Current Events

[Randy W]

A sweating boy at Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing, June 23, 2023. The city has recorded its hottest June day since records began. Authorities in Beijing and parts of northern China are urging people to limit their time outdoors. China Youth/IC

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[Randy W]

A sudden deluge in Henan province destroyed crops and sparked a frenzied rescue mission. It also exposed how unprepared China remains for an era of rapid climate change.

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How a Week of Extreme Weather Sowed Chaos in Central China. Again.
A sudden deluge in Henan province destroyed crops and sparked a frenzied rescue mission. It also exposed how unprepared China remains for an era of rapid climate change.

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In late May, a sudden deluge struck Henan as the wheat harvest approached. While not as severe as the 2021 floods, which claimed 33 lives and caused widespread destruction, this rainfall proved particularly devastating to local crops.

Known as “China’s granary,” Henan has 85 million mu (5.6 million hectares) of wheat fields that produce one-quarter of the country’s total output. But the grain is highly vulnerable to pre-harvest rain, which causes it to sprout prematurely, lowering its quality or even rendering it unusable.

Over the following weeks, Henan launched a frenzied effort to salvage its rapidly deteriorating crops. Farmers harvested through the night, illuminated by overhead drones. Local officials fought to secure access to scarce machinery. Two hundred million yuan ($30 million) of emergency funding was released to help farmers dry their waterlogged grain.

Yet the impact was still severe. Chinese authorities have yet to publish estimates of the damage to the wheat harvest, but Mysteel — a commodity data provider — said telephone interviews with farmers in southern Henan indicated that over 30% of the grain in that region had sprouted early. 

 

 

[Randy W]

A Fictional University Takes China by Storm — One Meme at a Time
Over the course of just one week, Shanhe University, an imaginary institution born from online wisecracks, united students from four provinces.
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Complete with its own motto, website, courses, and a roster of illustrious alumni including Han dynasty generals and Tang dynasty poets, a fictional university has emerged as an unexpected online sensation amid China’s competitive university recruitment season. 

It began last week when a group of students posted jokes online about the possibility of setting up a university. They hoped to dedicate it to students from the four provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, and Hebei, where competition for China’s national college entrance examination, or the gaokao, is fierce. 

Using a portmanteau of the names of the provinces, they called it “Shanhe University” and imagined it to be located at the intersection of the four provinces.  

The meme quickly captured the imagination of Chinese students across social media platforms. Soon, many began enthusiastically contributing to its development. Along with the motto and emblem, a website was created with faculty lists and even an admissions brochure.

 

 

[Randy W]

Hong Kong diva Coco Lee dies aged 48
"In my dream, you are on your way home." An outpouring of grief from around the world, following the news of Coco Lee's death.

from the SCMP on Facebook 
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Hong Kong diva Coco Lee dies aged 48

"In my dream, you are on your way home." An outpouring of grief from around the world, following the news of Coco Lee's death.

Posted by South China Morning Post on Thursday, July 6, 2023

 

 

[Randy W]

China's annual auto sales are expected to peak at around 40 million units, said Fu Bingfeng, executive vice-president and secretary general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Fu said that the forecast was made at the 2023 China Auto Forum in Shanghai based on factors such as China's large population basis and rich resources.
As of the end of 2022, there were 226 vehicles per 1,000 people in China, Fu said at the 3-day forum, which began on July 5.
Fu said it is highly possible that the country's vehicle ownership per 1,000 people could reach 400 units after more than 10 years of industrial cultivation.

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[Randy W]

With Twitter in crisis, more than a dozen popular Japanese illustrators have opened Weibo accounts in recent days. In just a few days, many of them have already seen their number of followers exceed their Twitter following.

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Amid Twitter Chaos, Japanese Illustrators Flock to Weibo – And Welcomed With Open Arms
The illustrators have seen their Weibo following far exceed their Twitter following just a few days after joining the Chinese microblogging platform.

