Have you been keeping up to date with the toils and tribulations of Zhongguo? In case you haven't, we've cooked up a little potpourri of the normal, the strange and the most discussed China-related news from the past week. From white iPhones to big breasted tea pickers to finding Chinese love on the net, we've got a little bit of everything for you.

1) The Normal

Beijing Plans to Introduce 7-Day Transit Without Visa Program for Foreigners

Beijing Capital Airport recently revealed that international travelers passing through the airport may be able to stay in Beijing for up to seven days without a transit visa in the near future. Beijing Capital Airport has already submitted the “7-day Transit without Visa” proposal to the Beijing Travel Bureau. If passed, the program is expected to bring in an additional 4.54 million tourists from overseas.

White iPhone 4 Goes on Sale in China; Long Queues in Shanghai & Beijing

On April 28th, Apple began selling the white version of the iPhone 4 after an almost one-year delay in 28 countries and regions including mainland China . The launch generated a long line of customers outside Apple retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai despite the fact that the white version does not feature any additional hardware upgrades.

The price of the white iPhone 4 is the same as the black version: 16GB iPhone 4 currently costs 4,999 RMB and the 32GB costs 5,999 RMB.

Apple also announced that the WiFi Edition iPad 2 will enter the Chinese mainland market on May 6th. Three versions of the white and black iPad 2 will be available: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Prices have not been released. Read more here.

Smoking Banned in Public Places

Since last Sunday, May 1st, smoking is now strictly banned in public places, including hotels, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, game rooms, parks, exhibition halls, waiting rooms and public transport vehicles.

2) The Strange

Hong Kong Flight Attendants to Learn Kung Fu

In an effort to deal with the rowdy and occasionally drunk passengers, Hong Kong Airlines has 'invited' its staff to undergo training in wing chun, a martial art specialized in close quarter combat, while making it mandatory for the cabin crew.

With an average of three incidents reported every week on their flights, the notion of on-board entertainment is taking on a whole new meaning.

Tea Plantation Seeks Well Endowed Virgins

No, it's not a joke. In Henan, an online advertisement agency is on the lookout for a very specific profile for their tea pickers, one that may in fact be taken from tradition.

At the turn of the last century, it seems certain tea sellers selected 16 year old virgins to pick their tea leaves. The girls would then place these leaves between their breasts, thereby infusing them with the fragrance of their bodies, and the essential yin (feminine) feature.

Henan Gushi Xijiuhua Scenic Mountain Development Co., Ltd explained girls were expected to first place the leaves in their mouths before spitting them in holders placed between their breasts (see picture). Remuneration would go up to 500 RMB a day.

3) The Discussed

Survey Reveals 20% of Workers Harassed

One in five workers in China is victim to sexual harassment, according to an annual report released by Beijing Zhongze Women's Legal Counseling and Service Center.

The questionnaire results, filled by 1,837 interviewees from over ten companies across China, further showed 24% of workers had personally witnessed or heard colleagues suffering from sexual harassment.

60% of those interviewed were women.

Online Dating: A Rising Trend

According to a recent article from Time.com, online dating websites recorded 3 million paying customers in 2010, with a global revenue of 150 million RMB.

China currently has 180 bachelors, and over half of them are thought to be looking for love online. The gender imbalance, with 120 men for 100 women, and traditional values pushing for an early marriage have put the pressure on singletons, particularly men.

By Jan, 2011, the dating website Jiayuan.com recorded over 32 million registered users, while Baihe.com and Zhenai.com trailed behind with only 26 million users.

Online 'Schoolboy Bureaucrat' Divides Opinion

Huang Yibo, 13 years old, became an internet sensation, not by singing or falling adorably over like most children his age, but by speaking and acting like a government official.

The boy, who has been reading the People's Daily paper since the age of 7, has published an astounding 100 articles in various publications worldwide.

His sudden surge in popularity has been met with ambivalent responses from web users. While his blog counted over 2,000 fans within the first hours of its inception, many have been left pondering the logic and ethics of an education system morphing children at such a young age..
 

Related links
China News Watch: Interesting News from Around China
Beijing Watchdog News Round-up: Foot and Mouth, New Apps and More
Shanghai Watchdog: Avril, Murder, Heros, Openings etc.

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Keywords: round-up of strange China news weird China news may 2011 Weird news China 2011