Chinese Daily Photos 2024

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Farmers harvest vegetables at a field irrigated through the Bingjian area project in Yuanmou, Yunnan province. CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

For generations, farmers in the Bingjian irrigation area in Yunnan province's Yuanmou county had to perform a laborious irrigation ballet, a delicate dance of cooperation and shared sacrifice heavily reliant on two reservoirs.

Every 15 to 20 days during the irrigation seasons, the reservoirs' sluice gates would open, bringing a sigh of relief to the farmers of the 7,600 hectares of farmland in the area, where the evaporation rate is six times that of rainfall. The water release, however, would only last for a week, forcing farmers to race against time to irrigate in turn, remaining ever vigilant against water theft.

"My family would join seven or eight other households to apply for permission to take water," said Liu Xianhua, a 41-year-old farmer from Yuelinglong village. Then, while one household irrigated, the others guarded the channels to prevent unauthorized withdrawals."

Farmers usually bought a permit to divert water into their farmland for a certain period of time, paying based on the time span and water velocity.

The mission of irrigating the farmlands for all the families was often a tiring and sleepless operation that stretched for a whole day and sometimes even longer, Liu said.

But now they have been unshackled from the tyranny of the shared water schedule, and are free to irrigate whenever their fields whisper their thirst. "With a mere swipe of a card, I can irrigate my farmland any time now," Liu smiled.

The change has come about as a result of a public-private partnership irrigation project, initiated in 2016 and put into operation in 2018.



A field is irrigated through the project in the Bingjian irrigation area. CHINA DAILY



Villagers install drip irrigation pipes in their fields. CHINA DAILY



A farmer receives water to irrigate his field after validating his water card. CHINA DAILY

Customers select skewers from a wide range of ready-to-eat snacks with the vendor's assistance at a lively night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, on Oct 18, 2024. [Photo/VCG]

As night fell, a selection of specialty snacks attracted numerous residents to head out for shopping and dining in Linyi city, Shandong province.



A close view of lotus root skewers and other types of skewers at a night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, on Oct 18, 2024. [Photo/VCG]





A night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, brightly lit with display signs and vibrant food stalls. Crowds of people are enjoying street food and exploring the lively atmosphere. [Photos/VCG]



Customers wait as vendors grill squid at a night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, on Oct 18, 2024. [Photo/VCG]



Vendors sell a wide variety of snacks at a night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, on Oct 18, 2024. [Photo/VCG]



A child picks a tanghulu, a Chinese candied fruit snack, at a night market in Linyi city, Shandong province, on Oct 18, 2024. [Photo/VCG]

Ships are under construction at New Dayang, a shipbuilding company, in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 21, 2024. [Photos/VCG]

Shipbuilding completion hit a 10-year high in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, reported JSTV.com on Oct 18.

New Dayang Shipbuilding Co Ltd, a shipbuilding company in Yangzhou, has signed cooperation agreements with companies from Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Japan and other markets this year. With pending orders running to 2028, 19 ships have been delivered in the first nine months of this year.



Two ships to be delivered by New Dayang, a shipbuilding company, in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 21, 2024. [Photo/IC]







Sparks flow in all directions as men work in a workshop of New Dayang, a shipbuilding company, in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 21, 2024. [Photo/VCG]

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A child receives coaching at a tennis class in Dongyang, Zhejiang province on Aug 31. HU YANGHUI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Fresh off her Olympic victory, Zheng Qinwen embarked on a grueling stretch of four consecutive tournaments, culminating in a runner-up finish at the Wuhan Open, her hometown event, earlier this month.

Battling fatigue and a slight muscle strain in her left leg, "Queen Wen" made the tough decision to withdraw from last week's Ningbo Open, officially ending the China leg of her season.

But the 22-year-old's remarkable performances — reaching the semifinals at the China Open and securing a spot in the Wuhan Open final — were enough to secure her first-ever qualification for the prestigious WTA Finals next month.

