Blurred lines of influence in world of letters
Earlier this month, I was in Guangzhou for a forum on modern literature. The participants hailed mostly from academic institutions and media organizations, but you wouldn't know that if you had only heard their self-introductions. They sounded like freelancers.

Tiger, tiger! faking bright
Before the smoke and dust surrounding the South China tiger photos taken in Shaanxi province settled, someone claimed to have successfully photographed the big cat - widely believed to be extinct in China - in Hunan province. This time, unlike the still images from Shaanxi, it was a 20-second video clip with a very mobile animal.

Soothed feet, clean conscience
In 1995, the Reichstag building in Berlin was wrapped in white sheets by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude as an art project.

Don't turn ritual into a farce
The Americans have a saying: George Washington slept here.

Variety in name not a bad thing
What's in a name? More specifically, what's in the spelling of a place name? Should the Chinese capital be spelt Beijing or Peking?

Variety in name not a bad thing

'Jianti' and 'fanti' are equally good

Dabbling in real politics

Too much TV not a good thing

Between the law and morality

Chunyun provides a glimpse of China's reality

Cutting out the waffle in speeches

Do we really know what is good?

Bringing theater to the masses

To look or not to look is the question

Face the reality of AIDS prevention

Entertainer disguised as an academic

From Kundera to Dostoyevsky

Don't be a bull in a China shop

Reality is not black and white

Cultural nuances in the way of understanding

No growing pains, no growing gains

Ignorance, both funny and sad

The last good Samaritan?

Exporters between rock and hard place

A learning fad that's truly crazy

Art is beyond ethnicity

Employee rights at core

Applaud or not, that is the question

Thou shalt not collude on pricing

Principle or prejudice?

Exception should be the norm

Don't get carried away with GDP

Beauty is in the eyes of beholder

Don't let bad apple spoil journalism

Small things count in management

What is really behind a TV reality show?

Appreciate Guoxue as it is

It takes time to change mindsets

Group dancing adds bounce to teenagers

Best comedy knows how to tickle audience

Rebelliousness needs outlets

Pork price swing can be minimized

The 'rats' just keep nibbling

Ad slogans a matter of taste

All forms of labor deserve reverence

All lives are equally precious

A nation can't be tarred by one killer

Posthumous fame attracts followers

Think big, be delusional

Don't believe everything you are told

Tunnel gives partial vision

A clear case of racist lunacy

Made-in-China comedy hard to sell in US

Is there Pu'er power in a name?

Yes, Spring Festival is truly golden

Forget date rental for new year

'Shameful' exhibition backfires

Kowtow not best show of gratitude

Netizens distracted by 'small evil'

Writer should know where the limits are

We still need sense of right and wrong

Kneeling is a thing of the past

Bloggers' revolution is largely overrated

Reverse brain drain a sign of the times

Is the dragon too fearsome a symbol for China?

If it's honest work, what else matters?

Slap on the wrist not enough for lying officials

Food safety officials must be on alert

Moral worries mad about maid advert

Doing the right thing, the wrong way

Where are our older workers?

Everyone's a critic, but what is art?

Don't treat street vendors as enemy

Base rules on reality, not lofty ideals

A balanced approach in history class

Be sincere in preservation of cultural artefacts

Criticism can be sensible exchange

Oath absent action turns into parody

Netizen's arguments do not sit well with real life people

Sexual politics no longer the same

Respect survivors' need for closure

Another monopoly in the making?

Sadly, there is an Ah Q in all of us

New methods needed to tackle flyers

Make English learning less agonizing

No need to standardize a saint's look

Let's stop lynching by public opinion

Don't let Gaokao seal your fate

What's wrong with an office dress code?

Youth facing dilemma of role models

Spotlight on real China is not offensive

Rocker's sad show a lesson to media hounds

Zeroing in on violator not a solution

Messages behind Gates' dinner

Better teen body image with privacy

Money can buy service but never remembrance

Platitude overload depreciates language

Sex appeal sells, but tastefulness still vital

Money talks, so paying up is reasonable

In a world of perverts, there is still rationale