Review: I Deliver Parcels in Beijing

Hu's first-person account as a courier

I lived in Beijing just before the appearance of smartphones, WeChat and T-Mall, which resulted in the explosion of Chinese people buying clothes and food online and having them delivered to their homes and offices.

Practically overnight people's lives changed -- there was no need to go to the store or restaurant in person, someone did this for you, saving lots of time and effort.

But for those people providing that service, the delivery workers, it was and still is hard work.

We never knew what that experience was like, until Hu Anyan, a budding writer, published his first-hand accounts during the Covid lockdowns.

He worked a string of several low-paying jobs

His descriptions of what it was like to work for delivery companies as well as a string of other lowly jobs were compiled into a book, called I Deliver Parcels in Beijing in 2023 which became a hit and sold 2 million copies, and then was translated into English by Jack Hargreaves.

Hu is not a particularly ambitious person, but likes to do his job well, whatever it may be. He writes mostly about what it's like to be a delivery driver on a trike, and earning less than 2 yuan per package is hard to fathom, considering he had to pick up the parcels from a central warehouse, go to the addresses, go up elevators or stairs to deliver the packages or contact the people to collect them.

That's a lot of work. 

And if the items in the package are damaged or spoiled, he has to compensate out of his own pocket. These drivers also have the stress of people complaining their packages haven't arrived, as well as worrying about getting into an accident on the road.

Readers can't help but sympathise for Hu, and then there is the additional issue of having to deal with his colleagues and managers, many of whom are not collegial or professional, which he recounts in various incidents.

We first meet Hu working in a logistics depot sorting items, re-packing them, and then putting address labels on them. He thinks he can earn more money by working the night shift, but it's physically demanding and also difficult for the body to adjust. 

Delivering parcels is a tedious task for low wages

He describes not only what it's like on the job, but also what he does after work. When he is off work in the early mornings, his mind is still buzzing from working that it takes a few hours to calm down and sleep; he resorts to wandering grocery stores to tired out his body, even though it's already exhausted.

Later in the book he describes working at a convenience store, a bicycle shop, magazine and comic book publishers, and even trying to start his own business selling knock-off trendy clothes and a snack shop.

Hu also works in different cities, from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to Foshan, Nanning, Dali, and Xiaguan, and even flies to Hanoi, Vietnam to see if he can be an entrepreneur there.

All these jobs with meagre salaries in different cities shows Hu's attempts to try to keep his living costs low, but then salaries are lower in the smaller municipalities; it's a no-win situation when working in a gig economy. 

He also bounces from job to job every six months or a year, probably because he realises he won't be making much more money, or feels he should be doing something else.

Interestingly he says his parents don't push him to work harder or get better jobs, and he does move back with them for a few years. The jobs have also taken a toll on Hu's mental health, making him lose interest in interacting with people, isolating himself. 

It seems that writing has helped him understand his experiences better and how they have shaped him as a person.

There are millions of people doing these jobs for very little pay in China. Is it any wonder they don't make enough money to buy an apartment, let alone save enough to have any safety net? It's a side of China that is rarely talked about, but exists, according to Hu.

Will Shein be Third Time Lucky in IPO?

Shein gets ready for its Hong Kong IPO, third time a charm?

E-commerce fast-fashion retailer Shein is filing its IPO in Hong Kong, and now for the first time is shedding light on who exactly is behind it.

Chair and CEO Sky Xu Yangtian is an elusive billionaire, but if he wants Shein to have a successful IPO, he'll have to reveal more about himself.

Even his biography is sketchy: There's one story that he was born in 1984 from a poor family in Shandong, but managed to graduate with a Bachelor's of Science at Qingdao University of Technology; another suggests he studied at George Washington University in the American capital and has American citizenship. 

The company's CEO is an elusive billionaire

From a corporate communications point of view, one would expect Xu to clarify this with some kind of official biography; just leaving rumours to fester is not helpful, particularly for the IPO application.

The company moved its headquarters from Nanjing to Guangzhou in 2015, then in 2022 to Singapore, where Xu apparently has permanent residency.

This is Shein's third attempt at an IPO, after New York in 2023, and London in 2025 were no-gos, according to a Reuters podcast entitled "Shein's fraying profit sets up drab IPO". Ouch. 

