China to Vigorously Promote Regional Financial Cooperation

March 28， Boao， Hainan Province： Chinese President Xi Jinping （9th R） poses for a group photo with foreign leaders attending the 2015 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia（BFA） and members of BFA board of directors. The theme for this years conference was “Asias New Future： Toward a Community of Common Destiny.” During the speech， President Xi remarked that China will vigorously promote a system of regional financial cooperation， and explore a platform for exchange and cooperation among Asian financial institutions. China will also advance complementary and coordinated development between the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank （AIIB） and such multilateral financial institutions as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.“China welcomes countries from Asia and the world to participate in the Chinese-led AIIB and the initiative to revive the ancient Silk Road economic belt and the maritime Silk Road，” declared President Xi. “The initiative will not be Chinas alone but a chorus comprising all countries along the routes.” A detailed action plan for the initiative has already been drafted， preparation work for AIIB has made substantive progress and a string of infrastructure projects are progressing steadily. More than 60 countries have expressed interest in participating in the development of the AIIB and the “One Belt One Road” initiative. by Wan Quan

Prince William at Elephant Park

March 4, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province: Britains Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, feeds Ranran a carrot at Wild Elephant Valley. Yunnan was the last stop on the Duke of Cambridges three-day visit to China. Before that, he toured Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, he met Chinese political leaders as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. He crossed into the business world in Shanghai and met entrepreneurs while launching a festival to promote British creativity and innovation. He also attended the China premiere of the British-French film Paddington. The princes visit to China is the first by a senior British royal in nearly three decades, since Queen Elizabeth IIs tour in 1986. IC

Made with China at CeBIT 2015

March 15， Hanover， Germany： German Chancellor Angela Merkel， Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai （left） and Alibaba founder and chairman Jack Ma （right） at the official opening of the CeBIT Hanover 2015. The annual CeBIT trade fair， the worlds largest for the telecommunication and information technology industry， took place from March 16 to 20， with China as the years partner country for the first time， underlining the Asian powerhouses growing role in the IT business. More than 600 Chinese companies showed their latest products and innovations in the 13，000-square-meter Chinese exhibition area， including high-tech firms such as Huawei， ZTE， Alibaba and Xiaomi. China demonstrated its IT power at the exhibition and presented “the strongest partner country presentation weve ever seen at CeBIT，” according to the fairs organizer Oliver Frese. Earlier this month， China announced implementation of the “Made in China 2025”strategy and development of the “Internet +” action plan which seek innovation-driven development， application of smart technologies， integration of the mobile Internet， improved cloud computing， data collection as well as integrating the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing and upgrading China from a manufacturer of quantity to one of quality. Frese said Chinas plan to develop smart manufacturing brings cooperation opportunities to both nations IT industries. The year of “innovation cooperation” in 2015 will also benefit long-term partnership between Germany and China. IC

Fire Dragon Dance

March 5， Meizhou， Guangdong Province： Local villagers perform a special dragon dance with fire in Puzhai Town. The Lantern Festival marks the last day of the holiday celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year， which fell on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. To celebrate Lantern Festival and pray for fortune in the new year， a vigorous and large-scale fire dragon dance was performed in Puzhai Town of Meizhou city， attracting tens of thousands of spectators. The dance has a long history that can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. CFP

Aerial Oil Paintings

March 1， Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province： An aerial photo captures colorful plum blossoms at Lingfeng Mountain Botanical Garden. “Lingfeng Mountain plum blossom hunting” has become an annual tradition for Hangzhou locals and tourists as they appreciate the beauty of early spring. The “hunting” usually starts from the Chinese Lunar New Year and ends in March. The scenic spot features over 10，000 plum trees of more than 80 varieties， which make the area look like a panoramic oil painting from the air. This year， 150 wintersweet bonsais added to the view. IC

Good Luck Haircuts

March 21，Qingdao， Shandong Province： A boy receives a haircut. March 21 was the second day of the second month on the lunar calendar， which is known as Longtaitou， or “dragon raises its head，” marking the start of spring and farming. According to Chinese tradition， it is a good day to get a haircut， which could bring fortune throughout the year. IC

Street Napping

March 20， Changsha， Hunan Province： Dozens of residents dressed in cartoon pajamas “sleep” on a street， a day ahead of World Sleep Day， to raise public awareness of the benefits of good and healthy sleep and draw attention to sleep-related problems. Although one kind of people can sleep anytime， anywhere， known as “Sleep Gods，” a study by the China Sleep Research Society still shows that nearly 40 percent of Chinese adults suffer from insomnia. The performance art was organized by hypnotist Tony Tang， known in the mainland as “Chinese Mr. Sleep.” Tony showed the participants how to display the scientific way to get a good night of sleep and stay psychologically healthy. The International Foundation for Mental Health and Neurosciences designated March 21st World Sleep Day in 2001. IC

Environmental Run

March 1， Beijing： A participant is body painted as the Monkey King， a character from the Chinese classical novel “Journey to the West” as he runs in the “Half-Naked Marathon” at the Beijing Olympic Forest Park. The annual running event started in 2012 after organization by netizens. This year， hundreds of runners joined the 4th event， which required participants to run 3.5 kilometers half-naked to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles， according to organizers. Kim Kyung-Hoon /REUTERS