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By Zhu Jinyi

As the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation, the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, offers an abundance of customs and rituals, making it a perfect time for a cultural trip.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, estimated that the Spring Festival holiday in 2024 would become a “super golden week,” with high enthusiasm for travel and consumption.

China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently launched a series of 25 Spring Festival-themed activities, covering seven major categories including popular cultural performances, public service events, intangible cultural heritage experiences, tourism and leisure consumption, winter sports and educational trips, cultural and historical exhibitions, as well as international and domestic celebrations. These activities will offer a wide range of choices for people to celebrate the Chinese New Year and enjoy a joyful holiday.

The museum remains an important destination for offline cultural tours. Statistics show that in 2023, museums across China received a total of 1.24 billion visits, 2.1 times the number in 2022.

During the Spring Festival holiday in 2024, most national museums and provincial museums will continue to be open to the public. In addition to permanent exhibitions, they plan to launch exhibitions themed with the Year of the Dragon and featured exhibitions.

According to an official with China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, more than 400 themed exhibitions have been planned nationwide, including one on the culture of northern Xinjiang and a digital exhibition on cultural relics about Loong collected by the Shaanxi History Museum.

Besides, over 1,000 social education and cultural activities will be hosted, including rubbing experiences and ancient Chinese music performances. These activities aim to offer a cultural feast to the audience.

“Since last year, new trends have emerged in the stage performance market, with many people hitting new destinations to attend art performances,” said Zhang Yi, an official with China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

During the Spring Festival this year, 10 national art troupes under the direct administration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will hold 204 offline performances, including Peking Opera masterpieces, dance drama tours, as well as a musical presented by the China National Theatre for Children.

In addition, Art China and many other online broadcasting platforms will launch special programs for the Chinese New Year, showcasing to the audience the splendid achievements and artistic essence of China’s stage arts in the past year.

Apart from enjoying high-quality art performances, during the holiday, people can also watch videos and livestream, and listen to Chinese New Year-themed songs on their mobile phones to experience the festive atmosphere around the world without leaving their homes.

Recently, a livestream event was hosted in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It was organized by the China Association of Performing Arts in collaboration with Douyin, Kuaishou, Tencent Video and other platforms. By setting up dedicated livestream areas, it allowed netizens to experience the joyful and peaceful atmosphere of the Spring Festival in the virtual world.

Various regions in China are leveraging their unique cultural and tourism resources to launch a diverse range of Spring Festival travel products.

Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang and other places, in combination with local resources including sports, recreation, hot springs, and folk activities, have hosted colorful events to mark the Chinese New Year, featuring a series of ice and snow-themed tourism products and preferential measures for the public.

Eleven provinces, including Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Hainan, and Sichuan, have launched study tour activities that focus on the natural ecological environment as well as regional cultural characteristics. For example, Sichuan has launched a study tour that introduces the habitats of pandas, while Shandong is also showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese etiquette.

The “Happy Chinese New Year” activities have been held globally for over 20 years, including family day activities held in the U.S., parades on the Trafalgar Square in the UK, temple fairs in Russia and a grand temple fair in Egypt.

As the 2024 Spring Festival approaches, the “Happy Chinese New Year” activities will be organized in nearly 100 countries and regions worldwide, with nearly 500 diverse exchange activities. In around 20 countries such as the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and New Zealand, lantern lighting events will take place, spreading the joy and harmony of the Chinese New Year to the world.

Shi Zeyi, deputy director of the international exchange and cooperation bureau of China’s  Ministry of Culture and Tourism, noted that during the Spring Festival, various tourism promotion activities will be carried out overseas to encourage domestic enterprises to launch more culturally rich inbound tourism products, and allow more foreign tourists to experience the charm of the Spring Festival in China.

By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily

In the city of Shannan, located on a plateau at an elevation of 4,994 to 5,100 meters in southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region, nearly 80,000 solar panels were glistening under the sunlight.

