BMIC project — Bangladesh-Myanmar-India-China corridor; 440 million people in Yunnan, Bangladesh, Burma and Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and the northeast region

India and China Seek Economic Integration Via Burma, Bangladesh

By NEETA LAL / ASIA SENTINEL|  Nov 6, 2013 |http://www.irrawaddy.org/china/india-china-seek-economic-integration-via-burma-bangladesh.html  and www.natunbarta.com/english/business-and-finance/2013/11/0…

The recent endorsement by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of a multibillion dollar construction corridor encompassing Bangladesh, China, India and Burma—if it materializes—could redraw the economic and geopolitical map of Asia.

Termed “an international gateway to South Asia,” the BMIC corridor, as it is known, was the highlight of Li’s recent visit to India. The Chinese premier’s office commented that the link “will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth.”

Statements like this are the usual hyperbole of state visits and must be taken with skepticism. But this time China, over recent weeks, has publicly unveiled a huge burst of ambitious plans to further draw East Asia, including both South Asia and Southeast Asia, into its economic and political orbit.

“Connectivity” is China’s new mantra and the focus of Beijing’s long-term planning and strategic thinking, extending a web of rail, highway and air links all over the region and recently, during the visit of President Xi Jinping, offering an infrastructure bank to help build it. Given the region’s considerable natural resources, and China’s need for them to fuel its industrial growth, planners have all roads pointed toward Beijing.

The economic advantages of the corridor—covering 1.65 million square kilometers, encompassing an estimated 440 million people in the regions of Yunnan, Bangladesh, Burma and Indian states like West Bengal, Bihar and the northeast region—are gargantuan. Besides access to myriad markets in Southeast Asia, the link is also expected to enhance the transportation infrastructure and creation of industrial zones.

…With labor costs rising in China, labor-intensive industries such as textile and agro processing will eventually be shifted out of China to newer regions that offer labor at relatively lower costs. “This will lead companies operating in China to give priority to the trade corridor region given its established infrastructure, improved logistics and ease of access,” he added.

India’s isolated eastern and northeastern states also stand to gain by higher trade and connectivity with China and the rest of Asia…The bridge dovetails well with India’s own “Look East” initiative and regional plans to help the BMIC grouping. China and Bangladesh have already been pressing India to improve and upgrade existing road and other traffic network on its territory, with a view to facilitating more border trade and strengthening the local economies involved.

 Ethnic minorities areas in Guizhou map -dark blue-Miao; dark green-Buyi; pink-Dong; light green-Yi; brown-Tujia; light blue-Gelao; yellow-Shui

24-Zig along the Burma Road (滇缅公路24拐)
“The “24-zig” is in Guizhou Province, it has 24 sharp bends on a high mountain. The Burma Road was largely built by Chinese during World War II to bring supplies to beleagured China, to help Chinese resist the Japanese invasion.
(from www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-most-dangerous-roads-in-china )
– – –
Historic ’24-zig’ Rediscovered on Stilwell Road

August 15, 2002, China Daily, english.peopledaily.com.cn/200208/15/print20020815_101492…

People can see a famous old photo on websites about World War II: convoys of US GMC military trucks snaking up a steep zigzag road in southwest China’s mountainous region.

It illustrates the crucial lifeline that linked the Chinese battlefield with allied forces 57 years ago. The road, nicknamed “24-zig” because it has 24 sharp bends on a high mountain, was believed to lie on the famous Stilwell Road, also known as the Burma Road.

Along the road, mountains of guns, bullets and food were carried by US trucks to China to fight against the Japanese troops.The “24-zig” was so geologically typical and a symbol of the times that its fame was soon spread worldwide by the international media.

However, after the war ended half a century ago, the precise location of the “24-zig” faded from memory. Many Chinese, Japanese and Westerners tried to pinpoint it along the Stilwell Road and the Burma Road in Yunnan Province, but it seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

Guo Shuya, a Chinese expert in World War II history, has been studying the road for many years. In 2001, he happened to get a piece of information from Japan that the “24-zig” was not on the Stilwell Road as many experts believed, but actually on another road in nearby Guizhou Province.

Guo went to Guizhou and sought help from elderly drivers, and they told him the “24-zig” was in a county named Qinglong, two hundreds miles away from Guiyang, capital of Guizhou.

Guo made his way to Qinglong where he rediscovered the “24-zig”.

“I have solved a riddle that has puzzled people worldwide for half a century, ” he said. “It seems that we still don’t know very much about World War II.”

The Stilwell Road was a single road built in 1944 between Indiaand China’s Yunnan Province. However, the international community usually regarded all the traffic networks in southwest China as being part of the famous road, which was named after Joseph Stilwell, commander-in-chief of the China-Burma-India war theater.

“The ’24-zig’ is indeed in Guizhou, and it can be seen as an extension of the Stilwell Road,” said Zhou Mingzhong, an official with the Guizhou Transportation Bureau.

He said that the road was built by US troops and remained undamaged. These days curious drivers usually ride on the historic road for fun.

“Currently, Guizhou is investing heavily in a campaign to build new roads. However, we will preserve the “24-zig” according to its original look,” said Zhou, adding that “it is a relic of World War II, and a symbol of Sino-American friendship”.

= = =
The Burma Road

for good photos see: http://www.tinyadventurestours.com/Eng/Destinations/BurmaRoad.html

The road was constructed between 1937 and 1938 during the ‘Second Sino-Japanese War’ by combining existing roads and tracks and upgrading them for use by heavy transports and even building completely new roads and bridges. This all through an area in which till then hardly any roads had existed. The purpose of the road was to keep supplies coming in while the eastern sea ports of China were controlled or blocked by Japanese forces.

The road got closed off by the Japanese occupation of Burma and western Yunnan. Control over the road resulted in critical battles like the battle at the Huitong Bridge and the battle at Songshan Mountain in the Gaoligong mountain range.
During the second world war American engineer regiments constructed a new road from Ledo in India across Burma to connect to the original Burma Road. The combined road got named “Stilwell road” after American General ‘Vinegar Joe’ Stilwell.
Burma road at present. The present day enlarged and improved Burma Road crossing the Gaoligong mountain range near Longling.
At the turn of the century the British had attempted to extend their rail network from Lashio in Burma into Yunnan but had given up because the terrain was one of the hardest in the world with many mountains and big rivers to cross. The only east/west connection was the ‘Southern Silk Road’, a combination of footpaths and horse trails leading to footbridges and ferry crossings.
The Burma Road was constructed by an unskilled local labour force of thousands recruited from the various tribes living along the route. The tools used were local farming tools and complicated constructions were avoided by letting the road hug the higher parts of the mountains and avoiding the valleys with rivers and streams as well as muddy flat lands as much as possible.

