Spring breeze flips the pages, and reading changes life. On April 20, the first day of China's first National Reading Week, the Global Times "Spring Reading" event was held at the Guangcheng Academy in Beijing. Taking literature as the medium and making friends through reading, the event has built a bridge for exchanging insights on reading and promoting the National Reading initiative. This marks the sixth session of the Global Times' reading-themed events since their launch in 2023.

On the occasion of China's first national reading week, the Global Times launched its 2026 Spring Reading event on Monday in Beijing, kicking off a journey of literary dialogue and exchange of civilizations.

In a move that has sent ripples through cultural circles, Deutsche Grammophon (DG) China recently announced the signing of China's young guzheng virtuoso Yang Yang (Hu Xuyuan). For the iconic "Yellow Label" - long regarded as the gold standard of classical music - to embrace a traditional Chinese instrument is far more than a routine commercial contract. It signals that Chinese folk music has stepped beyond viral short-video moments and entered the very heart of the global classical music industry. This move marks a qualitative leap: from occasional "cultural showcases" to genuine artistic dialogue on an equal footing.

Standing atop of the Gubeikou Great Wall in Beijing's Miyun district, where the wind howls through broken battlements and the earth still bears the faint scars of artillery fire, Chinese author Huang Liangbin closes his eyes and envisions the chaos of 1933.

China has completed the first round of audio and video recording for its first cross-dialect database of The Epic of King Gesar, covering multiple versions and artistic forms, according to a report by the China News Service on Sunday.

The 2026 Beijing Spring Book Fair officially opened on Saturday, launching a citywide reading celebration that will run for a full month through May 17. Timed ahead of China's national reading week, the fourth week of April each year, the annual event has expanded beyond its traditional format this year, extending reading spaces and weaving in cinematic elements.

The 2026 Beijing Book Fair is set to kick off on Saturday and will run till May 17. For the first time, the annual event has been extended to a full month, offering residents and visitors a citywide spring cultural feast infused with the fragrance of books, one of the organizers of the book fair told the Global Times on Friday. The book fair will open simultaneously on Saturday at four venues located in the east, south, west, and north of the capital, namely Chaoyang Park, Nanyuan Forest and Wetland Park, Shougang Park, and Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park, according to Capital Culture Technology Group Co (CCTG), one of the organizers of the event.

To anyone curious about him, Nyima Wangdu sends a profile of self-introduction packed with such achievements. Even with a quick glance, it is easy to see that he is a person committed to exploring life's possibilities.

A newly restored 4K version of the 1991 Hong Kong action film Once a Thief is scheduled to be released in the Chinese mainland on May 3, marking its first theatrical run in the mainland.

University leaders, scholars and education professionals from China, Greece and other countries gathered Thursday in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to discuss the future of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), concluding with the release of a proposal known as the "Chongqing Initiative."

At the ongoing China Internet Audio & Video Convention 2026 held in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, a report focusing on the sector's development specified that, as of December 2025, the average daily time spent per consumer on micro-drama apps had reached 129 minutes, surpassing that of long-form videos.

Ye Mei, a well-known ecological writer, has spent decades traveling and writing, leaving behind heartfelt records of China's rivers and mountains.

The red carpet ceremony for the opening of the 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) took place at the Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center in Beijing's Huairou district on Thursday. Hundreds of filmmakers and actors from China and abroad graced the event. Twelve film crews took part in the opening ceremony, including the teams behind Pegasus 3 and Vanishing Point. The 16th BJIFF, which runs until April 26, will screen about 260 outstanding films from around the world across approximately 800 showings in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday wrapped up his official visit to China, the fourth in four years, during which he enjoyed a gourmet night at a restaurant transformed from a 600-year-old temple in Beijing's hutong, where Western culinary art meets Chinese culture. On Monday evening, Sanchez and his wife Begona Gomez had dinner at TRB hutong, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Lucas Garigliano, a Spanish native and executive chef of the restaurant, which had received important guests from countries including France, UAE, Saudi Arabia and in Africa, noted that "this time was different," as it was the first time hosting a dignitary from his home country.

