This enormous sunfish, weighing 381 kg (840 lbs), was caught off the coast of Taiwan this week. And if that's not enough, the same guy also landed a 120kg swordfish! The catch has prompted speculation that these are in fact "quake fish", or fish driven closer to shore as a result of the earthquake and tsunami last month. For some reason, most of the Chinese press is particularly amused by the terrified girl in the video, who starts screaming when her father shows her the fish. more ›

Chen Guangbiao's at it again down in Yingjiang, Yunnan! After pictures of his shamelessly showy relief efforts in Japan earlier this week, it's hard to believe he could top himself already, but the man has done it! Sure, he's not pulling anybody from the rubble this time, but he's doling out stacks of cash like a rock star to earthquake survivors in Yunnan. more ›

Unless you've been living in a cave, you would have heard about the unprecedented nuclear crisis going on in Japan right now. Radiation spreading from damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plants is very high, and there are signs that it has already reached Tokyo. more ›

It looks like the Foreign Ministry might have made its claim that there were no Chinese casualties in the Japanese earthquake a little too soon. more ›

An earthquake that struck Yingjiang, a county of Yunnan province near the Myanmar border, at 1pm yesterday has killed at least 25 people and injured 250, according to official reports. More than 127,000 people have been evacuated after over 1,000 homes were toppled and another 17,000 damaged. Seven aftershocks so far have followed the quake, and experts still have not determined whether another more serious earthquake could follow. The county has seen repeated tremors over the past few months. The provincial government has sent 9,700 tents, 15,000 quilts, clothes and other relief materials to the victims and evacuees. Many were, and mostly likely still remain, trapped in the rubble, and over 1,000 soldiers have been deployed in a joint rescue operation. more ›

Most of you have no doubt heard about the devastating earthquake that struck Christchurch recently. Over a hundred people were killed after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city and the death toll continues to rise daily. In light of the disaster, the New Zealand community in Shanghai and friends are banding together to hold a earthquake appeal ball on Saturday, April 2. more ›

This morning at 9:19am, a 5.0 level earthquake occurred in the the South Yellow Sea, 325 km from Shanghai. The China Seismological Bureau confirms that the earthquake's epicenter was located at 33.4 degrees north latitude, 123.8 degrees east longitude. According to reports, many parts of Shanghai, including Changning, Jing'an and Pudong were able to feel the quake. more ›

It may still be six days until the 34th anniversary of the Tangshan Earthquake, believed to be the largest earthquake disaster of the 20th century, but Aftershock, the movie based on the tragedy, opens today to the public. more ›

Did you know that there was an earthquake in Shanghai yesterday? At 11:06am yesterday morning, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake began in Jiangsu, and shocks were felt all the way in Shanghai. People living in Baoshan, Putuo, Yangpu districts, and the Pudong New Area - especially in high rises - felt the rattling and called media outlets. The earthquake was nothing to worry about though, the Shanghai Seismological Bureau said. In fact, this is actually the second one to hit this month! more ›

As the death toll of the Qinghai quake continues to climb to over 600 people, China’s leaders, diplomatic friends and….well, even its foes are stepping up to the plate in the name of relief services. The most unexpected of helpers? Google. more ›

As we've all been reminded, the Himalayas are still making a mad dash for the Pacific Ocean. Most recently, this has been at the peril of residents of western China's Qinghai province, where at least 589 people are confirmed dead and more than 10,000 injured after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday at 7:49 a.m. more ›

As the news about this morning's Qinghai earthquake continues to pour in, one can't help but point out the similarities between this shock and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (whose anniversary is just a month away). At last count, 400 have been declared dead and 10,000 injured. Like two years ago, the people in Qinghai will need help and if you're looking for somewhere to donate, goChengdoo has made a list of all the places you can send relief. more ›

A series of strong earthquakes have hit the county of Yushu, in the western Qinghai Province. The China Earthquake Networks Center has measured the main quake to be a magnitude of 7.1. The death toll is now estimated to be over 300. more ›

In our ongoing Threesday feature, Shanghaiist takes the time to count out three of....well, whatever catches our fancy that week. Here we present three different ways to help with the relief efforts in Haiti without having to leave Shanghai. more ›

With news of the devastation in Haiti dominating Chinese newspapers, we guess it was about time somebody in Shanghai came up with an initiative to help out somehow. Unfortunately, the only one we've heard of so far sounds pretty insensitive: Shanghai World Expo coordinators are considering a plan to exhibit "the changed landscape of Haitian capital Port-au-Prince before and after the earthquake" at the Expo's Haitian Hall. more ›

The island nation of Haiti suffered a devastating 7.0-magnitude quake in the middle of the day on Tuesday. Untold numbers of people remain trapped under the rubble and tens of thousands are feared dead. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the tragedy "Biblical," adding that "There was so much hope about Haiti’s future, hope that had not been present for years. And along comes Mother Nature and just flattens it." As everybody probably remembers, China's had its own brush with Mother Nature's wrath. Now, it's gotten a chance to help. more ›

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Great Tangshan Earthquake, believed to be the largest earthquake disaster of the 20th century thanks to its immense death toll. The earthquake hit very early in the morning, at 3:42am, which contributed to its extreme deadliness. Chinese official sources stated that it measured a 7.8 on the Richter scale. It was then followed by a 7.8 magnitude aftershock about 16 hours later. more ›

