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Small businesses continue to suffer in Maui one year after devastating wildfires

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      Small businesses continue to suffer in Maui one year after devastating wildfires

      2024-08-10 11:03 Last Updated At:13:57

      Many small businesses on the Hawaiian island of Maui are still wrestling with survival one year after the devastating wildfires claimed over 100 lives and paralyzed local economy last August.

      The fires, which broke out on Aug. 8 last year, destroyed more than 2,200 buildings and caused about 5.5-billion-dollar damage, dealing a big blow to local economy, particularly the tourism industry.

      On Maui, the historic town of Lahaina was destroyed. Although Lahaina occupies only one percent of Maui's land, the Maui County quickly announced to the public that they hoped tourists would refrain from visiting Maui, which led to a misconception among international travelers that the entire island was affected by the fires, causing many to cancel their travel plans, some insiders said.

      Although the local government later clarified that other areas of Maui were unaffected and still welcomed tourists, it was too late, and the misinformation has continued to impact the tourism industry to this day, they said.

      "But unfortunately what happened is the visitors stopped coming because they got the message that Maui had been burned and there just seemed to be no reason for them to come to Maui. And that message was reinforced unfortunately by local government saying these short-term rentals are taking away the housing that we need for the residents. Then visitors who even wanted to come might have felt bad because they felt they might be taking away housing from someone who really needs it. Unfortunately, those messages were not clear enough. I have less than half the business in my bed and breakfast this year than I had prior to the fires last year," said Tom Crowley, short-term rental operator on Maui Island.

      In May this year, the local government announced plans to take away vested property use rights from existing owners in several areas of Maui over the next two years by shifting about 7,000 housing units from the short-term to the long-term market to bring benefits for local housing affordability on Maui.

      In the well-developed area for tourism in central Maui, restaurants and short-term rental market are experiencing a significant decline in business. To make ends meet, many homestays have had to drastically reduce prices to attract tourists, and many restaurants have been forced to close doors due to doubling rents.

      "Tax rates increased for property tax, for example, and landlords of commercial buildings raise their prices therein and more restaurants go out of business because they cannot afford the rent anymore. It's a chain reaction. It's like a domino effect so that the disaster is still going on," said Peter Trunk, senior media professional on the island.

      The governor of Hawaii on Friday announced a 4 billion U.S. dollars settlement to resolve lawsuits stemming from the deadly wildfires. Seven defendants include the state of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric will provide the compensation.

      Small businesses continue to suffer in Maui one year after devastating wildfires

      Small businesses continue to suffer in Maui one year after devastating wildfires

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      Celebrations ring in Chinese New Year worldwide

      2025-01-22 06:36 Last Updated At:07:27

      Various activities were held worldwide to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 29 this year.

      Recently, the Chinese Consulate General in Niigata of Japan, in collaboration with the Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theater, delivered a spectacular visual feast for the overseas Chinese and Japanese audiences in Sendai.

      The performance, featuring the elements of Dunhuang culture and the history and culture of the Tang Dynasty, attracted about 2,000 spectators. Many Japanese people praised the colorful Chinese culture and expressed their hope to go to China to see with their own eyes and understand Chinese culture and traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival.

      "It's the first time I've seen such a performance. It's so gorgeous. I'm really touched. This Spring Festival event is also an opportunity for Japan and China to further develop friendly relations. If there is any chance for a performance like this in the future, I would like to come and watch it. I also really want to travel to China now," said a Japanese audience member.

      "Happy to know that cultural heritage like the Spring Festival was included on the Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage, I think it's great to be able to celebrate such a festival in Japan. I really hope everyone can take a look and learn about the Spring Festival," said another audience member.

      "We want to invite performers from Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theater to present Dunhuang-themed music and dance which is full of Silk Road cultural elements. This will allow local people to see the mutual learning between Chinese and Japanese civilizations," said Cui Weilei, Consul-General of China in Niigata.

      Budapest's Chinatown was alive with energy on Saturday as the streets were filled with music, dance, and the aroma of traditional Chinese delicacies during a two-day Spring Festival celebration.

      The "Happy Chinese New Year" Temple Fair brought together numerous visitors and performers to usher in the upcoming Year of the Snake. They enjoyed the magnificent dragon and lion dances, ethnic performances, sugar-figure blowing, calligraphy demonstrations, and the unique experience of wearing traditional attire Hanfu.

      "We come here because we have a deep appreciation for Chinese culture and Chinese traditions, and a special interest in Chinese music. I think the most important part of Chinese culture is Chinese food because the best way to bring people from all over the world together is to sit around a table and eat together," said a resident in Budapest.

      Colorful celebrations and Spring Festival receptions were also held at many Chinese embassies and consulates around the world.

      By showcasing Spring Festival customs and intangible cultural heritage, these events allowed local communities to experience the festive vibes of the Spring Festival up close.

      In Dubai, over 1,000 performers and artists from around the world came together to blend traditional Chinese culture with modern art through a rich variety of performances, drawing a large number of audience. The airing of the Spring Festival Gala promotional video by China Media Group also became a highlight of the evening.

      A reception was held Wednesday evening in Cairo by the Chinese embassy in Egypt to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival.

      Around 600 attendees including Zhang Tao, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy, Ahmed Shaheen, Egyptian assistant foreign minister for Asia-Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand affairs, representatives of the Egyptian government and people from all walks of life were gathered.

      "On the occasion of the coming of the Spring Festival, I would like to send my sincerest wishes to dear Chinese friends," said Shaheen in a speech.

      Celebrations ring in Chinese New Year worldwide

      Celebrations ring in Chinese New Year worldwide

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