Weekly #7 Five China stories you need to read: Hunkvertising in livestreaming sales; Japanese restaurants in China; Young teachers at seniors universities

From heartthrob to cart-add: Douyin's enthralling men of merchandise.

Here comes our #7 weekly roundup, five captivating China stories selected by GRR from China's social media platforms, which delves into the following topics:

1) "Hunkvertising" emerges as the latest trend to watch in the heart of China's e-commerce boom. What's behind this unique marketing wave?

2) Japanese eateries in China now emphasize their distinction by specifying that their seafood isn't sourced from Japan.

3) China's senior universities: where elders learn dance to tech. Dive into the unique tales of young teachers navigating this reversed age dynamic.

4) In China's manufacturing realm, often overlooked by youth, lies an unexpected lifeline for job-seeking graduates.

5) How does Beidaihe, a serene Chinese resort, become an annual retreat and intellectual hub for China's foremost experts?

1.When Livestreaming Sales Enters the “Hunk Era” 当直播卖货进入“男色时代”

Overview:

The article discusses an unconventional marketing strategy known as "Hunkvertising" that has taken center stage in China's rapidly expanding e-commerce sector.

These days, when you open Douyin (Chinese TikTok) or enter a livestreaming session in Taobao (China's largest e-commerce platform ), you are likely to encounter some male influencers leveraging their physical appeal or unique personas to engage with female viewers and promote their sponsors’ products. The shift from traditional livestreaming sales strategies mirrors the substantial population and growing purchasing power of female consumers in China’s e-commerce industry.

This article comes from 每日人物 [Daily Person], a platform that highlights the people involved in societal hot topics and even victims of overlooked everyday accidents.

Highlights:

很难说清楚，短视频直播领域这股男色营销的风气究竟从何而起，但作为直播风向标的李佳琦，在助推路上的确“功不可没”。

It is difficult to trace the exact origins of the “Hunkvertising” that prevails the short video and livestreaming platforms. It is certain that, Li Jiaqi, the sales king and trendsetter in China’s livestreaming industry, has played a pivotal role.

2022年9月，李佳琦复播后，第一件事就是介绍新的助播团，其中四位模特出身的年轻男性，被称为“李佳琦男团F4”。他们当中，有会比爱心手势的“气质霸总”，有面容精致的“可爱奶狗”，还有会提醒观众“忘记我可以，别忘记付尾款”的“暖男哥哥”，和常面露羞涩的“温柔叔叔”——主打一个分工明确、人设鲜明不撞款。

In September 2022, after an absence of over three months, Li Jiaqi's first move upon returning to livestreaming was to introduce a new group of sales assistants. Among them, four young men with modeling backgrounds stood out. They are playfully dubbed as "Li Jiaqi’s F4" (F4 is a famed 4-member Taiwanese boy band that gained immense popularity in the early 2000s).

In this crew, each individual has his distinct persona and plays a unique role: the "CEO Guy" known for heartwarming gestures that create a delightful contrast, the "Puppy Guy" captivating the audience with his delicate features, the "Sweet Guy" who made the famous line - "It's OK to forget me, but don’t forget to complete your payment," and the affectionate "Daddy Guy," who can't help but blush while exuding charm.

比起展示服装、介绍商品的本职工作，四位男生的身材、样貌，显然是更大的娱乐卖点。他们会不时表演“kiss kiss手势舞”，还会对着镜头撒娇耍酷，站在一旁的李佳琦，成了被嫌弃的存在，“和他们一比，头太大，个子太矮”。

Compared to their main roles of modeling and promoting products, the physiques and looks of “Li Jiaqi’s F4” are clearly a stronger hook. They sporadically break into a "kiss kiss gesture dance," displaying sass and sweetness to the viewers. Meanwhile, poor Li Jiaqi stands beside them as the "picked-on" presence, confessing, "I am too short and have too big a head next to them."

助播旺旺“调戏”男模是整段play中的高潮。她对着镜头尖叫“男生就是要穿高领毛衣露喉结啊”，还兴奋地拉着男模，让他们依次到镜头前面展示扯领带的动作，以霸总的语气提醒观众付尾款，男模则配合地露出了羞涩懵懂的笑容。这些画面被剪辑成搞笑视频，广为流传，她被戏称为“姐妹手替”，观众盛赞她“还是女人懂女人想看什么”。

The "play" reaches its climax when the female sales assistant, Wang Wang, playfully teases the male models. She exclaims to the audience, "Guys just gotta show off their Adam’s apples when wearing turtlenecks!" In her excitement, she pulls the male models up close to the camera, asking them into loosen their ties while delivering a CEO-like, bossy reminder for customers to settle their final payments. The models play along, revealing some bashfully innocent grins.

