US and UK fighter jets launched strikes against multiple targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa, the western Red Sea city of Al Hudaydah and the northern province of Saada on Friday local time. The situation in the Red Sea has seen a new round of increased tensions and faces the risk of further escalation.

The air strikes took place exactly one day after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution regarding the situation in the Red Sea, giving the impression that the UN resolution gave the green light for the US and UK actions. It must be pointed out that this is an illusion. The US and the UK may have deliberately created and strengthened this illusion, but it is far from the truth. The resolution was proposed by the US and Japan and passed with a vote of 11 in favor to none against, with four abstentions. It demanded "that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security." Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique abstained from the vote.

The Red Sea is an important international trade channel for goods and energy, and its stability is related to the common interests of the international community. China emphasized that "No country should misinterpret or abuse relevant provisions in this resolution to create new tensions in the Red Sea." Unexpectedly, what China was worried about became a reality the next day. After the attack, some US allies in the Middle East, including Jordan and Oman, expressed concern that the situation might get out of control. Yemen's neighbor Saudi Arabia also called for avoiding escalation of the situation. There is also a lot of opposition in the US. Nabeel Khoury, former deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Yemen, said on X (formerly Twitter), "US/UK bombing campaign in Yemen is another failure of Biden diplomacy."

The current situation in the region is dire. A cease-fire between Palestine and Israel has not yet been achieved, and the spillover conflict in the Red Sea is further escalating and expanding. The Supreme Political Committee of the Houthi armed forces of Yemen claimed that all "interests" of the US and Britain are now "legitimate targets." Retaliation and harassment against the US and the UK will start another cycle of attacks, and multiple spillover conflicts are possible. In short, the possibility of the situation deteriorating has increased and deepened, and this outcome requires all parties to do their best to avoid it.

It needs to be said that the development of the situation to this point has been both accidental and inevitable. It is the US that has pushed the situation to the current stage step by step according to its own style and behavioral logic. The skewed stance of the US in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to the conflict becoming protracted and caused spillovers. When dealing with Middle East issues, which are intertwined with contradictions and have complex historical latitudes, the US' strategy is thoughtless, even crude.

Military means is still the most familiar, preferred and convenient method for the US. It has been used in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria and now against the Houthi armed forces in Yemen. The US has become quite dependent on it. Many bloody lessons have taught us that force as the main means cannot solve the problem, but instead makes the situation worse and more complicated. Ultimately, we have to return to the path of political settlement. The same is true for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. China has repeatedly stressed the urgency of achieving an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, and it is the overriding prerequisite for everything else and a top priority for international diplomatic efforts.

Whether it is the current Red Sea crisis or the protracted conflict in Gaza, the real solution to the problem has always been clear, which is to immediately implement a cease-fire in Gaza. But for this core demand, the US currently does not have the courage to truly take supportive action. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made four trips to the Middle East in three months. He has made so many trips, but he can't even say the word "instant cease-fire." If Washington continues on its current path, it will not solve the Middle East problem, but will become an active promoter of risk proliferation.

US defense officials said the strike was intended to thread the needle - pressing the Houthis to quit their attacks without spurring more conflicts in the volatile region. Threading the needle can be regarded as progress in US thinking, but can it achieve this via force? Can this restore peace in the Red Sea? The answer is obviously no.

China strongly opposes the US' so-called bills supporting the Taiwan island as a member of the IMF and has lodged a solemn representation with the US, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The US House of Representatives advanced several bills concerning the island on Friday. One of them, the "Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act of 2023," sponsored by California Republican Young Kim, requires the US to advocate for Taiwan's membership at the IMF. 

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference in Beijing on Tuesday that the so-called bill constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs, attempting to manipulate political issues under the guise of the Taiwan question and creating incidents that promoted "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas" that violate the one-China principle.

China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction, firmly opposes the latest move by the US, and has lodged a solemn representation with the US, Mao said, emphasizing that Taiwan island has no legitimate reasons or rights to participate in international organizations such as the United Nations, which are reserved for sovereign states. 

Mao mentioned that on October 25, 1971, the 26th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, explicitly recognizing  that the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China at the United Nations, and demanding the expulsion of the representatives of the Taiwan island from the UN.

For over half a century, the UN and other specialized agencies, including the IMF, have adhered to the provisions of this resolution, the spokesperson said.

"Any issue related to Taiwan's participation in international organizations must be resolved under the One-China principle. The US should recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, immediately cease interfering in China's internal affairs, stop sending wrong signals to pro-independence forces in the island, and refrain from harming China-US relations and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait," Mao said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday night local time arrived in Egypt, the first leg of his four-nation Africa tour this week. This is the 34th consecutive year when a Chinese foreign minister has visited Africa as their first overseas trip at the beginning of the year.

