Thursday, September 29, 2016

Coming Up Next: Michael Schuster, Curator of Hawaii's East-West Center Gallery and 'China Through the Lens of John Thomson 1869-1872'


Listen to the October 1 broadcast by going to this link to Podcasts.com. 

On my recent trip to Hawaii I experienced the vanished world of imperial China. How? I was immersed in vividly-captured photographs developed on glass plates through an incredible exhibit, China Through the Lens of John Thomson 1869-1872 at the East-West Center Gallery in Honolulu. 

My next guest is Michael Schuster, curator of the gallery and of this exhibit. John Thomson was a pioneer in photojournalism and one of the most influential photographers of his generation.

Michael Schuster is a specialist on arts in Asia and the Pacific. He served as folk arts coordinator of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Schuster has studied Asia Pacific arts for 30 years, training with master artists from India, Burma, Indonesia and Japan. He has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Western States Arts Federation. He currently serves on the advisory panel for community outreach at Shangri La, owned by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. He holds a Ph.D. in Asian theater from the University of Hawaii.

Established in 1960, by Congress, the East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States of America, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research and dialogue. 

Join us for our weekly Confucius Moment, news of Saturday's Mid-Autumn Festival at Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut, hosted by the Chinese American Heritage Association (www.cahai.org), and the opening of the riveting Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China 3rd-6th Centuries at the China Institute in America in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Saturday, October 1 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com starting 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. China Time. 

Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's broadcasts are from AM1490 WGCH and everywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. 

This show is title-sponsored by Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Call Beijing AmBridge's office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com

Corporate Executive Offices (CEO) in Greenwich, Connecticut USA is a supporting sponsor of this show. Since 1989, CEO has been a provider of world-class offices in a prominent, modern building with contemporary services, advanced technology and amenities that will help you focus on productivity while keeping your monthly costs under control. The best thing about CEO is that they treat you like family -only better! Visit them online at www.ceooffices.com or call 203-622-1300 today. 

Southeast Asian cuisine has never been more popular, and if you want the best visit Penang Grill. A supporting sponsor of this show, Penang Grill is conveniently located at 55 Lewis Street in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Penang Grills repertoire of fine culinary selections, tranquil, Asian-themed surroundings, courteous service and great prices will leave you satisfied. Call 203-861-1988. You'll be glad you did. 

Monday, September 26, 2016

China Institute Gallery Reopens in Lower Manhattan: Presents Inaugural Exhibition Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd – 6th Centuries September 30, 2016 – March 19, 2017



China Institute Gallery Reopens in Lower Manhattan
Presents Inaugural Exhibition
Art in a Time of Chaos:
Masterworks from Six Dynasties China,
3rd – 6th Centuries
September 30, 2016 – March 19, 2017

