A new digital platform that merges technology with cultural heritage was unveiled on Monday in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. The Shanhai App brings tens of thousands of artifacts from across the globe into a unified digital space, overcoming the physical limitations of traditional museum collections.
The launch of the Shanhai App comes at a time when interest in museums and cultural preservation is at an all-time high.
The platform breaks down the barriers between museums, regions, and even countries, creating an open, digital environment where cultural treasures can be accessed, shared, and appreciated by a global audience.
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is one of the museums that has joined the platform.
"If this platform can succeed, it will not only be beneficial for domestic audiences but also help global audiences gain a better understanding of China's cultural treasures," said Jay Xu, director of the museum.
The "Museum Digital Intelligence Alliance" was formed, comprising 14 museums that joined the app. The alliance represents a commitment to building bridges between institutions and advancing the future of digital cultural preservation.
"I believe the most important role of a platform like Shanhai is to enable more people to participate in the creation of museum content," said Hou Ningbin, director of the Shaanxi History Museum.
"It connects the platform with museum professionals and links professionals or creators in society who have an interest in museum culture. For museums, this significantly strengthens our ability to promote China's rich cultural heritage."
The efficiency of digital artifact collection on the Shanhai App was the highlight of this launch event. During the event, a digital artifact collection process was live-streamed. The team conducted the digitization of an artifact in Shanghai, transmitted the data back to the lab in Changsha, and then sent the results in real-time to the launch event venue.
Looking ahead, the Shanhai App aims to digitize hundreds of thousands of cultural artifacts from museums nationwide.
In addition to artifacts, the platform will integrate related historical documents, archaeological records, and academic research, constructing a structured data system for cultural heritage.
The data will be applied to research, education, entertainment, and the creative industries. For example, in educational settings, teachers and students can easily use the app to find historical figures, stories, and related concepts associated with a particular artifact.
Eight attractions, 30,000 steps, 300 photos, dozens of iPhone video clips…traveler Qin concluded her 12-hour trip in Qingzhou county, East China's Shandong Province.
"It was a perfect journey," Qin shared on social media from a railway station in Qingzhou. Minutes later, she jumped onto a train leaving this time-honored small county.
Qin is among the growing Chinese tourists who are keen on being "special forces travelers." "Special forces travel" has grown into a new trend in China's tourism market over the past two years. The trend describes a travel style characterized by racing against the clock to hop from one destination to another, trying best to visit as many places as possible within an extremely limited time (and budget).
Why did this seemingly rushed, exhausting, military-training-like travel trend become popular? What will the trend bring to the Chinese tourism market? The Global Times spoke with some tourism experts and individual entrepreneurs engaged in related industries, who shared their personal experiences and thoughts on this booming craze.
Tiring but enjoyable
Qin calls herself a big fan of "special forces travel." Busy work and family chores have increasingly limited personal space of this seasoned traveler, so she decided to take full advantage of her weekends.
Including Qingzhou, this Shanghai resident has taken full advantage of her weekends and traveled to cities as far as 1,000 kilometers away, including the Tianjin Municipality, Shijiazhuang in North China's Hebei Province, and Changchun in Northeast China's Jilin Province. Excluding time spent sleeping and on the road, she typically only has about 10 hours to spend in the destination city.
In order to cover as many places as possible within an extremely limited time frame, each time, Qin meticulously plans her itinerary. This includes her arrival time, distances between attractions, and the estimated time she can stay at each attraction. Qin doesn't find her itineraries tedious. "I enjoy the sense of accomplishment deriving from completing the 'tasks' one by one," she told the Global Times.
Different from Qin's solo weekend escapes, tourist Betty (pseudonym) enjoys embarking on road trips with her family, relishing in the precious moments of togetherness during their travels, however hectic and fast-paced they may be.
Betty travels on statutory holidays, when every member in her family is available. During the Chinese New Year holidays this year, Betty and her family drove to some 10 cities in southern China, including Nanning, Beihai and Zhuhai. To save time and money during the trip, they hit the road before 6 am, limited themselves to only one meal a day, and nibbled bread while on the road. "Like field training," she joked.