The night falls, and several girls are waiting outside a studio in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, in the hope of seeing one of the sisters on the popular show Ride the Wind 2026. Faces lit by the glow of phone screens, their voices buzz with excitement whenever anyone walks out of the studio. They clutch flashlights and chant the sisters' names into the cool air.

Chinese characters are not just what we write and read daily; they are also used in calligraphy and seal carving. They are seen in inscriptions on oracle bones in museums, as well as designs on crafts and everyday objects. Vast and rich, the world of Chinese characters holds the keys to Chinese civilization, and radiates infinitive creativity.

Bamboo slips containing the long-lost chapter of The Analects of Confucius, the Qi version's "Zhi Dao" (lit. knowing the way), missing for more than 1,800 years, were unveiled to the public for the first time at the Nanchang Relic Museum for the Haihun Principality of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) on Wednesday. The relics fill a major void in the textual history of one of China's most influential philosophical works, according to a press release the museum sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

In a single county, there are dozens of active folk opera troupes. One rural troupe stages more than 300 performances a year and has over 2 million followers on video platforms - a sign of the growing popularity of Gezai Opera in Zhangpu county, Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian Province.

French lawmakers in the National Assembly on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks and other prized artefacts looted during the country's colonial era to their countries of origin, France 24 reported.

On a causeway at the Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve in North China's Hebei Province, 12 critically endangered Baer's pochards hesitated briefly at the edge of the enclosure, then beat their wings and plunged into the reed marsh under the watchful eyes of researchers who had waited this moment for 10 years.

With the biggest highlight being Cai Gao becoming the first Chinese illustrator to win the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen (HCA) Award, the 2026 Bologna Children's Book Fair recently opened in Italy, where diverse Chinese children's books are turning heads.

An optical fiber monitoring system has been installed at the thousand-year-old Hanging Temple in North China's Shanxi Province to track structural vibrations and assess risks from environmental and human activity, according to the Shanxi Earthquake Agency.

In recent days, an online ­personality quiz - called the Silly Big Personality Test (SBTI) - crashed into the spotlight on Chinese social media. Created as a tongue-in-cheek parody of the globally popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), SBTI can give you some meme-fueled labels, including "Boss," "Poor," "Monk" and "ATM-er," after answering a series of multiple-choice questions. Lots of young netizens compared, shared, and poked fun at their new "personalities," posting these tags across various social media platforms.

The public announcement of candidates for "Model Workers" in East China's Jiangsu Province has drawn widespread attention, with Wang Jibing, known as the "Delivery Rider Poet" by Chinese netizens, among the nominees. This honor is not only an affirmation of an ordinary worker's kindness and sense of responsibility, but also proof that literature doesn't reside in an ivory tower, but in the fireworks of daily life and the perseverance of ordinary workers. It perfectly embodies the spirit of national reading and cultural inclusiveness advocated by the Regulation on the Promotion of Nationwide Reading that was implemented in February.

"Anybody who understands economics will want to build relationship with China," a representative from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told the Global Times at the UAE-China Business Promotion Conference in Beijing on Monday, which was held on the sidelines of the official visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, UAE. At the event, many business players from UAE told the Global Times that this trip to China is aimed at further strengthening ties between business partners amid a volatile global trade environment.

China's online literature has achieved a historic leap, emerging as a vital engine of cultural innovation and global outreach, according to the Report on the Development of Chinese Online Literature 2025 released on Monday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

A total of seven national departments, including China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, have moved to continue supporting the cultivation of rural craftsmen across the country in 2026. From traditional knots to stationary and on to food, the total number of China's rural craftsmen has surpassed 130,000.

Micro dramas, as a representative form of new mass culture, have sparked a wave of popularity in overseas markets thanks to their "short, punchy and fast" mode of dissemination, audience-oriented storytelling, and distinctive vertical-screen aesthetics. Behind these achievements, the role of platform expansion abroad has been especially critical.

Chinese illustrator Cai Gao won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award on Monday, according to results announced at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.

Three Chinese Xiangqi players were handed lifetime bans from engaging in or participating in Xiangqi activities for match-fixing, according to a circular released by the Chinese Xiangqi Association (CXA) on its official WeChat account on Monday.

