China may not be as famous as some places for its craft beer, but the brewing scene has been growing rapidly in recent years. More and more breweries are appearing across the country and the popularity of craft beer can be seen for all in local bars and restaurants. Recently, NBeer Craft Brewing has won awards on the international scene at the prestigious 2019 New York International Beer Competition and the 2019 International Brewing Awards held in the UK.
NBeer was established in 2013 in Beijing as one of the first locally owned craft beer brands in China. With a fully-licensed production facility and constant collaborations with other innovators in craft brewing, NBeer quickly gained a dedicated following in China’s craft beer scene. Now, NBeer has set its sights abroad and is receiving international recognition too.
At the 2019 New York International Beer Competition, NBeer collected six awards. The much-loved NBeer Mango Gose won a gold medal, while there were silver medals for the NBeer Gose Modern and NBeer Strawberry Gose, and bronze medals for NBeer Funky Fantasy 100% Brett IPA and NBeer Lindongjiangzhi Weizenbock. It’s fair to say the beers went down well with the judges, resulting in NBeer being named China Brewery of the Year.
NBeer also made a name for itself at the 2019 International Brewing Awards held in the UK. First held in 1888, the awards are often dubbed “the Oscars of the brewing industry” and one of the most prestigious events of the calendar. At the awards, the brewery picked up another silver medal for NBeer Strawberry Gose and a gold medal for its fan-favorite, NBeer Niubic Sour.
In little over a year, NBeer has won 12 international awards, making it the most awarded craft brewery in Mainland China. 2019 may only be a few months old, but it’s already proven to be a great year for NBeer. With plenty more exciting beers to come – including the much-hyped NBeer Tomato Gose – it’s going to be an extra-special year for the brewery and the Chinese craft beer scene.
Founded in 1855, the Telegraph is a major national newspaper in the UK. Chris Whittle, our Chairman and CEO, was recently interviewed by Simon Usborne of The Telegraph. In the interview, Chris outlined our vision for a modern school, built upon years of planning and his experience in education reform. We reprint this article below to share more details about Chris’ 50-year career and our plans for Whittle School & Studios.
It has been a long journey for Chris Whittle from small-town Tennessee to Claridge’s, where he is laying out his vision over the chicken pie.
He started in publishing, eventually turning the University of Tennessee magazine that he had founded into a major media company. Whittle Communications, as it became, employed 1,200 people at its peak and acquired Esquire in 1979. Whittle then became a figure in the US charter school movement (analogous to academy schools in Britain) before co-founding Avenues.
Now, Whittle is planning to open 30 schools in major cities, including London, over the next decade. The first two outposts of Whittle School and Studios, in the United States and China, will welcome pupils this September.
He and his team have spent the past four years developing his proto¬type for the perfect school – one fit for a global future after what he views as decades of educational inertia. “There’s an old joke in US school reform that the only thing you’d recognise in the 15th century is your school and your church, and they were often the same place,” he says.
Students at the first campuses, in Washington, DC, and China’s tech megacity Shenzhen, ought to notice a difference straight away. All that investment – from private equity groups, banks and individuals – has given Whittle the freedom to think big. He recruited Renzo Piano to create new buildings and convert existing sites. The Italian giant of architecture behind the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Shard in London brought his fondness for transparency to the designs.
Rendering of classroom on Shenzhen campus
In Shenzhen, two eight-storey blocks clad in glass lie either side of a tree-lined boulevard. More trees fringe open spaces on the roof, and each building centres on an airy piazza. Inside, rooms have at least two walls of glass and desks are arranged in circles. “Classrooms still tend to be closed boxes,’ Whittle says. ‘You can stand in one side of our school and see all the way through it.”
As well as the modern facilities, a new curriculum has been elaborately prepared, free from what Whittle’s team of teachers see as the strictures of qualifications such as A levels.
“The best parts of education are the wonderful experiences children can have through deep research and project work,” says Jim Hawkins, who resigned as headmaster of Harrow last year to become vice-chancellor at Whittle, or the company’s ‘head of heads’. Hawkins is talking by telephone from Shenzhen. “The parents I’m talking to are also aware of the inadequacies of conventional frameworks.”
Hawkins cites the example of several top-flight American schools with independent curricula. Universities, he says, are increasingly prepared – and keen – to look beyond traditional grades. Whittle children will still cover core subjects, but will also build up portfolios that might include essay and poetry prizes, or engineering certificates completed within industries.
Wednesdays will be expeditionary – or ‘X’ -days, when, as the glossy brochure explains, a civic-engagement class might run a vegetable co-op at a community garden, or create a scale model of a food supply chain in the school’s workshop based on visits to wholesale markets and interviews with buyers. “We want students to make connections but also study at a deep level,” Hawkins adds.
The schools will also take advantage of their global reach as the network grows, with language immersion and time spent on other campuses; pupils will be encouraged to spend about two of their 15 years at the Whittle School abroad.
Whittle is most energised about the advisory system the ‘Studios’ part of his company has been developing, alongside the curriculum, at its New York headquarters. “Go back to your school days and think about how much real one-to-one advice you were getting,” he says. “Often it’s very little other than what’s accidental because you struck up a relationship with a teacher.”
Rather than rely on traditional tutors to do what they can, Whittle is training its teachers to help shape students’ lives. Advisors will meet groups of 10 or so pupils daily and conduct fortnightly one-to-one sessions. “You’ll be sitting down with your teacher as a coach, who will really learn who you are… and if you care about something, we want to feed that interest,” Whittle adds.
Check out to learn more about our faculty members:
Whittle himself lives in some comfort in Manhattan, with his wife, Priscilla Rattazzi, a photo¬grapher and a member of the Italian Agnelli business dynasty. But he didn’t win the lottery by birth. His father was a rural doctor who served on the local school board. Whittle went to the nearest high school and became a student activist in Tennessee in the 1960s.
Publishing led him back to education when, in 1989, he launched a television news network in hundreds of American schools. Channel One was controversial for bringing advertising into classrooms, but hugely successful. As well as providing CNN’s Anderson Cooper with his first television job, it made Whittle’s company $250 million when he sold it in 1994.
By then, Whittle had attended thousands of school board meetings and wondered if he might do better. In the 1990s, he became involved in the opening of more than 100 charter schools, which promised to be more efficient and effective than traditional public schools.
Chris Whittle
“Life’s very iterative,” Whittle says before heading to an investor meeting. He has identified the 30 cities where he wants to open by 2030, which include the Middle Eastern market, and he says plans are advanced in the first dozen, including London. “You’re using every experience you’ve had in what you’re doing now, and this is my third endeavour in the world of schools. I’m giving it everything.” 🅦
Whittle Parent Information Events will be held on irregular basis in Shenzhen. Welcome to join one of the event and have a face-to-face communication with the team.
Long press the following QR code to sign up:
Address and contact information:
Chinese Name: 荟同学校
Place Address: 18/F CM Port Building, Industrial 3rd Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518067深圳市南山区工业三路招商局港口大厦18层
Air passengers arriving in Shenzhen will be able to take a ferry to Zhuhai, on the other side of the Pearl River, with the opening of the service, scheduled for Friday, at Shenzhen Airport Ferry Terminal.
