While the Chinese Net Nanny has ensured that accessing Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and even Danwei is nearly impossible, there is one site that might make you feel lucky to be surfing the web in China: Google.cn.

Following in the steps of Baidu, Google has jumped on the free music bandwagon, offering downloads to users in China only. But Google has avoided the possibility of Baidu-like lawsuits by teaming up with the big record labels that will get a share of the advertising pie. However, this situation is less than ideal for both Google and the record companies. Forbes said the “music industry’s decision to turn over their catalogs in exchange for a share of such a measly new revenue stream illustrates the desperation of record labels in China.” And you can be sure Google is making the move to increase their 29% share of the Chinese market.

Whenever Google does something, they do it big and do it right. Google China offers more than a million songs from both Chinese and foreign artists. Google’s interface looks much better than Baidu’s and is easier to use too. Searching songs on Baidu will bring up a huge list of stuff you don’t want, whereas Google has more relevant search results and displays whole albums that can be added to playlists or downloaded directly. But the best thing about Google’s free downloads is the speed; you can download an album faster than you can find what you’re looking for on Baidu.

Links & Sources:

Google China Music Homepage

New York Times: Google and Music Labels Bet on Downloads in China

Wall Street Journal: Keep An Eye On Baidu’s Competition

Perhaps the most horribly-named shoe in history, the Nike SB Dunk Mid “Beijing” has recently been unveiled. Unfortunately, the designers at Triumvir and Nike SB apparently didn’t realize that in Chinese, and especially among Beijingers, SB is very common slang for “stupid c*nt” because it’s the first letters of these words in Chinese (Sha Bi - 傻逼).

The Dunk Mid is going to be a special edition for Fly Skateshop’s Beijing branch and the first Nike shoe ever to be named after China’s great northern metropolis, “Beijing.”

The theme of the shoe was based on a Beijing native’s view of their own city. With that said, this sneaker possesses many detailed features inspired by Beijing’s icons including dust, noodles, traffic, highways and Tiananmen Square.

Though it may be “based” on a native’s view of the city, it is obvious it wasn’t actually designed by a native Beijinger.

Related:

Nike 牛奶 (milk) Shoe

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to pull out your swim cap and mankini and head out to one of Beijing’s fine swimming establishments. Here’s our list of the best places to swim in town.

Tuanjiehu Park Swimming Pool

Just south of the Tuanjiehu subway stop, this is for all you Chaoyangers with no time to get out of the city. It can get quite crowded, but the more people the better your chances of seeing a suit that requires a Brazilian wax. There’s a small “beach” and a decent sized pool, as well as a couple water slides. They also sell chuan’r and cold drinks. They are open until August 31.

25 RMB. 10:30am - 7:30pm.

Inside Tuanjiehu Park, 16 Tuanjiehu Nanli, Chaoyang District. (8597 4677)

Qingnianhu Waterworld

Inside Qingnianhu Park (青年湖公园) and right outside the 2nd Ring Road, Waterworld has four different pools totalling 3000 square meters. There’s lap swimming as well as kiddie pools. And with a capacity of 1200 and 4 water slides, it’s the best bet for those living in near the center of town. Open until the end of August.

20 RMB. 9:00am - 7:00pm.

Inside Qingnianhu Park, Andingmenwai, Dongcheng District. (8411 6321)

Crab Island

At 60,000 square meters, it dwarfs any other water park in town and boasts the biggest man made beach in all of China. The slides, sand, waves, cocktails, barbeque and free sun umbrellas will make Crab Island a super swimming experience. Expect a good time, but not state of the art! Plus there are some other cool things to check out like hot springs and a science center.

60 RMB. 9:00am - 10:00pm

1 Xiedao Lu, City Seaview (Haijing), (near Lido Ho, Chaoyang (84339689)

Water Cube

Good news for people who want have a swimming experience in the Water Cube…the warm-up pool is now open to public swimmers. People who want to swim there have to get a health check and a deep certificate before entering the pool.
Open Thursday to Sunday, 2 pm to 7 pm until October.

50 RMB for two hours.

The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century will occur this Wednesday and has officially sparked eclipse-fever in eastern China along the Yangtze River Area, which will be the best place to view the event. Starting in the Indian Ocean and passing through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China, the eclipse will follow a 3000km path. Nearly 300 million Chinese people will be able to view the total eclipse in cities like Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Shanghai. A partial eclipse will be seen from the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbra, including most of South East Asia.

But according to weather reports, cloudy and rainy weather may cover most of the cities mentioned above. If it does rain, it will make the 6 minute long eclipse almost impossible to see.

