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All the things you'd want to do this Monday through Thursday. On the schedule this week: some back-to-back networking & do-good events, amazing food and wine at El Willy's, folk music and lyrics at Yuyintang and a fashion show/party at M1NT. Read on (or check out our calendar) for more! more ›

Um, we're sure you're really interested in new trends within the Chinese gaming industry on display at the 9th China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference (aka Chinajoy) held in Shanghai over the weekend. After all, there's all sorts of exciting developments about the country's still maturing digital entertainment landscape, which has yet to produce the sort of world-beating entertainment properties regularly featured at game conferences like the Tokyo Game Show, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) held annually in Los Angeles. However, we have little to say on the subject, and unfortunately can only provide as a consolation prize this modest gallery of women (and perhaps at least one or two males, we really can't say for sure) hired for, uh...um...sorry, we lost our train of thought. We're just going to look at a few more pics to figure out what they were hired for. It'll come to us, we're sure. more ›

If your dream is to become a game designer and you’re looking for your lucky break, this is it! Shanghai Game Jam is a free event that invites 50 participants (of any skill level) to sign up, team up, and compete against each other to create their own original game by the end of the two day event—folding beds and meals provided. more ›

We've all heard of the endless amounts of nailhouse disputes in China, but very few of us will actually get the chance to experience the fight against developers... except for in video game form! Meet the hot new flashgame tearing up China's interwebs: Nail Household v. Demolition Team. more ›

The team of Adam (lumber baron) and Griff (Haibao trader) proved too mighty last night at the Shanghaiist Scrabble Happy Hour at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu. The duo rode fancy words such as "saltpeter" and "xeroxing" to a record-setting win. Nine-hundred-and-forty-six points! That's a lot of 2-for-1 beverages. For their efforts, Adam and Griff get to share an RMB 250 Cotton's gift certificate. Check out some "action" photos! more ›

According to a blog called 24/7 Moms, this Chinese language learning game was one of the hottest toys at the recent 2010 International Toy Fair in New York. Called Kingka, it teaches "54 basic Chinese characters and over 1000 words." Wait, weren't characters and words more or less the same thing? more ›

China spends a significant amount of its online time gaming: each and every of the many internet cafes around the country are filled around the clock with gamers desperately clicking their mice at fantastical MMORPG opponents, or mashing their keyboards in an attempt to master the latest Dance Dance Revolution spin off. But some games are more popular than others, especially the ones that have spawned from social media sites: pretty much everyone in China either plays Happy Farm (or has a Happy Farm in reality), or knows about it. But what other games have become popular over the past year? more ›

It's Thursday and you're slouched in your office chair bored out of your f*cking mind. We're here to help with the following two suggestions: You can download and play the new game, Jumpman, OR put the video below on loop + fullscreen, and loose yourself in its strangely hypnotic, mesmerising and enchanting visuals. Until your boss decides to jump on you from behind, that is.
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Freddie Mae, S&P, Lehman, Goldman, Nikkei and The Intern fight it out to be the ultimate Wall Street Fighter in this hilarious new video clip from the guys at CBFresh.
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Fans of Bulldog's Thursday trivia nights can now get a double dose of factual fun every week. more ›

Danwei points us to this cute little video spoof of Street Fighter shot by students at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. more ›

The new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 game for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, and PSP, which was released last week, has put Shanghai golf on the (digital) map. Finally, you can afford to play Sheshan Golf Club (seriously, we think an Xbox might be cheaper than a round there). more ›

Danwei points us to this creatively produced video of a counterstrike battle set in Beijing's mixed-use office and residential complex Jianwai SOHO. No news on whether the anti-terrorism officials are freaking out yet. more ›

See any familiar buildings in the picture? more ›

Following their somewhat bizarre picture last month of Obama and a "dapper" donkey, the latest person to grace Baidu's homepage gives a slightly clearer message. The picture is of "Wheelchair Angel" (as she's been dubbed in some sections of the press) Jin Jing clutching the Olympic Torch to her chest, a position she adopted when pro-Tibetan protestors tried to snatch the flame from her in Paris last month. Clicking on the picture takes you through to a page headlined with the words "Protect the scared flame, make China faster, higher, stronger!" more ›

