Miaofeng Mountain and Wild Rose Valley
Miaofeng Mountain, with its towering peaks rising majestically to a height of more than 1,300 meters, is the major peak in the northern range of the Western Hills. Situated at a distance of about 70 kilometers from downtown areas, its sheer cliffs, jutting crags and tortuous mountain paths make it one of the most renowned scenic spots in northern China. Toward the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was the custom to hold temple fairs on Miaofeng Mountain every tear during the fourth month of the lunar
Metal Scrap
Our plants in China monthly process 4,000 tons of non-ferrous metal scrap. Items including but not limited to: Cu/Al/Pb cables, Irony stainless/Cu/Brass/Al/Zn/Pb, shredded metals, motors. Our brass mill requires 2,000 tons of brass per month. We are constantly sourcing and buying. If you have some buying/exporting experience in your region, we would like to discuss with you. Our main requirements are: you must be honest, reliable and enthusiastic; willing to learn and travel. Joint venture is al
Urban Transportation
In China?￥s major tourist cities, both the urban and the suburban districts have public buses and trolley-buses. Taxies are also available. You can call a taxi at any time by contacting a local travel agency, the service counter in your hotel, or a local taxi company or station itself or taxies cruising the streets. According to Chinese regulations, the price of a trip by taxi depends on the size and type of taxi and the mileage covered.
Dredging Slated for Hangzhou?￥s West Lake
A comprehensive environmental protection project aimed at restoring the ecological balance of West Lake, a well-known scenic spot located in Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, is planned over the coming years, beginning in September, according to a China Daily report.
The picturesque lake, which once charmed Marco Polo with its emerald green, is clogged up and bulging at its seams with silt and mud that have built up over the years.
The average depth of the lake has decrea
Latest projects
Name: Project 10 Port Related Industrial Co-operative/Management Project
Type: Qingdao Port Construction.
Content: Port of Qingdao values development of sideline industries while making efforts to develop its principal businesses. Now the port has a port polytechnic school, a port hospital,a travel agency,a shipping agency,an insurance agency, a cargo agency and a container maintenance depot.During the ?Tenth Five-year plan?,Port of Qingdao will make use of the existing resources a
Beijing
Elevation extremes: Mountains stand in the west, north and northeast of Beijing; the 10,417.5 square kilometers of mountainous areas, with an average elevation of 1,000-1,500 meters, account for 62 percent of its total territory. In its southeast lies the vast North China Plain of 6,390.3 kilometers, with an average altitude of 20-60 meters above sea level. The 2,303-meter-high Mount Lingshan on the border between Beijing and Hebei is the highest peak of the city. Climate: Beijing has a semi-hum
Airlines
Airline & Town Office Aeroflot (SU) 1/F,Hotel Beijing Toronto No.3, Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing Tel: (010) 65002412, 65002266-8303 Fax: (010) 65941869 Donghu Guest House No.7, Donghu Road, Shanghai Tel: (021) 64156700, 64158158-77403 Fax: (021) 64157141 Taishan Hotel Taishan Road, Huanggu District, Shenyang Tel/Fax: (024) 6809888 Air France (AF) Rm. 512-515, Full Link Plaza No.18, Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District,Beijing Tel: (010) 65881388, 65881395/6/7 Fax: (010) 65881389 Air Kazakhsta
French Architect Defends His Plan for Grand Theatre
China Daily has paid close attention to the progress of the National Grand Theatre project since the proposal bidding two years ago. After French architect Paul Andreu's proposal was chosen last year, the voice of disagreement grew louder and finally spilled out of architectural circles and into the public sphere. China Daily sent Andreu an e-mail on the debates and following is an excerpt of his answer. Q: We know you flew into Beijing for the ground-breaking ceremony, which was cancelled at th
Hong Kong Hosts International Tourism Asia 2000
The International Tourism Asia (ITA) 2000, a showcase of the latest travel products and services around the world, opened Thursday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The three-day event, the second one since its debut in 1999, drew participation of some 413 exhibiting companies from 38 countries and regions, including 9 new comers, this year. While exhibitors from the Asia-Pacific region make up the largest group of participants, there is also a significant participation from the
Chinese New Year: Tradition in Change
Chinese New Year: Tradition in Change Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, has always been a time of joy and happiness, and a time of family reunion, fine cuisine, new clothes, a sleepless night with carnivals. Yet something has been changing in all these. When the Spring Festival comes, millions of people are going home to join their family, and million of others want to go sightseeing on the holiday. It is reported that 6 million people travel by air during the festival, with a ride
Standardization Management in China?Tourism Industry
Standardization management has become a prominent part of China's tourism industry, with the implementation of many global management initiatives. Sun Gang, deputy director of China National Tourism Administration, was quoted as saying at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) --Tourism Conference, recently held in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Up to now China has laid out and set down 17 management and evaluation standards for tourism. China has issued more tourism standards th
Physical Fitness
The Chinese government advocates and actively carries out a Nationwide Physical Fitness Program.
Physical Fitness
To promote physical fitness nationwide, the State Physical Culture Administration has adopted many measures in the hope that more people will engage in fitness activities as a voluntary part of their daily routine under a Nationwide Physical Fitness Program established in 1995 that aims to improve the health and overall physical condition of the general population. With
Palestinian President Arrives in Beijing
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat arrived in Beijing Monday morning for a working visit at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Arafat will travel later on to the seaside resort of Beidaihe, about 300 kilometers east of Beijing, for discussions with Chinese leaders on the Middle East peace process. The Palestinian president is coming to China "for the special purpose of briefing the Chinese side on the latest development of the peace process," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman s
Traveling on Yellow River Launched
Northwest China's Shaanxi Province has started a tourism program which enables tourists to travel some picturesque sections along the Yellow River, China's second longest river. The 64-kilometer route, which connects Longmen with the Hukou Waterfall and traverses an area of gorges, features fantastic scenes such as Gezi (dove) Temple, suspended cliff, a natural stone town, Lotus Cave, and other natural landscapes. The Yellow River Harbor Affairs Company of Hancheng City has put two hovercrafts i
The Gu Liangguang ?ne 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
Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution
Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution (adopted on May 11, 1984)(amended on May 15, 1996)
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purposes of preventing and controlling water pollution, protecting and improving the environment, safeguarding human health, ensuring effective utilization of water resources and promoting progress of the socialist modernization drive. Article 2 This Law applies to prevention and cont
Asian Countries Seek to Build Cooperation Mechanism for Tourism Promotion
Asian tourism ministers and high-ranking officials Monday expressed their strong will to join hands in revitalizing Asian tourism. During the plenary session of the ongoing International Cooperation for Tourism Development Under A New Paradigm conference, nine speakers voiced their will for multi-layered effective cooperation among countries and regions in the Asian Pacific region. Thai Tourism Minister Sontaya Kunplome said tourism is a sensitive industry and the severe acute respiratory syndro
Jiang on Taiwan Issue
The policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" remains unchanged, however, the one-China principle is the prerequisite and basis for resuming cross-straits dialogue and negotiations. As long as the Taiwan authorities recognize the one-China principle, cross-straits dialogue can be resumed, and everything can be discussed, said Chinese President Jiang Zemin in a meeting Monday with Bill Archer, member of the US House of Representatives and chairman of the House Ways and Means
The Longhu Mountain
Longhu Mountain (Dragon and Tiger Mount) in Central China's Jiangxi Province is not as famous as Taishan or Yellow Mountains. But everyone who has visited it seems impressed by the experience. If it is not quite a journey to heaven, it is said to be something close. Relics of Daoism and ancient tombs are two features of Longhu Mountain, but the natural scenery is also eye-catching, and even more interesting to some visitors. Our guide said the mountain boasts 99 peaks, over 20 pools and waterfal
China Southern Airlines to Open Flights from Guangzhou to Lhasa
Beginning July 26, China Southern Airlines will open flights from Guangzhou to Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, via Shangri-La in Yunnan Province. The route, flown by Boeing 757 aircraft, will break the monopoly currently held by Air China Southwest Company from Chengdu to Lhasa. The route will benefit tourists from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao by reducing their travel costs. The new route will boost economic growth in Tibet and will be of great importance to China'
Beyond the modern fade--A Journey into Beijing's hutongs
Beyond the modern fagade--A Journey into Beijing's hutongs by Holly Krambeck "The alleys twist and wind through the inner city like veins and arteries moving through a living creature. There is endless fascination here: tiny markets, noodle shops, old men sitting in the waning sun, children playing, donkey carts, strolling lovers, ancient gateways to walled-courtyards . . . a confusion of smells and sights and sounds. The hutongs not only take you back in time, but out of the city itself? Robert
Wenzhou -- Flagship of Private Business
We now invite you to travel eastward to Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, to see how the birthplace of China's individually-run enterprises is keeping its leading position as its economic structure first took shape 20 years ago. This flagship of private business has been involved in censure, disputes, commendation, and challenges at various stages. Biz-China had an exclusive interview with its city official, who has witnessed the ups and downs of private businesses in the City over the past two deca
China Publishes Encyclopedia on North Province-Shanxi Province
A comprehensive encyclopedia of north China's Shanxi Province was published by the Zhonghua Book Company recently.
The encyclopedia, containing 8.1 million Chinese characters and 5,000 color pictures, and is the first large reference book which offers the province's history, culture and social development of ancient times as well the reforms and economic development over the past two decades and more.
Shanxi Encyclopedia is composed of three volumes, with the first about the genera
New Air Services Mean More Options for Firms
China's first long-distance wide-body charter service jet, the Challenger 604, introduced by Shandong Airlines recently, made its maiden flight from Beijing to Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong Province.
The voyage elated Bai Weisan, chairman of Shandong Rainbow Business Aircraft Co, a subsidiary of Shandong Airlines. He said China-based business people, either foreign or Chinese, can enjoy charter services offered by the airlines.
Bai's company signed a contract with the Bom
United Airlines Launches Road Show in China
United Airlines (UAL) began its first "Nationwide Road Show 2002" in China recently. The move aims to introduce UAL's air services to an increasing number of Chinese customers.
The month-long road show will start in Beijing, move on to other major Chinese cities including Shenyang, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and will end in Xi'an.
"China's entry into WTO and its sustained economic growth have brought more opportunities to both Chinese and foreign businesses and created en
China to Open New Air Route to Japan
A new air route connecting Chongqing, the largest metropolis in western China, with Tokyo, Japan, is scheduled to be opened on April 18.
The route is to be operated by the Chongqing Branch of China Southern Airlines and will be the second direct air route between Chongqing and Japan. The city opened its first air route to Nagoya in 1996.
Return flights will be available every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Boeing 737 planes will be used to fly the new route.
An aviation offi
Shanghai bids for 2007 Special Olympics
Shanghai has submitted its bid to the International Special Olympics Committee (ISOC) for the 2007 Summer Special Olympic Games.
According to an official from the city's press office, an evaluation panel from the ISOC will have an inspection tour of the city in March and the city will send a group to London in late April to give a report in ISOC's board meeting.
The Special Olympics, which was inaugurated more than 30 years ago, has been held every two years. To be exact, the summe
Beijing plans large repair project for Forbidden City
Beijing's world-famous Palace Museum will soon get its biggest facelift in nearly a century ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.
A monumental repair project, estimated to be the largest in over 90 years, is aimed to restore the grandeur and magnificence of the Palace Museum.
