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"Women selling local delicacies March 8, 2013 By Miguel Elosua | edit This photo was taken in Jinli ancient street in Chengdu (Sichuan), in 2010. The street was renovated in 2004 and has become since one of the city's most popular spots for both tourists and locals. Located next to the Wuhou Memorial Temple, the pedestrian street abounds with stores selling folk handicrafts, teahouses (even one Starbucks), and stalls with an astonishing variety of local snacks. In this one, cold cakes (混糖凉糕) and bamboo rolls of beef (竹叶牛肉) were made on the spot for 7 and 10 yuan the piece, respectively. This pattern of urban development has been replicated in almost every provincial capital in the last decade with much success. Pedestrians stroll against a backdrop of picturesque façades, getting a taste of the old rural life left behind."

"This week, INESAD's Carolynn Look published an article in the October 2012 issue of Global South Development Magazine, where she is the editorial assistant and contributor: Beijing, China. Hundreds of buildings tower over the people that bustle between them every day. Some get demolished, some get rebuilt, some just get a fresh layer of paint. But what strikes you as you walk through this eclectic monster of a city is that none of its buildings are covered in tags or graffiti as they are in other metropolises. Or so you would think on first sight."

"Beijing: the world's largest marketplace for art? March 11, 2013 By Sebastien Goulard | edit Vases on sale in a department store in Shanghai Vases on sale in a department store in Shanghai China has become the largest art market in the world. This could have important consequences for Chinese cities. The new urban upper class has rediscovered its heritage and has been exploring new artistic trends. Thanks to China's new passion for art, fresh talents have emerged and have been widely recognized. Chinese art lovers are flocking to the main international art market centres, where auction houses cater to the new clientele, offering Chinese language services. Since 2010, China has progressively come to dominate the art market. In 2011, China represented 41.4% of global fine art auction sales revenue, while the USA and the UK lagged far behind, with 23.6% and 19.4%, respectively1. Does this mean that Chinese cities have caught up with - and surpassed - New York and London as the leading auction marketplaces? If we take a closer look at China's art market, we notice, first of all, that this market is concentrated within a few cities. Beijing and Hong Kong represent the lion's share of the market, although Shanghai and some other provincial capitals, such as Hangzhou, are making progress. Nevertheless, Hong Kong is still the main artistic hub. In China, Hong Kong has played a similar role to Monaco vis-à-vis the French market. Because foreign auction houses were not allowed to operate in France until 2000, during the 60's American Sotheby's set up in Monaco, where French customers could easily buy pieces of fine art. Sotheby's and Christie's, the two main rivals, began looking to Asia in the 70's and 80's, opening offices in Hong Kong in 1973 and 1986 respectively. There, these companies could operate in a very business-friendly environment thanks to a reliable legal framework, the absence of taxes and the role of Hong Kong as Asia's main hub. When China s

"Yesterday marked the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2013, the Year of the Snake. One of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, the snake signifies cleverness and tenacity and is associated with the element of fire. In the larger Chinese astrological cycle, this year is also associated with the element of water, which makes 2013 the Year of the Water Snake. The combination of the water and fire elements may signify turmoil in the months ahead. But people around the world ushered in the new year with displays of fireworks, family get-togethers, temple visits, and street festivals. Collected here are images from several countries where revelers have been welcoming the arrival of the Water Snake. [29 photos]"

" Year Of The Snake 2013: Chinese Celebrate Lunar New Year (PHOTOS) (VIDEO) Reuters | By Ben Blanchard Posted: 02/09/2013 1:45 pm EST | Updated: 02/09/2013 2:08 pm EST Share on Google+ Year Of The Snake 1,616 226 137 331 Get Religion Alerts: Sign Up Follow: China, 2013 Year Of Snake, Chinese New Year, Celebrations Of Year Of The Snake, Chinese New Year Customs, What Is Year Of The Snake?, Year Of The Snake, Religion News Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Snake with raucous celebrations on Saturday, setting off a cacophony of firecrackers in the streets and sending fireworks blazing into the sky to bring good fortune."