Xiahe——a Jewel in Gansu

In a remote southwest corner of GansuProvince, five hours from Lanzhou, liesGannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Formany years I had a desire to visit the principaltown, Xiahe. 3,000 metres above sea level, it isa major centre of Buddhism and hence attractspilgrims from a wide area.I visited Xiahe in the autumn of 1997 aspart of a journey I was undertaking along the fa-bled Silk Road.I appreciated the kindness and help shown     

Hainan——Springtime in an Open Province

IT＇S springtime in Hainan, literally in terms of the season, but also figuratively in terms of an ongoing era of rebirth for the tropical island. Hainan is China＇s southernmost territory, and the nation＇s smallest province in terms of land area. Size is no reflection of status, however. The island is famous as a holiday resort of azure skies, bright sunshine, fresh air and unspoiled beaches.     

Marriage made in Heaven——intercultural relationships

When I first visited China in 1987, intercultural marriages were relatively uncommon.They were fraught with many difficulties and indeed were often actively discouraged. Today, in China's major cities such relationships are increasingly normal and are often seen as beneficial for both partners, particularly if the foreigner intends to stay in China for the long haul.     

Getting Around the Capital——Transport in Beijing

THE number of motor vehicles in Beijing hit 3.2 million in February this year - almost double the figure of late 2001. Despite the municipal government having spent some RMB 110 billion on improving traffic systems since Beijing was announced as the host city for the 2008 Olympics, an average day still sees chronic congestion in the capital. In August, hundreds of thousands of athletes, coaches, sports officials, media personnel and tourists will flood into Beijing, placing even more pressure on the city and potentially creating a major headache for residents as well as the government.     

Chengde City——A Pearl in North China

Chengde Mountain Resort was the summer residence of emperors dur- ing the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Construction of the resort started in 1703, and lasted for 87 years. Chengde City in Hebei     

Grassroots Democracy——Villager Autonomy in Suburban Tangshan

AS fanners constitute the foundation of Chinese society, villager autono- my represents democracy at the grassroots level. During the year 2005, at least 400 million farmers participated in the 300,000 villagers' com- mittee elections that were held in 18 provinces. The new wave of democracy and the positive changes it has brought are evident in remote villages around Tangshan, Hebei Province, from the smiling faces of their inhabitants.Everyone Has Their Say Democratic discussion is a cha…     

Everlasting Friendship——Auckland Day Held in Guangzhou

May 19 was a memorable day for the people of Guangzhou and Auckland, for it was theAuckland Day jointly sponsored by the ForeignAffairs Office of the Guangzhou Municipal Peo-ple's Government, the Guangzhou International     

Inside High Walls——Prisons in Shanghai and Suzhou

The article is based on a visit to the Tilanqiao, Qingpu and Women's prisons and a juvenile delinquent rehabilitation center in Shanghai and the Suzhou Prison of Jiangsu Province in February 2001 by the author, a graduate student of human rights. She made the trip with a group of experts from China Society for Human Rights Studies.     

SNS in China——New Space for Interpersonal Relationships

Social Networking Service （SNS） sites have exploded onto China＇s Internet scene with such a force that many companies have blocked access to the sites during office hours - leaving employees anxiously counting down the minutes till they can get home and reconnect with their Iriends. And while Kaixin001 is the undisputed king of the Chinese 5NS arena, others like Hainei and Xiaonei are signing new subscribers in their millions. More recently, some of the top web portals in the country fike Sina and Yahoo got in on the act, too.     

Realities and Opportunities——Chinese Private Enterprises in Africa

正IN recent years,growing numbers of Chinese enterprises have initiated investment in Africa.From2009 to 2012,China’s direct investment in Africa increased from US$1.44 billion to US$2.52 billion,with an annual growth of 20.5 percent.Over the same period,China’s cumulative direct investment in Africa rose from US$9.33 billion to US$21.23billion.Currently,over 2,000 Chinese     

Inclusion of Human Rights in the Constitution——An Important Milestone in China's Human Rights Development

On March 14, 2004, a proposed amendment to the Constitution was adopted by the Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC), which stipulates clearly that "the state respects and safeguards human fights." This is the first time that the concept of "human rights" has been included in the Constitution—a major event in the development of China's democratic constitutionalism and political civilization, and an important milestone in human rights progress in China.     

