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2017 Stockholm International Arts Festival Promotes China Dream, Peaceful Harmonious World

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

2017  Stockholm International Arts Festival has just concluded with its theme focusing on China Dream and a Peaceful and Harmonious World.

Wang Changning, Director of the Consulate of the Chinese Embassy said the festival presents different styles of arts from many different countries including China and Sweden. This is conducive to promoting China Dream and mutual understanding between Chinese and Swedish people and promoting the world peace.

“I think this festival is very meaningful in serving as a bridge between Chinese and Swedish people through music , singing and dancing.” said Wang.

Shuang Yan, director of the festival said this has been the fourth International Arts Festival which had been held in Australia, Spain and Russia.

This time it is held in Stockholm and jointly organized by Europe-China International Culture, Education and Business Development Association and Beijing Sunset Show Foundation.

Timothy Pillotti plays Peking Opera, Stopping the Horse. 

“The main purpose is to promote China Dream and building a peaceful and harmonious world through cultural exchange and communication.” said Shuang.

Zhu Yingying performs Xi Opera A Bird on the Branch very vividly. 

Shuang said there were four main parts of the festival including the music camp participated by Chinese and Swedish students, World Peace Day celebration concert, collectively and individual music contests and the grand closing concert.

Ruijing Voice of Arctic Choir, commander Yang Xiaoyin. 

The concert attracted a lot of famous Chinese professional artists from China, Sweden and Norway as well as art troupes from these countries.

Zou Rongmei sings Jasmine Flower. 

Zou Rongmei, Li Jia, Yang Xiaoyin and Zhu Yingying are professional singers while Shuang Yan plays piano, Wu Jing plays flutes and Jin Xinrui plays Gu Zheng. Timothy Pittli plays Peking Opera and Anders Delin plays Guitar.

Li Jia sings Glorious Future.

There are also many amateur choirs and dancing troupes performed during the concert.

Sofie Aspeqvist, Head of Cultural Affairs of Sundbyberg Municipality said it was very interesting.

“I am overwhelmed I couldn’t imagine what evening it would be.   I am overwhelmed by the participants, they are really doing their best of all ages, either professionals or amateurs, they are all doing their best , the glimpse of everybody doing their most, and it is fantastic, I think. And it is a generous feeling, I would say, it is very supportive and everybody is supporting the other.”

Layali Orientalska Dansakedemien performs oriental dance.

Aspeqvist said this concert is also very meaningful.

“It is wonderful that music and dancing and singing unites people across borders, because even if we don’t speak the same  language but we can sing and dance and perform together and that is really fantastique, ” said Aspeqvist.

The famous Chinese Yellow River Music and singing by Zou Rongmei were very well performed this time with all the participants singing in a concert.

Leo Long Lindblom became the youngest piano player during the concert.

About five hundred people including both Chinese and other nationalities audiences attended the grand closing concert and gave their constant warm applauses during the two hours and a half concert.

With almost a year of preparation and long time exercises, every one has played to their best and gave the audience a very good impression with all kinds of performances, singing and dancing.

After the concert, a grand award issuing ceremony for the afternoon contest was also held with honorary guests and artists and choirs.

More photos:

Jin Xinrui plays Guzheng.

Russian Vesna Choir sing Russian songs.

Norwegian Chinese Dance Troupe.

Voice of Arctic Choir.

Norwegian Dance Troupe.

Singer Yang Xiaoyin sings Father’s Prairie and Mother’s River.

Pianist student from Sundbybergs Stad.

Chinese women play Qipao show and umbrella dance.

Wu Jing plays flute.

Anders Delin plays Gitar.

Shuangyan, Wujing and Anders Delin play tremble.

Three men sing a Chinese song Good people have good dreams.

Swedish Chinese choir sing the Field of Dreams.

Anhui Rainbow Choir.

Award issuing ceremony.

Zhang Qiaozhen, right, Director of Sweden-Chinese Entrepreneurs Association gives diploma to Zhang Jian, Commander of Anhui Rainbow Choir.

The concert concludes.

Four hosts: Kuang Fuyang, Åsa Wretman, Deyan, Huang Sisi.

Horary guests Wang Jianrong, Wang Changning, Liushaohui and Liang jinsheng.  Reporter front, Chen Xuefei.

Photo by Tangbing. Text by Xuefei Chen Axelsson.

Business, China, Chinese circle, culture, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, Life, News, Opinion

China’s High Speed Train, World No. 1

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 9(Greenpost)– China’s High Speed Train or Gaotie is really good.  The train number begins with capital letter G as Gaotie, High Speed Train.

High Speed Train in China means the speed is more than 300 kilometers per hour. If it is a little less than 300 kilometers, it is called Dongche or begins with capital letter D.  And if it is fast speed train which means they stop fewer stops, but the speed is still the traditional one, then it begins with K, meaning kuaiche or fast train.

But Gaotie is really another category. It is comparable to airplane.

During my visit to China this summer from June to July for more than a month, I travelled to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Suzhou, Jinzhou, Shenyang and Dalian. I took Gaotie all the time including Dongche.

They are all very comfortable, very fast, low noise, everyone has a seat and the seat is the same as in the airplane. The space is even broader.

The conductors provide good services and the sanitation is very good. It has air conditions and sometimes, it has a table too.  The comfort can be comparable to the Swedish train, but the speed is really fast.

From Beijing to Tianjin, just half an hour.  Shanghai to Suzhou just takes half an hour.  Shenyang to Dalian just takes two hours.

There are food and water supplies in the train.  You can either eat in the train kitchen or in your own seat.  Hot water is also provided.  With such a speed, people have no sense of stress, but quite relaxed.  The temperature is kept almost permanently 24-26 degrees.

Each time I even lived near the high speed train station. From there, there is often subway stations too. So it is very convenient to travel to any place in the city.

From Tianjin to Shanghai and from Suzhou to Beijing,  both take about five hours, less than half of the previous times.

Compared with airplane, people don’t need to travel far away to the airport.  It just uses public transport, one can arrive there easily.  Of course if you like to drive, you can have parking place there too.

All the high speed stations and waiting rooms are very good.  It is new, convenient and attractive.

I believe if China’s high speed train is built in other developed or developing countries, it will also greatly be conducive to their economic development and improvement of people’s living quality.

It is especially good for business people.  But for ordinary people now many began to take high speed train for their travel because it is still cheaper compared with airplane and it is more importantly comfortable.

Life, News, Opinion

India doesn’t support belt and road initiative, so what?

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

India didn’t show up at the summit meeting in May what was held in Beijing. Some reports always mentioned this to show the differences between India and China.

China and India are neighbours and they need to have good relationships. But it doesn’t mean that they will agree with everything.

Belt and Road initiative is just an initiative and it is not an order in China. It is an initiative for all the countries who are interested in it to discuss how to cooperate and how to benefit from it.

Indeed China has a lot to offer such as high speed train technology and engineering teams. This high speed trains was criticised a lot at the beginning in China several years ago when it just began to operate. Some reports say it was only for the rich and far away from the city center and so on.

