Young Migrant Workers Shun Hard Labor in Cities China's migrant workers born in the late 1970s and 1980s are refusing to follow in their parents' footsteps and do tough and dirty work in China's booming cities, according to a report about migrant workers.

China's Richest Woman: from Waste to Wealth As night falls on the town of Mayong in south China's Guangdong Province, container trucks emblazoned with the logo "Nine Dragons Paper", a local household name, take to the streets.

Chinese Cuisines Recommended for Olympic Menu Nearly 100 cuisines from all over China were recommended to be listed in the Beijing Olympics menu and made their appearance in an Expo here on Wednesday.

MTV, Baidu Launch Stunning Alliance Two media giants have joined hands to explore China's digital media market. MTV Networks and Baidu.com announced a stunning content and advertising alliance at a press conference held in Beijing yesterday. The new partnership will bring 15,000 hours of MTV's video content to 123 million Internet users in China.

China Wins More than Kudos from Beating Hunger The argument by American scholar Lester Brown that China would become a hungry dinosaur, triggering a global food crisis in 2030, appears weak on Monday - the 26th World Food Day - given China has emerged as the world's third largest food donor.

China Facing Employment Crisis The Chinese government is facing a "severe" employment crisis with 34.5 million people expected to come on to the labor market from 2006 to 2010, according to a senior member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Monk Goes Online to Carry Forward Buddhist Doctrine A noted Chinese monk has joined China's 17.5 million Bloggers and launched his own blog at Sina.com.cn, which claims its the first blog by a Buddhist monk in the country.

Graduates Now More Practical in Job Search Due to increasing employment pressures, China's university graduates are now taking a more practical and rational approach to finding that all-important first job. General services, urban administrative management and funeral industry positions, which most first-time job hunters used to shun, are growing in popularity because of competitive salaries, welfare benefits and promotion prospects.

'China's Richest Person' Title Could Go to a Woman The title of richest person on the Chinese mainland will fall on new shoulders this year, after being held by CITIC boss Larry Rong Zhijian for two consecutive years, according to Forbes, which has shortlisted two candidates. But rival rich-list compiler Hurun Report, has a third person in mind; a woman.

Chinese Police Force to Undergo Re-deployment China's national police force will undergo large-scale re-deployment that will see many of its administrative officers assigned to protect local communities, both rural and urban.

Japanese First Lady Visits Yuetan Middle School, CDPF Japan's First Lady Akie Abe, who accompanied her husband, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his first China visit since taking office, visited Yuetan Middle School in downtown Beijing and the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) yesterday afternoon.

Movie Star Sued for SK-II Advertising While many Chinese catch up on their favorite movies during the weeklong National Day vacation, a woman in south China's Jiangxi Province is waiting for a local court to respond to her request to sue a movie star.

Bicycle Makes Comeback in Car-worshipping Beijing Standing atop a stool clamped to a bicycle rack in her long white wedding gown, the giggling bride clasped her bouquet of white roses as the bridegroom pedaled frantically down the street Huayuan Lu in Haidian district of Beijing to the reception restaurant ....

Russian Carnival Jazzes up Ancient Park A Russian culture carnival, part of the China-Russia Year Program, is being held in Ditan Park in Beijing during October 1-3. It attracted more than 90,000 visitors with its original Russian arts and crafts on its first day.

Chinese People to Spend National Holiday in Their Own Ways Many Beijing people are deciding for themselves how they will spend the seven-day National Day vacation, opting for a complete break with no travel agencies, no private coaches and no beauty consultants.

All 'Snail Patients' in Beijing Recovered All the 160 victims of a parasitic disease contracted by eating undercooked snails in Beijing have recovered, the Beijing Municipal Public Health Bureau said Friday.

Tian'anmen Square Offers Festive Visitors Visual Feast Beijing residents and visitors can see the Potala Palace, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Three Gorges Dam during the National Day "Golden Week" celebration and all without leaving Tian'anmen Square.

Golden Week Holiday Still Welcomed in China More than half of Chinese people consider the Golden Week holiday favorable rather than a time of stress, a top tourism official acknowledged Thursday.

New Rural Medical System Welcomed by Farmers The rural medical care system launched in 2003 has been widely acknowledged by Chinese farmers and helped reduce their healthcare burdens, according to an assessment team.

China's Internet Users to Sue 'Rogue Software' Producer Internet users in eight Chinese cities have united to sue a major Internet company for plaguing computers with "rogue software."

Modern-day Sherlock Holmes Opens Training Center Forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee, widely referred to as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, opened a training center at the Hubei University of Police in Wuhan, central Hubei Province, on Monday to train Chinese detectives.

Level of Chinese KTV Copyright Fees Discussed Club and copyright owners took different views at a National Copyright Administration (NCA) symposium on KTV copyright fees. A month ago the NCA published a draft standard of 12 yuan per KTV room per day and the proposal in a bid to gauge public opinion.

Gender Imbalance Worries China With China worried that it does not have enough girls, the central government is implementing new policies to counter the country's worsening gender imbalance.

2,000 More Foreign Experts to Work in China Hailing foreign experts' invaluable contribution to China's development, 2,068 letters of intent were signed yesterday as the Conference on the International Exchange of Professionals concluded, allowing the next crop of foreign experts to arrive in China

Rumble in the Zoo: Panda 1 Man 0 A drunk man leaped into Beijing Zoo's panda enclosure on Tuesday and found himself tussling with the paddock's denizen after his initial desire for "an intimate touch" proved unpopular with the panda. The man was rescued and hospitalized soon and the panda was isolated, a zoo official said.

Snail Illness Patients to Receive Compensation All victims of a parasitic disease they contracted by eating contaminated snails are to receive compensation from a Beijing restaurant. A doctor at the Beijing Friendship Hospital says all those who ate the snails will be released from hospital by October 1.

Love Is Right Here in the Building Over 500 office workers looking for love showed up to meet the people working in their buildings Sunday in a special speed dating party that was arranged in the southern city of Guangzhou.

Harmful Cosmetics -- Refunds Available People who've purchased any of the nine types of SK-II cosmetics found to be unsafe by China's quality watchdog are now able to claim refunds.

Base Rules on Reality, Not Lofty Ideals On September 6, newspapers in Chongqing carried this item on a local government proclamation: All sex-related entertainment venues must provide condoms. Local authorities may have hoped that only those who needed to know would notice it, but pundits swooped in from across China. Their denunciations have been loud and clear.

Chinese Monks Follow Xuanzang's Steps to Nalanda Two Chinese monks will be visiting Nalanda, seat of Buddhist teachings, in November to revive the traditional Sino-Indian cultural ties, the Nav Nalanda Mahavihar director Dr Ravindra Pant told Xinhua Thursday.

Chairman Mao No Longer a God in China Chairman Mao is no longer a mythical character in Chinese history as rationality mixed with practicality has influenced how Chinese citizens see the historic leader, according to the latest issue of Oriental Outlook.

Shanghai Appealing to Foreigners Over 70 percent of foreigners said they enjoy life and work in Shanghai, China's biggest metropolis, according to a local survey.

Shaolin Abbot Fights Back Against Critics Shaolin Abbot Shi Yong Xin sparked a controversy after the local government awarded him with a luxury sedan for his contribution to tourism development and promoting the Shaolin culture.

Free Counselling Offered on Suicide Prevention Day A free information day on mental illness and suicide was held at Beijing's Ditan Park to mark the fourth World Suicide Day, themed around "with understanding, new hope", on September 10.

A Golden Time for Weddings Wedding season is heating up again.There will be more weddings in October than there were during May's Golden Week, according to Wang Cuidi, director of the Shanghai Xuhui District Marriage Registry Office.

President Hu Writes in Support of Teachers Meng Fei, daughter of an ordinary, hard-working Beijing professor, will always remember June 9, 2006, the day she received a private letter from President Hu Jintao.

Adverts Lose Trust of Chinese Population An on-line survey found that two-thirds of respondents said advertisements are "untrustworthy." The survey, sponsored by the China Consumers' Association, conducted the investigation among 12,927 netizens and found that two-thirds of them, or 67.8 percent, said they had been victimized by fake and illegal advertisements.

New Police Regulations on Handcuffing and Custody According to new regulations issued recently, Chinese police are no longer allowed to shackle drunks or to take children, the elderly, pregnant women or breast-feeding mothers involved in non-criminal cases into custody.

Children of Migrant Workers Cause Concern The recent uncovering of an 11-member criminal gang of migrant teenagers in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, has drawn attention to the lack of proper education for many of these children.

Blue Blog Claimed to Be Elaborate Hoax The much-maligned Chinabounder - thought to be an expat blogger who claimed a long list of sexual conquests among young Chinese women and expressed a dim view of the country's men and its government - may be a hoax.

Over 40% of Chinese Have No Time to Read A sample survey on Chinese reading habits found that more than 40 percent of respondents say they have no time to read books. Only 84.1 percent of those surveyed believed reading books has become more important, the lowest level since 1999.

Feng Shui Revival Defies Prohibition in China's Cities Feng Shui is gaining popularity in China's affluent coastal cities including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, although it is still illegal.

Addicts Seek Shelter from the Internet Shanghai has opened the first shelter in the country for Internet addicts to help them bridge the gap between their virtual world and dysfunctional family homes.

School Delayed as Chongqing Scorches Kindergarten, elementary and middle schools in Chongqing will delay the new school term until next Tuesday because of the very hot weather. Despite some rainfall last week, much of it artificially induced, temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius yesterday and are expected to continue for the next two days.

Journalists' Assets Frozen in Defamation Lawsuit A leading Chinese financial newspaper has said it's fully behind two of its journalists who've been sued for US$3.75 million in a defamation case filed by an iPod manufacturer in Shenzhen.

Group Dating Popular Among White Collars The great popularity of group dating is no surprise since there are nearly 1 million single, young and available urban residents in Beijing and Shanghai, most of whom are well-educated, white-collar workers.

China Orders Seafood Check After 'Snail' Infection China ordered Friday local health authorities across the country to strengthen supervision of businesses that sell river or seafood, after 87 people fell ill after eating raw or half-cooked snails contaminated with parasites at a Beijing restaurant.

15,000 Children Facing Uncertain Future As Schools Close 15,000 migrant school children face an uncertain education after 37 schools in Beijing's Haidian District were ordered to close their doors, leaving their students facing uncertainty with no certain places for the upcoming term.

Xu: Most Popular Blogger in World The weblog by Chinese starlet Xu Jinglei is now the world's most popular. With more than 50 million clicks it tops the "Technorati" billboard, a leading weblog search engine.

China to Lose Labor Force Advantage Growing to an aging society, China will inevitably lose the advantage in labor force, and its economic development will slow down as a result, said a new report of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Population Change May Lead to Drop in House Prices Suggestions that the overheating Chinese housing market would cool after 2008 have aroused much heated debate and many predictions have been made on the subject. According to Yin Zhongli, an expert from the Institute of Finance and Banking under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, prices will fall because of changes in the population structure.

Beijing Diners Ill After Eating Contaminated Snails At least 40 people in Beijing have been diagnosed as suffering from a parasite-induced form of meningitis after eating raw or semi-raw snails at restaurants.

'Inspiring' Breakthrough Made with AIDS Vaccine Tests carried out into China's first AIDS vaccine suggest the drug could prove effective at protecting people against the HIV virus, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Friday.

Emergency Drill Tests Rescue Unit The waters around the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai were roiled yesterday with clouds of smoke, the roar of rotor blades and the wakes of rescue vessels as maritime authorities carried out a major emergency drill.

Chongqing: Hot in Here! At least 14 million people and 15 million livestock are suffering from a shortage of drinking water as continuous droughts and searing heat ravage western China, especially Chongqing City over the past month when temperatures have not dropped below 35 Celsius degrees.

Pawn Again Revival for College Students Many university students hocked their possessions at local pawnshops at the very beginning of their summer vacation. Though their circumstances differ, the students all make a common vow: they will buy back their possessions when school starts again.

China to Solicit Public Opinion on Hunting Auction China's State Forestry Administration (SFA) is to solicit suggestions from the public before deciding whether to continue the auction of hunting quotas and licenses.

Beijing ATMs to Recognize Your Face Beijing's police will equip ATM machines with a face recognition system to detect criminal suspects and prevent cash withdrawal frauds. More than 1,000 bank ATMs will be linked to the police emergency response network by the end of October.

Public Outcry Delays First Auction of Hunting Quotas The country's first auction of hunting quotas for wildlife has been delayed due to public outcry over the inclusion of endangered species on the list.

Hot Debate over Mass Slaughter of Dogs After two local governments ordered that dogs be killed following a rabies outbreak, a heated debate is underway about whether such an approach is the only way to curb the spread of the disease.

Official Warns over Occupational Diseases According to Yao Zhibing, director of the Guangdong Provincial Health Department, Guangdong is currently witnessing a period of high risk of occupational diseases.

China Promotes Girls to Avoid Gender Imbalance The program "Care for Girls" offers hope that China's gender imbalance can be righted. The program launched by the State Population and Family Planning Commission (SCPFP) in 2003 in 24 pilot counties provides social benefits, including cash payments, to families with only girls, in order to boost the status of girls and women.

