China holiday inn

Lost Cultural Treasures Return to Imperial Garden
Nearly 200 missing cultural treasures which originally adorned the well-known imperial garden of Yuanmingyuan in Beijing have been returned recently,Beijing Daily reported.

Yuanmingyuan, or the old Summer Palace in the northwest of Beijing, was built from 1709 onwards and burned down by the British and French aggressor troops in 1860. Now it serves as a cultural heritage site reminding people of China's tragic history.

The returned cultural treasures, including vases, stone, copper

China to Launch Dredging Project on Lancang River
China will upgrade the channel of the Lancang-Mekong River, which runs through six Asian countries, to pave the way for cross-nation water transport.

The project is scheduled to be launched in the spring of 2003 at an estimated investment of 150 million yuan (18 million U.S. dollars).

Springing from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Lancang-Mekong River runs through Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and China with a total length of 4,880 km. Its lower reaches outside of China

Urban Informatization Forum to Open in Shanghai
The 3rd Asia-Pacific region urban informatization forum, with the focus on bridging digital divide, will be held from June 13 to 14 in Shanghai, the organization committee for the forum announced in Shanghai on Tuesday.

According to the committee, this year's forum will discuss issues of common concern to all countries in this region, including policies, strategies and priorities for the development of electronic government, the operation of electronic government and safety in this field.

Shanghai Airlines Joins Hands with Lufthansa
Shanghai Airlines and Lufthansa of Germany have signed a memorandum to further strengthen their cooperation, the two companies announced in Shanghai Monday.

According to the memorandum, the two airlines will enhance cooperation in a number of fields, including the frequent flyer program, the connection of computer systems, dovetailing of services and products, ticket booking, marketing and liaison between flying networks.

The two companies will also cooperate in other fields to pav

China's railway to initiate two more speed-increases in 2003, 2005
A top railway official said Thursday that China will modify 3,000 kilometres of track by 2005 to make the line suitable for even faster trains.

In three years, high-speed trains will be able to travel at 120 to 160 kilometres per hour along 16,000 kilometres of China's tracks.

Wang Linshu, general engineer of the Ministry of Railways, said at the Modern Railways 2002 Exhibition Thursday that the ministry was well prepared in terms of both having the technology and putting it into p

Zongzi Remains Festival Favorite
Fiery competition is expected across China Saturday as dragon boat races are held to mark the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
But while the intricately designed long boats have rightly gained fame worldwide, it is another feature of the Dragon Boat

North Artery to Ease Traffic Stress
Beijing residents in the northern suburbs will happily bid farewell to time-consuming traffic as an artery road near the planned Olympic Village will be finished next month. Workers are busy with construction at the bottleneck of the road, which crosses the north sections of the forth, fifth and sixth ring roads of the city. Most parts have been completed for one or two years but the entire road was put on hold because of this bottleneck section that links Lishui Bridge, about 7 kilometres north

Bush to Oust Saddam Hussein
US President Bush early this year signed an intelligence order directing the CIA to undertake a comprehensive, covert program to topple Saddam Hussein, including authority to use lethal force to capture the Iraqi president, according to informed sources. The presidential order, an expansion of a previous presidential finding designed to oust Hussein, directs the CIA to use all available tools, including: Increased support to Iraqi opposition groups and forces inside and outside Iraq including mo

Million College Students Volunteer to Protect China's Environment
Nearly one million students from about one 100 universities and colleges across the country are to become volunteers to protect the environment, the "China Youth Daily" has reported.

The volunteers are expected to take part in various activities designed to protect the environment and improve environmental protection awareness across the country.

In Beijing, students at the Beijing Forestry University introduced a garbage recycling system to their dormitories, the first of its kind

University Students Help Protect China's Wetlands
Students from 10 Chinese universities will carry out their plans to protect the country's major wetlands during the upcoming summer vacation.

The students became the final winners on Saturday of the annual "Wetland Ambassador" Campaign initiated last year by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China to save the country's wetland resources.

Their protection plans were selected from an Internet-based evaluation by a panel of experts from the W

English a Must for Southern City's Civil Servants
Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong province, will require all its civil servants to be able to communicate in English by 2004.

It is becoming increasingly important for civil servants to be proficient in English now that China is a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, said an official from the city's public relations' bureau.

All civil servants born after 1960 will have to pass a standard English test by the end of 2004. The basic requirements will include having

China vows health care for 900m
China has drawn up a national plan for improving primary health care in rural areas, aiming to make services accessible to all rural residents who make up about 80 percent of its population.

By the year 2010, the mortality of pregnant women and women in childbirth should be 25 percent lower than 2000 levels, and the death rate of infants should drop by 20 percent as a result of improved maternal and child health care, says the 2001-2010 Outline for the Development of Primary Health Care i

Shanghai bridges damaged by heavy traffic
Yangpu Bridge and Xupu Bridge, two of Shanghai's three major bridges, have been seriously damaged by traffic accidents and overloaded vehicles.

The Morning News reported recently that the Xupu Bridge saw an average of two accidents every two days in April, not including minor contact with the bridge. On a randomly selected day, in one hour 38 overloaded vehicles crossed the Xupu bridge. One truck with a limitation of 12 tons arrived on the bridge loaded down with 38 tons of freight, a 200

Macao to Hold Int'l Trade Fair in October
The 7th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held here from October 24 to 27 as an annual event aimed to tighten trade links between the special administrative region and the outside world.

As the largest-ever international trade fair in Macao, the forthcoming MIF will highlight the city as a regional trade and economic cooperative platform for small and medium-sized enterprises, the authorities from the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, organizer of t

Museum in Honor of Former U.S. General to Be Renovated
A two-million-U.S-dollar project has been launched in China to renovate a museum in honor of Joseph W. Stilwell, former United States general in charge of Far East theater of operations during World War II.

The museum is located in Yuzhou District in Chongqing, which used to be wartime capital of China during the war of resistance against Japanese invasion (1937-1945).

Stilwell was chief of staff of the China Theater during the period, when China and the United States were allies a

Fujian passes regulation on world heritage protection
Fujian Province in east China has adopted a law to protect Wuyi Mountain, which is on the United Nations' World Cultural and Natural Heritage list.

A spokesman for Fujian provincial legislature said the regulation passed recently would help protect the mountain and regulate commercial development.

The mountain was put on the UN list in 1999 for its resources of endangered plants and animals for ancient relics dating back 3, 000 years.

According to the law, protection of the

China to Develop Tourist Resort on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Golmud City in Qinghai Province, northwest China, is planning a tourist resort on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Mayor Zhong Zhenliang said recently.

The tourist resort will be based on the unique scenery and culture of the region around the Kunlun Mountains, the mayor said.

The Kunlun Mountains run 2,500 kilometers from east to west and rise 5,000 meters above sea level. They are the source of many ancient Chinese legends and stories.

Visitors to the region will be able to see

Air China invests more to ensure safety
Air China will invest 270 million yuan (US$32.5 million) to ensure safety, 120 million yuan (US$14.5 million) of which is to be used for engine maintenance, sources with the company said recently.

The company will increase safety education and training programs for pilots, who will be tested more often. And more special training will be given to pilots in flight simulators.

Air China will place pilots into different route groups in compliance with their abilities and pilots will be

'Heavenly Horse' Flies Across Silk Road to China
A Turkmen Akhal-Teke horse, a breed known in China as "heavenly horse" and believed to be the mount of the legendary Genghis Khan (1167-1227), flew over the ancient Silk Road into China Monday, bringing greetings for the Chinese year of the horse. The 8-year-old horse, Ahdash, which means white stone in Turkoman, is in good condition after a travel of about seven hours,said Cao Guangfu, general manager of an air freight company under China's Civil Aviation Administration. The horse, loaded in an

Three Magnates Fix Their Eyes on Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway
We are perfectly confident if we can participate in the construction of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, said Yasuki Kurasawa, administrative director of the Japanese Overseas Rolling Stock Association, at the 5th Modern Railways 2002 Exhibition held in Beijing, June 12-15. At the exhibition, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway project soon to be built in China has become the focus of attention from the world's first-rate railway equipment companies, in addition to Japan's New Trunk Line

Foreign Ecologist Praises China's Environmental Protection
The ecological environment in areas inhabited by Tibetans in China has been well protected and is almost unchanged from last century, said Bob Moseley, an ecologist of the United States. Moseley drew the conclusion after more than a year of first-hand research in the Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, southwest China. In the eyes of an ecologist, Diqing was one of the most beautiful places in the world, said Moseley. Based on his research, Moseley said that he found some plac

'Heavenly Horse' Flies Across Silk Road to China
A Turkmen Akhal-Teke horse, a breed known in China as "heavenly horse" and believed to be the mount of the legendary Genghis Khan (1167-1227), flew over the ancient Silk Road into China Monday, bringing greetings for the Chinese year of the horse. The 8-year-old horse, Ahdash, which means white stone in Turkoman, is in good condition after a travel of about seven hours, said Cao Guangfu, general manager of an air freight company under China's Civil Aviation Administration. The horse, loaded in a

Festival Marks Progress
Petite Huang Ying traveled back to her hometown of Guilin from Beijing with an excited heart. She was encouraged, because Willy Tsao, a well-known Chinese modern dance choreographer and artistic director with the Beijing Modern Dance Company hailed her as a success "Chinese Isadora Duncan" for her dance "The Little Donkey" at the Fourth Beijing Modern Dance Festival last month. Huang's three-member "March Dance Studio" was one of 18 non-professional groups that participated in the "Youth Dance S

Festival Marks Progress
Petite Huang Ying travelled back to her hometown of Guilin from Beijing with an excited heart. She was encouraged, because Willy Tsao, a well-known Chinese modern dance choreographer and artistic director with the Beijing Modern Dance Company hailed her as a success "Chinese Isadora Duncan" for her dance "The Little Donkey" at the Fourth Beijing Modern Dance Festival last month. Huang's three-member "March Dance Studio" was one of 18 non-professional groups that participated in the "Youth Dance

Relics Reveal Glory of Khitan Kingdom
In an era in which life is spent caged up in offices and football players are symbols of strength, why not experience the thrill lifestyle of an ancient ethnic group on horseback?

For hundreds of years since the 4th century, the Khitans led a nomadic life on the boundless grasslands of today's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in North China.

They defeated the Hans with their undaunted cavalries and established the Khitan Kingdom, which ruled the vast northern China area for 209 yea

Backgrounder: Archaeology in China
Chinese archaeologists recently announced their first successful exploration abroad after a Sino-Russian archaeological team finished its research on the Russian bank of Heilongjiang (Amur) River, which borders China and Russia.

Sources in China's archaeological circles say that it is a starting point for the country's archaeologists to move out into the world in the new century.

The idea of "archaeology" arrived from the West to China at the end of the 19th century. But the massiv

Origin of Amur River Valley Civilization Explored
A Sino-Russian archaeological team announced on earlier this month that the original settlements on both banks of the Heilongjiang (Amur) River were very similar and the region may have been an important route for humans migrating from Asia to America.

