From dry cave to spooky ice cave Ningwu delivers

Shanxi was fairly well known for its cave dwellers in the northern part of the province. No, no, these were not Ice Age Neanderthals or cave men, they were local farmers who made their homes by digging into the hard-packed loess soil for a place that is cool in the blazing summer and not so cold in the winter.

Yellow River and Great Wall shake hands here

There's an old saying in China to describe the Yellow River, its mother river by calling it - jiu qu, shiba wan, or 'nine twists, 18 turns' - because it meanders all over northern China on its lazy 5,464 kilometer run to the East Sea

Sadness in the eyes of those who behold her

Once upon a time the maiden looked at her reflection and said: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

Pharmaceutical company aims to staunch danger of unused medicine

Expired drugs are becoming a significant threat to the environment because of their chemical ingredients that can change and become hazardous if disposed improperly, especially into water and the earth, and a State-owned pharmaceutical company has called on the public to pay more attention to the issue.

Eye on the teen market

Adolescence can be a difficult time for teenagers and their parents, but major Chinese fashion brand JNBY wants to make it fun on the clothing front.

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Herb master

A prominent Beijing chef completes the first chapter of an encyclopedic labor of love: a professional's guide to the herbs of Yunnan province, Mike Peters and Jiang Wanjuan report.

Brazilian chef wins World Sushi Cup in Japan

A Brazilian chef won the World Sushi Cup last week, bursting into tears of joy after his knife skills and artful preparation of salmon roe, tuna and shrimp delicacies wowed Japanese judges.

A slurp of Malaysia

Rice noodles in a rich, spicy soup with chicken, prawn or fish? That's laksa, and a recipe for delight in Peranakan cuisine, which marries food and spice traditions of Chinese and Malay cuisines. New World Beijing Hotel has brought in a Malaysian chef to prepare the country's traditional cuisine at the hotel's Tian Tan kitchen through Aug 31.

Gathering speed

When British equine industry veteran John Warren joined the advisory council of the China Horse Club in 2013, he faced plenty of doubts from his countrymen.

Doctor makes her mark in nuclear medicine research

Tian Mei wanted to be a doctor since she was young, and now she has exceeded her childhood dream.

Novel Russian fare hits screens

It might not seem like a big deal, but Russian films have just squeezed their way into China's lucrative market.