China Millenium Monument & Beijing World Art Museum - Beijing - China (1)
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The Screen quality of China Millennium Monument
The Screen quality of China Millennium Monument
CHINA: BEIJING: MILLENNIUM PREPARATIONS
Natural Sound
Though Chinese leaders dallied for months over plans for tonight's millennium celebrations, preparations in the capital, Beijing, are just about complete.
Security in the capital is especially tight after a week which saw renewed protests by members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.
Crowds enjoying a day off can still file past the site of tonight's celebrations for a few more hours, before the area is sealed off for the appearance of China's leadership this evening.
The 'China Century Monument' is the only new structure built in Beijing in connection with the millennium celebrations.
Though not yet open or complete, it will be the site of tonight's gala celebrations which will be presided over by Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Elsewhere in Beijing, preparations for possible millennium bug problems are already in place.
Banks are closed all day Friday and won't open until Monday.
Beijingers who forgot to secure a pile of cash for the weekend may find themselves stuck at home.
Unlike the banks, many Beijing shops will stay open all night tonight, with some offering special discounts after 2:00 a.m. local time.
Tiananmen Square was decked out for the occasion, though no celebrations are planned for this massive plaza in the heart of Beijing.
Police are still closely monitoring the square, as protests by members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement again increased.
Dozens of supposed Falun Gong members have been rounded up on the square this week and hauled off in vans.
Though China boasts 5-thousand years of history, this will be the first millennium celebrated here, as the Chinese only adopted the western Gregorian calendar fifty years ago.
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CHINA/HK/MACAU/TAIWAN: MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS WRAP (6)
Natural Sound
Thousands of people have celebrated the new Millennium at ceremonies in Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
More than thirty thousand people gathered in the Chinese capital, where President Jiang Zemin dedicated a giant marble monument, the 'Altar of the Century,' carved in the shape of a sundial.
Two-thousand children dressed in the traditional clothes of China's 56 nationalities performed on the steps of the 'Altar of the Century' in Beijing, blowing trumpets and releasing balloons.
The children were joined by 13 dancing dragons - a lucky number meant to bring wealth and happiness for the new century.
The dragons also represent the Chinese new year - February 3rd is a celebration of the Chinese lunar New Year, and in China it's the year 4698!
Forty five pairs of young men and women danced in front of the altar.
Meanwhile, another one hundred couples roller-skated on the altar itself.
Together, all the performers formed a giant 'human' clock on the altar.
At ten seconds before midnight, the Chinese President Jiang Zemin, standing on the altar, pressed a button to began the final countdown.
The Eternal Flame was lit as the seconds ticked towards the new century.
At the stroke of midnight, a firework display lit the Beijing sky, illuminating the number '2000.'
In Hong Kong, the new Millennium was celebrated at the Happy Valley racecourse on Hong Kong Island.
At eight minutes to midnight, film star Jackie Chan led a group of singers.
With three minutes to go, giant screens displayed Millennium celebrations from across the Territory.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa and other guests were invited on stage to toast in the New Year.
At the stroke of midnight, the fireworks display began.
Tung made a speech and then Pyro 2000 began - a 1400 metre long 'ring of light' launched from the racecourse.
The fireworks display was billed as being bigger than the one for the opening of the Tsing Ma Bridge.
The people of Macau celebrated the dawning of a new era just under two weeks ago.
The return of the former Portuguese colony to Chinese sovereignty as midnight struck on December 19th set off a huge cheer around Macau.
Many in the territory greeted the end of almost four-and-a-half centuries of Portuguese rule with joy, hoping the new millennium will bring an end to the problems of the past.
It is now China's responsibility to stop the recent turf war between Triad gangs which has claimed 37 s in the past year.
To that end, new year celebrations in Macau were in many ways carrying on where the handover ceremony left off - looking to the future and leaving the past behind.
There was a countdown in Leal Senado Square where the main festivities were held.
The territory is now officially called the Macau Special Administrative Region, and it will enjoy a degree of self-rule for the next 50 years.
