Summary: President Xi Jinping responded to a letter from friends in Iowa, sending New Year greetings and recalling his positive experiences from his visit 41 years ago. Xi emphasized that the foundation of U.S.-China relations lies in the people, particularly the youth, and expressed hope that this friendship will continue. He encouraged the Iowa friends to promote people-to-people exchanges and foster friendship between the two countries' youth. The Iowa friends, including former Ambassador Branstad, had sent a letter and New Year card expressing their commitment to U.S.-China friendship. Xi stated that despite changes in the international environment, the desire for cooperation between the people of China and the United States remains.
Summary: The article reports on the Lunar New Year celebrations of Niu Peiyao, an employee of the China Aerospace Information Group, a subsidiary of a centrally-owned enterprise (SOE) that relocated to the Xiong'an New Area. Niu, along with her husband, relocated to Xiong'an as part of the SOE's decentralization from Beijing, and are spending their first Spring Festival there with family. Niu highlights the convenience and comfort of life in Xiong'an, including short commutes, complete community facilities, and high-quality education resources. She also mentions the company's achievements in the Beidou satellite messaging service. The family visited local attractions, including the Xiong'an Urban Computing Center, which houses her company's data center.
Summary: A three-person team, including Ba Jinlong, is working to cultivate coral reefs off the coast of Wuzhizhou Island in Hainan, a national marine ranching demonstration zone. They plant coral, navigate underwater hazards, and ensure safety through teamwork. The team has observed a positive transformation in the local community, with former fishermen now engaged in tourism and marine conservation, supported by government initiatives and positive relations with the island's resort. As a result of these conservation efforts, the coral coverage has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Ba Jinlong hopes to continue protecting the area in the future through conservation and education.
Summary: Shanghai People's Congress representative Hong Chengdong, a technical director at Shanghai Kunmou Automotive Service Co., revisited the Oasis Plaza in Putuo District to inspect fire safety improvements following his concerns raised at the recent Shanghai municipal meetings. Hong noted the rectification of previously problematic fire doors, now equipped with functional door closers after municipal and district emergency and fire departments addressed the issues he raised concerning locked or permanently open fire doors in the high-rise buildings. Property management representatives stated that city and district leaders from the emergency and fire departments inspected the building on February 14th. Hong, accompanied by the building's property engineer, inspected the fire safety measures, including fire doors, extinguishers, and hydrants, across multiple floors of both buildings. Hong emphasized the importance of adhering to evolving national fire safety standards.
Summary: During the Spring Festival holiday, China's domestic cultural and tourism market saw new business models and scenes emerge, continuously releasing consumption potential. The article uses a photograph of Fuzhou, Fujian Province to illustrate this trend, showing citizens and tourists visiting ancient streets, appreciating intangible cultural heritage, and tasting local food. The piece focuses on the positive trends in domestic tourism and consumption during the holiday. The article does not address topics relating to U.S.-China relations.
Summary: China's film market is booming, with the 2026 Spring Festival film season already exceeding 2.39 billion in total box office revenue. The integration of "film+" initiatives, such as incorporating cultural heritage, tourism, and creative products, are driving consumption and extending the industry's economic impact. Advanced technologies like virtual production and AI are also enhancing film production and viewing experiences. This expansion is rooted in traditional Chinese culture, attracting audiences and promoting cultural confidence, and there is no mention of the United States.
Summary: This article emphasizes the importance of unity and coordinated effort ("齐心协力") for achieving new successes, drawing inspiration from Xi Jinping's exhortations. It cites an example from Pan'an County, Zhejiang, where villages cooperate on tourism to improve quality and resource sharing. The piece highlights the achievements of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and calls for continued unity and innovation to overcome challenges and achieve great things in the "15th Five-Year Plan". The author stresses that the strength of the Chinese people lies in their ability to unite and work towards a common goal.
Summary: Chinese athletes Su Yiming and Xu Mengtao won gold medals in the men's snowboard slopestyle and women's freestyle skiing aerials events, respectively, at the Milan Winter Olympics. Su Yiming's victory saw Japan and the United States taking silver and bronze medals respectively. Xu Mengtao successfully defended her title in the freestyle skiing aerials. In addition, the Chinese team secured a bronze medal in the men's speed skating team pursuit, defeating the Dutch team.
Summary: During the Spring Festival, a construction site in Jinan, Shandong, became a family reunion spot for migrant workers, with the local branch of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division providing support for "reverse family visits." In Chaozhou, Guangdong, the Yingge dance, a form of performance art, has experienced a revival, becoming a prominent symbol of the Spring Festival celebrations. In a village in Zunyi, Guizhou, a "village gala" transformed a primary school basketball court into a stage for local talent and community gathering.
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Summary: Aksu border police officers from the Shat Ancient Road border police station under the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station are patrolling the Muzart Glacier. The patrol route follows a frozen riverbed passable during winter. Station chief Jia Jiantai notes infrastructure improvements like drone surveillance and stable phone signals are aiding their duties. One officer from Guangdong expressed pride in guarding the expansive territory. The station is positioned to monitor the ancient route connecting northern and southern Xinjiang.
Summary: Li Senhao, a foreman at the Nanyang Works Section of the China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau, is ensuring the safety of the Jiaoliu Railway during the Spring Festival travel rush by manually inspecting and removing loose rocks along the steep cliffs of the Funiu Mountains. Despite the use of drones, manual inspections are still necessary, requiring Li and his colleagues to patrol 41 mountains and 18 tunnels daily, covering over 10 kilometers on foot while carrying heavy equipment and updating records of dangerous rocks. Li mentioned that he would take time to be with his family after the travel period concluded. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article focuses on the economic transformation of farmers in Jilin Province, specifically in the village of Nangou near the Beidahu ski resort, who have transitioned from agricultural labor to winter sports-related employment. Wang Yuxi, a farmer turned ski instructor, exemplifies this shift, having obtained professional certifications and now earning a substantial income during the ski season. Inspired by Wang, dozens of villagers have become ski instructors or started businesses like民宿 and农家菜. The Beidahu International Ski School reports creating nearly 1,000 related jobs per season, with instructor salaries ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 yuan per month.
Summary: The 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, themed "Soaring Horses, Unstoppable Momentum," aimed to blend traditional culture, technological innovation, and international appeal. The gala incorporated the horse motif throughout its performances, emphasizing self-improvement and progress. AI and AR technologies were used to create immersive visual effects, while segments featured intelligent robots and showcased China's technological advancements, particularly in the Hefei sub-venue. The program sought to connect with audiences through relatable stories and highlight traditional Chinese culture, such as symbolic patterns and historical figures brought to life through AIGC. The broadcast intended to foster a sense of unity and optimism for the new year among viewers worldwide.
Summary: China's film market is booming, with the 2026 Spring Festival film season already reaching 2.392 billion in total box office revenue. Jiangsu province is hosting a film carnival to promote consumption, linking movie theaters, commercial areas, and cultural events. The trend of "+Film" is emerging, with film-related tourism and cultural products driving economic growth. Traditional Chinese culture is providing inspiration and content, enhancing the industry's development. The industry is also seeing tech investment and upgrades, with virtual studios and high resolution cinema deployments being reported.
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Summary: Cultural exchange events celebrating the Lunar New Year were held in Spain, Pakistan, and Egypt, featuring Chinese music and performances. In Spain, the "Happy Chinese New Year" concert showcased collaborations between Chinese and Western musical traditions. In Pakistan, celebrations included performances by students and the expression of strong China-Pakistan friendship, with Pakistani officials conveying New Year greetings to their "iron brothers." In Egypt, the Chinese Embassy hosted a reception and a Spring Festival Gala for overseas Chinese and Egyptian friends. The symbolism of the horse was highlighted as a cultural bridge between China and Arab nations at an event held at the Arab League headquarters.
Summary: The article argues that understanding the underlying reasons for China's success is crucial for building a more constructive and forward-looking U.S.-China relationship. It attributes China's achievements to its long-term strategic planning, emphasis on green and innovation-driven development, and focus on building a new development pattern with balanced import and export. China's commitment to multilateralism and global cooperation is also highlighted. The author suggests that the United States should view China as a partner rather than an opponent to create a development environment that benefits both countries. The optimal choice for the United States is not to regard China as an opponent, but as a partner, working together to transform cooperation opportunities into tangible benefits for the people of both countries and to create a development environment conducive to the common prosperity of both sides and the world.
Summary: Chinese Ambassador to Morocco highlighted the 10th anniversary of the China-Morocco strategic partnership, noting its foundation in mutual respect and reciprocal benefit since its establishment in 2016. The Ambassador emphasized the deepened ties through high-level exchanges, including Xi Jinping's technical stop in Casablanca in 2024 where he met Crown Prince Moulay Hassan. Morocco's support for China's core interests and global initiatives was acknowledged, as was Morocco's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. Economic cooperation continues to grow, with China being Morocco's largest trading partner in Asia, and cultural exchanges, including visa-free travel for Chinese citizens, flourish. The article indicates a commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and contribute to China-Arab and China-Africa friendship.
Summary: The 16th Global Overseas Chinese Bookstore Chinese Book Spring Festival Exhibition is being held in over 100 Chinese bookstores across 40 countries, including the U.S., UK, and France. The exhibition focuses on showcasing Xi Jinping's works and related study materials, alongside publications interpreting party decisions and highlighting China's development. Festive books, academic works, children's books, and Chinese language textbooks are also featured. The event includes interactive activities like essay contests and cultural events to promote Chinese culture abroad.
Summary: Brazilian Tourism Agency President Marcelo Freixo stated that Brazil-China cultural and tourism cooperation is entering a new phase under the strategic guidance of both countries' leaders. He highlighted the positive trend of cultural exchanges, with the upcoming "Brazil-China Culture Year" in 2026 serving as a significant milestone. Freixo emphasized the growing popularity of Chinese New Year in Brazil, reflecting strengthened cultural ties and mutual respect. He noted that cultural integration is driving two-way tourism growth, with China becoming a promising source market for Brazil and increasing Brazilian interest in visiting China. Freixo believes strengthened Brazil-China dialogue can promote open and inclusive global cooperation in the current international context.
Summary: The article discusses cultural events and trends related to the Year of the Horse in China, including a Tang Dynasty horse exhibit in Shenzhen, a traditional horse-themed shehuo performance in Shaanxi, and the popularity of horse-themed merchandise in Yiwu. A musician in Inner Mongolia is highlighted for her work with the Matouqin. The article makes no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses the cultural significance of the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac, highlighting its connection to themes of progress, heroism, and a spirit of self-improvement. It notes the evolving traditions surrounding the Lunar New Year, with young people creatively reinterpreting classical imagery like the horse in modern contexts, such as fashion and digital culture. The piece emphasizes the blend of old and new customs, fostering cultural confidence and a sense of national identity. Ultimately, it encourages readers to embrace a "spiritual horse" within themselves, maintaining ambition and a passion for exploration. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article lists the editorial staff for the current issue, naming Zhi Chunli, Xiao Yao, and Cao Yiqing as the coordinators, and Cai Huawei as the layout designer.
Summary: This article highlights rural revitalization efforts across China, focusing on ecological improvements and economic development. In Guizhou, Jinahua Village transformed tea cultivation into a lucrative industry through green practices. Hebei's Taqian Village improved living conditions and attracted tourism by focusing on environmental remediation. Other villages, like Shaoyang in Hunan and Dabaozi in Liaoning, are integrating urban and rural economies and leveraging ecological agriculture. These examples demonstrate how villages are adopting sustainable practices to enhance both their environment and economic prosperity.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and relevant summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: In 2025, the Gangu Shichuan Ancient Pear Garden in Lanzhou was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the FAO. The area's agricultural heritage is celebrated through traditional farming techniques, local art forms like the Yangko dance, and regional cuisine such as Lanzhou beef noodles. The article highlights the efforts to preserve these traditions, including the "Tian Ba Shi" technique for managing the ancient pear trees and the revival of the Ma Xian Mountain Yangko dance after a flood. Local authorities have implemented measures to protect the ancient pear trees and promote the beef noodle industry. These efforts aim to balance cultural preservation with economic development in the region.
Summary: In Deqing County, Zhejiang, the "Freshwater Pearl Composite Farming System," a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage site, continues to thrive. Shen Zhirong, a pearl farming expert, emphasizes the importance of maintaining optimal water temperatures for pearl mussels during the winter. Deqing's freshwater pearl farming, dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty, relies on a symbiotic relationship between fish and mussels. Modern technologies, such as AI systems and underwater sensors, are now integrated into the pearl farming process to enhance efficiency and sustainability. The tradition of "opening mussels to harvest pearls" remains a significant cultural practice, now appealing to younger generations through pearl-themed creative products.
Summary: Tongyang's unique agricultural heritage and culinary tradition of growing white ginger is summarized. Farmers in Tongyang have developed unique methods of cultivating white ginger and storing ginger seeds during the winter to produce ginger with a unique flavor. This practice has been passed down for generations, and in 2023, the practice was recognized by the United Nations as a globally important agricultural cultural heritage. The local government has built an industry chain around ginger, developing more than 80 products with an annual output value of 1 billion yuan. Ginger farming has become a way to improve rural economy.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and relevant summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: Kika Yi Village in Sichuan Province, known as a "living cultural museum" of the Garong Tibetan people, was awarded the title of "Best Tourism Village" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2025. The village integrates intangible cultural heritage with tourism, showcasing unique stone碉 towers and architecture while offering immersive cultural experiences like traditional dancing and embroidery. Local officials emphasize the village's preservation of traditional architecture and its integration of cultural elements into the tourism industry. Efforts have been made to regulate the homestay industry and extend the tourist season beyond spring and summer through seasonal cultural events. The village's success has led to increased tourism revenue and encouraged young people to return to the village to participate in the cultural tourism industry.
Summary: Nineteen Chinese villages from 14 provinces have been added to the UN's "Best Tourism Villages" list, showcasing rural transformations. These villages emphasize sustainable development by preserving natural landscapes and cultural heritage, integrating ecological awareness into local customs. They focus on cultural tourism, transforming traditions and skills into unique experiences. Villages are innovating by integrating modern technology and diversifying tourism offerings, while also empowering local communities through collaborative development models and traditional governance systems. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses a Warring States Period crystal cup, a national-level cultural relic, discovered in Hangzhou in 1990. The cup's sophisticated craftsmanship, made from a single piece of crystal, showcases advanced techniques for the time. Its discovery provides insight into life in Hangzhou before the Qin Dynasty and highlights the cultural influence of the Chu state on the Wu-Yue region. The Hangzhou Museum is actively promoting the relic through exhibitions and creative products. The exhibition displays bronze cups from Hubei Province to illustrate the fusion of Chu and Yue cultures during the Warring States Period.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and relevant summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: This editorial piece, published on the third day of the Chinese New Year, introduces a special "Open a Book to Welcome Spring" section. It emphasizes the symbolic significance of the number "three" as a starting point for growth and renewal. The section encourages readers to cultivate their minds through reading during the Spring Festival. The aim is to foster a sense of enrichment and prepare for a prosperous new year. There is no discussion of the US or US-China relations.
Summary: The author reflects on Xi Jinping's interactions with frontline workers as documented in "Xi Jinping and Friends Among Frontline Workers," emphasizing Xi's concern for their well-being and skills development. The author recounts Xi Jinping's visit to Ningbo Zhoushan Port in 2020, where he praised the workers and encouraged the author to leverage his role as a model worker. The author emphasizes the importance of skills and dedication, highlighting the increasing value placed on skilled workers in China. The author encourages readers to find inspiration in the book and contribute to their respective fields with diligence and craftsmanship. There is no mention of the United States or US-China relations.
Summary: This article is a review of Liu Xuekai's "Selected Annotations and Appreciations of Tang Poetry," a ten-volume collection. The reviewer highlights the book's selection of poems, its comprehensive collection of commentaries from previous scholars, and its insightful appreciation of the poems. The book is praised for balancing literary merit with popular appeal, similar to the famous "Three Hundred Tang Poems," and for including poems reflecting social realities and those by poets like Li He, which were often omitted in earlier anthologies due to the era's conservatism. The reviewer suggests that this book will become the next classic Tang poetry anthology.
Summary: This article summarizes the book "Lunar Back Expedition" written by the team behind the Chang'e-4 mission, which details China's historic first landing on the far side of the moon. The author, a key engineer in the mission, highlights the book's value in showcasing the combination of engineering, technology, and scientific problem-solving required to overcome unknown challenges. The book serves as a record of the mission and a guide for future deep space exploration. The recent establishment of the School of Interstellar Navigation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences University signifies a move towards systematic and professional deep space exploration talent cultivation. The author suggests the mission's success and the knowledge gained will serve as a foundation for future endeavors.
Summary: This article summarizes the book "Go for it, Brain!", a popular science book written by a neurosurgeon explaining how the brain learns and functions. The book uses accessible metaphors to explain complex concepts like neurotransmitters and the hippocampus and emphasizes the brain's plasticity and the ability to improve intelligence through continuous learning. It argues that understanding how the brain works can help individuals manage attention, emotions, and anxiety. The author, a retired professor, highlights the importance of nurturing the unique thinking abilities of the human brain, especially in the age of AI. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article, written by a border patrol officer stationed in Paike, Xinjiang, reflects on the personal meaning of serving on China's frontier through the lens of the novel *Kunlun Promise*. The author describes the "promise" (约定) as embodied by patriotic slogans carved into stones and walls, representing generations of sacrifice and commitment to the country. The article highlights the hardships faced by officers, including separation from family and the suppression of personal desires, all for the sake of defending the border. The author portrays their service as a deliberate choice, made with full awareness of the world beyond the mountains, thus underscoring the significance of their "promise".
Summary: The article is an essay from a writer in Guangdong province, who reflects on the influence of her father and her love for poetry. She finds strength and solace in poetry amidst her demanding daily life working multiple jobs. Drawing inspiration from Wang Guowei's "人间词话," she emphasizes the importance of genuine emotion in her own writing, which focuses on the lives of ordinary people. She recounts encounters with young readers who were inspired by her work, mirroring her own childhood passion for literature.
Summary: The article discusses the book *Celebrating the Chinese New Year* (过年书) by Feng Jicai, a proponent of including the Spring Festival on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The book explores personal memories of the holiday, traditional customs, and the author's efforts to preserve endangered Spring Festival traditions. Feng views the New Year culture as a carrier of national spirit, emphasizing the importance of family reunion and preserving "the art of the New Year." The book also addresses contemporary issues related to New Year customs, offering insights on balancing tradition and modernity. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This appears to be contact information for a book review section of the *People's Daily* newspaper. It includes an email address and the name of the designer responsible for the page layout. There is no political content or analysis of Chinese politics within the provided text.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 18th. On February 16th, President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping (习近平) replied to a letter from friends in Iowa, USA, and sent them a New Year's card in return, extending festive greetings.
Xi Jinping (习近平) stated that 41 years ago, when he visited Iowa, he was warmly received by them, and those wonderful memories are still fresh in his mind. The hope for China-U.S. relations lies in the people, the foundation lies in the grassroots, the future lies in the youth, and the vitality lies in the local areas. No matter how the situation changes, the desire of the Chinese and American people to exchange and cooperate will not change, and the friendship between the youth of the two countries will not change. He hopes that they will continue to be committed to promoting friendship between the two peoples, encourage more American youth to become inheritors of China-U.S. friendship and promoters of peace and friendship, and make greater contributions to the development of China-U.S. relations.
Previously, Sarah Lande, a friend from Iowa, USA, sent a letter to President Xi Jinping (习近平) on behalf of friends in Iowa, extending New Year's greetings to President Xi Jinping (习近平) and Professor Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛), expressing that friends in Iowa cherish and will continue to develop friendship with the Chinese people. Sarah Lande, William R. "Bill" Northey, Francis Thicke, Kimberly Zook, former Ambassador to China Terry Branstad (布兰斯塔德), World Food Prize Foundation President Emeritus Kenneth M. Quinn, as well as teachers and students from the state who participated in the "100,000 Strong" initiative to visit China, also sent New Year's cards to President Xi Jinping (习近平) and his wife, expressing their willingness to work hard to promote friendly exchanges between the United States and China and contribute to the development of relations between the two countries.
Return to TopBy: 人民网记者 刘师豪
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Spring Festival atmosphere in Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), Hebei (河北) is strong. The reporter came to the home of Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶). Spring Festival couplets and the Chinese character "Fu" (福) reflected the festive atmosphere, and colorful small lanterns hung on the windowsill. The family was preparing lunch together.
Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) is an employee of China Aerospace Times Information Group Co., Ltd. (中国时空信息集团有限公司), a subsidiary of a central enterprise. As central enterprises were relocated from Beijing (北京) to Xiong'an (雄安), Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) and her husband also settled in Xiong'an (雄安). This Spring Festival, her parents and mother-in-law came from Zhangjiakou (张家口), Hebei (河北) and Beijing (北京) respectively to reunite and spend their first Spring Festival in Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区).
On New Year's Eve, the family was lively and bustling—
"Stew a carp, may there be surplus every year!"
"Steam a pot of naked oat rolls, steaming hot!"
"Have a plate of braised prawns, prosperous and thriving!"
"Add a blueberry yam, sweet and lovely!"
…………
Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) is a millennium plan. How are the work and lives of the relocated units and personnel? Niu Peiyao's (牛佩瑶) family and her company are a window for reporters to observe.
China Aerospace Times Information Group Co., Ltd. (中国时空信息集团有限公司) is a subsidiary of China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (中国卫星网络集团有限公司), one of the first central enterprises to be relocated. It was established in Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) in April 2024. In October of the same year, it officially moved into the headquarters building of China SatNet (中国星网) to work. Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) is one of the first employees of the company. "Don't think that the company has not been established for a long time, but the achievements it has made are very impressive, especially the BeiDou (北斗) short message service is becoming more and more popular, and everyone can feel that BeiDou (北斗) is around." Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) said with pride.
On the stove, the steamer was steaming, with a full layer of naked oat rolls inside. "I have loved eating naked oats since I was a child. This time my parents came to Xiong'an (雄安) for the New Year and brought me a lot." Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) introduced while busy.
Last August, the couple received their marriage certificate at the Meiyuan Post (梅园驿站) in Yuerong Park (悦容公园). "The certificate awarding ceremony held by the staff for us was simple and solemn, and we were full of happiness." Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶), who is already pregnant, is full of expectations for the future.
The work and life experience in Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) has made Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) more and more aware of the comfort and convenience of this new city: the commute time is short, and she can go home for a nap at noon; the community is well-equipped, with convenience stores, restaurants and other businesses downstairs; Xiong'an Sports Center (雄安体育中心) and Xiong'an Library (雄安图书馆) have opened one after another, providing good places for sports and reading...
"Leaving the community, it doesn't take long to get to Xiong'an Beihai Kindergarten (雄安北海幼儿园), Xiong'an Shijia Hutong Elementary School (雄安史家胡同小学) and Beijing No. 4 High School Xiong'an Campus (北京四中雄安校区), and the quality of education is very high." Talking about the educational development of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) is full of confidence.
