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

[ahojunk]

I wish him all the best and hope he can challenge Disney.

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China’s Wanda to invest $9.5 billion in tourism, sports park in Jinan city
BY AT EDITOR on AUGUST 27, 2016 in ASIA UNHEDGED, CHINA

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, has signed an agreement to invest 63 billion yuan ($9.45 billion) to build a tourism and sports complex in Jinan city, cinema-to-theme park developer Dalian Wanda Group said in a statement on Friday.

The project, which will have malls, sports facilities, hotels and a theme park, will raise a further challenge to fierce rival Walt Disney Co, which opened a $5.5 billion resort in Shanghai in June.

Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Wanda Group, speaks during an interview in Beijing, China, August 23, 2016. Picture taken August 23, 2016.

Wanda’s Wang has already taken aim at Disney saying the U.S. firm would be no match for his “wolf pack” of parks. He told Reuters in an interview this week that Wanda would look to build at least 20 such complexes in China.

The park in the eastern city of Jinan will be the first Wanda project to have an emphasis on sports, as Chinese firms look to tap into growing interest in areas from football and ice hockey to marathon running. Wang has already invested in football clubs and sports media globally.

Wang told Reuters this week that the domestic tourism sector was growing fast – despite a slowdown in the wider economy – and that it could in the future become a ten trillion yuan market, more that double its current size.

“With the age of high-speed rail and people’s incomes climbing, I think tourism in the future could become the number one industry,” Wang told Reuters.

This year, Wanda broke ground on a 16 billion yuan ($2.44 billion) tourism “city” in southwest China and opened another park in southeastern Nanchang in May.

Work on the Jinan Wanda City is expected to begin in 2017 and open its doors in 2021, Wanda said in the statement.

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan, Matt Miller and Shu Zhang; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

[AndrewJin]

I wish him all the best and hope he can challenge Disney.

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China’s Wanda to invest $9.5 billion in tourism, sports park in Jinan city
BY AT EDITOR on AUGUST 27, 2016 in ASIA UNHEDGED, CHINA

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, has signed an agreement to invest 63 billion yuan ($9.45 billion) to build a tourism and sports complex in Jinan city, cinema-to-theme park developer Dalian Wanda Group said in a statement on Friday.

The project, which will have malls, sports facilities, hotels and a theme park, will raise a further challenge to fierce rival Walt Disney Co, which opened a $5.5 billion resort in Shanghai in June.

View attachment 329448​

Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Wanda Group, speaks during an interview in Beijing, China, August 23, 2016. Picture taken August 23, 2016.

Wanda’s Wang has already taken aim at Disney saying the U.S. firm would be no match for his “wolf pack” of parks. He told Reuters in an interview this week that Wanda would look to build at least 20 such complexes in China.

The park in the eastern city of Jinan will be the first Wanda project to have an emphasis on sports, as Chinese firms look to tap into growing interest in areas from football and ice hockey to marathon running. Wang has already invested in football clubs and sports media globally.

Wang told Reuters this week that the domestic tourism sector was growing fast – despite a slowdown in the wider economy – and that it could in the future become a ten trillion yuan market, more that double its current size.

“With the age of high-speed rail and people’s incomes climbing, I think tourism in the future could become the number one industry,” Wang told Reuters.

This year, Wanda broke ground on a 16 billion yuan ($2.44 billion) tourism “city” in southwest China and opened another park in southeastern Nanchang in May.

Work on the Jinan Wanda City is expected to begin in 2017 and open its doors in 2021, Wanda said in the statement.

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan, Matt Miller and Shu Zhang; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Sport, culture, tourism, health.....golden sectors

 

[ahojunk]

This is certainly one way to boost tourism!
I wonder why 144 hour (6 day) and not 1 week.

