Shanghaiist

This week in Shanghaiist

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-07T18:00:00+08:00

We documented our Halloween celebration with pictures, more pictures and even a video!
We went to Origin on Taikang Lu and found their sandwiches and salads refreshing and delicious.
Then we headed over to three different places to get some soup for comforting our flu-ridden bodies.
We laughed at a photo of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson playing chess on The Bund.
We discussed, and then let other people discuss, Disneyland coming to Shanghai.
We laughed at, but then agreed with a quote by a Guangdong family planning official that proposed giving sex toys to migrant workers.
We recorded Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew and his incindiary comments about how the U.S. should deal with China, which managed to piss off netizens.

Who are the top 10 foreign athletes in China?

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T22:17:53+08:00

Hint: Tiger Woods is not one of them. Check out the whole list here.

Presented By:

2009-11-06T22:17:53+08:00

Extra! Extra! Police and prostitutes, journalists and propaganda departments, and kids and condoms

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T18:30:00+08:00

A recent prostitution bust in Henan has gotten netizens into a fury... against the police, who were videotaped interrogating a naked woman in an incredibly rough fashion. [CNNGo]
We can't get enough of stories about the Chongqing corruption trials, so we're glad we get to hear two of our favorite China journalists, Paul French and Malcolm Moore, discuss "China's Chicago." [Ethical Corp]
So how are Chinese propaganda departments dealing with new media rules that don't allow them to really "stop" people from being interviewed? By wining and dining reporters and other "soft" forms of intimidation. [Telegraph]
Chinese women are very opinionated about how you spend the family funds, says "Doing Business in China." Wait - what country's women aren't? [The Atlantic]
Chinese people apparently have no idea how to have sex without getting pregnant, which is one of the reasons why there are 13 million abortions a year in this country. [Slate]
Hey, Google's online music download service (one of the few awesome things related to being on the internet in China) is doing well! The company is now providing about five million songs a day and is starting to attract major advertisers. We wish it luck. [WSJ]

Photo from JCRB

Shanghai Tattoo now selling Chinese indie rock CDs

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T18:00:00+08:00

We know, we know. We live in a digital era so it makes sense for us to just download everything. But sometimes, there's something nice about looking through cover art and popping in a CD. No, not a vinyl. We're not THAT music snobbish. In any case, there's now a place in Shanghai to get all your Chinese indie rock music in shiny jewel cases: Shanghai Tattoo, located at the Cool Docks in Huangpu. They're selling CDs from rock labels Maybe Mars, Pilot Music & Modern Sky (which means you can get bands like Convenience Store, PK14, Carsick Cas and Hedgehog) for from 20RMB to 70RMB. If you're ever in the neighborhood, pop over and give this oldfangled media a listen.

Shanghai Corporate Pavilion photo competition's October winners

Michael Sutich — 2009-11-06T17:00:00+08:00

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Photos are Bath Time by Elke Martini and World Expo Construction (世博建筑) by Yilong Design

Month three of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion photo competition has just been completed and the newest winners have been announced. The People's Photo Archive Campaign runs through April 2010 and is aimed at showcasing the Expo's goal of "Better City. Better Life". This month's winners featured a bunch of new names, with the themes of ordinary people and everyday lives coming to the forefront:

German shutterbug Elke Martini was in the top three this month with her unique family scene photo depicting a mother taking bath of her baby in a Shikumen house on Julu Lu near Xiangyang Lu. Elke said “Shanghai is a great place to take pictures. There is so much to see and even after spending five years in the city.”

Visual designer Yu Jialong is passionate about strolling the streets, especially at night when the streets are lit up with lights, to take his photos. His winning photo showed a group of construction workers taking sleep on an overpass bridge, and he has a moving story to tell: “Expo is what keeps me focused and never give up after I moved to the city to start my own business years ago. One day, after my night-time photography work, I ran across these migrant workers sleeping on the overpass. They told me they did so because they want to save so they can go back to build and make their hometowns as beautiful as Shanghai.”

Liu Dingxin, another top 10 winner this month, is a retired senior local citizen who devotes his time to taking and uploading photos for the People’s Archive campaign, spending on average three hours a day at his task. His winning work is a black and white close-up of a boy’s eyes, full of great hope and expectation. So far, Liu has uploaded nearly 700 photos to Shanghai Corporate Pavilion’s photo campaign website.

Congratulations to the winners - their photos give us a look at everyday life that we sometimes fail to notice as we get caught up in our busy schedules. Check out the previous winners for August and September here.

And If you're out and about with your camera, snap a photo and submit it to the campaign through their website and maybe we'll be talking about you next month.

Ministry of Health responds to internet addiction claims, buries head in sand

Ben Pollok — 2009-11-06T16:00:00+08:00

China’s Ministry of Health recently denied the existence of so-called ‘internet addiction’ as a problem for Chinese youth. You heard correctly- the ‘land of a thousand internet-addiction camps’ is apparently conflicted over whether to electrocute the problem out of its children or to simply ignore it entirely.

The Register reports:

China's health ministry has turned down the country's rhetoric on internet addiction, and has warned against "boot camp" style approaches for habitual web abusers.

The ministry has issued guidelines for "inappropriate use of internet" saying there was no precise definition of internet addiction, state news agency Xinhua reports.

The health ministry faces ever-increasing claims that internet addiction is fast becoming one of the largest problems facing Chinese youth. Though everyone but the ministry seems to agree that internet addiction is a legitimate problem, few can agree on the source of said dependency.

A recent Alibaba article states:

The tendency for young Chinese falling into such addictive patterns may be in part due to over-abundant parental pressures and expectations on their only child, according to Tao….

Furthermore, busy parents and the absence of father figures in modern families could lead to insufficient and inefficient communication between children and parents. This emotional alienation from their parents is another reason for teens to turn to Internet abuse.

Despite the Ministry of Health’s denial of ‘internet addiction’ as a legitimate disorder, parents have been sending their children to participate in rehab-style programs that range from support groups to aversion therapy. Much debate has resulted as to what is the proper course of treatment for ‘internet addicts’ out of the wide spectrum of programs currently offered.

Although electroshock therapy was banned by the government in July, many parents see the brutal methods of aversion therapy as the only means through which their children can overcome internet addiction. This was no more evident than in August when a 16-year-old boy was beaten to death in one such camp for running too slowly during a routine exercise.

Rather than bothering to set an explicit definition for internet addiction, the Ministry of Health continued to remind internet users of their guidelines in avoiding “inappropriate use of internet”, which in essence forbids everything worth seeing online. If parents deemed their childrens internet use as inappropriate, then they could enroll their children in a program in which there is “no violence, no restriction on freedom, and no ‘destructive surgeries’”.

As far as Shanghaiist is concerned, the ministry’s approach to so-called internet addiction might just have some wisdom to it - what addiction!? I can log off whenever I want… just after finishing this one post….

