Heritage of Middle Kingdom, UNESCO, Contemporary Chinese Culture: News & Images

[ahojunk]

Very good to see tourism flourishing in Tibet.

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Tibet receives over 6.8 mln tourists in H1
Source: Xinhua 2016-08-04 13:09:10

LHASA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- More than 6.8 million Chinese and foreign tourists visited southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the first half of 2016, up 31.9 percent year on year, authorities said Thursday.

Tourism revenue during the period increased by 32.1 percent year on year to 7 billion yuan (1.05 billion U.S. dollars), according to a statement issued by the regional tourism development commission.

Tourism authorities and resorts now offer special tours, inviting visitors to enjoy the region's festivals, hiking trails, and cuisine. it said.

Tourism experts forecast more tourists in the following months than the first half as the region will host the China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo, and celebrate the shoton (Yogurt) and the horse race festivals.

 

[ahojunk]

Dong’s festival shows traditional culture
2016-08-08 14:24 | Ecns.cn | Editor:Yao Lan

The festival showed traditional culture and handicrafts.

A performer climbs a knife-ladder during the Dong cultural festival in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, Aug. 7, 2016.

Dong women making straw sandals in a cultural festival in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, Aug. 7, 2016.

Dong women carving on fruits during the cultural festival in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, Aug. 7, 2016.

A Dong woman working on a traditional loom at the cultural festival in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, Aug. 7, 2016.

Performers demonstrates harvesting at a cultural festival in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, Aug. 7, 2016.

 

[ahojunk]

Qixi is also known as Chinese Valentine's Day.

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People wear Hanfu to mark Chinese Valentine's Day
(Xinhua) 11:22, August 10, 2016

People in Han-style costumes, or Hanfu, walk during a fair to mark the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, Aug. 9, 2016. Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han ethnic group. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)

People in Han-style costumes, or Hanfu, attend a ritual during a fair to mark the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, Aug. 9, 2016. Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han ethnic group. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)

People in Han-style costumes, or Hanfu, watch a tea art performance during a fair to mark the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, Aug. 9, 2016. Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han ethnic group. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)

KUNMING, Aug. 10, 2015 (Xinhua) -- People in Han-style costumes, or Hanfu, attend a fair to mark the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, Aug. 9, 2016. Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han ethnic group. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)

 

[TaiShang]

Tibet to hold 3rd tourism, culture expo
Source: Xinhua 2016-08-11 12:24:47

LHASA,Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tibet will hold its third tourism and culture expo on Sept. 10 to 16 in the regional capital Lhasa.

About 1,500 officials, experts and representatives will attend the Third China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo, said Wang Wenpei, deputy head of the expo organizing committee on Wednesday at a press conference.

The expo includes forums on the opportunities resulting from the Belt and Road initiative, culture, the medical industry and water resource development, said the official.

"The expo will help make Tibet's distinctive industries stronger," said Wang.

Tourism is a pillar industry in Tibet Autonomous Region, with revenue accounting for over 20 percent of the region's GDP.

More than 6.8 million tourists visited Tibet in the first half of 2016, up 31.9 percent year on year, with tourism revenue up 32.1 percent to reach 7 billion yuan (1.05 billion U.S. dollars), according to the regional tourism development commission.

 

[ahojunk]

Good that brick-and-mortar bookstores are supported.

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Beijing bookstores to get 18 mln yuan in subsidies
2016-08-12 16:10 | Ecns.cn | Editor: Mo Hong'e

(ECNS) -- Beijing plans to earmark 18 million yuan ($2.7 million) to support brick-and-mortar bookstores facing competition from online shopping.

About 70 bookstores in the capital will share in a financial subsidy this year, with individual businesses eligible for a maximum of 1 million yuan, according to a circular posted on the official Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television website.

The bureau also provided detailed requirements to bookstores applying that include a sound social security system and no record of law infractions or administrative penalties in the past three years.

An official from the bureau said that Beijing would continue supporting physical bookstores in the 13th Five Year Plan (2016 -2020), giving priority to those with higher brand awareness and robust business growth.

An expert panel will help evaluate bookstores that apply for the subsidy, with the list of successful candidates announced in December.