The Palace Museum was founded in 1420 and many of its timeworn buildings are in great need of renovation due to natural erosion and destructive human activities, said Jin Hongkui of the State Bureau of Cultural Rel
President Watches Successful Space Launch
Shenzhou III, China's third unmanned spacecraft that can carry out all the functions of a manned craft, was launched successfully Monday night, symbolizing another milestone in China's space science and technology. President Jiang Zemin watched the launch of spacecraft Monday night at the launch center in northwest China's Gansu Province. The spacecraft was boosted by the "Long March II F" carrier rocket into a pre-set orbit at 22:15 Monday in Jiuquan. At the launch site, Jiang extended his cong
HK Issues Seventh Air Operator's Certificate
The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department issued Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) to CR Airways Limited, a helicopter company, recently, adding the number of Hong Kong AOC holders to seven.
The other six AOC holders are Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited, Air Hong Kong Limited, Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited, Metrojet Limited, and Helicopters Hong Kong Limited.
This is the first time that the department issued an AOC since the establishment of the Hon
Hong Kong Arts Fair Began
The second round of Arts and Crafts Fair organized by Hong Kong Cultural Center (HKCC) started on Sunday, featuring stalls for sales of arts and crafts items, and various service stalls at the HKCC Piazza until June 30.
There will be 43 arts and crafts stalls operating on Sunday afternoons and selected Public Holidays during the arts fair period.
The array of arts and crafts stalls include iron-twisting products, dried flower handicraft, wood-crafting, woolen knit, nut-carving, cry
Macao Arts Gala Ends
The 13th Macao Arts Festival was closed Sunday night as a showcase of splendid Chinese and international cultures and local arts.
The closing ceremony put the spotlight on traditional Chinese music with a concert entitled "Chinese Roots, Macao's Heart", co-presented by the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra and the Macao Chinese Orchestra.
At the end of the concert, performers had to take quite a few curtain calls as they deeply impressed the audience.
The annual festi
Taiwan's Culture Industry Faces Increasing Challenges
Taiwan's culture industry is facing increasing challenges with the opening of the local market in the wake of the island's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), reports reaching here from Taipei said recently.
A local cultural official was quoted as saying that the Taiwan authorities should work out measures to explore the characteristics of local culture as the local culture industry will definitely feel the impact of globalization.
According to the official, the Taiwan a
Western Fashions Hit Traditional China
It is still hard for housewife Chang Zheng in this capital of southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to accept the fact that her daughter has dyed her hair blond.
However, 49-year old Chang regularly says "Bye-bye" instead of the Chinese "Zai Jian" and dines with her family at the American fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chickens.
As China's development accelerates to compete with world economic powers, some incoming western fashions and lifestyles are flooding the count
County in Yunnan Becomes a "Shangri-La"
Shangri-la is no more just a distant imaginary haven. The paradise has been brought to earth, as Zhongdian County in western Yunnan Province has renamed itself "Shangri-la."
At a news conference in Beijing recently, Shao Qiwei, vice-governor of the province in Southwest China, declared that the State Council granted Yunnan's request to rename Zhongdian in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture "Shangri-la" on December 17, 2001.
With its snow-capped mountains, dense forests, turqu
Northeast China's Tumen area to upgrade transportation facilities
Northeast China's Jilin Province has vowed to step up the development of the Tumen River area to boost economic relations with neighbouring countries.
The Tumen River area refers to the contiguous region of China, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in eastern Jilin.
"We will give top priority to strengthening the region's infrastructure construction and expanding economic, trade and tourism co-operation between th
Beijing to Open Up Service Industries
Beijing will open its service industries wider to overseas investors this year, a leading municipal foreign trade official announced here recently.
Under government guidelines on foreign investment issued by Beijing municipal government, foreign businesses will be allowed to engage in commodity distribution, chain store and E-commerce operations.
In the telecommunications sector, foreign funds will be used to enhance cooperation between two or more high performance firms and to con
China Rises as Switzerland's 2nd Largest Tourist Source in Asia
China has become Switzerland's second largest source of tourists in Asia after Japan, as tourists from the Chinese mainland alone surged 15 percent in 2001 to hit nearly 100,000, a senior Swiss tourism official said. Michel Ferla, deputy head of the Swiss federal bureau of tourism, said his country was doing every thing to explore the Chinese market, including expanding his bureau's Beijing office set up in 1998 and enhancing exchanges with the Chinese tourism industry and tourists. The Swiss Al
Arafat to Skip Arab Summit; Two Observers Killed
Two international monitors were shot dead in the West Bank on Tuesday and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat ruled out going to an Arab summit expected to endorse a new plan for peace with Israel. Shortly before, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said "conditions were not ripe" for lifting a travel ban imposed on Arafat in December after a spate of Palestinian suicide bombings in an 18-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation. Arafat, who had earlier hoped to attend the Beirut summit whi
ROUNDUP: Macao Making You Welcome
Visitors to the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) would feel even better over their tours as Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), posted recently the launch of a tourism awareness campaign as early as next month.
"Now it is time that our citizens learn more about the importance of tourism," Antunes said at a press conference, citing that the industry is facing new challenges and opportunities in the wake of the opening-up of the gambli
Macao to Build Third Cross-Sea Bridge
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has begun accepting bidding for the third cross-bridge that links Macao peninsula up with Taipa island.
"There will be no bottom price for the project, which is set for completion within 28 months," Macao Daily News said recently, quoting an official from the Office of Development of Infrastructure of the SAR government.
Traffic congestion which comes along with a growing number of residents and vehicles in Taipa on the exist
Citibank Inaugurates Foreign Currency Service in China
Citibank's Shanghai Branch, the first foreign bank permitted to offer all-around foreign currency services in China to Chinese citizens and businesses, began to do so recently,
Sanford I. Weill, board chairman and CEO of Citigroup Inc., was in Shanghai recently and personally opened a foreign currency account for the first Chinese individual client, the founder and CEO of a famous Chinese Internet company.
On the same day, Citibank's Shanghai Branch inaugurated a sub-branch in Shan
Bankcard Users to Spend 30 Billion Yuan in Beijing in 2005
Beijing is speeding up the reform of bankcard equipment and expects 30 billion yuan (3.61 billion US dollars) to be spent via bankcard by 2005, says Liu Qi, mayor of Beijing.
Liu made the remarks at a municipal financial conference held in the capital recently. He said the number of Beijing's bank card users should be far above the average level in China to meet the city's needs to be modernized and internationalized.
China's bankcard business started in 1985 and by the end of 2000
Bank Loan for Beijing's Olympic Construction Projects
The China Construction Bank(CCB) announced in Beijing recently that it will provide five billion yuan in loans for construction projects for the 2008 Olympic Games.
A spokesman for the CCB said that according to the agreement reached between the bank and the Land Reserve Center of Beijing, the CCB would provide a credit line of five billion yuan for the center to carry out preliminary development of a 2.91-square kilometer area in the Olympic Park.
He said that this move would both
INTERVIEW:Global Fitness Chain to Build First Gyms in Beijing,Shanghai
A global fitness chain with about 440 fitness centers across the world said plans are at hand to build its centers in Beijing and Shanghai in two years.
Eric Levine, the regional chief executive officer of California Fitness Network, told Xinhua recently that with China further opening up, a number of centers will be built first in Shanghai and then in Beijing - but all within the next 24 months.
At the moment, there is no chain-type of fitness centers operating in China; bodybuild
World's First Two-deck Tunnel to Open in 2005
The Fuxing Road Tunnel is expected to be the world's first two-level underground passageway as early 2005, its designers said recently.
The only other similarly designed tunnel, in Paris, is not scheduled to be completed before 2008, said Qiao Zongzhao, a senior engineer with the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering and Rail Transit Design and Research Institute.
The Fuxing Road Tunnel is expected to be completed in December 2004. Tunnel work under the Huangpu River began three months ago.<
Exhibition Promoting Calligraphy in Electronic Age
Works of calligraphy by nearly 200 Chinese historical figures from a century ago went on show recently in the China History Museum in the Chinese capital.
The exhibition, sponsored by the history museums of the mainland and Taiwan and a calligraphy foundation in Taiwan, aims to promote calligraphy in China and abroad in an age when more people write with computers and the use of pens and brushes declines.
A total of 179 works written by famous calligraphers, historians, educationis
New Air Route Linking Shanghai and Vietnam
A new air route connecting Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and China's largest commercial center Shanghai will open in July this year.
The air route, the first between the two cities, will be operated by Shanghai Airlines.
There will be two Boeing 737 flights on the route every week.
According to local transportation officials, operation of the route will promote economic exchanges as well as business and tourism between China and Vietnam.
Time to Enjoy Peachblossoms
The blooming of the pink flowers in the countryside gives the first hint that spring is coming. Spring begins with the blooming of the peachblossoms and the arrival of the Peachblossom Festival in Nanhui District. Numerous petals fell onto the district's Fontainebleau villa from a helicopter last week announcing the start of the two-week festival and the coming of the spring season. If watched from space, this must have been the most dazzling spot on earth, as it was covered by waves of light pi
Helicopters Connecting Shenzhen, Macao, Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Macao and Shenzhen will be linked each other through helicopter service after a Macao air carrier launches a helicopter route between Macao and Shenzhen in April. It now takes less than three hours by land or roughly one hour by sea to travel from Macao to Shenzhen. Helicopter service, however, will shorten the journey to a mere 18 minutes, airlines sources said. Monday afternoon, an S-76 helicopter carrying 10 passengers andtwo crew members from Hong Kong landed stable on the Shenzhe
Details, My Impressions of Beijing
It is remarkable that several people have asked me recently in rapid succession what I am doing here in Beijing; the last time was during an English class. My students are all from the same company, young, bright, self assured and curious about everything: whether I have any idea about how long I would be giving the course; whether they can do anything for me, since I am giving the course free of charge; and what on earth I am doing here in this alien city so far from home? I picked a biscuit an
Details, My Impressions of Beijing
It is remarkable that several people have asked me recently in rapid succession what I am doing here in Beijing; the last time was during an English class. My students are all from the same company, young, bright, self assured and curious about everything: whether I have any idea about how long I would be giving the course; whether they can do anything for me, since I am giving the course free of charge; and what on earth I am doing here in this alien city so far from home? I picked a biscuit an
Mixture of Culture, Grandeur and Tranquility
For years now, the charm of Xiao Shan seems to have been obscured by that of nearby Hangzhou, however, the town is refusing to remain silent. Traveling to the Oriental Cultural Park and the Villages, people will see that the "paradise" Hangzhou has expanded to another corner. Oriental Cultural Park Surrounded by mountains, this park, the special creation of an architect, aims to gather together the cultures of Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism inside its spacious area. So far, only the Buddhist
'I Come, I See, I Record a Country in Transition'
Were it not for one of Shanghai's most famous freelance photographers, a food factory tucked away in a narrow lane off Taikang Road would still be languishing in obscurity. Deke Erh, also called Erh Dongqiang, has turned it into the Deke Erh Art Center. And increasingly more artists are gathering at Taikang Road. The outside wall has been painted white, making it stand out among the old residential brick houses downtown. A black iron gate separates the center from the bustle outside. The gate op
First Beijing-New Delhi Direct Flight Takes off
Two of the world's most populous countries are now connected by air for the first time in their history. The landing of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane from Beijing at India's New Delhi Airport Thursday marked the occasion when direct flights between China and India took off. China's aviation officials and business representatives became the first customers of the new air route. Another air route linking Shanghai and New Delhi will be launched next week. Shanghai-based China Eastern Air
Beijing-New Delhi Flight Takes Off
Two of the world's most populous countries are now connected by air for the first time in their history. The landing of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane from Beijing at India's New Delhi Airport yesterday marked the occasion when direct flights between China and India took off. China's aviation officials and business representatives became the first customers of the new air route. Another air route linking Shanghai and New Delhi will be launched next week. Shanghai-based China Eastern Ai
Time to Enjoy Peachblossoms
The blooming of the pink flowers in the countryside gives the first hint that spring is coming. Spring begins with the blooming of the peachblossoms and the arrival of the Peachblossom Festival in Nanhui District. Numerous petals fell onto the district's Fontainebleau villa from a helicopter last week announcing the start of the two-week festival and the coming of the spring season. If watched from space, this must have been the most dazzling spot on earth, as it was covered by waves of light pi
China's Best Inspired to Return
Thirty-five year old Zhang Yaqin has accomplished what most people might take a lifetime to do. At the age of 12, Zhang excelled in the national college examination and was admitted into the "Gifted Class" for teenaged prodigies at the prestigious University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1978. He was then the youngest college student in China, six years younger than the average 18-year-old freshman. At 17, Zhang obtained a Bachelor of Science from USTC, while many young people at
China's Best Inspired to Return
Thirty-five year old Zhang Yaqin has accomplished what most people might take a lifetime to do. At the age of 12, Zhang excelled in the national college examination and was admitted into the "Gifted Class" for teenaged prodigies at the prestigious University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1978. He was then the youngest college student in China, six years younger than the average 18-year-old freshman. At 17, Zhang obtained a Bachelor of Science from USTC, while many young people at
Beijing Not Worried by Increasing Number of Cars
Beijing is facing the pressure fan escalating number of private cars but the city is confident that transportation will not be a problem at the 2008 Olympic Games, an official of the municipal government said Thursday. Shan Jixiang, director of the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission, told reporters that railway traffic will serve as the main force in the city's future transportation. Beijing, which now owns over 1.7 million automobiles, is likely to see more cars as cars are to be bought at l
Beijing-New Delhi Flight Takes off
Two of the world's most populous countries are now connected by air for the first time in their history. The landing of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane from Beijing at India's New Delhi Airport on Thursday marked the occasion when direct flights between China and India took off. China's aviation officials and business representatives became the first customers of the new air route. Another air route linking Shanghai and New Delhi will be launched next week. Shanghai-based China Eastern
Mixture of Culture, Grandeur and Tranquility
For years now, the charm of Xiao Shan seems to have been obscured by that of nearby Hangzhou, however, the town is refusing to remain silent. Traveling to the Oriental Cultural Park and the Villages, people will see that the "paradise" Hangzhou has expanded to another corner. Oriental Cultural Park Surrounded by mountains, this park, the special creation of an architect, aims to gather together the cultures of Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism inside its spacious area. So far, only the Buddhist
CITIC Bank Begins Visa Service
CITIC Industrial Bank (CITIC IB) and the German Embassy in China on March 28 signed an amendment agreement on visa-material delivery services. According to the agreement, visa applicants who have travelled at least twice within the past five years to any of designated 25 countries are eligible to apply for a travel or business visa through CITIC IB's drop-box service (visa-material delivery service) from April 1.
