Nigeria Times

By Shi Fang, People’s Daily

At a cultural and creative space inside the Palace Museum, shelves are adorned with an eclectic array of products: folding-screen refrigerator magnets, floral-patterned makeup mirrors, scented balms in imperial-style cases, and bookmarks inspired by the Twelve Flower Fairies.

“Take this refrigerator magnet, for example. It depicts the track of China’s space station as it passes over the Palace Museum. The fusion of scientific achievement and cultural heritage imbues the item with special significance,” explained Tie Zheng, an associate researcher with the museum’s cultural and creative department, while presenting a new product to visitors.

In recent years, the Palace Museum has attracted a devoted following by launching cultural and creative products tailored to public interest. “Some items are so popular that they sell out as soon as they hit the shelves,” said Tie. Today, the museum offers more than 3,000 products across 28 categories, ranging from stationery and cosmetics to food, ensuring diverse access to cultural experiences.

“Designing cultural products begins with understanding the spirit behind the relics,” Tie emphasized. For the zodiac stamp series celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, the team carefully selected 23 rabbit-themed artifacts, crafted from jade, bronze, and porcelain, spanning more than 2,000 years from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC) to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). 

“These pieces all carry auspicious symbolism. For instance, the bronze ornament of two rabbits with a chariot axle, a key component of ancient vehicles, symbolizes stability and a steady journey. Once launched, the stamp series became an instant success,” said Tie.

Sustainability has also become a hallmark of innovation. Everyday materials are also transformed into sustainable and fashionable creations that bridge modern life with ancient traditions. Apple peels are fashioned into dragon-patterned phone cases, fallen leaves into eco-friendly bracelets, and discarded plastic bottles into themed tote bags. 

“Guochao, or the China chic, is not about simply replicating the past but creatively transforming it,” Tie observed. “These products embody the wisdom of our ancestors in treasuring resources while reflecting today’s environmental values. Each one tells a unique story of creativity rooted in the cultural axis of Beijing.”

Since starting the “Zero Waste at the Palace Museum” project, more than 60,000 plastic bottles have been repurposed into eco-friendly cultural products by January 2024, reducing carbon emissions by 1.72 tons, exemplifying the museum’s ongoing commitment to connecting heritage with public participation in sustainability.

“To truly bring people closer to cultural relics, we must constantly explore new ways of engagement,” said Tie. Beyond merchandise, cultural events and exhibitions have become vital extensions of the museum’s creative work.

During preparations for an exhibition, a visitor once asked: “Could we get just a little closer to the relics?” 

The team took this suggestion to heart. From the museum’s collection of 1.86 million artifacts, they carefully selected more than 100 representative pieces. Each was photographed and scanned with lasers to capture 3D data, which was then digitally modeled and rendered. 

One such example is the Warring States bronze vessel decorated with scenes of feasting, hunting, and battle. Through touchscreens, visitors can animate the ancient figures, watching them pick mulberry leaves, practice archery, enjoy banquets, or wage war by land and water. “Visitors can not only view relics up close, but also hold them virtually in the palm of their hands,” Tie explained.

This spirit of innovation has also shaped new storytelling formats. In 2018, after months of preparation, Tie and his colleagues launched a cultural variety show centered on the Palace Museum relics. The very first episode, themed “The Qianlong Emperor’s Secret Garden,” invited celebrities to play the role of cultural product developers. Exploring the Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service, they drew inspiration from motifs of wisteria, birds, and bamboo to create products echoing the aesthetics of southern Chinese gardens.

“By integrating entertainment with cultural education, the program has helped interpret and popularize traditional culture, especially among younger audiences,” Tie said.

Whether enjoying afternoon tea in the Forbidden City, sipping coffee at a corner tower cafe, or tasting a bowl of old Beijing noodles at the Icehouse Restaurant, Tie believes that combining “culture” with “creativity” will attract more visitors to the Palace Museum, offering them fresh ways to experience the richness of Chinese civilization.

By Zhang Tengyang, People’s Daily

At the construction site of the Xiong’an Energy Internet Innovation Center of China’s State Grid in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei province, cabling and interior finishing are proceeding in an orderly fashion. This is Xiong’an New Area’s first all-electric, smart, zero-carbon park.

