#Shi Lin Market

[iliketangerines]

Hello! How about the reader getting jealous of Smoke talking to another female Lin Kuei member, keeps their distance to prevent heartbreak, only for Tomas to confront them and admit their feelings for each other?

i want you

a/n: hey, just a quick reminder to not send in your requests twice. there's about 70 (yes you read right), and so it really might take a long while to get to them. if i don't feel comfortable writing something, i'll respond to it saying i'm not comfortable.

pairing: tomas vrbada x gn!reader

warnings: none :)

Smoke stares at you from across the training pits, fidgeting with the karambit in his hands as he watched you talk with Kuai Liang

he totally and definitely wasn’t jealous, but his training partner clearly notices on how he’s distracted and leaves more openings for attack than usual

she stops their sparring and asks Smoke what’s wrong, and the gray assassin sighs and dismisses question, saying that nothing’s wrong and that they should continue training

but his eyes glance over at you talking to Kuai Liang, hands animatedly moving in the air, and his training partner has a look of realization when she catches Smoke looking at you

she smiles and then starts to laugh, and Smoke frowns and crosses his arms, waiting for the girl to stop laughing at him

she wipes away a tear and asks if he wants some help to go and ask you out, and Tomas flushes and denies that he has any feelings

but with the way his heart beats in his chest and his stomach fills with butterflies, he knows he’s fallen hard for you

maybe it was when you first joined the Shirai Ryu, maybe it was when you smiled at him whenever you saw him, maybe it was when you sparred against him and won

well, whenever it was, Smoke had fallen hard, and he wanted to ask you out

Smoke waves his training partner’s laughs away, lunging toward her to start their training again

later that night at dinner, he sees you talking to Kuai Liang again, and he sighs and picks at his food with his chopsticks, not quite interested in eating with that sight in front of him

his training partner sits down next to him with her bowl of rice, and as she shovels food into her mouth, she starts telling Smoke that he needs to make a move, get you some flowers or maybe cook a nice meal, everyone likes that

Smoke shoots a glare at the girl before turning back to face you, and he finds you staring point blank at him before facing your food and eating

Smoke covers his face with his free hand and shovels rice into his mouth, trying to keep himself distracted from the way he caught you staring at him

the girl laughs and jabs her elbow into Smoke’s side and starts giving him some advice on how to woo a person, referencing her own experiences with dating her own partner

by the end of the night, Smoke starts taking the girl’s advice seriously and discusses his plan to take you out after training tomorrow and go down to the night market and stroll around

Smoke spends the whole day bouncing on his feet, anxious to get to the end of training and ask you out with some flowers he had picked out early in the morning

but whenever he spots you, it’s almost like you run away, turning around and giving half-assed excuses as to the fact you need to be somewhere else

Smoke returns to his room, flowers wilted in his hand as you had avoided him all-day, and he isn’t sure why you’re avoiding him

you two weren’t close, but you had never shied away

you had even sparred with him, but you had declined his offer to train together today

it grated on Smoke’s nerves and made his mind spin with anxiety, did you like Kuai Liang? did you not like him? what happened between yesterday and today to make you avoid him?

Smoke can’t sleep, but he decides to try again tomorrow and maybe ask Kuai Liang what’s going on

he finds his brother easily that morning during breakfast, and he asks about you, trying to keep his interest in you damped down just in case Kuai Liang liked you

Kuai Liang point blank asks whether or not Smoke likes you or not, and the assassin fumbles with his words for a short moment before he says that he does

the yellow assassin lets out a loud laugh and pats Smoke on the back before saying to go for it and that he may be surprised, and it gives Smoke confidence that Kuai Liang doesn’t have feelings for you and that you might like him as well

but the whole day it’s like you’re a whisper in the wind, barely around the compound where Smoke is, and he’s about going crazy to try and track you down

but he knows you have to attend the mandatory clan meeting today, and he spots you from the podium in the crowd, somewhere in the middle

when Kuai Liang dismisses the meeting, he bolts down into the crowd before you can disappear, and he grabs onto your arm

you look at him and tug your arm back into you and say you have something to do, but he calls your bluff, saying everyone’s done with training and there are no tasks to be done

all the weapons have been checked, he’s pretty sure you’re not on patrol, all the training rooms have been cleaned, and none of the plates or trays need to be cleaned by you today

you stutter over your words and duck your head down, and Smoke asks you why you’ve been avoiding him as of late

you’re silent for a moment before you steel your shoulders and say you saw him talking to a girl and that it hurt you because you liked him and didn’t want to be hurt

Smoke’s heart skips a beat in his chest, he had figured you probably liked him back from Kuai Liang’s comment, but to hear it from you sent his head reeling

you start to step away, embarrassed by Smoke’s silence, and the gray assassin calls out for you to stay to wait

he blurts out that he likes you too, that he wants to take you out to the markets and woo you properly, buy you food and win you prizes like on a proper date

your mouth gapes open, and you reach your hand out and grab onto his hand before asking really, as if you didn’t believe it

Smoke nods, and he can feel a blush creeping up as his neck as you flash him that dazzling smile

he asks if you’d like to go to the markets tonight, just for an hour or two

you laugh and pull him into a hug before excitedly saying yes and running off to go change out of your training uniform

you yell back you’ll meet him back here in 30 minutes before disappearing around the corner

Smoke hides his face in one had as the other rests on his hip as he tries to process what had just happened

he hears Kuai Liang approach him and clap a hand on his back, congratulating him on finally asking you out

Smoke mutters out a shut up before disappearing off to his own room to go and change

he wouldn’t want to show up on your date in his training uniform

[waffleweirdo]

Thoughts on Thunderbolt Fantasy s3:

I really enjoyed it moment to moment, but overall it felt a bit messy like it just had too much going on all at once.

I think especially in contrast to earlier seasons and the movies there was a big jump in tangled plot threads. For instance I think Lóu Zhèn Jiè maybe overcomplicated things acting as a fourth or even fifth party sometimes (though perhaps that’s based on the fact that while I thought he was a great character in the context of s2 I think beyond that he feels somewhat redundant). There’s also a question of how much of it was setup for the future, and so it’s very possible that later seasons will tie it all together.

Though I did just start this off complaining I did overall enjoy the season. It had a lot of really great moments. I think the concept of the setting was really cool and it allowed for some neat stuff. Plus I think this season was far and away Lin Xue Yā at his best. I’ve always liked his character in concept, but honestly I felt like in practice he didn’t quite live up to himself of s1, until now. He was awesome this season! And by now his dynamic with Shāng Bù Huàn is established and it’s super fun (the marketable plushies I-).

Wàn Jūn Pò was a really great addition, and learning more about Huò Shi Ming Huáng was very interesting. They were probably the standouts for me from the new characters. Azibelpher was also interesting, but honestly I got distracted because he is uncannily like a recurring character from a few dnd campaigns I’ve done in the past…

And of course the season ended on a big cliffhanger! I think largely the series has been building to the return of the demons and that does seem to be what’s coming next which is interesting. Of course Làng going to hell is going to be something (and a side note I’m stunned that Xíng Hài is still alive). But honestly I’m mostly floored by the reveal that Shāng has time traveled before that we just never got explained… huh??? I think the identity of the emperor is also really interesting. There’s a lot to look forward to in whatever comes next.

So yeah now that I’ve watched two movies and three seasons I can say Thunderbolt fantasy is pretty cool

[mint-moon25]

$100 USD CHALLENGE AT SHI LIN NIGHT MARKET in Taipei, Taiwan!! #RainaisC...

[cheri-translates]

desserts - translated comics (k - l)

complete your dining experience on a lovely note with these assorted treats.

artist names beginning with a - j / m - v / w - z

💝 = all / special l  🎐 = gavin l 🌟 = kiro

🦋 = lucien l 🦈 = shaw l 🌹 = victor

kkxioashishi

💝 sub-masterlist

-

kou kou tang / 扣扣糖

💝 when you buy fanart of them

🌟 nicknames

🌟 ticklish

-

kuro xiao bai / Kuro小白 

🎐 grateful

🎐 happy birthday

🎐 are the flowers growing well?

🎐 valentine’s day

🎐 claw machine

🎐 happy third anniversary

🎐 wolf-capturing machine

🎐 poses

🎐 white day

🎐 transformation

🎐 irresistible

🎐 another year of loving gavin

-

leng yin ne / 冷饮呢

🌹 little victor

🌹 steamed crabs

🌹 sunbathing

🌹 head tilt

-

lin yi qia cha / 临亦恰茶

🎐 happy birthday

���� touch

🌟 hug

🌟 going out

🌟 couple’s night market

🌟 magic

🌟 four years

🦈 when shaw is happy

-

lin yi qia cha / 临亦恰茶

🌟 secret

🌟 helios’ new weapon?

🌟 third anniversary

🌟 two sides of helios

🌟 meaningful lines

-

liu lang de yi wa / 流浪de艺娃

💝 the defeat of loveland city’s love expert

💝 fake pirates of the caribbean

🦈 midsummer

🦈 for you

🦈 like the blue sky

🦈 sparklers

🦈 summer

🦈 tip of the tongue

🦈 mojito

🦈 treasure 

🦈 is summer coming to an end?

-

liu shi wan / 柳屎完

🌹 sub-menu

-

liu zi lin / liu子霖

🎐 holding on

🎐 dream traveler

🎐 birthday

🎐 ancient times au

part one l part two l part three (preview) l part three

🎐 new years 2019

🎐 new years 2020

🎐 nightmare

part one l part two

🎐 valentine’s day

🎐 pocky game

🎐 overtime

🎐 ties

🎐 the little general

-

lu guo de xiao lang er duo / 路过的小狼耳朵

🎐 seduction

🎐 magic for happiness

🎐 guide to recharging

🎐 hug

🎐 fever

🍒 return to the menu 🍒

[schlagger]

It was just a few months after I got the result of the 2016 Bar exams, and yes, I passed. I originally wanted to go to Maldives, but the thought of the need for major preparations and plane transfers had me and my husband travelling to Taiwan instead. There, the opposite happened, not much of preparation. We were booked at a simple M Hotel in Taipei and we also had a simple goal, to tour the whole place in 48 hours, or something like it.

The Friday evening flight of Cebu Pacific was definitely intended for people who wanted to travel but are scared to miss a lot from work. We took that flight. We ended with a peaceful arrival in Taipei. It was peaceful because it was overly late, and yes, past midnight. Arriving that time was tiring physically but mentally relaxing. There was no traffic and Taipei was so quiet. The streets were clean alright but from the shadow of its sleep we could feel it snoring from a long day’s job.

The hotel room was small but very comfortable. It’s very home-y but those who are claustrophobic might have a little problem with the ceiling and the lack of window. But still, we loved it. There, I realized my different advantages, my being small and not being needy with a lot of stuff. A clean toilet was all too fine. Three hours of sleep from the time of arrival was all it took for us to be up and awake. Seven in the morning of Saturday was still wee bit early for the city people as the streets were still empty. It was like a happy ghost town, too quiet, yet happy because it’s a city.

