Dr. Robin Visser and talks on Questioning Borders: Ecoliterature of China and Taiwan at CMU and Pitt, November 30.

Dr. Robin Visser will be in Pittsburgh speaking on her new book, Questioning Borders: Ecoliterature of China and Taiwan, at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh on November 30. The talk at CMU will run from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in 340 Posner Center (map):

Robin Visser is professor and associate chair of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She will talk about her new book, Questioning Borders: Ecoliterature of China and Taiwan. Published by Columbia University Press in 2023, the book engages with the intersection of ethnic minorities and environmental studies in modern China from a comparative, interdisciplinary, and global context. The talk will be of interests to a broader spectrum of CMU scholars, such as those who work on environmentalism, ethnicity, postcolonialism, indigeneity, and social injustice.

The title of her Questioning Borderstalk at CMU is “Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in Literature of Inner Mongolia, China.” The following is the abstract of her talk:

Indigenous knowledge of local ecosystems often challenges settler-colonial cosmologies that naturalize resource extraction and the relocation of nomadic, hunting, foraging, or fishing peoples. In this talk, I present findings from my book, Questioning Borders (Columbia UP, 2023), which analyzes relations among humans, animals, ecosystems, and the cosmos in ecoliterature by Han and non-Han Indigenous writers of China and Taiwan. I start by theorizing relationality, indigeneity, and ecological civilization, then present a case study comparing literary works by Mongol and Han writers of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. I argue that Jiang Rong’s best-selling novel Wolf Totem (狼图腾2004) manifests “Hanspace” imperial cosmologies in contrast to the shamanistic cosmologies in Guo Xuebo’s fiction (Sand Burial 沙葬, 1988; Desert Soul 大漠魂1996; Moŋgoliya 蒙古里亚, 2014), which conveys a post-extinction world governed by what Elizabeth Povinelli (2016) terms “geontopower.”

The talk at the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center begins at 4:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

2023 Chinese movie Be My Family (无价之宝) in Pittsburgh, from November 17.

The 2023 Chinese movie Be My Family (无价之宝) will play in Pittsburgh from November 17.

"Stone" Shi Zhenbang (played by Zhang Yi) and Yang Wu (played by Pan Binlong), two down-and-out brothers who run a hardware store while struggling to survive and recover the debt, take care from time to time, of the daughter Qianqian, the debtor Manli. In their relationship with Qianqian, their initial dislike and feeling of burden slowly melted to that of doing everything they can to fight for their daughter.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Bubble tea place Meetcha to open in Oakland, too.

Yesterday we read about Meetcha and Kyo Matcha opening in Squirrel Hill, and it turns out Meetcha will also open a spot in Oakland. The bubble tea place will be located at 303 S. Craig St., in what was formerly Little Asia restaurant. It will be run by the same Little Asia and Bao 2 ownership, and will be across the street from Wushiland, another bubble tea chain that will open its first Pittsburgh location soon.

Dessert chain Kyo Matcha, bubble tea place Meetcha coming soon to Squirrel Hill.

Signage is up for Kyo Matcha in Squirrel Hill, at at 5864 Forbes Ave. (map) in the former Footers Cleaners spot. Kyo Matcha, according to its official site,

is an international chain of Matcha desserts dedicated to creating top-quality raw materials. Due to the influence of the Japanese-style matcha culture, the Kyoto Matcha is based on the brand mission of “Let the Tea Return to the Forest”, rooted in the traditional Japanese tea culture and dedicated to the promotion of Matcha culture.

Signage is also up for Meetcha, which will likely bring another bubble tea place to Squirrel Hill. Signage for something first went up in September, when plans for published for a restaurant/cafe in this spot. It will be one of several new Asian dessert places coming soon to the neighborhood, in addition to Meccha Matcha and Mango Mango/Tiger Sugar.

Footer's is owned by the same family who ran Lord Duncan Cleaners on Forward Avenue, which also closed earlier in 2023, and Sumi's Cakery.

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

English Mandarin Language Social Hour, October 25 at Pitt.

Credit:  LRB: 安平影像 (风光), via @tongbingxue

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present an English Mandarin Language Social Hour on October 25.

A language and cultural exchange between Pitt language learners and international speakers. Lunch provided.

The event runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map), and is open to members of the Pitt community. Registration is required.

Fantuan hiring Mandarin-speaking Marketing Assistant 宣传助理 for Pittsburgh area.

Fantuan, a delivery service catering to Asian restaurants and groceries that expanded to Pittsburgh in 2020, is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Marketing Assistant 宣传助理.

Fantuan was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2014. With a mission of “life made easier,” the company is a one-stop platform providing food delivery (Fantuan Delivery), reviews (Fantuan Reviews), an errand service (Fantuan Rush), e-commerce and marketing services. Fantuan is one of the top Asian life-services platforms in North America, currently operating across Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York and other metropolitan areas in Canada and the US.