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“I was in a bind because I couldn’t use Twitter every day, so I took this opportunity to start using Weibo,” the illustrator with the handle “Comori22” wrote in their first post on Weibo. Comori22 already has over 190,000 followers on Weibo, compared to 49,300 followers on Twitter despite joining the platform in June 2020.  

Another popular illustrator, Gyoukan, has gained more than 190,000 followers on Weibo since Monday, compared to around 28,000 followers on Twitter. Several other illustrators have also seen the number of their Weibo followers already reach more than double that of their Twitter followers. 

Many of these illustrators are already well-known among Chinese fans of Japanese anime, comics, and games. For instance, both Gyoukan’s video game scenes and Comori22’s bold character drawings are often widely shared on Chinese social media. 

 

 

[Randy W]

 . . . and the new Twitter competitor from Mark Zuckerberg. The link here works even on my PC, although Threads is apparently still not available except through the cell phone app.

Threads is on top of China’s iOS app charts - despite being blocked. 
scmp.com/tech…

https://www.threads.net/t/Cuan0Y7B1xu/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

 

Post by @scmpnews

View on Threads

Meta’s Twitter rival Threads tops China’s App Store despite Great Firewall censorship

• Threads, Meta’s Twitter competitor, ranked fourth among social media apps in China on Apple’s iOS store this week
• The Instagram and Facebook sibling app has gained traction in the country even though users must use virtual private networks to access it

 

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Threads, launched on Wednesday evening US time, already ranked fourth among free social media apps in Apple’s iOS store in China, and just outside the top 50 of all free apps in the country as of Friday. It sat between Chinese tech giant Tencent’s QQ Mail and Tencent Video.

The app has gained traction even though users based in China must use virtual private networks to access the platform.

According to Greatfire.org, an organisation that tracks online censorship, the domain www.threads.net has been blocked in the country since Tuesday.

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

On 7/6/2023 at 8:47 PM, Randy W said:

Hong Kong diva Coco Lee dies aged 48
"In my dream, you are on your way home." An outpouring of grief from around the world, following the news of Coco Lee's death.

from the SCMP on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/948397296438068/

 

 

 

 

Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter Coco Lee had a celebrated career that saw her achieve in areas few could before. She died this week aged 48. Here's a look at moments from her 30 years in showbiz. Read more: https://sc.mp/vx6s

#cocolee #coco #hongkong #singer #scmpnews #scmp

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[Randy W]

Six killed in kindergarten attack in China; suspect detained

from Reuters
July 10, 202312:39 PM GMT+8Updated an hour ago

July 10 (Reuters) - A 25-year-old man was suspected of attacking a kindergarten in China's Guangdong province on Monday killing six people and injuring one, police said.

Media reported the attack in Lianjiang county was a stabbing. The suspect, with the surname Wu and from Lianjiang, had been detained, police said, adding they were investigating.

No other details were immediately available.

The incident was the top-trending discussion on the Weibo, social media platform, with 130 million views as of 12:20 pm (0420 GMT).

Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Himani Sarkar

 

 

[Randy W]

For Young Chinese, 2023 Is the Year of the ‘Drifter’
Fed up with the grind of urban life, young Chinese are embracing the art of “drifting” — living hand-to-mouth while roaming the country aimlessly.
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For Young Chinese, 2023 Is the Year of the ‘Drifter’
Fed up with the grind of urban life, young Chinese are embracing the art of “drifting” — living hand-to-mouth while roaming the country aimlessly.

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But, one year later, Wei says he’s happier than ever. He has decided to lean into his sense of rootlessness, and embrace a “drifting” lifestyle. He has bought a van, filled it with decks and speakers, and now makes a living by hosting impromptu dance parties at different beach resorts along China’s coastline.

 . . .

“Drifting” — or liulang — is the latest expression of the disillusionment spreading among China’s millennials. For years, many have complained of the “involution” of life in the country’s major cities: the sense of ever-intensifying competition, as a rapidly expanding pool of graduates fights over a finite number of well-paid white-collar jobs.