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Growth follows 144-hour visa-free policy
2016-09-08 15:17China Daily Editor: Feng Shuang ECNS App Download

A foreign tourist learns to paint on a traditional Chinese fan in Shanghai in July. (Photo/Xinhua)​

A 144-hour visa-free entry policy, which allows greater flexibility for foreigners who come to Shanghai and nearby provinces, has boosted the number of inbound tourists in the Yangtze River Delta.

The Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection said that as of Sept 1, more than 18,000 foreign tourists this year had taken advantage of the policy to enter Shanghai for a short stay - 60 percent more than in 2015.

Since Jan 30, when China enacted the expanded visa-free policy, eligible visitors or businesspeople traveling in the Yangtze River Delta area - Shanghai, Hangzhou or Nanjing - automatically qualify for 144 hours for business or simply to explore the region. Visitors from 51 countries can enjoy the policy, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

In the past, Shanghai and other important mainland tourism destinations only offered a 72-hour visa-free stay for inbound foreign visitors. Travel industry insiders say the average stay of foreign visitors is around 102 hours.

With 144 hours and an enlarged region that includes Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, more foreign tourists will take advantage of the convenience, Mahdavi said."I think it is a useful policy for travelers who pass by Shanghai for a short stop then leave for another country. I've recommended it to some of my friends back in Canada who plan to take a trip to Asia," said Naeim Mahdavi, a Canadian teacher working at the High School Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Industry insiders all attribute the growth to a rebound in inbound tourism in China. In the first half of this year, just under 68 million visits were paid by overseas visitors, a jump of 3.8 percent year-on-year. Visits by foreigners reached 13.47 million, a 9 percent increase.

Liu Simin, vice-president of the tourism branch of the China Society for Futures Studies, said China should take a more active approach in exploring tourism resources in addition to ancient cultural history and natural landscapes.

"Decades have passed, but the most popular tourism destinations haven't changed. We should provide something more besides the Great Wall, the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace," he said. "China is too big for one trip. We should provide a friendly environment so that visitors will come for a second or third trip, and even recommend China to their friends and relatives."

"And this means China needs a new way of introducing itself and a foreign-friendly environment for inbound tourists," he added.

 

[ahojunk]

This is one very good idea!

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Popularization of standard Chinese language stressed
Xinhua, September 12, 2016

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Monday called for more efforts to popularize the standard Chinese language.

Addressing a symposium to mark the 15th anniversary of the Law on Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, Liu said popularizing the standard Chinese language could help boost social and economic development and safeguard national unification and unity among ethnic groups.

The language law, which took effect in 2001, sets Putonghua, or Mandarin, and standardized Chinese characters as the standard spoken and written forms of Chinese and China's official language.

Standard Chinese language should be basically popularized nationwide during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, Liu said, adding that efforts should be improved in ethnic and rural areas.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on the authorities to accelerate the standardization process and help improve the general public's ability to use standard Chinese.

Stronger efforts should be made to boost international communication and showcase the Chinese culture, she added.

 

[ahojunk]

Foreign students wear Hanfu costumes to experience Chinese culture
(People's Daily Online) 13:26, September 09, 2016

Foreign students from Anhui University donned traditional Hanfu costumes on Sept. 8. They also practiced bowing to their teachers like ancient Chinese in advance of China's National Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10. (Photo/CNS)

Foreign students from Anhui University donned traditional Hanfu costumes on Sept. 8. They also practiced bowing to their teachers like ancient Chinese in advance of China's National Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10. (Photo/CNS)

Foreign students from Anhui University donned traditional Hanfu costumes on Sept. 8. They also practiced bowing to their teachers like ancient Chinese in advance of China's National Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10. (Photo/CNS)

Foreign students from Anhui University donned traditional Hanfu costumes on Sept. 8. They also practiced bowing to their teachers like ancient Chinese in advance of China's National Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10. (Photo/CNS)

 

[ahojunk]

Chinese tea bowl sets record price at NY auction
By Bi Nan ( chinadaily.com.cn )
Updated: 2016-09-20 11:29:09

This tenmoku "oil spot" Jian tea bowl set an auction record for a Jian kiln item. [Photo/christies.com]​

A tenmoku "oil spot" Jian tea bowl dating from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) sold for more than $11.7 million at auction Thursday, setting a new world record for a Jian kiln item, during Christie's Asian Art Week in New York. .

