Fresh off the press: A video of the secret police who watched over AIDS, environmental and democracy activist Hu Jia (胡嘉) day and night while they were under house arrest from July last year to March this year has just been released (h/t to CDT). 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 ›

Do you remember what you were doing on May 18? Let us help you: You were reading a Shanghaiist post about Sex and Shanghai, a blog started by one "Chinabounder", a British teacher living in Shanghai. In this blog Chinabounder wrote about his sexcapades, as well as scattered thoughts about sex and sexuality in China, Mao, the Cultural Revolution, and China in general. more ›

Obviously, the filmmakers didn't model their characterization on Shanghai's adroit and fast-acting anti-jaywalking force. Despite 20 percent of Tom Cruise's M:I:3 being shot in China, its China release has been "delayed indefinitely," primarily because the skin of local officials appears to be as thin as that found on a finely prepared xiaolongbao. From the Shenzhen Daily: more ›

• Hybrid cars should hit Shanghai by the end of the year. Meanwhile, about 360,000 cars in Shanghai have received the "green" seal of approval.
• Weddings are up in the Year of the Dog. But what caught our attention was this: "For weddings with 200 guests, the current price is 18,000 yuan (US$2,236), which is 15 percent above last year."
• It is now officially illegal to discriminate against AIDS sufferers in China.

Fireworks may be dangerous and all, but they sure do make for a wild, wild night. Here's hoping you all are recovering nicely and have a plan to enjoy today's unusually excellent weather. Some Chinese New Year links: more ›

新年快乐! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Year of the Dog! Happy everything from all of us here at Shanghaiist. Eat well. Drink well. And don't forget to let go of the firecrackers. more ›

Photo of the JW Marriott in Shanghai. more ›

• Photos of three very different Chinese weddings.
• Bowing to pressure from competitors, eBay China is waiving transaction fees on its site. "Each market is different...Chinese people are very price-sensitive, perhaps more than any other market," an eBay spokesperson said.
• The Year of the Dog could lead to lots of abandoned puppies. Adopt if you can! (It's worth it.)

• Shanghai company to start manufacturing hybrid cars. Wonder if the government will ban these, too.
• For those of you who have always wanted to lick a Super Voice Girl ... now is your chance.
• No one knows when Memoirs of a Geisha will hit Chinese movie theaters.

Dog Year treats more ›