China Airport

China Airport

Shanghai Airport Firm Posts Profit
Shanghai International Airport Co Ltd, the operator of the city's two airports, said its profit for the period ended December 2003 rose 6.29 percent from a year earlier as it recovered from the SARS outbreak to handle more passengers and cargo. Net income jumped to 643.79 million yuan (US$77.57 million) from 605.68 million yuan in the year-earlier period. The per-share earnings, however, fell to 0.347 yuan from the year-ago 0.429 yuan as the company added 443 million local-currency

Longest light rail in China starts trial operation
A 45-km light rail line, the longest of its kind in China, was put into trial operation in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday. Eight trains each with four cars will travel through the 19 stations along the whole line during the trial operation and 29 trains will be employed during formal operation, with a maximum speed of 100 km per hour. Construction of the line between downtown Tianjin and the Binhai New District began in May 2001 and was completed in September 2003, at

Price Drop on Hong Kong Tour Expected in Labor Day
Tour prices to Hong Kong are expected to have a slight drop in the coming Labor Day holiday, compared with the previous year, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today. Airfares to Hong Kong in the coming Labor Day holiday are expected to be 20 percent lower than a year before, and no large price increases are predicted at that time, so the costs to Hong Kong during the holiday might be the same as this month, said Cao Xi, spokesman with the Hong Kong and Macao department of the Shanghai C

Son, Mom Tried for Fraud
A 22-year-old man appeared in a local court on fraud charges Tuesday after he allegedly faked relationships with former President Jiang Zeming and US leader George W. Bush to cheat his neighbor out of 174,000 yuan (US$20,964). Police said Wang Jie began his scheme in July 2001 when he told his mother he had been recruited by the Ministry of State Security and would have to travel abroad for some time. He asked his mom to borrow some money from an elderly neighbor named Li Huqin. Wh

Theft Cases Soar as Tourism Booms in Macao
Cases concerning stealing tourists' possessions are on rise as the Macao Special Administrative Region is seeing a tourism boom, according to the Macao Security Police Tuesday.
The police bureau reported four serious cases of theft of tourists with the

European Tours Come to Naught for May Day Holiday
People who hoped to enjoy a European tour over the May Day holiday will be disappointed.
The visa application procedure is complicated and impossible to finish before the holiday. So far, the China National Tourism Administration has not issued

Civil Aviation Industry Reports 3 Bln Yuan Losses in 2003
The Report on China Air Transportation Development released just most recently shows that the aviation industry generated 106.8 billion yuan from its main business last year and posted 3 billion losses.
There was 3.7 billion yuan less revenue and more

Beijing Sets up Files for Traditional "Hutong" Alleys
Beijing is setting up an archive on the city's traditional alleyways, called "hutongs", as a substantial effort to preserve the unique Beijing culture and historical architecture.
The municipal government is compiling a book with detailed stories and p

Price Drop on Hong Kong Tour Expected in Labor Day
Tour prices to Hong Kong are expected to have a slight drop in the coming Labor Day holiday, compared with the previous year, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today.
Airfares to Hong Kong in the coming Labor Day holiday are expected to be 20 percent

Construction of No.5 Subway in Beijing Enters New Phase
The construction of the middle section of Beijing's No.5 subway line has begun with work expected to be completed by late next year. Zhou Xiupu, the project manager, said that the No.5 subway line will pass under Ditan, the imperial temple, the loop subway line and the northern moat. Zhou also said that thanks to the use of advanced equipment, construction of the subway line will not endanger the ancient cultural relics, the green areas and sports facilities above ground, nor will

Yuhuatai Cemetery To Be Free on April 4th and 5th
The Yuhuatai Cemetery of Revolutionary Martyrs will be open to visitors free of charge on April 4th and 5th in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. Authorities have announced that the open admissions will be an annual event. In addition to being free, the cemetery will offer a series of services such as preparing sound equipment, funeral wreaths and elegiac couplets. Tour guides will also be available. The cemetery has also taken measures to help traffic move a

Few Visitors to Museums in Beijing
Compared with the bustling springtime parks, most museums in Beijing have seen a quiet season with fewer locals paying visits. Statistics shows that there are over 120 registered museums in the city. But barely 30 are well managed. Unlike the Qin Dynasty terra cotta warriors and horses in Xi'an, most of the museums in Beijing only exhibit rows of photos with boring explanations without real items on show to the public. In addition, some exhibitions remain unchanged for a lon

East China to Hold Tea Festival
The city of Jingdezhen, in east China's Jiangxi Province, will hold a tea festival this April to popularize Chinese tea culture. Precious tea sets together with many types of well-known teas will be displayed and sold during the festival. Tea experts are invited to lecture on and discuss the role that tea has and will play in the past,present and future. As a world famous porcelain producer, Jingdezhen was also known for its flourishing tea culture in ancient China. I

European Tours Come to Naught for May Day Holiday
People who hoped to enjoy a European tour over the May Day holiday will be disappointed. All together, 14 European Union member countries are now open to Chinese tourists, but the visa application procedure is complicated, and impossible to finish before the holiday. So far, the China National Tourism Administration has not issued a formal notice for the European tour. But tours to Southeast Asia will be as popular as ever, and prices during the May Day holiday are a bit low

China to build national museum on history of overseas Chinese
Construction on a national museum on history for overseas Chinese, the first ever of its kind to be built in the country, is expected to start in the national capital at the end of the year, said a source with the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on Monday. The museum, to cover an area of 10,000 square meters, will display more than 200,000 pieces of exhibits, including relics and pictures, to tell the history of overseas Chinese's pioneering work aboard, their sentiments

Shanghai-Copenhagen Air Route Launched
An Airbus A340 from Scandinavian Airlines arrived in Shanghai at 7:35 a.m. Monday, opening a directflight linking this eastern metropolis with Copenhagen of Denmark. Danish and Chinese celebrities such as Princess Alexandra, Danish Transportation Minister Flemming Hansen, Scandinavian Airlines President Jorgen Lindegaard and Zhen Jianguo, Chinese ambassador to Denmark, were on board the plane to honor the virgin flight of the route. Officials from the Shanghai Municipal Government

China to launch world's longest inland water cruise route
China on Saturday will offer a service for tourists to cruise a total 2,399 kilometers on the Yangtze River from Chongqing in the southwest to Shanghai in the east, the world's longest inland water cruise route. The cruise service is operated by the Changjiang Cruise Overseas Travel Corporation (CCOTC), based in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. The route will sail through five provinces in the country, withmore than 300 renowned scenic spots along the way. T

DERTour picks China
Despite the fact that China is not performing well, DERTour will take its academy to Beijing in November, the first time ever the multimillion dollar project is heading for an Asian destination in the 30 years it has been around. DERTour¡¯s academy is coveted because it can be the launchpad for a destination in Germany, as proven when DERTour did it for South Africa in 2000. The concept involves taking 700 of the ¡°best¡± retail agents to the destination in order to familiarise them w

China Northern Airlines Opens New Flight to Tokyo
China Northern Airlines (CNA) opened a new passenger air route linking Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, to Tokyo, capital of Japan, on Sunday. The flights are once a week on Sunday, taking off from Changchun at 8:45 a.m. and leaving Tokyo at 12:25 p.m. and shortening the travel time between the two cities from more than five hours to less than three hours, said Liu Chun, an official with the CNA. Passengers will be provided with services in three languages, C

Confucius' Hometown Restores Ancient City Wall
Qufu City, in east China's Shandong Province, has started a major construction project to restore a city wall built in the Ming Dynasty, more than six hundred years ago. The city is the birthplace of Confucius, a great thinker and educator in Chinese history. The project aims to restore the 5,300-meter long wall and a tower. Upon completion, people on the wall will get a bird's-eye view of major attractions in the city, including the Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion and C

Chinese FM Meets Powell in Berlin
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Berlin Wednesday to discuss bilateral and international issues. Li said Sino-US relations are witnessing good development at present as the two countries have maintained close contact and coordination. US Vice President Dick Cheney will visit China in April and Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi will travel to the United States later in the same month to attend a conference of the Sino-US Joint Commercial a

Joint Travel Service Launched Across Taiwan Straits
Beginning Thursday, Xiamen Airlines, based in east China's Fujian Province, will join hands with Taiwan's Foshing Airlines to launch a seamless transport service, by air, sea and land, across the Taiwan Straits, believed to be the most convenient connection to date across the straits. This new service was announced by Xiamen Airlines and Taiwan's Foshing Airlines at a joint press conference at the Jinyan Hotel in Xiamen on Wednesday. Though the mainland has long been making efforts

Ancient Chinese Kiln Ruins Bid for World Heritage List
China plans to submit three ancient porcelain kiln ruins as candidates for the world cultural and natural heritage list of the United Nations Education, Culture and Science Organization (UNESCO), says a source with the Henan Provincial Archeological Findings. The cultural relics administrative department in central Henan Province, where the three kiln ruins were located, told Xinhua Wednesday that they were Ruyao kiln in Baofeng, Junyao kiln in Yuzhou and a kiln in Gongyi that produced sp

