July 14, 2008 4:42

A Nail House in the Heart of Beijing

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Yu Changwang outside his family's shop

Beijing is full of patriotism these days. National flags adorn cars and “I [heart] China” t-shirts are in fashion. But it’s hard to match the display of one small store in central Beijing. A national flag flies high above its roof, next to a white Olympic flag. Below hang a pair of Communist Party hammer-and-sickle flags, and much of the wall space is covered by images of Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. But the display isn’t so much about patriotism as it is defiance.

The store, which is also a residence, is a nail house—the Chinese phrase for residents who refuse to capitulate to the wrecking ball, leaving their house sticking out like a nail. It’s a fairly common phenomenon, but some nail houses can, because of their circumstances, become more than a local story. The most famous case was of a house in the southwestern city of Chongqing last year, where some extreme excavation left the structure looking more like an island than a mere nail. The dramatic images, plus a media-savvy homeowner, elevated the Chongqing house into a national case.

Location is key to the Beijing house, which doubles as a shop selling dried fruit and drinks. It’s on a main road, Di’anmennei Street, just south of the Di’anmen intersection. It’s about a half mile north of the Forbidden City, and less than a mile from Zhongnanhai, the Chinese government’s leadership compound. Deng Xiaoping once lived down the block. There is also the element of timing. The run-up to the Olympics is a particularly sensitive time. As much as the government would like to have this building out of the way, it doesn’t want to be seen bullying the owners of a small shop just as the Olympics brings 20,000 journalists and a half million tourists to the Chinese capital.

A notice from a Beijing court posted on the door of the building gave the family until Sunday to leave. Another notice said the family’s refusal to move interfered with an environmental development program. To the south of the house the roadside lots have been filled with grass and flowers. Yu Changwang, who has lived in the house for all of his 42 years, says his family fears they will be shortchanged if they leave. “The best result would be for us to just stay,” he said.

On Sunday evening a few hundred people gathered around to see what would happen when the deadline expired. There were people who walked dogs, some who sat and ate ice cream and one woman who carried a baby in split-bottomed pants. They spilled out into the street, blocking bicycle traffic and prompting angry shouts from old men who just wanted to get somewhere. Across the street sat a police van with a single officer taking photos. The deadline came and went. At about 11 p.m. Yu’s younger sister, Yu Pingju, emerged with a small bullhorn to address the crowd, which pressed in close. She thanked those who had come for the protection they offered and restated her family's belief that the central government will help them in their battle with local officials. “Misfortune has fallen on us, but we still believe in the constitution, the property law and the great president Hu,” she said. “We will follow the lead of brother Hu and believe justice will be restored.”

Some in the crowd shouted approval. One man told me he thought it was wrong to use the Olympics flag, a global symbol, for the sake of one family’s protest. Another told me that he supported them. Most people seemed content merely to watch as, for one more night at least, the Yu family shop remained standing in the heart of Beijing.

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July 14, 2008 2:32

The Panda as Provocateur

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From my colleague Wu Nan, some thoughts on the release of the film "Kung Fu Panda" in China:

Before the American movie "Kung Fu Panda" debuted in China, it seemed destined to set off controversy that foreign filmmakers were appropriating Chinese tradition for profit. Performance artist Zhao Bandi, who uses pandas in his own work, led the protest against the DreamWorks Animation film. He called for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) to ban it for "uglifying the image of the panda ... and harming Chinese's feelings."

His action seems to have not lessened interest on the film. Tickets of the movie have been sold out for weeks in Beijing film theaters. In the first 10 days of its mainland release the movie made $14 million. But the biggest debate was not over the popularity of the animated feature, but why Chinese couldn't do it themselves. Film director Liu Bingjian says the film is "wonderful" and "I can't help watching it twice." Liu says he learned from this work, which handles the Chinese culture elements well and presents them in a global way. He explains the film includes classic humor, splendid martial arts, compelling story-telling and high tech animation.

Liu, like many others, wonders why if Hollywood can turn Chinese culture into a masterpiece, Chinese artists couldn't do the same. Part of the problem is censorship, he says.

Any film made in China has to have its script first vetted by SARFT, which blocks works that delve too deeply into topics of sex, violence, horror, religion or politics. Liu's 2002 film "Cry Woman" won international film prizes in South Korea, Switzerland and France, but the film has been banned in China simply because it didn't meet SARFT's approval. Liu, who had been planning an animated work himself but dropped it after seeing "Kung Fu Panda," says that filmmakers can become so involved with satisfying the censors demands that they forget about appealing to moviegoers. "The biggest challenge for Chinese film directors is to pass SARFT's regulations and make creative and fresh films," says Liu. "Often, we stuck in the middle of searching for a topic that satisfies everyone."

Censorship isn't the only concern. "Kung Fu Panda" had a budget of more than $130 million. The priciest Chinese animation feature, "Lotus Lantern," cost $2.6 million to make.

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