Nowadays.

Over the years the road got widened and paved with cobble stones but the road in its full length does not exist anymore as such. National road G320 incorporated parts of the old road and some parts got abandoned. Now the new G56 four lane motorway replaces the G320 again. This modern, road with many bridges and tunnels, makes it possible to drive the entire length of the old Burma Road in hours.

from “Kueichou – An Internal Chinese Colony,” by J E Spencer, Pacific Affairs, vol. 13,no 2,(Jun,1940), pp 162-172 quote from pp. 167.  See whole article free with Google Books, http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2751051?uid=3737800&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102539382847
photoBritish in 1942 traveling through Guiyang to the Burma Road, escaping Japanese takeover of Hong Kong, see: http://www.hongkongescape.org/Legge.htmtrade routes in the Yuan dynasty – Note “Southwestern Silk Road” thru Yunnan.

Chinese archaeological writer Bin Yang, whose work, ‘Between Winds and Clouds; The Making of Yunnan’, (Columbia University Press,2004) and some earlier writers and archaeologists, such as Janice Stargardt strongly suggest this route of international trade as Sichuan-Yunnan-Burma-Bangladesh route. According to Bin Yang, especially from the 12th century the route was used to ship bullion from Yunnan (gold and silver being among the minerals in which Yunnan is rich), through northern Burma, into modern Bangladesh, making use of the ancient route, known as the ‘Ledo’ route. The emerging evidence of the ancient cities of Bangladesh, in particular Wari-Bateshwar ruins, Mahasthangarh, Bhitagarh, Bikrampur, Egarasindhur and Sonargaon are believed to be the international trade centers in this route. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Silk_Road )

2013 International Crafts Expo, Guiyang, 2013 中国贵州国际民族民间工艺品文化产品展览会, Nov 2013

  

from left: Ms. Fu Heng 付恒, art teacher at Guiyang Hualin Middle School 贵阳华麟中学; retired English teacher Twinkle Cao Shan 曹闪; Rose Yu Lu, English teacher at Guiyang Hualin Middle School 贵阳华麟中学 ; Sandy Yue Junwei 岳军维, English teacher at Guiyang American-Canadian International School 贵阳美加国际学校; and exhibitor, a Shui minority embroiderer, and her daughter.

Cosplay, with local Guiyang college students

Pam Najdowski, Textile Treasures, Chinese Minority Textiles & Silver Ornaments. Dealer in Miao silver work, Chinese children’s hats, embroidered & batik textiles, antique baskets & wooden tools, at Travelers Market in Santa Fe’s De Vargas Center, New Mexico, US, pamnajdowski@yahoo.com, www.textiletreasures.info, address: 1810 Paseo de la Conquistadora, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 USA 美国, tel: (505) 982-1172 or (505) 920-4970

from Textile Treasures website, www.textiletreasures.info/ :   The People’s Republic of China officially recognizes 56 nationalities which make up their population. The Han people speaking dialects of Chinese comprise approximately 91% of the population, while the minority nationalities belonging to various other linguistic groups compose the remaining 9%. The Miao, Dong, Zhaung, Yi, Yao, Hani, Buyi, and Maonan living in mountainous areas of the southwestern provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan, and Sichuan are the main minorities whose incredible work are represented in our website.

Kennedy Assassination

The Discovery Channel is on Channel 142 here in Guiyang and it featured the “New Information” recently released from the national archives after 50 years.  It was about the same stuff I remember from 50 years ago.  I suppose there are a lot of Chinese that don’t know what happened 50 years ago.  It is amazing how I was only age 12, and I still have it burned into memory, better than what happened to me last week.

Today I wonder how the world would have been different if there hadn’t been the cynical hatred that led to the killings of the 1960s (Bobby and Jack Kennedy, MLK et al). Would we have stayed in Vietnam? Would there have been race riots? I think about the Rolling Stones  “Sympathy for the Devil”  lyrics about “Who Killed the Kennedys?”. Well does it make sense to wonder what it would be like to live in a world without tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes? Hatred is a force of nature.

Living in a foreign country doesn’t take away the feelings of being an American. It accentuates many feelings.  We are protected from the day to day grind  of 24 hour news, but we have more time to ponder what is it like to be a citizen of the USA and a citizen of the World. Well this is an emotional time for all of us old farts I guess . . .

Guizhou tourism map, categorized list of places to see

List of places to see in Guizhou:  www.asiatravel.asia/show.asp?sort_id=43&action=month_3

Guiyang: Leisure and Holiday Tour

Guiyang Qianling Mountain, Yangming Shrine. Jiaxiu Tower and Stone Culture Art Palace-Tianhe Pond in Huaxi, Ancient Toxvn of Qingyan and Zhenshancun Buyei Village-BaihLia Lake-Kaiyang Nanjiang Canyon Park-Xiuwen Yangming Cave. Liuguang River and Golf Holiday Centered Maple Lake

Western Route: Exploration Tour of Karst Marvels and Tunpu Culture

Red Maple Lake in Guiyang-Tianlong, Jiuxi, Benzhai and Old Town of Yunshan-Zhijin Cave-Dragon Palace-Huangguoshu and Tianxing Bridge-Guanling Fossil Groups National Geopark and Huajiang Grand Canyon-Zhenfeng Sancha River and Buyei folklore-Zhaodi Causeway and the tomb of 18 scholars of the Southern Ming in Anlong-Xingyi Museum of Ethnic Wedding Customs, Maling River Canyon, and Ten-Thousand Peak Forest-Kunming in Yunnan

Eastern Route: Miao & Dong Culture Tour

1. Guiyang-Nanhua Miao Village in Kaili-Shanglangde and Xijiang Miao villages in Leishan County-Shidong in Taijiang-Hot Spring in Jianhe-Old Town of Longli in Jinping-Natural Bridge in Liping, Dong Village of Zhaoxing and Tangan Dong Ecological Museum-Gaozeng Dong Village of Congjiang, and Miao Village of Yisha-Sanbao Dong Village in Rongjiang-terraced fields of YongleGuiyang

Guiyang-Gejia Village in Huangping, Feiyunya and drifting along the Yedong River-Yuntai Mountain of Shibing, drifting along the Shanmu River-Qinglongdong of Zhenyuan, Xiayang and Tiexi-Nine-dragon Cave of Tongren, and Fanjing Mountain-Zhangjiajie in Hunan

