Indholdsfortegnelse for Vol.68/No.36 i Beijing Review

Transport Uptrend The transport sector handled 4.97 billion tons of freight in July, an increase of 3.4 percent from the same period a year earlier, and faster than the 2.9-percent growth in June, Li Ying, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference on August 27. Specifically, freight volumes rose 4.5 percent for rail, 3.3 percent for road, 3.4 percent for waterway and a robust 15.3 percent for civil aviation. Cargo handled by Chinese ports reached 1.54 billion tons in July, up 6.9 percent year on year, with the growth rate accelerating 2.2 percentage points from the previous month. Passenger mobility continued to pick up, reflecting stronger travel demand. A total of 5.71 billion cross-regional passenger trips were recorded in July, representing a 2.2-percent increase compared…

It has been more than a year since my visit to Xizang Autonomous Region, yet the multitude of impressions from that journey remain vivid in my mind. This year, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the autonomous region, those memories return with renewed force. Chinese President Xi Jinping himself traveled to the regional capital of Lhasa on August 20-21 to take part in the anniversary celebrations, underscoring the region’s importance within the broader story of China’s development. In his remarks during the visit, Xi emphasized how stability, development and unity among all ethnic groups are central to Xizang’s future, framing the plateau region not as a remote frontier but as an integral part of China’s modernization. Hearing his words, I could not help but think back to my own…

When the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-9 was launched in June 2012, six silk-printed photographic works traveled into space together with the three taikonauts onboard the craft. One of the six works is based on a photo Vista of Xiapu. The artwork depicts mudflats covered in sun-shine in Xiapu County, Fujian Province. Xiapu has a coastline of 510 km and about 70,000 hectares of shallow sea tidal flats. The terrain here is level and gentle, with clear seawater as well as fine, soft mud and sand. The ebb and flow of the tides create diverse gullies and other patterns on the tidal flats. Flats, transforming with the seasons, tides and light, offer mesmerizing and dreamlike vistas. Xiapu’s beautiful coastal scenery attracts thousands of domestic and international photographers each year, all seeking to…

Xianyou County, Fujian Province in southeast China, has long been known for its production of classical furniture, with related arts and crafts forming one of the county’s major industries. The county began producing furniture in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) before rising to prominence in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Its classical furniture is now viewed as an excellent example of traditional Chinese craftsmanship. In 2014, the technique of making Xianyou-style classical furniture was added to China’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. (Text by Pan Xiaoqiao and photos by Zheng Shaoqian)…

A drone light show in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on August 26. An SEZ in China is a designated area with economic policies and regulations designed to attract business from overseas. A fleet of 12,000 drones illuminated the night skies in this energetic city bordering Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The spectacular display, synchronized with light projections on high-rise buildings, celebrated Shenzhen’s transformation from a small fishing town into an economic powerhouse, after being designated as China’s first SEZ in 1980.…

Yumai Township in Lhunze County, Shannan City, Xizang Autonomous Region, sits on the China-India border. Tucked away at the southern foot of the Himalayan Mountains, Yumai is the administrative township with the smallest population in China, yet quietly guards the national border with its vast territory of about 3,600 square km. Yumai once was the hometown of just one household: Sangye Chopa and his two daughters Drolkar and Yangzom, literally the only three people residing there. In the 1960s, poverty and harsh conditions, like heavy snow, insufficient sunlight and poor infrastructure, drove most residents away. With a steadfast commitment to safeguarding their ancestral land, Sangye Chopa’s family chose to stay. As a result, the responsibility of defending the border naturally fell on their shoulders, and Sangye Chopa became the first…

Lo cated in Xizang Autonomous Region at an altitude of 4,718 meters, Namtso Lake is the world’s highest saltwater lake. In recent years, development has been occurring here in harmony with nature through a number of ecological protection and green development practices. Waste management On the shore of Namtso, the residents of Dabu Village in Damxung County, Lhasa City, now pack their household garbage into bags and stack them at a designated garbage collection point at the village entrance. Their garbage is taken from the collection point to the county’s central disposal point. Lhasa Namtso Scenic Area Protection and Development Co. Ltd. also conducts daily patrols around the lake to ensure its environment is free from litter. “It wasn’t like this a few years ago,” recalled Dawa Dorje, a leader…

Whenever she introduces her company on important occasions, Hu Guangfen prefers to narrate the story of her personal and entrepreneurial journey through a dance performance. On stage, her voice blends seamlessly with the movements of the dancers, recounting her path from working as a migrant laborer to founding her own business. The 56-year-old entrepreneur is the founder of Guizhou Guisanhong Food Co. Ltd., now the largest fermented pickled chili processor in Guizhou Province in southwest China. On July 15, during the opening of Guizhou’s “China’s Development: An Opportunity for a Colorful World” International Exchange Week, she once again introduced herself through this narrative dance. She recalled that in 1990, she left her home in Guizhou to work in a shoe factory in faraway Guangdong Province. No matter how difficult things…

On August 25, Tarob Yonden Tsomo was busy at her café in Lhasa, capital of Xizang Autonomous Region, working from early morning until late at night. “Today is the Shoton Festival holiday, so the café is even busier—I’ve been working nonstop,” she told Beijing Review. Originating in the middle of the 11th century, the Shoton Festival, also known as the Yogurt Festival, is celebrated mainly in Lhasa. It was among the first to be inscribed on China’s national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2006. During the festival, local residents enjoy yogurt, go on elaborate picnics and attend traditional activities such as Tibetan Opera and horse racing. Tarob Yonden Tsomo’s coffee chain is called Nindo, which means “best friends” in Tibetan. “We created the brand in 2018 and now have…

At 51 years old, Li Dong, a guesthouse owner and tea grower in Made Village, Medog County, Nyingchi City, Xizang Autonomous Region, has 869 friends on super app Weixin—over 400 of them are her customers. Every tea-picking season, she posts short videos or hosts livestreams featuring tea picking and processing, and the orders keep flowing in. “In the first half of this year alone, I earned more than 90,000 yuan ($12,570) from selling tea and running a guesthouse,” Li Dong told Beijing Review. Her income during this period was 7.5 times the national average for rural residents. In Medog, many residents like Li have achieved prosperity through growing tea and engaging in tourism. Yet 13 years ago, tea growing was still a rarity for the county’s residents. As the last…

The Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark, situated in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, was designated as a Global Geopark in August 2009. It holds the distinction of being the first to attain the status in northwest China and the only one in Shaanxi Province. The Global Geoparks Network (GGN) is an international organization dedicated to preserving and promoting locations of profound geological significance that chronicle Earth’s history, its evolutionary journey and its climatic shifts. Globally, China leads the way with 49 UNESCO-recognized geoparks. Earth’s evolution museum A geopark sprawling 1,074.85 square kilometers, Qinling Zhongnanshan chronicles the tumultuous past of our planet and the continental collision and amalgamation that have sculpted China’s landmass. Remarkably, Cuihua Mountain, located inside the geopark, features a landslide volume of 300 million cubic meters, ranking third globally, and…