An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit Yunnan Province's Guantun township, Yao'an County (姚安) in the mountainous Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture at 7:19 p.m. Thursday. The epicenter was about 200 kilometers from the provincial capital Kunming. Various news agencies are reporting more than 300 injuries and 10,000 collapsed homes. No deaths have been reported yet. News from this remote area is coming in slowly — CNN is just now calling the 12-hour-old earthquake "Breaking News" — so it is difficult to gauge the severity of the earthquake at this moment. Stay tuned. more ›

As Shanghai prepares for the 2010 World Expo at a frighteningly fast pace, one aspect of urban development is being overlooked: emergency shelters. Currently, should any sort of natural disaster befall the city, Shanghai's almost 19 million citizens would have only one (still unfinished) public emergency shelter to turn to. more ›

The next Shanghaiist Happy Hour at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu falls on the one-year anniversary of the devastating Sichuan earthquake, so we have decided to team with Hands On Chengdu, an organization committed to supporting the long term redevelopment of the areas affected by the earthquake for this Tuesday's gathering. Entry to the Happy Hour is free, but we'll be holding a lucky draw with some great donated prizes — all proceeds will go to Hands On Chengdu. Hands On Chengdu will have an informational booth at the happy hour and will be accepting donations and signing up volunteers on site. more ›

• China cracks down on foreign journalists [FT.com Video] "Foreign journalists trying to conduct interviews in the Sichuan earthquake zone in western China are being attacked and detained as Beijing ratchets up security in preparation for the first anniversary of the devastating quake on May 12. Jamil Anderlini, FT Beijing correspondent, traveled to Sichuan and was the target of such attacks. He reports on how officials used violence and threats to suppress his coverage."
• From gold farmers to kings: online gaming in china [US China Today] "Apparently the virtual world has not been hit by the financial crisis. In early April, Changyou, the online gaming division of the popular Chinese portal site Sohu.com, had its initial public offering on the Nasdaq exchange. The stock jumped 25% by the day’s end, raising over US$128 million in company proceeds."
• Love, lust and time to party as hotel 'captives' scent freedom [SCMP] "Dozens of people partied in the lobby of the quarantined Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai last night to celebrate their impending release today, as guests told tales of love, lust and laughter from the week-long internment. Sheets that had covered the windows of the locked-down hotel for days were ripped down amid the festivities, revealing smiling guests raising glasses of wine, beer and other liquor and kissing one another."

If you're in China, you probably won't be able to watch the HBO documentary "China's Unnatural Disaster" which chronicles the aftermath of the Sichuan Quake from the perspective of the grieving parents. more ›

Next week marks the first anniversary of the Great Sichuan Earthquake, which flattened entire towns in the province on May 12th last year. To try to ensure that next week passes harmoniously, local police in Chengdu have already started rounding up foreign reporters who might want to interview parents who lost their children in the quake. more ›

• The fortunate lives of reunited Beichuan Earthquake families [QQ News] A series of photos on the Chinese web of 20 or so families that are now living, reunited and happy, in Sichuan province a year after the devastating earthquake hit.
• Year After China Quake, New Births, Old Wounds [NYTimes] "One year after the earthquake in Sichuan Province killed about 70,000 people and left 18,000 missing, mothers across the region are pregnant or giving birth again, aided by government medical teams dispensing fertility advice and doing reverse-sterilization procedures. Because of China’s policy limiting most families to having one child, the students who died were often their parents’ only offspring. Officials say they hope a wave of births will help defuse the anger that many grieving parents harbor over the collapses of so many schools on May 12, 2008, while nearby buildings often remained standing."
• Report: 10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger [Committee to Protect Journalists] "Relying on a mix of detentions, regulations, and intimidation, authorities in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Egypt have emerged as the leading online oppressors in the Middle East and North Africa. China and Vietnam, where burgeoning blogging cultures have encountered extensive monitoring and restriction, are among Asia’s worst blogging nations. Cuba and Turkmenistan, nations where Internet access is heavily restricted, round out the dishonor roll."

• 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."

Disaster tourism is nothing new, but we still cringe a little hearing news that some of the ruins left by last year's Sichuan earthquake will be opening up to visitors later this month. more ›

Netease has released a "Top Ten Musical Singles" list, compiled from the data generated from its 200 million or so Chinese users. So what have the Chinese been listening to a lot this year? Unsurprisingly, Beijing Olympics songs, Sichuan Earthquake songs and... Jay Chou. In fact, he was so popular that his album, Capricorn, mysteriously took 7th place on a list of "singles." more ›

Several scientists in China and the U.S. are claiming that the Sichuan Earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed at least 70,000 people, could have been caused by a 511ft-high dam just 550 yards from the fault line. more ›

"The Rixin neighbourhood committee in the city's north-east has begun a campaign to discourage residents' longstanding habit of wearing pyjamas out of their bedrooms and on the streets...'We're telling people not to wear pyjamas in the street because it looks very uncivilised,' community official Guo Xilin was quoted as saying." more ›

Of the more than 500 children who lost their parents in the May 12th earthquake, only two have been adopted, the Washington Post reports. According to China Daily, however, only one child has been adopted. As many as 88 children are in temporary care, while the rest have moved in with relatives. Despite the earlier outpouring of grief and adoption enquiries after the earthquake, many of the children are unable to find adoptive parents because they are over 10 years of age and handicapped. more ›