This is the first time China and Russia have jointly studied the original settlements along their border river.

The Heilongjiang River is located in the central area of northeast Asia, close to Bering Strait which connects Asia to No

China, Canada jointly publish Chinese language textbooks
China and Canada have jointly published, for the first time, a Chinese language textbook, sources from the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOTCFL) say.
Three top Canadian universities, namely, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University will adopt the textbook for their new semester in September. The University of Montreal and the University of Quebec in French- speaking areas will also use the textbook in its French version

China Improves Education of Ethnic Minorities
The Chinese Ministry of Education said recently that 98 percent of school age children in the regions where ethnic minorities predominate are now enrolled at school, equal to the national average.

The regions include Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Guangxi,Tibet and parts of Guizhou, Yunnan and Gansu provinces.

Xia Zhu, a ministry official said at a press conference recently that since 1990, the government has added 4 billion yuan to the annual education budget of ethnic regions

Restoration of 1,000-year Old Beijing Taoist Temple
Beijing recently began restoring the 1,371-year-old Taoist Huoshen Temple in the city.

Experts from the Beijing municipal bureau of relics said that the Huoshen Temple is an ancient site for Taoist rites and is renowned for its unique architectural style.

The temple complex covers an area of 4,000 square meters, with a floor space of 2,160 square meters. The first-phase restoration project, covering 650 square metres, will cost over two million yuan (about 240,000 U.S.dollars).

Ancient Finds Unearthed on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Chinese archeologists have found a quantity of ancient stoneware and tombs on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Xu Xinguo, director of the Qinghai Archeology Research Institute, said some 30 stoneware pieces made between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago and 31 1,000-year-old tombs had been found in the Kunlun Mountains area, 120 km to the north of Golmud city in northwestern China's Qinghai province.

Xu noted that sharp, fine stoneware such as those in the shape of knives was typical of the mi

Two Air Traffic Control Centers to Be Set Up in Central, Western China
China will set up two major air traffic control (ATC) centers in the central and western regions.

With ATC centers already in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China will then have five ATC centers.

Air traffic in central and western regions has increased dramatically thanks to China's strategy for developing western regions. Therefore it is vital to improve the ATC environment, strengthen the system construction, and implement radar control, according to Chen Haiju, director genera

Chinese Air Traffic Controllers Ensure Flight Safety
China's air traffic control system has handled over 10 million sorties and ensured their safety in the past 8 years.

The air traffic control system has upgraded its equipment to ensure flight safety.

Air traffic control-related accidents have decreased sharply in the past few years. From 1998 to 2001, less than 7 such accidents happened each year, setting the best record in China's aviation industry.

The figures were publicized at an academic meeting on air traffic managemen

Air France to add flights
Air France plans to further establish its presence in China by operating more flights in the coming years.

"China is a growing market, our present capacity won't be able to meet the demands of customers in a few years so we plan to lay on more flights," said Marc Bailliart, general manager of Air France China.

Air France currently operates daily flights between Beijing and Paris, five flights between Shanghai and Paris and two code-sharing flights with China Eastern Airlines also b

Harbin folk arts expo opens
The 4th Harbin Folk Arts Exposition opened in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on June 16.

The 7-day exposition is displaying more than 4,000 masterpieces in 60 categories of folk art from across the province, and collectively showcases the culture of the Heilongjiang River valley.

The exposition was first held in 1999 in Harbin. It toured Beijing, Shanghai and the United States in 2000 and 2001. The exposition has gained international fame as an event whi

Catastrophic Flood in NW China Poses No Threat to Giant Pandas
The disastrous flood that swept Fuping County in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on June 8-9 poses no threat to the local giant pandas, sources said recently.

About 100 wildlife workers have been sent to the county's nature reserve to check out the giant pandas' situation, and they have found no evidence of pandas drowning or suffering injuries.

"Though the flood has caused great losses to the county, it poses no threat to the giant pandas here," said Wang Wanyun, director of th

Cultural Relics Escape Shaanxi Floods
Major archeological sites in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have escaped damage during recent floods, a provincial cultural relics official said on June 16.

Heavy rainfall from June 8 to 10 led to severe flooding in Shaanxi, killing 152 people and affecting 5.1 million others. About 110,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes to safer areas.

Fortunately Hanzhong City, a seriously affected region, organized a general check of major archeological sites before the flood se

Reemployment Model Tells of Business Success
Li Yuqiong is the owner of a small fast food shop in Tianhe, Guangzhou City in south China's Guangdong Province. With the help of her husband, Li also employs a chef and a boy to deliver meals from the shop which prepares lunch for more than 200 employees in a nearby office building. According to Li, she takes home some 4,000 yuan (US$482) in earnings from the small business each month. Li still remembers the gnawing scene four years ago when she, together with her parents, her husband and her y

Why Marco Polo Could not Speak Chinese
It was not strange that Marco Polo (1254-1324), an Italian traveler who had stayed in China for 17 years, could not speak Chinese, since he had been here during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when Mongolian nobles governed. Yang Zhijiu, a history professor at Tianjin-based Nankai University, known for his academic study on Marco Polo, noted that though emperors of the Yuan Dynasty did appoint some officials of Han ethnic group to strengthen Mongolian rule, these low ranking officials were not able

US: Sept. 11 Planner, Aide to Zubaydah Caught in Morocco
Two prominent al-Qaida figures were arrested in Morocco in the last two weeks in apparently unrelated investigations, US officials said on Tuesday. US authorities have been involved in interrogating both men, one of them a key suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks and the other believed to be a senior aide to the terrorist network's operations chief. One of the men, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, 41, who has German-Syrian citizenship and is believed to have recruited at least one of the Sept. 11 hijackers, i

China Issues Stamps of Yellow River Hydropower Project
The State Post Bureau has issued China's first special stamps featuring hydropower projects of the Yellow River, China's second longest waterway, in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province.

The set, which goes on sale recently, includes four stamps and one souvenir sheet. The stamps worth 3.2 yuan (39 U.S. cents) bear pictures of four key projects in the Lijia, Liujia, Qingtong and Sanmeng Gorges.

Along with the souvenir sheet of 12 stamps worth eight yuan (96U.S. cents), the set disp

Beijing - Kowloon Through Trains Special Stamps Issued
The "Beijing - Kowloon Through Trains" special stamps were issued by the Hong Kong Post Sunday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the through train service.

Postmaster General Luk Ping-chuen was joined by the Chairman of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Ronnie Yuen, to officiate at the issuing ceremony.

Luk said at the ceremony the relationship between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland has been increasingly close ever since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland in 1997.

Foreign Helicopter Giants Vie for Chinese Market
Saddened by growing traffic jams in the metropolis of Beijing, resentful drivers and passengers cannot help but wonder: "How nice if I could fly."

Some may have their wishes come true in the near future, as experts have predicted that by the year 2010, there will be more than 2,000 helicopters for civil use in China. Many will be owned by private firms or individuals as well as police patrol helicopters and those for medical rescue and forest fire-fighting.

Seeing this vast market

First Women's Culture Museum Opens
After three years' preparation, China's first women's culture museum was opened on June 12 in the Shaanxi Normal University in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The museum, covering 200 square meters, is displaying over 600 exhibits in five sections.

Qu Yajun, curator of the museum, said that Professor Li Xiaojiang donated her entire collection of 400 items relating to women's anthropology to Shaanxi Normal University in 1997, and the university allocated a special fund to set up

Summer Vacation Boosts Train Tourist Lines
More people prefer to travel by train in the coming summer vacation as the increase margin for airfares hasn't been decided yet,eastday.com reported.

The tourist lines by train has been popular so far with more teachers preparing to enjoy a 8-10 days of tour by train.As the eight-day air tourist line to Kunming is likely to increase to 3,690 yuan (US$444.6)this year,up 590 yuan from a year before,travelers preferred to go by train,with the ten day charges to Kunming and Shangrila reaching

World-class dream on the cards for China's railways
High-speed trains running from Beijing to Shanghai at 350 km/h in only 4 and half hours --- a dream or reality?

Sitting on the tidy, comfortable railway seats and enjoying the considerate service of the Japanese Shinkansen --- are we in Tokyo or Beijing?

All this occurred at the Modern Railways 2002 Exhibition which opened in Beijing recently, where visitors can experience the latest Japanese technology and ideas.

The Japanese railway sector has brought a large number of rai

8 Midway Stops on Route to Beijing
Facing a low passenger load, Shanghai traffic authorities have decided to add eight midway stops along the Shanghai-Beijing shuttle bus route to pick up more commuters.

Three stops in Tianjin, Cangzhou in Hebei Province, and Jiangdu in Jiangsu Province, were set up along the once non-stop highway route on recently. Five other stops, including Taian in Shandong Province and Wuxi in Jiangsu Province, will be added soon, officials said.

Long-distance highway buses were earlier not all

Border Lake Attracts Bird Watchers
Since May 10, two yachts have catered to some 300 tourists on Banggong Co, a lake on the border between China's Tibet Autonomous Region and Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to Lu Ruiqing, head of Rutog County of Tibet, the two yachts have been purchased by the county government and transported all the way from Tianjin in the east to the westernmost county of Tibet.

"We want to boost tourism to this special lake with the two yachts," says Lu.

The yachts are a new attracti

Macao Sees Huge Passenger Flow on Festivals
Hundreds of thousands of people were in and out of Macao on the traditional Dragon Boat Festival and the Father's Day, which fall on June 15 and 16, respectively,according to local customs.

Macao residents flocked to China's inland to visit their relatives, go shopping or sightseeing. On the other hand, visitor arrivals in Macao also increased by big margins.

Together with their children and wives, many Macao men were seen enjoying meals at restaurants in the neighboring city of Zh

Macao to build new cross-sea bridge
An international bidding on the third cross-sea bridge which connects the downtown areas of Macao peninsula and Taipa island has started.

This will be the largest infrastructural project built in Macao since it returned to the motherland at the end of 1999.

Early morning on June 15, the special administrative region SAR) government accepted 11 bidding papers from companies based in China's inland, Macao, Hong Kong, the United States and Japan.

The bidders proposed budgets ra

Improvements Allow More Trains to Pass Bridge
Improvements of a railway line linking two railways now enables more trains to cross the Bahe River, since a railway bridge was washed away by floodwaters on June 9, sources said on June 16.

The bridge on the Lianyungang-Urumqi railway was washed away and another bridge on a nearby railway is employed to take trains from line. But the conditions of the line linking the two railways can not meet the needs.

The ensure smooth traffic before reconstruction of the wash-away bridge is co

Sea Route Linking Shanghai, ROK'S Cheju-dao Reopened
The luxury passenger liner Crown left Shanghai on June 14 (Friday) on its maiden voyage to Cheju-dao in the Republic of Korea, reopening the sea route linking the two cities.

The passenger liner leaves Shanghai every Friday and returns the following Monday with a one way trip taking 22 hours.

