Rising demand for face masks transforms Shandong village

Every cloud has a silver lining - even clouds of smog, as factory owners in an eastern Chinese village have discovered.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Bad traffic slows return journeys

Traffic slowed to a crawl on major highways on Thursday as tens of millions of people returned home after the Spring Festival holiday.

Calls to return 'veteran' to China

The case of a Chinese man, reportedly a veteran soldier, who has been unable to leave India for 54 years has triggered calls on social media for him to be repatriated.

Nation plays bigger role in global health

From exporting low-cost, effective vaccines to sending doctors to combat outbreaks of disease, China is increasingly benefiting the world with its enhanced medical capacities and expertise, according to an international health expert.

Ticket scalpers vanishing from train stations

Ticket scalpers, once the scourge of Spring Festival train travelers, have seen their profits derailed by online booking services and the rapid expansion in high-speed rail.

'Migrant city' of Dongguan most empty during festival

Dongguan, one of the major production centers in Guangdong province, was ranked the emptiest city on the mainland during the Spring Festival holidays, which ended on Thursday.

Drug gang suspects die in shootout

Two drug suspects were killed in a shootout with police and 330 kilograms of narcotics were confiscated in the Yunnan province incident, China's National Narcotics Control Commission said on Wednesday.

Smog returning to Beijing area

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and neighboring regions are forecast to see heavy air pollution starting on Thursday and lasting for three days as a result of climatological conditions and holiday fireworks, officials said.

Mountain porters carry on tradition

Just before Spring Festival, Lu Hong, 47, shouldering a load of over 50 kilograms on a carrying pole, finished his journey of more than 3,000 steps up Mount Tai and took a well-deserved rest. As a porter on Mount Tai in eastern China's Shandong province, Lu has to slog up the winding mountain road two or three times every day during busy seasons.

Shanghai lawmakers: Put the brakes on illegal bike parking

Legislators and political advisers in Shanghai have urged the government, bike-sharing startups, and cyclists to jointly solve the problem of illegal parking of hired bikes as the problem grows throughout the city.

Advocates united in search for solutions

While most young Chinese are enjoying time off with their families during the Spring Festival holiday, 20 were in New York working with their peers from around the world on solutions to global problems.