The company is known for being cheap and fast fashion; it works with suppliers by ordering in batches. If something sells well then Shein orders more, if not, it drops the product so it doesn't get stuck with too much product. 

Another interesting aspect of Shein is that its customers are outside of China -- mostly the United States and Europe. 

But because the clothing is so cheap, the US and Europe are now implementing import duties on these packages, which is making Shein less appealing than before and drastically shrinking its profit margin.

Shein is criticised for its labour practices

Then there are the numerous allegations of its clothes manufactured by people working in slave-like conditions, using Xinjiang cotton, and infringing on intellectual property among others.

As a result, Reuters points out Shein's prospectus is not particularly enticing to prospective shareholders, in particular that Xu is both chair and CEO, which is not good in terms of governance, and that existing shareholders that include him will have more controlling power than new shareholders. 

Also not ideal is that Shein has revealed in its prospectus that it is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, though both parties did not reveal what was being investigated.

Shein's current valuation is around US$40-$50 billion, a significant drop from the US$98.2 billion value in 2022. 

Guesses are that Shein's IPO may not be as appealing as its clothing...

Tai Po Fire Victims Use Exoskeletons to See Former Homes

Former residents can go into their flats starting next week

The victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po will finally get a chance to see first hand the conditions of their flats when they are allowed to go in from April 20 to May 4.

In late November a burning inferno spread to seven of eight apartment buildings, killing 168 people and displacing more than 4,000 residents.

Many have complained bitterly that only allowed three hours is not enough time to gather all their belongings, but they may not have much to retrieve, as many flats were burned out, or completely gutted.

Some are practicing using an exoskeleton

A number of the former residents are elderly and the elevators won't be working in the apartment buildings that have 31 storeys.

As a result, many are turning to technology to give them a physical boost. Some are practicing going up the stairs using exoskeletons that are attached to the waist and knees to help them walk up.

One is 59-year-old Fanny Mok, who is using the device to be able to climb up to the 13th floor where she used to live.

"My knees hurt, I don't have enough strength, and I get short of breath," she said. "There's a real need. If I were 30 I wouldn't need it. But at 60, I genuinely do."

An NGO called AidVengers Federation is lending out the exoskeletons and teaching people how to use them. The devices are made by Hypershell, a Shanghai-based robotics company. 

All former residents who want to use the exoskeleton must pass a test before being able to operate the device. The pass rate is 70 percent, according to the NGO.

Some put on the exoskeleton to use the stairs

Once the residents make it up to their flats, can they physically move all the stuff (if there is anything remaining) down all those floors too?

Those few days are going to be traumatic for the victims; I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like seeing what is left of your home following such a horrific disaster.

Review: Last Boat Out of Shanghai

A riveting history book

Several years ago I interviewed a woman who was doing research on her grandmother who had lived in Shanghai during the Chinese revolution and mentioned a book I should read: Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia.

She didn't give any hints on what the book was about, just that it was a really good one.

I finally got around to requesting it from the library and after waiting for my turn I finally got a copy to read.

Chinese residents forced to bow before Japanese

It brings history to life, focusing on four children from different families in Shanghai, one chapter dedicated to each "character", from when they were between two and 13 years old when the Sino-Japanese War caused havoc in China. We learn about each of their family backgrounds, what their parents and siblings were like, and how they each navigated life under Japanese tyranny.

There's one boy whose father is a Japanese collaborator, another from a landowning class, a girl whose impoverished father sells her to a family, and another girl whose father was a Nationalist official. Their childhoods contrast each other economically and politically, and the family dynamics are also fascinating to read, including details of what they ate, how they dressed, and their living arrangements.

After the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, World War II was over for everyone else, but civil war continued in China, with the Communists fighting against the Nationalists. The book follows the four now teenagers and their circumstances when it is clear Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT are retreating to Taiwan, while the Communists peacefully take over Shanghai.

Each time these young people and their families wonder what is best for them and their futures, is it time to leave, and if so where?

As I read Last Boat Out of Shanghai, I couldn't help but think about my great aunt who was born in Shanghai and left on a boat to go to San Francisco to meet my great uncle to marry him. They had only corresponded by letters and exchanged pictures. 

Shanghai emigres made new lives in the US

I also thought about my dad, who was born at the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War, and how his family hardly had anything to eat, constantly on the run. They left Canton (now Guangzhou), but after the war went back there, unaware the Communists were coming and had to flee again.

