Is this a sad sight?

Walk to the centre of London's historic Chinatown and what will you find? Perhaps a museum charting the history of Chinese immigrants in the UK? A cultural centre celebrating the richness and diversity of Chinese art and society? Well, not quite. How about a giant betting shop?




To be fair you will also find many great restaurants, community centres and lots of Chinese-run businesses and services. I just find it a little sad that this is what occupies such a prominent position in Chinatown (and the fact it wouldn't be there if there wasn't a demand for it).

Baby milk formula shortages hit Hong Kong

Not nice for any parent... Incidents of toxic milk and rising prices in China have prompted many mainland Chinese to bulk buy baby formula in Hong Kong, creating territory-wide shortages.



It's not happening quietly either - there have been reports of mainlanders working in teams to jump queues in order to clear stocks, leaving local parents struggling to find supplies of milk formula for their babies.

Modern China, old fashioned disappearance

The whereabouts of artist Ai Wei Wei is still unknown after he was taken into custody by Chinese authorities as part of a major crackdown on dissent in China. Some have described as a return to the 'bad old days'.

The following is the timeline of his disappearance as reported by Western media.

October 11th 2010



November 8th 2010



March 7th 2011



April 3rd 2011


April 4th 2011


April 5th 2011

Photo: The Guardian

How to make a Chinese style paper boat

This brought back some childhood memories....