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Old Town Provides Escape
More and more Chinese travelers are striking out for ever more exotic locations to escape the frenetic bustle of their lives. Many old towns, hidden in China's vast countryside and usually neglected by outsiders, are becoming increasingly popular. Following this trend, I have been to dozens of old small towns in the past few years. Fubao has been the best so far. I made a two-day trip to the small town in southeastern Sichuan Province from Chengdu, the provincial capital, to

More Urban Women Choose Single Life
Chinese traditional culture considered marriage and motherhood the only real options for women, but today those are only two of the many choices available. Miss Wei, 37, is still living on her own in Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. A graduate of a prestigious university, Wei opened her own company several years ago. Listing "driving, travel, and buying brand-name clothes" as hobbies, Wei said she is "very satisfied" with single life. She is not celibate, but doesn't want to

Tourism Puts Hope in Golden Week
Chinese travel agencies are trying their best to make a fortune during the next so-called golden week as the National Day holidays approach. As one of the sectors hit the hardest since late spring by the outbreak of SARS, the tourist industry's eagerness to make up for part of its losses is fully understandable. It is estimated that the sector as a whole will suffer the enormous loss of 270 billion yuan (US$32.5 billion) this year due to the impact of SARS. Apart from the Na

Unexpected Flood Kills Three Tourists, Two More Missing
A sudden flood which struck a scenic mountain area near the gigantic Three Gorges Dam on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on Saturday has left three tourists dead and two missing. The three bodies were recovered Sunday afternoon, said local sources. According to the sources, a group of 10 tourists were traveling in a bus operated by a local travel service of Yichang, the nearest city to the Three Gorges Dam, to tour the Sixi scenic area in Zigui County, central China's Hubei

Rain-fuelled Disasters Claim Eight
Eight people were killed and four missing after flood and rainstorm-related disasters struck Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Central China's Hubei Province, according to Agency. Rainstorm-triggered disasters, including mountain torrents and landslides, killed five people in the eastern part of Sichuan on Saturday and yesterday, leaving two missing, local disaster relief officials said on Sunday. In Dazhou, three women were confirmed dead after they were swept away by mountai

Ancient Rampart in Xi'an Damaged by Rainfall
A section of China's only preserved ancient rampart in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, was damaged by consecutive rainfalls in past 10 days.
The wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) suffered some subsidence other damages

Beijing-Shanghai Fast Rail Link on Track
Recreating their own version of the Chinese epic "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", multinational companies from Germany, Japan and France are locked in an aggressive battle for the right to build a 1,300-kilometre high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai, linking the nation's capital city to its largest commercial metropolis. Germany's consortium consists of Siemens, ThyssenKrupp and Transrapid International; Japan has reportedly formed a group composed of four work units and se

Singapore Man Tests Positive for SARS
Singapore health officials confirmed on Monday that a local patient has tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in the first new case of the disease in four months. The announcement followed a warning from the World Health Organization earlier Monday that the illness could re-emerge. Ministry of Health spokeswoman Bey Mui Leng said that initial tests of a local man "proved positive for the SARS virus." Bey said officials used a WHO-approved polymerase chain

WHO Cautious on New 'SARS Case'
The World Health Organization says a Singapore man who has tested positive for the SARS virus remains a "suspected case" and is not yet being treated as signaling a return of the virus. "At this stage, we are treating it as a suspected case -- a perplexing case -- but we're not treating it as probable SARS," said Peter Cordingley, the WHO's regional head of public information based in the Philippines. The patient's fever had recently eased, he added, saying the WHO was awaiting the

Tung : HK's Orientation, Strategy for Future Development Paying off
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said on Monday that economic indicators from last year's third quarter prove that Hong Kong's orientation and strategy for future development has borne initial fruit. Tung made the remark while addressing the 2003 International Investment Forum held during the 7th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) that opened Monday morning in Xiamen, a port city in east China's Fujian Province. Hong Kong has experienced a significant

TUI, China Travel Service Set Up Joint Venture
China Travel Service (CTS), TUI Group and Martin Buese China Limited have set up a joint venture in order to explore China's tourism market. Foreign capital will account for 75 percent of the joint venture shares. China's travel agencies are facing restructuring, and cooperation with foreign capital will help Chinese agencies to develop rapidly, said Zhang Xiqin, vice director of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). The three parties will combine inbound and outboun

Beijing's Old Landmark Building Demolished
The old office building of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, one of the landmarks of Beijing in the 1950s, was successfully demolished with dynamite at 1:00 a.m. Tuesday.
The explosion lasted only less than 10 seconds. Traffic in the surroundin

Machines Installed in HK to Prevent Dengue Fever
To prevent the spread of dengue fever, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong has installed 43 mosquito-killing machines at its major leisure venues and 17 others will be set up soon.
The machines proved effective in trials at Hong K

Stock: Airlines Lose, Drug Share Prices Up on SARS News
China's shares inched lower yesterday as investors sold airline stocks such as China Southern Airlines Co Ltd on fears that the return of SARS would hammer the travel industry, brokers said. But drug shares emerged as star performers after Singapore reported a SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) case, the world's first case of the deadly virus since a global outbreak ended in July. The benchmark Shanghai composite index, grouping hard-currency B shares for foreigners and yuan-

At Home in the Country
Hello! Would you like to spend a day at a farmer's home " That was the greeting from a young man as we stepped out of the car in a parking lot near the Baiquan Mountains, a scenic spot in Huairou County, 70 kilometers northeast of downtown Beijing. "You will experience a real country life. You can enjoy the fresh vegetables and sweet spring," he said. Out of curiosity we decided to have a look. Following Zhao Debao on his motorcycle, we came to the village named Beita

Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway on Track
Recreating their own version of the Chinese epic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, multinational companies from Germany, Japan and France are locked in an aggressive battle for the right to build a 1,300-kilometer high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai, linking the nation's capital city to its largest commercial metropolis. Germany's consortium consists of Siemens, ThyssenKrupp and Transrapid International; Japan has reportedly formed a group composed of four work units and sent

Singapore Confirms New SARS Case
Singapore health officials said Tuesday that additional tests have revealed that a laboratory technician has SARS in what would be the first new case of the contagious disease since it was contained two months ago. The World Health Organization urged caution, saying more tests were needed. The Ministry of Health said it was not known how the 27-year-old Singaporean man ¡§¡é a post-doctoral student working on the West Nile virus ¡§¡é contracted the illness. "It appears to be a single is

Art Festival Promises Show Bonanza
Local audiences will be able to watch more shows than ever before at the October 18-November 18 Shanghai International Arts Festival, organizers announced yesterday.
More than 150 performances (of 69 shows) from home and abroad will be staged at local

Family Inns a Booming Business
Family inns have become quite popular in Huairou County, which boasts numerous scenic spots.
Since the mid-1990s local villagers have either built new houses or renovated their old ones to attract travelers, and signs advertising "Home-stay at a Farmer

Beijing Planning Second International Airport
Beijing is expected to start building a second international airport in 2010. Chen Guoxing, chief of the Beijing Capital Airport Expansion Project Headquarters, revealed the plans for the new airport Wednesday, after widespread media speculation about the issue. "The authorities have just approved a huge plan to build another international airport for the capital," he said. "But the location and design scheme of the project have yet to be decided." Beijing's current airport

US Rejects Diluting Iraqi Occupation Authority
The United States rejected on Wednesday proposals by France and Germany to dilute the US occupation administration in Iraq and speed up a transfer of authority to Iraqi politicians. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an interview with the Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera, ridiculed the idea that the United States could give Iraqis power "tomorrow." "Suggestions that ... all we have to do is get up tomorrow morning and find an Iraqi who is passing by and give him the government

Travel Agencies Worried
Barely had travel agencies in Shanghai recovered from the crippling effects of SARS, when they were gripped with fear once again after Singapore's Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that a Singaporean had contracted the flu-like disease. Yesterday, local agencies were inundated with calls inquiring about the situation in Singapore. Some callers even wanted to cancel tours to the city-state. "A great number of people have applied for a trip to Singapore during the week-long Nation

Sex Museum moves to Tongli
The city's unique "Ancient Chinese Sex Culture Museum" will move from its current location -- at the junction of Wuding Road and Wuning Road S. -- to Tongli in Jiangsu Province in April next year because of declining profits and its little-known location, the museum's curator said yesterday. The Tongli government's US$1 million support means curator Liu Dalin will reopen the museum on April 18 at a century-old girls school in the watertown, which is some 80 kilometers from Shanghai.

