A man pumps his fists at a leather-bound pillar in a Metro station in Shanghai to release his frustration and stress. Such "boxing bags" can be found in stations along Metro Line 1.
A farmer looks at piles of unsold cabbages at Shanghai's Jiangqiao Wholesale Market yesterday. There was a bumper harvest of cabbages in the city and neighboring regions this autumn thanks to the good weather. However, that was not good news for growers as the oversupply has resulted in falling prices and disappearing profits. With cabbages selling at just 7 or 8 yuan (US$1.26) for a sack, growers are not able to make enough money to even cover the cost of production. Shanghai introduced a price insurance scheme for green leafy vegetables last year to help growers, but cabbages were not put on the list.
TENS of thousands of city residents are living in neighborhoods where they get all their electricity free of charge, but are creating serious fire hazards. In old residential areas - known as "dilapidated neighborhoods" - awaiting demolition and where relocation negotiations have reached, stalemate residents can take advantage of a policy loophole. In some relocation projects, the city power and water suppliers stop charging bills against the households but instead seek to recover the costs from relocation managers. Accordingly, free electricity is available in the dilapidated blocks, which often have aged and messy wiring systems. Feng Fang, a 39-year-old domestic helper from Anhui Province, said she lived with her husband in such a rented room in Putuo District for three years. She only moved out last month after her landlord finally agreed on a compensation offer. Feng said the family paid only 500 yuan (US$76) a month for rent, with no charge for power and water. "It...
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