South Asia and Beyond

A Guide To Contemporary China

 A Guide To Contemporary China

‘C’mon Workers!’ Sarcastic Slogan Unites Chinese On Weibo

“C’mon workers!” This rallying cry which echoes China’s strident Communist past, has become a tool of sarcasm on social media. There have been a flood of memes and videos reflecting disillusionment with restrictive work practices. One particular two-minute video clip has caught attention. Consisting of two characters, one of them complains about overwork while the other excitedly declares that this is how it should be. “Leave being comfortable to those who have money,” he exclaims. “C’mon worker!”

Source: Radii China

‘Patriotic Films’ Edge Out Hollywood In China

Release of Hollywood blockbusters may be delayed in China due to what film analysts have dubbed as a “patriotic film-watching environment.” The Marvel movie Black Widow, which has become the highest grossing film in the US in the post-pandemic era, would normally have made inroads in the Chinese market, but its release has been put on hold. This is partly due to domestic films celebrating the centenary of the Communist Party of China and tribute films such as 1921, which grossed $13 million on its opening day outperforming other Hollywood films released at the same time. Media reports say that a total of 56 films are scheduled to be released in Chinese cinemas this summer holiday and most of them are homegrown films.

Source: Global Times

China Unveils First Automated Subway Train

China’s first standardised subway train, capable of traveling at up to 120 Km per hour, will soon enter service in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province. The train is fully automated and will not require any human intervention, China Railway Rolling Stock Corp, the manufacturing company said. It will run on a 33.4-km stretch linking Zhengzhou Airport and neighbouring Xuchang city to the south. The first model was completed on June 28. The CRRC says it plans to manufacture all future subway trains to the same standard, which has been dubbed the “China standard.”

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Source: China Daily

Life Expectancy Has Risen By 30 Years In Xinjiang: Govt

China has done everything it can to convince the world that all is well in Xinjiang. A white paper entitled ‘Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang’ was released stating that life expectancy grew by 30 years in 1949 to 74.7 years in 2019. The white paper then added that more than 40 Islamic publications in different ethnic minority languages are distributed in Xinjiang. These publications, which include the Quran, have been published in standard Chinese, Uygur, Kazak and Kirgiz languages. The document was issued by the State Council Information Office.

Source: People’s Daily

China’s Kids Want To ‘Solve It Themselves’

China is witnessing the growth of a new trend: solve it yourself shows. The trend popularised by puzzle-solving reality shows such as “Escape the Chamber” and “Star Detective”, have become hugely popular and have caused a large number of viewers to try it themselves. The result has been an explosive growth in related offline physical stores where one plays as teams or separately. Games can range from one of the players being the murderer, while others hunt for clues around the room. Other shows are more physical and require one to move across obstacles some of which can include a “war scenario.” Though Covid-19 has hit the offline escape, game online avatars have emerged to engage young minds.

Source: Xinhua

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