News

Russian President Visits China

June 25， Beijing： Chinese President Xi Jinping （right） meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People. On this day， Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to China upon an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his visit， Putin and his delegation held talks with Xi and the Chinese side and conducted in-depth exchange of views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern. The two leaders also positioned the development direction and prioritized cooperative areas of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership， signing important political documents aimed at pragmatic cooperation.

China hopes that Putin’s visit will consolidate mutual political and strategic trust， promote pragmatic cooperation in various areas， inject new impetus into bilateral ties， and contribute to international and regional peace， security and stability.

New Top Spot

June 16， Shanghai： A family enjoys the fireworks show at the opening celebration of Shanghai Disney. The Shanghai Disney Resort， which covers a total area of 390 hectares， officially opened on June 16 with a multi-day grand opening celebration after a trial run of over a month. Split into six areas， construction of the park began in 2011 with an investment of $5.5 billion. The park is Disney’s sixth worldwide and the largest in Asia. It has awed local and foreign tourists alike with new attractions and Chinese elements.

Tens of thousands streamed into the resort upon its opening， an event nearly two decades in the making. Experts believe that Shanghai Disney will surpass the Palace Museum in Beijing as the top tourist attraction in China. According to a report by China’s online travel agency Ctrip， the resort is expected to receive at least 15 million visitors a year， more than 40，000 a day.

Dragon Boat Festival

June 9， Yinchuan City， Ningxia： A fierce dragon boat race is held to observe the time-honored Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival， also often known as Duanwu Festival， is a traditional Chinese holiday that falls near the summer solstice. The festival occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar， which was June 9 in 2016. This year， the festival was celebrated throughout the country as well as in overseas Chinese communities， as usual.

One of the oldest still-observed holidays on the planet， the Dragon Boat Festival has been observed in China for more than 2，000 years. In 2006， the traditional festival was listed as an example of China’s national intangible cultural heritage. In 2008， it was recognized as a public holiday on the Chinese mainland. It commemorates Qu Yuan （340-278B.C.）， an ancient poet who committed suicide as an expression of love for his country. For centuries， the festival has been celebrated by eating zong zi， sticky rice dumplings， and racing dragon boats.

Tough Test

June 8， Yongchuan District， Chongqing： Students throw their head teacher into air after the grueling two-day exam concludes. From June 7 to 8， China witnessed more than 9 million students take the gaokao， the country’s college entrance exam. Although it is considered one of the toughest tests in the world， more of 70 percent of students taking the exam will be accepted to college this year.

An annual academic examination in China and the world’s largest standardized test， gaokao is a prerequisite for undergraduate entrance into almost every institute of higher learning in China. During the two-day exam， students are subjected to tests in Chinese， English， mathematics， science and humanities. Over the years， many have criticized the gaokao system， arguing that it overemphasizes rote memorization while stifling creativity. Still， the test is generally considered the “hardest struggle of one’s life” and those succeed get a chance at a better life.