Briefly

HAINAN

Prehistoric paintings discovered in cave

Rock paintings discovered in a cave in South China's Hainan province are estimated to date back to the Paleolithic Era. It is the first such archaeological discovery on the island. According to archaeologists, the Paleolithic site discovered in Wangxia township, Changjiang Li autonomous county, is the oldest human dwelling cave site found in Hainan, said Li Chaorong, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. Li said the ruins date back 65,000 to 55,000 years. Remains of rock paintings extend over 20 meters in the cave.

NINGXIA

Yellow River protection regulation takes effect

A regulation aimed at protecting the ecology of the Yellow River Basin and promoting the area's high-quality development took effect on Tuesday in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. It says Ningxia will strictly control construction projects along the Yellow River, and prohibit the construction and expansion of chemical projects close to the river and its tributaries. Ningxia has been designated as a pilot zone to promote the ecological protection and high-quality development of the basin, and the regulation encourages steps in that regard.

Xinhua