After a few more hours, the shops, stores and offices became populated. However, they were not as busy as we have expected or at least like Singapore or Hong Kong. People were not taking strides to their destinations. They were walking like lovers in the moonlight. No one was in a hurry. Nobody was rushing. It was the opposite of Japan or even Bangkok. Riding the train was relaxing. Many of the chairs were empty, and people seemed to be not in a rush to be seated.

We went to National Palace Museum and Chang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, a vast place where one may opt to do cart wheel a thousand times and not hit anyone. Teenagers use the area both for dating and practicing dance steps. Others use it for exercising, doing Yoga or simply, walking. It was like a park with historical feel. But it attracts people perhaps because there are a lot of trees and not because it reminds people of their heroes’ feat.

We tried to walk and go to places in Taipei which names we could not recall but definitely, there was a restaurant with a nice ambiance in the middle of the typical market, that’s the “Nice Green Kitchen,” where we had lunch for the first day. They sure serve nice and healthy foods. Good thing I took a picture of the receipt, I wouldn’t have written it on this blog without that receipt. We also walked beside Donmem market, one of those “must-go-to” places although I’d say, it is still just a market. One of the few things we could be proud of was trying their famous millk tea with pearls. It was sure sweeter than the ones served here. The difference is perhaps with the container. I’d say that in Taipei, milk Teas are a bit more tempting than in the Philippines, or maybe I was just too thirsty then.

A few hours of continuous walking was something else. We had a good rest in Taipei 101, the tallest tower in the area. When up there, the city looked like a land blanketed with buildings in a very orderly manner. Their urban planning department did a good job in knowing what infrastructure to put on where. The sun has shown himself and he was kind enough to let us see clearly everything from below. The view from the top was mesmerizing. Everything from below became very little. It made me question if gravity works faster in very minute objects, like us perhaps, falling from the tower. But of course, the tower was well-built. It had a ballast of some sort to keep it stable despite its height. That huge ball inside the building was like one of my daughter’s toys placed inside a Lego castle, amazing. I wonder if it bounces too.

The next stop was the Elephant Mountain. I never really understood why it was called that name but because it was more than a hundred steps, I couldn’t call it less than an elephant. The steps were small and that’s the good thing. The bad thing was that when you wanted to go fast, you’re going to make a big leap. I could feel my heart doing overtime as my mind wanted to finally reach the top of it. The stopovers were great but the idea that we haven’t reached yet the summit was agony. Sneaky mosquitoes also got in the way. I showered my body with mosquito spray but they seemed to be immune already. I had five bites even before we finished half of the trail. And yes, another five more bites when we got back down. Tourists were flocking the top and I so admire fathers who brought their small kids on their backs despite the torturing steepness of the hike. Cliché as it may sound, the view of the sunset was relaxing, although we only saw the shadow of it. Other tourists were struggling to get a perfect view by looking for private spots in the rocks not considering the possibility of falling (and end up dying). Up the mountain was cool but not windy. Going down was definitely better, but still not a walk in the park (thanks to the mosquitoes).

Tired and hungry, we put a halt to our mini adventure in the city and the semi-jungle. We entered Din Tai Fung, the smell was awesome. Actually, I couldn’t remember correctly when I last felt such dire need for food. I could not recall if it was my sense of smell or sight which made me feel heaven. In any case, the view and the smell of Xiao long Bao being cooked was making me drool. I know we have the same restaurant in Megamall but it’s always worth a try to have it from where it originally came from. The foods were served, and the white cover was smooth, even and soft. For the lack of words to describe foods, I’d just say, fulfilling.

Last on our list for the first day was the Shilin Night Market. I am not really fond of buying stuff but the mere walk in the market with all the lights and the sight of different foods on the street is not something that I see every day. Fruit shakes, fried foods and shirts for pasalubong were just a few of the things our eyes feasted on. The voice of the young crowd filled the air. There was excitement and a few giggles. It was hard to identify the tourists from the locals. They seemed to have merged and agreed to have one specific goal, to enjoy the colorful night with friends and with lovers. Smoke suddenly populated the some portions of Shilin. There was cooking here and there and the street chefs have become busier than ever. My knees started to complain. Our spirits wanted to stay longer but the body begged to go home. As we went back to the hotel, we noticed that shops close early on a weekend. This left me to thinking that people in this side of the world also value rest, more than revenue.

Our second morning was greeted with another tranquil moment. We woke up a bit late and had breakfast in a nearby coffee shop. The coffee was fine but the pastries were not. It needed more heating perhaps. Croissant tasted good with Tiramisu, hot brewed coffee and chamomile tea. We saw students, two or three of them, tinkering with their laptops while drinking green tea shake and or iced coffee. They were savoring the morning just like us. There was no trace of rushing, of hurrying, or of footsteps trying to catch something. That morning was a bliss, perhaps not only for the people inside the coffee shop, but also for me and my husband. The watch ticking was only a watch ticking in that side of the world. There was no need to look at it for a moment. No one would send mobile message, no email, no messenger, just a smoke from the coffee and the smell of croissant.

The rest of the day was also relaxing. We rode a double decker bus which toured us in and around the city. There was a recording to be heard explaining what we were seeing. Just like any other place, the history’s fascinating or would there be any boring history anyway? In the evening after the tour, we had a lot of belly stuffing from one of the markets in Taipei. Perhaps that place is not ideal for someone on a diet. Now to end our story, I would like to make a recommendation. Those who want to have a slow-paced vacation but a restful one, maybe you can try to consider Taipei.

Taiwan in 48hrs It was just a few months after I got the result of the 2016 Bar exams, and yes, I passed.

[foxghost]

鎮魂 Guardian [Zhen Hun] extra 2 full translation

Warning(s): single use of a slur, lots of Buddhism, novel ending spoilers / explanation [TN: the other extras are here, you may want to check out #4 for notes on names.] Original Chinese character count: 3068 English Translation word count: 3058 Much thanks to @lady-eden for the final once-over.

A comparatively serious demon-raising incident affecting a certain city in the southern part of the country needed the attention of Chu Shuzhi. He takes Guo Changcheng with him. They spend nearly a whole month there before the incident can be considered perfectly resolved, and the two return to 4 Bright Road.

Guo Changcheng is still as unskilled as he ever was. There are times when everyone feels that Guo Changcheng and their office’s newest member, Xiao Mi, cannot be any more alike.

Oh right, forgot to mention: Xiao Mi is a one year and some old Samoyed dog with an outsized appetite and an undersized intelligence.

It started with a lost dog delivered to the neighbourhood police station, living there for over a month. Though the owner never came back to claim him, it did manage to eat everyone poor. After a few more twists and turns, Zhao Yunlan manages to gain possession of the dog and to keep it at 4 Bright Road in an attempt to divert Daqing’s gloominess on seeing Lao Li.

The whole day through Xiao Mi eats when it should eat, drinks when it should drink, doesn’t ever take anything to heart. Before Chu Shizhi left for the assignment, he spent more than a month with much effort teaching this dog the two tricks of ‘sit’ and ‘shake,’ only to discover it had discarded the only two skills it possessed on Java Island by the time he gets back. Other than to stare blankly with two giant innocent eyes and run around humping legs, its brain seems entirely empty and devoid of dog tricks.

[TN: “Java Island” is a way to say “not even on the map anymore” or “gone”]

In the way that so many skills seem unteachable to the both of them, it does look very much like Guo Changcheng and Xiao Mi belonged to the same family eight hundred years ago.

[TN: There’s a saying that people with the same last names are “五百年前是一家” / belonged to the same family 500 years ago. The number varies.]

But none of it takes away from how he’s in possession of a holy artefact.

The catastrophic rupturing of chaos decimated Difu, and Shen Wei near single-handedly sets up the new order. The sheep skin he wears covers him quite well and he rarely makes an appearance, nor does he meddle in the new administration’s affairs, but the new Difu, given a new lease on life by the wolf that is Shen Wei, dares not treat him with less than the respect he’s due. The Zhanhun-shi that all three realms yielded to now yields more power than ever, so naturally his habit of collecting the remnants of lone souls and wild ghosts passes without the merest notice, all to the advantage of Guo Changcheng’s little stun baton.

If one takes some time and considers that Guo Chancheng tends to turn into a trembling bald chicken whenever he runs into danger, how he always manages to turn fear into sheer power feels rather miraculous.

When Chu Shizhi returns to the office, he ignores all of his paperwork in favour of watching the stock market and studying the candlestick chart while wearing a grave expression, leaving Guo Changcheng to patiently post invoices and fill in expense reports. He goes to find Zhao Yunlan so he can sign the paperwork, but unexpectedly finds the opposite office door locked — Zhao Yunlan isn’t here.

Guo Changcheng scratches his head. He asks innocently, “Zhao Chu isn’t here?”

Zhu Hong doesn’t bother looking up from her computer. “Officially, our new office lease is finalized today and he’s gone to do final inspection and put his signature on things. He thought he may as well move today too — dammit, why is everything so slow? I sincerely hope the net is faster where we’re moving.”

Poor Xiao Mi’s being chased by a little cat all over the room, but Daqing brakes to a stop from his bullying when he hears this. The black cat raises his head to speak, “What about unofficially?”

With an odd tone carrying both longing and a distant ache, Zhu Hong says, “His man fucked him so hard he can’t get out of bed obviously.”

Not about to disappoint, Guo Changcheng is so shocked by these words he ends up sitting down crookedly, and the chair rolls away from beneath him, leaving him to crash solidly onto the floor.

Zhu Hong glances dismissively at Guo Changcheng, telegraphing what a fuss about nothing, and sucks her teeth at him. “Our leader is a faggot, what are you so surprised about — ai, is everyone’s net slow? This is so infuriating."

Chu Shuzhi comments, “It’s pretty slow.”

The one taking up all the bandwidth playing an online game is Lin Jing, and he keeps quiet through all of this pretending to be invisible. He doesn’t stay invisible for long though, and as quickly as he’s discovered, Zhu Hong beats him up.

As punishment, they disconnect Lin Jing’s computer from the network and he’s left to waste his time away by playing an offline game called Plant vs. Zombies.

… and that’s why it’s Chu Shuzhi’s turn to beat him up now.

[TN. a reminder: Chu is a Chinese zombie, which I suppose is like both a zombie and a vampire, by western standards.]

Head in his arms, Lin Jing drapes himself over his desk, tearily saying, “These days are so hard to get through.”

Chu Shuzhi orders, “I see you’re so devoid of work you have dan teng. Xiao Guo, don’t bother writing that report. Give it to someone who has nothing to do.”

