A Real China

Chinese zodiac is not a big deal

2011-08-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Shēngxiào (Chinese: 生肖), better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each Chinese year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year cycle.

Maybe foreigners think Chine zodiac is interesting. But honestly, it not a big deal for Chinese people. If a Chinese people ask another, 'what is your zodiac?', he is just asking the age in a way not directly.

Chinese people eating babies? Fuck the humor

2011-08-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Zhu Yu is a performance artist in China. His most famous piece of conceptual art, titled "Eating People," consisted of a series of photographs of him cooking and eating what is alleged to be a dead baby.
We don't know it is a real baby body or not. But he made most of us sick. What the hell did he want? To get famous by being a freak? To make foreigners think we Chinese like to eat babies?
Fuck the so-called 'artist', fuck the humor of 'Chinese people eating babies'!

Chinese pinyin

2011-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet to teach Mandarin Chinese in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into computers.
The system was developed from earlier versions by Zhou Youguang (b. 1906), who led a government committee in developing the system in China (PRC) in the 1950s. The system was published by the Chinese government in 1958 and revised several times. The International Organization for Standardization adopted pinyin as the international standard in 1982. The system was adopted as the official standard in Taiwan in 2009, where it is generally referred to as the New Phonetic System.

Learn more about Chinese pinyin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin

UFO sighting in Shanghai and Beijing

2011-08-28T09:20:00.001-07:00

A huge illuminant unidentified flying object (UFO) was reported by multiple airliner pilots in the sky above Shanghai, the Oriental Morning Post reported Tuesday.
The pilot of airliner CZ6554 said on his micro blog that a huge spherical illuminant was seen in the sky, 10,700 meters above Shanghai at 9 pm on August 20. “The luminant was really round and getting huger, (looks) hundreds times bigger than the moon and the diameter of the luminant was longer than 50 sea miles,” the pilot said on his micro blog.
The pilot said the aircrew of more than ten other airliners flying above Shanghai also reported the illuminant object, one by one.
The Air Traffic Management Bureau East China also confirmed the reports on Monday.
At almost the same time, a halo in the sky above Beijing was seen by local people.
A netizen named Chen Xu published a photo of the halo on his micro blog.
Chen said the halo was small at first, then expanded, moved north, and disappeared several minutes later.
The UFO reports follow another report from Southwest China's Chongqing municipality three days before August 20. A UFO was seen above the landing route of the city's airport, forcing two planes to land in Guiyang of Guizhou province and Xi'an of Shaanxi province, respectively.

China bans unapproved online music

2011-08-28T09:18:00.001-07:00

China's Ministry of Culture has ordered domestic websites to stop providing playback and download services of 100 overseas songs that have failed to go through "official approval procedures."
"The websites are ordered to clean up the music products because the products have not gone through official approval procedures, but it does not mean the songs are banned because of their content," an unnamed official with the ministry told Xinhua on Saturday.
The official made the remarks in response to doubts from fans and media that the songs, including those by Lady Gaga and Owl City, might be banned for containing sensitive or offensive lyrics.
In China, websites must be licensed by the government before offering online music services, and imported music products must be approved by the ministry before entering the market.
According to the ministry, the country's search engines and websites were urged to check and "immediately cancel" all services related to these songs by September 15, or they will face punishment.
Previously, the ministry has already ordered websites to stop featuring 200 songs that include "Cold Wind Blows" by Eminem, "Push That Knot Away" by KT Tunstall and "Grenade" by Bruno Mars for similar reasons.
"The ministry will continue to clean up online music products that fail to receive official approval in a bid to regulate our country's online music market," the official said.

Big move for residents affected by Danjiangkou dam project

2011-08-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Emigrants from Xichuan county, Nanyang city moved to a settlement in Xiangcheng county, Central China's Henan province, Aug 25, 2011. On that day, 1,192 people evacuate their homes in Xichuan, a county that is to be submerged by the Danjiangkou Dam project, which is part of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. They are among the last group of Henan people to have been evacuated for the Danjiangkou Dam project.

18 killed in rear-end collision in North China

2011-08-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

18 people were dead because of a bus-truck collision in Hebei Province, local authorities said Sunday.
The accident happened at around 5 a.m. when an Iveco bus with 34 migrant workers onboard rear-ended a parked semi-trailer truck in Shangyi County.
Seventeen people in the bus were died at the site, with the rest of its passengers injured and rushed to hospital.
One of the seriously injured died later in hospital.
An initial investigation into the cause of the accident revealed that overloading of the 17-seat-bus, it being driven at a high speed and the driver being unqualified were to blame for the collision.
Foggy weather and the fact that the parked truck did not have its hazard lights on also contributed to the accident, according to the provincial public security department.
The overloaded Iveco bus was not registered, according to the police.

China's elderly population to represent 30% of total in 30 years

2011-08-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

China's aging citizens will account for more than 30 percent of the country's total population by 2042, according to a legislature report.

Li Jianguo, vice chairman and general secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), made the remark on Wednesday in his report on the implementation of the law on protection of senior citizens' rights.

Li submitted the report to the NPC Standing Committee, the country's top legislature.

Official statistics show that China now has more than 178 million people at or above the age of 60, or more than 13 percent of its total population.

Li said that China entered the society of grey hairs in 1999, when the country was still industrializing and urbanizing.

As families become smaller and more young people leave their hometown for job opportunities in the city, it is becoming increasingly difficult for families to take care of their elder members.

By 2030, there will be an average of 2.5 people of working age for every senior citizen living in China, according to Li. The ratio stood at five to one last year.

Li's report suggested ways to tackle the problem, such as establishing a national elderly care system, strengthening social security for the elderly and improving laws that protect the rights and interests of senior citizens.

More students look to US for grad school

2011-08-25T19:52:00.001-07:00

For Duan Can, a graduate in electronic engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology, a half year of work on an graduate-school application has brought offers to attend three leading US universities.

"The biggest surprise was the offer from Stanford University because it only admits the most talented Chinese students every year," she said.

In the end, she decided to go to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. One reason for her choice was that she received a full scholarship to attend the school, which is more commonly known as Virginia Tech. The assistance will let her avoid draining her parents' money while she works for five years on a doctorate degree.

Virginia Tech was not the only school to offer a full scholarship; she has also got one from the University of Florida.

Some agencies that help Chinese study overseas are seeing leading US universities make a record number of admission offers for doctorate programs this year.

"We are so surprised and happy to see so many admission offers pouring in from Stanford University, New York University and Columbia University," said Zhang Meng, senior manager of CACDIY International, an agency that helps Chinese study overseas.

"If Chinese students only have admission offers, that means they have to pay all of their tuition and living fees," he said. "I guess US universities want to attract more Chinese students, who brought in a large amount of money this year.

"Chinese students who have more than two offers, regardless of their money situation, simply have more choices."

The biggest headache for agencies that help Chinese students study abroad used to be that their rich clients would come to them with impractical aspirations to be admitted into well-known universities.

Their wealth has since made attending such places easier, since it prevents them from having to rely on scholarships to afford tuition, he said.

"I feel so relieved when our clients can choose among several offers," he said.

On Aug 16, the Council of Graduate Schools, a US organization that promotes graduate education and research, released the International Graduate Admissions Survey, which looks at admissions trends. According to it, the number of Chinese applicants to US graduate schools increased by 21 percent from this past school year and the number of offers being made to prospective Chinese students increased by 23 percent.

This is the sixth year in a row that those percentages have increased by double digits, the report said.

"Expensive tuition fees are not a big problem for me," said Liang Shuang, a graduate from the Beijing Jiaotong University. "And the opportunity to study at Stanford will not be around for another year."

Liang this year received an admissions offer from Stanford, where she can pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering.

"My dreams have always been more important than making money, and I like being able to choose between offers," she said.

More and more Chinese students, seeing their number of options have increased, now have greater expectations.

Xia Chaolun, a graduate from Zhejiang University, said that of all the offers he has received, he is only considering those coming from US universities that are ranked among the 20 best such institutions and that will give him a full scholarship.

"I got an offer to study computer science at Cornell on a full scholarship," he said.

According to CACDIY International, scholarships to study computer science or engineering are the hardest for Chinese students to obtain when they are applying for graduate schools.

China, U.S. police shut down Chinese porn websites chain

2011-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Chinese and the United States have jointly shut down a chain of pornographic websites, which were all in Chinese and advertised to Chinese-speaking individuals in China, the U.S. and elsewhere.

Wang Yong, key operator of the porn websites, was arrested in the United States on June 23 by U.S. police, China's Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on Thursday.

Chinese police detained more than 10 people suspected of maintaining the websites in China on June 23, according to the statement.

Man play lady's breast while driving caught by speed camera

2011-08-22T01:36:00.000-07:00

What can you do at the same time when you speeding at 92 km/h? This buddy was playing his female companion's breast with his another hand while his one hand was holding the steering wheel. Maybe it was exciting experience. But unfortunately, a speed camera took this view and some one uploaded the screenshot on a popular website. More unfortunately, it was found out that this man is married but the lady is not his wife.

The picture shows the moment was 14:56pm on July 29. The speed limit of the road is 80km/h.

Sexual service in Dongguan city, South China

2011-08-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

In Dongguan city of south China, there are many hotels in which many unemployed ladies give sexual service under strict management of a company.

The ladies have to work following a set of strong process “erotic standard” – so called “ISO”. It is a sophisticated structure behind the large and complex erotic industrial chain. Beauty Sex workers have to complete 15 to 30 pornography service in 2 hours , such as the beginning of colorful dance, facial expressions, and customer can get the number of orgasms. The rise of manufacturing industry make standardized production in Dongguan in recent years. The local manufacturing practitioners deride this service standard for porn industry of”ISO”, the “ISO” and afterwards assessment system: almost all the hotel sauna require customers to service for more than ten detailed separate evaluation, and once the sex beauty do not finish their duty job, they will be deduct pay strictly.

Before the sex worker start serve customers, they have to take system training. The training contents combine diversity, modernization and it focus on foreign advanced experience for reference. Some people learn it from HongKong and Taiwan, and they send sex workers to Japan to learn the advanced adult erotic sauna service. The teaching process is intensity than factory technician training including with fruit exercise to sex workers mouth strength etc.

In weekends thousands of men from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hongkong will drive to Dongguan to enjoy the high class sexual service.

Vietnamese women bought as wives in China

2011-08-22T00:48:00.001-07:00

Police in central China's Hunan Province said Saturday they have launched an investigation into missing Vietnamese women -- who were bought as wives -- in its remote villages.
The probe comes after media reports said some husbands of the missing women received phone calls telling them to pay ransoms, or otherwise, the women would be sold again. About 100 purchased Vietnamese wives are missing from Hunan's mountainous regions.
Hu Qiulai and Hu Jianhe are from the same remote mountainous village in Shuangfeng County of Hunan; they lost their wives on the same day. Then two months later, they received phone calls from their wives.
"She sobbed and told me that she was kidnapped and sold to another remote village and needed 20,000 yuan ($3,130) to ransom her back," said Hu Jianhe, who bought the woman for 36,388 yuan in 2008.
The two men reported the case to local police after some hesitation, as the women, who were bought on the Sino-Vietnam border, were not their legal wives.
Hu Gengqing, Hu Jianhe's father, acknowledged that women trafficking were rampant in his county. "They were all bought from Yunnan, which borders Vietnam, and the total number (in the county) could be in dozens," he said.
There are more males than females in Chinese rural areas, as boys are preferred, so some men in poor regions resort to buying their wives as they cannot find women to marry them.
Police officers at the public security bureau in Shuangfeng County said the bureau has set up a special team to investigate the reported women trafficking and marriage fraud.
The bureau is seeking to ascertain the exact number of missing wives, as many partners may be unwilling to report the cases for fear of being accused of trafficking, they said.
Since September last year, the bureau has only received two cases in which four wives were found to be victims of trafficking, they added.

Egg-sized hail attack Shenyang city in China

2011-08-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

At 6:46pm on June 21, hail storm attacked the city of Shenyang, China, causing extensive damages. House windows were broken, trees on the street fell down.

The Weather Agency in local explained, "There is no time to issue warning. Hailstorm came so abruptly. Hot air near the ground and the cold air above met, causing the hailstorm." People in local upload photo online, showing that the hail is as big as a egg.

This storm lasted about half an hour.

The first gay couple who hold wedding ceremony in Shenzhen

2011-08-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

Mark (25, left) and An’an (23) held their wedding ceremony on August 21 in southern China's Shenzhen city. This gay couple are two fresh university graduates in the city. After the couple exchanged rings, they and their five guests—three other ladies and An'an's best man, maybe they threw the bouquet at the gawkers—finished off the wedding with a lunch.

They said that their ceremony gathered many impromptu spectators who happened to be at the Luohu district restaurant Saturday, but they both invited family members to the wedding, none of whom showed up. The service was conducted by a lady friend.

“We’re normal people,” the couple said in a statement to the press, “We just happen to have different genes which gave us a different sexual orientation. Aside from that, we’re exactly the same as any other husband and wife couple. By holding this wedding ceremony, we hope to earn people’s blessings and support.”

Comments online are mostly supportive of the guys.

Legless woman brought up 138 orphans

2011-08-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

A woman who can move about only with the aid of wooden stools since losing her legs at the age of 12 has spent the past 37 years taking care of orphans in Hunan Province, China.

Thousands of people online - touched by her devotion to the children - have dubbed her "Mom on Stool."

The woman, Xu Yuehua, a staff worker at a social welfare institute in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, was herself sent to the institute in 1973 for social support. She "walks" by manipulating two wooden stools.

According to institute officials, within 15 days of her arrival, Xu volunteered to take care of the orphans there as a means of repaying the institute for its support.

Her first child was named Shengli, a girl abandoned by her parents and found by institute staff beside a tractor. The girl had pneumonia and a cleft lip, making it difficult to give her food and medicine. Xu had to use a syringe device to feed her.

Shengli has since grown up and was recently married.

Although Xu received no salary for taking care of the children, she worked hard and never asked for a holiday. She once stayed in hospital for 107 days to take care of a baby with severe stomach ache.

As the institute received more and more orphans, Xu had to take care of more children by widening her own bed for them to sleep on. At one point she was caring for 15 children at once, and her bed was widened to five meters. So far Xu has been "mother" to 138 orphans.

3 killed in hospital blast in north China city

2011-08-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

Three people were killed and 17 others injured, two severely, after a blast ripped through a boiler room in a hospital in northern Chinese city of Changzhi Friday, local authorities said.

A person was killed instantly when a boiler exploded at about 4 p.m. at the Chengqu Hospital in Changzhi, Shanxi Province, and two others died while being rushed to the emergency room, the city government announced in a statement.

The injured people are being treated at the hospital and all are described in stable condition.
Online photos show that half of the boiler room was destroyed after the blast.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, the statement said.

Woman live 11 years without kidney

2011-08-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Li Wangbao (right in the picture) is a 58-year-old woman in Taiwan. Her both kidneys were cut off because of cancer 11 years ago. Hemodialysis keeps her alive and she has to walk 20 kilo meters everyday.

Kobe Bryant to start playing in China in Oct

2011-08-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

The chairmen of Zhongyu basketball club in North China released the news to reporters that Kobe Bryant, the famous basketball star in NBA will play for his club in October.

During Kobe's trip in July, he was satisfied with the contract about he play for Zhongyu club in China during the lockout of NBA. There is unconfirmed message online that the club might pay $1.5 million a month to Kobe.

Police react to message ''China's twitter'' about street chaos

2011-08-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

In China, weibo.com is a website like twitter in US.

On August 17, A weibo user tweet a message involving a uniformed officer beating an elderly woman on a street in Jinan city.
The message from the netizen Liu about the street chaos, posted at 18:32, was soon forwarded many times on weibo.com.

The police in Jinan city reacted via its weibo page later at 20:15 by confirming that it was a female prison guard, not a police officer, involved in the case. She had stopped to fix her vehicle when the incident occurred. She has been detained and interrogated at the police station.

Eleven minutes later, another message from the local police reiterated that the police are taking the case seriously.

At 20:26, Liu said in another post that it was a man beating the elderly woman and he has been taken away by police.

At 22:21, the police went on tweeting: “The female prison guard surnamed Lin quarreled with the elderly couple as she fixed her vehicle, and she sent her husband, a doctor at a hospital, to beat the elderly woman.”

According to the report, the injured woman was rushed to the hospital. The police are further investigating the case.

Shen Yang, a professor at Wuhan University, said that this was a good example of police reacting to tweeted news.

97-year-old mother takes care of 60-year-old paralyzed son for 19 years

2011-08-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

In eastern china's Bozhou city, the 97-year-old woman Zhang has being taken care of his paralyzed son for 19 years.

40 years ago, Zhang’s son became mentally ill and was finally confined to bed 19 years ago, when Zhang started to take care of him all by herself.

She is humpbacked and life is hard for her. When people come to offer her some money, she always smiles, saying "All good people are blessed".

US$46,950 in cash robbed after car accident in Shaanxi

2011-08-18T06:22:00.001-07:00

About 300,000 yuan ($46,950) was robbed by passers-by and locals after a car accident took place on part of the state highway in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, according to cnwest.com on Thursday.
Last Thursday, in the late afternoon in Yuyang district, Yulin, a yellow Hyundai driven by a couple collided with a tricycle and then hit the wall of a large garden on its right-hand side.
According to Guo Hao, deputy director of Yulin First Traffic Police Division, both the driver and the woman were thrown out of the car and died instantly. The woman had been holding the cash in her arms.
"Some money dropped directly out of the car, while the rest was found under the woman's body," Guo added.
The driver's uncle told reporters that his nephew was on the way to Yulin to deliver the money as part of a work-related transaction, but that only 58,000 yuan ($ 9,077) remained on the site when he arrived.
A witness said that about 200,000-300,000 yuan ($31,300-4, 6950) was scattered on the road and that the scene became flooded with people picking up the money.

Chinese fishermen to sue oil company for spill accident

2011-08-18T06:19:00.001-07:00

Fishermen in north China's Hebei Province are preparing to sue a U.S.-based oil company, as they believe recent oil spills in a nearby bay are to blame for the deaths of large numbers of scallops.

Fishermen from the province's city of Tangshan said they believe that the scallops they were raising along the shores were poisoned by contamination from oil spills in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield located in the Bohai Bay.

The oilfield is jointly operated by a Chinese subsidiary of the U.S.-based oil company ConocoPhillips and its partner, the China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC).

The North Sea branch of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) announced on Aug. 3 that the bay had been contaminated with fuel oil.

Economic losses of the fishermen are believed to be between 150 and 170 million yuan (about 23.5 to 26.6 million U.S. dollars), as more than half of the scallops the fishermen raised have died, according to Yang Jizhen, president of the Laoting County Fishery Association.

"Each family (of fishermen) has been affected to a different extent. A more accurate figure will be calculated by November," Yang said.

Local authorities have not offered an explanation for the loss of the scallops, leading the fisherman to hire lawyers to sue ConocoPhillips, Yang said.

Three million yuan (about 469,300 U.S. dollars) has been raised by the 153 families of fishermen who are planning to sue the company, according to Yang. The money will be used to cover their legal fees.

Cancer Village in Southwest China

2011-08-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

In Qujing city, Yunnan Province of southwest China, there is a cancer village. 11 people in the village have died since the year of 2002. A chemical plant has piled chromium slag near the village for 10 years, as China Central Television reported.

Tons of highly toxic industrial waste were dumped illegally by a chemical plant in rural areas of Qujing, causing livestock deaths and soil and water pollution.

A Chemical Plant in Qujing City attracted media attention recently after it had piped 5,000 tons of chromium tailings near a local reservoir that feeds one of China's largest rivers.

People can contract lung cancer when inhaling compounds that contain chromium, while chromium in drinking water can also cause cancers.

Xinglong Village, the name means prosperous, near the plant is now more widely known as "Cancer Village," because 14 people had suffered from cancers in the past 10 years according to officials, although villagers claim the number is far higher, CCTV reported.

Some late-stage lung cancer patients were following a traditional folk remedy by eating more than 50 bedbugs every day in an effort to relieve the illness, CCTV said.

The plant, built around 2000, set up a yard to hold chromium slag about two kilometers from the village. The pile was about 80 centimeters tall and surrounded by a brick wall. No tree or grass could be seen near the pile, CCTV said.