Taiwan Presents Fresh Flowers to Tourists from Hong Kong, Macao
Taiwan tourism authorities began presenting fresh flowers to departing tourists from Hong Kong and Macao recently as part of an effort to promote locally grown flowers, reports reaching here from Taipei said recently.
The reports said a top tourism official was on hand at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taiwan's main gateway, to help present 505 bouquets of dazzling fresh flowers to members of outbound Hong Kong and Macao tour groups.
The official was quoted as saying that t
Taiwan unveils first civil pilot training school
Taiwan has unveiled first flying school to train civil aircraft pilots on the island, reports reaching here from Taipei said recently.
A former local aviation official was quoted as saying that Taiwan has no alternatives but to train civil aircraft pilots on the island. Taiwan's first flying school, opened on March 14, holds the key to the future of civil aviation, the official said.
According to the official, one fourth of an estimated 2,000 pilots working for Taiwan's airlines ar
Town Removed to Make Way for Three Gorges Project
The last remnants of a 1,700-year-old town were demolished with explosives recently to make way for China's Three Gorges dam project.
Ancient Guizhou Town, in Zigui County in central China's Hubei Province, will be the first of 11 towns to be flooded according to the schedule. The removal of the population and key ancient buildings started in 1992 and was completed in 1998.
It is so far the largest demolition work of the Three Gorges Project. According to the project schedule, the
Yunnan Becomes Leading Black-Necked Crane Habitat
The northern part of Yunnan Province has been declared the world's largest habitat of the internationally endangered black-necked crane.
According to a survey jointly organized by the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and the Yunnan Provincial Department of Forestry, there are more than 2,500 black-necked cranes in five counties in northern Yunnan Province, known as the "Kingdom of Flowers and Plants".
The black-necked crane is a rare bird that inhabits tablelands.Its tall and b
First Int'l Traditional Chinese Medicine Exhibition to Be Held
The first international exhibition on the science and technology of traditional Chinese medicine will be held in November in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, southwest China.
Business people from more than 30 countries in Europe, America,southeast Asia and Africa have applied to take part, according to organizers.
Exhibits showing the growth and processing of medicinal herbs, Chinese medicinal crops, machinery for processing traditional drugs and health products will be i
First Maglev Rail Line Building Running on Time
Construction of the 30-kilometre long maglev (magnetic levitation) line in Pudong of Shanghai is running on time and is scheduled to be put into trial operation by the end of this year.
"It will be a success and a sightseeing attraction," said Song Xiaojun, vice-president of the maglev development company.
"The project is new and problems are therefore unavoidable but we are making good progress in overcoming them."
The maglev line will cost 8.9 billion yuan (US$1.08 billion
42 Korean Women to Work on CEA Flights
China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has employed 42 young ladies from the Republic of Korea (ROK) who will become stewardesses on CEA flights to the ROK as of May this year.
CEA sources said that the Korean women, who were chosen from over 5,000 applicants, arrived in Shanghai last Wednesday. Before taking up the new jobs, they would receive a 40-day training course in Shanghai starting recently.
CEA is China's first air company to employ foreign nationals as stewards or stewardesses to i
Foreigners in China have more access to duty-free goods
Foreigners working or traveling in China now can buy duty-free goods at most Chinese entry-exit ports and the downtown areas of two big cities, Beijing and Shanghai.
Sources with the China Duty-free Group, which manages China's duty-free shops (except those in Shenzhen and Zhuhai), say that more shops will be opening to ensure that "all places frequented by foreigners are covered."
The group currently operates a network of 153 duty-free shops in 90 cities and border regions of 24 p
Foreign Gifts to Chinese Officials to Be on Display in Hong Kong
An exhibition on some 300 piecesof precious gifts presented to Chinese officials by leaders and organizations worldwide opened to the Hong Kong public Wednesday, its organizers said.
It's the first time these gifts, selected from a total of more than 20,000 pieces, to be on display outside the Chinese mainland,said Director of China's International Friendship Museum Luo Bojian, whose museum is responsible for collecting and showcasing these gifts in Beijing.
The gifts, which came f
Future airport will connect SW China tourist areas
Construction of a new airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province is underway.
The Airport will link two of China's most popular tourist areas, Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong and will also connect the Songpan Grassland with Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.
Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are famous for their clean and colorful lakes, natural forests and beautiful landscape and up to 1.2 million Chinese and overseas tourists visit them annually.
Both areas are listed with the Unite
More Overseas Tourists Visit China in First Two Months
China's tourism market witnessed a steady growth this year with more than 14 million overseas travelers visiting China in the first two months, a rise of 9.23 percent over the same period last year.
Figures released Tuesday by the China National Tourism Administration show China earned 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in foreign exchange from the tourism sector during the period, up 11.84 percent on an annual basis.
The number of tourists from some Asian and European countries made double-
Beijing-New Delhi flight takes off
Two of the world's most populous countries are now connected by air for the first time in their history.
The landing of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane from Beijing at India's New Delhi Airport Thursday marked the occasion when direct flights between China and India took off.
China's aviation officials and business representatives became the first customers of the new air route.
Another air route linking Shanghai and New Delhi will be launched next week.
Shan
China to Begin Fishing Ban on Lower Reaches of Yangtze in April
Nanjing, on the southern bank of Yangtze River, will become the first area to observe a three-month fishing ban on the river from April 1.
The ban, which will become a regular annual activity, is designed to protect wildlife and resources on China's longest and the world's third longest river.
With a length of 6,300 km, the Yangtze runs through Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai.
In
New Program to Clean Major Freshwater Lake in East China
Chinese scientists have mapped out a plan to further control water pollution and protection of water resources for Taihu Lake, China's third largest freshwater lake.
On March 25 and 26, the Ministry of Water Resources hosted a meeting of more than 20 water conservancy experts to appraise the plan. After thorough discussion, the plan was approved recently.
So far, China has mapped out water resource protection plans for all its seven major water basins in China: the Yangtze River, t
Lives of Three Gorges Resettlers Enjoy Better Life
The majority of resettlers who moved out of the Three Gorges dam area now lead a better life than before, according to a sample survey announced recently.
The survey conducted over several years on 100 rural households resettled in Chongqing shows the annual per capita net income of these households averages 1,890 yuan, 300 yuan more than the annual income of local farmers.
Each household has on average 40 square meters of living space,nine meters more than local residents. There a
Shanghai City to Improve Ring Road Transportation
Shanghai will improve road network in its ring roads area to provide more convenience to commuters this year,transportation officials said.
Efforts will include building new roads and broadening existing ones to make increasing bus lines and reducing bus intervals possible,they said.
Officials said dwellers between the city's Out-Ring and Inner-Ring roads accounted for the most of a city population who still can not find convenient public travel means near their homes.
In Sh
China's First English Archaeology Journal Published
China's first English academic journal in the field of archaeology has been published.
The journal, Chinese Archaeology, sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, plans to publish one volume each year, introducing China's most important archaeological discoveries and research results of the previous 12 months.
A total of 44 research papers and excavation reports with more than 150 pictures are included in the first volume.
Liu Qi
China's First Listed Airline Gets Credit Support
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) signed a contract recently with the China Eastern Airlines (CEA), promising a credit line of 17.6 billion yuan (2.12 billion U.S. dollars) between 2002 and 2003.
The first listed airline in China's civil aviation sector, the CEA will use the loan for purchase and lease of airplanes to expand its operations.
Sources from the ICBC said that the bank would also provide the airline a package of services such as capital settlement, corp
China to Hold 7th National Art Festival in Zhejiang
The seventh China Art Festival will be held in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province next year, organizers said recently.
The national art gala will open on October 12, 2003, in this scenic spot and performances will also be conducted in Ningbo, Shaoxing, Jiaxing and Wenzhou of Zhejiang Province.
Local sources say that the opening ceremony will be held in Hangzhou Theater, whose construction started on July 1, 2001. Construction of theaters in other host cities has al
Ancient Sakyamuni Grotto Found in NW China
Chinese archaeologists have discovered a grotto dating back some 1,000 years in Huanglong
County in Shaanxi Province, northwest China.
The grotto is believed to worship Buddha Sakyamuni and be constructed in the Five Dynasties (907--960).
The grotto is 2.3 meters high, 1.9 meters wide and 1.9 meters deep. The sculptures in the grotto are well-designed with exquisite lines and shapes, featuring the artistic style of that period, said archaeologists.
The grotto, which is no
China Saving Ethnic Culture in Preservation Drive
King Gesser, a Tibetan epic about a legendary national hero, has been passed from generation to generation storytellers.
Now, however, the tale known as the "king of the world's epic chronicles" can be read in over 70 volumes containing nearly 300 collected hand-written and woodcut versions.
Three million copies of the legend have been published after the Chinese government established a special working group to collate the Gesser chronicles for prosperity.
King Gesser is ju
Buddha Relic Returns to Mainland After Being on Display in Taiwan
The one-of-a-kind sacred finger relic of Buddha was returned to the Chinese mainland Sunday after being worshipped by devout followers in Taiwan for five weeks, according to Taiwan media available here.
