ccgm newsletter spring 2015

Chinese Cultural Group Merton Spring 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti

Firstly, I hope you and your family have had an

inspiring Easter holiday. The CCGM had a lovely New

Year celebratory lunch at Man’s Chinese restaurant

in Raynes Park and our members enjoyed

themselves as usual. We are delighted to welcome

new members: Ronnie, and Rita the new honorary

committee member. Rita is very enthusiastic about

contributing new ideas for our group, and Ronnie is

keen to do Taiji.

Let us express our gratitude to all our committee

members as they are tirelessly putting their time and

effort to ensure the smooth running of our group

meetings. A very big thank you to Helen Marti - our

indefatigable newsletter editor and secretary - who

is working away to produce the newsletter, ensuring

our newsletter is as presentable, informative and

enjoyable to read as ever.

2015 is the year of Goat, 羊 (Yang). I hope it brings

you and your family a very peaceful year. Please do

come to our regular meetings as your support is the

most important element to our group’s existence.

Have you ever wondered why some of the calendars

call this year the year of sheep, ram, lamb or goat? In

Chinese, one word 羊 (Yang) represents all the

animals: sheep, ram, lamb or goat. As the majority of

the Chinese are Han tribe, the Hans mainly rear

goats. Now you can see why goats are found in many

of the posters, symbolising the year.

CHINESE CULTURAL GROUP MERTON SPRING 2015 ISSUE 4th APRIL 2015

Word from the Chair - Sissi Wong

Inside this issue

Mei Lanfang-a Brief Look at his Formative

Years 2

ODEON Silver Cinema 2

Tips For Bananas 3/4

Numbers in Chinese Culture 4

Open-minded, Low Self-esteem? 5

Tai Chi Chuan– Supreme Ultimate Fist 5

Writing Chinese Calligraphy 6

Pandan Cake 6

CCGM Programme 7

Chinese Medicinal Plants in Gardens 8

Confucius 8

春

Spring has finally sprung on 20th March in which two other celestial events also took place concurrently:

partial solar eclipse and Supermoon. The Spring equinox is celebrated by many cultures as a time of

beginning and renewal. In this issue, we will celebrate 120 years of Mei Lanfang’s life and acting in Peking

Opera with Kathy Hall on 5th May, be inspired by PP Wong’s tips on writing, and grasp the significance of

numbers in Chinese culture. Mandy Hsu asks, “What is it like to live and work in Taiwan, and how do the

local inhabitants treat other foreigners?” We get a brief look at the origins of Tai Chi Chuan, and immerse

ourselves in Chinese medicinal plants, Chinese brushstrokes and the life of Confucius as a teacher,

politician and philosopher. Green alien cakes, anyone? I urge you to bake this aromatic, light and fluffy

pandan chiffon cake, a popular South-East Asian delicacy. The ODEON Silver Cinema would be a great treat

for movie buffs. As ever, we are indebted to the Wimbledon Guild for the staunch support in our

bi-monthly group activities.


*Mei Lanfang – a Brief Look at his Formative Years by Kathy Hall

Mei Lanfang, born on 22 October 1894, was

undoubtedly the ‘superstar’ of Peking Opera. He won

great respect among his peers and followers in China.

Between 1919 and the 1930s when he visited Japan,

USA, Russia and Europe, he formed enduring

friendship with actors, dancers, directors, writers

and critics. His style of acting and singing was held up

as the epitome of Peking Opera itself. Now, 120 years

later, those standards still prevail. Let us look briefly

at what had contributed to his extra-ordinary rise.

The theatre scene into which he was born in Beijing

was ripe for a change. The ‘Older Male’ (Laosheng)

role, typified by the aging gaunt figure of Tan Xinpei,

reigned supreme. The military/martial roles that he

excelled in commanded box office receipts. The ‘Blue

Coat’ (Qingyi) role did not have leading parts. Qingyi

operas were only about 10% of the repertoire, and

they were not even given pride of place as the

penultimate or the final item of the programme. Only

20% of operas featured qingyi and laosheng together.

