Google Beijing Olympic Logos: How Google Celebrated the Event

So the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is over!

The past two weeks were pretty exciting, with all the sport events happening 6000 miles away. Right after the opening ceremony on 08/08/08, checking all the actions and scores and, of course, the medal count, became my daily routine. Too bad that most of the time I had to wait till 8:00 in the evening to watch some live competitions on NBC, especially in the first week. Though only four hours a day, I had fun Considering that this is the first time China has ever hosted an event at this scale, I have to say the Beijing Olympic is a huge success, not only for China, but for the Olympic itself. I know many people may have different opinions on issues that are not related to the sport, but as a Chinese, I am proud of what China has done for this Olympic and what Team China has achieved: 51 Golds, 21 Silvers, and 28 Bronzes. Though United States still lead the overall medal table with 110 medals, China has its turn to shine in the biggest sport event on its own soil.

In addition to checking Olympic news and watching the games on TV, another thing I did everyday since August 8 was downloading the Google Olympic Logos. Since August 8, Google has released a new logo everyday throughout the games, featuring one sport and one of the 12 Chinese Animals Zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Roster, Dog, and Pig, and that’s what made these logos so special.

In case you missed these special Google Olympic logos, here are what Google has shown us in the past 17 days during the Olympic.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony: Fu Wa (福娃）, The Olympic Flag and Flame, and The Bird’s Nest.

Cycling (Goat) and Weightlifting (Rat)

Diving (Pig) and Rhythmic gymnastics (Ox)

Still rings (Monkey) and Soccer (Horse, Snake)

Basketball (Dragon, Rat) and Badminton (Tiger)

Rowing (Dog) and Table Tennis (Dragon)

Martial Art (Tiger) and Track and Field (Horse and Rabbit)

High Jump (Rabbit) and Baseball (Roster)

Swimming (Snake) and Closing (All twelve)

Like these logos? Go to my Flickr page to download them in full size.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Google Transit Now Includes NJ Transit Train Service
• Ping Google and Get Your Blog Updated with Google Blog Search
• The Wait Is Over. Let’s Party!!!
• WordPress Users Can Ping Google Automatically
• Google Introducing New Ping Service

The Wait Is Over. Let’s Party!!!

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Weekend Linkage - August 17, 2008
• Google Beijing Olympic Logos: How Google Celebrated the Event
• Is the Small-Cap Party Over?
• No Network at Home
• My First Day at New Job

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - July 2008

July was a volatile month for U.S. stock markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average started the month with some big losses, even closing below 11,000 for the first time in two year on July 15th. But since then, the index has reclaimed some of the losses after a pair of strong rallies, fueled by declining oil price. For the month, the Dow rose a meager 0.25%, the NASDAQ rose 1.42% and the broader S&P 500 index declined just about 1%. During the month, the Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) showed some signs of life, briefly going over the 2,900-point mark early in the month before settling at 2,775.72. That’s a gain of 1.45%. The Hang Seng Index (^HSI) also recovered from the deep drop in June, gaining 2.84% in July.

Chinese stocks traded on U.S. exchanges ended the month mixed. Of the 82 Chinese ADRs, 38 finished the month in the positive territory while the other 44  Among the gainers, VisionChina Media (VISN: 18.93 -0.27 -1.41%) led the way with a gain of nearly 58% after the company raised its full year guidance. New Oriental Education (EDU: 73.50 -1.81 -2.40%) also saw a nice jump of 20% in its share price, followed by ATA (ATAI: 12.13 +0.58 +5.02%) and QiaoXing Mobile Communication (QXM: 4.93 +0.04 +0.82%). Losers of the month include Melco PBL Entertainment (MPEL: 6.35 +0.18 +2.92%) -33.69%, ChinaEDU (CEDU: 4.38 +0.0399 +0.92%) -23.16%, and Giant Interactive (GA: 9.65 +0.10 +1.05%) -22.94%.

