1. https://thenanfang.com/author/lucyliu/
Pervert caught at GZ metro station snapping up skirt pics, his
phone had over 300 of them
Posted: 12/24/2012 2:11 pm
A woman in Guangzhou has posted the details of her experience catching a pervert
who was snapping photos of her on Guangzhou metro line 8, according to media
reports.
The woman, known online as “Yinchen Angel”, was on the metro on the evening of
December 17 when she saw a man snap an up-skirt photo. She was able to restrain
him and called police, who checked the man’s mobile phone. Turns out, perhaps
unsurprisingly, his phone was packed with over 300 pictures of female breasts and up-
skirt photos.
While being investigated, the Peeping Tom argued that all of his pictures were
downloaded from the internet. When the policemen went to check the phone again,
however, the photos had vanished. According to “Yinchen Angel”, there was an app
running on the phone that deleted the photos in an emergency if a code was not
entered, although it’s anyone’s guess as to how she’d know this. Police eventually
concluded they couldn’t prove the man had taken the up-skirt photos.
According to Huang Pengyan at the Guangdong Shenglun Law Firm, females who
find themselves the subject of pervert pics can seek help nearby or turn around and
snap the pervert’s photo and call police. The law firm, in what is becoming a
common bit of advice in China, is also urging women not to “dress too
provocatively”.
Macau teen beaten to death by swarm of angry youths just
before Christmas
Posted: 12/27/2012 1:53 pm
1

2. Macau is in shock after a brutal beating that resulted in the death of a 15-year old just
days before Christmas.
It all happened in the early hours of December 20th. After a dispute in a pub on
London Street in the well-trafficked NAPE area, two teens exited the pub. Outside,
they were attacked by “eight or nine” youths. One was able to flee, but the other,
surnamed Law, was viciously beaten in the street.
The NAPE area is a popular nightlife spot in Macau which tends to attract many
tourists. It’s also very close to major casinos like the Wynn Macau.
Among the eight suspects involved, three of them have been taken into
custody, according to media reports. They range in age from 16 to 22, and a few of
them have triad backgrounds, according to the Macau Daily Times.
Residents nearby were woken up by the noise and called the police. All the attackers
had already taken flight from the site when policemen arrived and the victim died
shortly after being rushed to the Kiang Wu Hospital. Reports said hours after the
attack, detailed information on as many as three alleged suspects including their
names, photos, addresses, telephone numbers were posted on the Internet. Police said
they were aware of the Internet information but would not confirm if they are the
suspected attackers, instead, the authority said they collected information including
video footages from CCTV nearby as well as testimony by residents and witnesses.
It’s believed some of the suspects may have quickly fled to the Mainland.
There are concerns in Macau that triads have infiltrated school campuses, and calls for
the former Portuguese territory to take action to protect students.
A 16-year old boy under pressure at school jumps to his death in
Shenzhen
Posted: 01/28/2013 6:45 pm
There are two issues that seem to continually plague this part of the country: suicides
from jumping off of buildings (Foxconn), and intense school pressure that takes some
kids to the breaking point.
People in Shenzhen believe it’s the second reason which caused the death of a 16-year
old student in Longgang District last Saturday (January 26).
2

3. Media reports say the senior high school student jumped from the eighth floor of his
complex, shocking his parents and those living below. He was quickly pronounced
dead by doctors.
Neighbors suspect the boy had an argument with this parents before taking the drastic
step to jump from his home. They say the boy, whose father is a civil servant, was
very polite. His parents refused to answer questions when asked by the media.
Reporters who have spoken with Longgang Police say the boy may have committed
suicide because of problems related to his performance in school. He had just gone to
pick up his grades at 7 o’clock that morning, and returned home early at 11am before
jumping to his death.
Some say it’s time either kids get used to the pressure, whether it be from school
or just being scolded. Others, though, say kids need to know it’s okay to fail…
sometimes. As long as you try your best.
This is why you shouldn’t leave young kids home alone: Huizhou
kids die after fire
Posted: 02/4/2013 2:58 pm
A sad story out of Huizhou today that serves as a good reminder to never leave young
kids home alone.
A boy and girl, both under the age of 10, jumped to their deaths from a 14th floor
balcony after a fire broke out in their residence in Huizhou. They were locked inside
their home by their parents, neither of whom were home at the time. Both kids died
immediately, according to media reports.
The building that caught fire had 23 floors, and was part of a new sub-division in
Huizhou. The family had apparently moved in less than a month ago, and many of the
apartments were still empty.
The parents had left the house and locked the doors so their kids were unable to leave.
When the fire broke out, staff from the estate tried desperately to pry the doors to the
apartment open while the fire was kept under control, but to no avail. As the fire and
smoke got worse, the kids crawled through wire mesh onto the balcony and jumped.
3

4. People from Huizhou Fire Department said when the firefighters arrived, two kids had
already been pronounced dead. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but
it appears the sofa in the living room caught fire first.
When the working parents arrived home, they naturally lost control, and the mother
was sent to hospital. The father declined comment.
A jilted boyfriend may have lead to bomb scare on Shenzhen
Airlines flight
Posted: 02/21/2013 3:25 pm
Another scare in the skies above China early this morning after a flight bound for
Shenzhen was forced to turn back because of a bomb scare which was likely the result
of a jilted boyfriend.
Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH9786 had just taken off from Hefei Airport in Anhui
Province when an anonymous phone call was received that a bomb was on board.
Shenzhen Airlines was informed immediately to land at the nearest possible place,
which turned out to be Nanchang Airport. Nothing unusual was found on the plane
following an inspection, media reports said.
According to Hefei Airport, a man called an airport service telephone to say a woman
on board the flight had taken an explosive item on board. The woman was identified
when the plane landed, but she wasn’t found to be carrying anything suspicious. Turns
out her boyfriend may have been angry after a conflict with the woman, and probably
phoned in the threat to embarrass her.
Lesbian couple in Guangzhou turned away at marriage registry,
holds ceremony anyway
Posted: 02/28/2013 9:20 am
4

