Category: City Guide

Milan Ancient City in China

The famous Milan Ancient City(米兰古城Mǐlán gǔchéng) is 40 km east of Ruoqiang Couty Town, formed with Tibet Old Castle and the relics of the ancient architectures in the period of Wei Jin Dynasty scattered in the surrounding areas, in addition with the facilities of farmland development during garrison and water conservancy in Han Dynasty and Yixun City relics. According to history books, this land belonged to Yixun City of Loulan State of West Region in West Han period. In the second year of Han Zhao Di Yuanfeng (77 BC), Weituyan, king of Shanshan (ancient Loulan State) asked Han Government to send troops here to develop wasteland and farm for grains. A Sima and 40 soldiers then were dispatched to garrison in Yixun for farming. In Tang Dynasty, this land was occupied by Tibet, and the old castle was a military fortress built by Tibet.

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South China University of Technology 华南理工大学

******************************************************* South China University of Technology (SCUT)（华南理工大学：Huánán Lǐɡōnɡ Dàxué） formerly known as the South China Institute of Technology, was established in 1952, through the amalgamation of the technical faculties of 12 universities in 5 provinces in central and southern China, including Sun Yat-sen University, Lingnan University（岭南大学：Lǐnɡnán Dàxué）, Hunan University, Guangxi University, is one of China's key universities operating under the direct leadership of the State Ministry of Education. The university, which has a total area of 294 hectares, is situated in Guangzhou, a southern metropolitan in China. The university has two campuses: The North Campus and the South Campus.

In 1960, SCUT was awarded ranked among the key universities of China. In 1981, it was authorized by the State Council to confer doctor degrees and master degrees and was among the first universities in the country to do so. In 1995, it was selected as one of the universities into which China will make significant investment in the 21st century. In 1999, it was rated "excellent" during the Undergraduate Teaching Assessment, and was among the first "Excellent Universities of Undergraduate Education" in the country. In the same year, a national science park was established with the authorization of State Ministry of Technology and State Ministry of Education. In 2000, Graduate School was authorized to be established. In 2001, the new cooperative construction of State Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province was implemented in SCUT and it was listed among the top universities in the country. After more than 50 years of development, SCUT has become a multidisciplinary university of high reputation in South China and in the whole country, focusing on engineering, combined with science, also promoting well coordinated development of management, economics, humanities and law.

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Beijing Reform on English section of college admissions test

Beijing education authorities plan to de-emphasise English scores on standardised tests, a sign that China's obsession with the language may be waning.
北京的教育官员计划降低英语在高校标准入学考试中的重要性，这一举措或标志着中国的英语热开始降温。
The Beijing municipal commission of education plans to reduce the English section of the all-important college admissions test, the Gaokao, from 150 points to 100 points in major cities by 2016, China's official newswire Xinhua reported.
据中国官方媒体新华社报道，北京市教育委员会计划减少英语科目在高考中的分值，从150分下降到100分，这一政策将自2016年起在全国主要城市开始实施。
It will boost the value of the Chinese section from 150 to 180 points. Currently, the test weighs English, Chinese and maths equally.
高考改革还会将语文科目的分值从150分提高到180分。目前，英语、语文和数学三门科目的分值是相同的。
Officials have spun the proposal as both a practical decision and a matter of national pride. "The change highlights the fundamental importance of mother tongue in the curriculum," a representative from the commission told Xinhua.
中国官员称此举既是从实际需要出发，又可以弘扬国粹。北京市教育委员会一位发言人对新华社记者说，“这个改革将凸显高中课程中语文学科基础性的重要地位。”
Education authorities are also considering scrapping mandatory English lessons before the third grade. They currently begin on the first day of primary school.
教育官员还考虑去掉小学阶段三年级以前的英语课程。目前小学课程中的英语课是从入学第一天就开始的。
Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Shanghai, may remove English from the Gaokao entirely. Public consultation on the proposal began on Monday, Xinhua reported.
据新华社报道，山东、江苏、上海等省市可能将英语考试从高考中彻底去除。关于这一举措的公众咨询将于下周一开始。
Xinhua called the proposals "no more than a minor tweak", emphasising that they would change the way that English is taught without diminishing its importance.
新华社称高考英语改革“仅仅是一个小调整”，并强调英语教育方式的改变并不会减少英语教育的重要性。

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Chinese phone：iPhone VS Xiaomi

