A policewoman helps passengers on the platform at Taizhou Railway Station in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Oct. 6, 2024. China sees a surge in return trips on Sunday as the week-long National Day holiday draws to a close. (Photo: Xinhua)
As one of the events of the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum, "The Temple of Earth and Me" book fair kicked off on Friday and will run through September 23 at Beijing's Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth Park.
Many eager book enthusiasts flocked to the venue in the morning to embark on a cultural "city walk" that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining. The book coupons issued by the book fair were quickly snapped up.
In a nod to the rising trend of night tourism during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the organizers told the Global Times that the book fair will extend its hours until 8 pm. Meanwhile, some cultural activities, including a poetry event related to the Mid-Autumn Festival, will be held in the central area of the book fair.
According to a press release from the local publicity department, this year's book fair boasts an exhibition and sales area of approximately 18,000 square meters and will feature 10 exhibition areas and host over 160 cultural activities.
The exhibition area has expanded by 3,000 square meters compared to 2023 and now encompasses 10 exhibition areas, three activity zones, and several supporting service points. The fair has gathered over 330 publishers, physical bookstores, and specialty exhibitors from across the nation, offering a vast selection of 400,000 book titles, reaching a new peak in scale.
The book fair boasts 10 sections with different themes, such as a brick-and-mortar bookstore district, a children's books and parent-child reading area, a foreign language book section, and a cultural and creative products area.
The thematic special exhibition area will focus on hot topics such as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, recommending key books and reading lists.
One of the highlights is the "Old Books, New Knowledge" section which has arranged a special exhibition called Five Prominent Features of Chinese Civilization - Classical Works, featuring over 60 ancient and rare documents across 42 categories.
Liu Yichen, the person in charge of this section, told the Global Times that the ancient books with wisdom are vital carriers of the Chinese civilization.
Media has reported that the physical bookstore section has attracted the participation of 135 brick-and-mortar bookstores, which is 1.5 times more than 2023.
The Palace Museum Bookstore is one of the main attractions. Xu Mei, the person in charge of the bookstore, told the Global Times that they have been the top-selling participant at the book fair for several consecutive years.
"We sold for over 400,000 yuan ($56,173) last year," she said, noting that the Forbidden City Calendar was the most popular product that often ends up in short supply.
Not far from this cultural icon, the Chengdu Panda Bookstore was also swarmed with visitors, captivating the hearts of many young tourists with its array of panda-themed cultural and creative products.
In addition to well-known IPs like pandas, the children's picture book district also features popular characters such as Harry Potter, Japan's Detective Conan, and Black Cat Detective from Chinese animation whose books and cultural products are also highly sought after.
With a long history, the Temple of Earth, which used to serve as the site for worshiping the Earth God during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), is the second largest imperial altar in the city of Beijing.
The 2024 Latin American and Caribbean Music Festival kicked off in Beijing on Saturday, as part of the annual "Latin American and Caribbean Art Season."
The event features performances from bands from Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica, alongside a dance troupe from Chile, showcasing vibrant Latin American music and dance.
The festival opened with a performance by a Mexican band, featuring young musicians from orchestral theaters and showcasing diverse styles from metal and jazz to funk and pop. Then the stage welcomed a Panamanian band, followed by a Chilean dance troupe in vibrant costumes that celebrated Latin American culture.
The festival concluded with a performance by Costa Rica's renowned rock music band.
Since its inception in 2013, the event has been a key initiative for cultural exchange between China and Latin America.
Over the past 75 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, and overall national power have significantly increased, and its international influence has greatly expanded, according to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics.
From 1979 to 2023, China's economic growth averaged 8.9 percent annually, far exceeding the average global economic growth of 3 percent during the same period.
China's average annual contribution to world economic growth was 24.8 percent, ranking first in the world, according to the report.
