When it came to China news stories, cover-ups, riches and a beautiful First Lady dominated readers' interest on SCMP.com. Here are the 10 most popular stories based on reader visits.
How crash cover-up threatens career of Hu's top aide
When a half-naked man in his 20s died in a high-speed Ferrari crash in Beijing in March, it might have passed without comment. But the man, it later transpired, was Ling Gu, the son of Ling Jihua, chief of the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee and President Hu Jintao's principal aide.
Two girls were also seriously injured in the crash and different versions of who was driving and who was in the front and back seats became the subject of gossip in Beijing's corridors of power. Ling's chances of securing a seat at least on the Politburo were shattered in a reshuffle that saw him take over as head of the United Front Work Department, a largely symbolic post.
Beijing in scramble to put Bo Xilai on trial ahead of leadership transition
Chinese Communist "princeling" Bo Xilai, expected by many to take a key leadership position in the leadership transition of 2012, was expelled from the Communist Party in September after a career that saw him as Mayor of Dalian City, Minister of Commerce and Party Chief of the Chongqing municipality. His wife Gu Kailai received a suspended death sentence in August 2012 for murdering British business partner Neil Heywood, while he has been accused of torture and corruption.
Video: China 'to flatten 700 mountains to build new development zone'
A plan to flatten 700 mountains to build a new state-level development zone captured the attention of readers after it was billed as the largest 'mountain-moving' project in its history.
The Lanzhou New Area, a provincial capital in China's arid northwest, will see a staggering 700 mountains flattened to level the area Lanzhou, allowing developers to build a new metropolis on the outskirts of the north-western city.
Premier Wen Jiabao calls for party probe into claims of family's 'hidden fortune'
The communist party leadership launched a probe in November into the alleged family wealth of Wen Jiabao at the premier's request.
