BEIJING, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on China’s natural resources technologies:

Exploring peaks, depths, seas, and poles, China notches concrete progress in natural resources technologies during 2021-2025
https://youtu.be/TInEX6v3QqU

Traces of China’s sci-tech exploration could be found on the snow-capped world’s highest peaks, the underlying ecological texture of the vast land, the dark tranquility of the deep ocean, and the icy expanse of the North and South Poles. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China’s natural resources sci-tech teams, with their fearless spirit of exploration, have built an all-dimensional innovation framework of “reaching for the sky, delving into the earth, scaling peaks, and venturing into the seas,” laying a solid foundation for national security and high-quality development.

The world’s highest peaks have always been a touchstone for surveying and mapping technology. When Chinese domestic equipment stood fully atop Mount Qomolangma for the first time, and when high-precision data was transmitted in real time via satellites, the maturity of China’s independent surveying and mapping technology was proven at an altitude of 8848.86 meters. Beyond this single breakthrough at Mount Qomolangma, the national satellite navigation and positioning reference station network based on the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has woven an integrated national surveying and mapping benchmark system covering land, sea, air, and space. Centimeter-level precise positioning, like equipping all walks of life with “intelligent eyes,” ensures every voyage has a clear direction and every operation is efficient and accurate.

If outer space represents upward exploration, then deep earth exploration is a downward quest for answers. In China’s Tarim Basin, an ultra-deep borehole named “Shenditake 1” has reached a vertical depth of 10,910 meters, ranking as Asia’s deepest and the world’s second deepest vertical well. The drill pipe has completely penetrated 13 strata of the Tarim Basin, with the drill bit ultimately reaching 500-million-year-old ancient rocks, providing precious original data for studying the evolution of the Tarim Basin and hydrocarbon accumulation.

On the vast sea surface, China’s independently designed and built first ocean drilling vessel, the Meng Xiang, is riding the waves, carrying humanity’s dream of drilling through the earth’s crust to reach the upper mantle. This deep-sea giant boasts a marine drilling capacity of 11,000 meters and is equipped with the world’s largest, most functional, and most optimized on-board laboratory. In the future, it will play a key role in the exploration of resources such as combustible ice, seabed hydrogen, rare earths, and polymetallic nodules.

In the icy polar regions, China conducted its 15th Arctic Ocean scientific expedition. Relying on China’s independently designed and built world’s first ice-breaking manned deep-sea submersible support vessel, Tan Suo San Hao (Exploration No. 3), which carries the “Fendouzhe” (Striver) manned submersible, the expedition team completed 43 diving operations in the Arctic Ocean. Meanwhile, under the ice-breaking guidance of the “Xuelong 2” (Snow Dragon 2), the mother ship “Shenhai 1” (Deep Sea 1) carrying the “Jiaolong” submersible also completed China’s first Arctic dive, and achieved joint operations with the “Fendouzhe” in the deep Arctic Ocean, innovating the collaborative model of dual manned submersibles. Every water, sediment, rock, and biological sample brought back by the expedition team, and every set of observed data recorded, is providing Chinese solutions for revealing the laws of Arctic climate change and safeguarding polar ecological security.

The entire chain of natural resources — including survey and exploration, development and utilization, recycling, spatial governance, and digital intelligence empowerment — requires scientific and technological support. Exploring peaks, depths, seas, and poles, the technological breakthroughs in natural resources during the 14th Five-Year Plan period are bold attempts to explore the unknown, a responsibility to protect the motherland, and a practical answer from Chinese scientists to carry out international marine cooperation and understand, develop, and protect the Earth.

BEIJING, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CGTN published an article on China’s domestic priorities in 2025. The article highlights President Xi Jinping’s inspection tours and meetings, emphasizing people-centered modernization, high-quality economic development, cultural heritage protection, ethnic unity, and deepening reform and opening up, showing how China is improving livelihoods and advancing its modernization agenda.

As 2025 ends, China stands at a pivotal moment in its modernization journey – the 14th Five-Year Plan chapter closes and the 15th is set to start. From factories and research labs to local communities and cultural landmarks, President Xi Jinping’s inspections and central meetings this year illustrate how China is steering domestic governance and planning its next phase of modernization.

People-centered modernization

“A happy life for every family and a good time for the elderly and children are what we call a beautiful world,” Xi said during a January inspection in Liaoning Province, highlighting a core principle: modernization is ultimately about improving people’s lives.

Braving the cold, Xi traveled for nearly an hour along a mountain road to visit flood-affected families in Zhuangjiagou Village. “I have been concerned about you and so came to see you before the Spring Festival,” he told residents. “The people can always count on the Party and the government in their most difficult times, and we will help them overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes.”

Throughout his inspection tours in 2025, Xi repeatedly highlighted people’s livelihoods, from food security, rural revitalization and employment to housing, public services and ecological well-being. When disasters struck – a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Dingri County, landslides in Junlian County, Sichuan, and mountain torrents in Yuzhong County, Gansu – he issued immediate instructions, coordinating all-out rescue efforts to save lives and minimize casualties.