5. You know same-sex marriage is becoming more mainstream when even Republicans
are supporting it, but it still might be a while before it’s legally recognized in China.
A lesbian couple in Guangzhou decided to test the system themselves on Tuesday
(February 26) when Jiu Jiu and A Ya appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau in Haizhu
District.
The receptionist gave them a marriage registration form and asked them to fill it out.
One side was for the groom, the other for the bride. Once the clerk realized there were
two women in front of her, she pulled the form away and said, “Only one man and
one woman can get married, based on the marriage law.” Jiu Jiu and A Ya left in
disappointment, but decided to hold a ceremony anyway, only a few weeks after
another same-sex wedding ceremony in Shenzhen.
There is an extremely small – but growing – number of people in China who are
pushing for marriage equality. A Qiang, the executive of a homosexual friends and
relatives group, wrote a 600-word letter on behalf of the group to deputies of China’s
National People’s Congress on February 25 calling for equal rights. The purpose was
to raise awareness of the issue and show why allowing same-sex marriage is good for
society.
A Qiang argued some same-sex couples in China have been together for 10 years or
more, look after each other and love each other, but lack marriage benefits. He said
issues like healthcare, property inheritance, housing, and more is all affected by
denying same-sex marriage. He said the answer is full legalization.
This is the second case of a same-sex marriage being thwarted just this week.
Another group tried to do the same in Beijing on Monday, but were turned away.
Guangzhou woman treats a simple itch with a chemical spray,
sending her into a deep coma
Posted: 03/13/2013 11:16 pm
If there’s ever a time when you should consult a doctor rather than take matters into
your own hands, this would be it.
A woman in Guangzhou ended up in a coma in hospital after trying to get rid of a
simple itch. It all began on Saturday morning (March 9) when the woman, named A
Chun, gave her home in Tianhe District a thorough clean. That’s when she noticed
5

6. her body felt itchy, as though she were being bitten by mosquitoes or ants. She put
water on her skin, then ginger water, and tried a few other things to stop the itch but
nothing worked.
That’s when she recalled that a chemical called Dichlorvos, also known as DDVP, is
supposed to be very effective at killing insects. She was feeling a sensation of insects
on her body, so applying this would make sense, right?
Well, not so much.
She sprayed two 100ml bottles of DDVP all over her body. Less than 10 minutes later,
she began feeling dizzy and started to vomit. She was sent to Wujing Guangdong
Zong Dui Hospital, where her doctor told media she quickly fell into a deep
coma. Heibei Satellite Televison reports she has since stabilized, but she’s not out of
the woods yet.
The doctor said this is the first time he’s ever seen a person suffer from DDVP
poisoning in his 20 year career. He said it’s important for patients to avoid self
diagnosing their problems, and stay away from toxic chemicals.
Meizhou firefighters help an American tourist out of a tight
squeeze
Posted: 03/15/2013 4:10 pm
Visitors to China might end up paying the “foreigner price” when they want to buy
something, but they also might get extra attention when they need some help.
The fire department in Meizhou, in Guangdong Province, was mobilized to help one
American man pull a ring off his finger. This, only days after a foreigner collapsed on
the Guangzhou metro and was given CPR from a concerned metro attendant.
It all happened on Thursday (March 14), when an American couple were touring
Guangdong. The man’s finger began to swell, apparently for no reason, and his ring
became unmovable. In quite some pain, he went to a hardware shop for help, then
went to the hospital, but nobody was able to get the ring off successfully.
Finally, they turned to a group of firefighters. By now, the man’s finger was seriously
swollen and the skin was beginning to fester. The firefighters had a close look at the
6

7. situation, then pulled out some tools to secure his finger in place and cut through the
ring to release it. After some nervous moments, it worked.
The American visitor wanted to pay for the rescue, but the firefighters all said no. He then gave
them the thumbs up and said “thank you” in Chinese.
Teacher suicide in Guangdong sheds light again on workplace
stress
Posted: 03/18/2013 4:00 pm
A sad story has emerged out of the Guangdong city of Zhanjiang that puts the
spotlight once again on stress and mental health.
On March 2, a 32-year-old male teacher in Leizhou, Zhanjiang committed suicide in
his dormitory. His family suspects his death was caused by an excessive amount of
workplace pressure. His school principal told to the media that many people are
struggling under high pressure these days, adding the teacher also suffered from
depression and was an introvert, according to media reports.
This teacher, who was not named in media reports, was a senior high math teacher in
Leizhou Number 1 Middle School. He graduated from Hubei and took part in an open
recruitment in Leizhou before being hired in 2005.
He was found with a wire around his neck and his body dangling from the iron railing
in his dorm. A note said “I would rather die than get anyone else involved.” The
police have ruled the death a suicide.
Journalists visited the teacher’s family and learned from his younger brother that he
got divorced last May. The teacher apparently had also complained to his family about
the working pressure and low pay in Leizhou.
The school responded to media enquiries by saying everyone in society is under
pressure, which is what is needed to excel.
7

