Year of the MONKEY - Chinese New Year 2016

[GeneChing]

Great vid, for an ad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOtNfEtSZRo

Last year's thread: Chinese New Year 2015 - Year of the RAM (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68450-Chinese-New-Year-2015-Year-of-the-RAM)

More to come.

[GeneChing]

That's all we need...more monkeys. :rolleyes:


The Year of the Monkey Could Mean a Chinese Baby Boom (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-17/monkey-baby-drive-may-boost-births-in-china-spur-diaper-sales?bcomANews=true)
Natasha Khan January 17, 2016 — 1:29 PM PST Updated on January 17, 2016 — 9:50 PM PST

Merck KGaA reports stronger 3Q fertility-drug sales in China
Maternity hospital group says bookings increased by up to 30%

Those born in the year of the monkey are said to be crafty, clever and charming. That’s spurred some couples in China to delay parenthood until the less-auspicious sheep year ends -- a balm for companies offering fertility products and obstetric services.
The change in the Chinese zodiac from sheep to monkey, which happens this year on Feb. 8, has helped boost maternity bookings by as much as 30 percent at Harmonicare Medical Holdings Ltd.’s 72-bed hospital in Beijing, the company said. German drugmaker Merck KGaA said sales of fertility-related medications increased in China late last year as couples sought to build the ranks of little monkeys.
Harmonicare, China’s largest private obstetrics and gynecology hospital group, is renovating wards in its Beijing and Wuhan centers, adding beds and hiring medical staff on expectation of a busier year. It expects the advent of the country’s two-child policy will add to a monkey-baby drive.
“The number of obstetric deliveries will surely see substantial growth in the 2016 year of the monkey,” said Chen Wei, vice-president of the Beijing-based company, in an e-mail. “In Chinese tradition, sheep-year babies are seen as less auspicious than those born in other years, so many families delayed their reproductive plans so their kids could be born after that.”

http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iiX11B2hlErk/v2/-1x-1.jpg
A newborn intensive care unit. Source: Harmonicare Medical Holdings

Emperor Dragons
While the year of the monkey isn’t considered the most desirable among the 12 zodiac signs, it’s sandwiched between the years of the sheep -- sometimes referred to as a goat -- and the chicken, which can be seen by some as less favorable. The most auspicious year is that of the dragon, a symbol of China’s emperors and synonymous with power and wealth. The last dragon year, in 2012, sparked a 1.9 percent jump in births in China.
Birth years -- whether deemed lucky or not -- don’t always have a corresponding effect on fertility. In the last monkey year, in 2004, the number of births in China decreased by 0.37 percent in the wake of a SARS epidemic that killed more than 600 people on the mainland.
Superstition persists in China. The impact on births though is difficult to gauge or predict, said Joy Huang, the Shanghai-based research manager at Euromonitor International. “For example, we expected fewer babies to be born in the goat year, whereas we found out that the birth rate wasn’t severely impacted,” she said.

Two-Child Policy
Still, many couples in China waited until last May to fall pregnant, Marcus Kuhnert, chief financial officer of Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck, told analysts on a Nov. 12 conference call to discuss third-quarter earnings. “And since then indeed we saw a strong take-up of the business,” he said, without elaborating.
Deliveries in the coming year may be bolstered by the commencement on Jan. 1 of the government’s two-child policy, a relaxation of previous population curbs. The change will result in 3 million to 6 million more babies each year starting in 2017, Credit Suisse Group AG estimated in October. Suppliers of baby milk formula, diapers and certain medications will directly benefit.
A higher birth rate may add about 3 percentage points to the sales of baby-related products, including skincare, Euromonitor’s Huang said. The research firm predicts baby food sales, including milk formula and dried food, will reach 307.8 billion yuan ($46.7 billion) by 2020, more than double the 133.5 billion yuan it estimates was sold in 2015.

Diapers
Other companies that stand to benefit include formula companies, such as Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co.,and diaper maker Hengan International Group Co.
Provisions for a second child may increase the number of older women seeking to become pregnant, said Merck, whose fertility products include Gonal-f, used to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs in women and to spur sperm production in men.
The increasing cost of raising children in China may narrow the number of couples seeking a second child to higher income-earners, said Harmonicare’s Chen. The shares were down 1.2 percent at HK$6.85 in Hong Kong as of 1:00 p.m. local time, while the Hang Seng index fell 0.65 percent.
“Under the two-child policy, those who choose to have a second child are mainly from more affluent families,” he said. “Since we’re in the mid-to-high end, most of them are our potential customers.”

[donnyir]

Great vid, for an ad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOtNfEtSZRo

More to come.

Nice ad, Gene. This guy is probably my favorite Sun Wu Kong ever.

[GeneChing]

Internet tycoons are weird all around the world.


LOOK: Chinese internet tycoons get dressed up for corporate CNY galas (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/01/21/chinese_new_year_gala_tycoon_costumes.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/jack_ma_costume.jpg

As part of Chinese New Year celebrations, those at the very top of some of China's largest companies will be dressing up to appear as the star of the company gala. Here's a selection of some of the best outfits from previous years.
A frequent staple at the annual gala are figures from Chinese history. Here is Giant Interactive president Shi Yuzhu's tribute to the Jade Emperor.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/giantinteractive_shi_yuzhu_jadeemperor.jpg

And Xiaomi founder Lei Jun's took the role of Caishen, the Chinese deity of wealth.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/lei_jun_caishen.jpg

Netease CEO Ding Lei turned up as a "Chinese zombie" to his company's event in 2014.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/netease_ding_lei_zombie.jpg

Baidu chairman Robin Li once masqueraded as Zorro back in 2012.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/baidu_robin_li_zorro.jpg

He also happens to be a pretty awesome drummer.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/robin_li_drummer.jpg

But despite the stiff competition, the man to steal the show is everyone's favorite internet tycoon Jack Ma, who delighted audiences when he turned up in a lovely frilly dress.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/jack_ma_drag.jpg

Who is the fairest of them all? You decide. We just hope that 2016 will live up to expectations.
[Images via DFIC / Xinhua]
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Jan 21, 2016 11:00 PM

[GeneChing]

Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com's contest for 2 YEAR OF THE MONKEY T-SHIRTS from KungFuMagazine.com (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/year-of-the-monkey-tshirt-sweepstakes.php)! Contest ends 5:30 p.m. PST on 2/4/2016.

[GeneChing]

Ours are better:
Year of the Fire Monkey (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m2.html)
Year of the Monkey King (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m1.html)


https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/spring-gala-mascot-01.jpg

Tumor-Laden Monkey Is Your New Spring Festival Gala Mascot (https://thenanfang.com/spring-festival-gala-monkey-mascot-eviscerated-by-chinese-netizens/)
Design widely criticized
Charles Liu, January 22, 2016 11:31am

https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/spring-gala-mascot-02.jpg

Spring Festival has long been known as the traditional time of year when Chinese families gather and celebrate. And yet, it’s also the night that hosts the biggest show of the year, the four-hour long celebrity-studded CCTV Spring Festival gala, a nationally-televised variety show crammed full of as much singing, cross-talk, and patriotic displays as anyone can muster.

As seen from past years, every Chinese New Year means the new gala must somehow be bigger and more entertaining than the year before, manifesting itself in fantastic sets with numerous video displays or elevating floors.

This year, as China celebrates the Year of the Monkey, the CCTV Spring Festival gala looks to up its showmanship by introducing the second mascot ever used by the gala in its history, Kangkang. The monkey mascot was designed by the same person who designed the Fuwa mascots for the Olympic games, Han Meilin.

And yet, there seems to be some major differences between what Han designed using watercolors (shown above), and what CCTV recently revealed as the mascot design for the show (shown below):

https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/spring-gala-mascot-01.jpg

As far as first impressions go, there seems to be some kind of disconnect between Han’s initial watercolor design and the finished 3D model that will presumably provide the basis for the mascot costume. It’s as though someone simply took Han’s design and used it as a head, and then added another body below it. While the two round balls under the monkey’s cheeks made it to the final design, the use of yellow and green as subtle highlights did not.

In the hour since CCTV posted the design to its Weibo account, the post has received over 5,400 comments over the design that overwhelmingly disapprove:


勒尔金_：(top rated comment on CCTV Weibo post)
Upvote me if you don’t think this is any good…

幸是良人：
So ugly!

Nickal_Xcc：
Spring gala stoplight

茜茜念西不念倩V：
I like to think of the two “balls” under the monkey’s face in the hand-painted design are his hands, and not two tumors growing out of his face (as seen in the 3D model).

请叫我玉面小达摩：
Excuse me? Who decided this??? The 3D model version is ugly without peer??? Aren’t the two furry round things underneath the monkey his hands??? What’s the meaning of those tumors on the monkey’s face?

向大阳_：
The 3D model sucks!!! (repeated)

当仔很撒大：
In a former life, the designer surely was a traffic cop.

没有呢称用：
The vision of our leaders is genuinely unique!

张萌萌还是脸脸酱：
This color combination… can’t they just do a normal monkey?

TysSSS-：
In a word… ugly.

天青色等烟雨而我在等Jay：
Who cares who designed it since it’s so ugly anyways.

will-djx：
This is, without a doubt, the ugliest monkey I have ever seen.
The unanimous outpouring of dissent is really too bad when considering what kind of monkey Kangkang is. As revealed along with his design, Kangkang was born on Mount Huaguo and has one dream: “for everyone to be happy”.

Source: CCTV, Southern Metropolis Report, China News Network, Caijing
Photos: CCTV

Charles Liu
The Nanfang's Senior Editor

[GeneChing]

WTH? Why does Monkey art suck so much so far?


http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52159/ILL_0840_hd_1600.jpg?1453305075
JANUARY 20, 2016
JORDAN BRAND CELEBRATES THE CHINESE NEW YEAR (http://news.nike.com/news/jordan-5-chinese-new-year)

Long recognized as a Chinese invention, the kite has deep cultural meaning representing promises of good luck and well wishes. Originating from the dream to fly, kites developed into techical instruments used to measure distances and test wind speed.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52192/JORDAN_SP16_CNY_graphic_native_1600.jpg?1453312416

The kite and its uplifting significance now come to life in the Air Jordan V Retro Low and Jordan Super.Fly 4 PO, celebrating the Chinese New Year with kite-inspired graphics and corresponding tones.

The Jordan Chinese New Year graphic integrates cues from the Air Jordan V, including the shoe’s midsole design and outsole pattern. A hidden basketball court is found in the center of the graphic and includes inspirations from fighter jets and traditional Chinese kites.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52165/840475-060_D1_HeelGraphic_square_600.jpg?1453310289
http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52170/840475-060_A4_Pair_square_600.jpg?1453305438
http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52167/840475-060_D2_HangTag_square_600.jpg?1453305290

JORDAN SUPER.FLY 4 PO
THE JORDAN SUPER.FLY 4 PO FEATURES A FLIGHT WEB FIT SYSTEM FOR SUPERIOR LOCK-DOWN AND FLIGHTSPEED TECHNOLOGY FOR AN EXPLOSIVE FIRST STEP.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52171/840476-060_D1_SideGraphics_square_600.jpg?1453305398
http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52173/840476-060_A4_Pair_square_600.jpg?1453305515
http://s3.amazonaws.com/nikeinc/assets/52175/840476-060_D2_HangTag_square_600.jpg?1453305505

The Air Jordan V Retro Low and Jordan Super.Fly 4 PO Chinese New Year shoes will release on Jordan.com and select global retail locations on January 23.

[GeneChing]

...is starting out really weird. :confused:


Monkey King masked models cruise around ski slope in underwear, scare the beejezus out of everyone (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/01/25/monkey_king_girls_on_slopes.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_girls.jpg

To promote its slopes, a ski resort in Henan went with the tried and true tactic of hiring girls in skimpy clothing; however, with the Year of the Monkey coming up they decided to get creative and had the lovely ladies wear Monkey King masks as well. Here is the result:

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_girls2.jpg

KILL IT WITH FIRE!

