News

Portrait of China's newly rich: They have been called "Chuppies" in the world press. They are a generation who made money rapidly as China's economy got stronger and stronger. They are dynamic, young consumers with an eye for brand names and a desire to enjoy themselves.

Wal-Mart Concedes to Unionization of China Stores: Under pressure from the Chinese federation of labor unions, the world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said on Tuesday it would permit branches union in its Chinese stores if employees requested it.

Bus for Disabled Begins Operation in Beijing: The first bus service catering to handicapped and senior citizens in Beijing began operation Tuesday.

Local Story

Portion of 'Hengfeng 8' holds reunion: A few weeks before Halloween, my wife Cindy and I took our daughter, Adrienne, to a pumpkin patch to meet two of her friends and their parents. Adrienne and her pals scampered through the mud in search of the perfect pumpkin, rode ponies and sipped hot chocolate in the drizzle. They turned a few heads, three little Chinese girls with Caucasian parents.

News

Tension rises as China scours the globe for energy: China's insatiable demand for energy is prompting fears of financial and diplomatic collisions around the globe as it seeks reliable supplies of oil from as far away as Brazil and Sudan.

Exorbitant Medical Fees Fail the Sick and Poor: The Ministry of Health revealed on Sunday that nearly 40 percent of the country's patients cannot afford medical treatment because of high costs.

HK Disneyland Theme Park to Open in September: Hong Kong's Disneyland theme park will open on Sept. 12, 2005 and become the driving force for growth in the city's tourism industry. The construction of the US$1.8 billion park, located on the Lantau Island, is expected to provide new jobs to Hong Kong citizens, who have suffered high unemployment in the past few years due to an economic downturn.

HK probes Falun Gong 'hacking': Hong Kong authorities are investigating after TV programmes beamed into China from the territory by satellite were allegedly hacked into at the weekend. Content promoting the spiritual group Falun Gong, banned on the mainland.

Chinese Character Jewelry

mkArtisans.com makes custom silver necklaces and earrings.

We are all the "m" in mkArtisans. Meg, mark, molly, and madelyn. Meg makes the jewelry, Mark creates the space where it can happen so that we can use the dining room table for what it was meant for, and Molly and Madelyn make suggestions, constructive (hah!) criticisms, and model the finished product.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Ruby's Wish

I have seen a lot of positive reviews about Ruby's Wish.

Idiosyncratic young Ruby lives in a large (and wealthy!) Chinese family, in a gigantic "house filled with the shrieks and laughter of over one hundred children." She stands out because she insists on always wearing red, the color of celebration ("Even when her mother made her wear somber colors like her other cousins, Ruby would tie up her jet-black hair with red ribbons") but even more so because of her quiet dissatisfaction with the family's traditional gender inequity. Determined to study reading and writing--even when it means long hours catching up on more wifely training--Ruby eventually comes to the attention of her grandfather, the wise house patriarch, who springs a surprise as the time for her to wed approaches.

News

Golden Weeks Losing Lustre Among People: China is considering scrapping two of its three annual "Golden Week" holidays and replacing them with flexible, paid annual leave for all workers. The public is increasingly fed up with mob scenes and price gouging that result when virtually the entire nation is sent on vacation at once.

China Releases Tiananmen Protester: A factory worker who helped to organize a strike during China's 1989 pro-democracy protests has been released after nearly 15 years in prison. Chen Gang reportedly was convicted of "hooliganism" and sentenced to life in prison following the violent crackdown that ended the 1989 protests centered on Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

Less Than 30 Chinese Tigers Left in Wild: South China tigers, among the rarest of the five remaining tiger subspecies, are on the verge of extinction in the wild with less than 30 remaining.

China's boom take toll on staple food: China's rapid economic development is eating its way into the country's rice production. Over the last five years, rice farmers in their millions near to big cities, and along China's prospering coastline, have switched from rice cultivation to cash crops yielding larger profits.

China shelves tallest tower plans: The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has cancelled plans to build the world's tallest tower.

Local Story

For adoptive parent, one blessing was not enough: When we last left Cheryl Smith, she had no job and a new baby, having adopted a girl from China. She also was single and had just turned 45 and, despite all the challenges she faced, was absolutely thrilled with her life.

Beautiful China

Adoption Songs

SameSame is a new CD of original songs written to celebrate, encourage and delight adoptive kids and parents alike.

Listen to a few song samples and hear for yourself a whole new way to give voice to the many feelings found in families formed through adoption. With memorable songs ranging from silly to serious, SameSame is a unique album that'll have you and your kids singing along for years.