Photo Of The Day: River Trekking In Hong Kong

by Jonathan Kramer on

Hong Kong is not a place that many associate with mountains and nature, but past one of the best skylines in the world and the tangle of tramways are beaches and outstanding hiking trails. In the far east side of Hong Kong’s relatively rural Sai Kung District is the Sheng Luk Hillstream. In Flickr user Bo Li‘s photo, it seems as though we are far from actually being in one of the most densely populated places in the world.

If you have a great travel photo, submit it to our Gadling Flickr Pool and it may be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

Subway Workers In China Accidentally Demolish 3000-Year-Old Tombs

by Adam Hodge on

Workers installing a new subway line in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, destroyed an ancient group of protected tombs by mistake during construction on the weekend. Some of the five tombs date back to the Shang Dynasty around 3,000 years ago.

The area, which had been set aside for further excavation and study, was intact on Friday night. When archaeologists returned to work on Saturday, the tombs had been obliterated.

The South China Morning Post reports that the group of tombs had been clearly marked and sealed off, and were of significant historical value. One of the metro project managers admitted that his workers had destroyed the group of tombs, but claimed the accidental destruction was due to a misunderstanding.

Representatives from the Guangzhou Archaeology Research Center contend it was impossible the construction workers could have missed the signs and plastic coverings marking the protected area.

This isn’t the first time ancient sites have been bulldozed in Guangzhou in recent times. Around 10 tombs have been destroyed during the construction of a new metro line. Numerous other historical buildings have been razed as well, usually without permission from authorities, as the city undergoes hurried expansion and development.

In part because of Guangzhou’s rapid development, more and more ancient sites have been discovered in recent years during surveying and excavation of new construction projects.

Video Of The Day: This Is Shanghai

by Libby Zay on

Today’s Video of the Day takes us on a techno-filled trip through Shanghai, courtesy of photographer Rob Whitworth. Although much of the short time-lapse film focuses on twinking lights and congested traffic, it also shows the city is much more than that by stopping to follow both a taxi driver and a woman selling flowers. The video also stops for a few seconds to give a glimpse into a couple local kitchens. My favorite part, however, is just after the minute mark, when the lights that make up Shanghai’s skyline shut off one by one. Watch for yourself and see what part of Shanghai you’d most like to experience.

Chinese Company 3D Prints Giant Airplane Parts

by Libby Zay on

Nothing has fired up the public’s imagination over the past few years like 3D printing. The technology is in the process of rapidly moving from a sci-fi fantasy to a household object, and fittingly, it’s expected many manufacturers across industries will begin using 3D printers. In the airline industry, this has so far meant the fast, easy duplication and enhancement of small, lightweight parts – such as fuel nozzles. But a Chinese company is thinking on a much grander scale, and plans to use a massive 3D printer to create 5-meter-long titanium wing spars and equally long wind beams.

3Ders.org, a website chronicling the latest updates on the technology, reports that late last month a Chinese company showed off the world’s largest titanium aircraft critical component that had been produced using 3D technology at a conference in Beijing. According to the company, they have used 3D printers to produce seven kinds of aircraft. Since the project has been funded by the Chinese government, especially the military, the parts are being produced mainly for stealth fighters – but it’s likely commercial aviation will soon follow their lead, since the process could save up to 90 percent on materials and costs of producing an airplane. The only problem is, with this giant 3D printer, it’s possible for the Chinese government to forge parts made by other companies – so who knows what could happen in the future.

[via BoingBoing]

Video: Inner City Surfing, The Latest Urban Adventure Craze

by Laurel Miller on

Germany and China don’t immediately call to mind hanging 10, but that’s about to change. The latest urban extreme sport pastime in these cities is urban surfing the big waves on their river systems. As reported by CNN, Munich’s Eisbach River and Hangzhou’s Qiantang River are fast becoming two of the world’s top spots for inner-city surfing.

Lest you think this is for those who can’t cut it on the ocean, it’s not for the faint-hearted. Each fall on the Qiantang, the world’s largest tidal bore, “a wave that travels against the current,” flows upriver. This creates waves up to 27 feet high, traveling at nearly 25 miles per hour. Surfers need to be towed in by jet-ski to ride the “Silver Dragon,” as it’s known.

Living in a land-locked place and thinking of taking up the sport? Watch this clip for inspiration (or a reality check).