Kung Fu Hustle, directed by and starring Stephen Chow, was released in China on December 23, 2004. Set in Pig Cage Alley in 1940s Shanghai, elements such as the Axe Gang and the Buddha's Palm made it one of his representative works.
In October 2004, the Changsha Municipal Party Committee's External Propaganda Office set up a team of internet commentators with a base salary of 600 yuan per month, supplemented by pay based on posting volume, five mao per post — hence the term "five mao."
Yitaohutu Forum, one of China's largest campus forums, was shut down by Peking University because it was flooded with political commentary and active discussions about the Sun Zhigang case.
Seventy-eight-year-old Jiang Zemin wrote a letter to the CCP Central Committee requesting to resign from his position as Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and subsequently the power transition was announced in the People’s Daily.
On August 31, 2004, Du Shicheng presided over a special meeting of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee to study land for housing for Sinopec experts and employees; through the coordination of Vice Mayor Luo Yongming, a total of 1000 mu of land was secured across the Qingdao Economic Development Zone, Huangdao District, and Jiaonan City.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang wore bib number 1363 and won the men's 110m hurdles gold medal with a time of 12.91 seconds, claiming Chinese track and field's first Olympic gold in a men's event.
On July 29, 2004, Qingdao Golden Coast Hotel acquired the 75% equity stake in Taishan Real Estate held by Capital Qingdao for 325 million yuan, and Li Wei netted more than 200 million yuan.
After being released on July 19, 2004, Jiang Yanyong remained under long-term surveillance and in a state of house arrest; on March 22, 2005 he regained freedom of movement, but was told he was barred from accepting interviews and given other restrictions, and approval to go abroad was not granted.
In July 2004, Sinopec's Beijing branch and Beijing Shouchuang Petroleum Investment Co., Ltd. jointly established a joint venture with a registered capital of 1 billion yuan; the former invested 700 million yuan in the physical assets of 123 gas stations, while the latter contributed 300 million yuan and planned to build 60 new gas stations.
On June 14, 2004, Taishan Oil transferred the 75% stake it held in Taishan Real Estate to Capital Investment (Qingdao) for 123 million yuan, and the remaining 25% stake was transferred to NC International free of charge.
A group of China's top entrepreneurs established the Alxa SEE Ecological Association in Alxa. During the founding conference, they engaged in fierce discussions over organizational bylaws, election methods, and other issues, ultimately tearing up the pre-arranged list and establishing a rule-based operating model.
On June 1, 2004, Jiang Yanyong and his wife Hua Zhongwei were taken away by the authorities while on their way to the hospital; Hua Zhongwei was released two weeks later, Jiang Yanyong was released on July 19, and the authorities denied the incident.
In June 2004, the feasibility report for the Qingdao mega refinery project was approved by the State Council. The project was the first refinery in China approved with a single-phase construction capacity of 10 million tons; Li Wei used this to develop related real estate business in Qingdao.
After the Chaoyang District Court issued a first-instance verdict on Liu Xiaoqing's company and related personnel, the procuratorate officially issued a non-prosecution notice to Liu Xiaoqing herself, deciding not to initiate a public prosecution against her.
A Japanese diplomat in charge of cryptographic communications was found hanged at the Consulate General in Shanghai. A suicide note indicates he was blackmailed by individuals suspected to be Chinese police over his relationship with a hostess.
On March 19, 2004, Guangdong courts sentenced Southern Metropolis Daily general manager Yu Huafeng to 12 years and Li Minying to 11 years in first instance for embezzlement, bribery and other crimes; editor-in-chief Cheng Yizhong was arrested the same day and released without charge about 4 months later, and the sentences of Yu and Li were later substantially reduced.
In March 2004, Chen Tonghai, then General Manager of Sinopec Group, convened a meeting of Taishan Petroleum executives to discuss the restructuring of Taishan Real Estate. Taishan Petroleum insiders claimed that the withdrawal was actually manipulated by Chen Tonghai.
Article 13 of the Constitution was amended to state that citizens' lawful private property is inviolable, establishing a framework where lawful property is protected rather than recognized as a conventional absolute right.
Then-Zhejiang Provincial Party Secretary Xi Jinping personally inscribed a message for all the elders and fellow villagers of Dengzhou Xincun in Henan, confirming their ancestral home as Dengzhou, Henan.
On February 24, 2004, Jiang Yanyong wrote to the National People's Congress, the CPPCC, the leaders of the CCP Politburo and the State Council, calling for a reevaluation of June Fourth, 1989, and recounting what he witnessed at the 301 Hospital in treating the casualties.
Ren Zhiqiang ran for supervisor of Alxa SEE for the first time but was not elected. He later stated in his memoirs that this failure made him truly understand the rules of organizations and the principle of equality for all.
When the air rights property project above Shenzhen Dongmen Old Street subway station was established, Shenzhen Metro Group held 60% equity, and Yuanwei Industrial held 40%.
Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu criticized central policies at a Politburo meeting for harming the interests of the Yangtze River Delta, and relations with the Hu-Wen faction began to grow tense.
At the urging of Sun Jinfang, director of the tennis management center, Li Na considered it for several months before deciding to make a comeback, returning to the Hubei provincial team in January 2004 and promising to compete for Hubei at the National Games.
The Alashan SEE Ecological Association was established, where entrepreneurs learn the skills of rule-based negotiation and self-governance through internal governance and one-person-one-vote elections.
The Shenzhen Municipal Government hired the Shenzhen branch of China Development Bank as its financial advisor, and during the relevant period, the Shenzhen branch of China Development Bank signed a 30 billion yuan credit line with the Shenzhen Municipal Government.
The open-air landscape performance "Impression·Liu Sanjie," directed by Zhang Yimou, officially premiered in Yangshuo, Guangxi, marking the beginning of Zhang Yimou's deep involvement in local tourism and entertainment business operations.
In 2004, a SARS virus leak occurred at a laboratory in Beijing, infecting multiple people, placing hundreds under quarantine, and causing at least one death.
After a communications trade show in Chicago closed in 2004, Fujitsu staff found an Asian man holding a Chinese passport issued a few weeks earlier photographing equipment at the booth with a camera; he was stopped by security, and the camera's memory card contained photos of equipment from Fujitsu and other companies.
In 2004, China Development Bank provided Huawei with over 80 billion RMB in loans, raising the figure to 240 billion yuan in 2009, and was seen as an important channel through which Huawei received state support.
In 2004, demographers including Gu Baochang and Wang Feng jointly petitioned the central authorities, recommending that the one-child family planning policy be changed to a two-child policy. Gu Baochang was cold-shouldered, and Wang Feng was silenced.
In 2004, Huang Qifan, then executive vice mayor of Chongqing, led the establishment of Chongqing Yufu Company, later known as the "Yufu Model" state-owned asset operating platform.
A man with an intellectual disability went missing in the Guangzhou and Foshan area in 2004. His family searched for him for 22 years, and only learned of his whereabouts in September 2026.