Regulars

Esen Tayisi

The 'almost' emperor
May 8, 2009 (WiC 14)

In July 1449 Esen Tayisi of the Mongols launched a large-scale invasion of China. In Datong (in northern Shanxi province), 5,000 Mongol cavalry annihilated their Chinese opponents and captured a huge quantity of arms and armour. Along with their ...

Youtiao

Youtiao
May 8, 2009 (WiC 14)

What is it? Youtiao, also known as Chinese fried bread, is a typical breakfast food. Translated as “oil strip,” it’s a long golden brown deep-fried strip of dough usually eaten with soymilk or congee. The ...

Full medal racket

Everyone would love to win an Olympic gold, and now you can (sort of)
May 8, 2009 (WiC 14)

We can all be winners if we want it badly enough, according to the perma-tanned promises of motivational speakers the world over. But why spend a fortune on seminars when you can head down to the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing and ...

Magic plates disappear

Starsky and Hutch, the 1970s TV cops, regularly leaned out of the window of their Gran Torino car to stick…
May 8, 2009 (WiC 14)

Starsky and Hutch, the 1970s TV cops, regularly leaned out of the window of their Gran Torino car to stick a siren on its roof – before going on to break every traffic regulation in the book. But their counterparts in Hohhot in Inner Mongolia ...

Central “party” offices

How some fake Moutai stirred up a storm for local government officials
Apr 30, 2009 (WiC 13)

China is no stranger to fakes; the country has long enjoyed a reputation for counterfeited goods. It is, therefore, rather surprising that the discovery of fake Moutai, the famous liquor, made the front page of many newspapers around the ...

Company drinks

Company drinks
Apr 30, 2009 (WiC 13)

At job fairs in China you often see advertisements for positions that specify a height or age (for secretaries or security guards, for instance). But a public relations recruiter at a job fair in Hubei province had more specific demands: a woman ...

Sun Bin

Looking for weak points
Apr 30, 2009 (WiC 13)

During the Warring States Period (476-221 BC), the King of Qi appointed Sun Bin (see WiC2) as military counsellor in a conflict against Wei, who attacked Qi’s ally Zhao. Originally Qi was going to march into Zhao to lift a siege, but Sun ...

Bai Yansong

Bai Yansong
Apr 30, 2009 (WiC 13)

Born in Inner Mongolia, a largely poor and underdeveloped area, Bai Yansong has overcome his humble roots to become one of China’s most popular television personalities. Bai is the Chinese news anchor with CCTV, China’s national television ...

And the winner is…

A district of Shanghai, worried by declines in consumer spending, has added a lucky draw to its attempts to boost…
Apr 30, 2009 (WiC 13)

A district of Shanghai, worried by declines in consumer spending, has added a lucky draw to its attempts to boost the local economy. According to the China Daily, anyone who spend’s Rmb200 ($29) in the district’s nine department stores will ...

Emperor Huan of Han

Be careful of those eunuchs
Apr 24, 2009 (WiC 12)

Chronic misgovernment in the latter period of the Han Dynasty saw the country edge towards civil war – known to history as the Three Kingdoms era (beginning in 221 AD). Emperor Huan of Han (the fourth emperor in the Han Dynasty, 132-168 AD) ...

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