Mainland, Taiwan racers gather in Xiamen for year-end motorsport showdown

The 2025 Cross-Strait (Xiamen) Auto and Motorcycle Super League held its annual season finale on Saturday at the Xiamen International Circuit in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province, drawing more than 300 drivers and 200 race cars to the track.

Among them were over 40 racers from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, marking the largest turnout in the event's history.

Recognized as a premier platform for motorsport exchange between the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan region, this year's finale featured core competitions such as the Cross-Strait Endurance Car Race and the Road Motorcycle Open Race, both officially certified as Class C events by the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China (CAMF).

These races serve not only as critical stepping stones for drivers seeking higher racing licenses, but also as a vibrant platform for friendly competition and technical exchange across the Taiwan Strait.

"It's my first time here, and I really like the weather and atmosphere here. I feel the racing culture and the circuit are excellent. In fact, they're even better than what we have in Taiwan. Drivers have great interactions. We share the same track and even the same cars, enabling us to exchange ideas and learn from one another," said Su Pang-hao, a car racer from Taiwan.

"Our team has brought more than 20 race cars to this event, basically covering all the categories. The skill levels among drivers from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are actually quite comparable. Through the end of the day, it's all about friendly competition and having fun," said Lin Guanhao, a Xiamen racer.

Meanwhile, the CAMF's Formula 4 Chinese Masters was also held, marking the event's debut in Xiamen.

Formula 4 is an open-wheel racing car category introduced by the International Automobile Federation in 2014 for junior drivers.

Mainland, Taiwan racers gather in Xiamen for year-end motorsport showdown

About 400 cultural relics from two Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) shipwrecks are on display at the Grand Canal Museum in Beijing for the first time.

Loaned from South China Sea Museum in south China's Hainan Province, the 370 pieces are from shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. The first ship's artifacts are mainly ceramics, while the second's include logs, snail shells and antlers.

Xin Lixue, director of the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, said this is the first time these cultural relics have been displayed outside the South China Sea Museum.

"I'm also very excited that these cultural relics can be displayed in the capital, Beijing. I think this is to present to everyone the best things we have salvaged so far, so they can fully understand the splendid culture of our ancient Maritime Silk Road. Today's people can also expand international exchanges and jointly promote the development of all our ethnic groups," said Xin.

Dating back approximately 500 years, these merchant ships sank to a depth of about 1,500 meters during a voyage along the Maritime Silk Road. This marks the first discovery of merchant vessels from the early sixteenth century that had set sail and were returning.

In addition to the abundant relics, the exhibition uses dynamic lighting and sound to recreate a virtual underwater world, showcasing the deep-sea environment and the advanced technology behind deep-sea archaeology.

The exhibition will run through March 15 next year.

Deep-sea archaeological exhibition in Beijing displays relics recovered from shipwreck