Guiding the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Xi also emphasized that listening to people’s voices and pooling public wisdom are essential to building consensus for the modernization that improves everyday life.

High-quality development as the anchor

“It is imperative to deal with the uncertainty of drastic changes in the external environment with the certainty of the country’s high-quality development.” Xi delivered this message in April at a Politburo meeting, emphasizing the importance of consolidating the real economy, industrial upgrading and technological advancement.

In April, Xi inspected an AI incubator in Shanghai, just days after presiding over a political bureau’s group study session on artificial intelligence, stressing the value of integrating AI innovation with industrial development.

Xi has long seen the real economy – the part that produces goods and services – as the cornerstone of China’s national economy. In July, at Yangquan Valve Company in Shanxi Province, he reiterated that the real economy, especially traditional industries, must not be abandoned, but instead transformed and upgraded through technological innovation.

Strengthening cultural foundations

“Treasures of Chinese culture must be well protected and inherited, and the culture behind them must be well promoted.” Xi made this call during a May inspection in Henan, reflecting that culture is a pillar of national strength.

During an October visit to the Palace Museum in Beijing, he said cultural relics “belong to the people and should serve the people,” urging protection, restoration and innovative use to make heritage both an educational resource and a window for the world to understand China.

Revolutionary history is also central to this cultural foundation. Xi visited several revolutionary sites this year, emphasizing the importance of telling the stories of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and passing on its spirit.

At milestone celebrations marking the 60th founding anniversary of Xizang Autonomous Region and the 70th founding of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xi led central delegations, reinforcing ethnic unity and advancing the building of a community for the Chinese nation.

On September 3, ahead of the Victory Day military parade at Tiananmen Square, President Xi declared: “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable,” affirming that the cause of peace and development for humanity will ultimately prevail.

Opening new horizons through reform and opening up

“We will undoubtedly break new ground in reform and development as long as we strengthen our conviction and confidence, confront problems and obstacles directly, and tackle risks and challenges without hesitation,” Xi reiterated in 2025, framing reform and opening up as a key solution to breaking development bottlenecks, supporting private enterprises and advancing a unified national market.

Meeting global business representatives, Xi reiterated that China’s door to opening up will continue to widen, with consistent policies for foreign investment.

At the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, the blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan took shape under Xi’s leadership. As 2025 closes, China prepares to enter a new chapter, translating vision into action with clear priorities and a steady path toward modernization.

For more information, please click:

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-12-30/Live-Chinese-President-Xi-Jinping-delivers-2026-New-Year-Address-1JwmtzZkcsU/p.html

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-12-30/Inside-China-s-domestic-agenda-Key-priorities-in-2025-1JwoKjSgzQs/p.html

BEIJING, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on The Dragon Boat Festival:

Velvet flowers blossom on Dragon Boat Festival as tradition embraces fashion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0FJ7T5UIOE

Every Dragon Boat Festival, the sound of drums resonates across the rivers as dragon boats race through the waves, which represents a deeply embedded cultural tradition in China. This “dragon boat,” though not gliding through waterways, showcases its grandeur vividly at the fingertips, thanks to the intangible heritage craft of velvet flowers.

Velvet flowers, an ancient craft with a history spanning over a millennium, once thrived in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, and Yangzhou. From the luxurious adornments worn by court concubines in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the grassroots decorations donned by commoners in the streets of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), this art has consistently been a fashionable item for those who pursue beauty.

During significant festivals and wedding ceremonies, velvet flowers are essential auspicious decorations. Upon the Dragon Boat Festival, artisans have skillfully integrated festive elements into their creations. They come in the shapes of evil-dispelling “Five Poisonous Creatures” and lovely zongzi, with each piece carrying profound festive messages.

“Velvet flower” is pronounced similarly to “prosperity” in Chinese. Each velvet flower petal carries the blessings of wealth and wellness. The creation of every velvet flower showcases exquisite craftsmanship, where silk and copper wires undergo a stunning transformation in the artisan’s hands.

Today, blending tradition and innovation, velvet flowers have become a popular fashion. What’s the flower adorning the lead female character in historical dramas? Velvet flower! What’s the stunning piece on the award ceremony dress at the Beijing Winter Olympics? Also velvet flower. Young artisans are making even bolder attempts, integrating modern fashion elements into this craft. At the Paris Fashion Week, velvet flowers engaged in a crossover collaboration with international luxury brands. The “flower from China” then captured the attention and appreciation of audiences across the world. Who says traditional crafts cannot thrive in the new era? Velvet flowers demonstrate with its popularity that tradition can indeed be trendy.