Audiences went to ‘listen’ and only looked up

occasionally to shout ‘hao’ (bravo) when they were

stirred by an excellent vocal delivery or some

bravura playing of the strings. There were well-

known ‘Blue Coat’ actors, but they were all male

aging men. There was nothing much for the audience

to look at, appearance-wise. Opera make-up in

Beijing then was crude. The cast did look like the old

men they were.

Into this scene came Mei Lanfang. He was forced by

stricken family circumstances to learn acting and to

earn while still very young. At 17, he had turned into

a handsome man. At 18 he left the acting school and

became a principal actor. Before he turned 19, he was

performing around 300 days a year. By this time,

women were allowed in the audience. They were

interested in seeing good-looking actors and

costumes, and in social issues concerning women.

Mei Lanfang, in the qingyi role, met their expectations

with his innovations in make-up, costumes and

subject matter.

Mei Lanfang’s teachers were the top male actors of

the qingyi role. They were nearly all trained in Kunqu

as well as Jingju (Peking Opera), excelling in both

civilian and military roles. He had very little formal

education, but he made up by working hard at

educating himself, especially in the arts. Out of all this

rich background and stage experience, he created

enduring figures requiring a delicate balance

between the stylisation of voice and movements, and

emotional realism. Stylisation freed him from down-

to-earth stage realism, and enabled deeper audience

involvement.

*For more on Mei Lanfang, please come to Kathy’s

lecture-demonstration at Drake House on 5th May. See

CCGM programme for further details.

ODEON Silver Cinema: http://www.odeon.co.uk/silvercinema/

ODEON Silver Cinema (previously known as ODEON Senior Screen) allows guests to relax and enjoy free tea,

coffee, and biscuits (tickets cost £3.00 when booked in cinema), which gives you more time to unwind and

catch up with friends prior to watching the latest releases (screened on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

Méi Lánfāng (22nd October 1894 – 8th August 1961)


Tips For Bananas by PP WONG Follow PP Wong on Twitter PP WONG@PPWONG_

Visit her at http://www.ppwongauthor.com/

Be brave in your writing and follow your gut

instinct

When I wrote The Life of a Banana, I did not want to

hold back on the hard-to-stomach reality of the

terrible racism in UK society. I’ve always found that

my best writing comes from a place of compulsion. I

like to write stories and tackle issues that keep me up

at night.

But when you write, you can’t please everyone.

There will be people who will love your writing and

others who hate it. Sometimes you have to be a

fearless in your writing. Don’t hold back! Stellar

writing often comes from being raw and honest.

Write the story you want to write not the story

you think you should write.

I know Asian writers who create stories that

reinforce negative stereotypes about Asian people.

Apparently, that is what sells in the West. You read

books about Asians doing mystical witchcraft and

strange rituals and you think, “No Chinese person I

know acts that way!”

I once attended a publishing workshop in Asia where

the teacher said that unless Asians write books that

suit the tastes of "white" readers they wouldn’t get

published. The teacher went on to say that new

writers have to bear this in mind if they want their

books to “make it” globally. I think as an author, you

have to be very sure about why you are writing your

novel. Is it because you have a compelling story to tell

or is it to please the masses? Is your novel something

you are proud of or is it a watered down version of

the novel you have in your heart?

At the end of the day, you have to live with the book

you have created.

Don’t focus on creating a big, epic novel, focus on

good writing

I was talking to a publisher in Singapore and he said,

“Asian writers are always trying so hard to write the

big epic novel that will find global fame. I would love

to see a novel that’s set in an HDB block of flats.” I

think this is so true! Asian writers may sometimes

overthink things when writing a novel. They ask

questions such as, “Will this book sell globally?” “Is

my story the sort of story that sells in America or the

UK?”, “Should I write the dialogue in a way that

westerners understand?” There is so much confusion

and overthinking that they lose the heart of what

their story is about.

