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70 Students In Shanghai Caught Using Stand-ins To Take Their CET English Exams

Posted: 12/24/2014 9:00 am

cheating school test exam

Technology has certainly made cheating on school work easier. Once upon a time, students had to write answers on their hands; now, they can input answers on their cellphones, or in dictionaries used to hide a cellphone.

Another option, of course, is to just hire someone to take the test for you, like the 70 students caught in Shanghai using substitutes to write their CET English exams.

Current regulations regarding the use of fake identification prevent any of the substitutes from being penalized. Instead, the students that hired their stand-ins could face a one-to-three year ban on taking the test. They may also be identified to their employers with a “recommended punishment”.

Photo: hujiang

Haohao

Shanghai Apartment Building Teeters Precariously Into Next Door Neighbor

Posted: 11/25/2014 9:30 am

leaning building of pudongTwo newly constructed buildings in the Pudong area of Shanghai, nicknamed the “kissing buildings”, are threatening their occupants as one building leans precariously into the other.

The apartment buildings were first occupied by residents only two years ago. Yet foundation cracks can already be seen throughout the exterior of the leaning No. 17, which is located only inches away from its twin 15-story neighbor at their closest spot.

leaning building of pudongPudong was originally a swampy grassland that was largely undeveloped before the revitalization of China’s economy in the 1990s. In order to ensure a stable foundation, thousands of steel pillars dozens of meters long were driven into the earth.

However, Pudong’s highest skyscrapers already have long cracks in the sidewalks below them as critics claim the entire area is sinking.

Shanghai is also where a 13-story apartment building fell over completely intact, having become free from its foundation. One person was killed in the incident, but no residents were living in the building at the time.

leaning building of pudongleaning building of pudongleaning building of pudongleaning building of pudongleaning building of pudongleaning building of pudongPhotos: People’s Daily OnlineSMG News

Haohao

Disney Unveils Plans for Massive Shanghai Theme Park

Posted: 11/17/2014 1:00 pm

shanghai disneyworldSet to open next year, Shanghai Disney Resort has unveiled its plans for an enormous entertainment complex next to a manmade lake, reported Xinhua.

Details released at the 2014 China International Tourism Trade Fair, indicated that the theme park will have two main hotels, one of which will feature a “Toy Story” theme.

shanghai disneyworldShanghai’s Disney Resort will be the sixth in the world, and will include the largest castle to date. Of the six entertainment sectors, one will have a “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme, while another will have Chinese characteristics and be called the “12 Friends Park”.

In other Disney developments, Hong Kong Disney World recently announced admission prices will increase from HKD $450 to $499.

More concept photos of the new Shanghai Disney Resort are shown below:

shanghai disneyworldshanghai disneyworldshanghai disneyworldshanghai disneyworldPhotos: Xinhua, Hexun

Haohao

Horse Racing Returns to China After 65 Year Ban

Posted: 10/23/2014 9:13 am

china jockey club

Long a staple of life in Hong Kong, Mainland China has decided to welcome the return of horse racing to meet demand for the sport around the country.

Beijing has formally established the China Jockey Association, an organisation that will be responsible for horse racing and the race horse industry. Horse racing will officially kick-off in next year in July with a race in Shanghai, followed by another in Beijing in October.

Revenues from the industry will be sent to the government, charities, the racing industry itself, and boost prize winnings for lotteries.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club didn’t comment on what influence racing in the Mainland may have on its own lucrative business. Betting on races in Hong Kong is one of the only places to gamble in China, the other being at the casinos in Macau.

Analysts are quick to point out that by establishing a horse racing industry in China, secondary industries will benefit as a result, such as feed industries and blacksmiths.

Despite a ban on horse racing since the Communist Party came into power in 1949, horse racing has had a long tradition in China. The sport was popular in 1850 during the Qing Dynasty in Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin. During the 1930s, horse racing was operated in Shanghai by the British and was also very popular.

At present, Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan are among many cities interested in operating their own jockey clubs.

Photo: msn

Haohao

Shanghai Debuts Flashy, Golden “Tuhao” Taxis

Posted: 10/16/2014 9:00 am

Shanghai may have finally found the right kind of taxis to serve the city’s nouveau riche, (un)affectionately referred to as “Tuhao“. The fleet of 50 taxis are driven by chauffeurs adorned with crisp white shirts, black suits, and white gloves. And in case the photo isn’t clear, all of the taxis are painted gold.

Launched by the Geely Holding Group, the new TX4 Taxis as they are called, come with air purifiers, indispensable on those particularly smoggy days, and also offer WiFi, reports Chinaso.com.