Betty explained that her family members are often busy and rarely get the chance to travel. "So each time we plan our family trip, we include as many destinations as we can," she told the Global Times. "It's tiring, but I really enjoy the time on the road with my loved ones." Youth-friendly
The rise of "special forces travel" spurred the growth in related tourism services such as local guides and snacks trending on social media are blooming as well.
In Jieyang city of South China's Guangdong Province, a Gen-Z local guide nicknamed "Unicorn" uses her scooter and camera to show tourists around the city's key attractions.
"Unicorn" said many of her customers are "special forces travelers" particularly young females, who want to cover as many must-visit spots as possible in their short trips. "For them, I'm a good choice because I grew up here, and I'm very familiar with this city," she told the Global Times. "Also, I have a camera and can take photos for them."
"Unicorn" charges her customers 50 yuan ($7) per hour, which is affordable even for students, as it only takes one or two hour(s) to visit the city downtown, she said.
More than 85 percent of the "special forces travelers" are college students, said a report released by China Tourism Academy in December 2023.
It's not surprising that "special forces travel" is gaining momentum especially among young people, said tourism industry expert Yang Yong, who is a professor of the Faculty of Economics and Management at East China Normal University.
"This travel style allows tourists to visit many attractions in a short time, catering to the modern need of taking photos at the destinations and sharing them on social media, which has become a way people socialize nowadays," Yang told the Global Times. "Let alone the relatively lower cost of the 'special forces travel' is very friendly to young people."
Double-edged sword
The booming "special forces travel" has brought prosperity to some lesser-known destinations in China. For example, Zibo and Tianshui cities, which experienced a sudden surge in popularity overnight respectively due to their signature barbecue and malatang (a street hotpot), used to attract a large number of "special forces travelers" to visit; nonetheless, when these temporary local food crazes later cooled, travelers left, and once some snack shops had to close their doors, people started to realize that "special forces travel" is a double-edge sword bringing both opportunities and challenges.
Today many people travel according to the latest trends, but trends tend to change quickly. "Tourism practitioners must improve service quality to attract and retain visitors," Yang said, adding that "The industry needs to innovate and improve to better serve "special forces travelers and sustain the local tourism economy."
After ending his four-year ban in May due to an anti-doping rule violation, China's three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang returned to competition with an emotional victory at the national summer swimming championships.
Representing his hometown Zhejiang Province, Sun won the second-tier race with a time of 3:49.58, after clocking a 3:54.98 in the heat earlier on Sunday. Sun burst into tears twice after finishing each of the races while passing the media zone for an interview.
Fans were thrilled to see Sun's return as the topic "Sun Yang wins 400m free" quickly dominated Chinese social media on Sunday evening.
Looking at the times of athletes at the national championships held in early 2024, Sun's result in the final made him the fifth fastest in the discipline.
In June 2021, a panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced that Sun committed an anti-doping rule violation "when an unsuccessful attempt was made to collect blood and urine samples from him at his residence on September 4-5, 2018."
The CAS Panel banned Sun from competition on February 28, 2020 for four years and three months.
Born in December 1991 in Zhejiang's capital Hangzhou, Sun became China's first-ever men's swimming Olympic champion at London 2012, where he won both the 400m and 1,500m freestyle events. Sun remains the Olympic record holder in the men's 400 meters freestyle.
At Rio 2016 Olympics, Sun won the men's 200m freestyle and became the first-ever male swimmer to win Olympic gold medals in the 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle.
Several elite Chinese swimmers, including Fei Liwei and Zhang Zhanshuo who represented China at the Paris Olympics in men's 400 meters freestyle, skipped the national summer swimming championships for vacations after Olympics.
According to the national anti-doping management regulations enforced in 2021, Sun is unlikely to be included in future Chinese swimming squads at international competitions as any athletes who have been banned for more than one year due to a doping violation are not eligible to be selected for the national team.