A robot flying a kite became the unlikely star of the 14th Beijing International Kite Festival on Saturday, offering a glimpse of how organizers are injecting technology into one of China's oldest folk pastimes, the Beijing Sports Federation (BSF), one of the event's organizers, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Recent controversies in China's youth sports scene have once again drawn public attention to the importance of discipline, integrity and sportsmanship in junior competitions.

When Elegy for the Dying Township, the latest novel by acclaimed Chinese writer Su Tong, was launched, it did not simply appear as a book on shelves. Instead, it arrived alongside a series of ­AI-generated micro-films that creatively reimage the novel's narrative. This marks an experiment by China's publishing industry to embrace new technology and use AI to assist the promotion of books and reading.

On April 4, the first day of the Qingming holidays, 26-year-old Sun Yiheng traveled from Northeast China's Jilin Province to a tea garden in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, to experience firsthand the traditional art of tea picking.

Players of both teams jump for the ball during the final match between Kaili City and Yanhe County at the 2026 China's Village Basketball Competition in Taipan Village, Taijiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Visitors learn Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese breathing and stretching exercise, at the "Chinese + TCM" South Island Roadshow in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 11, 2026. The "Chinese + TCM (traditional Chinese medicine)" South Island Roadshow was held here on Saturday. A team from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University engaged local audiences with lectures, interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities during the event. (Photo by Chen Siyumeng/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows farmers transplanting early rice seedlings in Jinqiao Town, Qidong County of Hengyang City, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo by Cao Zhengping/Xinhua)

At the first glance, the Mo's Chicken Hot Pot restaurant originally appeared no different from other neighborhood eateries in Shunde, South China's Guangdong Province, with just over a dozen tables and a steady flow of regular customers. That changed rapidly after a short food vlog went viral at the start of April, drawing more than 900,000 likes and turning the previously low-key eatery into a trending destination. Crowds soon gathered, with long queues forming outside the restaurant. The owner's remark in the video - saying he was "unwilling to continue operating" and advising customers not to come - unexpectedly amplified public attention, further fueling the surge in visitors. Meanwhile, it once again turned dampness-dispelling chicken hot pot into a trendy form of dietary therapy.

Head coaches and team managers of two teams from Beijing that had a one-year suspension imposed on them for involvement in a U10 match-fixing case at the 5th China Youth Football League were handed lifetime bans by the Beijing Football Association (BFA) on Friday, after the Chinese national football authority issued a report on the incident, vowing to firmly oppose match-fixing.

Commenting on China's participation in the 31st LG Cup World Baduk Championship, the Chinese Weiqi Association (CWA) said on Friday that it aligns with the broader context of cultural exchanges between China and South Korea, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

On March 29, as the final encore faded at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Chinese singer-songwriter Silence Wang's Rise of Romance world tour came to an end. Spanning 31 days across Asia, North America and Oceania, covering five cities and 11 shows, the tour boasted sold-out performances at every stop, marking a landmark moment for original C-pop music's global reach.

China's latest overseas study and talent return report, released at the 2026 China International Education Exhibition Tour on Friday, shows safety and trust have become key for Chinese students choosing study destinations, while their willingness to return for work is rising sharply amid the shifting geopolitical dynamics.

In early April, the gentle spring breeze along the Luohe River carries with it the scent of blooming peonies, signaling that the ancient city of Luoyang, Central China's Henan Province, has entered its annual season of floral splendor.

In a recent exclusive interview, Nurlan Yermekbayev, secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), told the Global Times that China's 15th Five-Year Plan is largely consonant with the SCO Economic Development Strategy for the period until 2030. Both programmatic documents channel efforts in the same direction, thereby opening up new horizons for cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as well, he said.

Starting with the spring, we are launching a “Four Seasons Reading List,” presenting curated selections of new and outstanding works across four installments: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in China hosted the 32nd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda (Kwibuka 32) in Beijing on Tuesday. Under the theme “Remember-Unite-Renew,” the ceremony hosted around 150 guests. Following the ceremony, Rwandan Ambassador to China James Kimonyo in an interview with the Global Times said that April 7 is designated by the United Nations and the African Union as the International Day of Remembrance and Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, “so that we keep the memory alive. But there's also an opportunity over time to honor the victims.”