A good story is a good story.

It doesn’t matter where it is set or which country

their accent is from. I’ve read books where normal

Singaporeans sound as though they are posh, white,

upper class men who studied at private schools in the

UK. In other words, the characters lack authenticity. I

have also read books about places or cultures of

which I have absolutely no knowledge, yet the

writing pulls me in and stays with me for years.

The Life of a Banana is about a British Singaporean

family living in London and for many reviewers the

culture is alien to them. However, the vast majority of

positive reviews I receive from newspapers and

bloggers are from non-Chinese people. In the midst of

British slang and Singlish, my novel has still

somehow touched all kinds of people from many

different cultures.

Have a beginning, middle and end

When I write, I always have a beginning, middle and

end in mind. I create bullet points about what is

going to happen in each chapter. This keeps me

grounded as I’m unravelling the story. The characters

may develop or I may manipulate plot twists as I’m

going along, but I find it really helpful to know where

the story is going. I’m Editor-in-Chief of an online

Continued on Page 4

https://twitter.com/PPWONG_

https://twitter.com/PPWONG_

http://www.ppwongauthor.com/


Numbers in Chinese Culture by Rita Wong-Kam

In Chinese traditions, certain numbers are believed

to be auspicious or inauspicious based in the Chinese

word that the number name sounds similar to.

The numbers 0, 6, 8 and 9 are believed to have

auspicious meanings because their names sound

similar to words that have positive meanings.

One of the most auspicious numbers, number 8 is

pronounced "ba" (八) which sounds similar to the

word for prosperity or wealth “fa cai” (发财). We

just have to cast our minds to the opening ceremony

of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing which

kicked off on the 8th of the 8th month in 2008 at 8

pm 8 minutes and 8 seconds! How befitting for such a

grand event!

The number 9 is also worth mentioning as it is

pronounced "jiu" (九) which is a homophone of the

word for “long lasting" “jiu" (久). For that reason the

number 9 is associated with the Chinese emperor (as

Chinese wish their emperor a long life) and it is

interesting to note that the Imperial Palace has 9,999

rooms in total.

Another good number is the number 6 pronounced as

"liu" (六) which is similar to the character for

“flow" (流-liu). As a result the number 6 is good for

businesses.

At the other end of the scale is the number 4 which is

the most inauspicious of numbers , the reason being

that it is pronounced "si" (四)) the same as the word

for "death” (死-si). Some buildings in SE Asia do not

have a 4th floor. In Hong Kong some buildings omit

all floor numbers with 4 (e.g. 4,14,24). I personally

recall the time when my newly married Mauritian

Chinese friend (whose husband is English) bought

the very last flat remaining (number 41) in a new

block in London SW19. When she rang her Mum in

Mauritius to inform her of the purchase, the mother

spent almost 30 minutes trying to dissuade them

from making the purchase purely because of the

number 41, much to the annoyance and frustration of

the husband. They had hunted high and low for their

first future home together and there they were, all

hanging on to a number! Fortunately they did not

listen to the mother and I can tell you they are happy

and very much still together after more than 10

years! And so far there has been no misfortune!

As you can see the study of Chinese numbers and that

of the Chinese language in general and their

associations is truly amusing and fascinating.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

一二三四五六七八九十

yi er san si wu liu qi ba jiu shi

magazine called bananawriters.com. The literary

editor often receives submissions of stories that start

well but lack lustre in the middle or end abruptly.

More often than not, it is because people don’t know

where they are going with the story. There are

countless people who start novels or short stories

and never finish them. I am sure there are writers

who have a very different approach to writing but I

find having a plan really helps.

Don’t give up

The publishing industry moves at a glacial pace, so

you really need to be patient. It took around two

years to complete my novel and get it published.