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_girls3.jpg

Somehow, the ladies attracted some attention cruising around on snowmobiles in minus 15 degree temperatures. Honestly, we sure as hell would be skiing as fast as we could the other way.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_girls4.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_girls5.jpg

Different strokes for different folks?
[Images via China News]
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Alex Linder in News on Jan 25, 2016 11:30 PM

[GeneChing]

God-awful monkey mascot for 2016 Spring Festival Gala shredded mercilessly by Chinese netizens (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/01/26/kang_kang_ripped_to_shreds.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2016/01/kangkang1.jpg

Meet Kang Kang, China's mascot for this year's Spring Festival Gala. If you aren't a fan of the design, well, you're not alone. After his unveiling last week, Chinese social media was flooded with criticism over the 3D uglification of the original sorta cute monkey design.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang2.jpg

Ironically, Kang Kang's name translates to "healthy" in English, but one can suppose it's hard to have any faith in a creature that seems to have both the colors of jaundice and chemical poisoning spilled evenly on both sides of its creepy face.
Web users also couldn't help but notice the monkey's resemblance to a stoplight, with one netizen deeming it: "The monster of traffic lights!" Another reckoned that it had to be "designed by a traffic cop."

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang11.gif

Photoshopped images of Kang Kang show some much better attempts at design from online users, with one even managing to craft an adorable Kang Kang head:

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang8.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang12.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2016/01/kangkang2.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang10.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/kang_kang9.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2016/01/kangkang6.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2016/01/kangkang8.jpg

The Spring Festival Gala on CCTV has been a Chinese tradition since 1983. Last year's sheep mascot was the first one to be shown on the show.
The original designer of the monkey, Han Meilin, who also designed the 2008 Beijing Olympic mascots, said through WeChat that he was only responsible for the monkey's head and had no input on the final version.
In the Chinese Zodiac, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom, and Han claimed his own design combines Chinese tradition with the atmosphere of new year and the childish traits of China's most famous monkey, the Monkey King, from the literary epic "Journey to the West."
"I would like to take this chance to promote the image of monkey as a Chinese cultural icon around the world," he said. "Disney is famous for a mouse. So why should't we create a monkey?"
But not all netizens hate the design, with one tolerant soul saying: "I think the original painting of the monkey's face is OK, before they made it into a figure."
Well, whoever chose the final design clearly wasn't born in the Year of the Monkey, as this choice was far from wise, though to be honest, it's not as bad as this one.
By Kitty Lai
[Images via Weibo]
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Jan 26, 2016 8:30 PM

Reminds me a little of the Fuwa (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50958-The-whole-China-shakes&p=863175#post863175) for the Beijing Olympics

[GeneChing]

Nicer than our T-shirts (Fire Monkey (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m2.html) & Monkey King (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m1.html)) but considerably more expensive. :eek:



JAN 3, 2016 @ 09:01 AM
Year Of The Monkey Luxury Watches

Anthony DeMarco
CONTRIBUTOR
I'm on the luxury jewelry beat.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

No sooner than we finished with one new year’s celebration it’s time to prepare for another. The Chinese New Year, also known as the lunar new year or spring festival, will be held February 8.

This year is the Year of the Monkey, in accordance with the Chinese zodiac. The day is celebrated with families getting together to eat foods that bring luck, present small amounts of money to children and exchange gifts.

Even though the growth in the Chinese economy is slowing and the government has imposed austerity measures, there are still plenty of wealthy people within the country willing to spend on lavish gifts. Luxury watch brands have created timepieces with specially designed dials interpreting the monkey in ways that are historically and culturally meaningful. Among the timepieces available for sale are the following:

Ulysse Nardin Year of the Monkey Classico

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/anthonydemarco/files/2016/01/Ulysse-Nardin.jpg

The watch brand describes the monkey depicted on the dial as “playful and happy.” It’s designed in a comic strip-like style to capture the lively creature’s character as it appears to leap through a brush of palm fronds.

The champlevé method of enameling brings the artist’s sketch to life. The technique consists of cells being carved with a chisel directly on the dial and filled with enamel. Its colors are generated from different metallic oxides, and for this piece, a neutral palette is used. It is then fired until the enamel melts. It is mastered in-house at Donzé Cadrans, a member of the Ulysse Nardin group of companies.


The 40 mm 18k rose gold timepiece is powered by the UN-815 automatic movement with a COSC-certified chronometer. It is limited to 88 pieces.

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art La Légende du Zodiaque Chinois Year of the Monkey

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/anthonydemarco/files/2016/01/Vacheron-Constantin.jpg
The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – 2016 the year of the monkey

Vacheron Constantin master engravers and enamelers interpreted paper cutting techniques in China and Switzerland in the creation of this limited-edition timepiece.

The foliage motif on the dial is based on classic Chinese iconography that is etched directly in the metal. The pattern remains semi-embedded and stands out from its gold base by accentuating reliefs, making the vegetation appear to be floating over the dial.

Next is the Grand Feu enameling, applying the enamel in successive layers to enhance the intensity of the blue or bronze-toned dial before being fired at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees Celsius. The monkey, made of platinum or gold, is hand engraved and applied to the dial center.

The 40 mm timepiece is powered by the Caliber 2460 G4 movement. It is limited to 12 pieces in platinum and 12 in pink gold.

Harry Winston Premier Monkey Automatic 36mm

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/anthonydemarco/files/2016/01/Harry-Winston.jpg

The ladies timepiece has a pink mother-of-pearl dial, enhanced with flecks of 24k gold, each set in individually carved hollows to create a pink and gold constellation. An 18k gold monkey with a diamond for an eye hangs against this luminous, as if grasping the bezel at 9 o’clock, while his tail winds around an emerald-cut diamond at 12 o’clock. Appliqué and marquise-cut openwork create a scene inspired by Jianzhi, an ancient Chinese art form.

The rose gold timepiece is powered by the HW2008 automatic movement. The bezel, lugs and buckle are set with 74 brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 2.47 carats. It comes with a black satin strap.

It is available in a limited edition of eight pieces.

Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi “Year of the Monkey”

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/anthonydemarco/files/2016/01/Chopard-L.U.C-XP-Urushi-Year-of-the-Monkey-1200x1598.jpg

This timepiece features a Urushi lacquered dial, hand-crafted in Japan by a master lacquer artist. It depicts a red-coated monkey perched on a branch laden with fruit. It is gathering peaches beneath a golden sky ablaze with the last rays of the sun. Behind it, golden valleys compose a warm scene in soft tones.

Urushi lacquer comes from the sap of the “lacquer” or “Japanese varnish” tree. The transparent lacquer is applied in extremely fine layers that contain gold dust motifs created using the meticulous Maki-e technique.

To create the dial and case, Chopard worked with the firm Yamada Heiando, official purveyor to the Japanese imperial family. Master Kilchiro Masumura designed and supervised the creation of the dials, executed by Master Minori Koizumi, an Urushi master.

The 39.5 mm 18k rose gold timepiece is powered by the L.U.C 96.17-L automatic movement.

[GeneChing]

Which is uglier? Beijing, Taipei both unveil appalling mascots for Monkey Year (https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/01/29/which-is-uglier-beijing-taipei-both-unveil-appalling-mascots-for-monkey-year/)
29 January 2016 14:57 Vivienne Zeng 2 min read

Last week, when China’s state broadcaster CCTV unveiled a mascot for its upcoming annual gala to celebrate the Year of the Monkey, the internet was universally appalled. The red, yellow and green cartoon monkey, called Kang Kang, looks like a traffic light gone mad.

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/chrome_2016-01-29_09-47-41.jpg
CCTV’s Monkey Year mascot Kang Kang. Photo: Weibo.

Besides a face split right down the middle, Kang Kang also has two tumour-like round balls growing on his cheeks. Authorities later explained the designer wanted to convey the image of a cute monkey with a mouth so full of food that his cheeks swell. The internet obviously did not get that impression.

But if you think Kang Kang is the ugliest monkey on earth, you may want to think again. This week, Taipei released its own mascot for the Taiwan Lantern Festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and it sparked a debate among netizens across the Taiwan Strait – is this a bigger abomination than Kang Kang?

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/chrome_2016-01-29_09-45-29.jpg
Taipei’s Fulu Monkey. Photo: Taiwan Lantern Festival.

The “Fulu Monkey”, a combination of a gourd and a monkey face, was meant to represent both the monkey year and auspiciousness as the gourd in traditional Chinese culture is linked to good luck and career success. However, the internet sees it as more like the lovechild of a teletubbie and a rubber duck.

The “Fulu Monkey” is expected to appear as a 14-metre-tall light sculpture in Taipei. Taiwan netizens are certainly not looking forward to it. Some said they felt sorry for laughing at the CCTV monkey last week. Others mocked: “This is convenient, change the face and you can use it for 12 years.”

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/chrome_2016-01-29_09-45-12.jpg
Taipei’s Fulu Monkey. Photo: Taiwan Lantern Festival.

A local news website reported the story with the headline: “Why do we hate monkeys?” Mainland netizens responded by saying China and Taiwan have the same kind of taste. “We are one big family after all.”

When we embarked on developing our Fire Monkey (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m2.html) and Monkey King (http://www.martialartsmart.com/95-2016m1.html) T-shirts for 2016, it was a no-brainer as the Monkey King (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50181-Monkey-King) is such a great symbol. How is it China is messing up their monkeys? :confused:

[GeneChing]

You'd think the fire monkey would come in a little hotter...


China braces for 2.9 billion trips made during Chinese New Year celebrations (https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/01/china-braces-for-2-9-billion-trips-made-during-new-year/)
by AP News | 31st January 2016 | @AP

https://asiancorrespondent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AP_10021402534-940x580.jpg
Chinese traditional red lanterns in Beijing. Pic: AP

BEIJING (AP) — China’s peak travel season is kicking into high gear this weekend as hundreds of millions of people return home for Spring Festival celebrations — or head for vacation destinations domestic and abroad.

According to the Ministry of transport, Chinese travelers are expected to make 2.9 billion trips during the 40-day period between Jan. 21 and March 3, with the majority of those trips falling in the weeks around the Feb. 8 Lunar New Year.

The country’s transportation infrastructure has struggled for years to handle what is considered the largest annual human migration on Earth, but a combination of improved online ticketing and a lackluster economy — meaning fewer migrant workers on the road — has mitigated the travel crush.


Snow chaos at the start of China's Lunar New Year (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/snow-chaos-start-china-lunar-year-160201091905611.html)
Wintry weather in central China's Hubei province causes widespread disruption, affecting millions.
Steff Gaulter | 01 Feb 2016 13:39 GMT

http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2016/2/1/366826c4c9d142eda917af932b29d7c7_18.jpg
Planes were cancelled, roads were closed and train passengers faced long delays as the snow fell [EPA]

Thousands of travellers were stranded as thick snow blanketed parts of central China.

In the province of Hubei, Wuhan's airport was forced to close, cancelling dozens of flights and leaving thousands of people stranded.

Trains faced major delays and a major expressway linking Hubei to its neighbouring province of Jiangxi ground to a halt.

In Jiangxi itself, the snow forced the closure of a number of roads, including four major expressways.

The disruption happened at the start of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This is a time when millions of people travel to see their friends and family, and is considered to be the largest annual human migration.

Chinese travellers are expected to make almost three billion trips during the 40-day period surrounding the festivities, with most of the trips falling in the week of February 8, the start of the Year of the Monkey.

Fortunately, the forecast for the region looks more favourable over the next few days. The snow cleared from the region on Monday, and no further heavy snow is expected this week.