Xiong'an Suburban Park (雄安郊野公园), "Xiong'an Eye (雄安之眼)"... These days, Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) and her husband drove their family around Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), taking photos and feeling the different New Year atmosphere here. "On the third day of the Lunar New Year, we can go further and pass by the satellite antenna built by our company."
Crowded with people and filled with the sound of gongs and drums, the Spring Festival Xilehui (新春喜乐会) in Xiong'an Suburban Park (雄安郊野公园) allowed the family to experience the Spring Festival atmosphere of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) up close. On the way to "Xiong'an Eye (雄安之眼)", Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) also "popularized science" to her parents: "'Xiong'an Eye (雄安之眼)' is officially called Xiong'an Urban Computing Center (雄安城市计算中心). It is like the 'smart brain' of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), and our company's data center is also inside."
The freeze-frames of photos add a different meaning to this Spring Festival.
"How do you feel about our family spending the New Year in Xiong'an (雄安)?" Niu Peiyao (牛佩瑶) took her mother's arm.
"Seeing that your life is so happy and Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) is developing so well, your dad and I are happy from the bottom of our hearts. Next year, we will come here for the New Year again." Niu Peiyao's (牛佩瑶) mother said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 曹文轩
"Can I put my backpack at your workstation?"
"Sorry, I don't have a workstation. If I had to say, my workstation is on the seabed." Ba Jinlong (巴金龙), a young man from Shandong, said with a smile, scratching his head and revealing a set of white teeth. This sounds novel, but it speaks to the daily working state of him and his teammates.
Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛) in Sanya (三亚), Hainan (海南), is both a 5A-level tourist attraction and the location of a national-level marine ranching demonstration zone. The marine department of the scenic area has a three-person team—Wang Fengguo (王丰国), Zhang Heng (张恒), and Ba Jinlong (巴金龙)—who are guarding this sea to plant corals. It sounds romantic, but doing it is really hard work.
In February, Sanya (三亚) is warm, but as soon as you dive into the sea, the cold immediately penetrates the wetsuit and drills into your bones. On the day of the interview, Ba Jinlong (巴金龙) and Zhang Heng (张恒) went into the water again. The two held plastic baskets containing more than 50 coral seedlings. With a flick of their fins, they sank to the reef tens of meters deep in no time. Dozens of kilograms of diving equipment are difficult to carry on the shore, but they make people feel at ease underwater.
The sea current is swaying, and it is difficult to float steadily without some skill, but they are familiar with the way: one person hammers nails on the reef, and the other ties the coral seedlings tightly, cooperating 严丝合缝 (yán sī hé féng - "seamless," perfectly coordinated). Zhang Heng (张恒) pointed to the nail and made a crossed gesture, and Ba Jinlong (巴金龙) understood—tie it tighter.
Underwater operations require the two to enter and exit together as an iron rule. Ba Jinlong (巴金龙) was once entangled in a fishing net while cleaning the coral predator, the Drupella snail, and fortunately his teammate discovered it in time, which turned danger into safety.
Thinking back to previous years, the fishermen in Houhai Village (后海村) across the sea relied on the sea for their livelihoods, and there were many conflicts between fishing and protection. They once pulled a nearly 1,000-meter-long "Juduan Net" for two hours, so tired that they couldn't straighten their backs, and they were both angry and anxious.
"What about now?"
"It's different now!"
With the help of the government, the fishermen in Houhai Village (后海村) have shifted to other industries, and the village has become a popular surfing village. The scenic spot sends condolences and sets up scholarships during festivals, and the relationship between the island and the mainland is harmonious. When old fishermen see Ba Jinlong (巴金龙), they always like to chat with him about the new changes in their lives.
A bottle of compressed air for diving can last for more than an hour. After the corals are planted, Ba Jinlong (巴金龙) gestures to slowly ascend—it is easy to get decompression sickness if you are too fast, and it is not good to have a headache and nausea when you go ashore.
With the joint efforts of all parties, the live coral coverage rate near Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛) now exceeds 37%, more than double that of 10 years ago, and dolphins and hawksbill turtles, the former "old residents," have also returned.
Looking at this sea, 25-year-old Ba Jinlong (巴金龙) is full of longing: "I want to settle down in Sanya (三亚). If I can't dive in the future, I will do marine science popularization and continue to be the guardian of this sea."
The spring sunshine shines on the sea, the blue waves are sparkling, and the figure of planting corals on the seabed is just as beautiful as this sea.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 吴 焰
At 10 a.m., the reporter met with Hong Chengdong (洪程栋), a representative of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and technical director of Shanghai Kunmou Automobile Service Co., Ltd. (上海昆谋汽车服务有限公司), in front of Block B of Oasis Plaza (绿洲广场) in Putuo District (普陀区).
A little over ten days ago, at the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress (上海市两会), Lao Hong (老洪) (a familiar way to refer to Hong Chengdong) reflected on the potential fire hazards in high-rise buildings. Now, he wants to personally confirm whether the problem has been truly resolved.
Oasis Plaza (绿洲广场) consists of two 28-story high-rise buildings, Blocks A and B, and is a typical "high-density" building with few elevators and many people, making fire safety a self-evident concern.
The last time Lao Hong (老洪) visited to investigate the safety of fire exits, he felt a sense of urgency: the fire doors on the 2nd to 6th floors were tightly closed and locked, while the fire doors on the 7th to 28th floors were all open. "This is a big problem!"
Shanghai (上海) currently has 66,000 high-rise buildings, and fire safety in high-rise buildings has become an important part of the governance of this megacity. "Fire doors in high-rise buildings are 'life barriers.' They should normally be kept closed, but not locked, to ensure they can be pushed open at any time; they also cannot be left open for long periods of time, otherwise, in the event of a fire, they will accelerate the chimney effect, hinder people's escape, and bring great difficulties to rescue efforts." Lao Hong's (老洪) appeal has attracted great attention from the municipal and district emergency management and fire departments.
Entering Block B, he took the elevator to the 28th floor. Turning into the fire exit, Lao Hong's (老洪) eyes lit up - "It's changed, it's changed!"
Pushing open a fire door, he released his hand, and the door automatically rebounded and closed. "That's right!" Lao Hong (老洪) nodded, pointing to the door closer and saying, "This is newly installed, and should have been recently replaced uniformly."
Lao Hong (老洪) squatted down to check the inspection record of the fire hydrant, "Good, it was just checked recently." He also confirmed the pressure values of the fire extinguishers in the stairwell one by one, "Hmm, normal, usable."
Familiar with the route, he went to the fire exit on the other side of the floor, and Lao Hong (老洪) continued to look. "Each floor must have fire doors, door closers, automatic fire extinguishers, and fire hydrants, all of which must be available and usable in an emergency," he said. "Last time I came, there was debris piled up next to some doors, but now it's been cleared."
He walked down floor by floor, looking and recording as he went.
Hearing that Lao Hong (老洪) had arrived, Zhu Songlin (朱松林), the head of the property engineering department, rushed over.
"On the evening of February 3rd, we held a meeting to study the rectification," Zhu Songlin (朱松林) introduced. "Before February 8th, all the door closers on the fire doors of Blocks A and B were installed in place; on the afternoon of the 14th, leaders from the municipal and district levels, as well as emergency management and fire departments, came to inspect." "Urban safety is no small matter, especially during the Spring Festival holiday, we must guard peace and security," Zhu Songlin (朱松林) said.
"Each door closer can be opened and closed 50,000 times, which solves the problem of the doors not closing." Hong Chengdong (洪程栋) looked through the national standard for fire doors he was carrying and said to Zhu Songlin (朱松林), "The national fire door standard is constantly improving, and the most critical step has now been taken."
From the 28th floor to the 1st floor, and then from Block B to Block A, he walked the same route again. More than two hours passed, and he looked at the number of steps: more than 7,300.
Outside the building, the sun was warm and the atmosphere of the New Year was strong. "The fire doors are all closed." Lao Hong (老洪) happily said goodbye to Zhu Songlin (朱松林), "Happy and peaceful New Year!"
Return to TopDuring the Spring Festival holiday, new business formats and scenarios continued to emerge in the domestic cultural and tourism market, and consumption potential continued to be released. The picture shows citizens and tourists visiting ancient streets, appreciating intangible cultural heritage, and tasting delicacies in Fuqing City (福清市), Fujian Province (福建省) on February 17.
Photo by Xie Guiming (谢贵明) (People's Vision)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王东辉 刘 阳 任姗姗
Going to the cinema to watch blockbusters has become a "new year custom" for many Chinese people during the Spring Festival. This year's Spring Festival holiday saw the concentrated release of several films, including "Pegasus 2 (飞驰人生3)," "Silent Invasion (惊蛰无声)," "Boonie Bears: Time Twist (熊出没·年年有熊)," and "Chang An (镖人：风起大漠)," igniting the film market. According to Maoyan Professional Edition data: as of 0:10 on February 19, the total box office (including pre-sales) for the 2026 Spring Festival档 (dàng - "season/period," refers to the lucrative film release period during the Spring Festival holiday) (February 15-23) reached 2.392 billion yuan. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the total number of screenings exceeded 595,000, breaking the record for the most screenings on a single day in Chinese film history.
Recently, a series of exciting "film+" activities were held in the Yuanrong Plaza (圆融广场) in Nantong (南通), Jiangsu (江苏).
On one side, in the "intangible cultural heritage + film" cultural and creative market, film-themed figurines were highly sought after by consumers; on the other side, the main players of the "Su Super (苏超)" Nantong team made a surprise appearance, with cheers and applause rising and falling in the venue.
"We sold nearly 200 figurines in two days, and film-themed cultural and creative products have become new gifts for the festival," said a handmade product stall owner, full of joy.
During this year's Spring Festival holiday, Jiangsu (江苏) held a film life carnival, launching a series of measures to promote film consumption. Theaters, blocks, and business districts were linked, and film culture and the atmosphere of daily life complemented each other, continuously stimulating the consumption potential of "film+" and enhancing the enthusiasm for urban consumption.
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "We must promote the high-quality development of the cultural industry, improve the modern cultural industry system and market system, promote the development and growth of various cultural market entities, cultivate new cultural formats and cultural consumption models, and enhance people's cultural gains and happiness with high-quality cultural supply."
Data witnesses the results: In 2025, China's film box office reached 51.832 billion yuan, the total industrial chain output value reached 817.259 billion yuan, and the box office driving coefficient was 1:15.77, all ranking among the top in the world. Among them, the spillover output value was 339.095 billion yuan, far exceeding the core industrial output value of the film in 2025. From technological empowerment of shooting and production to box office success, and then to using a movie ticket to travel around scenic spots, the economic spillover effect of China's film industry continues to highlight, the industrial chain continues to extend, and the value dimension continues to upgrade, writing a vivid footnote for the high-quality development of the industry.
The vigorous development of new quality productive forces has achieved a comprehensive upgrade of "good to shoot, good to watch, and even better to play," injecting new vitality into cinematic storytelling.
Walking into the Oriental Movie Metropolis Film Industry Park (东方影都影视产业园) on the Ling Mountain Bay (灵山湾) in the West Coast New Area (西海岸新区) of Qingdao (青岛), Shandong (山东), a strong technological atmosphere comes to the fore. Inside the studio, a "virtual-real integration" creation scene is being staged - two actors wearing motion capture equipment stretch their fists and feet, and on the large screen next to them, two lifelike astronauts fight synchronously, with the picture presented in real time and precisely synchronized.
"This is our independently developed film virtualization production platform, which includes three-dimensional scanning systems, motion capture systems, and virtual shooting systems, connecting a complete digital production process," said Zhu Hongchang (朱红昌), a three-dimensional scanning engineer, pointing to the equipment. The preliminary previews of films such as "The Wandering Earth 2 (流浪地球2)" were completed based on this platform.
Digitalization and intelligence are the internal driving forces for the quality and upgrading of the film industry, and the vigorous development of new quality productive forces has injected stronger energy into this driving force, writing a "new" story of the film industry's iterative upgrade.
On the production side, artificial intelligence enhances the "intelligence" content of the film industry, and hardcore technology is building new film bases into "future studios"; on the screening side, high-format theaters represented by CINITY continue to exert their strength, and special effects screens are stunning; on the scene side, head-mounted display devices allow the audience to "travel" into the film scene in a second, gaining an immersive experience. With the deep integration of film and technology throughout the entire chain, the film industry is steadily climbing the technical peak, presenting a "new and prosperous" development trend.
"Film+" crosses borders and breaks circles, new models and new scenarios continue to emerge, and the value boundary of the film industry is gradually widening.
In Harbin (哈尔滨), Heilongjiang (黑龙江), the carnival of the ice and snow season is gradually coming to an end, and the economic spillover effect brought by the film is still being released.
Standing on the observation platform of the TV tower, leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, the entire city slowly unfolds before your eyes. In the distance, the city's outline gently intersects with the skyline, magnificent and delicate under the backdrop of the light orange sunset.
"After watching the ice and snow scenery and urban landscape of Harbin (哈尔滨) in the movie, I was moved to come and check in. I didn't expect to be able to enjoy an 80% discount on登塔 (dēng tǎ - "climbing the tower," referring to ascending the TV tower) with a movie ticket, it's such a great deal!" said tourist Lin Runze (林润泽) with a smile while using his mobile phone to capture the beautiful scenery.
When the light and shadow of the screen illuminate the corners of the city, "traveling with movies" becomes a new trend. Looking at the national market, the momentum of "film+" integrated development is strong, giving rise to a rich and high-quality market supply.
The cumulative sales of derivatives of "Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童闹海)" reached hundreds of billions of yuan, and "film + IP cultural and creative" has upgraded impromptu consumption into memory resonance; "Dwelling by the West Lake (浪浪人生)" has made Quanzhou (泉州) Shishi (石狮) and other filming locations in Fujian (福建) the preferred destinations for tourists to "taste Southern Fujian," and "film + cultural tourism" has led the audience from a single theater to the vast mountains and rivers; various film-themed markets light up the city's night sky, and the tentacles of "film + consumption" integrate character stories into ordinary fireworks; multiple traditional theater forms are being redefined, and "film + scene" has evolved the viewing venue into a cultural consumption complex...
A small movie ticket is connecting screen stories and life scenes, promoting the film industry from a single box office economy to a diversified consumption format, and becoming an important engine for boosting consumption and driving economic growth.
Culture is the root, and heritage is the vein. The profound accumulation of outstanding Chinese traditional culture provides a continuous source of spiritual nourishment and creative inspiration for the development of the entire film industry chain, making the foundation for high-quality industrial development more solid.
In Yong'an Temple (永安寺) in Datong (大同), Shanxi (山西), the solemn and heavy ancient buildings stand tall, quietly telling the story of thousands of years of history. In front of the temple gate, the statues of "Little Monsters in Dwelling by the West Lake (浪浪山小妖怪)" are lifelike; next to it, the sign "I want to leave Dwelling by the West Lake and go to Yong'an Temple to see" is particularly eye-catching, and the popularity of the screen and the heritage of the ancient buildings are cleverly linked here.
During the summer season of 2025, this animated film adapted from the classic masterpiece "Journey to the West (西游记)" was widely recommended and discussed by netizens as soon as it was released. The line "I want to leave Dwelling by the West Lake and see the outside world" touched the hearts of countless people. As the filming location of the film, Yong'an Temple (永安寺) took advantage of the film's traffic and became a popular check-in point, seen and loved by more people.
"I was touched by the scenes in the movie and came to check in. Standing in front of the solemn ancient temple, the sense of historical weight comes to my face," said tourist Li Tong (李潼) frankly. Shanxi's (山西) ancient buildings themselves have a rich heritage and a long history, and with the popular movie as an opportunity, it is natural to become popular.
From being adapted from Chinese classical masterpieces to being filmed in historical ancient buildings in China, to trendy peripheral products, outstanding Chinese traditional culture has always been a key attraction of films such as "Little Monsters in Dwelling by the West Lake (浪浪山小妖怪)."
Whether it is technological construction or business format integration, the vigorous development of the entire film industry chain is essentially the immersion and empowerment of culture. The "Creation of the Gods (封神)" series takes traditional mythology as its core and unlocks the aesthetics of oriental fantasy; "Chang An (长安三万里)" takes Tang poetry culture as its vein and connects thousands of years of national feelings; the "Battle at Lake Changjin (长津湖)" series relies on red history to inherit the immortal spirit of heroes... These films, which are talked about and lingered on by the audience, are all closely linked to the audience's shared cultural genes, triggering collective spiritual resonance.
The popularity of "film+" is not only the expansion and quality improvement of the film industry itself, but also a vivid expression of cultural confidence rooted in daily life. It breaks the boundaries of the industry, integrates humanities and economics, not only writes a new chapter in the high-quality development of the film industry, but also demonstrates the contemporary charm of humanistic economics, injecting strong cultural impetus into the development of China's industries towards new and better directions.
Return to TopBy: 尹双红
"We must continue to work together with one heart and one mind, work hard, and strive to create a new cause and a new world." Reviewing President Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest exhortations adds even more confidence and strength.
During the Spring Festival holiday, tourists traveling to Pan'an County (磐安县), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), can experience the unique cultural and tourism projects of more than 10 villages with a "one-ticket pass." Breaking the inertia of focusing on one's own small area, and transforming low-price competition into group development, which both complements resources and improves quality, one can understand the meaning of "working together with one heart."
To start a business, the most important thing is unity. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period that we have jointly experienced, we have fought against wind and rain, overcome obstacles, and relied on the strength of hundreds of millions of people twisted into one rope. Looking at the land of China (神州大地), East-West collaboration has helped to bring about tremendous changes in the mountainous countryside, regional integration has released strong potential, and upstream and downstream collaborative innovation has led to industrial leaps. High-quality development has a myriad of appearances and infinite scenery.
Striving for the "15th Five-Year Plan," uniting to overcome difficulties, working hard to create a great cause, and innovating towards the future. In the new year, with new advances, let us work together.
Return to TopThis newspaper, Livigno, Italy, February 18th (Reporters Chen Chenxi (陈晨曦) and Zeng Huafeng (曾华锋)) Local time, February 18th, the Milan Winter Olympics entered the twelfth day of competition. Su Yiming (苏翊鸣) won the gold medal in the men's slopestyle final of snowboarding, and Xu Mengtao (徐梦桃) won the championship in the women's aerials of freestyle skiing. As of now, the Chinese sports delegation has won 2 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals at the Milan Winter Olympics.
In the competition, Su Yiming (苏翊鸣), who ranked eighth in the qualifying round, was the fifth to appear. In the first round, he made a super-difficult 1800 (5 rotations) move and landed perfectly, scoring 82.41 points, ranking first after the first round. In the next two rounds, Su Yiming (苏翊鸣) also excellently completed his full set of moves, and finally won the gold medal. Japanese player Teito Hasegawa (长谷川帝胜) and American player Jake Canter won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Afterwards, the freestyle skiing women's aerials gold medal was decided at the Livigno Aerials and Snow Skills Park. Xu Mengtao (徐梦桃), the champion of the previous edition and participating in the Winter Olympics for the fifth time, won the title with a score of 112.90 points with a brilliant jump in the final. The Chinese freestyle skiing women's aerials team had four athletes participating: Xu Mengtao (徐梦桃), Kong Fanyu (孔凡钰), Shao Qi (邵琪), and Chen Meiting (陈梅婷), all of whom entered the final. Shao Qi (邵琪) won the bronze medal in the event, Kong Fanyu (孔凡钰) won the fourth place, and the silver medal was won by Australian player Danielle Scott.
This newspaper, Milan, February 18th (Reporters Ji Fang (季芳) and Liu Shuoyang (刘硕阳)) Local time, February 17th, in the men's team pursuit B group final of speed skating held at the Milan Speed Skating Hall, the Chinese team composed of Liu Hanbin (刘瀚彬), Wu Yu (吴宇), and Li Wenhao (李文淏) defeated the Dutch team and won the bronze medal. This is the first Winter Olympic medal won by the Chinese team in this event.
Return to TopThis Spring Festival, reunion is no longer limited to the journey home. Reverse reunions at construction sites in Jinan (济南), Shandong (山东) province, have transformed major engineering construction sites into havens of family affection. Intangible cultural heritage can also be trendy. The Yingge (英歌) dance in the streets of Chaozhou (潮州), Guangdong (广东) province, has been revitalized and become the most iconic symbol of the Spring Festival in the area. The flavor of the New Year has a new carrier. The "Village Evening Gala" in a mountain village in Zunyi (遵义), Guizhou (贵州) province, has transformed the elementary school basketball court into a joyful stage for villagers to gather. During the Spring Festival holiday, reporters visited these three places to explore the new landscape brought about by new customs.
--Editor
"Having a reunion dinner with family at the construction site is equally warm"
People's Daily reporters Li Bo (李波) and Li Rui (李蕊)
At the beginning of the new year, the T2 terminal construction site of the Jinan (济南) Airport Phase II expansion project in Shandong (山东) province is filled with warmth.
In the "Developer and Builder Town" dormitory area at the construction site, Tang Guohai (唐国海), a construction worker from China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (中建八局), is about to start his shift. His wife, Liu Fang (刘芳), carefully adjusts his collar, and his 9-year-old daughter tightly holds her father's hand, saying, "Dad, come back at noon and let's eat dumplings together!"
Before the Spring Festival, the mother and daughter made a special trip from Yancheng (盐城), Jiangsu (江苏) province, to accompany Tang Guohai (唐国海) for the New Year at the construction site. "Having a reunion dinner with family at the construction site is equally warm," said Tang Guohai (唐国海).
Sun Tianzhi (孙天智), chief engineer of the China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (中建八局) Jinan (济南) Airport T2 Terminal project, said, "To make this wish come true, we specially arranged 'reverse family visits' for 12 families, providing full support from reimbursement of travel expenses and special car pick-up to free accommodation."
China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (中建八局) has carefully created the "Developer and Builder Town" – which is not just a dormitory area, but a "mini-community" integrating accommodation, catering, medical care, movie viewing and other functions.
Behind the warm reunion is the "accelerated run" of major project construction –
At the construction site, the sound of machinery roars. Curtain wall installers meticulously calibrate the keels in the air, electromechanical teams lay pipelines in complex integrated pipe networks, and metal roofing teams lay panels against the cold wind. "This year is the final sprint year for the project. During the Spring Festival, we are seizing the window period to step up construction," Sun Tianzhi (孙天智) said.
After a busy day, work is over. In the simple prefabricated houses, Spring Festival couplets are pasted on the door frames, and the "Fu" character reflects red smiles. In the town's canteen, the aroma of the New Year's Eve dinner fills the air, and the sounds of various dialects mingle together, with laughter echoing for a long time.
As night falls, Tang Guohai (唐国海) holds his daughter's hand and stands in front of the window to look out. In the lights, the six finger corridors of the T2 terminal resemble spreading giant wings. The reunion at the construction site is the warmth of a small family, and even more so a microcosm of the construction of a great country. "Being able to participate in such a large project and watch it take shape step by step makes it worth the hard work," Tang Guohai (唐国海) said with a smile.
