“Such staged photo shoots have become the specialty of Xiapu County, a peninsula of fishing villages, beaches and lush hills known as one of China’s top viral check-in points. It is a rural Epcot on the East China Sea, a visual factory where amateur photographers churn out photogenic evidence of an experience that they never had — and that their subjects aren’t having either.” NYT (free for ND readers): At This Instagram Hot Spot, All the World’s a Stage (and the Buffalo’s a Prop).

+ Why do 1,200 balls end up at New York City’s main recycling plant each year? (Hint: It’s not poor aim.)

+ “Professional road racing cyclist Lachlan Morton is attempting to complete the Tour de France this year. Except: He’s doing it entirely on his own, without teammates, support vehicles, and transportation from the previous day’s finish to the next day’s start (which might be dozens or even hundreds of miles apart) … He’s currently ahead of the peloton, even riding day four in Birkenstocks.” The Alt Tour.