Shenzhen Oceanus Group will run 16 ferry services between the two cities from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The first ferry will depart from Shenzhen at 8:50 a.m., with the service generally operating at 90-minute intervals.
A single trip takes 60 minutes and costs 125 yuan (US$19) per person.
Please note that tickets&timetable can only be purchased and shown on site.
The
CBRE Group recently announced the most expensive places to buy property in the
world, and the news confirmed something that people in Shenzhen were already
painfully aware of: Shenzhen is one of the most expensive places in the world
to buy property. To be precise, the fifth most expensive place.
The
average price to buy a property in Shenzhen is now a jaw dropping USD680,283.
That puts the city above such places as New York, Paris, and London. That’s
right, it’s more expensive on average to buy a property in Shenzhen than it is
in London now.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Shenzhen’s
rise on the list can be attributed to its continued establishment as the
Silicon Valley of China. Many of the country’s largest tech companies are based
in the city including mobile phone manufacturers Huawei and tech giants
Tencent. As a result, Shenzhen’s economy grew to RMB2.4 trillion and surpassed
that of Hong Kong’s for the first time in 2018, while the GDP growth rates for
2019 are over 8%.
If
it’s any consolation, there are still more expensive places to buy. In fact,
there are two alone in the China region. Shanghai came in third with average
property prices at USD872,555. Meanwhile, just over the border, Hong Kong was
busy topping the entire list with a quite ridiculous average property price of
USD1,235,220. So, it could be worse!
For
those interested, you can check out the full top 10 below.
Prince bar has a lot of things going for it. It is located just a few minutes walk from Shuiwan metro station. Surrounded by offices and apartments, it could be the neighborhood bar that the area has been crying out for. The bar has an open wooden decking with stylish white umbrellas offering cover. There are seats up at the bar and plenty of tables too. Taking a look around, I’m reminded of the neighborhood bars you find in places like Kennedy Town in Hong Kong.
For a snug and small bar, Prince has a wide selection when it comes to beer. There are 20 taps promoting both local and international craft brewers, from Catfish Brewing Co., from Hangzhou to Stone Brewing from California. They also have fridges full of bottled beer, offering an even wider selection from around the world. Local efforts from Liberty Brewing Co. and Bionic Brew come highly recommended.
I had come to Prince expecting good beer. What I didn’t expect was for the BBQ food to be as amazing as it was. All the meat and vegetables are fresh, with the chickens prepared earlier that same day, and they use an interesting mix of seasonings and sauces when barbecuing. The final result is less Chinese Street BBQ and more Japanese Yakitori.
Prince has all the makings of a great neighborhood bar; right next to the subway, a terrace view, a large selection of rotating taps and bottles, and some of the best BBQ around.
Address: 85, Prince Rd, Shekou, Nanshan, Shenzhen (深圳市南山区蛇口太子路85号)
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Craft beer seems
to be expanding everywhere in Shenzhen as of late, but what exactly is all the
fuss about? Is it really any better than cheap commercial lagers? Is it worth
the price difference? For that matter, what exactly is craft beer?
In the US, there
is a legal definition as to what constitutes “craft beer”. Unfortunately, in
China, there is less of a universally accepted standard and the word can often
be applied in questionable circumstances. Sadly, most of what’s out there still
leaves a lot to be desired.
Beer is unlike
wine or whiskey in the sense that it is far more susceptible to travel stress
and it’s quality can rapidly decline if handled poorly.
As a general
rule, the closer you can get to where it’s made, the better it is, at least in
terms of it not having been subjected to travel stress. You’ll have a better
chance of having a beer as it was intended to taste if it was brewed on site,
but might also find a good experience with a beer made off site providing it
was transported right. The further and further you get away from where it was
made, the more risk there is that it no longer tastes as it was intended to,
especially when it comes to crossing the border with potentially lengthy
customs delays.
We are of course
talking about the good stuff, fresh beer, which is unpasteurized and often
unfiltered. Fresh beer needs to be kept cold, time and temperature are far less
forgiving to it than its mass-made pasteurized counterpart.
A few red flags
to look out for when searching for a craft beer bar;
1) If they serve
beer from flash chillers and the kegs aren’t always kept cold, don’t pay the
extra money for it. The way to spot this is to see if the kegs are kept outside
of a fridge or cold room on the floor. In these cases the
beer is chilled only on demand by a flash chiller as it is sent to the tap.
2) If the bar
doesn’t put the brewery name on the menu, you might not be getting what you
expect. Is it really a craft beer, or is it a commercial beer with an inflated
price tag?
3) If the
bartender doesn’t know which brewery the beer came from, find another place to
frequent. An educated barman will not only give you a better
more educational craft beer experience, they’re more likely to know how to take
care of the beer and how to recommend a suitable beer for you based on your
preferences.
4) Be careful
with the imports. No matter how great the beer tasted when it was first made,
it often gets ruined by the transportation process. Importing beer into China
is notorious for its difficulty in making sure the proper temperature controls
are in place. Fresh unpasteurized beer should be kept cold as overheating can
cause flavors to go off and also spoilage.
Over the past
year, we’ve seen an increase in awareness regarding the transportation process
and overseas breweries have started to manage their own product transportation
to China. Even with the best efforts, however, imported craft beer will never
be able to compare to a product of equal quality that is freshly made locally.
That being said,
let’s take a look at some of the top brewpubs in Shenzhen…
1. Bionic Brew
Shenzhen’s first
craft brewery opened in 2014 and is just as famous for its beers as it’s
rollercoaster ride with the authorities. It’s been featured in CNN, The South
China Morning Post, and Travel + Leisure to name just a few publications.
Distribution is
limited to around Shenzhen and most people go to its gritty urban
village taproom in Baishizhou or B10 Live house to sample the brew. They are
best known for the Bionic Ale, Crickside Golden, and Metropolis IPA, but they
also make dry cider and other rotating beers.
Their taproom
features guest taps from all over China and they organize the Electric City
Craft Beer Festival in Shenzhen.
Address: Shang
Ye Bu Xing Jie, Baishizhou, Nanshan, Shenzhen (深圳市南山区白石洲沙河街商业步行街)
2. Taps
This brewpub made
a big splash when it opened a few years ago and was even featured in Fortune magazine
as one of the top 5 craft beer brands in China. Taps was also featured on CCTV
national news and is one of only seven brewpubs listed in the Lonely Planet’s
global craft beer guide; the only one in Guangdong on the list. This brewpub
offers a clean and comfortable environment and is nestled near Haiyue subway
station in Nanshan.
In addition to a
large draft list, they have many food items available from their kitchen to try
whether you’re feeling peckish after a few pints or looking for a full-on meal.
Be sure to try their famous End of Days IPA.
NBeer originates
from Beijing, brewed in Chengdu, but you can find all
their latest beers at the bar in OCT Loft right here in Shenzhen.
They are most
famous for their sour Goose Beer, but they are no one-trick pony,
and make dozens of other styles of beer. Don’t be surprised to find these beers
pop up at other locations across the city, but to get the full NBeer
experience, head to their bar in OCT Loft.
Recently, NBeer Craft Brewing has won
awards on the international scene. At the 2019 New York International Beer
Competition, NBeer collected six awards, including a gold medal for their Mango
Gose and China Brewery of the Year. At the 2019 International Brewing Awards in
the UK they picked up a silver medal for NBeer Strawberry Gose and a gold medal
for NBeer Niubic Sour.
