Five-month-old girl knows arithmetic and 1000 words in China

As reported by Beijing News a mother in Beijing claims her daughter of five months named CiCi cannot yet speak but knows how to add, subtract, do simple multiplication and division operations, and that she knows a thousand Chinese characters.

In front of the reporter CiCi’s mother Mrs. Ma wrote down the following math problem: 5 plus 3, divide by 2, subtract 1, then add 6. Then she held up 2 paper cards with the numbers 9 and 13. In less than 30 seconds CiCi hugged the paper card with the number 9!    The Beijing News reporter proceeded to write down three more questions, including one involving a radical operation. CiCi earned a perfect score.

Then Mrs. Ma held a flashcard with the Chinese character for "thunder'' in her left hand and one with the character for "snow" in her right hand. She asked the baby girl to point to ‘thunder’, and she did!

Mrs. Ma and her husband are both professionals. They had their daughter when they were nearly 30 years old. When CiCi was born they became full-time parents. Cici's home is full of flashcards. The TV, refrigerator, sofa, and other items in the home all have the name of the corresponding item on them.

Mrs. Ma often listened to classical music during pregnancy. On CiCi’s first day as a newborn she showed the little girl how to "point to the card" already! When the girl was two months old, her attention could already stay focused for 30 minutes. When she was 4 and one half months old, her mother began to make her own cards for their daughter, teaching her literacy and mathematics. So their girl could learn English, they had a British foreign student live in their house for one year.

Mrs. Ma said they never force her daughter to do this; before they start she asks, "Do you want to do this?" before they start teaching her something.  When CiCi gets tired or hungry, they stop immediately.

Greenpeace: Hormone Imbalance Found in Yangtze River Fish

A recent report regarding China's water pollution by the international environmental protection organization Greenpeace, revealed the widespread presence of hazardous chemicals in Chinese waters. Wild fish that were caught along the length of the Yangtze River were found to contain elements of dangerous chemicals that have been known to cause a hormonal imbalance in fish. The imbalance has led to early pubic development in female fish. Another report regarding dangerous chemicals in animals used for food production includes the Sheng Yuan milk powder hormone scandal. "Sheng Yuan" baby milk powder is in question due to the fact that it triggers early pubic growth in baby girls. The milk may also contain increased estrogen levels causing a large concern for the people of China.

According to the report, between January and March of 2010, samples of common carp and southern catfish were collected from four cities along the Yangtze River: Chongqing, Wuhan, Ma’anshan and Nanjing were the cities where fish supplies are in question. All samples were frozen quickly after being collected. Later they were stored in the dark to preserve their natural state. The samples were then transported to Greenpeace Research Laboratory at Exeter University, UK. Later, the fish were tested for a range of hazardous chemicals, including heavy metals and hazardous organic chemicals. Heavy metals found in the tests included mercury, lead and cadmium along with hazardous organic chemicals including perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and alkylphenols.

“These chemicals can mimic hormones, such as natural estrogens, or upset the normal functioning of the endocrine system in other ways. Alkylphenols act like ‘gender-benders’ and can cause altered sexual development in some species, most notably the development of female organs in male fish. Perfluorinated compounds have been associated with altered thyroid function and decreased sperm count in humans,” said Wu Yixiu, a chemical analyst for Greenpeace China.

According to Greenpeace, the highly toxic and hazardous substances from industrial discharges threaten the ecology along the Yangtze River. In 2001, China’s Ministry of Water Resources inspected water from Yangtze River and found more than 300 dangerous organisms. More than 20 of the organisms were unknown to experts at Greenpeace prior to the testing. Most of the organisms were found to be a threat to people’s health.

Hu Jianying, a professor at Environmental Institute of Peking University said to the media that China is making efforts to solve the heavy metal pollution but there are no laws regulating the production, use, and discharge of the chemicals in the water. Dangerous substances such as nonylphenol (NP), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are still increasing their levels in China’s water supply.

Greenpeace stated in their report that China has an urgent need to develop an environmentally sound management system for toxic chemicals. Wu said, “Greenpeace urges that the Chinese government regulate, reduce, and ultimately eliminate the manufacture and use of hazardous chemicals, including those found in this study, while replacing them with safer alternatives. This is a critical step to protect not only our rivers, but also the millions of people whose lives depend on them.”

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China. So, it undoubtedly plays a significant role in the economic development of the nation. The river’s instability could seriously affect the livelihood of the people of China. It supplies the water for 186 cities that are along the river. It is also a major source of drinking water for Shanghai. 400 million people in China are currently living on the Yangtze River.

Greenpeace also reported that the Yangtze River received the most wastewater from China’s factories and various industrial enterprises. In the past ten years, the wastewater increased by almost 70%. In 2008, 80% of the wastewater was from industrial discharge.

Mutated Sheep in Atomic City Sold to Butchers

In China's Atomic City, a sting regarding the sale of contaminated sheep to local butchers is minimal.
A recent report from the Canadian news publication "The Globe and Mail” shed light on a potentially life threatening situation in Xihai, China. Xihai is known for being the location of China's first nuclear weapons tests that took place more than fifty years ago.