Following Zheng's Olympic triumph, tennis fever has swept across China, and Wuhan and Hubei in particular, sparking a surge in interest. Tennis training centers have been overwhelmed with inquiries, equipment sales have skyrocketed, and the excitement surrounding the Wuhan Open reached new heights.

As the final WTA 1000 event of the season, the recently concluded Wuhan Open broke records for both single-day and total ticket sales. Revenue surpassed 25 million yuan ($3.52 million), a 4.88-fold increase compared with 2019, and more than 180,000 spectators attended — a rise of over 80 percent from five years ago.

The tournament also ignited local youths' interest through player visits to schools and ball boy and ball girl recruitment.



A young player in action during provincial junior tennis championships in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on Aug 19. SHI BAIRONG/FOR CHINA DAILY



Children and their instructor watch the final of the Wuhan Open at a sports school in Yichang, Hubei province, on Oct 13. LI YALONG/FOR CHINA DAILY



A girl receives tennis coaching during a winter camp in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Jan 8. YU JING/CHINA NEWS SERVICE



Children are taught tennis during a free summer camp in Yinchuan on July 9. WANG PENG/XINHUA

Live performances take place at Xintiandi properties in four different cities, including Shanghai, Wuhan in Hubei province, Foshan in Guangdong province and Chongqing, for the first installment of the Art To Gather festival from Oct 18 to Nov 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 90 artists from home and abroad will perform at public spaces in four cities around China, for the first installment of the Art to Gather festival held by the Xintiandi brand.

Organized from Oct 18 to Nov 3, the festival will be held by Xintiandi in collaboration with the Art Space project of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and Modern Sky, transforming the city into a stage and integrating art into social scenes. Taking place across eight commercial properties in four cities under Xintiandi, it will feature over a hundred free performances, engaging consumers in Shanghai, Wuhan in Hubei province, Foshan in Guangdong province and Chongqing.





Live performances take place at Xintiandi properties in four different cities, including Shanghai, Wuhan in Hubei province, Foshan in Guangdong province and Chongqing, for the first installment of the Art To Gather festival from Oct 18 to Nov 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A gala held at the NCPA on Saturday and Sunday, marking Beijing Dance Academy's 70th anniversary celebration. [All Photos provided to chinadaily.com.cn]





On Saturday, Beijing Dance Academy held a grand celebration at the school to mark its 70th anniversary. The event summarized the school's seven decades of educational experience, showcased achievements in the new era, and outlined future development plans to promote the flourishing of Chinese dance education.

Known as the revered cradle for dancers in China, Beijing Dance Academy was first opened on Sept 6, 1954. It was the country's first institute of dance. Dai Ailian (1916-2006), also known as Ailien Tai, then 38, an overseas Chinese ballerina, was appointed the first president of the institute. In the past 70 years, the Beijing Dance Academy has trained an astonishing array of accomplished dancers, choreographers and educators.

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Foreign journalists take pictures inside the China Donghai Crystal Museum in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 21, 2024. (All photos..People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

Donghai county, nestled in Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, is known as a global crystal trading hub, with around 300,000 locals engaging in crystal-related industries out of the county's total population of 1.24 million, and an annual crystal transaction volume exceeding 40 billion yuan ($5.62 billion).



On Oct. 21, 2024, a group of journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries visited the county's crystal museum and a crystal trading market, getting a glimpse of the local crystal industry.



China Donghai Crystal Museum, the first crystal-themed museum in the country, houses superior natural crystals and delicate crystal handicrafts from around the world, showcasing visitors the unique appeal of this mineral.



Guilherme Oblasser Paladino, a journalist at Brazil's Brasil247, was impressed to see that many raw crystals here are sourced from Latin America, especially his home Brazil, and expressed his appreciation for how these rough materials are processed into fine handicrafts.



Inside China Donghai Crystal City, a large-scale and full-fledged crystal trading market, journalists explored a wide variety of crystal products, from jewelry to decorative ornaments. It's home to more than 7,000 crystal-related shops.

