More overseas universities and educational institutions are seeking cooperation with China. At the China Study Abroad Forum in Beijing on Friday, officials and scholars from China and overseas pointed out that global education is facing challenges amid the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), and more cultural and educational exchanges are needed.

With a theme of "embracing challenges, creating a shared future for a new landscape of studying abroad," the forum is intended as a platform for discussion of the crucial role of cultural and educational exchanges.

Ren Youqun, a professor of Education at Shandong University, highlighted the widening gap in higher education due to the rapid proliferation of AI. He emphasized at the forum the imperative of redefining education through comprehensive digital transformation, as well as systemic reforms in teaching methodologies, institutional governance, and quality assurance mechanisms.

During the event, universities and educational institutions from Australia and Canada signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on further deepening education cooperation with Chinese educational institutions.

Wang Daquan, director of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), a public institution affiliated to China's Ministry of Education, reiterated the institution's commitment to fostering international collaboration and facilitating the global talent development agenda of higher education institutions.

He offered the example that the China-US youth innovation contest has attracted nearly 10,000 young people from China and the US, further solidifying the foundation of friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Rebecca Needham, a political counsellor with the New Zealand Embassy in China, shared her experience of studying in China in the 1980s, and spoke of transformation through cross-cultural interactions as well as the pivotal role of education exchanges in bridging cultural divides.

In reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between China and New Zealand, she highlighted recent diplomatic engagements between the two nations, including visits by foreign ministers and trade officials.

Many experts told the Global Times that with China's growing national strength, more international students are showing interest in studying in China.

Cary Anderson, executive vice chancellor at Wenzhou-Kane University, outlined the university's efforts to attract students through diverse programs, emphasizing the value of experiential learning through interactions with Chinese businesses.

"Just last month, we had students who are MBA students come, and they did a couple of courses at our university and visited Chinese businesses. After the tour, they showed a strong interest and they want to come back," he told the Global Times.

Tim Hubbard, head of East Asia Recruitment and Partnerships at the University of East Anglia, expressed optimism about the renewed demand for studying in China, citing his own positive experiences. He emphasized the potential for students to leverage their skills gained in China to forge connections with their home countries, fostering greater global engagement.

"I have some very good friends, one from Argentina, one from Macedonia, one from the Czech Republic. And they're all back in their home countries now, working for organizations connected with China," he told the Global Times.

On Friday afternoon, an event themed "My Beautiful Encounter with China" was held, where outstanding international students shared their experiences through speeches, alongside the launch of an overseas social media competition promoting essays and short videos on the theme.

Wang said the seventh edition of the My Beautiful Encounter with China book and short video contest for international students studying in China garnered over 800 stories about China from students from more than 80 countries who came to study in China.

Rhett Miller, senior trade and investment commissioner for Greater China Trade and Investment, Queensland China Office, told the Global Times that as China continues to position itself as a hub for global education, partnerships forged through initiatives like the China Study Abroad Forum are poised to shape the future of education, fostering greater cross-cultural understanding and collaboration on a global scale.

Changsha, the capital city of Central China's Hunan Province, has captured hearts of Hong Kong residents, following the introduction of direct trains, making travel to the mainland city more convenient.

"When I strolled through Wuyi Square, one of the prominent landmarks of Changsha, I couldn't help but feel like I was in Hong Kong," joked a netizen as the influx of Hong Kong tourists were evident in every corner of the city during the just past Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day.

The restart of the cross-provincial trains that connect Hong Kong to Beijing, Changsha, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan and other cities on April 1, 2023 allows Hong Kong residents to travel to mainland cities more conveniently.

All Hong Kong high-speed rail tickets to Guangzhou, Changsha and other places have been sold out since mid-March. On the first day of the holiday, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) was already crowded from 6 am, according to media reports.