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Olympic condoms are faster, higher, stronger

Esther Young — 2009-11-06T15:30:00+08:00

Attention, all y’all who want to capture some of that Olympic vitality: 5,000 official condoms distributed to athletes during the Beijing Olympics are finding their way to the auction block November 29 for…ahem…hard core collectors. The bidding price for the condoms, in special packages printed with “faster, higher, stronger,” (the Olympic motto), will start at 1RMB. Officials believe that most of the condoms were not in fact used, but taken home by participants as souvenirs - let’s hope these are the ones up for bid.

Weekendist: Cuisine festivals, creativity workshops, charities and more!

Batul Abbas — 2009-11-06T14:30:00+08:00

We've got a pretty awesome weekend ahead of us. Even if you're not going to one of the many music parties planned for tonight (which you can check out in our midweek music preview), there's still a lot more going on. For instance...

FRIDAY

La Societe@ Pavillon Costes
Feeling classy? Pavillon by Costes is launching a new, sophisticated Friday music session this weekend. The set includes electro-disco DJ Chris Lee, with support from Pavillion's own DJ Radek. Complementary cocktail at 10pm! Dress nicely, boys and girls.
House 17, Lane 181, Taicang Lu, Xintiandi. 太仓路181弄17号. No cover, for table reservations and guest list spots: rsvp@pavilloncostes.com or call +86 (21) 5306 9988.

SATURDAY

Cuisine Festival@ Shanghai Exhibition Center
Get your grub on at this huge festival dedicated to FOOD (and drink). On November 7 and 8, the World Events Agency, a trade show company based in China for 5 years, is holding the Cuisine Festival. The show features an impressive list of Shanghai’s top restaurants and suppliers running from Bastiaan Bakery and Cantina Agave, through Exit Bar and Grand Hyatt, down to Sherpa’s and South Beauty.
1000 Yan'an Zhong Lu, Jing An near Tongren Lu. 延安中路1000号, 近铜仁路. Get tickets at http://www.thecuisinefestival.com. 8am -9pm.

Search for Creative City (寻城记) with NeochaEDGE and KIC
NeochaEDGE is collaborating with Knowledge & Innovation Community (KIC) to organize 4 weekends of Chinese creativity and fun as part of the Search for Creative City (寻城记) event series. 16 of Shanghai’s most interesting creative groups will exhibit, perform, host games, and sell products, 7 of Shanghai’s most prolific graffiti artists will perform daily live-art, and there will also be a 50-stall flea market and daily musical performances by Chinese bands. And it all ends this Saturday.
KIC Plaza (234 Songhu Rd., Yangpu District, near Wu Jiao Chang / Fudan University) 凇沪路234号，创智天地广场 (近五角场), starts 2pm

Morning Tears Charity Party at Bell Cafe & Bar
You probably have found yourself in Taikang lu on lazy Saturday afternoons anyway, so you might as well go this weekend and actually contribute to a charity too. At Bell Bar, any drink profits will directly be going to the charity Morning Tears, which works with orphans, abused, neglected and street children and children whose parents are in prison.
Bell Cafe & Bar, No. 11 Lane 248 Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu 泰康路248弄11号近近思南路, Noon-5pm.

SUNDAY

Body in Circumstance@ 1918 ArtSPACE
A joint exhibition with German artist Judith Sturm and Hangzhou-born artist Lu Yi, featuring a common subject: paintings of people in summer outfits. Sturm focuses on close-ups of the female bodies, while Lu captures summer beach scenes.
1/F, 6 Xiangshan Lu, by Sinan Lu. 香山路6号楼1层，近思南路.
1918 ArtSPACE Warehouse, 78 Changping Lu, by Xi Suzhou Lu. 昌平路78号, 近西苏州路.

ELIOT LIPP Workshop@ The Lab
On the Sunday following the ELIOT LIPP show at The Shelter, PAUSE and FREE the WAX will hold a free one-hour workshop with Lipp at The Lab. Get technical with synths and drum machines.
5F, 343 Jiaozhou Lu. Free BBQ! Starts 5pm.

Charity Carnival at Millennium HongQiao Hotel Shanghai
This annual charity carnival aims to raise money for children suffering from congenital heart disease (we talked to the organizers last week!). Magic and kung fu shows dominate the stage while vendors display a range of souvenirs and gifts. International food, a live auction, raffle draw, kids' corner and arts and crafts table round out the festivities.
Millennium Hongqiao, 2588 Yan An Xi Road上海市延安西路2588号, Free for children, RMB200 for two adults 10:30am-4:30pm.

Baobei Foundation Charity Clothes Sale
For more feel good happenings, head over to Gourmet Cafe to help raise money for the Baobei Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing medical care and foster homes for orphans bornw ith critical neurological and gasto-intestinal disorders. Lots of goodies, designer labels and latest fashion items will be on sale.
Gourmet Cafe, 1F Shanghai Center, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu. 南京西路1376号上海商城1楼12pm to 5pm.

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Interview: Eliot Lipp talks electro

Wee Ling Soh — 2009-11-06T13:30:00+08:00

With everything that's going on tonight, FREE the WAX has got one more gig vying for your attention featuring American electro-cinematic producer maestro Eliot Lipp who is best known for his seamless weaving of 80s electro, 70s jazz-fusion and Bay Area hip hop.

We've got here a snippet of an interview by FREE the WAX with Eliot Lipp to amp up your interest. And if you really really can't make it tonight, Eliot Lipp will be hosting a free (yes you heard me right, FREE) workshop and barbeque on Sunday. What are you waiting for?

FREE the WAX presents Eliot Lipp, who'll be here to do both a show and a free workshop and barbeque
Where: The Shelter, No. 5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu 永福路5号，近复兴西路 for the show, The Lab, 5F No. 343 Jiaozhou Lu, near Xinzha Lu 胶州路343号5楼，近新闸路 for the workshop/bbq
Starts: Friday, November 6, 9PM for show; Sunday, November 8, 5-6PM for workshop
Cover: 50 RMB for show, FREE for workshop
For more local events, visit the Shanghaiist Calendar.

Where did you grow up?

In a typical American town northwest of Seattle, in Tacoma, Washington. It is very rainy, a working class town, not much going on. I was 14/15 and started going to shows, did the whole punk rock thing…

When did you start producing music?
At the same time I was doing the punk rock thing I had a four-track and a drum machine and started making beats with my friends. Making beats, doing graffiti, writing raps, break dancing, DJing, playing in bands, always being creative... It was just a part of high school, just what you did as a teenager to kill time, find shit to do, you know. It was the cultural environment.

And now you are living in New York. How does this environment influence what you do?

It's mainly the energy, the chaos in NY. There's always a lot going on, people everywhere. It's always motivating for me. I work better when I’m oversaturated with information. Creativity flows more spontaneously. It is definitely a part of my track-making process.