The passenger liner, which is owned by Crown Investment Co of Macao, is the biggest operating from China.

The Shanghai-Cheju-dao route was opened and operated by the Shanghai Inchon Int

Nation on Alert against Bubonic Plague
China's quarantine authorities are on high alert against bubonic plague after an outbreak of the disease began on April 16 in the district of Nsanje in Malawi. As of May 27, 71 cases had been reported. Bubonic plague, a form of rodent disease which can affect humans, is caused by an insect bite through which the plague bacillus travels through the lymphatic system to the nearest lymph node. In the most serious cases, people die within three days after symptoms occur. The State General Administra

Glued to the City
According to an old Chinese saying, a good boy is willing to travel far from home to aspire to a greater career. Yet this creed is wasted on Shanghai youth whose nostalgia keeps them glued to the city. Every year, only a small proportion of students leave the city to attend universities. Statistics from the Education and Examination Institute show that only 5,981 of the total 91,235 local students left Shanghai for outside universities last year, a proportion of 6.5 percent. Most of the students

Age-old Charm of Qingyan
If you ever make the trip to Guiyang, a small place called Qingyan is worth visiting. Qingyan is a famous ancient town in the middle of Guizhou Province. It is said that many films about ancient life have been shot here. Qingyan is not difficult to reach. From the capital Guiyang, the distance is 29 kilometres?less than an hour's drive. After getting off the bus and walking across the untidy and ordinary new town area, we stood on a big field with high walls and a large stone gate at the far end

Age-old Charm of Qingyan
If you ever make the trip to Guiyang, a small place called Qingyan is worth visiting. Qingyan is a famous ancient town in the middle of Guizhou Province. It is said that many films about ancient life have been shot here. Qingyan is not difficult to reach. From the capital Guiyang, the distance is 29 kilometres ?less than an hour's drive. After getting off the bus and walking across the untidy and ordinary new town area, we stood on a big field with high walls and a large stone gate at the far en

in Russian -- A New Window to See China
in Russian is officially launched today at www., a state-owned key media website in China. So far, has become China's only Internet platform to release information with nine languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, Esperanto, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. in Russian is presented with two main colors sky blue and white, bringing a sort of refreshment on first sight. "First-hand Information About China" is clearly written at the top of the website. In an effort to make

CAAC Angry Over Cheap Tickets
Cheeky travel agents seeking to boost passenger numbers on internal flights in China are continuing to slash ticket prices - despite warnings of harsh punishment from aviation chiefs. They are offering tickets at half the stated price on selected routes, claiming it is a necessary move to prevent near-empty planes from taking to the skies. But the response of China's aviation administrators has been to tighten regulations on ticket discounting. They vow to harshly punish any agent or company flo

Tourist Trade Not Seriously Affected by Flooding
Tourism business in China's flood-hit areas does not appear to have been seriously affected. Tourism authorities from the provinces of Shaanxi, Fujian and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region explained that the current period is their slack season and the majority of flooded areas are not the tourist sites. Transport on the tourists' "golden waterway," the Lijiang River, which passes through famous city of Guilin in Guangxi, was back to normal after having been closed for two days - the first cl

China.org.cn in Russian -- A New Window to See China
China.org.cn in Russian is officially launched today at www.china.org.cn, a state-owned key media website in China. So far, China.org.cn has become Chinaˇs only Internet platform to release information with nine languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Engli

World Cup A Wash for Travel Agencies
The World Cup wasn't just a disaster on the field for China, which lost all three of its matches, but off the field as well, according to local travel agencies, who are disappointed at the small number of people who travelled to South Korea to support the country's first appearance in the tournament. According to the Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission, an over-whelming majority of the city's tens of millions of soccer fans watched the games on TV instead of paying big bucks to see the ga

CAAC Angry Over Cheap Tickets
Cheeky travel agents seeking to boost passenger numbers on internal flights in China are continuing to slash ticket prices -despite warnings of harsh punishment from aviation chiefs. They are offering tickets at half the stated price on selected routes, claiming it is a necessary move to prevent near-empty planes from taking to the skies. But the response of China's aviation administrators has been to tighten regulations on ticket discounting. They vow to harshly punish any agent or company flou

Volunteers Help Curb Poaching Tibetan Antelopes
Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve have been grazing in peace since June 2 when the reserve administration patrol team apprehended four poachers in the area.
June and July are the months when Tibetan antelopes come together to mate, which

HK Ocean Park Welcomes One-millionth Mainland Visitor
Amid music, fanfare and confetti, Ocean Park on June 12 welcomed its one-millionth Chinese mainland visitor for the fiscal year 2001-2002.

As Miss Chen Linxi, a tourist from Zhejiang Province, was passing through the turnstile at the park's main entrance, mascot Whiskers popped up and declared her the one-millionth visitor from the mainland.

A ceremony was held to celebrate this special moment, and Chen was presented with an Ocean Park gift and a commemorative gold plaque.

O

Hong Kong Ocean Park to Attract World-class Events
The Ocean Park, one of Hong Kong's renowned tourist destination, will endeavor to attract world-class events to be staged in the park's square due to be completed in July this year.

Matthias Li, Deputy General Manager of the park, said in a media luncheon recently that the park will convert part of its existing Water World site into a 5,700-square-meter events hub called the Ocean Park Square.

He said the square is the latest initiative aimed at enriching the park's entertainment p

Hong Kong Aims to Build a Sustainable Transport System
Hong Kong aims to build a sustainable transport system to meet her future development.

Speaking at the Conference on "EnviroSeries 2002: Sustainable Transport," Paul Tang, acting secretary for transport of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), said here recently that the Transport Bureau has identified rail, the most efficient and environmentally friendly mass carrier, as the backbone of Hong Kong's transport system.

"Starting from this year, there will be a rail comin

More Police Helicopters Flying Soon
Hundreds of Chinese policemen stood under the hot sun at a small airport in Beijing recently, keenly awaiting a helicopter flying demonstration. Many were having in-depth discussions with people selling the four foreign helicopters displayed on spot.

With China's fast economic and social progress, Chinese police see more and more clearly the necessity of using helicopters to assist them in their work.

Feng Binghui, director of Panyun Branch of Guangzhou Police Bureau said that usin

Signs of Prehistoric Man Found on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Chinese archeologists have found a number of stoneware artifacts indicating prehistoric man may have lived on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau 30,000 years ago.

Xu Xinguo, director of the Qinghai Archeology Research Institute, said about 30 stoneware pieces from the microlithic period have been found in the Kunlun Mountains area, 120 kilometers north of Golmud, a city in Qinghai province, northwest China.

The microlithic period, 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, is noted for sharp, thin stonewa

Beijing Welcomes Foreign Participation in Subway Projects
Beijing will introduce a bidding system for the design, construction and management of its subway projects to allow participation by prominent firms around the world, Beijing Mayor Liu Qi said recently.

He made this remark during his meeting with the executive vice-president of Canadian SNC-Lavalin Inc., Robert Tribe, who is currently in Beijing to sign a letter of intent to involve in the construction of the No.5 subway line.

The mayor disclosed that his city will build some 150 k

Beijing speeds up building public transport centers
Beijing, China's national capital, plans to construct eight public transport centers to improve its passenger handling capacity and ease traffic congestion in the city.

At present, three communication centers are being built at Xizhimen, Dongzhimen and near the Beijing Zoo. Five others are planned in major districts including Beijing's western railway, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

Upon completion, these projects will increase the city's bus traffic to 4.1 billion passengers an

Int'l Electronic Expo Opens in Qingdao
The 2002 China International Household Electronic Appliances Exposition opened Tuesday in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province.

Chairman Li Peng of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress was present at the opening ceremony, along with other high-ranking officials.

The exposition attracted 570 enterprises including 80 from overseas and 50,000 Chinese and foreign businessmen.

On display were televisions, acoustic equipment, computers, refrigerators, a

First China-Russia Women's Culture Week Opens
The First Chinese-Russian Women's Culture Week opened here in Beijing on June 17 as one of the activities to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

The culture week symbolized the aspirations of the Chinese and Russian peoples, including women, to always be good neighbors, partners and friends, said Peng Peiyun, vice-chairwoman of the Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee and president of the All-

Largest Postal Center in North China Opens in Tianjin
A 250 million yuan (30.1 million U.S. dollars) postal sorting center opened in Tianjin on Tuesday, the largest of its kind in north China.

The 140,000-square-meter center comprises a mail sorting section and mail transportation section, key parts of which are automatically controlled by computers.

The computerized sorting section has greatly improved workers' efficiency. With the help of machines, they can sort 30,000 pieces of mail an hour, 10 times more than by the former manual

Nation to update immigration rules to attract talents
The Chinese Government aims to update its immigration rules to create more favourable conditions for skilled foreigners to live and work in China.

In accordance with the country's 2002-05 professional personnel-building programme, the new laws will allow long-term and permanent residence for overseas professionals working in those Chinese industries involved with new and much-needed technology.

The programme emphasizes that relevant departments should frame and implement action pla

Macao-Singapore Air Route to Re-open Soon
The air route between Macao and Singapore will resume operation on July 2 eight months after it was canceled, airline sources said Wednesday.

Silk Air, subsidiary of the Singapore Airlines, plans to provide two return flights on the route every week, on Tuesday andFriday, using an A319 airliner.

Industry viewers believe the move will facilitate Macao residents and tour groups from China's inland traveling to Singapore, and tourists from countries such as Singapore and Indonesia to

Beijing to Punish Tour Guides Taking Kickbacks or Demanding Tips
Tour guides in Beijing will be severely punished if they take kickbacks from shop owners or demand tips from tourists, the Beijing Tourism Administration has announced.

Ahead of the summer tourism peak this year, the Beijing Municipal Tourism Department has launched a major campaign against illegal activities by local tourism agencies and cheating by tour guides, the Beijing Daily reported on Wednesday. The campaign will last till late September.

