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.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan county in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday midnight. As of press time, the earthquake has caused 105 fatalities and 186 injuries in Gansu and another 11 were killed in neighboring Qinghai Province.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued important instructions on Tuesday regarding the earthquake in Gansu, demanding full-scale search and rescue efforts, proper resettlement of affected people, and maximum efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. Premier Li Qiang also issued instructions.
It is the deadliest earthquake in terms of casualties in China following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Yushu, Qinghai Province, and the second-largest in magnitude.
Notably, since the 2010 Yushu quake, the biggest earthquake had also occurred in Gansu Province with a maximum magnitude of 6.6, resulting in nearly 100 fatalities.
Houses and infrastructure related to water, electricity, and roads in and around the epicenter have been damaged to varying degrees.
It has also been found that the earthquake-stricken area in Gansu experienced mountain collapses, and there was displacement in the supports of a local bridge.
"I live on the 16th floor and felt the tremors so strongly. The moment of the earthquake was feeling like being tossed up after surging waves… I woke my family up and we rushed down all 16 floors in one breath," A resident living near the epicenter surnamed Qin told media.
It was freezing cold out there at minus 12 C, and Qin noticed his neighbors also fleeing from surrounding buildings, some wearing down jackets, some wrapped in blankets, and some even bare-chested.
The earthquake also affected the neighboring province of Qinghai. As of 6 am on Tuesday, the earthquake has resulted in 11 deaths and 140 injuries in Haidong city in Qinghai Province.
Some houses have collapsed in counties and districts such as Minhe, Xunhua, and Hualong. Local electricity lines and communication networks are under urgent repair, and efforts in personnel rescue and disaster assessment are still ongoing.
In light of the severe disaster, the State Council's Earthquake Relief Command and the Ministry of Emergency Management have raised the national earthquake emergency response to Level II. The National Disaster Prevention and Relief Committee and the Ministry of Emergency Management have also elevated the national disaster relief emergency response to Level II.
Following the earthquake, a total of 1,440 firefighters from the national comprehensive fire and rescue teams were deployed to the disaster area for rescue efforts. Additionally, 1,603 firefighters from Gansu and surrounding provinces have been assembled and are on standby.
Army units from the PLA Western Theater Command swiftly prepared for emergency response. Over 300 officers and soldiers were mobilized overnight and arrived in the severely affected area by 4 am Tuesday to commence personnel search and rescue operations, road clearance, and other tasks.
According to Gansu earthquake administration, multiple consecutive tremors occurred late at night, with the maximum magnitude reaching 6.2. A total of 140 aftershocks have been recorded, with the largest measuring 4.1 in magnitude.
Areas in other regions including Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, also experienced tremors.
The China Earthquake Networks Center has organized experts to conduct analysis on the seismic activity near the epicenter in Gansu, which occurred in the southeastern part of the province, approximately three kilometers from the nearest fault line - the northern edge fault of Laji Mountain.
Preliminary analysis of the focal mechanism indicates that this earthquake was a thrust rupture.
The active tectonic zone in southeastern Gansu lies in the northern part of the North-South Seismic Belt in China and is an important region on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Due to the long-term compression between the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate, intense tectonic activity occurs in this region, characterized by the development of numerous deep-seated faults.
Within a 200-kilometer radius of the epicenter of this earthquake, there have been three earthquakes measuring magnitude 6 or higher since 1900. All were either isolated or main shock-aftershock type earthquakes.
The significant casualties this time also stem from the poor seismic resistance of buildings, relatively dense population in affected areas, and the timing of the quake when people are usually asleep and unable to evacuate in time.
The Earthquake Early Warning System, jointly developed by the Institute of Care-life and the China Earthquake Administration, told the Global Times that it had alerted the regions ahead of the earthquake.
It provided warning to the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture located 56 kilometers from the epicenter 12 seconds before the quake, and some 20 seconds to regions adjacent, including Gansu's capital city of Lanzhou.
Preliminary statistics show that domestically manufactured mobile phones, televisions, and other devices equipped with the warning system were able to issue alerts in advance within the affected earthquake zone.
The ruins of an ancient city in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, have recently been dated to more than 3,000 years ago. The discovery has pushed back the recorded history of Nanjing by 600 years.
The discovered site has been identified as the ancient city of Changgan, which was once been depicted by China's great Tang Dynasty (618-907) literati Li Bai in his poetry collection Ballad of Changgan.
The ancient city reveals circular trenches, wall foundations, water wells and a sacrificial pit for a pig. Consecutive excavations over the past six years have gradually unveiled the architectural layout of the city site.
The circular trenches, in particular, are considered a distinctive feature that signifies the site's past as a city.
