Discover China

113 million people have been affected by severe flooding across China over the past few months, especially those living along the Yangtze River. The State Flood Control authorities say 27 provinces and municipalities have been affected. 8 million people have been forced to leave their homes. Floods have inundated 7 million hectares of farmland. Direct economic losses total more than 140 billion yuan. Since the beginning of April, when the flood season started, more than 230 rivers have passed warning levels. Read more in this CCTV9 Special Feature.

Some areas along the Yangtze River have experienced the worst flooding in 30 years, where the Three Gorges Dam, the country’s largest, is offering a buffer as it blocks more than 40 percent of upstream water. “Compared to 1998, the biggest difference is the Three Gorges Dam. Without it, thousands of soldiers and rescuers would have been needed to fight the floods,” said Yuan Jie, director of the Three Gorges Cascade Dispatching Center of China Three Gorges Cooperation. To find out how the Three Gorges Dam helps to alleviate the devastating Yangtze River floods read the summary article or watch the full video of the State Council press conference on floods.

Hopefully the rains can ease soon and bring relief to the many people who have been affected.

Daming Palace, located in the center of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, was once the center of politics, economics and culture during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and has witnessed ups and downs for centuries. Its replica, Daming Palace Pavilion, is standing at the Urban Best Practices Area at the Shanghai World Expo. The renovation of Daming Palace National Heritage Park was listed among the key projects of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Daming Palace National Heritage Park, once reconstructed, will cover 19.16 square kilometers. The construction of Xi’an Daming Palace National Heritage Site Park will be completed and open to the public on National Day 1 October 2010. Read more in this China Daily Feature.

Yudu Mountain is located in northwest Beijing’s mountain natural scenic area of Yanqing County, extending over 100 square kilometers. This area is situated in remote mountains, a location that contributes to beautiful and quiet scenery. Read about and see pictures of Yudu Mountain in this CCTV9 online article.

Aaron Xu, CS&CM Shanghai (see Aaron’s profile on LinkedIn), introduces the city of Shanghai:

What do we all know about Shanghai? This is an introduction of this magnificent city located in the middle part of the coast of mainland China, at the mouth of the Yangtze River. It is the financial, commercial and industrial center of China.

Shanghai is the most populous city in China and the world’s most busiest port. This city has 700 years of history with over 20 million residents spread across an area six times that of Hong Kong. In the last 20 years, the city of Shanghai was transformed into a glittering metropolis with a public transportation system greater than London and with more skyscrapers than the city of New York. Every year, foreign investments flow into Shanghai more than any other developing country. The average rate of economic growth in Shanghai is 12% per year, faster than China as a whole. Shanghai has now tripled in size and accounts for 30% of China’s foreign exports; 20% of the country’s manufacturing output is also from this region. According to analysts, Shanghai’s economy will expand five-folds in another 10 years.

There are a total of 166 different industries in China of which 157 of them are in Shanghai. The manufacturing of automobiles, petrochemicals, steels, communication equipments, biomedicine and equipment assemblies are the six industrial pillars of Shanghai. Shanghai’s capability to manufacture automobiles is ranked among the highest globally while the city also produce a large percentage of China’s power generation equipment and ships. With a high local demand for steels, Shanghai is the largest producer of steel in China; thanks to Bao Steel. The service industries are also growing rapidly thanks to the government’s policies to reduce the economy’s reliance on heavy manufacturing industries.

Shanghai’s current goals are divided into five broad categories; in order of importance. Their top goal is to maintain an average, annual GDP growth rate of about 10% and the average per capita GDP shall reach a level of the middle developed countries. Their second goal is to optimize space distribution by decentralizing the city into seven satellite towns surrounding the city. The central area of the city is now divided into the central commercial district, the central business district, the Inner and Outer Ring Road district. Their third target is to modernize the city’s infrastructure, by improving Shanghai’s two international airports, build a multi-functional seaport, an information port and a total overhaul of the public transportation systems. Shanghai’s fourth goal is to set up a modern market system that connects domestic and overseas flow of information, human resource, capital, commodities and technology. The last goal is to find a balance between environmental, social and economic development. A city is only as good as its citizens and environment.

If you have never visited Shanghai, you should take advantage of this once in a life-time chance of touring Shanghai and the International Expo.

CRI Online, the multilanguage website of China Radio International, has launched an online event titled “2010 Chinese Cities Ranking – Top Chinese Tourist Cities”. The event provides a platform for Chinese tourist cities to present their unique charms to the world and introduces global internet users to China’s tourism, cultural and folk resources. The list includes Luoyang, Kaifeng, Huangshan and Hangzhou – great destinations that I have already visited – and many other interesting places that I have yet to see.

To cast your vote in “2010 Chinese Cities Ranking – Top Chinese Tourist Cities” visit CRI Online.