8. There’s no doubt that as China modernizes and pressure increases, suicide has become
the way out for some. One expects more such cases before the spotlight is truly turned
to the importance of mental health.
Guangzhou tackles traffic congestion, will restrict non-
Guangzhou registered vehicles
Posted: 03/22/2013 10:39 am
Guangzhou aims to tackle the city’s worsening traffic problem by introducing a new
measure restricting certain vehicles from the road. (Shenzhen, are you listening?)
Under the new rules, vehicles registered outside of Guangzhou proper will be
restricted from certain roads, and the downtown core, during certain times of the day.
The speculation is rush hour traffic will be limited, for example. But as Guangzhou
Daily reports, the times and locations for the restrictions haven’t been decided yet.
The new restrictions will throw a wrench into many people’s morning commute. As
everybody knows, the PRD is a vast urbanized area, and not everybody who works in
Guangzhou lives in Guangzhou. There are thousands of people who live in nearby
Foshan, for instance, and make the daily commute. One person the paper talked to,
Mr. Guo, said he may have to buy a car in Guangzhou and register it there if he wants
to continue driving to work. Otherwise he’ll have to take the bus and transfer to the
metro, meaning waking up quite a bit earlier each morning.
On the bright side, though, the moves show the government is trying to unclog the
city’s main arteries. We’ll see if this is effective.
Parents line up overnight in Shenzhen, just for a chance to get kids
into class
8

9. Posted: 03/28/2013 2:18 pm
If you happened to pass by Shenzhen Nanshan Bilingual School recently, you’ll have
seen more than a hundred parents sitting on stools, laying down, and slouched over in
a long line-up in front of the school. They are waiting (and hoping) to get one of the
few spots at the school for their child, according to media reports. The problem is the
enrollment date hasn’t been announced yet, so the parents are waiting there “just in
case”.
Nanshan Bilingual School is a state-owned private school. It plans to recruit 100
Grade 1 students, but there are over 150 parents in line. With education being
paramount in China, parents are willing to stick it out in line for a shot at getting their
child enrolled.
Reporters learned that a few of the parents have begun playing the role of a so-called
“parents committee”, which means they write their kids’ names on slips of paper
following the order of arrival. All parents can then line up according to the numbers.
The parents are organized, too. If one family member gets tired of waiting, another
will stand in for a while. Some are reading books, using the internet, chatting, dealing
cards or playing chess to kill time. They might have to wait for another two or three
days before the enrollment time is announced.
The school told the media that there is always a conflict between the gradual growth
of student numbers and their limited classroom space. They have already expanded
from six to 12 classes.
Some parents suggested the school create an online sign-up process instead, but the
policy says that online application do not allow quota restrictions. The school master
said he hopes the education department can offer more teaching space to parents don’t
need to line-up.
Shenzhen man gets a life-saving skin graft from the
most unique of locations
Posted: 04/1/2013 2:00 pm
9

10. When somebody suffers severe burns on large portions of their body, it’s important to
do a skin graft as quickly as possible. Serious burns can lead to organ failure.
That was the case for one man in Shenzhen, named Yang Qinjie. He was severely
burned in an accidental dust explosion in October last year. The burns were so bad,
doctors said it covered 98% of his body. As such, he was in serious need of a skin
graft, according to media reports.
Doctor Xie Lihua at Shenzhen Number Two People Hospital found there were only
two places on Yang’s body that had escaped serious burns: his scalp, and his penis.
Xie, of course, turned to the scalp first. He scissored some of the skin and soaked it in
salt water. Only 1% of skin can cover 10% of the burned area. Furthermore, the skin
can easily expand evenly. But it turned out using his scalp was not enough, so Doctor
Xie finally sought the last straw –Yang’s penis.
Comparatively speaking, skin on the penis does not recover as fast as the skin on the
scalp. Thus, it can only be taken bit by bit. Fortuntately, it is said that skin in Yang’s
most burned areas has grown well and he’ll be able to leave the hospital next month.
“This is a medical miracle,” President Cai Zhiming of Shenzhen Number Two People
Hospital said. “The patient was burned over 98% of his body, but still survived. This
is a rare case in medical history in China.” The hosipital has taken Yang’s blood
sample and secretion specimens to study the changes in his immune system in order to
try and duplicate the process on other patients. They also are hoping to build a Burn
Research Institute to deal with more cases.
Guy in Guangdong grows opium poppies in the open
Posted: 04/5/2013 2:36 pm
People passing through Meihua County in Lechan, Shaoguan City recently noticed
almost 2,000 gorgeous purple flowers in full bloom in a remote vegetable plot. While
people were impressed by the flowers, nobody realized what they were until the
police happened to stop by.
10

11. It turns out the flowers were opium poppies, according to media reports. Police
moved in and eradicated the poppies, and now the hunt is on for whoever planted
them.
Meihua country is a remote, steep mountainous area in the north of Lechang. The
1,999 poppies were discovered by police doing regular patrols in the area. Planting
opium is against Chinese law, and it didn’t take too long for Shaoguan Police’s anti-
drug detachment and the Lechang criminal investigation brigade to destroy all 1,999
plants.
Police believe a villager in the area surnamed Qiu planted the poppies, and they are on
the hunt for him now. It’s believed he slipped away as soon as he knew police
discovered his crops.
Foreigner charged with bigamy for marrying a
Chinese while still married at home
Posted: 04/9/2013 12:01 pm
A British man in Guangzhou is doing the reputation of foreigners in China no favors.
The man is being charged with bigamy for marrying a Chinese woman while still
being married in the UK.
It started in 2005, when Jerry (an alias), 48, came to Guangzhou for business. His
wife Mary (alias), 49, stayed behind as a housewife in the UK. They had been married
for over 20 years and have four children together, Xin Kuai Bao reports. Mary told
reporters her husband came to China to work in the freight business.
Shortly after arriving Jerry met Luo Ting (alias). He mentioned to his wife at home
that he had met this woman, who he said was an indispensable help for his work.
Mary visited Guangzhou and met Luo Ting in the early days, so Luo Ting was aware
that Jerry was married with kids.
In October 2006, Jerry went back home. Mary read Jerry and Luo Ting’s chat records
by chance, and found piles of their intimate pictures in his computer. The two referred
to each other as “husband” and “wife”. She kept all the evidence and had a fight with
her husband before he flew back to China. At that time, Luo Ting was pregnant with
their first child. They would end up having a second as well.
11