Despite the elapsed time evidence remains showing the tests left long lasting effects damaging the soil in the area. In light of the history of the location, a phlegmatic attitude toward the lingering radiation risks is common in the city. The shepherds and tourists keep a passive eye on the problem and do little to avoid interaction with the radioactive soil.

There is still trade of toothless sheep between local shepherds and butchers who sell the meat to local citizens. A reporter from the Canadian publication "The Globe and Mail," pointed out that the city Xihai is 3,000 meters above sea level on the Tibetan plateau. The city is proudly labeled as China's "Atomic City" due to its hosting of the detonation of China's first atomic weapon on Oct.16, 1964. The location Is now a popular tourist spot.

A nuclear power reactor under construction. (photo by Reuters)
The recent report mentioned two shepherds whose sheep grazed on the land not far from what was previously known as Factory Number 1. Factory Number 1 was the region's chief nuclear-research facility, which to this day is a functioning power plant. The shepherds say they sell their sick sheep to butchers once they lose their teeth, but have no idea where the meat ends up.

That lackadaisical attitude toward lingering radiation risks is common in Xihai. As the shepherds keep a passive eye on their flocks, half-naked children play in the same stream where the shepherds say the soil is contaminated. The surrounding Jin-yin-tan grasslands, where the area’s nuclear waste from that era is believed to be buried, is now a popular tourist spot as well.

Many tourists who want to experience a night under the stars on the Tibetan plateau are attracted to the hazardous area but are rarely warned of the radiation problem. The Chinese government began its work in the field of nuclear weaponry in the late 1950’s before its first successful explosion. The communist regime built their first base for nuclear weapon research in a closed military plot consisting of 1700square kilo-meters. Scientists successfully researched and assembled their first Atom-bomb and Hydrogen-bomb on that base. Now the land is a site that holds a splendid scene for tourists who visit China.

There is an exhibition hall on base that utilizes Atom-bomb testing and is called "bulleting court". The “bulleting court” is a place for scientists to research Atom-bomb, Hydrogen-bomb testing, as well as the "welding bomb module" and "pangolin bullet test."There are seven exhibition rooms on the base. The first one exhibits a background for launching the base construction. The second room is meant to act as a location for processing of building the base. The third room provides a place for the detonation of two bombs. The fourth room holds artifacts to exhibit the items marking the researcher’s achievements. The fifth room one holds items that show the glorious retirement of the site. The sixth room is designed to showcase the change of turning the metaphorical sword into a plow, a peaceful tool. The seventh room boasts the new look of Xihai. The exhibition hall shows their construction and development thru a massive collection of pictures to draw a large number of people from all over the world who want to probe into the mysterious tour here.

China E190 type aircraft involved in more accidents?

For three consecutive days after the Yichun crash in Hailongjiang, a rumor spread from China that the same type of aircraft had experienced additional accidents. Many passengers refused to take flights after hearing about the repairs that were being done. Thus, the flights were forced to be canceled. Airlines referred the maintenance as a “pure coincidence”.

Site of the August 24 plane crash in Yichun Airport. (Getty Image)

Site of the August 24 plane crash in Yichun Airport. (Reuters)

At 9:00 pm on August 24 an airplane crash occurred at Yichun Airport; 42 people out of 96 passengers were killed. The aircraft involved was an E190 model made in Brazil. On August 25 at 11 am, a Tianjin Airlines flight from Xi'an to Haikou reportedly skidded off a runway in Nanning and. The airport was closed for more than 1 hour. Again, the model was an E190. On August 26, Nanjing International Airport, the 17 o'clock flight GS7440 to Xi'an had a sudden mechanical failure and passengers who had check-in over an hour before were asked to step down off the aircraft. The flight was finally canceled— and the model was also an E190.

Huaxi City Daily said that for 3 consecutive days, E190 became the dark shadow on the passengers' mind.

It also pointed out that on August 26, the airlines scheduled to repair the plane the same night and fly to Xian the following day. However, the delayed passengers questioned the safety of the E190 jet after being repaired and refused to board it. As a result, the airlines were forced to cancel the flight.

It is learned that since the Baotou air crash in 2004, the civil aviation sector has maintained more than 2000 days of "zero accidents" flight recorded. But now, the record has been broken by the Yichun crash on August 24.

Film”Three holes” won awards. Contest winner prevented from Attending

A recent awards ceremony sponsored by Qi cultural Foundation proved to be successful though the nominee couldn’t come. The event was held in the Taipei Grand Hyatt Hotel, to recognize a special person for promoting China’s progress. This award was to be presented to independent amateur film producer Linxin from Mainland China, honoring him for his documentary, “Three Holes.”
Mr. Huang Chong Cheng from the Taiwan Fu Sheng Cultural and Educational Foundation, hosting the ceremony, explained that the Qi Foundation had extended invitations to six Mainland guests and to one American. He said, “They couldn’t come. Some day the wind will bring them over. We expect that day to come." And concluded his speech by saying, "We learn to meet difficulties with a smile. We can tell the winner that a great, virtuous person is never isolated, that he has many friends by his side."

Australian/Chinese woman writer Qijia Zhen, the founder of Qi foundation, was attired in most beautiful clothes for this formal occasion. She spoke with feeling, expressing her gratitude to all sponsors and supporters everywhere. Eighteen months of preparations and a search for the deserving candidate culminates in Linxing's nomination for his documentary, "Three Holes."
This is the third time for Qi foundation to give awards to special person in China .

