Looking back at the year that is about to pass, everyone has developed a deeper understanding of the major assertion that "the world is experiencing a transformation unseen in a century, and it is accelerating."

Throughout 2023, the international security situation remains severe, with the Ukraine crisis still unresolved and renewed conflict between Israel and Palestine. The global economy is on a post-pandemic  path to recovery, but the pace remains slow and uneven, combating inflation remains a top priority for many economies; issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, and the food crisis continue to call for global unity and collaboration. However, notions such as "decoupling" and "de-risk" keep adding risks of division to the international order.

Faced with the turbulent, rapidly evolving global situation, and the profound questions of where humanity is headed historically, globally, and through the ages, China has presented its answer through the concept of Chinese modernization. 

China has achieved its first centennial goal and is marching toward building a great modern socialist country, fulfilling its second centennial goal. Chinese modernization encapsulates both the summary of historical success and has become the "keyword" for the comprehensive promotion of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the new era.

In an era filled with both challenges and opportunities, Chinese modernization will become a key to understanding the interaction between China and the world. On December 23, the 2024 Global Times Annual Conference will take place, themed under the topic: "Following the Path of Chinese Modernization: Coping with Changes Unseen in a century." 

Over a hundred authoritative figures, experts, and scholars from politics, academia, and business sectors both domestically and internationally will gather to offer insights and have intellectual exchanges on four major topics: "Population, Industry, and Market: The Underlying Logic of Chinese Modernization," "Development, Security, and Civilization: The Global Outlook of Chinese Modernization," "Conflict, Competition, and Cooperation: The External Environment of Chinese Modernization," and "Innovation, Technology, and Humanities: The Future Vision of Chinese Modernization." During the conference, the Global Times Research Center will also release the results of the 2023 Global Poll.

On December 24, the conference will host a sub-forum on "Following the Path of Chinese Modernization: Endeavoring to Ensure Good Health for All" under the Global Life and Health Forum. Senior government health officials, senior medical practitioners, and authoritative scholars will engage in discussions on two major topics: "Heritage, Innovation, and Integration: The Chinese Wisdom in Traditional Medicine" and "Co-Existence with Nature and Nurturing Wellness: The Chinese Vision for a Better Life." Additionally, a themed forum on "China's Practice in Ensuring Mental Health for Everyone" will be organized.

Editor's Note:

The Summer Palace was all white on Monday as Beijing received its first snowfall of the winter season on Sunday. (Photo: Li Hao/GT)

The Chinese delegation established a strong presence at the Chengdu Universiade over the weekend, as they bagged nine gold medals on Sunday, Day 2 of the tournament, allowing China to take the top spot on the medal table with a total of 13 golds. 

In rhythmic gymnastics, China won the team all-around by 0.55 points in a nail-biting competition. But besides their achievement, team member Li Huilin credited the audience for boosting the team's performance.

"I was quite excited when I was on the field during the competition. The audience was very enthusiastic, and I could feel their energy," Li told reporters. "I really love this place."

In archery, China defeated France to win gold at the compound men's team event. After a close final, China outlasted South Korea 5-4 to clinch the recurve women's team gold. 

Compound men's team gold medalist Du Meiyu from Tongji University, who often clapped with other teammates during the race, shared their secret to success with the Global Times on Sunday.

"We clapped to encourage ourselves, because whatever the results may be, we were trying our best to restart in the next round," Du told the Global Times, attributing the win to group efforts rather than individual ones.

Du's teammate Chen Yangsong from the Shangdong Vocational College of Industry pointed out that the main factor in their victory was their consistent play throughout the match.

"The state we strive to achieve is to shoot an arrow and forget about the outcome of the ring score, always focusing on the arrow we are about to shoot in our hands," he said. 

"We come from different regions and different schools… The biggest thing we gained was the unity and cohesion between each other, including the cooperation with our coaches and the bonding between teammates," Chen told the Global Times.

The main goal of the Chinese archery team in the compound bow is to compete for the gold medal in the men's and women's team event, Zhang Bo, leader of the Chinese archery team for the Chengdu FISU Games, told reporters.

"We have made extensive preparations in terms of athletes' mind-set and tactical training during our short period of training," Zhang told the Global Times. 

"Our athletes cooperated with each other to guide our technical movements and encouraged one another, achieving a collective strength that surpasses our individual abilities."

Zhang said the Chinese archery team's gold medal harvest in the team event is also playing a positive role in the further promotion of archery among Chinese university students. 

"It's like a seed planted inside the college student population, so that everyone can see that an ordinary student can ascend to the highest podium of the world's college athletics through their own efforts."

In Zhang's view, the Chengdu FISU Games are not only an arena for athletes to strive for a podium finish, but also an occasion for university students from all over the world to communicate with each other. 

"We can see athletes from different countries often observe each other's equipment brands during training sessions. They then engage in lively conversations, sharing their experiences and insights during meals and breaks. This creates a vibrant atmosphere of camaraderie," Zhang said.

In the wushu dicipline, Cao Maoyuan, who won the Chinese delegation's first gold at the Universiade, continued his hot form to clinch his second gold in the men's Nangun. Meanwhile, following Cao's victory in Taijiquan, compatriot Chen Xiaoli also pocketed her second gold of the Games by winning the women's Taijijian. Jin Zhedian won the men's Daoshu gold. 

In shooting, Liu Yukun, Wang Yuefeng and Li Xinmiao claimed the 50m rifle 3 positions men's team gold. Xia Qi, Duan Zhicheng and Liu Shuai bagged gold at the 25m rapid fire pistol men's team event.

The FISU Games are scheduled to end on August 8.

In the men's Sanda 60kg final of the Wushu event at the Chengdu World University Games in August, China's Ma Yigu overwhelmed Indonesia's Nada Guitara with a blast of rapid kicks winning 2-0 and claiming his first gold in an international multi-sports event.

China dominated the Wushu event with 11 golds and one bronze out of 20 golds on offer at the Chengdu Universiade. Indonesia demonstrated their growing enthusiasm about wushu by clinching four golds.

Hailing from a poverty-stricken family in Longjiagou village of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Ma, 20, told the Global Times after the game that wushu changed his life. 

"I would not have been able to become who I am if not for wushu. Sports have changed my life. No matter where you are from, you can work hard to chase your dream. I hope sports will attract more kids to explore the possibilities of life," said Ma. 

Living deep in the mountain, Ma had to help the family with herding cows and farming since early childhood. His intrinsic love for wushu came from a traditional sport of the Yi ethnic group. 

As the favorite sport of the Yi people, wrestling is prevalent in the life of the Yi ethnic group, from wedding ceremonies to local festivals. In Meigu county of the Liangshan prefecture, all of the 180 villages hold traditional wrestling activities throughout the year. 

Known for his ability to wrestle above his weight, Ma's father signed him up for a local amateur wushu school. But he was handed a reality check on the first day at the school, when he was beaten black and blue by his opponent.

Rapid progress

Failures lit up the fire in his heart and put him on a fast track to hone his kickboxing skills. His determination and perseverance paid off as he was scouted and made it to a prefecture-level wushu school. 

In a friendly game with the Sichuan provincial team in 2015, he was spotted by the provincial team coach for his potential and tenacity. 

He made his mark by snatching the gold in the 56kg Wushu event at the 2nd National Youth Games in 2019 and was recommended for admission to the Chengdu Sport University to pursue his dream. He went on to win 5th place in the 14th National Games in 2021.

In the third major multi-sports event of his career, Ma triumphed in the Sanda 60kg competition of the Chengdu Games. 

Ma told the Global Times that he was nervous at the beginning but learned to cope with stress game by game at the Universiade.

"Against tough adversaries, I gained match experience and learned to stay positive. I need to improve my strength and coordination," he said.