[TN. 蛋疼 / dan teng, literally ‘egg pain’ is something like a headache, but it’s closer to the saying, ‘that makes my testicles hurt.’ You can use it in place of the word headache about things/people/situations that gives you a headache, BUT the word differs from a headache in that it is also used for boredom. So bored your testicles hurt. I have no idea where this came from but you don’t need to have testicles to say it. It’s also used in sentences like “that has dan teng to do with me” in which case it’s just a mildly crass way of saying ‘nothing.’]

Guo Ghangcheng looks over at Lin Jing, and finds him tearfully taking a selfie to capture his ‘as rain on pear blossoms’ look, and laughs, not unkindly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll write it.”

Lin Jing, pooled on his desk, steals a glimpse of Guo Changcheng, and after a while, does it again.

Guo Changcheng is sitting there typing quietly, slow and meticulous the way he does everything, not a hair out of place. Lin Jing, watching him, finally can’t suppress his curiosity any longer, and with lightning speed he stands just to pluck a hair off Guo Changcheng’s head over his desk.

Guo Changcheng cries out in pain, looks bewilderingly up at him.

Lin Jin gives off a mischievous laugh. “It’s nothing. Just some research.”

“It’ll just give off the smell of burnt protein if you set it on fire,” Chu Shuzhi scoffs, not bothering to look up. “Hair is just a part of the mortal shell. Every reincarnation one gets a new shell. How could it have anything special to it? Your research is skin-deep.”

Lin Jing asks after a pregnant pause, “How did you know what it’d smell like if you set it on fire? Did you already try to burn it?”

Chu Shuzhi ignores him.

“What I still don’t understand,” Lin Jing says, playing with that one strand of Guo Changcheng’s hair, the humour vanishing from his face . “How could such a perfectly normal looking young man be … ai, Xiao Guo, do you think there is anything special about you? Something that’s different from other people?”

They’re not sure how, but everyone’s come to a tacit agreement to not mention anything regarding the Zhenhun Lamp in front of Guo Changcheng. Guo Changcheng stares back at Lin Jing blankly and doesn’t get what he’s saying at all. He shakes his head. “Oh, maybe I’m a bit dumber?”

Lin Jing says ,“But …” and pauses, his voice stopping suddenly.

Kunlun Jun has confirmed that Guo Changcheng is the Zhenhun Lamp’s wick. He’s lived a hundred lifetimes and underwent a hundred calamities and none of it altered his first intentions. The merit accumulated on his soul is a match to Nuwa who created humans, and yet heaven’s given him no blessings and no favours. He has no luck nor fortune; he toils in obscurity ignorant of what he is. Lin Jing’s words fade to silence as he realises he doesn’t want to tell Guo Changcheng about this at all, even if this young man, who lit the last Zhenhun Lamp, who can be said to have finally ended the war between chaos and order, is so extraordinary.

[TN. Merit = positive karma. Good, virtuous actions; every time you choose not to do harm, you gain merit.]

Without a third eye, yet he can always see the truth.

Great Merit, heaven-sent, and yet he remains a nobody.

“But what?” Guo Changcheng asks, puzzled.

“Nothing … I was just wondering how come the sceptre handed down by Kunlun Jun is called ‘Zhenhun-Ling,’” Lin Jing mutters, and he doesn’t wait for Guo Changcheng to figure out what he’s said before he asks, “Oh yeah, what do you do after work?”

[TN. 鎮魂令 zhen / subdue, hun / soul, ling / command]

Guo Changcheng lists off, “Oh, I have to make a delivery to Nana Li’s house, and the Southern Tibet Educational Support Group is working on their summer plans so I’m going there afterwards. I work on things like posters and brochures for them in the evenings.”

Lin Jing’s fingers count unconsciously through his prayer beads. “Hinayama the Lesser Vehicle said that the only person who can help you cross the great river is yourself, but after, Mahayana the Greater Vehicle spoke of ferrying all living things across to reach the shores of enlightenment — come to think of it, I’ve wondered this whole time: Xiao Guo, you’re so busy running around everyday. What do you do it all for?”

[TN. 度 / du literally means “to cross (a river)” and in Buddhism it means to “cross the river to the shores of enlightenment.” It carries the meaning of ‘saving’ or ‘salvation,’ and leads to an ‘escape’ from the Wheel of Reincarnation. What Lin Jing paraphrased is from the Lotus Sutra. 佛自住大乘，如其所��法，定慧力莊嚴，以此度眾生。]

Guo Changcheng says, “I don’t … don’t do it for anything. It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

“Then how do you decide for yourself what to do, and what not to do?” Zhu Hong cuts into the conversation.

Guo Changchen swallows, stretching out his neck like a goose freshly plucked out of the water; he has no idea why everyone suddenly seems interested in him. Maybe he’s seen too many dramas: being the centre of attention always makes Guo Changcheng feel as though he’s acquired a terminal illness, giving him the misconception that he’s not long for the world.

Subconsciously he begins to stammer.

“I, I just don’t do bad things, and occasionally, if there’s something I can help with then I help out. I don’t know anything about anything.” Guo Changcheng’s voice gets smaller and smaller as he speaks, until it naturally becomes as high and quiet as a mosquito.

“I’m suddenly reminded of a saying,” Chu Shuzhi, who’s kept quiet all this time, cuts in. “I saw it on a mural of an old tomb. Impossible to say which era it’s from, now. It said, ‘Men’s hearts harbour corruption, often suffer from worry, hold grudges from anger, commit countless crimes they ought not. Only the three words ‘do no harm’ is the greatest virtue under heaven, and of those who can benefit mankind and subdue souls, there is none other.’”

[TN. priest made this part up, it’s not in any sutras, The word here for 濟 / benefit also means “ferry,” which ties into the sutra Lin Jing quoted above.]

“Of those who can benefit mankind and subdue souls, there is none other…” These words seem to float halfway across Dragon City, from the elder Zhao … no, from Shennong-bo’s mouth. “Recently, I have been harbouring doubts.”

Zhao Yunlan sits lazily reclining by the window, crossing an ankle over one knee, looking outside. Dragon City University’s head office is within view; he has no idea if it’s because exams are near, but Shen Wei is surrounded by students asking him questions as soon as he’s finished class. Zhao Yunlan follows him with eyes carrying a hint of a smile, and spares very little attention he has left to ask, “Hmm, like what?”

“The divine wood plaque Shansheng left behind — why is it called the Zhenhun-Ling?”

[TN. Shennong-bo always uses the more polite form of ‘you’ when addressing Kunlun. 您/nin instead of 你/ni. He also refers to Kunlun as 山聖/Shansheng, which in this configuration means ‘sacred mountain,’ btw, this is not a real world title, no god is referred to by it, priest made it up afaik. From Shennong-bo’s mouth, it’s just another way to say ‘you.’ I’ll use the pinyin when it’s a name/title, and a translation when it’s a common noun.]

Zhao Yunlan sweeps over a glance. “What do you think?”

Shennong-bo stops to think, then carefully choosing his words, says, “I have heard that there are only two kinds of people who are unafraid of death. One who is carrying out the true wish of his heart, blames on one, has no regrets. The other, one who knows exactly what is on the other side of death. In these five thousand years, the Zhenhun Lamp continued to burn. All of this happening now: the shattering of the Lesser Wheel of Reincarnation, the creation of the Greater Wheel of Reincarnation using the Ghost King’s soul as a medium and borrowing Great Merit from the Zhenhun Lamp to join them together — is it all just a gambit by the Old Gods?”

The corner of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth rises, revealing a dimple on his cheek. “If we’re so clever, then how come we all died off one by one? Shennong asked you to keep an eye on Zhanhun-shi. Did five thousand years of watching him turn you into a conspiracy theorist?”

Shennong-bo just looks more and more suspicious. “Then why did Shansheng leave behind the Zhenhun Lamp and the Zhenhun-Ling? Why did my founding teacher just happen to let out your memories and powers at that exact, crucial moment?”

“When Shen Wei decided to wipe my memories, he’d already fulfilled everything he agreed to in his contract,” Zhao Yunlan pours himself a cup of tea, “The contract is concluded, and the influence Shennong had on both of us dissipated entirely, and that’s why I was able to ‘wake up.’”

Shennong-bo says, “Then you’re saying … it’s a coincidence?”

“That’s not it, either,” Zhao Yunlan murmurs after a little thinking.

Shennong-Bo is even more confused.

Zhao Yunlan looks at him, but not in the way a son looks up at his father. His gaze passes through their two mortal shells, falling onto the medicine pot itself.

At this moment, he seems to have become an elder.

“Wait some more,” he says. “Maybe give it another thousand, another two thousand years, you’ll get it. Some things must be learned through your own experience; it won’t do you any good for someone else to just tell you. When you want to sacrifice your life for a just cause, you’ll be able to grasp truths that no one else could understand. Whether it’s about the Zhenhun Lamp or Shennong’s contract, when we made those decisions at the time, we were only able to grasp a shadow of the future. It could move in a good direction, or maybe …”

Shennong-bo asks, “And if it didn’t move in a good direction?”

“The world will naturally gain new gods after we die. They’ll learn from our mistakes. It’s not in vain.” Zhao Yunlan hears Shen Wei’s familiar footsteps coming upstairs, and he gets up, takes the windbreaker he’s hung on the back of his chair and throws it over an arm. He turns his head to Shennong-bo, “Aren’t you one of the ‘new’ gods?”

Shen Wei arrives as Shennong-bo is still mulling over that, and with an indifferent air gives him a courteous, perfunctory nod. When his gaze lands on Zhao Yunlan, it softens in an instant. He asks, “Are you leaving now? Have you finished with your conversation?”

Zhao Yunlan makes a sound of agreement, and says to Shennong-bo, “Drive carefully on the way back, don’t let my dad notice anything. Take good care of his body.”

Shennong-bo stands, saying deferentially, “I must thank Shansheng for the guidance. In truth, I came today to beg my leave. It can be said that I have accomplished my task and it would be unseemly to hang onto a mortal’s body any longer.”

Zhao Yunlan seems taken aback, but only for a second. “When are you leaving?”

“Today,” Shennong-bo says, “I’ll return elder Zhao home right away.”

[TN. 趙先生 could be translated to Mr. Zhao, but Shennong-bo is old and formal, so I went with what 先生 would have been translated to according to Mencius. 先生，父兄也。And older man in a family, a father or an older brother.]

“That’s good.” Zhao Yunlan thinks for a second, and without a care, waves his goodbyes. “Take care. Don’t hesitate to come to me if you need anything.”

The couple leaves for downstairs together. Shennong-bo stands silently by the window, and watches the two of them move unhurriedly toward a residential neighbourhood across from campus full of European style houses with gardens, walking at an leisurely speed like they’re taking an afternoon walk. He’s reminded of what Zhao Yunlan said, that he’s been waiting for Shen Wei so they can move house together.

Farther ahead, from the neighbourhood greenbelt to the immense balconies of the buildings, clusters of flowers of every colour blossom soundlessly where they pass. Only now does Shennong-bo realises that spring is already in the air.

[TN. 春意 means both ‘the start of spring’ and ‘thoughts of love.’]

