Ancient castle opens to visitors in Guizhou province
A 745-year-old castle near Zunyi City in southwest China's Guizhou Province opened to visitors recently.
Hailongtun Castle is a well-preserved military installation of a type rarely found in China, said Yang Shengming, director of the Guizhou Provincial Tourist Bureau.
Built in 1257 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the castle is surrounded by the Longyan Mountains on the three sides, with only one narrow path through nine passes to the outside world.
It was the main battl
Shanghai residents to get passport without approval from work unit
From September 1, Shanghai residents can get a passport simply by presenting their identity cards and household registration documents to the exit-entry administration, and are no longer required to have the approval of their work unit.
This was announced here on August 29 by the Ministry of Public Security.
Gu Yonghe, deputy director of the Public Security Bureau of Shanghai, said Shanghai residents can directly go to the exit-entry offices to apply for private passports, or apply
Last Batch of Migrants Arrives in Shanghai
Ships carrying 500 Three Gorges residents arrived in Shanghai Sunday, the last of more than 125,000 people to be resettled far from their hometown in the area of the world's largest hydro-power project. A total of 1.13 million people will be relocated when the world's largest hydro-power is completed in 2009. "Most of the Three Gorges resettlers will be moved to safe places above the 175-meter line near the dam area," said Zhang Baoxin, a relocation official with the Three Gorges Construction Co
Englishmen in the Footsteps of the Long March
October 16, 2002 will mark the 68th anniversary of the Red Army's heroic Long March. This major strategic redeployment started in 1934 and reached the revolutionary base area in northern Shaanxi in 1935. The Red Army passed through eleven provinces and covered an amazing 6000 miles. It is on this historic date that two Englishmen Andrew McEwen and Ed Jocelyn will embark on an expedition to follow the full route of the Red Army. They plan to leave from Yudu in Jiangxi Province in southeast China
Separatist Diplomacy Doomed
Taiwan independence advocates recently strengthened the "beacon diplomacy" -- diplomatic offensive -- in an attempt to scramble for more "diplomatic space." In mid-August Taiwan "vice-president" Annette Lu paid a stealthy visit to Indonesia where she was snubbed. The Indonesian Government immediately re-affirmed its support of the one-China policy and its view that Taiwan is an integral part of China. On the same day that Lu left Indonesia, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry announced its ban on a
Israel Wouldn't Let Arafat Return
Israel will not allow Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to return to the West Bank if he leaves the area, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman said Monday. The Palestinians have approached Israeli authorities about the possibility of Arafat attending international conferences, Raanan Gissin said. "He's free to leave, but he's not free to come back," Gissin said the Palestinians were told. "We have considered Arafat irrelevant for some time, and many in the world are realizing that, too," Gissi
China to expand community health service in cities
China plans to set up a nationwide network of community-based health services in order to provide urban residents, especially the elderly, with more convenient and affordable health care.
The massive plan, initiated by the Ministry of Health (MOH), has won government backing, following a new inter-departmental decision to improve community health care.
Policies including the encouragement of enterprises and individuals to invest and operate community health stations are part of the
Beijing Red Cross gets int'l aid
Two Beijing-based Red Cross departments signed a cooperative agreement with the international SOS assistance center recently in an effort to offer professional medical and health care services to residents and overseas visitors.
The first group of ambulances, marked "SOS+999", were put into operation on August 27.
Patients can get swift medical attention by dialing the phone number "999" in Beijing. The system offers multilingual services for foreigners.
The cooperation will
24th International Congress of Mathematicians ends
The eight-day 24th International Congress of Mathematicians concluded here on August 28 with tributes from participants.
At the closing ceremony, John Palis, chairman of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), announced that John Ball, from the United Kingdom, was elected new chairman of the IMU at the 14th IMU General Assembly, which was held earlier in Shanghai.
Madrid, Spain, would host the next ICM from August 20 to 27, 2006, he announced.
Palis and Ball spoke highly
Navigational improvements needed on Sino-Russian border river
Chinese and Russian experts have called for joint efforts by the two governments to improve the navigational aids and facilities on their border river, known in China as the Heilong River (Black Dragon River).
This was proposed by the experts at seminars held recently in Tongjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, and the Russian city of Khabarovsk. The seminars were jointly sponsored by navigational authorities from both countries.
Participants agreed all water channels, ports and supp
Fujian sets 20-year plan for "ecological province"
East China's Fujian Province plans to invest at least 70 billion yuan (8.43 billion US dollars) in making it an "ecological province".
The plan is aiming for a sustainable development which achieves a balance in economic growth, environmental conservation and the use of natural resources within 20 years.
Announced by Fujian Governor Xi Jinpin in Beijing recently, the plan has been submitted to a national experts panel for discussion and professional advice.
Xi said Fujian ho
Chinese-made helicopter debuts in civil aviation
A Chinese designed and made helicopter debuted in the country's civil aviation sector in Beijing recently.
The helicopter, made by the Changhe Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, is a multi-functional lightweight model. By international standards it is a high quality product.
The helicopter, bought by China Central Television (CCTV), will be used for aerial filming and television broadcasting.
Bonsai originates from China, not Japan: expert
Su Yiji, executive vice-president of Bonsai Club International, said bonsai originated in China, not Japan as believed in Europe and American countries.
Su said recently he saw a bonsai fossil dating back 10,000 years in Shanghai, which indicated China's long history of bonsai.
"I also saw bonsai on a painting dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), featuring a woman carrying a bonsai," he said.
Bonsai -- the art of growing miniature trees -- actually spread to Japan from
Great ancient poet Du Fu commemorated in China
Various activities have been held across China and overseas to commemorate the 1290th birthday of Du Fu, one of the world-renowned poets of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
A meeting was held recently at Du Fu's "Thatched Cottage" in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan province, where Du Fu resided from the age of 47.
In addition, the 12th annual meeting to present research materials on Du Fu, a photographic exhibition and symposiums have been held to honor the great poet
Boeing delivers new plane to Chinese airlines
The first of 20 Boeing-737/800 passenger planes ordered by China Southern Airlines (CSA) from Boeing was delivered in Wuhan recently.
Robert K. Laird, vice-president of Boeing's China business group, said the purchase of the 20 planes was the biggest order by a Chinese airlines for one model of aircraft.
The plane could fly from Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, to any other city on the Chinese mainland on a non-stop flight, he said.
Technicians with the airl
Networking revolution lifts customs efficiency
Last year, Motorola (China) Electronics Co.,Ltd. spent over 2,000 workdays, or 17,480 hours, completing 4,370 customs procedures in China. Now the company can do the same amount of work in 2.5 workdays thanks to "networking".
The "networking revolution" which aims to replace paperwork with a computerised system, has greatly helped improve the efficiency of local customs offices.
For decades, exporters and importers had to record everything that went through customs in so-called "ma
Chinese tourism chain growing longer
A total of 17 tourist nations and domestic travel agencies have been pushing their wares at a five-day China International Tourism Exposition that ended on September 1, along with exhibitors from the aviation, advertising, insurance and banking industries.
China's tourism has extended from mere sightseeing and recreation to big business, said Zhang Guangrui, director of the Tourism Research Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
"Chinese outbound tourism has been deve
China to crack down on illegal construction in scenic areas
The Chinese government is to crack down on illegal construction projects in areas of high historical and cultural value and scenic areas, Minister of Construction Wang Guangtao said in Beijing recently.
Wang said at a national conference on the protection of national scenic areas that China would ban the sale of resources and land in scenic areas in any form or for any reason.
Private companies or enterprises would be prohibited from participating in the management and supervision
China to categorize tourism resources into 8 types: CNTA
China will adopt an appraisal system to define and categorize tourism resources into eight types starting this October.
The eight types are: land scenery, water scenery, biological scenery, meteorological and natural scenery, relic sites, construction and facilities, tourism commodities and human activities. Under each type, there are several sub-types.
The new system, jointly formulated by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the Geographic Science and Resources Re
A Stay in A Remote Shui Ethnic Village
The car flew along the expressway in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, bathed in mild sunshine, as we chatted and laughed happily. We had taken advantage of a long vacation to travel from Chengdu, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Rongjiang, in Southwest China's Guizhou Province. When we arrived at a small village along the way, dusk was already descending. Should we carry on to Rongjiang in the dark, or find an inn in the village? As we sat there trying to decide, we suddenly caught a
Koizumi DPRK Trip Holds Risks
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi risks a political backlash and damage to his public support if he fails to achieve any breakthroughs in his historic meeting later this month with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-il. But some analysts believe he would never have decided to travel to the state unless there were assurances of at least some progress on a raft of thorny issues. Koizumi, whose standing with the public has fallen in recent months, has told colleagu
A Stay in a Remote Shui Ethnic Village
The car flew along the expressway in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, bathed in mild sunshine, as we chatted and laughed happily. We had taken advantage of a long vacation to travel from Chengdu, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Rongjiang, in Southwest China's Guizhou Province. When we arrived at a small village along the way, dusk was already descending. Should we carry on to Rongjiang in the dark, or find an inn in the village? As we sat there trying to decide, we suddenly caught a
A Stay in A Remote Shui Ethnic Village
The car flew along the expressway in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, bathed in mild sunshine, as we chatted and laughed happily. We had taken advantage of a long vacation to travel from Chengdu, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Rongjiang, in Southwest China's Guizhou Province. When we arrived at a small village along the way, dusk was already descending. Should we carry on to Rongjiang in the dark, or find an inn in the village? As we sat there trying to decide, we suddenly caught a
Biotechnological industry develops rapidly in China
Biotechnology, first heard of in China some 30 years ago, has developed into a big industry in the country.
In 2000, the industry made sales worth 20 billion yuan (about 2.4 billion US dollars), compared with 260 million yuan (about 31 million US dollars) in 1986.
The central government invests 2.25 billion yuan (about 271 million US dollars) in biotechnology every year, according to Zhu Zhen, director of the Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He sai
China plans to build 100 digital cinemas
China intends building 100 digital cinemas in the next few years in an ambitious plan to top the world in its number of digital films, a government official said in Changchun recently.
Zhang Pimin, a vice-bureau chief of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said China had 13 digital cinemas already and the figure would reach 30 next year.
Addressing a seminar on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and China's film industry, in Jilin Province, northeast China, the
Manzhouli city marks centenary
Manzhouli City, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, has just celebrated its centenary.
Manzhouli, on the border with Russia, is the country's largest land port city. In 1992, the Chinese and Russian governments officially approved its status as an international land port.
