China Study Group reports on a group of migrant workers who protested at Chengdu's Regal Master Plaza claiming that they are collectively owed 30 million RMB.

China Beat has a selection of links relating to the laowai's laowai, Peter Hessler, including early reviews of his new book, Country Driving.

China Geeks explains some of the reasons they regularly post about mistakes and bias in western media reports about China.

Chinamusicradar interviews Beijing indie-music photographer Matthew Niederhauser about the hype surrounding the capital's bands.

ChinaSMACK summarizes reactions to the "schoolgirl beating" video that made a splash on the internet this week.

Danwei features an excerpt from Apologies Forthcoming, a new collection of short stories by writer and Inside-out blogger Xujun Eberlein. Plus, Danwei shares some good news for us here in the Sichuan basin: Smoking is to be banned (finally) in Sichuan's hospitals.

And, if you don't know your Li Bingbing from your Fan Bingbing, you might want to check out eChinacities list of China's hottest female stars, a follow-up to last week's hottest male stars.

Fran likes surfing the China blogosphere, and every Sunday she shares her picks of the week with GoChengdoo readers.

With "Chinese Valentine's Day" in the air, here comes the story of "The Most Handsome Trash-digger." The story, widely reproduced on Chinese websites, seems to have been first published in the Chengdu Shangbao. Our rough translation is below:

"The most handsome trash-digger seems as cool as a movie star; by scavenging, he's been able to travel to over 10 cities"

With an elegant way of speaking, standing around 1.8 meters tall, a figure resembling that of movie star Tong Chun-Chung (汤镇宗) ...

Recently, the area around Moziqiao at Shenxianshu has been haunted by a young trash-picker, attracting a lot of double-takes from passersby. After his photo appeared on online discussion forums, netizens bestowed upon him an unparalleled nickname: "The Most Handsome Scavenger of All Time."

After some minor setbacks, this reporter finally tracked down this handsome "post-80s" master of the bin. By this time, he had already traveled to more than 10 cities all over the country, just by scavenging recyclables out of the trash. He deftly collects bottles and scraps and when he amasses some money he'll go off to another city for more travels.

Posted online, his photo calls for close scrutiny

"This person is often around Shenxiansu, with an air of refinement, big eyes, hair in tight curls, quite handsome...," "From the back he looks like Tony Leung, from the side he looks like Hu Jun, from the front he looks like Tong Chun-Chung." On August 20, a post titled "The Most Handsome Trash-Picker of All Time" appeared on the Tianya Chengdu forums. The poster, "Qing Qian," related that on the street he had seen a handsome trash digger and used his mobile phone to take two photos of the scavenger. The post immediately caused a stir among netizens: "He's even wearing gloves, how professional!" "Hello! Handsome!" and even that classic line from Stephen Chow's movie was used by netizens to describe his appearance: "A man man like you, just like fireflies in the dark, as bright as that, as numerous as that, you with your eyes so sullen, with the air of one breath you betray yourself."

One moment, the netizens were discussing the authenticity of the post; the next, they were commenting on the identity of the trash-digger. Some believed this "handsome brother" is really living life, others believe it's completely disgusting, but most said that if this person is really a scavenger depending on his own two hands to make money, he can't be faulted. "Labor is honorable, just because one is handsome he cannot scavenge?!"

His life: walking and scavenging is OK"

Right around the same time the "Most Handsome Trash-Picker of All Time" post exploded, coincidentally a woman in the city had announced to this reporter that she too had spotted a "handsome and elegant trash digger" on the street. The morning before yesterday, with the woman leading the way to Mozi Qiao, this reporter finally spotted this handsome trash picker. Height, about 1.8 meters, wearing a khaki fisherman's hat, grey short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of ankle-length trousers he cut himself. At this moment, his hands covered in white gloves, he was picking empty bottles out of a trash bin. Occasionally, when a piece of trash would fall outside the bin, he would bend over and return it to the bin. The brim of his hat was angled low, at the moment he straightened back up his face was revealed and the reporter couldn't help but exclaim, "He really looks like Tong Chun-Chung!"

As far as the reporter's visit, the young man seemed completely caught off guard, his clean face instantly turning red. He said, my family name is Liu, I'm from Ningxia, and I was born in 1984. When he heard that netizens had dubbed him "The Most Handsome Trash Digger of All Time," he said with a smile, "People have told me I'm good-looking, but I'm just a trash digger, how embarrassing!" Liu said he depends on his own two hands to make a living, he does what he wants to do, it's a lot better than depending on his family.

Li said his mother has passed away and his father and younger brother tend to the family farm. After finishing middle school, he started venturing from home. At that time his dream was "to see and walk in every place in the country." Two years before, he arrived in the famous "land of abundance" Chengdu, sat in teahouses, strolled on Chunxi Lu, and fully enjoyed the slow-paced lifestyle. But he's still never told his relatives that he's digging through rubbish bins. "Actually, I could look for work, but I quite like this kind of wandering lifestyle, I don't think it's so difficult!"

