China in Pictures Page 42

Apr 13, 2023 17:12 PM

Gallery: Sandstorms Rage On in East Asia
Sand and dust from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert have shrouded parts of the Chinese mainland, Japan and South Korea on Wednesday, reducing visibility and triggering hazardous levels of air pollution in cities like Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul. On Thursday, China’s national forecaster issued a blue sandstorm warning, the lowest on its four-tier weather warning system, as debris is expected to once again engulf parts of northern China
Apr 12, 2023 19:36 PM

Gallery: Pardoned Former President Steps Out
South Korea’s Ex-leader Park Geun-hye made her first appearance in a year Tuesday as she visited a Buddhist temple in Daegu, a conservative-leaning city in southeast Korea. After spending nearly five years in prison on corruption charges, Park has largely stayed out of the public eye since being pardoned by then-President Moon Jae-in in December 2021. Park was greeted by a senior monk at the temple and paid her respects by burning incense in front of a Buddha statue, South Korean media reported
Apr 12, 2023 19:15 PM

Gallery: Foreign Brands Look to Make a Mark
The 2023 China International Consumer Products Expo has opened in Haikou, Hainan province. More than 3,000 brands from 65 countries have come to showcase products ranging from Lamborghinis to bicycles to a diamond crown valued around $23 million. The year’s event runs from Monday to Saturday
Apr 11, 2023 17:37 PM

Gallery: Historic Shanghai Building Gets Facelift
After more than a year, renovation is almost complete on an 89-year-old art deco-style structure. Born from a merger of the former Hengshan Hotel and neighboring Jiushi Hengshan Hotel, the transformed building boasts more than 300 guest rooms, as well as conference facilities and a garden crafted from a former tennis court. Originally built as residential apartments in 1934, the building was converted to a hotel in 1955. The most recent renovation, which began at the end of 2020, marks the fifth of this iconic high-rise
Apr 10, 2023 19:37 PM

Gallery: North China Sandstorms Hide the Sky
Sand and dust shroud cities across the region, causing air pollution to soar to hazardous levels. In Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, PM10 concentrations in the air hit 400 micrograms per cubic meter on Monday. That morning, the National Meteorological Center renewed a blue weather alert, the lowest of a four-tier system. The center forecast continued storms in regions like Beijing, Inner Mongolia, northern Gansu, and southern and eastern Xinjiang
Apr 10, 2023 18:47 PM

Gallery: China Flexes Military Muscles
The Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army held tactical exercises from Saturday to Monday in what it calls a ‘stern warning,’ days after a meeting between Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Dubbed ‘Joint Sword,’ dozens of fighter jets, destroyers, frigates, and anti-ship missile vessels with ballistic and cruise missile units were used to track targets in northern, eastern and southern Taiwan
Apr 07, 2023 19:39 PM

Gallery: A Slice of Shanghai Culture in Beijing
The historic Taianli complex reopened to the public this week after years of renovation. Completed in 1918, the site consists of six Shikumen-style buildings split into two rows by an alley. The local government launched a plan in 2018 to convert the once-dilapidated residential area into a new culture and entertainment center with a bookstore, bars and exhibition space
Apr 06, 2023 18:29 PM

Gallery: French President Lands in China
Emmanuel Macron kicked off his three-day state visit in Beijing on Wednesday. After meeting with France’s ambassador to China, Macron delivered a speech at the ambassador’s residence, emphasizing the importance of ‘shared responsibility for peace and stability on international issues.’ He also visited the Red Brick Art Museum, accompanied by French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak and famous Chinese artists including Gong Li and Huang Bo
Apr 04, 2023 17:23 PM

Gallery: School Staff Plead Guilty in Abuse Case
Five executives from Yuzhang Academy pleaded guilty Friday to charges of illegal detention and physical abuse in a retrial at Anyuan District People’s Court in East China’s Jiangxi province. The reform school was the center of an abuse scandal in 2017 after reports emerged that it was using confinement and physical punishment on students with behavioral problems such as internet addiction. In 2020, a retrial was ordered for the case
Apr 03, 2023 20:03 PM

Gallery: Ex-Taiwan Leader Honors His Ancestors
Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of Taiwan’s Kuomintang party, visited his grandfather’s tomb in central Hunan province’s Xiangtan county over the weekend, as part of his ongoing tour of the Chinese mainland to promote better cross-Strait ties. Ma also met with the provincial party leader and led a group of Taiwan students on a visit to Hunan University. On Monday, Ma stopped by the economically important city of Chongqing, where he visited several local museums
Apr 03, 2023 18:57 PM