That feeling grew during the pandemic. With the economy slowing amid three years of strict virus-control policies, China’s youth unemployment reached record highs, surpassing 20% last year. Many graduates — giving up hope of finding a good job — began declaring their intention to simply drop out and tang ping, or “lie flat.”

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Gaming companies in China collectively announced that the total number of gaming hours for minors will be limited to 26 hours throughout the summer holidays, from July 1 to August 31. They can only access the games every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night between 8 and 9 p.m..

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[Randy W]

Without trailers, ads or any promotion at all, the likely final film by Oscar-winning Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki opened in Japan on Friday, with early viewers saying the lack of information made the experience more exciting.

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Miyazaki, now 82 and known for a long roster of films including Academy Award winner "Spirited Away," called a press conference a decade ago to say he was too tired to make another full-length feature film and was retiring.

But he soon retracted that, as he had prior retirement announcements, and after some short projects began work on "How Do You Live?" (Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru Ka?), the story of a 15-year-old boy coping with the death of his mother.

 . . .

Like other Miyazaki films from Studio Ghibli, the company he co-founded, the release was timed for the start of school summer holidays in Japan and features the laborious hand-drawn artwork and vivid colours Miyazaki has long been known for.

But the opening lacked the usual fanfare of events, saturation advertising, trailers and merchandising tie-ins. The only information released was a poster drawn by Miyazaki - and even that was only sent to a limited number of cinemas.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Named after the ancient name for Xi'an in Shaanxi province, which served as the capital of the Tang Dynasty for over 280 years, the animated movie Chang'an brings to life some of the most iconic figures in Chinese literary history. With a runtime of 168 minutes — the longest of any Chinese animated movie — it is suitably epic in scale.
Since its release on June 8, the movie has garnered a rating of 8.2 points out of ten on Douban, one of the country's largest review aggregators, consolidating its position as one of the highly acclaimed animated blockbusters of the summer season. Light Chaser Animation Studios

http://china-pictorial.com.cn/redrawing-tang-dynasty-stars

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Redrawing Tang Dynasty Stars

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This film is the inaugural release of the “New Culture” series produced by Light Chaser Animation Studios. In an exclusive interview with China Pictorial (CP), the film’s directors Xie Junwei and Zou Jing said that viewers would learn about the extraordinary talent, grand visions, and patriotic feelings of the figures in the movie. “Even though more than a thousand years have passed, their spirit remains alive and deeply touches today’s youth.”

 

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

52.2°C = 126.5°F

A temperature of 52.2 degrees Celsius was measured at Sanbao Township in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on July 16, the hottest temperature ever recorded in China.

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Edited July 18, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

7 hours ago, Randy W said:

Named after the ancient name for Xi'an in Shaanxi province, which served as the capital of the Tang Dynasty for over 280 years, the animated movie Chang'an brings to life some of the most iconic figures in Chinese literary history. With a runtime of 168 minutes — the longest of any Chinese animated movie — it is suitably epic in scale.
Since its release on June 8, the movie has garnered a rating of 8.2 points out of ten on Douban, one of the country's largest review aggregators, consolidating its position as one of the highly acclaimed animated blockbusters of the summer season. Light Chaser Animation Studios

http://china-pictorial.com.cn/redrawing-tang-dynasty-stars

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Redrawing Tang Dynasty Stars

 

 

A Chinese animated film, “Chang An,” featuring some of China’s most well-known poets has won praise for drumming up interest in traditional Chinese poetry and has been a surprise hit at the box office.

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Tang Dynasty Poetry Comes Alive in Animated Film ‘Chang An’
Blending modern animation with traditional poetry, ‘Chang An’ has been a surprise hit at the box office and won praise for its celebration of traditional Chinese culture.

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Since its release on July 8, the film has fetched over 700 million yuan ($100 million) as of Monday, leading the domestic box office over the weekend.