A chartered plane carrying the Buddha relic took off from Kaohsiung International Airport in southern Taiwan after an early-morning farewell ceremony attended by tens of thousands of the pious.
In a gesture of respect, a Buddhist delegation from Taiwan headed by Dharma Master Hsing
Guangzhou Tourists Welcomed Abroad
Overseas tour operators were eager to attract tourists from Guangzhou at the 2002 Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) because the city has become one of China's largest tourist-generating cities. More than 300 foreign exhibitors from about 50 countries and regions including Hong Kong and Macao participated in the fair, held from March 29 to 31. "Guangzhou is our prosperous target market, because more than 60 per cent of foreign tourists to South Africa last year came from Guangzhou," Sare
Paperless Customs Service to Enter Coastal Areas
Ten coastal provinces and cities with large export volumes in China will usher in paperless Customs clearance service in June. Deputy Director Huang Yi of the Customs Clearance Department of China Customs said that this move will greatly support and push forward local export. Starting from April 1 this year, paperless Customs clearance service will expand from Qingdao Customs of Shandong Province and Shanghai Customs to the eight commercial ports of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, Hanzhou,
State－Aided pojects benefit Tibet
Building work has commenced on half of the 71 projects to be developed in Tibet with assistance from other Chinese provinces, a local government official said in LHASA recently.
Eight projects have begun in accordance with a decision made by the central government last June on boosting development in the region.
Tibet has received 35 billion yuan so far this year for the projects which cover transport, telecommunications, education, urban engineering and Tibetan medicine production
Social Order Excellent in Tibet: Visitors
Sarah Jacoby, a female student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, has led a busy and substantial life at the Tibet University over the past six months.
She attended class during the day and strolled in streets of Lhasa at night to see the life of local people. This is her second visit to Tibet and she had learned to speak Tibetan.
"When I was in the United States I dared not go outside at night because lots of people have guns. But I felt it is saf
China Rises as Switzerland's 2nd Largest Tourist Source in Asia
China has become Switzerland's second largest source of tourists in Asia after Japan, as tourists from the Chinese mainland alone surged 15 percent in 2001 to hit nearly 100,000, a senior Swiss tourism official said.
Michel Ferla, deputy head of the Swiss federal bureau of tourism, said his country was doing every thing to explore the Chinese market, including expanding his bureau's Beijing office set up in 1998 and enhancing exchanges with the Chinese tourism industry and tourists.
Bank Card Service To Be sharply Expanded in China
China's bank card industry will take a giant leap forward following the announcement made that a unified national payment system is to be introduced, the English-Language newspaper China Daily said recently.
The system, to be completely operational by 2005, will allow bank card users to use their cards at any terminal, no matter at which bank or in which city they keep their accounts, the paper said.
With an all-Chinese shareholder structure and a registered capital of 198.8 millio
Guangzhou Becomes China's Fifth Biggest City By Population
Guangzhou, one of the major gateways to south China, has a resident population of 10.15 million, making it the country's fifth most populous city, according to a white paper on local economic and social development.
Guangzhou, also capital of Guangdong Province, is smaller only than Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin.
Guangzhou has maintained a low birth rate in recent years, says the white paper. It concluded that Guangzhou's fast-growing population is caused by an influx of
Guangdong-Taiwan Trade Fair Opens
More than 2,000 Taiwanese investors and businessmen gathered in Zhuhai city in Guangdong Province, south China,last Friday for the opening of the 2002 Guangdong-Taiwan Economic and Technological Trade Fair.
Some 198 projects were displayed at the fair by 22 cities and prefectures in Guangdong inviting investment from Taiwan investors,in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, machinery and electronics, chemicals, textiles and garments.
Guangdong ranks first in the Chinese mainla
Japanese Culture Show in Tianjin
Hundreds of young people in this north Chinese port municipality had a taste of Japanese culture at an exhibition here last Friday to commemorate the establishment of Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties 30 years ago.
The exhibition, jointly sponsored by Tianjin People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (TPAFFC) and theJapanese Embassy to China, is expected to allow Chinese young people more access to Japanese culture and establish a harmonious relationship between the two count
Green Olympic Project to Clean up Temple of Earth
While the Deling Tomb project will be a boon for tourism, more Beijingers will benefit directly from the Temple of Earth renovation project. With a total investment of 490 million yuan, a new square with grass, trees, flower gardens, fountains and sculptures will be constructed around the popular park. The launch of the project also marks the beginning of the Green Olympic Project.
The Temple of Earth has long been hemmed in by temporary houses; while the poor environment and frequent tra
Beijing issues service guidelines
The Beijing municipal government has drawn up guidelines on foreign investment in the tertiary industry, which are expected to take effect on April 1.
Zhou He, vice-director with the Beijing Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation Committee, said: "The new policy is based on the Chinese Foreign Investment Guidelines issued by the central government this month and designed to face the challenges and opportunities brought by China's accession to the World Trade Organization and Beijing's su
Successful Operation for Beijing Zoo Panda
A successful operation was performed on a giant panda at the Beijing Zoo on recently.
The operation lasted half an hour and seven surgeons took part,the Beijing Morning Post reported.
The patient, Le Le, a 16-year-old panda, had developed an abdominal wall hernia which without treatment may have ruptured and caused intestinal necrosis.
Le Le's hernia was first noticed in December last year.
Since Le Le came to the zoo in 1986, she has given birth five times, for which she
Wild Asian Elephants Have New Home in China
A group of wild Asian elephants that used to migrate repeatedly across the borders of China and Myanmar have settled down in a nature reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Approximately five kilometers from the China-Myanmar border, the Nangun River Nature Reserve in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County in Yunnan has been enjoying a much improved ecological environment due to the efforts of the local government and the people. This has attracted a large variety and quantity of wild anima
Children Flock to Bird Week Event
Over 100 children swarmed into a forest park last Monday in east China's Fujian Province to celebrate the 21st anniversary of China's Week of Loving Birds.
The day started with 10 birds under state protection, including herons and sparrow hawks, being set free in the State Forest Park of Fuzhou City. The birds had all been treated by a local bird hospital after being injured.
After the birds flew away, the children began to paint on a picture scroll 100 meters long.
Zhang Xi
East China Zhejiang Province to Build World-Class Exhibition Center
A large convention and exhibition center will be built in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, an economic powerhouse in east China.
A cornerstone was laid for the center recently in the city, which is also a popular scenic resort.
The center, with proposed budget of two billion yuan (240 million U.S. dollars), will have an area of 120,000 square meters and will offer quality facilities to international conventions and exhibitions.
Dong Jianping, a government official in
Beijing Not Worried by Increasing Number of Cars
Beijing is facing the pressure of an escalating number of private cars but the city is confident that transportation will not be a problem at the 2008 Olympic Games, an official of the municipal government said here recently.
Shan Jixiang, director of the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission, told reporters that railway traffic will serve as the main force in the city's future transportation.
Beijing, which now owns over 1.7 million automobiles, is likely to see more cars as cars
Buildings Demolished to Resume Natural Beauty in World Heritage Area
Increasing presence of service facilities once drove away wild animals and badly damaged the natural beauty of Zhangjiajie, a state forest park in central China's Hunan Province.
However, the situation has turned for better since the city government of Zhangjiajie launched a project to restore once-damaged vegetation in the scenic reserve in 1999.
With famous Wulingyuan Scenic Area, one of the world heritages,Zhangjiajie is famous for its peculiar mountains and natural scenery, wit
New Regulations Protect World Heritage Sites
Southwest China's Sichuan Province, home of four world heritage sites, will implement a set of new regulations on April 1 to protect these sites.
The new regulations aim to tackle the problems of environmental pollution, endangered resources and inadequate management. The regulations place strict restriction on construction projects within the area of the heritage sites.
The building of new hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities within the central area of the heritage sit
ROUNDUP: Macao Casinos Step Into New Era
In Macao, the gambling industry of world renown will be open for competition as of Monday after the 40-year monopoly of the Macao Tourism and Amusement Company (STDM)over the market ended officially on March 31.
The Macao Gaming Company (SJM), a new firm of which the STDM is still its parent company and casino magnate Stanley Ho is the managing director, took over Macao's gaming assets -- 11 casinos, at zero o'clock Monday following a smooth transfer ceremony.
The SJM became one of
Helicopters Connecting Shenzhen, Macao, Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Macao and Shenzhen will be linked each other through helicopter service after a Macao air carrier launches a helicopter route between Macao and Shenzhen in April.
It now takes less than three hours by land or roughly one hour by sea to travel from Macao to Shenzhen. Helicopter service, however, will shorten the journey to a mere 18 minutes, airlines sources said.
Recently, an S-76 helicopter carrying 10 passengers and two crew members from Hong Kong landed stable on the
Beijing Invites Designs for Olympics Facilities
An activity to collect designs for two large sports facilities for the 2008 Olympic Games, to be hosted by the Chinese capital, kicked off April 2, according to a news conference held here recently.
The Olympic Park and Wukesong Sports and Culture Center, now under construction, will not only serve the Olympics but also cater to the long-term development of Beijing, said Wang Wei, secretary-general of the Beijing Olympics Organization Committee.
Wang encouraged talented professiona
China to Build Northern End of Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway
Construction of the expressway connecting Guangzhou, one of the major gateways to south China, and Panyu in Guangdong Province will start in December this year.
The expressway is part of the northern end of a major north-south trunk highway linking Beijing and Zhuhai, the nearest mainland city to Macao.
An agreement on the expressway construction has been signed by Guangdong Provincial Highway Construction Company, Guangzhou City Panyu Highway and Bridge Construction Industrial Cor
Experts imagine Olympic image
Around 100 of the country's top designers joined forces in Beijing over the weekend to discuss the images to be used for the 2008 Olympic Games.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) organized a two-day seminar in a bid to create a new logo to replace the bidding logo which has the image of a person performing Taiji, the traditional Chinese shadow boxing.
The formal logo of the 29th Olympics is expected to be released by the end of the year or in January fo
China to Mark 2003 World Travel Day in Yichang
Yichang City in central China's Hubei Province has been chosen by the China National Tourism Administration as the venue for activities organized to mark World Travel Day next year.
Situated on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Yichang isthe nearest city to the site of the Three Gorges dam, the world's largest water control project which is under construction.
In 1979, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) designated September 27 as World Travel Day, a day aimed at developing
Northeast China City Builds Modern Museum
The China Modern Dalian Museum has been opened to the public in this coastal and port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The museum, which was built at a cost of 200 million yuan, is located on the north of Star Bay Square, the largest seaside plaza in Asia.
Covering 21,600 sq m and with a floor space of 30,400 sq m, the museum highlights the history of the city, which came into being in 1899 and witnessed a number of major historical events including the 1894 Sino-Japane
Capital's Catwalks Teem with Talent
At the 10th China International Clothing & Accessories Fair in Beijing last month, Chinese designers set runways on fire with their contemporary and sexy 2002 fall/winter collections. As the fashion world focuses its attention on the fall/winter collections being shown in the fashion capitals, some are setting their sights on Beijing. China International Clothing & Accessories Fair 2002, held at the China International Exposition Center in Beijing late last month, gave China's fashion industry t
Eastern Airlines Catches the Airbus
China Eastern Airlines will use Airbus A340-600 aircraft -- the world's newest commercial airliner -- next year, to replace its MD-11 passenger planes. As the first and largest Airbus operator in China, the airline has placed an order of five A340-600s. Deliveries are scheduled to start next year. "As the new planes join the fleet, three MD-11 aircraft, which have been in operation for about 10 years, will be grounded from the route," said Wan Mingwu, vice-president of China Eastern Airlines Co
China Implements WTO Promises Steadily
The Chinese government is making swift progress in implementing its commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO) since its accession at the beginning of 2002. In accordance with the set timetable, China has gradually pushed on with its work concerning tariff reduction, reforming administrative approving systems and improving transparency. In January, China cut its import tariff from 15.3 percent to 12 percent, among which the industrial products average tariff rate fell from 14.7 percent to
Tourist Arrivals Hit Record in Macao in 2001
Tourist arrivals in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) in 2001 came to a record in the history, registering a revised 10.28 million, official tallies show.
