The opening exhibition of the new Moganshan Art Museum in East China's Zhejiang Province presents an artistic dialogue between humanity and nature, the traditional and modern, individuals and society through a variety of artworks. 

The exhibits in More than Symbiosis include paintings, photographs, installations and sculptures from China, Japan, France and Italy.  

Shan Feida, one of the participating artists, said that through this unique exhibition, the museum not only adds a cultural highlight to the city, but also provides a platform for art lovers to communicate, learn and enjoy art.

Visitors can not only appreciate high-level artworks, but also gain an in-depth understanding of the artist's creative ideas and the stories behind their artworks.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival concluded and the National Day holidays approach, more and more travelers have chosen mountain hikes as a ­favorite pastime. The rise of "hiking companion" services, which, while not a formal profession, has gained significant attention due to increasing demand, particularly on social media platforms.

Sun Menglei, a college student from Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province, told the Global Times that he began offering hiking companion services because of his passion for outdoor activities. 

Over the just-concluded Mid-Autumn holidays, Sun received numerous requests, especially for popular routes like Mount Songshan's Luya Waterfall and Taishi Mountain, a peak of Mount Songshan. On Monday, he had even seven bookings.

Just like Sun, most hiking companions are current or recent university graduates who are enthusiastic about outdoor sports and possess in-depth knowledge of local mountain ranges. 

Zhang Yuliang, a graduate from Tai'an, East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times that as a local resident, he is ­well-acquainted with Mount Taishan. 

His primary clients are first-time visitors to the area, and he often assists by carrying their bags, allowing them to focus on the challenges of reaching the summit.

It is reported that more than 300 university students are working part-time as hiking companions in the area of Mount Taishan, charging between 100 to 300 yuan ($14-$42) per service. Social media platforms have seen a surge in posts sharing experiences and tips about using these services.

Apart from providing hiking assistance, some companions offer additional services. Sun, for instance, provides photography services alongside hiking assistance. 

"Some of my clients are white-collar workers who don't have time to plan their trips or might lack the willpower to finish the climb. My companionship and encouragement help them overcome difficulties and isolation, making the journey to the top more enjoyable," he said.

Many hiking companions have some level of professional sports training, which enables them to offer expert guidance. Their familiarity with the terrain and weather conditions allows them to tailor routes based on clients' physical abilities, minimizing risks such as injury or getting lost.

While the service is gaining popularity, there are potential challenges. To address safety concerns, Sun has implemented a reservation and deposit system, ensuring a structured and safe experience for his clients. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, hiking companion services are part of a trust-based ­economy. Tourists should negotiate key aspects of the service, such as fees and liability, with their companions. Tourism and market regulators could develop model contracts for hiking companion services to provide standardized references and guidance for both tourists and service providers.

Despite potential legal and trust issues, Sun values the emotional fulfillment he gains from this work. 

"Helping clients reach the summit and seeing their joy and pride when they take in the view gives me a real sense of accomplishment," he said.

If some stellar Chinese Science Fiction (sci-fi) films were to be named, The Wandering Earth film series, would likely be the top choice of many fans.

The series' two episodes were released in 2019 and 2023, respectively. They are both highly popular films on the silver screen, and yet their backstage stories have rarely been shown to audiences.

Revealing details such as how the film's "Black Hawk" helicopter was created, a recently released documentary Inside the Wandering Earth II, for the first time, shares many behind-the-scenes stories.

It also introduces audiences to the rapidly developing landscape of the Chinese sci-fi culture.

Behind-the-scenes story

Most of the stories in Inside the Wandering Earth II are only now being told for the first time. The film crew, for instance, captured how the scene of the wreckage of the "Black Hawk" helicopter was produced.

Led by veteran prop designer Zhong Jianwei and his team, the helicopter prop was first built as a full-scale model, and the crew would create prototypes and assemble them piece by piece.

The model was then manually "damaged" by designers to achieve the appearance of a wreckage. The helicopter scene was only a couple of shots, but it took the prop team several months to set up the scene.

Other than the helicopter, there were several similar instances such as the door-frame robots and the moon rover props that show just how deeply embedded handmade prop-making is in Chinese sci-fi production.

"A top-notch visual presentation of a sci-fi production is often achieved by experts tweaking minute details meticulously countless times, including the prop's size, color, and patterns," Fang Muting, an industry insider, told the Global Times.

The documentary has also shown how the film's depiction of the "United Earth Government" headquarters was painstakingly crafted.

