:: Zhu Zhiqiang is a legend among Chinese Flash animators for his Xiao Xiao (小小) series of stick-figure kongfu works, which date back to 2001 / 02. Below is Zhu’s signature effort, Xiao Xiao #3, an action packed episode that ends with a spectacular sequence parodying Trinity’s mid-air flip kicks from The Matrix. Play around with the speed up / down and step-by-step controls. For more info about Zhu’s Xiao Xiao series, click here; view the full series (which includes interactive games) here. // AjS

:: Starting next Friday, a quartet of literary love-ins will be rolling out in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Suzhou, each lasting two to three weeks. (March is looking that much brighter now, yes?)

Over 50 international and Chinese novelists, journalists, and writers of many a stripe will be presenting workshops and talks as part of the International Literary Festival series. (Note: the events are all in English.) While the Shanghai edition (organized by the M Group) and the ones in the other three cities (put on by The Bookworm) are not officially affiliated, the festivals do share some names. (Though I am curious, after comparing programmes side-by-side: why not more?)

Past years – and only speaking for the Shanghai incarnation here – have seen some heavyweights on the festival rosters. 2007 had esteemed man of letters Gore Vidal, fresh-from-the-Bookers Kiran Desai, author Amy Tan (Joy Luck Club, Saving Fish from Drowning), lefty Canadian badass John Ralston-Saul, and travel writers Jan Morris and Simon Winchester. (The former mentored the latter, and if you ever get a chance to hear these master raconteurs tell their tales themselves, jump on it.)

Last year, attendees included Arundhati Roy with Pankaj Mishra (whose talk on being an activist/author got the crowd nicely worked up); Hari Kunzru (who then went on trip to Moganshan, resulting in, among other things, ); architect Paul Andreu; and the Atlantic’s man in China, the ever erudite James Fallows, who spoke on his adopted home of the past few years – he’s lived in both Shanghai and Beijing since 2006 – as well as the Iraq War (he’d just published ) and the 2008 US presidential campaign (then in the maelstrom of March primaries).

I’ll be frank – this philistine has not heard of many of featured names on this year’s bills, which seem to have fewer household names than in years past. This, of course, says nothing about the quality of the event, it merely that it’s time to do some homework. (In past years, all relevant titles have been available pre- and post-festival at Chaterhouse in Shanghai, and the Bookworm stores in the other cities. Call ahead, though, to make sure that’s the case for whatever you’re looking for.)

Some sessions that look interesting:

• “China on the Internet” with Andrew Lih, Vanessa Na and Simon Elegant moderated by Jeremy Goldkorn (March 3, 7:30pm, Beijing)
• James Fallows (), journalist, author, national correspondent for The Atlantic, and – random fact! – youngest presidential speechwriter in American history (for Jimmy Carter; yes, he was even younger than Jon Favreau) (March 7, 3:00pm, Shanghai)
• Mohammed Hanif (), the Pakistani journalist whose debut novel – a political mystery/comedy – was longlisted for the Booker (March 8, 3:00pm, Shanghai)
• The Inaugural FT Debate: China vs Obama’s America, with Simon Schama, Richard McGregor, Jonathan Fenby and Geoff Dyer (March 15, 5:00pm, Shanghai)
• Fuschia Dunlop (): chef and food writer on Chinese cuisine (various dates and times; Beijing, Chengdu, Suzhou)

There are plenty of others sessions that may be worth checking out: Israeli writer Alon Hilu (Death of a Monk); That’s founder Mark Kitto (who many know, and who recently published his China Cuckoo memoir); adventurer Robin Hanbury-Tenison (The Seventy Great Journeys in History); American essayist and translator (for Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz) Eliot Weinberger (An Elemental Thing); hot new Vietnamese-Australian writer Nam Le (The Boat); Shanghainese historian and author Lynn Pan (Shanghai Style: Art and Design Between the Wars); and a host of journalists (Ian Buruma, Barbara Demick, HS Liu, Duncan Hewitt, Paul French) in various arrangements for the Bookworm’s “Committing Journalism” series.