Unlicensed tour guides and miscondu

Dot.coms Enjoy World Cup
While many Chinese soccer fans were disappointed with the national team's performance at the World Cup - not to mention the early exists of favorites Argentina, Italy and France - Internet companies on the mainland are pulling in big profits from the event. With China making its debut in soccer's biggest tournament, hundreds of millions of people across the country have been paying close attention to the games, but afternoon matches are tough to watch for those with a job pushing many to the Int

Overseas Travelers to Exchange Foreign Currency in Banks
Starting from next month, overseas travelers in Shanghai can exchange foreign currency directly at banks without paying commission, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Travel agencies previously helped tourists exchange foreign currency but from next month, tourists can handle the business directly at banks with the certificates issued by certain travel agencies, visa copies, personal passports and identity cards. Three banks are authorized by the State Administration of F

Star Alliance Optimistic About China's Aviation Market
Eight Star Alliance members which make direct flights to China say they are optimistic about the growing Chinese aviation market. China's sustained economic growth and entry into the World Trade Organization would bring more opportunities to both Chinese and foreign businesses as well as create tremendous demand for international air traffic, said Terje Thoresen, chairman of the Steering Committee in China and general manager of Scandinavian Airlines System China. The consolidation of China's av

China Catches Migrants Using World Cup Travel to Reach S. Korea
Police caught 12 illegal Chinese migrants trying to fly to South Korea by pretending to be soccer fans headed for the World Cup tournament, according to a report by China Daily Saturday. They were among 550 would-be migrants stopped since China launched a crackdown on migrant-smuggling April 1. Members of the group bound for South Korea were caught June 12 at an airport in eastern China after questioning by police revealed that they knew little about soccer. Thousands of Chinese traveled to Sout

Dotcoms Enjoy World Cup
While many Chinese soccer fans were disappointed with the national team's performance at the World Cup - not to mention the early exists of favorites Argentina, Italy, Spain and France - Internet companies on the mainland are pulling in big profits from the event. With China making its debut in soccer's biggest tournament, hundreds of millions of people across the country have been paying close attention to the games, but afternoon matches are tough to watch for those with a job pushing many to

Overseas Travelers to Exchange Foreign Currency in Banks
Starting from next month, overseas travelers in Shanghai can exchange foreign currency directly at banks without paying commission, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Travel agencies previously helped tourists exchange foreign currency but from next month, tourists can handle the business directly at banks with the certificates issued by certain travel agencies, visa copies,personal passports and identity cards. Three banks are authorized by the State Administration of Fo

Dotcoms Enjoy World Cup
While many Chinese soccer fans were disappointed with the national team's performance at the World Cup - not to mention the early exists of favorites Argentina, Italy and France - Internet companies on the mainland are pulling in big profits from the event. With China making its debut in soccer's biggest tournament, hundreds of millions of people across the country have been paying close attention to the games, but afternoon matches are tough to watch for those with a job pushing many to the Int

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra to Visit City Next Month
The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra will travel to China next month, promissing to give four performances in Shanghai and Beijing. The orchestra's performance in Beijing will fall on the nights of July 10 and 12. Before its Beijing show, it will reach Shanghai audience first on July 2 and 3, at the Shanghai Center Theatre on Nanjing Road W. Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is the youth orchestra with the longest history in the United States. In 2000, it celebrated its 60 birthday. Since 1982, it starte

Foreign Ecologist Praises China's Environmental Protection
The ecological environment in areas inhabited by Tibetans in China has been well protected and is almost unchanged from last century, said Bob Moseley, an ecologist of the United States.

Moseley drew the conclusion after more than a year of first-hand research in the Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, southwest China.

In the eyes of an ecologist, Diqing was one of the most beautiful places in the world, said Moseley.

Based on his research, Moseley said th

Desertification Remains Serious in China: Official
Nearly 20 percent of China's land territory has turned to desertified land due to natural and human factors, and overall desertification keeps on worsening, according to the national forestry authority.

The total area of desertified land has reached 1.743 million sq.km, or 18.2 percent of the total land area of the country, and it is expanding with 3,436 sq. km per year, said Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA).

"The overall situation of desertificat

Beijing Tightens Vehicle Emission Standards
Beijing may raise its automobile emission standards to the Euro-II level from the beginning of next year, one year ahead of schedule, according to sources with the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau.

But cars registered before that time will not be forced to meet the standards, the Beijing-based English newspaper China Daily reported recently.

Beijing's decision to implement Euro-II standard comes in the wake of public appeals for clean air and the soaring number of vehicles.<

Chinese Scholar Wins Family Study Awards
Xu Anqi, a Chinese scholar who has been devoted to family and matrimony study for 20 years, has won the Herb Lingren Strengthening Families Award, named after the late family scholar of the United States.

Xu, 55, a research fellow with the Sociology Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and deputy head of the academy's Center for Women's Studies, is the first Chinese scholar to win the award.

Xu said she was glad to have won the award and paid tribute to the late U.S

Heavenly Horse Flies Across Silk Road to China
A Turkmen Akhal-Teke horse, a breed known in China as "heavenly horse" and believed to be the mount of the legendary Genghis Khan (1167-1227), flew over the ancient Silk Road into China on June 17, bringing greetings for the Chinese year of the horse.

The 8-year-old horse, Ahdash, which means white stone in Turkoman, is in good condition after a travel of about seven hours,said Cao Guangfu, general manager of an air freight company under China's Civil Aviation Administration.

The h

Exhibition on Iranian Culture Opens in Southwest China
An exhibition on Iranian culture was opened on June 17 at Yunnan University in southwest China.

The 10-day exhibition is jointly held by the Iranian Embassy in China and the College of International Relations at Yunnan University. Many items of Persian style are on show, including pictures, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, calligraphy and folk garments.

The college's predecessor was an institute on Southwest Asia research. It started to study the Middle East, including Iran, over

China Has No Mad Cow Disease
China's Ministry of Agriculture announced recently that no single case of mad cow disease has been found in China.

A bulletin released by the Ministry of Agriculture said China had taken a series of effective measures since 1990 to prevent mad cow disease from spreading to the country.

China conducted mad cow disease monitoring in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in 2001. Tests on the 1,863 samples provided by dairy and cattle farms country-wide showed no mad cow

Relocation Remains the Last Hope for White-Fin River Dolphins
Helping white-fin dolphins escape their deteriorating natural habitat in the Yangtze River remains the last hope of saving the primitive species, a group of academicians believes.

With the world's only captive white-fin dolphin getting older in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, More and more people are aware that it is urgent to accelerate conservation work with the world's most endangered species by rescuing more wild dolphins from the busy navigation route of the Yangtze River, and movi

Fujian Delivers Crashed Plane Wreckage to Taiwan
The Fujian Provincial Red Cross Society delivered some aircraft wreckage and belongings of people who died in the plane crash on May 25 to its counterpart in Taiwan at a ceremony held in Fuzhou on June 17.

A total of 12 items including four aircraft tyres, two plane parts, a suitcase and a bag were delivered.

He Zhongsheng, secretary-general of the Fujian Provincial Red Cross Society, said people in all walks of life on the Chinese mainland had shown their grave concern over the ac

Activities to Mark Int'l Anti-Drugs Day
A range of activities will be organized in China to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26 with the theme of "drug abuse and AIDS".

On this occasion, courts across the country will publicize sentences in drug-related crimes and Chinese police will publicly burn opium, heroin and other narcotics they have seized, an official from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) revealed in Beijing recently.

A TV program detailing new types

Ancient Measuring Tool Unearthed in West China
A bronze measuring plate thought to date from the early Western Han dynasty (206 BC - 25AD) has been unearthed in Gucheng village in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The bronze plate, 35.5 cm in diameter at the top, 17 cm in diameter at its base and 16 cm tall, was a measuring tool with a standard volume of 10,000 ml.

According to an inscription on the utensil, the plate was used in a market close to a temporary imperial palace.

Experts say that it is rare in China's archa

China's Aviation Turnover Ranks Sixth in World
The total turnover of Chinese airlines reached 13.8 billion ton kilometers last year, up 19 percent compared with the previous year, according to the latest statistics from the International Civil Aviation Organization.

China's aviation turnover has risen from ninth in the world to sixth, surpassing the Netherlands, Singapore and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

China's air passenger traffic grew 16 percent last year to 105.9 billion passenger kilometers, the sixth highest in the world

Hotelier Rolls Out Red Carpet
Are you fed up with waitresses who urge you to order the most expensive seafood on the menu, and maids who enter your hotel room with their master keys after just a few light taps at the door? Fortunately, at least one of their bosses shares your feelings. "We all know what good service means, but it's very hard to find the hotel management personnel necessary to ensure good service to our patrons," said Fang Gongyu, chairman of the board of directors of the Gingko Restaurant and Hotel Group, wh

2001 Saw China Place Itself in World Travel Five Strong
The latest numerical data provided by the World Travel Organization (WTO) indicate that in the year of 2001 China hosted 33.2 million tourists, ranking itself in the five strong destination countries of the world. As reported in Beijing Morning Post, the four countries at the list top of the world travel are France (76.5 million), Spain (49.5 million), the USA (45.5 million) and Italy (39 million) in arrivals. The bulletin published by the WTO in Madrid, Spain indicates: travelers the world over

Customs Fights Drug Smuggling Cases
Customs authorities nationwide have uncovered 59 cases of drug smuggling involving a record 849 kilograms of narcotics, netting 99 suspects by June 16 this year, official sources said. The amount of narcotics seized was four times that of the same period

China to Install Electric "Bodyguard" for Leshan Buddha
A high-tech monitoring system will be installed to guard the world's tallest statue of Buddha in Leshan, a city in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The system will not only prevent disastrous fires and floods but also help keep visitors in order and stop damage to the 1,281-year-old statue from outside forces.

The system, due to be completed within two years, will cost some four million yuan (about 482,000 U.S. dollars), sources say.

Lu Lin, director of the Leshan Buddha'

Group Protects Ancient Tombs
XUYI, Jiangsu Province: An alliance aimed at protecting China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) mausoleums was created on Sunday in Xuyi, an East China county known for its many historical sites.

"All of the mausoleums of the Ming Dynasty are 'relatives,' so we should communicate with and visit them more often," said Liu Jinxing, vice-president of the Ming Dynasty Mausoleum Protection Alliance.

The alliance will help organizations and government departments in protecting and visiting the

Macao Urged to Develop Logistics with Nearby Cities
Macao should join hands with other cities in the Pearl river delta toward the goal of growing into a logistics hub, a prominent research fellow said.

Chen Guanghan, director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Pearl River Delta Research Center of Zhongshan University, told Macao Daily News on June 18 that Macao should position itself well and forge close ties with the neighboring areas in developing the logistics sector.

His center was entrusted recently by the Macao Foundation to lead a t

Spanish Painter's Works Attract Chinese Visitors
Over 80,000 people have visited an exhibition of works by one of the world's most famous surrealist painters, Salvador Dali, since it opened in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, on April 28.

The exhibition, entitled "A Journey into Fantasy", is believed to be the largest ever held in Asia. On display are 374 works by the Spanish artist, including 27 sculptures, 344 woodcuts and illustrations, said Wang Huangsheng, curator of Guangdong Provincial Art Gallery.

The exhibition

Moves to Green Yangtze, Yellow River Sources
Qinghai province in northwest China has launched a massive project to control water and soil erosion at the sources of the country's two longest rivers: the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, local officials said recently.

Officials with the Qinghai Provincial Water Resources Department say the 10 million yuan (8.2 million U.S. dollars) project aims to control water and soil erosion in 60 percent of the affected 264,000 sq km by 2006.

The aim is to stop the water and soil erosion caused by

Harbin fair a business boon
The Harbin Economic and Trade Fair, which opened on June 14, has provided great business opportunities to both Chinese and foreign companies, and has become an important platform to propel economic co-operation in Northeast Asia.

