Society

China Scene: Boy, 3, survives 4th floor fall

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-06 08:32

West

1,141 people remove shoes to set new world record

A total of 1,141 people set a new Guinness World Record for the largest group of barefoot walkers in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Saturday.

Some other 6,000 local residents also participated in the event to finish a 4.2-km walk in the city's Biluohu Park to mark the Infinitus 2010 World Walking Day.

The Infinitus (China) Company Ltd, organizer of the event, was awarded the certificate by Marco Frigatti, head of the global records management team for Guinness World Records.

(China Daily)

 

South

NGO raises 200,000 yuan for poor students in 10 days

A non-governmental organization has managed to raise more than 200,000 yuan ($29,420) for 39 poor students in a matter of just 10 days with help from a local website in Beihai, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

After securing admission in universities, the students wrote letters to the NGO, seeking financial help to pay their tuition. The organization then decided to collaborate with a popular website to reach out to potential donators.

The response was "overwhelming", the NGO said, adding the money will be distributed among the students this week.

(Nanguo Morning Post)

Police convince lucky bank client to return windfall

Police have recovered 54,000 yuan ($8,000) withdrawn accidentally from a branch of the Agricultural Bank of China in Wanning, Hainan province, last Saturday.

A careless bank clerk mistook a 6,000 yuan deposit for 60,000 yuan and gave the wrongly typed bankbook to the client, who later withdrew 54,000 yuan.

The police traced the client and persuaded him to return the amount to the bank.

(Nanguo Metropolis Daily)

10 dogs turn doctors to 'spread joy and happiness'

Ten dogs were awarded the title of "doctor" at the 6th Dog Doctor Competition in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, last Sunday.

The Animals Asia Foundation first organized the competition in 2007 to choose well-trained dogs as "doctors" for public welfare activities, such as spreading happiness in rest homes, children rehabilitation centers and health organizations for those suffering from autism.

Dogs must go through strict tests to judge their temper, obedience and social skills to guarantee they are not aggressive.

The first batch of dog doctors has "taught" more than 1,400 students to care for animals, according to one of the examiners.

(Shenzhen Economic Daily)

44 senior citizens receive graduation certificates

Forty-four senior citizens received their graduation certificates in Chinese medicine and healthcare in Foshan, Guangdong province, last Wednesday.

An 84-year-old resident said he had studied in the college for seniors and "it was a pleasant surprise to get a graduation certificate when the courses were over after two months".

The college for seniors in Foshan will open new courses, like fitness programs and Chinese folk art, this September.

(Foshan Daily)

 

Central

Women's prison inmates present green fashion show

Inmates of the women's prison in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, recently presented a fashion show encouraging a low-carbon lifestyle.

More than 120 inmates walked the ramp showcasing diverse outfits made of plastic bags and other recyclable waste. Most of the outfits were designed by the inmates themselves.

Gu Zhiqing, deputy chief of the prison, said the fashion show aimed to provide talented inmates with a sense of direction and help them build their self-confidence.

(China News Service)

Villager in debt kills mistress before gulping pesticide

A debt-ridden man allegedly stabbed his mistress to death before committing suicide in Henan province's Songxian county last Friday.

Song Liujun, 36, a resident of Checun village, wanted to end his three-year relationship with his cousin's wife, surnamed Liu, but the latter did not agree.

Song had sunk in a mahjong debt of more than 30,000 yuan ($4,400) trying to meet Liu's needs.

After killing Liu, Song drank a bottle of pesticide.

(Orient Today)

10,000-yuan venture now worth more than a million

When seven fresh graduates in their early 20s invested 10,000 yuan ($1,470) to start a utopia-style company that specialized in fixing security alarm systems in 2006, they had no idea their venture would be worth more than 1 million yuan in the next four years.

The founders of the company, which has now ventured into construction and educational training programs as well, believe dividends divide more than uniting.

They never distribute profits. Instead, a full reimbursement policy covers shareholders' expenses, as well as their relatives' medical bills.

Li Duanpeng, the brain behind the enterprise, now serves as the company's corporate Party chief, in charge of personnel training.