For those saying “pass” because “the writers aren’t as big as you’re used to” or bellyaching about why we can’t have bigger literary festivals, newsflash: as English is not the main language in China, the English-language literary scene is – no surprise – not all that big. (In the same vein, no griping about why Chaterhouse doesn’t have that first edition Neruda you’ve been hankering for, please.) If you want more English-language cultural events in future, show up and support what is happening when it is happening, and help build the scene you want.

Hats off to AsiaMedia, The M Group, and the Bookworm family for making these happen. Not sure how long the Bookworms have been involved, but the Shanghai edition has been a labour of love for its organizers for now nine years and counting.

Programmes vary by city, and the above information will not apply to all four festivals. Please check the respective websites for full details.

Shanghai International Literary Festival. March 6 to 22. The Glamour Bar and M on the Bund (6/F and 7/F, No. 5 The Bund, 5 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu; Tel: ). Regular sessions RMB 65 (includes one drink), prices differ for season tickets and literary lunches. Tickets through MyPiao.com or at 400-620-6006. Full details on the website.

Beijing International Literary Festival. March 6 to 20. The Bookworm – Beijing (Building 4, Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing; Tel: ). Most events RMB 50 (includes one drink). Full details on the website.

Chengdu International Literary Festival. March 6 to 21. The Bookworm – Chengdu (Yujie Dong Lu #2-7, Renmin Nan Lu #28, Chengdu; Tel: ). Most events RMB 50 (includes one drink). Full details on the website.

Suzhou International Literary Festival. March 6 to 20. The Bookworm – Suzhou (Gunxiufang 77, Shiquan Lu, Suzhou; Tel: ). RMB 30, pricing differs for workshops and literary dinners. Full details on the website.  //

[Image by Vipul Mathur, used under a Creative Common license.]

[Panthea Lee is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

:: an advertisement of sorts for Cookiedough Records / Dustbin Films. It’s excellent, especially the ending.  // AjS

:: netizens in China have a wealth of online choices for obtaining information about cars. Prospective buyers and auto enthusiasts alike can find news and reviews of the latest models on blogs and in special-interest BBS forums, and if they want to make a purchase, there are sites to help them find both new and used cars that suit their requirements. Once they’ve bought a car, they have ample space to discuss their car owning experiences or, should something go wrong, seek help and advice. And a number of brands have taken advantage of blogs and online games to increase their exposure among netizens.

cars on blogs ::
Moyan Qingfeng is an auto commentator associated with Sina’s Auto Channel. He blogs about new models and keeps an eye on industry trends. Recent posts have followed the decline of the mainland’s auto market, which he says is nothing to be surprised about. He’s also associated with Way of the Car, an auto community website that features BBS boards, blogs, and auto analysis. Li Xiang, founder of community website PCPop and car portal Autohome, keeps a blog that’s mostly about cars, although he does muse about entrepreneurship and other unrelated topics from time to time. Xiao Cheng is a Dandong-based auto commentator. His blog is mainly concerned with reviews of new models, and his posts are widely redistributed across the Internet. In blogging-related activities, Sina’s own blogging platform features an application called “I’m Car Crazy” that allows netizens to put up a widget on their blog that displays a car they’ve “purchased” through the system. New users are given a certain number of credits to start with, and they can accumulate credits by posting in Sina forums, answering surveys, or completing other tasks. With more credits, they can purchase better cars. The “Auto Mart” section contains real-world specifications of the different vehicles that are available for “purchase.” Once netizens have purchased a car, they can take part in online games like racing against their blog friends. Popular SNS app Kaixin has a similar game called “Parking Wars” (requires registration) that features lots of different car models.

