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"Hello, boss. This electric wire cannot be wound around the steel pipe frame. Be careful that after the insulation of the wire is worn out, it may cause electric leakage and harm people!" On the evening of August 26, staff members of State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company shuttled among the stalls of the Grape Night Market in Gaochang district, Turpan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 

They inspected power consumption equipment such as power strips, power sockets, and electric lights for stall owners, and promptly dealt with potential safety hazards in electricity usage and publicized safety knowledge. This is also a microcosm of the company's initiative to serve the "night economy" and escort the "vitality of city life".

Since the Grape Night Market reopened on May 1, it has become a popular place for tourists to check in. The night market covers an area of 40 mu and is divided into three major sections: the food area, the parent-child activity and amusement area, and the cultural and creative tourism area. There are 70 merchants and 210 stalls in total, and it can accommodate more than 3,000 people to dine at the same time.

The development of the "night economy" cannot be separated from sufficient and stable power support. State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company makes elaborate arrangements and organizes relevant professionals to strengthen the inspection and maintenance of power supply lines in key areas. Intelligent monitoring equipment is used to monitor the operating status of lines in real time to discover and deal with potential hidden dangers in a timely manner. 

At the same time, for temporary power consumption such as night markets and snack streets, a "green channel" is opened, the installation application process is simplified, and a dedicated person is arranged for docking to ensure that merchants can get electricity quickly. In addition, the company also increases the arrangement of nighttime emergency repair personnel, vehicles and materials to ensure that on-site services can be provided in the first time when power failures occur at night market stalls, and makes every effort to ensure the safe and reliable supply of power.

To ensure the safety of electricity consumption in the night market, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company regularly organizes employees to conduct door-to-door visits to customers, deeply understand the electricity consumption needs and actual electricity consumption loads of stalls, and conduct careful "diagnoses" from aspects such as power supply access, safe wiring, and power facility performance. 

State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company has carried out electricity inspections at night market stalls 20 times, eliminated 16 potential safety hazards in electricity usage in a timely manner, and distributed more than 500 copies of safety electricity usage brochures.

In the next stage, the company will continue to provide electricity services for the "night economy," continuously optimize the business environment, meet the growing electricity demand of night market merchants, and safeguard the "vitality of city life."

"Welcome home!"

On August 22, at the Langjiu Estate by the Chishui River, Chairman Wang Junlin warmly greeted attendees, heralding another grand gathering for Langjiu members.

This festival is crafted by Langjiu to fulfill consumer aspirations, dedicated to its extensive membership.

Hundreds of Langjiu members from across China were invited to convene at the Langjiu Estate, where they partook in a premier intellectual feast.

Professor Zhou Qiren of Peking University, a renowned economist, presented "Breaking Through in Business: Cognition First," discussing how companies can transcend economic cycles and avoid growth pitfalls.

As the host, Langjiu had exciting news for its members on-site:

With immediate effect, Langjiu said it will partner with Pernod Ricard, a global leader in spirits and wines, boasting esteemed estates like Martell and Royal Salute, to establish the World Winery Alliance. This initiative will deepen collaboration and foster development under a global framework.
During a panel discussion with Ji Keliang, former chairman of Guizhou Moutai Group, Ma Yong, vice president of the China Food Industry Association, Guo Binchen, CEO of Pernod Ricard China, and Ding Jiachuan, managing director and Global Partner of Boston Consulting Group, Wang Junlin was asked what this partnership would bring to Langjiu members. He responded with a smile, and said he hopes to take Langjiu members to visit various Pernod Ricard wineries around the world next year.

Following this, the big screen displayed a montage of the past seven years, showcasing the development of the Langjiu membership system. It highlighted the company's commitment to the philosophy "The customer is supreme, serving a beautiful life," illustrating its shared growth with members.

