#ghost bus of beijing

[k3llyyyyyy]

[moonmausoleum]

The Disappearance of Bus 330 in Beijing

In China they tell about an urban legend about the disappearance of Bus 330 or the last bus to Fragrant Hills that involves both a ghost story as well as a murder mystery. 

In China they tell about an urban legend about the disappearance of Bus 330 or the last bus to Fragrant Hills that involves both a ghost story as well as a murder mystery.  One of the most famed urban legends from China is the mysterious story about the bus that disappeared and the close call one of the passengers had to become one of the victims of something supernatural if we are to believe…

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Beijing's ghost bus

While there are more than a few variations on the story, like what number the route was, the story generally goes like this: A bus is traveling late at night, around midnight, and it's the last one of the evening. Two men flag down the bus, and even though the driver is reluctant to pick them up since they're not at a stop, he acquiesces and lets them on anyway. 

But, it turns out, it's actually three men. The two are holding up another one who appears to be in rough shape. It also turns out that all three of them are extraordinarily pale, and wearing garb from the Qing Dynasty (which lasted from 1644 through 1911). The bus driver apparently explains it away by claiming that the three are actors who didn't have time to change after work.

As the bus slowly empties out, it gets down to a young man and an elderly person (which has been both a man or a woman, depending on the story). Out of nowhere, the older person picks a fight with the young man, claiming that he stole his wallet and forcing him to get off at the next stop to go to the police. Upon disembarking, they tell the young man that the fight was a ruse to help them get off the bus: apparently the three men on the bus hadn't been touching the ground. Some versions claim that the men didn't have legs at all. The two go to the police to report the alleged spirits, but get ridiculed.

However, the next morning they find out that the bus never completed its route. Some versions state that the bus was never found, while others claim that the bus was found days later with three severely decomposed bodies inside.

[mecthology]

The Bus To Fragrant Hills….a Chinese urban legend.

On November 14, 1995, a dark night and possibly stormy night, a young man boarded the last bus heading to Beijing’s Fragrant Hills, located in Haidian District. 

Shortly after the man boarded the route 302 bus, two men tried to wave the bus down. The bus driver was initially reluctant to pick the men up because they weren’t waiting at a bus stop, however the driver decided to stop after the conductor reminded him that it was the last bus.

Once the mysterious roadside men were on board, passengers were surprised to see they were wearing Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) robes and that there were actually three men – one, with long messy hair,  being supported by the two roadside creepers. 

As the story goes, the men’s faces were much whiter than a normal person’s and they didn’t interact with any of the passengers on the bus. Naturally, commuters were a bit uneasy with the whole situation.

Slowly the bus began to empty of passengers, until only an old lady and the young man remained inside with the mystery men. All was quiet until the old woman abruptly accused the man of stealing her wallet – a claim that resulted in an intense argument. The quarrel was resolved when the old lady insisted the pair get off the bus and go to the nearest police station. 

Once off the bus, the young man grew enraged with the old woman, realizing he had just got off the last bus and that there was no police station in sight. Fortunately for the young man, the elderly woman picked up on something he had missed – the three robed men did not have legs and, by default, must have been ghosts.

“The wind coming in from the window raised their robes, and I saw they didn’t have feet!” the old lady told the man.

The following morning the 302 bus was reported missing and it would be three days until it was found. The bus was eventually recovered in a reservoir miles away from its final destination at Fragrant Hills and inside it were three heavily decomposed bodies – the driver, the conductor and one unidentified body with lengthy, unkempt hair.

Follow @mecthology for more scary tales and lores.👹 DM for pic credit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTj-ISfFmwl/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tripleaxeldiaz]

maybe one day i’ll fly next to you

chapter 6/8

read on ao3

start from the beginning

Eddie gets cleared with two weeks to spare, and they celebrate by making out on Buck’s couch for so long it actually starts to hurt.

Buck can admit that as excited as he was to give this thing of theirs a go (“You can call me your boyfriend, Buck, it’s not a bad word”), there was still a part of him that was nervous. Nervous about how it would affect him, would affect both of them, especially now, when they’re physically and emotionally exhausted as they hurtle closer and closer to Beijing. For the first week, Buck kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Eddie to realize this was a mistake and break it off cleanly, before they got in too deep. He knows what a monster he can be when he’s strung out on stress, and only Maddie has ever been able to see past the short words and shorter temper and get him to breathe again. 

But one day, after an awful practice that brought the monster out in full force, Eddie found him hiding out in the locker room, fuming by himself and at himself. He didn’t chastise him like he could have (like he should have), didn’t tell him he was overreacting or that he was too much. Instead, he did what had become such a pillar in their friendship: he sat next to Buck and waited. And when all the anger and frustration finally seeped out of him, Eddie was there with a warm, solid, grounding hand to pull him back to his feet and away from the edge he was mentally leaning over. No judgement or invalidation, just genuine empathy. 

And that’s all it took for it to slot into place for Buck. That no matter what, they’re friends — best friends — first, and their very unique life paths means they understand each other on a level that no one else can. Being boyfriends just means they get to do more fun things together now, like making out on couches like the real teenagers they never got to be.

The weeks after Eddie’s clean bill of health fly by, and they’re heading to Lake Placid before he knows it. Buck’s excited — he’s always excited for Nats — but he also feels a looming sense of foreboding, like any minute, something is going to go terribly, terribly wrong. The last time he competed here was four seasons ago, when he won his last Nats gold, two weeks before shattering his leg and Olympic dreams in one fell swoop. Who’s to say it won’t happen again? Maybe the universe has decided that the Olympics are not for him, and this weekend will result in a last place finish or another injury or something else that takes everything away from him again.

He feels a warm palm against his and a squeeze, looks up to see Eddie watching him, framed by the snowy mountains whizzing by the bus window. His brow is creased in worry, like he can see the storm starting to swirl in Buck’s head. That worry, the way Eddie knows him, is strangely grounding, pulling him out of his dark cloud enough to actually enjoy the view of upstate New York they have as they make their way to their hotel.

The pre-competition routine is easy, familiar, and Buck lets himself get lost in it, block out any and all doubts that keep trying to sink their claws into him as the weekend gets closer and closer. Eddie’s there every step of the way too, not at all the distraction Buck had been worried about for way too long, but a welcome calm in the clusterfuck of his emotions, something for him to hold onto and gravitate back towards when it all starts to be too much. He can’t believe he survived this season — or any other season — without this to balance him out, but he knows for a fact that he’s never letting it go.

It’s the morning before shorts, and Buck is woken up by obnoxious pounding on their hotel room door. He feels a groan rumble through Eddie’s chest where it’s pressed against his back, smirks as he feels his arms wrap tighter around his waist.

“If we’re quiet enough, maybe they’ll go away,” Eddie whispers.

“Get up losers, we know you can hear us,” Chim yells through the door. Buck throws back the covers, chilly morning air making him even more irritated, and yanks the door open, coming face to face with Chim and May.

“Oh thank god, he’s wearing pants,” May sighs in relief.

Buck squints an eye at her. “It’s 8:00am, what could you possibly want from us this early?”

“It’s team bonding day,” Chim says with a grin. “We’re going to Mirror Lake. Grab Eddie and your skates and meet us at the bus in 15.”

“What if we had our own plans?” Buck asks, crossing his arms. “How do you know we weren’t gonna spend all day in bed having—” A hand clamps over his mouth from behind him before he can finish.

“We’ll see you guys down there,” Eddie says. He shuts the door on them and pinches Buck’s side, turning toward his suitcase to find clothes.

“What?” Buck asks, laughing. “I was gonna say having a movie marathon, you didn’t let me finish.”

That earns him a sweatshirt thrown at his head, but Eddie’s looking at him all fond and soft when he throws it, so Buck’s not complaining.

Mirror Lake is the very definition of “winter wonderland” — the ice seems like it’s never ending, so clean and smooth you almost feel bad skating over it. Mountains and forests surround it on all sides to hide it away from the rest of the world, and Christmas lights are still strung up in the trees and around houses. It’s fairly empty this early, just a small group of kids playing a pickup game of hockey near one of the inns. A dusting of snow covers and muffles everything, bringing a sense of stillness and calm that’s unmatched anywhere else.

Buck takes a deep breath and revels at the bite he feels in his lungs. All the thoughts and voices filling his head finally quiet down, and he can just be here, enjoy this time with his friends without worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow or next month. He knows it won’t last long, will all come flooding back as soon as they leave the lake, but he’s going to soak it all in while he can. 

He’s fallen behind the group a bit as they spread out, taking in the sight of everyone — Maddie and Chim holding hands and matching strokes like always, Hen and May making up some kind of obstacle course, Bobby and Athena lost in deep conversation as they glide. He keeps looking until he spots Eddie, a little ways from the group, moving and spinning to the music only he can hear in his head. He’s as graceful as ever, confident in every movement, but there’s peace in him too — he’s at ease, free from the pressure of competition and perfection that Buck knows rests so heavily on his shoulders. The early morning sun bathes him in golden light, but it’s nothing compared to the smile sent his direction when he catches Buck watching.

He’s so beautiful it actually takes Buck’s breath away.

Eddie makes his way back to him, the light following in his wake. His smile is even brighter up close, but Buck only gets to enjoy it for a moment before he’s being pulled into a kiss so sweet and slow and perfect it makes him dizzy. Eddie pulls away just as quickly as he came in, the smile replaced with a smirk, and Buck barely registers the words “Race ya!” before Eddie’s speeding off to the other side of the lake. He’s stunned for a minute before he pushes off too, catching up with Eddie and doing his best to cut him off the rest of the way. Their laughter echoes off the mountains, surrounding them in their own joy, and Buck for the life of him can’t remember the last time he was this happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie’s in first and Buck’s closing out the group, because apparently the universe gets a kick out of watching him suffer.

