China urges the United States to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop its dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.
The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a reporter's query that the U.S. Defense Department on Oct. 26 announced that the U.S. State Department has approved 1.988 billion U.S. dollars in arms sales to Taiwan, including the "National Advanced Surface-to-air Missile Systems" and radar systems.
The U.S. arms sales to China's Taiwan region severely violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982. The sales seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty and security interests, harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and send a gravely wrong message to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, the spokesperson said.
China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the sales and has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side, the spokesperson noted.
The U.S. decision to use Taiwan to contain China and help advance "Taiwan independence" agenda by arming Taiwan goes against the U.S. leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" and the two sides' effort of stabilizing the China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson said.
China urges the United States to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop the dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson said. China will take resolute countermeasures and take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
Artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, smart manufacturing… The major concerns of the current international science and technology community were extensively discussed during the three-day World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) held from Tuesday to Thursday in Beijing.
With the theme "Science and Technology for the Future," the forum attracted more than 350 scientists from 33 countries and regions, including Nobel Prize laureates, officials, and representatives from the United Nations and other international organizations, to exchange insights on solutions for global sustainable development.
The forum was initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in 2019. That year, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the inaugural forum, expressing his hope that the forum would evolve into a platform that facilitates consensus-building, idea exchanges, and deepened cooperation among global scientists, educators and entrepreneurs, contributing to global development.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday met with a group of foreign scientists attending this year's forum. Ding said that China will steadfastly advocate and practice open, fair, just and non-discriminatory international cooperation in the field of science and technology.
Deepened international exchange and cooperation, and the promotion of sustainable development through sci-tech innovation are urgently needed to address important global issues, and to meet the expectations of the global sci-tech community and people in all countries, Ding said.
"The more complex the international environment is, the more open China will be," Ding said.
"Over the last five years, the forum has actively built a platform for civil technological exchanges and continuously helped expand international technological cooperation. This platform not only embodies the world's shared vision for technological progress, but also carries the global common dream for the diversity of global civilizations and the sustainable development of humanity," President of CAST Wan Gang, who is also the chairman of WSTDF 2024, said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the forum on Tuesday.
Looking into the future, we hope that everyone will continue to share insights and wisdom in the spirit of "working together for a common goal," with a philosophy of win-win cooperation and open and inclusive mindset, contributing technological strength and solutions for global sustainable development, and jointly promoting the construction of a community of shared future for mankind, Wan noted.
Executive Vice Chairman of WSTDF 2024 and Executive President of CAST He Junke hosted the opening ceremony. Innovative governance for AI
AI governance was one of the two major topics of global attendees at this year's forum.
On the first day of the forum, a thematic session on "AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance" was held to share the latest technological trends, industrial applications, and scenario expansions. The session also focused on technology governance, enhancing consensus and mutual trust, and promoting the formation of a collaborative effort for global AI governance.
The session coincided with newly heightened global attention on the regulation and ethical use of AI, reflecting the deep contemplation of various countries, regions, and international organizations on the balance between technological innovation and security.
In his speech, Wan urged the international science and technology community to prioritize research on AI-driven science. He emphasized the importance of leveraging AI to foster high-quality development and called for collaborative efforts to enhance the convergence and coordination of relevant laws, regulations, standards, and norms.
"Innovation drives development. The world is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of technological innovation. In particular, AI technologies, represented by large models, are advancing rapidly and leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The WSTDF brings together experts and scholars from the fields of science, industry, and education to exchange ideas and build consensus. This is of great significance for promoting cooperation and sharing, as well as jointly advancing innovative development," Wang Haifeng, chief technology officer of Baidu and head of the National Engineering Research Center of Deep Learning Technology and Application, told the Global Times.
The recent announcement of the 2024 Nobel Prizes marked a historical moment, as both awards in Physics and Chemistry were awarded to achievements related to AI, heralding the dawn of an AI-driven era in scientific discovery.
As AI continues to engage with and empower various industries, its intersection and integration with an increasing number of disciplines are poised to bring about transformative changes in scientific research paradigms. I believe that future Nobel Prizes will increasingly recognize contributions related to AI. This prestigious acknowledgment will draw greater attention and resources to the field, further accelerating the rapid advancement of AI technology. Ultimately, this progress will yield more sophisticated technologies that enhance human life and promote societal advancement, Wang noted.