Northem Route: Long March Culture and Land of National Liquor Tour

Guiyang-Xifeng Concentration Camp-Wujiang Ferry Crossing-Site of the Zunyi Meeting, Red Army Mountain, and Loushan Pass-Renhuai Na tional Liquor Gate. Monument for Crossing the Chishui River Four Times, and National Liquor Maotai Culture Museum-Xishui Sancha RiverChishui Spinulose Tree Fern Nature Reserve, Swallow Rock, Zhuhai National Forest Park, Shizhang Cave and Four Cave Gully waterfalls, Bingan and Old Town of Datong-Luzhou in Sichuan

Southern Route: Primitive Ecological Culture Tour

Guiyang-Mt. Doupeng of Duyun-Ancient Miao Papermaking of Shiqiao Village in Danxia-Bangao and Zhelei Shui Villages in Sandu-Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Zone, Seven Arches in Various Sizes, Drifting along Shuichun River and Yao Village-Hechi in Guangxi

Red Tourist ltineraries

1. Guiyang-Xifeng Concentration Camp (Wujiang Scenic Zone)-Site of the Zunyi Meeting (Huagang Martyrs Cemetery)-Site of the Ninth Headquarter of the Red Army in Meitan and the Anti-Japanese Culture of Zhejiang University Moved to West China-Site of the Loushan Pass BattleLesser West Lake Anti-Japanese Culture in Tongzi-Renhuai. Xishui and the Memorial Site of Crossing the Chishui River Four Times.

2. Guiyang-Red Maple Lake-Anshun City (Former Residence of Wang Ruofei, Confucius Temple and historical streets)-Dragon Palace-Huangguoshu-Wanger River Reservoir, Qinglong Anti-Japanese Culture (Guanling Yongning Steel. Shier Bridge and the 24 Bends in Qinglong)-Maling River.

3. Guiyang-Kaili (Wuyang River in Zhenyuan)-Leishan (Bala River and Xijiang Miao Village)-Liping. Congjiang and Rongjiang Dong & Miao Culture Tourism Zone (Old Town of Longli in Jinping, and Sanmentang of Tianzhu)-Miao & Dong Ethnic Culture Tourism Zone in Jianhe and Taijiang

4. Guiyang-Duyun-DushanLibo ( Former Residence of Deng Enming, Shuipu Village, and Banzhai where the Seventh Red Army Joined Forces with Other Armies)-Pingtang (Jinpen Landscape in Shuicheng County, Geological Marvels in Zhangbu, rural tours, and Jiacha Leisure and Holiday Zone)-Sandu which links with Liujiang, Liping, Congjiang and Rongjiang Dong Culture Tourism Zone.

Guiyang, Guizhou overview, from Wikitravel, http://wikitravel.org/en/Guiyang

from Wikitravel, wikitravel.org/en/Guiyang (last modified on 10 April 2013)

Guiyang overview
(Asia : East Asia : China : Southwest China : Guizhou : Guiyang)

Guiyang (贵阳; Guìyáng) is the capital of Guizhou province, China. While not the most spectacular of Chinese cities, it has much to offer as an introduction to the history, culture and natural splendor of Guizhou and China’s southwest. Moreover it is drastically cheaper than the more touristed and developed provinces. It makes an excellent base for exploring mountains, caves, rivers, and minority cultures (including traditional Han Chinese culture lost in many areas) of the province.

Get in

By air
Guiyang is relatively easy to get to by air with multiple flights daily coming in from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing as well as other cities in Southwest China, particularly Kunming and Chengdu. The airport (KWE) is officially an international airport but options are extremely limited. There is weekly service to and from Hong Kong, Macao, and Bangkok and perhaps Singapore and Malaysia. Travelers flying in from abroad will most likely transfer to a domestic flight to Guiyang in Kunming, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing. From the airport, taxis (¥60 flat rate) or the airport shuttle bus (¥10, drops off in a few locations around town) take fifteen to twenty minutes to reach downtown. Those interested in saving money may opt to catch a taxi from the bus stops in town rather than directly from the airport. Doing so brings the total for a solo traveler to ¥20 from airport to hotel.

By train
Guiyang straddles the trunk rail line linking Chongqing (12 hours) with Kunming (overnight) and points south. Train tickets to Chengdu are also readily available (17 hours). Train tickets, including for hard sleepers, are relatively easy to acquire, given the size of Guiyang’s population and its significance as the commercial hub of the province. Heading in from Hunan, the train passes through Kaili before arriving in Guiyang. Tickets to Zunyi (hard seat only) cost ¥17 for the three and a half hour trip.
The area outside the train station can be a bit chaotic, but taxis are readily available. There is an officially recognized taxi queue across the street from the station, although some taxis will stop in mid-traffic to pick you up. Guiyang police have tried to crack down on picking up passengers in crowded areas where it will obstruct traffic, so the queue is probably the best (and safest, given Chinese driving standards) option. The train station is also the terminus for many public bus lines.

By bus
The long distance bus station (金阳汽车站) is now located in the new JinYang development area. Buses to Jinyang leave from the train station and pass by peoples square, opposite the school. From here you can get buses to several destinations, including Guilin and Guangzhou.

Long distance buses arriving in Guiyang will likely stop at a different station near the airport where you can take a taxi into the city. The driver will probably not use the meter and will take as many passengers as he can, bargain for the price.
The long-distance bus stations are also the best location to get buses to Anshun (60-90 minutes), the gateway to Guizhou’s signature Huangguoshu Waterfall. Buses north to Zunyi (two hours) depart every 30 to 60 minutes.

By car
The highway infrastructure in Guizhou is undergoing continual upgrading as part of China’s Western Development Effort. Once completed, an expressway will link Guiyang to Chongqing, allowing relatively easy travel and an alternative to the train. The highways leading west and east out of Guiyang are modern and well maintained making for easy access to the western reaches of the province or east to Kaili. It is possible (although expensive, so it may be better to take the bus or train) to hire a car and driver between Guiyang, Zunyi, and other cities.

Get around

By bus
Guiyang has a well developed bus system, although it is entirely in Chinese and takes some getting used to. A local can help you if you know where you are going. All bus fares cost ¥1. Small local buses pick up passengers at various points around town and can take you to Huaxi or more distant districts of the city for ¥2 per person. These buses can get crowded and are forbidden (technically) to carry standing passengers. As a result, all of the standing riders are asked to duck when passing the police [??!].

By taxi
Guiyang taxis charge ¥10 at flagfall. Short trips within the city should cost ¥10. This is an excellent way to get around, as taxis are everywhere. Note that taxis charge extra late at night (¥12 starting rate although for short trips the driver may let you off with the ¥10 flat rate). Taxis heading into or out of the city center may pick up extra passengers.

