Myat Yadanar Soe crowned Miss Universe Myanmar 2025
A total of 35 beauty contestants representing big cities in Myanmar participated in the competition.
Myat Yadanar Soe, who represented Pyin Oo Lwin in central Myanmar's Mandalay region, won the crown to be a contestant in the upcoming 74th Miss Universe pageant which will be held in Thailand.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
19 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Kenyan acrobatics coach cherishes over 40-year bond with China
Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita (1st R) instructs a child to practice acrobatics in Thika, Kenya, on July 11, 2025. Slightly before his 12th birthday in 1983, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him to a brave new world of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendship.(Xinhua/Han Xu) NAIROBI (Aug 18): With over 1,000 youths having passed through his training, Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita beamed with pride when recalling his 41-year bond with China, one that has transcended time and geography to flourish. Slightly before his 12th birthday in 1983, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him to a brave new world of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendship. For two years, Kavita and 23 other compatriots were domiciled at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe where they underwent rigorous training, culminating in mastery of the revered sport. Shortly after completing the program, Kavita returned to his homeland, worked as an acrobatic coach for a private company, and later founded his own company in the mid-1990s to nurture the next generation of acrobats. At a gated and leafy neighborhood in central Kenya's industrial town of Thika, the bubbly acrobatics coach was in his element when he assembled a group of children for a one-hour training session, featuring jumps and rope climbing. 'I have been in this field ever since I was taught acrobatics by the Chinese,' said Kavita, dressed in traditional Chinese soft-soled black shoes, commonly worn by the elderly in the Asian country. His two male assistants wore uniforms inscribed with 'Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School.' In July 2024, Kavita visited Wuqiao County, located in north China's Hebei Province, to participate in a two-month acrobatics training and exchange program, funded by the Chinese government. 'When I set foot on this land after 41 years, I truly felt like I had returned home. For over forty years, I have cherished my memories of China,' said Kavita. Kavita has preserved a 'treasure trove' of mementos from his connection with China, including a graduation certificate from Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe, a visa from his first trip to the Asian nation, and group photos taken during past training sessions. In June, Kenya marked 40 years of acrobatic exchange and cultural cooperation with China at a gala event where Kavita chaperoned youngsters to showcase their prowess in the time-honored sport. Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita (1st L) instructs a child to practice acrobatics in Thika, Kenya, on July 11, 2025. Slightly before his 12th birthday in 1983, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him to a brave new world of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendship.(Xinhua/Han Xu) Over the years, Kavita observed that the popularity of acrobatics in Kenya has grown tremendously, fueled by children and youth eager to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture. 'Acrobatics has evolved since I came back from China 40 years ago. What I learnt last year in China is what I want to implement in our acrobatics training here in Kenya,' said Kavita. 'With all these exchanges, it is really giving us hope in our acrobatics that we might do it internationally.' Kavita's mastery of acrobatics has not only provided him with steady income as a coach but also inspired youth to embrace the sport. Eric Musyoka, a Nairobi-based young talent, has become an accomplished acrobat, thanks to Kavita's training and mentorship since 2017. He proudly demonstrated his expertise during a home-based training session for multiracial children in a gated neighborhood. Musyoka, one of Kavita's assistants, also took part in the exchange program with Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School, where he immersed himself in Tai Chi and Chinese martial arts, while enjoying the scenic beauty of the countryside. According to Kavita, an increasing number of Kenyan youth, schoolchildren, and their parents embraced acrobatics for physical and mental wellbeing. One of Kavita's trainees at the gated community outside Thika town is Tafari, a 10-year-old boy who said his health has improved tremendously since he started acrobatics lessons. Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita (1st L) instructs a child to practice acrobatics in Thika, Kenya, on July 11, 2025. Slightly before his 12th birthday in 1983, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him to a brave new world of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendship.(Xinhua/Han Xu) 'I feel like gymnastics is a good sport because it keeps you fit and it helps you in life. Children should do it more, so that when they grow up, they will have more opportunities to be better in the sport,' Tafari said. Madeline Herschdorfer, Tafari's mother, said the boy started practicing acrobatics three years ago, while her daughter Ngina, aged 12, ventured into the sport when the family was living in Britain. 'We came to Kenya and found that the way they train children is much better. This is the first sport that they started doing seriously every week,' said Hershchdorfer. 'I think it is important that we connect with different cultures and take home some of the good points,' she added. – Xinhua
