The feel of an old street in Jilin City

Every day, I take the same road on my way to the office and back home. Few people know how that road was given its name or ask themselves about its meaning. That old road, Henan Street, has a history of over 300 years. In my childhood, my grandfather told me about it and other stories about my city's past.That city is Jilin, located in the province of the same name, in the northeast part of China. The Songhua River, in a beautiful wide vista, divides the city into two parts, which is the only city in China that shares the name of the province to     

Little Carps Jump Over the Dragon Gate

There is, within Chinese mythology, the legend of a carp thatjumped over the Dragon Gate and became a dragon. The cities ofHancheng (in Present-day Shaanxi) and Hejin (in present-dayShanxi), which stood on opposite banks of the Yellow River (themother river of the Chinese nation) Provide the setting for this leg-end. Hancheng and Hejin are believed once to have constituted a whole city, with the Dragon Gate Mountain at its center. When ram-paging floods inundated most of the farmland in …     

The Chongqing Taiji Cup Competition for the Design of Chongqing''''s Slogan & Visual Identity System

Chongqing is on the upper reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. It is a major city whose history dates back 3,000 years, and is now keen to hone a new international image. The Chongqing Taiji Cup Competition for the Design of Chongqing's Slogan & Visual Identity System invites artistically talented people everywhere to design, execute and project a distinctively new metropolitan image for Chongqing.     

An ancient street in Gaochun

In the southwest corner of East China's Jiangsu Province, Gaochun County lies in the southern out skirts of the provincial capital Nanjing, just a one and a half hour ride to downtown Nanjing.The county is famous for its "old street" or "No 1 ancient street in Jinling", which is located to the west of Gucheng Lake and to the south of the Guanxi River.Gaochun is a commercial centre dating back to the fifth century AD, with Chunxi Town being the local government seat of the county.     

THIRSTY CHINA

Extreme weather conditions have blighted much of China over the past year and a pattern of increasing drought has emerged. The problem is both economic and human. Swathes of farmland have been hit by drought leading to production losses and millions of people have had difficulty accessing fresh water. While the government is attempting to tackle the issue,increasingly dry weather is something that could prove a long-term problem for the countryA rare longdrought has had severe consequences across China and brought up difficult auestions about the thecause"Guilin tops the world in landscape"is a well-accepted saying for Chinese people. Guilin is a city and tourist resort in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and attracts many people because of its charming beauty,     

Nanjing''''s new green-project of ecology—Interviewe with Sheng Jinlong vice-mayor of Nanjing municiple government

Nanjing is located in the developed economic delta as a central city in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The municipality made a decision on rapidly developing its urban forest project. Chinaweek reporter had an interview with Mr Sheng Jinlong, one of Nanjing's mayors, to talk something about what readers both at home and abroad are much more concerned. Reporter: Building Nanjing into a green city is a system of ecological project that will serve the present and benefit the future. First of all, I'd like to ask a question about the historical background by taking such a great measure.     

Harbin,an lce Fairyland in Northeast China

In winter Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, is like a glacial fairyland nestled against the winding Songhua River. Abundant snow and ice, distinctive landscapes and its unique culture and history, combined with European continental architecture and the spirited character of its people, merge to create a charm irresistible to visitors.     

Random Thoughts On Praying for Rain

Drought bites again, and people are craving for rain but it doesn't rain. That brings back my childhood memory of people in my native town—officials plus the local gentry and elderly—going to the Dragon King Temple to pray for rain. Before that, they would fast and perform ablution. Once in the temple, they would offer sacrifices to the "Dragon King," a fierce-looking clay or wooden sculpture, who is said to take charge of distributing rain. Amid smoke that kept rising     

Geng Yanbo： Datong＇s Scholarly Mayor

SPEAKING to Geng Yanbo, the new mayor of Datong, it is difficult not to be swept up by his enthusiasm for the history of his city. And it is that enthusiasm which a majority of the city＇s residents agree also accounts for Geng＇s unique approach to modernizing Datong while preserving its long cultural heritage. Looking about, the evidence of that commitment is everywhere, from the newly opened shops to ihe freshly paved roads. Since being transferred in March from Taiyuan to Datong to become acting mayor and deputy secretary of the Municipal Committee of the CPC, Geng has acted resolutely to turn this industrious coal town into a cultural showpiece.     

Zhabei District of Shanghai——A Dream of Its Own

SHANGHAI owes its birth and prosperity to the mighty Yangtze River that enters the sea where the city perches on China’s east coast;the emergence and ascendance of its Zhabei District is also bound into river legends and became part of an historic epoch in national industry.Located in the northern part of the city,Zhabei is home to a growing number of iconic landmarks,buildings and neighborhoods.     

