Local art celebrated
闽南风 海峡情
Photo by Yao Fan



A party showcasing South Fujian culture and customs was held at the Xiamen Children's Palace on the evening of August 5th. The event was jointly organized by the Palace and the Jinmen Music Association. In the picture left are members of Xiamen Senior Citizens' Activity Center performing a local opera.

 

 

Economics

Restrictions on power use lifted for industrial enterprises
工业企业今年不限电
With the continuing heat wave, Xiamen's demand for electric power has surged and some enterprises are worried about a possible power shortage. The city's economic development bureau has reassured local people that Xiamen has ample power supplies and that restrictions on power use will not be necessary this year for industrial enterprises or local residents.

Consumer products sales surge in first half of year
上半年消费品零售增长
In the January-June period of this year, sales of consumer products in Xiamen totaled RMB 15.49 billion, up 13% over the same period last year, with large supermarkets experiencing the biggest growth in sales.

 

 

Society

Mobile "Loving Heart" supermarket reaches countryside
流动博爱超市进农村
The first mobile "Loving Heart" supermarket, jointly sponsored by the City's Red-cross Society and Xiamen Evening News, recently arrived in Lianhua Township, Tong'an District, where 80 poverty-stricken villagers were issued cards which allowed them to pick up what they needed from the supermarket free of charge.

More area forested this year
今年造林量远超往年
Trees previously planted in Xiamen were not beautiful enough, but this situation will change this year. Local authorities have decided to plant a record number of ecological ornamental trees throughout the city this year. Reforestation in this spring has exceeded 1,200 hectares, threes time the area planted last year.

Major restaurants ban single-use wooden chopsticks
大酒店全面停用一次性木筷
In response to the appeal of the China Association of Restaurants to discontinue the use of single-use wooden chopsticks, all major medium- and high-end restaurants in Xiamen have removed such chopsticks from their dinning tables. However, for some small eateries and open-air food stalls, single-use wooden chopsticks remain the most frequently-used item of tableware.

Free entrance to popular science education centers
免费参观科教基地
The city's popular science education centers are admitting children free of charge. Local children with valid identification papers can pick up free admission tickets from the Popular Science Department of the City's Science & Technology Association (2, Gongyuan South Road), which gives out 40 free admission tickets each week.

Monitoring system installed to control forest fires
监控系统防森林火灾
Local authorities will complete the installation of the remote TV surveillance and fire monitoring system in the city's forests by the end of August. The system will cover more than 90% of the city's wooded area. It is reported that the system will be the nation's first remote forest fire monitoring system capable of covering an entire city.

Top 10 good Samaritans identified
评出首届十大慈善人物
Local authorities have unveiled the city's first list of top 10 good Samaritans who have won respect and admiration with their selfless acts of kindness to others. They are Wu Aitong, Luo Xiande, Huang Wenniang, Ye Kexiong, Da Qiang, Lin Li, Ke Xianshen, Xu Lihui, Mr. Xu and "the Hermit".

"HR appraiser" certification offered in Xiamen
"人才测评师"认证落户厦门
Xiamen will soon have a new profession, "HR appraisers". The China Association for Human Resources Exchanges and the All-China Talent Mobility Center under the Ministry of Personnel will launch South Fujian's first intermediate "HR appraiser" training, examination and certification in Xiamen this month.

Nationally accredited psychological counselors start services
首批国家心理咨询师开业
The city's first group of seven nationally accredited psychological counselors has recently began to offer their services. The "Urban Spiritual Space" Psychological Counseling Center, established by these counselors in partnership with leading psychologists and hypnotic therapists, has opened for business, providing psychological treatments including hypnosis.

 

 

Transport

10, 000 free parking spaces provided on island
岛内增近万个免费车位
In the first half of this year, Xiamen saw an average 6,000 new motor vehicles hitting the road per month. In an effort to relieve the stress on the road system, the local traffic police have increased their financial investment in transport infrastructure. So far, nearly 10,000 temporary parking spaces and 8 new traffic lights have been set up on Xiamen Island.

Construction of Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway to kick off next month
福厦铁路有望下月全线动工
The much-anticipated Fuzhou-Xiamen railway project has come a step closer with its engineering feasibility scheme approved by the State Development and Reform Commission. The date for commencing the construction of the railway is expected to be brought forward to September 30th. The Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway will cover 275km, and cost RMB 16-17 billion.

Vocabulary
infrastructure 设施
reforest 再造林
accredited 官方认可的
counsel 咨询
ecological 生态的
hypnotic 催眠的