The Chinese men's under-23 national football team is engaged in a campaign that carries far more significance than participating in a continental tournament. After securing a critical 1-0 win over group favorites Australia at the Under-23 Asian Cup, the team is charged with a dual mission: to challenge for honors at this year's Asian Games and to cultivate players who can soon contribute at the senior national team level.

Including skeletal remains of animals such as tigers, a significant number of wild animal relics have recently been discovered at the Yinxu Ruins in Anyang, Central China's Henan Province. Such a discovery reveals a glimpse of a "wildlife park" dating back over 3,000 years to the Shang Dynasty (c.1600BC-1046BC).

As China vigorously develops the ice and snow economy to boost consumption, homegrown gear makers are aiming for rapid growth in the winter sports market, seeking to catch up with foreign brands that have long dominated the sector.

As exhilarated tourists ride the 521-meter super ice slide and take photos with the spectacular ice sculptures on show in the Harbin Ice-Snow World theme park, they are contributing to a growing ice and snow industry that has been reporting record numbers in the world's second-largest economy.

As residents across China are handwriting festive couplets and the character fu (fortune) to ring in the Chinese New Year, new content and creative designs have breathed new life into the tradition as topics related to the ingenuity on display have also gone trending on social media recently.

Archaeologists in North China's Shanxi Province have announced the first-ever discovery of a Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) pictorial stone carving bearing the county name "Lishi," referring to present-day Lishi district in Lüliang, Shanxi, a finding that offers rare physical evidence for understanding political change and social life in the region nearly 2,000 years ago.

The final screen work of late Chinese actress Zhu Yuanyuan, the TV series Small Town, Big Events, will officially hit the small screen on Saturday.

Pocket-size books and contemporary social science topics are proving popular among readers, while advances in artificial intelligence and digital publishing have emerged as major highlights at the 2026 Beijing Book Ordering Fair, which opened on Thursday, according to the organizing committee.

A peculiar type of competition video has been going viral on short-video platforms. In the clips, light focuses on the center of the ring, while the stands around it are noticeably quieter than at a typical mixed martial arts match. The referee signals the fighters to take their positions. Feet planted, bodies upright, no leaning forward. A few seconds later, a slap lands, the sound exploding through the enclosed arena. There is no chasing, no grappling, not even a sequence of attacks. Victory is often decided in an instant, yet each match is drawn out through lengthy replays and discussions.

Recently, several public sculptures around China have sparked widespread attention and debate. Among the most discussed is a statue in Guazhou county, Northwest China's Gansu Province, depicting Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220). The sculpture features only the emperor's head above ground, with the rest of his body hidden beneath the sand. Its somber expression and unconventional form have led some netizens to question its appropriateness, with a number even interpreting it as a negative metaphor, likening it to "burying Emperor Wu alive." The controversy has become a focal point in the ongoing conversation about the collision between public art and popular aesthetics.

This is an inspiring exhibition in the heart of southern Guangdong's Kaiping, famed for the Diaolou watchtowers, linked to old overseas Chinese communities in North America. The Where A Fleeting Life Once Lived, a thematic exhibition of Yinonglu, on 5 floors of Yinonglu Diaolou, in the beautifully restored Zili scenic village, centers on how families, though oceans apart ultimately united, found the strength to survive through wars and upheavals, to support each other, building and now renewing century-old family homes and ties across the world.

Heading north along the Jialing River into Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the mountains gradually narrow, and steam rises from hot springs tucked among the forests and valleys. On winter afternoons, visitors slowly enter the hot spring area, change clothes, and soak in the pools, while white steam rises into the cold air. Some lean against the poolside chatting, others soak quietly, leaving their phones aside.

"New Year, new you." When the New Year rolls around, people across the globe naturally turn their thoughts to making New Year's resolutions. In China, the ritualistic slogan "Reboot your life in a year" has gone viral on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu, better known as the RedNote app, capturing the universal desire for self-improvement as the year turns. Making New Year's resolutions is a modern global custom, but let's be honest: We've all been there. Data shows that nearly 80 percent of those lofty goals fizzle out by the end of the year, gathering dust on to-do lists. From weight loss to saving more, grand promises too often become "paper plans."

As a child, I was a very mischievous. When I think about my childhood, certain images always come to mind: me sitting in a bathtub splashing water while my mother ironed clothes for others nearby; or me clinging to my mother's back, swaying unsteadily as she sang to me late at night.

