Remembering Chinese Taiping Rebellion
Pattaya City Expats Club members and guests learn about
the Chinese Taiping Rebellion, the 2nd bloodiest war in history, at their
Sunday, December 8 meeting.
Pattaya City Expats Club was
fortunate to have popular author Dean Barrett as guest speaker for their
meeting on the 8th of December, with Dean’s topic being his new book ‘“A
Love Story: The China Memoirs of Thomas Rowley”.
The speaker was Dean Barrett, the well known author of
over a dozen books with a Thailand or China theme. His latest book is “A
Love Story: The China Memoirs of Thomas Rowley” which takes place during
this period in China’s history.
An excerpt from a review of this novel notes it “... is written with
impressive sensitivity and attention to detail... A story of doomed love
that is both erotic and touching.” The novel is set against the backdrop of
the Taiping Rebellion which was a massive civil war in southern China from
1850 to 1864; pitting the Taiping rebels against the ruling Manchu-led Qing
Dynasty. The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan who claimed that he had
received visions in which he learned that he was the younger brother of
Jesus.
Between 20 and 40 million people died, mainly civilians, in one of the
deadliest military conflicts in history. Only the Second World War had more
casualties. Dean said that the Taiping Rebellion made the American Civil War
look like a tea party. Dean explained that he became interested in the
history of China when he was training as a Chinese linguist at the (U.S.)
Army Security Agency in 1966. For this, he needed to understand what was
happening during the cultural revolution in China, and that meant also
knowing about Chinese history and culture going back a couple of centuries.
Board member Lawrie McLoughlin
presents Dean with a Certificate of Appreciation as thanks for a very
informative talk and a new and interesting subject for most of the audience.
Hong Xiuquan established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
with its capital at Nanjing. The Taiping army, which was largely a peasant
army, controlled large parts of southern China - at one point ruling about
30 million people. The rebel agenda included social reforms such as shared
property, equality for women, and the replacement of Confucianism, Buddhism
and Chinese folk religion with their form of Christianity. Because of their
refusal to wear the queue - a hairstyle favoured by the Manchu in which the
hair is gathered up into a ponytail, often braided - Taiping combatants were
nicknamed “longhairs” by the Qing government. The Qing forces besieged the
Taiping armies throughout the rebellion and eventually crushed the army with
the aid of French and British forces. (Actually, Dean said, there were
foreigners fighting on both sides of the conflict.)
Dean autographs a copy of
‘Thomas Rowley’ for lucky PCEC member Janet Smith.
The Taipings were regarded as fanatics, while the Manchu
were seen as corrupt, decadent and arrogant. Dean explained that civilians
caught up in the fighting, as cities were conquered by one side and then
re-conquered by the other, had a hard time knowing which hairstyle they
should be wearing on a given day. Further, that this struggle has certain
parallels to what is happening today in Thailand - the well off and the well
educated in one camp versus the less well off and less well educated in the
other.
Many people thought that the Taiping forces would emerge victorious, but
Dean mentioned that Hong Xiuquan paid more attention to his 100 concubines
than he did to the conduct of the war. Although the Taiping rebels did not
manage to win the war, they succeeded in loosening the Qing government’s
control of the central areas of China. The Manchu dynasty hung on until
1911, but the cracks were already apparent.
Dean said that the Taiping Museum in Nanjing is a very interesting place to
visit. During his research for the novel, he learned that the Taiping forces
had some all-female units and that the women were very tough fighters. He
used that is his book. The protagonist, Thomas Rowley, a foreigner fighting
on the Qing government side, is captured by such a unit. He thinks of
escaping, but then falls in love with one of the women fighters. Eventually,
there is a battle, and Rowley has to decide whether to fight with the women
or fight with the Qing government forces.
Board member Richard Smith
advises members of the many activities in the Amari over the festive season.
Dean explained that he set up his novel to read like
non-fiction. Dean, as the author, is shown as writing some notes at the
beginning and at the end of the book, but the vast middle section is
presented as being an old man’s memoirs that have just surfaced.
For people interested in learning more about the history and culture of this
period in China, Dean recommended three books: (1) “The Devil Soldier” by
Caleb Carr; (2) “God’s Chinese Son” by Jonathan D. Spence; and (3) “Autumn
and the Heavenly Kingdom” by Stephen R. Platt. Dean also mentioned a
two-volume work written in 1866 by Augustus Lindley, an English officer and
supporter of the rebels. The title is “Ti-ping tien-kwoh.” The book is
available free in e-book format (see http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39735).