They’ve been in this same situation so many times before, and he used to be able to turn his irritation at another flawless skate from Eddie into determination, propelling his own skating to be as close to perfect as possible. Now, though, he feels...proud. And happy for Eddie, because despite the weeks out and any lingering pain, he was flawless again — everything perfectly landed and rotated, a commanding presence on the ice. It’s a weird feeling, but it’s also nice, especially when Eddie winks at him and mouths good luck as he makes his way to the kiss and cry, and Buck’s whole body fills up with giddy butterflies.

Turns out butterflies work better than anything else for him — he’s 10 points in first place after shorts, and he feels so electric, so on top of the world he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

Until he sees Eddie again on their way to the presser, costume still sticking to him with sweat in all the right places, hair mussed and cheeks rosy.

Then there’s only one thing he wants to do, and he can’t believe he has to be polite to reporters before he can do it.

He manages to be nice and not stare at Eddie the whole time, but he snaps as soon as they get back to their hotel room, pushing Eddie up against the door as it closes and kissing him fast and dirty.

“Is this your way of distracting me so you win tomorrow?” Eddie asks, breathless from the kiss, fingers threading through Buck’s hair as Buck trails kisses down his jaw and neck, pausing only to shove Eddie’s jacket and shirt off so he can get to more skin. He stops again just as he gets to Eddie’s chest, his breath ghosting over a nipple and leaving goosebumps in its wake. Eddie’s pupils are blown wide when he meets his eyes, and the blush on his cheeks and crawling down his chest is so pretty Buck could write sonnets about it.

He smirks, the novelty of the effect he has on Eddie far from wearing off. “Do you want me to stop?”

Eddie shakes his head, cupping Buck’s jaw to pull him back up. “Fuck no, don’t even think about it,” he says before kissing him hard again, tongue licking into his mouth immediately, and Buck can practically taste the quiet, subconscious sounds Eddie makes as his fingers run down his chest and stomach. He quickly thanks whoever made track pants a part of the Team USA uniform before shoving Eddie’s down his thighs and finally getting a hand on his cock, already hard and leaking. Eddie whines as Buck breaks their kiss, but it settles into a sigh as he resumes his trail down his body. Normally he’d spend a lot longer working his mouth over as much of Eddie’s skin as he can reach, relish in the salty sweet taste of it and hit all the places that make Eddie’s hips buck forward without his permission, but he’s only got one goal in mind at the moment. He’ll make it up to Eddie later.

He finally swallows Eddie down, hears a “fuck” and a thump above him as Eddie’s head hits back against the door. He knows exactly what Eddie likes — the first week of their relationship was pretty much dedicated to figuring out all the best ways to make each other fall apart. Eddie gets a hand in his hair again as he hollows out his cheeks and hums, vibrations sending another wave of shivers over Eddie, making his hips rock even more. Buck looks up, and Eddie looks wrecked, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth, head thrown back and neck bared. It’s a miracle, really, that Buck doesn’t come right then and there.

“Christ, Buck, I’m—” Eddie tugs on Buck’s hair in warning, but it just makes Buck go faster, coaxing and coaxing until Eddie’s spilling into his mouth. Buck just barely has time to finish swallowing before he’s being yanked back to his feet and into a searing kiss, Eddie wasting no time in tasting himself on Buck’s tongue. He barely registers where Eddie’s hands are until he feels one wrap around his cock, steady and determined. He’s so keyed up now that it doesn’t take much — a few twists of Eddie’s wrist and a bruise sucked onto the underside of his jaw has him spilling over Eddie’s hand before he knows it. 

He presses kisses to every part of Eddie’s face he can reach as he comes down, soaking in the warmth radiating from him, only stopping when Eddie not so discreetly tries to wipe his hand on Buck’s pants.

“Hey!” he cries, laughing at the look on Eddie’s face. “Go wash your hands like a normal person and come meet me in bed.”

“Room service?”