About 60 percent of goods traded between China and Russia are transported via Manzhouli. Last year, imports and exports via the land port reached 7.3 million tons, and the number of people passin
Inland tourists most willing to spend money in Macao
China's inlanders were again the most generous tourists in Macao with per capita spending in the special administrative region (SAR) amounting to 2,605 patacas (325.63 US dollars) in the second quarter.
The figure nearly doubled the average for all visitors to the city, which stood at 1,370 patacas (171.25 dollars), the Statistics and Census Services said recently.
Visitors from Hong Kong, the largest tourist provider for Macao, spent a paltry 910 patacas (120.25 dollars) each on a
Coins commemorate classic Chinese novel
A set of gold and silver commemorative coins featuring a great classical Chinese novel, A Dream of the Red Mansions, is to be issued on Sept. 3, the People's Bank of China announced Monday.
The set of six includes one gold and five silver coins, all featuring a portrait of Cao Xueqin, author of the novel.
Their reverse sides feature designs drawn from well-known scenes in the novel.
The half-ounce gold coin has a face value of 200 yuan (about 24.18 US dollars), with 8,000 is
Hong Kong's district to attract visitors with culinary delights
A series of attractions and tourism-related activities are to be staged in Hong Kong's Kwun Tong District during September as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board "City of Life: Hong Kong is it!" tourism campaign.
Hong Kong Tourism Board Chairman Selina Chow made the announcement here on September 1 at the launching ceremony of the "Kwun Tong Tourism Month."
Kwun Tong is one of Hong Kong's earliest developed urban districts and home to the picturesque Lei Yue Mun fishing village, a
Paradise city' gets ready for 2002 event
West Lake, a unique natural feature of Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang Province, has become a selling point for the province to get better known by the rest of the world.
The provincial government, with support from 11 State departments and groups, such as the China National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Science and Technology, will hold the West Lake Expo 2002 from October 20 to November 10.
Wang Guoping, secretary of the Hangzhou Municipal Communi
Fujian province to host int'l tea expo
East China's Fujian province, home of the country's black tea, oolong and several other types of tea, is to host an international tea exposition from September 12 to 15.
Wu Jianhua, director of the Agricultural Department of Fujian provincial government, said the exposition was designed to promote exchanges and cooperation between China and other parts of the world in tea production and consumption.
Wu said the exposition would feature a number of exhibitions of high quality tea, t
Tibetan Culture Week to be held in Belgium, Canada
The "2002 China Tibetan Culture Week" will be held in Belgium and Canada from September 7 to 27, the Information Office of the State Council announced on Monday.
This is the first time for China to feature Tibet in large-scale cultural exchange activities in Europe and North America.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has extended his congratulations in a letter, calling the culture week a significant event for fostering cultural exchange between China, Belgium and Canada, which he said wo
Family planning has new law
The current family planning policy in China will maintain unchanged in order to achieve the goal of keeping the nation's population under 1.4 billion until at least the year 2010, Peng Peiyun, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, reiterated on August 30 in Beijing.
The current family planning policy, which encourages couples to marry late and have fewer children, has proven effective and should be adhered to in the years to come. She further said th
Green cards in use this year
China's "green card" system will be put into practice by the end of this year, said a senior Chinese police officer in charge of exit-entry administration here on August 29.
The "green card" regulations have been revised several times, said Hao Chiyong, head of the exit-entry administration of the Ministry of Public Security, adding that "relevant preparations have been done."
The "green card" will be granted to foreigners with senior management or technological expertise, and fore
Chinese girl runs across Tukutage desert in 1 hour
Gulzohra, a 26-year-old Chinese girl, braved the ruthless summer heat to run across the Tukutage desert in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on August 25.
Gulzohra took about one hour to run 12 kilometers across the desert which is located in the Turpan Basin. The Uygur girl started the adventure at 3:44 p.m. (Beijing time) on August 25 and reached her destination one hour later.
It was estimated that the air temperature was 45 degrees centigrade at the time while th
China-Japan joint women's mountaineering team arrive at Qowowuyag
The China-Japan joint women's mountaineering team, which left here on August 23 for climbing 8,201-meter-high Mount Qowowuyag, the sixth highest peak in the world, arrived at the main base camp about 4,950 meters above the sea level on August 25.
It is the first time for the Chinese and Japanese women's climbers to cooperate in conquering 8,000m-plus-high mount. And it is also the first time in world mountaineering history that a sheer women's team tries such a high peak.
The major
Chinese women's status rising steadily
Chinese women's political and social status has risen steadily over the past decade, but they still face serious obstacles, State Councillor Wu Yi said .
Wu, also director of the Women and Children Work Committee of the State Council, made the remarks in a report on the protection of women to the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC).
The presence of Chinese women in the political arena had become more common, and their personal rights
Former Athlete Wins Sporting Chance
Her skill on the floor, vault, balance beam and uneven bars earned her the respect of gymnasts in the world and the adoration of her many fans for several years. Now Mo Huilan is again demonstrating her poise and elegance the television studio. The 23-year-old is a new anchor on a TV sports show after studying for four years at Renmin University of China, one of the top Chinese universities in Beijing. The former world champion is hoping the challenge will prove as satisfying as life at the spor
China Plans to Aid Developing Nations on 2010 Shanghai World Expo
China plans to provide financial aid to developing countries recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their attending the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, said sources with the Shanghai bidding committee in Shanghai on Thursday. If Shanghai succeeds in its bid to host the 2010 World Expo, the Chinese government will allocate US$100 million to help some of the participating developing nations cover the costs incurred in renting, designing and constructing exhibition halls, transfe
China Plans to Aid Developing Nations
China plans to provide financial aid to developing countries recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their attending the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, said sources with the Shanghai bidding committee on Thursday. If Shanghai succeeds in its bid to host the 2010 World Expo, the Chinese government will allocate 100 million US dollars to help some of the participating developing nations cover the costs incurred in renting, designing and constructing exhibition halls, transferrin
Backgrounder: World Summit on Sustainable Development
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, due to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 4, is a follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It will focus on building commitment at the highest levels of government and society for actions to implement the Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan for achieving sustainable development adopted at the 1992 summit.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has recommended the Johannesburg summit focus on five
Environmental problem worldwide unreversed: PM says
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji warned Tuesday environmental degradation worldwide has gone on unreversed after 10 years of the Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit.
"While such long-standing problems as poverty, hunger, waste of resources and ecological destruction remain unresolved, abnormal climatic changes, fresh water shortage, spread of HIV/AIDS and other new threats have cropped up," Zhu said at the high-level segment of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.
"As economic globalization presses
Leaders meet to save the world
Saving the earth need not cost the earth.
That was the message spelled out by world leaders gathering in Johannesburg for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said action, not words, was necessary if the planet was not to suffer permanent damage that put human life at risk.
"The focus from now on must be on implementing the many agreements that have been reached," he said in an address to the opening session on Monday.
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China's "go-west" movement interests US governor
The Pacific Ocean proves to be no obstacle for two governors, one American, one Chinese, as they were united by their shared zest for their common goal: go west.
Frank Keating, governor of Oklahoma from the United States, came to northwest China's Gansu province for the 10th China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair which closed here on August 30.
Governor of Gansu, Lu Hao, felt honored and was more than happy to meet with Keating.
It was Keating's first trip to the northweste
Loan system finances 350,000 students
Around 350,000 college students in China have benefited from State-subsidized educational loans between the system's introduction in 1999 and the end of June this year, the Ministry of Education said on recently.
Banks have approved 3 billion yuan (US$362 million) of such loans to students, said Zhang Guangming, deputy-director of the ministry's National Centre for Student Loans.
In a bid to smooth the way for students from low-income families to go to university, China adopted a s
HK launches environment assessment scheme for buildings
Hong Kong is going to introduce a Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (CEPAS) to determine the green status of buildings.
A 4.18 million HK dollar (535,897 US dollars) consultancy study was commissioned recently to provide a user-friendly CEPAS that was tailor-made and applicable to all types of existing and new buildings in Hong Kong, according a spokesman for the Buildings Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).
As a tool, the CEPAS
China plans to conserve 8,000 more native plants over next 15 years:expert
Chinese scientists plan to transplant about 8,000 species of native plants for conservation in the coming 15 years, bringing the country's total number of conserved native plants to 21,000.
Huang Hongwen, director of the Wuhan-based Institute of Plants, which operates under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), revealed the plan in an article published by "Science" magazine.
Wyse Jackson, President of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, said the plan is
China to investigate soil erosion in Three Gorges Project
China will launch an investigation on soil erosion in the Three Gorges Project, according to the country's water resources officials.
The Water Resources Ministry has decided to conduct the investigation to aid in developing a feasible soil erosion control plan in the construction of the Three Gorges Project, said Xiong Tie, Deputy Director of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee.
The Three Gorges Project, which was undertaken in 1993 and is expected to be completed in 2009,
Taiwan scholars consulted on Tibet
The first General History of Tibet is being compiled by the China Tibetology Research Centre, and Lhapa Puntso, secretary-general of the centre, extended invitations recently to Taiwan Tibetologists to participate in the project.
Highly praising the achievements of Taiwan Tibetologists, Lhapa said their participation would be of great help in producing a "high-quality and complete" historical picture of Tibet, representing the highest level of Tibetological study.
His invitation, w
World's highest King Gesser bronze statue erected
A huge bronze statue of King Gesser has been erected in Dege county of southwest China's Sichuan province, which is said to be the birthplace of the legendary Tibetan hero.
The 10.8-meter high, 3.8-ton statue took six months to complete.
More than 2,000 Tibetan herdsmen attended the inaugural ritual of the statue. To the accompaniment of traditional Tibetan music and drums, a local Living Buddha presented a hada, a silk scarf symbolizing highest respect, to the statue. A group of l
Beijing lifts restriction on foreigners buying homes
Foreigners in Beijing on September 1 received the right to buy home as free as Beijingers.
The housing management department of the local government began as of September 1 a new practice which imposes no special restriction on foreigners buying homes in Beijing.
For more than eight years, commercial houses in Beijing were split into two categories: Houses for Beijingers and Houses for Outsiders.
Houses of the first category were developed by Chinese companies for sale to en
Big names on board for Zhuhai air show
The Fourth Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held November 4-10 this year at Zhuhai, a beautiful beach city in South China, sources with Zhuhai Airshow Co Ltd said on Tuesday.
Although international aviation manufacturing industries were hit hard by the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States last year, organizers said that thanks to two years of intensive promotion, the forthcoming Airshow China 2002 will feature more exhibitors and state-of-the-art exhibits than ever
Urban railway system trailed in Beijing
The trial western section of Beijing's first urban railway was put into operation Monday.
