China Travel Tour

Short-distance tourism new industry focus in Asia-Pacific
Tourism professionals Monday told an on-going forum that short-distance tourism within the Asia-Pacific region will soon become the new focus for cooperation among Asian destinations.

Some 500 political leaders and tourist professionals gathered in this famous tourist city of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, for Boao Forum for Asia --Tourism Conference, a major Asia-wide tourist forum.

P. Ramanujam, secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, said t

Chinese tourism standardization effective: official
Standardization in China's tourism industry is contributing to the promotion of tourism, said Sun Gang, vice chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, here on Monday.

At the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference currently underway in the scenic city of Guilin, Sun said China has drafted and issued 17 tourism-related standards.

China first issued the standards for star-rated hotels in 1987,marking the start of tourism standardization. In 1999, China issued a quality

Development of tourism must be sustainable: UNEP official
The development of tourism should be carried out in a sustainable manner to provide sufficient opportunities for future growth, said a senior United Nations official here Monday.

Nirmal Andrews, regional director for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), said tourist host countries, in the course of developing the tourism industry, should ensure that local cultural traditions, the ecological environment and bio-diversity remain unharmed.

"Otherwise there will b

Asian travel industry forum opens in Guilin
Asian tourism leaders and professionals urged closer dialogue and cooperation to boost Asia's travel industry, at an international tourism forum in Guilin, a famous tourist attraction in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Asian countries and regions had attached greater importance to developing tourism in recent years as the industry's role in their economies grew, a senior Chinese official said at Monday's opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia - Tourism Conference.

China Aims to Become World's Leading Tourist Destination
China, already the world's fifth most popular tourist destination, plans to be the global leader by 2020. Sun Gang, deputy-director of the China National Tourism Administration, made the remarks here to Asian tourism industry professionals in the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference, which just concluded in this scenic tourist spot in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region "China's current ranking in world tourism demonstrates its status as a major tourism destination," Sun said

Int'l Visa Cards Accepted in Chinese Mainland
Visa International, the world's largest payment company, announced a deal yesterday with the operators of China's official bankcard payment network to allow holders of overseas issued credit and debit cards to pay with plastic at stores around the country. The alliance reflects Visa's motivation to increase its presence in China, which industry insiders said has the potential to become the world's largest travel destination by 2020 up from fifth position last year. "We estimate that China's fore

Tibet Attracts More Inland China Tourists
More and more tourists from inland China traveled to Tibet Autonomous Region this year, bringing a soaring tourism income to the region. Figures from the local tourism bureau show that, by the end of October, 8.4 million visitors traveled to Tibet this year, up 24.5percent over the same period last year. Some 7.1 million were frominland China and 1.3 million from overseas, up 28.8 percent and 4.6 percent respectively. These primarily inland tourists have brought a boon to local tourism with an i

History Rewritten by Latest Mural Find
Colorful murals on walls inside six ancient royal tombs have been discovered by Chinese archaeologists in southwest China. They said the cliff tombs date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220). The tombs are located on a mountain cliff in Zhongjiang County, Sichuan Province. The third tomb, described as the most valuable by Chinese archaeologists, looks like a luxury hotel with a 13-metre-long entrance, a 20x1.8 meter coffin chamber, rear chambers, a coffin platform and a niche. The murals -

Visa Cards to Work Across Mainland
Visa International, the world's largest payment company, announced a deal yesterday with the operators of China's official bankcard payment network to allow holders of overseas issued credit and debit cards to pay with plastic at stores around the country. The alliance reflects Visa's motivation to increase its presence in China, which industry insiders said has the potential to become the world's largest travel desti-nation by 2020 up from fifth position last year. "We estimate that China's for

China Aims to Be World's Leading Tourist Destination
China, already the world's fifth most popular tourist destination, plans to be the global leader by 2020. Sun Gang, deputy-director of the China National Tourism Administration, made the remarks here to Asian tourism industry professionals in the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference, which just concluded in this scenic tourist spot in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region "China's current ranking in world tourism demonstrates its status as a major tourism destination," Sun said

Japan Gives 280 Million Yen for Chinese Cultural Heritage Project
The Japanese government has granted 280 million Yen (about US$2.3 million) to China for the initial funding of a cultural heritage protection project. Long Yongtu, vice minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) and Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami signed an agreement on the conservation project in Beijing on Thursday. The sum will be used for the preservation and restoration of the ruins and gardens of Hanyuan Hall, once an integral part of Damin

Taipei's Refusal Dashes Hopes
Taipei's lack of sincerity and insistence on clinging to a political ideology could dash the hopes of setting up direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits in time for next year's Spring Festival holidays, said a senior government source. The source with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) said Taiwan's rejection last week of the call for direct flights to and from the mainland, has cast a shadow over the plan's future development. "We have to say that the possibil

Leisurely Strolling down Age-old Lane
In the Xijie (West) Street, a time-weathered lane in the ancient, lovely town of Yangshuo in south China, a wrist watch seems to be a gadget you would least need. Time means nothing for leisure seekers from almost every corner of the world traveling to this enchanting town, approximately 50 kilometers from Guilin, a world-renowned scenic resort in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is almost midnight. Noushin Riazi is still nibbling her roasted corn cob beside a snack stall in Xijie S

More Int'l Hotels Eye Chinese Market
A growing number of luxury world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom. The Beijing Best Western hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand in the Hyatt Group will follow soon. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a site downtown for its first hotel in Beijing. Whether it be in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai metropolis and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business people have a wi

More Int'l Hotels Eye Chinese Market
A growing number of luxury world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom. The Beijing Best Western hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand in the Hyatt Group will follow soon. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a site downtown for its first hotel in Beijing. Whether it is in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai metropolis and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business people have a wi

Backgrounder: World Congress of Accountants, the Olympics of the accounting world
The 16th World Congress of Accountants, the first ever to be held on Chinese territory, is hosted by the Hong Kong Society of Accountants and will run from November 19 to 21 in Hong Kong, with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji officiating the opening ceremony.

The World Congress of Accountants, considered the Olympics of the accounting profession worldwide, has been held every five years since the inaugural congress was held in the United States in 1904.

The congress is organized under th

PM to accountants: Cherish integrity of profession
Premier Zhu Rongji said Tuesday that the Chinese Government attaches great importance to the development of the accounting profession, and have made unremitting efforts to build the nation's accounting system, create auditing rules and train professionals in the field.

Zhu, speaking at the opening ceremony of the four-day 16th World Congress of Accountants, said the accounting profession is playing an increasing role in production management, business operations, investment risks and deve

16th World Congress of Accountants opens in Hong Kong
The 16th World Congress of Accountants, with the theme on "Knowledge-based Economy and the Accountant," opened Tuesday morning at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition center.

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji officiated the opening ceremony attended by over 5,000 people from approximately 100 countries and regions around the world, and delivered a speech. When the premier entered into the great hall, he was welcomed by a standing ovation.

Peter Wong, chairman of the Organizing Committe

World Congress of Accountants to discuss hot topics
The 16th World Congress of Accountants, to open Tuesday, will discuss hot topics on the accounting profession including the convergence of standards, ethics, independence and corporate governance.

At a news briefing held Monday, President of the Hong Kong Society of Accountants (HKSA) Alvin Wong said this congress is special "because in the wake of the numerous corporate failures in America, this has become a watershed year for the accounting profession around the world."

"This is

Ancient pottery workshops unearthed in central China
Pottery workshops of the Han Kingdom, contemporaneous with Dongzhou Dynasty (770 - 256 BC), have been unearthed after being buried for 2,250 years in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province.

The workshops, consisting of groups of well-preserved kilns and buildings, were found in an area of 200 meters wide and 250 meters long in the east of the ancient Zhenghan City in Xinzheng, according to the province's archeological authority.

A well-developed pottery drainage network, bel

China's largest ski center opens to skiers
Yabuli Ski Center, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is now open to the public. The center opened a month ahead of schedule due to four early snowfalls in the period since Oct. 27.

The ski center, located 195 kilometers north of Harbin, the provincial capital, boasts a 3,000 meter-long ski run, the largest of its kind in the country.

It is also the largest ski training center and the venue for the annual China International Ski Festival and the annual meeting of the China

Hong Kong named world's freest economy for 9th year
Hong Kong has retained the top spot as the world's freest economy, closely edging out Singapore, according to the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal's annual "Index of Economic Freedom" published recently.

This is the ninth year that Hong Kong has been named as the world's freest economy.

A spokesman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) said the government was pleased that Hong Kong topped the league of economic freedom in the world for the ninth consec

Roundup: Tourism, glittering star in Macao's economy
Just like drivers showing their speed in the Macao Grand Prix auto races that ended here Sunday (Nov.18), tourism and gaming industry of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) is growing on a fast track.

The number of tourist arrivals in the small city hit a record of more than 10 million last year, and the figure for this year is anticipated to be at least 11 million in line with estimates from local officials and industry insiders.

Launched by the Macao Government Tourist Office

Going abroad easier for Chinese
In times past, business people in China had to wait for overseas business to come to them and most people could only dream of traveling to distant countries. But things have changed in this increasingly open and market-oriented country.

"We used to have to wait for customers to call us, due to tedious formalities for traveling abroad for business opportunities," said Liu Junquan, general manager of Mark Cheung based in Zhongshan city, south China's Guangdong Province. "Now it is much easi

Asia plans platform for regional tourism cooperation
Asia's tourism industry professionals intend setting up a platform to boost regional cooperation and achieve common economic growth and a prosperous tourism sector across the vast continent.

The 500 honorable participants from more than 30 countries and regions who gathered in the prestigious scenic city of Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at the Bo'ao Forum for Asia - Tourism Conference discussed prospects and policies for Asian tourism and adopted the Guilin Dec

Tourism development creates job opportunities
Experts attending the Bo'ao Forum for Asia-Tourism Conference agree that further development of the tourism industry could create more job opportunities and alleviate poverty.

Kerstin Leitner, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, said Tuesday that, according to a theoretical assumption, every time 10 domestic tourists and three overseas tourist arrivals in a tourist destination, one job post is created there.

China is in the midst o

China's tourism benefits Asia: tourism official
China's accession to the World Trade Organization has boosted the country's tourism, which is expected to rake in US$200 million this year, according to a top tourism official.

Sun Gang, vice chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, made these remarks Monday on the sidelines of the three-day Boao Forum for Asian-tourism Conference, which began Monday.

In the first half of this year, the number of tourists in China increased by 10.8 per cent from the same period last y

China to work with other Asian countries on new tourism ventures
China will work with other Asian nations on such new regional tourism developments as cross-border travel, and tours in the Mekong River and along the Silk Road across the Eurasian Continent, says its tourism chief He Guangwei.

China hoped to achieve a prosperous Asian tourism industry through its cooperation and exchange of information with other countries and regions, He, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), told an Asian tourism ministers meeting Tuesday during

Bo'ao Forum for Asia-- Tourism Conference adopts Guilin Declaration
The two-day Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) -- Tourism conference ended Tuesday in Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with a Guilin Declaration adopted by all 500 participants.