“Duh.” He kisses Eddie’s nose before flopping onto the bed and flipping through movie rentals. The rest of their evening is quiet, full of bad movies and french fries and conversations about everything and nothing, and Buck feels an ease that he never feels the night before free skates. Tomorrow may be make or break for him, for both of them, but in this little cocoon of theirs, his face tucked into Eddie’s neck and Eddie’s arms around him as they drift off to sleep, the worry and nerves and anxiety feel too far away to touch him.

~~~~~~~~~~

The worst part is that he knows it’s a dream.

He knows if he jumps in real life, he’ll always come back down. Maybe not gently and maybe not on his feet, but after half a second of air time, he will touch the ground again. 

But now he’s taken off and he just keeps going — it’s completely impossible, but he’s still scared. Scared of the unknown that he’s propelling towards, scared that he can’t control his body or where it’s going, scared that it’s all going to end and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Fear turns to pure terror as his weight shifts of its own accord and starts sending him back to the rink he’s made up in his head. He thinks (hopes) he’ll wake up before he makes impact, but the panic is still clawing at him, sinking into his bones and running all the worst case scenarios though his head. He crashes through the ice but it doesn’t stop — flashes of disappointed faces, snippets of voices tinged with pity for him and the fact that he failed once again. It’s cacophonous and overwhelming, but he catches specific voices — Maddie, Bobby, Eddie — that try to push through, try to pull him out, but it’s not enough. He’s falling into the nothingness of his own failure and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it.

He finally wakes up, his skin feels like it’s buzzing, alive with lingering panic. He’s got an arm around Eddie’s waist and his face pressed into the back of his neck, and he takes a minute to breathe him in and get his heart to slow back down. It’s early, barely light out, but Buck slips out of bed, grabs the comforter from the other one, and quietly slides open the balcony door. The snow is just starting to glow from the first rays of sunlight, and everything is quiet, still, a direct contrast with the thoughts and feelings still swirling in Buck. He sits on the little bench facing the surrounding forest, does his best to focus on the chill in the air and the quiet nature sounds around him, tries to shut out everything else and be right where he is.

It takes a while, but it helps. 

The sun is fully up by the time he goes back in, and Eddie’s just finishing packing up his skating bag. Buck’s bag, actually. Eddie’s is already set by the door. He feels on the verge of tears again, but not in a bad way.

Eddie turns to him as he slides the door shut. His eyes track everywhere, like he’s cataloging Buck, taking stock before making a move. Buck’s stupidly grateful for it — he feels like one wrong move could send him cracking all over again, and it wouldn’t be Eddie’s fault, but he’d get the brunt of it. But Eddie knows him better than almost anyone, so whatever move he makes will be a good one.

He watches Eddie move slowly toward him and reach for his hand, giving Buck every opportunity to back up and say no. That’s not at all what he wants, so he meets Eddie halfway and laces their fingers together.

“Do you need another minute?” Eddie asks quietly.

Buck shakes his head. “I’m okay. We have to leave soon anyway.”

“Will you believe me if I tell you that everything’s gonna be fine?”

“Probably not.”

Eddie nods. “Okay.” He tugs Buck toward him, gently kisses his forehead, cheek, and lips. “We need to be downstairs in 30 minutes.”

Buck squeezes his hand and heads towards the bathroom. He steps into the shower and tries to convince himself that Eddie’s right.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Channel your nerves, Buck. Everyone here is rooting for you. Show ‘em what you got.”

Buck nods at Bobby before pushing off the boards. He hears On the ice, representing the 118 Skating Club of Los Angeles, Evan Buckley and the applause that follows, but it sounds tinny and far away. He’s trying to channel everything — his nerves, doubts, fear of failure, whatever — and make it work for him, but it’s not as easy today. He feels heavy, like his body isn’t quite in line with his mind and what he needs to be doing, and he knows he’s going to be fighting himself for every element for the next four and a half minutes.

The music starts and he tries to float with it, use it to push through the extra gravity he feels and lift himself up more. He lands his first jump — his triple axel, usually one of his strongest — but feels himself wobble, knows his GOE will be low. He misses the second jump on his first combo and has to mentally comb through his program to figure out where he can tack it onto to make up points. On and on it goes — he doesn’t fall, there’s no monumental breakdown, but he’s subpar, doesn’t meet his own expectations and probably doesn’t meet those of the USFSA. He finishes with the fakest smile he’s ever slapped on his face and all but sprints to the kiss and cry.

Nats scores are always inflated, so he doesn’t do bad, but he’s certainly done better. There are three skaters left, including Eddie, and a terrible part of him hopes that the other two eat ice so he can still finish on the podium and salvage his spot in Beijing.

They don’t. Naturally. He sits in the green room as they each have the best skate of their season and leap frog over his score. Eddie’s last to go and he lays it all out there, like he’s already at the Olympics, but Buck’s hardly mad about that. He’s a force, attacking every jump but still keeping a softness in his movements to match Jeff Buckley’s voice. Buck’s got chills up and down his back during his last step sequence and into his final pose, and he knows it’s a gold medal by a mile. And he’s happy for Eddie, ecstatic even, but he also feels his heart break a little bit, because Eddie winning puts him in fourth.

The pewter medal. A stupid consolation prize that only the USFSA gives out. He’s technically still on the podium, but it somehow feels worse than if he’d finish last.

“You had a great Grand Prix this year, that counts for a lot more than Nats,” Eddie says on the ride to the airport the next day. It’s the first time Buck’s let him talk about it without changing the subject or kissing him or literally walking into another room. He’s run out of energy to avoid it anymore. 

“They’ll want someone consistent, and that’s clearly not me.”

“You have the second highest overall score in the country this season, fifth in the world. They can’t ignore that.”

Buck shrugs, picks at an errant string on his hoodie to avoid looking Eddie in the eye. He feels lips press to his temple and unconsciously melts, head moving down to rest on Eddie’s shoulder.

“It’ll all work out. We’ll be in Beijing together, I know it.”

Eddie’s always so confident, so sure in his convictions and unwavering in his beliefs. Buck loves him for it but it’s also unnerving, because he wants to believe as hard as Eddie does, but he knows how this goes. He works and works and pushes and pushes but in the end, it’s not far enough. All his hard work, his literal blood sweat and tears, can’t get him that extra inch closer to where he wants to be.

It happened four years ago, and he can feel it happening again. And this time, he won’t be able to blame a broken leg for his failures.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Buck, stop shaking your leg, you’re gonna trigger an earthquake.”

Buck scowls at Chim but stops. It’s been three days since Nats, three days of waiting, knowing that at any minute, the USFSA is going to post their final Olympic team. He’s been on edge for 72 hours because they won’t have an idea it’s happening until it happens, and he thinks he might be starting to go insane.

“It’ll be soon,” Maddie says from where she’s leaning on the boards. They’re all supposed to be warming up, a long day of practice ahead, but they’re congregated around the benches instead, anxiety crackling between all of them like lightning.

He doesn’t even notice his leg starts shaking again until Eddie places a hand on it to stop him.

“Opening ceremonies are in three weeks,” May says as she stretches on the floor. “They’re cutting it awfully close if they don’t announce, like, today.”

Chim groans as he stands up from the bench to join Maddie. “Why is it even taking so long? They’ve seen how the season’s gone so far, there can’t be that much left to deliberate.”

“Do you think they’re actually still deciding, or just waiting because it’s dramatic?” Buck asks.

Eddie snorts. “Probably the latter.”

“Guys!”

They all turn towards the doorway to the locker room, and Buck feels his blood run cold. Hen is there, looking calm as ever on the outside, but he meets her eye, and he knows.

“They just posted the list. Bobby has it up on his computer.”

Chim grabs Maddie’s hand and sprints, and May is hot on their heels. Eddie gets 10 feet in front of him before he realizes Buck hasn’t followed. He’s frozen in place, hands numb, heart beating so hard he’s worried about his ribs. Right now, on the bench, he can convince himself he’s living in a world where his dreams haven’t been crushed, where he still has a chance. Once he takes a step, that all ends.

Eddie comes back for him, grabs both of his hands and waits until Buck meets his eye. When he does, he gives him that small, soft smile Buck knows is just for him, and it feels like he’s saying I believe in you. It’s enough to get him moving.

They catch up with the others just as they get to Bobby’s office, and they jostle and crowd around the desktop, trying to get a clear view. Buck’s thankful for his height and looks over everyone, the world quickly narrowing to just him and the computer screen.

From the top, the list goes men, ladies, pairs, dance, so he starts from the bottom to delay any disappointment. 

He feels the tears prick when he sees Chim and Maddie listed, his smile nearly splits his face at May’s name. Eddie was inevitable, but his heart still soars when he sees it written out.

And then.

And then.

His name. His name, just above Eddie’s. 

Evan Buckley. Right there, clear as day, in Times New Roman font.

He’s glad Chim and May are already crushing him in a hug, because he’s pretty sure his knees have given out.

This is real. This is happening. Eddie is squeezing his hand and Maddie is crying and it’s happening.

They are officially, officially, going to the Olympics.

[ilynong]

masterlist

find something specific that i’ve written here!

updated 4/17

(ctrl+f to find a specific trainee, genre or au)

zhou yanchen

take care

fluff

post-ep. 5 (?)

got me feeling like

royals au

long(er)

li xikan

my heart

fluff

mentor! reader

view

fluff

boyfriend au

ding zeren

tell me everything

fluff

you visit idol producer

red string

soulmates au

harry potter au

chen linong

coffee

college au/ coffee shop au

high school days

chen linong as that one guy in your advanced science class

hs au

fluff

justin huang

the cute boy from the street market

fluff?

you’re a busker in beijing

did you mean it?

fluff

you zhangjing

see you around

tattoo artist! reader and shy/cute barista! zhengjing

feat. the gramarie boys as your coworkers

qin fen

bf au

miss you

qin fen is filming for i.p. and trying to facetime you; the other trainees keep interfering

fluff

baba

a qin fen dad au 

ling chao

see you there

flower boy! ling chao

high school au

i wanna make you fly 

based off ‘firewalking’

xiao gui

proper cuddling

fluff

boyfriend au

diss

you visit the dorms

fan chengcheng

make you proud

non au

set during first trainee evaluation

mentor! reader

the cutie from gym

the link seems wack rn so pls lmk if it doesnt work

high school au

fluff

i’m here

fluff

incredulous

you meet fan bingbing

undercover

somehow, the trainees at ip don’t know that you and chengcheng are dating,,,

yue yue

wide awake

college au but it’s not relevant to the plot

best friends to lovers

zhu yuntian

lifetime

best friends au w zhu yunyi

zhu yunyi

lifetime

best friends au w zhu yuntian

han mubo

bf au

misunderstanding

enemies to lovers

reader is staff on idol producer

zhu xingjie

talk to you

you’re best friends w xiao gui and have a huge crush on his senior

love between us

xingjie shows you a magic trick

rock paper scissors

waking up w xingjie

fluff

li quanzhe

hospital bed blues

youre stuck in bed at the hospital when your older brother, zeren, brings the yuehua boys around

ft. a heart rate monitor :))))))))

perfect

yuehua trainee! reader

lu dinghao

boom boom

high school au

first date

lu dinghao is actually a flirt pass it on

lin yanjun

flutter

the fuckboy(tm) au

