Artisan hand crafts lanterns

A disorderly pile of thin iron wire, resembling spaghetti on a large plate, sits on the ground before 56-year-old Guo Erniu.

Around China

Despite the biting cold, a 65-year-old parking lot attendant in Xianyang remained at her post in the open air for an extra two hours because she did not want to leave a vehicle that had a half-opened window and visible valuables.

Kindness walls bringing extra warmth to the needy

In Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, clothes, shoes and spare household items are hanging on a pink wall.

Gulangyu island moves toward world heritage status

Gulangyu, a scenic island in Xiamen, Fujian province, is one step closer to making it onto the World Heritage List.

Official charged with murdering his mistress

Zhao Liping, former police chief and senior political adviser in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been charged with intentional homicide in connection with the death of his mistress.

Massive job loss fears dismissed

China's top economic planner has dismissed fears that efforts to shed overcapacity will generate massive layoffs, and said parallels should not be drawn with the late 1990s when 21 million workers lost their jobs.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Stallholders bid farewell to capital

A once popular market area near the Beijing Zoo closes on Thursday, bringing an end to the must-go destination.

Wholesale exodus as Beijing traders seek better future

Amid a massive plan to integrate the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, the capital's major wholesale markets are being relocated out of town to ease traffic jams and other problems created by a too-crowded city.

Relocation pioneer awaits rest of clothing industry's arrival

Chen Bingliu relocated his dressmaking company from Beijing to Hebei province's Yongqing county in July, getting ahead of the government's plan to move clothing manufacturing and other industries out of the capital.

Taking a scalpel to hospital ticket scalpers

Wu Yutian arrived at Peking University First Hospital, a renowned establishment in downtown Beijing, at 2 am after a 60-minute bike ride in a bone-chilling November wind.

My efforts were worthwhile

When I arrived at Peking University First Hospital at 2 am on Nov 25, I noticed six to eight mineral water bottles lined up in front of each of the three registration windows. It is a common method of securing places in the lines, but there was no one else in the registration hall, so I didn't know who they belonged to.