Address: OCT Loft, Building A2, No.101, Nanshan, Shenzhen (深圳南山华侨城创意园北区A2栋101)
4. Plus Nine Brewery
One of the more
recent bars to burst on the brewpub scene is Plus Nine Brewery, situated in the
up-and-coming area of Shuiwei. They brew onsite to fuel their 11 drafts, but
they also have some guest taps on rotation.
It’s worth noting
that the taps are not always well marked so be sure to ask the bartender who
made the beer if you want to know if it’s one of their own brews or one of
the well-known guests beers.
Address: 1368 Intl
Culture St, Shuiwei Village, Huanggang Park 1st St, Futian, Shenzhen (深圳市福田区皇岗公园一街水围1368国际街区144栋)
5. ET Brewery
Located in Houhai
between the shops of Coastal City and the offices of Tencent, ET Brewery is a
great little option for those looking for a pint or two. Although this brewpub
has tanks onsite, most of their beers are actually brewed at their place in
Foshan.
The drafts
available often take inspiration from the extra-terrestrial nature of the
brewpub with drinks like Starfrunova and Space Cow Porter. They don’t usually
carry guest beers on tap, but occasionally you will find other great beers from
around the city or China.
Craft Head has long been a stalwart of the
craft beer scene in Shenzhen. They are very much a craft brewer’s brewer, and
their old location in Shuiwei holds a special place in the hearts of many craft
beer lovers. So the news of the opening of their new spot in Xinzhou Village
was met with no small amount of excitement.
Over the years, they have become
synonymous with cider and you can still find their classics Apple, Berry, and
Kiwifruit. It’s perhaps their Exit Plan IPA that makes the strongest
impression. Craft Head also use their extensive network in the craft beer scene
to bring a lively mix of guest taps too. With 16 taps on offer, you are going
to want to come back time and time again to try the latest beers.
The new spot has a fantastic terrace view
and also their food menu of reimagined Chinese classics and Asian-Western
fusion are must trys. Be sure to try the Goat Cheese Wonton, Lamb Rou Jam, and
Jian Special Noodles.
Address: Xinzhou 2nd Street and 7th Street,
Line 7, Near Shawei Station (深圳市福田区新洲中心村78栋二楼（新洲二街与七街交叉口）)
Shenzhen’s craft beer scene is growing all the time and new
brewpubs are popping up everywhere. Start your boozy journey with these
establishments, but who knows where that hoppy road will lead you. Cheers!
Last year, a standup paddleboarding
(SUP) club was founded in Shenzhen. SUP Shenzhen was conceived as a weekend
activity for foreign water sports enthusiasts who wanted to hang out away from
the crowded beaches.
People from all over
the world are welcome. Instructions are given in both English and Russian and there
is no paddleboarding skill level requirement to join the club as the majority
of the members are classed as beginners. The organizers have more than thirty
years of experience in different water sports so newcomers can quickly learn the
basics about how to paddleboard and stay safe. The group also provides
inflatable SUP boards that are designed for the Asian climate, as they are easy
to transport and safer to use in the sun.
The group started with
short trips to Dameisha. The picturesque bay was the scene for many a memorable
weekend trip for the group. When Typhoon Mangkut hit Shenzhen in September 2018,
however, Dameisha was closed down for repairs.
After Typhoon Mangkut, they
had to change location. In October 2018, the club moved to Dapeng, an oasis
that has been preserved while Shenzhen has grown into a megalopolis. During the
first season, the guys from the club explored almost the entire coast of the
Dapeng peninsula. They discovered different routes and bays. Even places that
cannot be reached by car. And yes, such places do still exist in Shenzhen!
This season, the guys from
the club plan to expand their horizons and visit new locations.They are already
looking at going to Hong Kong, where it is faster and cheaper to get to than
Dapeng and there are some truly amazing beaches too.
Even though lifejackets
are provided, members must be capable swimmers. Furthermore, for locals who
cannot speak English or Russian, the group can recommend a Chinese speaking
paddleboarding club. The club cannot accommodate children, but if parents want
to arrange a family day out of paddleboarding, then they can hire boards from
the club for the day.
Mike is the
administrator of the club. If you want to become a member, you can add him by
scanning the QR code. He will help you to join the group.
Great news for
Bao’an residents – and for people in Shenzhen in general – as it was recently
announced that the Guangzhou-Dongguan-Shenzhen intercity rail link is scheduled
to open this September. The line will greatly improve transport links to the
rest of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) from Shenzhen, especially from Bao’an.
The new line is
76 kilometers long and has 15 stops, 4 of which are in Shenzhen, 10 are in
Dongguan, and 1 in Guangzhou. The train will operate at a speed between 140 and
160 kilometers per hour, and has a capacity of 1,200 passengers.
The Route
Stop
Location
Shenzhen
Airport
Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Airport North
Shenzhen
Heping
Shenzhen
Shajing
West
Shenzhen
Chang’an
Jinsha
Dongguan
Chang’an
Xiabian
Dongguan
Humen
Trade City
Dongguan
Humen
Railway Station
Dongguan
Houjie
Dongguan
Shatian
Dongguan
Hongmei
Dongguan
Wanghong
Dongguan
Wangniudun
Dongguan
Zhongtang
Guangzhou
Why It Will Be Useful
Massively improves transport links to rest of PRD for
Bao’an residents
Previously, residents of Bao’an would need to travel to
Shenzhen North railway station to catch the high speed train. To get to
Guangzhou or Dongguan by train meant also going to Shenzhen North, or even
further afield to Futian or Luohu. The only other way to take public transport
was to take the bus, which was considerably slower and less reliable than the
train. Now, those in Bao’an can travel to the rest of the PRD much more
conveniently.
Connects to Guangzhou Metro, direct to East Railway Station
via Guangshen
The new line
connects to the Guangzhou metro at Xintang on Line 13. From there, travelers
will be able to travel to Guangshen and on to the East Railway Station in the
center of Guangzhou.
Connects to Dongguan Metro, direct to Dongcheng and Nancheng
There is even
greater convenience for those travelling to Dongguan. The new line connects to
the Dongguan Metro at both Humen Railway Station and Houjie, both of which are
on Line 2 and go direct to the downtown districts of Dongcheng and Nancheng.
Connects to Humen Railway Station, direct to high speed
train network
Not only does the Humen Railway Station stop connect
passengers to the Dongguan Metro, but also links to the high speed rail. From
there, passengers can travel by high speed to all over China.
The Next Steps
The first round of testing is scheduled for May 1st,
followed by a second round on July 1st. Authorities are currently
targeting to open the new line on September 30th, just in time for
the Golden Week celebrations.
There are also plans to extend the line even further. The
network will expand to Qianhai in Shenzhen and to both the East Railway Station
and Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou.
Keep checking Shenzhen Party for the latest developments
including ticket prices and journey time announcements.
Ever since American Jason
Stine came to China several years ago as a foreigner who couldn’t read much
Chinese, he quickly realized that there was no good up-to-date and bilingual
map app he could use for getting around.
Google Maps, even if
accessible via a VPN, was out of date with inaccurate transportation
information. Apple Maps was only accessible on Apple devices and only showed
English or Pinyin, often mixingthe two up when showing place names. Meanwhile, otherEnglish
map apps were just plain unreliable.
