Tourism China Hotels

Tourism China Hotels

Grande Dame of Pandas Expected to Set New Breeding Record
Twenty-year-old giant panda Qing Qing is expected to set a new record in giving birth this autumn after she has been found to be still sexually active.
Qing Qing, born in 1984, had already produced a record 13 offspring, including four sets of twins, i

Big Bosses Feast on Fowl, Prove Safety
Representatives from 100 of the nation's top poultry companies have dined on fowl delicacies during an unprecedented all-chicken banquet at the grandiose Great Hall of the People.
Saturday's event in Beijing has already become known as a "gastronomic s

Airline Planning Direct Shanghai-Copenhagen Flights
Scandinavian Airlines has laid out its plan to open direct flights on the air route from Copenhagen to China's eastern metropolis this month in a bid to bite into the fast-growing tourism industry in the region.
As the second Northern European airline

Inbound Tourism Recovery in Beijing Takes Time
The Chinese capital of Beijing saw128,300 overseas tourists in January this year, down by 16.7 percent in comparison with the same month of last year.
Sources with the municipal bureau of statistics said arrivals by foreign nationals totaled 95,600 in

Shenyang to Open 3 International Routes
Under the approval of the General Administration of Civil Aviation, starting from late March, three international air routes would be opened from Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province to three cities abroad, Frankfurt, Los Angela's, and Sydney. Passengers to travel on those three international air routes may clear up customs procedures and check luggage at the Customs of Shenyang. They no longer need to claim their luggage at the transfer stop, Beijing. And that means,

Camp Set Up to Train Civilians to Defend Diaoyu Islands
A training camp was set up on Monday by a Chinese non-governmental group for civilians to sail to the Diaoyu Islands to proclaim China's sovereignty on the disputed territory. Some 20 civilians from the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Hubei were enrolled by the camp in the Xiamen Oceanology Vocational School, which was set up by the preparatory committee of the Federation of Chinese Non-governmental Organizations for Defending Sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.

Easy Visa for Singapore
Since Jan. 1 when Chinese travel agencies were authorized to help people with their paperwork for visas to Singapore, more than 150 people have received tourist visas from China International Travel Agency in Shenzhen. The fee is 600 yuan per person. Singaporean tourism authorities launched a new policy last December which converted previous three visa categories tourist, visiting relatives and visiting friends into one tourist visa. The validity time was extend

Guangzhou-Zhuhai Railway Drops Maglev
The proposed Guangzhou-Zhuhai high-speed railway will not use the expensive Maglev technology, the Yangcheng Evening News reported Monday. The Maglev technology, which had been widely discussed, will cost 320 million yuan (US$38 million) per kilometer, while the traditional railway technology will cost only 150 to 170 million yuan per kilometer. The decision would save 15 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion) for the Guangzhou-Zhuhai railway, the report said. Work on the railway is

Easy Visa for Singapore
Since Jan. 1 when Chinese travel agencies were authorized to help people with their paperwork for visas to Singapore, more than 150 people have received tourist visas from China International Travel Agency in Shenzhen. The fee is 600 yuan per perso

Heavy Spending Earmarked for Improving Subway Safety
The Beijing Subway Corporation has announced that it would spend 800 million yuan (96.4 US$million) on upgrading 31 out of the 44 projects designed to remove hidden dangers in its subway network this year.
The upgrading efforts will target safety probl

Shenyang to Open 3 International Routes
Under the approval of the General Administration of Civil Aviation, starting from late March, three international air routes would be opened from Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province to three cities abroad, Frankfurt, Los Angela's, and

Air China Eyes Smaller Carrier
Air China is expected to acquire 22.8 percent of a regional carrier on the Chinese mainland and 48 percent of its parent group, said industry sources.
Officials with Air China and Shandong Airlines Co Ltd, the smaller carrier involved in the acquisitio

Shanghai Zoo Welcomes Birth of Giraffe
The Shanghai Zoo has a new addition to the family. Zoo keepers witnessed the birth of a 50 kilogram giraffe on Sunday night, the 13th member of the zoo's giraffe family.
"She was about 180 centimeters, and could walk almost immediately after she was bo

New Shang for southern China
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts plans to open its first hotel in Guangzhou in early 2007. The Shangri-La Pazhou is slotted to start construction next to the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre, considered to be one of the largest in the world. The 750-room hotel is 15 minutes away from the town center and 30 minutes from the new Hua Du International Airport. Features such as a Cantonese restaurant with 30 private dining rooms along with a 2,300m2

China to Hold World's First Geopark Conference
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided to hold the world's first geology park conference in Beijing from June 27 to 29, said Shou Jiahua, vice-minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) in Beijing on Thursday. UNESCO also agreed that the MLR to establish an office in Beijing with a geopark network accessible to the whole world. The network will collect geopark information from Asia-pacific areas and other areas of the world, thu

Sichuan Has More State-level Scenic Zones
Southwest China's Sichuan Province has had its four scenic zones included on the list of state-level tourism zones. Located at the juncture between Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, the Guangwu Mountain-Nuoshui River scenic zone boasts 128 karst caves in an area of 1,000 square kilometers. With forest coverage of more than 90 percent, the zone is home to more than 2,300 kinds of plants and over 200 species of animals. The other three scenic zones are the Tiantai Mountain, Longm

US hotel giant plans to expand business in Chinese mainland
Marriott International, a US-headquartered worldwide hospitality company, is planning to build more five-star hotels in China's big cities. Daniel Lai, Marriott's area director of sales & marketing, said at a reception marking JW Marriott Hong Kong's 15th founding anniversary on February 26 that two new five-star hotels of the group are under construction in the tourism resort in Sanya City of southern China's Hainan Province and Tianjin, a coastal city in northern China. He said,

Flight Check-in Mooted in Shenzhen
A top adviser suggested that Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport set up check-in counters in the city. Downtown check-in counters would make it convenient for passengers and ease airport traffic by reducing the number of people seeing off friends or relatives, said Wang Guoqing, a member of Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPPCC. Wang suggested the airport start by establishing a check-in counter at the airport lounge of the Hualian Building in Futian. If a check-in counter wa

Tourists Should Stick to Hotels
Tourism officials in Shanghai have no immediate plans to allow overseas tourists spend a night living with local families. They made the statement yesterday in response to recent media reports that such plans were in the works. Setting up such a program for foreign tourists would be very complicated, according to Lu Hong, chief of the Shanghai Luwan District Economic & Trade Commission's tourism promotion department. "We have been talking about it, but it won't happen in the

India and China cannot be ignored
Spain Tourism Board is increasing its budget spend by six times to tap India's growing outbound, said director, SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand and India, Miguel Nieto-Sandoval. Spain is holding its first ever road shows in Mumbai and New Delhi and conducted fams for travel agents in an attempt to boost numbers from the present 6000 to 20,000 by the year end. Spain's other major market is China. Since the Shengen countries have got the Approved Destination Status that will r

Flights between China, Europe increase
Travelers between Shanghai and northern Europe will have more choice when new regular flights between the city and Copenhagen begin on March 29. This will be the second direct flight between Shanghai and northern Europe following the Shanghai-Helsinki service launched by Finnair in September last year. Scandinavian Airlines will fly Airbus-340 aircraft from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport at 10:30 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrive at Copenhag

Air China, ANA to Start Code-sharing Cooperation
Air China and Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) signed a code-sharing agreement in Beijing on Thursday on China-Japan routes operated by both airlines, including cooperation on frequent flyer programs and airport lounge use. From March 28 this year, Air China and ANA will commence their code-share cooperation and jointly operate 95 flights per week from Beijing and Shanghai to Tokyo and Osaka. ANA's 56 weekly flights from Tokyo and Osaka to Beijing and Shanghai will carry the Air China cod

Denmark Gains ADS for Group Chinese Tourists
China and Denmark signed a memorandum here Thursday on allowing Chinese tourist groups to visit Denmark. According to the memorandum, Denmark gained the Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government. More issues still need to be discussed before Chinese tourist groups can set out on their journeys. Denmark is the second northern European nation to gain ADS after Sweden. Famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen is well known in China and the figures in his storie

Foreign tourism recovery in Beijing takes time: official
The Chinese capital of Beijing saw128,300 overseas tourists in January this year, down by 16.7 percent in comparison with the same month of last year. Sources with the municipal bureau of statistics said arrivals by foreign nationals totaled 95,600 in January, down by 26.9 percent, while arrivals from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan rose by various degrees to hit 32,700. A tourism official said the drop in overseas tourists was the biggest since 1995. Despite the rapid growth in

The National Museum Opens Reconstruction Bids to World
The National Museum of China has opened its reconstruction contract to companies around world. The successful company must maintain the original appearance of the museum and ensure the reconstruction is completed before the end of 2007. The museum says the winning design must include in-door botanical gardens.