After several years operation, it proves to be a great success. It is so convenient to travel with Gaotie or G–lines. For example from June 20th to July 27th, I have traveled from Beijijng to Tianjin, from Tianjin to Shanghai and from Shanghai to Suzhou, from Suzhou to Beijing. From Bejing to Jinzhou, from Jinzhou to Shenyang, From Shenyang to Dalian and from Dalian to Jinzhou. I felt so happy to have chosen Gaotie or Chinese high speed train with 300 kilometer per hour speed.

The environment in the train is perfect and the short time of travelling between cities really make you happy. It is better than airplane and much better than car. It is very practical and comfortable.  Thus the High Speed Train now is almost full all the time, but it is still easy to buy the tickets.

If the world is connected with China’s High Speed train, I believe it will really benefit whichever country or province, or region to have it.  The condition is that it must be more than 200 kilometers distance.  If it is too short, then use the car or normal train.

China didn’t impose anybody or any country to take part in its initiative.  It is just a great proposal that quickly was recognized and highly praised by many countries.

In particular, Schiller Institute published a book to detailly describe their thoughts about the possible projects that can be constructed in the world at different points.

It is like the development in China. Those who didn’t have the chance to join in that stage, now they like to join China’s initiative and don’t want to miss this train this time.

Thus people should not always politicize the relations with economic development issue.

This time India rushed across the border to the Chinese side. It shows that India was extremely sensitive and wanted to show that they are strong enough to push Chinese back. But it seems there is such a big misunderstanding in the issue.  The question is Chinese soldiers were building road in their own border. But for courtesy, Chinese informed their other side.  It is like any Chinese neighbors who want to build their own house, but they also tell the neighbor that we are doing this, if it is too loud for you, excuse me.

Indian troops were stationed there because they wanted to protect Bhuttan, but Bhuttan didn’t really invite them to do so. They now also admit that that land is Chinese land, but not Bhuttan’s land, according to a report from Observer new media.

It quoted Chinese embassy people in India.  And Indian media now reported this news too.

I hope this issue can be solved immediately and Indian soldiers go back to your side.

China and India both belong to the ancient four great civilisation. Iraq has been demolished and Eqypt is facing a lot of challenges too.

Only China shows the best development since 1850. Now India is catching up. Chinese people respect India’s great culture and civilisation,  and Indian people also admire China’s development. Both enjoy the world’s largest population. I believe Indian population will grow faster than China’s because India didn’t implement any family planning policy.  India paid great attention to IT and other technology.

I think China and India should learn from Sweden and Norway, Sweden and Denmark, USA and Canada and Britain and France to negotiate their border and do not use the force to do it.

China, Chinese circle, culture, Indepth, Life

2. Visiting my parents in Beijing

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 8(Greenpost) — My parents came to Beijing just days before we arrived in Beijing on Thursday.

The first cry of Wang Xueting was broadcast at China Radio International on the New Year’s Eve of 2003. Gaowa, a beautiful civil servant, Annie and the little boy who loves the ball from Sweden. He also drank Swedish vanling to grow to two years. 

On Saturday we decided to go to my brother’s home to see my parents.  On the way, we informed Gao Wa to come too. Gao Wa was my cousin’s daughter. My cousin Yanqiu did me a great favor by encouraging me to go to Linghai or Jinxian Senior High School. She said to me that summer, “If you succeeded in entering the No.1 Senior High School, you will have one step into any university.”

I did, and that paved me the way from Dizangsi village to Linghai county, and from Linghai county to Shenyang City and from Shenyang to Beijing, and from Beijing to Sydney, Harare, Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Namibia, Mozambique, Canada, France, German, Spain, USA and New Zealand. Finally, Stockholm Sweden, my second hometown!

The wing of thoughts flew quickly. As the car arrived in Shiliju, we had to get off and embrace the heat again. For me, it was just wonderful to feel warmth. But my daughter kept on saying it is hot.

As we came into the 20th floor two room apartment, Ms Wang was cooking and my mother was planning what to cook.  The two and half year old boy was running around in the room and he began to talk a lot of words.

The room was filled with happy atmosphere.  Whenever you have a two to three year old child around, you will feel happy. That was the time with my niece and my daughter.  Children are the hope of our future and we feel happy to see them growing.

My mother’s back bent a little more seriously, but her spirit was high. Obviously she was happy to see us. She has been enduring all the lonely time over the year and now we came.

My father woke up since we came. He went out in the morning and in the evening as usual. He likes to dance as an exercise.  He got a few more white hair, but he still has a lot of black hair. His voice is still sonorous.  His memory is still very good and he still talks energetically.

Soon my brother came. He came with my second brother,  my sister in law and my nephew who is a driver.  They came from Tianjin, the second largest municipality in China, two hours drive from Beijing.

It was a surprise for me. I thought I would go to Tianjin to see them so that they don’t need to come here. But they came. I still feel very happy and moved.  My sister in law is still energetic.

Gao Wa came too. She also drove a car. She works as a village head assistant after graduating from university as a master degree graduate. That is called University student village official! Literal translation.  But it was a good intention.  She will become a civil servant after this service.

We took a lot of photos and we were happy together. Again, a lot of people under the wings of parents.  No matter how far away we have been, finally we have to come back to see my parents.

Business, China, Chinese circle, culture, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, Life, News, Opinion

2017 China trip- landing in Beijing 1

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 7(Greenpost)– Seven or 7 seems to be my lucky number this year.  My husband, my daughter and I finished our China trip on 2017-07-27. And I like to have a review from today.  Please stay tuned.

London visit paves the way to China

I am a Chinese and I love China no doubt about it. But sometimes I was tired of China. That is why I can live in Sweden for 11 years now and still not too tired yet. Except the first three years, I almost went back to China every year or even twice a year for some years.

Last year, I told my daughter that we all should go to China this summer because it had been three years since they went to China last time.

She said she didn’t want to go simply because Chinese people are too warm to her. They always said she is beautiful, Pretty, Piaoliang.  Since the first time she went to China, she was like a little angel and people queued the long queue to see her.

She is a good mix of Chinese and Swedish. When I was in Harare, Zimbabwe, my German teacher married with a native Zimbabwan and their mixed child was claimed to be the best.  When I was a child, when thinking of having a mixed child, it was almost a curse. But as China opens up and we are more and more in favor of the western culture, my child is very well accepted in China.

However,  she has become a little picky about China. For example, in Beijing in winter it was actually very hot inside the room. Chinese people talked too loud compared with Swedish people and so on.  Although in my eyes it was obvious that we should go to China this summer, they had to discuss it many times. My daughter said she wanted to go to London first in stead of America or China.

I said ok, then you must go to China in the summer! I booked the tickets right after we came back from London.  To be honest, we didn’t visit too much of London. Except Crystal Palace and Queens Hotel, we didn’t go to London Tower or Big Ben. But that turned out to be good.

My daughter always mentioned her London trip and wanted to go again because she lived in Queens Hotel!

Visiting China will use the same strategy. Not visit famous tourist sites, but just stay in hotels or at home to relax. Take a walk in the park nearby and doing nothing normal.