These scenes are later edited into funny videos that quickly go viral in the Chinese internet. Wang Wang, whose hands act out the desires of all the other girls, receives a shower of praise. "It's a woman who understands what women want to see after all," the viewers comment.

......

男色占领社交平台，或许不是偶然。在这背后，女性对短视频和直播内容的消费，正在逐渐占据主流地位。

The prevalence of "hunkvertising" on social media is no random occurrence but is driven by women's increasing proportion of short video and livestreaming consumption.

QuestMobile数据显示，截止到2023年1月，移动互联网女性群体活跃用户数达到近6亿，人均每月使用时长达到163.6小时，平均每天要上网冲浪5个小时以上。其中短视频、社交、电商购物平台的粘性非常高，尤其是综合电商App，女性用户的同比增量超过了5000万。

According to QuestMobile data, as of January 2023, the active user count of female users in the mobile internet community has reached nearly 600 million, with an average monthly usage time of 163.6 hours, spending over 5 hours surfing the internet daily. Short videos, social media, and e-commerce platforms exhibit notably high user engagement. Integrated e-commerce apps, in particular, witness a year-on-year increase of over 50 million female users.

知微数据出品的《女性营销舆情研究报告》也显示，中国拥有近4亿年龄在20岁至60岁的女性消费者，她们每年掌控着高达10万亿人民币的消费支出。此外，垂直电商70%到80%的用户也为女性。

A "Public Opinion Research Report on Female Marketing" produced by ZhiweiData, a Chinese internet business intelligence service specialist, further demonstrates that China boasts nearly 400 million female consumers aged 20 to 60, holding sway over an impressive annual consumption of up to 10 trillion RMB (USD 1.37 trillion). Moreover, 70 percent to 80 percent of users on vertical e-commerce platforms are also female.

Comments：

It's no secret that featuring good-looking individuals in marketing has been a smart strategy, as their presence uplifts the overall viewing experience. These individuals who are in great shape can effectively showcase clothing and products. Engaging with the female sales team and the audience in a friendly and appropriate manner also creates a more enjoyable atmosphere during extended livestreaming sessions that usually last for hours.

However, it's crucial to strike a balance. As seen in the negative example of 椰树 [Coconut Palm Group], this beverage company with a limited product range, has gained notoriety for its crude advertising over the years.

While "Hunkvertising" has gained traction as an attention-grabbing strategy, its ultimate success depends on the professionalism of the sales team and, most importantly, the quality of the promoted products.

2.Japanese restaurants in China draw a line from Japanese seafood 日料店，与日本海鲜划清界限

Overview: The article discusses changes in Chinese Japanese restaurants and how they respond to concerns over Japanese seafood following the Fukushima radioactive water release.

In addressing frequent questions about the origin of their ingredients, many restaurants clarify their sourcing is not from Japan while some say they have already adjust their ingredient sourcing to exclude Japanese seafood. Nevertheless, concerns about the “contaminated” seafood are not limited to Japanese waters, as all seafood will be affected at the end of the day.

The article comes from 半熟财经 [Half-Cooked Finance], a WeChat account with the mission of bridging the knowledge gap between the younger generation and the business realm. It is the latest addition to the media network under Caijing Magazine, a renowned financial publication in China.

Highlights:

晚上9点，北京北新桥地区，一家大众点评人气榜上的平价居酒屋内正迎来一天内客流量最大的时间段。对门口负责接待的女孩小文来说，8月24日是寻常的一天，此时店内的上座率像平常一样大概在八成以上；可是到底又有些不同了，每隔一段时间，就有客人上前询问他们家食材来自于哪里。小文赶紧说出已经烂熟于心的答案：所有食材都是国产，只有秋刀鱼来自日本，但那是冷冻的，已经在冰柜里放了一年了。

As the clock strikes 9 PM in Beijing's Beixinqiao subdistrict, a budget-friendly izakaya (Japanese-style pub) featured prominently on Dianping's popularity rankings (Note: Dianping is a Chinese app for people to discover and review various businesses and services), enters its busiest hours of the day. For Xiao Wen, the young woman usher, August 24 appeared to be an ordinary day. The occupancy rate, holding steady at around 80 percent, felt typical.

