Sun Jiadong, an aerospace engineer and the chief designer of both the Beidou navigation system and Chinas lunar exploration project, was awarded the Medal of the Republic on September 17, ahead of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Peoples Republic of China. The seven other honorees were nuclear physicist Yu Min, longtime national legislator Shen Jilan, war veterans Li Yannian and Zhang Fuqing, the father of hybrid rice Yuan Longping, nuclear submarine designer Huang Xuhua, and Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou.
Born in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province in 1929, Sun started satellite research in 1967 when he was assigned responsibility for the technology behind Chinas fi rst manmade satellite Dongfanghong I.
In 2004, 75-year-old Sun was tapped as chief designer of Chinas lunar probe project. In 2009, he directed and witnessed the successful launch of Chinas 100th satellite. Sun was responsible for the technology or was chief designer or chief engineer for over 30 of the first 100 satellites independently developed by China.
In 1999, he won the Two Bombs, One Satellite Achievement Medal, Chinas top award for scientists who have contributed to Chinas nuclear and satellite programs. In 2010, he received Chinas Top Science and Technology Award.
Peoples Daily September 16
Many old houses in rural areas are dilapidated and gradually disappearing. However, thanks to a campaign launched by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2016 to save old houses, a lot of traditional architecture across China has been renovated.
From an economic point of view, it is often costlier to repair a house than to build a new one. However, most old houses represent the traditional Chinese architectural style and techniques and preserve history and culture. They can also inspire modern architectural designs. By protecting old houses, people are also preserving traditional villages and culture.
When rehabilitating old houses, the exterior should be restored to its original state, while the interior should be renovated with a focus on utility. They should suit both local living habits and customs and meet the needs of modern life. Protecting old architecture doesnt mean going back to the old lifestyle. Only by adding modern facilities and improving peoples living environment can old houses regain their vitality.
In addition to the government and villagers, the private sector should also be encouraged to participate in old house protection. Besides being renovated for living, old houses can also be developed as tourist destinations, which will promote tourism and the rural economy.
Oriental Outlook September 19
Every city has its own landmarks which change with the times. Landmarks epitomize a citys development.
In the early days of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), the 10 architectural landmarks in Beijing were the capitals icons and symbols of national independence. They included the Great Hall of the People and Beijing Railway Station, which were built within 400 days to pay tribute to the founding of the PRC.
Since reform and opening up in the late 1970s, a number of new landmarks have been erected in cities across China, reflecting the nations social and economic progress.
In 1982, the 110-meter Jinling Hotel in Nanjing, capital of east Chinas Jiangsu Province, finished construction and became the highest building in China at that time. Since then the record has been constantly broken and today, China has around 700 skyscrapers which are over 200 meters high.
In addition, architecture such as the National Stadium in Beijing, nicknamed the Birds Nest, where the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games were held, and the 600-meter Canton Tower in Guangzhou in south Chinas Guangdong Province, dubbed the Thin Waist, have become new landmarks. These uniquely designed architectural pieces mirror Chinas rapid growth in recent years.
In the new era, small towns with their unique characteristics, eco parks and urban greenways have become new landmarks. They represent Chinese citiesefforts to transform their development model and improve the environment and the quality of peoples life to build livable, dynamic and distinctive modern cities.
Qianjiang Evening News September 16
According to a guideline published by the Ministry of Natural Resources on September 10, all travel agencies on the Chinese mainland have to submit applications before organizing tours to Chinas Changcheng research station in the South Pole. It is a measure to control the fl ow of tourists to the ecologically fragile region and also prevent disruptions in research activities. At present, a trip to the South Pole costs over 700,000 yuan ($99,000).
There are worries about the impact of human tourism on the environment of Antarctica. A lesson should be learned from Mount Qomolangma (also known as Mount Everest). For many people, it became a means to fl aunt their wealth by hiring porters and guides to take them to the top of the highest peak in the world. Many climbers didnt reach the summit on their own, but were piggybacked by locals.
With the advancement of science and technology, a lot of areas that used to be off-limits have now become accessible. Tourism on Mount Qomolangma and in the north and south poles is no longer impossible. Space tourism is also on the horizon.
However, the lucky few who plan trips to these rarely visited places should be reminded that they need to exercise self-discipline and not contribute to pollution, including sound pollution. Those who behave badly during the trips should be blacklisted and not allowed to travel there again.
A high school principal Chen Liqun was recently honored as a role model of the times by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Chen, also an experienced teacher, was the principal at several high schools in east Chinas Zhejiang Province. After his retirement in 2016, Chen worked voluntarily at a high school in a poverty-stricken area in southwest Chinas Guizhou Province, declining high-paying job offers from private schools.
Over the past three years, he has improved the schools educational quality by cultivating a group of high-caliber teachers.
During his tenure, he visited students families and supported over 100 poor households of the Miao ethnic group with financial assistance. His deeds have inspired many others to join the cause of improving education in the countrys less developed areas.
Chens dedication earned him the award for outstanding principal in education reform and innovation and he was named one of the top 10 fi gures in education in 2018.
“The new professions offer more flexible schedules than traditional work, which are attractive to young people.”
Li Qiang, Vice President of online recruitment platform Zhaopin, in response to a recent report which showed that people born after 1980 accounted for more than 90 percent of those working in new professions such as food delivery consultant and online business instructor
“Even though our sports industry has grown at a fast pace in recent years, we are not yet a strong sports nation consumption-wise, since the contribution of the sports business to our overall economic growth remains modest.”
Li Yingchuan, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, in response to a new guideline issued by the State Council on September 17 aimed at boosting the sports-related business
“Chinese-Argentine economic complementarity, as consumers and producers of agro-industrial products, points to a broad future outlook with mutual benefits.”
Argentine Agro-Industry Minister Luis Miguel Etchevehere, commenting at a ceremony held in Buenos Aires on September 16
“I see anything that cuts down global cooperation as a potential step backward, that will hurt the poorest people in the world most.”
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, commenting on China-U.S. trade friction ahead of the release of the foundations annual Goalkeepers Report, on September 17