Remote sensing innovations, cloud-based platform unveiled in Beijing

Seven categories of cutting-edge remote sensing innovations and a cloud-based open platform were unveiled at a press conference on Friday in Beijing, promising to enhance satellite data applications across a wide range of industries.

The event, themed "Quantitative Remote Sensing: Empowering Industries via the Cloud", was co-hosted by the National Engineering Research Center for Remote Sensing Satellite Applications, and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIRI) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

It featured the release of 21 common quantitative remote sensing products spanning seven categories including vegetation ecology, water resources, soil, and atmospheric applications.

"Quantitative remote sensing products translate ground observations into measurable physical quantities. For example, crops supply food to humanity through photosynthesis, but how much do they actually produce? By using indicators such as leaf area index or evapotranspiration, we can quantify the solar energy absorbed, enabling detailed and precise analysis. It's fair to say that quantitative remote sensing is deeply connected to people's livelihoods, production, and social development," explained Zhang Bing, director of the National Engineering Research Center for Remote Sensing Satellite Applications.

The event also marked the launch of the GEOvis cloud-based open platform, jointly developed by the National Engineering Research Center for Remote Sensing Satellite Applications and GEOvis, a leading digital Earth technology provider in China.

The platform integrates the seven categories of quantitative remote sensing products into cloud-based services, significantly expanding application scenarios and unlocking potential across various industries.

"We aim to deliver high-quality, standardized common quantitative remote sensing products released today for the entire industry, with robust government support. By making these products directly accessible, we can lower the threshold of applications and enhance the overall performance of remote sensing satellite applications," said Wu Yirong, head of the AIRI, CAS.

Remote sensing innovations, cloud-based platform unveiled in Beijing

Domestic travel in China hit record highs both in 2025 and during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli said on Saturday.

The minister made the statement in briefing news media on China's travel boom in the past year and this year's Spring Festival holiday running from Feb 15 to 23, at a press conference on people's livelihood on the sidelines of the fourth annual session of the 14th National People's Congress.

"This year's Spring Festival holiday saw a surge in China's culture and tourism market. During the nine-day holiday, the country recorded 596 million domestic tourist trips, with tourism spending surpassing 800 billion yuan (about 115.93 billion U.S. dollars), both setting new records," Sun said.

The travel surge during the Spring Festival holiday season was merely a snapshot, the minister said, adding that the past year witnessed thriving momentum across the culture and tourism sectors.

"Data show that the business revenue of enterprises above the designated size (those each with an annual revenue of 20 million yuan or more) in culture and related industries hit 15 trillion yuan in 2025, up 7.4 percent year on year, while their total profits reached 1.4 trillion yuan, up 6.5 percent year on year. In terms of tourism, domestic tourist trips by Chinese residents exceeded 6.5 billion, up more than 16 percent year on year, with tourism expenditure reaching 6.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.5 percent -- setting new records in both the volume and spending," Sun said.

The annual session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, opened on Thursday and is scheduled to run till March 12.

China's domestic travel hits record highs in 2025: official