Shares Climb on Bargain Hunting in Drug Stocks
China's shares inched higher yesterday on bargain hunting in drug stocks after fears over the SARS virus gave them a much-needed boost, brokers said. But Hainan Airlines Co Ltd and other travel-related counters slipped after a new SARS case surfaced in Singapore and unnerved investors. Hainan fell 2.3 percent to finish the day at 47.5 US cents. The benchmark Shanghai composite index, grouping hard-currency B shares for foreigners and yuan-denominated A shares, rose 0.22 percent to

At Home in the Country
Hello! Would you like to spend a day at a farmer's home " That was the greeting from a young man as we stepped out of the car in a parking lot near the Baiquan Mountains, a scenic spot in Huairou County, 70 kilometres northeast of downtown Beijing. "You will experience a real country life. You can enjoy the fresh vegetables and sweet spring," he said. Out of curiosity we decided to have a look. Following Zhao Debao on his motorcycle, we came to the village named Beitaizi. Fe

Tibet To Hold Cultural Festival at Foot of Highest Peak
The Mount Qomolangma Cultural Festival will be held from Sept 29 to Oct 2 in Xigaze City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Some 4,000 meters above seal level, Xigaze boasts five peaks each with an altitude of over 8,000 meters, including Moun

More Travelers to Cross Mainland, HK Boundary in Holiday
About 1.7 million people are expected to cross the boundary between the mainland and Hong Kong during the Mid-autumn Festival holiday, up 23.5 percent over last year.
The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region expects cro

Huangmei Opera Festival Opens in Anqing City
The centuries-old Huangmei Opera from east China's Anqing, Anhui Province is ready to take the country by storm with another wave of performances. On September 10, a press conference was held in Beijing on an upcoming Huangmei Opera Festival. The upcoming Huangmei Opera Festival in early November will be the third of its kind held by the municipal government of Anqing, where the folk art was fully developed and gained national fame. Zhu Duwen, Mayor of Anqing, Anhui Province, said:

Kung Fu Kicks on in Cangxian
Cangxian County of Hebei Province, 240 kilometers to the south of Beijing, is just one of the innumerable counties upon the immense North China Plain. Its corn fields spread for kilometers along the Beijing-Shanghai railway, before merging into those of other counties. Yet if you stop here, and talk with any farmer you come across, you could find he or she is a martial arts expert. Martial arts, or Chinese Kung Fu as it is known in the West, is one of the country's mo

Xidi and Hongcun Villages, Museums of Ming-Qing Architecture in Southern Anhui
The time-honored residential buildings of Yixian County, located at the foot of Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province, have long been regarded as typical examples of Anhui-style architecture. There are 29 Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and 3,611 Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) residential buildings and family temples in the county. Decorated with the typical local style of brick, wood and stone, carvings, they display the ornateness and elegancy of the traditional 15th-16th century edifices, boasting historical and

Nation on Alert for Possible SARS Recurrence
China has told health workers to be on alert for a possible reemergence of SARS, redoubling temperature checks at airports and ordering local governments to practice emergency measures.
Immigration inspectors must check all passengers traveling in or o

Chengde Exhibition a Journey to the Past
The National Museum of China in Beijing is set to offer stirring reflections of China and the world at the peak of the central empire in the 18th century.
The three-month exhibition, entitled "300 Years of the Mountain Resort, Chengde," opening next Tu

Shichahai Tourism Festival Opens
All the audience joined in the countdown until brilliant fireworks shot into the sky, turning the lights on this year's Shichahai Tourism Festival. Big shots from the Chinese mainland entertainment scene were invited to give performances. A distinct Beiji

Beijing Increases Investment for Cultural Relic Protection
China's capital, Beijing, is to increase funding for cultural relic protection to 120 million yuan(US$14.46 million) annually till 2008.
Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics (BOCOG), made the announceme

Shanghai to Limit Downtown Tall Buildings
The Shanghai Municipal People's Congress will modify the city's urban-planning regulations within the next month to limit the number of tall buildings, said a member of the congress standing committee.
Guan Zhuangmin, who is also chairman of the congre

Sculptors' City of Dreams
A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamt by artists. This is a famous saying of the late US philosopher L. Ron Hubbard in his book "Science of Survival" in 1951. French sculptor Laury Dizengremel quoted the US philosopher in her speech at the opening ceremony of the China Changchun International Sculpture Conference 2003, held earlier this month. "Many cultures are afraid to dream, China is not. Many cities are afraid to dream, Changchun is not. Changchun

More than One Test for SARS Required to Reduce Misdiagnoses
SARS could still re-emerge and could be easily misdiagnosed, according to medical experts. More than 800 doctors and scientists from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao participated in a two-day symposium on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in Guangzhou over the weekend. Experts said it was still hard to diagnose SARS and suggested more than one test to decide whether a suspected patient has contracted the disease. Yan

Special Weapons for Air Police
China Southern Airlines' aviation police, set to begin their mission Oct. 1, would arm themselves with special weapons, the Information Times reported Sunday. The weapons and ammunition will be "non-explosive" because normal firearms are extremely dangerous in pressurized aircraft. There are 2,000 air police being deployed nationwide to ensure flight safety on domestic airlines, but the newspaper did not say whether air police working for other airlines would carry firearms.

HK Develops Plan for Oct. 1 Travel Surge
Hong Kong has set up a working group to plan for an expected surge of visitors from the mainland around the October 1st holiday. The main aims of the group are overall coordination of the flow of tourists, security in the territory, and streamlining proce

Tourism Festival Kicks off with Parade, Street Party
The opening ceremony for the 2003 Shanghai Tourism Festival was held on Saturday night along Huaihai Road in downtown Shanghai, highlighting a one-hour parade of floats, dancers and fireworks.
More than 300,000 people took in the event. The 22 f

Chinese Ethnic Groups' Dances
In the forests of southwest China, people sing and dance after transplanting rice seedlings or reaping a bumper harvest. The first one that springs to mind is perhaps the Dai group's elephant-foot-drum dance. Legend has it that in ancient times, two man-eating monsters lived in the region. Later a youth from the Dai ethnic group killed the monsters and used their skins to make these drums. During ceremonies and festivals even today, lads come from far and near for the elephant-foot-drum dance.