Following are some highlights of the country's economic achievements over the past 75 years:
-- In 1952, China's GDP was only 30 billion U.S. dollars. In 1978, China's GDP increased to 149.5 billion dollars, accounting for 1.7 percent of the world economy. Since the reform and opening up, China's economic aggregate has continued to expand. In 2023, China's GDP reached 17.8 trillion dollars, accounting for 16.9 percent of the world's total and solidifying its position as the world's second-largest economy.
-- In 1985, the number of invention patent applications in China was 8,558. This number had soared to 526,000 by 2011, making China the world leader in this area. As of the end of 2022, China's number of accepted applications for invention patents reached 1.619 million, firmly securing its position as the world leader.
-- In 1950, China's foreign trade of goods was only 1.1 billion dollars, accounting for 0.9 percent of the world's total. In 2013, China became the world's largest goods trading nation. By 2023, China's total goods trade had reached 5.9 trillion dollars, accounting for 12.4 percent of the global share, and has consistently ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years.
-- Service trade has also undergone tremendous expansions. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's service trade was almost zero. In 2023, the country's total service trade import and export volume reached 933.1 billion dollars, ranking fourth in the world.
A series of sculptures from Chinese artist Yuan Xikun were released at the National Indoor Stadium on Friday to express the sports culture of the dual Olympic city.
Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the worlds' first dual Olympic city.
In front of the National Indoor Stadium stand five sculptures from Yuan, each themed around the dual Olympics. These sculptures -—representing Ice Hockey, Gymnastics, Pair Skating, Layup, and Short Track Speed Skating -—were created to honor the spirit of hard work in sports and to express faith through art, embodying healthy and positive values.
Zhao Jiachen, head of the Beijing Performing Arts Group, which manages the stadium, said that these sculptures will help preserve the Olympic spirt and promote the integrated development of sports and culture.
Yuan emphasized that sports and culture will work hand in hand to create more inspiring works that convey positive values.
The stadium also unveiled a dedicated space for the artist to showcase his sculptures.
China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday unveiled a hacker organization called "Anonymous 64," saying that it was an “internet army” supported by “Taiwan independence” forces and has frequently launched cyberattacks against the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, attempting to infiltrate portals, outdoor electronic screens, and online television to spread disinformation and disrupt public communications.
National security agencies have identified individuals involved in the related cyberattacks, including three active members, whose names and photos have been disclosed. Legal investigations have been launched against the three individuals, the ministry said in a release on Monday.
The organization behind "Anonymous 64" is a cyber-environment analysis center under the “Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command.” This center is specifically responsible for conducting cyber cognitive warfare and public opinion warfare against the mainland. In June 2023, the center registered social media accounts under the name "Anonymous 64" and wantonly carried out cyberattacks and disinformation activities, MSS said in the article.
The “Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command” was established in June 2017 as the "fourth branch" of the Taiwan authorities and was restructured in 2022 as a direct agency of the “defense department” of the island. It primarily handles electronic warfare, information warfare, cyber warfare, and military line maintenance, serving as the main force for the island of Taiwan's cyber operations against the mainland.
Since its establishment, the “Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command” has launched various infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland, posing a significant threat to cybersecurity. It targets areas such as the mainland's defense industry, aerospace, and energy infrastructure for cyberattacks, aiming to steal sensitive data and gather intelligence for the Taiwan authorities. It also frequently distorts online public opinion, employs internet trolls, exacerbates conflicts, and incites divisions for its own gain, according to MSS.
Since its establishment, the "Anonymous 64" has posted over 70 updates on social media, using so-called achievements to attract attention. The targets they claim to have attacked include outdoor electronic screens, vending machines, online television, as well as the websites of news media, airlines, and universities, attempting to hype a false image of severe?vulnerabilities in mainland cybersecurity.
However, investigations by national security agencies?revealed that many of the "achievements" showcased by "Anonymous 64" were exaggerated, with most targeted websites being counterfeit or zombie sites.