Macao Registers Record Number of Tourist Arrivals in 2003
Despite the rampant severe accute respiration syndrome (SARS) situation in the first half of 2003, Macao registered a record number of tourist arrivals last year, hitting 11.89 million, up 3 percent over the previous year. Due to Mainland's facilitated individual travel (FIT) policy on Hong Kong and Macao-bounded tours that came into effect in late July of 2003, the total number of tourists of traveling group declined 27 percent as compared with 2002. According to a news release is

Sandstorms Cause Havoc for Airline Passengers
More than 1,200 flights across the country have been delayed due to sandstorms that started on March 26, according to information from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The sandstorms, which caused visibility in some places to fall to 100 met

Shanghai Announces Airline Service Standards to Public
Shanghai Airlines Co announced all its service standards to the public yesterday, which will allow passengers have a clear idea of how they will be served as well as how to make complaints.
The company is the first carrier in China to make public promi

Prices to Hike 10% for Air Travelers
Airlines operating outbound flights from Shanghai plan to raise air ticket prices by around 10 percent on almost all flights starting April 20, according to industry insiders. The price hike is a response to a new air-pricing regulation that will take effect on April 20 and allow air carriers nationwide to sell tickets at prices of up to 25 percent more than their face value. For instance, the full-fare single-trip ticket between Shanghai and Beijing priced at 1,030 yuan (US$124) w

Shanghai Maglev Prices Cut Down
Reacting to poor ticket sales, operators of Shanghai's maglev train line announced Tuesday they would cut ticket prices, improve service and install an information desk and more signs directing passengers to the train at Pudong International Airport.
S

Tibetan Opera Bid for World Heritage List
The government of China's Tibet Autonomous Region will file an application for the inclusion of Tibetan opera on the list of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Maglev An Option for New Guangzhou-HK Line
Planners of a second Guangzhou-Hong Kong railway say they have not ruled out magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology even though the Ministry of Railways has shelved the Beijing-Shanghai Maglev plan.
Despite debate over its potential benefits, Guangdon

Fewer Beijingers to Go Abroad for May Holidays
With only two weeks left before the May Day holiday, it seems Beijing residents are not as keen to get away as in previous golden week holiday.
Major travel agencies in the city have reported disappointing sales figures for traditionally popular destin

Shanghai Air Ticket Prices to Hike
Shanghai Airlines plans to raise ticket prices by around 10 percent on almost all outbound flights starting April 20, when new air-pricing regulations take effect.
The new pricing rules allows air carriers to raise ticket prices by up to 25 percent and

Sarah Brightman Brings 'Harem' to Europe
Sarah Brightman is on her way to Moscow to launch the European leg of her Arabian-inspired 'Harem World Tour'. Brightman has sold more than 15 million copies of her album 'Harem' worldwide. She has been touring the United States with the new collection since January. The album is based on stories from the Middle East, such as "The Arabian Nights" to "Lawrence of Arabia" -- and the tunes draw strongly from Turkish and Middle Eastern music. This is Brightman's first arena tour, and follows

Private Car Ownership Sparks Problems
To own a car and drive to work is still a dream for millions of Chinese. But many drivers find themselves struggling with unendurable traffic jams every day. Li Qian, who lives in northern Beijing's Tiantongyuan residential district, recently found a way to beat the congestion on her way to work every morning. Leaving her mid-size Buick at home, she rides the metro train. "I do not like driving," Li said on a recent early morning commute to the inner city. "It's too stressful."

Restoration of Grotto in Full Swing
With Chinese and foreign scientists working in close coordination, protection work on the No. 85 grotto of the world-renowned Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang in northwestern Gansu Province will be completed in the first half of next year, officials said yesterday. The cooperation between the Dunhuang Research Institute and the United States-based Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) for preserving the Mogao Grottoes was launched in 1989 under an agreement signed by the State Bureau of Cultural

Golden Getaways Herald Holidays
Yuanyang Terraced Fields Many regard The Great Wall as a symbol of China. The terraced-field scenery pictured left is another. The terraced fields of Yuanyang in southwest China's Yunnan Province have been inscribed as a World Heritage since January 2002. Now is the best time for photographers and those intrigued by ethnic culture to visit. The terraced fields of the Hani ethnic group in Yuanyang County are spectacular. The fields stretch from the foot of the mountain to the

Maglev An Option for New Guangzhou-HK Line
Planners of a second Guangzhou-Hong Kong railway say they have not ruled out magnetic levitation (maglev) technology even though the Ministry of Railways has shelved the Beijing-Shanghai maglev plan. Despite debate over its potential benefits, Guangdong is still "exploring" the maglev option, with the feasibility study for the railway project well underway, said Yang Tusheng, deputy general manager of Guangdong Railway Group Corp (GRGC). Whatever technology is used, the new railway

Airport Dumps Fever Scanners
Fever scanners were removed from the local Hongqiao Airport yesterday in response to a recent document issued by the central government that allows the country's railway stations and airports to remove them, said officials with the Shanghai Airport Author

Air China to Increase 1,000 Flights on May holiday
Air China will arrange an extra 1,000 charter flights during the seven-day Labor Day holiday.
International charter flights will mainly be focused on routes to the Maldives, Singapore, Phuket in Thailand, and Pinang in Malaysia. Domestic charter

Restoration of Grotto in Full Swing
With Chinese and foreign scientists working in close coordination, protection work on the No. 85 grotto of the world-renowned Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang in northwestern Gansu Province will be completed in the first half of next year, officials said yest

Aviation Price Hike May Sour Travel Mood
With the Labor Day holiday week approaching, domestic air carriers are raising air ticket prices to profit from tourism's peak season. It is reported that some air carriers will initiate a price hike on popular routes by 10 to 25 per cent from April 20. And after May 10, airfares will be raised all around by up to 25 per cent. Although aviation authorities have not officially confirmed the news, major domestic air carriers have already released details of the new pricing. The price

Water Diversion to Save Precious Fish in Tarim River
The rare Bighead fish, which lives only in the Tarim River in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and is close to extinction, has reappeared in the river's lower reaches after water diversion to that area. "The water transfusion has greatly improved the ecological conditions of the river and the waters, where the fish lays eggs, has gradually recovered. It is expected to keep a steady population of the fish as the sixth water diversion ends this year," said Hu Wenkang, spok

China, Germany in Cooperation on Recycling Industry
Chinese and German experts are making a blueprint for the construction of a recycling economy in this capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province. A group of German bankers and experts from the KfW Bankengruppe, the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) and the Institut fur angewandtes Stoffstrom management (IfaS) inspected Guiyang, capitial of Guizhou Province, last week, negotiating cooperation details in this field. The Sino-German joint effort in Guiyang is part of the co

30% of Mainland Tourists to Macao Individual Travelers
Some one third of tourists from the Chinese mainland to Macao in the first quarter came under the so-called facilitated individual travel (FIT) scheme, according to figures released by the Macao Statistics and Census Bureau on Friday. The bureau said that among 2.18 million visitor arrivals in the first quarter, 58.4 percent were recorded from the mainland, 30.7 percent of whom were individual travelers. Macao logged 1.3 million visitor arrivals in March, an increase of 36 percent

Space Module Ends 6-month-long Mission in Success
When China's first man in space Yang Liwei returned to Earth in a re-entry module exactly six months ago, an orbital vessel was left behind to further gather data. The orbital module -- the remaining part of the Shenzhou V spacecraft -- is set to descend towards Earth but will likely be reduced to ashes as it penetrates the atmosphere, ground controllers explained to China Daily. "Shenzhou V's orbital module has reached its designed life of six months," said Liu Junze, a division d

30% of Mainland Tourists to Macao Individual Travelers
Some one third of tourists from the Chinese mainland to Macao in the first quarter came under the so-called facilitated individual travel (FIT) scheme, according to figures released by the Macao Statistics and Census Bureau on Friday.
The bureau said t

Aviation Price Hike May Sour Travel Mood
With the Labor Day holiday week approaching, domestic air carriers are raising air ticket prices to profit from tourism's peak season.
It is reported that some air carriers will initiate a price hike on popular routes by 10 to 25 per cent from April 20

Airfare Hike Souring Holiday Travel Mood
With the Labor Day holiday week approaching, domestic air carriers are raising air ticket prices to profit from tourism's peak season. It is reported that some air carriers will initiate a price hike on popular routes by 10 to 25 percent from April 20. And after May 10, airfares will be raised all around by up to 25 percent. Although aviation authorities have not officially confirmed the news, major domestic air carriers have already released details of the new pricing. The price h

No Matter by Air or by Train, Travelers Benefit
With the Labor Day holiday week approaching, travelers are gearing up for holiday trips. And many will benefit from a move across the nation to accelerate the country's railway networks. Others will be grateful for the postponement of an expected increase in air ticket prices. The increase that was supposed to take place from April 20 to May 10, will now be put off for a still undetermined time, officials said. The rise will coincide with rising aviation fuel prices. .

