Jonathan Watts, the China correspondent for The Guardian, has recently put in his year so far article about the internet here. It covers a lot of familiar ground and quotes Zonaeuropa and Danwei.org, among others, as sources. One of the most quoted facts in these kinds of articles is the world’s most read blog being “Lao Xu”. Lao Xu is the Sina.com blog of actress/writer/director Xu Jing Lei 徐静雷. So what’s going on at the......

A South China tiger has been born in a South African wildlife reserve in South Africa, the first to be born outside China, raising hopes that the species can be saved from extinction. Only about 90 South China tigers are left in the world today. More from Sydney Morning Herald.......

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC), the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, is buying 20 percent of South Africa’s Standard Bank Group Ltd. Standard Bank is based in Johannesburg and has branches in 18 African nations. The USD $5.5 billion price tag marks the most expensive overseas investment by a Chinese firm to date. Earlier in the week, CITIC Securities, also a state owned company, swapped USD $1 billion worth of equities with Bear......

Planning an October holiday escape? Need some fresh air? How does Norway sound? The European Arctic. That should be far enough from the pull of Shanghai's pollution, right? Wrong. These days, there's no escaping China's chief export: Crappy air. Researchers at the Norwegian Polar Institute have said that they've detected chemical traces from China all the way up north on Spitsbergen Island. How do they do it, you ask? Well apparently with some smart detective......

In light of this week's national holiday, here are some transportation stories for your enjoyment: Shanghai to host 4.4 million tourists during the May Day holidays: That is five percent more than last year. Yay. Avoid People's Square and other hot spots these week.China May Day spells nightmare: This AP story claims that the Chinese government is looking to develop "a new system of staggered holidays" to ease the burden on the nation's transportation systems.......

My, my ... aren’t we a romantic bunch here in Shanghai. After much excitement about the auction of the most precious natural diamond in the city’s auction history, the 19.305-carat stone failed to attract a single bid during an auction on Monday. The "Siam Star" diamond, originally from South Africa and measuring almost two centimetres across, had been expected to fetch in the vicinity of 10 million RMB. According to this report, the auction was......

For those who think that The Bund is a one-trick pony of drinks and fine dining, it might be worth taking a quiet stroll inside the newly renovated Shanghai Municipal Archives for a taste of something different. Shanghaiist recently spent 20 minutes in a stuffy conference room of the new building's 7th floor, learning about the Peace Counts Project. Part of the 7th Shanghai International Arts Festival, Peace Counts is an exhibition of 56 photos......

When you think "China", what's the first word that comes into your head? "Surf," obviously. Along with more obvious surfing hotspots like Australia's Gold Coast and J-Bay in South Africa, comes Tai Long Wan, Hong Kong. Translated into English it means Big Wave Bay, though unless there's a typhoon or pasing container ship the swell often doesn't exceed chest height. Still, it's enough for beginners like Shanghaiist, who last weekend attended the China Coast Surf......