By Yang Wenming (People's Daily) 

The period from October to May of the following year is the perfect time for bird watching in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province, as the rainfall decreases and the dry season approaches.

At this time, Xu Xiaolong, a villager from Shiti village in Taiping township of Yingjiang county, would get his homestay ready to accommodate the influx of tourists, which is almost fully booked every day during this peak season.

With a forest coverage rate of over 90 percent, Shiti village is home to over 450 bird species, accounting for more than 1/3 of those found across China.

It boasts a large number of bird species under national-level protection such as the grey peacock-pheasant, collared falconet, and bay-headed bee-eater. Additionally, three species of hornbills, including the malabar pied hornbill, wreathed hornbill, and great hornbill, have stable breeding grounds in Shiti village, making it known as the "hornbill valley of China."

Leveraging the abundant bird resources, Yingjiang county has vigorously developed the bird-watching industry. By coordinating bird-watching activities with ecological conservation efforts, a new path for development has been paved.

In the past, Shiti village was home to over 300 residents. However, as the village was rarely visited by tourists due to its poor transportation, these residents lacked the expertise in tourism services.

In 2015, the government of Yingjiang county initiated a campaign to promote bird-watching activities, and local bird-watching enthusiasts also established a bird-watching association of Yingjiang county, which not only bolstered bird conservation efforts but also facilitated the development and utilization of bird-watching resources in the area.

Additionally, significant improvements were made to local infrastructure, and financial incentives were provided to villagers who transformed their residential properties into homestays.

In a couple of years, the "hornbill valley of China" began to gain reputation. Currently, there are over 30 bird-watching spots in Shiti village, with more than 50 bird guides who can proficiently identify over 100 bird species. The village provides a number of services for bird enthusiasts from accommodation to tour guide, and to transportation.

The per capita disposable income in Shiti village surged from less than 2,000 yuan ($273) in 2015 to 12,800 yuan in 2023, thanks to the booming bird-watching industry. This not only lifted residents out of poverty but also effectively protected the local mountains and forests, fostering harmonious coexistence between bird-watchers and birds.

Today, protecting birds, forests and the ecology has been incorporated into village regulations and become a consensus among villagers. Even children in the village are aware of the importance of protecting birds.

Developing a bird-watching industry presents significant challenges, with the creation of bird-watching sites being one of the toughest.

A successful bird-watching spot requires attracting birds to the area and keeping them there. Building ponds, introducing food sources, and ensuring the right environment can help establish a thriving bird habitat. From a distance, shelters or hides allow visitors to observe and photograph birds without disturbing them.

As Xu explained, "Photographers often travel long distances. If they spend three to five days waiting without capturing anything worthwhile, it's hard to maintain a steady stream of visitors."

Creating a bird-watching site may seem easy, but Xu has faced his share of obstacles. Choosing the right location, studying migration routes, ensuring adequate water sources, and providing food for the birds are all delicate balances to strike.

If the site is too close to people, the birds may avoid it; if it's too far from where people live, it might deter visitors. Underfeeding won't keep the birds around, but overfeeding increases costs and risks altering the birds' natural behavior.

Since 2017, the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county has conducted 10 training sessions in Taiping township, teaching local residents to identify common species in the area, and providing practical guidance on bird-watching services. Xu found these sessions invaluable, saying, "I've learned so much."

In Shiti Village, bird watching spots are divided into two types. One includes sites where bird watchers can feed the birds, and the other is for watching hornbills where feeding is not allowed.

Why is artificial feeding necessary?

"During the dry season when food is scarce, timely and appropriate feeding supplements the food for birds," said Jin Yinde, an official with the Yunnan Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve. However, unlike "bird cages," birds in these spots come and go freely without restrictions, and sufficient food and water sources help the survival of bird species.

Yingjiang county guides villagers to develop in a differentiated manner and has built 55 spots for watching great hornbills, collared falconets, and grey peacock-pheasants.

