The world is changing fast, but you can learn it at a slower pace.
Special English You're listening to Special English.
Here's the news.
On a frozen stretch of the Songhua River.
China's ice city Harbin, recently celebrated its its annual ice harvesting festival, signaling the start of a bustling winter tourism season for the northeastern city.
Wrapped in red cotton coats, dozens of ice harvesters worked in tight formation, their metal chisels cracking in steady rhythm, until a perfect, glistening slab loosened from the river's surface, hooking it with iron poles.
They dragged it ashore where sunlight caught its polished edge and turned the block into a beam of silver.
The ice chunks, typically 16 meters long and 08 meters wide, are prized for their uniform density and clear texture.
They were then loaded onto trucks and transported across Harbin, where they would be carved into slides, castles and other landmarks in the capital of Heilongjiang Province.
Over the next month, nearly 1000 workers will carve, lift and haul up to 10000 cubic meters of ice each day.
The ceremony also marks the official start of Harbin's winter tourism push.
The ice slabs will form the backbone of the Harbin ice-snow world.
This year's addition will expand to a record 12 million square meters and use 400000 cubic meters of ice and snow.
That is according to Sun Zemin, Deputy Director of the marketing department at Harbin Ice Snow World Park Company.
The park will roll out a slate of new attractions this year to draw visitors, such as hot spring camps, cross-country skiing tracks, themed parades and a variety of ice and snow activities.
It will also enhance smart tourism services and accessibility facilities to better welcome global travelers.
Harbin has leveraged its long winter to ignite the winter tourism fever in the past few years, with a record-breaking 9035 million visitors last winter.
The total tourist spending in the city amounted to 137 billion yuan, about 19 billion us dollars, up 166 percent year on year, according to wang hong shin, director of the city's culture radio, television and tourism department.
This winter, Harbin will integrate ice and snow with study tours, sports and technology to build a high-quality winter tourism supply system.
China plans to develop its ice and snow economy into a new growth sector, targeting an economic scale of 12 trillion yuan by 2027 and 15 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines issued by the General Office of the State Council in November 2024.
This is Special English.
A Chinese drone has accomplished the longest distance flight of a hydrogen-powered multi-rotor drone, by 188605 kilometers.
The Guinness World Records announced the news at the 7th Zhejiang International Intelligent Transportation Industry Expo in Hangzhou, in East China's Zhejiang Province.
According to Beihang University, the drone Tianmushan-1 completed this flight in more than four hours on November 16 in Hangzhou.
The flight data and achievements of the Tianmu Shan-1 met the standards of the Guinness World Records.
Additionally, the drone's entire flight was monitored in real time and officially verified, with its propulsion system remaining stable throughout and its handling qualities proving exemplary.
As a signature low-altitude economy achievement unveiled by the Tianmu Shan Laboratory under Beihang University, Tianmu Shan-1 successfully completed its maiden flight in August 2024 and entered production in April 2025.
Featuring a 16-meter wheelbase and a 19-kilogram engine empty weight, the zero-emission drone can carry up to six kilograms of payload.
It is also capable of delivering an ultra-long, 240-minute unloaded endurance, operating reliably from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.
Tianmu Shan-1 is deployed for high-speed ecological patrols, oil and gas pipeline surveys, new energy plant operation and management, as well as island resupply, urban traffic management and emergency response operations.
This new world record demonstrates the vast commercial prospects of hydrogen-powered drones.
You're listening to Special English.
For many young Chinese, the first decision of the day perhaps isn't just what to wear, but which plush companion to clip onto their bag.
Which doll should I take out today?
This simple question marks a burgeoning trend across China, where bag charms have evolved from simple accessories into a unique language of self-expression and a booming sector of the emotional economy.
At a Miniso Land store on Beijing Road, a bustling pedestrian street in South China's Guangzhou.
The trend is palpable.
An entire wall is dedicated to bag charms, featuring everything from classic IPs like Hello Kitty and Harry Potter to trending favorites like Chikawa and characters from the recent Zootopia 2.
Shoppers, mostly young people, crowd the aisles, some clutching over a dozen items waiting for checkout.
Prices range from tens to hundreds of yuan, but the enthusiasm is uniform.
Liu Xiaobin, vice president and chief marketing officer of Miniso, said that bag charms are not just decorations.
They are mobile mood regulators. and visual carriers of young people's identity.
Liu noted that charm products now account for over 35 of the brand's total plush toy stock and their total sales of charm products exceeded 12 million units since the beginning of this year.
The craze is equally visible online.
On RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, a life-sharing platform popular among Chinese youth.
The hashtag can be hung on a bag has garnered over 130 million views.
Netizens eagerly share their matching strategies and socialize through their shared love for specific characters.
In the manufacturing hub of Dongguan, companies are adding technological value to the small items.
According to Zhang Hua, domestic sales, head of an electronic technology company based in Dongguan, the market has expanded from original designs and IP collaborations to include anime, comic and games, merchandise and smart companionship products.
Zhang's company recently launched an original brand featuring a smart plush charm equipped with an AI large model.
It sold 20,000 units within just three days of its launch.
The trend is also bolstering other industries.
Cultural tourism sites across China are launching distinctive bag charms that serve as mobile business cards for regional culture.
Hit films and TV dramas are releasing character charms to extend their popularity beyond the screen.
This is Special English.
China has granted road approval for two electric sedan models equipped with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities.
