China Travel News

Chinese Scientist Plans Solo North Pole Trek
A Chinese adventurer, Liu Shaochuang, left Beijing Thursday for Moscow to start his solo Arctic trip. Liu said that the trip across the Arctic ice is a scientific expedition, which will help fill in a gap in China's North Pole studies. If the 1,000 km trek is successful, the 39-year-old scientist will be the first Chinese adventurer to complete an unaided trek across the ice from the tip of the Asian Continent to the North Pole. An academician with the Remote-Sensing Application Research Institu

Window to the City's Past
Walking along an old cobblestone road in Shanghai as the rhythmic chants of vendors and rattle of pushcarts echoes all around, time rolls back a century. This time-travel experience is courtesy of the Shanghai Museum of Urban Development History, which offers a virtual experience spanning the 400-year history of the city. Opened in May of last year, the museum collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets Shanghai's progress. Its location inside the cloud-piercing Oriental Pearl Broadcasting and

'Wonderful Films, Wonderful China'
These Chinese films are so wonderful, I enjoy them very much, a young Kuwaiti said as he came out of the theater, where a different Chinese film was shown every day during the past week. Ahmad Alasfoor, a 25-year-old computer engineer, said that he has seen all the movies shown in the Chinese Film Week, which was held from February 16 to 22 in the Kuwait Culture Center. "I used to watch Hong Kong action films on VCD," he said, adding that he was greatly impressed by these totally different Chine

Violinist Is No Flash in the Pan
Thirty years ago, a young man named Pan Yinlin made his solo violin debut in Shanghai. The year was 1972, in the midst of the disastrous "cultural revolution" (1966-1976). The sound of a violin had not been heard for a long time, but that debut breathed new life into violin music. Pan has returned to Shanghai to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that dramatic turning point - both for himself and the instrument he loves - with a concert with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Shanghai Grand

State Overhauls Illegal Job Markets
Urgent measures have been introduced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to help safeguard the legal rights of migrant workers. High on the list of priorities is the crackdown on illegal labour markets, in which many employment agencies cheat migrant labourers out of service charges for false information about jobs. The ministry explained the measures were based on its findings that it is difficult for migrant labourers to find jobs in big cities because many companies are not yet full

Heritage Preservation in Hong Kong Well Rewarded
The heritage preservation efforts of Hong Kong, although in its relative infancy of systematic archeological research, has won a number of international awards in the past five years and has added new glamour to its tourism attraction to visitors from around the world. Since the Hong Kong's return to China, there has been a greater interest and desire on the part of both the government and the public to preserve and convert Hong Kong's archeological heritage into "living relics" so that they bec

Israel to Keep Arafat Under Tight Wraps
Israel decided Sunday to maintain its nearly three-month siege of Yasser Arafat at his West Bank office, although it will slightly ease some travel restrictions on the Palestinian leader - a decision angrily condemned by Palestinian officials. In a separate incident likely to further exacerbate tensions, Israeli soldiers shot at the car of a top Palestinian negotiator Sunday evening as he approached an Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank. The decision to continue Arafat's confinement wa

Ministry Enforces Rights of Migrant Workers
Urgent measures have been introduced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to help safeguard the legal rights of migrant workers. High on the list of priorities is the crackdown on illegal labor markets, in which many employment agencies cheat migrant laborers out of service charges for false information about jobs. The ministry explained the measures were based on its findings that it is difficult for migrant laborers to find jobs in big cities because many companies are not yet fully op

Roundup: Heritage Preservation in Hong Kong Well Rewarded
The heritage preservation efforts of Hong Kong, although in its relative infancy of systematic archeological research, has won a number of international awards in the past five years and has added new glamour to its tourism attraction to visitors from around the world. Since the Hong Kong's return to China, there has been a greater interest and desire on the part of both the government and the public to preserve and convert Hong Kong's archeological heritage into "living relics" so that they bec

Shaanxi ups investment in highways
Shaanxi, an inland province in Northwest China, plans to invest 10.4 billion yuan (US$1.25 billion) in road construction in 2002 to improve its highway system.

"The investment will be used for the construction of 1,200 kilometres of road, of which 110 kilometres will be highways," said Wu Xiaojian, director of Shaanxi Provincial Communications Department.

Wu said a number of road projects, such as the road linking Xi'an, the capital, with Hanzhong, a major city in southern Shaanxi,

China to focus on western region's infrastructure, environment
China's development strategy for its western region will focus on infrastructure construction and protection of the ecological environment in the year 2002, a vital period for the project.

An official with the office in charge of western China development said recently that within the year, each county or prefecture in western China will construct at least one tarmac highway linking it with its respective provincial capital.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive electricity supply network and

WTO launches traveller guide to fight disease
The World Trade Organisation recently launched a beefed-up version of its annual travel and health guide to help globe-trotters avoid bringing home anything nastier than a sunburn.

"Disease has no borders," WTO director David Heymann said. "I can be in London today and Kinshasa tomorrow. And I can take any disease there or bring any disease back with me."

The International Travel and Health book aims to be the "gold standard" health bible for millions of long-haul business and leis

Boeing trains more than 11,000 Chinese aviation experts
Sources at Boeing China Incorporated said recently that the company has trained more than 11,000 Chinese aviation professionals so far.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Boeing's China debut. Major progress was made especially in the past eight years, when Boeing invested millions of dollars in China's aviation infrastructure sector and trained more than 5,000 pilots and other crew members.

"As a major step to back up China's aviation industry, we will further stress the impo

Shantou City Continues Fight Against Smuggling
The customs bureau of Shantou city in south China's Guangdong Province dealt with 325 cases of smuggling last year, with the value of smuggled commodities estimated at 155 million yuan (about 18.68 million U.S. dollars).

In the past year, local customs officers also dealt with 697 cases of violation of relevant rules and regulations, and confiscated cargo worth 166 million yuan (about 20 million U.S. dollars).

In the same period, local customs officers detained 129 smuggling suspec

5,500 Year-Old Building Found in Central China
Local archeologists have discovered a courtyard building believed to have been built in the time of the legendary Chinese emperor Huangdi, or about 5,500 years ago, according to the provincial cultural relics bureau of Henan Province, central China.

Henan is located in the ancient Zhongyuan or Central Plain area,and is home to a large number of ancient relics.

The new discovery, the oldest building of its kind ever found in the country, is located in Lingbao, a county-level city in

Chinese Professor Hopes to Present Picture of First Emperor
A Chinese professor said that he could produce a picture of China's first emperor if given permission to excavate his mausoleum.

Zhao Chengwen, a professor with the Chinese Criminal Police Institute based in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning province, has developed a portrait-restoring system which applies high-tech three-dimensional animation, reported Beijing Morning Post recently.

Zhao has succeeded in producing pictures of a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) princess. He f

Hunting zone in Tibet Plateau proves popular
The Dulan International Hunting Ground on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the roof of the world, has become a popular attraction with foreign tourists in recent years.

More than 600 hunters from a dozen of countries including the United States, Germany, France, Russia and Norway had visited it by the end of last year.

The hunting ground covers some 30,000 square kilometers in central Qinghai Province in northwest China. It is home to many hoofed animals including cliff goats, T

Ancient City Unearthed Near Tomb of Hanjing Emperor
An ancient city -- thought to be an important political center with an estimated population of some 100,000 -- dating back some 2,000 years has been discovered by archeologists in the northern suburbs of Xi'an near the Yangling Tomb of the Hanjing Emperor (156-143BC).

Relics from the city show solid evidence of the cultural appearance of cities and imperial life of Han Dynasty dating back 2,000 years, which has a great significance to research on the development of Chinese cities, said Wa

Xi'an Puts Ceiling on Its Building Heights
The Xi'an Municipal People's Congress has adopted a regulation to better protect the ancient city with a history of more than 3,000 years.

The regulation stipulates the height of buildings that will be constructed near the ancient structures, said Hai Lan, an official with the Xi'an Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Bureau.

Buildings 20 metres or less from the inner side of the City Wall must be demolished. And buildings 100 metres or less from the city wall cannot be more than

100,000 Taiwanese greet Buddha's finger relic from mainland
Some 100,000 Taiwanese Buddhists greeted a relic said to be the 2,500-year-old finger of Sakyamuni Buddha as it arrived from Chinese mainland on Saturday.

The arrival of the Buddhist treasure marked one of the most important cross-Straits religious exchanges.

The crowds chanted sutra and clasped hands to pay respect as the relic was moved from Taipei airport Taiwan University stadium, local television pictures showed.

The entourage was led by marching bands and police vehicl

China's Carving Center Hopes to Receive More Tourists, Investors
Quyang, a county in Hebei province neighboring Beijing, is trying to make its history of
carving more widely known.

The county, home to 530,000 people, issued a new picture album recently in Beijing to show its connection with some world-famous architecture and sculpture in China.

The picture album, namely "A Close Look at Quyang," is being used as the county's "name card."

The Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens (Yuanmingyuan), and the D

East China province reports more tourist arrivals
East China's Zhejiang Province registered 3.25 million arrivals of domestic tourists during the past Spring Festival holidays, up 12.3 percent from the previous year.

The tourists brought in 2.304 billion yuan (US$265 million) in revenue, up 17.5 percent, according to the provincial tourism bureau.

During the holidays, Zhejiang also attracted over 35,000 overseas tourists, up 18.6 percent.

The coastal province has rich tourism resources. In 2000, it offered a number of speci

Taiwan Told to Open Its Doors to Mainland
Tourism managers on both sides of the Taiwan Straits urged Taiwanese authorities to change their stiff policy and let tourists from the mainland visit the island as soon as possible. The sharp increase in the number of Taiwanese tourists to the mainland in the last 14 years has made travel agencies aware of how lucrative it would be to book holidays on the island for mainland tourists, said Tong Hualing, vice-chairman of the Travel Association of China. "We warmly welcome Taiwanese visitors to t

Fireworks Ban Faces Challenge
Cutting down on firecracker noise and pollution would certainly add to the comfort and safety of Beijing residents, but such a prospect doesn't seem to be enough to get people to obey the authorities' ban on fireworks. A resurgence of fireworks during the lunar new year week in urban Beijing has forced the municipal government to issue a notice to tighten fireworks controls during the Lantern Festival which takes place tonight. Ritualized cat-and-mouse games involving the police and fireworks lo

Tourism Off to Thriving Start
A bounty tourism for the Year of the Horse is predicted after a booming beginning with this month's Lunar New Year holiday. Major scenic cities, including Nanjing and Hangzhou, reported a big tourist rush during the weeklong festival between February 12 and 18. Economists believe that the holiday tourism and entertainment industries will become a new propeller of the country's economic development in the new century. A record 1.2 million tourists visited Nanjing, capital of the eastern province

Diverted Water Will Be Kept Clean
Water quality will be given priority in China's gigantic project to transfer water from the Yangtze River basin to the thirsty northern Yellow River and Huaihe River areas, officials said. Premier Zhu Rongji has urged that the huge water diversion project be designed to save water, prevent pollution and protect the environment. The project was initiated to ease the water shortage in northern China, where Beijing and Tianjin municipalities as well as Hebei, Henan and Shandong provinces, are locat

Indonesia Tours Start in March
Two Indonesia-bound package tours will start by the end of March,with prices of around 8,000 yuan (US$964),China International Travel Services said yesterday. According to the State Travel Administration,travel agencies can open tours to Indonesia and Malta after March 1. Among the tours will be one for eight days to Indonesia and Hong Kong for 8,680 yuan and a five-day tour of Indonesia and Bali Island for 7,580 yuan,said Wang Yanguang of China International Travel Services public travel depart

