Nuptials That Can Last Three Years

The Qiang are a monogamous people. Before a couple become husband and wife, they go through a good many rites such as engagement and wedding ceremonies. When a young man takes a fancy to a young woman, he sends a matchmaker to sound out her family. After getting approval from the head of the family, the husband-to-be goes to his fiancé＇s home to organize an engagement banquet and consults to fix the date of the wedding. At the appointed time he entertains his fiancé＇s relatives and friends at her home, and prepares the betrothal gifts. During the whole engagement process, the bride-to-be is supposed to keep out of public view, hiding away in her room or at the home of a relative.     

From Lullaby to Requiem

The Kirghiz love folk songs. As infants, they listen to their mothers singing lullabies and learn to sing folk songs as they themselves get a little older. They use songs to express their feelings to their sweethearts, to sing their joys and sorrows, their loves and hates, to say goodbye to the living and a final farewell to the dead. When someone dies,     

Forging a Brighter Future

正The 2021 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia(BFA) opened on April 20, with Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a keynote speech via video link at the opening ceremony. In his speech, Xi called on all to pursue discussion on an equal footing to create a future of shared benefits, pursue openness and innovation to create a future of development and prosperity, pursue solidarity and cooperation to create a future of health and security, and fulfill their commitment to justice to create a future of mutual respect and learning.     

Imbuing Art with Life

Iremember that when I was a child two peonies grew in the courtyard of my house. One was white and the other was pink. As well as tending to them, loosening the soil and bringing them water, I often observed and drew them. I saw how it requires persistence and patience for a peony to survive the harshness of winter and come forth in spring to bring its beauty to the world. From this early interest, my ambition has always been to be a painter specialized in these fascinating flowers. Later when I became an adult and gained more knowledge and experience,     

Dialogue and Education： Two Ways to Protect Human Rights and Build a Harmonious World

It is indeed a great privilege to come to this ancient and fascinating city of Beijing to share views and to participate in what promises to be a high-quality debate at the initiative of one of China's most prestigious and respected human rights organisations. I have no doubt that in such a setting, and through the enrichment     

LETTERS

I have been a reader of China Today since my student years and am a huge fan.I am a teacher now and often recommend the magazine to my students and friends.I would like to extend warm greetings to all the staff at China Today and my appreciation for the efforts you make to bring this wonderful publication to readers all over the world.Patricio Lozano     

Confrontation Will Backfire

Washington’s Cold War mindset and obsession with militarism both lead to a dead end.The international situation is changing and a new constellation of forces emerges.Yet the U.S.clings to obsolete geopolitical theories and strategies.Sticking to past strategies and obsolete alliances limits Washington’s flexibility and options amid historic global changes.Can the U.S.have a sustainable future with prosperity if it does not adjust correctly within an international system transitioning to multipolarity,polycentrism and pluralism?     

HOTEL INFORMATION

Minzu Hotel's Free Gym for Guests Going to the gym helps people escape the madness of the metropolis and find a quiet place to develop a healthy lifestyle.Minzu Hotel opened its gym- nasium in a grand ceremony this spring,offering urbanites a place to relieve the pressures of modern life and pursue relaxation of the mind.The gym is located on the second floor in a quiet and elegant environment.Going to the gym regularly can help a person reduce fat and mold the perfect body.Minzu Hotel's gym will give you a new outlook on life and put a spring in your step.     

China’s Unique Political Institution

China boasts a large population,a vast land,a long history and a rich cultural heritage.As a result,it has unique political institutions.Every government in Chinese history has tried to cope with disasters and special challenges of an expanding population and territory in order to maintain the legitimacy of their rules.During this long history,the Chinese people have formed a distinctive political ideology.The Chinese are far-sighted and attach more importance to the whole rather than to the individual parts.They place political stability and prosperity at an important position.The prosperous dynasties of the past were all governed by strong and open-minded governments.     

A Heavenly Resort

Located in the southeastern coastal area of China.Xiamen is an ideal holiday resort and a paradise for tourists.It boasts breathtaking coastal scenery,a year-round spring-like climate,the opportunity to partake in folk customs native to Fujian and Taiwan,beachfront cuisine,exotic architecture and a healthy ecological environment home to an abundance of flowers and large flocks of egrets.     

A Quality Outlook

Notable online dramas bring more possibilities to the industry What can make you decide to change your life?For Yu Huanshui,it comes after he is misdiagnosed with cancer.During a midlife crisis,he faces a divorce,unemployment and many other issues.But the misdiagnosis gives him a chance to see the people around him more clearly and through the ups and downs,he develops a better sense of himself and finds the courage to start over.     

