Fang Fang

Kun Wuhanin kaupunki tammikuussa 2020 suljettiin koronaepidemian hillitsemiseksi, paikallinen kirjailija Fang Fang ryhtyi kirjoittamaan päiväkirjaa sosiaalisessa mediassa. Monelle päiväkirja oli ainoa tiedonlähde, joka tarjosi sensuroimatonta tietoa kaupunkilaisten arkielämän äkillisestä ja dramaattisesta muutoksesta, kun kaupunki eristettiin ja ruumisarkkujen jonoista tuli jokapäiväinen näky. Omia ajatuksiaan ja läheistensä kokemuksia jakamalla Fang Fang antoi samalla äänen miljoonien karanteeniin joutuneiden wuhanilaisten peloille, turhaumille, suuttumukselle - ja toivolle.Kaunistelemattomat kuvaukset Wuhanin kohtalokkaasta todellisuudesta tai vaatimukset syyllisten saattamisesta vastuuseen eivät olleet kaikkien mieleen. Fang joutui mustamaalauskoneiston maalitauluksi ja hän sai jopa tappouhkauksia. Arvostelu voimistui entisestään, kun päiväkirja koottiin kirjaksi. Kirjailija tuomittiin rahanahneeksi petturiksi, joka halusi pilata Kiinan maineen.Koskettava päiväkirja alkaa kaupungin sulkemisen ensi hetkistä ja loppuu viranomaisten julkistaessa päivämäärän karanteenin päättymiselle. Päiväkirja keräsi lyhyessä ajassa miljoonia lukijoita. Kirjan oikeudet on myyty jo lähes 20 maahan.Fang Fang (oikealta nimeltään Wang Fang, s. 1955) tunnetaan vahvoista siteistään Wuhaniin. Hänen laaja kirjallinen tuotantonsa käsittää muun muassa proosaa, runoutta ja esseitä. Hänelle on myönnetty lukuisia palkintoja, kuten arvostettu Lu Xun -kirjallisuuspalkinto vuonna 2010.

Fang Fang’s Soft Burial begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased. The narrative follows her journey through recovery as she takes a job as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful cadre, marries the doctor who saved her, and starts a family of her own. As the story unfolds, the protective cocoon of amnesia that her subconscious wove around her begins to give way, revealing glimpses of her previous life and the unspeakable trauma that she suffered.Soft Burial is one of the most remarkable—and most controversial—recent works of Chinese literature. Part mystery, part historical fiction, and part social exposé, the novel intercuts different generations, regions, and time periods. First published in 2016, Soft Burial initially received critical acclaim but soon faced a wave of denunciations and was taken off the shelves of bookstores throughout China. Fang Fang challenged the unspoken rules that govern how Chinese writers portray the past by depicting the human costs of the Land Reform Campaign in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and she was attacked for expressing sympathy toward members of the “landlord class.” An intimate portrait of historical trauma and the psychological toll of repressed violence, Soft Burial is a landmark in contemporary Chinese fiction.

Fang Fang’s Soft Burial begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased. The narrative follows her journey through recovery as she takes a job as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful cadre, marries the doctor who saved her, and starts a family of her own. As the story unfolds, the protective cocoon of amnesia that her subconscious wove around her begins to give way, revealing glimpses of her previous life and the unspeakable trauma that she suffered.Soft Burial is one of the most remarkable—and most controversial—recent works of Chinese literature. Part mystery, part historical fiction, and part social exposé, the novel intercuts different generations, regions, and time periods. First published in 2016, Soft Burial initially received critical acclaim but soon faced a wave of denunciations and was taken off the shelves of bookstores throughout China. Fang Fang challenged the unspoken rules that govern how Chinese writers portray the past by depicting the human costs of the Land Reform Campaign in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and she was attacked for expressing sympathy toward members of the “landlord class.” An intimate portrait of historical trauma and the psychological toll of repressed violence, Soft Burial is a landmark in contemporary Chinese fiction.