However, temperatures will drop below freezing during the night, so there could be a problem with ice.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1UkmsN7obs

[GeneChing]

And I've been worried about Superbowl (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69244-Superbowl-50) traffic. :o


Guangzhou: Heavy snows strand more than 100,000 people at southern China train station (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/guangzhou-heavy-snows-strand-more-than-100000-people-at-southern-china-train-station-a6848606.html)
'There are too many people and it is too crowded'
Adam Withnall @adamwithnall 8 hours ago

http://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2016/02/02/12/Guangzhou-stranded.jpg

Passengers wait to enter a railway station after trains were delayed due to bad weather in southern China in Guangzhou Reuters
More than 100,000 people have been stranded at a train station in southern China after heavy snows disrupted public transport in the run-up to Chinese New Year.

The holiday seasons sees hundreds of millions of migrant workers make long journeys home to celebrate with their families – but it has coincided with some of the worst winter weather conditions across eastern Asia for a generation.

Videos and images posted to social media showed officials struggling to control vast crowds outside the central railway station in Guangzhou, where there were significant delays.

About 176,000 passengers had reportedly been due to pass through the station on Monday alone, and numbers began to pile up after a rare bout of freezing snow saw at least 23 trains delayed.

According to the Xinhua news agency, emergency measures were put in place to try and control passengers outside the station and “avoid the dangers of overcrowding”.

State broadcasters said more than 50,000 were stranded, but other local and international media put the number above 100,000 at its peak.

“There are too many people and it is too crowded,” one stranded passenger, who was not named, told CCTV.

Xinhua has said the country is bracing for record levels of passengers this year, as people brave the travel chaos lasting about 40 days around the New Year itself, which falls this year on 8 February.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3seJaXXBs

PRC isn't allowing Deadpool (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68441-Deadpool)to be distributed in there. :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

3 FEB 2016 - 8:55PM
Chinese baby boom expected in Year of the Monkey (http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/02/03/chinese-baby-boom-expected-year-monkey)
Hundreds of thousands of people in China are preparing to usher in the Year of the Monkey, and for many hopeful parents, it's a good year to have baby.
By Katrina Yu
3 FEB 2016 - 8:14 PM UPDATED YESTERDAY 8:55 PM

Not only is the Monkey Year an auspicious time to give birth, it's also the first opportunity for many families to have more than one child, with China ending it’s one-child policy last year.

Daisy Yuan never thought she would have a second child. The Beijing resident is currently five months pregnant, and already mother to three-year-old Niu Niu.

“It was actually an accident and something I didn’t consider. But when it happened I spoke with my parents and husband and we realised that it was a good opportunity for Niu Niu to have a companion,” Yuan says.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/body_image/public/daisy_and_niuniu.jpg?itok=Cyngqpiq&mtime=1454490227
Daisy Yuan and her three-year-old son Niu Niu. (SBS News)

The 33-year-old fell pregnant just after the Chinese government ended it’s long-held one child policy in October last year.

“I’m very happy, and it’s a monkey which is lucky. Monkey children are said to be smart and joyful, also energetic,” she says.

The new Lunar New Year will end the year of the sheep, a less desirable birth year according to Chinese astrology, and usher in the year of the monkey.

The lucky zodiac combined with the new policy have many predicting a bumper year for babies in China. In Beijing alone at least 300,000 newborns are expected - a 20 percent jump from the 250,000 average in recent years. German fertility drug maker Merck, has seen a boost in sales on the mainland.

Although not everyone adheres to ancient customs, some couples were extra mindful of becoming pregnant after May last year to ensure they would have a ‘Monkey baby’.

“The monkey king is the biggest hero in our culture and we would love to have a monkey baby so we can have a hero kid,” excited soon-to-be father Zoubai Wang says.

Wang’s mother was born in the year of the sheep, and encouraged her son not to have a sheep baby because those born in the sheep year have less luck.

“She grew up during a hard time and experienced hunger, so maybe that’s why she has this idea,” Wang says.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/body_image/public/master_wanghaohua_says_sheep_years_are_bad_for_hav ing_babies.jpg?itok=lGa6OyXF&mtime=1454490402
Feng Shui master Wang Hao Hua says sheep years are bad for having babies. (SBS News)

Feng Shui master Wang Hao Hua says that’s why many couples may have held off giving birth the year before.

“We have a changing sequence that takes place every year, which is what we Chinese call the 12 Chinese Zodiac," he says.

"Based on that, the year of the monkey follows the Year of the Sheep. And generally people agree that the year of the goat is a bad year, so the number of people who want to give birth is low in that year.”

Although Wang would love to take advantage of the second child policy, they’re not sure they can afford to. Like many other young couples in major Chinese city, they’re struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living.

“The new policy will impact urban areas a lot, but in urban areas the cost is the important factor,” Professor Du Peng, sociologist and population expert from Beijing’s Renmin University, says.

“Another problem is the lack of resources. The government is developing more facilities in terms of healthcare, so that families actually have somewhere to go if they do get pregnant again. At the moment there aren’t enough hospital beds.”

Some Beijing hospitals have reported maternity beds booked out until this April, and a 30 percent boost in bookings with the new Monkey Year.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/body_image/public/monkey_children_said_to_have_lucky_lives.jpg?itok= B8JZZkzv&mtime=1454490885
Children born in the Year of the Monkey are said to have lucky lives. (SBS News)

Dr Wang Wejun, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Beijing’s Amcare hospital, says more older women are also approaching the hospital looking to conceive again.

“For mothers born in the 1970s for example, who have already got older... if they have wishes to have a second baby, we would try our best to help them to accomplish that,” Dr Wang says.

Yuan says she feels lucky to be able to afford to move into a bigger apartment in Beijing to support her growing family and is looking forward to helping Niu Niu adjust to life as an older brother.

“It may take some time to get used to, but he’s also looking forward to it," she says.

"He’s born in the dragon year, so he’s confident and smart - a great match for a monkey sibling.”

Almost all of the years of the Chinese zodiac (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/info/horoscope/index.php)have their auspiciousness, except the sheep and pig. That's why there are so many Chinese.

[GeneChing]

There are more pix - I only copy and pasted the lead shot.

This just reminded me of an archived ezine article that I should bring forward this year: Visiting the Home of the Monkey King (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1084) by Gregory Brundage


| Wed Feb 3, 2016 8:35am EST
Chinese village hopes for year of profitable monkey business (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lunar-newyear-china-monkey-idUSKCN0VC1FL?utm_source=applenews)
BAOWAN VILLAGE, CHINA | BY JOSEPH CAMPBELL

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160203&t=2&i=1114614605&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=644&pl=429&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC120OQ
A monkey rides a bicycle during a daily training session at a monkey farm in Baowan village, Xinye county of China’s central Henan province, February 2, 2016.
REUTERS/JASON LEE

During decades of political turmoil in China under Mao Zedong, monkeys were not trained or kept as pets, but often eaten.

But one village in rural Henan province, where the land is too hard and rough to grow crops, residents have for centuries relied on training performing monkeys to make money. And as the Year of the Monkey approaches, they are hoping for bumper business.

A small temple devoted to the deity of the Monkey King, a popular figure from Chinese folklore and literature, sits on the outskirts of Baowan.

"Since this will be the Year of the Monkey, and we will be putting on (monkey performance) competitions for tourists, we all need to visit this temple and burn some incense,” Zhang Zhijiu, a 60-year-old former monkey busker, said after praying.

Monkey breeding and raising is illegal across China without a proper license, but the 2,500 villagers of Baowan are an exception.

The animals, some wearing tight metal collars, are taught to ride bicycles and walk on stilts. One trainer was throwing daggers at a monkey balanced on a wooden board on a rolling cylinder.

The animal was deftly catching the daggers and putting them between its teeth.

Fan Haoran, 57, a trainer at Qilingang Monkey Farm who traveled the country monkey busking for decades, has been training monkeys since his youth. He says the key is to develop a relationship.

"Firstly, you have to show concern and take care of them. Secondly, you must proceed slowly, little by little, and not rush. For instance, when shaking hands - from the beginning, little by little - and then it will remember your hand."

But for China, which has spent decades trying to end rural poverty, animal rights have been almost non-existent until recently, and then mostly among urban pet owners.

Zhang Junran, president of Xinye County’s monkey breeding association, admitted that Baowan’s treatment of monkeys has been controversial, but he said the current methods were humane.

"Our way of training monkeys to perform was not the most educated (in the past). Especially when it came to their living conditions... But these monkeys also have lives, and they have brought us so many benefits, which have made such major changes to our lives. We must be good to our monkeys,” said Zhang.

Zhang Zhijie, 57, keeps a four year-old macaque tied on a leash just outside his home. Zhang comes from a line of monkey trainers and has made a small fortune performing across the country.

"It started from my grandfather, then my father, and then it was passed down to me. My kids studied in primary school, and then went college. Their education was completely paid for by money made from our monkey performances,” he said.

But the family business may be coming to an end - his children are not showing the same interest in the family tradition.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

[GeneChing]

And I thought competing with Superbowl 50 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69244-Superbowl-50&p=1290389#post1290389) was bad here in Cali...:rolleyes:


2.03.2016
SACRAMENTO KINGS CANCEL "YEAR OF THE MONKEY" SHIRT GIVEAWAY AFTER PLAYER COMPLAINT (http://blog.angryasianman.com/2016/02/sacramento-kings-cancel-year-of-monkey.html#more)

Someone was clearly not paying attention to the unintended implications of this promotion.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jvwHyfX7-o/VrKdMT32GYI/AAAAAAAAA5I/gsMQN01fpVA/s1600/yearofthemonkeyshirts01.jpg

This week, the Sacramento Kings scrapped a commemorative Lunar New Year t-shirt giveaway celebrating the Year of the Monkey after a player noted the shirts could be deemed offensive during Black History Month.

Sacramento Kings Pull 'Year of the Monkey' Shirts From Seats

Player DeMarcus Cousins took issue with the shirt design, which depicted a monkey in Kings colors. The shirts were supposed to be given out to fans on Monday night during Sacramento's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but were pulled at the last minute after Cousins raised the issue with team management.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meIlCWURZ0U
The Sacramento Kings introduced players in Mandarin for Lunar New Year.

February 8 is the start of the Lunar New Year -- the Year of the Monkey -- but the team planned to give out the shirts on February 1... which also happens to be the first day of Black History Month. Players and coaches were already wearing shirts observing Black History Month on that day.

Associations between Black people and monkeys have been historically used in racist imagery. Someone in the Kings organization was clearly not paying attention to the unintended implications of this promotion.

Responding to Cousins' concerns, the Kings pulled the shirts from seats before fans arrived at Sleep Train Arena. Bucks TV analyst and former player Marques Johnson tweeted a photo of staff collecting the shirts:


Follow

Marques Johnson (https://twitter.com/olskool888/status/694332395135201281/photo/1)
‏@olskool888
DeMarcus voices his displeasure and to the Kings credit they pull the Monkey T Shirts...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CaLDomyUsAEATA_.jpg

RETWEETS 490
LIKES 344
5:31 PM - 1 Feb 2016


Marques Johnson (https://twitter.com/olskool888/status/694332767522324480/photo/1)
‏@olskool888
Good move Kings. Year of Monkey Tees on 1 st day of Black History Month not a good look. Thanks DeMarcus...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CaLD-SDUkAAflx8.jpg

RETWEETS 645
LIKES 504
5:33 PM - 1 Feb 2016

"We all need a lesson in sensitivity," Kings' president Chris Granger told The Sacramento Bee. "In an effort to celebrate Chinese New Year, we had some concerns about the t-shirt giveaway, so we pulled them all before the doors opened. Certainly we don't want to offend anybody, and we acted as soon as we heard the concern."

There is a league-wide initiative this season for teams to commemorate the Lunar New Year "in some fashion," and the rest of the Kings' Lunar New Year celebration continued as scheduled. Festivities included Kings Dancers performing a ribbon dance, a Lunar New Year drum line and a Mandarin emcee.

While I really appreciate the NBA's efforts to be inclusive and acknowledge the traditions of the Lunar New Year, the Kings definitely overlooked the optics and timing of the Year of the Monkey-themed giveaway. The concerns were valid, and it was a good call to yank the shirts. Every little step...

