Chinese President Xi Jinping has been stressing the important roles of teachers and education in shaping China's future development, as shown by his speeches at meetings and during his inspections to schools.
China Media Group (CMG) has published a collection of his speeches at such meetings and during his inspections ahead of the country's Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10.
"What does the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation depend on? It depends on the highly-civilized spirit of the Chinese nation, with education as its basis," said Xi during an inspection to a middle school in Suide County of northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Sept. 14, 2021.
"Teachers are a mirror reflecting the students' growth in ethics. To become a good teacher, one must abide by ethics and have lofty ideals. Teachers' influence on students is based on the teachers' knowledge and ability, and even more on their values on principles of behaving and engaging with the world, on the country and the people, and on public interests and personal interests. Today's students are the major driving force for realizing our Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Teachers are dream builders, undertaking the mission to forge a 'dream team'," said Xi during a visit to Beijing Normal University on Sept. 9, 2014.
"Being a teacher for the people is glorious beyond compare," Xi said at a national education conference in Beijing on Sept. 10, 2018.
Xi highly values teachers, education
Various celebrations are being staged across China in anticipation of the fast-approaching New Year's Day and the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, or Spring Festival, boosting the market for related goods as more revelers get into the festive spirit.
In Beijing, more than 1,000 lanterns themed around fashion and technology are offering a colorful display in the city's Wenyuhe Park, making it one of the largest lantern festivals in the city this year.
In Shanghai, business districts have launched a series of themed decorations, exhibitions, performances, and interactive activities. Local authorities have also distributed consumption coupons, further stimulating consumer spending during the New Year's Day holiday, which falls on Wednesday.
In the nearby city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang Province, several promotional activities have been introduced to boost consumption. Additionally, business areas and shopping streets have been upgraded to meet the consumer demand for high-quality goods.
Special Spring Festival fairs have also been set up across the country as Chinese people gear up for their largest annual celebration around the Chinese New Year, which lands at the end of January in 2025.
In Huaiyuan County of east China's Anhui Province, a local fair is attracting visitors with a variety of well-known agricultural products. In Zhangzhou City of the coastal Fujian Province, a one-stop feature fair allows both visitors and locals to purchase a wide range of items.
Meanwhile, in northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities in the city of Ji'an have sought to take advantage of the snowy conditions by integrating winter sports, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a range of snow and ice activities while shopping for Spring Festival goods.
Additionally, flowers are in high demand at many marketplaces across China as more people look to prepare some floral decorations as part of the celebrations.
In Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province, a special flower street featuring Chinese New Year flowers has been set up, where over 15,000 flowers are available, including more than 120 varieties of orchids.
Local flower markets area also in full bloom in various other places, from the northern cities of Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan to Hetian in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, all offering a wide variety of creative and unique flowers, which have been well received by residents.
New Year celebrations help boost market for festive goods
