Commemorating independence

A soldier (center) from the Kenyan Navy shouts to instruct his troops at a parade during the national celebration marking Kenya's 60th anniversary of independence from Britain, known as Jamhuri Day, in Nairobi on December 12, 2023. Photo: VCG

Exhibition reveals glories of Italian Baroque art

Editor's Note:

Caravaggio. Wonders of the Italian Baroque, the final exhibition of the year at Museum of Art Pudong, will open to the public on December 12, 2023. With over 60 authentic works on show, including six iconic masterpieces by Caravaggio and others by over 40 Baroque artists, the exhibition presents a fantastically holistic picture of Baroque art. (Photos: Chen Xia/GT)

Taiwan player praises enthusiastic Chengdu audience after basketball match at Universiade

"The audience here in Chengdu is incredibly enthusiastic, and I deeply enjoyed the game. Every time we scored or made a good defensive play, the audience gave us big rounds of applause and cheers," basketball player Yu Ai-Che from the Chinese Taipei team told the Global Times on Monday evening after the competition against the Chinese team at the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu.

In Monday's Men's basketball competition, the Chinese Taipei team defeated the mainland team with a score of 97:84. Both teams had previously suffered two consecutive defeats by Lithuania and Brazil in the earlier group stage, which meant they had no chance of advancing to the top eight.

"The atmosphere in Chengdu is fantastic, and I'm extremely grateful to the audience. They continually cheered and clapped for our team throughout the game. I've played in the mainland when I was in high school, and I definitely want to play with mainland players again to improve both our techniques," said Yu Ai-Che after the competition.

In addition to the audience's passionate support for both teams from the first period to the last, the Global Times also noted that during the halftime break of the match, the panda-shaped mascot Rongbao and the entire audience sang the song "A Family Who Loves Each Other" together. The Taiwan island's folk song "Maiden of Alisan" resonated with the people present. The two teams also exchanged gifts before the start of the match.

Mainland player Zhang Ning said that he gave plush toys of Rongbao to his friends from the island of Taiwan, just as he would bring back souvenirs for his family.

Li Linqiang and Dussavi Soopimjit crowned at Guotai Cup in Guiyang

Chinese golfer Li Linqiang triumphed in the final of the Guotai Cup Men's Professional Match Play on August 26, while Thailand's Dussavi Soopimjit claimed her title in the women's match in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The initial lineup for the match consisted of 72 players, 32 men and 40 women. The tournament boasted a total prize fund of 800,000 yuan ($109,692). All professional players who advanced to the formal matches shared the prize money, with 100,000 yuan awarded to the men's champion and 60,000 yuan to the women's champion.

After a fierce competition with Liu Enhua, Li Linqiang clinched the final match over 18 holes, leading by just one hole.

"This is the first match play event I've participated in since turning professional. I felt a rush of excitement today, particularly during the opening holes against Liu. The pressure mounted in the latter stages, but I'm elated to have pulled through," Li remarked after the match.

Zhang Xiaoning, chairman of the China Golf Association, mentioned that this match play event represents an effort by the China Golf Association to create new opportunities for players. "Furthermore, this is the inaugural instance of a professional event being held in Guizhou. Through engagement with the local community, we aim to invigorate the growth of golf in Southwest China."

Team China dominates on opening day, bagging 20 golds

The Chinese delegation made an impressive start on the first day of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Sunday, clinching an astounding 20 gold medals across various sports, including rowing, shooting, wushu and swimming. 

In the rowing events, local Hangzhou girl Zou Jiaqi took the first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games to start a Chinese gold rush at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre. Zou and her doubles partner Qiu Xiuping rowed a strong race in the lightweight women's double sculls final to finish nearly 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan, to the delight of the watching crowds both in the grandstands and on the banks of the course.

Qiu said that she was extremely excited when she saw the national flag and heard the national anthem as they rowed past the finish line. 

Zou told media that she wanted to tell her parents she was happy to see they were at the event. 

Speaking of their next goal, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the pair did not hide that they are reaching for the top podium. 

