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Construction of the 57-storey Mini Sky City in Changsha, Hunan, was completed in less than three weeks. Photo: Opsteel.cn
ANHUI
Phone trumps son
A mother was so caught up in playing with her mobile phone while boarding a train at Shuijiahu station on Sunday that she left her six-year-old son behind on the platform, Anhuinews.com reports. An officer on patrol at the station found the boy running after the moving train, crying. Police later tracked down the woman by calling the boy's teacher, whose contact number was written in a textbook in the child's bag, and returned the boy to his mother.
Lucrative trade for cabbies
Experienced cabbies in Hefei are quitting their jobs to jump on the share-riding bandwagon, with some seeing their incomes triple after the move, Xinan Evening News reports. A man surnamed Qin, who has worked as a taxi driver for about eight years, said his earnings rose to more than 10,000 yuan (HK$12,600) a month from just 3,000 yuan after he started working for a mobile app-based transport network.
BEIJING
Caught in 20 minutes
A man who yesterday robbed a store in a Wangfujing shopping mall of 11 luxury watches worth a total of 3 million yuan, was arrested just 20 minutes after he fled the scene, The Beijing News reports. The masked man had threatened shop staff with a toy gun before walking out with the watches, brandishing a knife and hijacking a taxi to make his getaway. When police apprehended him at a nearby intersection, he said he was broke and needed the money.
Theme park 'trashed'
A Red Army-themed park in Chaoyang district, after being abandoned for at least six years, has been converted into a garbage station and parking lot for trucks, The Beijing News reports. A local government official said the theme-park project was suspended because of insufficient funding, and that the government that taken back the land from the developer and now intended to use the space to plant trees instead.
FUJIAN
Floating 'body' found
Alarmed residents in Sha county alerted police last week after they spotted a "woman's body" floating in a nearby river, according to the Ministry of Public Security's Weibo account. Police and forensic workers immediately retrieved the "body" from the water, only to find out that it was just an inflatable doll. The ministry advised people to take good care of their personal belongings.
Determined borrower
Police detained a woman in Fuzhou on Monday for reportedly harassing a friend for a loan. The pregnant 27-year-old woman, surnamed Li, spent hours kneeling on the floor outside her friend's apartment, hoping to change the friend's mind after she declined to lend her the money. Li said she wanted to borrow the money to start a nail salon, but her friend said the last time she heard from Li was 16 years ago.
GUANGDONG
Long-lost son now found
A 30-year-old man who was kidnapped in Sichuan 26 years ago was finally reunited with his mother in Guangdong on Sunday, The Southern Metropolis News reports. His mother, Lan Mingxiu, said she had never given up looking for her son all these years. Police confirmed the pair's relationship through a DNA test this month.
'Screwed-up' dinner
A diner was shocked to find a metal screw in her crab dish at a seafood restaurant in Shenzhen's Luohu district this week, The Southern Metropolis News reports. The restaurant owner said staff members could not explain how the nail ended up in the dish, and agreed to compensate the woman 600 yuan, which is 10 times the price of the dish she ordered.
HEBEI
Charity schooling
A villager in Tangshan city's Luannan county has been teaching and caring for disabled children for free for almost a decade now, Ecns.cn reports. Gao Shuzhen, 57, whose son is disabled, set up a "home school" for him so he would not grow up illiterate, she said. She gradually began inviting other disabled children in neighbouring villages to attend her home school, and has since 1998 educated many of them free of charge. Gao gets by by cultivating land and going door to door selling small items such as socks and bars of soap.
Crazed crocs sent to zoo
A crocodile breeder in Shijiazhuang has had to give up his pets to the zoo after they attacked people, the Shijiazhuang Daily reports. The man, surnamed Ding, bought the reptiles at a fair four years ago when they were just 30cm long. But they ate a lot and quickly grew to a metre long, and began exhibiting aggressive behaviour, he said.
HUNAN
Fired over red carpet
A local official has been sacked after she used a red carpet at a tree-planting event, Xinhua reports. Tang Mei'e, district boss of Yongzhou city's All-China Women's Federation, was removed from her post this week after photos went viral of people walking on a red carpet on a mountain slope at the event. Internet users said using the carpet was too ostentatious, but the event organisers said it was laid to make walking on slippery mountain slope safer and easier.
Tower built in 19 days
A 57-storey skyscraper in Changsha was built in less than 20 days, People's Daily Online reports. Construction workers worked in day and night shifts to erect the Mini Sky City - which comprises 800 homes and working space for 4,000 people - in just 19 days, and a time-lapse video of the building process has gone viral online. Some people said such speed was the "new normal" while others said Chinese construction works lacked quality although they were completed in record time.
SHANGHAI
Sino-US symphony
High school pupils from China and the United States have come together to stage a concert at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, China Network Television reports. The performance by about 400 pupils marked the first cultural exchange of its kind between young people from the two countries and drew more than 1,000 viewers. The focal piece of the night combined a local ballad from Qingpu district with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Spiralling wonders
A series of striking spiral escalators in the newly built Shanghai New World Daimaru Department Store has wowed the city's shopping crowd, Ecns.cn reports. The 12 escalators, which serve six floors of the newly opened shopping centre, are designed to give people the impression of gliding through the mall.
SICHUAN
Ancient tree dying
Botanists have convened in Xichang to discuss treatment for a dying 2,000-year-old cypress tree, the Chengdu Economic Daily reports. The 12-metre-tall tree, located in a temple near the scenic Qiong sea, has had three emergency treatments since 2010 but showed little improvement.
Desperate man's death bid
A 61-year-old man in Dazhou city's Dachuan district tried to take his own life by jumping into a river last week after he discovered that his mobile phone and 2,000 yuan cash had been stolen in a train ride to Chongqing , the Western China City Daily reports. He was rescued by two passers-by who hauled him ashore. Police said the man was now in a stable condition.
A finless porpoise is treated to a physical exam at Poyang Lake, Jiangxi province. Photo: Xinhua
JIANGXI
Somefin the matter?
Physical examinations of finless porpoises are being carried out on a boat on Poyang Lake, Jiangxi province, Xinhua reports. The exams are aimed at gaining an insight into the health issues facing the marine mammals. The porpoises, which are related to whales and dolphins, are an endangered species, with only about 1,000 left in China. Pollution, poaching and construction projects are blamed for their decline.
Accidentally-on-porpoise?
Investigators are probing the death of an adult finless porpoise found in the Yangtze River in Jiangxi, Xinhua reports. There were visible injuries on the mouth and tail of the female porpoise, which measured 1.4 metres long and weighed about 35kg. Finless porpoises, also known as Yangtze River porpoises, have inhabited the Yangtze for 25 million years.
SHANGDONG
Seven sentenced to death
Authorities have sentenced seven people to death for starting a fire that killed one person and injured three others in Shandong province, Shanghai Daily reports. Wang Yuefu, one of the seven, said he had been instructed by officials in Shandong to intimidate villagers demanding compensation for the destruction of their farmland. The officials were not prepared to pay the 15 million yuan (HK$19 million) the farmers were demanding, and when villagers erected a tent near a construction site the officials recruited thugs to set fire to the tent while the protestors were sleeping.
Pulled pork
A major pork producer in Dezhou has closed its doors after claims that it was using pigs that had recovered from foot-and-mouth disease, Shanghai Daily reports. The move comes after a report by CCTV said that infected animals should have been isolated and killed instead. The company, Jinluo Meat Products, said it was suspending the operation pending investigation.
TIANJIN
Tree's a crowd
Thousands of Communist Party cadres, students, and soldiers have taken part in tree-planting ceremonies in Dongli district in Tianjin , Jwb.com.cn reports. The masses came together to dig holes, plant trees and water plants in an effort to beautify the city. Last year, the city plants tress on more than 2,500 hectares.
Cheering for Tianjin
The Chinese National Tourism Office and the city of Tianjin have held an event in Madrid celebrating the Chinese city as a holiday destination, Xinhua reports. Zhang Zhiyun, the director general of the Chinese National Tourism Office in Madrid, said Tianjin was a coastal city, an ecological city and a hub for medical tourism. He said it was also the third-biggest city in China and just half an hour's drive from Beijing.
CHONGQING
Fashion show is rubbish
A company in Chongqing held a fashion show using unconventional materials to highlight its appeal for greener lifestyles, Xinhua reports. One model wore a garment made of brown paper boxes and a hat made out of old CDs, another wore a dress made out of metal rubbish bins. About 1,000 of the company's employees took part.
A long work in the park
Chongqing will begin work to create the Yangtze River Three Gorges National Park this year, the Chongqing Morning Post reports. The project, which aims to create a national park on the same scale as Yellowstone National Park in the United States, will feature the Three Gorges as its main attraction, alongside the area's mountains and rivers. The project is scheduled for completion in about five years.