Amid applause, representatives of long-standing members who had accompanied Langjiu's growth for seven consecutive years, including Vice Chairman Chen Genping of Sichuan Xingrui Health Industry Group, Chairman Hu Haiqing of Luohe Hairun Food Co, Ltd, and Chairman Yang Jingcong of Qingdao Guangrunchuan Industrial & Trade Co, Ltd, among 17 others, were invited on stage. They were personally awarded the Membership Honor Medals by Langjiu Group's Vice Chairman Fu Rao and General Manager Wang Bowei, elevating the event's atmosphere to a climax. This ceremony marks the highest accolade given at the Langjiu Estate Members' Festival since its inception in 2021, and it certainly sets a new benchmark for Langjiu's "ultimate service."

Over the next two months, the fourth Langjiu Estate Members' Festival will continue with sub-events in 12 major cities including Nanjing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Dalian, facilitating face-to-face interactions with tens of thousands of members nationwide.
Holding an annual Members' Festival, where renowned experts and scholars are invited to share insights and wisdom, is just one of Langjiu's focused initiatives to empower its members.

Adhering to the principles of "service, empowerment, value, and symbiosis," Langjiu has over the years built numerous bridges of value connection for its members, enhancing the ultimate membership experience through various channels including culture, sports, and tourism.

In the realm of culture, Langjiu established strategic partnerships with prestigious academic institutions such as Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, CEIBS, and Tsinghua University's EMBA program, as well as various chambers of commerce. It also regularly organizes events like entrepreneur forums and introduces fine liquors to renowned companies. In November 2023, Langjiu even constructed the Cheung Kong GSB Sidu Chishui Teaching Center at the Langjiu Estate, providing an excellent educational environment and facilities for the business school students, empowering enterprises with the spirit of Sidu Chishui.

In sports, after more than a decade of development, Langjiu has successfully established two major golf tournament systems: the Hongyun Lang Cup for top Chinese universities and the Qinghua Lang Cup Golf Tour. These events attract thousands of participants annually.

The creation of elite communication platforms has significantly enhanced Langjiu's influence among Chinese entrepreneurs, attracting an increasing number of members to the brand.

According to statistics, before the first Langjiu Members' Festival in 2021, the precursor to Langjiu's membership system, "Qinghua Hui," had already reached over 220 cities nationwide in three years. Through more than 1,000 high-end dinners and over 4,000 Qinghua dinners, it connected more than 20,000 members, facilitating 700,000 instances of high-frequency interactive communication.
Create value with valuable people, in valuable places.

Following the 2021 upgrade of Qinghua Hui, with the activation of the Langjiu Estate Membership Center, Langjiu enriched its elite social networking system for members through events like the Tri-Product Festival (focusing on Quality, Brand, and Taste), the Ceramic Art Festival, and the Qinghua Lang · China TOP20+ Club Development Forum, all hosted at the Langjiu Estate.

Renowned individuals have been invited to experience the Langjiu Estate, becoming key contributors to the gathering and creation of value at Langjiu.

Today, Langjiu Estate welcomes nearly a thousand members daily from across the country, including entrepreneurs, business elites, distributors, and partners from various sectors. Taking photos at Shilixiang Square, experiencing historical shifts at Tianbao Cave, or learning to blend their own signature sauce-flavored Langjiu … Being invited to board a chartered flight to visit Langjiu Estate has become a symbol of prestigious status.

Pernod Ricard China CEO, Guo Binchen, who attended the Members' Festival, was full of praise for Langjiu's various practices in empowering its members. During the roundtable discussions, he repeatedly mentioned the need to "observe and learn." In his view, superior quality is the foundation of any liquor company, but a rich experience is also a crucial aspect that modern consumers highly value. Creating one memorable gathering after another is a shared pursuit of both Pernod Ricard and Langjiu.
"Pernod Ricard is willing to direct its spirits enthusiasts to the Langjiu Estate. For Langjiu's members, Pernod Ricard, with its more than 40 world-class wineries around the globe, can open another window to a different kind of splendor," said Guo Binchen.

