China to become major air transport market
China is expected to become one of the world's leading air transport markets in 20 years, a Chinese academic report predicted.
Professor Hu Naiwu, the author of the report, of the People's University of China, quoted a forecast by the Boeing Company by saying that China's air transport would grow at an annual rate of 8.1 percent in the next 20 years, almost double the world average growth rate.
But, Hu said, the scale of China's cargo transport was inconsistent with its status as t
China tipped to widen civil aircraft products
China will produce a bigger range of civil aircraft than ever before within the next few years, according to industry sources.
China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) will have 8 new types of civil aircraft to put on the market successively in the next 3 to 5 years, including helicopters, regional jets, general aircraft and training aircraft.
Helicopters currently being developed are the 2.2-ton Z-11 MB1,4.2-ton H425, 13-ton Z8F and 6-ton general purpose helicopter. Fixed
Robust growth in China's air transport in next decade tipped
Air traffic in China is expected to maintain robust growth in the next decade, says Gao Hongfeng, deputy director general of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
The average annual growth rate for air transport will likely stay around 10 percent in a decade from 2001 to 2010, he said Sunday (Nov.3) in the southern city of Zhuhai at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Forum 2002.
By 2010, China's total air traffic would reach 30 billion ton-kilome
China vows to further open aviation, aerospace industries
Adopting WTO requirements, China will open up still wider to the outside world in the aviation and aerospace industries, says Sun Laiyan, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
The Chinese government would encourage and support China's aviation and aerospace firms to actively develop domestic and overseas markets and make full use of resources from home and abroad to raise their competitiveness, he said on Sunday (Nov.3
Growing numbers of Chinese have access to education
Figures from China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that, over the past five years, China has made great progress in education and has seen marked increases in enrollment and literacy.
According to the NBS, as of 2001, 1.35 million schools had been established, and 320 million people were enrolled in schools, an indicator that one out of four Chinese is a registered student.
China now has the largest-scale educational system in the world, and according to an official
First encyclopedia of Mongolian studies published
Two volumes of a comprehensive Mongolian encyclopedia, the world's first, have recently been published by the Inner Mongolian People's Publishing House.
The two volumes are on Mongolian literature and medicine. The publishing of 18 more volumes will be completed by 2006, covering a large number of subjects including ancient Mongolian history, geography, cultural relics and archeology.
The encyclopedia will be published in both Mongolian and Chinese languages.
North China's I
China to step up protection of endangered wildlife, plant species
China's endangered species, including pandas, golden monkeys and Tibetan antelopes will receive more effective protection, according to a report by a senior official.
Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA), said in his report that the SFA plans to set up more nature reserves and breeding bases in the next two years in an effort to preserve China's endangered wildlife and plants.
Delivering his report to the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the
Beauty of Bouyei marriage culture preserved in private museum
Sixty-four-year-old Li Xiuliang runs a museum to preserve the Bouyei ethnic marriage culture in Zhenshan Village in southwest China.
The museum, in Huaxi County of Guizhou Province, is actually part of Li's home. He converted some of his rooms into a museum at a cost of 10,000 yuan (1,204 US dollars) after six years of preparation.
The museum displays over 400 paintings depicting traditional Bouyei love stories and wedding rites.
For thousands of years, within the Bouyei cul
Holy eagles in Tibet undisturbed by railway construction
The ongoing construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway may be creating a stir for many residents on the plateau, but for "holy eagles" hovering overhead, they live as usual as they continue to descend for their prey.
Despite the noise below, vultures haven't stopped gorging on the offerings of dismembered dead bodies left on celestial burial sites. Construction workers and organizers have gone out of their way and changed routes in order to preserve those sites.
Celestial burial mea
182-meter-long painting of ancient Beijing completed
A 182-meter-long scroll painting, which depicts the grandeur of ancient Beijing in the 17th and 18th centuries, has been completed by a group of Chinese painters.
The painting was put on display at a news conference recently at the Great Hall of the People. Tomur Dawamat, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, was present.
According to the sponsors of the painting, including the People's Daily and over 20 other institutions, the painters spent th
Zhuhai Airshow bigger than ever
Zhuhai Airshow has drawn more exhibitors and the display area is larger than ever before, according to organizers on Sunday (Nov.3).
Firms from 28 countries and regions have registered for the show which is due to run from November 4 to 7 in the coastal open city of Zhuhai, in south China's Guangdong province. The display area will cover 15,000 square meters, 2,000 square meters more than at the last airshow two years ago.
All companies from China and overseas are expected to exhib
Three Gorges dam project impresses foreign tourists
The massive Three Gorges dam project on China's longest waterway, the Yangtze River, has impressed foreign tourists recently visiting the river and dam site.
Gisela Hiot, a noted German architect, said he envied Chinese engineers who had the chance to work on such a gigantic project.
His friend Julia Wedel, also an architect working in London, said it was admirable to conserve water and produce hydroelectic power on the huge river.
She said she was worried before she came he
New travel route to famed scenic spots to open
A new travel route providing a package tour to two world-class tourist destinations, the Three Gorges and the Shennongjia Nature Reserve -- known as the home of China's "Bigfoot" -- is to open in central China's Hubei province.
When the Three Gorges Dam begins storing water in June 2003, the water level of the Yangtze River will rise to allow visitors to arrive at a wharf in Xingshan county directly by boat. From there they can take a one-hour bus trip to Shennongjia.
Hubei is spee
Beijing dresses up for Party Congress
With the five-star national flags festooning Beijing's main artery Chang'an Avenue and the Great Hall of the People and other buildings around Tian'anmen Square ablaze with lights, the capital city is dressed up for the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which starts here on Nov. 8.
The city has been decorated since Nov.1 the same as on major holidays such as the Spring Festival and the National Day. Chinese decorative knots, red lanterns and flowers are display
Yunnan Proposes Establishment of Lancang-Mekong Tourism Zone
The government of southwest China's Yunnan Province has proposed the creation of a tourism zone along the Lancang-Mekong rivers in collaboration with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The proposal was put forth by a Yunnan official during a recent international seminar organized to discuss the establishment of an east-west economic corridor. According to the proposal, six cross-border travel routes will be established. The first would link tourist destinations i
First Hong Kong Fujian Festival to Be Held
The "2002 Hong Kong Fujian Festival", the first of its kind, is to be held in Hong Kong from Nov. 16 to Dec. 7, said the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations here Tuesday. A series of activities, including forums on economic and financial cooperation between Hong Kong and Fujian, a food festival and Fujian's traditional arts performances, will be launched during the festival to promote the understanding of Hong Kong people toward the economic, social and cultural aspects of Fujian provinc
Stone Age Relics Unearthed in Southwest China
Chinese archaeologists have discovered a site from the Paleolithic era in southwest China's Yunnan Province, unearthing fossils of more than 30 species of animals and many stone tools. The site is located inside a cave near the Bale Village of Jinghong City, in Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna. The cave is about three kilometers from the border between China and Myanmar. The most valuable discovery is a fossilized shell used as money, dating back 13,000 years, in the shape of female ge
Huaqiao University Confers Master's Degree on 30 Macao Students in 2002
Huaqiao University based in Quanzhou City in east China's Fujian Province, the hometown of numerous overseas Chinese, has offered Master's degree to a total of 30 Macao students in 2002. President Wu Chengye of the university said at a press conference here Wednesday that the move will partly meet the demand of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) for high-profile people in the process of economic expansion and help Macao's college graduates further enhance their abilities. Huaqiao Univ
Emergency Rescue Required for Cultural Relics in Three Gorges Dam Area
Hundreds of archeologists from around China, devoted to the protection of cultural relics in the dam area of the Three Gorges, can feel the clock ticking as the water of the Yangtze River, China's longest, is ready to fill the partially-built reservoir. Right on schedule, the damming of the diversion canal used during phase-two of the Three Gorges Hydro-Power Project will be completed Wednesday, prompting the river water to flow into the dam area. Cultural relics situated below the 135-meter wat
Credit Spending Encouraged in Beijing
Beijing residents have the highest credit consumption record, according to the second China Credit Consumption Index Survey issued jointly by China Economic Monitoring Analysis Center of the State Statistical Bureau and MasterCard International in 2001. However, the city plans to further expand credit consumption by urging commercial banks to develop more new personalized loan services and simplifying formalities, according to a senior official with the Beijing Municipal Planning Committee. Apar
Purchasing Power Soars
When Ding Yuqin got married in 1970, the most treasured things in her dowry were a sewing machine and a pocket-sized radio, two of the most-sought-after items in urban China at that time. But such things now seem quaint and of little value to today's Chinese, who have been financially empowered by China's opening-up and reform policies established in the late 1970s. Living in a newly decorated three-bedroom apartment near the Asian Games Village in Beijing, Ding now has a 29-inch color TV, a DVD
Purchasing Power Increases Rapidly
When Ding Yuqin got married in 1970, the most treasured things in her dowry were a sewing machine and a pocket-sized radio, two of the most-sought-after items in urban China at that time. But such things now seem quaint and of little value to today's Chinese, who have been financially empowered by China's opening-up and reform policies established in the late 1970s. Living in a newly decorated three-bedroom apartment near the Asian Games Village in Beijing, Ding now has a 29-inch color TV, a DVD
Yunnan to Establish New Tourism Zone
The government of southwest China's Yunnan Province has proposed the creation of a tourism zone along the Lancang-Mekong rivers in collaboration with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The proposal was put forth by a Yunnan official during a recent international seminar organized to discuss the establishment of an east-west economic corridor. According to the proposal, six cross-border travel routes will be established. The first would link tourist destinations i
Incentive urged for TCM growth
Chinese experts on medicines are urging the authorities to raise the economic leverage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), by giving this area the status of a strategic industry such as that enjoyed by the automobile, oil and food industries.
They also call for improvements in the quality of TCM products, formulation of industrial standards and strengthening rules and regulations, as required to modernize the business, China Daily reports on Nov.2.
The global traditional medicin
Traditional Chinese medicine grabs world attention
As part of China's cultural treasure, traditional Chinese medicine is currently attracting plenty of attention from around the world.
At 2002 International Conference and Exhibition on Modernizing Traditional Chinese Medicine (ICETCM) held in Sichuan Province, Li Xueyong, deputy minister of science and technology, said China would depend on scientific progress to completely modernize and internationalize traditional Chinese medicine.
The ICETCM 2002 is jointly sponsored by the Mini
China improves quality control of Chinese medicines
Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in developing techniques for quality control of Chinese medicines, a senior medical expert said on Monday.
The computer aided technology analyzed the "fingerprint," or distinguishing traits peculiar to each type of medicine, according to Qian Zhongzhi, director of the Chinese medicine department of the national pharmacopeia committee.
The technology was able to scrutinize overall quality, instead of simply checking a few ingredients of ea
China to amend codex of traditional Chinese medicine
China is going to make major amendments to its "constitution" of Chinese medicine -- the Codex of Chinese Medicine -- in six major aspects so as to promote standardization and modernization, a senior medical expert said on Monday.
Since 1985, China has amended the codex every five years in order to recruit new technologies. The amendment, set for 2005, would be the eighth revision and included changes in six fields, according to Qian Zhongzhi, director of the Chinese medicine department o
China to modernize traditional medicine
The Chinese government has set a target of revamping the traditional Chinese medicine industry, which offers unique treatments for a number of specific diseases such as AIDS and diabetes.
Li Xueyong, vice-minister of science and technology, said traditional Chinese medicine had become more and more recognized by the international community.