Chen Xinyi, a female swimmer who was able to achieve a top-five performance in national swimming events, has not participated in any international competitions since serving a two-year ban after testing positive for banned substances at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The national summer swimming championships, running from Sunday to Wednesday, has attracted 499 athletes from 24 teams nationwide.
Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the "outstanding contributions" of late leader Deng Xiaoping and urged advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics initiated by Deng, as the country marked Deng's 120th birth anniversary on Thursday.
Addressing a meeting held to mark the anniversary, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the country must continue to thoroughly study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory.
"Deng made outstanding contributions to the Party, the people, the country, the nation and the world," Xi said, adding that Deng's achievements have been immortalized in history and will always inspire future generations.
Deng was the core of the second generation of the Party's central collective leadership, the chief architect of China's socialist reform, opening up and modernization, and the trailblazer of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said, adding that Deng was also a great internationalist who made major contributions to world peace and development.
"Comrade Deng Xiaoping had lived a glorious, fighting and extraordinary life," he said.
Xi noted that, after the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long turmoil that ended in 1976, Deng had led the Party and the people in achieving China's historic transformation.
Deng pushed China to achieve a new breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, break new ground in socialist modernization, and set a correct path for the country's complete reunification, Xi said.
Deng's historical achievements are comprehensive and groundbreaking, with profound and lasting impacts on both China and the world, Xi said.
"We will forever remember his great historical achievements and forever revere his noble revolutionary conduct," Xi said.
The most important intellectual legacy left by Deng is Deng Xiaoping Theory, Xi said, calling for thoroughly studying and applying the theory to address real-world problems.
"The best way to honor Deng is to continue advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics that he initiated," Xi said.
Xi called for further comprehensively deepening reform to continuously provide strong momentum and institutional safeguards for Chinese modernization.
He urged moving faster to build a modernized economy, working toward greater self-reliance in the science and technology sector, and developing advanced socialist culture.
Xi also urged efforts to achieve more notable and substantive progress in promoting common prosperity for all.
Realizing China's complete reunification has long been the aspiration of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other members of the older generation of revolutionaries, Xi said.
He urged resolute efforts to promote the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, and demanded firm opposition to "Taiwan independence" to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Friday afternoon, China's men's national 3x3 basketball team conducted its first open media session of the year during their training camp for the Paris Olympic Games. Head coach Wang Zhanyu underscored the urgency of preparing effectively for the upcoming games in Paris.
Zhang Ning, who resumed training on Thursday after completing his university studies during his vacation, will join Zhao Jiaren and Lu Wenbo next weekend at the Chengdu Basketball Masters Tournament.
"The primary challenge for the team right now is time," emphasized Wang. "Some players have just rejoined the team, so we need to capitalize on every moment to refine our tactics and strengthen team chemistry."
The 3x3 basketball competition at the Paris Olympic Games is scheduled from July 30 to August 5 at Place de la Concorde. With slightly over a month left, the training squad plans to participate in three tournaments to simulate competitive conditions.
"We will compete in Chengdu next weekend, Canada in early July, and Langfang in mid-July. Following these tournaments, we intend to proceed to a training camp in France for our final preparations before the Olympics," Wang added.
Last year, under the national team's strategy, Zhang Ning and his teammates played with various teams, partnering with international players and achieving significant success in top-tier FIBA events.
"Our players have gained invaluable experience from their international counterparts. We aim to showcase our distinctive style of play during our preparations," said Zhang Ning.
Yan Peng, participating in his second Olympic preparation cycle, observed that the team's competition has grown stronger since the last Olympics. However, he noted that the team's preparation this time is more comprehensive.
"Zhang Ning's skills in driving and shooting are exceptional, and he remains the core of our team," Yan emphasized.
The coaching staff will thoroughly assess the players' performance in both games and training sessions to determine the final roster for the Paris Olympic Games, considering their on-court combinations and effectiveness.
Chinese fans expressed mixed reactions to the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Saturday. The celebrations of French culture and history was warmly cheered but also criticized in some parts.