Executive Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations Ashok Kumar Basa echoed Wang while emphasizing security management over AI technologies.
"The benefits of AI are innumerable. AI can drastically transform lifestyles. The life will be much easier. But what I am rather emphasizing is, when we are excited about the help from AI, let us not forget the danger it can pose with the example of a nuclear bomb. That's a word of caution," Basa told the Global Times. Interdisciplinary cooperation for climate change
Jiao Nianzhi, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist at the Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (Global ONCE), introduced the indispensable role of oceans in regulating the Earth's climate, and the Global ONCE program's aim and prospects during a thematic session on Interdisciplinary Science-Based Solutions Towards Sustainable Development on Wednesday.
Covering 71 percent of the Earth's surface and possessing a carbon reservoir nearly 50 times larger than the atmospheric carbon reservoir, oceans are crucial in mitigating global warming through carbon absorption and heat regulation. However, intensified human activities are putting unprecedented pressure on marine ecosystems, leading to issues such as ocean acidification and biodiversity loss, which directly affect the ocean's carbon absorption capacity. Therefore, protecting and restoring the ocean's negative emission capacity has become a critical direction in addressing climate change, according to Jiao.
Against this backdrop, the interdisciplinary integration of marine disciplines with others has become an inevitable trend. Cross-disciplinary research among marine science, environmental science, ecology, economics, engineering, and other fields can not only broaden and deepen our understanding of marine negative emission mechanisms, but also drive technological innovation, leading to more efficient and sustainable carbon reduction and carbon sequestration solutions. This interdisciplinary collaboration mode can not only foster the creation of new productive forces but also provide new ideas for global sustainable development.
Empowered by the idea of "interdisciplinary integration to create new productive forces," the Global ONCE program aims to gather the wisdom of top scientists and engineers worldwide, leveraging the advantages of interdisciplinary integration to deeply explore the processes and mechanisms of ocean negative emissions and develop a comprehensive ocean negative emission solution based on Chinese practices, while aiming for global promotion. This solution will cover various aspects such as pollution reduction, carbon reduction, carbon sequestration, actively promoting the establishment and implementation of international standards, achieving international consensus, and striving for an international voice, seeking synergistic effects to provide powerful scientific and technological support for a global response to climate change, according to Jiao.
The Global ONCE program, launched by Jiao, is part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-30).
Addressing climate change and achieving global sustainable development are long-term and arduous tasks. The Global ONCE is not only a scientific exploration process, but also carries the expectations and responsibilities of all sectors of society for the protection of the shared future for mankind. I believe that through joint efforts, we will overcome many difficulties and jointly create a better, harmonious, and sustainable future, Jiao stressed.
International coordination for shared tomorrow
Since its establishment in 2019, the WSTDF has continuously played a positive role in promoting international technological exchanges and enhancing technological innovation capabilities.
In recent years, the unstable trade environment and escalating political tensions within the international community have hindered prospects for international technological cooperation. In this context, countries around the world must enhance open collaboration in science and technology. With its timing, the WSTDF 2024 is playing an active role in global governance, fostering international technological exchange and cooperation, and collectively addressing both opportunities and challenges. It offers valuable insights into current trends in technological development and exemplifies China's commitment to an innovation-driven development strategy, as well as its vision of building a community of shared future for mankind, guests told the Global Times.
Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Office for East Asia Shahbaz Khan deemed that this year's WSTDF could help promote science and technology for sustainable development, especially for the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-33) proclamation the UN announced in August, while also promoting shared prosperity and people-to-people exchanges around the world.
As a leading country in science and technology, China has engaged in extensive exchanges and cooperation with numerous countries and international organizations, striving to ensure that technology benefits all of humanity and demonstrating an open and inclusive attitude along with a determination to tackle global challenges together.
These efforts help provide what is absolutely necessary to build a base for developing countries in the Global South to progress to the next level of development. UNESCO is very proud to partner with China, Khan told the Global Times.