We have been taught to believe that we are masters of our own destinies, but in the case of those living in China, there was such massive upheaval because of war and political ideology and instability, these factors dictated millions of people's lives. 

Everyone did what they thought was the best way to survive, be it collaborating with the Japanese, fighting with the Nationalists, or literally trying to ensure a roof over their heads. 

Author Zia has done an astounding amount of research on this book, starting with her own family, and then interviewing as many people as she could about their personal experiences and weave them into the book. 

Zia captured her mother's story in the book

The acknowledgements alone go on for pages with hundreds of names, including the likes of former Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, famed chef and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang, and journalist Frank Ching, along with the four main people in the book.

She also gives a lot of historical context and details that give a nuanced picture of what life was like for Shanghai emigres in the United States and Hong Kong, how their experiences were different from those from southern China. 

Zia explains how the Shanghainese are so much more sophisticated than other Chinese in terms of fashion and culture, as the city was known as the "Pearl of the Orient," and apparently was more modern than many cities outside of China. As a result, many found it difficult to establish themselves elsewhere and it required humility and flexibility to not only stay alive, but also fit in.

There's also more background information on the tensions between the Nationalists and the Taiwanese, how the former controlled the island with an iron fist, despite thinking their stay was temporary, while the latter felt their rights were trampled on.

Zia did a lot of research, interviews

Last Boat Out of Shanghai was a page turner and almost read like a novel -- with real characters.

So grateful for Zia for interviewing these people, documenting their personal experiences in English so that we can have a better understanding of life during this turbulent period, and see how history continues to repeat itself even today. 

She also hopes the book will encourage readers to have greater empathy for refugees who are faced with heart-wrenching decisions, in the hopes to have a better future for themselves and the next generation.

Sweet Sips at Sweet 7

The signature mango pomelo sago drink

There's many bubble tea shops in Metro Vancouver, and we've taken a liking to Sweet 7, which is originally from Shanghai.

Started in 2006 as a dessert shop, there are now over 1,500 Sweet 7 shops around the world, with two here, one in downtown Vancouver, the other in Richmond.

The menu is mostly drinks made in large cups. Back in the summer I ordered the signature mango pomelo sago and the portion was so large, I mixed it and poured it into bowls to share with my parents! We quite enjoyed it as a dessert.

Mango and passionfruit slush

This afternoon I took a friend visiting from Toronto to Sweet 7 downtown and she ordered that signature drink, while I tried the mango passionfruit slush.  It's fruity sweet, it's got passionfruit seeds and slushy ice, making it easy to drink and get a brain freeze.

While the menu features so many different kinds of drinks divided into various sections, to help you make up your mind faster, there are suggestions of which are the most popular drinks: other than the signature mango pomelo sago, there's Oreo cheesecake milk tea, passionfruit green tea, and matcha cheesy smoothie.

Guess that means I need to go back again!

Shanghainese Restaurant Salty Disappointment

Eight treasure duck too salty for our tastes

Earlier this week we went to a Shanghainese restaurant in Richmond that we'd never been to before, and won't be going back to anytime soon.

It's called Yuan's Garden Restaurant, and when we arrived we hoped it would be a suitable substitute to Suhang, a very good Shanghainese restaurant that closed recently.

Inside, the decor of Yuan's Garden is clean, tidy and contemporary; we were surprised when the waitress told me the restaurant has been around for about 10 years.

Looks good, but tough meaty texture

As we waited for our fellow diners to arrive, we perused the menu and the prices, particularly for the set menus looked very reasonable, featuring ingredients like lobster and steamed fish. Peking duck two ways is $86.98, while eight treasure duck (they call it "duck stuffed with eight delicacies") is $84.98. We had preordered the latter dish.

We ordered the rest of our dishes, many standard Shanghainese ones and then waited for them to arrive, while the restaurant quickly filled up.

One of the first dishes to arrive was the appetiser of ma lan tou with minced tofu. It was OK, but the vegetable was not very fresh, more on the older side so it was tougher. 

Xiaolongbao is usually a good test. With eight of us we ordered two servings and they came freshly steamed. Picking it up, the dumpling looked good, the skin practically see-through as you can easily see a lot of soup inside.

The skin was thin at the bottom, thicker at the top, but the pork filling was more on the leaner side, with not enough fat to make the texture smoother. This was surprising for a Shanghainese restaurant that should know better what the ratio of meat to fat.

