CHINALERT

Horseback Riding to Work

Aug 032011

With more and more people joining the ranks of the filthy rich in China, it must be getting harder and harder to find new ways to flaunt your wealth.

It must be especially troublesome when choosing what car to buy in order to stand out from the crowd. But this person, from the city of Xianyang in Shaanxi province, has chosen a very interesting alternative form of luxury transportation.

Instead of sitting comfortably at the back of a Mercedes or BMW, he rides his horse daily to and from work. Accompanying him is his trusty secretary. Together, they ride regardless of weather.

“It normally takes a little more than 20 minutes to get to work” says He Yanqing an owner of a private company, “and I enjoy the looks from passers-by”.

Some of the reasons Mr. He gives in support of horseback riding include it being more environmentally friendly and able to avoid traffic jams.

According to Mr. He, riding a horse is also a lot more economical compared to cars. A good horse can be bought for 20,000 RMB (~3,000 USD) and the yearly maintenance is low – around 4,000 RMB (~600 USD).

As for whether this is actually road legal, it seems that according to the “PRC Road Traffic Safety Law” there are no restrictions against riding animals on roads. So it seems that there is nothing stopping Mr. He for now.

The Wenzhou Train Crash

News 4 Responses »

Jul 302011

Last week on Saturday, China had it’s first major high-speed railway accident. The accident occurred when a high-speed train in the eastern province of Zhejiang slammed into the rear of another train, sending four train cars plunging off a 49-foot bridge and derailing two others.

Here is a brief summary of events:

July 23, 2011 – at 8:38 p.m. local time near the city of Wenzhou, train D301 from Beijing collided with train D3115 traveling from the Zhejiang provincial capital of Hangzhou.

July 24, 2011 – On Sunday night, the Railways Ministry said it had dismissed the chief, deputy chief and Communist Party secretary at the Shanghai Railway Bureau, which administers the railways in much of eastern China.

- Images from the crash scene showed backhoes and other large equipment manipulating some of the wreckage, prompting some to question whether the government was mishandling or trying to bury evidence crucial for the investigation. The Railways Ministry spokesman was quoted by Chinese media saying that it was necessary to cover some of the debris to enable rescue equipment to reach parts of the site.

July 27, 2011 – Premier Wen Jiabao orders a “swift, open and transparent” investigation into Saturday’s fatal high-speed train collision.

July 28, 2011 – At least 39 people confirmed dead and 192 others injured. Police said the identities of all 39 dead in the accident have been confirmed through DNA tests.

- Design flaws in railway signal equipment led to Saturday’s fatal high-speed train collision near Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, the Shanghai Railway Bureau said on Thursday. Having been struck by lightning, the signal system at Wenzhou South Railway Station failed to turn the green light to red, which caused the rear-end collision.

- The signal equipment was designed by the company Beijing National Railway Research and Design Institute of Signal and Communication. The company posted an apology on its website, expressing its condolences and regret to victims of the accident and their families.

Fake Friday: Apple Store

Fake Stuff No Responses »

Jul 292011

Just when you thought that China was out of new ideas in the the “faking” department, something more elaborate and larger than any fake iPhone has caught the attention of many.

Meet the fake Apple store:

The Apple iPhone and iPad have become a major hit in the Chinese market. Many businessmen were quick to capitalize on such trend. One decided Instead of just selling fake Apple products, to fake the entire Apple store.

The stores are located in Kunming and from a distance, look just like one of Apple’s iconic full-service retail stores. Featuring a glass exterior, pale wood display tables, a winding staircase and giant posters displaying Apple products, and a neatly organized accessories wall. Even the employees wear the blue shirts and Apple-emblazoned name tags similar to those worn by Apple Store employees in China.

Since the story broke out, 2 of the 5 fake stores in Kunming have closed. Some netizens have reported that the stores were selling genuine apple products. However, the stores cannot be found on Apple’s list of authorized retailers.

China has only four authorized Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai, although the electronics firm has labeled China a “key market”. In contrast, it has 236 stores in the United States.

