 China Scene: West
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-04 07:38 Porcine quake survivor gets free insurance A pig that survived 36 days in rubble after the Sichuan earthquake has been named Zhu Jianqiang, which means "strong pig." Zhu Jianqiang was given a 10-year premium-free insurance policy last Thursday indemnifying him for 5,000-yuan ($735) should he die in a natural disaster such as an earthquake, or from accident or disease. The insurance policy was proposed by a local Sichuan province insurance company. Zhu Jianqiang was buried in the debris of a collapsed pigsty for more than 860 hours after the May 12 quake in Wenchuan county, Sichuan province. The charcoal the animal ate and rain-water it drank while trapped kept it alive for 36 days. (www.chinanews.com.cn) Grandma killer arrested 11 years after fact Local police in Hengshan county, Shaanxi province, arrested Zhang Guiping last Friday for the murder of his grandmother 11 years ago. Zhang came to a local police station to apply for a second generation ID card. When his details were found suspiciously similar to those of a man suspected of killing his grandmother in 1997, police arrested him. Zhang eventually confessed to killing his grandmother and living as a fugitive for 11 years. "I had to change my hideaways constantly, and could not get a job without the new ID card," Zhang said. (Xi'an Evening News) Rare takin makes home in Weinan mountains A takin, classified as a rare animal under first-level State protection, was seen for the first time in Weinan, Shaanxi province, recently. The sighting constitutes proof of a greatly improved local environment. The takin was seen on Monday in the Qinling mountains in Weinan, according to Wang Yaosheng, director of Weinan forestry administration bureau. "The measures we have taken to stop hunting and plant more trees in mountainous areas have improved the environment, to the extent that it has attracted wildlife. We have also recently seen leopard cubs in the mountains," the director said. (Xi'an Evening News) Medic opts for jail retirement home Yunnan police recently arrested Yu, 71, a medical practitioner from Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, for drug dealing. When Yu's father-in-law and wife died four years ago he became embroiled in a lawsuit regarding his father-in-law's estate. Later he severed ties with his daughter and son-in-law and went to Yunnan in 2006. When Yu began to suffer ill health early this year he wanted to return to Wuhan to live with his daughter, but she objected. At a loss as to how he could survive, Yu began working with drug dealers - but in the hope of being arrested and imprisoned for life, so that he would have somewhere to live out the remainder of his life. (Chuncheng Evening News) Infant declared clean after cold turkey An 8-month-old baby successfully underwent a month-long drug detoxification program while under the care of local police in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province . The baby's mother, Emu Azhi, is of the Yi nationality and lives in Sichuan province. She was arrested by Xi'an police on May 22 when found in possession of 200 g of heroin after traveling to Xi'an from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. The woman intended to sell the drug, but is also a heroin user. As her baby feeds on her mother's milk, it was affected by her habit. The woman and baby were taken to the local police station in her hometown last week. (Sanqin Daily) Cash fine on being caught in the act Zhang Hong, a resident of Chongqing municipality, was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in jail for robbery. Zhang suspected her husband Luo Liang of having an extra marital affair and tried to catch him in the act on Dec 12, last year. Zhang asked one of her female friends Chen Juan to seduce Luo in order that she could catch them in the act and obtain evidence for a divorce. The night that Luo and Chen went into the carefully selected apartment, Zhang burst in with four of her friends as additional witnesses. Zhang was so incensed at the sight of her husband naked in bed waiting for Chen, who hid in the bathroom, that she robbed him of all his money. She made her escape, but was arrested by local police three months later. (Chongqing Commercial Daily) Ancient piggy bank and coins excavated A rare ancient pottery piggy bank was found recently in Hechuan district, Chongqing municipality. The jar has a diameter of 20 cm and contains more than 1,000 coins. "From the coins inside, we believe the jar to have been made during the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907)," archaeologists said. The jar was discovered in the ruins of Houqing Temple, where archaeologists also found six layers of relics from different ages . (Chongqing Morning News) (China Daily 07/04/2008 page5) |