"Watching the Yingge (英歌) dance during the Spring Festival is as natural as eating New Year's Eve dinner"
People's Daily reporter Cheng Yuanzhou (程远州)
With the sound of gongs and drums and the flashing of mallets, several teenagers leap and dance with vigorous steps. At the Chaoshan (潮汕) High-speed Railway Station Square in Guangdong (广东) province, the Huayile Yingge (华义乐英歌) team from Caitang Town (彩塘镇), Chao'an District (潮安区), Chaozhou City (潮州市), used a public welfare performance to immediately draw tourists who had just gotten off the train into the lively atmosphere of the Chaoshan (潮汕) area during the New Year.
"Now many people come to Chaozhou (潮州) because of the Yingge (英歌) dance, so we use performances to welcome guests from all over the world," said Yang Yuanfeng (杨源锋), the leader of the Huayile Yingge (华义乐英歌) team, with a smile. "Watching the Yingge (英歌) dance during the Spring Festival is as natural as eating New Year's Eve dinner."
Today, this national intangible cultural heritage, which integrates drama, dance, and martial arts, has been innovatively improved and is widely welcomed by the masses, becoming the most iconic Spring Festival cultural symbol in the Chaoshan (潮汕) area.
In the Paifang Street (牌坊街) and around the Guangji Bridge (广济桥) in the ancient city of Chaozhou (潮州), people of all ages hold up their mobile phones to record the wonderful moments of the performance, clapping and cheering along with the drum beats.
"The sound of the drums makes people feel excited, and they can't help but want to dance along!" At the Fucheng Yingge (府城英歌) Dance Experience Hall, Liu Bin (刘彬), a tourist from Zhenjiang (镇江), Jiangsu (江苏) province, who came to Chaozhou (潮州) specifically for the New Year, picked up a pair of mallets and learned the basic mallet techniques.
Hong Fang (洪昉), the person in charge of the Fucheng Yingge (府城英歌) Dance Experience Hall, introduced that in the experience hall, tourists can not only appreciate innovative choreography, but also go on stage to interact with the actors and experience the charm of the Yingge (英歌) dance in an immersive way. During the Spring Festival holiday, the experience hall receives thousands of tourists every day.
The innovative application of digital technology has injected new vitality into the inheritance and development of Yingge (英歌). Strolling through the ancient city of Chaozhou (潮州), you can encounter robots wearing Yingge (英歌) battle robes on the street; open the "One Ticket Chaozhou (一票潮州)" mini-program to experience Yingge (英歌) dance VR (virtual reality) previews and learn mallet technique courses...
In recent years, government departments at all levels in Chaozhou (潮州) have increased their efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage, implemented measures such as the training of inheritors, built "online + offline" publicity platforms, and carried out parades and exhibitions in conjunction with festivals such as the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, making Chaozhou Yingge (潮州英歌) famous throughout the country, and the atmosphere of participation by all people is becoming increasingly strong.
"Young people are back, and holding a 'Village Evening Gala' is lively"
People's Daily reporter Su Bin (苏滨)
"And I will dream the reunion you dream, and wish you the forever you wish..."
At 7 p.m. on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the basketball court of Muyan Elementary School (木堰小学) in Muyan Village (木堰村), Huaqiu Town (花秋镇), Tongzi County (桐梓县), Zunyi City (遵义市), Guizhou (贵州) province, was brightly lit.
Wang Weiyu (王维聿), 12 years old, picked up the microphone, walked to the center of the stage, and sang the solo song "As Wish (如愿)", kicking off the "Village Evening Gala".
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
A burst of deep drum sounds rang out, and a golden dragon broke into the stage, its head raised and its tail lightly trembling. Villager Xu Zhihu (许志虎) and his teammates, dressed in uniform costumes, stepped on the dense drum beats and waved the dragon's body with both hands. As the drum sounds gradually quickened, everyone suddenly stood up, and the golden dragon sometimes somersaulted and jumped, and sometimes circled and shuttled.
"Look, the dragon is awake, it's soaring through the clouds!" the villagers under the stage suddenly shouted. The children stood on tiptoe, craned their necks and looked around, following the dancing figure of the golden dragon.
In a corner of the court, villager Mou Xingchun (牟兴春) watched with great interest, occasionally commenting on the program with the surrounding villagers, "That dragon dances really lively! Young people are back, and holding a 'Village Evening Gala' is lively, that's how it feels like New Year, we will strive to hold it again next year!"
Muyan Village (木堰村) is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and many villagers go out to work all year round. Taking advantage of the Spring Festival to return home, everyone planned to hold a "Village Evening Gala".
"To hold a 'Village Evening Gala', organization and mobilization are crucial," said Wang Yongchi (王永驰), 38 years old, a village cadre in Muyan Village (木堰村), who is mainly responsible for cultural publicity and was selected as the general director of this "Village Evening Gala".
"First publicly solicit programs to give everyone ample time to rehearse," Wang Yongchi (王永驰) said. As soon as the notice was issued, the villagers actively signed up. In less than two days, more than 20 programs were collected. After screening, 15 programs were finally determined, and rehearsal time was reserved.
Xu Zhihu (许志虎) said: "For this 'Village Evening Gala', everyone rehearsed for a week in advance to ensure that the movements and steps were coordinated, and finally a good effect was presented."
The people perform, the people watch, and the people enjoy. This "Village Evening Gala" is full of "village flavor".
During the Spring Festival holiday, Muyan Village (木堰村) will also successively hold mass cultural and sports activities such as basketball games to "welcome the New Year and promote new customs", allowing everyone to spend the holiday in new customs.
By: 本报记者 贺 勇 阿尔达克
Following the police officers of the Xiate Ancient Road Border Police Station (夏特古道边境警务站) of the Pochengzi Border Inspection Station (破城子边境检查站) of the Aksu Border Management Detachment (阿克苏边境管理支队) of the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection General Station (新疆出入境边防检查总站), the reporter embarked on a patrol route to the Muzart Glacier (木扎尔特冰川).
This road was originally a wide riverbed repeatedly scoured by summer glacial meltwater and flash floods. The severe winter freeze formed an accessible ice surface. "From September to May of the following year, it is in a frozen period, and the ice river becomes a shortcut," said Jia Jiantai (贾建太), the head of the police station.
Suddenly, a sound came from the mountain, and several rocks rolled down the steep slope, hitting the ground with a dull thud. "When I first came, I was also frightened by this sound," Liang Jianzai (梁健仔), a policeman walking next to the reporter, smiled. This post-90s from Zhanjiang (湛江), Guangdong (广东) voluntarily applied to come to the border region in 2019.
Traversing the ice river, the patrol team arrived at a relatively open rocky beach in front of the glacier. Everyone unloaded their backpacks and took a short break. Liang Jianzai (梁健仔) found a rock to sit on, took off his shoes, and poured out the sand inside: "Sometimes I feel bitter. But I also feel proud to be able to guard such a magnificent place."
The team finally arrived at the pre-set patrol point—a high point located on the side of the glacier. Standing here, you can overlook the northern edge of the Tarim Basin (塔里木盆地) to the south, and Zhaosu County (昭苏县) is across the glacier to the north. The Xiate Ancient Road Border Police Station (夏特古道边境警务站) is guarding this ancient millennium road connecting the north and south of Xinjiang (新疆) and connecting the border areas.
"Now, the conditions of the police station are also improving," said Jia Jiantai (贾建太). In some dangerous and difficult-to-reach areas, drones have become the "eyes" of the police; in the station, stable mobile phone signals are full, and contact with family members has become clear. "Although patrolling still requires feet to measure, the improvement of infrastructure can allow us to better perform our duties."
Stepping on the ice river, patrolling the border. Deep in this ancient millennium road, their figures have become solid boundary markers on this land.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 方 敏
What does it feel like to work on the edge of a cliff? Even though you are tied with ropes, when the cold wind hits, people can't help but tremble in their hands and legs, and their heart beats faster.
On the edge of the Taihang Mountains (太行山) in Henan (河南) province, near the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway (焦柳铁路), Li Senhao (李森浩), a foreman from the Nanyang Engineering Section (南阳工务段) of the China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group (国铁郑州局), is slowly moving on a nearly vertical mossy rock wall, using a crowbar to pry off a loose stone. To make it easier to work, he rolled up his sleeves despite the low temperature.
The Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway (焦柳铁路) is an important transportation channel for transporting coal from Shanxi (山西) and Henan (河南) to the south, with a train passing by every 7 minutes. On the railway line, any hidden danger can affect the smooth flow of the line.
In recent years, although railway inspections have used equipment such as drones, manual inspections are still needed. During the Spring Festival travel season, Li Senhao (李森浩) and his colleagues need to inspect 41 mountains and 18 tunnels, walking more than 10 kilometers every day.
During inspections, everyone carries a heavy tool bag and a ledger of dangerous rocks. "The location, size, and status of each dangerous rock must be updated in real time," said Li Senhao (李森浩).
The reporter wanted to climb along, but was politely refused. "Although this is not as fast as bungee jumping, the terrain is complex, and it is easy to have accidents if you are not trained." Li Senhao (李森浩) clung to the rock wall, grabbing a dead branch with one hand for leverage, and tightly holding the safety rope with the other, repeatedly testing the ground with his feet. When he came to the dangerous rock, he held an iron hammer, lightly tapped and chiseled, and knocked off the loose stone.
After the disposal was completed and the registration was done, Li Senhao (李森浩) was pulled up the cliff by his teammates. Looking at everyone who was so cold that they were "shrunk" into a ball, he smiled: "I'm better, I'm not cold because I'm always moving." As he spoke, they went to the next inspection site.
Throughout the Spring Festival holiday, Li Senhao (李森浩) will be sticking to his post. He said with a smile: "I can take a compensatory rest after the holiday, and then spend time with my family. My child likes bungee jumping, and I always smile without saying a word, because I am 'bungee jumping' every day."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘以晴
During the Spring Festival holiday, the Beida Lake Ski Resort (北大湖滑雪度假区) in Jilin City (吉林市), Jilin Province (吉林省) was filled with skiers. On the beginner slope, ski instructor Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) was helping a young student put on skis, "Lean your body slightly forward, imagine there are seedlings in the field, we have to bow our heads and bend over to look at them!"
Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) is a farmer from Nangou Village (南沟村), Beida Lake Town (北大湖镇), Yongji County (永吉县), Jilin City (吉林市). He manages more than ten acres of cornfields. In the past, he would do odd jobs during the off-season, and his whole family's annual income was thirty to forty thousand yuan.
In 2009, the Beida Lake International Ski School (北大湖国际滑雪学校) came to the village to recruit ski instructors. "We are farmers, and if we want to be ski instructors, professionalism is the first priority." In recent years, Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) has obtained the National Vocational Qualification Certificate for Skiing Social Sports Instructor (Level 5), and has become a senior coach at the ski resort.
"In recent years, winters have become increasingly busy." Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) said that his schedule is almost full, from the daytime to the nighttime, "I don't worry about not having students at all, and sometimes there are not enough coaches."
At 4 p.m., it started to snow lightly. "A timely snow promises a good harvest, a good omen! Brother Yuxi (玉喜), find some time to come to my house for sauerkraut hot pot." Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) had just finished teaching a student when Gao Yu (高宇), a farmer ski instructor, stopped beside him with a "squeak" on his skis. In recent years, driven by Wang Yuxi (王玉喜), dozens of farmers in Nangou Village (南沟村) have become ski instructors, and many villagers have also started businesses such as homestays and farm-style restaurants.
"Each ski season, we can drive nearly a thousand people to be employed in related industries, of which ski instructors have a monthly income ranging from 5,000 yuan to 25,000 yuan." said Kong Lingfu (孔令富), operations manager of Beida Lake International Ski School (北大湖国际滑雪学校).
In the past, they "relied on the heavens for food," but now they are "making money from the snow." "The spirit of living a good life is growing faster than the corn seedlings sprouting in the fields in spring and summer." Wang Yuxi (王玉喜) said with a smile.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘 阳
On the evening of February 16th, the China Media Group's (CMG) (中央广播电视总台) "2026 Spring Festival Gala" was broadcast live to the world.
This year's CMG Spring Festival Gala, themed "Galloping Horses, Unstoppable Momentum" (骐骥驰骋 势不可挡), cleverly integrated the zodiac horse element, symbolizing self-improvement and striving for progress, into its creation. It adhered to the integrated communication of "ideology + art + technology," continuously expanding the boundaries of artistic expression, exploring innovative expressions of new mass culture and art, and striving to be full of cultural flavor, technological sense, and international style. Through the seamless program design of the main venue and branch venues, the gala showcased the cultural beauty and development prosperity of various regions, highlighting the new atmosphere of the new era and new journey.
"The People's Spring Festival Gala" Explores Artistic Innovation
The 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala adhered to the general tone of "joyful, auspicious, and festive" (欢乐吉祥、喜气洋洋), and the directing team determined the overall atmosphere of the gala as a grand composition of ten thousand horses galloping. The art installations at the gala venue, featuring "horse" patterns, formed a stage space of ten thousand horses galloping, undulating and staggered. Original songs such as "Song of Riding the Wind" (驭风歌) and "Happy Little Horse" (快乐小马), with their brisk rhythms, sang out the spirited spirit of galloping horses. The opera program innovatively arranged situational horse dances based on the traditional "trotting horse" (趟马) performance, with every move and pose showing heroic and valiant postures.
In order to host a good "People's Spring Festival Gala," the directing team made full use of big data analysis to fully meet the audience's aesthetic needs in program arrangement. At the same time, the directing team also specially established a story group to find representative stories and characters that could connect with the Spring Festival Gala. In the song arrangements of "Start of Spring" (立春), "Resonance of the World" (人间共鸣), and "Come,晒秋" (Lái shài qiū), more emphasis was placed on the artistic essence, emphasizing that the songs should be pleasant to listen to and easy to spread.
Continuing the Chinese Cultural Heritage in Joy and Peace
As an important carrier for Chinese people to celebrate the Spring Festival, the Spring Festival Gala carries many traditional cultural elements related to the Spring Festival.
"The entire Spring Festival Gala is based on traditional culture. The underlying logic of the Spring Festival Gala is to follow tradition, which is the basic requirement of creation. For example, viewers can see traditional elements of Spring Festival culture from the auspicious patterns symbolizing good fortune in the art design," said Chief Director Yu Lei (于蕾).
The concrete presentation of traditional culture in programs has also been increasing in recent Spring Festival Galas. On the stage of this year's CMG Spring Festival Gala, the singing and creative show program "Celebrating the Flower Gods" (贺花神) took "flowers" as the imagery, and used AIGC (Artificial Intelligence Generated Content) real-scene expansion technology to allow historical figures to "travel" through time and space. The image of the flower gods flowed between virtuality and reality, presenting the natural interest of the changing seasons. The program included various artistic elements such as songs, dances, and recitations. Through high-tech special effects production, the stage sometimes became a plum garden, sometimes a lotus pond, and sometimes a desert... The rich content elements vividly demonstrated the Chinese people's time values and pursuit of beautiful things.
In the song "Ji Liang" (吉量), a little horse named "Ji Liang" (吉量) leaped out of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" (山海经), and the children of the Chinese national family called out to it hand in hand. "The little horse 'Ji Liang' travels thousands of miles a day and never stops, symbolizing the continuous civilization of the Chinese nation and its beautiful expectations for the future," said Zhang Yifan (张异凡), head of the song program for the 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala.
Technology Empowers the Visual Presentation of the Spring Festival Gala
Technological innovation is a major highlight of this year's CMG Spring Festival Gala. In the visual design, AI (Artificial Intelligence), AR (Augmented Reality) and other technological means were flexibly used to create an immersive three-dimensional visual effect of "people in the scenery, scenery moving with people" between virtuality and reality.
Intelligent robots made brilliant appearances in the 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala. The robot's agility and wit in the skit "Grandma's Favorite" (奶奶的最爱) and the robot's combination of strength and softness in the martial arts performance "Wu BOT" (武BOT) left a deep impression on the general audience.
In addition, the branch venues in various regions also presented high-tech applications and interactions. Especially in the Hefei (合肥) branch venue, technology became the theme of the program display. According to reports, the directing team conducted in-depth understanding of the University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学), Quantum Avenue (量子大道), artificial sun, etc. during the research stage, and invited scientists such as Academician Pan Jianwei (潘建伟) to join the programs in the branch venue, fully reflecting Hefei's city characteristics as a city of science and technology, and demonstrating China's surging technological innovation strength.
The lights on New Year's Eve were still warm, and the 2026 CMG Spring Festival Gala accompanied global audiences through another reunion time in laughter and laughter. This gala, with its cultural warmth, technological novelty, and human touch, quietly integrated the love for life and the expectations for the future into every melody and every picture. It is not only a rich "cultural New Year's Eve dinner," but also a connection between hearts and minds. May the warmth and strength left by this gala be transformed into solid steps in the new year, accompanying everyone to move forward steadily in life and usher in a peaceful and prosperous Year of the Horse.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王东辉 刘 阳 任姗姗
Going to the cinema to watch blockbusters has become a "new year custom" for many Chinese people during the Spring Festival. This year's Spring Festival holiday saw the concentrated release of several films, including "Pegasus 3 (飞驰人生3)," "Silent Invasion (惊蛰无声)," "Boonie Bears: Time Twist (熊出没·年年有熊)," and "Chang An (镖人：风起大漠)," igniting the film market. According to Maoyan Professional Edition data: As of 0:10 on February 19, the total box office (including pre-sales) for the 2026 Spring Festival档 (dàng - "schedule, period") (February 15-23) reached 2.392 billion yuan. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the total number of screenings exceeded 595,000, breaking the record for the most screenings on a single day in Chinese film history.
Recently, a series of exciting "film+" activities were held in the Yuanrong Plaza (圆融广场) in Nantong (南通), Jiangsu (江苏).
On one side, in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage + Film" cultural and creative market, movie-themed figurines were very popular among consumers; on the other side, the main players of the "Su Chao (苏超)" Nantong team made a surprise appearance, with cheers and applause rising and falling.
"We sold nearly 200 figurines in two days, and movie-themed cultural creations have become new gifts for the holiday," said a handmade product stall owner, full of joy.
During this year's Spring Festival holiday, Jiangsu (江苏) held a film life carnival, launching a series of measures to promote film consumption. Theaters, blocks, and business districts are linked, and film culture and the atmosphere of the market are in harmony, continuously stimulating the consumption potential of "film+" and enhancing the city's consumption enthusiasm.
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "We must promote the high-quality development of the cultural industry, improve the modern cultural industry system and market system, promote the development and growth of various cultural market entities, cultivate new cultural formats and cultural consumption models, and enhance people's cultural gains and happiness with high-quality cultural supply."
Data witnesses the results: In 2025, China's film box office reached 51.832 billion yuan, and the total industrial chain output value reached 817.259 billion yuan, with a box office driving coefficient of 1:15.77, both ranking among the top in the world. Among them, the spillover output value was 339.095 billion yuan, far exceeding the core industrial output value of the film industry in 2025. From technological empowerment of shooting and production to box office success, and then to a single ticket stub allowing you to play all over the scenic spot, the economic spillover effect of China's film industry continues to be prominent, the industrial chain continues to extend, and the value dimension continues to upgrade, writing a vivid footnote for the high-quality development of the industry.
The vigorous development of new quality productive forces has achieved a comprehensive upgrade of "good to shoot, good to watch, and more fun," injecting new vitality into cinematic storytelling.
Walking into the Oriental Movie Metropolis Film Industry Park (东方影都影视产业园) on the Ling Shan Bay (灵山湾) in the West Coast New Area (西海岸新区) of Qingdao (青岛), Shandong (山东), a strong technological atmosphere comes to the fore. Inside the studio, a "virtual and real integration" creative scene is being staged - two actors wearing motion capture equipment stretch their fists and feet, and on the large screen next to them, two lifelike astronauts fight synchronously, with the picture presented in real time and accurately synchronized.
"This is our independently built film virtualization production platform, which includes three-dimensional scanning systems, motion capture systems, and virtual shooting systems, connecting a complete digital production process." Zhu Hongchang (朱红昌), a three-dimensional scanning engineer, pointed to the equipment and introduced that the preliminary previews of films such as "The Wandering Earth 2 (流浪地球2)" were completed based on this platform.
Digitalization and intelligence are the internal driving forces for the quality improvement and upgrading of the film industry, and the vigorous development of new quality productive forces has injected stronger energy into this driving force, writing a "new" story of iterative upgrading of the film industry.
On the production side, artificial intelligence enhances the "intelligence" content of the film industry, and hardcore technology is building new film bases into "future studios"; on the screening side, high-format theaters represented by CINITY continue to exert their strength, and special effects screens are stunningly out of the circle; on the scene side, head-mounted display devices allow the audience to "travel" into the film scene in a second, gaining an immersive experience. With the deep integration of the entire chain of film and technology, the film industry is steadily climbing the technical peak, presenting a "new and prosperous" development trend.
"Film+" crosses borders and breaks circles, and new models and new scenarios continue to emerge, gradually broadening the value boundary of the film industry.
In Harbin (哈尔滨), Heilongjiang (黑龙江), the carnival of the ice and snow season is gradually coming to an end, and the economic spillover effect brought by the film is still being released.
Standing on the sightseeing platform of the TV tower, leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, the entire city slowly unfolds before your eyes. In the distance, the city outline and the skyline gently intersect, set off by the light orange sunset glow, magnificent and delicate.
"After watching the ice and snow scenery and urban landscape of Harbin (哈尔滨) in the movie, I was moved to come and check in. I didn't expect to be able to enjoy an 80% discount on登塔 (dēng tǎ - "climbing the tower") with a movie ticket, which is too cost-effective!" Tourist Lin Runze (林润泽) said with a smile while using his mobile phone to capture the beautiful scenery.
When the light and shadow of the screen illuminate the corners of the city, "traveling with the movie" has become a new trend. Looking at the national market, the integration and development momentum of "film+" is strong, giving rise to a rich and high-quality market supply.
The cumulative sales of derivatives of "Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童闹海)" reached hundreds of billions of yuan, and "film + IP cultural creation" has upgraded impromptu consumption to memory resonance; "All Ears (浪浪人生)" has made Quanzhou (泉州) Shishi (石狮) and other filming locations in Fujian (福建) the preferred destination for tourists to "taste Southern Fujian," and "film + cultural tourism" has led the audience from a movie theater to the vast mountains and rivers; various film-themed markets light up the city's night sky, and the tentacles of "film + consumption" integrate character stories into ordinary fireworks; multiple traditional theater forms are being redefined, and "film + scene" has evolved the viewing place into a cultural consumption complex...
A small movie ticket is connecting screen stories and life scenarios, promoting the film industry from a single box office economy to a diversified consumption format, and becoming an important engine for boosting consumption and driving economic growth.
Culture is the root, and heritage is the vein. The profound accumulation of outstanding Chinese traditional culture provides a continuous source of spiritual nourishment and creative inspiration for the development of the entire film industry chain, making the foundation for the high-quality development of the industry more solid.