The complex’s design features a circular layout, with a spherical conference and exhibition center at its core, surrounded by four research, development, and industrial buildings. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

A notable architectural feature is the installed glass curtain walls. These panels are noticeably thicker than standard ones, measuring nearly 10 centimeters. “Each unit is composed of three glass layers with two cavities filled with argon gas, significantly reducing heat transfer,” explained Li Peng, safety manager for the project at State Grid Digital Technology Holdings Co’s subsidiary in Xiong’an.

“With over 8,000 such panels, the curtain walls form a highly efficient barrier that retains heat in winter, blocks it in summer, and optimizes natural lighting, thereby cutting energy consumption for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and illumination,” he added.

But energy savings and carbon reduction require more than good insulation. Above and below ground, the park has installed a “circulatory system” to maintain stable temperatures.

“The park has drilled 1,136 geothermal wells, each exceeding 130 meters in depth,” Li said. “U-shaped pipes within these wells facilitate heat exchange with the surrounding soil, and geothermal pump units then transfer this thermal energy to the building’s internal water circulation system.”

This mechanism extracts heat from the ground to warm buildings during winter and dissipates excess indoor heat underground during summer, maintaining a stable internal temperature between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius. This method is far more efficient than conventional HVAC; calculations indicate that each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed returns over five kilowatt-hours worth of heating or cooling effect.

Complementing this, the building rooftops are being fitted with photovoltaic (PV) panels. “Approximately half of the park’s rooftops will be covered with solar panels, generating electricity for on-site consumption,” said Xu Huiming, a smart energy expert at State Grid Digital Technology Holdings.

The PV system’s design takes building orientation and roof slope into full consideration to maximize energy capture. During periods of high solar generation and demand, all rooftop solar power will be consumed locally. The system’s annual PV output is expected to reach 2.73 million kilowatt-hours, covering a quarter of its electricity demand.

In addition to these physical infrastructure solutions, the park employs a smart “cloud-based” carbon management system. An integrated smart operations platform enables real-time monitoring and management of energy use, carbon emissions, and facility operations.

Wang Shuanghu, the platform manager, demonstrated a digital dashboard providing a panoramic overview of the park’s energy, facilities, maintenance, and safety.

The system manages an extensive network of 146,000 pieces of equipment, from air conditioners and faucets to lightbulbs, tracking their usage and electricity consumption in real time. It can calculate energy use and carbon emissions for every building, floor, and room. Supported by big-data analytics, the platform dynamically adjusts energy loads to ensure flexible and efficient operation. Wang illustrated this with the smart lighting system, which can be manually adjusted based on time of day, pedestrian flow, and ambient light levels.”

At the heart of the park, the conference and exhibition center is nearing completion, which will function as a direct-current, zero-carbon building. It is also planned to host a future electricity-carbon trading platform, serving as a hub connecting power consumers, enterprises, and energy markets.

These measures have already reduced the park’s carbon emissions by more than 60 percent. While the facility remains connected to the conventional power grid, a source of indirect emissions, Xu clarified the strategy: “Through our trading platform, we will directly purchase green electricity to offset these residual indirect emissions.”

Projections indicate the park will reduce carbon emissions by 3,370 tons annually through passive energy-saving designs and clean-energy stations; by 1,386 tons through smart lighting and efficient fixtures; by 541 tons through energy-efficient data centers and smart operations; and by 1,367 tons through rooftop PV generation. The remaining 4,104 tons of indirect emissions will be neutralized through the procurement of green power and carbon trading mechanisms, ultimately realizing the goal of net-zero carbon emissions.

By Zhao Shuaijie, People’s Daily

In northwest China’s Gansu province, Zhong Lin, a 27-year-old resident of Minqin county, has gained prominence for his extraordinary dedication to ecological restoration. He is often unreachable by phone or message, but can almost always be found working in the desert.

Zhong spends nearly two-thirds of a year living and working in the desert. He began his tree planting efforts as a college sophomore, funding his work through e-commerce and using short videos to raise public awareness and galvanize support.

