Idris Talha Kartav, also know as Tang Xiaoqiang, a regular guest speaker on the Chinese variety show Informal Talks, was found dead in a collapsed hotel caused by the Turkish-Syrian quake, one of his friends confirmed on Chinese social media on Friday.Photo of Kartav posted by the Weibo account of Chinese variety show Informal Talks.“My lifelong brother Tang Xiaoqiang is confirmed dead from the Turkish earthquake. Please do not spread messages about him and respect the feelings of his family and friends," Omar, an Iraqi influencer, wrote on Weibo in Chinese. “I lost a brother who’s like from my family. Inshallah. Your soul will ascend to the highest place of heaven. Allah rahmet eylesin.”“Thank you everyone for supporting this good guy,” wrote Omar. “Please keep your memories of him. Remember his beautiful soul.”The post drew more than 15,000 comments, with countless netizens describing Kartav as “humorous,” “a good friend,” and “kind,” and expressing their grief over the tragic loss.Informal Talks is a Chinese talk show co-produced by Bilibili and Hubei Television. The show seeks to inspire its audience by inviting foreign youth from different countries to discuss hot-button social and cultural topics in a casual way. Kartav first appeared on the show in 2016.Kartav came to China as an international student at Xiamen University and then saw his career take off in China. His personality both on and off the TV screen earned him widespread popularity among Chinese audiences. A news article in 2015 also reported he offered help to an injured driver and two passengers when he saw a road accident in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday has climbed above 21,000, and tens of thousands are injured.(Compiled by Zhang Tianchen)
Rihanna is putting in the work ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show, focusing so hard on what she promises will be "a jam-packed show" that her upcoming birthday and Valentines Day almost slipped her mind.Rihanna poses for a photo after a halftime show news conference ahead of the Super Bowl 57 NFL football game, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Phoenix. (Photo: AP)"The setlist was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest, hardest part. Deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate — thats what this show is going to be. Its going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could have put it together," Rihanna said.At a media preview Thursday ahead of Sundays matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, the music superstar and new mom said her appearance — her first live event in seven years — feels "like it could have only been now."The singer said she was initially unsure about taking on the challenge of performing during a time when she was three months postpartum and wondered "should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this.""But when you become a mom, theres something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world, you can do anything," Rihanna said. "The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages of the world. As scary as that was, because I hadnt been on stage in seven years, theres something exhilarating about the challenge of it all."A nine-time Grammy Award-winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including "We Found Love," "Work," "Umbrella" and "Disturbia." She and rapper A$AP Rocky recently welcomed her first child."At the end of the day, if it flops or it flies, my name has to stand by that. And so I really get involved with every aspect of anything I do," she said.Halftime performance sponsor Apple Music held a modera...
BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two databases for the dissemination and study of ancient books were released in the National Library of China in Beijing on Wednesday, boosting cultural resource utilization with advanced technology.(File photo: Xinhua)Co-developed by the National Library of China and the Research Center for Digital Humanities of Peking University, both The Yongle Canon HD Images Database and the Knowledge Base of National Rare Ancient Book Directory are now freely accessible to the public for reference.The Yongle Canon HD Images Database aims to facilitate public dissemination and professional study of the great ancient encyclopedia, "Yongle Dadian," which was commissioned by Emperor Yongle in 1403.Based on the high-definition images, the database adopts the GIS techniques and three-dimension restoration techniques to vividly display the binding and layout of the encyclopedia, as well as the whereabouts of the existing volumes, according to Wei Chong, director of the National Library of China Publishing House.The Knowledge Base of the National Rare Ancient Book Directory collects the catalogs of the ancient books on the directory, together with a large number of images and captions.The knowledge base offers a visual display of the catalogs using digital technologies, including mapping knowledge domains and GIS techniques, through which readers may have a clearer view of the geographical distribution of the ancient books and complex relations among characters.
Chinese courts have successfully stepped up efforts in recent years to formulate judicial rules to assist the recovery of the nation's cultural treasures from overseas, an official from the country's top court said on Tuesday.
Once a niche product reserved for border trade, Chinese dark tea is now making another long and bumpy journey toward new-style beverage shops, the favorite haunts of the young sipping class.