Coming back from Shanghai, my brother in law asked whether we had been to the tallest building in Shanghai, I said please don’t ask us about the most popular place!

Eight hours flight didn’t seem to be too long because we not only ate two Chinese meals with just right amount for our stomach, but also watched films.

Jackie Chan played a professor and found a gold treasure in India.  With the shuttle of time and the beauty of actresses, especially the part when Jackie Chan was driving with the big lion, it killed all our sleepiness!

Air China is very comfortable and just after a couple of times of travelling, I decided to fix Air China as my flight because I don’t like to save some money but to travel through Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Helsinki to spend at least three or four extra hours. Once I and my daughter travelled via Amsterdam, we had to stay one night at the airport and the next day we had to travel to Heathrow Airport in order to go to Stockholm! Enough is enough.  I’d rather spend a little more money to fly direct than go round about.

Chinese girls are beautiful and nice and it is very good that they both speak English and Chinese.  As time goes by, I like to save my energy as much as possible.

Beijing Airport is the same as before.  It is large, broad and bright. It was due to the 2008 Olympics, Beijing Airport was improved. Immediately you can feel the water saving facilities in the toilet.  All the water tap used sensing devices.  Without sensing, no water comes out!

It was easy because I put a smaller suitcase inside the big suitcase just in order to use them when we went back to Stockholm.  There were so little things we could take from Sweden to China.  When coming back, we have a lot to take.

As we came out of the customs, my sister and brother in law showed up to receive us.  She just bought a BMW last summer after she came back from Indonesia where she worked for two years.  I suggested she buy Volvo, but she chose the landrover BMW in the end. She wanted to drive in the countryside or tourist sites in suburban Beijing.

I felt privileged to have them receive us.  If I were alone, I would like to take the fast train or subway to go home.

It was my brother in law who drove the car. He drove a car in Namibia when we were both working in Africa.  Later he turned out to become my brother in law.  The world was actually not big.  After going around the globe for  a whole round, I came to Sweden from New Zealand.

Arriving at home, I felt hungry. My brother in law cooked dumplings for us and we ate a lot together with dried Toffo salad.  Then we had a sleep which can be counted as 24 hours because we slept almost in a stretch to next day and next day. The room was hot and it felt like a free sauna! Sweat streams out easily out of forehead and neck.

Beijing, a warm Beijing warmly welcomed us!

A far more cleaner Beijing is waiting for us!

I feel very glad because I look forward to seeing many of my friends, classmates and most importantly my parents, my father, 84 and my mother 74! PLUS THEIR GRANDSON, 2.5 years old!

Business, China, Chinese circle, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, Life, News, Opinion

China is willing to work with all parties in the Arctic

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 7(Greenpost)–China is willing to facilitate maritime transport and work with all parties in the Arctic. Exchanges and coordination with relevant countries are encouraged in this area. Closer cooperation will be carried out to improve the market environment for international transportation and to facilitate maritime transportation. China is willing to enhance customs cooperation with countries along the Road, and to promote information exchange, mutual recognition of customs regulations,and mutual assistance in law enforcement, according to a vision issued by China’s NDRC on June 20, 2017.

Strengthening the connectivity of information infrastructure and networks. Information networks will be improved in countries along the Road by jointly building a system with broad coverage for information transmission, processing, management and application, a system for information standards and specifications, and a network security system, thus providing public platforms for information sharing.

Participating in Arctic affairs. China is willing to work with all parties in conducting scientific surveys of navigational routes, setting up land-based monitoring stations, carrying out research on climatic and environmental changes in the Arctic, as well as providing navigational forecasting services. China supports efforts by countries bordering the Arctic in improving marine transportation conditions, and encourages Chinese enterprises to take part in the commercial use of the Arctic route. China is willing to carry out surveys on potential resources in the Arctic region in collaboration with relevant countries, and to strengthen cooperation in clean energy with Arctic countries. Chinese enterprises are encouraged to join in sustainable exploration of Arctic resources in a responsible way. China will actively participate in the events organized by Arctic-related international organizations.

Source: Xinhuanet

culture, Life, News

斯德哥尔摩夏季电影节8月16-20号免费回放老电影

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Stockholm International Film Festival arranges this year’s Summer Cinema the 16th to 20th of August in Rålambshovsparken in Stockholm. This year’s theme is the 80s.

The annual Stockholm Film Festival Summer Cinema attracts thousands of people to Rålambshovsparken every year. Five 80s films will be screened: two american, two european and one Japanese.

– Stockholm Film Festival Summer Cinema is our gift to Stockholm and our lovely audience, says Git Scheynius, Festival Director.

During the Summer Cinema, the Stockholm Consumer Association will throw a food waste and recycling party for visitors. On-site, Coop’s food creator will offer pizza made from leftover raw materials from Coop stores in the area. In addition, Fanta® will host a digital festival for young people, which will end during the Stockholm film festival Sommarbio.

The Summer Cinema is free of charge but membership cards can be purchased by those who wants to support Stockholm Film Festival. The membership card grants access to cheaper tickets during the Stockholm Film Festival in November and free access to ten previews.

This year’s program:

Wednesday the 16th of August: Do the right thing (Spike Lee 1989)

Spike Lee has not only directed, produced and written this revolutionary film, but also participated in front of the camera. The film was nominated for two Oscars and aroused a debate on race-related relationships and has later been upheld as a masterpiece. In 2015 Lee was awarded an honorary Oscar for his efforts as an indie filmmaker.

Thursday the 17th of August: My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki 1988) 

The film about the girl Mei och forest spirit Totoro is Miyazaki’s most famous and beloved production. Miyazaki has won several awards for his animated films, including an Academy Honorary Award, and is often referred to as the premier animation creator in the world.

Friday the 18th of August: Dirty Dancing (Emile Ardolino 1987)

In Emile Ardino’s romantic drama film from 1987, we meet the 17-year-old Baby and the dancer Jhonny who falls in love. The film is strongly associated with the song (I’ve had) The Time of My Life which resulted in an Oscar award for the best song. The film is a world-class love story, just as sweet today as when it had its premiere 20 years ago.

Lördagen den 19 augusti: Det stora blå (Luc Besson 1988)

In Besson’s classic film, based on the famous free diver Jacques Mayolo’s life, we are invited to the beautiful Greek island Amorgos and get to know the rivals Jacques and Enzo. They both have a boundless and lifelong love for the ocean. Besson was awarded the Academy Award; One of France’s most prestigious prices, for ‘The Great Blue’.

Sunday the 20th of August: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar 1988) 

This black comedy, with Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas in the leading roles, gave Almodóvar extensive international attention and a number of prizes. The story is inspired by Jean Cocteau’s play ’The Human Voice’ and revolves around a love affair where a woman desperately tries to find out why she has been dumped.

Where: Rålambshovsparken.

When: August 16-20, we will open all activities at 6 PM and the films will start at 9PM.

How: Bring friends and family, a picnic and a blanket to sit on.

Price: Free entrance.