you and yanjun are next door neighbors

protective

ft. fan cheng cheng as your little brother

breathe

fluff

flirt

you’re the ghost on idol producer that yanjun flirted with

huang xinchun

have this moment

you and xinchun try to get some alone time on the busy idol producer set

ft. mama zhengting

wang yilong

celebrity crush

you’re a guest mentor on idol producer and yilong’s crush on you is highkey exposed

zheng ruibin

boyfriend au

accident

you meet ruibin after one of his  musicals

college au

bi wenjun

boyfriend au

plus how the two of you get together

hs au

zuo ye

boyfriend au

adoration

cxk is ur older brother

pre-established relationship

jeffrey

boyfriend au

zhu zhengting

sleepy

fluff

love like that

zhengting likes you, but he’s been too shy to say anything-- until today

aka The High School Party scenario

wang ziyi

boyfriend au

i owe you

ZIyi has the biggest crush on you, and Qin Fen decides that the best way to repay Ziyi for his kind deed is to get the two of you together. 

set in idol producer universe

bu fan

forever and ever

fluff

wrong number

bu fan is your best friend, he accidentally texts you something that definitely wasn’t meant for you

cai xukun

peach

high school au

ft. secret admirer reader

boyfriend au

cling to you

fluff

lin chaoze

no-man

you and chaoze spend time building a snowman

zhou rui

i missed you

zhou rui comes home late to you after his last filming of idol producer

fluff/ domestic shit

get through this

you and zhou rui argue, but it’s alright in the end

[bufanzi]

QIN COMPLIATION

( left to right: bu fan, yue yue, xiao yu, ling chao, mu ziyang, bowen)

Yue yue

his real name is yue minghui 岳明辉 !! (92-liner) 

nicknames include 老岳 (lao yue; old yue) & 岳叔 (yue shu; uncle yue) & 中年岳 (middle-aged yue) . PLS LET YUE YUE LIVE. 

used the name 岳岳 as a stage name bc of the way it sounds & its easier for people to remember ; PINKRAY

he went by the name joey yue while studying overseas lmao

有背景有文化的团长 （ A leader with sophiscated background and culture )

Cold city boy from beijing

Engineering student!!! from Nanjing University of Aeronautics & did masters in glasgow uni!!!!!! V v v smart!!!

Great english, British accent sorta ( listen to him speak x x )

HAS A CUTE FANG TOOTH

Will trade fatty meat for lean meat if u ask

TATTOOS (I THINK THERE’S A WOLF ONE, THE ONE W AN ANCHOR+OCTOPUS not sure though :c not enough HD pics to verify ;;)

Basketballlll

Wants to collab w eminem one day

Looks up to eminem, dr dre & ice cube

STEALS MU ZIYANG’S CLOTHES VERY OFTEN (there was this vid once when yue yue was choosing btwn 5 outfits and mu ziyang was like “can u at least put one of ur own outfits in the 5”)

Voted as naggy lmao (was asked by mu ziyang whether 1 ton of iron or 1 ton of cotton is heavier, and he talked to ziyang about it for 2 hrs about the question isn’t logical cause the experiment must be held in the same conditions, the air etc etc)

His hair is a birds nest & cannot be maintained + he uses the company’s hair dryer (which actually belongs to ling chao) to do his hair

Likes to eat everything, not picky with food :”) 

THE ONE THAT ALWAYS STEALS FOOD FROM OTHERS. 

DRAMA QUEEN 

became bufan’s “woman” in IP aft the gang initiation LOL

yue likes to have clothes with holes in weird places, so i think that’s why he always wears ziyangs’s clothes 

his underwear is still outside the window ledge/roof on their old qin dorm c: 

can drive!!! has a car!!!! drives a honda w a super cool license plate number ahah 

lmao wanted to set up an emergency fund for the himself and the boys because they are always getting their salary deducted HAHAH (+ it was said that ling chao has the most money bc he listens the best and is always on time)

plays the guitar!!! 

has a tentacle fetish lmao 

initially his dad wasn’t supportive of him becoming a trainee so he secretly went to idol producer without his dad’s knowledge (his dad didn’t even know what he was doing at qin ent) but rn his dad rlly supports him!! 

yue yue’s fans call themselves 岳妻 (yue yue’s wife) 

Mu ziyang

PROFESSIONAL MODEL

His real name is li zhenyang 李振洋 (94-liner) 

his stage name 木子洋 is cause his surname 李 is formed from 木子 then they added the 洋 ; KWIN

Fans call him 小懂事 ( which means something like a sensible kid )  

Walked in milan fashion week!!!!!! WALKED FOR MANY BRANDS!!!! THIS KING

FANS CALL HIM QIN’S CLOSET/SPONSOR :”)

Also said he managed to walk for the show that he most wanted to!!!!

WENT TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS BUFAN (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology) (and was schoolmates with dong yanlei) 

Scared of ghosts cause his mum used to tell him that ghosts will snatch him away if he misbehaves

says he isn’t of haunted houses, but then asks ling chao to hug him tightly when walking though it lmao

SCARED OF CRABS BC HE THINKS THEY ARE UGLY (this idiot lmao)

he’s scared of everything :)

PAID BUFAN 50 YUAN TO FEED HIM CRABS

LIKES TO DO “BUSINESS” ie trade stuff with ling chao so that ling chao will do his bidding

Rlly sad but mu ziyang got srsly sick during ip first evals and had to do iv drips until his hands were all bruised cause of the needle marks :c

Lmao this idiot thinks 3/6 > 3/5

wants to work with Leonardo DiCaprio

he can’t stand people sitting on his bed

“It’s not that the pyjamas are expensive, I’m expensive” 

Sang 越战越勇 on before!! 

lowkey was upset he didn’t get balloons on his birthday while yue yue got a wall of happy birthday + star balloons HAHAHA

roommates with yue in the qin dorm

threw yue’s underwear out the window bc yue forced it over his head :”) & its stuck right outside the roof at their old dorm

bought a tank for loaches/mudfish & only realised that it wasn’t meant for fishes after putting the decorations and water in it... 

apparently has a driving license 

once while driving a motorcycle, the battery died & he used a strangers phone to call yue yue. then yue yue had to come pick him up with his car. since he had the motorcycle, ziyang sat on the motorcycle and held on to the car handle & they drove back like that lmao

can play the piano!!!

THE ONE THAT DISSES LING CHAO 

THERE WAS THIS ONCE POST ON DOUBAN where mu ziyang bought ALL the buns from the convenience store & zhu xingjie came a while later and wast stuck at the store cause he had to wait until the next batch was ready lmao

Had a huge knee surgery during his trainee period :c (the boys also visited him in the hospital) + also sad bc qin3 went for a huge seafood feast at home when mu ziyang was stuck eating hospital food

before leaving the dorms he went with ling chao to the convenience store to buy food bc he says ling chao is kinda picky with his food so he doesn’t eat much & he isnt’t able to take care of him anymore now that he’s eliminated so he used up all his remaining money to buy food for him

after being eliminated, he and yue yue went to play HAHAHA

Bu fan

his real name is bu fanfan 卜凡凡 (96-liner)

the boys call him 凡子 (fan zi), where 凡 is from his name and 子 is a term of endearment :”) 

used bu fan as a stage name because he thinks bu fanfan is too cute lol; KATTO (PRONOUNCED AS KA-TOO)

192cm 对 cant play basketball though

LOVES DOGS, HUSKY

ACTUALLY DIDNT GRAD FRM SCHOOL YET :c he said his parents are pushing him to continue to study but nonetheless support him as an idol

HAS AN OLDER BROTHER (10 YEARS AGE GAP)

CLINGY

LOVES TO CRY ( crise a lot when doing stretching)

Voted most scared of pain

Once got caught eating a melon & got punished :c (+ he always steals melon from the fridge & doesn’t even close the refrigerator door afterwards...) 

Always late for work apparently until there’s no more salary to be detected

HIS ACTUAL MINK JACKET IS ACTUALLY JUST A BATHROBE

apparently owes ziyang money & gave him a rap perf for money lol

Once helped an old auntie neighbour buy a new phone bc hers was old and was about to spoil 

When asked if he likes girls with short hair or long hair, this boy said he doesn’t like any & likes computers instead lmao

He can’t stand low qualiy movies, it has to be in HD

when he becomes rich and successful, he’s going to help the manager xiao yu do some intense stretching lmao 

“ everytime bufan goes to the subway, the authorities will always check his ID ” - yueyue 

Has a wall of demoralising quotes back at the qin dorm ( iconic quotes include: “being ugly is a disease” & “the reason why you drink chicken soup is because other people have already ate the meat” & “all roads lead to rome, but some people are born in rome” )

“ 家爆脸 ”- zhou yanchen

HIGHKEY LOVES YUEYUE A LOT this sweet child tried his best to protect yue’s cake from being eaten cause he wanted yue to take a photo with it first ( in qin ent, it was said that the only way they get food is to snatch from others, so that cake was NOT safe with mu ziyang and ling chao around )

MORE INSTANCES OF HIS LOVE FOR YUEYUE, HE WILL BITE YOUR HEAD OFF IF U DISS HIS YUE :”) just look at bufan getting triggered when zhou rui mentioned about yue’s eye wrinkles

Also, he called yue yue disgusting cause yue yue didn’t come back at night & went to sleep in another trainees room ( he’s jealous )

Leader of a gang (current known members include ( xiao gui, fan chengcheng, yue yue & xu shengen) 

got tricked to eat a sichuan chilli by yue yue poor thing

KING OF SEAFOOD 

once a deliveryman misread his name as 小凡凡 (xiao fanfan) instead of 卜凡凡 (bu fanfan), then got dissed by the mu ziyang saying “omg why do u call yourself that” 

I think bufan has a habit of saying the word 对 (dui) after a sentence, its pretty cute :”)

according to ziyang, bu fan thinks he’s the smartest in the group 

has a habit of calling people 宝宝 (baobao) & 宝贝 (baobei) which means baby/babe

outed yue yue as the only one that wears mu ziyang’s clothes (when asked if mzy was really qin’s closet, he said that our group has 4 people, ling chao and I never wear mzy’s clothes)

Ling chao

His real name is li yingchao 李英超 (01-liner)

his stage name came about bc if u say his real name really fast ‘李英 (li ying) will sound like 灵 (ling) ; DIDI (lmao when he’s old he’s still going to be called didi)

call him 弟弟 (di di; little brother) or  小王子 (little prince)

Loves his candies & would probably fight u for it

Hides candies in so many diff places/compartments lmao

got a toothache bc of said candy

sings really well!!!! 

SAYS HIS FAV CELEBRITY IS 黄晓明 (& angelababy)

HAS A YOUNGER SISTER BUT THINKS HE’S STILL THE PRETTIEST IN THE FAMILY

Receives the most love from the other boys :”) ( they have a rule where the plate with the most meat goes to him )

roommates with bu fanfan

Always seen with mu ziyang ( the true otp )

Doesnt like meat with fats

CAN DO SPLITS!!!!!!! & ALSO SPLITS WHILE DOING A HEADSTAND

HAS THE NICEST LOOKING EYES

is an idiot. he went to a korean restaurant & told ziyang that the “spicy cabbage” wasn’t tasty and he preferred kimchi instead. BUT THEY ARE THE SAME THING. 

he likes white roses

likes cats!! 

likes to scare chickens (& got scolded for it)

during break time, he has to memorise Chinese vocabulary ( and is taught by the company’s ceo!!!!!!)

i think he sticks with ziyang the most! ;; (obvs they are the superior ship)

BROUGHT ZIYANG TO SEE THE TALKING TRASH BIN JUST TO MAKE ZIYANG SCARED. 

shittiest luck HAHAHA (bufan+lingchao team and yueyue+ziyang team had to draw lots to see who gets to sleep in the room and who sleeps outside in the living room, and ling chao always loses)

GETS DISSED FOR HAVING NARROW SHOULDERS 

printed his own picture on a pillow then said it was “given by fans” 

had a writer/blogger/reviewer kind of site where he wrote stuff 

looks up to xukun and zhangjing the most in ip!

 “ if your 3 qin brothers become a girl, who would be your older sister, younger sister and girlfriend? ” LING CHAO: NONE BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE UGLY

GETS HIT BY ZIYANG A LOT LMAO 

ling chao’s fans are called 糖精 (tang jing; candy spirit) because of his love for candy

小于 (xiao yu)

BC221’s manager!!!!!!!!! (Also helps then stretch)

very sassy & playful

older than all of the qin boys ; had to work for 4 years before attending university

he’s almost always the camera man for bc221′s trainee life videos!!!! (its either him or bowen)

Came off as a little mean in the video where the boys were stretching :c but honestly he just rlly wants the best for them

Stays with the boys in their qin dorm!!!!!!

Went to the same university with mu ziyang!!! (& says mu ziyang stole his snacks, face masks, shoes, clothes, socks etc); they probably graduated the same time cause they were classmates! 

Sometimes ppl call him 小鱼 (yu) ( word play; means little fish ) & mu ziyang called him 热带鱼 (tropical fish)

When yue yue got in trouble for playing computer games, he called xiao yu handsome and he laughed & immediately stop scolding yue yue LOL

