Nigeria Times

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

At around 9 am, a ship laden with cargo arrived at a fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in east China’s Shandong province. As the ship docked, intelligent operation promptly commenced.

Several gantry cranes descended from a height of tens of meters, their “arms” expertly grabbing and positioning the large containers onto automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Nearby, high-speed rail-mounted gantry cranes swiftly navigated the yard, accurately stacking and organizing the incoming containers.

The smooth loading and unloading operations were made possible by automation.

“Construction of the fully automated terminal began in 2015, divided into three phases, with the third phase terminal becoming operational by the end of 2023,” said an employee with Qingdao Port.

According to the employee, the terminal has lifted operational efficiency by six percent and throughput by 15 percent.

On Jan. 1, 2025, the automated container terminal at Qingdao Portachieved an average single-crane productivity of 60.9 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per hour during aloading task. This marks the 12th time that the terminal has set a world record for automated terminal efficiency.

Heading north along the coastline from the port, there is a bulk cargo terminal that has been revitalized.

At the ore terminal in the west port area of Yantai Port, the work site was totally unmanned, but as an orange ship unloader swung its mechanical arm, cargos were grabbed out of the hold. Conveyor belts, rotating fast, worked in close coordination with reclaimers and loaders, handling cargos with high efficiency.

Thanks to fully automated terminal control technology, the ore terminal at Yantai Port has achieved unmanned operations throughout the entire work process. Compared to traditional operating modes, both the comprehensive unloading efficiency and bulk cargo loading efficiency have increased by over 20 percent.

The two ports in the north and south of the Shandong Peninsula are vivid examples of the accelerated construction of intelligent ports across China.

According to data from China’s Ministry of Transport, the country has built 52 automated container and bulk cargo terminals so far, ranking first in the world in terms of both completed and under-construction scales. Chinese ports also rank at the forefront globally in the level and application of automation technology.

In recent years, China has successively formulated and released a series of industry technical standards such as the design specifications for automated container terminals and automated coal and ore terminals, which have driven and supported the development of smart port construction. Some technical solutions for automated container terminals have been introduced overseas and applied in ports in some countries.

“To achieve full-process unmanned operation for ship loading and unloading, container transfer, and yard handling at a container terminal, a complete set of automated port machinery equipment and loading/unloading systems are indispensable,” said Li Yiming, director of a design and research institute of Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC).

Li took the Yangshan phase IV automated terminal in Shanghai as an example. When a large vessel docks, the quay crane is the primary equipment for loading and unloading containers at the terminal. By introducing dual-trolley automated quay cranes, it is possible to achieve a relay operation with two trolleys, increasing the efficiency of loading and unloading operations by 50 percent.

After the containers are unloaded, AGVs will efficiently transport the containers to the yard. Following this, the world’s first dual-container automated rail-mounted gantry cranes come into play, capable of lifting two containers at one go, doubling the efficiency of yard operations.

“Up to now, ZPMC has provided a total of 28 automated quay cranes, 121 automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, 145 AGVs, and a complete set of loading and unloading systems, helping the Yangshan phase IV automated terminal become the largest and most intelligent fully automated container terminal in the world,” said Li.

In recent years, the company has been involved in over 70 percent of automated terminal construction projects around the world, he added.

The smooth and efficient operation of various port machinery, including shore cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, and AGVs, depends on a robust automation software system.

In the Meishan port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in East China’s Zhejiang province, real-time scenes of ship loading and unloading, automated operations of quay cranes and gantry cranes, and unmanned container trucks shuttling back and forth were displayed on a large screen. With the support of an independently developed automation software system, hundreds of port machinery equipment have achieved precise and orderly scheduling, underpinning the formulation of production plans and complex task management for tens of millions of TEUs.

“The large-scale application of intelligent equipment has laid a solid foundation for the efficient operation of the port area, contributing to new highs of the port’s throughput,” said an executive of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Limited.

In the first 11 months of 2024, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port reported a cargo throughput of 1.268 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.27 percent, and completed a container throughput of 36.145 million TEUs, up 10.2 percent from a year ago. In recent years, Chinese ports have been vigorously promoting the specialization and intelligent transformation of terminals, further enhancing port service capabilities. From January to November 2024, China’s total port cargo throughput reached approximately 16.04 billion tons, showing a year-on-year increase of around 3.4 percent. The container throughput reached 300 million TEUs, with a year-on-year growth of 7.3 percent, maintaining a steady increase

By Wang Zheng, People’s Daily

Two humanoid robots Walker S1 developed by Chinese robot manufacturer UBTECH recently conducted practical training in a logistics warehouse of Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province.