Photo: XinhuaGUANGZHOU, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of cutting-edge equipment, including intelligent quantum computers 550A and 550C, anti-drone guns, nuclear weapon keys, and triggers, pile up in Yang Xus room. These are not lethal weapons but full-scale models that starred in Chinas latest sci-fi blockbuster, The Wandering Earth II.Since being released on Jan. 22, the Chinese sci-fi action-adventure film has so far earned a box office of over 3.4 billion yuan (about 500 million U.S. dollars). Over 50 million viewers went to theaters for this phenomenon movie, according to box office tracker Maoyan.The movie was attractive for its imaginative plot and its exquisite props. In Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong Province, designer Yang Xu and his team created over 1,000 props for the movie.The designing and manufacturing of necessary props for sci-fi films are supported by complete, complex, and precise industrial processes, said Yang. Starting with conceptual design and structural modeling, gadgets and gizmos will go through steps including numerical control programming, machining, post-polishing and spray-painting, laser carving, and surface treatment.Yang previously worked to design conceptual cars and then began to set foot in the film industry. In 2020, he moved from Beijing to Shenzhen, set up his studio and factory, and focused on conceptual design and prop production for the films.As The Wandering Earth II started shooting in late 2021, Yang devoted himself to designing and producing props for the movie.The schedule was tight for the prop production team. It only took 20 days for Yang and his team to bring the anti-drone guns from a blueprint to the screen.All part and service suppliers for the movie props are within 10 km of the studio in Shenzhen, giving the team much confidence and ensuring that the manufacturing process and product quality are controllable.The computer numerical-control method was applied in manufacturing to ensure the props ...
The UNs cultural agency UNESCO said on Tuesday it was ready to provide assistance after two sites listed on its World Heritage list in Syria and Turkey sustained damage in the devastating earthquake.A picture taken on May 18, 2022 shows pillars at the archaeological site of Gobekli Tepe in Sanliurfa, Turkey. (File photo: AFP)As well as the damage to the old city of Syrias Aleppo and the fortress in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, UNESCO said at least three other World Heritage sites could be affected."Our organisation will provide assistance within its mandate," said UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay.A statement from UNESCO said it and partners had already carried out an initial survey of the damage of the quake which struck before dawn on Monday.It said it was "particularly concerned" about the old city of Aleppo, which has been on its list of World Heritage in Danger since 2013 due to the Syrian civil war."Significant damage has been noted in the citadel. The western tower of the old city wall has collapsed and several buildings in the souks have been weakened," it said.Aleppo was Syrias pre-war commercial hub and considered one of the worlds longest continuously inhabited cities, boasting markets, mosques, caravanserais, and public baths.Syrias directorate of antiquities had already raised concern about the damage on Wednesday, saying parts of Aleppos northern defensive walls had collapsed.- Rapidly secure sites -In Turkey, UNESCO said it was saddened by the "collapse of several buildings" at the World Heritage site of the Diyarbakir Fortress and the adjacent Hevsel Gardens.It emphasised that the entire area was an important centre of the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.The pre-dawn quake hit near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey at a depth of about 18 kilometres (11 miles), the US Geological Survey said.With weather conditions and the remote ...
File photo shows staff members repairing the bronze mask discoverd at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinas top court and cultural heritage authority have pledged to better protect the countrys cultural treasures through judicial means, while making several cases public.The Supreme Peoples Court, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the cultural heritage branch under a national judicial research society, on Tuesday jointly published 15 typical judicial cases regarding the protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage.The move is expected to help courts nationwide, as well as cultural heritage authorities at all levels, to better perform their respective duties and promote the publics awareness of cultural heritage protection, according to a document issued by the three publishers.The authorities pledged severe punishments for cultural heritage-related crimes, especially those involving criminals with bad intentions that resulted in serious consequences. Such measures are also expected to deter further offenses, the document said.The 15 cases include one in which a convict surnamed Yao was found to have led a criminal ring and committed a series of tomb thefts and robberies, along with the reselling of cultural relics. The ancient tombs and cultural ruins damaged included a relics site in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province. Archaeologists had previously unearthed a large number of relics dating to more than 5,500 years ago at the site. Police caught over 200 suspects and retrieved over 2,000 items. Yao, the ringleader, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve.In another case, a court urged local governmental authorities to correct illegal business activities at the death place of a Chinese war hero in a timely manner, safeguarding the honor and dignity of the countrys martyrs.Over the past decade, China&#...
