Akira Kaho: 'Ink to Me Is a Drug'
Ash-laden smoke spewing high and magma flowing fast as the Unzen Volcano in Japan had its great eruption in June of 2001. Amid the eruption Akira Kaho, Japanese master of ink art, ventured above the mouth in a helicopter to sketch drawings. "What I want to see more than heaven is hell," he said. Akira is holding a solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing until next Monday. Hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the exhibition features 100 ink
Not a Closed Book
As more mainlanders receive permission to travel independently to Hong Kong, the chances they will return with uncensored publications increase. China Daily's XING BAO details the case of one man's struggle to win back a confiscated scholarly book Lawyer Zhu Yuantao, appearing for the first time in court as a plaintiff, has finally managed to force the customs office at Beijing Airport to return a book to him that it had confiscated more than a year ago. On August 5 last year, Zhu
The Palace Museum Documentary to Air in 2005
For 500 years, the name "Forbidden City" was closely related to the fate of China. It was the imperial palace of China's last two dynasties. But after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the "Forbidden City" became the "Palace Museum" in 1925. Now, China Ce
China Uses 'Electronic Bodyguard' to Protect
World's Tallest Buddha
China has armed the Leshan Mountain Giant Buddha in its southwest Sichuan Province with an "electronic bodyguard" to protect the world's tallest Buddha statue from fire and flood.
The electronic management system, or "electronic bodyguard," isa 24-hour
Exhibition Triggers Space Fever
A Hong Kong model Thursday shows off a HK$500,000 (US$64,350) gift modeled on the Shenzhou V spacecraft, which will be given to taikonaut Yang Liwei in recognition of his historic space flight. The gift is made of 550 grams of gold and a cluster of diamonds. An exhibition in Hong Kong featuring China's first space mission was rescheduled to run overnight after residents snapped up the 60,000 free tickets. Long queues of space enthusiasts also snapped up the additional 27,000 ticket
American Postwar Iraq Deaths Surpass War Casualties
US military deaths from hostile fire in Iraq have reached a grim landmark with the post-war toll surpassing the number of troops killed during the invasion itself. The military reported Wednesday the deaths of two more American soldiers when their tank ran over a bomb about 75 miles north of Baghdad Tuesday night. The Pentagon said this brought to 117 the number of troops killed since US President Bush declared major combat over on May 1. The toll surpassed the 115 killed during th
Fourth UK-China Forum Opens in Beijing
The fourth UK-China Forum opened in Beijing Wednesday with the aim of promoting mutual understanding and comprehensive development of the relations between China and Britain. During the two-day gathering, participants from both countries, under the theme of "managing change, planning for the future", are slated to discuss issues concerning China's economy, reform of China's state-owned enterprises, finance and insurance, as well as the establishment of a global business system. Son
Little Interest Seen in New Tourist Venues
Although Croatia, Hungary, Pakistan and Cuba will be added to the list of countries open to Chinese tourists on Saturday, local tour agencies see little chance of travel groups going to the four countries next month due to the high costs. "I think there won't be a group until Christmas, and the first travel upsurge, if there is one, will not come until the weeklong Spring Festival holiday next year," said Chen Shuiqin, vice president of the Shanghai China Travel Service Outbound Tours Co.
Little Interest Seen in New Tourist Venues
Although Croatia, Hungary, Pakistan and Cuba will be added to the list of countries open to Chinese tourists on Saturday, local tour agencies see little chance of travel groups going to the four countries next month due to the high costs.
"I think ther
Movie&TV City to Host Tourism Festival
The Fifth China Farmer Tourism Festival co-sponsored by Dongyang Municipal government and Hengdian Group will be held from Nov.1 to 3 at the famous Hengdian Movie & TV City in Dongyang, east China's Zhejiang Province.
The theme of the event "Happy Heng
Porcelain Capital Struggles to Reclaim Kudos
Chinese archeologists are now playing a massive "jigsaw puzzle" game with porcelain shards in Jingdezhen, trying to revive the city's fragmentary glory once enjoyed only by the royal family.
For the past 1,000 years, Jingdezhen City of east China's Jia
Shenzhen City Attracts Tourists Worldwide
Shenzhen had a tourist income of more than 35.5 billion yuan (US$4.3 billion), and earned US$1.723 billion in foreign exchange, ranked as the third and fourth respectively in the country. There were more than 15.2 million visitors last year. Of the 4.4935 million overseas tourists, 805,900 foreign visitors stayed overnight, 3.1987 million visitors were from Hong Kong and Macao, and 488,900 were from Chinaa s Taiwan. The city has more than 50 scenic spots, 40 travel agencies, more t
Shangri-La Eco-tourism Area Progressing Smoothly
The establishment of the China Shangri-La Eco-Tourism Area, a project jointly undertaken by southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region, has made encouraging progress over the past year. This is revealed at a coordination conference of the project held in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan, on October 27. The three cooperative partners reached agreement on the establishment of the area last May, and immediately began preparatory works, including establishment o
Shangri-La Eco-tourism Area Progressing Smoothly
The establishment of the China Shangri-La Eco-Tourism Area, a project jointly undertaken by southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region, has made encouraging progress over the past year. This is revealed at a coordination conference of the project held in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan, on October 27. The three cooperative partners reached agreement on the establishment of the area last May, and immediately began preparatory works, including establishment o
Contemporary Silk Road Artworks Shown in Beijing
An exhibition of contemporary artworks focusing on China's Silk Road culture began here Thursday in Beijing. A total of 86 pieces of art from 66 artists living and working in Kashgar, Urumqi, Dunhuang, Lanzhou and Xi'an along China's Silk Road are on show. The artworks include canvases, traditional Chinese paintings and engravings. The artists include professional painters, artists from local cultural centers, researchers specializing in ancient grotto studies, professors from art
Contemporary Silk Road Artworks Shown in Beijing
An exhibition of contemporary artworks focusing on China's Silk Road culture began Thursday in Beijing. A total of 86 pieces of art from 66 artists living and working in Kashgar, Urumqi, Dunhuang, Lanzhou and Xi'an along China's Silk Road are on show. The artworks include canvases, traditional Chinese paintings and engravings. The artists include professional painters, artists from local cultural centers, researchers specializing in ancient grotto studies, professors from art insti
Liu Huan and His Music
A graduate with a major in the French language, a university teacher, a top singer on stage, these three different titles belong to one person, Liu Huan. Liu Huan, 40 years old, is one of China's modern era pioneers in pop music and is considered China's King of Pop. He distinguished himself as an elegant singer with a high-pitched voice. What we are hearing is his chart-topping theme song from the TV drama, A Native of Beijing in New York which was a huge hit across China in early
Int'l Tea Expo Opens in Zhejiang
The sixth China International Tea Expo opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province, on Thursday.
More than 1,500 business people from more than 30 leading tea markets around China as well as purchasers from 13 countries and regions wo
Zhuhai Islands Aim at Holiday Paradise
The first batch of uninhabited islands off the coast of Zhuhai will be available for lease next year.
They are expected to be developed as holiday resorts. The bidding is open to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents as well as mainland bidders.
Shenzhen City Attracts Tourists Worldwide
Shenzhen had a tourist income of more than 35.5 billion yuan (US$4.3 billion), and earned US$1.723 billion in foreign exchange, ranked as the third and fourth respectively in the country.
