Although the origin of the phrase remains unknown, there are a number of possible explanations. One theory suggests that the families of prostitutes were forced to wear green hats during the Yuan Dynasty. Another says that male brothel workers wore green hats during the Tang Dynasty. A third theory suggests that the Chinese word for “cuckold” sounds a lot like “wear a green hat”.

No matter the origin, the phrase stuck and the Shenzhen traffic police are using it as part of a new initiative to deter residents from jaywalking at busy intersections.

As in other Chinese cities, jaywalkers are immediately conscripted to serve as temporary traffic wardens. The Shenzhen traffic police have recently taken this a step further by forcing jaywalkers to wear a green hat as part of their “traffic warden” uniform.

Reaction to the new Shenzhen initiative has been swift, calling it “cruel and humiliating”. But, the Shenzhen police department insists that the green hats were made to match the temporary traffic warden uniform. No reason was given for why the uniform is green.

This is not the first time that the Shenzhen police department has used “innovative” punishments. Last summer, drivers were forced to stare into their own high-beam headlights for five minutes after using them improperly within city limits.

Jaywalking is a huge problem in China. In the first half of 2015, the Shenzhen traffic police issued 127,000 citations for traffic violations to city pedestrians.

The post Look: Shenzhen, Taking Jaywalking Seriously, Shames Offenders with Green Hats appeared first on The Nanfang.

You can be a successful, independent Chinese woman with your own career, but you can’t control what you do with the eggs in your own body – at least, not without a man in your life. That’s because if a woman wants to freeze her own eggs to give birth in the future, she needs to meet an important requirement: having a husband.

China’s Ministry of Health has said that any Chinese couples interested in using assisted reproductive technology must present their marriage certificate, identity cards and birth permits and prove that at least one partner is suffering from fertility difficulties if they want to use the technology.

The ban comes after a controversy erupted earlier this summer when actor and director Xu Jinglei (seen below) was reported to have had her eggs frozen in the USA. The outcry over the procedure had to do with Xu’s age, 41, and the fact that she remains unmarried.

Netizens felt Xu was far too old to be considering having a baby of her own through any means, and should refrain from “playing God”. Meanwhile, Sina News reports that egg-freezing is a growing trend among women in Chinese hospitals who are following in the footsteps of celebrities like Xu.

For her part, Xu only had personal misgivings, saying, “The only thing I regret is that I am a little bit late in doing so.”  Xu explained her decision to store her eggs was the only way to make up for her past mistakes if she failed to get married and have a baby.

The issue of leftover women is a taboo subject in China, with society generally accepting that women should get married before the age of 27. This fixed age is important because pregnancies are not encouraged to take place after 30 years of age. Experts warn that postponing pregnancy can lead to a host of problems and urge women to reconsider using techniques such as egg freezing.

Regulations set by the Ministry of Health now state that freezing eggs solely for the purpose of preserving or extending fertility, surrogacy and trading in ova are all illegal acts. The ban was met with harsh criticism online. Here’s how popular blogger and Nescafe spokesperson Han Han lashed out at the Ministry of Health:

So it’s not possible to want to have a child without first getting married to a man? You can’t use your own eggs? Women don’t have the right to independently have their own babies? In addition to this, birth permits aren’t given to unmarried women who get pregnant, meaning that these children won’t even be able to get a hukou (residence permit) in the future unless they pay a large fine as a punishment. Does bearing children require a man for a husband? I can’t accept this kind of male chauvinism.

As pointed out by Chinese media, China has no major technological obstacles to successful egg freezing, only that there is an ethical line drawn by society as to how this assisted reproductive technology will be used. However, ethical standards aren’t impeding the progress of certain scientific research in China, such as stem cell research, which is occurring in a unregulated environment that has been called the “Wild Wild West”.

Nature reports that despite guidelines set by China’s Ministry of Health, clinics continue to provide untested medical treatments derived from stem cell research.

So while single women in China don’t have the right to control their own reproductive systems, at least Chinese scientists seem to be enjoying their freedom in China. As neurobiologist Luo Minmin said, “If I had stayed in America, the chances of making a discovery would have been lower. Here, people are willing to take risks. They give you money, and essentially you can do whatever you want.”

Related:

• Hong Kong’s Gender Imbalance Leaving a Generation of Unmarried Women
• Guangdong Has The 2nd Largest Population of “Leftover Women” in China
• Guangdong has the most singles in China, but “leftover men” a problem
• University student becomes celebrity for marrying and having kids early
• Anhui Bill Proposes “Pink Holidays” For Menstruating Women
• Did the Times Censor a Story on Foreign Abortions in China?

The post Chinese Government to Single Women: Unless You Have a Man Already, You Can’t Freeze Your Eggs appeared first on The Nanfang.

The Mayo Clinic describes it as a disease that results in people starving themselves as an unhealthy way to deal with emotional problems. For these people, being thin is the only thing that gives them self-esteem.

There are many causes of anorexia, ranging from psychological, biological, and sociological; some sufferers are even influenced by images in the media. But the perception of anorexia in China is still evolving as medical practitioners come to terms with it. Here, the disease is still viewed as something you “catch” if you diet too much.