China, Chinese circle, culture, Indepth, Life, News

Nordic Spring International Peace and Culture Festival held in Stockholm

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson， Photo Wu Ming

Nordic Spring International Peace and Culture Festival has been held in Jordbro Cultural center south of Stockholm over the weekend with Chinese cultural style.

Xuefei Chen Axelsson, President of China-Europe Cultural Association the purpose of Nordic Spring International Peace and Cultural Festival is to enhance Chinese harmonious culture, enrich people’s lives and promote cultural exchange between China and Europe and promote peace with cultural activities.

“The current world is not always very peaceful. The terrorist attack just took place in the Stockholm city center on April 7th, the tension in the Korean Peninsula aroused world wide attention. Syria and Afganistan are still facing conflict and war. Mankind faces severe challenges and choices. “ she said.

“We choose to promote peace and development  with culture. Only when we have a peaceful environment, can we talk about development.  We believe cultural exchange can promote understanding and trust between peoples and countries. Let’s support the “belt and road “ strategy put up forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is believed to be possible to avoid conflict caused by geopolitics.  Let’s sing and dance for peace and love. We shall also hear Bob Dylan, the Nobel winner in Literature’s lyrics criticising war.”

Nordic Spring International Peace and Cultural Festival is a peace and culture program launched by China- Europe Cultural Association, PROFOCA, Green Post, Mångakulturella Föreningen Nypånet, Chinese Teachers Association in Sweden, Swedish Shenyang Association, Sweden-China Cultural Assocition, Nataligrupp and European-Asian Peace and Culture Promotion Association.

Guo Yanhang, Councilor of Chinese Embassy in Stockholm also spoke at the opening. He said it is commendable that Chinese in Sweden hold such activities to enhance Chinese culture, to promote Sino-Swedish and Sino-European relations.  To promote peace and development with cultural activities is a great effort to realize the concept of Belt and Road put up forward by Chinese President.

The festival began with a song Getting together by Huang Bingwang to make the atmosphere very warm.

Li Xinrui and Su Menghan played Joga very beautifully with admirable actions.

Yan Hongmei has sung the Yue Opera from southeast China.

Luan Dehan’s violin Fisherman’s harvest gave the audience a beautiful picture with music.

Dong Jiajun’s Hulusi play of Wedding oath and Deep in the forest gave a beautiful picture of Southwestern China’s Yunnan Province with such a beautiful melody.

Jin Xinrui played Guzheng, an ancient Chinese string instrument. The music is called Spring Morning in the Snow Mountain.

Zhai Yijia played erhu Birds words in the mountain, very vividly reflects birds singing.

Wu Jing played Spring arrives in Xiangjiang River with Bamboo flute. She also played Eklundaposkan with long flute.

Huang Yuye and Chen Xuefei played 16th style Taiji.  Yang Hongyu and her four other teammates played Soft Beauty Dance.

Children from Sweden-China Cultural Society played little pine tree.

The remarkable dance was from a group of 60 year olds on average  who played Tibetan dance, the Blue Plateau. It was very beautiful.

Russian Natali Grupp played Christmas Dance and Show Dance.

Nobel prize winner Bob Dylan’s song Blowing in the wind was also sung by Chen Xuefei and she also read the Chinese translation.

Li Zhanchun  sang a popular song Missing Home and won a lot of applause.

Li Jia as soprano has sung the song Heavenly Road or Tianlu in Chinese. Her beautiful voice makes us enjoy it very much.

She also led all the other actors and actresses to sing My motherland while all the artists both children and adults came to the stage. That was the moment that all of us no matter which ethnic group we belong to, sing together.

The concert was hosted by Chen Yang and Åsa Zhenzi.

Natali said it was wonderful to see that all of us can stand together to sing and dance. That is wonderful to have such a great event at this time in Stockholm. In the future, there will be more cooperation between us.

The honorary guests to the festival are Wang Jianrong, President Swedish Chinese Federation of Industry and Commerce, Ye Peiqun, Executive President of Swedish Federation of All Chinese Associations, Zhu Jinchuan from Air China Stockholm, Yanhan from Bank of China , Duan Maoli professor at Karolinska Institutet and vice president of Swedish Chinese Federation of Industry and Commerce.

 

A total of 130 people attend the festival.

Chinese circle, culture, Life, News

Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Best for Patients: Swedish Medical experts

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Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Best for Patients: Swedish Medical experts

Updated: 2017-03-30 20:56:11

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Doctor Yang Chungui, President of Acupuncture Science Association in Sweden speaks at the graduation in Stockholm on March 25, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Chen Xuefei]

Doctor Yang Chungui, President of Acupuncture Science Association in Sweden speaks at the graduation in Stockholm on March 25, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Chen Xuefei]

Medical experts in Sweden are suggesting a combination of western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine is best for patients.

The comments come as the first group of traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture students graduate from World Federation of Acupuncture Science’s branch Acupuncture Science Association in Sweden.

CRI’s Chen Xuefei filed this report from Stockholm.

00:00/03:17

Doctor Yang Chungui, President of the Acupuncture Science Association in Sweden explains the significance of the graduation.

“Acupuncture has been practiced in 183 countries in the world and the test is designed in line with the WHO Guidelines on Basic training and Safety in Acupuncture for those who have completed systematic acupuncture education or training. This is the first time the WFAS International Proficiency test results for Acupuncture have been issued in Sweden. ”

Doctor Yang said the certificate and card serves as a license for students to practice acupuncture. In fact, most of these students are already very experienced doctors and have been running clinics for many years in Sweden. In the future, his association plans to campaign to get Acupuncture included in the Swedish medical care system.

DSC_8963Gustaf Foghammare is a psychiatrist and family doctor. But he also practices acupuncture. He congratulated the students and was full of praise for this graduation event.

“It’s fantastic. It’s the first step to move and definitely something new, and adding to the health treatment in Sweden. We are in the position with good knowledge, and with lot of experience with TCM and we can have a good position and really make people and patient feel good. ”

Foghammare said his patients often have pain, allergies or exhaustion and sometimes he uses traditional Chinese medicine to treat them.

“I really like to see the western medicine to be together with the Chinese because I think one plus one can be three, not only two. ”

DSC_8977Asa Haglund expressed the same opinion hoping Chinese medicine can be included in the treatments offered by the Swedish medicare system.

“It’s very important, it will help a lot of people I think, it will be very good to work together as you do in China, it is perfect. That’s what we are working for in Sweden, now if the patients want something to help with TCM, they have to pay themselves and it costs a lot of money. We want that to be included in the health system. What is best for them is you can choose sometimes you have to take an X-Ray in the western medicine and then you need an acupuncture afterwards. That’s perfect to work together.”

DSC_9098Many Chinese doctors say they have patients who like to try Chinese medicine, but gradually they choose to see Chinese doctors regularly.

A recent survey has shown that 70 percent of highly educated people in Sweden are well disposed towards Traditional Chinese medicine.

For CRI, Chen Xuefei, Stockholm.

