China Tourism Airlines

Scientists call for protection of ancient fossils
Scientists from around the world have called for international cooperation to crack down on illegal excavation and smuggling of ancient fossils.

Ancient fossilized organisms were the "monument" that recorded the history of the Earth, said M. Akhmetiev, a Russian scientist, at a just-concluded international symposium on Cretaceous Biota and the K/T Boundary from the Reaches of the Heilongjiang River.

Dozens of Chinese and foreign paleontologists and geologists discussed the catastro

600 million yuan earmarked for ancient buildings in Xi'an
Authorities in the capital of Shaanxi Province, northwest China, have pledged financial aid to rescue the Town God's Temple, a group of buildings with a history of 560 years in Xi'an's Lianhu District.

The local government has earmarked 600 million yuan (72.3 million US dollars) to preserve the temple and develop properties in the vicinity in the same architectural style.

In ancient Chinese society, a temple was built to worship the god of each town, to whom people prayed for the r

Three Gorges safety work in full swing
Geological disaster prevention measures for the gigantic Three-Gorges Project on the Yangtze River are in full swing to guarantee safe storage of water in the reservoir.

Shou Jiahua, vice-minister of land and resources, acknowledged that geological disasters cannot be totally avoided in the region in the coming years as soil and rock around the reservoir are expected to be eroded because of water level fluctuations of from 130 to 170 metres.

"But we have prepared thoroughly to mini

Human beings must live in harmony with floods: experts
Mankind should work to be in tune with floodwater in the 21st century, Chinese and foreign water experts said here recently at the second International Flood Control Conference.

Historically, there have been three stages in dealing with floods: passive defense in ancient agricultural society; active methods of control in industrial society; and coping in a natural way in today's intellectual society, a Chinese senior expert said.Floodwater is a natural product resulting from weather chang

Institute founded to study historic site in Chengde city
A new research institute has been established in Chengde of Hebei Province, north China, to conduct special research on the Qing Dynasty, its imperial court and related historical sites, including the world famous imperial summer resort.

A group of more than 100 well-known scholars, historians and specialists in the history of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), including Dai Yi, Wang Sizhi, Luo Ming and Zhu Chengru who is president of the Palace Museum based in China's capital, attended the fo

Shanghai-Dubai regular cargo flight launched
A Boeing 747-400 cargo plane with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline logo landing at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai on September 15 marked the first cargo flight connecting the UAE's Dubai to the Chinese mainland.

Pradeep Kumer, general manager of Emirates Sky Cargo, an arm of the airline Emirates, who was in Shanghai for the launch of his company's new regular cargo route, said the service was of great significance for promoting trade between China and the UAE.

China

Foreign-expert certificates issued in Zhejiang
Foreign employees from 26 foreign-funded enterprises have been issued foreign-expert certificates by authorities from Zhejiang Province in east China.

The move is part of efforts to improve the overseas investment environment in the province.

The 61 foreign experts, from Japan, the United States, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Madagascar, are senior executives and professionals at the foreign-funded enterprises in the provincial capital's Hangzhou E

CITS listed in China's premier business league
The Head Office of the China International Travel Service (CITS) has been listed among China's top 500 companies with an annual income topping four billion yuan (483 million US dollars), according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

As China's only World Tourism Organization member, CITS has 13 subsidiary companies abroad in places such as the United States, France, Sweden, Denmark and Australia, as well as cooperative relations with more than 1,000 foreign travel agencies, said Li Lu'a

Putonghua taken as key factor to booming western economy
Only by speaking very decent Putonghua (or standard Chinese or mandarin), can western China draw more investment and help local economy to take off.

This is the current consensus reached among ordinary residents, academics and officials of this vast region where ethnic groups are widely distributed, during China's annual campaign to popularize Putonghua held recently.

When the development drive was launched three years ago in the western region, Prof. He Feng, vice-president of the

HKSAR communities join hands in promoting Putonghua
Putonghua, which literally means, the common language of China, is becoming more common in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), as the HKSAR government launched its first Putonghua Month recently.

About 2,000 people were packing the upmarket Olympian City shopping mall in Kowloon recently, in which Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the HKSAR's government broadcasting service, officially launched the month by presenting a feast of entertainment, with local Canto pop music

China to popularize mandarin by 2010
China will ensure that mandarin, the officially-endorsed standard Chinese spoken language also known as "putonghua" (the common speech), is commonly used throughout the country by 2010.

By the middle of this century, China would fully popularize the spoken language, said Yang Guang, a senior official with the Ministry of Education, recently.

Since 1998, China has set the third week of September each year as the one to popularize mandarin, in an effort to standardize its official sp

Miss Universe Fired, to Be Replaced by Runner-up
Miss Universe pageant officials have "fired" the reigning Miss Universe, Russian cop Oxana Fedorova, and will replace her with Miss Panama, the runner-up, a spokeswoman for the pageant said on Monday. The raven-haired Fedorova, who delighted Russians when she was portrayed there as a sharp-shooting St. Petersburg police lieutenant in addition to being a beauty queen and post-graduate university student with a law degree, has returned home, the spokeswoman said. Fedorova, who was chosen over 74 o

New policy encourages use of electricity over coal in Beijing
The Chinese capital Beijing will cut electricity rates by half this winter to encourage residents to discard their coal-heated stoves in favor of electric heaters.

Beginning on Nov.1 of this year, electricity used in central heating systems will be charged at the rate of 0.2 yuan per kilowatt-hour between the hours of 23:00 and 7:00, according to new regulations released jointly by the Beijing Economic Committee, the Beijing Municipal Development and Planning Committee and the Beijing Mun

China Southern Airlines acquires new giant cargo plane
The second Boeing 747-400F cargo plane purchased by China Southern Airlines (CSA) flew into Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province recently.

The 747-400F cargo plane boasts a capacity of 108 tons, equal to the cargo capacity of five Boeing-777 passenger planes. More than 200 such planes around the world carry half of the world's air cargo.

It is estimated that the new aircraft will increase CSA's transport capacity by more than 30 per

City of Eternal Spring' Kunming to make its name live forever
Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province, is looking to boost it's national and international image by launching a new programme called "Marketing Kunming."

The programme will promote the inland city to the outside world to attract more investment, technology and skilled professionals.

The programme follows modern marketing theory, according to Hu Kun, director of Kunming's Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation Bureau.

Hu made the remarks at a press conference

Shanghai's first light train to roll out
The train's scheduled debut is hailed by authorities as a significant breakthrough in terms of the domestic manufacture of rail transit vehicles, set against a backdrop of a boom in urban railway construction.

It will also mean a dramatic drop in the price of rolling stock, with the home produced cars costing much less, in some instances nearly half that of imported ones. Based on the technology of the French rail equipment giant, Alstom, the four-car train, to be followed by a further 16

Excavation of pottery dates southern city's historic boulevard
The latest archeological excavations in this capital of south China's Guangdong province have dated one of the city's major boulevards back more than 2,200 years.

A facelift project on Beijing Avenue, believed to have been the central road of the provincial capital for about 1,000 years, began in the June-July period this year and has resulted in the unearthing of numerous bricks from ancient city walls.

Recently, in the mud below the road's surface, archaeologists excavated a larg

Tide watching season comes at east China beach
More than 115,000 tourists from home and abroad gathered at Qiantang, east China's Zhejiang province, on September 22 to watch the mammoth autumnal tides.

The bell-shaped mouth of the Qiantang River that runs through the province helps form the world-renowned tide, which has a crest as high as 3.5 meters.

Haining City started to stage the International Qiantang Tide Watching Festival in 1992.

The five-day tide-watching festival last year attracted more than one million touri

Visitors flock to north China's Inner Mongolia
The green pastures of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are attracting a growing number of visitors this year.

According to local sources, the number of tourists to this northern Chinese region increased in July and August by 20 percent from the same period last year.

Bater, general manager of the Inner Mongolia branch of China Youth Travel Service, said that his agency alone received more than 5,000 tourists in the first eight months of the year, up 20 percent from the same period

Chinese celebrating Moon Festival with joy
People all over China Saturday evening (September 21) celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, an occasion for reunion of family and friends.

Residents from Xiamen of the Chinese mainland and Jinmen of Taiwan, for the first time in 53 years, gathered together at sea at 9:00 p.m. (Beijing Time), as part of nationwide festive celebrations.

They exchanged moon cakes, the traditional sweet delicacy served during the festival, and other gifts. Li Zhufeng, head of Jinmen, said, "X

Beijing hosts fifth int'l tourism and culture festival
The fifth Beijing International Tourism and Cultural Festival kicked off here on Saturday (September 21), with a carnival parade displaying headgear from 2,000 ethnic groups worldwide.

A total of 5,000 folk artists from 46 countries and regions participated in Saturday's parade along Ping'an Avenue, a major thoroughfare in downtown Beijing.

He Luli, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and other distinguished guests, including foreign diploma

Chinese president calls for lasting Sino-Japanese friendship
Lasting peace and friendship between China and Japan conforms to the fundamental interests of both countries and the growth of Sino-Japanese good-neighborly relations contribute to regional and global peace and development, President Jiang Zemin said here on Sunday (September 22).

President Jiang made these remarks at a grand gathering in the Great Hall of the People Sunday evening to mark the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.

It is the most importan

Change of Chinese people's lives: facts and figures
The Chinese people have experienced drastic progress in their lives in the past decade. They have become better off, just as the following facts and figures show:

I. Rising income

Facts: At the beginning of China's opening-up in the late 1970s,anyone considered rich was called "a person with 10,000 yuan (1,205 US dollars). That title is outdated as such people are too common to stand out, especially in cities and towns. Rapid economic growth has amazed the world for over two decade

Scientific literacy tops national average in rich eastern province
Twenty-one out of 1,000 residents are scientifically literate in Zhejiang Province, an economic hub on China's east coast that has reported the fastest growth since the country's reform and opening up in the late 1970s,an official survey shows.

The survey shows that those in Zhejiang with a basic understanding of scientific terms and concepts, scientific processes and the impact of science and technology on themselves and society is 0.7 percent higher than the national average of 1.4perce

Beijing Rejects Cement in Ancient Wall Renovations
The renovation project for the Ming Dynastyˇs (1368-1644) City Wall in Beijing has entered its concluding stages, with the final touches being applied. The Ming Dynasty City Wall Ruins Park is expected to open to the public before October 1. Re-constructi

Dowry shows better living in China's largest Muslim community
A girl from a farming family got a special gift from her parents when she got married last year -- a four-wheel-drive truck.

"I hope my daughter and son-in-law can make some money by trucking farm produce to sell in downtown areas," said the girl's father, a farmer in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a major Muslim community in northwest China.

But the bride was not envied by her peers, most of whom get expensive dowry items from their well-off parents nowadays. From telephones to re

Funeral industry attracts college graduates
Everyone must die one day, and thus the funeral industry is eternal by nature. In China, this eternal activity is getting a breath of fresh air from new industry trends.

Since the majority of Chinese people have long held traditional beliefs that work related to the dead may bring bad luck, there has been a tendency, especially for college graduates, to avoid this type of work.

"Prior to 1998, single persons did not apply for work here," commented one senior employee in one of Beij

China writes major chapter on world's dinosaur research
China has become a mecca for paleontologists worldwide due to constant new discoveries of ancient fossilized organisms, says American scientist D. L. Dilcher.

