REUTERS/China DailyA half-naked participant wears a gas mask as he takes part in the second "Guangzhu (naked) Run" on a winter morning at the Olympic Forest Park in Beijing, February 24, 2013.Over the past decade China saw rapid economic expansion. But its growth model and controversial politics have not come without their fair share of problems.Rising property prices, rising food prices, restrictions on investment, an emphasis on speed over safety, and lax environmental standards have led to some truly unique and sometimes crazy situations in China.Rich people build mountain villas on top of apartment buildings, local governments incentivize burials at sea, and people are pour their money into everything from walnuts to cockroach farms.We identified 35 strange things that have happened in China.
BUSINESSES HANG NETS TO PREVENT EMPLOYEES FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE.
outside its worker dormitories and hired mental health professionals to prevent suicides.
FIREFIGHTERS ARE ON HAND TO PREVENT SELF-IMMOLATIONS.
APImmolations are a very popular form of protest. Before and during the leadership transition in 2012,to prevent self-immolations.
A NATIONAL PORK RESERVE EXISTS TO COMBAT INFLATION.
China has replaced the U.S. to become the world's largest consumer of pork. The country has athat it releases when prices soar.
A TOURISM LAW IS CREATED THAT TELLS CHINESE TOURISTS TO "BEHAVE."
REUTERS/Daniel MunozChina passed thethat seeks to protect the rights of both tourists and tour operators. But it also has a section asking tourists to "behave" after some incidents emerged that
GRAVE ROBBERS STEAL AND SELL CORPSES FOR "GHOST MARRIAGES."
AP"Ghost marriages" have traditionally been arranged for young men who died before they could wed. But four men decided toand pocketed 240,000 yuan ($39,000).
CUTE KIDS GET REPLACED BY CUTER KIDS.
China lied about the little girl who sang "Ode to the motherland" at the Beijing Olympics. Yang Peiyi, the real singer, wasn't considered cute enough and Lin Miaoke was brought in to lip sync the song. The music director : "The audience will understand that it's in the national interest."
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SPONSOR BURIALS AT SEA.
REUTERS/Chris MeyersLand prices have surged in China making graveyards expensive. With that in mind,to scatter the ashes of their relatives at sea. Guangzhou offered $160, while it was reported that in Wenzhou families were offered as much as $1,290.
ENTIRE APPLE STORES GET COUNTERFEITED.
As Chinese cities develop across the country fake stores have become increasingly prevalent. Arguably the most famous fake store was thein Kunming, southern China.
NAIL HOUSES AND GRAVES POP UP TO PROTEST LAND GRABS.
Land grabs are all too common in China, where local governments often seize land without adequately compensating the owner. While most families cave to government pressure, some refuse and developers continue to build around a stand alone home or grave, leading toand
PEOPLE BUILD HOUSES ON TOP OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
ReutersLand is at a premium in China, especially in big cities. And the wealthy have taken to building elaborate homes on top of apartment buildings in China. While some of these are sanctioned,and the owner was asked to tear it down.
COUPLES DIVORCE TO AVOID PROPERTY TAXES.
The Chinese government announced a 20 percent tax on profits from home sales. But , taking one property each, and then selling one of the homes tax free, to take advantage of loopholes.
WEALTHY PEOPLE HAVE STAND-INS AT THEIR TRIALS
In China the extremely wealthy are believed toto appear as them in court and serve out prison sentences.
BUILDINGS FALL OVER SIDEWAYS AND ARE SOMETIMES INTACT.
One construction worker was killed when thisalmost intact. There are constant fears that safety comes second to speed.
THE GOVERNMENT SIGNS A DEAL TO BUY PIG SEMEN FROM THE UK.
China is the world's largest pork consumer and rising pork prices contributed to Chinese inflation this year. In a bid to combat that, . British farmers are expected to get EUR45 million ($73 million) a year thanks to the deal.
PEOPLE SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON WALNUTS.
Wealthy Chinese with limited investment options have taken to investing in ,andRecently, con artists have been sellingfilled with cement.
THEY SPEND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON JADE.
Jade prices first started to rise in 2005 but theis said to be popping.
AND THEY EARN HIGH RETURNS ON COCKROACHES.
China has witnessed a . These roaches are used in Chinese medicine, and a pound of dried cockroaches that used to cost $2, now costs $20. One farmer said you can invest 20 yuan ($3.25) and get back as much as 150 yuan ($24).
FATHERS HIRE ASSASSINS TO KILL THEIR SONS' WORLD OF WARCRAFT AVATARS.
A Chinese father, Mr. Feng, reportedly hired multiple . Xiao Feng, the son, had quit a software development job and spent all this time playing video games instead of looking for a new job.
PEOPLE GET ARRESTED FOR SPREADING RUMORS ABOUT THE MAYAN APOCALYPSE.
AP in China for spreading rumors about the Mayan Apocalypse. One man spent all his savings to build an 'ark' to survive the Apocalypse.
'LOVE HUNTERS' LOOK FOR WOMEN IN SHOPPING MALLS.
Yang Jing, alooks for women and sometimes men at shopping malls. Wealthy Chinese pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to "love hunters" like Jing to find their "ideal spouse," according to The New York Times.
THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES A BAN ON GIFT GIVING, AND IT IMMEDIATELY HURTS THE ECONOMY.
In an attempt to crack down on "gift giving,"for luxury products. This .
THEY HAVE CRICKET FIGHTING COMPETITIONS.
REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonCricket fighting is considered a sport in China and those that are serious about cricket fighting spend time on breeding and training. While most , they can go up to 10,000 yuan ($1,635).
THOUSANDS OF DEAD PIGS FLOAT IN A CHINESE RIVER.
REUTERS/StringerNearlywere found floating in the Huangpu river near Shanghai. The river water tested positive for porcine circovirus, which affects pigs but not humans. For now officials say the water is still drinkable.
THE SMOG IS SO BAD IT CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE.
Rapid industrialization has caused pollution problems across China. Recently the smog got so bad
MILK GETS INFUSED WITH MELAMINE.
China's dairy industry has been hit with milk contamination scandals since 2008. Milk products have been found containing everything fromand detergent.
RIVERS TURN RED.
Environmental pollution andhave caused rivers in China to turn red.
OBSCURE JAMES JOYCE NOVEL "FINNEGAN'S WAKE" BECOMES A BESTSELLER.
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