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[Updates] Sichuan Ya’an earthquake leaves 196 dead and injures 11,470

April 20, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

On April 20th, 8:02AM Beijing time, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck Lushan County, Ya’an City in China’s Sichuan province. According to the recent official report,  the earthquake has killed 196 and injured at least 11,470 people. News source: [scdaily.cn] [weibo] [xinhuanet] (Chinese language)

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Children literally climb mountains to get to school

April 19, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Zhangjiawan village, Sangzhi county, Hunan Zhangjiawan village is located on a remote mountain called “The Gate of Heaven” in Hunan province, accessible only by ladders. The town was built hundreds of years ago to avoid bandits. Very few outsiders come into this self-sufficient village. Despite the village’s isolated location, the village youth are still interested …

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[Updated] Chinese social media users react to Boston explosions

April 16, 2013 / by / 1 Comment

Image from Hong Kong website Timable.com Facebook page. “Wishing world peace and safety to all.” This was posted along with information on the Iran earthquake. Following the tragedy in Boston yesterday afternoon, Chinese internet users took to the popular social media platforms to express their concerns and viewpoints. Some have called for more information on …

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Illustrations of the new first lady go viral

April 15, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Recently, a series of illustration depicting the new Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan have gone viral on microblogging tool Sina Weibo. Drawn by Weibo user Xue Yuan Zhi Jia, the illustrations show various outfits that Peng Liyuan wore during visits to several countries with President Xi Jinping. Source: [Weibo] (Chinese language)

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Mario restaurant gains popularity in Tianjin

April 14, 2013 / by / 2 Comments

Mario, the famously pudgy Italian plumber with a large nose and mustache, has had a deep influence on the 80s generation in China. Recently, a Mario themed restaurant opened in Hexi district, Tianjin, where all the waiters wear the iconic Mario outfit while serving food. Within a few short days since its opening, the restaurant has attracted lots of young customers born after the 80s and 90s.

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One of the Emperor's meeting areas

Old Summer Palace replica captures royal life during Qing Dynasty

April 12, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

ZHUHAI, GUANGDONG Several hundred years ago during the Qing Dynasty, most commoners wouldn’t even dream of setting foot inside the Emperor’s palace. The Old Summer Palace, or Yuanming Yuan (literally “Gardens of Perfect Brightness”), near Beijing was built in the 18th and early 19th Centuries. It was the Emperor’s residence and place where he carried …

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Earthquake-ready feng shui park features massive arches

April 10, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Shunde, Guangdong Where are the biggest arches in the world? Interestingly, they are not in Paris but apparently are in Shunde District at an 85,000 square meter (101,600 square yard ) public park called Shun Feng Shan (literal translation: Prosperous Peak Mountain). The Chinese principles of feng shui are observed in the five bridges that …

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Sofa made of bricks, mortar and steel weighing 1 ton

Shenzhen’s Overseas Chinese Town showcases local artists

April 09, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Shenzhen When is a sofa not really a sofa? When it’s not a real sofa, but a piece of artwork. Chinese artist Dai Yun’s sofa is made of bricks and mortar and steel. And weighs a ton (2,000 lbs). The ‘looks like a sofa but doesn’t act like a sofa is on display and for …

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Qingming Festival: Dealing with death in the 21st century

April 08, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Qingming Festival is a Chinese tradition that had been kept for thousands of years. It usually occurring around April 4th every year. A day to remember and honor ancestors, the rites of worship have changed dramatically in recent years. Traditionally, worshipers burn paper items representing the valuables of the deceased. Since technology plays a big role …

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Mr Wan, enterprising strawberry farmer

Exclusive: A farmer sees the future in agro-tourism

April 04, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Zhongshan Our Easter tour to Zhongshan included a farm visit to pick strawberries. It was raining heavily and the plants had been nearly picked clean already by 500 other Hong Kong tourists over two days. With time to kill, we ended up chatting with the farmer Mr. Wan, who offered an interesting insight into his …

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Rubber duck collapsed on May 14   Source: Reuters

Deflated rubber duck causes frenzy in Hong Kong

May 16, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

HONG KONG After a mere two weeks on display, the huge rubber duck floating in Hong Kong’s harbour suddenly collapsed several days ago. The reason is presently unknown, but some sources say the garbage floating in the ocean may have been the cause.   The rubber duck has been a hit as reported in our …

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Protests in Taiwan demand “formal” apology from Philippines

May 15, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Taipei, Taiwan The death of a Taiwanese fisherman on May 9, 2013, has sparked outrage amongst the people of Taiwan, prompting protestors to gather in front of the Philippines office in Taipei. Hung Shih-cheng, 65, was shot by Filipino coast guards in waters south of Taiwan and north of the Philippines. An apology was issued …

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Down the rabbit hole, 'taxi' says Alice. By Cheung Wan Man Amy 2004

Hong Kong art scene heats up

May 14, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Hong Kong The Hong Kong art scene seems to be heating up lately, particularly with the upcoming West Kowloon cultural district under construction. Most notably, there’s Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman‘s huge inflatable rubber duck  floating in the harbour for several weeks to promote world peace. Brought in by a prominent local company at significant cost, …

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Owls find a new home in Xi’an city walls

May 11, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Xi’an, Shanxi On May 8th, people discovered four owls who decided to move into the city wall of the ancient city of Xi’an. The owls have drawn much public attention, with most people commenting that it is very rare to see wild owls living in the city. Others hoped that the owls would be able …

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The cure: includes silkworms and earthworms

Traditional Chinese Medicine offers potent cure

May 11, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Hong Kong One of the biggest risks we as teachers fear is losing our voice. This happens to me more than I care to mention, and I normally just suffer in silence for the 2 to 3 days it takes to get my voice back using Western medicine. Having been brought up in Canada, I …

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Recipe: Green onion pancakes (蔥油餅)

May 11, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Welcome to a new section of Meanwhile in China: Food! We’re going to show you how to cook Chinese food from different regions of the country, right in your own kitchen! First up: Green onion pancakes, also known as cong you bing (蔥油餅) or scallion pancakes. This popular dish is an unleavened flat bread made …

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Exam candidates relieve stress by praying at Confucius Temple

May 10, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Chengde, Hebei The annual Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination, also known as the gao kao, will start next month. Many high school students and parents are under a huge amount of pressure. On May 6th, several exam candidates dressed in traditional Chinese costumes and went to pray for good luck at the Rehe Confucius Temple with their parents. …

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There’s no place like home – except for IKEA

May 08, 2013 / by / 1 Comment

Shanghai Ask people in Shanghai where they like to go on weekends, and they will probably say IKEA. Recently, a series of photos that people took in IKEA show people who love spend time there – not for shopping, but resting. A staff from Shanghai IKEA told reporters from local newspaper Xinmin Evening News that each …

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Two looted zodiac heads to be returned to Beijing, but not by Jackie Chan

May 06, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Beijing In our recent article “Old Summer Palace replica captures royal life during Qing Dynasty”, we mentioned briefly the 12 zodiac heads that were looted over 150 years ago from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing by French and British troops. The Old Summer Palace, also known in Chinese as Yuan Ming Yuan, was located northwest …

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PhD speed dating at Wuhan University

May 06, 2013 / by / 0 Comment

Wuhan, Hubei On Apr. 28th, Wuhan University hosted a speed dating event for their graduate school students. All the men were required to hold at least a PhD degree or even higher, and women were required to have at least a Masters degree. More than 200 graduate students attended the event.     Source: [Sohu] …

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