Despite the tacky aesthetic and tailored features, Geely claims the taxis are primarily designed for senior citizens and the disabled. However, with a starting rate of RMB19, five bucks more expensive than the normal rate, few are buying into the idea that Geely are simply looking to help those with limited mobility.

One Weibo user 请叫我黑人刘 wrote, “special groups are always the ones that are less financially fortunate. If this is really for them, why are they charging more?”

Another called Howis said, “if this is targeted at high earners, do they really need to take a taxi? And if it targets low earners and those with limited mobility, why is the taxi golden?”

But perhaps, there is a middle ground. Weibo user, 爱上金鱼的大象, wrote,  “this is really designed for crass rich people with disabilities.”

Photos: Xinhua; Chinaso.com

Haohao

Beware This Hairy Crab Season: 99% of Yangcheng Crabs Are Fake

Posted: 10/13/2014 9:45 am

hairy crabFoodies in China can now add the famous Lake Yangcheng hairy crab to the long list of faked food items on sale in the country. For every 300 Lake Yangcheng hairy crabs that are sold, only one is authentic.

The distinguishing characteristics of a hairy crab include a green shell, pale belly, golden hairs and claws. However, counterfeiters now use chemicals to give makeovers to normal crabs to resemble the prized Yangcheng ones. When plastic authentication rings were added to distinguish fakes from the real deal, wily counterfeiters simply copied the rings.

plastic authenticating ring hairy crabThe report coincides with the arrival of hairy crab season in Shanghai, where it is a local delicacy. While it’s a shame that some consumers may never come to savor a true Lake Yangcheng hairy crab, retailers selling the authentic product find themselves being squeezed out by counterfeiters.

Fu Zecheng, chairman of the Jiangsu Lake Yangcheng Hairy Crab Marketing Co, complains that counterfeiters have successfully copied every method marketers have used to authenticate their crabs. Fu is considering adding a second authentication ring but he questions how well it will work, “How can you prove to consumers that what you are selling is the real deal?” said Fu.

plastic authenticating ring hairy crab

Crab isn’t the only fake menu item being sold to consumers. A recent report revealed that many restaurants in China are passing off beef skewers as lamb to consumers who can’t tell the difference. While the report initially came to light last summer, a university student gave the story new traction last month after determining through DNA tests that only 20 percent of lamb skewers are actually lamb.

Whether crab or otherwise, it would appear that as long as there is a dollar to be made counterfeiting goods, there will be counterfeiters willing to do it.

Related:

Photos: iFeng, CCTV, KS News

Haohao

More Taiwanese Gutter Oil Found In Shanghai, Xiamen, Wenzhou

Posted: 09/17/2014 10:00 am

The Taiwanese gutter oil scandal just keeps escalating as mainland cities, including Shanghai, Xiamen and Wenzhou, discover more and more food products containing tainted lard supplied by Taiwanese oil manufacturer, Chang Guann Co.

According to the Shanghai Food and Drugs Supervision Bureau, approximately 8,700 bags of food suspected of using the substandard oil were seized in Shanghai. In Xiamen, about 4.9 tons of food was suspected of containing the contaminated oil, said officials from the City’s Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po reported on September 14.

Of the 4.9 tons of food seized in Xiamen, 3.2 tons consisted of pork products and 1.7 tons were made up of butter biscuits. The two food manufacturers, Wei Chuan Food (味全) and Triko Foods Co Ltd (盛香珍食品), were found to be using tainted oil from Chang Guann.

Cream cookies…found to have used the tainted oil.

Wenzhou, in eastern China, also uncovered approximately 60 kg of food allegedly containing the tainted oil, which included noodles, beef and sunflower seed oil, the China Daily reported.

Since the gutter oil scandal first exploded in Taiwan in early September (when Chang Guann was found to be mixing lard oil with gutter oil collected from food waste or slaughterhouses and selling it as cooking oil), about 250 food products involving roughly 1,200 food companies and processors were found to have used oil supplied from the company.

In Hong Kong, cakes made from the gutter oil supplied by the Taiwanese firm were sold by 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Maxim, Café Express and Arome Bakery, to name a few. A comprehensive map of the stores, shops and restaurants suspected of using the substandard oil in Hong Kong can be found here by SCMP.

Photos: Central Television 

Haohao

Shanghai Expat Has RMB 220,000 Vanish From His Bank Account

Posted: 08/26/2014 3:19 pm

foreigner missing money bank accountAn Italian expat in Shanghai made a shocking discovery when he visited an ATM in the city: RMB 220,000 was missing from his bank account. “Rafael” said the account contains (rather, “contained”) money he’s earned from his auto parts business in Guangzhou. He noticed the money gone on August 21 when the ATM showed a balance of a mere RMB 361.

