A MILESTONE IN CROSS-STRAITS RELATIONS

Chongqing, the southwestern municipality that served as China's capital during World War Ⅱ, will be remembered again for hosting a landmark event in the Chinese history on June 29. On that day, Chen Yunlin,President of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits,and Chiang Pin-kung, Chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation,signed the long-awaited Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in Chongqing, a move hailed by many as a milestone in cross-Straits relations.     

Fighting Floods

正Megacity Chongqing picks up pieces after its fifth deluge of the year With over 2,000 years of history,the Hongya Cave,an ancient fortress in Chongqing southwest China,is a must-see for visitors to the city.Its attraction as a tourist destination has been enhanced with an11-storied stilt house built to accommodate a     

Xuzhou—the "Athens of the Orient"

正LOCATED at the junction where north meets south and between Beijing and Shanghai,Xuzhou City boasts a long history,rich culture and gorgeous landscape.Its reputation as a famous Chinese historical and cultural city attracts tourists from far and wide.Wondrous Culture of the Chu and Han Dynasties Xuzhou has a history of over 6,000 years and was established as a city about 2,600 years ago.It is the hometown of Peng Zu,legendary figure in Chinese history,the place where Liu Bang,first emperor of the Han Dynasty,was born and the former     

Bazhong——A City of Tranquility and Beaut

IN northeastern Sichuan Province,diminutive Bazhong City exudes a pastoral sparkle and tranquility.It makes one wish to blend in with its unique natural environment.A walk through Bazhong,it is said,is like a hazy drizzle that awakens people’s memories.The picturesque city,resembling a Monet oil painting,lies inlaid within the southern foothills of the towering and extensive Daba Mountains.Situated at the center of three large cities of Chengdu,Chongqing and Xi’an,Bazhong also sits along the dividing line between south and north China.Covering 12,000 square kilometers,the city combines both the grandeur of northern China and the warmth of southern China,with distinctive vistas of mountains and rivers,as well as places of historical and cultural allure.It has also been a historical channel for cultural exchanges between north and south China,witness to the Qin and Han dynasties,the Three Kingdoms,and the Red Army.People here easily sense the pulse and echoes of history.     

PEOPLE/POINTS

Transfer of Mayors Huang Qifan (left) was appointed as acting mayor of Chongqing, southwest China's largest city and a rapidly growing business center. The Standing Committee of the Third Municipal People's Congress of Chongqing made the appointment at its 14th session on December 3 when former Mayor Wang Hongju submitted his resignation.     

Advocating Human Rights Protection by Rule of Law,Supporting Human Rights Undertaking with a Giant Hand——Deep Condolences to Dear Former President Luo Haocai

正Chairman Luo Haocai served as the president of CSHRS from 2007 to 2016.During those nine years, he built deep friendships with researchers on human rights.Because President Luo served as vice chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC for a long time, we were used to calling him "Chairman Luo." Chairman Luo was a leader with strategic and overall awareness, a scholar-official, an elder with a young mentality, and a motivator and protector of young people.     

Saving the World Wonder The Great Wall of China faces severe preservation challenges

As always,the Great Wall,the longest structure built in human history,is seen as a c ass c symbol of China by the Chinese themselves and others around the world.But just how long is it,exactly? For a long time,no one could answer that question precisely because of the complexity of the historical project -different parts of the Great Wall were built by different regimes and dynasties over mote than 2,000 years and were never quite connected as a seamless whole.     

The Last of the Candy Men——Masters of Blown Candy

THEY boil sugar and water until it thickens, take a dollop and knead it into a hollow ellipsoid. One end has a long tail with a pinhole into which they blow, turning it around so as to fashion it into the required shape. Within one minute the raw candy is transformed into an animal.This is the craft of candy-blowing; its masters are called candy men.     

Beijing Roast Duck

Beijing Roast Duck has become a not only nationwide but also worldwide recognized culinary creation. But this dish had existed much earlier as a delicacy for the aristocracy before 1864 when the Quanjude (Repository of All Virtues), the original roast duck restaurant, was opened in the Qianmen Street of Beijing.The cooking process is long and complicated one. First of all, the duck is scaled in boiling water, coated with molasses, pumped with air, and then hung up to dry for as long as 48 hours. Then it is slowly and evenly roasted over a fire of peach,     

The Chongqing Investment Fair

Those familiar with the history of Chongqing may know that in 1890 the city was opened to foreign ships. A customhouse was established in following next year. Chongqing, therefore, is among China's first cities to open up. In 1937, Chongqing became the interim capital of the Kuomintang, attracting famous personalities as well as diplomats, from around the world.After China adopted the policy of reform and opening-up in the 1980s, Chongqing established economic and trade bonds with over 140 countries and regions. It has also entered into partnerships with nine overseas cities and states, such as Seattle in the United States.     

