China Scene: South

Firefighters called to help remove ring

A man surnamed Qian had to call the fire department to help remove the gold ring he had been wearing for more than 23 years in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Tuesday.

Qian, 56, called the fire brigade after local doctors failed to come up with a way to remove the ring, which his mother had given him.

Qian, who has grown fat over the years, was desperate to remove the ring because it was starting to cut into his skin.

It took only three minutes for fire fighters from Guangzhou Yuexiu district remove the ring using a special tool.

(Information Times)

Blaze lit by youngster controlled in time

Firefighters managed to control a house fire accidentally lit by a 3-year-old in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, early this week.

The fire broke out in the old wooden-frame house at about 10 am, threatening more than 10 nearby homes in the city's Suyu township in Jiangnan district.

Firefighters were on the scene immediately and had the fire under control in 30 minutes.

An investigation found that the child, surnamed Su, had accidentally started the fire while playing with matches.

(www.xinhuanet.com)

Giant pandas settle into their new home

Three new giant pandas will be ready for tourists soon at the Xiangjiang Safari Park in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The new pandas are from the Wolong Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan province and were transported to Guangzhou by plane on Wednesday.

The pandas - Bi Li, You You and Hui Hui - are expected to be ready to meet tourists by May, after they've adapted to their new environment and lifestyle. The pandas are aged from six months to two years.

The new pandas are expected to boost visitor numbers at the safari park.

(Information Times)

(China Daily 04/03/2008 page6)