"An increasing number of villagers caught cancers, including intestinal, lung and liver, after the plant was built near the village," CCTV quoted a villager as saying.

"The nearby hospitals have received 14 cancer patients, 11 of whom have died, from 2002 to 2010 in the village," said Zhang Xin, deputy director of Luliang's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, villagers told CCTV that at least 30 people had suffered from cancers in the past 10 years.

"I have four friends caught cancers in recent years and three of them have died... the rate is too high," a villager said. He said people in the village were worrying all the time that their relatives or themselves would have cancers, while people in neighboring counties dared not buy fruit or vegetables from the village.

"We have complained to the county government for numerous times, but they said they could find no evidence to prove the chemical plant was the main cause," another villager told CCTV.

The public health and environmental protection authorities tested the drinking water of the village in May 2007 but found chromium and other heavy metal elements in the water within the allowable standard, CCTV said.

Qian Xin, director of the county's disease control center, told the Daily Economic News that the high rate of cancers might also be related to people's eating habits. Local people like eating salted vegetables and meats that could cause cancers.

The plant was closed after the recent water contamination scandal, but the chromium pile has yet to be removed.

Polluted water in the Chachong Reservoir has been blamed for the death of 77 livestock so far.

The chemical plan is one of Asia's largest producers of chromium sulfate, a chemical leather tanning agent, Xinhua news agency said.

Some of the polluted water in the reservoir has already been processed and drained into the Nanpan River. This river forms the headwaters of the Pearl River, a major river that flows through southern China.

According to a spokesman from the Qujing city government, more than 9,000 tons of chromium-contaminated soil have been cleaned up and relocated by the company.

"The chromium waste contains hexavalent chromium, which is highly toxic and carcinogenic. It can dissolve in water and flow into the reservoir when it rains," said Yin Zhengwu, deputy head of the environmental monitoring unit of Qujing's Qilin District.

To avoid further pollution, 40,000 cubic meters of chromium-contaminated water were drained from the reservoir into the Nanpan River after being processed in accordance with national safety standards, Xinhua quoted Yang Shuxian, director of the Qujing Environmental Protection Bureau, as saying yesterday.

The city's drinking water supplies were not affected, the bureau said. Yunnan's environmental authorities said the Pearl River's water quality complied with national standards.

U.S. Vice President Biden Go to eat local food in Beijing

2011-08-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

On August 18, U.S. president Joe Biden went to a small restaurant Yaoji to taste local food in Beijing during his visit to China. Outside the restaurant, there were many armed police on guard.

Shenzhen Shuts Down 156 Companies for its Green Universiade

2011-08-17T01:52:00.001-07:00

Shenzhen City authorities, the host city of the 11-day 2011 Summer Universiade in eastern China's Guangdong Province, announced the shutdown of 156 enterprises after kicking off the university games on August 12.

City authorities forcibly closed 156 companies which failed the environmental assessment, as part of its environmental goals, according to a statement by the Habitat Environment Committee (HEC) of Shenzhen City.

The local authorities have launched an overall environmental campaign as well as ten other designated city-wide actions since 2007, including a "Green Commuting" campaign to reduce single-passenger commutes and increase investment in new-energy public vehicles.

Lin Hanzhang, deputy chief of the HEC, said local authorities warned heavy polluting factories of the new environmental requirements since March.

New regulations directed at six local power plants and about 1,500 heavy industry firms in Shenzhen led to an estimated decline of nitrogen oxide's annual emissions by 8,000 tons, sulfur dioxide's by 40,000 tons and volatile organic pollutants by over 20,000 tons, the committee said.

A "Green Commuting" campaign was launched, calling on local citizens and enterprises to reduce vehicle usage during the Shenzhen games. In total, the owners of about 40,000 cars, among which 92 percent were private registrations, agreed to give up driving during the event, said Huang Guoqiang, a spokesman for the games.

A total of 2,011 new-energy vehicles of various kinds have been put on the road to serve the Universiade, accounting for 52.8 percent of the vehicles scheduled for the sports event. Among these vehicles is the launch of 1,649 new-energy buses, making the city's new-energy bus fleet the largest in the world.

The deputy director from the environmental monitoring center of the committee, He Long told Caixin that the air quality of Shenzhen has reached its cleanest levels in the past ten years.
More than 12,000 participants from 152 delegations registered for the Shenzhen Universiade, the biggest international event ever held in Shenzhen, according to the games' official website.

China Slows High-Speed Trains

2011-08-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

China has decided to revise maximum travel speeds for trains on its high-speed rail network, citing safety concerns. According to the new scheme, trains with a maximum design speed between 200 to 350 kilometers per hour will have travel speeds slowed by 40 to 50 kph during operation.
Sheng Guangzu, Minister of Railways said in an interview with the official Xinhua News Agency on August 10 that ticket rates for high-speed rail will also be revised accordingly.

On the same day, the State Council, China's cabinet, instructed an overall inspection of high-speed railways, including projects still under construction. Newly built high-speed railway projects will operate trains at lower speeds and renewed safety appraisals will be required for projects that have yet to begin construction, according to decisions made at a State Council conference chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Two bullet trains collided last month in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, killing at least 40 people.
A high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai was opened in late June. The 1,318-kilometer line, China's longest, experienced two major arrival delays due to power outages prior to the Wenzhou accident, apart from a number of train-related malfunctions.

China began its leapfrog high-speed railway network construction in 2004. The marquee infrastructure project has come under increasing public scrutiny following a corruption scandal that toppled former rail minister Liu Zhijin in February.

Man dresses as carrot to propose to his girlfriend in public along with 49 carrot friends

2011-08-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

A man and his 49 friends dressed up as carrots wearing sunglasses to propose to his girlfriend on Aug 7, in Qingdao city.
After meeting his girlfriend at the local shopping plaza, Mr. Pang hide himself to the bathroom and quickly changed into his suit.
When he returned his was joined by pals and they all started bopping away to music - much to the amazement of Pang's girlfriend.
When they finally stopped for a breather, a hush descended over the crowd and a recording of Pang's voice was played over the loudspeaker.

'Six months ago I met you,' his voice began.
'I still remember your shyness at our first date, my longing for the next date and my excitement when the first time I held your hand at the movie theatre.'
Suddenly Pang threw off his suit and got down on one knee to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Naturally she said yes - much to the gathered crowd's delight.

According to Pang he had spent three weeks planning the stunt.

Policeman returns lost 130,000 dollars in Shenzhen

2011-08-17T01:06:00.000-07:00

Zhang Yuan is a 21-year-old armed policeman in southern China Shenzhen city. He was on duty at Shenzhen Foreign Languages School, the venue of the 2011 Universiade basketball match, when he found a bag containing 130,000 dollars cash in a bathroom on last Sunday.

Zhang immediately reported the find to his supervisor. They found the owner three hours later. The owner Ye, 57, had borrowed the money from a friend to buy a property in Shenzhen on Sunday. He took the money to a basketball match between Mexico and South Korea. During the game, he went to the toilet where he received a phone call from his friend and left the toilet in a rush for the rest of the game. Ye offered Zhang 30,000 yuan as a reward, but Zhang refused.

Chinese "Twitter" Enhance Public's Supervision of Gov't

2011-08-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

In China, the website weibo.com has gathered more than 140 million users since it was allowed to get online 2 years ago. In Chinese, weibo means microblog. Just like twitter, people can tweet or retweet short message on the site and follow other people. Message can spread very soon in short time.

A decade ago, the most favored medium for Chinese people to air their complaints was perhaps through the state-owned China Central Television network.

However, the Internet has superseded television as the most popular means for the airing of discontent, with microblogs leading the charge.

Microblogs came to prominence in China just two years ago, but have exploded in popularity. Sina Weibo, one of the country's most popular microblog providers, has allowed the country's citizens to supervise - and criticize - China's government in ways that were never thought possible before.

In comparison to microblogs, traditional media entities face technical and systematic restrictions in their efforts to observe and supervise the government. The Internet and its vast number of microbloggers are now able to make up for this deficiency, according to Zhan Jiang, a professor of journalism at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Microblogs make it easy for people to speak their thoughts in real-time, essentially making their public voices louder, according to Professor Zhan.

Sina Weibo was launched in August 2009. Since then, it has attracted more than 140 million registered users, with the number expected to exceed 200 million by the end of this year, according to the company.

Microblogging services enjoyed "explosive growth" in the first six months of this year, with the number of registered microblog users surging by 208.9 percent to reach 195 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

WIRED WATCHDOGS

A 2010 report quoted by the Beijing-based newspaper International Herald Leader said that more than one-fifth of the 50 most-discussed public events in 2010 were first reported on by microbloggers.

Traditional media outlets have blind spots in performing their role as "society's watchdog." However, microblogs have allowed ordinary citizens to fill in these gaps.

During the recent crises of confidence faced by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and Beijing's Palace Museum, microbloggers were the first to report on the scandals. Traditional media outlets scrambled to cover the stories after they broke online.

The RCSC came under fire following a scandal revolving around a young woman calling herself "Guo Meimei." The woman claimed to be a general manager for "Red Cross Commerce," a group that the RCSC said does not exist.

The woman posted photos on her microblog detailing her lavish lifestyle, provoking the ire of netizens who speculated that she might have funded her extravagant purchases by embezzling money from the Red Cross Society.

The Palace Museum was thrown into the spotlight after microbloggers accused it of concealing an incident in which an antique was damaged by a testing instrument due to an operational error.

Xie Yungeng, an expert on media economics and management at Shanghai Jiaotong University, said many officials are unaware of the powerful influence of microblogs. "They lack an awareness of new media. They are too arrogant to care."

BOOSTING TRANSPARENCY

Perhaps the greatest example of the power of the country's microbloggers came after last month's fatal high-speed train crash in the eastern city of Wenzhou. Forty people were killed in the accident.

Netizens took to their keyboards to express outrage over the way China's railway authorities handled the accident, while others offered condolences to the victims.

Following the public outcry, government authorities promised an "open and transparent" investigation regarding the cause of the crash, as well as increased safety checks for high-speed railways and slower operating speeds for high-speed trains.

The general offices of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, and the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued a circular 10 days after the crash, stating that information on major emergencies and items of public concern, such as government efforts and the results of official investigations, should be released to the public in an "objective and timely manner."

The People's Daily, the CPC's flagship newspaper, urged officials to answer questions from Internet users in a timely and accurate fashion and to brush up on their online communication skills in a recent article titled "How to Speak in the Microblog Era."

The article encouraged officials to address public concerns through online platforms and not to shy away from answering thorny questions. "Online performance reflects an official's all-around capability," the article said.

However, a survey quoted by the Guangzhou Daily newspaper earlier this week showed that 80 percent of the country's microblog users have doubts regarding the authenticity of information posted on microblogging sites.

Of the survey's 2,960 respondents, one-third believe that there is too much "negative and worthless information" posted on microblogs, while over 11 percent argued that the authenticity of the information posted on microblogs is difficult for most people to verify.

Man Commits Suicide by Subway in Shanghai

2011-08-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

In Shanghai, a middle-age man died Sunday morning after jumping off a subway platform and being struck by a moving subway car, local police said.

According to eyewitness accounts and footage from the subway station's security cameras, a man jumped onto the tracks at the Yishan Road subway station at 6:45 a.m. He was hit by a train approaching the station and died after being rushed to a local hospital.

Police have not been able to identify the man, but initial probes indicate that the death was a suicide。

Farmer Jailed for Assisting Friend Suicide

2011-08-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Zhong Yichun was an elderly farmer from east China's Jiangxi Province. He never expected that helping his friend Zeng Qingxiang to commit suicide would bring him a two-year prison sentence.

Zhong buried Zeng last October as part of an agreement they made regarding Zeng's suicide. Zeng overdosed on sleeping pills and laid in a hole in the ground; Zhong called out to him 15 minutes later to ensure that he was dead before burying him.

A police investigation showed that Zeng suffered from a mental illness and had begged Zhong to help him commit suicide several times.

In May of this year, the Longnan County People's Court sentenced Zhong to two years in prison after convicting him of criminal negligence resulting in the death of another person.

Zhong did not confirm Zeng was dead before burying, the court found. An autopsy report showed that Zeng died from suffocation instead of from an overdose of sleeping pills, which meant that he was still alive when he was buried.

Zhong insisted on his innocence and appealed the sentence. However, the Intermediate People's Court in the city of Ganzhou rejected his appeal earlier this month.

The case has aroused a nationwide discussion on euthanasia. In China, euthanasia is prohibited by law. In Zhong's case, it didn't matter whether or not he had a criminal motive to kill Zeng, as his legal punishment would've been doled out regardless of his intent.

However, the center of the debate revolves around the definition of Zhong's behavior - was it a case of intentional homicide, or simple negligence?

Zhong's case reflects one of the key concerns regarding euthanasia shared around the world.

Governments in the Netherlands, Belgium and some states in the United States have legalized assisted suicide. However, most governments regard it as a form of criminal homicide.

Even in the Netherlands and Belgium, it is still technically considered to be homicide, although it is not prosecutable if the doctor meets certain legal conditions.

The Supreme Court of India ruled in March that hospitals may offer "passive euthanasia" to patients with terminal diseases under the supervision of courts. The ruling marked the first time for euthanasia to be legally permitted in India.

"If euthanasia can be accepted by the general public, it is an advancement of both society and morality," said Ma Xuesong, a scholar from the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

Ma said the gap between China and places that legalized euthanasia lies in the quality of medical service and legislation.

Euthanasia, a very complicated issue that involves many factors such as jurisprudence, ethics and medical technology, is difficult to handle in practice.

Some experts argue that China is not prepared or mature enough to legalize euthanasia.

Lin Cunbao, chief partner of the Baohui law firm in Guangdong, said those who are against euthanasia hold the view that the right to life is above other considerations.

Yan Sanzhong, director of the Department of Law at Jiangxi Normal University, said China should analyze the basic principles of its criminal law and take steps to gradually promote the legalization of euthanasia.

"China should first accumulate judicial experience in handling cases regarding euthanasia. The Supreme Court can then come up with judicial interpretations and guidance and finally legalize euthanasia at the proper time," said Yang.

Whose mum is this girl?

2011-08-16T21:33:00.001-07:00

This old woman want to give her husband a surprise. So she asked her daughter to do something on her face.

Taiwan's former leader dehydrated over hunger strike

2009-05-13T04:22:00.002-07:00

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian was hospitalized for dehydration Saturday, a hospital official said, after he went on a two-day hunger strike to protest his detention over graft charges.

Television footage showed police officers moving a pale-looking Chen, with his eyes closed, on a gurney into the Taipei County Hospital in Banciao in suburban Taipei.

Tucheng Detention Center -- where Chen has been held since November on corruption charges -- said in a statement that Chen was transferred to the hospital after he showed signs of dehydration Saturday morning. It said he refused water and solid food for two days.

The hospital's Deputy Superintendent Yang Chang-bin told reporters that Chen was suffering from "slight dehydration" but was conscious and had cooperated with medical staff.

Chen vowed earlier this week to go on a hunger strike to protest his detention. He previously went on two other hunger strikes in jail, but ended them after his wife and family pleaded with him to preserve his strength.

The 58-year-old Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen are standing trial on charges of embezzling NT$104 million ($3.15 million) while in power, receiving bribes worth at least $9 million in US currency in connection with a land deal, and laundering part of the funds by wiring the money to Swiss bank accounts.

The couple was indicted on new graft charges earlier this week. Prosecutors said they also took NT$290 million ($8.8 million) in bribes from 2002 to 2005 from a local banker.

Chen may face life in prison if convicted.

Yang recommended that Chen stay in the hospital for an unspecified period of time for further monitoring.

He said they will be examining Chen for his "complaint of angina." Local media had reported earlier this week that Chen complained in court about suffering from the heart condition.

Mainland's first H1N1 flu case

2009-05-13T04:22:00.001-07:00

The country is on high alert after the first case of H1N1 flu on the mainland was confirmed Monday and the authorities began isolating people who might have had contact with the patient.

A 30-year-old Chinese man surnamed Bao, who returned from the United States over the weekend, tested positive for A (H1N1) influenza, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told a press conference. He is reported to be in a stable condition.

Bao is the second confirmed case of the epidemic in China. On May 1, a 25-year-old Mexican man tested positive in Hong Kong.

State leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Monday called for stepped-up vigilance and action.

The State Council, or the Cabinet, which held a meeting to discuss further steps to prevent the spread of the disease, said strict quarantine measures must be applied to people, goods and vehicles entering the nation from countries that have reported H1N1 cases.

Epidemic monitoring and reporting systems will be strengthened for early discovery and timely treatment, it added.

Bao, a student at the University of Missouri, flew from St Louis to Tokyo on Friday. He took flight NW029 and landed in Beijing on Saturday before catching flight 3U8882 to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, the same day.

He showed flu symptoms during the domestic flight and after reaching Chengdu, took a taxi to a hospital for a check-up, and tested positive for the virus. He was later shifted to the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital, the Sichuan health department said.

The cabin crew, Bao's girlfriend and father as well as the taxi driver who took him to hospital have been isolated for further observation.

"Bao's temperature has fallen to normal," Mao Qun'an, MOH spokesman, said Monday. "He is recovering and in a stable condition."

The authorities are "doing their utmost" to locate all the people who had close contact with the patient, including 233 passengers on the Tokyo-Beijing flight and 150 on the Beijing-Chengdu flight.

The government has launched a nationwide hunt, sending mobile phone text messages and issuing public announcements in both Chinese and English to locate the passengers.

Of the 233 passengers who flew from Tokyo to Beijing, 106 were foreigners, including 25 Japanese, said Deng Haihua, a Ministry of Health spokesman.

The Sichuan health department said Monday that it had tracked down 138 of the 150 passengers on the domestic flight and placed them under medical observation.

Experts have urged the government to raise the alert level and enhance quarantine measures at domestic transportation terminals.

But Deng said the confirmed case is "an individual import", and the ministry has not found any patients who contracted the flu in the country.

The current priority is still to enhance tracking, checking and quarantining those who had close contact with the infected, Deng added.

"We have the situation under control."

Guan Yi, a microbiology professor at University of Hong Kong, said: "China is a densely populated country with insufficient public health infrastructure, which means many problems and difficulties will arise along with a worsening epidemic."

For example, he said, the government has to formulate a detailed medicine distribution plan to suit different epidemic situations.

He also suggested the central government have temperature checks at railway stations and long-distance bus terminals in addition to airports.

Hong Kong started temperature checks at its airport on April 28.

Thirty countries have reported 4,694 cases, including 53 deaths, the WHO said Monday. The number of cases on Sunday was 4,379. Mexico has reported 1,626 human cases, including 48 deaths. The United States has reported 2,532 human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 284 cases, including one death.

Beijing looks to dampen demand for scarce water

2009-05-13T04:21:00.001-07:00

Cheap water may start to dry up in arid Beijing as the city considers raising its price to consumers in a bid to dampen demand.

The city says it needs to pull the plug on heavy consumption because of a five-year delay in a major water diversion project that was to have brought ample supplies to the thirsty city.

"The current prices are not sustainable for a water-scarce city like Beijing," said Professor Wang Dangxian, a researcher with the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

"Raising the water prices in Beijing has practical needs," said Wang, who said water costs Beijing residents only about one-fifth of the amount paid by residents of the world's other major cities.

As a short-term fix, Beijing brought in around 225 million tons of clean water from Hebei province before the Beijing Olympic Games last year.

The city paid 600 million yuan ($88 million) for the water but did not raise prices for the consumer.

However, the city has been looking for long-term solutions and hopes to import 1 billion tons of clean water each year from the Yangtze River.

Beijing has now heard that the project, expected to be completed next year, will not flow until 2014.

The reason for the delay is thought to be related to the redistribution of water and relocation of residents along the 1,400-km channel that will link Central China's Hubei province with Beijing, Tianjin and neighboring provinces.

Following news of the delay, policymakers have been drawing up plans to conserve water in Beijing, including the expansion of surface and underground reservoirs and the raising of water prices for domestic and commercial users.

Cheng Jing, head of Beijing's water resources bureau, said on Sunday the city will raise its water price this year for the fifth time since 2001 in a bid to promote conservation.

Heavy users such as car-washes and saunas will continue to be charged at a new, higher, rate while industrial users will likely have limits placed upon them.