Connecting Huilongguan in the north and Xizhimen, at the western-northern juncture of the Second Ring Road, the trial section of the No 13 urban railway is expected to open to traffic on September 28. Testing will last until September 25.
Pulled by locomotives, a total of 30 electrical trains in 10 groups underwent testing at Huilongguan on September 2.
After equipment testing, the trai
Regulation set up to protect fossil resources
Excavating fossils without paleontologists' permission or using fossils for profit purpose will be taken net as illegal and those found doing so will be fined up to 30,000 yuan (3,600 US dollars) beginning upcoming October 1 this year.
This is specified a new regulation issued by the Ministry of Land and Resources, which is the first of its kind in China's history.
The regulation defines fossil resources as remnants or traces of forms of life existing 10,000 years ago, such as skel
Rare relics unearthed in northwestern China's ancient mausoleums
More than 300 rare, priceless cultural relics have been excavated in an ancient mausoleum site in northwestern China's Gansu province.
As one of the major mausoleum sites of ancestors of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 b.c.), the "Qinxi" mausoleum site, located in Lixian county in Gansu, consists of two sub-sites, one used for Emperor Qin Shihuang's unidentified ancestors, and the other for aristocrats.
The cultural relics are currently bein
Tomb of Qin Shihuang's ancestor found in NW China
Archeologists have confirmed a graveyard found eight years ago in northwest China's Gansu Province contains the first mausoleum of an ancestor of Emperor Qin Shihuang, who united China for the first time over 2,000 years ago.
Archeologists believe "Xiquanqiu" in Lixian County was the birthplace of the forefathers of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and the cradle of Qin culture.
The conclusion was consistent with historical record: the founder of the Qin Dynasty originally lived in "Xi
China to restore ancient mausoleum
Preparations are going well for the restoration of the 2,800 year-old Xichui Mausoleum in Lixian County, northwest China's Gansu Province.
Discovered on the Mount Dabaozi in 1993, the mausoleum is said to belong to the ancestors of Qinshihuang, the first emperor who unified China in 221 B.C.
A large number of relics have been excavated from the mausoleum.They include stone musical instruments, scraps of bronze utensils, a set of nine serial bells, which experts said are very precio
Tomb of first Emperor's ancestors discovered
The last resting places of the ancestors of Qin Shihuang - the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) - have been discovered on a mountain in Northwest China's Gansu Province.
The tombs were found on Dabaozi Mountain in Lixian County, which has been confirmed as the place named "Xiquan Qiu" and considered the origin place of the Qin people.
These people were recorded by Sima Qian of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) in his great works Historical Records.
The discovery w
New edition of best seller English Chinese dictionary to release shortly
A record 10 million copies of China's prestigious lexicon "A New English Chinese Dictionary" had been sold by June, topping sales of all bilingual dictionaries in China.
Its publisher, the Shanghai Translation Publishing House, is expected to release a second edition at the end of this month, according to China Press and Publishing Journal.
First published in 1975 after five years of compilation, the dictionary is acclaimed for its large number of entries, concise and comprehensive
SAFE to launch "policy statement" in English
The China State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) announced recently that it will launch next year an English version of the Statement of the SAFE, a periodical containing the country's latest foreign exchange policies.
A SAFE spokesman said this move aims to cater to the current situation and the requirements for China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), increase the transparency of policies and regulations and enable the general public to better understand and follo
Chinese Mainland cleaning up waterways
China has input several billion yuan of money to stop the sewage waste on the upper and middle reaches of the Pearl River from polluting the lower reaches of the river, especially the Macao Special Administrative Region.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the upper and middle reaches of the Pearl River have been rapidly urbanized and industrialized in recent years, leading to a rise in the amount of urban rubbish to the detriment of the land, rivers and atmosphere.
Refuse dump
Old "family" tree spotted by researchers
Forestry researchers conducting field investigation in Anyuan County of Jiangxi Province, east China, discovered a 500-year-old Chinese tallow tree which has been under the continuous care of a local farmer's family for 16 generations.
Researchers said recently it is uncommon for a Chinese tallow tree, known as Sapium sebiferum scientifically, to live beyond 100 years and thus this tree, at least 500, is truly a rarity.
The tree, about 15 meters tall with a 1.3 meter-diameter trunk
Foundations of ancient houses excavated in central China
Chinese archaeologists have discovered the foundations of a group of houses dating from the late Shang Dynasty (c.1300-1050 BC) in central China's Henan Province.
Covering nearly 50,000 sq m, the foundations are located on the southern verge of a protection zone where Yinxu, the ruins of the late Shang Dynasty capital, was unearthed.
Excavations at Yinxu have revealed tombs, palace and temple foundations, bronzes, jade carvings, lacquer, many inlaid items, white carved ceramics and
Asia's biggest strip coal mine to become forest park
Asia's biggest strip coal mine in Fushun in northeast China's Liaoning Province will close in 2007 after 93 years' service and a forestry park will be constructed on its site.
The Xilutian strip coal mine has produced 260 million tons of coal in the past 88 years. About 1.6 billion cubic meters of rock has been dug out and piled in three slag heaps nearby. One of these will be turned into the park and the other two will be covered with plants by 2015.
In recent years, the local gov
Beijing strives for "Green Olympics"
Now that the terrible odor has gone, my husband and I are finally able to enjoy the riverside's coolness and fresh air, said Zheng, an elderly woman living beside Beijing's Kunyu River.
Before the government took measures to clean it up, the river was severely polluted and stank in the summer, said Zheng.
The Kunyu River clean-up is a part of Beijing's great efforts over the past year to improve its environment and honor its pledge to host a "Green Olympics" in 2008.
Accordi
Heavy spending in reinforcement of embankments along Yangtze
China has spent 39.7 billion yuan (about 4.78 billion US dollars) in fortifying the embankments along the Yangtze River, the country's longest, since 1998, when major flooding on the river caused enormous losses in the Yangtze River Basin.
"As a result, the reinforced embankments, with a total length of 3,500 km, are still in good shape, despite the fact that this year's flood situation is quite similar to that in 1998," said Cai Qihua, head of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee
China cracks down on customs valuation fraud
China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) named on September 5 a list of businesses convicted of customs valuation fraud.
Starting with this move, Customs nation-wide was launching a special campaign against valuation fraud smuggling, Sheng Guangzu, GAC deputy director, said at the State Council Information Office in Beijing.
Customs valuation fraud had become a new trend in smuggling in China since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Sheng said. Especially aft
Service Industry Open up to Foreigners
Officials governing China's service sector have pledged to further open up the industry and better accommodate rising investment demands from foreign businesses seeking to gain from China's World Trade Organization (WTO) entry. "Since China joined the WTO and has enjoyed fast economic growth in recent years, its service trade has become a hot issue," Ma Xiuhong, vice-minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, said yesterday. She was addressing a seminar about opening up China's service
Full Text of Statement by NPC on EP Report
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress of China issued a statement Monday on a report by the European Parliament on Commission Communication on Europe and Asia. Full text follows:
Statement by NPC Foreign Affairs Committee on Report on Commission Communication on Europe and Asia: A Strategic Framework for Enhanced Partnerships Passed by European Parliament(September 9, 2002)
On September 5, the European Parliament (EP) passed a report on Commission Communic
Services Open up to Foreigners
Officials governing China's service sector have pledged to further open up the industry and better accommodate rising investment demands from foreign businesses seeking to gain from China's World Trade Organization (WTO) entry. "Since China joined the WTO and has enjoyed fast economic growth in recent years, its service trade has become a hot issue," Ma Xiuhong, vice-minister of foreign trade and economic co-operation, said yesterday. She was addressing a seminar about opening up China's service
China's first tiger-lion cub dies in Nanjing
China's first tiger-lion hybrid has died after one week of life, plunging quite a few residents in Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu province, pet fans in particular, into grief.
Veteran zookeeper Zhu Jialin, who cared for the cub, said the cub had begun to run a high fever at noon on Aug. 27, and medical workers did all they could to break the fever, reduce inflammation and transfuse medicines into the cub's body.
On Aug. 28, the fever was reduced temporarily, but climb
China's first tiger-lion cub born in Nanjing
A lioness has given birth to China 's first tiger-lion hybrid cub on August 22, which is now being suckled by a dog.
The cub was born with a lion body and tiger coloring after 112 days of pregnancy at Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
However the lioness, Tiantian, lacked maternal experience and posed wrongly to suckle the cub, before leaving her hungry offspring alone about eight hours after its birth.
A female black dog was introduced to th
China-made AIDS drug on sale
Kedu, the first China-made drug for treating AIDS, went on sale in tablet and capsule forms across China on September 1.
Kedu, produced by Northeast China Pharmaceuticals Group Company, is a legal imitation of AZT, the most effective anti-AIDS drug licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The patent protection period of AZT in China expired at the end of last year.
Kedu obtained a permit for domestic marketing from the State Drug Administration in early August. I
ROUNDUP: Hong Kong well placed to be Asia's leading cruise hub
Hong Kong is well placed to become the leading cruise hub in Asia, given its advantages of geographic location, spectacular harbor facilities and its reputation as the most popular tourist destination in the region.
According to a study on the cruise market in Hong Kong that released recently, Hong Kong recorded a total passenger throughput for non-Hong Kong residents of about 230,000 in 2001, 201,000 in 2000 and 132,000 in 1999, respectively.
The study, commissioned by the Hong Ko
Rolls-Royce, China Eastern Airlines sign fleet hour agreement
British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce said it has signed a 100 million US dollar contract with China Eastern Airlines for a 10-year fleet hour agreement covering the Trent 500 engines powering the airline's new fleet of Airbus A340-600s.
A press release from the world's second largest company said recently that China Eastern Airlines has ordered five of the aircraft, each of which carries up to 380 passengers and has a range of 7,700 miles (about 12,389 km), allowing them to fly trans
Fair ends with clinching of contracts in Tumen River area
The three-day Tumen River Area International Investment and Trade Fair ended recently in Yanji City, capital of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (YKAP) in northeast China's Jilin Province, with clinched contracts totaling743 million US dollars.
The fair, the third of its kind, attracted a total investment of 1.165 billion US dollars.
Organizers say the fair aims to promote the economic planning and development of the Tumen River region. Over 3,000 businessmen from 15 countries
Sick giant panda out of danger
Basi, a 22-year-old giant panda, has been saved from the breakdown of high blood pressure in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian Province.
Born in Sichuan Province, Basi has long been a star as he visited the United States in 1987 and attended the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, which had adopted the giant panda as its mascot.Basi also attended CCTV's Spring Festival evening gala in 1991.
