Summary: During the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, China experienced a surge in domestic tourism and consumption, with over 1.25 billion cross-regional trips made in the first four days, highlighting the vitality of the Chinese economy. President Xi Jinping's concept of "humanistic economics," emphasizing the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization, is reflected in the integration of culture and tourism, which is driving consumer spending and economic growth. The holiday saw diverse cultural activities and innovative tourism offerings, meeting personalized consumer demands and fostering cultural identity. The domestic market's potential and the rise of cultural consumption are fostering a positive cycle of improved living standards, upgraded consumption, and enhanced economic quality. The holiday also saw a rise in both inbound and outbound tourism, contributing to both domestic consumption and the global economy, with China's commitment to high-level opening-up offering opportunities for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes with other countries.
Summary: Xi Jinping and Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu exchanged congratulatory messages on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Xi emphasized that China and Bangladesh have consistently developed friendly relations based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and that he highly values China-Bangladesh relations and is willing to work with Chuppu to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Chuppu expressed appreciation for China's role in promoting regional peace and stability and thanked China for its long-term support for Bangladesh's sustainable development. Premier Li Qiang and Bangladesh's Chief Advisor of the Interim Government Yunus also exchanged congratulatory messages, with Li stating that China attaches great importance to China-Bangladesh relations. The statements make no specific mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: China's museum sector is thriving, with over 7,000 museums nationwide, most of which are free to the public. These museums are seen as vital for preserving and showcasing Chinese history and culture. The article highlights the innovative approaches museums are taking, including digital technology and creative cultural products, to engage the public and promote cultural confidence. It also notes the increasing international engagement of Chinese museums through exhibitions abroad and collaborations with foreign institutions. This outward reach demonstrates China's confidence in its culture and its willingness to share it with the world.
Summary: Taiyuan Iron and Steel's precision strip steel company is mass-producing 0.015mm "hand-tearable steel," a high-end steel foil, with daily production reaching approximately 3 tons. General Manager Duan Haojie highlighted the increasing domestic demand for high-end steel foil, particularly for use in foldable smartphones, and noted that their products are replacing reliance on imports, even supplying Shanghai Superconducting Technology, which had previously relied on foreign material. Xi Jinping visited the company in 2020 and praised their earlier development of 0.02mm steel. The company's "hand-tearable steel" has seen its output value rise from 500 million yuan to nearly 800 million yuan from 2021 to 2024.
Summary: During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, China experienced a surge in cultural and tourism consumption as people explored ancient cities and integrated travel with sporting events. The article highlights the trend of diverse travel choices for leisure and sightseeing during the holiday period. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the article.
Summary: During the first half of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, China's cross-regional personnel mobility reached a record high of 1.25 billion trips, a 5.7% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Ministry of Transport. Railway, waterway, and civil aviation passenger volumes saw increases of 5.3%, 11.7%, and 5% respectively. Road trips predominated, with private car travel accounting for 80% of trips. The daily average of cross-regional personnel mobility exceeded 310 million trips. First-tier cities and popular tourist destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xi'an were the top choices for travelers.
Summary: China's recent Golden Week holiday saw a surge in domestic consumption, with cross-regional travel reaching 336 million on the first day and box office revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan by the fourth. Local governments are innovating with new consumption models like "low altitude + tourism" and "culture + tourism," while both central and local policies are providing financial support. This vibrant consumer market, fueled by both traditional and emerging industries, signals strong economic resilience and a renewed focus on domestic demand. The article suggests that the growth of this market also reflects a stronger economy.
Summary: During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, a tourist named Zhang Ning drove his family in an electric car from Xi'an to the Hexi Corridor. Zhang expressed satisfaction with the charging infrastructure at the Liangzhou Impression service area in Wuwei, Gansu. He highlighted the convenience and cost-effectiveness of charging his electric vehicle, noting the increasing availability of charging stations along Gansu's highways. Gansu has been expanding its highway service areas, including upgraded facilities such as "driver homes" and medical services. Zhang expressed hope that the charging infrastructure would remain reliable along his journey to Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Jiuquan.
Summary: During holidays, electric vehicle (EV) owners in China still face "range anxiety" and charging station queues, despite the country having the world's largest charging infrastructure network. The surge in EV highway charging during the recent holiday, with a 41.95% year-on-year increase, highlights the growing popularity of EVs for long-distance travel. Addressing this requires both expanding the number of charging stations, especially in underserved areas like highway service areas and rural regions, and improving their geographic distribution. Optimization of services, such as providing real-time charging information and deploying fast-charging technology and mobile charging units during peak times, is also crucial. Solving the charging bottleneck will enhance the EV user experience and further unlock the potential of the EV market.
Summary: Xi Jinping's emphasis on people-centered development has driven China's poverty alleviation and modernization, offering a "Chinese solution" to global inclusive development challenges. The article highlights successes in lifting nearly 100 million rural residents out of poverty and preventing regional economic collapse by optimizing regional development strategies. It also emphasizes accessible education, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship, leading to a large and qualified workforce. Development achievements include a large social security system, accessible healthcare, and increased life expectancy. China's green development, including renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, is presented as a model, with reference to praise from late U.S. academic John Cobb.
Summary: The 14th Gulangyu Piano Art Week in Xiamen featured over 80 events and fostered international cultural exchange with musicians from Russia, Italy, and the UK. Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin became a "Gulangyu Artist-in-Residence" and will participate in concerts in Fuzhou and Xiamen. The Moscow Conservatory and the Brescia Conservatory joined the "Gulangyu International University Cooperation Program." Gulangyu aims to build a high-level international art exchange platform through these initiatives. No mention of the US or US-China relations in the article.
Summary: During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, Luoyang's Old Town in Henan Province launched special cultural tourism activities. Tourists were reported to have enjoyed immersive experiences of the ancient capital's charm, such as the "Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" performance. The article focuses on domestic tourism and does not mention any political figures, the United States, or U.S.-China relations. The accompanying photograph is credited to Huang Zhengwei.
Summary: During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, China experienced a surge in domestic tourism and consumption, with cross-regional travel reaching 1.25 billion trips, a 5.7% year-on-year increase, reflecting the vitality of the Chinese economy and the integration of cultural and economic development. Xi Jinping's concept of "humanistic economics" emphasizes the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization, as exemplified by the blend of culture and technology in tourism offerings, boosting domestic demand and creating new economic opportunities. The holiday period saw increased domestic consumption and tourism, showcasing the potential of China's vast domestic market and its efforts to construct a new development pattern. The article also touches on the increase in both inbound and outbound tourism, with more foreigners visiting China due to expanded visa-free policies, and Chinese tourists contributing to the global tourism market. This is viewed as China promoting high-level opening up and mutual benefit with other nations amid global economic challenges.
Summary: Chinese customs authorities are leveraging "smart customs" initiatives to streamline trade processes and enhance risk management, contributing to a 3.5% year-on-year increase in import-export value for the first eight months of the year. These initiatives include streamlined cargo inspection using AI, resulting in significant time savings. The General Administration of Customs stated that they will coordinate to create a better business environment at ports to facilitate foreign trade.
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Summary: The article highlights foreign social media influencers in China who are sharing their experiences with the world. Argentine Wu Feide is studying and promoting the Shanghai dialect, while Tanzanian Wang Xiaole uses Swahili videos to showcase modern China to African audiences. French teacher Foudil immerses himself in Chinese traditions and modern technology, presenting a vibrant and diverse view of China. Wang Xiaole also participated in the filming of the TV series "Welcome to Mai Le Village," where he served as a Swahili language teacher and African culture consultant, emphasizing China's respect for and support of Africa.
Summary: An article by the dean of the School of Education at Mico University College in Jamaica argues that China's global governance initiative is strategically important for small island developing states like Jamaica. The initiative emphasizes sovereign equality, adherence to international law, multilateralism, and a people-centered approach, addressing issues such as marginalization in climate finance and trade negotiations. The author highlights the importance of rejecting double standards in international law, promoting multilateralism, and addressing the North-South development gap. International cooperation in renewable energy and AI is seen as providing development opportunities, offering alternatives to reliance on fossil fuels.
Summary: Former director of Czech Republic's Šumava National Park, Jiří Mánek, visited China's first five national parks and shared his positive impressions. Mánek, who first came to China in 2023 for a climate change and sustainable development program, lauded China's afforestation efforts, particularly the Saihanba afforestation project, and its shift towards prioritizing ecological civilization. He praised China's "Two Mountains" theory of balancing economic development with environmental protection, emphasizing the integration of this concept across Chinese society. Mánek believes China's approach, where technological development serves the goal of human-nature harmony, offers valuable lessons for the Czech Republic and opens avenues for collaboration.
Summary: Song Tao, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, attended a Mid-Autumn Festival event in Fuzhou co-hosted with Matsu County, alongside KMT Vice Chairman Lien Sheng-wen and over 250 others. Prior to the event, Song expressed that Xi Jinping's speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan was inspiring to all Chinese, including Taiwanese. He emphasized unity against "Taiwan independence" and external interference, promoting cross-strait exchange, and contributing to national rejuvenation. Taiwanese attendees affirmed their commitment to the "1992 Consensus" and opposition to "Taiwan independence," aiming to advance cross-strait relations and national reunification.
Summary: The All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (侨联) held a "Kindred Spirit of China - Gathering in Riyadh" performance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 3rd. The event brought together over 600 overseas Chinese, teachers, students, and employees of Chinese institutions to celebrate the holidays. The "Kindred Spirit of China" art troupe performed various artistic programs including song, dance, acrobatics, and opera. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Iraqi-China Friendship Association Chairman Haider Rubai stated that the ancient Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative connect Iraq and China, emphasizing mutual respect and dialogue between Arab and Chinese civilizations. Rubai, who attended the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries' 70th anniversary in Beijing, believes Iraq should learn from China's development experience. He highlighted the positive impact of Chinese companies on Iraq's economic reconstruction through the BRI and expressed hope for increased Chinese investment and tourism in Iraq. Rubai founded the Iraqi-China Friendship Association in 2018 to promote cultural and economic ties and noted the growing popularity of learning Chinese in Arab countries.
Summary: China's museum sector is thriving, boasting 7,046 registered museums by the end of 2024, with a high percentage offering free admission and receiving 1.49 billion visitors. These museums aim to showcase China's history and culture, contributing to national identity and cultural confidence. They are undergoing reforms to better serve the people, embracing innovation and technology. Chinese museums are also actively engaging internationally through exhibitions and collaborations, promoting cultural exchange and contributing to a shared human future. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: Since the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China has focused on people-centered development, resulting in significant improvements in public services, including education, healthcare, and housing. The country has prioritized employment, creating over 12 million urban jobs annually and expanding vocational training programs. A comprehensive social security system has been established, with high rates of participation in basic pension and medical insurance. The report did not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This short article provides publication details of the edition, including the names of the editors (Cheng Chen and Lü Li) and the layout designer (Zhang Fangman). There is no mention of any political events, statements by officials, or U.S.-China relations in this context.
Summary: For 37 years, villager Tang Chunmei in a remote Jiangxi village has raised the Chinese flag daily, a tradition started by her and her late husband, a former politics teacher, to honor local revolutionary martyrs and instill patriotism. The daily flag-raising ceremony has become a local event, drawing villagers who participate by singing the national anthem. Local Party Secretary Huang Rongrong praised the flag-raising as a form of accessible patriotism, contributing to positive village morale and economic development. The family's dedication to this ritual has inspired villagers, including younger generations who share the story with others and return to participate when they can. The article suggests that this act of patriotism has contributed to the community's sense of unity and its progress towards a better life, a sentiment echoed by villagers and local officials alike, although the United States is never mentioned.
Summary: The founder of the Pingyao International Film Festival reflects on its success in bringing cultural resources to smaller cities and connecting them with the world. The festival aims to be a "meeting point" where tradition meets modernity, China connects with the world, and urban and rural areas embrace. It emphasizes showcasing Asian and Chinese premieres, fostering exchange between Chinese and international filmmakers, and promoting mutual understanding. The 2025 festival theme is "Meeting Point," reflecting a desire to display a spirit of openness, inclusion, mutual understanding, and win-win cooperation. The article makes no mention of the United States or of U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Li Xuemin, a representative inheritor of Hebei Province's intangible cultural heritage of wood-turning, is reviving the 500-year-old craft in Shawo Village. Facing decline due to modern alternatives and outward migration, Li learned the skill from elderly artisans and now teaches it to others, including students. He promotes the craft through museum displays, educational materials, and online videos. Li has also participated in cultural exchange programs in the United States, Cambodia, and Laos to promote the craft. The wood-turning technique was listed in Hebei Province's intangible cultural heritage list in 2019.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to be able to provide a summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: The article highlights how various locations in China celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, emphasizing the integration of traditional customs with modern technology and tourism. In Shanghai, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum offered moon-themed activities, including telescope viewings and VR experiences. In Yichun, Jiangxi, the Mingyue Mountain scenic area held moon-themed events like the "Fire Dragon Chasing the Moon" performance and a Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. Jiexiu, Shanxi, at the Zhangbi Ancient Castle, featured cultural activities such as banquets and light shows against the backdrop of the historic site. There is no discussion of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the article.
Summary: The article discusses the evolving traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival among Chinese youth, highlighting trends like finding "moon-viewing buddies" and innovative ways to celebrate, such as crafting unconventional mooncakes. It emphasizes that while traditions adapt with modern life and technology, they maintain core cultural values like family reunion and appreciation of beauty. The integration of modern trends with traditional customs, such as VR experiences and cultural tourism, not only stimulates consumption but also enriches people's spiritual lives. The article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Archaeological evidence from Yuan Dynasty Beijing suggests the prevalence of the Chang'e (嫦娥) myth. A recovered fragment of lacquerware depicts a two-story pavilion identified as the Guanghan Palace (广寒宫), the moon residence of Chang'e. The architectural style of the Guanghan Palace resembles southern Chinese buildings. The relic demonstrates cultural exchange and integration between northern and southern China during the Yuan Dynasty.
Summary: The article discusses a pair of Qingbai jade ornaments depicting rabbits gazing at the moon, unearthed from the Ming Dynasty Liang Zhuang King's tomb. These artifacts, showcasing the "double rabbit gazing at the moon" motif, reflect the historical association of rabbits with the moon in Chinese culture, dating back to the "Moon Rabbit" theory in the *Chu Ci*. The jade ornaments, featuring layered carving and elements like clouds and lingzhi mushrooms, are noted to represent the aesthetic styles of the Ming Dynasty and serve as important material for studying jade craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. Once you provide the text, I will give you a concise, five-sentence summary tailored for professional analysts of Chinese politics, focusing on key statements, accompanying officials, and any mention of the U.S. or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses the increasing popularity and evolving trends in China's parent-child tourism market, highlighting a shift towards more culturally immersive and experiential activities like museum visits and traditional craft workshops. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring itineraries to children's age and interests, while also raising concerns about uneven service quality and safety issues within the market. To unlock the potential of the market, the article suggests that the tourism providers should increase the supply of high-quality services and products. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will focus on cracking down on illegal and irregular activities in tourism that could affect the experience.
Summary: The article discusses the cultural and economic significance of roujiamo (Chinese-style hamburger) in Shaanxi province, highlighting its diverse regional variations and historical roots as a culinary symbol. Roujiamo has evolved into a standardized and branded industry, with companies like Sheng Tong exporting frozen buns to 21 countries, including the U.S., and chains like Yuan Ji expanding nationwide. Shaanxi province is actively promoting roujiamo as a cultural heritage item. The dish has also gained international popularity, with restaurants opening in cities such as London, Bangkok, and Zaragoza.
Summary: The article discusses the benefits of using hiking poles for outdoor activities such as saving energy, reducing joint stress, and providing stability. It offers guidance on selecting appropriate hiking poles based on factors like material, handle type, and adjustability. The article also provides advice on how to use hiking poles effectively, emphasizing the importance of wrist straps and adjusting pole length for different terrains. Additionally, it provides safety tips for outdoor hiking such as route selection, gear preparation, physical training, climbing techniques, and dealing with altitude sickness. It did not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to accurately provide a five-sentence summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics, focusing on key details such as official statements, accompanying personnel, and any relevance to the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article introduces a special art section titled "Splendid Land, Colorful Answer Sheet," showcasing artwork depicting China's achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan. The paintings portray themes such as technological self-reliance, rural revitalization, coordinated regional development, high-level opening up, and ecological progress. The art aims to allow viewers to directly experience the pulse of China's development and understand the profound changes taking place. The collection intends to artistically present the accomplishments of the era. The article makes no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article provides contact information for the *People's Daily* newspaper. It lists the email address for submissions to the "World Affairs Forum" section of the paper. The page layout was designed by Shen Yiling. There is no information on Chinese politics, official statements, or U.S.-China relations within this brief blurb.
By: 本报记者
Golden autumn, the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival coincide, and during the eight-day holiday, many people embark on a journey to find the "poetry and distance" in their hearts.
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "The integration of culture and tourism has broad prospects. We must promote the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry and truly build it into a pillar industry, a people's livelihood industry, and a happiness industry."
From October 1st to 4th, the cumulative cross-regional personnel flow nationwide was approximately 1.25 billion, an increase of 5.7% year-on-year—the latest data released by the Ministry of Transport, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of "mobile China."
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the prosperous market and booming consumption have become a vivid microcosm of China's economy moving from high-speed growth to high-quality development. The resonance of culture and economy more vividly interprets the humanistic connotation of Chinese-style modernization's coordinated material and spiritual civilization.
The Humanistic Economics in the Double Festival Holiday—
From "Consumption Engine" to "Humanistic Carrier"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has profound thoughts on the mutual promotion of cultural and economic development, and creatively proposed the major proposition of "Humanistic Economics."
Humanistic economics breaks the traditional development logic of "emphasizing material and neglecting spirit" and pursues the synchronous resonance and coordinated development of material and spiritual aspects.
During the holiday, the wonderful scenes of cultural and tourism consumption are a vivid portrayal of humanistic economics.
As the lights come on, Tianjin (天津)'s night is full of vitality. The "T-shaped axis" night scene system with Haihe River (海河) as the horizontal axis and Youyi Road (友谊路) as the vertical axis is full of colorful lights. The "Jin Eye Show" (津眼秀), "Jinmen Show" (津门秀), and "Jinzhong Show" (津钟秀) jointly light up the charming night. This year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, Tianjin (天津) planned and launched more than 500 cultural and tourism activities to create a special cultural and tourism feast and activate the holiday cultural and tourism consumption market.
Spanning thousands of years, the virtual reality movie at the Jining City Museum (济宁市博物馆) in Shandong (山东) makes tourists feel as if they have traveled back to the Tang Dynasty. Wearing a head-mounted display device and entering the experience space, you can "travel together" with Li Bai (李白) on Zhuque Street (朱雀大街) and listen to the heroic recitation of "Bring in the Wine" (将进酒). Rencheng District (任城区) in Jining (济宁) is exploring the historical and cultural resources of Li Bai's (李白) residence here, empowering citizens and tourists with technology to provide a cultural feast.
This National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, more than 12,000 cultural activities will be held across the country. "Culture and Tourism + Technology," "Culture and Tourism + Industry," "Culture and Tourism + Performance," and other diverse, rich, and highly experiential cultural and tourism activities will better meet consumers' personalized and diversified needs.
With the increase in residents' income and the upgrading of consumption concepts, tourism is no longer limited to seeing mountains and rivers. Culture and tourism are moving from "addition" to "integration." Cultural and creative products have set off a national trend, intangible cultural heritage skills are highly sought after, and museums across the country have launched immersive projects such as overnight stays and study tours. Culture is no longer an accessory to tourism but has become a key element driving consumption and empowering the economy.
This transformation is a vivid practice of the humanistic economics concept of investing in people and benefiting the people—development is no longer solely based on GDP but is guided by people's needs, allowing the fruits of growth to be transformed into tangible gains for the people. Distinctive cultural and tourism scenes unfold a new picture of harmonious coexistence between humanity and economy.
The integration of culture and tourism is no longer limited to the purchase of physical objects but also points to emotional resonance and cultural identity—
The "Village Marathon" event in Sandu Shui Autonomous County (三都水族自治县), Guizhou (贵州), connects long table banquets and intangible cultural heritage markets, attracting tourists; the Land Art Festival in Nanhai District (南海区), Foshan (佛山), Guangdong (广东), awakens the countryside with art and becomes a popular check-in point. Cultural IPs transform niche scenes into consumption hotspots, confirming the power of integration of shaping tourism with culture and promoting culture with tourism.
The rise of cultural consumption not only satisfies people's yearning for a better life but also promotes the transformation of cultural resources into development advantages, forming a virtuous cycle of "people's livelihood improvement - consumption upgrade - economic quality improvement."
The integration of culture and tourism is enabling holiday consumption to enter a new stage of "dual strength" in humanity and economy—
People's consumption content is extending from the traditional "eating, lodging, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment" to "health, study, culture, and sports," and the proportion of spiritual consumption such as book exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage classes, and sports events has significantly increased.