The 13th Harbin Economic and Trade Fair opened in its namesake city, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

As one of the largest regional fairs approved by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, the seven-day event attracted

China's Flood-ravaged Area Receives Huge Donation
The flood-ravaged southern part of northwest China's Shaanxi Province has so far received financial and material aid worth 18.23 million yuan (about 2.2 million U.S. dollars) donated by people across the country.

The disastrous flood from June 8-10 caused direct losses of 2.2 billion yuan in the area, and left many people homeless.

Donations office staff said many people from other provinces had called in to ask how to make donation to help flood victims.

The office had so f

Wind-eroded hillocks in NW China to attract more tourists
A magic land of hillocks in northwest China, which have been eroded by wind over the past thousands of years, is expected to attract more tourists.

Dubbed as "ghost city" by local residents, the wind-cut hillocks take different shapes resembling animals, human figures, buildings and other things which inspire the imagination of tourists.

Li Xuansheng, chief of Qinghai Provincial Tourism Bureau, said that the area totals 21,500 square kilometers, the largest such area in China.
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Shanghai to publish China's first white paper on public transport
Shanghai will soon publish the Chinese mainland's first white paper on municipal communications, local governmental sources said recently.

Director of Shanghai's Development Planning Committee, Li Liangyuan, said, "Publishing the white paper is a promise from the government to its people. We shall try our best to serve our citizens in terms of communications."

The white paper contains blueprints for the city's communications from 2005 to 2020. It focuses on priorities for public tr

China Cracks down on Illegal Discounting of Air Tickets
Five Chinese administrative departments have announced in Beijing a crackdown on illegal discounting of air tickets.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, the State Development Planning Commission and three other government departments have asked local authorities to watch for illegal discounting of air tickets.

The move aims to bring under control the messy ticket pricing situation, regulate ticket agencies and maintain domestic pricing laws and regulations.

Policy on Tourism Forex Adjusted
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) of China announced Wednesday that starting from July 1, people touring overseas should buy their foreign exchange themselves from banks. Currently China's travel agencies buy foreign exchange for tourists. According to the announcement, travel agencies will no longer buy foreign exchange for tourists, and before starting their trip, tourists should take relevant certificates to buy foreign currencies from certified banks. A SAFE spokesman said

Xinjiang Starts to Build "Medicine Valley"
Construction of a biological medicine-producing high-tech industrial zone has started in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Tianshan Medicine Valley, jointly financed by Urumqi High and New Technology Industrial Development Zone and Huachun Group, will join with top Chinese universities in researching and developing medicines.

Investment in the zone will total 1.39 billion yuan. Developers expect it to develop into a world-leading biological engineering zone and pr

Chinese Studying Abroad Top the World
China tops the world with the number of people studying abroad, Beijing Daily reported recently.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Personnel, a total of 460,000 Chinese have studied in 103 countries and regions. The United States attracted 150,000 Chinese, the largest portion of the total number.

Statistics show that Chinese students have increased drastically in countries like Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singap

Ancient Canal Augurs Success for Water Diversion Project
An ancient canal still functioning in south China may augur success for the country's south-to-north water diversion project, experts say.

The Linqu Canal, the oldest canal in the world, was ordered to be built by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (B.C. 221 -- B.C.207) in Xing'an County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Li Duoyu, 76-year-old former curator of the Xing'an Museum and chief administrator of the canal reconstruction project, said the 37-kilometer canal built

U.S. Returns Smuggled Fossils to China
The United States government has returned 14 tons of fossils, which were smuggled to the U.S. last year.

The fossils, in 93 containers, were placed in Beijing Museum of Natural Sciences recently, said sources with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Among the items, the most precious is a well-preserved five-meter fossil of an ichthyosaur, unique to southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Crinoids make up a large part of the returned fossils which also include those o

China's Air Mail Sector Restructured
China Post Aviation Company, formerly fully controlled by the State Post Bureau, is to be restructured to sharpen its competitive edge.

According to an agreement signed recently, China Southern Airlines will buy a 49 percent stake in the new company, and the State Post Bureau will control the other 51 percent.

State Post Bureau director Liu Liqing said the restructuring would accelerate the expansion of China's air mail express transport sector in the face of increasing competition

CAAC angry over cheap tickets
Cheeky travel agents seeking to boost passenger numbers on internal flights in China are continuing to slash ticket prices -- despite warnings of harsh punishment from aviation chiefs.

They are offering tickets at half the stated price on selected routes, claiming it is a necessary move to prevent near-empty planes from taking to the skies.

But the response of China's aviation administrators has been to tighten regulations on ticket discounting. They vow to harshly punish any agent

Beijing urges three direct links
Beijing Monday proposed that authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Straits entrust civil groups to jump-start talks on the three direct links of trade, transport and mail services.

This was the first time the mainland has called for such immediate and concrete action from Taipei since it initiated the idea of establishing the links through non-official consultation.

Li Bingcai, executive deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said entrusted industrial

China's Palace Museum Inaugurates underground Warehouse
The Palace Museum in the Chinese capital of Beijing has moved about 600,000 artifacts into a vast underground warehouse over the past three years, according to sources with the museum Monday.

The underground warehouse, the first ever built in China for protecting valuable artifacts, is a three-floored concrete structure to protect the artifacts not only from flooding and damp,but during possible wars or earthquakes.

The warehouse has not only state-of-the art fire control and secur

Modern Life of Young Lamas in Tibet
Clicks on the keyboard and the chanting of scriptures come together from a dorm in Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery, where a young lama is operating on a computer.

Dawa Cering was tonsured at 12 and devoted himself to the study of Buddhism and Tibetan. Having studied Chinese, English and computers in his spare time, he is now a computer expert in the lamasery.

Modern "mundane" things, like computers, second languages and trade, are filtering into reclusive lamaseries as a growing number of to

11th Panchen Lama Versed in Buddhism
Erdeni Losang Qamba Lhunzhub Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, has been well versed in the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures after nearly seven years of hard work.

The 11th Panchen Lama, 12 years old, was chosen in front of the statue of Sakyamuni in December of 1995 as the reincarnated boy of the late 10th Panchen Lama through the practice of lot drawing from a gold urn out of several candidates.

His tutor, Jamjang Galco says " The 11th Panchen lama has an extraordinary memory and wisd

China Celebrates Millennial Anniversary for World's Longest Epic
China kicked off activities on June 17 in its southwest Sichuan Province to celebrate the millennial anniversary of the world's longest epic on King Gesser, a Tibetan legendary hero.

Scholars convened in Gesser's hometown, the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, for symposiums and research.

Yang Enhong, deputy director of the Chinese Gesser Society, said that the epic was widely known in Garze, where numerous relics and sites still commemorated King Gesser.

King Gesser i

Museum of Ancient Bridges
Taishun County is situated in southwest Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. It boasts a zigzagging mountain range dotted with little streams and small valleys. Thousands of years of rich Chinese culture have contributed to the extraordinary attraction of this peaceful county, where visitors can appreciate more than 900 covered bridges. Upon entering the village, the first sight to hit your eyes is Dongxi Bridge. The corridor of this bridge looks like a crimson palace with four flying eaves engraved at e

Chinese Tourists Can Invest in Holiday Villas
Chinese holiday makers will soon have the option of buying holiday homes,said Meng Xiaosu,chairman of the board of the China Real Estate Development (Group)Corp. The first batch of 10 tourist cities in China including Beijing,Shanghai and Kunming,are expected to introduce houses for holiday-takers in the next six months,Meng said. The occupancy rights of the houses will be separated into 52 weeks a year to sell to 52 different house buyers with various time limits offered including 30 years,40 y

China to Further Regulate Market Order
Chinese Vice-Premier Li Lanqing has called for greater efforts to regulate the markets. Li, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the national leading group on rectifying and regulating market economic order, made the call at the group's fifth meeting in Beijing Monday. Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo and State Councilor Wu Yi, who are both deputy heads of the leading group, also attended the meeting. In his spee

Multinational Greater Mekong Program Gears up
After a five-year break because of the Asian financial crisis, China and its neighbors have restarted their multinational program in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). At the port of Guanlei in southwest China's Yunnan Province, bordering China, Myanmar and Thailand, a dozen Chinese workers are busy loading garlic on to ships anchored in the Lancang River. They will take it to Thailand, where garlic is uncommon. China has declared at a recent ASEAN 10+1 meeting that it will invest US$5 million

China Strikes Hard on Drug Crimes
China's drug enforcement agents uncovered 45,378 cases of drug illegal drug activities, captured 38,765 people suspected of criminal involvement with drugs and seized 4,035 kilograms of heroin between January and mid-June of this year.

According to authoritative sources from the Chinese capital, this achievement comes as China steps up its nationwide efforts to deal with drug crimes, and a on-going nationwide anti-drug crackdown, launched by the National Narcotics Control Commission, star

Drug Traffickers Executed in East China Fujian Province
Sixteen drug traffickers were executed and nine others jailed in Fujian Province, east China, recently, for their involvement in eight different cases.

They were sentenced by intermediate people's courts in the cities of Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Putian, to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26 every year.

On the same day, the provincial public security bureau burned over 1,700 kg of narcotics at a local sports center in Lianjiang

Chinese Capital Cracks down on Drug Abuse
The Chinese capital is home to 23,000 registered drug addicts, including jobless people, students, lawyers, private entrepreneurs and government officials, according to the latest figures.

Officials of the city's anti-narcotics committee announced recently that since 1996, more and more local addicts have been infected with HIV, accounting for 65 percent of local HIV carriers.

This year local police launched a campaign against major drug dealers, especially rings that have collabor

China to promote ethnic therapies
China is accelerating it's pace at exploring its abundant ethnic medical resources which are believed to have huge market potential.

The State Administration for Traditional Chinese Medicine and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission recently announced their joint plan to promote 30 to 40 kinds of appraised ethnic therapies in the next three years, along with the industrialization of relevant medicine products.

The pair last December required all local authorities to launch a massive

Chinese Scientists to Head for Suspected ET Relics
A group of nine Chinese scientists will go to west China's Qinghai Province recently to closely examine the relics thought by some to have been left by extraterrestrial beings (ET).

It will be the first time scientists seriously study the mysterious site near Delingha City in the depths of the Qaidam Basin, according to government sources with the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, where Delingha is located.

The site, known by local people as "the ET relics", is on

Plan to Erect Huge Hoarding under Ancient Buddha under Fire
The local government's plan to erect the world's biggest advertisement on the riverbank at the foot of the world's highest Leshan Buddha Statue has drawn sharp criticism in the region, local newspaper reported recently.

According to the Sichuan Daily , the Leshan municipal government is negotiating the plan with a company, and is likely to give its approval soon.

The advertisement under discussion, a 40,000 square meter hoarding, will be placed at the foot of the statue, and the lo

Ancient Silver Ingots Recovered in East China
A group of construction workers thought they had struck their fortunes when they dug up 18 silver ingots at a building site in the central business district of the east China port city of Ningbo.