You lived in Tacoma, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco… So do you think NY is more inspirational?

I get different things from different cities. Moving means I get to listen to music in a different way. I never listened to Chicago house until I moved to Chicago. There people were teaching me why Chicago house is awesome. I used to listen to it before and just say "Ah, this is whack, turn it off". It's like hearing Chop and Screwed in the south instead of in France, you know. It makes total sense. In LA I was around a lot of other producers, mesmerized. Your roommates are making music, people are coming and going. I felt a sense of community in the arts scene which was stronger in LA than anywhere else. It was friendly competition, people feeding off from each other.

What did you produce in LA at the time?

That's when I did Tacoma Mockingbird for Hefty Records.

That album has a special meaning for you…

Yeah, I had done my first album which was stylistically all over the place and all sample-based. Tacoma was when I wanted to zoom in and see what I wanted to bring to the table as a producer. Give myself an identity and bring out all of those melodies that I had in my head. For Tacoma I was writing all the chord progressions, bass lines and the beats. It was a lot more "me".

So no more sampling?

Now I'm trying to bridge the gap. Find a way of incorporating sampling with synthesizers and everything else I do. It's hard. I think '’ve been successful at times and failed in others.

And how would you describe your style now?

On my last album, 'Peace Love Weed 3D', I mixed all the different styles I've been listening to: disco, electro and dance music from the 80s, which makes the sound more uptempo. I've just been true to what I felt like making. It's an experimental process, I’ll record a sketch of a song then resample it, chop it, de-tune it… That's how I end up with some songs which have an electro or techno feel sometimes. I wanna be able to push boundaries while at the same time I am drawn to melodies which sound pop-ey. I always want my style to be more intricate and more simple, more hi-fi and lo-fi looking for something that I can't necessarily have.

And to finish this up… what is your impression of China so far?

I don't know what to think. Everyone that I talked to said they had a great time here and that the crowd was really receptive too. It seems like a place that doesn't have a (comparatively) thriving scene. At least it's definitely not oversaturated.

What's your set gonna be like?

I’m gonna play a mixture of songs from all of my records and some new stuff too. The only thing is that I'm not gonna have all my keyboards with me. But I always change my set in a way where I can improvise and consider what the crowd is responding to.

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Around Shanghai: Malones, martinis and Moreno!

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T12:30:00+08:00

Malone's has written in to tell us that in the 15 years (count 'em!) they've been in Shanghai, they've sold a whopping 750,000 burgers. That's a lot of meat! Congratulations, Malone's, from all our deliciously clogged expat hearts.
Six of the best bartenders in town compete to make the most delicious martinis they can. We’re especially curious about how the Minty Gin Martini and the Fig Martini taste. Mmmm… [Cityweekend]
Speaking of drinks, Chef/owner of el Willy, Guillermo Trullas Moreno, is trying his hand at mixology at a new place called el Coctel... two floors up from The Shelter. Soft opening is expected to be in late November. [Urbanatomy]
Tiger makes his fourth appearance in China this week in the HSBC Champions, the newly anointed World Golf Championships event held annually at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai. But there’s a lot of history behind it and it’s worth reading about. [ESPN]
Aw, how cute. Those Fleet Week U.S. Coast Guard guys are helping out in a joint maritime search-and-rescue exercise in waters off Shanghai. [CCTV]

Photo by sheep sheep

The saga of erotic audio fiction series "Night Talk"

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T11:00:00+08:00

Did you know there used to be an erotic audio book website based out of Shanghai that was immensely popular? We didn’t until we heard about its court case - where the site was shut down and the main female voice actress was sentenced to two years in prison - and we feel all the worse for it. The service, “Night Talk,” attracted 2 million hits, recorded 260,000 downloads and had sales of around 40,000RMB on its 953 episodes of erotic fiction before it was finally brought down. But the shutting up of “Night Talk” has just stirred the fervor for the audio books, with Chinese netizens aplenty desperately searching for remaining traces of its digital files.

Photo of the Day: Opinions on disability pensions

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-06T10:00:00+08:00

Photo by LINK">2_dogs

More photos on the Shanghaiist Contribute page. To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site (and here).

Extra! Extra! Bird's Nest bills, home improvement extortion letters, and the Chongqing corruption trials

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T17:30:00+08:00

In an effort to plug the gaping money hole the Bird’s Nest stadium has turned into after the Olympics, CITIC Investment Holdings has given up its management rights to the Chinese government. We wonder what’ll happen if even the government thinks it’s 200,000RMB a day upkeep is too expensive to handle. [AFP]
An author details the slight craziness that comes with renovating an apartment in China (Dalian for him). After the carpentry and wiring were done and the workers paid, the extortion letters came. And after those threats were paid off too, what did they happen to find but another letter - this one a thank you note. [New York Times]
In case you want a long, but incredibly thorough, write up of what’s been happening in the massive Chongqing Corruption trials, here’s one from China Brief about how the whole matter exposes “grave woes in China’s legal apparatus.” [China Brief]
Dr. Yang Fuqiang, director of global climate solutions at the World Wildlife Foundation talks to eco-blog Treehugger.com about China and the U.S. cooperating on climate change efforts. [Treehugger]
Forbes has compiled their list of the 400 richest people in China and compared it against the 400 richest people in the U.S. Seems like China’s catching up, even if its wealthiest guy, car maker BYD’s Wang Chuanfu, only has $5.8 billion - Bill Gates has got at least ten times that. [Forbes]
Shahidul Alam, curator of the Drik Gallery in Dhasa, Bangladesh, records the various efforts by Chinese diplomats to “dissuade” him from allowing a Tibet exhibition to show - including pressuring his own countrymen to shut it down. We wince in sympathy for Mr. Alam. [Shahidul News]
Beijing was bound to stop the stimulus at some point in time. Now let’s see how the Chinese economy fares without the government constantly pumping money into it. [Wall Street Journal]
China’s bound to take no crap at the upcoming G20 meeting in Scotland, especially with its external surplus slowly being chipped away and the value of its yuan rising 21% in the last three years. [Reuters]

Photo by Jakob Montrasio

Speaking of Shanghai Disneyland

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T16:30:00+08:00

Woah Mickey, now that Shanghai Disneyland finally seems to have gotten all its papers in order, it seems like everyone can’t stop gabbering on about it (for instance, has anyone else noticed that Shanghai Daily has kind of turned into Shanghai Disneyland Daily today). Except, we suppose, us. Hey, give us a break, we’ve been covering this roller coaster ride of a deal for so long that it being greenlighted has actually left us a little flabbergasted. And so, since we’re at a loss for words, we’ll let other people talk about what they think about the soon-to-be erected (well, at least by 2014) Sleeping Beauty castle in Pudong.