Last year, he launched a volunteer campaign called “Come to Minqin and Plant a Tree,” which has mobilized more than 41,000 participants to plant 1.52 million drought-resistant shrubs across 4,500 mu (about 300 hectares) of barren land.

Nestled between the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts, Minqin has long struggled with desertification, which once affected more than 90 percent of its land. Zhong grew up in Fengzheng village on the county’s northeastern edge, where he still vividly remembers springtime sandstorms that blotted out the sky.

For the residents of Minqin, protecting their homes, preserving the ecosystem, and ensuring agricultural productivity are all contingent upon the effective control of sand and desertification. Since the 1950s, successive generations have taken part in organized tree-planting campaigns. 

Zhong was deeply impressed as a child by his elders carrying bundles of wheat straw, shouldering shovels, and hauling water carts into the desert to stabilize shifting dunes. Inspired by their perseverance, he launched his own desertification control efforts in 2020. But reality hit hard: most of the 500 shrubs he planted withered within weeks because of shallow pits and irregular watering.

Undaunted, Zhong persisted. In early 2022, with savings from his e-commerce ventures, he returned to the desert with renewed determination. This time, he devoted himself to studying scientific methodologies and consulting with experienced local planters. He established a temporary residence in the desert, where he meticulously recorded temperature fluctuations, wind speeds, and soil moisture levels while tending to each seedling. The systematic approach resulted in a survival rate of over 90 percent.

“Sweet and juicy melons from the desert – place your orders now!” Zhong often cheerfully promotes produce via livestream. Thanks to sandy soils, abundant sunlight, and significant diurnal temperature variation, Minqin provides an ideal environment for cultivating melons. “Marketing this produce can increase farmers’ income while generating capital for our ongoing desert control efforts,” Zhong explained.

He emphasized that passion must be complemented by scientific rigor. To address the specific challenges posed by the Tengger Desert’s coarse and arid sand, Zhong and his team conducted numerous trials before setting on an optimal approach: digging pits 40 centimeters wide and deep, watering each seedling twice, and arranging plants in a north-south orientation with two-meter spacing to mitigate wind damage.

By 2023, his team had successfully rehabilitated more than 1,000 mu of desertified land, planting resilient shrubs such as saxaul, red willow, and camel thorn. Technology has also proved transformative. “One machine can excavate over 3,000 pits per day, increasing efficiency tenfold compared with manual labor. And drones let us track seedling survival rates with far greater accuracy than our eyes,” Zhong said.

In early 2024, Zhong received a call from producers of an online reality show. For over two weeks, the production crew and accompanying volunteers joined him in the desert, engaging in pit-digging, planting, watering, and backfilling. Together, they planted 180,000 shrubs. 

Following the program’s broadcast, engagement on Zhong’s social media platforms surged exponentially, with a single video topping nine million views. Rather than being swayed by this sudden prominence, he posed a critical question: how could this online attention turn into tangible action for desert control?

He promptly observed an influx of comments from individuals expressing a desire to participate. In response, he launched the “Come to Minqin and Plant a Tree” initiative, publishing detailed guides online and drafting a green pledge to encourage and facilitate participation.

“The initiative gained significant momentum this spring,” Zhong said. Volunteers flocked to Minqin from across the country, including recent graduates, seasoned environmentalists, and retirees. Liu Beili, a university student, participated in spring planting and returned during the summer to water the saplings. Seventy-two-year-old Cheng Xiuqiong traveled more than 2,000 kilometers from Guangdong province in south China, switching between plane, train, and bus to contribute her strength. Over the months, more than 41,000 people have joined the campaign.

To accommodate the influx of volunteers, Zhong established a desert base that provides free lodging and meals while offering instruction on arboriculture techniques. Local authorities provided substantial support by supplying seedlings, installing a dedicated power line, building gravel roads, and partnering with hotels and restaurants to offer discounted services and over 15,000 free meals.

Today, Zhong and his team have pioneered a sustainable model where industrial development supports ecological preservation. “For every box of fruit sold, 70 percent of the profits are reinvested into our desert control efforts,” Zhong explained. Looking out over the expanding stretches of greenery, he affirmed, “We’ll stay committed to public-interest desert control, and we hope to inspire more young people to join the fight against desertification.”

