Icelandic-Chinese Singer-Songwriter Laufey Takes Home a Grammy

The 66th Grammy Awards have recently catapulted a fresh name into the spotlight of Chinese social media. Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, whose Chinese name is Lin Bing (林冰), was bestowed with the prestigious accolade for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her second album, Bewitched.


“I never in a million years thought that this would happen,” said the 24-year-old when accepting the trophy.

The rising music star, known by her mononym Laufey (pronounced lay-vay), boasts 3.9 million followers on TikTok, 2.5 million on Instagram, and 12.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify.


Laufey released her debut single “Street by Street” in 2020, while she was still attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music. A captivating fusion of jazz and pop, her music has been widely acclaimed for bridging the gap between classical jazz and the tastes of younger listeners.


Inspired by her Chinese violinist mother and Icelandic record collector father, Laufey’s multicultural upbringing has instilled in her an open mind, fueling uniqueness and creativity within her musical journey. Growing up, she divided her time between Washington, D.C. and Reykjavik, Iceland, also spending many summers in Beijing.


“Coming from two different cultures between Iceland and China [gives] me a very open view of music and culture,” Laufey told South China Morning Post.

Another artist who has made a splash on the Chinese internet during the Grammys is the renowned pianist Wang Yujia. Having secured her fourth Grammy nomination since 2009, the Beijing-born musician finally clinched the Best Classical Instrumental Solo award with her performance in The American Project.


Last year, Wang’s nine-city China tour created a musical sensation, with tickets selling out within minutes.

More Chinese netizens have taken notice of Laufey since her Grammy win. Her Xiaohongshu post expressing jubilation over winning the award, received over 43,000 likes, making it the most liked of all her posts on the Instagram-like social media platform.


undefined

A screenshot of Laufey’s Xiaohongshu post.


“We’re gathered here to celebrate the success of yet another amazing woman in our midst. Cheers!” read a top comment under Laufey’s post.


“I have this feeling like an acquaintance of mine just won an award, you know?” another top comment said.


“You totally deserve this! The best thing the Grammys did this year was recognizing you and allowing me to get to know you,” another user commented.


Without further dwelling on her award triumph, Laufey is set to embark on the next major leg of her “Bewitched” tour — a U.K. and European tour kicking off on February 10 in Dublin, Ireland.


Cover image via X @laufey.

4 Spots That Have Played an Oversized Role in the Story of the Chinese Diaspora

Contemporary Chinese emigrants hail from all parts of the Chinese mainland, from the nation’s famously frigid Northeast to its capital, Beijing, its far West, and its deep Southwest. However, when talking about the origins of the Chinese diaspora, particularly from a historical standpoint, the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Fujian dominate the conversation.


Hong Kong and Guangzhou tend to get the bulk of attention when discussing the ancestral home bases of Chinese folks living abroad. Still, these cities — while unquestionably influential and important — fail to paint a complete picture. So RADII is thrilled to introduce four incredible destinations that have played, and continue to play, an oversized role in the continuously evolving story of overseas Chinese communities.

1. Kaiping, Guangdong

Kaiping architecture

A view of Kaiping with a diaolou in the background. Image via Xiaohongshu.


Largely unknown to many Westerners, Kaiping is a hugely significant city to many members of the Chinese diaspora. The area’s importance lies in its architectural legacy, which reflects historical migration patterns, cultural exchange, and the bold ambitions of Chinese immigrants who ventured abroad in search of better economic prospects during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


Lesser known in the West than many other Chinese cultural and historical hot spots, Kaiping deserves recognition for its distinctive architectural heritage. While the area’s reasonably well-preserved traditional villages are noteworthy, the real highlight is undoubtedly its diaolou, fortified concrete towers that can stand as tall as nine stories.


Diaolou come in three forms: fortified residences for wealthy families, communal towers shared amongst families in emergencies, and your run-of-the-mill watchtowers. These structures originated as early as the 1500s as a response to various societal and environmental challenges, such as frequent floods, widespread banditry, and ethnic conflict.


