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Dedicated Shenzhen Bike Lanes Planned for Next Year

Posted: 12/22/2014 11:00 am

shenzhen pedestrian walkwayShenzhen’s reputation as China’s most pedestrian-friendly city is about to get a boost following the announcement of plans to construct more paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Shenzhen Municipal Transportation and Transport Committee has partnered with the Futian local government to build a bike path that crosses North Ring Road at the Xinzhou overpass. The overpass will include a roof to provide shelter for pedestrians.

Scheduled to start construction next year, the plan also includes designated bike trails running from Meilin to the downtown core. Car lanes along Hongli Road will be narrowed in order to facilitate the bike lane.

Here are some photos of what the new addition will look like:

shenzhen pedestrian walkwayshenzhen pedestrian walkwayshenzhen pedestrian walkwayRelated:

Photos: Shenzhen Traffic Police

Haohao

Expat Cyclist Becomes Hero for Blocking Chinese Driver from Beijing Bike Lane

Posted: 11/19/2014 11:56 am

laowai cyclist traffic enforcer bicycle beijing block carAn expat has become a sensation on the Chinese internet after blocking a car that was trying to use a bike lane in Beijing, prompting some soul-searching among Chinese netizens on why no Chinese people have confronted uncivilized behavior.

READ: Chinese Pedestrians Have No Problem Obeying Laowai Traffic Warden

This all started when a Weibo user took several photos on Yaojiayuan Road that show a cyclist blocking a car from using the bike lane.

laowai cyclist traffic enforcer bicycle beijing block car

We don’t know much about this guy, but we do know he’s probably frustrated at the continuing use of bike lanes by drivers in the capital.

READ: No More Free Rides: Expats “Lose Face” Trying to Sneak Bikes
onto Beijing Metro

We also don’t know who retreated first, as photos don’t show the driver or the cyclist backing down.  All we can tell from the pictures is that the driver is sheepish at having been caught driving in the bike lane, and that another cyclist, perhaps a local, was completely caught up in watching the proceedings.

Online reaction has been largely supportive, commending the man for taking a stand. But many wonder why it was left to a laowai to take matters into his own hands.

laowai cyclist traffic enforcer bicycle beijing block carThe Weibo account of a police morality squad pointedly asked: “In confronting uncivilized acts, would we (Chinese) be as brave as him?” Meanwhile, netizens had an assortment of comments, like the following:

五楼的鱼维:
(I don’t) dare to do this (myself) because I’m not a laowai. A Chinese (who did this) would surely get beaten up. [angry.emoji]

京城郎叔:
I’m guessing this laowai has been in the capital for under a year.

MM_傑:
The life of regular Chinese people is cheap. They don’t dare to start a fight with the higher-ups.

乱飞扑的Becks懒得理你什么世界:
If a Chinese national blocked the car, he would surely be badly beaten…

homer-BB:
(Is this foreigner) interfering with the internal affairs of our country?

狂人9号:
Fortunately it’s a laowai, otherwise he’d be beaten up.

菁华108:
We should learn from the good side of this foreign guy. [thumbsup.emoji]

别逗俺丶俺会打你的丶:
Good thing it’s not Li Gang’s son. (An infamous case in which a driver who had struck and killed pedestrians was adamant he was above the law by telling police officers, “My dad is Li Gang!”)

LQL奇妙之旅:
It’s all because he is a laowai.

laowai cyclist traffic enforcer bicycle beijing block carlaowai cyclist traffic enforcer bicycle beijing block car

As pointed out by China Daily, expats have previously been involved in instances of blocking cars. In June 2012, an expat in Chengdu blocked others cars at an intersection in order to allow an ambulance to get through. In April 2011, an expat in Guangzhou blocked a car that was driving the wrong way down a road.

Related:

Photos: Southern Daily

Haohao

No More Free Rides: Expats “Lose Face” Trying to Sneak Bikes onto Beijing Metro

Posted: 10/31/2014 9:15 am

expats bikes rejected metro beijingIt seemed there was a time when expats in China could do almost anything and get away with it. And while there may be still be a double-standard with regard to certain issues, one thing is for sure: expats aren’t allowed to take bicycles on the Beijing Metro anymore.

Three men identified as “laowai” were attempting to enter Dawanglu Station on October 29 at 10:10pm when they were barred from entering by staff at the security checkpoint, reports Sina. When that didn’t work, the trio tried to enter the station by using the exit channel, where they were again refused entry.

The Beijing Metro confirms passengers with over-sized packages such as bicycles are not allowed to take the train. Before angrily exchanging words and leaving, the expats were told by a station employee to ”not lose face for your country”.

Regardless of whether or not you value the concept of face, we’d urge all expats in China to refrain from bringing their bicycles on the Beijing Metro.

expats bikes rejected metro beijingexpats bikes rejected metro beijingexpats bikes rejected metro beijingexpats bikes rejected metro beijingPhotos: Southern Capital Report, Sina News

Haohao

Shenzhen to Build Hong Kong-style Pedestrian Walkways

Posted: 10/22/2014 8:49 am

admiralty walkwayAlready awarded the title of “Most Walkable City in Mainland China“, Shenzhen looks to outdo itself by making further improvements to its infrastructure in order to improve city transportation.

