分类： society

In the snow-covered mountains of Chongli, a remarkable transformation story unfolds through the eyes of Andrea Coatti, an Italian expatriate who has become an integral part of China’s winter sports revolution. The 41-year-old ski resort designer, known locally as Yibu (meaning “one step”), has witnessed firsthand the dramatic evolution of this once-sleepy Hebei province town into an international skiing destination.

Coatti’s journey began unexpectedly in 2006 when he answered his mentor’s call to help develop ski facilities in an unfamiliar Chinese town. Despite initial reservations upon arriving in the underdeveloped mountain community, the pristine landscapes and welcoming locals convinced him to stay. His vision was simple yet profound: create inclusive skiing environments accessible to all skill levels, from beginners to professionals.

The pivotal turning point emerged when Coatti partnered with Scottish enthusiast Simon Adams to establish Yibuparks, their terrain park design company. Their expertise eventually earned them the prestigious opportunity to contribute to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, constructing and maintaining the Freestyle Big Air venue at Shougang. This Olympic credential propelled their small company onto the global stage, attracting numerous international and domestic projects.

Chongli’s metamorphosis extended far beyond ski slopes. Infrastructure developments revolutionized accessibility, with high-speed rail reducing the Beijing-Chongli journey from over four hours to under sixty minutes. This connectivity transformed the town into an international hub where foreign visitors now constitute 10-15% of tourists, according to local authorities.

The most significant change Coatti observes is the generational shift in participation. Unlike two decades ago when children were absent from the slopes, Chongli now teems with young enthusiasts. The 2022 Winter Olympics catalyzed this growth, multiplying winter camps and introducing free skiing programs for local children. This development has nurtured emerging talents like 11-year-old Chen Songyu, who recently claimed victory at New Zealand’s LAAX Open U11 snowboard competition.

Having established permanent roots in Chongli with property ownership and deep community connections, Coatti reflects on his circular journey: “The first half of my life was in Italy, the second half in Chongli. I’m basically a local now.” His expertise has come full circle as he currently applies two decades of Chinese experience to help prepare slopes for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games in his native Italian Alps.

Through his philosophy of taking things “one step at a time,” Coatti has bridged continents and cultures, leaving an enduring legacy in the snow that connects mountain communities across hemispheres.

BEIJING, March 20, 2026 – The Chinese State Council has formally designated Meishan, a culturally significant city in Sichuan Province, as a National Historical and Cultural City. This prestigious recognition was announced through an official government notice published on Thursday, elevating Meishan’s status for its exceptional preservation of historical heritage.

The government communiqué emphasized Meishan’s profound historical legacy, rich cultural traditions, and distinctive regional characteristics that have been meticulously maintained through centuries. The city’s outstanding conservation of ancient architecture and cultural artifacts played a pivotal role in securing this national designation.

According to the official directive, both Sichuan provincial and Meishan municipal authorities are now mandated to strengthen implementation of cultural relic protection legislation. The notice specifically calls for enhanced exploration of heritage value, comprehensive documentation of ancient Meizhou’s urban layout, and improved conservation measures alongside sustainable utilization of historical sites.

The recognition further requires local governments to actively promote traditional Chinese culture through Meishan’s historical resources. Notably, Meishan – historically known as Meizhou – holds special significance as the birthplace of Su Shi (also known as Su Dongpo), one of China’s most celebrated poets and literary figures from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). This cultural connection to one of China’s greatest literary minds adds substantial historical weight to Meishan’s new designation.

The National Historical and Cultural City program represents China’s highest level of recognition for urban centers that preserve extraordinary cultural and historical heritage, ensuring these treasures receive maximum protection and promotion for future generations.

As the Spring Equinox arrives, marking one of China’s 24 solar terms with perfect balance between day and night, a parallel equilibrium is found in the season’s most prized agricultural product: first-flush spring tea. The chun fen period has ushered in peak harvest season across eastern China’s misty mountains, where tea growers are gathering leaves that embody the essence of seasonal transition.

Professional tea taster Weng Huiqiong explains that these early buds, harvested after winter dormancy, contain significantly higher concentrations of amino acids and theanine, creating a distinctive flavor profile characterized by crisp briskness followed by subtle sweetness. “Spring tea is the ultimate flavor of the season,” Weng notes, describing the tender single buds as “nature’s most concentrated energy pods.”

While traditional varieties like West Lake Longjing remain celebrated, Weng recommends exploring regional specialties including Jiangnan’s fruity Biluochun and Sichuan varieties such as Mengding Ganlu, Emei Xueya, and Zhuyeqing. Jasmine tea also serves as an ideal transitional choice for early spring, with its fresh floral aroma helping to clear the senses.

The ancient tea culture is undergoing contemporary transformation through the emergence of “tea mixologists” who blend traditional ingredients with modern techniques. At Hangzhou’s Four Seasons Hotel, this innovation manifests in the Osmanthus Longjing Latte—part of their Grand Canal Cultural Tea Series—which replaces espresso with carefully brewed Longjing tea, textured microfoam, and dried osmanthus flowers.

Using low-temperature extraction methods to preserve delicate aromas, these modern creations allow vegetal and floral notes to emerge through creaminess without overpowering the drink. Yet the season remains fleeting: as Spring Equinox passes, the window for the freshest spring tea narrows rapidly, making each cup a temporary moment of balance before the year progresses.