Dean Barrett is known for his humour as much as for his history-based
mystery books. You can learn more about Dean, his mystery books, and his
sense of humour by visiting these websites: http://www.dean
barrettmystery.com/ and www. deanbarrettthailand.com/welcome_to.htm. For a
more complete biography, visit http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?AuthorID=679
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Tesco Lotus expands online shopping services
Rolling out upcountry and launching “Click and Collect”
Tesco Lotus Marketing Director
Wanna Swuddigul announced the extension of Online Shopping service upcountry,
starting with Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Tesco Lotus is also introducing a new
“Click and Collect” service enabling shoppers to order online and pick up
shopping from their local store.
Tesco Lotus is extending its popular Online Shopping service
upcountry, starting with Pattaya and Chiang Mai. To cater for various consumers’
lifestyle Tesco Lotus is also introducing a new “Click and Collect” service
enabling shoppers to order online and pick up shopping from their local store.
“Customers in Bangkok love the Tesco Lotus Online Shopping service we started 6
months ago,” said Tesco Lotus Marketing Director Wanna Swuddigul. “They have
told us Tesco Lotus Online Shopping service makes their lives more convenient
and saves them time and money on travel. Customers also enjoy a wide range of
fresh food and grocery products available for them to choose online at Tesco
Lotus prices.
“With the positive feedback we have continued to add our Online Shopping service
capacity in Bangkok and are now expanding the service upcountry, starting with
Pattaya and Chiang Mai on 22 and 24 October respectively, before rolling out to
other big cities in Thailand soon.”
Tesco Lotus Online Shopping is the premier destination for fresh food and
grocery shopping in Thailand with over 20,000 product lines on offer. Tesco
Lotus remains the only retailer in the country that offers online ordering and
delivery of fresh food. It uses specially designed vans with separate
compartments for frozen products, chilled products and non-perishable groceries
for delivery to customers’ doorsteps.
After choosing products online, the customer can pick one of
six delivery timeslots available from 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. For
customers who would like to pick up their shopping by themselves, Click and
Collect service will be available from 6 November 2013 starting at Extra
Ramindra store.
“All online shopping orders are sorted by our professionally trained Personal
Shoppers who seek out the freshest produce and longest expiry dates just like
our customers would do. The shopping will then be delivered to customers’
doorsteps based on the specified time slot or customers can collect the items at
selected Tesco Lotus store,” said Wanna.
Tesco Group now offers Online Shopping service in 10 countries, including South
Korea, Malaysia, China, Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic,
the UK and Thailand which have together grown sales by 54% over the last six
months.
“Online Shopping is a part of Tesco Lotus strategy to grow our business through
multi-formats. Apart from online service expansion we continue on our plan to
open around 300 new stores this year across all formats including Extra,
Hypermarket, Department Store, Talad and Express. Our comprehensive set of store
formats will help us meet the needs of various consumer groups and changing
lifestyles,” concluded Wanna.
Online: http://shoponline. tescolotus.com/
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Royal Wing Suites and Spa celebrate
re-opening with a Night of “Ultimacy”
(l-r) Dr. Virachai Techavijit
with his wife Thiphavan, H.E. M.R. Thepkamol Devakula, H.E. Alexander Mariyasov,
Russian Ambassador to Thailand, Royal Cliff Hotels Group Managing Director Panga
Vathanakul, Irina Mariyasova and Chan Vathanakul.
Dr. Iain Corness
The legendary Royal Wing Suites and Spa officially held its Grand
Re-opening celebration with a night of “Ultimacy” on Saturday, November 23.
Following the complete make-over of the Royal Wing Suites and Spa, to celebrate
this, a cocktail reception was held by the poolside of the Royal Wing.
A sumptuous buffet spread accompanied by free-flowing drinks including award
winning wines was served throughout the evening. A spectacular fireworks display
and an excellent Jazz band made the night an enjoyable one for all.
Details of the history of the Royal Wing were given by Vitanart Vathanakul, the
executive director of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group. He addressed the guests
saying that the grand re-opening celebration was a culmination of a long and
fruitful process. Since its opening in 1986 by the Crown Prince of Thailand, the
hotel has had a rich history of having renowned individuals from all over the
world.