Postal museum to open this year
The Shanghai Postal Museum will open to the public late this year in the Post Building on Suzhou Road N., Shanghai Post Bureau officials said yesterday. The impressive building, which is just off the Bund near the mouth of Suzhou Creek, was originally opened to the public on December 1, 1924. It is currently being renovated to celebrate its 80th anniversary. The renovation began late last year. The exact date for the museum to open hasn't been fixed, but it should be before Decembe

Air China Plans Going Public
National flag carrier Air China is revving up to be listed in overseas stock markets, Air China's president Li Jiaxiang said on February 27. "Air China has had the full capacity to be listed and the plan is in the pipeline," Li said, refusing to give the exact listing date and place. However, the aviation power house is likely to be listed in Hong Kong in September, according to sources quoted in the 21st Century Business Herald. "As an airline ranking top in air transport c

UK plans to double Chinese tourist number
British tourism authority is negotiating agreements with Chinese government and plans to simplify visa application process to double the annual number of Chinese visitors to Britain within two years. Tom Wright, chief executive of the British Tourist Authority VisitBritain, says about 100,000 Chinese go to Britain every year on business or education, among which 25,000 people are from Shanghai. His organization is negotiating bilateral accords with the China National Tourism Admini

Merger of 2 HK rail firms to trigger win-win situation
The merging of two railway companies in Hong Kong will bring about a win-win situation, Hong Kong's Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said in Hong Kong on February 28. Speaking on a radio talk show, Liao said that the merger will provide a necessary framework to pursue the adoption of a more objective and transparent fare-adjustment system. The Hong Kong government announced on Tuesday that the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRC) and Kowloon-Canton Railway Co

Ancient Chinese culinary ware exhibition to be held in HK
Over 100 priceless Chinese culinary artifacts will be on display Saturday until May 26 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. The items, including tableware, cooking utensils, drinking sets, scrolls and brick engravings dating from the Neolithic period (8000-2000 BC) to the Qing Dynasty ( 1644-1911 AD), are on loan from the National Museum of China. "Fine Dining - An Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Culinary Ware" traces the changes the Chinese food culture has undergone over the centuries

A Watchman of Beijing
Watches are not as precious today as they once were. But to Liu Pinyi, 83, watches are priceless. The Beijing watch repairman has nearly 200 old watches filling two drawers in his shop. They aren't his. He repaired them, but their owners never came for them. Liu has been fixing watches for 60 years. Twenty year ago, he opened a watch repair shop named Jingshi. Thanks to his exquisite skills, inexpensive charges, and trustworthiness, his shop won the favor of local residents and was

Human Damage Hastening Destruction of Great Wall
The Great Wall in west China is in danger of being destroyed by the reckless actions of people, experts are warning. In Shaanxi Province, the ancient wall is in an advanced state of destruction as one-third of the structure built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) has disappeared forever. Kang Lanying, former director of the Yulin municipal cultural heritage committee, said the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty covered 850 kilometers in Shaanxi. But as a result of human damage, the survi

Looking into the Portal Sector
The three NASDAQ-listed Chinese Internet companies Netease.com Inc, Sina Corp and Sohu.com Inc have released their 2003 financial results. Having experienced both difficulties and successes in the four years since listing and with the ups and downs seen in the Internet industry, these companies are at a turning point. James Cheng writes this analysis on their results and future trends. China's big three portals have achieved five straight quarters of profitability, their business models a

Hunan Pioneers Public-car Reform
Public cars being used for private purposes has become a practice of the past in Zixing -- a small city in Central China's Hunan Province -- which could be the pioneer in a long-awaited reform that might deprive millions of government officials nationwide of cars and chauffeurs. Instead of calling their drivers any time of the day, senior government officials in the city now rent a car with subsidy from the municipal budget. Vehicles used exclusively by officials have been transfer

Hunan Pioneers Public-car Reform
Public cars being used for private purposes has become a practice of the past in Zixing -- a small city in central China's Hunan Province -- which could be the pioneer in a long-awaited reform that might deprive millions of government officials nationwide of cars and chauffeurs. Instead of calling their drivers any time of the day, senior government officials in the city now rent a car with subsidy from the municipal budget. Vehicles used exclusively by officials have been transfer

High-speed Rail to Connect Cities
A high-speed railway connecting Guangzhou, the provincial capital, to Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, which borders Macao, will be built by South China's Guangdong Province. Construction of the 140-kilometre track will begin this year, Yang Tusheng, general manager of Guangdong Railway Group, said Tuesday, adding that the 20.8 billion yuan (US$2.51 billion) project will be completed by 2007. The province and the Ministry of Railway will equally share the cost of construction.

Human Damage Hastening Destruction of Great Wall
The Great Wall in west China is in danger of being destroyed by the reckless actions of people, experts are warning.
In Shaanxi Province, the ancient wall is in an advanced state of destruction as one-third of the structure built in the Ming Dynasty (1

High-speed Rail to Connect Cities
A high-speed railway connecting Guangzhou, the provincial capital, to Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, which borders Macao, will be built by South China's Guangdong Province.
Construction of the 140-kilometre track will begin this year, Yang Tusheng, gene

Capital Airport in Beijing to Get Third Terminal
The Capital Airport Co. Ltd in Beijing said construction of a third terminal of the Beijing Airport would break ground on March 28 as scheduled.
The Beijing Architectural Design Institute has been working on the design of the new terminal, said a spoke

Fujian to Present 12 Choice Tourist Routes
According to Fujian bureau of tourism, Fujian will present a series of tourist routes. And recently the bureau will present 12 choice tourist routes for travelers.
The 12 choice tourist routes are: cultural tour to Fuzhou, leisure tour to Xiamen garden

Travel Rules Altered
Government officials in Shanghai and state-run employees holding passports for public affairs are now permitted to arrange overseas business trips with travel agencies.
The change took effect on Monday according to new Shanghai Tourism Regulations. Pre

Ocean Park raises admission fee
Just a few weeks after taking over Hong Kong's icon Ocean Park the new chief executive has announced an admission fee hike. The extra money will be used to pay for innovative programmes and events, Mr Tom Mehrmann said. Adults will have to pay US$24 and child US$12, on average a three per cent increase. The park plans two on-site hotels, among other major redevelopments. It sees a forthcoming competition for visitors when Disneyland opens in two years, although both organisations h

China's Great Wall shrinking under heavy tourism
China 's Great Wall is rapidly shrinking as tourism and development take their toll on one of the world's most famous monuments. Human encroachment is chipping away at the 6,000 kilometre wall. Now, only one third remains - and it's getting progressively shorter. Started over 2,000 years ago to keep out marauding nomads, the Wall now faces threats from within China , and it's currently being besieged on a number of fronts. New luxury developments are encroaching on the wall,

Sichuan to put ruins of ancient kingdom on display
Locals and tourists in China's southwestern Sichuan province will have a chance to view close-up the ruins of an ancient kingdom and taste the ancient culture, dating back 2,800 to 4,800 years, as a park will be completed at the ruins of Sanxingdui by the end of the year. Construction on the 400-million-yuan (about 48.36 million US dollars) park is going on smoothly, said Han Shuchun, general manager of the Sanxingdui Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd. Sanxingdui, located near present-day

Shenyang to Open 3 International Routes
Under the approval of the General Administration of Civil Aviation, starting from late March, three international air routes would be opened from Shenyang to three cities abroad, Frankfurt, Los Angela's, and Sydney. Passengers to travel on those three international air routes may clear up customs procedures and check luggage at the Customs of Shenyang. They no longer need to claim their luggage at the transfer stop, Beijing. And that means, to travel on those 3 international air routes wo

Beijing Installs Electronic Bus Stop Signs
74 electronic bus stop signs will be installed this week along Chang'an Avenue in Beijing. This brings the total number of the multi-purpose electronic signs along the main boulevard of the Chinese capital to 110. The 'intelligent' signs will provide information about buses' current locations, so the potential passengers at the stop know how long they have to wait. Being light emitting, the signs will enable people to check schedule and route information at night.
On the

Beijing to Build Two More Christian Churches
The Beijing Christian Council is to build two more Christian churches in the Chinese capital, a priest of the council announced Tuesday morning in Beijing. Priest Yu Xinli said that the new churches will be established in the districts of Chaoyang and Fengtai in Beijing to meet the demand of local Christians and believers. Each of the churches will cover roughly 2,000 sq. meters. The construction plan has received approval from the municipal government at the end of last year.
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Cats Dance into Beijing in April
The wildly popular Broadway musical Cats will frolic its way through nine shows in Beijing's Great Hall of the People from April 27 to May 3. The cast is the same one originally scheduled to perform last year for two months at the Tianqiao Theatre. The run was postponed then owing to the SARS epidemic. According to the Beijing sponsor, the China Performance Art Agency (CPAA), more than 20 million yuan (US$2.4 million) was spent to bring Cats to China. This may be the nation's most expensi