Shanghai Communique: Pragmatic Yet Far Reaching
The 30th anniversary of a joint communique will fall on February 28 to mark the normalization of bilateral relations between China and the United States. Known as the Shanghai Communique, the document ended 22 years of separation and antagonism between the two countries, and ushered in a new age in the normalization of Sion-US relations. Thirty years have elapsed. History has witnessed the vicissitude of the two countries and the world at large. Sino-US relations, experiencing twists and turns,

Zibo Tells Stories of Ancient Generals and Ghosts
Zibo has never been a tourist city. Located between Ji'nan and Weifang - also known respectively as the"city of fountains" and "capital of kites" - Zibo was once famous as the largest porcelain production base in China. However, if you are willing to linger a day or two in the city after touring Taishan Mount and Qufu, the home of Confucius, you will find that Zibo has its own story to tell. Sacrificial horses Zibo boasts a history of more than 3,000 years. In the 11th century BC, the town Linzi

Zibo Tells Stories of Ancient Generals and Ghosts
Zibo has never been a tourist city. Located between Ji'nan and Weifang - also known respectively as the"city of fountains" and "capital of kites" - Zibo was once famous as the largest porcelain production base in China. However, if you are willing to linger a day or two in the city after touring Taishan Mount and Qufu, the home of Confucius, you will find that Zibo has its own story to tell. Sacrificial horses Zibo boasts a history of more than 3,000 years. In the 11th century BC, the town Linzi

Rosy Outlook Looms in Macao's Tourism Industry
Macao's tourism business is tipped to get another boost this year as Joao Manuel Costa Antunes,director of the Government Tourist Office, pledged Thursday to inject more than 186 million patacas (about US$ 23.3 million) into market expansion and overseas promotion of the visitor mecca. The budget represents an increase of roughly 10 percent from last year, with which his tourist office will draw more visitors to Macao, make their stay longer and spur their spending in the city, the official told

Lawyer Loses Case but Is Still a Winner
In one of the country's most high-profile lawsuits, lawyer Qiao Zhanxiang from North China's Hebei Province lost another appeal yesterday against the Ministry of Railways, which jacked up the price of train travel during last year's Spring Festival. The Beijing Higher People's Court ruled that the price hikes enacted during last year's Spring Festival did not violate the 1998 Pricing Law of the People's Republic of China even though the hikes were set without any public hearings. Such pricing ac

Beijing Encourages Use of Green Fuel
By 2007, 8,000 buses and 40,000 cabs in Beijing will be fueled by green energy, accounting for 90 percent and 70 percent of the total numbers respectively, according to Beijing Mayor Liu Qi.

Liu said 168 natural gas stations will also have been built by then.

Last year Beijing planned to use more than 45 billion yuan for environmental protection in five years, including the popularization of clean-fuel automobiles.

Beijing Public Transportation Corporation also plans to inve

Asian Countries Join Forces to Combat Acid Rains
Asian environmental group voiced a call for the global communities to unite to combat the deteriorating problem of acid rain at a meeting held in Beijing Thursday.

Friday's China Daily reported that environmental experts at the meeting estimated by 2020 sulphur dioxide emissions in east Asia will triple the 1990 level -- amounting to 75 million tons -- due to Asia's progressive industrialization, if present energy and environmental policies remain unchanged.

Officials and experts f

Taiwan told to open its doors to mainland
Tourism managers on both sides of the Taiwan Straits urged Taiwanese authorities to change their stiff policy and let tourists from the mainland visit the island as soon as possible.

The sharp increase in the number of Taiwanese tourists to the mainland in the last 14 years has made travel agencies aware of how lucrative it would be to book holidays on the island for mainland tourists, said Tong Hualing, vice-chairman of the Travel Association of China.

"We warmly welcome Taiwanese

Phoenix Perches on Tuojiang River
A trip to Hunan helps you sense the poetic romance of one Chinese writer A friend told me that for beautiful and tranquil scenery, you must go to Fenghuang County (Phoenix County) in the west part of Hunan Province. Taking his advice, I kicked off my year with a journey there, and discovered that his advice was absolutely right. Fenghuang, a small county populated by people of both the Tujia and Miao minorities, is the right place for a big city person to recharge their batteries - no ringing al

First Chinese Air Police to Lift off This Summer
About 2,000 police officers will regularly travel China's airlines this summer so as to strengthen security in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States. There will be two officers to a plane. Major domestic air carriers plan to put the first batch of air police on flights to and from major cities this July or August. All 2,000 likely won't be employed until next year, however, said Wang Xin, director of the steward training department at Changning Amateur College in Sha

Soccer Tour in Limelight
The month-long World Cup tournament that begins on May 31 is expected to lure 60,000 to 70,000 Chinese soccer fans to South Korea, where China will be playing its first three games that will determine if the nation advances in the elite competition. That's the assessment of Soo-Hyun Lee, a key official of the South Korean World Cup Organizing Committee. World Cup host officials and local authorities, however, do not yet have an estimate as to how many local residents will be attending the tourna

Air Police to Patrol Flights of Local Carriers
About 2,000 police officers will regularly travel China's airlines this summer so as to strengthen security in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States. There will be two officers to a plane. Major domestic air carriers plan to put the first batch of air police on flights to and from major cities this July or August. All 2,000 likely won't be employed until next year, however, said Wang Xin, director of the steward training department at Changning Amateur College in Sha

China, US Launch Joint Promotion Program for Travelers to States
Northwest Airlines and CITIC Industrial Bank have announced that they have formed a marketing alliance for the benefit and convenience of travelers to the United States. Northwest Airlines will offer bonus miles in its award-winning frequent flyer program to US visa holders who use CITIC Industrial Banks visa application service and fly Northwest between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002. The program, the first of its kind in China, aims to strengthen Northwest and CITIC's commitment to provid

China, US Launch Joint Promotion Program for Travelers to States
Northwest Airlines and CITIC Industrial Bank have announced that they have formed a marketing alliance for the benefit and convenience of travelers to the United States. Northwest Airlines will offer bonus miles in its award- winning frequent flyer program to U.S. visa holders who use CITIC Industrial Banks visa application service and fly Northwest between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002. The program, the first of its kind in China, aims to strengthen Northwest and CITIC's commitment to pro

China, US Launch Joint Promotion Program for Travelers to States
Northwest Airlines and CITIC Industrial Bank have announced that they have formed a marketing alliance for the benefit and convenience of travelers to the United States. Northwest Airlines will offer bonus miles in its award-winning frequent flyer program to U.S. visa holders who use CITIC Industrial Banks visa application service and fly Northwest between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002. The program, the first of its kind in China, aims to strengthen Northwest and CITIC's commitment to prov

China, US Launch Joint Promotion Program for Travelers to States
Northwest Airlines and CITIC Industrial Bank have announced that they have formed a marketing alliance for the benefit and convenience of travelers to the United States. Northwest Airlines will offer bonus miles in its award-winning frequent flyer program to U.S. visa holders who use CITIC Industrial Banks visa application service and fly Northwest between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002. The program, the first of its kind in China, aims to strengthen Northwest and CITIC's commitment to prov

FEATURE: "Land of Smiles" Develops Eco-tourism
For Thailand -- "Land of Smiles", tourism is its pillar of economy and sustaining income source which is almost unaffected by recent global and regional economic turmoil.

However, after decades of continuous growth of foreign tourist arrivals, which could exceed 11 million this year, and increasing revenue that already accounts for 6 percent of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), policy-makers and tourism experts begin to realize that a sustainable growth of the industry should not only re

Beijing to Develop Pollution-Free Energy
Beijing is working toward of the goal of being an energy-saving, clean and beautiful international metropolis.
As one of the few coal-consuming capitals in the world, Beijing burned 27 million tons of coal in 2000. Coal consumption has been proved to be the major cause of pollution in the city, Guo Junqing,deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Development Planning Committee, told an on-going international seminar on energy and the environment here recently.
The city plans to cut coal co

Macao's Economy to Grow Faster in 2002: Official
Macao's economic performance is tipped to turn better at a faster pace this year on a tepid positive growth of 2001, a high-ranking local official noted here recently.

Addressing the 2002 Macao Industry and Commerce Symposium, Francis Tam Pak Yuen, secretary for economy and finance, said that he is "optimistic" about Macao's economic outlook as beneficial factors are increasing.

The opening of the gaming industry will give Macao a historic opportunity, in which the tourism and rela

Shanghai city strives to build 'Wall Street of China'
Shanghai's Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone is set to build itself into a booming business centre with an expansion of attractions for businessmen and visitors alike.

Ten projects were unveiled on recently in the zone, aiming to shape a new mini-district for finance, trade, tourism and real estate. The 12 million square-metre floor area will be put into use by 2006 in the 28-square-kilometre Lujiazui with a total investment of more than 2 billion yuan (US$240 million).

Currently h

Tourism Festival in Northwest China Features Folk Arts
A tourism festival featuring folk arts is being held in Wuzhong City in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The festival opened earlier this week with carnival parade, exhibition of handicrafts, sports activities and fireworks show which feature diversified folk arts and traditional culture. It will last till October this year.

Jointly sponsored by the State Tourism Administration and the local tourism bureau, the tourism event bears the theme of popularizing tradition

Tourism Off to Thriving Start
A bounty tourism for the Year of the Horse is predicted after a booming beginning with this month's Lunar New Year holiday.

Major scenic cities, including Nanjing and Hangzhou, reported a big tourist rush during the weeklong festival between February 12 and 18.

Economists believe that the holiday tourism and entertainment industries will become a new propeller of the country's economic development in the new century.

A record 1.2 million tourists visited Nanjing, capital of

Construction Threatens A World Heritage Site狧uangshan Mountain
The ecological and visual landscape of Huangshan Mountain, a renowned scenic spot in East China's Anhui Province, is under threat due to excessive construction.

The myriad building projects - including hotels, shops and entertainment centers - have not been curtailed in the mountain area, according to a recent report by China Central Television.

Also, an ambitious water-introducing project involves the building of a second reservoir at the mountain's largest water source - Wuliqiao

Shaanxi to Project 1.6 Bln Yuan in Natural Resorts
Shaanxi province,in west China,will invest 1.6 billion yuan (US$193 million)to develop a natural sightseeing zone,the province's tourism bureau said.

The zone,to be located along the Qingling mountains,east to the province's capital Xi'an, will include a variety of natural views of west China,the bureau officials said.

They said the ambitious project is to develop new tourism sources in the province to revitalize the tourism business.

The zone will cover 48 million square ki

Railway Projects in Beijing Attract Foreign Investors
Attracted by the prospect of large-scale rail transport projects in Beijing, foreign investors have strengthened their presence in the city.

On February 22, Beijing Construction Engineering Co., Ltd (Group) and German Bilfinger Berger AG announced an additional investment of 75 million yuan (9.03 million U.S. dollars) to their joint venture in Beijing.

As a result, the registered capital of Chang Cheng Bilfinger Berger Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. rose to 100 million yuan (1

Direct cargo shipping from mainland to Taiwan begins
Direct cargo shipping between the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan-controlled island of Jinmen began recently.

A ship left Tongyi dock at Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province for Jinmen in late morning.

This is the first time in 53 years that Taiwan businesses can transport their goods bought from the mainland to Taiwan directly, without stopping in Hong Kong or Macao.

Direct passenger transportation between the two cities started last year.

The central government ha

Private Passports for Students on Temporary Overseas Trips
A notice officially allowing private passports to on-campus students making temporary overseas trips was issued in Beijing recently, to comply with China's further process of opening-up, and to promote international education exchanges and cooperation.

The notice was jointly issued by China's Ministry of Education,the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and stated that on-campus students taking a short-term overseas trip for government or academic exchanges in

First Chinese air police to lift off this summer
About 2,000 police officers will regularly travel China's airlines this summer so as to strengthen security in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States.

There will be two officers to a plane.