China to Double Foreign Student Intake by 2020 China will enroll 300,000 foreigners in universities by 2020, up from 140,000 in 2005, a Chinese educational official said Monday.

Breast-feeding Rights Highlighted In a letter of commitment signed in Beijing on Saturday six manufacturers of breast milk substitutes vowed not to run commercials for their products or take actions which could impact on mothers' rights to breast-feed their babies. The signing was part of an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and celebrate World Breast-breeding Week which has been running from August 1-7.

Wushu Contest Held to Choose Husbands Zhang Lisha and Chen Lei, two members of a women's lion dance team in Guangdong Province prepare to hold a martial arts contest these days, in hopes of finding husbands after their hearts through such an activity.

Beijing Girl Crowned Miss China Model Liu Duo holds the trophy after she was crowned "Miss China" in Beijing August 2, 2006. Liu will represent China to compete in the 56th Miss World contest in Poland in September.

China to Keep On with Fight Against Selective Abortions China has not relaxed its fight against sex selection abortions even though its newly revised Criminal Law does not criminalize the practice, say family planning officials.

1st Institute on Tibetan Medicine Unveiled The first institute of Tibetan medicine was launched on Tuesday at the Tibet Autonomous Regional Hospital of Tibetan Medicine.

70% Chinese Rely on 1st Impression A survey by Nanjing University shows that first impression decides the suitability of a future partner for most Chinese.

China Tightens Foreign Investment on Internet Regulations for foreign investors operating internet services in China have been tightened. Websites they run using rented licenses will be closed, according to the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) in a circular issued this week.

HK Universities -- a Threat to the Mainland? With over 30,000 mainland students applying for some 1,300 places in Hong Kong universities this year, questions are being asked about how the mainland and Hong Kong tertiary education systems compare, and whether the movement of students to Hong Kong poses a threat to mainland institutions.

'Versatile' Child Minders Badly Needed Child minders, skilled not only in cradling babies in their arms but also knowledgeable about nutrition and early education, are now in great demand from Chinese urban families.

Peking University Bans Campus Tourism Peking University, one of China's most prestigious educational institutions, attracts more than just the brightest minds. University authorities have imposed a ban on group visitors who reportedly disrupt its scholastic serenity.

Marriage Clinic Offers Guidance to Troubled Couples Jiangsu Province's first marriage guidance clinic has opened in Suzhou, providing hope to the growing number of couples experiencing relationship problems.

China Reports New Bird Flu Outbreak A new bird flu outbreak has been identified in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

First Police Blog in China A Runaway Success Blogs, or weblogs, are becoming more popular as the number of Internet users continues to grow. They are also one of the means celebrities and movie stars use to further boost their reputation and fame, and their blogs are always the center of attention among Internet users.

China Bans Quack Medicines on TV China will ban promotional programs about quack medical products on TV and radio from next month. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a notice about the ban yesterday.

Hotline Helps Quake Victims Reconnect A hotline opened yesterday in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province. It is for Jiangsu rescue workers and earthquake victims to share their memories and look for long-lost friends and relatives.

New Rescue Base Established for S. China Sea A new sea rescue base on the Xisha Archipelago in the South China Sea started operations last Saturday. Located 180 nautical miles from the Sanya Rescue Base in China's southernmost island province of Hainan, the station will improve the efficiency of marine operations.

Workers at Greater Risk of Illness and Injury Occupational illnesses and injuries are costing China 100 billion yuan (US$12.5 billion) in direct losses every year, a senior health official has warned.

Fashion Collection Award Launched in HK Hong Kong Fashion Collection Award, a highlight of Hong Kong Fashion Week -- one of the world's leading fashion-industry sourcing events -- launched in Hong Kong Friday.

3,500 People Swim Across China's 3rd Longest River Over 3,500 people in the southern city of Guangzhou swam across the Pearl River, the third longest in China, on Wednesday afternoon, to show to the public that the once polluted river has turned clean.

Charity Nets Support for Poor College Students A new charity programme has been launched to support poor college freshmen. It has been set up by the China Youth Development Foundation, which has introduced a transparent online platform to reassure donors that funds are used correctly.

30 Mln Chinese Become Nearsighted Per Year Latest data provided by Chinese experts show that 30 million Chinese become nearsighted annually. Nearly 400 million people are myopic but only less than 2 million, or 1 percent of them have received medical treatment.

Chinese Rock 'n' Roll: It Was 20 Years Ago... "It was 20 years ago today..." The lyrics from the Beatles' famous song Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band may well indicate Chinese music lovers' nostalgia. However, it couldn't even secure "sold-out" 20th anniversary concerts for Chinese rock music held in Shenyang, Liaoning Province in mid-June. Cui Jian, the "godfather of Chinese rock 'n' roll," insisted that rock is not dead yet in China but admitted musicians are struggling.

Low-emission Cars Popular in First Half Year Economy cars with low emissions remain popular in China's auto market in the first half year of 2006, accounting for half of the top ten best selling vehicles.

Dongguan Puts Figure on Value of Heroism The city of Dongguan in south China's Guangdong Province is seeking public views on a plan to offer generous compensation to people harmed when performing heroic deeds.

Poverty Leaves College Students Psychological Problems College students coming form low-income families in China are more likely to carry psychological problems, a latest survey found. The survey was based on its recent research after polling 400 university students in Beijing whose families had financial difficulties. Nearly 70 percent of the impoverished students came from the countryside.

Bringing Doctors to Locals' Doors Home-care service for elderly patients with chronic diseases is a part of the daily work of a general practitioner or so-called "family doctor" of Qinan Community Clinic on Yuetan Street in Xicheng District, Beijing. The residents can make an appointment simply by calling the clinic.

Watchdog Probes Popular Breast Drug A breast enhancement treatment that promises to transfer unwanted weight from the hips to the breasts is being investigated by consumer watchdogs in the wake of recent unflattering media reports.

Urbanites Head for New Life in Suburbs Early this year, as part of China's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), the Shanghai Urban Planning Bureau released a framework "1966 plan" outlining their strategy for the development of the Shanghai Municipality. The plan defines the 600-square-kilometre area within Shanghai's outer ring road as central Shanghai.

Beijing Bans Opening Companies in Residential Buildings China's capital Beijing has banned businesses from setting up offices in residential buildings, a move that will have a deep impact on the property market.

College Graduates Help Boost Village Economy College graduates, with their book knowledge and enthusiasm, will inject a new vitality in China's building of new socialist countryside, said Qin Gang, an official with Beijing's Pinggu District government.

Beijing Tops Shanghai in Cost-of-living Survey Beijing tops Shanghai as 14th in the latest cost-of-living survey covering 144 cities around the world. The survey compared the prices of more than 200 items ranging from housing costs, food and transport.

Miss China Global Competition Shines in Paris The regional competition of 2006 Miss China Global Competition is held in Paris on Sunday evening by European Channel Phoenix Satellite Television and the European company of Tsingdao Beer.

Campaign Warns Youth 'Drugs No Child's Play' More than 2000 students attended the launch of an anti-drug campaign in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, yesterday.

The 1st Disc-shaped Railway Station Opens The world's first disc-shaped railway station has begun trial operations with its official opening set for July 1 in Shanghai. The newly-built Shanghai South Railway Station, started services on five passenger trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou, of neighbouring Zhejiang Province, on Sunday.

Young Offenders Need Special Treatment "The country's current Criminal Law is mainly for adults," said a vice-president of Shanghai High People's Court at a two-day symposium that opened on Friday. He told that there should be a criminal law targeting juvenile delinquents.

Geeks Rule, Even in China The 80s, an era better known for its bad hair, crazy make-up and synthesized music, have produced a generation of youngsters who are making their mark as China's most successful entrepreneurs. At the heart of these corporate raiders' success is high-technology, which these Internet geeks have used to change the face of enterprise in the world's fastest developing economy.

Rains Cause Big Losses in S. China Rainstorms in south and southwest China have killed 170 people and forced 1.6 million to flee from their homes since late May, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said yesterday.

Beijing Roads Welcome Emission-free Buses Emission-free fuel cell buses sponsored by the UN began their first rounds in Beijing yesterday. They are part of a program to help China research and develop environmentally friendly vehicles, in a bid to solve its power shortage and pollution problems.

Urbanites Worry About Rising Cost of Living It's not just rising petrol and housing prices that people are complaining about. The rising cost of daily items is also eating into wallets. One in four urbanites think current goods and service prices in China are "rather high and unacceptable," according to a national survey conducted by the People's Bank of China.

Beijing Students Visit AIDS Orphans The 18-year-old Beijing middle school student was nervous but determined as she traveled from the nation's capital to an AIDS orphanage in the village of Shaodian not far from Zhengzhou in Henan Province earlier this month....

Expert: H5N1 Virus May Have Mutated The latest human bird flu infection on the Chinese mainland is worrying as it shows the H5N1 virus may have mutated and become as infectious in warm months as in cooler ones, Hong Kong's health chief said on Friday.

NBA/UNICEF Project Launched for AIDS and Youth Building on last month's global launch at the UNICEF headquarters New York, NBA and UNICEF-China launched a project to distribute life-skills materials in sports kits to schools across seven provinces on June 11.

China to Remain 'Kingdom of Bicycles' China's Vice Minister of Construction, Qiu Baoxing, has lashed at city authorities for making it harder for cyclists to get around, saying the country should retain its title as the "kingdom of bicycles."

Beijing Releases Subway Emergency & Safety Guide On Sunday, 200,000 copies of the Beijing Subway Emergency & Safety Guidebook were given free to passengers in Beijing subway stations which identify the escape routes from 70 stations in case of an emergency.

No, No, No... Simple Really The three "nos" -- no cars, no lifts and no air conditioning -- is what the State Council told civil servants to go without today as part of an ongoing weeklong national energy-saving drive.

US OKs Cervical Cancer Vaccine, but China Waits High cost and ethical considerations may impede the introduction of the world's first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer to China, according to Chinese medical experts. The new vaccine, Gardasil, just won approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.

China to Train 50,000 Blind Massagists China aims to help 50,000 blind people to become massagists in five years starting from 2006 to improve their living conditions through providing training and other forms of support, according to a national program on people with disabilities.

Millions Compete in College Entrance Exam A record figure of nearly 9 million high school graduates packed into exam venues around China yesterday for the first day of the national college entrance exam with many centers maintaining a police presence as anxious parents hung around outside.

The Main Force Behind Luxury Goods Expenditure It is said that in 2010 the expenditure of Chinese luxury goods will amount to 500 billion yuan, becoming the third largest luxury goods market, preceded only by America and Japan.

Spend on Services Rises in Big Cities According to the latest statistics, urban Chinese are spending increasing amounts of money on services and leisure. In 2005 Beijing residents spent one-third of their incomes on cultural and recreational activities -- up 8 percent on 2004.

To Buy or Not to Buy is the Question for Homebuyers Possible homebuyers have taken a wait-and-see attitude after the State Council issued detailed measures to cool down the real estate market this week.

Urban Household Debts Nears Warning Limit According to a sample survey report released by China's central bank on Wednesday, the amount of debt repayment of households in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai is close to an alarming level.

Hebei Closes 201 Clinics for Baby Gender Selection Authorities in north China's Hebei Province have ordered the closure of 201 medical clinics that were found to have been involved in birthing gender selection, according to a local authority official.

Chinese, Foreigners Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival The serenity of Miluo, a small city to the east of Dongting Lake, a tributary of the Yangtze River, was broken on Wednesday when the city became the venue of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Dragon Boat, Lion Dance...Sports for All! The third All-China Games, dubbed as a national fitness program, concluded in Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province today. During the 10-day gala for non-Olympic sports, over 4,000 competitors from all round the country enjoyed themselves in 28 activities which include events involving dragon boats, lion dancing, and the ancient Chinese board game called "Go".

Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child? The authoritarian parenthood is deep-rooted in Chinese culture has been observed by two professors of the China University of Political Science and Laws in Beijing, Tian Lan and He Junli, after a similar study. Their survey also found that exactly 54 percent students had faced corporal punishment.

'Air Police' to Patrol Beijing Next Year All the preparatory work including two steel parking aprons for helicopter have been completed for the launch of "air police" in the Chinese capital next year, according to news from Asian Pacific China Police Expo 2006.

Asian Beauty Hot on Global Catwalks Buoyed by interest in Asia and movie stars with a growing international presence, China's potential as a land of buyers of luxury goods has made Chinese beauty matter. The daughters of the East, therefore, have an even more prominent role to play in the fashion industry, in which a convergence of taste has been emerging.

Disabled, Elderly Need Attention Demand for medical equipment for the handicapped and elderly far exceeds the supply in China, and a group representing the disabled wants the problem addressed through legislation and government support.

Middleaged Men in E.China Get Longer Waistline Men in east China are generally getting fatter than 20 years ago with those of the 40-50 age group having the longest waistline, an indicator many link to lifeline, according to the result of a survey.

Beijing Starts Taxi Fare Hike Beijing's first taxi fare hike in six years starts today, raising the price per kilometer after the four-kilometer base from 1.6 yuan (20 US cents) to 2 yuan (25 US cents).