China's Progress in Poverty Reduction and Human Rights

正Poverty eradication is and always has been a goal and a basic right of all peoples in their pursuit of a happy life.Over the years,based on the prevailing national conditions,the Communist Party of China(CPC)and the Chinese government have remained committed to a development concept that puts people’s rights to subsistence and to development first.Committed to reducing and eliminating poverty,China has endeavored     

Witnesses to Reform and Opening-up

Humble Beginnings When Lin Mingyue and Fan Zeng- sheng made the decision to leave the U.S. for China's mainland 26 years ago their friends were at a loss as to why they should choose to exchange their large house and family car for a poky apartment, a push bicycle and a public transportation in as yet underdeveloped Shanghai. Many of these incredulous friends, however, have since followed the couple's example and also settled in Shanghai. Lin made her first visit to the munici- pality in 1…     

Accelerating the Pace of CPC Transformation——An Interview with Wang Changjiang,Director of the Party Building Teaching and Research Department,the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC

The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 and came to power in 1949.It steered the country through a planned economy operating under trade blockades from 1949 to 1978,and ushered in a market economy under the reform and opening-up policy that took effect immediately afterwards.During this entire period,the CPC also transformed itself from a revolutionary party to a ruling party.Now civic awareness is growing among the Chinese people,and the market economy phase has nurtured an independent and autonomous spirit,which requires the Chinese leadership to promote political restructuring and the building of democratic institutions.     

Yin He：Dream of a Wilderness Comes True in Tibet

Ilanded a job in a Beijing bank in ：2OLO after graduating with a master＇s degree. I was lucky. A job in a bank in the metropolis is well paid with bright career prospects,and consequently much sought after. But it didn＇t appeal to me. I found that sitting in a cubicle clad in a sharp suit from nine to five, five days a week was slowly eroding my ambition and spirit. I soon felt isolated in this cell of cement, steel and glass. I itched for the freedom of a great wilderness - a world of clear blue skies and lush meadows strewn with wild flowers extending to an open horizon. Although devoid of modern amenities, to me the wild blue yonder teemed with promise and opportunities that would renew my youth and vigor.     

Paradise Regained

<正>Clear blue skies,emerald-green woods and refreshing creeks and rivers.From a wasteland to an eco-progress exemplar,Saihanba has been resurrected,providing a green lung for north China.The largest man-made forest in the world is also a testimony to the planners and planters who toiled for more than five decades to achieve the feat.The goal is to leave a bluer sky,greener mountains and clearer water for the future world.     

SYNERGY FOR A SHARED FUTURE

正I came to China six years ago to try to understand the foreign policy perspectives of China, and the epochal shifts taking place in the global community. Asia’s rise is a reality, and the shifts the world is experiencing in a post-colonialist and post-imperialist age require a re-evaluation of definitions and perceptions.     

Hong Kong： Real Concern Only from the Motherland

正DURING the week-long 2014National Day holiday,tourism to and from the Chinese mainland saw a sudden rise,with the number of tourists to South K o r e a a n d T a i w a n s o a r i n g.M a i nland tourism to Singapore and other hotspots also increased to different degrees.However,in the same period tourist revenues of Hong Kong are reported to have shrunk.The news is worrying.     

艾德莱丝绸

<正>It is fascinating to envision what may have happened2,000 ago to initiate a trade connection between the East and the West.Visualize something like a long,thin silk ribbon following a trail from the heartland of China,traversing mountains and rivers and crossing a wide desert,to arrive in ancient Rome.Perhaps this     

LETTERS

The topic of＂dreams＂ reminds me of a text by the late Chinese writer Shi Tiesheng who was paralyzed when he was 21, in whichhe elaborated on his devotion to sports. He loved track and field the most, more than writing, and his favorite star was Carl Lewis whom, with a strong body and super speed, he regarded as the luckiest man on earth. Shi once thought that he would do anything to have Lewis＇ physique and vigor in another life, if there were one. But observ- ing the athlete＇s rise and fall after a doping scandal, he gained fresh understanding of success, happiness and life in general. He said his dream was to have a healthy body, a beautiful soul and life wisdom. While acknowledging that many think one should not be too greedy or ambitious, Shi＇s overriding belief was that everyone has the right to dream big, and to look forward to the best in the world.