World Tong'anese convention
世界同安联谊大会召开
Photo by Lin Shize



The 6th World Tong'an Friendship Convention took place on November 26-28 in Tong'an and Xiang'an districts, attracting 1,200 delegates from over 30 countries and regions.

 

 

Economics

Xiamen to build Fujian's largest secondhand goods market
将建全省最大旧货市场
The largest secondhand goods market in Fujian Province will be built on Wanshou Road, Xiamen, next year. The market, which will provide a business space of nearly 20,000 square meters, is due to start trial operation in May next year. The existing secondhand goods market will be relocated to the new facility in entirety.

Returned students enjoy tax exempt car purchases
"海归"买国产小车免税
Under the Administrative Measures for Vehicle Purchase Taxes, which have recently been published by the State Taxation Administration, effective January 1, 2006, overseas Chinese students who have returned to China will be exempted from vehicle purchase taxes if they purchase domestically-made cars; this preferential tax policy will also apply to mainland students who have completed studies in Hong Kong and Macao.

Foreign fast food to contain Changtai vegetables
生态农家菜入主洋快餐
Foreign fast food chains McDonald's and KFC will soon be using coriander grown in Shanchong Village, Changtai County. The herb, which is produced in strict compliance with standards for chemical-free vegetables, can be eaten raw right after picking.

 

 

Society

Local citizens donate antiques to museum
市民为博物馆捐文物
Xiamen Central Museum of Culture & Arts has recently received 34 antiques donated by four local citizens from their private collections. The pieces included four civil service examination papers from Tong'an County dating from the late Qing Dynasty.

40% local children suffer from eye diseases
厦门宝宝四成有眼疾
A recent survey shows that pre-school children in Xiamen are facing a serious eye health problem, with about 44% of pre-school children suffering from eye diseases to varying degrees. Experts say the high incidence of eye disease is largely attributable to unhealthy eye-use habits.

Sofitel's first Marathon Race
索菲特酒店热身马拉松
Last Saturday a special marathon relay race kicked off on the Island Ring Road. It was organized by Sofitel Plaza Xiamen, and 120 staff members got enthusiastically involved. It was a warm-up to get ready for the Xiamen International Marathon next March, and its full distance of 3.93 kilometers symbolized the 393 rooms in the hotel.



M-zone users show off singing talent
动感地带打造本土娱乐英雄
The first round of the "Orange Storm M-zone 2005 Entertainment Hero Party" took place last Saturday at the Bala Karaoke. Tapping into the national feeling that anyone can be a star if they are willing to give it a go, the competition has attracted over 1000 M-zone users to sign up and show off their singing skills. In the end there will be 50 contestants taking part in the final on December 10, and the top five will become Xiamen's first local entertainment heroes. It will be a successful copy of the Supergirl TV show which took China by storm three months ago.

55th Miss World Competition in Sanya 世界小姐选美亮相三亚 The 55th Miss World "Beach Wear Finals" was held on November 26 at the beachfront of the Sheraton Sanya Resort, a perfect venue with its white sandy beach and luscious tropical gardens. The "Beach Wear Competition" is the most eagerly awaited event in the 55th Miss World program, which kicked off on November 13. Everyone is given a chance to get a glimpse of the contestants' curves as they show off this year's official Miss World beach wear. The beach wear which the contestants are wearing was designed by Wilnelia Merced, a Puerto Rican who won the Miss World title in 1975. Being a beauty queen herself, Ms. Merced definitely knows how to highlight the contestants' assets and flawless figures.

 

 

Education

Graduate studies examinations attract more candidates
考研人数增加
The number of candidates who have signed up for the 2006 Xiamen University graduate studies entrance examinations has reached a record high, with the total number of candidates, the number of fresh university graduates signing up for the examinations and the number of examinees signing up for Master of Law examinations rising considerably; the number of candidates signing up for MBA entrance examinations remained unchanged.

Night of foreign tongues
厦大外文之夜
On November 24 an evening party named "the night of foreign languages" was held in the Jiannan Hall in Xiamen University. It was sponsored by the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures (CFLC), which has history of organizing these foreign language parties to test its students' oral abilities. The teaching evaluation experts at the university were very impressed by the evening party, which helped them to find out more about the CFLC and Xiamen Univerisity.

 

 

City News
Edited by Lily

Beijing 北京

13 foreigners granted green cards
13名老外获绿卡
Beijing has granted 13 foreigners permanent residence. Since China adopted a policy akin to the United States "green card" policy last year, Beijing has given a total of 131 foreigners permanent residence. Beijing has seen a surge in the number of overseas visitors recently. In 2004, the city's Exit-Entry Administration office recorded 2.58 million foreign visitors, 30 times the number in early 1990s.