China to Turn 200 Mln Migrant Workers into Urbanites According to a report of China Business News, Chen Huai, director of the Centre for Policy Research under the Ministry of Construction, said on May 16 that in the coming 5 years, China would publish a series of policies to turn nearly 200 million migrant workers into urbanities.

Israeli Embassy Launches Co-op Program with Beijing Villages The Israeli Embassy in China on Tuesday offered some financial support and technical training to farmers in the Lixian Village of Daxing District, kicking off the Beijing-Israel Farming Cooperation Program between Israel and Daxing.

'No Car Days' Set to Improve Beijing's Air Quality More than 100 Beijing drivers' clubs jointly launched a campaign Monday calling on city drivers not to use their cars for at least one day each month. The objective of the initiative is to ease traffic jams, reduce noise levels and improve air quality. There are more than 2.6 million motor vehicles in Beijing and the number is increasing by more than 1,000 every day.

Iodine Deficiency Affects Baby Brain Growth Somewhere between 600,000 and one million new-born babies in China suffer from iodine deficiency each year and this has an affect on their brain growth, said experts on Monday.

Celebrities Back Pregnancy Campaign In an effort to mobilize society to assist pregnant women living in hardship in China's central and western regions more than 20 singers, actors and actresses joined the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) in Beijing yesterday -- Mother's Day -- to promote a campaign called "Action 120: Maternal and Infant Project."

It's Mother's Day! Many shops across the country offer special services for Mother's Day greetings as Chinese attach more and more attention to the festival nowadays, which falls on May 14 this year.

Pharmaceutical Firm Under Probe over Fake Medicine China has banned the sale of a pharmaceutical company in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which was accused of producing injection fluid that causes kidney failure.

Massage Centers Pamper China's City Dwellers In Zhenghe neighbor community, a small residential quarter in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, six massage centers line a 200-meter-long street,with neon signs blazing "Foot Massage", "Back Massage" or "Head Massage".

New Travel System for 'Smart' Beijingers Beijing yesterday formally scrapped its decades-old paper monthly public transport passes and replaced them with an automatic fare collection (AFC) system. Nearly 1.5 million monthly bus pass users and 200,000 metro travelers now use palm-sized 'smart' cards instead.

Old Appliances Pose Safety Hazard The Shanghai Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection Commission issued a warning yesterday, saying old TVs are a potential safety threat, citing bursting and electrical fires.

Cigar Lovers Delight A collection of pipes was exhibited at the Shanghai's largest cigar gallery in Pudong yesterday. More than 100 kinds of cigars from countries such as Cuba and Spain are also on display, and for sale.

Millions of Chinese Graduates Facing Unemployment Chinese graduates will face serious employment difficulties during the next two quarters with as many as 60 percent of them not working, according to a report published by the National Development and Reform Commission on April 27.

Hong Kong Celebrates Buddha's Birthday More than 5,500 monks, nuns, Buddhists disciples and officials gathered in Hong Kong Friday morning in front of the landmark building of the Conference and Exposition Center to celebrate the Buddha's Birthday, which falls on May 5 this year.

Over 2m Passengers Leave Beijing During May Day Holiday Over two million people will leave the Chinese capital by train for other cities during the May Day holiday, the municipal railway administration has predicted.

Mainland Opens Market for 22 Taiwan Fruits The Chinese mainland on Monday scrapped tariffs on 22 varieties of fruit from Taiwan, four more than the previous number announced by the central government. The four new fruits added to the list are oranges, lemons, pitayas and Hami melons.

Beijing's Blue Skies Dusted Aside Beijing endured a dusty month in April. The nine days of blue sky in the past 29 were accompanied by the most serious air pollution in the past four years, said the municipal environmental protection bureau Saturday.

Shenyang Comes into Bloom! Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, is prepared for millions of visitors to its International Horticultural Exposition which opens a six-month run on Sunday.

Refugees Revisit Shanghai Memories More than 40 Jewish refugees who came from the US, Germany, Australia and other countries visited their old neighborhood in Shanghai's Hongkou District yesterday afternoon sharing emotional memories with their former neighbors.

Police Help Trafficked Children Back Home Police in Yunnan and Fujian provinces are working together to verify identities of youngsters rescued from a recent child trafficking case.

Hair Dye Leads to Cancer Unproved China's Ministry of Health said Tuesday that while it is very likely that hair dye leads to allergies, the link between hair dye and cancer is unproved.

Migrant Workers to Receive Basic Healthcare The Chinese government is launching a scheme this year to provide basic occupational healthcare for migrant workers. The initial pilot scheme in 20 counties over 10 provinces arrives as the Ministry of Health prepares to conduct a survey on the occupational health of migrant workers, said a ministry official in Beijing Monday.

Cities Take Measures to Prevent Food Poisoning Major Chinese cities are putting in place systems to prevent illness caused by food hazards and a lack of food safety procedures, as the peak season for food poisoning approaches, according to local health authorities.

Adoptions Draw Human, Animal Closer For Zhang Yifeng's third birthday, his mother gave him a present more surprising than the typical toy cars or baseballs -- she adopted a chimpanzee for him.

Sandstorm Brings Heavy Damage Two people died and widespread damage reported following this week's sandstorm in northern China. And a new storm has been forecast today by the weather bureau.

National Charity Campaign for Children A nationwide charity campaign focused on children in China was launched on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Tons of Sand Fall on Beijing Overnight Sand covered approximately an eighth of China from April 14 to 18 and around 330,000 tons of it fell in Beijing on Sunday night alone, said the China Meteorological Administration in Beijing on Tuesday.

6,500 University Graduates Heading West as Volunteers A nationwide project will send 6,500 university graduates to serve the poor western countryside as volunteers this year. The volunteers will work in poverty-stricken counties for one or two years to help develop education, health care, agriculture, culture and other sectors.

'Yellow Blanket' Covers Beijing Overnight Most Beijingers woke up on Monday to find, to their surprise, that a "yellow blanket" has covered up everything in the open air: from window sills, cars and the ground to every single leaf on the trees.

Over 400,000 Residents Leave HK for Holiday Over 400,000 Hong Kong residents have left various Hong Kong cross border check points before Friday evening for the four-day Easter Holidays.

Museum Sparks Controversy over Children's Sex Education China's first private sex museum in Shanghai has sparked a row over plans to encourage admission to young people and public statements on sex education for children.

IKEA Opens New Beijing Store IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer, announced on Wednesday the opening of its new store in Beijing. The new store is IKEA's second largest in the world, after its flagship Stockholm outlet.

Sandstorms Expected to Ease Sandstorms which have blanketed north China for the last three days were expected to ease last night according to a forecast by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

Beijing Recruits College Graduates to 2008 Olympic Police About 400 students, including 88 females, who will graduate from the Beijing-based universities this summer, participated in a sport test Monday held by the Beijing Special Police Corps.

More Police on Community Beat A senior Chinese public security official said Sunday that all new police recruits will be posted to community stations to make local communities feel more secure.

First Helicopter Route to Go into Operation Helicopters will be ready for take-offs starting around April 20 in a short-distance route that runs between the islands of Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Shenzhen's Famous Shopping Street Regulated Nearly 90 percent of the shopping outlets on the Guangdong side of Zhongying (Sino-English) Street, Shenzhen, closed overnight under the local government's stronger attack on commercial fraud.

Fudan University's New Trail for Enrollment At its 101th founding anniversary, Chinese prestigious Fudan University tried a new method to enroll 300 freshmen by interviewing. More than 1,200 senior high school graduates, out of nearly 6,000 applicants, have got the precious interview opportunities.

More Chinese Honor Deceased on Internet As this year's traditional Qingming Festival sets in, more Chinese are choosing to honor their deceased relatives on the Internet, rather than at grave sites.

New Metro-Bus Passes Issued in Beijing From April 1, Beijing started to issue palm-sized smart cards (IC cards) for public transport to replace paper monthly passes that have been in use for 50 years. All monthly pass-holders will be required to use the new IC cards on public transport in Beijing from next month, according to the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communication.

Nation Becomes Land of Opportunity As China's economy continues to boom, Chinese people are being given more opportunities to pursue success and wealth. And even foreigners are eying the fast-growing country for business opportunities.

Second National Sample Survey on Disabled Starts China launched the second national sample survey on disabled people on Saturday, in an effort to get an updated information on the population for policy-making. The door-to-door survey will be finished on May 31.

Shanghai Roads Safer for Kids than Beijing's Shanghai has a lower mortality rate for pedestrians under 14 years old than Beijing and Guangzhou, officials from Safe Kids China said yesterday. Officials said pedestrians between five and nine years old are the main victims of traffic accidents. Lunch time and right after school in the afternoon are the most common time for them to be injured in traffic.

39,000 Residents Bitten by Pets At least 39,000 Shenzheners were bitten by pet dogs and cats last year, the municipal disease prevention and control center (CDC) said Tuesday.

Farmers to Have Chance to Slam Dunk! China is to embark on a major program to increase sporting facilities across the countryside, announced Feng Jianzhong, vice-minister of the State General Administration of Sport (SGAS) at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

Nightlife Keeps Pace with Changing Trends and Rules Nightlife in China's largest metropolises has evolved as much as if not more than the urban landscape. Bars and nightclubs may be frequented by only a small section of society, but they have added a unique touch to urban culture.

China Issues Interim Human Organ Transplant Regulations China's Ministry of Health on Monday issued temporary regulations on human organ transplants that explicitly ban the sale of organs and introduce a set of medical standards for organ transplants.

School Kids Look for More Sound Songs Nowadays, these classic songs for children, which had and encouraged and spurred generations of Chinese kids born in the last century, seem to have become unfamiliar to more and more children in this country. Instead, popular songs, or particularly those satirical ones are favored and accepted by more kids at primary or middle schools.

Shanghai Replacing Guangzhou as China's No. 1 in Catering Retail Eastern Shanghai has replaced southern Guangzhou as China's No. 1 city in catering retail in 2005, according to the statistics issued by the Ministry of Commerce Thursday.

Young Urban Chinese Find 'Green Collar' Fashionable "Shut mobile phone when at ease, order foods rich in vitamin C, always hike on weekends and litterbug greatly offends." This somewhat exaggerated rhyme describes the trendy "green collar" lifestyle of young urban Chinese and reflects the self-discipline and seriousness in the lives of "green collars," China News Service quoted a Xinhua report today.

Xinjiang Celebrates Ay Noruz Festival People of various ethnic groups are celebrating the traditional Ay Noruz Festival - similar to the Spring Festival - in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which began Tuesday.

Oral Health Group Bites Back Over Row The National Committee for Oral Health (NCOH) yesterday hit out at accusations that endorsements it has given to oral health products were illegal.

235 Chinese Killed by Food Poisoning in 2005: Report A total of 235 Chinese were killed by food poisoning last year, down 16.7 percent from 2004, the Ministry of Health on Monday. The ministry has received 256 food poisoning incidents, 18 of which involved more than 100 victims.

China Launches Campaign to Promote Premarital Check-ups China has launched a nationwide promotion campaign on pre-marital health check-ups, highlighting the importance of the check-ups for curbing infectious diseases and ensuring the quality of newborns.

Sex Education in Schools Lags Behind Puberty In an early-morning class at a local primary school in Beijing, about 60 curious students were giggling when being asked where they were born.

Proposed Traffic Regulation Under Fire A proposed traffic regulation aimed at stopping jaywalkers by punishing them at work has come under fire from residents and experts. The plans were released recently by local media in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Entertainment Venues Checked China's police authority on Wednesday asked its local bureaus to clean up entertainment venues and clamp down on drugs, prostitution and criminal activities.

Lei Feng Becomes Online Game Hero Lei Feng is no longer a hero only in real life. He is also the hero of an online video game. To do good deeds, as many as you can, is the trick for passing each level in the online game starring Lei Feng, the Southern Metropolitan News said.

Graduates Hang Around the Campus In about three months, many students will leave universities or colleges after four years' study. There are some graduates, however, who might prefer to stay on campus. For these students, there are a lot of attractions on campus that will keep them remain in school.

70% of Chinese Professional Women Overspend China's human resource website www.cjol.com recently published a spending survey of working women that shows 70 percent of white collar females spend their next paycheck, with 56 percent indicating they would not put money in savings deposits.

Li Ka-shing Ranks 10th on Forbes Billionaires List Hong Kong's richest people Li Ka-shing ranks 10th with a net worth of US$18.8 billion on the 2006 list of the world's billionaires released Thursday by Forbes magazine, local media reported Friday.

Beijing's Trendy 'Chinese Style Western Food' Many Western style restaurants in Beijing have taken the path, one after the other, of serving "Chinese style Western food", with the result of easier acceptance by Beijing residents of this type of localized Western menu.

Future of Newsroom Looks More Feminine Newsrooms are increasingly becoming a women's world. Traditionally deemed as a profession too demanding for women, journalism is now a career pursued by more and more well-educated, aspiring young women in China. Female journalists had reasons to celebrate their growing presence in this noble business of letting people know.

81 Mln Chinese Families Have Domestic Violence On Tuesday, one day before the International Women's Day, delegate of the National People's Congress (NPC) Wang Xianzhen said that in China, domestic violence was increasing in families and women were the main victims.

