The Nian Li Festival in Maoming, China

Two days ago on Sunday, as I enjoyed a bowl of dumplings along an alley in Maoming, Guangdong province, I heard traditional Chinese music slowly growing louder and louder. Kids nearby were clearly excited and soon a Gods Parade passed by.

The parade was part of the Nian Li Festival (年例节). Nian Li is a local holiday celebrated in Maoming (and perhaps Zhanjiang) and it can't be found elsewhere, including Maoming's neighbor to the east, Yangjiang. According to Newsgd.com, during the Nian Li Festival people make sacrifices to gods, pray for good luck, and feast with relatives and friends. The Gods Parade and entertaining programs are also part of the festival.

After watching the parade pass, I decided a change in my day's plans was in order. So I finished my dumplings and tracked down where the parade had made a temporary stop. There I found a scene enshrouded in smoke from exploding firecrackers.

After the air cleared, people prayed.

Others placed many more firecrackers to set off.

Some were curious about my presence since there aren't many foreigners in Maoming. I met a number of people, including a few of the parade's flag carriers.

After the prayers finished, it was time to line up.

And they headed to another destination. I was told they went to 11 in total.

The parade had occasional onlookers.

Once at the next destination, they set up.

And things went mostly as before.

This time, though, one kid was super excited about the fireworks.

Again the parade continued on, sometimes stopping traffic.

After a long walk, we arrived at the final destination, a temple.

A variety of rituals took place. In one a man exhibited some fine attack skills.

To conclude, after a set of exceptionally loud explosions, the gods which had been paraded around were returned to the temple.

Later in the evening there there was a Chinese opera performance on a stage set up next to the temple. I couldn't make it that night, but I did catch some of the following night's performance.

For me, the holiday was another chance to experience traditional Chinese culture and see another example of how China can differ from one place to the next. There's always more to discover. Even if this is the first mention of the Nian Li Festival you've ever seen, you already know more than I did before I happened to be eating dumplings at the right place at the right time.

Inside a Small Factory on an Island in Yangjiang

As I explored Yangjiang, in places much smaller than the factories sometimes featured on the news I was reminded of Guangdong's role as a manufacturer for many of China's and the world's goods. For example, on the southern side of an island in the Moyang River I came across a nondescript building where I could here machines clacking. I can't provide specific directions to the location, because all online maps I've seen lack any details for the area.




I saw a man curiously looking at me, and I said hello. After doing my best to explain how a foreigner had found his way there, I inquired about the machines. He said he was the owner and welcomed me to take a closer look.

I first entered a living room area.

And I passed through another set of doors with a white sign marking the area for workers only.

I then entered a much larger room including everything from bunk beds to machinery.

The machines were noisily at work, apparently not requiring constant supervision.

The owner showed me their output: pins.

Yangjiang is known for knifes, and the pins are for knife handles.

After my tour, I met the man's wife and two sons.

My visit complete, as he escorted me to a bridge off the island I explained I hoped to share online the photos I took. The idea excited him, and he spoke about his desire for more people to know about Yangjiang and visit. After our conversation, he bade me farewell and hopped on a motorbike taxi.

As I reflected on what I had seen, I walked along the riverside and drank the parting "gift" he insisted I take--a tall can of Qingdao Pure Draft Beer.

My visit to a place much more than just a small pin factory was an opportunity to meet a friendly family, see another side of Yangjiang, and learn more about broader issues of interest to me, such as working / living conditions and technology usage. It's just a single example, but there's much to consider in the above photos and some aspects remind me of what I've seen elsewhere in China. I'll have more to say related to these topics in later posts.

But first I'll soon share an example of someone in Yangjiang who sells something very different from pins and knives.

Malaysia's Press Conferences May be Frustrating, But They're Better Than China's

With the fate of missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 and many of the details of who knew what, when they knew it, and what actions they took still unknown, I think it's largely premature to evaluate the Malaysian-led search efforts. Thomas Fuller's article in The New York Times about the scrutiny and criticism now faced by Malaysia's leaders mentions that no country may have been fully prepared to handle the situation. Fuller raises several other interesting points, but with my mind frequently focused on China I found the story he shared about a press conference in Malaysia especially remarkable:

... it was only under a barrage of intense questioning on Wednesday from a room packed with reporters who had arrived from many countries that officials acknowledged that the last recorded radar plot point showed the jet flying in the direction of the Indian Ocean — and at a cruising altitude, suggesting it could have flown much farther.

