The practice, along with capital punishment, are merely two of the most visible examples of how China's justice system stands apart from other countries. Though there have been talks of labor camps getting shut down, no official move has yet been made, with recent news also suggesting that labor camps have now at least developed an ironic sense of humor. more ›

The 7th Chinese International Comics and Games Expo held at the China Pavilion was a smorgasbord of color and hyperkinetic noise, featuring dozens of exhibitors representing a variety of corners of respective toy, anime, and gaming universes. Children turned out in droves with parents in tow to sample the delights of their favorite fuzzy creatures in the flesh, and cosplay devotees nerded out with several thousand of their spiritual peers, with a sheepish tango involving posing and picture-snapping taking place throughout the Pavilion. more ›

Miss Expo already? No worries! The government, anticipating your postpartum depression, has promised us all a museum dedicated to the World Expo 2010 by 2010. It will "conserve the typical world expo exhibits while offering a platform to popularize world expo history and current developments," says Zhu Yonglei of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. According to Xinhua, more than 200 expo participants have already signed on to donate exhibits - numbering 4,000 - to the museum once it's built. What Expo exhibits would you want to see in a museum? more ›

Lego aficionado Tsang Yiu Keung has built this microscale replica of the gigantic China Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. Not only is it built to scale, but it even lights up from the inside! Just like the real one - or at least it would be if there was a five-hour line of minifigs waiting outside. more ›

In remembrance of the now past Qixi Festival (China's Valentine's Day, kinda) here's a very cute video by some young couple who managed to film themselves kissing at each and every Expo Pavilion. The concept sounds gross and PDA-y, but the way they decided to go about it was actually pretty adorable and sweet (and, I guess, the Taylor Swift soundtrack helps). I especially love the handshake for the DPRK Pavilion. more ›

If you thought Shanghai traffic was bad now, just wait until next month. Traffic authorities warned that Shanghai traffic would continue to get worse from now until October. According to the Shanghai Daily, over 360,000 tourists arrive in Shanghai every day and this number is expected to rise. more ›

Everyone's favorite Chinese pianist, Lang Lang, posted a video clip of his recent performance of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic in Central Park. more ›

The Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club last night played host to Jia Zhangke, the man NPR recently dubbed "the most important filmmaker working in the world today." The evening began at Shanghai Film Art Center with a special screening of Jia's latest film, the Shanghai-focused documentary I Wish I Knew (《上海传奇》), released to coincide with the ongoing World Expo. The viewing was followed by a Q&A with the director down the road at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu. You can listen to to that 76-minute session right here (in Chinese with English translations). more ›

Some people are so enamored of Expo (or so insistent on getting their money's worth) that they actually try to stay in the park after midnight. It's gotten so bad that Expo authorities have now issued a warning saying that those who are caught on Expo grounds past closing time could be charged with "disturbing social order," which could carry a jail term of up to three years in prison. more ›

Buffeted by the frightfully good weather (not too humid, sunny, hot but not burning), this weekend has been the best for Expo attendance so far! Over half a million people entered through the Expo doors on Saturday, reaching nearly 290,000 visitors by 10:30am and 503,600 hours before the gates closed. Jeez - what was the limit of people they can allow in at one time again? Looks like all that handwringing about low attendance numbers didn't take into account how tourists only like to wander huge theme parks when the weather is better. Hot tip: If you want to avoid long lines, go on days where you have to bring an umbrella. more ›

Good Day !! more ›

CNNGo has a article detailing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the Expo over the weekend, of which I've picked the three little factoids I find the most funny. Like most things on this site that are USA Pavilion related, the type of funny they are leans towards that cringe-inducing Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque type of funny. more ›

Zachary Franklin of DeluxZilla shakes his finger at Shanghaiist for doing "everything short of link every time [Adam] Minter has to hit the bathroom" and springs to the defense of the US pavilion. more ›

We've long known about how some intrepid American cartoonists went back in time to 1956 and created that blatant Haibao rip off, Gumby (you can't fool us with the different coloring, blasted Americans!)... but now we find out that the Japanese had their own time machine as well - China Smack has discovered how this shameless Japanese pop star copied our Expo theme song in 1997! more ›

Speaking of the Expo, Adam Minter (of the Atlantic, Foreign Policy and his always informative blog Shanghai Scrap) has put up two previously secret documents relating to the USA Pavilion. As you probably know by now, there's been questions about how exactly the USA Pavilion came to be - who chose the team, how come the money's taking so long to raise and heck, why it needs to cost $61 million in the first place. Now memos uncovered by a Freedom of Information Act have lifted the veil on at least some of it. Read Minter's most recent post on it. more ›

So visas might have been tough to get for the 60th anniversary and the Olympics, but officials swear that The Expo won't be the same. The Foreign MInistry has said that it already has "an established policy" for providing quick visas to Expo visitors. Unfortunately, he didn't specify what that "established policy" was or what kind of visas would be easy to get and they most probably aren't business visas - so all you English teachers are still kind of screwed. Sorry. more ›

