China Up Close

Since 2012, #China has carried out 3,800+ #wetland restoration projects, reviving 1 million+ hectares of critical wetland habitat. These bar-headed geese are enjoying a breather in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, NW China's #Gansu.

Having trouble getting your #kids to eat their #vegetables? Then maybe you need to work on your knife skills! Perhaps this #radish carving competition in #Qingdao, east #China's #Shandong, can offer some inspiration, with #dragons, #horses, and yes, even #roosters on display!

The weather is well and truly heating up, which means hammock season is almost upon us! Of course, for the more laid-back among us, #hammock season never even left, as seen with this #panda resident of the #Chongqing Zoo.

Today is #Qingming Festival (清明节), or Tomb-Sweeping Day, marking the 5th solar term in the #Chinese lunar calendar. On this #traditional Chinese #festival with a history of over 2,500 years, people pay tribute to the dead and #worship their ancestors.

At the recent #Boao Forum for #Asia in south #China’s #Hainan Province, #green #development was at the forefront. The Boao Zero-Carbon Demonstration Zone generates 29 million kWh of green electricity a year, reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 99.9% between 2019 and 2025!

The Hongya Tableland in Siziwang Banner, north #China's #InnerMongolia Autonomous Region, is part of the Siziwang National Geopark (四子王国家地质公园). Towering red hills and deep gullies form the landscape here, and as snow falls, its natural beauty is only accentuated further!

As part of #China's rural revitalization drive, Ding’an County (定安县) in south China’s tropical #Hainan Province has transformed itself into a coffee-lovers’ paradise. Close to 20 #coffee shops now call Ding’an home, blending local customs with established #cafe #culture. Yum!

For all the noodle lovers out there, may we suggest a visit to Zhongjiang County in SW #China's #Sichuan Province? Zhongjiang is known for its traditional #handmade dried #noodles (中江挂面), a culinary #treat that's tender and thin as human hair, dating back to the Song Dynasty.

#Spring is in the air, and that means #flowers are once again in bloom. One of our favorite places in the nation’s capital to take in the blossoms is Beihai Park (北海公园), a former imperial #garden just a stone’s throw from the Forbidden City! #Beijing

Researchers at #Shanghai’s #Fudan University have developed thread-like "fiber chips" that can be woven into fabric. It could help produce advanced brain #implants, garments that function as interactive screens, and even hyperrealistic #VR touch. The #future of clothing is here!

You're not seeing things—that really is a #robot hitting the pavement for a late-night #jog. This #humanoid robot was doing a practice #run for #Beijing's upcoming Yizhuang Humanoid Robot Half #Marathon. Here’s hoping all competitors remember to fully charge the night before!

Once an unknown backwater, Donghai County (东海县) in #Jiangsu on #China’s east coast now sparkles as the world’s “#crystal capital.” Through #livestreams, locals have turned #crystals into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Why not log on and see if something catches your eye?

Hui ink (徽墨) has been produced in southern #Anhui Province for more than 1,000 years. The craft of Hui ink production was inscribed on #China's National Intangible Cultural #Heritage List in 2006. Today, artisans are creating Hui #ink sticks inspired by the Year of the #Horse.

While we were always taught not to play with our #food, I think we can make an exception for this one… The colorful #butter #sculptures of SW #China's #Xizang Autonomous Region come in all different shapes and sizes, and they’re especially popular around the #Tibetan New Year.

#Wuhan East Lake High-tech #Development Zone is also known as the optics valley of #China. Here you’ll find cutting-edge #technology around every corner, such as in this humanoid #robot innovation center, as #Hubei Province moves to boost its humanoid robot industry chain.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It’s the #Chinese #space station passing in front of the Moon. Many scientific experiments are being conducted aboard the space station, and perhaps one day, we'll finally know whether the #Moon is made of cheese!

Today marks the 1st International Taijiquan Day, having been recognized by @UNESCO in Nov. 2025 as the 1st such int’l day named after a martial art. #Taijiquan (aka #TaiChi) dates back ~400 years, incorporating traditional #Chinese philosophies like the cycle of yin and yang.

Today marks the beginning of #Chunfen (春分), or the Spring Equinox, the fourth solar term in the #Chinese lunar calendar. On Chunfen, the day and night are equally long, as #spring is halfway through. Blooming #peach blossoms are a common sight during this period.

Zhoucheng Village (周城村) in SW China’s #Yunnan Province is known as the home of the Bai tie-dye technique that dates back more than 1,000 years. 200+ local households totaling 4,000+ employees are engaged in the #tiedye trade, while blue and white designs are the classic motif.

In Kaili (凯里), Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, SW #China's #Guizhou, local artisans recently held a "Village T" (贵州村T) #fashion show to shine the spotlight on their colorful ethnic costumes. Here, an embroiderer-cum-model struts her stuff down the #catwalk.