*2008 IPO

Two widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China showed differenet results last month. iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) conducted a 3:1 stock split on July 24th, making it more affordable to small investors. The fund gained 2.36% in July while its competitor, PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ), ended the month flat.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - June 2008

A Taste of China

With less than one month away from the Beijing Olympics, here’s a short video to give you a little taste of China if you can’t go to the Games

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Chinese Stocks: Too Hot to Handle?
• China Life Insurance Suspended, again
• China: 2008
• China Life Surge with No Apparent Reason
• Airliners Soliciting Petitions for Direct Flight to China

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - June 2008

Comparing to what happened to Chinese stocks listed on U. S. stock exchanges, the drop in major U. S. equity indexes is minor, though the Dow Jones Industrial Average did lose more than 10% in just one month (10.19%). During the same time period, the NASDAQ dropped 9.12% and the S&P declined 8.57% as jitters in the financial sector continued and there was no sign that the housing market has bottomed. In fact, the loss in June was the severest monthly loss since the Great Depression.

However,  if you are investing heavily in Chinese ADRs (like me), then I am sure you feel even more depressed when looking at your stocks’ performances last month. Of the 82 Chinese ADRs I track regularly, only 6 of them ended the month in the positive territory. All other 76 stocks dropped, and they dropped like a rock: 30 stocks lost more than 20% and 10 more than 30% The worst performer of the month is Tongjitang Chinese Medicine (TCM), losing more than half of its value, followed by Spreadtrum Communications (SPRD) 46.91% and China Southern Airlines (ZNH) 38.31%. The biggest gainer is China Medical Tech (CMED), rising 25.29% in one month. For the month, the Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) fell 22.75% and the Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) lost 9.9%.

*2008 IPO

Two widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China also took a big hit last month. iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) ended the month with a 14.47% decline and PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ) suffered a deeper loss of 17.8%.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - July 2008
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - May 2008

After rebounding sharply in April, major U.S. stock indices ended May mixed. The Dow lost 181.81 points, or 1.42%, the NASDAQ rose 109.86 points, or 4.55%, and the broader S&P 500 added 14.79 points, about 1.07%.

Chinese stocks listed on U.S. exchanges also had a mixed month. Among the 82 stocks that make up the Chinese ADRs, 32 issues declined for the month, while the other 50 advanced.  Biggest winners of May are alternative energy companies such as Solarfun Power (SOLF) which jumped nearly 70% and LDK Solar (LDK) which gained almost 63%. Other gainers include China Architectural Engineering (RCH) and Renesola (SOL). At the other end of the spectrum, XinHua Finance Media (XFML) led the decliners with a drop of 28.67%, followed by ChinaEdu (CEDU) -21.29% and China Mobile (CHL) -14.52%.

The devastating earthquake in Sichuan in early May had affected China’s stock market negatively, though the long-term impact on the whole economy has been considered limited. The Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) erased its April gain to post a decline of 7.03% in May, while the Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) suffered a 4.75% drop.

*2008 IPO

Amid turmoils in the U.S. credit market and sharp decline of Chinese stocks, Chinese companies have stayed away from going public in the U.S. According to IPO Homes, there has been no Chinese IPO offer in the past four months.

For the month, two widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China went different ways last month. iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) dropped 4.15% in May and PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ) posted a modest gain of 2.49%.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - June 2008

Thanks for the Generous Donations!

Last week, I started a donation drive for the Sichuan earthquake relief. During the seven days from May 15 to May 22, a total of $215 donation was made to the effort by readers from countries/regions as far as Greece and Hong Kong. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those who made the generous donation to the people whose life have been tremendously affected the devastating earthquake. I can’t express enough my gratefulness to the donors.

As I mentioned in the post soliciting donation, I will match 1:1 to each dollar donated. Therefore, the total money raised in the fundraising is $430, which will be the amount to be donated to the earthquake relief fund. Originally, I planed to send the money to the Consulate General in New York. Now I will make a slight change of the plan because early last week my employer emailed me that company, together with the American Red Cross, just launched a company-wide fundraising for the victims of the earthquake. And my employer also promises a 100% match. Therefore, to maximize the effort, I decided to send the donations I collected to my employer to get another $430, making the total $860! After I get the receipt, I will contact each donor and provide them with a copy of the receipt so they know their money goes to the place where it’s needed the most.

Thanks again for the generous donations!