The two robots, 172 centimeters in height, each squatted down and picked up a six-kilogram material box from a tray. Holding the box in front of their chests, they backed up and turned, took small steps towards an unmanned warehouse dolly, bent, and placed the boxes onto it. After this task was accomplished, they returned to the tray to repeat the process for another round.

“Since late October 2024 when they entered the factory for training, their handling efficiency has doubled. From the initial run-through of all handling scenarios by a single humanoid robot, to achieving collaborative operations with unmanned warehouse dollies, and now to two robots working together, ” said Jiao Jichao, vice president of UBTECH.

This is not the first time for UBTECH humanoid robots to enter an automobile plant. Previously, when the 400,000th vehicle manufactured by Chinese carmaker Zeekr rolled off the production line, a Walker S1 was at Zeekr’s 5G intelligent plant, practicing millimeter-level precision quality checks for vehicle logos and car lamps. At the turn of the year, the Walker S1 also worked in three other manufacturing enterprises for training.

At the 2022World Robot Conference, only three humanoid robots were showcased, and the number increased to 10 in 2023 and 27 in 2024. As of Nov. 18 last year, the humanoid robot sector had witnessed 49 financing events totaling 8 billion yuan ($1.09 billion), with the largest single investment nearing 1 billion yuan, according to Jiang Lei, chief scientist of the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center.

Jiang said the number of humanoid robot manufacturers across China has increased from 31 in early 2024 to 80, and the number stands at over 200 globally.

In addition to humanoid robots, embodied intelligence has also gained significant attention. Recently, many technological experts in autonomous driving sector have shifted their focus to embodied intelligence, leading to a surge in investment and entrepreneurship activities in this area.

Embodied intelligence refers to integrating artificial intelligence into physical entities such as robots, enabling them to perceive, learn, and interact dynamically with the environment like humans do, Jiao explained.

This concept, first proposed in 1950, emphasizes that intelligent behavior is generated through the interaction between the intelligent agent’s body and the environment. In China’s national artificial intelligence development strategy, embodied intelligence is seen as the only way for artificial intelligence to interact with the physical world, which will have profound implications on the real world.

Humanoid robots are one physical form of embodied intelligence. Academician Sun Ninghui of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said that embodied intelligence refers to intelligent entities with physical bodies able to interact with the physical world, such as robots and unmanned vehicles. These entities process various sensory data inputs through multimodal large models and generate motion commands to drive the intelligent agents, replacing traditional rule-based or mathematical formula-based motion control methods. This approach achieves a deep integration of virtual and real worlds.

Jiang told that there are two paths for the development of humanoid robots. One is the Honda ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) path, which emphasizes that robots are just a hardware platform and focuses more on the mechanical engineering and motion capabilities. However, this path ceased development in 2018.

The other path is the Tesla path, which advocates for integrating the development of humanoid robots with embodied intelligence, emphasizing the support of artificial intelligence infrastructure such as intelligent computing center, data center, and cloud service platform.

Jiang said, “The next generation of humanoid robots should be a combination of robots, embodied intelligence, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.”

According to Tesla’s plan, this year, the humanoid robot “Optimus,” also known as the “Tesla Bot,” will enter limited production this year and mass production in 2026. Similarly, leading Chinese humanoid robot companies see 2025 as the “year one” for mass production.

On Dec. 26, 2024, Leju Robot, a high-end tech firm committed to the development of humanoid robots, officially launched its first production line, with an estimated annual output of 200 humanoid robots.

UBTECH also plans to increase the delivery volume of its Walker series. Chairman of Leju Robot Leng Xiaokun noted that the company’s humanoid robot “Kuavo” has already been employed in industrial settings, with the ultimate goal of transitioning to home services.

By Wang Hao, People’s Daily

In a farm in northwest China’s Gansu province, sensors are inserted into the soil to monitor humidity, while a miniature weather station tracks wind and light conditions.

“Last year, the sunflower yield per mu (about 667 square meters) exceeded 280 kilograms, an increase of 15 percent,” said Zou Changsheng, head of the project department of the farm.