That raised the question of why the information had not been released earlier.

An important piece of information was only brought to light because of "a barrage of intense questioning". It felt like a world far away from the one revealed in a piece by Andrew Jacobs, also in The New York Times, about government press conferences in China, which are aptly described elsewhere by James Fallows as a "charade". Using a recent Chinese press conference "which caps the annual political gathering known as the National People’s Congress" as an example, Jacobs provided details:

The event is staged, with the complicity of some of the most respected brands in Western journalism ...

... unbeknownst to many people in China [BG: and many people elsewhere who would watch or learn about the press conference], all the questions had been vetted in advance, with foreign reporters and Foreign Ministry officials having negotiated over what topics were permissible, and then how the acceptable questions would be phrased.

This year CNN, Reuters, CNBC, The Associated Press and The Financial Times were among the outlets permitted to ask questions.

Nobody can say for sure, especially now, whether or not China's government would be better managing the current search effort for the missing plane if it were in Malaysia's shoes. But it's hard to believe China would have set up press conferences as open as Malaysia's. To some, that would be seen as an advantage, as at least implied by this tweet:

Chinese friend has completely lost patience with Malay authorities. "At least my Gvt wd lie and be competent enough to stick to it" #MH370
— Christopher Cherry (@christophcherry) March 13, 2014

As Fuller points out, in addition to increasing the chance of revealing more of the truth, the recent questioning of Malaysian officials has highlighted another benefit of real press conferences:

The government is accustomed to getting its way, and the crisis surrounding the missing plane is holding officials accountable in ways unfamiliar to them, [Malaysian lawyer] Ms. Ambiga said.

More truth. More accountability. The process can be messier, but they both increase the chance for improvements beneficial to Malaysia's people.

Malaysian officials are facing challenges, both in finding a missing plane and responding to a vigorous press, rarely, if ever, faced by China's officials. Whatever mistakes may have been recently made, Malaysia should be applauded for its relative openness. A telling point will be whether Malaysia's government uses the current experience as a stepping stone for bringing about important change, including expanding the government's openness and accountability, or sees it as a sign it should follow the model of hiding behind fake press conferences.

Equanimity in the Face of a War with Goats

Some non-threatening goats I saw last year in Zhuhai, China (photo previously shared here)

A brief break from all things China ...

If I am ever misquoted by a newspaper, I might appreciate it more if it leads to a result similar to the recent misquoting of Richard Robinson, founder of the Brighton Science Festival in the UK (HT Tania Branigan). In its apology The Argus explains:

We would like to clarify that the quote “I have become increasingly convinced that we are heading for a disastrous confrontation and that the 21st century will be remembered for a terrible war between mankind and goats” was a reader question and not a response from Mr Robinson.

The next paragraph, “People often underestimate how dangerous a goat can be – I personally know six people who have become severely injured by goats, and the annual death toll racked up by goats is over 2,000,000”, is also a reader question and not a response from Mr Robinson.

The Argus is happy to correct this and would like to apologise for the error.

I'm glad they were happy to correct the article. I imagine some readers received quite a jolt from the original version. The apology is currently circulating online for obvious reasons. What is often missing, though, is Robinson's deadpan response, one that stayed true to his outlook on life, the universe and everything:

The reassurance provided by a purely objective, existentialist view of life is that one can view with equanimity the scenario in which we humans are displaced by almost any other animal on the planet, including goats. It is all one, in the grand chaotic riot of things.

See the full article here for more of Robinson's thoughts and his lighter (or darker?) response to the followup question.

And more here soon on other topics also part of the "grand chaotic riot of things".