He made the remark while addressing the International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine that opened Sunday (Nov.3
China an advanced country in medical biology: health official
China is one of the leading countries in the world in the field of medical biology, a senior health official has claimed.
Zheng Xiaoyu, head of the State Drug Administration, said the country was producing 21 sorts of genetically-engineered drugs and vaccines, including eight of the 10 best-selling products.
He told a seminar in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang provincein east China, that a sizable genetically-engineered pharmaceutical industry had emerged in China, as an increasi
China highlights men's sexual health
A hundred communities in 16 Chinese cities promoted sexual health advice services for men on Oct.28 to mark the country's third Male Health Day.
China's first exhibition on male reproductive health is also currently being held in the capital, Beijing, to coincide with the event.
China named October 28 Male Health Day in 2000 and hundreds of thousands of Chinese men have shown great interest in related health services in the past two years.
This year, the theme of the day was
Shanghai Port sees more visiting ships
Shanghai Port, one leading foreign trade port in China, reported a 10 percent increase in the average daily number of coming and leaving ships in the first nine months this year over the same period last year.
On average, 62 vessels were logged each day, which rose 16.7 percent than the average figure for the previous three years, according to statistics from Shanghai Customs.
Customs officers attributed the increase to the continuous growth in foreign trade following China's entry
Oldest, largest primitive village unearthed in north China
A 8,200-year-old village of Xinglongwa Culture was recently discovered in the Aohan Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The oldest village site so far discovered in China, it is also the largest and most well-preserved, announced the archeologists whose excavation of the Xinglonggou Site near the Xiliao River came to a close Oct. 25.
According to Liu Guoxiang, assistant researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11 house foundations, 10 graves and 12 ash p
China moves to protect intangible heritage
China, a cradle of the world's intangible cultural heritage, is striving to protect its traditional cultural and artistic forms from extinction in its modernized society.
Though the impact of industrialization is a recent challenge in China, moves have been made to protect traditional arts, which are gradually giving way to movies and pop music.
The Xiyuan Publishing House plans to publish a series to promote Chinese folk arts.
In March, a non-governmental association launch
New Air China broadens aviation business
A brand new and bigger Air China was launched in Beijing recently. At 12:30, its flight CA 1901 flew on a new route from Beijing to Urumchi for the first time.
Air China aims to become the top airline in Asia and even the world, according to company president Li Jiaxiang. Turnover this year was tipped to be 25 billion yuan (3 billion US dollars), he said .
The biggest company under the newly regrouped China National Aviation Holding Company (CNAH), Air China will be in charge of av
Restructuring puts Air China in advantageous position
A new Air China that integrates the best parts of three Chinese airlines - Air China, China Southwest and China Aviation Corporation - was established in Beijing recently.
The strategy is the first essential step towards the listing of Beijing-based China National Aviation Holding Company, which is widely considered to have the most advantages of the country's three key domestic air carriers.
The three airline groups were reorganized earlier this month, taking in two smaller carrie
Three Gorges Dam able to withstand attack of conventional arms
The solid concrete structure of the Three Gorges Project, the world's largest water conservancy project, has been designed with a strong defense capability to withstand attacks of conventional arms, said the project undertaker.
Ever since the initial feasibility study, there was wide-spread concern that, should an attack take place, the Three Gorges Reservoir holding water at a storage level of over 100 meters could present a serious flood risk to China's prosperous eastern provinces and
Shanghai stands ready for Expo
Leaders in China's economic powerhouse Shanghai say the city is ready to host the 2010 World Expo and receive the expected 70 million visitors if China wins the bid.
City Mayor Chen Liangyu has promised US$2.5 billion in direct investment for the project to fund related infrastructure construction for transportation, communications, water supply, commercial facilities and old urban area renovation.
Shanghai has a highly efficient transportation network with plans for expansion in t
China to Become Aircraft Parts Manufacture Center
When people travel by air, they may not be aware that 25 percent of Boeing or Airbus plane parts are made in China. And this ratio will continue to . During the ongoing Zhuhai airshow, noted foreign exhibitors show their confidence in the China market, and have signed numerous contracts to increase their cooperation with China, including Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Fiat. Airbus signed contracts with three companies affiliated to the China Aviation Industry Corporation I to produce assemble p
Ditched Aerobatics Cut Air Show Attendance
The fourth Zhuhai air show entered the last day for professional visitors yesterday, but will run for another three days for the general public. Sources with the organizing committee said they expected fewer visitors due to the cancellation of aerobatic performances. They estimated that 200,000 visitors might come to see the air show this year, compared with 600,000 for the last show two years ago. But one publicity official, who preferred to be unnamed, said the number of ordinary spectators co
Quiet Achievers Add to Party Voice
The 2,120 delegates expected to attend the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will open tomorrow in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People, represent a wide spectrum of professions and careers in current Chinese society. With their diligence, devotion and even personal sacrifices, they have excelled in their jobs and won trust and confidence from their colleagues and the public. The following stories, by China Daily feature writers Yu Nan, Wang Shanshan and Chen
Village Business Manager Zhang Houhua
This is the third time that Zhang Houhua, 55, has been elected as a delegate to the CPC National Congress. Zhang, the founder and president of Huanghe (Yellow River) Group in Fugu County, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, started village business ventures in 1994. Today, his company, consisting of 11 factories and several sales companies, is one of the largest village and township enterprises in the county. "I am honored to represent farmers when attending the meetings," said Zhang, who was bo
Ditched Aerobatics Cut Air Show Attendance
The fourth Zhuhai air show entered the last day for professional visitors yesterday, but will run for another three days for the general public. Sources with the organizing committee said they expected fewer visitors due to the cancellation of aerobatic performances. They estimated that 200,000 visitors might come to see the air show this year, compared with 600,000 for the last show two years ago. But one publicity official, who preferred to be unnamed, said the number of ordinary spectators co
Education Program Helps Girls in Poverty
More than 13,000 poverty-stricken adolescent girls will have access to a special education and training program over the next three years, which is expected to help them create a better life for themselves with their own hands. The program, with a budget of US$3.7 million from the British Government, was officially launched yesterday. It is the first partnership project between the Chinese and British governments in the field of social development. The project focuses on the educational and skil
Macao's Tourism Industry Booming
Macao posted a double-digit growth inthe number of tourist arrivals in the first nine months of this year, led by huge influx of China's inlanders. According to the Macao Government Tourist Office, tourist arrivals in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) jumped a year-on-year 10.3 percent to 8.49 million from January to September. Hong Kong remained the largest tourist source for Macao, bringing 3.92 million visitors to Macao. China's inland was catching up quickly by providing 2.95 million t
China Hopes for Just Settlement of Mideast Issues
Visiting Chinese Mideast envoy Wang Shijie stressed on Wednesday that China hopes for a comprehensive, just and durable settlement to Mideast issues. "The peaceful settlement of Mideast issues will be conducive to stability and peace in the region and the world at large," Wang told reporters upon his arrival at Cairo, the first stop of his maiden Mideast visit. "China, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, enjoys good relationships with countries in the region.
Ancient Graveyard Comes to Light
Pedestrians like strolling along the pleasant Commercial Street in the center of this capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Lined with Chinese parasol trees, a canopy covering the sky, the street is so tranquil that its name is ill chosen. As they stroll, few of the pedestrians know that in the sheds opposite the compound of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are housed a treasure trove of priceless cultural relics dating back about 2,500 years. These
Archaeological Discoveries
Hailed as one of Sichuan's most important archaeological finds linked to the ancient Shu culture after the discovery of the Sanxingdui Ruins in 1929 in nearby Guanghan, the discovery of the graveyard on Commercial Street in Chengdu was listed among China's top 10 archaeological finds in 2000. The discovery won the distinction because of the size and value of the boat-shaped and single-plank coffins and the profusion of exquisite cultural relics excavated, the State Bureau of Cultural Relics anno
More Tourists to Philippines Despite Negative Travel Advisory
Tourist arrivals in the Philippines so far this year are six percent higher than in the same period last year, despite negative travel advisories issued by some western countries, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said Thursday. More tourists are coming from Singapore, Australia and China, which made up for a reduction in the arrivals form Europe and the United States, Gordon said, adding that tourist numbers would be even higher if the United States had not issued warnings about travel to Southe
Dadiwan Relics Break Archeological Records
After 20 years of excavation, study and collation, archeologists have made a series of significant breakthroughs regarding the Dadiwan relics of Qin'an, Gansu Province. The associate research fellow of Gansu Culture Relics Research Institute Lang Shude, who took charge of the study, recently told reporters that the Dadiwan artifacts broke six Chinese archeological records. These finds are of great significance in understanding the historical progressions of the Neolithic Age in the Yellow River
Three Gorges dam will stand long
The chief engineer of the massive Three Gorges dam project said here Tuesday that the dam will have a long life with a high standard of safety.
Zhang Chaoran, chief engineer of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, said the project had China's best construction team, the world's most advanced equipment and the latest technology.
The safety of a dam was decided by the quality of concrete, said the engineer, adding that the concrete used in the project
Three Gorges Project assisted by over 6,000 foreign experts
More than 6,000 foreign hydroelectric and dam specialists have taken part in the construction of the Three Gorges Project on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
The foreign experts are from over 50 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Russia and Brazil.
The Three Gorges Project, which began construction in 1993, will consist of a 2,309-meter-long dam, 26 power generators, a permanent ship lock and a ship lift.
The p
Emergency rescue required for cultural relics in Three Gorges dam area
Hundreds of archeologists from around China, devoted to the protection of cultural relics in the dam area of the Three Gorges, can feel the clock ticking as the water of the Yangtze River, China's longest, is ready to fill the partially-built reservoir.
Right on schedule, the damming of the diversion canal used during phase-two of the Three Gorges Hydro-Power Project will be completed Wednesday, prompting the river water to flow into the dam area.
Cultural relics situated below the
Diversion canal for Three Gorges Project closes
The diversion canal built during the construction of the Three Gorges Project, a huge hydropower project on China's Yangtze River, was closed at 9:48 am Wednesday, signifying the 6,300-km-long Yangtze River has been completely dammed.
The canal was used since 1997 to facilitate construction of the Three Gorges Dam, located near Yichang in central China's Hubei Province.
Dubbed the "man-made Yangtze River," the 3.5-km-long canal served as an interim navigation route as well as a wat
China vows to guarantee quality of Three Gorges project
China will strive to guarantee the quality of the second phase of construction on the Three Gorges project, Premier Zhu Rongji said in Beijing recently.
Zhu made the remark at a meeting of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee under the State Council.
He said the country would tighten supervision on construction as the project had entered a crucial stage.
China would make full preparations for the second damming of the Yangtze River and ensure that the reservoir wo
Birthrate drops as urbanites delay marriage, pregnancy
Contrary to widespread concerns that the baby boomers born in the 1960s and 1970s might give birth to another baby boom, the birthrate in major Chinese cities has continued to fall as most urbanites choose to get married and have children at a much later age.
In Tianjin, a northern municipality with a population of over 10 million, 74,600 babies were born in 2001, 24,000 less than the 1997 figure, according to the city's statistical bureau.
The latest national census, conducted in
Ancient flute provides clue to origins of traditional Chinese music
An 8,700-year-old bone flute unearthed in central China's Henan Province has been proven to use a seven-tone scale, an unusual number in traditional Chinese music, said a local researcher at the regular Asian-Pacific international museum conference held recently in Shanghai, east China.
