Triad Dramas as Commentaries on Revolutionary Disharmony,Totalitarian Nostalgia,and a Yearning for Past Chivalry

In 2007, amateur on-line writer Kong Ergou’s triad novel series, Past Events of the Northeast: Twenty Years of the Triads, became a hit as a piece of network original literature. Five years later, the first volume of the book series was adapted into a network television drama of the same title. Focusing on the television drama, this paper examines three interrelated “dimensions” of the text. The first “dimension” relates to the correspondence between the inception and development of underworld gangs, and the vicissitudes experienced by the Chinese people during the harsh and unprecedented economic and cultural conditions that were introduced during the post-Mao era. A second “dimension” of this dramatic text finds that the nostalgia for and admiration of totalitarian times, together with a postmodern parody and deconstruction of Maoist society and its ideology, are juxtaposed in contemporary popular cultural products such as Past Events, thus demonstrating the complex and obscure emotions of ordinary Chinese people in relation to socialist revolutionary times. The final “dimension” compares the chivalrous spirit espoused by the gangsters with the ever-deteriorating morality and ethical values prevalent in present-day China.     

Reviews

Abstract

The existence of sacred places is a widespread phenomenon throughout Palestine, one which is reflected in various types of local sites, such as water sources, graves, caves, trees and constructed shrines (maqams). In Islamic Palestine, the construction of maqams originated with the Fatimid (a Shiite group), in order to memorialise and 'greet' distinguished figures descended from the family of the prophet Muhammad. Thereafter, the Sunni faith actively adopted this concept and dedicated more than 2,500 sites to prophets, holy people, the righteous and martyrs. The sacred place of Sheikh Shihab ed-Din, like several hundred other Islamic maqams throughout Mandate Palestine, is located on top of a natural hill commanding a panoramic view. This place has held religious importance during the Byzantine and Ayyubid-Mamluk periods, right through to the present day. This paper studies the construction of the maqam as well as its related archaeological remains. It is based on a field study, a survey of the literature, and archaeological explorations conducted during a brief excavation season.     

The oldest silken fungus beetle from the Early Cretaceous of southern China (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae: Atomariinae)

Cai, C.-y. & Wang, B., 2013. The oldest silken fungus beetle from the Early Cretaceous of southern China (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae: Atomariinae). Alcheringa 37, 1–4. ISSN 0311-5518

Atomaria cretacea sp. nov., a new silken fungus beetle, is described and figured based on an impression fossil from the Lower Cretaceous Shixi Formation at a locality near Qingxi Town, Jiangxi Province, southern China. The new species can be referred to the extant family Cryptophagidae as supported by the tiny body size, the clubbed antenna with dilated antennomere 1, closely spaced antennal insertions, and abdominal ventrite 1 being longer than the remaining ventrites. It is placed in the extant subfamily Atomariinae based on the presence of a frontoclypeal suture and the absence of gular sutures; and tentatively in Atomaria based on its body size, sub-parallel body shape, and the presence of a frontoclypeal suture.

Chen-Yang Cai [caichenyang1988@163.com], Bo Wang [savantwang@gmail.com], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy; Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China. Received 11.11.2012; revised 26.1.2013; accepted 31.1.2013.     

Palaeopathology of a crocodile femur from the Pliocene of eastern Australia

A large fossilized crocodilian left femur recovered from the Pliocene Chinchilla Local Fauna of southeastern Queensland, Australia, exhibits a region of proliferative bone, consistent with an episode of osteitis. The nature and location of the pathology suggest a simple fracture with puncture wounds, possibly the result of a crushing bite of another crocodile, followed by infection. The size and morphology of the femur most closely resembles the now extinct Plio-Pleistocene crocodile Pallimnarchus.     

A new genus and species of Steninae from the late Eocene of France (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae)

Cai, C., Clarke, D.J., Huang, D. & Nel, A., 2014. A new genus and species of Steninae from the late Eocene of France (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae). Alcheringa 38, 557–562. ISSN 0311-5518.

A remarkable new genus and species of rove beetle, Eocenostenus fossilis gen. et sp. nov., is described and figured based on one well-preserved specimen from the late Eocene of Monteils (near Alès, Gard, France). Eocenostenus is definitively placed in the extant subfamily Steninae, based on the combination of dense and coarse body punctation, globular and protruding eyes, exposed and closely spaced antennal insertions on the vertex, and six visible abdominal terga. Eocenostenus differs from the two extant stenine genera Stenus and Dianous most notably in the structure of the prothorax, which is strongly transverse and with unusual anterolateral projections, and in the anteriorly placed antennal insertions. This new discovery highlights the palaeodiversity of a genus-poor subfamily and suggests that the early diversification of Steninae is probably complicated.

Chenyang Cai [caichenyang1988@163.com] and Diying Huang [dyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Rd., Nanjing 210008, PR China; Dave J Clarke [dclarke@fieldmuseum.org], Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA; and André Nel [anel@mnhn.fr], Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS UPMC EPHE, CP50, 45 rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France. Received 23.1.2014; revised 2.5.2014; accepted 12.5.2014.     

1990年以来长春市工业空间扩展的驱动力分析

依据1995年、2003年、2008年长春市土地利用现状图和2011年长春市卫星影像图,借助于Arc GIS技术平台,综合运用Global Moran's I指数、分形理论模型法以及缓冲区分析法,对长春市工业空间扩展特征进行研究,结果表明:1工业空间整体具有空间正相关特征,但工业空间集聚程度呈现先降低后逐渐增高的趋势,显示出工业空间具有整体分散、局部集聚的演变特征;2工业空间总体扩展方式为向外扩展,但具体呈现出"交通轴向扩展-轴间指状填充-交通轴向扩展"的特点;3工业空间演化呈现郊区化显著、多中心分布以及工业多次搬迁且不连续性的特征。在上述综合研究结果的基础上,认为自然因素、开发区的成立和发展、产业结构的升级、土地使用制度的改革与企业改制重组、城市规划以及交通是长春市工业空间扩展的驱动力。     

瓷枕探析

唐代、两宋、金代和元代是瓷枕最为兴盛的时期.本文通过有明确纪年或相对明确纪年的瓷枕,把它们与目前尚未明确年代的瓷枕通过造型、纹饰、装饰技法与烧造工艺加以全面的比较,归纳分类形成一种标准器的组合,使其成为比较准确的界定瓷枕年代的依据.     

Settling Down in Beijing

Tibetans in Beijing are quite an interesting phenomenon. They not only demonstrate the transformation of Tibetan society, but also reflect the integration of the two groups of people, ethnic Han and ethnic Tibetan.     

土乡笔耕录

《中国土族》杂志于本期开始热情推出《我在土乡》栏目。此栏目将着重介绍土族和非土族人士在土乡的所历所感,希望社会各界积极参与,踊跃投稿。本期首篇推出的是蔡西林先生撰写的《土乡笔耕录》。蔡西林先生16岁时即从江南水乡来到青海高原,从此扎根土乡三十五载,将一生中最美好的时光献给了土族之乡。他衷情于土族文化,搜集了300多则民间故事,1000多条谚语,2000多首民间歌谣,发表了众多有份量的研究土族文化的论文———许多土族民间文化事象就是经他的介绍而广为世人所知的。他以土乡的风土人情、山川风貌为题材,发表了百余万字的文学作品,还为土乡培养了一批文学人才,为土乡的文化事业作出了贡献。为此,土族人民亲切地称他为“汉籍土人”。他对土乡的钟爱和奉献也洋溢在他的自述文稿中。