Yet, a subtle change was in the air. Every now and then, customers approached with questions about the origin of their ingredients. Xiao Wen was quick to provide her well-rehearsed answer: all our ingredients are domestically sourced, except for the saury, which comes from Japan but has been frozen in their freezer for a year.

变数来自于——北京时间8月24日12点，日本福岛第一核电站启动核污水排海。随后，中国海关总署发布了关于全面暂停进口日本水产品的公告。

The turning point emerged from the event on August 24 at 12 PM Beijing time, when Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant began discharging radioactive water into the sea. Subsequently, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) issued an announcement to suspend all imports of aquatic products from Japan.

很快，网络上出现了对于“中国日料店会不会大批量倒闭”的讨论。在消费者的聚焦下，越来越多日料店纷纷发出公告，表明自家原材料来源并非日本。也有一些部分使用日本进口海产品的高端日料店发布食材产地调整公告，确保所有食材符合国家食品安全标准。

Soon, discussions unfolded on the internet about the potential mass closures of Chinese Japanese restaurants. Under the scrutiny of consumers, a growing number of these restaurants issued statements clarifying that their ingredients were not from Japan. Some high-end Japanese restaurants relying partially on imported Japanese seafood also made announcements about adjusting their ingredient sourcing to ensure compliance with national food safety standards.

实际上，中国市场上日本海鲜产品的进口量本就十分有限。北京京深海鲜市场办公室的工作人员告诉我们，在禁令发布之前，市场上也没有来自日本的海鲜。

In reality, the volume of imported Japanese seafood products in the Chinese market was already quite limited. The staff at the office of Jingshen Seafood Market, the largest seafood marketplace in Beijing, revealed that before the ban was announced, there were no seafood products from Japan in the market.

尽管如此，由于民众对于核污水的担忧逐渐蔓延发酵，不止日本海域的水产成了众矢之的，连带着所有海鲜都被戴上了一层“被污染”和“即将被污染”的滤镜。

Nevertheless, due to the growing public concerns about radioactive water, the negative perception extended beyond seafood from Japanese waters to all seafood, as they are considered either “contaminated” or “to be contaminated”.

以海鲜食材和生食方式为主的日料店，首当其冲成为这次事件中的靶子。在新浪新闻发起的一项52.2万人参与的“你还会去日料店吗”的调查中，有28.1万人表示“再也不去了”，还有15.5万人表示本来就不吃日料，二者的占比达到84%。

Japanese restaurants focusing on seafood and raw consumption, bore the brunt of this incident. In a survey conducted by Sina News (a prominent online news platform in China) engaging over 522,000 respondents with the question "Would you still visit Japanese restaurants?", 281,000 respondents chose "won't go again," and 155,000 said that they never ate Japanese cuisine to begin with. The combined ratio of the two negative answers was 84 percent.

Comments:

Amid escalating anti-Japan sentiments and worries regarding contaminated seafood, Japanese restaurants in China are demonstrating remarkable resilience by finding ways to reassure customers and adjust their offerings to comply with the new food safety standards. This allows lovers of Japanese cuisine in China to savor their favorite dishes in the weeks ahead.

However, as the negative perception of contaminated seafood extends beyond Japanese waters to all seafood, it becomes imperative for the seafood industry to collaboratively address these apprehensions and take collective measures to restore consumer trust.

3.Young teachers at seniors Universities 在老年大学任教的年轻人

Overview:

Seniors universities are a school specifically designed for older generations. It offers courses like music, dance, and smartphone usage to enhance the retirement lifestyle for seniors. However, this article highlights the experiences of young teachers who teach at seniors universities. It shares stories of three young teachers who spend their days with students much older than themselves. One teacher has learned responsibility from the elderly, while another has been inspired by their strong desire to learn and another has developed close friendships with their senior students.

This is a report by 真故研究室 [Zhengu Lab], a niche WeChat account which provides authentic, fresh, and interesting business insights.