As these two leading liquor companies from China and abroad join hands, Langjiu's members can look forward to welcoming new friends into their social circles.

Many countries in the world now face a shrinking, and simultaneously aging, population, which, if not promptly reversed or mitigated, could negatively impact the sustainable growth of their economies. A sufficient number of people is indispensable for running and reinforcing the operation of a functioning economy. 

Consequently, policymakers or relevant government authorities need to take note of the evolution of the ongoing changes of demographic patterns, and readjust and optimize their population policies so as to plan for a resilient future and avert economic upheavals caused by a rapidly aging population. 

Japan and South Korea, the two East Asian countries with fairly developed economies, have been searching, in the past decades, for effective cures to ease their population aging, but to little avail, if any, as many couples in the two countries refuse to get married or to have babies. 

China, currently the world's largest emerging market economy, shares a largely similar Asian societal and family culture as its two neighbors. Increasingly, China's younger generations - the millennials and Generation Z - are reluctant to have a big family, with many couples preferring to give birth to only one child or choosing to be "dink" (double incomes, no kids). As a result, China will most likely encounter a shrinking and aging population, too. 

China's population dropped for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country's population declined by 2.08 million in 2023 to 1.409 billion people. In 2023, about 9.02 million babies were born, compared with 9.56 million in the previous year. 

It is of great importance to change this by inspiring and incentivizing couples to have more babies. Chinese demographers advise that a national campaign to spur births is imperative.

As seen in many developed economies, such as Japan and Germany, a continuously plummeting fertility rate will cause a shift toward an aging population that will ultimately strain national health insurance, social security programs and healthcare infrastructure. Any country with a shrinking and aging population will inevitably have to contend with a labor shortage, which may restrict the potential of economic development. 

The resolution adopted in July by the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee proposed ramping up incentives, including childbirth subsidies, more affordable child-care and other measures of efficacy to spur more births. The country ought to do more to arrest the trend of its population decline and mitigate drastic changes in demographic patterns that may produce unwanted complications for the economy. 

China started to implement the "third-child" policy in 2021, after having adopted the "second-child" policy in 2015. However, new births in 2022 and 2023 did not see year-on-year growth. It won't be easy to persuade young couples to agree to the evolving demographic change in the country and embrace more births. More efforts should be made to support the government's pro-birth push. 

As a matter of fact, many couples in China, especially the wives, are increasingly concerned about the costs in time, labor and money for raising a child, which has led them to eye parenthood with reluctance and fear. The concerns are realistic and sensible. 

Nowadays, Chinese women are more educated and economically independent than ever, and they even outnumber men in attending higher education programs. Naturally, more women prioritize their careers and self-development opportunities over traditional mileposts such as marriage and childbirth. No one is willing to miss out on promotion opportunities in their golden years of careers.

The authorities ought to factor in the changing social dynamics and the younger generation's preferences as well as apprehensions about readjusting population policy. In addition to providing childbirth subsidies, the authorities could consider doling out more benefits, such as child-care grants, free schooling, cheaper housing, higher tax incentives and extended parental leave or taking other effective measures that may motivate couples of reproductive age to give birth to more babies.

Some provinces like Sichuan have tried out dropping stern restrictions on unmarried women giving birth, granting single parents access to the benefits previously reserved for married couples, which is also effective in spurring more births. 

A new set of rules for implementing China's Law on Guarding State Secrets took effect on Sunday, further refining the management of classified information, encouraging technological innovation in this field and enhancing cyberspace management to avoid information breach.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a decree of the State Council to unveil the regulations on July 22, consisting of six chapters and 74 articles, aiming to ensure the effective implementation of the newly revised Law on Guarding State Secrets.

