A wildlife conservation team has partnered with villagers in Hunchun City, northeast Jilin Province, to mitigate human conflicts with leopards and endangered Siberian tigers roaming the area.
More than 70 percent of Hunchun City lies within the boundaries of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, a place believed to be home to over 60 wild Siberian tigers. The possibility of locals encountering a tiger or leopard are high.
A team of Hunchun Wildlife Conservation Society patrols regularly, alerting locals of any potential dangers. In addition to detecting and warning, the patrol team also gives regular lectures to villagers on how to deal with tigers in the wild and the importance of protecting them as a species.
"Once we see on our phones or computers that there are tigers and leopards passing by, we will contact nearby villages and villagers' committees. They will issue warnings to villagers, telling them that there are tigers out there and they should not head to the mountains," said Du Jiaxing, a patrol member.
In Machuanzi Township, adjacent to the national park, hunting traps for deer and wild boars were adapted to avoid hurting wild Siberian tigers.
"Over 1,000 traps were adapted, and we found out a lot of problems," said Jiang Yuanzhi, one of the villagers.
"Tigers and leopards do not disrupt our lives at all. They are high on the food chains and are a limit to the number of wild boars," said Lang Chunliang, another villager.
Another crucial effort of Siberian tiger conservation is establishing and expanding connected forests, so the animals have secure places to live, roam and breed. The national park transformed the forest structure not just for the tigers, but also for their prey, in an effort to build a healthy ecosystem.
Conservationists partner with villagers to reduce human-wildlife conflict in northeast China
The lineup for the 2025 Spring Festival movie season was officially revealed on Wednesday with six highly anticipated films set to hit the big screens in China on the first day of the Spring Festival on January 29.
The six films -- Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, Ne Zha 2, Detective Chinatown 1900, Operation Leviathan, Boonie Bears: Future Return, and The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero -- span a range of genres and feature impressive creative teams.
Since pre-sales began on Jan 19, advanced sales for the holiday line-up were the fastest ever to reach 100 million yuan (about 13.8 million U.S. dollars).
At a launch ceremony for the Spring Festival movie season, held at the China National Film Museum in Beijing, the cast of each film highlighted the unique selling points of their movie.
"The viewers will not only uncover the hidden points of plot from the first installment of Creation of the Gods, but also get a real sense of the characters and their evolving relationships through a brand new theme," said Wuershan, director of the movie Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.
Adapted from the classic Chinese martial arts novel by Jin Yong, The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero captures the essence of Chinese chivalry with its portrayal of selfless heroism.
described it as a story with stirring heroism.
"The soul-stirring and awe-inspiring heroic spirit conveyed by the film will be touching, memorable and romantic as well," said Tsui Hark, who directed the film.
The animated film Ne Zha 2 continues the adventures of hero Ne Zha -- a beloved Chinese mythological figure -- with a focus on comedy and spectacular visual effects.
Retaining its signature style, the popular detective series Detective Chinatown 1900 promises twists and turns with big production values and glittering special effects.
As China's first film about nuclear submarines, Operation Leviathan presents a broader underwater battlefield and more complex combat scenarios, offering a unique perspective on naval warfare.
The Great Hero -- the last chapter of the "Boonie Bears" sci-fi series -- combines extreme romance and bold imagination to take viewers on a futuristic adventure.
Different discount and subsidy policies for moviegoers during the Spring Festival were also announced at the launch event with local film authorities across the country organizing special events and promotions to encourage cinema visits.
Supporting institutions, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China UnionPay, Maoyan Entertainment, and Taopiaopia, are expected to provide at least 600 million yuan (about 83 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies for moviegoers during the holiday season.
Six new films set to hit China's big screens on Chinese New Year's Day