Today’s Beijing Marathon Featured Gangnam Style And At Least One Runner In Spider-Man Getup

Beijing Marathon female winner
This year’s Beijing Marathon had its share of hiccups. During registration, Japanese runners were initially barred, leading people to call for the race to lose its “Gold Label” accreditation from the International Association of Athletics Federations. Then, just this week, anxiety loomed over air quality, which hovered between “very unhealthy” and “hazardous.” But when the race... Read more » Read more »

Chen Guangcheng Joins Rihanna, Usain Bolt As GQ Honoree, For “Rebel Of The Year”

Chen Guangcheng in GQ
A little more than six months ago, Chen Guangcheng was lost. Maybe not literally — though there’s a chance that’s true as well, a blind lawyer-activist fleeing through the woods of Linyi in Shandong province, then chased via car — but his whereabouts, for a week, was utterly unknown except to a circle of close... Read more » Read more »

Here’s A Car That Will Be Neither Chasing Nor Running Away From Pavements Anytime Soon

Car stuck in pavement
By The Good Doctor Ever wonder what would happen if you fuck with the public works department in Beijing? If you’re like this unfortunate car owner, your vehicle will get paved over by a thick layer of asphalt. Let these photos (and video) be a warning. To see Beijing’s latest installation piece, head over to... Read more » Read more »

Beijing Cruises Past Shanghai In CBA Season Opener, Gilbert Arenas Exits After 6 Minutes With Groin Injury

Beijing Ducks show off rings
Before Beijing and Shanghai tipped off the 2012-13 Chinese Basketball Association season last night, there was a 30-minute pre-game ceremony in which players and coaches from last year’s championship-winning team — that would be the Beijing Ducks, if you’re just joining in — received medals, awards, and a championship banner. All that was normal. Then... Read more » Read more »

Another Hotpot Explosion, This One Leaves 14 Dead And 47 Injured

Shanxi hotpot explosion
We just warned about the dangers of hotpot: last week, a man caught on fire when a waiter allegedly mishandled an alcohol-fueled hotpot stove in Beijing. An accident yesterday in Shouyang County of Jinzhong City, Shanxi province was much worse. At 7:52 pm, according to Xinhua, a large blast came from inside the hotpot chain Xiyangyang (Happy Sheep),... Read more » Read more »

Announcing: PSY’s Coming To China! First Mainland Performance Will Be On New Year’s Eve [UPDATE]

Racist tweets
Hold your saddles everyone, your favorite horse dancer is coming to China! Unfortunately, his first mainland performance will be in Changsha, as part of Hunan Satellite TV’s “Carnival Week” to ring in the new year. Amanda, I kid. Changsha is a fine city. Unfortunately, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Ah, I kid again. It’s not... Read more » Read more »

Friday Night Musical Outro: The Fever Machine – La Chupacabra

The Fever Machine – La Chupacabra
Shanghai favorites the Fever Machine will be in Beijing tomorrow to hold a release party for its two-song, 7-inch vinyl record, La Chupacabra. The guys will play a free show at Temple Bar starting at 9:30 pm, with the first 60 through the door receiving a free copy of the record. (They'll play Shanghai's Yuyintang on December 1, with free records going to the first 250.) The outfit's Beijing-based label, Genjing Records, describes it as combining "the swirling, spacey elements of psychedelia with progression song structures," with "melodic pop hooks" and the "grime of stoner rock and proto-metal without buffering out the dents." See for yourself: featured here, the album's title track. Read more »

Friday Links: On censorship and China’s fading ability to speak, CBA season preview, and My Little Airport’s Beijing show tonight

White Collar Boxing
White Collar Boxing was the biggest expat event of the weekend; more pictures via the Beijinger Need something to do tonight? Our music contributor highly recommends the show My Little Airport, which is playing at MAO Livehouse as part of its “Romantic” China tour. Again, that’s tonight. Otherwise, links. Read more »