Paralympics Parting...

CHINA PICTORIAL MAGAZINES

Snapshot

Paralympics Parting...

Paralympics Parting

A dazzling shower of red leaves, 100,000 post cards, and a silent dialogue between a girl and a flame. These were but a few of the elements included in China’s grand farewell to the 12-day Beijing 2008 Paralympics on the night of September 17, 2008. And with that the nation’s 40-day mission to host the world, which began with the opening of the Beijing Olympics on August 8, was complete.“These are the greatest Paralympic Games ever,” said International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven in his closing speech.

September 17, 2008 – The performance Red Maple Leaves of the Fragrant Hills within the National Stadium during the Beijing Paralympics Games Closing Ceremony. by Chen Shugen/Xinhua

Taikonaut Trek

Following a historic spacewalk heralding China’s further exploration of space, the Shenzhou-VII space module, carrying the three taikonauts, Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng, parachuted gently back to earth in the northern grasslands on the afternoon of September 28, 2008. The 68-hour, 27-minute space flight was the third manned mission to be successfully completed in China. The first was in 2003, during which taikonaut Yang Liwei spent 21 hours in space. A second flight in 2005 carried taikonauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng on a five-day journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

September 27, 2008 – Zhai Zhigang, China’s first taikonaut to step into space, waves the national flag of China beyond the confines of the Shenzhou-VII capsule. by Zha Chunming/Xinhua

Tax Deducted

On September 18, the Chinese government scrapped the stamp tax on purchase of equities and the State-owned investment agency Central Huijin announced it would purchase shares of three major Chinese banks. The moves are aimed at stabilizing the fragile stock market, reeling under the impact of the US financial crisis. To invigorate the market, the government slashed the tax from 0.3 percent to 0.1 percent on April 24. The government also called on key State-owned companies to buy back their own shares.

September 19, 2008 – The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rebounds 179.25 points to 2,075.09 to remain at that level all afternoon after many shares quickly hit the 10 percent upside daily limit. None of the stocks traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses fell. by Yuchi Jianping/CFP

Timely Texts

A special book fair was recently held on the campus of Peking University, allowing students to acquire needed books for no charge. The more than 10,000 textbooks, exercises and other books at the fair were previously used and donated by recent graduates. Prior to commencement of the Student Union book collection program, the texts were disposed of as recyclable refuse. In particular, the fair offered substantial aid to those students facing financial difficulty, who might otherwise not be able to afford the volumes.

September 21, 2008 – Students select texts at Peking University’s special book fair. by Xu Liang/Xinhua

Car-Free Day

In 2001, Sichuan Province metropolis Chengdu became the first Chinese city to launch a Car-Free Day. By September 2008 there were 111 Chinese cities participating in similar programs. On September 22, designated as 2008 Car-Free Day in China, environmental protection volunteers and residents in participating cities walked or rode aboard greener means of transportation.

September 20, 2008 – In Fuzhou, capital of southeast China’s Fujian Province, citizen environmental protection volunteers hit the streets to encourage people to leave their cars at home for the 2008 Car-Free Day. by Jiang Kehong/Xinhua

Photo Fest

In September in ancient Pingyao City, Shanxi Province, the annual Pingyao International Photography Festival this year featured some 12,000 visual works created by the artists of some 40 countries and regions. Initiated in 2001 in Pingyao, a World Cultural Heritage Site, the festival has become one of the most influential photography galas in China.

September 21, 2008 – The Pingyao International Photography Festival draws many fans and tourists to the ancient city, designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site. by Peng Yang/Xinhua

Venerable Street

After months of repair work, Dongguan Street recently reopened in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. A tourist site as well as a commercial street, Dongguan is paved with grayish stone slabs and lined on each side by shops and stores built in traditional Chinese architectural style. According to historical records, the street has long been a city center for business, the handicraft trade, religion and culture.

September 20, 2008 – Dongguan Street is crowded on reopening day. Xinhua

Marsh Park

Hetang Yuese Marsh Park, developed on what was formerly deserted fish pools, shoals and watercourses, recently debuted in southeast China’s city of Suzhou, a place well known for its classical gardens. Covering an area of 333 hectares, the park is home to more than 300 kinds of water lilies. Thus it is now China’s largest water-lily-themed marsh park.

Taking in the lovely view of water lilies during a boat ride is a popular activity among visitors to Hetang Yuese Marsh Park, opened to the public in September. by Chen Fei/Xinhua

Opera Class

Since March 2008, when Peking Opera was added to the curriculum of music classes in many elementary and middle schools in 10 municipalities, provinces and regions in China, about 200 schools have signed on. According to established standards, students from the first to ninth grade are required to learn 15 arias. In their teaching, many schools are supported by local Peking Opera troupes.

September 18, 2008 – During a school art festival, a Peking Opera play performed by pupils of Chang’an Primary School, Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province. by Tian Chengming/Xinhua

Water Wedding

The Fourth Water Town Wedding was recently held in an ancient town in Shanghai on September 20, 2008. Garbed in ancient Chinese wedding costumes, 20 newlywed couples from China, the Netherlands and Thailand celebrated their nuptials aboard 10 boats with thousands of local residents serving as witnesses.

September 20, 2008 – The Fourth Water Town Wedding, Shanghai. by Zao Shan/CFP

Eco-smart Building

On September 20, China’s first zero-carbon building went into operation on the campus of Nottingham University Ningbo, China in southeast China’s Zhejiang Province. The building makes use of renewable energy to fuel its heating and cooling systems, and the external slant glass windows of the building enable more efficient disbursal of radiant sunlight. The building is also equipped with rainwater storage and recycling system, which minimizes the impact of waste water on the environment.

September 20, 2008 – The Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies at Nottingham University Ningbo, China. by Zhang Peijian/CFP

Commemorating Confucius

On September 28, the annual grand sacrificial ceremony honoring Confucius was held in the scholar-philosopher’s hometown to mark the 2,559th birthday of that supremely esteemed sage. Confucius (551BC-479BC) was a great thinker, statesman and educator during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC). During the past 2,500-plus years, his teachings have continued to exert great influence on the Chinese and other Asian peoples.

September 28, 2008 – Artists perform during the sacrificing ceremony at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province. by Fan Changguo/Xinhua

Water Ski

From September 29 to 30, a water-skiing competition brought together star skiers from China and the US in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Competing were 17 US and 25 Chinese preeminent skiers. Initiated in 1999, and instituted as an annual event in 2001, this was the ninth such competitive meet.

September 29, 2008 – Star skiers from the US perform “Ballet on Water.” by Liu Dawei/Xinhua

Illuminating Caves

Tourists visiting the world-famous Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, will see the ancient frescoes and statues more vividly as the management plans to introduce modern lights into the caves. If the results of experiments underway prove positive, modern illumination will be installed next year in all the caves open to the public.

Housing more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes, the 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes complex was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. by Han Chuanhao /Xinhua