"Since we walked off the Hangzhou podium, Paris has become our goal," Qiu said. "We will restart from zero, completing every training session wholeheartedly. We hope to go to the top in Paris."

Later in the morning, Zhang Liang equaled the record of Li Jianxin by winning his fourth Asian Games gold medal in rowing. China won a further four of the five finals on the penultimate day of the rowing regatta. The men's pair was won by Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun, also marking China's Team Hong Kong's first gold medal of the ongoing Hangzhou Games.

China's six gold medals take their all-time Asian Games rowing total to 104, including 98 golds. The spectators at the event said that the Chinese rowers demonstrated their impeccable technique and stamina and that their remarkable performance set the tone for the rest of the day.

The Chinese wushu team displayed their agility, strength, and grace, captivating the audience with their breathtaking routines and clinching two gold medals in the men's Changquan final and women's Taijiquan and Taijijian all-round.

Winning the men's Changquan title, 34-year-old veteran Sun Peiyuan achieved his third consecutive Asian Games championships. He told the Global Times that he was excited after winning the title, despite enduring injuries during preparation for the Games. 

"I feel that all the efforts of me and the team, every point of hard work has been rewarded. I have lived up to the expectations of my country and my family," Sun said.

The shooting range also witnessed China's prowess as the country's shooters claimed a gold medal each in the 10 meters air rifle women's team event and 10 meters air rifle women's final. In the 10 meters air rifle women's final, China's 17-year-old Huang Yuting won with a 252.7 ring and set a new Asian Games record.

Powered by world champions such as butterfly queen Zhang Yufei, men's individual medley specialist Wang Shun as well as prodigy Pan Zhanle, the Chinese swim team secured seven gold medals in all seven competitions on the first day.

China's butterfly specialist Zhang eased to victory in the women's 200 meters butterfly with an Asian Games record of 2:05.57. 

Wang, who lit the Asian Games cauldron on Saturday night, was crowned the men's 200 meters individual medley champion after setting a new Asian record of 1:54.62 on Sunday. 

Freestyle prodigy Pan Zhanle smashed the men's 100 meters freestyle Asian record with a sensational 46.97 seconds, becoming the first swimmer in Asia to break the 47-second barrier. 

Distance swimmer Li Bingjie topped the women's 1,500 meters freestyle with a new Asian Games record of 15:51.18, while female breaststroke specialist Tang Qianting claimed the women's 50 meters breaststroke with 29.96 seconds.

Local favorite backstroker Xu Jiayu brought the tally to six as he won the men's 100 meters final with an impressive 52.23 seconds, also a new Asian Games record. 

The night culminated with Chinese female swimming quartet Yang Junxuan, Cheng Yujie, Wu Qingfeng and Zhang Yufei winning the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay with an Asian Games record of 3:33.96.

Sunday was also the concluding day of the Hangzhou Asian Games's Modern Pentathlon competitions, with the Chinese team collecting gold medals in the women's individual and women's team final.

The Hangzhou Games are scheduled to end on October 8. As the Asian Games continue, all eyes will be on the Chinese delegation as they strive to maintain their dominance and add to their impressive medal tally. The athletes' exceptional performances on the first day have undoubtedly inspired their teammates and instilled a sense of confidence in the entire delegation.

Ricardo Gouveia wins Hainan Open

32-year-old Portuguese golfer Ricardo Gouveia won his seventh Challenge Tour tournament at the Hainan Open in South China's Hainan Province on Monday after four days of competition.

He recorded a 272 (-16) to clinch the victory in four rounds, standing out from 120 players from home and abroad. Gouveia carded four rounds under par with a 67 in his first and final rounds, a 68 in the second round, and a 70 in the third round. He recorded 20 birdies in the tournament, highlighted by six in the final round on Monday.

"What an amazing day today. It was one of the toughest rounds of the year, and I played really well on the back nine. I just stayed patient throughout the day. I knew the last few holes were playing into the wind and really tough, so I'm excited to get the win," he said during an interview.

Switzerland's Joel Girrbach finished in second place on 13 under par, while Chinese player Ding Wenyi, Italian Francesco Laporta, and Englishmen Steven Brown and Will Enefer finished a shot further back in third.