Disney, according to Xinhua: "China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for the Walt Disney Company in mainland China," said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Co.

Other Shanghai amusement park owners, according to Shanghai Daily:

"We are born here and grew up here, and we know what the Chinese people want," said Ren Kelei, president of Happy Valley, the newest and biggest of Shanghai's theme park...

The Jinjiang Amusement Park, which has been running roller coasters and Ferris wheels for about 25 years and is 10 times smaller than Happy Valley, also said it is not concerned about the heightened competition.

"There should be a place just for parents to take their children to have a relaxing day out," said Ge Yunkui, deputy general manager of the park.

Hong Kong Disneyland, according to China Daily:

"Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Managing Director Andrew Kam said the announcement marked "another significant step for Disney" in China, an important and dynamic market.

"We at Hong Kong Disneyland are focused on getting our exciting project underway as soon as possible," he said, referring to an expansion project on Hong Kong Disneyland.

Margaret Fong, commissioner for tourism, said she was confident that the Hong Kong Disneyland will remain attractive and competitive, adding that the Hong Kong park attracts visitors from not only mainland but also southeast Asia and other places."

Chinese netizens according to the Wall Street Journal: "Walt Disney won’t make Shanghai the happiest place in the world... That’s the early reaction from a surprising number of netizens, or Chinese Internet users, to confirmation early Wednesday that plans for Shanghai Disneyland have the green light to proceed. Of the posts streaming into tianya.cn, a major portal, early Wednesday, the negative views were solidly outweighing positive views. A survey on eastday.com suggests a lack of enthusiasm too."

Shanghai residents according to China Daily: "I'm thrilled to hear the news," said Lin Fuli, a 23-year-old student from Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. "I've been looking forward to this ever since my first visit to the Hong Kong park two years ago."

Random fans at the Anaheim Disneyland in California, according to The Examiner:

Half way around the world, in Anaheim California, at the original Disneyland Resort, guests on Tuesday night were delighted to hear about the news of a new park being added to the Disney Resorts already in operation.

'Everyone should be excited about this.' said Christina Neilson. 'There were rumors at D23 this was the next Disney Resort and well, I am glad to see this happen. I've been to Disney Tokyo and I would go to Shanghai.' Neilson isn't alone in wanting to see other Disney parks, guests are buzzing about the possibilities of a new Disney Park hankering to get the opportunity to visit even if it is a few years off.

Soon-to-be displaced villagers according to China Daily:

"Min Guoyao, a resident at Zhaohang village of Chuansha, has lived with his family in a two-floor home for more than 50 years. He now expects his house will be demolished to make way for the project.

"Our family has been living here for many generations. I really have no idea how we'll be resettled in another place," Min said."

Other little tidbits:

Shanghai will be owning a 57% stake in the new Disney park, leaving Disney with just 43%. Costs for relocating people and acquiring the land will cost about 24 million yuan. Other details were not given to the public.
The China Beat draws interesting connections between Shanghai Disneyland and the World Expo. For instance, did you know that Walt Disney's father worked as a carpenter during the Chicago World Fair? Coincidence or FATE?!
Below is a map we found that COULD be what the phases of the new Disneyland may look like from a now defunct thread on a Disney forum.Eeeenteresting.

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We're kind of a big deal

Shanghaiist — 2009-11-05T16:00:00+08:00

Or so it would seem from CNNGo’s most recent Shanghai Hot List of 20 people you should watch. Both former and current editors, Kenneth Tan and Elaine Chow, made it to the rankings, which also include such Shanghai notables as the founder of Dianping.com and Yao Ming. How or why they've been listed alongside the founder of Dianping.com and Yao Ming we shall never know - however, since they're not ones to check the mouth of a gift fame horse (or so the saying goes)... Thanks CNNGo! If you see them around town, feel free to ask for an autograph… but please, no pictures.

Ding Hui: Still Chinese, still black, still playing volleyball

Maggie Rauch — 2009-11-05T15:00:00+08:00

The past couple of days, traffic to China Sports Today from people searching for "Ding Hui" has seen a little uptick. Could it be a coincidence that a recent story in The Guardian said that Ding Hui, the Chinese national volleyball team's first black player, was booted from the national team last year, implying that it was because Ding Hui is black? But If you came to find out about the volleyball player who was kicked off the Chinese national team for being black, you won't find what you're looking for because it didn't happen.

Here's the passage in question, from The Guardian's Stephen Vines:

A stark reminder of official racism came last year when Ding Hui, of mixed Chinese and African parentage, was barred from representing his country in the national volleyball team."

In fact, Ding Hui was selected for the training group for the Chinese national team in the spring of this year. Coach Zhou Jianan had high praise for his play, saying he was one of China's top five players. But Ding's skin color and mixed parentage (his mother is Chinese, father is South African) attracted more media interest. The 20-year-old Ding Hui, the first black player to get a spot on any Chinese national team, competed for Zhejiang in the national games.

Ding Hui is part of a small but growing minority in China—people with one Chinese parent and one black parent (often African) who grow up side by side with children whose appearance is more consistent with what is generally considered Chinese. Another such young person is Lou Jing, who recently made waves when she made it to the late stages of a Chinese reality show competition called "Go! Oriental Angels." (We've chronicled her travails extensively)

It seems likely his career with the Chinese national team will go forward and include major international competition. As it does, Ding Hui will certainly be in a different sort of spotlight than his teammates.

Ding Hui's presence on the national team has the potential to improve or worsen China's issues with racism—and it will probably do a little bit of both. On the one hand, it reinforces stereotypes of African blood endowing people with exceptional athletic gifts—and, conversely, Asian blood being a distinct disadvantage in that area. On the other hand, his presence in the public eye will make more people aware that people like him do exist, do speak native Chinese (media repeatedly remark that both Ding and Lou speak Chinese, and only Chinese), and absolutely expect and deserve an active role in Chinese society—including representing their country in athletic competition.

History has shown the sports world to be a place where a society can make progress on some of its problems surrounding race. At its best, sport is an equalizer, where people who would otherwise keep their distance come closer, at least for a few hours at a time. And the end goal—a world championship, a gold medal—becomes so important that coaches, teammates, and team administrators are willing to set aside some of their insecurities to move toward it.

If Ding Hui makes the lineup for the London Olympics in 2012, he will be in a global spotlight, and millions of people around the world will ask the same questions a lot of Chinese are asking now: "Black AND Chinese? Is that even possible?" This should result in a batch of stories in international media about what it means to be black and Chinese, on the situation of Africans living in China, about evolving Chinese perspectives on race. Some of these stories will be nuanced and thoroughly reported, and some will fail miserably as they try to impose American (or British, or French, etc.) history and culture on the situation in China. Hopefully most of them will at least stick to the facts.

For more Chinese sports news, check out China Sports Today.