In the declaration, participants agreed on four topics including Asian regional tourism cooperation and development, new tourist products development, sustainable tourism growth, and the socio-economic contribution of the tourism sector.

The declaration underlined that participants viewed t

Moon Trip to Fill Void in Space History
China will send a manned craft into space before 2005 and preparations for the mission to the moon exploration are under way, a senior space official said yesterday in Beijing. China successfully launched unmanned spaceships "Shenzhou" in 1999 and this ye

More Options for Chinese Tourists
As Spring Festival golden week draws near, Beijing residents are considering some new overseas destinations being promoted at the Beijing International Tourism Consultation Exhibition, which opened Friday. Chinese tourists may now visit Sri Lanka, South Africa, Malta, Viet Nam and Egypt. "This exhibition is helping me consider more thoroughly before deciding on a winter holiday in one of the 27 appointed foreign tourist destination countries," said Wang Yan, a 33-year-old Beijing resident. Organ

Mogao Grottoes in Yu?Prose
The Mogao grottos in Gansu province in northwest China is on the list of UNESCO world cultural heritages. A complex network of caves, the Mogao grottos are also known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. Over the years, countless articles have been written on the marvelous arts and culture featured in the grottos, but famous scholar Yu Qiuyu's prose work is somewhat unique. In his eyes, the Mogao grottos are a clue to discovering China's ancient history. Yu Qiuyu, a renowned contemporary Chinese

Chinese Folk Songs Find Favor Among Foreign Artists
Chinese folk songs are well-loved by many of the foreign artists performing at the ongoing 2002 Nanning International Folk Song Festival in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Lavinia Craciunescu, a middle-aged singer from Romania, said she got to know a Chinese folk song when she was very young, and several years ago, she learned two more. "For me, both newly created Chinese folk songs and old ones are pleasant to listen to," said the Romanian singer. Ken Kennet, who is leading an A

Nation Increases Patrols of Alien Bugs
The State Forestry Administration (SFA) has strengthened monitoring measures to bring damages caused by foreign insects under control. The economic, social and ecological losses brought by several non-indigenous critters cost about 56 billion yuan (US$6.7 billion) each year in China, experts said. In the past several years, foreign bugs have been introduced in large numbers and have spread across the Chinese mainland. The pinewood nematode, also called "xianchong" in Chinese, was initially intro

Wang Bomin, Fine Art Historian, Honored
Over 200 Chinese and foreign guests gathered Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the formation of the art circle of Wang Bomin, a noted Chinese fine art historian. The celebration took place in Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang Province, in east China, and the participants included artists, educators and scholars. Wang, a tenured professor and doctoral tutor at the Chinese Academy of Fine Art, is known for his research in the fields of poetry, calligraphy

SFA Increases Patrols of Alien Bugs
The State Forestry Administration (SFA) has strengthened monitoring measures to bring damages caused by foreign insects under control. The economic, social and ecological losses brought by several non-indigenous critters cost about 56 billion yuan (US$6.7 billion) each year in China, experts said. In the past several years, foreign bugs have been introduced in large numbers and have spread across the Chinese mainland. The pinewood nematode, also called "xianchong" in Chinese, was initially intro

Dinosaur Site to Become Theme Park
A site known for its dinosaur relics will soon be home to a theme park for the prehistoric creatures in the Tongguling area of Maoming city, south China's Guangdong Province. The area is made up of several hills and has yielded many dinosaur egg and bone fragment fossils. Tongguling is also covered with unusual red sandstone stratums belonging to the late Cretaceous period when dinosaurs thrived. Some scientists believe the stratums may still contain complete dinosaur skeletons. The theme park,

Renovation of ancient irrigation system draws curious tourists
The ongoing renovation of the 2,250-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system is drawing many curious tourists, said Liu Shihong, director of the Dujiangyan Scenic Zone Administration, recently.

Many of them are eager to observe the process of the famous dam's restoration to its "original form." On Nov.13 when the renovation work began, some 6,000 tourists visited the site, the official said.

To protect the ancient site from being damaged by modern machinery, traditional methods are be

China cleans up world's oldest irrigation scheme
China recently began renovating the more than 2,250-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system in southwest China's Sichuan Province, at a cost of 30 million yuan (3.6 million US dollars).

Water flow in the inner canal, the "heart" of the irrigation system, was successfully blocked at 10:50 a.m. on Nov.13, forcing the current to turn and run into the system's outer canal.

The renovation project, due to be completed in 42 days, would focus on dredging silt deposited in the inner canal, a

China to renovate ancient irrigation system
China recently will begin renovating the 2,250-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system in southwest China's Sichuan Province, at a cost of 30 million yuan (3.6 million US dollars).

"The inner canal of the irrigation system is 10 years old and filled with silt," said Peng Shuming, director of the Administrative Bureau of the Dujiangyan irrigation system. "The water supply facilities along the canal are also in need of upgrading."

The water supply for irrigation, industrial purposes an

Shenzhen to improve port, airport infrastructure
Large-scale transformation of the seaport and airport is in full swing in Shenzhen, a booming business center in south China.

Total investment from the local government will amount to 30 billion yuan (3.62 billion US dollars) during the 2001-2005 period,an official said recently.

Under the 10th five-year plan, the city will spend 15.65 billion yuan (1.89 billion US dollars) in refurbishing port facilities and constructing 10 new container berths with a combined handling capacity of

East China city has new open harbor
The Daxie Harbor Area of Ningbo, an open coastal city in east China's Zhejiang Province, has gained the go-ahead from the State Council, the country's cabinet, to open up to the outside world.

Situated in the eastern port of Ningbo, the Daxie Harbor Area is across the sea from Shanghai, east China's largest city, and borders an international deepwater shipping lane.

Considered an unusually well-endowed natural deepwater harbor, Daxie is blessed with a 10.7 km deepwater coastline th

Tianjin to improve infrastructure and environment with World Bank loans
North China's Tianjin Municipality plans to use 2.95 billion yuan (about 349 million US dollars) in World Bank (WB) loans for infrastructure and environmental projects.

They include projects to build or upgrade roads, improve the city's sewer network, and to establish a technology research program on issues regarding urban development and environmental protection.

A World Bank delegation is currently in the city to evaluate the proposed projects. The bank and the city government ar

Over 100 billion yuan invested in research and development
Statistics from an official report show that over 100 billion yuan (about 13 billion US dollars) was spent on scientific research and development (R&D) in China last year.

A report on China's scientific and technological expenditure, jointly released recently by the National Statistics Bureau, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance, says that expenditure on R&D was 104.3 billion yuan, 14.7 billion yuan more than the previous year and equaling 1.1 percent of Chi

Tomb depicting murals found in southwest China
Chinese archaeologists have found colorful murals on walls inside six cliff tombs dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.).

The tombs are located on a mountain cliff in Zhongjiang County of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The third tomb, described as the most valuable by Chinese archaeologists, looks like a luxury hotel with a 13-meter-long entry way, a 20 by 1.8 meter coffin chamber, rear chambers, a coffin platform and a niche.

The murals, painted in vivid

Nation to close scenic spot to protect World Heritage site
Tourists will be denied access to the Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) scenic spot in southwest China's Sichuan Province from December 1 to March 31, Huanglong scenic spot management committee said on Nov.20.

Included in the World Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Huanglong is the only world heritage site in China to close its tourism area during the winter.

Located in northwest Sichuan, Huanglong is famous for its beautiful la

16th World Congress of Accountants ends in HK
The 16th World Congress of Accountants ended in Hong Kong on Nov.21 after discussion of nearly 90 topics ranging from hot issues like the integrity and ethics of the accounting profession, to the impact of the knowledge-based economy on the profession.

Federick Ma, secretary for financial services and the treasury of Hong Kong, said at the closing ceremony that the participants will bring home refreshing and stimulating ideas from the congress.

Ma's opinion was echoed by Richard Wa

China's accounting business to be more open: official
Entering into China's accounting services market becomes easier along with China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Feng Shuping, assistant minister of China's Ministry of Finance, said here recently.

China will honor its WTO commitments in relation to accounting services, the Chinese official promised at the China Forum of the 16th World Congress of Accountants.

The commitments include allowing foreigners who have obtained CPA (certified public account) licenses fr

News Analysis: China aims to become world's leading tourist destination
China, already the world's fifth most popular tourist destination, plans to be the global leader by 2020.

Sun Gang, vice chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, made the remarks here to Asian tourism industry professionals in the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference, which just concluded in this scenic tourist spot in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

"China's current ranking in world tourism demonstrates its status as a major tourism destinatio

Nations to tap Asian tourism market
China will develop much closer ties in the tourism industry with all Asian nations, He Guangyuan, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, said recently.

The co-operation will focus on developing the tourism market, spin-off products and communications as well as improving safety in the industry, He said.

He made these remarks came at the ministerial-level round-table meeting held on the final day of the three-day Boao Forum for Asia-Tourism Conference (BFA).

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Pictures of Yimeng Mountains
Though it has no big stars, Pictures of Yimeng Mountains, a traditional Chinese dance presented by the Ji'nan Song and Dance Theatre, is nevertheless a feast for the eyes, ears and heart. The show, to be staged at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing tonight and tomorrow, features the lifestyle, culture and costumes of the people of the Yimeng Mountains in east China's Shandong Province. "The show represents the Yimeng people's life on the stage very vividly," said Liu Qiong, dance cr

HK uses satellite to track endangered green turtle
Satellite tracking is used to trace the migratory route and feeding ground of a green turtle by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of Hong Kong for the conservation of this highly endangered species.

"This is the first time Hong Kong applied this technique to trace a green turtle," AFCD Nature Conservation Officer Simon ChanKin-fung said at a media briefing recently on the conservation work and breeding result of green turtles in Hong Kong this year.

"Gre

Hong Kong to enhance its role as China's gateway to world
A senior financial official said recently that Hong Kong will further enhance its role as China's international gateway and be a major international financial center in Asia and regional financial services hub in the future.

Sharing his vision for the development of Hong Kong's financial market at a joint chambers of commerce luncheon, Frederick Ma, secretary for financial services and the treasury of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said he saw great potential for the develop

Hong Kong's Ocean Park awarded elite membership
Ocean Park Hong Kong said recently that it had been awarded a five-year accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), becoming the first Asian animal facility included in this non-profit elite group.

The 25-year-old Ocean Park was granted the membership of the largest zoo and aquarium organization in the world last month, along with one zoo and two aquariums of the United States, increasing the number of AZA's members to 208.

Accreditation of zoos and aquariums

Wild rice reserve put under state protection
An 11-hectare reserve containing what experts described as the world's northernmost wild rice has been put under state protection in Jiangxi Province, east China, local officials said.

They said wild rice was found on 0.3 hectares of the reserve in Dongxiang County, which has been guarded by a special task force.