Apparently, that is quick! After I wrote The Life of a

Banana I faced a lot of rejection. First were the

rejections from literary agents and then the

publishers. If I had given up after the tenth rejection,

I would not have a novel. The book industry is highly

subjective in the sense that one editor may love a

book while another may hate it. It’s very much about

finding the right “home” for your novel and having

the stamina and resilience to take the rejections.

Continued from Page 3


Open-minded, Low Self-esteem? By Mandy Hsu

A modern society is usually multi-cultural, multi-

racial, with highly developed infrastructure, like the

City of New York which is well-known for its open-

minded social atmosphere. Taiwan can be seen as a

mono-ethnicity society, and its residents are mainly

Mandarin-speaking Taiwanese growing up under the

same culture. Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, has

gradually transformed into its modern look of today,

and its citizens expect themselves to be considered

modern enough to be named with other world-

renowned cities. Therefore, the city intends to be

seen as open-minded and diversified, with the

attitude of welcoming any avant-garde concepts and

respect of all differences. As a result, the city and its

people are known as very friendly.

People in Taiwan are renowned for their friendly

attitude towards foreigners, as compared to those

countries with the tendency of xenophobia towards

different races. Nonetheless, a contrary point of view

points out that people in Taiwan are only friendly to

foreigners from certain countries, and can be quite

discriminative against a few races. Generally

speaking, they are nice to Caucasians. This could be

the outcome of being under the influence of the

dominant mainstream Western culture. Apart from

that, that could also be one of the features of the

Oriental culture being humble, which sometimes can

be the synonym of lack of confidence.

Taiwanese people value highly the ability of speaking

foreign languages, especially English. When they see a

foreigner in Taiwan, they spontaneously have the

impulse to speak English to them, despite the fact that

the person might be a non-English speaker or Chinese

speaker. Moreover, they feel embarrassed when they

can’t speak English to foreigners. Browsing on

Facebook, one can see more and more fan-pages of

babies whose parents are of different ancestries,

mostly one of the parents is Caucasian. While the

mixed-blood children whose parents are Caucasian

and Oriental are so popular, those children whose

parents are Southeast Asian and Oriental are having

difficulty fitting into the society because they are

somehow considered to be the potential social issue

due to the comparatively low social status of their

parents. However, Caucasian and Oriental mixed

couples are not necessarily of a higher social status. It

is just the stereotyped thinking that makes the

prejudice because Southeast Asians usually come to

Taiwan for labour jobs.

A real open-minded society takes time and education

to shape. Being friendly to others is good but

considering a certain race to be superior is

unforgivable. No culture or race is better or worse,

and respect is the only way to treat the differences. A

real open-minded society should embrace the world,

not just certain cultures or races.

Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan (Image courtesy

Wikimedia Commons)

Tai Chi Chuan– Supreme Ultimate Fist by Alex Roney

Now so many of us are trying to learn classical moves, it is interesting to remind ourselves of the origins of

Tai Chi. It probably started around 4,000 years ago in distinct families as a martial art for defence purposes,

and its principles were developed by Taoist monks living on the Wudang mountain in China.

One man, originally a government officer and then a monk, Zhang Sanfeng (1279-1368) developed the forms,

and the ying/yang theory, based on principles of harmony and balance in all things, for health and spiritual

benefits. It is interesting to note that Wudang mountain is a place of pilgrimage now, where some 70% of the

herbs used in Chinese medicine grow, and is a World Heritage Site.


Many years ago when I was young at a Chinese school in British North Borneo

(now Sabah in Malaysia) I liked writing Chinese calligraphy. My good teacher

told me in Chinese: “People who learn are like precious rice with rice grains,

people who learn nothing are like grass of no value.”

