As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, Chinese athletes who have completed their competitive endeavors are gathering at the China House to share their tales of triumph and challenge from the prestigious event and to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Chinese Olympic culture.
Among them are illustrious weightlifters Li Fabin, Hou Zhihui, and Luo Shifang, who have clinched gold medals in the ongoing weightlifting competitions at the Paris Olympics.
These champions have taken a moment to delve into the history of China's Olympic journey while offering their unwavering support to those who are still competing for medals.
"I hope [Chinese athletes] continue to strive. In the Olympic arena, there are indeed uncertainties and a great deal of randomness at times, but we must hold onto one belief firmly, that is to fight for the country, embody the Olympic spirit, love competition, dare to win, and will win," said Li Fabin, Chinese weightlifter and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
The China House, a hub of cultural exchange and relaxation established by the Chinese Olympic Committee in Paris, has welcomed not only weightlifters but also swimmers and gymnasts who have completed their respective events. There athletes can find solace in the familiarity of their cultural heritage and share their post-competition narratives with the wider community.
Zou Jingyuan, a celebrated gymnast who secured a gold medal in the parallel bars event, recounted his journey of resilience and triumph amidst injury setbacks.
"This is my second time participating in the Olympics and I encountered many challenges due to injuries, but what I wanted most was to defend my title in the parallel bars event. With faith, I fought for glory and successfully secured the parallel bars Olympic championship this time. I feel especially happy," said Zou, Chinese artistic gymnast and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Chinese athletes reflect on Paris Olympics at China House
Chinese athletes reflect on Paris Olympics at China House
The China Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka Expo, which will open to the public by next Sunday, welcomed media visits on Monday, sharing sneak peeks highlighting the integration of Chinese philosophy and modern technologies.
As one of the largest foreign self-built facilities at the Osaka Expo, the China Pavilion has adopted the theme "Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature – Future Society of Green Development."
The pavilion consists of three components themed "past, contemporary, and future" respectively, featuring an integration of traditional Chinese philosophic norms and the modern sustainable development principles.
The first section of "Tian Ren He Yi," or the "Harmony Between Mankind and Nature," features traditional Chinese culture and history. The exhibited installations include a digital "waterfall of characters" demonstrating the Chinese writing system's evolution, with the introduction of Jieqi, or 24 solar terms on China's traditional lunisolar calendar that demonstrates the understanding of ancient Chinese people to the nature.
The highlights of the section are exhibitions of ancient Chinese archeological sites, including Sanxingdui in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Liangzhu in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Yinxu in central China's Henan Province, dating back to three to five thousand years ago. Replicas of cultural relics from the three sites are presented in the pavilion, among them are the earliest water conservancy system from the Liangzhu archeological site, and the mysterious Bronze Divine Tree from Sanxingdui.
"This is a replica of the Bronze Divine Tree made in the Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC). It is among the earliest and largest single-piece bronze artifacts discovered in the world so far. Other exhibits here include the bronze standing figure with an animal-shaped hat, and the bronze mask. With a touch on the screen, we can learn about details of the cultural relics by examining their 3D models in an immersive way. And we also provide trilingual introductions for visitors from around the world to know about the relics," said a docent of the China Pavilion.
The second section, named after China's contemporary green development principle of preserving "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains," presents descriptions of China's natural and cultural landscapes, ecological systems, and achievements in urban management.
Exhibits in the second section include introductions of China's national parks, and the two mega-sized ecological projects, the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project, which was initially built over two thousand years ago and which has been maintained and upgraded since then, and the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, one of world's largest afforestation projects.
In the third section of future developments, a model of China's Jiaolong submersible and exhibits of China's aerospace science projects share with the viewers China's spirit of exploration of the unknown.
China Pavilion of 2025 Osaka Expo opens to media for sneak peeks
