With so many people to drive around, it’s no wonder the Chinese taxi business is so competitive, but authorities are finally doing something about those unlicensed cabs that are ruining perfectly legitimate companies.

To show the world they are committed to riding China of illegal taxi cabs, authorities in Chengdu have invited 50 taxi drivers to publicly destroy 140 illegal vehicles, captured by the police. Armed with iron bars, the drivers released all their anger and frustration on their competition’s cars, until they reduced them to mere scrap metal.

Out of the 140 destroyed cabs, 73 were knock-offs, and 67 were illegal vehicles whose drivers failed to pay their fines, in due time. Most of the illegal taxi cabs in China are put together from scrap metal parts, and made to appear brand new. Their severely used parts and tires often lead to severe accidents, and the cars are very difficult to chase down.

Photos via ImagineChina

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Looking at the photo, below, you’re probably thinking something like “that’s a nice looking villa”, only it’s really just a Chinese public toilet.

This luxurious public facility was built on Nanshan Road, Xiamen, near the city’s residential area. It covers 100 square meters, offering clean, spacious toilets, for both men and women. Realizing people would probably mistake it for a private villa, city authorities placed a big “Nanshan public toilets” sign, on the balcony.

Even so, passers by were reluctant to use the fancy toilet, so another sign was added, on the sidewalk. This one says “free, open, civilized service”. Both men’s and women’s toilets feature artistically designed signs, and the second floor of this public toilet villa houses the administrator’s office. Although hundreds of people use this fancy restroom, every day, he says he never sensed any foul smells.

via CRI Online

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Now what can be more embarrassing, for a bunch of dudes, than to lose a bra untying contest to a member of the weaker sex? I’m sure she did have more practice than most of the male contestants, but still, humiliating.

During a promotional event, organized by a Chinese department store, in Gungzhou city, China, contestants were invited to test their bra untying skills. In order to win, participants had to untie the bras of eight models, in the shortest time possible, using only one hand. All the male show-offs, eager to prove their skills, were humiliated by a woman, who managed to untie all eight bras in just 21 seconds.

For her impressive achievement, the lady won 1,000 yuan ($146,5) and infinite satisfaction.

Photos via ImagineChina

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Looking at her embroidered art, you’d probably think this woman has golden hands, when in fact, she has no hands at all.

Gao Baoying has learned to use her feet to do everything we usually do with our hands. I don’t know if she was born without hands, or if she lost them in some freak accident, but one thing is for sure, this woman is a true artist.

Gao, who lives in China’s Tianjin municipality, began practicing embroidery with her feet, when she was just a teenager. As time passed, her skills improved, and now she creates the most beautiful embroidery. As recognition of her skills, Gao Baoying was invited to showcase her work, at the Shanghai Expo.

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In order to attract more customers, a Chinese hair-stylist, trained in the art of kung-fu, cuts hair, while standing upside down, on his head.

36-year-old Wang Xiaoyu first attracted media attention,in May of last year, when local papers reported a man cutting his customers’ hair, while doing a headstand. The wacky barber has been cutting hair, in the city of Changsha, Hunan Province, for 16 years, and is now using his 18 years of kung-fu training to boost up his business.

What can I say, his customers better pray Wang doesn’t get dizzy while using a sharp razor. Someone could literally lose their heads over this. But, on the other hand, if you’ve ever doubted the power of kung-fu martial arts, now’s the time to stop.

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Miguelin, is a 6.5 meters tall animated baby that Spain has created for its pavilion, at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

And if you thing this toddler’s just a big old doll, you’re sadly mistaken. Miguelin breaths, blinks and dreams of the cities we leave to our future generations, while smiling to visitors that walk by. The baby’s “mother” is Spanish film director, Isabel Coixet, who picked this theme both because of “the passion China and Spain share for children”, and as a way of showing that our actions have consequences on our children.

Miguelin, who was constructed in the US, dreams of the future,and his dreams will be animated, for all visitors to see. I’m sure this big baby will become a star when the Shanghai Expo opens, on May 1st.

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Just because someone can’t afford a Lamborghini, doesn’t mean they can’t have one. Young Chen Jinmiao built the coveted sports car, himself.

Chen had dreamed of driving his very own Lamborghini, ever since he was a child. And when he became a skilled mechanic, this ambitious man decided it was time for his dream to become a reality. He downloaded the necessary blueprints, began searching and manufacturing the parts , and after a year’s work, he finally had his own yellow Lamborghini.

Chen Jinmiao, of Chenzhou, Hunan province, spent a total of about $3,000 on his home-made Lamborghini, and though it might not look exactly like the real thing, it has the wing doors that open upwards, and a top speed of 60 miles per hour.

Photos via People’s Daily

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If you’ve ever dreamed of having the world’s most wanted terrorist at your feet, now’s your chance of making that dream a reality, with the Osama Bin Laden sneakers.

These wacky shoes, featuring a caricature of the famous Osama Bin Laden, and a line that ( I think) says ” I look at you killed”. That doesn’t make much sense to me either, but you have to understand the sneakers are made in China, the country that brought us famous brands like Juma, Badidas, Mike, and other such abominations.

Chinese merchandise is very popular in India, due to its low prices, but these Air Bin Ladens have become a phenomenon, among the country’s youth. 21-year-old Praveen Kumar says “It gives me a feeling that the most hated person in the world lies at my feet.”