Major domestic air carriers plan to put the first batch of air police on flights to and from major cities this July or August. All 2,000 likely won't be employed until next year, however, said Wang Xin, director of the steward training department at Changning Amateur

Macao Airport Performs Well in February
The Macao International Airport recorded strong performance last month, driven by the soaring number of local residents making outbound tours and influx of visitors over the traditional Spring Festival which falls on February 12. Latest figures from the airport show that passengers handled jumped roughly 30 percent year-on-year to 323,700 as aircraft movements increased 16.2 percent to 2,750 in February. An all-time high per day was seen on February 17 of 16,200 passengers handled by the port. W

Public Servant Liu Jifu
My eyes lit up when I read in the newspaper that Liu Jifu has recently been elected the Communist Party Secretary of Jiujiang city. I had met the former mayor several months ago and had been impressed by his answers to my questions and the local people's positive appraisal of his work. Jiujiang is a port city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. With a total population of 4.5 million, of whom about one-fifth are urban residents, it is the largest city in central China's province of Jiangx

Scientific Advances Examined
The last year has seen steady development of scientific research in China, but long-standing problems remain that are likely to impede further advancement, according to a report published last week. There have been impressive advances particularly in the areas of biological and archaeological research but less so in other areas, the report said. Science Report 2002 is one of three in a set released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It focuses on the scientific research advancement and ev

Public Servant Liu Jifu
My eyes lit up when I read in the newspaper that Liu Jifu has recently been elected the Communist Party Secretary of Jiujiang city. I had met the former mayor several months ago and had been impressed by his answers to my questions and the local people's positive appraisal of his work. Jiujiang is a port city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. With a total population of 4.5 million, of whom about one-fifth are urban residents, it is the largest city in central China's province of Jiangx

Public Servant Liu Jifu
My eyes lit up when I read in the newspaper that Liu Jifu has recently been elected the Communist Party Secretary of Jiujiang city. I had met the former mayor several months ago and had been impressed by his answers to my questions and the local people's positive appraisal of his work. Jiujiang is a port city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. With a total population of 4.5 million, of whom about one-fifth are urban residents, it is the largest city in central China's province of Jiangx

Environmental Protection Industry to Become China's New Economic Growth Point
In the next few years, China's environmental protection industry will face unprecedented development opportunities and become a new growth point of China's national economy, official sources said recently.

At a two-day meeting on Sino-Japanese cooperation in environmental protection, Xie Xuren, vice-minister in charge of the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC), said the Chinese government has outlined a goal for ecological construction and environmental protection in its 10th five-

Project on Rebirth of Tarim River to Start Soon
Sources from the local water resources department said that a huge project designed to make the Tarim River, China's longest continental river, to regain its water flow on the lower reaches will start later this year, with a total investment of 10.7 billion yuan (1.29 billion U.S. dollars).

According to the sources in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 57 small projects mainly on reinforcing dykes and building sluice gates along the river have passed the examination by the Ministry of Wate

Chinese Citizens Pay Tremendous Sums for Orchids
Increasingly affluent, Chinese citizens are spending tens of thousands yuan buying orchids for decoration and enjoyment.

Records show that China has a history of more than 1,800 years of planting orchids.

At the ongoing national orchid fair in Chengdu city, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, local citizens rushed to pay high prices for some rare species of orchids.

Statistics show that orchid growing has become one of the pillar industries of the province. Last y

Ancient Bridges Still Buried Under the Earth
A veteran bridge maintenance specialist said that there are still around a dozen ancient bridges buried under the earth in Beijing.

The bridges were built during the Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) dynasties, according to 75-year-old Kong Qingpu.

Kong said that these bridges were buried under the earth mainly for two reasons. First, some open rivers were converted into covered conduit or sewers and their bridges were buried. Secondly,some open rivers were fi

Shanghai City Plans Big Urban Projects
The city this year will double its expenditure on urban construction compared with the 2000 level.

The first phase of cleaning up Suzhou Creek will be the top priority project this year, Vice Mayor Han Zheng said recently.

The construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, where a summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was held in October, was listed as the top project last year.

An estimated 52.4 billion yuan (US$6.31 billion) will be spent o

Experts track Huangdi's whereabouts in S.China
Nearly all Chinese history textbooks say that Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, lived solely in the area of the Yellow River Valley (today's northern and central China) 5,000 years ago.

However, experts have pointed out, after years of research, that the emperor had been to the area of the Yangtze River Valley in southern China as well, and that Mount Shicheng in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province, was once a center of the Huangdi culture.

The findings were based on historical data, le

China to Rebuild 100-Year-Old Railway
China will spend 8.4 billion yuan (US$ 1.02 billion) in rebuilding a 100-year-old railway in its northeast.

The railway, built in 1901, connects Harbin, capital of northeast Heilongjiang province, with Manzhouli, a city near China-Russia border.

During the past 50 years, China has invested over 2.3 billion yuan (US$ 278 million) to renovate the railway, an important transportation line between China and Russia. Experts said that one purpose of the rebuild project on the 935-kilomet

China Keen to Hold 2010 World Expo
China is now vigorously supporting Shanghai's bid for the World Expo 2010, hoping to be the first developing country to obtain the opportunity of holding a World Expo.

According to Wang Junyi, chairman of the Shanghai Bidding Office, the World Expo is divided into two types: one is registered, the other is recognized.

Though Kunming, capital of south China's Yunnan Province, successfully held the World Horticulture Exposition of the recognized type in 1999, registered Expos have al

Soccer Tour in Limelight
The month-long World Cup tournament that begins on May 31 is expected to lure 60,000 to 70,000 Chinese soccer fans to South Korea, where China will be playing its first three games that will determine if the nation advances in the elite competition.

That's the assessment of Soo-Hyun Lee, a key official of the South Korean World Cup Organizing Committee.

World Cup host officials and local authorities, however, do not yet have an estimate as to how many local residents will be attend

Spring Drought Creeping in China
China is facing a spring drought caused by the second warmest winter it has ever had over the past 40 years.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued an emergent circular recently calling for drought fighting this year.

It has rained or snowed less in most part of China since the end of last year, says the circular. Rivers and lakes received less water. Water conservancy projects impounded insufficient water. The groundwater level has declined, leading to shor

New Program to Keep Yangtze River Clean
Chinese experts have divided the Yangtze River and some rivers in the southwest into more than 1,000 functional regions and mapped out a new water resources protection plan on this basis.

They believe this will be proven an efficient and cost-effective plan.

Under the new plan, the Yangtze River valley and that of southwestern rivers, such as Yarlung Zangbo, Nujiang and Lancang rivers have been divided into 681 Class One functional regions and 602 Class Two functional regions.
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Rare Objects Unearthed from Ancient Tombs in North China
Chinese archeologists in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have unearthed rare artifacts from 150 tombs dating back to the Warring States period (475 B.C.-221 B.C) and the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.

The ancient tombs are situated in Horinger County, in the suburb of Hohhot, capital of the region in north China.

More than 900 rare cultural objects have been unearthed from the tombs. Experts have found articles made of stone, bronze, iron,jade, silver and gold, and pottery. Some

Red Storms Spurred Jiangxi Tourism Sector
Central China's Jiangxi saw a huge increase in tourists during the weeklong Spring Festival,as more people are interested in the province's historical sites of China's Communist revolution.

There were 1.6 million tourists from home and abroad visiting Jiangxi this year,40 percent above the same period last year.Tourism revenues jumped 31 percent to 510 million yuan (US$ 62million),Jiangxi's Tourism Bureau said.

It is the province's picturesque natural scenes and historical sites in

Ancient Oven Unearthed in NW China
Local archaeologists have unearthed an ancient oven, dating back more than 3,500 years, in Qinghai Province in northwest China.

The oven, discovered at the Lajia Ruins of pre-historic disasters in the Minhe County, is the largest and most intact ancient oven ever found in northwestern China, local archaeologists say.

Wang Guodao, deputy director of the Qinghai Provincial Institute for Relics and Archaeological Research, said that the fireplace is divided into two layers by a flagst

Exhibition on Costumes of China's Ethnic Minorities Tells of Folklore, History
An exhibition on the costumes of various ethnic minorities in China is being held in Hong Kong to demonstrate the relationship between the costume, folk religion and culture among the minorities in China.

The exhibition, entitled the Chinese Ethnic Costumes Exhibition,is organized by the Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture and held at the City University until April 1.

Featuring a private collection of 22 pieces of costumes from 20 different minorities, such as the

Hainan Airlines Takes Lion's Share in Cambodian National Airlines
China's Hainan Airlines is set to hold a controlling 49 percent stake in the restructured Royal Air Cambodge (RAC), Cambodia's national flag carrier, according to an agreement signed here recently.

The framework pact signed between Hainan Airlines, the Cambodian government and the Cambodian CTG company allows the Chinese airlines' a 49 percent stake in the new RAC, which will have a registered capital of 10 million U.S. dollars.

Hainan Airlines will be the largest shareholder in th

China's No 1 building gets new security
Starting later this month, people entering the office area of the Chinese mainland's highest building will have to wear a special security tag to get through a new security system.

Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai has become the first office building in the mainland to use a system controlling access to its doors.

"The system will keep out people who don't belong and enable us to know how many people are in the building and where they are,"said Ruan Zhenji, engineering director of Jin Mao

Economic outcome beyond prediction
China's better-than-expected economic performance in January and February indicated that the country is capable of meeting its growth target this year, China's top economic planner said Thursday.

Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development and Planning Commission, said: "The overall economic situation is better than we had predicted. The GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate for the first two months has remained at 7 per cent. As China's economy tends to accelerate in following mont

Macao-Shenzhen Sea Route Opens
Just in one hour and ten minutes, people can now travel by ship between Macao and Shenzhen in south China. A Hong Kong company launched pilot trips Sunday on the sea route -- which connects the Hongkong-Macao Ferry Terminal with Shenzhen's Fuyong port -- using a catamaran with a carrying capacity of 266 people. There will be two return trips everyday, offering great convenience to passengers who will otherwise spend about three hours on a land route. This is tailored to the growing demand of tra

Through Rain, Sleet and Snow
Jin Heli has one of the hardest jobs in Beijing, Walking miles to deliver the mail to the mountain villages in the Fangshan District in suburban Beijing has been his daily routine for 22 years. A green bicycle and a green mailbag are the only companions he has on rounds. But he doesn't actually ride the bicycle. He uses it to carry letters, parcels and newspapers. "The villages I serve are all on the top of steep mountains," explained Jin. "It's so steep I have to push the bicycle." Jin works ou

Israel Blasts Arafat HQ, Says Might Lift Siege
Wielding a stick and a carrot, Israel destroyed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Gaza headquarters on Sunday, then said it might lift a siege that has kept him confined to the West Bank. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a second concession in 48 hours, said Arafat had met Israel's terms for ending the siege in the town of Ramallah by arresting the suspected killers of far-right cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi last October. Addressing soldiers fighting Israel's deadliest conflict for a generat

South Korea, A Nation Prepares for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
Ten cities in South Korea have been selected as fields for the coming World Cup, which opens on May 31.

Although the final match will not be played in the country but in Japan's Yokohama, the opening ceremony and 32 matches will be held here, which has made the country a hot tour destination.

Each of the 10 cities has its unique flavour, best for sightseeing after watching fiercely competitive matches.

However, you'd better reserve hotels and inns by the end of March - after

Macao Airport Performs Well in February
The Macao International Airport recorded strong performance last month, driven by the soaring number of local residents making outbound tours and influx of visitors over the traditional Spring Festival which falls on February 12.

Latest figures from the airport show that passengers handled jumped roughly 30 percent year-on-year to 323,700 as aircraft movements increased 16.2 percent to 2,750 in February. An all-time high per day was seen on February 17 of 16,200 passengers handled by the

Mainland Tourists Soar in HK
Visitors from mainland China have become the largest group of tourists to Hong Kong and they spend more per person than any other tourist group,China News Service reported recently.

