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Three news sites in China have been officially recognized by the United Nations Food and agriculture organization as globally important agricultural heritage systems. The newly designated sites are the de Qing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System in Zhejiang Province, the Fu Ding White Tea Culture System in Fujian Province, and the Gao Lan Shi Quan Ancient Pear Orchard System in Gansu Province.
With the latest inclusions, China continues to lead globally in the number of the sites now totaling 25.
The 800 year old duching system which is focused on shelled pearl mussel cultivation integrates aquaculture, agriculture and traditional craftsmanship.
It produces pearls, rice, silk, and other goods.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO for short, this circular system offers valuable global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance and rural development.
Meanwhile, the centuries -old fooding white tea culture system combines ecological knowledge with artisanal practices.
It integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving 18 varieties of tea trees.
In addition to tea, the system also supports more than 120 other agricultural species contributing to biodiversity and food system resilience.
The Gao Lan Xichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System located along the Yellow River in the arid Loess plateau has a 600 year history of dryland agroforestry.
It showcases techniques adapted to water scarcity and erosion prone soils, supporting agro -biodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods.
The system produces over 2 million kilograms of pears annually, which are used to produce local specialties, such as dried pears.
Kawe Zahidy, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at FAO said that agricultural heritage systems are living examples of harmony between people and nature that have thrived and evolved through generations and have much to teach humanity as to adapting to an uncertain future.
With the latest additions, the FAO's Global Agricultural Heritage Network now comprises 95 systems across 28 countries.
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China has unveiled its first digital platform dedicated to tropical biodiversity.
offering global access to over 90 ,000 verified species records.
The Shishuangban Na Biodiversity Platform, developed by Shishuangban Na Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is now globally accessible.
The platform showcases the region's rich ecological heritage.
Sichuanbannan, home to one of China's most intact tropical ecosystems, hosts one -sixth of the country's plant species and a quarter of its animal species.
The new platform features over 90 ,000 verified records covering 15 ,622 species including some 5 ,200 animals, 9 ,700 plants and 600 fungi.
Zhu Renbin, a senior engineer with the botanical garden, said that only expert validated observations receive authoritative or research -grade labels before being added to the platform, ensuring scientific rigor.
Co -released by the Xi Shuangban Na Ecology and Environment Bureau, the platform plans to integrate AI -powered species recognition and educational tools to bridge research, conservation and public engagement.
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Researchers have recently made a major breakthrough in the field of bionic vision, paving a new path for microscopic observation and high -end instrument development.
The study, a collaboration between the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and Duke University in the United States has been published in the journal Science Advances.
Inspired by insect compound eyes, scientists have previously developed various imaging systems using micro lens arrays and sensors, achieving initial applications.
However, traditional bionic compound eye systems have long faced limitations due to their complex 3D structures and restricted spatial resolution, resulting in blurry imaging.
Zhang Dawei, a professor at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and leader of the research team, said that they aim not only to let Bionic vision systems see the world but also see clearly and understand it.
The innovative breakthrough stems from an in -depth bionic study of the structural characteristics and information processing mechanisms of arthropod compound eyes.
Insects rely on hundreds or thousands of small visual units working together to respond instantly to complex environments.
Mimicking this, the team developed a compact 0 .8 cubic centimeter bionic vision system capable of megapixel level full color ultra wide field high resolution imaging.
Using deep learning, the team built a multi level visual processing model that performs tasks such as high definition panoramic image reconstruction, wide field multi target positioning, as well as object recognition, multi target tracking, and 3D tracking.
This advancement enables bionic vision to truly see clearly, and understand overcoming traditional limitations.
Zhuang Songlin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Said the research exemplifies interdisciplinary innovation by merging bionics with AI.
The team is now refining the bionic compound eye structure, focusing on applications in micro unmanned platforms and other high end equipment.
This achievement not only advances AI -powered scientific instruments, but also supports advancements in medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and intelligent security, demonstrating strong potential from fundamental research to industrial applications.
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According to the Ministry of Commerce, China's home appliance market saw sustained expansion in the first four months of this year, amid government policies to subsidize trade -ins of key consumer goods.
Data from the Ministry shows that over 34 million consumers participated in the Home Appliance Trade -In program in the first four months of this year, buying a total of 51 million units of 12 appliance categories and generating a hundred and seventy four point five billion yuan some twenty four billion u .s. dollars in sales who Young Liang Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry, noted that the country's home appliance sales had maintained double digit growth for eight consecutive months, with sales of home appliances and audio equipment surging by thirty eight point eight percent year on year last
month the highest among sixteen major consumer categories China announced a new round of the consumer goods trade in program last year to boost consumer spending subsidizing trade -ins of automobiles, home appliances, and home decorations, and expanded the scope of the program earlier this year.