When material and spiritual civilizations coordinate and promote each other, they can release strong development momentum, promote high-quality development, and help comprehensive social progress.
The integration of culture and tourism allows holiday consumption to spark more new opportunities in the two-way rush of supply and demand—
Faced with the people's growing demand for quality and diversification, business entities are shifting from passive response to active creation, and high-quality supply further stimulates people's willingness to travel.
Scenic spots use digitalization to achieve reservation and staggered peaks, and smart guides improve the quality of tours; local governments rely on resource endowments to create distinctive IPs, such as Harbin (哈尔滨) ice and snow tourism in Heilongjiang (黑龙江) and Zibo (淄博) barbecue in Shandong (山东), to take a differentiated development path; enterprises explore cross-border integration of "culture and tourism + technology" and "culture and tourism + agriculture" to launch new business formats such as rural complexes. Consumption projects with a stronger cultural flavor, more creativity, and a better experience can better play the comprehensive effect of culture and tourism "one industry prospers, all industries prosper."
The Domestic Big Market in the Double Festival Holiday—
From "Quantitative Accumulation" to "Qualitative Leap"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Building a new development pattern is a preemptive move to grasp the initiative of development" and "The characteristics of a major country's economy are that domestic demand is the mainstay and internal circulation is possible."
During the holiday, from busy roads, bustling scenic spots, and booming restaurants, we can better understand the strategic significance of building a new development pattern as a "preemptive move to grasp the initiative of development." This fully highlights China's potential advantages in resource elements and market size, and interprets the internal stability and long-term growth of the domestic big cycle.
Inside Terminal 2 of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (郑州新郑国际机场), passengers are bustling. In front of the huge national flag, "Taking a photo with the national flag" has become a popular check-in point. The "Bless the Motherland" message wall is filled with patriotic feelings, and the special market offers "aviation + cultural tourism" preferential products, adding a lot of ritual to the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday trip.
"On the first day of the holiday, the number of flights was 697, an increase of 6.25% compared with the same period last year. The total number of passengers during the entire holiday is expected to reach 754,000, which is expected to hit a record high," said the relevant person in charge of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (郑州新郑国际机场).
Domestic demand is the main driving force and anchor of economic growth, and consumption plays a fundamental role in economic growth. In the first eight months of this year, China's total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 32 trillion yuan. In the past four years, China's final consumption has contributed an average of 56.2% to China's economic growth.
This holiday, new consumption scenarios, new demands, and new experiences are becoming increasingly diverse. Service consumption, green consumption, digital consumption, and silver-haired consumption have broad space. The profound potential of China's super-large-scale market will continue to be released, and the main engine of consumption will be stronger.
Busy traffic shows consumption vitality—
On the eve of the holiday, the Xiangyang (襄阳) to Jingmen (荆门) high-speed railway in Hubei (湖北) was opened for operation, the Ruijin (瑞金) Airport in Ganzhou (赣州), Jiangxi (江西) was officially opened to air traffic, and the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge (花江峡谷大桥) in Guizhou (贵州) was completed and opened to traffic. Many major transportation projects have been put into use one after another, providing new options for travel during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
Data from the Ministry of Transport show that the total cross-regional personnel flow in the whole society during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays will reach 2.36 billion, an increase of about 3.2% compared with the same period last year. On October 1, the cross-regional personnel flow in the whole society was 335,788,400.
The well-connected transportation network meets people's travel needs, and the strong travel demand also promotes the further improvement of the transportation network. We have built the world's largest high-speed railway network, expressway network, and postal express network. World-class port clusters and airport clusters have been basically completed, and more than 500,000 administrative villages have all been connected to hardened roads. China's roads, China's bridges, and China's ports have become bright business cards that enjoy a worldwide reputation, providing a more solid hardware support for building a new development pattern and building a unified national market.
Rich scenes drive travel enthusiasm—
From October 3rd to 5th, "Xiang Chao" (湘超) continued. Yueyang (岳阳), Xiangtan (湘潭), Loudi (娄底) and other places in Hunan (湖南) took advantage of the situation to launch cultural tourism gift packages such as free tours of scenic spots and accommodation discounts for spectators with ticket stubs, stimulating the leverage effect of "sports events + tourism" and turning the viewing traffic into consumption "retention."
Looking at various places, the momentum of passenger travel is accelerating into the potential for consumption growth. Tongcheng data shows that during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, users' spending on booking domestic long-distance products increased by more than 20% year-on-year. Meituan data shows that immersive complexes integrating culture, history, leisure, entertainment, and experience promote new consumption demands, and the popularity of package bookings with multiple scenarios superimposed increased by more than 20% year-on-year.
Accelerated reform escorts market prosperity—
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, traffic on the central highway in Qiongzhong (琼中), Hainan (海南) was like weaving, and the 47 new energy charging piles in the Qiongzhong Service Area were "fully occupied." "This is a 600-kilowatt super charging pile, and the experience is great. It takes less than half an hour from plugging in to fully charging the car," said Mr. Ma, a self-driving tourist. This electricity is likely to come from wind power in Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), 3,000 kilometers away.
How can the electricity in the north drive the cars on Qiong Island (琼岛)? Behind this is a set of cross-regional market-based trading systems—recently, Guangzhou Power Exchange Center (广州电力交易中心) and Beijing Power Exchange Center (北京电力交易中心) jointly successfully organized the Mengxi (蒙西) to Hainan (海南) "network-to-network" electricity energy transaction, with a transaction volume of about 7 million kilowatt-hours. "This transaction realizes the optimal allocation of power resources nationwide," said Chen Wei (陈玮), deputy general manager of Guangzhou Power Exchange Center (广州电力交易中心).
The thousand-mile journey of one kilowatt-hour of electricity witnesses the increasingly improved system and rules of the unified big market. From the accelerated improvement of the construction of a unified national electricity market to holding social security cards for "one card access" to take cross-provincial buses and visit exhibition halls, market interconnection and interoperability are constantly strengthened, and the flow of factor resources is smoother.
Continuing to break down local protectionism and market segmentation, and unclogging the blockages that restrict economic circulation will promote the formation of a higher-level dynamic balance between supply and demand, providing a strong guarantee for the prosperity of the holiday market.
New Economic Opportunities in the Double Festival Holiday—
From "Transformation and Upgrade" to "Mutual Benefit and Win-Win"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The integration of culture and tourism promotes economic development, and the cultural and tourism industry must take a path of sustainable and healthy development."
The holiday cultural and tourism market is an important window to observe the economy and a mirror to reflect the quality of economic development. With technology leading, technology empowering, and opening up helping, China's cultural and tourism industry is increasingly becoming an emerging strategic pillar industry and a people's livelihood industry and happiness industry with significant characteristics of the times, and is constantly taking new steps in high-quality development.
Developing new quality productive forces, the cultural and tourism industry is accelerating transformation and upgrading—
This National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (西昌卫星发射中心) in Sichuan (四川) opened satellite launch viewing; the China Science and Technology Museum (中国科学技术馆) in Beijing (北京) held a National Day special exhibition and launched MR (mixed reality) immersive art experience projects. With the deep embedding of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and other technologies in the cultural and tourism field, both the scheduling of scenic spot resources and consumers' tourism decisions are more convenient. The innovative application of new quality productive forces in the cultural and tourism field promotes the all-round transformation of the cultural and tourism industry chain.
Many scenic spots use automated tour guide systems, congestion warnings, artificial intelligence prediction to avoid peaks, and other technologies to provide tourists with real-time information reference, alleviating the problems of insufficient service supply and low scheduling efficiency in popular scenic spots during holidays. More and more consumers use artificial intelligence to make travel guides and compare prices on platforms, which significantly improves decision-making efficiency and quality.
The deep integration of technology and culture and tourism reshapes the value chain of the cultural and tourism industry—
Guangxi (广西) uses AI to design the "Liu Sanjie" (刘三姐) IP image and launch a series of peripheral products; the digital products derived from the "Tang Palace Night Banquet" (唐宫夜宴) created by Henan (河南) are praised by consumers. The application of new technologies and the emergence of new business formats promote the rise of the IP economy and extend the cultural and tourism industry chain. The digital development of cultural and museum resources and intangible cultural heritage elements in various places realizes the efficient aggregation of cultural resources, and the multiplier effect of cultural and tourism consumption is more prominent.
Technology intertwines with poetry, making the cultural and tourism consumption experience richer. Opening the transcript of the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's cultural and tourism industry is developing vigorously. In the first half of this year, the total retail sales of consumer goods in the whole society increased by 5% year-on-year, of which service retail sales increased by 5.3% year-on-year, and the demand for cultural entertainment, tourism, and leisure continued to expand.
High-level opening up, the inbound and outbound tourism market is heating up—
China has a super-large-scale market of more than 1.4 billion people. The National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays are a window period for the concentrated release of cultural and tourism consumption potential. The flow of people drives the full surge of logistics, information flow, and capital flow, promoting the heating up of the inbound and outbound tourism market, which not only boosts domestic consumption but also transmits "Oriental warmth" to world economic growth.
Foreigners "come in." Feel the profound historical heritage in Beijing (北京) and Xi'an (西安); experience the urban landscape full of technology in Shanghai (上海) and Chongqing (重庆). During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, with the expansion of the visa-free "circle of friends," more and more foreign tourists are traveling deeply in China.
The latest data from the National Immigration Administration shows that from January to August this year, national border inspection agencies inspected a total of 460 million inbound and outbound personnel, including 51.268 million foreigners, an increase of 27.8% year-on-year, and 15.89 million foreigners entered the country visa-free, an increase of 52.1% year-on-year. From orderly expanding the scope of unilateral visa-free countries to optimizing and improving regional visa-free policies to implementing "buy and refund immediately" for departure tax refunds, more and more foreigners are coming to China, and "China travel" and "China shopping" have become new fashions.
Chinese people "go out." Relevant tourism platform data shows that during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the number of outbound travel bookings increased by more than 30% year-on-year. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other countries have become popular outbound travel destinations during the holiday. According to the National Immigration Administration's forecast, the average daily number of inbound and outbound passengers during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays will exceed 2 million. Chinese tourists will contribute more vitality to the global cultural and tourism consumption market during this holiday.
China's big market, the world's big opportunity, the steady and long-term voyage of China's economic ship can always inject more positive energy and certainty into the world economy.
When unilateralism and protectionism continue to rise, China's policy stability and long-term planning for promoting high-level opening up are more precious. Practice has proved that by leveraging the potential of domestic demand, making the domestic market and the international market better connected, and attracting global resource elements with the domestic big cycle, it is conducive to better utilizing the two markets and two resources at home and abroad, better striving for strategic initiative in open development, and achieving "common development" and "mutual benefit and win-win" with countries around the world.
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During the holiday, we are on the road. There are scenery and feelings on the road, "Let people appreciate the beauty of culture and cultivate the beauty of the soul while appreciating the beauty of nature."
On the new journey, we are on the road. There are expectations and challenges on the road, "Expectations and challenges inspire us to seize the day and never slacken our fighting spirit."
(Reporters Du Haitao (杜海涛), Wang Ke (王珂), Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕), Wang Donghui (王东辉) of this newspaper)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 4th. On October 4th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) and Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu exchanged congratulatory messages to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh.
Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that China and Bangladesh are traditional friendly neighbors with a long history of exchanges. Over the past half-century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, no matter how the international and regional situation has changed, the two sides have always developed friendly relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, setting a model of mutual respect, equal treatment, and win-win cooperation between countries. In recent years, China-Bangladesh political mutual trust has continued to consolidate, high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and practical cooperation in various fields have continued to expand, and the comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to deepen.
Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Bangladesh relations and is willing to work with President Chuppu to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to promote traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote common development, better benefit the two peoples, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.
Chuppu said that over the past 50 years, Bangladesh and China have jointly forged a deep friendship on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust, and lasting cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Bangladesh highly appreciates China's important role in promoting regional peace, stability, and common prosperity, and thanks China for its long-term valuable support for Bangladesh's sustainable development. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the leaders and people of the two countries, cooperation between the two countries will be more fruitful.
On the same day, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) and Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh, exchanged congratulatory messages. Li Qiang (李强) said that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Bangladesh relations and is willing to work with Bangladesh to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to accelerate the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and cooperation in various fields, and promote the continuous development of the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic partnership.
Yunus said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China 50 years ago, the friendship between the two peoples has grown stronger, the relations between the two countries have developed steadily, and bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results, which is worth celebrating. Bangladesh is committed to promoting the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve more results.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 杨 暄 陈圆圆 董映雪
Today's China has seen its museum sector enter its best development period in history.
By the end of 2024, the number of registered museums nationwide reached 7,046, an increase of more than 330 times since the founding of the People's Republic of China; 91.46% of museums are open to the public for free, receiving 1.49 billion visitors in 2024, equivalent to more than one "check-in" per Chinese person on average.
Museums are the halls that safeguard human civilization and the bridges connecting the past, present, and future.
In 1905, China built its first public museum, the Nantong Museum (南通博物苑); today, the "thousands of museums with thousands of colors" across the land have become a forest.
The Palace Museum (故宫博物院), which is celebrating its 100th birthday, recently launched major exhibitions such as "Centennial Guardianship: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum." The centenarian museum is still in its prime.
Over the past 120 years, especially with the gentle breeze of the new era, three "unprecedented" phenomena have clearly emerged: unprecedented efforts in protection and inheritance, unprecedented public enthusiasm for participation, and unprecedented speed of innovation and iteration. China's museum sector is showing an unprecedentedly prosperous scene, full of vitality and dazzling brilliance.
It is not only a leap in quantity but also a profound transformation in concepts, technologies, formats, and services. Through the innovative evolution of museums, we can perceive the vigorous momentum of the cultural sector's growth and reflect the brilliant splendor of a major country's cultural confidence and self-improvement.
Looking at the civilization's heritage carried by museums under the historical coordinates:
"If we do not understand China from the long-standing historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, it is impossible to understand modern China, and it is even more impossible to understand future China."
Museums are a vivid annotation to this continuity.
"Haonan Garden is lush and verdant, with scenery as new as the years." 120 years ago, patriotic industrialist and educator Zhang Jian (张謇) founded the Nantong Museum (南通博物苑), breaking the tradition of only royal and private gardens in China for thousands of years and establishing the prototype of China's modern museum integrating collection, research, and education.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the museum sector developed rapidly, becoming an important carrier for displaying national history and凝聚民族认同 (níng jù mín zú rèn tóng - "cohesion nation identity," to strengthen national identity). The support behind it is the inherent profound heritage of Chinese civilization.
Strolling through more than 7,000 museums is like walking through an epic corridor of millions of years of human history, ten thousand years of cultural history, and five thousand years of civilization history:
The Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆) writes: The stars change, and the universe shifts; Chinese civilization, with jade sounds and golden voices. The Sanxingdui Museum (三星堆博物馆) writes: Sleeping for thousands of years, awakening to amaze the world. The Beijing Museum of Natural History (北京自然博物馆) writes: If the history of the earth is compared to one day, dinosaurs lived for 52 minutes, while humans only lived for 9.4 seconds.
Extensive knowledge of natural history, understanding of ancient and modern times, the long river of history converges, flows deep, and surges here.
"Various museums in China are not only the preservers and recorders of Chinese history but also the witnesses and participants of the contemporary Chinese people's struggle to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
In the new era, the project to trace the origins of Chinese civilization continues to advance, and the major project of "Archaeological China" is fully launched. The national treasures are transformed into exhibition objects as witnesses. The continuously polished spiritual symbols of Chinese civilization inject a deep and lasting force into the cultural confidence of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.
Looking at the pulse of the times in museums under the contemporary coordinates:
"Every civilization continues the spiritual bloodline of a country and a nation, which not only needs to be passed on from generation to generation but also needs to keep pace with the times and be courageous in innovation."
In the Henan Museum (河南博物院), the laughter of children and the ethereal sound of the 8,000-year-old Jiahu bone flute "symphonize across time and space." This year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays welcomed more visitors.
Prosperity lies in embracing and illuminating the spiritual needs of the people accurately and precisely. Extending opening hours, enriching exhibitions, and providing research services... From a "solemn hall" lightly stepping into a "life show," the constantly extending "cultural radius" of museums has more warm scenes of mutual奔赴 (bēn fù - "rush to," to move towards a common goal) with the people.
"Reform for the people is the only way reform has meaning."
Reform is the powerful engine of this profound transformation. "By 2025, a museum sector development pattern with reasonable layout, optimized structure, distinctive features, improved system, and complete functions will be formed." The "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Reform and Development of Museums" issued in 2021 will help accelerate the development of museums.
Looking at the city, the old site of Chongqing Iron and Steel (重庆重钢) Prototype Steel Plant, the old factory building "transformed" into an industrial museum, writing the "living" industrial history;
Looking at the countryside, in the black soil of Changchun (长春), Jilin (吉林), the Xinjia Village Golden Corn Museum (信家村黄金玉米博物馆) "grows," recording the simple texture of rural farming.
"Thousands of museums with thousands of colors," each showing its brilliance, each being beautiful in its own way. More and more people are falling in love with museums and the new fashion of "museum +".
100 years ago, on the first day the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) opened its doors to the public, visitors lined up in long queues; today, the new fashion of cultural tourism integration, such as "spending holidays in museums" and "going to a city for a museum," has spawned new urban cultural cards.
"Bring the national treasure home." The "top-notch" phoenix crown refrigerator magnets of the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆) have sold more than one million pieces, and the caisson ceiling refrigerator magnets of the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum (北京古代建筑博物馆) are in short supply. As an extension of museum displays and social education, cultural and creative products build a bridge between museums and the public, promoting the organic integration of historical context and daily life.
Technological innovation is for more protection achievements to be shared by the people.
In the 1960s, the murals in Cave 161 of the Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) began to flake off like snowflakes. Restorer Li Yunhe (李云鹤) restored 0.1 square meters every day, and it took two full years to finally bring the cave back to life; today, the Dunhuang Research Academy (敦煌研究院) team uses digital technology to "revive" the Mogao Grottoes murals in the cloud, making the millennium treasures "digitally immortal."
"We must continue to hold the excellent traditional culture passed down by our ancestors in our hands, keep pace with the times, and carry it forward."
In creative transformation and innovative development, museums are becoming "alive" and "trendy."
Looking at the confident posture of Chinese museums going overseas under the global coordinates:
"Today, when the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, the inclusive coexistence and mutual learning of different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization process of human society and the prosperity of the world's civilization garden."
Looking at a confident, open, and world-embracing oriental model. In 2024, the "China · Tang" special exhibition grandly opened at the Guimet Museum (吉美国立亚洲艺术博物馆) in France. More than 200 pieces (sets) of oriental treasures tell the story of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
Go to a "civilization appointment" that travels through thousands of years and spans thousands of miles. In the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆), the "Top of the Pyramids: Great Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization" has set off a phenomenal craze with more than 2.77 million visitors.
From "looking at each other" to "dialogue," Chinese museums not only focus on their own development and serving the people but also embrace the world with a calm, confident, open, and inclusive attitude, playing a magnificent movement together.
"The beauty of harmony lies in combining differences." From joining the International Council of Museums (国际博物馆协会) in 1983 to successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference and the annual meeting of the Museology Committee; from the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆) becoming an "international cultural property refuge" to holding more than 100 inbound and outbound cultural relic exhibitions throughout 2024... The concept and role are continuously renewed.
This temperament is gentle and broad. The calmness of "looking at the world equally" stems from the profound heritage given by the 5,000-year-old civilization and blooms with the cultural confidence and open mind that burst forth in the new era. Connecting China and foreign countries and communicating hearts, Chinese museums are contributing unique oriental wisdom and accumulated cultural power to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Only by standing on a high place can we see far. Only by fully stimulating innovation and creativity through reform and opening up and promoting the high-quality development of museums can we better respond to the call of the times and better meet the people's growing needs for a better life.
Drawing wisdom from the historical depth, revitalizing new vitality in the pulse of the new era, and expanding the pattern in the integration of civilizations - collecting today for tomorrow. Under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China's museum sector has made epic progress, injecting more surging momentum into building a strong socialist cultural country and promoting Chinese-style modernization.
On the magnificent long scroll, the great river is surging endlessly, guarding the roots of the great civilization and illuminating the bright future.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 郑洋洋
On the afternoon of October 4th, the workshop of Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Precision Strip Steel Co., Ltd. (山西太钢不锈钢精密带钢有限公司) was operating at full capacity. Inside the workshop, rolls of "hand-tear steel," as thin as cicada wings and as smooth as a mirror, were automatically produced through steps such as rolling, cleaning, brightening, tension leveling, slitting, and packaging.
"This year, our thinnest 'hand-tear steel' has been mass-produced," said Duan Haojie (段浩杰), the company's general manager, holding a piece of steel foil 0.015 mm thick. "This batch is being sent to Shanghai (上海). In recent years, the demand for high-end steel foil has been increasing. I haven't had a holiday for several consecutive National Day holidays; I have to keep an eye on production and research and development."