Kaiping is the ancestral home of numerous overseas Chinese people from Guangdong who migrated to the United States, Canada, and other international destinations in the tumultuous late 19th century. Economic prosperity in North America enabled these immigrants to return to China with fat pockets, allowing them to construct opulent diaolou to dwell in. These returnees incorporated exotic elements acquired during their time abroad into the design of their towering, one-of-a-kind homes — many of which can be explored today.


In 2007, four groups of diaolou and 20 of the most iconic towers were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list of cultural heritage sites. Kaiping is one of only two UNESCO sites in Guangdong province.

2. Taishan, Guangdong

Taishan Street

While Taishan doesn’t boast as many diaolou as Kaiping, it’s no slouch when it comes to old school architecture. Image via Xiaohongshu.


Located less than an hour’s drive from Kaiping, Taishan may lack its neighbor’s abundance of diaolou, but the city is important for its role as the ancestral home of many influential members of the Chinese diaspora. Notable individuals with Taishanese ancestry include the members of iconic Hong Kong pop-rock band Beyond, actor Donnie Yen of Ip Man and Star Wars fame, former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson, groundbreaking Hollywood star Anna May Wong, and former Governor of Washington and USA Ambassador to China Gary Locke.


Home to around 900,000 people according to 2020 census data, Taishan has made a considerable contribution to the overseas Chinese community, with 1.3 million Taishanese people living in Hong Kong and other regions outside the Chinese mainland, according to a 2007 article from the Los Angeles Times. The same article states that estimates peg the number of Chinese Americans with Taishanese ancestry at half a million.


My China Roots, a firm dedicated to helping Chinese people around the globe learn more about their ancestry, notes that significant destinations for Taishanese emigrants have been the U.S., Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Mexico and Peru. Historically, migrants left Taishan in the late 19th century due to the same challenges that triggered migration from Kaiping: natural disasters and violence.


Apart from its reputation for churning out prominent people, Taishan is known for its mountainous landscape, stunning coastline and sub-tropical islands, and claypot eel rice — the city’s most-celebrated local dish. In addition to the area’s scenic offerings and architectural history, visitors today can enjoy the KTV venues, bars, and hot-spring spas that have cropped up to cater to overseas Chinese visitors and other tourists.

3. Shunde, Guangdong

Shunde streetview

Shunde’s picturesque streets. Image by Siyuan Meng.


Perhaps one of the best-known places on this list, Shunde, a district in the city of Foshan located next to Guangzhou, boasts enough claims to fame to fill a novel. And while there isn’t enough space here to do them all justice, here goes:


First things first, Shunde’s Jun’an town is the ancestral home of one of the best-known Chinese Americans of all time: world-famous martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Lee’s 51.8-square-meter ancestral home is now a popular tourist attraction in the area.


Shunde’s other notable cultural attributes include its role in creating Cantonese cuisine and opera, along with its passion for dragon boating. Shunde’s culinary offerings are of particular note, and many world-class chefs in major metropolises such as Guangzhou and Hong Kong will enthusiastically attribute the origins of their recipes to the district. Iconic dishes included double-skin milk, steamed grass carp, and “Shunde sashimi,” the latter of which may have played a role in the development of Japan’s more famous raw fish dishes. The city was the sixth to be named a UNESCO “City of Gastronomy.”


It’s fair to assume that many visitors to Shunde today come for the area’s food and connection to global kung-fu culture, but there are other reasons to stop here. Shunde’s Qinghui Garden, initially laid out during the late Ming dynasty, is billed as one of Guangdong’s “four great gardens” and a popular tourist stop. Fengjian Water Town is also a top pick for visitors.


According to My China Roots, since the era of the renowned Ming dynasty explorer Zheng He, Shunde locals have hit the open road in search of new homes. Initially, their settlements were concentrated in South and Southeast Asia — India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. Subsequently, upheavals during the Qing dynasty compelled them to seek improved prospects in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

4. Quanzhou, Fujian

undefined

Quanzhou’s Cao’an Temple, the world’s last existing Manichean temple. Image by Matthew Bossons.


