Gao Xianzhang has managed to create what some would call the holiest fruits ever, pears shaped like Buddha. Gao has been working on his pear-growing technique for six years and this season he managed to grow 10,000 Buddha-shaped baby pears. Each fruit is grown in an intricate Buddha mould and ends up looking like a juicy figurine. The ingenious farmer says the locals in his home village of Hexia, norther China, have been buying his Buddha pears as soon as he picks them from the trees. Most of them think they are cute and that they bring good luck. Gao Xianzhang pears aren’t cheap, roughly $1.8 each, but their success in China convinced him to start exporting them into Europe. Photos by Central European News via Daily Mail Read More »

Similar, in a way, to the Hanging Houses of Cuenca, the Hanging Temple of Hengshan is an amazing display of architecture. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan literally hangs on the side of Hengshan Mountain, sustain by only a few wooden poles. You would think this kind of a building couldn’t for hundreds of years, but it is believed the temple was built during the late Northern Wei Dinasty (386-534AD), by a monk called Liao Ran. It was restored during the 1900s. The gravity-defying Hanging Temple of Hengshan is comprised of 40 chambers, liked through a network of passageways, and hosts not one but three religions. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are all worshiped here, in harmony. via Atlas Obscura (one of my favorite sites!) Read More »

I can’t understand why someone would go through the trouble of creating the world’s biggest porcelain jar, but they did, so here it is. Porcelain master Xu Sijin and a team of painters worked for more than a year to complete this giant black and white porcelain. The painting on the jar depicts the three gorges of the Yangtze River. The giant porcelain jar stands 1.36 meters tall, has a diameter of 6.8 meters and weighs over 1,500 kg. The world’s biggest porcelain jar has been unveiled in Jingdezhen, east China and is waiting for recognition from the Guinness Book of Records. Photos by Xinhua/Shi Weiming Read More »

They’ve only been born for a year and they’re already competing in sporting events. No wonder they’re called Olympic Babies. Babies born on August 8, known as Olympic Babies, take part in a sporting competition that fits them like a diaper, a crawling race.  The race took place on August 6, 2009 in Beijing, to commemorate a 1 year anniversary since the Olympic Games held in the Chinese Capital. via China.org

Unlike the Spanish, who like to get involved, the Chinese just like to watch as two bulls brutally fight each other. I’m not talking about the Spanish and the Chinese in general, but there’s no denying there are those who actually enjoy this type of displays. These particular bullfights took place in Lianglong Village, Guanxing Province, China and were part of the local Xinmi Festival. As always, violence and blood managed to gather quite a crowd. And you can’t really blame the animal, they don’t know any better, but the people… At least I hope they don’t kill the bulls, like they do in the corrida. via China.org

Li Enhai, a talented cook from China, insured himself a spot in the Guinness Book of Records after  making a 2,852 meters long noodle, with just one kilogram of flour. In the photos, you can witness his noodle stretching technique, at a hotel opening, in Keshikten, northern China, on July 29. Photos by Xinhua/Sun Guoshu via People.com.cn

In order to show how intimate they are with bees and as proof of their apiculture supremacy, a couple of bee keepers covered themselves with bees. On July 16, in Ning’an City, northern China, Li Wenhua and Yan Hongxia, two passionate bee-keepers, pulled-off a stunt many would consider insane. Using the queen-bee as bait, the two managed to cover themselves with over 10,000 bees. Photos by Xinhua/Zhang Chunxiang via People.com.cn

If you thought you were going to see a hand-sown flag, then I’m going to have to disappoint you, but this is something way cooler. The “left behind children” of migrant workers  went to work in China’s larger cities or abroad, together with volunteers from the University of Science and Technology, have made a 60-square-meters flag of China, using their hand imprints. The artwork was unveiled at Lintou middle-school, Hashan county, on July 21, 2009. This is was their way of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. via China.org

No, I’m not talking about the shortage of drinking water in third world countries around the world, that’s what the Dirty Water Campaign is for. This time I’m talking about…let’s call it fun-water shortage. A massive heat-wave hit China these last few days, and temperatures soared to an alarming 40 degrees Celsius. So what were the poor Chinese people to do, under these circumstances? Find a place to cool of, of course, and what’s better than a swim at the local swimming pool, right? Well, that’s just not the case for the people of Nanjing, who barely had enough room to tread water at this over-crowded swimming pool. The Daily Mail thinks this might just be the most crowded swimming pool in the world and I tend to agree. But then again, what do you expect in a country with a population of over one billion? More swimming pools maybe? Just a thought…

Personally I think it has a shot at the title of weirdest hotel in the world, but it’s definitely not the best looking one. Located in Hebei province, China, the Tianzi Hotel was built sometime in the 2000-2001 period. It is a ten-story high representation of Fu Lu Shou (good fortune, prosperity and longevity) that apparently holds the Guinness World Record for the “biggest image building”…whatever that means. You probably won’t find much more info about the Tianzi Hotel on English websites. Don’t know if it will help, but it’s also known as The Emperor Hotel and Son of Heaven Hotel. via Killer Directory

One thing is for sure, the Chinese know how to relax. I mean, what’s more relaxing than an old fashioned pillow fight? It makes you laugh, lets you take release the pressure without hurting anyone, it’s perfect. Looking at the photos, I can say this outdoor pillow fight, staged by the authorities of Nanning, China, was a great success. People are laughing, having a good time, like they have no care in the world. via China.org.cn

The Chinese know how to have fun and make money at the same time. During a contest that took place in Nanning, competing teams had to squeeze as many members as they could into a car. They had 3 minutes to get into the car and had to last 10 seconds with all the car doors shut. Not an easy task, but with all that Yoga, I’m sure they managed pretty well. We don’t know how many people fit into that car for the win, but what we do know is the winning team got a prize of 500 yuan. That’s about $73. But who are we kidding, it was never about the money. via people.com.cn

More and more Chinese women turn to pole-dancing to keep in shape. Great news for Chinese men, an increasing number of their women are registering for pole-dancing classes, to keep fit. These photos, taken in Luoyang, central China, show women learning to master the pole, under the guidance of professional instructors. It appears this is the latest trend in Chinese exercising and practically every gym and dance studios is offering classes. Damn I hope this trend goes international real soon, I know a few guys who would gladly pay for their wives’ classes. via CCTV.com

This weird cat with wings was spotted in Chonqing, China. Although you might think the angel-cat of Chonqing is unique, there have been other cats with wings in Russia and the United States. Her owner says she wasn’t born like this, her wings started growing when she was one year old. A worker from the Chonqing Museum of Natural History says this kind of oddities are becoming quite common and are the results of pollution in the area. This particular angel cat will be adopted by the Chonqing Museum. via China.org.cn

Finally, the world-famous Japanese character gets a proper home…in China. Now loyal Hello Kitty fans from around the world can start their pilgrimage to the Hello Kitty Castle that was inaugurated in Shanghai. Not much I can say about this place, it’s very pink and girly-like and, judging by the popularity of Hello Kitty, it might just become the new Mecca. One thing that would fit perfectly in the Hello Kitty Castle is the Hell-Kitty Rifle, an AR-15 rifle personalized by a Californian weapon enthusiast. via China.org.cn