The "Future World" International Youth Art Festival was held on Saturday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with over 500 participants, including government officials, cultural figures, artists, and youth representatives from both China and Uzbekistan.

The festival was co-hosted by China's State Council Information Office, the Youth Affairs Agency of Uzbekistan, and the Samarkand regional government.

The festival kicked off with the "Future World" International Youth Art Exhibition and the "Future Vision" Digital Cultural Exhibition. The art show featured over 300 pieces of works created by young artists from China, Uzbekistan, and other nations, covering various categories, including painting, calligraphy, and crafts. The works explored diverse themes, including technological innovations, cultural heritage preservation, civilizational exchange, and global challenges. Through vibrant colors and unique perspectives, the young artists conveyed their imagination and deep reflections on the future world.

The "Future Vision" Digital Cultural Exhibition emphasized the importance of knowledge and innovation. It features cutting-edge achievements from nearly 30 institutions in the fields of digital technology, cultural creativity, and science education. More than 600 books aimed at youth, covering a wide range of topics, provided a cultural feast for attendees. Additionally, live performances such as tea ceremonies and robot dances by youngsters from the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People captivated the audience and encouraged audience participation and interaction.

At the opening ceremony, the organizers expressed their hope that the art festival would help deepen the connections, interactions, and mutual understanding between the youth of China and Uzbekistan. By fostering artistic exchanges, they aim to strengthen the ties between the two peoples, building bridges of friendship and contributing to the growth of the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan in the new era, as well as advancing the shared future of the two nations.

Samarkand's Deputy Governor, Khaitov Orif Bolikulovich, said that China and Uzbekistan are geographically close, culturally connected, and share a deep mutual affinity. For over 2,000 years, these two civilizations have shared a long history of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. He hopes that the youth of both nations will forge strong friendships and walk side by side, becoming the next generation of ambassadors, builders, and promoters of China-Uzbekistan relations.

In a video message, Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Yu Jun noted that the young generations are living in a golden age of China-Uzbekistan relations. He expressed his sincere hope that this event will allow the youth of both nations to deepen their understanding of one another, becoming the future ambassadors, builders, and champions of China-Uzbekistan friendship, offering their talents and efforts to national revitalization and the development of bilateral ties.

Chinese airports have maintained the travel fever since the week-long National Day holidays kicked off, and the visa-free policy, along with frequent flights, continues to boost inbound and outbound travel.

Civil aviation passenger volumes have exceeded 2.2 million trips per day for three consecutive days since the holidays began on October 1, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to handle 146,900 inbound and outbound passenger trips on Friday, with over 1 million trips anticipated throughout the holidays, according to airport data. 

The two airports in Shanghai are expected to transport nearly 370,000 passenger trips per day on average, an increase of 14.4 percent compared to the same period last year. 

The travel boom is not limited to first-tier cities. During the National Day holidays, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Harbin Taiping International Airport is expected to reach 14,000, with the number of inbound and outbound passenger flights totaling 100, an increase of 41.9 percent and 1.1 percent year-on-year respectively.

Outbound air tickets and hotel bookings for the National Day holidays have spanned 1,597 cities in 144 countries and regions, data from the travel platform qunar.com showed. When examining the cities with the highest number of outbound air ticket orders, it's notable that all of them are within a 5-hour flight radius. The top five cities are Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Osaka.

Hong Kong and Macao remain highly appealing. The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region estimates that about 10.03 million people will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points from September 28 to October 7.

Thanks to the 144-hour visa-free policy, inbound tourism has grown rapidly. Traditional domestic tourist cities such as Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Zhangjiajie have continuously added new international routes, attracting a large number of foreign tourists to China. 

The source of inbound tourists to Zhangjiajie, which bears a striking resemblance to the landscapes depicted in James Cameron's film Avatar, located in Central China's Hunan Province, has increased from 133 countries and regions in 2019 to 171 now.

Meanwhile, cruise travel is also playing a significant role in outbound travel. 

Da Wang, a Beijing-based tourist, chose a seven-day cruise tour to the cities of Japan. She told the Global Times on Friday that she was surprised to see at least 40 buses leaving the Fukuoka port in Japan when she disembarked at her first stop on Thursday. Each bus was full of 50 Chinese travelers, and there were many tour guides holding signs waiting for the Chinese tourists, Da said, noting that "it is quite spectacular." 

Experts believe that the booming inbound and outbound tourism reflects the strong pulse of the holiday economy. They assert that this trend will further drive economic development, and as people's demand for travel experiences continues to grow, the future holiday economy is likely to become more diversified and enriched.

Yan Xi (center), the author of Zaoshen Niandai, or The Age of God Creation, receives his award for Best Novel at the 35th Galaxy Awards in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on September 28, 2024. The awards are China's most prestigious science-fiction literature awards. Photo: Courtesy of the 35th Galaxy Award

China has launched an inquiry platform for permanent basic farmland on Monday to enforce protection and strengthen social supervision, according to Ministry of Natural Resources.