The Chinese delegation, led by flagbearers Ma Long, a five-time Olympic gold medalist in table tennis, and eight-time artistic swimming world champion Feng Yu, joined the athletes' fleet of barges on a six-kilometer ride on the River Seine before arriving at Trocadero square.
"Considering the pouring rain, what if our athletes catch a cold during this four-hour opening ceremony?" a Chinese fan Li Jianqiu posted on Weibo. "The Olympics is supposed to showcase the athletes' best performance, but the opening ceremony is risking their health."
As the fleet passed through Paris landmarks, the fire-damaged Notre Dame caught attention. A large troupe of dancers, accompanied by music composed using sounds from the cathedral's reconstruction, received wide praise as a salute to firefighters and construction workers who saved the iconic building.
One of the most debated parts of the ceremony was the appearance of headless Marie Antoinette. Some argued it demonstrated the revolutionary history of France, while others felt showing beheaded figures to young audiences was "extremely dreadful."
The 10 new statues of historic French women lining the river were well-received by Chinese fans, providing a fresh angle on the country's rich history.
The ceremony concluded at Trocadero, where the Eiffel Tower lit up. The flame, which had been on an elaborate journey with a masked torchbearer and a mechanical horse, was passed on to French football legend Zinedine Zidane. Assassin's Creed video game enthusiasts widely celebrated the torchbearer's masked appearance.
Though some fans noted the Olympic flag was upside down at the ceremony, they saw it as a "mistake" rather than a sign of the organizers' relaxed attitude.
France's three-time Olympic gold medalist Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner then lit the Olympic cauldron, a seven-meter diameter ring suspended on a 30-meter hot-air balloon. Canada's Celine Dion sang Edith Piaf's "Hymn to Love" in her first public performance in years, drawing huge cheers from the crowd and fans from afar.
Allegation of the so-called "overcapacity" relating to China-made electric vehicles (EVs) is a pseudo-proposition, and the narrative is falsified and runs counter to the law of market economy, China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) told a press conference on Tuesday, noting that manufactured green products have contributed to mitigating global climate change.
GAC cited EVs as an example. The International Energy Agency estimates that, by 2030, worldwide sales of EVs will reach 45 million units, about three times the global EV sales in 2023 and five times China's EV production expected in 2030.
China doesn't have an "overcapacity" issue when it comes to new-energy products, and the products enriched the global green supply and marked China's contributions to the global response to climate change, the GAC said.
"Green" has become a distinctive color for the high-quality development of China's foreign trade. Four out of every 10 cars exported from China currently are EVs, seven out of every 10 railroad locomotives are electric locomotives, and nearly 90 percent of the storage batteries exported from the country are lithium-ion batteries, making the green color even brighter, the GAC stated.
In addition to green products, innovation and coordinated regional development also featured the country's high-quality development of foreign trade in the new era.
In 2023, the country's exports of manufactured high-tech products increased by 6 percent year-on-year, accounting for 18.7 percent of the total value of exports.
Independent and innovative brands have enabled Chinese products to gain rising popularity overseas, ranging from horse-faced skirts rooted in traditional culture to multifunctional electronic products. Exports of independently-branded products growing by 9.3 percent in 2023, accounting for 21 percent of overall exports of China, the Chinese Customs noted.
Moreover, coordinated regional development has stabilized the foundation of the country's foreign trade. The eastern coast of the country is the ballast of China's foreign trade, with imports and exports exceeding 30 trillion yuan ($4.13 trillion) for three consecutive years. The central and western regions have effectively undertaken the country's industrial transfer, with the share of foreign trade increasing by nearly 7 percentage points. The import and export of the three northeastern provinces has been expanding too, and the growth rate in 2023 was 1.6 percentage points faster than that of the whole country.
Major city clusters such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, have become powerhouses for foreign trade, contributing nearly 60 percent of China's foreign trade growth since the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress in 2012.
China's high-quality development has allowed global trade partners to share in the opportunities of its mega market.
China's total trade in goods has ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years, while the country has become a major trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions, and the number of foreign trade enterprises has now nearly doubled compared with 2012, according to the GAC.