In the first time, it has allowed such vehicles to operate on public roads.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the models were developed by automakers Chang'an Automobile and BAIC Motors ArcFox.
The Chang'an vehicle is capable of of single-lane autonomous driving at speeds of up to 50 km per hour during traffic congestion.
It is approved to operate on select highway and urban expressway sections in southwest China's Chongqing.
The ArcFox vehicle is permitted to operate autonomously at speeds of up to 80 km per hour on designated highway and urban expressway sections in Beijing.
Autonomous driving is categorized six levels, from level 0 to level 5.
The higher the level, the more advanced and intelligent the technology involved.
Level 3, conditionally automated driving, allows vehicles to perform automated dynamic driving tasks while requiring a human driver to remain available to take control when requested.
In recent years, China has been promoting the adoption of autonomous driving.
In September, the country released a work plan outlining conditional approval for level three vehicle production.
You're listening to special english.
Chinese scientists have uncovered a crucial mechanism explaining how earth may have stored vast quantities of water in its infancy, shedding new light on the planet's dramatic evolution from a fiery ball of magma to the life-nurturing world of today.
Researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have experimentally demonstrated that the planet's deep mantle could have acted as a massive reservoir for water over 4 billion years ago.
That is according to the study published the journal science.
The journal stated in an editorial summary quote where did the water go when Earth's early magma oceans crystallized for the deepest mantle?
The answer has been elusive, end quote.
The key lies in In Bridgmanite, the dominant mineral in the lower mantle.
While previously thought to have limited water storage capacity, the Chinese team has discovered that the mineral actually exhibits a powerful temperature-dependent ability to trap water.
They recreated the extreme conditions of the lower mantle.
High pressure and scorching temperatures up to approximately 4,100 degrees Celsius.
Their findings reveal a paradox.
The hotter the environment, the more efficiently Bridgmanite captures and stores water molecules during its formation from cooling magma.
This process could have locked away in the solid mantle an amount of water equivalent to between 008 and 1 times the volume of all modern oceans.
According to the study, this primordial water stockpile has been gradually cycled back to the surface through volcanic activities, contributing to the formation of a blue, habitable planet.
That's the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read two of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
A Chinese drone has accomplished the longest distance flight of a hydrogen-powered multi-rotor drone, by 188605 kilometers.
The Guinness World Records announced the news at the 7th Zhejiang International Intelligent Transportation Industry Expo in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang Province.
According to Beihang University, the drone Tien Mu Shan 1 completed this flight in more than four hours on November 16 in Hangzhou.
The flight data and achievements of the Tien Mu Shan 1 met the standards of the Guinness World Records.
Additionally, the drone's entire flight was monitored in real time and officially verified, with its propulsion system remaining stable throughout and its handling qualities proving exemplary.
As a signature low-altitude economy achievement unveiled by the Tianmushan Laboratory under Beihang University, Tianmushan-1 successfully completed its maiden flight in August 2024 and entered production in April 2025.
Featuring a 16-meter wheelbase and a 19-kilogram empty weight, the zero-emission drone can carry up to 6 kilograms of payload.
It is also capable of delivering an ultra-long, 240-minute unloaded endurance, operating reliably from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.
Tianmushan-1 is deployed for high-speed ecological patrols, oil and gas pipeline surveys, new energy plant operation and management, as well as island resupply, urban traffic management and emergency response operations.
This new world record demonstrates the vast commercial prospects of hydrogen-powered drones.
China has granted road approval for two electric sedan models equipped with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities.
In the first time, it has allowed such vehicles to operate on public roads.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the models were developed by automakers Chang'an Automobile and BAIC Motors Arcvox.
The Chang'an vehicle is capable of single-lane autonomous driving at speeds of up to 50 km per hour during traffic congestion.
It is approved to operate on select highway and urban expressway sections in southwest China's Chongqing.
The ArcFox vehicle is permitted to operate autonomously at speeds of up to 80 km per hour on designated highway and urban expressway sections in Beijing.
Autonomous driving is categorized in six levels from Level 0 to Level 5.
The higher the level, the more advanced and intelligent the technology involved.
Level 3 Conditionally Automated Driving allows vehicles to perform automated dynamic driving tasks while requiring a human driver to remain available to take control when requested.
In recent years, China has been promoting the adoption of autonomous driving.
In September, the country released a work plan outlining conditional approval for Level 3 vehicle production.
This is the end of today's program.
I hope you'll join us every day to learn English at a slower pace.
From the refreshing cup of tea that starts your morning to the paper that you write on.
The roots of many familiar parts of modern life can be traced back to ancient ideas.
Join us on Made in Ancient China and discover how ideas born millennia ago became some of the world's greatest treasures.
Made in ancient China, brings you stories of human ambition, inspiration and connection.
Now available on all major podcast platforms.
I was born on the 17th of November.
Delve into a world of words with Books and Beyond, a podcast made especially for audiobook lovers.
As the youngest of five children... I wondered what Her Majesty would be like.
Why upon you limpid one?
Why have you taken Immerse yourself in gripping stories and timeless classics from the comfort of your own personal space?
Sun Zi underlined three points on the context to gain initiative.
There was no better wine.
And not to mention Whether you're a bookworm or a casual listener, I'll careful will transport you to new worlds and stir your imagination.
Subscribe to books and beyond, and start your audiobook adventure now.
