Trending news across China on Aug 31
An official in Anhui is blackmailed with naked photos, blinded boy's aunt jumps to her death, and Sister Furong is back in the news -- it's all trending in China.
Photo blackmail
A deputy section chief of in Hefei, Anhui province, was stunned when he received a letter with a nude photo of himself and a woman. The letter asked him for 80,000 yuan ($13,079) or else the photo would be made public. Knowing the photo was fake, the official reported it to the police.
Blind boy
An injured boy's aunt jumped to her death in a well on Aug 30. The reason is still unclear, and the aunt's husband said she was mentally abnormal. The 6-year-old boy's eyes were gouged out by unknown people while he was playing outside in Shanxi province on Aug 17.
Sad subway station
A sad love song can often be heard at Zhonghuamen subway station in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, for three years. Sometimes it's broadcast all day long. Many passengers complain about it. A staff member at the station has been playing the song since he broke up with his girlfriend three years ago.
Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin kung fu will appear at the International Military Music Festival in Russia's Red Square. The Shaolin monks, led by Abbot Shi Yongxin, will attend the festival Sept 1-8.
Mistress' reckless behavior
A mistress in Anhui province went to her lover's home to ask him to divorce his wife, was denied, and fought with his parents. She then went to the roof and threatened to jump off, unless the parents knelt down and apologized to her. The old couple did what she wanted. The woman's behavior sparked wide discussion on the Internet.
Sister Furong for fairy role
Sister Furong, who became infamous in 2005 due to her showcase of "S-shape" body and bold words, unexpectedly gained popular support after she recommended herself to play the role of a fairy-style girl in a kung fu fiction, which is one of the most beloved female characters by kung fu fiction fans. Furong's move came after wide online dissatisfaction over actress Michelle Chen from Taiwan, who was selected to play the role. The role of "xiaolongnv", or little dragon girl, is a main character in a piece of fiction written by Hong Kong kung fu master novelist Louis Cha.
Skinny man
A man was mistakenly treated as a drug user by police because he was so thin, on Aug 24, and was handcuffed at a police station in Xi'an city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. The local police apologized after they realized they had the wrong man.
Gas price hikes
Gasoline and diesel retail prices went up on Saturday. The benchmark retail price of gasoline will be raised by 0.17 yuan per liter and diesel by 0.19 yuan per liter.