A special clause on the Communist Party of China's leadership in confidentiality work is added to the regulation, further emphasizing the adherence to and strengthening of the Party leadership, improving the system and mechanism of Party leadership, and specifying the responsibilities of central and local levels of relevant institutions. This will ensure confidentiality work follows the correct political direction, a spokesperson with the National Administration of State Secrets Protection said.

It also specified the requirements to establish and promptly update a list of state secrets, as well as clarifying the responsibilities of designated personnel, while outlining specific scenarios for derivative classification.

The "list of state secrets" is one of the highlights of the new regulations, which clearly and visually lists state secret contents, classification levels, confidentiality periods, scope of knowledge and the basis for classification, Liu Changsong, a lawyer from the Beijing Mugong Law Firm, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Furthermore, it clarifies the scope and specific responsibilities of individuals accountable for classification, help prevent issues such as shirking responsibilities due to unclear definition of duties, Liu said. 

Meng Bo, a lawyer at Beijing Jingsh Law Firm, added that another highlight of this regulation is the management of network information and data confidentiality, strengthening the confidentiality management of network usage. This management clarifies the obligation of network operators to cooperate in investigating and alerting on confidentiality violations, and enhances the data confidentiality management system.

"These are important measures to adapt to the era of informatization and digitalization, effectively protecting information and data security," Meng told the Global Times.

Responding to Western media hypes that the new regulation could "scare away" foreign enterprises in China, Liu said such "worries" are completely unnecessary. 

"It only makes it clearer for foreign enterprises to understand what areas involve China's national security concerns and which do not," Liu noted.

Prinat Apirat, Consul General of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Shanghai, welcomed Major General Pratuang Piyakapho, and the participants in the first group of trainees in Thailand defense for future management training programs at the Consulate General of Thailand in Shanghai.
The Consul General also gave an overview of bilateral relations between Thailand and Shanghai. She exchanged views on issues of interest to the delegation, such as expanding strategic cooperation between Thailand and China, promoting Thai-made products to the Chinese market, and promoting Thailand's tourism market in China and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region.

At the end of July, the Thai Consulate-General in Shanghai, in conjunction with the Shanghai Foreign Investment Development Board, organized the 7th Bangkok - Shanghai Economic Conference on the topic "Accelerating Innovation Cooperation between Thailand and the YRD" in Shanghai.

The conference focused on creating a comprehensive innovation ecosystem, promoting joint innovation, and expanding business and exploring investment opportunities.

Although it is only 2.5 centimeters in length, a recently discovered artifact made of dried mud at the Jizhong archaeological site in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, comes as a striking revelation since it indicates the location of a local government center during the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220). 

The Chinese characters "Shanyin Chengyin," which means "seal of the magistrate of Shanyin county," were inscribed on the mud object. 

The relics was identified as a "mud seal." Historian Fang Gang told the Global Times that the seal was used on "authoritative documents and confidential letters." The tradition was popularized during the Qin (221BC-206BC) and Han dynasties. Mud seals also "represented one's power and were commonly used as burial objects." 

"Shanyin was the ancient county name representing Shaoxing. We discovered that the mud seal belonged to the 'deputy head' of the county," said Li Longbin, director of the Shaoxing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 

Prior to the new discovery, high-level architectural remains dating to the periods of the Han and the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC) had been excavated at the Jizhong site in Shaoxing. 

The mud seal was found from the Han Dynasty stratum of the dig, which helped date it. 

"The unearthed high-level architectural remains are even more convincing indicators that show that the Jizhong site and its surrounding areas were used as the then government's offices," He Jierao, an archaeological researcher specializing in the Han to Sui (581-618) dynasties, told the Global Times.

In July, after more than five months of excavation, the large foundation of a 2,500-year-old wooden building was uncovered at the site. Covered 3,000 square meters, the building was identified as once belonging to the ancient state of Yue, represented by the "king of resilience" - King Goujian. 

Numerous Han wooden slips with ink writing were also found, adding to the total of 850 artifacts discovered at the site. Among them are some artistically designed objects such as a crystal ring and a bronze jug.  

