Latest news with #Dunhuang
The Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Master craftsman speaks visual language
WALKING into Yuan Changjun's studio in northwest Beijing's Changping district, a large silver statue of a celestial maiden playing a reversed pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute, in a flying motion catches visitors' attention. 'The statue was inspired by the iconic Dunhuang murals in Gansu province.
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
A digital odyssey through Dunhuang with Fan Jinshi
The magnificence of Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves should be seen by the world. The issue has always been how to show them to more people, but still protect the delicate thousand-year-old treasures at the same time. Finding a solution to that particular quandary has been a life-time task for Fan Jinshi, honorary director of the Dunhuang Academy. As a result, she has been on the frontline of the historical landmark's digital preservation. During an exclusive interview with China Daily, Fan, dubbed the 'daughter of Dunhuang', shared stories from the digital odyssey undertaken to catalog and present the awe-inspiring content of the Mogao Caves. She hopes that, through the efforts of generations of researchers, their magnificence can be admired long into the future.
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Terrifying moment apocalyptic SANDSTORM engulfs 10,000 tourists leaving air thick with orange dust sparking evacuations
THIS is the spine-chilling moment a sandstorm engulfs more than 10,000 tourists - triggering mass evacuations out of a holiday hotspot. Frightening footage showed the moment freak weather struck thousands of visitors at a historic landscape in China. 3 3 3 The terrifying sandstorm hit the town of Dunhuang, in the west of the country, on May 3. A blood orange hue was seen descending over the region trapping helpless tourists inside the strong winds. The severe dust storm whipped up at around 6pm local time around the Mingsha Mountain Crescent Yueya Spring Scenic Spot. Hundreds of stranded tourists can be seen in the nightmarish scene, with some sitting on the floor and lines of others walking up a steep hill. Horrified onlookers take pictures and videos of the sandstorm which appears to have reduced visibility significantly. Separate footage showed the inside of a packed tourist bus taking visitors to safety - but without any visibility through the front window. The driver can barely see a few metres in front of his car, before the vehicle stops ahead of another car flashing its headlights through the dust. The Beaufort scale measured these powerful gusts at Force 12 as they tore through the city. Ticket sales were suspended after authorities swiftly activated the emergency response. The remote region is located on the edge of the Gobi Desert. Terrifying footage shows moment 300ft sandstorm engulfs Chinese city in apocalyptic scenes It is known for being one of the main stopping points on the ancient Silk Road trade route, which was used more than 2,000 years ago. The harrowing weather phenomenon sparked a city-wide amber emergency. All public and tourist activities were binned for the day, including an open-air concert. Recovery workers spent three hours evacuating stranded tourists from the affected areas. Deputy head of the city's traffic team Zhao Li said: "Over 80 trips have been made, with 142 vehicles dispatched, ensuring that the more than 5,200 tourists safely returned to the city center." What causes a sandstorm? by Harvey Geh The sun heats the ground intensely – in desert regions, the ground gets very hot during the day, warming the air just above it. The rising hot air creates a difference in air pressure, which causes strong winds to rush in to fill the gap. If the soil is dry and loose, the powerful winds begin to pick up tiny grains of sand and fine dust. These particles are carried at high speeds, often flying close to the ground but sometimes lifted high into the air. Thick clouds of sand can block out sunlight and reduce visibility to almost nothing. Sandstorms can sweep across entire cities or cross into neighbouring countries, depending on the strength of the wind. When the winds weaken, the sand and dust slowly settle back to the ground, leaving a coating of grit everywhere. The busses provided were free of charge to ensure all visitors were taken to a safe place as soon as possible. Tourist Guo Beibei said: "The wind was so strong once we were on top of the dunes that we couldn't even open our eyes. "We all sat there hoping it would pass, but it just got worse." Holidaymakers who could not be evacuated were put up in visitor centres and city council buildings until the storm passed.