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China, Energy, Environment, Green-tech, Indepth, Life

Four Chinese people’s stories in environmental protection

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By Kou Jiangze, Shi Ziqiang and Liu Chang from People’s Daily

Zou Yi: An enthusiast of environmental protection who takes photos of the sky everyday

Jiankou, a section of the Great Wall located beside Xizhazi village, Huairou district of Beijing, is frequently visited by a group of outdoor sport fans on Saturday, who collect garbage with the white plastic bags tied to their camping bags. The visitors all come from a volunteer group named “Giant Gooo-go Great Wall.”

“I spotted this beautiful place when visiting the nearby Mutianyu section of the Great Wall several years ago,” said Zou Yi, initiator of the volunteer group. The Jiankou Great Wall has seen more and more trash after it gained popularity, therefore Zou started collecting garbage with the volunteers since September 2013. By now, more than 3,200 volunteers have joined the campaign.

He was once asked during an environmental protection activity how he got to the event. After the activity was finished, he received a letter from the organizers which listed a record of the transportation energy they had consumed on the way. This made Zou realize that each social activity involves energy consumption and carbon emission. “Ever since, I have chosen a green lifestyle,” Zou said.

In order to draw more public attention on air pollution control and a green lifestyle, Zou has posted photos of the sky taken by him in the same place every day on social media platforms.

“Although judging air quality by photos is not very scientific, the combination of a year’s pictures is quite informative,” Zou explained. By now, his pictures have been viewed for more than 50 million times.

Zou made his friends realize that environmental issues, such as smog, need joint efforts from both the governments and the public.

Such mindset shift was also echoed by a recent survey about public treatment of smog and environmental protection conducted by People’s Daily. Thirty six percent of the respondents consider smog treatment to be an issue of the governments and polluting enterprises, while 64 percent believe that everyone is responsible for environmental protection.

“We should start from subtle things in our daily life and change the lifestyles that are unfriendly to the environment,” Zou proposed, adding that choosing public transportation, reducing fireworks, as well as saving water and electricity will all contribute to the environment.

Though the subtle change made by each individual only has limited influence, it “will be a great power when united,” Zou added.

Ma Jun: A man devoted to emitters’ information disclosure

The Blue Map is a mobile application that enables users to check real-time monitoring data of discharging outlets of major pollution sources, including pollutant concentration, standard limits, exceeding rate, and emission. Users can also share the information through social media and report each case through the interactive platform of the app.

The application is developed by a non-governmental organization named Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE). According to Ma Jun, director of IPE, the application has received tens of thousands of reports after it was launched in April 2015.

More than 650 enterprises, including big State-owned companies, were urged for rectification as a result, Ma added.

“Information disclosure is the premise of the public participation in the cause of environmental protection,” said Ma, adding that the public will choose a green lifestyle and control pollution after they are given the information about environment, while a greater participation will improve the environment ultimately.

Currently, a total of more than 9,000 enterprises have publicized monitoring data on provincial governmental platforms as required. Ma also suggested environmental protection departments at all levels to better implement related laws and regulations.

Hebei villager Li Wei: Willing to pay more for cleaner air

After using natural gas for home heating, Li Wei’s family can spend a warmer winter at their house, which forms a sharp contrast to the chilling temperature outside.

Living in a two-storey house in Nanwangqiying village, Gu’an county in North China’s Hebei Province, Li said that natural gas heating has made his life easier.

“There is big space in my house needs to be heated. Before using natural gas, we needed at least five to six tons of coal for heating during the winter. Lighting a fire was inconvenient, because I had to wear a hat and a pair of gloves and usually turned out to be covered by ashes after a fire was lit,” Li said.

Cutting coal use has been given the highest priority to prevent smog in many smog-blanketed northern China in the winter season. Gu’an county, a close neighbor to the south of Beijing specializing in plant nursery, has been forbidden to use coal heating by the Ministry of Environmental Protection last July.

As early as 2014, the Nanwangqiying village has become a pilot village for the program of transformation from coal to natural gas in Gu’an, with 168 households having uninstalled stoves and started to use natural gas heaters.

The cost of using natural gas is a concern for the villagers. Li said that the annual cost of natural gas is nearly 7,000 yuan ($1,018), slightly higher than 6,000 yuan for using coal.

“We first felt unaccustomed to gas heating, which breaks away from our old tradition of using coal,” Li admitted. “But we heard people elsewhere frequently talking about smog. It is not only harmful to our health, but also causes vehicle restrictions and highway blocks that affect our daily life, trips and business,” Li said, saying he and his fellow villagers could understand and accept the extra cost.

In the meantime, the Nanwangqiying village has started to utilize solar heating. Ten households of the village now have access to solar energy, in a pilot program of solar heating carried out in Hebei.

Zheng Tengfei: A ‘returnee’ committed to environmental education

Zheng Tengfei published an article on the internet at the end of last year, in which she urged people to reflect on their own rather than pouring complaints to government in the face of smog. Zheng believes that technological innovations and environmental education contribute to solution of the smog, but everyone must start from themselves.

The article was both praised and criticized. Many blamed her as making excuses for government. Zheng explained that she just wants everyone to realize that the environmental degradation is a result of human demand which has surpassed the tolerance capacity of the environment, and people can do more.

Being an environmentalist, she always collects advertising leaflets in the subways and wasted learning material for children to make paper planes, believing it could save resources. Her children like reading, but she prefers borrowing books from libraries than buying them.

She is willing to pay for such mode of circulation and sharing, hoping more resources could be shared, such as mobile libraries.

In Zheng’s eyes, the Chinese public’s awareness of environmental protection still needs to be improved despite the rapid economic development in recent years. She returned to Shanghai and devoted herself to education after receiving a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US in 2014.

According to Zheng, the ideas and awareness of the next generation will determine the future, so the children must know how to protect the environment and save energy. To this end, parents should act as an example, and more importantly, children must get close to nature to obtain a deep understanding and love toward the world and life.

Pics

Zou Yi shows his photos of the Beijing sky taken in 2014. (Photo by zhhjw.org)

To encourage low-carbon travelling, Huainan, Anhui province has built a public bicycle rental service system covering 300 sites, 10,000 bicycles and 12,000 lockers in the main sections of the urban area. Local residents can enjoy a one-hour free ride. (Photo by People’s Daily)

In April 2016, an environmental activity was carried out in a community in Xinyu, Jiangxi province. Residents could exchange for plants with any two types of waste batteries. The activity aimed to call upon residents to start from subtle things and pay attention to environmental protection, advocating a green life style.  (Photo by People’s Daily)

China, Indepth, Life, News, Opinion

China’s poverty eradication among the greatest human rights achievements: expert

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By Zhang Mengxu from People’s Daily

STOCKHOLM, March 6(Greenpost)– China’s poverty eradication is among the greatest human rights achievements, experts pointed out, dismissing voices smearing China’s human rights record at the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Villagers from Guang’an, Sichuan province hold a housewarming banquet after they were relocated to new houses before the Spring Festival this year. (Photo by People’s Daily)

Discriminatory words concerning China’s human rights record are heard in almost every human rights session of the UN. It is believed some organizations and individuals with ulterior motives always turn a blind eye to China’s human rights progress, but make a judgment via blinkers.