"The Jizhong site is the first to establish that Yue State architecture ­existed within the historic Shaoxing city, offering crucial hints for researching the Yue State capital," Li remarked. 

China's first triple-A video game Black Myth: Wukong has not only made waves in the global gaming industry, but has also brought the allure of Chinese culture to the world stage. Such a cross-industry breakthrough, combining gaming and cultural tourism, showcases the profound richness of traditional Chinese culture and paves the way for a new cultural tourism trend in the digital age.   

A released list of filming locations shows that Black Myth: Wukong selected 36 sites across China as in-game backdrops. Notably, North China's Shanxi Province stands out with 27 of its locations featured in the game. 

The cultural impact of the game caused local tourism searches on Chinese tourism site Ctrip to spike by three times on launch day, August 20, compared to the previous day. 

Zhang Qing, director of promotion and publicity at the Culture and ­Tourism Department of Shanxi ­Province, told the Global Times that they established contact with the game's creators years ago during the development stage and held numerous exchanges. 

"The game uses a format beloved by modern youth to pass on historical culture, tell Chinese stories and truly bring cultural heritage to life. This collaboration not only showcases Shanxi's rich cultural heritage, but also presents a golden opportunity to promote Shanxi's tourism," Zhang noted.

Zhang emphasized the importance of respecting history and striving for the utmost expression of Chinese aesthetics in presenting Shanxi's cultural heritage to the younger generation through the game. For Generation Zers, this form of cultural communication has genuinely resonated with their preferred lifestyle and interests.

Starting in September, Shanxi will launch official tour routes for visitors eager to explore the game's scenery, and will host a series of related activities, including the release of a "travel pass" and the opening of a Black Myth: Wukong "offline quest."

Multiple national heritage sites will be opened to the public, showcasing Shanxi's rich cultural legacy. 

By integrating these cultural assets with the game, Shanxi can both enhance the visibility of its heritage and raise public awareness of cultural preservation. 

Provinces and cities like Beijing, East China's Zhejiang Province, and Southwest China's Chongqing have responded by releasing promotional videos, launching themed routes, and inviting influencers to visit to boost their local tourism industries.

These transitions from virtual to real-world cultural communication highlight the powerful influence of digital culture on local tourism and provide new approaches for the preservation as well as use of traditional cultural heritage.

Yang Jie, a tourism planner at the Shanxi Cultural Tourism Digital ­Experience Museum, told the Global Times that transforming the iconic ­locations featured in popular IPs like Black Myth: Wukong into tourist ­attractions, and developing game-themed ­cultural routes, exhibitions, and ­interactive experiences, are the right directions for modern cultural tourism development. 

She said she is confident that this crossover can leverage the "long-tail effect" of the game, driving the long-term development of cultural tourism in Shanxi and across China.

Yang further noted that integrating various forms of media, such as films and documentaries, can enhance the connection between popular IPs and local culture. By deeply ­merging the classic game scenes from Black Myth: Wukong with real-world landscapes, a "game + culture + tourism" composite product can be created. 

This not only boosts the appeal of cultural heritage, but also allows visitors to experience a rich cultural atmosphere while enjoying entertainment, thus continuously attracting tourists, and promoting sustainable local tourism development.

The trend of game IPs promoting cultural tourism has already been seen abroad. For example, Grand Theft Auto V, the 2013 Game Awards' Game of the Year, features landmarks from Los Angeles. 

Additionally, a netizen shared online that her husband, who had never been to Paris, became familiar with its streets and architecture through the video game series Assassin's Creed, which has a game set in Paris. 

By developing tourism strategies based on games, Shanxi's rich cultural heritage is being revitalized, attracting attention and exploration from both domestic and international tourists. 

