Online Chinese Language Platforms Launched

Online Chinese Language Platforms Launched

The Center for Language Education and Cooperation under Chinas Ministry of Education （MOE） has launched four international online platforms for learning the Chinese language.

Besides the launch which was on September 5， “Chinese Plus” cloud services，“Chinese Bridge” app， and two other platforms were also on the scheduled agenda of the International Forum on Trade in Education Service at the China International Fair for Trade in Services 2020 that opened on September 4.

At present， more than 4，000 universities， over 30，000 primary and secondary schools as well as over 45，000 colleges of Chinese studies in more than 70 countries around the world have offered Chinese courses， according to Liu Jin， director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges with the MOE.

A total of 200 million people outside China have learned， and use Chinese， according to Liu.

“Online platforms can help the development of Chinese education internationally amid the epidemic，” said Zhao Guocheng， deputy head of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation.

China Establishes Research Center for Dunhuang Relics Protection

A research center has been established at the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes， a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwest Chinas Gansu Province， aiming to tackle major issues concerning protection of cultural relics.

Supported by the Dunhuang Academy， the new Gansu Provincial Research Center for Conservation of Dunhuang Cultural Heritage has a team of more than 100 researchers from over 20 disciplines， including cultural relics protection， archaeology， chemistry， physics， and environmental sciences.

The center will carry out interdisciplinary research on major frontier scientific issues and technological requirements for the protection of Dunhuang cultural relics and build an international platform that brings together top talent in the field.

The Dunhuang Academy is a leading institution in the field of cultural relics in China， responsible for the conservation， management， and research of the Mogao Grottoes.

Beijing Exhibition Marks 600th Anniversary of Forbidden City

A grand exhibition marking the 600th anniversary of the completion of the Forbidden City in Beijing was launched on September 11.

The exhibition， held at the Palace Museum in Beijing， is divided into three sections covering three historical periods： the citys construction during the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）； adjustment of the layout during the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）； and developments since the institution of the Palace Museum in 1925.

In total， 450 cultural relics and historical materials， including photographs， are on display at the exhibition， revealing the weal and woe of the imperial courts over the course of six centuries.

Visitors will be introduced to the charms of classical Chinese architecture， traditional construction engineering skills， various principles of traditional Chinese philosophy， and catch a glimpse of the palace scenery during the four seasons.

The exhibition， titled “Everlasting Splendor： Six Centuries at the Forbidden City，” will run until November 15 at the Meridian Gate， according to the museum.

Featuring red walls and yellow glazed roof tiles， the Forbidden City represents the culmination of traditional Chinese palatial architecture， influencing cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and surrounding areas.

Visitors still need to make online reservations， have their body temperatures checked before entering， wear face masks， and practice social distancing in the exhibition halls.

Online Peking Opera Shows Attract over 46 Million Views

Chinas month-long online Peking Opera season had garnered more than 46 million views as of August 24.

A total of 18 Peking Opera troupes across the country， including the National Peking Opera Company （NPOC）， took turns to offer premium performances via various video platforms for free every evening from August 8 to September 6.

The shows received 21 million likes from the public and many of the new fans are teenagers， according to the report.

During the shows， leading Peking Opera artists joined audiences through livestreaming interactions and answered questions.

Meanwhile， comments posted by viewers also helped boost the confidence of artists in this traditional performance art.

It is time to promote Peking Opera in a way that everyone likes， as watching videos online has become one of the key means of entertainment among young people， said NPOC vice-president Zhang Yafeng.