The Future in Their Hands——Wenchuan’s Recovery

IT has been three years since a devastating earthquake struck Wenchuan,Sichuan Province,a catastrophe that took some 70,000 lives and left nearly 20,000 missing and millions homeless.The Chinese government set a three-year target to rebuild the area and to restore normality for those affected,pledging an investment of over RMB one trillion for the purpose.The ambitious recovery project is unprecedented both in the huge amount of investment proposed and the tight timescale imposed.It is aimed at providing earthquake victims not only with new homes,but also an economic environment conducive to improved living conditions and sustainable development.Not content with offering the people just any future,the project offers a better future.Three years on,the time is ripe to check whether these goals have been met.     

A Cultural Gate to China——Brilliant Culture in Hebei

An exhibition titled "A Cultural Gateto China-Brilliant Culture in Hebei" was successfully held by the Hebei Provincial Government Information Office     

Modern Art in an Ancient Setting——Beijing's Red Gate Gallery

A SCENDING the ancient stone steps to Red Gate Gallery reveals the quintessential Beijing pan orama. The gallery is housed in Dongbianmen Watchtower, a Ming Dynasty structure straddling the last crumbling vestiges of Beijing＇s city wall. Like a besieged bastion of the city＇s imperial past, the watchtower is hemmed in by railway lines and Beijing＇s Second Ring Road. The glass and steel edifices of the CBD loom in the distance. It＇s appropriate that this ancient fortress, surrounded by a cornucopia of modern development, houses a gallery that has long been a cultural bastion of a more contemoorary kind.     

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China——Published in Multilanguages

正COMPILED by China’s State Council Information Office,the Party Literature Research Office of the CPC Central Committee and China International Publishing Group,Xi Jinping:The Governance of China,published by the     

Democratic Reform in Tibet——Sixty Years On(Ⅰ)

Preamble The year 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in Tibet.In traditional Chinese culture,the 60th year is always memorable as it completes a cycle called the Jiazi,a concept unique to the Chinese calendar.Tibet’s democratic reform that took place six decades ago gave a new life to Tibet and the ethnic peoples living there.These 60 years have changed Tibet completely.     

A Pioneer in Regional Economic Integration——the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Group

正USUALLY each city has its own area code,but when I called one of my classmates in the U.S.the display on his telephone showed codes for three cit ies(Changsha,Xiangtan and Zhuzhou)He was puzzled and asked me whether I had opened companies in all three cities.I told him that as a city group the three cities use a unified area code–one of the results of regional econom ic integration.My company is in Chang     

A Splendid Star——The XXIX Olympic Games Open in Beijing

Agood beginning is a job half done, and so it was for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. On the night of August 8, thou-sands of performers entertained an audience of 91,000 in the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) with highlights from China’s history and culture.     

Legal Aid in China——History,current conditions and future

Legal aid,also known as legal relief,is commonly adopted in many countries.In fact,it is an indispensable part of the legal system in a modern society ruled by law.It is an important guarantee for the fairness in the adminis- tration of justice and human fights relief. It is also an important mark of political civilization and social progress in a coun- try.     

Overcoming Language Barrier——Bilingual education in Dongxiang County,Gansu

Education has been underdeveloped in Dongxiang Autonomous County, Gansu Province, which is the only region in China where ethnic Dongxiangs live in compact communities. In primary schools there, only about 20% of the pupils achieve a passing grade for the two basic subjects of Chinese and mathematics, less than one-third of the average local rate. However, this has changed markedly thanks to a bilingual education experiment.