After a short break to reunite with his family, he has set his sights on the national trials in October. Winning the trials will qualify him for the World Wushu Championships in November.

"I dream of representing China in international competitions. The Chengdu Universiade is gone and I will go all out to fight for national glory in the world if possible," he noted.  

Fight for excellence

Wang Xiangquan, coach of Ma at the Wushu School of Chengdu Sport University, told the Global Times that he is proud of this intrepid and assiduous boy who cherishes every opportunity to fight for excellence. 

"Technically and mentally, he has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. He is skilled in wrestling and kicking, having a knack for counter-attacking. He is a self-disciplined fighter who is keen on following through a challenging training regime," said Wang. 

The coach expected him to stay composed and ramp up his offensive "weapons" for consistent performances. 

"He is building strength and improving his boxing to vary his offensive options. Sometimes he gets overexcited in competitions. He will learn to keep composure whether getting an upper hand or facing difficulties," Wang noted.

The end of the Chengdu Games marks the beginning of a new cycle of training as the focus has been shifted to the upcoming World Wushu Championships and the 15th National Games in 2025. 

Wang wished his apprentice to strive for more national glory and showcase Chinese wushu on the international stage.

The 16th World Wushu Championships, hosted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), is the highest-level international Wushu event. 

About 1,000 athletes from more than 80 countries and regions will participate in the biannual championships to be held in Texas, in the US from November 14 to 22.

Zhang Qiuping, secretary general of the IWUF, said that the IWUF has 158 member associations, and the Wushu World Championships is the first highest-level martial arts event held after the pandemic. 

"We look forward to seeing old friends and new athletes. I wish all the athletes have a good performance in the championships and make friends through martial arts," said Zhang.

IWUF has endeavored for years to try to make Wushu an official Olympic event. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Wushu event will be included in the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (which have been postponed to 2026). 

This is the first time that such an event has been included in the Youth Olympics, a milestone in the development of the sport.

A youth soccer invitation tournament is set to kick off in early October in East China’s Fujian Province, attracting top youth soccer club teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, and Serbia, as well as top teams within the same bracket from China. During the competition, a forum focused on professional talent development in youth soccer training will also be held.

The inaugural Borussia Dortmund “Hooray Island Cup” youth soccer friendship tournament will take place from October 2 to 9 in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, the Global Times learned from a press conference held at the Beijing Sport University on Friday.

The tournament is set for the U15 age group, and participating teams will include Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, the Netherlands’ Feyenoord Rotterdam, Argentina’s River Plate, Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade, as well as Chinese teams such as East China’s Zhejiang Province’s representative team and Chinese Football Boy, among others. The tournament has also invited teams from Asian countries such as Vietnam, which has recently made a name for itself in the youth training field.

During the tournament, a forum titled “Focusing on Development, Leading the Future – Chinese Path to Modernization of Youth Soccer Training” will be held on October 4 and 5. The forum will encompass four main themes: The development of domestic and international soccer club youth training systems, the construction of high-level soccer talent development, high-quality youth events, and the integration of professional talent development in soccer academies.

The forum is expected to invite representatives from sport education departments of the General Administration of Sport, the Ministry of Education, and the Chinese Football Association, as well as deans from domestic universities and sports colleges' soccer academies. It will also feature domestic and international soccer experts, scholars, renowned coaches, athletes, and soccer media professionals, all coming together to explore and discuss the development path of youth soccer training in China.

Zhang Jian, Vice President of the Beijing Sport University, emphasized during the meeting that the development of soccer should draw on advanced foreign experiences in youth talent development. It should integrate youth training, high-level play, and career planning based on China’s actual conditions.

It was an arduous journey to win the 200th gold medal for the Chinese delegation at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the victory of special significance, Chinese chess grand master told the Global Times upon his arrival to Beijing on Monday evening.

During the men's individual final of Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, at the Games on Saturday, Zheng Weitong defeated his teammate Zhao Xinxin to win the 200th gold medal for the Chinese delegation, breaking the record of winning 199 golds at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

The Chinese delegation finished the Hangzhou Games by setting a new record of bagging 201 golds, 111 silvers and 71 bronzes, the best feat accomplished by a single delegation in the history of the Asian multi-sport showpiece. China has dominated the medal table for 11 consecutive Asian Games since 1982.

On Zheng's triumphant return to Beijing, he was greeted with cheers and applause at the airport and shared his maiden Asian Games journey during an exclusive interview with the Global Times.

Zheng, who was promoted to grand master after winning the national Xiangqi championship in 2014, said he was delighted that Chinese chess made a comeback to the Asian Games after 13 years, which is a testament to the popularity of the mind sport.

Chinese chess became an official event of the Asian Games in 2010. This time a total of 39 athletes fought for three golds on offer in the mixed team and men's and women's individual competitions. 

When competing in both the mixed team and individual events, the 30-year-old Zheng said China faced stern challenges from foreign players. 

"The team event put our teamwork and mutual trust to the test. No matter who plays in each of the six rounds, we were at the coach's disposal and ready to shoulder the responsibility. We prepared each round as a team and communication was key to our success and helped relieve our pressure," said Zheng.

In the team final, Zhao Xinxin, Wang Yang and Wang Linna edged past opponents of Vietnam to claim gold. 

The historic moment came in the men's individual event. With the development of Xiangqi overseas, a growing number of foreign contestants have emerged and China is facing fierce competition in global stage. Two members of the Vietnam team play in China's national Xiangqi league.

"Foreign players have made tremendous progress and I was pushed to the wall at one stage where I had no margin for error. Even a draw would disqualify me from the final. I slogged through six rounds before reaching the final," Zheng noted.

Meanwhile, his teammate Zhao outsmarted a Vietnamese player to set up an all-Chinese individual final. 

Zheng admitted that his teammate was better prepared for the final and they didn't expect that the gold medal would set a new record for the Chinese delegation.

"I'm grateful to my teammates for our preparation for the Asian Games. We helped each other a lot during the Games. Putting our personal interests aside, our goal was to secure the gold for China," he said.

"We talked about whether China could reach the milestone of 200 golds the day before the final, but we had never thought that Xiangqi would be the record breaker. I was told the news after the final," said Zheng, who is also pursuing his MBA at Tsinghua University.

"Zhao was probably under more pressure as he was a Hangzhou native. I was lucky to win the final and be the one to set the new milestone. It was the result of the joint efforts made by all the Chinese athletes. Winning the 200th gold was a big surprise and is of great significance to me," he said.

China eventually won all of the three golds of Xiangqi at the Hangzhou Games. 

"Xiangqi is the only event showcasing Chinese characteristics at the Hangzhou Asian Games. The Asian Games is the best stage for us to promote Xiangqi and Chinese culture to the world," said Lü Qin, coach of Chinese Xiangqi team.

Without much time to rest, Zheng has already set his sights on the 5th National Mind Sports Games that will begin on October 25. 

"I need to go back to Tsinghua first and make up my studies," said Zheng, who will publish his debut book about Xiangqi opening variations soon.

Xiangqi is a two-player Chinese board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, shogi and janggi. The present-day form of Xiangqi originated in China and is therefore commonly called Chinese chess.

The Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) recently disclosed the outcomes of its investigation into the 2023 Dalian Marathon and the 2023 Qingdao Bay Bridge Marathon, which drew widespread attention for their organizational mishaps.

The announcement from Xinhua News Agency revealed that during the 33rd Dalian Marathon on October 15, 2023, "a race vehicle left the track at the point where the men's full course leaders were approaching the finish line, causing an unexpected halt that blocked the athletes'  running path." 

The incident disrupted the normal course of the race and had a negative social impact, the announcement stated.

In accordance with the "CAA Road Running Event Management Measures," the CAA demanded that the event organizing committee submit a written rectification report to the association by November 13, after conducting internal talks with the relevant referees and the executive company Zhimei Sports Culture (Zhejiang) Co, Ltd.

In another announcement regarding the 2023 Qingdao Bay Bridge Marathon on October 15, the CAA pointed out that two hours after the race started, "due to irrational layout, an interrupted flow, and ineffective evacuation work, a large number of people got stuck ted, resulting in chaos." Moreover, the announcement said that the event also presented problems such as the operating company's unsatisfactory and unprofessional planning, and an irregular and disorderly organization.

Based on the relevant regulations, the CAA revoked the eligibility of the Qingdao Bay Bridge Marathon Organizing Committee to apply for the CAA-certified event for the  year 2024, and also requested that they submit a written rectification report to the association by November 13. 

The Qingdao Bay Bridge Marathon, which was advertised as an exclusive event before the race, had attracted a lot of attention and anticipation from runners, and was fully booked in less than 20 minutes after registration opened. 

However, after the race, there were constant complaints online about various aspects of the event, such as insufficient supplies. On October 15, the Organizing Committee issued an apology statement, saying that it would provide free express delivery for the participants who did not receive the finisher medals and clothes.

In China, the popularity of marathons had increased prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

According to the CAA, China saw a marathon boom in 2018 with 278 approved events hosted,  followed by 330 races in 2019. In 2023, the lively marathon weekend again returned to the public eye. 

Alessio Punzi, manager of road running for World Athletics, stated earlier in October that 68 Chinese running events had submitted bids to be included in 2023, while the CAA reported that 133 road races had been registered in China between January and June.

On October 29, six marathon races kicked off in capital cities including Beijing,Xi'an, Chengdu, Changsha, Jinan, and Zhengzhou.

Amid the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Chan Buddhism Culture Festival, the exhibition themed “Passing Down Dharma: Nanhua Buddhist Temple in The Past 1500 years,” kicked off at the Nanhua Temple, with a total of 53 pieces of treasured cultural relics showcased for the first time.

This exhibition aims to further strengthen exchanges with the Buddhist community in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and the Belt and Road partner countries to contribute to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and to enrich the connotation of the humanistic Bay Area, according to the media report. 

The Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557) bronze statue of the Buddha as the earliest of the numerous artifacts in the collection of Nanhua Temple is also featured at the exhibition. 

Another attraction is the wooden figure of a Buddhist monk, dated Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The carving style is thick and simple, and it is an outstanding representative of the existing Northern Song Dynasty wooden carving statues of five hundred Buddhist monks.

Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan, South China’s Guangdong Province, is the birthplace of southern Zen advocated by Mater Huineng (AD638-713), who is highly respected as the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.

Built in AD502, the temple preserves many of the national treasures, including the “Da Zang Sutra,” decree and cassock.

One of the most precious relics in the temple is the mummified body of Master Huineng. He sits cross-legged with his eyes closed in the center of the Six Patriarch Hall, and stands about 80 centimeters tall. The mummy is painted reddish brown and sits on a sheet of linen cloth. 

An event to promote Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was held at the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, themed "Promote Chinese Medicine and Global Health." 

The event was attended by the Nigerian Ambassador to China Baba Ahmad Jidda, Nigerian Deputy Ambassador Fumen Tyeni Dogo, Secretary General of the China Information Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Kang Xiaofei, and more than 40 experts in the TCM and healthcare industry from all over the country.

Dogo praised the significant contribution made by the culture of TCM to the world, and expressed hopes that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will promote common cooperation and development of the culture in more countries. The Nigerian Embassy in China also took the opportunity to promote cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria, and further strengthen cooperation in the field of TCM.

During the event, a number of invited Chinese medicine experts communicated their experiences and showcased technology, while exchanging Chinese medicine treatment protocols, adding impetus to the high-quality development of the Chinese medicine cause.

In order to let the Nigerian diplomats experience the charm of Chinese medicine culture, Chinese medicine experts carried out a clinical checkups at the end of the activity, further showcasing the therapeutic qualities of the unique Chinese medicine tuina remedial massage.