Cover Story - Chinadaily.com.cn

Cover Story

A short account of a long tradition

[2013-10-25 07:03]

Private banking in China began during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when independent money houses were established to conduct currency exchanges, remittances, deposits and loans.

Easing up on English

[2013-10-24 07:10]

Yin Zixuan, an 18-year-old high school student in Beijing, started learning English as a child in kindergarten.

In Japan, the college entrance exam is just as competitive as China's gaokao, and the English language examination is of crucial importance. "It's required for all college entrance exams, even the ones that don't require math or Japanese. If you want to get into a prestigious university, it's absolutely necessary that you score high on the English exam," said Ayaka Na, a 29-year-old from Nara in the Kansai region of Japan.

A sample of the 2012 Beijing Gaokao English exam

[2013-10-24 07:10]

Total marks available: 150

Eating event adds spice to GM food debate

[2013-10-23 07:10]

More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of the product.

Civilization and crop development

[2013-10-23 07:10]

Jiang Tao is senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Science.

A competitive relationship

[2013-10-23 07:10]

Xu Lai, chief editor of Guokr, or Nutshell, a popular social networking website for scientists.

Bribery claims feed milk scandal

[2013-10-22 08:10]

Any public scandal related to food safety or children is bound to arouse strong emotions, but when it comes to infant milk formula, the impact is not simply doubled, but increased tenfold.

Fighting for 'the first drop'

[2013-10-22 08:10]

Type the Chinese version of "first drop of milk" into an Internet search engine and you're likely to find numerous articles about bribery scandals in which foreign infant formula companies have been accused of paying cash or offering gifts in exchange for brand recommendations to parents.

Stranded in heavy snow at Qomolangma

[2013-10-21 07:10]

Dazzling sunshine reflected off the snow that covered the deserted northern base camp of Qomolangma, the world's highest mountain. The area is usually packed with tourists enjoying tea in their tents or writing postcards to friends at this time of year. On Friday, however, the only living thing in sight was a black dog wondering around with a rabbit in its mouth.

The dirt on tomb raiders

[2013-10-18 08:11]

For Qu Linxia, an archeologist who specializes in the excavation of ancient tombs, the time between the discovery of a centuries-old burial site and completion of its excavation is an emotional roller coaster.

Museums turn a blind eye

[2013-10-18 08:11]

Fierce competition among Chinese museums, private institutions in particular, is fueling a new wave of tomb raiding, according to a leading historian.