SHANGHAI
Paralysed man walks
A Shanghai man who was partially paralysed by a fall from a roof five years ago can walk unaided after undergoing a new medical procedure, Shanghai Daily reports. The 24-year-old man was China's first patient to receive the treatment, in which doctors use electrodes to stimulate the spinal cord and reopen the communication pathway from the brain to the legs.
Children: one's enough…
More than half of the mothers under the age of 45 in Shanghai have no plans to have a second child, Shanghai Daily reports. The Shanghai Women's Federation of Fudan University polled 1,200 women and found that the two most common reasons for not wanting a second child were cost and lack of support.
FUJIAN
…here's why one's enough
A five-year-old boy tried to run away from home in protest at his parents' decision to have a second child, Jndsb.jxnews.com.cn reports. Police found the boy standing alone in the middle of a train car going from Jiujiang to Fuzhou , Fujian province. The boy refused to answer their questions and simply burst into tears. His mother then appeared, running from the other end of the train. She told the policemen the boy had stormed off because she and her husband had decided to have a second baby.
Man falls from building
A man from Fujian province fell to his death from the top of a seven-storey building, Dnkb.com.cn reports. Witnesses saw the man fall from the building on Thursday. Police are still investigating the matter; it is not clear whether he committed suicide.
GUANGDONG
New life in the mountains
A Guangdong businessman earning more than 1 million yuan a year has given up his extravagant urban lifestyle for a minimalist existence on a mountain, China.org.cn reports. Two years ago, Liu Jingchong quit the business he founded and retreated to the Zhongnan Mountains. Liu now spends most of his days meditating, reading, and practising calligraphy. He leaves his retreat to buy rice, flour and oil, but grows his own vegetables.
Teacher shot as boar
A female teacher in Guangzhou is recovering after being mistaken for a wild boar and shot in the head, Guangzhou Daily reports. Zhang Kehuai, 40, from Dongyuan county, was walking on a mountain with her cattle when a village security officer mistook her for a wild boar and shot her. She was taken to hospital, where doctors found bullet wounds in her face, eyes and lungs. She has regained consciousness but remains in a critical condition. The shooter has been detained by the police.
HUBEI
Testing parent
A man who thought his son did not look enough like him had the relationship confirmed in two paternity tests, but still remains sceptical, the Chutian Metropolis Daily reports. The man says his son, 7, looks less and less like him every day. After taking tests at two hospitals, both of which were positive, he approached a third hospital and asked for yet another. Zhongnan Hospital staff refused, saying test results were 99.99 per cent accurate.
An unfair fare
A taxi passenger was cheated out of correct change by a driver who asked her to pay in 100 yuan notes so he could use them in red envelopes for the Lunar New Year, the Wuhan Evening News reports. The ride cost 30 yuan, but when she tried to pay with small notes, he asked if she had any 100 yuan notes. She then gave him 300 yuan, expecting 270 in change, but received only 169 yuan.
Traffic backs up on a Kunming highway. Photo: kunming.cn
Yunnan
Highway confusion
Thousands of people were stuck in massive traffic jams on Saturday morning as the highway linking Kunming and Songming closed for its first day of reconstruction works, Kunming.cn reports. Drivers said there was confusion as there were no signs about how to bypass the closed highway. The reconstruction project is expected to be completed on June 20, the authorities said.
Bungling burglar
A burglar who swam across a river to rob a home in a high-end gated community in Kunming was arrested after he left behind his float, Xinhua reports. The man had bumped into the owner of the house while making his escape, and in his hurry, forgot to take his float. Because he could not swim, he could not make his way back across the river. Police found him hiding near the riverbank.
Chongqing
Vandals' calling card
A pair of eight-year-olds has been caught vandalising a row of cars parked on a street in Nanbin township by using stones to etch their names into the paint, the Chongqing Economic Herald reports. Police received complaints from seven drivers whose cars were badly scratched, and officers quickly tracked down the young offenders, who said they found it fun signing their names on the vehicles. Their parents will compensate the car owners.
Foul feet come to a head
A woman from Dazu district threw a vase at her husband's head after he refused to wash his feet before going to bed, the Chongqing Morning Post reports. Neighbours who heard the noise feared domestic violence and called the police to look into the din. The woman told officers she had thrown the vase at her husband in a fit of rage during a brawl and that it accidentally hit his head, causing him minor injuries.
Fujian
Pupils used as footrest
A high school in Nanan has fired a part-time teacher who forced two pupils to be his footrest as punishment, the Strait City Daily reports. The incident came to light after a photo of the deed was posted online. It showed the teacher using his smartphone in class, with his feet propped up on the backs of the pupils who had been forced to kneel on the floor.
Infant 'raped by relative'
A six-month-old baby in Nanping was allegedly raped by a relative during her father's wedding ceremony, The Mirror reports. The man had offered to keep an eye on the infant while her father greeted the guests, but when she was returned to the father an hour later, she was hoarse from crying and her genitals were covered in blood. The father reported the matter to police and officers arrested the relative.
Guangdong
Cafe quarrel turns fatal
Guangzhou police have detained a man who confessed to stabbing to death a man sitting beside him in an internet cafe, Xinhua reports. The man told police he lost his temper after the pair had an argument, and he went and bought a knife from a nearby grocery store, which he then used to stab the other man in the neck. He fled the scene but was caught soon after.
Near-miss collapse
A six-storey residential building in Tan village that was about to be torn down collapsed just moments before the demolition work could begin, the Information Times reports. Residents had already moved out so no injuries were reported, but the debris crushed several parked cars and stopped just metres short of another residential building. Workers said the building's steel structures might have given way after rusting badly in the rain.
Hubei
Plastic surgery goes awry
A young woman is in a critical condition in Wuhan after suffering a heart attack while undergoing an operation for breast implants overseas, Cnhubei.com reports. The 25-year-old had travelled to South Korea for the procedure this month and experienced sudden cardiac arrest shortly after anaesthesia was administered. Her parents chartered a plane to bring her back to a local hospital for treatment.
Nightmare date
A woman working for a matchmaking agency in Hanyang was kidnapped by two male clients and robbed of 200,000 yuan (HK$253,000), Cnhuibei.com reports. The clients had earlier told the agency that they wanted to date a wealthy woman, and discovered by chance that the employee had recently received 400,000 yuan compensation for the demolition of her house. One of the men then asked her out, and during the date, the other man helped force her into a car. The duo then drove her to Jiangxi and forced her to withdraw 20,000 yuan - the daily ATM limit - from her bank account each day. She was freed only after 10 days and she reported the matter to police, who detained the suspects and are investigating.
Hunan
Raging oxen
A farmer from Banshan village near Liling suffered seven fractured ribs and spinal injuries after he was attacked by his oxen, Voc.com.cn reports. Witnesses said the man was gored by about 10 oxen after he hit one of them with a shovel. Others tried to drive the raging animals away but to no avail. The man may suffer permanent paralysis of his legs. His family said they would kill the ox that started the attack.
Worm in woman's brain
A woman who suffered from frequent epilepsy had a white 10cm-long worm removed from her brain in Changsha , the Hunan Daily reports. The 24-year-old underwent a medical examination recently, and after doctors questioned her, she revealed that she once ate a live frog when she was a child because elderly people in her village believed that consuming the amphibians live was a cure for rheumatism. She said she found the practice was harmless and ate one for fun.
Jiangsu
Dead baby found in river
A cleaner got the shock of his life when he found the body of a newborn baby in a river in Nanjing , the Yangtse Evening Post reports. He said he had picked up a green plastic bag from the water and found the baby girl in it, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The child appeared to have died shortly after birth. Police are investigating her death.
Nursing home death
A court in Wuxi has found a nursing home partly responsible for the death of an old man with dementia and ordered it to compensate his family 270,000 yuan, the Yangtse Evening Post reports. The man had gone missing twice in a month after his family sent him to the home. The second time, he escaped through a fire exit in the building and was found drowned in a nearby river.
Jilin
Robbing the wife
A broke and jobless man in Jilin city posed as an old woman to rob his wife after she refused to give him some cash, the Xin Wen Hua Bao reports. The man stabbed his wife in the hand and took her purse. But finding that her robber sounded like her husband, the wife later reported the matter to the police. The man admitted to the deed but insisted that robbing his own wife was not a crime.
Saved after five days
A man miraculously survived being trapped for five days in a 20-metre-deep manhole, the Xin Wen Hua Bao reports. The 46-year-old had fallen into the open manhole while walking along a highway one night. He tried to keep his upper body above the freezing water in the hole and called for help whenever he heard cars passing by. A garbage collector eventually found him on the fifth morning. He had to undergo a skin graft as his legs had developed necrosis.
