Jenny Li

1. LUAN DUN
{ MARCH 2012 }
1

2. “Welcoming the Year of the Dragon”
2012 marks the beginning of the year of the dragon, the
most auspicious zodiac that symbolizes power, strength
and luck.
Families get together at this time to catch up on each other’s
lives, however, bizarre stories have also made their rounds
across dinner tables making the New Year more festive
than ever.
This March issue is our first issue of the year, bringing you
up to date with social and pop news.
Our feature designer of this month is Ryan Hu, who based
his theme around the dragon, infused with traditional
calligraphic elements which he himself has handwritten.
No surprises there as he is also born in the year of the
dragon.
We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you a happy Chinese
New Year full of fortune, prosperity and luck.

3. 3

4. Baidu Tencent
My employee is hotter than yours
For many white collars in China, company’s annual dinner fash-
annual dinner is one of the most ion show. Her picture soon be-
important event of the year. came widespread after her col-
During the dinner, employees leagues uploaded them onto the
not only enjoy a big and festive internet, within a day her fan
meal but also lavish prizes and base increased from 20,000 to
bonuses from their employers. 130,000.
And with the rise of Weibo, peo- It didn’t stop there. Rumors
ple began sharing photos of started spreading that Baidu
their annual dinner online , used this as a stunt to attract
which naturally became a game more male technicians into the
of comparison – which company company, creating much con-
gives more red pocket money, troversy over the picture. Soon
which company gives better an- enough, other major tech com-
nual gifts, etc. However, this year, panies started sharing pictures
the comparison was focused on of their own female employees,
attractive female colleagues. starting a battle that marked the
beginning of 2012.
It all started with a picture of an
HR specialist named Liu Dong
from Baidu, China’s search gi-
ant, making her debut at the
NETEASE
4

5. FREE RIDE HOME
Getting home is the hardest and toughest thing to do at this time of
the year, where up to 2billion people try to make their way home for
the new year.
Understanding this migration being difficult for many who arrive
in their city late at night and missing the bus back into town, local
police of Wanzhou city joined forces with local businessmen to offer
free rides, ensuring a safe and happy reunion for all.
Audi, Mercedes, even limousines waited outside Wanzhou train sta-
tion with welcome home banners. Talk about community love!
5

6. INNOCENT STASH
The Lunar New Year, though festive, is also the time when the biggest
migration of the nation happens, where people try to make their way
through the bus and train stations to get home.
With such an amount of crowd comes a business opportunity for
some.
In the recent months, police have been arresting women dealing
drugs around the area, but having been caught a few times, they’ve
decided to outsmart the police by using their children instead. Not
the most clever nor moral thing to do…
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7. A different sort of milk scandal
Milk producer San Yuan is in the hot seat after a consumer was
delivered a San Yuan milk bottle on the 17th stamped to be produced
on the 18th. San Yuan responded by saying that it may likely be
that “16” was mistakenly seen as “18” due to fading ink. San Yuan
announced that it will switch from ramjet to inkjet milk bottle
stamping as soon as possible to avoid future misunderstandings.
(Talk about a great PR save).
However, last December, Sanyuan were also sued after customers said
they gave out-of-date milk as free gifts in a Jingkelong supermarket
in Fengtai district, according to the Beijing Times on December 27.
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8. China’s unofficial life coach
A Weibo account boasting with over 200,000 fans have been
providing tips and guidance to way of life for Chinese youth. Calling
itself the “Youth Lunar Calendar”, the account claims to be made up
of 300 scientist that are ready to answer any questions regarding
life, love, education, family, etc.
Tips and advice from this account are often sarcastic and humorous,
and speaks directly to the attitude and mindset of today’s youth.
For example:
@Joosir: Who set score 60 as a pass?
@Youth Lunar Calendar: The name can’t be found, but he must be
an asshole.
To this day, the person behind this user account has not been identfied
and it seems like people are happy with the way it is.
8

