Manas Studies： a New International Discipline

In 1999, the publication of five works in the first series of＂China Epic Studies＂ marked a new phase in epic studies in China. The subject of one of those five books was Manas. Ms. Lang Ying from the epic study team of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is in charge of the research on Manas.     

Official： Real Purpose of Urumqi Riot Is Splitting China

The real purpose of the July 5 rioters in Urumqi, capital of northwest China＇s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was seeking ＂Xin-jiang＇s independence,＂ an official said in Beijing on July 21.     

Zhuang Brocade： State of the Weaving Art

WITH a population of over 16 million, Zhuang is the largest ethnic minority group in China. Over 90 percent of Zhuang people live in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China, and the rest reside in neighboring Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan provinces. Throughout the centuries, the Zhuang people have been admired for their outstanding brocade weaving skills.     

Civilians, Police Officer Killed in Xinjiang Unrest

Violence in Urumqi, capital of northwest China＇s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has left at least three civilians and an armed police officer dead on Sunday （July 5）, sources with the regional government said early Monday.     

Facts Show July 5 Riot “Far Beyond Ordinary Violent Matter”

Nearly two weeks after the July 5 riot in Urumqi of northwest China＇s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, social order and people＇s lives are returning to normal. Yet in retrospect, a mass of evidences show that the unrest was a wellplanned violent criminal incident of terrorist nature.     

Vorship of You：A Deep-Mountain Secret

The sight of open fields once the harvest is gathered in always produces feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. On an October day in 2012, gathered stacks of grain were heaped one after another along the country lanes of Yangsong Village. Farmers with laden shoulder-poles passed by, followed by dogs threading their way among the stacks. The air was redolent with the fragrance of earth and paddy rice-an unspoiled and authentic scene indeed.     

Xinjiang Has Been a Multi-ethnic Region Since Ancient Times

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region （also called Xinjiang for short）, situated in the border area of northwest China and the hinterland of the Eurasian Continent, occupies an area of 1.6649 million sq km, accounting for one sixth of Chinese territory. It has a land border of 5,600 km bounded by eight countries. It was an important section of the ancient Silk Road. According to statistics,     

Garrison Communities： Living Relics of the Ming Dynast

THE Ming Dynasty （1368-1644） is regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization and historically it was certainly one of the richest and most populous empires. However, during its early period, the nation＇s economywas in a slump; large areas of arable land had been laid to waste by years of war, and most people were living in dire poverty. In order to restore the peacetime economy and strengthen the country＇s borders.     

A Matter of Taste：Cultivating the Vineyards of the Future

The chateaux vineyards of France may have something to worry about; an ambitious and venerable Chinese winery is determined to make its mark on the international wine market A look at China＇s vineyards; a look at the future of wine.     

Yu Hong： Paintings that Show the Passage of Time

"My paintings in the beginning were about self-discovery.My style hasn’t changed that much over the past 15years,but the story has evolved.I’m now more interested in the lives of others around me."     

Zhang Kun：Capturing the Beauty of Real Life

The first thing that strikes anyone looking at a figure painting by Zhang Kun is a strong sense of realism. Zhang never distorts his figures with exaggerated lines and shapes, nor does he blindly follow any particular fashion, instead concentrating on the depiction of real life. Not only does Zhang imitate nature, he simplifies and orders it so as to capture its essence, and any adjustment he attempts is in order to bring greater depth to such simplicity. His consummate skills contribute to the purity of his paintings, his poetic language being heard through his representation of ordinary life. His works present man and nature in a simple and harmonious relationship, the very thing that modem people yearn for,     

Iveco： Standing the Test of Time

IN January 1975, a new company was born in Italy from a merger of the country＇s top five commercial vehicle producers： Fiat Veicoli Industriali, OM, Lancia Veicoli Speciali, Unic and Magirus-Deutz.Three decades on, Iveco,the result of that merger, has become a leading European brand in the transportation sector and a household name in China.     

Living in the Shadow of SARS

I was born in April,when Springis in the air,the sun shines,thesky is blue,and the fragranceof lilacs is everywhere.Thisyear’s birthday was unforgettable.As the SARS epidemic had brokenout in Beijing.it was spent underthe threat of this killer disease.     

Valentine＇s Day the Chinese Way：Love and the City

WITH increasing exchanges between China and the West, many Western ideas and customs are modifying Chinese lifestyles, and Valentine＇s Day is one of them.     

China Dreams： 20 Visions of the Future

China Dreams： 20 Visions of the Future is the first book published overseas to expound on the ＂China Dream＂ concept Brought out by the U.S. branch of Oxford University Press in April 2013, its author, William A. Callahan, is a professor of international politics at the U.K University of Manchester. His book raises some interesting viewpoints.     

The Changing Life of Farmers： After Working in Cities

THE village of Xujiawan is a quiet place these days. Except for a couple of old people chatting in front of their homes, there are no young people to be seen. ＂All the young people have gone, working in the cities to make money,＂ Wang Lirun, the village Party secretary, said.     

Wei Shunde： Persistent Explorer of the Tianshan Mountains

A man nearly 70 years old stands at the foot of west China's Tian-shan Mountains. For almost two decades, this adventurer has wandered around Mt. Tomur, capturing on film its snowy peaks and the area's bountiful flora and fauna. His pictures of national category-I protected species, the black stork and snow leopard, are regarded as treasures.     

Songs of Nature in the Mountains： Music of Zhuang in Black

There is an ancient, a mysterious branch of the Zhuang nationality that lives simply and peacefully in a stretch of mountains on China＇s southwestern frontier. The musical debut of this group at the opening ceremony of International Folk Song Festival in Nanning, Guangxi, in November 2011, was a smash hit. The performers＇ jet black clothing, solemn expressions, and heavenly songs unveiled the serenity and holiness unique to the Zhuang in Black.