People's Republic of China prepares its 60th anniversary

Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding of People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.
Now Chinese people welcome and prepare the incoming the nation's 60th anniversary.


A man rides a bicycle past the National Unity Poles, which have been named and decorated for October's 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square September 17, 2009.


A Chinese military tank heads towards Tiananmen Square where a rehearsal for China's 60th anniversary will be held in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. Authorities shut down a major part of central Beijing to conduct the rehearsal for the parade.


Chinese military vehicles are parked on Changan Ave. near Tiananmen Square during a rehearsal for a ceremony marking China's 60th anniversary in Beijing, China, on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009.


Participants rehearse on one of the National Day floats in Beijing on September 16, 2009.


Workers sew Chinese national flags at a factory on the outskirts of Beijing, September 4, 2009. Demand for the flags is increasing as people prepare for the 60th anniversary celebration.


Participants stand in form in a boulevard leading to Tiananmen Square in Beijing during a rehearsal for the 60th anniversary parade August 29, 2009.


A couple take wedding pictures in front of the Tiananmen Gate on September 8, 2009 in Beijing, China. Many people are expected to hold their wedding on National Day.


Chinese hairdresser Huang Xin works on his latest art piece, a replica of The National museum of China, made from human hair, at his barbershop in Beijing September 9, 2009. Huang uses human hair to make replicas of iconic Chinese buildings and items, such as the Tiananmen gate and The Great Hall of The People, since early 2008.


Pupils create the national flag on a canvas by using their hands dipped in red paint at a primary school in Jinan, Shandong province September 14, 2009.


People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers perform a dance featuring Long March during a rehearsal of a musical drama entitled "The Road of Revival" at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing September 14, 2009.


Chinese military singers take part in a chorus performance of patriotic songs involving 10,000 participants held at a gym inBeijing, China, Wednesday Aug. 26, 2009.


A couple kiss as workers test the lights at the Great Hall of the People at the Tiananmen Square on September 8, 2009 in Beijing, China.

Tibetan Mastiff 藏獒

Tibetan Mastiff's Tibetan name is Tsang Khyi (large mastiff variety) and Do-khyi (generic for the mountain type) meaning 'tied dog', reflects its use as a home guard, much as the old English ban-dog (also meaning tied dog) was a dog tied outside the home as a guardian. 'Bhote Kukur' in Nepali means Tibetan Dog. In Mandarin Chinese, the name is 藏獒 (Zang'Ao), which literally means Tibetan Mastiff or Tibetan big ferocious dog. In Mongolia it is called "bankhar", meaning "guard dog". The molosser type with which the modern Tibetan Mastiff breed is linked was known across the ancient world by many names.

Tibetan Mastiff descended from very early large Tibetan dogs from which many of today's Molossuses are descended. The first known record of a Tibetan mastiff was in 1121 BC, when a dog trained for hunting was given to a Chinese emperor. Marco Polo encountered the large Tibetan dogs in his travels and described them as "tall as a donkey with a voice as powerful as that of a lion." They were used as guard dogs outside the sacred city of Lhasa. In the early 19th century, King George IV owned a pair, and there were enough of the breed in England in 1906 to be shown at the 1906 Crystal Palace show. However, during the war years, the breed lost favor and focus and nearly died out in England. Gaining in popularity worldwide, there are more and more active breeders, although the breed is still considered somewhat uncommon. Initially the breed suffered because of the limited genepool from the original stock, but today's reputable breeders work hard at reducing the genetic problems through selective breeding and the international exchange of new bloodlines.

The Tibetan Mastiff is among the largest breeds. It is found in a heavier mastiff "Tsang Khyi" type and a more moderately sized mountain "Dokhyi" type. Its sturdy bone structure and large, wide head and profuse mane and coat make it appear considerably more massive than other dogs of a similar height. It can reach heights up to 31+ inches (80+cm) at the withers, although the standard for the breed is typically in the 25 to 28 inch (61 to 72 cm) range. History records the largest of the breed weighing over 110 kg but dogs bred in the West are more typically between 100lb (45kg) to 160lb (72kg). The Tibetan Mastiff is considered a primitive breed and is one of the few primitive dog breeds that can retain a single oestrus per year instead of two in a native climate. This characteristic is still found in more primitive canids species like wolf. Since their oestrus usually takes place during late fall, most Tibetan Mastiff puppies are born between December and January.

