24 Hours of “无人便利店 (Wú rén biànlìdiàn)” to Make Life Convenient

Just like shared bicycles, the moment that it was introduced, "unmanned retail" brought us one step closer to the future. It embraces the "new retail" strategy where big data technology connects and optimizes offline outlets and online stores to enhance customer experiences. All of these new industries have greatly facilitated our lives and have saved countless people’s time and energy. This is an inevitable trend of social development and it is sure to spark new waves of innovation. In the meantime, unmanned stores are the focus of the newest innovation.

Let’s break it down:

"无人 (Wúrén)" means no one. "便利 (biànlì)" means convenient, suitable for calmly completing certain actions or functions. "店 (diàn)" means store, a place that sells goods. Unmanned convenience stores refer to stores that are intelligently automated through technical means without manual intervention. Simply, they don’t have any anybody running the store. Rather, it is managed by technology.

无人 (Wúrén): unmanned.
便利 (Biànlì): adj; convenient; easy.
店 (Diàn): noun; shop; store.
"无人便利店 (Wúrén biànlìdiàn)" means a store where A.I. and data technologies have made it possible for customers to shop without queuing to pay.

Origin:

All of this probably feels a bit familiar – if you’ve heard about Amazon Go, you may know what unmanned convenience stores are. At an "无人便利店 (Wúrén biànlìdiàn) unmanned convenience store", you can scan the code, take things, and leave. Now in some cities in China a similar format has been utilized.

The advancement of science and technology has saved people a lot of time and improved people’s work efficiency.

购物流程 (Gòuwù liúchéng) Shopping Process:

1. 进入商店 (Jìnrù shāngdiàn) Enter the store
Designed to be consumer friendly, by scanning a "二维码 (Èrwéimǎ) QR code" on Wechat or Alipay at the entrance of the store, patrons are tracked with cameras for facial recognition.

2. 购物 (Gòuwù) Shop
After going through the checkout doors, customers will automatically make a ... Read More

Did you know we celebrate Father’s Day in China too? This holiday is one of my favorites because I love to give my dad the best gifts possible, as a token of gratitude for all he has done for my life. Many Chinese children do the same for their dads. But what are the best/ most common gifts to give here in China? Let me tell you so you can have a few ideas for your own dad!

1. 陪伴 (Péibàn) Companionship
We have a saying in Chinese that goes like this:
"陪伴是最长情的告白 (Péibàn shì zuì cháng qíng de gàobái)."
Loosely translated it means: "Being there for someone is the biggest sacrifice for love." By this we suggest to people that the greatest gift you can give someone, a gift that comes from your heart and soul, is simply to be there and offer your companionship.So, hang out with your dad! He will love the quality time spent with him.

Here are a few ways I offer "陪伴 (péibàn) companionship" to my father:

• Give him a "拥抱 (yōng bào) hug." Now in China we have the tendency to hide our feelings, even from close family members. However, things are changing. More and more people become more open-minded and want to offer warmth and affection to their loved ones. A hug goes a long way in doing this!
• Make a meal for him. Who doesn’t love food? By making him a meal you are offering both quality time and an act of service.
• Play "象棋 (xiàngqí) Chinese chess." We love this game here in China, and especially our dad’s generation. Play a favorite game of his!

Have you ever heard of "广场舞 (guǎngchǎng wǔ) square dancing?" It’s a super fun dance that ... Read More

Quiz:
1. Read the dialogue and fill in the blank with the proper word.

Amy: Jīntiān shì liù yuè shíqī rì, nǐ mǎi lǐwù gěi nǐ bàba le ma?
Amy: 今 天 是 6 月 1 7 日，你买 礼物 给 你 爸爸 了 吗?

Bob: Wèishénme yào mǎi lǐwù ne?
Bob: 为 什 么 要 买 礼物 呢？

Amy: Jīntiān shì ____ jié ya!
Amy: 今 天 是 ___ 节 呀！