Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, whose recent escape from house arrest was like a Hollywood movie plot has arrived in the U.S., according to CNN.
Chen, who is blind, recently escaped house arrest in the middle of the night, climbed a tall wall, hid in a pig sty, and ultimately sought refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing.
Chen arrived in New York, where he will be on a fellowship at New York University, with his wife and two children Saturday night. While Chen and his family are safely in the U.S., his family in Shandong allegedly continues to be persecuted.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said he was warned last year about an assassination plot against him, according to The Sunday Telegraph and reported by Reuters.
The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said that he was told Tibetan women trained by Chinese agents may have poison on in their hair and clothing they might approach him saying they were sick and asking for blessings. The Dalai Lama and others are unable to verify the claims.
The news comes a day before the Dalai Lama is to receive the $1.7 million Templeton Prize in London. During the bloody Tibetan Uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to Dharamshala, India where the Nobel peace laureate has served as the political head of Tibet's exiled government.
Black tread marks have been left behind on a portion of Nanjing's historic city walls after a Ferrari 458 Italia was driven over it Sunday, according to CNN.
The car was part of a publicity event scheduled for Monday to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Ferrari's entry into China. Apparently the trip on the wall, which dates to the Ming Dynasty, was unauthorized; however, China has been known to let companies hold publicity events on its cultural relics for a steep price. In October 2007 luxury brand Fendi marked its debut in China with a fashion show on the Great Wall, which reportedly cost $10 million.
Friday marks the 93rd anniversary of the May Fourth Movement (五四運動, Wǔsì Yùndòng), a turning point in China's intellectual development that can still be felt today. It is also World Youth Day, a day to celebrate youth globally with special programs and activities.
Workers across China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are celebrating Labor Day (劳动节, Láodòng Jié) today. Until 2008, Labor Day was a week-long holiday in China. It was one of the three 'golden week' holidays in China. Since 2008, Labor Day has been reduced to a one-day affair. While Labor Day is a day of rest for weary workers, the holiday surely has more significance for many people during these tough economic times.
Flight delays can be annoying, especially if you're stranded at an airport with few amenities. That's not the case at Dalian International Airport, which has hired local college students to perform cheerleading routines for travelers, according to CNNGo.
Days before Hillary Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Beijing to discuss strategic and economic issues, human rights activist Chen Guangcheng is said to have escaped house arrest and fled to the U.S. Embassy, according to a friend as reported by CNN.
Chen, who is blind and had been under house arrest for 18 months, made a daring escape in the middle of the night. The dissident's flight could strain U.S.-China ties writes Christopher K. Johnson on CNN. While Chen's whereabouts remain unconfirmed, it will be interesting to see what unfolds as U.S. officials arrive in Beijing for high level talks this week.
style="width:120px;height:170px;border:none;" /> China's former Chongqing Municipality Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai attends the closing session of the National Peoples Congress at The Great Hall Of The People March 14, 2012 in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang / Getty Images
The story of the downfall of Bo Xilai and the subsequent aftermath that resemble one-part spy thriller, one-part Hollywood blockbuster continues to be front page news in China and abroad.
This week it was reported that Bo may have spied on top China officials, according to The New York Times while his son, Bo Guagua, defended himself on The Harvard Crimson's website, saying he isn't a party boy who drives around in Ferraris and gets poor grades. However, CNN reported that the 24-year-old has received three parking tickets in the past two years in the U.S. while driving a Porsche.
Read my primer on the Bo Xilai case and learn who the major players are, what has happened and why the story is one of China's most important political scandals since Tiananmen Square.
A group of male college students in Wuhan who dress up in women's clothing has become a hit in China. The group, 愛麗絲偽娘團 (Ài lì sī wěi niang tuán, Allisi Fake Girl Group), dresses up in cosplay costumes and perform at cosplay festivals.
The photo on Want China Times is quite amusing. While the group insists that its members are straight, tolerance toward alternative lifestyles is increasing in China.
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