Need2LearnChinese Blog

Qingdao has long been famed as a city of leisure and ease. Even its most famous product, Tsingtao beer, fits into this image and has boosted the coastal city's fame around the world. But what makes Qingdao a historical and cultural city is its architecture.

Qingdao, in Shandong Province, retains many buildings with a combination of German and Chinese elements in the city center.

Combine this with some German demographic roots and a large Korean population, and you have an atmosphere special to Qingdao.

The old city was essentially built by Germans during the colonial era.

This area of the city retains many buildings that were designed by Germans.

Every year many Germans still go to Qingdao to see the well-preserved German influence in the city.

Architecture can be considered a part of culture as buildings are living reminders of historical events.

Thus the German buildings in Qingdao are a gift, in a way, to world history and culture.

Zhanqiao Pier is an obvious destination for travelers as it is the symbol of the city. It will also help people understand the changes in Qingdao's fortunes during the past 100 years.

The 440-meter-long Zhanqiao Pier is in Qingdao Bay and connects with Zhongshan Road. The views from here contrast sharply with the towering modern buildings looking down upon the former German Concession with its church peaks and parks, the red clay tiles interrupted only by dark green pines.

During the full-tide season, tourists and locals gather together collecting seashells and enjoying the charming beach view. With the ebbing of the tide people can appreciate the brown reefs and yellowish sand.

Continue reading "East and West charm mix in leisurely city" »

Posted by jialilyus at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Shanghai Morning Post reports that, according to Euromonitor International, by 2020, China’s middle class will expand to 700 million.

With China's impressive economic growth, the middle class in the country is expanding strongly.

China’s middle class currently accounts for roughly 23 percent of the whole population, based on comprehensive analysis of the 2005 1 percent National Population Sample Surveys, the China General Social Survey (CGSS) conducted by Renmin University of China and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2005 as well as General Social Survey data (GSS) by National Academy of Social Sciences in 2006.

The middle class in China is defined as households with an annual income between RMB 60,000 and RMB 500,000.

Euromonitor International’s study shows China's middle class has grown from 65.5 million in January 2005 to 80 million in January 2007. It is forecasted to expand to 700 million by 2020, driven by continued strong economic growth. According to the Research Report on National Population Development Strategy, in 2020, China’s population is to reach 1.45 billion. So in ten years China’s middle class will account for 48 percent of the whole society.

Continue reading "China’s middle class to reach 48% in 10 years" »

Posted by jialilyus at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As if being the first Apple Store in Shanghai wasn't enough, there's something even more unique about the flagship store: The Briefing Room, a special VIP place to learn about and try out Apple products.

Kept separate from the noisy hustle and bustle of the rest of the store, the room includes built-in monitors, a worldwide iChat function, and speakers built into the ceiling, making for the ultimate conference call. There are also other Apple products on hand in the room like MacBooks and iPods, so businesses can come in and train employees on how to use new Apple products.

We can assume that with this new addition to certain Apple stores, the company is trying a new business tactic to further promote its products. So far, the Briefing Room is a feature seen only in two other stores around the world, Chicago and Minneapolis. Being that this Shanghai Apple store is located in one of the busiest financial district in the world, we bet this Briefing Room will be seeing a lot of action - and soon!

Posted by jialilyus at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

China issued a new anti-corruption regulation Sunday to require officials to report changes in their marital status, the whereabouts of their spouses and children if they have moved abroad, personal incomes, housing as well as their family' s investments.

The new regulation was issued by the General Office of China's State Council and the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The regulation defines "officials" as those leaders holding official ranks of and above county level in government agencies, democratic parties, public institutions, state owned enterprises and state holding enterprises.

The new regulation requires officials to report changes in their marital status and the location of their spouses and children if they have moved abroad, within 30 days after such a change takes place.

Specifically, officials should report their ownership of passports or visas and their children's marital status if they are married to foreigners or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Officials should also report any businesses their spouses and children are involved in, both within China and abroad.

The new regulation also requires officials to report their ownership of property, including property in their spouses' or children's names, their family's investment in financial assets and in enterprises.

According to the regulation, if officials fail to report honestly or in a timely fashion, they would face punishment to various degrees, even as harsh as removal of official ranks.

The regulation also ordered party organizations at all levels to strengthen management and supervision over officials to guarantee the implementation of the regulation.

This regulation is considered an important measure to ensure strict self-discipline for Party and government officials and to improve the intra-Party supervision system.

Posted by jialilyus at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)