In Yong'an Temple (永安寺) in Datong (大同), Shanxi (山西), the solemn and heavy ancient buildings stand tall, quietly telling the story of thousands of years of history. In front of the temple gate, the statues of "Little Demon in the Turbulent World (浪浪山小妖怪)" are lifelike; next to it, the sign "I want to leave Turbulent World Mountain and go to Yong'an Temple (永安寺) to see" is particularly eye-catching, and the screen popularity and the heritage of the ancient buildings are cleverly linked here.
During the summer档 (dàng - "schedule, period") of 2025, this animated film adapted from the classic masterpiece "Journey to the West (西游记)" was enthusiastically recommended and discussed by netizens as soon as it was released. The line "I want to leave Turbulent World Mountain and see the outside world" touched the hearts of countless people. As the filming location of the film, Yong'an Temple (永安寺) took advantage of the film's traffic to become a popular check-in place, and was seen and loved by more people.
"I was touched by the scenes in the movie to come and check in. Standing in front of the solemn ancient temple, the sense of historical weight comes to my face." Tourist Li Tong (李潼)坦言 (tǎn yán - "admitted frankly," to speak one's mind frankly), the ancient buildings in Shanxi (山西) themselves have a rich heritage and a long history, and with the popular movie as an opportunity, it is a natural result to become popular.
From being adapted from Chinese classical masterpieces to being filmed in historical ancient buildings in China, to trendy peripheral products, outstanding Chinese traditional culture has always been the key attraction of films such as "Little Demon in the Turbulent World (浪浪山小妖怪)."
Whether it is technological construction or business format integration, the vigorous development of the entire film industry chain is essentially the immersion and empowerment of culture. The "Creation of the Gods (封神)" series takes traditional mythology as its core and unlocks the aesthetics of oriental fantasy; "Chang'an (长安三万里)" takes Tang poetry culture as its vein and connects thousands of years of national sentiment; "The Battle at Lake Changjin (长津湖)" series relies on red history to inherit the immortal heroic spirit... These films, which are talked about and lingered over by the audience, are all closely linked to the audience's shared cultural genes, triggering collective spiritual resonance.
The popularity of "film+" is not only the expansion and quality improvement of the film industry itself, but also a vivid expression of cultural confidence rooted in everyday life. It breaks the boundaries of the industry, integrates humanities and economics, not only writes a new chapter in the high-quality development of the film industry, but also demonstrates the charm of the times of humanistic economics, injecting strong cultural momentum into the development of China's industry towards new and better.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 颜 欢 赵益普 黄培昭
The rich atmosphere of the Lunar New Year flows, the joyful notes flutter, and sincere blessings cross mountains and seas. On the occasion of the Year of the Horse Spring Festival, from the melodies of the Madrid Music Hall to the songs in the auditorium of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, and the breeze on the banks of the Nile in Cairo, literary and artistic performances and cultural exchange activities in Spain, Pakistan, and Egypt attracted many local people to participate, celebrating the Lunar New Year and sharing the beauty of the Spring Festival. Many of the Chinese classic musical pieces and songs resonated culturally and enhanced mutual understanding between the people.
Pipa and guitar collaborate, suona and clarinet and recorder converse.
"Wonderful! So interesting!" At the end of the performance, Rafael (拉法埃尔), a young man from Spain, applauded while repeatedly praising. The "Happy Chinese New Year" concert was recently held at the Spanish National Music Auditorium in Madrid (马德里), the capital of Spain. This concert melted the colorful meaning of Chinese folk music with the majestic atmosphere of Western orchestral music. At the end of the song, thunderous applause echoed in the hall for a long time; at the end of the performance, the audience lingered, still wanting more.
The concert was jointly presented by the Shanghai National Orchestra (上海民族乐团) and the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe (上海昆剧团) together with the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra (马德里爱乐乐团). Different from the Western audience's previous impression of Chinese music as quiet and subtle, the Chinese folk music that night constantly broke expectations in terms of rhythm, color, and sense of power. "Treading Waves," performed in collaboration with pipa, guitar, and flamenco dancers, became a representative program that resonated: the crisp and powerful sounds of the pipa complemented the timbre and emotional expression of the Spanish guitar, and in the pursuit of fast and slow, it not only injected tension into the dancers' performance, but also triggered a warm response from the audience, with thunderous applause accompanying almost every interlude.
The subsequent "Phoenix Dance" brought the atmosphere to a climax. The dialogue between the suona and the clarinet and recorder vividly simulated the scene of birds chirping and "quarreling" in the forest in the early morning, which was humorous and lively, causing constant laughter in the audience. The joy of the festival flowed naturally in the transition of the melody, and many viewers gently beat the rhythm with the music. The performers skillfully used the changes in the pitch of the suona to guide the rise and fall of the rhythm of the applause on the scene. The actors and the audience interacted tacitly, and the atmosphere was higher than the other.
"Although I have never seen these Chinese musical instruments and cannot understand the lyrics of Kunqu Opera, I can clearly perceive the emotions and pictures in the music." The audience member Luis (路易斯) told reporters after the performance that the entire concert was free and unrestrained, perfectly conveying China's natural landscape and folk customs, "Some of the music made people feel the joy of the festival as soon as it started."
This concert is an important part of the 2026 "Happy Chinese New Year" series of activities in Spain. This year is the fifteenth consecutive year that China has held "Happy Chinese New Year" activities in Spain. In addition to concerts, "Ancient China in Cultural and Creative Products," "Year of the Horse Spring Festival Run," Spring Festival temple fairs and other diverse activities have attracted many local people to participate. The well-known Spanish sinologist, Lei Linke (雷林科), told reporters that the Spring Festival celebration has gradually become a "local festival" in some parts of Spain, integrated into the lives of local people.
Passing on blessings from "iron brothers" to Chinese friends.
"Jade Mountain white snow flutters, burning the hearts of young people, making true feelings melt into notes, telling distant blessings..." The atmosphere in the auditorium of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (费萨拉巴德农业大学) in Pakistan (巴基斯坦) was warm. More than a dozen Pakistani university students sang the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better" with emotion, which resonated with nearly a hundred Chinese and Pakistani friends in the audience. The performers on the stage emotionally shouted "Long live Pakistan-China friendship."
The Confucius Institute (孔子学院) at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad recently held a Spring Festival celebration party. Students performed Tai Chi, Chinese song singing, Chinese traditional costume display and other programs, released Kongming lanterns to pray for peace, and conveyed New Year blessings from "Pakistani Iron."
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, and the friendship between China and Pakistan is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the two countries. The China Affairs Department of Askari Bank (阿斯卡利银行) in Islamabad (伊斯兰堡), the capital of Pakistan, recently held a Spring Festival celebration. Employees of Askari Bank decorated the office with Chinese knots, Spring Festival couplets, red lanterns and other items to make it festive. Ziya Ijaz (齐亚·伊贾兹), President of Askari Bank of Pakistan, also showed reporters an old Chinese record, "Why Are the Flowers So Red," which he had treasured for decades. He said: "China and Pakistan have established diplomatic relations for 75 years. Our celebration of the Spring Festival is to convey blessings from 'iron brothers' to Chinese friends."
On New Year's Eve, Pakistani President Zardari (扎尔达里) delivered a Spring Festival message. He said that the horse means striving for progress, which is highly consistent with the spirit of cooperation between Pakistan and China and the enduring friendship between the two sides. From history to the present, Pakistan has always attached great importance to cooperation with China, safeguarding the common interests of Pakistan and China, and promoting regional peace and stability. Pakistan and China are brothers who share weal and woe, have been tested, and are unbreakable. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (夏巴兹·谢里夫) posted on social media to wish Chinese brothers and sisters a happy New Year, hoping that the lasting friendship between Pakistan and China will be further strengthened in the new year and benefit the people of both countries.
The meaning of the horse becomes a bond for cultural exchanges between China and Arab countries.
Cairo (开罗), the capital of Egypt (埃及), a bright Chinese red lit up the spring. High-hanging red lanterns, dancing dragons and lions, steaming dumplings and Tangyuan - the banks of the Nile River are filled with the atmosphere of the New Year.
The Chinese Embassy in Egypt (中国驻埃及大使馆) recently held the 2026 "Warmly Welcome the Spring Festival and Celebrate the Chinese New Year" New Year reception. The hall was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and overseas Chinese, students studying in Egypt, and Egyptian friends gathered together. Martial arts, Henan Opera, and tea art brought a rich experience of traditional Chinese culture to the guests. Liao Liqiang (廖力强), the Chinese Ambassador to Egypt, expressed his hope in his speech that overseas Chinese would continue to contribute to the friendly cooperation between China and Egypt, China and Arab countries, and China and Africa in the new year, and distributed "Warm Spring Festival Packages" and "New Year Warm Heart Packages" to everyone.
The 2026 Spring Festival Gala for Overseas Chinese in Egypt opened with a lively temple fair. Tangyuan were crystal clear, dumplings were tumbling, and the aroma of spicy soup was tangy; paper-cutting was superb, dough figurines were lifelike, and the stunt of face-changing drew continuous praise from the audience. On the stage, "Dragon Soaring Martial Arts" was magnificent, Shaolin boxing was powerful, and Tai Chi was soft and firm; Dunhuang dance was elegant, and the singing of Henan Opera echoed in the hall; when the melody of "My Motherland" sounded, many overseas Chinese sang along softly. In the laughter, there is a sincere temperature of mutual understanding between the people of China and Egypt.
"Galloping Horses on the Silk Road, Happy Spring Festival Integration" The Spring Festival Cultural Market recently entered the headquarters hall of the League of Arab States (阿拉伯国家联盟). Red lanterns reflected the Arab League emblem, and calligraphy, tea art, and zodiac culture booths attracted many Arab diplomats to stop. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes self-improvement and progress, and in Arab culture, it symbolizes nobility and courage. The meaning of the horse has become a bond for cultural exchanges between China and Arab countries. Youssef Bader (优素福·巴德尔), Director of the Department of Culture and Civilization Dialogue of the Arab League Secretariat, said that this Spring Festival Cultural Market is an epitome of the Arab-Chinese civilization dialogue. Ali Youssef (阿里·优素福), Secretary-General of the Arab-China Friendship Association Federation, praised the event as "full of warmth and sincere friendship."
(Reported on February 18 from Madrid, Islamabad, and Cairo)
Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)
Return to TopBy: 约翰·米勒—怀特
Only by understanding the deep reasons for China's success can we effectively build a more constructive and forward-looking U.S.-China relationship.
In the past few decades, the scale and speed of China's economic development, and its profound impact on the world, have been unprecedented in human history, far exceeding most people's expectations. China's development practice shows that the socialist system with Chinese characteristics can lead the country to achieve modernization.
Why has China been able to achieve such brilliant achievements? And what path has it taken to success? Answering these questions is crucial. Only by understanding the deep reasons for China's success can we effectively build a more constructive and forward-looking U.S.-China relationship.
One important reason why Chinese-style modernization has made significant progress is that China has always attached importance to the formulation and efficient implementation of medium- and long-term strategic plans. Whether it is industrial transformation and upgrading, infrastructure improvement, or tackling key core technologies, China maintains policy continuity and stability, and adjusts the pace and focus of development in a timely manner according to changes in the situation, creating a stable and predictable policy environment for enterprises and investors. Taking cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum information as examples, China has precisely deployed through five-year plans and longer-term development plans, deeply integrating technological investment with a strong manufacturing base and a super-large domestic market, helping Chinese companies move up the global value chain, and powerfully promoting manufacturing transformation and upgrading and productivity improvement.
Green transformation and sustainable development are important directions of China's development plan. China integrates the concept of green development into the entire process of economic and social development, and promotes the coordinated progress of economic growth and ecological environmental protection. By continuously increasing investment in clean energy, low-carbon technologies, and green infrastructure, China is steadily promoting the diversification of its energy structure and cultivating and strengthening a number of key green industries. China's green development practice not only realizes the organic unity of improving productivity, improving people's livelihoods, and optimizing environmental quality, but also makes positive contributions to global sustainable development.
China's success also benefits from its firm commitment to innovation-driven development. China continues to improve its intellectual property protection system, creating a safer development environment for various innovation entities and technology application enterprises. China actively guides private enterprises to participate in innovation, vigorously cultivates local talents, and promotes the accelerated commercialization of innovation achievements. In addition, China also actively builds bridges for international scientific and technological cooperation, and is committed to sharing the fruits of technological progress with all countries.
In the process of promoting modernization, China has always focused on the balanced development of imports and exports, and strived to build a new development pattern. China's super-large market of more than 1.4 billion people contains strong domestic demand power, which can not only effectively resist the impact of external economic fluctuations, but also help form a more balanced economic growth model. China implements trade facilitation policies for its trading partners and deepens cooperation with international financial institutions in a constructive manner. Currently, China is promoting the diversified development of supply chains and continuing to explore emerging markets.
While achieving its own development, China has always adhered to true multilateralism and actively participated in global governance and multilateral cooperation. From promoting BRICS cooperation to promoting the establishment of multilateral institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China's active actions have injected impetus into addressing climate change, enhancing the resilience of global production and supply chains, and strengthening global public health governance. In multilateral cooperation, China abandons the old thinking of zero-sum games, adheres to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, and is committed to promoting the construction of a more just and reasonable international order.
Understanding the pragmatic philosophy and win-win background of China's development will enable the United States to truly understand China in a complex and volatile world. For the United States, the best choice is by no means to regard China as an opponent, but to treat it as a partner, work together to transform cooperation opportunities into tangible benefits for the people of both countries, and create a development environment conducive to the common prosperity of both sides and even the world.
(The author is the Executive Chairman of the U.S.-China Cooperation Foundation)
Return to TopBy: 余劲松
The snake dance celebrates a prosperous year and bids farewell to the old, while galloping horses rush towards a new journey. Horses symbolize the spirit of hard work, courage, and perseverance in both Chinese and Moroccan cultures, just like the strategic partnership between the two countries galloping forward. Recently, with the support and assistance of relevant departments and institutions in China and Morocco, the Chinese Embassy in Morocco has successively held a series of activities such as the Spring Festival reception and the "Happy Chinese New Year, Charming Silk Road" art performance, the "Happy Chinese New Year, Chinese Temple Fair," and the "Galloping Horses Welcome Spring, Good Fortune Fills the Silk Road" Chinese New Year cultural market. These events, filled with a strong festive atmosphere and artistic feasts, have set off a new wave of China-Morocco friendship and also heralded a splendid prelude to the tenth anniversary of the China-Morocco strategic partnership this year.
For a decade, we have shared the same aspirations and overcome geographical barriers. In May 2016, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平), King Mohammed VI (穆罕默德六世) of Morocco paid a state visit to China. During the visit, the two heads of state jointly announced the establishment of a China-Morocco strategic partnership based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, which promoted the rapid development of bilateral relations. In 2020, the two heads of state had a phone call during the COVID-19 pandemic and reached an important consensus on promoting the continuous and in-depth development of the China-Morocco strategic partnership. China overcame difficulties to provide Morocco with a large number of vaccines, injecting confidence and strength into the unity of the two peoples in fighting the epidemic. In 2023, President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a message of condolence to King Mohammed VI (穆罕默德六世) regarding the strong earthquake in the Marrakech (马拉喀什) region of Morocco. China quickly provided strong support, once again demonstrating the profound friendship between China and Morocco in helping each other and sharing weal and woe. In November 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) made a technical stop in Casablanca (卡萨布兰卡) on his special plane while returning to China after concluding his state visit to Brazil. Crown Prince Hassan (哈桑王储), who had come to greet him, had a cordial conversation with him, and the two sides had in-depth communication on promoting the development of China-Morocco relations. Morocco firmly supports China's core interests, supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and has joined the International Mediation Institute established under China's leadership.
For a decade, we have cultivated the land and reaped abundant fruits. For many years, China has remained Morocco's third-largest global trading partner and the largest in Asia. Morocco is the first country in the North African region to sign a "Belt and Road" cooperation document with China. The Tangier (丹吉尔) Tech City project has made positive progress, and Chinese investment in Morocco in the fields of new energy, textiles, and automobiles has grown rapidly, playing an important role in helping Morocco's industrial upgrading and deepening the cooperation between the two countries in production and supply chains.
For a decade, we have known each other and our friendship has been long-lasting. Since 2016, Morocco has implemented a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens, and the "Garden of North Africa" has quickly become a popular travel destination for Chinese tourists. In 2018, the Chinese Cultural Center was inaugurated in Rabat (拉巴特), forming a window for spreading Chinese culture and showcasing contemporary China together with the three Confucius Institutes in Morocco. More and more Moroccan youths are choosing to study in China. In 2025, China and Morocco will solemnly celebrate the 50th anniversary of China's dispatch of medical aid teams to Morocco. For more than half a century, Chinese medical teams and their Moroccan counterparts have cooperated sincerely to protect the lives and health of the local people, writing a moving chapter in the friendship between China and Morocco.
Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Morocco relations have shown vigorous vitality and great potential. 2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." China is willing to further strengthen the strategic alignment between the two countries with Morocco, jointly write a new chapter of brilliance at a higher level and in a wider range of fields, enhance China-Arab and China-Africa friendship, and make new and greater contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Morocco)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 18th (Reporter Yang Zhanfei (杨湛菲)) It was learned from the National Press and Publication Administration (国家新闻出版署) that the 16th Global Overseas Chinese Bookstore Chinese Book Spring Festival Exhibition is being held recently in more than 100 Chinese bookstores in 40 countries and regions around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Tunisia, and Australia.
During the exhibition, participating bookstores are focusing on displaying the works of President Xi Jinping (习近平) and related study materials, and are focusing on displaying a batch of thematic publications that interpret the major decisions and deployments of the Party and the state, showcase the development achievements of the new era and their global significance, as well as Spring Festival-themed books, academic popular readings, original children's books, and Chinese language learning materials. Aiming at overseas readers, a variety of exchange activities such as the "My Story of the Spring Festival Essay Contest," "Famous Artists Art Week," and "Stories Communicate the World" are being organized, as well as interactive and experiential activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets and guessing lantern riddles, allowing people of all countries to experience the charm of Spring Festival culture at close range.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 宋亦然
"Culture is a universal language. With the help of bridges such as the traditional Spring Festival, people can establish deeper human connections." Marcelo Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索), President of the Brazilian Agency for the International Promotion of Tourism, said in an exclusive interview with this reporter that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, cultural and tourism cooperation between Brazil and China is entering a more mature new stage.
Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) said that in recent years, cultural exchanges between Brazil and China have shown a vigorous and positive trend, becoming a bright spot in the relations between the two countries, and the cultural integration between the two countries has formed a sincere and interactive atmosphere at the folk level. "We have seen that the people of both countries are actively learning about each other's culture, values and lifestyles. The 'Brazil-China Culture Year' in 2026 has further consolidated this good process, setting up a symbolic and practical milestone for deepening bilateral relations, and injecting strong impetus into promoting dialogue among civilizations," said Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索).
In recent years, Chinese Spring Festival culture has been welcomed in Brazil, becoming a vivid portrayal of the increasingly warm cultural exchanges between China and Brazil. Spring Festival celebrations, cultural performances and community activities allow more Brazilians to get in close contact with traditional Chinese culture, deepen their understanding and respect for Chinese culture in laughter, and enhance the mutual understanding between the people of China and Brazil. Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) said that the scale of Spring Festival celebrations in major Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro (里约热内卢), São Paulo (圣保罗), and Recife (累西腓) has continued to expand, and has now become an important part of urban cultural life in Brazil.
"These celebrations not only reflect the openness and inclusiveness of Brazilian society, but also demonstrate the vitality and charm of Chinese culture." Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) believes that the increasing importance of the Spring Festival in Brazil is a natural reflection of the continuous strengthening of cultural ties between the two countries, and also a respect and recognition of the Brazilian Chinese community. The concepts of reunion, hope and renewal contained in the Spring Festival are highly consistent with the values of Brazilian people who cherish family, "This spiritual resonance makes cultural exchanges more natural and deeper."
The deep integration of culture is promoting two-way travel and quality upgrades in tourism cooperation between China and Brazil. Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) said that culture is an important driving force for promoting two-way personnel exchanges between the two countries, "Tourism is the most direct way of cultural exchange. Travelers not only observe culture, but also participate in culture." In his view, tourism transforms exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations into real and tangible experiences, allowing the people of the two countries to establish deep emotional bonds through interaction. "Chinese tourists are pursuing in-depth and authentic Brazilian experiences; Brazilians are also full of curiosity and yearning for China's colorful culture, and tourism cooperation between Brazil and China is developing in a more meaningful direction," said Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索).
The facilitation measures launched by China and Brazil, moving towards each other, have put the "accelerator key" on bilateral cultural and tourism cooperation, and the two-way growth in passenger flow confirms the enthusiasm of exchanges between the two countries. Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) introduced that in 2025, Brazil received more than 100,000 Chinese tourists, setting a historical record, and China has become one of the most potential source markets for Brazil's tourism industry; the willingness of Brazilian tourists to travel to China is also continuing to rise, and tourism exchanges between Brazil and China are showing a good trend of two-way prosperity.
Freixo (马塞洛·弗雷索) said that both Brazil and China have a long history and tradition and a distinct expression of popular culture. This precious cultural wealth allows the two countries to carry out constructive exchanges and dialogue on the basis of mutual respect. "2026 will be an important node for Brazil and China to strengthen cultural exchanges." He said that strengthening the dialogue between Brazilian and Chinese civilizations will not only help consolidate relations between the two countries, but also advocate a more open and inclusive global cooperation concept in the current international context.
Return to TopThe Ancient Pottery Horse in the Museum Transcends Time
By Li Zong (李纵), Staff Reporter
In the Shenzhen Museum (深圳博物馆) of Guangdong Province (广东省), a Tang Sancai horse (唐三彩马) leaps with its hooves in the air, head bowed and mouth open, as if dancing.
"This is exactly the 'dancing horse that vigorously shakes its head and wags its tail, spinning like flying' from the Tang Dynasty," said Liu Yi (刘绎), the curator, pointing to the exhibit "Sancai Dancing Horse (三彩舞马)." The exhibition hall is designed primarily in red, with decorations such as imitation wood-structured Dougong (人字栱), Pingqi (平綦), flying horse-patterned lanterns, and Lianzhu Dui Ma Wen (联珠对马纹) lightboxes, recreating the horse-loving atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
The exhibition "Galloping Ascension - The World of Sancai Horses" is a collaboration between the Shenzhen Museum (深圳博物馆) and the Shaanxi Tang Sancai Art Museum (陕西唐三彩艺术博物馆), focusing on equestrian sports in the Tang Dynasty. The exhibition features 42 sets and 60 pieces of various Tang Dynasty cultural relics from the collection of the Shaanxi Tang Sancai Art Museum (陕西唐三彩艺术博物馆), including painted pottery polo figurines, Sancai dancing horses, Sancai hoof-biting horses, and Sancai phoenix-headed pots, presenting the colorful and exquisitely shaped beauty of Tang Sancai art.