The company now has more than 30 employees and owns four houses and two cars.

(Chutian Metropolis Daily)

Thieves take off with tires as family celebrates new car

While the owner of a brand new car was celebrating the purchase with her family in a hotel in Zhumadian, Henan province, thieves removed the vehicle's tires and replaced them with bricks last week.

The incident occurred just hours after a resident, surnamed An, bought the car for 82,000 yuan ($12,054).

After celebrating the arrival of the new car with a lot of drinks, the family decided to check in and spend the night at the hotel.

But when An stepped out of the hotel the next morning, she found that the body of her car was resting on four piles of bricks instead of tires.

The police have launched an investigation.

(Dahe Daily)

 

East

Blank call to neighbor saves 60-year-old's life

A mute call for help saved an old man from the brink of death in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, last Saturday.

A resident, surnamed An, received a blank call from Zhou, his 60-year-old neighbor. An called back, but could hear nothing from the other end but the sound of heavy breathing.

He knocked on Zhou's door but got no response. An then phoned the police, who broke in and found the 60-year-old man in a coma.

Doctors say Zhou is now out of danger.

(Yangtse Evening News)

Husband tries to end life after wife refuses to wash clothes

Police in Xinyun, Jiangxi province, rescued a man who attempted to drown himself recently after his wife refused to wash his clothes.

The man, surnamed Li, declared he was heading to a nearby river to end his life after a quarrel with his wife over his dirty laundry.

Li's son then phoned the police, who pulled the suicidal man back from the shoal.

Li later told the police the decision to end his life did not just ride on the fact that his wife refused to wash his clothes.

"I'm upset that I married the wrong woman. We haven't spoken nicely to each other in years," he wept.

(Jiangnan City Daily)

Guard held for emptying someone else's bank account

Police in Fuzhou, Jiangxi province, detained a man who allegedly withdrew 136,000 yuan ($20,000) from a bankcard lying abandoned in an ATM.

A man, surnamed Xia, who was in a hurry, forgot to collect his bankcard after withdrawing 1,000 yuan from the ATM.

A couple of hours later he received automated text messages on his cell phone, which claimed 136,000 yuan had been drawn from his account via nine transactions.

Xia reported the matter to the police, who pulled out images of the suspect from the ATM's surveillance cameras and tracked him down to a hotel, where he worked as a security guard.

(Jiangnan City Daily)

Man withdraws case against sister after secret opens

A man who sued his sister over their dead parents' financial assets on his wife's insistence withdrew the case after his sibling revealed a secret to him in a court in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.

The man's wife was furious when she learnt her sister-in-law had inherited all the money and property left behind by her deceased in-laws.

While the case was being argued, the plaintiff's sister told him that their parents had asked her to cash the deposit book in case her brother's family was in financial difficulties, despite the fact that they thought he had neglected them.

The man broke down in court and immediately withdrew the case.

(Yangtse Evening News)

10-year-old cooks up fiction to win sympathy

A 10-year-old boy who stole 300 yuan ($44) from his parents cooked up a story about a burglar breaking in and making off with the cash to escape punishment in Jiangyin, Jiangsu province, last week.

The boy's parents contacted the police, who found no evidence of a break-in. They cross-examined the boy and found his statements conflicting.

On being questioned again, the boy confessed he made up the story to evade a scolding.

(Yangtse Evening News)

 

North

1,000 bikers ride to temple to promote safe driving

More than 1,000 people from across the country rode their motorbikes to the Guandi Temple in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, to promote safe driving last Sunday.

This year marks the 1,850th birthday of Guandi, the God of War in China.

The bikers came from 20 different provinces and regions of China to pay their tributes to Guandi.

The event was organized by an online motorbike association, which has more than 300,000 registered members.

(Shanxi Evening News)

Boy, 3, survives after falling from fourth floor

A 3-year-old boy miraculously survived a fall from the fourth floor of a shopping mall in Baotou, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, last week.

The boy's mother had left him unattended near an escalator on the fourth floor of a shopping mall.

The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital with multiple fractures. Doctors said he will survive.

(Baotou Evening New)