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The department of scary Santas
China builds world's largest, scariest ice SantaPosted by Jeremy Goldkorn on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 6:26 PM
 Ho ho ho The People's Daily reports:
Then there's this article from Xinhua titled 'Christmas drives Chinese people to churches' which has two nuggets of Christmas wisdom:
Scary Santas and saccharine propaganda articles intended to impress foreigners: It's enough to make you miss the days of hard core Maoist atheism. Links and Sources
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Comments on China builds world's largest, scariest ice Santa
Hahahaha I love that last sentence.
A large group of twenty-something Shanghainese showed up for the 7:00 PM mass at Shanghai's Xujiahui cathedral, wearing Santa stocking caps. They sat in the back of the cathedral, patiently and quietly observing the proceedings, not saying or doing anything much at all. Communion, however, seemed to confuse the newcomers, and as the pews emptied to receive the Host, several of these young newcomers were heard to be asking each other, and the ushers, "whether the show was finally over."
> "Religious freedom is not empty talk here."
Call me cynical but I can help thinking that's exactly the kind of "quote" Xinhua's creative writing team pull out of their asses on a daily basis rather than the actual words of your typical American man on the street.
Step forward, Tien Gill, if I have doubted thee without fair cause!
Normally I am all for your blog articles, but don't you think this one is on the sillier side?
They made the biggest Santa -- horray!
It's like a diner in America's midwest making the world's biggest pancake. It's a publicity stunt. Harbin is a tourist destination during the winter,and they naturally wanted something to draw visitors.
The article that XinHua has -- well Xinhua just does what it does best -- provide garbage.
Immature post.
Adam Minter's story is the best encapsulation I've heard of what's so funny about Christmas in China. Blank incomprehension in Santa hats!