Air China takes 20 percent in Shandong Airlines
Flag-carrier Air China has bought a 20 percent stake in regional company Shandong Airlines and has also taken a 26 percent stake in the parent company, Shandong Aviation Group (SAG), according to company officials. Wang Youngsheng, spokesman for Air China , would not disclose how much the airline paid for the equity. Shandong Aviation Group previously held a 64.8 percent stake in the listed airline. After the deal, the group will remain the largest shareholder with a 47.9 pe

Starwood adds 1,400 plus rooms in Asia-Pacific
Starwood Hotels & Resort will have an additional 1,471 rooms when its five new properties in the Asia-Pacific region open this year. It will also embark on brand building campaigns and promotional initiatives, and increase Internet revenue growth. During his visit to Jakarta last week, president Asia Pacific, Mr Miguel Ko, told TTG Asia: About 13 per cent of Starwood's total portfolio of properties are in Asia-Pacific. We plan to step up presence in the area. Mr Ko was in Jakarta f

Easy Visa for Singapore
Since Jan. 1 when Chinese travel agencies were authorized to help people with their paperwork for visas to Singapore, more than 150 people have received tourist visas from China International Travel Agency in Shenzhen. The fee is 600 yuan per person. Singaporean tourism authorities launched a new policy last December which converted previous three visa categories tourist, visiting relatives and visiting friends into one tourist visa. The validity time was extended to from three t

Heavy Spending Earmarked for Improving Subway Safety
The Beijing Subway Corp. says it will spend 800 million yuan on upgrading 31 out of the 44 projects designed to remove hidden dangers in its subway network this year. The Beijing Subway Corp. says it will spend 800 million yuan, or close to 100 million US dollars, on upgrading 31 out of the 44 projects designed to remove hidden dangers in its subway network this year. The upgrading efforts will target safety problems existing in underground equipment and fire control systems of the

The Design of HK, Zhuhai and Macao Bridge to be Released
The design of a bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao is expected to be released before the end of this year. Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration, Donald Tsang, told the local Legislative Council that feasibility studies on the project are being conducted along with a plan to get construction underway at an earlier date.

8 Billion Yuan To Improve Beijing Transportation
China's capital city Beijing is to invest 4.8 billion yuan, or some US$580 million to resolve the city's heavy traffic problems. A local official says from this year on, the city's infrastructure construction will focus on the building of rails, including light rail and subway, and the improvement of existing roads.
He says Beijing's rail transportation will grow 40 kilometers each year and reach 300 kilometers by 2008, the year of the Beijing Olympic Games. Last week the city's

City plans six new tunnels for Huangpu
The Shanghai government will not build any more bridges across the Huangpu River in the city downtown to connect Pudong and Puxi, a senior transport planner announced yesterday. Instead, the city plans to build at least six more tunnels under the river within the Outer Ring Road by the end of 2020, bringing the total number of connections to 16, about two kilometers apart. "Tunnels have many advantages over bridges for the city's long-term development," Qian Shaohua, director of th

Hotel demolition plan raises concern
There have been frequent media reports recently saying the Shanghai Hotel, built in 1983, and the Shenzhen Bay Hotel, built in 1985, would be demolished. A five-star hotel would be built at the site of the Shanghai Hotel, the reports said. While authorities said they were yet to approve the program, the news has caused wide debate among citizens. Li Jinkui, deputy head of Shenzhen urbanization study society
The Shanghai Hotel used to be a link between urban and suburban Shenzhen. Shenz

Airline Planning Direct Shanghai-Copenhagen Flights
Scandinavian Airlines has laid out its plan to open direct flights on the air route from Copenhagen to China's eastern metropolis this month in a bid to bite into the fast-growing tourism industry in the region. As the second Northern European airline after Finnair targetting China's business centre, it will initially make the journey between Shanghai and Copenhagen three times weekly on Airbus A340 planes. "Shanghai has been a city we have been concerned about for many years becau

Chinese Tigers Looking for Home Along Yangtze River
Chinese and foreign experts on Wednesday completed a three-day survey in Liuyang City, central China's Hunan Province, to find a suitable habitat for endangered Chinese tigers to live in the wild. The experts from the State Forestry Administration and an international fund called "Save China's Tigers" examined a place around a reservoir in Liuyang from Monday. Before that, they had studied an area called Zixi, in east China's Jiangxi Province. This was an important project by the a

Hong Kong-backed Travel Agency to Open
The first Hong Kong capital-controlled travel agency in the mainland's southern Guangdong Province is expected to open before the end of June. In what is expected to be a joint venture, Hong Kong Skal Travel Service Ltd will have a 70 percent share and the mainland-based Shenzhen China Travel Service will hold the remainder. According to Guo Shiqiang, assistant to the Shenzhen China Travel Service's general manager, the firm has received verbal approval from the National Tourism Ad

Video Pioneer Yang Fudong
Six years ago, Yang Fudong left a well-paid job for the insecurity of making videos about what interested him. He reveals his journey from an art school graduate to one of the six nominees for the Hugo Boss Award. The dream, for many young people, is to be average -- get a decent job, with a fixed income, pay a monthly mortgage, and plan for retirement. Yang Fudong lived the dream for a while, but six years ago he found a bigger, better yet much less comfortable dream. In 1998, the

Health Crises Require a Regional Response
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday in Beijing, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) demonstrated a shared political will in the face of public health crises. In addition to strengthening the consensus attained on sharing information and resources during last year's fight against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), participants to the China-ASEAN Special Meeting on High Pathogenic Avian Influenza decided to jointly launch a fund to facilitate regional coll

Hong Kong-backed Travel Agency to Open
The first Hong Kong capital-controlled travel agency in the mainland's southern Guangdong Province is expected to open before the end of June. In what is expected to be a joint venture, Hong Kong Skal Travel Service Ltd will have a 70 percent share and the mainland-based Shenzhen China Travel Service will hold the remainder. According to Guo Shiqiang, assistant to the Shenzhen China Travel Service's general manager, the firm has received verbal approval from the National Tourism Ad

Airline Releases Low-price Ticket Program
China Southern Airlines (CSA), one of the three leading air carriers in China, announced on Feb. 29 that air fare for a CSA flight between Ningbo, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai, the commercial center in China, will be available at 40 percent discount, or 180 yuan (US$22), in March this year. China Southern Airlines said that the low-price ticket program will last a month. With the spring travel season approaching, various airlines were vying for custom

Meeting Traffic Flow Granted Top Priority
It is extremely hard for Beijing to ensure smooth traffic flow even during ordinary hours, given its long-standing traffic congestion problems. The difficulty seems to turn into a mission impossible, when about 5,000 participants gather in the capital to attend the annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body. But Beijing traffic police are rising to the challenge through a well-designed program and the use of high-tech equipment. The National Peopl

Meeting Traffic Flow Granted Top Priority
It is extremely hard for Beijing to ensure smooth traffic flow even during ordinary hours, given its long-standing traffic congestion problems. The difficulty seems to turn into a mission impossible, when about 5,000 participants gather in the capital to attend the annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body. But Beijing traffic police are rising to the challenge through a well-designed programme and the use of high-tech equipment. The National Peo

Bush, Kerry Open Battle for White House
US President George W. Bush versus John Kerry. What promises to be a contentious eight-month battle for the White House opened Wednesday with the incumbent buffeted by dangers in postwar Iraq and the loss of jobs at home, yet holding the upper hand on money and Electoral College math. Partisans from both parties are already fretting over their candidate's chances. "President Bush has the best odds, but incumbency has its disadvantages, too," said Tom Slade, former chairman of the F

Geoparks Showcase Natural Wonders
Following the boom of tourism in China in the 1990s, ordinary citizens have become more and more familiar with different terms relating to our rich natural, cultural and historical heritage attractions.
As eight Chinese parks were put on the United Nat

Hong Kong-backed Travel Agency to Open
The first Hong Kong capital-controlled travel agency in the mainland's southern Guangdong Province is expected to open before the end of June.
In what is expected to be a joint venture, Hong Kong Skal Travel Service Ltd will have a 70 percent share and

Meeting Traffic Flow Granted Top Priority
It is extremely hard for Beijing to ensure smooth traffic flow even during ordinary hours, given its long-standing traffic congestion problems.
The difficulty seems to turn into a mission impossible, when about 5,000 participants gather in the capital

Airline Releases Low-price Ticket Program
China Southern Airlines(CSA), one of the three leading air carriers in China, announced on Feb. 29 that air fare for a CSA flight between Ningbo, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai, the commercial center in China, will be availabl

Avis China Seeks to Tie up with Airlines
Avis China, the country's biggest car rental company, is keen to forge ties with domestic airlines to expand into more major airports, like a new one that will begin operations in Guangzhou this year. The Shanghai-based company, a joint venture between Avis Rent A Car System Inc and Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Corp, yesterday announced a partnership with China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd to expand its customer base. Avis and its subsidiaries operate the world's second-largest ge

HK SkyMart officially opens after revamp
Hong Kong Skymart officially opened Wednesday after a 600-million-HK-dollars (77.22 million US dollars) renovation, bringing a whole new shopping, dining an leisure concept to help attract more travelers to use HK International Airport (HKIA). HKIA now boats 160 shops, including 25 top-line brand names lining a 200-meter boulevard in the East Hall, plus 40 restaurants catering to a variety of tastes and budgets. Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) David Pa

India and Hong Kong to start negotiating on air rights
Long delayed air pact talks between Hong Kong and India's governments will begin next week in New Delhi. They seek badly needed additional services between Hong Kong the key Indian gateways of New Delhi hi-tech capital, Bangalore. Cathay Pacific now flies four times weekly to the Indian capital and wants to boost this significantly. Air India flies to Hong Kong five times a week.