Linxin documentary, “Three Holes.”
Linxin, the son of a miner’s family, had held his own painting exhibition and published poems. He borrowed a video camera in 2003 to start shooting the life of miners, while working as a bank employee. In his spare time he carried his heavy camera to record the life of his father’s generation.

His father together with 318 young people from Shanghai came to Shanxi to answer the call to build the great Northwest - to become miners. Now less than 20 survive. Most of them, with their bitter dreams, died in a dark, deep mine. With a heavy heart and a strong desire to do something for those unknown people, he presents the true pictures of miners.

Linxin documented two victims and 13 survivors. Their names, faces and dark memories made an imprint in the film and will be recorded in the history of mining. The survivors without much hope are still struggle for a better living condition. They are relegated to become humble, underprivileged persons at the bottom of society. Most of them died unnoticed by the world around them, disappearing like smoke. They are insignificant - only those who see the film will know they exist.

Linxin documented his father in this film. In the artist's words, "It is as though an earthquake had shaken my heart." He felt reborn into the humble milieu of a miner’s son. His fantasy for being a painter and a poet disappeared into his father's tomb.
Mr. Ah Mu, a former editor in chief living in Australia also spoke at the ceremony, stating, the award represents more than recognition for Linxin and his documentary; it represents the group of independent film producers who over the years have focused their cameras on grass-root movements and on the underprivileged -on those who experienced prejudice, being ignored, and are in a struggle for life. These documentaries record their happiness as well as sadness, their love and betrayal, sweet and bitter life, hopelessness and expectations.

Award winner Lin Xin said, ”Whether it is happiness or suffering, nothing will stop me from focusing my life-time's attention on this land of ours.”

Ah Mu told those present that the aim of the Qi Cultural Foundation is to keep a close watch on Chinese independent film producers.

What is Qi culture foundation?

Qi jia Zhen’s father died in 1998 (1912-1998). He was a railroad engineer and had studied in the U.S. prior to 1949. But his devotion to his country made him decline offers to relocate to Taiwan and other countries and made him stay on the Mainland. He wished to do something for this country. He was imprisoned for 15 years for wanting his daughter to study abroad. Once free, as a 70-year-old, he went to the U.S.A and worked at a hospital, saving his money for his daughter Qi Jia zhen to study abroad.

Qi Jiazhen's father, Mr. Qi Zunzhou and his family

Qi Jia Zhen was able to study in Australia. When her father died he left some money for her and her four brothers. After discussing with them she decided to set up a foundation, in the hope of contributing something to promoting China’s progress and a better China.

The foundation's mission statement, "China is big, we are small, but we have one heart to do something to promote progress in China."

Jia Zhen commented to our reporter she didn’t expect this much “concern and blockade” from officials. She said firmly, “But I’m a dog, I will stick to my bone and never give up.”

Guest speakers' orations

Mr. Han Guang from Japan accepted the awards on behalf of the winners. He said humorously, "Lin Xin and I share many similarities. Both of us are miners’ sons, are independent film producers and both worked in a bank after graduation." The one difference - Han Guang studied in Japan and bought his own video camera while Lin Xin used a borrowed camera to do the filming. Mr. Han met Linxin once at a film festival in China.

Mr. Han Guang (left) and Mr. Wang Jianzhuang

Mr. Han said he fully understands Linxin's circumstances and difficulties - financially, politically and emotionally in shooting film, further commenting "a documentary plays an important role - it is like a family's photo album." He expressed his admiration for Linxin ‘s dedication to his films.

The last speaker, Mr .Wang Jianzhuang, has 32 years media work experience and spoke on behalf of renowned Taiwan writer Lung Yingtai.

Wang said the film "Three Holes" is a powerful documentary. He echoed Mss Qi's sentiments, that "China is big, we are small, but those who push China to progress are bigger than China." His oration was recognized by huge applause.

He concluded his speech by quoting his friend Lung Ying Tai's speech at Beijing University last month: "Regarding China on becoming a super power on the world stage, I want to see a great China, but I want to see a powerful China represented by its civilization. Judging one country great and powerful, or not, depends on how it treats minorities and immigrants .Otherwise, who cares about being a superpower? I don’t care. I care more about its civilization. I will observe. I care how such a country could tolerate its people with different ideas and opinions. That is what I care more about.

Wang added one sentence from Lung Yingtai’s 1986 speech at the end of the ceremony; “My dream for our future generation is to be able to speak freely and be free from fear - in any place, at any time. All our present efforts are to give hope to the next generations. Let them have freedom - free from fear."

Ancient mysterious stone statues found in China

Could be considered another world wonder.

A large number of ancient stone statues were discovered recently in Yongzhou City in Hunan Province. According to the local officials the number and scale of the statues surpass the famous Qin Terracotta Warriors and could be considered another wonder of the world.

The group of stone statues is located about 100 miles south of Yongzhou City. Local people call these stone statues "Guizaizai" which is literally translated as "little ghosts". They were given this name largely because nobody knows where they come from. The statues are mostly made of limestone, which is widely distributed throughout the local area. Some are granite and others are sandstone. The height of these statues ranges from one to three feet. Many of them are above ground, others had been buried underground.

