Front Page of the Day is a daily review of the news on the front page of one Chinese newspaper. Today's page comes from the paper's website.

Qianjiang Evening News
August 22, 2007

Today's headline features an exclusive report on ayis (hourly paid housekeepers) working for foreigners in Hangzhou. According to the article, Hangzhou has just 7,000 foreign residents this year, so this job is still considered fresh and strange to local citizens. By contrast, Beijing's foreign population is an order of magnitude larger - does anyone have any specific data?

The front page picture shows the new Hangzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center, currently under construction. The giant steel ball (85m in diameter) represents a sun, shining together with the crescent-shaped Hangzhou Theater.

The bottom headline reports the the fourth interest rate hike this year. The People's Bank of China announced yesterday that beginning on 22 August, interest rates on deposits will rise 27 basis points to 3.6 percent, with lending rates rising 18 basis points to 7.02 percent. (related China Daily article)