The tea bowl, with thick iridescent black glaze suffused with a dense pattern of variegated iridescent "oil spots", has a mouth rim mounted with a metal band. The bowl was owned by the Japanese Kuroda family and auctioned at the sale, The Classic Age of Chinese Ceramics: The Linyushanren Collection, Part II. The auction presented 28 lots from ancient China's most notable kilns, including the Jun, Ding, Yue, Longquan and Jizhou, spanning the centuries from the Five Dynasties (AD 907-960) to the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Jian zhan, or Jian tea cup (bowl) was an imperial tea set used by the royal court. Tea bowls produced by the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279)'s Jian kiln are always regarded as highly precious due to their elegant appearance, innovative craft and rich cultural connotation.

There are only dozens of precious "oil spot" tea bowls left and most are in collections in Japan. According to Peking Times, the tea bowl's buyer is said to be a Chinese collector.

Another highlight of Christie's Asian Art Week, is Collected in America: Chinese Ceramics from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which offered over 400 lots of fine Chinese ceramics ranging from Song Dynasty Jun ware, to blue-and-white porcelains from the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and domestic and export items from the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, didn't perform quite as well.

According to art connoisseur and investment advisor Liang Xiaoxin, the auction lots from the Met's sale are above average quality in a whole, and except for several pieces, like peachbloom-glazed vases from the Kangxi period and several large five-color porcelains, others are below average in quality. "The Chinese porcelains from the Met are almost all from donations, with different qualities and varieties", Liang said.

Tenmoku "oil spot" Jian tea bowl [Photo/christies.com]​

 

[ahojunk]

Int'l Garment and Textile Fair starts in NE China
Xinhua | 2016-09-19 19:25:55 | Editor: Tian Shaohui

A model displays a creation of Chen Wen during the China (Dalian) International Garment and Textile Fair (CIGF) in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 19, 2016. The CIGF started in Dalian on Monday. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

A model displays a creation of Chen Wen during the China (Dalian) International Garment and Textile Fair (CIGF) in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 19, 2016. The CIGF started in Dalian on Monday. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

A model displays a creation of Chen Wen during the China (Dalian) International Garment and Textile Fair (CIGF) in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 19, 2016. The CIGF started in Dalian on Monday. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

A model displays a creation of Chen Wen during the China (Dalian) International Garment and Textile Fair (CIGF) in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 19, 2016. The CIGF started in Dalian on Monday. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

Traditional Chinese orchestra sparkles in Beijing
(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-09-20 11:14


Artists perform original traditional music at the concert. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

A grand traditional orchestra concert was held on Monday at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, and was the first traditional music work created jointly by musicians, writers and historians in the country.

The concert, called "Image•Pure Land" ("Yi Xiang• Jing Tu" in Chinese), was held by the Chinese Conservatory of Music, Jing Wen Hua Classical Music Research Center and Academy of Chinese Traditional Poetry, and was funded by the Chinese National Endowment for the Arts.

The event was to mark the 65th anniversary of the university, attracting audiences from all walks of life.



The concert "Image•Pure Land" is held in Beijing on Monday. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Performer Sun Ying plays Chinese zither at the concert. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Erhu virtuoso Liu Yu (dressed in white) performs at the concert. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]


The conductor Jin Ye performs a section of Peach Blossom Valley. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]



'Guzheng' (a traditional Chinese musical instrument) virtuoso Wang Xie (center) performs at the concert. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]


Here in HK, the all time classic 春江花月夜 (Moonlight over Spring River) (pronounced as "chun-jiang-hua-yue-ye") was played by the HK Chinese Orchestra
http://www.hkco.org/sc/About-Hkco/About-Us.html

This masterpiece has been played numerous times in some great events like in the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and in the recent G20 Cultural Gala Evening in the West Lake, Hangzhou

 

[ahojunk]

China is blessed with such a variety of ethnic culture.
China is the only country that treasures its minorities.
Its minorities have special privileges which do not apply to its majority Han population.
With the exception of Singapore, every other country discriminates against their minorities.