The statues seem to depict civil officials, military officers, pregnant women and all kinds of common soldiers. Most of them are in a sitting position with different expressions, yet all look benevolent and serene.

The craftsmanship and modeling are very unique though it may not be as exquisite as the Qin Terracotta Warriors. They were made in a much earlier time period than the Qin Terracotta Warriors. Who made these statues remains unknown, as no written records have been found.

Tang Zhongyong, an official from Hunan Cultural Relics Department said, "these stone statues were most likely used as part of a large altar during an ancient period of China’s history. There are about 5,000 stone statues at the site covering an area of 4 acres. 90% of them were made before the Qin and Han Dynasties. Some are from the Tang and Song dynasties. It is a large integration of ancient Chinese sacrificial culture."

Chemical disaster in Zhejiang

An explosion rocked a chemical factory in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, on August 19, 2010. A 3000 cubic meter chemical tank exploded, inflaming the surrounding area.

A witness to the chemical explosion said, “It was like an atomic bomb. The smell near the site was nauseous.”
The fire started at 11 a.m. and was not put out until 4pm. There are no casualties, but the estimated loss is over 90 million yuan. (about 13 million US dollars).

Many are concerned about the environmental impact of the explosion, and it’s impact on human health. The environmental protection office has taken measures to prevent the chemicals from flowing into the river. They are also monitoring the wind to measure pollutants in the air.

The preliminary findings of the government joint investigation team state that the cause of the explosion is that static electricity built up during the process of pumping ethyl acrylate into the tank, causing the mixture of gases in the tank to explode.
The company where the explosion occurred, Zhejiang Satellite Acrylic Acid Manufactory Co., Ltd, is one of the eleven biggest chemical manufacturers in China, one of the few profitable manufacturers last year.

The tough stone house in Zhouqu protected the family from mudslide

On August 11, Zhouqu County of Gansu Province was hit so hard by mud slide that one cannot recognize that area now. However, what surprised people was a stone house standing alone in the aftermath. That stone house had saved an entire family during the mud slide. Sun Xiaoyan, the owner of the house, told the terrifying moment during the mud slide and the story of how the stone house was built.
According to New Express, the mud slide was 500 yards wide and 5 miles long glimmering under the sun. Ms. Sun Xiaoyan said that she was trembling with fear that night.
Sun Xiaoyan, "I told my husband: the water flows differently tonight and there are rocks rolling in the water.” She got up to investigate. Before she could walk down the steps outside the house, she found that there was mud everywhere. She used a flashlight and saw the corn field was gone. She was so shocked by the scene that she was paralyzed and could neither walk nor talk. As a result, she could not tell her husband and daughter to get out of bed and run for their lives.

However, her daughter soon sensed something was wrong and got out of bed. She helped her father and mother get up to the roof on the second floor. The daughter thought, “No matter what, the three of us want to die together.” They spent a horrifying night on the rooftop.

During the 6 hours on the roof, Ms. Sun kept praying: God, please help us, let the mud slide stop, and save us. Finally, the house still stood after the mud slide and they survived the disaster.

According to Sun Xiaoyan, they started to build the house in September, 2008. Originally, they wanted to buy a lot in a different village, but the land was too expensive, so they picked the lot on a small hill close to the mountain. They bought building material with their savings. With the help of their nephew, they slowly built the house.

Ms. Sun added, “At the beginning, we wanted to buy red bricks to build the house. But they are too expensive so we used stones instead and put it on one piece at a time. Except for a small area that was built with red bricks, most of the walls were made with stones.”

Her nephew said that because of all the coincidences, the solid house was built so strong that it could withstand the force of a severe mud slide.

Proposed ban of Cantonese outrages southeastern Chinese

Guangzhou officials plan to ban the use of Cantonese in prime-time television programs. The people of Hong Kong and Guangzhou whose primary language is Cantonese have expressed their dissent. The Voice of America reports that the Cantonese speakers believe the communist government is trying to destroy their traditional Cantonese culture.


The Government proposal to speak Mandarin *

A large number of protesters rallied under the sun in Hong Kong last weekend asking local governments and officials to preserve their Cantonese language and culture in southern China.

The Chinese government has required all television stations in Guangzhou to stop broadcasting prime-time programs in Cantonese and switch to Mandarin language based broadcasting. All Cantonese speakers are angry about this new requirement.

China has about 7 billion people that speak Cantonese with the majority concentrated in China's southern Guangdong province and neighboring Hong Kong and Macau. Cantonese is also very popular in Chinatowns all around the world. Hong Kong's film and music industries also utilize Cantonese.

Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province, and it is a thriving manufacturing and business center. The Asian Sports Games are going to be held in Guangzhou in November. Thousands of Mandarin speakers are expected to come to be a part of the audience. Guangzhou officials stipulated the ban before the games.


Cantonese is far-reaching *

Cai Shufang, the organizer of the event, said the officials should not show favoritism by suppressing one language to support another.

"Why can’t Cantonese and Mandarin both exist? Cantonese is an important part of the culture in southern China. It should be respected and protected. We have to defend and protect the Cantonese language so it does not get eliminated."

The Chinese Communist Party made Mandarin the official national language after they took control of the country in the 1950s, but many Chinese people still have some difficulty communicating because there are so many regional dialects.