9. Female bodyguards in demand
Female security have recently been in high demand across China,
especially among female entrepreneurs and celebrities.
About 30% of all millionaires in China are now women and they
increasingly select female bodyguards for protection of their families
and children instead of male bodyguards.
Female bodyguards go through a special training program, which
includes stamina training, martial arts, reconnaissance, escorting
skills, language, driving, and business etiquette. After graduating,
they can look forward to a well paid career, a salary of up to
$45,000usd a year.
Candidates are willing to go through harsh training, to prove and
break stereotype that women are strong and can also protect others.
SOURCE: REUTERS
9

10. New
Terms
of
The
Month
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11. 休假式治療
01 Vacation-Style Treatment
Vacation has been a hot topic on Weibo since the end of Chinese New The post, suggestive of old-style Communist Party dissembling around
Year celebration. But a week later, the word took on a new twist. the fate of purged leaders, was reposted more than 44,000 times and
had attracted more than 14,000 comments within two hours, spawning
Around 11.00am Wednesday morning of Feb1, the government of a “vacation-style treatment” hashtag along the way.
Chongqing said on its official Weibo account that Wang Lijun, the city’s
former top cop and an ally of powerful Chongqing Communist Party
chief Bo Xilai, was on “vacation-style treatment” due to stress and “long-
term overwork.”
Rumor has it that Wang Lijun, who had helped Bo Xilai crack down on
Chongqing gangster (hot topic of 2010), decided to betray Bo Xilai by
allying with the Central Government for reasons unknown, and knowing
that Bo will be hunting him down, Wang fled and sought refuge in the US
Consulate in Chengdu city.
After much drama, Wang was relieved of his position hence the term
‘vacation-style treatment’ that has now become a humorous meme used
by netizens.

12. 普通青年 文藝青年 2B青年
02 Ordinary Youth/Artistic Youth/2B Youth
A current trend on the social space right now is the classification of
China’s youth.
They are classified by: Ordinary, Artistic and 2B, based on their life-
style. 2B is a term derived from SB, a curse word, used to ridicule
people for their stupidity.
This is how it works, for example:
Ordinary youth will use Windows. Artistic youth would use Mac. 2B
youth would use windows supported by a Mac OS.

13. 女星接客
03 Female Celebrity Escorts
女星接客 [nv xing jie ke] literally means, female celebrities escort guests.
The term became one of the top searched terms on Baidu Search engine
after an unnamed Hong Kong celebrity was exposed for accepting
1 million HKD to spend one night with a HK billionaire. The HK media
using this latest sex scandal to call attention to the fact that a great deal
of celebrities in both China and South Korea are involved in the sex trade
*Disclaimer: images to show examples of Hong Kong celebrities, not intended for or are serving as paid mistresses to rich businessmen.
actual accusation.

14. 14

15. 陳升-家在北極村
Chen Sheng (Bobby Chen): Home In The Arctic Village
A mellowed Bobby Chen, Taiwan’s wild man of
pop, released his second album Home In The Artic
Village during the winter holiday period.
Unlike the usual “holiday-type” songs, the album
brings the listener through Bobby’s beautiful
memories of the cold weather with his mellow
tracks.
The highlight of the album includes several tracks
featuring Yisa Yu, China’s SuperGirl contestant,
who also starred in his first single Music Video
debut.
All in, the album demonstrated phenomenal
vocal performances, so if you’re in the mood for a
pleasant tune while cozying up at home this winter,
be sure to play a few of his tracks.
15

