The Nanfang / Blog

What the Broken Vase Scam Is, and How to Avoid Being Duped

Posted: 09/15/2014 9:00 am

broken vase trick scam

Oh, China. Foreigners and Chinese people alike fall for your many scams and get-rich-quick schemes.

One scam, identified as the “broken vase”, was recently caught on video in Shenzen. Although it can take a number of forms, all it really requires is a staged accident or collision to dupe a motorist into believing that he or she is responsible for causing injury or damage. It can be as simple as crawling under a stopped bus or as brazen as intimidating drunk drivers with a car full of surly men.

A  surveillance video caught one such incident in Shanghai’s Jiuting, Songjiang District. As explained by the Shenzhen Traffic Police, the “broken vase” scam has many participants playing different roles.

broken vase trick scam

Step One: The Instigation - A driver drives very slowly to frustrate the car behind him. Notice how the silver, instigating car is travelling at the same speed as the bicycle (the “broken vase”) to its right.

broken vase trick scam

Step Two: The Overtake - The frustrated motorist driving the black car decides to overtake the instigating car by passing to its right.

broken vase trick scam

Step Three: The Collision - While passing, the black car’s driver is presumably focused to his left. This is when the cyclist purposely collides with the black car.

broken vase trick scam

Step Four: The Fall. The cyclist falls and claims to be injured because the driver decided to overtake the slower vehicle. The driver is unable to defend himself and will (likely) be willing to pay the money asked by the “broken vase”. During the confrontation between the driver and the cyclist, witnesses (who are usually a part of the scam) often show up to help the “broken vase”.

Here’s the entire scam caught in a GIF:

broken vase trick scam

Scams in China depend on simplicity to be effective, but, it should be remembered that there is usually more than one or two people involved. Hopefully, a little knowledge of the trick’s mechanics will prevent further marks from being duped.

Photos: Shenzhen Traffic Police

Haohao

The Days This Month When Beijing Traffic Will Become Downright Awful

Posted: 09/2/2014 1:00 pm

beijing traffic jam gridlockLong ago, benevolent leaders in China would inform their subjects of which days of the year were optimal for sowing seeds and harvesting crops. That tradition continues in 2014, but the focus has changed to something much more modern: now leaders are informing citizens which days to avoid Beijing traffic.

While the capital is already infamous for its traffic congestion, September is expected to be absolute worst month due to the Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day, the beginning of the school year, fall promotions in malls, and visiting relatives.

In fact, the Beijing Municipal Commission on Transport can even pinpoint particular days to avoid. They are September 4, 5, 15, 22, 26 and 28, 29 and 30.

To try to combat the girdlock, local authorities will be trying a bunch of different strategies including launching a Public Transportation Promotion Week, No Car Days, new private bus lines, and shortening the length between subway cars to just three minutes on Beijing Metro Line 6 between 5pm and 7pm,

[h/t WSJ China Real Time]

Photo: etu6

Haohao

3-Year Old Struck By Random, Flying Tranquilizer Dart in Zhuhai

Posted: 07/2/2014 7:38 am

zhuhai needle girlIt seems nowhere is safe, not even in the arms of your own mother. That’s where a three-year old Zhuhai girl was when she was hit in the head with a dart filled with a mysterious substance, reports Southern Metropolis Daily.

At around 9:30pm on June 29, Mr Jia was driving home to Jianfeng Village, Jing’an County on his electric scooter with his wife and two children. When he was just about to turn right onto Jianfeng Front Road from Jiangwan Central Road, something flew out from across the road and struck his wife’s backpack with a huge noise. The sound was so loud that Jia thought the vehicle had hit something.

Upon stopping the bike and turning around, Jia saw that this daughter, Xiao Man, had a needle sticking out from the top of her head. After crying out once, she fell unconscious after about three seconds. Upon arriving at the hospital ten minutes later, Xiao Man stopped breathing and had no pulse. Her skin had turned purple and her pupils had dilated.

Dr Zhang Ying of the No.5 Auxiliary Zunyi Hospital alerted pediatrics, neurosurgery, brain surgery, and intensive care unit specialists. Within ten minutes, Xiao Man recovered her breathing, and regained consciousness within half an hour. She is currently recovering.

