Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has attached great importance to tourism, leading China's tourism development into the fast lane and successfully forging a unique path for China's tourism development. The tourism industry has cross-integrated and developed collaboratively with other industries, continuously expanding its scale and increasingly becoming an emerging strategic pillar industry. The Dragon Boat Festival is China's first traditional festival to be inscribed on the World Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In Jiaxing, Zhejiang, the Dragon Boat Folk Culture Festival has kicked off. On the lake, 19 dragon boat teams cut through the waves to the rhythmic beating of drums. Within the ancient city, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions such as sachet displays, dragon dances, and hand-held horse lanterns were also wonderfully staged, allowing tourists from all directions to feel a strong "Chinese flavor." Culture shapes tourism, and tourism highlights culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to tourism work. He pointed out that cultural and tourism industries are inseparable, and we must insist on promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism, allowing people to appreciate the beauty of nature, feel the beauty of culture, and cultivate the beauty of the soul. We must adhere to integrity and innovation, improve quality and efficiency, and promote integrated development, focusing on improving the modern tourism industry system and accelerating the construction of a strong tourism nation. "Tourism + culture" has become an important vehicle for people to appreciate Chinese culture and enhance cultural confidence. Various regions are actively carrying out "intangible cultural heritage into scenic spots" activities, providing a broad platform and unlimited space for the inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the number of traditional cultural scenic spots in China has grown significantly, increasing from 2,064 in 2012 to over 4,000 in 2023, achieving an average annual growth of 8%. Just a few days ago, a delegation of foreign travel agents from over 50 countries and regions visited Fenghuang Ancient Town in Hunan, where colorful folk cultural feasts, large-scale light and shadow fireworks, and water shows surprised international guests. "Tourism + rural areas": Eight villages, including Huangling Village in Jiangxi, Xidi Village in Anhui, and Dazhai Village in Guangxi, have successively been selected as "Best Tourism Villages" by the UNWTO. Rural tourism contributes over 35% to local farmers' employment and has grown into a trillion-yuan livelihood and happiness industry. "Tourism + industry": Currently, China has established 142 national industrial tourism demonstration bases. A number of industrial heritage sites, such as Beijing Shougang Park, have been revitalized and utilized, forming new tourism models with multiple formats such as museum exhibitions, heritage sightseeing, cultural and creative clusters, and urban leisure. "Tourism + transportation": Well-equipped and scenic tourist roads allow more people to embark on "road trips." From 2021 to date, China has launched three batches of 57 5C and 4C self-driving RV campgrounds. It is estimated that by 2025, the core market size of China's camping economy will increase to 248.32 billion yuan. Self-driving tours and camping have become new ways to experience a good life. "Tourism + sports": Various regions are actively creating outdoor sports events, allowing participants to check in at urban food and scenic spots outside of competitions and immerse themselves in the unique local customs and culture. Yunnan Province has launched more than 30 boutique hiking routes to better meet the diverse tourism consumption demands of today. "Tourism + technology": Digital technologies such as augmented reality, virtual technology, and artificial intelligence are being used to create new tourism products and consumption scenarios. During this year's "May Day" holiday, 42 national smart tourism immersive new spaces achieved a total consumption of over 220 million yuan. More and more fields are integrating with tourism, continuously creating new value and fostering new business formats. As of now, China has built 15,700 A-level tourist attractions, forming the world's largest, most diverse, and most innovative scenic spot supply system.