The Statistics and Census Services posted recently that the tourist figure for Macao topped for the first time 10 million in a year, up 12 percent from the 2000's.
The Macao Government Tourist Office exerted tremendous efforts in and outside the SAR to promote the city as an international and regional tourist mecc
Mainland Visitors to Hong Kong Surge 70.2 Percent
The total number of mainland visitors in February soared to 471,528, an astonishing increase of 70.2 percent compared with the same month in 2001, according to the latest statistics released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board recently.
At the same time, the total visitor arrivals in Hong Kong grew 15.3 percent.
HKTB said that the surge in the number of visitors from the mainland during the Lunar New Year period was boosted by the abolition of tour group quotas at the beginning of this
Shanghai airlines wins
The Macao International Airport has awarded the title of "Best Client" for 2001 to Shanghai Airlines after overall assessment on capacities and services of a dozen air carriers using the port.
The Shanghai－based air carrier was the first－ever winner despite the title being established in November 1995, when the airport went into operation, partly due to stringent standards set for the "Best Client", said sources from the airport.
Shanghai Airlines swapped larger aircraft for Boeing
Shanghai plans transport link with Chongming Island
The Shanghai city will soon kick off a 25-kilometre-long sea-crossing project to link the mainland with Chongming Island to boost the development on the island and provide more passages to neighbouring Jiangsu Province.
"It is vital to promote the economy of Chongming and construct a traffic network at the estuary of the Yangtze River," said an unnamed source at the planning division of the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Administrative Bureau.
The development is a key project of th
Air France to Add Flights From Shanghai to Paris
Air France will add two flights from Shanghai to Paris to its existing three in their summer and autumn schedule this year, sources with Air France's Chinese headquarters said in Shanghai recently.
With the two code-sharing flights already being operated by China Eastern Airlines Co. Ltd., Air France will have a flight each day from Shanghai to Paris.
Flights will leave from Pudong Airport at 11:10 or 10:30 each morning, so that passengers can transfer to other flights from the Paris-Charl
University Film Festival to Open Late April
The annual Beijing University Students' Film Festival will be opened on April 20. A movie made by a university green hand has been selected for the opening ceremony show, eastday.com reported recently.
As the first and only film festival in China that was originated, established and organized all by the university students, Beijing University Students' Film Festival has been held for eight consecutive years. This year's is the ninth.
It invites all the movies, produced in the past
Guizhou Needs More American Volunteers
The People To People International(PTPI) of the United States will bring more specialized personnel and student groups to Guizhou Province in southwest China, Chief Executive Officer Mary Eisenhower Atwater of the organization said here recently.
She held talks with Vice Governor Chen Dawei of Guizhou Province recently.
Chen said the province needs specialized talents, especially educational talents. Noting that the province is developing a remote education network around its terri
Construction of Two Railways in SW China to Start This Year
Construction of two railways in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality will start this year, according to a senior municipal official.
Ma Xulin, vice-director of the city's economy committee, said that one of the two railways will run from Suining City in Sichuan Province to Chongqing, and the other from Wanzhou District in Chongqing to Yichang City in central China's Hubei Province. The two projects have been ratified by relevant departments.
The Suining-Chongqing line will be 1
Shaanxi Hosts Farmer Painting Exhibition
An exhibition of paintings by farmers opened Sunday in Huxian County in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
A large number of paintings by artists from 13 countries and regions as well as Chinese farmers from 47 counties nationwide, which are well-known for rural art, are on display during the three-day exhibition.
The event will be jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture,the Chinese Artists Association, the Research Institute for Chinese Farmer Paintings, the Cultural Departm
Northeast Palace Eyes World Heritage List
Shenyang Imperial Palace, the only integrated royal architectural complex in China besides the Forbidden City in Beijing, will undergo full-scale renovations in its effort to be listed as a World Heritage Site.
Built in 1625, Shenyang Imperial Palace was the residence of Nurhachi (1559-1626) and Huangtaiji (1592-1643), the founders of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Shenyang was later used as an "accompanying capital" after the Qing Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing in 1644.
Some
CAAC rules out discounted air tickets of major routes
China's civil aviation administration has begun to tighten control over air tickets, leaving passengers unlikely to get discounted air tickets for major air routes.
In the case of the Beijing-Shanghai route, passengers have had to pay the 970 yuan (US$117) full price since the beginning of April, whereas there were discounts of between 40 and 60 per cent during the first quarter of the year.
The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) was behind the campaign.
Entry-exit Firms Authorized
The Beijing Public Security Bureau authorized 108 entry and exit intermediary service companies, selected from many applicants, to operate in the capital Wednesday. Last year, the authorities decided to examine the qualifications of all the city's firms which provide services for those planning to go abroad for personal reasons. The inspection and approval activities of the bureau were based on a regulation stipulated by the Ministry of Public Security last June. The qualified companies can prov
Four Airlines in HK, Taiwan Join the iPermit Scheme
Four airlines in Hong Kong and Taiwan started on Friday to jointly run a designated iPermit service desk at the Hong Kong International Airport for applicants to collect their iPermits upon arrival. Taiwan's Abacus Distribution System Limited, subcontractor of the four airlines, namely, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines and EVA Airways, will provide the service in Taiwan. Under the iPermit Scheme which was launched on March 18, 2002, Taiwan residents are able to a
China to Invest in Ecology in Inner Mongolia
China will invest 3 billion yuan (361 million U.S. dollars) this year to improve the ecology of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Experts say the ecological deterioration of the region has become the major reason of strong sandstorms in north China recently.
In addition, the Chinese government urgently needs to improve the environment in the regions around Beijing to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Zhou Dehai, vice chairman of the regional government of Inn
Shenyang to invest heavily in tree planting
The capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province Shenyang plans to invest almost six billion yuan in afforestation this year, doubling last year's figure.
According to the plan, the city will plant trees along local expressways, highways and railways, as well as in urban areas.
Meanwhile, the city will launch 10 major environmental projects, including facilities to handle solid and liquid wastes, and upgrading the heating network by dismantling 1,000 chimneys and 400 boilers.
East China Jiangxi Province Launches Environment Check
An annual environmental protection check will start in east China's Jiangxi Province to survey the local ecology, an environmental protection official said here Wednesday.
The check jointly launched by a dozen provincial departments will mainly focus on the protection, regulation, exploration and utilization of natural resources around the headwaters of the Ganjiang and Dongjiang rivers whose biological environments have adirect bearing on the social and economical development of the lowe
China to Plant Trees Along Yellow River with Japanese Funds
A program to build a shelter belt on the middle reaches of the Yellow River was initiated at a local forest farm in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region recently.
Chinese officials and Japanese diplomats attended the launching ceremony.
The afforestation project, which is the first of its kind to use donations from Japan, aims to plant trees on 4,281 ha of desert land, where over one million people live.
The Japanese government will donate 1.5 billion yen for the
Tianjin private museum sets new Guinness Record
Many people dine in public, but how often does the public come to a private dining room？ A dining－room－turned－private－museum opened recently in Tianjin Municipality and is attracting a lot of attention.
This dining room museum, known as the Yueweixian, contains more than 6,000 historical artifacts, setting a Guinness Record for the largest collection in a private museum. Besides ancient sculptures, the most eye－catching on display are the old articles of everyday use. The earliest refrige
140,000 Chinese students return from overseas
Over 140,000 Chinese students have come back to China after studying overseas, and many of them have made noticeable achievements, according to Chen Yangjin, deputy director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA).
Chen made the remarks at the ongoing sixth China Fair on East-West Trade and Investment Cooperation being held in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Statistics show that some 400,000 Chinese have gone abroad to receive educat
5,000-Year-Old Stone Sculptures Discovered in North China
Two exquisite stone sculptures dating back 5,000 years, one of a human face and the other either of a snake or a dragon, have recently been discovered in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The unusual looking snake has a ferocious expression. It is colored green and is 4.2 centimeters long. Archaeologists say it has features of several other animals and might be meant to be a "dragon", an ancient Chinese symbol.
Many ancient relics show that the dragon is a combination
Construction to Improve Navigation Route at Mekong River
A major construction project on navigation route improvement of the Mekong River, backed by Chinese engineers, started recently at the river's section in Laos.
The improvement will be carried out on 331-kilometer long navigation route at the river, which runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, for a total distance of 4,661 km. Its 2,160-km section upstream in China is known as the Lancang River, which traverses southwest China's Yunnan Province for more than 1,0
Chongqing's New Name --
This municipality in southwest China has built a total of 20 bridges across the Yangtze River andone of its tributaries, the Jialing River, gaining it the new nickname of "bridge city".
Its traditional nicknames are ``hilly city" and foggy city".
Bao Xuding, mayor of the city, said that among all the China's metropolises and medium-sized cities, Chongqing has the most bridges.
In the past five years, the city has speeded up its infrastructure construction.
Earlier thi
Scenic Bo'ao Town Now Important Conference Center
There is a large conference every three days in Bo'ao, a scenic small town in South China's Hainan Province.
Besides being the permanent venue for the Asia Forum, the town is seen as an ideal conference venue by many other organizations.
He Yingwei, deputy general manager of Bo'ao Investment Holdings Co., Ltd. which is responsible for the development of local tourism, said that many leading transnational companies, including Microsoft, IBM, Compaq, Philips, Matsushita and General M
Shaanxi speeds up road construction
Road construction and urbanization are the key projects to be carried out over the next five to 10 years for strategic development in Shaanxi, an inland province in Northwest China.
"By the end of 2010, Shaanxi's arterial highway should be over 3,010 kilometres, matching the level of East China's fast-developing regions," said Cheng Andong, governor of the Shaanxi provincial government.
According to a road construction plan designed by the central government, Shaanxi should have si
Peony Festival Opens in Central China City-Luoyang
Luoyang, China's famous city of peony in Henan Province, opened its 20th peony festival Wednesday.
The 15-day event will bring to visitors to a sea of blooming peony trees lining almost every street and corner of the city in Henan Province, central China.
According to municipal officials, Luoyang has nearly 10 million peony trees in over 700 species.
The city has over 1,000 years of history in the cultivation of peony trees, millions of which are being exported to overseas m
Beijing invests US$4.8b in 60 urban projects
Beijing has already ploughed more than 40 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion) into 60 major construction projects this year -- 21 per cent of the planned total amount.
The figures were revealed on Wednesday by Gao Delong, a senior official with the municipal construction committee in a report to the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference.
Metro construction, Olympic gymnasium projects, the renovation of old houses and construction of affordable homes for low and middle-inco
Kunming International Tourism Festival Opens
The third Kunming International Tourism Festival opened Wednesday on the site of the 1999 World Horticulture Exposition in the capital of Yunnan Province, southwest China.
This year the festival has shed about 80 redundant activities, while including special entertainment programs such as a carnival,a beer festival, a folk-song festival and some recreational sports contests, in a bid to upgrade the event and attract tourists.
All the activities are to be staged in 16 prefectures an
Credit-card Business Set to Charge Forward
International credit cards are set for a boom in popularity in China as more Chinese travel abroad and domestic banks begin issuing cards that can be used overseas, analysts say. Currently, few people in China use international bank cards due to cumbersome application procedures, but that should change quickly, according to Willie Fung, senior vice president of MasterCard International. "Most Chinese bank-card issuers are moving their focus to international cards," said Fung, whose company is wo
Chinese zookeeper jailed for killing rare animals
A Chinese court has sentenced a zookeeper to five years in prison for killing rare animals as an act of revenge against a superior, state media said recently.