Macau's return to China also brings to an end European rule in Asia, with no European colonies left on the continent.
In Taiwan, Citizen's Square in front of Taipei City Hall was the venue for the main millennium celebrations.
Fireworks, singing and dancing heralded the New Year with 'Good Luck Lanterns' lighting up the square.
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Millennium Monument & Park 玉渊潭 | 中华世纪坛 | 中央塔
玉渊潭 中华世纪坛 中央塔
Yuyuantan Park
Millennium Monument
CHINA: MONUMENT TO CELEBRATE 5OOO YEARS OF CIVILISATION
Mandarin/Nat
While countries throughout the world celebrate the Millennium, China is going one better and celebrating five-thousand years of uninterrupted civilisation.
To commemorate this milestone, the country is constructing an enormous monument.
The China Century Monument rises from western Beijing like an enormous sundial.
But this monument is not a celebration of the two thousand anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. It marks five thousand years of Chinese history.
So far China has no plans for Millennium events. The absence of hype reflects China's ambivalence about the event.
Though it claims five-thousand years of history, China has never experienced a millennium in the Western sense - and it didn't adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1949.
The creator of the project says that more importantly, the monument offers a message to future generations of Chinese.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
The altar is a lesson that we are giving to our next generation. We hope that they not only inherit our great Chinese culture and tradition but also that they accept the advanced parts of Western culture. They shouldn't be too conservative or superstitious about foreign things. It would be horrible if they forgot the lessons learned by their forefathers. SUPER CAPTION: Zhu Xiangyuan, Creator of the China Century Monument
The monument features a 270-metre-long walkway engraved with events from Chinese history stretching all the way back to three-thousand B-C, when the country claims its history began.
Though not yet complete, the designer said the walkway will include both the highlights and the darker moments of Chinese history, like the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
While the monument looks to the past, the overall aim is to promote an optimistic view of China's future.
For many, this means China's return to prominence as a rich and strong international power.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
My biggest hope for the next century is that our country be more prosperous and powerful.
SUPERCAPTION: Feng Baoliang, Construction worker
An eternal flame is planned for the southern entrance to the 35-thousand square metre complex.
Called the Holy Fire of the Chinese Nation, the flame is meant to represent the estimated sixteen (b) billion Chinese who have lived since ancient times.
More than a marker of the millennium, the designer hopes the monument will inspire today's youth to recapture China's past glory.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
Chinese people have a lot of self-confidence and hope for the next century. We hope that our Chinese nation will be greatly rejuvenated during the next century.
SUPERCAPTION: Zhu Xiangyuan, Creator of the China Century Monument
Two thousand workers have been laboring around the clock to have the project ready for its official grand opening.
But there's no great hurry.
The ribbon-cutting is not scheduled for January first, but for February 5th - the first day of the Chinese lunar New Year.
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CYL-V-0110: Welcome To Beijing ! - 北京歡迎您 !
