• Shortage of donkey skin breeds TCM fakes

  People & Stories |

  JINAN - A shortage of donkey hides used to produce the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) "ejiao" has resulted in a deluge of imitations, with around 40 percent likely to be fake.

• Beijing May Impose Winter Auto Restrictions, But Why Now?

  Issues to Talk About |

  News reports over the weekend indicated that Beijing is still considering automobile restrictions using the odd-even license plate system, on which we reported weeks ago. The question is: why now?

• Kipp's Picks: Swimful Record Release, Dim Sum Disco, Neon Zoo, and Natural Flavor

  Useful Info |

  This is the time of year when things slow down a bit to make way for the madness that is Chinese New Year, the biggest migration of human beings on the face of the planet. But the funny thing is, the party circuit in Beijing never actually comes to a complete standstill. There is still plenty to choose from this weekend with dance parties up the wazoo to unleash your freak on the unsuspecting public.

• Officials step up moves against 'zombie meat'

  People & Stories |

  A crackdown on the illegal trade in smuggled frozen meat is being intensified after reports of expired and rotten supplies being brought into the country and served in restaurants.

• Black cat and white rabbit cartoons may become Shanghai's symbols

  Issues to Talk About |

  Shanghai's two home-grown cartoons - the hero of Black Cat Detective, an animation, and the logo of the White Rabbit creamy candies - were suggested as symbols for the city by a local legislator.

• Holiday ritual offers a touch of home

  People & Stories |

  As Christmas is to Westerners, Chinese New Year - the first day of the first lunar month - is regarded as the most important festival in China.

• Rags to riches saga underlines China's transformation

  People & Stories |

  The rags-to-riches story of Chinese real estate mogul Zhang Xin is perhaps an apt reflection of China's unprecedented economic transformation over the past 30 years, but Zhang says that China's startup boom today is just as strong.

• Foreigners find tickets to ride on nation's railways are hard to buy

  Useful Info |

  Faced with the language barrier and cultural divide, foreigners are finding it hard this year to buy rail tickets in China ahead of Spring Festival.

• Battle to send out virtual red envelopes warms up

  Nice Ways to Spend Time & Money |

  China's Internet companies are scrambling to send out cash-filled virtual red envelopes for Spring Festival.

• Big data reveals Spring Festival travel rush patterns

  Useful Info |

  Big data on travel patterns shows that while many people are leaving metropolises for family reunions during the Spring Festival travel rush this year, some will be traveling in the reverse direction for the same reason.