"In ancient times, trenches played a crucial role in a city's defense. Therefore, the presence of a defensive system featuring trenches and walls is a significant indication of an ancient city," stated Chen Dahai, the lead archaeologist of the project and an associate professor at the Nanjing Archaeological Research Institute.
The site was discovered to trace back more than 3,000 years, indicating its establishment during the Shang (c. 1600 BC-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046 BC-256 BC) dynasties.
This discovery has extended Nanjing's recorded history by an additional 600 years.
Historian Fang Gang told the Global Times that "the city of Nanjing was traditionally believed to have been founded 2,500 years ago." It is renowned for being the capital of the country for 13 dynasties, including the notable Song (420-479) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.
"The dating of the discovery places it around 3,100 years ago. It stands as a remarkable archaeological find in Nanjing in 2023," said Wang Wei, chairman of the Chinese Archaeology Council and also chief expert for China's Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization.
Archaeologist Lu Zhaojun told the Global Times that the new discovery may also provide "details about ancient Chinese peoples' cultural practices, ritual beliefs as well as their daily lives."
He also emphasized that, in addition to architectural remains, the site should contain artifacts that belonged to people living 3,000 years ago.
Several pieces of pottery with orderly triangle decorations were discovered at the site. These wares are diverse and include ritual vessels such as the ding (a ritual food vessel).
Archaeologist Wang Meng, a specialist in Shang and Zhou dynasty archaeology, told the Global Times that "pottery" was the primary medium for crafting utensils during that era. In addition to the ding, pottery dou and gui were commonly used as cooking utensils, serving as "dishes or containers for liquids, typically wine."
"Those patterns like the triangles decorating the pottery wares are also interesting. They are the results of the exchanges between the cultures of northern and southern China," Wang noted.
Pig bones and charcoal substances were also found at the site, documenting the lives of the Shang and Zhou people.
The ancient city of Changan was discovered within the Nanjing's West Street Ruins and is located close to another historical site called the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, also known as Dabaoen Temple.
The West Street Ruins cover a total excavation area of 12,000 square meters. More than 10,000 pieces of various archaeological items have been found at the site, including the "ancient city of Changgan."
"I've visited the West Street Ruins once. It is huge and has a lot of interesting discoveries like brick kilns and small alleys that were created by ancient people. You can see the lively city scene back then," Wang noted.
"The new discovery, along with the West Street Ruins' history shows the historical continuity of Chinese culture," Wang emphasized.
Both the West Street Ruins and its Changgan ancient city are now part of the West Street Archaeological Site Park program. The program is dedicated to better exhibiting the historical site to the public through cultural events and activities.
Children cheer during celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Kenya's independence at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Kenya, on Dec. 12, 2023. Kenya's Jamhuri Day or Independence Day, observed on Dec. 12 each year, is one of the most important national holidays in Kenya. Kenya obtained its independence from the United Kingdom on Dec. 12, 1963.(Photo: Xinhua)
NBA superstars used to visit China during their season break, connecting avid basketball fans who are thousands miles away from North America.
After the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to such activities, Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks led the list of NBA players resuming trips to the world's most populous country where basketball remains highly popular.
Despite not being the first NBA star to visit China this year, the presence of Antetokounmpo - known in China as "Letter Bro" due to the difficulty of pronouncing his surname - backed by his honors such as back-to-back NBA regular season MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 as well as an NBA championship title in 2021, ignited a wave of fervent excitement among fans.
Though this was not his first trip to China, the "Greek Freak" seemed to embrace his nickname, even posting a picture on Instagram on his flight to China, captioned as "Greetings from the Letter Bro!"
The popularity of Letter Bro in China was evident as the fans followed his bus by taking pictures, with them wearing the Bucks shirt with Antetokounmpo's name and number on it.
Now without any competitive schedule, Antetokounmpo, on a promotional tour this time, got more time to interact with fans. Before coming to Beijing, he tried dragon boat and lion dance and visited a local school to unveil a new basketball court in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province.
In Beijing, he taught students how to do the basketball trick Euro step after refereeing a game between two student team.
Among many other highlights, he emphasized to the players that "having fun" is the most vital part of maintaining passion for the sport.
Additionally, Antetokounmpo participated in a training session with China's national under-16 basketball team in Beijing on Saturday.
This demonstrates his willingness to engage with young basketball players and share his knowledge and skills with them. Bearing the accolades he has won, Antetokounmpo could inspire and motivate young players to pursue their passion for the sport.
Such a promotional tour brings significant commercial opportunities for players for sure, but it could also serve as a platform for cultural exchange.
It enables the NBA stars to interact closely with Chinese players and fans, fostering a love for sports in general and basketball in particular, especially among the youngsters.