12. In March 2012, Mary entrusted her lawyer Wang Li to report the case to the
Guangzhou Police Department. As this is the first bigamy case in Guangzhou related
to foreigners, it took many months for the process to slumber on. Early this year, Jerry
was finally arrested by the Guangzhou Police and Luo Ting was released on bail to
look after her young kids.
Wang Li told reporters that once the jury finds Jerry guilty of bigamy, he will
probably not be allowed to enter China again. It also won’t be easy for Luo Ting to
visit the UK. Therefore, it’s expected the family will be split.
Suicide affecting laowai population, too: foreigner
threatens to jump from GZ building
Posted: 04/11/2013 10:42 am
The topic of suicide has been hotly debated of late, with a teacher in northern
Guangdong buckling under the pressure of his job and several employees of Foxconn
taking their lives into their own hands. But as with all mental illness, it affects
everyone.
That point was driven home on Tuesday afternoon in Guangzhou. A Nigerian man
named Obinna, who lives and works in the city, was talked out of jumping to his own
death by his friend in Baiyun District.
A shop keeper in the area told media that Obinna showed up on the 6th floor balcony
of the residents building across from his shop at around 11am. He was seen pacing
back and forth before standing on top of the balcony’s railing threatening to jump.
The shop keeper called 110 for help, and police soon arrived and inflated an air
cushion to catch him.
Obinna stayed on the balcony for a few hours while his friend tried to talk him down.
Obinna claimed that he was robbed, but it later turned out that he was in China
illegally and working without a permit. He was scared of getting caught.
Around 3pm his friend was finally able to successfully talk him down.
Earlier this year, another expat in Guangzhou, a Brazilian model, is believed to have
committed suicide, although her family believes the circumstances of her death were
suspicious.
12

13. Find out why a Guangdong butcher is an inspiration
to students
Posted: 05/7/2013 1:00 pm
This year, 6.99 million graduates are expected to attempt to join the country’s
workforce. Most are in need of inspiration to get themselves a good job, or even just
something to pay the bills. Through creativity and daring to be different, one 24 year-
old in Zhanjiang has proven to be one of the success stories, Nanfang Daily reports.
Yang Baicheng graduated from Zhanjiang Normal University in 2012 with a degree in
computer science. He took the job with a food processing company named Number
One Aardvark that offered a decent salary and career advancement.
In the early days, they would only give him menial work such as holding signs and
handing out leaflets on the street. “Many of my colleagues left soon after a few days.
They thought doing this level of work was a loss of face,” Yang told the paper. Yang’s
colleagues wondered why a company would make college graduates do work that a
child could do.
Despite having his own reservations, with the encouragement of his boss, Yang
stayed.
Yang’s boss said: “Willingness to do jobs that other people refuse to do is the mark of
a successful person.”
After three months of doing menial work, Yang was finally authorized to slice pork.
Yang considers slicing pork an art form that requires strength and precision, so takes a
while to get good.
He is also leading the marketing department at the company’s Guangzhou west office.
His roles include training new recruits, assigning work and organizing promotional
activities in shops.
His parents don’t quite know what to make of his career as a butcher. They expected
him to return to his hometown to be a teacher, but some obscure rules got in the way.
Yang insists that his parents will be proud when he gets to the top of his company.
The lesson for graduates? Keep an open mind and be willing to start from the bottom.
A 2011 TED talk by Charlie Hoehn says something similar.
13

14. Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph did a feature yesterday on people with successful
careers that were completely unrelated to their major at university.
Tagged: DivorceFamiliesMarriagesecret divorce
Zhuhai middle school opens venting bar for stressed-
out students
Posted: 05/10/2013 11:00 am
Nanshui Middle School in Zhuhai has opened Venting Bar, a place where students can
vent anger to relieve stress. The school claims that relations between staff and
students have improved since the bar opened, Nandu Daily reports.
Venting Bar is located in a corner of the campus and takes the form of an adult-height
dummy. Next to the dummy is a sign letting students know what it is for.
According to Du Zhigang, the school headmaster, any student is free to use Venting
Bar. They can even write the source of their irritation on the dummy before beating it.
But before they leave, they must wipe it clean.
They can then turn to teachers for more discussion-based solutions to their problems.
Teachers say that students become better listeners after going to the bar.
Most students are in favor of Venting Bar. As well as giving them a means to express
themselves, it allows them to do so without damaging public property.
Cao Zeneng, Zhuhai an expert on adolescent psychology, said the bar was a good
thing, but stressed that psychologists and counselors are still needed.
It appears to be working for these students. Would such a thing be welcomed in your
place of work?
14