 

However, over the past years, China has made great achievements in human rights undertakings. For instance, food and clothing are no longer a problem for the 1.3 billion Chinese people. Over the past three decades, over 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global poverty reduction. China is the first country to have realized the Millennium Development Goal of halving its poor population.

 

At present, 770 million Chinese are employed and nine-year compulsory education has achieved universal coverage. Rights of 230 million senior residents and 85 million handicapped people are well protected, and the basic life of over 60 million low-income residents in urban and rural areas is supported by the government.

 

Prior to the founding of PRC in 1949, China’s per capita life expectancy was only 35, and for now the number has been raised to 76. China is hailed by the UN as having the best record of improving life expectancy during the past three decades.

 

Tom Zwart, director of the Netherlands School of Human Rights Research, ranked China’s record of poverty relief among the greatest human rights achievements of all time.  He didn’t hesitate to show his anger towards false speeches belittling China’s progress.

 

“I sincerely congratulate on the remarkable success of the CPC and Chinese government in eradicating poverty,” added Zwart, also a human rights professor with Utrecht University.

 

China has been actively engaged in international human rights cooperation based on the spirit of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit, so as to push forward with a just and objective international human rights system.

 

In 2016, China was elected to the UN Human Rights Council by 180 votes, becoming one of a few countries which have sat in the Council for four times.

 

China has joined 26 international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and five other core human rights covenants. It also shoulders its international human rights responsibilities by accepting multiple human rights reviews.

 

In addition, China has held human rights dialogues and exchanges with almost 40 countries, launched technical cooperation on human rights with UN agencies, injecting great energy into global human rights governance.

 

Zamir Akram, chair-rapporteur of the Working Group on the Right to Development at the United Nations Human Rights Council, commented that China is the only social and economic entity that has ever achieved such a rapid development.

 

“Over 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty in such a short period,” he hailed, adding that the country also has offered big amount of aid to other developing countries.

China, culture, Life, News

Rural China braces for new betrothal tradition

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By Liu Junguo from People’s Daily

Instead of asking for onerous cash gifts, Liu Kang’s in-laws, who in the northwestern province of Gansu, decided to abandon the long-held convention. Netizens in China lauded the generous gesture after it was reported by the media.

The example set by Liu’s in-laws embodies the changing mind-set in some rural regions, and is a victory for China’s efforts to simplify marriage affairs.

Before the wedding, Liu learned that the betrothal price in his hometown was around 130,000 yuan ($18,853), even though in 2016 the average annual per capita disposal income of rural residents in China was 12,363 yuan and 8,452 yuan in poverty-stricken areas. He managed to collect the money by borrowing from friends.

To his surprise, Liu’s future father-in-law did not give him a hard time about the money. “You two will soon start a new life. We don’t care about gifts,” he said. So Liu just offered 8,888 yuan. However, on the wedding night, his mother-in-law found a way to give the money back.

In traditional Chinese nuptial customs, the groom should give the bride betrothal presents, which is a form of engagement with a moral obligation. Meanwhile, this culture also embodies the wishes for respect, a bright future and a lasting marriage.

This traditional custom still prevails, especially in some rural areas, and the cost has become a heavy burden in some places.

The presents have become onerous for many ordinary families, with young people in rural areas unable to afford to wed.

Analysts pointed out that other than the traditional concepts of demanding money to support parents and compensation for losing a source of free labor for the bride’s family, anxiety over future nursing costs and keeping up with their neighbors have contributed to rising betrothal prices in some rural areas.

In recent years, the Chinese government has strengthened guidance, advocated simplifying marriage affairs, and opposed arranged marriage, illegal early marriage and extortion of property through marriage, yielding sound results.

China’s Shandong and Henan provinces, where families lay great emphasis on the wedding price, have founded non-governmental organizations on marriage and funeral affairs, to curb high-price gifts and undesirable customs.

It is this type of changes in ideas and conventions that make it easier for people like Liu to not worry too much about the money when proposing a marriage.

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两会·要闻：十二届全国人大五次会议在京开幕

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北欧绿色邮报网报道（记者陈雪霏）：据新华社北京３月５日电　第十二届全国人民代表大会第五次会议５日上午在人民大会堂开幕。国务院总理李克强向大会作政府工作报告时指出，使命重在担当，实干铸就辉煌。我们要更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，同心同德，开拓进取，努力完成今年经济社会发展目标任务，为实现“两个一百年”宏伟目标、建设富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而不懈奋斗。
今天的人民大会堂气氛庄严热烈。万人大礼堂内灯火辉煌，主席台帷幕中央国徽高悬，十面红旗分列两侧。近３０００名全国人大代表肩负人民重托出席盛会，认真履行宪法和法律赋予的神圣职权。
大会主席团常务主席、执行主席张德江主持大会。大会主席团常务主席、执行主席李建国、王胜俊、陈昌智、严隽琪、王晨、沈跃跃、吉炳轩、张平、向巴平措、艾力更·依明巴海、万鄂湘、张宝文、陈竺在主席台执行主席席就座。
习近平、李克强、俞正声、刘云山、王岐山、张高丽和大会主席团成员在主席台就座。
十二届全国人大五次会议应出席代表２９２４人。今天的会议，出席２８６２人，缺席６２人，出席人数符合法定人数。
上午９时，张德江宣布：中华人民共和国第十二届全国人民代表大会第五次会议开幕。会场全体起立，高唱国歌。
根据会议议程，国务院总理李克强代表国务院向大会作政府工作报告。报告共分三部分：一、２０１６年工作回顾；二、２０１７年工作总体部署；三、２０１７年重点工作任务。
李克强说，过去一年，我国发展面临国内外诸多矛盾叠加、风险隐患交汇的严峻挑战。在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，全国各族人民迎难而上，砥砺前行，推动经济社会持续健康发展。党的十八届六中全会正式明确习近平总书记的核心地位，体现了党和人民的根本利益，对保证党和国家兴旺发达、长治久安，具有十分重大而深远的意义。各地区、各部门不断增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，推动全面建成小康社会取得新的重要进展，全面深化改革迈出重大步伐，全面依法治国深入实施，全面从严治党纵深推进，全年经济社会发展主要目标任务圆满完成，“十三五”实现了良好开局。
李克强从继续创新和加强宏观调控，经济运行保持在合理区间；着力抓好“三去一降一补”，供给结构有所改善；大力深化改革开放，发展活力进一步增强；强化创新引领，新动能快速成长；促进区域城乡协调发展，新的增长极增长带加快形成；加强生态文明建设，绿色发展取得新进展；注重保障和改善民生，人民群众获得感增强；推进政府建设和治理创新，社会保持和谐稳定等方面回顾了过去一年的工作。
李克强指出，我们也清醒看到，经济社会发展中还存在不少困难和问题。我们一定要直面挑战，敢于担当，全力以赴做好政府工作，不辱历史使命，不负人民重托。
李克强说，２０１７年发展的主要预期目标是：国内生产总值增长６．５％左右，在实际工作中争取更好结果；居民消费价格涨幅３％左右；城镇新增就业１１００万人以上，城镇登记失业率４．５％以内；进出口回稳向好，国际收支基本平衡；居民收入和经济增长基本同步；单位国内生产总值能耗下降３．４％以上，主要污染物排放量继续下降。
李克强报告了做好２０１７年政府工作要把握好的五点：一是贯彻稳中求进工作总基调，保持战略定力；二是坚持以推进供给侧结构性改革为主线；三是适度扩大总需求并提高有效性；四是依靠创新推动新旧动能转换和结构优化升级；五是着力解决人民群众普遍关心的突出问题。
李克强说，２０１７年要重点做好九个方面工作：一是用改革的办法深入推进“三去一降一补”；二是深化重要领域和关键环节改革；三是进一步释放国内需求潜力；四是以创新引领实体经济转型升级；五是促进农业稳定发展和农民持续增收；六是积极主动扩大对外开放；七是加大生态环境保护治理力度；八是推进以保障和改善民生为重点的社会建设；九是全面加强政府自身建设。
李克强还就民族、宗教和侨务工作，国防和军队建设，香港、澳门发展和两岸关系，以及我国外交政策作了阐述。
根据会议议程，大会审查２０１６年国民经济和社会发展计划执行情况与２０１７年国民经济和社会发展计划草案的报告及２０１７年计划草案、２０１６年中央和地方预算执行情况与２０１７年中央和地方预算草案的报告及２０１７年全国预算草案。
在主席台就座的还有：马凯、王沪宁、刘延东、刘奇葆、许其亮、孙春兰、孙政才、李源潮、汪洋、张春贤、范长龙、孟建柱、赵乐际、胡春华、栗战书、郭金龙、韩正、杜青林、赵洪祝、杨晶、常万全、杨洁篪、郭声琨、王勇、周强、曹建明、韩启德、帕巴拉·格列朗杰、董建华、万钢、林文漪、罗富和、何厚铧、张庆黎、李海峰、陈元、卢展工、周小川、王家瑞、王正伟、马飚、齐续春、陈晓光、马培华、刘晓峰、王钦敏，以及中央军委委员房峰辉、张阳、赵克石、张又侠、吴胜利、马晓天、魏凤和等。
香港特别行政区行政长官梁振英、澳门特别行政区行政长官崔世安列席会议并在主席台就座。
出席全国政协十二届五次会议的政协委员列席大会。
中央和国家机关有关部门、解放军及武警部队、各人民团体有关负责人列席或旁听了大会。
各国驻华使节旁听了大会。（完）