New York City – Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd – 6th Centuries, the inaugural exhibition at China Institute Gallery’s new space at 100 Washington Street in lower Manhattan, will be on view from September 30, 2016, through March 19, 2017. The exhibition is the first major survey to examine Chinese culture and its international influences during the Six Dynasties period, as well as the relationship between the two dominant political centers in the North and South. Art in a Time of Chaos presents more than 100 ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy, and paintings from the 3rd through 6th centuries, many only recently unearthed. Most of the artworks are on public view for the first time in the U.S., and a number have not been exhibited in China. The landmark show is organized by China Institute Gallery, the only organization in the U.S. dedicated to showing Chinese art from all periods, and the Nanjing Museum in China.
Art in a Time of Chaos is currently on view at its first venue, the Honolulu Museum of Art, from April 28 through August 21, 2016. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated 472-page bilingual catalogue.
The Six Dynasties, from the 3rd to 6th centuries, was one of the most dynamic periods in Chinese art history, akin to the European Renaissance in the impact it had on artistic creativity. Over the past 20 years, archaeological excavations have unearthed extraordinary works of art, forever altering scholarly understanding of this chaotic nearly 400-year period of political upheaval, geographical division, and civil strife. Not only was the Six Dynasties period a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is increasingly recognized for having laid the foundation for Chinese artistic standards, genres, subjects, and important themes that continue to define Chinese art today.
“Recent excavations in China due to an unprecedented building boom have been an amazing gift to the archeological community, adding greatly to our knowledge of ceramics, sculpture, painting, and calligraphy during the Six Dynasties period,” notes Willow Weilan Hai, Director, China Institute Gallery, and Chief Curator of the exhibition. “Great chaos led to extraordinary cultural and intellectual achievements by artists who defined the soul of Chinese art for generations with their influence spreading beyond China into Japan and Korea.”
China was divided into North and South during the Six Dynasties period. The six dynasties in the South were the Sun Wu, Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen. Five dynasties in the north are also included in study of this period and in the exhibition. They are the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Western Wei, and Northern Zhou. Art in a Time of Chaos presents artwork from the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing Municipal Museum, and Shanxi Museum. Nanjing was the ancient capital of the South, and Shanxi, an ancient political center of the North.
The exhibition is curated by Willow Weilan Hai, Director, China Institute Gallery; Annette Juliano, Professor of Asian Art and History, Rutgers University; Gong Liang, Director, Nanjing Museum; and Shi Jinming, Director, Shanxi Museum, and Bai Ning, former Director, Nanjing Municipal Museum.
HIGHLIGHTS
Tombs
Much of what is known about Six Dynasties sculpture comes from excavations of tombs and mausoleums, whose entrances were richly decorated with lavish sculpture. Inside tombs, archaeologists have found an array of both pottery and porcelain figurines. These sculptures – attendants, soldiers, musicians, servants, and animals – were crafted to be interred alongside the tomb’s occupants, ensuring a comfortable afterlife.
A Southern Dynasty imperial tomb yielded rich results in a 1968 excavation: a full wall with a major mural. Last year, curators at the Nanjing museum began to assemble the many bricks that made up the wall and were delighted by an extraordinary relief of the famous “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.” The sages, a group of admired intellectuals, artists, poets, and musicians in the mid-3rd century, have influenced Chinese culture throughout the ages, with their counterculture writings about political upheaval and celebration of nature. A modern day rubbing of a similar brick mural in black and white reveals a more detailed look at the legendary figures.
A red and green painted frieze from Northern Shanxi, one of the most colorful artworks in the exhibition, depicts lively scenes including hunting, dancing, and enjoying wine at a banquet. The panel formed the sarcophagus of the tomb of Yu Hong, a high government official from the Sui Dynasty, whose life appeared full and complex with Persian influences.
Recently Excavated
Among the most recently excavated sculptures are a group of 10 ceramic figures, including musicians playing the qin (a Chinese zither), drums and a wind instrument, which were discovered in a Three Kingdoms (222-280) tomb in Nanjing in 2006. A stylish female figurine from the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420) excavated in 2011, wears her hair up in a side bun, which was fashionable at the time. One of the more charming sculptures in the exhibition is a humble pottery dog from the Three Kingdoms period (222-280). A humorous inscription on the dog’s back reads, “This dog’s name is Black Dragon.”
In the South, many of these funerary figures took the form of civil servants and fashionable ladies, while in North, soldier figurines were more common. These trends speak to the differences in Southern and Northern life at the time.
International Influences
The Six Dynasties saw an influx of foreigners to China, due in large part to trade, warfare, and religion, particularly Buddhism. Monks began to arrive in China and promote Buddhism, allowing Buddhist art to flourish through the construction of temples, caves, and sculptures. As a result, there was a proliferation of Buddhist sculpture, as well as figurine sculpture of foreigners for the first time.
The head of a majestic bodhisattva, with an elegant crown of flowers from the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) was discovered at the Huata Temple in Shanxi in 1954, where a number of carved sandstone sculptures relating to Buddhism were found.
A Persian silver plate with a hunting scene was unearthed from a tomb in Shanxi. It is thought to have been imported as a luxury good in the 6th century. The images on the plate were identified this year as inspired by a scene from the Shahnameh, the greatest literary classic of Persian culture.
Ceramics
It was during the Six Dynasties period that porcelain was first mass produced as tableware, household items, stationery, and tomb objects. In the thousand years that have since passed, porcelain remains popular and is major component of Chinese art and daily life.
Although other types of porcelain were being produced, the dominate type was a greenish glazed porcelain known as piao ci. Eventually this type came to be known as celadon, as the porcelain was traded through Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The ongoing popularity of this porcelain’s unique color may have been due to the aesthetic taste of the time, placing great value on things that evoke the natural world, calmness, and purity. The Six Dynasties literati and intellectuals placed utmost value on the pursuit of these attributes amid their chaotic world.
Calligraphy
The Six Dynasties was a remarkable period in the history of Chinese calligraphy. Not only was it the time when a great many accomplished calligraphers flourished under the tutelage of the revered Wang Xizhi (303 – 361), it was the period when calligraphy achieved recognition as a distinct art form. A new canon emerged that celebrated individual expression, as well as the recognition of distinct artistic styles, concepts, and aesthetic theories. It is hard to imagine a more critical development in Chinese art history than the codification of calligraphy into an artistic oeuvre.
Many works from this period survive because they were carved into stone, or etched into brick. From newly unearthed works in Southern China that include stone tomb epitaph tablets, incised architectural bricks, and wooden slips once circulating like ancient name cards, it is now known that calligraphy was practiced in a number of different styles, including clerical script, standard script, running script, and cursive script.
This exhibition and related programming are generously supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, Liu Dan, the Confucius Institute at China Institute, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Jeong Ok and William Carey, the Holiday Inn Manhattan Financial District, China Institute Friends of the Gallery and other individual Sponsors of the Exhibition.
EXHIBITION-RELATED PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Curator’s Lecture
Friday, September 30, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
An introduction by Willow Weilan Hai, Director of China Institute Gallery and Chief Curator with a discussion of the highlights by Guest Curator Annette Juliano, Professor of Asian Art and History, Rutgers University.
International Symposium: Rethinking the Six Dynasties, 3rd-6th Centuries
Saturday, October 1, 2016, 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., reception 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Featuring scholars, curators and museum directors from China and the United States discussing new archaeological findings, and the importance of cross-cultural influence during this transformative era.
Ben Wang Lecture Series: Literature of the Six Dynasties Period
Thursdays, October 27, November 3 and 10, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Senior Lecturer Ben Wang will discuss the lives and works of representative poets of the Six Dynasties, as well as quintessential texts A New Account of Tales of the World and Zhaoming’s Collection of Literary Works.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