“She knew that if she didn’t say her piece, that flame would never be extinguished; even after death, it would continue raging.”The Running Flame opens with its protagonist in prison awaiting execution, desperate to give an account of her life. Yingzhi, a girl from the countryside, sees opportunity in the liberal trends sweeping across China. After high school, she joins a song-and-dance troupe, which allows her to travel and opens her eyes to new people and places. But an unplanned pregnancy brings an abrupt end to all her youthful dreams. Trapped in a bad marriage, Yingzhi is driven to desperate measures—and eventually a shocking act of violence.Fang Fang’s explosive short novel inspired widespread social debate in China upon its publication in 2001. In exploring the difficulties of one woman shackled by patriarchal tradition against the backdrop of radical social change, The Running Flame bears witness to widespread experiences of gendered violence and inequality. Fang Fang evocatively captures both the heady feeling of possibility in China’s roaring 1990s and its dark underside, as economic reform unleashed social dislocation in towns and villages. The novel draws loosely from interviews the author conducted with female death row inmates in a Chinese prison. Equal parts social critique and domestic horror, The Running Flame is a gripping, propulsive narrative that shines a light on the struggles of poor women in China’s countryside.

“She knew that if she didn’t say her piece, that flame would never be extinguished; even after death, it would continue raging.”The Running Flame opens with its protagonist in prison awaiting execution, desperate to give an account of her life. Yingzhi, a girl from the countryside, sees opportunity in the liberal trends sweeping across China. After high school, she joins a song-and-dance troupe, which allows her to travel and opens her eyes to new people and places. But an unplanned pregnancy brings an abrupt end to all her youthful dreams. Trapped in a bad marriage, Yingzhi is driven to desperate measures—and eventually a shocking act of violence.Fang Fang’s explosive short novel inspired widespread social debate in China upon its publication in 2001. In exploring the difficulties of one woman shackled by patriarchal tradition against the backdrop of radical social change, The Running Flame bears witness to widespread experiences of gendered violence and inequality. Fang Fang evocatively captures both the heady feeling of possibility in China’s roaring 1990s and its dark underside, as economic reform unleashed social dislocation in towns and villages. The novel draws loosely from interviews the author conducted with female death row inmates in a Chinese prison. Equal parts social critique and domestic horror, The Running Flame is a gripping, propulsive narrative that shines a light on the struggles of poor women in China’s countryside.

Based on theories of economics, sociology, and education, the book aims to explore the role of government and the market in China’s higher education investment.The authors comprehensively overview the characteristics of China's higher education investment system, including government funding, tuition fees, and social donations. In particular, an econometric model has been established to estimate the impact of university investment on the scale of regional higher education and average university student expenditure. Besides, they also make an international comparative analysis of the current changing trend of higher education investment structure and put forward countermeasures and suggestions to improve the government's financial and social investment in higher education.Professional scholars and postgraduate students studying Chinese higher education, the economics of education, and education finance will find this book helpful and inspiring.

Based on theories of economics, sociology, and education, the book aims to explore the role of government and the market in China’s higher education investment.The authors comprehensively overview the characteristics of China's higher education investment system, including government funding, tuition fees, and social donations. In particular, an econometric model has been established to estimate the impact of university investment on the scale of regional higher education and average university student expenditure. Besides, they also make an international comparative analysis of the current changing trend of higher education investment structure and put forward countermeasures and suggestions to improve the government's financial and social investment in higher education.Professional scholars and postgraduate students studying Chinese higher education, the economics of education, and education finance will find this book helpful and inspiring.

In 1926, the walled city of Wuchang, now part of modern-day Wuhan, lay under siege for forty days, and the human cost was devastating. Fang Fangâ??s riveting novel is based on the true story of this cruel battle.

From one of China's most acclaimed and decorated writers comes a powerful first-person account of life in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak.On January 25, 2020, after the central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, acclaimed Chinese writer Fang Fang began publishing an online diary. In the days and weeks that followed, Fang Fang's nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and hope of millions of her fellow citizens, reflecting on the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and most tragically, the lives of neighbors and friends taken by the deadly virus. A fascinating eyewitness account of events as they unfold, Wuhan Diary captures the challenges of daily life and the changing moods and emotions of being quarantined without reliable information. Fang Fang finds solace in small domestic comforts and is inspired by the courage of friends, health professionals and volunteers, as well as the resilience and perseverance of Wuhan's nine million residents. But, by claiming the writer s duty to record she also speaks out against social injustice, abuse of power, and other problems which impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it.As Fang Fang documents the beginning of the global health crisis in real time, we are able to identify patterns and mistakes that many of the countries dealing with the novel coronavirus have later repeated. She reminds us that, in the face of the new virus, the plight of the citizens of Wuhan is also that of citizens everywhere. As Fang Fang writes: "The virus is the common enemy of humankind; that is a lesson for all humanity. The only way we can conquer this virus and free ourselves from its grip is for all members of humankind to work together." Blending the intimate and the epic, the profound and the quotidian, Wuhan Diary is a remarkable record of an extraordinary time. Translated from the Chinese by Michael Berry