Data showed that from March 28 to April 4, more than 7.8 million people have entered and left Hong Kong, an average of about 980,000 daily arrivals and departures, a 46 percent increase over the same period last year. On April 4, the Qingming Festival, there were more than 1.01 million arrivals and departures via various border crossings to and from Hong Kong, an increase of about 52 percent over last year's Qingming Festival, of which about 70 percent were Hong Kong residents, China Central Television reported.

"A round trip of just over three hours is perfect for a short holiday to experience a new city, which is also said to be very low cost comparing to Hong Kong. Changsha is just such a place," Jason, a resident from Hong Kong who had travelled to Changsha told the Global Times.

Hong Kong people's understanding of the mainland is still limited to Shenzhen and Guangzhou, in fact, the mainland is very big, there is a lot more to see in the north, Jason added.

In addition to the convenient high-speed train journey, Hong Kong tourists were drawn to the distinctive Hunan cuisine and stinky tofu, known for its spicy and robust flavors, as well as Chayan Yuese, a well-known local milk tea brand. Many were prepared to endure long lines just to savor the local cuisine.

Changsha also stands as a revered cradle of Chinese revolution. The Orange Isle, Yuelu Academy, and Aiwan Pavilion bear witness to the revolutionary legacy of China's great man, Mao Zedong, and are must visits sites in the city.

Night life in Changsha is also famous, and was described by Hong Kong tourists as even more fun than the city's famous Lan Kwai Fong. "I hang out with my friends late when we were in Changsha. Bars, food street, live houses… there are just too many options to have fun," Jason said.

Hong Kong has been a shopping paradise, and every year countless mainland tourists flock to Hong Kong to snap up hot items. But the trend has begun to reverse after the pandemic. Hong Kong tourists' northbound scope is constantly expanding. On social platforms, more Hong Kong people share travel tips in Beijing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and other destinations.

Liang Haiming, President of Belt and Road Research Institute of Hainan University, told the Global Times that a growing number of Hong Kong residents are choosing to travel north and expand their consumption range in the mainland, which will bring a positive pulling effect on the economy of the destination region.

It will not only stimulate the development of local tourism, catering, retail, entertainment and other related industries, but will also give rise to more cultural exchange and understanding with the mainland, Liang noted.

Pakistan has taken a series of actions to enhance the safety of Chinese nationals and property following a suicide bombing in late March as Chinese observers urged comprehensive plans and effective implementation amid the country's complicated security situation.

After the attack on March 26 killed five Chinese engineers and a local driver working for Dasu hydropower project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to personally review monthly meetings on the overall security of the country, particularly that of Chinese working on development projects.

Pakistan will upgrade security procedures for Chinese constructors to "foolproof" and will step up efforts to eliminate terrorism, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

The Pakistani military killed 12 militants in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Friday night and Saturday and recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives, Dawn reported Sunday.

Sharif also ordered the punishment of at least five officials, including a regional official, three district officials and the security director at the Dasu project for negligence in performing their duties, according to local media.

The Chinese engineers were attacked in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during their commute. A similar attack on staff at the Dasu project happened in July 2021, which killed nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told a press briefing on Saturday that security matters regarding Chinese citizens would be "treated with utmost seriousness and any lapses will not be tolerated."

After the attack, Pakistani police have arrested more than 12 people, including Afghan nationals, in connection with the bombing.

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as the TTP, was reportedly behind the incident, per Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper, but the TTP has not claimed responsibility.

The car used in the terrorist attack was non-custom paid and smuggled into Pakistan through the Chaman border with Afghanistan, the Express Tribune reported.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the series of actions shows the Pakistani government attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese nationals and property.

However, the country faces a complicated security reality and the government has relatively weak hold of certain areas where separatist groups are active and terrorist attacks are frequent, Qian said.

In April 2022, three Chinese teachers were killed in an attack carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army. The flagship project of Gwardar Port is also frequently the targets of attacks by Pakistan separatist groups.

Security efforts have been enhanced for the Dasu project after the 2021 attack, however, the long commutes in mountainous regions are a weak point in the mechanism, Li Wei, an expert on national security at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

The upgrade of security mechanisms should be comprehensive without a blind spot, and must be carried out effectively, analysts stressed, noting that Pakistan needs cooperation with China in its difficult battle against terrorism.