(有學者如禾如稻, 無學者如篙如草)

So I was eager to learn anything useful. I came to the UK to pursue my

accountancy studies in the mid-1960s. Due to work, family pressures and a

mortgage, I gave up writing. One day, my English Kung Fu master who learned

Kung Fu on Wudang mountain in Hunan province (湖南武当山)asked me to write. So I did. I found it was

good to have my writing hanging in the Kung Fu Hall. It is still there today: “Loyalty shakes the world, justice

move mountains and rivers” (忠心震天下, 正義動山河)

When I retired from work a few years ago, I picked up writing again. I found an old master in Singapore who

was willing to coach me. I am now a member of the British Poets, Writers and Painters Association

(英国诗书画学会). When called upon, I write to raise money for charities at events and fairs. Names would

be written in Chinese calligraphy for only £3.00. The children love it.

The Art: You have to hold the Chinese brush vertically – unlike holding a ball point pen. Some of the strokes

are: 、ㄧ |丿\ 乛亅乚

To apply the right pressure it is essential to write the various strokes in strict order. You can only do it once,

i.e. you do not go over the writing with the brush again. The best paper is straw paper. To master the art, you

will need to get some patent books (字貼)to do the tracing. The best ones are Duke Liu and Auyoung Shuen

(柳公權, 歐陽詢)

It will take many years of training to write like a real master – just like playing the piano, tennis or Olympic

swimming. The best thing is to practise two hours a day. Practice makes perfect. Like meditation, Chinese

calligraphy calms your nerves and may enable you to get a good night’s sleep. Best of luck to anyone wishing

to take it up. (順心如意)

Writing Chinese Calligraphy by Tim Tsen

Pandan Cake by Helen Chiew

Ingredients of batter

5 egg yolks

20g caster sugar

100g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

100ml coconut milk

2 tbsp pandan juice

Few drops of pandan essence

3 tbsp of vegetable or olive oil

Ingredients of egg whites

5 egg whites

60g caster sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

Ingredient of pandan juice

10 pandan leaves fresh/frozen

2½ tbsp of water

Boil the leaves and drain the

juice

Method

Preheat oven to 1700C

1. Beat egg yolks with a balloon whisk and mix 20g

of sugar. Add coconut milk, pandan juice and essence.

Combine well .

2. Sift in cake flour and baking powder into the egg

yolks mixture - mix well and add the vegetable/olive

oil.

3. In a clean bowl - beat egg whites until bubbles

form. Add cream of tartar. After mixing well, add 60g

of sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Spoon out the egg whites and fold into the egg

mixture. Pour into an ungreased chiffon cake pan (20

cms/8 ins - removable base) and bake in a preheated

oven for 35 - 40 minutes. Completely cool the cake in

the pan. Invert onto serving plate to serve.


All meetings are conducted in English for anyone interested in Chinese culture at Drake House, 44 St

George’s Road, London SW19 4ED on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, beginning with 45 minutes of Taiji Qigong

Shibashi exercises followed by a talk or activity. £3.00 per session (Tea & refreshments included).

Leonie Tarratt will continue with Taiji Qigong exercises once a month for an hour session, and lead a specific

type of Taiji for treatment or prevention of arthritis, back pain, diabetes with a special variation for over

55's. The programme is subject to change.

£5.00 for annual membership from 1st April to 31st March. We would like to remind you our annual

membership fee is due on 1st April 2015. Please complete and return the attached renewal application form

with the fee to Ivy Salvage, our treasurer.

CCGM PROGRAMME: April to October 2015

Date Programme Speaker

7th April 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi A cup of cha, anyone? - History of Chinese tea & teapots

Alex Roney David & Rosetta Chak

21st April 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi History of the Silk Road focusing on the Donghuang Monastery

Leonie Tarratt Eugene Byrne

5th May 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi Mei Lanfang 120th Anniversary Celebration: Mei Lanfang’s ‘superstar’ qualities as a Peking Opera actor both at home and abroad marked him as one of the most significant Chinese cultural ambassadors of the twentieth century. Kathy Hall, a Mei style practitioner, will present a brief overview of his key innovations on the opera stage and his distinctive qualities as an actor of the female role. Kathy will demonstrate from Mei’s favourite opera.