From one of China's most acclaimed and decorated writers comes a powerful first-person account of life in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak.On January 25, 2020, after the central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, acclaimed Chinese writer Fang Fang began publishing an online diary. In the days and weeks that followed, Fang Fang's nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and hope of millions of her fellow citizens, reflecting on the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and most tragically, the lives of neighbors and friends taken by the deadly virus. A fascinating eyewitness account of events as they unfold, Wuhan Diary captures the challenges of daily life and the changing moods and emotions of being quarantined without reliable information. Fang Fang finds solace in small domestic comforts and is inspired by the courage of friends, health professionals and volunteers, as well as the resilience and perseverance of Wuhan's nine million residents. But, by claiming the writer s duty to record she also speaks out against social injustice, abuse of power, and other problems which impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it.As Fang Fang documents the beginning of the global health crisis in real time, we are able to identify patterns and mistakes that many of the countries dealing with the novel coronavirus have later repeated. She reminds us that, in the face of the new virus, the plight of the citizens of Wuhan is also that of citizens everywhere. As Fang Fang writes: "The virus is the common enemy of humankind; that is a lesson for all humanity. The only way we can conquer this virus and free ourselves from its grip is for all members of humankind to work together." Blending the intimate and the epic, the profound and the quotidian, Wuhan Diary is a remarkable record of an extraordinary time. Translated from the Chinese by Michael Berry

A comprehensive review of state-of-the-art CCHP modeling, optimization, and operation theory and practice This book was written by an international author team at the forefront of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems R&D. It offers systematic coverage of state-of-the-art mathematical modeling, structure optimization, and CCHP system operation, supplemented with numerous illustrative case studies and examples. CCHP systems are an exciting emerging energy technology offering significant economic and environmental benefits. Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems: Modelling, Optimization, and Operation is a timely response to ongoing efforts to maximize the efficiency of that technology. It begins with a survey of CCHP systems from the technological and societal perspectives, offering readers a broad and stimulating overview of the field. It then digs down into topics crucial for optimal CCHP operation. Discussions of each topic are carefully structured, walking readers from introduction and background to technical details. A set of new methodologies for the modeling, optimization and control of CCHP systems are presented within a unified framework. And the authors demonstrate innovative solutions to a variety of CCHP systems problems using new approaches to optimal power flow, load forecasting, and system operation design. Provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art of CCHP system developmentPresents new methodologies for mathematical modeling, optimization, and advanced controlCombines theoretical rigor with real-world application perspectivesFeatures numerous examples demonstrating an array of new design strategiesReflects the combined experience of veteran researchers in the field whose contributions are well recognized within the energy communityOffers excellent background reading for students currently enrolled in the growing number of courses on energy systems at universities worldwide Timely, authoritative, and offering a balanced presentation of theory and practice, Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems: Modelling, Optimization, and Operation is a valuable resource forresearchers, design practitioners, and graduate students in the areas of control theory, energy management, and energy systems design.

In the context of dramatically changing contemporary patterns of mate selection in China, Mate Selection in China focuses upon both the causes and consequences the societal changes which have resulted in a considerable shift in the ways in which young adults go about finding a spouse. Tracking a period of change, from a long history of patriarchal families and arranged marriages, into an environment wherein individuals are relatively free to choose their intimate partners, Blair, Madison and Fang demonstrate and analyse how recent shifts in divorce, cohabitation, and pre-marital sex have altered young adults’ perceptions of marriage. Delving into demographic factors, such as the skewed sex ratio among young adults which have resulted in an overabundance of young males, cultural factors, such as increasingly individualistic forms of dating, and social and economic change which has resulted an increasingly materialistic middle-class, this book highlights that while traditional influence of parents in the selection of partners for their children has been overtaken, mate selection choices are not entirely made by the individuals themselves. Providing a comprehensive examination of mate selection within an ever-changing context, this book is a fascinating read for scholars interested in the impact of culture of family and marriage.