Balancing Creativity Discipline in Life
Howard Gardner is like a movie star in the educational world, as his friend Michelle Vosper puts it. The charisma of the famous American educator and psychologist has nothing to do with charming appearance, fascinating eloquence, or diplomatic skills -- although he might well possess all these things. He wins the hearts of his followers with his wisdom and character. As one of his students and doctoral candidates at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, the 60-year-old

Government Archives Available to Masses
Residents in Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong Province, will soon have access to nearly all official archives as the city pioneers in making government work transparent to the public. A large newly built archives, may be the largest in the country, covering an area of some 14,000 square meters. They will be open to the public in late May. Archives in China used to be largely confidential. Even archivists themselves would not be allowed to read files and data they k

Hamas Pledges Revenge, Names Secret Leader
Hamas threatened "100 unique reprisals" against Israel for killing its leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, as hundreds of thousands of mourners flooded the streets Sunday in a show of strength and fury. It wasn't clear if the Islamic militant group was strong enough to carry out large-scale attacks after a sustained two-year Israeli campaign against it. Despite promises of revenge, Hamas still has not struck in the three weeks since Israel assassinated Rantisi's predecessor, Hamas founder Sheik A

Vacationers Wedded to Club Med
After an extremely busy year, Mike Li, chief financial officer of a consult-ing company, wants to have a totally relaxed seven-day-vacation in Phuket, Thailand. Like him, more and more travellers prefer to indulge themselves in one place for a period rather than travel to many places while on their short vacation. Embracing the beauties of nature, being totally relaxed, enjoying the local lifestyle and never being worried about being lonely when visiting a foreign country ... all t

Kerry Attacks Bush on Foreign Policy
US Democrat John Kerry on Sunday accused President Bush of being "stunningly ineffective" at foreign policy and stuck by his argument that the war against terrorism isn't primarily a military struggle. Kerry, in a wide-ranging interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," also stood by his promise to create 10 million jobs and halve the deficit in his first term if elected, though he conceded that soaring red ink could squeeze some proposals. The Massachusetts senator and presumptive Democr

Shanghai becomes attractive tourist destination
With its strong economy and abundant, colorful cultural resources, eastern China's mega city Shanghai is not only attracting the increasing attention of overseas investors but also ordinary visitors. The city received 2.7 million overseas tourists in 2002 and harvested more than 2 billion US dollars in foreign exchange, a rise of 30 percent on a yearly basis, according to the latest statistics from the Shanghai tourism administration. At present, added value for the tourism industr

New system to reduce damage to relics
China will begin training and granting accreditation to people involved in the preservation of cultural relics this year. Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, made the announcement recently in Beijing during a national meeting of personnel. Shan said the preservation of Chinese cultural relics is developing positively - but sustainable development hinges largely on human resource development. He said some local governments currently use cu

Zhejiang Province Personalizes IC Bus Cards
Passengers have since Monday been able to choose personalized IC ticket cards to use on buses in scenic Hangzhou city, in east China's Zhejiang province. In the first batch of personalized IC (interchange) cards, the Hangzhou public transport system is offering watches and key rings cards in different styles for passengers to choose from. The new IC cards, jointly designed by a Shenzhen firm and the Hangzhou public transport company, combine the technology of an intelligent CMOS chip and design

Hebei Issues Regulation to Ration Water
North China's Hebei Province has issued a regulation establishing a ration system in an effort to address its increasingly severe water shortage. According to the provisional statute, local coal mines will be limited to the use of one cubic meter of water for the production of one ton of coal, and powdered milk mills will be limited to eight cubic meters in the production of one ton of milk. Meanwhile, residents in major cities will be allowed only 110-130 liters of water per day. Institutions a

China's First Cross-sea Railway Brings Key Island Closer
China started ferrying trains on ships Tuesday, the day that would always be remembered by locals across its southern Qiongzhou Strait and railway builders as well as in the history of railway construction in the country. On that day China's first maritime railway sailed over south the Qiongzhou Strait when the Guangdong-Hainan Railway opened to traffic between the rapidly booming Guangdong province and its island neighbor Hainan province. This awoke the deep-buried dreams of prosperity of 8 mil

Shandong to Blow Ice Dams
Explosives will be triggered today in the Kenli section of the Yellow River in Dongying, East China's Shandong Province, as authorities prepare to combat possible floods caused by accumulated ice. The ice can form natural dams that may cause the water level to rise high enough to swamp the embankments that protect people along the river. According to the Shandong Yellow River Flood-Control Office, by 8 am Tuesday low temperatures had iced up a total of 319.5 kilometers of 95 sections of the Yell

Citizens Pay Bus By IC Cards in Hangzhou
Passengers have since Monday been able to choose personalized IC ticket cards to use on buses in scenic Hangzhou city, in east China's Zhejiang province. In the first batch of personalized IC (interchange) cards, the Hangzhou public transport system is offering watches and key rings cards in different styles for passengers to choose from. The new IC cards, jointly designed by a Shenzhen firm and the Hangzhou public transport company, combine the technology of an intelligent CMOS chip and design

Wenzhou - City of Commerce and Culture
Many people think of Wenzhou, whose many small commodities such as lighters, shoes and locks are well known the world over, as a commercial city. Shops line its streets, and Wenzhou people have such business acumen, they are popularly known as China's prize wheeler dealers. On arrival, however, the traveler discovers that commercial as it may be, Wenzhou is nonetheless a city of high culture. The Nanxi River, Yandang Mountain and Jiangxin Island testify to this important city on the east coast o

Double-track for major railway completed
The double-track project for the western section of a major Chinese railway went into operation Monday, relieving a long-standing bottleneck on the Longhai Railway, part of the Eurasian Railway Trunk Line linking Jiangsu Province in the east and Gansu Province in the west. The 350-kilometer double-track railway is part of the Longhai Railway between Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, and Baoji, a major city in Shanxi Province. The 576-kilometer double-track project for the Baoji-Lanzhou ra

China's first cross-sea railway brings key island closer
China started ferrying trains on ships Tuesday, the day that would always be remembered by locals across its southern Qiongzhou Strait and railway builders as well as in the history of railway construction in the country. On that day China's first maritime railway sailed over south the Qiongzhou Strait when the Guangdong-Hainan Railway opened to traffic between the rapidly booming Guangdong province and its island neighbor Hainan province. This awoke the deep-buried dreams of prosp

Railway ferry service across Qiongzhou Straits ready
A railway ferry service plying the Qiongzhou Straits between Leizhou Peninsula in south China's Guangdong province and Haikou City on Hainan Island begins on Tuesday morning. Preparations for the service were completed on Jan. 2. The Guangdong-Hainan railway connection linking the two provinces consists of a 139-km railroad from Zhanjiang to Hai'an on Leizhou Peninsula and the 12.5-mile cross-strait ferry service. After crossing the Qiongzhou Straits, the ferry link joins th

China to build world's largest Chinese bone marrow bank
China has planned to build the world's largest bone marrow bank for Chinese with 500,000 samples in seven years, Wang Lizhong, vice president of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), said recently. "Once the bank is completed, most overseas Chinese in need of a bone marrow transplant will be able to find their match from the bank," said Wang. He said the Chinese government had allocated 330 million RMB yuan (39.76 million US dollars) to the RCSC, most of which would be used to bui

ROK students favor N. China cities
More and more students from the Republic of Korea (ROK) are choosing Shenyang, capital of north China's Liaoning Province, as their favored destination to study abroad. According to Liaoning University in Shenyang, half of its overseas students come from the ROK, and the number has increased by 30 percent every year since 1999. Kwan Soo Kim, who is studying in the School of Overseas Students of the university, said 17 out of the 24 students in his class are from the ROK. "Mo

Chongqing allows foreign capital to control transportation joint ventures
Restrictions on shares held by foreign capital in transportation joint ventures have been eased in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, according to official sources. Since Dec. 1, foreign companies are permitted to set up Chinese-foreign transportation enterprises in the city and can hold up to 75 percent of shares, according to the Communication Department of Chongqing. China was required to open its transportation sector in the first year after joining the WTO, and to allow

Unearthed ancient tombs confirm historical records
Chinese archaeologists have discovered a set of ancient tombs in central China's Henan province which offer substantial proof of references in historical works to "six horses for a king's carriage." Last week's unearthing of a carriage equipped for six horses in a pit in Luoyang City, a political center over 2,000 years ago, provides previously lacking archaeological proof of the carriages' existence and use during the Xia Dynasty (21st century BC-16th century BC), the Shang Dynasty (16th

