I will never understand China

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

When this article popped up on my newsfeed today, I thought it said 'bollocks'.

That'll be enough to stop them! City officials place 66 BOLLARDS on a tiny strip of pavement in extreme bid to deter street traders

Tiny plot transformed into a forest of yellow posts in Shenzen, China
Local authorities said the area had been plagued by unlicensed traders
Residents say the bollards makes life difficult for mothers with buggies
One woman said the area now resembles a 'martial arts obstacle course'

By Dan Miller and Edward Chow For Mailonline
Published: 11:32 EST, 12 June 2015 | Updated: 12:02 EST, 12 June 2015


Unlicensed street traders are a common problem for many a town and city the world over.

But few local authorities will have taken such draconian steps to stop them as those in the Chinese city of Shenzhen who have set up an incredible 66 bollards on an area of just 23 square metres.

According to locals the tiny plot now resembles a 'martial arts obstacle course' and is proving particularly troublesome for ordinary pedestrians especially people pushing buggies.


Overkill? Local authorities in Shenzen, China, have set up 60 metal bollards over an area just 23 sq metres in a bid to deter unlicensed street traders

The bollards have been erected outside a community centre and close to an underground railway station exit in an area known for taxi drivers and street unlicensed traders.

In the past two years the local residents have made numerous complaints to the authorities about the congestion in the area who responded by sending wardens to move street hawkers on.

But as soon as the wardens had left the area the traders would return so the authorities decided to set up bollards, People's Daily Online reported.


Obstruction: A man struggles to push a buggy through the bollards which have been described as looking like a martial arts obstacle course


The bollards have been erected outside a community centre and close to an underground railway station exit in an area known for taxi drivers and street unlicensed traders


After numerous complaints from local residents local authorities say they will try to find an alternative solution

At first there were only 26 of the steel posts, but in the months of April and May a further 40 were set up transforming the area into a forest of bright yellow posts.

In a letter to the Shenzhen Evening News a local citizen named Ms Wang wrote: 'This section of road is completely covered with bollards just like a martial arts obstacle course in Shaolin Temple.

'Are all pedestrians to be trained to be martial artists?'

Mr Zhu, a local office worker, told reporters that before the bollards there were street hawkers everywhere but now although they have disappeared there are problems with pedestrians pushing buggies or carrying large items.

Mr Shi, who works at the nearby Anle community centre which manages the section of road told reporters that the setting up of so many bollards was not something they wanted to do.


At first there were only 26 of the steel bollards, but in the months of April and May a further 30 were set up transforming the area into a forest of bright yellow posts


In the past two years the local residents have made numerous complaints to the authorities about the congestion in the area and after wardens proved ineffective they turned to bollards

He said that as the area is close to the station exit usually there would often be between 8 to10 cars and motorbikes waiting for customers as street hawkers setting up stalls blocking the traffic.

Mr Shi said he knows that there are some who are not happy with the bollards and that the company will consult with local residents to find a better way to solve the local congestion problem.

[GeneChing]

Punish domestic violence and love armpit hair.

LOOK: Weibo flooded once again with pictures of women proudly showing off their armpit hair



Yes, it's that time of the year again! A time when young women across China raise up their arms — as one; in order to take selfies showing off their armpit hair, which they then post online to support women's rights and just maybe win a prize in one very unconventional photography competition. What a time to be alive!



Some 40 entries have already been made into this 2015 Armpit Hair Competition, which kicked off on Weibo on May 26 and ends on June 26 (Send your armpit selfies in now!). The hashtag #WomensArmpitHairCompetition has already piqued the interest of more than a million curious netizens and has generated thousands of comments.

The contest was started by 26-year-old feminist activist Xiao Yue in order to bring attention to the idea that women do not need to be hairless to feel beautiful. Prizes will be given out for the most "characteristic, beautiful and confident" displays of online underarm hair. The first place winner receives 100 condoms, second place gets a ******** and the lucky third place winner gets 10 female urination devices.

"Women's armpit hair is considered to be offensive, rude and ungraceful — how come it makes people so uncomfortable?" Xiao says. "Women's underarm hair can be adorable, interesting, humorous, sexy, serious, connotative and ever-changing."