Stir-fried egg white and broccoli

Next came the shrimp stir-fried with green tea leaves, and honestly the shrimp did not have much of a tea flavour and this dish was left mostly untouched throughout the dinner!

Next came our pre-ordered eight treasure duck and it arrived with quite the procedure. The waitress used a knife to slice it down the middle and then along the sides to make about 10 pieces. 

It looked very promising, with a moist, tender appearance, but the initial taste was salt. It was much too salty and the filling inside was not very discernible except for baby shrimps, a few lotus seeds and mushroom with the salty duck meat. Disappointing.

However, we had a bit of a reprieve from the saltiness with a hot pot filled with napa cabbage, tofu, mung bean noodles, fish balls, ham, and pig skin in a soup. We also ordered broccoli stir-fried with egg white and a raw yolk in the middle. None of us wanted to try the yolk and ate around it.

For dessert, something a bit unusual -- black sesame glutinous rice balls that were studded with crushed peanuts. 

In the end the dinner was $37 per person including tip which made it great value, but quality-wise we weren't persuaded to come back again.

A hot pot filled with ingredients

Yuan's Garden Restaurant

101 - 8077 Alexandra Road

Richmond, BC

778 297 6098

 

Being Mistaken as the Xiaohongshu CEO

Dani (left) and Jerry (right) saw their video go viral overnight

A "normal guy" in Vancouver was mistaken as the CEO of Xiaohongshu or RedNote after he posted a friendly video giving tips to "TikTok refugees" and new users on how to use the app.

Jerry L. explained Xiaohongshu is mostly used to recommend places to eat or to visit, as well as tips for shopping and makeup.

"The platform is mainly Chinese-speaking, but do feel free to speak English and post English content because I believe there are a lot more English speakers on this platform nowadays," he said in the one-minute video. "We need to build this community."

At the end of the video he said: "Let me know your thoughts. I speak both Chinese and English. Feel free to ask me any questions."

Overnight the video went viral, as influencers shared his video, and it was even featured on Fox News online. 

They had mistakenly thought Jerry was the CEO of RedNote when in fact it is Charlwin Mao, who started Xiaohongshu in 2013 with Miranda Qu.

Jerry felt compelled to set the record straight right away.

"Guys, I'm not the RedNote CEO, just to be clear," he said in a followup video. "I'm just another normal guy in Vancouver. But whatever I said in that original welcoming video stays true. I really hope that you guys can enjoy this platform."

In the past week RedNote gained some 3.4 million users, up from 300,000 the week prior, partly because of fears that the US government would force TikTok to shut down, which is has for the time being.

Meanwhile Jerry L is originally from Shanghai and moved to Canada 10 years ago, and settled in Vancouver two years ago. 

His girlfriend Dani H. said they were overwhelmed by the reaction but glad to bring people together.

"I'm just glad it brought a smile to people's faces," she said.

The pair have started a TikTok account with the handle @FakeCEORealGF where they plan to share videos of their experiences of being Chinese Canadian in Vancouver.

Will Swift Perform in Shanghai?

Swift's team has had preliminary talks with Shanghai

The big question for 2025 is -- will Taylor Swift perform in China?

There are reports the Shanghai authorities are in talks with the superstar in a bid to kickstart the country's economy.

Deputy director of Shanghai's culture and tourism bureau Zhang Qi said local officials hosted her team for preliminary talks.

Swift has a massive fan base in China

"As for whether it will ultimately happen, it depends on the market and the attractiveness of our city. However, we are optimistic and think that there may be hope for this year," he said.

Swift is considered to be "walking GDP" because of her massive economic impact wherever she performs, and if she does come, there will be calls to relax restrictions on international performers.

Typically for international artists, there are numerous restrictions and stipulations, such as the song list must be approved before showtime, and the audience members must stay in their seats.

But the big question is, will she come? Swift just completed her show-stopping Eras Tour that made over US$2 billion... why do another show just for Shanghai? It seems like Chinese officials have missed the boat?

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this. Swift is a sharp businesswoman. Even though she has millions of fans in China, she also needs to justify going to a country that has a patriarchal society that represses women, isn't supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, cracks down on freedom of speech, and doesn't want its young people to be caught up in celebrities. 