Around the nation: Chinese DIY inventor searches for investors to help finish submarine
Du Xiutang, 53, of Shenmu county, in Shaanxi province, who has been granted three Chinese patents on his inventions, has spent 300,000 yuan on his submarine, but is 200,000 yuan in debt
Du Xiutang, 53, with his 300,000 yuan home-made submarine, which he says needs new investment if it is to set sail... and submerge ... as intended. Photo: SCMP Pictures
SHAANXI
DIY submariner eyes funds
Shenmu county inventor Du Xiutang, 53, who has spent 300,000 yuan building his own submarine, is looking for new investors, news website Hsw.cn reports. Du has always been fascinated by machinery and technology, but had to quit his second-year studies at secondary school and start work as a farmer when his family could not pay his fees. Since 2005 he has studied submarine design by himself. He was granted three national patents after inventing a submarine hydraulic drainage system and steering propulsion technology, Hsw.cn reported. But he said that as he was 200,000 yuan in debt, he needed new investors to help him complete his sub.
Truck fire investigated
A large semi-trailer truck burst into flames at about 9pm on Sunday in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, the Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation reports. Firefighters battled to contain the blaze. It is not known if there were any casualties, and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
FUJIAN
Blast risk after confusion
Police and firefighters were able to avert a blast at a Xiamen factory at noon on Sunday despite first being sent to the wrong factory 3km away, Xinhua reports. A fire started at a food plant with many flammable oxygen and acetylene tanks. But a caller mixed up the pronunciation of the words “hu” and “fu”, so sent emergency services to a different place. The firefighters saw smoke in the distance and arrived in time at the right factory.
Highway pedestrian killed
A pedestrian died instantly at about 2pm yesterday after being hit by a car while trying to cross the busy Shenhai Expressway bridge in Xiamen, China News Service reports. The car driver said he had no time to brake to avoid hitting the man.
GUANGDONG
Rafter set to drift again
A man, aged 41, from Zhuhai, plans to become the first man to drift down the Yellow River in a raft, the Modern Express reports. The adventurer has spent the past eight years travelling on mainland waterways in a rubber raft, including 64 days last year on the Pearl River. He plans to set off on his 10-month trip along the Yellow River on May 1.
Lives of 89 dogs saved
Animal rights activists helped to rescue 89 dogs that were due to be slaughtered in Shenzhen, China.org.cn reports. The activists staged a 36-hour sit-in to secure the release of the dogs, which were to have been killed for their meat at a slaughterhouse that reportedly had no permit for such work.
HEILONGJIANG
Motor home from home
An elderly retired couple from Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, have spent more than 11 years travelling the country in a custom-built 1.2 million yuan (HK$1.5 million) motor home, news website Youth.cn reports. Han Shigui and Shi Shuzhi started their travels in 2003 and have stayed in more than 50 places. Hainan province was their favourite destination, they said.
Homeless man assaulted
Two drunk men from Harbin allegedly beat up a homeless man to “release tension”, the Modern Express newspaper reports. The victim, Li Yongwu, who was found by police covered in blood and unable to walk, was taken to hospital, but later disappeared. Li was sleeping in a small room with ATM machines at a China Merchants Bank branch when he was attacked. The suspects, who were arrested, reportedly told police they did not know Li. They decided to attack him while they were drunk to help them release tension, the report said.
INNER MONGOLIA
Blind masseur honoured
A blind man has been honoured by Inner Mongolian officials after helping almost 2,000 disabled people find jobs, news portal Nmgcb.com.cn reports. Feng Fa, from Chifeng, who lost his sight when he was in the fifth grade, opened his own massage parlour in 1996. He later opened a massage school to train other disabled and unemployed workers for free. In the past decade, Feng has taught more than 2,000 students, most of whom have found work or started their own businesses.
Boost for entrepreneurs
In an effort to promote entrepreneurship, university graduates in the region are being offered loans of up to 500,000 yuan (HK$631,000) to help them to set up their own businesses, Xinhua reports. Authorities in Inner Mongolia have also held classes on entrepreneurship, business management training, analysis and research. Budding university entrepreneurs have also been offered advice on project development and risk assessment, according to the report.
LIAONING
Drug gang suspects held
Police have detained 28 suspected drug dealers in northeast China’s Liaoning province, Xinhua reports. Investigations began in November when police began tracking the movements of the alleged gang in Dandong. They allegedly bought drugs in Heilongjiang and Guangdong provinces. Police then reportedly seized 5kg of methamphetamine, which was linked to the gang, in Shenzhen on January 13.
Cheering fans go silent
Basketball fans cheered so much for home side Liaoning during game six of the Chinese Basketball Association finals on Sunday that they litreally lost their voices, news website Hilizi.com reports. Defending champions Beijing retained their title with a 106-98 win for an unbeatable 4-2 lead in the best-of-seven contest. In the last five minutes, as Liaoning’s chances faded, home fans made themselves hoarse shouting, “I love Liaoning!” while the game announcer lost his voice after continuously shouting “Liaoning, add oil!”.
YUNNAN
Insecticide ‘murder’ arrest
A woman from Fuyuan county has been arrested on suspicion of murder after reportedly pouring insecticide down her seven-year-old stepson’s throat, the Yunnan Daily reports. The boy died soon afterwards. She had reportedly been due to finalise her divorce from her second husband that day, but became angry after he rang to tell her he could not attend.
Hotel price cap
The Yunnan government has put a price cap on hotel room charges in the province to help the many refugees arriving from neighbouring Myanmar, the Beijing Youth Daily reports. About 60,000 Myanmar residents have fled across the border into China over the past two weeks since fighting increased between the Myanmese military and rebel forces. Room prices have risen sharply to 200 yuan per night.
ZHEJIANG
‘Masked’ woman held
A woman aged 34 allegedly used five fake WeChat social media accounts – including one suggesting she was a beautiful 20-something policewoman – to obtain money from a would-be suitor, the Modern Gold Express reports. She was detained by police after she wore a mask to meet the suitor and refused to remove it.
Factory collapse search
Rescue workers are searching for two people who are believed to be trapped under rubble after a factory collapsed without warning yesterday in Ningbo, China News Service reports, One person was rescued after the collapse, which is now being investigated by officials.
In China, a "naked wedding" refers to a marriage between two people who marry for love without first purchasing a house and car. But ten couples in Hangzhou took the term literally.
Ten couples wearing only underwear and body paint tied the knot or renewed their vows in Hangzhou Paradise, an amusement park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Sunday.
They made their vows to their beloved, appealing to people to marry for love regardless of their financial condition.
Some of the couples have just turned 20, while some of the older ones have been in love for over eight years.
Thai model films, rants about unruly Chinese tourists
Staff Reporter
2015-03-20
A screenshot of a video recently uploaded online by Thai model Duangjai Phichitamphon, who rants about unruly Chinese tourists in an airport on Jeju Island, South Korea. (Internet photo)
A video of a Thai celebrity accusing Chinese tourists of line-cutting and misbehaving in an airport in Jeju island, South Korea has gone viral after being uploaded online earlier this month, reports US-based Chinese news outlet Duowei.
In the video that has been translated into Chinese and English, Thai model Duangjai Phichitamphon reveals the chaos at a tax-refund counter in the airport. According to the model, who filmed the two-minute video as a witness and victim, all other tourists, representing various other nationalities, lined up in front of the counter to wait for their turn until a crowd of Chinese tourists showed up, cutting in line and blocking others from approaching the counter.
Furious, Phichitamphon rants in Thai, saying that her feet got stepped on and her hair got pulled by the mob of Chinese amid the utter disorder they created. She criticizes the group of tourists for being rude and negligent of civil courtesy.
The video has accumulated millions of hits and raised some debate. Some Chinese netizens said they are embarrassed of the video and urged their nationals to behave, while others questioned the motive of the model, saying it made sense that the Chinese tourists would act in such a way since they wanted to receive their tax refund and there were many people.
Misbehaving Chinese tourists have stirred up media and public concern in Thailand recently. Chinese nationals reportedly placed their bras and underwear over some chairs left in public spaces at at Thailand airport in February. Earlier this month, Chinese visitors were seen washing their feet and shoes in the sinks at a famous Thai tourist destination.
Around the nation: Chinese 'naked' wedding celebrations focus on love - not money
Couples, covered in body paint and dressed in underwear, celebrate 'naked weddings' in Zhejiang province to protest against modern China's values, which focus more on money than love
Couples in body paint and dressed only their underwear hold 'naked weddings in Zhejiang province as a protest against modern Chinese values, which places greater focus on money than love. Photo: SCMP Pictures
ZHEJIANG
‘Naked’ marriage vows
Ten couples covered in body paint wearing only their underwear have celebrated their “naked weddings” at Hangzhou Paradise amusement park in Zhejiang province, news website China.org.cn reports. The couples, some of whom have been married for many years, said they were rejecting modern Chinese values, which place greater value on money than love. In China, a naked wedding involves a couple marrying without owning a house or car.