There were more than 15.2 million visitors last year. Of the 4.4
Injured Foreign Tourists in Fatal Crash Out of Danger
Four foreign tourists injured in a fatal crash are expected to be discharged from hospital Friday after treatment, while another 40 are already out of danger, doctors said. The accident occurred some 85 km from the scenic resort of Jiuzhaigou in the Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba, Sichuan Province, at around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday when the 42-membertourist group, traveling with a China Travel Service (Sichuan) tour, was on the way to the ancient town of Songpan. A Singapor
Taikonaut Sparks Space Enthusiasm in HK
Yang Liwei, China's first space traveller, received a hero's welcome from the people of Hong Kong as he arrived in the territory on Friday for a six-day visit. From the moment the space delegation emerged at the airport, he was cheered by about 1,000 students and citizens waving the SAR (Special Administrative Region) flag, slogans and greeting cards. SAR Financial Secretary Henry Tang and Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho were also at the airport to greet his arrival. A
Injured Singaporean, Malaysian Tourists Out of Danger
All of the 41 Singaporean and Malaysian tourists who were injured in a road accident in the Jiuzhaigou scenic area of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday afternoon, are out of medical danger, a local source confirmed to China Daily yesterday. "But out of caution, all of them are still being kept in ward for further observation,'' said Liao Zhilin, an official with Huaxi Hospital in Chengdu, the provincial capital. "Few of the injured are suffering from dangerous head in
Ninth China Wuqiao International Circus Festival Opens
The ninth China Wuqiao International Circus Festival opened Friday in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, featuring competitions and performances, as well as exhibitions of circus paintings and Chinese acrobatics.
Gu Xiulian, vice-ch
Feast for the Senses in Kanas
For those accustomed to reserving their attention span solely for the final destination on sight-seeing tours, it's best to know that half the fun is getting there when taking a trip to Kanas in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Kanas might be one
Malaysia Airlines Launches Maiden Flight from Kuching to Guangzhou
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) on Sunday launched a maiden flight from Kuching, east Malaysia, to China's southern city of Guangzhou. On board the Guangzhou bound Boeing 737-400 flight were 137 people, headed by MAS General Manager for West Region Rashid Khan and including Sarawak Tourism Board officers, travel agency members, hoteliers, state and national media personnel, Malaysia National News Agency reported. The thrice weekly flights will depart from Kuching, capital of Sarawak State,
Trip to Xinjiang Lake Produces Pleasant Memories
For those accustomed to reserving their attention span solely for the final destination on sight-seeing tours, it's best to know that half the fun is getting there when taking a trip to Kanas, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Kanas might be one of the
Fifth Ring Road Opens to Traffic
The Fifth Ring Road, the capital's first round-the-city expressway, was fully completed with its last 38-kilometre section opened to traffic on Saturday.
With a total length of 98.58 kilometers, the road is also the first large-scale infrastructural fa
Malaysia Airlines Launches Maiden Flight from
Kuching to Guangzhou
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) on Sunday launched a maiden flight from Kuching, east Malaysia, to China's southern city of Guangzhou.
On board the Guangzhou bound Boeing 737-400 flight were 137 people, headed by MAS General Manager for West Region Rashid Khan
Book Series Tells World's Nations
The Social Sciences Documentation Publishing House has published Lieguo Zhi (Guide to the World States), which is being hailed as an equal of the historically acclaimed Haiguo Tuzhi (The Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries), written in 1842 by Wei Yuan (1794-1856), a scholar and minor official of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The new book is a series delivering a comprehensive presentation of almost all of the countries and major international organizations in the world today.
Ancient Monk's Japanese Trip Remembered
Various activities took place at Damingsi Temple from Saturday to yesterday in Yangzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the monk Jianzhen's (688-763) successful arrival in Japan 1,250 years ago. Thousands of people gathered on Sunday morning under the Qiling Tower of Damingsi Temple for the grand commemoration meeting marking the 1,250th anniversary, including officials, Japanese guests, visitors from different areas, Buddhist monks and Buddhist believers. "Jianzhen
Ancient Monk's Japanese Trip Remembered
Various activities took place at Damingsi Temple from Saturday to Monday in Yangzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the monk Jianzhen's (688-763) successful arrival in Japan 1,250 years ago. Thousands of people gathered on Sunday morning under the Qiling Tower of Damingsi Temple for the grand commemoration meeting marking the 1,250th anniversary, including officials, Japanese guests, visitors from different areas, Buddhist monks and Buddhist believers. "Jianzhen is
American Express Taps Chinese Tourism Market
American Express, one of the largest tourism and transportation companies in the world, has signed a cooperative agreement with the China International Travel Agency recently to tap the Chinese tourism market. According to the agreement, American Express will cooperate with 15 branches of the CITA to set up a tourism service network, covering 15 major tourism cities including Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Tianjin and Shenzhen. Under the agreement, the 15 CITA branches are entitled to use
Ancient Monk's Japanese Trip Remembered
Various activities took place at Damingsi Temple from Saturday to Monday in Yangzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the monk Jianzhen's (688-763) successful arrival in Japan 1,250 years ago. Thousands of people gathered on Sunday morning under the Qiling Tower of Damingsi Temple for the grand commemoration meeting marking the 1,250th anniversary, including officials, Japanese guests, visitors from different areas, Buddhist monks and Buddhist believers. "Jianzhen is
Citizens Wait for EU Tours
There had been little response from Shenzhen travelers to the four countries just opened to Chinese tourists, major tourist agencies said Sunday. The new travel destinations available to Chinese tourists from Nov.1 are Portugal, Croatia, Cuba and Pakistan. The agencies said people were waiting for the opening of 12 EU countries to Chinese tour groups. Comfort, one of the city's big travel agencies, said it was planning a 20-member tour group to Portugal and Croatia but had n
International Friendship Forest Opens to Visitors
The International Friendship Forest at the foot of Badaling Great Wall, Beijing, recently opened to visitors.
Covering an area of 133 hectares (1.33 million square meters), the tourist forest is located to the west of the Great Wall. It serves a
American Express Taps Chinese Tourism Market
American Express, one of the largest tourism and transportation companies in the world, has signed a cooperative agreement with the China International Travel Agency recently to tap the Chinese tourism market.
According to the agreement, American Expre
Citizens Wait for EU Tours
There had been little response from Shenzhen travelers to the four countries just opened to Chinese tourists, major tourist agencies said Sunday.
The new travel destinations available to Chinese tourists from Nov.1 are Portugal, Croatia, Cuba and Pakis
Musharraf: Stronger Economic Relations to Come
Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, said Tuesday that China has emerged as a positive force for economic stability and progress in Asia and the world at large. At a 40-minute speech at prestigious Peking University, President Musharraf looked forward to China's economic engagement in Central and Southwest Asia "similar to its economic and commercial role across the Asia-Pacific." "China, which has provided assurance and a safety net to the Southeast Asi
Beijing Hotels to Be Upgraded for Olympics
A total of 800 hotels in the Chinese capital are to be upgraded to meet environmental standards for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, hopefully generating 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) in market demand for energy-saving products, Beijing Daily rep
Individual HK Tour Expected to Expand to Whole of
Guangdong Province
Individual tours to Hong Kong and Macao could be expanded to the whole of Guangdong Province next January, Governor Huang Huahua told a press conference in Guangzhou Tuesday.
The provincial government had already applied to the Central government for a
Guarding An 800-year-old Pine Tree
It's not the oldest tree in China, but the 800-year-old pine tree on Mt Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) in east China's Anhui Province is certainly the most celebrated in the nation and perhaps the world.
The much photographed Pinus Hwangahanensis is not
War on Illegal Jobs and Prostitution
The Security Bureau said Wednesday that it would step up action against mainland visitors engaging in illegal employment and prostitution when staying in Hong Kong. The number of mainland visitors arrested for illegal employment rose by nearly 70 percent in the first nine months of this year to 3,536 against the same period last year. The figure jumped from 1,853 in 2000 to 3,031 in 2002. Visitors engaging in prostitution in the first nine months rose by 52 percent from last
Fujian to Open Tour Packages to Taiwan
Residents in Fujian Province may be looking forward to visiting the Jinmen and Mazu islands as tourists around the Spring Festival period in January next year, according to a tourism official of this coastal province. As a port city facing Taiwan across the Straits, Xiamen will take advantage of its regional proximity to effectively promote communication on tour routes to Jinmen. Negotiations on travel to Taiwan islands have already reached what is considered a significant phase, l
Fujian to Open Tour Packages to Taiwan
Residents in Fujian Province may be looking forward to visiting Jinmen and Mazu islands across the Taiwan Straits as tourists around the Spring Festival period in January next year, according to a tourism official of this coastal province. As a port city facing Taiwan across the straits, Xiamen will take advantage of its regional proximity to effectively promote communication on tour routes to Jinmen. Negotiations on travel to Jinmen and Taiwan islands have already reached what is
Fujian to Open Tour Packages to Taiwan
Residents in Fujian Province may be looking forward to visiting Jinmen and Mazu islands across the Taiwan Straits as tourists around the Spring Festival period in January next year, according to a tourism official of this coastal province.
