Premier Returns...

CHINA PICTORIAL MAGAZINES

Snapshot

Premier Returns...

Premier Returns

Nearly four months after the devastating May 12 earthquake, during a visit to Sichuan Province, Premier Wen Jiabao inspected repair work and raised morale among residents. “The relief work [so far] is successful,” said Wen, on his fourth visit to Sichuan since the quake. “Now we are entering a critical stage to boost rehabilitation.”Thanks to temporary housing and repaired structures, about 4.45 million homeless families in the province have found accommodations.  During the four-day trip beginning on August 31, Wen also visited an urban community in Qiaozhuang Town, Qingchuan. Permanent home rebuilding has not yet begun in the urban area, as the government is working on a subsidy policy for affected residents.

September 2, 2008 – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is surrounded by children in the Xinjian Primary School in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. by Huang Jingwen/Xinhua

Another Gold

On the closing day of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, 84-year-old Chinese maestro Huang Yongyu accepted a special award, the “Olympic Art Prize,” jointly delivered by the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, and honorary president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, He Zhenliang. Although the Olympic Art Prize was not awarded for an Olympic sport, it is considered China’s 52nd gold medal at the Games, because it is given out every four years by Olympic officials, and it is the highest honor for international artists who have contributed to human literature, music, architecture, art and filmmaking. Huang Yongyu expressed his interpretation of the Olympic spirit through his art. He is the first Chinese artist to be bestowed with the prize. Huang considered the award an honor for all Chinese artists who contributed to the Olympics

August 24, 2008 - Huang Yongyu receives the “Olympic Art Prize” from the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, and honorary president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, He Zhenliang.

Widest Tunnel

On September 5, excavation of the world’s widest tunnel, with an inner diameter of 13.7 meters, was completed. Running below the Yangtze River, the 8.9-km-long tunnel is part of a 12.6-billion-yuan (US $1.84 billion) bridge and tunnel project linking Shanghai with Chongming Island, the country’s third largest island, after Taiwan and Hainan. The tunnel will accommodate a six-lane expressway and a rail line. When operational in 2010, travel to Chongming from urban Shanghai will take about 20 minutes, according to Yu Xuanping, vice general manager of the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co., Ltd, builder of the tunnel. To excavate under the Yangtze, the company used a tunnel boring machine with a diameter of 15.43 meters, the largest of its kind.

September 5, 2008 – A minivan runs through the Yangtze River Tunnel in Shanghai. The tunnel is the world’s widest, with an inner diameter of 13.7 meters. by Ren Long/Xinhua

Moon Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, is a popular Chinese celebration of abundance and togetherness. This year, the day fell on September 14, and family members and friends gathered to enjoy the bright mid-autumn harvest moon and moon cakes. Various activities were held to celebrate the festival.

August 31, 2008 – In the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, a craftswoman decorates lanterns in the shape of Peking Opera masks. by Hang Xinghui/Xinhua

Olympic Photos

On September 5, the Panoramic Photo Exhibition of the Beijing Olympic Games opened in Beijing. More than 300 photos were displayed during the exhibition, themed on the sharing of glory and dreams. The five-day exhibition drew large crowds.

September 5, 2008 – A visitor considers an image at the Panoramic Photo Exhibition in Beijing. by Che Liang/CFP

Pet Fair

On September 4, Pet Fair Asia 2008 opened at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The fair ran from September 4 to 6. In its 11th year, Pet Fair Asia is the most celebrated business-to-business event in the region. The world’s top manufacturers, importers, exporters, agents, dealers, distributors and retailers attend Pet Fair Asia annually to network with potential partners and new suppliers.

September 5, 2008 – China Dog Show at Pet Fair Asia 2008. by Jun Ying/CFP

Savior Satellites

At 11:25 a.m. on September 6, China launched two satellites tasked to monitor the environment and natural disasters. The two satellites, launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province and carried by a Long March 2C rocket, were expected to enhance the country’s capacity to forecast natural disasters, according to Bai Zhaoguang, a leading scientist and satellite designer. The first of their kind put into space by China, the satellites are expected to have a lifespan of more than three years. They are capable of state-of-the-art imaging, equipped with infrared cameras, and will provide a global scan every two days.