And, the scale of China's imports has ranked second in the world for many years, growing from 11.49 trillion yuan in 2012 to 17.99 trillion yuan in 2023. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's cumulative imports have exceeded 150 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 4.2 percent.
In 2023, the sources of China's imports covered more than 200 countries and regions in the world, and imports of agricultural products and electronic and machinery products from the least developed countries jumped exponentially from 2012, the GAC said.
The development of foreign trade is held back to some extent by rising protectionism, and opening up to win development and cooperation for win-win partnership will help advance the global economy. The "small yard high fence" mindset is isolationist in itself, while openness and sharing is the only way to prosperity and development, the GAC said.
The US, which bombed Japan with nuclear weapons, is reportedly about to protect Japan with nuclear weapons. Reports show that Japan and the US will draft their first joint document on expanded deterrence policy, which will include a clause affirming nuclear weapons will be included in US methods to defend Japan. However, it might be premature if Japan feels moved by this.
Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, citing sources, reported that the document will specify measures that the US could take in peacetime and emergencies; as well as conditions under which the US could take retaliatory actions against third countries, and what those measures could be, under the backdrop of so-called threats from China and Russia. The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the US will discuss the details at a meeting in Tokyo later this month, according to the report.
Although discussions on the matter started in 2010, when Washington and Tokyo established the Extended Deterrence Dialogue to explore ways to sustain and strengthen extended deterrence, the timing of the news this time is quite intriguing.
If seems that Japan wishes to secure a written commitment over nuclear protection before the US election, to prevent Washington from reneging on its promises after the Oval Office sees a change in its occupant, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
Both the US and Japan have their own calculations behind the push for this joint document. Japan wants to boost its deterrent capabilities through military alliance with the US. Washington hopes to make Tokyo a thornier pawn in its "Indo-Pacific Strategy." Claims of "threats" from China and Russia are merely far-fetched excuse - the US simply wishes Japan to be more proactive toward China and Russia under the nuclear umbrella, so as to alleviate US pressure in countering both countries.
The essence of today's US nuclear umbrella in the Asia-Pacific region is not about protection. Rather, it serves as a platform for the US to disrupt regional stability among major powers through providing excuses to enhance strategic offensive capabilities of US allies.
Japan, a non-nuclear weapon state, would hardly become a primary target for nuclear strikes, if there will be one. Still, the US is now pulling Japan in its "nuclear protection circle" while mulling to deploy nuclear weapons to Japan. In that scenario, Japan could be viewed as a nuclear-weapon state. The US is pushing Japan to be the next battleground. And by promoting the joint document, Japan demonstrates its readiness to be considered a potential nuclear target due to its alliance with the US.
This is hardly protection. Tokyo seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding about what truly threatens Japan: Someone who claims to be an ally and a protector.
The US has been adeptly disrupting regional security dynamics, amplifying regional security threats and heightening concerns among its allies. It then offers so-called security protection to these allies through military measures like the nuclear umbrella, fostering increased dependence on American security. Leveraging this dependence, the US can assert control over these countries, utilizing them to further American global and regional hegemonic ambitions, Da told the Global Times.
How will the US deploy nuclear power to protect Japan? Reports indicate that the details may not be disclosed to the public. However, when Japan truly requests nuclear protection from the US, it suggests Japan faces significant nuclear threats. At such a critical juncture, will the US deploy its nuclear arsenal without hesitation?
In American logic, US' homeland security takes precedence. Its hegemonic interests follow, and the interests of American citizens abroad come next. The interests of US allies rank fourth. That says, if defending Japan with nuclear weapons poses any risk to US homeland security, Washington will think twice, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times. The US' nuclear umbrella only protects itself.
Now, Japan must decide what it wants - peaceful development or being pushed to frontline conflicts.
Italy can be the perfect gateway for third-country markets for Chinese companies, Mario Boselli, president of the Italy China Council Foundation (ICCF), told the Global Times in an interview ahead of the visit to China of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni will visit China from July 27 to 31, China's Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. This is Meloni's first trip to China since taking office, according to media reports.