Experts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences say that this is the longest eclipse to have appeared over China in the last 2,143 years. Usually, an eclipse will appear every 300 years on average and will only last three minutes. The next eclipse will be in 2034 and will only last for 1 minute.

But for those that will make the pilgrimage to Southern China, below is a time table of eclipse viewing times in various cities. For those in Beijing, solar eclipse glasses can be obtained from the Beijing Planetarium or nearby solar equipment outlet. A good alternative is to order on the internet, like taobao.com. Type “日食” in the search frame. For 15 kuai you can buy a solar filter that can be attached to a telescope or camera and solar eclipse glasses are only 5~10 kuai. For purchasing glasses in the planetarium, please contact Mr. Lu through 13901147953 or 51583328.

According to the China Daily, Yang Zhiguo, a 74 year old man and Lanzhou resident went on a car smashing spree last Thursday after becoming fed up with drivers that plowed through red lights. Yang was later joined by two other men and nearby residents gave the men both bricks and water in a show of support. Mr. Yang had planned a whole week of his brick barrage, but the police picked him up on his first day after damaging over thirty cars with bricks.

After a woman in his community was killed last year in the same busy intersection, he became a champion for road safety. He successfully lobbied local police to put a stoplight in the intersection, but he said drivers just ignored it.

A poll of nearly 400,000 Chinese netizens showed that an overwhelming 80 percent of people supported him in his actions.

Each year, some 75,000 people are killed in traffic accidents in China.

Take that, law breaker!

Before this TaoTie correspondent came to China, I might have eaten tofu once in my life. Mostly because tofu is seen as a bland health food, there is definitely a tofu disconnect in the West. Soyfoods.com writes:

The soft consistency of tofu and its mild taste make it a perfect food for anyone. It is a good source of protein for elderly people who prefer dishes that are easy to chew and digest. Soft tofu that has been pureed with fruits or vegetables is a good first protein food for infants. Toddlers can enjoy chunks of cooked tofu for snacks or meals.

This makes tofu sound like a bland, geriatric, health food filler. On the contrary, Chinese tofu dishes will rock your taste buds and leave you craving more. Now, tofu is a daily diet staple of mine. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of styles of tofu and most are absolutely delicious. Here are some of the best tofu snacks and dishes that are easily found in China:

1. 卤水豆腐 - Marinated Tofu

Strips of marinated tofu skin that are a healthy and convenient treat and full of protein. You can find it in supermarkets in salty, sweet, and spicy varieties.

2. 豆腐丝 - Shredded Tofu

A healthy and tasty appetizer usually mixed with a veggie like onion, cucumber, or green pepper. This is usually a safe bet when choosing an appetizer as it’s hard to mess up.

3. 豆腐干 - Dried Tofu

A bit tough and packed with flavor, 豆腐干 is found most often in stir-frys mixed with veggies and peppers. Dried tofu is also a big snack food that is vacuum sealed and covered in hot peppers and oil.

4. 麻豆腐 - Ma Tofu

This Beijing-style tofu is less common outside of the capital and definitely one of my favorites. While it isn’t the most attractive of tofus, it has a complex flavor that blends crispy green soy beans, bits of lamb, spicy oil, and the unique tofu itself.

5. 麻婆豆腐 - Grandma’s Spicy Beancurd

Soft and delicate, but topped with a powerful sauce of chili peppers, prickly ash 花椒, garlic, minced meat, onions, and ginger. This dish originates from Sichuan and can be quite spicy. It goes well over rice and can be found on most menus across the country. It’s definitely not my favorite tofu dish, but it’s pretty good when done properly.

6. 豆腐乳 - Pickled Tofu

Both doufu ru and stinky tofu are fermented, but doufu ru is scary looking instead of scary smelling. It can be a tasty treat when used sparingly and it is most often it is eaten with rice, spread on 馒头, or cooked with 空心菜.

7. 臭豆腐 - Stinky Tofu

By far the most difficult to stomach (or nose, for that matter) for the western taste bud, but it’s just like a potent cheese: either you love it or you hate it. I have developed a taste for the less stinky varieties, but some are just unbearable.

8. 日本豆腐 - Japanese Tofu or Egg Tofu

A soft and silky tofu, it is usually cooked on an iron plate and served sizzling and piping hot.

9. 家常豆腐 - Homestyle Braised Tofu

Homestyle tofu has a spicy sauce with slices of green pepper and 木耳. It is always a favorite and definitely one of the most common tofu dishes.