Would going there endorse authoritarianism or draw Swifties' attention to try to knock down these issues with hugs and friendship bracelets?

One can only hope!

Jollibee Fully Takes Over Tim Ho Wan

Tin Ho Wan is known for cheap dim sum with little quality

When I landed in Hong Kong earlier this year for my first visit in two years, my first meal was at Tim ho Wan just above the Airport Express.

It was quite busy at dinner time and my friend and I waited for about 20 minutes before we were seated at the back. The dim sum was meh, but the location was convenient and a quick meal before we went our separate ways.

It was opened by a former Lung King Heen chef

Interesting that Jollibee Food Corporation was interested in Tim Ho Wan in 2021 buying shares then, and in January purchased more to make it 92 percent ownership of the dim sum chain that has 80 restaurants in 11 markets, including Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Melbourne, Tokyo and Manila.

The latest news is that the Philippine-based fast food company Jollibee Food Corporation has now snapped up the remaining 8 percent of Tim Ho Wan and fully owning it.

Tim Ho Wan was started in 2009 by chef Mak Kwai-pui, who formerly worked at Lung King Heen in the Four Seasons Hong Kong. The tiny restaurant in Mong Kok was awarded a Michelin star a year later and quickly became the talk of the town.

It was then known as having quality dim sum at reasonable prices and maintained its one Michelin star until 2021, when it was downgraded to Bib Gourmand.

Perhaps peach mango pie at Tim Ho Wan?

Singaporean broadcaster and businessman Robert Chua and his brother Harry bought a stake in Tim Ho Wan in 2013 and brought the dim sum chain to the Lion City. They sold their stake in 2022.

Now what will Jollibee do with Tim Ho Wan? Offer peach mango pies for dessert? Open Tim Ho Wan next door to every Jollibee? How about deep-fried xiaolongbao? 

Remembering a Tireless Community Volunteer

Ip was co-founder of non-profit Success

A Chinese-Canadian who dedicated most of her life to public service, and was a co-founder of Success, a non-profit organisation which helped new immigrants, has passed away. Maggie Ip was in her early 80s.

She came to Canada in the 1960s from Shanghai and got her Masters in Education at the University of Ottawa, and later was a secondary school teacher. 

Ip also served on Vancouver city council from 1993-1996, but before then she helped set up Success 51 years ago. Originally it focused on helping new immigrants from Hong Kong and China, but now serves people from around the world and has become one of the largest settlement service organisations in Canada.

In the beginning, many immigrants were "lost" and relied on friends for help to survive in Canada.

"Then we realised that they have so much potential... to help to build this country," Ip said last year on the 50th anniversary of Success.

"We would really like to make sure that they are adapted, they are adjusted and they will become contributory members of society. So this is how we started Success. That's why the Chinese call it 'immigrant mutual help'."

Ryan Drew, who works as the director of integrated services for newcomers at Success, says Ip leaves behind a rich legacy.

"Over those 50 years, she's been in a variety of different roles and capacities," she says. "And, you know, even right up to the present day, she was like attending volunteer recognition events.

"I think we've already seen her legacy in action. We are as an agency now... we've gone from this small group of volunteers, you know, sort of making things happen, in anyway they can, to being a large agency with over an C$85 million budget."

Ip leaves behind her husband Kelly and two adult children.

I happened to see her in February at a Chinese New Year event and she was in good spirits. Will miss her cheerful smile.

Din Tai Fung Closes 14 Restaurants in China

The Taiwanese chain is closing 14 restaurants in China

When I was in Beijing, I was thrilled to see a Din Tai Fung open at a mall called Shin Kong Place, and ate there several times after work. 

So I was surprised to hear the Taiwanese restaurant chain known for its xiaolongbao is closing 14 stores in China, but perhaps it is indicative of the country's weak economy and how the Chinese are looking for cheaper places to eat.

The signature xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung

On Monday the company's subsidiary, Beijing Hengtai Feng Catering Company announced it will close all of its 14 restaurants in northern China, including one in Xiamen. The brand's parent company in Taipei confirmed its 18 remaining restaurants across eastern China, run by a Shanghai-based partner, will continue operations.

"We deeply apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment this decision may cause our many loyal Din Tai Fung customers," the subsidiary said in a statement on WeChat. The move will affect some 800 employees.