Experts said the wild rice can stand cold weather of up to about minus 10 degrees centigrade. It is of great significance for scientists to study the origin and evolution

China builds first wetland museum at Yellow River Delta
China is speeding up construction of the country's first wetland museum in east China's Shandong Province in an effort to protect the ecosystem of the Yellow River Delta.

The museum, located in Dongying City near the estuary of the river, is expected to open to visitors in July 2003. Its construction began in July this year. The main hall is already complete, and at a cost of 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars), it will have a total of four halls which combine exhibition with educati

Fuel cell buses to appear in China in 2008
Buses driven by fuel cell engines will be put into use in China in 2008 when the country hosts the Olympic Games, a scientist with the bus research project said.

Zhang Huamin, a professor with the fuel cell engineering center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the country's first 50-kw fuel-cell engine for use on urban buses has been created in the center, located in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The engine's technical specifications are qu

China's 1st transoceanic train ferryboat reaches destination
Yuehaitie No.1, China's first transoceanic train ferryboat, arrived in the Qiongzhou Straits on Sunday (Nov.24), where it will operate as a transportation link between railways in Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

The ferryboat left the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai on Thursday, traversing the Taiwan Straits en route to its destination.

The country's first transoceanic train ferry is scheduled to commence operation on December 28, according to official sources.

The ferryboat,

Nanjing massacre memorial to add footprints of witnesses
A memorial in honor of the 300,000 Chinese massacred here by invading Japanese troops will see the addition of the bronze footprints of 222 witnesses to the tragedy.

A spokesperson for the Nanjing Memorial in honor of compatriots slaughtered in the capital of Jiangsu province, east China, said the footprints will be cast on bronze blocks.

The move is designed to caution later generations not to forget history, said the spokesperson.

The bronze blocks, to form a pavement 40 m

China to expand its helicopter manufacturing industry
China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II), a major helicopter producer and research institute, will intensify research and strengthen international cooperation over the next ten years in order to promote the country's helicopter manufacturing industry, a senior executive said recently.

"China has the capability to produce and to conduct research on helicopters. In addition, China has huge market potential and strong economic performance. We are very optimistic about the future of h

Two ancient capitals to merge
As the implementation of a new urban planning project, Xianyang and Xi'an, two historic cities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are scheduled to merge to form one city in 2007.

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, with a history of more than 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 feudal dynasties, including those in the period of great prosperity such as the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and the Tang Dynasty (6l8 A.D.- 907 A.D.).

Built more than 2,350 years ago, Xianyang, 20

Foreigners come for Christmas in China
Santa Claus is coming to China this year in a seemingly successful promotion to attract more foreign tourists to the country for Christmas.

While Westerners enjoy mulled wine and mistletoe in China, many Chinese are looking to spend their traditional Spring Festival holiday abroad -- particularly where the weather is warm.

In recent years, the numbers of both inbound and outbound travelers had risen as the development of trade and services brought in foreigners, while the buoyant e

China striving to boost tourism training for Tibet
Nearly 30 administrators from Tibet's tourist industry attended a seminar in Beijing on Nov.23 on developing tourism in the region.

Representative from different areas in Tibet discussed such topics as trends in China's tourism industry, and the special nature of Tibetan tourism. They also visited scenic destinations in Beijing, Tianjin and adjacent Hebei province.

The 10-day seminar is an example of China's drive to develop its western regions by encouraging tourism and its effort

Ancient Brewery Discovered
Brewing spirits, long a good business in China, is even older than previously thought, after archaeologists unearthed the ruins of an ancient distillery dating back approximately 800 years. Discovered in June in Lidu Town of Jinxian County, east China's Jiangxi Province, this is the oldest distilled spirit brewery ever discovered in China, said Huang Jinglue, an expert with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The Lidu brewery dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), while the brewe

Cultural Heritage Preservation a Success in China
But as to why the Chinese mainland has succeeded in achieving brilliant archeological findings in the past decade, it's because the past 13 years have been the years of stable development in a comprehensive way. Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau Zhang Tinghao made such remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua Tuesday when asked how China managed to achieve the impressive archeological findings that are the very essence of the exhibition titled: "War and Peace -- Tr

Xinjiang creates oases in the desert
Manmade forests have been planted on 580,000 hectares in the past five years, forming many oases across the arid Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region of northwest China.

To date, 90 percent of the 3.3 million hectares of farmland in Xinjiang are lined with forest belts. The rate of land covered by forest in Xinjiang has risen from 1.03 percent 20 years ago to the current 1.92 percent.

Aksu Prefecture, an area frequented by sandstorms, has organized 26 tree-planting campaigns since 1986

Water pollution controls at Dianchi Lake pay off
The deterioration in the water quality at Dianchi Lake, the famous highland freshwater lake in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has basically been curbed, thanks to sustainable pollution control efforts over the past seven years.

Dianchi Lake is 40 km long and eight km wide with a water storage of 1.5 billion cubic meters. It is the major source of water for industrial and agricultural use in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, and also plays a key role in balancing the city's environment.
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Hainan increases its "green space"
The island province of Hainan, in south China, has launched a three-year program aimed at increasing the per capita green space in its urban areas.

According to the plan drawn up by the provincial construction bureau, the program aims to increase the per capita green space by 0.2 sq m annually.

The plan also requires that all cities in the province build at least one 10,000-square-meter park or green square and that all counties build a 5,000-square-meter park, grassland area or am

New environmentally-safe drug to kill mice at Three Gorges
As the last of the measures to rid the Three Gorges dam area of mice, workers began recently to spread 120 tons of a deadly drug throughout demolished areas and newly-built resettlements.

According to medical workers, the drug, containing ingredients known to have a curing effect on human heart disease, will "put mice to sleep" and would therefore have no negative impact on the environment.

Next June, the water level in the dam of the world's largest hydro-power project is expected

Int'l Students' Day marked in Chinese school for the first time
More than 2,000 Beijing middle school students arranged thousands of paper cranes on a blackboard to form the message "Peace, Democracy and Freedom" in commemoration of International Students' Day.

On Nov. 17, 63 years ago, nine anti-Nazi students in Czechoslovakia were killed by German invaders, who then proceeded to shut down every university in the country. Since then, the day has been commemorated as the International Students' Day.

The activity arose spontaneously from among s

Forest protection on Yangtze's upper reaches paying off
The ecological environment along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, China's longest, has greatly improved following a campaign to protect its natural forest.

Since 1999, lumbering has been banned in the three Tibetan counties of Markam, Jomda and Gonjo, located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, leading 129 tree-fellers to become tree planters.

The regional government of Tibet has closed down 18 timber processing plants and three timber trading markets. It also called off th

Conservation efforts reduce silt accumulation in ancient irrigation system
Environmental protection efforts by Sichuan Province in southwest China pay off, and the ancient Dujiangyan irrigation system will soon require dredging and maintenance only once every 20-30 years, instead of once a year.

Li Junzhu, a senior engineer in charge of the dam's maintenance, said recently it will no longer be necessary to block the inner canal to dredge and remove silt on an annual basis due to the marked reduction in silt accumulation.

The Dujiangyan irrigation system t

Qinghai-Tibet Railway brings Tibet "closer"
Baima Zhoima, a 58-year-old Tibetan woman said with a smile she could make a pilgrimage in Tibet every year "when the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is built."

She and her family live in a warm, three-roomed stone house on the 4,500-meter-high Xiacang Mountain near the Tuotuo River in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

A sweet smell from a pot of boiling buttered tea permeates her living room, and the stove's blazing fire cozily warms the people seated around.

Baima Zhoima plays wit

No longer Everest: Westerners urged to recognize original name of world's highest peak
Though the Chinese marked the location of Mount Qomolangma. the world's highest peak, on their map more than 280 years ago, Westerners today continue to refer to the peak as Mount Everest, rather than Tibetans' Goddess Qomolangma, the peak's original name.

It is time, say scholars and Tibetans, for the world to rectify the error made by British colonialists over a century ago.

"In an era when colonialism has long been past, it is high time for the Western world to respect us Tibeta

South China island city expects continued tourism boom
The number of visitors to Sanya City, one of China's most popular tourist destinations on the southern tip of Hainan Island Province, is expected to double to 6 million annually by 2010.

By then, overseas tourists will make up 35 to 40 percent of the total and the tourism sector will contribute 70 percent to the city's gross domestic product (GDP), said a local tourism official.

Sanya has grown from a small fishing village into a 20-sq-km city abounding in natural tourism resources

Chief Secretary launches Hong Kong tourism promotion in Tokyo
Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang on Nov.24 launched a month-long tourism promotion in Tokyo highlighting the best of Hong Kong's food, film and music.

Tsang officiated at the launch of 'Hong Kong New Wave', an exhibition sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Hong Kong and Japan have been a fascination for each other, Tsang said. One of the main things that appeals to Japanese visitors is Hong Kong's fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, "but our moder

Indonesian airlines eyes Shanghai for boost after Bali
National carrier Garuda Indonesia opened a Jakarta-Shanghai route recently, hoping the lucrative Chinese market would offset a plunge in passenger numbers from Australia and Europe following last month's deadly blasts in Bali.

Garuda began serving the twice weekly Shanghai route last Monday. The flight, with a stopover in Singapore, takes about 7.5 hours.

"China is a lucrative market," Garuda's vice president for marketing and development Irman Imawan was quoted by the Jakarta Post

Ancient cities to re-emerge in Xinjiang
The ancient cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe are to be rebuilt near Turpan City in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to a seminar on tourist industrial development recently held here.

"Unlike such tourist cities as Shanghai and Dalian, Turpan has a few scenic spots like the Grape Valley and the ruins of Gaochang and Jiaohe," said Zhong Pengrong, director of the Beijing Eyeshot Consulting Center, at the seminar. "Therefore, more should be built to attract tourists.

Construction of Airport Road to World Heritage Site Underway
Construction of a 91-km highway leading to the new Jiuzhai-Huanglong Airport being built on the site of the Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong scenic zones in southwest China's Sichuan Province is underway, with the completion date of August 2003 for both the airport and the highway. The cost of the project is estimated at 300 million yuan (36 million US dollars). Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are famous for their clean lakes, natural forests and beautiful landscapes, and up to 1.2 million Chinese and overseas

Shopping Tour to Hong Kong Popular in City
A growing number of Shanghai fashion-goers are signing up for package shopping tours to Hong Kong, the number this year is predicted to increase by up to 30 percent from a year before, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today. Since Monday more local fashion buffs have signed up for the package tours to Hong Kong to catch up with the seasons first round of sales there, usually starting on December 15. Though not all the brands will be sold at reduced prices on December 15, discounted clothes in

Shopping Tour to Hong Kong Popular in Shanghai
A growing number of Shanghai fashion-goers are signing up for package shopping tours to Hong Kong, the number this year is predicted to increase by up to 30 percent from a year before, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today. Since Monday more local fashion buffs have signed up for the package tours to Hong Kong to catch up with the seasons first round of sales there, usually starting on December 15. Though not all the brands will be sold at reduced prices on December 15, discounted clothes in

The Real Tibet
The purest air and the bluest sky in the world. This is what I first saw in Tibet when I went there some 20 years ago.
Under the blinding sunshine were men wrapped up in sheep hides. With chest and arms exposed to the air, they chatted merrily with gir

NE China Great Wall restored with World Bank loans
Jiumenkou Great Wall, the only section of China's mighty wall built over water, has been carefully restored in northeast Liaoning Province.