So after some time improving
his Chinese, Jason came up with a solution: Lost Laowai.In late 2016, he began
his journey developing an app that can help foreigners in their everyday lives,enabling
them to follow maps and directions in China with confidence.
So, do you want to ride the
bus in China, but can’t read Chinese?Do you need a reliable up-to-date map app
for China that shows everything in English, Pinyin, and Chinese so you can get
anywhere you need to go? Then Lost Laowai may be just what you’ve been looking
for.
“Laowai” means “foreigner”
in Mandarin, but after using this app, you will never be a lost foreigner in
China again.
Get directions for taking
buses, trains, subways, and walking. With Lost Laowai, you can travel around
China with confidence!
Lost Laowai brings China’s
most popular map app – known as AMap/AutoNavi/高德地图 – to people who have difficulties
reading Chinese!
Search and view all
place names in English, Pinyin, or Chinese!
Get bilingual public transportation information and walking directions to any place in China!
That’s
not all…
Discover restaurants,
entertainment venues, business destinations, and other places useful for
foreigners in China.
Have the option to search
for English/pinyin-only addresses.
Set favorite destinations and even save home and workplace locations for getting directions quickly to places you go to often.
View China’s most up-to-date
map and satellite imagery.
Lost
Laowai was developed by American entrepreneur Jason Stine
who is now seeking investment and collaboration opportunities to expand the
app’s reach in China as well as applying the concept to other languages and
countries.
Find
your way in China – Download Lost Laowai today! Available for iOS and Android.
Sónar Thrills Festivalgoers with a Sensational Showcase of Electronic Music Performances and Creative Technology Experiences
The legendary Barcelona-based festival returns to electrify Hong Kong Science Park with an eclectic array of trailblazing live acts, mesmerising DJ sets and spectacular audio-visual shows
Taking place in Hong Kong for the third year running, legendary Barcelona-based electronic music festival Sónar served up a day to remember for the thousands of fans who made the journey to Hong Kong Science Park on Saturday April 13. Featuring more than 35 top international, regional and local live acts and DJs across five unique indoor and outdoor stages, as well as a cutting-edge programme of creative technology experiences, the 15-hour festival thrilled crowds from start to finish with a deeply diverse selection of memorable performances and immersive attractions.
Featuring a supremely eclectic lineup that spanned the full spectrum of electronic music, from hypnotic downtempo rhythms and hip-hop beats to driving house and techno, Sónar once again delivered an infectious day-into-night party vibe that kept festivalgoers dancing until the end.
Musical highlights on the outdoor SonarVillage stage included a mesmerising DJ set from Ninja Tune legend Bonobo, an irresistible live show from genre-bending jazz- funk maestro Thundercat and a sultry sunset performance by British future-pop duo AlunaGeorge. At the indoor SonarClub stage, fans were treated to pulsating sets by influential Berlin DJ/producer Anja Schneider, Canadian electronic maverick Art Department and Spanish house master John Talabot, who brought the curtain down on the festival with a spellbinding two-hour set.
In addition to the music, Sónar also featured an extensive creative technology programme that allowed festivalgoers to explore a wide array of innovative tech- driven attractions. These included engaging talks by creative luminaries, hands-on workshops, groundbreaking prototypes, interactive new media arts installations, immersive VR experiences and spectacular audio-visual performances.
Please see below for some of the best images from Sónar Hong Kong 2019:
Ninja Tune legend Bonobo wows the SonarVillage crowd with a mesmerising DJ set eclectic electronica Jazz-funk maestro Thundercat serves up one of the most memorable performances of the festival with an irresistible live set at SonarVillage British future-pop duo AlunaGeorge turn up the heat with a sultry, synth-drenched performance at SonarVillage Korean DJ/rapper Park Hye Jin blends minimal house, techno, psychedelic darkwave and hip- hop to hypnotic effect at SonarVillage Spanish house trailblazer John Talabot brings the festival to a spectacular close with a masterful DJ set at SonarClub Anja Schneider, founder of iconic Berlin labels Sous Music and Mobilee, turns up the beats with a scintillating set at SonarClub Brixton’s Gaika conjures up a darkly magnetic blend of gothic dancehall and industrial eletronica at SonarClub Acclaimed Canadian hip-hop producer Ryan Hemsworth shares the SonarLab stage with infectious Japanese rap duo Yurafuwa Gang Cutting-edge creative tech and experimental prototypes give festivalgoers a glimpse into the future at MarketLab Sónar fans interact with one of the festival’s intriguing new media arts installations A spectacular audio-visual performance dazzles the spellbound audience Audience members listen intently during an insight-filled talk Sónar workshop attendees get hands-on with creative technology Festivalgoers explore fantastical virtual worlds using state-of-the-art VR equipment
About Sónar festival Since its launch in Barcelona in 1994, Sónar festival has established itself at the cutting edge of the global electronic music landscape and gained respect among fans and critics worldwide for its eclectic lineups, high-quality production and unwavering support for electronic artists both new and established. Beyond the music, Sónar plays a vital role in promoting creative technology via the Sónar+D programme, providing a unique platform for exchanging ideas and exploring the spaces where creativity and technology meet in a fun and inspirational environment.
Official channels: sonarhongkong.com facebook.com/sonarhk instagram.com/sonarhk/ twitter.com/Sonar_HongKong weibo.com/sonarhongkong #sonarhk2019
It’s been eight years since Ned Stark first warned us that “winter is coming”, but now it is finally upon us. The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones started on April 15th and the hype surrounding the show has reached fever pitch. Now, to help you get your Westeros fix before Jon Snow takes on the Night King, Cityplaza shopping mall have opened an amazing new Game of Thrones exhibition.
The
exhibition is a must-see for any Game of Thrones fans and worth crossing The
Wall that is in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border. A life-sized replica of the Iron
Throne has been flown in so you can get your photo taken doing your best
impression of Joffrey Baratheon or Cersei Lannister. Hopefully you aren’t
afraid of dragons, because there is also a six-meter long and 3,000 pound
statue of Viserion. Luckily, this dragon doesn’t breathe fire.
In
total, there are eight interactive zones including an AR White Walker photo
booth, which allows you to see what you would look like if you joined the Night
King’s army. Fortunately, the transformation isn’t permanent, which allows you
to check out the awesome merchandise on offer too. Why not show your
allegiances with a coffee mug or table coaster with the coat of arms of your
favorite house. We won’t judge you either if you secretly want to buy a
Lannister mug.
The
exhibition is spread across the second floor of the atrium and the center
bridge of the Cityplaza mall. The event only runs from the 10th to
the 23rd of April, so any fans wishing to check it out may want to
move a little faster than Daenerys Targaryen did crossing the Narrow Sea.
Location: 2nd
Floor Atrium & Centre Bridge, City Plaza, 18 Tai Koo Shing Road, Quarry
Bay, Hong Kong
Event Period: 10th
April – 23rd April
Opening Times: 11:00 – 21:00
Cost: Free!
Looking for somewhere in Shenzhen to watch the final season of Game of Thrones? On Mondays at 8.30 PM, you can find screenings at any of Xpats three locations in Seaworld, Central Walk, and Huanggang Village Pub. All three locations have RMB100 free flow drink deals and a special Game of Thrones themed food and drinks menu. For more info, see www.xpatsbar.com.