In recent days, various regions have held exciting holiday activities, as people immerse themselves in rich traditional customs to welcome the Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon boat racing is a traditional Dragon Boat Festival custom. On the Fen River in Taiyuan, Shanxi, 24 dragon boats rode the wind and waves, engaging in fierce competition. In the Xiang River in Zhuzhou, Hunan, paddles danced, stirring up layers of spray. In the valleys of Xinxiang, Henan, dragon boat athletes paddled hard, full of passion, while people cheered and took photos, experiencing the strong Dragon Boat Festival atmosphere. In Shenzhen, Guangdong, 30 dragon boat teams from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area engaged in a test of speed and passion on the vast, undulating sea. In Lhasa, Tibet, a unique yak skin boat race ignited the enthusiasm of the spectators. This morning (June 9), the preliminary and semi-final rounds of various events of the 2024 Chinese Dragon Boat Race Jiangsu Yancheng station were contested. In the professional men's group competition, Shunde Lecong team won first place in the 100-meter preliminary round, while Guangdong Jiangmen Xinhui team and Liaocheng University team swept first place in all events of the elite open group and youth group preliminary rounds, respectively. Experiencing traditional customs for the Dragon Boat Festival: folding zong leaves, filling with glutinous rice, pinching tightly, and winding with string. In Nanchong, Sichuan, children methodically learned to make zongzi, full of childlike fun. In Nanxiebao Village, Handan, Hebei, villagers, blindfolded, competed in zongzi making, their skilled movements drawing rounds of applause. In Siyang, Jiangsu, the community held folk experience activities such as making sachets, drawing dragon boats, painting round fans, and making zongzi, where neighbors shared the fragrant zongzi and enjoyed traditional culture together. In addition to eating zongzi and dragon boat racing, various regions offered a rich variety of Dragon Boat Festival folk activities. In Chongqing Liangping National Wetland Park, colorful flowers attracted many citizens and tourists to stroll and take photos. Folk performances and other festive activities in Longnan, Gansu, allowed everyone to further perceive, savor, and inherit the Dragon Boat Festival through "folk customs and fun."
During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, various cultural activities were held across the country, enriching people's holiday cultural needs through artistic performances, intangible cultural heritage markets, and folk activities. At the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Beijing Art Center, the "Dragon Boat Festival Elegant Gathering" series of performances are being held. The large-scale immersive situational drama "Dream of the Great Wall," combining immersive performance with high-tech means, takes the audience to appreciate the culture of the Great Wall. Digital technology brings red culture to life. During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the "Red Ribbon" Long March Digital Science and Technology Art Museum in Guiyang, Guizhou, became a destination for many tourists. Through AI virtual interaction, multi-dimensional mechanical movement, virtual reality technology, and other methods, visitors can experience the great Long March era from multiple perspectives and immersively. On the first day of the holiday, the National Library received over 25,000 readers. The China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum launched the "Myriad Phenomena - Exhibition of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Practices" and held an intangible cultural heritage market, inviting inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to demonstrate representative intangible cultural heritage projects on site, attracting many visitors to experience them.
The reporter learned from the Ministry of Transport that the total cross-regional passenger flow across society is expected to exceed 190 million person-times today (June 9). Among them, railway passenger volume is expected to reach 12.6 million person-times, highway passenger flow is expected to exceed 176 million person-times, and civil aviation is expected to send 1.75 million passengers. National railways plan to add 514 passenger trains today. In response to heavy rainfall, China Railway Nanning Group and local municipal transportation departments coordinated to ensure seamless transportation connections, facilitating quick entry and exit for passengers. China Railway Nanchang Group increased intercity trains departing from Xiapu Station to promote county-level tourism development. The national highway network is generally running smoothly and orderly today, with an estimated 36 million vehicles on expressways, and a relatively high proportion of short- and medium-distance self-driving trips. In addition, with the increasing popularity of coastal cities and waterfront scenic spots, water passenger volume has grown rapidly. Today, water passenger volume is expected to reach 1.2 million person-times, a 51.8% increase month-on-month.
As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, dragon boat races across the country are heating up. In Tianjin, nearly a hundred foreigners from over 50 countries are also eager to try their hand. When the reporter arrived at the Haihe River, many foreign enterprise dragon boat teams were undergoing pre-race training. They were exceptionally serious about learning the essentials of dragon boating, including gripping the paddle, entering the water, pulling the water, and pushing the paddle. This year, nearly a hundred foreign athletes from over 50 countries are participating in the Tianjin Haihe Dragon Boat Race. They include employees from Fortune Global 500 companies based in Tianjin, as well as foreign teachers, international students, and entrepreneurs residing in Tianjin. Dragon boating, a traditional Chinese sport, has brought them together. The unique dragon boat race allows them to feel the power of unity and gain a deeper understanding of the dragon boat spirit and Chinese culture. Juan, the head of a new energy foreign-invested enterprise, has been working and living in Tianjin for 24 years. He is not only obsessed with the teamwork and competitive spirit of dragon boat racing but also thoroughly enjoys his life here. During the interview, the reporter found that these foreign athletes, like Juan, not only love Chinese food and folk customs but are also full of confidence in their development in China.