A Sancai white horse is particularly eye-catching. "The horse's head is turned to the side, its limbs are strong, its mane is draped, and its tail is tied, with complete saddle and tack," said Liu Yi (刘绎). "The entire body is glazed in white, with only the mane and tail glazed in brown, and the saddle blanket glazed in yellow and green. The white glaze is pure and bright, and the colored glaze is vibrant and lively, requiring high-level skills to fire, making it extremely precious and demonstrating the essence of Tang Dynasty Sancai art."
Liu Yi (刘绎) introduced that the Tang Dynasty valued horse administration, and horses played various roles at that time - warhorses galloping on the battlefield were military resources, postal horses running on official roads were a solid guarantee for the postal system, and there were also cup-bearing dancing horses performing at Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's (唐玄宗) "Thousand Autumn Festival (千秋节)" and well-dressed horses for ceremonial purposes. The Sancai horses captured the vigorous spirit of the early Tang Dynasty and the inclusive openness of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
In November of last year, the 15th National Games equestrian competition was held in Shenzhen (深圳). This dialogue across time and space between the thousand-year-old pottery horse and modern horse racing demonstrates a broad-mindedness and pioneering and innovative genes, highlighting the endless power of civilization.
The Ma Shehuo in the Mountainous Area is Full of Joy
By Gao Bing (高炳), Staff Reporter
In the mountain valley of Huanghuayu Village (黄花峪村), Long County (陇县), Baoji City (宝鸡市), Shaanxi Province (陕西省), the gongs and drums suddenly burst into sound - Ma Shehuo (马社火), the horse-themed community fire performance, begins!
"The Year of the Horse, Ma Shehuo (马社火), instant success." Tian Tao (田涛), the Party Secretary of Huanghuayu Village (黄花峪村), is full of excitement when talking about the performance in the first lunar month. He and the members of the village's Shehuo association are busy preparing for this "annual grand show."
Longzhou Shehuo (陇州社火) has a history of more than 2,000 years and still retains more than 20 types, including Bei Shehuo (背社火), Gao Xin Shehuo (高芯社火), and Ditai Shehuo (地台社火). Among them, the classic Ma Shehuo (马社火) is the most praised - performers dressed in ancient costumes ride tall horses, with exquisite costumes and majestic shapes. Riding horses in a line to patrol the village, praying for blessings and good fortune, also heralds that the new year will be like a "horse," bravely galloping and striving forward.
"In our village, the main day for Ma Shehuo (马社火) is the temple fair on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month," said Tian Tao (田涛). Including the rehearsal the day before and the county tour the day after, it usually lasts for 3 consecutive days, and men, women, old, and young are full of joy.
In previous years, the horse team had a minimum of 9 or 11 horses and a maximum of 19 or 21 horses, generally an odd number, symbolizing "abundance every year." "To celebrate the Year of the Horse, this time it has been expanded to 25 horses," said Tian Tao (田涛).
Where do the horses for Ma Shehuo (马社火) come from? "Now villagers no longer raise horses, we rent horses from the nearby Guanshan Grassland Scenic Area (关山草原景区)," Tian Tao (田涛) introduced. The Shehuo performance requires riding large horses and posing, which can be described as a physical activity.
On the day of the temple fair, the performers begin to put on makeup in the early morning, painting their faces, attaching beards, wearing robes and armor, and holding weapons, looking majestic. At 8 o'clock in the morning, the Shehuo costumes are complete, and they begin to go out on the streets. The gong and drum team leads the way, followed by tall horses. The God of Fortune, the Four Heavenly Kings, Mu Guiying (穆桂英), Yang Shilang (杨侍郎)... actors dressed as various characters from myths, legends, and classic dramas sit on horseback.
A Ma Shehuo (马社火) involves the entire village - young people either beat gongs and drums or perform on horseback, while elders organize and coordinate; in the village committee courtyard, large pots are set up, and the aunts chop vegetables and cook, with bowls of Saozi noodles (臊子面) filling the air with fragrance...
In recent years, the Ma Shehuo (马社火) of Huanghuayu (黄花峪) has become increasingly popular. Students on winter vacation and young people returning home to work are vying to become inheritors. "This year we need 25 people, and more than 50 young people have signed up," said Tian Tao (田涛). There are also young people from other villages who want to participate, and the competition is quite fierce.
The sound of gongs and drums echoes at the entrance of the village. Ma Shehuo (马社火) gathers popularity and adds to the festive atmosphere.
The Horse-themed Cultural and Creative Products that are a Hit are Driving Trends
By Dou Hanyang (窦瀚洋), Staff Reporter
As the Year of the Horse arrives, Yiwu (义乌), the "World Supermarket" in Zhejiang (浙江), is "launching new products." Strolling through the shopping malls, one can see "horses" everywhere in the New Year decorations, festive supplies, trendy toys, and accessories.
In the accessories area of the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center (义乌全球数贸中心), Wu Liang (吴靓), a merchant who mainly deals in accessories, is displaying her original zodiac festive limited edition "Little Horse Bag Charm." A Tang-style little horse exudes ancient charm, lifelike, attracting many Chinese and foreign merchants to stop and place orders.
Wu Liang (吴靓), who has been deeply involved in the accessories industry for more than 10 years, introduced that every year the zodiac theme is the main product of the Spring Festival New Year gift box. "Among the twelve zodiac signs, the 'horse' is very popular. The beautiful meanings such as 马到成功 (mǎ dào chéng gōng - "success upon arrival of the horse," achieve immediate victory) and 龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīng shén - "dragon horse spirit," energetic and vigorous spirit) contain potential business opportunities."
As early as May last year, Wu Liang (吴靓) began designing this little horse bag charm, referring to many horse-shaped patterns in Tang paintings, and the design draft alone was revised more than a dozen times. She said that now not only foreign merchants but also domestic young people love Chinese-style design elements.
"It is not only a zodiac gift but also a good health product." In front of the display cabinet of another accessories store, the owner Liu Ruqun (刘如群) is promoting the Year of the Horse intangible cultural heritage medicinal fragrance comb. The black-brown comb body is shaped like a horse, with clear auspicious clouds and copper coin patterns, and the overall contains the auspicious meaning of "immediate wealth." The team incorporates 21 Chinese medicinal herbs into the comb through handmade craftsmanship, and the natural fragrance of sandalwood is elegant and pleasant, in line with the concept of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation. "Integrating intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship into daily necessities allows traditional culture to enter life," said Liu Ruqun (刘如群).
On the other hand, in the accessories studio of operator Zhang Suhua (张素华), lively and cute little horse accessories are cleverly matched with elements such as bows and stars, decorating various hole shoes, becoming a fashionable hit during the festive season. "Overseas Chinese usually purchase New Year goods two or three months in advance. We have launched limited edition horse-year shoe accessories specifically to drive new trends," said Zhang Suhua (张素华). The little horse accessories are sold far to the Southeast Asian market, with daily sales reaching 200,000 pieces.
The official platform of Yiwu Small Commodity City (义乌小商品城) shows that entering the keyword "Spring Festival" on the platform can retrieve 2,981 related products, covering various New Year hot-selling products such as Spring Festival couplets, pendants, red envelopes, and lanterns. There are more than 3,000 products related to the "Year of the Horse," with a wide variety of categories, including horse-themed accessories, festive supplies, plush toys, and clothing accessories, fully demonstrating Yiwu's (义乌) keen capture and strong supply capacity of holiday consumption trends as a "World Supermarket."
"Zodiac New Year goods show cultural vitality." In the view of Lou Baojuan (楼宝娟), President of the Yiwu New Year Painting and Calendar Chamber of Commerce (义乌市年画挂历商会), one piece of national trendy product after another exudes a strong New Year flavor, becoming an emotional bond connecting overseas Chinese around the world.
The New Sound of the Horsehead Fiddle on the Grassland is Refreshing
By Li Zhiyao (李祉瑶), Staff Reporter
As the bow of the horsehead fiddle is drawn, the vast Chiele River (敕勒川) unfolds in the melody.
In the Workers' Cultural Palace of Uxin Banner (乌审旗), Ordos City (鄂尔多斯市), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), a cultural performance is in full swing. Su Rige (苏日格), a player in the Uxin Banner Horsehead Fiddle Symphony Orchestra (乌审旗马头琴交响乐团), closes her eyes and is fully immersed. The audience seems to see the morning mist rolling, the green grass boundless, and hears the neighing of ten thousand horses, with the magnificence and poetry of the grassland rushing towards them.
The horsehead fiddle is a two-stringed instrument decorated with a horse's head, playing a pivotal role in nomadic culture.
"Every performance is a dissemination of the sound of the grassland and horse culture." Su Rige (苏日格) has been associated with the horsehead fiddle for more than 20 years. She spent her childhood in pastoral areas and began to formally study the horsehead fiddle at the age of 16. "The horsehead fiddle is an instrument that carries the horse culture of the grassland. With innovative integration and development, the future of the horsehead fiddle will be better and better." Su Rige (苏日格) kept her teacher's instructions in mind.
In 2013, by chance, Su Rige (苏日格) went to watch a special concert by the Uxin Banner Horsehead Fiddle Symphony Orchestra (乌审旗马头琴交响乐团). "I didn't expect that the traditional tunes of the horsehead fiddle could be integrated into modern styles such as jazz. I was deeply shocked." Since then, Su Rige (苏日格) was admitted to the orchestra as a player.
The orchestra was established in 2010 and is a multi-part national symphony orchestra with the horsehead fiddle as the main stringed instrument, covering stringed instrument parts such as the horsehead fiddle, equipped with brass and woodwind instruments, and Mongolian-style percussion instruments such as horsehide drums, milk bucket drums, saddle drums, and horsewhip drums, as well as national musical instruments such as Chaor horsehead fiddles, Modun Chaor, and Tobshuur.
In recent years, the performance stage has extended from theaters to universities and communities, and even to overseas. The performance in France is still fresh in Su Rige's (苏日格) memory: "After the performance, the applause lasted for a long time, and a sense of national pride arose spontaneously." She has witnessed the innovation of traditional instruments. "In the past, there were mostly horsehead fiddle solos or ensembles. Now, it collides with symphony and folk music, and also integrates across borders with Jinghu, Peking Opera, and Suona, presenting increasingly diverse forms."
"We performed at many universities last year and truly felt the enthusiasm of young people for national culture," she said. More and more people are choosing to enjoy traditional folk music during festivals.
In June 2025, the orchestra and the Ordos Ulanmuqi (鄂尔多斯市乌兰牧骑) jointly formed the Nuancheng Ordos Horsehead Fiddle Symphony Orchestra (暖城鄂尔多斯马头琴交响乐团). The "Impression" Inner Mongolia Horsehead Fiddle Special Concert performed by both parties has traveled to many cities, making the melodious sound of the instrument a vivid carrier of cultural benefits and cultural heritage.
Su Rige (苏日格) said: "We are taking the opportunity of the Year of the Horse to go to more places, making the horsehead fiddle a 'sound business card' for spreading New Year customs and culture."
Return to TopBy: 陈圆圆
The Year of Bingwu Horse has arrived. Among the twelve zodiac animals, the horse is often associated with expansive scenes: grasslands, frontiers, ancient roads, and journeys. When you read the *Classic of Poetry* (诗经), "The horses neigh softly, the banners flutter slowly" ("萧萧马鸣，悠悠旆旌"), it depicts the magnificence of a hunting team. When you look at the bronze galloping horse of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with three hooves in the air and one hoof surpassing a flying bird, it strides out with the bravery and heroism that transcends 2000 years. Furthermore, in the writings of historians, Black Steed (乌骓) whistles in the wind, Dilu (的卢) gallops swiftly, and the steed becomes a portrayal of heroic spirit. The horse is a vivid totem that embodies Chinese civilization—there are human journeys imprinted by horses' hooves, a hero worship integrated into the bloodline, and even more, a spirit of vigor, striving, and unceasing self-improvement.
Now again, it is the Year of the Horse, and the ancient totem stirs up a vibrant cultural symphony.
Ancient charm and new trends. Young people have become the creators and "managers" of the New Year's flavor, and ancient charm and Chinese style have become top-tier aesthetics. The classical image of the horse has been playfully translated: New Year's paintings and paper cuttings have the clever homophonic pun of "immediately have firewood (wealth)" ("马上有柴（财）"), and the Mamian skirt (马面裙) has become a New Year's "battle robe" to showcase individuality. The bronze galloping horse has transformed into a cute and silly "green horse" on bag pendants. Forms change in thousands of ways, but the core remains the same. In ancient New Year's paintings, isn't the horse carrying bees and monkeys on its back precisely a homophonic pun for "immediately be conferred a title" ("马上封侯")? Happily celebrating the New Year, the yearning for and closeness to beautiful traditions always have traceable veins.
New Year customs are reborn. The Spring Festival has been listed as a representative work of humanity's intangible cultural heritage, with the suffix "Chinese people's social practice of celebrating the traditional New Year." Practice means that culture is vivid in participation, and cultural confidence rises in the sense of ritual of new New Year customs. From the majestic horse team in the horse community fire performance to the passionate horse-head fiddle melody on the grassland; from personally experiencing clay horse sculptures and shadow puppet horses at the intangible cultural heritage market to the family reunion sharing creative "success upon arrival" ("马到成功") emoji packs, old folk customs and new New Year customs shine with their own splendor. The strong New Year flavor of each "small family" converges into the calm and vigorous cultural atmosphere of China, this "big family."
Talking about horses in the Year of the Horse ultimately speaks of people's lives and moods. High-speed rail has long surpassed the speed of any steed, but in our hearts, we always need to nurture a spiritual steed: not losing the ambition to gallop thousands of miles, not forgetting the deep friendship of sharing weal and woe, and still maintaining a sense of yearning for mountains and seas on the 马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí - "horse doesn't stop hoof," to press on without stopping) journey.
In the Year of Bingwu Horse, the sound of hooves echoes, and the view is of a vast and high sky, with a long journey ahead.
Return to TopThis issue coordinated by: Zhi Chunli (智春丽), Xiao Yao (肖遥), Cao Yiqing (曹怡晴)
Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)
Undertaking garbage and sewage treatment, deeply promoting the toilet revolution, developing ecological tourism, carrying out green agricultural product planting, and realizing integrated urban-rural development... In recent years, various regions have practiced the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and while doing a good job in rural ecological environmental protection, they have developed industries to enrich the people, continuously improved rural infrastructure, improved the living environment, and rural life has become increasingly better.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal puts forward, "Promote the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages." In January of this year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部) released the first batch of beautiful rural pioneer zone lists, including 23 counties (cities, districts). During the Spring Festival, reporters visited six of these villages to explore the vivid practices of beautiful rural construction.
-- Editor
Jin Hua Village (金花村), Meitan County (湄潭县), Zunyi City (遵义市), Guizhou (贵州) --
Green Little Leaves, Golden Leaves for Prosperity
By Our Reporter Su Bin (苏滨)
During the Spring Festival, Xu Xueliang (徐学良), a villager in Jin Hua Village (金花村), Meijiang Town (湄江镇), Meitan County (湄潭县), Zunyi City (遵义市), Guizhou (贵州), couldn't afford to rest. He took his farm tools and drove straight to the tea garden.
"If you want the tea buds to sprout vigorously, winter management is essential." Xu Xueliang (徐学良) has been growing tea for more than 30 years and is a veritable "local expert."
"In addition to normal pruning, you have to pay attention to the weather at all times. If you encounter a cold wave, you can cover the rows with soil in advance to keep warm and resist the cold. You can also cover the tea bushes with weeds and plastic film, and uncover them in time when the temperature rises." Speaking of growing tea, Xu Xueliang (徐学良) was very talkative. His tea garden has expanded to 10 mu, and the average income per mu has increased to 6,000 yuan.
In the past, tea garden management relied mostly on experience, and the quality of tea varied. Now, Jin Hua Village (金花村) has introduced modern tea garden management technology, and the benefits of the tea garden are getting better and better, and the planting scale is getting larger and larger.
Relying on 10 mu of tea garden, Xu Xueliang (徐学良) built a two-story building and provided his two children with a smooth university education. Today, almost every household in Jin Hua Village (金花村) grows tea. The tea garden area exceeds 6,000 mu, and the annual output value exceeds 40 million yuan. Green little leaves have become golden leaves for prosperity.
"In the past two years, the whole village has promoted the integrated technology of green prevention and control, established a three-level prevention and control system of 'village, group, and household,' and completely banned water-soluble pesticides and herbicides. According to the 'five-item testing' system for tea issued by the county, from tea picking to finished tea sales, strict testing is carried out throughout the process to ensure the quality and safety of tea." Peng Yin (彭寅), secretary of the Jin Hua Village (金花村) Party Branch, said that these measures have won the village a good reputation, and the brand of ecological tea, organic tea, and clean tea is becoming brighter and brighter.
Reporter's Notes
With eight mountains, one river, and one field, how can Guizhou (贵州), with its fragmented terrain, promote agricultural modernization in accordance with local conditions? Jin Hua Village (金花村), Meitan County (湄潭县), Zunyi City (遵义市) provides the answer: rely on the mountains to eat the mountains, may as well change the way to eat, recite the "mountain sutra," and skillfully play the characteristic card.
Jin Hua Village (金花村) has high altitude, low latitude, and many clouds and fog. Compared with traditional agriculture, this natural condition is more suitable for growing tea. Today, more than 300,000 people in the county make a living from tea, and the tea industry has become Meitan's (湄潭) primary industry and an industry to enrich the people.
It is necessary to have both large-scale planting and extend and supplement the chain. Around the tea industry, Meitan (湄潭) strives to improve standardization of production, intensive processing, cultural tourism integration, export earnings and other capabilities, reshape the value chain with the thinking of the entire industrial chain, and release the value of a leaf many times over. From a leaf to an industry, from a brand to a model, Meitan (湄潭) has embarked on a new road of developing the industry and enriching the people through tea.
Ta Qian Village (塔前村), Xinglong County (兴隆县), Chengde City (承德市), Hebei (河北) --
Guarding Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains, Enjoying a Hot Life
By Our Reporter Zhang Tengyang (张腾扬)
Walking into Ta Qian Village (塔前村), Wuling Mountain Town (雾灵山镇), Xinglong County (兴隆县), Chengde City (承德市), Hebei (河北), which is embraced by the Wuling Mountain National Nature Reserve (雾灵山国家级自然保护区), the houses have white walls and black tiles, scattered in a well-organized manner. The villagers are sweeping the courtyards, hanging lanterns, and preparing New Year's goods, and everywhere is filled with the lively and festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
In the past, Ta Qian Village (塔前村) was once "living a poor life while guarding lucid waters and lush mountains" due to backward infrastructure and a dirty and messy living environment. Villager Wang Guoqin (王国芹) recalled that every twelfth lunar month, the village was a mess: streams were blocked, garbage floated, roads were potholed and muddy, debris was piled up randomly, and open-air dry toilets were frozen and difficult to use.
The turning point began with the emphasis on the word "ecology." Since 2016, the village has clarified the path of "three reforms and four modernizations" to rectify the rural environment.
Initially, many villagers did not understand: "We have lived like this for generations, why bother?"
Wang Changfa (王长发), the then secretary of the village Party branch, took the lead and knocked on the doors of the masses time and time again, sitting on the kang to chat about everyday life and calculate long-term accounts: "What we are changing is not just the environment, but also for future generations. If it is rectified well, when the children return to their hometown for the New Year, they will feel so comfortable seeing a clean and tidy environment!" Sincerity was exchanged for sincerity, and the villagers gradually supported and actively participated.
Renovating toilets, cleaning up garbage, building sewage treatment stations... As one measure after another was implemented, "dirty, messy, and poor" quietly transformed into "clean and beautiful." Today, the village's sewage collection and treatment rate has reached 95%, garbage is produced and cleared daily, and two tourist toilets are clean and bright. The former sewage ditch has become a clear and winding leisure stream.
Relying on its ecological advantages, Ta Qian Village (塔前村) encourages villagers to repair old houses and operate characteristic farmhouses. Young people who have worked outside for many years have returned one after another. "In the past, the village could not retain people. Now, more and more tourists are coming. Opening a farmhouse can both take care of the family and make money, which is better than being outside!" said Wang Yanli (王彦利), a young man who returned to his hometown.
At present, there are 13 farmhouses in the village, and rural tourism is booming, driving villagers to find employment nearby. In 2025, the per capita income of villagers in the whole village will exceed 22,000 yuan.
Reporter's Notes
In 10 years, from "dirty, messy, and poor" to "clean and beautiful," villager Wang Guoqin (王国芹) felt the awakening of a village from the inside out and from the surface to the inside.
The picture scroll of rural revitalization often starts with this most simple and concrete "comfort." When the secretary of the village Party branch "settles the accounts clearly" with the villagers on the kang, what is opened is not only an environmental governance project, but also the possibility of reconnecting people's hearts with their homeland. Ecological rectification, on the surface, is cleaning up garbage and treating sewage, but inside it is a reshaping of hope and the future.
The mountain is still that mountain, and the water is still that water, but the "spirit" of the village is different. The story of Ta Qian Village (塔前村) tells us that the most beautiful scenery is the scenery of people and their homes living together in harmony and prosperity.
Shao Yang Village (韶阳村), Shaoshan City (韶山市), Xiangtan City (湘潭市), Hunan (湖南) --
Urban and Rural Integration, Life is Flavorful
By Our Reporter Shen Zhilin (申智林)
In the fertile fields of Shao Yang Village (韶阳村), Shaoshan Township (韶山乡), Shaoshan City (韶山市), Xiangtan City (湘潭市), Hunan (湖南), there are more than a dozen beautiful houses dotted around. Chen Jie (陈杰), a villager who runs a farmhouse, is busy cooking in the kitchen, preparing for the diners who have come from afar during the Spring Festival.
More than 10 years ago, Shao Yang Village (韶阳村) was still a remote village with closed transportation, and it took more than an hour to detour to the city. Now, it takes only more than 20 minutes for tourists to drive from Shaoshan City (韶山市). Connecting the city and the countryside is a Shaoshan City (韶山市) ring road that runs through the village.
"In order to protect the ecology of the scenic spot, the village has banned logging and mining." Gu Youlan (辜幼兰), secretary of the Party Committee of Shao Yang Village (韶阳村), said, "The village's development path relies on conserving natural landscapes and making the agricultural product articles alive."
"Looking at the beautiful mountains and rivers, eating the local flavor, most diners are reluctant to leave the delicious farmhouse taste when they leave." Chen Jie (陈杰) turned preserved meat and farmhouse pickled vegetables into easy-to-carry commodities and quickly opened up sales channels. To meet customer needs, his family opened a store in Shaoshan City (韶山市), one in charge of front-end sales and one in charge of back-end production.
In Shao Yang Village (韶阳村), Chen Jie (陈杰) is not the only one who implements this urban-rural "front store and back production" model. He Shuang (贺双), a young man who returned to his hometown, has been running back and forth between the city and the village almost every day before the New Year. Relying on the high-end rice planted on nearly 300 mu of transferred land and the chrysanthemum industry contracted by the village collective, he opened a smart agriculture exhibition store in Shaoshan City (韶山市).
