A poisoned sense of duty

China has an unfortunate recent history of scandals involving people sickened or killed by contaminated food.

Quotation of the day

The troubling state of the nature

Correspondent for The Guardian says environmental travelogue best way to tell the story of China's development

Matteo Ricci exhibition offers a glimpse of early cultural exchange

2010 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Matteo Ricci, an Italian missionary who introduced Western culture, art and science to China during the Ming dynasty. Ricci was a valued advisor to the Chinese court as well as the first foreigner buried in the imperial capital when he died in 1610.

What's on

Stage

Bidding a fond farewell to the past

The paintings of Han Xin capture modern life as it intrudes on tradition

Mountain climber finds inspiration for photography

Stefen Chow was a mechanical engineer and a mountain climber, not a photographer. Until he began toting a camera with him up the slopes of some of the world's highest peaks. Summit by summit, he began learning how to capture images as beautiful as the moments he was living.

Break from tradition

Spring Festival is traditionally celebrated by returning to the family home, but some individuals, for a variety of reasons, celebrate the holiday differently, Lin Shujuan, Guo Shuhan and Zhang Zixuan find out more

The great reunion dilemma

The traditional reunion dinner to celebrate the New Year often threatens to become a "cold war" between Zhao Ying and her husband. The couple invariably fights over which set of parents gets to enjoy their company for the Spring Festival feast.

Hope springs eternal for chiru

It's an uphill task to protect the endangered Tibetan antelope, prized for its ultra fine wool, from poachers. But recent efforts are paying off. Yang Guang reports

Flower power monk protects 'wild west'

Sonam Konchog, 44, is obsessed with flowers. The lama of Serkhang Monastery in southwestern Qinghai province has spent a good part of his life observing the plants blanketing the holy Gadoiqowo Mountain in Chindu county, Yushu Tibetan prefecture.

Art on the move

First there was Yuanmingyuan, then Songzhuang and later, the 798 Art Zone. As urbanization spreads, artists?villages are being forced to newer locations. Zhu Linyong reports