Punjab province chief minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her resolve to provide foolproof security to the Chinese nationals working on development projects in Punjab, the Hindu reported Sunday.

Nawaz noted the digitalization of terrorists, their US weapons sourced from Afghanistan and social media brainwashing youth as major challenges in the war against terrorism.

Flower appreciation, family outings and cultural activities characterize the feeling around this year’s three-day Qingming Festival holidays, starting from Thursday. The tourism surge during this year’s holidays is far above that of the same period in previous years, as revealed by statistics from several travel platforms. Travel bookings on some travel platforms have reportedly doubled on a yearly basis.

Passenger flows started to peak from Wednesday evening and lasted until Thursday morning. On Thursday, ticket bookings in popular domestic cities increased 1.3-fold year-on-year, and hotel bookings in popular cities nearly doubled year-on-year, according to statistics from Qunar, a Chinese online travel agency.

Many tourists kicked off the holiday with short-distance train journeys. Among the top 20 routes with the greatest number of candidates waiting for available tickets, 18 depart from Beijing, Shanghai, and South China’s Guangzhou and Shenzhen to neighboring cities.

Railways across the country are expected to facilitate 17.5 million passenger trips on Thursday. The railway network across the Yangtze River Delta is expected to facilitate nearly 3.6 million passenger trips on Thursday, up 12 percent from the same period in 2019, China Railway announced on Thursday.

More than half of the passengers traveling by train chose cities that can be reached within a two-hour high-speed rail trip. Popular destinations by train in northern China included Beijing, Xi’an, Tianjin, Jinan and Qingdao.

In response to the near-record spring travel peak, local rail authorities launched "flower appreciation trains" on popular lines to further meet passenger demand.

According to a recent report released by domestic travel platform Trip.com, bookings for flower-viewing spots during the Qingming Festival holidays had risen more than sixfold year-on-year.
A Beijing resident surnamed Li was among the tourists who decided to engage in a flower sightseeing journey during the Qingming Festival holidays.

Li drove to the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall in Beijing to enjoy the scenery on Thursday. Li told the Global Times that he was stuck outside the parking lot for nearly two hours, as there was no spare across four different car parks.

“The queue of cars waiting for parking spaces stretched all the way to the expressway,” Li said, adding that he was appealed by photos published on social media platforms showing suburban trains passing through a sea of flowers. 

Li also noted that he failed to book train tickets and was forced to stay in Beijing during the holidays.

“Because the Qingming Festival holiday is a short one, tourists tend to choose destinations that can be reached within a 2-hour high-speed rail ride or a 2-hour car ride, which allows some small towns to catch tourists,” said Xiao Peng, a research fellow at Qunar's Big Data Research Institute. 

Industry data showed that during the Qingming Festival holidays in 2024, domestic car rental orders increased by 240 percent year-on-year. Of these, 82 percent of the orders were leased for less than three days.

Some cities combined flower appreciation with the cultural activities celebrated as part of the Huazhao Festival, a traditional flower festival, during the holidays. Huazhao Festival is held in celebration of the flower goddess’ birthday in the second month of lunar calendar.

For example, the celebration for the Huazhao Festival started in late March in Jinan and will run until May 6. Traditional market and poetry cultural activities have boosted the popularity of the city of Jinan. 

Outside of domestic tourists, inbound travel is also surging, with a shortage of foreign language tour guides. The daily cost of hiring a tour guide has jumped to above 1,000 yuan ($138) for some languages such as Russian. Currently, English-speaking tour guides earn between 400 and 600 yuan a day, according to media reports.

The female giant panda Shuangshuang, residing at Japan's Kobe Oji Zoo, died on Sunday after suffering from severe heart disease for many years, according to China Wildlife Conservation Association's WeChat account on Monday.