Series of events to mark aviation centennial
A series of activities will be held in 2003 to mark the centennial of the aviation industry. Since the first fixed-wing power plane took off on December 17,1903, mankind has witnessed 100 years of power aviation. During this period, China began to explore aeronautics and aviation and, following 50 years of hard work, is now one of the most important aviation nations in the world, said Zhu Yuli, organizer of the activities. The events will include a futuristic aircraft design compet

China targets eco-friendly regions
China's environmental protection authority will designate 120 "model ecological regions" in the next three years to set precedents for balancing economic growth and ecological conservation amid the country's rapid industrialization. The model regions will be chosen from four or five Chinese provinces, as well as 300 to 400 middle-sized cities and counties, which are carrying out their specific plans to develop an environmentally-friendly economy by 2005. An eco-friendly region must

New map officially delineates Chinese provincial boundaries
The first map in China with provincial boundaries having a legally binding force was completed recently, marking a success in internal boundary demarcation. The Administrative Map of the People's Republic of China was jointly made by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping on a scale of 1/4,000,000 and will be published by the China Cartographic Publishing House. Luo Pingfei, vice-minister of civil affairs, said the provincial boundaries of the n

East China's railway ticket prices up 20 pct for Spring Festival period
Passengers on Shanghai Railway Bureau trains will have to pay much higher prices on either side of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year that falls on February 1. The bureau has announced that ticket prices one day before and one week after the New Year, or traditional Chinese Spring Festival week, would be up to 20 percent higher than usual. An estimated record 23.8 million passengers are expected to travel on Shanghai bureau trains from January 17 to February 25, a year-on-year inc

E. China's railways gear up for Spring Festival
An official from the Shanghai Railway Administration estimated that its passenger transport volume for the 2003 Spring Transport Season is expected to reach 23.8 million arrivals and departures, up 8.3 percent year-on-year. The season includes the Spring Festival holiday period, the most important traditional holiday for family reunion for Chinese people, and the winter vacation of universities. According to the Ministry of Railways, the 40-day 2003 Spring Transport Season will run

Cross-Straits charter flights to start this month
The first cross-Straits indirect charter flights by Taiwanese airlines in over half a century are due to start late this month. Mainland civil aviation authorities are expected to approve all applications for the landmark scheme in the coming days. After granting the first approval to Far Eastern Air Transport Corp (FAT) on Jan.3, the government departments concerned are processing applications from Taiwan's remaining five airlines, according to a senior official with the General A

Number of out-bound Chinese tourists on the rise
A growing number of Chinese are traveling overseas as their living standards keep improving. The latest statistics from the provincial tourism bureau in Guangdong province, south China, indicate that the number of Guangdong residents who traveled abroad in 2002 exceeded 1.4 million, accounting for half of the national total. For residents of Guangzhou, the provincial capital, travel has become one of life's necessities, along with clothing, food and transportation. The avera

Tourism to Bring in US$75 Billion in 2003
China's total income from tourism is predicted to reach 600 billion yuan (US$75 billion) in 2003, up 8.5 percent from 2002. The goal for 2003 is to receive 100 million inbound tourists, including 14 million foreigners, said He Guangwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). The income from foreign tourism is expected to reach US$21.5 billion. Domestic travelers will number 900 million, with domestic tourism generating an income of 425 billion yuan (US$53 billion). China w

Laowai Performers Shine
Nowadays, it is never a novelty to find a foreigner speaking fluent Chinese in Beijing. But what would it be like if many foreigners, or laowai as they are nicknamed in Mandarin, got together and chatted in idiomatic Chinese, sometimes even with a pure Beijing dialect On Saturday morning, a dozen people from different countries appeared at a Beijing TV Station (BTV) studio. They were there for a dress rehearsal for the final of a competition sponsored by BTV, which is exclusively open to foreig

Tibet Lifts Restrictions on Visitors
The tourism administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region has lifted some restrictions on visitors to the southwest China region in a bid to attract more tourists. At the end of last year, the regional tourism administration abolished the requirement that tourists from China's Hong Kong and Macao have "identity confirmation letters" when traveling in Tibet,and that foreigners must travel in a group of five or more, local tourism sources said. Tibet has enhanced its efforts to exploit its tourism

Tourism Tipped to Bring in US$75 Billion During 2003
China's total income from tourism is predicted to reach 600 billion yuan (US$75 billion) in 2003, up 8.5 percent from 2002. The goal for 2003 is to receive 100 million inbound tourists, including 14 million foreigners, said He Guangwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). The income from foreign tourism is expected to reach US$21.5 billion. Domestic travellers will number 900 million, with domestic tourism generating an income of 425 billion yuan (US$53 billion). China

Foreign Performers Shine on BTV
Nowadays, it is never a novelty to find a foreigner speaking fluent Chinese in Beijing. But what would it be like if many foreigners, or "laowai" as they are nicknamed in Mandarin, got together and chatted in idiomatic Chinese, sometimes even with a pure Beijing dialect On Saturday morning, a dozen people from different countries appeared at a Beijing TV Station (BTV) studio. They were there for a dress rehearsal for the final of a competition sponsored by BTV, which is exclusively open to fore

Relics from Ancient City Discovered in E. Chinese Lake
Relics from a large section of an ancient city have been discovered in Chao Lake, in Tongyang Town of east China's Anhui Province. The relics, recovered from the lake during the dry season, include broken pieces of tube-shaped tiles and earthen jars covering an area of nearly 16,000 square meters. According to local records, during the Three Kingdoms (220 AD-280 AD) period, the ancient city of Chaozhou, sank without warning one day. Chao Lake, China's fifth largest freshwater lake, came into bei

Botanic Find in China Listed in 100 Top Discoveries of 2002
The noted US-based journal Discovery rates the finding in China of the world's earliest angiosperm, or flowering plant, among the top 100 scientific news stories of 2002, according to its January issue this year. It is also the only event covering botany/paleobotany selected from among the year's 100 prominent news stories that include more than 10 fields of scientific research. The landmark finding of the earliest angiosperm was jointly made by experts from the Paleontology Center at prestigiou

City Ready for Influx of Visitors
With Spring Festival travel expected to start in a few days, Shanghai's transport authorities are preparing to handle 9.23 million people coming into or leaving the city over a 40-day period from January 17 to February 25. That figure means the city is predicting an 8.96 percent increase in travelers during the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on the first day of February this year. Government officials seem confident the city is prepared for the flood of passengers du

Shanghai Ready for Spring Festival Bustle
With Spring Festival travel expected to start in a few days, Shanghai's transport authorities are preparing to handle 9.23 million people coming into or leaving the city over a 40-day period from January 17 to February 25. That figure means the city is predicting an 8.96 percent increase in travelers during the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on the first day of February this year. Government officials seem confident the city is prepared for the flood of passengers du

Veil of Mystery Still Surrounds Tomb
Long, long ago, a great general died at the battlefield. For fear that his body would be exhumed, his followers built nine tombs at the same time and placed the body in one of them. The legend of the general has been handed downed for thousands of years along the Gunhe River in central China's Hubei Province. And before the construction of the Xiaogan-Xiangfan Expressway last year, archaeologists made a survey along the planned route and noticed a ridge beside the river. It is called Jiuliandun

2,000-year-old Chinese irrigation works equipped with computer
A computerized device to monitor water levels was successfully installed on Dec.26 in the inlet of Dujiangyan, the world's oldest irrigation works still in operationin China. The 1-cubic-meter device was placed on a buoy and its movement as the water level changed would be recorded by sensors and relayed to a computer in the monitoring center on the bank, said Peng Shuming, head of the project administration. Dujiangyan was built in BC 256 in southwest China's Sichuan province alon

Renovation of world's oldest irrigation project completed
Renovation of the 2,250-year-old irrigation system in Dujiangyan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province was completed on Dec.25. The work began on Nov. 13 this year and it cost a total 30 million yuan (3.6 million US dollars). To repair the subsided water dividing project of the irrigation system, workers have built a new water dividing facility, which was reinforced by a one-meter-thick wall covered with a 60-cm layer of concrete. In addition, four ridges have been buil

China to build first art museum on conservation theme
A disused cement factory is being rebuilt as China's first art museum specializing in artworks relevant to environmental protection in south China's Guangdong Province. Artworks to be displayed at the museum included paintings, sculptures, videos, Chinese calligraphy and performance art, said Shu Yong, the museum designer. "The artworks express the unique understanding of artists about environment problems," he said. "They will be more effective than slogans to help improve public

China founds largest black bear care center in Asia
Eighty-four black bears rescued from bear breeders were moved recently to their new home, the Longqiao Black Bear Care Center in suburban Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The establishment of the center shows that the world's largest "Save the Black Bear" operation has made great progress in China, according to experts associated with the center. The operation was co-sponsored by the Asian Wildlife Fund (AWF), the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA

Key project route altered to protect rare camels in NW China
China will detour the route for building its West-to-East Gas Pipeline Project an extra 15 kilometers to avoid a protection zone for wild two-humped camels. The route alteration, at the Altun Mountains and Lop Nur regions in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, will require an additional investment of 150 million yuan (18 million US dollars), the overseas edition of the People's Daily reported . The Altun and Lop Nur region has long been the homeland for pure-bred wi

Traditional Chinese hotpot challenges foreign fast food
Chongqing hotpot, a century-old Chinese dish named after its birthplace, Chongqing City in the country's southwest, has become a potential rival to the global fast-food giants like McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the US-based Dicos. Invented by local boatmen and dockers in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the dish was made from cheap meats, hot peppers and ginger, which after being boiled together in a big pot and eaten can effectively dispel cold, damp and tiredness.<

Science expo draws returned Chinese students
The fifth Guangzhou science and technology exchange exposition for returned Chinese students from overseas study opened recently in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. The exposition, one of a series held nationwide to encourage returned students to set up businesses in China, is sponsored by the Ministries of Education, Personnel, and Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangzhou City People's Government. More than 2,200 students have signed up for th

China to upgrade quality control in 2003
China has vowed to intensify its production quality control standards and fully implement compulsory certification in 2003 to fulfill its commitments to the World Trade Organization, the China Daily reported recently. The country's quality control workflow will be greatly improved when it comes to supervising every step of production, transportation, and sales and quarantining imports and exports. Li Changjiang, director of the State Administration of Quality Supervision and Quaran

Railways Minister: China to target high-speed trains
China's railways sector must develop more high-speed trains through technical innovation to meet the intense competition from other means of transportation that would be growing very fast in the next dozen years, Minister of Railways Fu Zhihuan said recently. Fu said at the sector's national work conference that China's railway industry was facing a critical period for technical innovation, with an increasing proportion of the transport market being shared by buses, airplanes and other ve

Chinese premier urges better foreign exchange management
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has called for stricter exchange control to help maintain balance of international payments and facilitate the on-going economic reforms and modernization drive. While inspecting the State Administration of Foreign Exchange Friday (Jan.3), Zhu said great changes have taken place in the country's balance of international payments, with total foreign exchange reserves soaring from 21.2 billion US dollars in 1993 to 286.4 billion US dollars in 2002. The prem

Hong Kong to celebrate lunar new year with parade
A host of elaborate floats and performing groups from around the world will add an extra dimension to the 2003 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Parade, according the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The parade, which is a major program of the City of Life: Hong Kong is it! tourism campaign, will be staged on the first day of Lunar New Year that falls Feb. 1, 2003. There are five sub-themes under the main theme of the parade "Celebrate Life," namely Style, Vitality, Harm

Direct flights between China, Egypt to open
Egypt Air will make its first direct flight from Beijing to Cairo on January 28, the airline said on Monday. The new route will be operated twice weekly by an Airbus A-340.The plane will take off from Cairo at 3:30 am local time, and arrive in Beijing at 7 pm local time, departing from Beijing at 9 pm and landing in Cairo at 2:30 am the following morning. Direct flights have become more urgent since Egypt gained Authorized Destination Status for Chinese tourists, said Fathy M. Atti

Passport office opens in Beijing's "Silicon Valley"
Beijing citizen Wang Xi'an, who works in the Chinese capital's "Silicon Valley," Zhongguancun, finished applying for his passport in just minutes Monday. He was the first applicant at the new Zhongguancun personal passport registration office, which opened for business the same day. Wang now just has to wait to receive his passport by express delivery. More than 20 applicants were waiting at the counter two hours after the office opened. "Many people in the hi-tech hub of Zhongguan

China's tourism tipped to earn 600 billion yuan in 2003
China's total income from tourism is predicted to reach 600 billion yuan (75 billion US dollars) in 2003, up 8.5 percent from 2002. The goal for 2003 is to receive 100 million inbound tourists, including 14 million foreigners, said He Guangwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). Foreign tourism income is expected to reach 21.5 billion US dollars. Domestic travelers will reach 900 million, with domestic tourism generating income of 425 billion yuan (53 billion US

Shanghai's Tourists Want Something Special For Spring Festival Holidays
Shanghai tourist agencies have been doing a roaring trade recently with Shanghaiers queuing for tickets to go overseas for the Spring Festival holidays. Bali, Japan and Australia are the most popular destinations this year replacing the old favorites of Thailand, Hong Kong and Macao. Some experts see a new trend developing with Chinese tourists now looking for something new to make their vacations really special. The terrorist blast, which cast its dark shadow over Bali and threatened tourism th

Country Roads Link Every Village
As a section director of the Guizhou Provincial Communications Bureau and someone who has spent 36 years roaming all corners of the province, Zhou Mingzhong has a vision of linking every village in the province with highways. He, and many others like him, will continue to work hard on the ground to ensure the dream is realized even as the current hot topic is China's plan to send man into space. The country's investment in its space program is only a very small portion of what the US spends on i

Country Roads Link Every Village
As a section director of the Guizhou Provincial Communications Bureau and someone who has spent 36 years roaming all corners of the province, Zhou Mingzhong has a vision of linking every village in the province with highways.
He, and many others like h

Zhuang People Growing Wealthier
China's most populous ethnic minority, the Zhuang people living in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, are shaking off poverty and becoming more affluent. "In 2002, the annual gross domestic product per capita in Guangxi reached 5,062 yuan (US$612). The average annual disposable income of urban people per capita reached 7,300 yuan (US$882.7) and the average annual net income of farmers' per-capita exceeded 2,000 yuan (US$241.8)," said Li Zhaozhuo, chairman of the autonomous region, in the gove

First Map of Element Distribution Charted
Experts in east China's Zhejiang Province have charted a map specifying the distribution of chemical elements in the soil in the north of the province, the first of its kind in China to serve agricultural purposes. Presented Sunday to delegates at a national meeting on geological environment studies, the map specifies the distribution of 52 chemical elements in the region and marks with bright colors the pollution caused by heavy metals and pesticide. Meanwhile, areas of soil shown through data

China's Astronauts Ready for Space
The successful launch and safe return of China's fourth unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou IV has paved the way for the eagerly awaited manned flights. The questions like who are the first generation of China's space envoys and how they are trained have now become a public concern. Su Shuangning is chief director and designer of astronaut systems and head of the Institute of Space Medico-Engineering. This means that it is Su who is in charge of the selection and training of China's astronauts. In a re

Shanghai Sets New Goals for Tourism Industry
Shanghai is set to attract three million overseas tourists this year, earning 2.6 billion US dollars in foreign exchange, according to a tourism official. The city also aims to receive 95 million domestic tourists for an income of 87.6 billion yuan (10.59 billion US dollars), said Yao Mingbao, director of the city tourism committee. To reach the goals, a series of measures will be adopted to boost the development of the tourism industry, said Yao, with priority given to formulating regulations t

Business News in Brief
Nippon Life Plans JV in China Nippon Life Insurance Co. plans to sell life insurance in China through a joint venture with China's SVA Information Industry Co., the Nikkei English News reported. A final decision is expected later this month from the companies. The venture is expected to be valued at 5 billion yen (US$41.9 million), Nikkei said. If successful, Nippon Life would become the first Japanese life insurance company to engage in such a venture. Hong Kong to Relax Bond Rules The Hong Kon

China Charts First Map of Element Distribution
Experts in east China's Zhejiang Province have charted a map specifying the distribution of chemical elements in the soil in the north of the province, the first of its kind in China to serve agricultural purposes. Presented Sunday to delegates at a national meeting on geological environment studies, the map specifies the distribution of 52 chemical elements in the region and marks with bright colors the pollution caused by heavy metals and pesticide. Meanwhile, areas of soil shown through data

Folk Musicians Hope to Find Successors
Wumudi is a village about two hours' drive from central Beijing. Its name means "a land of five mu" (five mu are 0.33 hectares). Located in rural Beijing's Miyun County, it looks no different from any other village in north China. Low-level brick houses dot the landscape, most with dried corn stalks stacked in the courtyard. The area has few outside visitors. However, anyone who happens to go to the village on a Sunday will surely hear an ensemble of a peculiar timbre coming out of a house in th

Coal Mine Blast Kills One, Traps 33 in Heilongjiang
A serious gas explosion rocked a coal mine in Fangzheng County, in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Saturday, killing one person and trapping 33 underground, according to the local administration of Coal Mine Safety Supervision. Altogether, 36 night-shift miners were working 450 meters underground, when the devastating gas explosion took place at 4:40 am. The rescue team, which included medical workers and police, was assembled and rushed soon to the scene. At the time of printing, tw

Ecological Weather Station Set up
A newly built weather tower in Liaoning Province is to be put into use soon to monitor ecological changes in the area. As the first ecological weather station in China, the weather tower would observe the local ecological system, according to an official with Liaoning provincial meteorological bureau. The station would mainly provide statistics on the rise of temperatures and sea levels, acid rain and damage to the ozone layer. The 100-meter high weather tower was built near Jinzhou City near th