Boeing, Airbus Eye Larger Chinese Market Share
Boeing Co, the global commercial aircraft maker, made a bold 20-year forecast for the fledgling but promising Chinese aviation market just before the opening of 2003 China Aviation Exposition. It predicted that China's demand for aircraft will continue to expand for the next two decades. "Last year, we predicted that 1,900 aircraft would be needed in China in the next 20 years. Now we have a higher figure. According to our current 20-year forecast, Chinese airlines will order 2,400 new ai

China to Rebuild Quake-Destroyed Mosques in Xinjiang
The Chinese government will allocate special funds for rebuilding all mosques demolished or seriously damaged in the major tremor that hit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early this year, local authorities said Monday. "The Kashi Prefecture government has ordered the rebuilding and restoration of all mosques destroyed by the earthquake in the region, which totaled more than 400," said Zhang Minggong, secretary of the Bachu County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

HK Launches Global Advertising Campaign
Visitors and local residents Monday night witnessed the Hong Kong premiere of a new television commercial starring Hong Kong Tourism Ambassador Jackie Chan.
The television commercial is part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)'s new global advertisin

Tougher Rules for Travel Agencies
Beijing tourism authorities yesterday vowed to further regulate the cross-border travel market for local residents. Yu Changjiang, director of the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau, stressed that strict supervision over market order is vital to the recovery of the capital city's tourism industry after the SARS outbreak. In conjunction with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Industry and Commerce, Yu's bureau yesterday released an implementary unified contract on exit travel, replacing

Boeing Draws Market Trend
Boeing Co, the globally recognized commercial aircraft maker, outlined in detail its 2003 Current Market Outlook (CMO) for the potentially vibrant Chinese market yesterday in Beijing, reiterating the future flight trend to which it is adhering and forecasting huge airplane demand in the coming two decades. "China is a very dynamic market, due to its geographic size and its population. China's high GDP growth rate will lead to a rapid increase in air travel, tripling over the next 20 years

Festival Provides Rural Life Experience
The sixth annual Chongming Forest Tourism Festival kicked off Tuesday at Qianwei Village, giving urbanites the opportunity to experience rural life.
The "Nongjiale" program as it's called, is among the most popular of the activities on offer. Participa

China's Overall Aviation Transportation Turnover
Ranks Fifth in the World
China's overall aviation transportation turnover ranked the fifth in the world, and passenger turnover ranked the fourth, Yang Yuanyuan, director of General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), said at a forum themed "The 21st century and Chi

High-speed Rail from Shanghai to Beijing Reconsidered
A panel of experts is being organized to conduct a new round of feasibility studies for the proposed Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway project, sources from the Ministry of Railways said yesterday. The sources, who refused to be identified, said the railway project would be evaluated on a scientific basis. They refused to give any details about how their review would be conducted. Earlier this month, Ministry of Railways officials invited experts to study the project's potential.

Boeing Predicts China's Aviation Market Expansion
Boeing Co, the globally recognized commercial aircraft maker, outlined in detail its 2003 Current Market Outlook (CMO) for the potentially vibrant Chinese market Tuseday in Beijing, reiterating the future flight trend to which it is adhering and forecasting huge airplane demand in the coming two decades. "China is a very dynamic market, due to its geographic size and its population. China's high GDP growth rate will lead to a rapid increase in air travel, tripling over the next 20 years,"

Premier Wen Promotes Preparation for October Holiday
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday called a meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet, to prepare for the weeklong National Day vacation, which begins on October 1. It was decided at the meeting that departments concerned and the local governments should focus on security and hygiene problems during the period and inspect transportation infrastructure, recreation grounds and catering stalls, where security accidents easily happen. The meeting also demanded the early release o

High-speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing reconsidered
A panel of experts is being organized to conduct a new round of feasibility studies for the proposed Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway project, sources from the Ministry of Railways said Wednesday. The sources, who refused to be identified, said the railway project would be evaluated on a scientific basis. They refused to give any details about how their review would be conducted. Earlier this month, Ministry of Railways officials invited experts to study the project's potential.

Holiday Dates Announced
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday called a meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet, to prepare for the week-long National Day vacation, which begins on October 1. It was decided at the meeting that departments concerned and the local governments should focus on security and hygiene problems during the period and inspect transportation infrastructure, recreation grounds and catering stalls, where security accidents easily happen. The meeting also demanded the early release

Yuyuan Targets More Tourists
A young couple takes part in a reenactment of a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony at Yuyuan Garden yesterday. The popular tourist spot is seeking to attract visitors from home and abroad.
Yuyuan Garden is hoping to attract more domestic and foreign

Fireworks Weekend Planned in Park
Two musical fireworks shows will be held at Daning Park in Zhabei District this weekend as a prequel to the International Music Fireworks Festival.
The international fireworks festival is scheduled to take place in Pudong New Area's Century Park for th

No Evidence Iraq Stockpiled Smallpox
Top American scientists assigned to the weapons hunt in Iraq found no evidence Saddam Hussein's regime was making or stockpiling smallpox. Smallpox fears were part of the case the Bush administration used to build support for invading Iraq ¡§¡é and they were raised again as recently as last weekend by Vice President Dick Cheney. But a three-month search by "Team Pox" turned up only signs to the contrary: disabled equipment that had been rendered harmless by U.N. inspectors, Iraqi sci

IT Industry in the Spotlight
Guizhou Province in Southwest China will be developed into one of the most important research and production bases for China's IT industry, senior provincial officials said yesterday. "We have adopted a new economic development policy -- technology innovation coming first and industrial processing second," said Chen Dawei, vice-governor of the province, at the opening ceremony of the two-day International Conference on the Guizhou Development Plan for Innovative Knowledge-based Economy.

Traveling in Ganlanba
Ganlanba is a beautiful place typical of the customs of the Dai ethnic group and tropical scenery. The Origin of Its Name To visit Ganlanba, one has to travel to Jinghong first, the capital city of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, and then take an hour's drive downstream along the Lancang River for 37 kilometers. Ganlanba (Olive Dam), a complex of several villages inhabited by the Dai people, is shaped like an olive and abounds in evergreen pla

Sweden Tightens Security for VIP Lindh Memorial
Swedish police on Thursday geared up for tight security around Friday's memorial service in Stockholm for murdered Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, which will be attended by some of the world's top diplomats. Swedish police have been stung by criticism that Lindh was unguarded -- as is usual for most Nordic politicians -- when the knife attack took place last week, rekindling memories of the unsolved assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. With the heads of NATO and

Books Build Ethnic Unity
Dadam Tuerdi does not pass a day without reading some lines from Kutadoiu Bilik -- Blessings and Wisdom -- a classic Uygur literary masterpiece on the philosophy of life and how to administer a country written by the famous poet Yusuf Hass Hajib in 1070. "To us Uygurs, Kutadoiu Bilik is what the Bible is to Christians. So you can imagine how I enjoy reading the original lines instead of listening to their oral version from my parents," says Dadam, a 29-year-old shop assistant in Urumqi, t

Airbus Promotes A380 in China
China is one of the biggest aviation markets in the world, so it definitely needs the biggest aircraft, said Rossella Daverio, senior vice president of Airbus public relations department.
Since she took office last year, Daverio has devised a public re

Beijing Turns 850 in Style
The Beijing municipal government announced plans Thursday to stage a number of activities between September 20 and October 20 for the grand occasion of the 850th anniversary of Beijing as the Chinese capital.
The celebration is a response to the appeal

Manned Space Mission Possibly October
After four unmanned trial flights, China's first-ever piloted spacecraft, the Shenzhou V is set to soar. When it does, and if successful, China will be propelled into an exclusive country club status: the third nation capable of independently rocketing humans into Earth orbit. Chinese space officials have hinted at a multi-pronged human spaceflight program, including space station construction, as well as eventual travel to the Moon, all by 2020. China's first piloted space journey

