A classic car enthusiast leaves the civil service in his rear-view mirror – by Tom Fearon

In this short documentary series, Tom Fearon and Abel Blanco profile an ordinary Beijinger with an extraordinary story. We’re proud to present the third episode in the series, along with Tom’s story of meeting its protagonist Luo Wenyou. The video is on Youku for streamers in China, and on Vimeo as embedded below. Watch the previous two episodes in the series: Call of Duty and Beneath the Makeup

Halloween flash fiction by Carly J Hallman

Ed: This story is the winner of the That's Beijing Halloween flash fiction competition, beating off some very impressive competition, including skin-crawling stories of misdelivered heads, ghosts in the rain, and a poem by an 11 year old. Congratulations to Carly, and we're looking forward to reading her novel Year of the Goose when it's out this December. Happy halloween all, and make sure you check what the meat is if you're having Peking duck for dinner ...

I parked my scooter at the west gate. A minute passed before Mr. Wang approached. Tall. Thin. Wire-rimmed glasses. I sized him up as an engineer or programmer, something in Zhongguancun with a high salary, good benefits, occasional trips overseas.

He squinted. “Detective Li?”

“Please,” I said. “Call me Granny Li.” As Beijing’s #1 Senior Citizen Private Investigator for three years running, I had better things to do than nurse an ego.

Mr. Wang led me into the children’s playground, past swings and slides, and filled me in. Around seven a.m., his daughter and her nanny had happened upon a gruesome discovery. He wasn’t impressed with the official investigation thus far, and he’d heard I was just the detective to make things right.

A poem for national cat day – by Alicia Lui

Today a yellow-brown cat dashed across

As I walked with wind on my ears.

Surely you must be cold, I thought.

What a pity to be a stray!

My three cats at home sit and watch

As I latch the windows on approaching gloom.

Together they cry

Another Beijing winter to bloom.

A journey back to one's origins – by Courtney Han

Six of us were driving to my dad’s hometown. My eldest cousin, age forty-five, was at the wheel of his new Audi. I sat in the front seat, with three cousins and my five-year-old niece in the back. The car was brimming with opinions. My youngest cousin recently turned down a potential suitor that my Fifth Cousin’s husband found in his danwei. Her rejection was subject to intense debate. Family doesn’t let you get away with anything.

“But he’s a bad singer,” she protested. “What if we’re invited to karaoke? He’ll embarrass me.”

In(ner) Mongolia – a photo essay by Daniel Rickleman

Ed: We may be a writers' colony, but words all too often speak louder than words, so we're running this photo essay by Daniel Rickleman without any gloss or introduction. Also check out his previous photography for the Anthill from the Li river, Karst Away