Pulse

Around Beijing

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-25 07:52

Rich Pickings A child plucks mulberries during a festival in a forest park in Anding town, Daxing district. Visitors can taste wines, vinegars and jams made from mulberries until June 5. Provided to China Daily

Traffic

More trains to ease pressure on Line 5

To ease the transport pressure during daily rush hours, 22 additional trains will be added to subway Line 5 from November this year to September 2012, which will shorten passengers' waiting time to two minutes, the metro management department told Beijing Times.

Line 5 opened to the public in 2007. It reached its full capacity in only six months.

The opening of the Yizhuang Line, which connects Yizhuang economic zone and downtown Beijing, adds even more pressure on Line 5, which has an average passenger flow of 800,000 people each day.

Court

Trio in deal to trade rare python

Three people involved in the dealing of endangered wild animals appeared in Xicheng court on Monday, Beijing Times reported.

A man surnamed Qin in Beijing bought a Burmese python online from a couple in Shanghai, surnamed Miao and Chen. The two are pet-raising fans and they bought the python in 2007 from the Internet. The idea of selling it occurred to them in June 2009, when they planned to get married and have a child. Qin showed interest and agreed to pay 3,000 yuan.

The staff of Zhaogongkou bus station found the snake during a routine check after it had been transported there.

Community

Stray dogs attack visitors to Olympic Park

Stray dogs bit eight visitors to the Olympic Green on Sunday, Beijing Times reported.

A 61-year-old woman surnamed Zhao was bitten by a dog at 8 am near the west gate of the park. Seven other visitors shared the same experience later that day. Zhao called the police who found a stray dog, which they put to death as they thought it might attack other visitors.

Management of the park started to patrol the area on Monday to rid it of stray dogs.

New international zone for Tongzhou

Tongzhou district will add an international organization gathering area to its development plan, the district authority told Beijing Times.

The new functional area will be in the southeast of Tongzhou district and will occupy at least 5 square kilometers, said Zhang Hua, deputy district director.

According to its development plan, Tongzhou is divided into one core and three functional areas - the canal core area for the comprehensive business center, the company headquarters area, the cultural creative industry area around Songzhuang and the international organization area, whose specific development model is still under discussion.

Event

Xidan to host large fashion festival

The first Xidan International Fashion Gala, an event to upgrade the area into a real fashion hub, will be held from May 30 to June 2.

Through a series of 12 events such as a gold and jewelry festival, a fashion photography contest, creative cuisine presentations, and a discussion between fashion industry insiders from the East and West, organizers plan to make it the largest fashion event of the city during the summer.

As a famous shopping paradise with a lot of popular shopping malls, Xidan business area boasts a customer flow of about 300,000 a day. It achieved annual revenue of 9.05 billion yuan last year.

(China Daily 05/25/2011)