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...and the winners of the Toxic Avengers tickets are:

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T14:30:00+08:00

Anke Stockburger and Han Fei, who were the first people who emailed us about free tickets. Thanks! Your names will be on the guest list - just show up and enjoy the show! As for the rest of you who emailed in, we highly recommend you come anyway. The Toxic Avenger (myspace here) is an awesome act to catch. He'll be playing at Not Me (21 Dongping Lu) on Friday night, starting at 10pm. Check out this and other shows you can see around Shanghai this weekend in our midweek music preview.

Presented By:

2009-11-05T14:30:00+08:00

Shanghai mayor warns against abusing VIP driving privileges

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T14:00:20+08:00

Hey VIPs! Just because you’re VIPs doesn’t mean you get to drive all willy nilly on the road, despite there actually being regulations that allow you to do so. Shanghai mayor Han Zheng has warned government officials and emergency vehicles to stop abusing the privilege, scolding that “vehicles for the government departments should set a good example.” In three weeks in October, there were 57 cases of privileged vehicles breaking traffic regulations. Stop it, Han Zheng has requested, adding that police will be checking for these kind of violations more stringently.

Obama's half-brother writes semi-fiction book about abusive dad

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T13:00:00+08:00

U.S. President Barack Obama’s China-residing half-brother, Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, has now launched his first novel, “Nairobi to Shenzhen.” in Guangdong province. The book is “semi-autobiographial” and about his life rather than that of his slightly more famous kin.

According to the WSJ:

Ndesandjo’s final version, a work of fiction, reflects his own experiences of growing up in Kenya, living in the U.S., and eventually settling in China. It also makes reference to the author’s difficult relationship with his late father, Barack Obama Sr., who Ndesandjo describes as emotionally and physically abusive.

“My mother used to say of my father, he’s a brilliant man but a social failure,” Ndesandjo told reporters. “I remember times in my house when I would hear screams and I would hear my mother’s pain.”

Still, he attributes the American prez to helping him come to terms with his past and write a “book to raise awareness of domestic violence and help improve the lives of disadvantaged children everywhere.” Ndesandjo, whose already proven himself to be a charitable sort in the past, will be donating 15% of the proceeds from the novel to organizations that work with children.

Considering the problems China has with domestic abuse, we're hoping some people around the neighborhood are inspired to pick up this book as well.

Threesday: Healthy eating for the sick souls in Shanghai

Shanghai Fag Hag — 2009-11-05T12:00:00+08:00

In our ongoing Threesday feature, Shanghaiist takes the time to count out three of well... whatever catches their fancy that week. This week: Places to get that warm bowl of healthy something now that flu season is upon us.

Blame it on the cold weather snap, but Shanghaiist has been sick as a dog. When we’re hacking up a lung, we crave clean, msg and oil-free food…no easy task in Shanghai. Our three favorite restaurants for nurturing, chicken soup-like food are Anna Maya in the French Concession, Qimin Organic Hot Pot in the Jing’An area, and Mekong River in Xujiahui.

1) Anna Maya
A charming vegan, macrobiotic Japanese restaurant/café that okay, has no chicken soup, but does make the city’s heartiest miso. Anna Maya has yummy Japanese staples like rice balls/gen mai and curry with brown rice as well as typical western vegetarian fare including veggie or tofu burgers. The desserts are a bit hit or miss - we avoid the tofu lemon cheesecake, but can’t get enough of the decadent Irish crème chocolate pie. Anna Maya is also a great place to just kick-back with a glass of fresh juice or herbal tea and escape the bustle of the city. Meals around 60RMB, delivery available to limited areas.
3 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu, 桃江路3号，, 近东平路, 6433 4602

2) Qimin Organic Hot Pot
The recently renovated organic restaurant looks similar to its previous incarnation and thankfully contains exactly the same fantastic food. Each person is given an individual half-pot of bubbling soup base (organic chicken soup available) and a heaping helping of vegetables and meat. Lunch is the best time to visit as they have business sets for 68-88 RMB. However, Qimin’s dinner sets for around 150RMB include more food and a shot of their grape vinegar slushy (don’t knock it until you try it). For hairy crab season, they have a special soup base that includes 3 or 4 of Shanghai’s hairiest for 480RMB for two people.
407 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu, 陕西北路407号近北京西路, 6258-8777

3) Mekong River
Shanghaiist hates eating in malls. However, we do make one exception for Mekong River’s sweet and sour seafood soup. The rich broth, sweet shrimp and clams, and sour vegetables make this pure comfort food for sickies. If you ask nicely, they’ll even throw in some tasty noodles direct from Vietnam. The soup, in combination with the best salmon spring rolls in the city (we aren’t sure what marinade they use, but it’s soooo right), makes us return to the hell known as the 'Xujiahui Triangle'. Affordable prices around 30-50RMB also make it easy on the wallet.
5/F Metro City, 1111 Zhaojiabang Lu,  near Caoxi Bei Lu, 肇家浜路1111号徐家汇美罗城5楼 近漕溪北路, 6426-8256

Stay well this winter and let us know what your favorite healthy eateries are in our fair city.

Photo of Anna Maya.

No Sharks for Yao Ming

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T11:30:00+08:00

Oh no, it looks like Yao Ming hasn’t bought the Shanghai Sharks after all. Instead, all they’ve signed on to be is an “entrusted investor” for the next five years. Despite agreeing in July to transfer stakes in the Sharks to Yao, it seems that those stakes will now be sold on the open market. But those who worry that this just means even more disappointments for Sharks fans needn’t: Yao has said that even though he’s not the owner, he’ll be doing everything he can to improve the team’s performance.

Photo Essay: Wedded to the Sea

Shanghaiist — 2009-11-05T10:30:00+08:00

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Photos by Jeremy Breningstall.

On a weekend afternoon in fall, dozens if not hundreds of engaged couples descend upon Qingdao's beaches, with photographers, lighting handlers and prop assistants in tow, to have formal wedding portraits taken against the beautiful backdrop of the Yellow Sea. Here you can glimpse a few photos of the process (also artfully captured in Sexy Beijing's "Weddings Gone Wild" episode and alluded to the last time we went to Qingdao).

China's Top 25 in Fashion

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T10:00:46+08:00

Our knowledge of fashion extends to figuring out when H&M is having a sale so we've left it up to That's Magazine to shower us with the top 25 you should keep an eye on in the China fashion sphere. While we raised a finely groomed eyebrow at some of their picks (especially the supermodels - really? Unless they've become the Kate Moss/Agyness Deyn's of the Middle Kingdom, we don't see how they're influencing anything), we did also get a good run down of important people, it seems, to know if you can actually pick out a Jimmy Choo from a Manolo Blahnik.