The forum will further enhance the international community's consensus on technological cooperation and promote the in-depth sustainable development of international technological cooperation. At this stage, it is especially important to help the international scientific and technological community better understand China's concept of international scientific and technological cooperation. A China-hosted event like the WSTDF will further promote China's "three global initiatives" and the concept of building a community of shared future for mankind, thereby forming a better atmosphere for international scientific and technological collaboration, Liang Huaixin, an expert in international relations from the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged representatives of students participating in China International College Students' Innovation Competition 2024 to promote the spirit of science and actively engage in technological innovation.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to them.
China stands ready to maintain communication with South Korea on its nomination of new ambassador to promote sound and steady growth of China-South Korea relations, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday in response to South Korea naming the former chief of staff of the president as the new South Korean Ambassador to China.
Mao Ning, spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks at a routine press conference, saying that "ambassadors act as bridges for the growth of relations between countries."
According to the Korea Times, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol decided to name his former chief of staff Kim Dae-ki as the new ambassador to China, his office said.
South Korean presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk announced the decision at a press briefing, saying Kim was chosen for his "abundant policy experience" in economic cooperation with China.
Not only has he delved into China's society, history and culture with a deep interest in South Korea-China relations, mostly concerning economic issues, but he also speaks advanced Chinese, Chung said.
Kim is expected to not only coKim was Yoon's first chief of staff from May 2022 until December 2023, according to the Korea Times.
Lü Chao, a research fellow on Northeast Asia studies at Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that the nomination shows that Yoon really wants to fix and improve ties with China, as Kim is a core member of Yoon's decision-making group, and his experience in the fields of economy and trade and the pragmatic exchanges that he had with China in the past will greatly help him do a better job than his predecessor in China.
"We have noticed that Yoon made some positive remarks on China-South Korea relations recently, and we hope South Korea can take concrete actions to respect China's core interests and build a bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation," Lü noted.
Jimmy Chiang Chi Bun and the boys from the Vienna Boys Choir’s Haydn Choir salute the audience during a concert in China in October 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Chen Hui As one of the most prestigious performance groups in the world, the Vienna Boys Choir boasts a history of over 500 years, with performances across the globe. In 2013, the choir welcomed its first Chinese conductor, Jimmy Chiang Chi Bun.
The conductor and pianist from Hong Kong leads the Vienna Boys Choir’s Haydn Choir, striving to bring the beauty of classical music from Europe to Chinese audiences, while also hoping to introduce more international listeners to the charm of Chinese music.
Chiang began his strict musical training at an early age, learning piano at just four years old and making his first stage appearance at five. Although his parents were not professional musicians, their deep passion for music laid a strong foundation for his future career.
Growing up in Hong Kong, Chiang later pursued further studies in Europe and America, studying under several world-renowned music masters, including instructors from the German, Russian, and Austrian schools.
In an interview with the Global Times, he shared that his musical journey blends Eastern and Western elements, making it "richer compared to many others."
Spreading Chinese culture through music
"You come from the snowy mountains, spring tides are your style; you rush toward the East China Sea, roaring waves reflect your spirit..."
During the National Day holidayS, the young singers from Vienna performed Song of the Yangtze River at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, located in the heart of Beijing. Dressed in their iconic sailor uniforms and singing in classical vocals, they amazed the Chinese audience, who responded with thunderous applause.
Before performing this song, the children showcased the delicate Yunnan folk song The Flowing Stream with their gentle voices.
The contrast between subtlety and grandeur complemented each other, deeply moving the audience.
Foreign ensembles touring China often perform Chinese songs outside their standard repertoire, but Chiang, as a conductor from Chinese background, makes more thoughtful selections.
He told the Global Times that he usually chooses Chinese folk songs that carry cultural significance, in line with the theme of the tour. "For instance, for this tour, I thought the theme was 'From the Danube to the Yangtze River,' so I chose ‘Song of the Yangtze River’ as a representative Chinese piece," he explained.
For Chiang, this is not only a cultural bridge between China and Austria, but also a way for foreign audiences to understand Chinese culture through music.
Since leading the Vienna Boys Choir on its first tour of China in 2015, Chiang has incorporated Chinese music into their performances. The Haydn choir, besides singing the internationally famous “Jasmine Flower,” also performed the Cantonese song “Moonlight” and the Hebei folk song “To the Flowers.”
This fusion of Eastern and Western musical traditions delighted audiences. "I was born in Hong Kong, and ‘Moonlight’ was a nursery rhyme from my childhood. My mother taught me this song when I was just one year old," Chiang recalled.