"Hand-tear steel" is the "pearl on the crown" of the stainless steel and even the steel industry. Chinese enterprises have already摘得这颗明珠 (zhāi dé zhè kē míngzhū - "picked this pearl," meaning achieved this goal) through scientific research.
In May 2020, when General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) inspected the precision strip steel company in Shanxi (山西), he praised the company's 0.02 mm "hand-tear steel," saying it was "**百炼钢做成了绕指柔**" (bǎi liàn gāng zuò chéng le rào zhǐ róu - "hundred-refined steel made into finger-soft," extremely hard steel has been made extremely flexible) and encouraged the employees to "continuously scale new heights in technological innovation in high-end manufacturing."
Remembering the entrustment and striving to climb again. From 0.02 mm to 0.015 mm, from research and development to production and then to mass production, the precision strip steel company continues to write the industrial legend from "hundred-refined steel" to "finger-soft."
Gears are spinning, and machines are roaring. In front of the bright machine unit in the production workshop, strips of steel foil are slowly conveyed into the high-temperature annealing furnace along with the uncoiler. "Our 'hand-tear steel' has a daily output of about 3 tons, and the price of the highest-end products is comparable to gold," said Duan Haojie (段浩杰).
The uncoiler in front of us is transporting pieces of steel foil, supplying to leading domestic mobile phone manufacturers. "Almost all the key materials in the popular folding screen mobile phones on the market now contain our products," Duan Haojie (段浩杰) introduced. It is because of the "hand-tear steel" that is thinner than paper that the folding screen can withstand hundreds of thousands of uses without deformation or fracture.
From 2021 to 2024, the company's "hand-tear steel" output value increased from 500 million yuan to nearly 800 million yuan.
Many people may not realize that the application of "hand-tear steel" is actually around us. "The shrapnel in the volume buttons of mobile phones, the molds for flexible solar modules, and the base materials for maglev train cables are all inseparable from it," said Duan Haojie (段浩杰).
Shanghai Superconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (上海超导科技有限公司) used to rely on imported ultra-thin steel for a long time, but now it has taken the initiative to seek cooperation. Duan Haojie (段浩杰) introduced: "Last year, we supplied more than 10 tons to Shanghai Superconductor (上海超导), and it is expected to reach the 100-ton level in the future."
In the past 5 years, the "hand-tear steel" research and development team has continuously made breakthroughs, and a batch of "high-precision, sophisticated, and specialized" products have entered the market. "Hand-tear steel" has not only achieved domestic substitution, but also has globally leading performance, and the average price has also dropped from the import price of 3 million yuan/ton to 1 million yuan/ton.
"Progress and achievements belong to the past, and there is still a long way to go in the future. There are more peaks in Chinese manufacturing waiting for us to climb," said Duan Haojie (段浩杰), standing in front of the honor wall full of medals and certificates.
Return to TopWandering through the ancient city's market, embarking on a 说走就走 (shuō zǒu jiù zǒu - "say go then go," to take off on a trip without prior planning) journey following a sporting event... During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, cultural and tourism consumption continued to rise, with people choosing various ways to travel, enjoy the scenery, relax, and unwind.
Return to TopThis newspaper Beijing (北京) October 4th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)) On October 4th, the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays are halfway over. A reporter learned from the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) that in the first half of the 2025 National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the national cross-regional personnel flow reached a new historical high, accumulating approximately 1.25 billion person-times, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period last year.
Looking at the modes of transportation, the cumulative passenger volume of railways, waterways, and civil aviation is expected to be 78.78 million person-times, 6.81 million person-times, and 9.62 million person-times, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 5.3%, 11.7%, and 5%, respectively. The cumulative highway personnel flow (including the number of non-commercial passenger car trips on expressways and ordinary national and provincial highways, and the volume of commercial highway passenger transport) is expected to be 1.153 billion person-times, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%.
"In the first half of the holiday, the average daily value of cross-regional personnel flow exceeded 310 million person-times, demonstrating strong travel vitality." The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) introduced that from the perspective of travel structure, highway travel still occupies a dominant position, of which the proportion of self-driving travel is as high as 80%, becoming the public's first choice for travel. Didi (滴滴) data shows that the number of intercity taxi orders during the holiday increased by 51% compared to the previous period. From the perspective of time distribution, the first day of the holiday ushered in the peak of travel, with the cross-regional personnel flow reaching 336 million person-times, breaking the historical record for the same period.
From a regional distribution perspective, first-tier cities such as Beijing (北京), Shanghai (上海), Guangzhou (广州), and Shenzhen (深圳), as well as popular tourist cities such as Chengdu (成都) and Xi'an (西安), are still the public's first choice for holiday travel. The number of cities with an average daily travel of more than 5 million people reached 4 (Guangzhou (广州), Chengdu (成都), Beijing (北京), Shenzhen (深圳)).
Return to TopBy: 尹双红
The first day of the holiday saw 336 million cross-regional personnel movements; on the fourth day of the holiday, the National Day film box office exceeded 1 billion yuan; in smart home stores, customer traffic increased significantly compared to usual... This National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday saw a booming consumer market, becoming a window for observing China's economy.
New supply creates new demand. Chongqing launched a "hot pot special train" (火锅专列), Pinghu (平湖) in Zhejiang (浙江) lit up the city with "watermelon lanterns," and at Laoniu Bay (老牛湾) in Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), one could take a "flight" to tour the area. Various regions are leveraging new models such as "low-altitude +," "culture +," "sports event +," and "technology +," enriching new scenarios, nurturing new business forms, and continuously unlocking new consumer experiences. At the same time, from the central to local levels, policies are delivering a "combination punch," with real money "dripping" into consumption, playing the role of 四两拨千斤 (sì liǎng bō qiān jīn - "four ounces deflect a thousand pounds," using minimal force to achieve a significant result).
Consumer vitality reflects the confidence in development. In the hot scene of holiday consumption, there are "new branches on old trees" in traditional industries, as well as the booming development of emerging industries. New growth points in the domestic demand market continue to emerge, behind which are countless enterprises strengthening, extending, and supplementing the industrial chain, and industrial upgrading is taking new steps.
Stimulating consumption potential, further smoothing economic circulation, and the main engine of economic growth is surging with power.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 宋朝军
"Charging..." Hearing the prompt, and confirming the screen data, tourist Zhang Ning (张宁) and his family went to the service area lobby to rest.
Like Zhang Ning (张宁), many people stopped to charge their vehicles at the "Liangzhou Impression (凉州印象)" themed service area in Wuwei (武威), Gansu (甘肃). Rows of charging piles were providing "supplies" to various types of new energy vehicles.
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, Zhang Ning (张宁) took his wife and two children from Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西), and drove his new energy vehicle to the Hexi Corridor (河西走廊) for tourism. The "Liangzhou Impression (凉州印象)" themed service area in Wuwei (武威) surprised him: "It has a strong cultural flavor and is convenient for charging!"
Zhang Ning (张宁) planned to start from Xi'an (西安), first to Lanzhou (兰州), then through Wuwei (武威), Zhangye (张掖), Jiayuguan (嘉峪关) to Jiuquan (酒泉), and finally to Dunhuang (敦煌) city under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan (酒泉), a total highway distance of about 1,600 kilometers.
Before departure, Zhang Ning (张宁) was slightly worried - could the basic guarantees such as charging facilities, road condition reminders, and service areas keep up?
Zhang Ning's (张宁) worries were not without reason. Every National Day holiday, the Hexi Corridor (河西走廊) is a popular tourist destination. It extends from the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains (祁连山) to the Gobi Desert, with a total length of about 1,000 kilometers. Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park (张掖七彩丹霞), Jiayuguan (嘉峪关) Fortress, Mogao Caves (莫高窟), and Mingsha Mountain (鸣沙山) are all in this area.
Among many concerns, the primary one was charging.
"Before coming, I checked the online guides and found that some people even taught how to 'seize' charging spots in time." Zhang Ning (张宁) recalled that he had been to Gansu (甘肃) three years ago, and at that time, there were relatively few charging facilities on the road.
This time, Zhang Ning (张宁) breathed a sigh of relief. Before departure, he saw a "travel guide" on the "Gansu Expressway (甘肃高速)" official account. Before even arriving at the service area, Zhang Ning's (张宁) wife opened the mini-program recommended in the guide to check - where the charging piles were, what type of charging they offered, how many there were, and their usage status were all available. As soon as he drove into the Wuwei (武威) service area, Zhang Ning (张宁) saw densely packed charging piles, covering different brands and types, with both fast charging and liquid-cooled supercharging. According to the prompts, he found a fast charging spot, parked, and inserted the charging gun.
"The mini-program can display the status in real time, which is efficient and reassuring for us." Zhang Ning (张宁) said that his new energy vehicle's battery capacity is 80 kilowatt-hours. It took more than 40 minutes to fast charge from 16% remaining power to full, and if liquid-cooled supercharging was used, the time could be shortened to about 20 minutes.
The family came back after dinner, and the battery was almost fully charged. "It only cost 60 yuan." Zhang Ning (张宁) contentedly calculated the cost, saying that for the same distance, the electricity cost of a new energy vehicle is less than 30% of the fuel cost of a gasoline car.
In recent years, Gansu (甘肃) has continuously densified the charging infrastructure network on expressways, establishing nearly 200 charging and battery swapping stations in expressway service areas throughout the province, setting up nearly 1,000 charging piles, which can serve more than 1,800 charging spots simultaneously.
In addition to the low energy consumption cost, Zhang Ning (张宁) and his family also value other advantages of new energy vehicles. Relatively speaking, the new models of new energy vehicles released in recent years are not only larger in space and more stable in chassis, but also very attractive in terms of seat comfort, vehicle appearance, and entertainment.
Next, Zhang Ning (张宁) and his family will continue to Zhangye (张掖), Jiayuguan (嘉峪关), Jiuquan (酒泉) and other places. "Charging in the service area is convenient and the service is thoughtful. The temperature at the destination ahead is slightly lower and the power consumption is faster, so I hope everything goes smoothly." Zhang Ning (张宁) said.
In addition to charging, what about the driving and rest services on the expressway?
When entering and exiting the expressway, toll station staff enthusiastically give directions; in the navigation software, Gansu (甘肃) traffic police provide real-time reminders of key road conditions; upon entering the service area lobby, staff and volunteers actively help. "For out-of-town tourists who don't often travel this route, these reminders and assistance are both considerate and timely." Zhang Ning (张宁) was very pleased.
Since last year, Gansu (甘肃) has accelerated the promotion of the transformation and upgrading of expressway service areas throughout the province to multi-format comprehensive types. Along the nearly 8,000 kilometers of Gansu's (甘肃) expressways (first-class highways), the local government has established nearly 100 pairs of service areas, equipped with nearly 90 standardized "Driver Homes," and built 15 "Expressway Medical Consortia" to enhance the experience of drivers and passengers.
Return to TopBy: 吕 莉
In recent years, the "range anxiety" of new energy vehicle owners has become a topic of discussion every holiday. In the past two days, some car owners have complained about waiting in line to charge at highway service areas, and after waking up from a nap, they still haven't reached the front of the line.
China has built the world's largest charging infrastructure system with the widest coverage. Why does the situation of queuing for charging still exist during holidays?
This is truly a "growing pain." On October 1st, the charging volume of new energy vehicles on highways increased by 41.95% year-on-year, setting a new historical high. It is precisely because of the overall improvement in the range of new car models and the continuous improvement of the charging pile network that more and more people are choosing to drive new energy vehicles for long-distance travel. How to solve this problem while continuing to grow?
Continue to build new charging piles and promote balanced distribution. In urban environments, the daily charging needs of new energy vehicle owners are basically met. However, in some highway service areas, scenic spots, and rural areas, problems such as insufficient number of charging facilities and uneven distribution are relatively prominent, especially during holidays when charging "congestion" is prone to occur. Therefore, it is necessary to rapidly increase the number of charging facilities and promote their balanced distribution between regions and between urban and rural areas.
In addition, it is more important to strengthen management and optimize services. Some places have developed mini-programs to provide car owners with charging information inquiry services; some places have promoted the popularization of fast charging technology, and added fast charging piles and battery swapping stations in scenic spots with large demand, effectively shortening the charging and battery swapping time; many highway charging points predict peak charging periods and add mobile charging facilities as needed... To solve the "charging difficulty," more effort is needed in refined management.
Overcoming "range anxiety" is a key link in improving the travel experience of car owners. With the continuous improvement of the charging infrastructure system, the consumption potential of new energy vehicles will continue to be released, better supporting the development of related industries.
Return to TopBy: 钟才文
Development is the common pursuit of the entire world, and achieving shared development outcomes is a common challenge faced by all countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has profoundly grasped the general trend of human development, clearly put forward the people-centered development thought, led the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country to resolutely win the battle against poverty, comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and steadily promote common prosperity and green development in the process of Chinese-style modernization, providing Chinese solutions and contributing Chinese wisdom to global inclusive development.
Leaving no one behind. Development always has a sequence, it is impossible to proceed in lockstep, and some people will always lag behind due to various factors such as ability and luck. Faced with this seemingly natural process, we did not choose to selectively ignore it like some countries, but firmly extended a helping hand. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the personal planning, leadership, and command of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), 98.99 million rural impoverished people across the country have completely escaped poverty, leaving no household or individual behind, creating a miracle in the history of human poverty reduction, which was praised by former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim as "one of the greatest stories in human history." On this basis, the Party and the government have continued to promote the effective connection between consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, "helping the impoverished masses get on their feet and giving them a ride," and the achievements of poverty alleviation have been continuously consolidated.
Leaving no region behind. Development has strong unbalanced characteristics, with obvious regional differentiation, and the "Matthew effect" of "the strong get stronger, the weak get weaker" is very prominent. In the process of development, some originally leading regions may gradually lose their comparative advantages, and the "Rust Belt" in the United States is a typical example. We attach great importance to the problem of unbalanced regional development, and strive to narrow regional disparities and resolutely prevent "regional collapse" through continuous optimization of regional coordinated development strategies, increased central government financial transfer payments, and strengthened counterpart assistance mechanisms in developed regions. Resource-exhausted cities, old industrial bases, old revolutionary base areas, areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, border areas, and poor areas... one by one, disadvantaged regions have overcome difficulties, found the right advantages, and achieved better development.
Ensuring that every ordinary person has the opportunity to shine in life. The success of China is ultimately the result of the convergence of the successes of millions of ordinary people. Good educational resources, good employment channels, and good entrepreneurial spaces are important prerequisites and solid foundations for individual career success. We adhere to the priority development of education, and the proportion of national fiscal expenditure on education to GDP has remained above 4% for 13 consecutive years, and the gross enrollment rate of higher education exceeded 60% in 2024. The quality of primary and secondary education in our country ranks among the best in the world, and the tuition fees of first-class public universities such as Peking University (北京大学) and Tsinghua University (清华大学) are only 1/10 to 1/20 of those of their foreign counterparts. Inclusive and high-quality education creates better conditions for social vertical mobility. And a relatively high-quality labor force, including more than 200 million college graduates, provides important support for China's economic development. We have always adhered to the employment-first policy, achieving relatively full employment in a large developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion. We fully stimulate the entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative vitality of the whole society, and more than 190 million business entities (including more than 63 million enterprises) across the country have become the main force in economic development.
Development outcomes are shared by all the people. Our country has built the world's largest social security system, especially with 328 million people receiving monthly pensions, blocking the risk of "old-age poverty" common in some countries. We have built the world's largest medical and health system, promoting the sinking of high-quality medical resources and the balanced regional layout, and more than 90% of families can reach the nearest medical point within 15 minutes. We have greatly reduced the prices of medicines and consumables through measures such as centralized drug procurement, and strive to promote the equitable, accessible, and affordable enjoyment of basic medical services for the vast majority of people. With the in-depth implementation of the Healthy China strategy, the health level of the people has been significantly improved, and the average life expectancy in our country has increased from 74.8 years in 2012 to 79 years in 2024, which is 5.7 years higher than the global average.
Making development greener, more beautiful, and more sustainable. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have firmly established the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," resolutely fought the battles to defend blue skies, clear waters, and clean soil, and coordinated the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, effectively curbing the momentum of ecological environment deterioration, and achieved major achievements in improving air quality at the fastest rate in the world, increasing surface water quality by the largest margin in the world, increasing forest resources the most and fastest in the world, and having the largest area of artificial afforestation in the world. We actively cultivate and develop green productivity, and have built the world's largest renewable energy system, with installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, and solar power all ranking first in the world, and one out of every three kilowatt-hours of electricity in the country is green electricity. As of the end of June 2025, the number of new energy vehicles in our country reached 36.89 million, and there were nearly 16.7 million electric vehicle charging infrastructures, both ranking first in the world. The late John Cobb, Jr., an academician of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, once said that China's arduous efforts in ecological civilization have given the world hope, and China is the hope of the world.
Return to TopThis newspaper Fuzhou (福州) October 4th (Reporter Fu Wen (付文)) From September 30th to October 6th, the 14th Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) Piano Art Week, themed "Romantic World Heritage, Enjoyable Piano Island," was held in Xiamen (厦门), Fujian (福建), featuring over 80 artistic activities.
The Art Week brought together top musicians from Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and other countries, building a high-standard and diversified international art exchange platform. During the event, public welfare aesthetic education was deepened, and cultural tourism experiences were diversified, fully demonstrating Gulangyu's cultural charm and international influence as a "Music Island."
Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) continues to strengthen international artistic cooperation. Through the Artist-in-Residence Program and the International University Cooperation Program, it continues to expand its international "circle of friends" in the field of music. During the Art Week, world-renowned Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin officially signed on as a "Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) Artist-in-Residence" and was invited to participate in the Fujian Province (福建省) "Globally Renowned Musicians Fujian (福建) Creation Project," holding multiple concerts in Fuzhou (福州) and Xiamen (厦门), extending high-level artistic experiences from the Piano Island to a wider area.
At the same time, the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (莫斯科国立柴可夫斯基音乐学院) of Russia and the Brescia Conservatory (布雷西亚音乐学院) of Italy signed agreements to join the "Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) International University Cooperation Program," marking a new stage in Gulangyu's (鼓浪屿) cooperation in the field of international music education. By introducing international master resources and expanding the university cooperation network, Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) is gradually building a normalized and high-standard international art exchange platform.
Return to TopOctober 3rd, tourists enjoy the "Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers" artistic performance at the Luoyi Ancient City Scenic Area in the Old Town of Luoyang City (洛阳市), Henan Province. During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the Old Town launched distinctive cultural and tourism activities, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of the ancient capital with a thousand-year history.
Photo by Huang Zhengwei (黄政伟) (Image China)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
Golden autumn, the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival coincide, and during the 8-day holiday, many people embark on a journey to find the "poetry and distance" in their hearts.
Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, pointed out: "The integration of culture and tourism has broad prospects. We must promote the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry and truly build it into a pillar industry, a people's livelihood industry, and a happiness industry."
From October 1st to 4th, the cumulative cross-regional personnel flow nationwide was approximately 1.25 billion, an increase of 5.7% year-on-year – the latest data released by the Ministry of Transport demonstrates the vigorous vitality of "mobile China."
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the prosperous market and booming consumption have become a vivid microcosm of China's economy moving from high-speed growth to high-quality development. The resonance of culture and economy more vividly interprets the humanistic connotation of Chinese-style modernization, where material and spiritual civilization are coordinated.
The Humanistic Economics of the Double Festival Holiday:
From "Consumption Engine" to "Humanistic Carrier"
General Secretary Xi Jinping has profound thoughts on the mutual promotion of cultural and economic development, and creatively proposed the major proposition of "Humanistic Economics."
Humanistic economics breaks the traditional development logic of "emphasizing material over spirit" and pursues the synchronous resonance and coordinated development of material and spiritual aspects.
During the holiday, the wonderful scenes of cultural and tourism consumption are a vivid portrayal of humanistic economics.
As the lights come on, Tianjin's night is full of vitality. The "T-shaped axis" night scene system with the Haihe River (海河) as the horizontal axis and Youyi Road (友谊路) as the vertical axis is full of colorful lights. The "Jin Eye Show" (津眼秀), "Jinmen Show" (津门秀), and "Jin Zhong Show" (津钟秀) jointly light up the charming night. This year, during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, Tianjin planned and launched more than 500 cultural and tourism activities to create a special cultural and tourism feast and activate the holiday cultural and tourism consumption market.
Spanning thousands of years, the virtual reality movie at the Jinning City Museum (济宁市博物馆) in Shandong Province makes tourists feel as if they have traveled back to the Tang Dynasty. Wearing a head-mounted display device and entering the experience space, you can "travel together" with Li Bai (李白) on Zhuque Street (朱雀大街) and listen to the heroic recitation of "Bring in the Wine" (将进酒). Rencheng District (任城区) of Jining City (济宁市) has explored the historical and cultural resources of Li Bai's residence here, and used technology to empower citizens and tourists with a cultural feast.