According to Xiao, the concept of armpit hair being uncivilized is another unwelcome Western import that didn't catch on in China until the 1990s and now is being propagated by the media and advertisers in order to promote consumerism and shaving cream over natural beauty.



The contest is not the first of its kind. Just last summer, women were also encouraged to post pictures of their unshaven armpits on Weibo. The call to action seemed to make a bigger splash last year, attracting more than 28.5 million views and thousands of picture submissions within just five days.



In exploring this year's contest, the Global Times asks the eternal question: "To shave or not to shave" and tries to get at the root of this hairy issue. One contestant, Charlie Liu, a 25-year-old environmental researcher in Beijing, submitted a black-and-white photo of herself wearing a bra and proudly showing of her armpit hair with the caption: "I love my armpit hair, which is a part of my soft body hair. I hope girls will show it off without fear."

Liu told the Global Times she used to shave her armpit hair in college, but her outlook changed after taking a gender studies course and participating in the production of China's version of the Vagina Monologues. She asserts that women's need to shave their body hair is a direct result of commercials and advertising. Liu says she can no longer be swayed to pick up the razor. Instead, she is considering taking the next logical step and dyeing her armpit hair.



Of course, not everyone is ready to go all natural. A fair number of responses also came in from women on the other side of the issue. "What is this competition? No one forces me to shave my armpit hair. I do it because I think it's gross not to," one netizen posted.



"It's not a question of pleasing anybody," another Weibo user wrote. "According to our universal aesthetics, it's not elegant."



Women's rights activist Li Tingting also took part in the contest, posting a photo of her half-naked body showcasing her armpit hair and a message saying, "Punish domestic violence and love armpit hair.

Li was released on parole in April and is still closely monitored by police. She was detained for more than one month along with four other female activists after organizing a protest to raise awareness of sexual harassment and domestic violence on International Women's Day. According to the BBC, for Li, underarm hair is just another small battleground in the larger war for gender equality. "Men walk around half naked in China all the time, why can't women?" she asked. "For women, we need to free our minds and our bodies."



Where do you come down on the great debate of our time? Got pics to prove it?




by Alex Linder

[Images via Global Times & Weibo]

[GeneChing]

I confess that I would be very entertained watching this performance. I'd be even more impressed watching a few of our members here try this.

Look: Jilin nightclub performer lights firecrackers in his pants



In case you didn't think Chinese nightclubs were showy enough, here's some pictures of a performer at a club in Jilin throwing lit firecrackers in his pants.

The painful photos show clouds of smoke rising from the man's trousers as he seemingly attempts to dance away the pain at a bar in Hunchun City, Jilin Province.



Hero.



Apparently he's not the only performer to smoke his balls in the name of entertainment. A video shared in February shows another man performing the same stunt. At least his audience seems slightly more interested.


[Images via NetEase]

By Joyce Ng

[Jimbo]

The chick in the leopard-print doesn't look too impressed.

[GeneChing]

Actually I totally understand this one. Well, maybe not that everyone wasn't panicking.

It's very China. Especially the skirt-wearing female comment.

Look: Dozens of slithering eels set free on Shanghai subway



A bucket full of live eels spilled out mid-commute on Shanghai Metro's Line 1 last Friday, resulting in dozens of the slippery creatures wriggling through one of the cars.



The eels were liberated from their plastic confines moments after the subway departed Shanghai Indoor Stadium. An image was posted to Weibo by web user 你大爷爱LP嘿巴扎嘿, who said he was worried for skirt-wearing female commuters.

We've got to say, though, the atmosphere appeared relatively panic-free despite the various slimy creatures seen slithering past passengers' feet.

Most likely, passengers have just grown accustomed to strange sightings on the Shanghai Metro.

By Joyce Ng

[Images via NetEase]

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

10,000 yuan per day? That's $1561.24 at today's exchange rate.

LOOK: Henan man makes bank selling 'fake clouds'



A man from Henan province has been "wow-ing" China with his artificial cloud-making machine. The magic happens when the machine combines helium with a foamy liquid, producing a cloud of bubbles that can float over a hundred metres high in the air.

The man has made a business of renting it out to events in China and apparently is doing quite well. CCTV News says (somewhat ambitiously, perhaps) that his business brings in up to 10,000 yuan per day and is growing in popularity.