Forbidden City (北京故宫), Beihai Park (北海公園), Dingling (定陵), Tian´anmen Square (天安門廣場), Temple Of Heaven (天壇), The Great Wall Of Simatai (司馬台長城), Summer Palace (頤和園), Temple Of Earth (地壇), Lama Temple (雍和宫), Changling (長陵), Confucian Temple (孔廟), Ancient Observatory (古觀象台), Tanzhe Temple (潭柘寺), Prince Gong Mansion (恭王府), Lugou Bridge (盧溝橋), Cuandixia Village (爨底下村), Hutong (胡同), Quadrangle (四合院), Water Ways Of the Empress Dowager (慈禧水道), Ditan Temple Fair (地壇廟會), Ice Lanterns Of Longqingxia (龍慶峽冰燈), 198 Art District (798 藝術區), Old Summer Palace (圓和園), Jingshan Park (景山公園), Diaoyutai State Guesthouse (釣魚台國賓館), Zhongshan Park (中山公園), Guo Moruo Memorial Hall (郭沫若故居), Great Wall Of Badaling (八達嶺長城), Temple Of Azure Clouds (碧雲寺), Eastern Church (王府井教堂), Houhai (后海), Qianmen Street (前門商業街), Dongbianmen Gate Tower (東便門城樓), Chang´an Avenue (長安街), Deshengmen Gate Tower (德勝門城樓), Zhengyangmen Gate Tower (正陽門城樓), Military Museum (軍事博物館), Twins Mall (LG 雙子座購物中心), Shin Kong Place (新光天地), Intime Lotte (樂天銀泰百貨), Parkson Department Store (百盛購物中心), Zhongguancun Street (中關村商業街), Legendale Hotel (勵駿酒店), COFCO Plaza (中糧廣場), Sanlitun (三里屯), Place Of Beijing (世貿天階), Jianwai SOHO (建外SOHO), CBD (中央商務區), Qiansanmen Street (前三門大街), Tian´anmen Rostrum (天安門城樓), Xizhimennei Street (西直門内大街), Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站), Beijing Railway Station (北京火車站), Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站), SOHO Shangdu (SOHO 尚都購物中心), Sihui Overpass (四惠立交橋), SOHO New Town (SOHO 現代城), The National Grand Theatre (國家大劇院), The China Millennium Monument (中華世紀壇), The People´s Bank Of China (中國人民銀行), The Central Radio and Television Tower (中央廣播電視塔), National Stadium and Water Cube (鳥巢和水立方), Olympic Fireworks (噢運禮花)
China - Giant clock unveiled
T/I: 10:11:17
China unveiled a giant clock on Tuesday to show the world it is marking the seconds until it regains control over the Portuguese enclave of Macau in December 1999. The Macau timepiece, erected at the entrance to the Revolutionary History Museum on Tiananmen Square, takes the place of an identical clock that counted the seconds until the Hong Kong handover on July first of last year.
SHOWS:
BEIJING, CHINA 5/5
Middle shot of the top of Monument to the Heroes,
pull out, to a wide shot of the Monument,
Walk in and line up, left to right are: Xie Fei, Vice Chairman of the Macau Preparatory Committee, Qian Qichen, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee, and Jian Qin Ling, Mayor of Beijing, all standing in front of the red cloth covering the clock;
Vice Chairman of the Macau Preparatory Committee, Ma Wan Qi,
sot in Mandarin, Under the leadership of Jiang Zemin and the Central Government, we'll work together to achieve a great moment.;
Pull out of Committee members standing and watching the ceremony;
Medium shot of Qian Qichen, back to camera,
CU of two hands on buttons,
wide of countdown clock as the red cloth drops,
zoom in of the 594 days remaining on the Clock;
Camera looking upwards at members of the Preparatory Committee,
Stanley Ho standing in the middle with sunglasses on;
Stanley Ho in sot in English: Extremely smooth, that's what I'm going to think. I'm confident...in spite of all the violence. Its not going to last very long. I think that now that the government has taken action, everything will improve considerably.
[in response to question about criminality] Well, that's exactly what they're doing, let us see how they can succeed. In a few days we should know.;
Photographer, and a pull out of Stanley Ho walking towards the camera, CU Stanley Ho, sot in Mandarin, I'm very happy. I think the transfer must be very smooth. Under the one country two systems, the people control things themselves, the future must be very good. ;
Soldier watching limousines drive away,
soldiers marching past the Macau Countdown Clock.
2:46
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BeiJing Yuyuantan Park Sakura Opened in All Their Glory and Attract a Great Many Tourists
Located in Haidian District, Yuyuantan Park, also named Jade Lake Park, is easily accessible, with the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse to its eastern gate, China Central Radio and Television Tower to its west, Navy General Hospital to its north and China Millennium Monument to its south. With 1,820 meters (1.13 miles) wide from west to east and 1,106 meters (0.69 miles) long from north to south, it covers an area of 136.69 hectares and the water surface spans an area of 61 hectares.