general auto BBS discussion forums ::
There are lots of places to find information about cars online. All of the major web portals have auto channels featuring the latest news, ads, and pretty pictures, and a number of major standalone sties are devoted to car information. Autohome. One of the biggest auto-specific websites on the mainland. Has its own stable of reviewers and commentators, one of whom, Meng Qingjia, went along on a press tour of China’s Antarctic research station. His trip was sponsored by Nissan X-Trail.  PCAuto claims to be the second-largest auto-related portal on the mainland. One interesting feature, in addition to comprehensive BBS forum and blog offerings, is a fuel economy blog that aggregates netizen data to come up with the most fuel-efficient cars. XCar is another major portal with sub-forums for practically every (sometimes random) interest imaginable. The self-guided holiday sub-forum has over one hundred users, and is a popular venue for people to share experiences about their own travels to faraway places such as Kunming, Tibet and Xinjiang. Several threads are started each month and generate frequent replies. China’s auto-related websites include organic communities and small startups as well as major sites operated by large media companies: CBS Interactive runs the buying sites Cheshi and Go Car, as well as the XCar portal, by virtue of its 2008 acquisition of CNET Networks. PCAuto belongs to Pacific Online, which owns a network of special-interest websites.

making a purchase ::
Che168 is a forum designed to be a comprehensive buyers’ guide to the auto market. It’s part of a network of online buyers’ guides that includes IT website IT168 and has connections to Autohome and mainstream portal PCPop. A clever search function that lets netizens weight the importance of various traits (such as safety, efficiency, economy, brand, and power) on a sliding percentage scale. GoCar (购车网) is a no-frills car buying website. Front and center is a search box for country, make, price range, and style. There are sub-sites for Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shandong, detailed information on a wide range of models, and tools for figuring out loan and payment numbers. Data comes  from a selection of online partners as well as relationships with offline dealers like Oriental Foundation International Auto Mall. The site is connected to XCar forums, so it does not host a local BBS. Cheshi (车市), which belongs to the same company, is more focused on information and buyers’ guidance, and features an active BBS which hosts sub-forums devoted to popular makes and models. The site also has a list of expert agents who are available to answer buyers’ questions. Judging from the response rankings, visitors to Cheshi are interested in new cars: the repair, rental, and second-hand experts have very few questions directed at them. Taotaocar (淘淘二手车网) is a website founded in 2007 to facilitate the buying and selling of used cars. It’s set up like an automotive version of the online auction house Taobao, and offers model- and price-based searching options and special sub-sections organized by location. Advertisements (or partner links) are from various used car dealers. Another technique for buying cars is group purchasing. Prospective buyers seek volume discounts by approaching car dealers as a group, and they frequently organize themselves using the Internet. Netizens find other interested purchasers on web forums, but the actual discussion mostly takes place off the web using tools like Tencent’s QQ messaging software (see this CIC narrative for details).

websites for car owners ::
Netizens who own cars have a wealth of online forums to choose from. Most comprehensive auto forum websites have sub-boards where owners of particular models can congregate; some of them also have sub-boards devoted to particular geographic regions. Independent sites cater to specialized interests. Pochezu (破车族), or “Jalopies,” is an auto forum aimed at existing car owners. Rather than focusing on the latest models, information on this site concerns auto maintenance and repair, tricks for keeping a car looking good, and directories of after-market services and destinations you may want to drive to. Car owners interested in tuning their vehicles can visit Modi-Auto, a community devoted to the art of improving car performance. Started in 2004 as a bare-bones BBS by tuning enthusiasts, it has grown into an archive of relevant news and information with an active discussion forum attached where newbies and experts can talk tuning. Another way car owners get together is through driving tours. Car Trips is a specialty forum devoted to organizing self-guided driving tours and sharing experiences and photos. Netizens discuss routes, lodging, and destinations, and sometimes arrange group excursions.

