You Can’t Afford Death at Shanghai’s Most Expensive Cemetery

We’ve come to expect skyrocketing housing prices in major cities — now, though, one Shanghai cemetery has gone viral for the exorbitant price it puts on eternal slumber.


Shanghai’s Songhe Cemetery has been causing a stir on Weibo, with astronomical prices almost six times that of housing in the city’s central area.


The Songhe Cemetery, founded in 1987, recently listed burial plots at 341,800 RMB (around 50,000 USD). With spots listed as 0.6 square meters, that shakes out to approximately 760,000 RMB per square meter when all’s said and done.


For context, the average housing price in downtown Shanghai’s Huangpu district is 130,000 RMB per square meter.


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Online, netizens are lamenting a world in which cemetery plots are marketed as luxury items, saying that while living is a short-term pain, death is a long-term struggle with poverty.


“Bury me at sea when I die; save this money,” wrote one user.


“A few days ago, I learned that burials at sea also have a strict approval process,” replied another.


The cemetery itself is undeniably luxurious. Exquisite tombstones can be customized to your preference, offering a fitting tribute to your dearly departed.


Additionally, 24-hour security ensures that offerings left by loved ones remain safe from theft, and the picturesque landscapes surrounding the cemetery could easily be mistaken for a sprawling city park.


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Visitors can even visit the graves of 11 notable figures, including opera performers, politicians, and cultural icons. The cemetery’s website provides a detailed account of each celebrity’s life, so you can rest easy knowing that your remains are in the company of greatness!


Apart from its impressive facilities, Songhe Cemetery offers plenty of unique services, the most popular of which features staff in military uniforms who assist you in tending to family members’ graves.


Extra add-ons cater to all budgets, from 430 RMB incense burners to 5,200 RMB copper angels (around 60 and 750 USD, respectively). Flower rentals provide another ongoing source of monthly revenue.


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In response to the controversy, Songhe Cemetery initially defended its prices as open, fair, and reasonable. Shortly after, though, they removed all prices from their official website.


China’s cemeteries are divided into two types: public welfare and commercial. Public welfare cemeteries cater to most of the country’s urban and rural residents, while commercial cemeteries like Songhe are classified as businesses. The latter can offer luxurious facilities, picturesque landscapes, and customizable options — as long as you have the cash, of course.


In traditional Chinese culture, death and respect are closely linked. On Qingming Festival, for instance, families set aside time to visit the graves of departed loved ones — and for many, registering a prestigious cemetery plot can be a final act of filial piety, as well as a symbol of social status.


So if you thought today’s cost of living was steep, it seems like the cost of dying isn’t much better.


RADII believes in the importance of transparency in our changing world. AI-powered tools were used by our editors in the research or production of this post. All content is composed, fact-checked, and edited by our in-house editorial staff.


Photos via Songhe Mausoleum

“See You in 2024” — UFC’s Song Yadong Wants to Fight O’Malley, Vera, Stirling

Over the weekend, Song Yadong delivered one of the best performances of his still-early UFC career, defeating Ricky Simon with a dynamic finish in the final round.


At just 25 years old, Song has already racked up an impressive string of nine UFC victories. Now, the Chinese bantamweight wants to challenge a ‘‘Top-5’’ fighter, mentioning ‘Chito’ Vera and Sean O’Malley by name.

When RADII spoke to UFC Asia-Pacific’s Senior Vice President Kevin Chang back in 2017 , he was quick to comment on Song Yadong, calling him “part of the new wave of MMA talent” in China, an example of someone “really having the entire skillset, and training it from an early age.”


That assessment proved spot-on. At UFC’s first-ever event in the Chinese mainland, RADII was ringside when Song Yadong earned a first-round submission by guillotine.

A few years later, Song is picking up speed. He dominated Saturday’s fight, showcasing exceptional skills throughout the five-round headliner. His vicious left hook appeared throughout the matchup, finding home and dropping Simon at the end of the fifth round. Song finished the match with a barrage of strikes, prompting a timely TKO stoppage from Herb Dean.


ESPN scored every round in Song’s favor, and UFC Stats recorded him outpacing Simon in total strikes 102-44.


“I wanna fight top-5 fighters,” Song said, adding that no. 6-ranked Rob Font was also acceptable. “And ‘Chito’ Vera and Sean O’Malley — but probably they don’t give me Sean O’Malley, guys are protecting him. Whatever. Just top-5. My goal is to fight top-5 fighters this year.”


Song has been fighting out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, training alongside greats like Urijah Faber (who himself defeated Ricky Simon in a 46-second fight in 2019).


That level of training is clearly paying off — Song looked comfortable and relaxed throughout Saturday’s event, even smiling and laughing at his own narrowly-missed strikes. That poise allowed Song to fend off seven of Simon’s nine takedown attempts, which had been one of the bigger points of speculation going into the fight.


Others in the UFC are starting to take notice. Current champion Aljamain Sterling acknowledged Song’s impressive performance, tweeting, “That dude Song is a beast frfr!”