Boom in Overseas Trips Unlikely
The expected blowout in the tourism market is unlikely in the upcoming National Day holidays, dashing hopes of domestic travel agencies in the Golden Week. The number of tourists who have applied to join overseas tourism groups in the week-long holidays is only about 60 to 70 percent of that in the same period last year with most routes witnessing declines, according to a report in the Beijing Times. The tourism sector, which suffered heavy losses because of the SARS outbreak, had

More Shanghai-HK Flights Planned
The two carriers flying between Shanghai and Hong Kong are aggressively adding flights on the route, betting on increasing air travel demand. Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd, one of the country's three major carriers, is gradually increasing its current 11 daily flights bound for the region from Shanghai to 15, expecting more passenger volume after the Chinese government allowed individuals to visit Hong Kong rather than limiting them to group tours. "An increasing num

Public Security to Be Beefed up for Week-long Holiday
Public security was highlighted on Wednesday by Luo Gan, a Chinese senior leader, to guarantee a safe environment for the country's approaching week-long National Day holiday, which falls on Oct 1. Luo, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pointed out that the maintenance of social security with effective prevention and penal measures should be elevated to a political obligation. "It will help curb crimes and m

Macao's Tourist Arrivals Hit Monthly Record in August
Tourist arrivals in China's Macao Special Administrative Region made a new monthly record in August, registering 1.27 million, according to official tallies Wednesday.
Figures issued by the Macao Statistics and Census Services Wednesday suggested a 14

Public Security to Be Beefed up for Week-long Holidays
Public security was highlighted on Wednesday by Luo Gan, a Chinese senior leader, to guarantee a safe environment for the country's approaching weeklong National Day holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. Luo, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pointed out that the maintenance of social security with effective prevention and penal measures should be elevated to a political obligation. "It will help curb crimes and m

Heritage Title Sought for Watchtowers
More than 20 historians and cultural experts from top Chinese universities recently attended a forum in Kaiping and Jiangmen cities, Guangdong Province, focusing their discussions on the diaolou found in Kaiping. The diaolou, or fortified watchtowers, first constructed in the early Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and reaching their peak in the 1920s and 1930s, are applying for the title of cultural site of world heritage. Since the 14th century, Kaiping has traditionally been a region of

17th Int'l Travel Expo Opens in HK
The 17th International Travel Expo opened in Hong Kong on Thursday, attracting about 600 exhibitors from nearly 100 countries and regions.
The annual travel exposition has received enthusiastic support from trade partners. More than 70 national tourism

Travel Services Report Stable Figures
Hotel reservation rates for the National Day holidays are around 26 percent, a little below the corresponding period last year, and about 5,500 Shenzhen residents will take group tours to Hong Kong and Macao.
According to tourism forecasts issued Wedne

Being Vigilant to Separatism
Since the beginning of 2003, Chen Shui-bian has created several "incidents" involving cross-Straits relations designed to elicit pathos from the Taiwan public and incite their hatred for the mainland. In April, when both sides were fighting the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, the Taiwan authorities kept politicizing the virus outbreak to serve its own ends. Initially, it did not do enough in the way of prevention, gloating instead over its temporary "zero infection" rat

Japanese Orgy in Zhuhai Hotel Sparks Chinese Fury
A hotel orgy involving nearly 400 Japanese male tourists and 500 Chinese prostitutes has sparked outrage on the mainland. People were angry both because of the scale of the incident and the sensitive timing - two days before the 72nd anniversary of the start of the Japanese army's occupation of Northeast China in 1931. "The Japanese are animals. They deliberately selected the date to humiliate the Chinese people," one netizen wrote, citing the fact that the Japanese had attempted t

Lost American Tourists Rescued from "Shangri-La"by Zhou Fang
It is supposed to be utopia, the most perfect place on earth, where the people live in peace and tolerance, but "Shangri-La" became a living hell for a couple of US tourists and their Chinese guide who became lost in its wilderness. David Richard Hale and his wife Donna Louis Hale, were rescued by local people after they became lost for three days in the deep forests of southwest China's Yunnan Province last week. In 1933, British writer James Hilton captivated the world with the m

China's FIT Policy to Bring 120,000 Tourists to Macao Next Week
China's facilitated individual travel (FIT) policy on Macao/Hong Kong-bound travels, which was initiated in August, is expected to prove its worth in the National Day vacation that falls in the first week of October, Joao Mannuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macao Tourist Office (MTO) said on Saturday. The office foresaw an influx of some 120,000 tourists from the mainland during the week-long vacation, which will be the first long holiday to boost the tourism after the outbreak of seve

Cross-border Prostitution Ring Smashed in Guangdong
Guangzhou police yesterday announced that they have cracked a big cross-border prostitution ring, detaining five suspected leaders and 114 prostitutes. But 10 further suspects in the case, including some Hong Kong residents, are still at large, said Xia Xiaolu, an official from the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security, yesterday. The gang took women from the mainland into Hong Kong to work as prostitutes, Xia said, adding that because 10 suspects are still at large it is

HK Hotel Occupancy to Reach 80 Percent During National
Day Holiday
Hong Kong's hotel occupancy will be 80 to 85 percent during the National Day holiday, James Lu, executive director of Hong Kong Hotels Association, said Friday.
Lu said that three-star and four-star hotels still have rooms available for visitors during

Southern Airlines Inks Ground Service Deal
China Southern Airlines Friday obtained the right to use a renovated terminal at the Capital International Airport in Beijing to provide ground services exclusively for its passengers.
The deal, clinched by China's largest air carrier with Beijing airp

Lijiang Upgraded for New Opportunities
Lijiang, a popular tourist area in China's Yunnan Province, has been reclassified as a city after approval from the State Council. This upgrade from regional status is expected to bring great opportunities to the development of tourism industry there. Already one of the most popular sites in China for foreign and domestic tourists, Lijiang City is now seeing new opportunities for its tourism industry. A prominent change will take place in its Yulong County. As a part of its effort

Arafat's Fatah Approves New Cabinet Key to Peace
Leaders of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement on Saturday approved a new cabinet in a step toward ending political turmoil that has helped stall a U.S.-backed plan for peace with Israel. The cabinet list was not finalized, however, as Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurie and the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee, led by Arafat, met later on Saturday without coming to any conclusions. The PLO executive committee was due to meet again to discus

China Prepares for National Day Holiday
With the National Day holiday fast approaching, cities and towns all over China are busy getting ready to mark the occasion, with holiday decorations being put up everywhere. In Beijing, more than 300 parks and tourist attractions will open up to welcome tourists during the "Golden Week" holiday period which starts on October 1st. Some of them, like the Yuan Capital Site Park, are newly restored areas opening up to the public for the first time. Apart from these, the Zhongshan Park, the B

Cross-border Prostitution Ring Smashed in Guangdong
Guangzhou police on Friday announced that they have cracked a big cross-border prostitution ring, detaining five suspected leaders and 114 prostitutes. But 10 further suspects in the case, including some Hong Kong residents, are still at large, said Xia Xiaolu, an official from the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security. The gang took women from the mainland into Hong Kong to work as prostitutes, Xia said, adding that because 10 suspects are still at large it is too early t

China Celebrates Garden, Tea Culture
Enjoying tea in a beautiful garden. Beijing's Eight-Temple Mountain provides the setting for a four-week festival that celebrates the best of both. On Sunday morning, the first visitors basked in the sunshine while drinking in the scenery and brew.
Chi