Unlike the cities listed above, Quanzhou is in China’s Fujian province, not Guangdong. Rather than Cantonese, locals speak Hokkien, a language originating in Southern Fujian, precisely where Quanzhou is found. Today, Hokkien is spoken by members of the Chinese diaspora all over the world, but the language is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia. Case in point: More than 60% of the Chinese population in the Malaysian state of Penang speak Hokkien, according to Penang Monthly.


Migrants from Quanzhou and their descendants have primarily settled in East and Southeast Asia, from Hong Kong and Taiwan, to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia. As a result of this migration, elements of Fujianese culture can be readily found in Southeast Asia. Wandering the streets of Bangkok today, it’s not difficult to find the same savory oyster omelets that are so popular in Quanzhou.


In addition to Quanzhou’s role as a cultural export point, the city has seen a considerable in-flow of foreign culture and ideas. It has been extensively studied for its religious diversity, with various foreign faiths finding favor among Quanzhou inhabitants since its founding over a millennia ago. It was visited early in its existence by Muslim traders and explorers, and as a result, Islam took root in the city. Today, visitors can find tombs adorned with Arabic calligraphy and the remains of ancient mosques.


Christianity and an ancient, now-extinct Iranian religion known as Manichaeism also found followers in the city. Perhaps unexpectedly, Quanzhou is home to the world’s only extant Manichaean temple and statue of the religion’s founder.


Visitors to Quanzhou today, both holidayers and those seeking to reconnect to their heritage in the area, can head to no shortage of ancient temples, statues, and museums, as well as the city’s stunning beaches (well, by the standards of the Chinese mainland, anyway).


Editor’s note: RADII’s founder Brian Wong is an investor in My China Roots.


Banner image by Haedi Yue.

Labelhood and Harrods Partner to Celebrate Chinese New Year

To welcome the Year of the Dragon, leading Chinese fashion platform Labelhood is again joining forces with British luxury department store Harrods. For the second year in a row, the two brands are bringing the celebratory spirit of Chinese New Year to London through a festive pop-up concept store.


Based in Shanghai, Labelhood is renowned as an incubator for emerging Chinese designers, having helped talents such as Angel Chen, Xander Zhou, and Uma Wang shine on the global fashion stage.


Housed on the fifth floor of Harrods’ building in London’s swish Knightsbridge, the pop-up store is filled with dragon-themed decorations hung against a backdrop of vibrant red, the color of gaiety and auspiciousness in Chinese culture. More than 40 products from six Chinese designer labels — Uma Wang, M Essential, The Flocks, Ao Yes, Samuel Guì Yang, and Tangxindan — are showcased, featuring special Spring Festival-related garments with dragon motifs.



undefined

Labelhood’s pop-up store at Harrods. Images via Weibo (@LABELHOOD蕾虎).


The event follows last year’s “Year of the Rabbit” concept store, which received a great response, with visitors vying for spots to pose for festive photographs. Labelhood’s London Chinese New Year events build off of earlier programs in China, such as a family portrait studio organized in Shanghai in 2021.

The Harrods-Labelhood partnership emerged out of the London-based department store’s interest in building a firm foothold in the Chinese consumer market.


“Chinese New Year is rooted in the coming together of families, whether that’s our closest relatives or the family we choose, and I’m proud to have been able to transfer this philosophy to our London home this festive season,” said Sarah Myler, Harrods’ Director of International Business Development, in an interview with Jing Daily.


This year’s event has a longer timeline, running three weeks from January 26 through February 18. Adding to the convivial mood, Harrods has put together an exclusive Chinese New Year afternoon tea menu, which includes a gold dragon sugar painting and dragon’s beard candy, all served at the department store’s on-site dim sum restaurant.