The public can conveniently and quickly access information about the areas and location of permanent basic farmland through the ministry's website, app and a WeChat tool, according to the ministry.

This marks the first time at the national level that inquiry services for permanent basic farmland have been made available to the public online. The platform has maximized the data accessible to the public but some data needs further processing and refinement.

Some information related to land use approval, supervision and law enforcement needs confirmation with local county-level natural resources authorities. The platform will be updated and improved annually, with the goal of full coverage over time.

Permanent basic farmland is high-quality arable land that has been designated in accordance with the law and is under special protection, playing an important role in guaranteeing national food security, according to the ministry. Once designed, the farmland cannot be occupied by any entities or individuals or change its purpose of use. 

The public can check the categorization of farmlands on the platform. They can report to county authorities if they discover activities on permanent basic farmland including planting fruit trees, flowers, or excavating ponds for fish farming, or when permanent basic farmland is being occupied for residential or other construction purposes, or planting conditions of the permanent basic farmland are damaged due to the dumping of construction waste and other activities. Local authorities will verify the situation and take prompt actions.

The platform is an important supplement to the ongoing efforts across various regions to disclose information about permanent basic farmland and provides the public with more diverse channels to actively participate in the supervision and protection of permanent basic farmland.

As one of the events of the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum, "The Temple of Earth and Me" book fair kicked off on Friday and will run through September 23 at Beijing's Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth Park. 

Many eager book enthusiasts flocked to the venue in the morning to embark on a cultural "city walk" that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining. The book coupons issued by the book fair were quickly snapped up.

In a nod to the rising trend of night tourism during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the organizers told the Global Times that the book fair will extend its hours until 8 pm. Meanwhile, some cultural activities, including a poetry event related to the Mid-Autumn Festival, will be held in the central area of the book fair.

According to a press release from the local publicity department, this year's book fair boasts an exhibition and sales area of approximately 18,000 square meters and will feature 10 exhibition areas and host over 160 cultural activities.

The exhibition area has expanded by 3,000 square meters compared to 2023 and now encompasses 10 exhibition areas, three activity zones, and several supporting service points. The fair has gathered over 330 publishers, physical bookstores, and specialty exhibitors from across the nation, offering a vast selection of 400,000 book titles, reaching a new peak in scale.

The book fair boasts 10 sections with different themes, such as a brick-and-mortar bookstore district, a children's books and parent-child reading area, a foreign language book section, and a cultural and creative products area. 

The thematic special exhibition area will focus on hot topics such as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, recommending key books and reading lists.

One of the highlights is the "Old Books, New Knowledge" section which has arranged a special exhibition called Five Prominent Features of Chinese Civilization - Classical Works, featuring over 60 ancient and rare documents across 42 categories. 

Liu Yichen, the person in charge of this section, told the Global Times that the ancient books with wisdom are vital carriers of the Chinese civilization.

Media has reported that the physical bookstore section has attracted the participation of 135 brick-and-mortar bookstores, which is 1.5 times more than 2023. 

The Palace Museum Bookstore is one of the main attractions. Xu Mei, the person in charge of the bookstore, told the Global Times that they have been the top-selling participant at the book fair for several consecutive years. 

"We sold for over 400,000 yuan ($56,173) last year," she said, noting that the Forbidden City Calendar was the most popular product that often ends up in short supply.

Not far from this cultural icon, the Chengdu Panda Bookstore was also swarmed with visitors, captivating the hearts of many young tourists with its array of panda-themed cultural and creative products. 

In addition to well-known IPs like pandas, the children's picture book district also features popular characters such as Harry Potter, Japan's Detective Conan, and Black Cat Detective from Chinese animation whose books and cultural products are also highly sought after.

With a long history, the Temple of Earth, which used to serve as the site for worshiping the Earth God during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), is the second largest imperial altar in the city of Beijing.

As the world faces challenges from threats, disputes, and misunderstandings, we need to work together to showcase different cultures, learn about them, respect them, and learn from each one, said various scholars and experts at the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum on Thursday.

In his video speech, former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said that the High-level People-to-people Exchange Mechanism between China and France has showcased the mutual respect between the two great civilizations.

As today's world grapples with threats and challenges, Chinese people, French people, or other people with good intentions "must ensure that culture powers cooperation. The world must choose cooperation instead of tension and confrontation," he said.

With a permanent theme of "Inheritance, Creativity, Mutual Learning," the forum has "Enhance Culture Exchanges for Common Progress" as its theme for this year. A main forum, six sub-forums, and 32 professional seminars and relevant cultural activities will be held during the three-day event.

