Beijing News – Beijing – That’s Beijing

Squatter’s Rights

The return of Bar Street’s tented summer city

by Steve George, 06 August 2013

You've Never Read: Liu Guozhang

It happens sometimes: an old book, perhaps long out of print, gets a sudden new lease of life, thanks to some pop-cultural reference.

by Steve George, 06 August 2013

Chip Starnes

Bruce Willis failed to rescue a US factory owner held hostage in Beijing last month, forcing the American to “negotiate with terrorists,” (well, disgruntled staff).

by Steve George, 06 August 2013

One day in… August

August 5, 1953 and Operation Big Switch began at Panmunjom, Korea, aimed at the repatriation of remaining prisoners from both sides of the Korean War.

by Steve George, 06 August 2013

Looking into China’s Urban Myths: ‘Special’ Hot Pot

Ever wondered why you can’t get enough of those ‘delicious’ Gui jie hot pots – it’s almost as if they’re addictive or something. Well, actually, they probably are (or some...

by Steve George, 06 August 2013

When East Met Middle East: How The Chinese Changed Islamic Calligraphy

The next time you’re in a Chinese mosque, look up. If you’re lucky, the entrance will be adorned with ‘Sini,’ a Chinese version of Arabic script. Sini appears in most mosques...

by Steve George, 05 August 2013

Conjuring Snakes out of Thin Air

Wang Lin, 61, lives in a mansion painted gold in Pingxiang, Jiangxi, with three Hummers and a Rolls-Royce parked inside.

by Steve George, 26 July 2013

“I represent the Chinese dream” An interview with Guo Jingming, author of Tiny Times

Crass, materialistic, vapid, a celebration of all that is wrong with modern China – ‘Tiny Times’ has been called a lot of things, not all of them good.

by Steve George, 24 July 2013