China Scene: West

Climate change takes toll on Musdao Ice Mountain

The warming climate has melted the snow cap on Musdao Ice Mountain in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

On April 13, the mountain's centuries-old snow cap was seen melting. The 3,835-meter peak between China and Kazakhstan has its own glacier.

Experts said the warming climate in recent years and the boom in the tourism industry around the mountain had damaged the snow, which has been receding by 50 meters every year.

(China Foto Press)

Xi'an rolls out the red carpet for farmers

Welcome you farmers, my brothers, to our city. Tourism officials in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, launched a special campaign on Sunday specifically targeting farmers.

The city, which served as the capital of 13 dynasties, is one of the country's hottest tourists destinations, especially among farmers.

The Xi'an Tourism Administration Bureau has organized a number of activities for farmers, and hotels and restaurants in the city will offer discounts to rural visitors.

(Shaanxi Daily)

Rabbits come to the aid of farmer's freezing chicks

In a hen shortage, rabbits will do.

Rabbits have been helping Yu Bing'an, 54, a farmer in Xixiang County, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, raise chickens since 1992. The furry animals incubated more than 500 chickens in the period .

"I bought 20 little chickens from the market in 1992, but some died when it got cold. I assumed they wouldn't die if they had a hen to warm them. Then I put the chickens with the rabbits, and the chickens got better. From then on, I tried to incubate eggs with my rabbits, and more than 500 chicken have been incubated without hens," Yu said.

(Chinese Business View)

Proverbial ending for attempted robbery

As the proverb says: When a rat runs across the street, everyone cries, "Catch it!"

Wang Jian, 24, felt a little like a rat on Tuesday afternoon as he ran across a busy downtown street in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Wang had just snatched a mobile phone from a woman and ran off down the street. Hearing the woman's cries, some 20 people gave pursuit and caught him, undeterred by the knife in his hand.

Police recovered two mobile phones and more than 1,100 yuan ($140) in cash from Wang.

(Chinese Business View)

(China Daily 04/20/2007 page6)