Shenzhen is planning to make numerous improvements throughout the city, and some of its inspiration will come directly from its neighbor to the south.

Shenzhen is looking to create a number of pedestrian corridors in its Central Business District that match those in Admiralty, Hong Kong. They will be built in the “Golden Triangle” and six other areas where pedestrian traffic is highest.

Shenzhen is also planning to create an all-day or temporary commercial pedestrian street in Nanshan central district, Huaqiangbei, and Dongmen.

Shenzhen’s network of scenic tour routes will also be improved, with the combination of the Lianhuashan and Bijiashan green routes. As well, pedestrian routes nearby hospitals will be upgraded.

A total of nine new pedestrian scenic routes will be constructed in the areas of Meilin, Chegongmiao, Bihai, Tianbei, Xiashuijing, Bantian, Baishaling, Haiyue, and Dongjiaotou.

Lastly, Shenzhen will upgrade the city’s bike trails and offer more bike rentals for those who prefer two wheels to two feet.

Photo: blog.sina

Haohao

A Surefire Way To Stop Red Light Runners? Roll Out a Temporary Wall

Posted: 09/24/2014 8:42 pm

traffic gate fuzhou 04Where foreigners see stifling limitations in China’s opulence of rules and regulations, locals see opportunity and innovation.  Chinese prosper under an overbearing hand by finding the loopholes and backdoor avenues that allow for unregulated rewards. It’s long been known in Chinese as “getting through the cracks”.

But that’s for complicated rules, though. And sometimes, there’s no getting through the cracks. Just ask drivers and cyclists in Fuzhou, Fujian Province.

traffic gate fuzhou 04

When they used to run red lights, a police officer would remind them to obey the rules. When they didn’t, the community took the next step, one common throughout Chinese history: erect a wall. That’s right, a collapsible metal one meter high fence blocks traffic when the light turns red, reports Caijing. The collapsible gate is used during rush hour and is controlled by a traffic warden.

If this doesn’t work to prevent red light runners, we’d imagine stronger measures will have to take place, like doing away with the road entirely.

traffic gate fuzhou 04traffic gate fuzhou

Photos: Caijing

Haohao

Guangdong Teenager’s Testicle Pops Out in Tragic Bicycle Accident

Posted: 06/19/2014 8:38 am

Xiao Pan is in recovery now after surgery.

A 19 year-old boy from Huadu, Guangdong may be reproductively-challenged for the rest of his life after one of his testicles fell out during a bicycle accident.

accident scene

Even doctors from a nearby county-level hospital were aghast at what they saw. After preliminary medical procedures, they immediately transferred Xiao Pan to a paramilitary hospital. The doctors there had to stitch up ruptured and damaged blood vessels before putting the testicle back in the scrotum, his doctor told the newspaper.

The injury won’t affect Xiao Pan’s sex life, but will “cause unidentified damages” to reproduction, the doctor said.

This is a huge blow to Xiao Pan’s family, a traditional rural household in Guangdong, where many still believe that the eldest son’s prime filial duty is to continue the family bloodline. Xiao Pan’s mother was concerned if anything were to happen to the eldest son of the family, her whole family would have no dignity or “face” to live any longer, she said.

While that may seem selfish since it’s Xiao Pan who is personally suffering at the moment, the matriarch of the family in China is able to say whatever she’d like since the ball is now in her court.

Photos: Guangdong TV

Haohao

Zhuhai Wants Lovers on Tandem Bicycles, So Many It Can Break a World Record

Posted: 05/22/2014 5:55 pm

tandem bicycle lovers zhuhai chinaFlying the world’s largest kite and having the world’s largest aquarium simply isn’t good enough for the people that live in China’s most livable city with the best air quality. Instead, Zhuhai is looking for 199 couples to enroll in a tandem bicycle race in order to break a Guinness World Record.

The event will take place on August 8, the same day as the Chinese festival called Qixi*. Organizers are looking for 119 Chinese couples and 80 Asian and African couples to sign up before July 10.

With the theme of ”Romantic Zhuhai, the legend of love”, the tandem bike race is planned along many of Zhuhai’s city landmarks: it begins at Zhuhai’s Lovers’ Lane and East Wind Road before winding its way through Haibin Park, the Zhuhai Fisherwoman, the Haibin Pool, and the Zhuhai Opera House, which is currently under construction. With the Macau skyline in the background, the race course will finally end at Hengqin Changlong International Resort for a total distance of 29.9km.

And it’s not just in the name of love: the winners of the race will get a chance to win the exclusive use of a Trumpche car for two years.

Sounds positively romantic, having your love be authenticated through the participation of breaking a world record. Though we’d have to say: an ideal competition involving two people in love should be more something like this:

wife carrying contest

***

* Notes: Formerly known as “Girls’ Day”, Qixi Festival is well-known for its heart-breaking story of the cowherd and the seamstress who were destined to spend all of eternity apart except for this one day of the year. On Qixi, all the crows in the world fly to bridge the gap in the Milky Way, allowing them to finally meet each other, if only temporarily.

For this reason, Qixi is often referred as China’s “Valentine’s Day” despite also celebrating similar romantic festivals on “I Love You” Day (May 20), Singles’ Day (Nov 11), Valentine’s Day and White Day (March 14).

Photo: Sina, Says.com

Haohao
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