[GeneChing]

Someone got fired.


7:00pm February 4, 2016
Coles pulls Chinese New Year mishap from shelves (http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/02/04/19/08/coles-pulls-chinese-new-year-mishap-from-shelves)
By ninemsn

http://imageresizer.static9.net.au/WnCBstzTM-iKLnebQB3Po0JiwEw=/718x0/http%3a%2f%2fprod.static9.net.au%2f_%2fmedia%2f201 6%2f02%2f04%2f19%2f14%2f0402_coles.ashx
Coles were quick to remove the Chinese New Year lucky bamboo plants from shelves once the mistake was pointed out (Image Source: AAP)

Coles has failed in its attempt to help customers celebrate the Year of the Monkey after it was revealed their lucky bamboo plants are labelled with last year’s Chinese zodiac word ‘goat’.

Originally reported by marketing blog Mumbrella, the pot plant's label features a cartoon monkey as well the Chinese character for sheep or goat.

The Year of the Goat started on 9 February 2015 and ends on Sunday. The Year of the Monkey starts on February 8th on the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle.

Users on Chinese social media website Weibo were quick to joke about the mishap, with one commenting that the monkey's name could possibly be Sheep.

A Coles spokesperson confirmed to Fairfax Media that they were removing the product from sale.

"We're sorry for the mix-up and have decided to remove the product from our shelves. We hope everyone has a very happy Chinese New Year,” the spokesperson said.

http://imageresizer.static9.net.au/YTNgfWs3fXpikyflPbhe_3JVdeY=/718x0/http%3a%2f%2fprod.static9.net.au%2f_%2fmedia%2f201 6%2f02%2f04%2f19%2f14%2f0402_colessb.ashx%3fw%3d60 3
The lucky bamboo plant in question, which features a cartoon monkey and the Chinese character for 'Sheep' or 'Goat' (Image Source: Weibo)

For the most part, customers haven't scolded the supermarket for their mistake.

"We should support western brands who take part in Chinese traditions & holidays - a blooper is ok, it's how we learn," Twitter user Michael Ashton wrote.

"How can Coles cope? Valentine's day, Australia Day and Chinese New Year, so much merchandising so little time," Neil Bibby wrote.

[GeneChing]

The two sides to China’s new monkey coin (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sunday/The-two-sides-to-Chinas-new-monkey-coin/shdaily.shtml)
Source: Xinhua | February 7, 2016, Sunday

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/newsimage/2016/02/05/020160205220020.jpg

GUAN Fuyuan, in his sixties, walked to his bank in the bitter Beijing wind just after breakfast to wait for three hours. Just before lunchtime, he got what he came for .

Every year since 2003 in the run up to Lunar New Year, China has issued a commemorative coin featuring the horoscope animal for the coming year. Last year, the Year of the Sheep, was the beginning of the second 12-year cycle, and the face value of the coin was raised from one yuan (US$0.15) to 10 yuan.

The central bank opened online subscription for the monkey coins earlier this month and on Saturday began to distribute them. Any Chinese citizen could apply for up to five coins, to be collected and paid for before New Year. For some, it is a small investment; for others just some fun.

This year’s coin resembles a one euro, basically silver with a gold-colored rim, featuring an image of a traditional paper-cut of a monkey sitting beside a lantern, staring off into the distance.

Born in 1980, another the Year of Monkey, Guan’s daughter Yijun decided to buy one this year. Subscriptions opened at midnight on January 6 and she began clicking as soon as the clock struck twelve. She eventually succeeded at around 6am.

“It took a long time to place my order, perhaps due to a bad Web connection, perhaps because there were so many other people doing the same thing at the same time,” she recalled.

Previously, Yijun had worked in England for three years. “In Great Britain, they issue commemorative coins on many occasions, such as the 200th anniversary of Charles ****ens’ birth and to celebrate 150 years of the world’s oldest subway system. I collected as many as I could.” The monkey coin is the first Chinese addition to her collection.

Beijing’s allocation of coins was sold out in less than 12 hours online and a report in The Beijing Evening News said that more than three million coins were snapped up in the first hour.

At a downtown branch of ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), Yang Fan used three ID cards to collect 15 coins, mostly gifts for friends and relatives. “They are very special Spring Festival gifts,” he said. “It is not any kind of investment or speculation, as it takes a long time for them to appreciate.”

Jia Lijun, an ICBC teller, said that about 500 customers were coming in each day to collect their coins. A notice on the front door read that the branch had been allocated 22,000 of the minted monkeys.

According to ICBC, sheep coins issued in 2003 have risen from a face value of one yuan to 310 yuan in today’s market. Last year’s 10 yuan sheep now change hands for around 100 yuan. Wang Fubin, the president of a Nanjing investors association, said that the price of this year’s monkey had already doubled.

“Zeal for collecting coins has surged, and these horoscope coins are affordable for many people,” Wang said, “although coins remain less popular than stamps as investments.”

The value of collectibles largely depends on scarcity and age. Liu Haoxiang, a professional investor, said that the monkey stamp issued in 1980 is now worth several thousand times its face value. Wang Yu, a collector for 15 years, noted that coins and stamps were more accessible to ordinary people than jewelry and paintings, with lower risk of forgery. “They are issued by state-owned institutions so their authenticity is more reliable,” he said.

But for Guan, while his wait in the freezing cold of Beijing’s winter for a brass monkey was not entirely in vain, his time was not as well spent as it might have been. “I waited for so long but my daughter had only reserved one!” he complained.

Yijun confessed that her motivation to buy one of the coins was more fun than investment. “I like to keep some small souvenirs of each stage of my life, so that when I am old, these things will take me back in time,” she said.

Sunday


Lunar New Year: Year of the Monkey (https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?productId=S_586504&categoryId=buy-stamps)
Forever 49¢

https://www.usps.com/stamp-collecting/assets/images/586504-L1.jpg

In 2016 the U.S. Postal Service® will ring in the Year of the Monkey by issuing the ninth of 12 stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Monkey begins on February 8, 2016, and ends on January 27, 2017.

The monkey is one of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. According to an old legend, the animals raced across a river to determine their order in the cycle. The rat crossed by riding on the back of the ox, jumping ahead at the last minute to win the race. Next came the ox, then the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, and ram, followed by the monkey in ninth place.

People born in the year of a particular animal sign are said to share characteristics with that animal. Individuals born during the Year of the Monkey are said to be clever, wise, and honest. With their keen intellect and sociability, they can easily adapt to new situations.


Issue Date:
February 05, 2016
Art Director/Designer: Ethel Kessler
SKU: 586504
I actually have a lot of the U.S.P.S. CNY stamps. When I used to live in S.F., I got them as mementos in Chinatown. But I don't collect stamps. I don't really know what to do with those now. They are buried in storage somewhere.:o

[GeneChing]

I would try a lobster pizza.


5 FEBRUARY 2016 - 3:43PM | POSTED BY CHLOE MCKENNA
How big brands around the world are welcoming in the Year of the Monkey for Chinese New Year (http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2016/02/05/how-big-brands-around-world-are-welcoming-year-monkey-chinese-new-year)

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/home_page_featured/s3/news/tmp/56351/losangeles_happy-chinese-new-year-2015-2016-2017.jpg?itok=oMkdDX5o
How big brands around the world are welcoming in the Year of the Monkey for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is now a truly global celebration enjoyed by over 1.3 billion people, with over 800 events hosted in more than 320 cities across 118 countries. With so many different people taking part in the festivities internationally, for brands hoping to get involved and run special promotions, localising messaging to different regions is increasingly important.

As we welcome in the Year of the Monkey, let’s take a look at some of the best examples of localised Chinese New Year promotional content around this year, and why it worked.

Pizza hut

Pizza hit is a great example of a big brand that puts a lot of effort into localising their Chinese New Year promotions to different regional audiences. Rather than rolling out a blanket ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ message across all markets, every country is running different offers, using bespoke imagery and locally relevant advertising to mark the occasion.

China

This year’s Pizza hut Chinese New Year menu caused quite a stir as it features a pizza topped with an entire cooked lobster (although a spaghetti option is also available for those with less adventurous tastes). This somewhat extravagant addition to the normally modest menu, although unusual, worked because people in China tend to want to treat themselves and their families as the holiday celebrations get into full swing and so are willing to be a little more lavish.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/pizza_hut_china.jpg?itok=D8j5kS1a
Pizza Hut China

Indonesia

In Indonesia, Pizza Hut’s promotional content is far removed from the grandiose food imagery used in China, with their Lunar New Year posts shunning photos from the menu in favour of simple pictures featuring a pomelo fruit and traditional cakes, which symbolise good luck for the coming year.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/pizza_hut_indo.jpg?itok=pnYnPiYl
Pizza Hut Indonesia

Malaysia

Another country, another localised menu: In Malaysia, a brand new pizza range, the ‘Cheesy Crown’ was launched so that ‘this Lunar New Year, [you can feel] like a royal at Pizza Hut’. Pizza Hut Malaysia head Felix D. Michael said the new Cheesy Crown pizza was designed to ‘make an enjoyable meal for close friends and family during the festive holidays’.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/pizza_hut_mal.jpg?itok=OAfm4vBq
Pizza Hut Malaysia

Levi's

Levi's have carried a similar theme across their regional markets with Chinese New Year promotions offering bespoke product ranges, offers and discounts tweaked for each specific market.

China

In China a special New Year’s clothing collection was revealed. The range went all-out with the monkey theme including jackets with embroidered monkey designs and others featuring the number 8, believed in China to symbolise luck. Discounts were offered through the use of QPR codes, which are hugely popular with Chinese users. A competition was also run on the local messaging app We Chat offering users the chance to win goodies including phone cases, T-shirts and wallets.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/levis_china.jpg?itok=U6hDGjRi
Levi's China

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/levis_china_1.jpg?itok=Wq2dwMV_
Levi's China

Thailand

In Thailand, a more toned-down Chinese New Year collection was launched, featuring red and gold t-shirts promoted with the slogan ‘new clothes for a new year’. Discounts of 20 per cent and 25 per cent are also being offered to entice online shoppers to spend.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/levis_thai.jpg?itok=xgjZ1hky
Levi's Thailand

Malaysia

In Malaysia, local celebrities were employed to endorse the Chinese New Year collection. Clicking on each of the celebrity images clicks through to a landing page where they reveal their wishes for the New Year.

Prosperity packs are also being offered for purchases over RM250 allowing shoppers to ‘give [themselves] a treat this festive season, and spread some cheer too’.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/levis_mal_1.jpg?itok=cMkvEUdO
Levi's Malaysia

Gucci

Gucci shows how, increasingly, even high-end luxury fashion brands and are incorporating Chinese New Year into their marketing calendars and localising these campaigns for regional customers.

China

In China, Gucci used the local equivalent to YouTube, YouKu, to promote a ‘happy holiday’ video, featuring traditional Chinese designs and imagery.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/gucci.jpg?itok=KQDuhWZw
Gucci China

USA and Europe

The Gucci Chinese New Year collection, which sees monkeys adorning everything from keyrings to handbags received coverage across major fashion publications across Europe and the USA, showcasing the increasing trend for mainstream interest in the Chinese New Year holiday outside of mainland China.

http://img01.thedrum.com/styles/drum_media_normal/s3/gucci_usa.jpg?itok=cZW4SfSV
Gucci USA and Europe
Key takeaways

So as global spending on Chinese New Year increases every year, with £8.6 billion pounds estimated to be spent this year by Chinese tourists alone, international brands need to seriously consider their marketing plans around this annual event.

As celebrations take place all over the world, understanding the customs and traditions of customers in different regions is key. Follow the lead of the brands featured within this list and tailor messaging to ensure a localised approach which will engage your audience during the celebrations, wherever they are.

