Hip Hip China Chicks

Beijing Calling the London Underground China's sassiest punk export, 20-something guitarist Long Kuan, is taking London by storm with her new pan-Asia pep-pop band Mikabomb. Boasting a hip new single "Super Sexy Razor Happy Girls"--as well as backing from the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal record label, Mikabomb weighs in as a hipper, harder, Sinified version of Jap-Pop one-hit wonder Shonen Knife.

Long, who moved to London in early 1998, joined Mikabomb after nurturing her nonchalance in Beijing's westside hardcore scene and dabbling in early China electronica. Riding high on the success of "Super Sexy," Mikabomb plans two more CD-singles before spinning out a full-length album early next year. Long is also looking to return to her roots with a Y2K release of Chinese solo material.

Rock 'n Roll Writing

Guangzhou model-cum-groove goddess Zhang Qianqian has added her voice to a growing chorus of rockers lusting for literary license, scrawling out a series of essays on want- and what-not in bustling Beijing.

Working with the backing of Modern Sky records, the soulful siren is putting final touches on her virgin work, to be spiced with eye-catching images of the impish vocalist en vogue.

Qianqian's evocative, introspective prose flows forth after long nights on the capital club circuit, and has already won over many of the city's self-appointed denizens of China cool.

Between bouts of writing fever, the queen of scream has been honing her grunge grrrl pose and recently completed work on a self-produced LP slated for release by Hong Kong's Sonic Factory.

All Grrrl Bands In the Studio

Pouting punk pretty girls Hang on the Box have hooked up with underground noise boy Feng Jiangzhou for work on China's first girl-power record since a mid-90s release by seminal sino femmes Cobra.

Feng, vocalist for the gritty grunge group Fly, has followed Hang's development since their early feral performances shocked audiences with downright discord.

The teen power trio picked up the slack over the past year, adding a fourth member and expanding their sonic spectrum beyond the tired and true powerchord.

Radically improved sound has won them global cachet as the mainland's uber-ululators--but Cobra is back, coiled in the wings and waiting. After a hiatus overseas and rumors of dissolution, the band's members have regrouped for shows throughout the country opening for the mainland hairguitar kings Tang Dynasty.

Cobra is also wrapping up work on their second album, slated for eventual release by red-hot New Bees Music.

Shu Qi in The Swim

And finally, ending years of tears about her not-so-secret porn roots, creative chameleon Shu Qi has accepted an offer to pose for a revealing series of seductive swimsuit shots.

The Taiwanese temptress told reporters recently she considered the offer for quite some time before giving it a green light-agreeing only after her photo fee broke the rmb10 million mark.

Shu added that she would take a long-awaited break after the photo shoot, using the earnings to support herself for a year of fun and language exchange in London.