yueyue likes to diss him lmao 

Gives ling chao sweets!!! (doesn’t give bufan and yueyue bc they apparently dont listen to him lmao) 

said to bufan : “IS BEING TALL EVERYTHING??? HUH???”

“we always get scolded by our manager, the first day would pass by normally but then on the 2nd day we would get scolded” - yueyue & bufan

“excuse you? what was that about your manager scolding you everyday? its called a heart to heart talk” 

a fan sent pig feed to the company & he said he was going to save it to give to the boys as a birthday present

WROTE MU ZIYANG IS THE UGLIEST AND LEFT IT FOR ZIYANG TO FIND 

yue yue calls him 小于帅 a lot. 

followed yue yue to his home to visit lao yue’s mum :”) helped yue yue carried the luggage up the stairs

went Thailand with yue yue and mu ziyang after eliminations!

got dragged by bu fan into the toilet  (bu fan said it was xiao yu that pushed him inside but there’s video evidence HAHAHA)

Sadly no longer part of QIN’s entertainment anymore

博文 (Bowen)

lives with the boys apparently

Shorter than the qin4 and xiao yu ahaha if you see the video angle being lower compared to others, then its bowen filming (fans call it the girlfriend angle lmao) 

I think he’s qin’s video editor/photographer!

currently now part of qin’s one man subbing team rip bowen

passive aggressively posting on weibo whenever xiao yu posts updates on their Thailand adventure bc they didn’t bring him along hahahah

he has a cat called 棉裤 (cotton pants), mu ziyang hates this cat because 棉裤 always climbs on his bed

[welivingindreams]

Compilation  0f 2013

29 November 13

1st dream: Jill since experience 2nd dream: hug Jill 3rd dream: Jill come to my store with an old skinny man to buy air pump

24 October 2013

Having an outing and eating at kopitiam Bangkit with ITE friends. They happily ate and they all wanted to go to another place. I ask if anyone saw my shoe and Shahidah told me that Dina threw away my shoe. Angry and frustrated, I canceled my plan and went home . On the way home I saw my family going on vacation. They told me to meet at the place while I went up and packed my things. A lady went in the lift with me and we talked. The lift went to B1 but it didn't open. I told the lady if reached already tell me. So she alights at level 4 and the lift continues to reach level 9. A guy came in and asked my name. The lift went down again! I was so angry because the guy should let me go to my room so that  i can change and go take the bus. So I drove back to a bus station and  halfway saw my sister. She told me that my family left the hotel and said she had to go back and she left me for her bus. The bus stop at a parking lot so i alight   because I saw Mak Usu while walking in saw Wak's family and Syidah were kissing with her boyfriend then i saw Mak Usu and my family they ask why im not on the holiday I told them hotel fully booked and dad say Wak's room still have vacancy.

22 October 2013

Ending my class and I need to write something . The GGX  left me behind so I walked with Mr Soo, he told me he lost his sister while traveling. And his sister lost him in the market. We had a good talk until we reached the staff room. I saw the dance teacher was scolding elisa(?) and Atika and she in great pain

30 September 2013

In some mafia countries (Mexico or what), newbies in that place are placed in the opposite site from the other group of gangsters. I Got close with this cute guy who was always left out. We were Having a break and I wanted to eat. The handsome and cute boy asked if I wanted to go tour around the place. At first I hesitated. But then we went together. Then I ask them " why are both of you feeling so warm?".  The cute boy is having fever and they argue. After a few turns in the tunnel, I needed to use the toilet. We went to a boys toilet when I was done and I saw a tragic accident. But I acted like nothing happened so I told them I’ll meet them outside. I waited outside the toilet but the aisle was too small to wait. So i went to another side trying to get back the entrance but there was a gunshot between this lady and another group. The girl from another group saw me and she chased me and I ran back to the toilet. I got to the wrong aisle and got injured. The handsome and cute boy manage to saved me and we went back to Singapore

19 September 2013

Ariz went in the same class. He was in my room in JB. We were fooling around then I went to the toilet with Syahidah, to the boys toilet. The toilet needed to pay fine because it was being flooded. I use the toilet until the boys come queuing and I haven't even worn my underwear! Farhan was there. When i went out all of the boys tried to catch me. Ariz save me with a bicycle? We went to a condo. At first we planned to go Mak Usu house but no one there so we went to Ariz cousin in the condo. It happened that Mak Usu was there with Aisyah. My whole body was shaking and there's a cat curling upon my toes.

18 September 2013

I rode on a scooter with Izzue. We were “married” but he didn't tell his wife. His reason is because that I will always be by his side

13 September 2013

1st dream: 

There's a war in Singapore and Malaysia. Nowhere is safe

2nd dream: 

I just gave birth to a baby in JB house, someone is after me for my baby which happens to be like his baby? Like the baby I gave birth was his. I was also being hunted by a lady. The lady and her husband, they already had a son. So I have no choice but to run. I ran and escaped through the back gate where there was a security guard. He didn't even know me when I asked for help. So I continue to run from the backyard which happens to have an MRT station. I had no money for the train fare but I know I have to go to Bedok because the lady will definitely be going to Bukit Panjang and Yishun to find me. My Sister in law has a new house  and i was afraid to ask her for help because I am afraid to risk her new house. I was afraid that she got bullied by that group of girls which wanted to rob me.

12 September 2013

Going for an exam but already failing the exam before I even start the paper. Dream of going for o level again but Business Environment (BEV) module!

1 September 2013

Was walking with my siblings and we were being followed by Ibu's friend. Amin got bribed by the monkeys like he was hypnotized to follow them. I had to run after him to save Amin

31 August 2013

Eating with Izyan then called Mr Soo to ask to change venue. Very sleepy and took a cab but didn't know where to go. Wanted to call Izyan but was using a monopod to call, not clear find phone and charger to Call Izyan. she asks a man to give directions but it's very far i cannot hear. Get out of the cab & run away from the cab. Go inside the shops and take the stairs nearby. The cab driver say say don't hide and I  saw 2 vampire

29 August 2013

(Short dream before the date)

1st Dream:

Going to an open house in a classroom setting met Munah and Hirzi. They were tired but they still layan people around.

2nd Dream:

Dream about going to the Italian style town but it's actually the aisle behind our Beijing hotel with Khairina

3rd Dream:

Wanted to buy a burger and was queuing behind a thai boy. The boy was attached to me and I had to get him a student visa. After we finished we took a car and the boy started to drift. Then we stopped and met another boy. He was an Ustaz but i run away from him and conclude that Dandelion is a fish

4th Dream:

Was in GRPS but in a lecture hall. Had a bad stomach Ache and was so afraid to tell anyone Mr Soo asked if anyone wanted to go break with me. So when Erina & Amelia come to class we  walk to the canteen together. Half the building is in renovation. I said Yuan Dao eat pork sandwich with Nasi Goreng

I then met an indian lady who said I can cure my "cramp". In order to cure, I have to swallow RM50 & drink it with water and stone. After drinking the RM50 I am not allowed to drink any water. After the recess ended, we went to buy prata at a bookshop. The scene relocated to a civil defence place surrounded by MRT like Fajar - Bangkit station and we toured around the store and went to the store owner's office. He live in the office

We went back to class and it looked like an Ultraman space room. Syahidah turned on the light and got scolded by the leader. After that we must wait for abg Salleh to go in the room to have some quiz. Until the end of the dream, the money that i drank was still in my  throat

5th Dream:

Last night I dreamt that a lady in white with red lipstick & red nail polish finding me. I peed through the peephole and saw her face. I was so scared and I ran out of the house! Ironically the lady is outside of my house! I woke up on whatsapp! Zahra & Amelia having random nightless text. The next dream was, I was  driving to some hospital. The weird thing is I drive! And at the hospital I meet my mom's supervisor who happens to work at the hospital and has a patient ? The hospital was hit by a storm or flood and water was filling up everywhere and the place look so old !

6th Dream:

Yesterday I dreamt my left foot middle toe broke! Totally detached ! And I only notice it when I bend down. I still can "put it back", there was no bleeding at all ! Like when you cut the chicken breast there's no blood ! So I am supposed to go to the hospital because in my dream I have diabetes ! Like my uncle who recently cut his legs due to diabetes. But I ended up in my primary school. The situation is like Hogwarts being struck by Sirius black ! But the school is being attacked by GHOST ?!?!?

7th Dream:

The day before yesterday I dreamt about my sister in law, brother in law. I was excited because my niece & nephew were coming here but in my dream the brother in law also came! And he brings the whole family from grandparent to great great nice !

[beyondthebizarre]

Beyond The Bizarre’s 13 Nights of Frights!!

Night Five: The Ghost Bus of Beijing

In the fifth episode of our 13 Nights of Frights we explore an urban legend of Beijing that warns against taking the last bus of the night. Join us as we discuss this popular urban legend and find out just why the next bus stop may just be your final destination.

Listen at the link below or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Stay Bizarre x

[peakwealth]

A TRILLION HERE, A TRILLION THERE...

China's colonial ambitions are not as recent as some people might think, certainly not in Africa. They did not start with Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, the increasingly controversial remake of the ancient silk road (more prosaic: the global extension of Chinese trade routes and influence). The People's Republic has been pushing its geopolitical interests in Africa for decades. It used to be about undercutting Taiwan's attempt to gain diplomatic recognition from impoverished countries. But that was old-style politics, Third-World thinking. Today it hardly matters what happens at the United Nations General Assembly. It’s all about big business now, about economic clout. (*)

As early as the 1970s, when China itself was still piss poor, it funded a railway between Dar es Salaam and Zambia's copper mines. Those were the days when Mao Zedong supported the anti-apartheid politics of Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere. I know this because I remember taking a passenger train on that route many years ago, in 1989. What made it memorable was that the train broke down in the middle of a field and we walked to the road to continue the trip by bus. It was all predictably chaotic and on arrival in the town of Mbeya my luggage was stolen, including recording gear and notebooks. I wasn't amused.

The same Tazara railway is still in use and might even gain in importance if a Chinese megaport-cum-trade-zone-cum-highrise-city is built on the coast in Bagamoyo. As the Chinese see the future, Bagamoyo would become a gateway to eastern and central Africa. Back then, in 1989, it was a sleepy fishing village, something of a ghost town where ruins of the German colonial occupation still stood. It was a slow bus ride two hundred kilometers north of Dar. The seafood was wonderful.

In a later notebook I re-drew from (approximate) memory an old swahili house I had noticed in the town and which still served as a Government office. Although my drawing skills were no greater then than now, I include it here as a personal curiosity. So much for Bagamoyo.

Swahili house (with octagonal front columns and decorative latticework). Notebook. Bagamoyo, Tanzania 1989.

Earlier this year I mentioned in passing that Uganda's debt burden was weighing on the country's economic progress. A chunk of the growing national debt is made up of Chinese construction loans, a situation that is typical across much of Africa. (**)