The film's overseas production team obtained a special permission to visit the inside of the United Nations headquarters in New York and combined these insights with the construction plans of the UN's iconic Golden Hall sourced by the art ­department, anchoring elements of the film in reality.

Beyond revealing the The Wandering Earth secrets was the documentary team's goal of showing audiences about Chinese sci-fi's profound cultural roots.

After consulting experts in various fields like literature and history, ­several milestones in Chinese sci-fi history were revealed in the documentary.

They include the early literary inspiration of The Future of New China, a book that was written by pioneer intellectual Liang Qichao, and the Science Fiction World magazine.

Founded in 1979, the magazine was a cradle for notable Chinese writers like Liu Cixin, Wang Jinkang and He Xi.

"Reflecting on the development of Chinese sci-fi literature, Chinese people have never stopped imagining and pursuing the future and technology­," Guo Siwen, the director of the documentary, told the Global Times.

The director added that the charm of films like The ­Wandering Earth series lies in their portrayal of "the ­history of the future."

"[Such films] are not just about visual imaginations, but also about attempts to explore scientific and social topics in reality," Guo emphasized.

The Wandering Earth 3 is expected to be released in China on February 6, 2027.

Expansive landscape

Noting that Chinese sci-fi does not lack quality IPs, Chen Fusi, a cultural industry expert, told the Global Times that Chinese sci-fi culture is ­expanding its "multi-domain" landscape in collaborating with not only the film sector, but also other sectors such as gaming and art.

Taking the Chinese game Honkai: Star Rail as an example, it is a strategic game that invites players to go on an adventure across the galaxy.

While maintaining its sci-fi theme, the visual aesthetics of the game engage Chinese cultural elements like traditional ­architectural designs unique to East China's Anhui Province.

The game has been popular among overseas players. Chen, the expert, told the Global Times that the new "sci-fi and gaming" design helps overseas young people "experience Chinese culture in effortless ways."

In the recent past, sci-fi has grown to be a popular theme for curated art exhibitions. Featuring new technologies like 3D mapping and virtue reality, a visual exhibition in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province has interpreted the historical ancient Silk Road story featuring sci-fi visual presentations.

"Sci-fi is like a medium for cultural expression. It can be embedded in different fields to help promote Chinese values," Lü Yingying, the documentary's producer, told the Global Times.

"Compared to many Western countries, the start of China's sci-fi culture was relatively recent, but we have developed fast relying on our profound history and also the country's innovative technologies," Chen told the Global Times.

Following Israel's ground military operations in southern Lebanon and Iran's ballistic missile strikes on Israel, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, urges immediate de-escalation of the Lebanese-Israeli situation, warning that any further provocations could easily cause the situation, which is now "hanging by a thread," to spiral out of control.

Over the past two weeks, the situation in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, has rapidly deteriorated. China is deeply concerned about the severe situation and the outlook for future developments, Fu said at a UN Security Council emergency session on Wednesday.

We call for the respect of the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of all countries, Fu noted, reiterating China's opposition to any action that violates the basic principles of international relations and condemning all violent attacks targeting civilians.

China supports the position of the UN, emphasizing that any Israeli incursions into Lebanon violate the latter's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and are in breach of the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Fu said.

Under the current circumstances, the Chinese envoy said the UN Security Council must take urgent actions and be united in making clear and unequivocal demands: An immediate ceasefire must be established in Gaza; the deescalation of the Lebanese-Israeli situation must be advanced to stop the cycle of violence; every effort must be made to prevent the spread of the fighting; and the parties concerned must return to the track of political and diplomatic solutions.

"Since October of last year, cycles of violent conflict have repeatedly occurred in the Middle East. Israel has disregarded the international community's calls for an immediate ceasefire and has insisted on advancing military actions, leading to the prolongation and escalation of the conflict. A full-scale war could break out at any moment," Fu warned.

At this critical juncture, any inflammatory rhetoric or provocative actions are extremely dangerous and could easily lead to misjudgments, trigger chain reactions, and cause the situation to spiral out of control. "China urges all parties, especially Israel, to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that could further escalate the situation," Fu noted.

Fu said the conflict has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, Gaza has become "a hell on Earth," and massive destruction of civilian facilities, thousands of casualties, and more than 1 million people displaced in Lebanon.

The ambassador called on all parties to respect the red lines of international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians.

Warning that the current situation is "hanging by a thread," Fu said any procrastination would be irresponsible, and any rhetoric of condoning further military adventurism would send a wrong message and could cause serious consequences.

"We hope major countries with influence will adopt a sincere and responsible attitude and earnestly play a constructive role to avoid further escalation of the situation," he stressed.