You Are Invited! Mid-Autumn Festival 2016 on October 1, Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut




In the Chinese lunar calendar, the 15th day of the 8th month marks the time of the year when the moon is at its roundest and brightest. 

For thousands of years this day has been celebrated in Chinese culture as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Known as the Moon Festival, it is a time of celebration with friends and family over delicious food and upbeat, joyous activities.



The public is invited by the Chinese American Heritage Association to attend its first annual Mid-Autumn Culture Festival on Saturday, October 1 at Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Connecticut 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Pre-register today at $10 per person or $30 per family. 

Visit www.cahai.org for more information, or email cahai.org@gmail.com.

You won't want to miss delicious moon cakes, martial arts demonstrations and a cornucopia of other Chinese traditions at the Mid-Autumn Culture Festival. 

Monday, September 19, 2016

Coming Up Next: Willow Weilan Hai, Curator of 'Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd-6th Centuries'



On the Saturday, September 24 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I will be welcoming Willow Weilan Hai, the director of the China Institute Gallery, to the Conversations segment. 

She is also the chief curator of Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd-6th Centuries due to open to the public on Friday, September 30. This is the inaugural exhibition at the China Institute of America’s new headquarters in Lower Manhattan in New York City. 

The exhibition is the first major survey to examine Chinese culture and its international influence during the Six Dynasties period, as well as the relationship between the two dominant political centers in the South and North. 

I had the pleasure of previewing this remarkable, not-to-be-missed exhibition in August at the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii. I found myself contemplating Chinese history and culture in a new way. Many layers of history and culture came alive for me -and I am certain you’ll feel the same way. 


The Six Dynasties period, from the 3rd to 6th centuries, was one of the most dynamic periods in Chinese art history, akin to the European Renaissance in the impact it had on artistic creativity and the celebration of individual expression in China. 

Over the past twenty years, archaeological excavations have unearthed extraordinary works of art, forever altering scholarly understanding of this chaotic, four-hundred-year period of political upheaval, geographical division and civil strife. Not only was the Six Dynasties period a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is increasingly recognized for having laid the foundation for Chinese artistic standards, genres, subjects, and important themes that continue to define Chinese art today. 

Art in a Time of Chaos: Masterworks from Six Dynasties China, 3rd-6th Centuries will present the artistic innovations and achievements evidenced by recent archaeological findings from both the Southern and Northern Dynasties across four major disciplines: ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy and painting. Each of these disciplines provides a different glimpse into daily and ritual life during this time. Through instability came great artistic innovation, resulting in the emergence of enduring subjects, genres, and themes. This exhibition will highlight these lasting elements of Six Dynasties art, allowing visitors to see and better understand the trajectory of Chinese art that continues to today.

Willow Weilan Hai will discuss this amazing exhibition, the Six Dynasties period in China’s history, her background in archeology and what American, Chinese and international audiences can derive from the exhibit. 