The UNs cultural agency UNESCO said on Tuesday it was ready to provide assistance after two sites listed on its World Heritage list in Syria and Turkey sustained damage in the devastating earthquake.Workers carry out restoration work in the al-Madina Souq, the worlds largest covered historic market, in Aleppo, Syria, on March 6, 2022. (File photo: Xinhua)As well as the damage to the old city of Syrias Aleppo and the fortress in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, UNESCO said at least three other World Heritage sites could be affected."Our organisation will provide assistance within its mandate," said UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay.A statement from UNESCO said it and partners had already carried out an initial survey of the damage of the quake which struck before dawn on Monday.It said it was "particularly concerned" about the old city of Aleppo, which has been on its list of World Heritage in Danger since 2013 due to the Syrian civil war."Significant damage has been noted in the citadel. The western tower of the old city wall has collapsed and several buildings in the souks have been weakened," it said.Aleppo was Syrias pre-war commercial hub and considered one of the worlds longest continuously inhabited cities, boasting markets, mosques, caravanserais, and public baths. But a brutal siege imposed on rebels by government forces left it disfigured.Syrias directorate of antiquities had already raised concern about the damage on Wednesday, saying parts of Aleppos northern defensive walls had collapsed.Rapidly secure sitesIn Turkey, UNESCO said it was saddened by the "collapse of several buildings" at the World Heritage site of the Diyarbakir Fortress and the adjacent Hevsel Gardens.It emphasised that the entire area was an important centre of the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.The pre-dawn quake hit near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey at a d...
A night in music brimming with shocking upsets, historic wins, tributes for artists like the late rapper Takeoff and hip-hop's 50th anniversary, the 65th Grammys were back in full swing Sunday. Once again, Beyoncé was in the running for the top honor.
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In Changshanyu, North China's Hebei Province, villagers actively participated in the performance “Heshun Sheng Hui,” which attracted tourists and locals to come to watch, getting together to mark the Lantern Festival on Sunday. (Photos: Liang Zhiqing; Compiled by Lv Jinwei)Heshun Sheng Hui is a daytime performance unique to Changshanyu. It includes more than 20 folk activities, including a dragon dance, lion dance, walking on stilts, land boat dance, stilt show, yang ko dance and more.On Sunday, villagers in Changshanyu, Hebei Province, gave a performance known as “Heshun Sheng Hui.Sunday’s performance was photographed by a drone.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- American singer Lizzo won the award for Record of the Year with "About Damn Time" at the 65th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles on Sunday.US singer Lizzo accepts the Record Of The Year award for "About Damn Time" during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023. (Photo: AFP)Dedicating the award to the late American singer and songwriter Prince, she noted in her acceptance speech that "when we lost Prince, I decided to dedicate my life to making positive music."Record of the Year is one of the "big four" categories of the Grammy Awards night, which also include Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.The U.S. musics biggest night returned to Los Angeles this year. The show, usually held in Los Angeles and New York, relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.As the only peer-selected music award, the Grammy Awards are voted on by the Recording Academys membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers and engineers.
Pop queen Beyonce on Sunday reigned supreme at the Grammys, breaking the all-time record for wins with her 32nd prize and fourth of the night to resounding applause.US musician Beyonce accepts the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for "Renaissance." during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023. (Photo: AFP)The 41-year-old entered the day with the most chances at Grammy gold with nine, following the release of "Renaissance," her rich, layered ode to club music.She clinched the title by winning the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her smash "Renaissance," thus surpassing the late classical conductor Georg Solti, who had 31 awards."Im trying not to be too emotional. And Im trying to just receive this night," Queen Bey said, wearing a shimmering, curve-hugging gown, her hair in mermaid waves as her peers witnessed the history-making moment.Beyonce thanked her family, and paid special tribute to the queer community, who she credited with inventing the genre she celebrated in her historically layered record that pays homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.Beyonce remains a powerhouse contender for the nights major awards of album, record and song of the year -- but the same goes for British balladeer Adele, whose introspective album "30" earned her seven nods.The 2023 face-off has prompted obvious comparisons to 2017, when Adele swept the top prizes at the glitzy music biz gala, shutting out Queen Beys culture-shaking "Lemonade.Despite breaking record after record, when it comes to the big three awards, Beyonce curiously remains something of an underdog in those categories. She has never won Album of the Year honors and although she has the most Record of the Year nods with eight, shes never won that prize either.She only scored Song of the Year once, for 2008s "Single Ladies."- Carlile,...