Fu reiterated the importance of respecting the neutrality of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and ensuring the safety and security of the UN peacekeepers. "UN assets and personnel should not be the target of armed attacks," he said.

Israel pressed forward on Wednesday with a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah, leaving eight Israeli soldiers dead, and conducted strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children, AP reported on Thursday.

Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in what Tehran said was retaliation for the recent killings of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials. Meanwhile, 55 people were killed and 156 were injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon in the past 24 hours, according to the Lebanese health ministry on early Wednesday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed deep concerns on Wednesday over the turmoil in the Middle East, stressing that China opposes the violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and opposes moves that fuel antagonism and escalate tensions. China calls on the international community, especially major countries with influence, to play a constructive role and avoid further turmoil.

China has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Canada's unilateralism and trade protectionism practices, according to a spokesperson of the Chinese Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) on Wednesday.

The ministry said it has also initiated an anti-discrimination probe into Canada's restrictive measures targeting certain imports from China.

The Canadian government announced on Tuesday the final list of Chinese-made steel and aluminum subject to a 25 percent tariff, along with a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), effective immediately.

These moves were made despite opposition and warnings from multiple sources.

Commenting on the announcement made by the Canadian side, MOFCOM spokesperson said that Canada's measures violate the principles of market economy and fair competition, severely damaging normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and Canadian enterprises, significantly impacting bilateral economic and trade relations, and disrupting and distorting global industrial and supply chains. China firmly opposes these actions by the Canadian side, according to the spokesperson.

The MOFCOM spokesperson urged Canada to view bilateral economic and trade cooperation rationally and objectively, respect the facts, adhere to WTO rules, and not stray further down the wrong path.

China will take all necessary steps to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, the spokesperson emphasized.

Canada's action is a blind follow-up to the US approach without carefully assessing its own market conditions, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Despite considerable opposition, Canada insists on implementing its protectionist measures, which will directly impact its industrial development and green transition, Zhou said.

"Furthermore, it will affect Canada's role in the multilateral economic and trade system and increase trade friction and economic costs. The related industrial chains will also face further restrictions, which will weaken Canada's ties to currently leading global green development technologies," Zhou further noted.

On September 11, China requested WTO dispute consultations with Canada regarding surtax measures imposed on certain Chinese products, including EVs and steel and aluminum products, according to the WTO.

The MOFCOM announced that it commenced from September 26 an anti-discrimination probe into Canada's tariff hikes on EVs as well as steel and aluminum products imported from China, after initial results have unveiled such discriminatory approach.

According to Xinhua News Agency, it is the first such investigation initiated by China and also the first of its kind in the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attended a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen heroes at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Monday.

The event was held to commemorate China's Martyrs' Day, which annually falls on September 30, a day ahead of China's National Day.

Representatives from all walks of life and the relatives of fallen heroes, as well as Chinese Young Pioneers, offered flower baskets and bouquets in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes, in tribute to the martyrs.

China's top legislature approved September 30 as Martyrs' Day in 2014 to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity.

Also on Monday, multiple cities across China held various memorial activities to commemorate the martyrs, with many people visiting war memorial museums to lay bouquets and pay tribute.

In recent days, multiple public security organs in Hubei, Guangdong, Shanghai and other parts of China organized memorial activities at the local martyrs' memorial parks, inspiring participants to inherit and carry forward the spirit of heroes in the new era.

According to cpd.com affiliated with Ministry of Public Security, police are the most sacrificed group during peace time. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more than 17,000 police officers have died in the line of duty, with over 3,700 honored as martyrs.

Some theater commands also organized soldiers to participate in memorial activities and learn about heroic and patriotic deeds of martyrs.

Some compatriots from Taiwan island also laid flowers for fallen heroes at the Unknown Heroes Memorial Square in Xishan National Forest Park in Beijing on Sunday.

To commemorate the Martyrs' Day, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the State Post Bureau jointly designed and released commemorative stamps, with the Monument to the People's Heroes as the main picture. 

China has a long tradition of commemorating and honoring martyrs and other heroes who contributed greatly to the nation's development. Incomplete statistics suggest China has about 20 million martyrs. However, as many of them did not leave their names in times of war, only about 1.96 million martyrs have been enlisted in the government's directory, according to public information.

The country has about a million burial sites dedicated to martyrs. According to Ministry of Veterans Affairs, about 150,000 martyr memorial facilities and more than 730,000 martyrs' burial sites have been recorded in the information system, and 250,000 martyrs' tombs and memorial sites have been repaired, according to media reports in September.