Gallery: Oscar-Winning Japanese Composer Dies
Celebrated musician Ryuichi Sakamoto died Tuesday at the age of 71, recording firm Avex announced Sunday. Born in 1952, Sakamoto gained prominence in Japan in the late 1970s after forming the techno-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra with Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono. His fame spread outside Japan in the 1980s after acting and scoring for films including ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’ and ‘The Last Emperor.’ In December last year, he released a solo piano livestream performance, which became his final concert following his second cancer diagnosis in 2021
Mar 31, 2023 19:22 PM

Gallery: Capturing Watershed Moments of 2022
Regional winners of the 2023 World Photo Contest were unveiled Wednesday, with works representing major news events, including conflict, culture and identity, from the last year. Hailing from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania, the 24 winners and six honorable mentions were selected by an independent jury out of more than 60,000 entries by 3,752 photographers from 127 countries
Mar 31, 2023 18:44 PM

Gallery: Lens on Global Issues
Some of the regional winning projects of this year’s World Press Photo Contest reflect how specific groups of people adapt to living with issues ranging from immigration to economic collapse. Among them, the project titled Faint Light in the Unfinished Building by Chinese photographer Chu Weimin showed obstacles China’s homebuyers face amid the housing market crisis. The photo of the year winners in four categories will be announced on April 20
Mar 30, 2023 19:22 PM

Gallery: Remembering Leslie Cheung
Hong Kong has opened two exhibitions to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of the city’s beloved singer-actor Leslie Cheung. The exhibitions feature the Cantopop star’s stage costumes, records and films, as well as artwork inspired by Cheung. After making his debut in a singing contest in 1977, the star released more than 40 albums and appeared in over 50 films during a 26-year career. On April 1, 2003, he committed suicide at the age of 46
Mar 29, 2023 19:58 PM

Gallery: Carrefour Makes Hasty Exit From China’s Capital
The French retailer shut the doors on its Chaoyang district location in Beijing on Wednesday after 28 years, due to a price hike in its lease agreement. Staff members scrambled to pack up remaining goods days before the closure, leaving the 8,000 square-meter space in a state of disarray. Once the fastest-growing foreign retail chain in the country, Carrefour closed 54 stores there last year, abandoning the market in cities such as Hangzhou, Chengdu and Fuzhou
Mar 29, 2023 19:37 PM

Gallery: China Hosts Boao Forum
The annual meeting of political and business leaders kicked off Tuesday in the coastal town of Boao, South China’s Hainan province. Some 2,000 people from over 50 countries and regions attended the event, whose theme this year is: An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development amid Challenges. The four-day event is the forum’s first entirely in-person annual conference since before the pandemic
Mar 28, 2023 19:09 PM

Gallery: Former Taiwan Leader Tours Mainland
Ma Ying-jeou visited the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province, on Tuesday morning. Ma and a delegation of academics and college students arrived in Shanghai the previous day, beginning a 12-day tour on the mainland. The former leader will pay respect to his ancestors and join delegates in activities as they tour cities including Wuhan, Changsha and Chongqing
Mar 28, 2023 17:20 PM

Gallery: A Slam Dunk of a Tournament
Village BA, an annual basketball tournament in Taipan village in Guizhou province, draws large crowds. This year’s finals, which began over the weekend, culminated with the Qiandongnan Prefecture team defeating Team Zunyi 68-65 and claiming the championship on Monday. Organized by local residents, the tournament features players from rural areas across the southwestern Chinese province and has become increasingly popular over the years
Mar 27, 2023 18:38 PM

Gallery: Economic Forum in Beijing Draws Big Names
The 2023 China Development Forum kicked off in the capital’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Saturday, drawing over 100 delegates including officials, scholars and business leaders from companies such as Apple, Standard Chartered and Shell. Hosted by State Council’s think tank, the Development Research Center, the three-day event was the first time the forum had been held in-person since the start of the pandemic
Mar 24, 2023 18:36 PM

Gallery: TikTok Chief in Congressional Hotseat
Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared Thursday in front of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee in Washington, where he addressed concerns over the app’s alleged ties to the Chinese government. Questioned by both Democrats and Republicans in a hearing that stretched on for more than five hours, Chew pointed out that the company’s data is subject to the laws and regulations of the U.S. Outside the hearing, TikTok supporters gathered to protest the potential ban on the app