An Island in Yangjiang's Moyang River

In Yangjiang's Jiangcheng District there is a somewhat finger-shaped island which first caught my attention because of its older buildings. It may be debatable as to whether the island should be considered separate from a larger island surrounded by the Moyang River, and I can't find a name for the specific area on any map. It is crossed by Jiaoqiao New Road (滘桥新路) with Jiao Bridge (滘桥 ) on the western side and Moyang Bridge (漠阳桥) on the eastern side. Of the online maps I examined Sogou provided the most relevant details, so I will link to the location on their map (Chinese) here.

Jiaoqiao New Road (滘桥新路)

Below are a set of photos in the order they were taken on a walk I took slightly south of Jiaoquiao Road to as far as I could find roads, sometimes just dirt, towards the southern tip of the island. They provide a taste of the contrasts which can be found even in this small area of Yangjiang and detailed context for an upcoming post about one of the many friendly people I met there.

Smart Wife Swords in Yangjiang

Before arriving, I knew Yangjiang was known for knife manufacturing, in particular the company Shibazi. So I was not surprised to pass an apparent competitor to Shibazi one day while walking through the city.

But the name of the company, "Smart Wife", did attract my attention. I briefly pondered the challenges their branding would face in a market like the U.S. and took the above photo. As I stood there, I saw something in the store which compelled me to go inside.

It wasn't their giant knife.

It also wasn't their questioning whether you would dare touch the blade of their knives with your tongue.

And toy canons would also not have been enough to draw me inside.

Instead, it was their display of swords and axes for sale.

As I examined them more closely, I noticed they all had blunt edges. Although they could presumably still cause damage, they probably wouldn't get you far in Middle Earth. But at least touching them with your tongue shouldn't be a problem, and they can serve well for wall mounting.

One sword had an especially curious design I would not have expected to find in Yangjiang.

I asked one of the staff about its Star of David symbol. She said she didn't know its meaning, so I refrained from asking if it was a Maccabean sword. I later noticed other knife stores in Yangjiang with similar swords for sale, but I didn't see any others with the Star of David.

That concludes this light look at a Smart Wife store. In a later post, I will highlight a different side of Yangjiang's knife industry. Somebody has to make the knives.

An Old Place With a New Face in Yangjiang

In Yangjiang, Guangdong province, China

A Missing Plane in Asia

Sometimes you wake up, open an Internet browser window, stare for a few moments, and then think "Oh no ..."

Such was the case today when I learned Malaysia Airlines flight 370 carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had gone missing. It's not a positive sign when hours after losing contact with a large plane an airline says, "At the moment we have no idea where this aircraft is right now." As currently listed by Malaysia Airlines, a majority of the passengers are from China:

Nationality	Total
China/Taiwan	154 including infant
Malaysia	38
India	5
Indonesia	7
Australia	6
France	4
USA	3 including infant
New Zealand	2
Ukraine	2
Canada	2
Russian	1
Italy	1
Netherlands	1
Austrian	1

I have flown on Malaysia Airlines several times--roundtrip from Shanghai to Chennai with a layover in Kuala Lumpur and another time from Kuala Lumpur to Phnom Penh. Reuters reports Malaysia Airlines "has one of Asia's best safety records", and, similar to James Fallows, I have a positive impression of the airline. I'd rate all of my experiences flying with them as better than average.

An international effort to find the plane is underway, and the U.S. Navy is sending the destroyer warship USS Pinckney and a P-3C aircraft. After over 12 hours since contact was lost and daylight now gone, no signs of the plane have yet been found. Assuming the plane has crashed, there are a variety of possibilities for the cause (HT James Fallows).

One week ago in Kunming, China, there was a horrendous massacre at a railway station. It seems this week in China will end on a sad note as well. My thoughts are with everyone affected in China and elsewhere by either event.

A Far Away Place in the Middle of Yangjiang

I have shared photos of people playing xiangqi (Chinese chess) in Changsha here, Zhuhai here, and Liuzhou here. More recently, I saw two men playing the game in Yangjiang's Beishan Park atop a lush hill. They kindly welcomed me. As I watched, I enjoyed a sense of peacefulness in a place that felt much farther away than the several minutes walk from the city surrounding it.