The number of mainland tourists increased by 22 percent in January from a year earlier.The increase led all those from other areas.

Some 4.4-million mainland tourists visited Hong Kong last year,34 percent of the total visitors.

The average expenditure per person,about 5,000 HK dollars,increased

China To Establish Quick-Treatment Mechanism for Traffic Accidents
Sources from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Health revealed that China plans to set up a quick-response service, to offer prompt and proper treatment to those injured in traffic accidents.

Before the end of June this year, China will practice a new method by which all information about traffic accidents will be shared among the country's current emergency services, namely the "110" for public security, "122" for traffic accidents and "120" for first-aid services. This

Art Exhibition Commemorates China's Late Premier in Tianjin
An art exhibition to commemorate the 104th anniversary of the birth of former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) opened recently at the Zhou Enlai-Deng Yingchao Museum in Tianjin.

Sixty items of calligraphy, epigraphy, traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, sculpture and other forms of art selected from the museum collection on Zhou Enlai and his wife Deng Yingchao are on public view.

Zhou Enlai was born on March 5, 1898, in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province. He studied at Nankai

Bronze Statue Erected for Organ Donor in Nanjing
A bronze statue commemorating a 24-year-old woman's donation of her organs for transplant has been erected in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Yu Lu, a medical worker, died in a traffic accident one year ago and her parents fulfilled her last wish to be an organ donor.

Her corneas have helped two patients recover from cataracts. "She brought me light and gave me a new life," said Fu Shungen, a 64-year-old engineer, who was nearly blind before operation.

The

China, US Launch Joint Promotion Program for Travelers to States
Northwest Airlines and CITIC Industrial Bank have announced that they have formed a marketing alliance for the benefit and convenience of travelers to the United States.

Northwest Airlines will offer bonus miles in its award-winning frequent flyer program to U.S. visa holders who use CITIC Industrial Banks visa application service and fly Northwest between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002.

The program, the first of its kind in China, aims to strengthen Northwest and CITIC's comm

China names 33 new national geological parks
Thirty-three geological relics and sights were named as national geological parks by the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) recently, adding the number of national geological parks to 44.

The ministry established an evaluation committee to select national geological parks and awarded 11 sites with the title in 2001.

Experts say that the establishment of national geological parks played a critical role in protecting geological resources that can not be reproduced.

China is

23 Killed in Israeli Raids, Arafat Allowed to Travel
Israeli tanks and troops entered a Palestinian refugee camp late Monday in the Gaza Strip, triggering fighting in which they killed 17 Palestinians, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said. The reports raised to at least 23 the number of Palestinians killed in three large-scale raids in the West Bank and Gaza, during which Israeli forces rounded up about 1,100 people for interrogation. Seventy-five other people were reported wounded in the nighttime raid in the Jebaliya refugee camp, whi

Up-close Look at Representatives
An Jiayao, 55 Question: Where are you from? Answer: I live in Beijing but I often travel to Xi'an. Question: What is your profession? Answer: Archaeologist, directors of the Xi'an Research Program and the Han & Tang Research Program of the Archaeology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Question: What is the issue of most concern to people in your area of China? Answer: People in the two places care about different things. The people in Xi'an are most concerned about

Chinese Explorer May Redraw Map of History
Chinese historians and navigation experts are preparing to rewrite the history books after a British historian's claim that Chinese explorers found America 72 years before Christopher Columbus.

According to the London-based Daily Telegraph recently, Gavin Menzies, a former submarine commander and an amateur historian, has pointed to an ancient chart to prove that Chinese admiral Zheng He had discovered most parts of the world by the mid-15th century and reached America 72 years earlier th

Literary Classics to Be Engraved on Ceramics
Stories from China's four literary classics are being engraved on ceramics by a peasant in east China's Shandong Province.

Wang Shihai, a peasant from Wacun Village in Luocun Township in Zibo City, spent four years engraving the Romance of the Three Kingdoms on a ceramic mural, which has been certified as the longest ceramic mural in the world by the Shanghai Office of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Wang said his "biggest wish" is to have engraved the other three classics, the

Nation promises a best ever World Expo
Chinese leaders Monday promised to make the 2010 World Expo the best ever if it is held in Shanghai.

The Chinese Government will honour its commitments and the Chinese people are capable of making the 2010 World Expo the most successful, wonderful and unforgettable in history, said President Jiang Zemin.

He made the remarks during a meeting with a seven-member delegation headed by Carmen Sylvain, vice-president of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) and chairperson of the

East China Fair Boasts Big Hike in Trade Volume
Volume of export transactions reached 1.69 billion US dollars at the Eastern China Import and Export Commodities Fair, the first grand trade gathering after China's WTO entry, or up 10 percent from the last.

A total of 13,600 overseas business representatives came to the fair which closed recently in Shanghai, 29 percent more than last year.

Overseas business representatives came from 154 countries and regions, but those from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong were the largest in number.<

Public Bus Monopoly to End
International bidding will be introduced to Shenzhen's public transportation industry this year, said Zheng Weinan, chairman of the Shenzhen Bus Company.

Officials from the municipal bureau of communications said it's time to invite non-governmental investment to this booming industry in Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province.

Part of the State-owned stock of the bus company will be sold to foreign, private or other State-owned enterprises, Zheng said when quoting plans by th

Service sector grows fast in China's old industrial base
The continuous industrial restructuring has made Liaoning, an old industrial base in northeast China, witness a fast growth in the service sector in 2001.

According to statistics released by the local government, the province's gross domestic product (GDP) climbed up 9 percent to 503.31 billion yuan (US$60.6 billion) last year, 1. 7-percentage-point-higher than the country's average.

Of the total, some 204.39 billion yuan (US$24.6 billion) was produced by the service sector, up 11.

All International Flights Shifting to Pudong
All scheduled international flights at Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport will be shifted to Pudong International Airport this year,Chen Liangyu,the new Mayor of Shanghai said recently.

The shift will start on October 28,said Xia Keqiang,board director with the Shanghai Airport Group Co Ltd.

Shanghai is the only city in China with two airports and it is important for us to set different orientations for the two airports,Xia said.The Hongqiao Airport has been overloaded,and Pudong Internat

Environmental Protection in Guizhou Province Praised by Japanese
We are now more confident about investing in Guizhou after seeing how well the Sino-Japanese environment protection projects are progressing here, said Sugiichiro Watari, president of the Japan-China Economic Association (JCEA), recently.

At the end of a three-day visit to southwest China's Guizhou Province, Watari made the comment at a meeting with Huang Yao, deputy secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The Japanese official, who led

NE China Jilin Province Welcomes More Tourists
Northeast China's Jilin Province registered 22.5 million arrivals of domestic and overseas tourists last year, up 30 percent from the previous year.

The tourists brought in 8.368 billion yuan (about one billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, up nearly 50 percent, according to the provincial tourism bureau.

The province has rich tourism resources. In recent months, it has offered a number of specially designed routes to tourists. It also staged special activities, such as the spectacular

Beijing will open bids for 2008 games
Construction and renovation of all 19 new Olympic venues will be open for public bidding worldwide and foreign companies are invited to compete, said the Mayor of Beijing Liu Qi.

Projects in Beijing's plans in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games include the renovation of 14 existing sports venues, the development of the Olympic Park as well as other infrastructure and environmental protection facilities, all expected to bring billions of dollars to global investors.

Vowing to ho

China's System of Extended Holidays Debated
A practice that has pleased millions of Chinese but perplexed others since 1999 - when three national holidays were each extended to last a week - came under scrutiny yesterday. Some lawmakers attending the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress called for the holidays to be made shorter because they cannot tolerate the side effects that come with the long break. Others argued people should continue to enjoy longer holidays and improve their leisure time. May Day (May 1), which us

China's System of Extended Holidays Debated
A practice that has pleased millions of Chinese but perplexed others since 1999 - when three national holidays were each extended to last a week - came under scrutiny yesterday. Some lawmakers attending the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress called for the holidays to be made shorter because they cannot tolerate the side effects that come with the long break. Others argued people should continue to enjoy longer holidays and improve their leisure time. May Day (May 1), which us

Taiwan banks get green light to open mainland office
Two Taiwan-based commercial banks have been officially given the green-light to open offices on the mainland, making them the first Taiwan-based banking companies to be set up in the Chinese mainland.

The United World Chinese Commercial Bank will be allowed to establish an office in Shanghai, while the Changhwa Bank will be allowed to set up an office in the nearby city of Kunshan, said China's central bank governor Dai Xianglong on Monday.

"The procedures were completed after we r

Picture Exhibition on Taiwan Affairs Opens
A picture exhibition on Taiwan affairs opened Monday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Some 500 pictures and replicas of historical records are on
show.

The pictures show the development of the cross-Straits relations and are evidence that Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China. They also provide basic information on the island's natural environment, geography and culture.

The exhibition is jointly held by the Taiwan Affairs Office and Information

South China City to Start Freight Carrying Flights to Taiwan
The Shenzhen Airport Group has announced a new air freight route starting operations in April and linking Shenzhen, one of China's five special economic zones, to Taiwan.

The new flights are the only ones carrying freight from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan. There will be two flights daily, and the Macao Special Administrative Region will serve as the transfer station.

Freight charges for the Shenzhen-Macao-Taiwan route will be less than that for the current Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Taiw

Sanctuary Safeguards Red Ibis
At 5 pm on March 4, 60 red ibises reached their new home in Louguantai, at the northern foot of Qinling Mountain in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, after a long journey from Yang County in the southern foot of the mountain.

Since then, the rare birds have begun to adapt to the new home they share with other State-protected wild animals such as snub-nosed monkeys, takins, pandas, and Crossoptilon mantchuricum.

The adult red ibis, which is indigenous to East China, Japan, Korea

HK Hosts Asia's 1st Business Travel Expo
The Business Travel Expo Hong Kong, Asia's first ever B2B travel show, opened Tuesday at the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Center.

Officiating at the opening ceremony, Joshua Law, director-general of Trade and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR government, said it was a right choice to choose Hong Kong as the place for staging the expo's inaugural exhibition in the Asia Pacific region.

Law said Hong Kong is the preferred destination of a large number of business travelers each yea

Phoenix Attracts Visitors
On February 7, the local government of Fenghuang (Phoenix) County announced in Beijing that the age-old town in Central China's Hunan Province will apply to be on the list of World Cultural Heritage Site of UNESCO(United Nation's Education, Science and Culture Organization).

Two months previous to this, the town was placed on the list of National Historical and Cultural Cities.

Hidden away in the rolling mountains of western Hunan, Fenghuang is truly worthy of being protected.
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Hongkong Stresses Promotion of Tourism Industry
Hong Kong must develop more attractions, improve facilities and develop different types of tourism to promote tourism industry, Financial Secretary Antony Leung said in the 2002-03 budget speech delivered recently.

He said Hong Kong plans to build a new international exhibition center at the Airport in addition to the existing first-class convention and exhibition facilities to attract more business visitors.

Meanwhile, Ocean Park is introducing new attractions, and the constructio

Sanctuary Safeguards Red Ibis
At 5 pm on March 4, 60 red ibises reached their new home in Louguantai, at the northern foot of Qinling Mountain in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, after a long journey from Yang County in the southern foot of the mountain.

Since then, the rare birds have begun to adapt to the new home they share with other State-protected wild animals such as snub-nosed monkeys, takins, pandas, and Crossoptilon mantchuricum.

The adult red ibis, which is indigenous to East China, Japan, Korea

China Northern Airlines adds air routes to Japan
Three new air routes linking Liaoning province in northeast China and Japan will be opened on April 19, according to an announcement by China Northern Airlines recently.

