A passionate cultural relics restorer in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has devoted eight years of her life to preserving precious artifacts from the ancient Qiuci culture.
Renagul Eziz has been working at the Qiuci Museum in Kuqa City of Xinjiang's Aksu Prefecture since 2017 and remains committed to carrying out crucial conservation tasks.
Her work is specialized on the Qiuci State, which commenced in the second century BC and existed for more than 1,000 years, was one of the 36 states in the Western Regions, a term used during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) period for areas west of the Yumen Pass, including present-day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia.
"At first, I thought the job was simply fun, but the deeper I got into it, the more I realized how much I still had to learn. So I have to study and spend countless hours researching," Renagul said in a documentary produced by the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
For Renagul, carrying out restoration work is not about merely completing repairs. Instead, she views it as a meticulous process which breathes life back into objects from the past.
"The artifacts unearthed in the Qiuci region embody the essence of the ancient Qiuci culture. For the many ethnic groups who have lived here, they are a spiritual legacy and an emotional anchor. And they form part of the shared historical memory of all people in China," Renagul said.
"We all regard these artifacts as if they were our own children. We want to safeguard them and see them grow up alongside us. So as long as I'm around, those cultural relics must be kept safe," she said.
Titled "Xinjiang Dawn to Dusk," the CGTN documentary series uses the ancient "shichen" timekeeping system to frame stories across the period of one day.
In ancient China, a day was divided into 12 periods known as "shichen," each lasting two hours by today's clock.
Renagul's story is included in the sixth episode titled "Shenshi", which charts her activities during the hours of 15:00 to 17:00. In zodiac lore, Shenshi is the hour of the monkey, which is seen by the ancients as a blend of agility and perseverance.
Cultural relics restorer in Xinjiang dedicated to preserving ancient Qiuci culture
Cultural relics restorer in Xinjiang dedicated to preserving ancient Qiuci culture
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
