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.

Christians in the Gaza Strip gathered Wednesday for Christmas Mass for the first time in two years, marking a somber return to communal worship following a devastating war that had silenced religious festivities.

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.

A craftsman makes a handicraft in an art village in Kuangyan Town, Cixi City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 24, 2025. In recent years, Kuangyan Town has built an art village integrated with cultural tourism to develop local rural industries and promote rural revitalization. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

New Year decorations installed in Moscow, Russia

Hundreds of Chinese and Americans, including lawmakers, diplomats and world champions, gathered at the Pacific Palms Resort in Los Angeles County on Monday to commemorate the 54th anniversary of China-US "Ping-Pong diplomacy."

The first day of the eleventh month in the Tibetan calendar marks New Year's Day in Pulan County. Known locally as Pulan New Year, or Farmers' New Year, the festival is deeply rooted in agricultural tradition, embodying the local people's reverence for nature and their hopes for a bountiful

The millennia-old Nine Carp Lantern Dance in Putian, Fujian Province, is named after the nine exquisite fish lanterns used as props. When performed, the dance combines delicate craftsmanship with powerful movements, merging southern grace and northern vigor. It was added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008. (Video source: Kuishou, compiled by FanYuting)

A glimpse of Grand Egyptian Museum

Maohou, or "hairy monkey," is a unique Beijing folk art dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Maohou creators use cicada shells and magnolia buds to create bipedal ant-like figurines depicting daily life, often with a humorous or satirical tone. These delicate miniatures are thought to capture the lively spirit of monkeys, merging artisan creativity with the Chinese philosophy of harmony between humans and nature. Maohou was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Beijing in 2009. (Video source: Kuaishou, compiled by Fan Yuting)

Artisans in Shandong Province craft a traditional candy, shaped into long strips, that has been a staple at festivals for over six centuries. Made primarily from maltose, the treat features a crisp, fragrant shell with layers that melt in the mouth. This candy is a testament to the region’s enduring craftsmanship and culinary history.

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.

Lotus fiber weaving is a rare ancient craft that transforms raw lotus fibers into remarkably light and delicate fabric. Behind this softness is a painstaking process of extracting, twisting and spinning the fibers, so labor-intensive that thousands of lotus stems are required to produce even a single handkerchief. Once nearly lost due to its demanding techniques and high cost, the craft has begun to reemerge in recent years, revived through the efforts of textile schools and researchers. (Video source: Kuaishou; Compiled by intern Fan Yuting)

A three-day cultural event marking World Arabic Language Day kicked off on Sunday in Egypt's capital Cairo.