Traditional Chinese music usually uses a five-tone scale. These tones in ancient times were dubbed Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi and Yu, corresponding to 1,2,3,5 and 6 in numbered musical notation.
The loc
Aviation industry needs more reform
The long-awaited consolidation of the domestic aviation industry has finally occurred. While this brings hope that the restructuring will enhance the industry's efficiency and benefit consumers substantially, systemic obstacles still remain and cloud the much hoped-for growth of the industry.
Under the reshuffling plan, the three newly-organized companies - Air China based in Beijing, China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai and China Southern Airlines in Guangzhou - must cut economic links wit
China's service industry to attract more investment
China's service industries are set to become a major attraction for investment while maintaining fast growth, a leading economist predicts.
Lu Baifu, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the service sector required a large amount of capital and technology to renovate traditional industries and develop new industries such as information technology.
Lu, who advised on major national economic policies, said the service sector, including telecom
Direct cross-Straits flights may start early next year
Beijing may allow direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits early next year, a senior Taiwan affairs official said recently.
The move would be regarded as an interim measure while Beijing pushes for the establishment of the so-called "three direct links'' -- on transport, trade and postal services.
Li Weiyi, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the mainland is willing to take active measures to facilitate such a flight arrangement.
Mainland side ready for "direct links" across Taiwan Strait, says spokesman
The mainland side is ready to realize the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait, a senior official said in Beijing on Wednesday (Oct.30).
Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said an increasingly earnest request for direct links for mail, trade and transport services between the two sides was being heard from the Taiwan community, especially its business circles.
Achieving the direct links was the mainland's ongoing intention and was neces
Yunnan proposes establishment of Lancang-Mekong tourism zone
The government of southwest China's Yunnan Province has proposed the creation of a tourism zone along the Lancang-Mekong rivers in collaboration with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The proposal was put forth by a Yunnan official during a recent international seminar organized to discuss the establishment of an east-west economic corridor.
According to the proposal, six cross-border travel routes will be established. The first would link tourist
Analysis: Historic step to win-win deal for China, ASEAN
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and leaders of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries signed a landmark framework agreement Monday on enhancing full-range economic cooperation, marking the beginning of setting up a China-ASEAN free trade zone.
The signing of the agreement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was a major step for China and ASEAN toward coming out on top in the face of a world economic slowdown, analysts said.
Last November, Zhu and the ASEAN leaders made
Yangtze River Three Gorges stopped from flow
With the closure of the man-made diversion canal completed at the Three Gorges Project Wednesday morning, the Yangtze, China's longest river, is fully stopped from natural flow at the famed Three Gorges.
A reservoir with a serene water surface behind the main dam will take shape after workers complete on the southern bank of the Yangtze the final 665-meter-long section of the 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam in the next eight months.
Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committ
Travel Bug Still Untamed
The "atmosphere of terror" hovering over Southeast Asian tourist destinations hasn't dampened local travelers' enthusiasm, but tour agencies are concerned about possible fallout on business during the Spring Festival holiday season in early February. Shanghai Daily learned from three major local travel agencies there has been no marked decline in the number of Shanghainese registering for tours in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. This despite several cases of arson and bomb attacks in Thailand
Qingdao University of Oceanology Renamed
Qingdao University of Oceanology has been renamed the China University of Oceanology as part of its effort to become globally influential in its field, according to a spokesperson for the university. Located in the famous coastal city of Qingdao in Shandong Province, east China, the university was set up in 1924 as a private institution of higher learning and has become quite prestigious in China. The university now boasts 15,000 students, and the figure is expected to increase by 1,500 by 2005.
Xinjiang Completes Border Demarcation
A 14-year project to demarcate the borders defining the administrative units of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has come to a close. The mammoth project, in which 33,600 kilometers of borders were demarcated, was fraught with danger due to the remote, desert terrain. In the course of the demarcation process, according to local government officials, several workers stranded in the desert nearly lost their lives. According to Uygur officials, the demarcation was a crucial step in putting an e
NE China Great Wall Restored With World Bank Loans
Jiumenkou Great Wall, the only section of China's mighty wall built over water, has been carefully restored in northeast Liaoning Province. To restore the Jiumenkou section, China for the first time madeuse of loans from the World Bank available for the repair of cultural relics. From 1998 to 2000, the northern part of the section was repaired at the cost of US$200,000. The project included rebuilding water gates, battlements and the wall body. Previously, the Jiumenkou Great Wall underwent a la
First World Culture Exhibition Center in China
Construction of China's first world culture exhibition center began recently in the coastal city of Quanzhou in Fujian Province, southeast China. The exhibition center is being created for the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2002 to draw attention to cultural heritage as a means for peace and reconciliation, as well as development. The center will be used to showcase cultural heritage from around the w
Satellite Used to Track Endangered Green Turtle
Satellite tracking is used to trace the migratory route and feeding ground of a green turtle by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong for the conservation of this highly endangered species. "This is the first time Hong Kong applied this technique to trace a green turtle," AFCD Nature Conservation Officer Simon ChanKin-fung said at a media briefing Saturday on the conservation work and breeding result of green turtles in Hong Kong this year. "Green turtle is t
Autumn: The Best of Beijing
Red leaves are season's delight Photographers and travelers alike regard the period up to the middle of November as the best time to enjoy the city's turning leaves. The red of maples and the yellow of ginkgoes bring a vibrant color to the outskirts and offer a relaxing day out - if you can successfully avoid the crowds. The Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan Park) were once regarded as the best place to watch the mountain trees turn red and yellow thanks to the large concentration of maple and smoke tre
Press Conference on Economic Situation, Social Development
Officials from the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) and the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) held a press conference Sunday afternoon on nation's economic situation and social development.
Economy Maintains Good Momentum in 2002
Jiangxi Delegates Endorsing Jiang's Report
The report delivered by Jiang Zemin at the 16th CPC National Congress is inspiring and of great significance to China's further modernization drive in the new century, says Meng Jianzhu, secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, in a group discussion. The report shows the road the Party will take and the targets it will obtain in the future, and it reflects the practical situation in Jiangxi and China as a whole, said Meng. It represents demands of the times and aspirations of the peopl
Achievements Made in Industrial Restructuring, SOE Reforms & Rectifying and Regulating Market Economic Order
Since the fourth Plenary Session of the thirteenth Party Congress, faced with a series of significant changes in domestic and foreign economic environment, China has actively pushed forward its structural readjustments, continuously intensified systematic reforms and further strengthened market constructions. Great progress has been made in industrial restructuring and state-owned enterprises reform, periodic achievements made in rectifying and regulating market economic order, which contributes
Jiangxi Delegates Endorsing Jiang's Report
The report delivered by Jiang Zemin at the 16th CPC National Congress is inspiring and of great significance to China's further modernization drive in the new century, says Meng Jianzhu, secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, in a group discussion. The report shows the road the Party will take and the targets it will obtain in the future, and it reflects the practical situation in Jiangxi and China as a whole, said Meng. It represents demands of the times and aspirations of the peopl
Brawn, Beauty and Brains to Boot
Ma Yanli was a promising professional athlete with a photogenic face and figure made for gold medals and magazine covers. Sidelined by an injury, the medals were not to be had, but Ma wouldn't stay idle long. Indeed, the minute the 1.79-meter beauty hit the runway, she became a successful fashion model. After a decade gracing magazine covers and garnering kudos on the catwalk, Ma wouldn't fade away. Ma Yanli wears a jeans evening gown, one of the designs in MaryMa collection. Ma Yanli has change
China's First Cross-strait Train Ferry Passes Trial Run
China's first cross-strait train ferry has passed a trial run and is expected to begin full operation on Dec. 28 across the Qiongzhou Straits in south China, a shipping official said here Sunday in the capital of Hainan, south China's island province. The 210 million yuan (25 million US dollar) ferry will be used to carry trains, cars and passengers across the Qiongzhou Straits,linking Haikou city with Xuwen county in Guangdong province, the official said. The ferry, built at a Shanghai shipyard
Tomb of Ancient Poet to Be Restored
The tomb of Du Fu, a celebrated poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is scheduled to be restored to its original form. Du Fu, renowned for his lyrical poetry expressing the misery of the people of his time, died of disease in 768 and was buried in Xiaotian Village of Pingjiang County in central China's Hunan Province. Tong Shengping, director of the Construction Office of the Du Fu Tomb in Pingjiang, said that the "comprehensive" restoration is scheduled to begin soon. He declined to name the s
Mud Statue of Ancient Monk Found in NW China
A mud statue of an ancient monk, originally believed to be that of a Tibetan god, was discovered by Chinese scholars in Xianrenya Grotto in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province. The monk, called Sizhoudashi in Chinese, was once widely worshipped as a god among Chinese civilians from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The long-time belief that the statue, set in a Lama pavilion, was a Tibetan god, was set right when scholars unveiled the tight
HK Uses Satellite to Track Endangered Green Turtle
Satellite tracking is used to trace the migratory route and feeding ground of a green turtle by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong for the conservation of this highly endangered species. "This is the first time Hong Kong applied this technique to trace a green turtle," AFCD Nature Conservation Officer Simon ChanKin-fung said at a media briefing Saturday on the conservation work and breeding result of green turtles in Hong Kong this year. "Green turtle is t
Gunman Kills Five in Israeli Kibbutz Attack
A suspected Palestinian gunman killed at least five people in a kibbutz in northern Israel, hours after a double suicide bombing was foiled in the same area near the West Bank border, police sources said on Monday. Israeli security forces were still in pursuit of the gunman, who was feared to have hunkered down inside a house in Kibbutz Metzer, a collective farm, early on Monday. The attack, which began close to midnight on Sunday, came after Israeli troops pulled back from the West Bank city of
Scholars call for human rights dialogue between East and West
Only through dialogue based on equality and mutual respect can the cause of human rights advance, said Jin Yongjian, president of the United Nations Association of China, during the International Symposium on Oriental Culture and Human Rights Development currently underway here in Beijing.
Human rights should not be used as a tool of diplomacy, said Jin, otherwise it will give rise to confrontation and will not be contribute to the advancement of the human rights cause in the world.
Cultural diversity not in conflict, say human rights experts
Cultural diversity is not at odds with the universality of human rights, according to experts from 26 countries attending an international symposium on oriental culture and human rights development, which closed recently in Beijing.
Common features of human rights were inherent in various cultures worldwide, said the experts who reached agreement after extensive discussions during the two-day symposium.
Dong Yunhu, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Society for Human
Globalization should better protect human rights: experts
Human rights should be better protected and cultures diversified in a globalized world, say experts attending an international symposium on oriental culture and human rights development, which ended in Beijing recently.
Tian Jin, executive council member of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said the trend to globalization could not be reversed but its negative impacts were very obvious in terms of marginalizing many developing nations and disadvantaged groups in developed nation
Rural dwellers in central, west China to enjoy health care subsidies
China's Vice Premier Li Lanqing says each rural dweller in central and west China will enjoy subsidies worth over 20 yuan annually next year through a cooperative health care program.
Half of each person's subsidy would come from the central government's budget and half from the local government, Li said at the national conference on public health in rural areas held in Beijing recently.
China is upgrading its rural health care programs and the government is focusing on cooperative
12 companies in Hong Kong, 3 in mainland awarded "Best Small Companies" by Forbes
Twelve Hong Kong companies and three Chinese mainland companies which were listed in this year's "200 Best Small Companies" by Forbes Global attended the award ceremony held here recently.