Another inspired addition to the pop-up is the platform’s 2024 family portrait series, “Labelhood Nostalgia,” a collaboration with veteran photographer Ma Hongjie of Chinese National Geography. Together, they documented the bonds between three women from Guangxi, Beijing, and Ningxia, and their homes and families.


“I’m really proud to be here these days to introduce our story and design,” said Tasha Liu, founder of Labelhood, on Xiaohongshu. “What’s making me super happy is that I’ve already met some people this year who wait [for the event] every year, just like in Shanghai.”


“The set-up looks amazing! It totally gives off Spring Festival vibes,” a Xiaohongshu user studying in the UK recounted after visiting the pop-up. “The red tone is appealing, and the tableware and ornaments are exquisite.”


The user added: “There are plenty of Neo-Chinese style outfits on display, all perfect for trying on and snapping some photos.”


undefined

Screenshots of posts shared by Xiaohongshu users who have visited the pop-up store.


“Thank you, Labelhood, for giving Chinese students abroad a home,” another user posted.


Cover image via Weibo (@LABELHOOD蕾虎).

Genshin Impact Loses 1 Million Followers on Chinese Social Media

Genshin Impact, a globally popular Chinese online game known for its immersive gameplay and vibrant community, faces a crisis as it grapples with the mass departure of over one million users at home. Players are unceremoniously bidding farewell to the game’s social media spaces, spurred by a collective sense of dissatisfaction with the meager New Years’ gifts offered by the Genshin Impact’s developers.


On January 19th, Genshin Impact unveiled its Version 4.4 Special Program, aligning with the Chinese New Year. In the announcement, the game revealed plans to gift users a mere 3 “Intertwined Fates” as a token of appreciation for their support over the past year. However, players found this gesture to be lackluster, considering that acquiring a quality in-game character typically demands 70 “Intertwined Fates.”


While the size of the gift itself was seen as too stingy, the combination of a few other factors left players feeling even more unappreciated and disenchanted. Firstly, three “Intertwined Fates” have traditionally always been granted to players each New Year, so the poor communication strategy of presenting them as a special gift left the gamers displeased. Secondly, Honkai Impact 3rd, another game from developers miHoYo, recently gave away a rare character to players for free. Together, these two factors sparked dissatisfied players to unsubscribe from the game’s social media accounts and launch review bombing campaigns.


Highlighting the massive exodus of fans on social media, Weibo user Shuma Xiaoqiao posted screenshots of Genshin Impact’s social media account followers before and after the release of the official gift announcement video.


A screenshot of Shuma Xiaoqiao’s viral post. Image via Weibo.


In response to the backlash, Genshin Impact has committed to enhancing communication with its player community, reassessing rewards, and offering increased compensation. Whether these efforts will successfully pacify the discontent among its dedicated player base remains to be seen. Interestingly, the incident points to a gap between the game’s players in China and overseas, with English language gaming websites attempting to explain the affair to foreign fans.


Banner image via HoYoverse.

Lost in Translation: The Baffling World of Bathroom Signs in China

When nature calls and you’re faced with a restroom sign that’s more riddle than symbol, what’s the move?


This was the dilemma that an elderly man recently faced in a mall in Guangzhou. He was unable understand the English labels on bathroom signs, nor their abstract shapes, leading to unintentional entry into the women’s restroom and an accusation of indecency. Fortunately, the mall responded quickly with an apology and a change in their signage. But this wasn’t an isolated incident. Over in Shanghai, a woman took to social media to air her frustrations about similarly vague restroom signs. She described how the abstract designs left her so confused that she found herself waiting to see which gender emerged from the restrooms before daring to step in.


Grabbing the attention of major news channels, these slightly comical but very inconvenient incident highlighted a surprisingly bizarre yet crucial design issue in many of China’s chic venues: the perplexing art of bathroom signage. Some malls’ interior designers seem to prioritize artistic expression over practicality, turning what should be a simple task into a guessing game for many.


