多棱鏡

a dog’S downfall

“Dignity” probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you spot a gang of Beijing Pekinese， or 京巴(J~ngb`)， pulling their owners down the street. With their snubbed-nose faces， lolling tongues and pattering gait， the ubiquitous lap dog looks as much like an overgrown rodent as it does a prized purebred. But behind their befuddled expressions， these pitiful pups hide an ancient royal lineage. The Pekinese’s original long-haired ancestors were carefully bred to look like lions， in an attempt to emulate one of the most revered animals in Buddhism. During the Qing Dynasty(1616-1911)， owning a Pekingese was the preserve of emperors and empresses， who kept them cooped up in the Forbidden City as well-pampered pets. But that fad receded into the mists of time and these dogs all but disappeared from Beijing until the mid-90s， when rules about pet ownership were loosened and anyone could pick up the humbled hound. In the last few years， however， the increasing popularity of imported breeds has pushed the Peke out of favor and into animal shelters. Nevertheless， pet experts still give the bug-eyed canine credit: those who do own them should find them easy to train， loving and loyal. - jeSSica rapp (阮潔茜)

Shanghai’S Unrivaled MUSicianS

“Shanghai only has two bands，” said well-respected rock critic Zhang Xiaozhou recently. “One is called Top Floor Circus. The second is called ‘other bands.’” With just over a decade of history behind them， Top Floor Circus (頂樓的馬戲團D@ngl5u de M2x#tu1n) are the unrivaled hometown heroes of Shanghai—and arguably one of the best bands in China. Though they’ve done just about everything they can to alienate listeners—switching from punk to hip hop and singing all in Shanghainese come to mind—Top Floor Circus have remained a cult favorite. Part of the reason for this is their spectacular live show: a brilliant， winking spectacle led by vocalist Lu Chen， who enjoys stripping down to his underwear， flashing saucy smiles and singing songs with titles like “Kuaidiyuan”(《快遞員》， an ode to express delivery men) and “Hailuo Ayi” (《海螺阿姨》，a love song for his cleaner). Check out their Douban (/site. douban.com/topfloorcircus/) for tracks， pictures and a hilarious “documentary” on the band. - liz tung (董怡)

a mature， nutty taSte

Wildlife expert An Yanshi has really been piling it on of late. The university professor believes that his new tea recipe could secure the Guinness World Record for the most expensive tea. What’s his secret ingredient you ask? Panda poo!

To date， An has collected five tons of panda excrement from local giant panda breeding centers in Chengdu， Sichuan Province， reports Orange News. He believes the rich fertilizer will give his tea a special blend of smell and taste that will go down as a treat with cupper connoisseurs.

“Pandas have a very poor digestive system and only absorb about 30 percent of everything they eat，” said An. “That means their excrement is rich in fibers and nutrients.”

The brew master plans on selling his most expensive blend for close to ￡50，000 per kilo. “It has a mature， nutty taste and a very distinctive aroma while it’s brewing，” he explained.

reading the tea leaVeS

In addition to their reputation for bureaucratic ruthlessness， Taiwanese politicians are also known for their superstitious natures， reports Asia Times Online.

Political superstition has a long history in Taiwan. Historians report that Chiang Kai-shek and his son were prone to more than the occasional trip to fortune tellers for advice.

“Every time Chiang Kai-shek promoted one of his subordinates， he had a fortune teller examine that person’s name and birth date，” says Chen Yaw-shyang，

PeTer rabbiT advenTUreS To china

Potter-mania will soon be sweeping China， but this time， it won’t have anything to do with a teenage wizard and his magical exploits. Rather， the much-beloved tales of Beatrix Potter are hitting bookshelves for the first time in Simplified Chinese， and not a “hare” too late—the Year of the Rabbit is nearing its final days， after all. Chinese children will finally have the chance to cry out “Tian a， shi Maige Xiansheng!”(My God， it’s Mr. McGregor!) in the same way that young readers around the world have been doing since “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”was first published in 1902. The misadventures of Peter and his anthropomorphic counterparts have been faithfully translated for this eight-book box set， with special care taken to retain the original charm. The timeless illustrations， however， need no translation. Out now from Penguin China. - jared cline

a fine fUngUS

Hoping to avoid the doctor this winter， but preventative Traditional Chinese Medicine remedies have your stomach in a twist? Opt instead for a light， soothing soup with tremella (銀耳 y!n’0r)， also known as “silver ear” or“white jelly fungus.” When mixed with a blend of rock sugar and dried Chinese wolfberries， this dessert doesn’t seem very fungus-y at all. Its viscous texture can easily be mistaken for a tender， meaty melon， so while you’re busy slurping， you’ll probably forget that you’re simultaneously fighting off impending coughs， strengthening your lungs， stomach and kidneys， and stimulating your immune system. Still not convinced? Some people believe this gelatinous treat can do wonders for the skin， hydrating the pores and supplying vitamin D. Some TCM believers say the ancient concubines and empresses relied on tremella to maintain their beautiful complexions. Try a dish of this delicacy at the Hai Di Lao (海底撈) Hot Pot restaurant in Wangfujing， or prepare it yourself at home. It’s easy! Just soak the tremella in water for about an hour or until it’s just mushy enough to slip down your throat. - j.r.

invaSion of The baM-cYcleS!

Traveling from point A to point B on two wheels has become even more eco-friendly thanks to a panda’s favorite snack and a handful of daring designers. Bamboo bicycles， while not new， made their debut in Beijing late last year during the first Beijing International Design Triennial. China has been using bamboo for thousands of years in its food， medicine， furniture and paper， but the brains behind these bikes aimed to rethink the resource and promote its application in transportation. Filipino and Dutch artists exhibited lightweight bike frames that were as stiff and sleek as steel， while others were made with the knobby bark of Buddha’s Belly， a type of bamboo you’d expect to see in a garden， not on the road. It may be awhile before we see these pricy innovations on Beijing’s streets， but there are plenty of online how-tos out recently if you’re itching to make your own. And if two wheels aren’t your thing， a handful of forward-thinking companies are using bamboo for skateboards too. - j.r. an assistant professor of public policy at a prestigious Taipei university. Birth dates supposedly reveal details about an individual’s destiny.

More recently， Taiwanese politicians have sought help from fortune tellers in an effort to out-do their rivals.

“It isn’t risky behavior for officials to make decisions with help from fortune tellers. After all， soothsaying is a Taiwanese tradition，” said Mr. Chen.

pole dancing: not juSt For ladieS

Generally associated with sexuality and strip clubs， pole dancing has traditionally been shunned in China. Now， the home of kung fu and tai chi is becoming renowned， at least domestically， for its growing love affair with the art of pole-dancing.

What’s more， after noticing the overall improvement in fitness and health in women， more and more Chinese men have decided to take up the activity.

According to Yan Shaoxuan， a young instructor at a Beijing pole-dancing school， the “sport” provides an effective workout that strengthens muscles and defines the chest and abdomen， reports The Huffington Post.

With gyms now beginning to offer both male and female pole-dancing classes， it’s clear the general perception is starting to change. Instructors such as Miss Yan are encouraged by the trend and hope that eventually pole dancing will be recognized for requiring great skill and years of practice to master.