Other water-scarce cities, including Shanghai and Shenyang, have recently decided to put a higher price tag on clean water.

"Beijing is one of the most water-scarce cities in China, but it has built up one of the most advanced networks of diverse water sources, including surface and underground resources, to safeguard the security of supply," said Zhang Shouquan, deputy director of the Beijing water resources bureau, in an earlier interview with China Daily.

10 killed in road accident in southwest China

2009-05-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

A road accident involving a truck and a motor tricycle in southwest China's Yunnan Province has claimed the lives of 10 people, the provincial public security department said Tuesday.

The accident occurred at 8:34 a.m. Monday in Lushui County when the truck loaded with lumber and the motor tricycle with 10 people on board collided head-on.

The motor tricycle then fell about 320 meters off the cliff, killing the six men and four women on board. The vehicle was destroyed. (May 12)

S. China City axes plans to ban pole dancing

2009-05-13T04:19:00.001-07:00

DONGGUAN, Guangdong: Karaoke clubs and bar owners in this industrial hub were celebrating Monday after a potential ban on pole dancing was deleted from a new regulation.

Bosses had feared the worst when an initial draft of a new local government rule for entertainment and recreational venues barred the performances.

But the move was scrapped for the final version, which was released at the weekend.

"The initial draft to disallow pole dancing aimed to nip erotic performances in the bud," said an official surnamed Wei at the culture, broadcasting and press bureau. "But we've found no law in China that forbids pole dancing, so we decided to delete the very stipulation."

The new regulation will be in force for five years and the U-turn over the ban will be a massive boon for entertainment companies in the city, which is in Guangdong province, an area already seriously affected by the global financial crisis.

Liang Shao'ai, who runs a karaoke bar in nearby Chang'an town, was ecstatic.

He told China Daily Monday: "Pole dancing is very popular among the youth here. If the performances were not allowed our business would definitely be hit.

"Pole dancing is not an erotic performance. It is a healthy performance as long as the organizer does not make it erotic.

"At least we don't need to reshape our facility or think up new acts to attract customers. You know, the business this year is much poorer than before."

Wei said the regulation has other aspects that will prevent any erotic performances at the city's venues, including a detailed stipulation to make "all balconies transparent" to people on the street outside.

The local government will also launch a crackdown on some 200 unlicensed facilities this year, targeting illegal performances, venues with safety issues and infringements on intellectual property rights by karaoke bars.

China Map

2009-05-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

Map of China

Notice:Taiwan is a part of China. There is only one China.

China navy's 60th anniversary

2009-04-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

China's navy will mark its 60th anniversary with a ceremony starting Thursday dubbed the "naval Olympics" that will display the country's nuclear-powered submarines for the first time, state media said.
The four-day event involves 21 vessels from 14 countries in the eastern city of Qingdao and includes a fleet review to be held Thursday -- the fourth one in China since 1949, the official China Daily said Tuesday.

In an interview with the state-run Xinhua news agency, Ding Yiping, deputy commander of the People's Liberation Army's navy, announced the display of nuclear submarines was to take place "for the first time in history."

But after the navy's commander-in-chief said last week a new generation of warships and aircraft with much longer-range capabilities was being developed, Ding sought to allay other countries' potential concerns about the submarines.

"It is not a secret that China has nuclear submarines, which are key to safeguarding our country's national security," he said, adding that China had fewer of the vessels than the United States or Russia.

China has always stressed that its military build-up, watched with a wary eye by nations such as the United States, does not pose a threat to other countries.

Ding called the gathering a "naval Olympics," as a variety of foreign ships would participate in the fleet review, from warships to auxiliary vessels, according to Xinhua.

Among the foreign nations to have sent naval vessels to the celebrations are the United States, Russia, France, Brazil, Mexico, India, South Korea, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

According to Ding, the navy and local public security departments had worked out a security plan modelled on that of the Beijing Olympics to ensure the safety of the ships.

The ceremony marks the founding of the People's Liberation Army's navy on April 23, 1949, before the People's Republic of China was formally established in October of that year.

The navy was formed when a unit of the Kuomintang's coastal defence fleet defected to the rival communists, bringing with it nine warships and 17 other boats, according to Xinhua.

Kuomintang nationalist forces had been locked in a civil war with the communists, who eventually won and came to power on October 1, 1949.

Traditional Chinese medicine

2009-04-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

Traditional Chinese medicine, also known as TCM (simplified Chinese: 中医; traditional Chinese: 中醫; pinyin: zhōngyī), includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medical system in much of the western world.

TCM practices include such treatments as herbal medicine (中药), acupuncture, dietary therapy, and both Tui na and Shiatsu massage. Qigong and Taijiquan are also closely associated with TCM.

TCM theory originated thousands of years ago through meticulous observation of nature, the cosmos, and the human body. Major theories include those of Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human body Channel system, Zang Fu organ theory, six confirmations, four layers, etc.

Ancient (classical) TCM history

TaijituMuch of the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine derives from the same philosophy that inform Taoist and Buddhist thought, and reflects the classical Chinese belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment on all levels.[1]

In legend, as a result of a dialogue with his minister Qibo (岐伯), the Yellow Emperor (2698 - 2596 BCE) is supposed by Chinese tradition to have composed his Neijing Suwen (《内经·素问》) or Inner Canon: Basic Questions, also known as the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon). The book's title is often mistranslated as Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Modern scholarly opinion holds that the extant text of this title was compiled by an anonymous scholar no earlier than the Han dynasty just over two-thousand years ago.

During the Han Dynasty (202 BC –220 AD), Zhang Zhongjing (张仲景/張仲景), the Hippocrates of China, who was mayor of Chang-sha toward the end of the 2nd century AD, wrote a Treatise on Cold Damage, which contains the earliest known reference to Neijing Suwen. Another prominent Eastern Han physician was Hua Tuo (c. 140 – c. 208 AD), who anesthetized patients during surgery with a formula of wine and powdered hemp. Hua's physical, surgical, and herbal treatments were also used to cure headaches, dizziness, internal worms, fevers, coughing, blocked throat, and even a diagnosis for one lady that she had a dead fetus within her that needed to be taken out. The Jin dynasty practitioner and advocate of acupuncture and moxibustion, Huang-fu Mi (215 - 282 AD), also quoted the Yellow Emperor in his Jia Yi Jing (甲乙经/甲乙經), ca. 265 AD. During the Tang dynasty, Wang Bing claimed to have located a copy of the originals of the Neijing Suwen, which he expanded and edited substantially. This work was revisited by an imperial commission during the 11th century AD.

There were noted advances in Chinese medicine during the Middle Ages. Emperor Gaozong (r. 649–683) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) commissioned the scholarly compilation of a materia medica in 657 that documented 833 medicinal substances taken from stones, minerals, metals, plants, herbs, animals, vegetables, fruits, and cereal crops.[2] In his Bencao Tujing ('Illustrated Pharmacopoeia'), the scholar-official Su Song (1020–1101) not only systematically categorized herbs and minerals according to their pharmaceutical uses, but he also took an interest in zoology.[3][4][5][6] For example, Su made systematic descriptions of animal species and the environmental regions they could be found, such as the freshwater crab Eriocher sinensis found in the Huai River running through Anhui, in waterways near the capital city, as well as reservoirs and marshes of Hebei.[7]

Contact with Western culture and medicine has not displaced TCM. While there may be traditional factors involved in the persistent practice, two reasons are most obvious in the westward spread of TCM in recent decades. Firstly, TCM practices are believed by many to be very effective, sometimes offering palliative efficacy where the practices of Western medicine fail or unable to provide treatment, especially for routine ailments such as flu and allergies, or when Western medicine fails to relieve patients suffering from chronic ailments. TCM has been shown to be effective[citation needed] in the treatment of chronic, functional disorders, such as migraines and osteoarthritis, and is traditionally used for a wide range of functional disorders. Secondly, TCM provides an alternative to otherwise costly procedures whom many can not afford, or which is not covered by insurance. There are also many who turn to TCM to avoid the toxic side effects of pharmaceuticals.

TCM of the last few centuries is seen by at least some sinologists as part of the evolution of a culture, from shamans blaming illnesses on evil spirits to "proto-scientific" systems of correspondence;[8] any reference to supernatural forces is usually the result of romantic translations or poor understanding and will not be found in the Taoist-inspired classics of acupuncture such as the Huang Di Nei Jing. The system's development has, over its history, been analysed both skeptically and extensively, and the practice and development of it has waxed and waned over the centuries and cultures through which it has travelled[9] - yet the system has still survived thus far. It is true that the focus from the beginning has been on pragmatism, not necessarily understanding of the mechanisms of the actions - and that this has hindered its modern acceptance in the West. This, despite that there were times such as the early 18th century when "acupuncture and moxa were a matter of course in polite European society"[10]

The term "TCM" describes the modern practice of Chinese medicine as a result of sweeping reforms that took place after 1950 in the People's Republic of China. The term "Classical Chinese medicine" (CCM) often refers to medical practices that rely on theories and methods dating from before the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1911). Advocates of CCM portray it as less influenced by Western and political agendas than TCM.

Timeline

Macerated medicinal liquor with wolfberry, tokay gecko, and ginseng, for sale at a traditional medicine market in Xi'an.The history of TCM can be summarized by a list of important doctors and books.

Unknown, Huángdì nèijīng (黃帝內經/黄帝内经) (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) - Sùwèn (素问/素問) and Língshū (灵枢/靈樞). The earliest classic of TCM passed on to the present.
Warring States Period (5th century BC to 221 BC): Silk manuscripts recording channels and collaterals, Zubi shiyi mai jiu jing (足臂十一脉灸经/足臂十一脈灸經) (Moxibustion Classic of the Eleven Channels of Legs and Arms), and Yinyang shiyi mai jiu jing (阴阳十一脉灸经/陰陽十一脈灸經) (Moxibustion Classic on the Eleven Yin and Yang Channels). The latter was part of a cache of texts found in Mawangdui in the 1970s.
Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) to Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280 AD):
Zhenjiu zhenzhong jing (针灸枕中经/鍼灸枕中經) (Classic of Moxibustion and Acupuncture Preserved in a Pillow) by Huà Tuó (华佗/華佗).
Shanghan zabing lun (伤寒杂病论/傷寒雜病論), which has since been split into two texts: the Shānghán lùn (伤寒论/傷寒論) ("Treatise on Cold Damage [Disorders]" - focusing on febrile conditions attributed to "Cold") and the Jingui yaolue (金匱要略) ("Essentials of the Golden Cabinet" - focusing on "miscellaneous illnesses") by Zhāng Zhòngjǐng (张仲景/張仲景).
Jìn Dynasty (265-420): Zhēnjiǔ jiǎyǐ jīng (针灸甲乙经/鍼灸甲乙經) (Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Huángfǔ Mì (皇甫谧/皇甫謐).
Tang Dynasty (618–907)
Beiji qianjin yaofang (备急千金要方/備急千金要方) (Emergency Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold) and Qianjin yifang (千金翼方) (Supplement to the Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold) by Sūn Sīmiǎo (孙思邈/孫思邈).
Waitai miyao (外台秘要/外臺秘要) (Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library) by Wang Tao (王焘/王燾).
Song Dynasty (960 – 1279):
Tóngrén shūxué zhēnjiǔ tújīng (铜人腧穴针灸图经/銅人腧穴鍼灸圖經) (Illustrated Manual of the Practice of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at (the Transmission) (and other) Acu-points, for use with the Bronze Figure) by Wáng Wéiyī (王惟一).
Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368): Shísì jīng fāhuī (十四经发挥/十四經發揮) (Exposition of the Fourteen Channels) by Huá Shòu (滑寿/滑壽).
Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644): golden age of acupuncture and moxibustion. Many famous doctors and books. To name only a few:
Zhēnjiǔ dàquan (针灸大全/鍼灸大全) (A Complete Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Xu Feng (徐凤/徐鳳).
Zhēnjiǔ jùyīng fāhuī (针灸聚英发挥/鍼灸聚英發揮) (An Exemplary Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and their Essentials) by Gāo Wǔ (高武).
Zhēnjiǔ dàchéng (针灸大成/鍼灸大成) (Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Yáng Jìzhōu (杨继洲/楊繼洲), completed in 1601.
Běncǎo gāngmù (本草冈目/本草綱目) (Compendium of Materia Medica) by Lǐ Shízhēn (李时珍/李時珍), the most complete and comprehensive pre-modern herbal book (completed in 1578).
Wenyi lun (温疫论/溫疫論), by Wu Youxing 吴有性 (1642).
Qing Dynasty (1644-1912):
Yizong jinjian (医宗金鉴/醫宗金鑒) (Golden Mirror of the Medical Tradition) compiled by Wu Quan (吴谦/吴謙) under imperial commission.
Zhenjiu fengyuan (针灸逢源/鍼灸逢源) (The Source of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Li Xuechuan (李学川/李學川).
Wenre lun (温热论/溫熱論), by Ye Tianshi (叶天士/業天士).
Wenbing tiaobian (温病条辨/溫病條辨) (Systematized Identification of Warm-factor disorders) compiled by Wu Jutong (吴鞠通) in 1798.

Methods of treatment

The following methods are considered to be part of Chinese medicine:

Acupuncture(针灸/針灸) (from the Latin word acus, "needle", and pungere, meaning "prick") is a technique in which the practitioner inserts fine needles into specific points on the patient's body. Usually about a dozen acupoints are needled in one session, although the number of needles used may range anywhere from just one or two to 20 or more. The intended effect is to increase circulation and balance energy (Qi) within the body.
Auriculotherapy (耳灼疗法/耳燭療法), which comes under the heading of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.
Chinese food therapy (食疗/食療): Dietary recommendations are usually made according to the patient's individual condition in relation to TCM theory. The "five flavors" (an important aspect of Chinese herbalism as well) indicate what function various types of food play in the body. A balanced diet, which leads to health, is when the five functional flavors are in balance. When one is diseased (and therefore unbalanced), certain foods and herbs are prescribed to restore balance to the body.
Chinese herbal medicine (中草药/中药/中藥): In China, herbal medicine is considered as the primary therapeutic modality of internal medicine. Of the approximately 500 Chinese herbs that are in use today, 250 or so are very commonly used.[citation needed] Rather than being prescribed individually, single herbs are combined into formulas that are designed to adapt to the specific needs of individual patients. A herbal formula can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 herbs. As with diet therapy, each herb has one or more of the five flavors/functions and one of five "temperatures" ("Qi") (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold). After the herbalist determines the energetic temperature and functional state of the patient's body, he or she prescribes a mixture of herbs tailored to balance disharmony. One classic example of Chinese herbal medicine is the use of various mushrooms, like reishi and shiitake, which are currently under intense study by ethnobotanists and medical researchers for immune system enhancement.
Cupping (拔罐): A type of Chinese massage, cupping consists of placing several glass "cups" (open spheres) on the body. A match is lit and placed inside the cup and then removed before placing the cup against the skin. As the air in the cup is heated, it expands, and after placing in the skin, cools down, creating a lower pressure inside the cup that allows the cup to stick to the skin via suction. When combined with massage oil, the cups can be slid around the back, offering what some practitioners think of as a reverse-pressure massage.
Die-da or Tieh Ta (跌打) is usually practiced by martial artists who know aspects of Chinese medicine that apply to the treatment of trauma and injuries such as bone fractures, sprains, and bruises. Some of these specialists may also use or recommend other disciplines of Chinese medical therapies (or Western medicine in modern times) if serious injury is involved. Such practice of bone-setting (整骨) is not common in the West.
Gua Sha (刮痧)
Moxibustion: "Moxa," often used in conjunction with acupuncture, consists in burning of dried Chinese mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) on acupoints. "Direct Moxa" involves the pinching of clumps of the herb into cones that are placed on acupoints and lit until warm. Typically the burning cone is removed before burning the skin and is thought, after repeated use, to warm the body and increase circulation. Moxa can also be rolled into a cigar-shaped tube, lit, and held over an acupuncture point, or rolled into a ball and stuck onto the back end of an inserted needle for warming effect.
Physical Qigong exercises such as Tai chi chuan (Taijiquan 太极拳/太極拳), Standing Meditation (站樁功), Yoga, Brocade BaDuanJin exercises (八段锦/八段錦) and other Chinese martial arts.
Qigong (气功/氣功) and related breathing and meditation exercise.
Tui na (推拿) massage: a form of massage akin to acupressure (from which shiatsu evolved). Oriental massage is typically administered with the patient fully clothed, without the application of grease or oils. Choreography often involves thumb presses, rubbing, percussion, and stretches.
Some TCM doctors may also utilize esoteric methods that incorporate or reflect personal beliefs or specializations such as Fengshui (风水/風水) or Bazi (八字).

Efficacy

See also: Acupuncture: Scientific research into efficacy
Much of the scientific research on TCM has focused on acupuncture. The effectiveness of acupuncture remains controversial in the scientific community, and a review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues in 2007 found that the body of evidence was growing, research is active, and that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions".[19] Researchers using the protocols of evidence-based medicine have found good evidence that acupuncture is moderately effective in preventing nausea.[20][21] A 2008 study suggest that combining acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments such as IVF greatly improves the success rates of such medical interventions.[22] There is conflicting evidence that it can treat chronic low back pain,[23][24] and moderate evidence of efficacy for neck pain[25][26] and headache.[27] For most other conditions[28] reviewers have found either a lack of efficacy (e.g., help in quitting smoking[29]) or have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to determine if acupuncture is effective (e.g., treating shoulder pain[30]). While little is known about the mechanisms by which acupuncture may act, a review of neuroimaging research suggests that specific acupuncture points have distinct effects on cerebral activity in specific areas that are not otherwise predictable anatomically.[31]

The World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have also commented on acupuncture[32][33]. Though these groups disagree on the standards and interpretation of the evidence for acupuncture, there is general agreement that it is relatively safe, and that further investigation is warranted. The 1997 NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement on acupuncture concluded:

...promising results have emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.

Much less scientific research has been done on Chinese herbal medicines, which comprise much of TCM. Some doubts about the efficacy of many TCM treatments are based on their apparent basis in (causation due to analogy or similarity) — for example, that plants with heart-shaped leaves will help the heart. While the doctrine of signatures does underlie the selection of many of the ingredients of herbal medicines, this does not necessarily mean that some substances may not (perhaps by coincidence) possess attributed medicinal properties. For example, it is possible that while herbs may have been originally selected on erroneous grounds, only those that were deemed effective have remained in use. Potential barriers to scientific research include the substantial cost and expertise required to conduct double-blind clinical trials[citation needed], and the lack of financial incentive from the ability to obtain patents. Traditional practitioners usually have no philosophical objections to scientific studies on the effectiveness of treatments.[citation needed]

Pharmacological compounds have been isolated from some Chinese herbal medicines; Chinese wormwood (qinghao) was the source for the discovery of artemisinin, which is now used worldwide to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria, and is also under investigation as an anti-cancer agent.[citation needed] It was one of many candidates then tested by Chinese scientists from a list of nearly 200 traditional Chinese medicines for treating malaria[citation needed]. It was the only one that was effective[citation needed]. Many Chinese herbal medicines are marketed as dietary supplements in the West, and there is considerable controversy over their effectiveness.

Efficacy
See also: Acupuncture: Scientific research into efficacy
Much of the scientific research on TCM has focused on acupuncture. The effectiveness of acupuncture remains controversial in the scientific community, and a review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues in 2007 found that the body of evidence was growing, research is active, and that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions".[19] Researchers using the protocols of evidence-based medicine have found good evidence that acupuncture is moderately effective in preventing nausea.[20][21] A 2008 study suggest that combining acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments such as IVF greatly improves the success rates of such medical interventions.[22] There is conflicting evidence that it can treat chronic low back pain,[23][24] and moderate evidence of efficacy for neck pain[25][26] and headache.[27] For most other conditions[28] reviewers have found either a lack of efficacy (e.g., help in quitting smoking[29]) or have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to determine if acupuncture is effective (e.g., treating shoulder pain[30]). While little is known about the mechanisms by which acupuncture may act, a review of neuroimaging research suggests that specific acupuncture points have distinct effects on cerebral activity in specific areas that are not otherwise predictable anatomically.[31]

The World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have also commented on acupuncture[32][33]. Though these groups disagree on the standards and interpretation of the evidence for acupuncture, there is general agreement that it is relatively safe, and that further investigation is warranted. The 1997 NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement on acupuncture concluded:

...promising results have emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.

