Brief

Tourist Sites get Five-Star Rating

 

Four world-famous tourist attractions in Beijing have become the nation’s first AAAAA-rated tourist sites.

The Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA) on May 14 said the Forbidden City, the Badaling section of the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven were granted the new honour. This means they can provide top-level tourist-oriented services. Only 66 tourist attractions hold five-A ratings in China, including West Lake in Hangzhou and Yandang Shan in Zhejiang Province.

Previously, the top rating for tourist sites in China was 4A. In March 2006, the BTA created the five-A designation, which emphasizes service and a tourist site’s environmental quality. About 106 tourist attractions in China sought the coveted five-A rating.

 

Beijing Launches Non-Emergency Hotline

 

Beijing opened a hotline on May 15 to receive non-emergency calls relating to all aspects of public services.

Citizens can dial the simple number 12345 to report problems and complaints about traffic, electricity, heating and so on. The hotline has been set up in conjunction with various government departments so the reported problems and complaints can be quickly directed to the relevant department. It allows callers to search for different governmental department phone numbers or be directly connected to them.

Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan, at the launch ceremony, said he hoped the hotline would become a useful tool that would enable citizens to solve problems in their everyday lives.

Currently the service is available in Chinese and English, but more languages will be added as the system develops into a citywide network for solving non-emergency issues. It is expected to play an important role in 2008 when the city holds the Olympic Games. There are 100 staff members on-call to answer calls, with another 100 to be added soon.　

 

New Lighting for Liulichang: Browse at Night

 

A new night-light project will bring more night-time illumination to the Lulichang Cultural Street area, allowing the public to enjoy this valuable cultural street late in the evening.

“When the sun sets, there are fewer customers, and we have to close our stores,” a curio shop manager at Nanliuxiang said. For a long time, there has been no lighting at the eastern and western stretches of Liulichang, except for that found in nearby hutong.

According to another store manager, “There are lots of customers who visit Xidan and Wangfujing at night, but there are almost none at Liulichang. With the new lighting the lives of neighbouring people will be improved a lot, and we can stay open longer."

According to the Chunshu Avenue Office, Xuanwu District, Liulichang will be upgraded and renovated in time for the 2008 Olympic Game to make it more enjoyable for recreation and shopping. Creating the Liulichang Cultural Industrial Park in Xuanwu District is a key aspect of the project. The lights used along the streets will match the architectural style of the planned area; the project is expected to be completed before October 1, and as many as 60 stores will open until 10 o’clock at night.

 

China to Waive Tuition Fees for Future Teachers

 

China has decided to waive tuition fees for students training to become teachers at six elite teaching universities, according to measures publicized by the Ministry of Education on May 16.

When the autumn semester begins in September 2007, tuition and accommodation fees will be scrapped for freshmen majoring in education at six top teaching universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Changchun, Wuhan, Xi’an and Chongqing. The students will also be granted a living stipend.

The cost of the measure will be covered by the central budget, according to the trial programme approved by the State Council.

To be eligible for free tuition, the student must agree to work at a primary or middle school for at least ten years after graduation and spend the first two years in a rural school. Students who have a change of heart during their studies can choose another occupation upon graduation, according to the measures, but in this case they must repay their tuitions in full.

 

Scholars call for Country’s Own Mother’s Day 

 

With many people around the world celebrating Mother’s Day on May 13, a Chinese scholar and member of the top national advisory body has made it his mission to create China’s own Mother’s Day.

Li Hanqiu, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, suggested that the second day of the fourth lunar month, which falls on May 18 in 2007, should be the day.

It coincides with the birthday of 4th century BC philosopher Mencius, whose mother has long been considered the epitome of maternal devotion and love.

Li has called for the traditional Western gift of carnations for the day to be changed to lilies, which in ancient times were planted by mothers in their courtyards as a sign of sorrow at their children leaving home. 　

“In a country with a deeply rooted tradition of filial piety, we should have our own occasion for people to express love for mothers according to Chinese custom,” Li said.

He has founded a non-government organization Chinese Mothers’ Festival Promotion Society” with the support of around 100 Confucian scholars and lecturers of ethics. It plans to celebrate its first Chinese Mother Festival on May 18.

“This is our first year and the celebration will be held only in Zoucheng city of Shandong Province and Shijiazhuang in Hebei, but we believe it will be accepted by more Chinese people at home and abroad as it is conducive to revitalizing our traditional culture of filial piety,” said Li.

 

Student-Designed Costume Chosen as New Academic Costume

 

The China Academic Costumes Design Competition was launched at Peking University on May 11. According to organizers, the competition aimed to encourage the use of traditional Chinese costumes, but that does not mean western academic costumes was to suffer prejudice. The suitable one in competition, if allowed by the university side, would be selected to serve as academic costumes for 2007 graduates of Peking University.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the State Council Academic Degree Committee Office backed research and study on the issue nationwide. In 1994, China’s own academic costumes were examined and approved by the State Council Academic Degree Committee Office, which authorized the use of western academic costumes.

