The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important celebration in China. It is a cherished occasion for families to reunite, share festive meals, and honour the memory of their ancestors. The Spring Festival holds profound cultural, social, and historical significance. For the Chinese people, the Spring Festival is a celebration of their rich cultural heritage.  Here is an outline of the origins of this festival, its many traditions and customs, and how it has changed…

Researchers in China have successfully cloned two piglets from the ancient Shaziling breed, a 4,000-year-old native swine species, in a breakthrough that could enhance the country’s pork industry and advance diabetes research. This is reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS. To safeguard its genetic heritage, researchers extracted and cultured fibroblast cells from frozen ear tissue samples of Shaziling pigs. These cells were then used to construct and cultivate embryos, leading to the successful cloning of the piglets.…

The Spring Festival is the largest and most important festival in China and among Chinese communities worldwide. Having experienced the festival for six years in China, I have developed a deep appreciation for its cultural, social, and economic significance. This celebration embodies essential themes such as family reunion, wishing for good fortune and well-being, social harmony, and preserving cultural heritage. In recognition of its importance, UNESCO added the Spring Festival to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of…

The 9th Asian Winter Games embodies Asian people’s shared aspirations for peace, prosperity and friendship, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, urging common commitment to realizing these goals. Xi made the remarks at a welcome banquet ahead of the opening ceremony of the Games in Harbin, capital city of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. He called on Asia to hold fast to the common dream of peace and amity, jointly respond to all sorts of security challenges, and contribute to building…

In Harbin, the capital city of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang Province, there is a mesmerizing winter wonderland. Here, towering ice structures mimicking landmarks from across Asia, cheers from super-long ice slides, and the breathtaking view from a giant Ferris wheel attracted over 610,000 visitors during this year’s eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which ended Tuesday. Near the entrance of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, an iconic winter attraction, a row of giant red characters stands out: “Snow and ice are also valuable assets.”…

From the mythic tales of ancient China to the spiritual practices of West Africa, and from the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs to the emblematic symbols of healing in Greece, the snake has woven itself into the fabric of human culture. Whether as a symbol of fertility, wisdom, healing, or mystery, the snake continues to inspire and intrigue.  As 2025 marks the Chinese Year of the Snake, it is an opportune moment to explore the profound and multifaceted roles snakes play…

The Spring Festival is the most cherished occasion in China when people gather with their families to celebrate the traditional New Year. A “special gift” this year has given them an additional reason to celebrate.  On 4 December 2024, the Spring Festival was inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.  The decision was made during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Paraguay…

Gertrude Nyathi walks calmly into Zimbabwe’s Mahusekwa Hospital for antenatal care in Mashonaland, where she is expected to give birth in the next five months.  In a country where medical facilities are obsolete, patients flock to seek medical care at the Chinese-aided hospital, seen by many as a game changer in Marondera district.   “Before this hospital was built, pregnant women had to travel long distances to go to Harare for antenatal services and some even gave birth on the way.…

In central Uganda’s Nakasongola District, 117 km from the capital, Kampala, a new era of sustainable bamboo farming is on the go.  China, a global leader in bamboo production, has partnered with the Ugandan government to promote bamboo farming in that area and the country at large. Bamboo farming, launched over a decade ago, has attracted a sizeable number of farmers throughout the country.  The biggest bamboo farm in the country is located in Nakasongola District and cover 500 acres…

From winter sports to snow tourism, China is actively tapping into its ice and snow resources to create new growth drivers for the world’s second-largest economy, according to multiple officials and experts at a recent roundtable. Tourists are now more willing to pay for leisure and cultural activities related to ice and snow tourism, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, at the latest episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News…