Over 800 participants from home and abroad including Raffarin, Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO and Yukio Hatoyama, former Japanese prime minister, held in-depth discussions on topics including mutual learning between civilizations and common progress, spiritual life and industrial development, cultural heritage protection and inheritance, and new cultural business forms and technology integration.

GCI, a shared solution

China's Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) has called for the upholding of the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. The initiative advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity, the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, as well as robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

From languages to customs, history… All of these elements make up cultural diversity, which is the basis for mutual respect among people of all countries and influences international relationships.

"That's the reason why France and China decided to take turns hosting the Sino-French Cultural Forum," Raffarin explained.

Christine Cayol, French vice president of the Sino-French Cultural Forum, told the Global Times that she has been expecting the upcoming forum, to be held in the French city of Deauville in November this year, which aims to "share our mutual perspective about transmission."
Thanks to GCI's ideas of mutual learning and exchanges, she said she had the chance to attend the forum twice together with other guests.

"It is not a political or financial forum, but a cultural one. It is very special and even more precious," she said.

In contrast to the Western claims of the "superiority of certain civilizations and a clash of civilizations," China has called for the upholding of the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. It emphasizes the importance of cultural exchanges transcending estrangement, mutual learning transcending clashes, and coexistence transcending feelings of superiority.

Robert Walker, a fellow at the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK, told the Global Times that the world "is experiencing enormous tensions. We have to work together to solve common problems" as well as hosting events like the Beijing Culture Forum, a platform for people to share and communicate.

Alexandros Modiano, chairman of the West-East Urban Governance Institute in Greece said, "Culture is a slippery, but yet very safe place to invite people from different horizons to be together [and] understand each other. And when we understand each other, we ­appreciate each other. We learn from our differences, and we are richer every day, because we understand how complementary our own culture is vis-à-vis Chinese culture."

Positive trajectory

The Report on China's Cultural Exchanges with the World was released at the forum on Thursday. Based on publicly available documents, data, and case studies from various institutions, it is the result of research on China's cultural exchanges with the world in 2023.

The report reveals that, in the face of challenges and opportunities, cultural exchanges between China and other countries in 2023 showed a rapid recovery and a positive trajectory, thanks to a focus on balancing security and development while prioritizing cooperation and mutual benefit. Such exchanges not only expanded in scale quickly approaching pre-pandemic levels, but also became more diverse in form, innovative in approach, and more in-depth in dialogue, entering a new phase of high-quality development.

As China's cultural center, Beijing has played an important role in such exchanges and seen so many foreign visits and people-to-people exchanges. Irina Bokova has been to Beijing, a historical city with a long history, many times. In her speech, she introduced the city's cultural and creativity resources.

In 2012, she witnessed the moment when Beijing joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a City of Design for its sci-tech and cultural innovation. In July, Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 59th World Heritage Site.

A series of activities and events to promote Beijing's cultural achievement and preservation work will be held during the forum.

China leads the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics medal table with 20 gold medals and 42 total medals as of Sunday (local time). Since the end of the second day of competition, Chinese athletes have set six new world records.

Behind every medal won by the athletes is an unyielding and inspiring story, and more importantly, a persistent pursuit of their dreams.

"The greatness of the Paralympic athletes lies in their extraordinary perseverance and resolve in the face of physical challenges. Their stories inspire the world, demonstrating the limitless potential of human capability," Luo Le, a sports scholar at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times.

In the swimming events, Chinese swimmer Guo Jincheng competed in three consecutive finals. After winning a silver medal and breaking the Asian record in the men's S5 100m freestyle final, he and his teammates netted a gold medal in the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay final, fulfilling his Paraympic gold medal dream.

During the training period for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Guo intensified his training with each session exceeding 10,000 meters in the pools. "Despite the high intensity, he never complained of fatigue. I know it's the dream of the Paralympics that motivates him," said Liu Zhenzhai, Guo's coach.

"To practice breath-holding, I pushed myself to the limit each time, often until nearly suffocating before taking a breath," Guo said.

He practiced breathing techniques with a basin of water at night after daytime pool sessions, gradually extending his breath-holding time from one minute to nearly two, and reducing his breathing intervals in the pool from three times to once per 50 meters.
'My own hero'

Guo lost both arms in an accident when he was only five years old, but this did not deter him from pursuing his dreams. Since joining the swim team at age 12, Guo has trained nearly every day, dedicating six hours daily to the sport without interruptions. Even after training, he would study videos of top swimmers in the world, in order to improve his own skills in the pool.

Guo has learned to use his feet for tasks typically performed by hand, such as using chopsticks. He said, "What hands can do, feet can do too; what others can do, I can do too. I want to be my own hero."

"Paralympic athletes not only excel in sports but also demonstrate extraordinary spirit in everyday life, facing challenges with courage and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement," Luo noted.