It feels more like a rock concert than a press conference as the casually dressedchief executive takes to a darkened stage to unveil his firm's sleek newsmartphone to an adoring crowd. Yet this was not the launch of the new iPhone byApple on September 10th, but of the Mi-3 handset by Xiaomi, a Chinese firm, inBeijing on September 5th. With its emphasis on snazzy design, glitzy launches andthe cult-like fervour it inspires in its users, no wonder Xiaomi is often compared toits giant American rival, both by admirers and by critics who call it a copycat.Xiaomi's boss, Lei Jun, even wears jeans and a black shirt, Steve Jobs-style. IsXiaomi really China's answer to Apple?
穿着随意的首席执行官上台向那些崇拜者们展示着最新的时尚品牌手机，比起记者招待会，这看上去更像是一场摇滚演唱会。但是这并非是苹果公司9月10日的新IPHONE发布会，而是中国的小米公司9月5日在北京召开的一场小米3发布会。小米把重心放在了时尚的外观设计，炫目的发布会以及用户间蔓延着的宗教信仰般的崇拜，也难怪无论是追随者还是把小米视为抄袭者的批判者都喜欢拿小米和他强大的美国竞争对手相比较。小米的老板雷军甚至穿着黑T恤牛仔上场，完全的乔布斯风格。小米真的是中国版的苹果么？
Xiaomi sold 7.2m handsets last year, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, earningrevenues of 12.6 billion yuan ($2.1 billion). Apple sold 125m smartphones globally,earning about $80 billion of its $157 billion sales. But since it was founded in 2010, Xiaomi has grown fast. A recent funding round valued it at $10 billion, more than Microsoft just paid for Nokia’s handset unit. That made Xiaomi one of the 15 most heavily venture-backed mobile start-ups ever, says Rajeev Chand of Rutberg, aninvestment bank. In the second quarter of 2013 Xiaomi’s market share in China was 5%, says Canalys, a research firm—more than Apple’s (4.8%) for the first time.
去年小米在中国内地、香港和台湾地区总共销售了720万台小米手机，获利126亿元（21亿美元）。苹果公司在全球出售了1.25亿台智能手机，销售额为1570亿美金，获利约800亿美金。但是自2010年成立以来，小米迅速成长。新一轮融资估值为100亿美金，比最近微软收购诺基亚手机业务的花费还要高。投资银行路特伯格公司表示，这也使得小米成为了有史以来多家风投支持的15家移动初创公司之一。调查公司易观国际的调查显示，2013年二季度小米在中国的市场份额达到了5%，首次超过了苹果（4.8%）。

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Starbucks earns higher margins in China

The official China Central Television (CCTV) claimed Starbucks earns higher margins in China due to its pricing.
中国CCTV央视声称星巴克咖啡靠高价销售牟取暴利。
Starbucks is the latest foreign company to come under scrutiny from Chinese media over its pricing practices.
星巴克是最近以来由于售价问题受到中国媒体质疑的外国公司中的最新案例。
Earlier this year, Apple and Nestle were also put under pressure to review their prices or customer service.
今年上半年，苹果公司和雀巢公司同样受到中国媒体压力，不得不检讨其售价问题或售后服务问题。
Starbucks is rapidly expanding in China, which is set to overtake Canada as its second-biggest market next year.
星巴克的中国市场正在迅速扩张，计划在明年取代加拿大，成为星巴克的第二大全球市场。
In the CCTV report that aired on Sunday, it said a medium-size latte in Beijing costs 27 yuan (£2.70;$4.43), or about one-third more than at a Starbucks in Chicago.
周日播出的央视新闻报道中指出，一杯中杯拿铁咖啡在北京的售价为27元，比在芝加哥的售价多出了约三分之一。
"Starbucks has been able to enjoy high prices in China, mainly because of the blind faith of local consumers in Starbucks and other Western brands," Wang Zhendong, director of the Coffee Association of Shanghai, told CCTV.
上海咖啡协会会长王振东对央视记者说，“星巴克在中国一直享受着高额售价，主要原因是本地居民对星巴克等洋品牌的盲目信任。”
Starbucks said its prices reflect higher food and logistical costs in China.
星巴克有关发言人说，星巴克在中国的售价反应了中国更高的原料成本和后勤成本。
The issue became one of the most popular talking points on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, where many users seemed to rally to Starbucks' side.
这一事件成为了中国版的推特新浪微博上最热门的话题之一。不少网友都站在了支持星巴克这一边。
"Those who are saying Starbucks is expensive are probably those who don't drink much coffee," one user said. "The prices are competitive and the quality makes people feel safe."
“那些说星巴克太贵的人也许是并不常喝咖啡的人”，一个网友说。“星巴克的价格很有竞争力，而且咖啡的质量也让人感觉物有所值。”

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