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Sports fever sweeps China leading to shuttlecock shortage

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      China

      China

      Sports fever sweeps China leading to shuttlecock shortage

      2024-08-05 15:12 Last Updated At:15:37

      Scores of adults and children are joining the ranks of fitness fanatics this summer vacation, gripped by a renewed love of classic pastimes like basketball and badminton.

      Late in the evening in Shanghai, a comprehensive sports stadium remained brightly lit, its dozens of basketball and badminton courts occupied by devoted sports enthusiasts.

      "I need to make a reservation two or three days in advance [to secure a booking]," said Liu Zeyu, a badminton hobbyist.

      In Beijing, stadiums are crowded with students and parents participating in sports activities.

      "When I was a child, I rarely saw formal basketball training. However, it appears that parents are now increasingly recognizing the importance of children's participating in sports," said Luo Can, a basketball enthusiast.

      Badminton remains one of the most popular sports this summer, and the high demand for the sport has even led to a shortage of shuttlecocks.

      "Since the start of summer vacation, we have seen a significant increase in passenger traffic, particularly among teenagers and children," said Ding Haiyang, head of a badminton venue.

      "This year the price [for a package of 12 shuttlecocks] has increased by more than 10 yuan (about 1.4 U.S. dollars), but the price hike doesn't dampen these students' enthusiasm for badminton," said Cai Defeng, a badminton coach.

      A shuttlecock contains 16 feathers, while a single goose can only provide at most 14 suitable feathers. The recent surge in demand for shuttlecocks, coupled with a shortage of goose feathers, has made shuttlecocks highly sought after.

      In Jinping County of southwest China's Guizhou Province, one of the country's badminton-related equipment production centers, many companies' shuttlecocks are sold out as soon as they become available.

      "One truckload of six tons of feathers is used up within two to three days. From January to June this year, our output value increased by 25 percent year on year. It may reach 400 million yuan this year," said Hu Bing, head of a local sports company.

      China aims to grow the total scale of its outdoor sports industry to three trillion yuan by 2025, and the consumer market size of outdoor sports products is expected to approach 600 billion yuan that same year, according to the country's sports authorities.

      Sports fever sweeps China leading to shuttlecock shortage

      Sports fever sweeps China leading to shuttlecock shortage

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      Promotional video for CMG Spring Festival Gala screened in various countries

      2025-01-22 16:50 Last Updated At:17:07

      A global wave of festive celebrations is unfolding as the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, with the 2025 Spring Festival Gala promotional video by China Media Group (CMG) serving as a cultural bridge, connecting people from diverse backgrounds to the richness of Chinese traditions.

      The Spring Festival falls on Jan 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

      At the new compound of the Mission of China to the AU in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, a gala was held on Monday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.

      Featured Chinese foods and traditional performances from both China and Africa, among others, the event has brought together over 300 participants including the representatives of the AU and the Chinese community in Addis Ababa.

      Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson for the African Union Commission, said AU-China cooperation has achieved gratifying and fruitful results during the previous years, noting China's 35-year-long tradition of dispatching its foreign minister to Africa on their first overseas trips at the start of a year.

      The AU is willing to work with China to make greater contribution to the development and prosperity of the Global South, she said.

      "I wish Africa-China relations will achieve greater progress in 2025 and building an all weather Africa-China community with a shared future for the new era will yield fruitful results," Nsanzabaganwa said.

      The promotional video for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala was also aired at the event, marking a step forward in cultural exchange while igniting interest in Chinese traditions among attendees.

      Meanwhile, cinemas in landmark locations across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban in South Africa conducted a synchronized screening of the promotional video for the Spring Festival Gala, marking a first for the collaborative initiative.

      A South Korean expatriate residing in South Africa expressed that seeing the promotional video of the gala, which represents elements of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in South African cinemas evoked a warm sense of longing for family reunions within her.

      "As a foreigner, I was very impressed by the Chinese Spring Festival Gala last year, I was so happy to see the beautiful performances in South Africa's shopping mall at Nu Metro (Cinema). I'm very looking forward to see the live performance with my husband and baby at this Chinese New Year," she said.

      In addition, the Chinese Embassy in Zambia on Sunday held the 2025 Zambia-Chinese Spring Festival Temple Fair with a display of Chinese culture in celebration of the upcoming Spring Festival.

      Featuring various Chinese cultures, including a kung fu performance, the celebration attracted scores of both Chinese people and local people, officials from the Chinese embassy and the Zambian government, and representatives of Chinese enterprises operating in Zambia.

      Chinese food was also on display, while Chinese companies took advantage of the ceremony to showcase their products and services.

      During the event, the promotional video for the gala made a stunning appearance, becoming the focal point of the gathering.

      In December last year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

      Promotional video for CMG Spring Festival Gala screened in various countries

      Promotional video for CMG Spring Festival Gala screened in various countries

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