This National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, more than 12,000 cultural activities will be held across the country. Diverse, rich in content, and highly experiential cultural and tourism activities such as "culture and tourism + technology," "culture and tourism + industry," and "culture and tourism + performances" will better meet the personalized and diversified needs of consumers.
With the increase in residents' income and the upgrading of consumption concepts, tourism is no longer limited to seeing mountains and rivers. Culture and tourism have moved from "addition" to "integration." Cultural and creative products have set off a national trend, intangible cultural heritage skills are highly sought after, and museums across the country have launched immersive projects such as overnight stays and study tours. Culture is no longer an accessory to tourism, but a key element driving consumption and empowering the economy.
This transformation is a vivid practice of the humanistic economics concept of investing in people and benefiting the people – development is no longer solely based on GDP, but is guided by people's needs, so that the results of growth are transformed into tangible gains for the people. Distinctive cultural and tourism scenes unfold a new picture of harmonious coexistence between humanity and economy.
The integration of culture and tourism is no longer limited to the purchase of physical objects, but also points to emotional resonance and cultural identity –
The "Village Marathon" event in Sandu Shui Autonomous County (三都水族自治县), Guizhou Province, connects long table banquets and intangible cultural heritage markets, attracting tourists; the Land Art Festival in Nanhai District (南海区), Foshan (佛山), Guangdong Province, awakens the countryside with art and becomes a popular check-in point. Cultural IPs transform niche scenes into consumption hotspots, confirming the power of integration of shaping tourism with culture and highlighting culture with tourism.
The rise of cultural consumption not only satisfies people's yearning for a better life, but also promotes the transformation of cultural resources into development advantages, forming a virtuous cycle of "improvement of people's livelihood - consumption upgrade - economic quality improvement."
The integration of culture and tourism is enabling holiday consumption to enter a new stage of "double strength" in humanity and economy –
People's consumption content has shifted from the traditional "eating, living, traveling, shopping, and entertainment" to "health preservation, study tours, culture, and sports," and the proportion of spiritual consumption such as book exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage classes, and sports events has significantly increased.
When material and spiritual civilizations are coordinated and mutually promoted, they can release strong development momentum, promote high-quality development, and help comprehensive social progress.
The integration of culture and tourism allows holiday consumption to spark more new opportunities in the two-way rush between supply and demand –
Faced with the people's growing demand for quality and diversification, business entities have shifted from passively responding to actively creating, and high-quality supply further stimulates people's willingness to travel.
Scenic spots use digitalization to achieve reservation and staggered peak visits, and smart guides improve the quality of visits; local governments rely on resource endowments to create distinctive IPs, such as ice and snow tourism in Harbin (哈尔滨), Heilongjiang (黑龙江), and barbecue in Zibo (淄博), Shandong (山东), to take a differentiated development path; enterprises explore cross-border integration of "culture and tourism + technology" and "culture and tourism + agriculture" to launch new formats such as rural complexes. Consumption projects with a stronger cultural flavor, more creativity, and a better experience can better exert the comprehensive effect of culture and tourism, where "one industry prospers, and a hundred industries thrive."
The Domestic Market During the Double Festival Holiday:
From "Quantitative Accumulation" to "Qualitative Leap"
Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Building a new development pattern is a preemptive move to grasp the initiative in development" and "The characteristics of a major country's economy are that domestic demand is the mainstay and internal circulation is possible."
During the holiday, from busy roads, bustling scenic spots, and prosperous restaurants, we can better understand the strategic significance of building a new development pattern as a "preemptive move to grasp the initiative in development." This fully highlights China's potential advantages in resource elements and market size, and interprets the internal stability and long-term growth of the domestic cycle.
Inside Terminal 2 of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (郑州新郑国际机场), passengers are bustling. In front of the huge national flag, "Taking a photo with the national flag" has become a popular check-in point. The "Bless the Motherland" message wall is filled with patriotic feelings, and the special market has launched "aviation + cultural tourism" preferential products, adding a lot of ritual to the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday trip.
"On the first day of the holiday, the number of flights was 697, an increase of 6.25% compared with the same period last year. The total number of passengers during the entire holiday is expected to reach 754,000, which is expected to hit a record high," said the relevant person in charge of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.
Domestic demand is the main driving force and anchor of economic growth, and consumption plays a fundamental role in economic growth. In the first eight months of this year, China's total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 32 trillion yuan. Over the past four years, the average contribution rate of final consumption to China's economic growth has reached 56.2%.
This holiday, new consumption scenarios, new demands, and new experiences are becoming increasingly diverse. Service consumption, green consumption, digital consumption, and silver-haired consumption have broad space. The profound potential of China's super-large-scale market will continue to be released, and the main engine of consumption will be stronger.
Busy traffic shows consumption vitality –
On the eve of the holiday, the Xiangyang (襄阳) to Jingmen (荆门) high-speed railway in Hubei (湖北) was opened for operation, the Ruijin (瑞金) Airport in Ganzhou (赣州), Jiangxi (江西) was officially opened to air traffic, and the Huajiang Canyon Bridge (花江峡谷大桥) in Guizhou (贵州) was completed and opened to traffic. Many major transportation projects have been put into use one after another, providing new choices for travel during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
Data from the Ministry of Transport show that the total cross-regional personnel flow in the whole society during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays will reach 2.36 billion, an increase of about 3.2% compared with the same period last year. On October 1, the cross-regional personnel flow in the whole society was 335,788,400.
The well-connected transportation network meets people's travel needs, and the strong travel demand also promotes the further improvement of the transportation network. We have built the world's largest high-speed railway network, expressway network, and postal express network. World-class port clusters and airport clusters have been basically completed, and more than 500,000 administrative villages have all been connected to hardened roads. China Road, China Bridge, and China Port have become bright business cards enjoying a worldwide reputation, providing a more solid hardware support for building a new development pattern and building a unified national market.
Rich scenes drive travel enthusiasm –
From October 3rd to 5th, "Xiang Chao" (湘超) continued. Yueyang (岳阳), Xiangtan (湘潭), Loudi (娄底) and other places in Hunan (湖南) took advantage of the situation to launch cultural tourism gift packages such as free tours of scenic spots and accommodation discounts for audiences with ticket stubs, stimulating the leverage effect of "sports event + tourism" and turning the viewing traffic into consumption "retention."
Looking at various places, the momentum of passenger travel is accelerating into the potential for consumption growth. Tongcheng data shows that during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, users' spending on booking domestic long-distance products increased by more than 20% year-on-year. Meituan data shows that immersive complexes integrating culture, history, leisure, entertainment, and experience promote new consumption demands, and the popularity of multi-scenario superimposed package bookings has increased by more than 20% year-on-year.
Reform accelerates, escorting market prosperity –
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the traffic flow on the central highway in Qiongzhong (琼中), Hainan (海南) was like weaving, and in the Qiongzhong service area, 47 new energy charging piles were "fully occupied." "This is a 600-kilowatt super charging pile, the experience is great, it takes less than half an hour from plugging in to fully charging the car," said Mr. Ma, a self-driving tourist. This electricity is likely to come from wind power in Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), 3,000 kilometers away.
How can electricity from the northern border drive cars on Qiong Island? Behind this is a set of cross-regional market-based trading systems – recently, Guangzhou Power Exchange Center (广州电力交易中心) and Beijing Power Exchange Center (北京电力交易中心) jointly successfully organized the "grid-to-grid" electricity energy transaction from Mengxi (蒙西) to Hainan (海南), with a transaction volume of about 7 million kilowatt-hours. "This transaction realizes the optimal allocation of power resources nationwide," said Chen Wei (陈玮), deputy general manager of Guangzhou Power Exchange Center.
The thousand-mile journey of one kilowatt-hour of electricity witnesses the increasingly improved system and rules of the unified market. From the accelerated improvement of the construction of a unified national electricity market to holding a social security card for "one card" to take buses and visit exhibition halls across provinces, market interconnection and interoperability are constantly strengthened, and the flow of factor resources is smoother.
Continuing to break down local protectionism and market segmentation, and unblocking the blockages that restrict economic circulation will promote a higher level of dynamic balance between supply and demand and provide a strong guarantee for the prosperity of the holiday market.
New Economic Opportunities During the Double Festival Holiday:
From "Transformation and Upgrade" to "Mutual Benefit and Win-Win"
Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The integration of culture and tourism promotes economic development, and the cultural and tourism industry must take a path of sustainable and healthy development."
The holiday cultural and tourism market is an important window to observe the economy and a mirror to reflect the quality of economic development. With technology leading, technology empowering, and opening up assisting, China's cultural and tourism industry is increasingly becoming an emerging strategic pillar industry and a people's livelihood and happiness industry with significant characteristics of the times, and is constantly taking new steps in high-quality development.
Developing new quality productive forces, the cultural and tourism industry is accelerating transformation and upgrading –
This National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (西昌卫星发射中心) in Sichuan (四川) opened satellite launch viewing; the China Science and Technology Museum (中国科学技术馆) in Beijing (北京) held a National Day special exhibition and launched MR (mixed reality) immersive art experience projects. With the deep embedding of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and other technologies in the cultural and tourism field, both the scheduling of scenic spot resources and consumers' tourism decisions are more convenient. The innovative application of new quality productive forces in the cultural and tourism field promotes a comprehensive transformation of the cultural and tourism industry chain.
Many scenic spots use automated tour guide systems, congestion warnings, artificial intelligence prediction to avoid peak hours, and other technologies to provide tourists with real-time information reference, alleviating the problems of insufficient service supply and low scheduling efficiency in popular scenic spots during holidays. More and more consumers use artificial intelligence to make travel guides and compare prices on platforms, and the efficiency and quality of decision-making have been significantly improved.
The deep integration of technology and culture and tourism reshapes the value chain of the cultural and tourism industry –
Guangxi (广西) uses AI to design the "Liu Sanjie" (刘三姐) IP image and launch a series of peripheral products; the digital products derived from "Tang Palace Night Banquet" (唐宫夜宴) created by Henan (河南) are praised by consumers. The application of new technologies and the emergence of new business formats promote the rise of the IP economy and extend the cultural and tourism industry chain. The digital development of cultural and museum resources and intangible cultural heritage elements in various places realizes the efficient aggregation of cultural resources, and the multiplier effect of cultural and tourism consumption is more prominent.
Technology intertwines with poetry, making the cultural and tourism consumption experience richer. Opening the transcript of the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's cultural and tourism industry is developing vigorously. In the first half of this year, the total retail sales of consumer goods in the whole society increased by 5% year-on-year, of which service retail sales increased by 5.3% year-on-year, and the demand for cultural entertainment, tourism, and leisure continued to expand.
High-level opening-up, the inbound and outbound tourism markets are heating up –
China has a super-large-scale market of more than 1.4 billion people. The National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays are a window period for the concentrated release of cultural and tourism consumption potential. The flow of people drives the full surge of logistics, information flow, and capital flow, promoting the heating up of the inbound and outbound tourism markets, which not only boosts domestic consumption but also transmits "Oriental warmth" to world economic growth.
Foreigners "come in." Feel the profound historical heritage in Beijing (北京) and Xi'an (西安); experience the urban landscape full of technology in Shanghai (上海) and Chongqing (重庆). During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, with the expansion of the visa-free "circle of friends," more and more foreign tourists are traveling deeply in China.
The latest data from the National Immigration Administration shows that from January to August this year, national border inspection agencies cumulatively inspected 460 million inbound and outbound personnel, including 51.268 million foreigners, an increase of 27.8% year-on-year, and 15.89 million foreigners entered the country visa-free, an increase of 52.1% year-on-year. From orderly expanding the scope of unilateral visa-free countries to optimizing and improving regional visa-free entry policies to implementing "buy and refund immediately" for departure tax refunds, more and more foreigners are coming to China, and "China Tour" and "China Purchase" have become new fashions.
Chinese people "go out." Relevant tourism platform data shows that during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, the number of outbound travel bookings increased by more than 30% year-on-year. Thailand (泰国), Singapore (新加坡), Malaysia (马来西亚), Vietnam (越南) and other countries have become popular outbound travel destinations during the holiday. According to the National Immigration Administration's forecast, the average daily number of inbound and outbound passengers during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays will exceed 2 million. Chinese tourists will contribute more vitality to the global cultural and tourism consumption market during this holiday.
China's large market, the world's great opportunity, the steady and long-term voyage of China's economic ship can always inject more positive energy and certainty into the world economy.
When unilateralism and protectionism continue to rise, China's policy stability and long-term planning for promoting high-level opening-up are even more valuable. Practice has proved that by giving play to the potential of domestic demand, making the domestic market and the international market better connected, and attracting global resource elements with the domestic cycle, it is conducive to better utilizing the two markets and two resources at home and abroad, better striving for the strategic initiative in open development, and realizing "common development" and "mutual benefit and win-win" with all countries in the world.
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During the holiday, we are on the road. There are scenery and feelings on the road, "Let people appreciate the beauty of nature and understand the beauty of culture and cultivate the beauty of the soul."
On the new journey, we are on the road. There are expectations and challenges on the road, "Expectations and challenges inspire us to seize the day and never slacken our fighting spirit."
(Our reporters Du Haitao (杜海涛), Wang Ke (王珂), Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕), Wang Donghui (王东辉))
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 欧阳洁 李 刚
"If this batch of goods can't catch this flight, I really don't know how to arrange the space." Wang Chun (王春), the duty director of China Southern Airlines Baiyun Logistics Company, was anxiously waiting at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (广州白云国际机场) international cargo station in Guangdong (广东). During the peak season of international logistics, cargo holds are not easy to arrange, and a batch of cross-border e-commerce goods was blocked on the road due to severe weather.
When the goods arrived, there were less than 5 hours before the plane took off. Wang Chun (王春) immediately sent the arrival information of the goods to the aviation logistics public information platform, and immediately received the release instruction from the customs. The customs broker initiated the application for the departure of the goods, and the air cargo manifest was released 5 minutes later. The goods were assembled and loaded, and successfully transported onto the plane. Relying on the export e-commerce cargo station direct export model of Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Customs (广州白云机场海关) and the information-based and intelligent reform of customs clearance links, import and export goods are quickly circulated.
Customs is a witness and recorder of China's foreign trade development, as well as a participant and promoter. The General Administration of Customs (海关总署) promotes the reform and innovation of the regulatory system and the optimization and reengineering of business processes, comprehensively transforms and upgrades customs supervision services, and supports high-level opening to the outside world. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," the customs has supervised an average of 5.2 billion tons of import and export goods per year, with a value of 41.5 trillion yuan, the largest in the world. In the first eight months of this year, China's goods trade continued its steady growth trend, with a total value of imports and exports reaching 29.57 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.5%.
Smart Customs paves the "highway" for goods trade.
At the Xi'an International Port Station (西安国际港站) in Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西), a series of China-Europe freight trains loaded with household appliances and machinery equipment whistled and set off. In the first eight months of this year, the China-Europe freight train (Xi'an) (中欧班列（西安）) operated 4,069 trains, a year-on-year increase of 12.4%; transporting 4.548 million tons of goods, a year-on-year increase of 11.9%.
Behind the impressive data is the continuous effort of Smart Customs. When a truck loaded with goods drives into the customs supervision area, the cameras and sensing equipment of the intelligent card port can instantly identify and collect relevant information and upload it to the supervision system to efficiently complete the inspection. Xi'an Customs (西安海关) broke down data barriers and built the Xi'an Port (西安港) Smart Logistics Supervision System, which improved the overall cargo flow efficiency by 58%.
Piloting remote local inspection and quarantine, the inspection and quarantine operation time is reduced by 90%; optimizing the inspection and quarantine mode of vacuum-packed high-tech goods, the customs clearance time is reduced by 80%... Smart Customs paves the "highway" for goods trade, making "Made in China" more accessible to all parts of the world.
Smart Customs refines the "eagle eyes" of risk prevention and control.
In Zhangjiagang (张家港), Jiangsu (江苏), a video connection is being conducted in the customs laboratory. "This batch of wood carvings was initially screened by the 'Jianmu' system and identified as the endangered species East African blackwood. Please confirm it again by the experts." said Fu Maoqiang (付茂强), a customs officer of Lianyungang Customs (连云港海关).
Five days later, this batch of wood carvings was confirmed as East African blackwood, which was consistent with the initial screening result of the "Jianmu" system. The "Jianmu" system is one of the key achievements of the "Wood Artificial Intelligence Initial Screening Identification Remote Support" scenario of Smart Customs. It has been tested and promoted in 44 ports and laboratories, and can currently identify 145 kinds of common imported and exported regulated wood, coniferous and broad-leaved wood for wood packaging, 110 kinds of weed seeds, and 32 kinds of insects.
Source code technology accurately cracks down on "proxy purchase" smuggling, and intelligent health quarantine gates allow passengers to pass through the border without feeling... Facing the tide of people and logistics, Smart Customs builds a solid national security barrier and firmly guards the safety bottom line and regulatory red line.
"This year, China's foreign trade situation is complex and severe. The customs will work with relevant departments and local governments, and work together with the majority of foreign trade enterprises to create a more convenient, smooth, efficient, coordinated and transparent port business environment to help the high-quality development of foreign trade," said a relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署).
(Ding Qianqian (丁茜茜) participated in the writing)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 崔 寅 刘军国 俞懿春
Argentinian young man Wu Feide (吴飞得) is dedicated to researching and inheriting the Shanghai dialect. Tanzanian student Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) uses Swahili videos to show the face of modern China to African audiences. French teacher Fodil immerses himself in the traditional Chinese folk customs and modern technology... More and more foreign bloggers studying, working, and living in China are presenting a real, diverse, and vibrant China to the world through social media.
"Let more foreigners feel the dialect culture of China"
"The names of 'shrimp' in various parts of Shanghai," "How to say Nezha and Zhong Kui in Shanghai dialect," the short videos released by Wu Feide (吴飞得), a post-90s Argentinian young man, on his social media account have generated enthusiastic interaction among netizens.
"It is said that Chinese is one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, and I happen to like this challenge." Before going to university in Argentina, Wu Feide (吴飞得) began to learn Chinese. In 2018, Wu Feide (吴飞得), who became connected with a Shanghai girl, came to live in Shanghai. He found that the Shanghai dialect is very distinctive in its expression and decided to delve into the fields and villages to study it.
"Wu Feide's (吴飞得) ears are particularly sharp, and I can't hear many subtle pronunciation differences." Feng Xuanxin (封烜鑫), a young man from Jinshan who has a strong interest in Jinshan culture and the Wu dialect since childhood, said. "Teacher Feng (封老师) has a deep understanding of Jinshan's customs and knows many interesting and representative Jinshan dialect expressions, which complement each other." Wu Feide (吴飞得) said that he opened a video account to introduce dialects and received help from Feng Xuanxin (封烜鑫). Thanks to the increasing emphasis on the inheritance of historical and cultural heritage in Jinshan, Wu Feide's (吴飞得) research on the Jinshan dialect has also been recognized. The Xiangyin Museum (乡音馆) was built next to the Qinyang Village (秦阳村) Village Committee in Zhangyan Town (张堰镇), Jinshan District (金山区), Shanghai, to display the research results of Wu Feide (吴飞得) and others.
"In the past, the Jinshan dialect only remained oral. Wu Feide (吴飞得) turned the Jinshan dialect into written words, and his research results are helpful to the inheritance of the dialect," said Liu Qinfang (刘勤芳) of the Bang Wenshi and Folk Culture Research Association of Shantang Township (山塘乡), Jinshan District (金山区).
"Dialects are not only unique and closely related to agricultural culture, but also carry ancient traditional customs and contain rich wisdom. I like these knowledge, they are all part of Jinshan culture, and even more the root of Jinshan culture." Wu Feide (吴飞得) said, "In the future, I want to translate some Shanghai dialect works into Spanish, and while protecting and inheriting the dialect, let more foreigners feel the dialect culture of China."
"Help more African youth to deeply understand China"
In the Railway Culture Park Square in Jinhua (金华), Zhejiang (浙江), Tanzanian student Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) was filming "Xiaole's Learning Arts" while learning grass weaving from the local representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. Soon, he had woven a lifelike grasshopper. Participating in the Dragon Boat Race during the Dragon Boat Festival, volunteering at the Lei Feng (雷锋) Culture Museum, experiencing the work of a sorter at a logistics company... Over the past 7 years, Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) has made more than 3,000 short videos of his discoveries and feelings in China, with Swahili narration, and released them on social media platforms, accumulating hundreds of millions of views.
Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) grew up near the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (坦赞铁路) and has been hearing adults say "China helped us" since he was a child. While studying at the University of Dar es Salaam, Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) began to learn Chinese. In 2017, Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) won the second place in the Tanzanian division of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students and was able to go to China for exchanges. The experience of visiting China not only strengthened his determination to study in China, but also planted a seed in his heart to record China and tell Chinese stories with the camera. In 2018, Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) came to China to study, majoring in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages at Zhejiang Normal University (浙江师范大学).
Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) likes to ride shared bicycles to "read the city." His footprints have spread to more than 10 provinces in China, and his mobile phone album is full of "Chinese appearances" - there are prosperous and lively commercial districts, digitalized modern factories, as well as clean and tidy new rural areas, agro-tourism integrated ecological farms, and Chinese traditional cultural elements such as calligraphy, Tai Chi, and Wuju Opera (婺剧).
In 2023, Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) participated in the filming of the TV series "Welcome to Mile Village" (《欢迎来到麦乐村》), serving as a Swahili teacher and African cultural consultant in the crew. "The series tells the story of the Chinese medical aid team to Africa, which presents the real African continent, friendly African people and authentic African culture, and you can feel China's respect for Africa, treating Africa as a real friend." Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) said, "China sincerely hopes that Africa will develop," not only helping Africa build infrastructure such as roads, railways, schools and hospitals, but also bringing advanced agricultural technology and mature educational concepts to Africa.
"I want to create more short video works to show the real and beautiful China to more African people." Wang Xiaole (王晓乐) told reporters, "I plan to return to Tanzania to be a Chinese teacher, help more African youth to deeply understand China, and contribute to promoting Sino-African cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity."
"The best way to understand Chinese culture is to travel around"
In 2016, Fodil, a French young man born in France and raised in Canada, came to live in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江). He masters four languages: English, French, German and Chinese. He is now a foreign teacher at Zhejiang Tourism College (浙江旅游职业学院) and also a blogger with more than 400,000 followers. China's long history, rich intangible cultural heritage, beautiful natural scenery and various exquisite handicrafts have become his creative materials.
Last year, Fodil participated in the 20th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (中国国际动漫节). He observed that cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality (AR) are accelerating the deep integration with the animation industry and are becoming an important trend in China's digital culture development. He transformed himself into the "Poet Immortal" Li Bai (李白), and started the "poetry contest" mode with many cosplayers, checking in at the "immersive dimension transformation live broadcast room," "holographic cabin animation avatar photo studio," "AR motion capture game," etc., unlocking a new experience of virtual and real dance and human-computer interaction. In Fodil's eyes, digital is the urban gene of Hangzhou, and the smart "city brain" makes life full of happiness and a sense of the future. From seamless payment, seamless parking, seamless charging, to 24-hour self-service smart pharmacies, smart supermarkets, and smart bookstores... "Just open your mobile phone and move your fingers, it couldn't be more convenient!" Fodil said.
"The best way to understand Chinese culture is to travel around." Fodil said. On the third day of the third lunar month this year, he saw an amazing Chinese rural landscape in Xinye Ancient Village (新叶古村) in Jiande (建德), Hangzhou (杭州) - ancient buildings with white walls and black tiles formed a staggered and well-proportioned block layout. On the village road, hundreds of villagers dressed in red and green carried colorful flags, knocked on gongs and drums, and marched to the hall with music. Fodil witnessed such a grand ancestral ritual for the first time and exclaimed: "I was shocked by the atmosphere of the scene, as if I saw the wonderful interweaving of time and space, they were talking to their ancestors." Intangible cultural heritage performances such as stilt parades and lion dances also made Fodil feel the villagers' recognition and confidence in their cultural roots.
Holding a cup of handmade lotus seed coffee and carefully tasting the melodious Kunqu Opera (昆曲) singing. Fodil said that he has been "discovering the three-dimensional, diverse, and beautiful real China" in his repeated visits to Chinese cities and villages.
Return to TopBy: 费 荣
In this era of profound changes in the international landscape and persistent inequalities, promoting a more just and equitable global governance system is not only a diplomatic imperative for small island developing states, including Jamaica (牙买加), but also a vital strategy for their survival and development.
In the current turbulent international situation, strengthening global governance is urgent. This was the consensus reached by all parties at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting held recently in Tianjin (天津), China. President Xi Jinping (习近平) solemnly proposed a global governance initiative, emphasizing adherence to sovereign equality, compliance with international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and focusing on action-oriented approaches. This important initiative is of particular significance to small island developing states, including Jamaica (牙买加), and Third World countries, which still face many challenges in the global governance system.
The global governance initiative adheres to the principle of sovereign equality, which is crucial for small countries like Jamaica (牙买加). Whether in climate finance, debt restructuring, or trade negotiations, the interests of small island developing states are often marginalized. China's call to enhance the representation and voice of developing countries in the global governance system is in line with the long-term pursuit of substantive participation in international decision-making by island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. If relevant reforms can be advanced, it will significantly enhance the participation and voice of small countries in international affairs.
The global governance initiative emphasizes compliance with international rule of law and the elimination of "double standards," directly addressing a pain point that developing countries have long faced—selective enforcement in international affairs. Small island developing states like Jamaica (牙买加) highly rely on the credibility of international law, especially in areas such as trade disputes and climate change. Adhering to the uniform application of international rules can prevent small countries from being placed in unfavorable situations due to individual countries manipulating rules for their own benefit.
The global governance initiative reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and explicitly rejects unilateralism, which is of practical significance to the vast number of Third World countries. As a member of the Caribbean Community and the Global South, Jamaica's (牙买加) development is inseparable from an international system that emphasizes multilateral consensus. Global issues such as climate finance and fair trade cannot be resolved through unilateral actions. Therefore, strengthening the role of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions and adhering to multilateralism has become one of the most effective ways for small island developing states to enhance their collective bargaining power.
Ultimately, global governance is about turning the aspirations of people in all countries for a better life into reality. China's call to narrow the development gap between the North and the South is highly aligned with the needs of Jamaica (牙买加) and its neighboring countries. These countries face multiple challenges, including economic inequality, climate vulnerability, and difficulty in accessing technology. By promoting reforms to the global governance system and allocating more development resources to areas such as education, healthcare, and clean energy, small island developing states will be able to more effectively achieve sustainable development goals.
China's emphasis on international cooperation in areas such as renewable energy and artificial intelligence provides broad development opportunities for the vast number of developing countries, including Jamaica (牙买加). Jamaica (牙买加) has long relied on fossil fuel imports and can benefit from strengthening cooperation with relevant countries in photovoltaic and wind power production capacity. At the same time, introducing digital economy platforms and artificial intelligence technologies can also help improve the development level of key areas such as education, agriculture, and healthcare.
From a geographical perspective, China (中国) is far from the Caribbean region, but its advocated global governance concept has important implications for small island developing states and Third World countries. Opposing hegemonism and strengthening solidarity and cooperation in the Global South are our common goals. In this era of profound changes in the international landscape and persistent inequalities, promoting a more just and equitable global governance system is not only a diplomatic imperative for small island developing states, including Jamaica (牙买加), but also a vital strategy for their survival and development.
(The author is the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Mico University College (麦可师范学院教育学院) in Jamaica (牙买加).)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 龚 鸣 汪思源
"In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (东北虎豹国家公园), I tracked tiger footprints; in the Wuyishan National Park (武夷山国家公园), I was immersed in the depth and richness of the forest; in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (海南热带雨林国家公园), I heard the Hainan gibbon singing in the dense forest; in the Giant Panda National Park (大熊猫国家公园), I observed an adult wild giant panda; in the Sanjiangyuan National Park (三江源国家公园), I saw Tibetan antelopes foraging by the wetland..." Jiri Manek, former director of the Czech Sumava National Park, shared his feelings after visiting the first five national parks established in China.
In 2023, Manek came to China for the first time to participate in the "Belt and Road" (一带一路) National Climate Change and Sustainable Development Officials Training Program, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and organized by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Cadre Management College (国家林业和草原局管理干部学院). Since then, he has returned to China many times to visit the first five national parks established in China. He has written articles, filmed documentaries, and more to show the world the beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between Chinese people and nature.
As a forestry worker, Manek was deeply impressed by China's large-scale afforestation achievements. "The story of Saihanba (塞罕坝) is touching. After generations of efforts by Chinese forestry workers, this once-barren desert has become a lush forest covering more than 90,000 hectares." Manek said that he was once responsible for the restoration of the forest ecosystem in the Sumava Mountains of the Czech Republic and knows the hardships involved, so he admires China's great efforts even more. "The change in Saihanba (塞罕坝) is not just an increase in forest area, but also represents a shift in thinking." He said that China has firmly established and practiced the concept that **绿水青山就是金山银山** (lǜ shuǐ qīng shān jiù shì jīn shān yín shān - "green mountains and clear waters are gold and silver mountains," lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets), and is building a "Green Great Wall."
China is building the world's largest national park system, developing and utilizing renewable energy on a large scale, building the world's largest number of charging infrastructure systems, carrying out ecosystem gross domestic product accounting, and many large and medium-sized cities are transforming into green technology laboratories... Manek believes that China is not blindly pursuing modernization, but is making technological development subordinate to a higher goal, namely the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. The "Two Mountains" ("两山") theory has penetrated into all areas of China's economic and social development. The key to the success of this concept lies in firm political will, scientific decision-making, and public participation.
Manek especially mentioned the ecological civilization wisdom contained in the "Two Mountains" ("两山") theory. He said that the values of respecting nature and harmonious coexistence between man and nature in Chinese culture originate from the wisdom of ancient Chinese civilization, the long-term experience of the people, and the love for mountains, rivers, and land. In many national parks, farmers and herdsmen serve as ecological stewards and ecological forest rangers, which is not only conducive to nature protection but also promotes increased income for local residents. A virtuous symbiotic relationship has formed between man and nature.
"China's practice proves that protecting the ecology and developing the economy are not opposed to each other, but mutually promote and complement each other." Manek said that the Czech Republic has rich experience in forest planning, the utilization of forest tree species genetic resources, and ecological cultivation methods, while China's firm will, clear vision, and fruitful results in green development can provide inspiration for Czech counterparts and open up new space for cooperation between the two sides.
Return to TopThis newspaper reports from Fuzhou on October 4th: On the evening of October 4th, the "Fu Gathering Mid-Autumn Moon, 'Boat' Inheriting Cross-Strait Affection" 2025 Cross-Strait Compatriots Welcoming Mid-Autumn Festival Joint Celebration, co-sponsored by Fuzhou City (福州市) and Matsu County (马祖县), was successfully held in Fuzhou City (福州市), Fujian Province (福建省). Song Tao (宋涛), Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央台办) and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (国务院台办), Lien Sheng-wen (连胜文), Vice Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (中国国民党), and more than 250 other compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait attended the event. Compatriots from both sides sang and danced, expressing their joy in celebrating the traditional Chinese festival.
Prior to the event, Song Tao (宋涛) attended a tea party for compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival, and visited and expressed his regards to Taiwanese compatriots from all walks of life. He stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered an important speech and reviewed the troops at the meeting commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3rd, which greatly inspired and encouraged all Chinese sons and daughters, including Taiwanese compatriots. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese and belong to one family. We must adhere to the great national righteousness, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism and external interference, and jointly safeguard the integrity of the "home"; we must visit each other frequently, get closer, and promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, deepen cross-strait integrated development, and jointly increase the well-being of the "home"; we must strive to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and the reunification of the motherland, actively participate in the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and jointly create a new glory for the "home."
Taiwanese guests attending the meeting stated that the Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional festival of the Chinese nation, symbolizing reunion, completeness, and harmony. They will continue to promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation on the basis of adhering to the "1992 Consensus" and opposing "Taiwan independence," and contribute to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, the advancement of national reunification, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Return to TopOn October 3rd, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese's (中国侨联) 2025 "Kindred Spirit of China—Gathering in Riyadh" performance to comfort overseas Chinese was held in Riyadh (利雅得), the capital of Saudi Arabia. More than 600 people, including overseas Chinese, teachers, students, and representatives of Chinese-funded institutions in Saudi Arabia, gathered together to celebrate the festival and talk about reunion. At the event, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese's (中国侨联) "Kindred Spirit of China" art troupe presented wonderful songs, dances, acrobatics, operas, and other artistic programs, creating a warm and lively atmosphere. The picture shows local children taking photos with lion dancers before the performance begins.
People's Daily reporter Ren Haoyu (任皓宇) photographed.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 管克江
"Both Arab and Chinese civilizations advocate mutual respect and equal dialogue. The ancient Silk Road connected Iraq and China. Today, the high-quality joint construction of the 'Belt and Road' initiative brings the hearts of the people of both sides closer," said Haider Rubai (海德尔·鲁拜伊), Chairman of the Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association, in an interview with this reporter.
Last October, Rubai (鲁拜伊) went to Beijing (北京) to participate in the China International Friendship Conference and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. In his view, Chinese civilization not only has the qualities of humility and tolerance, but also is full of the spirit of active progress. The Communist Party of China (中国共产党) has led the Chinese people to create a miracle of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and China in the new era has shown an unprecedented face. He believes that Iraq needs to learn from China's development experience and draw strength for progress from its excellent traditional culture.
Rubai (鲁拜伊) said that through the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, a large number of Chinese-funded enterprises have come to Iraq and played a huge role in the reconstruction of the local economy and society. People-to-people connectivity is the cornerstone of promoting the development of relations between countries. He hopes that more Chinese companies will invest in Iraq and more Chinese people will travel to Iraq in the future.
Rubai (鲁拜伊) first visited China 20 years ago to participate in the Canton Fair (广交会), and since then has established close ties with more and more Chinese companies. "Dealing with Chinese partners is as cordial as dealing with friends," Rubai (鲁拜伊) said, Iraq and China both have a long history and civilization, and have many things in common in terms of cultural traditions and values. While introducing a wide variety of Chinese products into the Iraqi market, Rubai (鲁拜伊) has come to understand and love Chinese culture.
Rubai's (鲁拜伊) office is full of souvenirs related to China: sculptures of the Great Wall (长城), group photos with Chinese friends... Rubai (鲁拜伊) said that China is his second hometown, "Every time I visit China, I feel like I'm coming home."
In order to further promote Sino-Iraqi cultural exchanges and economic and trade ties, Rubai (鲁拜伊) initiated the establishment of the Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association in 2018. The Iraqi-Chinese Friendship Association offers Chinese classes and hosts the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), which is also the only Chinese Proficiency Test center in Iraq. "Currently, there is a 'Chinese craze' in Arab countries. More and more countries are including Chinese in the compulsory courses in schools and are specifically training local Chinese teachers. I hope to let more Iraqi people understand Chinese culture, and learning Chinese is an important way. More of the younger generation who are familiar with each other's languages and cultures will become folk envoys of Sino-Iraqi friendship," Rubai (鲁拜伊) said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 杨 暄 陈圆圆 董映雪
Today's China is witnessing the best period of development in its museum industry in history.
By the end of 2024, the number of registered museums nationwide reached 7,046, an increase of more than 330 times since the founding of the People's Republic of China. 91.46% of museums are open to the public for free, receiving 1.49 billion visitors in 2024, equivalent to more than one "check-in" per Chinese person on average.
Museums are the halls that safeguard human civilization and the bridges connecting the past, present, and future.
In 1905, China built its first public museum, the Nantong Museum (南通博物苑). Today, the "thousands of museums with thousands of colors" across the country have flourished into a forest.
The Palace Museum (故宫博物院), which celebrated its 100th birthday, recently launched major exhibitions such as "Centennial Guardianship: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum." The centennial museum is still full of vigor.
Over the past 120 years, especially with the gentle breeze and timely rain of the new era, three "unprecedented" phenomena have clearly emerged: unprecedented efforts in protection and inheritance, unprecedented public enthusiasm for participation, and unprecedented speed of innovation and iteration. China's museum industry is showing an unprecedentedly prosperous scene, full of vitality and dazzling brilliance.
It is not only a leap in quantity but also a profound transformation in concepts, technologies, formats, and services. Through the innovative evolution of museums, we can perceive the vigorous momentum of the cultural industry's growth and reflect the brilliant glory of a major country's cultural confidence and self-improvement.
Looking at the civilization's heritage carried by museums under historical coordinates:
"If we do not understand China from the long-standing historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, modern China, and even less possible to understand future China."
Museums are a vivid footnote to interpreting this continuity.
"Haonan Garden is lush and verdant, with the scenery changing with the seasons." 120 years ago, patriotic industrialist and educator Zhang Jian (张謇) founded the Nantong Museum (南通博物苑), breaking the tradition of only royal and private gardens in China for thousands of years and establishing the prototype of China's modern museum integrating collection, research, and education.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the museum industry developed rapidly and became an important carrier for displaying national history and凝聚民族认同 (níng jù mín zú rèn tóng - "cohesion national identity," to strengthen the sense of belonging and unity among the people). The support behind this is the inherent and profound heritage of Chinese civilization.
Strolling through more than 7,000 museums is like walking through an epic corridor of millions of years of human history, ten thousand years of cultural history, and five thousand years of civilization history:
The Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆) writes: "Stars change, and the universe shifts; Chinese civilization, with jade sounds and golden voices." The Sanxingdui Museum (三星堆博物馆) writes: "Sleeping for thousands of years, awakening to amaze the world." The Beijing Museum of Natural History (北京自然博物馆) writes: "If the history of the Earth is compared to a day, dinosaurs lived for 52 minutes, while humans only lived for 9.4 seconds."
Extensive knowledge of natural history, understanding of ancient and modern times, the long river of history converges, flows deep, and surges here.
"Various museums in China are not only the preservers and recorders of Chinese history but also the witnesses and participants of the contemporary Chinese people's struggle to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
In the new era, the project to trace the origins of Chinese civilization continues to advance, and the major project of "Archaeological China (考古中国)" is fully launched. National treasures have been transformed into exhibition objects to witness. The continuously polished spiritual symbols of Chinese civilization inject a deep and lasting force into the cultural confidence of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.
Looking at the pulse of the times in museums under contemporary coordinates:
"Every civilization continues the spiritual bloodline of a country and nation, which not only needs to be passed on from generation to generation but also needs to keep pace with the times and be brave in innovation."
In the Henan Museum (河南博物院), the laughter of children and the ethereal sound of the 8,000-year-old Jiahu bone flute "echo in the air." This year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays welcomed more visitors.
Prosperity lies in embracing and illuminating the spiritual needs of the people appropriately and accurately. Extended opening hours, enriched exhibitions, and research services... From "solemn halls" to "lifestyle showrooms," there are more warm scenes of mutual奔赴 (bēn fù - "rush to," to move towards a common goal) between museums and the people in the constantly extending "cultural radius."
"Reform for the people is the only meaningful reform."
Reform is the powerful engine of this profound transformation. "By 2025, a museum industry development pattern with reasonable layout, optimized structure, distinctive features, improved system, and complete functions will be formed." The "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Reform and Development of Museums" issued in 2021 will help accelerate the development of museums.
Looking at the city, the old site of the Chongqing Iron and Steel Plant (重庆重钢) prototype steel plant has been "transformed" into an industrial museum, writing a "living" industrial history;
Looking at the countryside, in the black soil of Changchun (长春), Jilin (吉林), the Xinjia Village Golden Corn Museum (信家村黄金玉米博物馆) has "grown," recording the simple texture of rural farming.
"Thousands of museums with thousands of colors," each showing its brilliance, each being beautiful in its own way. More and more people are falling in love with museums and the new fashion of "museum +."
100 years ago, on the first day the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) opened its doors to the public, visitors lined up in long queues. Today, the new trend of cultural and tourism integration, such as "spending holidays in museums" and "going to a city for a museum," has given rise to new urban cultural cards.
"Bring national treasures home." The "top-tier" phoenix crown refrigerator magnets of the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆) have sold over one million pieces, and the caisson ceiling refrigerator magnets of the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum (北京古代建筑博物馆) are in short supply. As an extension of museum exhibitions and social education, cultural and creative products build a bridge between museums and the public, promoting the organic integration of historical context and daily life.
Technological innovation is aimed at allowing more protection achievements to be shared by the people.
In the 1960s, the murals in Cave 161 of the Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) began to peel off like snowflakes. Restorer Li Yunhe (李云鹤) restored 0.1 square meters every day, and it took him two years to finally bring the cave back to life. Today, the Dunhuang Research Academy (敦煌研究院) team uses digital technology to "revive" the Mogao Grottoes murals in the cloud, giving the millennium treasures "digital immortality."
"We must continue to hold on to the excellent traditional culture passed down by our ancestors, keep pace with the times, and carry it forward."
In creative transformation and innovative development, museums are becoming "alive" and trendy.
Looking at China's museums going overseas and showing a confident posture under global coordinates:
"In today's world, where the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, the inclusive coexistence and mutual learning of different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization of human society and the prosperity of the world's civilization garden."
Looking at a confident, open, and world-embracing oriental model. In 2024, the "China · Tang" special exhibition at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts (吉美国立亚洲艺术博物馆) in France opened with great splendor. More than 200 pieces (sets) of oriental treasures tell the story of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
Go to a "civilization appointment" that spans thousands of years and thousands of miles. In the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆), the "Top of the Pyramids: The Great Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization" has attracted more than 2.77 million visitors, setting off a phenomenal craze.
