Express

January 31， 2022： Astronaut Ye Guangfu， a member of the Shenzhou XIII mission crew， sends Spring Festival greetings from Chinas space station. The crew members of the Shenzhou XIII mission became the first Chinese to spend the traditional festival in outer space.

Since 2016， Chinas space industry has made rapid and innovative progress， manifested by steady improvement in space infrastructure， according to a white paper released on January 28.“China upholds the principle of exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes，” reads the white paper， noting that China calls on all countries to carry out in-depth exchange and cooperation on outer space on the basis of equality， mutual benefit， peaceful utilization， and inclusive development. More cooperation in astronaut selection and training， joint flights， and other fields will take place between China and foreign countries， it said. Xinhua

February 8， 2022： A worker produces Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise at a licensed manufacturer in Qidong， eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province. The mascot for the Beijing Winter Olympics， Bing Dwen Dwen， has become hugely popular. It seems to have taken the gold for most favored prop for athlete snapshots and may have added some competition outside furious medal rivalries at the 2022 Winter Olympics， with many queuing for hours both within and outside the “closed loop” to grab one.

“The Olympic mascot serves as an ambassador for winter sports， bringing joy to those participating in and watching the Olympic Winter Games，”wrote the International Olympic Committee （IOC） on its website. Conveying a friendly message of solidarity and mutual assistance amid the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrating Chinas national character of peace and hospitality， it is expected to become a shared memory of the whole world. Xinhua

February 6， 2022： Chinese players celebrate after China rallied back from 0-2 to beat South Korea 3-2 in the AFC Womens Asian Cup final at D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai， India. It was Chinas ninth Womens Asian Cup trophy， the most among all teams.

The Chinese womens national soccer team trailed first in each of the three games in the elimination stage， but managed to rally in all of them to seize the final victory. Head coach Shui Qingxia， who only took charge three months ago， said the key to the victory was their never-give-up fighting spirit. IC

January 21， 2022： A visitor enjoys artworks displayed at the 9th Beijing International Art Biennale in the National Art Museum of China. Themed “The Light of Life，” the biennale combined the spirit of fighting the pandemic and the spirit of the Olympics. The two are highly consistent， and both recognize the value， dignity， strength， and glory of life.

The 2022 Beijing Biennale gathered 707 works by 573 artists from 117 countries and regions， including 487 foreign works and 220 domestic works. All pieces including paintings， sculptures， installations， and videos demonstrated innovative， colorful contemporary art styles. VCG

February 15， 2022： A girl in a traditional Chinese costume guesses lantern riddles at a lantern fair in Changsha， central Chinas Hunan Province.

Celebrated on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar， Lantern Festival fell on February 15 this year， when a full moon appeared in the night sky. It symbolizes unity and perfection， and usually features family reunions， feasts， light shows， and various cultural activities across China. Despite Chinas rapid development in recent decades， folk customs and traditions continue to play a major role in daily life. VCG

February 7， 2022： Members of a local opera troupe perform in Longshan Township， southwestern Chinas Guizhou Province. Deep in the mountains in Longli County， Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture， a local troupe rehearses Taiping Lantern Opera， an intangible cultural heritage item of Guizhou. Taiping Lantern Opera combines singing and dancing in a traditional local opera of Guizhou. Most troupe members are ordinary farmers who gather after working in their fields to rehearse and exchange experience. On holidays， they visit nearby villages to perform， enriching local cultural lives. Xinhua