Established in 1966, China Institute Gallery was the first non-profit gallery in the United States to showcase Chinese art and culture exclusively and on a regular basis.

China Institute Gallery is renowned for its intimate, first-class thematic exhibitions, which are accompanied by in-depth scholarly catalogues. The Gallery has presented over 100 exhibitions in such areas as calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, decorative art, folk art, architecture, photography, textiles, and contemporary art covering 5,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to present day. 

China Institute Gallery has earned an international reputation and continues to provide a unique opportunity for Americans and visitors from around the world to appreciate both traditional and contemporary Chinese art and culture.



Be sure to mark your calendars for the Saturday, September 24 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com starting 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. China Time. 


Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's broadcasts are from AM1490 WGCH and everywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. 

This show is title-sponsored by Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Call Beijing AmBridge's office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com

Corporate Executive Offices (CEO) in Greenwich, Connecticut USA is a supporting sponsor of this show. Since 1989, CEO has been a provider of world-class offices in a prominent, modern building with contemporary services, advanced technology and amenities that will help you focus on productivity while keeping your monthly costs under control. The best thing about CEO is that they treat you like family -only better! Visit them online at www.ceooffices.com or call 203-622-1300today. 

Southeast Asian cuisine has never been more popular, and if you want the best visit Penang Grill. A supporting sponsor of this show, Penang Grill is conveniently located at 55 Lewis Street in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Penang Grills repertoire of fine culinary selections, tranquil, Asian-themed surroundings, courteous service and great prices will leave you satisfied. Call 203-861-1988. You'll be glad you did. 

Sunday, September 18, 2016

From Home to a New Homeland: Honoring Dr. James Si-Cheng Chao

On Saturday afternoon I attended an event hosted by the Renwen Society of the China Institute in America and Confucius Institute of the State University of New York's College of Optometry near Grand Central Terminal. 

Dr. James Si-Cheng Chao was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy. 

Among those attending were former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, his daughter. They are quite an extraordinary family. The auditorium was packed. Also there was my good friend and colleague of The China Press Mr. Liming Guan. It was such a privilege to be there.




Saturday, September 17, 2016

Obituary: Roy Rowan, Foreign Correspondent, Editor and Author, Is Dead at 96




Roy Rowan, a former foreign correspondent, writer and editor for Life, Time and Fortune, who covered Mao’s revolution in China and the Korean and Vietnam wars, died this past Tuesday, September 13 at Greenwich Hospital, near his home in Connecticut.  

He was one of only two surviving American journalists who covered the Chinese civil war and was in April 1975 one of the last journalists to evacuate Saigon by helicopter.  He is also the author of ten books during his 70-year career as a writer.  He was 96.

Mr. Rowan was hired by Henry Luce and Bill Gray in 1947 to cover the Chinese civil war for Life magazine.  When Shanghai fell to Mao’s insurgents in 1949, Rowan moved to Hong Kong and subsequently covered skirmishes in Malaysia and Burma.  He later covered the Korean War and subsequently the reconstruction of Europe and the Cold War from Germany.  

In 1954 he was transferred back to New York and in 1955 was named Life’s Chicago bureau chief covering the Midwest.  In 1957, Rowan and Life photographer Francis Miller covered the murder of Bernice Worden in Wisconsin which became the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Psycho.  In 1959, Mr. Rowan spent a month traveling with Jimmy Hoffa for a profile of the Teamster boss in Life.  He was later confronted by Robert Kennedy, then serving as chief counsel for the McClellan Committee which was trying to put Hoffa in jail, for being too soft in his reporting on the labor leader.

Mr. Rowan was transferred back to New York City later in 1959 and appointed an assistant managing editor of Life.  In 1963, he was having a weekly editor’s lunch with Henry Luce at the Time & Life Building in Manhattan when the maître D’ announced that President Kennedy had been shot.  Mr. Rowan immediately flew to the Life magazine printing plant in Chicago where he and his editorial team replaced the cover with a portrait of the president and a lead story with the now famous eight-millimeter film footage of the Kennedy motorcade in Dallas shot by Abraham Zapruder.  

Roy Rowan continued to edit and help run Life magazine until 1970, when he left Time Inc. to start On the Sound, one of the nation’s first regional magazines, covering the coastal areas around Long Island Sound from New York to Massachusetts.  His investors included Digital Equipment Corporation co-founder, Harlan Anderson, Time managing editor Otto Fuerbringer and Life publisher Jerome Hardy.  A second magazine, On the Shore, covering the region around Chesapeake Bay, was launched in 1972.  Both magazines were sold to Universal Publishing Company that same year, at which time Roy Rowan returned to Time, Inc. as Hong Kong bureau chief in charge of Asia for Time magazine.