Alex Roney Kathy Hall

19th May 2015 3.00-5.00 pm Taiji Qigong Shibashi Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeves- The Yangtze

Leonie Tarratt Eugene Byrne

2nd June 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi The Chinese Road Show - Members to bring in own objects/art e.g. Chinese lacquer and cloisonne .

Alex Roney

16th June 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi: 75 minutes session focusing on Shiatsu daily treatment of the hands (and feet) in order that the joints are manipulated to treat existing arthritic conditions and avoid further degeneration or onset. Dragon Boat festival

Leonie Tarratt

Rita Wong-Kam

7th July 2015 3.00-5.00 pm Taiji Qigong Shibashi AGM

Alex Roney

21st July 2015 3.00-5.00 pm

Taiji Qigong Shibashi Topic to be confirmed

Leonie Tarratt

1st September 3.00-5.00 pm Taiji Qigong Shibashi Wild China DVD

Alex Roney Eugene Byrne

15th September 3.00-5.00 pm Taiji Qigong Shibashi Mid-Autumn Festival

Leonie Tarratt

6th October 2.00-3.30 pm Taiji Qigong Shibashi Visit to the Thai Buddhist temple

Alex Roney Rita Wong-Kam


It is well known that the Chinese use almost everything on our planet for their medicines. This information

is provided to you mainly for your interest and is not intended to encourage you to try.

10 Chinese Medicinal Plants You Can Find in Your Garden by Sissi Wong

Chinese Cultural Group Merton

3/10 - Capsella bursa-pastoris

Commonly known as Shepherd's Purse, capsella

bursa-pastoris is part of the cabbage family and it has

been used in Eastern and Western herbal medicine.

The plant is used mainly in the control of internal and

external bleeding, and also to treat urinary tract

infection, excessive menstrual flow, diarrhoea,

haemorrhoids and varicose veins. It is also edible and

highly nutritious which is often found in the

traditional Chinese dumpling and wonton recipe

found in this video: https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=S_jSnVGHcA0

Guild House, 30/32 Worple Road

Wimbledon, London SW19 4EF

For more information, contact

Helen Marti, CCGM secretary

on 0208 946 0735 (Tues/Thurs)

We welcome your contributions and feedback, and

would love to hear from you about Chinese culture,

history, food and contemporary events. Please email to

[email protected] or contact Helen

Marti relating to any queries on Chinese activities and

programme updates.

Check http://issuu.com/ccgm/docs for our archive file.

Confucius (551-479BC) by Alex Roney

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall”

君子之過也，如日月之食焉。過也，人皆見之；更也，人皆仰之。

We have all heard Confucius’ quotations, but what about the man himself? His father, a military man, died

when he was three, so he was brought up by his mother. He had various jobs when young, some menial, and

later became a philosopher, a teacher and a politician. He was the ultimate wise and moral man, and will

always be remembered as such.

He advocated studying the past to learn wisdom in life and government, disseminating a moral code based

on family, respect and self-improvement. His famous “Golden Rule” was “What you do not wish for yourself,

do not do to others”. If only powerful people practised that philosophy today!

In 501BC he was appointed Governor of a town, but became unsuccessfully embroiled in local politics, so

exiled himself, travelling and teaching his code throughout China. He returned home aged 68 and died about

four years later. Although in 223BC his teachings were banned, and books burned, his reputation and

teachings were later recognised again, and again taught, and he has many followers.

His home town is a place of pilgrimage, and he has an estimated 34,000 descendants. There is even an

asteroid named after him. Not a religion, his teachings and code are full of humanity and wisdom. Truth and

honesty were his watchwords. He should be compulsory reading for all politicians today.

mailto:[email protected]

http://issuu.com/ccgm/docs

ccgm newsletter spring 2015

Documents