Korean American missionary Robert Park is besieged by journalists at the Beijing Capital Airport after being freed from detention by North Korea. The 28 year old entered North Korea from China last Christmas by walking across the frozen Tumen River, carrying a letter to Kim Jong Il asking him to close down concentration camps and release all political prisoners. A report by the DPRK's Korean Central News Agency claims that Park attended a church service in Pyongyang, whereupon it suddenly dawned on him that "the DPRK people can read and believe whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want" and that he has since "seriously repented of the wrong I committed, taken in by the West's false propaganda". Sinologistical Violoncellist notes that police in Yanbian appear now to be trying to track down Park's collaborator in Yanji and that while the media circus surrounded Park in Beijing on Friday, Kim Jong Il was busy watching Russian opera. [h/t to Danwei] more ›

As if to signal the end of another dreary winter, this Spring brings the 2010 JUE Music + Art Festival. A celebration of the alternative, creative and progressive arts in Shanghai with no branding, no restrictions and no hidden agenda, JUE is an excuse not to be cooped up in your apartment. more ›

• A Chinese toddler who was chained to a pole while his father worked in order to protect him from the same fate as his sister (who was abducted) has now been given three years of free childcare. [Daily Mail]
• The U.S. is thinking about switching out its satellites... because of perceived threats from China. [Reuters]
• A former Internet monitor is on trial for allegedly having taken 14 million yuan in bribes to help an anti-virus company defeat its competitor with manufactured criminal evidence. Uh, reason 3,034,109 for a free internet. [Global Times]

While China's busy being pissed off at the United States, maybe now's the best opportunity to talk about something, well, cuter and cuddlier between the two nations. See, the United States is about to change direction and make a rare export to China - namely, two giant pandas. Mei Lan, born in Atlanta in 2006 and Tai Shan, born in Washington, D.C. in 2005, are currently aboard a Boeing 777 freighter from Washington, D.C. to Beijing. more ›

Every Friday, Weekendist brings you our picks of the best of what's coming in the next three days. more ›

Rather than bother with the headache of adding a few more subway carriages, Shanghai Metro has decided to hire people to personally shove you inside one. Because when you live in the most populous country on earth, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands: literally. more ›

• Shanghai's primary and secondary school students were involved in 1,717 accidents and suicides, which claimed 68 last year. [China Daily]
• Starting today, you'll be able to use your mobile phone to shop at malls... as long as you change your traditional SIM card with a customized RF UIM chip. [Global Times]
• Yikes, just a reminder: not everyone who says they're connected to the Expo actually is. Chinese police have arrested a man who allegedly posed as an official in charge of construction projects, defrauding supply companies of 360,000RMB. [Inquirer]

• Well, hello! Steven Millward of Sinobytes talks to our own Kenneth Tan about Gays.com, the online gay social networking site started right here in Shanghai. [CNET]
• Two gangsters have been sentenced to death after being caught in the massive Chongqing corruption crackdown. [Washington Post]
• Does China need to start letting ordinary citizens take part in the political process in order to maintain a stable growth? At least one place thinks so. [Foreign Affairs]

Let's all pour one out to our favorite little food street, which was cleaned up and moved into a shiny, but lifeless, food mall right next door sometime late last year. Today, the bulldozers came in and tore it down for good. The picture to the right is by NPR China correspondent Louisa Lim, who was there on the scene to witness the end to what once was known as Love Lane. more ›

Things aren't looking too great between China and the U.S. these days. While some say it'll all blow over (because it has to), a China with hurt feelings makes us bite our nails at least a little. Not to mention, the sheer amount of things annoying this country can get kind of confusing! So for your sake and ours, we've listed them out below: more ›

Four people have been arrested in Northern China in response to a crackdown on milk products tainted with melamine, the same industrial chemical held responsible for six deaths and sickening 300,000 in 2008. more ›