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The Star
a day ago
- General
- The Star
China Focus: 80 years on, WWII stories still captivate Chinese youth
BEIJING: As International Children's Day fell on Sunday (June 1), 10-year-old Zhang Shucheng excitedly opened his gift -- a book that brings to life the dramatic story of the Chongqing bombing during World War II (WWII). Japanese warplanes indiscriminately bombed Chongqing, then China's provisional capital, and nearby cities more than 250 times between 1938 and 1944, killing and injuring more than 32,000 people. "It is a dark chapter in our history," said the student in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province. "But I feel obliged to know more about it, from which we can draw lessons." Children watch a dry ice experiment during a celebration event ahead of the International Children's Day at a kindergarten in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, May 30. - Photo: Xinhua This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and of the World Anti-Fascist War. Although the flames of war have long since extinguished, books depicting that tumultuous period and the bravery of those who lived through it continue to captivate young people in China, encouraging them to delve into that important chapter of history. Zhang could not remember when his interest in this phase of history first began. Perhaps, it stems from the bedtime stories his parents would tell him. Thirsty for knowledge, he happily reads at least two books about the war a year. Among his favorites is the cartooned novel Sparkling Red Star, a WWII coming of age story about a boy growing into a soldier. When he has questions, he tries to discover the answers together with his parents and classmates. A pupil participates in a long jump match ahead of the International Children's Day at a school in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, May 30, 2025. - Photo: Xinhua "Sometimes we found it difficult to answer his questions, so we had to check the history books or look online for related data to 'make up for the lesson'," said Zhang's mother Jiang Nan. She said her son is not alone, as she had seen an increasing number of children show an interest in the history of WWII, and together they have discussions. Li Keran, a 55-year-old owner of a bookstore in northeast China's Jilin Province, also observed the change. His bookstore in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, sells picture-story books, which used to be popular among his peers. He told Xinhua that his customers mostly fall into two groups: nostalgic people of his generation and primary school students. "When I was a child I used to be fascinated by the picture-story books," he said. "They could easily appeal to children, and are a good way to tell the younger generation our history so that they will work hard to build our country into a stronger one." An online database on the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and modern Sino-Japanese relations, jointly set up by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Chinese Academy of History, the National Library of China and the National Archives Administration of China, offers more than 60 million pages of materials. Last year the database received a total of about 4.95 million visits from around 740,000 people. The number of visits and visitors increased by about 1 million and 110,000 respectively compared with 2023. In the first three months this year alone, the database has been visited 1.25 million times, with new users accounting for an average of 27 percent of monthly traffic. Literary works in China about the war of resistance first appeared in the 1930s and 1940s, when the country was struggling for survival, and were used to mobilize citizens and boost their morale. They continued to be popular after the People's Republic of China was founded. Some of the characters were once household names across China. In recent decades, especially in the wake of reform and opening up, people have more access to foreign literary works and tastes have diversified. However, the children's book market witnessed a peak in the publication of war-themed books in 2015, the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, explained that such literary works fall into two categories: fiction and non-fiction. "The fictions are based on real stories reflecting the real history and real spirit of heroes in that era," she said. The scholar noted that in foreign countries there are also similar classics based on particular historical moments, like Molodaya Gvardiya of the Soviet Union and Les Miserables of France. "Literary works could arouse people's interest and lead them to learn about real history events," she said. "People believe that some literary works have vitality because they can share the emotions of and find solace from them," said writer Yang Xiaoyan. A playwright of several famous TV dramas, she herself is also author of several novels about the war for children and teenagers. "The wartime stories are by no means merely tragic narratives. They carry the power to strive for survival and keep moving forward, offering hope in the harshest circumstances," she said. She told Xinhua that while trying to avoid direct depictions of bloody scenes so that the books were suitable for younger readers, she also would like to send her readers messages of peace and love. At the end of a book, she wrote, as a comment in the memorial hall guestbook that main character of the novel saw, that "History is not horrible. What is horrible is the