According to the statement, Shuangshuang's condition had continued to deteriorate and the animal had begun to refuse to eat since March, even rejecting water and experiencing convulsions and other symptoms. Chinese and Japanese experts continued to implement all necessary rescue measures, but the animal was unable to be saved.

Shuangshuang was born in 1995, and arrived at Kobe Oji Zoo in Japan in 2000 for the purpose of jointly cooperative research between China and Japan on the international conservation of giant pandas, according to the release. Experts explained that a 29-year-old giant panda is equivalent to a nearly 100-year-old person.

Shuangshuang was diagnosed with senile heart disease during a routine examination in 2021. The Chinese and Japanese sides quickly organized a team of specialists to provide joint diagnosis, treatment and careful care, and the condition of Shuangshuang was relieved to a certain extent at that time.

According to the release, Chinese and Japanese sides also formulated a strict treatment plan. Both sides postponed the deadline for Shuangshuang's return to China on multiple occasions to prevent deterioration of her condition due to the long-distance transportation and the global pandemic, following the expiration of the giant panda cooperation agreement in 2020.

Chinese and Japanese sides will appropriately handle the body of Shuangshuang in strict accordance with the provisions of the cooperation agreement. Shuangshuang will be returned to China at the right time after specialized treatment.

After delegates of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) to this year's two sessions put forward proposals hoping that the Chinese mainland would once again gift giant pandas to Hong Kong, Vice Chair of the DAB Chan Yung said that there is a chance that "this could happen" before October 1.

Chan, who is also a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), told the Global Times on Thursday that it's crucial to ensure the well-being of the giant pandas upon their arrival, saying that they should not be neglected and allowed to become emaciated like those in the US. He believes that all residents in Hong Kong will cherish the pandas as treasures, and that their presence will significantly increase the number of tourists.

Among a series of proposals made by the DAB delegates to the two sessions in mid-February ahead of the annual political event, there is hope for Southwest China's Sichuan Province to once again gift giant pandas to Hong Kong.

As the first generation of giant pandas living in Hong Kong, An An and Jia Jia, have passed away, leaving only Ying Ying and Le Le, who arrived in 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong is ready to welcome new giant pandas at any time, Chan said.

"Gifting pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) during the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China would be of profound significance. It could also attract tourists to visit Hong Kong," the official said.

Chan also suggested that the pandas could be named Zhi Zhi and Xing Xing, reflecting a transition that the city has been experiencing from well-governed to prosperity.

Ocean Park recently hosted the 2023 Sichuan Nature Conservation Week in November, 2023, introduced a group of red pandas and also extended the stay of the current three red pandas for another 20 years, according to the park's website.

"Giant pandas are top-tier ambassadors of goodwill, and Hong Kong is greatly looking forward to their arrival. It also represents a pivotal moment for connecting internationally and sharing China's story," Chan said.

When the new pair of giant pandas arrives, they will be well taken care of in the Panda pavilion at Ocean Park, Chan told the Global Times. "We won't let them become emaciated like those in the US."

"My favorite is the top celebrity, Hua Hua, and I believe the mainland has a lot of experience in protecting giant pandas and can enhance exchanges with Hong Kong," said Nixie Lam Lam, a panda lover in Hong Kong.

Especially since Hong Kong is also an international city, strengthening the promotion of panda conservation can make the cause of panda protection more international, Lam, who is also a local lawmaker, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"I hope more young people from Hong Kong can join volunteer activities aimed at protecting pandas, especially considering the success of the mainland's promotional efforts for pandas. In fact, some young people from Hong Kong have previously had the opportunity to intern at the Sichuan panda base in the mainland," Lam said.

The two giant pandas currently residing in Hong Kong, Le Le and Ying Ying, have been in the city for over 16 years. Ocean Park celebrated their 18th birthday (equivalent to 54 human years) last August with a special surprise of two giant ice cakes, according to local media reports.

The cakes were made with their favorite ingredients such as bamboo, purple sweet potatoes, carrots, and pear juice. They featured a summer-themed peach pink orange color as the main hue, topped with forest green "18-year-old" ice pops.