Yadong responded in turn, foregoing the niceties with a brief statement: “Keep the belt, see you in 2024.”


For more about MMA in China and the rise of Song Yadong on the international stage, check out RADII’s original documentary, Way of the Warrior.


RADII believes in the importance of transparency in our changing world. AI-powered tools were used by our editors in the research or production of this post. All content is composed, fact-checked, and edited by our in-house editorial staff.


Cover photo via UFC

Once-viral Fast-food Chain Popeyes Quietly Retreats From China (or Has It?)

Popeyes’ last Shanghai restaurant put up a ‘temporarily closed’ sign on April 18, spelling an uncertain future for the American fast-food chain’s once-promising prospects in China.


The fried chicken brand, which arrived in China with a viral splash, is now wholly unavailable after fewer than three years of operation. The news spread swiftly on the social media platform Weibo, where a related hashtag has racked up more than 4 million views.


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The last Popeyes store in Shanghai closed its doors on April 18. Image via Xiaohongshu


Online, people were surprised by the brand’s sudden demise. During the grand opening of Popeyes’ first Shanghai flagship store in 2020, scores of people waited as long as eight hours to taste its signature fried chicken and biscuits.


Following the launch of the initial Popeyes location, the brand opened eight more stores in Shanghai and surrounding cities like Nanjing and Hangzhou. Raphael Coelho, CEO of Popeyes China, spoke of plans to open more than 1,500 stores in the country over the next decade, although that clearly didn’t pan out.


Seven of China’s Popeyes locations closed their doors last August, signaling the brand’s faltering fortunes in the Chinese market. Following the initial string of closures, Popeyes stated on Weibo that the shutdowns were only temporary, although the announcement didn’t do much to quell online speculation.


“Can’t you make it the same as the U.S.? Don’t localize it for Chinese markets, it doesn’t taste as good,” wrote one unimpressed netizen.


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Popeyes announced that their store closures were only temporary in August 2022. Image via Weibo


Many suspect the sudden closure of Popeyes’ China locations isn’t related to popularity or revenue. Instead, the decision to pull out may stem from a dispute between Popeyes’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), and its Chinese operating partner — Turkey’s TAB Foods Investments (TFI), which also operates Burger King in the country.


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Popeye’s signature chicken bucket and chicken sandwich. Image via Weibo


However, Popeye’s exit this time might be temporary. The brand seems to have parted ways with TFI and secured itself a new Chinese operator: Tims China. Also owned by RBI, Tims China announced that it had won exclusive rights for the development of Popeyes in Macau and the Chinese mainland in February 2023. It remains to be seen what the new partner has in mind for the future of Popeyes in the country.


If Popeyes does return, it won’t be the first time the company has pulled out of China only to return at a later date. The chain first tested the waters back in 1999 with a store in Beijing but shut it down by the end of 2002.


The competition is fierce in China’s 195.9 billion USD fast food market — and with major American brands like KFC and McDonald’s dominating the landscape through localization, it isn’t easy for new players to break in.


Cover image via Depositphotos

In China’s Hyper-Competitive Job Market, Advanced Degrees Are the New Normal

In China’s increasingly competitive job market, a record number of university grads are delaying their entry into the workforce, choosing instead to continue their academic studies in graduate school. In response, graduate programs are becoming more selective.


New Oriental, one of China’s largest private education and tutoring companies for college students, found that the average acceptance rate for graduate programs in 2023 was one in six — a notable decrease from 2017’s one-in-four acceptance rate.


A big part of this change is due to the growing number of applicants.


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Graduate school is becoming an increasingly popular choice for young professionals. Image via VCG


The National Postgraduate Entrance Examination (NPEE) is required application material for graduate schools in China. According to state-run broadcaster CGTN, approximately 4.74 million people took the exam in 2023 — twice the 2.38 million who attended in 2018.


Higher education in China has become increasingly accessible, with more than 10 million people graduating from university in 2022 alone. As a result, many are starting to feel that a bachelor’s degree no longer guarantees a promising career in the current job market, especially after the pandemic.


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Many companies underwent layoffs and downsizing during the pandemic, leaving a more challenging job market for college grads. Image via VCG


Today, greater numbers of job postings require advanced degrees, and previously unpopular programs — like psychology, communications, and journalism — have become highly competitive in recent years.


Others are using graduate schools as a way to delay entering the workforce. Mingrui, a Chinese national and senior at New York University (NYU) Shanghai, says many of his friends are “postponing finding a job because they believe the job market and economy will be better in the future.”

Applying to graduate school can also be a way for students to re-attempt entry to top-tier universities, especially if their gaokao scores back in high school weren’t up to par.


China’s National College Entrance Examination, or gaokao, is a notoriously difficult test comparable to the SAT in the U.S. Now, though, some are starting to joke that the NPEE is becoming the new gaokao.


“Families used to be able to relax after their kids took the gaokao, but now, they also have to worry about postgraduate exams,” writes one Weibo user.


