beijing

www.rayally.com — Chinese New Year is fast approaching as the moo of the Ox makes way for the roar of the Tiger. As the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac, it is a symbol of power and authority, which rules the other animals. Over the past few weeks red lanterns and red and gold New Year decorations have gone up across Beijing as China prepares to go Tiger crazy.

www.cityweekend.com.cn — Spring festival is the biggest celebration in China, but there’s more to the holiday than shooting off firecrackers, watching five hours of CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala while working your way through a pile of steaming dumplings. Temple fairs are rife, and are a great way to get a taste of traditional Chinese culture.

www.guardian.co.uk — One hour before Beijing's first gay pageant was to be held, police came and shut it down citing procedural inconsistencies... (+ great image!)

www.latimes.com — Using a crude sawed-off stick as a cane, Shi Yaping waited outside a government office, competing with a throng of petitioners to air her grievance over a neighborhood dispute.

The 59-year-old had traveled here from the central province of Hubei to take advantage of a centuries-old Chinese custom that grants citizens the right to bring unsettled complaints to a regional panel of inquiry.

www.timesonline.co.uk — The Times reports on Beijing's latest disincentive aimed at reigning in the launch of gutteral projectiles:

"The ubiquitous habit of spitting in China has defeated virtually every effort the authorities have made to stamp it out ... "