Much less scientific research has been done on Chinese herbal medicines, which comprise much of TCM. Some doubts about the efficacy of many TCM treatments are based on their apparent basis in (causation due to analogy or similarity) — for example, that plants with heart-shaped leaves will help the heart. While the doctrine of signatures does underlie the selection of many of the ingredients of herbal medicines, this does not necessarily mean that some substances may not (perhaps by coincidence) possess attributed medicinal properties. For example, it is possible that while herbs may have been originally selected on erroneous grounds, only those that were deemed effective have remained in use. Potential barriers to scientific research include the substantial cost and expertise required to conduct double-blind clinical trials[citation needed], and the lack of financial incentive from the ability to obtain patents. Traditional practitioners usually have no philosophical objections to scientific studies on the effectiveness of treatments.[citation needed]

Pharmacological compounds have been isolated from some Chinese herbal medicines; Chinese wormwood (qinghao) was the source for the discovery of artemisinin, which is now used worldwide to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria, and is also under investigation as an anti-cancer agent.[citation needed] It was one of many candidates then tested by Chinese scientists from a list of nearly 200 traditional Chinese medicines for treating malaria[citation needed]. It was the only one that was effective[citation needed]. Many Chinese herbal medicines are marketed as dietary supplements in the West, and there is considerable controversy over their effectiveness.[34]

[edit] Safety

[edit] In Practice
Acupressure and acupuncture are largely accepted to be safe from results gained through medical studies. Several cases of pneumothorax, nerve damage[citation needed] and infection[citation needed] have been reported as resulting from acupuncture treatments. These adverse events are extremely rare especially when compared to other medical interventions, and were found to be due to practitioner negligence.[citation needed] Dizziness and bruising will sometimes result from acupuncture treatment.

Some governments have decided that Chinese acupuncture and herbal treatments should be administered by persons who have been educated to apply them safely. One Australian report said in 2006, "A key finding is that the risk of adverse events is linked to the length of education of the practitioner, with practitioners graduating from extended traditional Chinese medicine education programs experiencing about half the adverse event rate of those practitioners who have graduated from short training programs."[35]

[edit] Allergy
Certain Chinese herbal medicines involve a risk of allergic reaction and in rare cases involve a risk of poisoning. Cases of acute and chronic poisoning due to treatment through ingested Chinese medicines are found in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with a few deaths occurring each year.[citation needed] Many of these deaths do occur however, when patients self prescribe herbs or take unprocessed versions of toxic herbs.[citation needed] The raw and unprocessed form of aconite, or fuzi is the most common cause of poisoning. The use of aconite in Chinese herbal medicine is usually limited to processed aconite, in which the toxicity is denatured by heat treatment.

[edit] Toxins and contaminants
Potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic trioxide (三氧化二砷) and cinnabar (called zhūshā, 朱砂) are sometimes prescribed as part of a medicinal mixture, in a sense "using poison to cure poison". Unprocessed herbals are sometimes adulterated with chemicals that may alter the intended effect of a herbal preparation or prescription. As with the 2008 Chinese milk scandal, tampering with food and medicine to boost profit is rampant despite knowledge of the dangers and strict regulations in place that are circumvented often due to corruption and profit motive. However, knowledge of processing is being improved with more empirical studies of Chinese herbals and tighter regulations are being put in place, whether heeded to or not, regarding the growing, processing, and prescription of various herbals.

A medicine called Fufang Luhui Jiaonang (复方芦荟胶囊) was taken off shelves in UK in July 2004 when it found to contain 11-13% mercury.[36]

In the United States, the Chinese herb má huáng (麻黄; lit. "hemp yellow") — known commonly in the West by its Latin name Ephedra — was banned in 2004 by the FDA, although the FDA's final ruling exempted traditional Asian preparations of Ephedra from the ban. The Ephedra ban was meant to combat the use of this herb in Western weight loss products, a highly modern phenomenon and well removed from traditional Asian uses of the herb. There were no cases of Ephedra based fatalities with patients using traditional Asian preparations of the herb for its traditionally intended uses. This ban was ordered lifted in April 2005 by a Utah federal court judge. However, the ruling was appealed and on August 17, 2006, the Appeals Court upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra, finding that the 133,000-page administrative record compiled by the FDA supported the agency's finding that ephedra posed an unreasonable risk to consumers.

[edit] Lack of standardization
Chinese herbals are often not standardized from one pill to the next, or from one brand to the next, and can be reformulated, remixed, or otherwise altered by any company. To avoid such issues, standardized Japanese Kampo medicine for sale worldwide is a safer alternative based on classical Chinese traditional medicine and strict enforced regulations and is regulated as pharmaceuticals coupled with extensive after-market testing and monitoring.

[edit] Vague naming
Many Chinese medicines have different names for the same ingredient depending on location and time, ingredients with different medical properties have shared similar names. For example, there was a report that mirabilite/sodium sulphate decahydrate (芒硝) was misrecognized as sodium nitrite (牙硝)[37], resulting in a poisoned victim[38][39]. In some Chinese medical texts, both names are interchangeable[40]. The Chinese Medicine Registration Board of the Australian state of Victoria issued a report in 2004 which noted this was a problem that needed to be addressed.[41]

Relationship with Western medicine

Within China, there has been a great deal of cooperation between TCM practitioners and Western medicine, especially in the field of ethnomedicine. Chinese herbal medicine includes many compounds which are unused by Western medicine, and there is great interest in those compounds as well as the theories which TCM practitioners use to determine which compound to prescribe. For their part, advanced TCM practitioners in China are interested in statistical and experimental techniques which can better distinguish medicines that work from those that do not. One result of this collaboration has been the creation of peer reviewed scientific journals and medical databases on traditional Chinese medicine.[citation needed]

Outside of China, the relationship between TCM and Western medicine is more contentious. While more and more medical schools are including classes on alternative medicine in their curricula, older Western doctors and scientists are more likely than their Chinese counterparts to skeptically view TCM as archaic pseudoscience and superstition. This skepticism can come from a number of sources. For one, TCM in the West tends to be advocated either by Chinese immigrants or by those that have lost faith in conventional medicine. Many people in the West have a stereotype of the East as mystical and unscientific[citation needed]which attracts those in the West who have lost hope in science and repels those who believe in scientific explanations.

As an example of the different roles of TCM in China and the West, a person with a broken bone in the West (i.e. a routine, "straightforward" condition) would almost never see a Chinese medicine practitioner, whereas this is routine in China.

Most Chinese in China do not see traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine as being in conflict. In cases of emergency and crisis situations, there is generally no reluctance in using conventional Western medicine. At the same time, belief in Chinese medicine remains strong in the area of maintaining health. As a simple example, you see a Western doctor if you have acute appendicitis, but you exercise or take Chinese herbs to keep your body healthy enough to prevent appendicitis, or to recover more quickly from the surgery. Very few practitioners of Western medicine in China reject traditional Chinese medicine, and most doctors in China will use some elements of Chinese medicine in their own practice.

A degree of integration between Chinese and Western medicine also exists in China. For instance, at the Shanghai cancer hospital, a patient may be seen by a multidisciplinary team and be treated concurrently with radiation surgery, Western drugs and a traditional herbal formula. A report by the Victorian state government in Australia on TCM education in China noted:

Graduates from TCM university courses are able to diagnose in Western medical terms, prescribe Western pharmaceuticals, and undertake minor surgical procedures. In effect, they practise TCM as a specialty within the broader organisation of Chinese health care.[42]
In other countries it is not necessarily the case that traditional Chinese and Western medicine are practiced concurrently by the same practitioner. TCM education in Australia, for example, does not qualify a practitioner to provide diagnosis in Western medical terms, prescribe scheduled pharmaceuticals, nor perform surgical procedures.[43] While that jurisdiction notes that TCM education does not qualify practitioners to prescribe Western drugs, a separate legislative framework is being constructed to allow registered practitioners to prescribe Chinese herbs that would otherwise be classified as poisons.[41]

It is worth noting that the practice of Western medicine in China is somewhat different from that in the West. In contrast to the West, there are relatively few allied health professionals to perform routine medical procedures or to undertake procedures such as massage or physical therapy.

In addition, Chinese practitioners of Western medicine have been less affected by trends in the West that encourage patient empowerment, to see the patient as an individual rather than a collection of parts, and to do nothing when medically appropriate. Chinese practitioners of Western medicine have been widely criticized for over-prescribing drugs such as corticosteroids or antibiotics for common viral infections. It is likely that these medicines, which are generally known to be useless against viral infections, would provide less relief to the patient than traditional Chinese herbal remedies. A more popular and reliable explanation is the financial benefits doctors receive from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing medication that may not be necessary.[44]

Traditional Chinese diagnostics and treatments are often much cheaper than Western methods which require high-tech equipment or extensive chemical manipulation.

TCM doctors often criticize Western doctors for paying too much attention to laboratory tests and showing insufficient concern for the overall feelings of patients.[citation needed]

Modern TCM practitioners will refer patients to Western medical facilities if a medical condition is deemed to have put the body too far out of "balance for traditional methods to remedy.

Skiing in bikini

2009-04-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

Professional women skiing performers, in bikini,demonstrate skiing skills at a ski resort in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province. The temperature then was 5 degrees centigrade below zero. The activity was organized by the ski resort to attract customers. These performers come from Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Shanghai Tang

2009-04-27T00:33:00.001-07:00

Shanghai Tang is an international clothing chain company, founded in 1994 by Hong Kong businessman David Tang Wing Cheung and now controlled by Richemont.

David Tang claimed that Shanghai Tang is a Chinese label that set out to rejuvenate Chinese fashion. The fundamental design concept is inspired by traditional Han Chinese clothing combined with the modernity and dynamism of the 21st century. The brand is noted for its use of very bright colours.

The original, and now flagship, Shanghai Tang store in Hong Kong's Pedder Street (in Central) provides the lead for 24 outlets worldwide, including Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Honolulu, Kuala Lumpur, London, Miami, New York, Las Vegas, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Macau[1]. They are often located in well-known areas such as Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road, Tokyo's Ginza district, and Shanghai's Xintiandi. Other Hong Kong locations include Pacific Place. New store openings are promised, though expansion has been less rapid than was planned in 2005.

In 1998, Richemont acquired David Tang's controlling stake in the business.

Shenzhen airport

2009-04-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Shenzhen airport contact info

Service center: 86-755-23456789
Ticket hotline: 86-755-27772000
Airport Complaint Line: 86-755-23456315

Introduction

　　Situated in a coastal plain of the east bank of Pearl River Estuary with geographical coordinates at 113.49’east longitude and 22.36’north latitude,Shenzhen Baoan International Airport is 32km from Shenzhen city proper, enjoys a vast expanse of field and good clearance condition for the movements of large passenger and cargo airplanes and meets the operation standard of international large-scale airport. Shenzhen Baoan International Airport provides operation service of 24 hours.

　　Shenzhen Baoan International Airport is the first modern international airport realizing the combined transportation by sea, land and air, and adopting transit transportation in the territory of China. In terms of ground transportation, Guang-Shen Expressway, Jihe Expressway and national highway 107 connects Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. The airport possesses passenger and cargo transportation terminal of 1000-ton grade berth. In terms of marine transportation, Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai are connected by hovercraft. In terms of air transportation, Hong Kong and Macao are connected by helicopter, enjoying favorable conditions of collecting and dispatching. Aircraft between Hong Kong and the rest of the world can move in the most convenient mode to conduct passenger and cargo transportation. The Airport adopts usual international practice for the passenger and cargo transportation to provide most fast and convenient service in the territory of China. Supported by the Pearl River Delta, one of three central belts with most rapid development of economy in China, Shenzhen Baoan International Airport enjoys rich passenger and cargo resources as well as the first class hardware and software, so it is a good choice for any airlines to fly to China.

　　Shenzhen Baoan International Airport covers a land area of 11 km2, is planned and designed according to the standard for the first grade civil airport of the People’s Republic of China, constructed by installations, with the construction investment of RMB 980 million for the phase 1 and 900 million for the phase 2. The flying area is of 4E grade. The Airport provides 24-hour service, and possesses 1 runway （3400mх45m）and 1 taxiway for the movement of the largest passenger and cargo airplane in the world. Now it has a total area of 588,000 m2 of apron, 57 gate positions, with 24 corridor gate positions, a total area of 146,000m2 of airport lounge A and B to meet the requirements of 16 million person-time annually, 2000 parking spaces, aviation cargo terminal with annual handling capacity of 0.3 million tons as well as the terminal with most passengers leaving and entering Guangdong province.

　　Open to air traffic on October 12, 1991, Shenzhen Baoan International Airport enjoys fast growing aviation business since its putting into use. It was developed into international airport officially on May 16, 1993 and jumped to the fourth largest airport in China within as short as five years in 1996. It handled the passengers of more than ten million person-times in 2003 to be ranked among top hundred airports in the world. Shenzhen Airport completed the reconstruction and expansion of airport lounge B in January 2004. After a great deal of preparatory work in the prophase, the expansion of flying zone of Shenzhen Airport started officially in December 2005. It is planned to put the second runway and new terminal area into use in 2011.

　　Shenzhen Baoan International Airport is one of four aviation cargo transportation centers of China planned by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, possesses international traffic rights of 37 countries and is used by over 20 domestic and foreign airlines. Now Shenzhen Baoan International Airport has opened over 120 domestic and international routes, reaching over 90 domestic and foreign cities (of which cities outside the territory of Chinese mainland include Macao, Singapore, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Anchorage, Chicago, Liège, Osaka, Tokyo, Bangkok, Dubai, Penang, Amsterdam and so on), besides, the scheduled flight at sea between Shenzhen Airport and Hong Kong Airport was open to navigation in September 2003 to realize the transfer of passengers.

　　Shenzhen Airport Aviation Logistics Park is one of four logistics parks planned and constructed in Shenzhen and put into operation in July 2004, which will help Shenzhen Airport to handle cargos of 700,000 tons/year.

　　Shenzhen Airport Company was founded in May 1989, fulfilled group transformation in May 1994, and incorporated listing company in April 1998. The stock of “Shenzhen Airport” was listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange on April 20, 1998. As the enterprise directly under the National Assets Committee of Shenzhen and holding company of Shenzhen Airport Stock Company, Shenzhen City Airport (Group) Co., Ltd. had total assets of RMB 7.35 billion, net assets of RMB 4.87 billion, state-owed net assets of RMB 3.36 billion and ratio of debts to assets of 33.7% till the end of 2006. It is expected to fulfill the passenger handling capacity of 18.2 million person-time, cargo & mail handling capacity of 550,000 tons, the movement of aircrafts of 167,000 sorties, and rank the fourth place nationwide.

　　With “safety first” as the guidance and clients’ satisfaction as the final check standard, Shenzhen Baoan International Airport keeps improving safety assurance level and service quality to provide clients with high quality service. Take the lead in developing a batch of boutique service programs including “unaccompanied minors”, “present settlement of claim on damaged luggage entering the port”, “providing lock room” and “warm check-in”, practice social commitment system, and provide automatic check-in service to meet the requirements of a wide range of clients on service. In 1998, it was among the first to win the honorable title of nationwide “friendly airport" granted by the Civil Aviation Administration; in May 2000, won the title of the first “international health airport” of Asia granted by WHO and listed into the new record of the 8th batch of national enterprises of China Enterprise Association; in 2000 and 2001, won the first place nationwide in the program of “civil aviation in my eyes” for two successive years; in September 2001, Shenzhen Airport held the comprehensive exercise on the aviation emergency rescue successfully, which is a solid and comprehensive rescue drilling and participated by navy, land and air army, and enjoys unprecedented scale in domestic civil aviation history, and was listed into the new record of the 7th batch of national enterprises of China Enterprise Association; in 2001, cost management fruit of the group obtained the second prize of national management modernization and innovation fruit; in 2002, ranked among top 500 enterprises nationwide; in 2003, obtained the award of merit of national “blue sky rejuvenation program” and ranked among top 100 enterprises of Guangdong province; in 2004, honorably obtained the high quality award to the satisfaction of clients of airport with handling capacity of ten million passengers in the program of “civil aviation in my eyes”; in 2006, obtained the “concerted cooperation award” of “simplified business” program of international aviation transportation association.

　　In October 2006, “Middle and Long-team Development Strategy and Plan of Shenzhen Airport” was reviewed and approved by experts. Such strategies were included in the “Plan” as "taking the construction and operation of airport, the safeguard of the ground of aviation passenger and cargo transportation, supplementary service and operation management as the main to create international first-class management, upgrade the network value of airport, realize the coordinated development of economic benefits and social benefits”, which is the guidance document for the development of airport in the future.

Chinese New Year 2010

2009-04-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

According to Chinese Lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year Day is the new moon day of the first lunar month. The date for the Chinese New Year in 2010 is February 14th.

The Chinese Calendar

Unlike western calendars, the Chinese calendar has names that are repeated every 60 years. Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is shorter cycle of 12 years denoted by animals:
Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog Pig
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019(2007)

2010 is the year of the Tiger.

Chinatown in new york city

2009-04-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

While some tourists in NYC visit the East Side of Manhattan, others wish to experience the "Far East" side.

Squeezed into a tiny area of lower Manhattan, Chinatown has remained an immigrant enclave and retained its unique cultural personality.

Starting on Canal Street there are plenty of Chinatown hotels and business pours out of storefronts and onto the sidewalk where the art of bargaining is always handy..

Although many of the items sold on Canal Street tend to be standard items like watches and purses, there are several stores (especially on the south side) offering many unique Chinese items.

Of course, nothing is more unique than their unusual foods and remedies. A walk through the crowded aisles will expose you to a world of curious fruits, roots, and who knows what else!

Popular items many tourists like to shop for include authentic rice bowls, tea services, and chopsticks. Of course, this is all leading to the most popular aspect of Chinatown...restaurants!

With around 300 restaurants, Chinatown means food! A majority of visitors come down here for authentic cuisine amidst the exotic atmosphere. You'll find the majority of dining choices along the narrow, winding Mott and Mulberry Streets just below Canal Street.

While these photos were taken in winter when it gets dark early, you should be aware that Chinatown closes quite early for New York.

Many businesses close by 6 p.m.and restaurants by 11 p.m.

Restaurants became an important staple to the community by the 1890's
when the Chinese Exclusionary Act of 1882 barred Chinese from citizenship and to only a few occupations.

Today, Chinatown remains not only a popular tourist but also an important community containing over 30% of NYC's growing Chinese population.

China's Population Passed 1.3 Billion

2009-04-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

China's population officially passed 1.3 billion citizens, with the birth of a baby boy early on Jan 6, 2005. The boy was born Thursday at the Beijing Maternity Hospital at 12:02 a.m. (1602 GMT Wednesday) to a father who works for Air China and a mother employed by Shell China, Xinhua said. The newborn baby's overjoyed father was quoted as saying his son would be blessed his whole life.

China's population is expected to increase by about 10 million a year, hitting a peak of 1.46 billion in the 2030s.

Mainland companies are allowed to invest in Taiwan

2009-04-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Chinese mainland companies can soon invest in Taiwan for the first time in six decades.

The mainland and Taiwan Sunday agreed on the long-awaited move at the third cross-Straits talks between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

ARATS, representing the mainland, and the Taiwan-based SEF signed three agreements to replace chartered flights with regular ones, jointly combat crime and boost cooperation in finance.

Taiwan "sincerely welcomes" mainland companies and will expand the field for them gradually, SEF said in a statement. The details of the investment regulations will be "announced in one to two months", SEF Vice-Chairman Kao Koong-lian told a press conference.

Zhang Guanhua, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' institute of Taiwan studies, said the move is "vital to the realization of direct trade across the Straits".

The central government has been calling for direct cross-Straits links in transport, postal services and trade since 1979, and allowed Taiwan companies to invest on the mainland in the 1980s.

But mainland companies were not allowed to invest in Taiwan. Only the mainland's real estate companies can enter the island's market at present, and that too under strict conditions.

"Since the top negotiators of ARATS and SEF have agreed on the investment issue and Taiwan has promised to take specific measures within two months, mainland companies should be able to invest in the island soon. This will turn the one-way investment process into a two-way affair," Zhang said.