The reporter learned from the Ministry of Commerce that since the beginning of this year, China's service trade has continued to maintain rapid growth. From January to April, the total import and export of services nationwide amounted to 2,431.96 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.8%. Among them, exports increased by 11% and imports increased by 21.2%. Travel services continued to maintain high growth, becoming the largest area in service trade. From January to April, the import and export of travel services reached 660.03 billion yuan, an increase of 48.6%. Knowledge-intensive service trade continued to grow. From January to April, the import and export of knowledge-intensive services reached 963.72 billion yuan. The fastest growing export area was intellectual property royalties, with an increase of 26.8%.
The China National Light Industry Council released the latest statistics showing that in the first four months of this year, China's light industry continued its upward and positive trend, providing important support for the stable development of the industrial economy. In the first four months of this year, the light industry achieved operating revenue of nearly 7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.6%. Light industry production continued to recover. In the first four months, the added value of light industry enterprises above designated size increased by 5.9% year-on-year. Among them, the added value of manufacturing industries such as papermaking, plastic products, and household appliances increased by over 10%. Among the 91 major light industrial products statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics, the output of 71 products achieved growth. The light industrial consumer goods market grew steadily. In the first four months, retail sales of 11 categories of light industrial goods exceeded 2.4 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%. The export value of the entire light industry increased by 3.5% year-on-year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that in the next step, it will continue to implement policies and measures to stabilize growth, expand domestic demand, and promote consumption. Centered on large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods, it will cultivate and expand new consumption formats and models, enrich and expand consumption scenarios, and promote the high-quality development of the light industry.
Tunnels and underground engineering are crucial areas in infrastructure construction. In recent years, relying on scientific and technological innovation, China's tunnel technology and equipment have achieved a leap from "follower" to "leader," forming a complete industry chain that radiates globally. The Jintang Undersea Tunnel, the control project of the Yongzhou high-speed railway and the world's longest undersea high-speed rail tunnel, is currently undergoing bidirectional excavation. The "Yongzhou" and "Dinghai" shield tunneling machines, independently developed by China, will achieve precise对接 at approximately 78 meters below sea level after passing through high-water pressure sections and various complex geological strata in the sea. The latest data shows that in the past decade, China has accumulated over 38,800 kilometers of newly operational tunnels, becoming the country with the fastest tunnel development speed in the world. Currently, China has built over 50,000 kilometers of railway and highway tunnels, including 2,050 extra-long tunnels exceeding 10 kilometers, making it the country with the largest number of tunnels and the largest construction scale in the world. From manual excavation to intelligent construction, China's tunnel construction has overcome numerous technical challenges, building world-class benchmark projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge undersea tunnel and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, ranking among the world's leaders in underwater immersed tube tunnels, shield tunnels, and super-long tunnel construction. Today, new-generation information technology is leading tunnel construction to accelerate towards digitalization and intelligence. Technological innovation drives equipment upgrades. Currently, Chinese tunnel boring machines account for approximately 70% of the global market share, with over a thousand upstream and downstream enterprises. Production and sales have ranked first in the world for six consecutive years, and products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions, entering the first echelon of world tunneling machine brands.
A batch of major engineering projects across various regions are being constructed with high quality and advanced with high standards. A number of key transportation construction projects are being pushed forward with full effort. The first concrete structure of the elevated waiting hall at Xi'an East Station has been successfully poured. As a super-large railway integrated transportation hub in Northwest China, Xi'an East Station is expected to handle 36.5 million passenger trips annually once completed and put into operation. In Jiangsu, the south anchor foundation of the north channel bridge of the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, which connects Suzhou, Taizhou, and Nantong, has just completed its bottom sealing. This bridge is a key cross-river passage project promoted during the national "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and its completion will be of great significance for optimizing the layout of cross-river passages along the Yangtze River main line. In Guangxi, the overall lifting of the right arch section of the Qinjiang River Bridge on G75 Lanlai Expressway, part of the Pinglu Canal project, was successfully completed, with a lifting weight of 1,900 tons and a lifting height of 49.1 meters, laying the foundation for subsequent concrete pouring within the arch. A batch of energy and water conservancy projects are also accelerating. Recently, the north and south sections of the Huadian Yuhuan No. 1 Offshore Wind Farm, an important part of the wind farm cluster along the eastern coast of Zhejiang, have been connected to the grid. It consists of 32 wind turbine units with a total installed capacity of 229 megawatts, expected to generate 650 million kWh of electricity annually. The generator units of the national key water conservancy project, the Quanmutang Reservoir project in Hunan, have been successfully connected to the grid, achieving full power generation from all units. The irrigation network of the reservoir's irrigation area is also being accelerated. The first phase of the continuation,配套 and modernization renovation project of Zhanghe Irrigation Area, the largest irrigation area in Hubei Province, has entered its final sprint phase and is expected to be completed in August. The Zhanghe Irrigation Area spans three cities: Jingmen, Jingzhou, and Yichang. After the completion of the first phase, it can improve an irrigation area of 380,000 mu and restore an irrigation area of 109,800 mu.