Like all flock guardian breeds, they are intelligent and stubborn to a fault, so obedience training is recommended (although only mildly successful) since this is a strong-willed, powerful breed. Socialization is also critical with this breed because of their reserved nature with strangers and guarding instincts. They are excellent family dogs.Newspaper reports have suggested that a pair of these Mastiffs have killed tigers while guarding sheep in the highlands of Nepal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Mastiff

Solar eclipse of 2009 across China 日食

Solar eclipse - 日食 in Chinese










The solar eclipse of July 22, 2009 is the "longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century," exceeded only by the record-setting solar eclipse of July 11, 1991, and not to be surpassed until 2132. It lasted as much as 6 minutes and 39 seconds in parts of Southeast Asia,causing tourist interest in eastern China, India and Nepal.This was the second in the series of three eclipses in a one-month period, being book-ended by two minor penumbral lunar eclipses, the first was on July 7 and second will be on August 6.

A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including most of Southeast Asia (all of India and China) and north-eastern Oceania.

The Chinese government used the opportunity to provide scientific education and to dispel any superstition.

Shanghai Maglev Train 上海磁浮铁路

The Shanghai Maglev Train is the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world. The system and trains were built to the Transrapid standard. Construction began in March 2001, and public service commenced on 1 January 2004.

During a test run on 12 November 2003, a maglev vehicle achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311 mph).

System length: 30.5 km (19.0 mi)
a one-way ticket cost ¥50 (US$7.27)
The Shanghai Transrapid project took ¥10 billion (US$1.33bn) and two and a half years to complete.

The line runs from Longyang Road station in Pudong, on the Shanghai subway line 2 to Pudong International Airport. The journey takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the distance of 30 km. A train can reach 350 km/h (220 mph) in 2 minutes, with the maximum normal operation speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) reached thereafter.

China celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) 端午节

The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival) is a traditional and statutory holiday associated with Chinese cultures, though other east Asian societies observe it as well. It is a public holiday in China and Taiwan, and a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, where it is called the "Tuen Ng Jit". In English it is often referred to as the "Dragon Boat Festival", an allusion to one of the traditional activities associated with the holiday.

The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, giving rise to the alternative name of Double Fifth. In 2009 this falls on May 28 and in 2010 on June 16. The focus of the celebrations includes eating zongzi, which are large rice wraps, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.

Equivalent and related festivals include the Kodomo no hi in Japan, Dano in Korea, and Tết Đoan Ngọ in Vietnam.

The Duanwu Festival is believed to have originated in ancient China. A number of theories exist about its origins as a number of folk traditions and explanatory myths are connected to its observance. Today the best known of these relates to the suicide in 278 BC of Qu Yuan, poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom during the Warring States period.

Yarlung Zangbo River 雅鲁藏布江 Brahmaputra River

The Yarlung Zangbo River 雅鲁藏布江, Tibetan: ཡར་ཀླུངས་གཙང་པོ་

The Yarlung Zangbo river originates upstream from the South Tibet Valley and Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, in Tibet.It then passes through India, where it is known as the Dihang. Downstream the river becomes wider and at this point is called the Brahmaputra River. It eventually disgorges into the Bay of Bengal. Since the river crosses international boundaries, it has at least three different names in different languages.

The Yarlung Zangbo River is the highest major river in the world. Its longest tributary is the Nyang River. In Tibet the river flows through the South Tibet Valley, which is approximately 1200 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide. The valley descends from 4500 metres above sea level to 3000 metres. As it descends, the surrounding vegetation changes from cold desert to arid steppe to deciduous scrub vegetation. It ultimately transitions into a conifer and rhododendron forest. The tree line is approximately 3,200 metres. Sedimentary sandstone rocks found near the Tibetan capital of Lhasa contain grains of magnetic minerals that record the Earth's alternating magnetic field current.

The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, formed by a horse-shoe bend in the river where it flows around Namcha Barwa, is the deepest, and possibly longest canyon in the world. The river has been a challenge to whitewater kayakers because of the extreme conditions of the river.