Cash theft at hotel
A man who reportedly flaunted 10,000 yuan (about HK$12,600) in cash in front of a hotel concierge later had the money stolen from his room, Xinhua reports. Last week the concierge allegedly passed a spare door key to two thieves who sneaked into the man’s room at night at the hotel in Hengdian, in Zhejiang province. However, police spotted the thieves entering his room on hotel security footage.
BEIJING
Eight expelled over visas
Police expelled eight foreigners living in China with expired visas after raiding an apartment in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, the Beijing Evening News reports. The eight Asian women, who entered China on tourist visas from Guangzhou, went to work in Fujian province without applying for work visas, then moved to Beijing to avoid detection by police.
Bogus policeman jailed
A man who dressed up in a police uniform to swindle money and other goods from local businesses was jailed for one year for “cheating and bluffing”, the Beijing Times reports. The man, surnamed Wang, fooled the proprietors of shops in Xicheng district into paying him bribes of money and other goods after dressing up as a policeman in August 2013. He had told shop owners their premises were not properly licensed and they needed to give him cash and other items, including cigarettes, if they wanted to stay in business.
GUANGDONG
Sweet smell of success
A company is looking to hire 10 women on monthly salaries of 20,000 yuan in Qingyuan, but to qualify they must be “naturally sweet smelling”, China News Service reports. The Fogang Tianye Green World, which includes 26 hectares with pomelo blossom trees, said it needed to employ women who smelt nicely to pick the flowers and make tea. Successful candidates, who would be trained in tea making, would need to bathe in a floral bath each day before picking flowers, to help ensure the natural fragrance of flowers was not masked, the report said.
Knife attack suspect held
A man believed to be mentally ill was detained by police after allegedly stabbing a man with a knife and also damaging three cars with a brick during an unprovoked attack in Jieyang city, news portal Sznews.com reports. Jieyang Municipal Public Security Bureau said that the suspect, identified as Wu Moufang, was believed to have a history of mental illness. Police are investigating the matter.
HUBEI
Human bones found
Maintenance staff discovered a bag of human bones while investigating the blockage of a sewage pipe at a park in Wuchang in Hubei province, Xinhua reports. The workers were called in after sewage began seeping out onto the pavement. Police said they were investigating the matter and believed the bones were those of a man.
River water promise
Officials drank from a river affected by quality concerns to prove their commitment to preserving local water resources, Modern Express reports. Li Yongfu, head of Hubei’s environmental supervision team, and Zhang Shanggui, deputy mayor of Jingmen, both drank water straight from Zhanghe River.
HUNAN
Hunter kills villager
A hunter gave himself up to police after accidentally killing a man in Xiangyin county he mistook for an animal, news website Rednet.cn reports. He shot dead the villager with an air rifle after aiming at a “red shadow” on a thermal imager he thought was a rabbit, he said.
‘Counterfeiter’ held
A university dropout, 19, is among six people detained by Ningxiang county police for allegedly using digital editing software to produce fake banknotes, the news portal Rednet.cn reports. The man, who gave up his studies because he could not afford the fees, reportedly learned how to counterfeit money using Photoshop on the QQ chat social media website.
JILIN
Idle student shamed
A student at Jilin Huaqiao Foreign Language Institute was publicly shamed after being caught counting money during a self-study period, news portal Xwh.cn reports. The institute introduced a mandatory study period from 6.30pm to 8.30pm every Monday to Friday. But one student, surnamed Chen, received a public warning after teachers caught him counting money to buy his breakfast during a routine check. He said he and other students had all been counting money, but he was too slow to run to his desk.
Food for thought
First-year chemistry students at Jilin University were given cookery as a surprise winter holiday study assignment, news website Jlu.edu.cn reports. Chemistry professor Cui Zengduo told them to use their knowledge of chemistry to practise cooking – to improve their life skills. He said many students gaining top marks in China’s university entrance exams were unable to take care of themselves.
SHANGHAI
Flat conman jailed
A man was jailed for 22 months for stealing up to 21,000 yuan by posing as a landlord’s tenant, the Shanghai Daily reports. A court in Jiading district was told the thief, identified as Fan, asked the man for his bank card and a copy of his identity card so he could transfer the rent. Instead he used the card to withdraw 15,000 yuan in cash and buy goods worth 6,000 yuan.
Colour-coded traffic alert
The Shanghai government is to use a colour-coded traffic congestion alert system, the Shanghai Daily reports. It will rank traffic levels on a scale of zero to 100, linked to the colours green, yellow, orange and red. If the alert hits red, the heaviest congestion level, officials can restrict vehicles registered outside the city and send extra police to affected areas.
SICHUAN
Homework done at hotel
A 14-year-old student booked into hotel to finish off her homework to avoid getting into trouble, the Qianjiang Evening News reports. The girl was worried she would be told off so used her lai see money to book a room. Her father, a Sichuan native surnamed Chen, alerted police after she went missing from school. Police said she took a taxi to a hotel, where she was found chatting to the owner while doing her homework.
Couple die on same day
An elderly couple married for 68 years both died aged 88 within hours of one other, Chengdu Business Daily reports. Huang Youqin, of Chengdu, who with his wife, Wang Kaihui, had six children, died from a heart attack two weeks ago. Six hours later Wang was taken ill and died in hospital.
"HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese tourists are rapidly deserting Hong Kong, leaving retailers who built businesses around once insatiable demand from mainland neighbours with bigger but emptier stores and squeezing the whole city's visitor-dependent economy.
With cross-border tensions exacerbated by pro-democracy Hong Kong protests, tour groups visiting Hong Kong from China plunged about 80 percent in early March. A Beijing crackdown on conspicuous spending by mainlanders also shows no signs of letting up, sending tourists further afield.
While daytrippers from just outside Hong Kong continue to buy daily essentials there, Chinese travellers with cash to burn are homing in on places like South Korea and Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, Chinese visitors lured by the weaker yen and easier visa rules nearly tripled in February to a monthly record: With one in four tourists in Japan, Chinese became the biggest visitor group in a country with which relations have often been fraught."
Around the nation: Chinese policeman's looks bring female marathon runners to standstill
Chongqing officer unintentionally halts event after being mobbed by crowd of women who abandon race to take selfies with him because he looks like Hong Kong actor Wallace Chung
A huge crowd of Chinese women running in a marathon delayed the race after surrounding a handsome Chongqing policeman they thought looks like Hong Kong actor Wallace Chung (right). Photos: SCMP Pictures
CHONGQING
An arresting policeman
A police officer in Chongqing unintentionally disrupted a marathon – because of his film-star good looks, the news website China.org.cn reports. The officer, who looks like Hong Kong actor Wallace Chung, was mobbed by female runners, who abandoned the race to take selfies with him. Other police were sent to escort the officer away so the race could resume. The Chinese policeman had to be 'rescued' by other policemen after being surrounded by enamoured female runners and taking refuge in his police car. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Failed kidnap scam
A Chongqing man allegedly tried to swindle money from his brother-in-law by faking his own kidnapping, China News Service reports. The man reportedly phoned his relative in Wanzhou x district, claiming he had been kidnapped by people running a pyramid-selling scheme and was being held in a dark room in the city. He allegedly asked him to pay a “large” ransom, but the relative rang the police, who reportedly found the man staying at a hotel he had booked himself.
FUJIAN
Emergency landing
A Beijing-bound Air China flight made an emergency landing at an airport in Hefei after smoke appeared in the cockpit, the Shanghai Daily reports. The captain of flight CA1802 alerted authorities soon after taking off from Xiamen on Tuesday. It landed about an hour later and no one was hurt.
40 escape bus fire
All 39 passengers and a driver on a bus escaped without injury after a fire broke out in the vehicle travelling from Huian x to Xiamen, China News Service reports. The driver stopped on the Shenhai Expressway to let everyone out – some without their shoes – before the bus was destroyed. The cause of the fire is unknown.
GUANGDONG
Fraudulent show of force
A Zhongshan court jailed a conman for four years for duping three women out of 160,000 yuan by pretending to be a military officer, the Southern Metropolis News reports. The man seduced the women and borrowed money from them, claiming he needed the cash to bribe other officers for promotions and to invest in military-linked businesses. He used forged army certificates and military uniforms bought online to convince them he was in the armed forces.
Unattractive proposition
A man in Shenzhen tried to drown himself in a river in protest against an arranged marriage, Shenzhen Media Group’s City Channel reports. The man was rescued by the police on Saturday, the report said. He said his family kept pushing him to marry a woman he was not attracted to.
