Shenzhou crew enjoys African art

The Shenzhou-16 crew at the China Space Station have unveiled 10 paintings drawn by young African artists to inspire youth worldwide for space exploration.

An award ceremony for a painting competition themed 'My Dream' was held with over 2,000 paintings received from 42 African countries. 

The winning artists have been invited to Beijing to attend the event.

Big plans for metaverse industry

China has issued a three-year action plan to promote the innovative development of the metaverse industry, aiming to strengthen the integration of new-generation information technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud computing and virtual reality.

Jointly released by five Chinese ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the plan, spanning from 2023 to 2025, outlines five major tasks.

Growing demand for passenger jet 

Orders for China's homegrown C919 jet have jumped by 1,000.

According to the aircraft maker, which developed the C919 and ARJ21 jetliners, China's domestically-produced passenger aircraft sector has formed a product lineup ranging from regional aircraft, short to medium-haul narrow-body aircraft, and long-haul wide-body aircraft.

China tops the world in ship ownership

China has become the world's largest ship-owning country in terms of gross tonnage, with Chinese-owned fleets now totaling 250 million gross tons.

About 95 percent of China's foreign trade is carried by sea. The country has established sea transport routes with more than 100 countries and regions, covering coastal countries and regions under the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the ministry.

Ancient trees in Yunnan go digital

Yulong Snowy Mountain, famous for its scenery, is a nature reserve in Yunnan and a hotspot for global biodiversity research.

Scientific research organizations have put an identity card on their trees which will store crucial data that will help rangers keep track of physiology, climate, diseases, and pests.

The system can also determine whether a tree is healthy, weak, or dying.

Pets very welcome in Shanghai

Every weekend, it is common to see many people bringing their furry friends to enjoy leisure time in a pet-friendly shopping center in Shanghai.

Some restaurants in this area have also rolled out the red carpet for pets to attract more diners. The city's expanding pet-friendly businesses are a result of China's growing pet ownership population.

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