China

Signspotting: Not In, Shanghai

Like what you see? Subscribe to the full RSS feed. © Augapfel That’s fine. I’ll check back later.

French Retailer Faces Chinese Anger Over Olympic Torch Incidents

French retailer Carrefour is feeling the full force of Chinese anger. A string of its stores in China is facing protests and boycotts after the Olympic Torch was waylaid by a bunch of protesters, in what was one of the worst legs of the Torch’s tour. French pro-Tibet supporters tried to grab the Torch in […]

Let There (Not) Be Rain: Beijing to Control Weather During Olympics

This isn’t really shocking coming from a country that tries its utmost to control everything within its borders. Even the weather, apparently. In its ongoing attempts to make the Beijing games a spectacular showcase for its Olympic sized sprint from poor to powerhouse, China has set plans to control rainfall at the Games, especially during […]

Beijing to Promote Condom Use at Hotels, Clubs and Construction Sites

The Chinese government is making further efforts to contain the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Health officials have proposed that condoms be made easily available at night clubs, hotels and … construction sites (huh?). According to the proposed regulation, hotels and resorts would be required to have condoms available in toilets, while “night clubs, bathing […]

Olympic Athletes Unhappy with Beijing’s Squat Toilets

© boni_face Chinese Olympic authorities are scrambling to refit toilets after complaints that some Olympic venues had squat toilets instead of the sit down model favored by Westerners. Athletes, miffed at the prospect of having to squat to do their stuff, reportedly companied and refitting work is currently underway at some otherwise high-tech venues, like the Water […]

Tibet: Not The Fratboy Destination It Once Was

Tibet has always been a lovely travel destination. Whether you’re an old woman or a fraternity boy completely enamored with the philosophy class you took senior year to graduate, its a popular place to find one’s self. Tibet has also been in a state of political turmoil against the Chinese “abusive step-parent” government for […]

Never Too Late to Try Paul Theroux’s Iron Rooster Ride

My father visited China a couple of years ago, and with a skill for getting chatting to interesting people that I was lucky enough to inherit from him, he met a middle-aged Chinese man in Beijing who was sitting in a park reading Charles Dickens. The industrial revolution hell of many Dickens novels is not […]

World’s Largest Building Opens in Beijing

Beijing Airport, Terminal 3 Beijing Airport’s new terminal 3, said to be the world’s largest building, has opened ahead of schedule with time to spare for the Olympic Games. The terminal will be the point of entry for athletes who will arrive in the city. The deign features a dragon form with an aerodynamic roof that mimics […]

Bizarre Culture: Chinese Town Where Everyone is an Acrobat [Video]

Evidently, in one small town in China, everyone is an acrobat. Sure, it’s fascinating to watch. But the rampant child exploitation is hardly different than the mental anguish and grueling, physical training regimen that the circus puts its animals through.

Bizarre Culture: Chinese 1000-Hand Guan-Yin Dance [Video]

Via YouTube: This dance is called “Buda with thousand hands”. It is performed by a group of Chinese handicapped girls. They can not hear or talk. They dance by reading the signs given by the 2 teachers standing at each side, they are so famous now that they are being invited by countries around the world. The […]

China to Permit Athlete Blogging at Beijing Olympics

China’s backing of inaction against Sudan hasn’t left the Olympics untouched - Steven Spielberg, a former artistic consultant for the Beijing Olympics, decided to sever his ties with the Games in protest against China’s backing of the regime. To add to this, athletes from several countries have set up a Team Darfur to protest […]

China to Kick Off Bizarre Underwater Olympics

A Chinese aquarium is hosting an underwater version of the Olympics. The games are being held at Underwater World in Qingdao City to boost the city’s profile before the 2008 Olympics, when Qingdao will host the Olympic sailing competitions. The underwater contests include fencing with two fencers perched precariously on a steel cable; and shooting with […]

Beijing Moves Towards a Plastic Free World

China gets a lot of bad press on just about everything – lead tainted products, pollution levels, labor laws, and politics. But National Geographic is reporting that Beijing has taken a welcome initiative in cutting down environmental pollution by banning the use and sale of some plastic bags in the country. The legislation, slated to […]

Perfecting Chinese Smiles in Time for the Olympics

Beijing is all wrapped in a flurry of activity before the Olympic Games open in June this year. Billions are being spent to ensure the city puts its best foot forward. Subways and roads are being spruced up, and entire neighborhoods have been razed to give the city a face lift in […]

China at Global Center of Mass High Art Reproduction

Considering China is the Mecca of mass production, it isn’t especially surprising to see even high art being produced on an industrial level. Dafen, in the southern part of the country, is the global center of art reproduction. More than 60 percent of the world’s cheap copies of the masters are produced here. Last […]

Macau Offers World’s Tallest Bungy Platform [Video]

The Macau Tower offers bungy jumping from the 61st floor - 233 meters up. That’s almost 765 feet for the metrically challenged. You might want to bring a diaper. I’ll pass, thanks.

China Confirms Ban on Lonely Planet Guidebook

Cover your Lonely Planet Guide to China in brown paper, or just make a copy of what you’ll need to know on your next trip to the country. That’s advice from the guidebook company after the Chinese government officially announced that it had banned the Chinese guide over objectionable content. The ban has been imposed […]

China’s Death Hotel Opens its Doors

Talk about a location. A Chinese woman has opened a death themed hotel bang in the middle of a graveyard. Jiao Meige, the enterprising hotelier says she wanted to rent her land out for farming purposes, but had to abandon plans because nobody wanted to work there. It couldn’t have had anything to […]

Macau Tourists Riot Against Over-Commercialized Group Tour

Everyone who’s ever been part of a group tour is familiar with the mandatory stops outside cheesy touristy shops selling badly made, overpriced stuff. While most of us would grit our teeth and wait for the driver to get back on, a bunch of 100 tourists in Macau were in no mood to suffer […]

7 Things Not to Do in Shanghai

Via the Mad About Shanghai blog: Once you memorize these seven very specific “don’ts”, you shouldn’t have any trouble obeying the law in Shanghai. One question though: is that any four-letter word?

Photo of the Moment: Sunrise in Shanghai

Photo © Stuck in Customs

The World’s Largest (Fake) Fish Tank

When it comes to electronics, architecture and all-around cool geekery, Asia doesn’t screw around. During the construction of a new mall in Beijing, planners decided to construct the world’s largest fake fish tank. Via Gizmodo: A 250m by 30m LED screen has been installed in the ceiling of a new mall in Beijing. That’s an impressive 7,500 […]

The Chinese Monkey Incident: When Should Personal Morality Overshadow Cultural Sensitivity?

How far is too far? Or is there no clear-cut boundary at all?

How To Curb Airplane Crashes: Just Paint Over Them

I gotta hand it to China: no one is as absolutely shameless when it comes to pulling out all the stops to protect their image as the Chinese. Via Mainichi Daily News (with before and after photos): China Airlines has painted over its name and logo on the wreckage of a passenger jet that exploded in flames […]

How China Feeds the Hyper-Consumerist American Lifestyle

The Atlantic takes an interesting look at the economic effects of mass export and trade on the Shenzhen district of China via their latest slideshow, Made in China. It’s a fascinating, if brief, insight into one of the fastest growing providers to the American hyper-consumerist lifestyle.