Coming shortly after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's successful reelection in December 2023, and amid the already 100-day Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, Wang's visit is of great significance, Chinese analysts said. They predicted that further coordinating their positions concerning hot-spot issues, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, and its spillover in the region such as the Red Sea turmoil, will be high on the agenda during Wang's exchanges with Egyptian officials.

China and Egypt are to explore the potentials of their bilateral and multilateral cooperation in a variety of fields under multilateral frameworks that include the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and BRICS, analysts said on Sunday.

On Sunday, President Sisi met with Wang Yi in Cairo. The Egyptian president expressed gratitude for China's strong support for Egypt's social and economic development, noting significant achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative.

He reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to interference in China's internal affairs.

Wang Yi thanked Egypt for supporting China's rightful stance. China appreciates Egypt's active response to the Belt and Road Initiative and will remain to be a long-term, reliable strategic partner in Egypt's development and revitalization. China aims to strengthen the alignment of development strategies and practical cooperation for greater achievements, working together toward modernization, Wang said.

Both sides agreed to continue strengthening communication and collaboration within frameworks such as BRICS and the United Nations. Wang Yi stated that Egypt, as an Arab, African, Islamic, and developing major country, is congratulated on becoming a new member of BRICS.

They also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli situation, agreeing on the need for an immediate cease-fire and preventing further conflict escalation. A joint statement regarding the situation was issued.

During the visit, Wang Yi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry also discussed and signed the second five-year plan for the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership.

Wang Yi, in a joint press conference with Shoukry after their talks, expressed deep concern over the recent rapid escalation of the situation in the Red Sea, and called for an end to attacks on civilian ships.

At the same time, China believes that the UN Security Council has never authorized any country to use force against Yemen, and actions should be avoided that would add fuel to the tension in the Red Sea and increase the overall security risks in the region. It must be emphasized that the tension in the Red Sea is a prominent manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict, Wang said.

The urgent task is to quickly quell the war in Gaza to prevent the conflict from further expanding or even getting out of control. All parties need to jointly maintain the safety of the Red Sea waterway in accordance with the law, while genuinely respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Red Sea coastal countries, including Yemen, he noted.

Egypt is the first African nation Wang would visit during his current Africa trip, which is of significance, coming so soon after President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's successful reelection. The Egyptian government has launched development plans and targets, including attracting investment and boosting tourism, to tackle the country's economic challenges, He Wenping, a director with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Regarding bilateral and multilateral cooperation, Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times that the conversation will be carried out within the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, as well as under the BRICS framework.

BRICS inducted five new member countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran and Ethiopia - into the bloc in early January 2024. The integration of new member states marked a major expansion for the bloc originally founded by Russia, Brazil, China, and India in 2006, and later joined by South Africa in 2011.

Wang's visit seeks to implement the outcomes of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue held in August, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa, according to Zhu.

China announced at the 2023 Leaders' Dialogue it would launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, as part of the efforts to chart the course for China-Africa practical cooperation in the next stage and help Africa bring its integration and modernization into a fast track, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

China and Africa will host the ninth ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in China in 2024, which will likely take place in Beijing towards the end of the year.

FOCAC is hailed by the international community as an epitome of an efficient and effective platform for South-South cooperation and is a springboard for Africa and China to firmly support each other in strengthening development interests and collaboration in international affairs, as well as at multilateral occasions.

China-Egypt cooperation covers various fields, including infrastructure like development of the new Egyptian capital, railway projects and space collaboration with the launch of Egypt's second satellite. There is also cooperation in oil development, with new oil fields discovered in Egypt, as well as in aviation and technology, He Wenping said.

Wang's visit will further align the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with Egypt's 2030 development vision. Egypt's new government has many plans in motion, including tourism cooperation and dealing with their foreign exchange shortage, which might involve trade and import of non-Egyptian agricultural products. All these areas are expected to feature in the bilateral discussions and potential cooperation agreements, He explained.

At the invitation of Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, and Leo Varadkar, Irish Taoiseach, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 and pay an official visit to Switzerland and Ireland from January 14 to 17: Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge in East China's Zhejiang Province marked phased progress when 18 drill piles belonging to pier No 5 of the bridge, each with a diameter of 6.3 meters - the world's largest - were injected with cement on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The final cement injection was completed on Sunday, according to CCTV.

Since drilling work began in July last year, workers overcame technological challenges in the construction of the drill piles, which have the world's largest diameter, measuring 84 meters in length, of which a 37-meter-section is plunged firmly into bedrock beneath choppy water at a maximum depth of 60 meters in the area. 