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Year-end Giving Schedule
• Soliciting Earthquake Relief Donation
• March of Dimes: Double Donation with MasterCard in November
• AMEX My Wishlist Interesting Items Today
• WTDirect Terminates Promotion After Only Three Days

To Honor My Compatriots

who lost their lives in last week’s earthquake in Sichuan, China, I have temporarily removed the Great Wall header image and replaced it with just black and white. I will run this theme from May 19 to 21, China’s national mourning period for the 32,476 people killed in the disaster.

The site will return to normal on May 22 and, hopefully, I will have a new design for the site at that time.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Marquis Who’s Who Really Wants Me
• CompUSA to Shut Down All Stores
• How Safe is Your City? Here’s the Best, Worst, and in Between

Soliciting Earthquake Relief Donation

Since the 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated Sichuan province in southwest China two days ago, I spent a large amount of time everyday on the web, following closely the rescue effort . The more I read, the more sad I feel, especially when I saw pictures of bodies young schoolchildren pull out from collapsed buildings. Yesterday, there was a picture of a girl killed in the quake on the web. A pen was still in her hand! My heart just sank.

Update: As of May 18th, according to the number released by the government, the worst disaster in China since 1976 has claimed 32,500 lives, with more than 220,000 injured. As rescuers reached more hard-hit areas, the death toll is expected to soar.

Though I am half-a-world away from the disaster, I want to help the victims as much as I can. Today, I sent a $1,000 check to the Chinese Consulate General in New York for Sichuan earthquake relief. At the same time, I’m also soliciting donations on this blog. For this purpose, I have put a Paypal Donate button in the sidebar. The button will remain on this site for a week, from May 15 to May 22. During this 7-day period, for every dollar received, I will make a 1:1 match for up to $100 per donation. I am not rich, but I want to help.

If you want to make a donation, $5, $10, or whatever the amount you are comfortable with, please go my site and also leave a comment at this post with the email address you use to make the Paypal donation (your email address won’t be published or shared with any third party). I will provide a daily update of donations received (if any) and at the end of the 7-day period, the money collected with my match will be sent to the Chinese Consulate General in New York.

American Red Cross also set up a China Earthquake Relief Fund to accept gifts for the earthquake relief if you are more comfortable donating through the Red Cross.

Thank you!

*In the picture is a clock in Mianzhu, Sichuan. It stopped at 2:28 PM, May 12, 2008. That’s when the earthquake hit the city.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Thanks for the Generous Donations!
• March of Dimes: Double Donation with MasterCard in November
• To Honor My Compatriots
• A 8-Step Course for Your Personal Finance from CNNMoney
• China: 2008

China: 2008

2008 was supposed to be a good year for China while the Olympics coming to Beijing for the first time. Instead, the country was hit by disasters, natural and man-made, one after another:

• In late January, early February, half of the country was frozen after the worst winter snowstorm in 50 years, stranding millions travelers;
• In March, rioters took the streets in Lhsas, causing the entire city and surrounding areas to be shut down;
• In late April, early May, deadly virus broke out in central China, taking lives of 30 young children;
• In early May, two high-speed trains collided in east China, killing 72 passengers;

Then early this morning, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwest China. The worst quake in three decades has already killed nearly 10,000 people.

My heart is with my country!

*Photo from NY Times

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• A Taste of China
• 2007 Chinese Stocks (ADRs) Return
• China Life Insurance Suspended, again
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update
• China Life Surge with No Apparent Reason

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - April 2008

April has turned out to be a pretty good month for equity investors. After all three major indices dropped to 52-week low in early March, stocks rebounded last month after financial firms indicated that the worst part of the current crisis may be over. The Dow ended April with a gain of 4.54%, the S&P added 4.75%, and the NASDAQ climbed 5.87%.

Chinese stocks traded on U.S. exchanges also had a solid month in April, rising along with U.S. stocks. Chinese ADRs also got support from favorable policies adopted by Chinese security regulators aimed to stabilize the market after the Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) lost half of its value in less than half a year. For the month, SSEC jumped 6.35% and the Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) surged 12.72%. Among Chinese ADRs, VanceInfo Technologies (VIT) led the way with a gain of 142.60%, followed by Sohu.com (SOHU)’s 53.18%. Chinese search engine Baidu.com (BIDU) also recorded a 52.57% gain in share price. The month’s biggest loser was Agria (GRO), China’s agriculture products, such as seeds and feeding products, provider, which saw its share tumbled nearly 50%, despite record food price.

