Architects gather for factory transformation

Five different projects from the Netherlands, Norway and China won top prizes at the second Architects in Mission (AIM) international competition at the end of September at Ertong, a factory that began as a pilot program under the major state-owned steel enterprise Shougang Group.

Event

To avoid crowds, go with Beijing Hikers to the border of Hebei Province and stroll around Songshan National Park. On this trip, you will climb one of the peaks of Big Haituo Mountain, the second highest spot in Beijing. Reserve your place on the bus in advance. For detailed information and photos, check out beijinghikers.com.

China Open, the next grand slam?

On Sunday, the second annual China Open tennis tournament concluded at the National Tennis Center’s main court, with two riveting matches that both went to the maximum number of sets.

A childhood dream realized

Shunzi, a Beijinger, is dumped by his wife shortly after he gets fired by his taxi company. Trying to prove he’s not a failure and eager to make money to buy a car of his own, Shunzi opens a hutong sex shop.

Wal-Mart under fire

US retail giant Wal-Mart has gotten into trouble in Chongqing by selling ordinary pork labeled as higher-quality organic meat. The scandal, known as the “green pork” incident, has led to Wal-Mart’s temporarily closure in Chongqing and a fine of 2.7 million yuan.

This is how 30 yuan was saved

Nimble Ma Jie astonished tourists when she scrambled 20 meters up a virtually sheer castle wall in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, just to dodge the 30 yuan admission fee.

Should gov’t sponsor celebrity weddings?

Shangri-La witnessed the celebrity wedding of the year recently when Xie Na, a TV host, and Zhang Jie, a pop singer, held a grand wedding ceremony – with the government footing the bill.

Li Na still a winner

Netizens have slammed tennis star Li Na, accusing the French Open champion of taking herself too seriously and not working hard enough after she suffered a humiliating defeat in front of home fans.

More than a vacation – Start-ups aim to try ideas in the market

Ask any young entrepreneur why he or she wants to start a business and most will admit the ability to schedule your own holidays is a major draw. But when taking the plunge into business ownership, time off should be the last thing on one’s mind, experts warn.

China remembers Steve Jobs

As millions of netizens flooded the microblog Sina Weibo over the past week to show their condolences for the late tech icon Steve Jobs, they raised another question: why does China not have a Steve Jobs?