Beijing authorities see brick-and-mortar bookstores as important venues to promote reading among the public and guarantee the city's place as national culture center.

 

[TaiShang]

Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism holds dharma assembly in Lhasa
Xinhua | 2016-08-15 08:14:26 | Editor: An

Photo taken on Aug. 14, 2016 shows the dharma assembly in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism held a traditional dharma assembly during the weekend, drawing hundreds of thousands of believers from Tibet and elsewhere in China. This dharma assembly held by Drikung Kagyu, one of the eight minor lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, dates back more than 300 years and is held in the year of monkey in the Tibetan calendar, this year in the Drikung Valley near the Drigung Thil Monastery. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

 

[ahojunk]

Opening of minority art festival
2016-08-19 09:33:56 Xinhua Web Editor: Wang Kun

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, greeting performers before the opening gala of the Fifth Minorities Art Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]


President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese leaders watched an opening gala of the Fifth Minorities Art Festival Thursday evening in Beijing.

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and other senior leaders joined over 3,000 spectators to watch the gala held at the Great Hall of the People.

The performances, including songs and dances, showcased distinctive cultures of different ethnic groups, under the theme of pursuing solidarity and development, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Before the gala, the leaders met with representatives of the performers.

The Fifth Minorities Art Festival is sponsored by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, and the Beijing municipal government.

From Tuesday to Sept. 14, more than 7,000 ethnic minority artists will perform a total of 43 shows in Beijing.

Chinese leaders and over 3,000 spectators watch the opening gala of the Fifth Minorities Art Festival held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

 

[ahojunk]

A good way to promote good neighbor relations.

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"Feel China" project helps Mongolians better understand China
2016-08-19 13:30:15 | Xinhua | Web Editor: Fei Fei

The cultural exchange project "Feel China" to help Mongolians better understand its southern neighbor kicked off Thursday with a show on the charms of China at the National Gallery in the Mongolian capital.

Fine pictures, 3D films, Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, a book fair and an interactive performance of Chinese intangible cultural heritage at the show, among others, offered the audience a multidimensional and vivid way to understand China's history and its modern vigor.

"When I traveled to China, I visited the Chinese emperor's palace and now I visit the Temple of Heaven in Mongolia using VR technology. It is amazing," said Zolboo, a 27-year-old Mongolian businessman.

The 3D film on China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region excited the 28-year-old photographer Uugansukh.

"I can see camels. I can see a beautiful natural environment. It can show everything in 360 degrees," he said.

More than 300 people, including state and local government officials from China and Mongolia, diplomats and figures from various fields of Mongolia attended the opening ceremony and visited the show titled "Beautiful China."

The project "Feel China" will last through Aug. 30. It will also feature the 7th China-Mongolia press forum and a show on the 12 Chinese zodiac signs as well as present programs such as the best Chinese children's dramas.

Late on Thursday, the performance at Ulan Bator's central palace of culture by a children's choir from Hulunbuir of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region won applause from a more than 1,200-strong Mongolian audience.

Famous ethnic Mongolian singers from China who are also popular among Mongolians entertained their Mongolian fans with live performances and even popular Mongolian songs.

"We come here to watch live performance of Uudam, our favorite singer. He is very cute and talented," Battsetseg Namjil, a Mongolian teenage fan of the young singer Uudam, said before the performance.

To reward his Mongolian fans, Uudam had promised in an interview with local media to sing the popular Mongolian song 'Mother in the Dream' for his Mongolian fans.

"They love this song," he said.

The project "Feel China," launched under the framework of a China-Mongolia cultural cooperation agreement signed between the Chinese and Mongolian governments, is co-sponsored by China's State Council Information Office, the government of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Chinese Embassy in Mongolia and Mongolia's Ministry of Culture.

 

[ahojunk]

The set and the costumes are very beautiful.

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Chinese artists perform "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Kyrgyzstan
2016-08-20 12:09:33 Xinhua Web Editor: Zhang Xu

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Acrobatic show "Rainbow on the Silk Road" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 18, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

 

[ahojunk]

Bad behavior should not be tolerated. Ban these idiots from flying. Cancel their passports.
Other countries should follow China's example and ban their idiots.