This year, during the "Three Summers" (summer harvest, summer planting, and summer field management), various regions have accelerated the promotion of new, efficient agricultural machinery, helping to speed up and improve the efficiency of summer harvesting and planting, significantly advancing progress. With the help of mechanization, Jiangsu's wheat harvest is over 60%, and the daily mechanized harvesting area is accelerating at a rate of over 3.6 million mu. At the high-standard farmland summer harvest site in Funing, Jiangsu, reporters saw more than 10 sets of combine harvesters and grain collection vehicles shuttling through the wheat fields, with plump wheat grains pouring down. In the past two days, the weather has been fine in many parts of Hebei, which is conducive to mechanized harvesting operations. The entire province deploys about 34,000 combine harvesters daily to rush harvest wheat. Various regions in Shandong have started large-scale mechanized harvesting operations. In Gaomi City, new high-efficiency combine harvesters account for more than 80% of those put into use this year, which not only accelerates the wheat harvest progress but also controls the loss rate within 1%. Wheat in Gansu has also entered the harvest period. Longnan, located in hilly and mountainous areas, has specially deployed medium and small-sized harvesters suitable for mountainous terrain this year to complete harvesting, threshing, and straw returning to the field in one go. As the summer harvest draws to a close, summer planting has begun. In Luyang Village, Gaolu Town, Bozhou, Anhui, this high-horsepower seeder is equipped with a Beidou navigation assisted driving system. Farmers can easily and quickly complete precise planting by simply setting the program and path. This year, Bozhou has invested in more than 400 sets of seeders equipped with the Beidou navigation assisted driving system, continuously improving the efficiency and quality of summer planting. The new type of rice transplanter promoted in Xiangyang, Hubei this year, simultaneously transplants and covers with film, which can effectively prevent weed growth and reduce water evaporation, making it highly efficient and water-saving.
The Central Meteorological Observatory forecasts that from today (June 9) until the 13th, high temperatures will continue to develop in the northern regions. Persistent high temperatures will affect areas such as North China and the Yellow River-Huaihe River region, with some areas in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong potentially reaching maximum temperatures above 40℃. The Central Meteorological Observatory issued an orange alert for high temperatures today. In the southern regions, the stronger rainfall will remain in areas from northern Guangxi to the central and southern parts of Jiangnan. Heavy rainfall or torrential rain is expected in Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and other places, and precautions should be taken against secondary disasters.
The "Action Plan for Large-Scale Equipment Renewal in Transportation" Released The "Action Plan for Large-Scale Equipment Renewal in Transportation" was recently released, proposing seven major initiatives, including the electrification of urban buses and the upgrading of logistics facilities and equipment. It aims to promote large-scale equipment renewal in transportation, facilitate the clean, low-carbon, and efficient development of transportation energy and power systems, and advance the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry. Changtai Yangtze River Bridge Fully Connected Today (June 9) at noon, the final closure weld of the steel truss girder for the main navigation channel bridge of the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge was completed. The hole deviation of the splicing plates was less than 2 millimeters, achieving "millimeter-level precision" in the closure of the main navigation channel bridge deck. With this, the world's longest span cable-stayed bridge has achieved full line connection after five years of construction. The Changtai Yangtze River Bridge is expected to complete deck paving by the end of this year and dynamic and static load tests and handover acceptance inspections by the end of April next year, making it ready for traffic. Hengqin In-depth Cooperation Zone Between Guangdong and Macao Under Divided Management for 100 Days: Over 600,000 Vehicles Entering and Exiting The reporter learned from Gongbei Customs that as of today (June 9), since the implementation of divided management in the Hengqin In-depth Cooperation Zone Between Guangdong and Macao for 100 days, over 600,000 vehicles have entered and exited through the "first line," a year-on-year increase of approximately 12.3%. About 533,000 Macao residents have been quickly cleared through the New Home Passage. Over 4.81 million vehicles have exited through the "second line."