They secretly divided up the ancient treasure trove and then hid it all away.

However, their luck turned when local police heard about the discovery and started to investigate.

The workers -- after much persuasion -- turned in all the silver ingots, which were handed over to the loc

China Southern Airlines Buys Giant Cargo Plane
A giant Boeing 747-400F cargo plane bought by China Southern Airlines arrived in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, recently.

The 120 million U.S. dollar aircraft is ranked as the world's biggest and most advanced cargo plane with a maximum flying weight of 366,900 kilograms and maximum distance of 8,232 kilometers. The225 Boeing 747-400Fs around the world carry half of the world's air cargoes.

Sources with the Guangzhou-based airline say that the purchase aims

Building Adds Colour to History
On the Wusi Daijie (May 4th Avenue) to the northeast of the Palace Museum in Beijing, an old four-storey building of red bricks can be seen among expensive new office buildings.

Despite its plain appearance, Chinese history is abundant in this building.

Eighty-three years ago, a movement began, marking the beginning of China's contemporary history.

The building, opened to the public in April, has a household name among the Chinese - honglou - which means the "red building."<

Religious Circles Hail Maintenance of Major Heritage Sites in Tibet
The facelift project on three major heritage sites in Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China, has won warm support from local people from religious and other social circles.

The maintenance project on the Potala Palace and Norbulinka, the winter and summer palaces of the Dalai Lamas, and the Sagya Monastery which contains very rich relics, began Wednesday with a price tag of 330 million yuan (39.75 million U.S. dollars), and is scheduled to be completed within five years.

The Pot

China Begins Restoration of Tibet's Potala Palace
The biggest ever restoration program began Wednesday in Tibet as work started on two palaces of the Dalai Lamas and an ailing ancient lamasery.

The 330-million-yuan (40 million US dollars) program will help prevent the 1,300-year-old Potala Palace, the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas, being eroded by wind and eaten by worms. Also on the list are the Norbuglinkha, the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas, and the Sagya Lamasery which contains numerous rare religious relics.

The Potala

Macao Selects Travel Agencies to Host Inlanders:CNTA
The first batch of 52 Macao-based travel agencies have been designated by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) as those entitled to host tourists from China's inland, the Macao Government Tourist Office said Tuesday.

These ones -- to be joined by the second batch soon -- are permitted to cooperate with a total of 67 designated inland travel services in managing the so-called "Macao Tour".

In a move to promote inland residents making tours to Macao, safeguard the legal i

Ferry Terminal to Link HK Airport, Pearl River Delta
Passengers who transit for China's Pearl River Delta via the Hong Kong International Airport will be spared Hong Kong Customs and Immigration formalities, according to a ferry terminal agreement signed Friday. The agreement was reached between the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the Hong Kong International Airport Ferry Terminal Services Ltd., a joint venture of Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co Ltd. and Shun Tak China Travel International Logistics Investment Ltd. The joint venture will invest ab

New Policy Protects Travelers' Interests
New rules for Chinese citizens traveling abroad will be implemented from July 1, 2002 aiming to protect the legal interests of travelers. The new rules protect the traveler's right to know what is happening and work for their economic benefit. Travel agencies must provide reliable information to customers such as the laws, customs and other related items about the countries they plan to visit. They cannot change the itinerary without permission, reduce the items included in the travel package or

Private Universities: New Choice for Chinese Youth
If I had another chance, I would choose Haidian University again rather than a public university, said Wu Nan, a sophomore with the Information School of Haidian University, one of the oldest private universities in China. "I like the flexible teaching and management here," said Wu. The flexibility of private universities, which began to re-emerge after China launched its reform and opening-up in 1978, has attracted an increasing number of young people like Wu. China, with a population of 1.3 bi

First Xinjiang Tourism Festival Opens
The first tourism festival ever held in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened in Urumqi on Friday. Nearly 300 travel agents and journalists from around the world have come to Urumqi, the autonomous regional capital, for the 10- day festival at the joint sponsorship of the National Tourism Administration (NTA) and the government of Xinjiang. "The festival is aimed to show more people Xinjiang's beautiful and imposing landscape and folk culture with a strong local flavor, " Zha

Hong Kong Rated World's Freest Economy
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government welcomed on June 26 the rating by Canada's Fraser Institute of Hong Kong being the freest economy in the world.

A Hong Kong SAR official in the economic and trade sector said that she is very pleased to learn that Hong Kong was once again rated as the freest economy with a rating of 8.8 out of 10 in Fraser's Economic Freedom of the World: 2002 Annual Report released on June 25.

"The fact that Hong Kong retains its positio

Booming Tourism Boosts HK's Economy
Five years on after Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997,the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region continues to be one of the favorite destinations for tourists.
Against the background of worldwide economic downturn,Hong Kong's tourism industry continues to boom,fetching handsome profits and indirectly boosting various industries here,such as the food and catering industry,retailing,and the fashion and transportation industries.

In 2001,with 13.73 million people visiting Hong

Hong Kong Science Park Unveiled
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) on June 27 held a ceremony to inaugurate the Science Park, a major knowledge-based research and development facility located in Pak Shek Kok, the New Territories, Hong Kong.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Tung Chee Hwa attended the unveiling ceremony, who first proposed the novel idea of establishing a Science Park to drive the growth of Hong Kong's high value-added industries.

Tung mad

INTERVIEW: Hong Kong's Culture Roots in China
Hong Kong did not have a clear position and long-term strategies and policies for its cultural development before its return to China in 1997, Zhang Xingang, chairman of Hong Kong Culture and Heritage Commission, told Xinhuain an exclusive interview.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is keen on cultural development and the most fundamental and important step the government has taken in the past five years is the establishment of Hong Kong Culture and Heritage

Coins Issued to Mark 5th Anniversary of HK's Return
The China Gold Coin Corporation and the Royal Canadian Mint jointly held a ceremony in Beijing on June 20 to mark the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland with a set of commemorative coins called Five Blessings.

The coins have been produced by the Royal Canadian Mint under license of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The set includes five silver coins, with each weighing 35.22 grams and carved with blessings in Chinese characters. The inner circle is plated with gold.

American Magician to Perform in China Again
American magician David Copperfield will put on 28 shows in four Chinese cities from July 9 to August 4.

The U.S. master magician, who performed last year in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, will give five more performances there this year, according to organizers.

He will also demonstrate his sleight of hand in Shenzhen, another city in Guangdong, as well as Shanghai and Beijing, said the organizers.

Sino-Japanese Painting and Calligraphy Show Due in Beijing
A Sino-Japanese painting and calligraphy exhibition is to be held in Beijing later this year. Assembling the works from China and Japan started on June 20.

Wang Jianping, director of the organizing committee, said at a press briefing here that the exhibition would open in November and assembling of the works will be finished in October.

Wang said the event would mark the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, and aimed to boost Sino-J

Nanjing Yangtze Bridge Passes with Flying Colors
The second Yangtze Bridge in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, passed a
technical appraisal by the Ministry of Communications recently.

Chinese experts gave the project a score of 96.6, the highest ever for an ultra-large bridge built in China. It means that China has reached the world's top level in state-of-the-art bridge making.

Work on the bridge began in 1997 and it opened to traffic on March 26 last year. Its main span is the largest in China and third lar

Macao Residents Urged to Donate for Inland Flood Victims
The Macao Red Cross Association is calling for local residents offering a helping hand to the victims besieged by severe flooding in China's inland.

To facilitate the locals making donations, the association set up donation boxes in downtown areas and opened two hotlines and special accounts at the Macao Branch of the Bank of China.

It also sent a task force to the flooded areas to provide more assistance to the victims.

Flood situation was covered on local TV every day and

Metro opens membership store in Tianjin
German Metro, the world's third largest retailer after Wal-Mart and Carrefour, has invested 17 million U.S. dollars in a membership supermarket in Tianjin, a major port city in north China.

The store, which takes up more than 30,000 square meters in downtown Tianjin, is scheduled to start operation early next year.

Unlike most supermarkets that are frequented by individuals, the Metro store will solely target corporate consumers and small and medium-sized retailers, who will enjoy

Peking ducks to get new ovens
Due to environmental concerns, the famous Chinese dish Peking duck will soon be roasted in electric ovens instead of traditional fruit tree ovens, Jiang Junxian, CEO of Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant Co. told Beijing Youth Daily Tuesday.

The history of roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). The method for roasting duck has remained almost unchanged over the years -- the duck is hung from a hook in the oven's ceiling and roasted over burning wood. A duck

Two-thousand-year-old "animals" to go underground again
Nearly 1,000 2,000-year-old pottery animals will be buried again at the Hanyang Mausoleum in Shaanxi Province to add their preservation.

The Hanyang Mausoleum, 20 kilometers north from Xi'an, capital of the province, is the tomb of the fourth emperor Liu Qi and his queen in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC--24 AD) and the most complete mausoleum from this dynasty ever discovered.

Tens of thousands of relics, which feature colored terra-cotta nude figurines and a variety of animals have

Kunming-Hong Kong Flight Introduced
Yunnan Airlines introduces from June 27 a new flight linking Kunming, capital of the southwest China's Province to Hong Kong.

The new flight will fly from Kunming to Hong Kong seven times a week, using a Boeing 737-700 airplane as the carrier. The Kunming-Hong Kong flight is the second flight to be provided by Yunnan Airlines linking the Kunming, Hong Kong and Macao areas.

Yunnan Airlines with its 24 aircraft carried more than 3.8 million passengers and 86,300 tons of cargo last ye

First Xinjiang Tourism Festival Opens:CNTA
The first tourism festival ever held in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened in Urumqi on June 28.

Nearly 300 travel agents and journalists from around the world have come to Urumqi, the autonomous regional capital, for the 10-day festival at the joint sponsorship of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the government of Xinjiang.

