The Tianjin Blast and the Art of Disaster Management

An aerial picture of smoke rising at the site of the explosions is seen at the Binhai new district, Tianjin
“Thanks to the hyper-paranoid system, authorities are doing themselves further disservice by fighting another fire online, badly.” The Oriental Star ferry “disaster management” model, in which the goon squad manages to seize control of the information spigot early on and develops the subsequent narrative, is not the “new normal” in China that some may have... Read more »

Incredible Sights And Sounds From The Tianjin Warehouse Explosion

Tianjin explosion 2
Tianjin was woken last night by a massive warehouse explosion that killed at least 44 and injured 500 others -- numbers which will surely rise in the coming days. As authorities investigate the cause -- was it arson? -- we sit here sifting through some amazing photos and videos of the incident. You may have seen some of these already. But they're worth another look.

Good Laowai In Tianjin Lend A Dozen Helping Hands

Ultimate Frisbee players help move van
Sometimes, when life throws you an obstacle, simply call on a dozen people to move said obstacle out of the way. In Tianjin on Sunday morning, a van parked in front of a building blocked a coach bus from leaving the enclosed lot via the only road out. That bus happened to be carrying more than two dozen Beijing Ultimate Frisbee players who were in town for a tournament. They had an idea.

“One of The Worst Nights Of My Life”: The Disastrous Electric Castle Halloween Party In Tianjin [UPDATE]

Tianjin castle party disaster2
"The environment seemed to make everyone adopt this crazed animalistic nature" --Tianjin Electric Castle Party attendee ~ Did hundreds, possibly thousands of expats — including promoters Street Hustle Promotions, ticketing agency Send Me Tickets, and local magazines — get swindled by organizers of the worst China party of the year?