Chloe McKenna is a social media strategist at Oban Digital

[GeneChing]

But bills not coins. And I just got my paycheck. :D


For lunar new year, Asians are flocking to the bank for luck (http://qz.com/610400/for-lunar-new-year-asians-are-flocking-to-the-bank-for-luck/)

https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ap_698181097992-e1454634071229.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=1600
Bank decorations in Hong Kong for Monkey Year, which starts on Feb. 8. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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WRITTEN BY Thu-Huong Ha
3 hours ago

As lunar new year looms, people in China, Vietnam, South Korea, and the diaspora are hustling to get ready. Celebrants are scrubbing their kitchens, buying new clothes, getting hair cuts, paying (and collecting) debts this week, all to prepare for the first day of Monkey Year on Feb. 8.

One surprisingly crucial errand in the annual scramble to freshen up is a trip to the bank: It’s not a new year’s celebration without crisp clean money in your pockets to give out to your kids, grandkids, or younger siblings and cousins.

In crispness we trust

In countries where the new year is a public holiday, new (or nearly new) notes are automatically issued by the government’s central bank. But in countries like the US with smaller East Asian communities, it comes down to individual banks to ensure local branches have the crisp bills required by tradition.


Once word circulates that new bills are available, lines are out the door.

According to custom, it’s extra important to display model behavior on the first day of the entire year. So losing, lending, or borrowing money on new year’s day is a big no-no, as it’s seen as an omen for a whole year’s worth of bad fortune. Instead, one should pad one’s pockets with beautiful new money, usually given by an elder. Giving away red envelopes (called hangbao in Chinese or li xi in Vietnamese) with a few bills of good-luck money inside is de rigueur.
To prepare for new year-related demand, a Bank of America branch in LA’s Little Saigon ordered $6 million in new bills this January, according to the LA Times. That’s about 12 times the amount of new money it ordered for Christmas 2015.
At Bank of America’s Mandarin Tower in San Francisco (home to the United States’ biggest Chinatown outside of Asia), once word circulates that new bills are available, lines are out the door, a spokesperson tells Quartz. The bank routinely sees thousands of additional customers in the month before new year, so it staffs up and lengthens bank hours to meet the rush.

The past two weeks have been “pretty intense,” Jose Mendez, store supervisor at TD Bank in Manhattan’s Chinatown, tells Quartz. His branch orders new bills about two and a half weeks before the new year. On a typical banking day, 15 or 30-minute lulls without customers are normal, but in the past few weeks he’s observed a constant flow of traffic. When demand gets too high, the tellers designate a special line for people just looking for pretty bills.

Get (extra) lucky

In Singapore, where the ethnic majority is Chinese, banks also see unusual activity around li chun, the start of the lesser known solar new year, which signals the start of spring. In recent years, charts purporting to tell people their luckiest time slots for depositing money have gone viral in Singapore, causing long bank lines on the “auspicious” day.


Follow (https://twitter.com/cherculez/status/562887204184543232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Cherie @cherculez
The queue to deposit money.........no joke...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8_GtyVIQAEhNJl.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8_Gt0fIEAAQuGT.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8_Gt5xIcAAi98q.jpg
RETWEET 1
LIKE 1
Bryan Chua佳惠 JIAHUI ヾ(@゜▽゜@)ノ
12:15 AM - 4 Feb 2015
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One trending poster this year, from shopping site 65daigou, suggests auspicious (and even more auspicious!) times of day for banking, according to zodiac sign. The site also tells visitors what colors they should wear to the bank for maximum luck.


吉 means “lucky,” and 大吉 means “extra lucky.”(Courtesy 65daigou)

https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/bank-in-timing.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=640

The digital “war” for the red envelope

But mobile payments could soon make the scramble to collect and deposit crisp cash obsolete.

In China, digital exchanges of new year’s money have exploded with popularity. In 2014 Tencent social media app WeChat released a red envelope app for the new year that let users send money electronically. It was massively popular: WeChat’s 400 million users exchanged the equivalent of $46 million that year.

In 2015, its rival Alibaba responded by giving away 600 million yuan ($91 million) in red envelopes through its digital wallet, Alipay, sparking a “red envelope war.” This year internet giant Baidu has joined the fray, saying it will give away 6 billion yuan ($912 million) in digital hongbao.

Still, it seems unlikely the trend will catch on any time soon in diaspora communities in LA, San Francisco, and New York, where lunar new year is a rare opportunity to preserve customs from the homeland.

[GeneChing]

Lunar New Year in China Will Reveal New Travel and Spending Habits (http://skift.com/2016/02/06/lunar-new-year-in-china-will-reveal-new-travel-and-spending-habits/)
Xiaoqing Pi, Bloomberg - Feb 06, 2016 2:00 pm

https://skift.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/wpid-thumbnail-546e768586dd7b19f67e55190b8bacb9-1280x863.jpeg
Paul Traynor / Associated Press
Chen Xiao, a real estate agent, checks on her smartphone as she prepares to leave her house to go back to her hometown for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, in Shanghai, China. Paul Traynor / Associated Press

Lunar New Year is always the best way to take the pulse of changing consumer habits in China.
— Jason Clampet

Chinese consumers, pillars of strength in a slowing economy, are ramping up spending as the Lunar New Year holiday approaches.

Travelers will make a record 2.91 billion trips by road, rail, air and water over the holiday season, up 3.6 percent from last year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner. Six million will head to foreign destinations during the week-long public holiday, while retailers and restaurants will probably ring up more than $100 billion in sales.

The spending binge underscores the rebalancing to consumption and services from China’s historic dependence on investment and exports for growth. That’s making industries like tourism, health care, education and entertainment the economy’s new drivers as the old rust belt sectors like steel and coal struggle with overcapacity.

“A growing middle class fuels tourism,” Alicia Garcia Herrero, Asia-Pacific chief economist at Natixis SA in Hong Kong, wrote in a report. “Under the backdrop of improved living conditions and transport infrastructure, Chinese find traveling easier and more accessible.”

Epic Migration

The epic migration drives spending on everything from gasoline to gifts. China’s 1.37 billion citizens will each make 2.1 trips on average during the broader holiday season, which spans Jan. 24 to March 4. That’s like moving all 321 million Americans nine times over.

Travel website Ctrip.com projects a record 6 million overseas trips next week (the equivalent of everyone in Denmark taking off). Thailand, Japan and South Korea top the list of destinations, suggesting many will snap up cosmetics in Tokyo or splash in resort pools in Phuket.

China’s local tourism capacity is way lower than the demand, according to Chen Xingdong, chief China economist at BNP Paribas SA in Beijing. Further growth will be driven by the need to upgrade and “meet the demand of increasingly sophisticated Chinese consumers,” he said, and improvements across entertainment and restaurants will help offset the slowdown.

Growth Driver

Spending will get a boost from the essential elements of Chinese family reunions and gatherings: presents, banquets and movie nights. Restaurants and retailers reported 678 billion yuan in sales during the holiday season last year, up 11 percent from 2014, while box offices took in 900 million yuan, according to the commerce ministry.

The outlook is even better this year thanks to blockbusters such as Kung Fu Panda 3, which took in 338 million yuan in the first three days in theaters, according to EntGroup Inc. Cinemas reported a 47 percent jump in total sales in January from a year earlier, according to the Beijing-based entertainment industry research firm.

Sausages, Refrigerators

Meanwhile, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. rang up 2.1 billion “special purchases” in late January ranging from smoked sausage to refrigerators. The online marketplace features a range of goods and presents for the holiday, which is also known as Spring Festival.

Consumers born after 1980 made 81 percent of those purchases, according to the Hangzhou-based company. Clothes made up 36 percent of items transacted while food accounted for 15 percent. While urban youths favored wearable digital products, migrant workers bought home appliances for their rural families, according to Alibaba’s report.

As some travel tallies are poised to break records, harsh winter weather may put a dent in rail travel. Snow in northern China caused delays in the nation’s massive rail network this week, leaving as many as 100,000 travelers stranded Monday at the train station in the southern city of Guangzhou, according to a statement from the city’s police.

I get fridges, but sausages?

[r.(shaolin)]

Wishing all of you health and happiness in the Year of Monkey!


https://vimeo.com/154645394

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMM6pptgbi0

[GeneChing]

Welcome back Stephen!


China just had its biggest day EVER at the box office, taking in 660 million yuan (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/02/10/china_box_office_record.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_shanghaiist/mermaid_film.jpg

Cinema-goers overachieved this Lunar New Year's Day, with box office takings on Monday outdoing last year's single-day record by 78%. Stephen Chow's The Mermaid dominated with the best opening-day performance for a Chinese film ever.
According to EntGroup data, box office gross on Monday totalled 660 million yuan ($100.5 million), with The Mermaid taking most of that profit at $40.9 million. It's set an opening-day record in the country for a Chinese-language film, and is second only overall to the opening-day performance of Furious 7 last year.
A distant runner-up to The Mermaid was Chow Yun Fat's The Man From Macau 3, which raked in $26.9 million.
And a close third place was The Monkey King 2, at $25 million.
Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 3 has already faded from the spotlight, grossing just $2.9 million on NY Day. It also saw a 70% slump in performance in its second weekend, pulling in a mere $15.1 million from Friday to Sunday.
But while the top three enjoyed a combined screening total of 186,718 on Monday, Kung Fu Panda 3 was disadvantaged with just 9212 showings. Overall it's achieved $106.3 million over an 11-day period.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Feb 10, 2016 12:00 PM

[GeneChing]

See our WINNERS: Year of the Monkey T-shirts (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69280-WINNERS-Year-of-the-Monkey-T-shirts) thread.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1UkmsN7obs

[GeneChing]

I can't imagine these make good pets. Ever hear Richard Pryor's routine about keeping a monkey as a pet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2JS0PSmZqw)? (NSFW)


Year of the Mini-Monkey? Newly wealthy in China illegally purchase endangered primates from the Amazon (https://www.dramafever.com/news/year-of-the-mini-monkey-wealthy-chinese-people-illegally-purchasing-endangered-little-amazon-creatures-as-pets/)
by Danny Kichi on Fri, Feb 12, 2016

https://www.dramafever.com/st/news/images/a0fd041c-5b35-41d4-bcbf-3c4c47ef0542.jpg

It seems that some folks are taking the Year of the Monkey a little too far. With their newly acquired wealth, an alarming number of the nouveau riche in China are paying loads of money for the smallest monkeys in the world, either to own as pets or to give them away as gifts. Granted, these tiny primates are super cute, but the problem is that they're endangered, and any transaction involving them is very illegal.

Native to the western Amazon Basin in South America, the five-inch tall pygmy marmoset is the smallest monkey and one of the smallest primates in the world. Weighing only about 100 grams, they are called "thumb monkeys" by locals, as they often will cling onto a person's hand when being held. As cute as they are, they are also endangered, which is why the buying and selling of them is against the law. Because of the habitat of where these little monkeys are from, forcing them to live in anywhere else is highly unethical, especially when the environment cannot be controlled. They have a very specific diet, and raising them is not easy. Because of some decline in local populations, they have been put on an endangered list by the International Union for Conservation, but fortunately, the threat of major decline at this moment is very minimal.

However, concern for these creatures' well-being is not shared by all. The pygmy marmoset has become somewhat of a trend amongst the super-rich in China, many of whom pay up to 30,000 yuan, or about 4,500 US dollars, to own one. Once purchased, they are given away as New Year's gifts or kept as accessories to be flaunted to those not wealthy enough or not inconsiderate enough to buy their own.

The bottom line is that these mini-monkeys are meant to be living in the Amazon, in their natural habitat, not in China or anywhere else. No matter how small, some animals just aren't meant to be pets.

[GeneChing]

She's 49 now? wow.


