介绍:
This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.
China will require its armed forces to open more barracks to the public this year.
The PLA Daily, the flagship newspaper of the military, says the move is part of a greater effort to promote national defense education among its citizens.
Various "Open Day" activities have already been planned, offering visitors a glimpse of life at military camps nationwide. Students from Tsinghua University will have an opportunity to visit the military Navy bases.
Moreover, students from western China will be invited to participate in a summer camp at a barracks of the Rocket Force which was established last December.
China will launch a defense education campaign this year as it marks the 95th anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party of China and the 80th anniversary of the end of the Long March. The Long March started in October 1934 and lasted for a year. It was a forced expedition that eventually laid a foundation for the Communist victory in the civil war.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Millions of Chinese people went out for tomb-sweeping following an age-old tradition to mourn their deceased relatives during the Qingming Festival.
On Tomb-sweeping Day, which fell on April 4th this year, more than 5 million people paid visits to 150 burial sites nationwide monitored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
During the three-day Tomb-sweeping holiday, more than 13 million people across China visited cemeteries, an increase of almost 4 percent compared to the same period last year.
The festival falls around April 5th each year. People traditionally honor their ancestors by sweeping their tombs on the day, and the government made it a public holiday in 2008 to preserve the tradition.
In recent years, more modern and eco-friendly ways of honoring the deceased have emerged, including "sweeping tombs" on the Internet.
Apart from tomb-sweeping, many Chinese people also take advantage of the holiday to make sightseeing trips as warm spring weather encourages outdoor activities.
Railway authorities estimated that train trips in the country hit 41 million during the holiday travel rush.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Former NBA eight-time All-Star Yao Ming has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The official announcement was made in Houston in the United States where Yao played for the Houston Rockets for nine years.
An article on NBA.com says Yao was far more than just another talented prospect when the Houston Rockets made him the No.1 pick in the 2002 draft.
The 7-foot-6 center from Shanghai was a bridge for the NBA to make inroads into China and was a key player in the globalization of the game.
The star center from China began his career with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association before becoming the number one overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft.
Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game for the Rockets over his NBA career.
He retired in 2011 aged 30.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Chinese children's fiction writer Cao Wenxuan has won the Hans Christian Andersen Prize at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.
Cao was the first Chinese writer to ever to win and be shortlisted in the Hans Christian Andersen competition, which is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books.
The prize has been given since 1956 by the International Board on Books for Young People, the leading international organization for the promotion of children's books. It is awarded every other year to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.
The selection criteria for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize include the aesthetic and literary qualities of writing and illustrating as well as the ability to see things from the child's point of view and the ability to stretch the child's curiosity and imagination. The complete works of the author and of the illustrator are taken into consideration. The prize can be awarded only once in a lifetime for each winner.
For this year's award, 28 authors and 29 illustrators were nominated by the organization in March. Only five authors were shortlisted as finalists, and Cao was among them. He is renowned for "Grass Hut", "Fire Mark" and many other works.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Chinese authorities have demanded various measures be taken to counter violence against medical personnel, provoking trouble at medical institutions and other hospital-related crimes.
A circular says assaulting medical personnel and restricting their freedom should be stopped and perpetrators be held accountable. The circular was jointly issued by government authorities including the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Public Security.
Medical institutions are advised to pay special attention to key groups including patients with severe mental disorders, and keep a list of patients and their relatives who repeatedly harass the institutions or threaten revenge against medical personnel.
The circular noted that troublemakers who cause substantial loss will face criminal penalties; and police will be properly deployed to help maintain order in hospitals and their vicinity.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
The Chinese government is moving to ban "exotic names" given to streets, buildings and complexes to protect traditional culture. In recent years, real estate developers and some local governments have used names based on locations and buildings in western countries. Commonly used names include "Manhattan" and "Venice".
The authorities say the phenomenon has proliferated, causing as much anger as amusement, and prompting heated debate on public and online forums. Critics say the western names undermine long-standing cultural traditions and don't reflect Chinese core values.
The authorities have decided to ban the use of names inspired by locations overseas, and have ordered the removal of the imported monikers by the end of June next year.
To curb the growing use of western names, China's Civil Affairs Ministry has ordered governments at all levels to standardize geographic names and protect local traditions.
The ministry says place names that are "over-the-top, West-worshiping, weird and duplicative" must be eradicated from all locations, including residential compounds and large buildings. They will be replaced with new ones that can better reflect China's culture and history.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.
Parts of the 110-year-old Beijing Zoo may be relocated to improve the living conditions of the animals at the zoo and ease traffic jams for visitors.
The Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning says it is working on the possibility of the partial relocation of the zoo.
Built in 1906, Beijing Zoo was the first public zoo in China. It receives 5 million visitors each year.
The zoo's location in the city's core means that some animals have suffered from noise, despite soundproofed facilities.
The zoo is also packed with tourists at weekends and holidays, resulting in heavy traffic jams and restricted passenger access to the nearby subway station.
A similar proposal in 2004 suggested relocation of the entire zoo, but was sidelined by objections.
In January, the topic was reintroduced by an official from the International Institute for Urban Development in Beijing.
The new one recommends that animals fit to live under the current conditions should stay. The remaining animals will still fulfill the basic needs of tourists, as well as give local residents some memories to hold on to.
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A large number of endangered snow leopards have been caught on camera on the northern part of Mt. Qomolangma in Tibet.
Researchers say a total of 17,000 photos were taken by 64 infrared cameras placed in a county in Tibet in southwest China.
Among the photos, 600 contained snow leopards and the rest captured movements of other endangered animals including lynxes, red foxes and golden eagles.
The researchers surveyed the population density of wild snow leopards in two counties on the north face of the mountain last year.
In January, researchers found clear images of snow leopards from seven infrared cameras they had placed at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
The total population of snow leopards in the area can still not be determined, but researchers will come up with more specific protection plans for the animal after collecting more information on their population, prey and habitat.
Snow leopard is one of China's top class protected animals. They are usually found in the Himalayas in central and south Asia at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,500 meters.
The animal has rarely been seen in the wild over the last century due to loss of habitat and poaching. It's estimated that fewer than 10,000 snow leopards live in the wild worldwide, with around 3,000 in China.
The 34,000-square-km Qomolangma National Reserve was set up in 1988 at an average altitude of 4,200 meters. It is the world's highest nature reserve.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Beijing will plant no more female poplars or willows in its urban area in the next five years to reduce catkins, which are cotton-like seed clusters that fill the air and create a nuisance in spring.
Even when there is no smog, Beijing residents are often seen wearing masks in April and May to avoid the catkins.
There are 2 million female poplars or willows in urban Beijing, accounting for over 5 percent of the city's landscaping trees.
The city uses flower inhibitor on these trees to prevent them from producing catkins. Other measures include washing trees with high-pressure water guns and collecting the fallen seeds.
Female trees will gradually be replaced in further urban construction and renovation projects.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
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