The 12 companies in Hong Kong are Cafe De Coral Holdings Ltd, Convenience Retail Asia Ltd, Denway Motors Ltd, Fountain Set Holdings, Global Sources Ltd, Kin Yat Holdings Ltd, King Board Chemicals Holdings, Kingmaker Footwear Holdings Ltd, Techtonic Industries Company, Texwinca Holdings Ltd, the Kowloon
Trade across Taiwan Strait tipped to top $40 billion
Trade across the Taiwan Strait totaled 32 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of this year and is expected to top 40 billion dollars for the whole year.
Wang Liaoping, director of the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, revealed this at a press conference held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in Beijing recently.
Cross-strait trade had soared from 50 million U.S. dollars in 1978 to 32.3
Ancient coin market reopens in Beijing
Beijing's ancient coin market reopened recently after being closed for more than a year for renovation.
Located on the northwest of the Second Ring Road, the market is the capital's only specialist coin trade center.
The market has 20 stalls where coin collectors can have their coins valued and they can exchange, buy or sell coins.
The Beijing Museum of Ancient Coins, also housed in the market, has on exhibition 2,000 coins from the past 4,000 years out of a collection of ne
Light rail route going into trial operation in Changchun
A light rail system has gone into trial operation recently in Changchun the capital of northeast China's Jilin province, and eight Chinese-made light rail cars are being used on the 14-kilometer route.
It is planned that 36 light rail cars are expected to carry 140,000 passengers per day by the end of 2004.
The industrial city has a total of 773-km of roads in the city proper. The number of automobiles in the city rose by 15.5 percent and length of roads and highways by three perce
Experts claim discovery of oldest Great Wall section
The oldest section of the Great Wall was built during ancient China's Chu Kingdom, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), experts said at an academic conference held last week in Lushan County, central China's Henan Province.
Xiao Luyang, director of the Institute of Archaeology of Henan Academy of Social Sciences, said the walls, with a total length of around 800 km, are believed to have been built in 688 B.C.
Striding across one city, Wugang, and four counties, Lusha
Guangzhou to invest 30 billion yuan in new city zone
Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, will invest 30 billion yuan (about 3.6 billion US dollars) over the next three years into the building of its Nansha development zone.
According to the development strategy of this southern metropolis, "a new Guangzhou" will be built in Nansha at the mouth of the Pearl River, turning it into a major industrial base.
Government officials said the infrastructure project will focus on the construction of a high-speed transportati
Historic river to host economic, scenic area
Tianjin, a port city in north China, is to invest 180 billion yuan (21.7 billion US dollars) in creating a scenic area and development zone along the banks of the Haihe River.
Chen Zhifeng, an official with the city Land Resources Programming Bureau, said the planned project was expected to turn the banks of the Haihe, known as the city's "mother river", into the most beautiful part of Tianjin.
The project was also designed to diversify the functions of the river and create more jo
15th CPC Congress achieves majority of objectives
In the last five years since the conclusion of the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), major objectives set by the congress have been achieved.
"By 2000, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in China had exceeded 800 US dollars and ordinary people were leading a generally comfortable life. By 2001, per capita GDP had exceeded 900 US dollars," says Qiu Xiaohua, deputy director of the National Statistics Bureau (NSB).
Bai Hejin from the Macro Economy
16th CPC National Congress extremely important: spokesman
The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the first Party congress in the new century, is an extremely important meeting to be held at a time when China has entered a new development stage of ushering in a fairly comfortable life for the people in a comprehensive manner and accelerating its socialist modernization drive, Party congress spokesman Ji Bingxuan said at a press conference here Thursday (Nov.7).
The congress, slated to open here Friday (Nov.8), will last
China scores tremendous achievements in past five years: Jiang Zemin
China has attained tremendous achievements in various fields over the past five years, Jiang Zemin said in his report to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) here Friday morning (Nov.8).
"We have traversed an extraordinary course and scored tremendous achievements in reform, development and stability, domestic and foreign affairs and national defense and in running the Party, state and army," he said.
The five years since the CPC 15th National Congress,
Over 600 Rare Inscribed Bones Unearthed in Central China
Chinese archeologists have unearthed 628 inscribed animal bones and tortoise shells bearing inscriptions that are expected to help further the study of the primitive stages of Chinese writing. Of the 628 bones found within the southern Xiaotun Village area of the Yin Ruins, capital of the Shang Dynasty (16th Century BC-11th Century BC) in central Henan Province's Anyang City, 228 bear inscriptions and the remaining 400 do not. The 228 inscribed pieces, of which 105 are tortoise shells and 123 ar
Fossils of Pterodactyl Dinosaur Found in NE China
Fossils from a newly-discovered species of pterodactyl dinosaur have been discovered in Chaoyang County in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The fossils, named Sinopterus dongi, have been confirmed as belonging to the Tapejaridae species by scientists with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The fossils are believed to date back about 110 million years in the Cretaceous Period. The newly-discovered fossils in Chaoyang County are t
China to Renovate Ancient Irrigation System
China on Wednesday will begin renovating the 2,250-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system in southwest China's Sichuan Province, at a cost of 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million). "The inner canal of the irrigation system is 10 years old and filled with silt," said Peng Shuming, director of the Administrative Bureau of the Dujiangyan irrigation system. "The water supply facilities along the canal are also in need of upgrading." The water supply for irrigation, industrial purposes and urban living wil
Scholar Makes Law Research His Life
For 92-year-old Han Depei, success started at 67, and he still teaches PhD students. Han, a professor of law at Wuhan University in Central China's Hubei Province, established China's first international law research institute and Asia's first environmental law research institute. He has compiled "Private International Law," China's first textbook of this kind for institutions of higher learning. He is also a founder of China's environmental law. Because of these achievements, Han has been haile
Private Business Figures Hail Party Congress
The 16th CPC National Congress shows a good gesture to Chinese private enterprises. Secretary-general Jiang Zeminˇs report at the congress indicates that the Party and the Chinese government have given high priority and will offer greater support to non-p
Prison museum opens to Hong Kong public and tourists
The Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum which was opened recently in Stanley added a new tourist attraction to the famous tourist spot on the south of HognKong Island.
Set up by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the 480-square-meter museum is housed in a two-story building next to the parade ground of the CSD Staff Training Institute in Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley.
About 600 exhibits, including historical documen
HK govt invites public to join wetland eco-tour
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government said recently it will organize free wetland eco-tours for the public from November 2002 to March 2003.
Aimed at enhancing public awareness on conserving wetland, the department made ten routes on Sundays or public holidays which will cover 10 wetlands in the SAR.
A spokesman for AFCD said each location has its highlights such as the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ram
New pier for more sea excursion tours at Stanley in HKSAR
In order to further promote Stanley in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a tourist attraction, a plan is at hand to build a public pier for more sea excursion tours, said the HKSAR government recently.
Under the Tourist District Enhancement Project for the Stanley waterfront championed by the HKSAR Tourism Commission, the construction of this pier is for pleasure boats and pleasure crafts and is designed to accommodate berthing of sea-bound tour vessels operating in the marke
Overseas students now able to study any majors, at any colleges, universities in China
All institutions of higher learning in China are open to enroll students from overseas, the Beijing Youth Daily reported recently.
According to sources with the Chinese Ministry of Education, more than 400 colleges and universities in China had enrolled overseas students by the middle of this year, and the number of overseas students has been increasing by 5,000 each year.
By the end of 2001, a total of 460,000 overseas students from 170 foreign countries have come to study in Chin
China's largest Sino-foreign hospital begins trial run
Gaoxin Hospital, believed to be the largest Sino-foreign joint medical venture in China, opened for a trial operation recently in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province.
The hospital, covering four hectares in the Gaoxin District of Xi'an, has a registered capital of 700 million yuan (84 million USdollars), jointly funded by the Success Harbor International Ltd. of Britain and the Xi'an-based Shenxin Risk Investment Co. Ltd.
Compared with domestic hospitals, the joint
Scholar: progress no threat to traditional ethnic culture
Only through social and economic development and communication with the outside world, can an ethnic culture be appreciated, preserved and encouraged, a Chinese scholar of ethnic studies said in Beijing recently.
Zheng Xiaoyun, a researcher with the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, told an international symposium on human rights that while ethnic culture should be protected, the right of ethnic people to progress should also be respected.
Zheng, from southwest China's Yunnan prov
Port city association incorporates Dalian as first Chinese member
The International Association of Cities and Ports (IACP) announced the incorporation of Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, as its first Chinese member.
The decision was announced in Dalian during the IACP's 8th conference, which was co-sponsored by the association and the municipality of Dalian and which attracted 340 port city representatives from 45 countries around the world.
Headquartered in France's Le Havre, the IACP focuses principally on promoting c
China to build world's longest cable-stayed bridge over Yangtze river
Construction of an imposing double-tower cable-stayed bridge over the Yangtze River was launched recently at Nantong, a medium-size booming city in east China's Jiangsu province.
The bridge's main span will be 1,088 meters in length, about 200 meters longer than the world's longest in Japan, and the double towers will reach an unprecedented height of 298 meters. The bridge will be able to resist wind speeds of 47 meters per second, much stronger than typhoon-strength, according to experts
Shanghai set to become new international gold trading center
With the opening of China's first gold exchange, Shanghai is poised to be a major international gold trading center, industrial analysts said here recently.
The opening of the Shanghai Gold Exchange recently marks the deregulation of the gold market in the country after over half a century of government monopoly, said Cheng Binghai, deputy head of the China Gold Council.
China's status as the world's fifth largest gold producer and third largest consumer, combined with Shanghai's d
New industries remaking China's ancient scenic city
Suzhou, this prestigious scenic city in eastern Jiangsu province is reclaiming its historic status as the leader of China's economic development, thanks to the rapid growth of its new industries over the past decade.
With the fast development of electronic information, electro-mechanical integration, new household appliances, chemicals and petrochemicals, new materials and automobiles and vehicle parts manufacturing, Suzhou reported a gross domestic product of 176 billion yuan (21.28 bill
China to open flight to Budapest via Ashkhabad
China's Xinjiang Airlines will operate a flight between Urumqi to Budapest, Hungary, beginning November 12.
The flight will stop over in Ashkhabad, capital of Turkmenistan, on the way to Budapest.
It will become a regular passenger and cargo flight since Nov. 18, the airlines said.
New expressway opens to traffic in NW China
The expressway running through the Ningxia Plain, an area mainly inhabited by the ethnic Hui people in northwest China, opened to traffic on Nov.6.
It is part of the national east-west trunk, linking Dandong, Beijing and Lhasa cities. The expressway runs from Shizuishan to Zhongning with a total length of 253 km.
The road brings the total length of expressway in Ningxia to 340 km. Ningxia is accelerating work on the expressway between Zhongning and Haojiaji and between Taoshankou a
Guangdong citizens permitted to join spouses in HK
Restrictions have been eased on Guangdong citizens who want to join their spouses in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and settle down there, according to a new statute issued by the Ministry of Public Security.
The statute applies to spouses living in Guangdong Province in south China who began their regional separation before June 30, 1994, and permits them to move to Hong Kong as soon as within this year.