Basi was diagnosed with high blood pressure in March, 2001. No such case had ever been see
Beijing sets up sound-proof screen to reduce road noise
Residents that live on the Fourth Ring Road in Beijing will no longer be harassed by traffic noise especially at night as sound insulating windows and a 22,000-square-metre sound-proof protective screen will be installed by the end of this year.
The noise that affects nearly 60,000 residents will be cut by 30 decibels through the use of sound-proof equipment, according to Zhou Zhengyu, chief economist at the Beijing Highway Connection Line Co.
Zhou's company is the builder of the F
Chinese, Japanese women celebrate Sino-Japanese friendship in Beijing
Over 460 Japanese women are attending a three-day celebration activity in Beijing together with Chinese women to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties.
Headed by Takako Doi, member of the House of Representatives of Japan and leader of the Japanese Social Democratic Party, the group of Japanese guests attended the opening of the celebration activity on September 8 at the Chinese Women's College, together with over 200 college staff persons and student
International sculpture show opens in Beijing
An international sculpture show featuring 242 sculptures from around the world opened on September 7 at the Beijing International Sculpture Park.
Among those attending the opening ceremony were Jia Qinglin, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Liu Qi, Mayor of Beijing.
The 242 sculptures on display were selected from 2,400 applications sent from 62 countries and regions in response to the invitations sent by the organizing committe
Shanghai's boomtown becomes tourist destination
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Jinmao Plaza and Shiji (Century) Boulevard all add to the splendor of Shanghai's Pudong New District that has drawn visitors from around the world.
Latest statistics show that Pudong received 7.34 million visitors in the first half of this year, including 180,000 from overseas, 62 and 48 percent more than the same period last year, respectively.
The income from tourism topped 1.5 billion yuan (180 million USdollar
Macao expects more mainland visitors
Macao, the beautiful city with a multiculture, will expect more Chinese mainland travelers, said visiting Director of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government Tourist Office Manuel Costa Antunes in Beijing.
He said, the mixture of Chinese and Portuguese cultures has become an attraction for mainland visitors. Twelve local South European style churches and courtyards with over 400 years of history have been singled out to apply for the World Culture Heritage.
China Nationa
China international investment, trade fair opens in Xiamen
The four-day sixth China International Fair for Investment and Trade opened in this east China city on September 8.
More than 240 foreign economic groups and organizations as well as some 20 famous multinational companies including General Electric, Exxon Mobile and Motorola are attending the fair.
Besides exhibitions, 28 seminars and forums will be held concurrently with the fair.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) of China, the eve
26 Chinese hotels chosen as "Asia's Best":CNTA
Some 26 hotels on China's mainland were selected as "Asia's Best Hotels", according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
Some 23 of the 26 hotels are in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Beijing is home to twelve. Twenty-three five-star, two four-star and one two-star hotels made the list.
"Asia's Best Hotels" was one of the categories in a customer survey in which some 183 hotels were selected from 162 countries on the basis of hotel price, facilities, dining enviro
Guangxi Cleans Up Cross-border Tourism
South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region launched a crackdown on tourism malpractice along its border with Vietnam on Tuesday. The crackdown this month targets cheats, negligence and defaults on payments by travel agencies. Offenders face fines or having their business operations suspended. Guangxi and Vietnam share a 1,020-km land border. Tourism alongthis border has boomed in recent years and currently 96 travel agencies in Guangxi, one third of the region's total, handle tourism across
US Sees High Risk of Attack
The Bush administration raised the nationwide terror alert to its second-highest level, closed nine US embassies overseas and heightened security at federal buildings and landmarks in America as new intelligence warned of car bombings, suicide attacks and other strikes linked to the September 11 anniversary. Americans were urged Tuesday to be alert but unbowed - go to work, to school, on trips - despite specific threats against US interests abroad and less credible concerns that terrorists might
Chinese scientists cultivate twin calves of different breeds
Scientists in southwest China Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recently succeeded for the first time in producing twin buffaloes of different breeds, using artificial insemination and embryo implantation.
Huang Youjun, a research fellow with the Guangxi buffalo research institute, said with artificial insemination and embryo transfer, a cow had given birth in the institute a week ago, to twin buffaloes, one a Nili-Ravi purebred and the other a Crossbred Murrah, after 300 days of pregnancy
Hannover mayor on prospects of Shanghai bid for 2010 World Expo
Dr. Herbert Schmalstieg, mayor of Hannover, Germany, during a visit to Shanghai's Tongji University recently`, predicted that Shanghai, with its vitality and economic opportunities, would possibly win its bid to host the 2010 World Expo.
Dr. Schmalstieg, who had been invited to Tongji University to receive the title of Honorary Professor, made the remarks as he addressed some 100 students at Tongji.
Dr. Schmalstieg emphasized the opportunities presented by the expo, noting that Han
Coca-Cola eyes western China
Coca-Cola China Beverages has announced to increase investment in western Chinese cities.
Coca-Cola company, confident of the investment environment and potential in the west, would invest several hundred million yuan in building new bottling plants in southwest China's Guizhou province, and northwestern Gansu province and Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region and enlarging existing plants, said Nick J. Moore, regional manager of the company.
Coca-Cola would localize production and sal
Ancient tomb with intact frescos unearthed in N. China
A tomb with intact murals, which is said to have been built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), has been unearthed by Chinese archaeologists in north China's Hebei Province.
Archaeologists said this is the first time that an ancient tomb with intact frescoes and a definite date of construction has ever been excavated in Hebei.
The almost round tomb, situated beside an overpass on Huayang Road, Zhuozhou City, has brightly-colored murals on all its walls and inscriptions on the west and
Ancient Mongolian servitude contract discovered
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a contract written in Mongolian and signed by a man whose poverty forced him into voluntary servitude.
The contract was discovered in the Dunhuang Grottos in northwest China's Gansu Province.
Only seven lines of words written in ink are still legible. As well as the poor man, the contract was signed by his buyer, a noble man, and a witness, an official named Dalu Huachi. All three were Mongolian.
As the contract bears the signature of bo
Residents relocated to protect ancient Chinese city
Hundreds of students in the ancient city of Pingyao in north China began the school year recently in new school buildings outside the city walls.
Moving three primary schools and two kindergartens out of the city zone is the beginning of the grand relocation campaign to protect Pingyao, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Shanxi Province.
More than 20,000 downtown residents of the city which has a history of over 2,700 years, will be relocated within four years to new communities to
China, most preferred destination of foreign investment: minister
China has made significant progress in attracting foreign investment, said Shi Guangsheng, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.
At the opening of the 2002 International Investment Forum in Xiamen on September 8, the minister said in the first seven months of this year, 18,526 new foreign-invested enterprises were approved in the country, up 31.8 percent; the contractual foreign capital topped 54.35 billion US dollars, up 31.8 percent; and the actually utilized foreign capit
Three Gorges Project to generate power in 2003
China's Three Gorges Project will start generating power in August next year, according to Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation.
The company announced recently that the No. 2 and No. 5 generating units will start production first, followed by the No. 3 unit in two months and the No. 6 unit in three months. The four units will yield a total of 5.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2003.
Located in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, the Three Gorges
Anniversary of world's tallest Buddha marked
A three-day, exceptionally-grand ceremony began on Sept.1 to mark the 1,200th anniversary of completion of the world's tallest Buddha statue, commonly known as the "Leshan Buddha".
Huang Mingquan, mayor of Leshan city, in southwestern Sichuan province, said the function was designed to tell younger generations more about Leshan Buddha and encourage them to contribute more to protect the statue.
The solemn event has drawn nearly 2,000 honorable guests, including officials from Unite
Wildlife well protected in Tibet's nature reserve
The Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of southwest China, has become a wildlife paradise thanks to the protection efforts of the local government and people.
Established in 1988, the state-level nature reserve is now home to 2,348 higher plants, 53 mammal species, 206 kinds of birds, eight amphibian species, six reptile species and 10 breeds of fish. Among these are 10 plant and 33 animal species under the top level of state protection.
Covering 33,000 s
Tibet's centenarians set record
Most days when she wakes up in the early morning, 101-year-old grandmother Yuzhoin takes a little kettle of buttered tea with her as she walks around a stupa in her village singing Buddhist sutras.
Yuzhoin, who lives in Lhamu Village of Zhangdo Township in Dagze County, is one of 116 centenarians in the Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China.
"I have never used a pen in my life," she says. "I've just used spades, and I know when to plant crops and when to harvest." But she does n
People and their environment co-exist harmoniously in Tibet
In China's Tibet Autonomous Region, local people have a natural tendency to protect wildlife and the environment.
Tibet's Laru Swamp, 6.2 square kilometers wide, is home to over10,000 wild ducks, while over 1,000 black-necked cranes will live just the south of Yarlung Zangbo River this winter.
"It's our duty to protect rare species from poaching, " said Doje, a villager in Jidexiu County. He is just one of many local people who volunteer to protect wildlife from harm from tourists
China's Civil Aviation Takes off
Growth within China's civil aviation sector has soared since September 11, while the rest of the global industry has not yet recovered from the impact of the year-old terror strikes. The country's air industry generated profits of 480 million yuan (US$57.8 million) in the first eight months of the year, with passenger traffic rising by 11 percent year-on-year, the civil aviation regulator revealed yesterday. This is in sharp contrast with Europe and North America, where air traffic nose-dived by
EP's Taiwan Stance Detrimental
In the Report on Commission Communication on Europe and Asia: A Strategic Framework for Enhanced Partnerships passed by the European Parliament (EP) last Thursday, Taiwan was named as a "country." Moreover, the report advocated support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) and involving Taiwan in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the name of so-called multilateral cooperation with Asia. It also called on European Union (EU) states to issue travel visas to Chen Shui-bi
Asia Experiences Less Impact of Sept.11
The terrorist attacks on the United States a year ago has not altered the business and economic climate in Asia as much as it has in other part of the world, especially the United States and Europe. Observers in Hong kong believed that Sept. 11 has had surprisingly little effect on Asia, apart from Pakistan. Indeed, they said, Asia in many ways has experienced less change than the United States and Europe. For the most heavily-hit airline industry, it was true that passengers simply stopped flyi
Macao to promote "Tourism Week"
The "Macao Tourism Week" is set to be launched from Sept. 5 to 16, consisting of a series of activities aimed to promote tourism business and lure visitors.
Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), told a press conference recently that an MGTO delegation will soon pay a visit to the China National Tourism Administration in Beijing to illustrate the most updated condition of the Macao tourism industry and introduce to the inlanders the latest tourism pr
Urumqi trade fair to draw big investments
Development of northwestern China will get a big boost with the Urumqi Trade Fair being held in the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The 11th annual fair is expected to witness the signing of contracts for 16 overseas-funded projects and 178 domestically funded projects. The projects will be worth more than 12 billion yuan (about 145 US dollars), according to the fair's organizers.
Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National P
Tsingtao beer to be produced in Taiwan
A brewery capable of producing 100,000 tons of Tsingtao beer, one of China's most famous beer brands, will be built at Kaohsiung in Taiwan, under an agreement signed recently between the Tsingtao Brewery Company Ltd. and a Taiwanese firm.
Tsingtao beer made its debut in Taiwan last April. By the end of last month, 21,000 kilolitres of the beer had been sold in Taiwan, some 7.5 percent of total beer sales on the local market.
Analysts say Tsingtao beer enjoys great advantages over f
Shanghai set to become world's second largest port
Shanghai Port is expected to become the world's second largest port after Singapore with its annual freight topping 250 million tons by the end of the year.
The port of Shanghai handled a record 125 million tons of cargo in the first six months of the year, up 17.2 percent on a year-on-year basis. Its annual freight is set to reach 250 million tons, approaching Singapore's volume for 2001.
The number of containers handled by Shanghai Port totaled 3.84 million in the first half of t
China to hold 4th International Aviation Aerospace Exhibition
China is expected to hold the fourth China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China 2002) in the city of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong province from November 4 to 7.
Airshow China 2002, the only professional airshow approved by the Chinese government, will feature an aircraft show, trade negotiations, and academic exchanges.
More than 100 leading international aeronautic and aerospace firms from 26 countries have decided to attend, including giants such as
Japanese calligraphy exhibited in Beijing
A six-day exhibition of poetry and calligraphy works by Japanese calligrapher Houson Ando opened in Beijing recently.
Ando is an artist well known for his poems, calligraphy and inscription. In the past 20 years, he has traveled throughout China and Japan and translated what he has seen and thought into old-style Chinese verses, presented in the form of calligraphy and engravings. He has staged or participated in many exhibitions in both China and Japan and contributed greatly to cultural
China sets up Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company, was officially founded by the Chinese Government recently in this capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province.
The state-owned firm will be responsible for the construction and operation of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the first rail route linking southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region with the rest of the country.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company (QTRC) will be administered directly by the Ministry of Railways and will be held responsible for
Classic Peking opera revived through modern videotaping
China has finished a 17-year project to videotape 355 Peking opera classics by the end of August.
This was announced at the project's final meeting attended by Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, who proposed and masterminded the project.
The videotaping is made by integrating the singing of 47 prominent Peking Opera artists, mostly recorded from the 1940s to the 1960s, with performances by their younger-generati
Shanghai FMs issue statement on 9/11 anniversary
Foreign ministers of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) issued a statement Wednesday on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 Incident. Following is the translation:
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 Incident, we reiterate strong condemnations against this terrorist act, and once again express condolences to the deceased and sincere sympathy to the victims and their relatives.
This incident has caused the international community to s
First China-Japan cargo air route opens
The first all-cargo air route between China and Japan, a Tianjin-Tokyo service, opened on Wednesday morning.
At 10:55 a.m., an All Nippon Airways Boeing-767 cargo plane landed at the international airport in north China's Tianjin City,marking the official opening of the route.
According to the airport, there is one flight on this route every Wednesday until September 24. Flights increase to two a weekbetween September 24 and October 26, then three a week.
All the flights wil
China's reunificatiuon theme of ethnic celebration
A big celebration for ethnic groups from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan is to be held in Beijing at the Chinese Nationalities Museum on the evening of September 20 to mark the Mid-autumn Festival.
The event is expected to be China's largest gathering of ethnic groups, according to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) officials.
Well-known actors and actresses from ethnic groups in Beijing and their Taiwanese counterparts will perform at the party. About 2,000 people will att
China plans new investment to expand Genghis Khan Temple
China is going to invest 220 million yuan (26.5 million US dollars) to expand the Genghis Khan Temple in Ulan Hot, a city in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the only temple in the world which commemorates the hero in China's history.
Wu Yingjie, curator of the Genghis Khan Temple, said the Hong Kong-based World Chinese Advancement Association would provide the funds for the expansion project, in accordance with a recently-signed agreement between the Ulan Hot city governmen
Macao to build science center
Initial planning is well under way for the Macao Science Center, a multi-billion-pataca project targeted to be not only a showcase of technical advances, but a study center for students and a new tourist spot.
A source with the Macao Foundation told Xinhua that the Foundation will pay designing fees totaling 3.3 million US dollars for the project. In addition, local government will cover the cost of construction work and exhibit purchases, estimated at 600 million to 700 million patacas (
China's science center popular
Thousands of Chinese flock to China Science and Technology Exhibition Center to catch up with the latest sci-tech development, outnumbering travelers to famous scenic spots, reported Beijing Youth Daily recently.
Statistics cited by the newspaper show the number of visitors to the Beijing-based center amounted to 1.4 million last year since the second phase of the center was completed.
The figure surged to 610,000 in the first half of this year. The record high came on July 20 when
Inner Mongolia Pastures Attract Tourists
The green pastures of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are attracting a growing number of visitors this year. According to local sources, the number of tourists to this northern Chinese region increased in July and August by 20 percent from the same period last year. Bater, general manager of the Inner Mongolia branch of China Youth Travel Service, said that his agency alone received more than 5,000 tourists in the first eight months of the year, up 20 percent from the same period last year. Mos
Visitors Flock to North China's Inner Mongolia
The green pastures of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are attracting a growing number of visitors this year. According to local sources, the number of tourists to this northern Chinese region increased in July and August by 20 percent from the same period last year. Bater, general manager of the Inner Mongolia branch of China Youth Travel Service, said that his agency alone received more than 5,000 tourists in the first eight months of the year, up 20 percent from the same period last year. Mos
Philippine President Calls for Stronger Trade Links with China
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Saturday called for stronger trade links with China and urged Chinese businessmen to make more investments in her country. In a meeting with Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, who is on an official visit here, President Arroyo said trade between the two countries is growing and China is now one of the major trading partners of the Philippines. China's accession to the World Trade Organization has provide
Thriving Ethnic Culture
The China Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe is seen as the cradle for many ethnic artists in China. It has produced many singers and dancers who are active in China's cultural scene today. They include Mongolian singers Dedema and Tenger, the ethnic Bai dancer Yang Liping, and pride of the Yi people, singer Qubi Awu to name just a few. Many Han artists have also become well known for their ethnic singing and dancing through this troupe. Recently, they came together to celebrate the troupe's 5
HK Sees Flocks of Mainland Visitors
The number of people travelling between China's mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has increased by leaps and bounds since the beginning of the year, producing unexpected economic benefits for both sides. The HKSAR government's issuing of multiple visas to mainlanders and the removal of Hong Kong's tour quota by mainland authorities early this year pushed the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong to a record. More than 3.4 million mainland people crossed the bord
HK Sees Flocks of Mainland Visitors
The number of people travelling between China's mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has increased by leaps and bounds since the beginning of the year, producing unexpected economic benefits for both sides. The HKSAR government's issuing of multiple visas to mainlanders and the removal of Hong Kong's tour quota by mainland authorities early this year pushed the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong to a record. More than 3.4 million mainland people crossed the bord
Change of Chinese people's Lives: Facts and Figures
The Chinese people have experienced drastic progress in their lives in the past decade. They have become better off, just as the following facts and figures show: I. Rising income Facts: At the beginning of China's opening-up in the late 1970s,anyone considered rich was called "a person with 10,000 yuan (US$1,205). That title is outdated as such people are too common to stand out, especially in cities and towns. Rapid economic growth has amazed the world for over two decades and multiplied perso
China, Australia strengthen cooperation in fighting AIDS
China and Australia have made progress in HIV/AIDS prevention and care cooperation, and Australia wishes to promote cooperation with China in health, environmental protection and education, an Australian official said recently.
Australian Ambassador to China David Irvine, who is currently studying an HIV/AIDS prevention and care project jointly initiated by China and Australia, made the remark during a visit to an AIDS intervention pilot community near Urumqi, capital city of northwest Ch
China's largest shipyard under construction in Qingdao
A shipyard, believed to be the largest of its kind in China, is currently under construction at Haixiwan Gulf in Qingdao, in east China's Shandong province.
The shipyard will have the designed capacity to repair 206 ships and build new ships with a total volume of 2 million dead weight tons (dwt) annually.
Covering an area of 260 hectares, the shipyard is equipped with two deep-water wharves, each 4,000 meters in length, with the capacity to accommodate six 300,000-dwt vessels, two
Island province in south China to be linked by railway
Hainan, an island province in south China, is expected to greet the first train from the mainland at the end of this year, the China Economic Times reported recently.
Hainan Island and the mainland are separated by the Qiongzhou Strait. People traveling to the island have to take a ferry or plane.
The State Council approved a feasibility report on building the country's first cross-strait railway line in August 1998. The project will cost 4.5 billion (542 million US dollars) jointl
WWF joins hands with central China province in wetland protection
A memorandum on wetland protection has been signed recently between the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) and central China's Hubei Province at a forum in this capital city of Hubei Province.
The memorandum's signing marks the start of cooperation between the two sides in protecting the abundant wetland resources in Hubei Province, located in the middle of the Yangtze River and famous for its thousands of lakes, said WWF official James Harkness.
A number of wetlands in Hubei have be
Tianjin takes lead in expressway density
Tianjin Municipality in north China now leads the country in terms of expressway density, with six expressways totaling 305 km in length at a density of 2.56 km per 100 square km.
Tianjin is the biggest port city in north China. In recent years, the local government has made highway construction a priority, investing six billion yuan (723 million US dollars) annually in this field.
Its efforts have paid off with a complex expressway network linking Tianjin to almost all its neighbo
Airbus expects to sell 555-seat plane to China for Olympics
European plane manufacturing consortium Airbus expects China to buy the 555-seat Airbus A380 for the 2008 summer Olympic Games.
Travellers heading to the Beijing event will be excited by flying in an A380 owned by a Chinese airline, Airbus China President Guy McLeod said.
"We believe that A380 will be the most efficient carrier to bring tens of thousands of athletes and sports fans worldwide to Beijing in 2008," he said.
The response of the Chinese civil aviation to Airbus'
China international tea festival opens in Fuzhou
The 2002 China International Tea, Tea Sets and Tea Culture Festival opened on September 12 in Fuzhou the capital city of east China's Fujian's Province.