By motorcycle
As elsewhere in China, motorcycle taxi services are available. Large intersections or areas with concentrations of bars or restaurants will attract a crowd of motorcyclists. Negotiate a price in advance (¥5-10). Unlike in other areas, the driver is unlikely to have a helmet available for you. Hold on tight.

By foot
Although not the smallest town in China, many of Guiyang’s neighborhoods and sights can be seen with a little patience and footwork. This is also a great way to experience life in a still emerging town. The city abounds with small workshops (often in what would normally be locations for small shops or restaurants), delightful street-side restaurants, and small shops selling everything from local handicrafts to new business cards (next day availability) and sheet metal.

See

Qianling Park (黔灵公园). This large city park is well worth an afternoon. Sample local food and crafts from vendors, see curious and very brave wild monkeys (accustomed to people), as well as take in the view from the hilltops near Hongfu Temple. Qianling Park also includes a zoo and small amusement park as well as tea gardens.

Hebin Park. This park is by the side of the river. There is a Egyptian feel to the square in the park, which has towering pillars lit by yellow light at night, and a gigantic UFO-shaped restaurant in the centre, help up by both bamboo and metal pillars–an apt symbol of the fusion of chinese culture and modernity. Near the restaurant, there is a recently built bridge across the river, shaped like a Helix, and lighted up a brilliant red. Take a romantic stroll through this peaceful square at night.

* Hongfu Temple (弘福寺), (It is 40-60 minute walk to the temple, but there is also a cable car (stops at 5:00PM), and sedan chair rides.). The temple, built as a monastery in the early Qing Dynasty, is comparable in extent to the Lama Temple in Beijing. Surrounded by woods, the buildings have elaborate ornaments (roof corners and eaves, etc). There are several large diety figures, a pond with carp, water well for coins for good luck, incense burning pits, a large bell you ring, some shops, and a restaurant there.

Tianhetan
Tianhetan (天河潭). An easy day trip from Guiyang, Tianhetan is a pleasant cave, canal and waterfall park in Huaxi township. The park includes flooded caves which guides take you through in boats, canals which weave through minority farm areas and a spectacular cascade through a narrow opening in the mountain. Following the trail into the mountain leads to a massive sinkhole and the starting point for the cave and canal boat trips. If you are feeling adventurous, rent bikes for the day from Huaxi Park, and then cycle 11km to tian he tan on the country roads. It takes about 2 hours to get there, but the biking journey would be rewarding for backpackers who enjoy roughing it through and appreciate rural scenery. You can rent a motorcycle to take your bicycles back for 10 yuan each, while getting on a rented ven to get back to Huaxi Park, a the same price. Admission to the park is very reasonable although you will pay extra for the zip line across the gorge..

Huaxi Park (花溪公园). Another popular day trip south of Guiyang in Huaxi township, Huaxi Park is an excellent escape from the heat and bustle of the city. The park with its streams, pavilions and tea gardens is popular for Guiyang residents who enjoy setting up their own barbeques and enjoying a picnic. Of historical note, former Premier Zhou Enlai and his wife visited Huaxi Park in the 1950s. A billboard sized photograph of the couple enjoying a boat ride graces the main entrance to the park.

South River Grand Canyon (南江大峡谷), [1]. Grand Canyon area with typical development, the majestic Karst Canyon scenery and a variety of types, different attitude waterfall group features, the magnificent, majestic and grand, for aesthetic value and tourism value of the scenic area high. The canyon span more than 40 km, steep peak, the depths of three hundred and ninety-eight meters.

Do

Buy

Maotai Liquor (茅台酒) – produced in Maotai Town of Renhuai County in Zunyi Prefecture, Maotai holds itself to be one of the world’s three most famous distilled liquors. In 1915, Maotai won global fame at the Panama World’s Fair. According to Maotai lore, the booth at the fair was largely overlooked by the liquor judges because of the cheap labels and black bottles. In frustration one of the attendants smashed a bottle of Maotai releasing the distinct aroma attracting the judges who later awarded the drink a gold medal. Since 1949, it has won 14 international gold prizes and has been exported to over 100 countries and regions. It is officially known as China’s national liquor and served at state banquets. At 106 proof (53% alcohol by volume) or stronger, it is not for the faint of heart. Maotai is clear and offers a lingering mild and mellow fragrance some liken to soy sauce. For foreigners it can be a bit of an acquired taste but no visit to Guizhou would be complete without trying the province’s most famous product.

Anshun Batik (安顺蜡染画) – Batiks are a traditional handicraft of the Buyi people in the Anshun region to the west of Guiyang. Traditional ethnic designs include flowers, birds, fish and insects on indigo-dyed cotton cloth. More recently artisans have produced more colorful silk and wool batiks. There are over 1,000 different types of batik products now produced including whole cloth, bedding, tapestries, caps and purses. Anshun Batiks can be purchased at expensive tourist shops in Guiyang or for more reasonable and negotiable prices in Anshun itself.

Guiding Yunwu Tea(贵顶云雾茶) – Produced in Yunwu Mountain in Guiding County, this tea was offered as tribute to the early Qing court. The leaves resemble fishhooks, thin and soft, with whitish hairs. This green tea is much favored for its low caffeine and high catechol content.

Yuping Flutes – These elaborately carved flutes are made of local bamboo and produce a clear and beautiful sound. Yuping flutes are traditional local products that have gone on to win international prizes.

Ethnic Silver Articles – Two ethnic groups, the Miao and Gejia, are famous for silver smithing. Both groups produce headgear, necklaces and bracelets. Each type has its distinct shapes, patterns and motifs. Miao ornaments mainly use dog, cat, horse, insect, flower or bird motifs. The Gejia prefer sun, stars, dragon, phoenix, bat and certain plant motifs. Both styles give Huangping silver ornaments great artistic value.

Embroidery and Cross-stitch – Miao embroidery is a traditional local handicraft. Design motifs are typically butterflies, birds and interestingly enough marine animals. Cross-stitch patterns follow the warps and wefts of the cloth and the most popular ones are colorful geometric figures.

Exotic stones and fossils – Guizhou’s limestone hills yield a wealth of valuable stones and fossils. As the province also has impressive and commercially exploitable deposits of gold, silver and other minerals, there are a wide variety of mineral stones and samples available. Fossils of Missippian Crinoids and the Guizhousaurus (贵州龙 – a small semi-aquatic dinosaur) are available in many tourist shops. The Guizhousaurus is a common fossil and often found intact and complete so there is actually a fair chance the fossils are legitimate! The buyer will likely notice, however, that the fossils are painted to show the bones more starkly against a darker background of stone.

