Upgrade of coal sector suggested to drive growth

Northern China's Shanxi province, which produced over a quarter of the nation's coal in 2015, will continue upgrading coal-related industries to boost growth in the new year, said Governor Li Xiaopeng.

Top medical authority says appointment scalpers will be punished

China's top medical authority will investigate and punish the scalping of hospital bookings, a spokesperson announced on Wednesday.

New prostate procedure could bring relief to rural millions

Although it has been more than a decade, Jiang Hansheng can still remember the look on the face of "an expert in Beijing" when he eagerly explained a method he had experimented with for years to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate gland, a condition that occurs frequently among men aged 60 and older.

Endangered flower rediscovered in China

A family of rare parasitic flowers that can match anything found in the movie Avatar recently reappeared in the rainforest of Xishuangbanna in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Around China

Henan

New rule to allow 6 days without visa

The country's first cross-region visa-free transit policy will take effect on Jan 30 in the Yangtze River Delta region, according to a statement by the Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday.

Holiday ritual offers a touch of home

As Christmas is to Westerners, Chinese New Year - the first day of the first lunar month - is regarded as the most important festival in China.

Spring Festival celebrations to light up 6 continents

More than 2,000 events, including concerts, film screenings, parades and exhibitions, are set to be held in more than 140 countries across the world to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 8.

Families of expats can stay longer

Foreign family members of Chinese citizens will be eligible for a two-year residency permit in Beijing based on a family visit visa, according to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

More funds to improve air quality

The city of Beijing will cut the level of PM2.5 in the air by 5 percent this year, and will allocate more funds for projects to reduce emissions, an environmental official said.

Beijing's hutong under pressure

Local officials in Beijing vowed to further renovate and protect the city's cultural heritage, in particular the narrow streets or alleys known as hutong, in the downtown area.