China :: Shanghai

AN amateur music video made by a group of "over-aged" single women has stirred up huge controversy over its lyrics urging men to buy cars and apartments as a condition of marriage. The self-styled "golden over-aged beauties" - attractive single women in their late 20s - call their video "No Cars, No Apartments," the same title as a song made popular last year by a male singer, but with very different lyrics. Where he was complaining about the stresses suffered by men who were expected to provide cars and apartments before marriage, the women celebrate the fact. In the video, the women, "over-aged" because women from 25 to 30 would normally be married already, are pictured dressed in sexy clothes on downtown streets or even half-naked on a bed, singing: "Women's dreams are cars and apartments, without them, don't think you can hook up with us..." One woman carrying an iPad and another standing near a Porsche sing: "I have ca...

A speeding Buick car knocked down a roadside tree and a pedestrian this morning in Pudong New Area, keeping the victim under the wheel for nearly 30 minutes before he was rescued, local police said. The 21-year-old man surnamed Wu was trapped under the car at Luoshan Road at about 8:10am and some passers-by made a failed attempt to pull him out. After someone called the emergency number, firefighters came a few minutes later, extracted the wounded man from the car and sent him to the Shanghai East Hospital in Lujiazui. "The Buick was making a fast turn around the corner and lost control," one witness said. Doctors said Wu only suffered minor injuries in his legs and waist.

Ive joined a new gym, where they have Les Mills classes such as spinning, fat burn, bodypump and you name it. Its awesome. After having spent the last year or so on a treadmill in order to get my weekly fitness dose, its nice to be able to go to classes, be inspired by the instructor, do as s/he says and not having to think so much on your own (might come across as a bit strange, but when it comes to training its actually ideal). I used to do a lot of spinning when I lived in Australia and Finland, but since my move to China it has only happened on rare occasions such as at fat burning parties in Suzhou. So, during the last weeks classes Ive sort of struggled to keep up. But, no worries about that. I realized, from looking around in class. Me struggling was actually considered a minor problem for the instructor. Most people didnt listen to a word he said. Spinning over here is like freestyling: go into class, get on a bike, and do whatever you like. Stand up if you feel like it, and w...

A BLUEPRINT of Shanghai Disneyland, the first Disneyland on China's mainland, was made public yesterday. The planned area covers 7 square kilometers, with the location of the theme park, hotels and parking areas clearly marked. Two Metro lines, Line 2 and Line 11, will converge at the area. Line 11 is included in the project's first phase while the Line 2 stretch will be introduced later. They will share a station inside the area, according to the plan. The 24.5 billion yuan (US$3.73 billion) phase 1 will cover 3.9 square kilometers, while the rest is listed as reserved land for future development. Four plots in the phase one project are marked as hotel compounds, but the plan doesn't specify how many hotels it will contain. Two hotel compounds will be built by the southern side of the inner lake. The amusement facilities and the inner lake are separated by support facilities including a parking lot, a hotel and recreational facilities. Water will be a prominent feature of ...

SHANGHAI'S St. Patrick's Day parade has been canceled this year, the Irish Consulate General in Shanghai said today. Gao Shanshan, a secretary with the consulate, told Shanghai Daily that they had planned to hold a larger parade on March 17 this year on Nanjing Road E., but due to safety concerns the parade would not happen. The parade had been held annually in the past five years on Huaihai Raod. "We wanted to have a bigger event, so we chose Nanjing Road this year," said Gao. But the density of pedestrians on Nanjiang Road causes safety concerns and would not be available for such a parade. Other activities to celebrate the St. Patrick's Day, an Irish holiday now observed worldwide on March 17, will go ahead as scheduled. In Beijing, the St. Patrick's Day parade will take place on March 20 in Chaoyang Park.

FOOD market vendors in Yangpu District went on strike yesterday after market management began charging parking fees for their trucks. Traders at Jipu Market, at 329 Jipu Road, say they are being charged too much and want fees lowered. Market managers claim most vendors wanted to open for business but were forced to strike by a minority. Some traders say they were threatened by strike organizers. Officials of the Wujiaochang community met last night with management and vendors. There are plans to dispatch riot police to the market today. Strike action was reported yesterday morning at the 2,200-square-meter market which left nearby residents - nearly 7,000 households - having to buy food at other wet markets or supermarkets. Since last Saturday, vendors' vehicles are being charged between 150 yuan (US$23) and 400 yuan per month for occupying parking spots outside the market. They had been informed of the change last October, but it still angered traders used to free spots. The charg...

THE 53 Shanghai teachers who were injured in a bus accident on Saturday in Zhejiang Province have all returned home, except for one still under observation in a Hangzhou hospital. The teachers, all from the Hongmiao Primary School in Fengxian District, were traveling on a highway outside Hangzhou when their bus suddenly lost control on a slippery section and rolled over twice at about 5:30pm. Passengers said the bus didn't crash with other vehicles or hit an obstacle. The teachers and a tour guide were soon sent to two hospitals in Hangzhou. Two of them were in serious conditions as they suffered multiple fractures. The Fengxian District Education Bureau said because some teachers could not go to the class for the time being, teachers from other schools would come to their help. Zhejiang police were still investigating the cause of the accident.