With the use of smart irrigation, bountiful harvests were guaranteed, and the water usage per mu has decreased from 650 cubic meters to 300 cubic meters, Zou added.

The irrigation water comes from the Shule River, which flows through the desert, nurturing oasis along its path. The Shule River provides irrigation water for a total of 1.34 million mu of farmland spread across 22 townships in Jiuquan, Yumen, and Guazhou county, as well as six farms.

The Shule River basin receives less than 70 millimeters of precipitation annually, while the evaporation is as high as 2,800 millimeters. How can this water-deficient river achieve intensive water conservation while ensuring proper irrigation?

“We have ‘digitized’ the Shule River,” said Zhang Farong, deputy director of the planning department of the Shule River basin water resources utilization center in Gansu province.

By leveraging geographic information systems and building information modeling, a virtual model has been constructed to simulate the river channel, canal system, reservoirs, and water gates in equal proportion, creating a “digital twin” of the river, Zhang explained.

Through large model simulation, water resource scheduling plans have been continuously optimized. Manual gate operations have been automated, enabling precise water release based on demand. The construction of high-standard farmland is advancing in sync, with integrated water and fertilizer technologies such as drip irrigation and precision fertilization, saving both labor and water. By combining data, algorithms, and computing power, the Shule River irrigation area is gradually becoming a leading example of water conservation.

These efforts to use digital technology to promote water-saving agriculture in the Shule River basin reflect China’s rapid progress in developing a digital twin system for water resources management.

“In simple terms, digital twin water resources management refers to the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and large models to virtually replicate natural water systems and hydraulic engineering structures on the internet. This enables the simulation of interactions between physical and virtual objects, facilitating precise forecasting, early warnings, rapid scenario simulations, and the development of contingency plans,” said Sun Chunpeng, director of the hydrological information forecasting center at the Ministry of Water Resources.

In recent years, China’s water resources sector has completed 94 construction tasks of digital twin for water resourcemanagement .

The construction of a comprehensive water monitoring system covering the Yangtze River basin has commenced, accelerating the formation of a prototype digital twin of the Yangtze River.

A digital twin Yellow River project is advancing in an orderly manner, which aims at promoting the deep integration of the real-world Yellow River, Yellow River models, and a digital twin of the Yellow River.

In the development of digital twin water networks, a framework for constructing a national backbone digital twin water network has been completed. Progress has been made in the preliminary establishment of a digital twin for the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project’s central route, and 10 provincial-level pilot areas have achieved practical results in building their digital twin water networks. Efforts are also underway to advance the construction of digital twin water networks at the municipal and county levels.

Regarding digital twin projects, continuous iterative optimization is being carried out for key sites such as the Three Gorges Dam, Xiaolangdi Dam, Danjiangkou Reservoir, and Yuecheng Reservoir. From 2023 to 2025, 49 digital twin irrigation areas will be piloted. Besides, large and key medium-sized water conservancy projects newly constructed in 2025 will launch information infrastructure, digital twin platforms, and business application systems.

Digital twin in water conservancy enable more targeted management of rivers and lakes. China’s Ministry of Water Resources has established a national key rivers and lakes ecological flow monitoring and early warning platform. This platform gathers monitoring data such as water levels and flow rates from 283 ecological flow sections of key rivers and lakes. It enables real-time monitoring and early warning for 235 ecological flow control sections across 165 key rivers and lakes, as well as 65 water allocation sections.

A national water use management platform has been set up, allowing for dynamic monitoring of violations such as excessive water use, exceeding control limits, and lack of measurement for water users with permits. Up to now, 131,000 online monitoring points and 551,500 offline monitoring points nationwide have been connected to the platform.

Digital twin in water conservancy enable more science-based management of water conservancy projects.

In water conservancy engineering construction management system, information from over 40,000 enterprises, more than 1.07 million professionals, and over 420,000 project performance records and credit evaluations in the water resources industry have been consolidated.

In the water resources project operation management information system, electronic archives of over 90,000 reservoirs across nine industries, including water conservancy, energy, and transportation, have been shared.

In the rural water resources and hydropower information management system, basic and operational information for 520,000 centralized water supply projects, 42,000 small hydropower stations, and 7,326 large and medium-sized irrigation areas are updated annually, with a daily average of over 3,000 visits.

