latest work, “Good Cat in Screenland,” two entrepreneurs from Communist China acquire a bankrupt historic show business hotel in Culver City, California, where the Munchkins resided … Continue reading →

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Ai Wei-wei’s Artist Studio Razed on Party Orders

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Richard

Is Ai Wei-wei soon to become an artist in exile?

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