As a port ci
More Cover for City's Ancient Past
The capital, a cultural center rich in sites of historical interest, is racing against roaring bulldozers to protect its heritage.
In a bid to save the city's past from development, the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress -- t
China Int'l Tourism Fair Set for Kunming
The 2003 China International Tourism Fair is to be held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, from Nov 20 to 23, the local tourism bureau announced Wednesday.
Luo Mingyi, bureau director, said the fair would play an important role i
Protection of Property Rights and Fair Trade by Law
The laws on market economy, together with previous economic laws, have preliminary constructed a framework of legal system, and made important legal preparations for the cultivation and development of socialist market economy. By way of these laws, the organizational forms of market entities were defined, and a legal system was constructed for the purpose of confirming, respecting and protecting the legal rights of market entities, creating a favorable environment of fair trade for the developme
Set in Stone
Ancient castles are generally associated with medieval Europe. But castle complexes dating to the 14th century also exist in China's southwestern Guizhou Province. Today, more than 5,000 people in 1,250 households live in a kingdom of stone: cobbled roads, stone walls, stone houses, stone grinds, stone rollers, stone jars, stone gates, and stone watchtowers. To visit them, set out from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou, and drive 72 kilometers westward along the road leading to the Huangguo
Biking Around Beijing
If you are in Beijing for long, it could be worth getting a bike. Biking around Beijing is a fun way to get to know the city and its suburbs. It's now fashionable for cyclists to travel as far as 40 to 70 kilometres from downtown Beijing on an organized bike trip. Here are some destinations around Beijing for your next bike adventure. Miaofeng Mountain Miaofeng Mountain, rising majestically to more than 1,300 metres, is the major peak in the northern range of the West
Shangri-La to Expand
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia's largest luxury hotel operator, said yesterday it will open 11 hotels in China before 2006.
Next January, Shangri-La will open a new hotel in Zhongshan, the first five-star hotel in that Guangdong Province city.
Shopping Carnival to Lure 1 Million Tourists
Shenzhen intends to attract 1 million tourists from other parts of China with a shopping carnival in the latter half of December.
The Shenzhen Municipal Tourism Bureau, one of the sponsors, said 500,000 from Hong Kong and Macao and another 500,000 from
Hubei a Hub of Historic Treasures and Captivating Culture
Blessed with beautiful mountains and rivers and a rich, vibrant culture, Hubei has an abundance of fascinating tourist attractions.
The world-famous Three Gorges, renowned for their spectacular views, rank in the top ten scenic spots in China. B
33 Injured Foreign Tourists Return Home After SW China's Road Accident
Altogether 33 foreign tourists injured in a road accident in southwest China on Oct. 29 have returned home after 11 Singaporeans were flew home aboard an International SOS chartered plane Thursday, a local tourist official said Friday. At present, seven foreign tourists, four Singaporeans and three Malaysians, are still treated in Huaxi Hospital under Sichuan University and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, respectively, according to Teng Xiaoda, assistant general manager of China Tra
More Bridges to Be Built on Yangtze River
Wuhan, the most important industrial city on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, has started construction of a suspension bridge on the river.
An official with the headquarters for ring road construction of Wuhan City said that the bridge would be
UNESCO Proclaims Chinese Guqin Music as Intangible Heritage
The United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed Friday 28 masterpieces including China's ancient Guqin music art as the Oral and Intangible Heritage of the humanity.
Guqin, a seven-stringed zither, is China's ol
Boeing Holds Get-together
Boeing is expected to hold a conference in Beijing next week to invite its global partners to meet Asian suppliers and discuss how to work together to design and construct Boeing's ambitious 7E7 jet.
Most of the Asian suppliers come from China and most
Jiang Wen's Little Brother Comes Into His Own
Xia Yua 2s sweatshirt emblazoned with a Burton Snowboards logo contradicts his serious demeanour. "I started snowboarding last year," he says. "I fell in love with it." The 26 year-old actora 2s first love, however, is skateboarding. "Ia 2ve been skateboarding since I was sixteen. I used to be pretty good, but I havena 2t had much time to practice since I started acting, so Ia 2m not as good anymore." He speaks nostalgically of his days skating in his native Qingdao. "I like to skate in Wangfuji
Air India Plans Fleet Expansion
Air India Ltd, the nation's biggest carrier, is asking the government to buy 28 planes from Boeing Co and Airbus SAS worth 100 billion rupees (US$2.2 billion) to expand the airline's fleet. The airline's board will request the Civil Aviation Ministry order 10 long-range Airbus A340 jetliners and 18 short-range Boeing 737-800 planes, the airline said. Engines would be supplied by General Electric Co and Snecma SA's CFM International venture. The additions of the planes to Air
Long-lost Melodies Amaze Visitors
Dressed in robes supposedly dating back 2,000 years, 18 people appeared on a stage set in the lobby of the Henan Museum.
Some held guqin (seven-stringed ancient Chinese musical instruments), some held erhu, pipa, bamboo flutes and xiao - an ancient typ
Potala Palace Getting Face-lift
Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, the residence of Dalai Lamas since the seventh century, is being whitewashed for God-Descending Day on November 20.
Wangduo, deputy section chief of Potala Palace Administration, said the whit
Air India Plans Fleet Expansion
Air India Ltd, the nation's biggest carrier, is asking the government to buy 28 planes from Boeing Co and Airbus SAS worth 100 billion rupees (US$2.2 billion) to expand the airline's fleet.
The airline's board will request the Civil Aviation Ministry o
Peru, China Sign Traveling Agreement
Peru and China signed an agreement on Monday to ease travel for citizens between the two countries. At the signing ceremony, Peruvian Foreign Minister Allan Wagner Tizon and Chinese ambassador to Peru Mai Guoyan said the agreement will boost economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries and promote tourism and trade. Talking about future cooperation in tourism, Wagner said China, a rapidly growing economy, would provide a huge opportunity for Peru's tourism. The
EU to Open Door for More Chinese Tourists
The European Chamber of Commerce in China welcomes the ADS (authorized destination status) agreement approved at the EU-China Summit in Beijing at the end of last month, China Daily learned from the European Chamber on Monday. The agreement means that Chinese tourists will be able to visit most EU (European Union) member countries. This agreement will not only benefit the tourist industry in Europe and China, but will also encourage people-to-people contacts, as more citizens from each si
EU to Open Door for More Chinese Tourists
The European Chamber of Commerce in China welcomes the ADS (authorized destination status) agreement approved at the EU-China Summit in Beijing at the end of last month, China Daily learned from the European Chamber yesterday. The agreement means that Chinese tourists will be able to visit most EU (European Union) member countries. This agreement will not only benefit the tourist industry in Europe and China, but will also encourage people-to-people contacts, as more citizens from each si
Hong Kong Struggling to Save Sea Turtles
Older villagers on Lamma Island have fond memories of distant summer nights on the beach, where they quietly crawled along the sands to see where the giant, green sea turtles were laying eggs. "All of us -- men and women, adults and children -- slept on the beach and shut up when the turtles were here," said 65-year-old Chan Kam-wan. "We picked up the eggs, one by one, from behind as the turtles worked hard to squeeze them out right in front of us." It was a tradition that gave isl
EU to Open Door for More Chinese Tourists
The European Chamber of Commerce in China welcomes the ADS (authorized destination status) agreement approved at the EU-China Summit in Beijing at the end of last month, China Daily learned from the European Chamber on Monday. The agreement means that Chi
Huge Investment on Highway to Famous Scenic Spot in
Sichuan Province
Southwest Sichuan Province has invested 3.15 billion yuan (US$380 million) on a highway project, which will greatly shorten the distance from Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, to the scenic resort of Jiuzhaigou.