The small packaged chrysanthemum tea souvenirs and "Yu Zhen Xiang" rice in the store are very popular among citizens and tourists. "A good ecology is the best 'gold lettered signboard' for products." He Shuang (贺双) is very confident.
Reporter's Notes
To promote the rational flow and sharing of urban and rural resources, it is necessary for the countryside to practice its "internal skills" to lay the foundation, and the city also needs to strengthen empowerment and provide more assistance. Shao Yang Village (韶阳村) has adhered to the ecological background for many years, laying a solid foundation for the green industry; the integrated construction of urban and rural infrastructure has continued to advance, and the road transportation connecting urban and rural areas has further broken down the shortcomings restricting rural development, adding vitality to the development of agricultural, cultural, and tourism industries.
The deep integration of urban and rural areas allows villagers to enjoy the beautiful ecology of the countryside and touch the surging development pulse of the city. The economic pattern of mutual promotion between industry and agriculture and mutual complementation between urban and rural areas, and the high-quality and balanced public services of urban and rural integration, allow rural people to return and stay, truly meeting the needs of rural revitalization for talents, resources and other elements.
Da Baozi Village (大堡子村), Dawa District (大洼区), Panjin City (盘锦市), Liaoning (辽宁) --
Former Saline-Alkali Land, Today's Granary
By Our Reporter Hu Jingyi (胡婧怡)
In Da Baozi Village (大堡子村), Tianjia Street (田家街道), Dawa District (大洼区), Panjin City (盘锦市), Liaoning (辽宁), every household has posted red Spring Festival couplets.
Walking into the home of grain grower Shen Guangying (沈广英), the room is warm and cozy. On the stove, the shiny rice is fragrant throughout the house. Shen Guangying (沈广英) is calculating the harvest of the year: "Last year, I planted more than 100 mu of rice, of which 90 mu of rice fields also raised river crabs. After a year, the net income exceeded 100,000 yuan!"
In Da Baozi Village (大堡子村), 8,000 mu of the 8,500 mu of rice fields have adopted the "rice-crab symbiosis" three-dimensional ecological planting and breeding model. Raising river crabs under the rice fields, the river crabs feed on pests and weeds in the water, which can reduce the use of pesticides, and the feces and residual bait of the river crabs are organic fertilizers for rice. Through the ecological cycle of rice protecting crabs, crabs eating insects and bait, and crab feces fertilizing the fields, the goal of one water for two uses and multiple harvests in one field is achieved.
"With river crabs in the fields, it is necessary to use biodegradable pesticides with biological agents, and apply fertilizer in small batches and in small amounts. The requirements for field management are more refined." Shen Guangying (沈广英) said with a smile, "We farmers also talk about science."
Panjin (盘锦) is located at the mouth of the Liaohe River (辽河) and the soil is severely salinized. Dawa District (大洼区) has built a collaborative governance system of "technology-industrial ecology," and through the integration of scientific research resources, it has carried out targeted research and development on saline-alkali land improvement.
Before the New Year, Shen Guangying (沈广英) had already prepared seedlings. "In the past two or three years, experts from the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences have come to my fields to take soil samples every year, and give us the soil analysis report before sowing in the spring. There is more potassium and less nitrogen in the fields, so we need to apply more nitrogen fertilizer and organic fertilizer when fertilizing." Shen Guangying (沈广英) said.
"Villagers' awareness of ecological planting and breeding is getting stronger and stronger, agricultural non-point source pollution has been greatly reduced, and saline-alkali land has become a granary." Guo Meichen (郭美辰), secretary of the Party Branch of Da Baozi Village (大堡子村), said proudly that the annual output value of alkaline tomato in Da Baozi Village (大堡子村) reached 17.5 million yuan, the total output value of rice and crab agriculture reached 21.8 million yuan, and the per capita annual income of villagers reached 36,000 yuan.
Reporter's Notes
Da Baozi Village (大堡子村) is a microcosm of the construction of beautiful villages in Dawa District (大洼区), Panjin City (盘锦市). Facing the problem of ecological environment vulnerability restricting the development of rural industries, Dawa District (大洼区) has explored a rural revitalization road of ecological restoration empowering grain production and industrial integration driving farmers' income increase, realizing the organic unity of ecological beauty, industrial prosperity, and people's wealth.
Saline-alkali land has been transformed into a granary, and the key to transforming ecological resources into development advantages lies in the change of ideas and technological empowerment. The "rice-crab symbiosis" replaces the traditional "big water and big fertilizer" model of rice planting. Shen Guangying's (沈广英) sentence "talk about science" is the common result of government policy guidance, expert scientific guidance, and demonstration by industrial leaders.
Linjia Area (林家片区), Nan'an Village (南岸村), Suijiang County (绥江县), Zhaotong City (昭通市), Yunnan (云南) --
Mountains and Rivers Nourish the Village, Beauty is Guarded Together
By Our Reporter Zhang Chi (张驰)
"Several families came to the village for reunion dinners this year, and we can promote the characteristics of 'Nine Big Bowls' and earthen hot pot." On the eve of the Spring Festival, walking into the Linjia Area (林家片区) of Nan'an Village (南岸村), Nan'an Town (南岸镇), Suijiang County (绥江县), Zhaotong City (昭通市), Yunnan (云南), Song Ping (宋萍), who used to farm and take care of children at home, is now the manager of a tourism company.
Linjiaba (林家坝) faces the river and backs on the mountain, forming a unique landscape of "high gorges and flat lakes" due to the water storage of the Xiangjiaba (向家坝) and Xiluodu (溪洛渡) hydropower stations.
"The good ecology and beautiful village are the attraction of Linjiaba (林家坝)." Song Ping (宋萍) said. In 2025, the Linjia Area (林家片区) will achieve a comprehensive tourism income of more than 500,000 yuan, and the per capita net income of villagers will exceed 16,000 yuan.
However, a few years ago, the people of Linjiaba (林家坝), who were guarding the green waters and green mountains, had never been able to transform their ecological advantages into development advantages.
"The mountains are steep and the fields are small, and transportation is inconvenient. Before the road was built in 2016, villagers had to take a boat across the river to get to the city, detouring through Xinshi Town (新市镇), Pingshan County (屏山县), Yibin City (宜宾市), Sichuan (四川)." Zhong Deshu (钟德述), secretary of the General Party Branch of Nan'an Village (南岸村), recalled that at that time, laborers went out to work one after another, leaving the elderly, women and children to guard their homes. Villagers were used to piling firewood at the door of their houses and on the side of the road, and when there was too much garbage, they would find an open space to burn it.
In 2021, Yunnan (云南) learned from the experience of the "Thousands of Villages Demonstration Project" (千万工程), and the Linjia Area (林家片区) was included in the beautiful village construction project. In order to avoid "a thousand villages with one face," Nan'an Town (南岸镇) invested more than 6 million yuan to coordinate the transformation of housing styles and features, built "small three-grid" and "large three-grid" sewage collection facilities, and also equipped each household with garbage cans and established a garbage collection system.
The improving ecology has attracted tourists, and the villagers' motivation to protect the ecology has become stronger and stronger. "No one wants tourists who come from afar to see a dirty village." Song Ping (宋萍) remembers that at the beginning of the development of tourism, some people in the village could not change their old habits. With the improvement of the concept of ecological protection, everyone not only takes the initiative to clean the courtyard every day, but also actively participates in the collective cleaning activities of the village group.
(Luo Hong (罗洪) participated in the writing)
Reporter's Notes
The beauty of the mountains and rivers allows villagers to hold the "golden rice bowl" of harvesting happiness; the change of concepts makes guarding the "main theme" of the people of Linjiaba (林家坝).
In the past, the Linjia Area (林家片区) had the locational advantage of being close to the shore and water, but lacked the ideas and motivation to transform and utilize it. After the relocation of the entire county of Suijiang County (绥江县) and the beautiful rural construction project were implemented, the Linjia Area (林家片区) was led and coordinated by the village Party branch, and farmers invested in cooperation with resources such as houses, land, and labor, developed a characteristic fruit industry, enriched cultural tourism experiences, attracted more and more tourists, and guided everyone to form a good atmosphere of "everyone loves ecology and everyone benefits from ecology." The road taken by the Linjia Area (林家片区) shows that infrastructure construction is only the beginning of a beautiful village. To solve the problems of rural construction and development in mountainous areas, the focus is on protection measures tailored to local conditions and stimulating the endogenous motivation of villagers.
Shiya Village (石垭村), Bishan District (璧山区), Chongqing (重庆) --
Dressing Up the Ecological Village, Spending a Refreshing New Year
By Our Reporter Shen Jingran (沈靖然)
Walking into the courtyard of Wang Dalun (王大伦), a villager in Shiya Village (石垭村), Dingjia Street (丁家街道), Bishan District (璧山区), Chongqing (重庆), several big red lanterns set off a strong New Year's flavor. Wang Dalun (王大伦) is holding a pot of freshly cooked local chicken soup to greet guests.
"In the past, the Shamping Pond (山坪塘) at the entrance of the village was simply our 'heart disease.'" Wang Dalun (王大伦) said that at that time, chickens, ducks and geese were raised everywhere in the village, and hundreds of poultry drilled into the pond, and the feces were discharged directly into it. The domestic sewage from each household also flowed into it along the earthen ditch, and the stench was overwhelming.
The change started in 2024 when Shiya Village (石垭村) started to build a "zero direct discharge village."
"Treating sewage cannot only rely on 'blocking,' but must let the ecosystem 'live' itself." Zhao Xuanliang (赵选亮), deputy director of the Bishan District (璧山区) Ecology and Environment Bureau, said that in the transformation and construction, Shiya Village (石垭村) cleared the black and odorous water bodies of Shamping Pond (山坪塘) while precisely designing a plan for each household: building more than 100 three-grid septic tanks and more than 60 oil-separating and sand-settling wells to collect all kitchen and bathroom sewage into the pipe network. The sewage is not only zero direct discharge, but can also be reused.
Many villagers have a carefully managed vegetable garden or orchard in front of and behind their houses. "The sewage is treated by the septic tank and becomes fertilizer, which is just right for watering the land." Zhong Xue (钟雪), secretary of the General Party Branch of Shiya Village (石垭村), introduced that this not only solves the problem of sewage discharge, but also allows the land to "eat" nutrients, and the regulatory function of the rural ecology is restored in the cycle.
With the change of environment, the confidence in life is also sufficient.
Wang Dalun (王大伦) is a large-scale breeder in the village. In the past, he did not dare to expand the scale because he was afraid of pollution. Now, all the free-range chickens and ducks in the village have been changed to standardized captive breeding, and the manure is harmlessly treated to meet ecological standards. Today, his family's annual output of poultry has reached 50,000.
Wang Dalun (王大伦) is a major breeder in the village. In the past, he didn't dare to expand his scale because he was afraid of pollution. Now, all free-range chickens and ducks in the village have been converted to standardized enclosure breeding, and manure is treated harmlessly to meet ecological standards. Today, his family's annual poultry production reaches 50,000.
The ecological background has attracted people who have been working outside. Ye Xiaojin (叶小金), an old resident of Dingjia (丁家) Street, had been doing business outside. At the end of last year, he returned to the village and saw that the black and smelly water had become a landscape pond, with a walkway built along the bank, and he could hear birds chirping from time to time. He was attracted to the refreshing energy here and decisively returned to his hometown to invest in a B&B. "The environment is a golden sign, and guests are willing to come here to find nostalgia."
Reporter's Note
When interviewing Shiya Village (石垭村), the most impressive thing was not the beautiful infrastructure, but the villagers' new interpretation of "**肥水不流外人田**" (féi shuǐ bù liú wài rén tián - "fertile water does not flow to other people's fields," benefits should not go to outsiders; resources should be kept within the family/community).
In the past, we used to regard rural sewage treatment as a simple "sewage discharge." But in Shiya Village (石垭村), "fertile water" is utilized. The countryside itself is a huge ecological purifier, and the land, orchards, and vegetable fields all have natural digestion capabilities.
The success of the Shiya Village (石垭村) ecological model lies in understanding the "digestive power" of the land, not only meeting environmental protection standards in terms of hardware, but also allowing ecological functions to return to daily life through the "resource utilization in front of and behind houses" model. Adapting to nature and adapting measures to local conditions is the solid foundation of rural revitalization.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 宋朝军
In May 2025, the Shichuan Ancient Pear Garden System in Gaolan, Lanzhou, Gansu was recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Another brand-new "world-class name card" has been added to the banks of the Yellow River.
Behind this name card lies the agricultural wisdom that has continued for thousands of years—it is embodied in the natural stewardship of the ten-thousand-acre ancient pear garden; it is embodied in the unyielding resilience of the Yangko (秧歌) folk dance and Ga腔 opera that was reborn after the disaster; it is embodied in the "one clear, two white" (一清二白) Lanzhou beef noodles, reflecting the tradition of adapting to local conditions. The atmosphere of the Chinese New Year here not only comforts nostalgia but also reflects the atmosphere of development.
In this issue, we start from the perspective of "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" and go to Lanzhou (兰州), on the banks of the Yellow River, to experience an ancient and vibrant Chinese New Year.
——Editor
New Year Drumbeats
Awaken Ten Thousand Acres of Pear Orchard
In the ten-thousand-acre ancient pear orchard in Gaolan County (皋兰县), Lanzhou (兰州), the branches of the pear trees are slender and stretch towards the sky, like a light ink sketch. Nearly 9,500 pear trees over a century old stand here, some even over 300 years old, forming a globally rare large-scale living ancient tree community. After the autumn harvest and winter storage, the pruned branches are silently nurturing flower buds, accumulating strength for the arrival of spring.
The village is in the pear orchard, and the home is also in the pear orchard. Fruit farmer Wei Shengheng (魏生恒) has lived here for more than 50 years.
The Yellow River flows through Shichuan (什川), scouring and forming a river valley basin. The average altitude here is 1540 meters, the temperature difference between day and night is large, the water source is abundant, the alluvial soil is fertile, and the Yellow River water vapor supplies it, becoming the "ecological gene" for the longevity of ancient pear trees and the high quality of fruits.
After the Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Garden System was recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, Wei Shengheng (魏生恒) worked even harder, and this New Year was especially festive: "We have grown together with the pear trees. The ancient trees are old, and the pears they bear are sweet and delicious. This precious traditional skill must be passed on."
The traditional skill that Wei Shengheng (魏生恒) mentioned is the "Tian Ba Shi" (天把式) with a history of more than 300 years—a traditional high-altitude operation skill specially used for managing tall ancient pear trees, and also an important reason why the ancient pear orchard was selected as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.
High-altitude pollination in spring, hanging branches to protect fruits in summer, harvesting and storing in autumn, and pruning in winter... As low as five or six meters and as high as ten meters, farmers need to use ladders to skillfully "drill into" the huge canopy for operation.
Around the Spring Festival, it is a good time to prune fruit tree branches. "We must prune all the branches before the spring sprouts to ensure that the ancient pear trees bloom like snow and the orchard is full of fruit fragrance in the coming year," said Wei Shengheng (魏生恒). Over the centuries, two major varieties, Ruan'er Pear (软儿梨) and Dongguo Pear (冬果梨), have formed in the ancient pear orchard. "Tian Ba Shi" (天把式) has also formed different techniques for their different characteristics. "The branches of the Ruan'er Pear (软儿梨) tree are short, so when pruning, we must remove the old and keep the new to ensure the quality of the fruit. The branches of the Dongguo Pear (冬果梨) tree are long, but we can only prune them lightly, and only thin out the dense areas. We cannot make too big of a movement," Wei Shengheng (魏生恒) introduced.
As time goes by, the power to protect the ancient pear orchard is increasing. In recent years, Lanzhou (兰州) has promulgated the "Lanzhou Shichuan Ancient Pear Tree Protection Regulations" (《兰州市什川古梨树保护条例》) and implemented "one tree, one file" digital management. In 2025, the pears from the ancient pear orchard were sold to many provinces, and thousands of children from Beijing (北京), Taiwan (台湾), and Gansu (甘肃) and other places came here to study. Looking forward to the Year of the Horse, Wei Shengheng (魏生恒) is full of hope: "We must protect this land and let the ancient pear orchard rejuvenate with more vitality!"
Festive Yangko
Singing a New Year in the Mountain Village
Under the warm sunshine, Shangzhuang Village (上庄村), Mapo Township (马坡乡), Yuzhong County (榆中县), Lanzhou (兰州), at the foot of Ma'anshan Mountain (马啣山), is awakened by a clear Yangko (秧歌) singing voice.
The Spring Festival is the most lively time of the year, and this year's Spring Festival is even more special—the people who were affected by the mountain flood in August 2025 have all moved into new homes. The newly paved asphalt road is flat and wide, the newly planned houses are neatly arranged, and the big red lanterns and Spring Festival couplets on the lintels of every household complement each other. Nearly 200 villagers form the Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) team, rehearsing in an orderly manner, preparing for the first Spring Festival performance after moving.
Ding Shuxue (丁述学), the inheritor of Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌), scans the team, occasionally stepping forward to correct the arc of the dance fan or demonstrate the charm of a singing phrase. He instructs meticulously, and the villagers practice seriously.
Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) is a Gansu Province (甘肃省) intangible cultural heritage protection project, mainly popular in the towns and villages in the southern mountainous area of Yuzhong County (榆中县), involving more than 80 natural villages and more than 40,000 people. As an inheritor, 75-year-old Ding Shuxue (丁述学) was born in Shangzhuang Village (上庄村) and grew up in Shangzhuang Village (上庄村). Every New Year, what he looks forward to most is the sound of Yangko (秧歌).
When he was in his teens, Ding Shuxue (丁述学) followed the Yangko (秧歌) team to sing and dance; after starting work, he began to systematically collect, sort out, research and analyze Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌), which has been more than 40 years. In recent years, he has also compiled "A Brief Account of Ma'anshan Yangko" (《马啣山秧歌述略》), which has become the first monograph in the local area to systematically introduce Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌).
In Gansu (甘肃), Shehuo (社火) performances represented by Yangko (秧歌) are essential programs for welcoming the New Year during the Spring Festival. Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) is composed of performance projects such as the honor guard team, the Spring Official team, the lion team, the Yamen servant team, the Taiping drum band, and the girl's painted boat team. It has a complete organizational system and performance form, and many contents are "unique secrets."
In Ding Shuxue's (丁述学) view, "singing from beginning to end" is one of the most distinctive features of Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌). "Many places only have performances and musical instrument performances in Shehuo (社火), while Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) has singing throughout the whole process. The lyrics and tunes are derived from long-term farming life and are full of local flavor," said Ding Shuxue (丁述学).
In addition to the festive singing, the Green Lion Dance is also a highlight of Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌). Lion dance is not uncommon in Shehuo (社火) performances, but the lion dance in Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) is very different. Unlike most places where the lion is red and yellow, here it is a green lion. The main color, green, is taken from the green mountains and green waters of Longzhong (陇中), and the vermilion that adorns the jaw symbolizes auspiciousness, and the gold that depicts auspicious cloud fire patterns symbolizes abundance.
"Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) is like crops, taking root and sprouting from this land," said Ding Shuxue (丁述学). In order to dance with a majestic momentum, a set of lion costumes weighs at least 50 pounds, which is far more than the lion costumes of more than ten pounds in many Shehuo (社火), which puts higher demands on the performers.
In order to pass on this skill, in 2019, under the leadership of the County Cultural Center, Shangzhuang Village (上庄村) established the "Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) Inheritance Center", and Ding Shuxue (丁述学) became the "backbone teacher" here. Up to now, he has trained more than 500 students.
What makes Ding Shuxue (丁述学) even more delighted is that the cultural elements of Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) are moving out of the Spring Festival and into the lives of young people. In 2025, the Yuzhong County Party Committee Propaganda Department (榆中县委宣传部) took the lead in developing and designing themed cultural and creative products based on the prototype of the green lion, condensing the huge lion into a 12 cm high desktop ornament. The small and exquisite cultural and creative products have transformed Ma'anshan Yangko (马啣山秧歌) from a festival performance into a tangible cultural symbol.
A Bowl of Lanzhou Noodles
Comforting the Homesickness of Travelers
"The first meal when returning home for the Spring Festival is a bowl of beef noodles." In the Deyuan Pure Soup Beef Noodles Restaurant (德元纯汤牛肉拉面馆) in Xigu District (西固区), Lanzhou (兰州), a customer with a full Lanzhou (兰州) accent is happily ordering food. In the front hall, a long queue has already formed at the cashier, and many people come to eat noodles first after getting off the bus with their suitcases and backpacks. More than 100 seats are full and lively.
In the back kitchen, steam is tumbling like a sea of clouds. Apprentice Ma Min (马敏) is standing at the table, busy with concentration: pinching off a piece of dough that has been proofed, stretching it, folding it in half, and then stretching it again... Between the rise and fall of his arms, the movements are meticulous.
Ma Min (马敏), 36 years old this year, is a native of Lanzhou (兰州) and has loved eating beef noodles since he was a child. In recent years, Lanzhou (兰州) beef noodles have formed an industry locally and are developing rapidly. On the north and south banks of the Yellow River in Lanzhou (兰州), more than 1,200 beef noodle shops are scattered. More than 69,900 Lanzhou (兰州) beef noodle shops are located throughout the country, directly absorbing more than 707,000 jobs and indirectly driving more than 1 million jobs.
"It was precisely because I saw the development prospects of the noodle industry that I decided to join it," said Ma Min (马敏). At the end of 2024, after many inspections, he joined the Deyuan Pure Soup Beef Noodles Restaurant (德元纯汤牛肉拉面馆) and began his professional studies. In the past year or so, he has systematically learned the entire process of making noodles, kneading noodles, pulling noodles, scooping noodles, cooking soup, and seasoning soup with his master, gradually figuring out the tricks and deeply understanding the difficulty of this craft.
What makes a bowl of Lanzhou (兰州) beef noodles authentic? Ma Min (马敏) always remembers the "identity card" of the noodles—"one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow" (一清二白三红四绿五黄): clear soup, white radish, red chili, green garlic sprouts and coriander, and yellow and bright noodles. There are many choices of noodle shapes, such as maoxi (毛细), fine noodles (细面), erxi (二细), jiuye (韭叶), and dakuan (大宽), to meet the tastes of different diners.
To serve a qualified bowl of Lanzhou (兰州) beef noodles, no carelessness is allowed in any link from kneading the dough to seasoning the soup. Take the soup seasoning master who directly faces customers as an example. During the morning and noon peak periods, dozens of people may suddenly pour into a small noodle restaurant. After each person pays, they tell the soup seasoning master the amount of noodles, the shape of the noodles, and the taste of chili and garlic sprouts they need with their ticket. A soup seasoning master must remember the needs of up to 20 people in order and tell the back kitchen. After the noodles are cooked, the soup base is seasoned according to the customer's needs. "Our family uses pure soup, and directly cooks meat, radish, etc. into the soup. The strength and height of the hand when scooping are required to ensure that the meat is moderately fat and lean, and the radish is soft and glutinous," said Ma Min (马敏).