Even as early as September 2023, Xiaohongshu users were airing grievances about the issue, lamenting, “Nowadays, it seems you need to know English just to use the bathroom,” and sharing collections of strangely abstracted bathroom signs from across the country.


A collage of bathroom signage complaints. Image via Xiaohongshu.


In the wake of the two incidents mentioned above, an increasing number of users have come forward expressing their bewilderment. One Weibo user commented, “In their pursuit of artistic and symbolic signs, they have strayed from the practical, easy-to-use reality,” criticizing interior designers for losing touch with the practical needs of the public.


This sentiment was humorously encapsulated by another Weibo user who ironically queried, “In China, if you simply write ‘男’ (nán, men) and ‘女’ (nǚ, women) on public restroom doors, how many years would you be sentenced for?” The preference for clarity and straightforwardness in such essential public spaces was a common sentiment amongst the online community.


A creative sign for a handicap stall. Image via Xiaohongshu.


In fact, there is already a national standard for bathroom signage. According to the standards set in “Public Information Graphic Symbols – Part 1: Common Symbols,” the symbols for public restrooms should depict a man in a suit and a woman in a dress, using colors like black, blue, or brown. The signs must be fixed next to the door, not on the door itself, to prevent them from being obscured when the door is opened or closed. In 2016, the “Urban Public Toilet Design Standards” were introduced, but these standards didn’t specifically address public restroom signage.


Many cities have also standardized their public restroom signage, including Beijing, Nanjing, and Guangzhou. Some have mandated uniform signage for public restrooms, with a black background featuring the text “男 Men” and “女 Women,” using blue for male figures and pink for female figures.


A pair of especially abstract bathroom signs. Image via Weibo.


In an interview with The Paper, Professor Zou Zhendong from Xiamen University’s School of Journalism and Communication suggested that relevant authorities should establish a “negative list” for restroom signage, clearly specifying which symbols should not be used. This approach would set a defined baseline for restroom signage while allowing room for creativity.


So with the hashtag “Why are public restroom signs becoming increasingly incomprehensible?” having trended on Weibo in January, garnering over 1.48 million views, it seems that some hotels and malls may need to rethink their bathroom signage, toning down the artistry for a little more clarity.


Cover image via Xiaohongshu.

Asian Directors and Actors Make a Strong Showing at Sundance 2024

This year’s Sundance Film Festival, one of global independent film’s biggest annual events, wrapped up on Sunday, January 28. The 2024 edition featured strong representation from Chinese and Asian American directors, actors, and other creatives, with Sean Wang’s debut feature Dìdi even picking up the Audience Award in the festival’s US Dramatic Competition.


Other highlights included leading roles from stars Steven Yeun (across from Kristen Stewart in sci-fi romance Love Me) and Lucy Liu (in Steven Soderbergh’s well-received ghost thriller, Presence). Chinese director Jianjie Lin made his debut with Brief History of a Family, a suspense-filled drama in which the ambitions of China’s upper middle class intersect with the ambiguous relationship between two teenagers. Might this more understated Chinese take on some of themes behind Saltburn make it to mainland screens soon?

Besides its Audience Award, Wang’s Dìdi also garnered rave reviews from publications such as The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian.


Praised for its accurate depiction of online life, Dìdi takes a semi-autobiographical look at a Taiwanese American boy navigating early adolescence in 2008. Played by newcomer Izaac Wang, protagonist Chris Wang lives with his mother (veteran star Joan Chen), sister, and grandparents in suburban California, with his father away in Taiwan on business. Over the summer between middle school and high school, Chris stumbles between friendships, crushes, and family, facing racism and the more universal pains of growing up along the way.


However, despite its enthusiastic reception at Sundance, as of the weekend Dìdi was yet to receive a distribution deal — the conventional route to a wider market for Sundance hits. Here’s hoping the film makes it to silver screens soon, especially since Wang has just received an Oscar nomination for his documentary short Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó!


Banner image from Dìdi, via Sundance.