To promote freedom of speech *

Kwan-hang who is a member of the Hong Kong League of Social Democrats said, "Behind the suppression of a language, the government further limits the freedom of expression in China. They are destroying the traditional culture. We must safeguard the local traditions and culture. China is a multi-cultural country.”

Last week Guangzhou officials warned the public neither to spread rumors about this issue nor to take part in any illegal protests, but on Sunday hundreds of people attended the second protest in Guangzhou in a week. Protests are very rare in China. TV reports indicate that some protesters and journalists were forcibly removed from the scene by the police.

Under the "one country two systems" management mode currently in place in Hong Kong, people have the freedom to protest. As a result many Guangzhou people went to Hong Kong to take part in a rally. A student from Guangzhou wore a mask to conceal his identity. He told a reporter he feared retaliation upon returning to the mainland from the government, but he really wanted to express his wish to protect Cantonese. The reporter asked him what would happen if the government did identity him. He said, "I do not know, but I don’t want those to things to happen, so I wear a mask." He was wearing a shirt with the writing, "Let us shout out, we will speak Cantonese louder.”

Guangzhou government officials are trying to ease the public’s concerns. They said the government would continue to promote Cantonese and Cantonese culture, and that there is no intention to repeal or weaken the Cantonese language.

News:The explosion in a firework factory in Heilongjiang killed 13 people

At around 9:40 AM on August 16, 2010, a fireworks factory in Wumahe District in Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province had an explosion. One could feel the shock in the downtown area twenty kilometers away. According to Xinhua Net, so far thirteen people are dead and 148 injured.

Mr. Lin, whose work unit is six kilometers away from the explosion site, told Northeast Net reporter that he heard a muffled explosion at around 9:45 AM. Then a second explosion shook the office building he was in. The fluorescent lights in the building were swaying under the shock. He could see from the window a white “Mushroom cloud” rising in the direction of the fireworks factory.

When his colleagues rushed downstairs for safety, they heard a third explosion, which shattered the windows. Then there came a fourth explosion. Apart from the astonishing sound of the explosion, there were constant sounds of fireworks, which lasted between 30 and 40 minutes.

Mr. Lin’s son called him from his home in the downtown area, which is twenty kilometers away, and told his father that he definitely felt the quaking from within his residential building.

All the way until 11:30 AM, people could still hear the sound of explosions.

 

China's Train Collision - Japanese Experts Disclose the Main Reasons for China's Train Collision

7.23 Wenzhou train collision

This News come from Japanese:
Natural disaster or man-made calamity?
Two week has passed since the July 23 train collision accident in Wenzhou, China. Newspapers and TV in Japan reported daily, with eye-catching, full-page and special reports, keeping track of new developments.

On August 1, a Japanese TV special report claimed that in recent days, according to certain Japanese railway experts’ analyses, the actual reasons for the Wenzhou’s train collision were disclosed.  

On July 23, professional Japanese railway reporters hurried to the scene as soon as they learned the news of the accident. The crashed train and its surrounding electricity sources were video-recorded. Japanese railway experts then carefully analyzed the videos. To their surprise, they discovered that the electric power system had no lightning protection on the electric poles along the railway. This is completely different from the Japanese Shinkansen (bullet train) in which lightning protection equipment are set atop each of the electric poles. In addition, there was a problem with the control center, which is supposed to keep close watch to monitor the conditions of the entire rail system. The problem: only one man was on duty in the control center that day. Contrarily, the Shinkansen needs 20 operators in the control center to operate the huge, complicated, yet crucial system.      

The Chinese Ministry of Railways also alleged that the accident was caused by a signal-equipment breakdown, and thus red lights turned into green ones. But the Japanese experts ruled out this scenario, because it was impossible for drivers to see stop/go light signals clearly from such a high-speed train, at a speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour. The Shinkansen system has an automatic train control (ACT) device. With this device, a train could automatically brake and stop in cases of electricity shortages or blackouts, or even failures within the ACT system.

Regarding the official explanation of the “control system malfunction caused by a lightning strike”, Mei Yuan-Chun, a reporter for the Chinese Ministry of Railways, disagreed. He said that if the control system broke down, the signaling system would also fail. Furthermore, if the signaling system could not receive and send signals, the train would then automatically stop.

The final verdict for the accident was attributed to severe, faulty railway system design.

The Japanese experts also denounced the authorities for recklessly resuming high-speed-rail service only 38 hours after the accident, without investigation and searching for solutions. This is a complete disregard for human lives. As a result, more collisions will happen, and more lives will be lost from out-of-control high-speed trains.

Consequently, the train accident in Wenzhou was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity.

Peng Shuai Wins Tennis Gold, Arrogant Mother Slaps Security – digg china

In mid-October, a young man driving a Volkswagen hit two girls at a Hebei University while taking his girlfriend home. The girls flew in the air and landed on the car’s windshield. Instead of stopping, he continued to drive away. On his way out, security guards and students managed to stop him from leaving the school. Confronted by the crowd, he dared them to sue him, saying “my dad is Li Gang”, a public security bureau deputy director for the Beishi district of Baoding city in Hebei province. One of the girls died and police reports that the young man, Li Qiming, was drunk. His arrogance made Chinese netizens furious and “my dad is Li Gang” soon became an internet meme.
From Mop:

Following Li Gang Gate: My daughter is Peng Shuai

On the 23rd, Chinese golden flower Peng Shuai overcame her opponent to win the Women’s Tennis Singles gold medal. However, while Peng Shuai was on the court achieving this, her mother was revealed by a volunteer to be off court making a scene.