Hungarian researchers have identified a new ceratopsian dinosaur skull fossil from western Hungary, providing the strongest evidence to date that horned dinosaurs lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous period, scientists said on Wednesday.

Chinese Super League (CSL) side Beijing Guoan announced on Thursday that 44-year-old British-Australian coach Nick Montgomery had been appointed as the head coach of the club's first team. Montgomery previously served as an assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest. Beijing Guoan are currently fourth in the Chinese Super League.

As night falls over Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the 42nd Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival comes alive. Lights illuminate the Harbin Ice-Snow World, one of China's most popular winter tourism destinations, revealing the towering ice sculptures: multi-meter ice spires piercing the night sky and clusters of ice buildings standing firmly in the sub-zero temperatures.

Archaeologists in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province have unearthed 19 Sasanian silver coins in a Tang Dynasty (618-907) tomb, the largest number recovered from a single tomb in Xi'an to date and evidence of the active trade and cultural exchanges between China and other regions at the time, according to the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.

With China's new regulations to promote public reading set to take effect on February 1, brick-and-mortar bookstores are ushering in new opportunities and exploring ways to attract readers to cultural activity spaces rather than mere book retail outlets, bookstore owners told the Global Times on Wednesday.

After over 44 years of shaping music culture, five MTV channels were shut down on the last day of 2025. For music fans born in the 1980s like me, the news of the shutdown brings complex feelings in the early days of 2026, feelings shared by music followers around the world. Many called it "the end of an era," but for me, it also marks a time that inspired connections with the world and ignited an eagerness to watch with eyes wide open.

Shao Jiayi officially began his on-site coaching this week as the head coach of the Chinese men's national football team. The emotional reaction among fans and pundits was immediate and palpable.

Archaeologists in northwest China's Shaanxi Province have discovered a tomb dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), unearthing a collection of ceramics, bronze ware, and gold and silver artifacts, according to the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology on Tuesday.

A newly discovered circular moat at the Shisicang site or Fourteen Granaries, in Hexiwu town, North China's Tianjin Municipality, has been dated to the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), marking the first time a state-level grain transport and storage complex from the dynasty has been excavated. The finding is regarded as a major achievement in Grand Canal archaeology, according to the Tianjin Daily.

With just one month to go before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Chinese athletes are chasing new breakthroughs despite facing stern challenges.

China's film directors gathered in Beijing on Tuesday for a national conference, highlighting 2025 as the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema and its strong box-office, while setting 2026 goals to expand global influence and achieve high-quality growth, according to the China Film Administration (CFA).

Wu Dajing, China's two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist and short-track speed skating coach, announced his retirement on Tuesday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

The Chinese women's national football team has kicked off its first training camp of 2026 in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, ramping up preparations for the Women's Asian Cup to be held in Australia in March.

At the beginning of 2026, China officially launched a nationwide survey of quyi (traditional Chinese folk performing arts) and the construction of a quyi database. According to the plan, this five-year project will conduct a comprehensive survey of quyi across the country, systematically organizing the history, current status, artistic characteristics, and representative inheritors of each performing art. The project will also collect and archive classic works, documentary materials, performance videos, oral histories, and other resources to establish an authoritative and standardized national quyi database.

A new exhibition at the Shanghai Municipal Archives, which opened on Monday, has displayed archival records related to Communist Party of China covert-frontline heroes Wu Shi, Zhu Feng, and Chen Baocang for the first time.

China Post officially released a set of special stamps on Monday in celebration of the upcoming the Year of the Horse, sparking a frenzy among collectors.

The highly anticipated Yao-Chinese Folktales 2, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Chinese streaming site Bilibili, premiered on New Year's Day, gaining wide and significant attention. Three years ago, the first season of the show became the phenomenon of the year with its eight short films, achieving a score of 8.7/10 on media rating platform Douban and reaching 360 million views on Bilibili.

Disney's animated sequel Zootopia 2 has surpassed Avengers: Endgame to become the highest-grossing imported film in Chinese box-office history, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.

As 2026 begins, China's leading museums and cultural institutions are unveiling ambitious exhibition schedules, promising art and history enthusiasts a feast of showcases throughout the year. The emergence of high-quality exhibitions is a reflection of the public's enhanced demand for culture and an active return to their cultural roots, experts noted.