Tourists Warned of Dishonest HK Shops
Guangdong tourists planning to visit Hong Kong during the National Day holiday week should be careful when shopping and choosing hotels, the Nanfang Daily said Sunday.
Complaints by mainland tourists over dishonest promotional tactics and arbitrary pri

Pudong International Airport to Get Second Terminal
Shanghai will have a second terminal at Pudong International Airport by the end of 2007, which airport officials say will add another 40 million passengers a year to the passenger-handling capacity.
Various government bodies have set up a task force to

High-level Tourist Service Promises for 'Golden Week'
Administrators of a group of famous scenic spots in China pledged to guarantee sincere and honest service to tourists on the eve of the week-long National Day holiday period beginning Oct 1. In a joint announcement issued here Monday, the administrative committees of 50 tourist sites, all designated national models of high-quality tourist service, vowed to further improve their service and safeguard the rights and interests of tourists. "Business operation should be sincere, honest

Cities Go for Subways, Light Rapid Transit Idea
China is planning to construct subways and light railways in more than 20 cities, covering a total length of 850 kilometres, the Beijing-based Guangming Daily reported yesterday. Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou, the capital city of South China's Guangdong Province, already have subways or light railways. The central government has approved the construction of subways and light railways in nine other major Chinese cities, said the newspaper. The other cities are Chan

Still Time to Book Holiday Tour
Travel during the National Day vacation is expected to be smoother than it was for Labor Day, when havoc reigned as too many people showed up at the same time in the same places. City travel agencies say they are better prepared for the millions of people who will head for the beaches, mountains and other scenic spots over the seven-day holiday, starting Sunday. Tourism officials also report that some people are avoiding the peak travel times because of the widespread overcrowding and overbookin

SARS and Flu: The Double Threat
Autumn's cooler days create ideal conditions for flu. Now that a possible re-emergence of SARS is added to the mix, the medical community and the public are doing all they can to stave off another epidemic. Sainawayr, an ethnic Ugyur woman who works as an intern at the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), seemed about to collapse from exhaustion after handling the center's anti-flu hotline. "I knew the line would be busy, but not that busy," she says in a raspy voice.

Nation's Transport Gears up for Holiday Ride
With the seven-day National Day holiday just around the corner, various departments around the country have been busy preparing for the coming traffic flow. Civil air administrations have approved 2,700 extra flights during the holiday period, 14 percent more than last year's increase. The Ministry of Railways has also added more trains to cope with the crush of people buying train tickets during the "golden week." The ministry predicts that a total of 35.5 million passenger

Official Upbeat on Recovery of Tourism Sector
A high ranking official with the State Administration of Tourism yesterday predicted that China's SARS-affected tourism industry will fully recover next year. The expected "blowout" of tourism enthusiasm during the upcoming seven-day National Day holiday will not occur, Wei Xiao'an, director in charge of planning and development of the administration, told a forum in Shanghai. "It's not a 'golden week' that will rejuvenate China's tourism," said Wei, "it will need a much longer and

Nation's Transport Gears Up for Holiday Ride
With the seven-day National Day holiday just around the corner, various departments around the country have been busy preparing for the coming traffic flow. Civil air administrations have approved 2,700 extra flights during the holiday period, 14 per cent more than last year's increase. The Ministry of Railways has also added more trains to cope with the crush of people buying train tickets during the "golden week." The ministry predicts a total of 35.5 million passengers will take

Beijing Lifts Board, Lodging Restrictions for Foreigners
The restrictions of designated hotels for foreigners only when staying in Beijing is lifted from October 1, 2003 by Beijing Public Security Bureau. This is an important measure taken by the bureau to better serve the increasing international exchanges in

Beijing Ready for National Day Holidays
With tourism, transportation and public security departments and commercial enterprises fully motivated, the capital city of China is now ready for the upcoming "golden week" of the National Day holidays, which fall from Oct 1 to 7.
According to Beijin

Jinjiang International to Franchise Budget Hotels
China's largest tourism conglomerate, Jinjiang International Holdings Co Ltd, is to franchise its budget hotel arm, Jinjiang Inns, in its bid to expand nationwide.
Jinjiang international, which was created by the June 9 merger of Shanghai Jinjiang Hold

National Day Celebrated in Macao
The government of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) held a series of activities on Wednesday to celebrate the country's National Day. The celebrations were started with a grand national flag raising ceremony at 8:00 a.m., which was attended by Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah and all principal officials from the MSAR government, central government officials stationed in Macao and local celebrities. Organized by the Macao Sports Development Board, a long-distance r

Guangzhou Faces First Passenger Tide
Scores of tourist groups were packed and set off on Tuesday afternoon from the railway station in the city of Guangzhou, transport hub in south China, as the first wave of the travel craze began for the seven-day "golden week" holiday. According to the ticket office, 74,000 people left Guangzhou by train on Tuesday, twice as many as the normal daily transport volume. On Oct. 1, National Day, the station will probably send a record high about 90,000 passengers to the other areas. Th

Chinese Stay Calm Facing Surging Holiday Tourism
The first day of National Holiday Golden Week indicates the Chinese tourists have remained calm and rational in face of the anticipated tourism boom during the seven-day holiday. A recent survey conducted by a renowned China's tourism website, "Xiecheng", showed that 84 percent of the people surveyed planned to travel during the holiday. Both tourism practitioners and consumers, though, stayed calm facing the coming tourism boom, an analyst said, and Chinese tourists have become wi

One Wild, Wonderful Week
The week-long National Day holiday which started yesterday has become both an occasion for celebrating the birth of the country and a time for people to relax, reunite -- or tie the marriage knot. Of all the activities being held across the country to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, flag-raising ceremonies on National Day are the most precious. Yesterday morning's grand flag-raising in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square attracted more than 250,000 onlooke

Welcoming Tourists to HK -- One Major Theme for "Golden Week
As usual, Hong Kong held a flag raising ceremony, a grand reception, singing and dancing performances and a firework show to celebrate this year's National Day that falls on Wednesday. Different from that past National Days that fell on each Oct. 1, much more activities or services were arranged for tourists, especially those from the Chinese mainland, the top tourism sourcing market for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Described as "Golden Week", the National Day holidays

Welcoming Tourists to HK - One Major Theme for "Golden Week"
As usual, Hong Kong held a flag raising ceremony, a grand reception, singing and dancing performances and a firework show to celebrate this year's National Day that falls on Wednesday.
Different from that past National Days that fell on each Oct. 1, mu

Tourist Industry Speeds up Recovery in August
Latest information from the National Tourism Administration (NTA) indicate that China's tourist industry, which was hard hit by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic, experienced further recovery in August.
Statistics released by the administr

National Holiday Becomes "Wedding Week"
A man named Li, who has worked for almost three years in north China's Tianjin Municipality, is troubled by five simultaneously-arriving invitations for weddings of his friends and former classmates.
It means that not only will his schedule for the Nat

Oil Giant Shell Committed to West-East Natural Gas Project
The Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell said they are committed to participation in the 5.2 billion US dollar west-east natural gas pipeline project, despite earlier reports that said negotiations with their Chinese partners has reached a deadlock. Company officials said, however, that there is no deadline to conclude the negotiations, even though part of the pipeline is scheduled to begin commercial operation by the end of this year, the English newspaper China Daily reported Saturda

China Needs 2,400 New Airplanes in 20 Years
China is expected to require nearly 2,400 new airplanes worth US$197 billion over the next 20 years, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Thursday. From 2003 to 2022, the traffic flows of air travel in China will grow at a 7.1 percent annual rate, compared to the world average of 5.1 percent, said Randy Baseler, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Baseler said with the growth of the China market as the engine of Asia-Pacific's air travel development, China will ac