"The festival is aimed to show more people Xinjiang's beautiful and imposing landscape and folk culture with a stron

China Issues New Rules for Travel Agencies
China's travel agencies are required to provide four kinds of guarantee for its citizens traveling abroad, under new rules introduced in Beijing on Monday. First, they must guarantee to tell travelers the truth. That means they must provide customers with reliable information and warn them clearly when situations occur that might jeopardize their personal safety. Leaders of travel groups are also required to alert their customers to the destination country's culture, customs, laws and other matt

CCTV Travel Show Plans to Go Far
For many overseas travelers about to set foot in China, the Lonely Planet guidebook is one of their many necessities. When it comes to handy tips and warnings, first-time China visitors cling to this "Travel Bible." Knowing what she's up against, Ma Jing, the producer of a new English-language programme called "Travelogue," promises that she and her colleagues at the China Central Television station (CCTV) will topple the Lonely Planet's monopoly. "Travelogue" is so far the only English-language

Asian Countries to Build Railway Linking China and Singapore
Seven Asian countries including China have planned to build a railway linking southwest China and Singapore, hopefully to bring prosperity to the area. The railway starts from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and runs through Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia before reaching Singapore. The railway is like a ribbon connecting China and Southeast Asian countries and providing golden opportunities for multi-lateral trade and investment. China declared at

CCTV Travel Show Plans to Go Far
For many overseas travellers about to set foot in China, the Lonely Planet guidebook is one of their many necessities. When it comes to handy tips and warnings, first-time China visitors cling to this "Travel Bible." Knowing what she's up against, Ma Jing, the producer of a new English-language programme called "Travelogue," promises that she and her colleagues at the China Central Television station (CCTV) will topple the Lonely Planet's monopoly. "Travelogue" is so far the only English-languag

Asian Countries to Build Railway Linking China and Singapore
Seven Asian countries including China have planned to build a railway linking southwest China and Singapore, hopefully to bring prosperity to the area. The railway starts from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan province, and runs through Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia before reaching Singapore. The railway is like a ribbon connecting China and Southeast Asian countries and providing golden opportunities for multi-lateral trade and investment. China declared at

New Rules Made on Travel Agents
China's travel agencies must provide several new kinds of guarantees for its citizens travelling abroad, under new rules introduced on Monday. Agencies must not rip off travellers and must provide reliable information about when it is unsafe to travel in certain countries. They are also required to inform customers of the destination country's culture, customs and laws. The new policy, detailed in Management Measures for Chinese Travelling Abroad, says that agents' quotes must not be below cost

New Rules Outlined for Travel Agents
China's travel agencies must provide several new kinds of guarantees for its citizens traveling abroad, under new rules introduced Monday. Agencies must not rip off travelers and must provide reliable information about when it is unsafe to travel in certain countries. They are also required to inform customers of the destination country's culture, customs and laws. The new policy, detailed in Management Measures for Chinese Traveling Abroad, says that agents' quotes must not be below cost price.

INTERVIEW: HK Is Best Place in Asia to Do Business, to Live
-- "When my wife and I first came to Hong Kong, we had planned to stay here for some three to five years. It turned out we enjoyed working and living here and decided to remain," said President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Frank Martin

HK to Issue New 10 Dollar Note
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR) government is to issue and put into gradual circulation a new 10 HK dollar note later this year, its Financial Secretary said on June 28.

According to Antony Leung, the new note will be circulated in addition to the 10 HK dollar coin and the existing green 10 HK dollar note issued by Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Standard Chartered Bank.

Leung pointed out the decision to issue the new 10 HK dollar note was

10,000 Senior Citizens Celebrate HKSAR's Fifth Anniversary
Over 10,000 senior citizens of Hong Kong on June 30 celebrated the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region( HKSAR) at a carnival packed with recreation and sports activities.

Organized by Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the carnival for senior citizens was held simultaneously in four major venues.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at Kowloon Park, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Paul Leung Sai-wah, said, "The

Jiang attends HKSAR anniversary celebrations
Chinese President Jiang Zemin on July 1 attended the celebrations for the fifth anniversary of HongKong's return and the inauguration of the second-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At 8:57 a.m., accompanied by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa and his wife Betty Tung, and amid a burst of enthusiastic applause, Jiang and his wife Wang Yeping entered the Grand Hall of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. where the ceremony of China's resumption of exercise

More Overseas Chinese Go for Mainland Colleges
Mainland universities are increasingly becoming the choice for overseas senior-school students.

During this year's college entrance examinations, about 55 per cent of senior-school graduates in Macao applied to universities on the Chinese mainland. A total of 1,214 Macao students sat the exam for mainland schools.

In Taiwan, 825 graduates have signed up for the mainland college entrance examination, double last year's number.

Renowned institutions including Peking University

Museum Inherits a Unique Collection
A remarkable collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy bequeathed to Shanghai Museum by the estate of the late Filipino industrialist Ching Banlee will be placed on display from June 21 through October 15.

"This is an unprecedented and very generous deed on behalf of the Ching family," says Chen Xiejun, Shanghai Museum's deputy curator.

As a connoisseur of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, Ching was disturbed to see these ancient Chinese treasures scattered far and wide thro

Tourist Vessel Will Float Away to Dalian Port
One of Shanghai's best-known tourist attractions will leave the city for a new home in Dalian on June 21.

On June 19, Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration helped drag the 42,000-ton Oriana, a luxury cruise ship, from Dongchang Road Port in Pudong to the city's Waigaoqiao Port, where it will await a tug boat from Yantai in Shangdong Province to take it to Dalian.
The Oriana has called the Huangpu River home for four years, offering cruises along the waterway and playing host to count

Root Carving Expo to Be Held in Jilin City
China's largest root carving art exhibition will be held from July 2 to 12 in Jilin city of northeast China's Jilin Province, sources with the China International Exhibition Agency said in Beijing recently.

The exhibition brings together 2,000 art treasures from 11 countries from Asia, Africa and America, and from some local areas of China.

The exhibition, covering a total of 16,000 square meters, will also include auctions and the sale of artistic articles.

In the meantime,

Int'l Beer Festival to Open in Qingdao
The 12th Qingdao International Beer Festival is scheduled to be held in this seaside resort city between August 17 and September 1, local officials have announced.

About 200 brands of beer made by a dozen world-famous beer manufacturers from Germany, the United States, Denmark and Britain as well as China will be represented at the festival in the city of Shandong Province, east China.

The city is renowned for its German-style beer.

The festival will feature a beer drinking

China Trains Flight Supervisors
Eight Chinese aircraft pilots are receiving a 72-week training program to become European-standard flight supervisors.

The trainees are from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) and major airlines across the country, according to sources from Airbus China company.

The training program is carried out jointly by the CAAC, Chinese airlines, the European Union, and Airbus of France.

CAAC Director Yang Yuanyuan supports the training program, which, he beli

Policy on Tourism Forex Adjusted
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) of China announced on June 26 that starting from July 1, people touring overseas should buy their foreign exchange themselves from banks.

Currently China's travel agencies buy foreign exchange for tourists.

According to the announcement, travel agencies will no longer buy foreign exchange for tourists, and before starting their trip,tourists should take relevant certificates to buy foreign currencies from certified banks.

A

China's New Policy Protects Travelers' Interests
New rules for Chinese citizens traveling abroad will be implemented from July 1, 2002 aiming to protect the legal interests of travelers.

The new rules protect the traveler's right to know what is happening and work for their economic benefit.

Travel agencies must provide reliable information to customers such as the laws, customs and other related items about the countries they plan to visit. They cannot change the itinerary without permission, reduce the items included in the tra

Shanghainese to Get International Travel Cards This Month
Shanghai people expressed keen interest in the pre-paid international travel bankcards issued by Visa International, according to a survey of the Chinese overseas tourist market, conducted by Visa International. According to the survey, more than 10 million Chinese people go aboard for business trips or travel every year with only five percent have international credit cards. Tourists often have difficulty carrying a large amount of cash and this is one of the main reasons why the pre-paid cards

A Frenchwoman's Holy Mission in China
In the Rongshui autonomous county of ethnic Miao group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Francoise Grenot from France is on the lips of local folks. With the help of Ms. Grenot, 1,100 needy school-age children from Danian and Liangzhai townships, both in Rongshui, 300 km from the world-famous scenic city of Guilin, have been able to attend classes for six straight years with completion of 11 new village schools. Grenot developed a keen interest in China at the very young age. Up

A Sigh from Business After World Cup
For Chinese businessmen, there hasn't been any other World Cup like the most recent one in arousing so much expectation for profits. However, things turned out not to be so simple. The World Cup tournament finally ended on Sunday with the Brazilian people celebrating their team's fifth title, while Chinese businessmen had difficulty expressing their own feelings after checking the outcome of their business campaign during the one-month World Cup finals. The result was to remind them that, in a s

Letters Reveal Writer's Later Years
The manuscripts of 15 letters written by Xiao Qian (1910-99), a famous Chinese writer and translator, was unveiled in Beijing recently. Most of the letters dating between 1982-88 were written to Xiao's two friends -- Zhu Dan, a famous calligrapher, and Zhu's student Wang Zhaoming. Though the friendship of the three lasted for 20 years, Wang, who is now a collector of Chinese paintings and calligraphy, hardly remembered the letters until he happened to find them recently when he was moving. "I be

China's Major Pastoral Region to Cut Herd Size to Protect Grassland
The size of his herd is always the gauge of a herdsman's wealth. But as overgrazing destroys China's pastures bit by bit, more and more herdsman may have to reduce their herds to let the pastures revitalize.

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the far west of China, for example, has decided to drastically cut its herd size to protect its degenerating pastures, one of the five largest pastoral regions in China.

The region will also try to contain part of its wandering herds in f

Yangtze's Major Tributary Becomes Cleaner
Hanjiang River, one of the major tributaries of China's longest river, the Yangtze, is set to reclaim its original title as one of the country's cleanest rivers, according to the latest information.

Originating in the southern part of Shaanxi Province, northwest China, the 1,577-km Hanjiang River, the Yangtze's longest tributary, flows through Shaanxi and Hubei provinces and joins the Yangtze at Wuhan, capital city of Hubei.

Data provided by Hubei shows that water quality in the ri

Eco-projects Planned for Beijing, Tianjin
More than 22 billion yuan (2.65 billion U.S.dollars) is to be invested in five major ecological projects in the next decade to protect Beijing and Tianjin from natural adversities such as sandstorms.

The projects will include sand control, reverting arable land to pastures and forests, water conservancy, afforestation and protection of forest resources.

Most of the projects would be situated inside Hebei province, the neighbor of both Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, according t

120-Year-Old Man Still Working in Central China: Report
A man who is believed to be 120 years old remains healthy and strong and is laboring in the fields in central China's Hubei Province, local media reported recently.

Ruan Ruide, a resident of Taping village deep in the mountains of Shennongjia area of Hubei, has lived through three centuries and married three times. However, Ruan now remains a widower as all of his three wives have passed away.

Though the report called Ruan the "oldest person in Hubei Province," he could be the olde

China Steps up Arctic Study
China, already prominent in the study of the Antarctica, will enhance its arctic studies by setting up its first arctic scientific research station in Longyearbyen, capital of Norway's Svalbard Islands in July.

Gao Dengyi, director of the China Yilite-Mornring Arctic Scientific Expedition and Research Team which is setting up the station, said it will be a temporary station to accommodate Chinese scientists expeditions this and the next.

This year's team will include 15 scientists

South China City Plans More Book Centers
Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province is determined to add more than a bit of culture to its economic success by building two major book trading centers in the years to come.

Shenzhen has performed an economic miracle since China decided to start its reform and opening-up drive in 1979. It has grown from a small fishing town with a population of 20,000 to a medium-sized prosperous city which houses one of the country's two stock bourses.

A local cultural official explai

Sino-European Aviation Cooperation Achieves Milestone
China and Europe-based Airbus Company have achieved a significant milestone in the A320 Wing Cooperation Program.

