China experienced two moderate earthquakes this morning. At 6:00am a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit the border area between Sichuan and Gansu province. Only a few hours later, Yining, Xinjiang province also experienced a 5.4-magnitude earthquake at 8:21am (revised down from an earlier magnitude reading of 6.0.) While no injuries have been reported, dozens of houses were reported to have collapsed in Xinjiang. more ›

It's been three years since the great Sichuan earthquake struck, killing 70,000 and leaving 4.8 million people homeless. While most of the rubble may have been cleared away and entire cities rebuilt, the emotional scars remain for many of the survivors who are still trying to put their lives together. Yesterday, public ceremonies were held in numerous cities across the Sichuan province to mark the third anniversary of the killer tremblor. more ›

When it comes to earthquake prediction, Jiangsu province has got it all down pat. No kidding:

The government of East China's Jiangsu province is encouraging residents to report abnormal natural phenomena or abnormal animal behavior, either of which may be an omen signaling that an earthquake is imminent, according to a draft rule issued by the government. more ›

"One man, surnamed Wu, posted on a popular social networking site that nuclear pollutants had arrived in the city from the damaged power plant in Japan. Another man, surnamed Yin, Wu's former classmate, helped spread the rumor on his microblog and via instant messages, police said." more ›

「中國人根本不用擔心核輻射,內地網民﹕大家不要擔心日本核電站的輻射，這麼多年來，我們吃地溝油、化學火鍋、三聚氰胺奶粉、毒大米，皮革奶是為的是什麼呀？就是為在下一場生化戰爭中活下來。我們贏在起跑線上。」 more ›

New Zealand's prime minister has denied China's request for extra compensation for Chinese families who lost children in the Christchurch earthquake. Chinese ambassador Xu Jiangguo had made repeated "indications" that the Chinese would like more money, citing the one-child policy and claiming Chinese families would suffer more from the loss of their only breadwinner. While no official request was actually submitted for more money, here's what New Zealand prime minster John Key had to say in response: more ›

We've been wondering why our infamously slow internet access has ground to a halt this week. One reason, as we've told you, is a possible GFW level up. Well here's another reason we missed out -- the Japan earthquake has damaged a large number of undersea fiber-optic cables that carry internet data and voice calls between Asia and North America. more ›

Just in from Down Under. Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Xu Jianguo has said he's indicated "many times" to the New Zealand government to provide extra compensation to the parents of the seven Chinese students killed in the recent Christchurch earthquake on the basis that they have lost their sole offspring and future breadwinner because of the one-child policy. more ›

Two years ago today, on May 12, 2008, at 14:48 Beijing time, the great Sichuan earthquake struck, killing 70,000 and leaving 4.8 million people homeless. The magnitude 8,0 earthquake was the deadless eathquake to strike China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which had a death toll of 240,000. A collection of links to key stories on the Sichuan earthquake from Shanghaiist archives follows after the jump:
more ›

Remember Zhu Jianqiang (猪坚强), the strong-willed pig that was rescued 36 days after the Wenchuan earthquake? Well, Yushu earthquake now has its own animal hero after rescuers saved a three year old cat 224 hours after the quake struck. Locals are already calling the cat Mao Jianqiang (猫坚强). more ›

Want to donate towards relief efforts in Yushu, Qinghai but not sure how? more ›

A lot more rehearsed and a lot less real grieving than what we saw in 2008:
more ›

That's right, folks. You heard that right. ALL of your party plans for tonight will have to be cancelled because a national day of mourning has been declared today for the over 2,000 victims of last week's devastating earthquake in Qinghai province, and punishment awaits all venue operators that flout the public entertainment ban. In the last mourning decreed two years ago after the Wenchuan earthquake, three minutes of silence were observed simultaneously as all of China ground to a halt and emotions flowed freely. Following a tradition started from then, Chinese internet portals have once again turned their homepage black and white. 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.
more ›

Would it be flippant of me to ask what the deal is with all the earthquakes recently? Because, honestly, what's going on? Now added to the list of recent earthquake struck nations is Taiwan, which experienced a 6.4 magnitude quake near Kaohsiung city this morning. Luckily, it seems like there have been no casualties so far (only injuries from falling debris), though there have been some aftershocks. more ›

Despite assurances that cable operators totally have everything under control, it seems like the earthquakes really did affect the internet. Again. Shanghai Daily confirms that the 6.8 quake that rocked both Taiwan and Japan yesterday morning shook up the undersea cables once more. A back up channel that flowed through Pusan, South Korea also became victim to the earthquake, which is what caused most of the trouble for us here in Shanghai. The internet seems to be relatively okay today, so we guess whatever magic China Telecom used to tide us over until the cables are repaired works. more ›

Photo from rdx913 more ›

Tony Cheng of Al-Jazeera continues on his journey in Sichuan province, talking and spending time with quake victims who are still struggling with putting back the broken pieces of their lives. For some, getting back to work has proven easy enough, but the spiritual and emotional anguish they continue to experience on a daily basis remains deep six months on. more ›