A court in the coastal city of Qingdao found Wang Deyi, 44, guilty of using rat poison to kill five deer and two Malay bears -- all rare or endangered species -- at the zoo where he worked, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Wang, acting in revenge against a superior, also poisoned a rare leopard which survived, it said bu
200 million yuan spent on Yellow Emperor's tomb
A project to renovate the sacrificial hall of the Mausoleum of Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) kicked off in Xi'an recently, marking the start of the second-phase of the mausoleum's restoration.
The project, with an investment of 80 million yuan (US$9.63 million), is a principal part of the second-phase restoration. So far, governments at various levels have spent 200 million yuan on the work.
Meanwhile, another project has been launched to protect an ancient forest nearby which is ho
Precious Ancient Tiles Found in North China
More than 60 precious tiles dated about 2,000 years ago have recently been discovered in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The tiles were found at the relics site of an ancient city in today's Horinger County of the autonomous region. The ancient city was first built in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) and was deserted at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
Li Qiang, a reseacher with the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the autonomous region,
Mysterious Stele Believed to Be China's Oldest
A stele with no inscriptions to explain who made it and why and when, is believed to be China's oldest.
The stele, dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), was unearthed in Xinzheng City in central China's Henan Province.
It is 3.25 meters long, 0.45 meters wide and 0.25 meters thick,is pointed at the top and is made of grey grit stone.
It was discovered among the palace relics area at Zhenghan, an ancient city from the Warring States Period. As well as the ste
China, U.S. to Jointly Produce TV Series
China and the U.S. are to producea TV documentary series to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Shanghai Communique, announced an official of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC).
The official said that the documentary, entitled Beijing Today, will be produced to celebrate Beijing's success in its bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing Today will be in seven parts, showing the great changesin China, especially in Beijing,
Metro to link Guangzhou, Foshan and Nanhai
A new metro project linking Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, to Foshan and Nanhai will officially begin before the end of the year.
The 22-kilometre subway, slated to be in operation in 2005, will be the first to connect three cities in the country.
Huang Weihong, director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Development Planning Commission, recently revealed that feasibility studies for the project had been completed.
Addressing a work conference, Huan
Shanghai to host 2005 table tennis individual world championships
The eastern Chinese city of Shanghai has been chosen to host the 2005 table tennis individual world championships, the sports governing body has announced.
Shanghai easily won a vote at the annual meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in Zagreb, securing 78 votes against 31 for the only other bidder, Lausanne in Switzerland, the ITTF announced recently.
From next year, the world championships will be split into individual and team events, a decision made previ
Dictionary for World's Only Women's Language to Be Published
A dictionary for a special language used only by women of an ethnic group in central China's Hunan Province will be published this year.
It is one of the efforts to save the language, which is believed to be world's only women's language and is at the edge of extinction.
The dictionary, being compiled by the Yuelu Publishing House, will cover the history, pronunciation, meaning and written style of the characters of the language, used among women of the Yao ethnic group in Jiangyon
Race to Save World's Only Women's Language
Experts have called for efforts to save a language used only by women of an ethnic group in central China's Hunan Province.
The language, used among women of the Yao ethnic group in Jiangyong County, Hunan Province, is believed to be world's only women's language.
Some experts presume that the language is related to inscriptions on the animal bones and tortoise shells of the Yin Ruins from more than 3,000 years ago, but no conclusions have beenreached on when the language originate
HK Travel Service Eyes Mainland Market
The China Travel Service Hong Kong Ltd (CTSHK)plans to acquire mainland travel agencies by the end of the second quarter in a bid to tap the mainland tourist market,said Shen Zhuying,general manager of the CTSHK. Shen said CTSHK is planning to reinforce its tourist services on the mainland,establish branch offices across the country and invest in western China to help develop its scenic spots. The aggressive march into the mainland travel market could add fuel to the fires of fierce competition
Passengers in Calm Mood After Plane Crash
Passengers in the Beijing International Airport remained calm after the crash of an Air China aircraft with 166 people on board Monday morning in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The death toll of the crash near Pusan rose to 124 on Tuesday with four people still missing. Passengers and crew were busy about their business in an orderly way. Air hostesses and other service people hurried to their destinations. Although there was no distinct expression, passengers still showed much concern after the c
Tibet Rebuilds Old Urban Houses
Tibet launched a reconstruction project recently, aiming to redevelop some 70,000 square meters of dilapidated housing over the next two years.
Upon the completion of the project, Tibet will finally accomplish its two-decade endeavor of upgrading the run-down urban houses in its capital city, Lhasa.
The latest project will cost 70 million yuan (over 8.4 million U.S. dollars), and 56 residential compounds, built in the early 20th century, are expected to take on a new look with bett
New Scenic Site Added to City Lhasa on Roof of World
A 153-meter-high tower, the tallest of its kind on the "Roof of the World", the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,was opened to tourists recently.
The tower, nicknamed "pearl in snow-clad region", is located inside the compound of Lhasa Radio and TV Center.
The tower has 37 storeys and has a main rotating hall with restaurant and tourists may get a bird's view over Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.
The tower cost about five million yuan (about 602,400 U.S. dollars) which was bo
Tibet Plans Huge Investment in Rural Highway Construction
Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region plans to spend about 3 billion yuan (about 361 million U.S.dollars) on improving transportation facilities and constructing highways in its rural areas.
By the end of this year, rural people in 60 villages and 20 townships will benefit from the investment project, which will connect them with the outside world via new roads.
During the 10th Five-Year Plan Period (2001-2005) ,the region will spend a total of 12 billion yuan (about 1.45 billi
Tibet is Very Attractive: U.S. Ambassador to China
Tibet is very attractive, said U.S.Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt on his first visit to Tibet recently.
Randt said Tibet attracted him for its long history and rich religious and cultural heritage, adding that Tibet was very unique and different from other parts of the world.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Xu Mingyang, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Government.
Xu briefed Randt on economic development in Tibet and the blueprint for its eco
Returned students flock to western China
China's strategy of speeding up the development of its western part has transformed the Shaanxi city of Xi'an into a magnet for returned students to start their careers.
Jing Junhai, vice-director of the city's high-tech development zone administration, said that the zone has already had 120 enterprises established by students who have returned from overseas.
So far, as many as 400 returned students are working in the zone as bosses or employees.
Yang Yanzheng, a computing m
HKSAR Passport Holders Granted Visa-Free Access to Andorra
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced recently that HKSAR passport holders were granted visa-free access to Andorra.
A government spokesman said that the confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Andorra was received that Andorra has granted visa-free access to HKSAR passport holders for visits up to three months with immediate effect.
"We warmly welcome this confirmation by the Government of Andorra. The visa-free grant marks a vote of
Salvador Dali: A Journey Into Fantasy Comes to China
An exhibition of works by one of the world's most famous surrealist painters, Salvador Dali, will tour Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong from April 28, 2002, to May of 2003, sources with the Art Museum of the China Millennium Monument said here last Friday.
Dali, who lived from 1904 to 1989, was one of the great Spanish painters of the 20th century. His works are renowned for their fantastic dreamlike images, and he also worked in sculpture, stage scenery, photography, movies and
Backgrounder: Ageing World Population
The United Nations Second World Assembly on Ageing opened in Madrid recently to work out strategies to cope with the issue of the world's ageing population in the 21st century.
The following is a fact sheet on the aging world population.
The United Nations estimates the current number of elderly people in the world at 629 million, which means that one out of every 10 people is aged 60 or over.
By 2050, the number of these people will be more than tripled from 629 million to
16 Airlines Form Alliance in Guangzhou
Sixteen airlines led by the China Southern Airlines have uniformed airfare prices in Guangzhou this month,in a bid to regularize the market and increase economic returns,eastday.com reported recently.
China Southern Airlines will take the lead in regularizing the local aviation market,according to the Guangzhou branch of the company.
From the beginning of March,China Southern Airlines stopped offering discounts on air tickets on several air routes including Beijing,Shanghai and Kun
Guangzhou Commodities Fair grows again
The 91st China Export Commodities Fair, which started in Guangzhou on Monday, is expected to accommodate more exhibitors and visitors than in previous years after its reform.
The fair has almost doubled its exhibition area and the number of booths since the last session in October last year to 310,000 square metres and 15,676 booths.
The expansion would alleviate domestic companies' competition for a place in the fair and help cut down on those who scalp booth spaces for extraordin
Western City Chongqing on Show for AAPP Annual Meeting
China's newest municipality Chongqing will be hoping for brilliance when it hosts a major international conference this week.
Located in southwest China, the city is putting itself on display for the third annual meeting of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) from April 17 to 19.
To prepare for the meeting, Chongqing has spent over 100 million yuan over the past eight months on new street lights, roadexpansion, afforestation and upgrading of conference facilities,
Northeast Province Encourages Investment in Natural Resources
The governor of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province said on Tuesday the area will further open its natural resources to outside investors. Song Fatang told a seminar on investment and co-operation between the province and multinationals that the province wants to tap its rich natural resources and cash in on its strong industrial base and scientific development. "Compared with the coastal cities in the country, Heilongjiang opened up to the outside later but this in turn means the province h
Green Mountain, Clean Air Refresh the Lungs
The purifying air and beautiful forests of Guangdong's "emerald" - Zhaoqing - will cleanse the body and soul of anyone wanting to escape the city's noise and pollution. The journey to Zhaoqing from Guangzhou takes about one and a half hours. Arriving at our destination, we first stopped to see Dinghu Mountain, considered the best mountain in South China. Unlike Huangshan or Taishan, which boast spectacular heights, this mountain lacks towering peaks, but instead features over 1,750 species of pl
As Profits Increase, Are Websites Entering a 2nd Golden Era?
The world IT industry is recovering gradually in 2002, and China's IT and network industries are also overcoming the most difficult time, said Gao Zailang, board chairman of eNet.com which reported breaking even in the first two months this year and expects by year's end to produce an income twice that of its expenditures. Wang Ran, the CEO of China Ecapital Corporation, said it was too early to say whether China's IT industry as a whole has recovered, but he noted that the success of some websi
The Touts of Turpan
The struggle between the tourist and the tout is one of barely reconcilable differences.The tourist seeks a fair deal; the tout seeks to gouge, to exploit, to defraud. Touts do not respond to knightly courtesy; they are not gentlemen, so they cannot be treated in a gentlemanly fashion. When confronting touts it is necessary to tap those resources of harshness, even of savagery, that lie within every one of us. In his dealings with the tout, the tourist cannot be merciful. It is as well to bear t
SkyTeam Seeking Chinese Partner for Global Network
SkyTeam Eyeing China SkyTeam members said they would outline a development plan in China this year, including enhancing contacts with travel agencies and sales managers as well as sponsoring more public events. Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam is now the global airline alliance partnering Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air. China is developing fast with huge potential, which makes it a clear priority for SkyTeam, said Frederic Gossot, regional comme
Nature reserve blaze in China threatens rare birds' habitat
An important wetlands habitat for rare birds in northeast China has been badly damaged by a major fire which blazed for a month, state press said recently.
Around 200 square kilometres (75 square miles) of reeds in the Zhalong Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang province, were destroyed in the fire, which has just been extinguished, the China Daily reported.
The area is home to around one sixth of all the wild red-crested cranes remaining in the world, and their habitat has suffered "seri
Polluting Vehicles Banned on Bird Islands of Qinghai Lake
All vehicles causing noise and exhaust pollution will be banned from entering the Bird Islands of Qinghai Lake in northwest China from next month.