Dilcher and a team of world-renowned scientists are in Jiayin County, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, seeking clues to the catastrophe that depopulated the earth of dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.

Scientists hope to find the cause of the depopulation in the county where a great many fossils of dinosaurs livi

800,000-year-old stoneware unearthed in south China
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a site inhabited by ancient people in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, containing more than 1,000 stone tools dating back about 800,000 years.

The relics include chipped stone tools such as pickaxes, axes with thin blades and chopping tools, and quartz fragments that had been used in making the stoneware. They were found on a hill near Baidu Village of Tiandong County in the Baise Prefecture. The archaeologists said this was the firs

China set to join int'l wine organization
A memorandum on admitting China into the Office International De La Vigne et du Vin (OIV) was signed by OIV and China Vintage Industry Association officials on recently in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province.

The memorandum says OIV welcomes China becoming a member and that the Chinese association will create the conditions for its early OIV entry.

OIV president Georges Dutruc-Rosset said at the signing ceremony China's entry would greatly promote grape growing and the wine-maki

China Eastern Airlines gets first directly bought Boeing 737
China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has taken delivery of its first directly purchased Boeing 737-700, company sources said recently.

The company's newest 737-700 is the second of 11 such planes the airline will be acquiring through to June 2003. Four of the 737-700s will be bought outright while seven are to be leased from two companies, six from the International Lease Finance Corporation and one from Boullioun Aviation Services.

The new 737-700 has 134 seats, including eight first-clas

Foreigners invited to observe today's Tibetan culture
Ten Cherokee cruise jeeps carrying 17 foreign guests left Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Friday morning (September 20) for a one-month observation tour of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Tibetan communities in four West China provinces.

The foreign guests come from countries including Belgium, Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States.

The event, entitled "China Auto rally of Tibetan Culture," is a study tour which will take the foreigners

China's first int'l toy expo scheduled
China's first international toy exposition is scheduled for October 8-11 in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

The expo will be hosted by China Toy Association in cooperation with its counterparts in Hong Kong and Taiwan and a Nuremberg-based toy exhibition company that hosts the world's biggest toy show Nuremberg international toy fair.

China now produces about 70 percent of the toys on the world market, with its toy export worth 7.58 billion US dollars in 200

Ancient coastal town holds tourism festival
An 11-day tourism festival opens here Friday in Xi'tang, an ancient town in east China's Zhejiang province.

The town, a typical, elegant coastal village in China, boasts several well-preserved ancient architectural styles from the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including traditional building structures, bridges, lanes, and folk arts.

The town became a famous scenic destination after its first tourism festival in 1998.

This year's festival will consist of traditional tours i

Int'l machinery, electronics fair held in Wuhan
The Third Wuhan International Machinery and Electric Product Fair opened Monday in this capital of central China's Hubei Province.

More than 400 domestic and foreign enterprises exhibited their products at the fair, which covers an exhibition floor space of 24,000 sq. meters with 1,210 indoor booths.

China's export of machinery and electric products rank first in its foreign trade. In the first eight months this year, the export volume of machinery and electric products topped 95.2

China's Dandong port city booms
Dandong Port in northeast China's Liaoning Province is taking steps to becoming a new trading hub in northeast Asia with plans to open a major new route to Japan and establish a sea freight company.

At the on-going China Dandong Yalu River International Tourist Festival 2002, the port authorities of Dandong signed a letter of intent with Japan's Tasumichi International to open a new sea route to Kobe and jointly establish a container shipping company.

The new route, passing by the

China ranks fifth in world in tourism
China ranked fifth in overseas tourist arrivals in 2001, hitting 33.2 million, up 6.2 percent from 2000, according to the latest statistics released by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

The statistics also show that China's international tourism income reached 17.8 billion US dollars in 2001, up 9.7 percent from 2000. China has, for the first time, surpassed Britain and Germany, ranking fifth in profits from tourism.

Meanwhile, China's domestic tourism has remained robust since

Dalai Lama urged to cease separatism
A Chinese religious affairs official recently called on the Dalai Lama to cease his separatist activities.

"We continue to hope that the Dalai Lama will stop activities to split Tibet from the motherland during the remaining days of his life,'' said Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs.

Ye made the remarks at a national congress of the Buddhist Association of China which held recently in Beijing.

Nearly 500 Buddhists participated in the congr

Central government to invest 90 billion yuan in Tibet
The Chinese central government will spend over 90 billion yuan (about 10.8 billion US dollars) in Tibet during the country's 10th five-year plan period (2001-2005),said Legqog, Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

He made the remarks here recently during an interview with reporters from 25 news organizations from 9 countries including Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. During the interview, Legqoq noted that, during China's fourth working conference on Tibet last year,

Vending Machines for Rail Tickets Soon
Travelers taking trains at Shanghai Railway Station will soon enjoy the convenience of buying tickets using a new self-service system, which is being introduced as a time-saving alternative to the traditional queuing up method. Six ticket vending machines, the first of their kind in the country, have been installed at the station's waiting hall for the convenience of short-distance travelers, bound for neighboring Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. The machines will have a test run around th

Customs Snare Ivory Haul
Officers from Shanghai Customs announced Wednesday that they have uncovered "China's biggest ivory smuggling case since the founding of New China in 1949," in which 3,334.6 kilograms of African ivory was seized at the Waigaoqiao Port in Pudong District.

Information on China's History, Government, Tourism and Economy
:

I am a reading teacher in Haysville, Kansas. My students will be doing a research project beginning in August. For their project they will need a variety of information about your country. Could you send me a packet of information? Items that would be of interest would be information about the history, government, tourism and economics in your country. Any other information you might have would be appreciated also. Thank you for your prompt reply.

Janelle Moore

jmoore@scte

Youngsters Favor Travel During Holidays
The "golden holiday week" beginning from October 1 is coming and it is predictable who will be the most active travelers during the holidays. According to the report entitled "Holiday-Travel Consumption of Urban People in 2002," the youngsters with higher educational level and income, who make up 3.2 percent of the total population, absolutely constitute a vital contingent in the holiday-travel consumption market. The research found that the frequency of tour and the distribution ratio of the po

Volunteer Project Benefits Western Students
Now I understand what 'seeing is believing' really means, said Hannah Alexander, a college student and international youth volunteer from the United States, of her first journey to China. The 20-year-old British-born American said that with the brief but informative and touching journey she has realized her long-time dream of connecting with China, the home country of her grandfather and her mother. On August 13, she joined 20 other students from China, Japan, Mongolia and the United States for

Taiwan Action Urged on Cult
Beijing Wednesday urged the Taiwan authorities to take immediate action to stop the illegal TV "hijacking' of a mainland satellite system by Falun Gong cult followers from the island's Taipei area, the China Daily reported Thursday.
Zhang Mingqing, a s

Chinese, Danish firms to run Shanghai's biggest container terminal
A joint venture between Molier Group of Denmark and Shanghai Port was launched recently to run the biggest container terminal in Shanghai, the leading shipping and industrial center in China.

The joint venture, Shanghai Hudong Container Terminal Management Co., Ltd., has a registered capital of 15 million yuan (1.82 million US dollars) and is 51 percent owned by Shanghai Port and 49 percent by Molier Group.

The terminal project will be completed by the end of this year and become o

World eyes China's ports
The rapid development of China's ports, harbors and water transportation has opened up new opportunities for international business, Inoue Satoshi, general secretary of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), said recently.

Satoshi said the IAPH was satisfied with the fast development of its 12 member ports in the country, with Shanghai edging up to the world's fifth largest container port which handles 6.33 million TEUs (twenty feet equivalent units) a year.

Sat

China sees rapid development of ports
China has witnessed rapid development of ports, harbors and water transportation over recent years, opening up new opportunities for international business, sources said currently.

Inoue Satoshi, general secretary of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), said his organization is satisfied with the fast development of its 12 member ports in the country, with Shanghai becoming the world's fifth largest container port.

Satoshi is here attending the Marine Port Chi

China, EU strengthen air cooperation
Aeronautic researchers from China and the European Union (EU) are to expand their cooperation in the helicopter manufacturing sector, Beijing based China Daily reported recently.

During a two-day workshop, European specialists also decided to share some of their latest research results about aeronautical materials with their Chinese counterparts, the report said.

Jack Metthey, director of the EU's Research Directorate-General, who co-chaired the workshop, was quoted by the English-

Boeing 737s to undergo checks
Major Chinese airlines have started checking the flight control modules of their newest Boeing 737s after the manufacturer revealed that some of them might be defective.

Industry sources said some airlines that own new-generation 737s, particularly 737-700s and 737-800s, have received instructions to check the modules.

At its worst, the malfunction may cause planes to crash.

Comments from the airlines and the country's aviation regulator, the General Administration of Civil

North China province to build "Rare-earth Valley"
North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has announced a plan to build the country's "Rare-Earth Valley" in Baotou city, the largest rare-earth mining area in the world.

The use of "rare earth", which contains 17 elements, can improve or upgrade the quality of other industrial raw materials, and has been widely used in fields like electronics, mechanics, metallurgy, petrochemical and environmental protection.

The "Rare-earth Valley", which will consist of five parks, namely,

Expressways link every city in east China province
Expressways have connected all 17 cities in east China's Shandong province, making it the first province in China to be completely linked in this way, according to Zhou Qiutian, director of the provincial communication bureau.

Shandong's first expressway, starting from the provincial capital of Jinan and ending at the scenic port resort of Qingdao, opened to traffic back in 1993. To date, the total length of the province's expressways is 2,411 kilometers, about one-ninth of the national t

New railway set to ease access to major southwest China cities
When a new railway line opens in 2005 it will take only three hours to travel from Chongqing Municipality, a manufacturing center in southwest China, to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

According to a senior engineer from the local railway bureau, work is to start at the end of this year on the long-planned railway connecting Suining in Sichuan, also in southwest China, with Chongqing. The new 165-km railway section will hook up with the 187-km Daxian-Chengdu line at Suining.

More flights to Taiwan offered from Shanghai
Taiwanese residing or visiting this metropolis will find it more convenient to return home as more flights will open from Shanghai to Taiwan via Hong Kong due to a new co-operation between Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific.

China Eastern, one of the three largest airliners in the mainland, recently announced the co-operation where the airlines will open 10 daily flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong, which will then be connected with 11 daily flights on

Roundup: Macao pins hope on shining tourism business
Macao, though small in size, is proving to be a city that can match the best when it comes to luring and hosting tourists.

"We expect 11 million tourist arrivals in 2002 after the number hit a record 10 million last year," Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), told Xinhua.

Tourists to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) represented a double-digit growth from January to August -- jumping a year-on-year 10 percent to 7.6 million -- led by a

China listed as No. 1 in attracting FDI
China has become the most attractive FDI nation, surpassing the United States for the first time, the latest survey result shows.

The world-renowned consulting company A.T. Kearney announced the result from the survey of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index Monday.

It indicates that while most nations' power to attract investment is in decline, China's continues to grow. Increasing numbers of investors are expressing interest and confidence in the Chinese market.

China to build underwater museum at Three Gorges
Construction of an underwater museum housing the world's oldest hydrologic inscriptions detailing the Yangtze River's water levels in the reservoir of the Three Gorges Project will start early next year.