The object that pricked Xiao Man looks like a tranquilizer dart used on animals, and is armed with a needle that is one inch long. Police think it was shot by a crossbow.

Upon testing, the dart was discovered to contain succinylcholine, a compound used to induce muscle relaxation and short-term paralysis. Despite being listed on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, Dr Yang Ying says the drug is extremely rare in Zhuhai and used only under the strictest of conditions.

Our hospital doesn’t have it, and your average factory will have trouble getting it.

So far there are no suspects or witnesses.

Photo: Nandu

Haohao

Heavy Rains Flood Streets in Guangzhou and Zhanjiang [UPDATE]

Posted: 06/11/2014 12:48 pm

Guangzhou rain flooding street trafficHeavy rains this morning caused flooding in Guangzhou and Zhanjiang, leading to many traffic disruptions.

Guangzhou Live has reported several Guangzhou roads having been submerged:

  • The Inner Ring Road B Line by Martyr Road has been flooded with all traffic stopped in the area.
  • Both directions of traffic have been flooded at the Shahe Overpass at Inner Ring Road by Lianquan Road where traffic is moving very slow.
  • Water is slowly creeping from west to east at the Inner Ring Road by the Luhu Road exit
  • The area underneath the Tianshou Road Railway Bridge has been flooded on both sides
  • Dongfeng Road under Nonglin, Martyr Middle Road opposite the Huanghua Playhouse, and the area underneath the Tongxin Road Railway Bridge have all had both sides of their roads floodedguangzhou zhanjiang flood rain heavy roads

guangzhou zhanjiang flood rain heavy roadsMeanwhile in Zhanjiang, heavy rainfall from 6am to 9am in Xiashan District has led to flooding on Haijing Road where several cars have stalled, reports Yangcheng Evening Report.guangzhou zhanjiang flood rain heavy roadsguangzhou zhanjiang flood rain heavy roadsguangzhou zhanjiang flood rain heavy roads

UPDATE 4:50pm June 11: This afternoon the districts of Yuexiu, Tianhe, Zhuhai, Liwan all received rain in excess of 100mm, reports the Guangzhou Daily.

Here are some photos taken of flooding from around the city:Guangzhou rain flooding street traffic

Guangzhou rain flooding street trafficGuangzhou rain flooding street trafficGuangzhou rain flooding street trafficPhotos: Guangzhou Live via Weibo, Yangcheng Evening Report via Weibo, Guangzhou Daily via Weibo

Haohao

Fires and Overturned Police Cars in Guangzhou After Mass Incident

Posted: 06/9/2014 12:50 pm

sanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotConflicting reports have surfaced regarding a mass protest in Sanyuanli, Guangzhou on June 8 that backed up traffic for hours.

Dawang Network News reports that several hundred residents gathered at Sanyuanli Boulevard near Tangxi Road in Baiyun District yesterday at 3pm. Law enforcement officers were also at the scene.

According to a Mr Zhou, police were conducting fire prevention inspections at a row of rented warehouses nearby when they began to forcibly remove people and their belongings from the area by prying open doors. People then protested by standing in the middle of the street.

Eyewitness Mr Feng stated that several physical confrontations occurred between the protesters and the police, but he was unsure if there were any injuries, Dawang Network News reports.

In a post on its official Weibo account, Guangzhou police said they ”properly dealt with a congregation of people” when hundreds of residents opposed law enforcement officials. Guangzhou police say the incident began at 4pm when a government department was preparing to renovate the area near Xianggang Street. The officials were met by a throng of people who obstructed them, blocking traffic.

The Guangzhou police statement does not say if any injuries occurred during this incident.

As reported by ABC News, Guangzhou police have been implementing a crackdown on the “five small places” that include small bathhouses, small cyber cafes, small inns, small Karaoke bars and small beauty salons, all places associated with prostitution.

Daily News reports that Dekang Road was closed by police, and that traffic on Sanyuanli Boulevard and Airport Road was blocked.

All sides agree that the crowd dispersed at 8pm, and that traffic resumed normal at that time.