15. Schools in Guangzhou deal with new phenomenon –
secret divorces
Posted: 05/16/2013 11:00 am
After we told you last week about the divorce wave that is sweeping the nation, a new
phenomenon has come to the public’s attention the same week that includes
International Families Day: the secret divorce. That is when couples part without
telling their kids.
Guangzhou Daily asked 19 couples aged 35-50 who had had secret divorces why they
did it. The main reasons were:
1. They did not know how to tell their kids.
2. They worry about the impact on their children’s development.
3. They still have hopes of getting back together.
4. Living conditions are sill better for married couples.
Mr Lin and his ex-wife are both civil servants. They got divorced three years ago and
Lin moved out. Because their son was only five years old, they told him that daddy
had to work far away from home and could only come back on weekends. They
divorced due to irreconcilable differences, but still spend weekends together for the
sake of their son. However, they are aware that he will find out soon.
70% of those interviewed entrusted their grandparents, relatives or friends to tell the
kids about the divorces. A few even turned to school teachers.
Ms. He, a Grade 5 teacher at a primary school in Liwan District. Last week, Ms He
received a letter from a girl student who had just found a divorce agreement inside an
envelope. She then phoned the girl’s father.
The girl’s father confessed that he would need help from teachers, as they knew more
about how to deal with kids than he did.
Assisting divorced families has become a main task for primary school and middle
school teachers in Guangzhou. A principal in Yuexiu District told reporters that every
year, around three or four sets of parents confide in him that they have been divorced
and they don’t want their child to know.
Professor Liu Shuqian, deputy head of Guangdong Province Institute of Family
Education and secretary of the Party committee of Guangzhou University, says we are
living in a diversified society so we should adopt an open mind to a diversified family
patterns.
15

16. Guangdong graduate employment rate decreases as
record number graduates
Posted: 05/24/2013 7:00 am
This year’s graduates are expected to enter the most competitive job market in the
nation’s history, with 6.99 million of them competing to gain employment in a
slowing economy. A reporter from The Nanfang Daily paid a visit this week to several
job fairs to get an idea of exactly how tough it would be for graduates.
Wang, an accountancy graduate from Guangdong University of Finance, has been
looking for a job for almost 4 months and he graduates in just two months. A
pharmaceutical company offered him a job but the deal fell through. He is now
preparing for a second interview with a furniture company. Wang told the reporter that
more than 20 of his classmates attended job fairs with him. So far, less than half have
found employment.
The reporter attended four job fairs and learned some interesting facts. Among 700
graduates of Guangdong University’s Institute of Finance, less than 50% had found
jobs. Only around half of 45 graduates from Guangzhou University’s School of Civil
Engineering had got jobs.
The graduate employment rate is even lower than last year, according to the
provincial Department of Education.
Zheng Guijun, a Marketing major from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
remained optimistic.
“Getting a job isn’t that difficult if you have the right attitude,” said Zheng. After a
couple of setbacks, she decided to lower her standards and settle for something more
realistic. She decided to do a three-month internship in a training centre for 2,000
RMB a month. After she passes the internship, she can get 4000 RMB.
Fu Xiu learned the same thing as Zheng. She believes having a future is more
important than having a high starting salary. So she started to work in a foreign trade
company with a basic salary of 3,000 RMB last year. Now, that salary has risen by
500 RMB because she did a good job.
16

17. Careers adviser Ning Guiying said that the class of 2013 were graduating into the
toughest job market ever. “The supply of graduates from less distinguished schools
vastly outweighs the demand,” said Ning. She also pointed out that Guangdong
graduates would be competing with those from inland provinces who came here
looking for opportunities.
So the message to graduates is: be resilient, open-minded, and willing to start at the
bottom. Like this guy.
Children of migrant workers not getting enough time
with families
Posted: 05/31/2013 7:00 am
International Children’s Day falls tomorrow, but most migrant children in Guangdong
Province will not get the present they really need – more time with their parents.
According to research done by the Women’s Federation of Guangdong and the
Institute of Family Education in Guangdong, migrant workers in the province often
have to sacrifice spending time with their family just to stay afloat financially,
Guangzhou Daily reports.
A study of 2,500 children of migrant workers showed that as much as one third spent
only 7 hours a week with their parents. There were even some that got less than an
hour.
Guangdong boasts the largest number of migrant children in the country with 4
million. Seventy-five percent have below average income. Sixty percent of the parents
have no education beyond junior high school. Most work in the service industry,
manufacturing or have small businesses.
The problems A Li faces are typical of such families. She told a social worker from
Jingtai Family Service Centre in Baiyun District that she came with her husband to do
business in Guangzhou. After she gave birth to their son Dongdong 5 years ago, they
left him to be raised by his grandparents in their native Hunan Province.
Because business has been getting better, they brought Dongdong to live with them in
Guangzhou a month ago. Dongdong has been acting strangely, screaming for no
apparent reason and pulling at his hair and clothes while crying, but A Li and her
husband are too busy with work to give him the attention he needs.
17

18. The social worker found that Dongdong suffers from anxiety disorder and needs
regular psychological counselling.
Guo Li, Associate professor of public health at Sun Yat-sen University and director of
the Institute of Family Education says migrant families should work with social
workers to help their children overcome psychological and behavioural problems.
Guo also stressed that it is important that children establish strong relationships with
their parents at ages 0-3.
Zhou Youying of the Women and Children’s Federation of Guangdong believes the
key to dealing with children of migrants is to eliminate prejudice and discrimination
based on urban and rural identities, advocate social equality, and respect children’s
rights. Zhou also emphasised the importance of allowing migrant families to have
access to education, medical care and social security.
Widely respected midwife and government official
dies in Guangzhou aged 99
Posted: 06/7/2013 7:00 am
Huang Yizi, a barefoot midwife who lived one of the most extraordinary lives of the
twentieth century, passed away in Guangzhou on May 23, Guangzhou Daily reports.
She was 99 years old.
As well as delivering around 3,200 babies as a barefoot midwife, that is a midwife
who travels from village to village to deliver babies, Huang was the only deputy of
the third National People’s Congress of eastern Guangdong from 1964 to 1974. She
attended the National Day rostrum ceremony with Chairman Mao throughout the
1960s and was invited to attend a state banquet with Zhou Enlai.
Born into a peasant family in Xingning in Guangdong in January 1914, Huang did not
even have a name until she was well into her adulthood. Her family name was Huang
and she was the second child in her family, so she was named Huang Er. After she
grew up, the villagers called her Huang Erjie. When she was identified as cadre
material, she was named Huang Yizi because that is what the Hakka name Huang
Erjie sounds like in Mandarin.
18