It also allows Chinese fans to witness firsthand the skills and charisma of their favorite stars.
This exchange of cultures enriches the fan experience and fosters a sense of unity among basketball enthusiasts worldwide.
Antetokounmpo's visit highlights the power of sports in bridging cultural gaps and promoting mutual understanding, as it showcases the vibrant and passionate basketball culture in China.
Basketball has become a universal language, bringing people together by transcending borders.
Through his interactions with Chinese fans and players, he exemplifies the positive impact that athletes can have beyond the court.
His visit not only elevates the sport but also reinforces the importance of fostering connections and understanding between different cultures.
Through basketball, we can celebrate our shared love for the game and appreciate the diverse beauty of our global community.
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.
Rising star Zheng Qinwen became the youngest female from the Chinese mainland to make it into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event as she advanced to the last eight at the US Open Monday night.
The 20-year-old reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal after ousting last year's runner-up and No.5 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-2, 6-4.
The hard-hitting Zheng is the fourth Chinese woman to reach the US Open quarterfinals in the Open Era. It's also her first career victory over a world top 10 player at a Grand Slam event.
The No.23 seed will face incoming world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Thanks to her aggressive and dictating play, Zheng had already made a bit of history at Flushing Meadows as she and her compatriot Wang Xinyu both reached the Round of 16 at the same US Open.
"Honestly the feeling was fantastic, especially in that moment. I feel like this is an important win for me. Like you say, it's a breakthrough," said Zheng after the match.
She also attributed her recent strong run-of-form to her veteran coach Wim Fissette, who previously guided many players to Grand Slam titles including Kim Clijsters, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. Zheng started working with the legend coach before the grass season in June.
"He really helped me a lot. I feel like my mentality is more stable now. When I started working with him, I didn't have as many ups and downs as I did at the beginning of the year. And overall, I became more composed," said Zheng.
"You are the queen of the day," the US Open official account on Sina Weibo commented as she was nicknamed "Queenwen" in English.
Her stormy run into the quarterfinals also became a trending topic on Sina Weibo Tuesday morning with Chinese fans sending congratulations to the rising star.
"Please keep going! I hope you improve the efficiency of the first serve and maintain stability. Winning or not in the next round, you have a long career ahead," said one Sina Weibo user.
Zheng earned the WTA newcomer of the year award in 2022, winning her debut at all four Grand Slam events and reaching the French Open last 16 before losing in three sets to eventual champion Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Fifteen-year-old Chen Ye has become the youngest Chinese champion in the history of the Asian Games after winning the skateboarding park men's finals in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Monday, which is also the first gold medal for the Chinese team in the world championships for skateboarding.
After the game, the training ground made by Chen's father, which paved the way for this inspirational story, became the focus of media attention. In an interview with the Global Times on Tuesday, Chen expressed his gratitude to his father as the person he most wanted to thank after winning the gold medal.
"The Asian Games gold medal is the greatest medal I has received so far. I will use it as encouragement to continue striving for higher goals," he said.
"I'm grateful to my father for building two bowl training grounds for me and studying skateboarding skills with me," Chen said. Chen said that he fell in love with skateboarding when he first encountered the sport in a shopping mall at the age of 8.
"When I started skateboarding, I felt that it was a very exciting and thrilling sport. I felt very happy after completing each move," Chen said, comparing it to the piano and other hobbies that his father, Chen Wanqin, tried to introduce to him but which he found boring.
Once Chen Ye showed his true passion, his father, respected him the choice and supported him. In 2019, Chen Ye joined the Guangdong provincial skateboarding team. To help his son's training, Chen Wanqin and his wife rented a warehouse of more than 200 square meters to build a bowl training ground for him.
After finishing second in the men's skateboarding park event at the 2021 National Games of China, Chen Wanqin built a new 900-square-meter skateboard park with a max height of nine meters in 2022 in order to improve his son's performance. Chen Ye said that during that time, his father quit his job and even spent all his savings to support his passion.
But it was all worth it. After winning the Asian Games gold medal, Chen Ye now has the confidence to pursue higher goals.
"Now that I've won the championship in an Asian event, I hope to perform better in global events and participate in more high-level competitions. In the future, I may participate in more Olympic ranking events," Chen Ye said.
After entering the Paris Olympic cycle, the Chinese skateboarding team is not only preparing for the Asian Games, but also coordinating their preparations for the Olympic Games. It is worth mentioning that while Chen Ye snatched the championship, other Chinese athletes in the same event also made new breakthroughs. In the skateboarding park women's final held on Monday, Chinese athlete Li Yujuan won the silver medal, while Mao Jiasi won the bronze medal.