South Korea and India are not parties directly involved in the South China Sea issue, and their attempts to get involved are driven by external forces like the US and the pursuit of self-interests, said Chinese experts, who also warned that their intervention will only exacerbate the divisions and conflict in the region, after the foreign ministers of the two countries recently expressed so-called grave concerns on the issue.

According to Reuters, South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told a briefing that "we are gravely concerned about the recent and repeated use of water cannons in the South China Sea," on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference during a visit to Manila on Tuesday, India's foreign minister S Jaishankar said that India supports the Philippines upholding its sovereignty and hopes to find new areas of cooperation including in defense and security. 

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday that maritime disputes are issues between the countries concerned. Third parties have no right to interfere whatsoever. "We urge relevant parties to face squarely the facts and truth on the South China Sea issue, and respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and the efforts of regional countries to keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable," Lin noted.

South Korea and India have been relatively cautious in their attitudes toward the South China Sea issue in the past, but in recent years they have increased their involvement for several reasons, Chinese experts said on Wednesday. 

First, there are external factors, namely pushing and encouragement from the US. This also indicates a further coordination of policies between the US and India, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times. 

In addition, both South Korea and India have their own interests. For India, the energy resources in the South China Sea region, including oil wells and natural gas, are very attractive. For South Korea, the sea routes in the South China Sea region are very important. "The completely pro-US policy adopted by the Yoon Seok-yeol government has already caused an imbalance in China-South Korea relations, so South Korea is more inclined to tilt toward the US and develop small circles," Chen said. Another consideration is geopolitical, which is to contain China, Chen noted.

The interference of South Korea and India may have an impact on the negotiations between China and other countries in the South China Sea region, further exacerbating division and instability in the region, experts said.

China's JH-7A fighter bomber provided close air support to ground forces in a recent cross-service exercise, with analysts saying on Monday that the multirole aircraft has demonstrated its versatility in an attack role.

In collaboration with special forces from the army, navy and air force, an aviation brigade attached to the air force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command recently practiced close-range aerial fire support, the PLA Southern Theater Command said in a press release on Monday.

The aircraft involved in the exercise is the JH-7A fighter bomber, according to the press release.

During the exercise, the cross-service special forces on the red team were slowed down by suppressive fire of the blue team when launching an assault at a hostile vantage point. It was at this point that they requested aerial fire support.

Under the cover of electronic warfare aircraft, the JH-7A aircraft quickly arrived at the scene and established contact with the ground units. The ground units provided attack coordinates to the JH-7A, assisting the pilots in quickly locking on and attacking targets before reporting battle damage evaluations.

The blue team responded by locking on the red team's aircraft using man-portable air defense missiles, but the red team's special forces members had already alerted the aircraft, giving it the advantage of releasing jamming flares and evacuating the mission area.

Concluding with a close win by the red team, the live-fire exercise boosted understanding among combat elements in the air, on the ground, and at sea. It also enhanced the aircraft's close-range aerial fire support capability, and led to the formulation of a standardized procedure for future combat operations, the PLA Southern Theater Command said.

The exercise further displayed the PLA's joint operational capabilities among different military services and branches, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday.

A highlight of the drill is that the JH-7A, originally a fighter bomber mainly designed for tactical bombing, anti-ship and air-to-air self-defense missions, is tasked with a close air support attack role, the expert said.

It displayed the JH-7A's versatility, particularly after China retired its only dedicated attack aircraft, the Q-5, the expert said.

Pakistan takes "immense pride" in its unique and "time-tested friendship" with China. The two countries are not only connected by land, rivers, and mountains, but also by a heart corridor, founded on the shared values of mutual respect, trust, solidarity, and support, said Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi.

Hashmi also stressed that as Ambassador of Pakistan to China, he and his team are committed to "implementing the consensus reached between the two countries' leadership to fortify the strategic trust between the two countries, strengthen ties across multiple domains, and build an even stronger China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era.

