Discover China

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.

Each year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, China Central Television (CCTV) hosts a spectacular gala that is broadcast live across China. To watch the full video online visit CCTV 2010 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. This year’s gala was broadcast from the city of Wuhu in Anhui Province which we visited on our 2009 trip to Henan, Anhui and Zhejiang. The distinctive Anhui architecture is reflected in the stunning Mid-Autumn Festival Gala stage set.

This Wednesday marks the traditional Chinese mid-autumn day, which is the second largest festival after Spring Festival in China. The festival is also known as the Moon festival, as the moon is at its roundest at that time of the year. On the day, family members gather to appreciate the bright full moon, eat moon cakes, and think of their home and family members who live far away. To find out more see the Chinese National Television (CNTV) stories Chinese mid-autumn day is coming! and About Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.