'Inequality In Jobs Still a Serious Issue' As the nation celebrates the Internation Women's Day today, the president of the All-China Women's Federation said inequality in employment is still a serious issue, citing the Labour Law that employers should not raise the bar when recruiting women or reject them on grounds of gender.

HK Int'l Jewelry Show Opens A record 2,000 exhibitors from across the world convened Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center for the opening of the 2006 Hong Kong International Jewelry Show amid tight security.

Beijing's Qianmen Area -- Time is Running Out People are flocking into the Beijing's Qianmen area to make the most of their last opportunities to enjoy old Beijing style snacks in the traditional fashion before a massive renovation project gets underway in May.

Collective Education Programs Come Under Scrutiny Shanghai will begin an appraisal of educational programs jointly run by Chinese and foreign schools from this year to rule out unqualified foreign institutes and curb illegal fees, officials with the Shanghai Education Commission revealed yesterday.

40% Chinese Adolescents Short Sighted A research showed that Chinese adolescents affected by myopia disease, or short-sightedness, tend to be younger and younger. In China, about 70% of adolescents become short-sighted during puberty, the second most in world.

Sincerity Among Campus Lovers Questioned Only 11.2 percent of respondents believe in true love among university and college campus lovers, according to a survey issued on the "Blue Book on Education" published by the Academy of Social Sciences yesterday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

China Striving to Eliminate Bias Against HIV-infected People Tears rolled out of the corner of his eyes, when Li Bencai recalled what happened 10 years ago after his folk villagers learned that he was tested HIV positive.

Concern Voiced at 'Magic Call' Service A "Magic Call" service that enables speakers to change their voice has attracted thousands of customers in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, since its launch earlier this year.

Beijing Spends Millions in Curbing Spitting The Beijing municipal administration has recently stepped up efforts to change some people's bad habit of spitting on the ground and will punish those found violating the rules through a high-tech vehicle equipped with monitors.

Document to Encourage Premarital Tests A small percentage of couples are getting premarital medical check-ups, and the number of hereditary and infectious diseases among infants has been rising.

Sexual Revolution Rattles in China? While there are differing views of the degree of such a "sex revolution," academic experts do agree that since China began to open itself up to the world in the late 1970s and early 1980s, sex has gradually lost its status as a taboo subject, and people's attitudes toward sex are quite different from what they used to be.

Vegetarianism Becomes a Vogue in Chongqing With the increasingly prevailing vegetarianism, vegetarians have become a new group who attach equal importance to food and nutrition, health and fashion in Chongqing.

Beijingers to Splurge 3 Bln Yuan on Wedding Conservative estimate of China Association of Social Workers shows that Beijing residents will splash out more than 3 billion yuan (US$375 million) on wedding in 2006.

Plenty of Bad Air Days In Posh Office Buildings In China or any other country with many new buildings, the competitiveness of business operations is being eroded by indoor air pollution. The smell and chemical elements emitted from construction materials that are only half-dry or new furniture and office equipment may cause serious problems.

Chinese Residents Feel Less Secure Horizon Research's latest survey on 4,128 permanent residents 18 to 60 years old shows that the sense of security of Chinese city dwellers and rural residents has maintained a downtrend for three consecutive years since 2003.

Poll: Office Love Blooms Due to Heavy Workloads More and more people believe office romances can work, according to a new survey carried in Saturday's China Daily.

Gov't to Better Regulate Food Products for Children China will monitor the production and sale of food made for children and those made for the rural population, China's health watchdog told Xinhua on Friday.

Inferior Infant Formula Warning The Ministry of Health on Wednesday recalled a batch of baby formula, "Xiang Xue Hai" with batch number 20050112, found to be of hazardously low nutritional value. Stores have been ordered to stop sales of the product immediately.

2nd Sample Survey on China's Disabled Population China will launch a sample survey to get a snapshot of the number of disabled people in the country, the China Disabled Persons' Federation announced on Tuesday.

Valentine's Business Day As Chinese lovers prepare to celebrate Valentine's Day, businessmen in love with money try to make lovers understand that love is not without its price tag.

On Beijing Garbage Collectors After several months' research it has been concluded that some 300,000 Beijing garbage collectors could earn 3 billion yuan (US$373 million) a year by collecting "gold" from rubbish, Beijing Morning Post reported on February 6.

Lantern Festival Revelry and Romance The air in China on Sunday was not only filled with the strong smell of firecrackers, but also the fragrance of flowers to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the last day of the Chinese Lunar New Year festive season.

More Candidates Desperate to Sign up Art School The capital's arts institutes have been overrun with creative young hopefuls desperate to sign up for majors since the annual enrolment scramble began last weekend.

Traditional Wedding Becomes Trendy in Inner Mongolia Traditional Mongolian wedding ceremonies have become trendy again among young people in big cities of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said sources with local wedding ceremony agencies.

Married Migrant Women to Get Free Training Shanghai has budgeted 5 million yuan (US$617,283) this year to subsidize free vocational training programs for migrant women married to local men - a group that often has trouble finding jobs in the city. The training programs cover 19 jobs, including domestic helper, supermarket cashier, shop assistant and waitress.

Giving Old Holiday Traditions An Update The Internet is changing Spring Festival in major ways. Chinese used to have few choices during the holiday: watch TV, go shopping to buy presents or wait for hours in an endless queue to buy a train ticket back home and back to work or study after the festival is over. But now, people have created their online alternatives.

Babies Boom in First 7 Days of Year of Dog More newborns were recorded during the first seven days of the Year of the Dog, a year generally regarded as one bringing good luck to the baby and its family.

Spring Festival a Good Holiday for Foreigners While almost all Chinese people were busy with their Spring Festival activities, foreigners that work or reside in China might just want to take this opportunity to have a trip back home, to travel somewhere, or just have a good sleep at their house.

Fireworks Light up Bright Lunar New Year As the Spring Festival holiday wraps up, Chinese people have spent the national week-long holiday in a peaceful and delighted atmosphere. Responding to the public request, Beijing lifted a 13-year-old ban on firecrackers this year, allowing residents to set off firecrackers and fireworks in designated areas.

Passengers Jam Railway Stations in Premature Post-festival Rush Fear of the worst cold front of this winter and the intention of avoiding crowds have driven more holiday makers to return to Beijing than railway officials planned. The rush started on Tuesday, when more than 100,000 passengers arrived in the capital, up 63 per cent from the same period last year. The number climbed to 126,000 on Wednesday.

Young Chinese Prefer 'Lease' to 'Purchase' More and more young Chinese people are choosing to lease houses and cars instead of purchasing, as they opt for a more flexible life without financial burdens.

The Things People Do at Spring Festival The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important festival for the Chinese. It's a time when families get together to eat, drink and be merry, among other things like spending lots of money, according to survey results from the Social Survey Institution of China released on Monday.

Vegetable, Fowl Prices Soar Before Spring Festival Vegetable prices in major Chinese cities have increased rapidly before the Spring Festival, which falls on Jan. 29 this year, the Department of Market Operation under the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Guangzhou Flower Markets Open Guangzhou flower markets for the 2006 Spring Festival open in Guangzhou today, new and improved. More than 1,000 species of flowers and potted plants will be shown at the flower markets at venues in Guangzhou’s eight districts.

Shanghai Charity Raises 4 Mln Yuan in 24-hour The Shanghai Charity Foundation raised 4.35 million yuan (US$538,300) in donations during a 24-hour campaign on Sunday. The one-day campaign was part of the foundation's "The Deepest Love under the Blue Sky" program, which has raised more than 100 million yuan since it began last November.

Special Medical Fund Offered to Heroes Heroes who are hurt while trying to save others from injury are to receive free treatment at a hospital in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province. The hospital will also help to subsidize any further care they need in the future.

Dog Year Bodes Well for Pets As the lunar New Year of Dog approaches, well-off cities are experiencing the "pet craze." In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan, pet sales and services are booming businesses, including medicine, hair/fur dressing, accessories, clothing, training, and food.

Beijing to Collect Expired Medicine Collection boxes will be set up in Beijing to recover expired medicine in every residential quarter in a bid to promote drug safety, according to the municipal drug administration.

Smoking Ban to Be Delayed in Hong Kong A smoking ban on indoor eating and entertainment venues across Hong Kong, expected to come into effect in October, could be delayed.

Beijing to Start Sale of Firecrackers After 12-Year Ban Beijing has issued 2,116 stores permits to sell firecrackers so that, starting Sunday, residents can buy quality firecrackers to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival.

Welfare Lottery Just the Ticket for Charities For an individual, a small lottery ticket might bring good luck. For a country, millions of lottery tickets mean vital support to social welfare development.

Quick Cash at Pawnshops Most people's impression of pawnshops is limited to films and TV series depicting ancient China. But since their reappearance in the 1980s, the old industry is gradually reviving and has developed as a "helping hand" for many people and small companies plagued by financial difficulties.

Urbanites to Benefit from Community Health Service A State Council document on expanding community medical care services will enable every urban Chinese to be covered by the service by 2010.

Side Effects in Drug Use Most Concerned: Survey The result of China's first survey of safety concern on drug use was released this week in Beijing. It shows 87 percent of the respondents simply consider "safe drug use" as "taking medicines according to directions affixed." Most of them are eager to know more about drugs' ill or side effects.

HIV College Student Writes Book to Warn Others At a special book-launching ceremony held on January 10 in Beijing's Ditan Hospital, author Zhu Liya, an HIV-positive girl, gave out free copies of her new book Diary of an AIDS Girl to college students, volunteers, and medical staff in attendance.

Mobile News Rings the Changes for Residents Thousands of people have signed up to a newly-launched mobile phone version newspaper. The southern city's dominant media group, Shenzhen Press Group, had already notched up 7,680 subscribers by 4 PM yesterday after setting up the service on Monday.

Campaign Launched to Tackle Plastic Bag Pollution A campaign was launched in Beijing yesterday to fight "white pollution" by reducing the use of plastic carrier bags. Volunteers will distribute more than 15,000 reusable cloth bags, the equivalent of 7.5 million plastic bags, over the next two weeks.

TCM Bids for UNESCO Heritage The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said on January 9 that they have officially started bidding for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to be included on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Chinese Muslims Celebrate Id al-Qurban The Islamic Association of China (IAC) held a reception in Beijing on Monday to mark the annual Id al-Qurban, or feast of sacrifice, a major Islamic festival celebrated at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which falls on Tuesday.

Beijing Metro - Downtown to Airport in 16 Mins Construction on a metro line connecting the Beijing Capital International Airport and downtown Beijing will start this month and should be completed in June 2008, in time for the Olympics.

Beijing Opens Melancholia Treatment Center Chinese capital Beijing opened its first melancholia treatment center Thursday at Anding Hospital, according to sources with the Beijing psychological health care bureau.

Weihai Tops List of 10 Most Inhabitable Cities The "2005 Chinese City Competitiveness List" was recently unveiled in Hong Kong. Weihai was ranked first on the list, followed by Zhuhai and Guilin that stands on the second and third position respectively. Cities like Guiyang, Taizhou and Beihai also appear on the list.

'Happy' Shanghai Tops Major City Poll Shanghai is the happiest place in which to live out of China's three biggest cities, a recent survey claims. Residents in Beijing and Guangzhou polled by the Shanghai Urban Investigation Team under the local government also rated it as their preferred place to live in.

Personal Info Search Engine Evoking Controversy A newly established search engine, with a collection of 90 million people's personal details online, claimed itself to be the biggest of its kind. But it stirs big concern on privacy, and an alumni website is considering setting lawsuits against it.

Beijing Had 234 Days of Blue Sky in 2005 According to the Beijing Times, Beijing's Environmental Protection Monitoring Center announced that the capital has recorded 234 days of air quality reaching the second level or above in 2005 and exceeded the goal of 63% days of the year with good air quality by a margin of four days.

One Small Step for Time, as Clocks Leap Forward One Second The arrival of 2006 will be delayed by a "leap" second, due to the deceleration of the Earth's self-rotation. It will be the 23rd leap second to be added since its introduction at the end of June 1972. And this year's leap second will be the first for seven years.

Family Planning Policy Becomes Controversial Topic Future destiny of China's once-ambitious family planning policy has become a controversial topic in the academic circle. A unanimous opinion from a recent forum showed China should mull its population policy in a more scientific way and seek a proper resolution.

Hospitals Ordered to Offer Cheaper Check-ups Patients will benefit from reduced medical bills after the government banned hospitals from making profits on check-ups using CT scanners, X-ray machines and other equipments. The move is a reaction to mounting public discontent with the price of health care.

City Dwellers Expect Pay Rises Bosses have been put on notice: Nearly half of urban Chinese employees expect promotion and pay rises or to change jobs in the new year, according to a recent survey.

Year of Dog to Bring Baby Boom and Shortage of Ayis A baby boom is expected next year, The Year of the Dog according to the lunar Calendar, meaning there should be huge demand for nurses who look after children during the first month after deliver, or yuezi ayi as they are known in Chinese.

Veggies Prices Up in Beijing Residents in China's capital have paid 74.1 percent more for 40 out of 54 varieties of vegetables this year as a result of price hikes due partly to declining land sown to vegetables and yield reduction in typhoon-ravaged regions.