Her visit to China represents a further step toward the thawing of relations between our two countries, according to the council head.
Meloni's visit was preceded by visits to China by a number of Italian officials, and Meloni's China visit is in pursuit of a goal: Italy is among the best strategic players for Beijing in Europe, and "having an active engagement with us also means holding the key to a better relationship with the EU," Boselli said. The key points of the visit are the reassessment of the need for more balanced bilateral trade, offering more opportunities to export Italian products to China, and the promotion of Italy as an ideal location for Chinese investment, especially in areas such as new-energy products and vehicles, among others, Boselli said.
"Italy can be the perfect gateway for third-country markets [for Chinese companies], not only European but also Mediterranean markets. This is why our peninsula is also the perfect location for greenfield investments by Chinese companies," Boselli noted.
In the first half of this year, bilateral trade stood at $35.94 billion, down 1.3 percent year-on-year, data from the General Administration of Customs of China showed. Italian exports to China reached $13.03 billion, down 3.6 percent.
A survey conducted by the ICCF found that 34 percent of the Italian companies in China that were interviewed perceived an improvement in the business environment. Also, 47 percent had a positive outlook and 68 percent said that they planned further expansion in China in the next two years.
Responding to the European Commission's imposition of provisional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) and the ongoing probe, Boselli noted that the improvement and efficiency of high-tech products achieved by China is a fact that no one can dispute, and that China is investing in research and development (R&D) of new products and solutions, and that its products are being exported to Europe in greater numbers.
"China must be identified by the EU as one of the most important innovators in the world, and innovation is the key that will change the way the whole world looks at China," said Boselli, the ICCF president.
Building R&D centers and factories in Europe together could be a solution to address the EU's concerns, he said.
"There is also a need for a more positive attitude on the part of the EU to recognize China's achievements and its role as a major player in the international political and economic environment," Boselli said.
China's economy grew 5 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2024.
Boselli said that while the situation in the first six months was not particularly bright, "we all know that China is used to achieving its results and except for 2020, annus horribilis for the whole world, it has always done so."
"We are convinced that it is a matter of time: China will soon recover and the 5 percent growth target will be reached in 2024. We must have confidence, because the results will come," Boselli said.
High-end luxury brand Louis Vuitton (LV) opened its first chocolate boutique in Shanghai on Monday, a positive sign for the international luxury brand to capture more of the consumer market in the world's second-largest economy.
The outlet, Le Chocolat Louis Vuitton, is the third such store in the world after Paris and Singapore.
The Global Times found the chocolates are priced between 240 yuan ($34) for a bar of chocolate up to 3,200 yuan for Red Vivienne. Eager customers said they had to line up for about an hour to make their purchases on Monday.
"The spherical chocolate I tried was delicious and beautifully packaged, meeting my quality expectations," Peggy Wu, a customer in Shanghai told the Global Times on Tuesday. "I think for a high-end brand, compared to other chocolate brands I've bought, it's reasonably priced," Wu added.
LV's expansion shows confidence in China's luxury market and hints at more LV chocolate boutiques after the positive response, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
"The first-day sales reflect consumer interest, but this may be influenced by its novelty and the 'first-store effects,'" Bai said.
"The store was filled with consumers from China, and they seemed like they were really excited," Zhong Ting, a Chinese customer at LV's chocolate boutique in Singapore told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Zhong said that the chocolates are beautifully packaged, ideal for gifts, and meet high standards for quality and appearance, making them an excellent choice compared with the same price level among youth.
This year, high-end international brands have repeatedly increased their investments in China, showing growing confidence in China's market and consumption power.
Bain & Company, a US-based international management consulting company said in a report that China is expected to become one of the world's leading luxury markets by 2030.
The report showed that Chinese mainland consumers are expected to account for 35-40 percent of global luxury goods consumption by 2030, from about 22-24 percent in 2023. The Chinese mainland's market share is expected to rise to 24-26 percent by 2030 from about 16 percent in 2023.