When China finally lifted Covid-19 restrictions, Chinese residents headed out of the country on "revenge travel", and much like Hong Kong, local restaurants lost a lot of business. And now as the property market crisis trickles down, people are more cautious with spending, and that has adversely affected restaurants.

"The current situation in China is that while there is still traffic, the consumption power is weak, including in the restaurant service industry," said Darson Chiu, a Taiwan-based economist and director general of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

At the entrance cooks make dumplings by hand

"A high-end brand like Din Tai Fung may not be able to meet the consumers' needs as they downgrade their consumption in China's current economic environment.

Indeed. Cheng Zhiwu, a professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, found that some restaurants in Nanjing offered food for a table of 10 guests for 400 yuan (US$56), or 40 yuan per head, down from the previous price of 700 yuan.

Another factor in Din Tai Fung's closures may be because a lot of expats left China, and they made about 20 to 30 percent of the restaurant chain's business. 

It was just so interesting to see a Taiwanese brand become so successful in China despite all the political sabre rattling across the South China Sea. But alas, the slowing economy has forced Din Tai Fung to retreat...

The Opposite House is No More

Will miss the delicious Peking duck at Jin Yaa Tang

I just found out through a social media post that The Opposite House, a hotel run by Swire in Beijing has closed down. The hotel had a blow-out farewell party on June 29 and then closed its doors the next day.

The 16-year-old hotel was part of the complex known as Sanlitun, which featured a shopping mall anchored by Apple and Uniqlo, and when I was there, a Hong Kong-style restaurant that served Cantonese dishes.

The porcelain Mao jacket

Many years ago I got a tour of the hotel, and it was forward-thinking at the time with minimalist interiors, and the lobby was decorated with a larger-than-life cheongsam and a Mao jacket made from fragmented blue and white bowls and plates. 

On the lower ground floor was a fantastic restaurant called Jin Yaa Tang that served one of the city's best Peking ducks. There was an open kitchen where diners could watch ducks roasted over a jujube wood-fired oven.

According to The Beijinger, an English-language magazine, The Opposite House probably closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and high room rates. Apparently the hotel will be "converted into an innovated retail landmark."

In a sign posted outside the hotel, the Beijing Sanlitun Hotel Management Company Limited thanked people for their support.

"We deeply regret that we made such a difficult decision. We believe that the hotel closure is not a permanent separation, but a new beginning. We sincerely welcome your continued attention and support to Sanlitun Taikoo Li, and very much look forward to serving you in the near future," part of the notice read.

Why is it always spun as "separation", when the hotel is closing down for good? And it wasn't a divorce, it was a business decision that had to be made. 

Looking down on the swimming pool

The Opposite House was the sister hotel to the Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu, and The Middle House in Shanghai.

High Speed Trains for Foodies

Spend the weekend easily in Beijing or Shanghai by train

There's another way Hongkongers can escape the city on the weekends -- take the high-speed train to Beijing or Shanghai in the evening and arrive bright and early the next day after 6am; the return trip starts in the evening and arrives after 8am in the morning in Hong Kong.

It takes 12.5 hours to go to the Chinese capital, and 11 hours to Shanghai. The routes run four days a week, departing from each of the three cities in the evening.

Previously it would take 24 hours to take the train from Hong Kong to Beijing, or 19 hours to Shanghai. Now the time is basically chopped in half. 

Train staff distribute food orders by seat number

On the inaugural train ride from to Beijing, several Hong Kong reporters jumped on board and marvelled... at the food.

They soon discovered that because the train makes several stops along the route, customers can use an app called 12306 and order food two hours ahead of arriving at the stop and when the train arrives, the orders are at the platform for the train staff to pick up and distribute. 

Passengers can sample local dishes, like hot dry noodles of gan re mian from Wuhan, and cold milk tea from Changsha.

While the Hong Kong media were impressed by the ability to order food like this, for mainlanders this is nothing new. Taking trains has been the way most laobaixing have traveled in China, and the improvement in technology in food delivery apps has made this all possible.

So does this mean more Hongkongers are going to ride the trains to Beijing and Shanghai to sample the food? The possibilities are endless...

 

Review: Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art

This "Rothko" was declared real, then not

When you have over 14 hours to kill on the plane you watch movies. In my case it's documentaries.

One that was fascinating to watch is called Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art that was released in 2020. 

