Nothing but weird China stories this week

The China Letter: August 26, 2022

While there’s something ridiculous about all these stories in this week’s handful, each one relates to a bigger story about the state of China—and are worth paying attention to. Read on for recent tales that you can relate to family and friends wondering what’s going on in a place where government covets control.

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Minions work for the CCP

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP @hkfp

In China, latest Minions movie gets a new ending that promotes rule of law hongkongfp.com/2022/08/22/in-…

Minions: The Rise of Gru premiered in China with a different ending than what the rest of the world saw. Subtitled still images in the closing credits sequence inform audiences that the protagonist Gru “eventually became one of the good guys” while his mentor Wild Knuckles was locked up in prison for 20 years.

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The opposite of a furnace

AP Oddities @AP_Oddities

Local hotspot: The city of Chongqing, dubbed one of China's four “furnace” cities, is known for both soaring temperatures and spicy cuisine. The inland metropolis has the perfect escape: World War II-era air raid shelters, converted into restaurants.

apne.wsSome like it hot: Eating spicy in China’s WWII sheltersCHONGQING, China (AP) — The city of Chongqing, dubbed one of China’s four “furnace” cities, is known for both soaring temperatures and spicy cuisine — notably its hotpot, a peppery bubbling tabletop broth into which diners dunk bite-size pieces of food to cook and eat.

“Cave hotpot” is what locals are calling peppery bubbling tabletop broth currently being served this summer in Chongqing air raid shelters that date back to the Second World War. The heatwave in one of China’s four “furnace” cities has sent locals to seek out dining in a cool environment that contrasts with the punishing temperatures outside.

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Still fishing for coronavirus

CNN @CNN

The Chinese coastal city of Xiamen is testing freshly caught fish, crabs and even shrimp for Covid-19

cnn.itChinese city swabs freshly caught seafood for Covid-19The Chinese coastal city of Xiamen is testing freshly caught fish, crabs and even shrimp for Covid-19 as it goes all out to contain a spiraling outbreak -- a policy drawing ridicule online and criticism from experts who say it’s a “waste of resources.”

Viral videos showed hazmat-suited health workers approaching fish, crabs and shrimp with cotton swabs in order to test them for COVID-19 in the latest extreme example of China trying to contain the coronavirus. Fishermen in Xiamen were ordered to bring in their catches to receive a mouth swab.

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27 punishments over this

BBC News (World) @BBCWorld

China textbooks revised after 'ugly' cartoons spark outcry

bbc.inChina textbooks revised after ‘ugly’ cartoons spark outcryAnger over the “ugly, racist and spooky” images leads to illustrators and publishers being sacked.

Primary school textbook cartoons that Chinese state media described as “ugly, racist, spooky and sexually suggestive“ have now been replaced after 350 specialists reviewed about 2,000 books—which resulted in a reported 27 people punished in some fashion. (The replacement illustrations drew social media praise for being “beautifully drawn.”)

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The smearing in a sanctuary

AsiaOne @asiaonecom

'A bit weird': Chinese wildlife keepers in panda suits covered in bear's faeces go viral asiaone.com/china/bit-weir…

“Aren’t pandas afraid?” was the hashtag that appeared on Chinese social media due to an influencer drawing attention to employees at a nature reserve in Sichuan province wearing waste-filled suits. The suits are worn towards reducing human interaction to zero before the pandas are released in the wild without people.