Capital Airport in Beijing to Get Third Terminal
The Capital Airport Co. Ltd in Beijing said construction of a third terminal of the Beijing Airport would break ground on March 28 as scheduled. The Beijing Architectural Design Institute has been working on the design of the new terminal, said a spokesman for the company, who disclosed that builders of the new terminal were to be chosen via public bidding. The projected terminal will be completed and put in operation before 2007. With the completion of the third terminal, the Capi

Travel Rules Altered
Government officials in Shanghai and state-run employees holding passports for public affairs are now permitted to arrange overseas business trips with travel agencies. The change took effect on Monday according to new Shanghai Tourism Regulations. Previously these business delegations had to organize trips directly with airlines and hotels. "It can reduce trip costs and guarantee professional travel service," said Yin Minfa, director of the policy and law department of the Shangha

Fujian to Present 12 Choice Tourist Routes
According to Fujian bureau of tourism, Fujian will present a series of tourist routes. And recently the bureau will present 12 choice tourist routes for travelers. The 12 choice tourist routes are: cultural tour to Fuzhou, leisure tour to Xiamen garden on the sea, trace-seeking tour to Quanzhou marine silk route, sightseeing tour to Wuyi Mountains, vocational tour to Zhangzhou beach, pilgrimage tour to Putian Mazu Temple, fitness tour to Sanming, root-seeking tour for Hakka culture, comme

Philippines to open tourism office in Beijing this month
The Department of Tourism is set to open its first tourism office in China this month. The office, which will be located in Beijing, crystallises DoT's commitment to aggressively go after the market. The Philippines was granted an Approved Destination Status in the early 0s but is yet to land on the top 12 popular destinations of the Chinese. Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab, who led a trade Mission to China last month, said establishing the tourism office in China would make

High-speed Rail to Connect Cities
A high-speed railway connecting Guangzhou, the provincial capital, to Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, which borders Macao, will be built by South China's Guangdong Province. Construction of the 140-kilometre track will begin this year, Yang Tusheng, general manager of Guangdong Railway Group, said Tuesday, adding that the 20.8 billion yuan (US$2.51 billion) project will be completed by 2007. The province and the Ministry of Railway will equally share the cost of construction.

Nanxi River Scenic Spot
While it's still pretty chilly up here in the north, the south is already enjoying a warm spring that makes the natural landscape a soul-stirring prospect. Nanxi River Scenic Spot, a 625-square-kilometre area famous for beautiful waters, exotic rocks, waterfalls, intriguing old villages, forests and stunning rural scenes, is now in its prime for visitors. Located 23 kilometers from Wenzhou City in East China's Zhejiang Province, Nanxi River is good to visit almost any time of the y

More Mainland Tourists Visit HK
The number of visitors from the mainland hit a record high in January, pushing total arrivals to Hong Kong up 13 percent, the tourism board said Thursday. Of the 1.75 million people visiting the territory in January, 1.12 million came from the mainland, 48.5 percent higher than a year ago. The record high figure is the result of the Spring Festival and the relaxed travel restrictions. Around 32 percent of mainland tourists were from the 16 cities which have allowed their residents

Palace or Castle of Dreams
Endless rows of wheat, showing the first green of early spring spread across the dark yellow loess in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Beneath this farmland lies one of the greatest mysteries of Chinese architecture, dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC). The Qin, the first but the shortest dynasty in Chinese history, has left behind a rich legacy: for instance, the Great Wall and the mausoleum of its first emperor, protected for over 2,000

Airline to Spread Wings on Mainland
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways is seeking to spread its wings on the Chinese mainland, airline chairman James Hughes-Hallett revealed in Beijing Thursday. "With the airline now serving Beijing three times a week, we hope to raise the number of flights and expand the services to more destinations in the mainland," said Hughes-Hallett. The Cathay Pacific chief led a delegation to Beijing this week, meeting top government officials to express the airline's desire to expand its

Music Prodigy Lang Lang
Stunning.-The New York Times "[Among] the top twenty teens who will change the world."-The Wall Street Journal "Lang Lang took a sold-out Albert Hall by storm. ... This could well be history in the making."-The Times Lang Lang started his piano studies when he was three years old, and won his first medal two years later. At the age of 13, he won first prize at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians Competition. At 15, he was awarded a scholarship by the Curtis Institu

World Tourism to Soar with New Markets in China, India

A study predicts that the world tourism industry is set to record the sharpest expansion in its history between 2010 and 2020.
A study predicts that the world tourism industry is set to record the sharpest expansion in its history between 2010 and 2020

HK Tourist Arrivals up 13 Percent in January
Hong Kong's tourism industry has made a solid start in 2004 with visitors arrivals in January reaching 1.74 million, a 13.1 percent increase over the same month in 2003.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced Thursday that arrivals from the Chinese m

Palace or Castle of Dreams
Endless rows of wheat, showing the first green of early spring spread across the dark yellow loess in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Beneath this farmland lies one of the greatest mysteries of Chinese architecture,

Airline to Spread Wings on Mainland
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways is seeking to spread its wings on the Chinese mainland, airline chairman James Hughes-Hallett revealed in Beijing Thursday.
"With the airline now serving Beijing three times a week, we hope to raise the number of

Hong Kong-backed Travel Agency to Open
The first Hong Kong capital-controlled travel agency in the mainland's southern Guangdong Province is expected to open before the end of June.
In what is expected to be a joint venture, Hong Kong Skal Travel Service Ltd will have a 70 percent share and

China Sets Forth Main Tasks for Development in 2004
China stressed coordinated and sustainable economic and social development in setting main regulatory targets, and major tasks for economic and social development in 2004, the country's top legislature was told Saturday. Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission, made the remarks in his report to the legislature on the implementation of the 2003 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2004 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Dev

China Sets Forth Main Tasks for Development in 2004
China stressed coordinated and sustainable economic and social development in setting main regulatory targets, and major tasks for economic and social development in 2004, the country's top legislature was told Saturday. Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission, made the remarks in his report to the legislature on the implementation of the 2003 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2004 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Dev

'Drama Avenue' Planned in Shanghai
If you can't bring Broadway to the city, then build your own. By 2010, Shanghai will have its own version of New York City's Broadway, as a "Drama Avenue" is planned on Huashan Road and Anfu Road.
The downtown streets are a natural home for a theater d

Peking 'Popera' Makes Waves
A controversial East-meets-West crossover production is to hit the Beijing stage again.
Turandot has been given a Chinese twist by China Peking Opera House. Since its debut in Beijing late last year, the show has divided audiences. Some h

Han Hong to Perform Solo Concert in Tibet
Chinese mainland pop diva Han Hong will hold a solo concert in her hometown in Tibet in August. The cost for the concert will exceed 10 million yuan, or about US$1.2 million.
Hong Kong Phoenix Satellite TV, Japan's NHK and a leading American television

China to Send Woman into Space
After putting a man in space for the first time in October last year, China plans to train female astronauts for space voyages, the country's largest women's organization confirmed in Beijing Sunday. "China will soon start to train its own female astronauts," Gu Xiulian, president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), announced at an awarding ceremony for the country's female model judges Saturday afternoon in Beijing, just days before the "March 8" International Women's Day.

China to Send Woman into Space
After putting a man in space for the first time in October last year, China plans to train female astronauts for space voyages, the country's largest women's organization confirmed in Beijing Sunday. "China will soon start to train its own female astronauts," Gu Xiulian, president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), announced at an awarding ceremony for the country's female model judges Saturday afternoon in Beijing, just days before the "March 8" International Women's Day.

