"Are we more interested in money or are we more interested in the truth? Eventually you have to bow to the will of the people and especially as their progress as an economy, education also gets higher; their interactions with the world and other people's functioning in the world, and the openness of self-expression. No one wants to live in hypocrisy, and China is the largest hypocrisy in the world right now." more ›

At a temple dormitory in Zhejiang, a trio of monks calling themselves “Buddha's End Band" (佛涯组合) sing "Song of the Wanderer" (游子吟), an original song written and composed by the monks. We're really digging the wooden fish rhythm accents and the oneness of their enlightened harmony. more ›

At the Kirti Monastery in Northern Sichuan, two teenaged Tibetan monks set themselves on fire on Monday, in what looks to be the second case of self-immolation by Tibetan monks in six weeks, and the third separate incident this year. more ›

If you thought the Dalai Lama's newly-announced succession plans were ridiculous, then you really need to read China's response:

China says the Dalai Lama does not have the right to decide who will take over from him when he dies. It says Beijing will decide who will be the next Dalai Lama. more ›

Tough times call for tough measures. What's a Dalai Lama to do when he knows unfriendly forces may usurp his office after he's gone? Well, apparently, he could start "emanating" instead of reincarnating (more on what this means later), or he could completely abolish the office of the Dalai Lama. These options were announced in a lengthy statement released yesterday by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, 76, on the subject of his reincarnation. more ›

Thousands of people are celebrating the seven-day Shoton festival (also known as the Yoghurt Festival or Banquet), one of the most important festivals in the Tibetan calendar that has been celebrated since the 11th century. more ›

If you're the sort to believe in online rumors, here's a juicy one for you: Abbot Shi Yongxin (释永信) of the world-famous Shaolin Temple was reportedly caught soliciting a prostitute during a recent vice crackdown in Henan province. more ›

A Tibetan woman in Yushu (Kyigudo in Tibetan) chants the Buddhist mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" as she mourns for her dead mother along with others who have lost their loved ones. The death toll from the 6.9-magnitude quake in Yushu and the region around it has risen to over 2,000.
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We have no idea how authentically Tibetan this is but it sure looks very colourful. more ›

• Oh jeez, this is something straight out of Chaucer: Fake monks and nuns are conning young folks out of money by peddling Buddhist trinkets. [Chinasmack]
• While modern China has officially promoted gender equality, the modern Chinese woman knows it's not quite that. And she's mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. [Newsweek]
• Sure they've got missiles and other advanced weaponry, but there's something else the PLA is proud of: their bulldozers. They're for peacekeeping. [Washington Post]

Despite being known in the past for their asceticism, it looks like a new breed of monk is out to "have fun." Chinese monks seem to have given up their wooden bowls for much more "fashionable" accessories - fast cars and women. more ›

Here we have it: the most ostentatious religious-themed cellphone in China! more ›

• Common sense reigns as IOC ends worldwide torch relay [Yahoo! Sports] "The International Olympic Committee decided to end the globetrotting torch relay, discontinuing an event that began with the Athens Games in 2004 and was used again by the organizers of the Beijing Games this past August. For future games, the torch will only tour the country where the games are being hosted."
• China News: Ai Weiwei: Q&A On Earthquake Toll Accounting Efforts [China Digital Times (CDT)] "Artist, activist, and blogger Ai Weiwei is leading an effort to publish the names of those who died in the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. The action has invited responses from around the globe — and questions from those most nearby, in China. Netizens asked Ai questions ranging from his thoughts on tofu dregs construction to his feelings regarding social responsibility. Ai has responded to dozens of questions found on the posts entitled “做客天涯 (一)” and “做客天涯 (二).” Below is a selection of five of these questions and responses. Translated by CDT." (Blocked in China)
• Analysts dismiss 'cyber spy' claims [China Daily] "Top analysts yesterday refuted claims by researchers hired by the Dalai Lama that China runs a cyper spy network, branding them "exaggerated" and an attempt to paint the nation as a "threat". "This is purely another political issue that the West is trying to exaggerate," said Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based strategy and military analyst."

Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos at shanghaiist.com. more ›

Share with us how you see Shanghai, or China! Post your photos on Flickr, tag them with "shanghaiist", and we'll select one favorite image per day. Or you can simply email your photos to photos at shanghaiist.com. more ›

So the story goes: When Chairman Mao visited Shanghai he asked, 'I know there is a Shanghai (上海：on the sea), but is there a Xiahai (下海：under the sea)?' We assume that this was followed by uncomfortable forced laughter as none present (save possibly Zhou Enlai) had the heart (read: cojones) to tell him that the joke stunk. more ›