Every day, Liu spends most of his time walking the streets, from 8 in the morning until 10 at night, from Yihuan Lu to the south of the city, learning which bottles and recyclable scraps to pick out of the trash bins along the side of the road, eating the cheapest food he can find for his three meals. Picking up bottles, Liu wears headphones so he can listen to news and music on the radio, and sometimes he goes to watch the Xinhua broadcasts on the big screen on Zongfu Lu's Shudu Tower.

His path, traveling by scavenging

The market price of an old crumpled bottle is about the same everywhere, usually not more than 2 kuai. Yet by picking up these crumpled bottles one by one, Liu has already been to more than 10 of the country's cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Accompanying him on his travels are some of his most treasured possessions: a train or bus ticket from each city he's been to. The next destination Liu has set his eye on is the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau; to get there, he plans to save up 10,000 kuai in Chengdu, bottle by bottle. When he's saved enough to buy some simple equipment to prepare for his trip, he'll set off, "I'm not far from my goal."

Liu's biggest dream is to go to Hong Kong to see the nightlife. "A few years ago, when I was picking up bottles in Shenzhen, I went to the port of Luohu just to gaze across the bay at Hong Kong. Looking at it only made me yearn for it; I hope to get there one day when I've saved enough money." Liu said if he starts to dread this kind of lifestyle, he'll stop, and try out the lifestyle of the rest of the post-80s generation.

Those who know him said with some envy that the fact that he's so good-looking might have to do with the fact that people sometimes stop Liu on the street to offer him some money, but this upright young man always declines. In the eyes of the other scavengers, Liu is not the same, he just likes this kind of lifestyle. They said, Liu is very concerned with his personal hygiene and spends some time every day to wash his hair and clean his fingernails. "Although his face he's a rubbish picker, he doesn't litter."

Results of Chengdu QQ's online poll (as of August 26, 2009)

Do you approve of this kind of traveling and scavenging lifestyle?
I approve. Unrestrained freedom (24.55%)
I disagree. What a waste of ability and social resources (2.53%)
I understand, after all, everyone has his/her own way of living (66.79%)
What a lot of fuss about nothing (6.14%)

The story is attributed to reporter Li Tianxiao and trainee Wei Hui.
Image: Chengdu QQ

Newly installed road signs point the way to "The Hypocenter of '5.12' Wenchuan Earthquake."

At noon yesterday, film star Jet Li (李连杰) took a walk with fellow Chinese celebrities Lin Xinru (林心如), Zhang Jie (张杰), Zhong Hanliang (钟汉良), Zhou Liti (钟丽缇), and Daniel Wu (吳彥祖).

The 5.12-kilometer trek, dubbed "One Family, One Walk" (壹家人 壹起走) commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake and took place in Yinxiuwan, Aba prefecture, the epicenter of the quake.

This bridge completely collapsed during the earthquake. A temporary, much narrower roadway is visible to the side.

Around 200 foundation volunteers and reporters followed Li along the river, passing by evidence of the massive destruction that still haunts the areas. Collapsed bridges, houses, and mountains contrasted with new construction projects.

The shoes Jet Li wore during the walk are being auctioned for charity on Taobao, fetching a bid of RMB30,000 at the time of writing.

While in the West Jet Li is generally recognized as a Chinese action film star, on his native soil, he is known for his charity work just as much as for his acting and mastery of martial arts.

Jet Li explains the One Foundation at a press conference in the Greenland Hotel, Chengdu.

Li told reporters that he was compelled to establish the One Foundation after a brush with tragedy during the 2004 Asian tsunami, when one of his two daughters was swept out of his reach by the rapidly rising waters. She was reunited with her father shortly afterward by witnesses who had swum out to rescue her.

Qiang children who live in Yinxiuwan followed the march from the hill.

Donations to the One Foundation can be made here.

All photos by Julien Rideller.

"One Family, One Walk" (壹家人 壹起走----纪念5•12 同行汶川路) is a charity event centering around a 5.12-kilometer walk made by 100 celebrities, earthquake victims, and rescue workers and their families.

The event's most prominent attendees will be martial-arts master and actor Jet Li (李連杰) as well as Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) who will reportedly make the symbolic march each wearing only one shoe. The unworn shoe from each pair will be auctioned on Taobao, with proceeds going toward earthquake-relief efforts.

For the event, Jet Li's One Foundation has set up a website, and his weight in the international film industry is projected to attract more celebrities' attention to the cause.

"One Family, One Walk" is a joint effort of the Red Cross Society of China, the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee, the Red Cross Society of China, the Jet Li One Foundation Project, the Sichuan Provincial Promotion Bureau, and the Aba Prefecture People's Government.

More information can be found here.

How to Join
Foreign nationalities who would like to participate in the walk are asked to send an e-mail to chengdoo [AT] gmail [DOT] com with your full name, nationality, and passport number before 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.

The bus will depart at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 10 to Yinxiuwan and return by 6 p.m. for dinner. Transportation and insurance will be provided at no charge to the guests.

Note: Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Full details for the event will be given by e-mail.

Those unable to attend the event in person are invited to make a virtual walk and donate to the project.

Image of Jet Li courtesy One Foundation.