[theburning-soul]

.:The Time In-between:. (AU2)

Characters: Hokusai Ashikaga (kitsune heritage/human)

Rating: Blood and scary things. Alternate universe warning!

Origin Date: 19 March 2019

As He-Lin is away to culminate his final bits of cultivation training in China, Hokusai is left on his own in the prison that is the Hanakaze temple. He does his best to wait for his dear one but the abuse at the hands of the radical priests drives the young man to the breaking point.

(Just wanted to get something out of my system for one of the alternate universe RP settings @ninetales-carbuncle and I came up with a few months ago. Modern day with some cultivation ties inspired by Mo Dao Zu Shi.)

---------

The markets were busy as expected over the hot summer weekend. Not only did the things that were not quite human come forth, those that were quite human flocked to the yokai markets to peruse the wares that appeared. They was much more of a variety over obon as some of the spiritual world residents that normally could not claw their way into the human plane managed to leak through for three days of insanity.

Insanity as in shopping. This yokai market was the largest within Japan, even connected via spiritual ways to a sister venue in China. Perhaps that’s why he picked it despite his loathing of crowded places. For all accounts he appeared and gave off a sense of a human. Only the more perceptive could sense otherwise.

Rusted golden eyes peered under the brim of the ajirogasa. Why he’d stopped at this particular booth, he didn’t know. The merchant, something with demon blood by its distorted appearance, was busy with another customer and paid no heed to those simply perusing the counter. The rows were crowded within the mountain market but somehow no one bumped into the tall figure, as if unconsciously avoiding him.

Worn fingers reached out to pick up a small hairpin. It was delicate, a near-translucent pink jade with hanging blossom accents. It was feminine...but somehow he thought it would fit the soul he had in mind.

Hokusai smiled but the expression didn’t last for more than a breath, the motion seeming strained. It was a face that didn’t do such a thing often nowadays. No, he shouldn’t have stopped.

It didn’t matter. He-Lin was gone. Likely forgotten him. Who wouldn’t? They had been young, it had been a tryst. Something from a novel. Heh, like of those yaoi manga he’d hidden in the floorboards of his small room while growing up.

He shouldn’t have stopped here.

The red of his haori’s long sleeves brushed the edge of the booth as he placed the pin back. His attire was very traditional, layers of Japanese cloth of muted rust reds and cream. His hair remained unruly over the years, falling to his hips in wavy layers. At least the weight of its length now kept it somewhat in check. Tied back in a low tail to account for the ajirogasa, he could blend into such places easily enough.

And so he stood there, looking at the pin. There was a tightness to his chest that swept through occasionally nowadays. But no, it was pushed aside as his eyes closed and the sound of the vendor turning his attention to him.

“Oi oi, you! You like this, right? Straight from--hey!” the thing squawked.

But Hokusai had already started walking away, the crowds still parting away from him whether they realized it or not.

--------------------

There had been rumor of evil roaming about Japan. Even more compounding the rumors were the fact that something evil out there was attacking both rogue spirits and the mortals that hunted /them./ It seemed only certain types of priests, exorcists, cultivators, whatever they may be had been targeted. Individuals of a radical Shinto exorcism sect rumored to experiment, enslave, and slay spirits they deemed malevolent.

The priests would be found in their hunting grounds in various gruesome manners. Blood flowing from the ears. Eyes wide in horror. Scratches over their skin, as if they had tried to claw something from their very flesh. Some were burned alive with no fire source in sight. Some even looked as if they’d been torn apart by beast, yokai, or something else.

Despite these horrifying accounts, some of the same twisted deaths had been found upon spiritual beings that had decided to threaten innocent human populations. 

This duality had the cultivation world talking.

Only one survivor had been found, stumbling from his hunting grounds screaming about the fire, the ghosts, the beasts, and the MUSIC.

STOP THE MUSIC.

To this day, he remained in confinement with his mind splintered.

What existed out there that slayed yokai and human alike? Was it friend or foe? And to whom?

----------

This one wouldn’t escape. No, not this one. He knew this one. Eyes were alight from their rusted hue, glowing brightly in the night. Rakka-kyoki sung beneath his fingers, the moonlight shining off the red-lacquered wood. The notes danced, sharp, shrill, as if they themselves were weapons thrown at his enemy.

This was a chase now, not a battle. And Hokusai watched it all from his cliff-view point. Sharp eyes watched the white robes of the priest running in the forest. Occasionally he could feel that slight spiritual energy in the air as the man tried to fight back.

No. He stood no chance. Not alone.

Shadows danced from tree to tree after the priest, avoiding the panicked attacks with ease. They were vulpine-like, writhing in dark flame. Their yips rang shrill with the kagurabue’s song, its command.

It was a hunt.

This unfortunate soul of the Hanakaze sect of exorcism was far from home and it had made him vulnerable. What had made him even more so was being a disciple of Takane, the venerated exorcist that led such teachings at the northern-based temple.

A disciple of the man that had torn apart yokai for fun.

Okazake was experienced in both teaching and field tactics but he had been caught off-guard. This was not to be a night hunt, he had simply been traveling to a neglected shrine within the forest. It had been a mistake.

The music never faded no matter how far he ran, it was always ringing in his ears.

The first spirit finally reached him, teeth digging into his arm. White cloth tore and the priest yelled in pain. Desperate he put a talisman to the thing’s face. It dissolved into black flame, unaffected. And then the second was upon him.

And he was pinned but not devoured. The level-headed man gasped for breath.

Had the flute stopped?

“O-ka-za-ke-haaaaaaaaaan,” came a singsong tone.

Boots came into view, worn black leather. The toe came under his chin, forcing him to look up.

“Is that all ya have? That wasn’t a fun hunt at all.” The osaka-ben accent was strong in the teasing tone. What was not teasing was, despite the smile on the man’s face, was the dead look in those glowing eyes.

Gritting his teeth, Okazake tried to size up his opponent. What was he up against? And how did he know his name? A kitsune, no...not with those tails. He counted.

Nine.

He was face to face with a kyuubi. No. Not quite. The presence was strong but not that of a rampaging fox.

A hand reached down to seize the priest by his dark hair, forcing him up this knees. “Y...you will die once word gets back that you’ve done this,” the human boldly stated, composure in place despite his injury.

“Oh, I’m soooo scared.” The fox smirked, ears flicking boredly at the threat. “Here’s the deal. Yer gonna die here in a few minutes. Naw, it’s not gonna be slow. Not one bit.” He knelt, the red and cream robes folding about his form perfectly, the nine rust-colored tails rustling about. “Ya don’t remember me, do ya? Well, yer gonna.”

The boot rose up to kick Okazake back. Grinning widely, the kagurabue was raised to his lips again. The first note was shrill and the once-still spirits growled back to life. And then the fell on the Hanakaze exorcist.

And his screams rose with the song.

And Hokusai smiled as it all blended together in the night.

He enjoyed these hunts.

What else did he have? There was no one in this world for him anymore.

There was only the hunt.

There was only revenge.

[adtechmetallurgicalmaterials]

The profit of electrolytic aluminum industry has changed

Industry profits have also improved. According to the statistics of Baichuan Yingfu, the weighted average cost of the electrolytic aluminum industry including tax was 13,204 yuan/ton in February, an increase of 68.7 yuan/ton from January, an increase of 0.52% month-on-month and a year-on-year increase of 1.4%. In February, the industry average cost increased due to a slight increase in the industry average electricity price. At the same time, due to the favorable macroeconomic policies and market expectations for the market outlook, the aluminum price also rose strongly, and the industry profit was once again close to 3,000 yuan / ton.

"Under the carbon neutral policy, the production cost of thermal power aluminum will rise, and the new production capacity of electrolytic aluminum will be limited, which will support aluminum prices and the industry is expected to continue to maintain high profits." Shi Lin believes.

CITIC Securities said that under the control of energy consumption in Inner Mongolia, the shortage of hydropower in Yunnan, and the disturbance of production capacity maintenance, with the periodic decline in the operating capacity of electrolytic aluminum in the second quarter and the demand for replenishment brought by the advent of the peak consumption season, it is expected that the gap of electrolytic aluminum will further expand in the second and third quarters. , superimposed the possible policy catalysis and the closing of the import window, it is expected that the price of electrolytic aluminum is expected to exceed 20,000 yuan / ton in the next year, and the long-term prosperity of the aluminum industry is expected to start.

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[linhgd9]

Global Aluminium Collars Market key Insights Based on Product Type, End-use and Regional Demand Till 2028

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The Aluminium Collars Market will see significant growth and a robust CAGR over the forecast period. According to the latest research report by FactMR, the development of the Aluminium Collars Market is mainly supported by a sharp increase in demand for products and services in this industry. A detailed summary of Aluminium Collars Market valuation, sales estimate, and market stats is an important part of the report. Hence, the aim of the report is to help readers gain viable insights into the competitive spectrum of the Aluminium Collars Market. It also draws attention to the important business expansion strategies pursued by the major competitors in the market in order to strengthen their position in the world market.

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[schrodingers-lion]

7/7/18

I haven't posted in a while because after I finish my homework I usually just pass out.

We had a July 4th celebration a while ago, where we barbequed various meats and veggies in the middle of a park. Afterwards, our group messed around on some seesaws with some of the host siblings. Honestly, the seesaws were some of the most fun I've had on the trip so far.

A couple days ago, our group went to 老街, which translates to "Old Street", and shopped around for a bit. Some friends and I stopped in a little shop and bought some shaved ice. The texture of the ice was like eating feathers, and it was topped with fresh mango that seemed like it melted in your mouth. The heat in Taiwan is sometimes stifling, so eating the ice was incredibly refreshing.

My friends and I walked around a bit, and I found some clothes in one of the shops that were really cheap, about $3 per item. Realizing I brought far too little clothing with me, I bought a couple pairs of shorts and a shirt.

We returned to the same street the next day to purchase some bags we saw the day before.

Today, my host family brought me to a couple more temples. They told me that these ones were relatively new compared to the one I visited earlier, and my host mom stopped in a couple different locations of the temple to pray. The temples themselves were much larger than Xing Tian Gong.

The homework assigned to us in class is actually a bit more than I was expecting, usually taking me anywhere from 1-3 hours to complete. I don't actually mind though, as I really needed some structure; before I left for Taiwan I was usually just waiting around for the days to end.

Tomorrow I plan to go into Taipei with some friends, and hopefully we'll be able to visit the Shi Lin Night Market as well!

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2021/05/alibabas-winning-cloud-formula-is-coming-under-pressure

Alibaba's Winning Cloud Formula Is Coming Under Pressure

Pressure is mounting on Alibaba’s cloud-computing division after years of breakneck expansion, as competition in the industry intensifies and political issues hurt the Chinese company’s ability to win business overseas and government contracts at home.