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20 tourists ‘blacklisted’ for bad behavior may face flight restrictions
Source:Global Times Published: 2016/8/21 19:53:39 Last Updated: 2016/8/22 6:36:26


China's tourism authorities have introduced tighter rules for Chinese tourists, with 20 rule breakers who failed to observe public order and scenic regulations placed on a new blacklist, the Qianjiang Evening News reported Sunday.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, the blacklisted travelers' bad behavior included quarrelling, fighting, disturbing the peace, climbing on statues and stealing scenic assets.

These tourists will be on the list for three years and their states will be noted on their personal documents that are available to the authorities who may bar them from outbound tours.

The new regulations say that police, customs, immigration officers and other departments are now able to prevent people on the blacklist from taking flights abroad or joining tour groups.

Zhou Yue, a tourist from Beijing, was placed on the blacklist for arbitrarily opening the emergency hatch on a flight from Beijing to Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Three tourists from Southwest China's Sichuan Province were placed on the blacklist for quarreling and fighting with other passengers on a flight from Cambodia to Chengdu, Sichuan and delaying their flight for one hour.

Experts said that the regulations will attempt to safeguard both travel agencies' and tourists' interests, the report said.

Global Times

 

[ahojunk]

This village is smart enough to capitalize on it's history and uniqueness. Good for them.

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Small village near Hangzhou becomes new tourism hotspot
2016-08-23 08:30:36 | CRIENGLISH.com | Web Editor: Zhang Guanghao

Many villages in Tonglu County in east China's Zhejiang province provide homestay services. [Photo:zjol.com.cn]


While the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang is set to be thrust into the international spotlight next month as the host of the G20 sessions, small communities on the outskirts of the city are already seeing a growing number of tourists.

CRI's Huang Shan has more.

Just an hour's drive from the 'hustle-and-bustle' of downtown Hangzhou takes you into a completely different world: small villages steeped in traditional Chinese culture.

"My friends and I drove here to stay for the weekend. We came to take photos of the beautiful scenery, drink tea, eat local food and stay in local bed-and-breakfasts. It is a way to get rid of the pressure that gets built up during the week."

For years, people living in the rural areas outside Hangzhou either stayed to work their land as farmers, or moved into the city in a bid to find work.

However, local officials say that over the past 4-years or so, many of those who left have decided to return, realizing they have an opportunity to make money by providing homestay opportunities.

Zhou Zhonglian is head of Huanxi Village in Tonglu County.

"We now have over 50 households managing over 700 beds for visitors. Over the weekend, these family hotels are crowded with tourists. You can hardly find a bed to stay in. Most families can now earn 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year. Some can earn over 100,000 yuan. There are even families that can earn almost 400,000 yuan each year."

One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in tourists to Huanxi developed in 2010 when the village introduced an ecological wetland system that purifies the region's waste water.

This makes Huanxi somewhat unique in China.

In most Chinese villages, household waste water flows directly into the local rivers without being properly treated, often damaging the environment and making living conditions unpleasant for people in the area.

On top of the waste-water treatment program, villagers in Huanxi have also managed to convert some 80 acres of rice paddy fields into lotus ponds.

While much more attractive than rice paddies, lotus ponds in Huanxi are also part of the village's history.

Many of the villagers are descendants of ancient Chinese philosopher Zhou Dunyi, who lived during the Song dynasty.

His famous prose on lotus flowers has been included in Chinese textbooks for decades.

Beyond the beauty of the lotus flowers, the ponds also provide the seeds used to make a special form of Chinese liquor Baijiu, which is also providing another cultural and economic boost to the region.

For CRI, this is Huang Shan.

 

[ahojunk]

China is so rich in culture. It's ethnic minorities add color and diversity which enrich China's culture tremendously.

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Third Ordos Int'l Nadam Fair kicks off in N China
Source:Xinhua Published: 2016/8/23 21:08:18

The third Ordos International Nadam Fair kicks off in North China. More than 2,000 performers will take part in the Nadam fair. Creative design exhibition, dragon boat contest, wrestling and archery competition are scheduled to occur at the fair.

The opening ceremony of the Third Ordos International Nadam Fair and the First Ordos International Creativity and Culture Conference in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The opening ceremony of the Third Ordos International Nadam Fair.