By Li Ya’nan, People’s Daily

The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the world’s longest expressway tunnel located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, completed tunneling on Dec. 30, 2024.

Built by China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), the 22.13-kilometertunnel will reduce the time it takes to drive across the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains from several hours to about 20 minutes once operational.

It is a key project of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which runs from the regional capital of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang to Yuli county in southern Xinjiang.

Since construction began in 2020, thousands of builders have worked in the mountains. Over the course of 52 months, the construction team overcame challenges suchas complex geological conditions, highaltitudes, extreme cold, and high ground stress, achieving another groundbreaking featin China’s expressway tunnel construction.

Notably, this project was the first in the country to use a hard rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) for expressway construction and pioneered an innovative construction method for rapid excavation, significantly shorteningthe construction period.

How to pass through the fault zones?

According to Huang Dengxia, chief engineer of the fifth section of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project under CCCC, the tunnel passes through 16 geological fault zones, 12 of which are located at the tunnel’sentrance, featuring fragile and complex rock formations. Besides, the tunnel’s construction faces high ground stress, with peak stress reaching nearly 22 MPa, said Huang.

“It’s just like working in a ‘tofu pudding’ environment with a high risk of mud surges and rock bursts,” Huang remarked.

At 1,900 meters into the entrance, the construction team encounteredF6, the largest fault zone along the route that spans 440 meters in width. Its fractured, water-rich rock posed immense difficulties for construction.

“Hard rock TBMs are especially vulnerable to the environment where the rock alternates between hard and soft layers,” said Wu Teligen, head of the engineering department of the fifth section. “Collapses and water inflows often occur in such conditions. Sometimes, water inflows could reach as much as 7,000 cubic meters in a single day.”

To address the persistent threat of collapses, the team anchored over 37,800 polyethylene pipe foam concrete components into the rock face, creating a shock-absorbing layer that is 70centimeters thick, which helps mitigate the fault zone’s stress impact on the surrounding rock supports. After 80 arduous days, the team successfully navigated through the fault zone F6.

How to shorten construction period?

With traditional drilling and blasting methods, it would take 72 months to cut two 22.13-kilometer-long holes through the Tianshan Mountains.However, to foster regional development and address local people’s transportation needs, it is important to shorten the construction time.

“After extensive research and analysis, we broke down the construction into smaller, more manageable segments, allowing for faster excavation,” said Miao Baodong, chief engineer of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project.

To be specific, the team added a middle drift between the two parallel main tunnels, with hard rock TBMs, customized by CCCC for the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, acting as “trailblazers,” Miao said, adding that this approacheffectively segmented the main tunnels into multiple sections for simultaneous excavation.

At the construction site, the two TBMs, named “Tianshan” and “Shengli,” advanced respectively from the northern and southern sides of the Tianshan Mountains, withthe massive cutterheadsdriving dozens of blades forward to crush rock into fragments. The machines proceeded at a speed of 20 to 30 meters per day, which was over five times faster than manual drilling, thereby reducing the original construction time to 52 months.

How to ensure construction safety and efficiency?

The innovative construction method has significantly increased the excavation speed and provided additional working faces. However, it also presented new challenges – how to ensureconstruction safety and efficiency at the same time.

“During peak construction, the exit end of the tunnel alone had seven working faces operating simultaneously, with over 1,200 personnel and 600-700 vehicles passing throughevery day,” said Li Yalong, manager of the sixth section of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway project.

“To ensure safe and orderly operations, we created an intelligent system to coordinate transportation within the tunnel, equipped vehicles with positioning devices, and adopted electronic access control for personnel. Technology has been a vital tool in our construction,” Li added. For instance, a digital monitoring and command center has been established, providing real-time data on the movement of personnel and vehicles within the tunnel in a single interface.

The project also set up a specialized technical team to ensurethat the two TBMs running from the opposite sides met precisely within the mountain. Every six months, the team conducted joint measurements from both the entrance and exit ends of the tunnel to carefully calibrate the plane control points and elevation control network so as to keep the tunnel alignment on track.

By Li Rui, People’s Daily

“It’s coming!” Liu Fuhai shouted, lying prone on a rock, one of his eyes pressed against his camera. Beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Roaring water in the Yellow River plunged from the cliff, making gigantic splashes that eventually turned into thick mists.Liu, holding his breath, clicked the shutter quickly to capture the grandeur of the Hukou Waterfall, the largest waterfall on the Yellow River.