Of course, he's not the only person in the world making helium-foam clouds. If you fancy having a go at making one of these lucrative machines then check out this video from "The Tonight Show" where Kevin Delaney explains the science behind the cloud.



Now all China has to do is master fake snow.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Aug 18, 2015 8:00 PM

[PalmStriker]

Awesome! No more drought! Californians should import these machines to produce some rain.

[GeneChing]

Besides, Bruce Lee will save us Californians.

[GeneChing]

Because sometimes you just gotta say 'PRC - WTF?!?!'

Look: Fake sprouts growing out of your head is now a thing in Beijing



A new statement piece of sorts has hit the streets of Beijing in the form of a small plastic sprout that appears to be growing from the top of wearers' heads.




The clip-on hairpiece comes in a variety of forms, from blossoming flowers to delicate bean sprouts. It's here. It's now. It's everywhere in Beijing, as you can see.



While we'd like to consider the trend some sort of subversive comment on the chronic air pollution that shrouds China's capital, it's really just a thing because it's cute.




The origins of the trend aren't exactly clear, but some media suggest that the hairpiece is inspired by a character in "Pleasant Goat and the Big Bad Wolf", a widely popular and occasionally violent Chinese animated TV show.



Sproutheads, as we've affectionately dubbed them, can be seen milling about in Beijing's bustling tourist areas where street vendors hawk them alongside flower crowns and furry animal ears, trends of summers long passed.



Children, teenage girls, and even grown men have been photographed with the baby sprouts shooting from their mops of hair.



Those of you looking to get in on the trend while it's still *young* can buy your own sprouts here for as cheap as 0.86 yuan.


Previously on Shanghaiist: Are Chinese teens keeping cabbages for pets because they're lonely?

[Image via Sina]

[Jimbo]

"Unicorn woman" set to have "horn" removed:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-n...emoved-6329793

I sympathize with the son a lot. That would be a difficult position for anyone to be in.

[GeneChing]

...what a dramatic abnormality. I've never heard of cornu cutaneum. I would want that removed too, at a much earlier stage than 13cm long.

Meanwhile, let's turn to the topic of Chinese public sculpture.

Stock investors pray to bull-over-bear sculpture for market rebound (3/3)
2015-08-25 10:07 Ecns.cn Editor:Yao Lan

[Stock investors pray to bull-over-bear sculpture for market rebound (3/3)]


A bronze sculpture symbolizing a bull riding over a bear is installed at an art museum in Xiamen city, East China’s Fujian province, Aug 24, 2015. The sculpture measures 6.1 meters long, 3.4 meters high, and 2.9 meters wide, and it weighs 3 tons. The owner of the sculpture said that he hopes frustrated stock investors, hit hard by the recent plunges despite government efforts, can feel relaxed and sleep well at night after looking at the sculpture.



(Photo/CFP)

[GeneChing]

When I titled this 'I will never understand China', I meant Chinese culture overall and never meant to get caught in any PRC/Taiwan political quibbling. Either way, can someone explain this to me?

Look: Plastic bag 'swimsuits' now trending in Taiwan



Hundreds of young women in Taiwan have been uploading pictures of themselves online wearing DIY swimsuits made from convenience store plastic bags. The homemade one-piece has taken off, with imitators from all walks of life now posting selfies modeling little plastic bag outfits.

The trend appeared to have kicked off in a Facebook group called 爆料公社. Some commenters praised the girls as environmental ambassadors drawing attention to the amount of plastic bags we consume, whereas others said they are just trying to show off their bods.

Zheng-xing, a 27-year-old nightclub owner, was one of the first fellows to uploaded a selfie wearing a Carrefour bag. He didn't expect much from the trend, but wanted to encourage more girls to join in.




Thanks to social networking communities like this, Taiwan's free soft porn culture is growing. Take a peek at the new Taipei 'Easycards' (for public transport) featuring Taiwanese schoolboys' favourite Japanese AV star and warm-hearted charity promoter, Yui Hatano.

by Daniel Cunningham
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Aug 31, 2015 1:15 PM

[GeneChing]

China might have a better chance getting this into the Olympics than wushu.