All your doubts about Beijing's readiness for the Olympic Games? These Segway-ridin' police will crush them!
Security forces recently held an "anti-terrorist drill" in Jinan, in Shandong province south of Beijing, to practice riding these truly terrifying electric scooters. The demo also gave cops an opportunity to show off their martial arts skills, flamethrower handling and mob dispersing techniques. Watch out, nightclub owners!
Sound the alarms! The Chinese city of Qingdao has come under algal attack--and the Olympics could be at risk! More than 30 percent of the waters designated for sailing contests off the coast of the city are inundated with thick enteromorpha prolifera. But the Chinese authorities have a way with getting people to "volunteer," and a reported 20,000 citizens have pitched in to clean up the Yellow Sea.
Agricultural run off is often the culprit when it comes to algal blooms, but Chinese officials told the state news agency that isn't the case this time. And they may not be lying! Blooms fueled by nitrates from fertilizers are usually red, and the stuff on the shores of Qingdao is bright green.
As the clean-up continues, the local Olympics Sailing Committee is planning a 30-mile-long fence to help keep the bloom at bay. The group says everything should be sorted by July 15; the games start on August 8.
Beijing has a rich nightlife scene filled with multi-level megaclubs and basement joints pumping techno and drum-and-bass, but local club-owners say that Chinese authorities are cracking down on nightlife in advance of the upcoming Olympics. Beijing police have begun raiding clubs and have warned that some venues near Olympic facilities will have to shut down during the games due to vague "security concerns."
Club culture has exploded in Beijing during the past few years as China's upper classes have grown. Club owners say they have no fears that the attack on nightlife in Beijing will be permanent, so they're looking forward to a return to business as usual following the Olympic games.
The Beijing Olympics start on August 8, but the air in China's capital city seems to be thicker than ever. So starting July 20, owners of private cars will only be allowed to drive in Beijing on alternate days; a majority of state-owned vehicles will also go off the roads starting in late July.
There will be other restrictions in place, too, all in the hopes that the city's air will be clean enough for the games:
With 45 percent fewer vehicles on the road, the highly polluting vehicles banned and other measures reducing pollution from gas stations and chemical plants, air pollution will be reduced by an estimated 63 percent, said Du Shaozhong, a spokesman for the city's environmental protection agency.
Let's hope so. This smoggy shot was taken on June 14 at the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City. For even more terrifying shots of pollution, click over to James Fallows' blog, where a photo from this morning will have you gasping for air.
We love Chinglish, so it's with a heavy heart that we report China has standardized restaurant menus in Beijing in preparation for the Olympics. That means no matter where you go, you'll know what you're ordering. (And doesn't that take some of the fun out of a trip to Asia?)
There will be no more "husband and wife's lung slice," reports Reuters: The dish is now rendered "beef and ox tripe in chili sauce." And don't even think of ordering "bean curd made by a pock-marked woman"; that's now officially known as "mapo tofu."
Actually, there is one change we can appreciate. We probably would never order the "chicken without sexual life," but we'd definitely go for some "steamed pullet."
A newly announced official cheer should make the case that the Beijiing Olympics will be the creepiest games ever. Officials are teaching 800,000 students the four-part chant and will put together cheering squads to show up at event venues.
Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Clap two times (while chanting 奥运, "Olympics")
Step 2: Hands in fists with thumbs up, arms extended upward (while chanting, 加油, "Let's go!")
Step 3: Clap two time (while chanting 中国, "China")
Step 4: Hands in fists, arms extended outward and upward (while chanting 加油, "Let's go!")
We're already pumped! A video demonstration is right after the click.
The best event of summer is undoubtedly going to be the Beijing Olympics. How do we know? China just released a fun "advisory to foreigners" telling visitors what they won't be allowed to do at the Olympic festivities in Beijing this August.
Though it's written for tourists, the advisory was only published in Chinese, so sadly we don't understand everything it says. The parts that have been translated are truly awesome examples of Chinese government strangeness.
The advisory is chock full of tips for optimal Olympic enjoyment. Among other things, it tells tourist what to do if they get "diarrhea or vomiting symptoms" at a Chinese restaurant. The advisory also contains stern warnings against insulting the Chinese flag or smuggling opium. Too bad: We were looking forward to those events!
Our recent foray into Beijing was more of a cultural primer for first timers and Olympics-watchers. But what to do if you need the nitty gritty details like which restaurant pours on the Commie kitsch and which nightclub has an awesome 80s night? The newly released Zagat Beijing has all the info you need, crammed into a super-slim volume perfect for packing.
A couple warnings: Like most Zagat guides, the Beijing book tends toward the pricey, and while we actually think the quote-packed descriptions are cute, perhaps you don't. And when it comes to cultural stuff, the background info in this book is a little skimpy. (Just one paragraph on Tiananmen Square? Really?)
Still, if you're just headed to the city for a week or so, do you really want to haul around a couple hundred pages of Chinese history you'll never actually read? We'd rather just know that Red Capital Club is the place to eat and that we should rock our leg warmers at Alfa.
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