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Promoting wonder of the Philippines
The Philippine Department of Tourism held a Philippine Tourism Awards Night yesterday in Beijing. It marked three years since DOT's Beijing office opened, and paid tribute to Chinese tour operators and media friends, who have helped increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country.
The Philippine Tourism Minister Joseph Ace Durano announced the winners and talked about the status of the market, as well as latest development in the Philippine tourism industry.
The awards were given to the top three Beijing tour operators who have consistently produced tour groups for the Philippines; two television shows which have shown Chinese viewers a different and refreshing prespective of the country; two consumer magazines which have produced good Special Philippine Features; one Best Philippine Newspaper Feature; one "Philippine Specialist" award to an individual within a Beijing tourism establishment who has, over the years, looked for innovative ways to increase his production for the destination and has exerted effort to personally deepen his knowledge of the Philippines; and an airline recognition award.
Big night at the movies
Night Attack (Ye Xi), a film to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), will hit China's theaters in early August.
Set in 1937, the year when the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out, the film tells the story of Chen Xilian, a 22-year-old colonel who led a sudden night attack on the Japanese army's airport in Northwest China's Shanxi province.
To achieve a convincing war scene, the crew built a 1:1 airport and seven model planes. The use of computer generated effects also helps to create a visual wonder.
As the first installment of a series of films on famous generals of the country, the film recalls a time when China's people were fighting for peace and dignity.
Pu'er Tea collected by national museum
Pu'er, a famous tea from Southwest China's Yunnan Province, has been made into a one-meter diameter disc as a gift to Hong Kong from the Chinese tea circles, to mark the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.
Beijing Wentiange Tea Enterprise, which is producer of the gift, also released 2007 packs of Pu'er tea, each with the logo of bauhinia flower, which symbolizes Hong Kong.
The packs number 48, 1997 and 2007 have been collected by the Museum of the Palace of Nationalities, Beijing.
The number 48 symbolized the year 1948 when the museum was founded, while 1997 marks the year of Hong Kong's return to China.
It is the first time that tea has become a collected item of the museum.
Digital ode to Hong Kong
Among numerous documentaries to salute Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Hello Hong Kong spans two centuries, from when Hong Kong was ceded to Britain to the city's modern prosperity.
It is the first digital film by the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio, known for its documentaries on national leaders and rich collection of historic footage.
In this film, many precious historic events are represented by old footage, interviews and documents. The highlights include how the One Country, Two Systems concept came about, the multi-screen display of the handover of sovereignty and the celebration on Tian'anmen Square. Last week Gao Feng (pictured), producer of the documentary, went to Hong Kong to promote the film.
(China Daily 07/03/2007 page18)