Chinese media has recently profiled a 24 year-old Suzhou woman who has apparently been suffering from a “mysterious ailment” that has caused her to continually lose weight for six years.

The post China Struggles to Come to Grips with Anorexia appeared first on The Nanfang.

The victim, a 22 year-old university student named Jin, arrived at the Jinan Railway Station on August 21 at around 7pm. She needed to take another train at Xike Station, and had to find a way to get there quickly. A 52 year-old man approached her and offered to give her a ride in his three-wheeled pedicab.

The driver, a 52 year-old man surnamed Dai, did not know how to get to Xike Station and ended up driving around in circles. Jin missed her train as a result, and asked to be taken back to the original train station. That’s when things escalated. Dai threatened to strangle Jin to death, and raped her in the three-wheeled cab. Dai then took Jin back to his residence where he beat her severely.

Three days later, on August 25, the Public Security Bureau of Central Jinan received a report from a Beijing resident named Sun who said his friend had been kidnapped. Jin had used Dai’s phone to send a text message to Sun saying she was being held in a place called “Longzhuang”. A police investigation later found both the suspect and the victim together on the second floor of a taxi company in Shuanglongzhuang.

Deputy captain of the Qixian police sub-station Liu Xiaoyi described the crime:

For approximately four days, Jin was bound, gagged, beaten, terrified, and raped. As well, sex drugs and sex toys were used to sexually violate Miss Jin.

Officer Wang Lushan was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene:

When we found her, she had already lost the ability to request help from us. Her eyes had a lifeless look to them, and she was not responsive. The woman’s right eye had already swollen black … She had suffered broken bones and scars from being beaten. It was a heart-breaking sight.

Jin was taken to hospital, and Dai was taken into police custody.

In light of this incident, police are warning women to stay vigilant and stay away from unlicensed “black cabs” or pedicabs. The advice is similar to instructions not to “trust anyone” previously given to female university students by a retired police officer. In the wake of the incident, infographics and tips have been published on Weibo to urge women to be more responsible in “staying vigilant” (below).

It has since been revealed that the suspect in this case, Dai, is a four-time repeat offender who has previously committed crimes of rape and confinement and personally admits to being a sexual deviant for whom “all hope is lost”.

Dai is originally from Fushun, Liaoning Province, and arrived in Jinan in 2003. He has never been married, but has lived with three different women. Dai was first arrested as a juvenile for stealing, and then was convicted of rape in 1983 and sentenced to ten years in prison. Dai was sent to jail for kidnapping a woman in 2010, and for indecent assault in 2012. In 2013, Dai was set free.

In an interview with a reporter, Dai explains he is not sorry for the victim because he himself is a victim. Furthermore, Dai says he was framed for the 1983 rape conviction. Asked if this was an injustice, Dai said:

Yes. Things were very strict in 1983. Back then, I had a non-sexual relationship with (the victim). Because she didn’t go home for two, three days, her family beat and cursed her, and said she was without shame. In order to save herself so that she could regain her face, she said that I forced her (to have sex). For this reason, I was convicted of rape and sentenced to ten years in prison, and exiled to the north-west. Think of it, ten years: from the time I was 20 until I was 30, I had lost all my friends, my family, everything and anything I had was lost. Even after I was released and had my own child, I still didn’t understand the meaning of responsibility, feeling, love… these are things that I don’t know. I’m never going to get these things, so that’s why I have abandoned any hope for me.

Police say Dai is at risk of offending again.

Related:

• Chinese Police Advise Female University Students: “Don’t Trust Anyone”

Photos: Shenzhen Financial Report, iFeng

The post Sensational Rape Case in China Has Women Fearful Nationwide appeared first on The Nanfang.

On July 14, the China Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to refrain from purchasing “Vampire Drinks” in an announcement on its website. The agency called the drinks a public health danger, particularly for children, prompting retailers to immediately stop selling the drink.

The drinks were also criticized for only having an English label which lack any identifiable information such as the location of the factory or serial numbers.

The drinks, which are red in color, are packaged in a container that resembles a blood pack used in hospitals. They are marketed under a variety of names that include: Vampire Drinks, Vampire Diary Drinks, Vampire Blood Plasma Drinks, Vampire Energy Drinks, and Emulated Blood Plasma. Some of the drinks are further classified into sub-categories of blood types: A, B, AB, O, and also “Other”.

While the government claimed the drinks are a threat to public health, the report does not elaborate on what the specific risks are. In fact, the China Food and Drug Administration doesn’t even say what these “Vampire Drinks” are made of, whether they are juices, teas, or flavored water.

As a cultural phenomenon in China, vampires are often put in the same category as hopping zombies (僵尸) and remain a taboo subject in the public sphere.

Photos: Shenzhen Weibo Announcements, Sina Guangdong, China Daily, Guangzhou Police, Foshan Daily

The post “Vampire Blood” Drinks A Safety Hazard, Pulled From Store Shelves in China appeared first on The Nanfang.