Articles by Helen Chang

Allgemein 21. September 2018

Xinjiang’s New Era: A Brief Look Into Corps System

China’s West Region, a historical treasure along the ancient silk road, was renamed Xinjiang, literally meaning new territory, in the year of 1949. Peacefully entering a new era, Xinjiang went through decades of economical re-adjustment as well as administrative re-organization. The so-called „Corps“, a new type of administration coming into being since 1954 with the full name of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, is based on Defense and Production Forces of PLA in 1953. With the initial goal of achieving self-sufficiency in grain and non-staple food supply,  the Corps both functions as frontier garrison force and production units. The Corps…

Culture & Literature 18. September 2018

Ningxia, A Wine Paradise in China

Recently, a trip to Ningxia became a fascinating wine-tasting experience for me. A bottle of red wine there made me believe I was back in Bordeaux. It was a cuvee with 80% of Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% of Merlot and 5% of Cabernet Gernischt. Pure joy with absolute high quality! In the following days, more wine with Merlot, Sirah and Cabernet attracted my attention, leaving me crave for some research into this wine paradise in China. Among the eight main wine producing areas in China, Ningxia, located in the middle of Chinese territory, is obviously the most suitable for grape planting…

Culture & Literature 15. September 2018

Songshan Forum – Dialogue between Chinese and Other World Civilization

Songshan Forum, a unique international cultural platform at the foot of Songshan, Henan Province, where the world-renowned Shao Lin Si is located, has opened its 7th annual meeting today.  Aimed at the goal of “Multicultural Coexistence, Harmonious Symbiosis and Sharing Future”, this year’s Forum has summoned more than 60 scholars from around the world, including those from Russia, India, Austria and America. Of all science academies in the world, approximately a  third have visited this forum. The symposia cover a wide range of topics such as Cultural Pluralism and Civilization, Harmonious Living and Sharing Future, Philosophical Reflections on Religion in a Secular Age, Moral Commitment with Universalist Implications, Intellectual Interactions Between Christians and Zen Buddhists…

Culture & Literature 29. June 2018

Refreshing Changchun, Rapturous Summer

    Changchun has a summer festival. For more than ten years, , Changchun’s summer festival has held exhibitions as well as economic and trade activities such as the Summer Beer Festival, the Auto Expo, the Auto Festival, the Sculpture Exhibition, the Folk Expo and the Agricultural Fair. The festival has invited domestic and foreign tourism agencies to come to Changchun to participate in the event. The summer festival has brought exchanges and cooperations between Changchun and other parts of the world, boosted the domestic and overseas tourism industry, and increased Changchun’s popularity greatly. Located in the geographic and geometric…

Culture & Literature 2. March 2018

Stealing Heaven

The Chinese artist Ms Jing SONG has just had a solo art exhibition in Vienna with “STEALING HEAVEN” as the motif. STEALING HEAVEN is devoted to the moment at which a particular development culminates and in the end breaks off. The project tells of life in a state of wind-stillness, of circumstances to which one has accustomed oneself, of tranquil presence, trance; up to a point of realization or action. A moment of rupture in which the self is both the shipwrecked castaway and the onlooker. (1)Seconds, minutes or years can pass before the eyes open. “[…] We all want to…

Allgemein 20. February 2018

The Wonderful World of the 10th Spring Festival Evening in Vienna

Singing, dancing, cabaret, martial arts,  local operas, model show, solo instrument and orchestra… For the past ten years, a big event for the Chinese community as well as the oversees Chinese students in Austria is, doubtlessly, the Spring Festival Evening in Vienna. Initiated by Ms Feiru XIE and her Chinese Women’s Association in Austria,  the performance evening has been supported by the City Government of Vienna and the Chinese Embassy in Austria, growing into probably the biggest of its kind among the Chinese communities in Europe. The brilliant evening with its endless talents on the  stage is corresponding to the…

Opinions 7. February 2018

A Glimpse Back at DAVOS 2018

Recently, the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) concluded its annual meeting in Davos. From the 23. to the 26. of January, 2018,  WEF saw a record high in participation numbers, hosting more than 3,000 guests, among them around 70 heads of state. This year’s WEF was held at a time when fake news were no joke, challenging global politics. AI and Blockchain technology are shaking the business world. Meanwhile, environmental problems including climate changes and plastics pollution pose no less troubling issues. It is a time when human beings are becoming more conscious of social change. We are willing to ponder more on our…

Interviews 27. January 2018

Refugees, Human Rights & Alpine Peace Crossing

  Dear Visitors, welcome to Sinopress Interview! Human rights, a topic as old as humanity itself, has never ceased to be a hot issue throughout human history. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the U.S. Declaration of Independence that „All men are created equal“. Since then, this sentence might be the most quoted one. Yet easy said, difficult done! The implementation of human rights has been encountering dilemma and improbable situations all the way through the human civilization. As our world is turning more and more mobile, human rights are facing new challenges caused by political impasse, cultural conflicts, economic disaster and…

Allgemein, Opinions 8. January 2018

Is China Ready for the New Legal Era?

As an immigrant living abroad, it’s only natural to follow the social changes back home. Almost instinctively, one observes such issues as the rapid economic development, fresh cultural phenomena, numerous legal debates and the topic of human rights, to just name a few. Not long ago, a white paper issued by the Chinese State Council Information Office caught my attention. The paper, titled “New Progress of Human Rights in China”, presented in six parts the progress of human rights in China: improving the legal framework to ensure human rights; promoting law-based administration; enhancing judicial protection of human rights; consolidating social…

Opinions 1. January 2018

Greetings on New Year’s Day

Dear Readers, Happy New Year! Thank you so much for accompanying us and supporting us in the past! 2018 has come, 2017 has gone. Briefly reviewing the past year, we are sad to see that among political instabilities, financial scandals, regional turmoil, natural disasters, airline bankruptcy, road accidents, agony in the Middle East and death of great personalities, the most eye-catching and mind-boggling incidents have been terror attacks. Throughout the year 2017, terror attacks have taken place in different countries, on different continents. The year began with an attack on New Year’s Eve at the biggest nightclub in Istanbul. 39 people died…