Business, Chinese circle, culture, Life

Enjoying Chinese Cuisine in Mandarin Paradis in Stockholm

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By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 20(Greenpost) – Mandarin Paradis Restaurant sits nearby with a walk of less than 20 minutes. Due to my summer job as an interpretor, I sometimes went to Mandarin Paradis with my customers. It tastes good! Thus, I like to have a visit now.

DSC_8178On a recent sunny day, I came over to Mandarin Paradis Restaurant. With the yellow words on red board, it was easy to recognize that it is a Chinese Restaurant.

DSC_8163As we entered the room, one can easily see the clean marble table with the reflection of flowers and apartments from outside.

DSC_8122Heng Yun Mei Shi or Mandarin Paradis Chinese Cuisine made of golden coating is written on the wall with a small happiness tie hanging in the middle.

DSC_8158However, on the other side of the wall, there are western sculptures and art works coexisting.

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It is like on this table, a Chinese and a Swedish sit by the same table happily.

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Mandarin Paradis is easy to recognize in this Swedish densely populated area. According to my understanding, Swedish city planning didn’t allow any restaurant to show more than the other but will all the businesses or restaurants compete fairly and have a harmonious city environment. However, something red and yellow is easily seen as a Chinese flavour.

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Zhou Minwei has lived in Sweden for 17 years and during this period of time he has opened three restaurants with one being managed by his wife and the other now by his sister. How can you keep your customers? In other words, what is your secret to make the best restaurant?

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“Our goal is not to make the best restaurant, but we shall make our best to manage our restaurant. We don’t make advertisement, but put the money into providing the best food we can.

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When the customer is satisfied, he will tell his friend and they will come here again. ”

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He said most customers are Swedish. Chinese customers only come in summer for a short period.

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“Most time, we have Swedish customers, otherwise, we can’t go on. But the Swedish cannot eat Chinese food all the time. It is the same as our Chinese cannot eat western food all the time. Therefore, we provide both western food and Chinese food. We have professional western cook. With both Chinese and Swedish food, we can meet the demand from our customers.”

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But in the evening, there will be typical Chinese food. People can order any dish they like, while for lunch it is buffet.

DSC_8128This is a good starter with black svamp and green saker. Black svamp is a good dish that cleans the intestent and stomach.

Zhou Weimin was born in Qingtian, Zhejiang Province, East China. He grew up in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province. After he graduated from college, he learnt to be a cook while working at normal time. He can cook Hangzhou cuisine which is famous in China.

DSC_8131 Dongpo Pork he cooked is an excellent dish. He often cuts it in an inch cubic form with meagre meat a little more than fatty meat. He imports these kind of pork from Germany. Swedish pork is a little bit fattier. He often stews the pork for four hours with small fire so that the fat is almost all coming out. Thus the pork he made is very delicious to taste and not of much fat.

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This is fried green beans which is neither too salty nor lack of salt, just lagom.

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This is fried prawn which is very crispy and can be eaten with the shells. One can gain calcium from it.

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This is fish cooked with sour cabbage. This tastes a little different from the one cooked in northern China, it is Hangzhou taste, Sweet sour, lagom salt, lagom taste!

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Biff stewed with all kinds of ingredients was cooled and then cut into pieces. Dim it with soy sauce, taste good but not fat.

These dishes look very much like typical home made dishes. When man taste them, they are typical Hangzhou cuisine. Without purposely appealing to Swedish taste, Zhou Minwei provides typical Chinese dishes. Swedish doesn’t need to fly to China to taste typical Chinese food, they can taste it here.

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“I think the best is to be honest and down to earth. In fact, Swedish people are also very diligent and sometimes, I feel my neighbour works even harder and longer time than me. We provide good Chinese dishes to them so that they can taste them themselves, gradually, they will be interested in Chinese cuisine and culture. This is also a sense of relief for ourselves. No matter where we go, we keep our Chinese traditional cuisine and culture. Good traditions from our ancestor should not be forgotten. Otherwise, no matter how much money you earn, it will not be considered successful!” said Zhou Minwei.