Birdwatchers are flooding into the village as the number of bird-watching spots expands. The rich bird resources and sound ecological environment are also attracting more and more tourists to the village. This poses challenges to Shiti village - how should it balance protection and development, regulate bird-watching activities and avoid disorderly competition?

"Core zones of protected areas must stay closed," Jin told People's Daily. Located near the Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve, Shiti village must coordinate bird-watching activities with ecological protection when building bird-watching spots, strictly adhere to ecological red lines, plan bird-watching spots reasonably, set appropriate distances between the spots, and strictly control the density of bird-watching spot distribution.

Shiti village has established a specialized cooperative invested by households involved. Under unified management, it distributes profits to its investors.

The village has also invited the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county to provide training sessions, guiding villagers to strengthen the management of bird-watching spots, strictly control the daily number of tourists based on environmental carrying capacity, and feed the birds in moderation and at appropriate times, so as to minimize disturbances to the environment.

In Yingjiang today, ecological conservation projects such as artificial nests for birds, hornbill conservation, and transnational cooperation on bird protection are continuously advancing. The activities of bird watching and bird protection have formed a virtuous cycle. More and more wild and rare bird species are choosing to settle down in Yingjiang.

China's view of international order reflected in stories of two "apples"

By Huan Yuping (People's Daily) 

How does China handle its relationship with the world, and how does it view the current international order? The stories of two "apples" offer an insightful perspective.

Huaniu apple, a specialty fruit of Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu province, has made its way to international markets. It has been exported to over 30 countries and regions, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Maldives.

As the first Chinese apple brand that has obtained a trademark on the international market, it has transformed into an internationally recognized apple variety with the establishment of overseas warehouses, allowing consumers in more and more countries to enjoy the sweetness of Chinese apples.

China is the world's largest apple grower and exporter. It has launched the world's first apple futures contracts. The increasing presence of Chinese apples in the international market can be attributed to the trade facilitation enabled by free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the innovative "internet plus foreign trade" approach adopted by Chinese enterprises.

Meanwhile, the development story of U.S. tech giant Apple in China reflects the deep integration between China and the world. The company joined the second China International Supply Chain Expo with its four Chinese suppliers. Over the past three decades, Apple has greatly benefited from China's advantages in manufacturing. Out of Apple's 200 major suppliers worldwide, over 80 percent have opened factories in China. When asked about his Chinese partners, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "We would not do what we do without them."

At the same time, many Chinese companies have advanced their technology and competitiveness through long-term cooperation with Apple.

For instance, GoerTek, an electronics supplier based in Weifang, east China's Shandong province, has been cooperating with Apple in the field of acoustic sensors, developing cutting-edge automation technologies and improving manufacturing processes.

Lingyi iTECH, which started as a small die-cutting company, has developed into a major manufacturer providing thousands of modules and components for Apple products. Today, it has set up factories in many countries, including India, Vietnam, and Brazil.

From Chinese apples going global to Apple's success in China, such stories of cooperation highlight China's active role in economic globalization and its unwavering commitment to a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. This approach has fostered a deeply interconnected paradigm where China's interests are closely linked with those of other countries - a dynamic underpinned by a stable international order.

As a public good, the international order concerns the interests of all countries worldwide. A stable international order creates the necessary environment for world peace, development, and prosperity. It provides the foundation for the sound development of economic globalization and enables countries to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation.

Economic globalization serves as the ballast of the international order, bringing closer trade and economic exchanges that provide countries with opportunities for growth and prosperity. This interconnected paradigm, in turn, fosters a mighty force for upholding the international order worldwide.

China has benefited from a generally stable international order and has made significant contributions to maintaining the stability of international order.

China firmly believes that in the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the United Nations at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law. And there is only one set of rules, i.e. the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

While the current international order faces challenges, it is clear that China is not the one challenging it. From proposing visions to taking actions, China remains committed to acting as an international order defender - a right choice that serves the shared interests of both China and the broader international community.