The completion of the cement injection at pier No 5 was completed ahead of schedule, according to the report.

The Xihoumen Highway and Railway Bridge, dubbed the world's longest super sea-crossing bridge with a total length of 3,118 meters, and connecting Zhoushan's Jintang and Cezi islands, is among a total of 10 landmark projects Zhejiang Province is undertaking to boost regional connectivity. 

The bridge will allow trains travel at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour and will link up with Zhoushan, Zhejiang's last city not connected by rail.

The bridge has a main span of 1,488 meters. Its width, at 68 meters, is also the world's widest for a dual-purpose sea bridge. 

As China rings in 2024 with a bang, a number of Chinese localities including East China's Anhui and Central China's Hunan provinces have launched a new round of major projects, reflecting a robust start to the new year, which Chinese experts describes as an encouraging sign for economic growth.

Chinese private aerospace firm iSpace completed the country's first reusable launch vehicle test on Sunday. The achievement marks a milestone in China's development of space technology.

The Hyperbola-2 is the company's latest model for reusable launch vehicle tests. During the flight, the vehicle reached an altitude of 343.12 meters, with a flight time of 63.15 seconds, and landed with a landing speed of 1.1 m/s and a landing attitude angle of 1.18 degrees.

The rocket had its first stage test flight on November 2, with a well-controlled descent and touchdown. I-Space then spent less than 20 days on preparation and maintenance work for the rocket.

The test flight verified the reuse capability of a full-size liquid-oxygen-methane rocket and its reliability for low-altitude descent and touchdown, as well as the testing process, norms, and standards. It also verified the company's rocket recovery system, marking a step forward in the global market of reusable launch vehicles.

The successful test flight of the Hyperbola-2 rocket represented more than just a technological breakthrough for iSpace. In the field of reusable launch vehicles, large companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin have established dominant technology advantages. The success of the iSpace test signals that the Chinese company is making strides in the emerging market.

China has continuously invested in the space sector and maintains advancements in key areas. On Sunday, the Yaogan-39 satellite was successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, marking the completion of the 500th flight mission of China's most iconic Long March series rockets.

China's private companies have been increasingly involved in the development of space technology in recent years. On Saturday, Landspace successfully launched a Zhuque-3 rocket with three satellites, Honghu, Honghu-2, and Tianyi-33, marking the first time the startup company has sent satellites into orbit.

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced on Thursday the global opening of the next generation artificial sun, "China Circulation-3," after the group's affiliated Southwestern Institute of Physics signed an agreement with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The initiative invites scientists worldwide to come to China and collaborate toward the shared goal of pursuing "artificial sun energy."

The "China Circulation-3" is currently China's most advanced and largest-scale nuclear fusion device, also referred to as China's next generation "artificial sun." 

In August this year, it successfully achieved high-constraint operation mode under a plasma current of 1 million amperes, marking a significant advancement in China's magnetic confinement nuclear fusion device, propelling it to the forefront of international research. 

Over the years, the Southwestern Institute of Physics has been deeply involved in the development of key components for ITER, the world's largest "artificial sun" project, CNNC said, and together overcame numerous engineering and technical challenges.

This involvement of the Chinese institute has led to the accumulation of extensive experience in the construction, debugging, operation, and maintenance of fusion devices, laying a solid foundation for China to integrate with international advanced technology and eventually construct its own fusion reactor. 

Due to the similarity in the principles of the two experiments, the openness of "China Circulation-3" will not only focus on addressing key technical issues of interest to the ITER but will also enhance China's research and development capabilities and foster talent development.

In April this year, the other Chinese "artificial sun," the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which is also the world's first fully superconducting tokamak device in operation, saw a major breakthrough as it achieved a high power, stable, 403-second steady-state long-pulse high confinement mode plasma operation, setting a new world record for steady-state high confinement mode operation of a tokamak device.

Developer of the EAST, the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that they are aiming to use the EAST to generate fusion power before the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls in 2049.

China's Guo Hanyu won the women's singles tennis gold medal at the FISU Games on Sunday by making a comeback victory over Chinese Taipei player Yang Ya-yi 2-6, 6-1,6-1 

"The FISU Games have been fruitful for me," Guo told reporters after the match, as Sunday's win came on top of her silver medal in the women's doubles with teammate Jiang Xinyu on Saturday.

"I enjoyed the match today after seeing room for improvement in yesterday's defeat," said the Southwest University student athlete, who had won the doubles title in the previous FISU Games in 2019 in Napoli, Italy. 

Guo was one of the two flagbearers for China at the opening ceremony of the FISU Games. She said it gave her more of a boost rather than pressure. 