This solar farm was connected to the grid and started generating electricity on Dec. 30, 2023. It is the world’s highest solar project and supplies electricity for nearly 4,000 households.

“The project employs our ultra high-power components, and from order placement to delivery completion, it took just over a month,” said Gao Jifan, chairman of TrinaSolar Co., Ltd. (TrinaSolar).

Gao, who came to Xizang 22 years ago, shared his experience of building photovoltaic (PV) power stations in the autonomous region.

“Back then, the equipment had to be carried on horses to construction sites. An average PV power station was only around 20 kilowatts, with a few dozen solar panels, which were imported,” Gao said.

At that time, China’s PV industry was just starting out, with only a handful of companies manufacturing PV products. TrinaSolar, which has a history of only five years, didn’t even have a component factory back then and its annual revenue was just about 100 million yuan ($14.07 million).

However, in the first three quarters of 2023 alone, the company’s revenue exceeded 80 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of over 40 percent. It’s profit more than doubled.

China’s PV industry has undergone a remarkable transformation, from a situation where raw materials, equipment, and markets were heavily reliant on foreign sources to becoming a global leader with nearly half of the world’s installed solar power capacity and over 80 percent of major manufacturing output.

According to data released by the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, the manufacturing output of the PV sector exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan in the first ten months of 2023. In the first three quarters of 2023, the export volume of silicon wafers, solar cells, and modules increased by 88.3 percent, 74.3 percent, and 33 percent year on year, respectively.

Behind the steady expansion of the PV industry lie the opportunities brought about by global green and low-carbon transformation and China’s efforts to achieve its “dual carbon” goals – reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the same time, the expansion of the industry is also the dividend resulting from companies accelerating technological iteration and driving cost reduction.

In December 2023, Chinese solar technology giant LONGi set a new world record of 27.09 percent for the efficiency of crystalline silicon heterojunction back-contact (HBC) solar cells, breaking the 26.81 percent efficiency record it announced in November 2022.

The secret to these breakthroughs comes from continuous research and development. On one hand, the company explores different promising technological paths and industry sectors; on the other hand, it focuses its efforts on scaling up the production of selected technologies.

Over the past five years, LONGi has invested over 18 billion yuan in research and development.

Since 2014, Chinese companies have shattered records in PV cell conversion efficiency for over 50 times. Cao Renxian, secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association and chairman of Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd., noted that with the accelerated industrialization of several advanced technologies, the conversion efficiency of perovskite and tandem solar cells made new highs last year, marking China’s global leadership in PV technology.

Guided by the “dual carbon” goals, the PV sector is deeply integrating with industries, construction, transportation, and other fields. Through the innovation in application models, the market continue to expand in depth and breadth.

On Dongyu Island in south China’s Hainan province, where the permanent venue of the Boao Forum for Asia is located, hotels and parking lot shelters have been equipped with building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

Unlike traditional installations where solar panels are mounted on rooftop brackets, the roofs of such buildings on the island are composed of inner panels, insulation cotton, outer panels, and a photovoltaic power generation layer.

BIPV allows solar panels to become a part of buildings, eliminating the need for separate pathways during installation. This means that the same roof area can accommodate larger-capacity components, resulting in an increase in electricity generation of approximately 15 percent.

Building overseas factories has become a prominent trend in the Chinese PV industry over the past two years. TCL Zhonghuan Renewable Energy Technology Co.,Ltd. is actively promoting the investment and construction of a solar crystalline wafer factory in Saudi Arabia. JA Solar plans to invest approximately 2.7 billion yuan to build a 5-gigawatt high-efficiency battery project in Vietnam. Canadian Solar has established a 5-gigawatt PV module production facility in Texas, United States.

Liu Yiyang, deputy secretary-general of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, noted that currently, PV companies are increasingly establishing factories overseas. The destinations have expanded from Southeast Asia to include markets such as the United States, the Middle East, and Indonesia.

The trend of expanding overseas production capacity has led to more involvement in the entire supply chain. “Moreover, the focus has shifted from solely exporting products to providing production, management, branding, and services, aiming to build a global cooperation and mutually beneficial ecosystem.” Liu added.