These are photos published on ynet that show hundreds of protestors blocking a street during the day:sanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riot

These photos published by News Today show police with riot shields at the scene as well as overturned vehicles:

sanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riot

sanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riot

These photos posted to Weibo by a netizen show the crowds, and includes images of overturned police cars and fires being set:sanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riotsanyuanli mass protestsanyuanli mass protest guangzhou baiyun police riot

Photos: msn.ynet, News Today via WeiboWeibo

Haohao

Shenzhen Ambulances Can Get Video Evidence If You Block Their Way

Posted: 05/21/2014 2:05 pm

shenzhen ambulance blockShenzhen ambulances have been mounted with dashboard video cameras to help collect evidence to prosecute drivers that obstruct their path, reports Shenzhen Evening News.

Starting May 19, a initiative had begun to penalize any driver that blocks the passage of an emergency vehicle in Shenzhen with fines of RMB 300 and three points deducted from their driver’s license. Yesterday, eight drivers were caught and fined for obstructing ambulances.

In similar fashion, a rear-mounted camera in the interior of the ambulance will collect video evidence to help settle any confrontations that should arise between patients and paramedics.

Previous cases of ambulance obstruction as well as assault on medical staff have been dismissed as no video evidence was collected.

Chen, a veteran ambulance driver, said that ambulances are normally blocked in Shenzhen:

Over 98% of drivers do not get out of the way for us. There is simply no concept of this in the minds of city residents.

The use of video cameras will also be prominently used in an online traffic monitoring system set to debut in Shenzhen next year.

Users will be able to access traffic conditions throughout the city updated every five minutes and be able to plan necessary detours, reports the Shenzhen Standard. Traffic will graded on a scale from one to five. GPS tracking devices in taxis will aid in determining the volume of traffic.

Photo: iFeng

Haohao

Insane Photos of Shenzhen Flooding, Yellow Alert Issued in Guangzhou

Posted: 05/21/2014 11:19 am

shenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roads

Blue and yellow weather alerts have been issued for the city of Guangzhou for Wednesday afternoon after heavy rain battered Shenzhen on Tuesday.

Though the red alert weather warning was lifted at 4:30pm, flooding had occurred throughout the city of Shenzhen. Cars tried to pass through submerged roads as residents waded through flood water higher than their knees.

In Leizhou, a levee was reported to have burst early this morning.

Rain is expected to continue to fall on Guangdong Province for the remainder of the week.

Here’s a gallery of pictures taken yesterday of the flooding in Shenzhen:

shenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roads

And here are some pictures from Baihuatong Road in Guangming:shenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roadsshenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roads

It would be remiss not to mention the rainbow that finally appeared yesterday on “520″, the month and day imbued with the numerical symbology of “I like you”:shenzhen flooding rain rainstorm guangdong blocked roads

Related stories from the past month:

Photos: Shenzhen Evening Report Weibo (2), Shenzhen Police via Weibo (2), Yangcheng Evening Report via Weibo

Haohao

Huizhou Floods After 4 Hours of Torrential Rain [PHOTOS]

Posted: 05/16/2014 8:53 pm

huizhou flooding rain fall guangdongHeavy rain in the city of Huizhou caused flooding throughout the city after four hours of continued precipitation this afternoon, reported Guangzhou Daily.

Cars at E’ling Bridge were reported to be submerged up to their rooftops as traffic and public transportation were affected.

Firefighters attempting to pump out flooded areas were no match for the influx of rain water. Many parents took children out of school as a precaution.

huizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdonghuizhou flooding rain fall guangdongPhotos: Guangzhou Daily via Weibo, Shenzhen Police via Weibo

Haohao

A Street-by-Street Tour of Shenzhen’s Flooding [PICTORIAL]

Posted: 05/12/2014 12:50 pm

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Having endured its heaviest rainfall since 2008, flooding has afflicted areas throughout Shenzhen, of which Longhua District recorded a total rainfall of 430.7 mm.

To better illustrate the wide-scale flooding throughout the city, here’s a pictorial from Shenzhen Evening Report that breaks down the flooding by area and by street.

Shown above: Shenzhen Occupational College.