Sleigh Bells Ringing Throughout Chinese Cities About 90 percent of 2,000 Chinese recently surveyed said they would have special arrangements on Christmas Eve. For them, Christmas is the second most important holiday in China after the Spring Festival.

Western Holiday Is Hit with China's Shoppers Christmas songs can be heard in many shops in China's big cities this year. And everywhere there are glittering lights, pictures of Santa Claus and colourfl Christmas trees. It seems increasingly-affluent Chinese are spending lots of money on Christmas decorations, as the Western holiday becomes more and more popular.

Shanghai Spends 150 Mln to Educate Tibetans Shanghai has spent nearly 150 million yuan (US$18.57 million) on the education of students from Tibet over the past two decades, officials from the Shanghai Education Commission revealed yesterday.

Most Young Chinese Prefer to Have One Child: Survey An extensive survey of university students show that less than a third of them hope to have more than one child. Fully 80.4 percent say they would prefer to have a child two years after they are married.

Promotion Prospects Most Important for Chinese Employees Training and promotion prospects, instead of incentive salaries, are most favored by enterprise employees in China, according to a recent survey by a leading recruitment website.

Xiamen to Set Up Breeding Base of Rare Dolphin Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province is planning to set up an artificial breeding base of the Chinese white dolphin to further protect the rare species. It will be the first artificial breeding base of the Chinese White Dolphin in China.

Official Says Urban Population to Near 560m by Year-end The nation's urban population is expected to reach nearly 560 million by the end of this year, a jump of 7 percent from the figure five years ago, a senior official said Friday at a forum on the sustainable development of small and medium-sized cities in China. The rapid urbanization has put great pressure on the environment and sustainable development is urgently needed, experts warned.

Trucks Bottled Up in Three-day Traffic Jam A world-record marathon runner could cover 30 kilometers in less than 2 hours but for many heavy trucks stuck in a massive Beijing suburb traffic jam, going the same distance this week turned into a three-day ordeal.

Want Fresh Air? Grow It Using plants as natural air purifiers is a way to combat the worsening global problem of indoor air pollution. Nowadays, growing plants indoors to help purify the air is a popular practice among urban Chinese families.

Drive for Donations Gets Fillip From the president to residents, millions in China are donating money and material to the needy, especially as the winter chill tightens its grip across the country.

Too Much Aluminium in 40% Foods Forty percent of foods in China contain more aluminium than allowed under national standards, Beijing News reported Monday, which could result in particular risks for children's intellectual development and physical growth.

Last Volunteers Get Trial AIDS Vaccine The eighth and last group of volunteers to receive a Chinese-developed potential HIV/AIDS vaccine reported no ill effects after one day's observation, a local health official said yesterday.

Public Hearing Held for Electric Bikes in Haikou A public hearing on whether electric bikes should be allowed on streets was held in Haikou Friday in the capital of China's southernmost province of Hainan, the first such hearing in China.

Half of Chinese Not Go to Hospital When Ill Hospital treatment is expensive to ordinary Chinese and about 48.9 percent of them choose not to go to hospital when ill, according to China's third survey of health care service revealed in Beijing Thursday.

Dangerous Barbie Dolls? Shanghai quarantine authorities say they are on the lookout for dangerous Barbie dolls. The comment comes in response to media reports in Germany that said the dolls contain the chemical phthalate, which has been linked to cancer.

Public Pet Burials Spark Health Concern Cats and dogs are lucky to live with urban Chinese families, where they are fed milk and bathed with shampoo. But, sadly, most of them do not end up with a decent, or even proper, burial after death, which has aroused wide concern about public health.

Digital Cinemas Make Low Film Tickets Possible Turned off by expensive film tickets, millions of Chinese movie fans have long abandoned the habit of going to the cinema. Now the introduction of digital cinemas may bring people back to the cinemas. And their slogan is "5 yuan to see a big-budget film."

9 Foreigners Granted 'Green Cards' in Fujian Nine foreigners have received permanent residence permits recently in east China's Fujian Province, the first batch in the province, with the approval from the Ministry of Public Security.

Folding Bikes Perfect Answer to Traffic Jams Commuting is almost never fun. People clog the streets in their Audis and BMWs. Others stand in cramped buses and subway trains.But in this kingdom of the bicycle, for some commuters, the folding variety is the pick of the year.

Expert on AIDS' Spread in China A member of a Ministry of Health AIDS expert group told a Beijing newspaper Monday that the prevalence, incidence and mortality of HIV/AIDS is increasing in China, as are the numbers of people most at risk from infection.

AIDS-themed Restaurant Opens in Shanghai One way to mark World AIDS Day today would be to wander over to Yuyuan Road near the Jing'an Temple for a meal at Shanghai's first AIDS-themed restaurant.

76% of Urban Households Have Poor Power Supply Safety A recent survey shows that 76 percent of China's urban households have problems with power supply safety, a major reason for the increased number of electricity-related accidents reported in recent years.

Beijing People Eager to Sell Firecrackers More than 10,000 people have applied for firecracker sales permits in 3,000 sales locations in Beijing, as the Chinese capital prepares to allow people to set off fireworks to celebrate the Lunar New Year for the first time in 12 years, Beijing Time reported yesterday.

Harbin Resumes Water Supply Water supplies were turned on again in Harbin at 6:00 PM Sunday, 5 days after supplies were cut off on Wednesday because of pollution concerns. Tap water will be supplied intermittently alongside a three-level water quality warning forecast system.

Xitang Closed So Tom Can Shoot His Movie People who want to spend the weekend in Xitang, a beautiful water town in Zhejiang Province, will find the trip a "mission impossible," as the town has been closed so Tom Cruise and his co-stars can shoot the third installment of the action movie series.

Minimum Standard of Living Being Extended The Ministry of Civil Affairs told a national poverty relief conference in Beijing last Friday that by the end of this year 70 percent of counties in 90 percent of provinces will have begun to establish systems to guarantee a minimum standard of living.

Third Confirmed Chinese Human Bird Flu Case The health ministry confirmed the third Chinese human case of H5N1 avian influenza in Anhui Wednesday. A 35-year-old died the day before after developing symptoms two weeks ago. China's 25th outbreak amongst birds this year was also confirmed last night, in Xinjiang.

Harbin Ensures 1-month Storage of Daily Necessities The storage of major daily necessities, especially pure water, sugar, salt and disinfectant, in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, shall be able to meet local demand for one month at least.

Surveys of Checkup Clinics Promote Safety The Ministry of Health and the Chinese Doctors Association are launching a nationwide spot check on access to facilities providing physical examinations, as people in big cities are increasingly health conscious and seeking basic health examinations and checkups.

Internet Indispensable for Young People A recent survey, conducted by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily, shows that the Internet has become something indispensable in the daily lives of Chinese urban residents, particularly the younger ones.

Adopted Kids Get Best of Both Worlds Adopting Chinese orphans may be more popular than ever among US families, but it still presents huge challenges. While getting great joy from their children, these American couples find educating their Chinese sons and daughters, and themselves, a tough task.

Survey Studies Internet Use in China A typical Chinese Internet user is a young male who prefers instant messaging to e-mail, rarely makes online purchases and favors news, music and games sites, according to a new study.

Disney Halts Unorthodox Use of Mickey Mouse Image by Beijing Alliance On November 6, Walt Disney Co. succeeded in stopping the unorthodox use of the Mickey Mouse image by a building materials alliance in Beijing. The alliance punished errant building materials dealers by making them parade in a huge mouse costume that looked a lot like Disney's flagship character, Mickey Mouse.

Heating Starts in the North Urban residents in north China began enjoying cosier living yesterday as heating systems were switched on across the region.

Migrant Workers Becoming Rural Middle Class Compared with the farmers who stay at home and stick to their farmland, migrant workers who take jobs in urban areas are more wealthy and active. They have become the principal part of the middle class in China's rural areas, according to the Social Structure Research Center of Anhui Province of China.

Sex Museum to Provide Education for Youngsters The Ancient Chinese Sex Culture Museum, China's first sex museum located in Jiangsu will lift its age restriction to allow under-aged visitors, in its bid to become a sex education base for youngsters.

Singles' Festival Celebrated More than 400 people gathered at a park by the Yangtze River on Friday night to celebrate the Singles' Festival -- some looking for fun, others for a lasting relationship.

Disneyland Cuts Ticket Prices for HK Residents Hong Kong Disneyland said Tuesday it would offer ticket discounts for one month to local residents to thank them for their support. The theme park denied the move was prompted by low attendance at the park, which opened two months ago.

Diet and Living Habits Crucial to Guard Against Disease Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine believe that internal body heat is one major culprit in people's vulnerability to flu attacks. To reduce such heat, people must regulate what they eat, they say.

Beijing Closes Poultry Markets All the 168 live poultry markets in Beijing were shut yesterday as the authorities beefed up efforts to contain the spread of the bird flu virus.

Human Bird Flu Cases 'Cannot Be Ruled Out' The Ministry of Health said yesterday the cause of a disease diagnosed as pneumonia in three people in a county that saw an outbreak of avian influenza was uncertain. One of those affected, a 12-year old girl, died three weeks ago.

PLA Cooks up New Menus to Beef up Soldiers In an effort to improve the combat ability of its more than 2 million servicemen, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has quietly been undertaking a "kitchen revolution" to raise food quality.

Forbes: China's Ten Billionaires Forbes published its list of China's 40 richest businesspeople yesterday and all the top ten were calculated to be US$-billionaires, up from three last year. In first place once again was Larry Rong Zhijian, 63-year old chairman of CITIC Pacific Group.

Beijingers Enjoy 'Space Vegetables' On Monday, 20 Beijingers saw and tasted vegetables cultivated from seeds that were taken to outer space in 2003. The cultivators said the vegetables were more nutritious than regular ones.

Rural Dwellers to Be Granted Urban Rights A landmark initiative to abolish the division between "rural residents" and "urban residents" is being developed by 11 Chinese provinces. The reforms are expected to grant people from rural areas all the political, educational and social security benefits as their urban counterparts.

Competition for Civil Service Jobs Continues Friday midnight was the deadline for final year university students to apply for next year's civil service intake, and the Ministry of Personnel said Sunday 380,000 had been selected to sit exams for 10,000 vacancies in 97 central government departments.

Winter Swimmers Gather in Dalian Over 2,000 swimmers from 16 countries swam in the cold waters of Dalian's Golden Pebble Beach Saturday for the opening of the four-day International Winter Swimming Festival.

College Gyms' Charging Dilemma Beijing Youth Daily spoke to students and college officials last Sunday about the dilemma faced by having to charge for the use of sports facilities at weekends but wanting to maintain access for young people at university.

Poultry Sales in Cities Hit by Outbreak Fears Poultry markets in Beijing and Shanghai have suffered from sluggish business this week as a result of fears over bird flu. Daily sales at Guantang - Shanghai's largest poultry wholesale market - dropped nearly 80 percent to around 20,000 as compared with usual business.

Men Face More Unemployment Pressure Greater psychological pressure, higher job expectations and employment restrictions have made it more difficult for jobless men to be re-employed than their female counterparts, today's Labor Daily reported.

Chinese Seniors Not Active in Society: Survey China Central Television's Wednesday program quoted a new survey that reported over 99.5 percent of senior citizens in China do not engage in mainstream social activities.

Gold Mah-jong Sets Spark Online Debate A Chinese manufacturer has made 3,000 mah-jong sets using pure gold. The ostentatious set has sparked much debate among the online community whether people should have the freedom to buy the expensive game, or the set would be used as a gift to buy favours from policy-makers.

Beijingers Spend 214.39 Bln Yuan in 1st 3 Quarters Beijing reported retail sales of 214.39 billion yuan (US$26.4 billion) in the first three quarters this year, a year on year rise of 11 percent, the latest statistics have shown.

KFC Opens 1,500th China Outlet US-based fast food giant KFC opened a drive-through outlet in Shanghai on October 11, making it the 1,500th outlet in China.

Beijing Tian'anmen Square to Have a New Look Annual mechanized cleaning project of Beijing's Tian'anmen Square was officially launched Thursday. It was learned from the cleaners that there were more chewing gum stains on the square than previous years and many tourists littered.

Foreign Language Fever Hits Beijing Every Friday evening throughout the year, the English Corner at Renmin University of China said to be the "No 1 English Corner in Beijing" is swarming with hundreds of Chinese from different quarters and some foreigners who immerse themselves in chatting with the eager Chinese English learners.

Beijing Airport Lowers Food Prices On October 10, the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) stock company announced that it would lower the price of 852 types of catering commodities, accounting for 50 percent of the total. The operation is proceeding smoothly.

Childhood Pleasure Leaving Children Behind Beijing-based China Youth Daily reports that the free time for Chinese primary school students is about 4 and a half hours per day, while children in the US and Japan enjoy over 8 hours of leisure time.

Migrant Workers Barred from Tourist Resort The infamous insulting sign of "Chinese and dogs are not allowed in," imposed by foreign invaders long ago on China's territory, is thankfully forever a thing of the past. Or so it was until an equally demeaning sign, this time posted by some snobbish Chinese, recklessly affronted the nation's harmonious society.