Job Title: Marketing Assistant

Job requirement:

1. Work with BD team to develop and build up new channels to promote our business, focusing on but not limited to campus and local clients.

2. Work with another team internally to work out the promotion materials like the contents of the poster, banners and son on

3. Email marketing + Instagram and FB, Wechat group, Little red book content creation,

Requirement:

1. Marketing Major is an asset

2. Strong communication skills, willing to meet the challenges

3. Acted a leader of the student union in the University is preferred

4. English and Mandarin are highly required

5. 1 year of working experience in Marketing related is preferred, or similar experiences in Campus can be considered either.

Asian Granite & Cabinet in the North Hills hiring bilingual (preferred) Mandarin-English office assistant.

Asian Granite & Cabinet in the North Hills is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English office assistant.

Our Granite & Cabinet shop needs an additional sales associate.

We are looking for vibrant, energetic friendly people to join our team!

Sales/customer service experience preferred, but we are willing to train.

Skill: Basic excel, typing.

Education: High school diploma or GED.

Language skills: Bilingual , Mandarin speaking is ideal but not necessary.

MiFan now open in East Liberty.

MiFan is now open in East Liberty. Signage went up in August at 5923 Baum Blvd. in what was most recently Wings Over East Liberty (map). Menu information is available on its new website, and signage on the windows refers to a 10% off promotion.

1993 Chinese movie Farewell my Concubine (霸王别姬) in Pittsburgh for film's 30th anniversary, October 15 - 19.

The 1993 Chinese movie Farewell my Concubine (霸王别姬) will play at the Harris Theater from October 15 - 19.

Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) grow up enduring the harsh training of the Peking Opera Academy, where instructors regularly beat the students to instill in them the discipline needed to master the complex physical and vocal techniques of this ancient art. As the two boys mature, they develop complementary talents: Dieyi, with his fine, delicate features, assumes the female roles while Xiaolou plays masculine warlords. Their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to fully reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan, Juxian (Gong Li), creating a dangerous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle.

Hailed as a “cultural achievement” (The New York Times) and widely considered one of the most important motion pictures ever made, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE is a “gorgeous, intoxicating epic” (Los Angeles Times) that is both “visually spectacular” and “sumptuous in every respect” (Time Out). Spanning 50 years from the early 20th century to the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, Chen Kaige's passionate, exquisitely shot film captures the vast historical scope of a changing country while revealing the intimate and touching details of a unique, tender, heartrending love story. Based on the bestselling novel by Lillian Lee, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Films in Global History” by TIME Magazine, was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and remains the only Chinese-language film to ever win the Palme d’Or.

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Film Movement Classics is proud to bring the recently restored 4K version of this masterwork to North American theaters, where audiences in the U.S. and Canada will be able to see the complete, uncut film (20 minutes longer than its original Miramax theatrical release) on screen for the first time ever.

Tickets are available online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

Free guzheng performances by Zhongbei Wu at IUP, October 12 and 13.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts and Humanities will host two days of programming with guzheng performer Zhongbei Wu on October 12 and 13. A concert is scheduled for October 12 at 7:00 pm while a presentation and hands-on workshop is scheduled for October 13 from 11:20 am.

Professor Zhongbei (Daisy) Wu is a renowned musician of playing Guzheng (a traditional Chinese instrument), and has performed in various countries and remarkable venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, United Nations Headquarters, China National Television, and many more. he is also a groundbreaking creator with her own contemporary compositions. Currently, she is a clinical professor of music at Alfred University, where she has been teaching Chinese music and the Guzheng courses since 2010, and is also director of its Chinese language and culture program. Prior to coming to the US, she was an associate professor of music and the director of the Chinese orchestra in Hunan University of Technology and Business, China.

The Corell Recital Hall is located in Cogswell Hall on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (map), a roughly 90-minute drive east of Pittsburgh.

Happy 84th Birthday to Chinese Nationality Room at University of Pittsburgh.

The Chinese Nationality Room in 1939; via Historic Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Nationality Room was dedicated on October 6, 1939.

Many More Marketplace.

The City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning has a look at the proposed signage for the new Many More Marketplace location, set to go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment on October 12. Many More Asian Market in Lawrenceville is relocating to a larger space eight blocks down the street and has been sharing progress pics on Facebook.

Fortune Group hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Office Administrator.

Fortune Group, located in downtown Pittsburgh, is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English Office Administrator.

About us

Fortune Mortgage Company (Banking Group) is a wholesale lender with over 30 years of specializing in real estate, loans, financing, and commercial funding. We are has an opening job for Office Administrator. You will work with a great team as a full-time employee. We are professional and agile.

