Six stories you may have missed from China this week – all the way from star studded events to levitating trains to the homecoming of a very special bear... 

 

Giant panda Ya Ya returns to China

Giant panda Ya Ya arrived back home in China after spending 20 years at a zoo in the United States, where she received a warm welcome from thousands of loyal fans.

Ya Ya went to Memphis Zoo in 2003 when she was just three years old, together with Le Le, her male counterpart under a 20-year lease arrangement.

Unfortunately, Le Le died in February at the age of 25. At the same time, concerns over Ya Ya's health began to spark concern, after videos showed her losing fur and weight.

The much loved panda will now spend a month in quarantine in Shanghai before returning to her birthplace, Beijing Zoo.

 

Chinese citizens evacuated from Sudan

Chinese naval ships have evacuated hundreds of Chinese citizens from Sudan to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Port, meaning more than 1,300 nationals have escaped the conflict zone. 

The majority of China's citizens were evacuated by sea after Beijing deployed its navy to Sudan following the outbreak of sudden fighting which has left at least 500 people dead. Hundreds more managed to leave the country via land to bordering nations.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday there were still a small number of Chinese nationals outside the Sudanese capital Khartoum, adding that the government would continue to offer them assistance.

Beijing has also assisted five other countries in evacuating their nationals.

 

China tests ultra-high-speed levitation train

A Chinese research team has successfully completed the first test run of an ultra-high-speed magnetic levitation train, which on completion will be able to reach eye-watering speeds of around 1,000km per hour. 

Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the train uses magnetic levitation - or maglev - technology, traveling through a low-vacuum tube.

So far, the research team has tested it at 623km/h under non-vacuum conditions, but when completed it should be able to run more than three times faster than current average train speeds in China.

Tests are still underway to verify the system's reliability, but when finished, it is expected that the train will be used to carry commuters between mega city clusters in the future.

China to create deep space internet

China wants to construct a "moon-centered deep space internet" that will not only enhance navigation for future spaceflights, but also allow astronauts to access online earthling TV shows and WiFi from space.

With the completion of China's basic model for its lunar probe missions in the offing, scientists are hoping the first Chinese national will set foot on the moon by 2030. That's after its National Space Administration announced plans for three missions to the moon and the construction of an international lunar research station.

The chief designer of the lunar exploration program says the plans also include the construction of satellite constellation around the moon, a system that will be able to provide communication, navigation, and remote sensing services for future deep space exploration.

Afterwards, the agency will also work to build a moon-centered deep space internet that will extend earth-centered space infrastructure to a broader scope in the solar system. That means Netflix in space.

 

China-Russia border lake thaws 

The winter ice atop of Xingkai Lake, the largest border lake between China and Russia, has thawed amid rising temperatures, heralding the beginning of a new fishing season.

Due to its relatively high latitude, the lake starts to freeze at the end of November and begins to thaw in April, turning the waters near Mishan City in China's northeast, into a crystal wonderland of melting ice floes.

With the reputation of being a "natural reservoir", the lake and its surrounding wetlands are important site for biodiversity and a refuge for several critically endangered species including the yangtze sturgeon and the red-crowned crane.

It also provides a key breeding ground for more than 1.5 million birds migrating between East Asia and Australia.

Movie stars flock to Beijing for international film festival 

The red carpet was out in the Chinese capital for the 13th Beijing International Film Festival, as stars attended the first in-person film event of its kind since the lifting of ­COVID-19 measures. 

Film buffs from all over the country and further afield headed to the festival with the chance of watching the latest in Chinese and global cinema. Many also jumped at the chance to hear industry experts discuss the key issues in Chinese film, with more than 200 side events at the festival. 

As for the festival's much coveted Tiantan Awards, a record-breaking 1,488 entries from 93 countries and regions had hopes of taking home a prize. Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou served as president of the jury, which selected 10 films from 15 finalists including international entries Adios Buenos Aires (Germany/Argentina), Driving Madeleine (France), and To Catch A Killer (U.S.).

 

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