Xi studies sinicization of Buddhism, cultural tourism in Henan

President Xi Jinping studied the sinicization of Buddhism and the integrated development of culture and tourism on Monday during his inspection tour in Luoyang City, central China's Henan Province.

At the ancient White Horse Temple, first built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learned in detail about the sinicization of Buddhism and the temple's efforts to protect cultural relics.

The White Horse Temple witnessed how Buddhism was introduced to China and has continuously developed in its assimilation with the Chinese culture and society, Xi said.

History has proven that it is entirely correct to adhere to the direction of sinicizing religions in China, Xi said, urging efforts to actively guide religions to be fused into fine traditional Chinese culture and get adapted to China's socialist society.

Xi also came to the Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a history of over 1,500 years.

He observed the overall layout and outlook of the grottoes, as well as representative niches and statues, and had a cordial exchange with the on-site cultural relic workers, urging efforts to protect, pass on and disseminate these treasures of Chinese culture.

The president also spoke with tourists at the Longmen Grottoes, and encouraged children to visit cultural sites more often to explore Chinese culture and build cultural confidence from a young age.

Pointing out the broad prospects of integrated development of culture and tourism, Xi called for efforts to promote high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry, so that the sector can truly support the local economy, improve people's livelihood, and bring happiness to people.

Xi studies sinicization of Buddhism, cultural tourism in Henan

Xi studies sinicization of Buddhism, cultural tourism in Henan

At least one person has died and several others have been hospitalized after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Maluku Strait early on Thursday morning, with the quake also causing varying degrees of damage to multiple buildings in Manado, the capital city of the North Sulawesi province. The quake struck at 06:48 local time Thursday at a magnitude of 7.4 and a depth of 30 kilometers, according to measurements by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

There were scenes of panic outside a hospital in Manado when the quake hit, with several seconds of intense shaking causing cracks to appear in the building of the medical facility which belongs to the Siloam private healthcare group.

Patients and medical staff were urgently evacuated to the roadside, with some seen in wheelchairs or still connected to intravenous (IV) drips, while others were even pushed out of the wards on their hospital beds. A car parked downstairs was hit by falling debris, shattering its windows.

"Some people were sleeping at the time, some had just undergone surgery, and others were receiving treatment. The earthquake damaged the hospital's ceiling, and I also saw some cracks in the walls," said Billy Lombok, the family member of a patient.

A tsunami warning was issued but later lifted following the quake as Indonesian authorities observed no significant sea level changes.

Patients rushed out from hospital building as 7.4-magnitude quake hits Indonesia, killing one