To restore the Jiumenkou section, China for the first time made use of loans from the World Bank available for the repair of cultural relics.

From 1998 to 2000, the northern part of the section was repaired at the cost of 200,000 US dollars. The project included rebuilding water gates, battlements and the wall body.

Previously, the Jiume

Great Wall section at Jiumenkou now 1isted as UNESCO world cultural heritage site in northeast China
A section of the Great Wall at Jiumenkou built on a riverbed in northeastern Liaoning province, has been listed as part of the world cultural heritage on Monday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The 1,704-meter Jiumenkou wall section running from north to south, located within the area of Xintaizi village of Suizhong county in Liaoning province, won the approval by the UNESCO on Nov.18.

As it traverses through a 100-meter wide river,

China's search and rescue capacity improves: experts
China's cities have greatly improved their search and rescue capacities during natural disasters or emergencies, experts say.

The appraisal came from an annual meeting of International Search and Rescue Advisory Group of the United Nations, which opened here recently to discuss search and rescue in the Asia-Pacific region.

China had been seriously plagued by natural disasters, according to experts at the meeting, but the country was paying greater attention to disaster prevention,

Ancient letters auctioned for record 9.9 million yuan
A collection of letters written by important Chinese personalities during the Ming Dynasty has been sold for 9.9 million yuan (1.19 million US dollars) at an auction hosted by China Guardian Auction Co., Ltd., China's leading auctioneer.

The sale, reportedly made to a Chinese collector, was a record for rare ancient Chinese documents sold at auction.

The collection, which consists of more than 600 epistolary writings penned by over 400 noted personalities during the Ming Dynasty (1

Fossils of pterodactyl dinosaur found in NE China
Fossils from a newly-discovered species of pterodactyl dinosaur have been discovered in Chaoyang County in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The fossils, named Sinopterus dongi, have been confirmed as belonging to the Tapejaridae species by scientists with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The fossils are believed to date back about 110 million years in the Cretaceous Period.

The newly-discovered fossils in Chaoyan

Over 600 rare inscribed bones unearthed in central China
Chinese archeologists have unearthed 628 inscribed animal bones and tortoise shells bearing inscriptions that are expected to help further the study of the primitive stages of Chinese writing.

Of the 628 bones found within the southern Xiaotun Village area of the Yin Ruins, capital of the Shang Dynasty (16th Century B.C. -11th Century B.C.) in central Henan Province's Anyang City, 228 bear inscriptions and the remaining 400 do not.

The 228 inscribed pieces, of which 105 are tortois

China in bid to save rare fish species
China has built a special breeding zone at Bosten Lake for the big-headed highland carp, a fish species on the verge of extinction.

Setting up the zone at the lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region cost 4 million yuan (481,927 US dollars), which will be shared by the central government and the Xinjiang regional government.

The large carnivorous carp eats other kinds of fish. It grows fast and enjoys a long lifespan but lives only in rivers in desert areas. China

Coastal city protects uninhabited isles
The Xiamen city government has passed a law to protect uninhabited islands and reefs along its coast in Fujian Province, east China.

The local law, called Provisions on the Administration of Protection and Utilization of Uninhabited Islands of Xiamen City, comes into force on Jan. 1, 2003.

Xiamen has 13 isles each covering 500 square meters or more, with no permanent residents, and 58 reefs, which serve as a natural defense for the coastal city.

The isles and reefs, though w

Manzhouli -- China's top inland port of entry
The city of Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia is still China's top inland port of entry in terms of imports and exports, trade volume and the amount of tax paid to the state, a position it has held in recent years.

The city on the Sino-Russian border had handled 8.2 million tons of imports and exports, generated trade worth 882 million US dollars and paid 1.3 billion yuan in taxes to the state in January-September period of this year, ranking first among China's ports of entry, said Wang Zhigua

Shanghai, where the world comes together
Against a backdrop of rapid economic growth and increasing cultural diversity, Shanghai offers visitors a heady cocktail: equal parts vigor and splendor mixed with a dash of internationalism.

It's a mix which is proving irresistible to those wanting to showcase their wares to the world.

An international tourism fair, an industrial exposition, an art festival and tennis tournament as well the country's first Internet conference are competing for center stage in the coastal city.

Zhengzhou-Seoul charter flight service due
A charter flight service between Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province and Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea, is scheduled to start on December 22.

Sources with the Henan Civil Aviation Administration say the service, launched by China Southern Airlines, will operate each Thursday and Sunday starting from January next year, using a Boeing 737-300.

The airliner will take off from Xinzheng Airport in Zhengzhou at 16:30, arriving at Seoul at 18:00 Among its 548 fl

China's thriving tourism tipped to boost credit card business
China's thriving tourism will boost its credit card business, Xiong Anping, general manager of Visa International China, said here Wednesday.

How to spend safely and conveniently has become a common concern for international tourists in China, he said. Compared with cash, credit cards have become the first choice for inbound travelers in terms of convenience and safety.

If credit cards are more widely accepted, there will be more transactions and greater consumption, he said. To wi

Eight Industries May Have Glorious Future
According to experts, the industries with greatest potential in the Chinese market are: Household electrical appliances: With the steady economic growth, the purchase of cameras, computers and DVDs has increased an average 10 percent a year. Sales of household electrical appliances are expected to achieve a 10-35 percent investment return. Automobiles: The domestic auto industry will adjust its development in the next 10 years. Related industries with high profit potential include components and

Kenya Attacks Probed for Al-Qaida Link
With Israeli and American authorities casting suspicion on al-Qaida or its allies, Kenyan authorities investigating the twin assaults on Israeli targets there focused quickly on foreign suspects, reporting Friday they had arrested six Pakistanis, four Somalis, an American and a Spaniard. Al-Qaida carried out almost simultaneous bombings to the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 that killed 231 people - including 12 Americans - and injured about 5,000. Police spokesman King'ori Mwangi s

Beijing Elder Paints Three Gorges Scroll
An enthusiastic elderly painter from Beijing went to the Three Gorges twice, once in 1994 and again 1997, to make sketches of the landscape. During the past five years he drew hundreds of scenes of the 193-kilometer-long Three Gorges, creating a 228-meter-long, 1.4-meter-high scroll painting. Li Yushan, 64, is a healthy vigorous old man. He spread out part of the scroll painting to show off his work, "Look, this is Baidi City. This is Shennu (Goddess) Peak. This is Shuzhuangtai (a famous scene l

Locals in Beeline for H.K. Tours
Even though Christmas is still a month away, the city's travel agencies are seeing an unexpected early rush for reservations on Hong Kong trips, with local shopping enthusiasts hoping to cash in on the huge discounts available in the island city during the festive season. According to a survey by Shanghai Daily among major travel agencies, the number of locals inquiring about this month's package tours to Hong Kong increased by 20 percent, while seats on trips departing several days before Chris

Young Chinese Teachers to Visit Japan
Eighty young teachers from Chinese elementary and high schools will leave Sunday on a three-week visit to Japan. Sponsored by two Sino-Japanese youth exchange projects, the delegation comprises 20 teachers who teach Japanese, and 60 who teach other subjects. They will visit Tokyo and Okinawa and live with young Japanese people, according to the sponsor, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which held a send-off banquet for the delegation in Beijing Saturday. "It's a rare chance for

Macao supports construction of HK-Macao-Zhuhai bridge: chief executive
Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administration Region (SAR) Edmund Ho Hau Wah said here recently that his government holds an "active" attitude towards the construction of a cross-sea bridge linking Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai in south China.

"We support all transport networks and basic facilities that benefit Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River delta," he said when answering inquiries from local legislators about his policy address for 2003.

But he added, "it is not the righ

Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao establish cultural collaboration
Officials of south China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao recently signed an agreed minute at the end of the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Summit in Hong Kong to establish a foundation for cultural collaboration.

The three places also shared views and information on cultural facilities, cultural development and exchange during the summit, which was organized by the secretary for home affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Patrick Ho.

The direc

Tea culture performer training begins in Shanghai
Shanghai, the largest city in China, will train its first batch of certified senior tea culture performers over the upcoming three years in a bid to promote tea culture development.

According to an official with the Municipal Labor and Social Security Bureau, two training courses with 50 students each will be run each year during the three-year period.

On completion of the courses, the trainees will receive a diploma.

Trainees should have an ardent love for tea culture and b

Expo on Richard Nixon's China visit opens in Beijing
A free exhibition named "Journeys to Peace and Cooperation" opened at the Museum of Chinese History in Beijing recently, to mark the 30th anniversary of former US President Richard Nixon's "ice-breaking" China visit in 1972.

The show was jointly organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, and the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation. The Reader's Digest Foundation sponsored the exhibition.

According to the organiz

China's top awards for historical research favor economic works
Historical works on the Chinese economy were the biggest winners in the second Guo Moruo Chinese History Awards given here recently.

China's top recognition for historical research, the awards were granted to 21 outstanding works on the occasion of the 110th birthday of Guo Moruo, one of China's most celebrated contemporary poets, writers and historians.

Among the award winners, up to eight books focused on the Chinese economy, including the first-place winner, "The Modern Economic

Tibet attracts more inland China tourists
More and more tourists from inland China traveled to Tibet Autonomous Region this year, bringing a soaring tourism income to the region.

Figures from the local tourism bureau show that, by the end of October, 8.4 million visitors traveled to Tibet this year, up 24.5 percent over the same period last year. Some 7.1 million were from inland China and 1.3 million from overseas, up 28.8 percent and 4.6 percent respectively.

These primarily inland tourists have brought a boon to local t

WWF kicks off environmental protection project on island near Shanghai
The World Wide Fund for Nature has started a three-year environmental protection project on the eastern shoal of Chongming Island, some 40 kilometers north of Shanghai.

The WWF will carry out a number of missions to help local communities maintain life-form diversity and sustainable development under close cooperation with the local government and schools.

Chongming Island is located where the Yangtze River enters the sea and its eastern shoal is an ideal resting place for thousand

Construction of airport road to world heritage site underway
Construction of a 91-km highway leading to the new Jiuzhai-Huanglong Airport being built on the site of the Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong scenic zones in southwest China's Sichuan Province is underway, with the completion date of August 2003 for both the airport and the highway.

The cost of the project is estimated at 300 million yuan (36 million US dollars).

Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are famous for their clean lakes, natural forests and beautiful landscapes, and up to 1.2 million Chines

Qinghai-Tibet Railway earthquake resistant, experts say
Though being built across a plateau where earthquakes frequently occur, the Qinghai-Tibet railway underway in western China should resist violent tremors thanks to preventive measures being taken, experts say.

Known as the "highest" railway of its kind worldwide, the 1100-km line is being built on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of over 4000 meters, linking Golmud, a major city in Qinghai Province and Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

"Since last year we have

Growing numbers of international hotel chains opening shops in China
A growing number of luxury world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom.

The Beijing Best Western hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand in the Hyatt Group will follow soon. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a site downtown for its first hotel in Beijing.

Whether it be in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai metropolis and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business pe

Better transport for 2008 Olympics
China's capital Beijing has vowed to build a safer, faster and more environment friendly transport network for the 2008 Olympic Games.

In 2008, an average 30 million people would be traveling in Beijing each day, including 18 million in the city proper, said officials attending the third Asia-Pacific congress of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP).

Beijing's public transport system would carry 8.5 to 9 million of these passengers, said Zheng Shusen, general manager o

First infoDev Symposium to be held in Asia
China's southwestern municipality of Chongqing is to be the first Asian venue for the infoDev Symposium, an international forum on information, knowledge, trade and development.

During the formal meeting, to be held on December 9 and 10, administrative officials and experts from domestic and international information businesses will discuss and exchange ideas on seven topics, including China and the World Trade Organization, information technology and poverty alleviation, and e-commerce.<

Ten Baby Pandas
Reports from the China Panda Breeding Technology Committee tell the stories of 10 new cubs. Their successful births this year were the result of advances in artificial breeding methods. And their numbers include a giant panda born in Japan. Committee Director, Zhang Anju gave details of the 10 baby giant pandas. In the spring of this year, the Chinese Wolong Research Center for Giant Panda Protection was home to nine giant pandas of childbearing age. The center adopted a technique for procreatio

International Hotels Throng Beijing
A growing number of world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom. The Beijing Best Western Hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand from the Hyatt Group, will follow suit. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a downtown site for its first hotel in Beijing. Whether it is in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business people have a wide-ranging choi

World Hotels Throng Beijing
A growing number of world-class international hotel chains are arriving in Beijing as the business travel market continues its boom. The Beijing Best Western Hotel is set to open soon, and the Park Hyatt, a luxury brand from the Hyatt Group, will follow suit. Ritz Carlton has already chosen a downtown site for its first hotel in Beijing. Whether it be in eastern coastal cities like Shanghai and Ningbo, or southwestern cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu, business people have a wide-ranging choi

Rebel Legend to Become TV Treat
The Xi'an Film Group will shoot a 100-part TV series about the legend of Li Zicheng, leader of a peasant uprising. The series will be adapted from the historical novel Li Zicheng by Yao Xueyin (1901-99), which comprised five volumes. The group has bought the rights to adapt the novel into scripts for both a film and TV serial from Yao's son, Yao Haitian. It paid 1 million yuan (US$120,000) for the rights, according to sources. Yao started to write the novel in the early 1960s after being labeled

Sino-Brazil Venture to Make Regional Jets
China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II) signed an agreement with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in Beijing yesterday to jointly produce 30- to 50-seat turbofan regional jets. According to the agreement, Embraer will establish a joint venture with Harbin Aircraft Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. and Hafei Aviation Industry Co., Ltd. -- two companies under AVIC II -- in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The newly formed company, called Harbin Embraer Aircraft Ind

Winners of China's Second National Vocal Music Award Announced
The winners of China's second state-sponsored national vocal musical award -- the Golden Bugle -- were announced at a party Monday evening in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. Qiao Jun and Gao Yin emerged as the best male and female folk singers, respectively. Tu Honggang and Xie Yuxin won the award for best male and female pop vocalists, respectively. The medal for best artists went to Song Zuying, Yan Weiwen and Cai Guoqing. Mountain Eagle won the award for best band. The Golden Bugle i

China, US Seek Origin of Pacific, Asian Island Languages
Anthropologists from China and the United States are working at a Neolithic site in east China's Fujian Province aiming to trace the origin of the Austronesian languages spoken across the Pacific Ocean. Experts from the anthropology department at Harvard University, the University of Hawaii and the Museum of Fujian Province have been working since Nov. 24 at Beiqiu in Dongshan County on China's southeast coast. Austronesian, or Malayo-Polynesian, is a family of 1,000 to 1,200 languages used by 2

Chinese Folk Songs Hit the Right Note Abroad
While the Internet makes Western pop music ever more available to Chinese with on-line downloads, a growing number of foreigners are warming to the unique charm of China's diverse folk music. Van Zuylen, from the Netherlands, made a special trip late last month to the southern Chinese city of Nanning, where an international folk song and art festival was held. Chinese folk songs had an appealing power, said Zuylen, who hoped to hear more folk music on the trip and said Chinese people should take

Terracotta Warrior Pit Found
The newly unearthed pit of terracotta warriors and horses in Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong Province, has excited archaeologists around the country. "This is the country's third-largest pit of terracotta warriors and horses," said Professor Cui Dayong of Shandong University, who is leading a team of archaeologists excavating the warriors and horses at the site. More than 100 coloured terracotta warriors and horses had been unearthed by yesterday afternoon since the team began diggi

The Border City of Heihe
Heihe is the largest border city in the country, facing Russia across the Heilongjiang, or "Black Dragon" River in far north-eastern China. In addition to its markets and bustling border trade, Heihe is also a wonderful place to kick-start a sightseeing tour. In the eyes of some people, Heilongjiang's capital city Harbin may seem too northerly to be worth a visit. But the province is full of beautiful sights and attractions that are a bona fide must-see for any tourist. One such place is Heihe,

Winter Wonders of Jinzhou
If you feel that you are missing the withering winter in Shanghai, where it is almost as warm as spring, you can set off to Northeast China's Liaoning Province. There's no doubt you'll find winter there. The 140,000-square-kilometre region has many scenic spots, as well as a long history of over 5,000 years. In addition, in ancient times, northern China was much more advanced than the south. The travel books says there are over 170 scenic spots in Jinzhou, a city in the west part of the province

China to Test Rice Seeds in Int'l Space Station
China is to send a kilogram of rice seed grain to the International Space Station (ISS) next year to test how they are affected by conditions in space. This experiment, which will be China's first with the aid of the ISS, is a research project concerning space seed cultivation conducted by the prestigious Harbin Polytechnical University in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province. Chinese scientists will closely monitor possible changes in the seeds in outer space as they adjust to zero gravit

Terracotta Warrior Pit Found
The newly unearthed pit of terracotta warriors and horses in Jinan, capital city of east China's Shandong Province, has excited archaeologists around the country. "This is the country's third-largest pit of terracotta warriors and horses," said Professor Cui Dayong of Shandong University, who is leading a team of archaeologists excavating the warriors and horses at the site. More than 100 colored terracotta warriors and horses had been unearthed by yesterday afternoon since the team began diggin

Middle Class Set to Rise
In his report to the 16th Party congress, Jiang Zemin, former general secretary of the Communist Party of China, proposed for the first time that the proportion of middle-income earners in China be increased. The report to the congress was widely considered as crucial to the Party leadership transition. There are many important points in the report. Among them, the call to increase the proportion of middle-income earners in China is definitely a key issue. In the short run, it could help cultiva

China, ROK to cooperate on films, TV plays
China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will work to cooperate on shooting films and TV series, Seo Hee-Deok, president of the ROK Asia Culture Exchange Conference, said here recently.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sino-ROK cultural exchanges was signed during a forum on Sino-ROK folk culture industries held in this east China municipality.

The two sides have yet to cooperate on any films, TV programs or music and, with regard to contents of cooperation, both countries' medi

Popular Korean romantic opera staged in Beijing
Popular Korean romantic opera "The Story of Chuan Shiana" made its debut Friday (Nov.30) in the Poly Theater in Beijing.

Artists from China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are jointly staging two performances of the opera on Friday and Saturday to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-ROK diplomatic ties.

The story was first adapted into opera in 1950 by Hyun Jae Myung, a well-known ROK operatic composer, according to the China Performing Arts Agency. Staged many

Kongfu stamps issued to mark 10th anniversary of China-ROK ties
A set of two special stamps featuring kongfu and kickboxing was issued recently to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Simultaneous ceremonies were held recently in Cangzhou of north China's Hebei Province and Seoul of the ROK in celebration of the event. Cangzhou is a birthplace of Chinese kongfu with 1,400 years of history.

One of the stamps depicts two women practicing kongfu, and the other features two

Rare birds flocking to East China nature reserve
The number of rare birds migrating to Poyang Lake National Reserve Zone, a nature reserve surrounding China's largest freshwater lake, has risen remarkably over the past 20 years.

According to Ji Weitao, deputy director of the zone administration, the number of birds sighted in the 22,400-hectare area in east China's Jiangxi Province, has increased from less than 2,000 at its founding in 1983 to about 350,000 today.

Currently, 95 percent of the world's white cranes inhabit the rese

Mt Jiuhua to have giant copper statue of Bodhisattva
A 99-meter-high copper statue of Bodhisattva will be erected at Mt Jiuhua, one of China's four major Buddhist shrines, in east China's Anhui Province.

The design by Tianjin University and Tianjin University has been approved by Buddhist experts and relevant authorities. The statue will stand at the foot of Mt Jiuhua.

Thanks to its precise angle, the statue would feature a religious aura at the spring and autumn equinox, said the designer Wang Qiheng, a professor at Tianjin Universi

Long-lost Shoulder Drama reappears in E. China province
Shoulder Drama, a traditional popular folk art that vanished for more than two decades, has now reappeared in its birthplace, Shaxian county in east China's Fujian province.

When night screen falls, locals gathered and flock to lanes and streets to watch theatrical performances by children standing on the shoulders of adults.

According to local records, the drama style was created during the last years of the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by a folk artist named Lian Xigou at th

Macao SAR chief executive vows to boost tourism, gaming industry
Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said recently that the Macao SAR will make greater efforts in the coming year to cement the role of tourism and gambling industry as the engine for Macao's economy.

"Tourism and gaming industry is the sector that we will focus on in the near-term development," he said in the policy address for 2003.

Edmund Ho told local officials and legislators at the Macao Legislative Assembly that the SAR gove

East China province completes 1,000 km of expressway
The eastern province of Zhejiang, a booming area bordering Shanghai, has set up fast transport links between local cities via its 1,000 km of expressways.

During the past seven years, Zhejiang province has invested more than 60 billion yuan (7.3 billion U.S. dollars) in building the expressways, making it possible to drive between any two cities in the province within four hours, according to a press conference recently held by the provincial transport bureau.

Guo Xuehuan, director

Shanghai to have most underwater tunnels in world by 2010
The number of expressway tunnels going under the Huangpu River in the booming metropolis of Shanghai in east China is expected to top 20 by the year 2010, making the city the world leader in number of underwater tunnels.

Fu Deming, a senior engineer of the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co., Ltd (STEC), said recently that according to the municipal government's outlined plan, 10 new underwater tunnel projects will be built under the Huangpu River during the next year, in addition to the six

HK WinterFest kicks off
Hong Kong WinterFest began here Sunday (Dec.1) with a Xmas Wishing Tree switch-on ceremony, which will provide visitors and local residents a series of fun-filled activities until Jan. 5 next year.

Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Antony Leung and Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Selina Chow officiated at the switch-on ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square.

According to Leung, Hong Kong WinterFest is a special program blending the best of winter celebrations from the east

Shanghai a thriving conference center
The occupancy rate of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Shanghai has stayed at 100 percent since the beginning of this year. Its lobby is always packed with visitors from afar, even in the off-season.

The occupancy rate at the other 248 major hotels in Shanghai also stayed above 80 percent in the first quarter of this year, the best record for the city's hotel industry in the past decade, municipal records show.

Shanghai is turning into China's leading exhibition center since hosting a

Shanghai mayor hails win for World Expo 2010
Shanghai Mayor Chen Liangyu hailed his city's successful bid to host the World Expo 2010 after the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) revealed final voting results at its 132nd general assembly here on Tuesday.

"Today is a memorable day. It is the day when the BIE chooses Shanghai, chooses China, and chooses a developing country for the first time in its history. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for your trust and goodwill," Chen told reporters after the voting by all 8

World Expo Shanghai 2010 to contribute to world peace: Jiang
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said here on Tuesday that the World Exposition Shanghai 2010 would contribute to the peace and progress of mankind.

In his letter of thanks to Gilles Noghes, president of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), and V.G. Loscertales, secretary general of the BIE, Jiang said he had learned with pleasure the decision of the BIE at its 132nd General Meeting to grant Shanghai, China, the right to host the World Exposition 2010.

"I wish to express, on

Five 'Ws' Illustrate the Changing Face of Tourism in China
Who? In a recent interview with Beijing's travel agencies, it was found that more and more ordinary people are looking to organize group tours. Regular people and wage-earners have become the main focus for travel agencies around the country. The tourism profession says, "Different generations of tourists can gradually enjoy individualized services as they are offered." A travel agency in Guangdong Province has successfully developed a tourism itinerary for the elderly. The package takes into ac

Archaeologists Revise Age of China's Civilization
A group of Chinese archaeologists --revising the orthodox theory that China's civilization originated 5,000 years -- believe the nation's roots can be traced back 8,000 to 10,000 years. They have unearthed China's earliest painting, writing, colored pottery, crop seed strain specimen and buildings showing the development from a rural to an urban society at Dadiwan Ruins in northwest China's Gansu Province. These early cultural relics, so far unrecorded in any historical book, belong to five anci

Snapshot of China's Ancient Glory
A Chinese terracotta warrior has been greeting diplomats from the world, and the site of Peking Man has been telling the history about Chinese ancestors. The warrior, from the Qin Dynasty some 2,000 years ago, and the historic site were among 16 photos at an exhibition that opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday. The Chinese cultural relics featured on these photos are listed as World Heritage sites for their unique qualities as examples of Chinese cultural heritage. The photo ex

Media Now Fourth Largest Industry in China
With the development of the Chinese economy and a booming advertising business, the Chinese media industry has overtaken the tobacco industry with annual profits of over 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) to become the fourth largest industry in China this year. According to the Beijing Business Today, many investors are keeping a keen eye on this giant sunrise industry and its huge profit potential. A recent survey shows that the return on investment rate for Chinese newspapers has risen from 17

Jinzhou?-ull of Winter Wonders
IF you feel that you are missing the withering winter in southern China, where it is almost as warm as spring, you can set off to Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The 140,000-square-kilometre region has many scenic spots, as well as a long history of over 5,000 years. In addition, in ancient times, northern China was much more advanced than the south. The travel book says there are over 170 scenic spots in Jinzhou, a city in the west part of the province. So that makes a good choice for a wi

China's Oldest Jade Clothing Repaired, Put on Display
A 2,000-year-old royal jade attire destroyed by grave robbers has been resewn with gold thread and put on display in Xuzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province. As most of the original gold thread had been removed by the unknown grave robbers when archeologists found it in 1995, the armor-like apparel was nothing but a pile of jade plates. To restore its original look, archeologists with the Xuzhou Museum spent 21 months numbering and cleaning all the jade plates and putting them back together

China issues stamps to celebrate hosting of World Expo
China Post issued a special set of stamps to celebrate China's winning bid to host the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai.

The stamps, revealed at a ceremony Wednesday morning, mainly feature flowers, a symbol of the World Expo, and symbolic buildings of Shanghai.

They were jointly designed by the China National Philatelic Corp. and the Shanghai Philatelic Corp.

Tung congratulates Shanghai on winning expo bid
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa congratulated Shanghai Wednesday (Dec.4) on its successful bid to host the 2010 World Expo.

"This is another opportunity for the 1.2 billion Chinese people in the mainland to celebrate after Beijing got the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games," Tung said in a statement.

"There is rapid development in China and the quality of life for citizens is continuously improving. The Expo is the best window to demonstrate the achievements of China." he

World Exposition Shanghai 2010 to be crowned with success: Chinese premier
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said on Tuesday (Dec.3)) that the World Exposition Shanghai 2010 would be crowned with success and would inject vitality into the development of the cause of international expositions.

In his letter of thanks to Gilles Noghes, president of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), and V.G. Loscertales, secretary general of the BIE, Zhu said that on the occasion of Shanghai's success in its bid for the World Exposition 2010, he wished to express, on behalf o

Another leap forward for China's development: Shanghai wins bid for World Expo 2010
Celebrations spread across China Tuesday (Dec.3) night as Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl, was awarded the 2010 World Expo.

The landmark vote of the 132nd General Assembly of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) makes China the first developing country to ever host the event which debuted 151 years ago.

Hosting the "Economic Olympics" brings yet another huge boost for China's development after winning its bid to host the 2008 Olympics last year.

Chinese people, particu

China to survey public's scientific knowledge
How many Chinese people have not visited a science museum in the past year? Why didn't they? These questions will be answered by a survey to be conducted early next year to measure the scientific knowledge of the Chinese public.

A similar investigation carried out last year showed that 85.9 percent of Chinese people had not toured a science museum in the last year, while 81.4 percent had not attended a scientific exhibition. However, the 2001 survey failed to investigate the reasons for t

Chinese universities to enroll more foreign students
While many Chinese students are busy applying to study in foreign universities, education officials in China are vowing to provide better services for a growing number of foreign students pursuing higher education in China.

This situation is learned from sources at a meeting held recently in this northern port municipality.

Statistics available show that some 62,000 foreign students enrolled by over 360 Chinese colleges and universities last year, majoring in not only the tradition

Clean geothermal resources used for Beijing Olympics
Beijing plans to use geothermal resources to heat, bathe and refrigerate the Olympic Garden, one of the main venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the China Daily reported.

Two 3,500-meter-deep geothermal exploratory wells will be dug this month in the eastern part of the Olympic Garden. Local government plans to spend 163 million yuan (19.6 million US dollars) in the project, which will conclude in 2006 and heat 400,000 square meters at stadiums and gymnasiums.

By 2008, 160 g

Japan gives 280 million Yen for Chinese cultural heritage project
The Japanese government has granted 280 million Yen (about 2.3 million US dollars) to China for the initial funding of a cultural heritage protection project.

Long Yongtu, vice minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) and Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami signed an agreement on the conservation project in Beijing recently.

The sum will be used for the preservation and restoration of the ruins and gardens of Hanyuan Hall, once an int

China's 'ice city' to build snow-melting device
Scientists in Harbin, known as the "city of ice", in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, will build the city's first environmentally-friendly snow-melting device to get rid of snow piled up in the streets.

The device, called the "snow-melting room", covers 150 square meters. It is equipped with a steam boiler and two melting pools connected to the urban drainage works. When snow is dumped into the two pools which have an iron plate bottom, the iron plate heated by the boiler melts

Macao's tourism business sees double-digit growth
Macao posted a double-digit growth in the number of tourist arrivals in the first ten months of the year, buoyed by a huge influx of China's inlanders.

The Statistics and Census Services said recently that tourist arrivals in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) jumped a year-on-year 10.6 percent to 9.46 million from January to October.

Hong Kong remained the largest tourist source for Macao, bringing 4.31 million visitors to Macao, but the figure dipped a year-on-year 1.6 perce

Shanghai builds first-class flight control center
A new air traffic control center designed to make Shanghai Airport one of the best in the Asia-Pacific region is currently being built, a civil aviation official disclosed here recently.

Xia Xinghua, director of the East China Civil Aviation Administration, said the regional air traffic control center will be built on a 200,000-square meter lot at a cost of 672 million yuan (81 million US dollars).

Once it begins operation in 2004, the center will be able to receive signals from 24

Chinese scientists sail on Antarctic expedition
A 140-strong Chinese Antarctic scientific expedition team left Shanghai recently on the expedition ship Xuelong (Snow Dragon) bound for the South Pole.

They were seen off at the Minsheng Dock in the Pudong New District of Shanghai by over 300 people including officials of the State Oceanic Administration.

Over the next four months, the scientists will make summer and winter observations at the Great Wall and Zhongshan Stations, where they will conduct research in 23 fields includin

China's boat-building dates back 7,500 years: archaeologists
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a wooden boat dating back at least 7,500 years in Xiaoshan City of east China's Zhejiang Province.

It is the most ancient boat ever discovered in China. "The discovery of a boat this ancient is a rare event in the archaeological history of the world," said Jiang Leping, a researcher with the Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relic Archaeology.

Great Britain discovered a wooden oar used 7,500 years ago, but failed to find any boat remains.

T

Jilin province offers foreigners easier access
The government of northeast China's Jilin Province has announced a series of new immigration measures designed to create easier access for overseas visitors.

Under the new system, foreign passport holders who wish to go in and out of Jilin temporarily more than once, can apply for multi-entry visitor permits valid for two to five years with each stay no longer than a year.