Shanghai's Population Gets Boost from Mums The natural population growth, the difference between the birth rate and the death rate, in Shanghai will most probably be positive this year after sliding for a decade, officials said at a press conference.

PVC Wrap Makers Reject Safety Allegations Some plastic food wraps used in China are toxic and could lead to cancer, according to a quality inspection official in Beijing. However, a spokesman for a manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrap said that consumers are at risk only if the food under the wrap is cooked or reheated by a microwave oven.

Golden Week Holidays to Remain: Officials Sources from the China National Tourism Administration said the Golden Week holiday system would remain unchanged despite several problems during the system's 7-year-long operation. Based on recent developments, officials still believe there are more benefits than harm from the Golden Week holidays.

Natural Beauty Encouraged for Children Many young and fashionable mothers like to dress-up their children in the style of little princess or Barbie dolls by curling and dying their hair and also polishing their nails. Experts has warned that excessive dressing-up of children poses both physical and psychological threats to them.

Carnival Completes Its Spin After 73 happy days, the World Carnival has closed its gates in Beijing on a successful note. The organizers reported higher ticket revenue than last year. And just before midnight closing time, the fairground was still filled with patrons squeezing out the last bit of fun.

China's Average Life Expectancy at 71.8 Years During the period of the tenth five-year plan (2001-2005), health status of Chinese urban and rural residents continued to improve. At present, China has established a medical service system consisting of 300,000 various levels and types of medical service institutions around the country, and healthcare in China has witnessed remarkable achievements.

Over 60% Depression Patients Not Undergone Treatment The number of depression patients in China recently exceeded 26 million, about 60 percent of whom never go to the hospital, according to China Mental Health Association.

Highest Hypertension Incidence in Beijing Beijing reported the highest incidence of hypertension in China, or 25 percent, among residents at and above 45 years old, a latest survey by the municipal health bureau said. October 8 is the "Day of Hypertension" in China, which was established by the Ministry of Health in 1988 to improve public's awareness of the danger of the disease.

People Prefer Staying at Home During Holidays It is the seventh year that the Chinese government gave "Golden Week" holiday, or seven-day holiday, on the National Day, the May Day and the Spring Festival every year. Chinese citizens' options of spending the holidays began to change.

More Women Contracting Breast Cancer at Earlier Age More Chinese women are suffering from breast cancer and are contracting the disease at an earlier age than a decade ago, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health.

Shenzhen, Guangzhou Most Inconvenient Cities to Go to the Restroom Shenzhen and Guangzhou are considered to be the most inconvenient cities for people to go to the restroom, according to a survey released in September by the Horizon Group (HG), a leading firm in professional research and management consulting in China.

HK Citizens Visit PLA Barracks More than 12,000 Hong Kong citizens took proud in their country's military strength and achievements, when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison threw open its barracks to the public yesterday to celebrate the country's 56th founding anniversary.

Nation Filled with Festive Mood Flags, fountains and flowers. You'll find plenty of them in Beijing and everywhere across China, dressing up city squares for the 56th National Day, which falls on Saturday. And for the holiday and the rest of the "golden week," people in China have various plans and expectations.

National Holiday Forecast Mixed Meteorologists are urging those heading outdoors for the upcoming National Day holidays to keep at least one eye on the weather.

Shanghainese Asked to Speak Putonghua People from other parts of China often complain that visiting Shanghai is like arriving in a strange city. The local dialect, which is so different from putonghua, the country's national tongue, can seem totally alien to those venturing from faraway provinces.

Free School for Migrant Children Opens in Beijing A vocational school opened in Beijing Monday, offering free practical skills training to children of migrant rural families. The school offers free classes, textbooks, uniforms and meals in the next two years to these children who have no access to education in the city.

Organic Food Becomes Safer, More Nutritious Organic food is becoming safer, more nutritious and more environmentally friendly, said Xiao Xingji, State Environmental Protection Administration organic food development center chief.

Tibet's Changes, Dilemmas China Newsweek reported last week on changes Tibet Autonomous Region has seen in the past 40 years since its founding and the dilemmas between economic development and cultural preservation its people face.

Old Man Who Touched China's Heart Dies at 93 Bai Fangli carried passengers on his tricycle through the streets of Tianjin all his life. He was illiterate, but he donated about 350,000 yuan that he earned from riding to help about 300 poor students get through school.

Beijing: Insurance Agents Gets Best Paid Insurance agents are the highest-paid workers in Beijing, a new government survey shows. Bringing in an average annual salary of more than 85,000 yuan (US$10,500), insurance agents out-earn lawyers and stockbrokers and leave newspaper editors, on an average 35,000 yuan (US$4,320) per year, very much in the shade.

Free from Cars on Car-Free Day Organizations in Beijing have launched a series of campaigns Thursday, to mark World Car-Free Day. The campaigns are expected to raise people's awareness of environmental protection, thus they will try not to drive as much as possible.

Yoghourt Consumption in China Grows Quickly Among the 30 major categories of consumer goods surveyed by the US-based AC Nielsen Company, the sales of yoghourt/sour milk drinks increased most quickly in China with an annual rate of 38 percent last year, the Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.

Beijingers Consume 15,000-ton Mooncakes During Moon Festival Beijing residents consumed 15,000 tons of mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell on Sunday. The sales value of mooncakes was estimated at US$111 million to US$123 million, making up one tenth of the national sales value, Monday's Beijing Morning Post reports.

College Students Catch Net Syndrome A rising number of young Internet addicts from south China's Guangdong Province have caught another kind of computer virus - suffering a host of physical and mental symptoms from headaches to difficulty concentrating in class, according to a recent survey.

30% of Pregnancies Unintended About 30 percent of pregnancies in large Chinese cities are unwanted, a new survey indicates, and experts say 90 percent of unintended pregnancies end in abortion. The survey suggests most women lack proper understanding of contraception methods.

Shanghai Raises Fares to Get More Bus Riders Shanghai's transport authority has raised metro fares in order to encourage more people to take buses to relieve the strain on subways.

Depression Plagues Pressured Students Depression, a word not normally applied to young people, has become a common word among Chinese students. The problem came to fore again with the suicide of a doctoral student in Shanghai.

Project Saves 'Home Letters' The hand-written Chinese "home letter," a traditional expression of personal experience, sentiment and love to dear ones, is on the way out because of telephones and instant messaging in the modern age.

Top 100 Chinese Cities by Quality of Life During the "2005 Chinese cities discussion forum Beijing summit" held on the 13th in Beijing, the first ten Chinese cities ranked by their quality of life are Shenzhen, Dongguan, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Zhuhai, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Xiamen.

Disney Opens Its First Theme Park in China Disney officially opened its newest theme park in Hong Kong, its first step into the lucrative China market. The opening ceremony of the US$3.5-billion park kicked off with a traditional Chinese lion dance in the forecourt of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Fireworks Ban Goes up in Smoke Beijing formally removed the 12-year ban on setting off firecrackers on Friday, although there are still some restrictions on the time and the place of this traditional Chinese activity. Sounds of firecrackers are believed to scare away a monster called "nian" and are therefore a symbol of good luck. Beijing banned firecrackers in 1993 for pollution and safety reasons.

Children Alarmed by Huge Waste in Cake Packaging The Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported on Thursday that fifth-grade pupils of primary school in the city's Zhabei District were shocked to learn that package of eight million boxes of moon cake consumed by Shanghai people in 2004 could make a building as large as the famous Jinmao Building.

Male Nurses Join the Frontlines In a country where nurses are traditionally female, China's first batch of graduating male nurses are bucking the trend, to the chagrin of traditionalists.

Shenzhen Parking Fee to Jump by 130% Shenzhen plans to raise parking fees by an average of 130 percent to alleviate downtown traffic congestion and encourage public transport. The final decision will be announced after a public hearing to be held Sept. 15.

Mao's Model Village No Longer Living on Farming When calling on all people in rural China to learn from Dazhai 41 years ago, late Chairman Mao Zedong might never anticipate that the model village he favored would no long live on farming nowadays.

'Baby Tutor,' a Burgeoning Profession in China "Baby Tutor," specializing in educating babies from their birth to three years old, is one of the new professions released by China's Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

Middle Class on Rise in China: Survey The size of the middle class in China has grown to include 11.9 percent of all employees in the country, according to a recent survey.

Beijing's New HIV Diagnoses Attributed to More Tests A WHO official said yesterday that the rise in new HIV diagnoses in the capital could be explained by greater testing. The local health bureau said Wednesday the number of new cases to the end of July had increased 53 percent year-on-year.

Typhoon Talim Kills 1, Injuring 24 in Taiwan At least one person was killed and 24 others injured by typhoon Talim, according to news from Taipei Thursday.

Poverty-relief Plan for Ethnic Minorities The country's 22 underpopulated ethnic minorities will benefit from a new round of poverty alleviation reforms with financial aid totaling up to 1 billion yuan (US$123.46 million) over the next five years. Officials from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission were speaking at a two-day working conference of the State Council on the development of underpopulated ethnic groups, which ended yesterday in Beijing.

Special Grants Offered to Poor Students Officials from the Ministry of Education said that a special state grant worth 800 million yuan (US$98.77 million) every year will be issued to poverty-stricken college students from next month, and children in rural China will enjoy free nine-year compulsory schooling before 2010.

More Flats for Lower-income Families Urged Vice-Minister of Construction Liu Zhifeng said last week that there is an increasing demand from low to medium-income families for smaller and more affordable apartments, and has urged property developers to work towards satisfying these demands.

Shanghai Divorce Rate Goes Up According to reports of Shanghai's media, a survey of the city's 19 district marriage registration bureaus revealed that last year, 27,374 couples registered for divorces, averaging 75 couples per day, up 38.9 percent over the previous year.

Guangdong Sausage May Get the Chop Cantonese style sausage is popular across the country as well as in its home province of Guangdong. But the traditional food might disappear from local restaurants and dinner tables if a new food regulation goes into effect.

CCTV Sends Record Invitations for Moon Festival China's Central Television Station (CCTV), the flagship State-owned telecast giant, has sent invitations to hundreds of millions of Chinese worldwide, in a goodwill push to greet the upcoming Chinese traditional festival for family reunions.

More Educated, More DINK? There will be more families with two incomes and no children in the future, according to a survey conducted by Zero Research Company early this year. They questioned 2252 residents aged 14 to 60 in seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Anti-domestic Violence Drive Needs Legal Support Domestic violence, regarded traditionally as a private affair to be kept in the family, is increasingly becoming a target of protest and government action. But it is vital that more detailed laws and regulations are made to tackle the scourge.

Fluorosis Forces Millions to Smile Shy Today 40 million Chinese people's smiles are affected by fluorosis - one of the most serious regional diseases in the country, according to statistics from the National Plan for Prevention and Control of Major Regional Diseases from 2004 to 2010.

More Women and Children Smoking Findings of a survey carried out by the Chinese Association of Tobacco Control, which were released on Thursday, show that 7 percent of the surveyed kids and teenagers in Beijing aged 6 to 18 smoke, and there's also a noticeable rise in the number of women who smoke.

Forum Focuses on Harmonious Family The family is the basic building block of society and harmonious families contribute to building a harmonious society, Professor Wang Zhenyu with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said yesterday at a seminar on family harmony. In the face of surging divorce rates, domestic violence, elderly neglect and extra-marital affairs, China's social workers are stressing the need for family harmony.

Pet Services Inflate Prices, Peddle Inferior Goods Beijingers are estimated to spend more than 500 million yuan (US$61.5 million) on their pets, with a major part set for medical purposes, according to Beijing-based Workers' Daily. However, the new pet service industry is increasingly criticized as a sector that collects unreasonably large profits.

China's Sex Ratio at Birth Expanding It was reported from the 4th National Women and Children Working Conference that in recent years China's sex ratio at birth kept expanding and the problem of children's deficiency at birth is evident and the number of AIDS orphans is increasing.

Nutrition Regulations Proposed The nation's first nutrition regulation is expected to take effect by the end of this year, requiring kindergartens, schools, large restaurants and company cafeterias that serve more than 100 people to hire a trained nutritionist.

Firecrackers Give Rise to Heated Debate The Committee of Legislative Affairs with the Beijing Municipal People's Congress yesterday heard opinions from 16 local residents at a public hearing concerning draft legislation to lift the 12-year ban on firecrackers.

Top Dish Debuts in Shenyang "Goodness, I never knew people could make such an exquisite feast," said Mr Zou, a middle age civil servant with the local government.

Beer Fountain Fizzles out Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province vetoed a much criticized "beer fountain" during the Fourth Harbin International Beer Festival that opened last weekend.

Traditional Festival Vies for Recognition Many Chinese these days know more about St Valentine's Day on February 14, characterized by expensive roses, chocolates and romantic candlelight dinners, than they do about Qixi, their home-grown day for lovers.

Cost of Living Falls in Chinese Cities: Survey Tokyo has retained its title the world's most expensive city, and Beijing has fallen 17 places to world No.63, according to a survey released Monday by London's Economist Intelligence Unit.

Typhoon-hit Areas Picking up Pieces Zhejiang Province and Shanghai Municipality in east China are recovering from the carnage wrought by Typhoon Masta, which swept across the area over the weekend.