The Airbus A-300 will make the three new regular flights, one of which will link Dalian, a port city in Liaoning, with Tokyo, another Dalian with Nagoya, and the third the province's capital city of Shenyang with Tokyo. There will be return flights from all three destination cities.

China Northern Airlines has so f

Macao-Shenzhen Sea Route Opens
Just in one hour and ten minutes, people can now travel by ship between Macao and Shenzhen in south China.

A Hong Kong company launched pilot trips Sunday on the sea route -- which connects the Hongkong-Macao Ferry Terminal with Shenzhen's Fuyong port -- using a catamaran with a carrying capacity of 266 people.

There will be two return trips everyday, offering great convenience to passengers who will otherwise spend about three hours on a land route.

This is tailored to the

Dynasties Witness Rise and Fall of Chariots
In Chinese history the burying of horses and chariots was part of a strict sacrificial system. Since the 1930s, Chinese archaeologists have discovered many chariot burial sites mainly in north and central China. Zheng Ruokui, a research fellow with the Archaeology Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, painted an outline of the chariot burial system in a recent issue of the Chinese journal, Cultural Relics World. Yin: Start Historical records show that chariots were already in e

Halong Bay Wonder on the Sea
One of the great natural wonders of Asia, Halong Bay, is the single most popular trip these days for tourists from China. A hawker on a small sampan sell fresh seafood to passengers on cruise ships. The beauty of the bay, known to Chinese as "Guilin on the Ocean", and its 3,000 islands is so awesome that an excursion there should be considered an essential part of any visit to Northern Viet Nam. A one or two day trip also makes a delightful and inexpensive romantic getaway if you meet someone sp

Dynasties Witness Rise and Fall of Chariots
In Chinese history the burying of horses and chariots was part of a strict sacrificial system. Since the 1930s, Chinese archaeologists have discovered many chariot burial sites mainly in North and central China. Zheng Ruokui, a research fellow with the Archaeology Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, painted an outline of the chariot burial system in a recent issue of the Chinese journal, Cultural Relics World. Yin: start Historical records show that chariots were already in e

Halong Bay Wonder on the Sea
One of the great natural wonders of Asia, Halong Bay, is the single most popular trip these days for tourists from China. A hawker on a small sampan sell fresh seafood to passengers on cruise ships. The beauty of the bay, known to Chinese as "Guilin on the Ocean", and its 3,000 islands is so awesome that an excursion there should be considered an essential part of any visit to Northern Viet Nam. A one or two day trip also makes a delightful and inexpensive romantic getaway if you meet someone sp

North Koreans Leave for Manila
The 25 North Koreans entered in the Spanish embassy in Beijing will travel to Manila, under an agreement between Chinese and Spanish officials, an official Spanish spokesman said Friday. The group left the embassy for the airport where they were to take a plane to Manila, foreign ministry spokesman Alberto Aza said. A convoy of North Koreans - two SUVs, a van and the ambassador's Mercedes limousine - left the Spanish Embassy shortly after 1 pm (0500 GMT), pulling out onto the tree-lined street o

More Group Tourists to Macao in January
Tourist arrivals in Macao by group leapt a year-on-year 30.9 percent in January, defying a fall anticipated by many on the fact that the Chinese lunar new year, ared-letter holiday usually with a tourist boom, falls in January last year but in February this year. The Statistics and Census Services said Thursday that the special administrative region (SAR) received 145,000 group tourists in January. Of the total, 101,000 were from China's inland, followed by those from Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong

Traffic Congestion in Beijing: What to Do?
Traffic congestion is a prominent problem in Beijing with automobiles increasing by 10 percent annually and roads being extended by only 2 percent. With this in mind, www. interviewed Zhang Jianfei, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and also vice-president of Plan and Research Institute of the Ministry of Communication, who put forward his own proposals on how to deal with the traffic problems in Beijing. The rapid increasing of automobiles seems to be overwhelmi

Experts called for national survey of environmental situation
Eighteen experts with China's top advisory body have called on the Chinese government to launch the country's first ever nation-wide survey of its ecological and environmental situation.

Niu Wenyuan, a research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an expert on sustainable development, said lack of understanding of the situation makes it difficult for policy- makers to formulate policies compatible with the real situation.

Citing an example, Niu, also editor of the annual p

Sandstorm Warning System to Help Prevent Damages
China will launch a nationwide monitoring and early warning system for sandstorms this month, which is expected to cut the country's economic losses by at least 245 million yuan (US$ 30 million) per year, experts say.

The estimation is based on the present frequency of the destructive storms, which occur 18 to 20 times a year, hitting mainly north China, particularly its northwestern region.
Sources in this capital of northwest Gansu Province said the monitoring and early warning syste

China's System of Extended Holidays Debated
A practice that has pleased millions of Chinese but perplexed others since 1999 - when three national holidays were each extended to last a week - came under scrutiny recently.
Some lawmakers attending the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress called for the holidays to be made shorter because they cannot tolerate the side effects that come with the long break.

Others argued people should continue to enjoy longer holidays and improve their leisure time.

May Day (

Major Outlet to Sea for Southwest China
A major outlet to sea via Hong Kong and Macau will be opened for Southwest China,according to the Ministry of Communications.

The major outlet will include a deep-water navigation channel from Funing in Yunan to Nanning of Guangxi,the Xijiang navigation channel from Nanning to Guangzhou,which will be connect up to Hong Kong and Macau region.It will serve a shipping thoroughfare for Yunnan,Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing in Southwest China.

The populous Southwest China is rich in nat

NPC Deputy Suggests SCO Expo in Xinjiang
A lawmaker from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, suggested recently that a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) exposition be staged in Xinjiang at a proper time to boost regional economic cooperation.

Abudu Reheman Ayli, a deputy to the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), said this will benefit bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation among SCO members, which including China, Russia and the four Cental Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikst

China completes salvaging operations of wartime ships in Yangtze
China has removed the remaining seven ships which were deliberately sunk in the Yangtze River to create a defense line during the Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945).

The salvage operations, which cost 26 million yuan (about 3.13 million US dollars), has freed up the bottleneck at the Madang section of the waterway, say experts.

In December, 1937, the then ruling Kuomintang government ordered 18 ships and one hundred wooden boats to be sunk along the Yangtze River in Madang County, centr

Restoration Begins on Buddhist Temples
A 50-million-yuan project is underway to restore three key temples of Tibetan Buddhism in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The repair of the main hall at the Ta'er Monastery, a holy site of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, has been completed. The rotten wooden structures in the hall have either been replaced or repaired with anticorrosive materials. Decorations inside and outside the hall were plated with gold and lightning arresters were installed on the hall.

Located in Hu

Macao SAR Government Opens Beijing Office
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has opened an office in Beijing in a bid to build closer ties with central government and mainland China.

Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen told a reception party at the Great Hall of the People that the SAR's Beijing Office would help develop exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Edmund Ho, chief executive of the SAR, expressed thanks to the central government for its support of the SAR administration's work.

He said the M

More Highways to Be Built in China's West
Some 40,000 kilometers of new highways will be constructed in the western regions of China this year, including 2,500 kilometers of express highways, according to Huang Zhendong, minister of Communications.

Emphasis will be put on national trunk lines, roads between provincial capitals and those linking county towns to provincial capitals. By the end of this year, asphalt- or cement-paved highways will extend from provincial capitals to almost all county towns in the western regions, Huan

Larger Spring Travel Flow
Transportation officials announced that a 40-day peak travel flow for spring excursion and the annual graveyard sweeping started now.

The Shanghai Railways Station will handle some 5.7 million passengers during the period,5 percent more that last year,officials predicted.

The station will put 17 more trains into operation during the period.On weekends,trains between city and Suzhou and Wuxi and other cities in neighboring provinces will be available every ten minutes,officials said

Tianjin launches int'l sister city activities
Tianjin started Wednesday a program promoting relations with its foreign sister cities by receiving representatives from Inchon in the Republic of Korea ( ROK).

The visitors will stay here for four days, and promote the 2002 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the ROK and Japan, during a program known as "2002 Tianjin Friendly Exchange Year Between Sister Cities."

Tian Guiming, head of the city's Foreign Affairs Office, said a series of activities are slated for this year, in a bid to at

China pledges to host a successful 2010 World Expo
The Chinese government and people are confident that they will host the World Exposition in 2010 successfully, as China's national strength will have been promoted to a new stage by that time.

Yu Xiaosong, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), made the remark in an interview with Xinhua Tuesday.

Yu said that with 20 percent of the world's population, China has made remarkable progress in developing the tourism industry in recent years. It

Full Text of Premier Zhu's Government Work Report (III)
IV. Adapting to the New Situation Following China's Entry into the WTO and Opening Wider to the Outside World China's entry into the WTO indicates that our opening up has entered a new stage. We need to actively participate in international economic cooperation and competition on a broader scale and in greater depth and complete our tasks for the first year of China's membership in the WTO. In recent years and especially over the past few months, we have done a great deal of work to meet require

Monday Morning Syndrome
The weekend is over far too soon for many people, and getting back into the swing of things can leave them feeling down. "I struggle for over half an hour to force myself to get up on Monday morning," said Tracy Yun. "Everything in my eyes seems grey, the crowded subway and the boss's face." Another white-collar worker, Michael Yu, said: "Monday is the worst day of the week - work efficiency is much lower than other days. I wonder why employees seem quite tired and absent-minded." The "Monday bl

IIII
VI. Implementing the Strategy of Developing the Country Through Science and Education and the Strategy of Sustainable Development and Strengthening Spiritual Civilization Expediting scientific and technological progress and innovation. We will accelerate the establishment of a state innovation system. We will concentrate on strengthening basic research and research in high and new technology of strategic importance and improve our capability of independent innovation. To upgrade industries and i

China's Xiamen Airlines to Fly to Kuala Lumpur Twice Weekly
Xiamen Airlines of China will fly to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) twice a week from Fuzhou, China, beginning April 27, Malaysian Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik said Saturday. He said this would help foster relations between the peoples of China and Malaysia, as the latter had quite a number of people in the local Chinese community who came from that province decades ago and settled here. "They can take this opportunity to visit Fuzhou and promote roots travel (travelling to t

Capital's Household Names
Landscape: Celebrities' Former Residences and Anecdotes,'' written by Chen Guangzhong and published by the New World Press in Chinese, 34 yuan (US$4). At first glance, the secluded courtyard at 21 Xisantiao Hutong in Beijing is no different from other compounds in the capital. Located outside Fucheng Gate near the Second Ring Road, the conspicuously enclosed courtyard is neglected by most passers-by. Yet, if people slow their pace and step closer, they may discover a tablet hanging on the greyis

Capital's Household Names
Landscape: Celebrities' Former Residences and Anecdotes,'' written by Chen Guangzhong and published by the New World Press in Chinese, 34 yuan (US$4) At first glance, the secluded courtyard at 21 Xisantiao Hutong in Beijing is no different from other compounds in the capital. Located outside Fucheng Gate near the Second Ring Road, the conspicuously enclosed courtyard is neglected by most passers-by. Yet, if people slow their pace and step closer, they may discover a tablet hanging on the greyish

Pakistan Church in Diplomatic Enclave Attacked
Two men walked into a Protestant church during the sermon on Sunday in one of the most heavily guarded areas in Islamabad in Pakistan and threw several grenades. Five people died, including an American embassy employee and her daughter. At least 40 people were injured, many critically, most of them foreigners. The blasts sundered bodies of worshippers, and blood stained the ceiling at least 40 feet above the floor in the simple hall where the worshippers had just finished singing ``This is Holy

Book Review: Capital's Household Names
Landscape: Celebrities' Former Residences and Anecdotes, a book by Chen Guangzhong, offers travelers a comprehensive guide to old historical residences in Beijing as well as an artistic treat with its pictures and sketches. At first glance, the secluded courtyard at 21 Xisantiao Hutong in Beijing is no different from other compounds in the capital. Located outside Fucheng Gate near the Second Ring Road, the conspicuously enclosed courtyard is neglected by most passers-by. Yet, if people slow the

Volunteers to monitor environmental protection in Tibet
More than 500 volunteers - mainly students and teachers from primary and high schools - on Saturday launched a campaign to protect the environment in southwest China' s Tibet Autonomous Region.