Ne Zha 2: groundbreaking success shaping new era for Chinese film industry

By Zuo Heng (People's Daily) 

Since hitting the big screen during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday on Jan. 29, Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" has shattered multiple box office records, becoming the first film to gross over $1 billion in a single market. On Thursday evening, its total global earnings, including presales, reached 10 billion yuan (about $1.39 billion), according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema and the 130th anniversary of world cinema. The robust performance of "Ne Zha 2" has boosted confidence within the global film industry, reaffirming the enduring vitality of film as an art form and providing valuable insights into Chinese filmmaking.

"Ne Zha 2" signals the arrival of a new chapter for the Chinese animation school.

In the past century, Chinese animation, represented by the iconic works of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, captivated Chinese audiences and gained international recognition. However, the creation and production models in that era failed to keep up with the development of modern cinema and struggled to fulfill audience expectations, leading to a period of stagnation after its golden age.

Today, with the deepening reforms in China's film industry, coupled with economic and technological advancements, a thriving cultural market, and a growing pool of talent, the Chinese animation industry has gained fresh momentum. A new generation of passionate filmmakers and innovative studios has come to prominence, warmly welcomed by the massive community of Chinese animation audiences.

"Ne Zha 2" highlights the profound depth and richness of Chinese cultural heritage.

The film draws inspiration from China's Bronze Age, taking viewers back to ancient Chinese history - such as a pair of mystical "boundary guardian beasts" inspired by the golden and bronze masks excavated from the Sanxingdui Ruins, the magnificent Tianyuan Ding that finds inspiration in the bronze cauldrons of the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1600 B.C.-256 B.C.), and the intricate bronze mirror patterns found on the desk of Shiji Niangniang, or Lady Rocky.

The story's core premise, where a Chaos Pearl birthed from primordial essences splits into two opposite components - the Spirit Pearl and the Demon Orb, echoes the Taoist allegory from the ancient Chinese classics Zhuangzi, in which the legendary faceless being Hundun perishes after being forcibly carved open. The climactic battle between the celestial realm and demon clans also continued the theme of self-discovery from "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King," a classic Chinese animated fantasy film released in 1979.

The film's intricate plotlines, fusion of beauty and grotesqueness in character design, and the balance between solemnity and humor all bear traces of the narrative styles of zaju, a unique dramatic genre of China's Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and popular fictions in China's Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). It revitalizes China's long-standing aesthetic traditions, blending innovation with cultural heritage to captivate modern audiences.

At the same time, "Ne Zha 2" also reflects subtle influences from Western animation and Japanese anime. Since modern times, Western cultural elements have found their way into China and have been adapted in ways that contribute to the development of contemporary Chinese culture. This process of integration is, in itself, a fascinating cultural story of Chinese modernization.

The success of "Ne Zha 2" also marks the advent of a new generation of filmmakers in China.

The new generation of Chinese cultural and artistic workers boasts a unique strength - a deeper understanding of Chinese society and their personal lives, which they transform into fresh artistic expressions. Many young audiences have felt a powerful bond and emotional resonance with "Ne Zha 2." This reinforces an important truth: no matter how fantastical, a mythological story must be grounded in reality and genuine emotion to truly connect with audiences.

Besides, these new-generation filmmakers are actively exploring cross-disciplinary artistic practices, media integration, technological advancements, and cultural exchanges - paving the way for a more innovative future in filmmaking.

In "Ne Zha 2," the stunning battle between Ne Zha and marmots, and the breathtaking particle effects inspired by traditional Chinese ink painting, were made possible with the collaboration of multiple Chinese studios. Original Force, a leading Chinese company in digital content production, even delayed its own projects to prioritize the production of the film.

The belief that "unity is strength" is becoming a widespread consensus in China's film industry, with individual creators, studios, and companies all moving from isolation to collaboration, building ecosystems of shared resources and common development.

"Ne Zha 2" tells an incredible story, and its creation and success is a great story in itself. It is a testament to the creative team - individuals bursting with imagination and talent, and more broadly, to the collective force of China's animation, film, and technological sectors, which are driving a greater cultural advancement in China.

(Zuo Heng is the director of the cinematic culture research department at the China Film Archive.)