Other links are equally meticulous and strict. The back kitchen starts to get busy at 5 a.m. every day—when kneading the dough, the water temperature should be changed according to the winter and summer; when kneading the dough, pay attention to "kneading ninety-nine and eighty-one times" to hear the popping sound of air squeezing in the dough; when pulling the noodles, the strength and angle of each stretch and pull are exquisite, and you must also master the technique of retracting and releasing your wrists in continuous exploration... "To make a bowl of steaming beef noodles, you need to stay focused and constantly improve your skills," said Ma Min (马敏).
What makes Ma Min (马敏) feel more at ease is that in recent years, the province and city have successively issued a number of policy documents to clarify the development path of the beef noodle industry and human resource support and guarantee measures to ensure the high-quality development of the industry. This New Year, in the rising steam and rich aroma of noodles, he is full of confidence in his future career path.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 窦 皓
In the early morning, Deqing County (德清县), Huzhou (湖州), Zhejiang (浙江) Province. Walking into the Xiaoshan Yang (小山漾) Freshwater Pearl Ecological Breeding Base, the white buoys on the water surface are connected in lines, like a "pearl necklace." The "Freshwater Pearl Composite Breeding System" here was selected as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in 2025.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, Shen Zhirong (沈志荣), in his twilight years, is still leading the pearl farmers to work in the breeding base. "The mussels need to 'celebrate the New Year,' so the water must be warm." He steps into the pond water, which is above his ankles, teaching young people to check the growth of overwintering mussels. The scale of the water thermometer in his hand stops at 18 degrees Celsius—this is the "golden temperature for overwintering pearls" that he has explored for half his life.
Pearls symbolize warmth, perfection, and perseverance, which fit the theme of family reunion during the Spring Festival and carry people's beautiful expectations for happiness, health, and good luck in the new year. During the New Year, when he meets relatives and friends, Shen Zhirong (沈志荣) always likes to bring a pearl bracelet he designed himself as a token of his affection.
"Deqing (德清) achieved artificial cultivation of freshwater pearls as early as the Southern Song Dynasty." Speaking of this nearly thousand-year-old tradition, Shen Zhirong's (沈志荣) tone is full of pride.
The Deqing (德清) Freshwater Pearl Composite Breeding System takes the attached-shell pearl farming technology originating locally as the key, covering rich aquatic biological resources such as mussels, fish, zooplankton, benthic animals, and aquatic plants. The secret lies in the mutually beneficial symbiosis between fish and mussels based on natural laws: fish eat aquatic plants, mussels filter turbid water, and the excrement of both can nourish the pond mud, ultimately forming an ecological cycle of "double harvest in one pond."
"Good pearls are cultivated, but even more so, they are 'calculated'!" Shen Zhirong (沈志荣) said that the germplasm resource bank he has promoted and established over the years uses gene technology to screen high-quality mussel species, allowing ancient techniques to be rejuvenated in the digital age.
Nowadays, more modern methods have also been integrated into the entire process of pearl farming. In fisherman Zhang Guoyong's (张国勇) 2,000-mu breeding pond, the AI system can dynamically regulate the density of fish schools, underwater sensors monitor dissolved oxygen in real time, and the water body recycling rate is increased by 40%. "Fish and mussel three-dimensional ecological breeding not only generates income from pearls, but also from fish farming," said Zhang Guoyong (张国勇).
In Deqing (德清), "opening mussels to retrieve pearls" is a nearly thousand-year-old New Year custom for pearl farmers. In the old days, before the Spring Festival, every household would sit around the pond to open mussels. The moment the mussel shell was opened symbolized "nurturing brilliance and welcoming good fortune."
Today, this tradition has new vitality in the new era. Intangible cultural heritage inheritors demonstrate "cutting open mussels to retrieve pearls," young people take selfies wearing pearl mother-of-pearl zodiac pendants, and some people hold newly extracted pink pearls ready to string them into bracelets to give to relatives and friends... In the local pearl cultural and creative shops, these objects carrying traditional culture are becoming increasingly popular among young people.
"Culture is not locked in a museum, but should live in the present," said Shen Zhirong (沈志荣). From the prototype of artificial pearl cultivation in the Southern Song Dynasty to the current industrial chain integrating "production, learning, research, and tourism" with an annual output value of over 7 billion yuan, Deqing (德清) pearls are integrating into modern life with a fresh attitude.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 罗阳奇
In the New Year's goods of Tongling (铜陵) people in Anhui (安徽), a "spicy" flavor is often indispensable, and that is Tongling White Ginger (铜陵白姜). Salted, sauced, sweet and sour... every Spring Festival, all kinds of flavored white ginger appear on the tables of Tongling (铜陵) people.
Compared with ordinary ginger, Tongling White Ginger (铜陵白姜) contains less fiber and is crispy and juicy in the mouth. "Three slices of ginger a day are better than drinking ginseng soup." Eating ginger during the New Year has also become a unique sense of ritual for Tongling (铜陵) people.
For this crispness, the Spring Festival has also become a busy time for Sheng Yiwu (盛义武), a villager in Wufeng Village (五峰村), Tianmen Town (天门镇), Tongling City (铜陵市).
Every winter, before dawn, Sheng Yiwu (盛义武) gets up early and goes straight to the century-old ginger loft in his home. Adding firewood and gathering fire, the orange-red fire instantly illuminates the neatly arranged ginger seeds on the wooden frame. "This is the key to the wintering of Tongling White Ginger (铜陵白姜) ginger seeds," said Sheng Yiwu (盛义武).
The ginger loft is a wintering and sprouting hut tailored for white ginger by Tongling (铜陵) ginger farmers, and it is also the crystallization of agricultural wisdom passed down from generation to generation. White ginger likes warm and humid climates and has weak cold resistance. In order to ensure the smooth wintering of ginger seeds, local ginger farmers invented the ginger loft preservation and sprouting technology, sending the prepared ginger seeds to the ginger loft around the winter solstice and planting them in the soil again during the Qingming Festival.
From taking over the ginger loft at less than 20 years old to being nearly sixty years old now, Sheng Yiwu (盛义武) has guarded it by the fireworks for 40 years. The temperature requirements for seed preservation and sprouting are different. He has a precise scale in his heart for how much firewood to add and how strong the fire should be. The ginger loft needs to be fired twice in the morning and evening, which means that he cannot travel far in 5 months. His relatives are also very tacit, and they will take the initiative to visit his home every year to reunite, making the small courtyard the most lively place in the village.
For ginger farmers, the warm ginger loft breeds hope for the coming year.
As early as more than 2,000 years ago, white ginger planting appeared in Tongling (铜陵), a corner of the Jiangnan (江南) region. Behind this millennium of inheritance is the ginger farmers' awe of the land.
According to the growth habits of white ginger and the natural environment of Tongling (铜陵), local ginger farmers have explored a series of planting methods suitable for white ginger growth without destroying the ecological environment, such as multiple crop rotation and growing under棚遮阴. In 2023, the Tongling White Ginger (铜陵白姜) planting system was recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. "This unique sustainable development production method is the key to the selection of Tongling White Ginger (铜陵白姜), providing a successful case of sustainable small-scale agriculture that can be used for reference globally," said Li Xiande (李先德), a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (中国农业科学院).
Today, white ginger is not only a taste memory, but also a rich industry that drives rural development. At present, there are 95 ginger lofts in Tongling City (铜陵市), storing about 800 tons of ginger seeds. The local government has also created an industrial chain around white ginger, developing more than 80 kinds of products with an annual output value of 1 billion yuan. The benefits of planting white ginger are good, and more and more people are actively joining in, and Sheng Yiwu (盛义武) does not have to worry about the lack of successors to the skills.
In the flickering firelight, Sheng Yiwu (盛义武) stroked the wooden beams of the ginger loft and expressed his New Year's expectations: "After the Qingming Festival, the ginger loft will be renovated again, and the ginger seeds will live in a new house next year!" The story of the millennium-old white ginger is being continued with new chapters of inheritance in the perseverance and innovation of generations of Tongling (铜陵) people.
Return to TopLayout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 游 仪
Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) in Mordo Town (墨尔多镇), Danba County (丹巴县), Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘孜藏族自治州), Sichuan (四川), is known as the "Tibetan Village in the Clouds" and is the ancestral home of the Jiarong Tibetans. On October 17, 2025, the village was awarded the title of "Best Tourism Village" by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Tibetan villages built against the mountains, watchtowers towering into the clouds, bright and moving Tibetan costumes... From the construction techniques of Tibetan watchtowers to Jiarong embroidery, Kika Yi Village uses the "intangible cultural heritage + cultural tourism" integration model as a link to create a "living cultural museum," allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of traditional culture.
-- Editor
Excellent Ecology, Watchtowers Contain Ingenuity
In the early morning, tourists at the Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) viewing platform take out their mobile phones to take pictures. Traditional Tibetan villages are dotted around, hidden beneath snow-capped mountains and among colorful forests, embellishing a colorful picture.
From 1,700 meters to 5,000 meters, on the staggered altitude gradient of Kika Yi Village (基卡依村), nature uses a magical touch to paint a secret realm. "We are located in the transitional zone between the Hengduan Mountains (横断山脉) and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原), adjacent to the 'Giant Panda Habitat' (大熊猫栖息地), a world natural heritage site. Although the area is not large, it has nurtured many rare animals and plants such as forest musk deer, macaques, and Chinese yew," said Gerong (格绒), secretary of the Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) Party Branch. Good ecology is an inherent label of the village.
Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) is a living "textbook of ecological architecture." The Tibetan village is built of schist and yellow mud, integrated with the texture of the mountain, and the homes grow naturally from the mountains. Among the mountains, ancient watchtowers stand like pens and swords, shaped like pagodas, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top.
"According to the materials, high watchtowers can be divided into stone watchtowers, earth watchtowers, and earth-stone watchtowers; according to the shape, they can be divided into square watchtowers, pentagonal watchtowers, octagonal watchtowers, and tridecagonal watchtowers." In the eyes of Qimi Badan (其米巴丹), a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Tibetan watchtower construction techniques, each watchtower scattered in the village is a masterpiece of Jiarong Tibetan stone masonry skills.
During construction, stonemasons take materials locally, selecting, splitting, and polishing the collected stones, and then using the "staggered masonry method" to pile stones and build high watchtowers. Yellow mud is used to bond the stones, and "over-river stones" are embedded in key positions, making the watchtowers extremely strong, both earthquake-resistant and heat-insulating, standing firm through thousands of years of wind and rain.
Following the sound of knocking stones into the courtyard, under the warm winter sun, 76-year-old Qimi Badan (其米巴丹) is focused on arranging the stones. Having dealt with stones for more than 50 years, he relies only on a hammer with one round end and one wedge-like end, and a pair of mud-scooping boards made of cattle fan bones or wooden boards, to build solid watchtowers with natural stones and clay.
"There are more than 500 existing watchtowers in Danba (丹巴), the highest being more than 60 meters. Our village preserves 22 well-preserved ancient watchtowers and Tibetan-style dwellings, and has also been included in the World Heritage Tentative List." Pointing to the watchtower complex in the distance, Qimi Badan's (其米巴丹) words are full of pride.
"The unique Tibetan architecture is the key to being selected as a 'Best Tourism Village'." Du Juan (杜鹃), director of the Danba County (丹巴县) Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, said that the architecture of Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) is a fusion of Jiarong culture and natural geography, with the ancient watchtower complex as the core, and the stone and wood structure built against the mountain. The protection concept of "restoring the old as before, restoring the new as before" allows the millennium-old architectural texture to be well preserved, forming a unique integrated cultural landscape with the village, terraces, and canyons.
In ancient times, the function of watchtowers was mainly to watch and defend against enemies. Today, they have become places for tourists to visit and experience, and are used for cultural inheritance.
How can stones be used to build buildings? What is the function of watchtowers? How old are the ancient watchtowers? These are all questions that tourists are curious about, and Qimi Badan (其米巴丹) has also become a volunteer guide in the village, tirelessly repeating the answers.
Cultural Empowerment, Breaking the Dilemma of Homestay Development
The forest path winds and meanders, and as you climb along the stone steps and push open the mountain gate, Deji Chu's (德吉初) Deji Kangwa Homestay (德吉康瓦民宿) comes into view. Flat-roofed white walls, stone watchtowers, various flowers planted in the courtyard, and Mount Mordo (墨尔多山) can be seen when you look up. The exterior of the building maintains its original appearance, but the interior of the rooms has been renovated, the bathrooms have been upgraded, and the viewing windows have been enlarged. Tradition and modernity collide here to create a different kind of spark.
Deji Chu (德吉初), a graduate of medical school, is the first college student to return to Kika Yi Village (基卡依村). After returning, she opened this homestay. "Tourists can not only stay here, but also immerse themselves in experiencing various projects such as dancing Guozhuang dance and embroidery." For Deji Chu (德吉初), the old buildings have been reborn, which is inseparable from restoring the old as before and cultural empowerment.
"There are many tourists, and they need to eat and live, so I had the idea of starting a homestay. Gradually, more and more homestays were opened in the village. How to find the right characteristics and avoid vicious competition has become a top priority," said Deji Chu (德吉初). The houses in Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) are mostly stone-wood structures and Tibetan style, and her home is no exception. After more than half of the villagers engaged in tourism homestays, in order to stabilize the source of customers, Deji Chu (德吉初) combined intangible cultural heritage with homestays, creating a number of intangible cultural heritage experience projects, allowing tourists to obtain an in-depth experience of "living in scenery and culture."
Villager Erxi Qierong (二西且绒) also took a different approach. Her homestay not only retains the characteristics of the traditional Jiarong earth-wood-stone Tibetan houses, but also associates the names of the 13 guest rooms with 13 local folk tales, so that guests can read the corresponding stories when they check in.
As night falls, along the criss-crossing village roads, solar street lights light up one after another, illuminating the villagers' way home. In 2024, Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) connected with clean energy and installed 81 solar street lights, where ancient charm and modernity blend. "The county also installed solar water heaters for us for free. We use this to boil water and cook, which is energy-saving and environmentally friendly," said Erxi Qierong (二西且绒).
"With more tourists, there are naturally more homestays," Gerong (格绒) recalled. There was a time when competition was fierce and homogenization was serious.
How to break the situation? There must be regulations.
If they don't know how to operate, the local government organizes professional training, from making beds to placing toiletries, from serving dishes to the taste of dishes, and explains professional knowledge to the villagers little by little; if the management is not standardized enough, Danba (丹巴) establishes a homestay hotel association, and there are clear service standards for hygiene conditions, facility maintenance, and cultural services.
At present, Deji Kangwa Homestay (德吉康瓦民宿) has joined the association together with 47 homestays in the village. "There is also a homestay service supervision team! Through regular spot checks and tourist feedback, our service quality is supervised," said Deji Chu (德吉初). With the association, the operation is more standardized, and it is also conducive to ensuring the accommodation experience of tourists.
Four Seasons Linkage, Intangible Cultural Heritage Becomes Popular
In Kika Yi Village (基卡依村), living cultures such as Tibetan intangible cultural heritage embroidery and Guozhuang dance are also integrated into all aspects of the tourism experience.
In a Tibetan-style house, Doji Ongmu (多吉翁姆), an inheritor of Jiarong Tibetan embroidery intangible cultural heritage, is embroidering with flying needles. She picks up the thread, and the needle tip comes out from the pattern on the corner of the scarf. Before long, a peony jumps onto the scarf.
At the age of 9, Doji Ongmu (多吉翁姆) learned embroidery from her mother. "At first, I started with threading the needle. My mother gave me a small piece of cloth and drew simple patterns on it with a ballpoint pen, and I slowly embroidered according to it." Doji Ongmu (多吉翁姆) said that she is now very skilled in taking the needle, pulling the thread, knotting, and outlining... It only takes her four or five days to embroider a beautiful headscarf.
"Jiarong Tibetan embroidery is mostly used to decorate headscarves and aprons. The edges are bound with five-color threads, and the patterns are mainly flowers. The colors and styles are not fixed. Sometimes I go to the mountains to find flowers and plants to find inspiration and write them down." For the sake of embroidery, Doji Ongmu's (多吉翁姆) fingertips are full of scars. She has been very busy lately because there are many orders. "There are many people getting married around the Spring Festival, so we have to rush to make headscarves for the brides; everyone dances Guozhuang during the New Year, and young people will also come to customize special scarves."
Strolling through the village, there are intangible cultural heritage workshops, cultural and creative shops, and research bases. Every March, Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) also holds a pear blossom festival. Through Jiarong cultural experience, music feasts, intangible cultural heritage markets and other activities, it invites tourists from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful scenery of pear blossoms and taste the charm of culture together.
"'The Coming-of-Age Ceremony under the Pear Blossoms - Years of Tapestry', a segmented immersive song and dance drama, is very popular. The song and dance drama takes the coming-of-age ceremony of Danba (丹巴) women as the main line, and I sing the opening every year," said Gazha Wengchong (呷扎嗡冲), a provincial intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Dingmushan song. In addition to the loop line to enjoy the drama and scenery, the pear blossom festival also sets up multiple points such as food experience and folk customs interaction, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the Tibetan characteristic culture.
In the past, once winter came, the villagers of Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) became idle. "In winter, the grass and trees are withered and yellow. Even if there is plenty of sunshine, there are very few tourists. Most plateau Tibetan villages face such seasonal tourism dilemmas," Du Juan (杜鹃) admitted frankly.
"At present, we have created four-season theme activities of 'appreciating flowers in spring, enjoying coolness in summer, selecting beauty in autumn, and bathing in the sun in winter', extending the peak tourist season from spring and summer to the whole year, so that the villagers can make a living from tourism," Du Juan (杜鹃) introduced. In 2025, Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) received more than 400,000 tourists, and the comprehensive tourism income exceeded 440 million yuan.
After successfully applying for the "Best Tourism Village", the popularity of Kika Yi Village (基卡依村) has greatly increased, tourists come here admiringly, and characteristic homestays are even more popular. More and more young people are preparing to return to their hometowns and devote themselves to the cultural tourism industry. "Through the development model of 'village collective + homestay + farmers', about 90% of the villagers benefit from the tourism industry, realizing a dynamic balance between ecological protection and industrial development," said Gerong (格绒).
Today, this "intangible cultural heritage" Tibetan village under the snow-capped mountains is breaking the seasonal limitations and attracting visitors from all over the world with its unique charm, and is getting wider and wider on the road of cultural tourism integration.
Return to TopBy: 孟 扬
To date, 19 villages from 14 provinces in China have been selected for the "United Nations Best Tourism Villages" list, showcasing the tremendous changes in China's rural areas in the new era to the world.
Across the vast land of China, the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas is being steadily advanced, and rural tourism is booming. What makes these 19 villages stand out?
From plains to plateaus, from water towns to mountain villages, with different landforms, distinct cultures, and diverse development paths, the dedication to sustainable development allows the "best" villages to possess the same "qualities" – scenery with "roots," time with "emotion," management with "methods," and villagers with "hope."
Scenery is the "signboard" of tourism, and each of China's "best" is a benchmark for protecting mountains and rivers. They deeply understand that scenery is not a "bonsai," but a fertile ground for nurturing Chinese-style "nostalgia." Only when natural endowments become sustainable resources can they possess the core competitiveness for long-term development. Whether in the Dong village where songs are melodious and "rice-fish-duck" coexist harmoniously, or in the water towns where lakes and swamps crisscross and "stacked islands" are scattered, ecological awareness has been internalized into village rules and customs, and value identity. "Green mountains and clear waters" and "gold and silver mountains" have become an organic whole of facing mountains and rivers, two sides of one body. The "best" background color is the awe and protection of mountains, rivers, and nature.
"Using culture to shape tourism and tourism to highlight culture," cultural heritage is a distinct symbol of the "best." In the best tourism villages, life is also a landscape, and traditional festivals, folk skills, and historical memories are transformed into unique tourism experiences. Whether it is traditional folk customs or intangible cultural heritage workshops, being in them, people find not only scenery, but also the temperature of time and the belonging of the spirit. In this form of appreciation with culture as the soul and experience as the form, "first-time customers" become "repeat customers." Stepping out of the development rut of 富了口袋，丢了灵魂 (fù le kǒu dài, diū le líng hún - "rich pockets, lose the soul," gaining material wealth at the expense of spiritual well-being) and getting rid of the realistic problem of "a thousand villages with one face," the vitality of China's "best" is demonstrated in the continuous cultural inheritance.
Upgrading from "seeing the scenery" to "full experience" and extending from "one-day tours" to "all-season tours," China's "best" tells the butterfly transformation story of innovative development tailored to local conditions. In Jikayi Village (基卡依村) in Sichuan (四川), the ancient watchtowers are not only traditional patterns, but also "open source code" for dialogue with modern life. Having completed the connection with clean energy and intelligent management systems, the "cloud Tibetan village" has become a modern homestay with ancient charm. From a single agritainment to "agriculture + culture & tourism + cultural creation," the endowment of mountains and rivers has been transformed into the driving force for industrial innovation, and the extended industrial chain has enhanced the economic value and social benefits of rural tourism. The village has become an industrial community integrating production, life, ecology, and business. The vitality of the "best" is accumulated in exploration and breakthroughs.
"People" are an important variable in activating the countryside. The foundation of China's "best" lies in people's livelihood, and the vitality lies in the villagers. In Dongluo Village (东罗村) in Jiangsu (江苏), the innovative cooperation model of "local government + social capital + village collective" allows the main body of local culture – the villagers – to transform from being "viewers" to "subjects" participating in development. In Huanggang Village (黄岗村) in Guizhou (贵州), the traditional village compact system is integrated into the new era of governance, and the villagers' internal motivation to maintain their own culture is stimulated. Sharing benefits and sharing responsibilities, the results of tourism development truly benefit every villager, and the satisfaction of tourists and the happiness of villagers are improved simultaneously. The "best" confidence comes from the government, the market, and the villagers working together in the same direction.
Why is it the best? The answer is not just the static "beautiful scenery," but also the vivid "practice."
The 19 best tourism villages are solving the "code" of rural rise in effective innovative exploration, and interpreting the power of sustainable development with Chinese wisdom.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 江 南
If one were to select the most "modern" artifact in a museum, the Warring States Crystal Cup (战国水晶杯) (see picture), a treasure of the Hangzhou Museum (杭州博物馆), would certainly be on the list. It is trumpet-shaped, with a slightly flared mouth, straight, sloping walls, and an everted ring foot, resembling the glass cups commonly found in stores today. However, it is a product of more than 2,000 years ago and is the largest early crystal artifact unearthed in China to date, designated as a national first-class cultural relic.
