Six stories from the week in China that you might have missed.

Weather alert

Temperatures plunged in parts of China, prompting authorities to issue a blue alert, the lowest on the four-level scale. The colder weather was accompanied by torrential rain.

Holiday spending

During the week-long National Day holiday, local authorities took a range of measures to boost consumption which bolstered consumer spending, according to Shu Jueting, a spokesperson with the country's Ministry of Commerce. Travel and outdoor good retailers reported increased sales.

Deepwater ports

China has the world's largest network of deepwater routes, according to data released by the Ministry of Transport.

China had built more than 90 deepwater shipping routes that are accessible for ships over 100,000 tonnes along the ports of the country's coast by the end of last year. A total of 10 international hub ports have deepwater shipping routes for container ships with a capacity of 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes.

Fruit e-cig ban

China introduced a rule to ban sales of fruit flavored electronic cigarettes as the country tightens grasp on a product that is increasingly popular with young users. The restriction, introduced on Oct 1 is expected to halve retail sales of e-cigarettes.

Giant offshore platform

The Haiji-1 offshore oil production platform, located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, in Guangdong Province, has begun production. It is the highest platform of its kind in Asia at 340 meters and weighs up to 40,000 tonnes.

Hybrid energy plant

The world's biggest hybrid solar and hydro-electric plant will open in Sichuan in 2023. The combined operation means that the plant can continue to generate power when the sun is not shining.

The plant is expected to contribute 150 million yuan ($21 million) in annual taxation and create more than 3,000 jobs for local residents. In order to let local herdsmen continue to feed their cows and sheep in the area, the solar panels will be elevated 1.8 meters above the pastureland.