Alibaba investors have banked on cloud computing to drive significant growth, as competition in the company’s main e-commerce business heats up. In recent months, however, the cloud unit has parted ways with a major customer, was given the cold shoulder by some Chinese government clients and has overhauled its organizational structure, people familiar with the matter said.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA -2.73% reported last week that cloud computing revenue grew 37% in the quarter ended March 31 from the same period a year earlier, the slowest quarterly growth since it went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. The company said the slowdown was due to the loss of a major Chinese internet client’s international business due to “non-product related requirements.”

That client was ByteDance Ltd., the owner of the social-video app TikTok, which terminated a deal to store its international data on Alibaba Cloud, some of the people said. When ending the relationship, ByteDance bought servers from Alibaba, they said.

The moves reflected Beijing-based ByteDance’s desire to handle its own fast-expanding cloud-computing needs, the people said. Growing U.S. pressure on the use of Chinese-owned computer services to store Americans’ data accelerated the process, one of the people said. In August, the Trump administration warned against the use of Chinese cloud-computing services including Alibaba’s.

Alibaba Cloud declined to comment on its relationship with Bytedance.

Bytedance, which counts Carlyle Group Inc. and General Atlantic among its backers and is one of the world’s most valuable tech startups, is building an in-house cloud-computing capability to host its services globally. The company has been gradually unwinding its business on the mainland with Alibaba Cloud, people familiar with the matter said. Bytedance’s operations include the popular news-aggregator app Jinri Toutiao, Alibaba Cloud customer.

That would deal a further blow to Alibaba Cloud, which has plowed billions of dollars into the business and just turned profitable in the past two quarters on the basis of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and depreciation.

“We understand that Alibaba Cloud still has material exposure to Bytedance’s domestic cloud workload, and worry that ‘Bytedance risk’ could rear its head again in future quarters,” Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu said in a note Tuesday.

Bytedance was caught up in growing U.S.-China tensions last year, as the Trump administration tried to ban and force the sale of its TikTok app, citing concerns about the security of data collected from its millions of American users. TikTok attracted more than 81 million downloads in the U.S. last year, data from mobile-analytics firm Sensor Tower shows. A U.S. court blocked the ban, and the sale was shelved indefinitely as President Biden reviewed his predecessor’s policy toward the company.

In a U.S. federal court hearing last year, a senior ByteDance executive said the company hosted TikTok’s U.S. users’ data in the U.S. on cloud services provided by third parties including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Microsoft Corp. The Chinese firm had kept a backup copy of TikTok’s U.S. data in data centers in Singapore, where one of the cloud providers it used was Alibaba, a person familiar with the matter said.

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Technology Alert

Major news in the technology sector.

Alibaba was the first Chinese technology giant to make the foray into cloud computing—renting processing power and data-storage services to external clients—by leveraging the already enormous computing needs of its e-commerce marketplace. Cloud brought in $2.6 billion in sales in the March quarter, compared with $24.6 billion for Alibaba’s core commerce business. It is now the largest provider of cloud-infrastructure service in China and the-fourth largest in the world after Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon Web Services, Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud, according to research firm Canalys.

Yet Huawei Technologies Co. has been chipping away at Alibaba Cloud’s market share at home. The Chinese telecom giant almost doubled its market share in China to 16% last year from 2019, according to Canalys. Alibaba’s share fell to 41% from 44% over the same period, Canalys data showed.

IDC, another industry-data provider, shows a smaller decline in Alibaba Cloud’s market share in China over the same period.

Last month, Alibaba Cloud revamped its organizational structure to add more geographic managers to give local teams across China more power and accountability for growing sales and retaining customers, people familiar with the company said. The move was seen by some in the company as a direct response to Huawei��s rising market share, the people said.

China’s cloud-computing industry is a restricted one. Regulators require overseas cloud providers to form joint ventures to operate in the country. That has helped Alibaba grow, but the company faces new hurdles as Beijing cracks down on the e-commerce giant, its financial-technology affiliate Ant Group Co. and founder Jack Ma.

Regulators hit Alibaba with a record $2.8 billion fine in April for abusing its dominant position over rivals and merchants on its e-commerce platform. Late last year, they halted Ant’s $34 billion IPO as it neared the finish line; this year they forced the fintech giant to restructure as a financial holding company subject to more-stringent regulations.

In less than six months, China’s tech giant Ant went from planning a blockbuster IPO to restructuring in response to pressure from the central bank. As the U.S. also takes aim at big tech, here’s how China is moving faster. Photo illustration: Sharon Shi

Alibaba Cloud in recent months has run into difficulty winning new contracts or even securing meetings with some of its government and state-owned enterprise clients, according to people familiar with the matter, as regulators scrutinize its e-commerce business and Ant Group.

The company was the top cloud contractor for central-government departments in the first quarter of 2019, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

“As seen in recent quarters, Alibaba Cloud’s revenues have been primarily driven by the continuous growth from customers in the internet, finance and retail industries, and the public sector,” a spokeswoman for the unit said.

Alibaba Cloud isn’t completely shut out—it has landed some government contracts in the past few months, according to government procurement records and company releases.

Still, Alibaba’s recent regulatory troubles could cast a shadow on decision-making by local governments and hurt the company’s ability to win future contracts in the government cloud market, said Charlie Dai, a cloud-industry analyst at research firm Forrester Research.

“The fierce competition in the government market and the complexity in private cloud markets are some of the major challenges toward Alibaba Cloud’s business growth in the domestic market,” Mr. Dai said.

Jack Ma’s Ant Group and Alibaba in China

Write to Jing Yang at Jing.Yang@wsj.com, Liza Lin at Liza.Lin@wsj.com and Keith Zhai at keith.zhai@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

[willowjadeflower]

since you responded to my tags i'll respond in not tags heh

yeah i totally agree with you! that's also what frustrates me when people like reviewers or youtubers nebulously credit disney for representation - because there are stories of higher ups shaving down things like LGBTQ affection or resisting giving Louisa muscles, like, it's moreso holding *back* creators and storytellers in order to sell to a widespread market

but yeah sorry i don't mean "disney is just the distributor" in that they have no say or no fingers in any pies, i mean i'd give more credit to directors, animators, voice actors, the actual storytellers, when it comes to great movies or rep. i love domee shi's and lin manuel miranda's work, for example! i don't solely associate them with disney - its very clear a lot of creators under disney have to fight for their stories to be told (ie dana terrace's story whilst making the owl house), which really sucks. i appreciate these creators' works even more so, acknowledging the hoops they have to jump through.

like, i do feel like we can separate the business/corporation side of disney from their creators - especially when they keep screwing over their creators - but i get that sometimes the disney grip is hard to shake

does anyone else on this site start to feel an existential weariness over the very concept of “representation” by huge brand media companies (read: mostly Just Disney now) or is it just me

[architectnews]

Jiaxing Train Station, Zhejiang

Jiaxing Train Station, Jiaxing Shi Transportation Building, Chinese Architecture Images

Jiaxing Train Station in Zhejiang

8 Jan 2021

Jiaxing Train Station

Architecture: MAD Architects

Location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China

Led by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects unveils their design for Jiaxing’s Train Station in the Forest. Having begun construction at the end of 2019, the project is expected to be completed by July 1st. 2021.

The train station is situated in the center of Jiaxing, an interconnected city in southeast China close to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. A key city for several major industries, Jiaxing is referred to as the “home of silk” and the “land of milk and honey.” In 1921, the First Party Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Jiaxing, which led to the founding of the Party.

The project brief covers an area of 35.4 hectares, encompassing Jiaxing Train Station, the plazas to the north and south, and a renovation of the adjacent People’s Park. Before the renovation, the existing station had reached its maximum capacity. In addition, the disorder of the surrounding transportation system and a deficient supporting infrastructure had led to a decline in the area surrounding the station.

Drawing inspiration from Jiaxing’s historic and cultural contexts, MAD’s proposal includes a 1:1 rebuilding of the historic station building derived from archival studies, while creating a new train station underground. The new station will be bright, efficient, and human-scaled, with a flood of natural light to create a friendly, comfortable environment. The main transportation and commercial functions are to be located in the basement level, allowing the ground-floor space to be given back to nature. A shared space between Jiaxing’s citizens and travelers, this new green urban center will transform into a “train station in the forest.”

China’s train stations are competing to be bigger than one another. Standing tall in the city like grand palaces, they are surrounded by large main roads, imposing viaducts, and often empty plazas. Rather than this pursuit of grand, monumental architecture, is it possible for urban train stations to create their own beautiful environment, with comfortable scales, and a blend of transport and urban functions that are both efficient and humane? Is it possible for train stations to be more than a stopover for travelers, but an urban public space that people can enjoy? ��� Ma Yansong

A 35.4 Hectare Urban Oasis MAD’s proposal places the busy transportation junction underground, freeing the ground floor of obtrusive infrastructure, thus allowing the People’s Park to radiate through the scheme into the city, and form an urban oasis. A careful consideration to landscape and massing has formed an axis with the reconstructed old station building at its core. In front of the station, a large collection of canopy shaped trees have been planted, creating comfortable, natural shades for the plaza.

Upon completion, the scheme will become a “borderless park” where citizens and travelers can dwell and enjoy the beautiful natural environment. In contrast with the busy infrastructure beneath, the park will be a place of comfort and quiet, bringing the city center back to the people.

Rebuilding the Historic Station The original Jiaxing Train Station was built in 1907, and opened in 1909 as an important junction for the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway Line. In 1921, the train station received delegates bound for the First Party Congress of the CPC, but was later destroyed by war in 1937.

In order to create a 1:1 reconstruction of the old station building, MAD engaged with scholars, consultants and experts in heritage architecture to recover data which might aid the project. The relationship and scale between canopies, bridges, platforms, and the building were calculated, allowing for a more accurate reconstruction of the historic station and its features.

Upon completion, the old station building will become the Jiaxing Railway History Museum.

A “Train Station in the Forest” Looking south along the central axis, the rebuilt station building and the “floating” metal roof of the new station will blend with the forest trees. The station concourse, platforms, and waiting hall are hidden underground, while the building’s single-story height above ground level humbly respects the scale of the old station building.

An abundance of natural light floods into the underground waiting hall through skylights and glass curtain walls on the ground floor, creating a subterranean space which is both open and bright. The internal atmosphere and tone are centered on the human scale, with the aim of creating a pleasant, comfortable experience for travelers. As people move from the waiting hall to the platforms via a futuristic underground tunnel, they observe the rebuilt old station building overhead. Here, a moment is created where old meets new, and a sharp yet composed contrast is showcased between the past and future.

On the roof of the new station, solar photovoltaic panels will be installed to enhance the project’s sustainability.

A Commercial Zone underneath the “Forest” MAD’s scheme also places the station’s commercial functions underground, linking the train station with the city’s transportation hub. In addition, sunken courtyards connect the underground commercial space with the parkland above. To the south of the station, a new above-ground commercial area is created, enclosed by landscaped public lawns that can host a variety of events, festivals, concerts, or markets.