Trial installation of all parts manufactured at two of China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) factories in Shenyang and Xi'an for A320 wings has been satisfactorily completed in Britain,the Airbus wing assembly base.

"The successful trials in Britain demonstrated that China has the technical capabilities to manufacture the most complex aircraft structural compon

Beijing to Build More Production Bases for Safe Farm Produce
The Chinese capital plans to build more bases for producing safe agricultural products this year.

According to plan, the city will build another 100 bases for manufacturing safe edible produce and 100 pilot bases with standardized production of agricultural products within the year.

The city will work out strict safety and hygiene standards for farm produce covering vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, eggs, milk and fish. The city will also establish safety standards for the use of

Dalian City Plans New Industrial Parks for Foreign Investors
Dalian city, in northeast China's Liaoning province, plans to set up a number of new industrial parks to attract overseas investors, Japanese investors in particular.

They will include a semiconductor production base, an industrial park for making automobile parts, a state-level industrial park for making environmental equipment and products, as well as a science park.

Currently, Dalian boasts 8,162 foreign-funded firms, with foreign contractual capital of 21.26 billion US dollars.

International Commodities Exposition to Be Held in East China
The China Yiwu International Commodities Exposition 2002 is scheduled to be held from October 22 to 26 in Yiwu, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province.

The exposition is to be jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), Zhejiang Provincial Government, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the China National Light Industry Council and the China General Chamber of Commerce.

Vice Governor Wang Yongming of Zhejiang Provi

China confident in success of Shanghai Expo 2010: Chinese FM
The Chinese government and people are confident in hosting a successful World Exposition in 2010 in Shanghai, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told reporters in Paris on Monday.

"Our growing economy provides strong financial support, our stable society assures good environment and the firm support from the government further guarantees a successful Expo," said Tang at a joint press conference held by the Chinese Expo Bidding Committee and the International Exposition Bureau (BIE in F

China Issues New Rules for Travel Agencies: CNTA
China's travel agencies are required to provide four kinds of guarantee for its citizens traveling abroad, under new rules introduced in Beijing on Monday.

First, they must guarantee to tell travelers the truth. That means they must provide customers with reliable information and warn them clearly when situations occur that might jeopardize their personal safety. Leaders of travel groups are also required to alert their customers to the destination country's culture, customs, laws and oth

Shanghai Buses to Equip 'Black Boxes' for Safety Consideration
Authorities in Shanghai have launched a campaign to install recorders on all of the municipality's 18,000 buses by the end of next year. The recorders will be similar to the "black boxes" on planes and are aimed at helping reduce the accident rate. Liu Guilin, director-general of the Shanghai Urban Transportation Administration, said: "Safety is the lifeline of bus operations. The adoption of this device marks a great step forward in management." In the first five months of this year, 51 people

Foreign Marriages More Equal
When the cosmetics company that employs Carefree Zhang started working with a marketing research firm, it boosted sales, the 25-year-old met her future husband and the happy couple did their bit to kill a few outdated myths about cross-cultural relationships in China. Zhang began dating the consulting firm's 27-year-old American manager - whose name she doesn't want mentioned because they are keeping the relationship secret from co-workers. "We found we have common interests in various fields an

Three Dead in LA Airport Shooting
A gunman opened fire Thursday at Israel's El Al airline's ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport. Three people were killed, including the gunman, who was shot dead by an airline security guard, authorities said. Three other people were wounded, and thousands of people were evacuated from the international terminal. One person was arrested, police said. The shootout happened with security on high alert around the country for a possible terrorist attack on July Fourth. Israel's foreig

South China Tigers Reappear in Guangdong
Signs of the South China tiger, one of the world's top 10 endangered species, have been seen frequently in the mountains of northern Guangdong recently.

Since 1990, tiger trails have been recorded 34 times by a provincial reserve for the species in Guangdong; eyewitnesses reported sightings four times and others have found tiger excrement, footprints and scratches and heard roars.

This year, tiger tracks have been spotted three times with the latest sighting at the end of May in a

Wild camels on rise in northwest China
More than 400 wild camels, which are a listed rare species, are roaming northwest China's Gansu Province, according to the latest survey conducted by the provincial wildlife protection bureau.

The number of camels have increased from 70 over the last two decades thanks to government preservation efforts.

Inhabiting the vast desert, wild camels saw a sharp decrease in numbers at the beginning of last century because of human activities. In late 1970s, there were only 2,000 such anim

Railway Suspended for Tibetan Antelope Migration
Work on Qinghai-Tibet railway, the first to link the Tibet Autonomous Region with the rest of China, has suspended temporarily to make way for the seasonal migration of rare Tibetan antelopes, endemic to the Tibetan Plateau.

Every June, pregnant Tibetan antelopes gather and trek to Zhuonai Lake or Taiyang Lake in the Hoh Xil area, where their young are born. A month later they return with their off spring to their original habitats.

The decision to suspend construction was made whe

Paralyzed monkey waits for operation
Doctors in this capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province are waiting for blood of the right type before operating on a paralyzed golden monkey in an attempt to restore movement to its limbs.

The 15-year-old male golden monkey, a rare species found only in China, was paralyzed when he damaged a number of vertebrae, said Li Liujin, a doctor with the Animal Centre of the Fourth Military Medical University, which has taken in the special patient.

The monkey was found in Ningshan,

Soft Drink Giant Shows Keen Interest in Beijing Olympics
Soft-drink giant Coca Cola, like other major sports sponsors, is keen to be engaged in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and in the various activities leading up to the event.

Coca Cola is discussing with the Chinese Committee of the International Olympic Committee to sponsor the torch relay which will start from Athens, go through the Himalayas and end in Beijing, Peter Franklin, worldwide director of Olympic Management for the Coca-Cola Company, said in Beijing recently while meeting wi

Cross-Straits routes must be domestic
Beijing on June 26 insisted that future sea and air routes across the Taiwan Straits should be regarded as domestic transportation routes once the three direct links are put in place.

This definition conforms to the mainland's principle that the three cross-Straits links are internal affairs within one country, said Li Weiyi, spokesman with the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.

The mainland has said that, provided that cross-Straits trade, transportation and mail services are

Multiplication Tables Exist in China 2,200 Years Ago
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed proof that the times tables were being drummed into the heads of pupils more than 2,000 years ago.

A set of multiplication tables engraved on a wooden tablet have been found at a historical site dating from the Warring States period (BC.475-BC.221), it was announced recently.

The 2,200-year-old tables were inscribed on a 22 cm-long and 4.5 cm-wide tablet, which was unearthed at Liyegu village of Longshan county in south China's Hunan province.<

10,000 Youth Perform for HKSAR Anniversary Celebration
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), some 10,000 musicians from China's mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan gave a concert here Tuesday night.

The concert titled "The Music of the Dragons" opened with a percussion piece, which aimed to set a new Guinness world record as a work performed by over 10,000 artists.

Rosanna Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong Organizing Committee of the concert, said they organized

Beijing kicks off Olympic logo contest
Beijing started the image-building process for the city's 2008 Summer Olympic Games by holding a colossal Olympic design conference Tuesday.

The two-day conference also marked the start of a design competition for an emblem for the 2008 Games.

"We are going to let the world share the charms of the Beijing Games through an outstanding designing job,'' said Liu Qi, Beijing mayor and president of the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

Almost all the top designers in th

China lifts foreign stake ceiling in airlines to 49%
China's civil aviation regulator announced yesterday that an industry regulation amended to give foreign investors wider access to China's aviation market will take effect on August 1.

A document from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) showed that foreign companies will be allowed to invest in all domestic airlines and that their share-holding limitations will be lifted to 49 per cent from the current 35 per cent.

The new regulation is being enacted to ena

Travel Pass Relaxed to Attract Visitors to Hong Kong
The eligibility criteria for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Travel Pass will be relaxed to enhance the mobility of business travelers to Hong Kong, according to the Immigration Department Monday.

To enable more business visitors to use the Travel Pass and to facilitate their travel convenience to Hong Kong, the department will relax the eligibility criterion of five trouble-free trips to three trips with effect from July 2, 2002, a spokesperson of the Immigration Depart

Tourists warned against dengue fever
China's quarantine authorities on July 3 warned travellers to and from the Republic of El Salvador to check or take precautions against dengue fever, which can lead to fatal haemorrhaging.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the Latin American country had registered 1,200 cases of dengue fever outbreaks, and 110 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever by mid-June, and that the international community is in a period when incidence of the disease is high in a number of countries.

To

Signatures Collected to Protect Ancient Village
A signing ceremony proposed by over 100 elderly villagers to protect an ancient village of world cultural heritage was recently held at Xidi Village, located at the foot of Mount Huangshan. Over 1,000 local farmers signed on the spot. Xidi Village appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and was placed on the list of World Cultural Heritage sites in November 2000. The village is famed for its three unique features -- memorial archways, ancient residences and temples. It now has 124 anci

Good Deed, French-style
In the Rongshui autonomous county of the ethnic Miao group in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the name of French woman Francoise Grenot is on the lips of local folks. With the help of Grenot, 1,100 needy school-age children from Danian and Liangzhai townships, both in Rongshui, 300 kilometers from the world-famous scenic city of Guilin, have been able to attend classes for six straight years with the completion of 11 new village schools. Grenot developed a keen interest in China at a

Afghan Vice President Assassinated in Kabul
Vice president Haji Abdul Qadeer of the Afghan Transitional Government was shot dead at 12:30 p.m. (local time) Saturday in Kabul. When the car carrying Qadeer, who was also the minister of the public works, came out of the gate of the Ministry of Public Works, two gunmen opened fire from a taxi three meters away. Qadeer and his driver were dead on the spot. The two killers ran away immediately after they opened fire. The black land-cruiser of the vice president crashed into the bounding wall of

One-card Consumption in Vogue
After suffering from the inconvenience involved in eating, finding accommodation and traveling during the past May Holiday and the National Holiday, people are changing their views on travel. One of the most prominent changes is that they no longer give much attention to the services provided by traditional travel agencies; instead, they intend to choose a kind of one-card service that combines eating, boarding, traveling and entertainment. According to some reports, the number of people investi

Beijing's Largest Park Invites Tenders for Design
Chaoyang (Rising Sun) Park in northeastern Beijing is inviting domestic and overseas architects to tender for the design of its entire layout.

Five million yuan has been allocated for the scheme, said Tian Jinxian, general manager of the park, recently.

The park, which is to be expanded from 72 hectares at present to 280 hectares, is located in Chaoyang District in the northeast of the city.

The park should be environmentally-friendly and the layout should make better use of

Forest Park Built on Gobi Desert in W. China Ningxia
A forest park has been built on the inhospitable Gobi Desert at Shizuishan City in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The park, covering a total of 266 hectares, took five years to complete with local farmers removing gravel from the surface, adding a layer of earth and planting trees.

More than 60 rare plants, such as agave and cactus, are growing in the 2,600-square-meter subtropical botanical hall.

Shizuishan, a coal city in the desert, has been undergoing t

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