Zhang Xiaoning, Chairman of the China Golf Association, said that he is "looking forward to the return of the Hainan Open." The total prize money of this event has been upgraded to half a million dollars. It is the first highest-level international men's professional event held in China after the pandemic, which reflects the determination of the China Golf Association to further promote the development of golf.

New world heritage sites show continuity of Chinese wisdom

Including a more than 2,000-year-old water diversion dam in East China's Anhui Province, four ancient Chinese irrigation works were recently listed as World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS). 

The four Chinese heritage sites are Qimenyan, also known as the "seven-door weir" in Anhui Province; the ­Hongze Lake Irrigation System built in AD199 in East China's Jiangsu Province; Huoquan, a spring type water system in North China's Shanxi Province; and the Baini Weirs, two dams in Central China's Hubei Province. 

Although these projects are generally defined as "irrigation systems," their typologies, geographical conditions and historical value vary. Taking Qimenyan as an example, it is located in a hilly wetland environment and its main channel connected with sub-mechanisms like ponds, ditches and canals. Thus, the system could be used to store as well as distribute water.  

Another iconic project, the Baini Weirs, consists of two 1,000-year-old dams that are still being used for flood control and water supply. It is a typical example of a large-scale stone-built structure in ancient China. 

Yuan Han, an architectural and urban planning expert, told the Global Times that the scattered locations of these sites reveal that "water management" was a "national-level plan" in ancient China. The Chinese ingenuity in irrigation engineering equated with today's concept of "sustainability" as it respected natural conditions. 

"Yin Di Zhi Yi [lit: creating something in line with local conditions] is a major philosophy used in ancient design. It is early advice to the world from China on how to carry out sustainable development," Yuan told the Global Times. 

Including the newly added sites, China has a total of 34 irrigation projects on the WHIS list. The 2023 list was announced at the 74th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) in India. 

A total of 15 projects from countries like India, Iraq and Turkey were all added to the 2023 list. Among them, China's landscape of irrigation systems are the richest and have the widest distribution.  

Environmental expert Jia Boyang told the Global Times that a site should have "several boxes ticked" to be considered a "heritage" site. The evaluation is not limited to looking at a site's history or characteristics.  

"A heritage site should be able to show continued value to humanity and social and cultural developments. These ancient irrigation systems across the country also reflect China's long-standing strength in agriculture," said Jia. 

China's "water project" heritage is an open door for many to look into the country's agricultural history. Ancient irrigation supported not only the harvest on farms, but also the entire country's economic development and cultural exchanges. 

Besides the new batch of function-oriented sites, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that was built during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) carries great social importance. Starting from Hangzhou to Beijing, the grand water belt is a major part of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. It has promoted the country's overall economic growth while allowing folk and cultural traditions to be exchanged between the northern and southern parts of China. 

Founded in 1950, the ICID is an international platform dedicates to the innovative sustainability of irrigation system design and flood control around the world. 

As a member of the organization, with its burgeoning technological and manufacturing powers, China has co-launched several irrigation projects overseas with countries like Egypt and Kazakhstan.   

"Chinese water engineering projects reflect the country's creative character and also the continuity of the country's profound civilization," said Yuan. 

Hungary: Hungarian art exhibition kicks off in Chongqing, builds cultural bridges

A total of 50 Hungarian art works were featured on Tuesday at the Chongqing Art Museum. The 2023 Western China Hungarian Cultural Festival and the 2nd Chongqing Urban Arts Festival with the theme "The Journey: Janos Fajo and The Pesti Workshop," were co-organized by the Chongqing Art Museum, the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center Beijing, the Consulate General of Hungary in Chongqing, and Central Bank of Hungary. 
Czégel Bálint, consul general of Hungary in Chongqing, Kohári Lajos, head of Department at the National Assembly of Hungary, Wang Rongfa, director of Chongqing Art Museum, and other guests attended the ceremony. 

This exhibition is to implement the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development strategy, strengthen the mutual understanding of civilizations and people-to-people communication with Belt and Road countries, and enrich the series of exhibitions of the 2nd Chongqing Urban Arts Festival to meet the high-quality spiritual and cultural needs of the public. 

