News

China's 2010 National Census

pandaroo — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:14:36 +0800

China has begun counting its people. The exercise, held every 10 years, involves enormous use of manpower, financial resources and administrative planning. The door-to-door data-collection on China’s population will employ 6 million census data collectors. In Beijing, 100,000 will be summoned to the mission, which will for the first time be joined by volunteers fluent in foreign languages, mostly college students.

The New Superbug

pandaroo — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:01:48 +0800

It has been a topic of global concern that the latest superbug, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1, or NDM-1 for short, gives bacteria superpowers against most antibiotics.

One woman’s placenta is another man’s medicine

pandaroo — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:15:39 +0800

Placenta, as defined by Wikipedia is “an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply.” And in China, it is also something to be sold.

Get It While It’s Green: The September issue hot off the press!

Zhen — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:00:40 +0800

Do you worry about your carbon footprint? Have you been putting off getting in touch with that organic farm? Are you looking for eco-friendly products? Well, look no further. This month’s issue of beijingkids explains just how easy it is to go green, or greener, in Beijing.

Read our top 20 ways you can help save the planet; find out how to cut back on chemicals in the home; get to know your local organic farmer and use our guide to locate organic and eco-friendly produce and products.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Kara Chin ventures into the deep blue with SinoScuba, and takes a trip to Tianjin. We explore Ditan Park and find out what’s beyond the Lama Temple. Our new Notice Board section lets you know what going on in your community. Jennifer McClelland introduces kid-friendly raw food cuisine, serving-up bite sized mushroom sushi rolls and a choc shake so delicious you’d swear it was bad for you.

There's Inulin in Our Ice Cream

Zhen — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0800

In light of yet another series of food scandals involving McDonald nuggets and melamine-tainted milk, China Daily reported over the weekend that inulin, a popular food additive and sweetener, has been found to induce stomach aches for some children if consumed excessively.

Inulin is a carbohydrate fiber that is found naturally in produce such as bananas, wheat, onions and garlic. When inulin is consumed from such unprocessed foods, it is hard to over-eat. However, inulin is often extracted and used as a food additive for processed products including chocolate bars, drinks and other snacks (and we know all too well how easy it is to over-eat chocolate!) If our intake of inulin is too high, we may experience symptoms such as bloating, stomach aches and diarrhea.

Pay Attention: Video Games Potentially Linked to More Problems

bjkid — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:50:52 +0800

A new study has found that gaming for extended periods of time can cause children to have trouble concentrating in school. Although researchers have yet to pinpoint the reason why this is the case, the findings could raise a red flag for parents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids spend no more than two hours per day staring at the television, and researchers at Iowa State University in Ames backed this claim with their results, according to a recent article in the China Daily. Children in the study who played video games or watched TV for more than the advised amount of time increased their chances by 67 percent of having an above-average level of attention deficit.

A Caution to Women Planning Home Births

bjkid — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:20:57 +0800

New research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that women who choose home births might put their babies at a higher mortality risk. The study compared women from the US and Europe who had planned home births to those who had planned hospital births and found that twice the amount of babies died in the four weeks after home delivery. They found triple the mortality rate for babies born at home when “they removed those with congenital defects from the calculation,” according to The Guardian. Many of these babies died from a lack of oxygen during or after labor.

Catch The School Bus to Mutianyu Great Wall

beijingkids — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:00:45 +0800

Starting Saturday 12 June The Schoolhouse is making it very easy for you to plan a day of fun and sun at Mutianyu Great Wall by providing you a roundtrip ride from Beijing on The School Bus. No hassle, no worries, no packing in the bus like sardines - just a smooth ride out to the fresh air and blue skies at Mutianyu.

For your convenience, they'll have two School Buses -- the first leaving at 9am, the second at 11.30am. Both School Buses will make a stop in downtown Beijing and then Shunyi before smooth sailing to The Schoolhouse front gate. Enjoy a stroll up to the Great Wall or explore the area on your own and hike hidden trails. What's more, all day-trippers will get a free pass for their School Bus shuttle, which will travel in and around Mutianyu throughout the day. Roundtrip School Bus tickets cost RMB 120. For more information CLICK HERE.

Double Summer Issue Is Out!

beijingkids — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:35:51 +0800

Summer is here and we all have our hot weather gear on to prove it. The temperature is rising, the kids are out of school and it's time to pack your holiday itinerary with oodles of fun.

Our huge double summer feature has come to the rescue of families still searching for ways to fill their hot and sticky days. We've got a list of 20 any day activities to satisfy restless little ones. Want to get out and about? Nine Beijing day trips, excursions and fun spots will keep you occupied. Need a beach-side break? Kara Chin has found China's best sandy locales, including Sanya and nearby Crab Island. If traveling across the Middle Kingdom, our China excursions will have you prepped and ready to go with all the best tips from people who've done it before. Heading overseas? Get inspired with four great family holidays from around the world.

New law allows longer visits

beijingkids — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0800

Spouses, children and other loved ones might find their trip to China a bit easier with the new class of residency permit for foreigners. The law that goes into effect June 1 will allow visiting relatives to reside in China for up to two years.

This visa option also will allow foreigners multiple entries.

Those wishing to apply for the permit must do so after arriving in China, and they should expect to receive “the same health checks required by other residence permit applications,” according to the Global Times.

The law does not accommodate for employment permits, as these must be pursued through a separate application process.

Read the full Global Times article here.