Category: CULTURE

(Peoples Daily Online)09:09, August 24, 2020

As COVID-19 wanes in China, cinemas, bookstores, bars, sports centers and other public cultural spaces in various cities have been reopened, launching various activities. The glowing night economy lights up the cities evening sky again.

A musical performance at a scenic spot in Zhoushan city, Zhejiang province. (Photo/Xinhua)

During the epidemic, normal prevention and control measures, such as home quarantine, have curbed peoples offline consumption activities, whereas online shopping and online movie watching have become the normal life consumption.

According to statistics, retail sales of consumer goods in Beijing in the first six months of this year totaled 597.3 billion yuan (about $ 86.5 billion), down 16.3 percent year-on-year. As the epidemic wanes, residents restrained enthusiasm for consumption has begun to release, and the night economy has become an important engine to accelerate the recovery of consumption, stimulating urban vitality.

Cities across the country have launched projects such as scenic spot night tours and cultural night markets, which organically integrates local culture, themed landscapes, performing arts, entertainment, catering and other forms of business, highlighting the cultural elements of the night economy.

Citizens visit Qingming Bridge historical and cultural Street in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Aug. 8, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

The economic forms at night are rich and diverse, and the urban space can be both lively and noisy, as well as quiet and indifferent. The late night study of Sanlian Taofen Bookstore is open 24 hours a day in Beijing; named Page One, the bookstore has become a cultural landmark of the city during the evening; 45 museums in Shanghai have opened night shows and 35 bookstores have held evening reading meetings , enriching the forms of the night economy while meeting the diversified spiritual needs of the people.

Culture is constantly integrated into the urban night economy, constituting its core element. The Night Tour to Jinjiang project in Chengdu of southwest Chinas Sichuan province integrates the local culture into the night economic form; ice and snow world in Harbin of northeast Chinas Heilongjiang province attracts tourists from all over the country with a variety of lights and shapes.

Beijing citizens watch a performance in Wangjing Commercial Street on Aug. 8, 2020. (Photo/Xinhua)

While the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City night excursion project in Xian, northwest China’s Shaanxi province is also favored by tourists, the Night Touring of Qinhuai project in Nanjing in east China’s Jiangsu province has become a name card for local night tourism.

(Xinhua)16:48, September 14, 2020

LANZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — Born and raised in Dunhuang, northwest Chinas Gansu Province, Yao Yanbei has long been immersed in the cultural heritage of the city.

Once an outpost on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang boasts exquisite Buddhist art dating back over 1,650 years. Its Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are home to more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals.

After graduating from a college in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Yao returned to Dunhuang as a promising designer. She was determined to promote her hometown through her creative works.

In 2016, inspired by patterns in Dunhuang murals, Yao created a toy camel embellished with fiery red hair and patterns of honeysuckle on its hump.

Through the toy camel, I intended to convey the spirit of the locals who are usually tough-minded and hard-working, Yao said.

Tourists can take home artistic products like the camel replica as souvenirs after visiting the murals, she said. They help more people know about my hometown.

In August 2017, Yao spent nearly a month inside grottoes sketching the murals, in quest of inspiration from the Buddhist art.

Staying in the grottoes from dawn to dusk, I felt spiritually connected with the ancient artists who painted the murals. It was an amazing experience, she said.

Inspired by the sculptures and murals, Yao later designed an array of innovative products, including tote bags, T-shirts, bookmarks, pocket mirrors and key rings. They all emanate a modern vibe that appeals to the younger generation.

Thanks to the efforts of designers like Yao, the cultural and creative industry began to take root in Dunhuang. Starting from 2018, every year the city has held an international design week to help promote the budding industry.

By pooling the wisdom of designers from home and abroad, we want to make Dunhuangs creative products more fashionable and reflective of the latest trends, said Liu Mengxing, a vice general manager of a local company.

We hope more people can realize that the culture of Dunhuang not only thrives in a remote desert but can also spice up our daily life, Liu added.

Looking ahead at her career in design, Yao plans to explore Dunhuangs ancient art further and apply the wisdom of ancient artists into products of modern life.

I want to design more creative products that appeal to more international customers, said Yao. I hope my design can bring people closer to Dunhuang.

