What's new:exhibition,animation and skiing festival

Teahouse exhibition

Beijing's Lao She teahouse is holding an exhibition of photographs of all world leaders who have visited the teahouse and of the gifts exchanged.

Diplomats from over 20 countries attended the opening ceremony on Nov 26, when a picture album of these VIP visits was released. The guests watched a traditional tea ceremony and a kungfu performance, over tea and dim sum.

Established 20 years ago, the teahouse has expanded from 500 sq m to more than 3,600 sq m. It now includes a theater, a restaurant and teahouses in both courtyard and new Beijing style. Since the arrival of President George H. W. Bush on Jan 15, 1994, the teahouse has received more than 100 world leaders and celebrities from 69 countries, in addition to 3 million other guests.

Boost for animation

Thirty-four works of animation and comics, picked from 4,382 submissions, have won the final awards of the Youth Competition of Original Animation and Comics Works, organized by the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP).

Held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the competition got underway in August and closed on Oct 15.

The participants, aged from 16 to 45, came from all over China, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and included both professionals and amateurs.

The competition is among a number of projects GAPP has initiated this year to encourage the development of the animation and comics industry, which it has listed as a strategic emphasis.

Harbin ready for ski

The 12th Heilongjiang International Skiing Festival will open on Dec 12 in Harbin, the provincial capital.

Heilongjiang has spent more than 300 million yuan on skiing facilities this year, according to deputy governor Sun Yao. There are at least 40 ski resorts in the area, including three 5-star resorts, and three specialized resorts for children.

Heilongjiang is famous for its snow-covered mountains, forests, lakes, volcanoes and hot springs, many with rare geographic features.

The province has attracted skiers from more than 100 countries, and set up an international skiing travel alliance with Russia, Japan and South Korea.