disregard for and oblivion of history. May peace prevail." Many Chinese schools also hosted various activities to encourage students to read more of such "red classics." For instance, in Anying Primary School in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, which was named after a war hero, October has been designated as a "reading month." During this time, students are encouraged to show the results of their reading in forms of plays, paintings and speeches. "Those books provide a bridge for parents and children to have dialogues with their predecessors which transcends time and space," said a teacher Chen Ming. "It is our hope that students could draw wisdom and strength from the books and form a sense of social responsibility, forging ahead bravely in their journeys of the new era." Pupils perform cheerleading dance ahead of the International Children's Day at a school in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, May 30, 2025. - Photo: Xinhua Zhang Shucheng has worked for more than two years in Gansu Provincial Museum as a volunteer guide, sharing insights with visitors based on what he has learned from books. "In the old days our predecessors were ill-equipped, but they still achieved victory by relying on their unwavering beliefs and indomitable spirit," he said. "We will also encounter difficulties in life, but as long as we persist, we will surely push forward." - Xinhua
Ammon
4 days ago
- Science
- Ammon
Chinese archaeologists uncover evidence of early East-West cultural exchanges
Ammon News - A group of archaeologists in China have uncovered concrete evidence proving that material exchanges between the East and West began long before the Silk Road was formally established in ancient China's Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), shedding new light on evidence proving the existence of ancient trade routes. Findings released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) on Tuesday reveal that glass beads which resemble dragonfly eyes unearthed from four sites in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are similar with those discovered earlier in central China's Hubei Province. Both sets of beads are believed to have originated from the Levant region along the eastern Mediterranean coast. According to China Central Television (CCTV), this discovery indicates that material cultural exchanges between the East and West were taking place long before the missions of the ancient Chinese explorer Zhang Qian to the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. These exchanges occurred on what could be referred to as the "pre-Silk Road," prior to the formal establishment of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty. These unique "dragonfly-eye" glass beads are created by embedding one or more colours of glass into the base glass, forming patterns resembling the compound eyes of a dragonfly. The origin of these beads can be traced back to Ancient Egypt around the 16th century BC. In China, large quantities of such beads have also been discovered in tombs of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770 BC-221 BC) in what is now central China's Hubei, Hunan, and Henan Provinces.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
From first rice to emergence of cities, light shed on origins of civilisation in China
BEIJING: In a single domesticated grain seed, one might see the bud of great civilisations. The birth of agriculture was a turning point in humans' social development, as stable food supplies enabled people to transcend the constraints of food gained by hunting and gathering. After that, people were able to settle down and experience population booms. As one of the major areas around the globe where agriculture originated, China has contributed to the world's domesticated rice, millet, buckwheat and soybeans. Archaeological studies have unveiled that the planting of rice originated around 10,000 years ago in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, leading to the eventual replacement there of hunting and gathering practices dating back 5,000 to 6,000 years. "It marked the formation of a rice-based agricultural society in the area," said Zhao Zhijun, an archaeologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Archaeological studies of the origins of rice-based agriculture are an important part of a national project tracing the origins of Chinese civilisation itself. President Xi Jinping has greatly valued the project. At a group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on May 27, 2022, Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasised the significance of the project and the role that archaeological studies play in better understanding Chinese civilisation. The project to trace the origins of Chinese civilisation, in addition to finding signs of human activity more than one million years ago, has also proved that China's history includes 10,000 years of culture and more than 5,000 years of civilisation. The project has provided clear knowledge of the origins and formation of Chinese civilisation, the history of its development, the process of the formation and development of its pluralistic and integrated pattern, and the characteristics of the civilisation and why it was formed in such a way, he added. This was not the first time that Xi emphasised the importance of the origin-tracing project. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, Xi has toured more than 100 historical and cultural locations and issued many instructions related to archaeology and the origin-tracing project. During the 23rd group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2020, Xi called for giving more attention to archaeological research and letting historical facts speak for themselves. "This will provide strong support for our efforts to carry forward the best of traditional Chinese culture and increase our cultural confidence," said Xi. The origin-tracing project has been carried out since 2002. Its ongoing fifth phase, which started in 2020, involves the participation of more than 500 researchers from 29 institutes across the country. It primarily centres on several ancient capital sites, including the Liangzhu site in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the Taosi site in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, the Shimao site in Shenmu, Shaanxi province, and the Erlitou site in Luoyang, Henan province, from 3,500 to 5,500 years ago, as well as other settlements mainly along the basins of the Yellow, Yangtze and Liaohe rivers. The project has also expanded to a wider geographic and chronological framework to decode how Chinese civilisation emerged and how its diverse elements formed a unity. Excavation of the Liangzhu site, which is over 5,000 years old and is one of the major sites covered in the origin-tracing project, has yielded an inner city covering three million square metres and an outer city of 6.3 million sq m, making it the world's largest capital at the time. It also had a giant water control system, which contributed to the formation of a rice-based agricultural society. By calculating the earthwork volume, archaeologists found that building the entire ancient city, the water control system and Mojiaoshan — a ten-metre-tall man-made terrace in the centre of the city — required 10,000 people working daily for seven-and-a-half years. The discoveries show that Liangzhu had a kingship able to organise people for large-scale public construction, and its social differentiation, emergence of the city concept and existence of a kingship prove that it became a civilised society, said Wang Wei, a veteran archaeologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Wang said that tracing the origins of a civilisation is a significant topic in the research of human history. Over the years, the Chinese project has provided China's answer to how to define civilisations. In 2022, Xi commended the efforts and stressed that the project has made creative contributions to the research on tracing the origins of the world's civilisations. Wang said: "International academia has proposed three indispensable elements for a civilised society based on features of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilisations: written characters, metallurgy and the city concept. But we can find that some of the three elements were absent in many ancient civilisations. For example, the Mayan civilisation had no metallurgy, while the Incan civilisation didn't have written characters." Western scholars believe that Chinese civilisation began with the Yinxu Ruins in Anyang, Henan province, a capital of the late Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC), based on the discovery of inscribed oracle bones from that time. However, Chinese archaeologists don't agree. With continued archaeological research, international academia now believes that places around the world can propose criteria for civilisation based on their own ancient social development. China's archaeological studies have shaped the nation's criteria in defining a civilisation: the development of productivity, an increase in population, the appearance of cities, social differentiation and the emergence of kingship and state. "These criteria are suitable for identifying other civilisations as well," said Wang. "Civilisations have in common the appearance of kingship and state. They are only different in the ways of imposing kingship and the forms of state." In China, kingship and state "were shown by exquisite jade and bronze ritual artifacts, grand palaces and magnificent mausoleums imitating aboveground palaces", he added. "In Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, they were demonstrated through superb stone temples, pyramids and large-scale tombs." President Xi said in 2020 that archaeologists should work closely with researchers from other fields to make an interpretive analysis of material remains. Zhang Chi, a professor of archaeology at Peking University, said that since material remains are often the research focus of archaeological studies, these should not only be observed with the eyes, but also studied using scientific and technological tools. Therefore, from the perspective of research methods, archaeology is by nature a multidisciplinary subject, Zhang added. Wang, the CASS archaeologist, highlighted the application in archaeology of strontium isotope analysis, which determines the geographic origin of individuals by analysing the ratio of different strontium isotopes found in their remains. Using this approach, researchers can determine whether humans whose remains they study stayed in the same place from birth to death or migrated to the place where they eventually were buried. The technology has been applied in studies of the Erlitou site, widely believed to be a late capital of the Xia Dynasty (c.21st century-16th century BC), enabling researchers to confirm that the site had a large number of migrants. Wang said the technology can support scholars' understanding of Erlitou's role as a capital that attracted people from other places. - China Daily/ANN