Construction of the 82-km highway, from Dujian
Large-scale Sacrificial Relics Site Found in Tibet
Archeologists found a large-scale sacrificial relics site along the Qinghai-Tibet railway in Nagqu County in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Covering an area of 260 square meters, the site consists of four square stone piles facing a nearby "sacred" mount
Is China Open for Immigration
: Xiexie ni (Thank you - editor) for your impressive and informative website. By the way, I am wondering if China is open for immigration, esp. to professionals in the field of arts, literature and music Melisa Philippines ------------------------ Dear Melisa, So far as we know, China is not an immigrant country. No law or regulations are set permitting immigration. A foreigner is only allowed to reside here for reasons of work, study, travel, or
Bremer Summoned to Washington for Talks on Iraq
Frustrated with the US-picked Iraqi Governing Council, US President Bush's national security advisers questioned the top American administrator in Iraq on Tuesday about how to break a political logjam in Baghdad and speed planning for the nation's political future. L. Paul Bremer was summoned unexpectedly from Baghdad to a White House meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other key officials.
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Miss World Contestants Arrive in Sanya
Contestants of the 53rd Miss World Competition have arrived in Sanya city in China's southernmost Hainan Province Tuesday. A ceremony was held at the airport welcoming Julia Morley, the executive chairperson of the competition's organizing agency, Miss World 2002 Azra Akin and 110 contestants, who had come from a visit to Hong Kong. The final round of the competition is to be held in the tourist resort on Dec. 6. It is the first time China will have held an international beauty pag
US Senate Clears Bill to Sanction Syria
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions on Syria, which the United States accuses of sponsoring terrorism, but gave U.S. President Bush broad power to waive the penalties. The Senate passed the bill 89-4, following similar action by a nearly unanimous House of Representatives in October. The vote came amid rising tension with Damascus, which Washington also accuses of occupying Lebanon and failing to secure its border with Iraq while all
Where Is Your Next Holiday Destination
Over many years, Dr. Xie, 70, and his wife worked very hard and thriftily made a living. With their children all grown up and living independently, the couple considered the best way to spend their savings, not to mention their considerable pensions. To their great admiration, their children had traveled in foreign countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia, so they decided to sign up for a tour package to four European countries with a travel agency. So just before the coming of th
Aviation Industry to Witness Rapid Development
China's aviation industry will develop rapidly in the coming five to 10 years, with its airport number increasing the fastest in the world, said Alexander Strahl, secretary general of the Airports Council International (ACI) in Hong Kong on Tuesday. As the most populated country in the world, China has more and more passengers who are willing and able to travel by air, said Strahl at a press conference at which he announced the relocation of ACI's Pacific regional office from Vancouver to
Aviation Industry to Witness Rapid Development
China's aviation industry will develop rapidly in the coming five to 10 years, with its airport number increasing the fastest in the world, said Alexander Strahl, secretary general of the Airports Council International (ACI) in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
As
New Air Route Links China, Japan
Passengers traveling between China and Japan have a new route as regular flights became available between Yantai City of Shandong Province and Osaka of Japan beginning from Sunday.
The 1,500-km new air route is the shortest air passage between Chinese
HK to Hold Exhibition Featuring Sun Yat-sen's HK Years
About 100 historical photos and artifacts related to Sun Yat-sen's time in Hong Kong will be featured in an exhibition due to open between Nov.12 - Dec. 1 at the Hong Kong Museum of History to commemorate the 137th anniversary of Sun's birthday.
Jointl
Deals Inked: Boeing, Auto Big Three Are Handful
In a buying spree aimed at easing trade tensions with the United States, China signed contracts worth US$1.7 billion with Boeing and General Electric to buy 30 Boeing 737 planes. Five Chinese airliners will get the 30 Boeings and GE will supply the engines. In a related deal on Wednesday, China signed contracts with GE's Aircraft Engines division to supply engines for a new regional aircraft China is developing. The engines could be worth as much as US$3 billion over 20 years, offi
Travel Agency Allowed to Buy Planes
The Civil Aviation Administration of China or CAAC says the country is to relax some of the restrictions on the domestic civil aviation market. CAAC Director Yang Yuanyuan says his administration plans to lift the ban allowing individuals and travel agencies to buy planes for business use. Meanwhile, approval procedures for individuals to set up aviation companies will also be simplified. Yang Yuanyuan also indicates that his administration will encourage the development of
SARS Pushes Phoenix Deeper into the Red
The Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television yesterday posted a larger loss in the first fiscal quarter, blaming it partly on the delayed impact of SARS epidemic. The net loss for the company, which is 38-per-cent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, widened to HK$25.63 million (US$3.29 million) in the quarter ended September 30 from HK$20.42 million (US$2.62 million) a year earlier. Chairman Liu Changle said the latest quarterly loss was "clearly larger than the normal seasona
Charms of Beijing: Classical Gardens & Parks
An painting exhibition titled "Classical Gardens and Parks" was held in China National Art Museum. This year's exhibition is only one of the serial shows to be held annually from this year until 2008, to unveil the cultural and artistic charms of Beijing
Shanghai Eyes Second Disney Park for China
Shanghai is still strongly leaning towards building a Disney theme park, government sources say, and construction could begin in 2010 if negotiations proceed well.
"The Shanghai municipal government has set up a special team with the United States-base
Capital's Old Homes Get Reprieve
Beijing will no longer ratify renovation projects for old homes in its downtown core, moving to better protect the ancient capital.
However, heritage protection experts suggest that ongoing renovation projects in old areas should be urgently halted and
Ecotourism to Save Nature
Shangri-La is an imaginary paradise on earth, according to many English dictionaries. But the place offers more for nature conservationists Li Bo and Xie Hongyan when they look back at the three years they spent in a village hidden among rolling mountains of Shangri-La County, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. They have shed sweat and tears, experienced gains and losses, and shared much joy and sorrow. While their work is having a profound impact on the life of local villag
King of Card Tricks
When Lennart Green made his first appearance in front of Shanghai media in Shanghai TV station's news center, local reporters looked at him with curiosity and disbelief. As the first world-renowned magician to arrive for the upcoming Shanghai Magic Festival, Green was advertised as the "king of card tricks" and a leading figure in close-up magic shows. He was tall and big, a typical Nordic man with gray hair and thick glasses. He sat a little awkwardly as the organizers introduced
Imperial Palace Undergoes Centenary Renovation
The building group of the Hall of Martial Prowess known as Wuyingdian in Chinese covers an area of 12,000 square meters, which, located at the Western Flowery Gate of the Imperial Palace (also known as the Purple Forbidden City, the royal edifice for the
New Zealand to Host Green Globe Tourism Conference
New Zealand's Kaikoura on the South Island is to stage the world's first international Green Globe sustainable tourism conference next March, Kaikoura District Council Chief Executive Stuart Grant has announced.
The South Island-based local daily The M
UK to Expand Aviation Cooperation with China
British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said on Thursday that Britain will expand aviation cooperation with China.
