Rainfall at this plum rain season normal
CONTINUOUS showers during the week ushered in the first installment of the plum rain season this year, according to Shanghai Central Meteorological Station.
AIDS boy Peng Peng passes away
PENG Peng, the 14-year-old haemophiliac who was infected with the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion, died on Tuesday. (See Peng Peng's stories on front page of Shanghai Star on May 30 and June 2).
Huating moves
IN just a few months, Shanghai will say goodbye to Huating Road Clothes Market where over 15,000 foreign visitors and countless domestic people go shopping every year.
ROK delegation here for talks
AN eight-member delegation from Cholla-Namdo in the Republic of Korea, led by Governor Huh Kyung Man, will arrive in Shanghai today for a one-day visit. Huh is expected to meet Mayor Xu Kuangdi this evening.
China, Iran look forward to increased trade in future
IRANIAN and Chinese business people explored potential for further exchanges and co-operation at a seminar titled "Sino-Iranian Trade and Investment Opportunities Seminar" yesterday afternoon.
Bookshops turn over new leaf on piracy
THE city's 151 State-owned book stores have made a public pledge to fight against pirated books, audio-video and electronic publications.
Survey sparks controversy
SENIOR researchers have called into question the authenticity of a recent report which claimed the divorce rate among laid-off women workers in the city is rising.
Entrepreneurs warned not to neglect their studies
WHILE experts agree university students who go into business can reap enormous benefit from the practical experience, they warn these students against neglecting their studies.
Cheat in the name of 'helping the poor'
POLICE are investigating a case of fraud involving 1 million yuan ($120,000) in which a man exploited China's drive to develop the poverty stricken areas.
She escapes from warring island
ZHANG Meifang, the only Shanghainese in the 117 Chinese stranded in the Solomon Islands following the breaking out of the conflict on the islands, told her tale of woe recently to local reporters.
Study abroad tempts local teenagers
AS living standards improve and China's opening-up progresses, local students are choosing to study in foreign schools and universities in increasing number.
A passion for study overseas
KE Qing's parents struggle to survive on meagre pensions, but they have done everything they can to support their daughter who is passionate about studying abroad.
Timeshare hotel concept checks in
By Joshua Shi
TIMESHARE hotel room booking concept and service is now making inroads in China. Pay $5,000 to $15,000, you can stay a week in a hotel every year in the next 20, 30 years or even longer. Of course you don't want to stay in one place, so when you go to other cities, or even abroad, you can stay a week in any hotel that has joined the timeshare network and you need not pay a cent. Freedom Vacations, a timeshare company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, set up its company in China in 1999. The company is called Beijing Shenzhou Huanyu Booking Net Consultancy Service Co Ltd. Beijing Yulong Hotel signed to become the first Chinese hotel, followed up by several other hotels, holiday resorts and serviced apartments in the country. Industry insiders said the occupancy rate of hotels is not 100 per cent and there are always empty rooms. So some hotels see the timeshare an extra opportunity to earn money out of empty rooms. The Freedom Vacations Beijing company recently opened a branch office in Shanghai and now is holding talks with Galaxy Hotel. So far about 20 Chinese people have paid for the timeshare service via the booking net. David Moulds, president of the company told Shanghai Star he sees great potential in the China market and plans to recruit 1 million Chinese members within five years. "The network will not only activate the Chinese domestic tourism industry and other related services, but also introduce a great number of foreign tourists to China," Moulds said. Chinese people who pay to become a member of Freedom Vacations can stay at network hotels in China and several foreign countries around the world.
Copyright 2000 by Shanghai Star. All rights reserved.