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip issued a statement today (June 9) saying that Israeli forces attacked multiple areas in the central Gaza Strip, including the Nuseirat refugee camp, on June 8, resulting in 274 Palestinians killed and 698 injured. The Israeli military and intelligence agencies issued a statement on June 8, claiming that Israeli forces rescued four Israeli hostages held by Hamas since October 7 last year from the Nuseirat refugee camp that day. According to an Israeli military spokesperson, the rescue operation resulted in Palestinian casualties, with the number of casualties not exceeding 100. US media reports US intelligence support for Israeli operation. In addition, US media reported on June 8 that the Israeli operation was carried out with intelligence support provided by the United States. The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, stated on June 8 that while Israeli forces rescued four Israeli hostages, some other Israeli hostages were killed. Israel denied this claim. According to the Palestinian News Agency, Palestinian President Abbas called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the impact of the attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abbas stated that urgent international intervention is needed to stop the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Multiple parties condemn Israeli attack on central Gaza Strip refugee camp. Jordan, Egypt, Iran, and other countries strongly condemned Israel's attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and demanded that Israel stop indiscriminate attacks targeting Palestinian civilians.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on June 8 that Russian forces continued to advance deep into Ukrainian positions along the northern front. The Russian Black Sea Fleet sank five Ukrainian unmanned boats, and Russian air defense systems shot down one Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter and 71 drones. Ukraine stated that Ukrainian forces engaged in intense clashes with Russian forces in areas such as Kurakhove, and in the Kupiansk and Pokrovsk regions, Ukrainian forces repelled multiple Russian attacks. German Chancellor Opposes Sending NATO Troops to Ukraine; Austrian Defense Minister Opposes Ukraine Using Western-Supplied Weapons to Attack Russian Targets. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on June 8 that an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be avoided, and Germany will not send soldiers to Ukraine, nor does it support NATO sending troops to Ukraine. According to Austrian media reports on June 8, Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner stated in an interview that some Western countries allowing Ukraine to use weapons supplied to them to attack targets within Russia crosses a red line.
China-aided Moheli Island Road Project in Comoros Completed Recently, the China-aided Moheli Island Road Project in Comoros was completed. Comorian President Azali Assoumani attended the completion ceremony and expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government. He stated that the project is one of the most important transportation hubs in Comoros, which will not only meet new demands for local transportation development but also provide valuable support for national economic development. The Moheli Island Road Project is 18 kilometers long and is an important section of the island's ring road. US Troops Begin Withdrawal from Niger The Ministry of National Defense of Niger and the US Department of Defense issued a joint statement on June 8, stating that US troops stationed in Niger began withdrawing from Niger on June 7. On the same day, a US Air Force C-130 transport aircraft took off from an air base in Niamey. For a long time, the United States has stationed troops in African countries such as Niger under the pretext of "counter-terrorism," and its interference in internal affairs has caused strong dissatisfaction among local residents. In April this year, people in various parts of Niger demonstrated, calling for the withdrawal of US troops. On May 19, Niger and the United States signed an agreement requiring approximately 1,000 US troops stationed in Niger to withdraw from Niger by September 15 this year. Multiple Shooting Incidents in the US Over the Weekend On June 8, a shooting incident in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, resulted in 3 deaths and 2 injuries. Police have arrested one suspect. On the evening of June 7, a shooting incident also occurred in Los Angeles, California, resulting in 1 death and 4 injuries. In addition, from June 7 to 8, multiple shooting incidents occurred in Missouri, Illinois, and other places.
Historical and cultural heritage and natural heritage are brilliant treasures of Chinese civilization, embodying the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. At the end of the program, let us appreciate China's World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites together.
分享到Twitter: