Ironman China Cancelled at the Last Minute

Ironman China to be held on May 29, 2011 was cancelled at the last minute, announced the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) last week.

The race was one of a few top level world triathlon competitions held in 2011. The last minute cancellation came as a shock to more than 900 registered athletes. The race was fulled booked. Many first class athletes had been training months for the game.

China has been known for its successfully hosted world class games, such as the Asian Games in 1990 (Beijing) and 2010 (Guangzhou) and 2008 Summer Olympic Games (Beijing).

This is not the first time international game was cancelled for no obvious reasons. The 2007 Lhasa International Half Marathon Challenge was also cancelled at the last minute. It is suspected that the cancellation was out of concern of safety associated with running at the high attitude, coincidentally the lure of the race. For the Tianjin Triathlon, politics between local government bodies and a corrupted central sports authority were rumored to be the blame. The coveted game was originally scheduled to be held in a southern city Kaikou in Hainan Province. It was then moved to northern port city Tianjin when WTC was not satisfied with the preparations in Haikou. However, officials in Tianjin was either totally incompetent or torpedoed by frustrated Kaikou officials.

Beauty and Beasts

The 'girl' in the central with khata is Tian Wen, a Beijing native who came to Lhasa after graduated from Renmin University in Beijing and committed her life there. The oil painting "Cheers Lhasa!" was a work of Yu Xiaodong of his artists friends in Lhasa.

Between early 80s to early 90s, many college graduates artists went to Lhasa, the last clean world to find their dream. Most of them had left by now, and some of them died there, including the girl Tian Wen. They were mostly forgotten, except beautiful Tian, who died in 1987 at age of 29.

According to Yu Xiaodong, every details and specifics are meaningful. Yu is entitled to be the only male among many to stand by our beauty, with the only exception of an intruding arm of Li Yuan from the back row. Li Yuan's book was seen covering a closed up Tian Wen's work in missionary position. There's a middle finger from a chopped off left hand pointing to the beauty.

Tian's legal husband, Ye Nong, a Beijing musician who also volunteered to go to Tibet was excluded from this group portrait.

The painting assembled an amazing collection of notable artists in Lhasa during the 1980s. At the time, Lhasa was a notable plateau in the movement of Chinese artists embracing western influences. There are glories and stories behind each and everyone who appears, but all that remembered by themselves is this woman.

The world is being made by women. History is known because of beautiful women.

About Tian Wen:

听朋友说，这两口子当时都是文学青年，在北京也算非常前卫，他们相识就是在什么家庭舞会上，很有参与群奸群宿的重大嫌疑，在80年代政府搞“严打”那阵子可能都够判死缓的了。 据说田文曾经跟大家建议一起去游裸泳，我在事后很久才听说这事儿都感觉心往神驰，后悔好事儿都让我给错过了。想象一下，在朦胧月色下，跟一群大哥哥大姐姐一起光溜溜在昆明湖里游泳，爬上岸来立刻就被饿急了大批蚊子叮得浑身满屁股的包。多么引人入胜啊！

--dokknife


其实，在这之前，就注意到这位文学系的女子。 她在北京的人群中算是长得很不错的，尤其在当年的大学生群体中，肯定到任何校园里也算引人注目的（主要是墩子这样的当年嫩孩子们太多）。 印象中，田文有一双北京人少见的大大黑黑的眼睛，留个娃娃头。戴副白边眼镜。身材丰满但不算胖。个子中等而匀称。笑起来，一口白牙。皮肤不是那么白，可绝对不算黑。还有着健康青春的红色，尤其在冬天，看到她，真感觉到青春气息扑面而来。田文穿着也很时髦：冬天脚上登着一双黑高腰半高跟皮鞋。不冷的时候，穿条蓝色牛仔裤。这在当年77-80级的大学生中很少见。偶尔柃着把小提琴在校园里走来走去，随处洒下一路的笑容。

因为好奇，我打听了田文的背景。知道了点我不该知道的东西。再听听她拉小提琴，觉得也不过尔尔。当然，更可能是自觉当年追不上她，对她有种莫名其妙的嫉妒吧，就总想找个机会踩乎她一下。

果然，一次跟几个乐队的同学聚会，在落叶满地的校园里走着。一位弹钢琴的崔兄，我，田文，和一个拉小提琴的同学四人说得热火朝天的。崔兄说，田文啊，你的小提琴跟谁学的？田文回答了一个某乐团的小提琴手。突然，我冲口说书，你拉的音还不准呢。此言一出，田文的脸色就涨红了。我当时不知道吃了什么药，又接着说，我知道你。。。几句话下来，同行者无言，尴尬地沉默着。