online branding / marketing ::
The Other Blog is a MINI-branded blog hosted on Sina. It features the latest ads for the Mini Cooper S standard and Clubman models surrounding blog posts related to design, art, and other trendy topics the brand wants to be associated with. Blog post contests are another way for brands to increase their exposure in the digital space. In 2008, Toyota held a contest for bloggers on Tencent’s QQ platform to promote its new Corolla model. Owners were asked to write about the joys of Corolla ownership or tell of their experiences with the car, with the winners receiving a GPS system, a netbook, a gas card, or other car- and travel-related prizes. In 2008, Anhui’s JAC Motors partnered with Sina to place its Rein SRV into a driving game. As part of the promotional campaign, net gamers competed in a series of elimination rounds with the ultimate winners getting the use of a Rein vehicle for one year, a laptop computer, or other high-tech prizes.

// AjS

[Friday 5 is the product of my work at Edelman Digital (China). Link here for the full Friday 5 archive. If you'd like to be added to the bilingual (English & Chinese) Friday 5 email distribution list, please send me an email at: adam DOT schokora AT edelman DOT com.]

:: click on each horse for it to start or stop singing / beat boxing. Open this post in multiple tabs and experiment for maximum aural pleasure. Tons of fun.  // AjS

:: …first came the original, Huili / Warrior (回力), priced between RMB 30 – 65…

…then came the, also original, Feiyue (飞跃) sneaker, priced between RMB 30 – 65…

…now there is The People’s Shoes (人民牌), a modern, higher-quality and more comfortable, hybrid version of the above two, by Anton Brandt (who, by the way, is cool enough to donate a portion of the brand’s profits to The Starfish Project, a Cambodia-based humanitarian organization), priced at USD 42 (RMB 285)…

…similarly, there is also OSPOP. (One Small Point of Pride.)’s Skywolf sneaker line by Ben Walters, priced at USD 76 (RMB 520)…

…which is essentially an indie-hipster remix version of Tianlang’s (天狼, literally “Skywolf”) classic revolutionary-flavored Chinese military / migrant worker “liberation shoes” (解放鞋), and also the timeless Chinese electrical workers’ “boot,” priced between RMB 10 – 35…

…and of course, let us not forget about the recent return of traditional Chinese “cloth shoes” (布鞋) to the modern fashion scene, priced between RMB 10 – 30…

…and last but not least, my favorite, a shanzhai’d NIKE version of “liberation shoes,” by a young man who actually wears them during military training exercises, priceless.  // AjS

:: this Netease artice first introduced me to Edgar Mueller. Very cool stuff. See below for some samples of his work and a “making of” video. For more images, see . Bravo, well done.  // AjS

ice age in Ireland ::

lava burst in Germany ::

flash flood in Canada ::

:: the video for ’s song You Are Home was done entirely with paper-cut (+ stick) animation; the last 45 seconds is done in stop-motion. Bravo, well done.  // AjS

:: MUTO, a graffiti stop-motion animation by Blu, shot in Buenos Aires. This is truly an incredible video. Bravo, well done. // AjS

For more from Blu, check out their blog or their – really great stuff.

:: a slideshow of photographs taken by Abram Deyo in Shanghai during José González’s China tour. From Split Work’s Neocha page. One last time, hats off to and his team at Split Works for bringing José to China.  // AjS

[full disclosure: 56minus1 is a partner at Neocha.com]

:: generally speaking, I quite like the Beijing airport, especially the newish 3rd terminal – it’s really nice. Yesterday, while waiting for my 3-hour-delayed flight back to Shanghai, I decided to sprawl out across the benches and get some rest. While looking up at the ceiling, I noticed something not so “well done,” and it really bothered me. See below for two (of many that I counted) out-of-place ceiling boards. The ceiling design, as a whole, is well done, but these tiny (and easily fixable) imperfections just ruined it for me.  // AjS