Here is Keyuan Road:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Meilong Road:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

RELATED: Torrential Rainfall Wreaks Havok on Guangdong, Southern China

The interchange at Minzhi Boulevard and Bulong Road:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Nantouguan:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Pingshan Danzi Boulevard:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

RELATED: Record Rainfall Floods Shenzhen

People’s Avenue:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Wenshan Lake at Shenzhen University:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Longzhu 2nd Road in Zhuguang Village:

shenzhen road flooding rain fall disaster guangdong weather

Located adjacent to Shenzhen, Hong Kong has equally been battered by the heavy rains. The MTR reported cancellation of train service this morning. The flooding of several farms in Sheung Shui and Yin Kwong Village was reported along with a landslide in Lau Shui Heung, but no roads or residential areas are said to be flooded.

Photos: Shenzhen Evening Report via Weibo

Haohao

PRD News Brief: Abandoned Baby, Labor Day Holiday, Electric Scooter Ban in Dongguan

Posted: 04/29/2014 5:30 pm

Shenzhen abandoned baby

Here’s out summary of stories and links around the PRD for today, Tuesday, April 29, 2014.

A baby boy was found abandoned in a trash bin in Meisha, Yantian District, Shenzhen on April 22 and taken to hospital, where it was found to be in full health. Police have no leads as to whom the parents are.

An eight year-old boy in Shenzhen named Xiao Hao fell down from the fourth to the first floor of the Huanlesong Shopping Mall in Nanxin Road in Nanshan District. The boy was riding the escalator at the time and incurred serious head injuries as a result. He is in critical condition at the moment, and is expected to remain in a vegetative state.

Making a break from conservative thinking that eschewed such practices, 255 Guangdong people selflessly gave the gift of life last year. The Guangdong Red Cross reports that since their pilot program started in 2010, a total of 374 donors have helped save 910 patients with 910 organ donations.

Here we grow again! Guangdong development projects have been announced, and they are nothing if not massive. 136 projects are planned for Guangzhou by the end of this year with a total budget of RMB 109 billion, while RMB 405.2 billion will be invested in Zhuhai to develop infrastructure like bridges as well as office buildings. Key to Zhuhai’s development will be a high-tech industrial development zone that will “foster talent and spur innovation” that should ehnance economic development while trying to preserve the environment.

No, they don’t just do that in movies: Two warning shots were fired by police to break up a fight between some 10-odd combatants on Beijing Road in Yuexiu District in Guangzhou. No word as to where those fired bullets wound up.

The Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges will become interconnected. Some 10.5 billion yuan worth of Hong Kong stock will be available for trading on the Shanghai exchange, while 13 billion yuan worth of mainland stock will be available to Hong Kong traders. First up for cross-border trading: diapers.

There have been many applicants for the new “two child policy” in the wake of reforms. The oldest applicant? A 48 year-old woman.

By the end of next year, all electric motor scooters will be effectively banned from Dongguan streets. Local licensing to drive scooters was revoked, and the last remaining licensed scooters will not be up for renewal come expiration.

I guess it’s worth it if it makes the trains run on time: Dongguan’s civil servant exams are so strict, that they revoked an out-of-town applicant’s right to take the examination because she was two minutes late after getting lost at the terminal station. On the other hand, Guangzhou’s civil servant exam happened to feature a multiple-choice question about a popular Korean soap opera:

In the show ‘You Came From the Stars‘, Du Minjun has been living on Earth for four hundred years. During these past four hundred years [Du has been here], the historical event or phenomenon that he could not have witnessed during this time is…

Railway track for Dongguan’s Line 2 Metro is scheduled to be laid down today. This is a special type of “vibration-absorbing” track that will ultimately reduce subway noise by 30 db.

Ready for the Labor Day holiday? Think you’ll be driving out of here? Good luck with that. Here’s a list of roadways that are expected to be less congested than others, and is released to the public who will in no way fill it beyond capacity..

As we had told you about previously, the “frozen chicken” initiative will be happening in Guanzhou. The districts of Yuexiu, Liwan, Zhuhai and University Town have been selected as the first areas to begin the pilot program before implementing throughout the entire city. Under this initiative, chickens will be slaughtered in numbers, frozen, then shipped to markets. This puts an end to live markets for fresh chicken, but helps guard against avian flu outbreaks.

Weather: Cloudy today, temperatures 20-28 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow, moderate to heavy showers will hit the province from west to east.

Photo: Weibo

Haohao
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