China's Holiday Tourism Further Heated up
The third day of China's National Holiday Golden Week saw an increase of 7.8 percent of visitors on Friday, up to 2.475 million, in the busiest 99 tourist resorts across the country that monitored by an expedient National Holiday Administration, according

Safety Top Priority During Holidays
Sporadic traffic accidents occurred during the on-going National Day holiday period, ushering in more efforts to safeguard tourists' safety when they are traveling around the nation.
Three people have been killed by traffic accidents in Changchun, capi

Farmers Cashing in on Holidays
A "Gold Rush" for Chinese farmers is taking place as rural dwellers make the most of a spending spree by city residents during the National Day Golden Week.
The increasingly market-oriented farmers are working hard to attract city tourists to their cou

China to Launch Moon Probe in Three Years
China plans to launch an explorer to the Moon as early as in three years time. The Beijing Youth Daily newspaper reports that the Chang'e lunar probe will probably take a three-phase journey to the Moon, which is 380 thousand kilometers from earth. Named after a mythical lady who flew to the Moon for a lonely but peaceful and harmonious life, Chang'e will travel for less than week, before its lunar orbiting mission. Experiments for moon mission China plans to conduct experim

China Looks to Launch Moon Probe in Three Years
China plans to launch an explorer to the Moon as early as in three years time. The Beijing Youth Daily newspaper reports that the Chang'e lunar probe will probably take a three-phase journey to the Moon, which is 380 thousand kilometers from earth. Named after a mythical lady who flew to the Moon for a lonely but peaceful and harmonious life, Chang'e will travel for less than week, before its lunar orbiting mission. China plans to conduct experiments related to a moon landing, said

Chinese Travel Further to Foreign Nations in Holiday
China Telecom employee Du Lan and her friends planned for a holiday in South Africa, while Citic Company employee Liu Tao and his newly-wed planned for a honeymoon in Maldives in the National Day vacation. Like Du and Liu, more and more Chinese tourists preferred to travel abroad. During the week-long vacation, Chinese tourists were seen everywhere in airports and railway stations. Sources from national travel agencies indicated that during the week-long vacation, long-distance rou

Foreign Student Favors Traveling During National Day Holiday
Khaled Sindi, 23, a student from Saudi Arabia who is learning Chinese in Beijing, had some classes to attend this week. So he could not enjoy a full week-long National Day holiday like Chinese people do. But he will tour the outskirts of Beijing when he is free during the rest of the holiday. Sindi is learning Chinese at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Three years ago, encouraged by his father, Sindi decided to come to China, which he knew nothing about at that time.

National Day Tourists Returning Home
Most scenic spots across the country were still overcrowded yesterday, the fifth day of this year's week-long National Day holiday, but there was an increase in tourists travelling back home. The China News Service reported that tickets to such large cities as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, were expected to become harder to get from today, though the airports in these cities have all put on at least 10 more per cent flights in and out since S

New Rules on Macao, HK Travel Prove Popular
China's facilitated individual travel policy on Macao- and Hong Kong-bound travel has gained widespread support from the public. According to a survey conducted at the end of September by the Beijing-based Horizon Research Group Inc, at least half of the population surveyed in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, said the policy, which allows independent travel in the two regions, has brought convenience to planning holidays in those areas. Another 37.5 percent o

Beijing Ponders Solutions to Traffic Jams
The journey from Xizhimen in northwest Beijing's Haidian District to Dongsi Shitiao in eastern Beijing's Dongcheng District, along the northern section of the Second Ring Road, took around 20 minutes by public transport two or three years ago. Now, however, covering the same distance takes nearly 40 minutes on average and as much as two hours if there are traffic jams. Traffic problems in Beijing have become a serious headache for residents and the municipal government. Beij

Shanghai Treated to Skydiving Spectacle
A team of 16 international skydivers successfully finished a group jump yesterday from the top of Jinmao Tower, the tallest building on the Chinese mainland.
This event, organized by the Shanghai Sports Bureau and China Jinmao Group Co Ltd, was the cou

The Aobao of Inner Mongolia
There is a famous Mongolian folk song in China named Aobao Xianghui (Let's Meet at the Aobao), which almost all Chinese people can sing. The song describes a young fellow anxiously waiting for his girlfriend beside an Aobao on a peaceful night under a bea

Tourists Return to Singapore After SARS
Singapore's tourism sector, one of its pillar industries, was severely damaged during the outbreak of SARS earlier this year. Since then, the government has been doing its utmost to revive the sector. The island state's tourism industry employs some 150,000 people and accounts for about 10 percent of its economy of S$150 billion (US$87 billion) a year. It also attracts some 8 million visitors - twice its population - each year from all over the world. The tourism industry su

Israeli Girl Killed in Shooting Attack
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas failed on Tuesday to persuade militant groups to end attacks on Israelis. Just after their meeting, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a car and killed an Israeli child. A 7-year-old girl was killed and a 5-year-old girl was seriously wounded in the shooting on a highway just inside Israel, close to the West Bank town of Qalqiliya. Army Radio said the gunfire came from the West Bank. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Israeli government offici

Report: China to Launch Manned Space Flight on Oct. 15
After a decade of preparation, China will launch its first human being into space on October 15 in a 90-minute flight that will orbit the Earth once, a top government rocketry official said. Xie Guangxuan, director of China Rocket Design Department, were reported by Sina.com, China's leading website. The report implied that the flight, the Shenzhou V, would carry one human being in its bid to make China the world's third space-faring nation. "China's space technology has bee

Cruise-ship Dock Weighed for Shanghai
As the luxury travel market begins to recover from a slump, Shanghai is weighing the idea of creating a downtown dock to entice more international cruise lines to visit the city. A seminar was held Tuesday on Star Cruises' Superstar Leo. City officials, members of the media and travel agencies, and Star Cruises' senior managers gathered to discuss how to develop the "cruise economy of Shanghai." The consensus was unanimous: The city is eager to become the 14th seaport in the

Tourism Industry Urged to Improve Services
China's tourism industry is being urged to further improve its services to holidaymakers as travelers during the National Day holiday complain of crowds, traffic jams and inadequate restaurant and hotel facilities. Millions of people travel across the country and flock to popular attractions on the nation's two week-long holidays, which fall on May 1-7 and October 1-7 respectively, causing frustrating bottlenecks in major service sectors. The National Tourism Administration estimat

Tokyo to Launch Probe into Zhuhai Hotel Orgy
Japan will investigate reports that a group of Japanese tourists hired hundreds of prostitutes for an orgy in a Zhuhai hotel in Guangdong Province on the eve of a sensitive anniversary relating to the Japanese occupation of China, a top government spokesm

Cuisine's Not Lean, Trending up
China's food industry, as a key pillar industrial sector, will likely maintain its fast growth in the next few years, an industry expert estimates.
"With great market potential, the sector is expected to grow by 10-12 percent annually," said Wang Wenzh

Antiques Under the Hammer
The hammer will come down on over 200 ancient Chinese treasures at an auction in Hong Kong on October 26.
Entitled "Art Treasures of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties," the sale consists of 226 rare and exquisite ceramic items, paintings, calligr

Golden Week Reaps Dividends for Hong Kong
Having been described on the Chinese mainland as "golden week" for years, the just-concluded National Day holiday really brought "gold" to Hong Kong this year. Never before have the tourism-related sectors in Hong Kong treated the golden week so seriously and never before have they shared such a big "cake" brought about by the National Day holiday (October 1-7). With a full range of preparations by the tourism related sectors, Hong Kong welcomed more than 287,000 Chinese mainland v

