Agri-tech Israel 2012 kicks off in Tel Aviv

A visitor view the displayed plants during the Agri-tech Israel 2012 in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 16, 2012. The 18th International Agiricultural Exhibition and Conference, Agritech Israel 2012, kicked off on May 15, 2012, and will last till May 17. [Xinhua/Yin Dongxun]

Hanging Temple in Shanxi

Hanging Temple in Hunyuan county which was built during the latter period of Northern Wei Dynasty with a history of more than 1,400 years, is the only existing temple of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The temple is located halfway up Mt. Cuiping and across from Mt. Hengshan with the cliffs below.

Hanging Temple in Hunyuan county which was built during the latter period of Northern Wei Dynasty with a history of more than 1,400 years, is the only existing temple of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The temple is located halfway up Mt. Cuiping and across from Mt. Hengshan with the cliffs below. There are 40 rooms in the temple. The scientifically designed and skillfully built Xuankong Temple is really “odd, suspended and wonderful”.  [China.org.cn]

‘London Style Street’ staged in the Water Cube, Beijing

A tourist poses for photo on the “London Style Street” in the Water Cube in Beijing on May 16. [CNS Photo / Hou Yu]

A “London Style Street” staged in the National Swimming Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing on May 16. This is one of the serial events of “2012 London Olympic Games Theme Travel Experiences” held by the Water Cube, allowing Chinese tourists to experience streets and scenic spots in British style.

Memories of Dapeng Island

[chinapic.people.com.cn]

Dapeng Island is located in the west of Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang province. Although the island is very small, it used to be the richest island in the Zhoushan area. Nowadays, most of the young generations have moved to Ningbo city or Zhoushan’s main island and Jintang Island, leaving only aged people, old houses and faded memories behind. Last year, six businessmen from Zhejiang province decided to invest 18 billion yuan to Dapeng Island and soon this place will become a world class leisure tourism resort island.

Tulips in full blossom in Beijing

Tulips are in full bloom at the Zhongshan Park in Beijing, May 13, 2012. [China.org.cn]

Tulips are in full bloom at the Zhongshan Park in Beijing, May 13, 2012. [China.org.cn]

Picturesque scenery of Bashang Grasslands

The Bashang Grasslands,the nearest prairie destination from Beijing, is regarded as the most beautiful highland landscape in the country.

The Bashang Grasslands,the nearest prairie destination from Beijing, is regarded as the most beautiful highland landscape in the country. The special climate and geographical position at the junction of the North China Plain and the Inner Mongolia Grasslands give Bashang its unique natural landscapes and make it a popular destination for tourists and photographers. [China.org.cn]

Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve in Guizhou

Established in 1978, Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve is located in the counties of Jiangkou, Yinjiang and Songtao in northeastern Guizhou Province. In 1986, it was promoted to a national nature reserve and included in the Man and Biosphere Reserve Network of UNESCO.

Established in 1978, Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve is located in the counties of Jiangkou, Yinjiang and Songtao in northeastern Guizhou Province. In 1986, it was promoted to a national nature reserve and included in the Man and Biosphere Reserve Network of UNESCO. With a total area of 567 square kilometers, the reserve is a treasure house of plants and wildlife. The reserve is rich in plant resources, with 80 percent of the conservation area covered with virgin forest and other plants. [Souhu.com]

The village summer

Anji County in eastern China’s Zhejiang province made its name as an ideal summer resort for its vast bamboo forests which were featured in the Academy Award Winning Film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee. However, besides the breezy bamboo forests, the county is also home to a string of idyllic village that delight tourists from the city. CRI reporters to the county have filed these photos on one such villages located deep in a lush green valley. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com]

Nanjing University History Museum and Art and Archaeology Museum

An antiquated building at Nanjiang University, which will celebrate its 110th anniversary on May 20. Zhen Huai / for China Daily
An antiquated building at Nanjiang University, which will celebrate its 110th anniversary on May 20. Zhen Huai / for China Daily

Running one’s eyes around the exhibit galleries of Nanjing University History Museum is as good as getting a bird’s eye view of the making of Nanjing as it is today.

Founded in 1902 (it was then called Sanjiang Normal School and subsequently went through several name changes before getting its present), the university witnessed the momentous events in Nanjing’s history – snapshots are preserved in its archives.

Take the sepia-tinted photograph of the first batch of eight female students admitted to the university in 1920 – the girls appear somewhat pensive, dressed in identical long, dark skirts and shapeless blouses. It marks a moment in the history of co-education in China – Nanjing University being one of the very first institutions to admit women in their hallowed portals.

In an image from 1947, students of the university are seen swarming against a barricade of mounted soldiers. This was the historic May 20th Patriotic Students Movement, when demonstrations were led against the heavy-handed policies of the Chiang Kai-shek government, demanding an end to “hunger, civil war and persecution”. May 20 is now observed as Nanjing University’s anniversary day.

Unknown to many, Nanjing University has an impressive gallery of art objects – nearly 10,000 cultural relics from as early as the Neolithic age – stashed away in its Art and Archaeology Museum.

Most of the pieces in the collection were, in fact, sourced from the university campus area. Prehistoric ornaments made from animal bone were dug out from Beiyinyangying – where the university’s staff quarters are located. Funerary objects were unearthed during the excavation of the tomb of an Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420) emperor, in the university’s north campus at Pukou.

The collection also includes kilns from Song (960-1279) and Tang dynasties, intricately carved jade and ancient paintings by ethnic groups from Southwest China.

The signature brush and ink horses by the noted painter Xu Beihong are also featured in the collection. Xu – one of the first Chinese artists to attract international fame – taught at the university. A largish sculpture of his, hewn out of red stone, stands outside the building that houses the art museum, rather self-effacingly, hidden partially, behind the trees.

Shadow play staged in Chengdu

Tourist watches shadow play performed by Zhou Wei on the historical Jinli Street in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, May 13, 2012. Zhou, a folk artist, has devoted himself to shadow play for dozens of years. Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is a folk performing art originating in China. The puppets, made of processed cattle skins, are manipulated behind an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is an art form combined with painting, carving and folk cartoons. [Photo/Xinhua]