Bai Ling dresses up in fuzzy pink monkeys and nothing else to celebrate CNY (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/02/17/bai_ling_cny_outfit.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey7.jpg

Chinese American actress Bai Ling -- known mainly for finding new and innovative ways to just barely conceal her private parts, has really outdone herself for CNY this year. Check out this Facebook post:


Bai Ling
about a week ago

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-0/p320x320/12687820_10153453835923099_2012453874884270132_n.j pg?oh=7c62ed6b7ca23e3ef03ea496bc12484d&oe=572E1C34

‪#‎actress‬ ‪#‎Bailing‬ ‪#‎celebrate‬ her ‪#‎chinesenewyear‬ the year of ‪#‎monkey‬ with her ‪#‎super‬ ‪#‎hot‬ ‪#‎pink‬ new ‪#‎fashion‬ monkey ‪#‎bra‬ in beverlyHills going to a monkey Chinese party 😜👍🎥🎬 💋💋 haha it's crazy I know but it's the monkey wild mischievous fun spirit for the ‪#‎newer‬ 2016 hope you like it😁👏 the ‪#‎news‬ got to ‪#‎china‬ allover the ‪#‎internet‬ wow so crazy many ‪#‎paparazzi‬ have long lens in the car just driving around in ‪#‎beverlyhills‬ trying to catch action crazy I saw one, but did not see this one who take this ‪#‎photo‬ but my Chinese friend got it to me from Chinese Internet can't have your own ‪#‎privacy‬ anymore 😇😱😝
More to come in the morning 💋💋
1,081
47
17

We aren't entirely sure, but we think that she may be trying to communicate the fact that photos of her posing in tasteful fluffy pink monkey underwear have gone viral in China during CNY.
To stand out more, maybe David Cameron should try this route in 2016:

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey2.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey4.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey5.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey6.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey8.jpg

Apparently this is how she celebrates most holidays, sadly no Presidents Day pics though:

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/bailing_monkey9.jpg

Bai Ling is now 49 years old, just one year younger than China's hottest grandmother:

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/hottest_grandma.jpg
[Images via Facebook]
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Alex Linder in News on Feb 17, 2016 6:30 PM

[GeneChing]

...when the internet is awesome.


Drunk monkey armed with kitchen knife chases bar patrons (http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/02/17/Drunk-monkey-armed-with-kitchen-knife-chases-bar-patrons/4801455732055/)
By Ben Hooper | Feb. 17, 2016 at 1:22 PM

http://cdnph.upi.com/sv/b/i/UPI-4801455732055/2016/1/14557324953552/Drunk-monkey-armed-with-kitchen-knife-chases-bar-patrons.jpg
A monkey in Brazil drank a glass of rum in a bar and stole a kitchen knife he used to chase men. Screenshot: Jozivan Antero/YouTube

PATOS, Brazil, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Firefighters were called to a bar in Brazil to remove a drunk and belligerent monkey that downed a glass of rum and armed itself with a kitchen knife.

The local fire department in Patos, Paraiba, said they were called to a bar Feb. 5 on a report of an aggressive monkey with a kitchen knife chasing men.

Fire deparment Lt. Col. Saul Laurentino said the monkey drank a glass of rum at the bar before picking up the knife and chasing after men, leaving the women alone.

"It was a bar staff oversight that ended with the monkey drinking some rum and taking the knife," Laurentino told the aRede website.

Locals captured video of the monkey using the kitchen knife to scratch at the bar's roof.

The monkey was captured by firefighters and released back into the wild, but the mischievous primate was later captured a second time for acting aggressively toward residents of homes near the woods.

Local authorities said they are now working to determine whether the monkey will be released again or taken into permanent captivity.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfKGWAivpkA

[-N-]

She's 49 now? wow.

Looks like the Lady Gaga of China.

[GeneChing]

Bai Ling is the Jedi dropout (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?60767-Bai-Ling-s-Next-Role&p=1280671#post1280671).

This is the Lady Gaga of China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62318-I-will-never-understand-China&p=1141875#post1141875).

:p

[-N-]

This is the Lady Gaga of China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62318-I-will-never-understand-China&p=1141875#post1141875).

:p

No one will be able to ride the 30 Stockton with a straight face ever again. :D

[GeneChing]

condoms? srsly?


https://insideretail.asia/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-Chinese-shop-in-Korea-1.jpg

Chinese spend $13.8bn abroad during Spring Festival (https://insideretail.asia/2016/02/21/chinese-spend-13-8bn-abroad-during-spring-festival/)
February 21, 2016 Korea Bizwire

During the Chinese Spring Festival, 6 million Chinese travelled overseas and spent a total of 90 billion ($13.8 billion) yuan on shopping.

The products they purchased abroad included expensive luxury items, smart bidets, and electric rice cookers, but surprisingly, most Chinese tourists bought items used in everyday life such as cough syrup, sanitary napkins, condoms, stockings, electric toothbrushes, and nail clippers.

Chinese media also reported on the phenomenon of their people buying commonplace items during their travels abroad. Various media outlets reported that Chinese tourists bought condoms, sanitary napkins, nail clippers, tumblers, and cough syrup from Japan, and hair dye, shampoo, sanitary napkins with oriental medicinal herbs, ramen, and honey butter almonds from Korea.

Cosmetics, health supplements and clothing were popular items from the US, as well as fountain pens, knives, key chains and electric toothbrushes from Europe.

A clerk at a duty-free store in Osaka commented that sales were 2.6 times higher than in 2015, thanks to the spirited purchasing of low-priced, everyday items by Chinese tourists.

A tour guide in Seoul commented that along with cosmetics, skincare products, and shampoo, snacks and stationary were popular Korean items among Chinese tourists.

Some Chinese media outlets suggested that because overseas products are of better quality, can be purchased at more reasonable prices, and are safer than Chinese products, Chinese tourists stock up on foreign products when they have a chance.

A Chinese consumer commented that she comes to Korea every year to buy facial packs and BB creams.

“Of course, there are quality packs in China too, but so many are fake, and sometimes side effects occur even if the products are purchased at official stores.”

Officials at Chinese consumer associations point out that China still lags behind neighboring countries in the manufacturing, design, and development of products, and should overcome the fact that the quality of their products is low in comparison to prices.

* By Lina Jang of Korea Bizwire.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3RoW3u9XWI

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZd2KpjI9I0

[GeneChing]

The enduring popularity of the Monkey King (http://arstechnica.co.uk/the-multiverse/2016/04/who-is-the-monkey-king-chinese-story/)
How Journey to the West influenced 400 years of culture and entertainment.
by Cassandra Khaw - Apr 18, 2016 2:20am PDT

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/04/monkeyking1-640x275.jpg
A painted mural depicting Sun Wukong and other characters from the novel.
Wikipedia / shizhao

It’s been a watershed year for Chinese blockbuster movies. 2016 saw the release of The Monkey King 2, a fantastical adventure that has the eponymous primate meeting a monk and then clashing with the White Bone Demon. The film netted about £135 million at the box office worldwide, almost three times the amount of its £42-ish million production budget.

But these numbers, while large for the local box office, are hardly unprecedented. The Monkey King, though not terribly well regarded by critics, broke several domestic records in 2014, including highest-grossing opening day in China. Similarly, Stephen Chow’s comedic adaptation Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons took the box office by surprise, becoming the highest-grossing Chinese language film ever before it was eventually overtaken by Monster Hunt.

It might seem that a well-performing sequel would be an outlier, but even if local audiences have demonstrated fatigue with Western imports, there are plenty of domestic offerings that succeed magnificently as franchises and follow-ups. But none, perhaps, as well as those that draw from the Journey to the West.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dy_ElVwNwo

The Monkey King 2 is the latest in a long line of such adaptations, one that spans every imaginable entertainment media, all drawing from a 400-year-old novel. What’s fascinating is how much of the original story, the seminal Journey to the West, is retained in these modern retellings, a stark contrast to the gleeful butchering of Greek, Egyptian, and Judeo-Christian mythology in American movies. (Let’s not even pretend Exodus was anything but a farce.)

Part of it might have something to do with the fact that the Journey to the West is venerated as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of ancient China, which are not only largely recognised as the best novels of their eras, but also as influential cultural forces. It’s not just a thing, collated and curated by generations of opposing ideologies. It’s a literary institution.

Of course, Journey to the West has suffered subtractions in its translated forms, but is generally adapted more or less intact. For those less familiar with the book, Journey to the West is an epic fantasy that draws from local folk tales, history, and possibly even, according to certain scholars, elements from the Ramayana. (Hanuman from Hindu mythology is believed to have been one of the inspirations for Sun Wukong.) It was anonymously published in the 16th century but widely believed to have been written by Wu Cheng’en.


"If you understand the Monkey King, you understand China."

The plot is loosely inspired by the life of a Buddhist monk named Xuanzang, whose travels to South Asia were recorded in the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions. Journey to the West introduces a host of fantastical characters to the pilgrimage, notably a coterie of supernatural disciples: Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the inimitable Sun Wukong.

Easily the most recognisable figure from the 16th-century novel is Sun Wukong, or Monkey as he’s known in many Western translations. He’s an archetypal folk hero, a commoner who rises above his station with a spectacular outburst of bad behaviour. He shares the same cultural appeal as characters like Coyote, Loki, and Odysseus. They’re mischievous rebels, unwilling to submit to the status quo, openly defiant despite the threat of divine retribution.

But the Monkey King, being the narcissist that he is, takes it a step further than most. Not only does he scrub his name out of the Book of Life and Death, effectively rendering himself immortal, the Monkey King even, in some varieties of the tale, pees on Buddha’s hand. It’s an unparalleled act of blasphemy, made all the worse by the fact that it follows a whirlwind of other misdemeanours, all precipitated by his own sense of indignity, rather than any actual wrong.

And that is an incredibly powerful image, especially in Chinese culture, which traditionally espouses family over individuality, duty over personal desire. What makes Sun Wukong so enduring though, perhaps, is the paradoxical nature of his existence. On one hand, he contradicts everything that Confucianism and Taoism represent, being neither humble nor diligent, a hedonistic creature of instinct. On the other, he eventually redeems himself through service, transcending into Buddhahood. He’s the personification of the idea of having your cake and eating it too.

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/04/enslaved.jpg

With that in mind, China’s continued fascination with Sun Wukong makes a lot of sense, as does his popularity in Western media, although the latter seems more inclined towards borrowing the concept of the Monkey King, as opposed to lifting him wholesale from legend. Namco Bandai’s action-adventure game Enslaved is the first example to leap to mind. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it reimagines the monk Xuanzang as a woman named Trip (short for Tripitaka), and Sun Wukong as a man named Monkey, who ends up conscripted into Trip’s service.

Enslaved deviates heavily from Journey to the West in that it is only concerned with the journey, as opposed to matters of enlightenment and the retrieval of sacred scriptures. But it maintains the symbiosis between the monk and the Monkey King along with the general narrative structure. The '70s television series Monkey Magic (also known as simply Monkey) might be more familiar to those in the UK, a cult favourite that featured a strangely beguiling triptych of Chinese fable, Japanese programming, and somewhat suspect dubbing. Regardless of its problems, the show was a hit, introducing young British children to kung-fu and the nature of Chinese mythology, where gods and demons are fallible entities as opposed to amorphous manifestations of good and evil.

References to Journey to the West can be found virtually everywhere. There's Monkey: Journey to the West, a stage adaptation helmed by Chinese opera director Chen Shi-Zeng, British artist Jamie Hewlett, and Blur's Damon Albarn. Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, a graphic novel, draws parallels between the Monkey King’s journey and diaspora. Dragonball Z is also a nod to the novel, though it diverged quite quickly into its own thing. Even AMC’s new series Into the Badlands has an ambiguous link to the centuries-old classic. Over and over, Journey to the West has been modified, retold, and reimagined, tethering the present to the distant past.

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/04/badlands.jpg

That said, China and Hong Kong remain at the forefront in this tireless fascination with the novel. The Monkey King 2 had the largest-ever opening-day gross for a local-language film in IMAX, and it looks like there won’t be any stopping the simian juggernaut. The next two years will see a succession of movies inspired by the Journey to the West, likely propelled by the success of The Monkey King 2 and Monkey King: Hero is Back, which was previously the highest-grossing Chinese animated film.