Photo of the Day: Nothing but blue skies do I see

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-05T09:00:00+08:00

Photo by dbmboise

Midweek Music Preview: Nov 4 ~ Nov 8

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T18:00:00+08:00

Shanghaiist lists all the live music performances you might want to check out from Wednesday to Sunday this week. For fun things that aren't live music, take a peek at our Pencil This In (out every Monday!)

UPDATE: Okay, we already have winners for the Toxic Avengers tickets. You guys can stop emailing us your names now.

But first! An announcement to make. One of the acts we're most excited about to catch this weekend - The Toxic Avenger - has generously offered us two free tickets to give to Shanghaiist readers. That means YOU GUYS.

Hopefully these tickets are going out to fans, but in case you didn't know, Simon Delacroix was considered "one of the 5 most influential electronic artists of the year" by Rolling Stones, which puts him up in the ranks with megastars like Justice and LCD Soundsystem.

How can you get one? Just send an email to info (at) shanghaiist (dot) com with your full name and Toxic Avenger in the subject line. The first two emails we get will be put on the guest list at the party on Friday.

And now back to the midweek music preview.

WEDNESDAY

Brown Nylon Suit Collective will be spinning some British sounds (from the past and future... and we suppose, not the present?) at Not Me. We last caught them a long time ago at C's and they were fun then. Consider this a step up.

FREE, 10PM, NOT ME 21 Dongping Lu near Hengshan Lu, 东平路21号, 近衡山路

FRIDAY

Wujiaochang used to be a home to students, artists and musicians - but now it's just another skyscrapered wasteland in Shanghai. Still, it's old residents have gotten nostalgic and are getting together to remember the place they once played. You can see: singer and author Liu Jian, photographer and director Zhang Xue Dan, singer Liu Si Jia, poet Shi Xing Hai, and others having a grand old time.
¥30 (¥10 for students), 8PM, 021 Live House, Yangpu District, JunGong Lu 1436 Wuwei Creative Space 上海杨浦区军工路1436号五维创意空

Considered one of the best indie rock electro acts China has to offer, Beijing's Pet Conspiracy will be bringing their provocative stage show to Mao Livehouse (more info here. Support from Boys Climbing Ropes and Duck Fight Goose.
¥60, 9PM, MAO Livehouse, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Hongqiao Lu. 淮海西路570号近红桥路

Beijing-based acoustic label MicroMu presents Fink - a guy who's managed to mix folk, blues and dub altogether to create a "brand of acoustic music [that's] distinctly modern while remaining deeply intimate." We're guessing it has to be heard to be believed.
¥60 (¥50 in advance), 9PM, Yuyintang 1731 Yanan Xi Lu, near Kaixuan Lu 延安西路1731号(凯旋路)

The Toxic Avenger, aka Simon Delacroix, takes cues from everything from hardcore punk to 60s pop to create epic sonic soundscapes. He's done remixes for artists such as Ladytron, Late of the Pier, and Heartsrevolution; he's performed with MSTRKRFT, Black Lips, Crystal Castles and Public Enemy; and now he'll be at Not Me with support from: R3, The Dynamic, Kidplastic, Mr Clumsy Cost.
¥60, 10PM, NOT ME 21 Dongping Lu near Hengshan Lu, 东平路21号, 近衡山路

SATURDAY

Ready for a night of Chinese rock? Little Natural, MOMO, Forget and Forgive, and Fusion are hitting up MAO Livehouse to prove that "We Can All Be Captains."
¥40 (¥30 w/student id), 8PM, MAO Livehouse, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Hongqiao Lu. 淮海西路570号近红桥路

For more avante-garde tastes, try out six experimental musicians at CANART. Besides acoustic improvationalist Maimai and noise band Torturing Nurse, there will be four other acts that are incredibly difficult to describe.
¥30, 7PM, CANART Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1/F, Bldg 4, 727 Dingxi Lu near Fahuazhen lu, 定西路727号4号楼1楼近法华镇路

According to Pitchfork, "“[Hanggai] distills everything powerful about Mongolian folk music and makes something new from the ingredients…transcendently powerful music that anyone from anywhere can understand." Listen to these heroic Mongolian vigilantes here and then check them out at the Zhijiang Dream Factory.
¥50, 9PM, Zhijiang Dream Factory 4F, Building B, 28 Yuyao Lu near Xinzha Lu (inside New Factories) 余姚路28号，同乐坊内

SUNDAY

Originally conceived as a one-time exhibition of student rock talent, We Come From University now hosts its sixth installment in this concert series, underlining college-aged Chinese bands taking their music off-campus.
¥20, 8PM, Live Sound Garage, 696 Weihai Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu 威海路696号

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Golf masters ... or Chinese Chess masters?

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T17:00:00+08:00

The WGC-HSBC Champions tournament is starting up tomorrow, and today, the big players were on the China publicity warpath by doing their mandatory "Look at us! We're taking part in Chinese culture!" bit. The part of Shanghaiist that's actually interested in this sport says this happens every time pro-golfers come into town: three years ago there was a ping pong match.

Anyway, this year, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are battling it out on the Chinese chess board (at The Bund!) before they duel on the green.

Speaking of which, if you want to see them duel on the green, here's all the ticketing info. Standard package passes range from 500RMB to 2000RMB.

Wednesday WTF: What is it with kids and smoking?

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T16:00:16+08:00

We thought we'd seen the last of babies taking drags off ciggs with the first video, but nope.

This video was uploaded by someone who said he filmed it on National Day. In Guizhou, a couple of migrant workers bragged about how their baby (the fourth son in the family) could smoke half a pack a day. "Check it out, look kid, here have a smoke."

Like the person who posted this, we've been rendered speechless too.

Google Pollution Maps of China

Cary Hooper — 2009-11-04T15:00:00+08:00

A blogger out of Fujian has compiled an open-source google map that places major pollution sites around china. While similar sources have existed in the past, this is the first one that allows other users to contribute sites with pollution problems. The map, which was created by Guo Baofeng, has attracted a lot of interest on Chinese BBS' and Forums: check it out while you still can, because you never know when it could suddenly disappear.

Syphilis boom fueled by richer migrant workers

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T14:30:00+08:00

The Chinese economy boom has helped increase numbers of both great and not-so-great things. On one hand, you've got rising literacy rates, development and internet penetration. On the other hand, you also get more pollution, city overcrowding and... syphilis. According to the World Health Organization, cases of the STD are now growing by 30% a year, and it's all because of migrant workers who now make enough money to hire more prostitutes. All the more reason to take up Zhang Feng's proposal and give them sex toys, eh?

Counterfeit money crackdown uncovers over 1 Billion RMB

Cary Hooper — 2009-11-04T13:30:00+08:00

Police have succeeded in breaking records for confiscating more counterfeit money than ever before. Since the crackdown was announced in January, over 280 people have been arrested, 190 cases involving counterfeit money have been cracked, and over 1 billion yuan has been confiscated.