Liu, in his seventies, lives in Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong province. He is a member of the China Photographers Association.

The man has a deep affection with the Yellow River, known as the “mother river” of China. During the past 38 years, he has taken tens of thousands of photos of the river, from its source to its estuary in Dongying, Shandong province. To the Hukou Waterfall alone, he has made more than 40 visits, with each round trip covering nearly 2,000 kilometers.

His affection with the Yellow River originated when he was an adolescent. “Back then, everybody enjoyed playing on the dam,” Liu said, devastated by the rolling water in the Yellow River.

In the 1980s, Liu worked in a vehicle manufacturing plant in Jinan. In 1987, he and his colleagues traveled afar to the Hukou Waterfall to take photos of it as promotional materials for his company.

“It was midsummer. When we was approaching the waterfall along the bank, a steady thrum flew into our ears,” Liu recalled.

“The sound gradually became clear. As we stepped closer, a blurred vision of a waterfall appeared in front of us. The sound was like a train roaring past us. It was so exciting that we all jumped.”

Standing in front of the waterfall, Liu saw nothing but the tremendous momentum of the Yellow River, which brought back his boyhood memories.

“This is probably the might of the mother river,” he said, his eyes wet.

On his way back, Liu decided to become a Yellow River photographer, so that he could present the beauty of the river to more people.

Capturing the true essence of the Yellow River is no simple task. Determined to do justice to its beauty, Liu dedicated himself to honing his photography skills. He delved into numerous photo albums showcasing the river, and studied the techniques of composition, exposure, focus, and filters from seasoned professionals. With time and practice, he forged his own unique path towards capturing the river’s magnificence.

As a Yellow River photographer, he sometimes has to confront danger. Once, while searching for the perfect location to capture his shots, he walked onto the mud flat barefooted, and found himself stuck in the mire. Despite his efforts to free himself, he only sank deeper into the quagmire.

“Half of my body was swallowed by the mud, yet my instinct was to raise my camera high to protect the precious photos, ” Liu said.

Thankfully, his fellow photographers came to his rescue and pulled him from the mud, but his soles were infected due to cuts by sharp rock, leading to a lingering ailment.

Liu told People’s Daily that capturing novel images can be challenging in commonly accessible locations. He holds that a photographer must find unique perspectives in places that are not easy to reach in order to create exceptional photographs.

In 2019, Liu released a photo album featuring the Yellow River. Each photograph captured a distinct aspect of the river, narrating its own compelling story.

“I wanted to use powerful visual impacts to demonstrate the dynamism of the Yellow River and the development of the regions along its course,” Liu said.

With his camera, Liu not only presents how folk customs vary along the banks of the Yellow River, but also records the rapid social and economic development.

“Look, some places were once hindered by poor transportation,” Liu said, flipping through his photos. “Through tourism, local people got rich, and tourists gradually began to appear in my photos. Today, tourists are everywhere. This is a real and tangible change.”

In the summer of 2024, a photo exhibition themed “civilization dialogue between the Yellow River and the Nile” was hosted during the China-Africa People’s Forum. To attend the exhibition, Liu was busy shooting photos of the Yellow River at different locations.

“I want to keep recording the beauty and telling the stories of the Yellow River with my photos,” Liu said.

By Yue Linwei, Zhu Yueying, People’s Daily

In front of the Shanghai plant of Japanese consumer goods giant Kao Corp in Maqiao township, Minhang district, east China’sShanghai, lies the “Huawang” Road (Huawang is the Chinese translation of Kao). When the plant was just established in the 1990s, this road was merely a gravel path. Today, it has evolved into a modern four-lane highway.

“The road’stransformation reflects Kao’sflourishing development in China over the past 30 years and the shared prosperity between Kao and the Chinese market,” said Gu Ren, general manager of Kao Commercial Shanghai Co., Ltd., during an interview with People’s Daily.

On Gu’s desk, there are two photographs. One, taken in 1996 when Kao’s Shanghai plant was newly built, shows the factory surrounded by villages and farmland. The other is a recent imagedepicting a modern industrial park featuring residential areas, lush greenery, and beautiful surroundings.

“The huge Chinese consumer market is full of vitality. We never waver in our commitment to deeply engaging with the Chinese market,” Toru Nishiguchi, senior managing executive officer of Kao, told People’s Daily.