"It gives me a little pressure but more importantly impetus," Guo told the Global Times.

Guo played the match under the gaze of tennis great Zheng Jie, one of the Chinese female tennis trailblazers who won the Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships in 2006.

Zheng, who is a Chengdu native and now a vice president of the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA), has been promoting tennis among the young generation in the recent years.

In 2010, she initiated youth tournaments with the aim of increasing the number of opportunities for young players to compete. 

Over the past 14 years, the CTA has incorporated more than 90 youth tournaments into their ranking system, providing ample chances for aspiring young talents to showcase their skills. 

"Nowadays, young Chinese tennis players, if they are willing to play, can find matches to play, which is something I never could even imagine during my playing career," Zheng told the Global Times. 

Fans watching the game at the Sichuan International Tennis Center in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, were troubled by the rain, as it has postponed the men's singles as well as pairs final.

Editor's Note:

How can art and culture from the past survive in a globalized world? While attempting to inherit the treasure of art and culture thousands of years old, young Chinese have created a new trend - Guochao, or China chic. It refers to a movement first started by young people endeavoring to revive and reinvent China's traditional culture.

Fashion designers have drawn inspiration from the precious murals inside the Yungang Grottoes, and traditional instrumentalists are creating new trendy music on the pipa. These young Guochao trendsetters have helped China's cultural legacies to be passed down and preserved for future generations.

To better understand this new approach to cultural preservation, the Global Times has conducted a series of interviews with young innovators to learn about their interpretation of Chinese culture. In this installment, the art of recreating iconic ­Chinese buildings using building blocks is revealed.
From Yongdingmen to Gulou and Zhonglou, 18 iconic landmarks along Beijing's Central Axis have been concentrated in a 16-meter-long panoramic building-block world. These works are produced by a millennial couple, Jiang ­Buting and Chen Xi, who spent 90 days using more than 130,000 building blocks to recreate the traditional buildings, with an aim to help boost the Beijing Central Axis' chances at gaining UNESCO World Heritage status.

"Building blocks are recognized globally for their recreational value, and we understand the building of building blocks as a borderless artistic language. Building blocks allow us to consider a new perspective on how to protect intangible cultural heritage and cultural relics in a new way, and spread traditional Chinese culture through this universally entertaining way, so that the charm of Chinese culture can be seen by the world," Jiang told the Global Times on Sunday.
Conveying cultural connotation

The pair uploaded the footage of their creations on the video-sharing platform Bilibili, where many netizens expressed their admiration. However, the process was not easy.

Before the assembling process could begin, a lot of preparation had to be done. First, they used computer-aided design (CAD) software to convert the survey map into a three-dimensional model and then used the actual image and converted measurements from CAD to virtually assemble the building-block models.

After the virtual assembly was completed, the software generated a list of parts to be used numbering in the tens of thousands, that had to be sorted and assembled. Jiang told the Global Times that one of the difficulties was how to use fixed-shape blocks to show the spiritual essence of traditional Chinese architecture.

"For example, we will use white ice cream-shaped parts to restore the appearance of pillars, and black banana parts to restore the roof overhang," Jiang said.

The other difficulty is how to use building blocks, a modern material, to interpret and express the construction logic and wisdom of ancient Chinese architecture, truly conveying its cultural connotation.

When restoring the Jiaolou, they did not add a pillar to support the indoor space, following the original construction logic of the building, although it was not easy to see in the model.

"We not only restore the appearance of these buildings, but also try to use building blocks as modern material to restore Chinese ancient architecture in a way that truly shows its construction logic and wisdom," Jiang noted. "We think we can create any scene we want with building blocks."

The pair has undertaken many building-block recreation projects, including China's aerospace aviation series, Tsinghua University's 100th anniversary celebration building series, Big Air Shougang, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics open-air event venue, and many animation scene restorations, novel-themed builds, and so on.
Indispensable part

"When we go to visit Yuanmingyuan today, we can only see the remains of buildings destroyed by fire. In order to restore them, we needed to read a lot of historical records about the scenes to recreate them," he said.

In the Yuanmingyuan restoration process video, not only are there ancient buildings, hills, and trees shown, but people are also incorporated as an indispensable part of the recreated landscapes, with every detail vibrant and well-executed.

"We choose to use building blocks to interpret traditional Chinese culture, because they are a material that is suitable for all ages and can be used by everyone. The simple and rich connection methods greatly encourage more people to participate enthusiastically," Jiang said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The pair used building blocks to recreate the ship used by legendary Chinese navigator Zheng He on his voyages to the coast of East Africa.