Velvet flowers blossom on Dragon Boat Festival as tradition embraces fashion
http://www.china.org.cn/2025-05/30/content_117903809.shtml

BEIJING, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on The De’ang ethnic group:

The De’ang ethnic group: Intangible cultural heritage sour tea brews prosperity
https://youtu.be/mF2_4dmh4JM

Dong Xiaomei, a member of the Yunnan Writers Association: Many ancient tea trees in Yunnan were planted by the ancestors of the De’ang ethnic group. The De’ang people grow, process, and consume tea, making tea integral to their history. The story of sour tea serves as a narrative of the De’ang people’s heritage.

The vast mountainous area of the Gaoligong and Nu mountains in western Yunnan has been home to the De’ang ethnic group for generations. The region features ample rainfall and fertile soil, making it suitable for tea cultivation.

The De’ang ethnic group is renowned as the “descendants of tea” and “time-honored tea farmers.” The De’ang people place great emphasis on using tea to convey messages. During visits to friends and family or in matchmaking and proposing, tea is always presented as a gift. If one party has made a mistake, presenting a package of tea can seek forgiveness from the other. This highlights the irreplaceable role of tea, which cannot be substituted by money or material goods.

Yang Chunlan, a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress and prefecture-level representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of De’ang sour tea production techniques: This symbolizes the saying “good things come in pairs,” which carries a festive connotation. Additionally, there are two packages of tea, which also represent good fortune. The six gifts are significant, and none of these items can be missing. If any item is left out, it could hinder the marriage proposal when visiting the bride’s family.

De’ang sour tea is processed through steps that include withering, rolling, anaerobic fermentation, pounding or crushing, shaping, and drying. Edible tea typically undergoes about two months of fermentation, while drinking tea requires fermentation for four to nine months. The fermented tea leaves develop a diverse array of probiotics, which can effectively enhance gastrointestinal function.

Yang Chunlan is the daughter of Yang Lasan, a national-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of De’ang sour tea production techniques. As a national lawmaker, she brought the sour tea and local woven fabric to Beijing during the annual “two sessions.” Yang recognizes that this traditional craft is not only an ethnic cultural treasure but also a “golden key” for increasing income and prosperity among her fellow villagers.

Yang Chunlan: Every year during the tea-picking season, I invite tea cooperative members to take the tea to me, and I settle the money for them daily. After several years of collaboration, many of the members who have worked with me have built new houses.

Zhao Latui, a fellow villager of Yang Chunlan, is also an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of De’ang sour tea production techniques. In his youth, Zhao ventured out to start a business and worked various jobs. Witnessing the dramatic changes in his village, he ultimately decided to return home for development.

Zhao Latui, a model worker of Yunnan Province and prefecture-level representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of De’ang sour tea production techniques: Authorities at various levels place significant emphasis on the development of the De’ang sour tea industry, providing substantial support. Currently, all tea producers in Dehong, as far as I know, are engaged in the production of De’ang sour tea.

Chudonggua Village in Mangshi’s Santaishan Township is a Chinese traditional village that preserves the ancient customs and architectural heritage of the De’ang people. Capitalizing on its status as the “origin of sour tea,” the village has established a De’ang story corridor, an intangible cultural heritage academy, B&Bs and hotels. Here visitors can explore the village, engage in activities, enjoy local cuisine, and learn about the culture, providing villagers with significant tourism-related opportunities.

Zhao Latui: We have established a sour tea association and a sour tea alliance, and we often come together to plan for the development of the industry. For example, we have discussed ways to make the sour tea healthier and more hygienic. We support and remind each other in the process.

The De’ang ethnic group, with a population of over 20,000, is one of the ethnic minorities residing in the southwestern region of China along the borders with Myanmar. This ethnic group has successfully had its traditional sour tea production techniques inscribed as a sub-item on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Yang Chunlan: He (My father) cried. We were both at the hospital that day.

Journalist: Have you seen him cry before?

Yang Chunlan: No, never. That day I told him, “Dad, our De’ang sour tea has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Your efforts paid off.” He cried, truly cried — it was a kind of happy cry.

Today, the craft of making De’ang sour tea is passed down orally between masters and apprentices, sustained by the diligent hands of practitioners.

Zhao Latui: I have apprentices from various ethnic groups, including the Dai, Jingpo, Lisu, Achang, and Han. They are all involved in making sour tea and are doing quite well with it. We hope to ensure that this craft is passed down effectively, with various ethnic groups making the sour tea and preserving this craft, thus enabling the sour tea industry to reach the entire country and even the world.

Yang Chunlan: The desire to preserve one’s ethnic culture stems from a deep love for it. Now that De’ang sour tea has been recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the notion that what is ethnic belongs to the world comes to life. Let’s share, inherit, and protect this tradition together.

As early as the 4th century, De’ang tea was distributed to numerous households through trade routes such as the ancient Tea Horse Road. Today, building on the intangible cultural heritage, the De’ang people are forging a path of rural revitalization that deeply integrates agriculture, culture, and tourism, promoting their sour tea both nationally and globally.

The De’ang ethnic group: Intangible cultural heritage sour tea brews prosperity
http://www.china.org.cn/2025-06/20/content_117938744.shtml