Chinese banks have lent vast amounts of money for basic infrastructure projects in Africa and elsewhere, as far west as eastern Europe: roads, railways, harbours, bridges, airports, power plants (yes, coal powered), the sort of things that China has become expert in as it built up its own economic miracle. Since infrastructure was badly needed all over Africa, it was, at first, welcomed with open arms. Chinese investment filled a vacuum, particularly where western or multilateral funding was lacking. The fact that the projects also served Chinese interests was to be expected. You didn't have to be a genius to figure out that China was spreading its wings, doing a bit of empire building and trying to secure its future. Neglected by their former colonial masters, African leaders were willing to play ball with the Chinese, all the more so since Beijing was notoriously relaxed about accountability. One eye open, one eye closed.

When China started to run into resistance, the headwind came not immediately from Africa, but from Asia, specifically from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan, countries saddled with grandiose Chinese projects which, on closer inspection, they could not afford or did not need.

Thus Sri Lanka got a deep-sea port in the distant south-east of he country, in Hambantota, plus a nearby international airport built in the middle of nowhere (actually in a wildlife area where elephants roamed). China ended up repossessing the harbour. As for the airport, it is operational but unused, hemorrhaging cash. The latest news is that Sri Lanka was trying to unload it to Indian interests.

Beijing has had to deal with second thoughts from other countries as well. Following a historic regime change in Malaysia last year, the government in Kuala Lumpur managed to renegotiate a major railway project. India looks on warily, reluctant to have anything to do with China's expansionist push to make the world that much more Sinocentric.

African countries such as Kenya, which got a lovely new railway between Nairobi and Mombassa, have found themselves in debt distress, the so-called Chinese debt trap. The roads are fantastic, the rail and airport terminals are grandiose, but the revenue and growth they generate are not enough to pay back the Chinese loans.

The question then arises how visionary the Belt and Road master plan really is, how many of the gargantuan projects were properly thought through, how much due diligence was actually performed.

The New York based Rhodium Group, a commercial provider of economic research, has reviewed forty cases of Chinese debt renegotiations, many of them in Africa. Their study suggests that China has not been very smart with its lending. It also turns out that China has had limited leverage in dealing with some of its shaggy-dog debtor states. Large amounts of money have in fact been forgiven, written off, deferred or renegotiated. Other loans appear to be in limbo.(***)

In other words, China's revival of the old silk road is not a walk-over. It is costing a lot of money while failing to yield the kind of economic and political servitude the strategists is Beijing may have been looking for.

It also takes for granted unimpeded global growth on an indefinite time horizon, backed and guaranteed by authoritarian rule, which is to say the Chinese model of state capitalism. Not only does it seem blind to the serious security problems across Africa and the Muslim world, it essentially ignores climate change and dramatically contradicts the awareness that our planet is in deep environmental trouble. Such awareness may now be growing in the West but apparently is still taboo in Beijing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (*) As of last year, only a single African nation, Swaziland, grants formal diplomatic recognition to the Republic of China (ROC = Taiwan). Several Central-American, Caribbean and South-Pacific countries still do, as does the Holy See. Over the years, both the ROC and the People's Republic of China have used dollar diplomacy to try and win over recalcitrant states. Predictably, the PRC has won this unequal contest. It may not matter much any more now that has China become a global superpower no one seriously wants to mess with. (**) https://peakwealth.tumblr.com/post/184705262502 (***) https://rhg.com/research/new-data-on-the-debt-trap-question/

See also for Belt and Road Initiative's environmental impact: https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-chinas-big-overseas-initiative-threatens-climate-progress

[aion-rsa]

The Many Obstacles of Mulan

https://ift.tt/2CUVT60

s

Disney’s move to premiere Mulan exclusively on Disney+ sent shock waves through the movie exhibition industry, but it’s only one of the potential obstacles that has beleaguered this eagerly anticipated film from the onset. From its production announcement to its premiere, Mulan has faced more trials and tribulations than any other film this year, and that’s a pretty competitive category in 2020. The pandemic has been just one hurdle for Mulan, a “Chinese-assisting” American production being released in the midst of rising tensions between the two superpowers. From rumors of whitewashing to issues of cultural appropriation to political boycotts, here is a breakdown of the controversies and challenges Mulan has had to deal with and/or anticipate in the lead up to its release…

Mulan’s Shifting Release Date & Plan

Even before COVID-19 reared its ugly head, Mulan endured an ever-moving release date. (Which, to be fair, is not so uncommon these days when it comes to major Hollywood blockbusters.) Originally fast-tracked for a 2018 release, Mulan was then postponed to late 2019, then delayed once more to 2020. In 2020, Mulan was slated for a March 27th wide release, and even held a star-studded Hollywood premiere at the Dolby Theater on March 9th. But only a few days after that premiere, the pandemic shut down theaters worldwide, forcing Disney to delay Mulan further.

Disney tried to rally by rescheduling the theatrical release for July 24th, but, as the severity of the pandemic grew, that date too had to be pushed to August 21st, a date that was later unset in late July. Early this August, Mulan’s release was moved to VOD on Disney+ for an additional fee of $30 (prices vary slightly internationally) on September 4th. The announcement rattled many fans, who not only felt the fee was too expensive but had hoped to see it on the big screen. The announcement also hit the already-suffering movie distribution market hard, particularly in the UK, where theaters have begun to reopen and where movie theaters are eager for any big film that might bring audiences back and revitalize their industry.

The Complications of Mulan Courting the Chinese Box Office

From its inception, the $200 million tent-pole has aspired to be one of the biggest global blockbusters of 2020. Based on the performance of previous live action remakes, Disney no doubt hopes for a $85-90 million U.S. opening weekend. What’s more, Hollywood makes up to 70% of its revenue overseas, which makes the Chinese box office, the second most profitable film market in the world, a major target for any contemporary big-budget release. In 2018, Hollywood movies earned $3.2 billion in China, with Disney taking home $700 million. Last year, Avengers: Endgame earned $614 million in China under the Disney banner. And, after all, Mulan is a Chinese legend. To cater to the market, the film stacked the cast with Chinese A-listers and veteran stars like Cheng Pei-Pei, Gong Li, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. It was a calculated gamble, but the odds of a huge payout were favorable. (That was until the world drew that unexpected COVID-19 card and all bets for all movies were off.)

But Disney has an uphill battle to fight when it comes to convincing Chinese audiences that it knows how to make a good adaptation of the Mulan legend. Although the 1998 animated film was a successful commerical blockbuster, earning over $304 million as well as winning several Annie Awards and receiving some Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, in China, the film was a complete flop. After Disney’s The Lion King became one of the highest grossing Hollywood films to be released in China at the time, Disney had high hopes for Mulan. However, while Mulan is a beloved Chinese legend that dates to the 6th century, the Chinese audience felt that Disney’s version was too westernized. To them, Disney’s Mulan did not even look Chinese.

When the Mulan trailer dropped in China, it got 1.5 billion views in just a few days, but also some criticism. The trailer showed that the film depicts Mulan’s home as a tulou, a traditional round house from southern China during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming period was about a millennium later than Mulan’s time and, as she was a northerner, she would not have lived in such a house. Disney, despite the apparent efforts to court Chinese audiences, was called out again for its insensitivity to Chinese culture.  In mid-August, an official poster released in China was mocked online for appearing dated and ugly.

Hollywood Whitewashing Concerns

When the Mulan reboot was announced, the film drew immediate concerns of whitewashing. At the time, Ghost in the Shell, a live-action adaptation of the beloved Japanese manga series, was in production with Scarlett Johansson in the lead role, and was drawing significant criticism from the Asian-American community for its casting of Johansson, a white actress, for a story that takes place in Japan and, in its original form, features all Japanese characters. The casting was only the latest example in Hollywood’s long history of whitewashing.

Following the announcement that Mulan would be getting a live-action reboot, concerns that Hollywood would choose to whitewash the central roles soon followed online. There was even a hoax report announcing that Scarlett herself was cast as Mulan. Rumors circulated that a white male lead would be introduced, based on an alleged leaked script written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, spurring fans to launch the hashtag #MakeMulanRight. To its credit, Mulan has an entirely Asian cast, including Chinese-born American actress Crystal Liu Yifei (best known to Hollywood for her role in the Jackie Chan and Jet Li film The Forbidden Kingdom) in the lead role.

Mulan Eschews the Disney Reboot Formula

Mulan is an outlier in the current era of live action Disney reboots in that it is not afraid to make significant changes in both format and content from its animated source material. This hasn’t come without criticism, of course, especially as most of the Disney reboot era so far has catered toward nostalgia viewing. The live-action Mulan will not be a musical, a decision that caused many fans of the animated original to express disappointment when the announcement was made. Additionally, it became clear during marketing that the new film would not feature some of the cherished characters from the original, such as Mushu and Cri-kee. Some in the LGBTQ community criticized the removal of Li Shang, a character who is sometimes interpreted as bisexual because of his attraction to Ping (Mulan, disguised as a man). It’s worth noting that these are the characters that were rejected by Chinese audiences, and that they were added to the Mulan legend for the original animated Disney version.  

The #BoycottMulan Controversy

Late last year, Crystal Liu Yifei came under fire for her pro-police politics. Crystal has 65 million followers on the Chinese platform Weibo and posted the hashtag #IAlsoSupportTheHongKongPolice. This upset Hong Kongers protesting for democratic reforms (and pro-democracy sympathizers around the world) who started the hashtag #BoycottMulan. The controversy spilled over to Facebook and Twitter, resulting in the deletion of nearly a thousand troll accounts. (Note that both Facebook and Twitter are blocked by mainland China’s Great Firewall.) Since the initial controversy, other Chinese celebrities have voiced their support for Beijing, including Jackie Chan and Crystal’s Mulan co-star Donnie Yen.  

Meanwhile, in the United States, anti-Asian racism is on the rise. Following the President’s labeling of COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and amidst the general fraying of American-Chinese political relations, there has been an uptick in anti-Chinese sentiment in America. In March, a promotional Mulan poster at a bus stop in Pasadena, California was vandalized. It’s unclear, at this point, what role if any the current political climate could play in Mulan‘s performance.

Read more

Movies

Mulan and Tenet Show Competing Visions for Future of Movies

By David Crow

TV

Disney+ New Releases: September 2020

By Alec Bojalad