16. 五月天-第二人生
Mayday: Second Life
After 3 quiet years, Mayday launched their eighth
album, Second Life, on the last month of 2011. The
theme of the album is about the ‘end of world’ – no
surprise there.
But the message is more optimistic than you think.
It’s meant that if the ‘end of the world’ didn’t happen,
you have the chance to begin a new life.
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17. 林俊傑-Lost N Found
JJ Lin: Lost N Found
Towards the end of 2011, Singaporean Mandarin-
pop singer JJ Lin has launched a 100-hour
countdown to his new album Lost N Found.
Prior to the album’s release, the single Never Learn
has already become the most requested song in
more than 200 radio stations and ranked first in
major video Web sites in China.
“I am quite satisfied with the new album. It is a
collection that I’ve been working on during two
years of songwriting and composing. I injected
deep feelings and emotions into the music as well
as sensitive impulses. I have tried some music
genres for the first time, such as jazz, electronic
dance, rock-and-roll, and also a combination of
classic and modern sounds.” says JJ Lin.
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18. 金陵十三釵
The Flowers of War
Directed by Zhang Yimou and shot over 5 1/2
months in the most extensive production ever
undertaken in China, the film recreates the reality
of Nanjing after Japanese troops invaded the
Chinese city, setting off one of the most shocking
episodes of civilian suffering in the modern
history of war. Yet The Flowers Of War is not so
much about the deadly battles in the street as it
is about all the life that continues to go on behind
the closed doors of a city in hiding.
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19. 那些年我們一起追的女孩
You Are the Apple of My Eye
Based on a novel, You Are the Apple of My Eyes tells the story of five young teenage boys, one
of them being the portrayal of the author Gidden Ko’s teenage years, who strived to win over the
heart of classmate Shen Chia Yi, played by Taiwanese actress, Michelle Chen.
The film is split into three parts: high school, university and the aftermath. Each part illustrates a
different phase and level of the relationship between Giddens and Shen Chia Yi.
A typical yet touching movie of love in the adolescent years.
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20. 龍門飛甲
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
Director Tsui Hark’s 3D extravaganza The Flying
Swords of Dragon Gate leads the Sixth Asian
Film Awards nominations with seven nods.
First martial arts film to be shot entirely in 3D, the
film opens with Jet Li’s character, Zhao Huai’an,
introduced as a crusading warrior, fighting for
justice against the corrupt eunuchs who terrorize
the country without adequate governance
during the Ming Dynasty. The fearful Western
Bureau, led by Commander Yu Huatian (Chen
Kun), is tearing the land apart in search of Su
(Mavis Fan), a palace maid whom the Emperor
has impregnated and must now be executed to
preserve the bloodline.
20

21. 雙城生活
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities depicts a story of love
between 2 with differences in culture, lifestyle,
custom, personality, feeling, language and way
of communication.
Wife from Beijing, husband from Shanghai, father-
in-law in Beijing, mother-in-law in Shanghai...
The series bring to life the tension between Beijing
and Shanghai, China’s 2 major metropolises
known for being ‘rivalries’.
Despite struggling with the differences, the couple
fights hard to make things work.
21

22. 在線愛
Say Yes Online
Say Yes Online is China’s first home-made inter-
net series by QiYi (online video site). It is said to
be the most “love-ful” story that depicts love be-
tween co-workers in internet companies.
QiYi invited the popular and controversial porn
star Aoi Sora as guest in this series. The story is
based on the real life of Baidu staff.
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23. 三國殺
Killer of Three Counties(Sanguosha)
Sanguosha, although not a recent game, is still
by far the most popular board game in China and
is now also available online).
Sanguosha is based loosely on the Romance
of Three Kingdoms, one of the four classics of
Chinese literature. Literally, SanGuo means
Three Kingdoms (a period of Chinese history
when China was divided into three, roughly
equally matched, kingdoms), and Sha means Kill.
Similar to Bang!, Sanguosha is a great
combination of history, literature and art, and can
often be seen played by young Chinese teens in
board game bars (refer to first Luan Dun issue).
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24. 熊猫屁王
Me Want Bamboo
Also known as Farting Panda King in Chinese,
Me Want Bamboo, although launched early last
year, continues to top the charts on iTune’s app
store since the new year.
Me Want Bamboo is a platform jumping game
where you can make the panda single or double
jump, and you can also get the panda to fart for
extra boost, though you can store one fart at a
time, replenish with eating bamboos.
Created by Shanghai-based game developing
company, Camigo Media, (which is also co-
founded by one of Taiwan’s famous pop singer
Will Pan), Me Want Bamboo is celebrated as a
local creativity that has gone global.
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25. Writers:
Charinee Chairasmisak
Leon Lin
Sue Wu
Tata Zhang
Designer:
Ryan Hu