He made the remarks when attending the British airports group workshop in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
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Capital Plans More Hotel Rooms for Olympics
China's capital of Beijing is fueling the speed of hotel construction by 7 percent annually in terms of guest rooms to get ready for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. More than 800,000 foreigners are expected to visit Beijing during the 2008 summer games and the city needs 230 more star hotels to meet the huge demand, the Saturday's China Daily quoted sources of Beijing Tourism Bureau as saying. Most of the new hotels will involve the renovation of old hotels and training cent
Beijing Plans for More Hotel Rooms for Olympics
China's capital of Beijing is fueling the speed of hotel construction by 7 percent annually in terms of guest rooms to get ready for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. More than 800,000 foreigners are expected to visit Beijing during the 2008 summer games and the city needs 230 more star hotels to meet the huge demand, the Saturday's China Daily quoted sources of Beijing Tourism Bureau as saying. Most of the new hotels will involve the renovation of old hotels and training cent
Beijing Plans for More Hotel Rooms for Olympics
China's capital of Beijing is fueling the speed of hotel construction by 7 percent annually in terms of guest rooms to get ready for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
More than 800,000 foreigners are expected to visit Beijing during the 2008 summe
Cultural Heritage Needs Protection
China urgently needs to rescue and preserve its intangible cultural heritage, the nation's top cultural official said yesterday in Beijing.
Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng made the comments just days after China's 3,000-year-old musical instrument guq
Traffic Woes to Ease with Express Thoroughfares
The Chinese capital, facing an ever serious traffic problem, is building an express road network to connect the current four ring roads to ease the city's traffic woes. According to Zhou Zhengyu, deputy director of the Beijing Transportation Committee, the city will have 15 such thoroughfares in place -- with no traffic lights -- by 2006. They will link the fifth, fourth and third ring roads down through the urban second ring road. Zhou said, so far, 80 percent of the 280 kilometer
Tourism Helps Boost Yunnan Economy
As one of the five pillar industries in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the tourism sector earned 25.6 billion yuan (US$3.09 billion) last year, accounting for 12.5 percent of the province's gross domestic product (GDP). The industry employs 1.45 million workers and lured 520,000 foreign and 24.2 million domestic tourists in the first five months of this year. To develop tourism, Yunnan sticks to the strategies of promoting characteristic tours, establishing famous tourism brands, diversifyin
Law Needed to Protect Tourism
China's top tourism administration has urged the acceleration of the legislation process to deal with problems in the expanding holiday industry to guarantee its further development. "A comprehensive law is urgently needed to change the legal relationship in the industry that is more complicated than before," said Zhang Shumin, a National Tourism Administration official in charge of policy and laws. The official also noted that as the definition of the tourism industry has not been clarified by
Beijing's Toilets Go Upscale
The New Beijing is not ignoring one of life's most basic considerations, the toilet, which is something that many a foreign tourist will be happy to know. The toilet -- once the downfall of Beijing's tourist industry - has been elevated to a position where it now merits its own star-rated system. Over the next two years the city plans to build 64 four-star, 197 three-star and 118 one-star toilets at all its major tourist attractions. Seventy star-rate toilets already have opened at scenic sp
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway: An Engineering Miracle
When railway construction workers first came to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, they were amazed at the majesty of its snowfield scenery. Cut off from the outside world, everything on the plateau -- its snow-capped mountains, grassland, lamas, prayer banners, the Potala Palace, and the Tibetan people living 4,000 meters or more above sea level, has an aura of mystery. Beautiful it may be, but Tibet lags behind other areas of China. Inadequate transportation facilities restrict its economic developmen
New Freeway to Boost Tourism in SW China Completed
A freeway connecting Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Shilin, or stone forest, a well-known karst scenic spot in the province, was completed and opened to traffic on Sunday.
The 78-kilometer freeway, most of which is six lanes
Tourists Allowed Closer Contacts with Horse Racing in HK
Horse racing, ballroom dancing and stock exchanges, the three "remarkable capitalistic characteristics" pledged to be kept for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for at least 50 years by the central government before Hong Kong's return to the mot
Traffic Woes to Ease with Express Thoroughfares
The Chinese capital, facing an ever serious traffic problem, is building an express road network to connect the current four ring roads to ease the city's traffic woes.
According to Zhou Zhengyu, deputy director of the Beijing Transportation Committee,
Set in Stone
Ancient castles are generally associated with medieval Europe. But castle complexes dating to the 14th century also exist in China's southwestern Guizhou Province. Today, more than 5,000 people in 1,250 households live in a kingdom of stone: cobbled roads, stone walls, stone houses, stone grinds, stone rollers, stone jars, stone gates, and stone watchtowers. To visit them, set out from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou, and drive 72 kilometers westward along the road leading to the Huangguo
US, Japan Agree to Pressure N.Korea
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly on Tuesday shed no light on the timing of a next round of talks on North Korea's nuclear arms program, but said his visit to Tokyo set a "good basis" for talks with China and South Korea. Asked when a second round of six-way talks on ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program would be held, Kelly told reporters: "I don't know. I still don't know. I am going to go to Beijing and do some more work." Kelly, in Tokyo on a three-day visit, i
Yangtze River Hosts Rafting Festival
The third China-Panzhihua International Rafting Festival will be held in Panzhihua in southwest China's Sichuan Province Dec.7-10, said Sun Gang, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration. With the theme of "environmental protection and harmony among nationalities," the festival, which will attract at least 200 participants in 58 teams, is described as one of the "most attractive and adventurous activities" by the National Geographic magazine, said Qin Yizhi, mayor of P
Internet Firms Lines up for IPOs
History often repeats itself, and the initial public offering (IPO) tide now surging through China's Internet sector suggests a case of deja vu all over again. In 2000, at the peak of the Internet boom, more than 20 dotcoms in China set their sights on listing on overseas stock markets, but only Sina Corp, Sohu.com and Netease.com have realized that dream. Just three years later, however, overseas public offerings have once again become a hot topic among Chinese Internet companies.
World Lures Chinese Tourists
Travel agencies, airlines and research institutes from 24 countries and regions promoted their tourism resources at a forum in Shenzhen on Monday. Delegates to the First International Forum on Chinese Outbound Tourism and Marketing said they were impressed by China's out-bound tourism potential. On the first day of the two-day forum, Shenzhen tourist officials told their foreign guests that Shenzhen was planning a string of measures aimed at making the city the first choice port of
Yangtze River Hosts Rafting Festival
The third China-Panzhihua International Rafting Festival will be held in Panzhihua in southwest China's Sichuan Province Dec.7-10, said Sun Gang, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration.
With the theme of "environmental protection
Restoring Beijing's Ancient Style
The Beijing Administration of Land Resources and Housing announced last week that all the flat roofs of residential buildings along the streets within the city's Third Ring Road will be changed into sloping ones. Such a plan offers much food for thought.<
Cross-sea Railway on Track
The Yantai-Dalian Railway Ferry Project across the Bohai Bay started construction in the coastal city over the weekend.
The Yantai section of the project includes the 12-kilometre railway route and a railway ferry dock. Early building work will involve
World Lures Chinese Tourists
Travel agencies, airlines and research institutes from 24 countries and regions promoted their tourism resources at a forum in Shenzhen on Monday.
Delegates to the First International Forum on Chinese Outbound Tourism and Marketing said they were impre
Hong Kong Reaffirms Position on Illegal Workers
The Security Bureau Tuesday reaffirmed its position to step up action against illegal workers from the mainland after Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee met with representatives of the construction sector in the afternoon. "The meeting was fruitful and the security bureau has pledged to allocate more resources to tackle the problem of mainland illegal workers in Hong Kong," said Legislator Chan Yuen-han. She said the Secretary for Security has given union representatives a very pos
8 Major Asian Cities to Join Efforts for Tourism Promotion
Eight Asian cities agreed to boost cooperation in tourism and trade promotion at a conference held in Hanoi on Tuesday.
The Asian Network of Major Cities for the 21st century (ANMC21) has agreed at a meeting of its Council for Promotion of Tourism in A
Tourism Forum Business Brisk
The First International Forum on Chinese Outbound Tourism and Marketing at Shangri-La Hotel on Tuesday abounded with Chinese and overseas tourism operators meeting to promote business.