Trade Organizations Show Collective Strength

IN China it is common that the company position of a businessperson is given a prime spot on their business card, but not in Wenzhou. Narives of this city reserve the conspicuous slot for their rifles within an entire industry group, or guild. Guilds have shown themselves to be a vital structure for a booming local economy, and guild leaders are held in high esteem in the region. There are 34 such groups in Wenzhou at present, representing 20,000 or more enterprises, and covering all sectors of the local economy.     

Making Datong''''s Sky Bluer

TALKING about Datong, what comes to your mind? The magnificent Yungang Grottoes, or the black "Coal Sea?"Located in northernmost Shanxi Province, between the Inner and Outer Great Walls, Datong, with a history of more than 2,400 years, is the second biggest city in Shanxi Province. It is famous not only for historical relics such as the Yungang Grottoes, Hengshan Mountain, Hanging Temple, and Nine-Dragon Screen, but also for the rich coal resources that have earned it the reputatio…     

Nature''''s Bounty on the Western Frontier

Baoshan is a frontier city in western Yunnan Province that borders Myanmar. In bygone days, it was one of the Southwestern Silk Road trade routes, and a vital link between inland China and the outside world.The altitude of Baoshan ranges from 535 meters to 3,780 meters above sea level. Its climate varies over the terrain as the altitude changes. A local saying describes it as having "four seasons within one day, and. different climates within a five-kilometer radius."I visited Baoshan in the spring of 2003. Nestling in the moun-tains, it is a compact modern city, with six-lane urban roads, large billboards advertising world famous brands, flowers and lawns. The local people are justly proud of the changes that have occurred in the city over the past 20 years. They stem front the city's rich tourism, resources and the initiative of its populace.     

Guilin： Fertile Land for Investment

GUILIN City in GuangxiZhuang Autonomous Re-gion is a hot tourist destina-tion among both domesticand international travel-ers. Tourism has been the city's pillarindustry for quite some time. But, asother tourism-oriented cities Suzhouand Hangzhou have also discovered,tourism alone is not enough to supporta city or a region's economic structure.It is therefore imperative that Guilinoptimizes and upgrades its industrialstructure, raises the local economy'soverall quality and pushes its indu…     

无字碑前说女皇——拜谒则天庙

Driving southward along State Route 307 from Taiyuan towards the north of the Xucun Village in southern Wenshui County, one can find the Zetian Temple. Nestling on the Wenyu River and against the Luliang Mountains, the Zetian Temple, a shrine to the only reigning female in Chinese history, is internationally known for its unique status of the enshrinee and its intrinsic value of culture. The Zetian Temple, also called Shengmu or Sage Mother Shrine, was originally built in the seventh y…     

The Voice of a River

A recent documentary film about five folk artists from the region along the Yellow River moved the audience with its recording of the challenges of these people to survive in modern days and their love for the art sprung from their hometow ns. The movie, titled The River in Me, is from an idea of Su Yang, a con temporary musician from Yinchuan, capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. He later became one of the five characters in the film.     

Studying the Moon

The moon,sister sphere to the Earth, has long held the attention of mankind as a source of mystery,inspiration and wonder.Its sway has been chronicled in myth,literature and song.In the final week of October,China embarked on its first attempt to better scientifically understand the moon and its relationship to the Earth by launching the lunar orbiter Chang'e-1.Though named after a deity that Chinese fairy tales say lived in the moon,this new venture to study our closest celestial neighbor is based largely on the reality of technology and scientific advancement.As the most recent phase in China's decades old aerospace program,the launch showcases both the country's place on the world stage and its technological and scientific advancements-not only for the benefit of its own people,but for all of mankind.     

A City for All Seasons

<正>The International Olympic Committee(IOC)will vote for the hosting city of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia,on July 31.The choice comes down to either Beijing or Almaty,Kazakhstan.More and more people are now participating in winter sports,while skiing and skating techniques are developing fast in China.In its joint bid together with Zhangjiakou,a city in neighboring Hebei Province,for the right to host the 2022Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics,     

Group Buying Challenges Conventional Retailing

The spectacular rise of the Chinese economy is giving more and more local people the freedom to spend on con-sumer goods. But with the rising cost of living in the cities, consumers are becoming increasingly savvy and focused on getting more for less. This situation has given rise to a new consumption pattern-group buying. Knowing that big orders can get big discounts, some consumers are now approaching retailers in groups, formed within residential communities or via websites. And the phenomenon is growing.     

MONTHLY REVIEW

Hualhe floodA total of 1.6 million people are guarding the embankments of the swollen Huaihe River(in east-central China) and its tributaries as the battle against the floodwaters reaches a critical point, local flood control officials said on 11 June.The floodwater crest is flowing rapidly towards the middle reaches of the river, where water levels have exceeded warning marks for more than 40 hours, said officials from Huaihe Flood Control Headquarters.High water levels will remain for a long period and major sections of the embankments risk being breached at any time, warned the officials in Anhui Province, East China.