HUBEI
‘Bad’ students on the run
A department at Wuhan University of Science and Technology ordered students to run 1,000 metres as a punishment for each course they failed in last semester’s exams, the Changjiang Times reports. More than 30 of the department’s 80 students failed exams; one student, who failed five courses, had to run 5,000 metres. Many students criticised the policy. “University students are all adults,” a student was quoted as saying. “It is not acceptable to punish us like primary school pupils.”
Shotgun accident kills wife
A man accidentally shot dead his wife while cleaning his shotgun last week, the Chutianjin Daily reports. The 38-year-old from Tuanfeng county, in Huanggang x , then drove to a hotel in Wuhan x where he cut his wrists. Police found him lying on a hotel bed in a pool of blood. He was rushed to hospital.
HENAN
Taxi driver ‘spy’ detained
A taxi driver from Henan province has been arrested on suspicion of selling military secrets to foreign spies, Shanghai Daily reports. China’s National Security Bureau is investigating claims that the man, 37, identified only by the surname Duan, was recruited by a foreign intelligence agency when applying for jobs online. He was allegedly paid up to 3,000 yuan a month to collect information on military garrisons in Kaifeng and observe the movements of military vehicles.
‘Hotel scam’ duo held
Two men from Henan have been detained on suspicion of obtaining 360,000 yuan by deception from a hotel booking website, Shanghai Daily reports. Customers were offered 10 yuan for each booking made with Qunar.com. The men allegedly made 50,000 bogus bookings between September and November last year using 70 fake bank accounts. They then reportedly posted hotel reviews on the website to suggest they had stayed there, and were sent the payments without the website carrying out any checks.
JIANGSU
Payout for dead chickens
The owner of two dogs was ordered by a local court to pay compensation of 38,000 yuan to a farmer after the animals killed 900 of his chickens, the Yangtse Evening Post reports. Last November, the farmer from Nantong woke up to find two Samoyeds inside his chicken coop alongside the slain chickens. He called the police, who tracked down the dogs to his neighbour, a 74-year-old widow who kept the canines as company.
Lovesick woman beds in
A resident of a gated community in Nanjing called the police on Tuesday night after his son’s former girlfriend made herself a bed on the floor of the corridor outside his flat and refused to leave, the Yangtse Evening Post reports. The man said the woman moved out after breaking up with his son a year ago. But last month she returned to try to get back together with the son and repeatedly tried to move back in, according to the report.
SHAANXI
Abusive boyfriend jailed
A jilted man was jailed for one year by a Xian court for forcing his estranged girlfriend into a suitcase and then trying to drive her to Liaoning x province in the boot of a car, the Huashang Daily reports. The woman had returned to her home in Xian after a row and refused to go back with him to Liaoning. He tied her up, put her in the suitcase and then placed it into the boot of a rented, chauffeur-driven car. But the driver found out and freed the woman, who called the police.
Blood-donor doctor
A doctor has helped to save the lives of at least 30 people by donating 12,000 millilitres of his blood to help needy transfusion patients over the past 16 years, the Huashang Daily reports. The 858-year-old from Tongchuan started donating blood in 1999 after hearing that local supplies were inadequate. The local blood-donor centre has praised the doctor for his efforts.
SICHUAN
Monkey business woes
Officials at a scenic spot in Xichang have received numerous complaints after hundreds of aggressive monkeys attacked visitors, stole their food, and attacked residents’ homes, the Chengdu Commercial Daily reports. The tourism bureau imported several dozen macaques to the Lushan mountain area as an attraction more than 10 years ago. But without natural predators, the unruly monkey population has now grown to about 800.
Didn’t bargain for that
A woman in Yibin thought she had got a bargain after a man she met on the street sold her his new “iPhone 6” for only 1,200 yuan – then found it was a fake, the Huaxi Metropolis Daily reports. She was stopped by the man on Sunday, who showed her his phone and offered to sell it cheaply, saying that he was desperate for money.
With spring comes spring tourists, and with spring tourists come ugly tourist behavior.
A man climbs up to a tree to create "a cherry blossom rain” at Wuhan University, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/Sina Weibo]
Last weekend, over 100,000 visitors descended upon Wuhan University for the annual cherry blossom festival. Cherry blossom lovers crowded the 200-meter-long road, turning the usually quiet campus into a crowded park.
A man was caught on camera climbing onto a tree to make petals fall as "cherry blossom rain” for photos.
Online, criticism has been loud and unequivocal. Top posts simply fumed, "Such poor quality (manners)!" and "What a loss of face."
Netizens expressed dismay that instead of enjoying the beautiful blossoms, people were destroying them for the sake of photos on China's microblogging platform Sina Weibo.
Around the nation: President Xi Jinping’s ‘China dream’ fires model maker’s imagination
Amateur painter Zheng Hongkang, from Zhejiang province, has built a life-sized clay model of China’s president after being inspired by the leader’s plans for the nation
Chinese villager Zheng Hongkang, a keen amateur painter, adds a dash of colour to his life-sized clay model of President Xi Jinping. Photo: Dfic.cn
ZHEJIANG
Xi inspires model maker
A villager has built a life-sized clay model of President Xi Jinping, news portal Dfic.cn reports. Zheng Hongkang, from Yuyao, said he had never had any artistic training, but had always enjoyed painting and moulding clay. He said he was inspired by Xi’s “China dream” to turn figures from his imagination into real-life models. Zheng has also built a collection of characters from the Chinese 16th century novel, Journey to the West.
Row ends in baby’s death
A mother reportedly inflicted fatal injuries on her 11-day-old baby daughter after throwing her on the floor during a row with her husband on Monday night, the Qianjiang Evening News reports. The infant was rushed to hospital in Wenzhou, but doctors were unable to save her. The woman was taken into custody.
BEIJING
‘Watch stolen on first date’
A university student in Beijing allegedly stole a man’s 80,000 yuan (about HK$100,000) watch on their first date, Beijing Times reports. The student arranged to see the man after meeting on the social media website WeChat. She stayed at the man’s flat, but the next morning he called police after claiming his watch was missing. The student was arrested by police while attending class, according to the report.
Cost of dying ‘too high’
Beijingers spend an average of 80,000 yuan on memorial and burial services for relatives, China Radio International reports. A report by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Academy of Social Sciences, published ahead of the Ching Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) on April 5, said that 92 per cent of residents thought buying a tomb in a cemetery now cost too much. It added that people were not choosing eco-burials because they believed only traditional burial rituals ensured the deceased rested in peace.
FUJIAN
Mistress ‘assaulted’
A woman was detained by police after a video went viral allegedly showing her beating her former husband’s mistress, the Strait Metropolis Daily reports. The video reportedly shows her holding down the other woman while slapping the mistress in the face and pulling her hair. Police in Fuding said the alleged row occurred after the man had stayed at a hotel with his mistress.
Revo-loo-tion now
Fujian province plans to build an extra 1,305 toilets at its major tourist sites within the next three years, the Southeast Express reports. The local tourism and housing authorities said the planned toilets were part of the nation’s “revo-loo-tion” to improve the hygiene of public conveniences after numerous complaints from tourists about unsanitary and poor-quality facilities. Fujian will also refurbish an additional 575 toilet blocks.
GANSU
Death fall hurts bystander
A woman suffered critical injuries when she was struck by a man as he fell to his death after leaping from the 28th floor of a block of flats, the Southern Metropolis News reports. The woman, 32, a resident of the flats in Lanzhou, was injured just as she left the building. The dead man, in his 30s, had reportedly committed suicide and been involved in a serious car accident before the Lunar New Year.
Endangered turtle inquiry
Gansu provincial authorities are investigating claims that a seafood store in Lanzhou has been keeping endangered sea turtles in a tank for the entertainment of customers, the Lanzhou Morning Post reports. The store owner claimed the turtles were not kept for sale or eating – only for passers-by to admire, according to the report.
GUANGDONG
Fine for divorce court slap
A man has been fined 5,000 yuan for slapping his wife across the face during their bitter divorce court hearing, news portal Ycwb.com reports. The court in Zhongshan imposed the penalty on the husband for obstruction and disrupting civil court proceedings. The man had slapped the woman as he walked past her after giving evidence at the hearing, the report said.
‘Child rapist’ held
Police have detained a 59-year-old man on suspicion of raping a four-year-old girl, the Southern Metropolis News reports. The man allegedly broke into a house in Huizhou and then raped the child twice, while she had been left alone for the day by her parents. Police were alerted after the child’s parents returned home and discovered the suspect sleeping in their bed, the report said.
HEILONGJIANG
Naked fury
A 50-year-old woman, who stripped off in front of a man on their first date, angrily demanded money from him for looking at her naked and then called the police after he criticised her figure and told her he did not want to see her again, China Youth Daily reports. The man, 62, had met the woman on an online dating website. Nangang district police managed to placate the woman by telling the man to pay her 5 yuan bus fare home, the report said.