(l-r) Nichawaline Baegaroonrung;
Wiluck Lohtong, President, Siam Sport Syndicate; Vathanai Vathanakul,
Vice-President of Royal Cliff Hotels Group; Vitanart Vathanakul, Executive
Director of Royal Cliff Hotels Group; Voravudh Bhirombhakdi, Vice-Chairman of
Cavallino Motors and Amarapat Julkasian Vathanakul.
It was closed down for two months this year to undergo a
total makeover resulting in a sophisticated, new luxurious atmosphere while
maintaining the core essence of the Royal Wing spirit: Ultimate Luxury. This
transformation has paved the way for an array of new luxurious suites and
conveniences intended to provide guests with the ultimate hotel experience.
Royal Wing’s newly renovated features include an exclusive new entrance, which
on the night of the re-opening had one Porsche, two Ferrari’s and a Lamborghini
in executive parking!
The upgraded suites are now furnished with Thai-inspired décor from its opulent
bedroom extending beautifully to the lounge area and through to the luxurious
marbled bathroom, which is equipped with a circular jacuzzi and a separate
walk-in rain shower.
The Presidential Suites have been redesigned into a 3-bedroom Presidential
Heritage Suite and the 2-bedroom Presidential Platinum Suite. The Presidential
Platinum Suite now features two bedrooms with breathtaking views and
complementing generous living spaces adorned with wide windows to encourage
enjoyment of the tropical surroundings. The spacious main bathroom now features
a new jacuzzi bathtub located near the panoramic window to provide for relaxing
baths and spectacular tropical sunsets. It now possesses a main living room with
its stylish bar positioned as an important entertainment implement for guests
and a home office space, tucked away amongst platinum luxury. These prestigious
suites are accompanied with Presidential Salas that embody the essence of
Thai-style beachside relaxation and luxury with its well-appointed interior and
brand-new Jacuzzi.
Vitanart Vathanakul proudly presents
the Royal Wing Suites and Spa’s newly renovated features.
In addition to this, new innovation and technologies were
also installed and all the suites now feature Internet Protocol Television
system (IPTV) so guests can enjoy high definition television, huge movie and
music selection and many more features.
The grand reopening was a breathtaking and glamorous event and signified the
continuation of Royal Wing’s long lasting saga of exclusivity and ultimate
luxury!
Panga Vathanakul, the managing director of Royal Cliff Hotels Group, led the
entire executive team in warmly welcoming the renowned guests who took part in
celebrating another milestone for this world class all-suite hotel.
Distinguished guests who participated in this auspicious event held at the Royal
Wing poolside included Privy Councilor, H.E. M.R. Thepkamol and M.L. Radeethep
Devakula, Russian Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Alexander Mariyasov and Irina
Mariyasova, Former Advisor to the Thai Prime Minister and Founder and Chairman
of the Regent’s Schools, Virachai Techavijit, Pramote Nonthapun, Vice-chairman
of Ferrari dealer Cavallino Motors, Voravud Bhirombhakdi, Superstar actress &
singer Pakkaramai Potranan, Economic Reporters Association’s President, Amornrat
Charoonsmith, Chairman of the Board of Siam Sport Syndicate Public Co. Wiluck
Lohtong and Melissa Horn, Managing Director of NK Auto Import Pitinun
Kisadatanont and Pol. Maj. Thitisun Utthanaphol.
For more information on the Royal Cliff Hotels Group and PEACH, please visit
www.royalcliff.com and
www.peachthailand.com.
Superstar actresses & models Amarapat
Julkasien, Pakkaramai Potranan and Nichawaline Baegaroonrung were as charming as
ever.
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Charity teddy bears usher in
holiday season at Amari Orchid
Brendan Daly, GM of the Amari Orchid Pattaya, joins
children from Ban Tung Klom School (left) and from the Pattaya Orphanage (right)
to light the giant Christmas tree at the Ocean Tower Lobby.
Warunya Thongrod
The Amari Orchid Resort & Tower kicked off its holiday season by
lighting a Christmas tree and selling teddy bears to raise funds for charity.
General Manager Brendan Daly hosted the Dec. 9 tree-lighting event. It was
decorated with teddy bears dressed in Santa Claus suits. The bears were put on
sale, with proceeds going to help needy children.
Thirty orphans from Ban Tung Klom School and the Pattaya Orphanage closed the
event by performing holiday songs.
Bears remain on sale through Jan. 15. Profits will be used to purchase
educational and sports equipment, books, and toys for Nok Peed School in Loei
and Na Chompoo School in Udon Thani.
The holiday fundraiser is just one of many charity events organized by the
Amari.
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