Eat

People in Guiyang like those throughout Southwest China love spicy food. Use of red chilies of various temperatures and salty dried chili powder dips for hot pots is ubiquitous. Food can be prepared mild (不要辣 buyaola) according to your tastes but the best way is to settle in and eat the way the locals do.

With a brave stomach, you could eat something new everyday for a week just by walking along the streets of Guiyang and sampling the street foods of Guizhou’s minorities around the night markets. Most of these offerings come heavily spiced by default, but you can ask for a little or no spice.

Be sure to try Bean Hotpot (豆米火祸 dōumǐhuǒguō) which is available all around the city. Just as with other hotpot styles, you choose whichever ingredients you want and cook them at your own pace. The difference is in its soup of pinto beans, bacon, and onions. You should get a bowl of spices that you can mix with the soup base for dipping.

Minority cuisines are also readily available throughout Guiyang (look for wait staff in brightly colored outfits clapping, dancing and playing oversized pan-flutes at the door). One of the most common and delicious varieties available is the Miao Minority’s Suan Tang Yu (酸汤鱼) a hot pot centered around a hot and spicy broth with a large whole fish chopped up inside. Like all hot pot restaurants veggies, meats and other delicacies are purchased a la carte to be added. The dipping bowls contain the ubiquitous chili paste but also add a cube of fermented tofu (non stinky) that makes a wonderful compliment to the fish. Be sure to wash it down with Mi Jiu (米酒) a sweet purple rice wine. A row of reasonably priced restaurants specializing in Suan Tang Yu can be found on Shengfu Lu near the intersection with Fushui Lu near the Beijing Hualian supermarket.

For a Guizhou snack unavailable elsewhere try Silk Babies (丝娃娃). For a few kuai, you are given a stack of thin rice pancakes and chopsticks. You sit at a low table covered in bowls of raw and pickled vegetables with a small dish for mixing chili sauce and vinegar. Load the pancakes according to taste, spoon in a little sauce and enjoy.

Among Guiyang’s street foods, Guiyang Style Beef Noodles (牛肉粉 niuroufen) is a staple. It can be prepared in a hot red broth or a mild beef broth according to your tastes – although not all establishments offer a choice. Fresh whole garlic cloves, crushed dried red pepper, salt, MSG and Sichuan Pepper (花椒 huajiao) can be added to taste. Don’t miss this one – it really hits the spot, especially after a night of drinking! Huaxi Wang Jia Niuroufen is the best and operates a chain of franchises throughout the province but for late night munchies, just follow the crowds.

A peculiar local delicacy (given the fact that Guizhou is landlocked) is Fried Chili Squid (鱿鱼: youyu). Chopped squid is skewed and deep fried before being cooked on a separate metal plate in a bath of sizzling chili sauce. This snack is served hot from carts congregating along Zhonghua Zhonglu. The dish is safe to eat despite the distance from the ocean. One stick costs ¥1. The 鱿鱼 carts are often found in close proximity to other snack carts selling grilled tofu, mutton kabobs, spicy pickled radishes and other munchies.

For excellent Guizhou cuisine at very reasonable prices try Siheyuan (四合院). The restaurant enjoys a good bit of local fame and is popular with the (very) small expat community as well. The story goes that the owners were laid off from their factory jobs some years ago. Without work, they opened a street side restaurant with a single table. The food was so good that business boomed. Some 15 or 20 years later they serve a bustling lunch and dinner crowd in a multilevel but still rustic and homey restaurant. Siheyuan doesn’t have a sign so finding it without a guide can be a bit of a trick. It is located a few feet down the alley opposite the Protestant Church on Qianling Xilu.
Night markets are popular in Guizhou for midnight munching, particularly in the warmer months although even the winter does not shut them down. Varieties of street foods particularly grilled freshwater fish, crayfish, snails, chicken, pork, mutton, cabbage, garlic greens, onions, eggplants, mutton, chili peppers and just about anything else that can be skewered is available. For the adventurous whole marrow bones can be grilled up, cracked open and served with a straw. Try the market on Hequn Lu. Vendors set up shop around 7 PM.

However, Hequn Lu charges very high prices for streetside food that is mediocre in many instances. It is perhaps a little too touristy for an authentic street food sampling experience. Locals would recommend that you take a bus to Hebin Park instead, and walk down the road to another night market, where the food is much cheaper, and sumptuous local food like the spicy barbequed fish can be sampled.

Drink

South Park (南方公园 nan fang gong yuan): This is currently the main hangout for the English teaching community and English-speaking local residents. The staff speak excellent English. Local beer starts at ¥5 per bottle and imports start at ¥40. South Park is fairly laid back and unpretentious. Newcomers are always welcomed into the community. (out of date information, this has been closed down for a few years)
Although there are hundreds of bars in the city (many of them hidden away in large buildings) the main concentration is on Qianling dong lu (黔灵东路).

Highlands Coffee (高原咖啡 Gao Yuan Ka Fei), Bo Ai Lu Liu Dong Jie No.1 (A 2 minute walk from Walmart at the People’s Square. Behind Customs Building.), ☎ 0851-5826222, [2]. The only American owned and run coffee house in all of Guiyang/Guizhou. The American owner (Chris) has lived in Guiyang since 2003 and can be of help with practical information regarding the local area. Espresso based beverages, tea, smoothies, chai, as well as genuine American pastries and panini’s are available. Customer service is bi-lingual (Mandarin and English) and wifi is also available.

Sleep

Nenghui Jiudian On the airport bus route, 2 bars, 2 restaurants, good staff, comfortable rooms, free in-room broadband, basic business facilities, rooms usually heavily discounted. 125 rooms, Telephone: (0851) 589 8888 Fax: (0851) 589 8622, at Ruijin Nan Lu 38, website: [3]

Shenfeng Jiudian A fine hotel with high service, large rooms, and a breakfast buffet. 260 rooms, Telephone: (0851) 556 8888 Fax: (0851) 556 9999, at Shenqi Lu 69, website: [4]

Guizhou Karst Hotel Nearby the Peoples Square and face the Nanming River. A new 4 star hotel with high quality service.
Telephone:(0851) 8196888, at South Ruijin Road 25.

Learn

Guiyang has four main universities that host foreign teachers and students, as well as a few others. The three universities that have foreign students are Guizhou University (贵州大学), Guizhou Normal University (贵州师范大学), and Guizhou University of Nationalities (贵州民族学院).These three universities all have foreign teachers usually teaching English. Guiyang University (贵阳学院) also employs foreign teachers.