Highlights:

年轻学生们下课即消失，而在老年大学，只要有休息的空档，谭嘉仪身边总是围着一群好奇的老年人。甚至下课后谭嘉仪也无法“脱身”，只有当学校的保洁阿姨进来劝说，学生们才不依不舍地离开。

Young students always leave immediately after class, but at seniors universities, whenever there is a break, teacher Tan Jiayi is always surrounded by curious elderly people. Even after class, Tan cannot "escape" until the school janitor enters the classroom to persuade students to leave.

“他们更珍惜每一次享受教育的机会，十年的时间，不管哪一届学生都是这样。”

"They cherish every opportunity to receive education. In the ten years that I have been teaching here, every group of students has been like this," Tan said.

谭嘉仪的教育成就感，在老年大学被无限放大。这种满足感不仅来源于学生的学习积极性，更重要的一点是，作为教师的每一寸付出，在这里都能得到最即时的反馈。

Tan’s accomplishment in education is amplified at seniors universities. This satisfaction not only comes from the students' enthusiasm for learning but also, more importantly, from the immediate feedback that teachers receive for every inch of effort they put in.

微信聊天、购物、打车、挂号等，教老年人用手机满足基础的生活需求，是智能手机课的主要教学内容。每个来到这个班的学生，都有着与时代同频的渴望，而谭嘉仪便是这其中的连接点。

The main teaching content of the smartphone course is to teach the elderly how to use their phones to fulfill basic life needs, such as using WeChat for chatting, shopping, ordering taxis, and making hospital appointments. Every student who joins this class has a strong desire to keep up with the times, and for them, Tan is the pivot.

谭嘉仪记得，第一届学生里有个喜欢跳拉丁舞的阿姨，学会网购后，她终于在淘宝上买到了第一件自己满意的舞蹈裙。没想到的是，再次上课时，收到货的阿姨直接穿着舞蹈服来到了课堂上，兴奋地给谭嘉仪炫耀。十年前阿姨舞动裙摆、脸上洋溢的笑容，谭嘉仪一直记到现在。

Tan remembers that in the first group of students, there was an elderly lady who loved Latin dance. After learning how to shop online, she finally bought her first satisfactory dance dress on Taobao, China's online shopping platform. Unexpectedly, in the next class, she came to the classroom wearing the dance dress she received, excitedly showing it to Tan. The image of her swirling with her dress and the smile on her face from ten years ago is still vivid in Tan's memory.

前来上课的老年学生，独居老人不少。除了购物、娱乐外，用手机挂号看病在学生中也是一个热门需求。曾有学会挂号的阿姨，给谭嘉仪发来感谢信，诉说着儿女远在国外，自己独自生活的难处。一边是成就感，一边是酸楚，谭嘉仪心里五味杂陈。

Many elderly students who come to class live alone. Apart from shopping and entertainment, making doctor's appointments through their phones is also a popular demand. Tan once received a thank-you letter from an elderly lady who learned how to make appointments, to express the difficulties of living alone with children abroad. Reading the letter, a sense of achievement and sourness were mixed in Tan's heart.

在老年大学，年龄的界限变得模糊起来。六十岁的妹妹，九十岁的姐姐，迟暮的几代人，一起奋力享受生活、享受学习。

At seniors universities, the boundaries of age become blurred. Sixty and ninety-year-olds sit in the same classroom, and the late generations, together, strive to enjoy life and learning.

“这是最纯粹的一群学生。”谭嘉仪有些感慨。

"They are the students with purest intentions," Tan said.

Comments:

As China's population ages, with those 65 and older accounting for 13.5 percent of the total population as of 2020, the government proposed the establishment of national universities for seniors in the subsequent year. Ensuring a happy, safe, and meaningful life for the elderly will be a key direction for future efforts. These senior universities are just one aspect; in the future, industries supporting the elderly are anticipated to become more developed and comprehensive.

4.Has the Manufacturing Industry Become the "Straw" to Clutch for Fresh Graduates? 制造业成了应届生的「就业稻草」？

Overview:

In China, the global manufacturing powerhouse, the manufacturing sector has always been important for cnontributing employment. However, the sector is not the top choice for young people seeking jobs. The article suggests that for college graduates struggling to find employment, entering the manufacturing sector becomes a "lifesaver" that offers them job opportunities. Although the working environment in modern manufacturing may differ from their preconceptions, the article emphasizes that the jobs in this sector are similar to those in other fields.

This is a report by 人物 [People], a magazine delving into topics that may not be mainstream but carry significance, providing in-depth analysis of individuals through sensitive and thorough interviews.