The spokesperson said that the ministry will continue to implement the policy and unleash the vitality of the home appliance market.
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Imagine standing on a balcony at night, the ground disappearing into a dark abyss below, while a pattern of glittering stars stretches endlessly across the sky canvas above.
This breathtaking scene is a reality at a cliffside hotel in the Wangxian Valley scenic spot in East China's Jiangxi province.
Once a granite mining quarry where villagers had lived and worked.
Wangxian Valley has been transformed into a popular tourist destination following a government ban on disorderly mining with its natural cliffs creatively repurposed into attractions such as cliffside hotels cliff skywalks and waterfalls.
Thanks to its ethereal and mystical views this valley has garnered wide attention online.
The hashtag, Wangxian Valley, has racked up some 3 billion views on the Chinese short video sharing platform, Douyin.
In the first quarter of this year, the Valley hosted 615 ,800 visitors, generating 120 million yuan, about 16 million U .S. dollars in revenue.
This tourism boom has also benefited surrounding villagers.
Many of them have opened shops and restaurants within the scenic area, while others have found jobs such as waiters and cleaners.
The success of the Wangxian Valley exemplifies Jiangxi's efforts to tap into its rich mountainous and hilly landscapes, accounting for over 70 % of the province's land area by developing distinctive cliff tourism.
A similar transformation has taken place in Huangling Village in Jiangxi, where homes and terraced fields formed part of the to relocate to the foot of the mountain, and the village there was soon renovated into a scenic area.
The traditional local scene of drying crops on bamboo trees in autumn, known as xiai -qiu, has been re -imagined as a tourism trademark.
Vast terraced fields have been planted with rapeseed flowers, while the once -delapidated Huy Jo -style cliffside buildings have been turned into homestays.
Meanwhile, Cliff Shuttle trains began operating earlier this year in the Dajue mountain scenic area in Jiangxi.
Notably, a third of the 11 .8 kilometer train route runs directly along a cliff.
Passengers can enjoy a hanging experience in the air and are treated to sweeping views of canyons, dense forests, seas of clouds and cliffs adorned with blooming rhododendrons.
One visitor said that it's the least physically demanding mountain climbing experience.
Since its launch, the Cliff Train Service has welcomed 184 ,000 passengers, including over 50 ,000 during the past May Day holiday period.
said, China continues to promote tourism tailored to local strengths by leveraging resources such as geographical diversity and culture.
Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that total domestic tourism expenditure year, had reached 1 .8 trillion yuan in the first quarter this year with 1 .79 billion domestic trips made during this period.
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The Asian University Sports Federation has confirmed that the inaugural edition of the Asian University Basketball League is scheduled for August in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang province.
Twelve universities, including China's Tsinghua University and Peking University, Japan's Hakuho University and South Korea's Dongguk University, will participate in the week -long event from August 18th through the 24th.
Jai Li, CEO of the Asian University Basketball League, said that with close to one billion basketball fans in Asia, they see that the most untapped potential in the entire basketball ecosystem exists at the college level.
Lee said that they aspire to build a history -defining league that will accelerate the sports development and trajectory by bringing top collegiate teams from Asia together.
This summer's event will follow a championship style format.
Organizers plan to launch an annual home and away season beginning in 2026 with each season lasting over six months.
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That's the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
Three new sites in China have been officially recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and globally important agriculture heritage systems. This newly designed sites are the Deqing Fresh Water Pearl Mussels composite fishery system in Zhejiang province, the Fuding White Tea Culture system in Fujian province, and the Gao Lan Shizhuan Ancient Pear Orchard system in Gansu Province.
With the latest inclusions, China continues to lead globally in the number of sites now totalling 25.
The 800 year old Deqing System, which is focused on shelled pearl mussel cultivation, integrates aquaculture, agriculture, and traditional craftsmanship.
It produces pearls, rice, silk, and other goods.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO for short, this circular system offers valuable global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance, and rural development.
Meanwhile, the centuries -old Foodine White Tea Culture system combines ecological knowledge with artisanal practices.
It integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving 18 varieties of tea trees.
In addition to tea, the system also supports more than 120 other agricultural species, contributing to biodiversity and food system resilience.
The Gao Lan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System, located along the Yellow River in the arid lowest plateau, has a 600 -year history of dryland agroforestry.
It showcases techniques adapted to water scarcity and erosion -prone soils supporting agro -bi biodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods.
The system produces over 2 million kilograms of pears annually which are used to produce local specialties such as dried pears.
Kave Zagheti, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at FAO said that agricultural heritage systems are living examples of harmony between people and nature that have thrived and evolved through generations and have much to teach humanity as to adapting to an uncertain future.
With the latest additions, the FAO's Global Agricultural Heritage Network now comprises 95 systems across 28 countries.
This is the end of today's program.
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