A novel social media movement dubbed ‘ColorWalk’ is captivating millions of young Chinese users, offering a therapeutic escape from daily pressures through the simple act of color-themed exploration. The trend has exploded across platforms including Douyin and Xiaohongshu, generating massive engagement as participants seek beauty in their immediate surroundings.

The practice involves selecting a specific color theme before venturing outdoors, then documenting all matching hues encountered during leisurely walks or daily commutes. This intentional focus transforms ordinary environments into vibrant canvases, encouraging participants to rediscover overlooked details in their urban landscapes.

Yang Zheng, a 29-year-old publishing professional from Qingdao, exemplifies the trend’s appeal. After discovering ColorWalk on Douyin, she established a WeChat sharing group that rapidly attracted approximately 45 predominantly Gen-Z members. The collective now designates daily color themes and exchanges photographic discoveries, creating a supportive community around mindful observation.

According to psychological experts, ColorWalk represents a practical application of grounding techniques—a therapeutic method with dual objectives: actively redirecting attention and establishing manageable goals. Xu Gaoyang, a psychotherapist at Beijing Anding Hospital of Capital Medical University, compares the approach to stabilizing an aircraft during turbulence. ‘By anchoring attention to external environmental elements—in this case specific colors—we rapidly reconnect with the present moment, fostering stability and calm,’ he explains.

The activity produces measurable physiological effects, with different colors triggering distinct nervous system responses. Cool tones like blue and green activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing heart rate and promoting relaxation, while warmer hues like red and orange stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, enhancing energy and alertness.

University student Hu, 19, from Anhui province, finds ColorWalk naturally complements his passion for life documentation. ‘It enables me to record my days more meaningfully,’ he notes, emphasizing how the practice reveals previously unnoticed elements—a red fire hydrant suddenly becomes significant during a ‘red’-themed walk, transforming mundane surroundings into sources of wonder.

Academics interpret ColorWalk’s popularity as a response to contemporary ‘purpose fatigue,’ where young people overwhelmed by achievement-oriented pressures create undemanding yet purposeful activities. Wang Wenda, Director of Psychological Health Education at Xinhua College of Ningxia University, observes that these minor accomplishments activate the brain’s reward system, alleviating feelings of powerlessness while enhancing self-efficacy through achievable positive experiences.

This low-cost, accessible trend represents a broader cultural shift among Chinese youth seeking agency within competitive environments. As Wang concludes: ‘You needn’t await perfect circumstances to feel good. Small actions can generate pleasure, relaxation, and control—allowing people to carve personal sanctuaries amid uncertainty.’

A major industrial fire erupted at an automotive components manufacturing facility in Daejeon, South Korea, on Friday afternoon, resulting in significant casualties and prompting a large-scale emergency response. The incident, which occurred at approximately 1:17 p.m. local time, has left at least 53 individuals injured, with 24 sustaining serious wounds, according to Daedeok District Fire Chief Nam Deuk-woo.

Emergency authorities continue search operations for 14 individuals potentially trapped within the facility, utilizing mobile signal tracking technology to locate missing personnel. While officials have not confirmed any life-threatening conditions among the injured, witness accounts describe a rapid escalation of the blaze accompanied by what sounded like an explosion, leading to dense gray smoke enveloping the industrial complex.

The structural integrity of the affected building has been severely compromised, preventing firefighting teams from entering due to collapse risks. Response efforts have prioritized containing the fire’s spread to adjacent facilities and securing hazardous chemicals present on-site.

Injury patterns reveal varied trauma mechanisms, with some victims suffering from smoke inhalation while others sustained injuries from emergency building evacuations. The incident has mobilized substantial resources, including over 250 emergency personnel and approximately 100 specialized vehicles deployed to the scene.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered full mobilization of all available personnel and equipment to support containment and rescue operations. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by authorities, who have not yet determined the exact sequence of events that led to the rapid propagation of the blaze.

Amos Yee, the Singaporean national who gained international attention through controversial political commentary and subsequent criminal convictions, has been forcibly returned to Singapore by U.S. immigration authorities. The deportation concludes a complex legal saga spanning nearly a decade and multiple jurisdictions.

Yee first attracted notoriety in 2015 following the death of Singapore’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, when the then-16-year-old posted profanity-laden videos criticizing Lee’s legacy and making inflammatory religious comments. The content, which included crude depictions of the former prime minister, resulted in numerous police reports and ultimately led to Yee’s imprisonment in Singapore for offenses against religious harmony.

In 2017, Yee was granted political asylum in the United States after an immigration appeals board determined he had legitimate fears of persecution in Singapore. This decision occurred despite opposition from the Department of Homeland Security and made Yee a controversial figure among free speech advocates and government critics.

However, Yee’s legal troubles continued in the United States. In 2020, he was convicted in Illinois for possession of child pornography and grooming a 14-year-old girl he had contacted through online platforms. Court documents revealed he used WhatsApp to solicit inappropriate materials from the minor and distributed her photographs online.

Following his release on parole in November, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately took Yee into custody. He was subsequently listed among what the agency described as ‘the worst of the worst criminal aliens’ in a newly created database.

Yee now faces charges in Singapore for violating the country’s Enlistment Act, which requires all male citizens to complete two years of mandatory military service typically beginning at age 18. His hearing is scheduled for Friday, though authorities have not confirmed whether additional charges might be filed related to his previous offenses.

The case has reignited discussions about free speech limitations, religious harmony laws, and cross-border legal enforcement between the United States and Singapore.