Taka Munyanyiwa of Zimbabwe displayed a handful of business cards h
New China-Japan Air Route Opens
Travelers between Haikou, capital of island Hainan Province in south China, and Fukuoka of Japan will have more options as a new air route linking the two cities is to open the end of the month.
Since 26th of this month, China Southern Airlines will fl
Cultural Relics on Their Way Home
Cultural relics as remnants of history, are regarded as records of the rise and fall of a nation.
Many Chinese cultural relics, which have been scattered around the world over the last century, have started to return home to the collections of Chinese
China's Overall Inbound Tourism Gets Better
China's overall inbound tourism market is improving and tourist arrivals are beginning to grow, said Shen Huirong, a senior official with the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). In September, tourists arrival increased by 2.17 percent over the same period of last year, turning around the negative growth which had lasted for six months since March. Hong Kong and Macao, as the major inbound tourist markets, took the lead in the market recovery. In September, tourist arrivals from
Private Lawyers Popular in Large Cities
Recently, Mr. Li, a resident of Nanjing, capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, got into dispute with a neighbor over the raising of pigeons. During their quarrel, the neighbor said something that Mr. Li had only ever heard from TV series before: I don't want to talk with you about this. I will leave the matter to my lawyer. It is becoming increasingly common for people to hire private lawyers in large cities like Beijing and Nanjing. With the improvement of the living standards of C
Jiangmen: Tourism to Boost Development
The signing of CEPA and the to-be-built Zhuhai-Hong Kong-Macao Bridge provide an excellent opportunity for the take-off of Jiangmen, mid-south of Guangdong, the No. 1 Overseas Chinese Hometown in China.
The Third (2003) China Overseas Chinese Hometown
China's Overall Inbound Tourism Gets Better
China's overall inbound tourism market is improving and tourist arrivals are beginning to grow, said Shen Huirong, a senior official with the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
In September, tourists arrival increased by 2.17 percent over th
Promotional Tour Overbooked in Shenzhen
More than 1,000 people have applied for 30 vacancies in a promotional tour of the city's scenic spots headed by south China's Shenzhen's tourism chiefs including Chi Xiongbiao, director-general of the municipal tourism bureau.
The tour will inspect 28
On trail of Polo
We are an international group of cyclists who will take an overland travel from Beijing, China to Venice, Italy. This trip will follow Marco Polo's route, but instead of four years, we will do it in about four months. We are planning this trip in order to complete a story started by a group of nine Italian bikers. They did the trip in reverse in 2001, and left a bike with Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee with the hope that a group would ride it back to Venice. Currently we have three
Let It Rain
Xia Yu's Profile Name: Xia Yu Birthday: 10/28/1976 Height: 176cm Blood Type: B Favorite actor: Nicolas Cage Favorite Sports: Skateboarding, Billiards, Table Tennis Xia Yu's sweatshirt emblazoned with a Burton Snowboards logo contradicts his serious demeanour. "I started snowboarding last year," he says. "I fell in love with it." The 26 year-old actor's first love, however, is skateboarding. "I've been skateboarding since I was sixteen. I used to b
16th Asia Int'l Stamp Exhibition Opens
An international stamp exhibition which displays elaborate stamps from 24 Asian countries and regions opened in Mianyang, in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The five-day China-Mianyang 2003 Asia International Stamp Exhibition has attracted more than 3,000 visitors who will enjoy 1,500 cases of valuable and unique Chinese and foreign stamps. China put forward 567 cases of stamps and 78 documents on stamps. Other activities such as an international philatelic symposium, an
How to Obtain the Chinese Visa
1. Tourist Visa Foreigners wishing to travel to China should apply to a local Chinese embassy or consulate for tourist visas(L). In the event of a group tour of more than nine persons, the organizer has to apply for group tourist visas(L). Foreigners equesting to visit Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Xiamen Special Economic Zones may apply directly to visa authorities in these zones for tourist visas to special economic zones. Foreign tourist groups from Hong Kong for a 72-hour visit to the Shenzhen Specia
China International Travel Mart Opens in Kunming
The China International Travel Mart 2003 (CITM) opened Thursday in Kunming, Yunnan Province, aiming at promoting exchanges and cooperation between China's tourism industry and overseas counterparts. China's Vice Premier Wu Yi said at the opening ceremony that as a vital industry with huge potential, tourism plays an active role in promoting economic growth, social prosperity, maintaining world peace and development and promoting mutual understanding and friendship among different peoples.
Tourism Giant Promotes Acquisition for Stronger Competitiveness
China International Travel Service (CITS), the country's tourism flagship, formally took over China Duty Free Group (CDFG), said CITS president Li Lu'an on Thursday. Li said the acquisition raised the total assets of CITS to 3.9 billion yuan (US$471.6 million), which would help enhance its international competitiveness. Meanwhile, its cooperation with Guangdong Tourism Group Co., initiated in October, is also making smooth progress. CITS has also actively sought internationa
Hukou Waterfall's Donkey Ride
Tourists who visit the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, located in Linfen in north China's Shanxi Province, are likely to be intrigued by the eight elderly men who offer donkey rides. Known as the "donkey men," they are actually residents of Zhongshi Village, which is several kilometers from the waterfall. Like most of the locals, they wrap their heads with white towels, wear coarse clothes and carry long-stemmed pipes around their necks. In addition to offering tourists
Gains from RMB Business in HK
Governor Zhou Xiaochuan of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), China's central bank, and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Joseph Yam signed Wednesday a cooperation memorandum which allows banks in Hong Kong to conduct RMB business of deposit, renminbi yuan-HK dollar exchange, cash remittance and credit card services. Economists said the landmark agreement will bring the following benefits: Materializing central government's support to Hong Kong: Chinese gov
Beijing to Build Ancient, Modern Sculptures
As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games, an intense construction drive is underway in China's capital to improve its image. And the latest part of this effort is a new plan to build sculptures around the city that reflect its blend of ancient civil
Hukou Waterfall's Donkey Ride
Tourists who visit the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, located in Linfen in north China's Shanxi Province, are likely to be intrigued by the eight elderly men who offer donkey rides.
Known as the "donkey men," they are actually residents of Zhongs
China International Travel Mart Opens in Kunming
The China International Travel Mart 2003 (CITM) opened Thursday in Kunming, Yunnan Province, aiming at promoting exchanges and cooperation between China's tourism industry and overseas counterparts.
China's Vice Premier Wu Yi said at the opening ceremo
Tourism Giant Promotes Acquisition for Stronger Competitiveness
China International Travel Service(CITS), the country's tourism flagship, formally took over China Duty Free Group (CDFG), said CITS president Li Lu'an on Thursday.
Li said the acquisition raised the total assets of CITS to 3.9 billion yuan (US$471.6 m
Tourism Attracts $50B of Foreign Investment
China's tourism industry had attracted US$50 billion of foreign investment by the end of 2002, about 11 percent of the total foreign investment of US$450 billion in China. Information from the ongoing China international tourism fair held Friday in this southwest China city showed tourism industry was among the first of China's industries opening to the outside world. Currently, Shangri-la, Hilton, Sheraton and other renowned international hotel groups have entered the Chinese mark
Mingyueba Ruins: A Small Town of the Tang Dynasty
Few historical records are left about small towns in ancient China. However, the Mingyueba Ruins of Yunyang County in the Chongqing Municipality are an exception. As ruins of the lower social class, they show a strong flavor of ordinary life, reflecting c
Artists Pay Tribute to Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, one of the most outstanding leaders of the 20th century, was an immensely complex figure, a realist and a romanticist. His unmistakable ambition and elusive tender feelings are best revealed in the many poems that he penned over the course of
Promoting Tourism in China Popular Worldwide
Foreign countries promoted their tourism industries at the four-day China International Tourism Mart (CITM) in Kunming, capital of southwest Chinaa s Yunnan Province. Publishing material in simplified Chinese is important for the tourism industry in his country, said Horst Lommatzsch, manager of North Europe and Asia Pacific region with the German National Tourism Office, while handing out material to visitors to his booths. "We handed out some 20,000 pamphlets on Canadian scenic s
'Sea of Death' Rich in Sylvite Resources
Geologists have discovered huge sylvite reserves in Lop Nur, a desert known as the "sea of death" in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Lop Nur, on the eastern edge of the Tarim basin, in southeast Xinjiang, used to be a huge lake of over 10,000 square kilometers. It dried up in 1972. The proven reserves of sylvite are said to be 240 million tons and the region has prospective reserves of 504 million tons. The proven sylvite deposit, 60.5 kilometers from nor
Promoting Tourism in China Popular Worldwide
Foreign countries promoted their tourism industries at the four-day China International Tourism Mart (CITM) in Kunming, capital of southwest Chinaˇ¦s Yunnan Province.