The underwater museum is the brainchild of Chinese scientist Ge Xiurun, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The inscriptions dating back 1,200 years, appear on a 1,600 meter by 16 meter horizontal stone girder commonly known as "Baiheliang" which records the history of

Some 600,000 buses prepared for national holiday
Around 600,000 buses are ready nationwide to start ferrying tourists during the week-long holiday starting from National Day on October 1, said sources with the Chinese Ministry of Communications in Beijing Wednesday.

According to a notice issued by the ministry, all local transportation departments are required to set up an office to organize and supervise holiday transportation, and to maintain a 24-hour tourist hotline, said the notice.

All local passenger transport stations mus

China takes measures to prevent entry of cholera from Liberia
The State Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine of China released a public bulletin Wednesday requiring stringent controls in order to prevent the entry of cholera from Liberia.

According to China's Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, the bulletin requested passengers arriving from Liberia, the site of a recent cholera outbreak which has killed at least six people and infected hundreds of others, to report any symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea before entering Chinese territ

A Journey into History
North China's Shanxi Province, little known to many southern folks,teems with cultural and art wonders Gigantic grottoes being destroyed by both man and nature, a 1,000-year-old wooden pagoda that has withstood deadly earthquakes, an equally old suspended temple on a cliff and Pingyao Ancient City where China's first bank was founded as well as being the location for the film "Raise the Red Lantern". North China's Shanxi Province is known to many southern folks for its rich coal reserves, but it

Tourists Warned of Dodgy Agencies
Tourism authorities Friday warned people to check their travel agencies' licences and credibility before signing contracts with them. The warning came ahead of the weeklong National Day holiday starting next Tuesday and followed tourists' bad experiences during previous "golden weeks." The China National Tourism Administration promised to punish agencies found to have breached regulations and maltreated their clients, but they also asked people not to be misled by cheap advertised prices. Peng Z

China Celebrates World Tourism Day
Hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world gathered in Yinchuan, the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to celebrate China's World Tourism Day festivities on Friday. During the weeklong celebration, folk performances will take place, along with a Muslim snack festival, an international tourism photo show and a tourism commodity fair. Meanwhile, the city, reputed to be one of China's best tourist attractions, will hold a forum for mayors from world cities and

Holiday Tourists Warned of Dodgy Agencies
Tourism authorities yesterday warned people to check their travel agencies' licensees and credibility before signing contracts with them. The warning came ahead of the weeklong National Day holiday starting next Tuesday and followed tourists' bad experiences during previous "golden weeks." The China National Tourism Administration promised to punish agencies found to have breached regulations and maltreated their clients, but they also asked people not to be misled by cheap advertised prices. Pe

Beijing Holds Out Autonomy for Taiwan
A delegation of Chinese specialists on Taiwan said the mainland is prepared to give Taiwan broad freedom to follow its own economic and political path after reunification and suggested that the island could stage baseball and other events for the 2008 Olympic Games awarded to Beijing. But Xu Shiquan, president of the Beijing-based Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also said in an interview with The Washington Times that Beijing had "no room to retreat" on the

New Urban Railway to Ease Traffic Woes
Residents of the northwestern regions of Beijing may happily say farewell to time-consuming traffic as the west line of the city's urban railway goes into operation Friday. After trial runs without passenger loads from September 16 to September 25, a total of 30 electric trains are set to carry thousands of people every day along the west line, which goes from Huoying in the north to Xizhimen in the city proper. The east line, from Huoying to Dongzhimen, is scheduled to begin operation in late J

New Urban Railway to Ease Beijing's Traffic Woes
Residents of the northwestern regions of Beijing may happily say farewell to time-consuming traffic as the west line of the city's urban railway goes into operation today. After trial runs without passenger loads from September 16 to September 25, a total of 30 electric trains are set to carry thousands of people every day along the west line, which goes from Huoying in the north to Xizhimen in the city proper. The east line, from Huoying to Dongzhimen, is scheduled to begin operation in late Ja

Traditional Chinese medicine urged to team up with life science
A specialist on innovation in traditional Chinese medicine has called on the country's expert herbalist doctors to team up with life scientists to help the ancient discipline survive the challenges posed by modern biomedicine.

Biochemical, cytobiology, neurology and synthetic chemistry could help bring together the huge but fragmentary data of traditional Chinese medicine and find out, in more scientific terms, what ingredients were effective in treating different diseases and how each in

China to put six billion yuan into higher education projects
China will inject 6 billion yuan (731 million US dollars) into higher education and academic research during the Tenth Five-Year Plan for the period from 2001 to 2005, as a part of the "211 Educational Project," sources with the Ministry of Education said recently in Beijing.

The "211 Educational Project" focuses on transforming approximately 100 Chinese colleges and universities into research bases for the country's economic, technological and social problems. It will also reinforce supp

Tianjin begins building biotech industrial park
Construction of a biotechnology pharmaceutical park started recently in the port city of Tianjin, north China.

With investment from a local pharmaceutical company and Sicor Incorporated of the United States, the park will develop and manufacture interferon.

Located in the Tianjin Development Zone, the park, known as Hualida Biotech Park, occupies 7.2 hectares with a building space of 30,000 square meters.

The whole project will cost 250 million yuan (30 million US dollars) a

China witnesses booming information industry
China's information industry maintained its strong, steady growth in the first half of the year against the backdrop of global economic slowdown and the sluggish development of the world information industry.

Statistics show that the added industrial value of China's electronic products manufacturing was 91.9 billion yuan (11.07 billion US dollars) for the first six months of this year, a 10.3 percent increase year-on-year.

According to statistics released from a recent forum on th

Rockhopper penguins settle in Dalian
Four Rockhopper penguins recently settled into their new homes at Dalian Laohutan Pole Aquarium in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Rockhopper penguins differ from other penguins due to distinctive features such as golden feathers above their eyes and near the ear area, as if they were sporting charming hair decorations.

The specie enjoys bouncing on rocks and can even jump off rocks from a height of 10 meters and land safely and intact.

When the n

Shanghai Airlines to go public
Shanghai Airlines Co., Ltd. based in east China's largest city plans to issue 200 million Class-A shares at a price of 5.33 yuan (0.642 US dollar) per share in the domestic equity market.

With the approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), the industry watchdog, all of the company's initial public offering (IPO) will be placed with investors in the secondary stock market.

According to its IPO prospectus, Shanghai Airlines plans to raise more than 1 billion yuan

Hong Kong's visitor arrivals exceeds 1.5 million in August
Visitor arrivals in Hong Kong exceeded 1.5 million in August, an increase of 20.5 percent over the same month of last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced Thursday.

Arrivals from the Chinese mainland soared to about 660,000 in August, after reaching a new peak of 565,000 in the previous month. All other markets except the Americas also recorded healthy growth.

For the first eight months of 2002, total arrivals increased by14.4 percent to l0.37 million, leading the HKT

Beijing opera staged in HKSAR to celebrate national day
A Beijing opera was staged in the Hong Kong Cultural Center Monday evening (September 23) to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The opera "Silang (the fourth son) Visiting His Mother", one of the most popular repertory pieces on the Beijing operatic stage, was presented by the Hong Kong communities of Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province and Shanghai.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa and Director of the Liaison Office of the Cent

Cross-boundary passengers to reach 3.51 Mln during National Day holidays
About 3.51 million people are expected to cross the land boundary checkpoints to and from the mainland during the coming National Day festive period, up 10.8 percent compared with the same period last year, the Immigration Department said on September 26.

The spokesman for the Immigration Department said that the peak period of cross-boundary traffic during the National Day festive period would fall between Sept. 28 and Oct. 7.

It is estimated that 2.84 million passengers will cros

Four factors boost development of China's rice industry
Four factors are essential for the rapid development and great achievements of China's rice industry, said G. S. Khush, consultant of the International Rice Research Institute.

The four major factors were government support, hard-working farmers, specialist scientists, and a favorable natural environment, said Khush, who is here attending the International Rice Congress 2002.

Khush said China, the world's biggest rice producer and consumer, has a rice industry with a bright future

Rice culture connects Asian countries
Rice is not only the world's most popular food, but also the common link among Asian countries which helped to develop the region's unique rice culture, said experts attending the International Rice Congress here.

Rice has provided a cultural base for Asian countries such as China, India, and Indonesia and has provided for the subsistence of 2.6 billion people, said Angeline Kamba, chairwoman of the board of trustees of the International Rice Research Institute.

China was one of ri

China achieves progress in rice genome sequencing research
China and Japan have mapped out a single rice chromosome as part of the international rice genome sequencing plan, experts attending the International Rice Congress told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

China finished the exact sequencing of chromosome four, in which Chinese scientists found 4,658 genes, with an accuracy rate reaching 99.99 percent, said Han bin, director of the National Center for Gene Research (NCGR).

Han said rice had 12 chromosomes and the exact genic structur

China's super rice breeding progressing
China's super hybrid rice program is making good progress, Yuan Longping, known as "father of hybrid rice," said recently at the International Rice Congress in Beijing.

Yuan said the second phase target of the program, yields of 800 kilograms per mu (15 mu equals one hectare), might be achieved in one year, well within the estimated completion date of 2005.

The first phase target, 700 kilograms per mu, was completed in 2000 as scheduled, said Yuan, adding that efforts were now focu

China leads the world in rice research
China, the world's biggest rice producer and consumer, has become a world leader in rice research, said experts attending the International Rice Congress which opened in Beijing recently.

Shen Guofang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that from 1996 to 2000, China's planting area of rice accounted for 20 percent of the world's total, second only to India, and China's annual average output accounted for 35.26 percent of the world's total, the highest in the world.

China to produce 70-seat passenger jet
A Chinese aircraft maker has worked out a plan to manufacture modern passenger jet planes for short-haul transportation, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

According to the newspaper, the State Council has approved the plan for the production of short-haul jets (ARJ21) with 72 to 79 seats submitted by the Aviation Industry of China One (AVIC I).

An official with the group company said that, as long as China's intellectual property rights are guaranteed, foreign investment and expert

China gives green light to country's first modern passenger jet
China's government has approved plans to build the country's first modern passenger jet in an attempt to meet the challenge from powerful foreign competitors, state media said recently.

Despite the Cabinet's green light, a long and difficult route lies ahead for the ARJ21, which will carry between 72 and 79 passengers once it starts flying in 2006, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

"Research and development of the ARJ21 won't be a smooth, effortless ride," said the paper. "The Unit

China to invest heavily in new industries at Three Gorges
The Chinese Government will invest some 5 billion yuan (600 million US dollars) in the next few years to bolster the orange and animal husbandry industries at Three Gorges to create jobs for hundreds of thousands of resettled residents.

Qi Lin, deputy director of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee under the State Council, said recently that the state-bolstered industries have been jointly planned by the State Development Planning Commission and the ministries of agriculture a

Southwest China regions join hands to develop Shangri-la
Southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, along with the Tibet Autonomous Region, have announced that they would work together to develop Shangri-la into a world-class tourist destination.

Tourism officials from southwestern Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the Tibet region will present plans for the construction of an ecological tourism zone based on the legendary Shangri-la, which is located at the juncture of the three regions.

