Writing's on the wall for New Year paintings

Chinese people used to decorate their homes with nianhua (New Year paintings) during the Spring Festival, which are usually placed on the front door to prevent evil spirits and bring good luck to the family.

Sculptures you can't churn out in a hurry

Watching the annual display of butter sculptures has been a traditional way for the Tibetans to celebrate their New Year. The Tar Monastery in Xining of Northwest China's Qinghai Province is the most renowned place for butter sculptures.

Life Trend

Setting sail for the 2008 Beijing Games

Olympic regatta host city Qingdao and many of China's coastal cities are quickly developing the sport of sailing thanks to the Beijing 2008 Games.

To stay afloat, its different strokes for different folks

Duisburg, Germany: Watching canoes glide down the water, many a novice has thought how easy it looks. But when they get into their own canoe, the beginner will usually find himself not gliding, but going in circles.

Gone with the wind

We are in a boat in the middle of Dianshan Lake, a vast stretch of water 45 minutes drive from downtown Shanghai, when all of a sudden the engine cuts out and we begin drifting gently along into a dead calm.

Photos

African Development Bank Annual Meetings

Life Travel

Getting there

Jinan International Airport is located about 40 kilometers outside of town. Visitors unfamiliar with the area should be cautious when taking taxis from the airport, because it is a magnet for Jinan's craftiest cabbies.

Rock of sages cleft for me

As the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, Qufu's main claim to fame is having shaped two sages of the ages.

High adventure

Holidaymakers with sky-high ambitions will find mountains of fun on Taishan, in East China's Shandong Province. These precipitous peaks are the most monumental of China's past and present.