Films——China-Italy Connection

WHEN the 13th-century Italian merchant and traveler Marco Polo fi nished his famous book The Travels of Marco Polo,he couldn’t have imagined that seven centuries later his adventures in China would be adapted into a seven-hour fi lm.Made in 1982,it was not

Better Environment, Better Life in the Countryside——Expounding China’s Central Rural Work Conference

FOR the past 12 years,the most important annual policy document issued by China’s central authorities has dealt with agriculture,farmers and rural areas.In 2015,the Central Rural Work Conference for the first time put equal emphasis on building a"physical new countryside"and a"people-oriented new countryside,"with the aim of improving living environments and quality of life.

Community Correction Helps Rehabilitate Convicted Criminals

WANG Xin(not his real name)lives on an old apartment on the campus of the University of Science and Technology Beijing.The 20-square-meter room functions simultaneously as his living room,study and bedroom.To make the best use of the room’s space,Wang has a smart loft bed.Despite the limited area,the room is clean and

Exchange Is at the Heart of Culture——Interview with Mathias Lafolie, Cultural Counselor at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing

THIS year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Sweden.To learn more about the relationship between the two cultures,China Today interviewed Mathias Lafolie,the Cultural Counselor at the Swedish Em-

Consultative Democracy in a Rural Village

TWO imposing structures stand in the Yonglian Village square.One is a sculpture of a huge golden hand,celebrating the entrepreneurship of this village of Zhangjiagang City in Jiangsu Province.The other is the village assembly hall which went into operation in early 2013.The traditional Chinese exterior of white walls and black tiles belies the cutting

The Solid Power of Soft Law

HUIZHOU City of Guangdong Province has made in-depth explorations into new ways of building democracy at the grassroots level.In2009 the city rolled out a trial system in its rural and urban areas of casting legal professionals in the roles of deputy directors of village(neighborhood)committees.It has been well received.Parties can now resolve any disputes that may arise through consultations with and the mediations

China’s High-speed Railway Comes of Age

THE Code for the Design of High-speed Railways—the fi rst high-speed rail design standard to have been ratified and published by the National Railway Administration,formally came into effect on February 1 this year.Experts believe this norm will act as a systematic building standard for China’s high-speed railway development,and be of help in

Fu Yuguang:Inheritor of Manchu Shuobu

Fu Yuguang,an inheritor named in the fourth round of China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage Project in 2012 for Manchu Shuobu,was born into a Manchu family in Aihui County of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province in 1933.The older generations of Fu’s fam-

Winter Olympics Revitalize the Old City of Zhangjiakou

IN 2013,Zhangjiakou entered the world spotlight after it announced its application to jointly host the 2022 Winter Olympics with Beijing.Seated at the juncture of Hebei,Shanxi and Inner Mongolia,the modest sized city was a famous

Environmental Protection under the Rule of Law

THE new Enviromental Protection Law,which took effect on January 1,2015,has been described as the harshest of its kind in Chinese history.It signifies compliance with the rule of law in efforts to preserve the country’s environment.The latest revisions highlight

Hong Huang: Promoter of Traditional Culture through Fashion

I met Hong Huang in a forum on the development of national culture.A leading figure in Chinese fashion circles,Hong strives to create new opportunities for the nation’s traditional handicrafts industry.Born into a prominent family,Hong gives the impression of being