In 2022, the couple recreated the pavilion described in the Zuiwengting Ji, a famous essay by Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072).

In addition to the ­pavilion, they incorporated fishermen on the lakeside, woodsmen chopping down trees on the mountainside, farmers making wine in a wine cellar, and guests playing chess or shooting putts in front of screens.

According to Jiang, the couple is planning to recreate the scene described in The Peach Blossom Spring Story written by Jin Dynasty (265-420) poet Tao Yuanming of an ethereal utopia as described in the tale.

"We believe that wider public participation can turn cultural ­dissemination into a phenomenon, and more and more people will participate, co-create, and spread Chinese culture through this way, to make ancient Chinese architecture truly available to thousands of households," Jiang said.

With a smart wristband and a mobile phone, Amaris Malfa, a young Bostonian, "walked" into the ancient Chinese painting An Era in Jinling, and even interacted with the people depicted therein. 

"This is amazing! It is so vivid and vibrant, like a moving painting," Malfa said. "I really wish my fiancé could have seen it!"

The digital artwork An Era in Jinling, which enables visitors to physically immerse themselves in the dynamic city scape of Jinling, the ancient name of Nanjing, and wander in real time through the historical city from China's Song Dynasty (960-1279), has wowed many US visitors at the See Nanjing cultural exhibition at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.

The exhibition features Chinese garden arts and Nanjing's intangible cultural heritage, as well as Global Smile Delivery, a display of Nanjing's best wishes to the world that highlights the historical and modern elements of the 2,500-year-old Chinese city near the Yangtze River. 

"Seeing is believing and being part of it allows the overseas audiences to have a better and deeper understanding of the cultural heritage of Jinling and what people's lives looked like dating back 1,000 years ago," Ai Lin, the director of the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing who has led her team to develop this digital exhibition inspired by the ancient painting of the same name, told the Global Times on Wednesday..

According to Ai, the handscroll, magnified and projected onto a 110-meter by 3.6-meter screen, depicts a total of 533 figures, 90 animals, and over two dozen carriages, horses and sedans. Audiences can wander the streets and interact with these figures in real time. 

"The Deji Art Museum hopes to encourage visitors to explore and interact with history and art across time with the assistance of advanced technology, making each an ambassador of Chinese culture," said Ai. 

Before the US tour, Ai and her team members completed a lot of research in order to ensure every detail is close to locals' understanding of Chinese culture. 

"We managed to make it easy for them to access Chinese culture even if some of them may have little knowledge about China. We have an over 5,000-year-old culture, but how to show it and its stories to overseas audiences still remains a topic that we all need to explore," she said. 

"As a city that served as the capital of six dynasties in Chinese history, Nanjing is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization and produced a myriad of great people in history," Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping said in his opening address. 

"Like the Charles River in Boston, the Qinhuai River running through Nanjing has witnessed numerous major historical events."

With this Chinese art program and "the cultural feast" at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, "I have no doubt that the 'Nanjing Week' will offer audiences totally new and multiple perspectives of this wonderful part of China," he said. 

He also released a tweet to recommend the exhibition: "The digital exhibition of an ancient painting, letters and paintings drawn by animals and insects will show you a perfect combination of culture, nature and urban development."

For Deji Art Museum, An Era in Jinling not only provides a window for the people of the US to get to know China's cultural treasures, but also raises their interest in China and Chinese civilization. Among the figures in the painting is a waiter being called "Tea Doctor," not because they had a doctoral degree, but because they are good at making and serving tea.

They are tea professionals from 1,000 years ago. Their amazing skills were not only popular in China, but were also introduced to other Asian countries like Japan, which was highly influenced by China's tea culture. 

"Things like that are interesting information that they want to learn and makes them want to learn more," Ai added. 

"The display and interaction of a single ancient painting is far from enough. The most important thing is to open a door for them into Chinese culture. A figure in the painting will say, 'Hello, Boston! Welcome to Nanjing,' inviting them to visit China to have a close look at this friendly country and people," added Ai, who said she hopes this creative digital artwork of Deji Art Museum can tour to more places and show more people "how wonderful Chinese art is and how cool China's technology is."

Boston Council President Ed Flynn said that the exhibition "is serving as a remarkable symbol of cultural understanding and exchanges, fostering goodwill, and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two cities."

Besides this, the exhibition also features unique "Insect Poetry" and "Insect Painting," which represent a beautiful land of dreams and harmonious coexistence between mankind and nature.

As a renowned Chinese city with a long history and rich culture, Nanjing boasts a wealth of intangible cultural heritage, including Pingtan, a form of storytelling and singing in a local dialect, and Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.

Kunqu Opera, known as a living fossil of Chinese theatrical art.