While based in Hong Kong for the next five years, Mr. Rowan covered the opening of China under Nixon and then Ford and the ongoing fighting and wind down of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.  He was among the last journalists to leave Saigon by helicopter on April 30, 1975.  He also relied on a personal friendship with President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, in covering public affairs and social issues in the Philippines.  Mr. Rowan also forged friendships with business leaders based in Hong Kong including shipping magnates C.Y. Tung and Y.K Pao, kung fu movie producer Run Run Shaw and global architect and developer William Wong. 

After returning to the U.S. in 1977, Roy Rowan joined Fortune magazine as a senior writer and a member of the Board of Editors.  During his tenure at Fortune, Mr. Rowan wrote 65 major articles including provocative cover stories on Labor Secretary nominee, Ray Donovan, Citibank chairman Walter Wriston, and a 15-page exposé on the top 50 Mafia bosses in America.  He also wrote a groundbreaking cover story for Time on the perpetrators behind the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Mr. Rowan is the author of ten published books including: The Four Days of Mayaguez (W.W. Norton, 1975); The Intuitive Manager (Little, Brown, 1986) which was translated into 10 languages; Powerful People (Carroll & Graf, 1996); First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Best Friends (Algonquin, 1997; second edition with presidents Bush and Obama in 2009) which also became the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary; Surfcaster’s Quest (The Lyons Press, 1999); Solomon Starbucks Striper (Book Nook Press, 2003); Chasing the Dragon (The Lyons Press, 2004) which had the movie rights purchased by Robert De Niro’s company, Tribeca Enterprises; Throwing Bullets (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2006); Never Too Late (The Lyons Press, 2011); and Keeping Love Alive (self-published in 2015). 

Mr. Rowan was born in New York City on February 1, 1920.  He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1941 and received his MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business in 1942.  He was drafted into the Army as a private in 1942, attended Engineer Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, VA and was assigned in 1943 to the Mediterranean Theater with stops in Tunisia and Italy.  Later, he was sent to the Pacific region and stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines.  He was a major in Manila when the war ended. 

Roy Rowan is a past president of the Overseas Press Club of America, the Time-Life Alumni Society and the Dutch Treat Club.  He also has been an active member of the Century Association in New York City and The Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong.  In 1995, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Hartwick College where he also served as a trustee for nine years.  His papers are held in the Paul F. Cooper, Jr. Archives at Hartwick.  In 2006, Mr. Rowan received the Henry R. Luce Award for lifetime achievement in journalism.


Mr. Rowan was the loving husband of Helen Rounds Rowan, who predeceased him in 2013.  Helen Rowan was a former picture editor at Life magazine, where they first met.  He is survived by his four sons: Dana (in Boston, MA), Douglas (in Ventura, CA), Nicholas (in New York City), and Marcus (in Dallas, TX) and one grandson, William Roy Rowan in Boston.  Roy Rowan was a longtime resident of Greenwich, CT and a summer resident of Block Island, Rhode Island where he and his wife owned a second home for thirty-five years.  He was an avid fisherman and boater all his life.       

Friday, September 16, 2016

Coming Up Next: The Moon is Full! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Welcome to the Chinese American Heritage Association of Fairfield County, Connecticut


Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! On the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest only after the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival in Chinese culture. The Mid-Autumn Festival takes its name from the fact that this holiday is celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. 

On tomorrow's broadcast I will be welcoming Mr. Howard Liao and his associates of the Chinese American Heritage Association of Fairfield County, Connecticut. (CAHAI.org) 

We will be learning about CAHAI, its mission, goals and activities -as well get an explanation of the Mid-Autumn Festival from those who know best. 


Mark your calendars! CAHAI is holding a first-ever Mid-Autumn Festival on October 1! Jennings Beach in the Town of Fairfield will come alive 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Be there for the talent show, music, singing, dancing performances, traditional Chinese festival foods such as moon cakes and wonderful delicacies, hands-on activities, arts, crafts and games, too. 

For more information go to www.cahai.org. A $10 per guest donation is requested. See the web site for sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, too. 

Tune in tomorrow to AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com 10:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. China Time for all this -and much more!


Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's broadcasts are from AM1490 WGCH and everywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. 

