Discover China

Established in 2004, the Creative Cities Network connects cities who want to share experiences, ideas and best practices for cultural, social and economic development. Cities may apply to be endorsed by the Network and join the programme to ensure their continued role as centres of excellence and to support other cities, particularly those in developing countries, in nurturing their own creative economy. The Network is divided into seven categories including literature, film, music, crafts and folk art, design, media arts, and gastronomy. A total of 25 cities have joined the Network. The Shenzhen conference on 6-9 December 2010 will be the first UNESCO Creative Cities Network meeting to be held in China. Scholars, industry insiders and government officials from all around the world are invited to attend the conference. To find out more visit UNESCO Creative Cities Network 2010 Shenzhen International Conference.

China’s moon exploration project, Chang’e, was named after a Chinese legend about a goddess who flew to the moon. Since its commencement in 2004, the program has attracted attention from around the world. The first spacecraft of the program, Chang’e 1, was an unmanned lunar orbiter launched in 2007. The second lunar orbiter, Chang’e 2, was launched on 1 October 2010 (Chinese National Day) and is currently carrying out it’s mission of research within the moon’s orbit to lay the foundation for future moon landings and exploration.  To find out more see the CNTV Special Feature – China Launches 2nd Moon Orbiter.

What did China look like 900 years ago? It was in the most glorious period of the Song Dynasty. Zhang Zeduan, an extraordinary artist at that time, captured the daily life of people in the capital Kaifeng and made it eternal in his scroll painting, “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.” The countryside and the densely populated city are the two main sections in the picture, with the river meandering through its entire length and busy transportation and business activities functioning to connect the whole city. The Shanghai World Expo 2010 features a large animated version of the painting – to find out more about the painting and view the video see the China Network Television (CNTV) Culture Express story Look into China along the river. Kaifeng is one of China’s ancient capitals and features a number of significant historic sites. We visited the city on our trip to Henan Province in 2008.

Autumn in China’s Guangdong Province is a delightful season with warm sun and beautiful scenery. Enjoying a drive alongside the rivers is just perfect for the seven-day National Day holiday. The Shenzhen Daily newspaper introduces two recommended rivers in the article The rivers of Guangdong.

The Chinese people have celebrated the National Day of the People’s Republic of China with pride and passion today, with the world’s most populous nation becoming the second-largest economy after 61 years of development and about to launch its second lunar probe, Chang’e 2.

In Beijing more than 150,000 people gathered to watch a grand national flag raising ceremony, and Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders laid flower baskets at the Monument to the People’s Heroes to pay their respects to those who sacrificed for the nation’s independence. In Shanghai, the China National Pavilion Day was celebrated at the World Expo, and many other Chinese cities also organised flag raising functions to mark the National Day. Today is also the first day of the “Golden Week” of the National Day Holiday with millions of people on the move for travels or family reunions.

To find out more and see pictures of the celebrations visit the People’s Daily Online feature 61st Anniversary – The People’s Republic of China.