Zhang Dehai, vice-director of the national nature reserve administration of Qinghai Lake, said that with the increasing number of visitors to the islands in recent years, the habitat of the birds has been affected by noise and air pollution caused by motor vehicles.
During the breeding period, loud noises frightened the birds and made th
North China Tianjin City Opens First Private Museums
A local entrepreneur has opened three museums to the public in Tianjin Municipality to become the first private museums in this north China port city.
On display in the museums are hundreds of old relics including domestic items, wooden figurines and furniture collected by Zhang Lianzhi, president of the Tianjin Yueweixian Group.
One of the museums exhibits 216 old Western-style guns and pistols which have been filled with lead and cannot be fired. These guns are valuable for the s
1st Chinese overseas science park to be established in US
The Ministry of Science and Technology signed a joint declaration on recently with the University of Maryland of the United States to launch a Sino－US science park in the university. The move marks the establishment of the first overseas Chinese science park.
The science park is a new form of cooperation under the framework of the Sino－US protocol on the exchange of the civil industrial technologies. It's aimed to create a better environment for China's small and medium businesses to coop
Beijing to Spend 189 Bln Yuan on Major Projects
Chinese capital Beijing will spend 189.14 billion yuan on major construction projects in the next few years, a municipal official said recently.
In 2002 alone, the city will spend 54.19 billion yuan on key construction projects, said Gao Delong, head of the municipal office for major construction projects.
Projects on the agenda for 2002 include the 41 kilometer light rail system, with an investment of 6 billion yuan; and the No.5 subway line, stretching 28 kilometers and costing 1
Beijing Invites International Bids for Streets Design
Town planners from around the world are to be invited, through open bidding, to submit comprehensive designs for three key streets in China's capital.
The international bidding process is expected to be launched before June, under a scheme to protect the city's historical and cultural heritage, Beijing Youth Daily reports.
Planning on the three streets -- Chang'an Avenue, the Zhongzhou (central axis) artery and Chaoyangmen-Fuchengmen Street -- will be of great significance to Beiji
China Northern Airlines adds flights for May Day Holiday
China Northern Airlines announced Thursday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, that it will schedule 409 flights from April 28 to May 8 during the upcoming week-long May Day holiday.
Services include international flights linking the Chinese cities of Kunming, Haikou, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guilin with overseas destinations such as Seoul, Bangkok and Nagoya. About 218 chartered flights are also scheduled.
The airline said that domestic flights and chartered
Needle Paintings Shed New Light on Subjects
If painting a replica which can be mistaken for a genuine masterpiece demands nearly equal art skills,it is even more arduous to re-create it with fine stitching, or silk embroidery.
This is what Yang Yixin is committing his life to. The 55-year-old American Chinese prefers to call his works "needle paintings".
He developed a random stitching technique using nearly invisible silk yarn, which enables Chinese embroidery to re-create photos and paintings with fresh tone and clarity.
Leading Tibetan Painter Dies
Ando Qamba, painter of the 14th Dalai Lama,died on March 28 in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, at the age of 91.
Ando Qamba, born in Jainca County of Qinghai Province, came to Tibet in 1943 to study sutra at Drepung Lamasery for two years. He engaged in painting for more than 60 years after he secularized and cultivated a typical painting style.
He accompanied the 14th Dalai Lama on a tour to Beijing in 1954 and painted pictures for him. After returning
Biography of Last Emperor's Brother Published
When Saga Hiro married Aixinjueluo Pujie, younger brother of the last Qing Emperor Puyi, 65 years ago, many people including her husband believed she must be a spy for the Japanese Imperial Army, which occupied northeast China during the 1930s and 1940s under the puppet government of the so-called State of Manchu.
There were too many mysteries about the family of Emperor Puyi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the short-lived puppet regime, and the marriage between Pujie and his Japanese wi
Capital's Catwalks Teem with Talent
At the 10th China International Clothing & Accessories Fair in Beijing last month, Chinese designers set runways on fire with their contemporary and sexy 2002 fall/winter collections. As the fashion world focuses its attention on the fall/winter collections being shown in the fashion capitals, some are setting their sights on Beijing. China International Clothing & Accessories Fair 2002, held at the China International Exposition Center in Beijing late last month, gave China's fashion industry t
Part of Yuanmingyuan to Be Restored to Original
Restoration work on Zhengjuesi (Enlightenment Temple), the only surviving building cluster in Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace), started a few days ago, and when that is complete, about one-fifth of Yuanmingyuan including Dagongmen (the Palace Gate) will be rebuilt. Archeological excavation is part of the rebuilding of Zhengjuesi which will be restored to its original grandeur, the only group of buildings in the Yuanmingyuan to be renovated completely to conform to the original. The Zhengjues
Capital's Catwalks Teem with Talent
At the 10th China International Clothing & Accessories Fair in Beijing last month, Chinese designers set runways on fire with their contemporary and sexy 2002 fall/winter collections. As the fashion world focuses its attention on the fall/winter collections being shown in the fashion capitals, some are setting their sights on Beijing. China International Clothing & Accessories Fair 2002, held at the China International Exposition Center in Beijing late last month, gave China's fashion industry t
All's Fair in Touristic South
The historical and cultural city of Zhaoqing in South China's Guangdong Province aims to show the world its tantalizing tourist resources in the first Zhaoqing International Tourist and Cultural Festival in June. "We want to use this chance to publicize and promote our rich tourist resources, as well as our unique culture and long history," said Jiang Haiyan, mayor of Zhaoqing, yesterday. During the festival - organized by the Information Office of the Guangdong provincial government and to be h
China Eastern signs US$1.1b deal for Airbus jets
China Eastern will purchase as scheduled 20 passenger aircraft from Airbus Industrie to expand its fleet in spite of an Air China Boeing plane crash in South Korea on Monday.
China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd Chairman Ye Yigan and Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy Tuesday signed the contract worth US$1.1 billion in Shanghai, where China Eastern is based.
Airbus, the European consortium which has manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, Spain and Britain, will deliver the
Eastern Airlines catches the Airbus
China Eastern Airlines will use Airbus A340-600 aircraft -- the world's newest commercial airliner -- next year, to replace its MD-11 passenger planes.
As the first and largest Airbus operator in China, the airline has placed an order of five A340-600s. Deliveries are scheduled to start next year.
"As the new planes join the fleet, three MD-11 aircraft, which have been in operation for about 10 years, will be grounded from the route," said Wan Mingwu, vice-president of China Easter
Airbus A340-600 makes debut in China
The world's newest commercial airliner, Airbus A340-600, made its debut in China recently, as it flew in from Hong Kong as part of a three-continent route proving program.
The A340-600 can carry 380 passengers up to 13,900 kilometers in a typical three-class layout.
"We are proud and delighted to bring the A340-600 to China to showcase its unmatched capabilities as part of the aircraft's rigorous flight test program," said Airbus China President Guy McLeod at a welcome ceremony.
Number of HIV Carriers Hit 850,000 in China
An estimated number of 850,000 people in China had been infected by the virus of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) by the end of 2001, China's public health authorities announced recently.
The Ministry of Health said by the end of last year, 30,736 people had been confirmed as HIV carriers, among whom 1,594 people were fully-developed AIDS patients, and 684 of them had died.
HIV/AIDS experts at China's national center for disease control and prevention estimated that the a
China Opens Medical Qualification Exams for Foreigners
Foreign nationals are for the first time allowed to sit China's annual qualification examination to be a state-approved doctor this year.
The Ministry of Health said that the exam will be open to foreign nationals who have obtained Chinese medical college diplomas and completed one-year internship in relevant hospitals.
Many foreign students studying medicine in China have phoned the Ministry of Health, asking for details of the exam.
Registration will begin on May 15 and la
More Black-Necked Cranes Found in Tibet
Tibet has been home to 4,200 black-necked cranes, a rare species under top government protection, this winter -- 290 more than the 1992 figure, a new survey has shown.
The black-necked cranes in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region make up 75 percent of the world's total, said an official with the Tibet Plateau Biological Research Institute.
The black-necked crane is a rare bird that inhabits tablelands.Its tall and beautiful figure makes it special for bird-watchers.
T
Dinosaur Museum to be Built in NW China Gansu Province
Construction of a dinosaur museum has started at Liujiaxia Dinosaur Geological Park in northwest China's Gansu Province.
Fossils of dinosaur footprints with a total area of 736 square meters, claimed to be the largest found in the world so far, were excavated in the region in 1999. They were divided into 44 groups in nine categories.
The state-level geological park was created last year in a bid to facilitate further excavations and to promote popular science. It covers 15 square k
Eastern, Western China Bonds "Honeymoon" Tie
Cooperation between eastern and western China has expanded and projects now involve more capital and are more technologically advanced, economists said recently at an internal trade fair.
As the Sixth Investment and Trade Fair for Cooperation Between Eastern and Western China ended recently, Jiangsu Province of prosperous eastern China and Shaanxi Province of less-developed western China signed another cooperation agreement, bringing the total investment and trade volume between the two p
Digital Technology Vital to Protect Cultural Relics
Digital technology is increasingly crucial to the protection of cultural relics, experts in the humanities said recently at a workshop.
During the international symposium titled "Digital Images and Visual Arts", which opened recently, experts from Europe and China discussed the use of digital technology.
Liu Gang, from the Dunhuang Research Institute in northwest China's Gansu Province, said the computer technology which came into use in the early 1990s had perfectly revealed the o
Hotel Alliance Aiming to Improve Services
Chinese hotels are united in the effort to improve their overall capacity to meet the challenges resulting from China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the globalization of the world economy, business insiders said.
As sharper competition approaches, more multinational hotels and corporations are uniting with Chinese hotels to realize benefits for all, said Xi Yanping, secretary-general of the China Famous Hotel Corporation (CFHC), whose meeting opened recently in Guilin
China Selects "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in 2001"
China announced its "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 2001" here recently, unveiling ancient mysteries including traditional herbs in prehistoric times, natural disasters along the Yellow River of 4,000 years ago, the decline of world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins, and Southwest China's lost Yelang Ancient Kingdom.
In ancient legend, a man called Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and cured thousands of people. In east China's Zhejiang Province, an item pottery was found containing boiled
China vows upgrade service to overseas travellers
The chairman of the China National Tourism Administration recently vowed to provide better services to overseas visitors.
He Guangwei pledged to pay more attention to detail to ensure that tourists enjoy their holidays in the country even more.
He made the remarks during a meeting with American tourist Michael O'Shea, a 60-year-old teacher from Fulton-Montgomery Community College in New York State and his eight students.
President Jiang Zemin replied to a letter written by O
U.S. Senate Passes Border Security Legislation
The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously agreed to beef up security at the nation's entry points and improve the U.S. ability to screen foreign nationals and track foreign students in the country. The legislation, approved on a vote of 97-0, is similar to a bill twice passed by the U.S. House of Representatives since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. But the Senate made some technical changes to the bill and agreed to some amendments offered by Sen. Robert Byrd, a West
Relatives in Pusan to Face Grim Task
Grief-stricken families of Chinese passengers who died in Monday's plane crash in the Republic of Korea will Saturday begin the harrowing task of identifying the bodies of their loved ones. A total of 83 relatives arrived in Pusan at 6pm Friday on a special service by Air China, whose aircraft was at the centre of the tragedy. Investigators said 122 people were killed when the Boeing 767-200 slammed into a mountainside when attempting to land at Kimhae International Airport. Two people are offic
Over 2,000 Shenzhen Children Go to Hong Kong for School
Several years ago, only about ten children traveled to Hong Kong for school over Luohu Bridge everyday. However, this number has increased to over 2,000 today. Every morning, as soon as Luohu Port opens, many Shenzhen children in various school uniforms wave goodbye to their parents or relatives. After going through a series of exit procedures at the Passport-check Office, they get on the school buses waiting on the other side of Luohu bridge and set off to different schools in Hong Kong to begi
Beijing University Under Expansion
Beijing University, one of China's prestigious universities, has begun the building of a science and technology park, which will stretches about 1 million square meters, enlarging the campus by one third.