Foreigners working in China will be able to apply for residency visas ranging from two to five years plus mult

China Joins International Organizations to Save Tigers
The population of wild Chinese tigers is set for a boost after the Wildlife Research Center of China's State Forestry Administration agreed to work with two foreign organizations on conservation projects. The center has signed an agreement with the London-based Save China's Tigers and Chinese Tigers South Africa of South Africa on the reintroduction of Chinese Tigers into the wild. The agreement is the result of cooperation between the Chinese tiger-protection body and international organization

Beijing Rally to Commemorate Indian Doctor
A rally was held in Beijing Friday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of Indian doctor Dwarkanath S. Kotnis, a great internationalist and a close friend of the Chinese people. Dr. Kotnis joined an Indian medical team which came to China in 1938 to help its people in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression. He worked selflessly and untiringly for the sick and the wounded, and unfortunately died of illness on December 9, 1942 at the age of only 32. Dr. Kotnis was remembered

Masterpieces Offer Visual Masterclass in Art
It's a once-in-50-years chance. I can't miss it. The words of Huang Yan, 20, a Chinese painting major from Xiamen University in east China's Fujian Province, probably best express what is in the minds of people queuing anxiously to see a current exhibition of calligraphy and painting at Shanghai Museum. "There is a world of difference between the originals and the photos in books or albums. When standing before the original masterpieces, I feel as if the artworks can breathe and the masters are

Doctor Warns Chinese of Sleep Apnea Syndrome
About four percent of Chinese aged 30 or over suffer from sleep apnea syndrome, according to an eminent doctor in Guangzhou. Zhong Nanshan, a professor at Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told a seminar in the capital of south China's Guangdong Province that people with a long history of heavy snoring, especially aged from 30 to 60, should consult a doctor as early as possible because they were at greater risk of developing sleep apnea syndrome. Zhong cited two local hospita

Muslims in Northwest China Mark Festival of Fast Breaking
Approximately 1.89 million Muslims in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northwest China, who are in festive mood, celebrated the festival of Fast Breaking on Friday. They gathered in more than 3,000 mosques throughout the autonomous region, one of the major Muslim areas in the country. Senior government officials in Ningxia, including Chen Jianguo and Ma Qizhi, respectively Party secretary and chairman of the autonomous region, visited Muslims, including imams in a number of cities and counties

Former Residence of China's Last Emperor to Be Restored
The garden home where China's last emperor Aisin Giorro Pu Yi lived following his abdication of power will be restored in north China's Tianjin Municipality. The restoration project, with an investment of 50 million yuan (about US$6 million), will begin next year and should be completed in 2005, sources with the city's cultural bureau said. Pu Yi lived in the Jingyuan Garden, built in 1921, on Anshan Road in Heping District between 1929 and 1931, after being evicted from Beijing's Forbidden City

Drought-hit Farmers Receive Winter Relief
The local government of east China's Shandong Province has handed out 180 million yuan (US$21.8 million) in relief funds and supplied more than 9,090 kilograms of grain from government storehouses to help the drought-stricken province's 9 million farmers through the winter. "We will help every sufferer to live through the hard period, and will not let them go begging because of poverty," said Qi Fenghai, head of the Shandong Civil Affairs Department. Qi said starting from the beginning of this y

Sino-Dutch Conservation Scheme Protects Yunnan Forests
A Sino-Dutch conservation project to protect the rich biodiversity of tropical forests is making a difference in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Launched in 1999, the five-year program aims to safeguard tropical and sub-tropical forest resources in six west Yunnan nature reserves in Simao Prefecture, Baoshan City, the Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Nujiang and the Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong. The conservation program is designed to improve forest functions, strengthen management

More Fossils of Indricotherium Discovered in Xinjiang
Chinese archaeologists have found more fossils of Indricotherium, a kind of gigantic rhinoceros that lived more than 25 million years ago, in Shanshan County in the Turpan area of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The fossil is only the second of an Indricotherium found in that area of Xinjiang, according to relics authorities of Turpan Prefecture. The first Indricotherium was found in Turpan in 1993. The restored rhinoceros, nine meters long and six meters high, is now display

Naturalist speaks on environmentalism in China
The well-known naturalist Jane Goodall was in China over the weekend inspiring young people to love nature, animals and to protect the environment.

More than 300 members of Roots and Shoots gathered in Beijing to celebrate Roots and Shoots Day recently, according to the China Daily.

The Roots and Shoots youth program was initiated by Goodall in Tanzania in 1991 to involve children and teenagers in hands-on activities that promote care and concern for the environment, animals and co

China rolls out low emission bus
A bus manufacturer in the northern port city of Tianjin has rolled out the country's first China-made low emission bus fueled by natural gas.

Its emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon is only 5 percent of the maximum level allowed by China's environmental protection authorities, according to a report issued by the national quality supervision and inspection center for motor vehicles.

The bus will be priced at around 220,000 yuan (26,506 US dollars), 45 percent lower than the

China's shipbuilding giant consolidates bases
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the country's top two shipbuilding giants, is consolidating its domestic branches into five major shipbuilding bases to boost its competitive edge.

Chen Xiaojin, president of the CSSC, said in Beijing recently that China's shipbuilding industry is witnessing a period of fast growth based on increased demand on the shipbuilding market at home and abroad.

The five major bases are the Jiangnan Shipyard Group, Hudong Shipbuilding Grou

China achieves success with gutta-percha tree breeding
China has stepped into the forefront of gutta-percha tree breeding in the world, with four propagation projects for the medicinal tree passing the appraisal of specialists recently in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Provincial Science and Technology Bureau specialists said the trees bred are of high medicinal content with high yields of gutta-percha derived from their milky sap, meeting advanced global standards.

The specialists believe the success of the Qinzhong projects No.1

Hong Kong SAR government to authorize soccer betting
The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced recently to authorize and regulate soccer betting as a means of tackling the problem of illegal soccer gambling in Hong Kong.

Explaining the decision at a press conference, Patrick Ho, secretary for home affairs, said: "The government's policy on gambling is to restrict gambling opportunities to a limited number of authorized and regulated outlets only. The underlying rational is not to encourage gambling."
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Giant panda conceives out of season: research
A pair of captive giant pandas have successfully bred out of the normal mating cycle in a discovery which could help the endangered animal's recovery.

The annual meeting of the China Giant Panda Breeding Technology Committee has heard of the first ever case of a captive giant panda conceiving and giving birth in autumn after its natural estrus period was artificially delayed.

Zoologists from the Wakayama Zoo in Japan and the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu, capi

Discovery of ancient brewery dates China's spirit-making back 800 years
Brewing spirits, long a good business in China, is even older than previously thought, after archaeologists unearthed the ruins of an ancient distillery dating back approximately 800 years.

Discovered in June in Lidu Town of Jinxian County, east China's Jiangxi Province, this is the oldest distilled spirit brewery ever discovered in China, said Huang Jinglue, an expert with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

The Lidu brewery dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), w

Shanghai Metro to install safety barriers
Shanghai Metro announced recently it would install the first safety barriers by the end of next year to keep passengers from falling off the platform.

The first barrier would be installed between the platform and rails at the Guangzhong Road subway station on an extension of Shanghai Metro's No. 1 line, said a company source.

A barrier system at each subway station was part of the original design of Shanghai Metro's No. 1 line, but this was postponed because the company could not a

Largest botanical garden takes root in Northwest China
China will spend nearly 1.4 billion yuan (US$170 million) over 10 years to build the world's largest Qinling Botanical Garden, covering an area of 458 square kilometres, according to the China Daily.

The garden -- under construction in Zhouzhi county of Xi'an, capital city of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province -- will protect and maintain the bio-diversity of plant species and the sustainable development of wildlife resources in the region.

More than 20 new kinds of plant species h

China Southern Airlines handles over 20 million passenger trips
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines claimed on Monday that it had become the country's first airline capable of handling more than 20 million passenger trips annually.

According to company statistics and computer estimates, China Southern Airlines would be receiving its 20 millionth passenger on Monday, most likely on one of the flights with a departure time between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., a company official said.

The official also claimed that with 119 aircraft and 385 domestic a

Cause of May 7 air crash identified
The air crash that killed 112 aboard a MD-82 passenger plane on May 7 this year in northeast China was caused by a fire set by a passenger named Zhang Pilin, officials said Saturday (Dec.7).

Departments concerned are dealing with the case according to law, said the officials with the State Council leading group in charge of handling the aftermath of the accident. But no further information about Zhang Pilin is immediately available.

The officials said that the central authorities h

China protects women's choice on contraception
Chinese women have come to know more about contraception and they are free to choose the contraceptive methods suitable for their own physical conditions.

Since 1995, the State Family Planning Commission has carried out a trial program in six provincial areas including Shanghai, Liaoning and Jiangsu to provide good service in contraception for local residents.

Now, the program has spread to more than 800 counties or urban districts, about one third of the total number of counties a

Women's shelter opens in NE. China city
A women's shelter called "Yangguang Yizhan" (Sunlight House) has opened in Shenyang City, the capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China.

The shelter, the first of its kind in the city, is sponsored by the local women's federation and locates in the Women's Conference Hall of Shenyang.

Its purpose is to protect local women suffering from family violence and those from remote villages. The residents will be given legal counseling.

The city has launched a series of progra

China hosts first int'l business festival for women pioneers
An international business festival for pioneering women entrepreneurs opened on Nov.26 in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province.

The festival is jointly sponsored by the China Women and Children Services Development Center, Beijing Office of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the International Exchange Association of Hainan. It is the first event of its kind ever held in China.

Around 250 successful female entrepreneurs from China and abroad have gath

Rambling in Fenghuang
Fenghuang is the name of a small ancient town by the Tuojiang River. I remember the name because of Cui Cui, an innocent, kind-hearted girl in a novel by Shen Congwen, a renowned writer in China. It is in the town of Fenghuang that Cui Cui was born and grew up. I had long dreamed of visiting this town. On a morning in early autumn, my dream came true. I had waited for this moment a long time; and perhaps because of this, I rushed into the small town as soon as I arrived. The Tuojiang River was c

Three New Human Genes Discovered Among the Chinese
Three new human hereditary genes among Chinese people have been discovered by the Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine and formally named by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a scientific research appraisal meeting held recently in Shenzhen of South China's Guangdong Province. The discovery will effectively improve the survival rate of China's bone marrow and organ transplant. The newly-discovered genes are the allelic genes of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). HLA actually is

Golf Tourism to Be Highlighted in Guangdong
Promotion of its under-used golf courses will be the highlight of next year's tourism development in south China's Guangdong Province, said a local tourism official. Zheng Tongyang, head of the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration, said he hoped to attract more overseas tourists to Guangdong, already a booming tourist destination and fast-growth economic powerhouse. Of China's 195 golf grounds, with a membership of over 400,000,more than 70 are located in Guangdong, but less than 60 perce

Hope School Provides a Ray of Hope
Despite the freezing winds outside and lack of central heating inside, a 30-square-meter classroom at Sanyuanli Primary School was warm as it was tightly packed with 109 students and their teacher. The children, every five of them sharing a 1-meter-long shabby desk, shout out in unison as the teacher points to Chinese characters she has written on a cracked blackboard. This primary school is located in Kaole Township in the Dongxiang Autonomous County in Northwest China's Gansu Province, one of

Water-gauge Tablet Found at China's Ancient Irrigation System
A stone water gauge was found Monday in southwest China's Sichuan Province during dredging and maintenance at the Dujiangyan Dam, a water conservation scheme that dates back 2,250 years. Li Junzhu, a senior engineer in charge of dam maintenance, said the tablet erected in 1764 was submerged at the bottom of a pool. It was the first time it had seen the light of day for more than 200 years. According to Li, seven water pumps were used to empty the pool which was more than 10 meters deep. Standing

Experts Forecast Warm Winter
While a sudden temperature drop has forced people across China to put on heavy padded overcoat these days, warmer winter days are just around the corner. "Behind all these is a typical El Nino phenomenon," Wang Zhanggui, a leading researcher with the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, said yesterday. Because of its influence, unusually warmer weather will persist in China's southern sea areas throughout the winter, leaving the areas vulnerable to a bloom of poisonous algae, known

