The tourism trade-off

Before the 1990s, Basha was a small village almost unknown to the rest of the world. Perched on a hill about 7 km away from the central town of Congjiang County, in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, the village is home to around 470 households and 2,200 Miao ethnic people, who had been leading a life that was virtually untouched by modernization.

Remembering a forgotten city

Being called a "must-see tourist destination" is a double-edged sword. While it helps fill locals' pockets, it can disturb a scenic spot's tranquility. Lijiang is a good example of this.

Special Supplement

Growing popularity of herbal paste

With winter at the doorstep, the sales of herbal paste -a kind of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-is rising quickly among the residents of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province.

Famous TCM stores in Hangzhou

Huqingyutang in Hangzhou is one of the two extremely famous traditional Chinese medicine stores in China, the other being Tongrentang in Beijing.

Life Travel

Dreams of Angkor Wat become breathtaking reality

Angkor Wat symbolizes the ancient Angkor empire and has been in my mind since I first read about it in geography textbooks at high school. The final scenes in director Wong Kar Wai's romantic film, In the Mood for Love, touched my heart several years ago - with Angkor's dense forests, grand but dilapidated buildings and delicate sculptures.

Trading places

Few foreigners have heard of Zhangjiakou, an old foreign trade city in northern China, but the name Kalgan might ring a few bells for elderly Russians. Kalgan, in fact, is Zhangjiakou, a city located in the northwest of Hebei Province.

Life Health

A puzzle a day keeps doctor away

BERLIN: There are many things elderly people can do to keep their memories sharp. Sudoku, crossword puzzles and learning a foreign language are examples.

Searching for a silver bullet

Writing and occasional eye contact are the only way 48-year-old Gao Zhonghang can communicate with relatives and doctors, as a rare disease has deprived him of his ability to control the muscles in his mouth. Even swallowing food and drinking water are problematic for him.

ALS can strike anyone, anywhere, any time

One or two people out of every 100,000 develop ALS every year. Men are affected slightly more than women. Although ALS may occur at any age, it is most common in middle-aged and older adults.