Trending in Beijing: Top English Names Revealed, 70 Tombs Unearthed, and an Illegal Trade in Beijing Marathon Tickets
The fun, the strange, and the what-on-earth-is-this? Trending in Beijing is a wrap-up of top stories in Beijing as told by the trending hashtags, local press, and general power of the internet.
What's your (English) name?
The kinds of English names that Chinese citizens choose to adopt is a never-ending source of entertainment. In our experience alone, we have had the pleasure of meeting kids and adults named Fish, Triceratops, Rainbow, Bubble, and even Choco People. So when the list of Top 50 most frequently used English names in China was shared on Weibo, you better believe we read it.
...Only to be disappointed by the fairly conventional names therein.
Netizens are admitting that more often than not, their English names were selected for them by their parents or when they were too young to make a sensible decision themselves. Often, they choose a different name later on. "I changed my name from Candy to Evelyn," wrote one user. "I was very proud of my name "Luck" when I was little" said another "Then one evening I was walking near the town square and heard my name being called but when I approached, I realized that a person's dog was called Luck. How embarrassing."
While many are arguing over whether Chinese people even need to adopt foreign names at all, one netizen got to the very important work of renaming ancient Chinese poets and generals. With mixed results:
Users are looking for name buddies under #那些年我们取过的英文名# (English names we have adopted in those years).
Taobao touts are selling Beijing Marathon tickets online
With slightly more than a week to go until 30,000 professional and amateur runners will take to the streets for the 2019 Beijing Marathon, securing a ticket to the event is a serious business. While according to some sources, over 16,000 of the 30,000 participants will be KOLs and celebrities (sports, music, TV, business, and other stars), those who are not particularly famous nor fast have been trying to obtain entry tickets in other, less legitimate ways.
The going price online for an ill-gotten place is about RMB 1000, a huge markup from the usual RMB 200 registration fee for Chinese nationals. Taobao touts are also selling memorabilia such as medals and certificates from previous marathons. The marathon organizing committee has stressed that such trade is illegal and if found, both parties will be banned from the marathon for life.
Despite the risk, buyers are willing to risk it, as the incentive for getting a place in the race is concrete: men and women who complete the 42.2-kilometer race in less than 2 hours 7 minutes 16 seconds and 2:19:39 respectively will be awarded USD 20,000 each. Not bad returns on an RMB 1000 investment.
Netizens are following the marathon scandal under #转让北马名额违法# (illegal transfer of Beijing marathon quotas).
70 Ming- and Qing-era tombs unearthed in Beijing
Considering the extensive demolition-construction circle that Beijing has been entangled in for so long, it always comes as a pleasant surprise to hear that there are still underground secrets to discover.
Back in summer, 70 tombs have been unearthed at the construction site south of the Temple of Heaven Park and an official archeological investigation got underway on Oct 9. According to the researchers, the location, shape, and objects found in the graves indicate that these are Ming and Qing dynasty tombs. Experts note that at the time, rich Beijingers would have lived north of Temple of Heaven, while the South was home to folk artists and commoners. So far, pottery and porcelain shards, and coins have been uncovered but, given the history of the area, no sensational gold or silver treasure caches are expected to be found.
Such discoveries are not at all rare in Beijing. Back in 2017, over 200 Qing-era tombs were discovered during excavation works at the site of the Daxing airport.
Weibo users are picking over the bones under #北京地铁14号线景泰站附近现古墓# (Tombs uncovered close to Line 14 Jingtaistation in Beijing).
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Images: CGTN, Weibo