The Pakistani diplomat made the remarks during an event to celebrate the 84th National Day of Pakistan hosted by the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing on Monday. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong was also present at the event.

"China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners, and good brothers. The ironclad friendship between the two countries, deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, remains rock solid and keeps growing from strength to strength," Sun said.

"China is glad to see that Pakistan's general election was smoothly held, and a new government has been formed. We sincerely hope that Pakistan will enjoy social stability and economic growth and open up a new prospect for national development," he noted.

According to Hashmi, Pakistan and China and the peoples of the two countries have overcome hardships and celebrated triumphs, standing shoulder to shoulder in good and difficult times, in the true spirit of the iron brotherhood.

"Our relationship remains a source of peace and stability in the region and beyond. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a crown jewel of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), stands as a shining testament of win-win cooperation," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Hashmi also paid great tribute to Pakistan's Founding Fathers, especially Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Underscoring the significant strides the country has made over the decades across multiple fields, the ambassador highlighted the resilience and ability of Pakistan to bounce back stronger in the face of challenges.

He also recalled the groundbreaking diplomatic initiatives undertaken by Pakistan on the international stage for the promotion of peace, harmony, and development. The ambassador lauded the contribution of the Pakistani community in the promotion of China-Pakistan ties, while calling for further expansion of business and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The event attracted several senior Chinese officials, resident ambassadors, diplomats, Pakistani community members, representatives of Chinese state-owned and private enterprises, intelligentsia, and leading media figures.

A troupe of Chinese and Pakistani children also performed at the reception, symbolizing the enduring bonds of friendship between the two countries. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country with a population of 240 million people, and a rich and diverse cultural heritage spanning over five millennia. Some glimpses of this heritage were on display at the event.

Editor's Note:

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that the environment concerns the well-being of people in all countries. During his inspections, Xi has always paid great attention to ecosystems, spanning from cities to rural areas, and from enterprises to communities.

Over the past decade, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has been advancing the green transition of its economy. Regions across the country are actively promoting the construction of ecological civilization and advancing the Chinese modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature. These efforts are creating a "Beautiful China."

The coming five years will be critical to the building of a "Beautiful China." The Global Times is launching a series of stories to explore the progress of ecological civilization projects that Xi is concerned with, delving into the positive environmental changes occurring now, and offering valuable insights and references for both national and global efforts. From these portraying, we can see how Xi's thought on ecological civilization is put into practice and further inspire public action.

In the first installment, the Global Times explores Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province, a key birthplace and early adopter of Xi's ecological ideas, to witness the green shift of this international Garden City. The "Xiamen solution" is a crucial component of the vision for building a beautiful China and the "Xiamen practice" has also contributed valuable Chinese wisdom to the global marine governance.
Over the Spring Festival holidays, Xiamen residents' beloved Yundang Lake was transformed into a dazzling display of lights and color, creating a festive atmosphere. Strolling along the lake trail, people were greeted by the harmonious blend of vibrant red lanterns and lush green trees, while the crystal-clear lake water mirrored the graceful movements of elegant egrets.

However, it is hard to imagine that just a few decades ago, Yundang Lake was a starkly different scene.

The once Yundang Port, spanning nearly 10 square kilometers alongside the East China Sea coastline, was drastically reduced to a mere 1.6 square kilometers of enclosed inner lake due to reclamation efforts and dike construction. Rapid urbanization and population growth in the surrounding area exacerbated ecological issues, placing immense environmental strain on Yundang Lake.

As paper mills, tanneries, breweries, and other factories sprang up along its shores, indiscriminately discharging industrial waste and sewage directly into the water, Yundang Lake transformed into a foul-smelling body of water, choked with sewage, littered with garbage, teeming with mosquitoes. People living nearby were left to endure the unbearable stench and suffer the consequences of this form of environmental degradation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping cherishes Xiamen deeply. From his post in the coastal city to leadership roles in Fujian and the central authorities, Xi's ecological protection initiatives on Xiamen have yielded significant results.