Info Firm Has High Hopes for China
Thomas Mendoza has been to Tokyo 36 times during the past eight years.But now China has become an important business travel destination for the president of the world's fourth-largest information storage company. The reason is simple - the world's most populous country has a market that Mendoza cannot afford to ignore. "In the long term, our business in China can play an interesting role in our company," the Network Appliance executive told China Daily during his first trip to Beij

More Solo Mainland Tourists for HK
Beijing would lift travel restrictions for more mainland residents to boost Hong Kong's economy, media reports said Saturday. Residents in seven or eight cities in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian would be allowed to travel to Hong Kong as individuals by the latter half of this year, the China Daily reported. The newspaper quoted Gao Siren, director of the Central Government's liaison office in Hong Kong, who was speaking in Beijing on Friday. Only resid

Kerry: Bush 'Stonewalling' 9/11 Probe
John Kerry on Sunday accused President Bush of "stonewalling" separate inquiries into the events leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks, as well as into the intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, parried complaints by members of a federal commission investigating the attacks that Bush was resisting their efforts to get documents and question witnesses. "Why is t

Three Gorges Region Becomes China's Largest Geological Park
The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River has become the largest geological park in China with an area of 25,000 square kilometers. The park, added to the list of national geological parks last month, covers both banks of the mainstream of the Three Gorges from Fengjie County, Chongqing Municipality, to Yichang City, Hubei Province. The region was accepted on the list because of its rich geological phenomena, said Yan Daoping, a researcher at Yichang Geological and Mineral Research Ins

First Naval Warfare Museum in China Built up
China's first museum of naval warfare has been built at Poyang Lake's Xieshan Island, in east China's Jiangxi Province. The museum, covering 1,300 square meters, features more than 500 weapons, including lances, spears, axes, iron forks, iron chains and artillery found in the lake by archeologists and fishermen. The weapons, together with Xieshan's ancient city walls, emplacements and beacon towers were of great importance to study ancient Chinese naval warfare, archaeologists said

Couplets with Taoist Preaching Found in Central China
Archeologists have deciphered the couplet on an ancient stone tablet in the central China province of Henan as Taoist recipes for pills of immortality. "The two lines tell how Taoist alchemists work hard to make pills of immortality on a jade stove, and each character has a story about Taoism, or a recipe for Taoist charms and spells behind it," said Wang Zhulin, head of a local museum in the ancient Chinese capital, Luoyang. He said such characters used exclusively by Taoists were

De Kretser Values Being an Outsider
Michelle de Kretser, a noted Australian writer, is in Shanghai this weekend as keynote speaker for a reception celebrating International Women's Day, which is being organized by the Australian-Consulate in Shanghai. She admitted she couldn't pinpoint the image of current Chinese women, since her visit to Hong Kong in 1996 was her only close contact with Chinese society. "In my mind, Chinese women are strong, both physically and mentally. They can do the same job as the men," she sa

De Kretser Values Being An Outsider
Michelle de Kretser, a noted Australian writer, is in Shanghai this weekend as keynote speaker for a reception celebrating International Women's Day, which is being organized by the Australian-Consulate in Shanghai. She admitted she couldn't pinpoint the image of current Chinese women, since her visit to Hong Kong in 1996 was her only close contact with Chinese society. "In my mind, Chinese women are strong, both physically and mentally. They can do the same job as the men," she sa

Three Gorges Region Becomes China's
Largest Geological Park
The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River has become the largest geological park in China with an area of 25,000 square kilometers.
The park, added to the list of national geological parks last month, covers both banks of the mainstream of the Three Gorges

HK's Jumbo Restaurant Revamped for Tourist Spot
The Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen, south of the Hong Kong Island, has been planned to re-emerge in late May as a "theme park on the sea" to attract more tourists, local Hong Kong media reported Saturday.
South China Morning Post said the new sp

First Naval Warfare Museum in China Built up
China's first museum of naval warfare has been built at Poyang Lake's Xieshan Island, in east China's Jiangxi Province.
The museum, covering 1,300 square meters, features more than 500 weapons, including lances, spears, axes, iron forks, iron chains an

Couplets with Taoist Preaching Found in Central China
Archeologists have deciphered the couplet on an ancient stone tablet in the central China province of Henan as Taoist recipes for pills of immortality.
"The two lines tell how Taoist alchemists work hard to make pills of immortality on a jade stove, an

Better by Bus
Beijing will add 2,000 new air-conditioned buses to downtown roads to relieve the traffic flow.
Around 30 new bus routes will also be launched, especially in busy areas near Beijing Zoo, Dongzhimen, Qianmen and Sihui. Under the public traffic re

Buddha relic to be displayed in Hong Kong
The sacred finger of Buddha from the Famen Temple in Xi'an, capital of western China's Shaanxi Province, will be displayed and worshipped in Hong Kong this May. Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, met a Hong Kong Buddhist delegation headed by the Rev.Kok-kwong, president of Hong Kong Federation of Buddhists, last week for talks on preparations for the display. It will be the first appearance of the Buddha relic in Hong Kong, although it was taken

Hong Kong-backed Travel Agency to Open
The first Hong Kong capital-controlled travel agency in the mainland's southern Guangdong Province is expected to open before the end of June. In what is expected to be a joint venture, Hong Kong Skal Travel Service Ltd will have a 70 percent share and the mainland-based Shenzhen China Travel Service will hold the remainder. According to Guo Shiqiang, assistant to the Shenzhen China Travel Service's general manager, the firm has received verbal approval from the National Tourism Ad

Airline releases low-price ticket program
China Southern Airlines (CSA), one of the three leading air carriers in China, announced on Feb. 29 that air fare for a CSA flight between Ningbo, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai, the commercial center in China, will be available at 40 percent discount, or 180 yuan (US$22), in March this year. China Southern Airlines said that the low-price ticket program will last a month. With the spring travel season approaching, various airlines were vying for custom

Shenzhen authorities ban border pickups
Travel agents, tour groups and FIT travelers were thrown into chaos and confusion when the mainland port authorities in Shenzhen suddenly imposed new rules banning passenger pickups at the border. Only a few hours' notice was given. The change makes it much more difficult, especially for regular travelers. A Shenzhen official said the ban on picking up passengers was aimed at speeding up the flow of traffic. The checkpoint had turned into a bus terminus and meant there were constant traff

Bronze Ware Items Unearthed from Ancient Tomb in Henan
Archeologists in the central Chinese province of Henan recently unearthed bronze ware items from an ancient tomb that is at least 3,000 years old. Most of the heritage items are drinking vessels, found in a tomb that is 2.9 meters long, 1.4 meters wide and 3.2 meters deep and dates back to the early days of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century - 71 BC). The most noticeable item is a well-preserved goblet nearly 30 centimeters tall and ingrained with graphics that resemble bana

China to Build Digital DunHuang Grottoes
China will invest 200 million yuan or more than 24 million US dollars to build digital DunHuang Mogao Grottoes. The digital version is so real that tourists will feel like they are visiting the real grottoes. The world-famous Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang are located in northwest China's Gansu Province. The Grottoes date back to 336 A.D. They are the one of the three major Buddhist art treasures in China and are the largest in terms of scale of all existing art collectio

Hong Kong starts off 2004 with 13% growth in Visitor Arrivals
Hong Kong's tourism industry has made a solid start to 2004 with figures released today by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) showing that visitor arrivals in January reached 1,748,388, a 13.1% increase over the same month in 2003. Arrivals from Mainland China, boosted by the Lunar New Year "Golden Week" holiday, grew 48.5% to 1,115,151- the highest number of Mainland visitors yet recorded in a single month. Nearly 32% of these, 355,233 in total, arrived under the individual visa scheme f

New Face for the Old Bund
The Huangpu District government aims to add shops, restaurants and recreation facilities to the Bund's solemn hub of banks and insurance companies. "We are trying to attract global brands to the area to create a high-end central business district," said Jiang Xizhou, director of the foreign economic commission of Huangpu District. "The new Bund will be more fashionable and people-oriented," Jiang said. Yesterday, Huangpu government officials met the Ermenegildo Zegna Group.

Western Musicians Tune into Chinese Market
Chinese enthusiasts of Western music have just bid farewell to the Vienna Philharmonic headed by Seiji Ozawa and are awaiting the opening night of another world-class orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra. Driven by the profitable and growing Chinese market, a spate of world-class orchestras have come to entertain Chinese who are willing to pay 2,800 yuan (340 US dollars) for premium seats. Sources with one of the organizers revealed the average price of the tickets for the Lond

Expat women to join happy tour
About 50 foreign women in Shenzhen will participate in a special tour sponsored by the Shenzhen Daily and Happy Valley theme park Saturday. Among the tourists will be members of the Shekou Women's International Club. The group will visit Happy Valley to celebrate International Women's Day, which falls on March 8. They will take part in various activities including a tug of war with park performers. They will then board a train to tour the park on the way to Gold Mine Town where the

World Tourism to Soar with New Markets in China, India
A study predicts that the world tourism industry is set to record the sharpest expansion in its history between 2010 and 2020, notably with the emergence of China and India as active players. The Professional Association of Tourism Support study shows "emerging markets and the development of short-term visits" are the two most important factors in the expected growth. The study was prepared ahead of the world tourism exposition scheduled to take place in Paris from March 11th to 14

Airline to Spread Wings on Mainland
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways is seeking to spread its wings on the Chinese mainland, airline chairman James Hughes-Hallett revealed in Beijing Thursday. "With the airline now serving Beijing three times a week, we hope to raise the number of flights and expand the services to more destinations in the mainland," said Hughes-Hallett. The Cathay Pacific chief led a delegation to Beijing this week, meeting top government officials to express the airline's desire to expand its