More than 50 pieces were put on display at the exhibition ranging from oil painting to printmaking and other media. The works are rich in context, experimental, and of high artistic value, reflecting the contemporary style and unique artistic characteristics of Hungarian contemporary painting.

The exhibition runs until November 17, according to official Wechat account of Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center Beijing.

Hybrid model of opening venues a boon for Hangzhou residents

The venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Para Games have been bustling with activity again as local people have been enjoying the rich legacies of the Asian multi-sport showpiece. 

Since the preparations for the Asian Games, Hangzhou has set the goals of not only hosting a successful event but also building a city for international events and allowing its citizens to benefit from the legacies now that the Games have finished.

Following large-scale sports events, the reuse of stadiums and facilities has always been a challenging issue confronting host cities worldwide. One probable solution is to repurpose the idle venues, focusing on enhancing people's livelihoods by providing mass fitness services that are accessible to individuals of all ages. 

But Hangzhou has come up with a hybrid solution that connects people's welfare with the sustainable development of the city. 

Actually, before the Games, Hangzhou experimented with opening the venues to the public, making it the first city in China to open venues before an international multi-sports event. 

After the Games, Hangzhou has fulfilled its commitment by introducing a hybrid model that combines mass fitness, youth training bases, and the hosting of large-scale professional sports events.

Focused on repurposing the venues, the hybrid model aims at opening the facilities to the public while continuing to host domestic and international events to boost the reputation of the city. 

It was confirmed on Friday that six elite teams will compete in the 2023 Volleyball Women's Club World Championship from December 13 to 17 in Hangzhou's Huanglong Sports Center, which hosted gymnastics events during the Asian Games. 

Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has confirmed that the World Tour Finals 2023 to 2026 will be staged in Hangzhou. 

This year's event will be held from December 13 to 17. The finals are the highest-level event in the tour series. 

Only the top eight players in each individual event's annual world rankings are eligible to participate at these competitions.

Hangzhou has signed memorandums of cooperation with the International Canoe Federation, the International Hockey Federation, and the International Equestrian Federation. 

In addition to the badminton finals, the inaugural International Super Cup of Canoe and Kayak will be held in Hangzhou in October 2024. 

Hangzhou will also bid to host top international events such as the 2024 Global E-Sports Games, the 2024 World Archery World Cup, and the 2025 International Shooting Federation World Cup.

Among the 56 competition venues of the Asian (and Para) Games, 19 will be open to the public to promote mass fitness, 21 will be managed by third-party companies and will be made accessible at rates lower than prevailing local market prices, eight will be turned into training bases for professional teams and eight university venues will be used for educational purposes, according to the organizing committee of the Hangzhou Games. 

Mao Genhong, chief spokesperson of the Hangzhou Asian Games, told the Global Times that the Games have yielded dividends in three aspects for Hangzhou. 

First, the venues and facilities give people better access to exercise. The per capita sports area increased from 1.8 square meters to 2.71 square meters over the past eight years. Second, the Games helped upgrade Hangzhou's infrastructure and the Para Games promoted the construction of barrier-free facilities and volunteerism. 

Last, the Games drove the development of local sports. For example, the Tonglu Equestrian Center has laid a foundation for the future development of the industry, said Mao.

Chen Weiqiang, vice mayor of Hangzhou, said the venues will serve the city and its people after the Games. 

"The landmark venues will host international events and large-scale activities, showing the image of Hangzhou as an open and inclusive modern city and leaving the legacy of the Asian Games to the city and its citizens," Chen said. 

Looking like a silkworm cocoon, the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre emerged from a deserted quarry and served as a sport climbing venue during the Games. The center will be transformed into a rock climbing park featuring competitions, training, workshops, research and tourism.

Chun'an Jieshou Sports Centre, whose road cycling courses run along the Qiandao Lake and impressed riders with its expanse of clear water and verdure, will become part of a water resort that will hold road cycling, mountain biking, bicycle motocross and triathlon training and competitions.