Publishing material in simplified Chinese is important for the tourism industry in his
Three Improvements of Beijing International Airport Unveiled
Designers of Beijing International Airport have disclosed three distinguishing features of its new terminal No.3 building.
The new features include a convenient transport center; a fast passenger transport system and a fast luggage transfer system.
China Fashion Week Opens in Beijing
A stunning collection of colorful outfits has opened China Fashion Week in Beijing. Both China's local culture and international fashion trends are the focus of the weeklong fashion event.
International designs, innovation and local culture are the the
Public Knows Little About Wildlife: Survey
Are sparrows, frogs, tortoises and snakes wild animals that should be spared from your dinner table Only 57.5 percent of Shanghainese said "Yes", and 83 percent admitted having eaten them.
A recent survey in the eastern commercial hub showed its citiz
China Travel Service selling Olympics tickets in China
he China Travel Service has been given the right to sell some 18-hundred tickets for the upcoming Olympics Game in Sydney. It's estimated that over 3-thousand Chinese will be visiting Australia during the Olympics games. The tickets are different for each country. Those for Chinese citizens are printed vertically and those for Australians are printed horizontally. The Sydney Olympics Committee has different ticket quotas for different countries, based on different needs. China's tickets are for
Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone
KUNSHAN Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone was approved as state-level economic development zone in August 1992. Geographical Location KETDZ lies to the east of the Kun Shan City, which is in the southeast of Jiangsu Province and situated on the Taihu Plain within the Yangtze River Delta, adjoining the cities of Changshu and Taicang in the north and northeast, Shanghai in the south and southeast, and
Tibetan People Celebrate Gongbo New Year
The people of Nyingchi Prefecture in Tibet, southwest China, celebrated their special New Year, known as Gongbo New Year, Monday.
Gongbo was in the past part of modern Nyingchi Prefecture in southern Tibet, and the local follow the tradition to celebra
Airbus to Organize Safety Training
Airbus China signed an agreement with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China yesterday to provide comprehensive and thorough training for professionals from the aviation regulatory body and various airlines in the country.
"Airbus is com
Family Planning for Wild Donkeys Denied in Tibet
Though herdsmen in north Tibet kept complaining, their requests to carry out "family planning" on wild donkeys has failed to win the approval of local officials in Ngari Prefecture of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
"We have too many wild do
China Eastern to Sell Stake
China Eastern Airlines, one of the country's three largest airline companies, recently announced plans to sell shares to foreign-capital companies in order to extricate itself from debt and restructuring woes. Cathay Pacific Airways, operated by Britain S
Tibetan Culture Week Scheduled
The "2003 China Tibetan Culture Week" will be held in Thailand from December 4 to 18, the State Council Information Office announced Tuesday.
This will be the first time for China to feature Tibet in a large-scale cultural exchange activity in Thailand
Hainan Attracts More Foreign Tourists
The foreign visitors to China's southernmost province of Hainan increased sharply since the latter half of this year while the number of travelers from its traditional passenger sources of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan dropped slightly.
In October, the n
573 Hotels in Beijing to Be Environmentally Converted
Star-level hotels in Beijing will conduct engineering conversion work aimed at "energy saving, water saving and health giving," according to the Beijing Municipal Green Hotel Management Office. Some 573 star-level hotels in the capital are being encourage
Mogan Mount - More Than a Legend About Swordsmiths
Mogan Mount is not the highest in China, nor can its historical relics rival those of other renowned mountains in the country. However, for many years, Mogan Mount has exercised a boundless appeal for tourists.
This is due not only to its extraordinary
School Brings Hope to Poor Kids
Standing in front of the newly-built classrooms in Pingzhuang Village, 13-year-old Ma Meihua, smiles widely. "I can finally go to school," she says. Like many girls in her village in Dongxiang Autonomous County of Northwest China's Gansu Province, Ma could never before attend school because her family was so poor. Living on the slope of the big mountains, Ma, her parents and two siblings led a threadbare life, squeezing a living out of planting potatoes and herding sheep.
School Brings Hope to Poor Kids
Standing in front of the newly-built classrooms in Pingzhuang Village, 13-year-old Ma Meihua, smiles widely. "I can finally go to school," she says. Like many girls in her village in Dongxiang Autonomous County of northwest China's Gansu Province, Ma could never before attend school because her family was so poor. Living on the slope of the big mountains, Ma, her parents and two siblings led a threadbare life, squeezing a living out of planting potatoes and herding sheep.
Olympic Flame to Light up Beijing
The torch of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games will arrive in Beijing, the venue of the 2008 Games, on June 8 next year, Athens Olympic organizers announced Wednesday at the official launch of its torch relay plan.
This will be the first time for the Olymp
Mummies on the Move to Beijing
Egyptian national treasures will soon go on display in Beijing at the National Museum of China.
The month-long exhibition at the museum, east of Tian'anmen Square, will start next Friday. It features 143 cultural relics from ancient civilizations - a c
Ancient Cups Show Wine Made in 5000 Years Ago
A large number of drinking vessels recently excavated at Yuchi Temple, south China's Anhui Province, show the Chinese may have been making wine 5,000 years ago, almost 1,000 years before it was previously known.
The Yuchi Temple site in Mengcheng count
New Air Routes to Link Yunnan with Cambodia, Japan
China Eastern Air Group Yunnan Corp. will launch regular flights between Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Siemreab of Cambodia and Osaka in Japan in December this year.
Regular flights, slated for Tuesdays and Fridays, between
Firing at Smoke
If you are a smoker, it's better for you not to meet Zhang Yue who is being hailed as China's first antismoking crusader. Zhang, 44, is from Xin'an county of Luoyang in Central China's Henan Province. In November 2001, he started his country-wide anti-smoking activities and since then has visited 30 provinces and cities. On November 20, he arrived in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Youth Daily. It was raining hard that afternoon and Zhang, shouldering a big bag of no-smoking sl
Cities Threaten Rural Heritage
The next three or four decades will be critical ones for China's heritage, as the nation's cities encroach on the countryside, a senior government official warned yesterday.
Vice-minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing yesterday said important villages an
Air France Opens Sino-France Air Route
Europe's airline giant Air France signed an agreement Beijing Thursday with China Southern, one of China's leading airlines, to jointly operate Guangzhou-Paris flight services.
The new route will take off on January 6, 2004, with Air France making the
HK, Britain Agree on Air Traffic Rights Expansion
Hong Kong and Britain have reached agreement on a new set of air traffic rights after three days of negotiations, a government press release said Thursday.
The rights provide for unlimited capacity on routes between the two places, a comprehensive code
Dunhuang Fresco Instruments Show Opened in Beijing
The first "Dunhuang Fresco Instruments Show" opened in Beijing, 180 replicated musical instruments from the frescos.