South China to Build World Transport Park
China's first world transport exhibition park will be established in the city of Guilin, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The municipal government will spend 1.1 billion yuan or 133 million US dollars on the project and work will start in July. The park will consist of around 10 exhibition halls displaying models and pictures of all generations of vehicles, trains, carrier rockets, ships and world famous bridges, roads, railways. It will also include racing

European airlines are planning more China flights
Beijing European airlines are stepping up services to and from China in anticipation of rising passenger traffic after the European Union becomes an official tourism destination for Chinese travelers on May 1. Scandinavian Airlines will open a new thrice-weekly service from Shanghai to Copenhagen on March 28, on top of its daily Beijing-Copenhagen flights. Finnair plans to fly daily from Beijing to Helsinki in early April, up from the current five times per week, and increase its S

China poised for low-cost revolution, says expert
China will become a major market for low cost airline development within two years, as regulation of the aviation sector eases and demand for air travel explodes, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation predicted today. Peter Harbison, managing director of the Centre, the region's leading aviation consultancy group, expects a combination of internal and external pressures to drive the introduction to China of the low-cost phenomenon that is currently sweeping South-east Asia. "All the

Number of Endangered Gibbons Increases in Hainan
The number of white-cheeked gibbons has doubled over the past two decades to reach 23 on the island province of Hainan, in south China. Wang Chundong, head of the Wildlife Protection Center of the province's forestry bureau, attributed the increase to the marked improvement of the local environment. White-cheeked gibbons, native to Hainan, live in tropical virgin forest. The 23 gibbons are found in the tropical forest in the Bawangling Nature Reserve in the western part of Hainan.<

Shanghai Maglev May Go to Hangzhou
The Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Company is studying the possibility of building a maglev line between Shanghai and Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, a company spokesperson said on Monday. "At the request of both governments of Shanghai and Zhejiang Province, we have been doing the survey for a maglev line between the two cities," Xia Guozhong, a company spokesperson, told Shanghai Daily yesterday. "But the survey hasn't been completed and the project is still waiting for centr

Nobel Winner Presses for Women's Rights
The failure by governments across the Islamic world to respect women's rights has hampered even hesitant steps toward political change, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi said Monday as the United Nations observed International Women's Day. "The rights of women and democracy are one and the same thing," the Iranian lawyer and rights campaigner said during a visit to the International Labor Organization. Speaking alongside Ebadi, Carla Del Ponte -- chief prosecutor of the UN wa

Shanghai Maglev May Go to Hangzhou
The Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Company is studying the possibility of building a maglev line between Shanghai and Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, a company spokesperson said on Monday.
"At the request of both governments of Shanghai and

Guangzhou Vies to Become Aviation Hub
Guangzhou's new international airport, being called a rival to Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok International Airport, will officially begin operations on June 29 -- on schedule.
Local government officials hope the airport will be the catalyst needed to transf

Number of Endangered Gibbons Increases in Hainan
The number of white-cheeked gibbons has doubled over the past two decades to reach 23 on the island province of Hainan, in south China.
Wang Chundong, head of the Wildlife Protection Center of the province's forestry bureau, attributed the increase to

HK to Strengthen Monitoring of Flu Patients
Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) has assigned 14 of its general outpatient clinics as the "Designated Clinics" to treat patients with influenza-like-illness who have history of epidemiological link with avian influenza.
HA spokesman said Monday that t

China Issues Alert for Dengue Fever from Indonesia
China's State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has ordered strict quarantine checks of passengers, planes, ships and containers from Indonesia to prevent dengue fever entering the country.
The World Health Organization s

Maglev Planned Between Shanghai and Hangzhou
A maglev train line between Shanghai and Hangzhou is planned, sources from Zhejiang provincial government disclosed. The expensive project, set to be submitted for approval later this year, is expected to complete by 2008. The distance between the two cities, in the developed Yangtze delta area, is 180 kilometers and the travel time by maglev will be 27-38 minutes; the travel time by express train now is one hour and 45 minutes. Shanghai has constructed China's first maglev line, from Pudong air

Terra Cotta Warriors on Display in Berlin
Germans won't have to travel all the way to China to see the famous Terra cotta Army. Duplicates of the real terra cotta warriors will soon be exhibited in Berlin. 130 terra cotta warriors, each weighing 200 kilos, arrived at Berlin on Mar.5. Workers were busy in setting them up in their new temporary home at the former East German parliament building. For the exhibition, these duplicates of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's terra cotta warriors were made some three years ago in a Chinese village n

Plan Aims to Save Dying Folk Arts
In a few years'time, people will be able to go to nearby folk culture centers or museums to help protect traditional folk culture. Vice Minister of Culture Zhou Heping, said Tuesday in Beijing that the plan is part of a 17-year-long project, launched last year, to preserve unique folk arts, crafts, literature and traditions. Struck a severe blow by modern lifestyles, the country's unique folk arts are disappearing with unbelievable speed. "Almost every minute some aspect of

Bus JV Revs up for New Project in Qingdao
Swedish bus producer Volvo's joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has reached an agreement of intent with a local company to create a new bus joint venture in East China's Shandong Province. The Volvo-SAIC joint venture, named Sunwin, will control a 51 percent stake in the new joint venture in Qingdao, a booming port city in Shandong, according to a Sunwin statement sent to China Daily. The remaining share will be held by the State-run Qingdao Public Transpor

Flight Opens Between Shenzhen and Taipei
The new air route linking Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, and Taipei via Macao, which was launched on Tuesday, has been welcomed by business people from Taiwan working on the Chinese mainland. Taiwan business people in Shenzhen and Dongguan cities are considered to be the biggest beneficiaries of the new route. An Air Macao Airbus 319 aircraft carrying about 100 passengers took off at 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday from Shenzhen Airport for Taipei after a brief symbolic sto

Flight Opens Between Shenzhen and Taipei
The new air route linking Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, and Taipei via Macao, which was launched on Tuesday, has been welcomed by business people from Taiwan working on the Chinese mainland. Taiwan business people in Shenzhen and Dongguan cities are considered to be the biggest beneficiaries of the new route. An Air Macao Airbus 319 aircraft carrying about 100 passengers took off at 12:40 pm on Tuesday from Shenzhen Airport for Taipei after a brief symbolic stop

Flight Opens Between Shenzhen, Taipei
After boarding an Air Macao Airbus A319 Tuesday morning, a passenger surnamed Zhang said he would finally realize his dream of flying from Shenzhen to Taipei.
For the first time, regular flights from Shenzhen to Taipei via Macao were officially opened

Lufthansa-Shanghai Airlines Code Share Closer
European-based global aviation giant, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa), revealed to China Daily that it is getting closer to completing negotiations with one of its Chinese counterparts, Shanghai Airlines Co Ltd (Shanghai Airlines), for a possible code-s

Bus JV Revs up for New Project in Qingdao
Swedish bus producer Volvo's joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has reached an agreement of intent with a local company to create a new bus joint venture in East China's Shandong Province.
The Volvo-SAIC joint venture, named Su

Plan Aims to Save Dying Folk Arts
In a few years'time, people will be able to go to nearby folk culture centers or museums to help protect traditional folk culture.
Vice Minister of Culture Zhou Heping, said Tuesday in Beijing that the plan is part of a 17-year-long project, launched l

Sandstorms Darken Northern Skyline
Cold, dry winds filled the skies with Siberian dust and sand Tuesday in northwest, north and northeast China.
Visibility was cut to less than 500 meters in a few areas, meteorologists said. "It was the seventh event of its kind so far this year

Cruise Ship Port Plan Takes Shape
Romantic notions of travel by sea to the mysterious East have existed for centuries. While the mysterious aspect of travel to China may have evaporated, the idea of a leisurely cruise on impressive luxury liners is catching on. This new wave of tourism is drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists to Asia every year from around the world. The center of attraction is undoubtedly China, and the choice port of call is undoubtedly Shanghai. This is why the city is conjuring up bi

China Eastern Airlines to Open Flight to London
China Eastern Airlines announced in Shanghai on Wednesday that it will open a new air route connecting Shanghai and London on April 1. Officials said that the direct service run three times a week, on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Planes will leave at 03:30 GMT (13:30 Beijing Time) from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and arrive at London Heathrow Airport at 18:50 GMT. The return flight will take off at 21:20 GMT and arrive in Shanghai at 07:45 GMT (15:45 Beijing Time).
<

Austria-China Air Flights on Expansion
Austrian Airlines Group announced it would include Shanghai in its flight service network beginning from April 29 with the operation of three flights a week from Pudong International Airport to Vienna. In the meantime, the number of flights from Vienna to Beijing will also be increased from four to six this summer, said Josef E. Burger, chief commercial officer of the Austrian Airlines Group, who made the announcement in Shanghai on Tuesday. According to Burger, 120,000 tourists fr

Back from the Brink
Singer Yeow-Sun Ho tells Li Shuo how she bounced back from the depths of despair to find meaning in her life as she has come a long way since the days she contemplated taking her own life as a depressed teenager. The Singaporean Chinese singer, who says she never went looking for fame, is having to deal with life in the spotlight after making a historic breakthrough in the United States. The dance track, Where Did Love Go, was the No. 1 Breakthrough Song of the Week on the American

