Shanghai
Domino effect
ON April 17, a picture of Lujiazui Area constructed out of dominoes was unveiled by young volunteers in Times Square on No. 500 Zhangyang Lu in Pudong. Seventy white-collar workers from offices located in Lujiazui spent three days assembling 100,000 dominoes into the picture, which covers 230 square metres. After the dominoes were tipped by the volunteers, a panorama of Lujiazui appeared with the slogan "We develop together" written in Chinese characters.
Genetic map
A JOINT gene project was launched by IBM and National Geographic on April 18. Fudan University hosts the only Chinese research centre in the project, one of 10 in the world. The centre will collect and analyze DNA samples from all the minorities in China. After specimens from all around the world are analyzed, a map can be constructed which can reveal human migration patterns. The university now has formed its first ethics commission, composed of experts in genetics, law and religion, to decide the validity and safety of each step in the project.
Doorbells for disabled
THE Shanghai Disabled Association will install special doorbells for deaf and blind people in the Jing'an District in May and June. Doorbells with special sensors which can convert the ring into flash signals will be installed in the homes of the deaf. Blind residents will receive doorbells with intercoms which can help them to identify the visitors by voice. These doorbells will also be installed in other districts later this year.
Workshop collapse
A WORKSHOP owned by Fu Sheng Industrial (Shanghai) Co Ltd, located on Minyi Lu in the Songjiang District, collapsed on April 17, burying 14 workers. Thirteen workers were rescued after the collapse of the three-storey building. According to the rescue team, one worker was still missing on April 18 and there appeared to be only a slight chance of his survival.
Trash talk
IN order to make the recycling system for rubbish more effective, the Environmental Protection Bureau in the Huangpu District has defined five categories of rubbish to be recycled. All rubbish now is recycled in accordance with these five categories - vegetable and fruit, kitchen and restaurant rubbish, toxic rubbish and glass, street rubbish and wood rubbish. The number of clients which comply with these five categories of recycling has reached 158,721.
Fairytale park
BY the next International Children's Day, children under 10 years of age will have their first theme park in the New Jiangwan Area of the Yangpu District. Famous fairytale writer Hans Christian Anderson's name will grace the park. The 20.5-acre park will feature 18 of Anderson's classics such as The Little Match Girl and Thumbelina. Architects and designers from both Denmark and China will design the buildings for the park, which will cost 180 million yuan (US$21.69 million).
Bank fire
AN early morning fire destroyed the electrical system of the Bank of Shanghai at No. 6 Caobao Lu on April 19. A bank spokesman said its clients' data were well protected and received no damage. The bank now has temporarily relocated to Tianlin Lu. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Foreign pirates
TWO US citizens became the first foreigners in Shanghai to be convicted for selling pirate DVDs on April 19 at Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court. They are responsible for having sold some 133,000 pirate DVDs to more than 20 countries, earning nearly 1 million yuan (US$120,900) from the business. Randolph Hobson Guthrie III, the prime culprit, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 yuan (US$60,459). Guthrie's three helpers - including one other US citizen - were sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 months and fines ranging from 10,000 (US$1,209) to 30,000 yuan (US$3,628).
Unwise target
A THIEF in Shanghai tried his luck on a policeman on April 18 and was caught in the act. When Shen Long, a local policeman, was patrolling with two workmates near a clothing market in the morning, he noticed a man following him stealthily and slowed his pace. Seeing the man was trying to extract the wallet from his pocket, Shen grabbed his hand. The desperate thief then stabbed him with a knife. Hearing the noise, the other two policeman came to Shen's assistance and apprehended the thief. Shen, though badly hurt, was out of danger by the afternoon of the same day. Gu Peihong, another policeman, needed five stitches in the back.
Online yellow pages
BAIDU, the world's largest Chinese search engine, has signed an agreement with China Telecom Yellow Pages Company to provide a platform for its 94 million Chinese surfers to access yellow pages information from a network of about 30 provinces and municipalities on the Chinese mainland. Surfers will be given the nearest location for services when they type in key words at www.yellowpage.com.cn or www.baidu.com.
Environmental envoy
STUDENTS aged 18 to 22 in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing and Hehei are encouraged to apply to become the 15 Beyer Young Environmental Envoys. Applicants are required to have experience in environmental activities, motivation to contribute to a better environment in China and the initiative to implement projects to achieve this goal. Four students will be selected for a trip to Bayer AG's headquarters in Germany and the Bayer International Youth Environmental Day in November. Details can be found at www.envir.gov.cn or bayeryoungenvoy.com.
Wine new-comer
WORLD leading Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and the Grace Vineyard in North China's Shanxi Province have launched the exclusive Shangri-La Wine Collection of Grace Vineyard Chairman's Reserve 2001. The labels contain the image of the ancient Chinese three-leg wine cup. The wine will be available in the group's 21 properties in China. This is the fourth consecutive year that Pudong Shangri-La has created its own wine collection but it is the first ever Chinese mainland co-operation between the hotel group and the Grace Vineyard, which is a relative newcomer to the wine scene in China. The Grace Vineyard Chairman's Reserve was awarded the Seal of Approval at the Hong Kong International Wine Challenge in 2003.