A total of 210 domestic and foreign tea enterprises are taking part in the four-day event, displaying tea, tea drinks, tea sets, tea packaging, tea making machines and traditional Chinese tea culture.
The festival will feature a variety of forums, negotiations, auctions and tea shows to promote tea trade and tea cultural exchanges,
Int'l photo festival to open in Pingyao, Shanxi province
Preparations are well under way for the second international photography festival scheduled for mid September in Pingyao, a town with a history of over 2,700 years in north China's Shanxi Province.
The aim is to attract more visitors from all over the world to the ancient town, which was listed as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1997.
The first festival last year pulled in more than 4,000 participan
Guangxi cleans up cross-border tourism
South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region launched a crackdown on tourism malpractice along its border with Vietnam recently.
The crackdown this month targets cheats, negligence and defaults on payments by travel agencies.
Offenders face fines or having their business operations suspended.
Guangxi and Vietnam share a 1,020-km land border. Tourism along this border has boomed in recent years and currently 96 travel agencies in Guangxi, one third of the region's total, ha
China's largest state park pursuiting world heritage title
China's largest state park in the run for world heritage title
Mountains, glaciers, rare plants and animals are some of the beauteous wonders of the Three Parallel Rivers National Park, which southwest China's Yunnan Province is hoping to see listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The China National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) submitted the necessary documents to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee early this year for
Backgrounder population of Tibet
Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is home to the greatest concentration of the country's Tibetan people.
Statistics show that the number of Tibetans in Tibet has grown steadily since the region's peaceful liberation in 1951. Tibetans have always made up over 90 percent of local population.
Tibet's government recorded a total population of one million in 1953 when China held the first national census, according to the data provided by the Lhasa-based Archives of the Tibet Au
New generation of Tibetans prefer fewer children
Dexen, 47, an ethnic Tibetan farmer, is mother to 13 children. But she did not originally intend to have so many children.
Dexen, who lives in the rural part of Nedong County in the Shannan Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China, decided some years ago to take birth control measures after she had three children. But doctors found she was already pregnant with her fourth child.
After giving birth she went for a routine medical examination, and was found to be pregnan
Tibetans see fastest population growth in history
The air is thin up on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, but the population growth keeps strong, despite the fact that its inhabitants dwell at an average altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level.
In fact, China's Tibet Autonomous Region, located on the plateau that is referred to as "the roof of the world", has for the past decades witnessed its fastest population growth in history.
The population of Tibet has now reached 2.615 million, 92.2 percent of whom are ethnic Tibetans, accordin
Ethnic Tibetans remain majority in Tibet
A high-ranking official of Tibetan origin recently rejected foreign media reports of "ethnic Han people's assimilation of Tibet" as an "absurdity."
Legqog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, noted that ethnic Tibetans have always made up more than 90 per cent of the region's total population.
The chairman was responding to reports that the Chinese central government had recently relocated a large number of Han people to Tibet and that ethnic Tibetans would soon become a minor
5 Travel Agents Held for Fraud
Five local travel agents could be packing their bags for a lengthy time off in prison following allegations they fraudulently exchanged US$9.93million worth of renminbi into foreign currency and evaded 1.37 million yuan in taxes. The scheme,which went on for at least three years,was masterminded by Wang Gang,the executive mana-ger of a local travel agency,according to police spokeswoman Fang Ding-hua,who did not identify the agency. Fang alleges that Wang used his position to fabricate lists of
Eco-tourism Volunteers Take to the Hills
Crossing over a patch of pasture land in quick strides, Eric Delvin, from Evergreen State College in Washington, soon began trekking along a narrow trail. It was raining and the drizzle made the uphill trail slippery, but Delvin was unfaltering in his stride. Following a series of wooden steps that had been installed just a few days or even hours earlier, he arrived at an open vista no more bigger than two square meters. "This is the first stop on the interpretative trail that we are building on
Eco-tourism Volunteers Take to the Hills
Crossing over a patch of pasture land in quick strides,Eric Delvin, from Evergreen State College in Washington, soon began trekking along a narrow trail. It was raining and the drizzle made the uphill trail slippery, but Delvin was unfaltering in his stride. Following a series of wooden steps that had been installed just a few days or even hours earlier, he arrived at an open vista no more bigger than two square metres. "This is the first stop on the interpretative trail that we are building on
5 Travel Agents Held for Fraud
Five local travel agents could be packing their bags for a lengthy time off in prison following allegations they fraudulently exchanged US$9.93million worth of renminbi into foreign currency and evaded 1.37 million yuan in taxes. The scheme,which went on for at least three years,was masterminded by Wang Gang,the executive mana-ger of a local travel agency,according to police spokeswoman Fang Ding-hua,who did not identify the agency. Fang alleges that Wang used his position to fabricate lists of
Beijing Language university celebrates 40th birthday
A joyous celebration was held on September 6 in Beijing to mark the 40th birthday of the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), China's leading teaching center of the Chinese language and culture for foreign students.
The ceremony also honored the 52nd anniversary of Chinese language instruction for foreign students.
In a congratulatory letter addressed to the celebration, President Jiang Zemin praised the conscientious efforts and achievements the university had made in p
Beijing Normal University undergoing transformation in the face of competition
Beijing Normal University, known as the "pioneer of China's teacher-training colleges," is poised to kick-off a strategic transformation plan as part of its centenary anniversary this year.
The university plans to develop integrated study programs that will set it apart and help it achieve world fame by 2015, when it will begin focusing on research activities.
"The university is under pressure to get in line with the standards for collegiate teacher training worldwide and for educa
Chinese President urges innovation in education
Speaking at a high-profile centenary celebration for Beijing Normal University September 8 in Beijing, Chinese President Jiang Zemin called for the energetic advancement of innovations in education to cultivate high-quality talent for China's economic and social development.
Jiang attended the celebration along with other senior Chinese leaders Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing.
At the beginning of his speech, Jiang expressed his warm congratulations to
China returns reclaimed land to wilderness
Once again red-crowned cranes fly overhead and Manchurian tigers roam on the plain of Heilongjiang, Songhua and Wusuli Rivers in northeast China, thanks to efforts to reconvert farmlands back to forests, grasslands and wetlands.
A paradise for wildlife about five decades ago, the river plain in the Beidahuang (or Great Northern Wilderness) area, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, were turned into a grain production base in the latter half of the 20th century when the country stro
KFC chain stores over 700 in China
Tricon Global Restaurant Inc., a US-based fast food giant, announced on September 12 it has opened more than 700 Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) chain stores in China.
"KFC opened 100 chain stores in China in the first nine years after it entered China in 1987. But the year 2002 has seen the number of KFC chain stores jump from 600 to 700 within only seven months," J. Samuel Su, president of Tricon in China, told Xinhua.
He also noted that the growth rate of KFC in China was an intern
Beijing to repair Qing Dynasty theater
Beijing's cultural authorities have decided to renovate Yangping Theater, the city's largest Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) theater in existence.
The theater, first built in 1802 by businessmen from more than 20 counties in Shangxi Province, is now used as a storehouse for a pharmacy.
The whole renovation project will take two or three years at the cost of more than 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars). When completed, the building will return to its former function as a theater, acc
Protection urged for ethnic folk songs
Huangdaichen, a beautiful folk song sung for generations by the Yugur people, an ethnic group living in northwest China's Gansu Province, is in danger of dying out since the recent death of its last singer, Tuo Yuyue.
Tuo was believed to be the only person in the ethnic community who could sing the song completely in the Yugur language.
"Huangdaichen" is only one of a range of Yugur folk songs on the verge of vanishing.
Studies show that in terms of melodies and form, Yugur
Tourism industry grows rapidly in Macao
Tourist arrivals in Macao by group soared a year-on-year 47 percent in the first seven months of this year, led by a skyrocketing increase of tourists from China's inland.
The Statistics and Census Services posted recently that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) had 1.25 million group tourists in the seven-month period.
In July alone, 120,300 inland tourists visited Macao, jumping 71.4 percent from a year earlier. Other major tourist sources for the city include China's Taiwan
HK Post announces stamp issuing program for 2003
The Hong Kong Post announced on September 12 the issuing program of nine special stamps and other associated stamp products in 2003.
The 2003 special stamp issues will cover a series of new and innovative designs including the soon-to-be-opened Hong Kong Disneyland, traditional trade and crafts, miniature landscapes, pet fishes, the popular Chinese percussion instruments and waterbirds.
The Hong Kong post said the attractive world heritage in the Chinese mainland will be depicted f
Beijing Capitial Airport tries to rein in bloated prices
Beijing Capital International Airport will lower the prices of commodities on sale there from the start of October, the English-language newspaper China Daily reports recently.
With the move, the sky-rocketing prices at the airport are expected to be brought down to a reasonable level.
Li Peiying, president of the airport, was quoted as saying that an airport food supplement company would take over all the food outlets at the airport beginning on October 1, when the leases with the
China plans to aid developing nations on 2010 Shanghai World Expo
China plans to provide financial aid to developing countries recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their attending the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, said sources with the Shanghai bidding committee here recently.
If Shanghai succeeds in its bid to host the 2010 World Expo, the Chinese government will allocate 100 million US dollars to help some of the participating developing nations cover the costs incurred in renting, designing and constructing exhibition halls, tr
China's aviation reports increased profits
China's air industry generated profits of 480 million yuan (57.8 million US dollars) in the first eight months of the years, with passenger traffic rising 11 percent over the same period last year, according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
China's robust air traffic growth shows its aviation industry has flown out of chronic financial trouble and people's confidence in air travel has not been dampened by the terror strikes, a CAAC official was quoted as sa
Survey of world's largest canyon in China wraps up
A large-scale geological survey of the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon was recently wrapped up, providing firsthand geochemical data for the development of the world's largest canyon.
The survey of the canyon, located in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau known as "the roof of the world," was carried out by scientists from the Henan and Gansu Geology and Mineral Resources Departments, both affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Since April 2000, geologists hav
Xi'an rectifies tourism market
Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province and one of the hottest tourism destinations in China, is taking tough measures to control its tourism market with a 10-day crackdown on illegal tourism activities.
Beginning on September 12 and lasting until September 22, the province will crack down on illegal tourism companies and tour guides and better organize one-day tours, officials said.