In addition, the Chinese skateboarding team has also seen the emergence of several young players with great potential in the Hangzhou Games. Apart from Chen Ye, 13-year-old Cui Chenxi is also considered a rising star. She is also the youngest athlete in the Hangzhou Asian Games Chinese delegation. The Chinese skateboarding team, composed of athletes born after the year of 2000, continues to make breakthroughs, and the future looks promising.
Some 30,000 runners competed in the Beijing Marathon in the early morning of Sunday, starting at the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing.
The race in the Chinese capital, dubbed the country's flagship marathon, attracted over 130,000 runners to register for the 30,000-slot lucky draw, as all participants, regardless of athletic skill level, are required to take on the full distance of 42.195 kilometers.
Chinese runner Chen Tianyu brought fresh competition to the race traditionally dominated by elite African runners, as he finished in the overall seventh place with a time of 2:08:11. Geleta Ulfata of Ethiopia won the championship in 2:07:41.
Though the result, surpassing the previous best domestic time set by Ren Longyun of 2:08:15 in 2007, Chen's time was just one second short of seeing him qualify for the Paris Olympics. But it makes him the third-fastest Chinese runner of all time, following compatriots He Jie and Yang Shaohui who clocked in 2:07:30 and 2:07:49 respectively at the Wuxi Marathon in March 2023.
"My original goal was to finish in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, but I felt great when competing with the elite runners," Chen, who is no stranger to endurance races, told reporters after the race, before crediting the optimization of the racecourse that reduced turns and slopes that contributed to his achievement.
The racecourse for the Beijing Marathon, the oldest marathon in China as it inaugurated in 1981, is considered picturesque, as it features several iconic landmarks in the ancient and modern metropolis including the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution and the CCTV Tower, before concluding at the Olympic Park near the Bird's Nest or the National Stadium where the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games and 2022 Winter Olympic Games were held.
Tandem marathon races were also held on Sunday in a number of provincial capitals across China, including Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province; Ji'nan, East China's Shandong Province; Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province; Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province as well as Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Running fever
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, marathons had grown in popularity in China.
In 2018, China witnessed a marathon boom with 278 certified events held in the Chinese mainland, followed by a total of 330 races in 2019, before a 2020 dip to just 51 races, according to the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA).
World Athletics road running manager Alessio Punzi said earlier in October that 68 Chinese running events filed their applications to World Athletics in 2023, while a total of 133 road races across China were registered between January and June, according to the CAA.
For those unable to make it to the Beijing event, an online race was also held on the popular fitness tracking site Keep, where participants who finished a recorded marathon race elsewhere stood to win a commemorative medal. As of press time, nearly 30,000 people had registered in the online race.
Alongside an increase in the popularity of marathons in China is an increasingly health-conscious population in the country.
A 2020 National Fitness Activities Report released by the Beijing-based National Fitness Monitoring Center revealed that among adults, walking and running were the two most popular physical activities, accounting for 22.7 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively.
"Hosting marathon races could immediately boost local tourism and further stimulate local economic growth, as it is a good marketing tool which utilizes good word of mouth if the events are well organized," Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"Nowadays fitness and health have taken root in people's hearts, as we see the number of people taking exercise growing, especially after the national policy on fitness was introduced."
Recent statistics show that the number of people who regularly participate in outdoor exercise in China currently exceeds 400 million.
Health concerns
Some fans raised concerns over the air quality in the Chinese capital on Sunday when the Beijing Marathon was held, as data from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre designated it as "mild to middle pollution."
This is not the first time that organizers have had to contend with air quality issues.
It is, however, "extremely difficult" to reschedule the event as nearly half of the participants had made their way to Beijing from other cities across the country, an official with the organizing committee told the Global Times.
Jiang Chong, a physiotherapist who is also an occasional distance runner, warned that amateur distance runners should be aware of the consequences if they decide to participate in an ultramarathon.
"The path to marathon success is no walk in the park. Injuries to the hip, knee, and ankle joints are regularly suffered by marathon runners, as it is in fact a challenging endeavor to finish a marathon," Jiang told the Global Times.
"Targeted training in strength, speed, and endurance is paramount. Simply lacing up your running shoes without adequate preparation can lead to injuries that may prematurely end one's love affair with the sport."
She underlined that it takes scientific training, gradual progress, and setting achievable goals to successfully tackle the full 42.195-kilometer race.
"Warming up adequately before running, stretching after running, and training progressively are the foundations of consistent long-distance running," Jiang said.
"It is not only a matter of joints, but it also tests the effectiveness of the cardiovascular system. Regular medical checkups will also help to detect problems in time before worse problems occur."
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.