The Chinese men's national football team kicked off its first training camp of 2026 under newly appointed head coach Shao Jiayi, as the squad looks to rebuild and prepare for future international competition, including the 2027 Asia Cup and the long-term goal of qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Twenty-nine-year-old Zhang Deshun didn't expect to set her personal best so soon after the 15th National Games and while still recovering from a cold. On December 28 in Meishan, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, she crossed the finish line of the China Athletics Association 10K Elite Series Final in 31 minutes, 54 seconds, winning the race and breaking her own national 10K record.

Chinese musician Guo Chuanlin, founding manager of the iconic rock band Black Panther, passed away at his home in Qingdao of East China's Shandong Province on Sunday afternoon due to illness, aged 66, according to an obituary posted on the band's official Weibo account on Monday.

Many Chinese netizens have taken to major social media platforms to mourn the passing of veteran South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, following confirmation of his death from his agency, Artist Company on Monday.

Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh won the Best Actress award for the fourth time at the TVB Anniversary Awards 2025 held in Macao on Sunday, breaking her own record. She also took home the award for Most Popular TVB Actress in the Greater Bay Area, making her the focus of the night. Bosco Wong also clinched his first Best Actor award for the same series, The Queen of News 2.

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered 20 previously undocumented sections of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) border trench wall, known as the Jinjiehao, or Jin Great Wall, in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, providing significant new material for understanding the defensive strategies of the ancient regime.

China's film market rang in 2026 with a solid box-office performance during the New Year holiday period, which ran from Thursday to Saturday, delivering an encouraging "opening win" for the year.

From the dazzling display of ancient gold at the Capital Museum in Beijing to the century-spanning qipao fashion show at the Shanghai Museum, from the avian-themed exhibition at the Chengdu Natural History Museum to a blockbuster Picasso exhibition at Shanghai's Museum of Art Pudong, cultural and art institutions across China rang in the New Year with a vibrant array of themed exhibitions. These events are drawing large crowds to museums and galleries, as visitors embrace the new year by immersing themselves in art and history. Standing before these objects that embody the passage of time and civilization, many find the spiritual resources needed to face a new beginning.

On New Year's Day, the shortlist for the 37th Galaxy Award, widely recognized China's premier sci-fi award, was officially announced. Notably, singer-songwriter Gloria Tang Sze-wing, widely known by her stage name G.E.M. (Get Everybody Moving), was included in the Best Original Book Award category for her full-length science fiction novel The Path of Revelation. This news has sparked widespread discussions within cultural circles as well as among readers. It marks the first time since its establishment in 1985 that the Galaxy Award has shortlisted a mainstream pop singer for this honor.

Chinese men's national football team head coach Shao Jiayi said his goal lies not only in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup but also in leading the team to show the fighting spirit and achieve results that make Chinese people proud.

At the Shanxi Institute of Ancient Architecture Conservation, Wang had spent 28 years working on the restoration of cultural relics. A few years after retiring, he first tried posting videos while explaining ancient architecture, just to see if this way of presenting would attract any viewers.

From reading ingredient lists and counting calories to paying closer attention to blood-sugar fluctuations, a growing number of young people are rethinking how they eat in more nuanced ways, redefining food as part of a broader approach to health rather than a simple numbers game.

From countdown parties beneath the Great Wall to time-honored ritual climbs, the New Year was welcomed in many ways across Beijing during the holiday. As winter tourism gains momentum, suburban destinations are reimagining how tradition and modern creativity can meet, offering visitors a choice between lively celebrations, cultural immersion, and moments of quiet communion with nature at the start of the year.

As the New Year holidays draw near, many visitors arriving in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi Province, are adding an unexpected stop to their first cultural itinerary of the year: an archaeological museum built into the walls of an ancient city. At the Archaeological Museum of Jinyang Ancient City in North China's Shanxi Province, the mural inside the Tang Dynasty (618-907) tomb of Guo Xing has become an unlikely symbol of this renewed interest. Painted more than 1,000 years ago, one of the figures in the mural raises two fingers in a gesture strikingly similar to today's “victory sign,” prompting visitors to pause, smile, and ask questions that bridge past and present.

The year 2025 marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of Chinese cinema. Standing at this historical juncture and looking back on its journey—from silent films to sound, from black-and-white to color, and from traditional to digital—every stage embodies the dedication and wisdom of generations of filmmakers and bears the deep imprint of the spirit of its time.

"The first day of Xiao Guo regaining freedom..." With this post on China's X-like platform Sina Weibo, Chinese actress Yao Chen reignited a wave of nostalgia across social media on Friday, the day marking the 20th anniversary of the iconic costume comedy series My Own Swordsman (also known as Wulin Waizhuan), which premiered on January 2, 2006.