The Taiwan authorities have been trying to boost cross-Straits relations since the end of last year and hope to seek the mainland's cooperation in industrial sectors, including in solar energy, herbal medicine, automobiles and aviation, Zhang said. It's these areas that are likely to be the first to be opened to mainland companies.

"Companies in these areas may have a greater chance of investing in Taiwan since the island authorities are eager to seek cooperation in these fields," Zhang said.

The Taiwan authorities, however, may not allow mainland investment in the island's pillar industries such as semiconductors for the time being, Zhang said.

"Nevertheless, as the cooperation progresses, I believe the scope for mainland companies will widen," he said.

ARATS and SEF signed an agreement yesterday to set up a regulatory framework for financial services firms to invest and do business in each other's markets. They agreed to gradually set up a clearing system for the Taiwan dollar and the yuan.

"This will drive new investment in the domestic market and bring strong interest from foreigners as well," Reuters quoted Standard Chartered economist Tony Phoo as having said.

"Even though there's nothing really (unexpected) that came out, it's something positive - something that's been holding back for too long," he said.

High hopes over the deals have supercharged Taiwan's stock market this year, making it the world's best performer after Shanghai.

China starts building 3rd-generation nuclear power reactors

2009-04-20T01:18:00.001-07:00

China on Sunday started the construction of its first third-generation pressurized water reactors using AP 1000 technologies developed by U.S.-based Westinghouse.

The reactors, located in Sanmen of east China's Zhejiang Province, will also be the first in the world using such technologies.

The Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant will be built in three phases, with an investment of more than 40 billion yuan (5.88 billion U.S. dollars) injected in the first phase.

The first phase project will include two units each with a generating capacity of 1.25 million kw.

The first generating unit will be put into operation in 2013, and the second, in 2014. The plant will eventually have six such units.

"It is the biggest energy cooperation project between China andthe United States," said Zhang Guobao, vice minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission and also head of the National Energy Administration.

"It will contribute to the human kind's peaceful use of nuclear power," he said.

China launched bidding in 2003 for its nuclear power stations of the third generation. Foreign companies including Westinghouse, France's Areva and Russia's AtomStroy Export are major bidders.

Westinghouse became the winner after China signed a memo with the United States on the introduction and transfer of third-generation nuclear power technologies in December 2006.

The final agreement was inked between China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation and Westinghouse in July 2007, according to which China will buy four third-generation pressurized water reactors from Westinghouse. The agreement also involves technology transfer to China.

Two of the four pressurized water reactors will be installed in Sanmen of Zhejiang Province and two in Haiyang City, eastern Shandong Province.

William Poirier, vice president of Nuclear Power Plants China of Westinghouse Electric Company, said China has a sound nuclear power security system with a strict supervision work.

He said he believed China can replicate the experiences of the third-generation nuclear power technologies and build more such stations.

China's mainland has 11 nuclear reactors at six plants, all on the east coast, with a combined installed capacity of 9.07 million kw.

To meet its fast economic growth, China plans to develop more nuclear power. The country plans to have 40 million kw of installed nuclear capacity on its mainland by 2020, which would be4 percent of projected electricity supply capacity, or double the current level.

Of the 11 reactors, three use domestic technologies, two are equipped with Russian technology and four with French technologies, and two are Canadian designed. All the 11 reactors employ second-generation nuclear power technologies.

Speaking at Sunday's inauguration ceremony of the first-phase project of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang urged making more efforts to develop new energy to ensure the country's energy security and boost economic growth.

He underscored innovation as the key to nuclear power development, calling for enterprises to adopt advanced technology and enhance self-innovation.

He said it was inevitable that China would need to improve energy structure and enhance energy conservation and emission cuts when resources and environment issues took their toll on economic development.

China investigates prison management after 15 "unnatural" deaths

2009-04-20T01:16:00.000-07:00

China's chief prosecuting body Monday began a five-month campaign to ensure proper management of detention centers, which have reported 15 "unnatural" deaths so far this year.

The figure was confirmed by Yin Yi, an official with Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) media office in a phone interview with Xinhua Monday.

Seven of the 15 detainees were beaten to death, three committed suicide and two died in accidents. The other three cases were still under investigation. The cases occurred in 12 provinces.

The campaign, jointly launched by the SPP and the Ministry of Public Security, focuses on cracking down on "inmate bullying" and investigating all "unnatural" deaths since 2006 and how officials handled them, SPP deputy procurator Sun Qian told an SPP video conference on Friday.

"Improper management on the part of police departments and slack supervision of prosecuting organizations are both causes for unnatural deaths in prisons," an SPP spokesperson said at the meeting.

The government urged prosecuting organizations to send responsible and professional supervisors to detention centers to monitor police work.

The SPP and the Ministry of Public Security would cooperate in setting up an information network linking supervision offices with detention centers to monitor prisoners in real time.

A spate of unnatural deaths in detention centers across the nation shocked the Chinese public in recent months, sparking concern over the management of these centers by the police department.

The death of 24-year-old Li Qiaoming at the Jinning detention house, in south China's Yunnan Province, in February was the first case brought to public attention. An investigation determined that other inmates had beaten Li to death.

On March 8, 19-year-old Xu Gengrong died in a detention center in west China's Shaanxi Province, on the seventh day of his detention.

On March 27, 50-year-old Li Wenyan allegedly died in the middle of a "nightmare", according to the head of a detention department in Jiujiang of the eastern Jiangxi Province.

In early April, the Ministry of Public Security started a three-month campaign to educate police officers at prisons and detention centers on professional ethics, legal awareness and respect for human rights.

"Officials should have the courage to reveal problems in the management of prisons and detention centers, and should redouble efforts to address them," said a ministry statement.

The Exact length of Great Wall is 8851.8km Long

2009-04-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

China Saturday revealed the findings of a two-year investigation of the length of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty era, which estimate it to be more than 2,551.8 kilometers longer than earlier thought.

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall is 8851.8 kilometers long, said the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM).

Their joint investigation has increased the length of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall by 2551.8 km.

The Ming portion of the Great Wall is the most visually striking and well-preserved portion of the world famous monument.

The Great Wall was originally built by China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC) in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). It was listed as a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1987.

The newest survey result shows that the Ming Dynasty Great Wall starts from the Hushan section of the Great Wall in northeastern Liaoning Province, and ends at Jiayu Pass in northwestern Gansu Province.

It passes through 10 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in north China, including Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai.

It has an artificial wall of 6259.6 kilometers, 359.7 kilometers of trench cutting part, and 2232.5 kilometers of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

GPS positioning system, infrared range finder and other mapping technologies have been used during the survey. The survey will now go on to research the Qin and Han Dynasty Great Wall and other portions of the Great Wall, lasting until late 2010.

Chinese police apologizes for arresting blogger

2009-04-18T13:02:00.001-07:00

A Chinese police officer has publicly apologized for arresting a blogger, who wrote against a local party for illegally acquisitioning farmland.

"I would like to apologize to Wang and his family as I am partly responsible for the incident. There was not enough evidence to arrest Wang Shuai on defamation charges," the China daily quoted Qin Yuhai, Director of Henan Provincial Public Security Bureau, as saying.

The 24-year-old Shanghai resident had accused the city government of Lingbao, his hometown in Henan province, of illegally acquiring farmland.

Wang said he had reported the city government’s misuse of farmland for developing an industrial zone, to the local Land Administration Bureau. Wang received no response from the authority even after six months, and so had decided to express his views on his blog.

The Lingbao police traveled to Shanghai and arrested Wang on March 6. He was detained for eight days on charges of defamation, but was later released on bail.

"One can only be charged for defamation when the accusation is completely made-up and is intended to harm the public. Wang’s action doesn’t match any of the criteria," Qin said.

Later the Municipal Public Security Bureau of Lingbao issued a press release saying that the department will send someone to apologize to Wang personally.

Wang will be compensated as per the State Compensation Law, the release stated.

"The personnel responsible for his detention will be punished. We recognize that the Internet is the ‘new channel’ for public opinion," Quin said.

Serial killer executed in central China

2009-04-18T12:54:00.001-07:00

Serial killer Xiong Zhenlin was to be executed after the judgement had been approved by the Supreme People's Court.

A man who had been given a death sentence for killing eight people, including a two-year-old boy, was executed Thursday in Suizhou of central China's Hubei Province, after the judgement had been approved by the Supreme People's Court, local media reported.

Xiong Zhenlin, a junk collector, was convicted of killing eight people in Luoyang Township on Jan. 4. He was arrested in the provincial capital Wuhan a week later.

Prior to the execution, Xiong expressed his repentance and said he was "not vicious in nature, and was not a demon." He said he committed the murders because he "was anguished deeply in heart", the website of Wuhan Evening News reported Friday.

The victims of Xiong's crimes included five of his employees, a local resident named Xia Guangxiu who had come to Suizhou to sell waste materials, a 43-year-old woman named Zhu Deqing, who Xiong hoped to marry, and Zhu's 2-year-old grandson, the court was told.

In the first instance trial on Feb. 9, the court was told that Xiong, who divorced last September, decided to "take revenge on society" after his hopes of remarrying, either his ex-wife or Zhu, were thwarted.

Local police said Xiong was also in financial difficulties.

Nanjing Massacre witness wins libel suit in Japan

2009-04-18T12:52:00.001-07:00

Libel damages have been paid to the lawyers of Chinese Nanjing Massacre survivor who won a lawsuit in Japan, she said on Friday.

Xia Shuqin, aged 80, said her Japanese lawyers told her that the compensation of 4.55 million yen (about 44,500 U.S. dollars) was in their account, and will be transferred to her soon, but they did not say when.

"I feel relieved. The compensation is a comfort to all those who suffered in the massacre," said Xia, who testified in court in Japan in 2006 about her family tragedy during the massacre.

The three-year lawsuit ended in February, when the Japanese Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Shudo Higashinakano, a right-wing Asia University scholar, and Tendensha, a publishing house, ordering them to pay a combined 4 million yen (44,500 U.S. dollars) in damages to Xia.

Xia was eight years old when seven out of nine members of her immediate family was slaughtered by Japanese soldiers in Nanjing in 1937. Part of Xia's story was featured in a documentary shot by American John Magee.

Zhu Chengshan, director of the Nanjing Memorial Hall of Compatriots Murdered in the Nanjing Massacre, said the film by Magee is believed to be the only documentary about the massacre. It was first shown in America in 1938.

However, Higashinakano's book "Complete Investigation into the Nanjing Massacre", defamed Xia by saying she was a false witness to the mass murder during World War II (which Chinese historians say began with Japan's invasion of China in 1931), and she was not the girl in the documentary.

The book, published by Tendensha in 1998, was translated into English and Chinese and has sold thousands of copies.

The libel suit was brought to the Supreme Court after the defendants refused to accept the Tokyo High Court's ruling.

Zhu said that the lawsuit victory marks a defeat of Japanese right wingers who have denied this chapter in their nation's history.

"There were quite a few cases concerning the massacre brought against Japanese right wingers. But Xia is the only person who won lawsuits in both China and Japan," he said.

Japanese invading troops occupied Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, in December 1937 and then launched a six-week-long massacre. Historical records show that more than 300,000 Chinese people, civilians as well as military prisoners, were killed.

Beautiful village painting

2009-04-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

China publishes national human rights action plan

2009-04-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Chinese government published its first working plan on human rights protection Monday, pledging to further protect and improve the country's human rights conditions in an all-round way.

The National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), issued by the Information Office of the State Council, or Cabinet, highlighted various human rights that would be promoted and protected in less than two years, from people's right to work, to the rights of detainees and the disabled.

Death penalty will be "strictly controlled and prudently applied," "impartial and fair trials" of litigants will be guaranteed, and the people will enjoy more rights to be informed and to be heard, the government promised.

More job opportunities will be created, per capita income will be increased, social security network will be broadened, and health care and education will become more accessible and affordable in order to guarantee the people's economic, social and cultural rights.

The document also detailed how the government will do to "guarantee human rights in the reconstruction of areas hit by the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province" on May 12, 2008, in which about 87,000 people were confirmed dead or missing, more than 370,000 were injured, and at least 15 million people were displaced.

"The realization of human rights in the broadest sense has been a long-cherished ideal of mankind and also a long-pursued goal of the Chinese government and people," said the document.

But the government admitted that "China has a long road ahead in its efforts to improve its human rights situation," though unremitting efforts have been made to promote and safeguard human rights since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, which "fundamentally" changed the fate of the Chinese people.

The government said the plan was framed in response to the United Nations' proposal, on the basis of past experience, "in the light of practicality and China's reality," and by following the essentials of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Obama's half-brother in Shenzhen

2009-04-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

SHENZHEN: The news release didn't say who Mark Ndesandjo was. Nor did the posters and e-mails promoting the concert. But the 200-odd people who showed up over the weekend for the fundraiser at a posh hotel resort in this boomtown knew who he was.

The man in a Chinese-style brown silk shirt who played piano to raise money for orphans was the half brother of Barack Obama.

The guests had a rare encounter with Ndesandjo, and they knew it. After all, he has been dodging the media since his family ties were made public last summer.

Ndesandjo has lived in Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, for the past seven years. And not surprisingly, the announcement for his piano concert identified him as a strategic marketing consultant, for he has also helped start a chain of eateries in China called Cabin BBQ.

Ndesandjo has a thin mustache, shaved head and a gold stud in his left earlobe. He has a slight resemblance to the US president-elect and shares the same trim, athletic physique. But he speaks Mandarin, is a vegetarian and practices Chinese calligraphy.

On Friday, the day of the concert, he said he had just finished a novel called Nairobi to Shenzhen, but was yet to find a publisher.

But he declined to confirm even basic details about his past or discuss his relationship with Obama. He uses the surname of his mother, Ruth, the third wife of his father who died in 1982. He was born in Kenya and moved to the US when he was a child was all that he said.

His Chinese friend and restaurant business partner, Sui Zhenjun, too, didn't know about Ndesandjo's relationship with Obama, though they had known each other since his arrival in China in 2002. "It wasn't until July when media reports started surfacing about him being related to Obama that I found out they were related," Sui told Associated Press. "He called and told me" about it.

Ask Ndesandjo what he wants, and the reply would be: a low-key life separate from Obama. No one mentioned his family when he was introduced at the charity concert and cocktail party, sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

But would Ndesandjo be present at Obama's swearing-in ceremony? During brief remarks on stage, he said he would visit the US in a couple of days, apparently to attend today's presidential inauguration. If he didn't make the trip, he would embarrass his family, he said.

He, however, told the guests that chamber president, Harley Seyedin, was fond of the president-elect. "I like my president, too!" he said, the closest he came to mentioning Obama.

With his Chinese wife watching, Ndesandjo began his performance with a Chinese tune called Liuyang River, followed by what he said was Chopin's First Nocturne. His third and final piece was a jazz tune by Fats Waller called Viper's Drag.

He played with passion, at times hunched over the keyboard or rocking back with his eyes closed and lips slightly parted in expressions of ecstasy and agony.

Footage from a Chinese TV newsreel posted on YouTube shows him practicing calligraphy at home and teaching children how to play the piano, praising them in Mandarin and English.

What drew him to charity? He said he visited a Shenzhen orphanage shortly after arriving in China and saw rows of sleeping babies, with two harried nurses trying to care for them.

"One child with big black eyes seized my finger and would not let it go," he told the guests. That made him decide to help orphans in the best way he could.

After the concert, Ndesandjo chatted with friends and shook hands with some guests, slowly walking out of the hall . He ignored the pursued journalists, slipped into an elevator and melted into his "low-key life" as the door closed.

Woman keeps 2.5-meter-long hair

2009-04-07T03:20:00.001-07:00

Cheng Shiqun, a beauty parlor owner in her 50s, displays her 2.5-meter-long hair, which she has kept for 16 years, at a park in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Monday March 30, 2009. It takes Cheng two hours to wash her unusually long hair and one hour to comb it.

More Chinese mourn online on traditional tomb-sweeping day

2009-04-07T03:14:00.001-07:00

Although many Chinese still maintained the traditional ways to commemorate late family members or national heroes, more people expressed condolences via the Internet Saturday, China's Tomb-Sweeping Festival.

Xiyuanpiaoxue (drifting snow in the western yard) released an article in her blog Saturday, recalling some tomb-sweeping stories about her family since 2002, when his grandfather died.

The blogger said family members did not stop visiting the tombs of their late relatives over the past years until this year, when they set up the mourning blog.

Five old portraits of her grandparents and four pictures about a family tomb-sweeping activity were also posted on the blog.

At an online memorial for the May 12 earthquake that jolted Sichuan Province and some surrounding regions last year, a netizen named Gao Jianming said "the Qingming Festival arrives, and I can't suppress my sadness."

"I had believed that sorrow could gradually fade out, but I finally realized that I still miss you so much, my folks! Wish you all good there and I will never forget about you!" said Gao in a note left on the webpage of www.dizhen5.12.netor.com.

Callings for the adoption of more civilized mourning methods have been on the rise in the populous country, including presenting fresh flowers or planting trees instead of burning paper money to the dead.

In an article published at www.rednet.com Saturday, Zhang Tieying complained about the terrible traffic jam and the mess-up due to massive burning of paper money in a cemetery during the festival over the past years.

The writer called upon modern Chinese to adopt better ways to show respect to ancestors so that people could enjoy a peace and clean environment.

Jinbaoshan Memorial Park in Kunming, Yunnan Province in southwest China, held a concert Saturday, attracting many mourning people.

The aim is not only to bring a power of art, but also introduce an innovative method that is healthy and causes no damage to environment, said Zeng Hongyu, designer of the musical performance.

Ruan Yaowen, a visitor, volunteered to sing "the moon represents my heart" for his late grandfather buried in the cemetery.

"It was his favorite song. I hope he can hear it," she said.

"Holding a concert is unique and more meaningful," Ruan said. "People always felt sorrow and depressed. Some cried badly and some even got sick. But I'm quite relaxed this time."

In Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, a Qingming-themed cultural festival attracted more than 10,000 visitors on the first day of the nine-day activity.

Calligraphy exhibitions, food sales, performances of ancient emperor worship, an ancient soccer games "helped us to better understand the history and cultural background of ancient tomb-sweeping," said Ji Wei, a tourist from Pingdingshan City in Henan.

More than 5,200 people presented virtual flowers, alcohol, and ignited candles via a website to family members who fought and died during a war in Shandong Province in 1948, a year before the People's Republic of China was founded.

"You bestowed a happy life to us. You will always live in our minds," said Liu Chongshi, a 11-year-old boy, said in the forum of the www.jinanzhanyi.com.

The Central Civilization Office of the Communist Party of China also launched a website on March 26 to encourage people to pay respects to fallen revolutionary heroes online.

The website, www.wenming.cn/wmdjr/qm.htm, have received more than 3 million visitors as of Saturday and 220,000 of them left comments.

"The spirit of the martyrs encourage us to work hard. We will pay back our parents, teachers and the great motherland," said Wang Zhibin of a primary school in Xinxiang City of Henan.

A survey initiated by the www.people.com.cn showed that 12.3 percent of 301 netizens prefer online mourning during the traditional festival, while 53.8 percent said they will return to the hometown to visit tombs of ancestors as of Saturday.

China to Build 2,000 County-Level Hospitals: Health Care Plan

2009-04-07T03:09:00.000-07:00

China is to build some 2,000 county-level hospitals to ensure each county would have at least one hospital in compliance with national standards, according to a three-year action plan on health care reform released Tuesday.

Under the 850 billion yuan (124 billion U.S. dollar) plan for 2009 to 2011, the central government will fund the construction of 29,000 township hospitals this year and upgrading of 5,000 township hospitals.

The government will also finance the construction of village clinics in remote areas so that every village will have a clinic in the next three years.

In addition, 3,700 community health centers and 11,000 community health stations would be set up or upgraded in cities.

As part of the effort, the health insurance subsidy offered by the government for unemployed urban residents and farmers will rise by 50 percent to 120 yuan per person as of next year.

China expects the plan lays a solid foundation for equitable and universal access to essential health care for all in China.

Sandstorm hit Tarim Basin in NW China

2009-04-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

A car rushes on National Highway 314 at the north edge of the Tarim Basin in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 26, 2009. Sandstorm hit the north part of the Tarim Basin on Thursday.

HongKong teenagers arrested for possessing explosives

2009-04-02T04:21:00.000-07:00

Three Hong Kong teenagers have been arrested for possession of explosives, and tests are being made to determine if the material is the same type used in the deadly 2005 London transport bombings, police said yesterday.