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Universals horror film "Knock At The Cabin" took the top spot at the North American box office with an estimated three-day cume of 14.2 million U.S. dollars, showed figures from the measurement firm Comscore on Sunday.US filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan poses during a photocall for his movie "Knock At The Cabin" in Paris, on January 23, 2023. (Photo: AFP)Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Kristen Cui, among others."Knock At The Cabin" follows a family who are taken hostage at a remote cabin by armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse.The film holds an approval rating of 68 percent based on 217 reviews to date on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. It earned a "C" on an "A+" to "F" scale from audiences polled by the market research firm CinemaScore.Another newcomer, Paramounts comedy film "80 For Brady," opened in second place with 12.5 million dollars this weekend.James Camerons science fiction film "Avatar: The Way of Water" slipped to third place with 10.8 million dollars after staying atop the chart for seven weekends in a row. The blockbuster, distributed by Disneys 20th Century Studios, has grossed an estimated 636 million dollars in North America through Sunday for a global total of 2.174 billion dollars, including 241 million dollars from the Chinese mainland.
Beyoncé has already won two Grammys on Sunday, bringing her a step closer in her pursuit of being the most decorated artist in the show's history.
A view of a Grammy statue appears in the press room at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo: AP)The 65th annual Grammys gala began Sunday in Los Angeles with a performance from reggaeton megastar Bad Bunny, as top nominee Beyonce was poised to break the all-time record for the most awards ever.Her love letter to club music "Renaissance" propelled her to the front of the Grammy pack with nine nominations, and she won two trophies in the pre-show.She has several more chances as the main show begins, and will become the winningest artist ever if she wins two more.Bad Bunny is another A-lister up for major awards, along with Taylor Swift, Adele and Harry Styles.
A waitress serves food to customers during a Lunar New Years Eve dinner at a restaurant on Jan 22, 2023. (Photo: Agencies)Catering businesses in China have started to roar back to life after the country optimized its pandemic prevention and control measures in late December.The government has ended the requirement for mass testing and people do not need to show their health code when entering public places like shopping malls and restaurants.During the Spring Festival holiday from Jan 21 to 27, many restaurants in Beijing saw a surge in sales revenue compared with the same period of 2022.People celebrated the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit with strong consumer sentiments; the figures of some restaurants have even exceeded those of the Spring Festival holiday in pre-COVID-19 times.A spokesperson from catering giant Judehuatian Group said diners had swarmed into the groups time-honored brand restaurants including Hongbinlou, Kaorouwan and Emeijiujia on Jan 21, the Chinese New Years Eve. All the hall tables were occupied at around 10 oclock in the morning, with many people waiting in line for seats.Cuihualou, another time-honored restaurant in the Chinese capital, sold nearly 100 takeout meal packages on Spring Festival eve — traditionally marked by family gatherings and sumptuous dishes — an increase of 60 percent year-on-year.Wang Peixin, general manager of the restaurant, said during this years weeklong Spring Festival holiday, the turnover of Cuihualou was about 30 percent higher than the same period of 2022. The restaurant almost reached the upper limit of its seating capacity from the first day to the fifth day of Lunar New Year. The waiting time also rose to 80 minutes on average.Moreover, Cuihualou had to double the ingredients of its best-selling dishes, such as fried fish with secret sauce, Dongpo braised pork and diced chicken in bean sauce, to cope with the flow of customers during the holiday.Hotpot chain Donglaishun also saw b...
BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The official film of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is in the final phase of post-production and will soon be released in China, with an international release scheduled later this year, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) announced on Saturday.File photo: CGTNDirected by Lu Chuan with renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou as executive producer, and filmmaker Zhang Heping as general consultant, the film captures the defining moments of Beijing 2022, such as the evening of February 4, 2022, when fireworks lit up the sky of Beijing during the opening ceremony.Lu revealed that the production of this official film began in 2020. According to him, the film records how various functional areas, entities and parties collaborated closely to overcome the difficulties and pressures presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to successfully deliver the Games.The film also highlights stories of athletes who constantly challenge themselves to pursue Olympic dreams and those of photographers, volunteers, medical personnel, and other Olympic participants."We shot over 700 hours of footage in multiple locations globally. There were many frustrations, but our team members pushed themselves with the Olympic spirit," said Lu. "I hope the stories we have chosen to tell and the faces we have recorded can leave a strong impression on the audience about the time of Beijing 2022."Since the early 20th century, films have been created for every edition of the Olympic Games. The Olympic film collection is comprised of more than 40 feature-length films that offer a cinematic window onto defining moments in the history of the modern Games, serving as historical archives and cultural treasures, and illustrating the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together".
Photo: China DailyHot and spicy food from China has been warming up Londoners on another overcast winter day, as "Exploring Yummy Chongqing in London", part of the 2023 UK "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations, officially kicked off on Thursday.The event is aimed to share the joy of Chinese New Year by introducing authentic Chinese food to the locals.As people swarmed into Mr. Meng, a Chongqing restaurant near Covent Garden in central London, a big screen showed a live feed of people in Chongqing enjoying the same delicacies. Meanwhile, presenters in both Chongqing and London explained the dishes.Amira Arasteh, a food journalist working in London, says the mao xue wang (assorted meats in hot sauce) and la zi ji (fragrant chicken with chilies) she tried were "very spicy", but had "lots of flavor".The famous dishes from the city of Chongqing in Southwest China are known for their ability to fight the adverse physiological effects of humidity. They also have a mood-lifting effect, since spicy food is believed to boost the production of serotonin, the "feel-good hormone"."We want to use food to attract peoples attention to Chongqing. We hope that one day they can travel to Chongqing … and taste the great food in China," says Tang Shi, organizer of the London event.In the run-up to the food-tasting event at Mr. Meng, local foodies and food bloggers were invited to explore Chongqing food in London and share their experiences on social media, Tang says.For seasoned foodies, Chinese cuisine is not just about pleasure for the palate; it also signifies sharing and companionship.Daniel, a Londoner who has been blogging about food for 10 years and has more than 43,000 followers on social media, says Sichuan province was his favorite stop when he visited China a few years ago."I love Chinese New Year because you get to share a big table with dumplings, noodles and meats," he says. "Its good to i...
A train of springtime tourists travel through blooming tea plantations in Longyan, Fujian province. (Photo: China Daily)Lichun, or Start of Spring, is the first of the traditional Twenty-Four Solar Terms, encompassing the beginning of all things, rebirth and heralding a new cycle.Shuowen Jiezi offers an explanation of Chinese characters and words written during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), and is considered one of the earliest dictionaries in the world. The classic text denotes that chun (spring), is originally a verb that embodies the meaning of "sprout".The explanatory notes conjure up a lively annotation of the word: The grass feels the call of the sun, vibrates in response to the time, pushes the earth away, and starts to grow.Lichun falls on Saturday this year, and was the namesake Spring Festival in ancient times. The first day of the Lunar New Year was called "yuanri (the starting day)", or "New Years Day". After China adopted the Gregorian calendar in the early 1900s, the term "New Years Day" was assigned to Jan 1, and "Spring Festival" was given to the first day of the Lunar New Year.Despite being robbed of the grand Spring Festival title, lichun, a product of an ancient farming civilization, takes on an extremely important role in the foundation of Chinas traditional culture.The first solar term has an intimidatingly long, swirling list of confusing nicknames: yingchun (greeting spring), songchun (sending spring), dachun (beating spring), yaochun (biting spring), tachun (outing in spring) and taochun (begging for spring). The different verbs in front of the word chun all reveal the joy and eagerness for the arrival of spring."I have never seen a solar term with so many descriptions as lichun. It is almost like a chorus of spring symphony," says folklore expert You Guoqing.
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