Veteran actor and martial arts choreographer Yuen Cheung-yan from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region died of illness at the age of 69 on January 1 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, local media reported on Friday morning, citing an obituary notice issued by Yuen's wife.

Be it the New Year's Eve night tours at 25 museums in Beijing or the more than 70 intangible cultural heritage events across East China's Fujian Province, diverse cultural tourism activities, rich with regional character, have been launched nationwide since midnight, offering immersive cultural experiences throughout the ongoing three-day New Year's Day holidays in China.

One Voice Children's Choir from the United States performs at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2025. Fifty-six young performers from One Voice Children's Choir along with invited musicians gave a performance at the hospital on Wednesday.

After nearly four months of competition across 98 matches between 14 cities in Central China's Hunan Province, Yongzhou defeated Changde 1-0 to lift the championship trophy for the 2025 Hunan Football League (nicknamed the Xiangchao) on Saturday in Changsha, capital of Hunan.

The number of participants in multiple national youth skiing championships in China has hit record highs in the 2025-26 season, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

As 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema and the 130th anniversary of world cinema, China's film industry has delivered a milestone performance. On Tuesday, the annual box office soared past 51.6 billion yuan ($7.37 billion), securing its position as the second-highest grossing year in the past half-decade, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.

Recent archaeological excavations at the Qishe site in Yongji, North China's Shanxi Province have uncovered remains dating to the middle and late Yangshao culture, the early Shang Dynasty (c.1600BC-1046BC), and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC-256BC), further expanding the regional scope of prehistoric human activity during the period, the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Nestled within the city of Nagchu, Xizang Autonomous Region, Shuanghu stands as China's highest-altitude county, with an average elevation exceeding 5,000 meters. With oxygen level plummeting to a just 40 percent of plain areas, winters dragging on for 10 months, gale-force winds howling across the land for over 200 days a year, and temperatures plunging to -40 C, this place has earned the grim moniker of "testing ground for human physiological limits."

Top 10 Chinese Sports News and Top 10 International Sports News of 2025 have been announced, jointly selected by the People's Daily Sports Department, Editorial Office and New Media Center, in collaboration with people.cn and the Global Times.

Starting from early December, 25-year-old illustrator Cheng Yue was busy traveling. She first arrived at Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province to watch her long-awaited musical Phantom of the Opera. Barely pausing to catch her breath after the final curtain call, Cheng hurried onward to Shanghai. There, she watched another piece in theater. It was a Chinese play called The Stage, a show Cheng had long bookmarked on her Xiaohongshu (RedNote) account.

The 11th National Congress of the Buddhist Association of China was held in Beijing from December 28 to 29, 2025, according to a report published on the official WeChat account of the Buddhist Association of China on Tuesday.

Children pratice playing waist drums in a kindergarten in Shijiazhuang City, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 29, 2025. Various activities are held across China to celebrate the upcoming new year.

After Yang Meilan, 70, finally reached a point in her life where she no longer had to worry about food, clothing, her children's tuition, or the roof over her head, she still faced one lingering hassle: getting the medicine she needed for her chronic condition -- medicine that wasn't available in her town.

Tie Yuan, a national-level Chinese composer known for his beloved military songs, passed away at the age of 93 in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Monday, as reported by the Shenyang Daily.

Members of the Vienna Philharmonic are seen at the rehearsal of the 2026 Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 29, 2025.

At a sports hall in Shanghai, several middle school students stood at the sidelines, controllers in hand, their eyes fixed on the spherical drones hovering above. At the referee's whistle, five drones took off almost simultaneously, performing sudden stops, sharp turns and midair collisions.

Editor's Note: James Cameron, a towering figure in global cinema and innovator of visual storytelling, has long been a staunch advocate for pushing the boundaries of cinematic art through technology. From crafting three of the four highest-grossing films in history to pioneering performance capture technologies that preserve the purity of human acting, his work bridges technological breakthroughs with universal emotional resonance, and connects creative vision with global audiences. As Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment of the Avatar series, hits Chinese screens, Global Times reporter examines Cameron's enduring bond with the world's largest film audience: How China's landscapes inspired Pandora, and how he engaged in in-depth dialogues with Chinese filmmakers like Guo Fan. The director also shared his thoughts on technology, humanity and the irreplaceable magic of the big screen.

Action film icon Jackie Chan revealed that he has recorded a song with his team and asked them to release it only on the day he dies.