"Our raw crystals are mainly from Brazil and Uruguay, making Latin America our top material source," said Shen Weihua, head of the Donghai Crystal Cross-border E-commerce Trading Center, adding that in recent years, the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce has helped bring local crystal products to the global market.

A chartered flight for pets landed in Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Oct 16, inaugurating a new service model for the local airport. [All Photos by Li Tingyu/For chinadaily.com.cn]





Onboard the flight were 70 passengers from Shanghai and 32 pets. Throughout the journey, the pets stayed beside their owners in the cabin. Upon arriving in Zhongwei, passengers exited the airplane with their beloved companions.





In August, Juneyao Airlines accepted an application from the China Travel Service Group to launch a specialized flight for pets. With support from Pudong Airport in Shanghai and Zhongwei Airport in Ningxia, the project was carried out smoothly after the flight schedule was confirmed. A special route for the pets and their owners was designated with several arrival and departure considerations.





"I would like to take my pets wherever I go because they've become our family members after being with us for a long time. With the special flights for pets launched, we can enjoy journeys with our puppies to far-away places," one passenger named Huang Jin said.

To apply for a chartered pet flight, passengers must make sure their registration and epidemic prevention certificate have not expired. Special pet facilities should be prepared, including pet aviation cases that meet the size and strength requirements for flights.

Duan Jinxian contributed to the story.

The giant reclining Buddha statue in the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Dafo Temple, or Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province, is renowned for housing Asia's largest reclining Buddha statue, made in 1098 during the Xixia regime (1038-1227).

Measuring some 35 meters long, the gigantic statue is made of clay on a wooden frame, depicting the Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana, with his ten disciples standing behind him. Also on view in the hall displaying the statue are murals dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) which depict stories of the Silk Road.



Part of the giant reclining Buddha statue in the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

A significant Buddhist site in history, Dafo Temple is also home to over 10,000 valuable cultural relics, including the complete original version of Daming Sanzang Shengjiao Beicang, a precious sutra collection consisting of more than 6,000 volumes.



The main hall containing the giant Buddha statue at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Recognized as the existing largest and best-preserved Xixia imperial temple, the site, covering an area of 60,000 square meters, features a group of buildings along an east-west central axis, including the Giant Buddha Hall, the Sutras Exhibition Hall, a memorial archway gate and the earthen tower.





The earthen tower at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province.
[Photos by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Due to their advanced age, the buildings, sculptures and murals in the temple have suffered varying degrees of damage, and have been repaired many times in history, according to Wang Kang, director of the Cultural Relics Research Institute of the Zhangye Dafo Temple.

"From 2005 to 2007, we thoroughly repaired the temple following the principle of 'repairing the old as it is'," Wang recalled.



Part of the ancient Budist scriptures written with gold ink displayed at Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]



Heritage workers repair ancient scriptures at the Cultural Relics Research Institute of the Zhangye Dafo Temple in Northwest China’s Gansu province on Oct 17, 2024. [Photo by Yang Xiaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

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An impromptu concert takes place in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Aug 2, 2023, gathering together traditional Chinese musicians and classical musicians. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In a sleek recording studio, young Chinese musicians are gathered around their instruments. Clad in traditional hanfu — flowing robes with wide sleeves and intricate headpieces — they are preparing to create music, but there's a twist.

These musicians are not playing electric guitars or synthesizers, despite their rock-star aura and sunglasses. Instead, their hands grasp ancient Chinese instruments, including the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), guzheng (a Chinese zither), suona (a piercing double-reed woodwind) and the zhongruan (a lute).





A scene from Disco Dancing Version of Your Shining Knight. [Photos provided to China Daily]



Members of Little Green Onion pose after a show on June 19 at Beijing's Mao Livehouse. [Photo provided to China Daily]



Singer Fu Hongyu, a member of Little Green Onion performs during the same show on June 19. [Photo provided to China Daily]