The volunteers announced their pledges to "love creatures, save resources and plant trees while preserving greenery and fighting pollution" on the plateau.

The objective of the campaign is to protect water resources on the "Roof of the World", which is considered the source of many major riv

Tibetan Farmers, Herdsmen See Lifestyle Changes
Today, on the "roof of the world" home appliances such as TV sets, telephones and refrigerators are as commonplace as they are in the developed eastern parts of China.

Gaisang Yexe, a research fellow at the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences, said that Tibetans' lives have undergone fundamental changes since Tibet's peaceful liberation in 1951.

Especially since the Third National Conference on Tibet, sponsored by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Sta

Modern technology improves Tibetan temple protection
Ancient temples in southwest China' s Tibet Autonomous Region, precious cultural treasures of the Tibetan ethnic group, are now well protected and managed thanks to the adoption of modern technology.

Since 1961, China has listed 27 cultural sites in Tibet as being under state-level protection, among which 25 are ancient temples and historical sites.

The central and regional governments have put great efforts into the repair and protection of cultural relics, including the Potala Pa

McDonald's Outlets Remain Popular in China
Lai Linsheng, general manager of McDonald's north China branch, expects the company's booming trade in China to continue in the future, according to recent Beijing Morning Post.

Although McDonald's headquarters has decided to close 250 outlets worldwide due to the global economic downturn, Lai still feels confident about the Chinese market and believes McDonald's will develop at least as fast as other western fast food giants in China do.

Last year the company opened 100 outlets th

China's art performing industry to watch, learn from international artists
Chinese performing artists should learn from their peers in other countries in order to make the most international touring opportunities, Elizabeth Bradley, the chairmwoman of the International Society for the Performing Arts (IPSA) said recently.

The chairwoman told Xinhua at the IPSA International Forum and First China Performing Arts Fair, which held here recently, that China with its great cultural heritage and vitality had won praise and attention from international performing arts

Shanghai residents mark tree planting day
Thousands of Shanghai residents recently joined in afforestation efforts to mark the country's Tree Planting Day, which falls every March 12.

Volunteers came to a horticulture center in Zhangjiang Township in the suburbs to engage in the construction of a greenery belt to surround the city.

According to Shanghai's greening plan, its urban area will be protected by a green belt of over 66,000 ha. in five years, which will increase the city's green coverage to 20 percent.

Shan

200 Million-Year-Old Crocodile Fossils Found in China
Fossils of crocodiles dating back over 200 million years ago have been found in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The fossils were discovered in Mengzi County when a farmer was digging a patch of limestone, archaeologists said. The stone fragments contained fossils of two crocodiles, but only one crocodile fossil was well preserved.

The fossils are the first of their kind ever found in the region and will be of great help in the study of the ecological and geological evolution of

River dredging project kicks off to clear pollution source in Tianjin
Over 70 dredgers were mobilized recently on the Haihe River, which runs through the north China municipality of Tianjin, as the city kicked off a major river water pollution treatment project.

The river's mainstream runs for 105 km, and is joined by five rivers in north China before debouching into the Bohai See. The Haihe River plays a crucial role in the city's navigation, flood discharge, water storage and urban environment operations.

However, it has become one of the most poll

Beijing Ming-Dynasty Imperial Tomb to Be Restored
Beijing has recently allocated 38 million yuan to restore an imperial tomb dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), local sources say.

De Tomb, one of the 13 Ming-Dynasty imperial tombs located in the northwest suburbs of the Chinese capital, contains the remains of the 15th emperor of the Ming Dynasty and his queen.

The tomb, whose construction began in 1627, covers an area of 3.33 hectares.

Experts say that the tomb has been seriously damaged by natural decay and delib

China and the US: A Unique Relationship
The relationship between China, one of the oldest civilizations with the biggest population, and the United States, one of the youngest civilizations with the strongest economy, is significant not only for the two peoples but also for the future of the whole world. The factors influencing the Sino-US relationship include economic, strategic, diplomatic and cultural elements. Undoubtedly, among them the economic factor is the most important one. Economic interests are at the heart of China-US rel

Capital's Household Names
Landscape: Celebrities' Former Residences and Anecdotes,'' written by Chen Guangzhong and published by the New World Press in Chinese, 34 yuan (US$4) Former Residence of Lu Xun At first glance, the secluded courtyard at 21 Xisantiao Hutong in Beijing is no different from other compounds in the capital. Located outside Fucheng Gate near the Second Ring Road, the conspicuously enclosed courtyard is neglected by most passers-by. Yet, if people slow their pace and step closer, they may discover a ta

United Airlines Launches Road Show in China
United Airlines (UAL) began its first "Nationwide Road Show 2002" in China Monday. The move aims to introduce UAL's air services to an increasing number of Chinese customers. The month-long road show will start in Beijing, move on to other major Chinese cities including Shenyang, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and will end in Xi'an. "China's entry into WTO and its sustained economic growth have brought more opportunities to both Chinese and foreign businesses and created enormous opportuni

Zoologist calls for military help to save white-flag dolphins
Chinese lawmaker Zhu Zuoyan has called for assistance from the military to catch several white- flag dolphins from the Yangtze River to save the endangered species from extinction.

Zhu, a zoologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said to catch the rare animal scientists need the help of the Navy and the Air Force of the country's armed forces, including naval vessel and helicopter.

He said the white-flag dolphin is even more precious than the giant panda in terms of number, a

Panda project expects to achieve positive results
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recently officially launched a project intensifying the protection of giant pandas in the Qinling Mountains -- the bears' most northerly habitat.

WWF has pledged 1.15 million yuan (US$138,554) for the conservation, a planned survey of the distribution of the wild species of giant pandas and co-operation between different parties involved in the project.

It will not only bring more attention and support to the Qinling panda population -- the high

China's state TV buys rights to broadcast World Cup in 2002 and 2006
State-owned China Central Television (CCTV) has bought the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2002 and 2006 football World Cups to the country's hundreds of millions of viewers, reports said Saturday.

CCTV bought the rights from German company Kirch, who has the global rights, according to Ma Guoli, director of CCTV's sports department.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said CCTV was expected to pay between 12 and 15 million dollars for the rights.

This year's World Cu

Air Japan Launches Express Delivery Service for Tianjin
Air Japan began an express delivery service for Tianjin on recently, contributing to the port city's efforts to give better service to locally-based foreign businesses.

Statistics show that 290,000 express delivery items had been handled by the end of 2001 after an air express delivery monitoring center was established by Tianjin Municipality Customs in September 2000.

Air Japan is the third foreign airline providing express delivery services in the city.

Local customs has t

Ancient National Mint Ruins in Northwest China-Shaanxi
Chinese archaeologists have proved that the ancient Zhaolun Mint Ruins, which was discovered recently in Shaanxi Province, were the national mint for the period of the Western Han Dynasty (206-24 B.C.).

Covering an area of 900,000 square meters, the ruins are located in Huxian County and were found at the end of last year.

Besides abundant ancient coins and structural units, a lot of pottery molds of 13 types of Wuzhu coin, which was the common currency in wide circulation during t

Statues to be Made of 40 Famous Chinese
The making of 40 statues of famous people of culture from Chinese history is being organized in this Chinese capital.

The 40 will include Confucius,a great thinker,Sun Zi,a strategist and Zhang Heng,an astronomer,as well as poet Li Bai,well-known Chinese painter Qi Baishi,and playwright Guo Moruo.

A spokesman for the Gehua Cultural Development Group,the organizer,says that through the statues they hope to show the path of Chinese cultural development and scientific and technologica

Airports Join Hands for Better Services
Beijing Capital International Airport and US Houston Airport System Development Company vowed recently to strengthen their co-operation in airport service to enhance economic development in their respective regions, according to China Daily.

Hoyt L. Brown, president of the Houston airport system, said his company would share its advanced airport management experiences with Beijing Capital International Airport.

Established in 1937, the company has established three airports in Hous

World Expo Site Design Portrays Shanghai's Future
The miniature currently exhibited in the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center vividly demonstrates the design plan for the site construction for World Expo 2010, for which Shanghai is vigorously bidding.

The Expo site in Shanghai is in the old city proper on one bank of the Huangpu River, covering an area of 5.4 square kilometers.

The major exhibition sites with show halls as well as a conference building are planned to be distributed mainly on the east side of the river, whic

New bridge to link China, DPRK over the Yalu river
It may not be long when people of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will be able to cross the border through a new bridge over the Yalu River in half a century.

Under an agreement between the two sides, the bridge to be built will link up the cities of Dandong in northeast China's Liaoning and Sin'uiju in the DPRK, according to legislators attending the current session of the country's top legislative body.

The Liaoning provincial government was notified re

Cheney, Sharon Offer Arafat Incentives
Yasser Arafat was offered major incentives Tuesday to help stop Mideast fighting: Vice President Cheney said he would meet with the Palestinian leader after a truce takes hold, and Israel said it might lift a travel ban on Arafat in time for next week's Arab summit. A meeting with Cheney would mark Arafat's highest-level contact yet with the Bush administration. Attending the Arab summit would mean an end to Arafat's three-month confinement to the Palestinian areas by Israel. In fighting Tuesday

China's Best Inspired to Return
Thirty-five year old Zhang Yaqin has accomplished what most people might take a lifetime to do. At the age of 12, Zhang excelled in the national college examination and was admitted into the "Gifted Class" for teenaged prodigies at the prestigious University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1978. He was then the youngest college student in China, six years younger than the average 18-year-old freshman. At 17, Zhang obtained a Bachelor of Science from USTC, while many young people at

FEATURE: HK's Ocean Park Launches New Conservation Program
Birds can be so clever -- this was the common exclamation of the audience after watching the newly-launched Amazing Birds Show recently at the Birds Theater of Hong Kong Ocean Park, a prominent theme park of the city.

More than 18 colorful birds, most of them are rare species, gave performances including picking up items, talking and circling over the head of audience.

The aim of the birds show is educating people to protect animals and environment instead of using them to make mon

Relic Restoration Project in HK Wins UNESCO Heritage Award
The restoration project of King Law Ka Shuk, a cultural relic in Hong Kong, won the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of Leisure and Cultural Services Department an international award Sunday.

The King Law Ka Shuk project is recognized with an award of merit by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This is the second time that the AMO's restoration project was recognized with this award, following the awards received in 2000 with the re

Fourth China International Flower and Garden Exposition Closes
The fourth China International Flower and Garden Exposition closed Sunday in Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province.

The exposition organized by the Ministry of Construction opened on October 1, 2001.

Three million garden and floral exhibits from sixty-two cities in 20 countries and regions were shown at the exposition which attracted 1.3 million domestic and foreign visitors.

Organizers say that landscape designs for public scenic areas were also included.

She

Peony show to be held in Central China
Luoyang City in Central China's Henan Province will hold its 20th peony fair between April 10 and 25. Local officials expect the annual event to attract both tourists and overseas investors.

According to city government sources, economic, cultural and sports activities will be held during the fair and will include talks on national-overseas economic and technological cooperation and an IT technology fair.

The past 19 peony fairs, have attracted more than 40 million domestic and ove

Shaanxi to Hold Farmer Painting Exhibition
A farmer painting exhibition will be held in Huxian County in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on April 7-9.

A large number of paintings by Chinese farmers in 60 counties nationwide, which are well-known for rural art, will be on display during the three-day exhibition.

The event will be jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture,the Chinese Artists' Association, the Research Institute for Chinese Farmer Paintings, the Cultural Department of Shaanxi Province and the Tourism Bur

Macau Passport Holders Gets Visa-free Treatment in Israel
Holders of China's Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports have been granted visa-free access to Israel.

Macau Daily News said recently that the initiative will promote cultural and commercial cooperation between Macau and Israel,quoting an official from the Israeli consulate in Hong Kong.

Thirty-odd countries have abolished visa requirements for Macau passport holders,with Romania announcing the decision in January.The figure has been on the increase since Macau return

Chinese North Pole adventurer advances on, dispite bear threat
Chinese solo adventurer Liu Shaochuang, en route to the North Pole, told Xinhua via his satellite phone recently that he fired his rifle to scare away a polar bear which had been stalking him for two days.

Polar bears are man-eaters, and Liu was forced to stay alert night and day as the animal followed him. When a flare failed to scare away the bear, Liu fired a shot in the air from his rifle, and the uninvited guest took the hint.

Liu is a remote-sensing expert with the Chinese Ac

Lugu Lake to Be Considered for World Heritage Listing
China's renowned Lugu Lake is to be considered for world heritage status for its cultural and natural aspects by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Lugu Lake is located in the Yi Autonomous County of Ninglang between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in southwest China. It is famous around the world for its beautiful scenery and the maintenance of the unique matriarchal system observed by the indigenous Mosuo people.

Mosuo means "yak herders"

Xi'an-Bangkok Route to Be Launched
A regular air route between Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Bangkok will be launched by the end of this month.

Following Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming and Chengdu, Xi'an will become the sixth Chinese city that has direct flights to Bangkok.

Xi'an is a world-famous ancient city with many tourist attractions, many relating to Buddhism, the prevalent religion in Thailand.

The new air route is expected to greatly improve economic cooperation and

China Northern Airlines to Open New Routes
China Northern Airlines will begin several new domestic and international flight routes from March 31.

A company spokesperson said that from April 26, it will start a new flight from Shenyang to Busan, flying twice a week with MD90 aircraft. While another new route will also begin from May 26 from Shenyang to Taegu, also flying twice a week by MD90.

Shenyang is the capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, while Busan and Taegu are cities in Republic of Korea (ROK).
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Lakeside Idyll
Like many inland cities, Chaohu is small and not modern, but its natural, unpolished scenery impress city dwellers. As a Chaohu native, I spent my childhood there, a city on the northern bank of Yangtze River in East China's Anhui Province, until I came to Shanghai to attend university five years ago. The city is named after a lake called Chaohu, the smallest of the country's five major freshwater lakes, occupying an area of 800 square kilometres. I remember when I went to visit my grandparents

Architectural Spectacle
Eautiful scenery, scarcity of visitors, reasonable prices - these are the elements of an ideal travel destination. But do such places still exist in China? I have to say - yes. Just travel to Zhaoxing, a small town in the southeast of Guizhou, and visit the people of the Dong Minority. The days I spent in Zhaoxing were the most peaceful that I have ever experienced. In the early morning when the first rays of sunlight appear in the sky, the streets and lanes in Zhaoxing come to life. People of t

Lakeside Idyll
Like many inland cities, Chaohu is small and not modern, but its natural, unpolished scenery impress city dwellers. As a Chaohu native, I spent my childhood there, a city on the northern bank of Yangtze River in East China's Anhui Province, until I came to Shanghai to attend university five years ago. The city is named after a lake called Chaohu, the smallest of the country's five major freshwater lakes, occupying an area of 800 square kilometres. I remember when I went to visit my grandparents

Architectural Spectacle
Eautiful scenery, scarcity of visitors, reasonable prices - these are the elements of an ideal travel destination. But do such places still exist in China? I have to say - yes. Just travel to Zhaoxing, a small town in the southeast of Guizhou, and visit the people of the Dong Minority. The days I spent in Zhaoxing were the most peaceful that I have ever experienced. In the early morning when the first rays of sunlight appear in the sky, the streets and lanes in Zhaoxing come to life. People of t

Macao Making You Welcome
Visitors to the MacaoSpecial Administrative Region (SAR) would feel even better over their tours as Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), posted Thursday the launch of a tourism awareness campaign as early as next month. "Now it is time that our citizens learn more about the importance of tourism," Antunes said at a press conference, citing that the industry is facing new challenges and opportunities in the wake of the opening-up of the gambling secto

Hundreds Volunteer to Work to Save Tibetan Antelopes
About 3,000 people nationwide have sent in applications to volunteer for three months' work at China's largest nature reserve for Tibetan antelopes. The figure is "much higher than expected," said Cai Ga, director of the Hol Xil Nature Reserve Administration Bureau. Cai said volunteers in the fight against poaching should know the bodily risks to them posed by illegal hunters. In addition, he said, they should be "physically strong" and capable of adapting to the climate of the plateau, which ha

Hundreds Volunteer to Work to Save Tibetan Antelopes
About 3,000 people nationwide have sent in applications to volunteer for three months' work at China's largest nature reserve for Tibetan antelopes. The figure is "much higher than expected," said Cai Ga, director of the Hol Xil Nature Reserve Administration Bureau. Cai said volunteers in the fight against poaching should know the bodily risks to them posed by illegal hunters. In addition, he said, they should be "physically strong" and capable of adapting to the climate of the plateau, which ha

Grassland Tunes to Echo in Capital
The best way to experience the wonders of the prairie and life on horseback in Inner Mongolia, or to get to know the descendants of Genghis Khan (1162-1227), is to take a trip to the grasslands of Alxa, Xilin Gol or Hulun Buir in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. But now, thanks to an evening concert featuring rich Mongolian music and talented ethnic performing artists to be staged at the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing residents will not need to travel far from home. Today an

First Chinese Japan Tour Group Sets Off for Japan
The Chinese tour group started off on the morning of September 13 from Beijing's Capital Airport to Japan at their own expense, the first ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Their first destination is Tokyo. Participating in the group are 100 Beijing tourists, including 60 members from the Head Office of the China Travel Service. They will spend one week on visiting seven Japanese cities including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto; the remaining 40 persons from the

Jiang Zemin Meets US Member of House
The policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" remains unchanged, however, the one-China principle is the prerequisite and basis for resuming cross-straits dialogue and negotiations. As long as the Taiwan authorities recognize the one-China principle, cross-straits dialogue can be resumed, and everything can be discussed, said Chinese President Jiang Zemin in a meeting Monday with Bill Archer, member of the US House of Representatives and chairman of the House Ways and Means

Rare Birds and Animals
If Xishangbanba of Yunnan Province is China's largest museum of natural history, the Tibetan Plateau is a "natural zoo" of rare birds and animals. In the vast and isolated mountains, the natural ecology has remained unchanged. The snow-covered mountains hide protected areas where springs flow, flowers bloom, and wildlife flourishes. In winter, groups of large wild yaks, with their long hair touching the ground, gather along lakeside and ponds or roam on the plains. Violent and strong, a yak usua

Complaints
Travelers can ask travel agencies for compensation from a travel quality guarantee fund should problems occur. Travel agencies must tell customers the reasons why they cannot travel at least three days before the scheduled departure as long as the latter have paid a deposit. Otherwise, the travel agencies are subject to a fine and must refund 10 percent of the charge. Travelers can cite direct economic losses if they miss their plane, ship or bus due to travel agencies' mistakes. Travel agencies

Jinghong -- 'Green Diamond on the Crown of Plants Kingdom'
Xishuangbanna, located in the southernmost tip of Yunnan Province, is a humid tropical area on the border of Burma and Laos. It is celebrated for its numerous species of plants - botanists have dubbed it "the green diamond on the crown of the kingdom of plants." Xishuangbanna in the Dai nationality's language means "twelve administrative areas."

With Yunjinghong at the center, the scenic area in Xishuangbanna extends to Mengcang, Mengzhe, and the Lancang River Valley, the whole area being

Metal Scrap
Our plants in China monthly process 4,000 tons of non-ferrous metal scrap. Items including but not limited to: Cu/Al/Pb cables, Irony stainless/Cu/Brass/Al/Zn/Pb, shredded metals, motors. Our brass mill requires 2,000 tons of brass per month. We are constantly sourcing and buying. If you have some buying/exporting experience in your region, we would like to discuss with you. Our main requirements are: you must be honest, reliable and enthusiastic; willing to learn and travel. Joint venture is al

Metal Scrap
Our plants in China monthly process 4,000 tons of non-ferrous metal scrap. Items including but not limited to: Cu/Al/Pb cables, Irony stainless/Cu/Brass/Al/Zn/Pb, shredded metals, motors. Our brass mill requires 2,000 tons of brass per month. We are constantly sourcing and buying. If you have some buying/exporting experience in your region, we would like to discuss with you. Our main requirements are: you must be honest, reliable and enthusiastic; willing to learn and travel. Joint venture is al

Four Countries Improve Tourism Markets
Tourism departments from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will join hands to improve tourism service for Chinese tourists in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This was learned from a minister-level meeting held by the countries in Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan province. The four countries will nominate a number of travel agencies with good reputation to organize and host tour groups; and these agencies are required to sign quality guarantees with the tourism department

Bush to Attend APEC Summit Despite Attacks
US President George W. Bush has told Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin he will travel to China next month for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit despite the terror attacks on the United States, China's vice foreign minister Wang Guangya said on Thursday. Bush would also go to Beijing, as previously planned, during his visit to China, Wang added. The US leader confirmed he would go ahead with the trip, the centrepiece of which is the APEC leaders' summit in the eastern city of Shan

The Legend of Nam Lake
Besides its towering mountain ranges, the Tibetan Plateau also boasts numerous mirrorlike lakes. Among them, there are over a hundred lakes that cover an area of more than a hundred square kilometers each. Nam Lake, the highest large lake in China, has an area of 1,993 square kilometers. It is also known as Heavenly Sea. Legend has it that Nam Lake is the beautiful daughter of nearby Bam Lake. She was married to the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. As time went by, she could not stand the frigid weath

Chongming Confucius Temple
For people who want to know more about Chongming-the country's third largest island-the Chongming Confucius Temple is an ideal destination.

The temple, known to locals as "Xue Gong," or "Study Palace" in English, is an ancient architectural complex covering an area of about 1.55 hectares. It is the largest Confuciun temple in the city.