It's a fascinating tale about how fake paintings were sold in a red hot contemporary art market, making both the dealer and the supplier very rich, thanks to the talent of a Chinese immigrant who had a way of making canvases look like the works of Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollack, and William de Kooning.

Freedman gives her side of the story in the film

Director Barry Avrich gets practically everyone to tell the story, from Ann Freedman, the art dealer who was working at Knoedler & Company in New York, to various art experts, clients like Domenico De Dole and his wife Eleanore, art forensic experts, and numerous journalists. 

The story all came out in a court case in 2016 so there isn't much new except Freedman gives her side of the story in several interviews, though the reporters pour skepticism on her claims. 

She said in 1995 an unknown Long Island art dealer named Glafir Rosales approached her with a Rothko painting that Freedman thought was so beautiful -- except there was no paperwork to certify that Rothko had painted it. Rosales gave a long concocted story that seemed plausible -- if you wanted to believe the painting was real.

Freedman also took the painting to a Rothko expert, who declared it was authentic. So she bought it from Rosales for US$750,000 and sold it at auction for a whopping US$5.5 million.

Rosales doesn't have her say in the documentary

Over the next 10 years, Rosales sold Freeman some 60 paintings that were eventually sold for US$80 million to not only private collectors, but also museums and galleries. 

Things began to fall apart when a wealthy collector was divorcing his wife and he needed to sell the painting he had bought from Knoedler.

But when he tried to get it authenticated by art experts, they refused to say it was real.

And that's when he demanded a refund from Knoedler, and caused the gallery, which had been around for over 165 years to suddenly close in 2011, and its clients wondering if they had bought fakes too.

Even though the court case was in 2016, the documentary is still fascinating to watch. However, there are two people the viewers really want to hear from and don't -- that's Rosales and the forger, Pei Shan Qian.

A Pollack painting that was later declared fake

In the end Rosales was sentenced to nine months of house arrest and three years of probation as well as being ordered to pay US$81 million to the victims of fraud. 

However in reality, it was her boyfriend, Jose Carlos Bergantinos Diaz who was the mastermind, as he had been involved in selling fake art before. He fled to Spain, and efforts were made to extradite him, but Diaz claimed his health was poor and could not travel to the United States.

As for Qian, he hightailed it to Shanghai and the film crew are seen knocking on several doors looking for him. At last Qian's wife opens the door, but she says he's not available to speak on camera. They apparently stalk him walking around freely, and living relatively well for the decade of "art work" that he'd done.

But Made You Look also reveals the murky trade of art, and how provenance is so important, though greed can get in the way of rigorously testing a painting to ensure it is real -- or not. It also shows the desire of private collectors to own a famous work of art as a status symbol, something most of us would never even begin to entertain.

Qian made money from his fakes over 10 years

The film also "discovers" Dafen Village in Shenzhen, where an army of artists produce fake art for customers around the world. It's not new, people! It's been around for years and yet filmmakers and journalists claim to have found it, just like Avrich.

Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art

Directed by Barry Avrich

94 minutes

Shanghainese Cuisine in Hong Kong

Stir-fried river shrimps are a classic Shanghainese dish

Hong Kong has some Shanghainese associations where residents with ties to the city can have their favourite Shanghainese dishes.

On this trip I was lucky to eat at two of them. At Ning Po Residents Association at the foot of D'Aguilar Street, my friend ordered stir-fried river shrimps, drunken chicken, stinky tofu and spinach with broad beans.

Two giant (and pungent!) pieces of stinky tofu

River shrimps aren't readily available in Canada, they are tiny, yet plump and sweet. I can't even imagine de-shelling them... stir-fried they are coated in a glistening cornstarch sauce and then dipped in dark vinegar. Delicious.

I haven't had stinky tofu in Vancouver either, so why not here, especially as my friend likes eating it too? At Ning Po we get two giant slabs that are deep-fried and before they even arrive at our table we can smell them. The tofu is piping hot, and then biting into it, it has a slightly crunchy exterior and then very soft and smooth inside.

For dessert we had Shanghainese deep-fried souffle balls filled with banana. The egg whites are whipped up, and then dollops of the mashed banana are added to the egg white to create a ball and then put in hot oil and cooked for a few minutes before they are scooped up, dried and then icing sugar dusted on top.

Lion's head meatball with cabbage in broth

The ones here were so light, fluffy and delicious. 