On September 12 Xi'an Tourism Administration officials travelled to Lintong District where the world
New Railway Set to Ease Access to Major Southwest China Cities
When a new railway line opens in 2005 it will take only three hours to travel from Chongqing Municipality, a manufacturing center in southwest China, to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. According to a senior engineer from the local railway bureau, work is to start at the end of this year on the long-planned railway connecting Suining in Sichuan, also in southwest China, with Chongqing. The new 165-km railway section will hook up with the 187-km Daxian-Chengdu line at Suining. Thanks to the
World Bank Supports Highway System in China
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a US$250 million loan for the China Hubei Xiaogan-Xiangfan Highway Project on September 17. The project will provide for a more effective, safe, and efficiently managed highway system, which will help to support social and economic development as well as trade in Hubei Province. It will also improve transportation links to China's Western region. The project will support the construction of the 243.5 kilometers Xiaogan-Xiangfan expressway, a
Englishtown in China
The recently opened Englishtown, China branch, at www.21copy.com is product of a joint initiative between the global EF Education Group and the Tianjin Fox Hi-Tech Co. The website provides a new channel for the Chinese to study the English language. Englishtown's online schools were founded as an independent subsidiary of EF Education in 1997. EF Education is involved in the delivery of services for language education, educational travel, and cultural exchange. "The aim is to let even the most r
Fortune releases China's top 100 companies
China Petroleum & Chemical, PetroChina and China Mobile are three biggest publicly traded companies in terms of revenues, according to US business magazine Fortune's 2002 China 100 list.
The magazine announced here recently the release of its second annual list of the largest publicly traded companies in China.
The other seven companies ranked in the top ten are China Unicom, Baoshan Iron & Steel, Legend Group, China Resources Enterprise, CNOOC, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical and S
13 Asians, 8 from China, named richest people under 40 by Fortune
Thirteen Asians, among them eight from China, were ranked in "40 of the richest people under the age of 40" list compiled by US business magazine Fortune, the magazine said here recently.
A similar list has been compiled in the United States since 1999, but this is the first time that Fortune compiled an international list.
Richard Li, Chairman of Hong Kong's media-based Pacific Century Group and son of Asia's richest man Li Ka-shing, ranked No. 10 and was worth 1.6 billion US doll
First blind Chinese students to attend college
Three blind students arrived at Shanghai Normal University recently to begin their college life,an event heretofore unimaginable for the blind.
Li Dong, one of the blind students, was accompanied by his parents, uncle and sister this morning from his home in suburban Shanghai to the university in downtown.
His family's assistance proved to be unnecessary as two students were on hand to assist Li with the registration procedure. Both of them were wearing red T-shirts which read "Vol
First Chinese commodities fair opens in Zambia
The first ever Chinese commodities fair opened here recently with the aim of promoting trade and investment between China and Zambia.
The four-day fair, housed in the Chinese Center for the Promotion of Investment Development and Trade, showcases exhibits brought in by some 30 Chinese state-owned and private firms ranging from light industry, textiles, garments, house electrical appliances to ceramics.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Peng Keyu said at the opening ceremony that the Chi
Dinosaur discovery gives important clue on origin of flight
The riddle of flight origin is one step closer to be solved after Chinese paleontologists recently discovered an arboreal dinosaur fossil.
The finding in northern China provides evidence for the theory that birds evolved from a group of small-sized dinosaurs living in the trees rather than on the ground, scientists said.
The dinosaur, Epidendrosarus in Latin, is believed to have been a juvenile about the size of a house sparrow, with a tail the length of its body. The first of its
China's largest group of mud volcanoes found
Chinese geologists recently discovered a hilly area with 36 erupting mud volcanoes on the northern slope of Mount Tianshan in northwest China.
The mud volcanoes, in Baiyanggou Town of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, spread in an area of 0.5 square km. The large stone has a diameter of 1.6 meters and the smallest the size of a bean.
Mud, natural gas and petroleum can be seen spewing out of volcano craters. Some have as many as 60 eruptions per minute.
"It is the largest gro
Beijing to cut use of coal for green Games
Beijing is to further cut its coal consumption by one-third by 2007 to reduce air pollution before the 2008 Olympic Games.
The target is to cut coal consumption from the present 26 million tons to 15 million tons by the end of 2007.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad recently released its draft plan for improving the environment before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The detailed plan is one of the seven sections of the committee's Olympic
World's longest bridge planned in Zhejiang
The world's longest cross-sea bridge has been planned over Hangzhou Bay in east China's Zhejiang Province, the English-language newspaper China Daily reported recently.
According to the provincial construction bureau, the bridge, which starts in Cixi in Ningbo and ends at Zhapu port in Jiaxing, will span a total length of 36 kilometers, making it the longest in the world.
With a total investment of 16 billion yuan (about 1.93 billion US dollars), the main construction is expected t
China soaring to lead of helicopter market
The Chinese helicopter industry is taking off. The country will become the largest market in the world during the 21st century, according to a recent survey.
According to the survey, carried out by both Chinese and American experts, China's demand for helicopters is expected to reach 2,000 by 2010 and 10,000 by 2020.
Currently, there are 24,000 helicopters in operation worldwide. The global average is 3.9 helicopters for every one million people, which leaves the most populated cou
China's maglev railway guideway completed
All guideway girders for the world's first commercial maglev railway being built in Shanghai were put in place recently.
The 30-kilometer line between downtown Shanghai and Pudong International Airport takes 2,550 guideway girders, each weighing 190 tons and 24 meters long, according to sources with the Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd.
The last guideway girder was hoisted and fixed on the track recently, eight months after the positioning of the first girder.
Japan Airlines starts chartered cargo flights from Xiamen
Japan Airlines on Monday added a temporary chartered plane to its Xiamen-Tokyo to transport Dell computers from Xiamen, a southeast China city, to Tokyo, and another is scheduled to leave for Tokyo on September 23.
A Boeing 747-200 cargo plane loaded with 4,330 Dell computers took off Monday afternoon.
The Japanese airline is the first overseas carrier to launch a chartered air cargo service from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport.
Dell, a US computer company, enjoyed a rapi
Variety of activities scheduled for celebrating National Day in HK
A series of official and community celebration activities will be held on October 1 in HongKong to mark this year's National Day, according to the Information Services Department Monday.
Major celebration activities include a flag raising ceremony to be held in the morning, a National Day reception in the afternoon, and a variety show and a fireworks display in the evening, the department said in a statement.
At 8:00 a.m., a flag raising ceremony will be held at the Golden Bauhinia
Wanderlust on Decline
When China introduced the idea of 'holiday economy' back in 1999 - making National Day and Labor Day weeklong holidays - the masses used their time off work to travel the country and abroad. That holiday wanderlust is wearing off as people become accustomed to three weeklong vacations a year - including the traditional Spring Festival, Chinese lunar New Year. As a result, travel agencies are slashing prices for the upcoming National Day holiday to boost sluggish sales. "Locals no longer get very
'Oriental Hollywood' Re-enacts Ancient Chinese Legends
Dubbed "Oriental Hollywood" and situated on the outskirts of Hengdian, a township of Dongyang city in East China's Zhejiang Province, it has become a favourite rendevous for tourists and since its inception, in March 2000, this state-of-the-art film and television studio has welcomed many famous film actors and directors. The group, greeted by Susan of Susan's Travel and Culture Consulting Company, were in good spirits as they set off from the Shanghai Stadium. After a hotel lunch near a pleasan
Wanderlust on Decline
When China introduced the idea of 'holiday economy' back in 1999 - making National Day and Labor Day weeklong holidays - the masses used their time off work to travel the country and abroad. That holiday wanderlust is wearing off as people become accustomed to three weeklong vacations a year - including the traditional Spring Festival, Chinese lunar New Year. As a result, travel agencies are slashing prices for the upcoming National Day holiday to boost sluggish sales. "Locals no longer get very
Suicide Bombing Kills Israeli Policeman
Palestinians ended a six-week lull in attacks on Israelis Wednesday when a policeman died after challenging a suicide bomber and Palestinian militants killed a motorist and a settler in the West Bank. Two Palestinians also died Wednesday -- one killed by Israeli troops and the other apparently by Palestinians who suspected him of being a collaborator. The renewed attacks on Israelis came a day after Israel rejected a Palestinian proposal for a two-stage truce. Israel said the Palestinian offer t
'Oriental Hollywood' Re-enacts Ancient Chinese Legends
Dubbed "Oriental Hollywood" and situated on the outskirts of Hengdian, a township of Dongyang city in East China's Zhejiang Province, it has become a favourite rendevous for tourists and since its inception, in March 2000, this state-of-the-art film and television studio has welcomed many famous film actors and directors. The group, greeted by Susan of Susan's Travel and Culture Consulting Company, were in good spirits as they set off from the Shanghai Stadium. After a hotel lunch near a pleasan
'Oriental Hollywood' Re-enacts Ancient Chinese Legends
Dubbed "Oriental Hollywood" and situated on the outskirts of Hengdian, a township of Dongyang city in East China's Zhejiang Province, it has become a favourite rendevous for tourists and since its inception, in March 2000, this state-of-the-art film and television studio has welcomed many famous film actors and directors. The group, greeted by Susan of Susan's Travel and Culture Consulting Company, were in good spirits as they set off from the Shanghai Stadium. After a hotel lunch near a pleasan
Riding Bicycles Encouraged to Curb Air Pollution
The move encouraging more residents and visitors to ride bicycles in Beijing has attracted much attention and dispute. "In order to help curb air pollution, Beijing will adopt administrative measures to encourage people to ride bicycles," said a special plan on environmental protection in the Olympic Action Plan, which was issued earlier this month by the organizing committee of the 2008 Olympics. The plan did not reveal details of the future measures. Special bicycle routes will be built in the
Bicycles Can Save Beijing
The move encouraging more residents and visitors to ride bicycles in Beijing has attracted much attention and dispute. "In order to help curb air pollution, Beijing will adopt administrative measures to encourage people to ride bicycles," said a special plan on environmental protection in the Olympic Action Plan, which was issued earlier this month by the organizing committee of the 2008 Olympics. The plan did not reveal details of the future measures. Special bicycle routes will be built in the
Takarazuka Will Stun Beijingers
Beijingers better get ready for a spectacular show. The all-female Takarazuka Revue Co, which has delighted fans worldwide with gorgeous costumes, dazzling lights, pretty performers and spectacular dances, is returning to Beijing. The company last appeared in the capital in 1999. Performances will be held at Century Theatre beginning today. The show closes on September 22. In the first half of each show, audiences will see the company's new production "Butterfly Lovers" directed by company presi
Takarazuka Will Stun Beijingers
Beijingers better get ready for a spectacular show. The all-female Takarazuka Revue Co, which has delighted fans worldwide with gorgeous costumes, dazzling lights, pretty performers and spectacular dances, is returning to Beijing. The company last appeared in the capital in 1999. Performances will be held at Century Theatre beginning today. The show closes on September 22. In the first half of each show, audiences will see the company's new production Butterfly Lovers directed by company preside
Chinese civil aviation set to take off
China's civil aviation is showing huge development potential, despite the sluggish global aviation market, a senior official said recently.
