China to renovate 2.65m rural dilapidated houses (Xinhua) Updated: :09

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1 7/6/2011 China to renovate 2.65m rural dilapidat Government and Policy China to renovate 2.65m rural dilapidated houses (Xinhua) Updated: :09 BEIJING - China plans to renovate 2.65 million dilapidated houses for poor rural households in the central and western regions this year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) said Monday. The government will first renovate 200,000 houses of poor farmers living along the country's borders, said the MOHURD. Related readings: The poor need timely help Poor children's malnutrition lunch Wealthy get fingers slapped for playing poor Poor inland region to hike minimum pay by 25% Also, 90,000 dilapidated houses will be renovated into energyefficient housing units in northeast, northwest and north China and Tibet Autonomous Region as well, it added. The government will allocate up to 8,000 yuan ($1,234) for each household to subsidize the project. In March, the government earmarked 10 billion yuan in the first subsidizing phase, according to the MOHURD. Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved chinadaily.com.cn/ /content_ /1

2 Just a few stops to the metro shop Source: Global Times [08:24 June ] Comments Foreign customers stop at a stall in AP Plaza. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT By Zhu Jialei With metro lines already amounting to over 400 kilometers of track, Shanghai aspires to expand its network by another 200 kilometers in the next five years. The existing lines can currently handle over 1.5 million passengers per day and are becoming an emerging resource for the retail industry, which is opening shopping malls at the metro stations. Thus far, large-scale shopping malls have been built at more than 10 metro stations, including People's Square, Xujiahui, Hongkou Football Stadium, Zhongshan Park and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The malls have attracted fashionistas, tourists and independent designers while increasing the presence of high street fashion as well as to serve the local community. Convenience, desirable prices and a novel shopping experience have made metro station shopping malls popular and unique in the minds of shoppers.

3 A store front at Shanghai Xiao Ma Lu. Shanghai Xiao Ma Lu Metro Line 2, Zhongshan Park Station Located at exits 3 and 4 of Metro Line 2's Zhongshan Park Station, Shanghai Xiao Ma Lu (literally means small roads in Shanghai)shopping center was the former Milan Plaza and has been rebuilt in a traditional shikumen style in accordance with the ambience of old Shanghai. A huge clock from the old Customs House is hung on the entrance of the mall and reminds shoppers of the buzz on the Huangpu River back in the 1930s.

4 Close to the nearby residential compounds, all shops in the mall are decorated cozily to present a homelike shopping atmosphere. Shop owners at Shanghai Xiao Ma Lu are mainly local fashionistas with an acute and researched sense of trends and fashion, and offer a full collection of apparel and accessories with elements from the latest fashion shows. A floppy straw hat can be tossed into your beach bag for sunny afternoons at the seashore with a pretty sundress that takes you everywhere from the pool to the party with ease. If you are trying to top off your must-have shopping list this season with something a little more unique, try a fun pair of floral print shorts which can be combined with high heels and a fitted top. All the items can be found at Annie Ann, C&M and Kudo in the mall. Shop owners here have a more efficient attitude towards bargaining than their counterparts at AP Plaza, and a smoother negotiation process generally results in discounts of 20 to 30 percent off of the original asking price. If you find that the items here are not as desirable as you had imagined, you can also go to Metro Town, another metro station shopping mall directly above Shanghai Xiao Ma Lu shopping center. Foreign customers have a look at metro merchandise. AP Plaza Metro Line 2, Shanghai Science and Museum Station Boasting a business area of 50,000 square meters with over 1,000 shops, AP Plaza is one of the largest underground shopping malls in Pudong New Area. Constructed in 2006, when the famous Xiangyang Market was shut down, AP Plaza is regarded as the "New Xiangyang Market" by local residents as well as tourists.

5 The northern half of AP Plaza, called Xinyang, houses original tenants from the former Xiangyang Market and of course provides perfectly made fake goods of all stripes. Innocent tourists or first-timers can easily get ripped off by the stalls, touts and English-speaking salespeople trumpeting their products in front of each individual shop. However, experienced shoppers know to make an offer of only 10 percent of the seller's original asking price, and will eventually settle for something slightly above that. In the end, most transactions equal an overall discount of 70 to 80 percent off of the original price. The southern strip of AP Plaza, Light Textile & Fabrics, provides tailor-made suits, qipao, shirts, tuxedos and gowns, and curtains and beddings by retailers from the well-known Dongjiadu Fabric Market in Huangpu district. Bring any pictures of your favorite apparel to the market, and you can walk away with a replica that perfectly fits you. Evening gowns, suits and qipao made from ordinary fabrics typically cost less than 500 yuan ($77.13) per item. Bargain hard, carry cash, and be prepared to leave the AP Plaza with a big black plastic bag full of inexpensive goods. Girls at a nail spa inside the Fashion Center. Fashion Center Metro Line 1, Huangpi Road South Station Surrounded by high fashion shopping centers and department stores on Huaihai Road Middle, the Fashion Center is one of Shanghai's oldest underground shopping malls. Though the interior design is a bit old and out of date, the Fashion Center is still the most popular metro station shopping mall in downtown. At the main entrance of the Fashion Center, there are six to eight nail stores at which shopaholics can have a rest after shopping at Shanghai Times Square, Parkson or Printemps. The first-ever shop by LJ Nails, one of Shanghai's most famous chains of nail spas, is located in the Fashion Center, offering a full spectrum of manicure and pedicure services. The treatments provided by professional beauticians start at 45 yuan ($6.94).

6 Accessories and jewelry shops are scattered at exits 2 and 3. Well-designed earrings, necklaces and bracelets offered by the stalls are available for around 50 yuan to 150 yuan. Try not to waste too much time bargaining with the shop owners since most of them will not give you a discount of over 10 percent. Still, this is the only place to find inexpensive offers along Huaihai Road Middle.

7 More frequent subways Source: Global Times [02:32 June ] Comments Starting today, the Line 7 and 9 subways will run trains at shorter four-minute intervals to ease congestion and better serve the growing number of passengers commuting along these lines. The trains previously ran at intervals of five to six minutes. The Line 9 subway has seen its passenger volume expand by as much as 110 percent in recent months. Global Times

8 Jun 7, ,420 affected after fault halts LRT services About 1,420 passengers were affected after a signalling fault disrupted train services. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN ABOUT 1,420 passengers were affected after train services on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) system were disrupted, SMRT said in a statement on Tuesday. At about 9.40am on Tuesday morning, a signalling fault between BP5 Phoenix and BP6 Bukit Panjang resulted in the disruption of train services. About 20 passengers who were on board an affected train, which was delayed between BP5 Phoenix and BP4 Teck Whye stations were allowed to alight at Teck Whye within 15 minutes, SMRT said. SMRT added that from 10.05am, announcements were made to all stations and trains to inform passengers about the disruption. Bus bridging services were activated at 9.57am on the entire line to serve LRT passengers, with a total of six bendy and four 12-metre buses used for the service. Service resumed at 10.39am and the fault has now been rectified, SMRT said. SMRT said that passengers who were unable to complete their journey can approach any Passenger Service Centre in SMRT's 68 MRT stations over the next three days for a refund.