Beneath the urban oasis, a wide variety of functions and services are connected with each other. For instance, visitors at street level can efficiently enter and exit the transport hub, while others meander through the park, visit the railway museum, or explore the commercial area before embarking on their train journey.

A series of transport options are linked throughout the underground system, directly connected to the sunken municipal roads. Bus terminals, a tramway, metro, car parking, and taxi stands are interconnected by the proposed scheme, creating an efficient transportation portfolio accessed from the train station, and fulfilling the demand for transport facilities created by the new commercial zone.

Through careful transportation planning and vertical use of the space, MAD’s scheme accommodates the existing passenger demands for the station, while also allowing for future sustainable development and expansion. The scheme’s emphasis on connecting with its surroundings will also serve to increase human activity and visitors to the area, enhance its commercial offering, and ultimately rejuvenate the old city center with a new vitality.

The capacity of the train station will be upgraded to three platforms serving six tracks, in contrast to the previous three platforms serving five tracks, with the main upline and downline becoming two arrival and departure tracks respectively. The overall passenger capacity is expected to reach 5.28 million people per year, with peak-time capacity reaching 2,300 people per hour.

MAD believes that a city’s best urban spaces should belong to everybody. Architecture, sunlight, nature, and fresh air should work in harmony to be shared by all; creating an environment where people can both live and travel with convenience, dignity, and comfort.

Jiaxing Train Station in Zhejiang, China – Building Information

Design: MAD Architects Typology: Transportation Infrastructure Site Area: 354,000 sqm Building Area: around 280,000 sqm – Xuangongnong Area: 14,161 sqm – Yard and station building: 63,298 sqm – North Plaza: 39,945 sqm – South Plaza: 147,705 sqm – Renovation of People’s Park: 12,197 sqm

Principal Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano Associate Partners in Charge: Liu Huiying Design Team: Cao Chen, Reinier Simons, Yao Ran, Fu Xiaoyi, Yu Lin, Chen Wei, He Shunpeng, Cheng Xiangju, Kaushik Raghuraman, Chen Nianhai, Deng Wei, Cao Xi, Sun Mingze, Huang Zhiyu, Zhang Kai, Li Zhengdong, Dayie Wu, Huai Wei, Claudia Hertrich, Liu Zifan, Xie Qilin, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Qiang Siyang, Hou Jinghui, Li Xinyun, Yin Jianfeng, Mathias Juul Frost, Lei Lei, Lu Zihao

Client: Jiaxing Modernservice Industry Development & Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. Executive Architects: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd. Structural Consultant: LERA Consulting Structural Engineers Façade Consultant: RFR Shanghai Landscape Consultant: Z’scape Landscape Planning and Design Lighting Consultant: Beijing Sign Lighting Industry Group Signage Consultant: NDC CHINA, Inc. Heritage Consultant: Shanghai Shuishi Architectural Design & Planning Corp.,Ltd Interior Design Consultant: Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape Design Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Jiaxing Train Station, Zhejiang images / information received 080121

Location: Jiaxing, China

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Geek Community Project, Chongqing, south west China Design: PLP Architecture image courtesy of architects Geek Community Project

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Zhejiang Province

The post Jiaxing Train Station, Zhejiang appeared first on e-architect.

[fayewonglibrary]

Commentary on Fable (2000)

BY: Chinese Musicians Exchange Association

Li Yunlin:  

In terms of the overall temperament of the album, the literary character is very good. The integrity of the lyrics is very complete. When Lin Xi dominates, it is beautiful. The tone in the first half is more retro with a blurred and variable concept of love. In the latter half, each song contains its own separate theme. I personally prefer the first half which is more articulate. It feels very cohesive. Lin Xi mastered the lyrics. Faye Wong composed the first five songs and Zhang Yadong produced and arranged them which makes them very polished overall.

Shi Rencheng:

In my personal opinion, Faye Wong’s album is high concept and executed at a high level of skill. Their entire team collaborated and performed very well. I have always been curious about how her albums are made. For example, in terms of the five songs she wrote, it is not easy to write lyrics from that perspective. The melody is actually not easy to grasp but the lyrics and arrangement fit together very well as if the lyrics were written first. The arrangement is so highly refined, it captured the artistic conception of the lyrics while bringing out the true colors of the song. I think Zhang Yadong is very remarkable. I like this one very much because we get to see Faye Wong, Lin Xi, and Zhang Yadong’s chemistry. Miss Faye Wong's singing created a visualization of the concept. Her vocals are very powerful, they almost seem unreal. This album had many mainland musicians participating and combined with Faye Wong’s vocals, it is of a world-class level. It’s brilliant. 

Tao Xiaoqing:

Listening to her album is like a journey through the mind. I always look forward to her collaborating with talented musicians and the sparks that will be created. She felt a bit like Madonna. For example, they were both talented and daring. Because they have already reached a certain stage in their careers, they can unite the best people in the world on their albums.

Yao Daiwei had a similar thought as mine: “This is Lin Xi’s album.” It’s a bit educating. There’s an explanation for the word “Cambrian”. Even the word "Firefly" needed to be explained. Of course, these definitions were strategic. This record is no longer a pop record. It has a very classical element. It is not something that people in the pop market will like when they listen to it, especially the first half. But I think that’s okay. When listening to "Flower on the Other Shore", I felt it was like scenes from an old black-and-white movie. Because she sang a section of the song and left a section blank [without singing], it can give you the feeling of imaginary space. So when I listen to her, I don't compare her with ordinary pop music. I think she is her own thing. I don't know if young people who like trendy music will like this kind of stuff? But when hearing the latter half of the album, there were still very pop-friendly songs.  　　　　 　　　　

Yao Daiwei:

This is an excellent album in terms of lyrics and singing. Lin Xi’s lyrics dominated the entire album. No matter how different and difficult they are to understand, with Faye Wong’s singing, everything seems to make sense. Of course, the tacit understanding of their long-term collaboration dictates that it is not just a Faye Wong album, but also a Lin Xi album. But tracks 1-5 can be a bit tired because they are all the same combination. They are all Faye Wong’s compositions, Lin Xi's lyrics and Zhang Yadong's arrangements. Zhang Yadong’s variations in the arrangements were relatively limited. The eighth song "Your Likes Are Not as Important as Mine" is very similar to her previous song "Give Up Halfway". "Goodbye Firefly" is similar to a 007 movie song. The last two Cantonese songs show Lin Xi's skill. In terms of writing, I like this one very much. It's like poetry. I had doubts about Faye Wong's music because she has imitated the Cranberries singing and music before. I wondered if she would do so again this time.

Qin Yuping:

I truly think Faye Wong was born with beauty. Just listening to her singing is a kind of beauty and art. I believe that most singers admire her for having such good skills. I think this album displays a very mutual understanding among her team. It is a masterpiece of cooperation. To be honest, I didn’t listen to her music very carefully in the past. I did not even like her singing during the Cranberries phase very much. But here, I listened to her singing carefully. It was perfect and subtle. Her own natural singing voice embodies that kind of tone. Even without the arrangement, her singing already has musical elements, so she can be so bold, free, and laissez-faire. I can only say that this is natural beauty. 　

Minghua Lin:

This album sounded a little strange at first. The style was a bit like her prior song "Face". It sounded a bit boring at first, but I think the music and lyrics are very powerful. The most important thing is that Faye Wong's tone is very good and the whole feeling is very harmonious. But if she did this for the entire album, if there was no “Your Likes Are Not as Important as Mine" or "Book of Laughter and Forgetting", it may have been a little harder for this album to be accepted by the market. She didn't exert tremendous effort in her singing. She just expressed her personality and feelings.

Wu Jiaxiang:

I like Faye Wong very much, but I don’t really like this album after listening to it. It may not be such a good thing that all the lyrics were written by Lin Xi. From one perspective, it is cohesive with a high degree of literacy. But from another perspective, it only emphasizes one tone. Like Yao Daiwei said, it seems to be an album by Lin Xi. The first half is rather boring and the second half returns to pop elements which makes me feel that they were afraid of themselves. I have the feeling that they wanted to let go and make something because they have reached a certain level [in the music industry]. But they didn’t dare to go all the way. It seems like they were pulling back. Combining symphony and electronic music together in the first half reminds me of Madonna's music, I don't know if I’m the only one with that perception. I also don't like her packaging very much. I bought the deluxe version but there is too much packaging. It is a waste and it feels too unenvironmental. Of course this has nothing to do with the music, but I think the packaging should be environmentally friendly. When others listen to her album, as Sister Tao said, it is like a journey through the mind and everything will make sense. But if it is interpreted by another person, it may be different. Because we are too familiar with Faye Wong, her personality and her style, there are very complicated mixed emotions. If it were not for her, none of this would be established today.

Shi Rencheng:

I very much agree with the prior comment. In fact, Lin Xi’s lyrics account for more than 70% of the Hong Kong market. He sometimes uses similar concepts on other singers but it doesn’t sound quite right. Of course, other singers want to use Lin Xi’s skills but few can sing with that taste. I don't know if it's because we like Faye Wong too much and we are biased.  From the perspective of Faye Wong's usual work, there is a certain depth and a certain taste. I think it’s a very important point when interpreting such lyrics.

Qin Yuping:

In singing, Faye Wong has not changed much from before. But the good thing is that the Cranberries-style vocals are more subtle than before.  It was quite natural. It is a feeling and expression of a very mature voice. Compared with Karen Mok, her pronunciations are not as clear. Faye’s voice is closer to the music. I personally like her very high density vocals combined with the music. There is not much breakthrough in her personal singing but it is absolutely not subpar. Instead, she pushed herself as an artist on the entire album. 　

------------------------------------------------------------------  

SOURCE: SINA // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

[denisecua]

While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren’t as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. So upon getting back from my trip, I figured I should let my experiences be learning grounds for your future travels here. And without further adieu, let me present to you Taiwan (or Taipei) in lists of tips, tricks, hits and misses.

Flight: AirAsia

Very cheap roundtrip flights from Manila to Taipei– PHP 3,000 without check-in baggage and PHP 5,000 with 20kg of check-in baggage. Both include (strictly) 7kg carry-on allowance. Travel tax excluded.

AirAsia flights to Taiwan is only once a day apparently. Took the 11:15 PM flight out and the 1:45 AM flight back to Manila.

One of my fastest check-ins ever, especially during departure. Finished everything in 15-20 minutes! Way less people compared to Cebu Pacific which had super long lines heading to Taipei at the same time.

Flight was comfy, and the plane was nice and clean. Leg room, as you can expect, is quite limited, such that when I’d cross my legs, my knees would hit the next seat.

No blankets for lending!!! You’d have to purchase their AirAsia-branded blankets at PHP 500. Not cool! Or should I say, too cool because I was nearly freezing?!

For in-flight meals, you have to pre-book them if you don’t want to take chances. Pretty cheap, at around PHP 150-200 a meal.

Weather in August: H-O-T!!!!