Yan Mingchi, director of the Policy Division of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), told the seminar on "Opening Up of the Service Industry to Foreign Investors" that between 1980 and the end of 2001, the industry had used foreign investment of about 30.3 billion US dollars.
Of that, 1.879 billion US dollars came from
First bridge on China's longest river being repaired
The highway section of the Yangtze River Bridge at Wuhan, the most important city on the middle reaches of China's longest river, is undergoing major repairs and upgrading.
The bridge was the first ever built on the Yangtze. With a length of 1,155.5 meters, the railway-highway bridge was built and put into operation in October 1957. It is one of the most important connections between the country's northern and southern areas.
The repairs, the first in 46 years of operation, began e
China installs "black box" on trains
The majority of trains running across China have been equipped with a new model of driving information recorders, dubbed the "black box."
The fourth generation of such recorders, the JK2000 model has more functions and better safety performance than previous models.
The device was jointly designed by the Ministry of Railways, the Zhuzhou-based Power Research Institute and Henan-based Siwei Co. Ltd. Controlled by a microprogram, the driving information recorder has two mainboard cir
New evidence of Japanese crimes in World War II
New evidence of how Japanese troops tested biological weapons on live people during World War II was revealed Tuesday in Anda City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
The evidence, found at the site of Anda experiment field of Japan's infamous Unit 731, contains 11 pottery bacteriological bomb flakes, which are similar to those found in the headquarters of Japan's infamous Unit 731.
The site of prison cells in which subjects were locked for tests, according to Jin Chengmin,
Ancient terra-cotta acrobat displayed
A 1.8-m terra-cotta acrobat dating from China's Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) is on show in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, for the first time.
The figure was one of six half-naked terra-cotta acrobats unearthed in March 1993 in an excavation at the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Qin Dynasty emperor and also the first of feudal China, official sources said.
Chinese specialists said the acrobat, part of an exhibition of Qin Dynasty terra-cotta warriors and horses i
Yellow River mouth attracts tourists
The delta where the Yellow River joins the sea is gradually turning into a tourist attraction.
Located near Dongying in east China's Shandong Province, the estuary drew 300,000 domestic and overseas tourists in January-July this year, bringing in 100 million yuan (12.05 million US dollars) in tourism revenue, according to figures from the Dongying Tourism Bureau.
The strongest appeal of this 2,300-sq km area is the splendid spectacle of the great river emptying into the Bohai Sea.
More Chinese purchase cars and houses
Nearly 90 percent of the cars sold in Beijing during the first half of this year were purchased by individuals.
Cars, houses and tourism have become new consumption growth points in urban areas across the country, according to a national survey.
Experts noted that three conditions are important for individuals to own cars: low price, low operating cost and environment.
China's average GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has made it possible for individuals to purchase cars.
Takarazuka to stage Chinese traditional love story
The renowned Japanese artistic troupe, Takarazuka, will stage the traditional Chinese love story, the Romance of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, in the form of a pantomime from September 20 to 22 in Beijing.
The performance is listed as one of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations.
According to the China Performing Arts Agency, one of the chief sponsors, Takarazuka, founded in 1914, is world renowned for being made up wholly of women.
Specialists planning preservation of China's heritage sites
The recent facelift and anniversary of the "Leshan Buddha" statue brought experts from home and abroad to southwest China's Sichuan Province to discuss how to preserve the nation's cultural heritage sites.
The specialists included officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and representatives from 29 world heritage sites around the globe.
The world's tallest Buddha statue, located in Sichuan, just celebrated its 1,200th anniversary
1.44 mln expected to cross checkpoints in Mid-Autumn Festival
Hong Kong Immigration Department Wednesday said about 1.44 million people are expected to cross the land boundary checkpoints to and from the mainland during the coming Mid-Autumn Festive period.
This represents an increase of 9.4 percent as compared with the same period last year, a spokesman for the Immigration Department said.
The spokesman said the peak period of cross-boundary traffic during the Mid-Autumn Festive period would fall between September 20 and September 23.
China to showcase ethnic culture around National Day
Singing, style and structures will be showcased when ethnic groups from southwest China's Guizhou Province hold festivals around the time of the country's National Day on Oct. 1.
Showing off the groups' cultural jewels, the festivals will feature music, dance, fashion, bullfighting and constructions of the Miao and Dong minorities, according to information released by a recent conference on tourism held by the Qiandongnan Prefecture in Guizhou.
Many of the ethnic groups, particular
Profile: Chinese researcher's quest leads to world's "Jurassic Parks"
He may not be a movie star, or a noted director, but the prestigious American movie director Steven Spielberg called him for advice when filming the movie "Jurassic Park."
Dong Zhiming, 65, dubbed as the "Dinosaur King of China," was asked by the legendary American director to name the six dinosaurs in the blockbuster film.
"I named one of them the 'Star Dinosaur,' because it was not only the star of dinosaurs but also a genuine star in the film," he said. "Through the movie a lot
Scientists closer to understanding earth's depopulation 65 million years ago
Chinese paleontologists claimed here recently that they had discovered a large group of fossils from dinosaurs living in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province just prior to the catastrophe that depopulated the earth 65 million years ago.
They said the discovery could provide a very important clue as to the cause of the depopulation.
While recently prospecting, geologists with the Heilongjiang Provincial Geology Museum discovered a group of dinosaur fossils of various ages as well
Scientists seek clues to catastrophe 65 million years ago
Dozens of Chinese and foreign scientists have gathered in northeast China to look for clues as to why life on Earth suffered a catastrophic depopulation 65 million years ago.
On Monday, the scientists headed for Jiayin County in Heilongjiang Province, where they will choose a stratum section to collect fossil samples, hoping to find evidence of sudden loss of life and following life revival at that time.
"We are looking for a history book which records in detail the evolution befor
Something Old and Something New -- Ceramic Culture in Zibo
Zibo, in Shandong Province, is an important ceramics industrial base in northern China, and has been ranked along with Jingdezhen in Jiangxi and Tangshan in Hebei as one of Chinaˇs three capitals of ceramics.〃
Today, the ceramics industry has developed
Railways, Travel Agencies Ready for National Day Holiday
As China's National Day holiday draws near, railway stations and travel agencies throughout the country are ready to meet the transportation and tourism peak. Railway stations will add temporary passenger trains to transport more than two million people during the holiday period. Additional carriages will also be added to some heavily trafficked lines. Prices for some less?ê?-traveled runs will be cut by 30 percent to ease traffic elsewhere. Ticket offices will extend their opening hours. Travel
Macao Pins Hope on Shining Tourism Business
Macao, though small in size, is proving to be a city that can match the best when it comes to luring and hosting tourists. "We expect 11 million tourist arrivals in 2002 after the number hit a record 10 million last year," Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), told Xinhua. Tourists to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) representeda double-digit growth from January to August -- jumping a year-on-year 10 percent to 7.6 million -- led by a huge influx of
CNSO?￥s Australia Tour Ahead
Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious stages that international troupes yearn to perform on. China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) has the honor of being the first symphony orchestra from China to perform at the renowned theatre on October 7. The orchestra will then travel to perform in Canberra on October 8 and Melbourne on October 9. CNSO's first tour to Australia -- sponsored by Telstra, an Australian telecom company -- will be one of the most significant celebratio
Beijingers Still Loan Wary
A recent survey by the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau has found that most residents in the nation's capital are conservative about "paying for today's enjoyment with tomorrow's money." While 77.6 percent of the 500 people surveyed have heard of consumption loans, less than 10 percent have actually had one. "Lots of people complained about either high service charges or the complicated procedures involved," said Zhang Xueyuan, an official with the bureau. For example, many commercial banks d
Beijing Residents Still Wary of Loans
A recent survey by the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau has found that most residents in the nation's capital are conservative about "paying for today's enjoyment with tomorrow's money." While 77.6 percent of the 500 people surveyed have heard of consumption loans, less than 10 percent have actually had one. "Lots of people complained about either high service charges or the complicated procedures involved," said Zhang Xueyuan, an official with the bureau. For example, many commercial banks d
'Oriental Hollywood' re-enacts ancient Chinese legends
REMY Silver recently sponsored a trip of Shanghai reporters to Asia's largest film and television centre. Dubbed "Oriental Hollywood" and situated on the outskirts of Hengdian, a township of Dongyang city in East China's Zhejiang Province, it has become a favourite rendevous for tourists and since its inception, in March 2000, this state-of-the-art film and television studio has welcomed many famous film actors and directors. The group, greeted by Susan of Susan's Travel and Culture Consulting C
Chinese Orchestra to Perform in Australia
Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious stages that international troupes yearn to perform on. China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) has the honor of being the first symphony orchestra from China to perform at the renowned theatre on October 7. The orchestra will then travel to perform in Canberra on October 8 and Melbourne on October 9. CNSO's first tour to Australia -- sponsored by Telstra, an Australian telecom company -- will be one of the most significant celebratio
Beijingers Conservative about Credit Consumption
A recent survey by the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau has found that most residents in the nation's capital are conservative about "paying for today's enjoyment with tomorrow's money." While 77.6 percent of the 500 people surveyed have heard of consumption loans, less than 10 percent have actually had one. "Lots of people complained about either high service charges or the complicated procedures involved," said Zhang Xueyuan, an official with the bureau. For example, many commercial banks d
Wildlife World Near Three Gorges Project
Over 1,100 large wild animals were released into forested land on the outskirts of Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, Friday afternoon.
The animals, including 50 tigers, 20 lions and 30 black bears, were transported to the city from Guilin,
Sex education debuts in Beijing
Middle school students in the Chinese capital began sex education courses for the first time recently.
Nine middle schools in Beijing's western Haidian District, home to a host of prestigious universities, took the lead in offering sex education courses when the new semester started this month.
Hu Xinyi, deputy director of the Haidian District Education Commission, said that all newly enrolled middle school students in his district will receive sex education courses beginning this
Chinese wives have more decision-making power
Chinese women have more decision-making power in daily family affairs, according to a recent national survey on family life conducted by the All-China Women's Federation.
The survey shows 57 percent of wives have louder voices than their husbands in deciding daily minor expenditures, while only 13.9 percent of husbands make decisions on daily expenses.
When it comes to bigger items, 24.5 percent of husbands have the upper hand with 7 percent of wives hammer the clinching strike.The