From "looking at each other" to "dialogue," Chinese museums not only focus on their own development and serving the people but also embrace the world with a calm, confident, open, and inclusive attitude, playing a magnificent chapter together.
"The beauty of harmony lies in combining differences." From joining the International Council of Museums (国际博物馆协会) in 1983 to successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference and the annual meeting of the Museology Committee; from the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆) becoming an "international cultural property haven" to holding more than 100 inbound and outbound cultural relic exhibitions throughout 2024... The concept and role are continuously renewed.
This temperament is gentle and broad. The composure of "looking at the world equally" stems from the profound heritage given by the five thousand years of civilization and blooms in the cultural confidence and open mind that burst forth in the new era. Connecting China and foreign countries, communicating hearts and minds, Chinese museums contribute unique oriental wisdom and accumulated cultural power to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Only by standing on a high place can we see far. Only by fully stimulating innovation and creativity through reform and opening up and promoting the high-quality development of museums can we better respond to the call of the times and better meet the people's growing needs for a better life.
Drawing wisdom from the depth of history, revitalizing new vitality in the pulse of the new era, and expanding the pattern in the integration of civilizations—collecting today for tomorrow. Under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China's museum industry has made epic progress, injecting more surging momentum into building a strong socialist cultural country and promoting Chinese-style modernization.
On the magnificent long scroll, the great river is surging endlessly, guarding the roots of great civilization and illuminating a bright and dazzling future.
Return to TopBy: 徐 阳
Since the implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan," China has adhered to a people-centered development philosophy, promoted people's well-being to new levels, and delivered a warm and substantial report card on people's livelihoods.
Focusing on the needs of the people, public services benefit everyone. Educational equity has been continuously promoted, and the balanced development of compulsory education has been achieved; the medical and health service network has been continuously improved, and grassroots medical facilities have been continuously improved; shantytown renovation and the construction of guaranteed rental housing have benefited thousands of households... Continuously promoting the extension of resources to the grassroots level, to rural areas, and to weak links. Inclusive public services allow the fruits of development to benefit all people more and more equitably.
Improving the policy system and implementing an employment-first strategy. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's annual new urban employment has remained stable at more than 12 million people. At present, the total number of skilled personnel exceeds 200 million, and the number of highly skilled personnel exceeds 60 million. New occupations and new business formats are booming, multiple measures are taken to promote the employment of key groups, and large-scale vocational skills training is carried out... The continuously improving employment policy system provides important support for improving people's livelihoods and economic development.
Doing a good job in top-level design and improving the social security system. A multi-level social security system covering the whole population, coordinating urban and rural areas, and being safe and standardized is being built at an accelerated pace. The participation rate of basic old-age insurance and basic medical insurance has reached more than 95%, the scope of unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance has continued to expand, and the social assistance system for vulnerable groups has become more precise and efficient. The increasingly dense social security network effectively safeguards the bottom line of people's livelihoods.
Chinese-style modernization prioritizes people's well-being. On the new journey, continuing to focus on the urgent and difficult problems of the people, continuously deepening reforms, and improving the system will surely promote people's well-being to a higher level.
Return to TopThis issue coordinated by: Cheng Chen (程晨), Lü Li (吕莉)
Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 郑海鸥
Dongqiao Village (东桥村), Dongqiao Town (东桥镇), Xiangdong District (湘东区), Pingxiang (萍乡), Jiangxi (江西) Province, is nestled deep in the Luoxiao Mountains (罗霄山). Even after a winding journey from the city, it still takes nearly two hours by car. In a farmer's courtyard in this remote mountain village, a five-star red flag is raised every day.
Another morning arrives. Around 6 a.m., the rosy dawn begins to paint the sky. Accompanied by "March of the Volunteers," 74-year-old villager Tang Chunmei (汤春梅), together with her daughter, pulls the rope, and the bright five-star red flag slowly rises, fluttering in the wind.
Villagers heading out to work with hoes, students getting up early, men and women, young and old, who have come specially... More than 30 villagers gather around the flagpole, consciously standing at attention, singing the national anthem, and gazing at the fluttering red flag with firm eyes. The mountain breeze and birdsong provide accompaniment to the chorus of the national anthem.
"It is very meaningful to watch the flag-raising with my grandparents, uncles, and aunts. The excitement is the same as watching the September 3rd military parade this year. I want to write it in my composition so that my classmates will all know," said junior high school student Tang Pengtao (汤鹏涛).
Over 37 years, the five-star red flag has been raised more than 13,000 times at Tang Chunmei's home. Huang Rongrong (黄榕榕), Secretary of the Dongqiao Town (东桥镇) Party Committee, said with emotion: "The national flag flying deep in the mountains is the most direct and accessible form of patriotism education. The decades of persistence of a farmer's family is also the best example for the village."
With a Grateful Heart: Raising the National Flag at Our Home
The raising of the national flag in the farmer's courtyard began in 1988.
One day, Zhang Changqi (张常琪), a politics teacher at the town's junior high school, returned home and said to his wife, Tang Chunmei (汤春梅), in a slightly somber tone: "We have more than a hundred martyrs here who gave their lives in exchange for a peaceful and happy life. However, the children know very little about this history. We must not forget them!"
Female Party member He Zhuying (贺竹英) defied the enemy's torture, strictly guarding the Party's secrets until the last moment of her life; the local area launched a peasant movement, leading the Red Army and sending intelligence, and establishing liaison points for underground Party organizations... According to statistics, Dongqiao Town (东桥镇), surrounded by mountains on all sides and bordering Jiangxi (江西) and Hunan (湖南) provinces, is a heroic land that produced more than 100 martyrs, the youngest of whom was only 15 years old.
"The blood of heroes has dyed the national flag red. We will raise the national flag at our home to remember history, be grateful to the martyrs, and love our country," said Zhang Changqi (张常琪).
"I agree," said Tang Chunmei (汤春梅), a genuine farmer with limited education, but she also knew the weight of the national flag and the significance of heroes.
The couple immediately set about neatly stacking stones on the roof, and the husband carefully selected and cut a straight and upright bamboo from the mountain, meticulously polishing it into a flagpole.
What about the national flag? The family's conditions were limited, so Tang Chunmei (汤春梅) farmed during the day and carefully embroidered the national flag pattern under the oil lamp at night.
Because she had done a day of physical labor, Tang Chunmei's (汤春梅) hands would tremble, and sometimes she would prick her fingers. Her husband instructed her from the side: "Embroider slowly, the flag surface should be upright, just like the Chinese people's waists should be straight."
Tang Chunmei (汤春梅) still remembers the night the national flag was embroidered, "We unfolded it in the moonlight, the red cloth was like a ball of fire, and the five stars were brighter than the stars in the sky. We said, tomorrow, we will raise the five-star red flag."
Since then, before dawn, the couple would wipe the reachable parts of the flagpole, then carefully spread out, raise, and tie the national flag. At dusk, they would climb onto the roof again to lower, flatten, and put away the national flag, without any folds or wrinkles.
Yu Zhenghua (余正华), 59, was a student of Zhang Changqi (张常琪). After starting work in the 1990s, he went to visit his teacher one day.
"Walking on the winding mountain road, I accidentally looked up and saw a five-star red flag fluttering in the wind. I was stunned at the time. You know, at that time, the national flag was only raised in a few places every day. And this remote and poor place actually had one," Yu Zhenghua (余正华) was shocked and even more shaken.
With excitement and questions, Yu Zhenghua (余正华) had a long talk with Zhang Changqi (张常琪). "That day, the teacher talked about how difficult the country used to be, how hard his family's life was, and how heroic the sacrifices of the martyrs were, and that the current life did not come easily, 'I have been thinking about what I should do'," Yu Zhenghua (余正华) recalled, "The teacher said that he should have the motherland in his heart and be determined to serve the country. He has no ability, 'so he will express his remembrance and gratitude with the action of raising the national flag every day'."
Deep in the Luoxiao Mountains (罗霄山), this five-star red flag quietly rises and falls. In the first 10 years, it was not known to many people. Tang Chunmei (汤春梅) said: "We are not doing it to show others. Of course, we also very much hope that everyone, especially the children, can come and take a look..."
Family Tradition Continues: A Red Heart Passed Down from Generation to Generation
Sunrise and sunset, flag raising and lowering.
When it was windy, the couple would hug the flagpole, using their hands and feet to reinforce it; when it suddenly rained, they would run home no matter how far away they were, to put away the national flag as soon as possible.
"Once, during a heavy rain, my mother braved the rain to collect it. The mud road was slippery, and she fell on her back, covered in mud. When I looked, the national flag was tightly held in her arms, not dirty at all," her daughter Zhang Jihong (张继红) did not understand at the time.
Tang Chunmei (汤春梅) said seriously: "Your father said that the national flag cannot be dirty, let alone broken. This is the rule."
It was also from that time that Zhang Jihong (张继红) firmly engraved this "family rule" in her heart, and slowly understood the meaning of her parents naming her "Jihong (继红)" - "a red heart passed down from generation to generation."
From the first time it fluttered in Dongqiao Village (东桥村), the five-star red flag has been raised every day with the rising sun. The flagpole has been replaced more than ten times, and the national flag has been replaced more than 40 times. The solemn flag-raising ceremony has never been interrupted.
As the couple's age increased, so did their illnesses, and the location of the flag-raising was moved from the roof to the front of the house. The flagpole could not be careless at all: first it was replaced with a taller and straighter tree trunk, and then with a more solid stainless steel one.
"The silent education has a great impact on our younger generation's words and deeds, and how we conduct ourselves in the world - to be an upright, proud, and self-respecting Chinese!" said Zhang Jihong (张继红), 45.
As the years changed, the old man's two sons joined the army one after another, and his grandsons and granddaughters were born and grew up.
Zhang Jihong (张继红) said: "My daughter has been participating in the flag-raising since she was 6 years old, and now she has graduated from university. She often shares the story of the national flag at home with her classmates from all over the world, and she will come back to raise the flag whenever she has time."
Continuing the tradition, that bright red color becomes more and more dazzling deep in the mountains.
"Doing one thing well seems not difficult, but it is very unusual for a family to persist in doing one thing for a long time." Deng Jia (邓佳), 27, a villager who works as a sports teacher in Shenzhen (深圳), Guangdong (广东) Province after graduating from university, came to the familiar flagpole again during her vacation back to the village.
"The deeds of nameless perseverance are worthy of our learning. I want to take this emotion and pass on the lofty spirit and precious patriotism to more students," said Deng Jia (邓佳).
"Watering day and night, the seeds of patriotism will break ground," said Huang Rongrong (黄榕榕). "**行胜于言，润物无声**" (xíng shèng yú yán, rùn wù wú shēng - "action is better than words, moistening things silently," influence through actions rather than words). There is no preaching, only persistence, and what follows is the continuous improvement of the village's atmosphere and customs, and full of energy for doing things and starting businesses."
Gathering Hearts and Focusing Strength: A Better Life Reaching New Heights
Behind the daily flag-raising action is a burning heart that loves the motherland and loves the hometown.
"Teacher Zhang Changqi (张常琪) couldn't stay idle, and he spent money and effort to build more than one kilometer of road for the village. In order to facilitate the villagers who do farm work to take shelter from the rain, cool off, and rest, he also built a pavilion by the roadside," said 73-year-old villager Yuan Jifa (袁继发), giving a thumbs up, "**前人栽树，后人乘凉**" (qián rén zāi shù, hòu rén chéng liáng - "the previous generation plants the trees, the later generation enjoys the shade," one generation benefits from the work of its predecessors).
However, even raising the flag initially attracted sarcasm from some individuals - "Who can see the flag-raising in the deep mountains? What's the point?" "The country is so big, does it need your flag?"
The old people also felt heartache when they heard it. "I do what I do, you say what you say, we won't give up on this matter," said Zhang Changqi (张常琪), "Without the country, where is the home? Without the sacrifices of the revolutionaries, where is the life we have today? We can't forget our roots!"
In 2023, the sensible and righteous old man Zhang Changqi (张常琪) passed away.
"Before his death, he repeatedly told us to continue raising the national flag and to preserve the previous national flags." Tang Chunmei's (汤春梅) calloused hands gently stroked the weathered flags, "Treasure them well, these are the family heirlooms."
As time flows, the national flags also witness the changes in the village bit by bit, gathering hearts and focusing strength.
At first, only family members were present at the flag-raising; later, the children in the village would run over early, learning to salute, and Tang Chunmei (汤春梅) and her husband would tell them stories of anti-Japanese heroes and the meaning of the five stars on the national flag; later, villagers coming and going would spontaneously gather, some holding the flagpole, some tidying up the national flag, and many toddlers would also wave their little hands while babbling...
"The raising of the national flag in the farmer's courtyard made me feel that patriotism, dedication, and struggle are never abstract concepts and grand slogans, but lie in every bit of daily life," said Deng Xi (邓汐), a post-00s villager and elementary school teacher, with emotion, "No matter how times change, the principles are the same."
Under the high-flying national flag, spirit becomes matter, and matter becomes spirit - the village's mud roads have become cement roads, the adobe houses have become small western-style buildings, the children have walked out of the mountains to study, and the young people have returned to their hometown to start businesses... Today, the per capita annual income of villagers in Dongqiao Village (东桥村) has reached nearly 15,000 yuan, and the "Common Prosperity Workshop" is painting a new picture of the countryside.
In the past two years, Tang Chunmei's (汤春梅) children have also renovated the old house. The exterior is white walls and blue tiles, and the interior is bright and clean, with televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other facilities. "Good days are getting better and better. My mother is always smiling and marveling at the happy days that she never dreamed of before," said Zhang Jihong (张继红), "The villagers are also smiling and full of energy."
"The symbolism and meaning of the national flag, and the spirit of patriotism and hard work, have been integrated into the blood of Dongqiao Village (东桥村), and are a valuable asset for future generations," said Li Meijin (李美金), a civilization practice volunteer in Dongqiao Village (东桥村), "The flag-raising action is a bond, an atmosphere, and a seed, so that patriotism education is implemented in detail and inspires everyone to be united and move forward."
It is precisely the time of rice harvest, the rice waves are rolling, and Dongqiao Village (东桥村) is a busy scene.
And the moment the national flag is raised is always the most solemn moment in the village - in the small courtyard, the villagers stop, perk up, and look in the same direction. That is the direction of a better life reaching new heights.
Return to TopBy: 贾樟柯
In 2017, the inaugural Pingyao International Film Festival was successfully held in the ancient city of Pingyao (平遥古城) in Jinzhong (晋中), Shanxi (山西) Province, a city with over 2,800 years of history, thus opening the curtain on the Pingyao International Film Festival. This year marks the ninth year of the film festival.
At the beginning of the preparation, we kept thinking about a question: In the context of China's rapid economic and social development and China's steady rise to become the world's second-largest film market, how can high-quality cultural resources flow to the grassroots level?
Generally speaking, cultural activities such as film premieres, art exhibitions, and theatrical performances are more frequent in big cities. In fact, small and medium-sized cities also have huge cultural needs. Just like the literature of the 1980s, it had a wide readership in both cities and villages. We wanted to try something: Could we create an international film festival in a county town that connects cities and villages? This was a question, but also an ideal.
Allowing film cultural resources to "flow" and "converge" is the goal we have always hoped to achieve.
The ancient city of Pingyao (平遥古城) is a "living" city. It is not only listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, but also has many residents living in the city. International filmmakers who come to Pingyao (平遥) with their works can experience our long history and culture, feel the life of contemporary Chinese people, and establish a real and friendly impression of China. And Chinese filmmakers who come to the ancient city can remind us not to forget the countryside and small towns, nor to forget history, which is our root, and also the fertile ground and source of creation.
In recent years, the Pingyao International Film Festival has attracted many Chinese and foreign filmmakers, who have chosen to give Pingyao (平遥) the opportunity to screen their films for the first time in Asia or even globally. Up to now, the participating films have maintained an Asian premiere rate of more than 65%, and the Chinese premiere rate has been 100% every year. In Pingyao (平遥), Chinese and foreign filmmakers meet, exchange, collide, and co-create, with an open mind, learning from each other and making progress together. The Italian film "There's Still Tomorrow" was released in Chinese cinemas after its premiere in Pingyao (平遥), and China became the film's box office champion in the international market, allowing the world to see the diversity and huge potential of the Chinese film market.
The exchange of ideas and viewpoints has benefited young filmmakers from all over the world. Many films or scripts such as "Crossing the Border - Zhaoguan" (过昭关), "Only the River Flows" (河边的错误), and "Lighting Up The Stars" (人生大事) have emerged after their initial appearance in Pingyao (平遥), gaining attention from both inside and outside the industry. Through years of cultivation by the Pingyao International Film Festival, many Shanxi (山西) directors have created works with local experience and solid life experiences, which have been highly valued by critics.
With its high-quality curation and strong film culture atmosphere, the Pingyao International Film Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers to the ancient city every year. Among them, half are from Shanxi (山西), and half are from other provinces and even around the world. They watch new movies here, share opinions, and enjoy the moments of gathering.
Thus, Pingyao (平遥) has become a hub, a "city of convergence": tradition and modernity converge, China and the world shake hands, cities and villages embrace, and creation and life intertwine.
The theme of the 2025 Pingyao International Film Festival is "Convergence Point", looking forward to presenting the cultural attitude of Chinese filmmakers and Chinese films: open and inclusive, mutual understanding, and win-win cooperation.
Now, Pingyao (平遥) uses film as a link to allow stories to converge in the ancient city once again, and people to connect in the ancient city once again. Different films bring the customs and cultures of the world, Chinese filmmakers bring open film perspectives, and audiences bring their love for film—you are in me, and I am in you. In the ancient city of thousands of years, different destinies are seen and understood: mankind is a community with a shared future, and the earth is our common home.
(The author is a film director and founder of the Pingyao International Film Festival)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 史自强
"Squeak, squeak..." In a farmer's courtyard in Shawopu Village (沙窝村), Feixiang District (肥乡区), Handan (邯郸), Hebei Province (河北省), middle school student Hu Wenhao (胡文昊) pedals the treadle stick, holding a knife in both hands, the blade moving quickly on the rotating wooden blank... His master, Li Xuemin (李学民), stands beside him, carefully guiding him. As the wood shavings fall rustling, a log-colored wooden pen holder begins to take shape.
Li Xuemin (李学民) is a representative inheritor of the wooden lathe technique, a representative project of Hebei Province's provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. This technique involves using hand-held knives to turn and cut rotating wood to create a series of symmetrical and exquisite products such as wooden bowls, abacus beads, spinning tops, and vases.
Shawopu Village (沙窝村) is located next to the old course of the Zhang River (漳河). The willow trees born from the river have nurtured a unique wooden lathe technique that has been passed down for about 500 years. In Shawopu Village (沙窝村), the wooden lathe technique flourished in the late Qing Dynasty, with more than 100 workshops in the village.
"Willow wood is moderately soft and hard, non-toxic and fragrant. Wooden bowls and other household utensils made from it are not hot to hold when filled with hot food and do not crack when exposed to water. Moreover, the pronunciation of 'willow' (柳) is the same as 'stay' (留), so giving it to relatives and friends conveys good wishes. The old people in the village often say, 'With a wooden bowl in hand, you will have no worries about food and clothing,'" said Li Xuemin (李学民). Wooden lathe is not only a craft but also a survival wisdom engraved in the bones of the people of Shawopu (沙窝).
However, times have changed. Handmade wooden bowls have gradually been replaced by plastic and ceramic products due to their time-consuming and labor-intensive production and relatively high prices. A large number of young people in the village went out to work, and the old craftsmen passed away one after another. By 2012, only six elderly people over the age of seventy in Shawopu Village (沙窝村) knew the wooden lathe technique.
"How can the craftsmanship of our ancestors be cut off?" Li Xuemin (李学民), who returned to his hometown, had the idea of "preserving this craft."
Li Xuemin (李学民) cleaned up the old lathes left by his predecessors, attracting old craftsmen to "reminisce" and pick up their skills again. Li Xuemin (李学民) "secretly" learned from the side and then practiced hard.
"One day, I heard the familiar 'squeak' sound. I pushed the door open and saw Li Xuemin (李学民) clumsily pedaling the lathe, with blisters on his hands but refusing to stop," recalled Cheng Jinqing (程金庆), an old craftsman in Shawopu Village (沙窝村).
Wooden lathe emphasizes 心手合一 (xīn shǒu hé yī - "heart and hand as one," perfect coordination between mind and hand), controlling the speed with the feet and determining the direction of the knife with the hands. A slight deviation can lead to failure. As soon as he started, Li Xuemin (李学民) realized the "arduousness" of the task: a single wooden bowl requires thousands of cuts, and more complex ones require thousands of cuts to be completed.
Li Xuemin (李学民) was not only not daunted but also had a "brainstorm," thinking about how to let ordinary people understand and love the wooden lathe technique.