The idea is simple: get five internationally reknowned directors to make short, impressionistic films about Beijing, showing the people of Beijing in their everyday lives and as they prepare for the Olympics—and in the kindest light possible. The five filmmakers were: Patrice Leconte (France), Andrew Lau (Hong Kong/China), Majid Majidi (Iran), Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy), and Daryl Goodrich (UK). You can find a rundown of each film's style and content as well as a link to each one.Whatever their differences in style and subject matter, they are all undeniably and unforgivably cheesy, like postcards of moving images. They remind us of those insipid China Eastern Airlines commercials—except worse—because you have to take into account that these were made by men (not a woman in the bunch) that have, at some point in their lives, made films that were actually fit for human consumption.There's a little voice inside our head that tells us that no one likes the guy that takes things a bit too seriously and can't see the light-hearted side of things—it's the Olympics after all, and Pollyannish is to be expected, Olympic-colored balloons can and should rise and form the Olympic rings in the azure sky. At the same time, there was another little voice in our head that it's also okay for us to slightly downgrade our respect for directors, renowned or not, that strew this kind of filmic excrement over our collective sidewalk. These artists are kinda sucking CCP cock, aren't they? Okay, we know this ain't Cannes, and that it might be considered an honor by some to be allowed to make promotional films for the Olympic Games. But seriously, is banality the new language of ideology? Please, show us more people striking on drums and practicing tai-chi in the park. And throw in some cute little Chinese kids while you're at it. Sorry, < /end_rant_here >. We'll start taking our meds again, we promise. more ›

"China's inflation likely hit a new 11-year high of 8.3 percent last month on the back of rising food prices, state media reported Sunday, triggering speculation of a modest hike in interest rates." more ›

A few weeks ago, Richard Brubaker of All Roads Lead to China reported:

I just received an email from a friend who said that they were being told they could not renew their F visa fro within China anymore. A quick Skype to another confirmed that F visas cannot be extended past the Olympics.

Like all football connoisseurs, Shanghaiist loves nothing better than a good derby. Games like Feyenoord v Ajax where travelling supporters are banned. The sheer evil of Rangers v Celtic. The Latin heat of Real Madrid v Athletic Madrid. The Manchester United v Liverpool grudge match. The Superclásico of Boca Juniors v River Plate. And Shanghai Shenhua v Inter Shanghai lacked the history but not passion before one half upped sticks and moved to Xi'an. more ›

Ching Cheong, the chief China correspondent of the Singapore-based Straits Times that was jailed in China for supposed espionage but freed recently, has made his first statements after his well-deserved rest. He lost more than 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) during the more than 1,000 days that he was in prison. Here are Ching Cheong's quotes, compiled from various news sources quoted below: more ›

With all the bad press surrounding Steven Spielberg's Olympic boycott, Beijing seems to be scrambling to action to diffuse all the negative publicity by wooing a most unlikely target, the Pope. From Michael Sheridan of the Sunday Times (UK):

TEMPTED by the prize of a historic visit to China by Pope Benedict XVI, the nation’s leaders have authorised a renewed effort in confidential discussions with the Vatican to heal their rift and inaugurate diplomatic ties. more ›

Xinhua: Spielberg slashed by Chinese, but his movies still admired more ›

Steven Spielberg's decision to withdraw from arranging the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics caused press around the world (except for China) to rub their hands with glee this week at the prospect of China's dirty laundry being flown from the flagpoles of Beijing. more ›

Just three days after Straits Times journalist Ching Cheong regained his freedom, China has released yet another media man — Yu Huafeng (喻华峰), general manager and deputy editor of the Southern Metropolis News《南方都市报》, the Guangzhou-based paper that is one of China's boldest and most critical papers. more ›

Xinhua: Danish PM wishes for closer cooperation with China in New Year more ›

Have you got an opinion? Shanghaiist has started publishing opinion pieces from readers on selected weekends, so if you feel like you've got something to get off your chest, email it to us at info AT shanghaiist DOT com and if we like it, we will publish it under this column. more ›

By JFK Miller more ›

We told you about the possibility, but now it is OFFICIAL. China does want to be the next world power in cheerleading. We hear that a series of competitions are being held across schools and tertiary institutions, fitness centres and community clubs across China to select 200 cheerleaders for the Olympic Games. Before you know it, some of them will be mixing acrobatics into their cheerleading routine. more ›