Latest news with #Sichuan
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Chinese sprinter gets leading gaokao marks on second go, earning a shot at top universities
A Chinese track and field sprinter has scored a staggering 462 in the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, earning her a place in the country's top universities. Advertisement Liu Xiajun, 19, took the gaokao for the second time earlier this month after her score last summer fell short of admission to the country's best school, Tsinghua University in Beijing. Liu, who is from the city of Ziyang in southwest China's Sichuan province, rejected an offer from the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai in 2024, considered China's second best, to chase a spot at the institution in Beijing. 'I was very surprised [when I got my results] and asked my teacher: 'Is there a mistake in the results?',' Liu said. 'I believe that the most important factor in achieving such results before entering formal education is perseverance. Liu Xiajun won gold and silver medals at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in 2023. Photo: 'Despite the immense pressure of resitting the exam, you cannot think about giving up.
Time Out
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Socio's team opens cocktail bar and nightclub hybrid, Gossip in Central
We've all seen Socio and its queues outside that trails out along Staunton Street. If you enjoy their sustainability-forward Asian-inflected cocktails, then you'll be glad to know that the people behind Socio have a brand-new concept in their latest nightlife destination named Gossip. Knowing that cocktail bars don't usually have good music to vibe to, and that nightclubs usually only serve overpriced but uninspired drinks and pricey bottles with sparklers, Amir Javaid and Max Bajracharya have decided to give Hong Kong's night owls the best of both worlds by combining these concepts into a premium cocktail club. Their drinks menu is inspired by the many traditional masks of Asia, each with its own personality and story, and giving rise to its accompanying cocktail made with distinctly Asian ingredients such as mango sticky rice, Korean gochujang, and Sichuan pepper. Thotsokan, a lemongrass and coconut-washed Tanqueray gin-based cocktail, contains Thai flavour profiles with kaffir lime distillate, mango sticky rice, sparkling wine, and a piece of dehydrated fruit – it's light, refreshing, and the perfect first drink to start with. Some of our other favourites include the creamy, Japanese-inspired Hannya, made with yuzu koshō and kombu-infused Bacardi, lichiko, dry sherry, clarified pear, white chocolate, and topped with a foamy puff of matcha air. One of Gossip's best on the menu is the Nuoxi, which is a delicately savoury mix of Sichuan pepper-infused Ketel One, elderflower, fermented tofu, sesame oil, lemon, and pickled cucumber. Its tasting notes read somewhat like a grocery list, but the Chinese-inspired blend of florals, fermented fruit, and umami notes just work. The cocktail lounge hosts live music performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and when the clock hits midnight from Thursday through the weekend, Gossip transforms into a clubby atmosphere with the tables and chairs moved aside for a dancefloor and multicoloured light strips pulsing overhead. If you're bored of the thumping, techno-heavy beats that are spinning in most clubs, then you'll appreciate that Gossip focuses on playing R&B and hip-hop – a win in our books! Gossip is now in its soft-launch period and will officially open to the public in mid-July.
NHK
7 hours ago
- NHK
Four giant pandas leave Japanese theme park for new home in China
Four female giant pandas have left a theme park in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama for their new home in China. Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin are being transferred from Adventure World in the town of Shirahama to China as the contract for a bilateral joint-conservation project is set to expire shortly. On Saturday, the pandas were put into four separate cages, and loaded onto two trucks. They were not shown to the public to ensure their well-being and safety. The operator of the park said the animals were in good shape and were munching on bamboo as usual. Around 300 people, including staff and their families, gathered at the park. Park director, Imazu Koji, told them that Saturday marks a new start, and he asked everyone to see the pandas off with smiles. The trucks left the facility a little before 8:30 a.m. One of the keepers, Nakaya Yuka, who has taken care of the pandas for eight years, said they seemed a bit restless in the unusual atmosphere, but were eating well. Nakaya said she has no concerns because the staff are closely coordinating with their Chinese counterparts. The pandas will be sent to a breeding facility in Sichuan Province on a chartered flight.