China's Astronauts Ready for Space
The successful launch and safe return of China's fourth unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou IV has paved the way for the eagerly awaited manned flights. The questions like who are the first generation of China's space envoys and how they are trained have now become a public concern. Su Shuangning is chief director and designer of astronaut systems and head of the Institute of Space Medico-Engineering. This means that it is Su who is in charge of the selection and training of China's astronauts. In a re

Violinist Dazzles Shanghai
As the concert master of the United Musicians Symphony Orchestra and the Livie Chamber Orchestra in Los Angeles, the internationally acclaimed violinist Su Youmin (Elmer Su) has much to be proud of. Nevertheless, when he appeared for the first time in front of a Shanghai audience at Shanghai Grand Theatre last night, he remained modest and polite. Though the performance was only held at Shanghai Grand Theatre for one night, Su had still taken hours to rehearse with the Shanghai Broadcasting Symp

Five Sentenced to Death for Drug Trafficking
Five convicted drug traffickers were sentenced to death Monday by a local court in Zhejiang Province. The Intermediate People's Court in Jinhua City sentenced Wang Daohua, Yin Yaxiong, Zhu Zhongfa, Zheng Qiukang and Wang Yan to death in the first trial of the most serious drug smuggling case to be heard in this booming coastal province. The court also ruled that the five be deprived of their political rights for life and all their private property confiscated. A main accomplice of the five, Zhan

China's Largest Ethnic Minority Growing Wealthier
China's most populous ethnic minority, the Zhuang people living in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, are shaking off poverty and becoming more affluent. "In 2002, the annual gross domestic product per capita in Guangxi reached 5,062 yuan (US$612). The average annual disposable income of urban people per capita reached 7,300 yuan (US$882.7) and the average annual net income of farmers per capita exceeded 2,000 yuan (US$241.8)," said Li Zhaozhuo, chairman of the autonomous region, in the gover

Largest Ethnic Minority Growing Wealthier
China's most populous ethnic minority, the Zhuang people living in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, are shaking off poverty and becoming more affluent. "In 2002, the annual gross domestic product per capita in Guangxi reached 5,062 yuan (612 US dollars). The average annual disposable income of urban people per capita reached 7,300 yuan (882.7 US dollars) and the average annual net income of farmers percapita exceeded 2,000 yuan (241.8 US dollars)," said Li Zhaozhuo, chairman of the autonomo

Climate Change Confirmed in Xinjiang
Unprecedentedly high water levels in Bosten Lake are painting an unmistakable picture of the dramatic effects of climate change. Situated in northeast China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this is China's largest, freshwater inland lake. Predictably dry winters always used to bring low water levels to the lake but this winter the water is less than a meter below its highest recorded summer level. Figures released by the Water Control Administration of Bosten Lake show the surface of the lake

Tibet Reports Double-digit Economic Growth
The Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China, has witnessed an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 10.9 percent over the last five years, a senior official of the regional government said Saturday.
The region's GDP for 2002 was e

China Publishes Book on Far East War Trial
China has published a book giving the first-ever detailed account of the trial of Japanese Second World War criminals 55 years ago. According to the book, titled Far East International Trial, Chinese judges played an important role in the Tokyo Far East Court Martial to bring Japanese war criminals to justice. Published by Shanghai People's Publishing House, the book represents first detailed account of the trial of 28 top Japanese war criminals in World War II by 11 judges. With the evidence th

Guangdong to Build New Provincial Museum
South China's Guangdong Province is to build a new provincial museum at an expected cost of almost one billion yuan (US$120 million). Construction is underway on the 50-meter high building with an acreage and a floor space of 15,000 and 60,000 square meters respectively. The exhibition section is a key part of the project and upon completion, historic, cultural, natural, artistic, calligraphy, porcelain, craftwork, inkstone and root-carving exhibits will go on display. Meanwhile, a storeroom has

Hawaii Lures Chinese Tourists
As Hawaii's tourism-based economy continues its slow, steady rebound from the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there are those who say the state will have to look toward previously untapped markets in its effort to rebuild the industry. One Honolulu-based company is attempting just that, as it seeks to lure 100 couples from China to the state for a five-day wedding event this spring. Organizers say the event - with a Chinese television crew in tow to broadcast the Hawaii e

More Efforts Needed to Protect Wild Camels
More money and efforts are needed to protect the wild camel population in the Lop Nur area within Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, home to more than half of the world's wild camel population, experts say. Wild camels, or wild double-hump camels, only live in three regions -- the middle of the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang, an area bordering China and Mongolia and the Lop Nur region -- according to Yuan Guoying, an expert at the Xinjiang Research Institute for Environmental Pro

Paper-cutter Finds Success in NE China
Xu Huichun, 45, a former clerk in charge of cultural affairs in northeast China, has made a successful career out of paper-cutting, by which Chinese characters, beasts and birds, fishes and insects are formed. Xu has created more than 50,000 Chinese characters and hundreds of pictures by cutting paper since he developed a passion for the art in 1992. Xu now runs a painting and calligraphy store, named Yishi Shuhuayuan in Jinzhou city of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The first work Xu comp

Residents Benefit from Social Relief Program in Anhui
Over one million low-income urban family members in east China's Anhui Province benefited from the provincial social welfare system during 2002, an increase of 889,000 over that of the previous year, according to sources from the Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau. An official from the bureau said that the social welfare system has been extended to 8.3 percent of the non-farming population of the province, which means that all those in need of the assistance have received it. The official noted tha

Premier Stresses the Importance of Auditing Work
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji on Monday called on the country's auditing department to improve its work in order to build a clean government and ensure sustained and healthy economic development.
Addressing leading officials of the Auditing Administration

Paleoanthropology center planned for Peking Man Site
A park and paleoanthropology research center are to be set up at the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site, on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in five years. To mark the 15th anniversary of the site's joining the UNESCO list, a scheme to protect and develop the area will soon be issued by the Beijing Municipal government, which co-manages the site with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). A total area of 2.4 square kilometers in Beijing's southwest suburb has been designated as the protect

Peking Man Site of further research value
The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site had further valuable research potential, a leading Chinese scientist said at a recent celebration of the 15th anniversary of the site's joining the UNESCO World Heritage list. Wu Xinzhi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),said that Zhoukoudian site was still the forefront of international research for paleoanthropology, Paleolithic archeology and geology. The first skull of Peking Man dating back 500,000 years was discovered at the

Tsang Hin-chi Education Foundation celebrates 10th anniversary
The Tsang Hin-chi Education Foundation celebrated its 10th founding anniversary here recently, and awarded scholarships to excellent college students of this year. Present at the celebration were faculty members and students from 11 Beijing-based Chinese universities and prize-winners of the previous years. Over the past 10 years, the foundation has awarded nearly 13,000 teachers and college students with 70 million yuan (about 8.4 million US dollars). Tsang, a member of the

Identity unclear of 2000-year-old coffin inhabitant
Chinese archeologists on Dec.27 opened the 2000-year-old coffin in the No. 2 tomb of the Jiuliandun Tombs, which dates back to the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC), at Zaoyang City in Hubei Province, central China. Experts found an unidentified skeleton preserved in a good condition in the coffin that measures 2.36 meters long, 1.35 meters wide and 0.91 meters high. It also contained some 40 round and flat pieces of bronze or jade with holes in the middle. The coffin exhibited

Ancient Indian bronze sculptures on show in NW. China
About 80 ancient Indian bronze sculptures went on show on Dec.27 in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The exhibition, named "Soul of India: Bronze Sculpture," is claimed to be the largest of its kind ever held in China. Most of sculptures were made in two ancient Indian dynasties, one dating from 750 to 1150 and another from 846 to 1279. Several were unearthed in a old Buddhist temple where famous Chinese monk, Xuanzang, visited some 1,300 years ago.

New robot developed in China
Chinese scientists have developed a 1.58-meter and 76-kg robot able to play "Taiji," traditional Chinese shadow boxing. The robot named "BHR-1" passed appraisal recently as a major project for the Beijing University of Science and Engineering under China's High and New Technology Research and Development Program (program 863). "BHR-1" had 32 joints from head to foot which made it move properly, said Prof. Li Kejie, chief scientist in charge of the project at the university.