Survey: Food Safety Becomes People's Top Concern A nationwide online survey recently revealed that food safety has become the No 1 concern for the country's urban residents. The survey, conducted by Edatapower.com, covered 1,058 people from China's 10 major provinces and municipalities between June 16 and 26.

15 Online Games Recommended for Minors The Chinese Ministry of Culture (MOC) published 15 online games that are suitable for minors to play in Beijing on Friday as part of a recent drive to purify the online environment for minors.

Cancer Data on Contraceptive Pills Being Collected The national food and drug safety regulator said Wednesday it has started to collect data on the possible carcinogenic effects of some contraceptive pills following the findings of a WHO agency report published late last month.

Eye Drops May Harm Human Eyes Frequent use of eye-drops could damage eyes and might even cause complete loss of vision, the Hong Kong Association of Private Eye Surgeons (HKAPES) warned.

Hunan Hit by Drought Continued high temperatures and dry weather conditions are causing severe water shortages in Hunan, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters yesterday.

Graduates Queue Up to Join Police To become a policeman is often to realize one's childhood dream or an honored opportunity for adults. Yesterday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, was the last day of a police recruitment drive, that had many enquiring or registering their interest.

China Confident of Controlling Pig-borne Disease More cases of the pig-borne streptococcus suis infection were reported over the weekend, but officials continue to insist they are capable of controlling the outbreak. A large quantity of vaccine, enough to inoculate 350,000 pigs, was sent to Chengdu yesterday from Guangdong Province.

World Carnival Opens in Beijing on Schedule The World Carnival, the famous mobile fun fair, opens Friday afternoon in Beijing as scheduled. The carnival is expected to receive about 2.5 million visitors, according to its organizers.

Driver Fined 105 Times Withdraws Suit Du Baoliang, a driver who was cited for 105 traffic violations at the same spot with hefty fines but was never notified, has withdrawn his law suit against the Beijing traffic police.

Beijing to Modernize 1,200 Latrines Beijing will launch the largest toilet revolution in its history this year in a bid to make its environment more pleasant to increasing number of Chinese and overseas tourists.

Experts Urge Chinese People to Change Diet Structure Nutrition experts in Beijing urged the Chinese people to fine-tune their diet structure by eating more vegetable and fruit and taking in less salt and sweet food, the Legal Evening News reported.

Computer Net Snags Out-of-towners Drivers from one town who break traffic rules in another will no longer escape punishment thanks to a new traffic management system.

100,000 Foreigners Enjoy Life in China China's booming economy is a magnet to foreigners. Nearly 100,000 foreigners are enjoying their work and life on the Chinese mainland, according to Saturday's People's Daily.

Energy Saving Tips from Shanghai Energy consumption is at its peak across the country as residents try to tackle the relentless summer heat, putting enormous strain on China's power grids. But a little brochure containing easy-to-follow energy-saving tips just might have what it takes to ease things for the grids.

Shanghai Educates Metro Riders on Safety Shanghai has stepped up efforts to educate people with proper safety measures in the metro, a need brought into sharp focus by a series of terrorist attacks on the London Underground.

Bungling Diver Swims into Mouth of Shark 26-year-old French-Chinese man accidentally swam onto the tooth of a shark whilst scuba-diving in the aquarium at Shanghai Changfeng Park, reports Shanghai Evening News.

Domestic Workers Find Life Tough in Cities A group of 600 young rural women arrived in Beijing last night on a special train from southwest China's Sichuan Province. They have come to the capital to find jobs as domestic workers, which have become indispensable for busy urbanites.

Foreign Employees in Shanghai Exceed 40,000 The trend of foreigners heading to Shanghai for work continues to gather strength in the first half of this year, with newly obtained work permits growing 32.1 percent over the same period last year, totaling 9,071.

Most Consumers Have No Confidence in Food Safety A senior official said yesterday that less than half consumers think their food is safe, 8 percent of domestic food fails national standards and the carcinogen malachite green is still used in food production.

Long, Hard Road to Retrieve Defaulted Wages An investigation report on migrant workers' costs in protecting their rights was published on May 23. It detailed the big sums of migrant workers' defaulted wages and the difficult process they have to go through to retrieve their money.

Quality Watchdog: Chinese Beer Safe Chinese beer is safe to drink as its formaldehyde content is much lower than the ceiling set by the World Heath Organization, China's quality watchdog reported Friday.

Food Stall Proposal for Laid-off Workers A laid-off worker sells steamed buns at her food stall on Chongqing Road of Shanghai yesterday. The government is considering a plan to set up several areas downtown to allow laid-off workers to open small stalls selling food.

Capital Widens Driving Fine Notification Beijing Traffic Management Bureau announced on Tuesday that it will notify drivers when they break road rules via letter and public notice boards, after a high-profile case of US$1,200 in fines being unknowingly amassed by a migrant worker.

More Migrant Women Marrying City Men An increasing number of female migrant workers find city spouses, according to a research published last week. This can give them permanent city residence, but divorce rates for such marriages are higher.

Cities' Subway Security Assurances Underground train operators in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai said they are well-prepared to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks after the bombings in London last Thursday, according to China Daily today.

Rising HIV in Women Emphasized Increased rates of HIV infection among women in China have been highlighted by the government on World Population Day that falls on Monday. Most are now infected through sex, and preventing mother to baby transmission is a growing challenge.

Most Beijing Buses to Use Clean Fuel in 2008 Ninety percent of public buses and 70 percent of taxis will be clean vehicles in 2008, when Beijing hosts the Olympics, according to China's Ministry of Science and Technology Friday.

Chinese Spend More Time on Internet than TV: Survey Chinese people are now spending more time surfing the net than watching TV, according to results of a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published Thursday.

Capital Pet Registration Fees Questioned Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said over 450,000 pet dogs had been registered by the owners' deadline of June 30, but that many fees remained unpaid. Meanwhile, questions have been raised over how fees are spent.

More Relief Planned for China's Poor The Minister of Civil Affairs said yesterday at a work conference that China will widen its relief network for its urban and rural poor by the end of this year. 26.1 million of China's rural population live in abject poverty.

Heat Waves Hit Shanghai, Chongqing Shanghai and Chongqing have spent the last few days sweltering with temperatures in the late 30s and electricity consumption breaking records. Shanghai's meteorological observatory has issued four "black warning" since Friday, something it does when the temperature is expected to hit 38 degrees Celsius within 24 hours.

Cop Killed in Arson Mourned A Shanghai police captain seriously burnt whilst trying to prevent a man setting fire to his apartment died after ten days' hospital treatment Friday. A series of ceremonies are being held to honor him this week.

China Sets up Fund to Help Children Suffering from Leukemia China's Red Cross Foundation has set up a special fund to help poor children suffering from leukemia after a father tried to kill himself so his organs could be sold to raise money for his sick son, state media said.

Boy's 8-Hour Heart Operation a Success Chen Tianfu could not hold back tears yesterday after surgeons declared his 7-year-old son's 8-hour heart operation a success.

Despair Turns to Tears of Joy for Desperate Father Sun Jing, a desperate father who tried to kill himself and sell his organs because he thought it was the only way to pay for his cancer-stricken son's treatment, was smiling again yesterday. His plight moved many people after it was reported in Beijing News on Tuesday; and he has received 60,000 yuan (US$7,300) in donations over the past couple of days.

Shanghai's Population Growth on the Up Shanghai's 10-year negative resident population growth rate since 1994 is on the up with the growth rate standing at zero per mill in 2004. Changes in general age structure and an increase in the number of births have resulted in moderate resident population growth in the municipality, the commission dealing with population and family planning said on Tuesday.

Philanthropist Singer to Keep on Giving Suffering an advanced case of gastric cancer, Cong Fei, a philanthropist singer, said he would try his best to help more people if he could live a few more years.

Vaccine Draws Fire An injured student rests at a hospital in Anhui Province. A mass inoculation against hepatitis A in primary and middle schools on June 16-17 killed a 6-year-old student and injured 120 others, including the girl. Investigators are now hunting for a private businessman who is alleged to be a major supplier of the suspect hepatitis A vaccines. Meanwhile, the county government has suspended group inoculations for the disease.

City Doctors Heading to Rural Clinics The Ministry of Health plans to send tens of thousands of sophisticated medical practitioners from premium hospitals nationwide to local clinics as part of a one-year program designed for personnel training and service improvement.

Half Price for Cinema Ticket Tuesday Moviegoers across China will now only pay half price for tickets Tuesday. The "Half Price Tuesday Movies" will be jointly launched by 168 cinemas starting in July.

It's Hot, Hot, Hot in the Capital City Beijing residents have their own ways of escaping the heat. Department stores with air conditioning and cold drinks are the favorites. Beijing's highest temperature on Tuesday was 41 C, according to the Beijing Meteorological Bureau.

Shanghai Cheaper Than Beijing? Beijing is the most expensive city on the Chinese mainland, according to a survey released yesterday by Mercer Human Resources Consulting. Mercer also found Beijing to be the 19th most expensive city in the world. Shanghai came in at No 30.

Beijing Families Help Heal Tsunami Orphans Last December's tsunami claimed their parents, but it did not carry love and care out of their lives completely. Twelve children from Thailand, aged 8-12, are arriving today for a one-week stay in Beijing, where the bright summer sunshine may help drive away the shadows brought by the loss of their loved ones.

Separated Conjoined Twins Doing Well The recovering of separated conjoined twin girls is going better than expected, and both girls will return to their mother in Shanxi Province on Wednesday, hospital officials say.

70% Chinese Want to Get Slimmer: Survey Obesity has taken the place of famine as one of the Chinese' top concerns, according to a survey conducted from May 9 to 13 by China Youth Daily. It said that about 70 percent of people want to be thinner.

Dubbed Works Losing Popularity It is said there is a generation gap with anyone three years younger than you in China. The claim is true if you look at the choice of entertainment out there if you listen to hard rock instead of chilled-out tunes, watch dazzling Star Wars instead of Harry Potter, you are already old in the eyes of teenagers and hipsters in their early 20s.

New Scheme Helps City's Homeless Homeless people in Guangdong Province's capital are now being given help on the streets instead of having to go and find it for themselves.

Underground Roads to Ease Congestion A 2,500-metre underground road network is expected to help ease traffic congestion in downtown Beijing. The multi-million-dollar network, already under construction, will be 12 meters deep and situated in the main banking and finance area, Financial Street.

Beijing Expects 5 Million Vehicles Most families in Beijing will have their own car by 2020. That is more than 5 million vehicles on the capital's streets. The Beijing Transport Development Compendium, a 57-page report issued by the municipal government, gave a specific blueprint for transport development in the coming 15 years.

Everyone's a Winner as Lottery Booms The past week has seen records for the welfare lottery smashed in terms of sales and awards.

Dumpling Still Yummy, Festival Losing Luster Saturday's Dragon Boat Festival will be celebrated across the country, but, while boat races and the sticky rice dumplings known as zongzi may be growing in popularity, it seems the roots of the festival are being forgotten.

Guangdong Divorce Rate Reaches Record Highs An unprecedented 100,000 Guangdong Province residents were divorced last year. The figure represents an increase of 33,754 people, or 52.6 percent, over figures from 2003, according to sources from the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Civil Affairs.

Shanghai Women's Low Contraceptive Awareness An expert on reproductive health told a seminar in Shanghai Sunday that over 60 percent of women in the city who had an abortion last year did not use contraceptive measures.

Drivers Angry About Hidden Cameras Drivers have become increasingly angry at practices such as hidden cameras that trap unsuspecting motorists, who usually do not know they have broken the law until later.

Nestle Apologizes for Iodine Excess Nestle issued an apology Sunday for high iodine levels in one of its milk powder products. All the affected milk had already been withdrawn from sale, but critics said the statement was too little, too late.

Dragon Boats Honor Chinese Poet The Fourth Yangtze River Gorges International Dragon Boat Rally opened on Sunday in central China's Hubei Province to honor Qu Yuan, one of ancient China's more famous poets who died more than 2000 years ago.

Sexual Revolution Silently Going On in China Li Yinhe, China's first female sociologist on sex issues, has a PhD degree in Sociology from Pittsburg University in the United States and a post-PhD degree in Sociology from Beijing University. Summarizing her research in the past decade, Li says that a sexual revolution is silently going on in China.

Children Complete Qiongzhou Strait Swim A seven-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy swam across the Qiongzhou Strait between Guangdong Province and Hainan Island yesterday, becoming the youngest swimmers ever to cross the strait. Opinions on the feat were divided. Some said the willpower of both children was inspiring. Others thought it was inappropriate for children to show off.

Twin Girls Separated in Shanghai Hospital Two-month-old baby girls Wu Xinyue and Wu Xinchen were born joined at the chest and the stomach but after a four-and-half-hour operation yesterday, surgeons said the sisters have freedom. Both girls are in a stable condition and under close watch in an Intensive Care Unit.

Migrant Workers' Children Need More Care Participants of a high-profile seminar last week called on the government, social organizations and the media to devote more attention and do more to help the tens of millions of children whose parents leave their villages to work in the cities. The issue was dragged back into the spotlight following the suicide of a 13-year-old girl on February 19 this year.