He said that China’s continuous optimizationof its industrial structure in recent yearshas created broad opportunities for foreign enterprises.

Kao first entered the Chinese market in 1993, initially focusing on the sales of facial cleansers and shampoos. Over the years, Kao’s brands have gained significant recognition among Chinese consumers. “Today, Kao (China) Holding Co. Ltd. has grown into a comprehensive group encompassing household products, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals,” Nishiguchi explained.

“China has been expanding high-level opening up,” said Nishiguchi, who has extensive work experience in China. “The Chinese market remains resilient and dynamic. Thanks to China’s booming daily consumer goods market, Kao’s Chinese businesses have grown rapidly.”

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, cosmetics retail sales in China reached 414.2 billion yuan ($56.52 billion) in 2023, more than ten times the sales recorded in 2006.

It was in 2006 that Kao (China) began its cosmetics operations in the Chinese market. From 2006 to 2023, the company’s cosmetics sales in China also surged by more than ten times, according to an executive of the company. “We have been growing and thriving togetherwith the Chinese market,” Nishiguchi remarked.

During the interview, Nishiguchi highlighted a new product launched by Kaoin February 2024, which was developed primarily by the Chinese R&D team. The entire process of the product – from research and testing to production and sales – was carried out in China, said Nishiguchi.

“When developing the product, we have taken into account the personalized needs of Chinese consumers,” Nishiguchisaid. He believes the product’s success in the Chinese market is due to its alignment with Chinese consumers’ pursuit of a better life and validates Kao’s localized business strategy in China.

“As China’s economy continues to develop, Chinese consumers need more personalized, diversified, and high-quality products. These emerging trends in the Chinese consumer market present new opportunities for Kao to expand its presence in the country,” he remarked.

“From a global perspective, Kao’s business outside Japan accounts for about 45 percent of its total sales,” Nishiguchi noted. “China has always been our most important overseas market, contributing to Kao’s development in the entire Asian market,” said Nishiguchi.

Just a 15-minute drive from Kao’s Shanghai plant is China’sMaqiao Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Experimental Zone, a hub for integrating AI into urban development. The zone has attracted a number of high-tech companies specializing in cutting-edge robotics over the past five years. The industrial robots adopted by Kao’s Shanghai plant in August 2024 was developed by companies within this zone.

Gu said that Kao (China) is steadily promoting the automated, digital and unmanned transformation of its production lines, which is also supported by China’s intelligent manufacturing.

In recent years, Kao (China) has invested tens of millions of yuan in the intelligent transformation of its production lines on an annual basis, continually increasing the localization rate of its technical equipment.

China is taking solid steps to accelerate the development of new quality productivity forces as part of its efforts to promote high-quality development. Nishiguchi sees this as a catalyst for fostering innovation and boosting production efficiency. “While pursuing its own development, the Chinese market has been creating new business models and opportunities. Kao will remain focused on its core strengths, developing new technologies and products to drive our development in China,” he said.

By Song Zhaojun, People’s Daily

An elderly man, sometimes holding farming tools, walks along the ridges of the fields; at other times, he herds sheep slowly under peach trees in bloom; and occasionally, he stands amidst the vast desert and mountains, embodying the image of a general while narrating the history of the ancient Silk Road in northwest China…

“He really knows how to command the presence and energy,””Thank you for promoting my hometown,””I’ve watched this video at least 10 times” – as Zhang Yifang scrolls through the comments on his phone, he reads each one carefully.

Zhang, 68, hails from Qingsi village in Datong township, Yongdeng county, Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu province.

As a child, Zhang was nicknamed “Sanxiwa,” which literally translates into triple joy child. These days, he’s more commonly known as “Sanxi Grandpa,” meaning triple joygrandpa, which is also his ID on short video platforms.

Over the past four years, with support from the local cultural and tourism department, Zhang and his son Zhang Jianzong have filmed and produced over 100 short videos.

From rural fields and farmhouses to the vast deserts, grasslands, and the striking Danxia landform, he has filmed in many places with distinct northwest China characteristics, sharing the cultural stories and unique features of Gansu province. “Sanxi Grandpa” now has nearly 1.3 million followers on short video platforms.

During the 2024 Spring Festival, Zhang Yifang joined a local troupe of folk art show which features celebration of Chinese Spring Festival in multiple forms such as dragon dance, stilt walking, yangge dance, lion dance and other folk performances.