The Delegation of the European Union in China hosted the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition Past Forward: European Heritage, Global Connections, in Beijing on Thursday. The exhibition was organized within the framework of EUPOP China and in cooperation with the European Heritage Label Bureau. At the ceremony, EU Ambassador to China Jorge Toledo said culture has always been a powerful bridge between different peoples. "Through these photographs, we hope to offer Chinese audiences a window into Europe's rich and diverse heritage. We also hope to encourage dialogue, curiosity, and mutual understanding," said Toledo.

Known as the "giant panda of the sea," the Chinese white dolphin has unique pink skin that is believed by some people to bring good fortune, making it a unique sight emerging from the sea. Among all the sea areas where it appears, Sanniang Bay in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is the most "fortunate" as this is where the rare species appears most frequently in the country. Meanwhile, this dolphin population, in turn, brings great fortune to local tourism.

Over the past few years, I have been to many places I'd never set foot in, done many things I'd never tried before, and made many new friends. Along the way, I have discovered a deeper sense of purpose and come to understand what life is really about.

Northwest University has launched an investigation into one of its faculty members over allegations of plagiarism in academic papers, the university said on Thursday, according to a China News report.

Spanning from the Paleolithic period to the Xixia period (1038-1227), a total of 21 Chinese archaeological sites scattered nationwide have been shortlisted as final candidates for the national top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2025.

On stage, Warren Mok pours out his soul through song, captivating audiences with his powerful voice in the world's top opera houses. When away from the spotlight and applause, he finds peace in the pages of classics, exploring the depths of words and seeking answers.

Guan Renshan's latest novel, The Sun Kisses the Hutuo River, released in March, pushes forward into an era of rural revitalization, high-tech agriculture and a new kind of farmer who is not merely surviving, but "growing strong."

Old pear trees make village in NW China a popular tourist destination

In an era when polished variety shows have long dominated Chinese screens, Ride the Wind 2026, a show from China's Mango TV, has thrown open its studio doors. By broadcasting performances live without cuts, auto-tune or post-production polish, the show has become the talk of the town.

"AI does not understand that sometimes silence speaks louder than shouting, and imperfection is perfect… That one percent injection of 'lived-in soul' is what makes AI works stand out," wrote Feng Shengyong, director of the TV Drama Department of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), in an article published by the People's Daily on Tuesday.

Beneath the soil, shrouded in silence, lies the Shuanghe Cave, a natural riddle buried under the land of Suiyang county, Southwest China's Guizhou Province. For millions of years, it has evolved into one of the world's largest and most structurally intricate cave systems ever discovered in dolomite strata.

Riding the wave of the warm spring weather, the 2026 Qingming Festival holidays sparked a nationwide cultural tourism boom, with museum tours and outdoor Taqing, or "Spring outings," emerging as hot trends.

China's snooker star Zhao Xintong beat world No.1 Judd Trump of England to win the 2026 Snooker Tour Championship in Manchester on Sunday, becoming the first player to sweep all three Players Series events in a single season. This latest victory has helped him rise to a career-high world ranking of fourth.

Shanghai is about to become the permanent home of a cultural milestone. From May 21 to 31, the First Showcase of Outstanding Repertoires by China Theatre Plum Blossom Award winning artists hosted by China Theatre Association will lift its curtains in the city. What makes this event historic is not merely the gathering of 16 Plum Blossom Award laureates and 10 landmark productions spanning eight major opera schools and one dance drama. This will be the moment China's highest theatrical honor steps beyond domestic recognition to claim its place as a global cultural brand. For the first time, the Plum Blossom Award is "sailing to the world" as a unified, systematic force rather than isolated performances. This marks a decisive shift in how traditional Chinese drama engage with the world.

On Saturday, the CAA released the 2025 China Marathon Races Blue Book, revealing a trend that many people say feels counter-intuitive: The total number of marathon-related events nationwide dropped to 594, a decline from 696 in 2024, marking the sport's first large-scale "slimming down."

People enjoy their leisure time and taste various snacks at a night market in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on April 6, 2026. Boasting a dazzling array of specialty snacks that filled the air with enticing aromas, the night market attracted numerous local residents and tourists.