Holiday 'Golden' for Tourism Industry
The week-long National Day holiday has witnessed some 90 million tourists traveling across the country, a record high since the first "Golden Week" holiday in 2000. The mass movement brought 34.6 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) worth of income to shops, restaurants, hotels, scenic spots and various businesses related to the tourist industry, which were hit hard by the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) earlier this year. The tourist arrivals nationwide from October

Liquor Ban Draws Ire of Passengers
The decision by Chinese civil aviation authorities to ban passengers from carrying liquor aboard domestic and international flights has drawn criticism for not being in line with international common practice.
"Why is this (carrying liquor aboard) allo

Postponed National Art Festival Rescheduled
The seventh China Art Festival, the top art festival in the country, will be held on Sept. 10, 2004 in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, the organizing committee has announced.
The national art gala was first scheduled for Oct. 12, 2

Yantai's French Connection
I work as sales promoter of a special product -- Yantai City along China's east coast. My job is to connect Yantai with the outside world, and to initiate and cultivate cooperative working relationships. Every week I receive two or three foreign delegations and show them around Yantai, answering their questions, and making suggestions as to possible investment and cooperative partnerships. I also liaise with various European chambers of commerce, and business connections from my previous work. M

Viet Nam, US Eye Direct Flights
Viet Nam and the United States initialed an air services agreement that would allow direct passenger and cargo flights Thursday, tapping a surge in trade and travel between the former war foes. Neither side provided a time frame for ratifying the agreement, but it was expected this could take place within a few months. Several US carriers said they thought the first direct flights from the United States might begin next March. Viet Nam Airlines said it was unsure when its jets woul

Music Right from the Heart
Music is never far away in the Dong villages of Liping County in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Dong folk music at its finest was showcased at a festival during the National Day holiday in Liping County, which is home to 320,000 Dongs. Folk singers of the Dong and Miao ethnic groups from Guizhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Central China's Hunan Province took part in the three-day festival. For generations, Dong folk singers have developed a uniqu

Music Right from the Heart
Music is never far away in the Dong villages of Liping County in Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
Dong folk music at its finest was showcased at a festival during the National Day holiday in Liping County, which is home to 320,000 Dongs. Folk

Old Brocade Makes Regal Return
Chinese and foreign experts gathered in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, on Thursday to discuss ways to preserve the famous Chinese brocade Nanjing Yunjin.
Yunjin, brocade made on a wooden loom, was used to make emperors' and empresse

Chinese Sturgeon Caught for Research
Scientists caught three wild Chinese sturgeon fish from the Yangtze River Thursday, to conduct research into the reproductive habits of this precious species of aquatic life.
The research aims to discover how the Three Gorges Dam will influence the rep

Restoration of Six Ancient Pagodas Started
Specialists of ancient architecture have begun restoring six valuable Buddhist pagodas at Mount Songshan in central China's Henan province.
The six pagodas, all state-level cultural relics, are in the Fawang Temple on the mount, where Shaolin Temple, f

Genghis Khan's Tomb Area Expanded
China is renovating the tomb compound of Genghis Khan, expanding it from merely 0.55 square kilometers to 80 square kilometers to create a panoramic view of the Mongolian emperor's lifetime and promote local tourism.
The expansion of the tomb compound,

Shanghai to Build China's Largest Artificial Bay
Shanghai in east China is planning to construct a 30-square-kilometer artificial bay to improve its coastal view.
The project, called "golden beach and blue sea," is expected to start in 2005 in the Fengxian Bay Tourism Zone in southern Shanghai, accor

Development of International Manned Spaceflight
International manned space exploration will develop in five major directions, namely, establishment of international space stations, space-based flights, a moon base, a manned landing on Mars and space tourism, Zhang Qingwei, deputy chief commander of China's manned spaceflight program, has said. In November 1998, 16 countries, including the United States, Russia, Japan and some European countries, launched a program to establish an international space station, which is so far progressing

Want to Fly Now It's Easy for You to Try
Anyone can enjoy the fun of learning to fly without spending a fortune in Shanghai, Guangdong Province or in Vancouver, Canada, because of a new flight training programme.
To encourage private flight training in the Chinese market, four flight-training

Air Show Set to Celebrate Flight Anniversary in Shanghai
China's Air Force will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight with an air show and parachuting performance over Chongming Island in Shanghai on October 21, assuming the weather cooperates.
The performance is one of five

Shangdu City Uncovered
Located some 20 kilometers northeast of the government of Zhenglan Banner, the Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia, Shangdu city of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was destroyed by the rebel army and is now overgrown with grassland that looks no different from

Eat and Drink in Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is a good place to travel to. There is the beautiful scenery, pleasant songs and delicious food. Guests are treated ceremoniously. In a general way, if informed, they'll welcome guests by horse from the border. In the pastures there is an unwritten rule -- if guests come, recognized or not, herdsmen must provide the best food and water. Mongolians call their milk food "baishi" or white food and their meat food "hongshi" or red food. White food, made from cow's milk,

World Travel, Tourism Council Releases Report on China
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released a detailed report on China's travel and tourism Monday in Beijing. The report made projections about the economic impact and growth of travel and tourism in China. It also provided a series of policy recommendations intended to maximize the industry's impact on both China and the world economy. Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC's president, said: "We believe that China will become a tourism economy the world has never seen. The Chinese

Tourism Touted as Key Contributor to Economic Growth
China's tourism industry will see robust growth and continue to be a cornerstone of the nation's economy and a major source of job creation over the next decade, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). "China has the potential to become one of the world's great tourism economies in terms of inbound, domestic and outbound travel," said a WTTC report released yesterday to highlight the economic impact of travel and tourism on the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special

Sustainable Tourism in Lushan Mountain
People wanting to get away from it all often return to nature, to relax in seclusion. Tourism authorities want to bring in the visitors as many as they can. How can this seeming contradiction be resolved CCTV reporter Yang Lin takes you to Lushan Mountai

Tibet Relics on Show in US
Tibet has long fascinated the West. Steeped in myth, and enveloped by time, Tibetan culture has a unique and enigmatic sense about it. And with the "Tibet: Treasures From the Roof of the World" now on at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, culture buf

Ninth China Wuqiao International Circus Festival to Open
The ninth China Wuqiao International Circus Festival will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9 in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, with nearly 400 acrobats from 14 countries performing.
Sun Shibin, vice-governor of Hebei and vice-chairman o

Chinese Cuisine Turns Seoul Food
Noodles mixed with fried soybean paste is an old Beijing delicacy that many Chinese cannot resist. But now these noodles are delighting people further afield. At a Chinese Culture Festival in Incheon, South Korea's third largest city, the delicious treat

China Declares Manned Space Mission Successful
China announced the success of its first manned space flight and the safe return of astronaut Yang Liwei Thursday morning. Premier Wen Jiabao sent a message, on behalf of the central leadership, congratulating the success of the flight. Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission, made a phone call to congratulate the success. Shenzhou V landed at the preset primary landing area in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 06:23 (Beijing time), and China

Hu Lauds Historic Space Mission
President Hu Jintao hailed China's success in launching its first manned spacecraft into orbit Wednesday, describing it as "an honour for our great motherland, an indicator for the initial victory of the country's first manned space flight and for a historic step taken by the Chinese people in their endeavor to surmount the peak of the world's science and technology.'' "The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up this outstanding merit in the space industry for the mo