The situation at the time was like this: While passing through the security inspection, Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing was carrying a camera she did not know how to use (during the security inspection, those carrying cameras must take a photo facing the ground; this process Tian Ma [a photographer] has personally experienced before at the Asian Games), so the security inspectors [who are volunteers] became suspicious, and when a security inspector helping her turn on her camera took off the lens cap and threw it on the table, Zhang Bing slapped this security inspector. She also said, “so what if I hit you, my daughter is Peng Shuai”. The photos show: Left image is a photo provided by a netizen of the scene (at the time wasn’t sure if it was Peng’s mother or not), right image is a photograph of Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing at Changsha being interviewed by a reporter that was found through human flesh search. Conclusion: The person making a scene was without a doubt Peng Shuai’s mother.

Amidst netizen discussions, I’ve seen many [2010 Guangzhou Asian Games event] volunteers post comments condemning Peng Shuai’s mother, with one netizen saying: “Setting aside how the armed police [security inspectors] treated your camera lens cap, raising your hand to hurt someone shows what kind of character you have. Such a heavy slap, the sound and swiftness I remember clearly. If you really are Peng Shuai’s mother, then she must be proud to have such a just and fair mother to help her raise her profile and name-recognition in society.”

However, in other places, complaints about the low/poor characters of the volunteers also frequently appeared, for example: “Given the constant conflicts/problems between the event volunteers and the media since the beginning of the event, some volunteers have already tarnished the very word ‘volunteer’.”

With regards to the matter of Peng Shuai’s mother, at present there has not been any official confirmation, and more information is required about the particular details. Separately, Chinese tennis athlete Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing carried the torch during the Hunan Xiangtan leg of the 2008 Olympic torch relay.

Comments from Mop:
极品男人:

Looking forward to follow-up reports…

虎扑硕鼠:

We are already immune [to this kind of news]…thanks to Li Gang.

一见美女脸就白:

If it were me, I would just slap her back, my son is Li Gang!

大大丶:

This woman, this character,
You can easily tell she has never gotten an education!
Such low character!

呐情已过期:

What I want to say is…
her daughter brings glory to the country, while she is piling on shame for the country!

紫月觞:

It’s not like her daughter is that famous. This kind of behavior from her is truly unbearable. So what if your daughter is famous, it doesn’t mean you yourself are some great person. A face of ugliness~~~

叫我无奈就:

Where some people get their superiority complex is just this ridiculous.

旋律自如的奔流:

Sigh. Chinese society is just like this. Even if one doesn’t have any ability [status, power, importance], as long as one’s family member has ability, then one must be a more arrogant.

喜欢红塔山滴:

This is the Heavenly Kingdom, it is very normal.

MAO9384:

Zhuang B, [she's] just a lousy Asian Games champion, who fucking cares. Good thing it was the armed police, who have discipline and self-control. If it were an ordinary person, they would’ve fucking knocked this cunt onto the ground. That’s why they say our education makes people into dogs.
While I’m at it, let me say something about the issue of character. First, not all volunteers volunteered, there are volunteers who were volunteered. Don’t examine others from the perspective of a god/saint, that will only make others despise you.

bcake:

I like to ding these kind of posts the most.

Gold-medal winning girls. http://personals.chinasmack.com/.

Peng Shuai Wins Tennis Gold, Arrogant Mother Slaps Security – digg china

In mid-October, a young man driving a Volkswagen hit two girls at a Hebei University while taking his girlfriend home. The girls flew in the air and landed on the car’s windshield. Instead of stopping, he continued to drive away. On his way out, security guards and students managed to stop him from leaving the school. Confronted by the crowd, he dared them to sue him, saying “my dad is Li Gang”, a public security bureau deputy director for the Beishi district of Baoding city in Hebei province. One of the girls died and police reports that the young man, Li Qiming, was drunk. His arrogance made Chinese netizens furious and “my dad is Li Gang” soon became an internet meme.

From Mop:

Following Li Gang Gate: My daughter is Peng Shuai

On the 23rd, Chinese golden flower Peng Shuai overcame her opponent to win the Women’s Tennis Singles gold medal. However, while Peng Shuai was on the court achieving this, her mother was revealed by a volunteer to be off court making a scene.

The situation at the time was like this: While passing through the security inspection, Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing was carrying a camera she did not know how to use (during the security inspection, those carrying cameras must take a photo facing the ground; this process Tian Ma [a photographer] has personally experienced before at the Asian Games), so the security inspectors [who are volunteers] became suspicious, and when a security inspector helping her turn on her camera took off the lens cap and threw it on the table, Zhang Bing slapped this security inspector. She also said, “so what if I hit you, my daughter is Peng Shuai”. The photos show: Left image is a photo provided by a netizen of the scene (at the time wasn’t sure if it was Peng’s mother or not), right image is a photograph of Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing at Changsha being interviewed by a reporter that was found through human flesh search. Conclusion: The person making a scene was without a doubt Peng Shuai’s mother.