 

Intel Showcase World’s Top PC Modification in Beijing

 

“Is that really a PC?” This was a common question from consumers who visited THE PLACE in Beijing May 17–27 when Intel displayed creative and exciting PC modifications (mods) from around the world.

Intel China invited seven of the world’s most creative “modders” from Belgium, the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Sweden, and the United States to exhibit their one-of-a-kind PC mods. These original, creative, and fashionable PCs will set the bar for modders and PC do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) in China.

Intel began promoting digital entertainment in 2006 with its Core Techie Program, an initiative designed to foster solidarity amongst grass-roots techies who incorporate digital technologies into their daily endeavours. PC modding serves as another channel for creative DIYers to demonstrate their originality and individuality in the digital world.

“Modders comprise an important group of Intel Core Techies,” said Nancy Bhagat, vice-president of Sales and Marketing for Intel Corporation. “Their originality is convincing evidence that the epoch of individual digital entertainment is right around the corner.”

The two-week exhibition of the world-class PC mods will be followed by a national modding competition. These activities will provide Chinese modders with an opportunity to experience the future of PC modding and to interact with the international modding community.

“Mod” is an abbreviation for “modification.” The original intention of modding was to allow consumers to modify and personalize their PCs. Modding has changed traditional expectations, as modern PCs are being modified to reflect the individuality and originality of their users. Modding is becoming increasingly popular in China as the number of mod options continues to increase.

 

IELTS Introduces Half Bands for Writing and Speaking

 

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, has decided to introduce “half bands” for writing and speaking tests beginning on July 1.

The news means that writing and speaking modules will be reported on the test form in whole or half-band increments (1.5, 2.5, 3.5...in addition to 1–9). However, scores for each part of the test will still be reported on a scale from 1 to 9. Now, the scores for the listening and reading modules are shown in whole and half-bands, while writing and speaking are marked in whole bands only.

The exam organizer says that the change aims to provide more precise information on the speaking and writing ability of candidates. The new scoring model is also expected to help test-takers gain a more exact understanding of their language skills from their test report forms. However, the organizer said this will not change the way the exams will be marked. Examiners will assess test takers’ performance exactly the same way as now, and the test format will remain unchanged.

IELTS is a comprehensive test of the complete range of English language skills––listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The Commonwealth equivalent of the American TOEFL, the IELTS exam is one of the most popular international exams for academic qualifications in English.

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers China to Provide Accounting Services to Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

 

The Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has named PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian CPAs Limited Company (PwC) as the accounting services supplier of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In this role, PwC will provide financial advisory services concerning budgeting, financial planning, and internal-control to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and to China’s Paralympics, BOCOG, the Chinese Olympic Committee and China’s delegation of athletes.

“In August 2008, the entire world’s eyes will be on Beijing, watching the most exciting sporting competition to be staged in China. We are committed to making the Games a spectacular event,” said BOCOG Director of Marketing Yuan Bin, “and the best accounting and financial services will be required to make it a success. PwC and BOCOG will benefit from this world-class association.”

PwC’s involvement with the Beijing Olympics began as early as year 2000, when it provided financial advisory services to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee. In 2001, after Beijing won its bid to host the 2008 Summer Games, PwC turned its attention to providing advisory services during the tender for five major Olympic venues, including what will be the Olympics’ architectural centrepiece: the National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest.”

 

1,431 Families Take Part in Beijing Tour Campaign 

 

Since the “Olympic Families Tour Beijing” campaign began in April, 1,431 families from 59 countries and regions have registered with the official Web site of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to participate in the programme.

They include 1,158 families from the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions and 273 from abroad.　　In cooperation with China Mobile, the Web site (www.beijing2008.cn) launched the campaign on April 9 to make it possible for ten families, five from China and five from the rest of the world, to tour Beijing and the co-host cities of the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games.

The campaign is unfolding in three successive stages with online users’ participation; the ten winning families will be picked for the tour to begin in August 2007, on the occasion of the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games.

In June, preliminary selections will be completed, and the 100 short-listed families will open their own blog pages on Sohu.com.

 

Lin Daiyu Actress Dead at 42

 

Chen Xiaoxu, 42, the actress who starred as Lin Daiyu in a popular television production of A Dream of Red Mansions in the 1980s, died of breast cancer on May 13 in Shenzhen. She had taken the tonsure at a Buddhist temple in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province in Northeast China in February.

Chen became a household name after being cast the lead role as Lin Daiyu in the hit TV series, an adaptation of the Chinese Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) literary classic by Cao Xueqin of the same name. Following this popular role, however, Chen ceased pursuing an acting career. She disappeared from public view for several years until she caught people's attention as a successful businesswoman and billionaire in advertising.

Chen then concentrated on Buddhist studies at a monastery, according to staff from her company. An unconfirmed source added that Chen had been following the Buddhist life credo for seven years.

Breast cancer is the second most prevalent cause of death for women in China. The occurrence rate has tripled in the past five years, especially in big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. Lin’s death has brought renewed attention to women's health. A hospital in Zhejiang received about 200 visitors on May 16, according to a Hangzhou-based newspaper, and about 70 percent had come to check about breast diseases, 10 percent more than usual.