The opening ceremony of the Third Ordos International Nadam Fair.

The opening ceremony of the Third Ordos International Nadam Fair.

 

[ahojunk]

China's richest man offers solutions to bring Chinese spending back home
By Shi Jing (People's Daily Online) 17:02, August 26, 2016

“Chinese overseas spending is growing by double digits. This is a problem that needs our attention. To change the situation, we not only need tariff reductions and good-quality domestic products, we also need the government to get involved a high level,” said Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group. Wang made the remarks on Aug. 25 at the 10th Wanda Group Annual Commercial Convention.

Wang, the richest man in China, quoted official statistics in his speech, noting that Chinese outbound travel spending amounted to 2.5 trillion yuan, even without the inclusion of expenses for medical treatments and sports. Wang pointed out three important characteristics of Chinese overseas spending: ongoing two-digit growth; overseas shopping, which includes everything from luxuries to daily articles; and emerging consumer sectors, such as overseas physical examinations and medical treatment.

Wang also disclosed that one district government in Seoul, South Korea actually invited him to invest in plastic surgery hospitals for Chinese women by providing cheap land. However, Wang refused, since such an investment would push even more Chinese to consume abroad.

When discussing the reasons behind overseas spending, Wang surmised that price is the most major determinant, followed by quality and brand. He insisted that there are issues in the current pricing system, caused partially by tariffs. Chinese consumers are plagued by concerns over the quality of products in China, so they prefer to buy more secure commodities in foreign countries. The popularity of e-commerce without direct contact makes the situation even worse. In addition, some consumers shopping for luxuries enjoy the feeling that they are buying something they cannot access at home.

Wang proposed three measures to reduce overseas spending. First, professional studies on overseas spending are an urgent priority, such as surveys on market volume, targeted consumers and the impacts on China. Second, the government needs to regulate the market from a high level. For instance, Wang believes that companies intentionally drive up the price of luxury goods in China. Third, Wang hopes to see a media campaign for Chinese products, and for counterfeit and shoddy products to be minimized through stricter quality standards.

 

[Jlaw]

Bad behavior should not be tolerated. Ban these idiots from flying. Cancel their passports.
Other countries should follow China's example and ban their idiots.

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20 tourists ‘blacklisted’ for bad behavior may face flight restrictions
Source:Global Times Published: 2016/8/21 19:53:39 Last Updated: 2016/8/22 6:36:26


China's tourism authorities have introduced tighter rules for Chinese tourists, with 20 rule breakers who failed to observe public order and scenic regulations placed on a new blacklist, the Qianjiang Evening News reported Sunday.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, the blacklisted travelers' bad behavior included quarrelling, fighting, disturbing the peace, climbing on statues and stealing scenic assets.

These tourists will be on the list for three years and their states will be noted on their personal documents that are available to the authorities who may bar them from outbound tours.

The new regulations say that police, customs, immigration officers and other departments are now able to prevent people on the blacklist from taking flights abroad or joining tour groups.

Zhou Yue, a tourist from Beijing, was placed on the blacklist for arbitrarily opening the emergency hatch on a flight from Beijing to Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Three tourists from Southwest China's Sichuan Province were placed on the blacklist for quarreling and fighting with other passengers on a flight from Cambodia to Chengdu, Sichuan and delaying their flight for one hour.

Experts said that the regulations will attempt to safeguard both travel agencies' and tourists' interests, the report said.

Global Times

What about bad tourist behaviour by foreigners in China. What about some PDF posters like Marcus, BBQ77, Jhungary, etc? They should be deny entry to China also.

 

[patero]

There is an interesting shift in the type of Chinese tourist visiting New Zealand. A growing number of FIT tourists (free independent travelers) who travel in small groups of 2-4, and are looking for a more authentic experience than the artificial bubble that tourists in large tour groups experience.

These tourists want to engage more with the countries they visit and people they meet. They spend more time in less traveled areas of the country, particularly the natural environment, and are more willing to try new experiences. They are adaptable, open minded and definitely more understanding and respectful than the coach bus tourists.

This is a sign of not only increasing prosperity in China's middle class, but a growing desire to interact with other nations and cultures.