This crystal cup was accidentally discovered in 1990 in Shitang Village (石塘村), Banshan Town (半山镇), Hangzhou (杭州). While clearing a tomb, archaeological experts caught a glimpse of reflected light in the soil layer. After carefully removing it, they discovered it was a crystal vessel. Its simple design immediately shocked everyone present. To verify its authenticity, the crystal cup was sent to Beijing (北京). After identification, combined with carbon-14 and thermoluminescence dating, it was confirmed to be a relic from the mid-to-late Warring States period, with a history of more than 2,000 years.
The craftsmanship of the crystal cup is even more astonishing. It is carved from a whole piece of natural crystal and is 15.4 centimeters high. Crystal has high hardness and brittleness. Under the technical conditions of the Warring States period, cutting, hollowing, and polishing were all extremely difficult processes. In particular, the smooth lines of the cup body and the smooth, unblemished surface further demonstrate the extraordinary ingenuity of the craftsman.
This crystal cup comes from Tomb No. 1 (一号墓) of the Warring States period in Banshan Shitang (半山石塘). The tomb is located in the hilly area of the northeastern suburbs of Hangzhou (杭州). During the Warring States period, it was close to a water system and was a residential area. This shows that about 500 years before Qiantang County (钱塘县) was established in the Qin Dynasty, Hangzhou (杭州) already had settlements, filling the gap between the decline of the Liangzhu Civilization (良渚文明) and the Qin Dynasty.
"Artifacts are silent, but one can see their soul." Although the specific origin of the crystal cup remains a mystery, some of the artifacts accompanying it in the tomb contain both Yue (越) elements and Chu (楚) cultural characteristics, confirming that in the mid-to-late Warring States period, the Chu culture from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River had a wide-ranging impact on the civilization of the Wu and Yue (吴越) regions. For example, most of the jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb were used for clothing, which is a characteristic of the Chu cultural circle that distinguishes it from the Zhou cultural circle. Through these artifacts and relics, we can see that the progress of civilization is never a linear extension of a single line, but rather the integration and coexistence of diverse cultural factors from different regions.
Today, the Warring States Crystal Cup (战国水晶杯) has long left the "boudoir" of the museum and is closely connected with the aesthetics of modern life through a series of creative transformations. In order to allow the public to better "understand" its story, the Hangzhou Museum (杭州博物馆) actively promotes the creative transformation of cultural relic resources, interpreting this national treasure in various forms such as exhibitions, videos, and cultural and creative products. The museum planned the exhibition "A Mountain in the City - The Historical Space of Wu Mountain (吴山), Hangzhou (杭州)", borrowing a set of Warring States bronze cups with similar shapes from the Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆) and displaying them side by side with the crystal cup, visually confirming the integration of Chu and Yue cultures in the mid-to-late Warring States period; at the same time, it cooperated with the media to shoot a special video, inviting the person who discovered the national treasure to "reveal" the entire process of its excavation to the public.
The museum has also launched cultural and creative products such as "Warring States Crystal Cup" (战国水晶杯) aromatherapy blind boxes and refrigerator magnets. Among them, the refrigerator magnet accurately replicates the outline and unique light amber color of the original cup. The back adopts a magnetic design, which combines aesthetics and practicality. It has been well received after its launch, allowing this top national treasure, which is prohibited from being exhibited abroad (境), to enter ordinary life in a friendly and exquisite way, becoming a portable Hangzhou (杭州) historical and cultural business card that can be shared with others.
Return to TopLayout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)
Return to TopThe third day of the Lunar New Year is filled with the spirit of the holiday.
As an ancient saying goes, "One produces two, two produces three, and three produces all things." "Three" signifies growth and continuation, from which all things are renewed. With this auspicious meaning, we present the special edition "Open a Book to Welcome Spring," inviting you to take advantage of the New Year to read a book, accumulate strength through reading, nourish your spiritual world, and start the new year with a rich and vibrant outlook.
-- Editor
Return to TopBy: 竺士杰
Opening "Xi Jinping (习近平) and Friends Among Frontline Workers," my heart is filled with emotion and honor.
What moves me is that this book records the warm and affectionate exchanges between General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) and frontline workers. Through vivid and authentic stories, we can understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) deep concern and earnest expectations for frontline workers: caring about their production safety, concerned about their skills development, and mindful of their well-being. The book features the striving figures of workers from all walks of life: technical craftsmen rooted in the front lines of production, deliverymen safeguarding the operation of the city, and innovative pioneers deeply involved in the power industry... Although they come from different positions, they share the same commitment—pursuing extraordinary achievements in ordinary positions and responding to the call of the times with hard work.
What honors me is that our story is included in Chapter 17. On March 29, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) braved the rain to visit the Chuanshan Port Area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港穿山港区), walked among us, and had a cordial conversation with everyone. After listening to our report, the General Secretary said, "Ports are fundamental and pivotal facilities supporting economic development, and you are a very hardcore commando force." After the inspection, the General Secretary instructed me to give full play to the role of model worker and bring out more model workers. I was both surprised and excited, and replied repeatedly, "I will definitely live up to your expectations and work hard!"
The earnest entrustment has become my spiritual compass, constantly reminding me of the responsibility on my shoulders. The operating lever of the port's bridge crane is connected to the country's logistics artery. To this end, I immersed myself in the terminal, worked tirelessly, practiced diligently during the day, deepened my theoretical knowledge at night, and continuously optimized the "Zhu Shijie (竺士杰) Bridge Crane Operation Method," overcoming technical difficulties step by step, just to improve the loading and unloading efficiency every minute and every second. I deeply know that personal progress is not true success. As the head of the bridge crane team, I took the lead in establishing a skills training group, imparting the experience and skills accumulated over the years; guiding hand-in-hand at the operation site and encouraging young people to innovate boldly. I also often share stories of role models, so that everyone believes: model workers are not out of reach, as long as there is day-to-day perseverance and refinement. Today, technical backbones are constantly emerging in the team, and the spirit of model workers is being passed on.
Looking back on my own growth path, from a novice bridge crane operator to today's National Model Worker, National Technical Expert, and annual figure of a great power craftsman, the deepest feeling along the way is "labor creates happiness, and skills achieve dreams." I have personally experienced the era when the status of industrial workers has been continuously improved and the space for development has been continuously broadened. In the past, some people said, "There is no future in being a worker," but now, "skills lead to success, and skills serve the country" has become the pursuit of more and more young people. All these changes are inseparable from the care and guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), and inseparable from the importance and cultivation of skilled talents by the Party and the state. These changes and this care can be found in the vivid footnotes in "Xi Jinping (习近平) and Friends Among Frontline Workers." Therefore, this book is not only a warm record but also a transmission of strength. It allows us to see that laborers have always been the creators of the times. To this end, I sincerely recommend it to you, hoping that you can also read resonance from it, draw strength, and write a stroke that lives up to the time in your own position with craftsmanship and hard work.
(The author is the head of the bridge crane team of Beisanji Company of Zhejiang Seaport Group (浙江省海港集团) and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group (宁波舟山港集团).)
Return to TopBy: 莫砺锋
Mr. Liu Xuekai's (刘学锴) "Selected Annotations and Appraisals of Tang Poetry" is a magnificent ten-volume work. On the back cover of each volume are printed three comments I wrote: "A selection of poems that 披沙拣金 (pī shā jiǎn jīn - "sifting sand to pick gold," carefully selecting the best from a large quantity), annotations and commentaries that draw widely from various sources, and unique and insightful appreciations." The title of this book is "Selected Annotations and Appraisals of Tang Poetry," which originally included four aspects: selection of poems, annotations, commentaries, and appreciations. My three comments did not mention the annotations because the poems selected in the book are all famous Tang poems that have been repeatedly annotated by predecessors, and the annotations are not solely Mr. Liu's own opinions.
First, let's talk about the appreciations. Each poem in this book has an independent chapter of appreciation articles, and the appreciation texts of some important works are written vividly and thoroughly. For example, the appreciation of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" is as long as 8 pages, and "The North March" is as long as 9 pages. I think Mr. Liu is a "Kuang Shuo Shi, Jie Ren Yi" (匡说诗，解人颐) poet-speaker. These appreciation texts are varied and written in different ways, making it difficult to make a general comment, so I won't say much about them.
Next, let's talk about the commentaries. The poems selected in the book are all famous works that have been passed down through the ages, and predecessors have made many commentaries. Mr. Liu has widely cited relevant materials and taken their essence. For example, for the "Eight Poems of Autumn Thoughts," the book cites more than 40,000 words of commentaries. However, Mr. Yeh Chia-ying (叶嘉莹) has written "Collected Interpretations of Du Fu's (杜甫) Eight Poems of Autumn Thoughts," which is 400,000 words long. Comparing the two, it can be seen that the book's effort to simplify complexity and 披沙拣金 (pī shā jiǎn jīn - "sifting sand to pick gold," carefully selecting the best from a large quantity) is extremely superb. With one volume in hand, readers can gain a 探骊得珠 (tàn lí dé zhū - "groping under the chin of the black dragon to get the pearl," to obtain valuable insights or information) understanding of the comments of critics of Tang poetry masterpieces throughout the ages.
Finally, let's talk about the selection of poems. The nature of this book is very similar to "Three Hundred Tang Poems," that is, the unity of literary orientation and reader orientation. "Three Hundred Tang Poems" does not have a strong academic nature. Its influence in the Tang poetry academic circle in the Qing Dynasty (清代) is far less than that of Wang Yuyang's (王渔洋) "Collection of Tang Sages' Samadhi." However, "Three Hundred Tang Poems" has been popular at home and abroad for two and a half centuries, while "Collection of Tang Sages' Samadhi," which has high academic value, is basically ignored. The purpose of compiling "Selected Annotations and Appraisals of Tang Poetry" is also to take into account both literary orientation and reader orientation. The selected Tang poems are all famous works with high literary value and are widely loved by readers. The book selects as many as 650 poems, and almost all of the most popular Tang poems are included. The selection of poems in this book also reflects a clear spirit of the times. "Three Hundred Tang Poems" was written during the Qianlong (乾隆) period of the Qing Dynasty. Due to the limitations of the times, it basically ignored famous works that reflected the suffering of the people. This book supplements Du Fu's (杜甫) "Three Officials and Three Farewells," Bai Juyi's (白居易) "The Charcoal Seller," "The Old Man with a Broken Arm from Xinfeng" (新丰折臂翁), etc. "Three Hundred Tang Poems" did not select a single poem by Li He (李贺), whose poetry style was not "gentle and honest" enough, while this book selects as many as 24 poems by Li He (李贺). All of this reflects the progress of the times. I believe that with the help of the national reading campaign, "Selected Annotations and Appraisals of Tang Poetry" will be welcomed by the majority of readers and become a classic contemporary selection of Tang poetry after "Three Hundred Tang Poems."
(The author is a senior professor of humanities and social sciences at Nanjing University (南京大学))
Return to TopBy: 王 赤
Reading "Journey to the Far Side of the Moon" has been a unique and profound experience for me. As the Deputy Chief Engineer of the Chang'e-4 (嫦娥四号) mission, I led the payload subsystem and scientific research work. The book's precise timelines down to the second, the judgment of unknown terrains, and the decisions made in the face of unexpected situations instantly pulled me back to the tense yet exciting Beijing Flight Control Center (北京飞控中心). But the value of this book goes far beyond evoking memories. Written by the front-line control team of the mission, it transforms humanity's first landing and exploration on the far side of the moon into a vivid and tangible technical epic and scientific adventure.
The most valuable aspect of the book is precisely this first-person narrative. The lens focuses on how engineers built the "Queqiao" (鹊桥) bridge connecting Earth and the Moon, and on how scientists, like detectives, analyzed the mysterious lunar surface material from discovery and judgment to confirming its origin... These stories together reveal a truth: in the true scientific no-man's-land, the greatest challenges and charms come from the unknown, and what conquers the unknown is not blind courage, but the perfect combination of engineering, technology, and science, and the persistent pursuit of transforming every "unexpected" into "within cognition."
"There was originally no road on the far side of the moon, but we came and walked out our own road." This book is the most detailed road-building log of this road, and also a navigation guide for the future. Today, the national actions of exploring space are making solid progress. Recently, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学) established the School of Interstellar Navigation, marking a new stage in the systematization and professionalization of our deep space exploration talent training. Every footprint left by Chang'e-4 (嫦娥四号) on the far side of the moon, and every piece of technical experience and exploratory spirit accumulated, will become the most valuable cornerstone for future deep space navigation.
"Journey to the Far Side of the Moon" records not only the successful conclusion of a mission, but also the starting point of a new journey. It pays tribute to all the pioneers who have turned their passion into starlight, and also tells the readers deeply - those "Yutu" (玉兔) rover tracks engraved on the moon have become brilliant road signs guiding China's aerospace industry to the sea of stars. The next more magnificent cosmic journey is slowly unfolding before us.
(The author is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院院士) and Director of the National Space Science Center (中国科学院国家空间科学中心) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院).)
Return to TopBy: 吴於人
It's winter vacation, and recently, while preparing a popular science report on "Making Good Use of Our Brains," a child asked, "How does the brain learn?" "How can I enjoy learning?" "AI is good at test-taking, does that mean the human brain doesn't need to think?" I use a popular science book written by a brain surgeon to answer these questions - "Go for it, Brain!".
Interestingly, an adult's brain weighs only 1.4 kilograms, yet it contains the most vast "microcosm" of the human body. However, schools rarely teach about it specifically, like owning the world's most sophisticated computer but never reading the manual. What to do when you can't concentrate at work? How do emotions and reason "tug-of-war"? How is a self-disciplined life cultivated? You can find interesting and useful answers to these questions in "Go for it, Brain!".
What's so wonderful about this book? It explains medical and psychological research findings and real-life cases in a lively and engaging way, and it also has practical guiding significance, such as using "brain couriers" to describe neurotransmitters, using "memory warehouses" to interpret the hippocampus, and sorting out three principles for getting rid of anxiety. Those topics that make professional scholars rack their brains become topics in our daily lives: Why is memory better after a good night's sleep? How to relieve pre-exam jitters? In particular, the book discusses the plasticity of the brain, and intelligence can be changed through effort - "As long as we live and learn, we can constantly change our brains and improve our intelligence." These "brain usage guides" are not only useful for children, but also benefit adults.
More importantly, this book allows us to understand ourselves from the "head": everyone's thinking rhythm is different, some are like lightning, some are like streams, these are not problems, but characteristics. When children understand the operating mechanism of attention, they can learn to reconcile with distraction; understanding the principles of emotion generation makes it easier to become friends with emotions. Isn't this the most authentic appearance of education? After I retired, I insisted on doing science education for teenagers, using my remaining energy, which is actually also brain training!
In this era when AI can solve problems, the human brain still has irreplaceable brilliance: it is curious, empathetic, and suddenly has a flash of inspiration in the dark night. Cherishing this brilliance is the only way to retain the most precious thinking ability of human beings. Just in time for the Spring Festival, opening this book and not forgetting to think during the leisure holiday can also recharge the brain. Let us complete this wonderful adventure together - exploring the brain and recognizing our unique selves. After all, the most beautiful knowledge in the world is understanding "why I became me." And it all starts with our common "commander," the brain.
(The author is Wu Laolao (吴姥姥), a retired professor from Tongji University (同济大学) and a popular science blogger "Wu Laolao Who Doesn't Do Test Questions," interviewed and compiled by Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), a reporter from this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 袁 啸
As an ordinary police officer guarding the frontier of the motherland, I feel the book "Kunlun Agreement" by teacher Bi Shumin (毕淑敏) much more strongly than ordinary readers. "Kunlun Agreement" is set against the backdrop of plateau life in the 1960s and 1970s. A group of border guards with ideals use their lives to measure the height of faith and their blood to forge an eternal agreement. Reading to the end, other people's stories become a mirror, reflecting my own figure, and also a beam of light, illuminating my arduous and glorious road of guarding the border.
As the book says, "There are no heroes here, only people who mortgage their youth and lives to the snow-capped mountains." After graduating with a master's degree in 2023, I set foot on the Pamir Plateau (帕米尔高原) and became a border police officer. In the "four seasons in one day" of Payik (排依克) in Xinjiang (新疆), I gradually understood the true weight of this sentence—it describes not a distant heroic epic, but the silent days of "agreement" that "I" and "we" are currently experiencing.
In Payik (排依克), the "agreement" is a stone with the inscription "Love the motherland and follow the Party for a lifetime, and generations of descendants will come to take over"; a mottled stone wall is engraved with "No regrets for youth" and "Long live the motherland," carrying the longest companionship of border guards for seventy-six years; it is also the "border affection love letters" from all over the country on the walls of the red education base, which makes us understand that the story here is not only known by the clouds, but all our persistence on this side of the mountain is deeply remembered by the other side of the mountain!
How to "agree"? Jing Zilian (景自连) in the book sacrificed himself in a border battle to cover his comrades; Guo Huanjin (郭换金) buried his love deep in his heart because "military discipline does not like love"; and the most common is the dedication of youth by the soldiers. In reality, I saw my comrade Yang Xuan's (杨轩) footsteps had to slow down when his heart ached, and I also saw him choosing to stay firmly again and again for the past 8 years; my comrade Ding Jixiang (丁吉祥) choked up at night because of his longing for his family in the distance, but I didn't know what language to use to comfort him... On the patrol road at an altitude of 5,000 meters, looking up and seeing eagles freely skimming over the ridge, I remembered that we also yearned for poetry and the distance. The snow-capped mountains bound us, but also made us!
In the sleepless wind of Payik (排依克), generations of young people come here, and in the echoes of the song "The mountain knows me, the river knows me" in the Wakhan Corridor (瓦罕走廊), they slowly integrate the most high-spirited 10 years and 20 years of their lives into the snow-capped mountains and into the boundary markers! It is not that they do not know how wonderful the world outside the mountains is, but precisely because they know, this "agreement" is even more weighty.
(The author is a police officer from the Payik Border Police Station (排依克边境派出所) of the Kashgar Border Management Detachment (喀什边境管理支队) of the Xinjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection General Station (新疆出入境边防检查总站).)
Return to TopBy: 温雄珍
During the day, I watch the booth in a clothing store while doing piecework handicrafts. In the evening, I work as a server in a barbecue restaurant, returning home late at night. My time is crammed and busy, but I still insist on reading for at least one hour every day. If I don't read, I always feel like I've wasted another day, and I don't want to be someone who wastes time.
My love for reading is influenced by my father. When I was a child, my family was poor, but we still had many books. When I was barely literate, my father taught me to read ancient poetry. Although he only had a primary school education and was an ordinary farmer, it was remarkable that he still maintained his reading habits in such difficult living conditions.
I like to read books related to poetry because I have been writing poetry myself. Poetry gives me strength. Without poetry, I wouldn't be who I am today. Life is a bit tiring, but poetry allows me to see the light. Mr. Wang Guowei's (王国维) "Essays on Words in the Human World" (人间词话) has always been on my desk, and the back cover has Mr. Fu Lei's (傅雷) comment: "Developing spirituality, this book is like a golden key." I read this book slowly, but I gained a lot from it.
In Wang Guowei's (王国维) view, the highest quality of poetry lies in its realm, which is divided into the realm of self and the realm of no-self, and into creating the realm and writing the realm, but quality should not be judged by size. "Fine rain, fish come out; gentle breeze, swallows slant," how could it be inferior to "The setting sun shines on the great flag, horses neigh and the wind whistles"? He also said that the realm does not only refer to scenery; joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are also realms in people's hearts, "Therefore, those who can write true scenery and true emotions are said to have a realm."
These views have given me encouragement and inspiration. Whether reading or writing poetry, I have always felt that true emotion is the most valuable. Most of my poems come from life and are about ordinary people. Some sentences are not deliberately written by me, but when I see some scenes, when I see someone with similar experiences to myself, those sentences automatically pop out of my mind. There is not much profound artistic conception, and the words are not rich, but what I have always wanted to write is simple life, and there are real emotions in simple life. Just like the sentence quoted in "Essays on Words in the Human World" (人间词话): "Of all literature, I love that written in blood." "Written in blood" is true, deep, and touching. I know that my poetry still has a lot of room for improvement, but the pursuit of "true emotion" will never change.
A few days ago, a sixth-grade visitor came to my store, a very delicate little girl. She said that her teacher mentioned me in class and she wanted to come and find me. I seemed to see my younger self, with curiosity and love for literature. Another time, a customer said that his daughter read my work in the school newspaper, so he specially bought a copy of my poetry collection, saying that he would read it with his daughter. At that moment, I seemed to see my father, seeing that long-lost warm scene.
(The author is a new mass literature creator in Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东))
Return to TopBy: 刘国胜
During the Spring Festival, many readers come to my bookstore looking for books related to the Spring Festival. This year, I recommended "A Book About Celebrating the New Year" by Mr. Feng Jicai (冯骥才), an important promoter of the Spring Festival's application for UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status, to many people.
The book includes Mr. Feng's essays, speeches, and dialogues about the Spring Festival, from the flavor of the New Year in his personal memories and long-standing New Year customs, to his experiences running around to rescue endangered New Year's intangible cultural heritage, and then to his vision for the future of New Year culture—the author not only interprets festival customs, but also sorts out a nation's emotional map and spiritual origins.
The New Year in Mr. Feng's writing is not an abstract cultural symbol, but a life memory full of the atmosphere of daily life. In "Painted Face" (花脸), he recalls playing with a Guan Gong (关公) painted face and a broadsword when he was a child. In "Staying Up Late on New Year's Eve" (守岁), he fondly recalls the warm gathering around the stove, "excited and sleepy." These words instantly pull the reader back to childhood, awakening the most primitive desire for reunion, filial piety, and peace. Reading these chapters, you will feel that the flavor of the New Year has not faded, but that each generation has its own New Year memories.
This book is not only about nostalgia, but also about deep reflection. Mr. Feng regards New Year culture as a carrier of national spirit. He explores why "reunion" is the first theme of the Spring Festival, pointing out that at this moment, all the most mellow emotions in the world will come together. The family is like a hand, usually open, but during the Spring Festival it must be closed, clenched like a fist. He pays particular attention to the "arts of the New Year" that are about to disappear, such as Da Shuhua (打树花), Bai Dengshan (拜灯山), and woodblock New Year pictures, and personally devotes himself to rescue and protection work. Reading these contents, we understand that protecting tradition is not about being conservative, but about recognizing more clearly who we are and where we come from.
"A Book About Celebrating the New Year" is also a "dialogue record" closely connected with current life. Mr. Feng gives unique analyses of the New Year custom topics we care about. For example, in the article "Banning Fireworks is Not as Good as Restricting Fireworks" (禁炮不如限炮), he believes that the key lies in balancing cultural emotions and public safety. He also carefully distinguishes the traditional rules of when the "Fu" (福) character should be pasted upright to show "welcoming fortune" and when it can be pasted upside down to seek "fortune arriving." These insights allow us to have more calm wisdom when facing the collision of tradition and modernity.
During the Spring Festival, opening this "A Book About Celebrating the New Year" can allow us to draw strength from the dialogue with tradition and better move towards the new year.
(The author is the principal of Jishu Garden Bookstore (藉书园书店) in Jinan (济南), Shandong (山东) Province)
Return to TopThis edition's email: dushu@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)