By Gong Shijian, Qiao Dong, People’s Daily

As dusk settled over Chahandusi township in Salar autonomous county of Xunhua, Haidong, northwest China’s Qinghai province, the sound of cheering rose from a township-level basketball game. Spectators packed several rows deep around the court, their applause and shouts echoing into the night.

On the court, local player Han Weiming leapt to seize a defensive rebound. With a quick crossover, he dribbled past his opponent, drove straight to the basket, and finished with a smooth layup. By the final whistle, the Chahandusi team had claimed victory.

Han is something of a local basketball star. Known not only for his skills but also for his dedication and leadership, he is often the first to arrive for practice and the last to leave after games. Thanks in part to his motivation, Chahandusi has remained one of the county’s most competitive teams.

Though home to fewer than 200,000 residents, Xunhua county boasts a deep-rooted basketball tradition. The sport first took root in the 1950s as a leisure activity during the farming off-season and grew into a countywide passion by the 1980s. Today, basketball is played year-round, with grassroots matches held in villages across the county. Men and women, young and old, all flock to cheer on their teams. “When someone in the family takes the court, the whole household is thrilled,” said a villager.

This May, the final of Xunhua’s rural men’s basketball tournament, popularly known as the “Xunhua Basketball Association (XBA),” drew record crowds. Hotels in the county seat were fully booked, and tickets were impossible to find. A large screen outside the venue streamed the game live, where strangers and friends alike gathered, shouting and cheering in unison. 

The excitement reached far beyond the court. This year’s tournament opened nine live-streaming channels, attracting more than 30,000 viewers at peak and generating over 100,000 total views. 

“During finals week, basketball becomes the country’s biggest event. The 5,000-seat arena was filled to capacity, and fans even brought steamed buns and water so they wouldn’t miss a single play,” said Shen Tao, deputy head of the county’s bureau of culture, sports, and tourism.

The XBA is the culmination of a long, competitive journey. Each winter, qualifying matches begin at the village level, with more than 500 games played, followed by over 300 township matches. Only the strongest squads advance to the county-level stage. According to county mayor Han Mingfu, Xunhua now has over 100 amateur men’s and women’s teams, with basketball courts built in all nine townships and 154 villages.

In Xunhua, basketball is more than a pastime – it is part of community life. In schools across the country, basketball clubs are among the most popular extracurricular activities. Many not only provide professional training but also emphasize teamwork and physical fitness. “We’ve created boys’ and girls’ teams, and even grade-specific squads in primary schools,” said Shan Haiyun, head of the county’s community sports guidance center. 

The sport also builds friendships across communities. Tashi, a Tibetan player on the county team, often spends weekends with Han. 

“Our county team brings together athletes from different ethnic groups. In the XBA, we may compete against each other, but outside the county, we play as one. These days, Han can even understand some Tibetan,” Tashi said with a smile. Over time, training and competing together have forged close bonds between them.

Xunhua is home to Salar, Tibetan, Hui, and Han communities, with the Salar people accounting for over 60 percent of the population. On the basketball court, players from all ethnic groups come together to compete, sweat, and support each other. Beyond fitness, the games have strengthened neighborly ties and fostered ethnic harmony.

In one case, two villages had long quarreled over water resources. Despite repeated mediation, tensions lingered. Then a suggestion arose: settle the dispute with a few basketball games. The results were remarkable: after several friendlies, players became friends, and the dispute that had troubled generations was peacefully resolved.

The atmosphere off the court is just as lively as the games themselves. This year’s XBA finals coincided with the launch of a countywide cultural and tourism festival, which highlighted local intangible cultural heritage. “During breaks, we promoted Xunhua’s scenic attractions and cuisine on large screens and mobile platforms, attracting more visitors,” said county official Cao Liantai.

In total, Xunhua staged 200 basketball games at village, township, and county levels this year, attracting 300,000 spectators on site and 1.2 million online viewers. The surge in tourism brought by basketball generated a combined revenue of 82 million yuan ($11.5 million).

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily

As the last glimmers of sunlight faded across the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica entered its long polar winter. Against this stark backdrop of ice and snow, China’s Qinling Station stood firm like a sturdy gray ark, already equipped with a microgrid system, hydrogen energy facilities, and a communications network.

