Staring contests give gazing a competitive edge

Young men wear sprouts hairpins in the contest. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

'Stare blankly' as long as you can

You may sometimes stare into space mindlessly to relax or whatever, but what if it turns into a contest that requires you to do this as long as you can?

"Stare blankly" contests, which have been held in several cities, including Beijing and Chengdu, came to Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province, on Sunday, Chinanews.com reported on Tuesday.

To compete, contestants must sit down and not move or smile, the rules state. They can’t show any emotion and can only stare mindlessly into space.

To jazz up the proceedings, organizers have encouraged participants to wear sprouts on their head, which is the latest trend among young people nationwide.

Next up: consumers complain about seafood pricing fraud when crabs are tied with very long, wet string.