They
say the finest sports are those which teach us more than just to play a game.
It teaches us about life and how to conduct ourselves. Equestrianism is one
such sport. The 3,500 year-old art of horse riding not only teaches how to ride
a horse, but also discipline, communication, and leadership. You can learn equestrianism
now with the opening of Reou International Equestrian in PW Town in Shekou.
Reou
International Equestrian boasts well-bred horses, top-class coaches, and some
of the finest facilities. There are 19 horses including three thoroughbreds
from the UK and Australia, two warm-blooded horses from the Netherlands and
Germany, and two pet horses from the Shetlands. They are trained by a
professional coaching team including a head coach from the Chinese national
team and three international coaches from Australia and Spain.
The
facilities are spread over 8,000 square meters and include a 2,000 square-meter
Olympic-standard indoor field and a stable that can host 23 horses. As well as
changing rooms and showers, Reou International Equestrian also has an
observation deck to watch the horse riding, a multimedia room to review
training later, and a café to relax afterwards.
Whether
it is for yourself or for your children, visit Reou International Equestrian at
PW Town in Shekou to learn more about their programs. You may come to learn how
to ride a horse, but leave having learned much, much more.
Address: No. 19, Haiwan Road, Zhaoshang Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen(深圳市南山区海湾路19号湄南河体育小镇)
A 328-seat auditorium with well designed acoustics marks the crown of the Sea World Culture & Arts Center, Moutain View Theater proudly launches its 2019 Classcial Music Season. Six recitals presented by internationlly acclaimed musicians will be covering core repertoire of Piano and Violin throughout music history. We hope you will be as excited as we are about the wonderful programs and the aritsts‘ debut at the first professional concert hall in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.
Described by the Guardian as a performer of “fearless intensity”, former ECHO Rising Star Tamsin Waley-Cohen has established herself as one of the most insightful and versatile young British violinists. This season sees her debut in China. She will be performing violin sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy, and Elgar alongside Heifetz’s arrangements of pieces from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
▼ SCAN TO BOOK ▼
Japan-based Russian pianist Irina Mejoueva studied at Gnessin Institute of Music in Moscow, under pianist Vladimir Tropp. She won first prize at the Eduard Flipse Piano Competition in 1992, which was followed by numerous performance invitations throughout the Europe. After She had settled in Japan, she made many recordings for Wakabayashi Koubou among which her recording of Chopin’s Nocturnes was awarded Japan’s “The Record Academy Prize” in 2010. Her upcoming recital features a program of the romanticism era, focusing on Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Scriabin and Medtner.
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Brimful of energy, Antje Weithaas brings her compelling musical intelligence and technical mastery to every detail of the music. She won the Kreisler Competition in Graz in 1987 and the Bach Competition in Leipzig in 1988, as well as the Hanover International Violin Competition in 1991. In her upcoming concert, Weithaas is playing Ysaÿe’s sonatas together with the solo sonatas and partitas of J. S. Bach, and placing them in direct contrast with one another.
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Violinist Tseng Yu-Chien is rapidly building an international reputation as an emerging young soloist of enormous promise. Graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, his notable competition wins include the gold-standard Tchaikovsky Competition (2015), Singapore International Violin Competition (2015), and Sarasate International Competition in Pamplona (2009). On his upcoming concert, he will be featuring a selective repertoire that reveals his full capability in violin playing.
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Barry Douglas has established a major international career since winning the Gold Medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, the first non-Russian pianist to be honored with the award since Van Cliburn in 1958. In his upcoming concert, Barry pairs Tchaikovsky’s principal works for solo piano:The Seasons, and Mussorgsky’s warhorse Pictures at An Exhibition.
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Born in Paris, Dalberto was introduced to Vlado Perlemuter, a favorite pupil of the late Alfred Cortot and entered the Paris Conservatoire where he completed his studies. During that time, he won the first Mozart Competition in Salzburg, the Clara Haskil Prize and, in 1978, first prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Dalberto has been acknowledged as one of the foremost interpreters of Schubert and Mozart music. In his debut in Shenzhen, Dalberto will perform pieces that are among his favorites.
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TICKET INFORMATION
▼ Price & Subscribtion ▼
Premium Seats ¥480
Exclusive Seats ¥380
– 10% off for Design Society Members;
– Booking priority for ticket holders of the music forum “Music Lover’s Share” Series activity;
– Best available seats will be allocated automatically according to ordering time.
Intimate Seat Subscription ¥2,600
Limited to 20 seats only for each concert, reminiscing the indulging experience of a private music salon in the Romantic Era.
– ONE prime location ticket for each concert, six tickets in total;
– When order is placed, service personnel will be making contact to purchasers for exclusive seat-selection within 24hrs;
– ONE signed CD by one of 2019 Season’s soloists as a gift;
– TWO reserved seats for each lectures of music forum “Music Lover’s Share” series.
* Children under the age of 8 are not recommended to attend the concerts;
* Design Society holds the right to interpret the terms & conditions to subscription and discounts.
Join Design Society Membership Program
to receive exclusive member privileges,
and to connect with fellow design enthusiasts,
industry leaders and respected scholars
from all over the world.
▽
Become our Member
Membership Benefits
◆ Free admission to all Design Society host exhibitions for one year.
◆ 10% off Design Society performances.
◆ Invitation to exhibition preview and exclusive members’ events.
◆ Priority registration for performances and public learning program.
◆ Member’s preferential rate at selected stores.
* All membership benefits to be bound by “Shenzhen Sea Wolrd Culture & Arts Center Design Society Membership Terms and Conditions”.
I’m sure for most people in Shenzhen, especially anybody who has actually been there, associating flowers and nature with Dongmen is not what comes into your mind. More likely the words chaos, loud, and shopping are what you’d think of. However just off the Dongmen middle road lies a beautiful hidden park where you can get some serenity from the madness around you. Renmin Park or People’s park is one of the oldest in Shenzhen and has been an active hub of the community for a long time. It’s not the biggest park in the city, nor is it the most pristine, or even the most interesting. However it has bags of charm and character, and has that intangible quality that comes with things of age.
This park has all the usual features of a Chinese style park, small pagoda, lots of paths, children’s play area, benches, and a small pond where the local fisherman while away the day hoping to catch their dinner. It has a run-down kind of feel to it, but don’t let that detract you from coming here, it’s not a bad thing, in fact is distinctly Luoho in its feeling. There are lots of greenery here too, not huge swathes of grass, but towering bamboo and shady trees, great for a little stroll.
What sets this park apart? Well that’s an easy one. This park has an extensive and beautiful rose garden. It is one of the largest rose gardens in China, with more than 50,000 flowers of over 300 varieties. There is a cornucopia of colors and fragrances. Be warned however, there will be an army of people taking pictures amongst the flowers so you will be bound to photobomb many unsuspecting people. Each flower bed has an information plaque telling you the names in various languages and where they have come from. On a warm sunny day this place really does come alive with birds, bees, butterflies and children all mixing with the roses. If you’re in the area I highly recommend you check it out.
Want to go?
Shaibu metro station exit D1
Time 1 hour
For nature lovers, Instagram snappers
Bring water and/or snacks as there are no stalls here.