For tourists, he turned the second floor of his house into a "mini-museum," displaying different styles of lathes and wooden lathe works, engraved with the marks of time; for students, he compiled and drew "Traditional Wooden Lathe Technique Student Reader," which became a local characteristic textbook; for netizens, he taught himself short video editing. In the lens, the lathe knife moves, the trajectory is like a dance, and the shavings fly like butterflies, attracting countless likes. He also taught himself English and participated in cultural exchanges in the United States, Cambodia, Laos, and other places.
Li Xuemin (李学民) has successively brought out more than 20 apprentices, allowing the already dim wooden lathe technique to "light up" again. In 2019, the wooden lathe technique was successfully selected into the Hebei Province (河北省) provincial-level intangible cultural heritage list.
"As students of the new era, we must cherish the treasures of intangible cultural heritage, inherit the cultural fire with awe, and protect traditional skills with the power of youth..." In recent years, wooden lathe technique entering campus activities have been carried out vigorously in many local schools, inspiring many students' love for traditional culture and their determination to inherit it.
Li Xuemin (李学民) said: "With more and more young people joining, the wooden lathe technique will be full of vitality, and its 'squeak' sound will be transmitted further and louder in the symphony of tradition and modernity."
Return to Top"The night with the brightest moonlight in a year, a time when people thousands of miles apart appreciate it together." The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional festival with many time-honored customs, the most representative of which is undoubtedly moon gazing.
With the development of the national economy and society, the improvement of people's living standards, and the cultural innovation driven by technological progress, the ways people celebrate the festival and enjoy the moon have become more diverse. In Shanghai (上海), the planetarium organically integrates traditional culture and modern technology to create a "moonwalk" through time and space; in Yichun (宜春), Jiangxi (江西) Province, the Moon Culture Festival, which has been held for many years, imbues the green mountains and clear waters with a full "moon content"; in Jiexiu (介休), Shanxi (山西) Province, ancient buildings echo the full moon, creating a unique Chinese-style romantic "atmosphere" for moon gazing... These "moon chasing trips" reflect the thriving holiday tourism market, demonstrate the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding Chinese traditional culture, and witness the pulse of high-quality development of cultural and tourism integration.
-- Editor
Shanghai (上海)
Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Planetarium
By Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), reporter of this newspaper
It's Mid-Autumn Festival again. On this traditional festival of gazing at the stars and entrusting emotions, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum (上海天文馆) (a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (上海科技馆)) has launched a new experience mode - when poetic moon gazing meets astronomical technology, a cosmic journey through time and space is staged here.
Li Yansong (李岩松), director of the Exhibition and Education Center of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, introduced that during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum launched a series of moon-themed observation activities. In the public area outside the museum, observers are crowded in front of professional telescopes, and everyone is queuing in an orderly manner. "This free experience activity continues the public welfare tradition of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, and is committed to letting astronomical science popularization go out of the venue and integrate into the public life. In just a few minutes, the audience can see the craters of the moon clearly through the telescope, and spend a Mid-Autumn Festival of 'seeing the moon clearly'," said Li Yansong (李岩松).
To get an in-depth experience, visitors can participate in the immersive full-house night exploration and study activity "Encountering the Stars" in the museum. Here, visitors can learn about stargazing and moon appreciation through the "Stargazing Guide" astronomy course, and also feel the audio-visual feast of light and shadow intertwined in the ultra-high-definition multi-functional dome theater.
If you visit the museum during the day, you can also get a special "moon appreciation" experience. The planetarium launched a Mid-Autumn Festival theme activity, using a high-precision optical planetarium and projector to reproduce the "autumn starry sky" at 31 degrees north latitude where the Shanghai Astronomy Museum is located indoors. Through the live explanation of professional teachers, the audience can recognize constellations such as Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, and Pegasus here, and feel the wisdom of "observing the stars and giving time". In addition, the popular science lecture "Moon Transformation" held in the public area of the venue leads the audience to explore the scientific principles behind the waxing and waning of the moon; in the "Star Rhyme Mid-Autumn Festival" astronomical storytelling flash event, the narrator transforms into a storyteller, and tells the mysteries and legends behind the Mid-Autumn Festival celestial phenomena from a vivid popular science perspective...
The use of emerging technologies has added a new dimension to Mid-Autumn Festival moon appreciation. The "Talking about the Moon in Mid-Autumn Festival" activity launched by the Digital Laboratory in the museum shows the moon observed from the Galileo telescope era to the clear lunar surface taken by modern telescopes, and the audience can directly feel the changes brought about by technological breakthroughs. For audiences who cannot come to the scene in person, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum has launched the "Traveling through the Galaxy" experience project based on the metaverse design. No matter where the audience is, as long as they wear VR (virtual reality) equipment, they can travel to the virtual exhibition area and watch a super-large moon model restored in equal proportions.
"The connotation of the Mid-Autumn Festival lies in the culture and tradition contained behind the bright moon," said Li Yansong (李岩松). "We hope that through these activities, the audience can feel the charm of modern technology and feel the feelings of the Chinese nation for thousands of years of moon appreciation."
Yichun (宜春), Jiangxi (江西)
Enjoying the Bright Moon in Mingyue Mountain (明月山)
By Zhou Huan (周欢), reporter of this newspaper
Under the bright moonlight, the "fire dragon" made of bamboo strips, colored cloth and other materials sometimes spirals and dances, sometimes speeds forward, shuttles, somersaults, and swims... On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, at the rehearsal site of the "Fire Dragon Chasing the Moon" activity in the Mingyue Mountain Scenic Area (明月山景区) in Yichun (宜春), Jiangxi (江西), the atmosphere was particularly warm and joyous. At the same time, at the campsite in the scenic area, the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, composed of programs such as the Mingyue Concert, the Moon Dance Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Ritual "Music" Mid-Autumn Festival, is also in full swing. Tourists on the scene enjoy the bright moon, taste tea, and feel the beautiful time of reunion in the lively atmosphere.
"I came to the right place for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. Mingyue Mountain (明月山) is full of 'moon content' and has a great atmosphere!" Zhang Lili (张莉莉), a tourist from Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) Province, said excitedly. Mingyue Mountain (明月山) is named because its mountain shape is semi-circular, like a bright moon hanging on the top of the mountain, and you can see the "mountains embracing the moon" when you climb to the top. Every year around the Mid-Autumn Festival, the scenic area will hold "moon" related theme activities.
"In addition to the moon chasing activities and the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, we have launched a number of theme activities this year. Tourists can ride on the 'moon car' and interact with 'Chang'e (嫦娥)' and 'Jade Rabbit (玉兔)' to deeply experience the moon culture of Mingyue Mountain (明月山)," introduced Chen Lei (陈磊), deputy general manager of Jiangxi Minglv Industrial Co., Ltd. (江西明旅实业有限公司).
After years of deep cultivation of cultural and tourism integration, Mingyue Mountain (明月山) has implanted the "moon" symbol into the cultural heritage of the scenic area. In 2006, Yichun (宜春) proposed to explore the moon cultural resources of Mingyue Mountain (明月山), form a moon culture tourism brand, and build a tourist destination featuring moon appreciation. It is reported that Yichun (宜春) has held the Moon Culture Festival for more than 10 consecutive years, and has continued to attract tourists from all over the world with traditional folk performances, music festivals, food festivals and other activities.
Meeting in Mingyue Square (明月广场), getting to know each other in the Yongyue Stele Forest (咏月碑林)... In Mingyue Mountain (明月山), 10 romantic attractions related to the moon are strung together into a chain, incorporating the emotional stories of "meeting, knowing, falling in love, and staying together", forming a unique cultural identity.
"Another major feature of Mingyue Mountain (明月山) is that the scenic area has a selenium-rich hot spring water," introduced Zhang Binfeng (张斌峰), director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Mingyue Mountain Hot Spring Scenic Area (明月山温泉风景名胜区). "Local specialty foods mainly feature selenium-rich brands. For example, Wentang (温汤) rice cakes fermented with selenium-rich rice, selenium-rich hot spring tofu, selenium-rich banquet, etc. At the same time, we also launched food scene services, such as mountain-top specialty restaurants, hot spring hotel theme restaurants, etc., which are very popular among tourists."
In response to the new tourism needs of young people, the scenic area has also created new scenes such as music festivals, camping, and theme homestays, forming a positive cycle of "traffic - retention - consumption". According to statistics, in recent years, the average stay time of young tourists has increased from 1.2 days to 2.5 days, and the proportion of secondary consumption such as catering, cultural and creative products, and experience projects has increased from 30% to 55%. As of the first half of this year, Mingyue Mountain Scenic Area (明月山景区) attracted 65,000 group tourists, an increase of 25.3% year-on-year; the proportion of tourists from outside the province exceeded 50% for the first time.
Jiexiu (介休), Shanxi (山西)
Talking about Reunion in Ancient Alleys
By Fu Mingli (付明丽), reporter of this newspaper
Nine bends and eighteen turns, undulating and hiding ancient buildings. During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, cultural activities in the Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Area (张壁古堡景区) in Jiexiu (介休), Shanxi (山西) were wonderful.
During the day, tourists share a long table feast. A hundred-meter-long banquet is lined up on the main street, divided into themes such as "Military Banquet" and "Mid-Autumn Tea Flower Banquet". During the banquet, traditional skills such as Red Sleeve Sword and Dragon and Phoenix Bench are performed in turn. "The activities in the ancient castle are very ceremonial. The children not only have fun, but also feel the charm of traditional culture." Mr. Chen (陈先生), a citizen of Jiexiu (介休), and his family are visiting Zhangbi Ancient Castle (张壁古堡) for the Mid-Autumn Festival for the third time this year.
Zhangbi Ancient Castle (张壁古堡), also known as Zhangbi Village (张壁村), is an ancient military castle with a history of more than 1,600 years. The village is distributed with many cultural relics and historical sites such as Sui and Tang Dynasty tunnels, Jin Dynasty tombs, Yuan Dynasty opera stages, and Ming and Qing Dynasty folk houses. Locals often say, "Kui Xing (魁星) in the sky, Zhangbi (张壁) on earth". It turns out that the ancient castle was built according to the traditional Chinese astrology theory, corresponding to the Twenty-Eight Mansions, reflecting the concept of harmony between man and nature. In recent years, Zhangbi Ancient Castle (张壁古堡) has renovated cultural relic buildings, deeply explored military, astrological, and folk culture, and regularly held special cultural activities.
As the lights come on and the moon rises in the east, Zhangbi Ancient Castle (张壁古堡) welcomes another charm. A light show is staged at the South Castle Gate. In the brilliant light and shadow, tourists wearing traditional costumes and holding star and moon lanterns walk in the ancient alleys, like a flowing galaxy. The Kui Xing Tower (魁星楼) is crowded with tourists enjoying the moon. Many photography enthusiasts come to grab a seat in the afternoon, just to take a classic picture of "the moon shining on the ancient tower".
It is reported that the Mid-Autumn Festival theme cultural tourism activities in Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Area (张壁古堡景区) have been held for many years. "This year, the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival are celebrated together. The theme of the scenic area is set as 'Stars and Moon Shine on the Home Country'. In addition to moon appreciation, the scenic area has also added patriotic theme interactive activities such as singing for the motherland. We hope that tourists can deeply feel the feelings of home and country in these activities," introduced Ji Xiaopeng (冀晓鹏), general manager of Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Area (张壁古堡景区).
Tasting osmanthus tea in the old courtyard, setting off wishing lanterns by the water, and making moon phase disks by hand... These activities focusing on "slow time" are particularly attractive to families traveling together. Many tourists said: "The reunion scene is more concrete in the ancient village."
But the ancient castle does not blindly pursue "ancient meaning". The digital experience center in the scenic area is popular among young people - wearing MR (mixed reality) glasses, the stars and rivers flow in front of you, and war horses gallop. In the interweaving of virtual and real, a secret exploration journey across time and space begins.
In recent years, Jiexiu City (介休市), where Zhangbi Ancient Castle (张壁古堡) is located, has promoted the deep integration of culture and tourism to create an ancient village folk tourism circle. "Through the construction of ancient village cultural brands such as 'Zhangcun Ancient Castle Flower Sea (张村古堡花海)' and 'Zhanglan Ancient Village Antiques (张兰古村古玩)', Jiexiu (介休) continues to release the synergistic effect of cultural and tourism brands and actively creates a characteristic rural cultural tourism destination," introduced the relevant person in charge of the Jiexiu City Culture and Tourism Bureau (介休市文化和旅游局).
Return to TopBy: 曹怡晴
The moon is especially bright during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions. However, many people find it difficult to return home due to work, study, and other reasons. As a result, finding "moon-viewing buddies" has become a rising trend among young people. Some exchange ideas online, showing off their best moon photography and sharing "moon-chasing" tips. Others make appointments offline to go together to that bright moonlight and share the feeling of reunion, "though thousands of miles apart, we share the beauty of the moon."
It's not just about moon-viewing. Young people are making their own mooncakes by hand, unlocking fresh flavors such as river snail rice noodle filling and crayfish filling. They are also wearing traditional costumes to visit museums, interpreting the "past and present" of a full moon. These creative ways of celebrating the festival are the "ritualistic senses" of the festival that people have "grown" in their ever-changing lives.
Will the increasingly new ways of celebrating festivals dilute the "traditional flavor"?
In fact, festival customs, as part of cultural life, are not immutable. Many customs will update themselves with the development of the times. For example, the custom of admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival has continuously evolved in its connotation and form throughout its long history: people in the Qin and Han dynasties were superstitious about the "divine" nature of the moon and popularised "moon worship"; people in the Tang Dynasty valued the "brightness" of the moon and liked "moon gazing"; people in the Song Dynasty paid special attention to the "beauty" of the moon and favored "moon appreciation"; by the Ming and Qing dynasties, the artistic conception of the Mid-Autumn full moon was particularly prominent, and "expecting reunion" became the theme that continues to this day.
Today, diverse lifestyles and rapidly changing modern technologies are constantly injecting new elements and vitality into traditional festivals. In Rongguo Mansion (荣国府) in Zhengding (正定), Hebei (河北), tourists can immerse themselves in the elegance and liveliness of the ancients celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Poetic lanterns hanging on the treetops, lotus lanterns floating on the lake, as well as various live performances and holographic projections, interweave reality and dreams, creating a unique "atmosphere" of the Mid-Autumn Festival night in *Dream of the Red Chamber*. At the Chengdu Natural Museum (成都自然博物馆) in Chengdu (成都), Sichuan (四川), tourists only need to wear a set of VR (virtual reality) equipment to embark on a mysterious and romantic journey of cosmic exploration, experiencing interstellar space scenes, including the moon, at close range. The integration of festival customs and modern life "breaks the wall," not only realizing the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, but also vividly demonstrating the contemporary charm of traditional festivals.
With more and more patterns changing, is it only about the "consumption trend"?
At the Mid-Autumn Festival market, people are bustling. Moon-chasing travel packages are in high demand. Small packaged mini mooncakes have become a new favorite in the market. The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday consumption market is full of vitality and popularity. From the perspective of humanistic economics, we will find that when traditional charm is connected and grafted with consumer fashion, it can not only activate the economy, but also awaken the vitality of traditional culture.
Shapotou Scenic Area (沙坡头景区) in Zhongwei (中卫), Ningxia (宁夏) has become a popular destination for Mid-Autumn Festival travel in recent years. Under the full moon, there is the magnificent Yellow River (黄河) between the rolling sand dunes. While admiring the beautiful scenery, tourists can always find resonance with the border guards who miss their hometowns through the border poems recited in their ears. In Yangzhou (扬州), Jiangsu (江苏), the Slender West Lake (瘦西湖) in the moonlight shows moving Chinese aesthetics. The local area takes the opportunity of celebrating the festival to deeply explore the cultural connotations of etiquette and customs, and create new cultural tourism products and new business forms.
While cultural consumption creates economic benefits during traditional festivals, what is more important is to enrich and enrich people's spiritual world. Even though times have changed, the exquisite flower lantern once held by the ancients has evolved into a delicate cultural creation in the palm of today's people. And when we jointly look at the ancient autumn shadow and golden waves, we can always generate the romantic feelings of "When will the moon be clear? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the sky," and burst out the national feelings of "Riding the wind, soaring ten thousand miles, looking down at the mountains and rivers"—perhaps, this is the profound significance of the ancient festival blooming with new ideas.
Return to TopBy: 黄小钰
In ancient Chinese myths and legends, Chang'e (嫦娥) resided in the Guanghan Palace (广寒宫) after flying to the moon. What exactly did this "heavenly palace" look like? At the Capital Museum (首都博物馆), perhaps we can see the Guanghan Palace (广寒宫) as imagined by the ancients through the exhibit, a fragment of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting the Guanghan Palace (嵌螺钿广寒宫图漆器残片).
The fragment of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting the Guanghan Palace (嵌螺钿广寒宫图漆器残片) was unearthed from the Yuan Dynasty (元朝) Dadu (大都) site in Houyingfang (后英房), Beijing (北京). The most eye-catching feature of the fragment is a two-story, three-bay hip-and-gable roofed pavilion. The pavilion is fitted with lattice doors, and there are railings on the platform. Because the unearthed fragments contain the head of a woman and remnants of the character "Guang (广)," after multiple confirmations, researchers named it "Guanghan Palace (广寒宫) Picture." Taking a closer look at this lacquerware fragment, trees are planted behind the house, and the leaves are shaped like Chinese parasol trees and osmanthus. Below the pavilion, a cloud of air rises into the sky, passing over the roof and straight into the sky. The overall composition is similar to some scenes in the Yuan Dynasty (元朝) murals in the Chunyang Hall (纯阳殿) of the Yongle Palace (永乐宫) in Ruicheng (芮城), Shanxi (山西).
The architectural style of the pavilion in the fragment of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting the Guanghan Palace (嵌螺钿广寒宫图漆器残片) is similar to that of southern buildings, and Ji'an (吉安) (anciently known as Luling (庐陵)), Jiangxi (江西) was also an important production area of Yuan Dynasty (元朝) lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Judging from the material origin and composition style, this work may have come from the south.
According to research, the location of the White Pagoda (白塔) on Qionghua Island (琼华岛) in Beihai Park (北海公园), Beijing (北京) today was once the site of the Guanghan Palace (广寒殿) in the Jin Dynasty (金代). This at least shows that in the Dadu (大都) area of the Yuan Dynasty (元朝), there were stories circulating about the Guanghan Palace (广寒宫). However, it is no longer possible to verify what building the Guanghan Palace (广寒宫) picture on this fragment was based on. Overall, this cultural relic is a strong physical evidence of cultural exchange and integration between the north and south regions at that time.
(The author is a researcher at the Capital Museum (首都博物馆), interviewed and compiled by Shi Fang (施芳), reporter of this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 杨理胜
When we admire the moon, we often associate it with rabbits. In various legends about the moon, rabbits are generally regarded as auspicious omens of the bright moon, carrying connotations of good fortune and romance.
The protagonists of the openwork "Eastern Ascendancy" jade ring ornament in the collection of the Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆) are a pair of adorable rabbits. This is a set of cultural relics unearthed from the tomb of Prince Liangzhuang (梁庄王) of the Ming Dynasty, totaling two pieces, identical in size, both 4.9 cm in diameter and 0.5 cm in thickness, with mirrored patterns. The jade is bluish-white, round, slightly convex on the front, with a greasy luster. The outer edge is carved into a ring shape, with a double rabbit gazing at the moon design carved in openwork within the ring. From the perspective of craftsmanship, this ring ornament employs a double-layered openwork technique, presenting the elements of the picture in layers: the upper end depicts several "bud clouds" to set off a full moon; the loquat tree and jade rabbit motifs at the lower end enhance the sense of space; beside the lingzhi mushroom under the loquat tree, the direction in which the two rabbits are looking is the full moon at the very top.
As early as in "Heavenly Questions" of *Chu Ci*, Qu Yuan (屈原) linked the moon and the rabbit together, forming the "Moon Rabbit Theory" that has been passed down through the ages. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, "Jade Rabbit Pounding Medicine" became a decorative pattern on portrait stones. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, elements such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chang'e (嫦娥), and the jade rabbit were integrated and continued to be used. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, rabbits became a widely appearing theme in fields such as painting, jade carving, and porcelain. Among them, rabbits in jade carvings are often combined with elements such as lingzhi mushrooms, focusing on expressing the dynamics and expressions of the rabbits, such as details like bent and prostrate limbs, front paws holding objects, and long ears draped over the back, symbolizing auspiciousness and longevity. This bluish-white jade openwork "Eastern Ascendancy" ring ornament has typical polishing marks of the Ming Dynasty visible on its surface, and the jade carving technique presents the aesthetic style of the time, making it an important physical material for studying the jade craftsmanship and the jade usage system of the royal family during the Ming Dynasty.
(The author is an associate research librarian at the Academic Research Center of the Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆学术研究中心). Reporter Fan Haotian (范昊天) of this newspaper compiled the interview.)
Return to TopLayout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 珂
●How to choose activity projects for parent-child travel? For preschool children, theme parks, zoos, and aquariums are good choices; when they reach elementary school age, museums and historical sites can be appropriately added; middle school students are more adventurous and may be more interested in outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and hiking.
