Missing an industrial-size popcorn machine from your home kitchen? Here's where to get it (and just about everything food machine-related besides) - the Hotel Equipment Depot on Aomen Lu. This week, a search for fancy dinner plates took me to this four-story warehouse in Shanghai's Putuo District, where you can get anything from candy thermometers to a completely new wok stove. more ›

Another day, another street vendor vs chengguan (城管) brawl. Last night around 7pm in Putuo District, Shanghai, an unmarked van rolled up on a group of unlicensed street vendors working near the corner of Ningxia Road and Kaixuan Road. After the van stopped near the corner, 10 men jumped out and then began attacking the vendors in an attempt to get them to disperse. Several people were injured (including some of the attackers) and sent to the hospital, where they remain in a stable condition. more ›

Shanghainese men, take heart - while the news usually focuses on Shanghai women getting it good from rich foreign lovers, this (now split) couple in Putuo gives us hope for some measure of equality: A wealthy Chinese American woman and her 20-year-younger boyfriend have just emerged from a court case involving BMWs, an apartment and a 5 million rmb (ultimately turned down) proposal: more ›

What happens if you build two high-rise apartment buildings and realize in hindsight that not only is the feng shui off, you actually care that the feng shui is off? If you're this building developer in Putuo, you insert a giant frickin' 15-story-high rock. more ›

I have come to a very sad realization as of recently: I am no speed demon. No, I'm ashamed to say that just days ago, I clutched my driving wheel in terror as my dreams of having an innate Initial D-like sense were hopelessly dashed and I spun, at what must of been a sound breaking 15 miles per hour, into a barricade of tires. Luckily, it was all on a go kart track. more ›

From today onwards, if you're looking for some extra cash, go take a whizz at a newly opened store on Changshou Road. The store, which specializes in selling water-saving bathroom wares, is offering 10RMB to anyone who goes to the newly opened toilet there. Those who write an article about using the toilet will have an opportunity to win bathroom wares worth thousands (saaaay...), according to Shanghai Daily. Of course, now that this news is out in the open, expect long lines to form outside the store. Yesterday, people were already lining up to patronize the toilet. Update: Aw, it looks like the store's already lowered its offering from 10RMB to 1RMB. more ›

Now that the suspects have been rounded up and everything has settled down a bit, we can confirm that the shooting in Shanghai's Putuo district on Friday was a fatal clash between two gangs. All in all, four homemade (homemade?) guns were confiscated and 10 people were detained, of which two have now passed away from gunshot wounds. While police would give no more explanation than that the argument was over a dispute, Shanghai Daily speculated that it was a drug deal gone wrong. The last time we saw a shooting was way back in 2002, and there were two injuries. Source: Xinhua more ›

That's right - people actually got SHOT in Shanghai, despite the country's incredibly strict laws on gun control! Two men are said to have received gunshot wounds in the Huili Garden apartment complex off Changshou Road in the Putuo District. more ›

Photo from Ryan Pollack more ›

Over the weekend we briefly mentioned MGM Studio World, a huge indoor entertainment complex coming to Shanghai. And today we found an image of the plans — hope you like Rocky. Here's what the press release says: more ›

A round-up of BBS posts on the Shanghai metro:
• People's Square concrete drying... and drying... Poster SanNiu British Teacakes noticed yesterday that the yellow metal floor protectors place in front of the glass safety doors on the People's Square Line 1 platform have been moved around as the floor is repaired following the safety door installation process.
• Line 7 to perform "double crossing" of Suzhou CreekThe Metro Line 7 will perform a over-and-under double crossing of the Suzhou Creek south of the Zhenping Rd station. Line 7, a north-south line stretching from the outer Putuo District down to the World Expo site in Pudong, will cross the Suzhou Creek southbound through through a tunnel and northbound over a bridge. This is an unprecedented arrangement for the Shanghai metro system. On its journey, Line 7 will also intersect with Line 2 at Jing'an Temple and with Line 1 at Changshu Rd.
• Rumors say Line 4 to be delayed to 2008Rumors say that the structural engineering of ring line 4 will be complete by mid-2007, and that the installation of equipment and testing will take another full year to complete.

Call us stupid (you wouldn't be the first person) but we were kind of confused upon reading this Shanghai Daily story: more ›

So, we're trying to get a license for our new dog. They don't make this process easy, of course. But why would they? It's not like our dog's life depends on it. Oh wait ... more ›

The move follows a series of recent complaints over a huge billboard in the Xujiahui area that displayed the bare thigh of a Hong Kong pop star who was selling skin-care products. ... more ›

Some news snippets having to do with Shanghai landmarks and redevelopment: more ›

Terror threat advisory remains 'elevated' more ›