The Water Pollution incident： A Test for China

ON November 13, 2005,an explosion occurredat the Diphenyl Factoryof the Jilin Petrochemi-cal Company, a subsid-iary of the China National PetroleumCorporation in Jilin Province, causing100 tons of harmful chemicals to spillinto the Songhua River. Millions ofpeople in the downstream areas rely onthe Songhua River as a water source,and a section of the river runs throughRussia.When Pollution ReachesHeilongjiangOfficials in the downstream prov-ince of Heilongjiang were not informedabout …     

Yuanyang＇s Aesthetic and Bountiful Hani Terraces

Magnificent TerracesYuanyang County is famous for itsHani ethnic minority-constructed farm-ing terraces that zigzag upwards overrange upon range of slopes to a heightof 144 to 2,000 meters. The Hani peoplesay that they can build and water terrac-es on any mountain, no matter how tall.Officials from the county tourism bu-reau recall proudly the many overseasresearchers and visitors that have cometo see the terraces. One official com-mented, "Most tourists cannot believethat the Hani people c…     

Multicolored Spring Festival

Far and away the most important holiday in China is Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. It has the same significance for the Chinese people as Christmas has for people in the West. Spring Festival traditionally calls for a thorough house cleaning before pasting up Spring couplets, images of Gate-Gods, New Year Paintings and papercuts. Sacrifices are also offered to various gods and ancestors,and everyone dresses in their best clothes to see in the new year. All this is done in the hope of good fortune for the coming year.But would you prefer to experience Spring Festival with a difference? The following four destinations offer something for everyone.     

Ideal Territory for Taiwan Investors

TAIWAN businessman Zhuang Bingyao walks around his 600 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare) orchard, paying particular attention to theTaiwan strain of Indian jujube. He explains, "Fujian has a climate similar to Taiwan's, but with a broader temperature range. The jujube planted here is sweeter "     

Xi＇an -A Living Monument to Chinese History

CHINA＇S three most visited cities each offer a distinct experience： Beijing is the central witness of the creation and growth of the People＇s Republic, Shanghai is the nation＇s pulsating 21 st century metropolis, while Xi＇an is China＇s living monu- ment to the country＇s ancient past.     

Calls for Two-for-All Family Planning

THE family planning policy that started in the late 1970s has wrought far-reaching demographic and social change in China. Thirty years later, growing numbers of demographers say that the current low birth rate threatens potential socio-economic development. They therefore advocate the policy be altered to allow all couples, regardless of circumstances, a second child.     

Yiyang City Modern and Developing

LION-shaped Yiyang City is to the south of Dongting Lake in north-central Hunan Province. The Zijiang River runs through the city from west to east, dividing it into two, and emptying into Dongting Lake. The Zishui Highway Bridge links the areas north and south of the river. In ancient times the Zijiang River was called Yishui. As at that time     

An Emerging Star in Shandong Province

XINTAI City covers an area of almost 2,000 square kilometers, and houses a population of more than 1.3 million. It is situated in central Shandong Province between Taishan Mountain and Confucius' hometown Qufu, east of the Shandong Peninsula. The Beijing-Shanghai and Harbin-Xintai expressways run through the city. Xintai has ambitious plans to boost its industrial develop-     

Nanjing, History＇s Great Survivor

PERHAPS no other city in China suffered more during the Second World War than Nanjing. Although traditionally protected by the Yangtze River and Zijin Mountain to its north and east, the city quickly fell to Japanese invaders in 1937, with tragic consequences. In what became known as the ＂Rape of Nanjing,＂ 330,000 men, women and children were systematically and brutally murdered by rampaging Japanese soldiers in a six-week-long orgy of violence.     

New Houses,New Lives

CUP of coffee in hand, 40-year-old Qian Yuchen sits leisurely before his French windows, luxuriating in the warmth of the afternoon spring sunshine. Years ago, this was the kind of scenario he could only dream about, or see on a television commercial. Now it is his living reality. Qian and his mother formerly occupied a 50-square-meter room allocated