Xinhuanet (news in Chinese) and Shanghai Daily (for non-Chinese readers) report on the bizarre Beijing tale of a two foreigners and their overprotective Chinese interpreter who fought off eight guys who apparently gawked at his clients too long. Those rude guys not only stared at the blond, mustached foreigners, but then they refused to apologize for it! In the Shanghai Daily story, according to a relative of one of those hooligans, that was when the interpreter stopped being Mr. Nice Guy: more ›

Nadnerb, a commenter on our "Center of Shanghai" post from yesterday, pointed out that the trapezoidal building in this Google Maps satellite shot was the old Jingwen Flower Market: more ›

Shanghaiist -- who enjoys a stroll along the city's famous waterfront -- feels a slight sense of relief when reading this piece of news (in Chinese). The City Inspecting Team (城管) of Huangpu District has announced that since late January they've spent 15 hours a day patrolling the Bund in an attempt to reduce the activities of beggars and shoe polishers. (Anyone notice that the number of beggars seems to have decreased recently?) more ›