On September 4, Mulan will play in theaters in regions where Disney+ is not available, such as Singapore and Malaysia. Like with the U.K., China’s theaters have already reopened, as the country has contained the pandemic more successfully than the U.S. Mulan has been approved for Chinese release, but the date has not been formally announced at the time of this writing. This will put it head-to-head against the other major 2020 Hollywood blockbuster, Tenet, which has been and will be released theatrically in 70 countries, including China and in limited capacity in the U.S. 

Time will tell if Disney’s Premium Access VOD will succeed. Regardless, Mulan looks to be a panoramic big screen experience, so hopefully it will get shown in theaters someday. Whatever happens, in the larger picture, Disney’s production is just the latest chapter for Mulan, whose tale of overcoming obstacles has inspired for centuries.

Mulan premieres on Disney+ on September 4.

The post The Many Obstacles of Mulan appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/31MKfUa

[global-news-station]

China on Sunday expanded drastic travel restrictions to contain a viral contagion that has killed 56 people and infected nearly 2,000, as the United States and France prepared to evacuate their citizens from a quarantined city at the outbreak’s epicentre.

China has locked down the hard-hit province of Hubei in the country’s centre in an unprecedented operation affecting tens of millions of people to slow the spread of a respiratory illness that President Xi Jinping said posed a “grave” threat.

Outside the epicentre, three cities, including Beijing, and an eastern province announced bans on long-distance buses from entering or leaving their borders.

Originating in Hubei’s capital of Wuhan, the virus has spread throughout China and around the world, with cases confirmed in around a dozen countries as distant as France, Australia and the United States.

The State Department said on Sunday it was arranging a flight to repatriate staff at its Wuhan consulate and other American citizens trapped in the city.

The flight departs Wuhan on Tuesday for San Francisco, it said in an email to Americans in China, while warning of “extremely limited” capacity for private citizens.

France’s government and the French carmaker PSA — which has a sizable presence in Wuhan — also said they were formulating plans to evacuate staff and relatives, who would be taken to a city in a neighbouring province for a quarantine period.

Sri Lanka said its Beijing embassy was considering action regarding its nationals in Wuhan.

– Travel bans –

China would normally be celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday this week, but Wuhan’s eery quarantine calm deepened on Sunday as new restrictions banned most road traffic in the metropolis of 11 million.

Loudspeakers offered tips slathered with bravado.

“Do not believe in rumours. Do not spread rumours. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital in time,” the message said.

“Wuhan is a city that dares to face difficulties and keeps overcoming them,” the female voice added, mentioning the deadly 2002-03 SARS epidemic and 1998 Yangtze River flooding.

Israt Zahan, a Bangladeshi doctoral candidate living in Wuhan said she and other students were staying in their homes as it was “too risky” to go outside.

“The bustling city looks like a ghost town from my window. The shops are all shut down. I am rationing the food at my home. It will last for two days. Then I don’t know what I would do,” she told AFP by phone.

Despite anxious scenes at crowded hospitals in recent days, there were no signs of panic in the city.

But defences were bolstered elsewhere in the country.

Beijing suspended long-distance bus services into and out of the capital beginning Sunday. Similar suspensions are planned for the entire eastern province of Shandong — home to 100 million people — plus the northern cities of Tianjin and Xi’an.

The southern city of Shantou had announced a ban on vehicles entering its jurisdiction after detecting two cases, but authorities later reversed the decision.

Overseas Chinese tour groups will be suspended from Monday while domestic trips have already been halted since Friday.

In the semi-autonomous southern city of Hong Kong, Disneyland announced Sunday it had closed as a precaution following the government’s declaration of an emergency to combat the crisis. Shanghai’s Disneyland park had already closed Saturday.

– Virus spread ‘accelerating’ –

The nationwide death toll rose to 56 after 15 new deaths, most of them in Hubei.

Shanghai on Sunday reported its first death — an 88-year-old man who had pre-existing health problems.

It was the first death reported in an internationally connected major Chinese city outside of Wuhan, where the outbreak is believed to have originated in a market where animals like rats, snakes and hedgehogs were sold as food.

The government says most deaths involved the elderly or people already weakened by pre-existing health conditions.

Fearing a repeat of SARS, China has dramatically scaled back celebrations and travel associated with the New Year holiday, which began Friday, while tourist sites like Beijing’s Forbidden City and a section of the Great Wall have closed as a precaution.

Xi said at a Communist Party leadership meeting on the crisis that China was “faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread” of the virus, calling for stepped-up prevention.

Measures have been ordered nationwide to detect and isolate people carrying the virus on planes, trains and buses.

In Wuhan, China’s military has dispatched 450 medics, many with experience combating infectious diseases, to help treat patients in the city, many of whom reported hours-long waits at overwhelmed hospitals.

Wuhan is racing to build two makeshift virus-focused field hospitals within a fortnight to ease the pressure. The first could be ready in just over a week.

The post China expands drastic travel restrictions as death toll hits 56 appeared first on ARY NEWS.

https://ift.tt/2GnvYBV

[velmaemyers88]

‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news

Yuen Long, a quiet residential area close to the Chinese border, has become the unlikely next battleground of Hong Kong’s protest movement.

Over the last seven weeks, demonstrators have planned rallies across the territory – in parks, along main roads, in the airport and outside government offices – calling for the withdrawal of an extradition bill and making other political demands. But Yuen Long, known as one of the more remote, isolated areas in the north-west, had never been on the agenda.

On Sunday that changed. Commuters returning from dinner, going to meet friends or some coming back from the pro-democracy rally in central Hong Kong, pulled into the mass transit station to find dozens of men in white T-shirts waiting for them. They were masked, armed with rattan rods and other weapons.

Over the next half hour, passengers were chased, punched and lashed. Some frantically dialled emergency services but got no response. Police arrived after the assailants had gone and left before the men came back a second time. At least 45 people were sent to hospital.

Location of Yuen Long

The attack stunned locals, and many suspected the involvement of organised crime groups, the triads, which are active in the villages surrounding Yuen Long. Opposition lawmakers accused authorities of colluding with organised crime groups. Police arrested 12 people in connection with the attack, some with triad backgrounds.

I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared

Mei

In the immediate aftermath Yuen Long became a ghost town: shops across the main strip were closed and the streets were empty. Some locals rented hotel rooms out of town for a few nights.

“I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,”

As businesses gradually returned to normal, residents began bracing themselves for clashes between protesters, the police and suspected gangsters this weekend, as as previously planned demonstration in Kowloon, a commercial and residential district closer to central Hong Kong, on Saturday, was cancelled in order to hold a march in Yuen Long.

A street march is planned for Saturday in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

“Before the terrorist attack, none of the people are coming to Yuen Long for protest,” said Max Chung, 39, a resident of Yuen Long who submitted paperwork to the police for the march this weekend. “We have our local issues, our local problems but it hasn’t really been that serious until the attacks. That’s why I was so surprised the villagers are so against the movement.”

Mei, who runs a noodle restaurant near the train station, had reopened its doors on Tuesday. At 7pm her restaurant was half full. “I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,” she said.

Aubree Au, 39, said she was shocked and horrified by news of the attack, and unable to sleep that night as she watched live updates of what was happening. “It was literally a gangster movie in real life,” she said. It continued to affect her. “It hurts,” she said. “I was terrified, knowing it was where I live.”

The main commercial street in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

A former satellite town built by the British in the 1970s and used for years as farmland, Yuen Long is still largely conservative and dominated by village traditions, according to Chung. Pro-Beijing and pro-establishment sentiment is strong, especially in the villages where the triads are believed to have the support of local authorities and Chinese public security.

Yet residents are also frustrated by China’s encroachment into their lives. They blame Chinese tourists and parallel traders, who can reach Yuen Long in half an hour by bus from Shenzhen, for driving up real estate and living costs and crowding their streets.

Many in Yuen Long may agree with the demonstrators but choose not to say so, given how polarising the topic is, according to Fong, 60, a caretaker from the area. “A lot of people in Yuen Long do support the protesters, but they won’t say it out loud. There’s a large silent majority,” he said.

Fong has been supportive of his son who has been at the protests. Fong who says he is “incredibly angry” at what he believes is the obvious collusion between the police and the triads, plans to attend Saturday’s march. “I’m not scared,” he said. “Hong Kong people care about these things. We all know it matters.”

Lennon Walls that were put up by Hong Kong residents at the Yuen Long MTR station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Not all residents – from Yuen Long or elsewhere – may be as brave as Fong and his son. This time protesters fear the triads, whose presence is usually visible only through the scattering of mahjong parlours, brothels advertised as massage services, and other businesses in Yuen Long. “Normally, they don’t hurt people. They’re businesspeople,” said Fong.

Before the attack on Sunday, posters had circulated online warning people not to come to Yuen Long and set up Lennon Walls – named for the wall daubed with John Lennon-inspired political graffiti in Prague – or else they would have their hands and legs “chopped”. The heads of several Hong Kong universities issued a letter making the “strongest plea” to students not to attend.

“You will have angry young people from various parts of Hong Kong and the triads may gather from all over Hong Kong. I’m worried and ordinary people are worried,” said Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

Kay To says people in Yuen Long are starting to think more about their safety after Sunday’s attack at the railway station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Despite the warning, on Tuesday evening commuters passing through the same station where Sunday’s attack took place had covered the walls, columns and railings with photos of the victims, photos of the attackers posing with their weapons, hundreds of sticky notes, and signs that said “Take Back Yuen Long”. A group of volunteers who had heard about the wall online had come to guard passersby posting things there.

For Kay To, 29, a protester from Yuen Long, the attacks have made people in this normally peaceful district think about their safety, their role as citizens and the responsibilities of their leaders.

“They are starting to care,” he said. “In Yuen Long we never had a protest maybe in these 100 years. There have been a lot of first times for Yuen Long.”

Credit: Source link

The post ‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.tumblr.com/post/186535282637

[reneeacaseyfl]

‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news

Yuen Long, a quiet residential area close to the Chinese border, has become the unlikely next battleground of Hong Kong’s protest movement.

Over the last seven weeks, demonstrators have planned rallies across the territory – in parks, along main roads, in the airport and outside government offices – calling for the withdrawal of an extradition bill and making other political demands. But Yuen Long, known as one of the more remote, isolated areas in the north-west, had never been on the agenda.