19. Despite her illiteracy, she impressed with her contagious enthusiasm. Huang joined
the Communist Party in 1952 and was assigned to be trained in modern midwifery.
When she had completed her training, she would go from village to village with her
toolkit delivering babies. At that time the infant mortality rate was very high. But after
completing 80 successful deliveries, Huang’s reputation had been established.
Liu Duoxin, Huang’s second son, told the newspaper about some of his childhood
memories. “Often, villagers would knock on our door in the middle of the night. If
their knocking didn’t wake us up, then the dog’s barking would.” Liu went on to say
that her mother would get up and help the villagers, whatever the weather.
“Back then, the country roads were so rough that they would have to light a torch to
make their way to where the pregnant women waited,” said Liu.
By the time she retired in the early 1990s, Huang had helped deliver 3200 babies.
According to Liu, Huang often worked for free. Most of the time, she just got one or
two Mao to cover the cost of medical instruments. Sometimes, she would bring rice
for the patients’ families because everybody was poor at that time.
From 1958 to 1982, Huang served as Director of the Women’s Unit in Nibo
Commune and Deputy Secretary of the Party branch among other roles. According to
Liu Huanbin, Huang’s eldest son, she was so respected that she would sometimes be
called in to help settle domestic disputes.
*Note. Initially we said Huang was born in Xining in Qinghai Province. Actually, she
was born in Xingning in Guangdong Province.
Man released after being jailed for holding woman
hostage to pay his mom’s medical fees
Posted: 06/21/2013 7:00 am
A man who, along with his brother, kidnapped a woman in Guangzhou in 2009 to
raise money to pay the medical fees of his critically ill mother has been released,
Information Times reports.
After kidnapping the woman and engaging in a stand-off with authorities in Baiyun
District’s San Yuan Li, elder brother Zhang Fangshu was sentenced to 5 years and 6
months in prison. He had to “see off” his mother via webcam when she died in 2010.
19

20. On Wednesday, his last day in prison, Zhang could not help but sob when talking
about his mother. He told media: “These years in prison have given me a chance to
confess to my crimes and admit my mistakes.”
Zhang entered Lechan prison in April 2010. He was given a commutation on Feb 29
last year and another on May 22 as well as getting 35 awards and 5 appraisals. Zhang
passed all assessments without dropping one point, according to Deputy Prison
Warden Mr. Li.
He had mixed feelings about his early release. “I don’t feel like going out of here as
much as when I first came. Don’t get me wrong. I am happy to be out, but without my
mother at home, there is nothing waiting for me,” said Zhang.
Zhang told the reporter he would find a job in Guangdong instead of going back to his
hometown right away because he could not yet afford the fare and other expenses.
He emphasised that his willingness to talk to the media was due to his desire to make
it clear how sorry he was. “I hope people can understand me. I feel really guilty about
my crime. I still remember the girl’s name and her looks. Hopefully, I can apologise to
her in person”, he said.
US doctors in Texas will soon control a robot
operating on patients in Shenzhen
Posted: 07/3/2013 11:00 am
Patients in Shenzhen who want medical attention from American doctors will no
longer have to fly halfway around the world to get it.
Under a new agreement, US doctors will be able to control advanced robots at
Shenzhen People’s Hospital to perform surgery remotely. The deal is between the
hospital in Shenzhen and the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, and also covers
cooperation and the training of medical staff.
The biggest part of the deal, though, centers around the ability of US-based doctors to
conduct surgical operations on Shenzhen-based patients. Methodist Hospital boasts
some of the most advanced surgical apparatus in the world, such as these surgical
robots, Shenzhen Economic Daily reports.
20

21. US Health News described the robot, which resembles an oversized carpet cleaner, in
this July 2009 article:
Robots are increasingly making their mark in the operating room, too. Originally
approved for general abdominal procedures like gallbladder removal, robotic surgery
—the surgeon manipulates computer controls rather than a scalpel—is now used for
heart and prostate cancer surgery, gynecologic procedures, and bariatric surgery,
among others. With the help of a tiny camera inserted through an incision “port,” a
surgeon can see the surgical field onscreen as he sits at a console in the operating
room, from which he guides the robot’s instruments, also inserted through ports.
Someday, the doctor guiding the robot could be sitting at a console literally across the
world from the patient. If remote surgery eventually becomes commercially available,
many lives might be saved in hard-to-reach locations, from remote islands to
battlefields.
Sun Tong, who is responsible for international affairs at the Methodist Hospital, said
the hospital has four surgical robots in operation.
Yang Song, President of Shenzhen People’s Hospital, revealed that some staff have
been selected to learn English and train in Houston. They are expected to start flying
out this year.
The Methodist Hospital performed its first operation remotely through the use of a
robot in 2004, and it was a success. There’s no word on when the robots will be
deployed in Shenzhen.
Jieyang becomes third airport in Guangdong to offer
flights to Taiwan
Posted: 07/9/2013 4:38 pm
There are now three airports in Guangdong from which you can fly to Taiwan.
The maiden flight from Taichung to Jieyang Chaoshan Airport took off on July 6,
Guangzhou Daily reports. Jieyang follows Guangzhou and Shenzhen in being able to
offer flights to Taiwan and the flight takes just 1 hour.
21