The arrests came after one of the youths set off a homemade bomb on Saturday, almost blowing his hand off.

Police spokesman Lawrence Li said experts were trying to confirm that the explosive used by the boys, aged 13 and 14, is triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP.

Chief inspector Chan Wai-man was quoted by Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper as saying the explosive was believed to be TATP.

That explosive was used by the four suicide bombers who killed 52 commuters in London in 2005.

Police found the injured 13-year-old on Saturday at a food store managed by his family. He had ignited a fuse attached to two plastic bottles containing explosive powder, the Sunday Morning Post reported, adding that he suffered two broken fingers and injuries to his face and eyes in the explosion.

Officers later seized six more bottles of explosives and a computer from a 14-year-old's home, and arrested another 13-year-old, the Sunday Morning Post reported.

Chinese conjoined twins successfully separated

2009-04-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

A pair of conjoined twin girls were successfully separated on Wednesday after a six-and-half hour operation and in a stable condition. The twins were born joined at the abdomen and shared same umbilical cord in Xinhua County of Loudi City in Hunan Province on March 16, 2009.
The conjoined twins are seen before the separation surgery at Hunan Children's Hospital in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2009.

Father of the conjoined twin girls stands beside the bed before separation surgery at Hunan Children's Hospital in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2009

The separation surgery for a pair of conjoined twin girls is underway at Hunan Children's Hospital in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2009

One of the conjoined twins is attended after the separation surgery at Hunan Children's Hospital in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2009

Chinese women stars with beautiful breasts

2009-03-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

The top 3 women stars with beautiful breasts.

Tokyo court rejects damages suit filed by WWII Chinese sex slaves

2009-03-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Eighty-three-year-old Chen Jinyu (C in front), a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, is surrounded by reporters and supporters outside of the Tokyo High Court in Japan, March 26, 2009.

On behalf of all Chinese sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, Chen arrived in Japan to attend the second trial at the Tokyo High Court on a suit of Chinese sex slaves in Hainan but failed in the case.

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by victims from China's Hainan Province seeking damages and apologies from the Japanese government for forcing them to be "comfort women" for the Japanese army during World War II.

Presiding Judge Watanabe Hitoshi gave the ruling that the individual Chinese has no right to demand compensation from Japan as the right was abandoned under the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique, in which Beijing "renounced its war reparation from Japan."

12 Chinese Killed in Plant Collapse

2009-03-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

A chemical storage facility collapse killed 12 in Chongqing city Monday, March 23, 2009.

The death toll rose to 12 Monday in a chemical storage facility collapse after the last body was recovered in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The accident occurred around 4 p.m. at a Jianfeng Chemical Co. Ltd. building which was under construction when the ceiling collapsed, said Tang Zongwei, government head of the Fuling District.

"As of 8:30 p.m., rescuers recovered all 12 bodies from the debris. No new bodies were found after several checks," he said.

The company, under the Chongqing Chemical and Pharmaceutical Molding (Group) Company, mainly produces fertilizers. The ceiling was 30 meters in diameter and more than 10 meters high.

"There was no chemical leakage as the facility under construction has not been put into use," Tang said.

An investigation into the accident was continuing.

China launches gun crackdown to ensure social stability

2009-03-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

China has launched a crackdown on gun crimes to ensure social stability, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday in an online statement.

The campaign, which started March 20 and will end Oct. 31, includes confiscating illegal weapons, preventing gun crimes and supervising the use of guns.

The ministry urged public security departments to confiscate illegally traded guns "and seize groups or individuals illegally making guns."

The statement said the ministry hoped the campaign would "significantly reduce" crimes related to illegal guns and ensure that no "severe" cases occurred.

WWII sex slave to attend trial in Tokyo

2009-03-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

Chen Jinyu is 83 years old, she was forced to be a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in World War Two.
Chen is scheduled to go to Tokyo to attend the second trial of the Tokyo High Court on a suit of Chinese sex slaves in Hainan.

Chinese contemporary art exhibit opens in Washington to mark 30 years of U.S.-China ties

2009-03-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

Two leading culture institutions from China and the United States kicked off an exhibition of Chinese contemporary art here Tuesday, the first exhibit of its kind in the U.S. capital.

The "Metropolis Now! A selection of Chinese Contemporary Art," co-organized by the National Art Museum of China and the Meridian International Center, and showcasing 52 pieces of modern art works from 31 artists, is aimed at commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, organizers said.

"Diversified lives, changing landscapes, and cosmos of new ideas feature today's China in its 30th year of reform and opening-up, which empowered artistic creation when history is being made everyday, everywhere," Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong said in his opening speech at the event.

"Culture has the most straightforward and effective power in bridging peoples. The United States has the most developed cultural industry in the world and China boasts abundance of cultural resources," he said.

"It is not a surprise that dynamic and active cultural exchange programs between China and the United States complement the two cultures and enrich the lives of so many," Zhou said.

The ambassador also pointed out that during past 30 years, cultural exchanges between the two nations are on a steady and rapid rise, which have laid a solid foundation for all-around China-U.S. relationship.

"Who 30 years ago could have imagined today's exhibition that depicts the economic ties and growth binding our two nations together?" said Stuart W. Holliday, president of the Meridian International Center.

"In fact, a lot of today's challenges are the ones we are facing together," he said.

Holliday said the art works being displayed in the exhibit are powerful examples of the role the artists as cultural diplomats.

"Moreover, the exhibition highlights a number of global trends which the United States and China face together, including globalization and urbanization," he said.

"Our center is honored to take this opportunity to mark 30 years of friendship between the two countries and to experience the power that the exchange of art has in building mutual understanding," said Holliday.

Fan Di'an, director of National Art Museum of China, said aside from being the first contemporary Chinese art exhibition in Washington D.C., the event is also the first joint cultural program that builds on joint conception, joint planning and joint execution of the art institutions between the two countries.

"The event will bring us together not only physically, but also psychologically," he added.

The exhibition will run for four months at the Meridian International Center, a nonprofit organization for cultural exchange with the support of the U.S. government.

Founded in 1960, the center's members are mainly former U.S. diplomats and it is viewed as a bridge for foreign art to enter the mainstream U.S. society.

5th China Int'l Press Photo Contest

2009-03-25T02:37:00.000-07:00

The 5th China International Press Photo (CHIPP) Contest was held in Shanghai, China, from March 20 to 25, 2009.

The photo "Fish Cluster" taken by Mustafa Ozer wins the award of excellence in Nature & Environment News Singles

The photo "Indian policemen beat Kashmiri protesters" taken by Fayaz Kabli wins the silver prize in General News Singles

The photo "Olympics Passion" taken by Shao Quanda wins the bronze prize in the Arts, Culture & Entertainment News Singles

The photo "Dancers of Royal Theatre in Copenhagen" taken by Christian Als wins the silver prize in the Arts, Culture & Entertainment News Singles

The photo "Mother Love in Earthquake" taken by Zou Sen wins the gold prize in War & Disaster News Singles

High-speed rails to slash travel टाइम between the hinterland and the coastal regions

2009-03-25T02:32:00.000-07:00

Two high-speed railways opening on April 1 will dramatically slash travel time between the hinterland and the coastal regions, a senior railway official said yesterday.

Stretching more than 350 km, the Hefei-Wuhan passenger railway, along with the Hefei-Nanjing lines opened last year, will provide the shortest link between Central China and East China's Yangtze River Delta region.

"Riding a bullet train at 250 kph from Wuhan to Nanjing will need less than three hours, almost eight hours less than now," said Zhang Shuguang, chief of the transportation department of the Ministry of Railways.

Passengers traveling from Wuhan to Shanghai will also benefit, with travel time cut in half to only four hours and 45 minutes, he said.

The other new high-speed railway is the 190-km Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan railway linking the north and the west.

Zhang said the travel time between the capital cities of Hebei and Shanxi provinces will be cut from five hours to only one. Passengers traveling between Taiyuan and Beijing will need only three hours, a saving of more than five hours.

Airlines and bus companies, feeling the pinch from the new railways, are cutting prices.

Wuhan-based Chutian Metropolis News reported that discounts of up to 70 percent will be given to flights from Wuhan to Shanghai starting April 1. The cost of a bus ticket will be reduced from 185 yuan ($27) to 90 yuan tomorrow.

Starting next month, the ministry will add 89 pairs of passenger trains on a number of popular routes, increasing passenger capacity by 10.6 percent, Zhang said.

The ministry is also considering selling train tickets by phone and via the Internet, with regions such as Guangdong and Chongqing piloting the practices, he said.

China opened its first high-speed railway, the 350-kph Beijing-Tianjin route, last year.

At present, 200 bullet trains are zipping through major cities in China, Zhang said, with 600 more expected to be on the tracks by 2012, when China's high-speed rail network takes shape and securing a train ticket in peak travel seasons will no longer be a problem.

Some of the bullet trains will have sleepers for travelers.

In December, the ministry put such trains on the Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Hangzhou railways, charging a record 600 to 700 yuan for a sleeper ticket.

While many doubted the popularity of such trains, Zhang said an average occupancy rate of 70 percent is good enough.

"Passengers will see more half-empty trains than crowded ones in the future, thanks to the progress of longer railways and better and faster trains," he said.

Swimming in the Great Wall

2009-03-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

Leaving mark on 'Great Wall' costs US$120

2009-03-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

For about 120 dollars, visitors to China's Great Wall can now leave their mark on a fake wall built recently in the name of preventing graffiti on the genuine structure.

The management office of the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall in Beijing built the fake wall and will charge 999 yuan (124 dollars) for carvings on each brick, daily newspaper The First reported.

With 9,999 bricks available, the marble structure could help management rake in 9.9 million yuan (1.2 million dollars).

Juyongguan's management said they were hoping to satisfy visitors' desire to leave something behind -- usually their name or words of love -- while discouraging them from carving graffiti on China's best-known cultural relic.

The Great Wall, which receives four million visitors a year, has suffered greatly from graffiti.

But the project has come under some criticism with The First newspaper citing one expert as saying many schemes to "protect" the wall are actually aimed at reaping profits from the cultural treasure.

The fake wall is located near the most-visited section of the real wall in Badaling and visitors usually travel to Juyongguan on their way to Badaling.

Less than 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) remain of the original 6,300-kilometer structure first built in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

It was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to keep out northern tribes threatening the Chinese heartland.

China Rejects Coke Bid to Buy Major Juice Maker

2009-03-21T22:09:00.001-07:00

China's Ministry of Commerce announced on March 18th it has rejected a bid by Coca-Cola to acquire China's top juice maker Huiyuan, saying the takeover could stifle competition and harm the growth of small juice makers in China. The ministry says it rejected the 2.4 billion US dollar bid in accordance with China's Anti-Monopoly Law. This is the first offer rejected since China's Anti-Monopoly Law took effect last August. Let's see Media opinions on this.

In a commentary in the 'QiLu Evening News', Tian Yu says Ministry of Commerce's decision on the case reflects the legislative intent of the Ant-Monopoly Law, saying that is to keep fair competition in the market, and protect consumers' rights and interests.

'Xian Evening News' has published a review by Li Xiaoliang, saying it wouldn't be as bad as people imagine if Coca-Cola's mergers and acquisitions succeed, and there might be many benefits instead. The review says the trend of juice maker Huiyuan declining is not avoidable if there is no fundamental change of private enterprises' development in China.

An article in the 'Nanfang Daily' says the implementation details of China's Anti-Monopoly Law still needs to be more clarified although it has successfully stopped the mergers and acquisitions this time. The author says, in the globalization process, Hui Yuan acquisitions is not the first acquisitions case, and nor would this be the last one.

Thunderbolt Corridor to Open in Hangzhou

2009-03-21T22:08:00.001-07:00

The Long Thunderbolt Corridor will open next Monday in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Also known as the Meteorology Experience Hall, it's situated on top of Mount Mantou in the south of the city and will be open free to the public on March 23, 2009. [Photo: Qianjiang Evening News]

The world's highest Ferris wheel is coming up

2009-03-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

The gaint Ferris wheel on the roof of the 450-m-high Guangzhou new TV tower is under construction in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province. It will be completed and opened to local residents and tourists before Oct 1, 2010.The Ferris wheel will combine sightseeing, tourism, leisure and entertainment.The Ferris wheel will withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 8, owing to its quake-resistant design. Lightning arresters will form part of the design to make sure there is little damage during storm and lightning.

Storm turns Beijing sky yellow

2009-03-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

A sandstorm, the first this year, turned the Beijing sky pale yellow on Sunday.

"The dust slightly polluted the air and reduced visibility on Sunday, but it did no harm to the crops," head of the Beijing meteorological bureau (BMB) Guo Hu told reporters Monday.

The sandstorm was caused by a "sudden cold front, which blew in the dust from outside the capital," he said.

The storm affected an area of about 160,000 sq km, including Beijing and its surrounding Hebei and Shandong provinces, Guo said, adding that another sandstorm may hit the capital in the next 10 days.

"But during April there are a lot of chances for sandstorms," he added.

According to BMB's forecast, the city will see "no less than six dusty days this spring, fewer than the annual average of about 10 days".

Guo said dust storms in China were divided into four levels depending on its intensity - floating dust, flying sand, sandstorm, and severe sandstorm.

According to statistics with the BMB, in the last decades, flying sand days and sandstorms had seen a considerable decrease. On an average, there were 33 flying sand days every year before 1980, and have decreased to nine days since 2000. Sandstorms, too, are rare since 1996.

The country's first wide-range sandstorm hit large parts of Northern China, including Gansu, Ningxia, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shannxi, Shandong, Tianjin and Inner Mongolia last week, local media reported.

Chances of another sandstorm are high in Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, the China Central Meteorological Station said.

Beijing Olympic drum auction yields 41.4 mln yuan

2009-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Auctioneers sold 410 of the 2,008 drums used at the opening ceremony of the Olympics for more than 41.38 million yuan (about 6.09 million U.S. dollars) in Beijing Wednesday.

China Beijing Equity Exchange (CBEX) said this was the last group of the 1,500 drums that had been selected for auction. Also sold Wednesday were 978 "zhujian" bamboo scrolls.

CBEX said 132 institutions and individuals attended Wednesday's auction.

CBEX auctioned 1,000 drums, also known as "fou", for 52.45 million yuan on March 8, and another 90 drums online Monday with bids totaling 12.83 million yuan. The remaining drums will be donated to various organizations.

Fou drums are ancient instruments made from clay or bronze. Zhujian scrolls were used instead of paper in ancient China.

More than 500,000 other Olympics-related items have also been sold for almost 30 million yuan, including a king-size bed used by Chinese basketball player Yao Ming, in nine other auctions to date.

Prosecuters investigate death of prisoner in N China

2009-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Chinese prosecutors have begun to investigate death of a prisoner at a detention house in north China's Hebei Province, according to government sources hereon Saturday.

The male prisoner, Zhai Junbao, who was arrested by police for theft and held at a detention house in Shunping County in January, died on Feb. 16.

An autopsy report given by the Hebei University Medical Science showed he died of toxic shock caused by lobar pneumonia.

Zhai's family has raised doubts on his death.

The head of the detention house has been suspended from job for the duration of the investigation, according to the police sources.

Chinese Garrison Sentry Shot Dead in Attack

2009-03-21T04:25:00.001-07:00

A sentry on duty outside a garrison in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality was shot dead by unidentified attacker(s) Thursday evening, local police said Friday.

The attacker(s) ran away after firing bullets at the garrison guard and robbing his submachine gun, the police said.

The guard has been identified as Han Junliang, aged 18.

The garrison belongs to a unit of the People's Liberation Army stationed in the downtown area of Chongqing.

The exact number of the attacker(s) is not immediately known, said a police chief.

He said the police and the military have set up a joint special work team to crack the case.

Local people said they noticed police carrying out checks on suspicious vehicles and passengers at major crossings in the city early Friday morning.

When Mona Lisa meets photoshop

2009-03-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

On a website, the great works 'Mona Lisa' was reworked by the netizens just for fun.

Over 6 million college graduates will enter China job market in 2009

2009-03-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

These days quite a lot of guys lose their good appetites. Global economy is aggravating. Companies are laying off people. The housing price is flying high. The world seems to be surrounded by these eye-catching words. Among them are the college graduates. As reported, graduation means unemployment for millions of graduates this year. They find their way hard. But the financial crisis is the only part of the story. At most, it's merely catalysis. Years ago, I thought this moment would come, sooner or later. Now the crisis just accelerates the process.

Why dare I say so. "Thanks to" the commercialized higher education policy starting from 1999, the number of college students has been growing like a balloon, from 1 million in 1999 to 6 million in 2009. As a contrast, university facilities don't catch up with the speed. Now one job recruiting show can attract as many as tens of thousands graduates. Sure, the job opportunities are limited especially in this bad economic climate. So most of those applicants will be screened out. Anyway, as least it sounds like good news for employers, right? They own a large candidate base. But still the complains from employers are rising to the recent graduates for their lacking competences. Most recently the graduates, who were once decorated as the "social elites", have been enlisted into the class of people that need help along with rural migrant workers. What's the hell are we doing these years?

In this circumstance, the whole nation were mobilized to increase the employment rate of the college graduates. Some odd ideas are invented. Some congressmen suggest universities should create "post-undergraduate" positions akin to "post-doctor". The unemployed graduates are encouraged to seek jobs in rural areas as a solution. Beijing and Guangzhou local authorities decide to hire graduates to serve communities. Shanghai local authority is giving financial support to fresh graduate start-ups. The whole society seem to be enthusiastic to resolve the issue. And MoE has implemented the plan to raise the number of the master students by 5% in 2009. Then will it work?

Are we resolving or just relieving the issue? Why are graduates unwilling to work in the rural areas? Because the working and living conditions are poor there. Some graduates came from villages. Their family spent lots of money to afford the college fees in the hope that the children can change their fortunes. But now nothing has changed. The family's investment doesn't bring them a matching return. As indicated, those "post-undergraduates" won't sign formal contracts with employers. I think it equals to opening a backdoor in the Labor Law, giving the chances to hire employees without basic salaries and social insurances. And since those graduate start-ups lacks too much experience, the possibilities of surviving are low. I see no wisdom to encourage it.

Anyhow, the essential idea is good, to diversify employment opportunities. In short terms, these measures can relieve the pains. But we are surfing on the peak of second wave of baby-boom graduates in the last half century. The society just can't digest the flood. That's the point. So I think there should be a hierarchical change in the higher education. Do we really need so many bachelors, masters as well as doctors in near future? Do we need some many colleges to set majors such as Computer Science/Engineering and Business Management? Do we really need so many future philosophers and scientists? We are creating too many homogeneous graduates with low quality. I think what China lacks currently are skilled workers, proficient peasants and smart businessmen. The university education is not essential. Community colleges or professional schools may be better choices for them. Yes, it's hard to change, especially when it's related to some people's interests. But anyhow, it's crucial to take a responsible attitude to the nation's future.

http://milesxu.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-to-go-chinese-college-graduates.html

China will send six more patrol vessels into the South China Sea

2009-03-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

China will send six more patrol vessels into the South China Sea during the next three to five years to curb illegal fishing in the region, an official told the International Herald Leader newspaper of the Xinhua News Agency on Friday.

"A patrol vessel with a water displacement of 2,500 tons is expected to be sent next year into the South China Sea, with five more 3,000-ton vessels expected to go in the next three to five years," the agriculture ministry official who is in charge of the administration of fishery in the South China Sea said.

The patrol vessels will carry helicopters for efficient sea supervision, the report said.

This is "in accordance with the need to curb growing illegal fishing activity and to protect China's rights and interests", the official said.

He, however, denied that the plan was a response to the country's recent disputes with its neighbors over sovereignty of the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Last Tuesday, China's largest fishery patrol vessel, China Yuzheng 311, which was converted from a naval warship, was sent to the waters around the Nansha, Xisha and Zhongsha islands.

The Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed a baseline bill into law on March 10, which claimed the Huangyan Island and the Nansha Islands as Filipino territory, despite strong protests from China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly reaffirmed China's sovereignty over those islands during the previous fortnight.

Amid mounting tensions, Liu Jianchao, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, has called for both sides to calm down and resolve the issue diplomatically.

"A spat over the issue will lead to no favorable outcome for anyone," Liu said on Thursday.