Cover image via VCG

Scandalized Rapper PG One Attempts Comeback, Doesn’t Last 24 Hours

PG One’s short-lived comeback is making waves on Chinese social media for all the wrong reasons.


The rapper rose to fame after winning 2017’s immensely popular Rap of China competition. But shortly after he was crowned co-champion, the internet unearthed a series of controversial revelations. In response, authorities blacklisted him, entirely wiping his presence from social media.


PG One — who was banned for, among other things, alluding to drug use — attempted a comeback on 4/20. He managed to create new accounts on Chinese social media, releasing his new song under the name Wang Weichu.


The song had positive, upbeat lyrics — but it didn’t last long. Authorities almost immediately deleted PG One’s new account and removed the new track amidst a torrent of user complaints.


News of the failed comeback attempt shot to a top trending position on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, reigniting debates around celebrity accountability and censorship in China.


“They’re adults,” wrote one commenter. “They have to pay for their actions. If apologies were useful, what would we have police and prisons for?”


PG One’s career took a nosedive in 2018 after paparazzi photographed him spending the night with married actress Li Xiaolu. The scandal caught the public’s attention, and the rapper faced immediate backlash — not just for the controversy with Li, but also for his explicit lyrics promoting drugs and sex.


The lyrics starkly contrasted with the themes of traditional Chinese values, which other rappers have successfully used to gain good standing with media authorities.


After the failed comeback attempt, PG One posted a lengthy article on social media asking for forgiveness. He apologized for his mistakes, explaining that he had been focusing on music for the past five years with no intention of making a comeback. He also shared that he was exhausted from the pressure and the constant bans on his music.


Some people, meanwhile, are pointing out the discrepancy between PG One and Li Xiaolu. Li’s social media accounts are all available, despite her involvement in the scandal.


“Why isn’t Li Xiaolu banned,” asks another top-rated comment, with plenty of replies.


Nonetheless, for PG One, it’s back to the drawing board.


RADII believes in the importance of transparency in our changing world. AI-powered tools were used by our editors in the research or production of this post. All content is composed, fact-checked, and edited by our in-house editorial staff.


Cover photo via iQiyi

Japanese Anime Film ‘The First Slam Dunk’ Scores Big at China’s Box Office

On April 20, hundreds of thousands of people across China flocked to their local movie theaters for the release of The First Slam Dunk. This anime coming-of-age tale follows a Japanese high school basketball team navigating friendship, competition, and adolescence.


Within its first week of release, the movie generated 380 million RMB (around 55 million USD) and received a rating of 9/10 stars on Douban, a Chinese platform similar to IMDb.


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Chinese poster for The First Slam Dunk. Image via Weibo


The film is based on Takehiko Inoue’s popular 1990 manga series Slam Dunk, which was first adapted into an anime in 1993. The manga and anime were both hits with young Chinese audiences at the time, and all these years later, that fanbase is playing a significant role in the film’s box office success.

Scoring Nostalgia Points

Nostalgia has been a huge driving factor in the film’s success, and the majority of audience members for The First Slam Dunk are Chinese millennials.


Xiao Fang is a 32-year-old architect in Hangzhou, a major e-commerce hub near Shanghai. He was a massive fan of the anime series and amassed a collection of Slam Dunk manga books during his school years. Now, he’s one of the millions of people who rushed out to see the movie during its first week in theaters.


“It brought back a lot of memories and made me feel young again,” he said.

For many young fans, the world of Slam Dunk resonated with their own coming-of-age stories. Viewers found solace in the characters, who were also navigating the trials and tribulations of adolescence.


Additionally, the original anime never got an actual ending because the manga ran into funding issues and was abruptly discontinued. So for many fans, this is the closure they didn’t get when they were younger.

China’s Embrace of Basketball

Basketball is a beloved sport in China, and some stars like Yao Ming have taken their careers all the way to the NBA. Many Slam Dunk fans believe that the anime series played an important part in encouraging a whole generation of Chinese youth to take up the sport.

“I used to wonder why people were so into basketball before I watched Slam Dunk. After finishing the whole series, I ended up joining the women’s basketball team at my school,” one person wrote on Weibo, China’s top microblogging platform.


Xiao echoed this sentiment, saying that the anime encouraged him to work hard and improve at the sport.


“Despite the main character being an everyman, his determination and love for basketball transformed him into someone worth rooting for,” says Xiao.

Dunking on Hollywood Dominance

The success of The First Slam Dunk is part of an ongoing trend of Japanese animation challenging traditional Hollywood dominance in the foreign sector of China’s film industry. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, for instance, earned just 4.7 million USD during the Qingming Festival holiday weekend in China, compared to Suzume No Tojimari’s USD 7.6 million.


Suzume, an anime film, received high praise, grossing more than 100 million USD at the Chinese box office in its first month — and some predict that The First Slam Dunk has a shot at overtaking it in gross sales.


Cover image via IMDb