Counterfeit money is by and large not made in Shanghai, but finds its way here en mass as a focal point for circulation and distribution through the country. The money is mostly passed on in smaller amounts that don't check for counterfeit money: last year, the bus authority received nearly 7 million yuan in counterfeit bills

Our favorite criminal is Peng Bao, who got caught hiding over 20 million RMB amongst instant pork noodles. And while larger counterfeit bills are decreasing in number, it looks like crooks are simply switching their preference in fakes to smaller denomination bills, which are easier to pass off than hundred yuan notes.

Photo by Hangzhou wang

Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew pisses off Chinese netizens

Kenneth Tan — 2009-11-04T12:37:16+08:00

Screenshot from a video released by the White House

While his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been busy meeting up with former US President George Bush, Singapore's ever so feisty and sprightly 86 year old Minister Mentor¹ Lee Kuan Yew has gone halfway around the globe to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington ahead of his debut Asian tour that will include China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Lee's tour also saw him meeting two key Cabinet members of the Obama administration - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

In his various meetings rubbing shoulders with very important minds, the sage-like Lee who has often been counted on to interpret Asia to the west did not hesitate to tell the Americans what he saw in his crystal ball.

"The 21st century will be a contest for supremacy in the Pacific because that's where the growth will be," said Lee. "If you do not hold your ground in the Pacific you cannot be a world leader."

Prior to his meetings with Obama and Clinton, Lee received a lifetime achievement award from the US-ASEAN Business Council in a high profile event witnessed by the likes of Henry Kissinger. In his keynote address delivered at the gala dinner last Thursday in Washington, Lee urged the US to remain engaged in Asia:

The size of China makes it impossible for the rest of Asia, including Japan and India, to match it in weight and capacity in about 20 to 30 years. So we need America to strike a balance.

Those comments had the effect of rubbing up Chinese netizens the wrong way. Within a few hours of the Global Times 《环球时报》report hitting the interwebs, Lee's comments attracted the fury of hundreds of Chinese netizens, but wait a minute, there's more.

In building any new East Asian architecture, Lee said the United States must be "an important part" of it, adding that "it would be a serious mistake for the region to define East Asia in closed or, worse, in racial terms."

Here is a snippet from a Global Times blogpost summarising the reactions of Chinese netizens (with translation from the Malaysian Insider):

Many of those who responded were upset and said that Lee had treated the Chinese as outsiders although they had treated Singaporeans as “among their own”.

“Lee Kuan Yew spoke for the feeling of those in the West who fear China’s rise would harm their vested interests,” said one netizen.

Another described Lee as “a political animal”, saying that while he “relies on China to develop his country’s economy, he is ushering wolves here to deal with China”.

A third posting said: “Just because he has achieved some success in Singapore, he dares to play the guiding light that shows US the way. If he has the stuff, he should go to Africa and offer tips on how to shake off poverty and achieve wealth.”

Another posting brushed off his comments as insignificant as Singapore was a small country.

“Lee Kuan Yew had made such comments likely because Singapore is a small country that needs an interplay of balances in the international arena,” said the netizen.

“However, what significance do his words carry when the reality is that for a voice to be heard and the views realised, one needs to be truly powerful,” the netizen asked.

A few highly vitriolic essays written by netizens have been given prominent positions in the blog sections of mainstream media portals. Here are just two of them:
李光耀的言论暴露新加坡是美国围堵中国的桥头堡
"Lee Kuan Yew's comments reveal that Singapore is but a pawn of the US in countering China"

无耻梦想：李光耀想让新加坡统治整个东盟当以色列！
"Shameless dreams: Lee Kuan Yew wants Singapore to rule ASEAN like an Israel!"

The response by the Chinese mainstream media has been somewhat more measured. Most reports underscored the online fury among netizens, and then weighed in on political scientists to reflect sentiment on the ground. Here are a few headlines:
李光耀谈话显示东盟信任美国胜过中国 [China News Agency]
"Lee Kuan Yew's comments show that ASEAN trusts the US more than it trusts China"

石齐平：李光耀为何建言美国制衡中国 [Phoenix TV]
"Shi Qiping (political commentator): Why Lee Kuan Yew wants the US to counterbalance China"

李明波：李光耀说啥不必太在意 [Guangzhou Daily]
"Li Mingbo (Guangzhou Daily columnist): No need to pay any heed to what Lee Kuan Yew says"

李光耀亲美言论激怒中国网民新加坡多家媒体辩解 [Guangzhou Daily]
"Lee Kuan Yew's latest comments anger Chinese netizens, Singapore media offer an explanation"

Footnotes:
¹ Prior to this appointment, Lee Kuan Yew held the title of Senior Minister when he passed over the prime ministership to Goh Chok Tong. In 2004, when Lee Kuan Yew's son Lee Hsien Loong became the nation's third prime minister, Goh Chok Tong became the Senior Minister and the new title of Minister Mentor was created for Lee Senior. Together, the three are often referred to as the "Father, Son and Holy Goh" of Singaporean politics.

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Around Shanghai: Yabi, sailors and robots galore!

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T12:00:00+08:00

We've found a mascot uglier than Haibao: Yabi, who represents the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo. And the two of them standing together kind of looks like a turd floating in water. [CRI English]
Hellooooo sailor, Fleet Week's here - U.S. Coast Guard cutter "Rush" is now throwing its uniformed men onto our shores. [CNN Go]
Wanna see robot butlers, robot cooks, robot nurses and robot teachers? Check out the China International Industry Fair, which has come to the Shanghai New International Expo Center and lasts until Saturday. [Shanghai Daily]
Founding editor Dan Washburn talks to Shanghai Talk about golf stuff right before two big golf events hit the green: the HSBC Masters and the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. [Shanghai Talk]
Whoops! Looks like something's going on at East West Theater. Producer Rosita L. Janbakhsh, which we interviewed a while back, has formed her own group: Shanghai Repertory Theater. They'll be showing A Christmas Carol in December. [SmartShanghai]

Shanghai Disneyland: Ministry sanctions and land acquisions

Cary Hooper — 2009-11-04T11:00:00+08:00

After years of back and forth, it looks like Shanghai Disneyland has been given the go-ahead. According to news sources, the Shanghai Municipal Government Informatin offices announced the deal's approval early this morning. While details still have to be worked out between the mouse and the ministries, it seems like a pretty set deal.

To corroborate the story, it looks like Disney is in the process of buying 4.12 square kilometers for the the park, or in Disney terms, almost four times the size of Hong Kong's Disneyland! Reports state that demolition is currently going on at the site in Chuansha District, and though most of the land is uninhabited, it looks like they have started to demolish houses in the village.

It comes as no surprise that Disney has been remarkably hush-hush about the operation, as the plan to open a Disneyland in Shanghai has been delayed and set back so many times already. Then again, the signs all seem to point to a Disneyland in Pudong in the near future.

