Living in Beijing
Beijing Online
The Beijing municipal government has set up a website entitled "Window on the Capital."It is bilingual in Chinese and English, and has a series of pages highlighting such details as the mayor's own e-mail address, lists of local government officials, and major news events in Beijing. It also incorporates a dozen pages on hot topics such as re-employment, the city's economy, investment policies and potential, major projects, tourism and the environment, and provides a list of useful telephone numbers. The website address is: http://www.beijing.gov.cn.
Internet Job Market
A website has been set up to help connect colleges with potential employers.
The website is the capital's first such special service for students in colleges and universities. It is part of the city's higher education reform designed to separate governmental administrations from employment management at colleges and universities.
The website may be contacted at http://www.bjbys.net.cn or by e-mail at zdzx@public.bta.net.cn. Students and employers can make contacts and evaluate each other's backgrounds and requirements. The website is free of charge until the middle of this year.
Sohoo Renamed
Sohoo, the Chinese Internet search guide, has re-addressed itself from www.sohoo.com.cn to www.sohu.com to avoid trouble on cyberspace routes.
Sohu, meaning "Searching Fox"in Chinese, has become one of the most popular Chinese websites since its launch early last year. The Yahoo-like search engine has been an important portal for people who hope to find Chinese-language websites.
Since the name Sohoo has been criticized as an echo of US company Yahoo, which is one of the most successful Internet search guides in the world, and users who neglect to type ".cn"when entering the company's address were routed to the home page of a South Korean company, the new name is likely to help Sohu get out of the shadow of Yahoo and develop a more localized image.
Sinking Feeling
The plain around Beijing has been sinking over the past decade, mainly because of the excessive use of subterranean water. The village of Zhaocun in suburban Daxing County, the Dongsanqi area in Changping County, and the southern part of Shunyi County have suffered the most, with an average drop of 363 millimeters. The subsidence has caused damage to some underground facilities, breaking pipes and other structures.
Stamps IssuedChina issued a set of stamps recently to mark the 22nd Universal Postal Union Congress, to be held from August 23 to September 15 this year in Beijing. The stamps, named ÒWorld of the Sea,?ÒCoral Reef?and ÒPet Fish,?depict eight fish from the South China Sea. This year is also the International Year of the Sea. ChinaÕs postal officials said the sea was a blessing to all human beings, and that the upcoming meeting would contribute to world peace and development.
Meanwhile, in order to commemorate implementation of the new State Land Administration Law which began on January 1, the Ministry of Land and Resources and the China Philatelic General Company jointly issued a set of stamps and envelopes in Beijing. With blue sky, white clouds and golden fields as a background, the stamps were designed to remind people of the importance of protecting arable land.
Dragon Tour
Located in Changping County in Beijing Municipality, Xiaotangshan Town is famous for its hot springs, which contain many minerals, rare elements and gases thought to be helpful in the treatment of certain diseases. Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, and several other VIPs have visited Xiaotangshan. Many projects have been set up to take advantage of the hot springs. Last year saw the birth of the Beijing Dragon Travel Agency, whose "Dragon Tour"operation offers a series of sightseeing opportunities in Xiaotangshan.
Two Day Dragon Tour: 165 ?per person, including visit to the Ostrich Farm, Beijing Special Vegetable Farm, Dragon Hot Spring Entertainment Palace, China Aeronautical Museum, and more. For further information, call: 61712149 61711569.