In 2018, Chiang led the choir in recording a performance of “I Love You, China,” which aired on China Central Television. The video went viral, becoming a widely discussed topic. Reflecting on the song, Chiang said it expressed a deep love for China and showcased Chinese music’s influence on the international stage. "Most of our choir members do not speak Chinese, but they truly felt the emotion behind the music," he noted.
‘China’s development impresses me’
In September and October this year, Chiang once again led his choir on a tour of China, their first visit in several years. The tour covered more than a dozen cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and Guangzhou.
Looking back on a decade of performances across China, Chiang remarked on the noticeable changes in the country each time he returns, particularly in infrastructure and urban landscapes. "From big cities to smaller towns, China’s pace and scale of development are astonishing," he said.
Chiang also observed that Chinese audiences’ appreciation for international art troupes has been growing. "Especially in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the audience reactions are very enthusiastic," he said.
However, in some smaller cities, audiences are still getting accustomed to choral performances, requiring more time to understand and accept the art form. "This is one of the reasons why cultural exchanges are so important."
He also highlighted the cultural potential of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, noting that this region has vast opportunities for artistic exchange. As an international cultural bridge, Hong Kong can drive cultural cooperation and development across the Greater Bay Area, Chiang said.
"Hong Kong’s rich experience in international musical exchanges provides great conditions for the collaborative growth of this region. By strengthening cooperation, we can further promote traditional music exchange and cultivate a deeper musical appreciation among audiences in the Greater Bay Area," he said.
As the first Chinese conductor of the Vienna Boys Choir, Chiang found one challenge he need to face is upholding the choir’s 500-year tradition while maintaining its high standards.
He noted that conducting a children’s choir is similar to working with adult orchestras in many ways, though children’s shorter attention spans require him to use more concise language and methods. "I’ve learned how to communicate the essence of the music more efficiently, which has also boosted my confidence when rehearsing with adult orchestras," he explained.
Chiang, who excels in both orchestral and operatic fields, shared that Western music education focuses on creativity and expressiveness, while he brings the Asian spirit of "hard work and discipline" to the choir’s training. "Our children come from diverse cultural backgrounds, but I hope they can find resonance in the music. For them, music is not just an art form but also a means of communication and understanding."
He believes that music, as an art form that transcends language, serves as the best cultural bridge.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, expressed the hope that France will view China-EU economic and trade relations with a positive and open attitude, encourage the EU side to meet China halfway, and play a constructive role in consultation and negotiations between the two sides.
Wang made those remarks Thursday during phone talks with French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne.
The Hong Kong stock market extended its three-week rally on Monday, reaching a two-and-a-half-year high in the morning session, buoyed by the latest packet of stimulus policies meted out by China's monetary authorities to fuel up the economy.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.
The Hang Seng Index closed up by 1.60 percent to reach 23,099.78 on Monday, the highest level since February 2022. The Tech Index of the Hong Kong stock market surged by 3.05 percent.
China’s top chip maker SMIC, headquartered in Shanghai, surged by 21.76 percent to reach HK$33.30 ($4.29), while e-commerce giant Alibaba Group rose 0.61 percent to hit HK$114.60.
China's central bank has issued a new set of monetary stimulus programs, including a cut in commercial banks' reserve requirement ratio and the benchmark interest rates to shore up economic revival that have significantly boosted investor sentiment.
Driven by the stimulus, both the mainland's A-share market and Hong Kong's H-shares have staged very strong rallies lately.
Though the mainland market closed for the National Day holidays, which ran from October 1 to October 7, Hong Kong's stock market continued to rise, with the Hang Seng Index notching up by an accumulative 10.2 percent between September 30 and Friday.
Since the start of the fourth quarter this year, the overall market atmosphere has significantly improved, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his blog, seen on the official website of Hong Kong government on Sunday.
According to official data, the Hang Seng Index has rebounded to a two-and-a-half-year high, surging by a total of 5,600 points over the past 15 trading days, or around 33 percent. From the beginning of September to Friday, the daily turnover in the Hong Kong stock market reached HK$192 billion ($24.72 billion), double the level recorded in August, the financial secretary wrote.