●How to arrange the activity time for parent-child travel? The play time for young children should not be too long, and it is advisable to stay at each attraction for 1-2 hours; for older children, free activity time can be appropriately added to the itinerary, allowing children to choose activities according to their interests.
For some time, the popularity of parent-child travel has continued to rise. Red tourism, traditional culture tourism, science and technology tourism... Different types of parent-child travel, with their rich and colorful forms and positive educational significance, have become important "second classrooms" for children. While building good parent-child interaction relationships, parent-child travel drives consumption in culture, leisure, catering, and other areas. New projects and new products continue to emerge, forming new highlights in the cultural tourism market.
What to Play
Highlight Individual Needs
"It's so much fun to make bird whistles with clay." Recently, at the "Changsha Kiln Bird Whistle" clay handicraft experience activity at the Hunan Art Museum (湖南美术馆), 12-year-old participant Zheng Mingxuan (郑铭轩) carefully pinched out a shape while talking to his mother next to him.
At the event, children, under the guidance of teachers, used clay to sculpt bird whistles with the characteristics of Changsha Kiln (长沙窑). As an important export porcelain kiln in the Tang Dynasty, Changsha Kiln products have vivid shapes and rich decorations, and bird whistles are a representative of both artistry and interest. After listening to the teacher's explanation, the children started to work, feeling the temperature of the millennium kiln fire and the charm of intangible cultural heritage techniques in the production process.
Compared with previous years, the parent-child travel market this year has maintained its popularity while presenting many new highlights.
Parent-child travel has a stronger cultural flavor, and entering museums and experiencing intangible cultural heritage techniques have become popular choices. Recently, museums across the country have successively launched a variety of exhibitions and activities. The "Cosmic Archeology: Space-Time Exploration" exhibition at the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆) visualizes the data collected by humans in exploring the universe, and through artistic processing, turns the universe that is difficult to observe with the naked eye into exhibits that can be appreciated up close. The Gansu Provincial Museum (甘肃省博物馆) launched an immersive interactive drama project, presenting the profound history and culture to the audience in a new way through "costume change + drama performance + interactive exploration."
Not long ago, the Two Bombs City Scenic Area (两弹城景区) in Zitong County (梓潼县), Mianyang City (绵阳市), Sichuan Province (四川省) launched a series of preferential policies for parent-child travel families, attracting many tourists. Parents took their children into the Two Bombs City, walking in the places where the older generation of scientists once lived and struggled, exploring the stories behind the "Two Bombs and One Satellite" (两弹一星) in precious cultural relics and detailed materials.
In addition to feeling the fragrance of culture, parent-child travel that goes outdoors and into the countryside is also favored by many families.
"I only saw fireflies in videos before, but now I can see them with my own eyes, which is very unforgettable." In the Mengyuan Xianjing Scenic Area (勐远仙境景区) of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest National Park (西双版纳热带雨林国家公园) in Yunnan (云南), Zheng Chuan (郑川), a tourist from Shandong (山东), and his 15-year-old child walked into the rainforest under the guidance of a guide, listening to the "night talk" of rare animals and plants and learning about the survival wisdom of nature. In order to better meet the needs of the parent-child tourism market, Xishuangbanna (西双版纳) has created new consumption scenarios such as "camping + study tour." According to the relevant person in charge of Mengyuan Xianjing Scenic Area, the average daily occupancy rate of star tents exceeds 80% during the peak tourist season.
In Chengtian Village (承天村), Wuqu Town (武曲镇), Shouning County (寿宁县), Ningde City (宁德市), Fujian Province (福建省), the local area relies on unique ecological resources and rural cultural heritage to open up study and education camps. Parents and children jointly participate in agricultural activities such as picking and farming, experiencing the hardship and joy of harvest in real labor scenes.
How to Travel
Plan the Itinerary Reasonably
A reasonable parent-child travel itinerary is crucial for the travel experience. Planning in advance according to the child's age level, physical strength, and interests will help parents and children have more fun.
Children of different age levels have different needs and interests in parent-child travel. For preschool children, theme parks, zoos, and aquariums are good choices; when they reach elementary school age, they begin to be curious about history and culture, and museums and historical sites can be appropriately added, but the explanation method should be lively and interesting; middle school students are more adventurous and may be more interested in outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and hiking.
In terms of time arrangement, the play time for young children should not be too long, and it is advisable to stay at each attraction for 1-2 hours; for older children, free activity time can be appropriately added to the itinerary, allowing children to choose activities according to their interests.
Recently, Wang Sirui (王思睿), a tourist from Beijing (北京), took his 9-year-old child to Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) for tourism. The week-long itinerary was filled with cultural attractions such as the Xi'an Museum (西安博物院), the Xi'an Banpo Museum (西安半坡博物馆), and the Tang Paradise (大唐不夜城). In Wang Sirui's view, parents and children participating in activities together can not only enhance parent-child relationships, but also allow children to feel the company and support of their parents.
Some parents worry that their children are too young, and traveling outside is not only tiring, but also cannot remember the travel process. What is the significance of parent-child travel? Dai Bin (戴斌), president of the China Tourism Academy (中国旅游研究院), believes that parent-child travel plays an important role in children's growth. Even if the child is still young, they can broaden their horizons and cultivate observation and curiosity by contacting different people and things during the trip. "Tourism has an educational function, but there is no need to arrange dense knowledge points like in the classroom during the trip," Dai Bin said.
What factors should be paid attention to when arranging an ideal parent-child trip? In terms of safety, it is necessary to choose reliable tourist destinations and transportation, and understand the local safety situation in advance; in terms of itinerary, it is necessary to pay attention to rationality, leave enough rest time, and avoid being too tight; when choosing activities, it should be rich and interesting, which can not only stimulate children's interest, but also allow parents to participate in it; at the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to parent-child interaction, and set up parent-child cooperation links in the trip, such as completing a painting together, building a small tent, etc., to enhance feelings in cooperation.
Travel with Peace of Mind
Continuously Optimize Supply
As museums across the country continue to be popular, some cultural and museum venues are often "hard to get a ticket" during the peak season, which makes many parents with parent-child travel plans feel anxious.
In fact, the "difficulty in getting a ticket" for museums is a microcosm of the current parent-child travel market's rising demand and relatively insufficient effective supply. At present, the service quality of parent-child travel products varies, and some parent-child travel projects have false publicity problems, and the actual experience is far from the publicity content. For example, some rural parent-child travel project introductions claim to have rich agricultural experience activities, but tourists find that the activity content is single and the facilities are simple after arriving. Some parent-child outdoor camping projects have high prices, but the service quality cannot keep up, and the tents provided are of poor quality and the supporting services are not perfect. In addition, some parent-child travel projects have inadequate safety guarantees, and there are safety hazards in amusement facilities.
In order to further stimulate the potential of the parent-child travel market, increasing high-quality supply is the key. Industry insiders suggest that tourists can choose service providers and destinations with good reputations in advance through relevant evaluations when choosing parent-child travel products and services; for product services that can sign contracts, contracts should be signed in a timely manner; during the trip, it is necessary to enhance safety awareness, strengthen self-protection, and participate in high-risk projects such as high-altitude, high-speed, and water activities with caution according to physical conditions.
The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部) said that in response to the outstanding problems in the current tourism market, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will focus on screening business activities that solicit tourists in the name of travel agencies, tour guides, escorts, and tourism butlers, focus on monitoring package tourism products related to parent-child travel, study tours, and summer vacation tours, severely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as operating without a license, failing to sign tourism contracts, and arbitrarily transferring groups and selling groups, and strive to create a safe travel consumption environment for the general public.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 龚仕建
"The bun is ready!"
In the streets and alleys of the Guanzhong Plain, the masters in the stalls take out the golden and crispy baked Baiji buns from the oven. With a few swift chops, the fatty and lean stewed pork is chopped on the cutting board, and then a spoonful of old broth is poured over it. The steaming Roujiamo (meat sandwich) is immediately handed to the diners. The wheat aroma of the bun and the mellow flavor of the meat intertwine into a unique urban atmosphere.
One bite of Roujiamo, tasting the flavors of Sanqin. In Shaanxi, Roujiamo in different regions have evolved into diverse styles—the mellowness of Xi'an Roujiamo, the crispness of Tongguan Roujiamo, the sour and spicy flavor of Baoji Saozi Roujiamo... This seemingly ordinary snack is not only a "living fossil" of Sanqin's food culture, but also a "golden industry" that leverages the economy of one region.
From the earliest "Han Rou" (cold meat) to "Mo Jia Rou" (meat in bun) in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the sign of "Roujiamo" spread throughout the city. This simple food embodies the life wisdom of the Guanzhong people. In the writings of Lu Yao (路遥), Chen Zhongshi (陈忠实), and Jia Pingwa (贾平凹), it is a symbol of nostalgia for the Loess Plateau. The "Sanqin Set Meal" consisting of Liangpi (cold skin noodles), soda, and Roujiamo has become a memory of home for travelers.
Stewed meat is the soul of Roujiamo—carefully selected Guanzhong pork, slowly stewed with bay leaves, nutmeg, and Cao Guo (black cardamom) in a century-old broth, the fat melts, and the lean meat is fragrant. And the bun has made the flavor world: Tongguan layered cake is crispy and crumbly, with golden crumbs falling with every bite; Xi'an Baiji bun pursues "iron ring, tiger back, chrysanthemum heart," with a crispy outer ring, tiger-striped marks, and an internal chrysanthemum-shaped layered structure perfectly complementing the stewed meat and broth. On the streets of Xi'an, lined with time-honored brands such as "Yuan Ji" (袁记), "Fan Ji" (樊记), and "Ziwu Road Zhang Ji" (子午路张记), every bite is a contemporary narrative of a thousand-year-old skill.
As night falls, the Yongxingfang (永兴坊) scenic spot in Xi'an is crowded with tourists. "Our store can sell an average of six to seven hundred Roujiamo every day. If we catch the peak season, we can be busy from 8 am to 1 or 2 am the next day," said Yang Haoxuan (杨皓轩), who runs a Roujiamo shop in Yongxingfang. In recent years, with the booming development of Shaanxi's cultural tourism market, Roujiamo has become a major highlight of the food economy.
In order to protect and promote this unique thousand-year flavor, Shaanxi Province has included Roujiamo in the protection scope of intangible cultural heritage and promoted the formulation of standards from ingredients to production technology, so that traditional production techniques can be inherited. In the Tongguan Roujiamo Cultural Expo Experience Hall (潼关肉夹馍文博体验馆) in Weinan City (渭南市), bun makers demonstrate their skills with rolling pins, attracting tourists to stop.
The aroma of the bun has lasted for thousands of years, becoming more and more fresh. In the wave of industrialization, Roujiamo has gradually been cultivated into a standardized, branded, and scaled industry.
In Weinan City (渭南市) Tongguan County (潼关县) Shengtong Catering Management Co., Ltd. (盛潼餐饮管理有限公司), the quick-frozen bun production line is running at full speed. The flour goes through the processes of mixing, rolling, oiling, and rolling into a tube, and becomes a "12.5 cm in diameter and 110 grams in weight" unified specification bun blank. Through "industrialized production + branded operation," Tongguan County (潼关县) produces 700 million quick-frozen buns every year, exporting to 21 countries and regions including the United States, Singapore, and Japan, with an annual output value of 1 billion yuan, directly or indirectly driving employment for more than 100,000 people.
In Xi'an, chain brands such as "Weijia Liangpi" (魏家凉皮) and "Yuanji Roujiamo" (袁记肉夹馍) have achieved standardized production through central kitchens. Among them, the artificial Baiji bun production line developed by "Yuanji Roujiamo" can restore 95% of the manual process. Relying on standardized production, it has opened more than 500 stores across the country, becoming a "mobile business card" of Shaanxi cuisine.
The taste of a thousand-year-old bun spreads all over the world. When Meng Bing (孟兵), a Shaanxi native, opened the first "Xi Shao Ye Roujiamo" (西少爷肉夹馍) store in London, England, the price of 7 pounds per bun did not stop the enthusiasm of diners. In the store, the ingredients shipped from China and the freshly baked and sliced craftsmanship allowed overseas travelers to taste the taste of their hometown, and also allowed foreign friends to appreciate the charm of Chinese fast food. When Tongguan layered cakes crossed the ocean by cold chain, the new store in the center of Bangkok, Thailand, quickly became a popular food check-in place, and the Roujiamo store in Zaragoza, Spain, was still full until late at night... Accompanied by the tempting aroma, guarding the craftsmanship between kneading and rolling, and embracing the world between opening and closing.
A more far-reaching inheritance of skills is taking root on campus—Tongguan County Roujiamo Industry College (潼关县肉夹馍产业学院) has opened training courses, and Zhang Pengfei (张鹏飞), the principal of the vocational education center, leads more than 400 students to study bun-making skills and brand management; Lian Shouzhu (廉守柱), the representative inheritor of the Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage project "Xi'an Roujiamo" (西安肉夹馍), enters vocational colleges and transforms the craftsman standard of "three years of apprenticeship" into a replicable knowledge system. At present, "Tongguan Roujiamo Catering Chef" has become a labor service brand, with 58 manual bun-making stores and 10 industrialized production enterprises in the county, driving employment for more than 20,000 people.
In the twilight, the aroma of buns still flows through the streets of Guanzhong. From the luggage of soldiers in the Zhou and Qin Dynasties to the tables of diners around the world, Roujiamo has always been the most vivid taste note of the Sanqin land—it connects history and the present, connects hometown and distant places, and it uses the inheritance and innovation of ordinary ingredients to keep the thousand-year-old Shaanxi flavor steaming...
Return to TopHow to choose and use trekking poles?
People's Daily reporter Zeng Huafeng (曾华锋)
"Bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than a horse, who's afraid? I'll let a straw cloak and misty rain see me through my life." Su Shi (苏轼) did not forget to bring a bamboo staff when he was walking in the wild, passing through forests and leaves, chanting and walking slowly. The bamboo staff at that time may have been somewhat similar to today's trekking poles. As "outdoor fever" continues to heat up, people are going outdoors, either trekking through mountains and rivers or climbing high to see far. Experienced hikers and mountaineers will also bring trekking poles when climbing mountains or traversing complex terrain.
Why use trekking poles? Trekking poles, also known as walking sticks, can bring the following benefits when used properly in outdoor activities: the upper limbs assist in exerting force when going uphill, which can save physical strength; they share the impact force when going downhill, reducing the pressure on the ankle, knee, and hip joints; they can provide additional support when walking on complex terrain such as gravel, grass, streams, snow, and wet and slippery surfaces, reducing the risk of falling; they help maintain balance when crossing single-plank bridges or traversing slopes; they test the depth of water, the thickness of snow, or obstacles in the grass; and when it rains, if there is no place to take shelter from the rain, the trekking poles can also be used as support rods to build a rain shelter with a waterproof cloth.
How to choose trekking poles?
Single poles are suitable for those who are lightly equipped, on short trips, on simple terrain, and who are accustomed to operating with one hand; double poles are suitable for those who are carrying heavy loads, on long distances, on complex terrain, and who have high balance needs. Trekking pole shafts are made of materials such as titanium alloy, carbon fiber, aluminum alloy, and wood. You can choose carbon fiber poles or aluminum alloy poles, which are relatively lightweight and moderately priced, while titanium alloy poles are expensive and wooden poles are easy to break; the tip material can be carbon tungsten steel tips and tungsten cobalt alloy tips, which have high hardness, strong toughness, corrosion resistance, and are not easy to deform or break; the handle material can be foam handles or cork handles, which are comfortable to hold, sweat-absorbent, and non-slip; the number of sections can be four sections, three sections, two sections, and one section. You can choose three or four sections, which are easy to carry and of moderate length, while two sections and one section are less portable and have a smaller adjustment range; the pole height can be 95-110 cm, 110-125 cm, 125-140 cm, etc., and can be selected according to height; the weight of trekking poles varies. On the basis of being strong and durable, it is recommended to choose a lighter one, which can reduce the burden on the arms.
How to use trekking poles?
First, check whether the buckle is locked. If the buckle is not tight, the pole will not be able to bear the weight and will suddenly retract downwards, which will not only affect the stability of walking, but may also cause accidental falls.
Second, use the wrist strap properly. When using, insert your hand from below the wrist strap, press the strap with your thumb and forefinger, and grip the handle tightly. In complex road conditions, the wrist strap can be omitted, so that you can let go when the tip of the pole is stuck by a hard object, so as to avoid falling together with the trekking pole and injuring your wrist.
Third, adjust the length of the pole. When walking on flat ground, let your arms hang down naturally, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and the tip of the pole should touch the ground vertically, falling behind your feet to propel your body forward; shorten the pole by 5-10 cm when going uphill to reduce the range of arm lift, with the tip of the pole falling behind your feet to propel your body forward; lengthen the pole by 5-10 cm when going downhill, with the tip of the pole falling in front of your feet to provide support in advance and cushion the pressure on your knees.
Outdoor hiking, please keep the "safety kit"
Wang Shuai (王帅)
For people living in cities, getting into nature to "recharge" is becoming more and more attractive. Outdoor hiking is full of fun and challenges, but inappropriate hiking activities also have potential risks. How to protect yourself when hiking outdoors? Please keep the following "safety kit".
Choose a suitable route. The choice of route should comprehensively consider the difficulty level, personal physical fitness, and seasonal factors. Novices are more recommended to take mature routes with small altitude gains and round trips in a single day, avoiding blindly challenging difficult routes; experienced hikers should also avoid privately exploring undeveloped and dangerous routes; hiking in the rainy season requires avoiding canyon routes that are prone to flash floods and landslides; and hiking in winter should be wary of snow accumulation and hypothermia risks in high-altitude areas.
Prepare relevant equipment. It is recommended to purchase professional hiking shoes and quick-drying socks, wear quick-drying clothes, thermal clothes, and windbreakers in layers, and prepare trekking poles, medicine kits, drinking water, and energy gels. If you are going on a multi-day long-distance hike, you also need to prepare equipment such as tents, moisture-proof mats, sleeping bags, and compressed gas stoves.
Build up physical fitness. Hiking activities also have certain requirements for physical fitness. It is best to carry out lower limb strength training and aerobic exercise one month in advance to improve cardiopulmonary function. If you are going on a multi-day long-distance hike, you need to carry out regular physical training for a longer period of time.
Master climbing skills. Climbing inevitably involves going up and down, and it is best to master certain sports skills to avoid physical injuries as much as possible. When going uphill, you can start with small steps and a slow pace, maintain a steady breathing rate, and use a "zigzag" walking method when encountering steep slopes. When going downhill, keep your center of gravity slightly backward and your knees slightly bent, use a sideways alternating step-down method on steep slopes, and use trekking poles to disperse the impact force, and relieve joint pressure by adjusting the step frequency.
Scientifically respond to "altitude sickness". Many hiking routes are located in high-altitude areas, and special attention needs to be paid to scientifically responding to altitude sickness. Before entering the plateau, we can first stay in an area with an altitude of about 2,000 meters for 1 to 2 days to allow the body to gradually adapt to the plateau environment. When hiking, the altitude should not rise by more than 1,000 meters per day, and the ascent speed should not be too fast. When hiking in high-altitude areas, adopt a "light, slow, and steady" walking rhythm, combined with deep breathing. Pay attention to the frequency of rest during long-distance hikes, avoid being too tired, and observe your heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Wear windproof hats, gloves, etc. when hiking to avoid catching a cold in the head and limbs. If you have symptoms such as a cold or fever, you should suspend your plateau trip.
Protect the ecological environment. When hiking, always walk along existing trails and avoid trampling on fragile vegetation or taking shortcuts. Avoid picking wild plants or harming wild animals during hiking. Use portable stoves instead of open flames, and never make fires in dry, windy areas.
(Author's unit: School of Physical Education, Yunnan University (云南大学), interviewed and compiled by this reporter Zhang Chi (张驰))
Return to TopLayout Design Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)
Return to TopThe grand blueprint of the "14th Five-Year Plan" has transformed into a magnificent and vivid practice across the land of China. Vibrant China presents a myriad of scenes, and the brushes of artists also bloom with the brilliance of the times. Painters delve into the bustling scenes, using their deeply affectionate strokes to depict the powerful strides of technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, the idyllic new charm of comprehensive rural revitalization, the magnificent pattern of coordinated regional development, the important engine of high-level opening up to the outside world, and the ecological picture scroll of green mountains and clear waters... Diverse artistic languages together weave a colorful spectrum of the achievements of the past five years.
In order to artistically present this weighty answer sheet of the times, this journal launches a special art edition entitled "Splendor of the Land: A Colorful Answer Sheet." We hope that these works, which embody the spirit of the times and artistic ingenuity, can lead the audience to stroll through colors and lines, intuitively feel the pulse of national development, understand this profound transformation happening around them, and jointly savor this "colorful answer sheet" painted with hard work.
-- Editor
Return to TopThis edition's email: msfk@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)
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