Amidst netizen discussions, I’ve seen many [2010 Guangzhou Asian Games event] volunteers post comments condemning Peng Shuai’s mother, with one netizen saying: “Setting aside how the armed police [security inspectors] treated your camera lens cap, raising your hand to hurt someone shows what kind of character you have. Such a heavy slap, the sound and swiftness I remember clearly. If you really are Peng Shuai’s mother, then she must be proud to have such a just and fair mother to help her raise her profile and name-recognition in society.”

However, in other places, complaints about the low/poor characters of the volunteers also frequently appeared, for example: “Given the constant conflicts/problems between the event volunteers and the media since the beginning of the event, some volunteers have already tarnished the very word ‘volunteer’.”

With regards to the matter of Peng Shuai’s mother, at present there has not been any official confirmation, and more information is required about the particular details. Separately, Chinese tennis athlete Peng Shuai’s mother Zhang Bing carried the torch during the Hunan Xiangtan leg of the 2008 Olympic torch relay.

Comments from Mop:

极品男人:

Looking forward to follow-up reports…

虎扑硕鼠:

We are already immune [to this kind of news]…thanks to Li Gang.

一见美女脸就白:

If it were me, I would just slap her back, my son is Li Gang!

大大丶:

This woman, this character,
You can easily tell she has never gotten an education!
Such low character!

呐情已过期:

What I want to say is…

her daughter brings glory to the country, while she is piling on shame for the country!

紫月觞:

It’s not like her daughter is that famous. This kind of behavior from her is truly unbearable. So what if your daughter is famous, it doesn’t mean you yourself are some great person. A face of ugliness~~~

叫我无奈就:

Where some people get their superiority complex is just this ridiculous.

旋律自如的奔流:

Sigh. Chinese society is just like this. Even if one doesn’t have any ability [status, power, importance], as long as one’s family member has ability, then one must be a more arrogant.

喜欢红塔山滴:

This is the Heavenly Kingdom, it is very normal.

MAO9384:

Zhuang B, [she's] just a lousy Asian Games champion, who fucking cares. Good thing it was the armed police, who have discipline and self-control. If it were an ordinary person, they would’ve fucking knocked this cunt onto the ground. That’s why they say our education makes people into dogs.

While I’m at it, let me say something about the issue of character. First, not all volunteers volunteered, there are volunteers who were volunteered. Don’t examine others from the perspective of a god/saint, that will only make others despise you.

bcake:

I like to ding these kind of posts the most.

Gold-medal winning girls. Personals @ chinaSMACK.

12-Year-Old Vietnamese Model Becomes Famous On Internet – digg china

From ifeng, NetEase, Tiexue:

Extremely young/cute 12-year-old Vietnamese model becomes famous on the internet, was Vietnamese modeling competition champion

Recently, a set of photographs featuring an extremely young model have quickly become popular on the internet. This professional model’s name is Hoang Bao Tran, she’s from Vietnam, is only 12-years-old, has previously won the champion title of a major Vietnamese modeling competition, is 1.72m tall, and her sweet looks and innocent smile have won the hearts of countless netizens.

From Mop:

12-year-old Vietnamese female model Hoang Bao Tran Le, hot body and lovable/adorable

Look, this bosom, these legs, this waist, this butt, is she really 12-years-old? I can’t help myself, makes me want to commit a crime—-Honestly, if you dared to push her down [come onto her], you’d have committed a crime, WX [acting indecently towards] a minor girl (loli), and I guarantee you’ll get 10 years…, and even if it was her who voluntarily pushed you down [come onto you], you would still be committing a crime…

This 1998 born, only 12-years-old, beautiful young Vietnamese girl Hoang Bao Tran Le (Lê Hoàng Bảo Tran), 1.72m tall, with sweet looks, is the champion of Vietnam’s Young Model competition, and what more, has already become the signature model of a certain modeling agency.

Comments from ifeng:

丫蛋妹002:

If she looks this old at 12-years-old, what is she going to be like when she’s 40-years-old?

重庆市网友:

Maybe Vietnamese girls have a common phenomenon/characteristic, which is big breasts? But even so, it shouldn’t develop this quickly, right?

北京市西城区网:

If this girl is really only 12-years-old, according to China’s law, being a professional model is against the law. This young of a girl, not letting her go to school, is extremely inhumane.

福建省三明市网友:

This is clearly more like 20-years-old. Too frightening, 12-years-old should be an ignorant/innocent age.

无线网友:

Definitely not fake. Six years ago, my girlfriend at 12-years-old also had this kind of body, she was more well-developed/larger than [some] 20-year-olds. However, this kind of early development girls are only 4% of the population. This kind of girl will also age quickly, I’m not kidding.

黑龙江省哈尔滨市网友:

That’s [physical] development is too good, looks like Vietnam’s living standards are really high!!

辽宁省朝阳市网友:

I suspect that food these days have high amounts of hormones, otherwise how are [people] maturing earlier and earlier? Hehe.

浙江省杭州市网友:

Definitely false reporting of age. At 12-years-old, no matter from what aspect, one will not develop this early, and females normally only begin maturing [undergo puberty] at 12 or 13 years old, and finish puberty at 16-years-old.