On the Filipino side, government press secretary Cerge Remonde said the department of foreign affairs in Manila was "already using normal diplomatic channels to solve this diplomatically".

"While it is true that this is a cause for concern, let us not overreact," the Manila Times quoted him as saying, on Thursday.

Gilberto Teodoro, the defense secretary of the Philippines, also said he did not really think China's deployment of the Yuzheng 311 was "a big threat".

"There is yet no cause for alarm as sending patrol boats by different claimant nations into the areas that they claim is tolerated," the Philippines' Navy spokesman Colonel Edgardo Arevalo was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Chinese analysts have said that the Philippines should "face reality" and "return to talks" for a win-win solution to the dispute.

Professor Li Jie, a senior naval researcher at the Chinese Navy's Military Academy, said: "China has shown restraint by sending patrol vessels to carry out routine fishery supervision.

"It has never occupied any islands in the sovereignty of its neighboring countries in the South China Sea by force."

Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based military expert, also said that China was trying to avoid a conflict with the Philippines by sending only fishery patrol vessels to the troubled waters.

The move to send fishery patrol vessels means Beijing is acting according to diplomatic principles, Song said, noting that it was only to protect China's rights in the sea.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post said the South China Sea dispute has posed little threat to trade cooperation between the two Asian nations.

Yang jia executed for killing 6 policemen

2009-03-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

A man who became an unlikely cult hero after murdering six policemen has been executed in China.

Yang Jia, 28, was put to death in Shanghai after he went on a stabbing spree at a police station in the city in July.

He said he killed the officers in revenge for being wrongfully arrested on suspicion of stealing a bicycle.

Yang, described as a lonely man who loved the internet and reading, repeatedly demanded compensation for his overnight detention in October 2007.

He claimed he suffered psychological damage because police beat him while he was in custody.

After his compensation claims were rejected, he appeared to snap and began his attack on the police station where he had been held.

He lit petrol bombs at the gates before forcing his way in and stabbing a total of nine police officers and a security guard.

Yang lost an appeal against his death sentence last month after court proceedings which his supporters said were flawed.

Some people regarded him as a victim who stood up to the abuse commonly suffered by marginalised people in China.

After the execution was reported, tributes were posted on the internet, some calling Yang a hero.

"When you hold a knife up to the police, it's doomed to end this way. But Chinese history will remember Yang Jia's name forever," one person wrote.

But one of the few messages which suggested Yang deserved his fate read: "Don't forget Yang Jia is a murderer."

Malfunctioning ATM send a young man to jail

2009-03-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

A man in Guangzhou has been caught by the police and jailed for life for taking money from a malfunctioning ATM. The machine was actually only deducting 1 yuan from his account for ever 1,000 yuan withdrawn, and over a period of time he withdrew 175,000 yuan. He has appealed against the sentence. This case provoked hot discussion among the media.

Let's take a look at some opinions in the press.

A writer for the Procuratorial Daily thinks that ATMs should be the banks responsibility. The customer, Xu Ting should not be sentenced to life in prison due to a malfunctioning machine. If there is no money in his account, then Xu should not be able to withdraw any funds. His behavior should only be defined as acquiring profits improperly and without a lawful basis. Xu Ting's actions should come under the lesser charge of embezzlement, a civil liability, but not a criminal liability. A sentence for life is too harsh.

New Express carried a view believing that the sentence for life is totally appropriate. Xu Ting has committed larceny because he stole money several times after discovering the faulty ATM and he never reported it to the bank or the police.

At the first transaction his behavior can only be described as a civil misdemeanor. But after he told his friend to make several transactions for the sole purpose of stealing money and then running away; his behavior became deliberate and criminal. As an ATM is regarded as a branch of any bank, a financial institute. Stealing money from such a financial institute is regarded as committing a crime punishable by the law.

A comment in the Guangzhou Daily agreed with lawyers and some netizens that the sentence is overly harsh. But on the other hand, it emphasizes that the judge should not be the target of blame over the result. Different opinions among judges also prove that the case is receiving mixed reviews and that an agreement can hardly be reached under the current law. It is now hardly foreseeable how the case will be decided in the second trial.

Four Great Inventions of ancient China

2009-03-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Four Great Inventions of ancient China are four inventions that are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance and as signs of ancient China's advanced science and technology.

The Four Great Inventions are:

The Compass
Gunpowder
Papermaking
Printing

The Compass

Diagram of a Ming dynasty mariner's compassMain article: Compass
The earliest reference to magnetism in Chinese literature is found in a 4th century BC book called Book of the Devil Valley Master (鬼谷子): "The lodestone makes iron come or it attracts it."

The earliest reference to a magnetic device used as a "direction finder" is in a Song Dynasty book dated to AD 1040-44. Here there is a description of an iron "south-pointing fish" floating in a bowl of water, aligning itself to the south. The device is recommended as a means of orientation "in the obscurity of the night."[9] However, the first suspended magnetic needle compass was written of by Shen Kuo in his book of AD 1088.

For most of Chinese history, the compass that remained in use was in the form of a magnetic needle floating in a bowl of water.[10] According to Needham, the Chinese in the Song Dynasty and continuing Yuan Dynasty did make use of a dry compass, although this type never became as widely used in China as the wet compass.

The dry compass used in China was a dry suspension compass, a wooden frame crafted in the shape of a turtle hung upside down by a board, with the loadstone sealed in by wax, and if rotated, the needle at the tail would always point in the northern cardinal direction.Although the 14th century European compass-card in box frame and dry pivot needle was adopted in China after its use was taken by Japanese pirates in the 16th century (who had in turn learned of it from Europeans), the Chinese design of the suspended dry compass persisted in use well into the 18th century.[12]

Gunpowder

Handgun from the Yuan dynasty, circa 1300s.Main article: History of gunpowder
The prevailing academic consensus is that gunpowder was discovered in the 9th century by Chinese alchemists searching for an elixir of immortality.[13] By the time the Song Dynasty treatise, Wujing Zongyao (武经总要), was written by Zeng Gongliang and Yang Weide in AD 1044, the various Chinese formulas for gunpowder held levels of nitrate in the range of 27% to 50%.[14] By the end of the 12th century, Chinese formulas of gunpowder had a level of nitrate capable of bursting through cast iron metal containers, in the form of the earliest hollow, gunpowder-filled grenade bombs.[15]

In AD 1280, the bomb store of the large gunpowder arsenal at Weiyang accidentally caught fire, which produced such a massive explosion that a team of Chinese inspectors at the site a week later deduced that some 100 guards had been killed instantly, with wooden beams and pillars blown sky high and landing at a distance of over 10 li (~2 mi. or ~3.2 km) away from the explosion.[16]

By the time of Jiao Yu and his Huolongjing in the mid 14th century, the explosive potential of gunpowder was perfected, as the level of nitrate in gunpowder formulas had risen to a range of 12% to 91%,[14] with at least 6 different formulas in use that are considered to have maximum explosive potential for gunpowder.[14] By that time, the Chinese had discovered how to create explosive cannonballs by packing their hollow shells with this nitrate-enhanced gunpowder.[17]

Paper

Hemp wrapping paper, China, circa 100 BCMain article: Papermaking
Further information: Science and technology of the Han Dynasty
Papermaking has traditionally been traced to China about AD 105, when Cai Lun, an official attached to the Imperial court during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), created a sheet of paper using mulberry and other bast fibres along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste.[18] However a recent archaeological discovery has been reported from near Dunhuang of paper with writing on it dating to 8 BC.[19]

While paper used for wrapping and padding was used in China since the 2nd century BC,[20] paper used as a writing medium only became widespread by the 3rd century.[21] By the 6th century in China, sheets of paper were beginning to be used for toilet paper as well.[22] During the Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907) paper was folded and sewn into square bags to preserve the flavor of tea.[20] The Song Dynasty (AD 960–1279) that followed was the first government on Earth to issue paper currency.

Printing
Main article: History of typography in East Asia
The Chinese invention of Woodblock printing, at some point before the first dated book in 868 (the Diamond Sutra), produced the world's first print culture. According to A. Hyatt Mayor, curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "it was the Chinese who really discovered the means of communication that was to dominate until our age."[23] Woodblock printing was better suited to Chinese characters than movable type, which the Chinese also invented, but which did not replace woodblock printing. Western printing presses, although introduced in the 16th century, was not widely used in China until the 19th century. China, along with Korea, was one of the last countries to adopt them.[24]

The intricate frontispiece of the Diamond Sutra from Tang Dynasty China, AD 868 (British Museum)Woodblock printing for textiles, on the other hand, preceded text printing by centuries in all cultures, and is first found in China at around 220,[25] then Egypt in the 4th century,[26] and reached Europe by the 14th century or before, via the Islamic world, and by around 1400 was being used on paper for old master prints and playing cards.[27][28] In another analysis Hyatt Mayor states that "a little before 1400 Europeans had enough paper to begin making holy images and playing cards in woodcut. They need not have learned woodcut from the Chinese, because they had been using woodblocks for about 1,000 years to stamp designs on linen."[29]

Printing in China was further advanced by the 11th century, as it was written by the Song Dynasty scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) that the common artisan Bi Sheng (990-1051) invented ceramic movable type printing.[30] Then there were those such as Wang Zhen (fl. 1290-1333) and Hua Sui (1439-1513), the former of whom invented wooden movable type printing in China,[31] the latter of whom invented metal movable type printing in China.[32] Movable type printing was a tedious process if one were to assemble thousands of individual characters for the printing of simply one or a few books, but if used for printing thousands of books, the process was efficient and rapid enough to be successful and highly employed. Indeed, there were many cities in China where movable type printing, in wooden and metal form, was adopted by the enterprises of wealthy local families or large private industries. The Qing Dynasty court sponsored enormous printing projects using woodblock movable type printing during the 18th century. Although superseded by western printing techniques, woodblock movable type printing remains in use in isolated communities in China.[33]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Inventions_of_Ancient_China

Ancient CHINA Timeline

2009-03-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

4000-2205 BC Neolithic China

• The early Chinese live by farming around the Yellow River Valley. They grow such crops as millet, rice and wheat. They use stone tools for agriculture as well as weapons. They also raise livestock like cows and chickens. People live in pit dwellings.

• The early Chinese bury their dead according to family groupings. Pig skulls are used to offer libations during the funeral. They also bury essential items, like stone or jade tools, with the dead to use in the afterlife.

2205-256 BC Bronze Age

• The Chinese discover the usefulness of bronze metal and begin to make tools and weapons with it.

• City-states are the basis of social and political organization. As the population increases, battles over territory begin. Some villages grow into cities, and a social hierarchy or class structure begins to develop. The inhabitants still rely on agriculture. Their art consists of basic clay pottery.

2205-1766 Hsia (or Xia) Dynasty

• This dynasty was previously believed to be legendary. Recent information has proven its existence.

• Legend says that this dynasty began when a man named Yu drained the waters of the flood (a parallel story to the experiences of Noah). He became the first king of the Hsia Dynasty.

1766-1050 BC Shang Dynasty

• The Shang Dyansty overthrows the Hsia Dynasty because the last Hsia king had become very corrupt.

• The Shang leaves the earliest evidence of a writing system as well as the first historical records. The Shang society also begins to divide into upper and lower classes. Its military makes use of horse and chariot. These technologies prove a formidable force against the barbarian tribes and other small city-states around it.

• The Shang worship their ancestors, who intercede with the gods on behalf of the living. There is a supreme god called "Deity Above" or "Lord on High." Underneath him are smaller gods of things found in nature like sun, moon and wind. These gods serve as courtiers to the "Deity Above."

• When kings are buried, their officials are sometimes killed and buried with them to aid royalty in the afterlife. The kings also serve in the court of the "Deity Above."

• The Shang begins to crumble under the stress of barbarian attacks not only from the south, but also the east. The Chou unites all of the Shang's enemies under them and defeats the Shang. The Shang are completely defeated when the last Shang king, named Chou, attempts to quell some barbarians in the north. Seeing that the army is weaker because of its fight in the north, the Chou leader, Wu-wang attacks and destroys the Shang capital city, Anyang.

1050-256 BC Chou (or Zhou) Dynasty

• The Chou Dynasty conquers the Shang Dynasty. The Chou's origins are unknown. The earliest record of their existence is in the Wei Valley.

• Some philosophies gain influence during this time including Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.

• The Chou dynasty is divided into two sections: Western or Early Chou, and Eastern or Later Chou.

• Western Chou lasts from 1050-771 BC. The Chou Dynasty inherits the culture of the Shang Dynasty because the Chou is less advanced. They create the concept of that the previous dynasty had made many mistakes and therefore lost the support of "Deity Above," otherwise known as the Mandate of Heaven. This legitimizes the Chou rule. For centuries to come all kings claim that the supreme god supported their rule.

• As the population grows, the Chou people begin following a social structure much like that found in Feudal Europe in the Middle Ages. There is an upper class, made up of rulers. Following close behind are the people who hold important positions in the army, hold government positions, or are educated scholars. The lowest class is made up of the peasants who farm or do other manual labor. The lower classes are made vassals of the upper classes. This means that the upper classes provide protection for the lower classes, while the lower classes work for the upper classes.

• The Western Chou are attacked by nomads from the Northwest who are searching for food. The remaining people from the ruling class who survive the attack establish a new capital. This capital is located east of their old lands in a town called Loyang (or Luoyang).

Eastern Chou is further divided into two sections:

1) The "Spring and Autumn" (named after an important book about the philosophies that were developing during that time) lasts from 771-481 BC. During this time, conflict between the city-states break out. Also, iron is discovered and used to help in agriculture. The improvements in agriculture led to surplus food, which in turn led to population growth. At the end of Spring and Summer and the beginning of the Warring States Period, many scholars are pursuing knowledge through philosophy. This era is also known as The One Hundred Schools of Thought.

2) The Warring States period lasts from 481-256 BC. The growing settlements clash against one another in long battles or "total war." The smallest city-states ally together to avoid being swallowed up by the more powerful city-states. However, the large city-states defeat the alliances and gain hegemony in China. One of those city-states in the east, called the Ch'in, gains enough dominance through conquering barbarians and other strong Chinese city-states to win over China.

256 BC-589 AD IMPERIAL CHINA

China is ruled by an emperor, who claims to have control over all of China. This period experiences one of the most prosperous and culturally advanced dynasties, the Han Dyansty. However, the period ends in dissolution and disunity.

256-206 BC Ch'in (or Qin) Dynasty

The Ch'in, a group of people coming from the western part of China in the Wei River Valley, overthrow the Chou Dynasty. By 211 BC, the first emperor named Ch'in Shihuangdi, reunifies the city-states that had broken apart and fought against one another.

• After the lands are reclaimed, the king works to standardize as many things as possible, from weights and measurements to the size of chariot axles. He even establishes one centralized army and standardizes the money system.

• The emperor, who died in 210 BC, has 8 thousand terra cotta statues made to create an army that would serve him after death. This is reminiscent of the human sacrifice that occurred in earlier dynasties at the death of rulers. He also has chariots and armor buried with him.

• The first Great Wall of China that went from the Pacific Ocean into the middle of Asia. The project connects the existing dirt defense walls to keep out the barbarians on the frontier. (The stone wall standing today was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty many years later.) This and other large constructions like roads and canals make the burden of taxes heavy.

• Although is a strong emperor, there are flaws in his rule. Taxes are too high and the lands conquered are to vast to maintain. When Shihuangdi dies, a number of men scramble for the position of emperor and the dynasty falls.

206 BC- 220 AD Han Dynasty

A centralized government is established. Feudal lords no longer have the power to challenge the emperor's reign. The peace and prosperity this dynasty enjoys allows the new religion of Buddhism to be introduced. Such innovations as the creation of paper advanced Chinese culture past that of other civilizations. It is also evidence of the level of literacy and education as well as the organization of government.

The Han Dynasty is divided into two sections:

1) 206 BC-9 AD Early or Western Han

• The general Kao Tzu wins over the other conflicting military commanders who want control. He unifies and consolidates China once again.

• The following Western Han emperors revamp the failing economy and culture that failed during the chaos at the end of the Ch'in Dynasty. The new capital is established in Ch'ang-on on the Wei River.

• Emperor Wu-ti (140-87 BC) takes more control over China through various means. For example, he uses government monopolies of such items as salt and iron to gain control over the economy. He also fights against the weakening nomads on the outskirts of China and gains some of their territory. He conquers the Huns in Vietnam and Manchuria.

• Emperor Wang Mang usurps the throne and rules from 9-23 AD. He dislikes the growing powers of the large families. In his attempts to take some of this power away, Mang gains the families' anger. Mang also upset the poor because he did not institute welfare reform fast enough. Mang is murdered and China has no emperor. Regional leaders name themselves emperor and fight amongst one another.

2) 25-220 AD. Late or Eastern Han

• Kuang Wo Ti (25-57 AD) gains control over China through the help of other leaders over years of battle. Kuang Wo Ti moves the capital from the destroyed city of Ch'ang-on to Loyang.

• The following emperors win more territory on the frontier from the barbarian Huns. He and the emperors that followed expand Chinese territory through winning over the Huns.

• Buddhism monks come from India and begin to spread the religion of Buddhism through China. Buddhism takes root as the Han Dynasty crumbles.

• The power of eunuchs and other courtiers in the royal house lead to intrigues. The emperors loose power and the courtiers fight for power amongst themselves, causing the dynasty and its centralization to topple. The Taoist rebels, the Yellow Turbans, also conduct rebellions in the face of corrupt officials. These elements also undermine the power of the Han Dynasty.

PERIOD OF DISUNITY

China is no longer unified under one emperor and a series of dynasties or kingdoms rule over various regions in China.

220-265 AD Three Kingdoms

Three dynasties in three different regions rule over China simultaneously. These land-owning rulers gain their power by creating armies of serfs and vassals.

• 1. The Wei Kingdom is located in the North and ruled by the Ts'ao family.

• 2. The Shu Han, begun by Liu Pei, rule in the southwest.

• 3. The Wu, under by Sun Ch'uan, rule in the southeast.

These three dynasties crumbled under barbarian invasions from the North.

317-589 AD Dynasties of the North and South

After the barbarians destroy the Three Kingdoms, the barbarians set up new dynasties. The north and the south is ruled under a series of kingdoms. The most permanent of these kingdoms is the Northern Kingdom of Wei, established by the Toba tribe. They adopt the Chinese form of bureaucratic government and thus survive the longest. The Toba also encourage art and culture.

589-1368 AD SECOND IMPERIAL AGE

589-618 AD Sui Dynasty

• The Sui Dynasty reunites the regions of China under one emperor, Wen-ti. He does this by first consolidating the north under his power. Then he takes the south from the leader of the Hou Liang and the Ch'en Dynasty. Wen-ti establishes a new form of administration with a governing body, the censorate, to hold the bureaucracy and court system in check. A census is also taken for tax purposes.

• Expensive projects are begun in the early 600s AD for the establishment of a series of canals. The poor of China ended up paying for it and are forced to build it. They protest against the suffering caused by the building project. At the same time, the Turks begin to cause trouble in the east. The Sui emperor cannot control all of China and he withdraws to the south.

• One of the military leaders, Li Shi-min, stations his father as emperor and begins the Tang Dynasty.

618-907 AD T'ang Dynasty

• The new capital is set in Ch'ang-an. Li Shi-min's father retires from the throne and Li takes his place. Li Shi-min and renames himself T'ai Tsung, meaning Grand Ancestor.

• The T'ang government is very well organized. The T'ang Dynasty improves the exams for entrance into the civil service that were created during the Sui Dynasty. The exams question test takers on the subject of Confucian literature.

• Cities become a place for the rising middle class to enjoy and increase their wealth. Port towns are places where foreign products are traded for Chinese goods. Paper money is used for the first time in this commerce.

• The T'ang emperors are tolerant and allow foreign influences (ie. religions like Islam, Judaism and a heretical form of Christianity) to pervade the nation. These foreign influences also affect art. For example, the Indian culture influences Chinese Buddhist art. Poets who write during this dynasty compose some of the best poetry found in Chinese history.

• Despite the infiltration of new religions in the port cities, Buddhism remains the nation's most popular religion. Buddhist temples and monasteries enjoy a great deal of patronage and possessed great wealth.