For more information about Shenzhen please follow my
blog at www.wanderlustwelshman.com or add my wechat directly joemacpherson
Sometimes an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life is needed, but with time being a premium for most people it can be difficult to know where to go to relax and unwind. Well there’s an option very near Shenzhen that provides peace and quiet, as well as beautiful nature, without taking too much time and effort to get there. And that place is the Hong Kong Wetlands Park. Now at first look it may not seem that impressive. It’s not pristine and uber green in colour, but what it does have is a rugged, untamed natural look. Exactly what a nature reserve or wetlands should be.
Many people, when they think of Hong Kong, think of a sprawling urban landscape with a vibrant nightlife. While this is true of one aspect of this fascinating place, there’s also a side to Hong Kong that’s focused more on natural beauty, and on preserving the beautiful wetlands that are Hong Kong’s natural habitat. The Hong Kong Wetland Park is dedicating to showing people the beauty of Hong Kong’s wetlands and educating them about the ecological importance of preserving this beautiful area. Not only is it a conservation facility, but it also focuses on education and tourism. There is much to see and do here. Sprawled out over 61 hectares, this place is truly enormous and is a testament to Hong Kong’s eco and nature mindset. It makes for a peaceful and beautiful walk, through a cornucopia of vibrant nature. There is an abundance of flora and fauna around you, a vast range of bird species to spot (if you’re lucky) and even a crocodile!
Upon entry you’ll be greeted by the visitor information centre. Here you’ll get to read about the wetlands, and the ecosystem. There are interactive exhibits for the kids and some fish and insects in tanks to look at. As you go outside you can see PuiPui the resident crocodile. There are many areas you can walk through; the paths and direction are up to you. There is a stream walk, mangrove boardwalk, and a butterfly garden. Each path has its own unique nature to observe, and lots of information about them. There are several ‘huts’ where you can sit quietly and try to observe some of the many birds which frequent these wetlands. Of course, there is no guarantee which ones, if any, you’ll see. Just have to be patient. Please be quiet if you’re in these areas as any noises will scare away the birds. There are telescopes there to view up close, or you can use your camera, perfect for any nature lover or bird spotter.
Want
to go?
There are several ways to get here
depending on where you are coming from. If
you go from Shenzhen Bay border you can get public green mini bus number 618 to wetlands park stop. Takes around 15 minutes
You can also go to Tin Shui Wai MTR station then change to Light Rail to wetland station.
Tickets
cost 30 HKD for adult 15 HKD for under 18. It is open 10am-5pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Recommended time 3 hours
Perfect for Nature lovers, bird watchers and family
days out
2019 Earth Hour was on March 30th, Saturday, as the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment grows another year older, the theme for Earth Hour 2019 campaign is ‘#Connect2Earth’, aiming to build mass awareness on why nature is important and create an unstoppable movement for nature similar to when the world came together to tackle climate change.
Follow the Marriott International Serve 360 spirit “Do Good in Every Direction”, Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan has taken various actions to support the Earth Hour campaign together with its guests and associates, conducted with series of innovative ways to show its effort in supporting environmental protection.
Starting from March 28th, the hotel especially partnering with the famous sports brand Descente and the pioneering art institution JO Art Residence to hold the a pre-event “60+ Go Green Vigor Night”, invited over 60 guests and medias to join a night running at the beautiful Talent Park, unite guests to step outdoor and save electricity energy while enjoy the beautify of nature. After the running, guests expressed they have a great sportive time within the nature environment, but more importantly, they deeply felt the necessary to keep the sustainability of nature for a continuous beautiful nature.
After the running, Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan invited guests to enjoy the themed green cocktail party. On the occasion, Marriott Nanshan, Descente and JO had shared with guests on-site the environmental protection campaigns they are doing, and mobilize more people to care and protect nature that often get forgotten in everyday life. Starting from the tiny things in daily life, like saving over usage of electricity and water etc.
As a hotel operated on its 4th year, Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan has
been sharing the travel brilliant lifestyle to its guests and associates, it
strives to provide the perfect experience for its guest while pay close attention
to protect the nature. The hotel has installed lots of smart digital equipment
to support the energy saving, such as adopt the RCU energy-saving system,
install the sun shields around the whole building, apply the water-saving water
faucet etc.
DESCENTE has doing good in supporting energy-saving as well, it has always
been committed to the use of environmentally friendly fabrics. ( e.g.
TOPGREEN®), participated in the SAVE THE PENGUIN campaign since 2009, this
project aims to provide financial aid and support for global environmental
issues, donating the profits of the campaign for Antarctic research and
environmental protection for over 10 years.
Jardin Orange Art Residence as Shenzhen’s pioneer of international artist residence platform, it is the core art and culture project of Jiyue City, a large-scale renovation project. JO has also been implementing the recycling use of wasted materials and the renovation of the old factory in its creation.
What’s more, on March 30th Earth Hour day, Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan turned dark the exterior lighting of the whole building, switched off the unnecessary lights within the hotel. Initiated actions to take part in the campaign together with its in-house guests.
In the restaurant Nanshan Kitchen on 43rd floor, the team has especially held the “We Do for Good” kids environmental protection fashion show, encourage kids to wear the costumes made by recycle materials to present themselves on the stage, through which the kids get and understand the important of caring for the nature and earth.
Dynamic is one of the spirits for the associates of Shenzhen Marriott
Hotel Nanshan, on the evening some volunteer staff also joined the outdoor yoga
class organized by Marriott International South China Business Council Shenzhen
sub-council held at Shenzhen Westin Nanshan, breathing and thinking with nature
while doing the yoga.
As we go about our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that we depend on nature for every single thing, from the very air we’re breathing right now, to the food we love, and the water we drink to quench our thirst, we simply can’t survive without nature and all that it provides, Switch off the light for one hour is just a start, whether it is one time outdoor running, an environmental protection activity for kids or a yoga class in the nature. One action is the beginning, more actions comes from our persistence. Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan sharing its Go Green lifestyle for aim to encourage more people to care for our nature and keep the beauty of the planet.
Place Name: 深圳中洲万豪酒店 Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan
Place Address: NO. 88, Haide Road 1, Nanshan District, Shenzhen深圳市南山区海德一道88号
Two weeks ago, we introduced 10 outstanding teachers from our Shenzhen Campus in a previous article 「Teachers on Shenzhen Campus (Part 1)」. Today, we are pleased to continue to introduce another ten talented, passionate and professional teachers who have joined the Whittle family.
Daniela Rodnite
Daniela is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York. Winner of numerous fellowships and competitions, she has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player throughout the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Daniela has a background in the Orff, Kodály, and Suzuki methodologies, and has taught instrumental and classroom music to students of all ages in the US, Denmark, Hong Kong Malaysia, and Singapore.
Conor Mckee
Conor McKee was born and raised in Northern Ireland and was further educated in England, where he graduated from the University of Oxford (Balliol College). Conor holds an MA (Oxon), a Postgraduate Diploma in Writing for Performance and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), as well as qualifications in Digital Media Production. Early in his career, he was a playwright and producer. Since 2015, he has taught in the United Kingdom and internationally, and was actively involved with the school production.He is currently completing an MA in Digital Technologies, Communication and Education through the University of Manchester. He has a passion for Shakespeare and cycling.
Jia Jun Ph.D.