It’s worth noting that cultural sensitivity seems to be integral in determining how well a film performs in China. Tong Gang, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV, described Monkey King: Hero is Back, for example, as respectful of the original work. And if that is correct, perhaps that is also how Journey to the West has stayed so cohesive across the centuries, with the love of a people enforcing the need to maintain the story as it is. As actor Zhang Jinlai, who might have played the most popular depiction of Sun Wukong ever, said: “If you understand the Monkey King, you understand China.”

Or maybe, people just love a rascal.

I think we've discussed all the films/books/shows mentioned above here. :cool:

[GeneChing]

I love White Rabbit candy. :(


Former White Rabbit candy chairman slain by rock kicked by monkey (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/04/25/white_rabbit_killed_by_monkey.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/white_rabbit_murder.jpg

In a strange and tragic accident that once again shows that, much like humans, monkeys are total *******s, the former chairman of one's China's most beloved candy brands was murdered by a rock-kicking monkey.
Weng Mao, the former head of Guan Sheng Yuan Co. Ltd., manufacturer of the iconic White Rabbit milk sweets -- known as Da Baitu (大白兔) -- that have been the favorite treats of generations of Chinese kids, was visiting Henan's scenic Yuntai Mountain last week when he was tragically killed.
According to a brief statement released by the park, Weng had been "accidentally hit by a rock from above which was kicked down by a monkey." He was sent to a local hospital, where he later died.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/white_rabbit_murder2.jpg

Yuntai Mountain is famous for its wild monkeys, as well as a glass bridge that was opened late last year, and immediately cracked after just two weeks, freaking out tourists. Maybe just give it a miss next time you're in Henan.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/shang_kenneth/yuntaishan-crack1.jpg

Weng retired in 2010, a couple of years after the Shanghai-based candy company was hit with accusations of formaldehyde and melamine contamination in its sweets exported abroad to the Philippines and Singapore; and before its Year of the Rabbit comeback.
Some netizens couldn't help but add some sarcastic comments to Weng's eulogy:
"Big white rabbits had better not play with golden snub-nosed monkeys..." one netizen wrote.
"Travel well, I hope that there are no monkeys in heaven," another commented.

By Alex Linder in News on Apr 25, 2016 5:30 PM

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RQ0v7Efj0

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKiujSzy-Y0

[GeneChing]

What amazes me is that the monkey survived.


Kenyan power company says monkey caused nationwide blackout (http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Kenyan-power-company-says-monkey-caused-7971266.php)
New York Times Updated 1:21 pm, Wednesday, June 8, 2016

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/46/74/63/10210500/3/920x920.jpg
In an undated handout photo, a monkey that climbed onto the roof of the Gitaru Power Station in Kenya and fell or jumped onto a transformer. A nationwide blackout that knocked out lights, severed internet service and paralyzed countless businesses for more than three hours Tuesday was caused by the monkey, KenGen said. The monkey survived and was given to Kenya�s wildlife services. (KenGen via The New York Times) -KENGEN, NYT
BY JEFFREY GETTLEMAN FOR JUNE 9, 2016.

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/46/74/63/10210501/3/1024x1024.jpg
Photo: Ben Curtis, Associated Press
IMAGE 2 OF 3 In this photo taken Tuesday, April 10, 2012, a Vervet monkey prepares to leap from a branch in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Kenya's power generation company said Wednesday, June 8, 2016 that a nationwide blackout for a number of hours on Tuesday was caused by a monkey climbing onto the roof of a power station and falling onto a transformer. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/46/74/63/10210502/3/1024x1024.jpg
Photo: Ben Curtis, Associated Press
IMAGE 3 OF 3 In this photo taken Tuesday, April 10, 2012, a Vervet monkey looks for fruit to eat in a tree in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Kenya's power generation company said Wednesday, June 8, 2016 that a nationwide blackout for a number of hours on Tuesday was caused by a monkey climbing onto the roof of a power station and falling onto a transformer. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan consumers have long suspected a little monkey business when it comes to their power bills, but the news making its way around the country on Wednesday was almost too much to believe.
A nationwide blackout that knocked out lights, severed Internet service and paralyzed countless businesses for more than three hours on Tuesday was caused by a monkey, the electricity company announced.
The monkey, which appeared to be of the vervet species, with a collar of white fur, climbed onto the roof of the Gitaru Power Station and fell or jumped onto a transformer. The transformer tripped, which in turn tripped other machines at the hydroelectric power station, setting off a nationwide blackout, the Kenya Electricity Generation Co., or KenGen, said.
“KenGen power installations are secured by electric fencing, which keeps away marauding wild animals,” the company said. “We regret this isolated incident and the company is looking at ways of further enhancing security at all our power plants.”
The monkey survived and was given to Kenya’s wildlife services, KenGen said. The company posted a photograph on Facebook showing the animal on the transformer, crouching shyly.
Vervet monkeys, which are usually about 2 feet long, not including the tail, can be pesky creatures. They can be seen everywhere in Kenya, and they often travel in packs, scampering along power lines, snacking on mangoes in backyards and even sneaking into kitchens through open windows to pinch a banana or two.
KenGen, which has been criticized over what some call Kenya’s high electricity costs, said late Tuesday that the failure had been fixed. Some homes in Nairobi were still without power on Wednesday.
In another development Wednesday, Kenya’s president said parliament will form a bipartisan committee to discuss the country’s election commission after opposition protests demanding its disbandment over alleged corruption and bias turned deadly.
The announcement follows almost weekly opposition protests and a police response that has included tear gas and live ammunition. Witnesses said at least five people have died and at least 30 have been wounded, many by bullets.
There are fears that next year’s election will see the kind of violence that plagued the 2007 election, in which more than 1,000 people were killed and 600,000 forced to flee their homes.
The government on Tuesday banned the weekly protests, but the opposition vowed to continue if there are no negotiations.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said he had met with religious leaders from all faiths and the speakers of the senate and parliament to decide on the way forward.
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga called the president’s announcement “a welcome development.”

[GeneChing]

I confess that this has been my favorite zodiac thread to date.


Chinese village under siege by wild monkeys after tourism plans backfire (http://mashable.com/2016/06/15/xianfeng-village-monkeys/?utm_campaign=mash-prod-synd-apple-all-full&utm_cid=mash-prod-synd-apple-all-full#t4BnXba2D8qL)

http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/r9AMmLAYVnp-1X_Qd3R4i68WiII=/950x534/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fima ge%2F116832%2Feb624af4f2d54093b473158bc3c78011.jpg
IMAGE: WEIBO

BY ALICIA TAN 6 HOURS AGO

A tourism plan involving monkeys that was drawn up more than a decade ago has turned into a living nightmare for the locals of Xianfeng village in Sichuan, China.

According to CCTV News, the villagers wanted to boost their local economy and therefore came up with the idea of using wild macaque monkeys to attract tourists. Apparently, they had been inspired by Emei Mountain, which is a famous tourist spot populated by wild macaques.

So in 2003, the villagers spent a total of 48 days transporting 73 apes from nearby mountains and setting up home for them in Xianfeng.

Initially, the plan took off and brought in a wave of visitors from around the country, who were eager to get up close and personal with the monkeys. Soon, investors also began to show interest and funded the park for the monkeys to reside in.

http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/ismKwri-ZoskxiG2M984vxjkCWA=/fit-in/1200x9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fima ge%2F116837%2F63e5237bjw1f4vmqytvi9j20ci0gomzi.jpg
IMAGE: WEIBO

In 2014, Xianfeng village's fortunes took a turn for the worse when main investor Zhou Zhenggu passed away, and the park was forced to shut down due to poor management and lack of funding.

Today, Xianfeng is overrun with 600 monkeys who have been left to fend for themselves. Unlike Emei Mountain where the primates live in the wild and are independent, Xianfeng's monkeys had grown used to being bred in captivity.

http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/mA2gxaOkvJqJgLNo2dYtlQ7lx1k=/fit-in/1200x9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fima ge%2F116834%2F63e5237bjw1f4vmqz56xtj20m80ez41b.jpg
IMAGE: WEIBO

The villagers are now being terrorised by the monkeys who have taken to destroying crops and homes, as well as starting fights among themselves.

So far, only half of the Xianfeng monkeys have been recaptured and sent back to live in the wild. Experts said the remaining half are determined to stay and the villagers will have to learn to co-exist with the apes, until they leave on their own accord.



Remember to get your Monkey shirts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1UkmsN7obs

[GeneChing]

Stop the monkey from driving my taxi! Moment animal is thrown out of a cab after it snatched steering wheel (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3796730/Stop-monkey-driving-taxi-Moment-animal-thrown-cab-snatched-steering-wheel.html)

Images posted online today show the aftermath of the incident in Qingdao
The monkey climbed onto the steering wheel almost causing a crash
According to the animal's trainer, it is trained to ride a unicycle
The trainer says whenever it sees a wheel, it instantly has to jump on it

By SOPHIE WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:29 EST, 19 September 2016 | UPDATED: 12:25 EST, 19 September 2016

A circus performer and his monkey were thrown out of a taxi in China by the driver after the monkey tried to seize the wheel.

The monkey almost caused the taxi to crash when it tried to get onto the steering wheel in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong province, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation with the People's Daily Online.

According to the animal's trainer, the monkey is trained to ride a unicycle and so every time it sees a wheel, it jumps on it.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/09/19/16/3894D18C00000578-3796730-image-a-30_1474299130414.jpg
Rage! The driver of the taxi was unhappy when the monkey jumped on the steering wheel

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/09/19/16/3894CC0B00000578-3796730-image-m-33_1474299159501.jpg
According to the animal's keeper, every time the monkey sees a wheel it has to jump on it

The pictures were posted online today.

The trainer and the animal were taking a trip using a taxi when the monkey tried to grab hold of the steering wheel.

Concerned that the animal would try and do it again, the driver asked the monkey and its trainer to leave the vehicle.

Pictures show the tense situation after the taxi came to a standstill.

People have been discussing the story on Chinese social media site Weibo.

One user commented: 'Monkey King, you are so naughty.'

While another wrote: 'Maybe the monkey got car sick. It wants to take over to stop the car.'

And one user said: 'You will be detained if you drive without a licence.'

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/09/19/16/3894CC7100000578-3796730-image-a-32_1474299138460.jpg
The driver says that the monkey almost caused him to crash his vehicle

This reminds me of this (tragedy narrowly averted ;)):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmYfjlr0GFA

[GeneChing]

2016 Tiger Claw Elite Championships: Part 1 – A Barrel of Monkeys (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1318) by Gene Ching

[GeneChing]

Revealed: Tourist spot known for its playful monkeys has staff equipped with SLINGSHOTS to scare away any 'misbehaving animals' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3819883/Tourist-spot-known-playful-monkeys-staff-equipped-SLINGSHOTS-scare-away-misbehaving-animals.html)

Playful monkeys at Mount Emei are famous for their boisterous behaviour
Staff with sling shots are introduced while China has its national holiday
Holiday this week will see tens of thousands of tourists visit the attraction

By SOPHIE WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:01 EST, 3 October 2016 | UPDATED: 12:05 EST, 3 October 2016

A tourist spot in China has revealed its original way of keeping its playful monkeys in line.
Mount Emei, in southwest China's Sichuan province, has equipped its staff with slingshots to scare off any misbehaving animals, reports the People's Daily Online.
The system is said to be put in use during busy national holidays in the country, such as National Day this week.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/10/03/14/390E37A700000578-0-image-a-52_1475501568090.jpg
Employment: Zhou Chuanbin has worked at the mountain for 12 years scaring away monkeys

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/10/03/14/390EB47C00000578-0-image-a-51_1475501566867.jpg
Popular: Visitors pose for photos with a wild monkey at Mount Emei, one of the popular attractions at the tourist spot (file photo)
The monkeys at the popular tourist spot are famous for their boisterous behaviour and are often stealing food and other objects from visitors.
Occasionally, they have also attacked people.
Zhou Chuanbin has been working at Mount Emei for the past 12 years and has been using the slingshots each year.
According to reports, no animals have been harmed during the period as Zhou fires the slingshot close to the monkeys to scare them away from the area.
Eleven other members of staff working at the tourist spot are also equipped with the sling shots.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/10/03/14/390EB47800000578-0-image-a-53_1475501572374.jpg
Holiday snaps: Tourists try and pet one of Mount Emei's wild monkeys (file photo)

Zhou says that taking care of the wild monkeys is also an important part of his role, including treating the animals when they are sick or injured.
Zhou along with 11 other keepers will be working during the peak season to prevent monkeys from grabbing their food or stealing items from them, reports CCTV News.
China is currently in the middle of a national holiday celebrating the country's National Day.
Mount Emei is one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and is a popular tourist attraction in China's Sichuan province.


