The Yellow River, China's second-longest river, has achieved 26 consecutive years of uninterrupted flow, thanks to decades of efforts to harness the river featuring protection and management, according to the Yellow River Conservancy Commission on Tuesday.
At 08:00 local time Tuesday, the Lijin hydrological station, located at the river's lowermost reaches, recorded a real-time flow of 588 cubic meters per second.
This underscores the success of water resources unified dispatch started in 1999, ensuring the river's continuous flow for over a quarter of a century.
The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are regarded as the "mother rivers" of the Chinese nation. The Yellow River basin had been the political, economic, and cultural centers of the country for as long as 3,000 years in the 5,000-year history of the Chinese civilization.
Today, the 5,464-km-long waterway feeds 12 percent of China's population, irrigates 17 percent of its arable land, and supplies water to more than 50 large and medium-sized cities.
However, throughout its history, the Yellow River used to suffer from frequent dike breaks and course changes.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, the lower reaches of the Yellow River frequently dried up. In 1997, the Yellow River dried up for 226 days, covering a total length of 704 kilometers.
Due to its incomparable historical, cultural and economic significance, together with the environmental impact it brings, China has made great efforts to harness the Yellow River over recent years. Dams were built to generate power and control flood and silt. Large afforestation projects were carried out to reduce soil erosion of the Loess Plateau.
During the 2024-2025 period, the Yellow River's main stream has supplied over 22.3 billion cubic meters of water, sustaining ecological preservation and fostering high-quality development throughout the Yellow River basin.
China's water resource management sustains perennial flow of Yellow River for 26 consecutive years
Breaking long-standing Western heroic narrative conventions in filmmaking, the trending Chinese anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East", is reshaping global cinematic discourse on war and peace.
The summer blockbuster was released on Tuesday nationwide and had earned box office revenue of more than 536 million yuan (around 79.5 million U.S. dollars) as of 22:00 Friday.
The story centers on Xu Fu, a down-on-his-luck Chinese chef portrayed by celebrated comedian Shen Teng, who travels to the Middle East to settle his debts. There, he joins forces with a local restaurant manager to operate a bustling restaurant, bringing authentic Chinese culinary traditions to a war-torn foreign land.
As a distinct Chinese anti-war feature, "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" abandons timeworn Western heroic storytelling. The film adopts the humble viewpoint of Xu Fu, an ordinary cook. Through his eyes as a neutral bystander, it portrays the struggles and sufferings of ordinary people trapped in conflict and uses food and everyday life to explore survival, compassion and the value of peace, rather than focusing on the battlefield.
Such a narrative perspective is quite pioneering among global anti-war film productions.
"It realistically reflects the turmoil of war. Therefore, we desire peace and oppose the suffering that wars of aggression inflict upon the people," a moviegoer praised.
Meanwhile, the blockbuster has garnered massive overseas anticipation prior to its international debut. Many global film enthusiasts agree that the production epitomizes a transformative shift in Chinese film industry, which is overhauling Hollywood's established narrative paradigms and reinterpreting the global narrative of war and peace at a higher level.
"Just imagine how this story would unfold if Hollywood were to film it. It would almost certainly follow the standard formula of superheroes, super-soldiers, or elite operatives swooping in, resolving the crisis in a flash, and then disappearing. What does the 'Once Upon a Time in the Middle East' offer? The idea that the best days are those spent sharing a meal together. Conversely, what drives people to fight instead of dining together? Anyone who has seen the film knows the answer. That is why some netizens have said that if this movie were to compete for a U.S. Oscar award, it would be a voice representing the Global South," said Zuo Heng, a researcher at the China Film Archive.
Many scholars also hold the view that war narratives on international screens have long revolved around contests of victory and military conquest, but "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" does not stoke hatred nor glorify victory by force. Instead, it hides the key to peace amid the mundane routines of daily meals.
This vision of peace, rooted in the moderation and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, blazes a new trail of expression for global anti-war films.
It constitutes an innovation in film creation and enables the world to see perceptions of peace different from those of the West.
"The film delivers an anti-war perspective that diverges from the Hollywood paradigm. It abandons Hollywood-style individualism, and quietly challenges the 'America First' mindset. 'Once Upon a Time in the Middle East' keeps exploring innovative approaches to shape contemporary Chinese discourse and narrative systems," said Sun Jiashan, a researcher with the Department of Chinese Culture Education and Research under the Central Institute of Socialism.
Chinese anti-war film offers new cinematic narrative on war and peace