President Xu Zhihong said the project will help bring the infrastructure of the university's in line with its ambition to become a first-rate university in the world.
The park will offer the necessary infrastructure for high-technology research and development and function as a in
West China Welcomes More Investment in Transportation
We hope to attract more foreign capitals, especially investment from the transnational companies, to rebuild the ancient Silk Road, Han Guojie, director of Communications Bureau of northwestern China's Gansu Province, said here recently.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first "Transpo Expo China 2002", Han said due to the preferential policy that the government has adopted in western part of China over the past few years, more and more overseas companies have gone there to explore
More Overseas Exhibitors to Attend China Air Show
More than 40 aeronautic and space companies have placed orders or submitted applications for attending the fourth China Air Show scheduled to be held in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, on November 4-10.
The companies include Boeing of the United States, Airbus and CFM of France, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) and Rolls-Royce of Britain, said air show organizers.
Other companies from the Netherlands, Austria, Singapore and Italy have also expressed willingness
Fourth Zhuhai Aviation Expo to Open in November
China will hold the fourth international aviation exposition in Zhuhai, one of the country's special economic zones, from November 4 to 10 this year.
Over 40 related companies from the United States, Canada and France, including such industry giants as Boeing and Airbus, will attend the exposition.
During the seven-day event, visitors will have the chance to appreciate an aerobatics performance by five Russian fighter planes.
The China international aviation exposition is co
Yangzhou Tourism Festival Starts
The month-long 2002 Yangzhou Trade Tourism Festival opened on April 18 in Yangzhou City in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Local tourism officials said the festival will highlight the history and culture of Yangzhou and its tourist attractions. Over 1,000 business people and tourists from 34 countries and regions attended the opening ceremony of the festival.
Tourists will be treated to evening parties, art performances, and various exhibitions during the festival.
The 2,500-
China lays out protection plans for Peking Man site
The management administration of the Peking Man site has outlined plans to protect and upgrade the well-known paleo-anthropological ruins, dating back to some 500, 000 years ago.
In response to criticisms of negligence from academic circles and visitors, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleo-anthropology released recently a plan for restoration of the site, which became famous after Chinese scientists excavated a handful of fossilized Peking
Ground Broken For the Largest Train Station in Shanghai
Construction kicked off of China's largest railway station in southwestern Shanghai recently, a move local officials say will strengthen the city's status as a national transportation hub.
Shanghai South Railway Station, featuring a wheel-like, glass-and-steel design, will cost 3.2 billion yuan (US$385 million) and take more than two-and-a-half years to complete, with the national Ministry of Railways and the Shanghai government picking up the tab.
Covering more than 60 hectares of
China Builds Clean, Green Qinghai-Tibet Railway
The world's highest railway is being built in an environmentally friendly way with a focus on keeping it green, according to Chinese officials.
Dong Jun, an official in charge of environmental protection of the Tibet section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction, said there had been no recorded cases of pollution during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, half of which will be laid on permafrost.
"We have trained workers to build up ecological protection awareness be
China Honors Japanese for Forestation
Six Japanese and four Japan-based civilian organizations were honored here recently for their outstanding performance in boosting Japan-China cooperation in environmental cooperation.
The International Cooperation Award for Saving the Mother River and its Special Award were issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL) and the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) at the opening ceremony of a China-Japan Youth Environmental Protection Cooperation Forum.
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US Embassy in Yemen Has Terror Concern
The US Embassy in Yemen has received information that a terrorist attack against US interests in Yemen might occur as early as Tuesday. A notice posted Monday on the embassy's Web site said there were no details as to the possible target, adding that the embassy is taking a number of security measures beyond those already in place. It said the embassy is temporarily suspending immigrant visa and routine American citizen services to the public on Tuesday. It will be open to emergency American cit
Compilation of World Literature Masterpiece Collection Completed
China has recently published the last group of books in the collection of world literature masterpieces after nine years of translation and compilation work.
The complete collection, named World's Literature Treasury, now includes 250 volumes of world-renowned literary works with clear publishing property rights, Literature Daily reports recently.
The People's Literature Publishing House, the publisher of the collection, put the first series of books on the Chinese market in 1993,
China's Oldest Post Office Found Along Silk Road
A letter written about 2,000 years ago and never delivered has provided evidence of China's oldest post office at a historic site near the famous Dunhuang Mogao Grottos along the ancient Silk Road.
The letter written on a piece of silk, 18 cm long and 8 cm wide, has been found in the Xuanquanzhi Ruins in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The writer of the letter sent his greetings and wishes from the frontier of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) in the remote western region to his fr
Old Relics Settle on New Media
Domestic and overseas visitors can now tour China's Great Wall, see the Terracotta Warriors and other cultural relics without leaving the comfort of their own homes.
Computer experts and historians are to package a series of websites mapping key heritage sites of the nation under plans drawn up by the State Bureau of Cultural Relics.
It will begin a project to "build" digital museums that can vividly reflect the features of the country's major museums, said bureau director Zhang Wenbin
Stage Performance Season to Promote Chinese Theater
China's national stage performers are jointly organizing a "performance season" in May, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the late Chairman Mao Zedong's Yan'an speech promoting Chinese arts and culture.
Prior to this, a number of prize-winner Beijing operas will be staged in Beijing, said sources from the Ministry of Culture (MOC) of China. Some will together make up the "Meet in Beijing" culture festival which will open on April 20, and the festival will enable local audiences to en
Chinese Civilization Exhibition to Be Held in HK
An exhibition on the origins of Chinese civilization will be held here to mark the 5th Anniversary of the July 1 handover of Hong Kong in 1997, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government official said recently.
The exhibition, entitled "Origins of Chinese Civilization: Cultural Relics from Henan Province," will be held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art from June 7 to September 8, Christina Chu, the chief curator of the museum told Xinhua.
The exhibition, which features more
China Hosts Ninth College Students' Film Festival
The Ninth College Students' Film Festival, with the theme of "Youth, Art and Culture," opened at the Beijing Normal University Sunday.
During the one-month festival 27 Chinese films, including the "Purple Sun", "Who Says I Don't Care", "Plateau Dream" and "Subway to Spring", will be shown at colleges and universities nationwide and will compete for various awards such as the best film, best director, best actor and best actress.
The film festival is jointly sponsored by the Beijing
China to Reopen Major Border Route to Pakistan
China plans to reopen Khunjerab customs point on the Sino-Pakistani border on May 1, almost seven months after it was closed following the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.
Located in the western suburbs of the Tajik Autonomous County of Taxkorgan and about 3,200 meters above sea level, the point borders Sost customs point in Pakistan.
The Chinese point, which was opened to Pakistan in 1982, is normally open to goods and passengers from May 1 to December 31, but is
Air Route Links Zhangjiajie and Macao
An air route linking popular tourist spot Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region opened on April 15.
The Hunan Branch of the China Southern Airlines now has a chartered Boeing 737 flying between Zhangjiajie and Macao every Monday and Thursday. The plane leaves Zhangjiajie at 9:30 am and Macao 12:15 pm.
New China-Japan Air Route Tokyo-Xiamen Opened
All Nippon Airways (ANA) opened a new route between Tokyo and Xiamen, a coastal city in east China's Fujian Province, on April 18.
This will be the second air route from Xiamen to Japan, following the one to Osaka set up in 1998.
The new route will meet the increasing demands of tourism and trade between the two nations, according to ANA officials.
Sources also said that there would be two flights per week on the route, which will be flown by Boeing 757-200 planes.
Olympics get green aid
The State Economic and Trade commission recently promised to lend money and labour power to shore up the environmental theme of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
The commission will sponsor 20 projects within the next two years to reinforce the capacity of the Chinese capital in treating pollution, recycling resources and conserving water and energy, said division director He Bingguang.
"An estimated 3 billion yuan (US$361 million) will be channelled for the 20 projects to
Experts Discuss Beijing's Olympic Traffic
Over 100 Chinese and foreign experts in urban traffic gathered here recently to discuss Beijing 's traffic services during the 2008 Olympic Games.
The experts said that the city's traffic should be improved according to its overall urban development and in line with the needs of the Beijing Olympic Games so that safe and fast traffic services will be offered.
Beijing Vice-mayor Liu Jingmin said in a written address that Beijing needs to increase investment to its infrastructure and
Ninghai Applys for Designating May 19 as "Tourism Day of China"
Ninghai County of east China's Zhejiang Province submitted a bill recently to the China National People's Congress, proposing that May 19 be designated as "Tourism Day of China", according to Chinanews. com report. An official with Ninghai County told reporter in an interview that the world has a common tourism day, that is Sept. 27, and China, as a tourism powerhouse, should also have its own tourism day as well. The official pointed out that there are sufficient reasons that the "Tourism Day o
Britain Presents CD of Ancient Chinese Encyclopedia
A British researcher presented recently China a CD about one book of an ancient encyclopedia -- the Great Encyclopedia of the Yongle (Yongle Dadian), the earliest and largest of its kind in the world.
The presenter, David Helliwell, of the University of Oxford, said he discovered the book at the University of Aberdeen by accident two years ago.
His discovery has brought the encyclopedia's collections in Britain to 51 books.
Helliwell said the book kept by the University of A
China releases photocopies of world earliest encyclopedia
China publishes recently for the first time photocopies of the world's earliest and greatest encyclopedia -- the Great Encyclopedia of Yongle (Yongle Dadian).
The Yongle Dadian was compiled between A.D. 1403 and A.D. 1407 in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644), containing 22,877 volumes in 11,095 books. It was 12 times that of the famous encyclopedia compiled by the French author Diderot in the 18th century.
Much of the Yongle Dadian was destroyed during foreign invasions. It is esti
Move to Protect World's Only Women's Language
In a bid to save a special language used exclusively by women of an ethnic group in central-south China, a protection zone will be set up in Hunan Province.
The language, on the verge of disappearing, is believed to be the world's only women's language. It is used among women of the Yao ethnic group in Jiangyong County of Hunan.
The language was usually written on silks, paper fans or embroidery items. So far, more than 1,200 characters have been identified. Less than 700 character
Documentary on Nanjing Massacre Donated to China
The Chinese edition of a documentary on the massacre of some 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers by the invading Japanese army during World War II was donated to China recently by its American producer Lou Reda.
The 45-minute documentary was presented to the Beijing-based Museum in Memory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression by Liu Renhao on behalf of the producer.
The documentary was produced in 1999 by Reda, a Chinese American famous fo
Shanghai City Received More Foreign Tourists by Water
Shanghai has seen fast increase in the number of visits by foreign tourists by water since this spring,eastday.com reported recently.
The Shanghai Port Hongqiao International Passenger Dock received nearly 10,000tourists last month,2.5times more than the same period last year.
The visitors will continued to increase as some a dozen large foreign sight-seeing vessels are scheduled to arrive at the dock in late April and May.
The vessels,including those from Russia and US,Brit
Festival Features Trendy Fashions
The city will hold the Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival 2002 from April 24 to May 3, which will feature 1,400 stalls for garment exhibits.
At the fair, the city's eighth such festival, over 20 international brands, including Celine, Fendi and Loewe, will bring their latest collections to Shanghai.
In addition, a total of 73 models from 30 countries will compete in the model competition.
And shows by top young Chinese fashion designers from the mainland, Hong K