--老秃笔


田文去世后，我曾写过一篇文章，其中一句话是（大意）：没想到西藏的文坛竟要用两位女性，两位年轻女性的鲜血来祭奠！（还有一位是龚巧明，在田文之前。）

--老北沙滩儿


前段时间收拾一个什么东西，居然发现了田文的学绩档案和别的一些东西，本来她的遗物我都会给她原来的丈夫，可我还是烧掉了。

--金志国

About her death:

田文1987年在棄車步行穿越被泥石流衝毀的公路時﹐被一塊飛石擊中後腦勺﹐享年29歲。

--徐明旭


80年代中期的一个春节联欢晚会上，前些日子刚过世的电影演员孙道临满怀深情地向全国人民介绍了一个在西藏殉职的北京年轻人，名字叫田文

--dokknife


再后来听到她的消息，就是1988年的春节晚会上，赵忠祥和倪萍眼泪汪汪地讲述了上一年一个汉族姑娘在山体塌方的时候，为了抢救藏族老大娘而英雄牺牲的故事。这个汉族姑娘，就是田文，享年29岁。

--路三歌

Tibetan Monks

When Tibetan monks told you they were Buddhism, it should be taken with a grain of salt. A real Buddhist does not kill or eat meat. In Tibet, monks use poor people's blood, flesh and bone in formal ceremony. Fresh bone, that it is.

While the western media were excited on the China's bloody crack down of a peaceful protest led by Tibetan monks, evidents shown that the Chinese government exercised maximum restraint in using any brute force to disperse the protest, often possible only with sacrifice of young police officers and soldiers. It was just reported another policeman died in a riot in Ganzi, Sichuan.

A photo shows Tibetan monks 'protesting'. There's no such thing as 'Tibetan Monks', but only 'Tibetan Mobs', for real if ask any Buddhists.

A Letter from Tibet

在我个人看来，此次事件策划非常圆满，从3月10号开始，拉萨周边寺庙的喇嘛尼姑就入城集会闹事，被迅速驱散（市中心大昭寺广场，数十名僧人举藏独的雪山狮子旗呼喊独立口号，两分钟内被抓捕）。之后，拉萨大批警力被派往寺庙周围，城内警力有限。到了14号上午10点，开始有人围攻市区内小昭寺外执勤警察，迅速演化为暴力行为，全城开花。可以说是非常漂亮的声东击西。14 号白天，在骚乱地点是见一个汉人就杀，死亡数据是封锁了的。但在14日晚九点，我同事的爱人在公安厅，当时透露了一个数据，汉族平民死亡大概在一百七八十左右，之后就没有数据了。拉萨各医院住满了伤亡者（我在报社的朋友去医院采访，亲眼见到5个失去了耳朵的伤者，还有一具被点了"天灯"女尸），武警总医院是隔几分钟就抬入一个受伤战士（因为白天不能动武，只靠人墙去挡）。顺便，可以告诉你两例真实的暴行：一是三名藏族男子追上一汉族女子，每人一刀；另一是以纯专卖店的5位花季店员，汽油瓶丢入，卷帘门拉下，被活活烧死。14号夜间，对于冲击武警的，已经可以开枪了。15号凌晨5点（拉萨在西部，此时还是黑夜），军队进城，同时有40多辆轮式装甲车进入。15号15点（在拉萨，这个时间相当于天津13点），三十余辆履带式装甲车入城（对于所有汉族人，振奋人心）；同时，15号开始入户搜捕。16号22点，履带式装甲车撤出，局势基本控制，但仍有零星事件。现在17号11时，我们正常上班。

对于此次事件，在我看来，达赖已经是垂暮之年，他身边的藏独势力是在抓紧时间，充分利用其影响力。之前，所谓的大藏区自治也好、独立也罢，大多通过非暴力方式进行，88年前后拉萨的骚乱，也只是针对军警。但此次，是针对平民的打、劫、抢、烧、杀，是暴力手段之肇始，换不来国际舆论的过多支持。今后，我个人估计，暴力乃至于恐怖活动会加剧，政府的打压也将愈发强硬；和平手段之放弃，将是藏独势力灭亡之始。但在他们灭亡之前，在藏的汉族人，将要经历一段悲惨时光。而且，参与此次骚乱的，有大批藏族中学生，小的11岁，......

补充说明，军警开枪，是针对冲击军警的，是被动开枪，不是主动开枪。

The riot was very well organized and erupted simultaneously all across the city in a sudden. It appears the central government hid the real civilian causalities for fear of provoking larger scale of outcry. There are more than 180 residents killed by the mob in March 14 alone. Military forces entered Lhasa on March 15, and the situation was stabilized in March 16.