Painting the past

Yang Dongmiao and her husband Jin Weidong are happy and excited - their dream of reproducing full-sized Dunhuang murals is going to come true. "We plan to open our caves to the public on Feb 25, after we finish the murals of the No 45 and No 220 grottoes of the Mogao Grottoes," Jin says. The couple is busy putting the final touches on the murals in their two "grottoes" located on a street that celebrates the heritage of the Silk Road in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province.

A family's history brought to life

A Chinese family in New York learns more about its ancestral history in the process of preparing a museum exhibition.

Changing stages

Er'renzhuan, an improvised show performed by two people who sing, dance and interact with the audience, is finding a new generation of fans. Deng Zhangyu and Liu Mingtai join the crowd.

Next stop, outer space

Backpacker Zhao Xingde never imagined that the last stop on his world trip would be outer space.

Party with care

The Spring Festival is a season of fun for all Chinese, but too much eating and drinking can pose many risks, medical experts tell Liu Zhihua.

Stay healthy on holiday

Holidays are a time for relaxation and enjoyment, and a balanced lifestyle will help avoid overexertion during the Spring Festival, experts say.

IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Healing touch

For many parents, collecting your children after school is an everyday chore. For Dr Diarra Boubacar, it was recently a rare treat.

Teaching English in China a good Plan B

If you asked Cody Batchelor, an English teacher in China, a year ago what he planned to do after graduating from college, he would have said his first choice was law school.

Mounting a musical peak

On the day when he had his biggest sense of accomplishment, Zhang Yong was heavily in debt.

One man's lost-and-found service

Qiu Shenghua, 66, is carefully counting his money to purchase stamps at a post office in Xinyang, Henan province.

What's new

Sino-French relations reach golden year