An ancient town in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, has transformed its waterfront into a hub for water sports, drawing visitors from home and abroad.
In Majiu Village, a 5.4-square-kilometer Jiangnan ancient town, the sport of rowing is breathing new life into this riverside community. With a rich history spanning over 3,500 years, the village was once a historic stop for horse stables along the old Jiangnan trade routes.
Built around rowing, this historic town has transformed into a popular travel hotspot.
"When it's crowded, thousands of tourists show up. Even on slower days, there are still a few hundred," said Wang Song, head of HemuRowing Club.
Wang said her sister and brother-in-law, local champions of the sport, hope to use it to boost their hometown. The river channels in Majiu are perfectly sized for training, competition or a bit of leisure time.
Local media report that it benefits more than 6,500 farming households, with annual tourism revenue exceeding six million yuan (about 834,000 U.S. dollars).
Ancient town in east China turns into hub for water sports
Commemorations honoring Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs were held on the banks of the Yalu River in Dandong, Liaoning Province on Tuesday as part of ongoing tributes to those who fought in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953).
The event was held to mark the return of the remains of 12 CPV martyrs, who were killed in the war, from the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Wednesday.
This will be the 13th such repatriation of CPV remains following the handover agreement between the two countries. Since 2014, the remains of 1,011 soldiers have been returned to China from the ROK, according to China's Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
More than 170 representatives, including veteran CPV soldiers, relatives of the martyrs, active-duty personnel, students, and other from various sectors of society, attended the event.
People boarded a ferry which slowly sailed down the Yalu River. Inside the cabin, all present stood in solemn silence as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China was played, and observed a moment of silence in honor of the CPV martyrs.
Then, they walked to the ship's railings one by one and scattered flower petals into the river to pay tribute to the martyrs.
"We, the CPV, went abroad to fight to defend our motherland, the people, and our good life and to resist U.S. imperialist aggression against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). I hope that our young comrades and students today will study hard and make contributions to our motherland," said Hu Changzhe, a CPV veteran.
"I feel deeply moved as these veteran soldiers are heroes who once fought for our country. Now, standing by the Yalu River, looking back on their past and remembering their comrades, they must be deeply touched," said Hong Jialu, a student at a branch of Liaoning Province Shiyan High School.
At the event, 10 student representatives from primary and middle schools read aloud a letter to express their reverence and remembrance for the heroic martyrs through their sincere words and heartfelt recitation.
The Korean War broke out in June 1950, eight months after the People's Republic of China was founded. At the request of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), China sent 2.9 million CPV soldiers to assist the DPRK during the war, of whom more than 360,000 were killed or injured.
Commemorations held to pay tribute to CPV heroes in northeast China