This blend of virtual and real-world cultural promotion can not only infuse traditional culture with new vitality, but also make China's historical legacies shine even brighter.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting on Friday to review policies and measures to open up a new vista in the large-scale development of the western region. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the meeting.
Efforts should be made to "deepen reform comprehensively and blaze a path of Chinese modernization that suits the realities of the region," the meeting said, while identifying work priorities in a number of fields, including promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, advancing green and low-carbon development as well as enhancing the openness of the economy.

The list shed light on the blueprint of the next stage of the western region's development, which is to ramp up the engines of technology, opening-up and new quality productive forces - among other areas, analysts said, noting that those fields are quite different from the emphasis on basic infrastructure construction when the regional strategy was kickstarted two decades ago.

The western region's catch-up effect is also conducive to expanding domestic demand and facilitating balanced development, paving the way for the economy to maintain stable and progressive growth this year, observers noted.

Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday that the meeting sent an important signal that the new round of western region's development would be "quite different" from 20 years ago, as the gap between the region and its eastern peers has been shrinking, and the western region has built up a number of advantageous industries, some of which are even at the country's forefront.

In the past two decades, the southwestern region has developed into an industry base for new-energy vehicle manufacturing. And certain cities in the northwestern region also have become key transit hubs for China-Europe freight trains and played a vital role in the country's westward opening-up.

"Standing on those remarkable developments, it is the right time to further upgrade existing industries, expand opening-up and channel new vigor to the regional economy," Tian said.

The meeting also urged the western region to strengthen the guarantee capacity of energy and resources. It also noted that measures will be taken to advance the new urbanization in accordance with local conditions, consolidate the poverty alleviation achievements, and make sure that there will be no relapsing into poverty on a large scale in rural areas.

Amid China's stepped-up efforts to comprehensively deepen reforms and open up, fostering a new pattern in the western region carries great significance for the country's overall growth both in the short and long term, observers said.

According to Tian, western development could further release the potential of internal demand, offering a catalyst to stabilizing economic growth in the second half in the face of multiple downward pressures.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi began a three-day visit to China on Thursday, following numerous high-level interactions between the two nations. 

Chines Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that "under the strategic guidance of the presidents of the two countries, China-Indonesia relations have maintained a momentum of robust growth, with close high-level exchanges, deepening strategic mutual trust."

"Next year marks the 80th anniversary of Indonesia's independence and the 75th anniversary of China-Indonesia diplomatic ties. This presents important opportunities for our two countries' respective growth and bilateral relations," Mao said. 

"China stands ready to work with Indonesia, follow the strategic guidance of the two presidents, focus on building a community with a shared future, and keep deepening strategic cooperation on all fronts," Mao said.

Retno's visit follows the first Senior Officials' Meeting of the China-Indonesia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue in Jakarta on August 13. It also continues recent high-level interactions between the two countries aimed at enhancing coordination, boosting political and security trust, and advancing a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, analysts said. 

Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, said while ASEAN prioritizes infrastructure connectivity and economic recovery this year, Indonesia, as a leading ASEAN member and one that supports China-ASEAN cooperation, will also address industrial chain stability and regional security. 

China and Indonesia have established a comprehensive high-level mechanism covering various areas, including people-to-people exchanges, economy, politics, defense, and security, said Ge, stressing that this framework deepens understanding and strengthens their bilateral relations, ensuring stable and long-term development.

Few people had foreseen a Chinese athlete could finish in the top three in an Ironman Triathlon European Championship. However, 36-year-old Miao Hao has proved it is possible.

The final moments of the race on June 2 in Hamburg, Germany saw Miao collapse from sheer exhaustion before crawling across the finish line. Despite the grueling conclusion, Miao's achievement was nothing short of spectacular.

With a time of 7 hours, 58 minutes and 4 seconds, he not only claimed third place overall but also became the first Asian to break the eight-hour barrier in an Ironman Triathlon race, improving his personal best by a remarkable 20 minutes.

Reflecting on his experience, Miao spoke modestly about his achievement.