• Jinjiafang might look like a typical Old Town lane, but its dilapidated courtyards harbor a scandalous history. [CNNGo]
• Oh boy, what's with the New York Times focus on Shanghai recently? First it listed out our blogs, and now its delving deep into our history - particularly how political intrigue here helped shape the country. [New York Times]
• Almost 10,000 journalists have applied to cover the World Expo here, including about "2,000 journalists from overseas media outlets." Wait, does that mean there's 8,000 journalists coming just from inside of China? That sounds dubious. [People's Daily]

• Shanghai's primary and secondary school students were involved in 1,717 accidents and suicides, which claimed 68 last year. [China Daily]
• Starting today, you'll be able to use your mobile phone to shop at malls... as long as you change your traditional SIM card with a customized RF UIM chip. [Global Times]
• Yikes, just a reminder: not everyone who says they're connected to the Expo actually is. Chinese police have arrested a man who allegedly posed as an official in charge of construction projects, defrauding supply companies of 360,000RMB. [Inquirer]

This is an advertisement. IVG, a worldwide leading venue operator, is providing services to the USA, Australian and New Zealand Pavilions at World Expo 2010. We have limited full time and casual positions still available for: Customer Service Staff, Retail Sales Staff, Waiters, Cooks, Kitchen Hands, Dishwashers, and Mascot Handlers. The Australian Pavilion is also recruiting professional musicians in the sand bar band. For further details and job descriptions, please visit our website. To apply, please send your resume, photo, and a cover letter for each position you are interested by Thursday, 11th February to Room 3301 K Wah Center. #1010 Huaihai Zhong Road, Shanghai. More job ads. Place a job ad. more ›

The good people at Ogilvy have polled the Chinese peoples and the results are out: Despite knowing almost nothing about the USA Pavilion (and maybe because of that), the Chinese want to check that out the most. more ›

With the billions upon billions of dollars being poured into the upcoming Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai is gearing up for a glitzy and glamorous time under the international spotlight. Of course, it's going to be a costly experience: while 160 RMB for a ticket is a palatable expense for the droves of tourists who will visit the expo, it's a pretty pricey expenditure for the average citizen. So how will the faithful residents of our fair city be able to take part in the "better city, better life" experience? more ›

This photo was taken this morning on Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Lu. Nothing screams "Better City, Better Life" like walking on some blacktop. A local business owner said this ugly, quick-fix approach to city planning could be a sign that Shanghai is really feeling the crunch as it tries to get its myriad "beautification" projects completed before the May 1 start of the 2010 World Expo. On the plus side, asphalt sidewalks will probably last a bit longer than the already-cracking-and-coming-unstuck brick ones laid out not too long ago in other parts of the French Concession. But we're definitely not looking forward to strolling on — or getting stuck to — these human driveways when they help make Shanghai's already muggy summers even muggier. more ›

When we first read that New York Times article about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's support of the USA Pavilion effort here in Shanghai, something didn't sit quite right with us. It's not that the facts didn't seem correct or anything - but almost no mention was made about why Clinton stepped in to raise money in the first place. Wasn't there already a group of people meant to do that? more ›

So while we were busy drinking it up in celebration of the New Year, the industrious Shanghai Expo people finally released the English version of their Expo site, complete with an English-speaking Haibao. And guess what? Our little blue toothpaste squeeze talks in a high pitched, clipped British accent. more ›

Among the songs Shanghai art-punk band Top Floor Circus (顶楼马戏团) performed to a cheering crowd at Mao Livehouse this weekend was an update of their song "Shanghai Welcomes You" (which we giggled about back in August). If you thought the old version was biting, iteration two, named "Shanghai Doesn't Welcome You" adds on the negativity. more ›

When the Expo people first revealed Haibao, we were less than pleased. Then the Australian mascot came along and we thought to ourselves, well at least we're not that obvious. Then the Taiwanese mascot made its appearance and we were thankful that at least Shanghai wasn't being represented by something that looked like crap. Literally. But this new Singaporean mascot? It actually makes us happy that Haibao's ours. more ›

Making a pit stop during the Obama Administration’s Blonde Ambition tour of Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a visit to the 2010 Expo site earlier today. Secretary Clinton addressed a squadron of journalists in front of the site for the future United States pavilion, among other things asking for increased contributions from American businesses, as the U.S. had raised two-thirds of the expo participation cost as of September. more ›

This is an advertisement. The USA Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is now recruiting! We are offering an exciting number of positions across a variety of teams. Please visit our website at usapavilion2010.com/jobs for the opportunity to be a part of the world’s biggest-ever event! More job ads. Place a job ad. more ›

More photos on the Shanghaiist Contribute page. To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site (and here). more ›

We don't know how long our city's mascot has been on the subway etiquette beat, but we were absolutely delighted to catch him at the People's Square station this afternoon, waving to people as two Expo volunteers reminded everyone that, on the escalator, the right side is for standing and the left side is for walking. more ›