Given the insanely strong demand for the iPhone and iPad in China and the extremely large population in China, it would be wise to increase production and the number of stores. Far worse than these fake Apple stores in China are the scalpers that make Apple products constantly unavailable and Apple’s inability to properly deal with the matter.

Source: WSJ and chinadaily

Woman Catches Girl From 10 Stories

Amazing Feats No Responses »

Jul 062011

A young mother saved the life of a 2-year-old girl who fell from the 10th floor of a building in Hangzhou.

While her grandmother went to get some quilts she was drying on the roof, the girl crawled on to the windowsill of the bedroom where her grandmother had left her sleeping. A downstairs neighbor saw the girl and tried to reach her using a ladder, but the attempt failed and the girl finally fell.

Wu Juping, 31, who lived in the same neighborhood, ran to the building when she heard someone cry out in alarm and managed to catch the girl before she hit the ground.

This incredible story answers one of my questions in life – is it possible to save someone falling off a building and survive?.

It seems it is possible after all, that is, if it’s only 10 floors and you’re catching a little girl.

Unfortunately, both parties still suffered major injuries from the impact. The woman, suffered a comminuted fracture in her left arm and will have to undergo surgery. Her recovery is expected to take six months. The girl, on the other hand, seems very lucky to be alive. Her brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract were all injured because of the height she fell from. She also has difficulties in urination.

via chinadaily

Transformers Sculptures: Optimus Prime

Art 1 Response »

Jun 212011

The past few weeks, we went through some cool iron sculptures of the villains from Transformers – the Decepticons. Now, check out this badass iron sculpture of, the leader of the righteous Autobots, Optimus Prime.

Click here for more!

Fake Friday: daiads

Fake Stuff No Responses »

Jun 172011

Previously, we learned about the technique of switching a letter with a different letter.
Here is another basic technique: rearranging letters.

Transformers Sculptures: The Fallen

Art 2 Responses »

Jun 142011

Last time we saw the awesome man-built Megatron sculpture.

Now, check out this amazing iron sculpture of the main antagonist from the last Transformers film – The Fallen.

Click here for more pictures!

Fake Friday: Pasunnic

Fake Stuff 1 Response »

Jun 102011

Well at least they got the trademark symbol right…

Prison Inmates Farm Gold in World of Warcraft

Crazy & Bizarre No Responses »

Jun 092011

In what might sound like a dream come true, prison inmates in China are forced to farm gold in the MMORPG World of Warcraft.

Obviously, things aren’t always as great as they sound. Check out the video below to understand why…

So instead of just suffering physically, China’s prisoners also have to suffer mentally. What might seem like an addictive hobby for a lot of gamers is torture to these prisoners.

According to the Guardian, “prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labour.”

This is no surprise as the virtual economy is growing rapidly. Around the World, millions of gamers are prepared to pay real money for virtual currency to obtain virtual goods in games. It is known as “gold farming” – the practice of building up credits and online value through the monotonous repetition of basic tasks in online games such as World of Warcraft. The trade in virtual assets is very real, and outside the control of game publishers.

Figures from the China Internet Centre show that nearly 2 billion dollars worth of virtual currency was traded in China in 2008 and the number of gamers who play to trade credits are on the rise. It is estimated that 80% of all gold farmers are in China; with 100,000 full-time gold farmers in the country.

From the sound of things, China is also going to be a leader of labour exploitation in the virtual world.

via The Guardian

Transformers Sculptures: Megatron (Tank Mode)

Art 22 Responses »

Jun 072011

The people who helped build this iron sculpture must really like Transformers. Just look at the amount of work and detail put into it.

Click here for more pictures!

Older Entries

Horseback Riding to Work

The Wenzhou Train Crash

Fake Friday: Apple Store

Woman Catches Girl From 10 Stories

Transformers Sculptures: Optimus Prime

Fake Friday: daiads

Transformers Sculptures: The Fallen

Fake Friday: Pasunnic

Prison Inmates Farm Gold in World of Warcraft

Transformers Sculptures: Megatron (Tank Mode)

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