We're sorry to say that the parade for the Shanghaiist & BEAN's Halloween Party @ Cargo JJ has been canceled, meaning partygoers should head directly to Cargo JJ on Friday night, rather than Windows Too. more ›

"If he's out of jail how should I know where he is, and if he's in jail then I also don't know where he is" more ›

Hey sexy texters, feel free to whip out your phones and tell your respective others how much you like bedtime moves. What? Worried that it'll somehow get your SMS service turned off by the folks at China Mobile and the Public Security Bureau? Thankfully, it turns out that news of those proposed regulations against sexting aren't quite true... at least for now. more ›

• Hungry pandas a casualty of China’s quakes [Canada.com] "When the devastating earthquake struck Sichuan province last May, the natural disaster that befell the region’s best-known residents, the giant Pandas, paled next to the overwhelming scope of the human tragedy. Only one panda was confirmed dead and one lost, but great swathes of mountains crumbled, taking with them the bamboo forests that pandas feed on, leaving the fuzzy animals without their primary source of nourishment. Now, local Sichuan farmers are reporting pandas on their doorstep, begging for food."
• Green-Tech Space Race [The New Yorker] "After so many years of hearing about China’s horrendous environmental conditions and prodigious coal reserves, it might be startling to realize that China is far outpacing the U.S. on green-energy investment. But the details have now been laid out in unambiguous detail by Ben Furnas at the Center for American Progress."
• Name Not on Our List? Change It, China Says [NY Times] "For Ma Cheng and millions of others, Chinese parents’ desire to give their children a spark of individuality is colliding head-on with the Chinese bureaucracy’s desire for order. Seeking to modernize its vast database on China’s 1.3 billion citizens, the government’s Public Security Bureau has been replacing the handwritten identity card that every Chinese must carry with a computer-readable one, complete with color photos and embedded microchips. The new cards are harder to forge and can be scanned at places like airports where security is a priority."

A Shanxi official in charge of fighting out corruption has been fired after being caught being... well, corrupted. Zhao Mingwen, the head of a watchdog commission at Jinzhong city's Public Security Bureau had arranged a police escort for his mothers' funeral procession earlier this month. When journalists tried to film the passing motorcade, they were assaulted and had their cameras stolen by his people. A Shanxi Communist Party Discipline Commission statement held Zhao “primarily responsible for the entire incident happening and for its evil influence.” Source: New Zealand Herald more ›

Photo from Ryan Pollack more ›

We were surprised to read from the China Briefing blog that ShanghaiExpat.com has been reported to the Chinese Network Security Police:

The social expatriate website Shanghaiexpat.com has had a legal case against it lodged with the network security division of the Public Security Bureau in Shanghai for libel and ‘disrupting social harmony’ it has been reported today. The site, which last year celebrated its fifth anniversary, has proved popular with local expatriates yet has consistently drawn criticism for its generally negative online forums and it’s sometime racist portrayal of Chinese nationals and the general living environment in China, it has been alleged. more ›

We had a good laugh when we saw this "patriotic" banner by Chinese blogger Xiucai ("秀才") which reads: "Joyfully welcome the 17th Party Congress, building a harmonious society together. Xiucai is a good comrade. This site has temporarily shut down comments and forum features." [h/t to Rebecca Mackinnon] more ›

No, this is actually the Summer Palace in Beijing! But that hasn't stopped two laowai's from stripping down to their birthday suits five days ago and enjoying the last of the summer sun in Yihe Yuan (颐和园 or the Garden of Health and Harmony) -- oblivious to the curious stares of the tourists around them. Unfortunately, all good things, as they say, must come to an end. It was not long before some friendly neighbourhood Public Security Bureau guys came and escorted them away. more ›

We love all these wonderful submissions that people are sending in to Youku. This pickpocket on Bus #2 in Fuzhou was caught in action and beaten up on the bus (though not very savagely). It remains unclear whether the guy beating him up was the victim or the bus driver (pretty unlikely). We can't quite hear or understand what is being said, although we think the poor pickpocket sure had an unlucky day! Some comments on the video found on Youku: more ›

Wang Zihong more ›

Many of you might have read our post regarding the horrible mass-slaughter of dogs in August. Sadly, it seems we could be experiencing the third wave of the canine cull, based on this Economic Daily report (in Chinese) that says five major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Wuhan are going to address "dog problems". more ›

OK, so it's a bit difficult to type like Elmer Fudd, but you can always find inspiration by trying Google in Elmer Fudd language. more ›

Do you remember where you were on June 17, 1994 -- the day that O.J. Simpson was involved in one of the greatest high-speed (or was it low-speed?) car chases of all time? We're sure that most of you Americans out there do -- and what better way to celebrate this historic event than with a bonded nickel souvenir statue? More to the point: The Olympics are only two years away, and the Beijing cops are undergoing all kinds of special training for this event, much of it which involves possible high-speed chase scenarios: more ›

After reports of 121 skulls being found in a remote ravine on the border of Qinghai and Gansu provinces, western China was already starting to look a little creepy, even if the skulls may have actually been a part of a Tibetan Buddhist ritual, as the unlinkable South China Morning Post reports: more ›

Over the past two days, Shanghaiist spent time exploring Shanghai’s New Jiangwan City SMP Skate Park. A two-day event hosted the world’s elite skateboarders, inline skaters, BMX freestyle and motocross riders (Shanghaiist is not one of the elite ... yet). The SMP Gravity Games Showdown incorporated vertical ramp and street competitions -- held on each day. more ›

Interfax is reporting that starting Sept. 1, all mobile phone and Xiaolingtong subscribers in Shanghai will have to register their numbers with their legal names. This directive from the Shanghai Communications Administration and the Shanghai Public Security Bureau extends to all current and future customers. All SIM cards purchased after Sept. 1 will require real-name registration and all pre-existing subscribers will be given three months to add names to their accounts at designated locations across the city. Users who fail to register will face "serious consequences," said Hu Yonglong, Vice Director of the Shanghai Communications Administration. more ›