Chongqing Economic Times
March 9, 2009

China's newspapers show a high sensitivity to certain anniversaries. When teachers' day comes, you can expect to read tons of articles on the front pages about the government pledging to improve the welfare of the teachers.

Nor should you be surprised when you read weird stuff like "40 sex workers took an oath on condom use" because it is World AIDS Day.

Yesterday March 8 marked the 101th International Women's Day, with this year's theme being the "specific health-care needs of women are often ignored or insufficiently taken into account in war situations". Take a look at what some Chinese newspapers came up with:

Chongqing Economic Times today put up an short story on its cover illustrated by an eye-catching image. According to the newspaper:

Yesterday, at the Liberation Monument (解放碑), 300 nurses were dancing the "breast protection exercise". The nurses were dancing to music in formation on Monument Square.

They were stretching their chest, arms, and massaging (their breasts), forceful yet graceful.

The performance attracted lots of passersby, who stopped to watch. As International Women's Day came, in response to the municipal government's calling for constructing a "healthy Chongqing", medical professionals organized this activity whose theme is "healthy Chongqing, take care of women" (健康重庆, 关爱妇女). In addition, twenty doctors gave free medical advice to the public in regard to woman's breast health and daily habits to help prevent diseases.

Dongguan Times
March 9, 2009

Another newspaper, the Dongguan Times reported on a special running race which took place yesterday in Dongguan.

According to the newspaper, the run which features both men and women wearing high-heel shoes, is "the first of its kind in China". Despite their unfamiliarity with the shoes, the men in general fared better than the women. The winner, a university senior, got a diamond ring worth of 100,000 yuan, which he said he was going to give to his mother as a gift.