Agencies Tighten Price Supervision
The National Development and Reform Commission has called on price supervision administrations across the country to make the prices of goods and services more clearly known to the public. The move will further protect the public interest and make the work of governmental departments more transparent, according to a newly-released commission circular. In China, most prices of goods and services are decided by market forces and only a few, such as water and electricity -- essential

Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Shore up Tourists to World's Roof
The number of travelers to southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region, known as the "roof of the world," is expected to rise by 15-20 percent annually when the Qinghai-Tibet Railway goes into operation in 2007. The 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet railway line, which will run from Xining, capital of northwest Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibetan capital, will give a big impetus to the development of tourism in Tibet, which is a key factor for local economic growth, said Wang Taifu with the academy

Discovery Reveals 'Custody over Minors' in Ancient China
A latest research achievement shows that Chinese adults had legal responsibility to protect the rights of children as early as 1,200 years ago. Chen Yongsheng, deputy head of the politics teaching and research group affiliated to the Party School of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, drew the conclusion based on his research on a paper document of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The document records the trial of Kang Shifen, a native of Gaochang county (now

Cruise Ship Port Plan Takes Shape
Romantic notions of travel by sea to the mysterious East have existed for centuries. While the mysterious aspect of travel to China may have evaporated, the idea of a leisurely cruise on impressive luxury liners is catching on. This new wave of tourism is drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists to Asia every year from around the world. The center of attraction is undoubtedly China, and the choice port of call is undoubtedly Shanghai. This is why the city is conjuring up bi

Legislator Calls for Law on AIDS Control
It is time for China to make law on the control and prevention of AIDS, otherwise the country would lose the best opportunity to bring the deadly disease under control, said NPC deputy Shi Zuolin Wednesday at the current annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC). The current law, rules and regulations concerning the prevention and control of AIDS enacted by the central and local authorities have fallen short of the requirements of the new situation and some regulations are in

Agencies Tighten Price Supervision
The State Development and Reform Commission has called on price supervision administrations across the country to make the prices of goods and services more clearly known to the public. The move will further protect the public interest and make the work of governmental departments more transparent, according to a newly-released commission circular. In China, most prices of goods and services are decided by market forces and only a few, such as water and electricity -- essential to

Beijing Landmark Gate Being Rebuilt
The rebuilding of Yongdingmen Gate -- a landmark on the southern tip of Beijing's central axis which was pulled down in 1957 -- started Wednesday.
Built in 1553 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was the largest city gate tower in the outer city o

Zhuhai Aims to Become a Yacht Center
This coastal city in South China's Guangdong Province is vying to become the largest yacht and yacht-related products manufacturing center in China in the next few years, sources with the local government said.
The center, located in the Pingsha Indust

Cruise Ship Port Plan Takes Shape
Romantic notions of travel by sea to the mysterious East have existed for centuries.
While the mysterious aspect of travel to China may have evaporated, the idea of a leisurely cruise on impressive luxury liners is catching on. This new wave of

China Eastern Airlines to Open Flight to London
China Eastern Airlines announced in Shanghai on Wednesday that it will open a new air route connecting Shanghai and London on April 1.
Officials said that the direct service run three times a week, on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Planes will l

Macao's Hotel Guest Rate Rises Sharply
Macao's hotels welcomed 292,249 guests in January, up 20.4 percent over the same month last year, thanks to a flush-in of tourists on the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday and individual travel from the mainland.
The Macao Statistics and Census Bureau on

HK's Jumbo Restaurant Revamped for Tourist Spot
The Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen, south of the Hong Kong Island, has been planned to re-emerge in late May as a "theme park on the sea" to attract more tourists, local Hong Kong media reported Saturday. South China Morning Post said the new spot would offer diversified cuisine, a new array of shops and Moulin-Rouge-style cabaret shows. The restaurant's owner Melco International Development expected the 35 million HK dollar (US$4.5 million) revamp would increase business.

Niya Yields Buried Secrets
Long, long ago there was a king. He had 300 soldiers, 3,000 residents in his state and one gold camel, which was his dearest possession. But he fell in love with a woman who was also loved by the king of another state, and thus a war was started. God, angered by the war, blew up a black sandstorm that lasted for 80 days and buried the entire kingdom, including the gold camel. More than 2,000 years later, in 1901, a British explorer named Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943) trekked into th

Xinjiang Welcomes Cultural Heritage Researchers
The Xinjiang Cultural Heritage Administration and research institutions in the region welcome international cooperation in the research and protection of archaeological cultural heritage sites unearthed since 1949. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China, which was a busy trade area on the ancient Silk Road, is the location of a number of important relic sites that bear evidence of clashes and convergence among the ancient Chinese, Gandhara, Classical Greek and Roman civil

China to Select Woman Astronaut Next Year
China plans to recruit woman astronauts for its space voyage later next year, and they are expected to be selected from among the women around the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administration regions, a senior space official said Friday. Hu Shixiang, deputy chief commander of China's Manned Space Program, said the selection will not be confined to the ranks of woman pilots. China's rocket and spaceship technology has become mature following successful spacefl

An Jiayao
An Jiayao, 55 Question: Where are you from Answer: I live in Beijing but I often travel to Xi'an. Question: What is your profession Answer: Archaeologist, directors of the Xi'an Research Program and the Han & Tang Research Program of the Archaeology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Question: What is the issue of most concern to people in your area of China Answer: People in the two places care about different things. The people in Xi'an are most concerned about

HK-mainland Integration Measure Proposed
Political advisers from Hong Kong and the mainland have suggested that the booming border city of Shenzhen can act as a springboard for further economic cooperation between the two. The two sides have been taking steps to enhance travel, banking, professional services and tariff cooperation since the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) last year between the central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The mainland has gradual

Xinjiang Welcomes Researchers
The Xinjiang Cultural Heritage Administration and research institutions in the region welcome international co-operation in the research and protection of archaeological cultural heritage sites unearthed since 1949. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China, which was a busy trade area on the ancient Silk Road, is the location of a number of important relic sites that bear evidence of clashes and convergence among the ancient Chinese, Gandhara, Classical Greek and Roman civi

China to Select Woman Astronaut Later Next Year: Space Official
China plans to recruit woman astronauts for its space voyage later next year, and they are expected to be selected from among the women around the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, a senior space official said in Beijing Friday. Hu Shixiang, deputy chief commander of China's Manned Space Program, said the selection will not be confined to the ranks of woman pilots in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. China's rocket and spaceship technolo

Japan Loosens Restrictions on Chinese Entry Visas
The Japanese government has decided to loosen restrictions on entry visas issued to Chinese businessmen and visitors in some regions. The study and travel visas fees for primary and middle school students in China have also been dropped. Japan is also considering accepting Chinese group visitors from five more Chinese provinces including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Liaoning. The move comes after 12 European Union member countries reached a milestone tourism agreement with China.<

Beijing Faces Moral Dilemma in Urban Renewal
Beijing has been China's capital for over 800 years. The city is now undergoing massive renovations involving the demolition of large numbers of dilapidated houses. People living in run-down courtyards are moving to new flats with the help of the municipa

Beijing Positions 5,922 Old Trees by Satellite
A total of 5,922 old trees in the Chinese capital have been positioned by satellite and marked on a digital map for city planning, according to Beijing Municipal Park & Woods Bureau.
The city planning administration will find out where these old and ra

Austria-China Air Flights on Expansion
Austrian Airlines Group has announced that it will include Shanghai in its flight service network with the operation of three flights a week from Pudong International Airport to Vienna.
Austrian Airlines Group has announced that it will include Shangha

Beijing-Shanghai Plane Tickets Cheaper than Trains
The price of plane tickets in China has continued to decline since the arrival of tourism's slack season.
Most airlines in China are offering discounts of up to 50 percent off the regular ticket price. Though less common, reductions of 60 to 70 per ent

Japan Loosens Restrictions on Chinese Entry Visas
The Japanese government has decided to loosen restrictions on entry visas issued to Chinese businessmen and visitors in some regions.
The study and travel visas fees for primary and middle school students in China have also been dropped. Japan i

Free food offered on train
As of April 18, Shanghai Railway Bureau will provide free food in its soft-sleeper trains between Shanghai and Beijing, said Liu Lianqing, director with the bureau yesterday, the Jiefang Daily reported today. "We will invite a famous Swiss food enterprise to cooperate with us to offer meals which can meet the international standard," Liu said, adding that the original dining vehicles will still be available so that passengers can drink wine or coffee as usual there. However, ticket

Xiamen to ease visitor access into Hong Kong
China may permit visitors from Xiamen to enter Hong Kong on an individual basis later this year, according to its mayor, Mr Zhang Changping. The move is expected to result in a another surge of visitors. Meanwhile, Beijing's chief official based in Hong Kong, Mr Gao Siren, also announced the individual travel scheme might be expanded to another eight or nine cities outside Guangdong. All are expected be in the wealthy eastern coastal strip.