“PV products are transitioning from a ‘made in China, sold globally’ model to a ‘made globally, sold globally’ one. Looking ahead, it is necessary to build a high-quality ecosystem for the coordinated development of the PV industry, actively integrate into the global industrial system, and engage in international cooperation in areas such as green energy.” said Gao.

By Yang Junfeng

In the frozen mountains, heavy-duty drones are commissioned to clear the ice off high-voltage lines in the sky.

Across vast stretches of cotton fields, agricultural drones are deployed methodically to gather real-time data on soil and crops, aiding farmers in precision farming.

Amidst the chaos of a fire, firefighting drones spray high-pressure water columns in the air, successfully taming the flames engulfing the upper floors of a building.

On a bustling film set, aerial drones swoop down from above, capturing breathtaking scenes with high-definition cameras.

As drones become increasingly integrated into various industries in China, the concept of the low-altitude economy is gaining traction, empowering countless sectors and giving rise to innovative business forms.

The term “low altitude” generally refers to airspace with a vertical distance of less than 1,000 meters above ground level. Depending on regional characteristics and practical needs, the distance can extend to up to 4,000 meters.

By energizing the market, providing policy support, strengthening technical capabilities, and promoting high-quality development of the industry, China is fully tapping into the potential of the low-altitude economy, enabling the industry to reach new heights.

Taking a “flying taxi” used to seem like a scene from a science fiction movie. It is becoming a reality nowadays that aerial commuting may put an end to traffic congestion during rush hours.

This year, the range of services offered by an “air taxis” business in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, continues to expand. The commuter route, connecting an international convention and exhibition center in Pingshan district and the central business district of Futian district, has reduced travel time from 60 minutes on the ground to just 13 minutes in the sky.

In Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, the world’s first commercially deployed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has achieved regular flights in Luogang Central Park.

Professionals analyze that the future of the low-altitude economy holds immense potential and the industry can be utilized not only for transportation systems but also for industrial systems. The emergence of more application scenarios will also give rise to new industrial chains. Advanced technologies such as digital technology, intelligent technology, and digital twin technology can all play a significant role in the low-altitude industry.

Chinese companies have already taken the lead in the low-altitude economy.

In terms of global market share and productization capabilities, Chinese civil UAV manufacturers, represented by DJI, are already highly competitive. DJI has established a significant advantage in areas such as flight control, gimbal systems, image transmission, and self-developed imaging systems, with a current global market share exceeding 70 percent.

In 2023, China’s civil UAV industry reported an output of 120 billion yuan ($16.85 billion), ranking first in the world. It is expected that this number will be even higher by 2025.

According to a recent white paper released by the International Digital Economy Academy (IDEA), the comprehensive contribution of the low-altitude economy to China’s national economy will reach 3 trillion to 5 trillion yuan by 2025.

The low-altitude economy is becoming a new track for more and more cities.

In recent years, aiming at the strategic goal of building a “capital of aviation sports,” Anyang, central China’s Henan province, has established a drone industrial park, which can build a complete drone with just a single design drawing.

In Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park in Anhui province, an industry cluster with nearly 140 projects related to complete UAVs, drones, engines, maintenance, and operations has been established.

Hunan province in central China, the first pilot province in the country for all-area, low-altitude flights, has just completed flight verification for 97 low-altitude air routes across the entire province. This can be regarded as a safety flight manual, based on which drones can fly to wherever they want to go.

At the flight service station in Hunan’s Changsha, a large screen displays real-time information about the airspace in the province. The entire low-altitude airspace in Hunan is divided into 179 sections, and the real-time monitoring allows the province to know when and how each section is available. For every approved flight plan, a quick simulation can be conducted to ensure flight safety by determining its flight route.

In recent years, with a focus on developing the low-altitude economy, China has continuously strengthened multiple policy supports such as airspace, economic, and industrial policies. This has promoted synergies between strategic planning and local exploratory initiatives.