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Traditional Miao wedding held in Chongqing
(People's Daily Online) 13:55, September 21, 2016

A group wedding of several couples belonging to the Miao ethnic minority was held on Sept. 20 in Anzi Miao Village in Pengshui County, Chongqing. (Photo/CNS)

A group wedding of several couples belonging to the Miao ethnic minority was held on Sept. 20 in Anzi Miao Village in Pengshui County, Chongqing. (Photo/CNS)

A group wedding of several couples belonging to the Miao ethnic minority was held on Sept. 20 in Anzi Miao Village in Pengshui County, Chongqing. (Photo/CNS)

A group wedding of several couples belonging to the Miao ethnic minority was held on Sept. 20 in Anzi Miao Village in Pengshui County, Chongqing. (Photo/CNS)

 

[ahojunk]

Nadam Fair kicks off in N China's Inner Mongolia
Source: Xinhua | 2016-09-23 19:04:45 | Editor: An

People sacrifice at an obo (stone pile for offering sacrifices to the gods) during the Nadam Fair at Alxa Highlands in Araxan, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2016. Horse racing, boxing, poetry contest and dress show will be held during the three-day Nadam Fair that kicked off here on Friday. (Xinhua/Kang Wenkui)

Horsemen perform at the opening ceremony of the Nadam Fair at Alxa Highlands in Araxan, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2016. Horse racing, boxing, poetry contest and dress show will be held during the three-day Nadam Fair that kicked off here on Friday. (Xinhua/Kang Wenkui)

Dancers perform at the opening ceremony of the Nadam Fair at Alxa Highlands in Araxan, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2016. Horse racing, boxing, poetry contest and dress show will be held during the three-day Nadam Fair that kicked off here on Friday. (Xinhua/Kang Wenkui)

Horsemen participate in horse racing during the Nadam Fair at Alxa Highlands in Araxan, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2016. Horse racing, boxing, poetry contest and dress show will be held during the three-day Nadam Fair that kicked off here on Friday. (Xinhua/Kang Wenkui)

 

[ahojunk]

Good job! Running courses will help to raise public awareness.

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Disappearing Great Wall runs open course to raise awareness
2016-09-21 15:17 | Ecns.cn | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Part of the Great Wall in China. (File photo/Chinanews.com)​

(ECNS) -- At the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing, an open class was given to pupils from the city's primary schools on September 20, the 10th anniversary of government rules on Great Wall protection.

About 30 percent of the Great Wall, which is made of stones, bricks, stamped earth, wood and other materials, is disappearing due to both natural and human-made causes, said Gu Yucai, deputy administrative head at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Thousands of people in 15 provinces and municipalities have taken part in comprehensive research on the Great Wall over the past five years to discover the true condition of the ancient wonder, according to Gu.

It was noted that the administration has employed more than 3,000 people to patrol the wall and stop further damage.

The overall length of the Great Wall is 21,196 kilometers, but no more than 10 percent is in the good condition seen at internationally known locations such as Badaling, Shanhaiguan and Mutianyu.

Protection of the Great Wall needs joint assistance from society. Beside the 3,000 certificated protectors, everyone, including children and students, can become guardians, Gu said.

The administration will try to mobilize social power towards maintenance and protection work, including offering open courses to raise public awareness.

 

[Shotgunner51]

Sony, Dalian Wanda will collaborate as China-Hollywood partnership continues


Sony Pictures and the Chinese company Dalian Wanda will reportedly be teaming up for various high-profile films. It's the newest development in the relationship between Hollywood and China.