Qinling Station is China’s fifth research station on the continent, filling the gap in the country’s scientific presence in the Ross Sea region. At present, 32 construction personnel remain on site through the winter, carrying out interior outfitting and electromechanical installation while ensuring the station’s operation and maintenance.

China’s polar construction efforts date back to the early 1990s, when teams from China Railway Group, China Construction Technology Consulting Group, and other companies began making regular journeys south. Over the past three decades, they have traveled to Antarctica more than 20 times, steadily advancing China’s scientific footprint at the Earth’s southernmost frontier.

Qinling Station is located on Inexpressible Island, where the average temperature hovers around minus 20 degrees Celsius and can plunge to minus 45 degrees. Fierce gales lash the island on more than 100 days each year. To meet these extreme conditions, the station adopted an innovative prefabricated, modular construction approach from the outset: steel structures and functional modules were manufactured in China, shipped south, and assembled on-site like building blocks, ready for immediate use upon assembly.

Since welding is impossible in Antarctica, all steel structures had to be bolted together. “Even turning a screw here is a battle,” recalled Xie Shuaishuai, a young assembler born after 2000. Wearing gloves to stave off frostbite, he found they quickly became damp with sweat, froze stiff in the wind, and stuck to his tools. “You have to warm your gloves, put them back on, and repeat the process again and again,” he said. In the end, he tightened 11,000 screws in this way.

The construction of Qinling Station officially began on December 16, 2023, during China’s 40th Antarctic expedition. In less than 30 days, the steel structure of the main building was completed. Within 60 days, the main construction was in place. The project set five records in Antarctic station construction: the largest workforce deployed, the greatest volume of materials handled, the largest single building erected, the harshest conditions endured, and the fastest construction achieved.

When the 41st Antarctic expedition departed on November 1, 2024, more than 100 builders from China Railway Group and China Construction Technology Consulting Group joined the mission. “Most had already taken part in the 40th expedition, and some had worked on more than 10 Antarctic projects,” said team leader Luo Huangxun.

Luo himself joined China’s polar construction team in 2007. Over the past 18 years, he has completed 13 Antarctic projects, at times spending up to 17 consecutive months on the continent.

After a grueling 29-day, 7,570-nautical-mile voyage through equatorial heat and the turbulent westerlies, the expedition reached Chinese research base Zhongshan Station on Nov. 30, 2024. There, a massive unloading operation began: cranes worked continuously as crew members formed human chains to transfer materials piece by piece. In less than five days, nearly 6,000 tons of cargo were brought ashore.

Construction then moved into full swing. “This time, we introduced the most advanced building methods to Antarctica, integrating design, manufacturing, transportation, and on-site assembly,” Luo said.

A key innovation was the extensive use of digital simulation.

“Antarctica is too remote, and transport capacity too limited. Any unexpected problem could derail the schedule,” explained project manager Zheng Di of China Railway Construction Engineering Group. To address this problem, the team used building information modeling (BIM) to refine designs and simulate optimized construction plans.

One example was the station’s electromechanical system, which required more than 100,000 meters of pipelines. By breaking the system into modular units through digital simulation, the team reduced complexity and boosted efficiency by 72 percent.

The energy system is now largely complete, comprising wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, hydrogen production and storage, and hydrogen fuel power generation. “These renewable systems will provide Qinling Station with a sustainable and reliable energy supply,” Zheng noted. Even during the long polar night, they can supply at least 14 days of continuous power at 30 kilowatts.

When the summer construction season ended, more than 30 crew members remained behind to keep the station running through the Antarctic winter. “Spending the winter here is far more challenging than working during the summer season,” said Luo, who has already endured two Antarctic winters. “We face 58 days of unbroken darkness. But whenever I see the station gradually taking shape through our efforts, I feel nothing but pride and accomplishment.”

Now 59, Luo is often asked whether he plans to return again. His answer remains firm: “As long as I’m needed, and as long as I’m fit, I’ll be right here with the team in Antarctica.”

By Xu Peiyu

What defines a “luxury car”? Is it the price tag and brand prestige, or the advanced technologies and driving experience it delivers?