A breakthrough has been made in Suiyang county, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, with the discovery in Shuanghe Cave of the most complete takin fossil ever found in China. According to the Xinhua News Agency, this and the other similar fossils discovered nearby are also the first reliable fossil records of Late Pleistocene takins in the country.

After a safety barrier collapsed during the final encore at a Super Junior concert in Seoul, the South Korean boy band and organizers issued a formal apology on Monday and pledged to cover all medical expenses for the injured fans and to strengthen safety management at future events, as three fans were left injured and concerns over concert security surged online.

China's Zhao Xintong made snooker history on Sunday in Manchester, Britain, defeating world No. 1 Judd Trump 10-3 in the 2026 Snooker Tour Championship final to become the first player to sweep all three Players Series events in a single season, according to World Snooker Tour (WST) website.

Chinese actor Yi Yangqianxi, also known as Jackson Yee, has gone viral in several AI-generated dramas. His studio released a statement early Sunday clarifying that Yee has neither participated in any such productions nor authorized any third party to use his likeness for AI synthesis.

​In a rainy day in 2006, 19-year-old motorcycle mechanic Zhang Xue rode 100 kilometers through muddy mountainous roads in China's Hunan Province, shivering in soaked clothes, to intercept a television crew.

TV drama production should reject “appearance worship” and adhere to the principle of “content first, character-driven storytelling,” according to a report released by a WeChat account of China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) on Thursday night.

Visitors admire two Fu Hao owl-shaped vessels on April 2, 2026, in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province. A special exhibition opened at the Henan Museum, featuring two Shang Dynasty (c.1600BC-1046BC) bronze vessels – the Fu Hao owl-shaped vessel – from the National Museum of China and the Henan Museum. This marks the first time in 50 years since their excavation that the two vessels have been displayed together in their hometown of Henan. The vessels are currently the earliest bird-shaped bronze wine vessels discovered in China. Photo: VCG

A total of 22 kite teams from China and abroad will take part in the 15th Beijing International Kite Festival, set to kick off on April 11 at the Beijing Garden Expo Park, the Beijing Sports Federation (BSF), one of the event's organizers told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The fifth National Conference on Reading is set to take place in Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi Province, from April 20 to 22, marking a significant milestone in China's efforts to promote a nationwide reading culture, according to a document sent to the Global Times by the organizer on Thursday.

Editor's Note: Finding a "dazi," or "companion," is becoming a new way for young people in China to build social connections. Whether for learning skills or travelling together, having a companion allows them to enjoy their independence without becoming isolated. In this report, we speak to several young people to document their unique social styles.

In 2016, "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun's annual motion," was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The ancient Chinese divided the sun's annual circular motion into 24 segments. Each segment was called a specific Solar Term, starting from the Beginning of Spring and ending with Greater Cold. From the rhythm of labor aligned with nature to the wisdom of seasonal dishes, the 24 Solar Terms have shaped a philosophy of "harmony between humans and nature" and a way of life unique to Chinese culture. The Global Times presents the series "The Markings of Time," which follows cultural inheritors across China to explore local traditions and humanistic sentiments tied to each solar term. As soon as the calendar turns to April, the Qingming, literally "clear and bright," approaches.

China's three-time Olympic champion diver Quan Hongchan recently opened up about her struggles with weight management and the pressure of public scrutiny. Her emotional revelation ignited discussions on Chinese social media regarding the detrimental effects of fan culture and the need to respect athletes' natural development, as many voiced support for the 19-year-old athlete.

Just weeks after standing on the Olympic podium, Li Fanghui is back where she feels most at home - training. At 23, the freestyle skier from Tonghe county of Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has little time to linger on her success. Her silver medal in the women's halfpipe at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics marked a career breakthrough, but for Li, it also signaled something else: a reset. "When I stepped off the podium, everything went back to zero," she said. "In the next four years, I'm going for gold."

Renowned Kazakhstani singer Rukhiya Baidukenova staged a song about her hometown and its people at China's Central Opera House in Beijing on Tuesday night for the opening of the China-Kazakhstan Year of Cultural Exchanges.

As the Qingming Festival holidays (April 4-6) approach, China's movie industry is gearing up for a record-breaking release schedule, with nearly 20 new films set to debut over the holiday period.