The tourism officials made the comments while

SOS, Tai Ping Life Insurance launch emergency medical service
SOS and Tai Ping Life Insurance launched the "Tai Ping Life Insurance Emergency Aid Service" here recently.

The objective of the service is to provide emergency medical assistance to international travelers around the world. Holders of the card can get access to emergency care by calling the 24-hour service hotline in the event of an accident or sudden illness while traveling or while away from home. The service also provides personal consultations and special medical services.

Tai

China to issue two sets of commemorative coins
Two sets of commemorative gold and silver coins would be issued on Sept. 20 featuring the 2002 Beijing International Stamps and Coins Expo and the 2003 Year of the Goat, the
People's Bank of China announced recently.

The set marking the expo is a single round one-ounce silver coin with a face value of 10 yuan. Some 40,000 will be issued.

The set marking the Year of the Goat includes six gold coins and six silver coins in round, plum blossom or rectangular shapes. Their weight ra

China National Symphony Orchestra to tour Europe
The China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) will tour Europe from Oct. 17 to Nov. 5, giving 11 concerts in three countries, sources with the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA) said recently.

Headed by Yu Songlin, more than 100 musicians of the orchestra will give performances in Germany, Spain and Portugal. This is the troupe's second visit to Europe since 1998.

Well-known Chinese conductor Chen Zuohuang, now living in the United States, will appear as a guest conductor, joining

China's special teas promise rosy future
China's special teas, including oolong and flower-flavored tea, promise bright prospects as more consumers worldwide take to drinking these beverages.

This conclusion was drawn at a forum on globalization versus China's special teas during the 2002 China International Tea, Tea Set and Tea Culture Exposition held recently in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province.

In the later half of the 20th century, black tea continued to dominate global tea consumption, though its marke

786,500 visitors attend tide-watching in Haining city
A total of 786,500 people from home and overseas attended the five-day 2002 China International Qiantang River (Haining) Tide-Watching Festival, which came to an end Thursday in Haining City, Zhejiang Province, in east China.

For thousands of years, local people have been fascinated by the spectacular tidal waters that occur during the same period every year.

The first international tide-watching gala was held in 1994 to boost the local tourism industry. To date, 6.69 million peopl

Traditional arts, crafts to be restored in Chinese capital
A group of handicraft workshops will re-emerge in the Chinese capital of Beijing in the near future to restore the glory of superb 17 traditional handicrafts that face extinction.

Sited in the city's Chongwen District, the workshops will cover 40,000 square meters, with a total investment of nearly 200 million yuan (some 24 million US dollars). They will form a leading tourist attraction offering traditional Chinese arts and crafts and folk culture.

The workshops will demonstrate j

Beijing designs all-round plan for cultural preservation
The Chinese capital of Beijing has designed a comprehensive plan for the preservation of historical sites and cultural relics dating back to several ancient dynasties.

"The Protection Layout for Beijing as a Noted Historical and Cultural City" was issued recently as a joint effort by the Beijing municipal government, experts and scholars in various fields.

The Protection Layout of Beijing, one of the country's six ancient capitals along with Xi'an, Nanjing, Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Ha

Hong Kong citizens more enthusiastic about National Day
Citizens of Hong Kong are more enthusiastic than before in participating in National Day celebrations, said Henry Wu King Cheong, secretary-general of the Preparatory Committee of Hong Kong Compatriots in Celebration of the 53rd Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China on Friday.

"Even the Hong Kong SAR government has done a lot better in planning celebration activities," Wu, who is also an HKSAR legislative councilor told Xinhua Friday evening when attending a nation

China celebrates World Tourism Day
Hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world gathered in Yinchuan, the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to celebrate China's World Tourism Day festivities.

During the week-long celebration, folk performances will take place, along with a Muslim snack festival, an international tourism photo show and a tourism commodity fair.

Meanwhile, the city, reputed to be one of China's best tourist attractions, will hold a forum for mayors from world cities

Mass Travelers Exodus to Test Transport Limit
Though most people still had to work during the weekend leading up to the weeklong National Day holiday, domestic transportation departments have already begun to report a mass exodus of travelers. Most rail tickets to major domestic tourist cities have long been booked up and the railway ministry had to bring in 624 extra passenger trains to meet the huge demand, sources in railway authorities revealed Sunday. The Ministry of Railways predicted that more than 35 million people would travel by t

Mass Travelling Exodus to Test Limit of Transport
Though most people still had to work during the weekend leading up to the week-long National Day holiday, domestic transportation departments have already begun to report a mass exodus of travellers. Most rail tickets to major domestic tourist cities have long been booked up and the railway ministry had to bring in 624 extra passenger trains to meet the huge demand. The Ministry of Railways predicted that more than 35 million people would travel by train during the holiday, up 1 per cent from la

Adventurer to Tackle Amazon
Ma Chunghsin has sailed on the seven seas, trekked five continents, and visited 150 countries. And the 60-year-old adventurer is still at it, planning an Amazon expedition before settling back to write a series of books about his travels, writes Zhao Feifei. "Real travelers need psychological and physical endurance," says globetrotter Ma Chunghsin, adding that "a good sense of direction and language skills can come in handy too." The agile, slightly built 60-year-old is something of an expert on

Autobiography of Japanese actress published in Beijing
The Chinese version of the maiden autobiography "Poems of a Star" by well-known Japanese actress Ryoko Nakano was published in Beijing on September 27.

Ryoko Nakano has been popular in China since debuting a popular film here in 1979.

A record of her experience in promoting cultural exchanges and people to people contacts between China and Japan, the autobiography has been published on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties.

For more

Media, musical events to mark anniversary of Sino-Japanese ties
A picture exhibition on media cooperation between China and Japan and a large-scale musical evening will be held in Tokyo on October 9 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties, China's State Council Information Office announced recently.

Over twenty influential media from China and Japan will take part in the show, exhibiting their works on communication and cooperation between the two countries at both governmental and civilian levels in the past thirt

Beijing to host Sino-Japanese environmental co-op week
A Sino-Japanese Environment Cooperation Week will be held in Beijing from Oct. 8 to 12 to celebrate the 30th normalization anniversary of bilateral ties, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) announced recently in Beijing.

Major activities will include a summit of government officials from China and Japan, a comprehensive forum on the environment of the two countries, a seminar on the prevention and control of sandstorms, and an exhibition on achievements of Sino-Japane

Remains of World War II US pilots back to America
China on Friday handed over the remains of US pilots, who were listed as missing-in-action during World War II, to representatives from the United States at a ceremony held in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The remains, in 112 pieces, were believed to be those of some US pilots who were transporting goods to southwest China through the well-known "Hump" aerial route during the war.

The remains were discovered in Mainling County of Tibet. According to official files,

Central China's leading scientific museum opens
Central China's most advanced scientific museum opened recently in Jiangxi Province after five years of construction.

Covering 46,000 square meters, the Jiangxi Provincial Science and Technology Museum is located beside the prestigious Tengwangge, a landmark pavilion in Nanchang, the capital of the province.

The building is mainly planned on a spiral orbit, prompting people to think of the secrets of the universe or the composition of molecules.

The museum is equipped with 2

New book updating CPC history
The first volume of a book documenting the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from its birth to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 has come off the press, a CPC spokesperson said recently.

A spokesperson for the Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee, which compiled the volume, said that Volume I of the book deals with the history of China's New Democratic Revolution led by the CPC from 1921-1949 with a number of new findings.

Base

Wildlife world near Three Gorges Project
Over 1,100 large wild animals were released into forested land on the outskirts of Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, recently.

The animals, including 50 tigers, 20 lions and 30 black bears were transported to the city from Guilin, one of the most popular tourist destinations in south China, after a journey of over 1,200km.

Three Gorges Forest Wildlife World, covering 400,000 square meters, is jointly operated by Three Gorges Botanical Garden of Yichang City Bureau of Fo

First helipad built in China's capital
Residents of the Chinese capital in need of emergency services will soon benefit from a recently-completed helipad at the Beijing Friendship Hospital.

The rooftop landing pad was constructed on a new outpatient building. With a steel structure, the 27 m-by-27 m pad is to date the only rooftop parking area for aircraft approved by civil aviation authorities in Beijing, according to sources with the project's contractor.

The hospital's new outpatient building is the first among its c

Guangdong to build more freeways
Guangdong Province, one of China's economic powerhouses, has decided to build eight new freeways connecting its mountainous areas.

The provincial bureau of communications announced the plans for the freeways, with a combined length of 535 km, will cover underdeveloped northern, eastern and western areas in the southern Chinese province.

Construction will start this year or next and will be finished in 2005 or 2006. The total cost of construction is set at 18.73 billion yuan (2.26 b

New Beijing-Urumqi air route to be opened
Air China will run a regular air route linking Beijing with Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region beginning Oct. 28, Beijing Daily reported.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a Boeing 767 will leave Beijing at 12:30, returning from Urumqi at 17:30.

At present, there is only one direct flight linking the two cities.

Tibet becomes one of China's busiest air traffic hubs
Tibet, bidding farewell to its traditional yaks, has become a major airline hub, sources with China Southwest Airlines (CSA) said.

Wang Shixiang, general manager of CSA, said that the number of passengers flying to Tibet has been increasing by 20 percent every year. CSA, the only airline company currently flying to Tibet, has always stressed the importance of Tibet's flight business.

According to statistics, during the peak season, from July to September, daily flights hit an avera

Beijing beefs up efforts to ensure smooth transport for 2008
The Beijing municipal government has stepped up efforts to provide an efficient, safe and quick transportation system for the 2008 Olympic Games through planned special transport lines connecting Olympic venues with the city's external and internal routes.

"We are confident of fulfilling the promises we made that it will take less than 30 minutes for athletes and coaches to get from where they live to any gymnasium and stadium in 2008," said Liu Xiaoming, professor and vice-president of B

Beijing urban railway begins trial operation
The western section of Beijing's urban railway, connecting Xizhimen with the northern suburb of Huoying, was put into trial operation Saturday (September 28).

The 20.62-km-long railway is the first light railway to operate in Beijing.

The Xizhimen-Huoying railway is the western section of Beijing's 40.85 km urban railway system, which is to improve passenger transport in the northern suburbs of the city.