August is Taiwan’s hottest month. Clearly we didn’t research prior to booking! Can go as high as 38 degrees Celcius!

Recommendation: Don’t book in August so you can maximize your stay! We got tired too easily due to the debilitating heat.

Money

Their currency is New Taiwanese Dollar.

Conversion from NTD to PHP is 1.7.

For money exchange, you have to do it at the airport upon arrival or at the banks. They don’t have FOREX stalls everywhere like in Hong Kong. So carefully plan your exchange in advance.

For pocket money, average spend a day (given our itinerary — available upon request) would be at around PHP 3,000-4,000 excluding shopping.

Accommodation: Meander Hostel

Definitely a place I’d recommend if you’re traveling on a budget! It’s a hostel but with private rooms.

Got the Triple Room with 1 queen bed and 1 double bed–comfy. Spacious enough. Looks new and clean. Has minimalist design.

Had troubles with the air conditioner–wouldn’t get cold enough for a day or two!

Shower area is more than sufficient, and heater works great! I could take showers for hours. Jk.

Total cost for 4 nights was at PHP 17,000 but thanks to Agoda Rewards, we got it for PHP 15,000. Just PHP 5,000 per head! So affordable!

No windows in the room; could use better lighting = Not very ideal for girls who spend a long time putting on makeup!!!!

Has a common room at the G/F. Very cozy and you can mingle with fellow travellers. You can also bring food and eat there. Has free-flowing water and wintermelon tea. Also coffee, milk tea, bread and fruits in the AM for breakfast.

Not allowed to bring outside shoes in. They give you slippers to use. Not sure if that’s hygienic but I think they sanitize it after every use. The upside is that you don’t have to bring your own slippers anymore.

Location is a-ok! Just 10 minutes away from Ximending on foot. You just have to walk one straight line/street so you won’t get lost. Also has nearby convenience stores.

Transporation

From Taoyuan International Airport, we shared a cab going to our hostel since it was late already (2AM) and it was cost-effective given that we were 4 people.

Getting around is mostly thru their MRT which is super easy to understand. We didn’t have to buy stored value cards since buying single tickets was always a breeze. Never a line! MRT is also very clean and not so crowded.

Most frequented line is the blue line–Bannan. That’s where Ximen is located right smack at the middle. This is why I recommend you choose a hotel in Ximen, since it’s close to the many areas you’re likely to visit as a tourist.

Going back to airport, we asked help from our hostel and they booked us a 9-seater van for just NT 1700. Not bad! From Ximen to Taoyuan, we only took 40 minutes.

Advantages of Taiwan over Hong Kong

Much, much friendlier people.

Less fast-paced so you can travel more calmly.

Cleaner, especially the toilets!

Generally cheaper.

Shopping

For international clothing brands, they have H&M and Uniqlo in Ximending (more expensive though) and GU, Pull & Bear, ZARA, and Bershka in Taipei 101 area.

They also have the usual sports stores like adidas, Nike, New Balance, and Jordan  in Ximending, but I never entered. Hihi.

Speaking of Ximending, they say that’s Taipei’s counterpart of Myeongdong in Seoul. While I still managed to have fun (because I will always, always find a way to shop successfully), I recommend not expecting too much. I found that there aren’t as many interesting stores, and even their food offerings were underwhelming.

Highlight for me was the skincare variety. They have super cheap sheet masks, so better hoard! Go for 86 Shop and Paris Strawberry, as they have better pricing. More on this here.

For Taiwanese delicacies (pasalubong alert!), buy from the corner/semi-hidden stores that don’t look fancy. The well-lit and nicer-looking ones have higher prices. For instance, I got salty yolk cookies for just NT 120 a pack while at the better-looking stores, they were selling it to me for NT 180. Nonetheless, they all provide free tastes so you can make sure the goodies are yummy before you buy them!

Re: Supermarkets, I’m not sure if I was just blind but there weren’t so many. I only found Jason’s Marketplace in Taipei 101 and in Ximending (near Exit 1 of Ximen Station). My favorite purchases were the frozen fried rice–huge variety (salmon, sausage, hawaiian, kimchi, smoked pork, etc.) and super cheap (NT 48–definitely more affordable than the Spam kimchi fried rice packs in Korea). Note: Put in carry-on because it’s not allowed for check-in baggage.

Food

Gudetama Cafe in Zhongxiao Dunhua is super cute! But, food could be better. I say don’t go there starving. Just get snacks or desserts there for Instagram purposes. Do note that you have to reserve in advance. I did thru eztable.com, and they require advanced consumable payment of NT 200 per head.

Yong Kang Street has a lot of restaurants and stalls you can try out: Scallion Pancakes (yum!), Smoothie House (line too long), etc. They also have the first ever Din Tai Fung there but waiting time is usually about 45 – 75 minutes. Personally, I find that it tastes the same as those in HK and SG, and nothing more.

Mala Hotpot!!!! Best hotpot buffet ever!!!! Their beef cuts are so generous, premium and lean! Soup tastes heavenly! They also have unlimited Haagen-Dazs ice cream with about 12 flavors. Unlimited canned drinks, too, and free-flowing coffee and tea. YUM YUM YUM! Per head: NT 598 for lunch and NT 698 for dinner and weekends. Note: Must call ahead of time for reservation.

Chose Raohe Night Market over Shi Lin because they say it’s less crowded there. Didn’t regret it. Place isn’t packed, and has good variety of food stalls. Do come with friends though so you can share food and try a lot of different things. My faves from there include the Walking Steak Cup and the big-ass chicken. Oh and the candied strawberry, too, for dessert!

7-Eleven is also close to my heart because they have this microwavable packed Spicy Chicken similar to KFC’s Hotshots that taste so yummy! Also very cheap at NT 38 if I remember correctly.

Mos Burger (originally from Japan) is also

Milk tea!!! If you’re not watching your sugar and dairy intake closely, go all out!

Attractions

Taipei 101 is a must-visit because it’s a key attraction in Taipei. It also has many stores from fashion to food. The Observatory is another thing. You pay about PHP 800 and the lines are excruciatingly long (maybe because we went on a weekend) and the view is meh. The outdoor viewing was also closed when we visited so that added to our disappointment.

Visited Huashan 1914 Creative Park for the “Hello My Name is Paul Smith” exhibit. I found that it was a breath of fresh air from the usual Taipei scene. Very artsy place! The exhibit was funky and colorful as expected. You’d leave the place with very nice pictures for sure. The entrance fee is not bad either at NT 280 for foreign visitors, and exhibit is set to run until September 3, 2017 only. [Note: Clearly, I published this too late.)

Joined KKday’s Day Tour from Taipei at USD 33 each, inclusive of bus transfers starting from Taipei Main Station but exclusive of entrance fees and food:

First stop: Yehliu Geopark for the rock formations. Very unique but also very hot. Remember to wear sunscreen–we forgot!!! Good thing this was first in the agenda, otherwise we’d have no energy to go around given the vast place and the hell-like heat!

Commercial: Be wary of the time. If tour guide says meeting time is at 11:00, she really means it. Otherwise, you’d get left behind just like our friend. Hahaha! It’s funny now but it was stressful at the time it was happening.

Second stop: Shifen Old Street for the lantern flying and lunch! For the lanterns, you can buy based on what you wish for (i.e. Wealth, Marriage, Happiness, and the like) and they cost at NT 200 a piece. You also get to write and draw your wishes on it usng a chinese pen (mopit), and take photos/videos as you let it go up in the air. They do this along the railway. As for the food part, I say it’s one of the best! We had Yakult slushie, barbecued chicken wing with rice inside, fried cuttlefish, and peanut ice cream roll. Gooda gooda in mah belly! ❤

Third stop: Shifen Waterfalls — underwhelming to be honest! I don’t know, maybe we were exhausted at this point but walking all the way to the falls didn’t feel worth it. It was smaller in person than in the photos. 😦

Fourth stop: Jiufen. If you’re a fan of the movie Spirited Away, be sure to visit! But if not, I honestly didn’t find it that interesting. It’s just an old alley that’s uphill–so many steps. We kept grumpling because we were so tired and sweaty and I was having allergies from my sweat and sunburn from Yehliu. We wondered how come the oldies have more energy than us. Hahaha! Highlight: Cute cat shops. There are about three!

Things I’d Do If/When I Go Back

Elephant Mountain because a pretty Canadian girl we met at the hostel recommended it for its view — you can see Taipei skyline including Taipei 101; I realize the skyline is only nice when the tower is in sight.

Cat Village because nobody wanted to go with me 😦

Mala Hotpot because it’s the bestest!

Meander Hostel because I miss their sofa :))

National Palace Museum because the hostel people said it has interesting treasures from China. Hmmmmm.

IKEA because apparently Taiwan has one!

Ichiran because apparently they just opened there, and we were plain oblivious.

    [Long Overdue Post] A Roundup of My Taipei Trip While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren't as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.

[innosync]

Taiwan's gaming game situation: already a pillar industry inside Taiwan's gaming industry

Tips: Select "Internet Fox Chess Advancement" ��Follow us 2 yrs ago, the mother or father company of the online gaming website "Laoziyouqian" failed to make an application for listing; three months ago, the founder of Shangwei, Gu Gangwei, succeeded in revenge and grew to become who owns a listed sport company. There is a rumor in the industry that the next thing is to "backdoor" listing. It was after the largest industrial game gaming console foundry in Asia. Now, relying on a cellular video game app "Golden Monkey Slot Machine", its stock price once surpassed 400 and regained its name because the king of video game stocks. What's the truth about the "gaming prosperity" that game shares are rushing to receive? Gu Gangwei established "Upward International" for 500,000 yuan in 2009 2009 to provide game console software program for commercial use. In 2011, he released "Lao Tzu You Qian Online" also it became a hit, setting off a wave of online gaming games. Following a decade of lost years, Taiwan's game industry has suddenly begun to shake the cloud, as if regaining its vitality. The most obvious are the three former share kings: Yujun Odin, Bianxiang and Legend. The stock price in the past year has risen by 165%, time for the throne of game stocks, which has been in the past for several years. Legendary Network has risen by 113%, and even Yujun Odin has risen by 13% in the newest month. The senior executives of one of the aforementioned companies originally talked to Tianxia about the "transformation" of several traditional game companies, however when they heard that the interview had to be named, they immediately became anxious, "Hey! Don't estimate me! We are large The boss particularly described that to do this kind of game, it really is absolutely necessary to be low-essential, low-key, and then low-key!" Previously, the legendary network, that was famous for making passionate role-playing games (RPGs) such as "Sky Story", "Sacred Land", and "Fantasy Realm", will be as cautious of fear as soon as they encountered "this type" of games. For example, by the end of August, Legend invested 100 million in a joint venture with Longzhong Network to establish a subsidiary to develop gaming games, but it rarely issued a press release. A legendary supervisor explained that because "a lot of people take into account the game..." Then it stopped, "We are relatively low-key." Taiwanese game companies have had glorious years inside the personal computer era, but they haven't kept upward with the general trend of mobile game transformation. Because of this, their analysis and development capabilities have withered and had been surpassed by Lu. In recent years, industry players have attempted to get transformation opportunities in e-commerce, third-party transaction, VR along with other fields, but they have never achieved success. (Prolonged reading: There are more players, nonetheless it is more difficult to make money? The transformation problem of Taiwan's game industry) Asia's largest business game system factory switches to gaming mobile video games and re-enters the king of sport stocks Unexpectedly, the gaming game that wandered within the grey area of ??regulations within 2019 has become a new method for manufacturers. Presently, the market value of listed video game companies is in the number of 15-20 billion, and one-half of these are usually rushing to make money. Baccarat, fruit bowls, Texas hold em, and slot machines have become a fresh economy that video game companies are actively rushing into. Internet sites and cellular app advertisements have got captured bus, bus and cable television advertisements. Gold coins symbolizing wealth are erupting on the display screen just like a waterfall. Boom. The most important transformation should be the Pianxiang Electronics, once referred to as Asia's largest commercial gaming device manufacturer.

