Chinese Daily Photos 2024

Chen Jianyou makes dragon and phoenix candles at his workshop in southwest China's Chongqing, Jan. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

The making craft of dragon and phoenix candles, a pair of candles with a dragon figure on one candle and a phoenix of the other, is an intangible cultural heritage of Chongqing Municipality. The candles bear the wishes for good luck and brightness and represent people's yearning for a better life. Because of the complicated production procedures and low profit of making the traditional dragon and phoenix candles, the inheritance of the craft has once been challenged.

In order to upgrade the products and to meet the market demand, Chen Jianyou, an inheritor of the craft, improved and innovated the appearance of dragon and phoenix candles after mastering the traditional skills. In recent years, Chen's workshop has launched cultural and creative products such as aromatherapy candles to draw customers of younger generations.

"Any industry needs continuous innovation and meets the needs of the customers, especially traditional crafts," Chen said.



Chen Jianyou (2nd L) discusses with colleagues at his workshop in southwest China's Chongqing, Jan. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)





Chen Jianyou makes dragon and phoenix candles at his workshop in southwest China's Chongqing, Jan. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)



Chen Jianyou displays dragon and phoenix candles at his workshop in southwest China's Chongqing, Jan. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

People perform during a Chinese New Year culture festival in Lianhua Town of Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 28, 2024. A culture festival celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year is held in Lianhua Town on Sunday. Tourists enjoyed watching traditional performances while having delicacies at a large open-air banquet consisted of 100 tables amid a bustling and festive atmosphere. (All photos Xinhua/Xu Yu)



People perform dragon dance during a Chinese New Year culture festival in Lianhua Town of Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 28, 2024.



People take part in an open-air banquet during a Chinese New Year culture festival in Lianhua Town of Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 28, 2024.



Tourists and villagers watch lion dance during a Chinese New Year culture festival in Lianhua Town of Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 28, 2024.



A man makes maci, a local snack made from sticky rice, during a Chinese New Year culture festival in Lianhua Town of Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 28, 2024.

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Tourists enjoy banquets in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024. As the Spring Festival approaches, staff members in local scenic spots and residents in hamlets of Sanjiang are busy rehearsing traditional songs and dances to welcome visitors.

In recent years, Sanjiang has been actively promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism industries. The county attracted 9.01 million tourists last year, with a revenue of 9.6 billion yuan (about 1.34 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Hu Xingyu)





Performers sing songs of Dong ethnic group to welcome tourists in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Xingyu)





Villagers play lusheng, a reed-pipe wind instrument, at a scenic spot in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024.(Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Villagers sing songs at a scenic spot in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024. As the Spring Festival approaches, staff members in local scenic spots and residents in hamlets of Sanjiang are busy rehearsing traditional songs and dances to welcome visitors.

In recent years, Sanjiang has been actively promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism industries. The county attracted 9.01 million tourists last year, with a revenue of 9.6 billion yuan (about 1.34 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)



Actors sing antiphonal songs in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024.
(Xinhua/Hu Xingyu)





An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 27, 2024 shows a scenic spot in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.(Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)



A troupe of artists play lusheng, a reed-pipe wind instrument, in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 28, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Xingyu)

p.s...there are almost always more information and photos in the provided link

Light decorations are seen ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in south China's Macao, Jan. 29, 2024. (All photos by Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

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A staff member arranges a golden mask discovered at the No. 3 sacrificial pit of the Sanxingdui Ruins at East branch of the Shanghai Museum, Jan. 29, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Hengwei)

The Essence of China, an exhibition featured on the Sanxinggui Ruins to be held on Feb. 2, 2024. A total of 363 pieces (sets) of cultural relics will be displayed during the exhibition.



A bronze standing figure is displayed at East branch of the Shanghai Museum, Jan. 29, 2024. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Hengwei)







Cultural relics discovered at the Sanxingdui Ruins are exhibited at East branch of the Shanghai Museum, Jan. 29, 2024. (Photos: China News Service/Zhang Hengwei)

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People take photos of giant dragon-themed Lego creations at Sanlitun, Beijing, Jan. 29, 2024.





All creations including dragons, Chinese court courtyard and figures are built with Lego bricks to celebrate the Chinese New Year, attracting many visitors in Beijing. (Photos: China News Service/Zhao Wenyu)

Full four page story in the provided link

The buzz around artificial intelligence, Chat GPT and large-scale AI models saw the phrases gain recognition from dictionaries, magazines and publishers around the world last year.

In China, Chat GPT was chosen as the International Word of the Year by Commercial Press, the country's oldest publishing agency, and Yao Wen Jiao Zi, a Shanghai literary magazine, included large-scale AI model in its top 10 popular phrases for 2023.

A large-scale AI model is a machine learning system with billions of parameters and computational resources that can handle massive amounts of data and accomplish complex tasks such as natural language processing and image recognition.

But at the most fundamental level, the high-tech wizardry depends on people feeding information into the system, and that has helped change the lives of some women living in a remote county in northwestern China's Gansu province.



Zhang Juan (center) and other AI trainers from Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar autonomous county in Gansu province take part in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai last year. CHINA DAILY



Ma Lei (Left) works as an AI trainer in the AIdol Plan Digital Industrial Park in Jishishan in Gansu last year. YAN DONGJIE/CHINA DAILY



An e-commerce center built in the AIdol Plan Industrial Park serves as a workplace for AI trainers in Jishishan. YAN DONGJIE/CHINA DAILY



Zhang Juan (right), an Ai trainer, annotates data in the digital industrial park in Jishishan. YAN DONGJIE/CHINA DAILY

Zheng Baoshu, inheritor of Panshan's temple wood carving, showcases a dragon-pattern manuscript in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Jan 27, 2024. [Photo by Jiang Kehong/For chinadaily.com.cn]

As the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon approaches, workers in a wood carving factory work diligently to fulfill orders in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province. The workers meticulously craft exquisite temple wood carvings, such as dragon pillars and heads.

Panshan's wood carving, characterized by temple sculptures, boasts a long history and exquisite craftsmanship. Its products are exported to Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

In 2021, Quanzhou wood carving, with Panshan's temple wood carving as a representative, made it to the fifth batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Yang Zishuo contributed to this story.



Zheng Baoshu, inheritor of Panshan's temple wood carving, carves a dragon head in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Jan 27, 2024. [Photo by Liu Lianfen/For chinadaily.com.cn]



Zheng Baoshu, inheritor of Panshan's temple wood carving, polishes a wooden dragon head in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Jan 27, 2024. [Photo by Jiang Kehong/For chinadaily.com.cn]



Workers carve dragon pillars inside the Jinjiang Yida Ancient Architecture Engineering Co Ltd workshop in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Jan 27, 2024.[Photo by Liu Lianfen/For chinadaily.com.cn]



Zheng Baoshu, inheritor of Panshan's temple wood carving, inspects a dragon pillar in Panshan village, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Jan 27, 2024. [Photo by Liu Lianfen/For chinadaily.com.cn]