Construction of the 6.57 billion yuan (about 791 million US dollars) pr

Capital's Cops Are Polyglots
Foreigners encountering difficulties in Beijing may now find themselves being assisted by a new breed of polyglot police officers. Some 20 officers trained to speak English or Japanese or both were on duty by Tuesday, the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. People who ask for help from them may also receive a small card reading: "If you lose your possessions or meet with some other difficulties and need the help of the police, please contact us. We will do all we

Chinese Enjoying Week-long Holiday
What a pity! said Shao Jun, a postgraduate in archaeology from Beijing University, describing his dawn visit to Tiananmen Square on Oct. 1, 2002, to attend the flag-raising ceremony on the 52nd National Day of the country. "Due to the huge noisy crowd waiting in the square for the ceremony, instead of hearing the national anthem being performed live by the military band, all I heard were the drumbeats and all I saw of the flag-raising was the flag itself but nothing of the flagmen's activities,"

Self-drive Holidays Popular in China
Twenty-nine-year-old Shao Xiaoxin drove her new car on a tour of Shanxi Province with her boyfriend. The scenery they saw from the road delighted them. Shao said, "It is so convenient to travel by my own car. Instead of having to hurry after a tourist guide from one place to another, I now feel more flexible." Zheng Fangwei, who works in the Qingdao marine industry, drove to Beijing with his family during the vacation. "Although the distance was a bit far, I enjoyed holidaying in my own car," he

China to Be Top Tourist Destination
By 2020, China is set to become the world's largest tourism destination and the fourth major source of tourists, the World Tourism Organization predicts. The rapid development of China's tourism during the past decade has exceeded global expectations. The country led Asia in overseas tourist arrivals last year, Emi Maccoll, a World Tourism Organization official, said at a World Tourism Day event held recently in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Many overseas

China Tipped as world's Top Tourist Destination by 2020
By 2020, China is set to become the world's largest tourism destination and the fourth major source of tourists, the World Tourism Organization predicts. The rapid development of China's tourism during the past decade has exceeded global expectations. The country led Asia in overseas tourist arrivals last year, Emi Maccoll, a World Tourism Organization official, said at a World Tourism Day event held recently in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Many overseas

Increasing Numbers of Chinese Travel Abroad
Twenty-five year old Qiu Fei and her boyfriend flew from Beijing to Seoul during the National Day holiday. They plan to spend three days in Seoul before continuing their vacation in Viet Nam. Qiu is among tens of millions of wealthy Chinese residents who are increasingly traveling abroad to spend their vacations. During the triple Spring Festival / Labor Day /National Day 7-day break, Chinese tourists may be surprised at how often they bump into their compatriots, whether it be in Australia, Egy

Self-drive Holidays Popular in China
Twenty-nine-year-old Shao Xiaoxin drove her new car on a tour of Shanxi Province with her boyfriend. The scenery they saw from the road delighted them. Shao said: "It is so convenient to travel by my own car. Instead of having to hurry after a tourist guide from one place to another, I now feel more flexible." Zheng Fangwei, who works in the Qingdao marine industry, drove to Beijing with his family during the vacation. "Although the distance was a bit far, I enjoyed holidaying in my own car," he

'Golden Week' Proves Its Value
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1-7. During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year. These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a tota

'Golden Week' Boosts Tourism
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1-7. During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year. These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a tota

'Golden Week', Still Money Maker in China
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1 to 7. During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year. These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a t

'Golden Week' Proves Its Value
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1-7. During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year. These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a tota

Credit Cards to Thrive in China
China's credit card business is poised to blossom into a 100 million card market -- four times the current figure -- in the coming five years. Bankers said the fledgling industry is still too immature to open to foreign banks which are likely to spark fierce market competition. As part of its commitments to the World Trade Organization, China has undertaken to open its renminbi business to foreign banks within five years. "Now we have only four years left," said Hua Qingshan, managing director a

More Information on Travel Column
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'Golden Week' Proves Its Value
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1-7. During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year. These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a tota

Scholars discuss Confucianism, credibility
Thirty-nine scholars from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Singapore gathered Thursday in Qufu City, Shandong Province, in east China, to attend the 2002 Forum on East Asian Culture.

Qufu is the hometown of Confucius, the founder of the Confucianism and one of the greatest ancient educators and philosophers in Chinese history.

Participants, including diplomatic envoys from a dozen foreign countries, shared their views on the forum's main topic -- Confucianism and c

Confucius cultural gala opens in Qufu
The 2002 China Qufu International Confucius Festival was inaugurated in Qufu City, Shandong Province, in east China on September 26.

Cao Zhi, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, announced the opening of the cultural event in the presence of diplomats from a dozen countries.

During the festival, a grand ceremony will be held to honor Confucius, a great educator and philosopher of ancient China. A series of academic and commercial programs will

First cultural classics recital competition held in Confucius' hometown
A goodwill recital contest of Chinese cultural classics ended recently at the Research Institute of Confucius in Qufu, hometown of the great Chinese philosopher and educationist in east China's Shandong Province.

This is the first competition of its kind to be held for all Chinese inside and outside China.

Vice Premier Qian Qichen wrote to the two-day competition -- "Descendants of the same forefather, we all share concern about China."

A total of more than 2,000 people from

Deepened Yangtze River Mouth helps boost local economy
A deepened waterway at the Yangtze River Mouth will bring a new leap in economic development in the Yangtze River delta and the areas along the river, said sources with Chinese Ministry of Communications here recently.

The first-phase of China's largest waterway-dredging project since 1949 passed an official appraisal recently, and the depth of the waterway at the Yangtze River Mouth has increased from seven to 8.5 meters.

To improve the shipping conditions at the mouth of China's

Waterway at Yangtze River Mouth gets deeper
The first-phase of China's largest waterway-dredging project since 1949 passed an official appraisal recently.

The project aims to improve the efficiency of Yangtze navigation started in January 1998 by clearing the deep-water route at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The first-phase project cost a total of 3.1 billion yuan (373.49 million US dollars) to increase the depth of the waterway from seven meters to 8.5 meters. Trial operations on the upgraded river route started in 2000.<

China takes measures to address aging population issue
As the world's most populous country, China is taking active measures to address the problem of its aging population.

While China's present population of persons over the age of 60 is 132 million, this figure is expected to climb to 400 million during the first half of the 21st century.

At that time, the population of persons over the age of 80 will increase to 100 million from the current figure of 13 million. It is estimated that one of every five elderly persons in the world wil

NE province bans random excavation of fossils
Northeast China's Liaoning Province has announced a decree prohibiting any individuals and businesses from excavating fossils.

Zhang Dianshuang, deputy director of the provincial bureau of land and resources, made the remark at a recent provincial meeting on protecting the rare resources of ancient organism fossils.

The bureau has decided to strictly restrict, and eventually ban, fossil marketing. By doing so, the province will curb random excavation and illegal fossil sales, accor

Ancient stoneware processing site discovered in NE China
Chinese archaeologists have discovered a site which is believed to be an ancient stoneware processing plant in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China.

The plant, located in Nehe City on the floodplain of the Nenjiang River, is said to date back 10,000 to 12,000 years to the late Palaeolithic Age.

Archaeologists have excavated more than 2,000 sq m of a relics protection area near the Ni'erji Reservoir, unearthing more than 3, 000 kinds of stone tools. The stoneware include chisels,

Deepened China-ASEAN cooperation peps up border city
The establishment of a free trade area between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will bring new life to Dongxing City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Li Guidong, mayor of the city bordering Vietnam, said it was aimed at turning the city into a bridgehead, making the cultural and economic exchanges between China and ASEAN much closer.

So far, the city government has invested two billion yuan on infrastructural construction and prolonged

China's National Book Fair scheduled
China's 13th National Book Fair is scheduled to open in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province on Oct. 18.

Fair organizers say 5,400 delegates from the country's provincial areas and representatives from the country's major bookstores, publishing houses and libraries are expected to attend the two-week fair.

About 80,000 different types of books, including printed books and periodicals, and audio and video products, will be exhibited.

China's first National Book Fai

Tours of Three Gorges popular in Taiwan
Tour packages to Three Gorges, located on China's longest waterway, the Yangtze River, are being sold well in Taiwan. Central China's Hubei Province, for example, has registered a 645.6 percent increase, year-on-year, of tourists from Taiwan.

According to the Tourism Bureau of Hubei, where part of the Three Gorges site is located, this tour has been a hot item for Taiwanese tourists since they began their tour of the mainland in1989.

With the original features and famous landscape

New customs inspection system opens to fight smuggling
China Customs has ordered 40 sets of a new container and vehicle inspection system in order to equip all the ports along the southeastern coast of the country in a bid to fight smuggling more efficiently.

At present more than half of the THSCAN systems are working at those ports and the rest will be up soon.

"Before we introduced the system, it took inspectors at least two hours to finish inspecting one container. But now each container only takes about three minutes," said Zhang J

China tipped as world's top tourist destination by 2020
By 2020, China is set to become the world's largest tourism destination and the fourth major source of tourists, the World Tourism Organization predicts.

The rapid development of China's tourism during the past decade has exceeded global expectations. The country led Asia in overseas tourist arrivals last year, Emi Maccoll, a World Tourism Organization official, said at a World Tourism Day event held recently in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Shenzhen Visitors Become Major Consumers in Hong Kong
In recent years Hong Kong entrepreneurs have built many factories, bought goods and engaged in business on a large scale in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Now many Shenzhen people are making the journey to Hong Kong where they are already becoming known as a major consumer group. Travel agencies estimate that the visitors from Shenzhen will each spend over HK$5,000 dollars (about US$640). According to staff at the Luohu Frontier Inspection Station, some 40 to 50 parties of tourists now leave fo

Senior Citizens Live Colorful Life in China
Ballet dancing, surfing the Internet, traveling or even studying for a degree are not exclusively for the young, as more and more elderly people in China adopt new pastimes. Like most women her age, 50-year-old Shi Hang is not slim. But to the admiration of her friends and colleagues, she is attending ballet classes twice a week. "I've always longed to be a ballet dancer, but never had the chance to receive any formal training when I was younger," said Shi, a resident in Hangzhou, provincial cap

Feasibility study begins for Beijing-Tianjin maglev train service
Discussions have been held here recently to study the feasibility of building a maglev train railway line between China's capital city of Beijing and the port city of Tianjin in the northern part of the country.

Wu Liangyong, a city-planning specialist from the Beijing-based Tsinghua University, presided over the discussions in which Both Chinese traffic and urban construction specialists and German maglev train specialists participated.

The maglev train project under discussion wi

Beijing, Tianjin may see magnetic connection
Chinese and German experts recently held a discussion in Tianjin on the possibilities of building a magnetic levitation (maglev) train line between Beijing and Tianjin, the Xinhua News Agency reported recently.

Experts hope that the maglev train will help alleviate the expected traffic headaches in Beijing when it hosts the 2008 Olympic Games.

According to the report, the number of passengers coming in and out of the Beijing airport this year is estimated at more than 27 million, w

China's ancient sex culture on display
An exhibition of more than 350 pieces of relics depicting China's ancient sex culture opened recently in Zhengzhou, the capital city of central China's Henan Province.

The one-month-odd exhibition addresses 10 issues, including sexual adoration, marriage regulations, sexual oppression experienced by women, sexual entertainment, sexual health care and deviant sex.

The exhibits were selected by Professor Liu Dalin, China's renowned sex education expert, from his sex culture museum in

China greens dry industrial Baotou city in northern China
Huge investment in projects to cut pollution and green the city has helped Baotou, a heavy industrial center in northern China's dry area, become a garden-like city cited by the United Nations.

Trees line major streets of the city. Large and small lawns decorate it and a variety of flowers can be seen everywhere.

Han Zhiran, mayor of the city which has 2 million people, said the widespread greening has increased the planted areas to 31 percent. There are 10 big parks, 30 lawns each

Airlines to inspect Boeings after safety warning
A safety warning issued by Boeing has affected China's civil aeroplanes. The worldwide alert concerns the possible fuel pump failure in the older generation of Boeing aircraft.

Confirmation of the warning came recently from China's aviation administrator.

Sources with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China said they would order domestic airlines to carry out checks on the potentially problematic components.