Family reunion hopes
A homeless man is on a quest to find his parents, who he has not seen for 17 years, news website Chinajilin.com.cn reports. Li Liguo, 36, said his father had been a violent man, and he never went back after he left home to find work. He said he now felt guilty about losing contact with his parents, who had since moved away from their old home, according to the report.
JIANGSU
‘Gift’ from Good Samaritan
A Good Samaritan handed a young woman’s new iPhone 6 in to police after she had angrily thrown away the gift during a lovers’ tiff, the Modern Express reports. A woman and her boyfriend, both from Nanjing, forgot about retrieving the phone, which was later picked up by an elderly woman who was walking past. When their argument was over, the couple remembered the missing phone, which they were able to recover after contacting the police.
Time really is money
A 24-year-old entrepreneur selling “time” is already celebrating the success of his e-commerce business launched on Monday, the news website Jschina.com.cn reports. Liu Jiang, of Suzhou, said more than 20 people had already signed up for his service, called Time Workshop. He said people were happy to pay him to find someone else to queue up on their behalf to buy or collect items. He came up with the idea after becoming frustrated while forced to stand in line for 90 minutes during a holiday in Thailand.
SHAANXI
Murder suspect detained
Police have arrested a man suspected of killing a wealthy Xian couple and their three-year-old child two weeks ago after robbing them of credit cards and just 500 yuan in cash, Xinhua reports. The dismembered bodies of the family were discovered packed inside two suitcases. Shaanxi police said the suspect, Li Pu, had allegedly admitted stabbing the family. The report also claimed that he said he reluctantly killed the child to stop its cries attracting attention while he cut up the parents’ bodies.
Policeman saves boy’s life
A policeman saved the life of a teenage middle school pupil who tried to kill himself by drinking rat poison, Chinese Business Morning View reports. The policeman, named Liu Zhi, spotted the boy sitting weeping in the street, with an empty bottle of poison beside him, as he drove to work in Feng county. Liu rushed the pupil to hospital to get his stomach pumped. The boy, who is now recovering, said he was upset after doing poorly at school and disappointing his parents.
A Henan woman who was abducted when she was five is looking for her original family, but can't remember any details of her true identity. Photo: Sina Weibo
HENAN
30 year search for parents
A woman who was abducted 30 years ago has been looking for her real family for the past three years, the Zhengzhou Evening News reports. The woman, who is now about 35 years old, said she went to work with her mother one morning, and when her she was busy, a passer-by asked her whether she wanted to play. After a while, she fell asleep and woke up on a train. Three years ago, she began to look for her family, but she cannot remember any details about her identity.
Bank error showdown
A woman spent half a year avoiding a bank that accidentally gave her an extra 10,000 yuan, the Zhengzhou Evening News reports. Last July, the woman from Huiji district in Zhengzhou went to the bank to withdraw money, and the teller accidentally gave her 70,000 yuan instead of the 60,000 yuan she requested. When the bank contacted the woman, she promised to return the extra cash but six months later, she still had not done so. In January, the bank sued her in court, which forced her to return the money.
ANHUI
Drowning family rescued
Firefighters pulled a family of three and their dog from a river in Bozhou , the Anhui Commercial News reports. The rescued were an elderly man and women and a middle-aged man. They were caught in deep, uneven waters. The firefighters also saved a dog, which was tied to a tricycle. Police are investigating.
App stops class-cutting
The Hefei University chemical engineering department has adopted an innovative way of ensuring students do not ditch class, the Jianghuai Morning Post reports. Instead of doing the usual roll call, students must sign in with a mobile application that connects directly to their phone account. This way, a student cannot sign in for another student. The app also has a location-sharing service, so the teacher can know where students checked in.
CHONGQING
Daughter throws urine
A man from Shapingba district called the police because his 24-year-old daughter splashed urine on his bed in a fit of anger, the Chongqing Evening News reports. The father, Wang Zhu, and the mother, Zhang Feng, were having an argument. Their daughter, Wang Jiao, sided with her mum and rebuffed her father in the middle of the quarrel. He slapped her across the face, which drove her to splash urine across his bed.
Luxury bag tossed aside
A thief stole a luxury bag with an expensive purse inside but tossed the items aside, unaware of their value, the Chongqing Chen Bao reports. The thief found himself in Jiangbei district hungry and broke. He accosted a nearby woman and stole her Louis Vuitton bag, which contained a Burberry wallet inside. Not recognising the labels, he took the 100 yuan (HK$126) and threw away the accessories. He also dropped his phone, an iPhone 5, which the victim found and used to call police. He was apprehended a day later.
JIANGSU
Man charged with rape
A young man has been charged with rape after having a relationship with a 12-year-old girl, Xinhua reports. The suspect, born in 1994, moved to Nantong to work at a restaurant last July and became interested in the owner's daughter, according to the report. She asked the young man, surnamed Chen, to check into a hotel with her, and they had sex. Four months later, the girl again asked him to book a room and gave him 100 yuan to help cover the cost. The girl's mother found out about the relationship and alerted police, who charged Chen with rape. The girl said the sex was voluntarily.
Promising vaccine trial
An Ebola vaccine trial involving 120 volunteers has delivered promising results during an initial phase of testing, China Radio International reports. The vaccine, developed last year, is undergoing preliminary experiments in "China's medical city" in Taizhou , Jiangsu province.
LIAONING
30 heart attacks in a row
An elderly woman suffered dozens of cardiac arrests in fewer than 20 hours, local news portal Liao1.com reports. Wang Yuli, 67 and also a diabetic, began feeling heart discomfort in March and checked into the Liaoning Provincial People's Hospital in Shenyang , where she suffered the string of cardiac arrests. Doctors successfully intervened each time. She now has a pacemaker.
Girlfriend put into suitcase
A man from Beizhen was sentenced to one year in prison after putting his girlfriend in a suitcase, news portal China.org.cn reports. The man was trying to persuade her to marry him. When they could not reach an agreement on wedding gifts, he tied her up with rope and stuffed her inside the suitcase, and used a towel as a gag to keep her quiet.
SHANGHAI
Determined trash collector
An elderly pensioner in Jingan district refuses to stop collecting rubbish and return home, the Shanghai Morning Post reports. The 82-year-old woman camped out near a petrol station for 24 hours a day for two weeks. She spent her days collecting trash which she organised into piles near her sleeping bag. According to the report, she was paid 10 yuan for each pile she collected.
Dad kills daughter
A 56-year-old man killed his adult daughter with a stool, the Shanghai Morning Post reports. The man and the daughter, 29, often fought over matters relating to her performance at school and the type of friends she kept. One night, after a particularly heated fight, the father hit her with a stool, killing her. Police have detained him.
SICHUAN
Man tries to get run over
A Chengdu man has a penchant for running into cars, the West China City Daily reports. The unnamed man often walked between cars, stopping suddenly, fell to the ground and refused to get up. Drivers told the police he was not trying to extort money out of wealthy drivers, but he merely wanted to get hit by a car. Police suspect he might suffer from psychological problems.
Pupils caught cheating
Seven pupils in Guangan were charged with cheating on their college entrance exams, the West China City Daily reports. The pupils worked in a group and found the exam questions and answers online through a variety of creative channels. They received jail sentences of up to 10 months.
ZHEJIANG
Jail for hot oil attack
A woman was jailed for life and fined 1.8 million yuan by a Hangzhou court for pouring hot oil on her husband, the Qianjiang Evening News reports. The couple married unwillingly after the woman became pregnant, according to the report. One morning, after an argument, she heated oil in a pan and poured it on her sleeping husband.
Foreign ties obsession
A seven-year-old boy from Yuyao was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome after he was found constantly talking about US-Russian relations, the Dahe Daily reports. His classmates had started to avoid him due to his chattering. Doctors diagnosed him with Asperger and said he was only repeating what he heard on the news.
Around the nation: Chinese farmer finds 60kg of ancient coins buried deep in family land
Also, man caught for trying to blackmail 'adulterous' officials, and burglar jailed after falling asleep in home he broke into
The ancient Chinese coins dated back to 1,000 years ago. Photo: 163.com
HAINAN
Many coins, little value
A farmer in Haikou has found 60kg of ancient coins dating back 1,000 years buried deep in the soil on his farmland, the Nanguo City News reports. The coins were excavated from the land, but archaeologists said they were not valuable as a large amount of similar coins had also been discovered across the province over the years. The farmer said that back in the 1980s, his family had also dug up another 80kg of such ancient coins, which they later sold off as regular copper.