Young Addict's Suicide Sounds Stark Warning Many students are burdened with their studies. Because of a lack of ways to relax, most of them turn to computer games. A recent case of suicide by a boy addicted to Internet games has increased the public's concern over the issue of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).

World No Tobacco Day Marked Shanghai health authorities will name 44 medical facilities as non-smoking hospitals today, which is World No Tobacco Day. Currently, there are 320 million smokers in China, accounting for one-quarter of all smokers in the world. About 750,000 Chinese die of smoking-related diseases every year.

Walking Their Way to Health, Longevity With green trees all around, a blue sky above and sunshine shining on their faces, 200,000 walkers set off on a hike to promote good health on Saturday in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

Tibetans Enjoy Better Health The health of people living in the Tibet Autonomous Region has greatly improved since 1951, thanks to free medical treatment. The Tibetan population has more than doubled in the region and that average life expectancy has risen to 67 years-old, up from 35 years-old in the 1950s.

Substandard Toys on Display As Children's Day draws near, the quality of toys has once again aroused attention from many. The China Consumers' Association exhibited over 20 problematic toys on a symposium Wednesday, to which experts are invited to instruct parents on the hidden dangers of these substandard toys.

Decorating Homes May Cause Leukemia Home decorating may be a serious danger to your health, particularly your children's, medical experts are warning.

South China Factories Short of Workers China's southern coastal provinces used to be famous for their supply of cheap, migrant labor, turning the region into the world's manufacturing powerhouse. However, it is more than 2 million laborers short nowadays.

Beijing to See Fewer Transients Beijing's non-resident population will not keep growing. After increasing by a small margin until 2008, the transient population in the capital will become stable, or even fall, results of a study reported by the Beijing Morning Post showed yesterday.

Project Hope Models in Beijing Three former image ambassadors for Project Hope, the anti-poverty education program, gathered in Beijing Saturday, showcasing their own success stories.

Record Number of Overseas Students in 2004 The number of overseas students in China hit a record high of 110,844 in 2004, of which 6,715 were sponsored by the Chinese government, the rest studying at their own expense, said the Ministry of Education Friday.

Fake Luxury Goods Have Sinister Tag The making and selling of counterfeit luxury goods is big business in emerging markets such as China and India. But buying a fake Gucci loafer or Louis Vuiton purse could be financing the next suicide bombing.

Most Office Workers Not Happy with Job A majority of Shanghai office workers, especially young men, say they aren't happy with their jobs, mainly because of heavy pressure at the office, a recent survey suggests. It also indicated that local office workers are less happy than their peers in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

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. "The 110-centimetre standard is outdated to keep pace with the children's healthy physical development," said Quan Zhongmin, a delegate to the Beijing Municipal People's Political and Consultative Conference.

Shanghai to Erect More Public Sculptures Shanghai will erect an additional 30 to 50 public sculptures by 2010 in the key districts of the municipality, said sources with the just-concluded Shanghai Sculpture Construction Conference.

Yuesaos in High Demand With demand for nursemaids surpassing supply in Shanghai, several household service companies have started training migrant women to look after newborn babies, although most families in the city still prefer to hire a local woman to help raise their child if possible.

Who Says a Man Should Not Be a Nurse? They are proud of being a good cook or dressmaker. But they perceive nursing to be a feminine thing, leaving it to the opposite sex. Hospitals are looking for a few male nurses but the recruitment process is a hard job.

Shanghai in Midst of Toilet Modernization The Shanghai City of 20 million is in the midst of a massive toilet modernization. It wants anyone without a toilet at home to have a public facility a few steps away, and offers a hot line for those who can't find one.

Ratio of Elderly Population Further Up China's over-65 population reached 98.57 million in 2004, accounting for 7.6 percent of the national total and 0.1 percentage point higher than the ratio in 2003, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs recently.

Nurses in Great Demand By the end of 2004, the number of nurses in China had reached 1.308 million, up 20,000 over the previous year. But, nurses are still in great demand, according to Ministry of Health officials speaking at a ceremony held in honor of nurses at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.

Bad Lifestyles Sicken Guangzhou's Elderly A survey in Guangzhou suggests that more than 90 percent of older people in the city are not healthy. Poor diet, smoking, drinking alcohol and eating spicy food have been blamed for the situation.

Liaoning Conjoined Twins Now Separated The conjoined twin baby girls who were separated eight days ago are doing well, according to medical officials. The operation took place at the No 2 Hospital of the Chinese Medical Science University in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Hey, Big Spenders! It is a good time to be young in China. Nurtured in the security of a fast-growing economy, young people have become the darlings of the world's biggest names in consumer products. It is not just foreign vendors that have won over the hearts of the young consumers - their local partners and agents are reaping the benefits, too.

Mum's the Word for Chinese in New Trend Mother's Day is yet another Western occasion to become popular among Chinese people along with Christmas and Valentine's Day. Flowers, jewellery and clothes are among gifts commonly bought for mothers on the occasion...

Retail Sales Reach 240 Bln Yuan in May Day Holiday Season During the seven-day May Day holiday season, which ended Saturday, China's retail sales of consumer goods totaled 240 billion yuan (about US$29 billion), up 17 percent year on year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce on Sunday.

Airports, Railways Prepare for Returnees Staff at railway stations and airports in major Chinese cities are bracing themselves as the nation prepares to head back to work after the week-long May Day holiday.

Brain Surgery for Eliminating Drug Addiction Strictly Controlled Chinese health official on Friday re-stressed that the brain surgery for eliminating drug addiction is strictly controlled because its effectiveness and safety have not been proved and its side effects are still unclear.

Shanghai Gears up in the Lane for Luxury A Shanghainese bought a 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce just four hours after the opening of the 2005 Auto Shanghai exhibition, the largest in Asia.

Coal Price to Remain High A recent industry research report predicted coal prices would reach a record high this year and remain high for the following five years due to supply shortages and insufficient transportation capability.

May Day Marked Nationwide From north to south, west to east, Chinese people began May Day, also the first day of the "Golden Week" holiday, in various ways of entertainment and celebrations. Parks in Beijing played host to more than 620,000 visitors on Sunday.

Capital Uses Additional Trains During May Holiday Beijing's railways are expected to carry about 1.9 million passengers during the week-long May Day holiday (May 1-7), said the municipal railway bureau.

Spring Teas Late After Cold Snap This year's spring tea market was affected by an unusual cold spell that swept across tea growing areas. The tea arrived on the market late and its price increased noticeably. However, the prices of lower grade teas have mostly been kept low by larger retailers.

Spring Teas Late After Cold Snap This year's spring tea market was affected by an unusual cold spell that swept across tea growing areas. The tea arrived on the market late and its price increased noticeably. However, the prices of lower grade teas have mostly been kept low by larger retailers.

Ice Cream Born in China 3,000 Years Ago Milk and cream contain tryptophan, an excellent natural sedative that soothes the nervous system, refreshes the body and helps sleep. Ice cream originated in ancient China, was brought to Europe by Marco Polo, and since then, has swept the world.

New ID Cards for All Citizens by 2008 All Chinese citizens aged 16 and above will receive new ID cards with personal information contained in an embedded microchip by 2008, said State Councilor Zhou Yongkang at a teleconference Thursday.

Jelly Cups Yanked from Market Thousands of boxes of jelly cups have been removed from local markets because the warnings on the packages against the danger of eating the product were almost unnoticeable, the Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision revealed yesterday.

Free Cataract Surgery for Seniors Sight First China Action, a charity program that was set up by the Chinese government and the Lion's Club International, will work with a Shanghai hospital to perform free cataract surgery on 447 elderly people from Shanghai and Tongzhou, Jiangsu Province.

MBA Graduate Earnings A survey published April 11 by the Chinese edition of Forbes magazine found that MBA graduates appeared to receive a good return on their investment in education. It ranked the best schools and both part-time and full-time programs.

400,000 Suffer from Depression in HK A survey conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong shows that about 400,000 Hong Kong residents are suffering from hypochondria or depression, four times more than 20 years ago.

Few Partners for Outstanding Women Women with high educational credentials, qualities and incomes usually find it difficult to find their Mr. Right, according to the latest statistics by the marriage and family consulting service center of the Beijing Women's Association.

One Mln Targeted for Breast Screening Yesterday, a national screening and treatment program was launched to encourage early diagnosis and reduce mortality amongst women from breast cancer, the occurrence of which is the most rapidly growing in the country.

HIV/AIDS Villagers Get Health Treatment A total of 114 provincial government officials and medical experts have gone to 38 villages in central China's Henan Province that have been hit by HIV/AIDS. They intend to work and live in the villages for a year.

Authorities Look into Toothpaste Cancer Scare Chinese authorities are investigating reports on the possible dangers of antibacterial soap and toothpaste after a US scientist found that chlorine in tap water and the antibacterial chemical triclosan in some soaps and other products can sometimes react together to create chloroform, a probable carcinogen.

Beijing Encourages Private Nursing Homes Beijing has adopted new measures encouraging non-governmental institutions and individuals to invest in care centers for aged citizens in the national capital.

Shanghai Metro Screens Stop Suicides Special safety gates will be installed in the Chunshen Road Station of the Metro Line No. 5 to keep passengers from falling or jumping onto the tracks. If the gates prove effective, they will be installed in other stations along the line in the future.

Number of Job Seekers Sets Record in Shanghai A record number of job seekers visited the Shanghai Job Placement Center or its Website during the first quarter of this year, where a record number of employers had set up help wanted ads, according to a recent government employment report.

More Shanghai Couples Have Second Child Since new family planning laws were enacted in Shanghai one year ago, 4,413 local couples have delivered a second child, 1.7 times the number reported during the previous year. The new rules offer more couples the chance to have a second child and do away with a mandatory four-year waiting period between children.

Six Persons Buy a Home Together The highflying housing prices in Shanghai have made it popular for a newlywed to purchase homes with the help from both of their parents, the Shanghai Evening Post reported on Wednesday. More than 80 percent of newlyweds have bought homes with the support from their parents.

Market Kindergarten Helps Migrant Children Migrant children in the cities of Beijing and Chengdu will have equal access to education with their urban counterparts, thanks to a project launched on Monday. The project also aims to help integrate migrant children into the communities where they live.

Two Sudan I Suppliers Arrested Police arrested two senior executives from a food company in Guangzhou on Saturday on suspicion of supplying additives containing the banned dye Sudan I to 30 food manufacturers.

Parkinson's Rate Increases Rapidly Today is World Parkinson's Disease Day. With the incidence of Parkinson's disease growing rapidly over the past 20 years, Shanghai medical experts are calling for more awareness of how to prevent and control the illness.

Living in Lap of Luxury Stirs Debate A luxury consumption exhibition is scheduled in Shanghai for June, once again making the buzzword of "luxury" a hot topic amongst people from all walks of life.

Housing Price Surge Big Concern High housing prices in major Chinese cities have become a big concern to the central government as it tries to control the macro-economy. To maintain the healthy development of the country's real estate market, the government has released a number of new measures aimed at curbing house price surges.

Beijing Police Get Green Light on Traffic Traps Citing insufficient manpower to maintain strict traffic control, Beijing traffic authorities say they will not prohibit officers from hiding themselves from drivers' view in order to nab violators. Drivers refer to the technique as spying, but experts say that it is just one of many ways to control the city's unruly traffic.

Higher Education...But Not Too Much Universities in Shanghai have blocked research into students' sexual health, saying the questionnaires encourage too much thinking about sex. The survey, launched last July, aims to inform future education, and responses so far have displayed dangerously low awareness levels.

Capital's Cop Shops Told: Do Better Beijing's 50 police stations with the worst crime rates are being forced to display signs identifying themselves as such as part of a new scheme launched yesterday. If their statistics do not improve by the end of June they could be publicly reprimanded.

Report Reveals Mental Disorders of Patients Nearly one fourth of people suffering a disease have symptoms of psychological problems including depression and anxiety, a research report has revealed.

Fashion Flurry in Beijing Hundreds of fashion aficionados, business people, models, photographers and journalists from all over the world converged in Beijing to take part in China Fashion Week, which kicked off last Friday. With four professional contests, seven forums, 11 press conferences and 14 brand shows, the event has been gaining attention and momentum.

The Right to Know, But Not to Choose Beijing Youth Daily reported recently it had been unable to find any non-genetically modified (GM) soya bean oil in the capital's supermarkets. Manufacturers are using cheaper imported GM beans and label products accordingly, but there are no guarantees of non-GM options.

Fertility Industry Takes Off in China Slowly but surely, women in China who struggle to conceive are realizing there is hope out there and they do not have to helplessly suffer the intense stigma of being childless in a society that places supreme importance on having kids.

Photo Prize Provides Model Education A Shenzhen woman who won a national photographic prize of 50,000 yuan (US$6,000) donated the money to the seven-year-old Tibetan girl in her award-winning picture. The act might change the girl's life through paying for her education at a Project Hope school.

New Reg Mandates Migration to Suburbs Late last week, the 12th Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress enacted a regulation designed to encourage more residents to live in the suburbs and limit the downtown population. By 2020, 90 percent of Beijing's 17.6 million residents will live in the suburbs.