The vast stretches of maple leaves have entered the best viewing season in Xiagezhuang Township in Laixi City of east China's Shandong Province, enchanting tourists with their vibrant colors that paint the landscape.
Under the autumn sunshine, the leaves display shades of bright orange and fiery red, shimmering like a magnificent oil painting.
Thanks to the local government's initiative to introduce high-quality red maple varieties, the area, once a barren wasteland, has turned into a tourist attraction.
After over a decade of dedicated care, the maple forest now spans more than 66 hectares, boasting more than 200,000 red maple trees.
To offer visitors an immersive experience in the autumn scenery, facilities like dedicated walkways and viewing platforms have been set up, along with maple-themed activities. "We aim not only to show tourists the stunning maple leaves, but also to impress them with the rural charm of Xiagezhuang. With the maple leaves as a medium, we have boosted local industries such as agritainment and agricultural product sales, allowing villagers to earn a living from tourism right at their doorstep," said Shao Shujuan, a local government staff member.
Maple leaves brighten autumn scenery in east China county
Maple leaves brighten autumn scenery in east China county
Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.
"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.
He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.
"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.
"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.
Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival
