This is Beijing-Beijing English blog

One confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu was reported in Beijing, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday evening.

It is the third confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu on the Chinese mainland, according to the ministry.

The case involved a 18-year-old female who studies in a university in the New York State of the United States, which was the one reported previously as suspected case by the Emergency Management Office of Beijing Municipal Government Saturday evening.

She was currently in a stable condition, with a normal body temperature, the ministry said.

The female, a Beijing native, arrived in Beijing on May 11 on board the U.S. Continental Airline C089 and reached home accompanied by her mother, said the ministry.

She did not go out or meet friends after arriving home, according to the ministry’s investigation.

She felt unwell and physically weak in the noon on May 12 and took her temperature herself.

She went to the fever outpatient section of the Peking University First Hospital in the evening on May 14 and said she developed symptoms of cough, a few sputum, headache, sore throat, chest distress and sore muscle, with a body temperature of 37.7 degrees Celsius.

She was initially diagnosed as fever, needing further check and “suspected of A/H1N1 flu,” the ministry said.

The patient was transferred to the Beijing Ditan Hospital early in the morning on May 15.

The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a specimen taken via a swab from her throat, which showed she was “suspected positive” for A/H1N1 and positive for PIV-H3.

The China CDC and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences tested the specimen again the next day and confirmed she had contracted the A/H1N1 virus.

The ministry said experts made the decision based on the patient’s symptoms, epidemiological investigation results and laboratory tests.

All the people who had close contact with her had been tracked down and put under medical observation, with no one feeling unwell, it said.

According to Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, the girl had only contacted with two persons, one is her mother and the other is the taxi driver who carried her to Peking University First Hospital.

Neither of the two had shown flu symptons, said Deng Ying, director of Beijing CDC.

Expressing his appreciation of the 18-year-old Liu for keeping a clear diary about her journey in Beijing, Fang Laiying, director of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, said, “she even kept the receipt from the taxi driver, otherwise it would be difficult for us to find out the driver,”

“The quarantine hospital had arranged three doctors and three nurses for Liu and took strict medical observation on her,” said Mao Yu, president of Beijing Ditan Hospital.

“Liu is in stable condition as her temperature is getting normal and her appetite getting better,” Mao said.

The health ministry has reported the case to the World Health Organization, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and relevant countries.

The first two cases in mainland China are Chinese nationals, Bao and Lu, who had been students in the United States and Canada, and were traveling back to their homes in the past days of the month, contracted the flu strain and developed symptoms shortly after they set foot in China.

 The municipal tourism bureau figures showed that tourism revenue totaled 1.24 billion yuan, up 32 percent from the year-earlier level.

 The bureau said that the number of Beijingers traveling within the city rose by 24.5 percent year on year to 1.67 million in the three-day holiday. They spent 420 million yuan (62 million U.S. dollars) for travel.

 The bureau said it launched a program to promote the city’s new scenic spots, travels to its suburban areas and other tourism activities in neighboring regions during the holiday period, which attracted increasing tourists. Beijing’s suburban areas received 1.14 million local tourists during the holiday, according to the bureau.

 ”People only had three days off, and concerns over Influenza A/H1N1 and of savings amid the financial crisis made many people cautious to choose long travels,” said Tian Ling, a manager of China Youth Travel Services.

 She said that the agency mapped its recommended routes to suburban scenic spots and self-driving tours.

 Chinese workers had seven days off, instead of the current three days, during the May Day holiday, before a new holiday system kicked last year.

 Beijing was also one of the most popular tourist destinations for tourists from other parts of the country in the holiday, when more than 890,000 tourists from elsewhere of China visited the city, according to the tourist bureau.

 The bureau said the per-capita tourist spending increased by 12.5 percent year on year even for Beijing local tourists during the holiday because of increased travel cost.

 Junlinshengshi, a tourist agency, said the price of the city travel surged by about 30 percent for group tours.

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Hong Kong and Hollywood film legend Jackie Chan, one of the promotion ambassadors for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, performs during the ceremony to unveil the one-year countdown clock in Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square on Friday.

The clock marking the dwindling days until the Shanghai World Expo kicks off was put into motion at Tian’anmen Square on Friday by top legislator Wu Bangguo.

China became the first developing country to host the World Expo when Shanghai won the bid in December 2002 with a “better city, better life” theme.

The expo, China’s next global party after last summer’s Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, runs from May 1 to Oct 31, 2010.

Altogether 236 countries and international organizations have confirmed attendance to the event, according to organizers.

Friday marked the one-year countdown to the event, which is expected to draw 70 million visitors, 5 percent of whom will be from abroad.

Of the participating countries, 50 are from Africa, 33 from America, 45 from Europe, 45 from Asia and 16 from Oceania.

The large gathering will push Shanghai past Hannover, Germany, as the host of the biggest world expo ever.

The Hannover 2000 drew 155 countries and 17 international organizations

One of Beijing’s newest landmarks, the Bird’s Nest, will soon be put to another use. A concert combining classical, pop and Chinese folk music will be staged at the end of June at the centerpiece of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The concert line-up is a big surprise. Famous Chinese folk singer Song Zuying, Asian pop king Jay Chou, world renowned tenor Placido Domingo and piano prodigy Lang Lang will present a crossover concert on June 30th at the Bird’s Nest.

The concert will have some firsts including a debut collaboration between singer Song Zuying and Lang Lang.

Song and Domingo sang a duet at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. And her performance during the 2009 CCTV Spring Festival Gala with Jay Chou was also a big hit.

The teaming up of the two top Chinese folk and pop music stars promises more amazing collaborative efforts at the summer concert in the National Stadium.

At a press conference in the stadium, Song said she will work hard to prepare for her performance. As always, Song believes that singing is the best way to express her feelings. The veteran sang “Thanks A Lot” for the gathered press.

Also at the press conference, Jay Chou performed a piano piece which he created specially for Song. He called it “River” after his impressions of Song, who has brought Chinese folk songs and culture to the world like a river flows to the ocean.

Beijing’s well-known temple fairs are an essential activity during the Chinese new year, the Spring Festival. But many travelers miss the opportunity to visit the fairs when they are in Beijing at different times of the year. Now, thanks to the opening of a Beijing Flavor Street, residents or visitors can taste an authentic Beijing every ordinary day.

The sound of hawkers conjures up images of old Beijing. The Beijing Flavor Street, in the downtown Wangfujing area, will help visitors experience the old Beijing.

Vintage buildings, stone sculptures and snack booths are ready to welcome the crowds during the May Day holiday. The organizers are offering favorable discounts for folk artists to rent booths, encouraging them to perform here.

Gong Weiping, the director of Beijing Flavor Street said, “Each day, there will be three to four Tian Qiao stunt performances to treat visitors. There’s a mini theater to hold shows such as Beijing drum performances.”

Artists making figurines from dough and sugar will also be featured along the Beijing Flavor Street. There will also be stunts like stilt walking and diabolo playing. Of course the repertoire will also include Peking opera, Pingju opera and story telling.

But the most tantalizing items are the snacks. A snack plaza and more than sixty restaurants will serve all kind of Beijing snacks and dishes. Beijing Flavor Street is expected to be a new landmark in the capital to display the traditional Beijing culture.

To let the World better understand China, and the city of Beijing, Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Information Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Beijing People’ss Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Beijing Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment host the photo contest in the name of the City of Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners, featuring works from foreign photographers working in China or other parts of the world, from April to July 2009.

The theme of the contest is the New Images of Beijing, The contest try to give foreign friends a good opportunity to better understand Beijing-its charms and, in particular, its changes. We are currently accepting submissions of photographic work exploring the new images of Beijing in everything from travel and recreation, to life and work in Beijing, All foreigners who have lived or traveled in Beijing are welcome to enter the contest.

Photos will be selected by a committee of experts. Prize-winners would be invited to Beijing to participate in a press event, and would be presented with a special collection of the prize-winning photos.

Submission of photos to the contest will be taken as tacit approval for publication and display of those photos. Information and promotional material for the context will be released through print media. At the conclusion of the contest, the organizing committee will hold an exhibition of top quality photos in Beijing, in addition to publishing them in an album.

The deadline for submissions of photos is July 10, 2009. Participants should note the following:

1. Entries can be black and white or color images, and submitted either electronically or as prints. Group entry is limited to 4 photos. Digital photos of JPG format should be no less than 500kb.

2. Submitted print photos should be 10 inches along their longest edge, un-mounted.

3. Digital photos should be delivered as high-resolution files (no less than 18MB each), burned on CD or DVD. The entries can be submitted by email, mail or dropped in at the registration office of the organizing committee. Please write photo Contest ¨Cthe city of Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners on the envelope. While the organizing committee will do its utmost to care for images submitted to them, it is not responsible for damage or loss incurred during the mailing process. The entries will not be returned to the participants after the event. The Organizing Committee is held responsible for the final right to interpret the event.

4. Entries should be accompanied by the attached registration form and sent to:

Organizing Committee, Photo Contest—Beijing in the Eyes of Foreigners

No.97,Nanheyan Street, Dong Cheng District, Beijing 100006, China

Tel: 010-65221475 010-65212270

Email: bjeyes@photobtmbeijing.com Website: www.btmbeijing.com

According to news released from the municipal committee of communications on April the 5th, driving restrictions will continue in Beijing for another year when the first round of restrictions ends this weekend. 30% of public service vehicles will continue to be kept off the road, and private cars off the road once every week. Let’s take a closer look at Media opinions.

One article in the same paper points out that 30% of official vehicles were off the road since the Beijing Olympics, and it has no adverse affects. The commentator questions that if taking up to 30% of the public service vehicles off the road would not affect day-to-day work, then why not auction these vehicles? The writer says the auction could reduce vehicle depreciation and other expenses.

One review from ‘Legal Evening Paper’ by Liang Qianli echoed the idea, saying selling the 15,000 decommissioned cars could save up to 150 million yuan at least for taxpayers. The article suggests the government should take this into strong consideration.

Another comment from the Xinhua News looks into another aspect of the traffic restrictions. It says although the policy gets support from most of the citizens, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way to relieve traffic congestions. If the government doesn’t take comprehensive actions to improve road planning and management, the positive result of restriction on cars on the road will quickly disappear.

People around the world are being invited to vote on Beijing’s 10 best modern buildings in the fourth such poll since the 1950s.

    The results of the poll would be revealed before Oct.1, when the country celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, said Xun Yongli, secretary-general of the organizing committee of the selection campaign.

    The project was aimed at highlighting the achievements of the reform and opening-up in Beijing and promoting the city’s image ofan international metropolis, said Xun.

    The public were welcome to vote via newspapers, a website or by SMS text message for their favorites among the 100 buildings listed on www.shidajianzhu.com, the official website.

    The public vote would count for 60 of the final tally and expert judges for 40 percent.

    Recommended by building experts, the 100 candidates were built after 2000 and include the main Olympic venues of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, and the National Center for the Performing Arts.

    The selection was jointly organized by the Beijing Daily Group and Beijing Construction Association, and co-sponsored by key Beijing media.

    Public votes for Beijing’s best 10 buildings were held in the 1950s, 1988, and in 2000-2001.

    Among the favorites in the previous polls have been the Great Hall of the People on Tian’anmen Square, Beijing Railway Station, CCTV’s former office building, China International Exhibition Center, and the Capital Library.

Beijing joined the worldwide relay on Saturday night to switch off lights of major buildings for one hour to highlight concerns about climate change while calling for actions

The iconic “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium and the “Water Cube” National Aquatics Center in northern Beijing, usually illuminated by floodlights, went dark completely at 8:30 p.m. local time (1230GMT).

North China’s Hebei Province, the major water supplier to Beijing, has overexploited its groundwater which caused subsidence and formed “20 hopper areas” of more than 40,000 square km, said a local water conservancy official on Saturday.

 ”Water shortage has become a big problem facing the province’s social and economic development,” Li Qinglin, director of Hebei’s water conservancy department, told a forum marking the 17th World Water Day which falls on Sunday.

 ”Water resources in Hebei have dwindled by nearly 50 percent in recent years compared with that in the 1950s,” said Li, adding the province consumes 20.5 billion to 21.5 billion cubic meters water annually but it has only 17 billion cubic meters of surface water, leaving groundwater to supply the margin.

 A water conservancy expert earlier said Hebei has overused 120 billion cubic meters of groundwater in 30 years since 1976.

 The expert who declined to be named estimated that the average per capita water resources in Hebei was only one-seventh of the national average.

 Southwestern Chongqing Municipality has a relatively better prospect, which sees its average per capita water two-thirds of the national average, according to local government statistics.

 Chongqing has 1,802 cubic meters of water per person.

 While meeting its own needs, Hebei Province supplies water to neighboring Beijing and Tianjin, where three big reservoirs are backed by water from Hebei.

 Li urged the government to take measures to reduce water consumption for the sake of sustainable economic and social development.”