An updated edition of Shenzhen maps, 2020 Atlas of Shenzhen, was released Wednesday ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The atlas, a collection of maps of Shenzhen, illustrates the city’s achievements over 40 years from economic, ecological, social, environmental, cultural and geographic perspectives.

The atlas was designed by Wang Jiaoyao and Guo Renzhong, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering(中国工程院院士). It covers not only traditional geographic data, but also vast amounts of data relating to the ecological environment, scientific innovation, education, medical care, elderly care, housing, public facilities(设施), greenways and parks.

Some “dark technologies” in mapping, such as night light remote sensing imaging and indirect photography MESH model, have been applied. Shenzhen is the first Chinese city that has realized production of a citywide real-time 3D model. It presents the city’s skylines and skyscrapers from Futian CBD towards Nanshan District. It allows people to immerse(沉浸) themselves into Shenzhen’s spatial(空间的) environment and experience the urban glamour(魅力) personally. It provides a strong visual impact to viewers by presenting the urban areas and their construction from a 45-degree angle.

Nan Zhaoxu, a scholar in nature and the history of Shenzhen, was the first citizen to receive the atlas. “I am glad that my suggestions on environment protection were taken into consideration. It is the first atlas in China that adopted environment-friendly materials and techniques that reduce pollution and save energy,” said Nan.

Started along the Huaihe River in eastern China, Flower Drum Lantern dance is well-known for its bright colors, different forms, and cheerful spirit.

As a traditional treasure in China, the dance has a very long history. It is said to have appeared during the Song Dynasty, developed through the Ming Dynasty, and finally widely welcomed during the Qing Dynasty. It is usually used to show the peaceful lives of people in the countryside.

In the dance, the women dancers each wears a red silk ball flower on their heads. In their hands, silk fans and scarves are used as props. And the props used by men are mainly umbrellas, short wooden sticks and drums. Before 1949, women were discouraged from performing in public, so women roles were mostly played by men. That is why all of the older famous artists still alive today are men.

The dance is usually performed in an open area such as the central square of a village and the side of a river. The audiences usually come around in a circle. Inside the circle are several long benches with the drum group on one side. The performers enter the circle with the women standing on the men’s shoulders, then the men lower the women to the benches and stand beside them. The show begins when the men with umbrellas enter the performance space. They bow and lead the performers into the centre to dance.

Flower Drum Lantern dance is still quite popular across the country, especially in places such as Fengyang in Anhui, Guangshan in Henan, and Haian in Jiangsu. Even today, village dance teams often compete with each other by performing the dances during the Spring Festival.

【推荐3】Have you ever imagined what sharing a hotel with polar bears(北极熊) will be like? In march 2021, the world’s first polar bear hotel opened in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.

The hotel is in Harbin Polarland, and it may provide customers with an amazing and unforgettable experience as they are staying with some polar bears at all times. Customers can see the polar bears through thick and strong glass in their rooms.

Thirty-three pieces of thick and strong glass have been installed(安装) in the hotel, and that allows visitors to “have dinner” with the polar bears when watching them nearby. From any room, customers can see the animals through the glass and even “sleep” with them on the other side of the glass at night.

Outside the hotel is a park for the polar bears to skate, play in the snow and enjoy the sunshine. A high-tech 3D interactive(互动的) area has also been built, allowing children to play hide-and-seek with the polar bears, penguins(企鹅) and other polar animals.

Some photos and videos on the Internet show two polar bears in an indoor enclosure(围地) with small pools of water, and that causes people to have different opinions. Yang Liu, a worker of Harbin Polarland, said, “The indoor area is only part of the polar bears’ enclosure. The polar bears can go outdoors when the temperature is good.”