Work

Guizhou, like much of central and western China, lags far behind the dynamic coast in economic, industrial and social development. As a result, the main opportunities for work are teaching English. Several private schools in the area are licensed to hire foreigners: English First, Aston, Tian Tian, and Interlingua being among the most established.

For those not interested in teaching, Guiyang is home to several industrial and high-technology development zones seeking foreign investment, partnerships and experts. These include the industrial and enterprise zone in the south (Xiaohe Qu near Guizhou Normal University) and the Guiyang High-Technology Development Zone in the north. The main industries are aerospace technology and heavy industry.

Get out

Huangguoshu Waterfalls – The waterfalls are on the Baishui River, 15 kilometers From the Zhenning county seat, and 137 kilometers from Guiyang. It measures 74 meters high and 81 meters wide and boasts the biggest of its kind in China and also one of the world’s most magnificent. The water billows down into the Xiniu Pool, sending up great spray and creating rainbows. A visit to Huangguoshu Waterfalls is a must for all visitors to Guizhou. It has become a holiday resort where you can forget the outside world and enjoy fabulous scenes and sights, including limestone caves and stone forests. The trip is also tainted with ethnic flavor with a visit to the local Buoyei people. Local legend says that in ancient times the sky suddenly cracked open, causing part of the Milky Way to smash to pieces on the ground. The largest piece hung on the verge of a cliff and became the Huangguoshu Waterfalls, which, in the process of crashing down the cliff, broke into several dozen cascades. When the Milky Way fell, numerous stars came down with it, which were converted into stone forests, crystal-clear pools, bridges and caves. Admission to the park is steep but the scenery is spectacular. The falls can be reached by direct bus from the bus station next to the train station on Zunyi Lu.

Zhijin Cave – As the national scenic spot, the cave is located in Guanzhai Township, 14 miles northeast of Zhijin and 93 miles from Guiyang. It is a gigantic karst cave with the length over 6 miles. Although it looks still primitive in appearance, its karst landform is imposing and magnificent. Covering an area over 74 acres, its widest part is 574 feet and its height exceeds 328 feet. The cave consists of 47 halls and 150 scenic spots in its 11scenic areas.

Longgong Cave (Dragon Palace Cave) – As the national scenic spot, the cave is located in Matou Township, 130 kilometers from Guiyang. Longgong refers to over 90 karst caves linked up like a chain of beads that run through 20 hilltops. Within these 4,000-metre-long caves there are also underground karst lakes. Tourists can enter Longgong Caves at Tianchi (Heavenly Pool) by taking a small boat.

Red Maple Lake – As a national scenic resort, Red Maple Lake is located in the suburb of Qingzhen, 33 kilometers from Guiyang. Covering 57.2 square kilometers, it is the largest man-made lake on the Guizhou Plateau. The lake consists of the North and South lakes. It’s renowned for the 170 isles, the numerous caves, the clear water and the quiet bays. Folklore of the Dong and Miao people is demonstrated in the resort.

Wuyang River – Lying in Zhenyuan and Shibing counties, the national scenic area consists of Zhuwan Gorge in Shibing and the Three Gorges in Zhenyuan and extends 50 kilometers. Wuyang River is famous for it picturesque mountain scenes and crystal-clear water. It flows among mountains in eastern Guizhou, creating secluded caves, gurgling springs, rugged rocks and spectacular waterfalls.

XiJiang – Ethnic Minority (Miao) village which is about an hour and a half journey from kaili. There are beautiful rice terraces on which you can stroll and climb. all the way to a breathtaking panorama of the surrounding paddy fields. Jump across huge drains, admire the rich variety of wild flowers, and take in the smell of cow dung and fertilizer along the way. There will also be daily performances, centred around wedding rituals, conducted in the morning and evening (5pm) which are free to watch. You do have to pay an entrance fee to get into the village though. Stay overnight at one of the hotels on the hill, so that you can open your windows to a vista of fog-shrouded houses on the hills opposite you stretching into the distance.

(from Wikitravel, wikitravel.org/en/Guiyang, last modified on 10 April 2013)
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Links to sites about Guiyang / Guizhou’s culture, history, sightseeing, life as an expat, schools, visas, maps, etc. that may help foreign visitors to Guiyang, foreign students of Chinese, and new English teachers here more quickly get familiar with the area include:

Flickr “GoGuiyang,” photostream at: www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/ , and its organized photo sets at:www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/sets/ .

Tour Guizhou (started by current Guizhou Normal U. teacher Jack Porter), www.tourguizhou.net/ .

“GoGuiyang” (put together by former Peace Corps teacher Erik Myxter): http://goguiyang.weebly.com/
and “GooGuizhou” (spelled “goo..”):http://googuizhou.weebly.com/

historical photos of Guiyang 百年贵阳, from city gov’t site www.gygov.gov.cn

People’s Square (now called Zhucheng Square) in the 1960s, with Mao Zedong statue
Guiyang’s old residential housing

new Guiyang Train Station in 1954 – 54年建成的客车站

widening of Zhonghua Road in 1954 – 1954年拓宽中华路

Zhonghua Road in the 1980s – 80年代的中华路

Penshuichi in the 1960s – 60年代的喷水池

Yan’an Road in the 1950s – 50年代的延安中路

No. 6 Middle School in the 1950s -50年代的贵阳六中

Daximen in the 1980s – 80年代的大西门

1856 photo of Liuguanchong Catholic Seminary, now on grounds of Guizhou Botanical Gardens – 1856年六关冲小修院. For background about the history of Catholics in Guiyang see: from www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2008/aclark_china3_oct08.asp

Jiaxiulou in the early 20th century – 20世纪的甲秀楼

old photo of Guizhou Normal University

百年贵阳 – historical photos of Guiyang, see city gov’t site: www.gygov.gov.cn/col/col11761/index.html

The Trouble with Rats Update #3

 

Well I have bowed to requests and removed one picture of a rat. After all my experiences with rats I get kind of a warm fuzzy feeling when I see a dead rat, or even a live one that is hopelessly trapped. So my perspective is a little different. This blog about living in Southwest China is supposed to cover what life is really like, what we struggle with, what we like.  So this is the definitive story on rats, at least in my life.

Mickey

http://www.tourguizhou.net/the-trouble-with-rats/

http://www.tourguizhou.net/the-trouble-with-rats-update-1/

http://www.tourguizhou.net/the-trouble-with-rats-update-2/

I haven’t seen a rat in my place for over a month now. I think the problem is solved. I have a macho mentality on many issues here in China.  “I can handle it” is my attitude and it works for most things. A little over  month ago I caught two rats, large ones, and drowned both of them. Then I called the “Waiban’s office” (Foreigner Boss) and told them that this was out of control and needed to be taken care of. I am a teacher at Guizhou Normal University of Guiyang, and the school is responsible for providing suitable housing. A day later a worker came by and we put a new secure plastic tube on the kitchen sink drain, where we figured they were coming in. It worked, for a few days.  Another rat came up and ate the soft plastic of the tube and came through the hole in the pipe.  I never caught that one.  He left right after he invaded.

