🔥 Hot Topics · Aug 19, 2026
A rainwater-soaked awning collapses at a Sichuan college-banquet, killing 5 and injuring 17; Zhuque-3 Y2 launches successfully — China's first land recovery of a rocket; Unitree lists with a 629% open surge to a 444.9B RMB market cap as Liang Wenfeng books 1.1B in paper gains; the State Council revises the Housing Fund Regulations effective Sept 20; Pangdonglai clarifies its hiring isn't open-gate for ex-convicts; El Niño is likely to become the strongest on record; Zhang Ziyi cashes out 300M+ from a 4-year baby-skin-care investment; 75-year-old Wang Shi opens a gym at up to 308 RMB/hour; WeChat lifts red-packet limits to 520 for one day; golden-pillow durians enter the 9.9 era; the Strait of Hormuz standoff escalates; feeding pigs with kitchen waste is formally banned.
1. Sichuan Banquet Collapse Kills 5
At a Changning, Sichuan banquet, a rain-heavy temporary canopy toppled a parapet wall, killing 5 and injuring 17.
2. China's First Land Recovery of a Rocket
Zhuque-3 Y2 launched successfully and its first stage landed at the Minqin site — making it China's first rocket to reach orbit and be recovered on land.
3. Unitree Opens +629%, Market Cap 444.9B RMB
Unitree debuted on the STAR Market, opening up 629.44% at 1,100 RMB/share for a 444.9B RMB market cap — about 470k RMB profit per lot.
4. Liang Wenfeng Nets 1.1B on Unitree
Liang Wenfeng's DeepSeek, High-Flyer, and Jiuzhang vehicles secured ~1.19M shares via placements and subscription, with paper gains topping 1.1B RMB.
5. Housing Fund Rules Get New Changes
The State Council's 20-clause revision to the Housing Fund Regulations streamlines withdrawal and use, effective Sept 20, 2026.
6. Pangdonglai Hiring Excludes Sex-Offense Convicts
Pangdonglai clarified it doesn't hire ex-convicts without conditions: sex-offense and violent-felony records are excluded, with full standard process and a 6-month mutual trial.
7. El Niño Likely to Be the Strongest on Record
The National Climate Center expects El Niño to peak around Nov-Dec as a super event — likely the strongest on record, developing fast with significant climate impact.
8. Zhang Ziyi Cashes Out 300M+ on Baby Brand
Shenmei bought 23% of baby-skincare brand 'newpage' from Zhang Ziyi's fund — turning her 2.9M RMB 2022 stake into 300M+ RMB in four years.
9. Wang Shi, 75, Opens a Gym (Up to 308 RMB/Hour)
At 75, Wang Shi opened a 'Wanshi' HYROX training hall in Shenzhen's Dameisha, charging 108 RMB/hour open training and 308 RMB/hour for 1-on-1 coaching.
10. WeChat Lifts Red-Packet Limit to 520 for One Day
For Qixi, WeChat raises the personal red-packet cap from 200 to 520 RMB for one day only.
11. Golden-Pillow Durians Enter the 9.9 RMB Era
Bumper harvests from trees planted during the durian boom, plus the China-Laos-Thailand cold-chain rail cutting transit and losses to under 3%, push golden-pillow prices to 9.9-19.9 RMB/jin.
12. Feeding Pigs with Kitchen Waste Is Now Banned
The Ecological Environment Code bans farms (including backyard households) from feeding untreated kitchen waste to pigs, with fines up to a million RMB.
Sources and verification
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