Children born locally to Hong Kong citizens may have resid
Stories of Women of the CPC National Congress
The ongoing 16th CPC National Congress, which began on November 8, is participated in by over 2,000 delegates representing 66 million Party members. Women delegates account for 18 percent of the total. Who are they? And what are they thinking about the Party's important event? presents their stories in a series. Chen Yunlian Cultivates Farmer's Wealth Although Chen Yunlian is one of the nation's top 10 female farmers, she is more widely known by her nickname "Chen Lajiao (Pepper Chen)." Chen wa
Going Abroad Easier for Chinese
In times past, business people in China had to wait for overseas business to come to them and most people could only dream of traveling to distant countries. But things have changed in this increasingly open and market- oriented country. "We used to have to wait for customers to call us, due to tedious formalities for traveling abroad for business opportunities," said Liu Junquan, general manager of Mark Cheung based in Zhongshan city, south China's Guangdong Province. "Now it is much easier for
Briton Returns 'Dragon Tooth'
Seventy-year-old Briton James returns a "dragon tooth" to the Qingdao Aquarium in east China's Shandong Province Nov. 11, 2002. After a returning ceremony, James was offered a fish specimen. In 1937, when five-year-old James saw the "dragon tooth" in the aquarium, he took a fancy to it and was determined to get it. The day before he left Qindao for Britain with his father, James returned to the aquarium and took the "dragon tooth". For 65 years, he has kept the treasure carefully in a wood match
Shanghai Municipality Reports Tourism Highs
Shanghai's tourism industry has seen record growth this year, the local tourism authority said yesterday. More than 2.3 million tourists visited the port city in the first 10 months of this year, an year-on-year increase of 34.68 per cent, according to the Shanghai Tourism Administration Commission. Overseas visitors to the city accounted for 76.6 per cent of the total, an increase of 42 per cent over the same period last year, the statistics also showed. Commission officials said at a press con
Tomb Depicting Murals Found in Southwest China
Chinese archaeologists have found colorful murals on walls inside six cliff tombs dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The tombs are located on a mountain cliff in Zhongjiang County of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The third tomb, described as the most valuable by Chinese archaeologists, looks like a luxury hotel with a 13-meter-long entry way, a 20 by 1.8 meter coffin chamber, rear chambers, a coffin platform and a niche. The murals, painted in vivid colors including red, y
Xinjiang Favorite Place for Foreigners
It used to take me hours just to find Xinjiang on the map, but now I can find my second home" with my eyes closed," says an American expert. Dennis L Cannon is a representative of Boeing Co working at the Urumqi International Airport. He has lived and worked in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, for four years. Several weeks ago, Dennis received the "Tianshan Award", from the regional people's government, an award given to foreign people working in the reg
Travel Mart to Take off
Local travel buffs will be able to get a "close look" at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the German Black Forest or China's Xishuangbanna nature reserve without leaving Shanghai. The China International Travel Mart, which begins tomorrow at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Pudong District, is a must not only for tourism fans, seeking more information about famous sights, but also tourism operators, looking for "business opportunities" abroad. But the four-day fair will be only open to th
Ancient Pottery Workshops Unearthed in Central China
Pottery workshops of the Han Kingdom, contemporaneous with Dongzhou Dynasty (770-256 BC), have been unearthed after being buried for 2,250 years in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province. The workshops, consisting of groups of well-preserved kilns and buildings, were found in an area of 200 meters wide and 250 meters long in the east of the ancient Zhenghan City in Xinzheng, according to the province's archeological authority. A well-developed pottery drainage network, believed to be one
Chinese Going Abroad Easier
In times past, business people in China had to wait for overseas business to come to them and most people could only dream of traveling to distant countries. But things have changed in this increasingly open and market-oriented country. "We used to have to wait for customers to call us, due to tedious formalities for traveling abroad for business opportunities," said Liu Junquan, general manager of Mark Cheung based in Zhongshan city, south China's Guangdong Province. "Now it is much easier for
Tibetans Take to Advertising
Visitors to Tibet via the Qinghai-Tibet Highway are first greeted by a variety of peddlers.
Shouting loudly, the peddlers, mostly teenagers, offer mushrooms and other mountain fare from their hats or baskets to passers-by.
No sooner have visitor
Reviving Chinese Kunqu opera promising: Experts
Judging from excellent performances by young Chinese artists at the Kunqu Opera Festival, prospects look promising for reviving the traditional opera style, according to Dai Yinglu of the Arts Department of China's Ministry of Culture.
The Kunqu Opera Festival debuted on Oct. 27 in east China's Jiangsu Province. It assembled nearly 100 young artists from China's six national Kunqu troupes, among whom 42 were competing for the national awards, the official told Xinhua in Suzhou recently.
More than 50 Chinese Kunqu artists win national awards
More than 50 Chinese Kunqu artists won national awards recently in Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province, with each receiving 10,000 yuan (1,209 U.S.dollars).
The awards were held to mark the first anniversary of Kunqu opera being listed as an "oral masterpiece and intangible heritage of humanity" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). They were also part of a national competition for young Chinese Kunqu artists, held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 in
China's Xi'an holds 2002 international marathon on city wall
About 1,000 Chinese and foreigners attended the 2002 International Marathon on the ancient city wall of China's well-known city of Xi'an on Nov.9.
The competition features three events, namely the 5km, 10km and marathon races, all of which are held on the famous city wall boasting a history of at least 600 years.
The city wall, built in Ming Dynasty, is 13.74km long and 12-14meters wide on the top. And it is the best preserved ancient city wall in China.
The race participant
HKSAR hopes to expand air services with more countries
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said recently that it hopes to strengthen its role as an aviation hub in Asia by inviting more countries to provide flight services in Hong Kong.
Stephen Ip, the HKSAR secretary for economic development and labor, made the statement when speaking at a HKSAR Legislative Council meeting recently.
"Of course, the airport is one of our most important assets. If it can accommodate more flights from the United States, Europe
ROK extends visa-free stay for Macao passport holders
Holders of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports will enjoy visa-free stay of up to 90 days in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for tourism, business and transit purposes as of January 1, 2003, compared with the current limit of 30 days.
The Identification Bureau of the SAR government announced recently that on the basis of reciprocity, those who hold the ROK passports will also be able to enter the Macao SAR without visas for stay of up to 90 days.
Macao has so fa
China's first cross-straits railway to open soon
China's first cross-straits railway, from Guangdong Province to Hainan Island, will be finished and open to traffic on Dec. 28, 2002, said Du Huirong, vice general manager of the Guangdong-Hainan railway construction company.
The railway will link up the southern Guangdong Province on the Chinese mainland and Hainan Island, which are separated by the Qiongzhou Strait.
The entire railway thoroughfare consists of a 139-kilometer Zhanjiang-Hai'an Railway in Guangdong Province, a 24-ki
Bright future tipped for China in aircraft conversion
China has a bright future in converting passenger planes to freight carriers, according to experts attending the second International Aircraft Conversion to Freighter Conference.
Thousands of old passenger planes around the world were suitable for converting to freighters each year, which could help improve the security and comfort of passenger planes as well as reduce the management costs of freighters, said Wang Zhi, senior official with China's General Administration of Civil Aviation.
First Hong Kong Fujian Festival to be held
The "2002 Hong Kong Fujian Festival", the first of its kind, is to be held in Hong Kong from Nov. 16 to Dec. 7, said the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations here recently.
A series of activities, including forums on economic and financial cooperation between Hong Kong and Fujian, a food festival and Fujian's traditional arts performances, will be launched during the festival to promote the understanding of Hong Kong people toward the economic, social and cultural aspects of Fujian
Beijing has 444 km of freeways
The second and third phases of Beijing's fifth ring road project were opened to traffic recently, bringing the city's total freeway length to 444 km.
So far this year, 128 km of freeways have been completed in the Chinese capital city.
The second phase of the fifth ring road, about 22.85 km in the northwest, links the Beijing-Taiyuan highway with the Badaling expressway. The 23.98-km third phase connects the capital international airport with the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu freeway.
Three Gorges brings new hope for shipping on Yangtze
Water storage in the Three Gorges reservoir area will help revive the declining shipping industry along the Yangtze River, according to the chairman of China's largest private shipping company.
Known as "golden waterway," the Yangtze, with a length of over 2,800 km, is the main artery of China's water transport. The river carries almost 80 percent of the total freshwater freight in the country.
However, ships of 10,000 tons can only navigate 1,143 km from the mouth of the Yangtze i
Clean energy for 2008 Olympics
Pollution-free energies are expected to be the main fuels used during the 2008 Olympic Games, says a newly released "Scientific Olympics" document.
A Beijing think-tank has placed electricity, solar, wind and geothermal power on a research agenda to ensure clean air, blue sky and clear water during the Games, according to the China Daily.
Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the development of an electric vehicle, which will be used to transport athletes inside the Olympic V
Beijing should attach importance to post-Games use of Olympic facilities, says expert
Beijing should attach great importance to the post-Games utilization of the sports facilities in its build-up to the 2008 Olympic Games, an expert on environmental protection said here recently.
Speaking at the IOC Regional Seminar on Sport and Environment, Masato Mizuno, chairman of the Sport and Environment Commission of the Japanese Olympic Committee, said that the post-Games utilization of the sports facilities is an important criterion on whether an Olympics is successful or not.
To include "Three Represents" in CPC constitution reflects common aspiration: delegates
Delegates to the ongoing 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have expressed their views that it reflects the common aspiration of the entire Party and Chinese people to include the important thought of Three Represents in the Constitution of the Party.
They said that the important thought of Three Represents is a banner that leads the country in the drive of building a well-off society in an all-round way and in realizing a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation
China building well-off society in all-round way
The report delivered by Jiang Zemin to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has clearly put forward the objective of building a well-off society in an all-round way in China.
The term "well-off society", which means a society in which all people lead a fairly comfortable life, was first used by late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who was reputed as the "chief architect" of China's reform and opening up drive.