(Xinhua)11:08, March 14, 2021

A student reads at a library of Southwest University in Chongqing, Feb 1, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinas Ministry of Education has issued a notice to improve second bachelors degree programs in universities.

Universities should fully harness their educational resources to train interdisciplinary talents, thus providing support for stabilizing employment and enhancing students employability, said the document.

It also made clear that universities are allowed to enroll students across schools for a second bachelors degree education.

Also, the ministry will establish a national online platform for universities to release relevant enrollment information.

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(Xinhua)10:21, March 15, 2021

A screenshot of the Twitter account of the Recording Academy/Grammys

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (Xinhua) — I Cant Breathe by American singer-songwriter Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R., won Song of the Year at the 63rd Grammy Awards being held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 23-year-old, nominated for three Grammy Awards this year, beat out a group of nominees that included Beyonce, Roddy Ricch, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Julia Michaels JP Saxe to win the prize at the annual awards show.

The 63rd Grammy Awards was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles with performances from some music stars, including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Dua Lipa. But there are no in-person guests at the show.

The musics biggest night in the United States, originally scheduled for Jan. 31, was postponed six weeks over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Xinhua)13:23, March 15, 2021

Taylor Swift [Photo provided to China Daily]

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (Xinhua) — American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for Folklore at the 63rd Grammy Awards being held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Swift, 31, earned six nominations this year, second only to Beyonces nine nods.

Swift won the prize over Jhene Aiko, Black Pumas, HAIM, Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Jacob Collier and Coldplay, making history to be the first female artist to snag the award for Album of the Year three times. She previously won the award for Fearless in 2010, and for 1989 in 2016.

Swift also became the fourth artist to win Album of the Year three times, after Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.

(Xinhua)13:28, March 15, 2021

File Photo

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (Xinhua) — American singer Billie Eilish won Record of the Year for Everything I Wanted at the 63rd Grammy Awards being held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Eilish came with four nominations, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Song Written For Visual Media.

Besides Record of the Year, Eilish also took home with her brother the award of Best Song Written For Visual Media for No Time To Die.

During last years awards show, Eilish swept all four major categories including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.

The 63rd Grammy Awards was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles with performances of music celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Dua Lipa. But there are no in-person guests at the show.

The musics biggest night in the United States, originally scheduled for Jan. 31, was postponed six weeks over concerns about further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Xinhua)16:53, March 15, 2021

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (Xinhua) — Women dominated the 63rd Grammy Awards here Sunday as Taylor Swift won her third career Album of the Year prize, Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson won Song of the Year, and Billie Eilish won Record of the Year.

The three awards plus Best New Artist are called as the Big Four categories in the music industrys biggest night in the United States. All of them were shared by female artists at the big event this year.

Overall, Grammys 2021 were handed out in 83 categories spanning 30 fields of music released between Sept. 1, 2019 and Aug. 31, 2020. The awards ceremony, originally scheduled for Jan. 31, was postponed six weeks over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sundays show in Los Angeles Convention Center was opened by Megan Thee Stallion, a U.S. female rapper, singer and songwriter, who took Best New Artist first, then picked up Rap Song of the Year with Beyonce for Savage.

Meanwhile, Beyonce made history with 28 career wins, the most for any singers or female artists in history, by grabbing Best Music Video for Brown Skin Girl, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for Savage, and Best RB Performance for Black Parade.

Beyonce came into the prime time show with a total of nine nominations across eight categories, the most of any artist this year. The nine new nominations already made Beyonce the most-nominated female artist of all time since her debut with Destinys Child more than two decades ago.

As an artist, I believe its my job and all of our jobs to reflect the times. And its been such a difficult time. So, I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world, Beyonce said at her historic night.

Taylor Swift, 31, who earned six nominations this year, second only to Beyonces nine nominations, won the Album of the Year, making history to be the first female artist to snag the award for Album of the Year three times.

Swift, previously won the award for Fearless in 2010, and for 1989 in 2016, was known not only for her talent but also for her brave critics against toxic male privilege in the music industry.

Billie Eilish, 19, won another prominent award, Record of the Year, for Everything I Wanted. She had four nominations this year.

I Cant Breathe by U.S. singer-songwriter Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R., won Song of the Year.

The 23-year-old girl beat out a group of nominees that included Beyonce, Roddy Ricch, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish to win the prize.

