Biz Scene: Biz Unusual

Live rural

Some in Shanghai have started to rent farmlands in rural areas to enjoy pastoral life in their leisure time. Lin, a senior manager of a foreign-funded company, and his wife have rented a plot for 1,000 yuan from a farmer and have been going there every weekend for a year.

Lin said this way they can breathe the fresh air, exercise, and gather agricultural knowledge. "Although it's hard work, we enjoy cultivating land."

Many farmers on the city's outskirts have begun to cash in on this new trend of "enjoying the joy of farming" and are happily renting out their land.

Kids' loos

A department store on Beijing's Wangfujing Street has opened a toilet for children only. The facilities are smaller and the washbasins lower to cater for children's needs.

Parents can accompany their children to the kids-only toilet.

Culture classes

A monk plans to offer classes in traditional Chinese culture at his temple near Wuhan, Hubei Province. Fayun, 34, said he is hoping to cooperate with Wuhan University to find 20 to 30 students for the first class.

Fayun said he expects his students will mainly be company executives and entrepreneurs, as the tuition fees will be high.

Unusual pets

A 20-year-old woman in Southwest China's Chong- qing recently opened a store specializing in unusual pets.

Yang Yi sells more than 30 types of pets including lizards, spiders and frogs. She said the business is doing well and about 70 percent of her customers are female.

Gym works out

A sports college graduate from Chengdu has been offered 3 million yuan by a local company to expand his chain of gyms.

Tang Xingwang set up his first gym in Chengdu last year and he now has three in the city.

Tang majored in gymnastics, but studied business management on weekends. His idea was to offer a gym that integrated professional gymnastics training with ordinary exercise.

(China Daily 11/06/2007 page15)