Authorities approved 303 new TV shows last year, according to Economic Observer, with more than half carrying a revolutionary theme. Would it surprise anyone that out of those, the majority expressed anti-Japanese sentiment? But you can only be so anti-Japanese before people get bored. And thus, shows have to resort to other tactics to grab ratings. Like with naked girls. The above picture, posted by Sina W ...

A traditional rhyme in Sichuan goes like this: “Toss medicine money, worship your godfather, throw away clothes, and pray for the whole family.” The people of Mianyang, the second largest city in Sichuan province after Chengdu, take the rhyme very seriously, along with other traditions. On March 18, thousands flocked to Jushui Village for the Ju Water Bridge Festival (雎水踩桥会), almost all of them to do one th ...

The Ministry of Railways (MOR) is as old as New China, having been in operation since October 1949. But on March 10, toward the construction of a newer China at the 12th National People’s Congress, the government announced a series of reforms and reconstructions, which included the decision to dissolve outdated ministries. The Ministry of Railways, for one. The question that was immediately on everyone's mi ...

Did you know that Tuesday, March, 12, was Arbor Day in China? On Zhi Shu Jie (植树节), literally Plant-A-Tree Day, people celebrated by planting anything they could. As Sina Weibo user @粮仓一鼠 put it, “Although there is no land to plant a tree, we can grow a pea in a flower pot.” Like him, many others posted pictures of their work to Weibo. It was a fun and silly activity for many, but the outpouring of response ...

Outside a salon in the city of Pyongyang hangs a framed picture showing 28 hairstyles for customers to choose from. The North Korean government has declared these styles the official ones for men and women -- and what selection! We're all too familiar with the practices of a conformist state, but this is a throwback to an even more communist era. If you are a married woman, you have to keep your hair short ...

Remember swimmer Sun Yang at the London Olympics? He broke his own world record in the 1500-meter freestyle, and won another gold in the 400-meter free, joining Michael Phelps as the only male swimmers to win two individual titles. With the success came endorsements and a hot girlfriend, but China's poster-boy swimmer now finds himself at the center of a scandal. According to Xinhua, Sun's been so overwhelm ...

 By Xiao Yi “At my residence in Beijing, with Coke toast first to the supreme leaders!” And with that first message on June 29, Sina Weibo user @作家崔成浩 -- literally, "Writer Choi Seongho" -- launched himself into Chinese social media fame. From the very beginning, as a self-proclaimed North Korean patriot, he has written solely to glorify the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and has attracted more than ...

Ed's note: Offbeat China, who first blogged this on Friday, has more pictures of Liu Xianping, the 72-year-old model of Yuekou online store. This piece is the first for BJC's newest contributor, Xiao Yi. By Xiao Yi “Look at the camera - no slouching!” Miss Lü instructs as she shoots pictures of her 72-year-old grandfather, dressed in a casual tailored blazer, a pencil skirt, and cigarette-leg jeans - a.k.a. ...