China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) and the National Financial Regulatory Administration jointly held a national video conference on promoting delivery of the stalled housing projects, during which the authorities called for expanding the scope of the “white list” to ensure all compliant developers are “included in the list as they should be,” according to a statement seen on the website of MOHURD on Wednesday.
The “white list” refers to a mechanism to ensure that eligible real estate projects get support in financing and sufficient development loans.
The conference is part of the country’s ramped-up efforts to advance the housing project delivery work and stabilize the real estate market, following a series of major pro-growth macro policies rolled out by the policymakers to support the property market in late September.
The meeting stressed the importance of ensuring urban housing delivery, which is a key task to facilitate the stable and sound development of housing market as well as an effective measure to fend off property sector risk and promote the stabilization of the overall property market.
“The current stage is a crucial window of opportunity to advance housing works. It is also a crucial period to winning the battle of ensuring housing delivery,” the meeting noted.
It stressed that Chinese localities should step up efforts in the review, promotion, and problem-solving of projects on the “white list,” as well as facilitate bank loans distribution, to effectively meet the reasonable financing needs of real estate projects.
With regards to financial institutions, the meeting called for them to establish and improve green channels and timely release loans based on housing projects’ progress, the meeting noted.
China’s housing market has shown some positive signs of improvement during the week-long National Day holidays, as homebuyer confidence was revived by a new package of the stimulus measures announced by the authorities.
On September 24, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, unveiled a new package of monetary measures, led by reductions in existing mortgage rates, in a bid to boost the country’s real estate market and fire up consumer spending.
Between October 1 and noon of October 3, the number of on-site inquiries for new homes in Beijing rose 92.5 percent on a yearly basis, and new home subscriptions nearly doubled. And inquiries for used second-homes in Beijing jumped by 104.1 percent, according to a report seen on the MOHURD’s website. The number of on-site inquiries for new property projects in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, rose nearly 200 percent during the same period.
Tourism in China continued to boom as this year’s National Day holidays entered the latter half. The Chinese Ministry of Transport announced that around 284 million cross-regional trips were made on Friday, the fourth day of the holidays, an increase of 2.8 percent compared to the same day last year.
Ancient architecture and sculptures in North China’s Shanxi Province became one of the most popular destinations this year thanks to the unexampled success of China’s first triple-A video game Black Myth: Wukong, which features 36 locations across China, with 27 situated in Shanxi.
Inbound tourism also demonstrated strong growth over the holiday with inbound travel booking rising by more than 60 percent compared to last year, which is expected to surpass that of outbound tourism in terms of growth rates thanks to a series of supportive policies.
Citing the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, CCTV reported Saturday that, from Tuesday to Friday, the first four days of the week-long holidays, combined inbound and outbound cross-border passenger trips via Shenzhen Airport exceeded 57,000, with nearly 600 flight arrivals and departures, representing a year-on-year increases of 58.1 percent and 55.2 percent, respectively.
With the continuous rise in inbound and outbound passenger trips, the total number of border crossings at Shenzhen Airport this year has surpassed 4 million, marking a 47.6 percent increase compared to last year's total, according to officials.
Over the first four days of the National Day holidays, the number of outbound passengers at Shenzhen Airport exceeded 33,000, with Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia being the most popular destinations, the station said, while predicting a peak of inbound travel on Sunday and Monday, the last two days of the holidays.
During this year's National Day holidays, booking volumes made by inbound tourists to China has reportedly increased by more than 60 percent compared to the same period last year, according to CCTV on Friday.
China continues to optimize its visa and customs policies, accelerate the recovery of international flights, improve payment facilitation, and enhance the overall service quality for inbound tourism. As a result, international popularity of China Travel keeps growing this year.
An official told the CCTV on Friday that the number of inbound trips by foreigners via the Shenzhen general station this year had exceeded 360,000, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 143 percent. Of this figure, the number of inbound trips under the visa-free policies had surpassed 130,000, showing an increase of more than five times compared to the previous year, according to the official.
Just before this holiday, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on September 30 to expand the visa-free policy to citizens of Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Slovenia from October 15, 2024 to December 31, 2025.
In addition to only visiting popular destinations like Beijing and Shanghai, this year, foreign travelers tend to enjoy in-depth and niche travel in China to explore lesser-known tourist spots and feel more comfortable to utilize China's advanced high-speed rail network to travel between different cities.
