Military buildup in Okinawa Prefecture to escalate regional tensions: Japanese protesters

China

Military buildup in Okinawa Prefecture to escalate regional tensions: Japanese protesters

2024-08-09 15:29 Last Updated At：17:37

Japanese people rallied outside the garrison of the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) on the Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture on Thursday to protest against military buildup on the island, including the establishment of a new missile base, saying it will heighten regional tensions.

Okinawa is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, which is very close to China's Taiwan region.

The GSDF garrison on the Miyako Island was built in 2019, which houses security forces, an anti-aircraft gun unit, a missile unit and other important armed units, and is equipped with many cutting-edge military equipment needed for electronic warfare.

Protesters from a local residents liaison group and other parts of the country chanted slogans, holding banners saying "leave a peaceful Miyako Island for children, no missile base," to express their concerns for the future and opposition to the base.

"We are against war and don't need any missiles. Spending huge national defense money on making these missiles is unnecessary to me," said a protester. Some other protesters said the missile base will by no means bring peace to Japan, but only risks and harm.

"I live in Tokyo. But I spent the recent month in Okinawa Prefecture, with about two weeks in Miyako Island and the remaining time in the main island of Okinawa. We really don't want to see war and I hope every one will think twice and move patiently for the sake of peace," one protester said.

The protesters also voiced strong opposition to the dangerous developments at the "2+2" security talks between Japanese and U.S. top diplomats and defense chiefs in Tokyo in late July, followed by the Japan-U.S. ministerial meeting on "extended deterrence" and a Quad foreign ministers' meeting between the United States, Japan, India and Australia.

"Japan has enough military bases, which is a heavy burden. I hope these bases will be turned into peace facilities to actively promote peace diplomacy [for Japan]," said a protester.

"Japan is building up its armaments throughout the country, during which the Ryukyu Islands are gradually becoming a major fortress. We feel a great sense of crisis. We believe that the arms deployment at the base will only escalate tensions," said Shimizu Hayako, executive director of the residents liaison group on Miyako Island.

Dazzling charcoal sparks dance provides visual fest for visitors in China's Anhui

2024-09-15 22:50 Last Updated At：23:27

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the charcoal sparks dance, an intangible cultural heritage of China, provided a visual feast for visitors at a scenic spot in east China's Anhui Province As night fell at the Qiyunshan scenic spot in Xiuning County on Saturday, a charcoal sparks dance performance illuminated the sky. As the performers waved bamboo poles adorned with spark-emitting cages, sparks transformed into countless golden flowers.

"I've seen it on TV before. It's even more amazing and enjoyable to see on site. I highly recommend it," said Shen Lusha, a tourist.

The charcoal sparks dance is a traditional folk dance originating from central China's Hunan Province. The performers place red-hot charcoal fuel into a small iron wire cage, which is then tied to the tip of a bamboo pole with a rope. Then they swing the bamboo pole, triggering the wire lantern to move. In the night, the dance creates a mesmerizing display, with changing movements and flying sparks.

"The dimmer the light, the better it will be," said Wang Tongzhang, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage.

The dance not only won acclaim from the audience offline, but also gained the attention of tens of millions of online viewers on the short video platforms.

"Dancing requires a lot of efforts. Once you start, you have to keep going. The bigger the movements, the larger the sparks. So if you begin dancing, you can't pause. Sometimes, the charcoal sparks may even fall on my head and burn my hair. Through my videos, I hope people can see and understand this traditional culture," said Shi Haifeng, a short video maker.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday this year, Qiyunshan scenic spot has created an immersive tourism experience with focus on intangible cultural heritage performances, aiming to attract first-time visitors to return.

"While enjoying the beautiful scenery of Qiyun Mountain, tourists can also immerse themselves in intangible cultural heritage skills. During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, it is expected that the number of tourists will exceed 100,000," said Tao Ru, manager of the cultural tourism department of the Qiyunshan Management Committee.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in China is a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, as well as an occasion for family and friend reunions to eat mooncakes and appreciate the moon. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eight month in the traditional Chinese calendar.

This year's festival falls on Sept 17, with the public holiday running from Sunday to Tuesday.