For instance, on August 2, when a small internet company’s website was attacked by "Anonymous 64" because it linked to several universities' official forum logins, the organization falsely claimed it had “gained control of the official forums of 40 universities in the mainland."
National security agencies also remind developers and operators of internet audio-video systems, portal websites, and internet users to implement cybersecurity measures, timely update and upgrade systems, close technical vulnerabilities, enhance password strength, and strengthen inspections to prevent various cyberattacks.
"We urge netizens not to believe or spread rumors, and to promptly report any cyberattacks or disinformation activities to national security agencies or relevant departments,” read the MSS article.
The ministry said in the article that national reunification is an inevitable historical trend. Taiwan authorities' attempts to provoke and pursue “independence” and seek confrontation with the mainland are bound to fail.
National security agencies will firmly implement a comprehensive national security strategy, enforce laws against "Taiwan independence" separatists engaging in separatism and incitement, and resolutely combat all "Taiwan independence" schemes to contribute to the complete reunification of the motherland, said MSS.
Editor's Note:
Fifty years ago, not only the archaeological community but also ordinary people were stunned by the excavation of the Mawangdui Han Tombs. Among the findings was a remarkable discovery known as China's "Sleeping Beauty" (Lady Xin Zhui), an over 2,100-year-old lady who looks nearly as good as she did when she was buried after her death at the age of about 50, during China's Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25). The world has marveled at the mystery behind her body, as well as the numerous precious treasures unearthed from the tombs, including textiles, bamboo and silk manuscripts.
In this Mawangdui trilogy, the Global Times Culture Desk explores how digital technologies have brought the public closer to the heritage and how the "Mawangdui IP" was revived by the creative industries. This is the third installment.
Although there are many sites in China that can embody the country's Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) history, Mawangdui is the most exceptional one mainly due to its mysterious finds like the 2,100-year-old mummified aristocrat that is known as Lady Xin Zhui.
Three excavations on the site were carried out from 1972 to 1974. At that time, such excavations brought a research craze to the academic field worldwide. Thanks to new means such as the digital technology, such a scholarly craze in the past 50 years has been extended to the public, especially among the young people.
Decoding mystery
Lady Xin Zhui's silk garments are Mawangdui Han Tombs' stellar artifacts. Due to their brittle and fragile nature, many original pieces are now only stored as archives at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. To connect the heritage with people, making replication for public display was a crucial task. The task engages both technological tools and the ingenuity of textile experts like Yang Jiyuan.
Yang, a restorer of ancient silk textile in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, has replicated seven Lady Xin Zhui's garments since 2016. She told the Global Times that the printed and painted floss silk-padded gauze robe was one of the most challenging tasks.
Through examination using a microscope and creating 3D modeling of the original "printed and painted gauze robe," Yang revealed to the Global Times that the piece's air-like fabric actually consists of seven sheerest silk layers, and the thickness of each one of them is like "one-third of the tissue's thickness."
Matching such almost disappearing silk textiles together was not the most challenging task. Yang told the Global Times that the "painting" process was even harder since the colors should keep looking "not too vibrant and new."
She said the gauze needs to be "1:1 the same to the original one" that has more than 2,000 years of history. Thanks to advanced technologies that can decode the ingredients and composition of ancient fabrics, Yang discovered that Lady Xin Zhui's garment was painted in natural mineral dye and was covered with an extra "glue-like substance" to make it look understated while in a good shape. She said that she was only one of the heritage protectors in China, who has "felt the responsibility to show the public a legacy's authentic aesthetics and story."
"Technological tools are our assistants. They ensure the history we deliver to the public is correct," Xiang Benshan, a restorer of underwater ceramic relics, told the Global Times.
Cross-field collaborations
Other than the research sector, technological innovations are now diversely applied on shows that relate to the Mawangdui Han Tombs.
Currently, a blockbuster show called The Art of Life: Multimedia Exhibition of Mawangdui Han Culture is ongoing at the Hunan Museum. The immersive digital project, a collaboration between the Hunan Museum, Digital Library of China, and the Harvard FAS CAMLab, presents a new model for showcasing the Mawangdui Han Tombs through multimedia installations.