What a funny job - slingshot monkey frightener.

[GeneChing]

Blame it on the monkey :o

2016 Tiger Claw Elite Championships: Part 2 – Monkey Steals the Peach (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1319)


Meanwhile, there's this (more messed up than my take on our tournament (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68985-2016-Tiger-Claw-Elite-amp-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-Day-May-21-22-San-Jose-CA) above):



North Korea's New Star: Azalea the Smoking Chimp at Pyongyang Zoo (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-s-new-star-azalea-smoking-chimp-pyongyang-zoo-n668821)
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Pyongyang's newly opened zoo has a new star: Azalea, the smoking chimpanzee.

According to officials at the newly renovated zoo, which has become a favorite leisure spot in the North Korean capital since it re-opened in July, the 19-year-old female chimpanzee, whose name in Korean is "Dallae," smokes about a pack a day. Dallae is short for azalea.

They insist, however, she doesn't inhale.

http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2016_42/1757101/161019-world-northkorea-smoking-chimp-light-0909_606cd1939bcfe55be681782d4fe20b3c.nbcnews-ux-320-320.jpg
Azalea lights a cigarette at the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, Wednesday. Wong Maye-E / AP

Thrown a lighter by a zoo trainer, the chimpanzee lights her own cigarettes. If a lighter isn't available, she can light up from lit cigarette if one is tossed her way.

Though such a sight would draw outrage in many other locales, it seemed to delight visitors who roared with laughter on Wednesday as the chimpanzee, one of two at the zoo, sat puffing away as her trainer egged her on.

The trainer also prompted her to touch her nose, bow thank you and do a simple dance.

The zoo is pulling in thousands of visitors a day with a slew of attractions ranging from such typical fare as elephants, giraffes, penguins and monkeys to a high-tech natural history museum with displays showing the origins of the solar system and the evolution of life on Earth.

Another of the most popular attractions that might come as a surprise to foreign visitors is the dog pavilion, which has everything from German shepherds to Shih Tsus.

The zoo also has performances featuring other animals trained to do tricks, including a monkey that slam dunks basketballs, dogs trained to appear as though they can do addition on subtraction on an abacus and doves that fly around and land on a woman skating on an indoor stage.

http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2016_42/1757111/161019-world-northkorea-smoking-chimp-exhale-0909_eda8221ce94a44038a48a1bfaee373da.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg
Azalea smokes about a pack of cigarettes a day but apparently doesn't inhale. Wong Maye-E / AP

Renovations for the new zoo began in 2014, as part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's efforts to create more modern and impressive structures and leisure centers around the capital.

The zoo actually dates back to 1959, when Kim Il Sung, the nation's first leader and the grandfather of Kim Jong Un, ordered it built on the outskirts of the city.

According to its official history, the zoo started off with only 50 badgers.

[GeneChing]

And deaf too.

Wish there was a viral vid of this.


Seven 'Monkey Kings' taken to police station after fighting bloody turf war in Chengdu streets (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/11/09/monkey_king_brawl.php)
BY ALEX LINDER IN NEWS ON NOV 9, 2016 7:40 PM

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_kings_brawl.jpg

Police in Chengdu briefly detained seven mythological figures on Sunday, in order to figure out why exactly they were battling it out on the city's streets.
At around 3 p.m. that afternoon, police received a curious report that multiple Monkey Kings were fighting in public nearby. When they arrived, police were astonished to in fact find seven men that were all dressed up as Sun Wukong, the famous character from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.
At first, officers had quite a tough time figuring out who was attacking who. Not only were they dressed similarly, but the men were all also deaf. To clarify the situation, police decided to just take all the Monkey Kings back to the station for questioning, Sichuan News Network reports.
There, a sign language instructor was called in. After a few exchanges, police discovered that the seven performers were part of two separate groups that each worked the same popular streets in Chengdu, performing tricks and posing for photos with curious passersby and tourists.
However, on this day, the two groups had squabbled over one premium piece of sidewalk. Things then turned violent when one Monkey King knocked another in the head with his golden staff, drawing blood.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_kings_brawl2.jpg

In the end, the two sides agreed to a settlement in which the injured man received 1,500 yuan in compensation. Police then allowed them to go back to their monkey business.
[Images via Tencent]

[GeneChing]

I wonder what next year, the Year of the Flaming ****, will bring?


Mystical Chinese monkey predicts Donald Trump will be the next US president (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/11/07/monkey_picks_trump.php)
BY ALEX LINDER IN NEWS ON NOV 7, 2016 8:10 PM

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_king_picks_trump2.jpg

While most economists, retired generals, newspapers, former presidents and American voters don't think that Donald Trump should be president, at least he has the backing of China's magical monkey king.
Last Thursday, Geda, aka the "king of prophets," chose Trump as the winner of Tuesday's election by rejecting the banana nearest Hillary Clinton and instead choosing the one on Trump's podium, sealing the deal by giving the Donald's life-sized cutout a big smooch on the lips, AFP reports.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/monkey_king_picks_trump3.jpg

The prophetic primate from Shiyan Lake Ecological Tourism Park in Hunan has a documented history of his banana-eating predictions coming true. In July, he picked Portugal to win the 2016 European football championships in the very same way.
While Trump has an infamous love-hate relationship with the polls -- believing that they are rigged when he is losing and not rigged when he is not -- it's unclear how he feels about being Geda's chosen candidate.
Trump doesn't only have the support of mystical Chinese monkeys, but Chinese toilet paper and mask manufacturers as well. While scientific polls of Chinese people and Chinese Americans aren't going his way, veteran China watchers believe that the top leadership in Beijing is rooting for the Republican presidential candidate.
“It was Mao Zedong who said: ‘Without destruction there can be no construction’. And, if I interpret him correctly, Donald Trump is the suicide bomber of American politics,” Orville Schell, the head of the Center on US-China Relations at New York’s Asia Society, told The Guardian.
“He wants to just bring the whole house down and start over. And I think there is an element [of that] that is quite tantalizing to China.”
Still, Beijing shouldn't get too greedy, this tumultuous election has already been a godsend for Chinese propaganda, allowing state news media to freely attack both candidates and trash the American political system in general.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1GTll9MsGU

[GeneChing]

This goes all sorts of ways in my mind. None of them are flattering to our readers, and I want to cater to our readers, so I'll just leave this here.


Stop monkeying around, time to study! Chimpanzees enjoy reading magazines in China (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-4072888/Stop-monkeying-time-study-Chimpanzees-enjoys-reading-magazines-China.html?ITO=applenews)

Two chimpanzees were spotted reading magazines in a zoo at Chongqing, south-west China
The magazines are all about photography and internet knowledge, according to the zookeeper
Visitors were surprised by the act of the two animals and the pictures were widely shared in China

By TIFFANY LO FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 05:38 EST, 29 December 2016 | UPDATED: 07:30 EST, 29 December 2016

These two chimpanzees might just be the most diligent animals yet.

The pair of animals have been spotted reading magazines in a zoo at Chongqing, south-west China this week.

According to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People's Daily Online, the caretaker put a few copies of magazines in the room to see if the chimp will be interested. Soon after, visitors found the two chimps picked up the magazines and started reading.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/29/09/3BACC2F100000578-4072888-image-a-3_1483005403508.jpg
Self-study: The chimpanzees showed some serious interests on these magazines in a zoo in China

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/29/09/3BACC29C00000578-4072888-image-a-6_1483005438626.jpg
'If the chimps start reading books and magazines, it's time for me to get back to my study!' One visitor commented

'The magazines are all about photography and internet knowledge,' said one of the caretakers.

Pictures of the amusing scene, taken on December 27, were quickly shared on Chinese internet.

'They didn't hold the magazines upside down. They are really smart animals,' Liu, one of the web users said.

Chimpanzees are often referred as human's closest primate relatives and have high intelligence in learning and adapting new environment.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/29/10/3BAC935B00000578-4072888-image-a-13_1483005920005.jpg
Sshh! Time to study: The chimpanzees showed a huge interest in photography magazine as it appears in the picture

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/29/10/3BACC29200000578-4072888-image-a-15_1483006327260.jpg
Unexpected: Chimpanzee caretakers put the magazines in the room and was surprised to see the animals reading them

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/12/29/10/3BAC935700000578-4072888-image-a-14_1483006322868.jpg
The two chimps are living in Yongchuan Wildlife Animal World, Chongqing, south-west China

The chimpanzees are residents of a zoo inside Leheledu Holiday Resort, in Yongchuan, Chongqing.

The zoo was opened in 2000 with more than 430 animal species, including some endangered and protected species such as snow leopard and Strawberry tiger.

Later, the zoo expanded to Leheledu Holiday Resort with restaurants and accommodations.

BTW, I started a 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69980-2017-Year-of-the-Fire-Rooster).

[GeneChing]

As the Year of the Monkey draws to a close...


Star Wars inspires name for new gibbon species found in China (http://news.sky.com/story/star-wars-inspires-name-for-new-gibbon-species-found-in-china-10725042)
A new species found in China has been named after Luke Skywalker, because the scientists are big fans of the franchise.
13:27, UK,
Wednesday 11 January 2017

http://e3.365dm.com/17/01/992x558/2d78fde2d94b135b899ce64af30ca6cf9a24d82555df527c01 d47d84ca8e3da3_3868058.jpg?20170111123232
A young Luke Skywalker and the youngest species of hoolock gibbon

By Duarte Garrido, Entertainment Reporter

A new species of gibbon found in the remote forests of China has been named after one of Star Wars' most famous characters.

Scientists on the China-Burma border have found a new species of hoolock gibbons after rigorous genetic examinations.

Because the team of researchers are big fans of the Star Wars franchise, the newly found gibbon has been named after one of its most iconic characters.

The originally named Gaoligong hoolock gibbon is also called Skywalker, after the Jedi.

But that is not the only reason.


Follow
Mark Hamill (https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/819107402175782912)✔ @HamillHimself
So proud of this! First the Pez dispenser, then the Underoos & U.S. postage stamp... now this! #GorillaMyDreams #SimianSkywalker #JungleJedi https://twitter.com/BBCMorelle/status/819073845302849536 …
1:03 AM - 11 Jan 2017
530 530 Retweets 3,039 3,039 likes

When spelled out in Chinese characters, the name Skywalker reads "Heaven's movement" - a supposed reference to the way the gibbon acts.

It was previously thought the gibbons belonged to one of two already-known species of hoolock gibbons, a type of primate found in Bangladesh, India, China and Burma, where they live in the trees, feeding mostly on fruit, leaves and shoots.

In response to the news, actor Mark Hamill - who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies - tweeted: "So proud of this! First the Pez dispenser, then the Underoos & U.S. postage stamp... now this!"

With the animals facing illegal hunting and destruction, damage and fragmentation of their habitat, scientists have recommend the gibbon to be categorised as "endangered".

"The discovery of the new species focuses attention on the need for improved conservation of small apes," the researchers said.

"Many of which are in danger of extinction in southern China and Southeast Asia."