News

Ground calligraphy popular among Chinese: Participators write on the ground during a ground calligraphy contest in Xiangfan, central China's Hubei Province. Ground calligraphy, using long brush pens soaked in water writing huge Chinese characters on the ground, is a creative branch of Chinese calligraphy, along with calligraphy with fingers.

Can China build its own Silicon Valley?: "Zhongguancun" doesn't roll off the Western tongue easily, but it will soon be an address that technology investors must learn. For 25 years, locales from Singapore to the south of France have tried to create their own Silicon Valleys, but the original's remarkable spirit has never been duplicated. China, however, is putting the finishing touches on its own Silicon Valley -- and this time, they may have found the recipe.

China rushes in bird flu vaccine: China has sent three million doses of bird flu vaccine to western Qinghai province after migrating wild geese were found there killed by the virus.

Standing Panda

Lesser panda standing on two legs charms Japanese zoo: A lesser panda is proving a hit at a zoo near Tokyo as it can stand on two legs like a human being for about 10 seconds, an unusual feat for the species. The two-year-old male panda named Futa stands up several times a day when "it sees something interesting." [via BoingBoing]

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Beautiful China

Picture of the Day

Quadruplets dance during the China International Expo of Articles for Women and Infants in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, May 19, 2005. [link]

News

US-China tensions testing relations: The United States is crossing swords with China on a plethora of issues -- from human rights to currency and underwear imports to nuclear weapons -- and analysts are warning it poses a crucial test to bilateral relations.

Ready or Not, China Gets Blogged: Now the 24-year-old Chan, who has a business degree from New York University, is hoping to build a blog empire in China.

Height Limit Raised as Kids Get Taller: More Beijing pre-school children may ride buses and get into parks for free if the city changes the height restriction from 110 to 120 centimeters.

News

Demand for better toilets on rise in China: It's an image that Shanghai's aggressively modern leaders want to shed: people rinsing out their chamber pots in alleys in the shadows of ultramodern skyscrapers.

Chinese made first use of diamond: Stone age craftsmen in China were polishing jade objects using diamond 2,000 years before anyone else had the same idea, new evidence suggests.

Wal-Mart Aims For 12-15 New China Stores In 2005: Walmart, the world's largest retailer, opened its 46th store in China on Wednesday. It has more than 5,000 worldwide.

News

Once shunned in China, Western classical music comes on strong: Conservatories are bursting at the seams. Young people crowd symphony concerts. Private music schools are flourishing, and urban parents jockey to hire the best tutors, seeing music as a path to status and educational achievement.

Extent of Child Abuse Exposed: The first survey to shed light on the level of violence against and among children in China suggests it is widespread, growing and has a lasting negative impact on their lives. The findings were revealed at the National Consultation on Violence Against Children in Beijing Monday.

A Clampdown in China: The most important person in the world right now may be Hu Jintao, and we're beginning to get a better sense of what kind of a leader he is: disappointing.

China Cracks Down on Torture and Forced Confessions: China's law enforcement organs will take a series of measures to crack down on the police practice of extracting confessions through torture, after a man was found to have been wrongly imprisoned for 11 years.

Why China needs more expensive money: It's a simple decision by the Chinese government to let the nation's yuan move upward in value against the United States dollar. China would benefit from cheaper imports and more flexibility in carrying out economic policy.

Local Story

Love and its trials: Pam and Guy Moscato are pediatricians whose large family — much to the ire of their image-conscious 16-year-old daughter — is often mistaken for a celebrating soccer team when they walk into restaurants.

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