In her acceptance speech, H.E.R. noted that she wrote the song after being inspired by George Floyds last words as the African American struggled to breathe while a white police officer kneeled on his neck. H.E.R. said that her dad, who was the first person she played the song for, cried when he first heard it.

Remember, we are the change we wish to see, she said. And that fight that we had in us the summer of 2020? Keep that same energy.

(Xinhua)08:30, March 16, 2021

File Photo

LOS ANGELES, March 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese youth drama film Better Days has made the list of nominations for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, according to the list of Academy Award nominees released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Monday.

Selected as the entry of Hong Kong, China, the film will compete for the top prize in the category with Another Round (Denmark), Collective (Romania), The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) and Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Starring actress Zhou Dongyu and the boy band TFBoys member Jackson Yee, the film by Hong Kong director Derek Kwok-Cheung Tsang puts the spotlight on school bullying. In the film, Chinese girl Chen Nian, who is single-mindedly preparing for the national college entrance exam, becomes a target of relentless bullying and then forms a strong friendship with small-time criminal Xiao Bei. The two are dragged into a murder case of a teenage girl where they are the prime suspects.

The film released in 2019 on the Chinese mainland had been a box-office hit in the season, grossing more than 1.58 billion yuan (about 243 million U.S. dollars), according to the Chinese film database Maoyan. The film boasts 9.4 out of 10 user rating on the Maoyan platform, averaged from 1.76 million viewers.

American biographical drama film Mank, directed by David Fincher, led the pack of nominees for the 93rd Oscars with 10 nominations, including best picture.

The pandemic-delayed 93rd Oscar awards ceremony will be held on April 25.

(China Daily)10:17, March 16, 2021

Laurence Brahm works with the film crew on his latest documentary, Searching for Kung Fu.[Photo provided to China Daily]

US award-winning documentary filmmaker and development pioneer lauds major aspects behind Chinas success, Alexis Hooi reports.

Many people from overseas have made a contribution to Chinas development over the years. As China celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, China Daily looks at the lives and contributions of these friends from afar, whove not only witnessed, but also participated in, the countrys transformation over the years.

For many people in the West, kung fu ranks as one of the most popular aspects of China. However, they may not realize that the martial art is actually about nonviolent traditional Chinese principles and values, about the social harmony that one develops through perseverance and training, according to US award-winning documentary filmmaker Laurence Brahm.

The Chinese characters spelling kung fu include those that mean dagger-ax and to stop, Brahm says.

So its the art of stopping fighting or the art of nonviolence. Its a very important principle that should be shared today.

The traditional values behind kung fu-of perseverance, loyalty, respect for harmony, nature, the center line and not going to extremes-should in turn be used to better understand Chinese culture, Brahm says.

Those crucial cultural foundations help form the basis of the countrys successful development, which the Communist Party of China has led and maintained, he says.

Brahm used the kung fu analogy as he took stock of the countrys achievements amid the centennial celebrations of the CPC this year. His latest documentary, Searching for Kung Fu, produced by the China Daily website, discusses the fundamental aspects of kung fu by tracing the footsteps of its masters.

Brahm, who trained in the United States as a lawyer and economist, arrived in China four decades ago and worked with the Chinese government on financial, banking and enterprise reform through the 1990s. He has written more than 20 books covering Asia.

For his major contributions to the development and greater understanding of the country, Brahm received the 2019 China Friendship Award on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

(Xinhua)10:38, March 12, 2021

SHANGHAI, March 11 (Xinhua) — Chinas Shanghai on Thursday announced the first batch of its revolutionary cultural relics of over 350 buildings and artifacts, as the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrates its centenary this year.

According to the municipal bureau of culture and tourism, well-known items on the list include the site where the first CPC National Congress took place in 1921 and the Chinese edition of the Communist Manifesto translated by Chen Wangdao in 1920.

The list also contains revolutionary martyrs tombs and cemeteries, revolutionary figures former residences, and former school sites that gave birth to patriotic student movements, among others.

According to Chu Xiaobo, deputy chief of the culture and tourism bureau, most cultural relics on the list were carefully preserved and repaired. The city will release the second batch of the relics before July 1, the CPCs birthday.

Shanghai is the birthplace of the Communist Party of China, with rich resources of revolutionary cultural relics.