Shanghai Convenience Stores Will Shelve Expansion Plan
The two-year-old explosion in the number of conveniences stores in Shanghai is set to slow down in 2004. One major chain, Shanghai Alldays, says it will not open any more stores this year after a sharp expansion last year. Moreover, stiff competition in Shanghai's convenience store market in the past three years has scared off foreign giants like 7-Eleven, which has decides to tap the northern market of Beijing, and Tianjin first.

Beijing-Shanghai Plane Tickets Cheaper than Trains
The price of plane tickets in China has continued to decline since the arrival of tourism's slack season. Most airlines in China are offering discounts of up to 50 per cent off the regular ticket price. Though less common, reductions of 60 to 70 per cent have also been reported. Flights from Beijing to Shanghai now cost 310 yuan, or around 38 US dollars, which is less than a hard-sleeper train ticket to the same destination. However, some popular routes are still expensive,

Plan Aims to Save Dying Folk Arts
In a few years' time, people will be able to go to nearby folk culture centers or museums to help protect traditional folk culture. Vice Minister of Culture Zhou Heping, said Tuesday in Beijing that the plan is part of a 17-year-long project, launched last year, to preserve unique folk arts, crafts, literature and traditions. Struck a severe blow by modern lifestyles, the country's unique folk arts are disappearing with unbelievable speed. "Almost every minute some aspect of

Tourism contributed to Macao`s economy growth
The economy of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was forecast to grow by 7 percent in the year 2004, according to a senior economic official. "Bolstered by a rosy prospect of the tourism sector, a steady performance of export and a surge of investment in both the public and private sectors, Macao`s economy will sustain a strong growth momentum this year," said Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance Tuesday. "The SAR government has planned to invest 3.5 bill

Mainland contributes largest source of tourists to Macao
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) welcomes 5.74 million visitors from China's mainland last year, which has become Macao's number-one source of visitor arrivals, ahead of Hong Kong and Taiwan. Macao's annual number of mainland Chinese visitor arrivals has risen 3.5 times in the past four years since Macao's return to itsmotherland in 1999, when they totalled 1.64 million, according to the latest statistics from the Macao Tourism Office. Joao Costa Antunes, director of t

Lufthansa-Shanghai Airlines Code Share Closer
European-based global aviation giant, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa), revealed to China Daily that it is getting closer to completing negotiations with one of its Chinese counterparts, Shanghai Airlines Co Ltd (Shanghai Airlines), for a possible code-sharing agreement and cooperation in other areas. "Our talks with Shanghai Airlines (about possible code sharing) are in the final stage. In our eyes, Shanghai Airlines is quite an accomplished regional carrier and a good partner to work w

Cathay Pacific 2003 results top forecasts as it recovers from SARS
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific reported a much better-than-expected net profit of 1.30 billion Hong Kong dollars (170 million US) for 2003 as it recovered from a disastrous SARS-induced first half loss. "The airline came through a very testing year in remarkably good shape," the airline's chairman James Hughes-Hallett said. "The results reflect a strong performance by the cargo business and a very welcome rebound in the passenger business in the second half of the year," he

Beijing Landmark Gate Being Rebuilt
The rebuilding of Yongdingmen Gate -- a landmark on the southern tip of Beijing's central axis which was pulled down in 1957 -- started Wednesday. Built in 1553 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was the largest city gate tower in the outer city of ancient Beijing. The gate tower was the starting point of the 7.8-kilometre-long central axis which is a fundamental feature of Beijing's layout and splits the city into approximate halves. Kong Fanzhi, vice-director of the B

Large Bullring to Open in Beijing
The largest bullring in Asia will be open within this year, said Shen Baochang, delegate to NPC and secretary of Daxing District Party Committee. The bullring, which will be hard by Beijing Wildlife Park, will have 3,000 seats. People will then be able to see Spanish bullfight and American-style bullfight without leaving Beijing. As learned the bullring will be built in imitation of the Spanish bullring and the bulls will be purebred fighting bulls imported from Spain. In concert w

China Eastern Airlines to Open Flight to London
China Eastern Airlines announced in Shanghai on Wednesday that it will open a new air route connecting Shanghai and London on April 1. Officials said that the direct service run three times a week, on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Planes will leave at 03:30 GMT (13:30 Beijing Time) from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and arrive at London Heathrow Airport at 18:50 GMT. The return flight will take off at 21:20 GMT and arrive in Shanghai at 07:45 GMT (15:45 Beijing Time).
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Macao's Hotel Guest Rate Rises Sharply
Macao's hotels welcomed 292,249 guests in January, up 20.4 percent over the same month last year, thanks to a flush-in of tourists on the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday and individual travel from the mainland. The Macao Statistics and Census Bureau on Wednesday pointed out that Macao's 69 hotels, including nine five-star hotels, recorded an average room occupancy rate of 66.8 percent in January, an year-on-year growth of 6.2 percentage points. Hotel guests stayed an average of just 1.21 n

Railway to Be Built in Shanghai's Pudong
Construction of the long-awaited Pudong railway line, designed to help the city grow into an Asian shipping and aviation hub, will start within the year. It is to finish by 2005, according to Wenhui Daily, citing the director of local railway administration. The outlying districts of Jinshan, Fengxian, Nanhui, Pudong New Area and Baoshan District will be linked by the 117-kilometer railway, the first of its kind on the east bank of the Huangpu River. The cost will be shared by the

Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Shore up Tourists to World's Roof
The number of travelers to southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region, known as the "roof of the world," is expected to rise by 15-20 percent annually when the Qinghai-Tibet Railway goes into operation in 2007. The 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet railway line, which will run from Xining, capital of northwest Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibetan capital, will give a big impetus to the development of tourism in Tibet, which is a key factor for local economic growth, said Wang Taifu with the academy

Business Travel Expo Hong Kong Attracts Travel Planners
This year's Business Travel Expo Hong Kong has attracted a spectacular boost in interest from travel planners prior to its opening at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on March 30-31. More than three times as many regional buyers and arrangers of business travel than last year have already pre-registered for this year's expo. The number pre-registering for the region's premier platform for the travel industry stood at 734 a month before the event - compared to 240 last year. Ne

Good news budget for Hong Kong NTO
The travel industry widely welcomed tourism-related proposals in the 2004 budget delivered yesterday by Financial Secretary, Mr Henry Tang, but had some reservations about a planned goods and services tax which will be introduced in three years. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) was pleased with the US$11.5 million being allotted for tourism promotions and training activities, with executive director, Ms Clara Chong, saying she was strongly encouraged by official assurances about the imp

Global travel & tourism poised for robust growth in 2004
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released its 2004 Travel & Tourism forecasts for 174 countries and the world yesterday at the London Stock Exchange. Releasing forecasts prepared on its behalf by Oxford Economic Forecasting, which follow the United Nations standard for Tourism Satellite Accounting, the WTTC reported that the Travel & Tourism recovery from 9/11, the war in Iraq, SARS and the down-turned economy is now well underway and the overall outlook for 2004 and beyond is for robus

Loan Lifts Transport Development
The World Bank announced on Friday that it had approved a US$200 million loan to ease transport pressures in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Edward Dotson, leader of the World Bank task team designing the project, said it "will promote the development of an integrated, efficient and sustainable transport system for the rapid, safe and convenient movement of people and goods in Wuhan." The loan comes as many major cities in China face mounting transportation pressu

Mine Explosion Kills at Least 12 in Guizhou, 2 Still Missing
The bodies of 12 miners killed in a coal mine explosion in southwest China's Guizhou Province have been recovered, but two miners are still missing, say local police. The blast happened in Huaxiang Coal Mine located in Yangjiawan Town, Bijie City in the province, at 8:10 a.m. on Friday when the miners were working below ground. After the explosion occurred, rescuers rushed to the spot to search for survivors. Huaxiang Coal Mine is a privately-run mine. The coal mine h

Ecuador Tourism at Its Eco-best
Fernando Acosta admits that guests at his mountain lodge in a remote stretch of the Ecuadorean Andes might feel a bit dizzy at times or need to bundle up at night.
But any discomfort from the high altitude or chilly temperatures has not deterred touris

Tibetan Farmers Going to Nepal for Sightseeing
A group of 18 Tibetan farmers from the Shannan Prefecture of southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region began their tour for Nepal Saturday, the first time Tibetan farmers had joined a touring party going abroad paying their own expenses. Wearing a hada presented by her children, Yuluo, a 60-year-old woman, was excited. "I would like to see the local conditions and customs of Nepal and its holy sites, which attract me the most," said the old woman. "We were quite surprised

AIDS Rule Could Help Quell Epidemic
National regulation of HIV/AIDS prevention and control management was on the agenda of officials and legislators at their recent national meetings and their focus on the topic will help ensure success in China's unprecedented ambitious fig