Osama Bin Laden sneakers are priced at just 650 rupees ($14.67), but you probably won’t find them in markets, outside Asia. Read More »

The Red Dragon fish, also known as Arowana, is considered a good luck charm, in Chinese culture, and sells for unbelievably high prices.

The Arowana is an amazing fish that grows up to a meter in length, and can live up to 25 years. But it’s not these traits that make it so popular among China’s rich and famous, but its resemblance to a dragon. As you may know, Chinese people consider themselves descendants of dragons,  and many of them would pay big money, to own their very own dragon. The older the fish, the more expensive it is, kind of like a good wine.

Red Dragon fish are believed to bring good luck and prosperity to their owners, and some people pay as much as $8,000 to own one. Most Arowana owners prefer to keep them in secret locations, away from prying eyes, where no one else can enjoy the good fortune they bring.

The red-gold coloring and the name “Dragon” have made the Arowana fish a sought after social symbol, and have brought the species to the brink of extinction.

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Li Dasheng, one of China’s greatest performers, attempted to pull a 1.5 ton car,using only his lower eyelids.

Known as the “Prince of Stunts” , 22-year-old Li Dasheng is famous for being able to perform over 30 kinds of Qigong, an ancient Chinese meditation art, as well as several other stunts. On April 16, he shocked the audience, outside the Boying Art Museum, in Xuzhou, China, when he pulled a vehicle, with his eyelids.

The Chinese performer put 2 curved hooks, onto his lower eyelids, and attached them to the frame of the 1.5-ton-heavy car. He managed to pull the vehicle nearly three meters.

Some of Li Dasheng’s previous include having a drilling machine drill into his temple and ripping apart a metal basin, with his bare hands.

Photos by QUIRKY CHINA via Telegraph.co.uk

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Greenpeace activists are going to fall in love with the genius invention of Li Fan : curtains made of living plants.

Chinese inventor, Li Fan, has come up with a brilliant way to support the environment, and help people say “adios” to cleaning and washing curtains. Her living curtains are actually self-sufficient plants, on a supporting mesh.

Li Fan’s curtains filter light, like regular curtains, but also suck all the impurities out of the air, and smell fresh all the time. Living plants curtains are the hottest thing in Beijing home-design, right now, and Li Fan says business is booming.

No word on whether these living plant curtains are available outside China, but I’m sure there are people out there willing to pay top dollar to green-up there homes.

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That there must be a really interesting book, to attract the attention of a cat.

These purring fur ball has become an internet sensation, in China, after its owner took some pictures of her, reading a book. The cat seemed to be drawn to that pile of books, always trying to get a sneak peak, when her master was reading. Noticing her peculiar behavior, the man took a camera and immortalized the cat’s reading activity.

As you can see, the feline seems focused on reading every Chinese character, but that made her little brain very tired. After every reading session, the cat needed a good nap, to recover, and get back to her book.

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Wu Yulu, a Chinese farmer, from a small village, outside Beijing, has created a series of 47 robots, out of scrap metal. They can accomplish various functions, from drinking, to walking and even pulling a rickshaw.

Ever since he can remember, Wu Yulu has been fascinated with the mechanics of movement. He always dreamed of building robots that could imitate human behavior, and in 1986, he decided to put his dream into practice. 24 years later, our techie farmer is the proud inventor of 47 home-made robots.

But Wu Yulu has made many sacrifices, in the name of science. He almost lost his wife and two children, after burning down the house, while working on a robot, accumulated great debt, and was even sprayed with battery acid. But like any respectable mad scientist, our man didn’t give up.

And now his effort are finally being rewarded. Mr. Wu has been invited to showcase his scrap metal creations and their functionality, at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. This after already receiving a number of prizes and contracts with universities. But he doesn’t get all this go to his head. he still lives in his modest village house, surrounded by pieces of metal and broken doll parts.

The strangest thing, about Wu Yulu, is he declared he loves his metal robots, more than he loves his own kids. He refers to his rickshaw robot as his 32nd son, and even programmed it to say “Wy Yulu is my dad, I take him out on the town.” How cool is that!

Photos by REUTERS via Daylife

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President Obama may not be as popular as he was when he became president of the United States, but his name is still viewed as a potential client driver.

A Chinese entrepreneur, from Shanghai, China is relying on Barack Obama’s popularity to make his soon-to-open nightclub a profitable venture. The Obama Nightclub is schedule to open on April 26 2010, and as you can see in the photos below, all of Shanghai is full of advertising banners. The website is, unfortunately, under construction.

Odd as it may be, this is really not a bad idea, considering how popular the American president is, in China, You may remember the wacky ways the Chinese people celebrated his visit, last year.

Photos via ImagineChina

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Ma Xiuxian never had the opportunity to attend school, as a child, but she is making up for that in her later years.

The 102-year old Chinese woman, from Jinan, Shandong province, began working at a cotton mill, at the age of 13, and married when she was only 18. She gave birth to nine children, seven of which attended universities. Her children remember Ma Xiuxian and her husband made great sacrifices, in order to support their studies, but never got the chance to fulfill her own dream, of going to school, for the first time.

After being interviewed by a local newspaper, and revealing her dream, on March 31, Ma Xiuxian was invited to the Weishan Road Elementary School, to attend her first class. Equipped with a schoolbag and a large magnifying glass (for reading), Ma entered the class in the applause of her primary school classmates. The 102-year-old student commented she was very proud to be able to go to school, and that she will study hard to bring her contribution to the motherland.

Photos by QUIRKY CHINA NEWS/REX FEATURES

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