广东省茂名市网友:

“Extremely young/cute 12-year-old Vietnamese model becomes famous on the internet, was Vietnamese modeling competition champion”????
This girl is really only 12-years-old, who would believe this??? That she is pretty no one will deny, but the only definitely thing is that this girl is not 12 years of age.
Everyone look closely, does she look 12-years-old? More like 22-years-old!
Really, there is no need for this kind of showing off!

贵州省铜仁市网友:

So tender so tender, very good! How about coming to China? Here there are countless uncles who want to take care of you!

北京市网友:

Her looks aren’t bad, but the photography and poses are from the last century, especially her facial expressions which are all the same.

广东省网友:

Directors and agents take note, having sexual relations with young girls who are not yet 14 years of age will be punished as rape under Chinese law!

Well-developed. Personals @ chinaSMACK.

Guizhou Students Protest Inflation, Attack School Cafeteria – digg china

From NetEase:

Thousands of students at a Guizhou high school unhappy with increasing food prices attack cafeteria at night

Summary: November 24, a netizen published a post stating that a school cafeteria/canteen riot occurred at the Number 2 Middle School in Liupanshui city of Guizhou province, with over a thousand participants. The reason the students vandalized the cafeteria was because the school cafeteria that evening announced a price increase. At present, the school has already begun cleanup and repair of the damaged portions of the cafeteria.

Comments from NetEase:

网易广东深圳网友:

Guizhou’s students are China’s role models.

网易广东珠海网友:

When I was in college, I also participated in a cafeteria vandalizing event! It was intense, and the result was very satisfying! All the problems involving food quality, price, service, etc. that were ignored for years were suddenly all solved overnight! I don’t advocate solving problems with violence, but many times it [violence] is indeed very effective, especially against our various levels of [government] officials and their lackeys!

网易广西网友:

Every bottle of water is 1 yuan of money, if this isn’t robbery, then what is? Even monopolies cannot profit excessively. They deserved it! Well-done!!

网易清华大学手机网友:

Today’s fenqing and hanjian [Chinese traitors] are equally detestable, especially this group of students.

网易贵州贵阳网友:

Our Guizhou truly is barren mountains and untamed waters producing unruly people, haha. Brother [referring to self] likes!

网易北京手机网友:

Brothers! If prices keep increasing, just trash the RMB.

网易欧洲网友:

We too are nearly unable to survive due to [rising] prices, and I too want to go vandalize some companies/work units.

网易上海松江网友:

Don’t wantonly break the law, what we want is equality, not special privileges/treatment. If everyone abides by the law, I don’t think anyone would want to fight, vandalize, and steal.

网易中国手机网友:

I am a third year student of this school! Actually, we too know this was wrong! But we really couldn’t take it anymore/had no choice! Since entering the school, finding a cockroach or fly in your food at the cafeteria were small problems! But there have even been mice found in the food! Every time something happens, there is always a student from our school who will report it to the relevant departments! Even calling the city and province government to report! But never have we gotten even basic handling [of our reports/problems]! What more, it is always one department shifting responsibility to another department again and again! The education department, the health department, and other departments just shifting responsibility back and forth. Even coming for an inspection is just putting on a show! It’s been like this so many times already! And prices keep getting higher! If you need proof, come to our school and ask any of the third years, they all know. Of course, if the school knows in advance that someone will come investigate, I dare say that not a single one would dare to say the truth. What more, we are a closed school [students are not allowed to come and go as they please], so apart from a very few students who only attend school during the day, the majority of boarding students [live at school] are not allowed to eat outside of school, and daily necessities are not allowed to be purchased from outside of campus during the school period. The school [businesses] only has one boss, who is completely running a monopoly at the school. At the front of our school is a market, and things inside the school are commonly more expensive than those outside! With the prices going up again and again, it has thoroughly enraged us! And that’s why this happened. Or did we all have nothing better to do than simultaneously be several thousand bad youths one day? Each and everyone of us without character? At least we know we are still high school students! However, we still need to respect our parents’ blood sweat money! It wasn’t easy for our parents to earn that money! However, after this incident, the school has indeed made big changes! But who knows how long it will last! Hope it will last a long time. Actually, our demands as students aren’t high! Really! Through this incident, I really hope the country/government can reflect on itself! Society always says women have no rights, teachers have no rights! I think students are the one who have the least amount of rights, having to put up with everything! We come out and report the facts and in the end are just dismissed! It must be said that this is the sorrow of our generation! The above are just some of my personal thoughts! I know it is a little idealistic, even a little extreme! But I’ve written them! As long as there is one person who approves of me, then it was worth it! Here I want to specially thank those people in society who have paid attention to this matter! Thank you all for your support, but I want to say that we did this bad thing because we truly had no choice! I hope this kind of thing will happen less and less! After all, the main trend of social development is harmony.

网易中国网友:

We must get the [government] leadership to attach importance [to this issue], the children were helpless [had no choice], we need to find the problem in the management [that led to this situation]. Those [government officials] who are living off the people, you mustn’t ignore the voice of the people, the children were considering the hardships of their parents.

网易陕西西安网友:

These students are the real hope for the Chinese people’s future, ding!!!
Sigh, we no longer have that courage.

People who write very long paragraphs. Personals @ chinaSMACK.