"Our goal is to build a well-off society by th
First Sino-German JV Travel Agency to Be Established
China Travel Service Corporation (CTS) and Touritik Union International Company (TUI) signed a memorandum of cooperation here Wednesday on establishing a Sino-German joint venture travel company. The new travel company, to be controlled by TUI and the first of its kind in China, will provide an important platform for inbound European travelers. CTS attaches great importance to developing overseas markets and attracting more inbound travelers, said Liu Jiaxiang, general manager of CTS. Liu added
Two Ancient Capitals to Merge
As the implementation of a new urbanplanning project, Xianyang and Xi'an, two historic cities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are scheduled to merge to form one city in 2007. Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, with a history of more than 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 feudal dynasties, including those in the period of great prosperity such as the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and the Tang Dynasty (6l8 A.D.- 907 A.D.). Built more than 2,350 years ago, Xianyang, 20 kilometers nor
Xianyang and Xi'an to Merge
As the implementation of a new urban planning project, Xianyang and Xi'an, two historic cities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are scheduled to merge to form one city in 2007. Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, with a history of more than 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 feudal dynasties, including those in the period of great prosperity such as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and the Tang Dynasty (6l8 AD-907 AD). Built more than 2,350 years ago, Xianyang, 20 kilometers northwest o
China Builds First Wetland Museum at Yellow River Delta
China is speeding up construction of the country's first wetland museum in east China's Shandong Province in an effort to protect the ecosystem of the Yellow River Delta. The museum, located in Dongying City near the estuary of the river, is expected to open to visitors in July 2003. Its construction began in July this year. The main hall is already complete, and at a cost of 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million), it will have a total of four halls which combine exhibition with education. Chen Jijin,
Rejection of Direct Charter Flights 'Negative' Move
Beijing on November 13 criticized Taipei's rejection for a call for direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits as a "negative" and "irresponsible" move. "We regret that Taiwan authorities have made such an irresponsible decision to deliberately shun the opportunity for both sides of the Straits to realize direct links in the form of charter flights," said an unnamed official with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC). "It is certainly negative news for all people acr
Ancient Temple Goes Upstream
For centuries travelers and locals have been confronted by the imposing and awe-inspiring Temple of Zhang Fei, the legendary figure from the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). Standing majestically on the northern banks of the Yangtze River, close to the city of Yanyang County in eastern Chongqing Municipality, the temple has witnessed the passage of much of China's history. Across time the temple had perched loftily on a precipitous rock like an eagle poised for take-off. It featured four huge
Continued Rapid Growth Predicted for China's Tourism Industry
A green paper issued here on Wednesday has forecasted an annual growth rate of about 10 percent for the next few years for China's tourism industry, in spite of the global downturn in the industry. According to the paper issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a publishing house for social science literature, the sustained growth in China's gross domestic product is expected to further stimulate the growth of the tourism industry, and the number of domestic tourists is expected to i
Taiwan Authorities Reject Direct Charter Flights
Beijing Wednesday criticized Taipei's rejection for a call for direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits as a "negative'' and "irresponsible'' move. "We regret that Taiwan authorities have made such an irresponsible decision to deliberately shun the opportunity for both sides of the Straits to realize direct links in the form of charter flights,'' said an unnamed official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). "It is certainly negative news for all people across the Taiwa
Minister Rallies for Direct Links
Foreign trade minister Shi Guangsheng Wednesday urged the Taiwan authorities to discard political differences and open direct transport, trade and mail service links with the mainland as soon as possible. "The talk (of three direct links) has been going on for too long. Now, it is time for concrete action,'' said the minister of foreign trade and economic c-operation at Wednesday's Party congress press conference. "The mainland's stance on the direct links has been consistent over the years,'' s
Going Abroad Easier for Chinese
In times past, business people in China had to wait for overseas business to come to them and most people could only dream of traveling to distant countries. But things have changed in this increasingly open and market-oriented country. "We used to have to wait for customers to call us, due to tedious formalities for traveling abroad for business opportunities," said Liu Junquan, general manager of Mark Cheung based in Zhongshan city, south China's Guangdong Province. "Now itis much easier for u
New Clauses Aimed at Saving Nation's Heritage Areas
The revised cultural relics amendment stressed that no unmovable national heritage site where museums have been built can be used as an asset by an enterprise. Following the passage of the revised law, the Shaanxi Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Tourism Group of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, which announced its intention to be listed on the stock market last year, was removed of its right to operate on the ground of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). "Th
Deal Taps International Convention Market
Another giant international tourism organization has entered China's tourist market and is co-operating with the country's top tourism administration to attract more visitors. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Shen Huirong, director of the market promotion department under the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), said that CNTA has held affirmative talks about the co-operation with the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA). "It was the first time for ICCA to a
Travel Agencies from Around the World Gather in Shanghai
Tourism agencies representing 46 countries and regions from five continents have gathered here to attend the fourth China International Tourism Mart (CITM), scheduled for November 14 to 17. The mart covers a physical space of 34,500 square meters, with 1,614 booths, including 503 international ones. Agents have come from countries and regions such as France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and United States, while India, Italy and Mauritius are participating for the first time. The CITM organizers wil
Deal Taps International Convention Market
Another giant international tourism organization has entered China's tourist market and is cooperating with the country's top tourism administration to attract more visitors. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Shen Huirong, director of the market promotion department under the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), said that CNTA has held affirmative talks about the cooperation with the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA). "It was the first time for ICCA to att
China curbs poaching of Tibetan antelopes
China's efforts to save and protect Tibetan antelopes, an endangered animal species on the verge of extinction due to excessive poaching, are seeing success.
For the first time in many years, workers in the Altun Mountains Nature Reserve have not found poaching activities since the summer of last year, said Li Weidong, an official with the protection zone, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and one of the three major habitats for Tibetan antelope in the country.
Qinghai-Tibet railway a green Great Wall
China will cover the slopes on both sides of the 1,110-kilometer-long Qinghai-Tibet Railway with cold-resistant grass to form a "green great wall" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The project along what is known as the roof of the world is expected to cost 1.2 billion yuan (145 million US dollars) which will be provided by the central government, said Lu Chunfang, an official in charge of the construction.
Explaining the advantages of the scheme, Mou Ruifang, an associate professor fr
Macao sees burgeoning air traffic
The Macao International Airport recorded a strong traffic growth in the first 10 months of 2002, showing a 10 percent year-on-year rise in the number of passengers handled, according to the latest airport figures.
A total of 3.5 million people arrived at or departed from Macao by air in the period, many of them being tourists to the special administrative region (SAR) and Taiwan passengers shuttling between Taiwan and China's mainland via Macao.
In October alone, the airport handle
China's largest medicine distribution, trading center under construction
Construction on the Heping Medicine Distribution and Trading Center, said to be the largest in China, began here recently.
Sichuan Dikang Industrial Share-holding Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Medicines Share-holding Co., Ltd. will jointly invest 400 million yuan (48.3 million US dollars) into the project, located at Wukuaishi in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Covering about 13 hectares and with a floor space of more than 50,000 square meters, the center, whose n
Sichuan becomes largest traditional Chinese medicine base
Southwest China's Sichuan Province is emerging as the country's leading production base of processed traditional Chinese medicines after a decade-long development.
The output value of processed medicines in Sichuan rose from 80 million yuan (9.6 million US dollars) in 1990 to 5.2 billion yuan (626 million dollars) last year.
The figure is expected to top 6 billion yuan (722 million dollars) this year, a provincial official told the 2002 International Conference on Modernizing Tradi
Sperm whale specimen on display in Shanghai
The body of an 18.4-meter male sperm whale, the longest ever found in China, went on show at the Whale Aquarium of the Shanghai Marine Lives University recently.
The specimen includes the shape of the whale, made of its skin, and its skeleton, consisting of more than 300 bones, which altogether weigh approximately three tons.
University president Zhou Yingqi told Xinhua that the sperm whale was discovered by Chinese fishermen in the Qiongzhou Straits, between south China's Guangdon
Sun Yat-sen's birth commemorated in China
China held a series of activities to commemorate the 136th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth, which fell on Tuesday.
Sun Yat-sen, born in 1866 in south China's Guangdong Province, led the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Then, he became the first president of the Republic of China.
In Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, 120 people from all stratas of society gathered at the memorial for the Wuchang Uprising, which ignited the 1911 Revolu
China Southern Airlines launches new freight flight from E. China to Belgium
China Southern Airlines has inaugurated a new freight flight from Shenzhen, China's first economic zone, to Belgium's Liege.
The bi-weekly flight, via a Boeing 747-400F air freighter, departed Shenzhen on Wednesday for Liege by way of Shanghai, China's business and financial center.
The Boeing 747-400F is the only plane with a head door and a side door, which are compatible with irregular cargoes. Using this plane, China Southern Airlines launched freight flights from Shenzhen to L
Ten designs for Beijing Olympic Emblem win prizes
Ten designs for the emblem for the 2008 Olympics have won prizes and now have a shot at the official logo, Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) announced here recently.
After two rounds of appraisal, 10 designs were selected from a total of 1,994 design submissions, said a BOCOG statement.
It also said that BOCOG Executive Board will select the finally determined Olympic Emblem from the 10 designs before submitting it to the International Olympic Committe
Mount Huangshan fighting environmental degradation amid booming tourism
In the face of booming tourism that can easily herald environmental degradation, Mount Huangshan in east China's Anhui Province has fended off the problems -- from waste treatment and biodiversity to forest fire -- which plague many scenic spots across the world.
Several times a day, workers in bright yellow work suits labor their way up and down the 72 peaks of the 154-square-kilometer scenic attraction, collecting whatever is discarded by visitors.
"For any litter we neglect -- a
Continued rapid growth predicted for China's tourism industry
A green paper issued here on Wednesday has forecasted an annual growth rate of about 10 percent for the next few years for China's tourism industry, in spite of the global downturn in the industry.
According to the paper issued by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a publishing house for social science literature, the sustained growth in China's gross domestic product is expected to further stimulate the growth of the tourism industry, and the number of domestic tourists is expect
First Sino-German joint venture travel agency to be established
China Travel Service Corporation (CTS) and Touritik Union International Company (TUI) signed a memorandum of cooperation here Wednesday on establishing a Sino-German joint venture travel company.
The new travel company, to be controlled by TUI and the first of its kind in China, will provide an important platform for inbound European travelers.
CTS attaches great importance to developing overseas markets and attracting more inbound travelers, said Liu Jiaxiang, general manager of C
China's tourism speeds up opening up
China's tourism industry would accelerate its opening up and welcome more major foreign companies to invest in China as well as encourage domestic tourism enterprises to go abroad, said Shen Huirong, an official with the China National Tourism Administration, on Wednesday.
China will allow leading foreign travel agencies to take control in joint ventures in some cities with booming tourism this year, and its tourism industry may further consider fulfilling its World Trade Organization (WT
Travel agencies from around the world gather in Shanghai
Tourism agencies representing 46 countries and regions from five continents have gathered here to attend the fourth China International Tourism Mart (CITM), scheduled for November 14 to 17.
The mart covers a physical space of 34,500 square meters, with 1,614 booths, including 503 international ones. Agents have come from countries and regions such as France,Germany, Japan, Singapore and United States, while India, Italy and Mauritius are participating for the first time.
The CITM o
Foreign Airline, Local Crew
An increasing number of foreign airlines operating from Shanghai are now looking for local air hostesses to better serve their growing band of Chinese customers. The UK-based Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. is again recruiting six Shanghainese girls to serve on its flights, in addition to the more than 20 local air hostesses who have joined the crew in the past three years. "This is the third time we are recruiting here since we first did it in 1999," said Chen Yi, human resources manager of Virgin
East China Exhibits Watercolor Painting
A national exhibition of watercolor paintings opened Saturday in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, in a bid to promote the art form. Jointly hosted by the Chinese Artists Association and Qingdao University, the five-day exhibition displays more than 100 works of 21 noted painters. Most of them are from art schools including the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts and Shandong Institute of
Railway to Bring Convenience to Tibetans
Baima Zhoima, a 58-year-old Tibetan woman said with a smile she could make a pilgrimage in Tibet every year "when the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is built." She and her family live in a warm, three-roomed stone house on the 4,500-meter-high Xiacang Mountain near the Tuotuo River in northwest China's Qinghai Province. A sweet smell from a pot of boiling buttered tea permeates her living room, and the stove's blazing fire cozily warms the people seated around. Baima Zhoima plays with a 10-month-old baby
Illiteracy Rate Among Adult People Slashed
The illiteracy rate among people over 15 years old has dropped to 8.72 percent, according to the Ministry of Education. The illiteracy rate was more than 80 percent in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. In 1990, the rate had dropped to 22.2 percent. Among people aged between 15 and 50 -- the major targets of efforts to eliminate illiteracy -- the rate has dropped from 10.38 percent in the 1990s to 4.8 percent at present. The figure for female illiterates has been slashed by m
Global Tourist Professionals Eyes Asia tourism in Forum
Bo'ao Forum for Asia-Tourism Conference will open on Monday in the city of Guilin, a renowned tourist destination in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said an official with the organizing committee on Sunday. More than 400 representatives from about 30 countries and regions will attend the conference. The representatives include national leaders and former political dignitaries, tourism ministers, and international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Guangdong, HK and Macao Establish Cultural Collaboration
Officials of south China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao Monday signed an agreed minute at the end of the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Summit in Hong Kong to establish a foundation for cultural collaboration. The three places also shared views and information on cultural facilities, cultural development and exchange during the summit, which was organized by the secretary for home affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Patrick Ho. The director general of t
S. China University of Science and Engineering Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The South China University of Science and Engineering, dubbed as "the cradle of engineers and entrepreneurs," celebrates its 50th anniversary Sunday in Guangzhou. Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPC sent a congratulatory message. The university, which has 20 institutes, has trained nearly 100,000 high-level professionals in fields of economic
Global Tourist Professionals Eyes Asia Tourism Forum
The upcoming Bo'ao Forum for Asia-Tourism Conference will provide a platform for the promotion of international tourist cooperation in Asia and beyond, said an official with the organizing committee in Guilin, Guangxi yesterday. More than 400 representatives from about 30 countries and regions have arrived in the city of Guilin, a renowned tourist destination in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to attend the conference, due to open today. The representatives include national leade
Xi'an and Xianyang to Merge
A new urban planning project will see Xianyang and Xi'an, two historic cities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, merge to form one city in 2007. Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, with a history of more than 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 feudal dynasties, including the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-A.D. 907). Built more than 2,350 years ago, Xianyang, 20 kilometers northwest of Xi'an, was the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), the first feu
Chinese traditional medicine popular in ROK
Many young people in the Republic of Korea (ROK) consider learning traditional Chinese medicine a good choice, said Kyu-Hwan Yang, a noted ROK professor.
Yang, president of the Research Institute of Bio-science and Bio-technology, made the remarks at the 2002 International Seminaron Modernizing Traditional Chinese Medicine, which closed recently in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
"Traditional Chinese medicine is well received in the ROK," Yang said. "Many pe
Expert upbeat about development of traditional Chinese medicine
Paul M. Vanhoutte, president of the International Union of Pharmacology, said here recently he was interested in the potential of traditional Chinese medicine and would like to introduce more of it to other countries.
Vanhoutte made the remarks at the International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine that opened recently in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, southwest China.
Vanhoutte said the development of traditional Chinese medicine has been
China outlines modernization of traditional medicine
China's first document outlining the development of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was officially issued at the International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which opened recently.
The outline defines and clarifies the important guiding principles for the modernization of TCM, said Li Xueyong, deputy minister of science and technology.
The main requirements for TCM development, according to the outline, include creating a platform for technical
Opening up brings about prosperity in China
For 56-year-old Chen, an ordinary woman in west Beijing, the past two years have been a period full of jubilance: One daughter bought a 120-square-meter apartment, which is well above the average level for a Chinese family, and another got married to a German working in the Chinese capital.
"I never thought of such things as marrying a foreigner and buying something with money borrowed from banks when I was young," Chen said. "I still feel like I'm dreaming."
What has happened in C
163,000 deaf kids in China regain hearing ability
A total of 163,000 deaf children have managed to recover their hearing and speaking capacity thanks to a rehabilitation program China launched in 1988.
According to information released by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, there are approximately 800,000 deaf kids under the age of seven and more than 30,000 newborns with impaired hearing ability.
About 70 percent of them live in China's rural areas, according to the federation.
The federation has made it a priority in
China to assist 120,000 victims of leprosy
China's non-governmental organization for the disabled has announced plans to offer rehabilitation to 120,000 victims of leprosy.
A spokesperson for the China Disabled Persons' Federation said about 10,000 of those affected by the disease will undergo corrective surgery while equipment and other materials will be provided to the other 110,000.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, there are about 230,000 leprosy survivors in China, of whom 120,000 ar
Hakka music staged in Beijing
A symphonic poem, "Echo of the Earth Building," was staged recently in Zhongshan Concert Hall in Beijing by the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zheng Xiaoying, one of China's leading woman musicians.
The troupe was specially invited here to perform on Nov. 5 and 6 for delegates to the upcoming 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
"Echo of the Earth Building" was initiated by Zheng Xiaoying and composed by Liu Yuan, who has a doctorate from the China Ce
Boeing predicts steady growth for China's aviation market
Aviation giant Boeing released its 2002 China Current Market Outlook here recently, forecasting that China would become the second civil aviation market in the world in 20 years, next to the United States.
China's air transport market is growing by 7.6 percent annually and its domestic air transport market will grow at an average annual rate of 9 percent, according to the report.
About 1,550 new airplanes are likely to be added to China's carriers to serve domestic markets, includi
China to build huge ship to transport jumbo jet parts
China has announced plans to build a large-capacity ship to transport A380 aircraft parts, Airbus China President Guy McLeod announced here recently during the Zhuhai Airshow.
"Suppliers worldwide have taken part in the development of the A380 program, and China, in particular, is making a very visible contribution. A Roll-On, Roll-Off vessel especially designed to meet Airbus' requirements will be built at Nanjing Jinling Shipyard next year," McLeod said.
The ship, which will be 1
China-Brazil joint venture to produce new turbo-fan regional airliner
The China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) plans to set up the country's first joint venture company with Embraer of Brazil to produce the new 30-50-seat turbo-fan regional airliner.
The new company would be up and running in China by the end of this year and delivery of products to the first eager customer would follow a year later, AVIC II announced recently in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
The new company will assemble an aircraft proving to be the most popular regional
China tops world in tunnel development
China ranks first in the world both in the number of tunnels and the speed of development, Hu Xijie, vice-minister of communications, said here recently.
Hu said at the International Seminar on Tunnel and Road Technology, which opened recently, China will pay more attention to road construction in the vast western region as it is carrying out the strategy to boost development in the west.
"The main battlefield for road construction will gradually move to the west, which means road
BFA spokesman: Asian tourism cooperation promising
The tourism industry in Asia has entered a new era as countries and regions collectively develop the industry with complementary resources and markets, and environmental protection and cooperation, Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) spokesman Mabul Hossain said Sunday (Nov.17).
"Indeed in many Asian countries and regions, tourism has already become a booming industry and made positive contributions to overall economic and social development," he said at a press conference for the BFA Tourism Confe
Global tourist professionals eyes Asia tourism forum
The upcoming Bo'ao Forum for Asia-Tourism Conference will provide a platform for the promotion of international tourist cooperation in Asia and beyond,said an official with the organizing committee here Sunday (Nov.17).
More than 400 representatives from about 30 countries and regions have arrived in the city of Guilin, a renowned tourist destination in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to attend the conference, due to open on Monday.
The representatives include natio
Guilin to hold major Asian tourism forum
A Boao Forum for Asia Tourism Conference is soon to be held in Guilin, a major scenic tourist destination in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Yao Wang, executive director of the secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia, said the conference, due to open on Nov.18, would be co-hosted by the Boao Forum for Asia, a renowned non-governmental, non-profit international organization based in Boao on the island province of Hainan, along with the China National Tourism Administration a
Dark British Tales Enlighten Chinese Fans
Sympathetic but never sentimental, comic but not frivolous, Theatre O from Britain has won worldwide acclaim with its sharp and inventive plays which mix mime, slapstick comedy, fantastic soundtracks and dance. Now the company will tour China with its 2000 production Three Dark Tales, jointly presented by the British Council and the China International Culture Exchange Center. Three Dark Tales is about the everyday oppressions that keep us down and wear us out; oppressions that we occasionally,
Short-distance tourism new industry focus in Asia-Pacific
Tourism professionals Monday told an on-going forum that short-distance tourism within the Asia-Pacific region will soon become the new focus for cooperation among Asian destinations. Some 500 political leaders and tourist professionals gathered in this famous tourist city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, for Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference,a major Asia-wide tourist forum. P. Ramanujam, secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, said that Western travelers ha
Chongqing -- A Must-See Misty City
Chongqing, the nation's newest municipality, established in 1998, has been given the role of serving as a bridge between China's developed eastern coastal areas and the economically backward west regions. This has given the municipality a position of special importance among the leading cities of the country. But for the serious tourist, the city itself does not seem that exciting because there are not many famous travel sites to go other than the Three Gorges and Dazu Stone Sculptures, which ar
Asian Travel Industry Forum Opens in Guilin
Asian tourism leaders and professionals urged closer dialogue and cooperation to boost Asia's travel industry, at an international tourism forum in Guilin, a famous tourist attraction in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Asian countries and regions had attached greater importance to developing tourism in recent years as the industry's role in their economies grew, a senior Chinese official said at Monday's opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia - Tourism Conference. Chen Jinhu
Macau's Tourism Business Sees Double-digit Growth
Macau posted a double-digit growth in the number of tourist arrivals in the first ten months of the year, buoyed by a huge influx of China's inlanders. The Statistics and Census Services said Tuesday that tourist arrivals in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) jumped a year- on-year 10.6 percent to 9.46 million from January to October. Hong Kong remained the largest tourist source for Macau, bringing 4.31 million visitors to Macau, but the figure dipped a year-on-year 1.6 percent. China's in
Short-distance Tourism New Industry Focus in Asia-Pacific
Tourism professionals Monday told an on-going forum that short-distance tourism within the Asia-Pacific region will soon become the new focus for cooperation among Asian destinations. Some 500 political leaders and tourist professionals gathered in this famous tourist city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, for Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference, a major Asia-wide tourist forum. P. Ramanujam, secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, said that Western travelers h
China's Tourism Benefits Asia
China's accession to the World Trade Organization has boosted the country's tourism, which is expected to rake in US$200 million this year, according to a top tourism official. Sun Gang, deputy head of the China National Tourism Administration, made these remarks yesterday on the sidelines of the three-day Boao Forum for Asian-tourism Conference, which began yesterday. In the first half of this year, the number of tourists in China increased by 10.8 per cent from the same period last year and fo
Long-lost Shoulder Drama Reappears
Shoulder Drama, a traditional popular folk art that vanished for more than two decades, has now reappeared in its birthplace, Shaxian county in east China's Fujian Province. When night screen falls, locals gathered and flock to lanes and streets to watch theatrical performances by children standing on the shoulders of adults. According to local records, the drama style was created during the last years of the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by a folk artist named Lian Xigou at the Shanxian cou
Mt Jiuhua to Have Giant Copper Statue of Bodhisattva
A 99-meter-high copper statue of Bodhisattva will be erected at Mt Jiuhua, one of China's four major Buddhist shrines, in east China's Anhui Province. The design by Tianjin University has been approved by Buddhist experts and relevant authorities. The statue will stand at the foot of Mt Jiuhua. Thanks to its precise angle, the statue would feature a religious aura at the spring and autumn equinox, said the designer Wang Qiheng, a professor at Tianjin University. The archetype for the Bodhisattva
Chinese Tourism Standardization Effective
Standardization in China's tourism industry is contributing to the promotion of tourism, said Sun Gang, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration, Monday in Guilin. At the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference currently underway in the scenic city of Guilin, Sun said China has drafted and issued 17 tourism-related standards. China first issued the standards for star-rated hotels in 1987,marking the start of tourism standardization. In 1999, China issued a quality control m
Sanya Emerging as a Tourist Magnet
Sanya is located in the southern section of the Hainan islands, the southern most province of China, which was called the ?end of the earth?￥ in ancient times when political dissidents and delegated officials were exiled there. Though its administrative history dates back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), Sanya was a deserted coastal place in the minds many Chinese inlanders for the following thousands of years. This negative image has dramatically changed today, particularly over the past few y
Great Wall Section at Jiumenkou Now in World Cultural Heritage List
A section of the Great Wall at Jiumenkou built on a riverbed in northeastern Liaoning Province, has been listed as part of the world cultural heritage on Monday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 1,704-meter Jiumenkou wall section running from north to south, located within the area of Xintaizi Village of Suizhong County in Liaoning Province, won the approval by the UNESCO on Monday. As it traverses through a 100-meter wide river, the wall secti
China's top universities to enroll Tibetan postgraduates
Eight prestigious universities across China are to enroll a total of 120 postgraduates from government departments in Tibet per year for the next five years in an effort to improve the professional skills of Tibetan officials.
The applicants must be university graduates who have worked in a government department or institution for at least three years. They must agree to return to Tibet after graduation.
They will be enrolled after sitting a specially-prepared entrance examination
China to enroll 270,000 graduate students next year
The Ministry of Education announced recently that China will enroll about 270,000 students in master's or doctoral degree programs next year, approximately 35 percent more than this year.
Next year's growing numbers of college and university graduates will be the first large wave since China enlarged enrollment in 1999, and more students are expected to apply for graduate study, sources with the ministry said.
Entrance exams will also be altered for better selection of high-caliber
Shenzhen is home to 18,723 overseas businesses
Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong province is home to 18,723 overseas financed businesses with a total registered capital of 25.65 billion US dollars.
The number of overseas businesses registered in the city in the first nine months of the year was 2,222.
By September, 29.6 billion US dollars of overseas capital had flowed into the city and 190 high-tech multinationals had chosen Shenzhen as a base for production, research and development, which has in turned promoted develo
Chongqing railcar contract signed
Hitachi and two Japanese companies were awarded recently the right to provide Hitachi technology and key equipment for 84 railcars for the light rail system in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China.
According to a contract signed here recently, the Japanese companies will cooperate with Changchun Railcar Co. to produce the railcars worth 10 billion yen (about 81 million US dollars).
Huang Qifan, vice-mayor of Chongqing, said the railcars will be used in the initial phase of a lig
World-famous aviation manufacturers fast entering China
The fast-growing Chinese aviation market has caught the attention of foreign manufacturers, whose eagerness to enter China was seen at the Zhuhai Airshow, which ended recently.
Global aviation giants Boeing and Airbus took part in the four-day airshow for the fourth time. Airbus announced its plan to use the Nanjing Shipyard, which builds colossal vessels, to transport parts for building its largest airplane, the A380. It also signed contracts with Chinese partners to further enhance coop
1,500-year-old temple celebrates founding anniversary
The 1,500-year-old Nanhua (South China) Temple was enveloped by incense and Buddhist chants recently as thousands of Buddhist believers from all over the world inundated the temple to mark its founding anniversary.
One of the most important Buddhist temples in China, the Nanhua Temple was set up in Shaoguan City, south China's Guangdong Province, 1,500 years ago.
One of China's most revered monks, Huineng, the founder of Zen Buddhism, began his monkhood in the temple in 670, which
Yellow River water channeled to drought-ridden Tianjin
Yellow River water Sunday (Nov.10) poured into Tianjin, the largest coastal city in north China suffering serious water shortage due to a six-year dry spell.
Water shortage remains though the city with a population of several million has adopted water-saving methods and raised the price for water to help reduce daily consumption from 2.2 million cubic meters to 1.51 million cubic meters.
The Yellow River water diversion, the seventh since 1972, is an emergency measure approved by t
Three Gorges Project to harness Yangtze River
The Three Gorges Hydro-Power Project, upon completion in 2009, will serve as the backbone of China's flood-control bulwark in its efforts to harness the Yangtze, the country's longest river.
The river's eastward flow comes to a natural fall of over 100 meters in the area of the Three Gorges, located in central China's Hubei Province.
Ji Xuebing, a famous Chinese hydrologist, explained that the Three Gorges reservoir, built at the pass of the geographic fall, will effectively contai
New train routes to ease travel via Three Gorges
Four trains linking Yichang with Shanghai and Guangzhou have been added to facilitate increased traffic through the Three Gorges Dam area recently.
Travelers cruising the Yangtze via the Three Gorges Dam area are now forced to resort to land transportation since a man-made canal, the sole channel built for passage of ships during the second phase of the Three Gorges Project, was fully closed on Nov.6. Navigation on the canal was stopped on Oct. 31.
As only a temporary ship lock is
Revolutionary bases draw holidaymakers
When Zeng Guangqing traveled from his home in the developed southern province of Guangdong for a sightseeing tour of east China's Jiangxi Province, he wanted a better understanding of the Chinese revolution in the 1930s.
"I've learned a lot about how the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) fought tenaciously for the benefits of the people," said Zeng Guangqing, 66. "We should cherish the prosperity and stability we enjoy today."
Zeng is one of the thousands of people visiting Jinggangsha
Guilin protects "most beautiful landscape under heaven"
Residents of Guilin, a renowned scenic area in south China, are proud of their breathtaking landscapes -- but fear for the future as the tourism industry takes hold.
China's major tourist destination in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region attracted a record one million overseas tourists and 10 million domestic visitors in 2001.
But local people are hoping that the Boao Forum for Asia Tourism Comference, from November 18 to 20, will provide some initiatives for a sustainable tourism in
Garuda Indonesian Airways launches new flight between Shanghai and Jakarta
The Garuda Indonesian Airways launched a new flight service Tuesday linking Shanghai and Jakarta, via Singapore.
The flights operate between the cities on Tuesdays and Thursdays, using A300 aircraft.
Rail-ferry line to link island province and mainland
Hainan, China's second biggest island after Taiwan, will be connected with the mainland for the first time in history by a rail-ferry line, due to go into operation on December 28.
The new means of transportation will greatly boost the development of Hainan, China's biggest special economic zone and only tropical province, said Du Huirong, deputy general manager of the Guangdong-Hainan Railway Construction Co., Ltd.
For more than 1,100 years, the tropical island, considered as a ba
China's first world culture exhibition center under construction in Quanzhou
Construction of China's first world culture exhibition center began recently in the coastal city of Quanzhou in Fujian province, southeast China.
The exhibition center is being created for the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2002 to draw attention to cultural heritage as a means for peace and reconciliation, as well as development.
The center will be used to showcase cultural heritage fro
Lotus Blossoms in Shen's Painting
Artist Shen Weifeng from Yangzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province often describes lotus flowers as the best media that can fully express his character, desires and feelings. Born in 1965, Shen began to take an interest in painting and calligraphy as a child. He later studied at the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Painting Institute. Traditional Chinese painting worships nature. Mountains, rivers, animals, flowers and birds are the most common motifs of the art. For hundreds of years, generation aft
China to Work with Other Asian Countries on New Tourism Ventures
China will work with other Asian nations on such new regional tourism developments as cross-border travel, and tours in the Mekong River and along the Silk Road across the Eurasian Continent, says its tourism chief He Guangwei. China hoped to achieve a prosperous Asian tourism industry through its cooperation and exchange of information with other countries and regions, He, director of the National Tourism Administration, told an Asian tourism ministers meeting Tuesday during the Bo'ao Forum for
China plans to curb desertification by 2010
China plans to bring its growing land desertification under control by 2010 through massive restoration of vegetation across the country, an official of the Desertification Prevention Center of the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said recently.
Deputy director of the center, Luo Bing, said China has launched three major programs to curb desertification, one of the most serious environmental problems facing the increasingly sandy country.
Luo made the remarks at a seminar held o
China unveils plan to curb sulfur dioxide, acid rain
The Chinese government recently approved a plan to cut sulfur dioxide emission by 2005 in areas troubled by the polluting gas and acid rain.
Jointly compiled by the State Environmental Protection Administration and related departments, the plan involves 96.7 billion yuan (11.7 billion US dollars) of investment.
By 2005, the plan aims to cut the amount of sulfur dioxide emission by one fifth from the level of 2000 in the four municipalities of Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianji
Echoes of Hakka earth castles to be heard in US
A symphony combining vivid Chinese folk songs and Western classical music to portray the history of an immigrant group of people will be performed in the US state of Connecticut in mid November.
Prof. Zheng Xiaoying, a world-renowned symphony director as well as China's top female conductor, is scheduled to leave recently for the United States at the invitation of Wesleyan University to lead the university's orchestra in performing the "Echoes of Hakka earth castles."
Meanwhile, th
Tomb of ancient poet Du Fu to be restored
The tomb of Du Fu, a celebrated poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is scheduled to be restored to its original form.
Du Fu, renowned for his lyrical poetry expressing the misery of the people of his time, died of disease in 768 and was buried in Xiaotian Village of Pingjiang County in central China's Hunan Province.
Tong Shengping, director of the Construction Office of the Du Fu Tomb in Pingjiang, said that the "comprehensive" restoration is scheduled to begin soon. He declined
Mud statue of ancient monk found in NW China
A mud statue of an ancient monk, originally believed to be that of a Tibetan god, was discovered by Chinese scholars in Xianrenya Grotto in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province.
The monk, called Sizhoudashi in Chinese, was once widely worshipped as a god among Chinese civilians from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The long-time belief that the statue, set in a Lama pavilion, was a Tibetan god, was set right when scholars unvei
NE China Great Wall restored with World Bank loans
Jiumenkou Great Wall, the only section of China's mighty wall built over water, has been carefully restored in northeast Liaoning Province.
To restore the Jiumenkou section, China for the first time made use of loans from the World Bank available for the repair of cultural relics.
From 1998 to 2000, the northern part of the section was repaired at the cost of 200,000 US dollars. The project included rebuilding water gates, battlements and the wall body.
Previously, the Jiume
Guangzhou to develop rail network
South China's Guangzhou city, capital of Guangdong Province, will input 40-50 billion yuan (4.81-6.02 billion US dollars) into developing urban rail traffic in the next five years, according to city authorities.
Experts believe the rail construction will help prop up the economy in the city, as well as in the Zhujiang (Pearl River) Delta.
The city has called for public opinion on its proposed rail programs, which focus not only on urban areas, but also on connections with nearby ci
China's digital Dunhuang website launched
By logging onto http:idp.nlc.gov.cn, the Chinese digital Dunhuang website that officially opened Monday (Nov.11), Chinese viewers can scan the huge collections of ancient Buddhist Dunhuang documents held by the National Library of China (NLC) and the British Library (BL).
The Dunhuang Library Cave in northwest China was accidentally found by a Taoist priest when he was clearing sand from the No. 16 grotto on June 22, 1900. The cave, sealed for 850 years, holds more than 50,000 relics dati
New edition of world's largest municipal encyclopedia published in Beijing
The latest edition of the Encyclopedia of Beijing, the world's largest municipal encyclopedia, was published recently in Beijing.
Compiled by more than 3,000 people over a period of 5 years, the new edition consists of 20 volumes with more than 17 million words and over 10,000 items and illustrations.
"It is unprecedented as a regional encyclopedia," Jin Changzheng, deputy editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of China, said in a press release recently.
Launched by the Beijing
Ten billion yuan in credit for highway construction in NW China province
China's State Development Bank (SDB) has issued a credit line of 10 billion yuan (about 1.2 billion US dollars) to the Communications Department of Gansu province to accelerate highway construction in the region.
According to the province's development plan, a total of 41. 2 billion yuan (about 4.96 billion US dollars) will be spent between 2001 and 2005 to expand the highway infrastructure by 3,283 kilometers to reach a total of 42,627 kilometers.
Construction of a highway network
