Watch out!

"Art is dangerous," says Japanese artist Moroizumi Shigeru, who makes use of thermometers without scales to create his enlightening installation works. His next big project is to build and videotape a huge, thermometer-like object that explodes under extreme heat, a symbol of global warming.

Listings: Beijing

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Community work half way to a new beginning

Since July 2003, China has been building a network of "Sunlight Community Correction" programs to provide alternative punishment for non-violent offenders.

Planning the life of my best friend's child

At my age, taking part in my friends' weddings is no longer a leisurely entertainment, but an important part-time vocation. Yet among these many weddings, how come I haven't been invited to be the bridesmaid? Recently, however, my close pal offered me an even tougher role: godmother.

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Lighting a long, dark tunnel

Li Yanming is bald, brawny and has an icy stare. The 27-year-old jokes that he looks like a stereotypical gangster - which is not far from the truth. He was jailed in 2002 for robbery but was released early in 2006 to serve time at a community correction center in southern Beijing's Daxing district.

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Dubbing finds its voice

Vocal art usually refers to singing, but when Yang Dan talks about it she means the art of voice acting. The 24-year-old fell in love with the voice while still an elementary school student. That was when she discovered Dark Justice, a Hollywood drama series and a Japanese cartoon that were dubbed into Chinese by a group of voice actors who were based in Liaoning province.

Mr Makeover brings color to our lives

On a freezing dark night, we parked at the foot of our new apartment building. It didn't take us long to realize that the security guard and a few passers-by were gazing at our window. Xiao Shu, our decoration director, was leaning by the window and counting cash.