Dr. Jia holds BA and MA degrees from the Renmin University of China, and completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and World Literature at the same institute. Funded by the China Scholarship Council, he attended Università di Bologna in Italy for one year. There, he experienced the importance of diversity and internationalism. His fluency in both Chinese and English will make a great contribution to our bilingual campus and his research on the humanities in both Chinese and Western contexts will help cultivate children’s ability for critical thinking. A firm believer in the significance of interdisciplinary education, he introduces students to a larger world through the tools of language, literature, history, and philosophy.
Niu Yunan
Niu Yunan obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Arizona State University, and then received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education (Bilingual Extension) from Teachers College, Columbia University. She now holds a valid California Child Development Program Director Permit. Before joining Whittle, Yunan worked with young children from many different types of placements and schools, and has accumulated rich experiences in both special education and early childhood education, especially in early intervention for children with autism and/or developmental delays. Yunan believes that every child is capable of learning, and that educators should allow and encourage young children to express themselves in their preferred ways.
StaceyAnn Palma
StaceyAnn Palma is a passionate and organized teacher with 15 years of teaching experience. She received an undergraduate degree in history from Spelman College in Atlanta and a graduate degree in education from the Hunter College (CUNY). She has taught international courses at top private schools in both New Haven, Connecticut and Shanghai, China. In the course of teaching, she is especially devoted to advocating the improvement of students’ reading and writing.
Taylor Collard
Taylor Collard was born in London and later moved to Spain where he grew up loving football. He played through his late teens and then moved into coaching. In 2011, Taylor moved back to the UK where he achieved a Bachelor’s in Sports Coaching from the University of Central Lancashire and worked at the professional football club Preston North End FC. In 2014, he moved to the United Arab Emirates where he led a sports & wellness program at the American University of Sharjah. Upon leaving the UAE in 2016, Taylor continued his journey into China working as a Lead Player Development coach at a teenage football club. Taylor also has an English Football Association Coaching license.
Zhang Jingyu Ph.D.
Dr. Zhang has rich educational and professional experiences in both Western and Chinese cultures and environments. He received his doctoral degree in Engineering in the U.S. and worked for several years in the U.S., China and Canada. Previously, as the chief engineer in a Fortune 500 engineering company, he oversaw and managed the construction of the largest landfill project in the U.S. Beside his professional achievements, Dr. Zhang is also active in the community. He help found the Chinese Association of Startup and Entrepreneurs in New York, U.S. After 12 years of overseas experience, he came back to China to pursue his dream as to become an educator. The mission of Whittle School and Studios resonates strongly with him.
Neha Pall
Neha Pall has fifteen years of teaching experience. She began her career at a public school in Aurora, Colorado. She then taught at a school for the gifted in Hillsborough, California. While at Colegio Nueva Granada in Colombia, Neha worked closely with the Special Education teacher to support the ELL population in an inclusive learning environment. At Hong Kong Academy, Neha was a PYP teacher and collaborated with Specialists to design a transdisciplinary curriculum consisting of hands-on, inquiry and project-based learning experiences. She holds a Master’s in Creative Arts in Learning with a Multicultural Specialization. She has presented at multiple conferences in America and Asia including the Innovative Learning Conference and EARCOS Teachers’ Conference.
Sander Meilink
Sander Meilink was born in the Netherlands and spent most of his childhood in Nijmegen before moving to Utrecht. He earned his B.A. at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam in addition to certifications in Electrical Engineering and Multimedia Design. In 2015, Sander started a leading STEM education company for Lego Education, robotics, coding and engineering for K-5 kids at top international schools building off his eighteen years’ experience working on new technology and multimedia projects for private and governmental healthcare, financial and transportation companies. Sander speaks Dutch, English, German and Chinese in that order of fluency. During his spare time, he composes music for theater and video games.
Zhang Litao
Zhang Litao received his B.A. in architecture from Central Academy of Fine Arts (C.A.F.A.), where he also earned his M.F.A. in Sculpture. He studied at The Oslo School of Design and Architecture as an exchange student and attended New York Studio School as a visiting scholar. He participated in several international resident programs and held a solo show in Beijing in 2016. During his graduate study, he has cooperated with the Western Academy of Beijing to launch a pre-college sculpture program. Later, he established courses in sculpture at Beijing National Day School, where he served as a teacher. In his style of education, he focuses on PBL (Project Based Learning) teaching and STEAM projects to enhance each student’s learning capacity through interdisciplinary study. He has also been practicing Chinese Traditional Medicine for many years.
Whittle Parent Information Events will be held on irregular basis in Shenzhen. Welcome to join one of the event and have a face-to-face communication with the team.
Long press the following QR code to sign up:
Address and contact information:
Chinese Name: 荟同学校
Place Address: 18/F CM Port Building, Industrial 3rd Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518067深圳市南山区工业三路招商局港口大厦18层
We believe that every school is a big family. An encouraging “family environment” produces many inspiring moments for young children. For every school, teachers play one of the most crucial roles. And it is with this belief that we are seeking to build the very best faculty team.
Our previous article walked you through our highly selective recruitment process and introduced members of founding faculties of Shenzhen and DC campus.
Recruitment in Shenzhen campus is nearly finished. Of the teachers that we have appointed, over 80% hold a master’s degree or above, 70% have more than 4 years of teaching experience. Chinese teachers mainly come from top-level international schools, some join us from reputable public schools, the rest are those highly brilliant young fresh graduates from first-tier universities here in China and beyond. Foreign teachers mostly are from the US and the UK. They have at least 2-years teaching experience with many having been in the field of education for over 10 years.
Here in this article, we are excited to introduce to you 10 teachers from our amazing faculty group. They are professional, they are charismatic, and Whittle School & Studios is all the more impressive with them on board.
Wu Hu Ph.D.
Highly proficient in Chinese, English and Korean, Dr. Wu Hu is one of the excellent candidates that joined us in our early recruitment stage. He went to Sungkyunkwan University on a full scholarship where he attained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Following that, he started to work as a research fellow at the Department of Energy and Power Engineering at Tsinghua University. He will join Whittle School this coming September as a middle school STEM teacher.
Bo Siwen
Whittle School & Studios attaches great importance to creative arts. A young yet experienced independent artist with a drama education background, Bo Siwen will join us as our performance arts teacher. She graduated from the University of London with a master’s degree in Musical Theatre. Whilst abroad, she further learned and performed drama in Amsterdam and New York. She has also worked as actor, translator, choreographer and director in a series of musicals and dramas. Siwen is excited to explore the art world together with her students at Whittle School & Studios.
Elaine Eastwood
Ms. Eastwood is a Reggio Emilia-trained early childhood educator with 15 years of experience teaching in culturally diverse classrooms. Prior to joining Whittle, she worked for a decade as an early childhood educator at a renowned international school in Southeast Asia. She is highly regarded for her ability to develop the natural curiosity of young children, helping them become confident and self-directed learners.
Wallen Mphepo Ph.D.
Dr. Mphepo obtained his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in the U.S, Sweden, and England, respectively. Having worked in the field of STEM education for nine years, Dr. Mphepo is well-recognized in the technology industry and also in academia. His ground-breaking technological achievements have been featured by mainstream international media outlets, including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. Dr. Mphepo also serves as a reviewer for multiple scientific journals.