This show is title-sponsored by Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Call Beijing AmBridge's office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com

Corporate Executive Offices (CEO) in Greenwich, Connecticut USA is a supporting sponsor of this show. Since 1989, CEO has been a provider of world-class offices in a prominent, modern building with contemporary services, advanced technology and amenities that will help you focus on productivity while keeping your monthly costs under control. The best thing about CEO is that they treat you like family -only better! Visit them online at www.ceooffices.com or call 203-622-1300today. 

Southeast Asian cuisine has never been more popular, and if you want the best visit Penang Grill. A supporting sponsor of this show, Penang Grill is conveniently located at 55 Lewis Street in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Penang Grills repertoire of fine culinary selections, tranquil, Asian-themed surroundings, courteous service and great prices will leave you satisfied. Call 203-861-1988. You'll be glad you did. 

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Announcement: The Death of Roy Rowan



It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Roy Rowan has died. 

Mr. Rowan was the author of Chasing the Dragon: A Veteran Journalist's Firsthand Account of the 1949 Chinese Revolution. But he was more -much more. Rowan was a living witness to one of China's most tumultuous historical periods as a reporter for Time, Life and Fortune magazines. 

Accompanied by Mr. Liming Guan of the New York City-based China Press, we met Roy Rowan at his Steamboat Road, Greenwich, Connecticut home in June. It turns out that our interview with Roy Rowan would be his last. 

Go to this link to listen to that interview broadcast from AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com.

Arrangements are pending. I will keep you updated on when and where you will be able to pay your respects to a remarkable journalist, historian and family man. My condolences to Roy Rowan's family and friends who will miss him -as will I. 

Jeffrey Bingham Mead, Host
Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim
AM1490 WGCH and WGCH.com





Monday, September 5, 2016

Coming Up Next: Danielle Chang of LUCKYRICE



First of all be warned: by the conclusion of the next Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim broadcast you are going to be very hungry -and for good reason. 

And if you are an Asian cuisine "foodie" like me you'd better strap yourself in. Why? 

You're going to meet the one and only Danielle Chang, founder of LUCKYRICE (WWW.LUCKYRICE.COM) in New York City. 

She created LUCKYRICE "to follow her lofty, yet life-long, passion to create a platform for Asian culture." According to LUCKYRICE.COM:

"Her career has always revolved around pop culture, story telling and entrepreneurship. Danielle began her career at The New York Times and later founded and published the lifestyle magazine Simplycity. After earning her Masters degree in Critical Theory from Columbia University, she was a Professor of Contemporary Art History as well as a curator of emerging art. Most recently, she was the CEO of Vivienne Tam, a fashion company and, prior to that, the Managing Director of Assouline, a French creative advertising agency. Instead of the visual arts, her focus today is the culinary arts, an appetizing and universal lens through which to share stories about our current obsession with Asian culture."

The Wall Street Journal asked, "How lucky can you get?" WSJ went on to point out that, "In the case of LUCKYRICE, there's seemingly no end to the good fortune. What started in 2010 as a New York-only event has morphed into something of a national powerhouse, with additional festivals in Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Las Vegas." 

Be sure to join me this coming Saturday, September 10, 2016 starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 10:30 p.m. China Time where I will interview Danielle Chang on the Conversations segment

You'll learn about the LUCKYRICE Festival, the mission of LUCKYRICE, her latest cookbook, the LUCKYRICE Agency, and much more! 

"After all, if we are what we eat, then we're all part-Asian." What does this mean? To find out tune in to Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim on AM1490 WGCH and anywhere on WGCH.com


Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim's broadcasts are from AM1490 WGCH and everywhere on WGCH.com in Greenwich, Connecticut USA. 

This show is title-sponsored by Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd. You are invited to explore how an alliance with Beijing AmBridge can help your company or organization grow and prosper. Call Beijing AmBridge's office in Beijing at 86-10-80775517 or email ambridge01@163.com

Corporate Executive Offices (CEO) in Greenwich, Connecticut USA is a supporting sponsor of this show. Since 1989, CEO has been a provider of world-class offices in a prominent, modern building with contemporary services, advanced technology and amenities that will help you focus on productivity while keeping your monthly costs under control. The best thing about CEO is that they treat you like family -only better! Visit them online at www.ceooffices.com or call 203-622-1300today. 

Southeast Asian cuisine has never been more popular, and if you want the best visit Penang Grill. A supporting sponsor of this show, Penang Grill is conveniently located at 55 Lewis Street in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Penang Grills repertoire of fine culinary selections, tranquil, Asian-themed surroundings, courteous service and great prices will leave you satisfied. Call 203-861-1988. You'll be glad you did.