10 killed in blast
INITIAL investigations suggest a chemical substance used in manufacturing processes at a health food factory caused the fatal explosion that ripped the place apart on Wednesday morning.
Devouring nation's wildlife
THERE is a saying that some Chinese people will eat anything that flies, crawls or swims.
Bank helps train laid-off workers
A GROUP of 1,091 laid-off workers completed a training programme yesterday in Shanghai. The programme was supported by Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Educational Fund.
International business centre for 21st century
CHINA'S largest industrial and commercial centre Shanghai is building itself into an international economic, financial, trade and shipping centre, Mayor Xu Kuangdi said on Wednesday.
Non-stop flights to San Francisco
UNITED Airlines of the United States is expected to open a non-stop service from Shanghai to San Francisco on April 3.
Women today more beautiful
"SHANGHAI women look more and more beautiful now," said Hosoi Yukiko, a Japanese woman living in the city. "They were all in grey and blue when I first came to the city in 1976 as a member of a university student delegation."
The common cold or tympanitis?
AS cases of the common cold soar in Shanghai, experts are warning parents of the possible danger of ear problems in children who are unwell.
Websites for women prosper
WOMEN make up 21 per cent of China's total "netizens," according to the latest statistics from CNNIC. IT experts estimate the number of female Internet users will hit 6 million.
Ba Yin - ancient musical instruments
By Zhang Qian
AS early as the Bronze Age (21st century BC-221 BC), music had already been flourishing in China. There is a great amount of historical documentation on the music of that period, but with the passage of time, these ancient music compositions no longer exist today. What we know about ancient music is limited to the extant ancient musical instruments. The ancient instruments, called "Ba Yin" (eight sounds from instruments made of different materials) refer to the following: Jin (metal), Shi (stone), Si (strin g), Zhu (bamboo), Pao (bottle gourd), Ge (leather), Tu (clay) and Mu (wood). Most of these materials deteriorate easily and are very hard to preserve. But the first of the "Ba Yin," Jin - the musical instruments made of bronze, have been found among many archaeological artifacts. From the shape, patterns on the body and features of its style, we presume this is a relic of the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century - 11th century BC) period. This Shang bronze Gu (drum), a treasure from Central China's Hubei Provincial Museum, unearthed in 1977 from Wangjiazui, Chongyang County, Hubei Province, is one of the only two extant Shang bronze Gus ever found. The Gu is placed horizontally and has an oval-shaped surface. The ornamental piece on the top is shaped like a sloped roof. The rectangul ar drum base is hollow. The surface, a copy of an ox-skinned drum surface, is smooth and has no decoration. On both ends of the drum body, there are three bands of bosses imitating the nails for a wooden-framed skin drum. The body and base are decorated with a cloud pattern. The excavation site where this drum was found had no other burial tombs or hoards and no related relics or cultural stratigraphic layering. The drum was somehow dragged to this location, which may be related to contemporary battles. The Gu, together with 20 other ancient bronze musical instruments, is on display at Shanghai Museum until the end of this month.
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