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Thousands Line Up In D.C. For Chinese Cultural Tour Despite Tensions
Thousands attended an open house at China's embassy in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Russell Flannery U.S.-China trade tensions that have disrupted business between the two sides didn't derail a scheduled cultural open house at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. According to embassy figures, more than 10,000 visitors waited in a line that wrapped around the block where the country's main diplomatic offices in the U.S. are located for a tour that focused on inland Gansu province. Not as well-known as major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, Gansu boasts the ancient city of Dunhuang, a regional and cultural hub along China's ancient Silk Road. The gathering was part of an 'Around the World Embassy Tour' in which 60 embassies open their doors and shared their culture with residents and visitors from around the world, according to organizer Events DC. Other participating embassies ranged from Japan and Thailand in Asia to Norway and the United Kingdom in Europe. 'Visitors 'travel the world' as they experience food, art, dance, fashion, music, innovations and manufactured goods from different countries. Each embassy decides what unique aspect of its country it wants to present to the public,' according to an event introduction. China's popular Lanzhou beef noodles hail from Gansu. Russell Flannery Gansu dance, song and images were highlighted. Ambassador Xie Feng in a speech noted the province's longstanding ties to the U.S., such as work by the Dunhuang Academy with the Getty Conservation Institute to protect the area's Mogao Caves. More than 400 visitors to the embassy enjoyed a free bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles – a style associated with the city of Lanzhou, Gansu's capital. Current U.S.-China trade disputes didn't go undiscussed at the cultural event. 'Tariff hikes benefit no one,' Xie noted. 'They disrupt business, raise costs, rattle financial markets and slow down global growth. China does not want a trade war, but is not intimidated by it,' he said. 'If the U.S. wants to talk, it should act in the spirit of equality, respect, and reciprocity.' For his part, President Donald Trump over the weekend defended his administration's policies toward China in an interview with 'Meet the Press.' 'We were very tough with China, as you know,' Trump said on Sunday, according to a NBC transcript. 'We put 145% tariff on. Nobody's ever heard of such a thing. And we've essentially cut off trade relationships by putting that much of a tariff on. And that's okay. We've gone cold turkey. That means that we're not losing.' Though noting the potential for talks between the two sides, Trump later added: 'We were losing hundreds of billions of dollars with China. Now we're essentially not doing business with China. Therefore, we're saving hundreds of billions of dollars. Very simple.' Illustrating how ties between the two global giants remain in flux, however, the U.S. announced on Tuesday afternoon that Treasury Secretary Scott K.H. Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel to Geneva, Switzerland later this week for talks with Chinese representatives. Though trade differences rage, Saturday's D.C. event if nothing else shows how a flow of cultural exchanges and interest between the two sides continues. Chinese Luxury Brand Naked Opens Ginkgo Getaway Ahead Of Big Holiday Look Out McDonald's And KFC: Here Comes China's Alan Song
South China Morning Post
15-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's DHgate e-commerce app rises in US app store rankings amid Trump tariffs
US internet users are rushing to download a Chinese e-commerce app amid an escalating tariff war between the world's two largest economies, after videos showing ultra-cheap, made-in-China knock-off designer items went viral on TikTok. Advertisement DHgate, known as Dunhuang in Chinese and dubbed the 'Little Yellow App' by shoppers, climbed to second place in the free app rankings on Apple's US App Store on Tuesday – trailing only ChatGPT – after rising from below the 200th position in just several days, according to data from traffic tracker Sensor Tower. The app's sudden popularity was spurred by TikTok videos from Chinese manufacturers claiming to supply global luxury brands. One widely circulated video, initially posted by user 'bagbestie1', suggested that over 80 per cent of luxury handbags were produced in China before being repackaged and sold overseas. The original account is now unavailable. 'There's nothing a Chinese factory can't make,' TikTok user 'lunasourcingchina' said. One of her videos showed factories in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, that allegedly supplied brands like Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. The video garnered over 3.5 million views in three days. 02:40 China raises tariffs on US goods to 125% as Xi calls on EU to resist 'unilateral bullying' China raises tariffs on US goods to 125% as Xi calls on EU to resist 'unilateral bullying' On Saturday, DHgate recorded 35,400 global downloads across the App Store and Google Play, marking a 56 per cent increase from its 30-day average. US downloads reached 17,300, a 98 per cent increase, according to a report from TechCrunch, citing data from DHgate. Advertisement