He released nearly 10 videos, with one of them receiving over 5.87 million likes and more than 1.01 million comments.

The folk art show performance has a long history, with participants sometimes exceeding 300, parading through streets, alleys, and fields.

From childhood to adulthood, Zhang Yifang has participated in the folk art show performances nearly every year. This deep-rooted passion for local performances has made him a natural in the world of short videos.

In the summer of 2021, Zhang Yifang’s children and grandchildren returned to Qingsi village. Under the clear sky and gentle wind, he was always seen lying in a chair, fanning himself with a straw hat, or playing with his grandchildren in the golden wheat fields.

Zhang Jianzong, who works in the film and television industry, captured these moments on camera and edited them into short videos. Once posted, the videos quickly garnered over 50,000 likes and nearly 4,000 shares.

Surprised by the positive response, the father and son decided to make rural life the central theme of their short videos and continue filming.

“When I was young, our village only had one black-and-white television, and we would all crowd around to watch movies together,” Zhang Yifang recalled. The scenes of martial arts heroes and knights always fascinated him. “It would be amazing to be a knight one day!”

Now, that dream has come to life in his short videos.

From an ordinary farmer to a knight or a general, as Zhang Yifang’s roles change, so do his backgrounds, such as a rural courtyard, the Danxia landform of Yongdeng, waterwheel parks, deserts, and grasslands.

Taking advantage of the popular trends in short video content, Zhang Yifang changes outfits every few seconds, enriching the scenes and roles to promote his hometown.

From the poplar forests in Jiuquan to the endless grasslands of Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Zhang Yifang has traveled to over 10 cities and prefectures in Gansu, filming videos wherever he goes.

He and his son have also launched two popular video series: “Sanxi Grandpa’s Martial Arts Journey” and “Sanxi Grandpa’s Food Selection.”

The first series showcases local cultural and tourism resources by portraying different historical figures, while the second focuses on traditional Gansu cuisine – how to make Yongdeng rose cakes, why the roast meat in Jiayuguan smells so good, and how to dry Dingxi wide noodles, among others. Dozens of Gansu’s regional dishes have been featured in the videos.

According to Zhang Jianzong, these two video series have already amassed over 460 million views. Many other short video creators have joined in, each offering their own perspectives on telling the stories of the northwest.

As his popularity grew, Zhang Yifang wanted to inspire his fellow villagers to create content alongside him. Encouraged by the father and son, many villagers began to appear in the videos.

“By participating in the filming, we not only get to experience performing, but also have the chance to show the world rural life. The affection from viewers is also a recognition of our village’s development,” said Zhang Yifang’s neighbor Lu Zizhen.

As rural vitalization is promoted comprehensively, Qingsi village now boasts wider roads, better internet connectivity, and more complete service facilities – features that frequently appear in the videos.

Thanks to land transfers, villagers now enjoy a steady income and ample free time, which has created a demand for more recreational activities. Currently, more than 30 villagers regularly participate in the filming of Zhang Yifang’s videos.

In 2024, Yongdeng county launched 20 high-quality tourist routes and organized over 200 cultural and artistic events, including theme exhibitions, social education programs, and reading activities, which supported nearly 30 short video creators to promote their hometown.

“We want to encourage the public to promote their hometowns in ways that resonate with them, further unlocking the cultural and tourism value,” said Li Tingming, director of the Yongdeng county bureau of culture, sports, radio, television, and tourism.

By Yang Wenming, People’s Daily

The period from October to May of the following year is the perfect time for bird watching in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan province, as the rainfall decreases and the dry season approaches.

At this time, Xu Xiaolong, a villager from Shiti village in Taiping township of Yingjiang county, would get his homestay ready to accommodate the influx of tourists, which is almost fully booked every day during this peak season.

With a forest coverage rate of over 90 percent, Shiti village is home to over 450 bird species, accounting for more than 1/3 of those found across China.

It boasts a large number of bird species under national-level protection such as the grey peacock-pheasant, collared falconet, and bay-headed bee-eater. Additionally, three species of hornbills, including the malabar pied hornbill, wreathed hornbill, and great hornbill, have stable breeding grounds in Shiti village, making it known as the “hornbill valley of China.”