In China today, more and more consumers are embracing the new possibilities brought by electrification and smart technologies. Many now associate luxury less with logos and leather, and more with intelligent functions and comfort-oriented design. With continuous technological upgrades and rapid innovation, Chinese auto brands are steadily moving up the value chain and reshaping the meaning of “luxury vehicles.”

Not long ago, features such as air suspension were the exclusive preserve of imported high-end cars. Today, they are standard on many Chinese models.

“When I was considering an upgrade, I first looked at traditional fuel-powered models. Then I test-drove the Voyah FREE 318 and was immediately impressed by the smoothness and acceleration of the electric vehicle (EV),” said Mr. Zhang from east China’s Shandong province.

“What really stood out was its air suspension with a height adjustment range of 100 millimeters, which comes in four modes. It can lower the ground clearance to 113 millimeters to make entry easier for children and the elderly, or raise it to 213 millimeters to handle rough terrain.”

Air suspension is just one example. Once-premium features such as zero-gravity seats, multi-screen interaction, and automatic parking have become widely available in Chinese vehicles. As a result, even models priced under 300,000 yuan ($42,071) now deliver experiences once associated only with luxury cars.

Beijing resident Mr. Liu said that he once viewed price as the only criterion for a luxury car. “For me, the definition of ‘luxury’ has changed. A car that offers intelligent driving, a comfortable ride, and richer entertainment functions can be considered luxurious, even if it costs less than 300,000 yuan.”

For young consumers, technology matters most. Ms. Lin, a Gen-Zer consumer, recently purchased a G6 SUV from Chinese EV maker Xpeng. “This car feels cutting-edge. Its voice interaction works across all driving scenarios, while many traditional luxury models still rely on wired connections just to use CarPlay,” she said.

The redefinition of luxury cars has been driven by technological breakthroughs in China’s auto industry. Take air suspension: in the past, overseas suppliers charged steep prices, but Chinese automakers partnered with local component makers to develop air springs and electronic control systems independently. The localization of these technologies has driven costs down, lowering the entry price for vehicles equipped with air suspension from around 500,000 yuan to just 200,000 yuan.

As Chinese new energy vehicle brands expand their focus on intelligent functions and high-end configurations, the traditional markers of luxury – price and brand heritage – are giving way to new standards based on functionality and user experience.

While sub-300,000 yuan models offer more premium features than ever before, Chinese brands are also strengthening their presence in the upper tiers of the market.

Chinese EV manufacturer NIO has built a loyal customer base with refined design, attentive service, and innovative battery-swapping system. Li Auto has resonated with families by positioning its vehicles as “mobile homes,” capturing the hearts of high-end users who prioritize family-oriented experiences. 

AITO, an electric vehicle marque of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Seres Group, has carved out a niche with its “tech-driven luxury” brand identity, with its M9 model alone surpassing 200,000 units in sales. Meanwhile, Chinese auto giant BYD’s Yangwang brand emphasizes “extreme performance,” with its U8, capable of maneuvers such as “tank turns” and emergency floating, remaining a top seller among million-yuan luxury vehicles since its launch in September 2023.

Industry analysts noted that Chinese automakers are seizing opportunities in what were once bastions of traditional luxury brands. Some emphasize premium services, others appeal to family-oriented scenarios, while still others differentiate through advanced technologies, creating a dynamic and diversified competitive landscape.

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first half of this year, Chinese passenger vehicle sales reached 9.27 million units, up 25 percent year on year, accounting for 68.5 percent of total passenger vehicle sales – an increase of 6.6 percentage points from the same period last year. 

Chinese new energy brands have demonstrated a clear advantage in the high-end market. According to vehicle insurance registration data for the first half of 2025, Chinese brands already made up over 80 percent of the market for new energy passenger vehicles priced above 300,000 yuan.

At the same time, Chinese brands such as Voyah have begun sharing their core technologies, including electric drive systems and hybrid solutions, with joint-venture partners. Traditional international luxury automakers like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz are also exploring cooperation with Chinese companies such as Huawei and Momenta on intelligent driving systems.

Experts emphasized that the rise of Chinese automakers up the value chain has not only reshaped consumer perceptions, but also accelerated the global transformation of the auto industry toward electrification and intelligent mobility.