As a key birthplace and early adopter of Xi's ecological ideas, Xiamen has pursued systematicecological governance and contributed to high-quality development through marine ecological restoration for over 30 years, fostering harmony between man and nature.

Now, Xiamen has built a beautiful bay living environment, enhancing the ecological vitality of the coastal zone, and contributing the "Xiamen solution" to domestic and international urban marine ecological protection.

A splashing recovery

"It was a momentous occasion for Xiamen people to undergo a consciousness awakening."

Wang Yanyan, chief engineer at the Xiamen Municipal Administration of Parks and Gardens, still vivid remembers how tough the battle against environmental pollution was when it was launched in the city in 1988.

In March 1988, Xi, then serving as executive vice mayor of the city, set in motion a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the lake.

"The vice mayor personally spearheaded the ecological protection of a lake, and with unprecedented efforts, took out 10 percent of the city's annual infrastructure investment for two consecutive years - 10 million yuan - for lake governance," Wang told the Global Times.

Xiamen, as one of the first four special economic zones in China, was also in the critical stage of reform and opening-up in the late 1980s. Despite financial constraints, the city's leaders showed remarkable courage and commitment to the cause.

"The efforts put into the lake's restoration were truly exceptional for the time," Wang emphasized.

Since then, Yundang Lake has witnessed five major restoration projects, with a total investment of nearly 1.99 billion yuan ($270 million).

"Sewage interception is the key to restoring the beauty of Yundang Lake," Xie Xiaoqing, the general manager of Xiamen Municipal Urban Development and Construction Co, Ltd, told the Global Times, noting that over the years, Xiamen has taken bold steps to clean up the lake, shutting down 210 polluting factories, building top-notch sewage treatment facilities, and updating the rainwater and sewage disposal systems in over 800 communities.

"Previously, whenever raindrops fell on the ground in Xiamen, my heart would start to worry, because the rain would make the smell of Yundang Lake even worse. But now, we have improved the water quality in the lake basin from the source, so I can rest easy knowing that the lake is no longer a concern," Xie said.

Zhang Weipeng, the director of the Yundang Lake Protection Center, praised the current innovative use of natural sea tides to flush out lake pollutants as a decision rooted in science and foresight.

Thanks to these measures, Yundang Lake has undergone a remarkable transformation, blossoming into a vibrant hub of finance, tourism, and residential living in Xiamen.

The successful restoration of the lake serves as a shining example for future lake remediation projects in Xiamen, while also inspiring a collective commitment to ecological civilization across the city.

A great example

In January 1986, Xi emphasized at a meeting in Xiamen that "protecting natural scenic resources has far-reaching implications and great significance." But how to balance the relationship between ecological environment protection and development construction?

Xi's position is clear: Can we use partial destruction to achieve development on the other side? I think it is very clear to me that Xiamen cannot exchange development in other aspects at this cost.

In 1994, after gaining legislative power for economic special zones, Xiamen enacted its first substantive local regulation, the "Xiamen Environmental Protection Regulations." Since then, Xiamen has successively enacted more than 10 maritime regulations.

In addition to investing in governance and actively implementing legal safeguards, Xiamen has also implemented a series of institutional innovations, such as establishing the Municipal Government's Marine Management Office, pioneering the formation of a specialized marine cleaning team in China, strictly prohibiting the introduction of heavily polluting projects, and rationalizing the layout of industrial concentration zones.

The ecological protection of bay-type cities is a global issue. Problems such as dense population, industrial agglomeration, high pressure on resources and the environment, environmental pollution, and reduced biodiversity tend to restrict economic and social development.

In 2002, Xi, then deputy Party chief and governor of Fujian, proposed the idea of shifting Xiamen's urban planning from island-based to bay-based.

Since then, the city has undertaken a succession of comprehensive renovation and development projects in five bay areas, aiming to create a "beautiful blue bay" surrounding the city.