Deep in China's mountains, ancient melodies echo once more, intertwining with contemporary rhythms. In villages and fields, rustic folk chants collide and fuse with digital innovation. Ethnic music is shedding its image as a "living fossil" to emerge as a vibrant "new voice of the era," composing a moving symphony of cultural continuity and bold creativity across the nation's vast landscape.

The encouragement of learning and reading lies at the heart of traditional Chinese culture. China's ancient classic The Analects of Confucius begins with the sentence: "Is it not a pleasure, having learned something, to try it out at due intervals?" This ethos is echoed in other masters' thoughts such as those of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, who once wrote in a poem, "Only at old age will you regret not having studied earlier." Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) philosopher Zhu Xi also noted that to seek underlying principles, one must turn to books.

People watch a lion dance competition at the 2025 Chinese King of Lion Dance Championship in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, on December 28, 2025. The championship lasted for two days and attracted 32 lion dance teams from across the country. Photo: VCG

The 2025 China Table Tennis Super League Finals concluded Sunday in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, with Shenzhen University claiming the women's team championship in the morning session, while the men's team title saw Shandong Weiqiao beating Huangshi Huaxin in the final match of the season.

The Chinese mainland's New Year film period has delivered its strongest performance in eight years, as ticket sales for the season, including pre-sales, had reached 5 billion yuan ($711 million) on Sunday, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

A concert, six humanoid robots, and one flawless somersault. Together, they ignited not only the cheers of a crowd of more than 100,000 viewers, but also triggered a surge of wows in the cyberspace.

Ice and snow Nadam fair featuring winter fishing kicks off in China's Daqing

A bleary-eyed man jolts awake, staring in disbelief as a neat row of fleas on his blanket stiffen their spindly legs and angle their tiny bodies toward a swaggering Japanese officer at his sharp command.

After nearly a decade of research-based conservation and systematic restoration, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, or Yangxin dian, at the Palace Museum reopened to the public in Beijing on Friday.

In 2025, When "Da Zhan Hong Tu" (Blueprint Supreme) topped the streaming charts in multiple countries and passed 20 million views on YouTube, overseas listeners began engaging with contemporary Chinese culture through sound rather than understanding. Reused and remixed across short-video platforms, the track became a shared global audio experience.

Editor's Note: The rise of short-form video platforms, AIGC productions, and the global dominance of streaming services have sparked intense debate about the future of cinema. Is it in decline, or being redefined? Seeking insights on these pressing questions, Global Times reporter Chen Xi conducted exclusive interviews with three distinguished insiders: Zhang Ke, film scriptwriter of epic war trilogy The Volunteers and Dead to Rights; Wei Te-sheng, a renowned director and screenwriter; and Marco Müller, a veteran Italian critic, producer, and former artistic director of top international film festivals.

New starting point for cultural and tourism cooperation between China, Uzbekistan

As temperatures continue to drop across northern China, even plunging well below zero in some regions, ice and snow tourism is heating up. From high-tech attractions and immersive activities to grassroots sports and cultural experiences, destinations are reinventing winter travel, turning frozen landscapes into engines of participation and innovation.

Across cities in China, as night falls, lights begin to shine on riversides, city walls, and public squares. Music drifts through the air, and crowds gather to enjoy fireworks, drone shows, and light installations. This is the scene many young people have come to seek during the year-end celebrations. For them, following the light displays, moving from one show to another, has become a way to experience a city after dark, a new trend called "light-chasing."

Soft orchestral music filled Studio A of Myanmar Radio and Television in Yangon, Myanmar, as voices rose in both Chinese and Myanmar verse, weaving together two literary traditions shaped by centuries of shared history.

As the scent of freshly steamed bean paste buns drifts through the People's Park in downtown Shanghai and laughter erupts from a nearby English-language stand-up comedy club -- not at the unfamiliar, but at the recognizable -- China's latest chapter of inbound tourism begins to take shape.

Editor's Note: Among the many descriptions of China seen from the outside, the country has gained an increasingly prominent image for itself in 2025 as a "cool" place to visit and live, as reflected in multiple global surveys and in foreign vloggers' videos and comments. As the year draws to a close, the Global Times is launching the "Cool China" series to approach the most iconic events and phenomena of the year through the five senses. In this fourth installment, we will turn our attention to some of the cute furry bunny-eared elf creatures or toys, which have gone viral around the globe.