Highlights:

有人走，有人留。应届生李彩尔至今工作2个月，觉得自己还远没有接触到行业的全部面貌。就在不久前，她被调到一个新岗位。过去，她负责一个项目的前端，比如生产、设计，现在她要负责项目的后端，比如仓储和交付。公司是弹性工作制，规则上要求早上9点上班，但实际上可以灵活调整。她不确定自己会不会面临新的困难，开始感到压力倍增。

Some choose to leave, while others stay. Li Cai'er, a recent graduate, has been working for two months and feels like she has only scratched the surface of the industry. Recently, she was moved to a new position. Previously, she was responsible for the front-end of a project, such as production and design. Now, she is in charge of the back-end, including warehousing and delivery. The company has a flexible schedule, with a nominal start time of 9 AM, but in reality, there is room for adjustment. She is uncertain about the challenges she may face and starts feeling stressed.

尽管如此，两个月的工作经历也足以让她对制造业改观。她感受到了这份工作要比自己想象的有魅力。她还发现，制造业似乎包容所有的人，普工可以是大专起步，研发也可以是35岁以上，越老越吃香，而职能部门的人可以来自各个层次的学校。

Nevertheless, her two months of work experience have already changed her impression of the manufacturing sector. She has realized that the job is more attractive than she had imagined. She also noticed that the sector seems to embrace people from all walks of life. Skilled workers can start with a vocational education, and research and development professionals can be over 35 years old, with age being an advantage. Furthermore, employees in functional departments can come from various educational backgrounds.

一个三本的同事比李彩尔大一岁，有一天，她突然问李彩尔，「你211毕业来这不会觉得吃亏吗？」

One of her colleagues, who graduated from a non-prestigious university, is one year older than Li. One day, this colleague suddenly asked her, "Don't you feel disadvantaged coming here with a degree from the university in project 211?"

[Notes: Project 211 is a project of National Key Universities and colleges initiated in 1995 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Universities within this project are considered as National Key Universities. But in 2019, this project is replaced by the "double world-class project"]

李彩尔当时有点回避这个问题，绕着弯子就把问题躲过去了。但后来她发现，这个同事很有能量，「像是一把锋利的刀子」。毕业那年，她把所有的大厂、小厂都投了一遍，根本不给自己设限，最后和李彩尔坐在一起。两个人遇到技术研发上的问题都不懂时，这名负责采购的同事就会主动去请教研发的同事。

At that moment, Li evaded the question. However, she later discovered that her colleague had a lot of energy, "like a sharp knife." During their graduation year, this colleague applied to both large and small companies without limiting herself, finally ending up in the same company as Li. When they both encountered technical challenges in research and development, this colleague in charge of procurement would proactively seek advice from the research and development team.

在制造业，这样的人数不胜数，他们给李彩尔带来从来没感受过的能量。一个研发的同事整天待在操作间，直到晚上8点多才离开。李彩尔发现他对组装车「非常偏执」，能把一辆车装到百分之七八十对她来说已经足够了，但他一定会让车呈现出百分之百的完美状态。「不同的零件可以组装出不同的车，可能通过不同的组装方式研究出一个新品。」这名研发同事至今已经「攒」了两辆车了。

In the manufacturing sector, there are countless individuals like this colleague, who bring a kind of energy that Li has never experienced before. One colleague from research and development department spends the entire day in the operation room, leaving only after 8 p.m. Li noticed his "obsession" with assembling cars. For her, having a car assembled to about 70 to 80 percent would be sufficient, but he always strives for perfection. "Different parts can be assembled to create different cars, and we may discover new products through different methods," said the colleague, who has already "assembled" two cars.

应届生进入制造业意味着什么？2022年中国高技术制造业投资比上年增长22.2%，增速与上年持平。它是一个落脚点，也是产业更迭的一部分。没有人会小视制造业推动未来的作用，但如何融入新的潮流也是新晋就业者要面对的问题。

What does it mean for recent graduates to enter the manufacturing sector? In 2022, China's investment in high-tech manufacturing increased by 22.2% from the previous year, maintaining the same growth rate. It’s a starting point and is part of the industrial transformation. No one underestimates the role of manufacturing in driving the future, but how to integrate into new trends is a challenge that new entrants must face.