Yuan Xianglei
Yuan Xianglei has several years of experience in teaching Mathematics with great success at Wuhan Foreign Languages School. His students have gone to Peking, Renmin and Tsinghua Universities in China, as well as Oxford and Cambridge in the UK and Columbia University in the US. They have also gained distinction in Mathematics Olympiads and similar competitions, More recently he has been involved in work with the “One Belt and One Road” initiative in designing Mathematics’ courses, and has rich experience and profound insight into personalized teaching.
Jeanette Miao
Jeanette Miao is a passionate and dedicated global educator. She has a diverse background from living in the USA, Hong Kong, Germany and China, with English being her mother tongue. Following graduating in education from Biola University in California, Jeanette has eight years and counting of valuable experience in the educational sector. As a life-long educator, she stresses the importance of encouraging children to become self-motivated, independent, confident, responsible, analytical and creative individuals.
Christopher Brandt
A dual citizen of the UK and USA, Christopher Brandt is an outstanding music player, as well as a professional and passionate music teacher. More than 30 years ago, he began to work as a private music tutor. Later, he taught in schools and educational institutions in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. He was the Principal Bass at the Hong Kong Philharmonic and has performed in Denmark, Italy and other countries. He has a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a master’s from New England Conservatory. He plays bass, piano, tuba, saxophone and guitar. He enjoys hiking, fencing, and tennis in his leisure time.
Wang Lu
Wang Lu graduated from School of Management, Zhejiang University. He was enrolled in the first cohort of “Global Entrepreneurship Program”. He has translated two published books as the main translator for Creating Innovators and Managing Innovation. After two years of teaching in the Teach for China programme, he joined Hangzhou Chinese International School as a Middle Years IB teacher and later took on a leadership role for Community Project – a service-learning program. Additionally, he co-founded the Joyman Djembe Academy in Hangzhou and two different innovation camp programs for teenagers. He also participated in Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom in the summer of 2018. Wang Lu believes that education is about “helping each student discover one’s own power for creation”.
Wang Wenjia
Wang Wenjia was born in an artistic family. Her great-grandfather was a famous art collector in the Republican period of China. Influenced by her family, Wenjia was admitted to the middle school attached to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and was subsequently admitted to the Department of Traditional Chinese Painting graduating as the top performing student. Later, she obtained a master’s degree in Art from the People’s University of China. “I pay more attention to the beginning of students’ dreams than to their achievements. In the process of understanding the students’ inner world, I find so many shining souls.” On the basis of teaching students precise professional art knowledge, she pays more attention to guiding students to think independently and express freely. The reason why she joined Whittle is that her ideal of caring for life, diversity of teaching are in total alignment to Whittle. She hopes to allow art to ‘nourish’ and enrich students’ lives.
Li Zheng Ph.D.
Li Zheng holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fudan University and a doctoral degree from Tsinghua University. He was involved in world-class experimental research, where, through autonomous learning, he successfully developed a high-performance methodology for computational research that benefitted his whole research team. His experience with interdisciplinary research instills in him a strong resonance towards the interdisciplinary and project-based educational concepts adopted by Whittle. As a father and a practitioner, Mr. Li strongly agrees with the personalized and experience-based teaching philosophy Whittle upholds and has thus decided to join the Whittle team. Conducting ground-breaking interdisciplinary research driven by interest is not only Mr. Li’s source of happiness but also the capability he expects to bring to future generations through his teaching at Whittle.
Whittle Parent Information Events will be held on irregular basis in Shenzhen. Welcome to join one of the event and have a face-to-face communication with the team.
Long press the following QR code to sign up:
Address and contact information:
Chinese Name: 荟同学校
Place Address: 18/F CM Port Building, Industrial 3rd Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518067深圳市南山区工业三路招商局港口大厦18层
Continuing the Langham brand commitment to environmental protection, The Langham, Shenzhen has been a constant advocate and supporter of environmental efforts. Since opening in 2012, The Langham, Shenzhen has been an active Earth Hour participant. This year, with the theme of “Living with Nature” for the China region, The Langham, Shenzhen is urging everyone to go beyond “60 minutes” and take actions to protect our environment. On 30 March, the hotel invited its guests to take part in a “Pink Cycling and Lightening” activity and encouraged everyone to turn off or dim the lights in their rooms in response to “Earth Hour”.
“Pink Cycling and Lightening” Activity
From 8:30-9:30 pm on 30 March, The Langham, Shenzhen turned off the exterior lights and dimmed the lights at the lobby and other public areas. The hotel also urged its guests to participate in this meaningful environmental activity by turning off or dimming the lights in their rooms as well. During this period, two special Langham pink bicycles were installed at the entrance of the hotel lobby where guests were invited to pedal and light up the “60+” sign at the side. In addition to the activity, The Langham, Shenzhen also offered special green dining options for its guests. T’ang Court, the sibling restaurant of the Three Michelin Stars restaurant in Hong Kong, worked with Green Monday, a green food organisation based in Hong Kong, to launch Green Monday Vegetarian Set Meals. Located on the hotel’s second floor, Silk included many healthy, green food items in its all-day buffet menu. Included were fresh salads and fruits, and more than 50 exquisite dishes, so as to promote healthier and greener living.
Hotel Lobby
In order to encourage hotel staff to contribute to the sustainable
development of green lifestyles and concepts, The Langham, Shenzhen will be
organising 10-km Green Cycling, Vertical Marathon and Plastic-Free Challenge
during Earth Month, which runs from 30 March to 22 April. At the same time, the
Staff Canteen will be joining forces with Green Monday to provide vegetarian
lunch and afternoon tea every Monday.
As a participant in social responsibility, The
Langham, Shenzhen has implemented many environmental protection measures. All
guestrooms and public spaces are equipped with modern energy-saving facilities
to provide guests with excellent dining and banquet services and facilities
that are green and sustainable. Since being named a Silver Certified Hotel by
EarthCheck in 2016, The Langham, Shenzhen has had its Silver Certification
renewed for two consecutive years. In 2019, the hotel will continue to fulfil
its social responsibilities with the aim of being Gold Certified.
About EarthCheck
2018 EarthCheck Silver Certified
EarthCheck is a quantitative
sustainability indicator system for environmental performance appraisal. Since
its inception in 1987, EarthCheck has been, and is currently, the leading
sustainable development standard system for the world’s tourism industry, as
verified by EC Global. Through comprehensive assessment of energy and water
consumption, total amount of waste generated and the public’s feedback on
corporate social responsibility, EarthCheck aims to enhance the environmental
and social responsibility of tourism organisations and help the public
understand and monitor the environmental commitments that organisations have
fulfilled.
About
Langham Hospitality Group
As the wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings, Langham Hospitality Group encompasses a family of distinctive hotels under the Langham Hotels and Resorts and Cordis Hotels brands with more than 50 projects currently either confirmed or in a developed stage of negotiation from Asia, Europe and North America to the Middle East. The Group takes its name from the legendary Langham in London which was widely recognized as Europe’s first Grand Hotel. For 150 years, this flagship hotel has represented sophisticated and gracious hospitality, a philosophy that reflects elegance in design, innovation in hospitality, genuine service and captivation of the senses across all properties. For more information, please access the website at www.langhamhospitalitygroup.com.