Commenting on his debut novel Quagmire at a recent meet-the-author event in Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi Province, Chinese writer Liu Chuxin told the Global Times that the novel reflects the survival of the individual amid the tides of history and also his personal experience during the writing process, which he equated to being trapped in a quagmire. Liu won the 2025 Lijiang Literary Award with his first book Quagmire. In his acceptance speech, Liu, choking up several times, fondly recalled the last words of his late girlfriend: "One goes through much suffering in life, but looking back, it all becomes part of a legend." These words have since become a source of spiritual support for his literary creation. His speech sparked widespread discussion on social media, moving many to tears.

The Chinese Super League returns to action this week after the international break with upgraded governance, a warming fan market and youth development that signal a healthier future and could support the national team. After years of ups and downs, the league and its governing body show strongest evidence that Chinese football is shifting toward sustainable football, a model focused on fiscal discipline and long-term talent rather than flashy spending. The governance upgrade forms the quiet foundation. During the international break, the Chinese Professional Football League (CFL) held a seminar for domestic clubs on healthy development.

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) has recently issued a notice to launch a special nationwide campaign aimed at strengthening the safety management of cultural relics in state-owned museums. The initiative involves a comprehensive inventory check and risk inspection of all relics held by public museums across China. The campaign will see museums conduct item-by-item checks, thoroughly verifying the consistency between records and actual holdings, with the goal of establishing a standardized and regularized system for managing and auditing museum collections, according to an article published Wednesday on the NCHA's official WeChat account.

Recently published after more than 20 years of work, archaeologist Yuan Dongshan's new book Fengjie Yong'an Town Cemetery unveils the mysteries of the cemetery, recording what he calls a "true history sealed by the river." The Yong'an Town cemetery is located in the ancient town of Fengjie county in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. It holds unique value due to the discovery of "M99," the largest and highest-ranking Warring States period (475BC-221BC) burial found in the Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River.

Editor's Note: Feng Yuanzheng is no stranger to the stage in China. As a celebrated actor and president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, he has spent decades in Chinese theater. Renowned for his versatility and dedication, Feng has played a pivotal role in both preserving and innovating classic productions, from Teahouse to Zhang Juzheng, bringing traditional Chinese dramas to audiences at home and around the world. What is new under his leadership is the theater's thoughtful integration of technology, used sparingly to enhance storytelling while keeping the actor at the center of the stage, reflecting Feng's belief that the heart of Chinese drama lies in human performance and emotional resonance. The Global Times spoke with Feng about his philosophy on acting, theater management, the role of technology in enhancing performance, and cross-cultural storytelling.

Chinese netizens voiced support for three-time Olympic champion diver Quan Hongchan after she admitted that she “seriously considered retiring” due to struggles with weight control and mounting public pressure after the Paris 2024 Olympics during a recent interview with Chinese magazine Portrait.

Chinese motorbike manufacturer ZXMoto claimed its first-ever victories in the FIM Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP) by sweeping both Race 1 and Race 2 at the Portuguese Round over the weekend, marking the first time a Chinese brand has triumphed in the series, and sparking widespread coverage and commentary across global media and social platforms.

After French rider Valentin Debise crossed the finish line to secure back-to-back victories for ZXMoto Factory Evan Bros Racing on Saturday and Sunday, Chinese motorcycle entrepreneur Zhang Xue could barely contain his emotion. It was only the second round of the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP) season, yet the newly established Chinese manufacturer ZXMoto had already claimed its first-ever race wins - twice in a single weekend.

During recent conservation and reinforcement work around the six pagodas on the southern face of the West Hill at the Longmen Grottoes, researchers newly identified a stone inscription of the Diamond Sutra dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). According to information from the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute sent to the Global Times on Monday, this is regarded as a major discovery in the field of Buddhist scripture carvings in recent years.

When the French Annecy International Animation Film Festival - widely regarded as the "Oscars of animation" - released its 2026 shortlist, one entry stood out for Chinese audiences and industry insiders alike: the second season of the domestic sci-fi series Ling Cage.

Featuring 74 torchbearers and spanning a distance of 10.5 kilometers, the torch relay for the 6th Asian Beach Games was held on Monday in the host city of Sanya, South China's Hainan Province.

Chinese and Italian experts gathered Monday at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing for an international roundtable on cultural heritage conservation and restoration, highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries in technology and education, according to CASS.

As Hollywood turns to narratives of "saving the Earth together," its depictions of global cooperation are offering a striking contrast to the fractures seen in contemporary US politics.

China's Yueju Opera, the graceful "southern sister" of Beijing Opera, celebrated its 120th birthday last week. What began in 1906 on a makeshift stage of upturned rice buckets in a village in East China's Zhejiang Province has become one of China's most vibrant theatrical arts, with professional troupes nationwide and amateur societies expanding from city theaters to rural stages.

Selecting from niche fields spanning pottery to grotto conservation, a total of 10 Chinese cultural heritage conservators have recently been honored as "national master craftsmen of cultural relics." The selection marks the first of its kind in China, and the 10 honorees also stand as the inaugural cohort of nationally recognized cultural heritage skilled talent.

A 3,000-year-old city in Uzbekistan has been discovered by a joint Chinese-Uzbek archaeological team, shedding new light on the ancient city's layout and construction during the early Iron Age.

Two men compete in a traditional pole-pushing contest in Qionghai, South China's Hainan Province, on March 29, 2026. The 12th Lady Xian Cultural Festival kicked off in Shibi town, Qionghai on Sunday. Traditional folk competitions including fun sports meets and the turtle-pulling game will be staged, allowing people to fully experience the charm of folk customs and rural sentiments.

"Team and all-around are priorities," reads a slogan adorning the wall inside the training venue of China's national gymnastics team in Beijing, as athletes hone their skills following the winter training program. National gymnastics team leader Lu Bin highlighted the intensity of winter training, noting that the squad was minimizing their technical shortcomings. Yet, he emphasized, true validation would only come on the competition floor. "The winter training targeted our weaknesses with focused reinforcement, but we still need the test of actual matches to confirm our progress," Lu told reporters after an open training session on Thursday.

China men's national football team beat World Cup debutant Curacao 2-0 in a FIFA Series match in Sydney on Friday. Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning were on target for China's first win under head coach Shao Jiayi.

Editor's Note: In an age of information overload, reading remains a necessary channel to invigorate the mind, provide inspiration and cultivate virtue. Whether it is childhood enlightenment or the pursuits of adulthood, everyone's reading journey carries unique emotions and life experiences. The Global Times has specially launched the "100 Avid Readers" series, inviting guests from various fields to share their connections with books, stories of growth and sparks of thought. In this installment, we meet Chen Nianxi. For him, reading is a window to life, offering a glimpse of a different kind of light. In Xiahe village, nestled in the mountains of Shangluo in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Chen Nianxi finds his life very peaceful. The 56-year-old writes at home and, in winter, sells mushrooms, collecting, sorting and packing them for customers who find him through social media - a routine that continues until spring.

March has witnessed a slew of events, sharing sessions and movie screenings, competitions, and workshops, marking the 30th Mois de la francophonie. Coordinated by the Institut Français (French Institute) in China, in partnership with several embassies and cultural institutions, the 2026 Month of Francophonie has presented a rich and inclusive program to celebrate a language resolutely focused on the future: conferences and roundtables exploring the unique characteristics of innovation in French. The theme for the year 2026's Francophonie Month is "Create, Invent, Innovate."

An exhibition Traces of North was held at the brand-new office premises of the Consulate-General of Finland in Shanghai on March 23, 2026 to mark the Nordic Day, which celebrates the deep historical, cultural, and social connections between the Nordic countries. Representatives from the Consulates General of Sweden, Norway and Denmark attended the events among other guests.

In a quiet county in North China's Shanxi Province stands an age-old wooden legend: the 67.31-meter-high Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, widely known as the Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County. Built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), the pagoda was constructed using tenon-and-mortise joints, known in Chinese as dougong. It is the tallest and oldest surviving wooden multi-story structure in the world, according to UNESCO. After weathering almost 1,000 years of storms and earthquakes, this structural marvel, held together by 80,000 mortise-and-tenon joints without a single nail, is now in what experts describe as "intensive care."