Swan Lake emerges in E. China province
After the arrival of a record of 2,000 migratory swans since the winter set in, the beautiful Shengjin Lake natural reserve in eastern China has virtually become a swan lake. In past winters, however, only around 20 swans flew into this lake in Chizhou city in eastern Anhui province. Liu Zhengyuan, a leading official with the reserve, said the swarming-in of swans was attributed mainly to the sufficient food and other eatables, the removal of pollutants in the locality, and marked

New German-style town being built in Shanghai suburb
China's financial and industrial center, Shanghai, began construction recently of a new German-style town in its suburban areas. A 4.9-square-km town with a capacity of 80,000 residents is being built in suburban Anting, home to the Shanghai Volkswagen Corporation. The first phase of the project covers 2.5 square km, and the entire town is expected to be completed in three years. Seven German architectural firms headed by renowned German architect Albert Speer are designing

Beijing starts building new subway line
China's capital Beijing started building a new subway line on Dec.27. The 27.6-km subway, Line Five, will have 16.9 km and 16 stations underground and 10.7 km and six stations above ground. The south-north artery will run from Songjiazhuang in southern Fengtai District to Taipingzhuang in eastern Changping District, connecting the five districts of Fengtai, Chongwen, Dongcheng, Chaoyang and Changping. It will also run through some of the city's major residential and downtown

Guangzhou opens second subway line
Part of the second subway line in Guangzhou city, one of the major gateways to south China, opened on a trial basis on Dec.29. The 8.9-km section includes nine stations. The first phase of the second subway runs from Pazhou in the south to Jiangxia in the north covering 23 km with 20 stations. Its construction will cost 11.3 billion yuan (1.36 billion US dollars). There is already one subway operating in Guangzhou. Other Chinese cities with subways are Beijing, Shanghai and

China to launch new passenger air route to Japan
China's National Civil Aviation Administration has authorized Yantai, a coastal city in east China's Shandong province, to be the 18th city with a direct passenger air route to Japan from Apr. 9 this year, according to local government sources. China Eastern Airlines will fly from Yantai to the Japanese city of Osaka each Thursday and Sunday, the shortest route between any Chinese city and Osaka. Trade between Yantai and Japan was worth about 1.2 billion US dollars in 2002, and Yan

Holiday passengers increase 7 pct at HKIA
Christmas and New Year passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) grew by more than 7 percent compared with last year, the airport said Tuesday. Preliminary figures show that over 1.76 million passengers passed through the airport from Dec. 19 to Jan. 5, and the airport handled more than 1.6 million passengers during the equivalent period a year ago. There were over 10,000 of flight movements during the holiday season, 8.4 percent more than last year's 9,620 moveme

South China scenic city Guilin hosts more tourists
Guilin, one of China's most popular scenic cities, played host to 10.97 million tourists last year, up 8.7 percent from 2001. The city raked in a record 4.99 billion yuan (about 601 millionUS dollars) in earnings from tourism, said sources from the tourism administration at Guilin, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. With a history going back more than 2,000 years, Guilin is renowned for its green mountains, clear water and strangely shaped r

Forty Shanghai-Taiwan flights to celebrate holiday
Forty chartered flights between Shanghai and Taiwan have been booked during the Chinese lunar new year period at Pudong International Airport, one of Shanghai's two airports. Chartered flights have been permitted for the first time to fly from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland, but via Hong Kong or Macao. The flight will take about four hours and 15 minutes. The General Administration of Civil Aviation has approved six Taiwan-based airlines to operate the route, including China Airlin

More Chinese Heading Abroad
A booming economy and simplified procedures combined last year to boost the number of Chinese traveling overseas past 16.5 million people, up almost 37 percent compared with 2001. According to additional statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, people from the mainland traveled to Hong Kong and Macao most last year. Japan, Russia, Thailand and the Republic of Korea topped about 230 foreign destinations. Among the many elements encouraging those from the mainland to go overseas, being hir

Charity Gives Disadvantaged Hope
Zheng Zhizhi, a 78-year-old returned overseas Chinese living in Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province, has never been to Dongxiang Autonomous County in northwest China's Gansu Province, one of the poorest counties in China. But he has been deeply concerned about the lives of the pupils in the county's Sanyuanli Primary School since he read about them and the tough conditions in which they live and study in that remote area in the December 12, 2002 issue of China Daily. Early this month, Zheng d

More Chinese Heading Abroad
A booming economy and simplified procedures combined last year to boost the number of Chinese travelling overseas past 16.5 million people, up almost 37 per cent compared with 2001. According to additional statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, people from the mainland travelled to Hong Kong and Macao most last year. Japan, Russia, Thailand and the Republic of Korea topped about 230 foreign destinations. Among the many elements encouraging those from the mainland to go overseas, being

Philanthropist's Gift to Help Build School
Even though he has been living in the United States for over half a century, Lit Ng never forgets he is Chinese and he always enjoys helping Chinese people. On January 6, Ng visited China Daily's office in Beijing and expressed his earnest desire to help the children in northwest China's Gansu Province. "I want to help them," he said. Two weeks ago, Ng saw the appeal for donations when he was reading China Daily at breakfast. He decided to donate US$36,000 to the construction of a 600-square-met

Elite Sci-tech University Plans Graduate School in Shanghai
The elite Chinese University of Science and Technology (CUST) has started building a graduate school in Shanghai, south of its main campus in eastern Anhui Province. University president Zhu Qingshi said that the school would recruit students from September this year. Three programs of modern management, software information and life sciences will be available then. The business school of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Asian research institute of Microsoft will cooper

World's Biggest Snoopy-themed Park to Be Built in Guangdong
A theme park featuring famous peanuts characters will be opened in the first half of year 2004 in Shunde, Guangdong Province, the project's investor Shunde Jiaxin Realty Development Co. Ltd announced Tuesday in Hong Kong. The Snoopy Fun Fun Garden and the Snoopy Playground, occupying more than 550,000 square meters and with a total investment of about RMB 100 million yuan (US$12.2 million), will be the biggest snoopy park in the world and the first one of its kind in the Chinese mainland upon it

Eastern City Removes Limits on Passport Application
By presenting their IDs and permanent residency cards, any citizen in the capital of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province can now apply for a passport. This renowned scenic city is one of the first in the country to simplify procedures for issuing passports, according to local public security authority. "A permanent resident of Hangzhou city can apply for a passport by presenting his original ID, permanent residency card and recent photos," an official said at a recent press conference in

Palestinian Says Suicide Attacks Must End
Palestinian officials told a conference Tuesday that a political settlement in Israel is not possible until suicide bombings stop and Israeli restrictions on Palestinians are lifted. The conference was hampered by the absence of senior Palestinian representatives, who were barred by Israel from attending after a suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv killed 23 people. The Palestinians participated through a video hookup from the West Bank. "The suicide bombings will not bring us peace, and confiscating

Passport Application Procedure Simplified
By presenting their IDs and permanent residency cards, any citizen in the capital of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province can now apply for a passport. This renowned scenic city is one of the first in the country to simplify procedures for issuing passports, according to local public security authority. "A permanent resident of Hangzhou city can apply for a passport by presenting his original ID, permanent residency card and recent photos," an official said at a recent press conference in

China to Hold 7th Arts Festival in Zhejiang
China will hold its 7th Arts Festival next October in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. The biennial event is China's most important showcase for its artistic achievements, which help enhance cultural taste and promote general economic and social progress in Zhejiang, local officials said. "Zhejiang's comparatively developed economy, dynamic cultural market, flourishing cultural demand and comprehensive cultural facilities will provide a solid foundation for the arts festival,

More Chinese Travel Abroad
A booming economy and simplified procedures combined last year to boost the number of Chinese traveling overseas past 16.5 million people, up almost 37 percent compared with 2001. According to additional statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, people from the mainland traveled to Hong Kong and Macao most last year. Japan, Russia, Thailand and the Republic of Korea topped about 230 foreign destinations. Among the many elements encouraging those from the mainland to go overseas, being hir

Shenzhou IV Flight Reaps Rich Scientific Fruits
After the primary study of the experimental instruments carried in Shenzhou IV, China's fourth unmanned spaceship, and the results of its space experiments during the seven-day flight, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced on January 7 in Beijin

Air traffic hits record in Macao in 2002
Passenger traffic hit a record of 4.17 million at the Macao International Airport in 2002, up 10 percent on the previous year, according to the latest airport figures. The increase was led by an encouraging performance on the Macao-Taiwan and Macao-Shanghai routes, as well as new air links between Macao and two tourist cities in Malaysia and regular flights between Macao and Singapore, airport authorities said. A monthly record of 388,060 passengers at the airport was created in Ju

Air traffic in HK exceeds the pre-9.11 level
Air traffic in Hong Kong, particularly air cargo, has recovered to or even exceeded the pre-9.11 level, Director-General of Civil Aviation Albert Lam said here recently. In the 12 months preceding December 2002, the total number of aircraft movements was 205,032, slightly higher than the 194,371 recorded in the 12 months preceding September 2001, he said at the opening ceremony of the Fourth International Symposium on Electronics in Air Transport Industry. As regards cargo and pass

Year of horse ends with baby boom
As the Chinese prepare to welcome the year of the goat in just a few weeks, maternity hospitals throughout the country are packed with women waiting to have their babies born before Jan. 31 -- the last day of the year of the horse. For weeks, the maternity ward of the Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital in Taiyuan has been so full that one has to make a reservation for a bed days before the baby is due. At a maternity hospital in the nation's capital Beijing, women in the final sta