:: yesterday at the Beijing airport while waiting for my flight back to Shanghai I came across a bottle of water priced at RMB 286 (at Mogi Cafe, a French coffee shop / deli chain). The product was a limited edition co-branded effort by Evian and Jean Paul Gaultier, imported from France. Fair enough I thought – afterall, it was Jean Paul Gaultier, and the packaging / bottling was quite well done. I asked the cashier how many bottles they had sold. She said two (1/2 of the entire stock) in two weeks. I asked to whom. She said to middle-aged “外地” Chinese businessmen (i.e. Chinese businessmen not from Beijing, Shanghai, or other major first-tier Chinese cities). Remarkable. As I secretly love this kind of stuff, I nearly bought a bottle, instead though, I walked away feeling better about only paying a ridiculous RMB 25 for an orange juice.  // AjS

:: Arts&Crafts (smokin’ Canadian indie label boasting the likes of Bell Ochestre, The Most Serene Republic, and Feist) recently released a beautiful concept album called The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin (smokin’ Canadian musician best known as a founding member of Broken Social Scene). The eight-track wonder grew out of casual conversations between Spearin and his neighbors in downtown Toronto on the topic of happiness, portions of which he then extracted and worked into song. His motivation: to draw attention to the musicality of everyday discourse. Spearin explains on the album’s website:

“Normally, we don’t pay any attention to the movement of our lips and tongue, and the rising and falling of our voices as we toss our thoughts back and forth to each other. We just talk and listen. The only time we pay attention to these qualities is in song. [...] Meaning seems to be our hunger but we should still try to taste our food. I wanted to see if I could blur the line between speaking and singing – life and art? – and write music based on these accidental melodies.”

Spearin’s soundscapes of speech – arranged by him and realized, on the album, by a motley crew of musicians, including daughters, neighbors and bandmates – document the prosaic, and push it towards something sublime.

Christopher Mills (smokin’ Canadian video artist – do we see a pattern here? – who’s done work for Modest Mouse, Interpol, and The Secret Machines) created a short film to introduce the Project. Narrated by Spearin and populated by a cast of animated characters, it’s a simple concept well executed, and a gem in its own right.

Those in Toronto, Montreal or New York, will be able to catch the The Happiness Project live, with Spearin and a seven-piece band, over a few dates in mid-March (details here) For those of us in China, there’s been murmurings of the Canadian government throwing more money behind Canuck talent parading in the PRC – anyone hit Buck 65 last year? – so keep your fingers crossed. There are good things a-brewing… For more information on The Happiness Project, visit the website. Bravo, well done. //

[Panthea Lee is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

:: the folks at Unlike have created a series (seven to date) of city guides that they boldly brand “the definitive city guide for the mobile generation.” The most recently profiled city is Shanghai and Unlike does a solid scan of the Shanghai scene. Heck, even locals will probably learn something from this well-crafted guide. And cheers on how utterly sensible it is for a mobile to double as a city guide.

Anyways, the guide is broken into six, helpful categories: Shop, Food, Hotel, After Dark, Art & Culture, Escapism

Each category lists best-in-category destinations along with vital information easily accessed from your mobile (address, hours, nearest subway, phone number, etc.).

I used the Berlin guide while traveling there and it dramatically enhanced my experience. I also played around with the Shanghai guide this weekend and visited boutique hotel, Jia Shanghai, which is ridiculously indulgent and stunning.

I have only two, simple suggestions for improving the guides: 1) include user recommended / uploaded 1 / 2 / 3 day itineraries (a la Lonely Planet) for those on a schedule and, 2) allow user comments, which will layer additional insight onto each write-up. User uploads / comments will only burnish further what is already a comfortably excellent guide. All in all, kudos to Unlike, who has created a guide that unlocks Shanghai for locals and visitors alike. //

[ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

:: on Sunday, I found a great lazy weekend spot, Bovo Mondo in Shanghai (427 Dagu Lu. 大沽路427号). I was especially impressed with their selection of foreign design books and magazines. The books are not for sale and are actually the owner’s personal collection. He travels the world finding interesting items to bring back to the shop. He has over 2,000 titles and 50 subscriptions. My new favorite magazine, Monocole, is available. This month it features an article on business development in Kunming.  //

[ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]