I got the worker back the next day and we put a screen device in the plumbing to stop the rats from getting to the soft pipe inside the home. Problem solved.  No more mice or rats. I learned something. When dealing with a health and safety issue, it is probably a good idea to ask for help sooner, rather than later.

I’ve learned some interesting things that may be useful for people in my position:
1) Rats tend to stay in the kitchen area, wherever there is food . . . crumbs, etc.
2) The squeak of a rat sounds a lot like the chirp of certain kinds of birds.
3) Last week I found a bag of rice that was on top of the fridge.  It had a hole in it. So if you think you have a rat in your kitchen, don’t just look down at the floor. Rats can be up high too, even above your head, wherever there is food.

 

plants of Guizhou, karst desertification, and reforestation


books about Guizhou plants -《黔东南常见森林植物图谱》 Common Forest Plants from Southeast Guizhou Province, 2013 ;贵州植被 Vegetation of Guizhou, 1988;石阡县森林植物种质资源 forest plants of Shiqian County, Guizhou

 Also see:  Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests – Encyclopedia of Earth, www.eoearth.org/view/article/152980
Vegetation in karst areas
The regional vegetation types in Guizhou karst plateau belong to subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest. Fagaceae, Theaceae and Lauraceae are the predominant vegetation. Besides, mountainous warm coniferous forest characterized by fir, Pinus massoniane, Pinus yunnanensis,conifer- broadleaf mixed forest predominated by pine, fir, polar and birch, deciduous broadleaf forest characterized by Liquidambar formosana, pollar, Batula lumilifera and the artificial and secondary bamboo forest are also widespread…However, except for Maolan Karst Forest Preserve in southeast Guizhou, the karst forests in Guizhou are mainly secondary forests, and the flora (fascicular) are simple.


Guizhou’s Ferns and Mosses 《贵州蕨类植物志》《贵州苔藓植物图志》


online photos of China’s plants  普蘭塔 www.planta.cn from http://www.planta.cn/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30207&sid=1b2ad8d69d0727896c374e558799f194
Also,  Nature Education Literature  家长环境教育图书推荐目录 [supplied by Katie Scott of NatureWize, a Guiyang nature education organization, www.en.naturewize.org,   katiescott@naturewize.org ]

《森林里最后一个孩子: 拯救自然缺失症儿童》
作者:(美)理查德•洛夫,王西敏 (合著者), 郝冰 (合著者), 自然之友 (译者)
出版社:湖南科学技术出版社; 第1版
出版年: 2010-4
Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
—Richard Louv

《与孩子共享自然》
作者: (美)约瑟夫・克奈尔
译者: 叶凡
出版社: 天津教育出版社
出版年: 2000-6
Sharing Nature with Children:
——Joseph Bharat Cornell

《中国鸟类野外手册》
作者: [英]约翰•马敬能 / 卡伦•菲利普斯
出版社: 湖南教育出版社
译者: 卢和芬/ 何芬奇/解焱
出版年: 2000年6月第一版
A Field Guide to the Birds of China
—-John Ramsay MacKinnon

《树:全世界500多种树木的彩色图鉴》
作者: (英)库姆斯
出版社: 中国友谊出版公司
译者: 猫头鹰出版社
出版年: 2005
Tree identification through colorful pictures of more than 500 species in the world
—Kums

《中国昆虫记Ⅱ》
作者: 李元胜
出版社: 上海社会科学院出版
出版年: 2004-5
The insects in China, II
—Yuansheng Li

《常见植物野外识别手册》
作者: 刘全儒/ 王辰
出版社: 重庆大学
出版年: 2007-3
The handbook of common plants identification
—Quanru Liu/Chen Wang

《常见昆虫野外识别手册》
作者: 张巍巍
出版社: 重庆大学
出版年: 2007-3.

list from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_areas_of_China, uploaded at http://www.flickr.com/photos/98531730@N02/10701866374/in/photostream

Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve is a treasure-house of plants and wildlife. The reserve is rich in plant resources and 80% of the conservation area is covered with virgin forest and other plants. There are about 795 families of plants and 1,955 species, including 14 families and 19 species of gymnosperms, 460 families and 1,155 species of spermatophytes and 123 families of fungi. Some plants are rare, such as the dove flowers which grow only in this region. Due to the influence of the sub-tropical alpine monsoon climate, the distribution of vegetation is vertically zonal. The plants vary from the evergreen broadleaf forest to deciduous trees.

The favorable climate and lush vegetation make the reserve an ideal habitat for wild fauna. The number of wild animal species identified and documented has reached over 800. The diversified fauna include 68 species of mammals, 191 species of birds, 41 species of reptiles and 34 species of amphibians, respectively accounting for 13.6%, 6.2%, 10.9% and 12.2% of the national total animal population. Among these species, some are rare and endangered. The Guizhou golden monkeys can be seen only in this region and are on the edge of extinction, hence a national treasure and protected species. Other species like clouded leopard, South China Tiger, pangolin and antelope are also important national protected animals.  (from http://www.chinesetimeschool.com/en-us/articles/fanjingshan-national-nature-reserve )

Karst rocky desertification around Guizhou Province

Expanding karst rocky desertification is shrinking living space and becomes the root of disaster and poverty in southwest China; it is especially true for Guizhou Province, which lies in the center of karst areas in the southwest. Karst rocky desertification, drought and water deficiency are the main environmental problems in karst areas in southwestern China.  (from http://www.karstdata.cn/messinfo.aspx?id=246 )
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In karst areas of Guizhou, the soils are discontinued, shallow and thin. The land surface and soils have poor capacity of storing water and usually are dry because of the quick and serious leakage of rain water. And the landforms are deep cut and steep. As a result, development of the regional forest is influenced, and a special karst forest vegetation is formed….Main causes of rock desertification:
Firstly, the pure limestone,well-developed joints and strong karstification result in little and thin soil and bare rocks:The Triassic limestone is very pure, with less than 1% unsoluble matters by acid, so the rock can not form abundant soils. Meanwhile, well-developed karst fissures and sinkholes are easy for serious loss and leakage of water and soil. These are the natural conditions of the rock desertification.
Secondly,a big population density of 135/km2 and lack of cultivated land result in the local farmers to cultivate mountain slopes and rock fissures in large area: The group has only 146 mu cultivated land, but 40% of them are in the rock fissures. Even a small patch of soil between rock or the rock fissure where can only plant one corn or potato is also fully used . The situation for long periods is inevitably leading to deterioration of ecology and rock desertification .
Thirdly, the vegetation grows slowly and has low ecological efficiency under cold plateau climate and fragile karst environments: Though the farmers have coals for fuels and do not cut the trees for firewood, as well as plant some trees on the hills, the trees grows slowly, and the forestation effects are bad under bare karst environments and cold climate in high elevation area. The annual mean temperature is 12℃.And there are 125 days in frost periods each year.
The development of agriculture and improvement of ecological environments in Mishuga have been paid attention by local governments. An important way will possibly be that, to change the way of the agriculture production, and transfer a lot of land which are used for provision crops now into a base to develop liana herbs, valuable grasses and good fruits in the future. ( from  http://www.karst.edu.cn/guidebook/guizhou.htm )