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Unbelievable' scenes after Trump's tariff pause, highway chaos after wind turbine hits bridge, American expat riles Aussies
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Friday. Donald Trump's agreement to pause tariffs with China has seen a remarkable rush from US businesses scrambling to get Chinese goods in before the 90-day pause ends. There are huge disruptions west of Brisbane after a wind turbine being transported along a major highway has crashed into a bridge. Authorities have vowed to get to the bottom of what is an embarrassing and costly error that now requires an extensive clean up. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. A mad scramble is underway as US businesses look to capitalise on Donald Trump's agreement to temporarily pause tariffs with China. Businesses are doing what they can to get in as many products from China in a bid to avoid any extra costs potentially beyond the 90-day freeze amid the US president's trade war with China. And Chinese suppliers have now revealed the frenzy that's unfolded on their side. "I knew it would come. But it still kind of overwhelmed me when it finally came," the general manager of a homeware business told the Global Times. "This single day sales figure equates to half a month of sales revenue in usual times." And he revealed how desperate US customers want to get goods over and what measures they'll go to to get them. "What is even more unbelievable is some clients are asking for air freight delivery! This has never happened before," he said, revealing customers normally opt for their heavy goods to be shipped. Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the state media outlet the surge showed the value of Chinese goods and highlighted their "irreplaceable quality". A mother whose car careened through a school fence, killing an 11-year-old boy and injuring four other students, will face criminal charges. Grade five student Jack Davey died after the car ploughed into a school yard in October, hitting a group of Auburn South students sitting at a table. The SUV driver, a 40-year-old woman, had just collected her child from the school in Melbourne's east and attempted a U-turn when her vehicle veered into the group of children. The pair inside the car were not injured. The Hawthorn East mother was arrested and released following a police interview. She was charged on Tuesday with careless driving and failing to have proper control of a motor vehicle. She will front court on July 15. The tragedy left the community reeling, with Jack's parents Michael and Jayde clinging to the memories of the positive influence their son had in his short life. OK, it's quite likely this American expat is having us on, but regardless, Aussies are not happy. We take pride in our inventions, and our unique sauce dispensers are no different. And that's why this American living in Australia has been accused of being the ultimate troll. "You guys, the Aussies are so cute," he tells his followers as he showcases two MasterFoods sauces. But instead of squeezing one of the packets together to make the sauce drop out like any normal human being, he proceeds to try and peel the plastic cover off. Failing to do that (obviously because you're not meant to), he then cuts it open. "You grab your fries and dip them in... it's the perfect amount of dipping sauce!" he says. Well Aussies weren't having any of his nonsense, accusing him of "rage bait". "When he said to peel it I screamed inside," one person said in response. What do you think? Have a watch below. Well it's fair to say plenty of commuters will be demanding answers over this. A truck carrying a section of a wind turbine has crashed into a bridge west of Brisbane, causing extensive delays down a major highway. Motorists are being warned to avoid using the Warrego Highway at North Tivoli after the vehicle and its cargo struck with an overhead bridge about 2.30am on Friday. The turbine has become wedged underneath the overpass and drawn a huge emergency response. Authorities will use heavy tow trucks to try to remove the turbine, with crews to potentially have to bring in cranes to shift it, Sunrise has reported. All westbound lanes of the road and Mt Crosby overpass are closed and are expected to remain shut for some time. Queensland Trucking Association CEO Gary Mahon said he was uncertain of the route approval process as the load was under police escort. 'It's not necessarily an usual load, there's been a lot of wind turbines heading that way for some time now,' he told ABC Radio. 'Hundreds of these loads have gone west. We don't know what's gone wrong here, but we need to get to the bottom of it over the next couple of days. 'There is quite a bit of work to be done to get that piece of equipment out from under that overpass.' Read more from NewsWire here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A mad scramble is underway as US businesses look to capitalise on Donald Trump's agreement to temporarily pause tariffs with China. Businesses are doing what they can to get in as many products from China in a bid to avoid any extra costs potentially beyond the 90-day freeze amid the US president's trade war with China. And Chinese suppliers have now revealed the frenzy that's unfolded on their side. "I knew it would come. But it still kind of overwhelmed me when it finally came," the general manager of a homeware business told the Global Times. "This single day sales figure equates to half a month of sales revenue in usual times." And he revealed how desperate US customers want to get goods over and what measures they'll go to to get them. "What is even more unbelievable is some clients are asking for air freight delivery! This has never happened before," he said, revealing customers normally opt for their heavy goods to be shipped. Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the state media outlet the surge showed the value of Chinese goods and highlighted their "irreplaceable quality". A mother whose car careened through a school fence, killing an 11-year-old boy and injuring four other students, will face criminal charges. Grade five student Jack Davey died after the car ploughed into a school yard in October, hitting a group of Auburn South students sitting at a table. The SUV driver, a 40-year-old woman, had just collected her child from the school in Melbourne's east and attempted a U-turn when her vehicle veered into the group of children. The pair inside the car were not injured. The Hawthorn East mother was arrested and released following a police interview. She was charged on Tuesday with careless driving and failing to have proper control of a motor vehicle. She will front court on July 15. The tragedy left the community reeling, with Jack's parents Michael and Jayde clinging to the memories of the positive influence their son had in his short life. OK, it's quite likely this American expat is having us on, but regardless, Aussies are not happy. We take pride in our inventions, and our unique sauce dispensers are no different. And that's why this American living in Australia has been accused of being the ultimate troll. "You guys, the Aussies are so cute," he tells his followers as he showcases two MasterFoods sauces. But instead of squeezing one of the packets together to make the sauce drop out like any normal human being, he proceeds to try and peel the plastic cover off. Failing to do that (obviously because you're not meant to), he then cuts it open. "You grab your fries and dip them in... it's the perfect amount of dipping sauce!" he says. Well Aussies weren't having any of his nonsense, accusing him of "rage bait". "When he said to peel it I screamed inside," one person said in response. What do you think? Have a watch below. Well it's fair to say plenty of commuters will be demanding answers over this. A truck carrying a section of a wind turbine has crashed into a bridge west of Brisbane, causing extensive delays down a major highway. Motorists are being warned to avoid using the Warrego Highway at North Tivoli after the vehicle and its cargo struck with an overhead bridge about 2.30am on Friday. The turbine has become wedged underneath the overpass and drawn a huge emergency response. Authorities will use heavy tow trucks to try to remove the turbine, with crews to potentially have to bring in cranes to shift it, Sunrise has reported. All westbound lanes of the road and Mt Crosby overpass are closed and are expected to remain shut for some time. Queensland Trucking Association CEO Gary Mahon said he was uncertain of the route approval process as the load was under police escort. 'It's not necessarily an usual load, there's been a lot of wind turbines heading that way for some time now,' he told ABC Radio. 'Hundreds of these loads have gone west. We don't know what's gone wrong here, but we need to get to the bottom of it over the next couple of days. 'There is quite a bit of work to be done to get that piece of equipment out from under that overpass.' Read more from NewsWire here.
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Dialogue on Collaboration to Address Challenges: International Symposium on Global Climate Governance and Green Transformation in Shanghai
BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Symposium on Global Climate Governance and Green Transformation was held in Shanghai on April 9. Experts from China, the U.S., Italy, Japan, South Korea, India, and international organizations — including representatives from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Tongji University, China Eastern Airlines (CEA), NYU Shanghai, the EU-Asia Centre, King's College London, and Kookmin University — engaged in constructive discussions on mechanisms for collaborative climate governance. Dr. Liu Yuanling, scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), emphasized that climate change is a critical challenge for all humanity, and underscored its commitment to advancing climate governance through emission reduction, mitigation, and adaptation strategies, guided by the vision of building a 'community with a shared future for mankind.' Efforts to promote ecological civilization and a 'Beautiful China' will continue alongside enhanced global cooperation. Furthermore, she referred to collaborating with stakeholders worldwide to actively contribute to addressing climate change. During the on-site case-sharing session, representatives from China Eastern Airlines (CEA) presented the company's practices and achievements in the field of sustainable aviation technologies. In recent years, CEA has made many notable breakthroughs in new energy airport equipment, driven by independent R&D and international collaboration. CEA's innovations have garnered global attention at industry exhibitions and facilitated multiple cross-border partnerships. This international symposium concluded successfully, offering valuable insights into global climate governance through the exchange of ideas. As emphasized in the discussions, effective climate actions must go beyond short-term policy shifts, strengthen mechanisms for cooperation, and promote joint efforts to advance green and low-carbon development on a broader scale.