Unhappy union
An elderly man and his wife have been forced to sleep on the streets in Haikou for two weeks after the man's adopted daughter drove them out of his home, the Nanguo City News reports. The 77-year-old man had been single for many years until he married the 61-year-old woman late last year, but his daughter accused the wife of eyeing his assets. The daughter, who was adopted 40 years ago, said she would allow her father to return home but not his wife, the report said.
GUANGDONG
Blackmailer exposed
A man has been arrested in Foshan for trying to blackmail 28 government officials with doctored photos supposedly showing them in bed with their mistresses, Guangdong Television reports. He planned to extort hundreds of thousands of yuan from each official, threatening to either send the pictures to the disciplinary authorities or release them on the internet if he was not paid. He was caught after a courier worker made a police report upon finding one of the photos that had slipped out of an envelope by accident.
Dog tracks down boy
A pet dog has helped his owners locate their two-year-old son who went missing in Foshan last week, Guangzhou Daily reports. The boy's mother said this was not the first time the dog had helped them find their child after the toddler, who had been playing on his own around the village, lost his way home.
HENAN
Driver hit by conscience
A man has turned himself in to police 11 days after a hit-and-run accident in which he knocked down a woman pedestrian in Zhengzhou's downtown area, the Zhengzhou Evening News reports. The 28-year-old initially offered the injured woman 500 yuan (HK$630) in compensation, but when she did not agree to it, he fled the scene and drove the BMW - which did not belong to him - to Shanghai. The victim's medical bills, which have come up to 110,000 yuan so far, are being borne by the driver and the owner of the car.
Polluters fined millions
The province's environmental protection authorities handled 2,687 cases last year in which firms breached environmental laws, Dahe Daily reports. A total of 10 million yuan in fines was collected from those who violated the laws. Officials said they would focus enforcement efforts on industrial zones where polluting factories often discharged untreated water or air into the environment.
HUNAN
Killer-kidnapper punished
A man has been executed in Yiyang for killing a primary school pupil whom he kidnapped in 2012, the Xiao Xiang Chen Bao reports. He had demanded a 150,000 yuan ransom from the boy's parents, but when the child tried to escape, he smashed his head with a brick and stabbed him in the throat with a pair of scissors.
More whistle-blowers
Petitions and whistle-blowing against local officials increased by more than half in 2013 and 2014, Hunan Daily quotes the provincial disciplinary authorities as saying. The authorities have vowed to further intensify the anti-graft crackdown this year.
JIANGXI
Drug chase ends in death
A suspect was killed and four of his accomplices arrested after police opened fire during a car chase on a highway near Pingxiang late last week, Jxnews.com.cn reports. A total of 10kg of drugs was seized from the vehicle. The gang of five had been trying to evade police on the road, and officers said they took aim at the suspect after firing warning shots to no avail.
Careless zookeeper killed
A zookeeper in Yichun was killed by a four-year-old tiger while cleaning its cage, Information Times reports. The man, who had worked at the zoo for 13 years, had forgotten to lock the inner chamber of the cage in which the tiger was kept, and was attacked by the animal. He was pronounced dead an hour after being taken to hospital for treatment, and the zoo has since been closed for investigations.
SHAANXI
Wife-hacker on trial
A man stood trial in Xian for chopping his wife to death, City Express reports. The woman had married the suspect in February last year, but they argued often because the man believed that she looked down on him while the woman felt that the man was restricting her personal freedom. During a particularly heated argument last June, the man hacked the woman more than 50 times with a kitchen knife, killing her.
Water turned to 'milk'
Residents in a village in Xian's Changan district have complained for many years about a milky, powdery layer of sediment in their boiled tap water, Huashang Daily reports. Local water affairs officials had earlier said the sediment was because the water, which came from a well, was not purified. Their latest preliminary investigations showed the water quality was safe and that the sediment was from a high amount of calcium and magnesium in the water.
SHANGHAI
Two dead in bar fight
Two men were killed and five others injured during a gang fight in a bar in Pudong district late on Saturday night, Eastday.com reports. Police said the fight broke out after a dispute between two groups, who were armed with knives and sticks. More than 10 people have been arrested and the case is under investigation.
Fourth runway opens
Pudong International Airport's fourth runway began operating on Saturday, making the airport the first in the country to boast four runways, Jfdaily.com reports. The airport had earlier been ranked the worst in a list of major airports around the world because it experienced frequent flight delays. The authorities said that with four runways now, the airport could raise its efficiency and allow 82 planes - from 74 previously - to take flight every hour. A fifth runway was also under construction, the report said.
ZHEJIANG
Sleepy burglar jailed
A bungling burglar has been sentenced to five months' jail and fined 1,000 yuan for breaking into a flat in Ningbo last October, the Today Morning Express reports. The man, who did not found anything valuable in the flat after breaking in, decided to take a nap on the clean, comfortable bed, only to wake up at noon the next day to discover that the owner had already called police.
Drowning driver saved
Six workers risked their lives diving into a river in Ningbo to save a driver whose SUV had plunged into the water after he lost control of the vehicle on a road, the Today Morning Express reports. The driver, who had been trapped upside down in the car, was rescued with minor injuries. He said he was very grateful to the group of workers who had cast aside their own safety to help take him to safety.
Around the nation: stampede by excited Chinese children kills hundreds of butterflies
Ten Chengdu families won lucky draw to release thousands of the insects, but hundreds that landed on the ground were promptly crushed to death as children rushed to get a closer look
Hundreds of butterflies were trampled to death by Chinese children as they rushed to watch the insects being released during a shop's promotional event in Chengdu. Photo: SCMP Pictures
SICHUAN
Stampede kills butterflies
Hundreds of butterflies released as part of a shop’s promotional event were killed in a stampede by excited children, West China City Daily reports. Ten Chengdu families won a lucky draw to release thousands of the insects caught in Yunnan province. But hundreds landed on the ground and were promptly crushed to death as a crowd of children rushed in to get a closer look.
Pedlar hit by urine bottle
A woman selling goods outside an apartment block was unhurt after being hit on the shoulder by a falling bottle of urine, reportedly thrown from the building, Chengdu Business Herald reports. Pedlars claimed the bottle was thrown by one of the residents at the Chengdu flats, who had complained about the noise they made. No one has claimed responsibility, or been detained over the incident.
BEIJING
Viral video shames driver
A driver, who illegally parked his car in a bicycle lane, and his female passengers became the target of an online backlash after a video of them picking on a student who photographed the vehicle went viral online, Beijing Youth Daily reports. The video was filmed in Haidian district and showed the man calling the boy a “nerd”, as the women unzipped his coat to identify his uniform and told him to learn not to interfere in other people’s business.
Chlorine fears at baby pool
A swimming pool for infants in Pinggu district reportedly uses chlorine tablets to disinfect the water, even though doctors say such measures put babies at risk because they keep their eyes open underwater, The Beijing News reports. A pool employee said the manager allegedly put four chlorine tablets in the pool’s water filter each night after it closed, and had banned staff from telling customers. The centre’s annual membership fee is 4,000 yuan (HK$5,000). The manager said using chlorine was not prohibited if the quantity was within safety levels.
GUANGDONG
Mother suffers burns
A single mother from Dongguan suffered extensive burns after her boyfriend ignited the ethyl alcohol she had poured on herself as a threat, Southern Metropolis News reports. The woman, 29, claimed he had threatened to kill her many times if she tried to break up with him. She said she poured alcohol on herself only to scare him away after he showed up at her flat. But he then threw a cigarette lighter at her while he was allegedly “high on drugs”, the newspaper quoted her as saying. The police are investigating the matter.
Police held for ‘unfair’ fine
Two auxiliary traffic policemen in Shenzhen have been placed in administrative detention for 10 days for reportedly imposing an unfair fine, Southern Metropolis News reports. They allegedly fined a driver 2,000 yuan for not displaying registration plates, even though he had a temporary plate while parked outside the departure hall at Shenzhen’s airport. The driver reported the matter to the police and received a full refund within hours, the report said.
FUJIAN
Pigsty blast kills three
A farmer and his wife and their daughter died in an explosion that destroyed a pigsty on Sunday in Zhongxin village near Longyan, news website Taihainet.com reports. Neighbours said the bodies of the family were found in the burning debris after the blast, which damaged properties across a 400 square metre area.
Two fishermen drown
Two people drowned when an inflatable dinghy carrying six fishermen capsized in Huinu Reservoir, near Quanzhou at the weekend, news website Qzwb.com reports. Two men – a post office chief and a bank manager – died, but the other four, who often went fishing together in the reservoir, were rescued.
HUBEI
Zipline fall kills tourist
A tourist fell 100 metres to his death from a zipline after reportedly failing to correctly fasten his safety belt, news website Cnhubei.com reports. The man, 29, became stuck halfway down the zipline on Xiaolei Mountain, in Huangshi. A second zipline harness was sent for him to use, but he fell before he could reach it. An initial investigation found he did not fully fastened his safety belt before using the zipline.
Mother saved from lake
A woman told police she jumped into a lake in Wuhan to “scare” her 10-year-old daughter during a row, Wuhan Evening News reports. Two security guards jumped into the deep water to rescue the woman as her child cried on the shore.
JIANGXI
‘Sleepwalker’ survives fall
A boy, 12, is in stable condition in hospital in Nanchang after falling from a fifth-storey flat while sleepwalking and landing on a parked car, news website Jxnews.com.cn reports. A woman said she heard a crash at 10pm and found the bleeding child calling for help lying on the car’s roof. The boy told doctors he had been sleepwalking.
Gift row ends in death
Nanchang prosecutors arrested a man who allegedly stabbed his wife to death after she did not like his gift, Jxnews.com.cn reports. The man, in his 20s, said he bought her hand cream as a surprise Christmas gift, but she was not impressed. They argued and when she threatened to divorce him he allegedly lost his temper and stabbed her.
LIAONING
‘Matchmakers’ detained
Police in Dandong detained four people who allegedly used a matchmaking scam to steal from elderly single people, Chinese Business Morning View reports. The suspects reportedly used a fake matchmaking agency to arrange dates between elderly men and women. Two suspects, posing as policemen, would allegedly raid a flat where the couples would meet and threaten to arrest the victims for prostitution unless they paid a bribe. The suspects were detained when two people, who had allegedly paid them bribes totalling 2,500 yuan, went to the police.
Killer caught on camera
A court in Huludao jailed a man for 15 years for his wife’s “unlawful death” after surveillance cameras filmed him strangling her, Chinese Business Morning View reports. Initially the man, 40, said she was killed in a robbery, but confessed when police found footage of the killing. He said he strangled her by accident while trying to gag her with a rope after she threw money at him during a row. He left her body in an alley.
SHANDONG
Bad break for patient
A court in Qingdao ordered a hospital to pay a patient 9,000 yuan in compensation when his bed collapsed after an operation, news website Qingdaonews.com reports. The man, who had undergone surgery to repair several fractured ribs after a car accident, broke the ribs again when the bed collapsed as he lay recovering in the hospital ward.
‘Fainting’ driver banned
A drunk driver pretended to faint to try to avoid being punished after traffic police stopped him when he drove through a red traffic light in Zibo, news website Iqilu.com reports. Police rushed him to hospital after ordering him to stop and hand over his driving licence. He started to move as doctors prepared to take a blood sample. Police revoked his driving licence, after a blood sample showed he was driving after drinking more than the legal limit of alcohol.
Around the nation: Supermarket’s steamed meat bun offers less-than-tasty treat
Xichang resident pricked inside his mouth by 3cm-long needle after biting into one of six Chinese steamed meat buns he bought for 10 yuan at a supermarket
A resident suffered only a slight injury after biting into this Chinese steamed bun containing a 3cm-long needle. Photo: SCMP Pictures
SICHUAN
Needle found in bun
A man was pricked inside his mouth by a 3cm-long needle after biting into one of six steamed meat buns he bought for 10 yuan (HK$12) at a supermarket, the West China City Daily reports. The Xichang resident suffered only a slight injury. The supermarket that sold the bun has refused to pay any compensation until the police have investigated the incident.
'Donations paid for car'
Microbloggers claim the father of a child suffering from cancer in Yancheng township, near Leshan, has spent most of the 130,000 yuan that has been given in donations on a new car for himself, the Chengdu Business Herald reports. The father launched an online appeal in 2013 to help his ailing daughter. But one donor said on social media the man had been seen driving in a new 100,000 yuan car. The local social security centre said the child's medical care cost only 32,000 yuan, as a further 90,000 fee was covered by insurance and social security support. The girl's father said he had spent 90,000 yuan treating his daughter's illness, but had "lost the receipts".
BEIJING
Man denies murdering rival
A man has pleaded not guilty to murdering a rival card-game player, saying he was drunk and did not see the victim when he knocked him down while driving his car, The Beijing News reports. Prosecutors told Chaoyang district court that the two men had argued while playing cards before the defendant knocked down and killed the victim as he walked outside a gated apartment. The court was told evidence showed the car accelerated before hitting the victim. The trial continues.
Pedlar seen in luxury car
A middle-aged pedlar who works outside a Xicheng district subway station has been seen driving a luxury Jaguar sports car, The Beijing News reports. The woman, in her 40s, has sold cosmetics on the street for more than a decade. She refused to comment about her car, but said she preferred to work as a pedlar rather than selling goods online.
CHONGQING
Child burglars copy film
Two six-year-old burglars said they were inspired by crime films to climb up a drainpipe and steal valuables from a third-floor apartment, the Chongqing Times reports. The children, who live with their grandparents, were quickly caught by police after the flat owner reported the theft. They said they wanted to copy the skills of cat burglars they had seen in films and broke in within five minutes.
Farmer finds runaway son
A farmer who had been searching for his missing son for five years finally found him inside an internet cafe, but the unemployed graduate refused to return home, news website Cqnews.net reports. The son had cut off all contact with his family after leaving university. His father, who had sold his ox to pay for his search, tracked him down to the cafe and found he had deliberately hidden himself away.
GUANGDONG
Hotel fall payout
A Guangzhou court ordered a man to pay 60,000 yuan in compensation to a bar waitress after ruling he was partly to blame for her falling from a third-storey hotel window, the New Express reports. The woman, who suffered broken bones and needed hospital treatment, had asked for compensation of 270,000 yuan. She said she became unconscious after drinking alcohol and fell as she tried to hide because she was afraid he would rape her. The man said he took her to his room as gesture of kindness. The court ruled there was not enough evidence of an attempted rape.
Teacher 'kicks pupil'
A primary school teacher allegedly kicked a pupil, aged seven, in the legs with her high-heeled shoes as a punishment for fighting, the Guangzhou Daily reports. The boy told his parents he had been hurt in a fight with classmates, but later claimed his teacher had kicked him while telling him off for fighting. His parents have filed a complaint with the school.
HUNAN
Wife sues over lover's gift
A wife has sued her husband and his lover for the return of 400,000 yuan given to the mistress as a gift, the Zhuzhou Daily reports. The woman, from Zhuzhou, found the money had gone missing after examining bank statements from 2012 to 2014. She said the money was partly hers.
Girl hit by bus dies
A four-year-old girl died after being hit by a bus in Zhuzhou, CZY Today reports. Witnesses said they saw the girl knocked down as she relieved herself in the street as the bus pulled away. But traffic police said CCTV footage showed she died when she was hit by the bus as she ran across the road to try to catch up with her grandmother.
SHANDONG
Fake identity crisis
A man who was released from prison after serving 10 years for theft tried to use his brother's identity when he was arrested by police for stealing fuel worth several thousand yuan from a petrol station, news website Jcrb.com reports. He later admitted giving false information to police to avoid receiving a more severe punishment. Prosecutors spotted the deception after noticing that his cheekbones were not as high as those pictured in his brother's identity card photo.
Boyfriend finally cracks
A man banged his head in frustration against a window of a bus, cracking it, and continued his quarrel with his girlfriend, news website Iqilu.com reports. The man from Jinan was taken to hospital with minor injuries, while the bus driver said he would not ask the man to pay for repairs to the window.
SHAANXI
Bus driver 'assaulted'
A middle-aged couple allegedly assaulted a bus driver while the vehicle was moving after he confiscated student passes they were using to obtain travel discounts in Xian, the Huashang Daily reports. They reportedly refused to pay the full fare and told the driver they were prepared to "perish together" after he refused to return the passes. Passengers called the police, who detained the couple.
Painters miss their target
Workers painting steel supports at a construction site in Xian mistakenly sprayed oil paint on dozens of cars parked in a gated community next door, the Huashang Daily reports. The developer said it would compensate drivers and make sure the mistake never happened again after receiving numerous complaints.
ZHEJIANG
Wanted man becomes dad
A man got married and had children while he was on the run after being accused of murder 15 years ago, the Beijing Times reports. The man fled to Haining, changed his name and opened a clothing factory after he was allegedly involved in the killing of man during a mass brawl in Beijing. He was arrested during a routine police check while visiting a foot massage centre. He has since offered 160,000 yuan in compensation to relatives of the victim.
Son's suspended jail term
A university student in Ningbo was given a six-month suspended jail sentence for fraud after selling his neighbour's electric bikes so he could buy a new iPhone 6 Plus, news website Jinbaonet.com reports. The student will not have to go to jail if he does not reoffend within one year. He sold the bikes for 6,000 yuan after his father refused to give him the money. He has returned most of the money.