At the foot of the eastern peak of Tianshou Mountain, the Jingling Mausoleum has stood as a solemn guardian for nearly six centuries. On Monday, the mausoleum, the final resting place of the Xuande Emperor (Zhu Zhanji) and his Empress Sun, was reopened to the public as part of the Ming Tombs in Beijing. The reopening marked more than the lifting of a gate: It introduced a heritage-themed exhibition combining systematic historical interpretation with guided, on-site exploration, revealing both the symbolic order and the lived politics embedded in an imperial tomb.

During an event celebrating the inclusion of China's "Hezhen Yimakan storytelling" to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity at the Tongjiang ICH digital exhibition hall in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on December 18, Wu Baochen, a national-level inheritor of the ICH, told reporters that Yimakan is the root and soul of the Hezhe people and that he looks forward to passing on the heritage to more young people in the future.

Basketball player Kyle Anderson's agency, Wasserman, released a statement on Wednesday on Sina Weibo and responded to rumors regarding his nationality, saying that recent media claims that Anderson has reverted to US citizenship based on the NBA website's tag are not true.

To the rhythm of lusheng woodwind pipes and the scent of sticky rice cakes, a village in southwest China's Guizhou Province celebrated its annual Dong New Year festival over the weekend -- an event that has become a gateway for global visitors.

Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has conducted 42 systematic archaeological excavations since 2021, unearthing key findings about human activity on the plateau dating back 100,000 years and solid evidence of long-standing cultural ties with central China, according to a press conference held on Tuesday.

Among the many descriptions of China seen from the outside, the country has gained an increasingly prominent image for itself in 2025 as a "cool" place to visit and live, as reflected in multiple global surveys and in foreign vloggers' videos and comments. As the year draws to a close, the Global Times is launching the "Cool China" series to approach the most iconic events and phenomena of the year through the five senses. In this installation, we invite you to embark on a culinary exploration of China, following the anticipated influx of international visitors in 2025, to experience the diverse regional cuisines across the country. Beyond the rich flavors, numerous touching stories await discovery.

"Chen Qingchen, Zheng Siwei, Huang Yaqiong and Liu Yuchen have defined a golden era of Chinese badminton through their excellence, resilience and sportsmanship," Leeswadtrakul told the Global Times in an email interview.

Archaeological excavations at the Epang Palace have newly pinpointed the precise location of the southern edge of the palace's rammed-earth platform within the excavation area, confirmed that construction began atop continuous silt deposits, and for the first time clearly revealed the basic workflow used to ram the platform.

East China's Jiangsu Province has established a joint investigation team to conduct a comprehensive probe into the management of cultural relics at the Nanjing Museum, CCTV reported on Tuesday.

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) has formed a working group to investigate issues related to the management of cultural relics at the Nanjing Museum, CCTV reported on Tuesday.

Partnerships between Chinese and Italian UNESCO World Heritage sites help deepen mutual understanding and hold great potential beyond co-hosting exhibitions, including sharing conservation experience and expanding academic exchanges, said Elisabetta Scungio, director of Italy's Villa d'Este, in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered a significant Paleolithic site at an unprecedented altitude of 4,300 meters on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, offering fresh insights into early human migration and adaptability, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency on Monday citing the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration.

The "Chen‑Xia Study," a special collection room dedicated to the books donated by the couple Chen Pingyuan and Xia Xiaohong, both professors from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Peking University, officially opened at the Capital Library of China on Monday. Gathered in this space is the decades‑long accumulation of the two scholars, exuding a simple and elegant charm.

Among the many descriptions of China seen from the outside, the country has gained an increasingly prominent image for itself in 2025 as a “cool” place to visit and live, as reflected in multiple global surveys and in foreign vloggers' videos and comments. As the year draws to a close, we turn our gaze to the vibrant tapestry of China's new cultural forces – stories that have sparked surprises and pleasant experiences for both people living in the country and staying for a short visit, and even those who are only starting to get to know the true face of the country through online means and explore why China has, seemingly in a short while, taken on a cool shape. To capture this dynamism, the Global Times is launching the “Cool China” series to approach the most iconic events and phenomena of the year through the five senses. In this second installment, let's gaze upon the dazzling spectrum where technology empowers tradition, and witness how ancient heritages are being rekindled into a globally resonant, visually stunning language of “cool.”

A series of major archaeological discoveries at the Wuwangdun tomb in Huainan, East China's Anhui Province, is shedding new light on the ritual and musical civilization of the ancient state of Chu, offering rare insights into Chinese history from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770BC-256BC) through the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) and the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220).