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Borneo Post
From print to screen, Chinese Gen-Zs reshapes reading in digital era
A child tries an AR device at the provincial library of Guizhou in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province on April 21, 2024. – Xinhua photo BEIJING (Aug 17): Shoulder to shoulder with strangers on a swaying subway car, Li Zining plugs in her earbuds, and as the narrator of the sci-fi epic 'The Three-Body Problem' begins, the clang of doors and hum of conversation fade, leaving her adrift in a quiet, otherworldly realm of her own. Across China, millions of Gen Z readers are seeking the same hush, their glowing screens now serving as the new parchment. 'Just got into sci-fi, so I started with the classics,' Li said, noting that whether cooking or running, she's always got an audiobook playing, and before she knew it, she'd plowed through several hefty sci-fi titles. China's digital natives born between 1995 and 2009, also known as 'Generation Z', have rewritten the rules of how stories are discovered, consumed and shared. Making up nearly one-fifth of the country's total population, they are more likely to download e-books onto their phones and tablets than to visit bookstores or libraries for physical copies. They consume vast amounts of online literature, share reviews and annotations on social media platforms, follow 'book bloggers,' and seek out 'reading buddies'. Data from WeChat Reading shows that 6.56 million, or 46 per cent, of its monthly active users belong to Generation Z. On Zhangyue, the iReader Technology platform, about one-third of monthly active users are Gen Z, who spend an average of 120 minutes per day on the platform. Chen Wenting, who holds an annual subscription to a reading app, believes that e-reading allows for 'reading whenever and wherever you want' and is relatively cost-effective. A survey by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication shows that last year, 38.5 per cent of adult citizens engaged in reading through audiobooks. For the youngsters, books are not only read but also experienced through others' interpretations. Cheng Nan, a college student, has recently become engrossed in watching explanatory videos of the Nobel Prize-winning novel 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' on the video-sharing platform Bilibili. 'I found it hard to muster the courage to read such a classic, but the explanatory videos were quite engaging,' she said. These videos not only cover the plot but also provide background and extended insights, often accompanied by animations or clips from TV adaptations, making them very appealing, Cheng added. When a content creator drops a video clip on social media with illustrations about the Chinese novel 'White Deer Plain', the view counter races past 20 million more quickly than most first printings sell out. In 2024, the number of reading videos longer than five minutes on the Douyin platform increased by 336 per cent year on year, with a 137 per cent increase in their views. Meanwhile, book review videos and images saw a 135 per cent increase in views and a 518 per cent jump in cumulative shares. Some Gen-Z readers also enjoy finding like-minded 'reading buddies'. According to Xiao Xia, a college student, reading with a 'buddy' not only helps keep schedules on track and encourages timely completion of books, but also offers fresh perspectives and knowledge, uncovering blind spots in one's thinking. On the WeChat Reading platform, users can interact with others by highlighting and commenting on specific sentences. 'You can record your thoughts when reading a book or a particular sentence. When you don't understand something in the book, you can see what others think and sometimes have an epiphany,' Chen Wenting said. Reading weighty volumes becomes more interesting when you can read along with comments from other readers, Chen added. Traditional publishers are now chasing the digital glow, using big data to target readers and livestreaming to launch new titles. 'We are in a critical period of redefining product forms and industry rules,' said Huang Zhijian, chairman of the China Publishing Group. 'The core of the publishing industry is knowledge sharing, which should not be limited to physical books.' 'The publishing sector must actively use new technologies to make quality content more accessible and perceptible for the young population,' said Cong Ting, a professor at the school of publishing, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. – Xinhua China digital Gen Z reading Xinhua
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Borneo Post
North China night market offers a cyberpunk feast for the eyes and the stomach