Originally built in 1327 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) it was rebuilt on the current site in 1622 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

For

The Legend of Nam Lake
Besides its towering mountain ranges, the Tibetan Plateau also boasts numerous mirrorlike lakes. Among them, there are over a hundred lakes that cover an area of more than a hundred square kilometers each. Nam Lake, the highest large lake in China, has an area of 1,993 square kilometers. It is also known as Heavenly Sea. Legend has it that Nam Lake is the beautiful daughter of nearby Bam Lake. She was married to the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. As time went by, she could not stand the frigid weath

III. China?Travel Agencies and Hotels
Great progress has been made in upgrading China's travel facilities and services in the past few years. The State Administration of Travel and Tourism appraises services and travel agencies every year to encourage the travel business organizations to offer better services to customers. The six "excellent foreign-related agencies" chosen in 1999 were the China International Travel Service Head Office, China Youth Travel Proprietary Ltd., China Travel Service Head Office, Shanghai China Internatio

crafts index living--- food &dinning index
entertainment guide --- acrobatics (new) Travel entertainment guide --- concert (new) Travel entertainment guide --- theater (new) Travel travel service (new) Travel travel service --- airport reception (new) Travel travel service --- charter flight (new) Travel travel service --- cargo flight (new) Travel travel service --- taxi (new) Travel travel service --- one-day tour (new) Travel travel service --- bicycle for hire (new) Travel travel guide(new) Travel China Background(news) travel china

Hotel Projects In New York
We are going to build a 350 rooms hotel in new york city and looking for partners i n supplying building material,flow cash , travel agency, furniture, mainly from china mainland. The stock shares can be exchangedand via our lawyer in usa, hongkong, quanzhou prc. Contact: bruce cheng Company: hunter and associates Country & Territory: United States State/Province: ny City: new york Zip Code: 11421 Address: 8520,88 ave,woodhaven,ny11421 Phone: 1 917 517 4919 Fax: Home Page: No Homepage Expiry dat

FAQ for Studying in Beijing
1. How to apply for scholarships granted by the Chinese government? All applicants can apply to the relevant student dispatching authorities, the Chinese embassy, or consulate general in their home countries. The time to apply is normally between the beginning of January and the beginning of April. The China Scholarship Council does not handle any individual applications. 2. What do these scholarships include? Scholarships granted by the Chinese government are divided into full and partial schol

one-China principle II
IV. Several Questions Involving the One-China Principle in the Cross-Straits Relations Chinese territory and sovereignty has not been split, and the two sides of the Straits are not two states. The Taiwan authorities support their position on "two Chinas," including the "two states" theory proposed by Lee Teng-hui, with the following arguments: Since 1949, the territories on either side of the Straits have been divided and governed separately, with neither side having jurisdiction over the other

Zhangjiajie Mountains
The MD82 leaned over a bit and the air pressure building up in my ears began recording our descent. Outside the window to my left, a thick, heavy quilt of clouds gave way to an ever clearer landscape of dark green mountains. Minutes later, I located a huge clear-cut opening in the mountain screen. That must be Tianyan Cave (the Eye of the Heaven), one of the landmarks of Zhangjiajie, my destination of many years' longing. But my first encounter with this well publicized tourist city was a little

Nation Ready for Mass Tourists during Holiday
Tourists during the upcoming National Day holiday will find landing accommodations at their first choice destination to be relatively easy this year, but things will still be crowded. A national statistics and forecast center on tourism for the week-long holiday from October 1 to 7 publicized its latest information for the first time on Thursday, revealing that the country is prepared for mass tourist migration, but that some flights and rooms are filling up fast. Although there are still eight

Seven Socio-economic Trends Forecast for China in 2002
At the end of each year, the Sociology Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences publishes a review of the social/economic development in the country during the previous year and makes forecasts for the coming year. The most recent Analysis and Forecast of Social Development in China sees the following seven trends for China in 2002: The 16th CPC Congress Will Be Especially Significant The Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 16th national congress during the latter half of

China's Policy on 'Three Direct Links' Across the Taiwan Straits
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council Wednesday issued a document on China's policy on direct links in mail, transport and trade across the Taiwan Straits.

Following is the full text of the document, titled "Actively and Realistically Promote 'Three Direct Links' Across the Taiwan Straits by Reliance on the People and in the Interests of the People":

Foreword

Owing to the military confrontation across the Taiwan Straits in the past 30 years or more since 1949, peopl

Imperial Summer Resort to Host Int'l Tourism Gala
Bi Shu Shan Zhuang (Summer Mountain Villa), one of the best-known imperial resorts in China, will host an international tourism festival this September, to mark the 300th anniversary of its founding. The summer resort, which was built by the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is located in Chengde City, Hebei Province, north China. Over 2,000 domestic and overseas officials and business people are expected to participate in the festive programs in a series of meetings, art performances,

Top News Stories
The success of China's first manned space flight was just one of many dramatic events in China in 2003-2004, a year that Chinese themselves might remember most for the way China's newly-elected government leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, took charge in mobilizing the country's battle against the SARS epidemic in Spring 2003. The Central Government adopted a series of measures that both proved effective and won the praise of the World Health Organization: Special SAR

Jinghong -- 'Green Diamond on the Crown of Plants Kingdom'
Xishuangbanna, located in the southernmost tip of Yunnan Province, is a humid tropical area on the border of Burma and Laos. It is celebrated for its numerous species of plants - botanists have dubbed it "the green diamond on the crown of the kingdom of plants." Xishuangbanna in the Dai nationality's language means "twelve administrative areas." With Yunjinghong at the center, the scenic area in Xishuangbanna extends to Mengcang, Mengzhe, and the Lancang River Valley, the whole area being covere

Visa Application for Your China Visit
: I plan to establish in China for one year with my Chinese wife and my children. My wife's family owns an apartment. We will use the money that we have at the bank so that I do not work. What kind of visa do I have to ask for? What document do I need to present ? How long can I stay? Thanks for your answer, Thierry Lefort ----------------------------- Dear Mr. Lefort, We received your inquiry letter in regard to visa applications. In response to your questions, I would like to provide you with

First Magnetic Train in China
China's first magnetic levitation (maglev) train for commercial use is expected to be finished by the end of next month. The train, which will be raised eight millimetres above the rails, is designed to travel at 80 kilometres per hour. It is being constructed by the Changchun Passenger Railway Car Plant in Northeast China's Jilin Province. The train will be 11 metres long, weigh 18 tons and carry about 80 passengers. The train is scheduled to run next year between Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Hill,

Photographers Focusing on Tibet
A group of 20 photographers from home and abroad started their 25-day trek to the Tibet Autonomous Region from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The photographers will travel along the Chengdu-Lhasa highway, traveling to the Erlang Mountain, Jinsha, Lancang and Yarlung Zangbo rivers, and some historical sites, ending their journey in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Their pictures will mainly reflect the themes of "We have only one earth", "Care for health, ca

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Ravines and Pools
There are also a number of scenic watering holes in these mountain areas now open to the public. Dragon Rejoice Ravine (Longqingxia) Dragon Rejoice Ravine has been a local attraction since the Song Dynasty. Emperor Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty was born south of here. When he ascended the throne, he named the county Longqing Prefecture to commemorate his birthplace. About 85 kilometers north of Beijing proper, this recreational site is part of a large reservoir on the Gucheng River. The dam was bu

Tourism
Introduction Modern tourism in China sprang up in the early 1950s. In 1954, the China International Travel Service was established, with 14 branches in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities. In 1964, the State Tourism Administration of China was formally established. Since the initiation of the policies of reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, China?￥s tourism has entered a stage of rapid development. In 1999, the number of tourists entering China reached 72.8 million, o

Mt. Laoshan
With its highest peak rising 1,133 meters above sea level, Mt. Laoshan is situated on the southeastern Shangdong peninsula. Facing the Yellow Sea, it is one of China's major scenic resorts and has long held the reputation as the No. 1 Famous Mountain on the Sea.

The entire mountain covers 446 square kilometers and has 218 places of interest, big and small.

It is a famous Taoist mountain boasting both mountainous and coastal scenery. Among all the well-known mountains across China,

Macao SAR, Samoa Offer Mutual Visa-free Treatment
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and the Independent State of Samoa have signed an agreement to grant visa-free treatment to each other. Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, secretary for administration and justice of the Macao SAR government, and Tuigamala Lam Sam, Samoan consul general in Hong Kong and Macao, signed the agreement in Macao on Monday. Samoa is the sixth country to give visa-free access to Macao SAR passport holders since the founding of the SAR last December. And i

Botanical Garden for Blind Planned in Suzhou
Suzhou, a popular scenic tourist destination in east China's Jiangsu Province, is planning a botanical garden for the blind. An official with the rehabilitation section of the Suzhou City Disabled Persons' Federation said the projected 3,000-sq-m botanical garden will be situated inside Tongjing Park of western Suzhou, a city long renowned as "paradise on earth". The requirements for the garden's plants are that they be not too tall, have no thorns, be non-toxic or not bear any strange smells, i

Metal Scrap
Our plants in China monthly process 4,000 tons of non-ferrous metal scrap. Items including but not limited to: Cu/Al/Pb cables, Irony stainless/Cu/Brass/Al/Zn/Pb, shredded metals, motors. Our brass mill requires 2,000 tons of brass per month. We are constantly sourcing and buying. If you have some buying/exporting experience in your region, we would like to discuss with you. Our main requirements are: you must be honest,reliable and enthusiastic; willing to learn and travel. Joint venture is als

Safety Facilities in Scenic Areas Under Inspection
China has begun a nationwide inspection on safety facilities in scenic areas, in an effort to ensure the safety of tourists during the forthcoming National Day holiday, which falls on October 1st. Statistics from China's tourism department shows that during the seven days of the Labor Day holiday in May, some 46 million Chinese traveled, posing a grave threat to safety facilities, especially in scenic spots. In order to make preparations for the National Day holiday, the Ministry of Public Secur

XI. Special Administrative Regions
The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in the light of specific conditions. I. Legal and administrative positions of special administrative regions 1. Special administrative regions are local administrative regions of the People's Republic of China The Basic Laws of special administrative regions shall be drawn by the National People'

White Paper on Environmental Protection in Tibet Published
The State Council Information Office published on March 10 a white paper entitled Ecological Improvement and Environmental Protection in Tibet. The document, divided into six sections, reviews the progress of ecological improvements and environmental protection work in Tibet; presenting the status quo of this undertaking and envisaging the prospects of sustainable development for the future. The full text of the document follows:

Ecological Improvement and Environmental Protection in Tibe

General Survey
Gong Weijian & Wu Yuchu, ed, Tibet, China Tourism Press, Beijing, February 1992. 96 pp.Color illus. 14W14 cm. ISBN 7-5032-1598-4. Hardcover. With photos taken by Ma Fujiang, et al, this photographic album introduces the Tibet Autonomous Region, with a tourist map of the region at the back. Zhang Xiaoming, ed, Landscapes of Tibet, China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, December 1996. 21 pp. Illus. 19W19 cm. ISBN 7-80113-176-2. Tibet Pictorial Series. With 25 pictures showing the natural scenes an

Tourists to Hit a New High on National Day
Zhang Xiqin, vice-director of National Tourism Administration of China said on August 12, the domestic travel market is expected to hit another high during the festival of the National Day, presumably exceeding that of the Labor Day in number of tourists. To make the tours on holidays develop in an orderly way, August 12 saw the Chinese Association of Travel Service (CATS) offer consultations on travel in front of Beijing Books Mansion. Almost twenty Chinese well-known travel agencies carried ou

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

Guilin to Resume Flights to Macao
The Liangjiang International Airport in Guilin, a scenic city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will resume flights to Macao on Wednesday. Air travel between Guilin and Macao was suspended on April 7 due to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The Guilin-Macao flight will run three times a week, on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Daily flights will resume as demand increases. The flight is one of four from Guilin to non-mainland regions, and serves as an imp

Five-star Hotels at Popular Sites in China
Many of these hotels have websites; reservations may be made on-line or through a travel agency. These areas also have many four-star, three-star and other fine hotels too numerous to mention here.

Beijing

Beijing Hotel

Beijing New Century Hotel

Beijing International Hotel

Beijing Telecom Hotel

Celebrity International Grand Hotel

Century Golden Resources Hotel

Crowne Plaza Hotel

China World Hotel, Beijing

Chang'an Grand Hotel

Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 1999
1. The Neolithic Site at Gaochengdun in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province.

This is a large-scale high terrace graveyard of the Liangzhu Culture, with rigorous layout and planning. An area of about 1,000 square meters has been excavated. In 1999, a total of 13 large and middle-sized tombs of the early and middle stages of the Liangzhu Culture were excavated and screened, from which a total of 155 pieces (sets) of various kinds of jade articles, and stone and pottery wares were unearthed. Within t

Beijing Unable to Accommodate National Day Visitors
Having just said goodbye to the Moon Festival, Beijing's tourist sector is bracing even more nervously for an extremely busy National Day holiday. As the nation's capital, the city is always the prime target in early October for people from all over the country to spend their days off. According to the Beijing Morning Post, a city-wide preparation campaign is in full swing, following a mobilization meeting Wednesday among all related tourist departments. Officials admit Beijing's hotels, transpo