*2008 IPO

For the month, two widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China also rose sharply. iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) gained 17.50% in April while PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ) climbed 15.55%.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - May 2008

Chinese Currency (RMB) vs. US Dollar

The other day, one of my friends who will travel to China next week sent me a link to a chart. The chart is the 5-year relationship between Chinese currenty and US dollar. I know that Chinese Yuan (RMB) has appreciated quite a bit since the pegging ended in July 2005. I also noticed that recently the exchange rate broke the RMB7 per dollar milestone. However, I never looked at the course of the change until I got the link.

Well, if you ask me I have to say it’s quite dramatic. However, I am sure many politicians in this country would like to see a curve like this:

That represents an immediate appreciation of 40% that some say that RMB is undervalued, which is also blamed for the loss of manufacture jobs here. I don’t know much about currencies and jobs, but do you really believe a RMB5/dollar can solve the problem that factories in this country are facing?

I don’t think so. If goods from China becomes more expensive, companies like Wal-Mart will find other suppliers at low prices and the trade imbalance between China and U.S. will simply shift to other countries.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• Terrible Translation
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?
• Hello, Lincoln!
• Stocks Gained Most in Five Years!
• Hello, 您好, Nín Hâo!

Good Luck, Beijing!

I LOVE my country, though I haven’t lived in China for more than ten years!

And I wish Beijing a successful Olympics this summer so people around the world who love sports can enjoy the games!

Good luck, Beijing!

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• XFML Keeps Marching Higher
• The Wait Is Over. Let’s Party!!!
• A Taste of China
• If You’re Lucky, You Could Get a 2007 Porsche Cayman for $5,000
• Weekend Reading: Aspects of Investor Psychology (Part II)

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - March 2008

Another month has passed and there was still no sign of a bottom for Chinese stocks traded on US exchanges. In fact, March was a pretty bad month for Chinese ADRs, with 60 of the 87 stocks I tracked ending the month in the red. Among the losers, China Finance Online (JRJC), which is a component of PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ), saw the steepest decline of 34.50%, followed by Xinyuan Real Estate (XIN)’s 31.79% drop. The biggest winner in March was JA Solar (JASO) which recovered most of its 38% loss in February. Other gainers include China Nepstar (NPD), Gushan Environmental Energy (GU), and Global Sources (GSOL). The picture is even gloomier if you look at these stocks’ YTD returns. Of the 87 stocks, only 5 (GU, VISN, UTSI, LONG, and NTES) are in the positive territory at the end of March.

In March, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) lost 1,482.47 points, or 6.09%, and Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) declined 875.83 points. That’s more 20% drop in just one month!

*2008 IPO

No new Chinese ADR was offered in March. In stead, one stock, ASAT Holdings, was delisted from the NASDAQ and is currently traded on AMEX under the symbole ASTTY at $0.20 a share.

For widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China, iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) lost $10.09, or 6.95% in March, and PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ) dropped $2.76, or 9.96%.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - April 2008
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?

Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - February

Chinese stocks listed on US stock exchanges had another rough month in February. Of the 84 Chinese ADRs I track, winners and losers are virtually evenly split: 43 had a losing month while another 41 gained. Biggest losers again were alternative energy stocks, with Suntech Power (STP) leading the way with a drop of nealy 32%.

However, unlikely the month of January when most Chinese ADRs lost a big chunk of their market value, February saw some nice rebound in Chinese issues with several stocks gaining as much as 50% last month. During the same time period, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) rose 876 points, or 3.74% and Shanghai Composite Index (^SSEC) declined 35 points, or 0.8%. The Bank of New York Chinese ADR Index (^BKCN) added 8 points, or 1.69%.

*2008 IPO

No new stock was offered publicly in February.

For widely held EFTs that mainly invest in China, iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (FXI) gained $1.16, or 0.81%, and PowerShares Gloden Dragon Halter USX China (PGJ) added 16 cents, or 0.47%.

---
Check Out These Related Articles:

• The Dog of the Chinese ADRs (1) — GSOL
• January 2008 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth
• Did You Make Money from Falling Chinese Stocks?
• My Play Money at Zecco
• Chinese ADRs Monthly Update - June 2008