「如果好好学东西，还是能在行业里接触很多跨时代的技术。它是实实在在的新天地。如果应届生带着偏见进来，觉得被坑了，那就不好了。」初入制造业的李彩尔说。「归根结底，它和别的行业的工作没什么不同。」

"If you learn with hard work, you can still engage in cutting-edge technologies in the sector. It’s a real new world. If recent graduates come in with biases and feel deceived, that would be unfortunate," said Li, the newcomer to manufacturing. "Ultimately, it's not much different from working in other sectors."

对于已经工作一年的王灿来说，工作已经步入正轨。她每天的工作是开会、沟通，每个月至少还会陪客户下一次车间。有时候接到客户一个电话，就要加班到晚上八九点。她往返于江苏和上海，在车间和写字楼间穿梭。她感知到公司业务正在迅速扩大。她打听到，今年校招，公司已经招了400个人，明年可能要招800个。

For Wang Can, who has been working for a year, her work is on track. Her daily tasks include meetings, communication, and at least one visit to the workshop with clients each month. Sometimes, she has to work late until 8 or 9 p.m. if she receives a phone call from a client. She shuttles between Jiangsu and Shanghai, moving between the workshop and the office building. She can sense that the company's business is rapidly expanding. She heard that the company has already hired 400 people through campus recruitment this year and may recruit 800 people next year.

外部环境跌宕起伏，她有些侥幸自己站在了可能没那么摇晃的船只上。

With the external environment fluctuating, she feels fortunate to be on a boat that may not be as shaky.

Comments:

The saying "If you don't study hard, you'll end up as a factory worker" is widely circulated in China, and many Chinese students strive to study hard in order to secure respectable white-collar jobs. As a result, they often look down upon factory work in the manufacturing sector. In the past, factory work was associated with noisy and dirty environments, but modern automated factories have greatly improved working conditions.

Currently, China's economy is facing downward pressure, leading to increased job market competition and making it increasingly difficult to find satisfactory white-collar jobs. But on the other hand, there has been an improvement in compensation and an expansion of job opportunities in the manufacturing industry. University graduates who enter the manufacturing sector are gradually experiencing changes in their treatment. Perhaps in the future, there will be a shift in the perception that only low-performing individuals end up working in factories.

5.Inviting experts to vacation at northeast China's Beidaihe: A "meticulous arrangement" 邀请专家赴北戴河休假：一次“精心的安排”

Overview:

Beidaihe, a scenic resort in north China's Hebei Province which has traditionally provided a relaxed setting for the Communist Party of China (CPC) leaders -- retired and incumbent -- to interact and hold discussions on the state of the nation, has since 1998 hosted an annual week-long summer vacation exclusively for the nation's top experts across diverse fields.

In 2023, 57 distinguished experts were selected for this honor, marking a continuity of 22 such retreats over 26 years. These experts come from various cutting-edge domestic technology fields, including artificial intelligence, life and health, aerospace technology, etc, which may highlight the focus of the Chinese government in the year. Beyond mere leisure, these vacations serve as platforms for intellectual exchange, alignment with national priorities, and the promotion of cross-disciplinary collaboration. The Beidaihe vacation system is emblematic of China's unique approach to fostering and celebrating its leading minds.

The article comes from 南方周末 [Southern Weekly], Southern Weekly is considered one of the most outspoken newspaper in China. It is strongly recommended by liberal intellectuals and is said to contribute to public democratic debate and the formation of civil society. The New York Times has described the Southern Weekend as "China's most influential liberal newspaper".

sanatorium II, Beidaihe summer resort

Highlights:

休假期间，有很多娱乐活动供专家们选择，如沙滩捡贝壳、散步、看电影等。但把全部时间用来休闲的几乎没有，专家们相当一部分时间还是用在小组座谈、交流上。

During the vacation, there are many recreational activities for experts to choose from, such as collecting seashells on the beach, strolling, watching movies, etc. However, very few spent all their time on leisure; a significant portion was dedicated to group discussions and exchanges.

不仅专家之间私下有探讨，中组部人才局也在休假期间组织专门的座谈会，中央领导同志也会看望专家。

Not only did the experts engage in private discussions, the Talent Bureau under the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee also organized specific forums during the vacation, and central leaders would visit the experts as well.

