New book shows different aspects of gay life

It may not be as touching as the love story of two cowboys in the film "Brokeback Mountain," but the first study of gay men in China, released recently in Beijing, provides more true tales.

The research, conducted by Tong Ge, a Chinese gay writer, was put into a book offering a wide range of sexual life experiences from more than 500 homosexual males in eight major cities in the country.

The book titled "Chinese MSM (men have sex with men): Research on Sex and Self-identification" has 15 chapters and is the result of two-year's effort by Tong.

His study has reached out to a larger gay society by exploring the non self-identified gay people who were often ignored in previous gay studies.

China has an estimated population of about 5 million to 10 million gay men, yet many men who have sex with men do not think they are gay, Tong added.

This research is the first homosexual research conducted by a gay man.

Tong has worked for many years on publishing gay literature and the prevention of HIV aids.

The study was supported by the New York-based Ford Foundation and the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute, the first homosexual counselling agency in China.

Tong's research is more genuine and reliable because he is considered a confidant of gay interviewees.

"Unlike other researchers, I am a listener not a speaker," Tong said. "My job is to provide a first-hand experience to people who do or do not understand the gay community."

The book reveals an unknown side of sexual life in China's gay society, "70 per cent of which, I, as a homosexual, hadn't heard of before," Tong said.

"Cases shared in this book are something never told before," Pan Suiming, director of the Institute of Sexuality and Gender, Renmin University of China said.

When asked about why he wrote the book, Tong said reading this will help people know gay men as normal human beings instead of as patients to be analyzed.

Yesterday's Lantern Festival marked the last day of the 15-day long Spring Festival, a time of celebration for many Chinese.

Thousands of pilgrims and visitors gathered in Yonghe Lamasery in Beijing yesterday morning to pray for good fortune and luck for their families, and to pay their respects to Buddha.

Yesterday was believed to be the second-most crowded day, following the first day of the Lunar New Year, when a total of 51,000 visitors came to the temple.

Li Shu, security chief of the temple's administration, said that roughly 32,000 people visited the temple by 1 pm yesterday, 10 times higher than the normal count.

"I don't come regularly, but today is the sweet dumpling festival. I came to burn joss sticks before Buddha for a happy end to Spring Festival, and to pray for a lucky beginning for the Year of the Dog," said Ma Ying, a 50-year-old Beijing resident.

Many foreigners also came to witness the festival.

"I've been told by my Chinese friends today is another big day according to the Chinese lunar calendar," said Belgian Philip Yant, who visited the temple in the afternoon.

In Nanjing, throngs of residents flocked to the Confucius Temple, hoping to get good luck by touching the huge bell, though only a few people have this opportunity.

Sweet dumplings are the traditional food for the Lantern Festival, made of glutinous rice flour and symbolizing a harmonious reunion.

However, for many young people, Valentine's Day is another exciting holiday.

With the lover's day approaching, romance has filled the air of major retail stores, cinemas, restaurants, holiday resorts and hotels.

Still, some say that Western festivals in China are only gaining popularity with merchants, calling them a festival for businesses, not people.

Source: China Daily