It just won't stop. This news just in from AP:

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck southwestern Tibet on Thursday near the border with Nepal, close to an area hit late last month by a stronger quake that damaged hundreds of homes. more ›

"China has deployed more than 8,000 soldiers and military reservists to help search and rescue efforts in the south-west after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 killed 38 people." more ›

The U.S. Geological Survey, via Reuters newswire, reported that a potentially destructive 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan, China, at 0949 GMT (that would be 5:49 Shanghai time) on Tuesday. The temblor was centered 30 miles north-northwest of Guangyuan, China, at a depth of 6.2 miles. USGS said a shallow quake of that magnitude is capable of significant property damage. AFP reports no casualties have been reported as yet.
more ›

As the Chinese government goes about in its last minute preparations for the long-awaited Olympics, elsewhere in Sichuan Province, local officials are pressurizing parents whose children have died in the May 12 earthquake to accept hush money. Sign a contract to get a cash payment plus pension or risk further trouble from the authorities? Very, very disturbing. [Source] more ›

With the upcoming Olympics and the subsequent global attention, the government obviously wants the nation to look its best, which in China sometimes translates to quashing dissent. Two European-based human rights groups working together as the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders recently published a report declaring that the government has stepped up attempts to quiet dissidents, citing four people arrested for Olympic Games protests, including Hu Jia, who was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for criticizing the government’s human rights violations. More from the AFP article:

In a foreword to the report, writer Wei Jingsheng wrote: "In particular, last year the Chinese Government's repression has rapidly upgraded, in an effort to make sure there is no dissident voices from the people during the 2008 Olympics." more ›

One week after last month's deadly Sichuan Earthquake, we brought to you the heartrending story of Chen Jian (陈坚), a young man who was pinned under the rubble for 73 hours, but unfortunately didn't make it after rescuers managed to extract him after working on him for six hours. Today, Zhang Qian (张倩), the reporter who was by Chen Jian's side in his last moments still breaks down whenever she thinks of him. In this interview with CCTV, she tearfully recounts of how she and her cameraman could not help but weep when they entered Beichuan that fateful day and saw how it was completely flattened by the quake, and of how she shuddered to think of how many people were under her each time she had to walk over the rubble. She also highlights the bravery of one Jiangsu rescuer by the name of Ouyang Honghong (欧阳宏宏) who risked his own life by taking off his helmet because that was the only way he could enter the rubble and help reposition Chen Jian's body. more ›

The previously bustling city of Mianyang (绵阳), Sichuan's second largest city and an important military and nuclear base with a population of 5.7 million, is now nothing but a ghost town. As of June 5, Mianyang had a death toll of 21,963. Another 167,742 were injured, and 8,743 people missing. The remaining residents have been evacuated as the nearby Tangjiashan quake lake threatens to burst anytime soon. Meanwhile, prime minister Wen Jiabao (温家宝) continues to impress by flying down to the dangerously swollen lake for a third time, and showing he means business with his "zero casualty" target. Engineers are working round the clock to drain the lake. more ›

USA Today reports that adoption agencies across the United States, particularly the China-only agencies are experiencing a great surge in enquiries after thousands of children were orphaned by the Sichuan earthquake:

"There's lots of interest," says Joshua Zhong, co-founder of Chinese Children Adoption International, one of the largest China-only agencies in the USA. more ›

Looks like mammon does have its way of making people think before they talk. Less than a day after Sharon Stone suggested at the Cannes Film Festival that the Sichuan earthquake was karma for China's treatment of the Tibetans, she has been forced to eat back her words and apologise:

"My erroneous words and deeds angered and saddened the Chinese people, and I sincerely apologise for this. I'm willing to participate in any earthquake relief activity and to do my utmost to help Chinese people affected by the disaster."

"We don't agree with her hasty, unreflecting remarks and we deeply regret them. Dior was one of the first international brands to enter China and has won the affection and respect of the consuming public. We absolutely do not support any remark that hurts the Chinese people's feelings. We express our sorrow over the compatriots who lost their lives in the earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan, and we extend our sympathy and condolences to the people in the disaster area."

A powerful, evocative and sombre collection of photos taken by Shanghai-based Canadian photographer Chad Ingraham who has been spending time in Chengdu and Dujiangyan over the last few days. more ›

The next time you are at Shanghai Centre Element Fresh, be sure to check out what's on the walls as you wait for your order to arrive. Shanghai-based Canadian artist Jeffery Robert Bleazard has donated six of his artworks to the Sichuan Earthquake Charity Art Auction organized by Element Fresh and the paintings will be on display at Shanghai Centre Element Fresh until June 8. more ›

"The Beijing Olympic flame will spend just one day in Tibet next month rather that the three days originally scheduled, an official with the torch relay department of the Beijing Organising Committee said on Monday." more ›