A closer look at the city's urban planning reveals the thoughtful "concessions" made to protect the environment: To protect over 500 trees, the Tianyuan Bridge in Wuyuan Bay takes a bend to avoid disturbing the Chinese white dolphins; the plan for the Xiang'an Cross-Sea Bridge was changed to a more costly and labor-intensive underwater tunnel; and Xiamen even built a mountain road with only three lanes to avoid any harms to reservoirs and plants.

Amid the bustling cityscape, Xiamen has set aside a 3-hectare natural reserve for the blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus), known as the "most beautiful bird in China." This sanctuary provides a safe haven for these majestic creatures to breed and thrive, making Xiamen their northernmost breeding ground in the world.

However, these "concessions" are not compromises. In Xiamen, the sea isn't just a backdrop - it's a way of life. The city's dedication to preserving its natural heritage serves as a shining example for bay cities around the world, showing that with careful planning and a deep respect for nature, economic and social development can coexist harmoniously with the environment.

Guided by Xi's ideas, over the past 36 years, Xiamen has pioneered the concept of comprehensive bay-area governance in domestic coastal regions and invested a total of 105.6 billion yuan in marine ecological protection and restoration, aiming to construct a bay city where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.

The impressive economic development achievements also complement the good ecological environment: In 2023, Xiamen's total economic output exceeded 800 billion yuan for the first time, reaching over 806.6 billion yuan.

The wetland restoration project in Xiamen has set a great example to the world for "making peace with nature," Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for the ocean, made the remark at the 2023 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, in November 2023.

Media reports said since 2007, the lessons of treating Yundang Lake have been included in the coastal governance training course of the Chinese government's foreign aid project, and such courses have been provided to more than 100 developing countries and nearly 2,000 officials and technical personnel around the world.
A rooted initiative

During the winter months, Xiamen becomes a haven for flocks of cormorants seeking shelter and sustenance in the tranquil waters of Xinglin Bay. The sight of these majestic birds soaring through the sky in unison is a breathtaking spectacle.

"Whether the ecology is good or not, the birds know best," said Guo Qiang, a member of the Xiamen Bird Watching Association, who eagerly captures the beauty of these overwintering birds with his camera.

With years of experience behind the lens, Guo said he felt lucky to see firsthand the positive impact of Xiamen's efforts to restore its marine ecosystem.

There are countless dedicated bird enthusiasts like Guo in Xiamen on hand to document the birds' behaviors and movements, serving as guardians of the city's precious ecological treasures.

The essence of Xi's thought on ecological civilization has truly taken root in the hearts of Xiamen residents, becoming a natural and heartfelt commitment for all,Zhang said, noting that currently in Xiamen, the focus on ecological protection has transformed from government-leading to active public action.

Zhang shared a heartwarming story about a recent incident at Yundang Lake. "During the cold wave a week ago, many people called to ask the conservation center to pay attention to the warm work of the birds. We immediately sent experts to the field and made emergency plans to respond to people's concerns," he said.

Zhang's WeChat account is a hub of activity, with groups dedicated to cleaning the lake, testing water quality, and managing the "Xiamen Yundang Blue Volunteer Service Team."

One inspiring member of this team is Chen Yajin, donning a blue vest after retiring at 65 to become the "citizen lake chief." He spends his days patrolling the lake, gathering feedback from the public.

On the picturesque ecological artificial island of Maluan Bay in Xiamen, the Global Times observed citizens actively participating in the "tree adoption activity." They rolled up their sleeves, bent down, and lovingly tended to the trees they had adopted, carefully placing nameplates, watering, and nurturing the once barren land that had been transformed by the hard work of local villagers.

One young mother, Zheng, shared her thoughts with Global Times as she participated in the activity with her children. "We bring our children here to plant trees, to show them that the beauty surrounding them is not easy to come by. President Xi brings ecological wealth and green well-being to Xiamen, which is extremely precious for us," she said. "We want to instill in them a sense of responsibility as caretakers of the environment."

"Most children now all know that the plants and animals in the sea and mountains of Xiamen are their good friends. With the companionship of these well-cared-for friends, they will grow up healthier and stronger," Zheng said.