China launches cultural, tourism campaign to spur consumption ahead of Spring Festival

As the Spring Festival nears, China launched a month-long cultural and tourism campaign on Thursday, featuring a wide range of activities and promotional measures to better meet people's needs.

Running from late January to early March, the campaign will see about 30,000 activities held nationwide, offering seasonal cultural and tourism products and events focused on traditional New Year customs, performances, and exhibitions.

More than 360 million yuan (about 51.6 million U.S. dollars) in consumption vouchers and subsidies will be distributed, alongside measures including ticket discounts, bundled ticket incentives, and cross-regional tourism promotions.

The campaign was launched in Quanzhou, east China's Fujian Province, by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This year's Spring Festival, or the traditional Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17, marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse in Chinese culture. It is one of the most important holidays in China, which is celebrated for family reunion and good luck in the upcoming year.

China launches cultural, tourism campaign to spur consumption ahead of Spring Festival

Protesters took to the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Wednesday, urging the United States to release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

The U.S. launched a military strike on Venezuela on Jan. 3, forcibly taking the South American country's president and his wife and placing them in custody in New York, an action that has drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

"We insist on taking to the streets. All social movements and all political forces are defending the homeland. We will continue protesting and demand that the U.S. empire return our commander, our president," said protester Roni Campero.

"Everyone here voted for Maduro. We want him to return home safely," said protester Esperanza Olavarria.

The demonstrators said they believe U.S. efforts to destabilize the country will fail.

"The United States wants a civil war to happen here, but it hasn't succeeded. We are still standing firm and will continue fighting to the end," said protester Maria Hinojosa.

Venezuelans rally in Caracas, demand US release President Maduro