Traditional Chinese medicine student from Indonesia experiences Sichuan Opera

An Indonesian student studying traditional Chinese medicine in Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province has lately been offered a chance to perform Sichuan Opera on the stage with professional actors.

Born in an overseas Chinese family that has been in Sumatra, Indonesia for five generations, Marissa, or Hong Wanqing in Chinese, majors in acupuncture at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan.

Ahead of the Spring Festival, which fell on Jan 29 this year, Marissa went to the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Research Institute through a friend's introduction, where she put on exquisite makeup and theatrical costume for the first time in her life and played the white snake in The Legend of the White Snake with professional Sichuan Opera actors.

"This is my first time to put on this makeup. I think it looks good, and very different from myself. As this year is the Year of the Snake, I plan to play a role in the Sichuan Opera The Legend of the White Snake," Marissa said.

Having been in China for eight years, Marissa said she became attracted by Sichuan Opera five years ago.

"In fact, I had already watched Sichuan Opera before I came to Chengdu. There are hot pot restaurants in Indonesia, and one restaurant staged a Sichuan Opera face-changing show. I loved it, because I thought it was magical, and wondered how they switched masks so swiftly one after another. And then I came here to Chengdu, where there are many face-changing, lantern rolling and other traditional performances, as well as Sichuan Opera dramas like the Legend of the White Snake I performed today. I'm very interested and enjoy watching them very much," Marissa said.

Now a graduate student, Marissa said she chose to study traditional Chinese medicine in 2018 because her family values Chinese dietary therapy since she was a child.

She has also experienced the amazing effects of acupuncture herself. During middle school years, she received acupuncture treatment for cervical spondylosis, which worked quickly with no side effect.

Marissa also learned that acupuncture is a national-level intangible cultural heritage in China, which has been inscribed by the UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. So, she decided to study acupuncture in China.

"I think traditional Chinese medicine is not only a science, but also a philosophy and a life attitude. It pursues the unity of heaven and human, both consisting of Yin, Yang and five elements. While the Sichuan Opera pursues harmony and inclusiveness. They are very similar. For me, the learning process is more of a process carrying forward culture and cultural exchanges. After obtaining my master's degree, I will go back to Indonesia and open my own clinic. My goal is to promote traditional Chinese medicine that I have learned to Indonesian people, because it is really amazing and must be passed on to future generations," Marissa said.

Traditional Chinese medicine student from Indonesia experiences Sichuan Opera

Traditional Chinese medicine student from Indonesia experiences Sichuan Opera

A cold front has brought snowfall and freezing temperatures across many parts of China, disrupting transportation and prompting emergency responses. On Sunday morning, many places in Handan City of north China's Hebei Province have experienced snowfall.

The province on Sunday activated a Level-IV emergency response for major meteorological disasters in preparation for incoming heavy snowfall.

According to the provincial meteorological observatory, heavy snow is forecast to hit areas including Shijiazhuang, Cangzhou and Hengshui from day to night on Sunday. Some regions may experience blizzard conditions.

Forecasters warn that the severe weather will disrupt transportation, urban services, and greenhouse agriculture.

Local authorities have been urged to closely monitor weather conditions, enhance risk assessment, and eliminate potential safety hazards.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.

Starting early Sunday morning, a new round of snowfall began in areas such as Qingyang City and Dingxi City in northwest China's Gansu Province.

In order to ensure smooth traffic and people's normal life and production, local departments have made coordinated efforts to clear snow from roads.

Local traffic police have also increased presence at key areas to direct traffic and ensure timely response to emergencies.

In addition, widespread snowfall affected the northern parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, posing challenges to urban transportation and railway operations.

Traffic police and city departments are mobilizing to clear roads and ensure safe travel for residents.

Railway authorities also implemented pre-arranged snow-response plans, using equipment such as wind-powered snow blowers and de-icing equipment to clear key sections of track and prevent switches from freezing.

The current round of snowfall in the northern parts of Xinjiang is expected to end on March 2. Some areas in east China's Shandong Province also experienced heavy snow on Sunday. At 11:00, the provincial weather service issued yellow warnings for icy roads.

At the Mount Tai scenic area in Tai'an City, the weather transitioned from a mix of rain and snow to snowfall during the day. As of 15:00 on Sunday, the average precipitation had reached 18.9 millimeters, with the snowfall still ongoing. To ensure the safety of visitors, the scenic area has decided to suspend all access routes starting from 16:00. On Sunday morning, cold air prompted snowfall in many places of north China's Shanxi Province. The Shanxi Provincial Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for blizzard, covering areas such as Jinzhong City, Linfen City, and Yuncheng City.

Icy road conditions led to temporary traffic restrictions on several highway sections.

Local authorities promptly activated emergency response plans, deploying crews for snow removal and traffic control.

Snowfall hits many parts of China, affecting transportation