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Of Course, we should adapt to Swedish culture and society too, Zhou said proudly. “I have a capable and kind hearted wife and a daughter and a son. I have always encouraged my children to study Swedish culture and melt in Swedish society. Meanwhile, they should not forget their homeland and have a Chinese heart. ”

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Born in the 1960 talet, Zhou felt he belonged to the lucky generation seeing opening up of China and the great changes taking place in China. China’s living standards are improving day by day. On the other hand, he said we also belong to the generation which is a little bit proud and satisfied with their life may be because our childhood was too poor but we had a lot of free playing time and space, thus, we feel happy as long as we made some progress. We are not too ambitious, we are used to simple life, we like to be with the nature and are willing to keep good Chinese tradition.

culture, Indepth, Life, News, World News

Swedish master photographer Nilsson: respect for life

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Stockholm, Jan. 31(Greenpost)–Swedish master photographer Nilsson: respect for life

13:19, May 24, 2010      

Email | Print | Subscribe | Comments | Forum Swedish master medical photographer Lennart Nilsson is a pioneer in medical photography. In association with researchers and with the help of advanced, specially designed equipment, he has documented the inside of man down to the level of a cell with his camera.


Lennart Nilsson photo by: Xuefei Chen

Born in Strängnäs, a satellite city of Stockholm, in 1922, Nilsson got his first camera from his father when he was 11 years old. From the early stage, he has been interested in looking at ants and taking photos of them.Throughout the years, he has devoted special attention to capturing the creation of a human being, from conception to birth.

In 2006 when his photo book Life was published in both Swedish and English, he was invited to give a lecture at the Stockholm bookstore. He vividly described to the public how he took the photos so that the development process of the embryo can be understood better.

Finally when he was signing his name in the book, I asked him what made him so passionate about working on this, he stopped writing and thought for a second, “I think it is the respect for life,” Nilsson said.

Nilsson began his career as a photographic journalist in the middle of the 1940s and published a number of photo-essays in Swedish and foreign magazines, including “Polar Bear Hunting in Spitzbergen” (1947) and Midwife.

In order to take a good photo of a midwife who had helped deliver 2500 babies, Nilsson followed her for months and finally, he published a collection of the women who later donated the album to a local museum.

“In 1953, I got an assignment for Life to photograph Dag Hammarskjold’s arrival in New York as UN Secretary General and then got the assignment of photographing of the human embryo, I took the two kinds of photos to the editor, the editor said the embryo is extraordinary,” Nilsson told reporters recently at a press conference in Stockholm when the new contemporary photography museum Fotografiska opened in the Stockholm Harbor.

Instead of taking a portrait of the Secretary General, Nilsson gave a full picture of the UN chief’s office with a table, three sofas and a telephone showing a world leader full of thoughts and vision for the whole world.

“When I went to the professor to take the embryo photo, I was looking around and then I saw something which was unbelievable, it was a tiny human embryo lies in a very special place, a 10-20 millimeter embryo with hands, arms and eyes, and I got a shock,” Nilsson said.

Nilsson began experimenting with new photographic techniques in the mid-1950s to report on the world of ants and life in the sea. His revealing macro-studies were published in his book on ants, Myror (1959), and in the Life in the Sea (1959), and in Close to Nature (1984).In the 1960s special designed, very slim endoscopes made it possible for him to photograph the blood vessels and the cavities of the body with the necessary depth of field and, in 1970,he used a scanning electron microscope for the first time, he was also considered the vanguard for three dimension digital pictures of the body organs.


A baby in the womb, photo by Lennart Nilsson.

After his photographs of human embryo were published, he was encouraged to continue photographing the origins of human being.

In order to show the foetal development from the earliest stage he used macro-lenses and instruments with special wide-angled lenses.

“This takes many years, and it was taken black and white first and after about a year with special interference condenser, they were made colored,” Nilsson explained to People’s Daily Online in his exhibition gallery in the museum.

“It was taken with microscope interference, and the other was taken with scanning microscope, this is done for scientists as well as for ordinary people to see, I work with scientists, top people at Karolinska Institute, but it is also very important for people to see,” Nilsson said.

The publication in 1965 in Life, ‘The Drama of Life before Birth’, became a milestone. His famous book A Child is Born was published in the same year and has since been published in five editions in over twenty countries, according to the information from his webpage.

“In 1958, I believe, I was thinking about giving up photography for five years to study medicine. I didn’t want to become a doctor, but wanted to learn the basics. But a professor I was working with advised against it. He said, ‘Lennart, don’t lose those five valuable years. Read the literature and then put us researchers to use – we’ll have all the latest news!’” he said in an earlier interview.

He was under contract as a photographer for Life from 1965-1972 and produced stories on the heart and heart attacks, the microscopic view inside the body and the brain.

His experiments with photography and light microscopy were succeeded by his use of the scanning electron microscope, which provided not only magnification of hundreds of thousands times but sharp three-dimensionality.

Nilsson has established an international reputation for his films for television on the human body, but he has also directed his attention to the animal world and the plant and insect world.

He was the first person to take the photo of HIV virus and through that process scientists found that some people in Africa can never get HIV. He has also taken photographs of cancer cells for research.

Talking about the technology, he revealed that light was the enemy for him to take photos because the subject he took was always too small and in dark place.

Nilsson has received a number of eminent awards and prizes for his photographic work. He was the first recipient of The Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation’s Photography Award in 1980 and received the ICP Infinity Award in 1992 among others.

Nilsson became a member of the Swedish Society of Medicine in 1969, received an honorary doctorate in medicine from Karolinska Institute in 1976, an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from the Technische Unversität Braunschweig in Germany in 2002, and an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Linköping University in Sweden in 2003.

In 2009 the Swedish Government awarded Nilsson the honorary title of professor.

NASA’s unmanned spacecraft Voyager I and Voyager II both carried photographs from A Child is Born on their journey through the solar system and out into the universe.

As a result, his work has been collected by a number of museums and institutions, including the British Museum in London, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, MOMA in New York, Hasselblad Foundation in Gothenburg, National Museum and the Modern Museum in Stockholm.

Since 1998, the Lennart Nilsson Award has been presented annually during the Karolinska Institute’s installation ceremony. It is given in recognition of extraordinary photography of science and is sponsored by the Lennart Nilsson Foundation.

“I like to read biographies about people who have contributed a lot to humanity. I listen to classical music when I work, ideally Beethoven. And I hum and sing when I work. It could be old narrative songs or anything at all,” Nilsson said when he was interviewed earlier by the local media.

Nilsson said in his life, he admired Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) and Marie Curie (1867-1935). And he thinks that originality of ideas is important. The greatest thing is to be first with an idea!

Nilsson is very modest and sincere. At age of nearly 88, he is still cooperating with colleagues in Karolinska Institute where the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is selected every year.

“If they have an interest, be persistent, I have many assistants and students and this is very important because they are welcomed to get connection with Karolinska Institute, it is very important to feel welcomed and to be there and get more information from it, Karolinska Institute is working for one reason, that is for health, to discover ways to deal with cancer, so I am very glad to be included in the program in autumn,” Nilsson said to People’s Daily Online on advice to young scholars and how he keeps fit.

“He can forget all the other things when he is working and he is still working diligently,” Mrs Nilsson told People’s Daily Online.

By Xuefei Chen, People’s Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm, chenxuefei7@hotmail.com

http://en.people.cn/90001/90777/90853/6996756.html

Source: People’s Daily Online.