Boeing is the major aircraft supplier to China's civi

China goes all out for 2010 World Expo bid
If China's bid to hold the 2010 World Exposition is successful it will bring tremendous benefits to the world, an article published by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said recently.

The article says the whole of China will be keeping a close watch when the International Bureau of Expositions holds its last round of ballots on Dec. 3. Chinese people expect Shanghai to stand out against the other four candidate cities, namely Moscow in Russia, Yeoso in the Republi

China's first desert expressway opens
A 76-kilometer desert expressway, believed to be the first in the country, opened recently in Shaanxi Province, northwest China.

Running through the Mu Us desert, the new expressway connects Yulin city, Shaanxi province, with Manggaitu on the border between Shaanxi and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. At a cost of 416million yuan (50 million U.S. dollars), it can carry vehicles traveling at a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

According to officials in charge of the proje

Subway project to begin in NE China industrial city
Construction of the No.1 subway line in Shenyang City, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, is scheduled to begin in early June next year, the city government announced.

The subway line will run 22 km from Zhangshi station in the Shenyang Economic and
Technological Development Zone in the west and to Liming Cultural Palace in the east.

There will be 18 stations along the route.

The subway will link major business centers, residential areas and bus and railway s

Macao Int'l Music Festival opens
The 16th Macao International Music Festival opened here Friday (Oct.4) with a classic opera, whetting the appetites of both local and overseas art lovers.

From Oct. 4-23, the festival is set to offer 14 different programs covering opera, symphony works, chamber music and contemporary music, reflecting an encounter of the Eastern and Western cultures.

"This year's music festival will exhibit an even higher artistic standard and an added localized flavor, with a budget of 12 million

Chinese enjoying week-long holiday
What a pity! said Shao Jun, a postgraduate in archaeology from Beijing University, describing his dawn visit to Tiananmen Square on Oct. 1, 2002, to attend the flag-raising ceremony on the National Day of the country.

"Due to the huge noisy crowd waiting in the square for the ceremony, instead of hearing the national anthem being performed live by the military band, all I heard were the drumbeats and all I saw of the flag-raising was the flag itself but nothing of the flagmen's activities

Self-drive holidays popular in China
Twenty-nine-year-old Shao Xiaoxin drove her new car on a tour of Shanxi Province with her boyfriend.The scenery they saw from the road delighted them.

Shao said: "It is so convenient to travel by my own car. Instead of having to hurry after a tourist guide from one place to another, I now feel more flexible."

Zheng Fangwei, who works in the Qingdao marine industry, drove to Beijing with his family during the vacation. "Although the distance was a bit far, I enjoyed holidaying in my

Increasing numbers of wealthy Chinese traveling abroad
Twenty-five year old Qiu Fei and her boyfriend flew from Beijing to Seoul during the National Day holiday. They plan to spend three days in Seoul before continuing their vacation in Viet Nam.

Qiu is among tens of millions of wealthy Chinese residents who are increasingly traveling abroad to spend their vacations. During the triple Spring Festival / Labor Day /National Day 7-day break, Chinese tourists may be surprised at how often they bump into their compatriots, whether it be in Austral

Millions of holidaymakers travel with east China railways
The Shanghai Railway Bureau, one of the biggest in China, handled some 6.33 million passengers from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7, a rise of 10 percent year-on-year.

Starting from Oct. 1, China's National Day, the week-long holiday coincided with Shanghai's International Tourism Festival, which added to the attractions of the metropolis.

Other regions such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in east China, both rich in famous attractions, received throngs of tourists from across the country.

Golden week brings Beijing tourist boom
A record 3.13 million tourists visited Beijing during China's Oct. 1-7 National Day Holiday, according to statistics released Monday by the Beijing Leading Group for Holiday Tourism.

The number of tourists increased by 10.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Income from tourism totaled 2.81 billion yuan (340 million US dollars), up 15 percent on a year-on-year basis.

Of the tourists, 1.3 million were local residents and 1.83 million came from other parts of China. Durin

Guangdong People to Enjoy Easier Access to SARs
Apart from retired government officials of county-level or above, all Guangdong residents older than 60 or younger than 16 will soon need only their household registration when applying for travel documents to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs). The move is designed to encourage more of Guangdong's young and elderly to visit the two SARs or to reunite with their family members there, said an official from the Exit and Entry Department under the Guangdong Provincial Bur

Guangdong People to Enjoy Easier Access to SARs
Apart from retired government officials of county-level or above, all Guangdong residents older than 60 or younger than 16 will soon need only their household registration when applying for travel documents to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs). The move is designed to encourage more of Guangdong's young and elderly to visit the two SARs or to reunite with their family members there, said an official from the Exit and Entry Department under the Guangdong Provincial Bur

The Woman Writes History of Chinese in S. Africa
Today overseas Chinese living in South Africa can drift freely through scenic sites, government institutions, hotels, and stores, enjoying the same conditions as the country's local inhabitants. Some of them have made significant achievements in their careers and sustain a cheerful way of life in South Africa. But do the people there, especially the African-Chinese, remember the insults and restrictions suffered by the "yellow" Chinese of 300 years ago? Ye Huifen, a third generation African-Chin

The Woman Writes History of Chinese in S. Africa
Today overseas Chinese living in South Africa can drift freely through scenic sites, government institutions, hotels, and stores, enjoying the same conditions as the country's local inhabitants. Some of them have made significant achievements in their careers and sustain a cheerful way of life in South Africa. But do the people there, especially the African-Chinese, remember the insults and restrictions suffered by the "yellow" Chinese of 300 years ago? Ye Huifen, a third generation African-Chin

Sino-DPRK Border River Drawing Tourists
The Yalu River, bordering China and the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), has become a northeast China hot-spot for tourists. Local tourism organizations and travel agencies in Dandong city, in northeastern Liaoning province, have launched a number of new programs to promote the scenic river's attractions to draw tourists from other parts of the country. The recent opening of an expressway from Shenyang, the provincial capital, to the border city, has made travel more easy and conven

Forbes participants express optimism about Asia-Pacific region
World top CEOs continued to pool their opinion at the Forbes Global CEO Conference here recently, expressing optimism about the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.

At the session entitled "Thought for the day: Conflicting currents and Asia's new paradigm," Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Economic Advisor of the MasterCard International noted that technology development, consumption revolution as well as the rise of China and the change of Japan are the elements shaping the Asia-Pacific re

Forbes bullish on HKSAR and Chinese mainland's future
The head of Forbes magazine said recently that five years after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, he is more bullish on Hong Kong's future and its economic development powered by the Chinese mainland's economic growth.

President and Chief Executive Officer of the magazine Steve Forbes also said China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will also benefit the Asian region and the world at large.

Forbes made the remarks at the pre-conference news briefing to herald the

China's millionaire scientists increasing
Seventy-four-year-old Lu Dianqing, a Chinese fertilizer expert, went immediately from retirement several years ago to employment by a private enterprise, quickly using his expertise to become a millionaire.

Retired from the Northwest China Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology University, Lu now owns 100,000 technical shares at his new firm and earns more than 30,000 yuan (3,614 US dollars) in annual wages. He lives in a spacious and comfortable apartment and drives a sedan.

Tea may reduce risk of cancer, heart disease –forum
Solid evidence is mounting that drinking tea can prevent cell damage that leads to cancer, heart disease and perhaps other ills, scientists said recently.

It may soon be time to add tea to the list of fruits and vegetables that experts urge Americans to eat as often as possible to reduce their risk of disease, the researchers told a meeting sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Tea Council, the

American Cancer Society and other groups.

"In some respects, it is

Porcelain kiln of Tang Dynasty unearthed in Jiangxi
Archeologists have unearthed a large number of pieces of celadon pottery and specimens of the kiln craftsmen's tools in a porcelain kiln in Linchuan District, Jiangxi province, dating back to Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The oblong-arc shaped kiln, 23 meters long and 2.24 meters wide, is nestled against a hill and runs east to west. The wall of the kiln is burned charcoal as thick as 5 centimeters.

This kind of kiln is also called a "dragon kiln" in Chinese for its particular shape. Wit

Monks battle use of "Shaolin" as trademark
Shaolin Temple monks, most famous for boxing, are finding themselves caught up in a new kind of fight, one to protect their temple's name.

The outside world is engaging the monks, normally considered to be far removed from worldly activities, in a "war" to prevent the name of the temple in central China's Henan Province from being abused in commercial activities.

Shaolin Temple, built at Songshan Mountain, central China's Henan Province, in 496 during the Northern and Southern dyna

China plans to green cities, river embankments, coastlines
China plans to green its more than 50,000 cities and towns, the embankments of its rivers, coastlines, and areas along its major railway and roads, and to restore vegetation in leading forest areas.

The plan was initiated by Prof. Jiang Zehui, vice-chairperson of the Human Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a national advisory body, in a bid to build a forest and ecological network covering the co

Village becomes ecological museum to preserve Bouyei culture
Li Xiuliang, at the age of 64, runs a museum to preserve his Bouyei ethnic culture in Zhenshan Village of Huaxi County in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Actually, Li turned part of his home to the museum, which was opened on April 5 last year. There he displays ethnic garments and paintings of Bouyei folk customs.

"When tourists swarmed to our village in 1993, I came up with the idea to display folk customs, tales and costumes of Bouyei people to record our history and prevent

New archaeological finds unearthed in southwest China province
Latest excavations at a site of historical relics near the provincial capital of Sichuan province, southwest China, are likely to provide new clues for the re-writing of the ancient history of the region.

While excavating at the Jinsha ruins in Chengdu city's western suburban area which was launched early last year, local archaeologists have unearthed a total of some 3,000 items of rare antiques, such as gold, jade, bronze and stone wares and ivory pieces, In late August, they found two h

China to raise domestic air ticket prices
China will increase the cost of air tickets on some domestic flights by 6 percent from Oct.10, according to a recently released statement by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Rising fuel prices were the main reason for the increase, CAAC said. Though under national pricing guidelines, airline companies still have the right to decide whether to raise the cost of tickets, and by how much.

Company sources said that the price of any air tickets bought before Oct.10 wou

Crazy carnival lights up Shanghai, promotes tourism
Fireworks, singing, dancing into the wee hours of the morning -- it's carnival time in Shanghai. It may not quite be the revelry of Rio, but Chinese and foreigners together are letting their hair down to promote tourism and enjoy the holiday.

The annual month-long tourism festival took off Sept. 14 in Shanghai, one of China's most modern cities, bringing arts and entertainment from various foreign countries.

The festival lasts through the seven-day National Day holiday, which is ca

Golden Week' proves its value
Holiday tourism in China is still a big money maker, as was proved by this year's National Day holiday week from October 1-7.

During "Golden Week," combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourists spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 per cent higher than the same period last year.

These 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China's Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region

National Day holiday travelers increase 26 percent
A total of 80.71 million people traveled across China during the National Day vacation, 26.2 percent more than during the corresponding period last year.

More than 30.6 billion yuan (3.8 billion US dollars) was spent during the seven day vacation, with expenditure per capita reaching 379 yuan (46 US dollars), according to the latest statistics jointly issued by the National Bureau of Statistics and China National Tourism Administration.

There were 22.36 million overnight travelers,

Booming tourism spurs China's economy
Tourist destinations across China counted their profits when normal working day was resumed Tuesday after the week-long National Day holiday.

Tourism revenue from this year's National Day holiday was reportedly to rise 20 percent over the same holiday last year, with the number of tourists up by almost six percent.

The holiday, which ended on Monday, is one of three seven-day breaks introduced by the government in the late 1990s to boost the economy by encouraging China's often fru

Six Chinese Aviation Companies Founded
As a result of mergers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines were established in Beijing Friday. These corporations were founded on the basis of nine airline companies. Air China now has total assets worth 57.3 billion yuan (6.9 billion US dollars) and operates 307 air routes with 118 planes. China Eastern Airlines has total assets of 47.3 billion yuan (5.7 billion dollars) and 386 air routes with 142 planes. China Southern Airlines has total assets of 50.1 billion yuan

Largest Container Ship Starts Maiden Voyage
China's largest container ship embarked on its maiden voyage from Pudong Port in east China's Shanghai municipality on October 10. The mega boat is nearly 280 meters long and can take up to 5,668 standard containers. It is among the most advanced in the world. Only a few countries, such as Japan and Korea, can build such container ships. The building of the ship is a breakthrough in China's ship building industry. With a full load of 68,000 tons of freight, the boat can travel at a speed of 26 k

Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong jointly set up tourism website
The first website devoted to tourism resources in south China's Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and Macao opened in Shanghai Wednesday. The website, www.pearlriverdelta.org, was jointly developed by official tourism departments in Guangdong province, Macao and Hong Kong. The bilingual website, the first of its kind in the region, offers such information as local conditions and customs, tourist attractions and travel routes designed with pictures. Zhen Tongyang, director of the Guangdong Tourism Bur

Harbin Threatened by Desertification
Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is being threatened by desertification resulting from the over-reclamation and over-pasturing of grasslands, according to a recent sample survey conducted among citizens by the Harbin city government. The finding creates a new issue of significant concern for the local government which plans to develop the city into an ecological garden city over the coming years. Statistics indicate that during the March to April period this y

Indonesia Nightclub Bombed, 10 Hong Kong People Missing
A bomb destroyed a crowded nightclub on the tourist island of Bali Saturday, sparking a devastating inferno that killed at least 187 people and wounded 300 - many of them foreigners. Officials said it was the worst terrorist act in Indonesia's history. Authorities said a second bomb exploded near the island's US consular office. Police said there were no casualties in that explosion. The blasts came three days after the US State Department issued a worldwide alert for terror attacks and highligh

How to Contact Shanghai Hospitals
China.com.cn: I am an EMBA student from the US. Our class will be traveling to Shanghai next week. Do you have an e-mail address for someone at Shanghai Hospital? A few of us would like to tour and learn about China's healthcare system. Thank you. Jennifer Roberts ---------------------------------- Dear Jennifer: We at can provide you with some information on hospital at our " TRAVEL " column. There is a blue sub-column on the left-hand side of the frame entitled "Info," and here you will find

Yaks Show Tourists Around Tibet
Cars may be the main mode of transport in most places, but in some areas of Tibet, yaks have not yet gone out of business. The so-called "carriers on the plateau" have become a source of income for residents of Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Though in other areas of Tibet automobiles long ago replaced yaks, for the increasing numbers of mountaineers coming to prove themselves on Mount Everest, yaks are the most efficient means of transportation. Zhaxizong township in Tingri county

Harbin Threatened by Desertification
Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is being threatened by desertification resulting from the over-reclamation and over-pasturing of grasslands, according to a recent sample survey conducted among citizens by the Harbin city government. The finding creates a new issue of significant concern for the local government which plans to develop the city into an ecological garden city over the coming years. Statistics indicate that during the March to April period this y

Travel Agencies Rake It in
Package tours at a more- economical price and crowd-free tourist sites mean local travel agencies are seeing a surge in post-National Day holiday business. Not surprisingly, half of the locals going to provincial scenic spots are the elderly, making use of their plentiful time and a lull in general travel. A Shanghai Daily survey among major travel agencies showed that prices of long-distance tours have dropped by 25-30 percent despite an average 6-percent rise in domestic air fares due to a hik

China introduces ETS' Test of Professional English
In the modern, global economy, Chinese enterprises and government departments are demanding more professionals proficient in English by international standards, a Chinese official said here recently.

Wu Yongke, an official with China's State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC), made the remarks at a press conference announcing China's introduction of the Test of Professional English (TOPE), a test of English language proficiency for business and government people developed by the Educati

China becomes biggest global market for English learning
The biggest headache these days with taking highly-feared English examinations is not the exams themselves but the number of people wanting to take them.

"It's more difficult to apply for the TOEFL or GRE than it is to actually take the exam," complained Sha Xiaowei, a graduate student at Beijing University.

As English study booms, many students are taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to prove their level. But getting throu

Senior citizens live colorful life in China
Ballet dancing, surfing the Internet, traveling or even studying for a degree are not exclusively for the young, as more and more elderly people in China adopt new pastimes.

Like most women her age, 50-year-old Shi Hang is not slim. But to the admiration of her friends and colleagues, she is attending ballet classes twice a week.

"I've always longed to be a ballet dancer, but never had the chance to receive any formal training when I was younger," said Shi, a resident in Hangzhou,

North delegation wraps up co-op tour in South
A delegation from Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has sealed economic and technological co-operation deals with enterprises and local governments in East China's Fujian Province.

It signed 30 co-operation projects recently. These included 26 economic and technological co-operation projects with a total investment of 3.795 billion yuan (US$485.3 million), and four trade projects with a trading volume of 1.085 billion yuan (US$131.03 million).

The projects will help promote a

Tibetan scholar maps ancient commercial routes
After years of field research, a noted Chinese Tibetan scholar has drawn up a map of five commercial routes known as the Cha Ma Ancient Road, traveled by caravans decades ago across western China's Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, and Tibet to reach some southern Asian countries.

At a seminar held recently in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jambian Gyamco, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, described these routes as corridors f

China to host 2nd International Competition for Singers
China will host the 2nd International Competition for Singers here from Oct. 25 to Nov. 5,with 80 overseas and Chinese singers attending, sources with China's Ministry of Culture (MOC) said here recently.

The event, co-sponsored by the MOC and the China Performing Arts Agency, has attracted 212 candidates from China and 18 other countries. From among those, 28 Chinese and 52 foreign vocalists will be selected to compete for the final prize in Beijing.

Well-known singers and experts

Old Peking entertainment area being restored
China's capital city is restoring one of its old entertainment areas to its glory of 90 years ago.

A 330-meter-long and 28-meter-wide street is being built in a southern area of Beijing called "Tianqiao," which means bridge to heaven in Chinese.

The street, lined with 20th century style buildings, will have a 5,000-square-meter square at the end.

The old Tianqiao was famous for its entertainment spectacles during the last 50 years of the last century and was especially known

Antique street to resume brilliance in downtown Beijing
Beijing will renovate and develop an ancient antique cultural street to make it become a comprehensive cultural and industrial zone, municipal official sources said recently.

The Liulichang street featuring ancient Chinese culture in central Beijing dates back nearly 800 years. It began to take shape in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and in following centuries developed into a street famous for books and antiques.

The zone will be built on the basis of the current Liulichang antique

First World Bank-funded expressway in Hunan passes state appraisal
An expressway connecting Xiangtan and Leiyang cities in Hunan Province, the first to be built with World Bank loans in the central Chinese province, passed the state technical assessment recently.

The appraisal committee, composed of experts from the Ministry of Communications, rated it a first-class project.

As part of the national trunk between Beijing and Zhuhai City in south China's Guangdong Province, the expressway has a length of 168 km, the longest of its kind in Hunan.

1.76 mln people to cross mainland-HK boundary during Chung Yeung Festival
The Immigration Department estimated on Thursday (Oct.10) that about 1.76 million people will cross the land boundary checkpoints to and from the Chinese mainland during the coming Chung Yeung festive period.

It represents an increase of 19.1 percent as compared with the same period last year, the department said.

It said the peak period of cross-boundary traffic during the Chung Yeung festive period would fall between Oct. 11 and Oct. 15,2002.

Adventure tourism China's latest travel trend
I came back alive - Jiang Yanxin from Xi'an sent this short message to her friends after her five-day walking tour on Mt Taibai in north China's Qinling range.

Like Jiang, hordes of people equipped with sleeping bags, tents, medicine and food, went into the mountains seeking adventure and to enjoy the natural scenery during the week-long National Day holidays which ended on Oct.7.

Statistics released by the tourism administration of Shaanxi Province indicate that during this month'

Buddhist mountain being protected by legal document
A regulation for protecting the attractions on Jiuhua Mountain in east China's Anhui Province, one of four Buddhism-related mountains in China, was passed by a local legislative body on Oct.9.

The regulation, approved by the Standing Committee of Anhui Provincial People's Congress passed the regulations, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2003.

The regulation makes clear the area of the mountain and stipulates that certain development and maintenance projects cannot damage traditional cul

Dunhuang Grottoes get legal protection
The Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress has recently passed a regulation to protect the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang City, one of the three major Buddhist art treasures in China.

According to the regulation, the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang must retain their original form. No permanent buildings are allowed to be built within the protection zone.

Priority should be given to conservation, wise utilization and improved management, said Liu Shengrong, a senior law

Beijing remains most popular tourism destination: survey
Beijing is rated as China's most popular tourism destination, followed by Shanghai and Xi'an, according to a new survey.

The survey, by Hunan Tourism Bureau, Hunan Normal University and Hunan Institute of Commerce, shows that its scenery, historical and cultural value, transport and prosperous economy are the main reasons people pick Beijing as a tourism site.

The survey also listed the other top-ten popular destinations as Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Changsha, Guilin a

Bali Blast Clouds Chinese Travelers' Indonesian Tours
The fledgling Indonesian tours offered by Chinese travel agencies will be badly affected by the blast on Bali, which killed at least 182 people Saturday night. Meanwhile, a reduced number of Bali-bound travelers is predicted by experts within a short predictable time to come in Indonesia. Indonesian tour line cut short China Travel Service (CTS), the first Chinese agency to provide Bali tours, sent more than 100 people to the island during the "October 1" weeklong holidays. Its first instinct af

Kanas ?A Pure Land on Earth
Located in the heart of the Altay Mountains and bordering Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, the Kanas nature reserve sticks up in the northwestern corner of China. Its name, Kanas, is a Mongolian word that means "a beautiful and mysterious place". As its name indicates, Kanas proves to be a magical and appealing place for people of all ages. Every tourist is fascinated by the enchanting primitive beauty of its undulating mountains, crisscrossing ravines and gullies, luxurious forests and grasslan

Shares Rise Moderately in a Technical Rebound
China's shares closed up yesterday in a mild technical rebound helped on by a rise in market heavyweight China United Telecommunications Corp Ltd. Shanghai's benchmark composite index climbed 7.625 points, or 0.50 percent, to finish at 1,531.676, while Shenzhen's sub-index rose 11.31 points, or 0.36 percent, to 3,118.35. Yuan-denominated A shares in China Unicom, reserved for domestic investors, outperformed the markets to close up 2.38 percent at 3.01 yuan (US$0.362). After a mediocre debut las

Infusion helps clean freshwater lake
Some 1.07 billion cubic meters of water has been diverted from the Yangtze River, China's longest, this year to Lake Taihu in east China to treat the latter's water pollution.