In Para Taekwondo women's K44 -57kg final on Saturday, China's Li Yujie defeated her opponent with a score of 11:0, claiming China's first Paralympic taekwondo gold medal. Like Guo, Li lost her right hand in an accident when she was young.

"I treat every match at the Paralympics as if it's my last, aiming to achieve the results I desire," Li said. Her lifelong passion for sports and rigorous training have led to her outstanding achievements in national and international competitions.

Li previously told the media that she hopes to make more people understand disabled sports and let more people know that disabled people are not a burden but are doing their best to achieve excellence.
Family support

"Paralympic athletes need targeted training methods and techniques to overcome all kinds of challenges, while maintaining a positive mind-set and strong willpower. Family support, professional coaching, and societal encouragement are key factors in their career success," Luo told the Global Times.

On the Paralympic stage, China's table tennis team remains a "dream team," with 19-year-old Huang Wenjuan and 16-year-old Jin Yucheng winning the gold medal in the women's doubles WD14 class final.

"My partner performed with a 'big heart' today, and I also felt that I achieved that feeling," Huang said in an interview after winning the tough match.

Born with congenital deformities, Jin faced severe disabilities in her limbs and knees. At two years old, she could not even place her feet normally. Her parents sought medical help and she underwent rehabilitation and surgery, enabling her to walk at three years old. To aid her recovery, her mother enrolled her in a local table tennis training program at age 11 and later sent her to a more specialized program in Chongqing at 12.

Despite grueling training that sometimes left her in tears, Jin's mother, Li Xiaoyong, provided unwavering support and encouragement. She helped Jin persist through the challenges of training with a disability, even as her hands developed thick calluses from gripping the paddle. Li Xiaoyong gently encouraged her daughter to persevere, making the sacrifices worthwhile.

This familial support has been a cornerstone of Jin's success. Besides her family, the schools, teachers, and societal support have also played crucial roles. Jin's middle school teacher, Zhu Lin, noted her boundless energy despite her small frame.

Luo concluded that the special athletes, through persistence and effort, have tried to achieve their dreams in adversity.

"Their stories inspire more people with physical disabilities, teaching them not to give up but to bravely pursue their life goals. The positive energy is vital for achieving personal excellence," Luo noted.

Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society.

To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched the "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

Birds who want to fly first need to flutter their wings, people who seek progress first need to read. In today's society, many people love reading books very much, and I'm no exception. During the summer vacation, I read Red Star Over China, and it attracted me a lot because of the story of the Red Army. 

It was written by Edgar Snow, a reporter from the US. It tells us about his interview in the revolutionary base area in northwest China from June to October 1936. Snow gave the whole world a true account of China and the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, as well as many of its leaders and generals. 

I think the most impressive plot in the whole book is the strategic migration of the Red Army. It describes the event of the Long March in beautiful language from a first-person perspective. During the Long March, the Red Army met plenty of difficulties, such as the Kuomintang's pursuit and interception, snowy mountains and grasslands with harsh conditions, and so on.

The quality reflected by this event is the spirit of the Long March. The spirit of the Long March is a belief that is extremely loyal to revolutionary ideals and cause, the spirit of the Long March is  proletarian optimism that is not afraid of sacrifice and dares to win, the spirit of the Long March is a noble character that takes into account the overall situation, strictly abides by disciplines, and is closely united. 

All of those constitute the great Long March spirit. While I was reading the book, every time I thought of this spirit, it gave me a great inspiration. The great spirit of perseverance showed by Red Army soldiers who overcame numerous difficulties and traveled over 25,000 li (12,500 kilometers) is worth learning from. 

The Long March is one of the wonders of humanity. In the military history of ancient and modern times, which army has gone through such a long march under such difficult and harsh conditions? Which army could face the journey of life and death without losing heart, and march toward victory with greater unity and pride? Only the Red Army led by the Communist Party of China.

Their patriotism reflects the pure heart of every modern fighter - no matter what kind of test they undergo, they can always maintain their originalaspiration; demonstrates the tenacious will of those who strive - being able to persevere no matter what hardships they encounter; and embody the spirit of dedication of those who strive - no matter how many sacrifices they make, they have no regrets or grievances. 

My strong sense of patriotism has made me love this land. As a Chinese, living in the good environment created by those old revolutionaries has given me a sense of security and pride. 

The snow-capped mountains of the Long March are monuments composed of the remains of countless martyrs, guiding their comrades and people today to go forward along the way.

The author is a student at Beijing Wenhui Middle School

A farmer gathers harvested rice in Shajingwan village of Hengyang, Central China's Hunan Province, on September 12, 2024. To reduce the influence of heavy rainfall, the government of Hunan Province has been accelerating the rice harvest by deploying more harvesting machines and arranging grain purchases. Photo: VCG

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT