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Foreigner Fined RMB 500, Jailed 10 Days for Molesting Dalian Waitress

Posted: 10/22/2014 6:27 pm

jinzhou dalian A foreigner in Dalian found himself in a whole lot of trouble after he was arrested, fined, and jailed for sexual assault.

The foreign visitor, identified only as Ueda, 26, was with his father on a business trip on October 10 when he decided to eat in a private room at a seafood restaurant. The drinks started to flow, and eventually Ueda, in his words, “lost control of himself” and forcibly embraced a waitress named Zhang, who cried out.

Ueda then reportedly attacked other wait staff after they criticized him for his advances, destroying a restaurant chair in the process. A table of men nearly engaged to “teach the foreigner a lesson”, but rightfully ended up calling police instead. Ueda admitted to his crimes, was fined RMB 500, and was sent to jail for 10 days.

Dalian police emphasized they followed proper procedures in handling the situation. Ueda doesn’t understand a word of Chinese, which made the investigation more difficult.

Related:

Photo: agri

Haohao

Look Like Venice? This is China’s Latest White Elephant… in Dalian

Posted: 10/21/2014 9:35 am

 

A boat cruises past European-style castles in the Venice replica in Dalian.

Dalian, the capital of Liaoning Province in northern China, has unveiled an RMB 5 billion replica of Venice, with 200 European-style castles, Gondolas and four kilometre-long canals, Xinhua reported.

The colossal construction project, dubbed the “Venice of the East” by local media, is the city’s ambitious move to boost tourism in the area. Boasting that it was the closest thing China had to Venice, Xinhua said the look and the amount of water in the canals were equal to the Italian city.

The announcement of China’s Venice came just days after President Xi Jinping criticized foreign-looking architecture at a Beijing symposium on the arts. Most online comments regarding the Venetian replica asked, “Why does domestic Chinese architecture always copy their foreign counterparts and lack unique, Asian characteristics?”

Judging by the photos of the site shown in the Xinhua report, the Venetian copy looks deserted just two days after its opening, with one, lone Gondola cruising the middle of the shallow canal.

Photos: CFP

 

Haohao

Staying in a Chinese Hotel? Be Careful, the Linens Could Be Dangerous

Posted: 08/28/2014 3:20 pm

underground laundry dalian undercoverIt’s the most basic requirement when staying at a hotel: a nice, comfy bed to sleep in. The bed may be hard and it may be small, but there’s one thing that is not debatable: the bed must be clean.

Unfortunately, that is frequently not the case. Some hotels have tried to cut corners by enlisting the use of underground, non-certified laundromats to help them wash their linen. CCTV, the state-run broadcaster, went undercover in the dark world of hotel laundry and found these underground laundromats operate in unhygienic conditions and use chemical compounds so harsh they could be dangerous to the unlucky people who use them.

A reporter used a hidden camera to document a visit to one such facility in Dalian. The reporter said there were no signs or identifying features out front that marked the building as home to a laundromat. When he walked inside, he saw piles of laundry strewn all over the floor, with dirty water running throughout parts of the factory.

underground laundry dalian undercover

A closer look at the operations of the underground laundry showed numerous health and safety infractions. There were unmarked vats next to the washing machines containing white powder, later revealed to be strong acids and sodas used to clean the laundry.

These compounds include hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypoclorite, oxalic acid, and caustic soda, according to an industry insider who wanted to remain anonymous. He confirmed use of the dangerous chemicals is common.

underground laundry dalian undercover

An industry insider spoke said the powerful chemicals makes his job a lot easier:

It holds strong acids and bases along with strong bleaches; using these makes for easy washing done fast. In order to clean faster for whiter whites, these compounds are required. It’s awesome using these things; we (the workers) feel as though we’re using a nuclear bomb.

The compounds are not used in conjunction with any neutralizing agent to counteract their potency. Direct contact with skin from some of these compounds can lead to itching, reddening, or even an allergic reaction.

underground laundry dalian undercover

If your skin doesn’t come into contact with harsh chemicals while in a hotel, it could come into contact with dirty laundry instead. The reporter found some items aren’t cleaned at all; if it looks clean and is white, it’s simply ironed and repackaged.

Another practice is to indiscriminately mix laundry taken from a hospital with those taken from a hotel and wash them all together.

Those inside the facility say these practices are to make sure the laundry is as white as it can be, while cleanliness comes second.

underground laundry dalian undercoverunderground laundry dalian undercover

Photos: CCTV News

h/t @MissXQ

Haohao

Check Out This Pink, Extra-Wide “Women’s Only” Parking Spot in Dalian

Posted: 06/27/2014 12:55 pm

women drivers priority parking dalianDalian has become one of the first cities in China to roll out pink, extra-wide parking spots designated for female drivers only. The parking space at a downtown Dalian mall is demarcated with a bright pink border and a label that says, “Priority Use for Women Drivers”.

As noted by a reporter, the special “women’s only” parking space is also conveniently located near the entrance of the mall for added convenience.

Whether this is utterly sexist or completely sweet is a debate we’ll leave to you. But one female visitor in Dalian said, “The people of Dalian are really romantic!”

Driver Miss Liu also expressed her gratitude:

Having this kind of spot available has made it so much more convenient. Not only is it easier to park, it saves me time to when trying to find a spot.

Yang Xiangdong, manager of the shopping mall, said the spots are not discriminatory against women:

The main position of this mall is to provide service to women. As well, here we have a children’s amusement center that many of our female clients use.

Reaction on Weibo has been mixed, with comments with accusations of sexism and others that welcome concessions for the “fairer sex”.

elegantfor:
You don’t even have the skill (to drive properly), and yet you have the gall to ask others to give you priority benefits

李唔直捅蛤:
This will be the future scene of a massacre

大龄女青年不二兔子:
Is this for real? Don’t disrespect your female compatriots.

MARY爱抽风:
This is done with loving sentiment. Shenzhen, hurry up and do the same. [heart.emo]

W小强非小强Q:
There shouldn’t be any difference between a male and female driver! For our safety! The loving considerations of society should not be making concession that have anything to do with public safety.

Chesterxxxxx:
Does this concede that there is a lack of skill (for women drivers)?

Photo: Yangtse

Haohao

Chelsea FC opens soccer school with Guangzhou R & F

Posted: 09/20/2013 7:00 am

Last year’s European champions Chelsea FC have collaborated with local club Guangzhou R & F to open a soccer school in Meizhou. The opening ceremony was held yesterday and 140 students aged 8-12 enrolled. Chelsea will send technical staff to help with training, according to China Daily.

Students at yesterday’s opening ceremony, image courtesy of China Daily

Many giants of European football have soccer schools in China as a way of both maintaining presence in the market and scouting world-class talent.

Despite the popularity of the beautiful game in China, successful Chinese players in the European leagues have been few and far between. These include Dalian-born Sun Jihai, who made 130 appearances for Manchester City and now plays for Guizhou Renhe as his career winds down.

The PRD is probably as likely as any other region to produce the next Sun Jihai. In May this year, 9 Shenzhen boys entered the under-16 national team.

Haohao
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