China to set personal credit records for 14 occupational groups

The establishment of personal credit records will boom in China in 2017, with people from 14 kinds of important occupations being targeted as the new records system is established, said Lian Weiliang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The fourteen occupations include civil servants, lawyers, teachers, and doctors. Lian said a nationwide credit blackl...

Printing of original ancient Buddhist canon returns to Palace Museum

A printing of the complete version of an 18th century edition of the Tripitaka, a collection of Buddhist scriptures, has been collated by the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City. The Tripitaka, which is of great religious and cultural importance, has several versions published at different times and in various languages, such as Tibetan and Mongolian. The compilation of Qing Dynast...

Dear Mom and Dad, I’m Studying in China

In the average university study abroad office there are stacks of glossy brochures lining the walls with students smiling at you from exotic locations. Over the years the brochures have changed shape and size, color and font, but the message remains the same: Study Abroad! Some students grab a brochure and share it with family at the dinner table, while others take one look and say, “My mom woul...

Mei Lanfang——Master of Peking Opera

Mei Lan (22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961), better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was one of the most famous Peking operaartists in modern Chinese theater. He was exclusively known for his female lead roles (dan) and particularly his "verdant-robed girls" (qingyi), young or middle-aged women of grace and refinement. He was considered one of the "Four Great Dan", along withShang Xiaoyun, Che...

Rejecting Confucius Institutes not helpful to understand China

Nobody expected the Confucius Institutes (CI) to grow so rapidly when it first opened a campus in Seoul in 2004. Today, it has 465 institutes in 123 countries and regions and another 713 Confucius Classrooms operating in middle and primary schools worldwide. But criticisms and calls to ban the spread of the institutes haven't stopped. Without doubt, CI has its problems, in management style, hi...

Most attractive Chinese cities for foreigners

Allen (UK) Beijing is one of my top places on the list because it is the most visited place. It is ideal for history lovers. It is the center of politics, vibrant culture, it's an ancient city in China with rich history and the home of top attractions like the Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, Lama Temple, Beihai Park, Beijing Capital Museum and so forth. Letzebuerger (Germany) Tianjin, nice ol...

Ruins of Old Summer Palace brought back to life

At the mention of Yuanmingyuan Garden, or the Old Summer Palace, crumbling walls and ruins come to mind. Now visitors can see how it looked before it was destroyed. The Garden located in northwest of Beijing was first constructed in 1709 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Over the next 150 years it was expanded, covering a total of 350 hectares. Hundreds of sc...

Shaolin Temple to host world martial arts competition

The Shaolin Temple is to hold a world martial arts competition, said abbot Shi Yongxin during the closing ceremony of a Zen activity, Chinanews.com reported. Shi said masters of martial arts and meditation of different styles and schools can use the event, on a date to be set, to compete against and learn from one another. They will compete in set patterns, stunts and sanshou (free-hand figh...

Minister Li Bin attends Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014

The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2014 was held in Boao, Hainan, from April 8 to 11. Li Bin, minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China, attended the opening ceremony and gave a speech at a roundtable conference about the mission of the pilot region for international medical tourism. According to Li, the State Council issued a docu...

Living rural life in urban city

China is undergoing rapid urbanization as people move from rural to urban areas where there are more work opportunities. Although jobs do exist in cities, especially in mega ones, they are not enough to make migrants live a decent urban life. Taking Beijing as an example, some villages that are close to the public transport system and where rents are comparatively low are becoming shelters for...