Reforestation Project in Guiyang, Guizhou – Increase in the amount of vegetation cover in the degraded mountains of Guiyang. Helped in the promotion of biological diversity of the area.  See: http://www.oisca-international.org/programs/environmental-conservation-program/china/oisca-reforestation-project-in-guiyang-guizhou/

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Reforesting rural lands in western China pays big dividends, Stanford researchers say

Planting trees instead of crops on sloping land helps prevent erosion from heavy rains, Stanford researchers find. And China’s attempt to find new jobs for displaced farmers is having some success.   (Stanford Report, May 11, 2011}

…”We can think of these life-support services as flowing from natural capital, like forests and wetlands, which provide very tangible, financially valuable services,” said Daily. “Forests soak up tremendous amounts of water, filter it and release it gradually into rivers and streams that we use for drinking water, hydroelectric power and growing crops.” In many ways, the environment can help mitigate damage from floods and even human disasters, like oil spills, she added.

China’s land conversion program has its roots in the late 1960s, when farmers in the mountainous western provinces began clearing vast stretches of land to make way for more crops. The increased agricultural production helped feed a growing nation but also set the scene for disaster. When record monsoon rains pelted the region in 1998, soil from the agricultural fields washed down the mountain slopes, killing thousands of people in the villages below.

The unprecedented damage caused by the floods prompted China to reconsider the wisdom of replacing forests with farms – especially in steeply sloping terrain. In 2000, the government launched a campaign to reforest the countryside and established several large-scale programs to help farmers in the western provinces find new work in surrounding cities…   (from http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/may/reforesting-rural-china-051111.html )

from (from en.gygov.gov.cn/art/2010/10/15/art_15204_258101.html and en.gygov.gov.cn/art/2009/10/15/art_15204_258103.html)

Biomed Research is moving to China

Guizhou Province has tremendous biodiversity and is attracting basic research.  Yaacov Ben-David recently moved from Toronto to Guiyang, China: The following was taken from www.Chinadaily.com.cn and published on 10/22/2013.
Back to nature for answers
By Sun Yuanqing ( China Daily )

Updated: 2013-10-22A Canadian medical scientist has moved to China in the hope of discovering a cure for cancer using a mix of Western and Eastern medical practices.

Yaacov Ben-David is an internationally renowned molecular biologist and he recently put down roots in Guizhou province in Southwest China, a place he believes the next generation of cancer cures will come from.Yaacov

With its ample resources of traditional Chinese medicine and specialists with the knowledge of how to extract pure compounds from natural herbal remedies, Guizhou is only a step away from finding the ultimate cure, Ben-David says.

“They develop compounds from TCM but there is no one here to find the functions against the disease, particularly cancer. That is my expertise. I saw the match between me and this group,” he says.

Based on TCM natural cures and ethnic medicines, Guizhou’s pharmaceutical industry totals 20 billion yuan ($3.27 billion) a year. It is now seeking driving forces through further research and innovation, and part of the effort is to attract overseas professionals.

“Yaacov Ben-David makes up for what we lack the most, preclinical models for diseases, especially cancer. These models will help us select the right compounds against cancer,” says Luo Heng, a researcher in Ben-David’s tumor pharmacology research team at the Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province under Chinese Academy of Sciences.

At a time when Western academies are suffering budget cuts, China is trying hard to attract more academics and entrepreneurs from abroad. In late 2011, the government initiated the One Thousand Foreign Experts Project, to invite more specialists into the country in the next 10 years.

Successful candidates get a subsidy of up to 1 million yuan from the central government and scientific researchers can get 3 to 5 million yuan in research allowances.

As a key foreign expert brought in by Guizhou this year, Ben-David is also applying for the project with his team in order to obtain stronger support for their project.

The group already has 2 million yuan from the provincial government as startup funding and another 5 million yuan to build the largest international laboratory in Guizhou. This kind of support would not have been possible back in North America given the current economic situation, he says.

“It is very hard to find funding in Canada at the moment. My work was not moving ahead any more because there is no funding. There are too many scientists who cannot find government support,” he says. “Also, you need chemists, people who can provide compounds and modify them for you. I didn’t have that opportunity at home.”

Born in Iran, Ben-David received his PhD in Molecular Immunology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel in 1987. He later served as a professor of medical biophysics at the University of Toronto and senior scientist of molecular and cellular biology at the Sunnybrook Research Institute.

He successfully isolated several cancer genes responsible for the induction and progression of leukemia. He also identified the mechanisms of these cancer genes – knowledge which can be used for the clinical treatment of the cancer.

In the last five years, he has focused on how to develop compounds and drugs against cancer, as he wanted to transfer his work from the lab to the hospital.

Ben-David first visited the laboratory in Guiyang through an introduction by Yang Meili, one of his researchers in Canada who happened to be a former student of Hao Xiaojiang, director of the laboratory.

When he saw how Chinese chemists were working to develop the wide range of flora in Guizhou for the use of TCM, he saw his niche.

“I am the biologist and they are chemists. They develop compounds from TCM and there has to be somebody to understand their functions. I thought it would be a very good opportunity to collaborate.”

Apart from the financial and team-building support in China, there are also opportunities for breakthrough discoveries as few studies have been done about natural compounds extracted from TCM.

“When I was in North America, everything I used was already known. Here everything is locally sourced and not yet categorized yet. It’s all novel and unique,” Ben-David says. “They told me that there are 55 compounds that have not been characterized yet. This is amazing.”

As TCM is still not widely accepted globally, he hopes his research can change that.

“The potential is very high. Not many studies have been done about TCM. And not many scientists in the world have access to these compounds. I am hoping to collect all these and collate them in a data library that more people can have access to.”

Yang Jun contributed to the story.