Maotai, "a place of regrets" for famous Long March journalist
Maotai is a small town in Renhuai City in mountainous Guizhou Province in southwest China. What distinguishes it from other Chinese small towns is that it produces a famous brand of Chinese liquor, and has many relics telling the story of how the Red Army, led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), crossed the Chishui River four times in the fight against Kuomintang forces in the 1930s. But it is also a place where an American journalist, Harrison Evans Salisbury, author of "Long M

Ancient DNA recovery in progress
Scientists at a Chinese DNA laboratory are working hard to extract DNA from bones selected from the skeletal remains of a woman whom scientists believe was the wife of a duke during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). The 2,000-plus-year-old remains were unearthed in August of the year 2000 by the Yongding river near Laoshan Hills in Beijing's western Shijingshan district and moved to the capital city of Jilin province on October 3 this year under the escort of several archeologists

More Chinese satisfied with their lives
The majority of Chinese people were satisfied with their lives in 2002, according to a survey published on Jan. 1, the China Daily reported recently. The poll by Horizon & Horizonkey was conducted among 3,276 people in 10 major cities. It indicated that 60.6 percent of respondents were "pretty satisfied" with their lives, with 5.9 percent saying that they were "very satisfied". Only about one third of those surveyed said they were "not satisfied" or "very unsatisfied" with their cu

Beijingers happier about their city
Beijingers these days are happier about the state of their city with the notoriously drab hues of the Chinese capital brightened by clear azure skies, an orderly, modernised traffic system and restored cultural and historic sites. "In past winters, every family burnt honeycomb briquets for cooking and keeping warm. The choking smoke from the briquet stoves often permeated the whole 'Hutong'," said middle-aged ZhouHuifeng, who has just moved from her old home in a "Hutong", or Beijing-styl

Temple fairs arranged in Beijing for foreign visitors
Two large temple fairs will be staged during the Lunar New Year holidays starting on Feb. 1, said officials with the Xuanwu district of Beijing. The two temple fairs, arranged respectively at Changdian and Daguanyuan, south Beijing, will as usual focus on traditional Chinese folk arts and handicrafts. Officials said it was an opportunity for those interested in Chinese tradition and foreigners were encouraged to participate in the activities. The temple fair is a traditional

Tibet lifts restrictions on visitors
The tourism administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region has lifted some restrictions on visitors to the southwest China region in a bid to attract more tourists. At the end of last year, the regional tourism administration abolished the requirement that tourists from China's Hong Kong and Macao have "identity confirmation letters" when traveling in Tibet, and that foreigners must travel in a group of five or more, local tourism sources said. Tibet has enhanced its efforts to expl

China sees growing entry-exit registration
A total of 228.27 million people passed through China's ports of entry or border check points in 2002, up 13 percent over the previous year, the Ministry of Public Security said Monday. The year 2002 marked the 13th consecutive year that the number of those entering and leaving the Chinese mainland had shown year-on-year growth. Luohu Port in Shenzhen, a boomtown bordering Hong Kong, ranked first among the country's ports of entry in terms of the number of people entering and leavi

Growing numbers of Chinese residents traveling abroad for private reasons
The year 2002 saw a total of 19 million residents from the Chinese mainland exiting or entering the country for private reasons, up 48.21 percent from the previous year. The figure was released by the Exit-Entry Administration under the Ministry of Public Security on Monday. Statistics from the same source indicate that the overseas destinations for Chinese mainland residents included 235 different countries and regions. The ten most popular were Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Russia, Th

Air China increases capacity during Spring Festival
Air China will add 2,287 international and domestic unscheduled and charter flights during the upcoming Spring Festival from February 1 to 7 to meet the surge in demand from holidaymakers. These include 92 international and regional unscheduled flights and 56 charter flights as well as 1,899 unscheduled domestic flights and 240 charter flights. Air China will operate 389 domestic and international unscheduled and charter flights from Beijing. Most of the unscheduled international f

China to regulate transport fares during Spring Festival
The country's transportation ministries have pledged to regulate passenger fares during the coming Spring Festival transport peak here on Jan.9. Activities such as producing fake transportation tickets and selling tickets for illegal profits will be severely punished, said Liu Zhijun, vice-minister of railways, at a national teleconference on Spring Festival Transportation being held on Jan.9. Vice-Minister of Transportation Hu Xijie said transportation administrations should not c

Vice Premier calls for further development of tourism industry
Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen called for greater efforts to develop the country's tourism industry at a national work conference on tourism held from January 8 to 10 in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang province. Qian said the number of tourists coming to China and tourism incomes increased by 10 percent in 2002 on a year-on-year basis. It is widely accepted that China is one of the safest tourism destinations worldwide, he said. The tourism industry has played an

Agricultural Products Meet International Standards
Chen Jieru, a farmer from the remote mountainous area of east China's Anhui Province, can barely contain his excitement at learning that his tea has received certification from the Swiss Institute for Market Ecology (IMO). Though remote and encircled by hills, Chen Jieru and other farmers in Qiyun Village, Jinzhai County, know their methods and crop are up to international standards. "The tea I grow according to international standards has a delicate fragrance and sells very well abroad," Chen s

Education a Hot Topic Among Political Advisers
The provision of quality teaching can be matched by profits for schools, which can be ploughed back into the education system to benefit students and the community as a whole. That was the message from political advisers attending a key meeting in Beijing yesterday, which will help shape the future of the capital. Liu Yaowei, from Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, said the capital should look at education provision in a "more business way." Zhang Jieting, from the

Hangzhou Removes Limits on Passport Application
By presenting their IDs and permanent residency cards, any citizen in the capital of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province can now apply for a passport. This renowned scenic city is one of the first in the country to simplify procedures for issuing passports, according to local public security authority. "A permanent resident of Hangzhou city can apply for a passport by presenting his original ID, permanent residency card and recent photos," an official said at a recent press conference in

China to Host World Heritage Conference in June
The 27th World Heritage Conference will be held in Suzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province in June 2003. This will be the first time for China to host an annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee, the Popular Science and Technology News reported Wednesday. Participants from 175 countries and regions are expected to discuss and approve sites to be added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's world heritage list. The upcoming conference will also featur

Guangzhou Kicks off 'Spring Festival Transport Season'
Guangzhou railway station kicked off the annual "Spring Festival transport season" at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 40 hours ahead of schedule. At press time, the station has already handled over 70,000 passengers, a slight increase over the same period last year. Ren Hong, vice stationmaster of Guangzhou Railway noted that, since January. 2, the average daily volume of Guangzhou station passengers has been above 60,000. Large numbers of migrant laborers and college students return home for the Spring Fe

Baby Tigers' Show in Shopping Center: For Money
Baby Tigers Working' in a Shopping Center On December 12, 2002, a group of baby tigers from the Shengyang Zoo began their show in a shopping center in Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning Province. The program was designed to make money to support the parent tigers of the zoo. Authorities of the zoo said that it is hard to raise their 35 Northeast Chinese tigers who eat more than 100 kg beef a day. It is especially difficult for the zoo in winter because there are few visitors. In its report on th

Space Scientists over the Moon
Yuan Jiajun could never have dreamed 30 years ago while sitting on his father's shoulders star-gazing that he would grow up to become chief director of China's manned spacecraft system. He no longer stared into the heavens looking for Dongfanghong - the first Chinese-made satellite, which went into orbit in 1970 - while singing "The East is Red" (whose Chinese title is also the name of the satellite). Now, 40-year-old Yuan is busy preparing to blast China's first astronauts into space. Yuan's pr

Train Service Between Nanchang and Mount Huangshan
: My name is Mr. Lai from Singapore. I will be in Nanchang on February 2, 2003. I wish to visit Huangshan, Anhui for 4 days from Nanchang. Is there a train service from Nanchang to Huangshan Could you kindly tell me the train service per day and time it reaches Huangshan. I understand you have an excellent train network in Nanchang. I look forward to your valuable information. Thank you very much. Happy New Year. Best regards Wp Lai ---------- Dear Mr. Lai: Welcome to China. Yes, there is a tra

Tianjin to Reclaim Land from the Sea
Tanggu District of Tianjin, a municipality in north China, is about to launch an expansion project to reclaim lands from the sea in its low beach area. The first phase, covering 200,000 square km, should be finished by the end of 2005. Eventually, more than 500,000 square km of new land will be created for development of an industrial district. Reclaiming land from the sea is a great move in Tianjin's marine economic development. According to the city's comprehensive strategy, the new land will

Guilin Draws Record Number of Overseas Tourists
The number of visits by overseas tourists to Guilin, a scenic city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, hit a record 432,000 last year, according to local statistics. This is the third year that the number of overseas visitors to the city had topped 400,000, said Chen Tingzheng, an official with the region's tourism administration. Though European and American tourist numbers dropped temporarily after the terrorism attack in the United States on September 11, 2001, the city was now