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
4 pandas leave Japan for China, leaving only 2 in the country
All four giant pandas on loan to a western Japan zoo left for China on Saturday, ahead of the expiration of their lease agreement. Advertisement The 24-year-old Rauhin and her offspring – Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin – left Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China 's Sichuan Province, according to the zoo operator. Their departure means that only two giant pandas remain in Japan. Both are at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens and are also due to return to China next February. About 1,400 visitors queued at the park before it opened for their final public display on Friday, and some 3,000 people attended a farewell ceremony. Giant pandas (clockwise from top) Rauhin, Yuihin, Fuhin and Saihin, at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture. Photo: Kyodo 'It is sad that they leave Japan all at once. I wish for them to stay healthy in China,' said Chisato Noda from Nagoya. Advertisement
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Plastic-free world within reach
This year's World Environment Day (5 June) spotlighted the theme 'Ending Plastic Pollution'. In China, a group of young entrepreneurs is responding to that call — transforming discarded materials such as plastic bottles, fishing nets, and bicycle tires into fashionable, functional products, paving the way for a plastic-free future. When old bicycle tyres are thrown away, Gao Chao from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, sees potential. As the founder of the fashion brand UOOSEE, she has partnered with nearly 2,000 bike shops nationwide, recycling over 3,000 tyres each month. These mud-covered tyres are cleaned, cut, and sewn — without any chemical processing — into rugged, waterproof backpacks that appeal to young consumers who value both sustainability and style. Meanwhile, HowBottle takes a different approach — turning beverage bottles and fishing nets into recycled plastic, which is then used to make bags, hats, and even eyeglasses. 'Materials themselves aren't inherently guilty,' said founder Lun Jiayu (Supa), from Foshan, Guangdong province. 'If plastic can be recycled or kept within human society rather than ending up in nature, it still has value.' Another alternative comes from bamboo. The brand AbuSolutely, founded in 2011 by Ren Yao from Chengdu, Sichuan province, creates bamboo bicycles that are both lightweight and durable. 'I was inspired by a photo of a bamboo bicycle from a century ago in Britain,' Ren recalled. After years of research and development, AbuSolutely's bamboo bikes have received certification from the EU bicycle industry. 'With the same weight, bamboo fibre can bear three times the load of steel,' Ren said. 'Its resilience and shock absorption make it ideal for bikes.' However, green products still face criticism, with some people perceiving them as overpriced and unattractive due to the so-called 'green premium'. Supa explained that higher prices reflect the cost of sustainable practices, such as strict waste management, and biodegradable packaging. She added that as more companies embrace eco-friendly practices, competition in the market intensifies, providing consumers with more choices. 'This benefits both the industry and consumers,' she said. Supa also emphasised that consumption doesn't have to conflict with environmentalism. Thoughtful, conscious purchasing decisions allow consumers to actively support environmental protection. When discussing these new brands' commitment to sustainability, Gao said: 'Fast fashion bags often use linings with a lifespan of just three years, but we opt for the more expensive ones that last over 10 years. Decades later, our bags can still be used and will have a vintage charm. We want products and fashion to be more than just a passing trend, but rather a game that never ends.' In Gao's view, environmental protection is somewhat counter-intuitive to human nature because it requires people to restrain their desires and embrace a minimalist lifestyle. 'Therefore, sustainable products must first benefit consumers so they can seamlessly integrate into daily life without needing to be intentionally highlighted or mentioned,' she said. Ren stresses the importance of avoiding 'eco-coercion'. 'The public is unlikely to pursue environmental protection just for its own sake. Green products must make commercial sense first,' he said. 'Replacing plastic with bamboo, for example, requires excellence in product design and quality — we need to create items that ordinary customers actually want to buy, not just appeal to eco-conscious buyers.' Supa has noticed a remarkable shift among emerging brands: even if they aren't explicitly labelled as eco-friendly, they incorporate sustainable elements in their materials or manufacturing processes. 'Today's young entrepreneurs naturally possess an eco-friendly mindset. Without environmental awareness, it's almost embarrassing to establish a brand image,' she said. This trend is creating a positive cycle — more brands joining in are helping drive down technological costs, making eco-friendly products more accessible. With a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from Sun Yat-sen University and a master's degree in social entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California, Supa believes in the essential role of business and technology in advancing environmental efforts. She is also exploring more eco-friendly materials. For example, HowBottle has collaborated with the Palace Museum to design a cultural product using bio-based technology: fallen leaves from the Forbidden City are collected and used as a fermentation substrate to grow mycelium, which is then processed into fabric fibres. These products, which blend romantic imagination with cutting-edge technology, enrich the concept of environmental protection and reflect Supa's belief that sustainability should be a joyful pursuit.
