China's gold medalists at the 2012 London Olympics

China performed well at the 2012 London Olympics.
A total of 396 Chinese athletes, 171 male and 225 female, were selected by the Chinese Olympic Committee to compete in 23 sports.
China won the second-largest number of gold medals at the 2012 Olympics, with 38. China's total medal count of 88 was second only to that of the United States.
Congratulations to these Olympics Champions!

China's Aizhai Bridge - world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge 矮寨大桥

The Aizhai Bridge (矮寨大桥) is a suspension bridge on the G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway near Jishou, Hunan, China.

With a main span of 1,146 meters and a deck height of 350 meters, it is the sixth-highest bridge in the world and the world's twelfth-longest suspension bridge. Of the world's 400 or so highest bridges, none has a main span as long as Aizhai. It is also the world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge.

Construction on the Aizhai Bridge began in October 2007 and was completed by the end of 2011, ahead of schedule.The bridge was temporarily opened to pedestrians during the 2012 Spring Festival and was formally opened to traffic in March 2012.

The bridge was built with the assistance of a $208 million loan from the Asian Development Bank; the loan also funded 64 kilometers of expressway construction and upgrades to 129 kilometers of local roads. The bridge and the associated road construction reduced the travel time between Jishou and Chadong from 4 hours to less than 1 hour.

矮寨特大悬索桥，位于湖南省吉首市矮寨镇，是中国国家高速公路网主干线包茂高速公路吉首－茶峒段的关键工程，跨越德夯峡谷，主跨跨径1176米，是世界上峡谷跨径最大的钢桁梁悬索桥。桥面宽度为24.5米，双向四车道，桥面距峡谷底部高度为355米。于2007年10月开工建设，2012年3月31日建成通车。

Chinese people celebrate the colorful Lantern Festival 元宵节

Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival 元宵节 or Shangyuan Festival 上元节) is a traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day of the lunisolar Chinese New Year celebration.

The first month of the Chinese calendar is called yuan month, and in ancient times people called night xiao; therefore, the day is called Yuan Xiao Festival in mainland China and Taiwan. The fifteenth day is the first night to see a full moon in that lunar year. According to Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve puzzles on lanterns, eat yuanxiao (a glutinous rice ball) and enjoy a family reunion.

Illuminations are seen during the 18th Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival in Zigong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 23, 2012. Debuting in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the Zigong Lantern Festival has been held for more than 1,000 years. Zigong Lantern Festival is one of the most famous lantern showcases in China, embodying the lantern culture. Lanterns made in Zigong have long enjoyed a good reputation.The numerous colorful lanterns turn night into day.

Chunyun 春运 the largest annual human migration in the world

Chunyun, 春运, also referred to as the Spring Festival travel season or the Chunyun period, is a period of travel in China with extremely high traffic load around the time of the Chinese New Year. The period usually begins 15 days before the Lunar New Year's Day and lasts for around 40 days. The number of passenger journeys during the Chunyun period has exceeded the population of China, hitting over 2 billion in 2008. Rail transport experiences the biggest challenge during the period, and myriad social problems have emerged. In recent years, the situation has gotten better with the newly constructed high speed raillines. As the income of average Chinese citizens increases, more people are expected to go home by air plane. If the Chinese economy is more balanced, fewer people would have to seek opportunities away from home. This should further alleviate the transportation bottleneck.