Providing a Ray of Hope
Despite the freezing winds outside and lack of central heating inside, a 30-square-meter classroom at Sanyuanli Primary School was warm as it was tightly packed with 109 students and their teacher. The children, every five of them sharing a 1-meter-long shabby desk, shout out in unison as the teacher points to Chinese characters she has written on a cracked blackboard. This primary school is located in Kaole Township in the Dongxiang Autonomous County in northwest China's Gansu Province, one of

Auto Industry Forges Ahead after China's WTO Entry
China's automotive industry has survived the gloomy predictions of an influx of cheap foreign vehicles in the first year of World Trade Organization (WTO) membership. As part of its WTO commitments, China agreed to gradually reduce tariffs, eliminate restrictions on foreign investment and open up its market to foreign companies. However, the international auto giants' entry into the market of the world's most populous country has not affected the domestic industry as severely as many feared a ye

Alarm Sounds over College Students' Mental Health
Just two months after the fall semester started, a freshman at a prestigious university in the northern Hebei Province decided to drop out. "College life is too depressing and I just cannot cope with it," said the teenage boy. The reason was simple. The boy used to be a straight A student in primary and secondary schools. At college, however, he met much stronger rivals and failed to keep his top position or his self-esteem when everyone else was just as intelligent and hardworking. Such cases a

Chinese Tourists Favor Southeast Asian Countries
Southeast Asia is becoming one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, stimulating the economies of China's neighbors and enhancing mutual understanding between peoples. "It is quite comfortable to spend the three-day holiday in a much warmer country where you can listen to the sounding of the New Year bell," said Zhang Weiliang, who registered for the Thai tour during the New Year. Zhang has been to Thailand three times, impressed by its unique tropical climate and spicy food. Du

Controversial Composer Strikes a Heroic Note
Tan Dun admits that his music is always controversial. Tan's controversial status means that his music always attracts wide attention from both admirers and detractors. As soon as the movie premiered in Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province in October, the controversial reviews followed. Some said the music was "too rich," weighing down the movie itself. Some thought the soundtrack sounded similar to that of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Tan's answer is, "After seeing the movie, you wou

Japanese Testimonies on Nanjing Massacre Published
A book comprising of testimonies of Japanese World War II veterans on their wartime atrocities was published in Chinese in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province Thursday, the eve of the 65th anniversary of the notorious Nanjing Massacre. The book, titled The Battle of Nanjing -- a Search of Sealed Memories, consists of testimonies from 102 Japanese veterans who participated in Japan's invasion of China from 1937 to 1945, especially the battle of Nanjing. In the book, compiled by

Survey to Solve Tomb Mystery
Scientists will use remote sensing and geophysical techniques to survey the mysterious Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (259-210 BC), a famous World Heritage Site. Located 36 kilometers east of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the grand mausoleum was the eternal resting place for Ying Zheng, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), who unified China for the first time. According to historical records, it took 700,000 people 36 years to build the luxurious undergr

China Pinpoints Terra-cotta Warriors' Production Site
Chinese scientists have finally solved a long-time riddle: where were the 8,000 terra-cotta warriors made that were unearthed in the 1970s from the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor who unified China? After a three-year joint research project, scientists from Beijing, Zhengzhou and Xi'an cities reached the conclusion that the world-renowned terra-cotta warriors were created close to where they were excavated. Qin Shihuang's tomb has been called "the eighth wonder of the world." Nearly 8,00

Renowned Chinese Architect Granted Prince Claus Award
Wu Liangyong, an internationally renowned Chinese professor of architecture, was honored with the Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands in Beijing Thursday. Wu, a professor of the Civil Engineering Institute of the prestigious Tsinghua University and also an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, received the award from representatives of the Prince Claus Award Foundation in the Dutch embassy. "I was greatly honored," said 80-year-old Wu. The Prince Clau

Folk Arts Fascinate Audiences
The First (Jiangsu) Chinese Folk Arts Festival which ran from December 4-8 in Nanjing, the capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, brought people into a colorful world of folk art. Hundreds of folk artists, specialists and scholars from about 20 provinces, cities and administrative regions throughout the country gathered to meet, talk, show their work and give special performances. Performances at the festival's grand opening ceremony on December 4 included music played on traditional gon

China, Kyrgyzstan Issue Joint Press Communique
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and Kyrgyz Minister of Foreign Affairs Askar Aitmatov issued a joint press communique in Beijing Thursday. At the invitation of Tang, Aitmatov is on an official visit to China from Dec. 10 to 15. The two ministers held talks and signed an agreement on cooperation in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism. Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao, and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng also met with Aitmatov. The communique says th

The Gu Liangguang 'One Man Band'
When there is no light on Earth I'll set myself ablaze to illuminate the world. When dreams meet with cruel reality, we must try our best to take a stand against the injustices of life, said Gu Liangguang. Gu, whose first name (Liangguang) means "light" in Chinese, has never seen what light is during his half century of life. Gu is a blind actor who performs with the Xinfeng County Folk Art Troupe in Jiangxi Province. He can play up to 12 musical instruments at same time. Using his whole body, h

Peking Man Site of Further Research Value
The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site had further valuable research potential, a leading Chinese scientist said at a recent celebration of the 15th anniversary of the site's joining the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Wu Xinzhi, academician of the Chinese Academ

Where is the "wolf" one year after China's WTO accession?
Hao Guangnian, a freelance writer in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, has finally bought a Chinese-made car.

He had waited for more than half a year for the price of imported cars to fall sharply, but was disappointed.

"The local media had strongly predicted a drastic drop in the price of imported cars after China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), but it did not happen at all," said Hao.

The auto industry was tipped to be one of the in

China WTO Tribune launched
The Chinese government Wednesday launched a monthly journal on its World Trade Organization-related work to mark the first anniversary of the country's entry to the WTO.

The China WTO Tribune is published by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC). MOFTEC Minister Shi Guangsheng said the government launched the journal to provide both Chinese and overseas governments with authoritative information and to guide the research.

The journal provides information o

WTO Advanced Training Program for Asia-Pacific set up in China
The WTO Advanced Training Program for the Asia-Pacific was launched Wednesday at Beijing University, one of China's most prominent universities.

The program is co-sponsored by China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), the WTO Secretariat and the Asia Development Bank.

Shi Guansheng, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the launching ceremony that the establishment of the program marked China's debut in undertaking a regional role among

Chinese official: WTO talks should tackle developing members' needs
The interests of developing members should be fully considered in the new round of multilateral negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng said Wednesday.

Shi made the remarks while addressing the launching ceremony of the WTO Advanced Training Program in Asia-Pacific held Wednesday at Beijing University, one of China's most prominent universities.

A new round of trade talks began last year, said Shi

Chinese couples decide a man's place is in the kitchen
A growing number of Chinese men are taking up cooking, a household chore that has long been considered the preserve of women in a country with a deep tradition of male chauvinism.

Sun, a demobilized soldier, became a skilled cook during his three-year service in the People's Liberation Army. Now he cooks dinner for his family every day after work.

"He's really mature and considerate," said Sun's mother, a retired worker in Shenyang, a traditional industrial base in the northeastern

China's National Library opens readers' festival
The National Library of China Sunday (Dec.1) opened its annual readers' festival in a bid to encourage readers to read more books and make full use of libraries.

Four vice curators of the Beijing-based library -- Zhang Yanbo,Zhang Yafang, Chen Li and Zhang Xiaoxing -- were present at the information desk this morning to welcome readers.

The library's new website homepage was also launched Sunday with a new research system for borrowing books. Readers can send their requests from ho

China's largest coke company set up
The Shanxi Provincial Coke Group Co., Ltd. was recently established in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, becoming the largest of its kind in the country.

The group is a result of the restructuring of major coke producers and dealers in Shanxi, the country's largest coal and coke producer, according to official sources.

Currently, the group has an annual capacity of 6 million tons, but by 2005 it is expected to become the world's largest coke producer with its capac

Copyright of Nanjing Massacre documentary donated to China
An American producer donated the copyright of the Chinese edition of a documentary on the Nanjing Massacre during World War II to China on Tuesday, followed by the film's debut screening in Beijing.

Sherwin Liou, one of the initiators of the documentary and president of the St.Louis Alliance for Preserving the Truth About the Sino-Japanee War, presented the videotape of the film and copyright certification to the Beijing-based Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japan

China to put 200 million into performing arts
China's performing arts are being given a massive fillip with government plans to pour 40 million yuan (4.7 million US dollars) annually into 50 productions by the end of 2006, said Sun Jiazheng, Minister of Culture (MOC) here recently.

Sun said the funding was part of a project to promote national artistic performances, which was organized by the MOC and the Ministry of Finance.

He said the project would encourage Chinese troupes and artists to produce and recompose good stage per

Beijing has first on-campus Confucius research institute
China's first on-campus research institute on Confucius was set up recently at the Beijing-based People's University of China.

The institute will be devoted to studying the great philosopher and educationist of ancient China, his theories and traditional Chinese culture.

"We hope to build a bridge between modern and traditional Chinese cultures and help make the best use of traditional Chinese culture," said Ji Baocheng, president of the university and honorary director of the rese

Three Gorges project to receive state-level quality control
An examination panel directly affiliated to the State Council was set up here Friday to oversee a state-level check on the quality of resettlement and dam clear-up work of the Three Gorges Hydropower Project.

The examination panel is composed of officials and experts from the Economic and Trade Commission, the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Health.

The panel will carry out a spot check in the dam area of Three Gorges in December, and expects to deliver the resul

Beijing speeds up digital construction for 2008 Games
Beijing is speeding up digital construction projects for the 2008 Olympic Games, and it is in need of capital, technological and operational help from home and abroad, the China Daily reported.

The capital city plans to be able to provide convenient, secure and efficient information services by 2008 to everyone at any time, Beijing's Vice-Mayor Liu Zhihua said at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Forum on IT Development.

In the Beijing Olympic Action Programme issued on July 13,

Law passed to protect Dunhuang treasures in northwest China
Local legislature in Gansu province, northwest China, has passed a special law to better protect the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang City, one of the country's three major Buddhist art treasures.

Underground relics, sites of historical interest and the natural environment around the prestigious Mogao Grottoes are the three protected categories under the new Regulation for Protection of the Gansu Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes passed by the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress

China outlines next year's economic tasks
Chinese leaders concluded a meeting here Tuesday to review its economic work in 2002 and formulate guidelines for economic development in 2003.

At the Central Economic Work Conference jointly held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council on December 9 and 10, Vice-President Hu Jintao, who is also general secretary of the 16th Central Committee of the CPC, summed up 2002's economic work, analyzed the domestic and international situation and propo

India Becomes Chinese Tourists' Destination
India has recently gained the Authorized Destination Status (ADS) for Chinese tourists, according to the source from China National Tourism Administration. More details will be discussed by the two sides before organized Chinese tourist groups can finally go there. "Both India and China used to be ancient civilized nations. Currently we are two largest developing nations. I believe tourismwill promote bilateral exchanges in different areas," said Dinesh K. Patnaik, head of commercial division of

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