Valuable New Year Picture Stencils Discovered in N. China
Nearly 160 historic New Year picture stencils have been discovered in Wuqiang County, north China's Tianjin Municipality.
Experts, who came to appraise the discovery on Sunday, said six to seven sets of the stencils had been thought to have been lost f

Tunnel Under Scenic West Lake Opens
A four-lane tunnel under the scenic West Lake in the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province opened Wednesday afternoon with the expectations of easing traffic jams, which have plagued the lake area in recent years.
The tunnel, with a design similar

Shanghai JV Set up to Overhaul Aircraft
Boeing Company intends to launch a US$100 million project starting at the end of this year at Pudong International Airport to repair and refit aircraft by co-operating with Shanghai Airlines and the local airport authority.
Boeing China Inc Vice-Presid

Palestinians Arrest Three over US Convoy Attack
Palestinian police arrested three suspected militants and hunted for two more over the killing of three U.S. security guards in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said on Thursday. They announced the arrests as international pressure mounted on Palestinian authorities to crack down on militants after the bombing of an American diplomatic convoy. It was the first to kill Americans during a three-year-old Palestinian uprising against Israel for statehood. The U.S. gu

People Willing to Spend More on Travel
China has earned 24.98 billion yuan (US$3 billion) of tourism revenue in the week-long National Day holiday, increasing by 8.6 percent from last year, with each traveler spending 391 yuan, according to the latest statistics, homeway.com.cn reported today. According to the National Tourism Administration, domestic traveling has become more popular in the last two years. The number of travelers soared and popular places expanded, with three golden week-long holiday being formed including the Sprin

Ningkang's 'Dad' Is Children's Idol
To China's children, astronaut Yang Liwei symbolizes pride, history and the stuff of which dreams are made. But to one kid at Beijing's Zhongguancun No.1 Primary School, he's just "Dad." And that reality has all the youngsters attending classes at the local campus greeting each morning's news much like 8-year-old Yang Ningkang, the astronaut's son, always greets his father happily. There's an eye-catching red banner hanging at the school's gate, celebrating Yang's safe retur

Guilin Endowed with Fascinating Land
As a beautiful and historical famous world city, Guilin is a charming and fertile land. Guilin, which is located in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous Region and which features karst topography, has long been renowned for having the most beautiful scenery in China. It is endowed with scenery characterized by lovely hills, weirdly shaped peaks, winding rivers with limpid waters, grotesque rocks and exotic caves. Tourism has become the pillar industry in the city. A multi-functional and multi

Ningkang's 'Dad' Is Children's Idol
To China's children, astronaut Yang Liwei symbolizes pride, history and the stuff of which dreams are made. But to one kid at Beijing's Zhongguancun No 1 Primary School, he's just "Dad." And that reality has all the youngsters attending classes at the local campus greeting each morning's news much like 8-year-old Yang Ningkang, the astronaut's son, always greets his father. Happily. There's an eye-catching red banner hanging at the school's gate, celebrating Yang's sa

'Legends of China' Festival Opens in Hong Kong
The "Legends of China" festival, showcasing the many splendors of the Chinese culture, opens Thursday night at the Hong Kong Cultural Center.
The festival comprises contemporary as well as traditional works and the audiences will see that the Chinese c

Mogan Mountain Is More Than A Legend About Swordsmiths
Mogan Mountain 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 Mountain has exercised a boundless appeal for tourists.
This is due not only to its extraor

Beijing to Get Biggest Ferris Wheel
Beijingers are going to get the chance to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the city, thanks to the construction of the world's biggest ferris wheel.
The wheel will be 210 meters high with 60 compartments holding a total of 720 passengers, far surpassing the

Beijing Ready for World Tourism Organization Meeting
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) will open its biennial session this weekend in the Chinese capital to discuss how to boost global tourism, especially the industry in China and other SARS-afected regions in Asia. The 15th session of the WTO General Assembly scheduled meeting marked the organization's support for China and other Asian countries' travel industries, which suffered severe setbacks earlier this year due to the SARS outbreak, Francesco Frangialli, secretary-general of the W

Romance in Beijing: Love-themed Cultural,
Tourism Festival Opens in Capital
Over 100 pairs of lovers representing 52 countries and the 56 Chinese ethnic groups gathered in the Chinese capital Friday for the opening of the Sixth Beijing International Cultural and Tourism Festival.
To show the different wedding customs in the wo

Residence of Chinese Calligraphy King Reopens to Tourists
The former residence of Wang Xizhi, the king of Chinese calligraphy, reopened to tourists Friday after having been closed for renovation since last year.
Around 1,000 guests, including representatives from the painting and calligraphy circles of China,

World Tourism Organization Convenes in Beijing
The 15th session of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) General Assembly opened in Beijing Sunday. Tourism ministers from more than 100 countries and nearly 1,000delegates from around the world are attending the meeting. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the opening ceremony that since the middle of last century, modern tourism had been on the rise around the world. The number of tourists had kept growing, the scale of tourist industry had continued to expand and the posit

Central Bank Governor on Exchange Rate of RMB
Governor of the People's Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan made responses on issues such as the exchange rate of the Chinese currency Renminbi (RMB) and China's trade balance during an interview with Xinhua recently. Following are the questions and Zhou's answers: Question: What do you think of the fixed exchange rate of the RMB, a question Mr. Horst Kohler, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Mr. John Snow, treasury secretary of the United States raised during their

PBOC Issues Regulation on Foreign Exchange Agencies
The Chinese central bank has issued a regulation on the management of foreign exchange agencies, which will take effect on November 1. The regulation only allows foreign exchange agencies to change the convertible foreign currencies in cash or travel notes to Renminbi, but forbids foreign exchange purchase with Renminbi, said an official with the People's Bank of China (PBOC). Domestic residents and Chinese nationals living abroad on Chinese passport should buy foreign exchange the

APEC Ministers Agree on Reviving Doha Round
Ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum have agreed on reviving the Doha Round multilateral trade talks, and reiterated pledge to achieve the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment, said a joint statement issued after the conclusion of their two-day meeting on Saturday. To move the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), or Doha Round, forward and arrive at an ambitious and balanced outcome to it, the ministers agreed on the need to re-establish "the common pur

Wen: Tourism Development 'Crucial'
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao stressed that the first two decades of the new century would be crucial to the development of tourism in China, as the country builds a well-off society and accelerates modernization. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 15th session of the World Tourism Organization General Assembly which opened in Beijing yesterday, the premier said China would develop tourism into a major industry, protect and develop tourist resources and strive to realize the sustainable

IC Business Set to Rebound
Although China's intelligent card (IC) market will continue to suffer in the wake of the infectious SARS disease, its growth will pick up in the coming several years as the country replaces its identification (ID) cards with ICs, according to experts. During the China International Intelligent Card Conference, which was held late last week in Beijing, Han Yirong, general manager of the Semiconductor Department at domestic market research firm CCID Consulting Co Ltd - a co-organizer of the

China's First Spaceman Yang Liwei
Yang Liwei's profile Yang Liwei is a lieutenant colonel in the People's Liberation Army and a member of its Astronauts' Team. Yang was born in June 1965 in Suizhong County of northeast China's Liaoning Province and joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at 18. He is 1.68 meters tall, and weighs 65 kilograms. He graduated from the No. 8 Aviation College of the PLA Air Force in 1987 with a bachelor's degree and became a fighter pilot. As a pilot, he has had 1,350 ho

Travel Opens to 4 Countries
Starting on November 1, Chinese tourists will be able to travel to Cuba, Croatia, Hungary and Pakistan. A China International Travel Service official said the company was designing routes to send the first groups. The