UPDATE: The New York Times has an article quoting Disney exectives with details on the deal. Read it here.

Presented By:

2009-11-04T11:00:00+08:00

Photo of the Day: Nearing completion

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-04T09:00:00+08:00

Photo by Jakob Montrasio

Extra! Extra! Giant Maos, Taiwanese gay parades, and more internet controls?

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-03T19:30:00+08:00

Changsha sculptors are carving a giant 100-foot-tall statue of Mao ZeDong out of granite, but many are complaining it doesn't look like Mao. Netizens say it reminds them of the Sphinx while one British paper has drawn a comparison to Lord Byron. [Telegraph]
Even more than wanting to see the pictures from Taiwan's largest gay parade ever, you probably want to hear what Chinese netizen reactions were on it. Lucky we have Chinasmack, eh? [Chinasmack]
Get to know a little more about the "Father of Chinese Aerospace" (aka "Rocket King") Qian xuesen, who helped launch the P.R.C.'s missile program after, ironically, leaving the U.S. over accusations of having Communist ties. He passed away this weekend. [Wall Street Journal]
Here's a visual update on artist Ai Weiwei's brain - he was beaten by police while attending the trial of Sichuan earthquake activist Tan Zuoren, and developed subdural hematoma about a month later. [China Geeks]
Did you know Shenzhen is said to have more 二奶 “er nai” (mistresses) than any other city in China? These ladies allegedly get roughly $1,000 a month (with extras for apartment, cars and clothing budgets). They then usually build up a nice nest egg, return home and marry some dude from their village. [China First Capital]
China has stopped publicizing trade data between it and North Korea as it tries to improve ties with the skittish nation. This newest move comes after months of courting between Kim Jong-Il and Wen Jiabao. [Reuters]
Really dude? China's police chief has called for a reinforced nationwide Internet security system, because "there are many loopholes in social management, and maintaining social stability faces unprecedented new challenges." We say STFU, Meng Jianzhu. [Inquirer]

China finds yet another way to frustrate WoW players

Ben Pollok — 2009-11-03T18:30:00+08:00

According to a statement released by Netease earlier today, the General Administration of Press and Publication has suspended government approval for their operating World of Warcraft. As if WoW players didn't have enough problems earlier this year, the GAPP cited “gross violations of regulations” as the reason behind suspending NetEase’s operating rights to the massively popular online game.

Reuters reports:

The [GAPP’s] statement indicates that GAPP is returning Shanghai EaseNet's application for approval and Shanghai EaseNet should suspend charging users to play the game and not allow new account registrations. GAPP also notes in its statement that it is evaluating whether to impose administrative penalties on Shanghai EaseNet.

The GAPP’s announcement was certainly nowhere out of the blue. NetEase had launched World of Warcraft in China this September without first seeking explicit approval from the GAPP, contending that the Ministry of Culture had already approved the game’s content.

There has been much speculation as to whether the GAPP is actually reprimanding NetEase for not following protocol or whether the organization is simply slapping the company on the wrist for going to the Ministry of Culture for approval rather than the GAPP. This is what happens when a government has two bodies that perform the same task, and really only adds red tape to an already exasperating process of approval.

NetEase is not the only online gaming company that may incur losses from government regulation. As previously reported, China recently decreased the stream of incoming online games in an effort to control game content. However, rather than dooming this extremely lucrative industry in China (there is an expected 30-50% growth in China’s gaming industry this year), the government simply set caps on foreign investment in the online gaming business.

With a temporary hiatus on NetEase’s WoW success due to a squabble between two government organizations about ‘who’s bigger’, there seems to only be more headaches down the road for online gamers in China... and for the Taiwan servers they invariably turn to.

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Nien Cheng, Life and Death in Shanghai author, passes away

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-03T17:45:00+08:00

Nien Cheng (鄭念), author, has passed away in Washington D.C., according to the Washington Post. The 94-year-old former KMT diplomat is best known for her bestselling autobiography Life and Death in Shanghai, which chronicled the six-and-a-half years she spent as a prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. In one of the most harrowing tales from the book, she finds out that her daughter, a prominent Shanghai film actress, was killed by the Red Guard for refusing to denounce her mother. For summaries and reviews of her seminal memoir, check out the original New York Times book review and this article from Time Magazine.

Video: Halloween 2009 Zombie Walk

Shanghaiist — 2009-11-03T16:00:00+08:00

We're still bummed out that Halloween is over, so we figured we'd stretch out the mystique of the holiday by featuring this video, shot by contributor Jeremy Breningstall, of what our terrorizing on the Zombie Walk actually looked like.

For perusal of pretty pictures: Here's a link to the walk, and here's a link to the party.

And remember, if you have any Halloween party pics to contribute, please contact us! You can reach us at info (@) shanghaiist (dot) com.

Google Voice Search now in China, in Mandarin

Elaine Chow — 2009-11-03T15:30:00+08:00

If you've got a Nokia S60 series and happen to speak Chinese, you can now use Google voice search on your mobile in China. The new service, the first non-English voice search Google has released, is one of many recent attempts to wrestle some more of the market away from current leader Baidu. According to the company, it works best with sharper Mandarin accents (Beijingers might have a little more trouble being understood) and will be rolled out to other phones sometime soon.

Shanghai's top eight scenic spots: It's official

Batul Abbas — 2009-11-03T14:30:00+08:00

With the Expo approaching, Shanghai is quickly become more and more official, with roads being paved, mandatory uniforms for taxi drivers, and even rules guiding citizens' subway etiquette, just to name a few of the changes. To keep the changes rolling, the names of Shanghai's official top eight scenic spots have been announced by the Shanghai Tourism Administration, selected from over 1500 suggestions from city dwellers.

According to Shanghai Daily, more than 33,000 people contributed to the selection of the actual spots, which range from natural to man-made and represent the city's culture and history.

The idea of reviving the Eight Spots of Shanghai came from Zhu Yafu, a retired writer who found that only two of the original eight spots, which dated back to the early 1900s, still existed. Go check em' out before these ones disappear too.

The new names are:

1. The morning bell of the Bund (wai tan chen zhong)

2. The refined rhythm of Yuyuan Garden (yu yuan ya yun)

3. The new splendor of the old Shikumen (jiu li xin hui)

4. Miles of neon light (shi li ni hong)

5. The green of Sheshan Hill (she shan shi cui)

6. Folk art in Fengjing Town (feng jing xun hua)

7. Grand skyscraper city views (mo tian lan sheng)

8. Elegant water views around Dianshan Lake (dian hu huan xiu)

The tourism administration also released a booklet with the official names and descriptions of the spots, as well as 100 other spots in Shanghai, in both Chinese and English. We're wondering if the new names will make any of these sites any more exciting: what do you think?