China's automobile exports exceeded one million units for the third consecutive months in August, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed on Thursday.
In August, China's auto exports reached 1.01 million units, up 65.3 percent year on year, marking the third consecutive month that export volume has exceeded the one-million-unit mark.
The dominant position of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China's auto market was further consolidated in August, with NEV sales accounting for a record 60.6 percent of the monthly new car sales.
Last month, NEV output and sales reached over 1.65 million units and 1.64 million units, up 18.9 percent and 17.8 percent year on year, respectively, the data showed.
The country's NEV exports rose 1.3 times year on year to 526,000 units last month, accounting for more than a half of the total automobile exports for three consecutive months.
China's auto exports exceed 1 million units for 3rd consecutive months in August
China's NEV share of new vehicle sales hits record high in August
Efforts are underway in Gaza to restore what remains of the historic Abu Salim Mosque and preserve that it represents, after the religious site was hit by an Israeli airstrike on August 24.
Located in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, the Abu Salim Mosque is widely regarded as one of Gaza's oldest and most historically significant religious landmarks.
However, more than half of the mosque currently lies in ruins, with parts of its historic walls collapsing following the Israeli strike.
The municipality and volunteers are trying to salvage whatever they can from the rubble, even the mosque's damaged stones, valued by Palestinians for their historical and cultural significance.
"We are searching for heritage books and stones. When conditions allow reconstruction in the future, the municipality will work with heritage organizations to restore this mosque," said Salem Abu Hasnin, a member of the Deir al-Balah Municipal Council.
The search through the rubble is made harder by a severe lack of equipment and resources.
"This mosque is both a heritage and archaeological site. It was built in 1951 in the Ottoman style. Our team launched a preventive preservation campaign, collecting historic marble pieces and scattered limestone for safekeeping," said Shaimaa Al-Natour, a member of the Heritage Guardians Team.
The mosque's library was also damaged. Among the debris, the team is trying to rescue surviving books and preserve them with whatever materials are available.
"Documenting, archiving and collecting historic books require special preservation boxes. We are working with very limited resources, keeping the books in cardboard or wooden boxes that are not designed for this purpose," said Muhannad Abu Lahya, a cultural heritage guide.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments says almost all of Gaza's 1,275 mosques have been targeted since the war began, including well over 1,000 that were completely destroyed.
Despite the widespread destruction, Palestinians remain determined to preserve their heritage, hoping what they save from the rubble can one day be rebuilt into what was lost.
Efforts underway to preserve historic Abu Salim Mosque after Israeli strike
