Beijing to standardize English names of its dishes, drinks

Beijing is trying to standardize the English names of all its dishes and drinks ahead of the 2008 Olympics, Wednesday's Beijing Daily said.

By the end of January, 2007, all the dishes and drinks served at the city's restaurants will have "standardized" English names, according to the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme, an government-sponsored organization to promote English among Beijing residents.

The organization said it has finished translation of over 1,000dishes and drinks so far and the English names will be put on their official website. (Xinhua)

Awesome! Now I can officially explain that it's Apple in Hot Toffee but not Candied Apple Fritters... Hang on, Dumpling in Soup? Isn't there actually soup in the dumplings instead? Pu Pu Platter? What? Soup with Chinese Medicine? Right, like that explains! Whatever, forget it, gimme Er Guo Tou.

White dolphin extinct after 20 million years

An expedition searching for a rare Yangtze River dolphin ended Wednesday without a single sighting and with the team's leader saying one of the world's oldest species was effectively extinct.

The while dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.

"We have to accept the fact, that the baiji is funcationally extinct. We lost the race," Pfluger, the Swiss co-leader of the joint Chinese-foreign expedition, said in a statement released by the expedition. "It is a tragedy, a loss not only for China, but for the entire world. We are all incredibly sad." (CNN)

China looks to lead on no-ticket air travel-IATA

China is heading to become the first country in the world to operate a totally paper-free ticket system for air travel at home and abroad, the head of the airline industry's global body IATA said on Tuesday.

While a year ago only 10 percent of passengers on Chinese airlines were using e-tickets, which are purchased by individual travellers or travel agents over the Internet, the figure has now reached 90 percent.

"By the end of the year it should reach 100 percent, making China the first country in the world to reach the target," said Bisignani, whose International Air Transport Association represents carriers operating 94 percent of global air traffic. (Reuters)

Beijing has first ever Dog Adoption Day

More than 40 dogs have found a home with one or other of the 200-odd potential adopters who had phoned in, said Huang Zhimin, director of the dog-raising administration department of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The dog pound will be open to citizens every Tuesday and Friday and anyone who wants to adopt a dog will be educated in the skills of raising dogs and living harmoniously with neighbors, Huang said. (Xinhua)

Fark’s link headline cracked me up and pissed me off at the same time - Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? STFU!!!

Asia's most expensive hotel - no longer

A luxury hotel near Beijing which launched what is believed to be Asia's most expensive room four months ago has dropped its prices after taking no bookings, the establishment's manager said on Tuesday.

A night in a luxury suite at the Pingxi Royal Mansion in the suburbs of Beijing officially costs 220 000 yuan (about USD27 500), although it has already had to offer discounts due to the lack of customers, manager Guo Liang said. (IOL)

According to Beijing Morning Post, the 6 000m² hotel cost the owner 60 million RMB to rebuild and decorate on the basis of the ruins of Pingxi Mansion, residence of Pingxi Wang Hongxi, Qing Emperor Kangxi’s grandson, Qianlong’s cousin, but not that famous Pingxi Wang Wu Sangui in China’s history.

The whole-wood mansion is decorated with a complete set of luxurious rosewood furniture and lots of classic antiques.  The main rosewood bed carved with 999 dragons is already worth more than 1million RMB.  The mansion is surrounded by a moat with the only entrance through a drawbridge.  At night once the drawbridge is pulled up, the guest of the hotel will be totally isolated with the outside world inside the castle like royal style mansion.

Ridiculous.  Funny thing is that on various Chinese news websites you can get search results like:

220,000 yuan per night at Pingxi Wang Mansion
220,000 yuan per night at Wu Sangui’s old house.

Not the same guy, stupid rich!!!

The end of a motocycle era

On January 1st, 2007, Guangzhou, a motorcycle ban is going to be effective thoroughly in the whole city. No motorcycle any longer, anytime, anywhere in the city.

Statistics:

By 2004, Guangzhou has more than 1 million licensed motorcycles, and the government’s estimate is the unlicensed number is 4 times of the licensed one, which means 5 million motorcycles on the road.

By 2005, Guangzhou’s regular residents: 10 million.

Guangzhou is China’s third largest city in terms of economy, and has more automobiles than any other Chinese cities.

In the first half of 2003, traffic accidents of motorcycles were 3044, 363 people died, almost 2 everyday on average. Victims who died of motorcycle accidents take up 43.61% of the total traffic accident toll.

On January 5th, 2005, the first day of the compensation program implemented by the city’s traffic administration authorities, more than 50 motorcyclists in Guangzhou received compensation totaling 64,000 RMB (US$7,738).

Guangzhou’s motorcycle “taxi” driver, monthly income is 1500-2000 RMB.

Current number of Guangzhou’s motorcycle taxi drivers: 100,000. All illegal.

Background:

1991, Guangzhou government started to restrict motorcycle license issuance.

1998, motorcycle license issuance was stopped thoroughly.

January 15th, 2004, Guangzhou government held the first public hearing for the motorcycle ban and the phase out plan, 89 citizens attended. Motorcycle is one of the most important transportations in Guangzhou. So far there are around 35 cities in China that have banned or restricted motorcycles in the city, Guangzhou is the biggest one and the first one holding a public hearing for opinions from normal citizens.

May 1st, 2004, motorcycles are banned in some of the main roads for certain hours of the day.

January 1st, 2006, banned for 24/7 in the whole Dong Feng Road, the city’s CBD.

January 1st, 2007, completely banned throughout the city.

What you gain:

Less air pollution, less noise, less traffic jam, less traffic accident…

What you lose:

Motorcycle related jobs, and maybe one of the city’s landmark scenes.

Professor Proposes Cancellation of Golden Weeks

A professor from Tsinghua University has drafted a report proposing that the government cancel the nationwide Golden Week holidays during National Day and Labor Day.

Following a related survey, Professor Cai Jiming, also a member of China's advisory body, suggested that the authorities could reduce the current official holiday for National Day and Labor Day from three days to one, while revising related laws to let people have a day off on four Chinese traditional festivals: Tomb-sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-autumn Day and the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Cai also proposed that the one-day official holidays be linked to the near weekends so that people can have a three-day weekend. (CRI)

Well having traditional holidays off is a good idea, but how about ADDING them to the current ones instead of replacing!

Beijing Metro on track to be world's biggest

The Beijing subway system, also known as the Metro, will stretch to 561 kilometers by 2020, overtaking the London Underground and the New York City Subway as the longest subway system in the world, according to a recently completed construction plan. (Asia Times)

Yes, work on it. Traffic in Beijing cannot get any worse, can it? Looking to be impressed next time I go back. Wait, there'd better be a metro line to the airport first!