September 6, 2008 – Carried by a Long March 2C rocket, two environment-monitoring satellites are launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province. They are tasked to monitor the environment and help reduce the impact of natural disasters. by Wang Yongji/Xinhua

Taihu Fishing

On August 30, an annual fishing festival kicked off in East China’s Jiangsu Province. The festival, known by locals as kaibu, or “begin to fish,” lifted a seven-month fishing ban in the third largest freshwater lake in China. A cultural week showcasing local fishing customs was held alongside the festival.

August 30, 2008 – Participating in an annual fishing festival, boats ply the waters of Taihu Lake, in East China’s Jiangsu Province. by Chen Qi/Xinhua

Real Estate

Chinese property developers, hard-pressed by falling sales and tightening credit, are eagerly awaiting “Golden September and Silver October,” the traditional hot season for real estate.But they may be disappointed this year, since there is no sign of recovery in the sector, due to a glut and stricter credit controls, according to analysts.The soaring supply in September, including a large number of low-cost units on the market, was a big factor in dampening hopes for a rebound in Beijing.

A real estate exhibition in Beijing. by Nan Shan/CFP

Agri Expo

On September 4, the 2008 Kunming International Agriculture Exposition kicked off in Kunming, capital of southwestern China’s Yunnan Province. Visitors were interested in the especially large vegetables, such as pumpkins and eggplants.

September 4, 2008 – A boy with a large pumpkin at the 2008 Kunming International Agriculture Exposition in Kunming, Yunnan Province. by Zou Zheng/Xinhua

Qing Garb

On August 20, 103 court garments of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were exhibited at Meridian Gate Tower of the Palace Museum in Beijing. Those garments boast their great historical values and provide precious clues for research on the Qing Dynasty costumes.

August 20, 2008 – Visitors consider court garments of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) during an exhibition at Meridian Gate Tower of the Palace Museum in Beijing. by Jiang Hongjin/Xinhua

Coca-Cola Bid

The world’s largest beverage producer, Coca-Cola, has offered to buy China’s Huiyuan Juice for $2.3 billion, a price 300 percent over the stock’s closing price at the time of the offer.The Atlanta-based company would acquire Hong Kong-listed Huiyuan for HK $17.9 billion, or 12.20 cents per share – almost triple Huiyuan’s closing price of HK $4.14 on August 29. Huiyuan shares soared 164.3 percent on September 3 to close at HK $10.94. Stock analysts in China said the high offer reflects the premium placed on Huiyuan’s brand in the Chinese market.

September 3, 2008 – Huiyuan juices and cans of Coke at a supermarket. by Sha Lang/CFP

Wine Imports

China’s volume of wine imports continued to expand in the first five months of this year, thanks largely to reductions in tariffs, strong demand at home and high profits for dealers, according to the General Administration of Customs. Between January and May, China purchased 84.89 million liters of wine from abroad, 10.3 percent more than the same period of last year. Imports were valued at $310 million, up 49.1 percent.

May 17, 2008 – Imported wines on display at a Chinese supermarket.by Zhang Heping/CFP

Tibet Festival

Tibet Autonomous Region stands to gain from a post-Games tourism boom, which coincides with the region’s grandest annual festival, according to local officials. Foreign tourists who have enjoyed Beijing’s historical sites and folkways during their Olympic visit might now seize the opportunity to see the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau while exploring the country’s vast landscape, said Tanor, deputy director of the tourism administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, during a press conference in Beijing on August 25.

August 30, 2008 – Performers at the opening ceremony of the Shoton (Yogurt) Festival celebration on Potala Palace Square in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. by Pubu Zhaxi/Xinhua