Rafael said he had lent his debit card to his wife earlier, but she didn’t withdraw the money. To figure out what happened, he visited several branches to get a detailed transaction list; purchases by Rafael’s wife totaled RMB 3,168, but the last transaction on the list contained the clue: a payment to a supply company called “New Lily” for RMB 220,000.

report by 163 News says Rafael filed a police a report but hasn’t received much help yet. He’s obviously nonplussed about the money disappearing so easily. This is from Lost Laowai:

I have done business in a lot of countries, but have never heard of this kind of crime. I have many friends doing business in China, we all have Chinese bank accounts, use Chinese debt cards, and we never realized our money is at risk. How can we get our trust back?

Sadly, this isn’t the first time a laowai has been scammed this way. A Shenzhen-based Dutchman under the pseudonym Deng Ming also lost RMB 220,000 from his bank account last year.

Related:

[h/t Lost Laowai]

Photo: 163 News

Haohao

Watch: Foreigner Faints on Shanghai Metro, Other Passengers Run Away

Posted: 08/20/2014 11:46 am

foreigner faints on shanghai metro subway unconscious run away no help supportTen seconds is apparently all it takes to empty a subway car full of passengers.

That’s what happened on August 9 at 9:34pm when an unidentified foreigner entered a subway car on Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro at Jinke Station. After taking a seat, the man was seen shifting towards his right, his head nearly touching the shoulder of the middle-aged woman sitting next to him.

Soon after, the man suddenly fell on the floor and appeared to have lost consciousness, reports iFeng.

foreigner faints on shanghai metro subway unconscious run away no help support

foreigner faints on shanghai metro

The first reaction from the five passengers sitting across from the foreigner was to run away. As seen in a surveillance video on board the subway (below), all passengers rushed out of the car within ten seconds of the man falling to the ground.

News of “an incident” spread to adjoining trains, and caused a panic among the passengers. At the next station, subway commuters started spilling out of the train. In the ensuing stampede, a middle-aged man fell down and a woman slammed into a partition.

foreigner faints on shanghai metro

Throughout the entire time, no passengers were seen providing any assistance to the passed-out foreigner.

Metro staff boarded the train at the next stop to provide assistance, but by then the foreigner had regained consciousness. He stood up on his own and exited the train.

The man’s condition, like his identity, is unknown.

Here is the surveillance video from the incident:

Photos: iFeng, Beijing Youth Daily

Haohao

Chengdu Battles Shanghai for “Most Whipped Husbands” in China

Posted: 07/29/2014 2:04 pm

marriage domestic assault love under coercionChinese men don’t always have the best reputation among the ladies, as we reported yesterday in a story on how men fail to match-up with their female counterparts in terms of fashion and hygiene. Now guys are getting hammered again, this time through another survey.

Another question has been vexing China recently, namely: “Which cities’ husbands are more subservient to their wives, Shanghai or Chengdu?” Sichuan Online decided to turn the question into an actual survey that has stoked controversy among Chengdu husbands who are not satisfied with the results.

While details of how the survey was done remain unclear, the results show that 36.8% of respondents said Shanghai while only 31.6% believe Chengdu men are more subservient.

However, Chengdu husbands are apparently not satisfied with their position at #2, despite their apparently familiarity with it. Comments criticizing the survey results include:

Simply can not accept this. We’ve been at it neck and neck with Shanghai men, and we’ve given all of our earnings over (to our wives).
This clearly destroys the image of the Chengdu husband! Could it be?
This is definitely a trick!

marriage domestic assault love under coercion

A ranking of cities by how afraid husbands are of their wives begins with Shanghai, and is followed by Chengdu, Wuhan and Chaozhou. But one Chengdu male said they are simply misunderstood:

This isn’t called ‘being afraid of one’s wife’, but ‘loving one’s wife’.

The meek behaviour among men around their wives or girlfriends comes from the phrase “burning ear”. It is used to describe when a wife punishes her husband by twisting his ear, but the husband remains too afraid to use physical force against his wife so quietly accepts his punishment.

There were other questions as part of the survey, too. One was: “Are Chengdu husbands willing to allow themselves to be coerced by their wives with the public fully knowing the extent of their emasculation?” Twenty-six percent answered “yes”, 15.8% said “no”, while 57.9% said husbands are willing to be coerced by their wives, but only in private.

When asked why this is a particular phenomenon in Chengdu, 20.8% of respondents said that “Chengdu women have a spicy attitude”, 20.8% said “Chengdu men are mild and amenable”, while 29.2% stated, “This is a modern trend.”

If this is a modern trend, we wonder where people get the idea that domestic abuse within a marriage is acceptable, or even humorous.

hui tai lang hong tai lang

He’s holding a yellow rose and saying, “I love frying pans.”

Photos: meilishuo, media.163news.tigercity

Haohao
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