22. There will be flights from Taichung to Jieyang Chaoshan every 6 days courtesy of
Mandarin Airlines. The planes will hold 104 people, single tickets will cost 1500
RMB including taxes and round trip tickets cost 1960 RMB including taxes.
The flight captain, Lin Changhui, said Taichung is located centrally in Taiwan and
offers easy access to most of the island’s popular tourist destinations.
Before this route opened, travellers between the two cities would have to change at
either Hong Kong or Xiamen.
Qianhai moves forward with establishment of
arbitration court
Posted: 09/24/2013 7:00 am
Qianhai, a special zone on the outskirts of Shenzhen that has been widely tipped to
become “South China’s Manhattan,” has set up an international arbitration court.
The Shenzhen International Court of Arbitration opened in the 15-square-kilometer
special zone on Sunday (Sept. 22), Southern Metropolis Daily reports. Its role will be
to settle international legal disputes.
What Qianhai is expected to look like when it’s up-and-running, courtesy of Google
Images.
22

23. Over one third of its council members and arbitrators are lawyers from Hong Kong or
overseas, who can serve as arbitration agents in Qianhai, providing legal services for
Chinese and foreign clients. Of the 11 council members, four are from Hong Kong or
overseas.
There are 525 arbitrators from 29 different countries and regions, 34.3% of which are
from outside of mainland China. Policy makers hope that this will strengthen
confidence in its independence, neutrality and impartiality.
Tagged: ManhattanQianhaiShenzhen Court of International Arbitration
Elderly mother in Shenzhen successfully sues son for
failing to visit
Posted: 11/12/2013 4:27 pm
And you thought the United States was litigious…
An elderly woman in Shenzhen has successfully taken advantage of a new law called
the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Elderly People, enacted on July
1, which requires adult children to visit and care for their ageing parents.
A Henggang court has given a preliminary verdict saying a son needs to visit his mother at least
once a week after she filed suit. It’s said to be the first case in Shenzhen in which an elderly parent
has sued his or her child for irregular visit since the bill was enacted, Shenzhen Special Zone
daily reports.
The plaintiff is an 80-year-old mother surnamed Liu, who lives in Longgang. She has a son,
surnamed Li, and five daughters. After her husband died in 2011, Li rarely visited his mother,
leaving her to wash her clothes and clean the house by herself. Even when sick, Li did not send
her to the doctor in a timely fashion.
She wasn’t all alone, however; her daughters took turns visiting and looking after her. After a few
years, Liu moved in with one of her daughters, April. Even then, Li sent no money and visited
infrequently. That’s when Liu decided to take advantage of the new law and file suit against Li,
demanding weekly visits.
In considering its decision, the court pointed out that the bill says “family members should
frequently visit the elderly.” Therefore, it was ruled Li’s neglect is not only against the law, it
violates the ethics of Chinese society. Even still, Li refuses to obey the order and has appealed the
decision to a higher court.
Photo credit: China Daily
Tagged: billElderlyfamily responsibilityLawsuitlonelyShenzhen
23

24. Shenzhen parents can now abandon babies with ease
at new facility
Posted: 11/26/2013 2:16 pm
Infanticide and child abandonment are becoming more common problems in China,
creating all kinds of challenges for police and caregivers. To tackle the problem,
Shenzhen has found a rather unique solution: open a facility where disgruntled parents
can drop off their newborn, then walk away with no regrets.
Yang Cheng Evening Daily reports a program called “Qi Yi Dao” was finalized on
Sunday, according to the director of the Shenzhen Social Welfare Centre Tang
Rongsheng. It is slated to open next year as the first facility of its kind in Guangdong.
Translated as “Baby Safety Island”, the facility will be similar to baby
hatches elsewhere. For background, we refer to the ever-trustworthy Wikipedia:
A baby hatch is a place where people (typically mothers) can bring babies, usually
newborn, and leave them anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared for. This
kind of arrangement was common in the Middle Ages and in the 18th and 19th
centuries, when the device was known as a foundling wheel. Foundling wheels were
taken out of use in the late 19th century but a modern form, the baby hatch, began to
be introduced again from 1952 and since 2000 has come into use in many countries,
notably in Germany where there are around 100 hatches and in Pakistan where there
are over 300 today.
In Germany, a parent simply approaches the facility, drops off the kid, and then
presses an alarm which notifies staff a new baby has been dropped off. It will then be
cared for with the goal of finding it a loving family.
Yang Jianchan, a government official in Shenzhen, said the facility is needed in the
city. “Shenzhen has many migrant workers, and many Guangdong people prefer to
have a son rather than a daughter. This program could encourage parents to abandon
baby girls in a much more safe way.”
Tang doesn’t think building a “Baby Safety Island” will wipe out such
inhuman behaviour, but it could improve the survival rate of abandoned babies. He
also stressed the facility will have a 24-hour watch system.
Update 3:32pm
24

25. Twitter user @williamnee has pointed to a documentary done on abandoned babies in
South Korea. In this case, a pastor has left a box outside of his home in which parents
can leave their babies.
The video has been done by a group called Journeyman Pictures. Check it out.
Tagged: abandoned babybaby hatchChinafoundling wheelinfanticideQi yi daoShenzhenshenzhen
social welfare centretang rongsheng
Guangzhou-Shantou highway to open up eastern
Guangdong
Posted: 12/10/2013 2:00 pm
A new highway is under construction that will open up eastern Guangdong. Right
now, the only way to travel to the eastern part of the province is via the Shenzhen-
Shantou highway, which gets incredibly clogged during holidays with Chaoshan
people heading home. That congestion should be eased somewhat in 2015, when the
Jiebo Highway is completed.
Nanfang Daily reports the name of the new road refers to either end of the highway,
which extends from Jiexi to Boluo. The Guangdong Provincial Communication
Group told the paper the project started in June, and will be the second major
thoroughfare connecting the PRD with the Shantou area.
Travelers on the Jiebo highway will take only four hours to get from Guangzhou to
Shantou, one hour faster than when using the Shenzhen-Shantou highway. It will also
help open up eastern Guangdong – which is beautiful – to a bit more tourism and
development.
25

