China's northernmost city of Mohe in Heilongjiang Province has been treated to a spectacular natural display of stunning northern lights, or aurora borealis, triggered by a powerful geomagnetic storm in the past few days.
The aurora first appeared on Sunday evening and continued through the early hours of Monday morning, painting the night sky with mesmerizing hues of green, red, and purple. On Monday night, the celestial show reached new heights as the brilliant aurora was framed by the dazzling Perseid meteor shower.
"The bottom part of the aurora was green, above which the lights gradually turned pink, purple, and red - it was absolutely breathtaking. I'm so lucky and excited to witness this," said a tourist.
"It's really rare to see the aurora alongside the Big Dipper and shooting stars. I couldn't help but jump up and down and scream in excitement," said another.
The aurora borealis is caused by the collision of charged particles directed by the Earth's magnetic field. The phenomenon is observable in areas close to the Earth's north pole, making the northernmost Chinese city the best place in the country to observe the natural wonder.
Stunning aurora borealis, shooting stars seen in northeast China's Mohe
Stunning aurora borealis, shooting stars seen in northeast China's Mohe
Stunning aurora borealis, shooting stars seen in northeast China's Mohe
Starting this year, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will feature a fixed schedule and venue, with a focus on showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and humanoid robots, as announced during Thursday’s press conference in Beijing.
The 2025 CIFTIS will be held from Sept 10 to 14 at the Shougang Park in Beijing. This year's fair will highlight the latest trends in service trade development and will hold a global service trade summit, exhibitions, forums, business negotiations, achievements releases, among other supporting activities.
"In order to further stabilize the expectations of exhibitors and visitors, starting from this session, the CIFTIS will be held annually on the Wednesday of the second week of September, lasting for five days. The venue will also be permanently fixed at the Shougang Park," said Yin Liang, deputy director of the Beijing International Trade in Services Affairs Center.
Australia, as the guest of honor, will form the largest service trade delegation since the launch of CIFTIS.
Over 30 countries and international organizations, including Norway, Japan, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, have expressed their intention to set up exhibitions and hold events. Among them, Canada will participate for the first time by setting up an online exhibition under its government's name.
"In terms of thematic exhibitions, this year's CIFTIS will continue the nine major themes from previous years while aligning with the development trends of service trade. The focus will be on showcasing solutions in the service trade sector, highlighting technologies and applications such as AI and humanoid robots, and promoting Chinese service products and brands," said Yin.
Beijing's CIFTIS unveils schedule, venue for future editions