Hoping for the Earlier Reunification of the Motherland——A Heartfelt Wish of Jenson Tze Shen,Former Kuomintang General

At the invitation of the Chinese People's As-sociation for Friendship with Foreign Coun-tries, not long ago Mr. Jenson Tze Shen recentlyvisiting Beijing as a member of the delegation ofprominent Chinese-Americans. The aim of the del-egation's visit to China is to celebrate the 100thday countdown of Hong Kong's return to Chinaand encourage more overseas Chinese to returnto China to serve their motherland. The Party, Gov-     

The Good Neighbor

Chongqing has given all-out support to neighboring Sichuan as it struggles to cope in the aftermath of a massive earthquake Despite a six-hour operation for a pelvic fracture and the prospect of three months on his back,Zhong Yi is in good spirits.Injuredwhen his workplace     

Yidu：Innovation at the Origin

YIDU, a vibrant and picturesque city in China's hinterland, is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Dwellings, ash pits and a large number of stone vessels and earthenware have been unearthed, and a preliminary archeological dig in the area has uncovered remains of a civilization dating to the Neolithic era, proving that people lived here as long as 7,000 years ago.     

Hilly Chongqing City

VISITORS to Chongqing should be ready both to climb its many hills, and be assailed by its flaming culinary piquancy. Before being designated a municipality directly under the central government in 1997, Chongqing came under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province. Surrounded by mountains, the city undulates over hillsides, and is cloaked in mist throughout the year. From some spots multistory buildings are just a leap away from adjacent precipices. Circumambient mountain chains block air currents, and in summer temperatures in Chongqing rise to over 40 degrees Centigrade. It is, therefore, known as one of China's four "furnaces."     

China in Blue and White

KNOWN in the West as "china," porcelain has long been coveted as one of the highest forms of ceramics. The art was pioneered in its namesake country, and the most iconic examples of Chinese ceramics are fine works of white porcelain decorated with a blue pigment, whose major constituent is cobalt oxide, under a clear glaze.     

Hubei Bigfoot—Fact or Fiction?

New sighting of human-like creatures in China's Shennongjia primitive forest rekindles an expedition for the legendary yeren The legend of a giant half animal,half human creature roaming the Earth has been around since the mid-19th cen- tury,with sightings having taken place on almost every continent.Generally described by witnesses as being between 2-3 meters tall,over 230 kg and having a footprint in the region of 30 to 40 cm long,the creature is known by many names.It's referred to as Bigfoot in the United States,Mapinguari in the Amazon,Sasquatch in Australia and Yeti (Abominable Snowman)in Asia.     

Confucian Culture and Human Rights Development

I.Confucianism has long been the mainstream of traditional Chinese culture,as well as a major component of Eastern and world culture.We can see that Confucianism has existed for 2,500 years since it was founded by Confucius in the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC.Over this very long pe     

Nuclear,New & Clear——A small city in east China takes the lead in heating its homes with nuclear energy

The tall chimneys of Haiyang, a small coastal city in Shandong Province, are no longer billowing smoke this winter. The long lines of coal trucks that once jostled and beeped their way through the city’s streets are now just a memory as all of the city’s 12 boiler rooms, which had supplied its residents with heating for decades, have been laid idle.     

FESTIVAL BANQUET

A folk artisan serves food on a traditional long plate at a large open-air banquet in the ancient town of Zhongshan in Chongqing Municipality,southwest China,on January 18.The banquet called 1,000-Meter-Long Banquet,has more than 800 tables lined along the street.It is a tradition in the ancient town linked to the Spring Festival.The event is held to wish prosperity and good luck.More than 20,000 visitors joined the banquet this year.     

On the Fast Track——Chinese young skeleton team sets groundbreaking goals for Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

It’s been six years since Geng Wenqiang hopped from his long jump career into one in skeleton racing, the sport in which a person rides a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled, plummeting head-first down a frozen track—while lying face down. His selection for China’s Skeleton Team in 2015 made him one of the earliest Chinese skeleton athletes.