Flying Chinese Apsaras: Mythic fairies dancing and playing celestial music is a common tableau from the Dunhuang fresco. But what were
Outbound Tourism: More Efforts Needed in New Areas
According to the China National Tourism Administration, more countries, including India, Cuba, Croatia, Jordan, Hungary and Pakistan, have been opened to Chinese tourists this year. Up to now, the number of overseas tourist destinations opened to China has increased to 28. However, advertisements for the newly established travel routes in the above-mentioned four countries are seldom seen in travel agencies' publications. Even worse, some travel service companies are even not yet ready to
Outbound Tourism: More Efforts Needed in New Areas
According to the China National Tourism Administration, more countries, including India, Cuba, Croatia, Jordan, Hungary and Pakistan, have been opened to Chinese tourists this year. Up to now, the number of overseas tourist destinations opened to China has increased to 28. However, advertisements for the newly established travel routes in the above-mentioned four countries are seldom seen in travel agenciesˇ§ˇé publications. Even worse, some travel service companies are even not yet ready t
Nigerian Footballers Turned Back
At 13:00 pm on Thursday, 19 Nigerian men boarded a plane in Beijing to return to their country, probably happy to be returning home but disappointed to have their visions of professional play dashed. They were part of a group of over 20 Nigerian football players who came to China earlier this month hoping to find places in the domestic football league. However, their poor performance failed to impress their target Chinese team in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and the lack of interest resulted
Outbound Tourism: More Efforts Needed in New Areas
According to the China National Tourism Administration, more countries, including India, Cuba, Croatia, Jordan, Hungary and Pakistan, have been opened to Chinese tourists this year. Up to now, the number of overseas tourist destinations opened to China ha
China Invests Heavily in Forest Protection
China has invested 49.5 billion yuan (about US$5.96 billion) from the central government and 2.9 billion yuan from local governments in the protection of forests across the country since 1998.
The figure was disclosed by an official from the State Admi
Stones Receive Awards in Nanjing
Twelve Yuhua stones (Rain Flower Pebble) won the title of "Top 12 Monkey Kings in Nanjing" November 24 in a contest held by the Jinling Evening Post.
All these stones have vivid natural patterns of Monkey King, a Chinese fable character. More than 400
Genghis Khan's Portrait Found on Ox Horns
A craftsman in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region claims to have found mysterious portraits of the great ruler Genghis Khan ingrained in ox horns.
The biggest of the portraits was about the size of a standard passport photo, and was very mu
Guangdong Temple Restored to Glory
China has received UNESCO's highest award for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Award of Excellence was bestowed for the restoration of the Guangyu Ancestral Temple in Conghua, Guangdong Province. The award is a first for China. The Guangyu Temple honors a famous Lu family, descendant of a national hero of the Song Dynasty. It's of great value to the research of ancient architecture and ancestral temples. It also provides information on the history of the north to south mi
Park to Put Elderly on Exhibit
A unique plan to build a tourist park inhabited by senior citizens has sparked a debate between longevity experts and the local government in Bama County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Some fear such "longevity tourism" might threaten the traditional long life of the citizens. County officials said they need to turn the large number of elderly into economic resource as they believe 200,000 tourists would come and visit the longevity park, believed to be the first of its k
Four Cities Authorized Best Tourist Destinations in China
Pan Jianmin, deputy mayor of Guilin in charge of tourism industry said on November 28 that after the inspection of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Guilin, the four cities have become the first batch of the best tourist d
Compulsory Protection of Historical and Cultural Towns & Villages Issued
After an endeavor of several decades in protection of the famous historical and cultural cities, the Chinese government has now begun to include famous historical and cultural towns and villages into the list of the heritage protection. China's Ministry o
Former Military Airport Enlarged to Meet Tourism Boom
China is enlarging a former military airport in Jinggangshan, east China, to meet tourism boom.
Jinggangshan is located at Jiangxi Province, where Chairman MaoZedong and his comrades had a base to fight the Kuomintang government in early last century.<
Let the Fireworks Play
Beginning early next year, Xi'an, capital of northwestern Shaanxi Province, will, to some extent, ease its 10-year fireworks ban. The provincial people's congress has passed an amended regulation on fireworks, dividing the city areas into two categories, fireworks-banned zones and fireworks-restricted zones. Previously, fireworks were banned throughout the city. According to the new regulation, nevertheless, fireworks are not allowed at any time in and around key fire protection re
Go on, Gorge Yourself
A new tourist attraction - dubbed Two Dams and One Gorge - is being touted by the local governments of Chongqing and Hubei. The two dams refer to Gezhouba Dam and the Three Gorges Dam. The former was the largest in China before the completion of Three Gorges Dam. The gorge set to take the spotlight is Xiling Gorge, one of the three gorges between the two dams. The 400-kilometre section includes lots of breathtaking natural scenic spots including dozens of small gorges with v
First Foreign Holding Tourism Company Establishes
TUI China Travel Company Ltd, China's first Sino-foreign tourism joint venture controlled by foreign shares, was established in Beijing Monday. Visiting Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended the opening ceremony. Schroeder said the joint venture is an important part of the bilateral cooperation between Germany and China, will provide opportunity for the two sides to better understand each other and will strengthen economic connection. Based in Germany, TUI is the largest to
First Foreign-holding Tourism Company Established
TUI China Travel Company Ltd, China's first Sino-foreign tourism joint venture controlled by foreign shares, was established in Beijing Monday. Visiting Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended the opening ceremony. Schroeder said as an important part of the bilateral cooperation between Germany and China, the joint venture will provide opportunity for the two sides to better understand each other and will strengthen economic connection. Based in Germany, TUI is the largest to
China Eastern Expands Air Routes
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Corp., the country's second largest carrier by passenger numbers, said yesterday that it planned to fly to London starting from April, pitting it against UK-based Virgin Atlantic.
"We have that plan," said Sunny Zh
West Lake Expo Museum Opened to Public
The West Lake Expo Museum which locate at No.40 Beishan Road in downtown Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, was officially open to public on Monday.
The rectangle-shaped museum, built at the original site of the 1929 West Lake Ex
Argentina Seeks to Receive More Chinese Tourists
Argentina has offered to become one of the "authorized countries" for Chinese tourists, Argentine International Economic Relations Secretary Martin Redrado said on Monday.
During his visit to Beijing, the Chinese capital, Redrado said about 22 million
First Foreign Holding Tourism Company Establishes
TUI China Travel Company Ltd, China's first Sino-foreign tourism joint venture controlled by foreign shares, was established in Beijing Monday. Visiting Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended the opening ceremony.
Schroeder said the joint ventur
Attention Given to Holiday Traffic
The country's transportation authorities are gearing up to address a major traffic rush predicted for the approaching Spring Festival period. The Chinese Lunar New Year -- a time for family reunions, will fall on January 22 next year. The annual Spring Festival transportation season is expected to start on January 7, 15 days before the traditional festival, and it's predicted to last for 40 days, ending on February 15. Transport authorities estimated that, in the coming Spri
Ancient Banyan Village
Nanlong is a small village 30 kilometers south of Xingyi City in southern Guizhou Province, Western China. The 360 ancient banyan trees, 108 of them over 100 years old, growing around it have also given rise to the name Banyan Museum. Nanlong is home to 200 Bouyei ethnic minority households whose distinctively tilted houses draw specialists in ethnic architecture to the village for research. Originating in the Ming Dynasty, Nanlong's entire 2 square kilometers is shaded by banyan trees. T
US Forces Stage Massive Raid in Iraq
US troops arrested at least 20 insurgents in a raid north of the capital while workers began demolishing gigantic bronze busts of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on Tuesday -- both moves aimed at stamping out loyalty to Iraq's ousted regime. Iraqi police said a senior former member of Saddam's elite Republican Guard was among those captured in Hawija, 155 miles north of Baghdad. However, the US troops failed to catch the target of the raid -- Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, considered a key planner of
SARS Tax Breaks Prolonged
The cen
Chinese Tours