On Jan. 1, 2024, an interim regulation on the management of UAVs was implemented, which aims at the development of the low-altitude economy.

He Tianxing, vice president of EHang, the world’s leading autonomous aerial vehicle technology platform company based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, believes the regulation will standardize the flight and related activities of UAVs, and provide standardized safeguards for the commercial operation of UAVs, laying a solid foundation for advancing commercialization and improving the low-altitude economic ecosystem.

By Su Di

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited primary-level officials and residents in Tianjin ahead of the Spring Festival. He said that everyone should have confidence in the coming year and live a better life.

Xi’s sincere words and care inspired hundreds of millions of people to embrace a better tomorrow in the new journey with confidence and vigor.

In the past year, there were both sunny and stormy days. Particularly, some regions in China have been hit by natural disasters such as floods, typhoons, earthquakes, landslides, snow and ice storms, which have adversely affected people’s life and work.

In the face of difficulties, the army quickly arrived for the people, primary-level Party members and officials stayed at their posts day and night, volunteers stepped forward against the odds, and disaster-stricken people actively joined self-rescue efforts. Countless people, hand in hand, have weathered the storm together and achieved significant victories in disaster relief.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, noted that a country is prosperous only when its people live in peace, saying that the CPC Central Committee as well as Party committees and governments at all levels are concerned about everyone’s safety and well-being at all times. He also expressed the hope for villagers to rebuild their homes and create a happy life with their own hands.

Party committees and governments at all levels must do an even better job in making meticulous arrangements for people’s life and work in the disaster-affected areas, Xi said.

Officials and the general public should be united as one, and thus achieve major triumphs in their fight against the disasters and create a new life.

The more arduous the journey, the more precious the arrival. Over the past year, China has experienced trials and tribulations, but it also witnessed beautiful scenery and achieved significant accomplishments.

China has seen its economy continuously rebound and improve, as well as a bumper harvest in twenty consecutive years. New breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation have been achieved, and the formation of new productive forces has accelerated. China’s high-level opening up has been continuously expanded, and the growth of residents’ income has outpaced its economic growth.

China not only developed itself but also actively embraced the world.

The China-Central Asia Summit and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation were successfully held, and the Chengdu Universiade and the Hangzhou Asian Games presented spectacular moments.

The hard-won achievements were made against the backdrop of increasing unfavorable factors in the international political and economic environment, as well as the overlapping cyclical and structural problems at home. The Chinese people have created new opportunities, won the strategic initiative, and greatly boosted their confidence and determination in overcoming crises, tackling challenges, and responding to changing situations.

In front of difficulties and challenges, confidence is more precious than gold.

As the Spring Festival approaches, Pan Na, who lives in a mountainous village in Tianjin’s Jizhou district has been kept busy. Her B&B hotel has been fully booked, and she can’t rest during the Spring Festival holiday. However, she feels content.

Thanks to low-interest loan policies, improved infrastructure such as nearby scenic spots, ski resorts, and vehicle charging piles, and enhanced transportation due to the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, villagers like Pan have benefited from rural tourism. They are filled with confidence and anticipation for the coming new year.

In the new era, China boasts vast opportunities and potential. The future belongs to those who strive and take concrete actions. With unwavering confidence and a determined spirit, the country will continue to overcome obstacles and challenges. The efforts made by the country will converge into a mighty force propelling the nation towards a happier and brighter future.

The goal of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization is inspiring and simple. Ultimately, it is about delivering a better life for the people.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and is a crucial year for achieving the goals and tasks outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. With an untiring spirit, unremitting efforts and joint endeavor, the Chinese people will surely be able to cultivate the flowers of happiness and nurture a vibrant China that is full of hope.

Noticing the coming lunar year is the Year of the Dragon, Xi said that in Chinese culture, the dragon has multiple connotations, such as courage and endeavor, infinite vitality, good luck, etc., and carries people’s good wishes for and visions of the future.

In the new year, the Chinese people are embarking on a journey towards a better future.