Look But Don’t Bite – China’s Mouthwatering Stone Food Banquets

Petrified pasta, juicy braised pork, rocky dried fruits and many other delicious-looking dishes are all part of China’s rare stone food banquets. The spread is nice to look at, but trying to sneak a bite will cost you a few teeth.
People in the mountainous regions of China know how to appreciate beautiful rocks, and some spend their whole lives gathering different kinds of rocks, scouring specialized stone shops and trekking through rugged mountain passes and desserts in search of unique additions to their collections. Strangely shaped or colored rocks are considered a feast for the eyes, and stones that resemble food are considered even more wonderful. It takes a lot of time and luck to find naturally shaped pieces of carnelian or jade that look good enough to eat, but dedicated stone collectors have proven it’s possible, on a number of occasions. Organizing stone food banquets is a long-standing Chinese tradition, and even in modern times it manages to draw media attention and keep stone collecting popular.

Liuzhou City, also known as China’s capital of peculiar stones, is home to over 100,000 stone aficionados, who enjoy spending their free time collecting, sorting and judging uniquely shaped stones. The city’s stone museum holds exhibitions of rocks that look like Chinese or Western dishes, and the events are always very popular. But private collectors have also staged impressive stone feasts, throughout the years. In 2009, Zhou Jiaqun used the most realistic items in his amazing collection of around 20-tons worth of rocks to put together a spread worthy of the opulent Han Banquets of old, featuring delicacies like braised pork in brown sauce, fried crabs, steamed fish, barbecued chicken legs and even hamburgers. Last year, Tang Xianfeng, another passionate stone collector from Nanjing, presented 173 realistic dishes made almost entirely from stones.

Impressive stone banquets are still very popular in China, drawing thousands of curious visitors, all of which probably grab a bite before stopping by, as not to be tempted by all the delicious looking foods.

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World's longest and widest cable bridge with a span of SEVEN miles is finally completed (and it's in China, of course)

The world's longest and widest multi-pylon cable-stayed bridge has opened in China after seven years of construction work
The Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge stretches 6.2miles (10 kilometres) over the Hangzhou Bay, in Shaoxing, China.
It is mainly supported by two cable-towers, both of which reach 745ft in the air, and has a main body stretching 2,560ft wide.

Long cross: Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge is the world's longest and widest cable-stayed bridge, and stretches so far in the distance the end disappears in the mist

The six-lane bridge opened to traffic on May 28th but the final tweaks were made on Monday.
The high speed bridge is designed for vehicles travelling exclusively above 60mph and pedestrians, motorbikes and cars with a maximum speed below 45mph are not allowed to cross.
It starts from the front part of Maqing Road in Haicang District in Xiamen and ends at Houzhai, Longhai in Zhangzhou.
A cable-stayed bridge has one of more towers where the cables are attached to support the bridge's deck.

Big stretch: The bridge crosses Hangzhou Bay and starts from the front part of Maqing Road in Haicang District in Xiamen and ends at Houzhai, Longhai in Zhangzhou

Hard(hat) work: Electricians work on the Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge earlier today in Shaoxing, China as it is finally completed

Held together: The 6.2miles (10 kilometres) long bridge is held up by two cable-supported towers, both of which are 745ft (227 metres) tall

They can appear similar to a suspension bridge, but its construction differs.
Before the construction of the Jiaxing-Shaoxing bridge, China already had three bridges in the top ten of largest cable-stayed bridges.
The top position was held by The Russky Bridge, in Vladivostok, Russia, with China's Sutong Bridge in Suzhou, Nantong in second place.

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These Otherworldly Theatres Will Showcase Chinese Arts And Culture

While they may look like renders for a Mass Effect 4 cityscape, these futuristic buildings actually constitute the proposed Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Arts Center.

Located in Changsha, China, the capital city of the Hunan province 700km North of Hong Kong, and designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Changsha Meixihu is comprised of three buildings — an 1800-seat grand hall, a cultural museum and a 500-seat multipurpose hall — interlinked by pedestrian concourses.
The grand hall is being built to host world-class performances and major events, while the multipurpose theatre will host more exclusive events, such as fashion shows and private concerts. In addition, each building in the complex will also feature restaurants, bars and other amenities for patrons.

Interestingly, the three centres are to be run in shifts so that the grand theatre opens in the evening as the museum closes, while the multipurpose theatre and adjunct services are open day or night, allowing the Changsha Meixihu to operate 24 hours a day.
The design of the buildings themselves is nothing short of stunning — their flowing lines and curving surface appear completely alien compared to the rigid right angles of surrounding structures. Their interiors follow the same course with massive glass roofs supported by trusses that appear almost organic in shape.
There’s no word yet on when construction will begin or how much the project will cost.

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