Leveraging the abundant bird resources, Yingjiang county has vigorously developed the bird-watching industry. By coordinating bird-watching activities with ecological conservation efforts, a new path for development has been paved.

In the past, Shiti village was home to over 300 residents. However, as the village was rarely visited by tourists due to its poor transportation, these residents lacked the expertise in tourism services.

In 2015, the government of Yingjiang county initiated a campaign to promote bird-watching activities, and local bird-watching enthusiasts also established a bird-watching association of Yingjiang county, which not only bolstered bird conservation efforts but also facilitated the development and utilization of bird-watching resources in the area.

Additionally, significant improvements were made to local infrastructure, and financial incentives were provided to villagers who transformed their residential properties into homestays.

In a couple of years, the “hornbill valley of China” began to gain reputation. Currently, there are over 30 bird-watching spots in Shiti village, with more than 50 bird guides who can proficiently identify over 100 bird species. The village provides a number of services for bird enthusiasts from accommodation to tour guide, and to transportation.

The per capita disposable income in Shiti village surged from less than 2,000 yuan ($273) in 2015 to 12,800 yuan ($1748) in 2023, thanks to the booming bird-watching industry. This not only lifted residents out of poverty but also effectively protected the local mountains and forests, fostering harmonious coexistence between bird-watchers and birds.

Today, protecting birds, forests and the ecology has been incorporated into village regulations and become a consensus among villagers. Even children in the village are aware of the importance of protecting birds.

Developing a bird-watching industry presents significant challenges, with the creation of bird-watching sites being one of the toughest.

A successful bird-watching spot requires attracting birds to the area and keeping them there. Building ponds, introducing food sources, and ensuring the right environment can help establish a thriving bird habitat. From a distance, shelters or hides allow visitors to observe and photograph birds without disturbing them.

As Xu explained, “Photographers often travel long distances. If they spend three to five days waiting without capturing anything worthwhile, it’s hard to maintain a steady stream of visitors.”

Creating a bird-watching site may seem easy, but Xu has faced his share of obstacles. Choosing the right location, studying migration routes, ensuring adequate water sources, and providing food for the birds are all delicate balances to strike.

If the site is too close to people, the birds may avoid it; if it’s too far from where people live, and it might deter visitors. Underfeeding won’t keep the birds around, but overfeeding increases costs and risks altering the birds’ natural behavior.

Since 2017, the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county has conducted 10 training sessions in Taiping township, teaching local residents to identify common species in the area, and providing practical guidance on bird-watching services. Xu found these sessions invaluable, saying, “I’ve learned so much.”

In Shiti Village, bird watching spots are divided into two types. One includes sites where bird watchers can feed the birds, and the other is for watching hornbills where feeding is not allowed.

Why is artificial feeding necessary?

“During the dry season when food is scarce, timely and appropriate feeding supplements the food for birds,” said Jin Yinde, an official with the Yunnan Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve. However, unlike “bird cages,” birds in these spots come and go freely without restrictions, and sufficient food and water sources help the survival of bird species.

Yingjiang county guides villagers to develop in a differentiated manner and has built 55 spots for watching great hornbills, collared falconets, and grey peacock-pheasants.

Birdwatchers are flooding into the village as the number of bird-watching spots expands. The rich bird resources and sound ecological environment are also attracting more and more tourists to the village. This poses challenges to Shiti village – how should it balance protection and development, regulate bird-watching activities and avoid disorderly competition?

“Core zones of protected areas must stay closed,” Jin told People’s Daily. Located near the Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve, Shiti village must coordinate bird-watching activities with ecological protection when building bird-watching spots, strictly adhere to ecological red lines, plan bird-watching spots reasonably, set appropriate distances between the spots, and strictly control the density of bird-watching spot distribution.

Shiti village has established a specialized cooperative invested by households involved. Under unified management, it distributes profits to its investors.

The village has also invited the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county to provide training sessions, guiding villagers to strengthen the management of bird-watching spots, strictly control the daily number of tourists based on environmental carrying capacity, and feed the birds in moderation and at appropriate times, so as to minimize disturbances to the environment.

In Yingjiang today, ecological conservation projects such as artificial nests for birds, hornbill conservation, and transnational cooperation on bird protection are continuously advancing. The activities of bird watching and bird protection have formed a virtuous cycle. More and more wild and rare bird species are choosing to settle down in Yingjiang.