By Molly Driscoll September 23, 2016

Read the article at: http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Cultur...rate-as-China-Hollywood-partnership-continues

 

[ahojunk]

Shaolin Kung Fu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shaolin Kung Fu (少林功夫), also called Shaolin Wushu (少林武術), is among the oldest institutionalized styles of Chinese martial arts. Known in Chinese as Shaolinquan (少林拳) or Shaolin wugong (少林武功), it originated and was developed in the Buddhist Shaolin temple in Henan province, China. During the 1500 years of its development, Shaolin kung fu became one of the largest schools of kung fu. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin.


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20 African apprentices graduate from C China's Shaolin Temple
2016-09-25 11:35 Xinhua Editor:Feng Shuang

African apprentices perform Kungfu at the Shaolin Temple on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City, Central China's Henan province, Sept 23, 2016. A total of twenty apprentices from Africa graduated here on Friday after three-month training programs on Kungfu and Shaolin culture. (Photo/Xinhua)

African apprentices attend the graduation ceremony at the Shaolin Temple on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City, Central China's Henan province, Sept 23, 2016. A total of twenty apprentices from Africa graduated here on Friday after three-month training programs on Kungfu and Shaolin culture.(Photo/Xinhua)

African apprentices celebrate for graduation at the Shaolin Temple on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City, central China's Henan province, Sept 23, 2016. A total of twenty apprentices from Africa graduated here on Friday after three-month training programs on Kungfu and Shaolin culture. (Photo/Xinhua)

African apprentices pose for a group photo during the graduation ceremony at the Shaolin Temple on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng City, Central China's Henan province, Sept 23, 2016. A total of twenty apprentices from Africa graduated here on Friday after three-month training programs on Kungfu and Shaolin culture. (Photo/Xinhua)

 

[ahojunk]

World's oldest wooden pagoda in N China hits Guinness record
2016-09-28 16:47 | Ecns.cn | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, North China's Shanxi Province,
Sept. 10, 2016. (Photo: China News Service/Wei Liang)​

(ECNS) -- A nearly 1,000-year-old wooden pagoda in Yingxian County, North China's Shanxi Province, has been declared the world's tallest wooden pagoda by Guinness World Records.

Wu Xiaohong, a Guinness World Records notary, granted the certificate to Wang Xinjun, director of an agency responsible for the pagoda's protection.

Wu said it is a classic example of ancient Chinese wooden structures and a physical embodiment of Chinese culture and intelligence.

Built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty, the 67.31 meter pagoda is also called the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, the oldest wooden multi-storied structure in the world.

It is as famous as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and Eiffel Tower in Paris.

With 3,000 cubic meters of wood weighing 2,600 tons, the octagonal-shaped pagoda was built with no nail and has withstood earthquakes and survived wars.

 

[ahojunk]

More pictures of this precious wooden treasure.

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World's oldest wooden pagoda under renovation
2016-09-12 10:45 | Ecns.cn | Editor:Yao Lan

A view of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, North China’s Shanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2016. The second and third floors of the pagoda, built completely of timber, are under renovation, but its first floor is still open to visit. The pagoda was constructed in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. Standing 67.31 meters high, it is the only surviving large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings in the world. (Photo: China News Service/Wei Liang)

A view of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, North China’s Shanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2016. The second and third floors of the pagoda, built completely of timber, are under renovation, but its first floor is still open to visit. The pagoda was constructed in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. Standing 67.31 meters high, it is the only surviving large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings in the world. (Photo: China News Service/Wei Liang)

A view of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, North China’s Shanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2016. The second and third floors of the pagoda, built completely of timber, are under renovation, but its first floor is still open to visit. The pagoda was constructed in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. Standing 67.31 meters high, it is the only surviving large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings in the world. (Photo: China News Service/Wei Liang)