Job Description:
Ø PC, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel Knowledge
Ø Great Organizational Skills
Ø Great Telephone Skills and Communication Skills
Ø Full Time Job Monday ~ Friday, 9am~6pm
Ø Bilingual Preferred: Mandarin
Ø Located in Downtown Pittsburgh PA

New Chinese movie Moscow Mission (莫斯科行動) in Pittsburgh, from October 5.

The new Chinese movie Moscow Mission (莫斯科行動) will play in Pittsburgh from October 5.

In 1993, a series of violent armed robberies occurred on the K3/4 international train connecting Beijing and Moscow, the only land communication line between China and Europe back then. The Chinese police engaged in a cross-border investigation and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Disguised as businessmen and undaunted by danger, a special operations team led by the Railway Police set off for this investigation in the unfamiliar territory of Moscow, with only one goal in mind: to arrest the criminals and successfully extradite them back to China. The film is based on a real historical event.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront in Mandarin with English subtitles and tickets are available online.

1993 Chinese movie Farewell my Concubine (霸王别姬) in Pittsburgh for film's 30th anniversary, October 15 - 19.

The 1993 Chinese movie Farewell my Concubine (霸王别姬) will play at the Harris Theater from October 15 - 19.

Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) grow up enduring the harsh training of the Peking Opera Academy, where instructors regularly beat the students to instill in them the discipline needed to master the complex physical and vocal techniques of this ancient art. As the two boys mature, they develop complementary talents: Dieyi, with his fine, delicate features, assumes the female roles while Xiaolou plays masculine warlords. Their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to fully reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan, Juxian (Gong Li), creating a dangerous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle.

Hailed as a “cultural achievement” (The New York Times) and widely considered one of the most important motion pictures ever made, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE is a “gorgeous, intoxicating epic” (Los Angeles Times) that is both “visually spectacular” and “sumptuous in every respect” (Time Out). Spanning 50 years from the early 20th century to the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, Chen Kaige's passionate, exquisitely shot film captures the vast historical scope of a changing country while revealing the intimate and touching details of a unique, tender, heartrending love story. Based on the bestselling novel by Lillian Lee, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Films in Global History” by TIME Magazine, was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and remains the only Chinese-language film to ever win the Palme d’Or.

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Film Movement Classics is proud to bring the recently restored 4K version of this masterwork to North American theaters, where audiences in the U.S. and Canada will be able to see the complete, uncut film (20 minutes longer than its original Miramax theatrical release) on screen for the first time ever.

Tickets are available online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

2022 Chinese film Return to Dust (隐入尘烟) in Pittsburgh, October 7, as part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.

The 2022 Chinese film Return to Dust (隐入尘烟) will play in Pittsburgh on October 7 as part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.

In rural Gaotai county, two lonely, middle-aged outcasts are pushed into an arranged marriage by their families. Ma (Wu Renlin) is a humble farmer with little to offer his timid and sickly wife, Cao (Hai Qing), except for a small, abandoned house on a barren patch of land. From just a few seeds, their newly planted crops take root and flourish; and similarly, an unexpected bond between the two starts to blossom. As seasons pass their dedication to each other grows stronger but change and adversity soon threaten the idyllic existence they share.

It plays at 2:00 pm at 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map) and tickets are available online. SCREENSHOT: Asia screenings are free to those with Pitt IDs, so those guests may show them at the door to gain entrance, space permitting.

English Mandarin Language Social Hour, October 25 at Pitt.

Credit:  LRB: 安平影像 (风光), via @tongbingxue

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present an English Mandarin Language Social Hour on October 25.

A language and cultural exchange between Pitt language learners and international speakers. Lunch provided.

The event runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map), and is open to members of the Pitt community. Registration is required.

2023 SCREENSHOT: Asia film festival, with selections from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, around Pittsburgh October 4 - 8.

The 2023 SCREENSHOT: Asia film festival will run from October 4 through 8 at several theaters in Pittsburgh and will include movies from China, Japan, Korean, and Taiwan in its lineup. 

• Coo Coo 043 ( 一家子兒咕咕叫 / Taiwan) - October 8, 3:30 pm, Frick Fine Arts Building
• Hail to Hell (지옥만세 / Korea) - October 6, 6:00 pm, Harris Theater
• In My Mother's Skin (Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan) - October 5, 8:00 pm, Harris Theater
• Plan 75 (Japan) - October 7, 5:30 pm, Harris Theater (includes Director Q&A)
• Return to Dust (隐入尘烟 / China) - TBD
• Tiger Stripes (Malaysia) - October 8, 7:00 pm, Alumni Hall Room 323 (includes Director Q&A)

The movies will play at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District and in spots around the University of Pittsburgh campus.