"At the 16-kilometer mark of the marathon, I reached my physical limit as my vision blurred, my face and hands went numb, and I couldn't focus on running or the race anymore," Miao told the Global Times.

It was the words of his coach, reminding him that it was possible to break the 8-hour mark that pushed him forward under such conditions.

"I have tried countless times… I do not want to waste an opportunity when it emerges," Miao said.

Enduring 'Ironman'

The Ironman Triathlon, often referred to as the ultimate test of human endurance, consists of a 3.8-kilometer swim in open water, a 180-kilometer bike ride and a full marathon of 42.195 kilometers.

It is a grueling event that pushes athletes to their physical and mental limits as it is far beyond the requirements of an Olympic triathlon distance which consists of 1.5 kilometers' swim, 40 kilometers' cycling and 10 kilometers' running.

A year earlier, Miao had set his personal best and Chinese Ironman record at the same course, finishing in 8 hours, 19 minutes and 12 seconds. This familiarity with the course and a newfound confidence were crucial advantages.

But believing that the familiarity with the race course is the main reason for his achievement ignores his meticulous preparations for the achievement.

Although Miao excelled in swimming thanks to his past experience as a swimming athlete before taking on triathlon, his cycling ability lagged behind his European counterparts', and his lower body strength needed improvement.

"My swimming experience helps me save the stamina for the rest of the race as swimming remains the minor part of the 226 kilometers race," Miao said.

"Though I think my cycling is among the top level domestically, other international triathletes are far better than us!"

To address these weaknesses, Miao dedicated his winter training to enhancing his cycling endurance, extending his sessions from two to four hours while adjusting his mechanics for a better performance.

Miao's determination stemmed from the Ironman World Championship in Nice, France, where a result was far from satisfying. He said he just does not want to have the same feeling again.

"I used to dodge issues when they emerged, which often created extra mental pressure for me," Miao said of his mind-set change. "Instead of internalizing negative emotions, I channel my energy into training and improvement."

Dang Qi, a Chinese triathlon pioneer, said there are around 20 athletes worldwide who could finish an Ironman Triathlon in under 8 hours, thus Miao's breakthrough is phenomenal.

"Finishing an Ironman race is already a big challenge," Dang said. "Miao's achievement is quite an inspiring story for Chinese triathlon."
Balancing training and life

Miao's story is not just one of athletic achievement but also of balancing personal and family life.

He once tried to work in an office but the stint, as he calls it, was not what he genuinely liked. Thus, he decided to pursue a career as a professional triathlete in 2019.

"I felt I hadn't reached my limit," he explained.

Transitioning from a regular triathlete to a much-enduring professional triathlete is no easy feat.

It requires Miao to independently manage his training schedules diet, and the delicate balance between family time and training.

"There is no precedent standard, no reference in China. It was quite difficult in the beginning," he admitted.

Juggling the demands of training with family responsibilities, especially with a new born kid at the time, added to the complexity.

"Being a professional triathlete forces me to balance work and life as I have to allocate time to manage different things," he said.

Reading training-related books during his rest time helps Miao better understand his body and improve his performance as he emphasizes the importance of understanding one's body and ensuring proper recovery.

Inspiring future generations

Miao's passion for Ironman extends beyond personal achievement, as he is committed to promoting and spreading the sport in China.

His transition from an amateur athlete to a professional triathlete has been inspiring, and he said he hopes to inspire others to embrace the sport.

"The sport is gaining recognition, and its development in China is promising," he said.

Miao hopes to continue competing and improving, aiming for better results at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. "Seven hours and 58 minutes is just the beginning. I believe it will get better," he affirmed.

For those aspiring to follow in his footsteps, Miao encourages them joining local clubs to benefit from collective activities, reducing the risk of injury and ensuring safety, especially during open water swims.

"This is a humble community," he said, emphasizing the importance of humility and mutual support.

"There is nothing insurmountable in life. If you persevere, things will get better," he said.