尹学军向南方周末记者回忆起2015年的那次座谈会，前一天晚上，他们接到参加座谈会的通知。第二天，大家换上正装，在会议室内一张U型桌旁，按照座次轮流发言。

When recalling the 2015 symposium, Yin Xuejun mentioned that he and other experts were informed about the symposium the evening before. The next day, dressed formally, they took turns speaking around a U-shaped table in the conference room.

“主要是大家介绍一下自己，相互了解，再从各自行业出发，为国家提一点建议。”尹学军印象中，当天的发言并无主题限制。

"The main purpose was for everyone to introduce themselves, get to know one another, and then provide suggestions for the country based on their respective fields," Yin Xuejun remembered. There was no specific theme for the speeches.

发言时，尹学军提出，传统的创新成果评价体系以发表论文为主，但并不适用于工程界，还应该看企业有多少推向市场的专利，完成多少产值、税收，培养多少人才。

When speaking, Yin Xuejun suggested that the traditional evaluation system for innovative achievements mainly focuses on published papers. However, this is not suitable for the engineering field. The system should also consider how many patents a company has introduced to the market, the total production value and taxes it has generated, and how many talents it has cultivated.

“过去二十多年，我所在的行业技术水平可以说已经从1998年我刚回国时落后西方30年左右，走到现在位于世界前列了。”如今，尹学军团队的振动控制技术已经应用在全国九千余项工程中，其中不乏港珠澳大桥抗风振、岭澳二期核电站汽轮发电机组隔振、国家空间站航天员锻炼跑台减振等国家工程。

"In the past 20+ years, the technological level of my industry has advanced from being about 30 years behind the West when I returned to China in 1998, to now being at the forefront globally." Now, the vibration control technology of Yin Xuejun's team has been applied in over 9,000 projects across the country, including significant national projects like the wind-resistant design of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the vibration isolation of the turbine generator set of Ling Ao Power Plant Phase II turbines, and the vibration reduction for astronauts' treadmill training in the national space station.

在尹学军看来，激励他的诸多因素中，那6天的高规格休假格外重要。时至今日，尹学军的办公室墙上仍然挂着一张大照片，那是座谈会结束，中央领导同志与大家一一握手后的留影，背景是一张巨幅山水画。

To Yin Xuejun, the high-standard 6-day vacation was a crucial motivating factor. To this day, a large photo still hangs on the wall of his office, taken at the end of the symposium where central leaders shook hands with everyone, with a massive landscape painting in the background.

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哪些专家能去到北戴河休假？根据中央人才工作重心的调整，每年的主题和重点有所不同。

Which experts can go on vacation to Beidaihe? Based on the adjustments to the central focus of talent work, the themes and emphases vary each year.

2003年，受邀的100位专家中，有多人为抗击“非典”一线的医务专家、全国防治“非典”科技攻关组负责人。2006年，中央一号文件下发后，新农村建设启动，当年邀请的专家就以农业科技专家和农村实用人才为主。2009年新中国成立60周年之际，邀请的是60位新中国成立以来，各个时期、各个领域创新创业创优人才代表。

In 2003, among the 100 experts invited, many were frontline medical experts fighting SARS and the leaders of the national SARS prevention and scientific research group. In 2006, after the issuance of the "No. 1 central document," the construction of new rural areas began. Therefore, the experts invited that year were primarily agricultural science and technology experts and practical talent for rural areas. In 2009, on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, 60 representatives of talent who had innovated, started businesses, and excelled in various periods and fields since the establishment of PRC were invited.

2011年是中国共产党成立90周年，中组部特别邀请了90位优秀党员人才，地点也改在了井冈山。

In 2011, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, 90 outstanding party member talent were specially invited, with the venue shifted to Jinggangshan, the "cradle of the Chinese revolution."

2023年休假活动的主题被定为“矢志高水平科技自立自强，投身中国式现代化伟大实践”，前来休假的专家则是国内科技前沿领域的优秀人才代表。

The theme for the 2023 vacation was "Resolutely aiming for greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, dedicated to the great practice of Chinese modernization." The experts invited were outstanding representatives from China's cutting-edge technological fields.

Comments:

Beidaihe's summer retreat tradition highlights China's way of honoring its top minds, blending relaxation with networking. The 2023 cohort, including maize expert Fan Xingming and others from diverse fields, suggests a broad recognition of expertise. This underscores policy-makers’ recognition of the paramount importance of specialized knowledge in shaping a nation's future.

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