Fang Lingdi, an official with the Taihu Lake Water Resources Protection Bureau under the Ministry of Water Resources, said the water diversion effort approved by the State Council has driven up the lake's water level by 10 centimeters.

Later this year, another 1.8 billion cubic meters of water will again be i

China restoring, preserving world's wetland "kidneys"
China has toiled over the last few years to restore and preserve its wetland resources, the largest in Asia and fourth largest in the world. Often referred to as the world's "kidneys," the areas were for a time endangered by its rapid agricultural growth.

Excessive cultivation once reduced China's largest marshland area by more than 3 million hectares, or two thirds, on the Sanjiang (Three Rivers) Plain, an area between the Songhua, Nenjiang and Heilong rivers in the country's northernmos

Foreigners join daily life in China's capital
In the wake of Beijing's opening-up to the outside world and its prospering economy, more and more foreigners are choosing to stay in the city permanently and merge with the daily life of its residents, instead making fleeting visits like tourists.

Official statistics show that foreigners living in China's capital now number more than 50,000, and the figure is growing rapidly.

In the past, most foreigners came to Beijing for sightseeing or business activities, usually staying at de

Sino-Vietnamese border town bustling with trade
Along the several thousand kilometers of the Sino-Vietnamese border, Dongxing city, a 400-year-old treaty port, stands out as one of the busiest trade ports in southwest China.

Cargo ships from the two countries berth on docks of the city's boundary river of Beilun, exchanging goods including textiles, household appliances, daily necessities, seafood and rubber products.

At the same time, high-pitched bargaining can be heard in many accents of both Vietnamese and Chinese.

Th

Italian light sculpture show to open in Beijing
An Italian light sculpture show portraying artistic style of the Baroque culture (1600-1750) will be held at the Beijing Ditan (Temple of the Earth) Park from Sept.28 to Oct. 20.

The light sculpture show will be sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), with support from the China-European Union Association (CEUA), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in China.

CPAFFC President Chen Haosu, who is also pr

Tianjin accelerates port construction
Tianjin, the leading port city in north China, will allocate 12 billion yuan (1.4 billion US dollars) to build infrastructure projects over the coming decade.

According to a development plan, a man-made island covering an area of 30 square kilometers and a 10-km-long embankment will be built on the northern part of the Tianjin Port.

Work on a deep-water channel accommodating 150,000-dwt ships started last month and is expected to be completed by 2005.

An oil wharf with an an

China, US co-sponsor first education forum
A Sino-US Education Cooperation Forum was held recently, as part of activities during the 2002 International Education Cooperation Week (IECW).

It is the first time that China and the United States have co-sponsored an educational event.

The forum invited nearly 300 officials, experts and scholars from both countries to discuss such issues as the strategy on the development of higher education after China's entry into the World Trade Organization, and the way to govern universities

Ancient ethnic city emerges from desert
China's nationwide drive to green the barren western region has resulted in an unexpected substantial reward: the discovery of a unique ancient city covered by desert sands for more than 1,000 years.

It is the only ruined city of the Xiongnu (Huns) ever found, said Dai Yingxin, a well-known Chinese archaeologist. The Xiongnu was a northern nomadic ethnic group that was influential in northern China for 10 centuries in ancient times.

The uncovered city occupies one square km in Jing

China renovates slavery museum
A museum devoted to a slave society that disappeared only 50 years ago has been modernized and expanded in Sichuan Province, southwest China.

More relic exhibits have been added to the Museum of the Yi Ethnic Group as a Slave Society, which covers 30,000 square meters and is located in Lushan, southeast of Xichang City.

The museum was also equipped for the first time with modern facilities such as video, sound and electronic demonstration tools.

With a population of 1.8 mill

Central section of Beijing-Zhuhai expressway project completed
The Hubei Province segment of the Beijing-Zhuhai expressway was completed when the central province's southern section opened to traffic recently.

The expressway connects Beijing to Zhuhai via Guangzhou, both in south China's Guangdong Province, for a total length of 2,310 km.

The northern section and the Junshan Yangtze River Bridge, Wuhan city, section of the three-part expressway project were completed and put into service late last year. With the completion of the 110-km southe

Beijing reports rapid economic growth
The economy of the Chinese capital grew robustly during the first three quarters this year, according to latest figures.

Beijing's statistics bureau announced that the municipality generated 215.29 billion yuan (25.9 billion US dollars) in gross domestic product during the first nine months, a 9.6 percent rise over the same period last year.

The primary and tertiary industries are believed to be the driving forces of the city's booming economy.

The first three quarters saw a

Six Chinese aviation companies founded
As a result of mergers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines were established here Friday (Oct.11).

These corporations were founded on the basis of nine airline companies.

Air China now has total assets worth 57.3 billion yuan (6.9 billion US dollars) and operates 307 air routes with 118 planes.

China Eastern Airlines has total assets of 47.3 billion yuan (5.7 billion dollars) and 386 air routes with 142 planes.

China Southern Airlines has tot

Guangdong people to enjoy easier access to SARs
Apart from retired government officials of county-level or above, all Guangdong residents above 60 or under 16 will soon need only their household registration when applying for travel documents to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs).

According to China Daily, an official from the Exit and Entry Department under the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security said recently that the plan is designed to encourage more of the young and the elderly in Guangdong to

70 Dead in Drifting Somalia Boat
At least 70 people who were headed to Persian Gulf states in search of jobs died after drifting at sea for two weeks. The boat was carrying 120 Somalis and Ethiopians from the village of Marear more than two weeks ago. The engine failed, leaving them drifting in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, survivors said. The remaining 50 passengers were given food and water after their boat beached Sunday near Las Qorey, about 750 miles north of Mogadishu, said Abdalleh Mohamud, a local official.

China Builds Strong Infrastructure
Ten years ago, most Chinese people had never seen a mobile phone. Today, however, 150 million Chinese people own a mobile phone. Twenty years ago, it was difficult for a family to acquire a telephone. Today, there is an average of 25.9 telephones per 100 persons nationwide. The explosion in telecommunications technology has brought convenience to the daily life of Chinese people and serves as a primary example of the positive changes in China's primary industries and infrastructure. According to

China boosts cooperation with overseas educational institutions
Joint programs between Chinese and overseas institutions play an important part in China's academic exchanges with the outside world and have become increasingly popular in China.

Statistics show that 657 such programs have been opened in China currently, to offer degrees recognized both in China and the country or region concerned.

The figure was about 70 in 1995 when official provisions for such joint programs were released.

These programs have introduced better quality te

More foreigners studying in China
China has attracted some 410,000 foreign students over the past ten years when about 300,000 Chinese have gone abroad for study, an Education Ministry official said recently.

Among the foreign students, 240,000 came to China in the last five years.

The academic fields the foreign students are mainly interested in have expanded from the Chinese language and traditional Chinese medicine to science and technology, economics, management and law, the official said.

135,000 Chinese return from foreign study
China has sent some 458,000 students to study abroad since the policy of reform and open-up was implementation in 1978, and 135,000 of these have come back and made great contributions in all walks of life.

With an attempt to court and support more people with overseas study experience to return and serve their homeland, the Ministry of Education has established a series of favorable policies since the beginning of the 1990's.

The ministry issued a fund management regulation in 199

Harbin sex education exhibition fills a need
A man named Huo took his 11-year-old son to the on-going sex education exhibition held in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

"I wanted to talk to him about sex but really didn't know where to begin. The timing is good while visiting an exhibition like this," he said.

In the past two months the exhibition has attracted more than 10,000 visitors.

Combining pictures with video-audio equipment, it aims to promote people's knowledge about sex and protect

Global retail giants promote "Made-in-China" products around the world
Leading global retailers and industrial manufacturers purchase billions of dollars worth of made-in-China commodities every year, becoming a major force for promoting Chinese goods on international markets.

Chinese people may not be familiar with the names of Kingfisher and Karstadt Quelle, but they are among the retail giants, including Wal-mart, Carrefour and METRO, helping distribute China-made commodities worldwide through retailing.

Since China is perhaps the only country in t

China faces impending cardiovascular epidemic: official
China faces an impending epidemic of cardiovascular illnesses and should make immediate changes in unhealthy lifestyles for better prevention, a public health official said here recently.

Cancers, cerebral vascular diseases and heart illnesses have become the top three health-related killers of China's approximately 450 million urban residents, replacing respiratory system diseases, infectious diseases and tuberculosis, prevalent in the 1950s, she said.

In addition, these illnesses

51 foreign experts in China receive "Friendship Award"
Fifty-one foreign experts working in China received this year's "Friendship Award" at a ceremony here recently, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress.

Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, along with several other senior officials, presented the honor to the foreign experts from 19 countries.

Qian said that China's tremendous achievements over the past two decades could not have been attained without the sincere cooperation, active pa

More talented people get Shanghai residence permits
More than 4,000 people from outside Shanghai were granted residence permits in this bustling metropolis before Oct. 1. and celebrated their first National Day holiday as locals.

Their adopted city released on June 15 a residence permit regulation which stipulates non-Shanghai residents can enjoy the same treatment as locals once their applications for residence permits are approved.

The regulation is the first of its kind in China. The granting of urban citizenship in the country,

Science Popularization Train leaves for West China
The "Science Popularization Train for West China" was kicked off here Monday with the aim of promoting science education.

Fang Chengtian, the organizer of the journey, said the 10-day activity would spread science knowledge and promote the development of the western region, covering nine counties of the northwestern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu Province.

Eighty-seven experts from 20 central and local departments, including experts in med

Three Gorges forest and wildlife park opens to visitors
The Three Gorges Forest and Wildlife Park has opened recently, giving visitors a chance to see endangered wild animals in a protected natural habitat.

Covering 72.04 hectares, the park is 14 km from downtown Yichang in central China's Hubei Province and 45 km from the Three Gorges Dam, where a massive hydraulic project is being constructed.

Costing 120 million yuan (14.45 million US dollars), the park will be a wild animal protection and breeding center under the State Forestry Adm

Tibet receives increasing number of visitors
The Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China hosted more than 780,000 visitors from the rest of the country and abroad in the first nine months this year, an increase of 18.7 percent from a year earlier, tourism officials here said Sunday (Oct.13).

The total tourism income in this period reached 854 million yuan (103 million US dollars), a year-on-year growth of 7.8 percent.

Among the visitors, more than 97,700 were from other Asian countries, Europe and America, dropping slightl

Shanghai changes airport for overseas flights
All international, Hong Kong and Macao flights to and from Shanghai will take off and land at Pudong International Airport as of midnight Oct. 27.

The move will make the newly-built Pudong airport in Pudong New District the sole airport in the city for international flights, and for flights to and from Hong Kong and Macao, said Wu Nianzu, vice secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, at a press conference Monday.

Wu said some domestic flights would also be directed t

China's Baotou City wins UN Habitat Award
China's Baotou municipal government received an UN award recently for its "outstanding improvements in shelter and the urban environment and successful cooperation with other Chinese cities".

After receiving the honor at a World Habitat Day meeting of celebrations in Brussels, Xing Yun, the leader of Baotou city of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, told Xinhua that he hopes other cities across the globe can share the successful experience of Baotou in housing for medium- and