During the past, �cXiang's foundry manufactures were all giants, including drum devices, simulated racing cars, dance machines, shooting devices or slots, etc., which are game machines that people would have fun with in carnivals such as "Tom Bear" (commonly known as arcade machines). ). But in days gone by two years, Bianxiang's operating technique has changed. Performing spokesperson Chen Ajian admitted, ��The whole trend is usually shifting to cellular games. It's better to be a gaming cellular game platform (instead of commercial video game consoles), also it can directly face the terminal. , Accumulate members, you can directly operate on players." Previously years, the shipment cost of the commercial game consoles of Xiangxiang was about 100,000 to 150,000 Taiwan dollars. However, in recent years, Chinese manufacturers have got risen and arrived at about 100,000 per unit. "The competition is as well fierce, so we don't function hard. We want to focus. There are still competitive products," Chen Ajian stated. Now, Pianxiang targets the gaming mobile game marketplace, and has changed from OEM to direct online online casino as a bookmaker. Among them, the most popular and probably the most revenue-contributing app may be the "Golden Monkey King SLOT MACHINE GAME", which is rated 4.9 stars in the Apple web store and can only be played at age 17 years. It is specifically advertised as "created for gaming players, just like becoming in a real casino. Atmosphere." Most users need to buy gold coin packs starting at NT$33 and up to NT$3,290 in the "Golden Monkey God" App in order to enter the "stroke". Gleam be aware above: "This video game has an adult encounter... Does not provide cash transaction gambling , And no possiblity to win money or physical prizes.�� Last year's revenue was 3.067 billion yuan and earnings per share were 12.51 yuan. In the first fifty percent of this year, game-based mobile video games grew quickly, with income accounting for over 80%, bringing the EPS in the first seven months to 14.47 yuan, surpassing that of this past year. Because of this, the company's stock price broke through 400 for a while, and finally came back to the very best position of video game stocks after a lot more than 10 years. The younger generations of the overall game industry in Taichung have tripped a wave of online gaming** Now, "gaming games" offers faintly end up being the most recent hot bowl of Taiwan stocks. Many people in the overall game industry believe that the origin of the trend may be the fact that the parent business of "Laozi Youqi Online" applied for the counter two years ago, but was cold-managed by the counter buying center due to the "gaming" included, and finally withdrawn. The tale begins. "Lao Zi You Qian Online" is a well-known on-line gaming internet site in Taiwan. The economic figures introduced by Shang International at the time of application are perfect. Shang International's 2016 revenue was 1.7 billion yuan, after-tax net revenue was 536 million yuan, and income per share was 12.5 yuan. This Taichung-based game business junior has achieved this type of dazzling efficiency in only seven years. It is conceivable that the "video game" marketplace is so rich. Gu Gangwei, the founder of Shangwei International, is truly a college graduate. His graduation thesis at the Institute of Details Engineering at Jiaotong University is definitely "Sight-associated Polygon Simplification Algorithm", which is highly linked to multimedia game style. In 2009 2009, he setup "Shangxiang International" for 500,000 yuan, and used game console software for OEM. The following calendar year, he encountered a temporary order from customers. Gu Gangwei made a decision to complete the game and start it himself. This product was a hit in 2011. And the red "I'VE Money Online". PolkDot Gu Gangwei, to be able to design products that appear to be an American gambling establishment to attract Taiwanese gamblers, once went to the United States to live in cheap motels that cost more than $30 a day time, and stayed for a lot more than three months. He studied the physical machines each day. Odds and sound and light effects. When promoting the product, in addition to the endorsements of artists such as for example Zhu Geliang and Zeng Zhiwei, Gu Gangwei also made a strange shift simply by renting a T-bar in the expressway. The upper row said "Why do you place this advertisement?" The low row only wrote "Because Lao Tzu wealthy". This "vulgar and effective" advertisement quickly became famous. Gu Gangwei, the founder of Shangxiang International, is a graduate of the Institute of Info Engineering, Jiaotong University. He released the "Laozi Youqian Online" in 2011, that is extremely popular among players. In its heyday, monthly active customers reached more than 300,000. (Photo by Wu Zhouqi) In an interview with Tianxia, ??his advisor Shi Renzhong said with a smile that Gu Gangwei isn't the type of student with the best grades, but when he directed the thesis, he discovered that he was "creative, new ideas, and ready to try various ideas." " According to estimates by gaming industry gamers, nearly all players within the ��I've money�� are in the main and southern regions, and the common contribution income per consumer (ARPU) is about 10,000 yuan. In its heyday, monthly active customers can reach a lot more than 200,000 to 300,000. More than 100,000, "I have money" accounted for 80% to 90% of the full total revenue. The trend of profit, the game is more and more towards a heavy game style Why did the counter-buying center won't move international with vivid financial figures? Counterbuying spokesperson Lin Yinggui taken care of immediately "Tianxia" and refused in order to go public two years ago because more than 80% of upward income originated from "I have money", and there are uncertainties and hazards in operation. Lin Yinggui also said, "At the beginning, I was rich. So far as we understand, it really is controversial in the future. In other words: Can the factors he exchanged become exchanged for foreign currency? We are scared that the legality is usually even more controversial." The counter-buying center refers to the truth that although it is not illegal to operate an online gaming website in Taiwan, it just allows visitors to store value and use virtual points to play games. Nevertheless, some Taiwanese gaming websites will have private contacts between coin dealers and players to assist gamers in changing the wagers won into money, which might be a crime of gambling. A senior person who once worked in the stock exchange said that Taiwan's laws and regulations usually do not expressly stipulate that video gaming can't be listed. This assessment is founded on interpersonal perception and free of charge judgment, "It is not illegal to activate in this business in Taiwan! Nonetheless it is. If the capital marketplace be officially welcomed? Everyone will hesitate to enter the capital marketplace for the gaming industry." Ironically, the counter-buying center blocked the upward trend, nonetheless it cannot stop the listed companies from moving towards the "upward model." For instance, a senior executive who left the business commented on the development that the video games during the past three years have increasingly become a heavy sport design of "I've money", unlike during the past, which was just lighting casual games such as mahjong. Moreover, inside June this year, Gu Gangwei himself became the chairman of the listed video game company Longzhong Network. It proved that as soon as last year, he used his and his brother's investment firm to invest 1 billion yuan to get 49% of Longzhong Network, that was only listed for just two years. Was Shang International buying Longzhong's collateral for "backdoor listing"? Longzhong is known as one of the largest mobile game publishers in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. It acts as an realtor for mobile video games and operates sport platforms. It also has an investment of 3.2% by AppWorks Fundamental CAPITAL RAISING Fund. AppWorks Chairman and Partner Lin Zhichen (present Taiwan General Manager) ) Served as a director. Xiong Jiaqi, the previous general manager of Longzhong, who has resigned, told Tianxia that Longzhong's original major shareholder (Warwick International) completed the discussion with Gu last year, "We were notified that brand-new shareholders will come in. Everyone has a consensus to retreat in order that we've more resources. People who want to keep this game, give Longzhong to somebody who has the capacity to do it." Previously year, Longzhong has benefited from the upward move, and its own stock cost has more than doubled. It is expected to effectively transform right into a game. Longzhong Network used to be among the largest mobile game publishers in Southeast Asia, acting being an realtor for mobile games and operating sport platforms. After entering the worldwide market, it really is likely to transform into gaming games. (Image resource: Longzhong System official website)

Lin Zhichen's attitude towards that is quite good. He replied to "World", "The revenue of the mobile game industry proceeds to decline. Longzhong's management group is not complacent because of this, and actively modified the business's strategy to discover the next development motor. As a shareholder, Benshan CAPITAL RAISING The fund thanks a lot them for his or her determination and hard work, and believes that the brand new strategy will soon bear fruit." Many people think that Gu Gangwei's entry into Longzhong is obviously intending to "backdoor listing", and inject the assets of Shang International into Longzhong one at a time, so the counter purchasing market will have a pure "video gaming game stock." The result is not unforeseen. In August, Longzhong announced that it would find the entire equity of its subsidiary "Dimension Details" for 520 million yuan. The dimension is principally responsible for the growth of online video gaming systems and game gaming console boards, which is sold to local community gaming Internet cafes in European countries and the United States. Longzhong revealed that almost 300 Web cafes in North America possess introduced dimensional online gaming systems. From the establishment of the subsidiary on August 13 this past year to the end of the entire year (December 31), the revenue has been around RMB 83.116 million. However, the counter-buying middle mentioned that Dimension Information's business does not have any suspicion of illegality. "So far as we understand, their business will focus on the European and United states markets, which is in line with European and American rules," Lin Yinggui stated. Lin Yinggui furthermore added, "Lao Tzu's rich business has not been transferred to Longzhong, so there is absolutely no problem." What if Lao Tzu's wealthy business can be transferred to Longzhong later on? The counter purchasing middle has reservations, saying only that when this happens in the future, it'll discuss whether there exists a legality dispute. Top of the administration revealed in a low-key way that the company would not do this for the time being and didn't want to embarrass the competent authority. "World" questioned Gu Gangwei if it bought Longzhong for "backdoor listing". Gu Gangwei directly replied, "That is only a statement! We will conduct business seriously!" Gu Gangwei said that foreign (video gaming) customers believe that it is more secure to act being an agent for the listed company. Previously, he cannot get these clients. "Later on, Longzhong can negotiate business with these customers. This can achieve the initial objective of IPO. !" How will Taiwan's game industry change later on? Can the transformation video game be able to concentrate on performance growth? A new round of the overall game wandering in the gray area among casual players, gamblers, and coin sellers can be unfolding. Netfox Technology has been focused on the development of chess and cards for 15 years, and has numerous successful situations of chess and card overseas. If you need to develop a rapidly profitable overseas chess cards, welcome to consult the hotline: 400-000-7043 Scan the QR code to include a senior chess consultant