• The wife of T'ai Tsung, named Wu Chao, exerts strong influence in the T'ang court, especially after her husband died. She rules first as regent and then as empress until 705 AD when she is removed from power. Wu is a strong supporter of Buddhism and lived in a monastery herself for several years.

• Husan Tsung (712-756 AD) takes control soon after Wu. He begins problems in the Tang Dynasty when he ignores his country's affairs to spend his time with his favorite concubine. Because of his neglect, a series of rebellions breaks out. When the rebellions are finally stopped, the leaders of the central government find they have lost a great deal of power and cannot maintain order.

• In 845 AD, a series of persecutions against Buddhists began among the people. Other minority religions are supressed by the same movement.

• One of the worst rebellions in China is begun by a man named Ch'ao. Ch'ao leads a mass of peasants against the government in the later 800's. They hope to overthrow the ruling dynasty. Though the rebels do a great deal of damage to the country, they are stopped by the head of the Turkish army named Li K'o-yung, who is under the employ of the T'ang emperor. These battles result in a China that is carved into five regions by five Chinese army generals.

906-960 AD Five Dynasties Period

The dynasties held by the five generals do not last.

960-1279 AD Sung Dynasty

• T'ai Tsu uses a centralized army to establish the unity of China once again. He strictly monitors the army so that the generals could not gain too much power, like they had in end the T'ang Dynasty.

• During the Sung Dynasty, Chinese culture and technological reaches its height. For example, the printing press is invented and literature and therefore literacy is easier to attain. The monetary system of paper money and credit is also developed.

• Farmers find their independence from land-owners in the improving economy. At the same time, the aristocracy continues to move into towns and cities.

• The borders of China are surrounded by powerful barbarians. To keep the peace, the Sung emperors are forced to pay some of them, like the Khitan Mongolians.

• Emperor Shen Tsung chooses Wang An-Shsih (1021-1086 AD) to be the imperial chief minister. Wang wants to institute reforms that the other imperial officials dislike. Some of these reforms including the creation of government monopolies on specific products like salt. He succeedes in pushing the reforms through, but they did not last after his death.

• Even after the emperor and his advisor are dead, the reform-minded officials continue to battle for government control of the lucrative commerce of the day, while opposers continue to try and stop the controls.

• Poet, calligrapher and painter (these occupations were seen as interlinked) Su Tung-p'o shows himself to be one of the most talented artists of this period. His and other paintings from the time show the love that the Chinese had for their subjects. In paintings, humans appear small compared to the landscapes that dwarf them.

• The barbarian tribe, the Jurchen, are hired to help fight the Khitan Monguls. However, the Jurchens turn on the Sung and attack from the northeast. Some of the Sung royal family escape to a new city on the Yangtze River. At this new city called Hangchow, the Sung reestablish themselves as rulers. The Sung have already lost much of their power and never regain it.

• The Mongols under Kublai Khan overthrow and replace the Sung Dynasty in 1279 AD.

1279-1368 AD Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty

• The Mongols are a set of tribes that lived north of China. They are united under Ghengis Khan at the end of the 1100s and beginning of the 1200's. He creates a powerful and efficient army. Their empire eventually stretches from present-day Russia (around the city of Moscow) to the western Pacific coast of China.

• Ghengis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan finishes defeating the Sung Dynasty in 1279 AD. He sets up a capital in Peking so that he can be near Mongolia in the North. Kublai Khan was an efficient ruler. He makes the Mongols, who are severely outnumbered by the Chinese, the upper class. This gives the Mongolian minority power over the Chinese. Furthermore, Kublai Khan keeps the Mongols from assimilating through intermarriage.

• One of Kublai Khan's biggest mistakes is printing too much paper currency. He and his successors cause inflation through this practice and weaken the economy.

• Chinese social structure is turned upside-down with the coming of the Mongols. The academes, who had once been wealthy from their scholarly pursuits and government positions, must make a living through theatre. This leads to the creation of Chinese opera, that attracts many of the poorer classes. These operas have typically have happy endings. The Mongols slowly release their hold on the government and by the end of the dynasty, the Chinese are back in official positions.

• Marco Polo leaves Italy in 1260 AD with a fellow merchant and adventurer, Niccolo. These two Venetian traders had heard of the rumors of great wealth to the east, and are spurred to explore. Polo meets and serves in Kublai Khan's court for a few years. Here, he collects information on Chinese culture as well as other cultures surrounding the area, like India. The information is complied into Polo's book, "Discovery of the World." The descriptions of wealth and beauty encourage other explorers in the future to sail into unknown waters.

• The Mongols are tolerant and accepting of many religions. Most popular among them is Tibetan Buddhism, which has magic and grand ceremony. However, they also allow Christian and Islamic missionaries into China. Most Chinese hold to Chinese Buddhism.

• The Mongolian Dynasty falls apart only after about 100 years. This is caused by many problems within China. For example, flooding ruins the canals and the countryside. Farmers suffer when money is devalued. Military commanders, who have a great deal of independence, eventually become warlords who fight amongst themselves. The Chinese finally march on the Mongolian capital, Peking, and run the Mongols out of China.

1368-1644 AD Ming Dynasty

• The first emperor, Chu Huan-Duagn, works hard to remake the government after the Mongul rule. He divides China in 15 provinces. The provincial governors do not have much power. Chu's cruelty surfaces at the end of his reign especially. He is a cruel leader and apt to kill officials who upset him.

• The first emperors of this dynasty directly control the government themselves, but soon the later emperors care less and less for government. Government officials and court eunuchs begin to fight amongst themselves for power as the emperors take less and less of an active role in government.

• Chinese concepts of Confucianism and Buddhism are supported and flourish. One Confucian philosopher becomes famous, Wang Yang-ming.

• The novel becomes a new form of literary genre since more Chinese are literate. However, the Confucian leaders of the country discourage the composition of novels.

• Chinese trading markets do well and experience unparalleled wealth. Part of this business comes directly from Europeans. The Chinese government attempts to gain control of the trading, but private merchants resist.

• This dynasty falls for a number of different reasons. Government officials take advantage of the poor, forcing them to pay all of the taxes while the rich are exempt. This causes internal rebellions that chip away at dynastic power. Meanwhile, the Manchus, the descendents of the Juchens, manage to get past the Great Wall. They invade and topple the Ming Dynasty in 1644 AD.

Ch'ing (or Manchu) Dynasty 1644-1911 AD

• The Manchu leaders chose to adopt Chinese style of government to rule over their vast empire, which now includes Mongolia, Tibet, and Korea.

• The Manchu emperors successfully reform the economy by reducing taxes for regions that suffered in battle. Furthermore, refugees give land that was abandoned in war. The refugees use the land to farm. This and the irrigation and flood control systems maintained by the government increase agricultural output.

• In the beginning of the Dynasty, the Jesuits practiced freely and won a number of converts. However, the Pope publicly condemns Confucianism as a pagan religion. In response, the leaders of China outlawed Christian missions.

• At the same time there is conflict internally within China. The government has become very corrupt and dysfunctional.

• Chinese merchants and the Chinese government refuse to trade with the west. For a time, only at the port of Canton is open to the west. Eventually, even Canton is closed. The west pushes the Chinese to open the doors to trade. This conflict causes the Opium Wars between Western Europe and China.

• The first Opium War breaks out in 1839 AD over the import of opium. Western merchants bring this drug to China from India despite the imperial ban. The west won the Opium War in1842 AD because they have superior war technology. China and western officials spend years creating diplomatic agreement, finished in 1860, that forces China to open other ports to trade.

• Internal conflict continues with numerous revolts throughout China. The largest is the Tai-p'ing Rebellion, which lasts from 1850-1864. The rebellion is lead by a religious leader who purports a new faith that mixes Christianity with other native Chinese beliefs. The revolution almost succeeds because of the high level of organization and support. However, the west intervenes and by providing weapons to the Manchu leaders. Other rebellions include the Nien Rebellion, which leads to the pillaging of a number of towns on the frontiers. All of these revolts cause a great deal of destruction and mayhem within China.

• The Japanese begin to assert their power in the Sino-Japanese War in 1894-5. The Japanese win Korea and Taiwan. The west takes advantage of the weakness of China and wins further trade concessions.

• The Boxer Rebellion breaks out in China's capital of Peking. The "Boxers" are a group of Chinese that want to rid China of the western influence. The Boxers are eventually supported by the Manchu leaders. In 1900, the Boxers attack foreigners in the capital city, Peking.

• Western influences and modernization brought about social dissatisfaction and a push for more rights. Revolution broke out and brought an end to the dynasties of China, which ruled China for centuries.

1911 AD

The dynastic system of government finally collapsed after centuries of rule. The new government is republican.

1949 AD

The Chinese Civil War breaks out and the republican form of government is toppled. The Communist Party sets up a socialist form of government that still rules today in the People's Republic of China.

http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/china/timeline.htm

China map

2009-03-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

China is the largest country entirely in Asia. China is bordered by Russia, India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau (semi-autonomous), Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.

Capital: Beijing is the capital of China.

Size: China covers about 9,596,960 square kilometers. China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the USA).

Population: China has the largest population of any country in the world. The population of China is about 1,321,851,000 (as of July, 2007). China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities.

Women learn pole dancing in club

2009-03-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

In fuzhou city, south China, some women join club to learn pole dance. They think pole dance can make them jimper and sexy.

14 years old mom post her pregnancy pictures on website

2009-03-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

A 14 years old girl from Hongkong post her pregnancy pircures on a website. She said she has been pregnanted for about 8 months and she will give birth to the baby in MARY hospital.

Man crosses Eurasia on horseback

2009-03-19T20:39:00.001-07:00

Li Jing rides a horse along the road in Changping, Beijing's north suburb, March 10, 2009. Li, 46, finished his 9,000-kilometer journey Tuesday on horseback from Russia to China in one year, and will soon set off again for London with a 59-year-old British female rider to promote the 2012 Olympic Games.

College student kills boy for being called a 'thief'

2009-03-19T20:33:00.001-07:00

Police arrested a college student in Zhenxiong county, Yunnan province, after he kidnapped and killed an 8-year-old boy.
Shen Chaoqun, 25, of Jiangxi Science and Technology University, kidnapped a boy after the boy's father called him a thief. Five minutes after he kidnapped the boy, Shen killed him.
Two days later, police found Shen at his elder brother's home and he confessed.

Conjoined twins wait for separation surgery

2009-03-19T20:26:00.001-07:00

The conjoined twins are treated at the provincial children's hospital in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, March 19, 2009. The twin girls are conjoined by their bellies, sharing one umbilical cord when they were born three days ago in the Xinhua county of Loudi city, Hunan province, but they are in stable condition. The hospital will give them a thorough examination before a separation surgery.

Young couple gets first prize in kissing contest

2009-03-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

A young couple won a kissing competition on Sunday in Haikou, capital of Hainan province.

Huang and his girlfriend, Tuo, beat out other kissing couples after they locked lips for 1 hour and 15 minutes. And they were awarded 2,009 yuan ($294) for their effort.

More than 10 couples participated in the competition. Participants were required to stand in fixed positions and place their hands behind their back while kissing.

Fake money trading gang in E. China held

2009-03-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Police in Fuzhou, Fujian province, announced on Wednesday that they had busted a gang dealing in fake Chinese money, confiscating currency with a face value of 1.03 million yuan ($151,000).

This was the largest fake money trading gang the police smashed in Fujian this year, said Liu Yidi, a police officer with the Fuzhou municipal bureau of public security.

Police officers with the Public Security Bureau in Fuzhou, Fujian province, count a big stash of counterfeit money, March 18, 2009. The haul, with a face value of 1.03 million yuan ($151,000), was seized from the largest counterfeit ring in the province.

The confiscated fake money had a par value of 100, 50, 20 and 10 yuan. Most of the 100-yuan banknotes had serial numbers starting with CE86 and CH31 and were of a superior quality than the fake 100-yuan banknotes starting with the serial number HD, found earlier, he said.

On January 20, Fuzhou police found a man surnamed Zheng from Tingping township in Minhou county, Fujian, possessing fake money with a face value of 90,000 yuan. A month-long investigation showed a gang from the township was involved in fake money transactions.

On Feb 23, Chen, who carried fake money with a face value of 580,000 yuan, was arrested in the southern suburb of Fuzhou. Six other members of the gang were caught the same day.

They had purchased fake money with a face value of 1.265 million yuan from Shanwei, Guangdong province, on six occasions since 2002.

They would buy a 100-yuan banknote with 1.5 yuan and sell it for 3 yuan to the next buyer in Fuzhou who would then sell it to the third buyer for 5 or 6 yuan and so on.

A small amount of the fake money the seven criminal suspects bought were already in social circulation before they were nabbed, Liu said.

Elaborating on how fake money found its way into society, Liu said, massage girls with access to their client's pockets often replaced true money with fake currency. Second, gamblers exchange true money with fake ones in casinos. Third, taxi drivers often return fake money to passengers. Fourth, criminal suspects use fake money with a big face value in restaurants, farm produce markets and supermarkets and get true money as change.

Fake 100-yuan notes, mostly starting with the serial number "HD90", were reported in more than 10 Chinese provinces and cities since last year.

Reports say that sometimes even counterfeit detectors, which would not pass low-quality fakes, get hoodwinked by forgery of a higher standard.

Although the fake money confiscated in Fuzhou bore the watermark and magnetic security line and was believed to look more genuine than those with the serial number "HD90", Liu said that people with a sharp eye and counterfeit detectors in banks would know better.

Early in 2009, officials from the People's Bank of China denied the sharp rise of fake banknotes, claiming that the number of fakes detected by the financial institutions and police was not substantially higher than usual.

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, claimed that the technology used in the bank could easily detect fake banknotes.

Under Chinese law, people who knowingly hold or use counterfeit currency can face up to 10 years in prison. A 34-year-old Chinese farmer was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 15,000 yuan in January for using 55 counterfeit notes with a 100-yuan face value in a Shanghai shop.

Pretty women soldier

2009-03-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Study: "Peking Man" 300,000 years older than usually thought

2009-03-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

The iconic ancient human fossils from China known as the Peking Man are about 300,000 years older than usually thought, an archaeologist said Thursday.

Using a new dating method, a group of Beijing archaeologists concluded in the British journal Nature that the "Peking Man" fossils are about 770,000 years old, beating the previous estimates of 230,000-500,000 years.

The new date indicates that "this early human ancestor prospered in an earlier colder climate," Xing Gao, one of the archaeologists from Beijing-based Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Pale anthropology, told Xinhua by telephone.

"It will lead us to rethink how these early hominins could adapt to the colder environment," Gao said. "Probably it provides further evidence that the early hominins used fire regularly."

In an accompanying article in Nature, Russell Ciochon at the University of Iowa, who was not involved in the research, said the study "prompts a rethink of the species' distribution in both the temperate north and equatorial south of east Asia."

The Beijing archaeologists said that the study applied an aluminium and beryllium based method to measure quartz samples from Zhoukoudian in the southwestern suburb of Beijing, where the "Peking Man" fossils were discovered in the 1920s.

The method works for samples up to at least 3 million years older. The archaeologists highlighted its importance and said they planned to use it to re-measure other Chinese pale anthropology sites.

"This is a catalyst for a new era of re-dating," Ciochon said.

China Telecom starts 3G trials

2009-03-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

China Telecom, the country's largest fixed-line operator, started trials of the third-generation (3G) mobile services in Shanghai on Monday, and plans to extend the same nationwide next month.

Shanghai Telecom, China Telecom's subsidiary, said it would invest 6 billion yuan on various projects including the 2010 Expo, 3G-network construction, and enterprise services this year. About one-third of the total capital would be used for 3G network construction, said Zhang Weihua, general manger of the Shanghai-based company.

According to the operator, the speed of its code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000-based network is 3.1 megabits per second, 20 times faster than the 2G network.

"China Telecom's operations in Shanghai is more solid when compared to other cities, hence the decision to chose the city first for 3G trials," said Zhang Yanling, analyst, iResearch Consulting Group.

Shanghai Telecom said its 3G signals have already covered the area within the city's outer ring, and a total of more than 2,000 3G base stations will be built by the end of this year.

In addition, as of March 15, about 4,000 public areas in the city have been deployed with WiFi hotspots. The network will be extended to over 5,000 units before 2010.

China Telecom's president Shang Bin said last month that the company planned to have 35 million new CDMA network users this year, and to extend the number to 100 million over three years.

"China Telecom can offset its weakness in mobile operations by strengthening its 3G services to compete with its rivals China Mobile and China Unicom. However, user's reception of 3G services is still pending given the incomplete CDMA network and the absence of multinational mobile phone makers like Nokia in CDMA2000, " Zhang said.

The central government awarded the long-anticipated 3G licenses to the country's three incumbent operators, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom this January.

China Mobile, the largest domestic cellphone operator, launched the pre-commercial 3G services based on homegrown TD-SCDMA last April in eight cities including Shanghai. By the end of 2008, the standard had attracted 75,600 subscribers in Shanghai.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has forecast that the total investment in 3G would touch 170 billion yuan this year. It has also estimated that the 3G services would attract nearly 400 billion yuan worth of investment over the next three years.

China says 60,000 alternative-energy vehicles to hit roads by 2012

2009-03-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

About 60,000 alternative-fuel vehicles are expected to be on China's roads by 2012 as part of the efforts to save energy and reduce emissions, Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said Thursday.

Most of these new vehicles would be used for public transport, Wan told an international forum on energy conservation and new energy development.

Also, large-scale use of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting would be promoted in dozens of big Chinese cities and the use of solar and wind energy would be accelerated, Wang said.

He said that China, as a large developing country undergoing rapid industrialization, faced the pressures of promoting growth while saving resources and protecting the environment. He said China had made saving energy, reducing emissions and using renewable energy sources a strategic plan to achieve sustainable development.

China would use various means to provide financial support to small and medium-sized companies involved in energy conservation and environmental protection. It would also give tax benefits and direct subsidies to the production, sale and use of alternative-energy vehicles and "green" home appliances, he said.

Chinese Mongols at pains to pass on culture in modern life

2007-04-30T12:45:00.003-07:00

Yaru can sing popular songs in Chinese to great effect but her real preference is for traditional Mongolian folk songs that she sings to guests in a big restaurant in downtown Hohhot.

"I'm proud to sing Mongolian songs," says Yaru. "And it's much better singing them in the original than in a version translated into Mandarin Chinese."

The 27-year-old, an ethnic Mongolian who grew up on the grasslands in northeastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has been working for three years at the Caoyuancheng restaurant where servers dress in traditional Mongolian costume and customers eat in compartments shaped like Mongolian yurts.

As rapid economic development transforms the vast, resource-rich autonomous region, hundreds of thousands of people over the past decade have done what Yaru did and move to towns or cities from pasturing and farming areas in pursuit of a better life.

But they are also increasingly aware of the efforts needed to ensure the survival of their language and culture in a modern world where the lifestyle is vastly different from centuries-old nomadism.

China has about 5.8 million ethnic Mongols, 4.2 million of whom live in Inner Mongolia which has a total population of 24 million. The rest mainly live in northeastern Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, and northwestern Gansu and Xinjiang provinces or region.

In traditional yurts -- now very rare -- and in Mongolian family houses, portraits of Genghis Khan -- the man who united Mongolian tribes eight centuries ago and ruled an empire that stretched from Southeast Asia to Central Europe -- are commonplace.

Ethnic Mongolians in the region regard him as a hero.

Every year, thousands of Mongolians from all over China and from Mongolia attend grand sacrificial rituals at the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, located in Erdos City, some 200 kilometers southwest of Hohhot, the regional capital.

The mausoleum, rebuilt in 1956, contains sacrificial tablets. It has become a gathering place for Mongolians to offer sacrifice to the spirit of Genghis Khan.

"I have not attended such rituals yet, but I will some day," said Yaru, for whom Genghis Khan is a brave, wise man.

The sacrificial rituals, with a history dating back 780 years, are now presided over by the descendants of the Mongol tribe of Dalhut, who were once Genghis Khan's garrison army.

Nowadays, more Mongols in the region prefer to give their children Mongolian names, rather than use three-character names standard among Han Chinese. Some Mongolians have even started to reconstruct their family trees.

"Offering sacrifice to ancestors, giving children Mongolian names and building family trees, all these phenomena indicate that ethnic Mongolians are keen to protect and pass on their cultural legacy to the generations to come," said Bao Siqin, director of the Literature Studies Institute of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Academy of Social Sciences.