People visit a night market in Zhengding County, north China's Hebei Province on May 15, 2025. – Xinhua photo SHIJIAZHUANG (Aug 16): Hu Shaoyu, a resident of Zhengding County in north China's Hebei Province, could hardly anticipate that his historic hometown – renowned for its ancient architecture – would gain nationwide fame for its sprawling night market, which has inadvertently taken on a cyberpunk aesthetic. The 37-year-old is no stranger to the scenes circulating online: As dusk falls each day, lines of food carts crowd into a vast venue, transforming a daytime parking lot into a neon-lit carnival of vibrant sights, tantalising aromas, and bustling sounds. Even before gaining its internet fame last year, the night market had already been a beloved destination for locals like Hu since its inception in 2012. 'I frequent the market with friends two or three nights monthly,' he said, 'and it's delightful to witness its growing appeal through digital exposure.' Inspired by social media posts, consumers nationwide have been streaming into the nighttime hotspot. In 2024, the market attracted a total of 3 million visits. And its momentum is ever-growing. In June, the market became a trending topic yet again on Chinese lifestyle-sharing app rednote, placing it on the travel lists of numerous netizens this summer. Wang Yichen, a college student in east China's Shandong Province, recently decided to experience it for herself after seeing what she called 'eye-catching' images. Immersed in the aromatic symphony of sizzling delicacies, she told Xinhua that she had found it hard to choose what to try first. 'There are so many kinds of delicious foods,' she said with evident excitement. 'I've never seen such a spectacular night market before.' Spanning over 10,000 square meters with more than 600 stalls, the market offers customers a taste of Hebei's local flavors as well as iconic dishes from other parts of China. In a sea of busy stalls, vendor Wang Qiao stands out with her pan-fried pork buns, which have become iconic on Shanghai's street food scene. Over the past seven years, her stand has become a magnet for foodies, who hail the snack as a must-try at the night market. 'Food excellence drives my business,' the 37-year-old mother of two teenagers told Xinhua, adding that she had traveled to Shanghai multiple times to hone her skills and continues to introduce new flavors to meet diverse consumer demand. Her commitment to serving top-flight food, coupled with the market's growing fame, has brought in more customers and increased her earnings. 'This well-managed platform enables me to better provide for my family,' she said. Wang Qiao is among the many beneficiaries of the night market, which has generated 2,500 jobs to date, according to Liu Guangdi, chairman of the Zhengding international small commodities group, which manages the market. Liu attributed the market's unexpected success to collaborative efforts between local authorities and management. 'We take full advantage of the urban space and provide multiple services to ensure the entire night market operates in a safe, clean and orderly manner,' she said, adding that its cyberpunk appearance was not designed deliberately for aesthetic purposes, but a byproduct of its daily management. While the visitor influx benefits vendors, Liu admitted that it also poses challenges given the market's limited capacity, bringing traffic congestion and placing public facilities in short supply. Fortunately, the local government has rolled out a raft of measures to optimise the visitor experience – from deploying more police for security and traffic control to installing base stations and portable toilets. With all these steps, the night market becomes an ideal destination for people to enjoy their free time. 'We have also seen international visitors from countries like Spain and Russia come to our market,' Liu said. Meanwhile, witnessing the power of social media, Liu and her colleagues are working to expand the market's influence even further through digital means. 'Now, we have specialised livestreaming personnel to promote the night market and other tourist attractions in Zhengding,' she said. The thriving market exemplifies China's vibrant night economy, with 2024 nighttime tourism expenditure projected to have reached 1.91 trillion yuan – an increase of 21.7 per cent year on year, per a report released by the China Tourism Academy. In response to evolving public needs, different localities should cultivate distinctive nighttime identities around their local culture to enhance the appeal and sustainability of the night economy, according to Zheng Tao, a professor of economics at Yanshan University. Zhengding is making headway in this direction. Beyond the culinary delights of its night market, the historic county is also inviting tourists to dress in traditional Chinese attire and savor its nocturnal charm through night tours of its illuminated heritage sites. Though first drawn by the online appeal of the night market, Wang Yichen said she had also been happy with her visit to the magnificent ancient buildings of Zhengding. 'I will definitely recommend this amazing place to others,' the young traveler told Xinhua. – Xinhua China cyberpunk SHIJIAZHUANG Xinhua