Trends such as “silver-hair travel” and “family travel” have also become new growth areas for inbound tourism.
“The China I read about in the book is very traditional, but when I arrived in Beijing, I found that it is actually a blend of tradition and modernity. The contrast between the two is really fascinating,” said a 14-year-old tourist from Australia.
Fifty years ago, not only the archaeological community but also ordinary people were stunned by the excavation of the Mawangdui Han Tombs. Among the findings is a remarkable discovery known as China's "Sleeping Beauty" (Lady Xin Zhui), an over 2,100-year-old lady who looks nearly as good as she did when she was buried after her death at the age of about 50, during China's Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25). The world has marveled at the mystery behind her body, as well as the numerous precious treasures unearthed from the tombs.
In this Mawangdui trilogy, the Global Times Culture Desk reaches out to experts who have been involved in the excavation field work, revisiting those moments when new discoveries were made or more cultural relics were unearthed. This is the second installment. With all three tombs discovered at the Mawangdui Han Tombs, questions about their occupants have become the elephant in the room: Who were they? Which tomb was the earliest, and which was the latest?
When the archaeology team needed to address the chronological questions, Fu Juyou, one of the leaders of the Mawangdui site excavation, decided to consider stratigraphy as a key factor.
Shan Xianjin, one of the excavators of the Mawangdui Han tombs, was leading the team to implement the idea. He told the Global Times that the team applied stratigraphy into their practice to determine the chronological order of the three tombs.
"By digging with a bulldozer in the middle of the two mounds, a profile was created to study the stratigraphy. We could see different layers of the soil, and decided the order is No.2, No.3 and No.1," recalled Shan, now 88 years old.
However, the mystery surrounding the owner of Tomb No.2 remained unresolved.
"Wrapping up his work at the bottom of the coffin, He Jiejun went ahead to reach to the bottom of the wooden board," Shan said.
"With his swollen fingers, He got something hard. What could it be? He lifted it out, cleaned it a bit with water melt from the snow. It turned out to be a seal!
"The seal read 'Daihou Li Cang' [the marquis Li Cang]. Everyone was so thrilled at that moment! Now we knew the identity of the tomb's owner," Shan noted. Details of the discovery
From many discoverers' point of view, the excavation stories of Mawangdui started from the story of "ghost fire." Shan told the Global Times that in December 1971, an air-raid shelter was under construction to be used by a nearby military hospital.
To speed up the process, the construction team utilized iron brazing to drill down, which released an unpleasant odor.
"Two soldiers took a break and smoked, and the marsh gas from the drilling caught on fire, emitting blue flames," Shan recalled.
The flames were believed to be "ghost fire," as the conventional saying goes, leading the team to halt the excavation.
News of the incident was relayed to Hou Liang, then head of the Hunan Museum. Hou immediately identified that the soldiers had likely uncovered an ancient tomb, locally known as a "fire pit tomb," renowned for its well-preserved artifacts.
After the female corpse was unearthed, medical workers performed an autopsy in December 1972 to thoroughly examine the integrity of the body and study ancient Chinese embalming techniques.
Medical experts from across Hunan Province were invited to perform the autopsy, with young surgeon Peng Longxiang leading the procedure.
"It can be said that all clinical departments participated, including radiology, dermatology, stomatology, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, surgery, and otolaryngology. Everyone was joking, but we didn't invite pediatricians because she was an adult, so [almost] all clinical departments participated," Peng said.
Impacts on art, life
Hailed as one of the most important archaeological finds in China during the 20th century, the Mangwangdui site has garnered significant attention both within the country and around the world.
Professor Eugene Wang Yuejin, founding director of the Harvard FAS CAMLab, an art team, told the Global Times in an interview that the discoveries at Mawangdui have had a profound influence on the global understanding of ancient Chinese culture and its contribution to mankind's heritage.
Lü Chenchen, associate director of Harvard FAS CAMLab, told the Global Times that the medical texts discovered at Mawangdui are some of the earliest known manuscripts on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), providing insights into ancient practices of health, well-being, and holistic healing.
The texts, which cover treatments and medical theories, have left an everlasting impact on TCM and continue to influence people's life in modern times.