The show includes three thematic sections such as "Time and Space." They highlight the artistic grandeur and spiritual reflections of ancient Chinese, giving insight into their concepts of life, death and afterlife.
Lü Chenchen, associate director of Harvard FAS CAMLab, told the Global Times that the future of Mawangdui-themed exhibitions lies in global academic collaboration and the integration of advanced technologies such as VR tools and interactive animations.
"By partnering internationally, institutions can leverage cultural IPs like the Mawangdui Han Tombs and digital tools to broaden access to historical knowledge from different perspectives and different disciplines," Lü told the Global Times.
If the research lab and the museum are where the Mawangdui IP provides intellectual inspirations to people, then the site's cross-field collaborations with the cultural and creative industries have made the heritage a joy of people's everyday lives.
The Hunan Museum recently collaborated with a food brand to launch a "Mawangdui spicy strip," one of the favorite snacks by young people that is also known as La Tiao.
At the museum's "digital Han lifestyle experiencing center," symbols of relics like the round lacquer plate and Lady Xin Zhui's garments have been printed on products like scarves, fans and cakes.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the China Film Group Corporation jointly launched the 2024 Netherlands Film Festival in Beijing on September 12.
The film festival selected 10 high-quality Dutch films in recent years to show Chinese audiences the real and vivid social landscape of contemporary Netherlands and the unique Dutch customs and practices. All of these films are premiered in China.
The 10 films screened are from various genres, covering a wide range of topics including the inspirational growth of teenagers, the emotional expression of senior citizens, the social concern of vulnerable groups, and family education. The movies interpret the true meaning of "love" from multiple emotional aspects such as family, love, and friendship.
Arriving at the ceremony by bike, André Haspels, the Netherlands Ambassador to China, said that in both China and the Netherlands, bicycles are far more than just a means of transportation. They also symbolize sustainability, health, team spirit, and a common commitment to building an inclusive society.
After the opening film was screened, director Camiel Schouwenaar and screenwriter Job Tichelman also visited the scene to share wonderful behind-the-scenes stories. Many audiences expressed their love for the film and were touched by the real power of persisting in dreams.
The Film Festival will run until October 31 and will be screened in seven major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Nanjing.
In commemoration of the National Day of Mexican Cinema 2024, the Embassy of Mexico in China will screen Cronos, a movie directed by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro at the Beijing Yuan Museum on August 31.
In 1536, during the Inquisition, an alchemist builds a mysterious and sophisticated device named Cronos to provide eternal life to the owner in Veracruz, Mexico.
In the present day, antiques dealer Jesus Gris finds Cronos hidden inside an ancient statue while cleaning it with his granddaughter Aurora.
He accidentally triggers the device and soon his wife Mercedes and he note that he has a younger appearance.
Out of the blue, the stranger Angel de la Guardia visits Gris' shop and buys the old statue. On the next day, Gris finds his shop trashed and Angel's card on the floor.
He pays a visit to Angel who introduces him to the eccentric millionaire De la Guardia that explains the healing power and the eternal life bestowed by Cronos.
Angel is sent by De la Guardia to hunt down Gris to get Cronos no matter the costs.
The UAE Embassy in China hosted the first UAE-China Think Tank Forum with more than 100 experts and think tank leaders in Beijing from August 29 to 30, marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the UAE and China.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to China Hussain bin Ibrahim al Hammadi said that UAE-China relations, under the leadership of the state leaders, are witnessing remarkable progress across economic, trade, cultural, political, and diplomatic spheres.
Themed "Together to build a shared, sustainable, and ambitious future," the event aimed to bring together the wisdom of the academic and research communities, and build a platform to promote cooperation and dialogue between UAE and Chinese think tanks. The forum also explored potential opportunities for cooperation between the two countries' leading think tanks.