A few days later I had a chance to eat at Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents Association also in Central. Our generous host ordered several dishes, like the stir-fried river shrimps, and giant lion's head meatballs in soup with cabbage. The meatballs were soft in texture, made with fatty pork but the broth barely showed any oil. 

For dessert we had lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice in osmanthus syrup and lotus seeds. This is a pretty laborious dish, having to clean the lotus root, stuff them with glutinous rice, steam them and braise in the osmanthus syrup. 

What a treat.

Stuffed lotus root with lotus seeds

Black and White Photography at M+

Two Women (Gloucester Road) by Yau Leung

At Hong Kong's M+, there was a special exhibition featuring black and white photographs sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Entitled Noir & Blanc: A Story of Photography, it seems like a good excuse to features pictures from famed photographer Fan Ho, known as the "Cartier-Bresson of the East". 

Ho's photos show cool composition

He was born in Shanghai in 1931 and at the age of 14 was given his first camera, a Kodak Brownie from his father. Within a year he won his first photography competition in 1949 and when he was 18 years old he bought a twin lens Rolleiflex.

A few years later Ho and his parents moved to Hong Kong, where he created numerous stunning images of the city. They include Smoky World, 1959, where he has a low angle shot looking up at people walking through Central Market. It looks very dramatic with a smoky atmosphere as people walk up and down the stairs, and there are gradient tones from white to black.

One his his most famous pictures is Approaching Shadow in 1954, where Ho composes a striking image of a lone woman stands against a wall looking down. In this photograph he manipulated the image by adding a diagonal shadow in the darkroom, apparently alluding to the fading of youth.

Another lovely photograph called Reflection, 1951, features the patterned grilles on windows and in one of them is a shadow of a person.

Liu captures everyday Chinese life

There are other photographers like Yau Leung's Two Women (Gloucester Road) taken in 1961. Two women shown from the back wearing form-fitting qipaos and heels as they walk under the covered walkways of shophouses in Wan Chai. 

For a bit of brevity, contemporary photographer Liu Heung-shing's China After Mao - Skating in Dalian, 1981, shows a man wearing drab work clothes but donning a pair of roller skates and skating past Mao Zedong, who stands valiantly in the wind.

It's a great contrast between the two, Mao serious and looking undeterred, while the man holds a bird-like pose, his left leg in the air, his arms out wide, showing that Western capitalism has made life more fun in China. 

The exhibition even has a self-portrait of landscape photographer Ansel Adams. Called Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, United States, taken in 1958, he is a silhouette, standing on a mountain with his camera on a tripod as there are lightning bolts in the sky over the mountains. 

Adams' wild self-portrait

What a lovely treat to see these photographs, particularly those of Fan Ho!

Noir & Blanc: A Story of Photography

On until July 1, 2024

M+

Hongkongers Flock to Warehouse Stores in Shenzhen

Hongkongers are joining tours that take them to Sam's Club

For Hongkongers, visiting Costco in North America is a wide-eye opening experience. 

The members-only warehouse store sells everything from milk to laptops, refrigerators and roast chickens at very good prices. Hongkongers look in wonder at products stacked on pallets and items sold in bulk or in giant containers that would take a while to use up.

There is no Costco in Hong Kong otherwise Park 'n' Shop and Wellcome would be up-in-arms if that kind of rivalry elbowed its way into the city. People would need bigger flats too to store all this stuff in bulk. 

Everything here is much cheaper than in HK

However, there is competition south of the border, as Hong Kong residents eagerly sign up for shopping tours to Shenzhen, where one stop on the itinerary is at Sam's Club, a warehouse store operated by Walmart, and named after Sam Walton, the founder. 

There are 44 Sam's Clubs in 25 cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Hangzhou, Xianmen, Chengdu, Shenyang and Ningbo.

As part of the tour, visitors can get a one-year membership for two people for 260 yuan (US$37), which can easily be made back from buying everything from food to giant-screen TVs.

The tours are especially popular with young people who are eager to find deals, as well as products they can only find on the mainland. 

They can snap up fresh seafood, frozen dumplings, Godiva chocolates, Ippudo instant noodles, and even fresh hairy crabs.

Wandering the warehouse store is eye-popping

Who knew young Hongkongers would be so keen to shop in Shenzhen?

But with inflation soaring in the city, it's become a novelty to discover bargains galore in warehouse stores.