On Sunday that changed. Commuters returning from dinner, going to meet friends or some coming back from the pro-democracy rally in central Hong Kong, pulled into the mass transit station to find dozens of men in white T-shirts waiting for them. They were masked, armed with rattan rods and other weapons.

Over the next half hour, passengers were chased, punched and lashed. Some frantically dialled emergency services but got no response. Police arrived after the assailants had gone and left before the men came back a second time. At least 45 people were sent to hospital.

Location of Yuen Long

The attack stunned locals, and many suspected the involvement of organised crime groups, the triads, which are active in the villages surrounding Yuen Long. Opposition lawmakers accused authorities of colluding with organised crime groups. Police arrested 12 people in connection with the attack, some with triad backgrounds.

I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared

Mei

In the immediate aftermath Yuen Long became a ghost town: shops across the main strip were closed and the streets were empty. Some locals rented hotel rooms out of town for a few nights.

“I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,”

As businesses gradually returned to normal, residents began bracing themselves for clashes between protesters, the police and suspected gangsters this weekend, as as previously planned demonstration in Kowloon, a commercial and residential district closer to central Hong Kong, on Saturday, was cancelled in order to hold a march in Yuen Long.

A street march is planned for Saturday in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

“Before the terrorist attack, none of the people are coming to Yuen Long for protest,” said Max Chung, 39, a resident of Yuen Long who submitted paperwork to the police for the march this weekend. “We have our local issues, our local problems but it hasn’t really been that serious until the attacks. That’s why I was so surprised the villagers are so against the movement.”

Mei, who runs a noodle restaurant near the train station, had reopened its doors on Tuesday. At 7pm her restaurant was half full. “I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,” she said.

Aubree Au, 39, said she was shocked and horrified by news of the attack, and unable to sleep that night as she watched live updates of what was happening. “It was literally a gangster movie in real life,” she said. It continued to affect her. “It hurts,” she said. “I was terrified, knowing it was where I live.”

The main commercial street in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

A former satellite town built by the British in the 1970s and used for years as farmland, Yuen Long is still largely conservative and dominated by village traditions, according to Chung. Pro-Beijing and pro-establishment sentiment is strong, especially in the villages where the triads are believed to have the support of local authorities and Chinese public security.

Yet residents are also frustrated by China’s encroachment into their lives. They blame Chinese tourists and parallel traders, who can reach Yuen Long in half an hour by bus from Shenzhen, for driving up real estate and living costs and crowding their streets.

Many in Yuen Long may agree with the demonstrators but choose not to say so, given how polarising the topic is, according to Fong, 60, a caretaker from the area. “A lot of people in Yuen Long do support the protesters, but they won’t say it out loud. There’s a large silent majority,” he said.

Fong has been supportive of his son who has been at the protests. Fong who says he is “incredibly angry” at what he believes is the obvious collusion between the police and the triads, plans to attend Saturday’s march. “I’m not scared,” he said. “Hong Kong people care about these things. We all know it matters.”

Lennon Walls that were put up by Hong Kong residents at the Yuen Long MTR station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Not all residents – from Yuen Long or elsewhere – may be as brave as Fong and his son. This time protesters fear the triads, whose presence is usually visible only through the scattering of mahjong parlours, brothels advertised as massage services, and other businesses in Yuen Long. “Normally, they don’t hurt people. They’re businesspeople,” said Fong.

Before the attack on Sunday, posters had circulated online warning people not to come to Yuen Long and set up Lennon Walls – named for the wall daubed with John Lennon-inspired political graffiti in Prague – or else they would have their hands and legs “chopped”. The heads of several Hong Kong universities issued a letter making the “strongest plea” to students not to attend.

“You will have angry young people from various parts of Hong Kong and the triads may gather from all over Hong Kong. I’m worried and ordinary people are worried,” said Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

Kay To says people in Yuen Long are starting to think more about their safety after Sunday’s attack at the railway station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Despite the warning, on Tuesday evening commuters passing through the same station where Sunday’s attack took place had covered the walls, columns and railings with photos of the victims, photos of the attackers posing with their weapons, hundreds of sticky notes, and signs that said “Take Back Yuen Long”. A group of volunteers who had heard about the wall online had come to guard passersby posting things there.

For Kay To, 29, a protester from Yuen Long, the attacks have made people in this normally peaceful district think about their safety, their role as citizens and the responsibilities of their leaders.

“They are starting to care,” he said. “In Yuen Long we never had a protest maybe in these 100 years. There have been a lot of first times for Yuen Long.”

Credit: Source link

The post ‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.tumblr.com/post/186535282637

[weeklyreviewer]

‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news

Yuen Long, a quiet residential area close to the Chinese border, has become the unlikely next battleground of Hong Kong’s protest movement.

Over the last seven weeks, demonstrators have planned rallies across the territory – in parks, along main roads, in the airport and outside government offices – calling for the withdrawal of an extradition bill and making other political demands. But Yuen Long, known as one of the more remote, isolated areas in the north-west, had never been on the agenda.

On Sunday that changed. Commuters returning from dinner, going to meet friends or some coming back from the pro-democracy rally in central Hong Kong, pulled into the mass transit station to find dozens of men in white T-shirts waiting for them. They were masked, armed with rattan rods and other weapons.

Over the next half hour, passengers were chased, punched and lashed. Some frantically dialled emergency services but got no response. Police arrived after the assailants had gone and left before the men came back a second time. At least 45 people were sent to hospital.

Location of Yuen Long

The attack stunned locals, and many suspected the involvement of organised crime groups, the triads, which are active in the villages surrounding Yuen Long. Opposition lawmakers accused authorities of colluding with organised crime groups. Police arrested 12 people in connection with the attack, some with triad backgrounds.

I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared

Mei

In the immediate aftermath Yuen Long became a ghost town: shops across the main strip were closed and the streets were empty. Some locals rented hotel rooms out of town for a few nights.

“I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,”

As businesses gradually returned to normal, residents began bracing themselves for clashes between protesters, the police and suspected gangsters this weekend, as as previously planned demonstration in Kowloon, a commercial and residential district closer to central Hong Kong, on Saturday, was cancelled in order to hold a march in Yuen Long.

A street march is planned for Saturday in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

“Before the terrorist attack, none of the people are coming to Yuen Long for protest,” said Max Chung, 39, a resident of Yuen Long who submitted paperwork to the police for the march this weekend. “We have our local issues, our local problems but it hasn’t really been that serious until the attacks. That’s why I was so surprised the villagers are so against the movement.”

Mei, who runs a noodle restaurant near the train station, had reopened its doors on Tuesday. At 7pm her restaurant was half full. “I’m scared. I think all Hong Kongers are scared,” she said.

Aubree Au, 39, said she was shocked and horrified by news of the attack, and unable to sleep that night as she watched live updates of what was happening. “It was literally a gangster movie in real life,” she said. It continued to affect her. “It hurts,” she said. “I was terrified, knowing it was where I live.”

The main commercial street in Yuen Long. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

A former satellite town built by the British in the 1970s and used for years as farmland, Yuen Long is still largely conservative and dominated by village traditions, according to Chung. Pro-Beijing and pro-establishment sentiment is strong, especially in the villages where the triads are believed to have the support of local authorities and Chinese public security.

Yet residents are also frustrated by China’s encroachment into their lives. They blame Chinese tourists and parallel traders, who can reach Yuen Long in half an hour by bus from Shenzhen, for driving up real estate and living costs and crowding their streets.

Many in Yuen Long may agree with the demonstrators but choose not to say so, given how polarising the topic is, according to Fong, 60, a caretaker from the area. “A lot of people in Yuen Long do support the protesters, but they won’t say it out loud. There’s a large silent majority,” he said.

Fong has been supportive of his son who has been at the protests. Fong who says he is “incredibly angry” at what he believes is the obvious collusion between the police and the triads, plans to attend Saturday’s march. “I’m not scared,” he said. “Hong Kong people care about these things. We all know it matters.”

Lennon Walls that were put up by Hong Kong residents at the Yuen Long MTR station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Not all residents – from Yuen Long or elsewhere – may be as brave as Fong and his son. This time protesters fear the triads, whose presence is usually visible only through the scattering of mahjong parlours, brothels advertised as massage services, and other businesses in Yuen Long. “Normally, they don’t hurt people. They’re businesspeople,” said Fong.

Before the attack on Sunday, posters had circulated online warning people not to come to Yuen Long and set up Lennon Walls – named for the wall daubed with John Lennon-inspired political graffiti in Prague – or else they would have their hands and legs “chopped”. The heads of several Hong Kong universities issued a letter making the “strongest plea” to students not to attend.

“You will have angry young people from various parts of Hong Kong and the triads may gather from all over Hong Kong. I’m worried and ordinary people are worried,” said Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

Kay To says people in Yuen Long are starting to think more about their safety after Sunday’s attack at the railway station. Photograph: An Rong Xu/The Guardian

Despite the warning, on Tuesday evening commuters passing through the same station where Sunday’s attack took place had covered the walls, columns and railings with photos of the victims, photos of the attackers posing with their weapons, hundreds of sticky notes, and signs that said “Take Back Yuen Long”. A group of volunteers who had heard about the wall online had come to guard passersby posting things there.

For Kay To, 29, a protester from Yuen Long, the attacks have made people in this normally peaceful district think about their safety, their role as citizens and the responsibilities of their leaders.

“They are starting to care,” he said. “In Yuen Long we never had a protest maybe in these 100 years. There have been a lot of first times for Yuen Long.”

Credit: Source link

The post ‘All Hong Kongers are scared’: protests to widen as rural residents fight back | World news appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-hong-kongers-are-scared-protests-to-widen-as-rural-residents-fight-back-world-news