Here are six stories from China this week you may have missed.

Geminid meteor shower

The Geminid meteor shower, deemed the best and most reliable annual meteor shower, reached its annual peak in Heibei province, producing up to 150 meteors per hour.

These meteors can be seen by most of the world but are best viewed by observers in the northern hemisphere. Geminid meteors tend to be bold, white and quick. The brightest ones can overcome the light of the moon.

'Elephant dads'

The population of Asian elephants has halved since the middle of the last century, with the largest land mammal on the continent now classified as endangered. 

However, China's Asian elephant population has doubled to 300, thanks to efforts of the 'elephant dads' - the staff at the Xishuangbanna Asian Elephant Breeding and Rescue Center, southwestern China.

Digital trade expo

The Hangzhou International Digital Trade Center has been officially unveiled at the first Global Digital Trade Expo to boost China's digital economic development.

The center aims to become a comprehensive data ecosystem and will bring together data providers, data buyers, trading platforms, intermediary service providers, and regulatory authorities. 

It is also expected to foster and develop emerging business models and formats for digital applications.

Cinemas back in business

Presales for the sequel to the 2009 Hollywood hit Avatar have topped nearly $14.5 million. The blockbuster will hit Chinese screens on December 16 as the country continues to relax its COVID-19 policies. 

The pre-sale for 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' crossed the ¥100-million mark in just three days after tickets became available.

Harbin's snow festival

Harbin City, known as the "ice city" in China, has been preparing for the upcoming International Ice and Snow Festival. 

With the festival less than a month away, and all the ice to be taken from the Harbin section of the Songhua River, workers have been quite busy digging ice to meet the demand for almost 150,000 cubic meters of ice.

Giant panda cubs

Six giant panda cubs have been born this year at Qinling Giant Panda Research Center in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the most in a year since the Center was founded in 2003. 

The healthy cubs, who were all conceived through artificial insemination, include two pairs of twins.