26. Foreign English teacher in Guangzhou jailed for 8
months for stealing
Posted: 12/17/2013 6:39 pm
An American teacher at a university in Guangzhou has been sentenced to eight
months in prison and fined 10,000 yuan after breaking into a fellow foreign teacher’s
room and stealing over 90,000 yuan in April. The teacher, identified as Foster, told
Yuexiu District People’s Court that he was ignorant of Chinese law and asked for
leniency, Zhengyi Wang reports.
Foster, 39, who has a Master’s of Education first came to China in 2002 and began
teaching English at the university in 2008. On the evening of April 14, Foster sneaked
into his colleague John’s room from the window and stole $14,352.00, HKD $ 2,440
and an AP travelers check of $400.00 (The combined total was worth 91,673.600
RMB).
On the morning of April 15, Foster was arrested and returned everything he stole.
John, the victim says, “I have been in China for over 10 years. I have always put my
cash in my bedroom and bring it with me when I go back to America. I didn’t know
we could deposit foreign currency into a Chinese bank.”
Foster confessed to stealing the money, saying his mother’s birthday was coming up
and he needed to go back to America. He claimed in court that he thought if a suspect
returned the money and confessed then the punishment would be lenient. He said: “I
am not familiar with Chinese law but I am hoping the Chinese judicial system can
give me a lenient sentence.”
Tagged: Foreign teacherstealing moneywaijiaoYuexiu District People's Court
PRD’s “Self-dressed women” close to dying out
Posted: 01/13/2014 7:49 pm
The “self-dressed woman,” literally self-combed woman, is a phenomenon that
emerged in the Pearl River Delta during the late Qing Dynasty. The women are
characterised by wearing their hair in a bun, never marrying, being self-sufficient and
having little material wealth. Last week, China News reported on what it calls the last
26

27. three surviving self-dressed women in Zhaoqing, which has long had the highest
number of the women.
According to Liang Guiming who works in the civil affairs bureau of Duanzhou
District, one of them is on a pension and two are on government assistance.The
women receive free physical examinations and often get visits from armed police, a
group that they have a historical affinity with. The concept of being a self-dressed
woman has its roots in resistance to feudalism and misogyny. Armed police have
always been among the few groups of men they have good relations with.
Hou Ailing, the dean of Chengzhong community accompanied a Chinanews reporter
to visit two of the women. Sun Ying, 88, told the reporter she is a native of
Huanggang Shatou Village. Her father died when she was young and at the age of 18,
she followed in the footsteps of her older sisters to become a “self-dressed woman”.
After that, she lived as a self-dressed woman with her six sisters, all of whom were of
a similar age.
Another, Liang Yueming, 81, is unusual among self-dressed women in that she is from
a wealthy background. When she was born, a fortune teller told Liang’s family that
she would bring them bad luck. She was subsequently sent off and raised to be a self-
dressed woman from the age of just 1. Now, Liang lives with her adoptive daughter
and son-in-law. Her granddaughter is a white collar worker in Guangzhou.
Self-dressed women have traditionally gathered at the nunnery Jun’an Bing Yu Tang,
the most famous nunnery in Shunde. It became the Women Culture Museum in
December 2012. Shunde has its own strong tradition of self-dressed women. One such
woman is Ouyang Huanyan, whose extraordinary life was the subject of this 2011
feature in China Daily. Ouyang spent more than 40 years as a domestic helper to
Singapore’s most prominent family – the Lee family – which has produced two of the
country’s prime ministers.
Nowadays, although there is considerable stigma attached to being a single woman,
there are fewer obstacles to a woman becoming self-sufficient, even if China is still
some way away from becoming a society free of misogyny.
Guangzhou panhandler brings a camel to help make
some money
Love or hate Guangzhou, the city certainly doesn’t lack for colourful entertainment.
27

28. Take last Thursday afternoon for example: according to a story in the Yangcheng
Evening Daily, as people shuffled past the entrance of Huimin Primary School,
located at 182 Zhongshan Road, they were confronted with the unusual site of a
camel. Fastened to a nearby lamppost, the camel was accompanied by a homeless
man begging for money. According to the man’s sign, he suffers from epilepsy, a brain
tumour and needs money to care for his crippled mother.
Speaking to a local hawker, the reporter was told that the man often made an excess of
RMB 1,000 per day, and was known to wander with the camel throughout the city.
Some passersby noted that they encountered the man a few days before in Baiyun
District. Apparently, the man has a habit of striking the camel when no one will give
him money; but, it remains unclear whether this strategy is successful in obtaining
donations.
While there’s no word on where the man keeps his camel or how exactly the poor
beast found its way to downtown Guangzhou, believe it or not, this isn’t the first time
a camel has been used to drum up money for panhandlers. Last November, there was
a similar case in the city of Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province. Is it safe to say that
camel-begging has officially become a trend?
MAN SMUGGLING DOZENS OF CHINCHILLA PELTS CAUGHT AT
SHENZHEN CUSTOMS
http://www.thenanfang.com/blog/man-smuggling-dozens-of-chinchilla-pelts-
caught-at-shenzhen-customs/
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