New exhibition center
年末打造新展览中心
Building work will begin on a new China International Exhibition Center in the northeastern outskirts in early December. The new exhibition center will be located in the eastern district of Shunyi. Construction on the exhibition halls will be completed by the end of next year. Beijing takes half of the country's international exhibition market, but its venues for exhibitions are not up to international standards.

Shanghai 上海

Sale of pet birds prohibited
禁售宠物鸟
Shanghai will ban the sale of pet birds December as part of its avian-flu prevention efforts, putting an untold number of dealers out of business. After the cutoff date, which will be announced later, live chickens will be the only birds allowed to be sold in the city. Though so far disease free, the city has implemented a wide range of preventive measures to keep bird flu beyond its borders. For now, the sale of live chickens will continue, though the practice has been prohibited in other cities.

Creative industries receive investment
投资创造型产业
The Shanghai government will invest more in creative industries to reduce reliance on the manufacturing sector, as they can gain more profit through intellectual property than from processing or manufacturing. 18 creative industrial parks have attracted more than 800 design companies from over 30 countries and regions to set up offices.

Surveys of checkup clinics promote safety
调查医检所防安全隐患
As citizens are increasingly health conscious and seek basic health examinations and checkups more often, the Shanghai government is surveying standards to see whether sick patients in clinics and hospitals are separated from those just seeking physical exams - a standard practice to help prevent infection. A nationwide forum on the status of health checkups and increasing numbers of exams will be held in the city between December 2 and 4.

Families too close for comfort
家庭成员居住空间过密
Nine out of 10 Shanghai children share a bedroom, if not an actual bed, with their parents, according to a recent survey. It is not just babies and toddlers: some 40 per cent of children aged between 12 and 18 still bed down in the same room as their parents or grandparents. Experts are considering starting research into this closeness problem and connected stresses.

Guangzhou 广州

30, 000 pet nurses needed
缺口3万专业宠物护理员
The growing passion for pets among more and more Chinese people has created a new career - the pet nurse, who is well trained to give professional care to pets. Statistics show that more than 30,000 families with pets in Guangzhou are seeking qualified pet nurses. The average monthly salary for most pet nurses is between 900 yuan and 1,000 yuan, and some can even get more than 1,500 yuan, much more than an average housekeeper.

More commercial streets planned
将建更多商业步行街
Guangzhou will improve its business environment by upgrading and reconstructing commercial pedestrianized streets, and increasing the number of pedestrianized streets from 36 to 50 over the next five years. The construction of the pedestrianized areas will be in line with the city's urban planning regulations and the new streets will be concentrated in developing areas like Pearl River New Town, Baiyun New Town and Nansha New Town.

World's fastest subway car
世界最快地铁年底运行
Three high-speed subway cars with speeds of up to 120 km per hour, the fastest ever in the world, are expected to be in service next month in Guangzhou. The three new cars are expected to run on the first section of the newly-built metro line 3 which is to start operation on December 26. The cars will run at 80 km per hour during their trial period and then zoom up to 120 km per hour after adjustment.

Relocating Flower Fair in debate
搬迁花市引争议
Residents have reacted strongly over the issue of relocating the Spring Festival flower fair, an annual event with a 50-year history in the city. Xihu Road has been the venue for the flower fair since 1956. The Yuexiu District government recently proposed to move the fair from its traditional location. Many have opposed the plan, saying the removal would possibly destroy the tradition. Some however expressed support for the plan, complaining about the crowds and traffic.

Chongqing 重庆

Certificates for eco-residential buildings
环保建筑有标志
Residents are requested to check the certificates of eco-residential buildings before making a purchase. Eco-residential buildings have to pass two tests, for energy saving and air quality. There should be at least one parking space for each residence.

Hong Kong 香港

Light show certified as largest
维多利亚港灯饰入吉尼斯纪录
A light and sound show around Hong Kong's famous Victoria Harbor has won the city a Guinness World Records certificate for being the largest permanent show of its kind in the world. The 13-minute long event is a synchronized laser and sound show performed on the 20 high-rises facing north along the edge of Victoria Harbor.



HK, UK seek education ties
港英加强高教联系
Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have signed the first memorandum of understanding on international higher education. The memorandum aims to develop further links between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and the UK. It will promote co-operation and exchange in research and academic work in areas of mutual interest, including exchanges of teaching staff and students, internship placements and collaborative research.

Taipei 台北

Companies to invest in Yangtze River Express Airlines
联合投资"长江快递航运"待批
CAL (China Airlines), Yangming Marine Transport and Wan Hai Lines are to be allowed to invest in China's Yangtze River Express Airlines. However, these companies are still waiting for the nod from Beijing to carry out their plans. Yangtze River Express Airlines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China's Hainan Air.


Vocabulary
antique 古董
contestant 参赛者
exempt 免除
coriander 香菜
saloon 轿车
zoom 急速上升
internship 见习期
memorandum 备忘录
synchronized 同步的