bookstores in wuhan

one of the most enjoyable thing for me during my time in wuhan university is reading books in the library and finding books in the bookstores around the city. luckily i have found several bookstores which can provide me the books that meet my reading interest.

since i am a law student in the university and an art students in the high school, the books i like to read is all about literature and humanity science and related to my major, law and political sciences.

the first bookstore i want to talk about is the SANLIAN bookstore (三联书店）， it is just outside the campus of my university, and it takes about ten minutes for me to get there from my dormitory. so you can imagine that i am a frequent patronizer of the bookstore, but actually i am a poor student who do not have much money to spend on other things besides eating, so every time i try to stay in the bookstore longer, and read the interesting books, and leave with a smile to the vendor.

i also go to the Hubei book city (湖北图书城）often, since i can skim at a larger scope of books, not only in the humanity and social science, but also books on art, and foreign language, and some video productions. the same problem still make me embrassed, and every time i have to persuade myself that some books is really worthy or neccessary when i am going to buy it.  it sounds laughable, but i am just like that.

foreign concessions in Wuhan

for a long time i have been thinking on writing about the foreign concessions of Wuhan. in the nationalists’ eyes, these concessions along with the old buildings and the passed history are considered to be a shame for the city and the country. it is true, but in the perspective of cultural exchange and economical development, the foreign concessions did certain contribution to the development of wuhan’s economy during their existence. at that time, the city of wuhan is called “oriental Chicago”. i can imagine the prosperity of commerce at that time.

here i found some information telling the story of foreign concessions in Wuhan,and i post it here to share with my reader.

In 1895 Germany established a concession at Hankow, one of the three cities making up modern day Wuhan. The concession was enlarged in 1898. The total area was something less than 100 acres.

Like most foreign residential areas there was an advisory municipal council with limited powers. Actual administration of the concession was under the control of the resident German Consul-General.

The German Concession prospered until August 1917. In August 1917, China declared war on Germany and terminated the concession. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles Germany renounced all of its overseas possessions including the concession at Hankow. The former German Concession was administered by the Chinese government as the First Special Area.

the street scene during that time

Other Foreign Residential Areas:

The British established a concession in 1861. The French and Russians formed their concessions in 1886. Japan arrived in 1898. All five consessions prospered as Hankow became one of the industrial centers of modernizing China.

Termination of the Concessions:

In 1920 The Russian Concession was returned to Chinese administration. It became the Second Special Area. Both the special areas were administered by the local foreign affairs officials apart from the larger Chinese municipal government.

On January 3, 1927 the British Concession was assaulted by Chinese mobs. The concession police were overwhelmed and requested assistance from the foreign naval forces. British and American naval landing parties were put ashore and repulsed the mobs. That evening the London government ordered the naval forces back on their ships and for the concession police to refrain from interferring with Chinese entering the concession. The following day Chinese quietly entered the concession with little trouble. The Chen-O’Malley Agreementt that followed agreed on the British surrender of both the Hankow and Kuiking concessions followng a two year transition. On January 1, 1929, the British Concession was returned to Chinese administration and became the Third Special Area.

During 1943 the Vichy French government relinquished its concession to the puppet Chinese National government. This act was not recognized by the Free French government-in-exile. France relinquished its concession in 1946. In 1943 the separate administration of the former foreign residential areas was also ended.

The Japanese Concession was surrendered along with the defeat of Japan in 1945.

the map showing the space of foreign concessions

 GENERAL DATA ON HANKOW CONCESSIONS

DATAHOLDER	BRITISH	FRENCH	RUSSIAN	GERMAN	JAPANESE
SIZE (ACRES)	115	60	c. 60	c. 100	32
ESTABLISHED	1861	1886	1886	1895	1898
TERMINATED	1929	1946	1920	1917	1945

It is interesting to note that the total area (c. 367 acres) of the foreign concessions was less than one square mile (1 sq. mile = 640 acres).

lantern festival in wuhan

one of the important chinese traditional festival during the spring time is the latern festival ,which is in the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, the celebration of lantern festival also signify the end of the lunar new year celebration, which usually lasts one month in chinese rural area.

this tradition is more or less the same across the whole country. usually at the night people will go out to see some performance or beautiful lanterns on the street, and some intellectuals will write some literal puzzles on the lantern, for the people to solve. and in chinese literature, it is also the day for young man to date. dating under the full moon and the colourful lanterns is really romantic.

that is something which were common in the ancient time, but as the days goes by, the chinese people are losing the tradition. but something still passed down from generation to generation. the most well known activity is eating the Tang yuan”, a round shape refection made from sticky rice and enwraps some sweety stuffing inside, such as sugar, sweeten bean. you can see the picture here.

besides eating the delicious foods, the people usually have other interesting actvities to do. and so far as i know in wuhan, the people can enjoy the yuanxiao performance, which include the dragon lantern performance, and the lion dance.

usually in my hometown, at the night of lantern festival ,  there will be this kinds of performance in every household. the performers will go to every family to perform, which will bring bless and luck to the family under chinese people’s thinking. i have watched this kinds of performance for more than twenty years, when i was a kid, i feel excited when the lantern festival is coming, and i really want to join the performance, but actually it has high physical requirement on the performer, and i can not hold on for a long time. and after i grow up, it is not fresh to me at all, i always think about to bring some change to this activities, which may attract more visitors to my hometown.

A Rap in Wuhan Dialect

here i found a video showing a stylish girl made a rap performance. the lyrics was written wuhan dialect, and it is very funny to wuhanese, and to chinese people as well, but they have to understand it first. the singer’s name is Duan shishi, a native wuhan girl.

the title “信了你的邪” is a very common phrase used by wuhan people to describe their surprise. when you are feel surprised by someone who did very freak or disgusting things, you can use this phrase. it read as “xin liao ni de xie”.

ok, now let’s watch the video.maybe i have time , i will try to make a translation of the lyrics.