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Planet China

The strangest stories from the Middle Kingdom...

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Director of deceit
Jul 19, 2019 (WiC 460)

Over the past decade we have occasionally reported on the phenomenon of fake officials in China. These bluffers take on a formal title and exploit it to gain benefits from gullible people, often those who think they can buy influence with a local ...

Senior moments
Jul 12, 2019 (WiC 459)

The behaviour of two grandfathers on subway journeys in China has been sparking rather different reactions on social media. In Dalian, a 76 year-old called Liu Zhengsheng, won plaudits from commuters for his zesty spirit. According to the ...

Gaming or gaokao
Jul 5, 2019 (WiC 458)

Parents in China put an inordinate amount of effort into ensuring their kids do well in the nation’s college entrance exam (known locally as the gaokao). It turns out they do some odd deals to motivate their kids too. According to the Yangtze ...

The Zongzi break-up
Jun 21, 2019 (WiC 457)

Earlier this month billions of zongzi were consumed across China to commemorate the Dragon Boat Festival. A wrapping of glutinous rice (and assorted fillings) in bamboos leaves, zongzi are a homage to a famous poet who drowned ...

Kitchen criminals
Jun 14, 2019 (WiC 456)

A restaurant in Sichuan has nabbed a couple of repeat food burglars that have been enjoying 2am feasts by climbing in through the kitchen window. After making their own meals from stolen meat skewers and the restaurant’s spicy boiled soup, the ...

Travel money
Jun 7, 2019 (WiC 455)

A handful of China’s first-time flyers continues to cause problems for the country’s aviation bosses. As WiC has previously reported, these superstitious debutants decide to ‘bless’ their plane by throwing coins into the engines in a ...

No touching
May 31, 2019 (WiC 454)

A year ago one of Pablo Picasso’s self-portraits was withdrawn from an auction in New York after it was damaged in a preview viewing.There were fresh palpitations for Christie’s, the same auction house, at a pre-sale of paintings in Hong Kong ...

What’s in a name?
May 24, 2019 (WiC 453)

Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friends, although a friendly response is not what a dog breeder from Fuyang in Anhui province received when he chose the names for two of his animals. The man, who was trying to sell a couple of dogs on ...

Say it with flowers
May 17, 2019 (WiC 452)

A marriage proposal is often accompanied by roses, but an extravagant new record looks to have been set in Shanghai this week when 99,999 of them were on display when Mario Ho popped the big question. The 24 year-old son of casino mogul Stanley ...

Out of luck
May 10, 2019 (WiC 451)

A Porsche driver in China has lost his licence, but not for one of the more expected reasons like speeding. Rather it was because he was so superstitious that he was caught driving with the wrong licence plates on his new car. According to the ...

Older »

1 23 4 5 6 7... 47

« Newer

Planet China

The strangest stories from the Middle Kingdom...

Director of deceit Jul 19, 2019 (WiC 460) Over the past decade we have occasionally reported on the phenomenon of fake officials in China. These bluffers take on a formal title and exploit it to gain benefits from gullible people, often those who think they can buy influence with a local ...

Senior moments Jul 12, 2019 (WiC 459) The behaviour of two grandfathers on subway journeys in China has been sparking rather different reactions on social media. In Dalian, a 76 year-old called Liu Zhengsheng, won plaudits from commuters for his zesty spirit. According to the ...

Gaming or gaokao Jul 5, 2019 (WiC 458) Parents in China put an inordinate amount of effort into ensuring their kids do well in the nation’s college entrance exam (known locally as the gaokao). It turns out they do some odd deals to motivate their kids too. According to the Yangtze ...

The Zongzi break-up Jun 21, 2019 (WiC 457) Earlier this month billions of zongzi were consumed across China to commemorate the Dragon Boat Festival. A wrapping of glutinous rice (and assorted fillings) in bamboos leaves, zongzi are a homage to a famous poet who drowned ...

Kitchen criminals Jun 14, 2019 (WiC 456) A restaurant in Sichuan has nabbed a couple of repeat food burglars that have been enjoying 2am feasts by climbing in through the kitchen window. After making their own meals from stolen meat skewers and the restaurant’s spicy boiled soup, the ...

Travel money Jun 7, 2019 (WiC 455) A handful of China’s first-time flyers continues to cause problems for the country’s aviation bosses. As WiC has previously reported, these superstitious debutants decide to ‘bless’ their plane by throwing coins into the engines in a ...

No touching May 31, 2019 (WiC 454) A year ago one of Pablo Picasso’s self-portraits was withdrawn from an auction in New York after it was damaged in a preview viewing.There were fresh palpitations for Christie’s, the same auction house, at a pre-sale of paintings in Hong Kong ...

What’s in a name? May 24, 2019 (WiC 453) Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friends, although a friendly response is not what a dog breeder from Fuyang in Anhui province received when he chose the names for two of his animals. The man, who was trying to sell a couple of dogs on ...

Say it with flowers May 17, 2019 (WiC 452) A marriage proposal is often accompanied by roses, but an extravagant new record looks to have been set in Shanghai this week when 99,999 of them were on display when Mario Ho popped the big question. The 24 year-old son of casino mogul Stanley ...

Out of luck May 10, 2019 (WiC 451) A Porsche driver in China has lost his licence, but not for one of the more expected reasons like speeding. Rather it was because he was so superstitious that he was caught driving with the wrong licence plates on his new car. According to the ...