Official Trailer of China Giant Panda International Culture Week
China Giant Panda International Culture Week is a worldwide celebration of the Giant Panda and it stands for: a global cultural icon of China which embodies its core values of peace, development and mutually beneficial relationship to the world. China's admired achievements in Giant Panda conservation and research are celebrated with the launch of 'China Giant Panda International Culture Week' on August 23, as a biennial international celebration of China's 50 years of conservation efforts saving the icon of vulnerable species from extinction.
The Panda Week Exhibition is open to the public from August 23 to August 26 at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing (free of charge) from 8am to 9pm.
China Ethnic Culture Park (China Nationalities Museum) - Beijing - China (12 last)
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New Year Countdown in Beijing
New Year Countdown at Beijing Imperial Ancestral Temple, located just next to the Forbidden City in the heart of the capital city.
Unlike previous New Year's Eves, the Beijing authorities have reportedly cancelled the traditional light shows in both the China Millennium Monument as well as a large shopping mall called The Place due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, Shanghai has also cancelled its traditional countdown event at the Bund due to a fatal stampede on the New Year's Eve in 2014.
Military Museum of Chinese People's Revolution - Beijing - China (1)
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China Ethnic Culture Park (China Nationalities Museum) - Beijing - China (1)
Date Taken: 09.26.2014 - 109 -
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Ceremonies in Beijing and Great Wall marking one year to games
AP Entertainment
Beijing - 8 August, 2007
1. Wide of Tiananmen Square
2. Police car drives by fence
3. Wide of stages set up for performances
4. People looking at square from behind fence
5. Mid of soldier manning fence
6. Chinese flag held by soldier
7. Various of people doing Tai Chi holding fans
8. Various of man leading people in practicing Tai Chi
9. Various of people dressed in green T-shirts chanting
10. Various of high school band marching and playing
11. Spinning umbrella lifted to show majorette
12. Woman stepping over spinning toy
13. Man twirling pole around his body
14. Close up of belly dancers performing
15. Wide of belly dancers performing
16. Tilt down from dancers' faces to feet going up and down through posts
17. Various of dance
AP Entertainment
Juyongguan, (50 Kilometres northwest of Beijing) - 8 August 2007
32. Pan down musicians on Great Wall
33. Girls playing zithers (musical instrument)
34. Close up of girl playing the zither
35. Various of musicians
36. Wide of musicians on the great wall
37. Wide of woman playing zither
38. Twins playing zithers
39. Close of one of twin girls
40. Another set of twins playing with wall rising up in background
BEIJING CELEBRATES ONE YEAR COUNTDOWN TO 2008 OLYMPICS
Beijing began celebrating the official countdown to hosting the 2008 Olympics on Wednesday with festivities across the city.
Sprawling Tiananmen Square will be the centre of the celebrations marking a year before the games begin.
Security was tight around the Square, as preparations got underway for the gala event.
Dancing, music and varied performances were part of the programme at the Millennium Monument in central Beijing.
There were 27 different programmes to commemorate the date throughout Beijing.
It was all to culminate in a gala event on Tiananmen Square on Wednesday evening.
The magic moment was to come at 8:08:08 pm - marking exactly one year until the opening ceremony on 8 August 2008.
Eight is a lucky number in China, and everything seems on schedule for Beijing to host the most eagerly awaited and most expensive Olympics in history.
Beijing's new anthem, the just-released pop song We're Ready, was to be part of a grandiose two-hour ceremony played out on a temporary stage built under banks of lights.
As part of the celebrations spread across the greater Beijing area, 1000 musicians from 16 provinces gathered at the Juyongguan area of the wall, playing traditional instruments like zithers, lutes and two-stringed Chinese fiddles.
The original wall was begun more than 2000 years ago, but most of what still stands was rebuilt by the Ming dynasty 500 to 700 years ago.
It extends more than 6000 kilometres across northern China.
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Interactive exhibits draw fans to Beijing Film Carnival
The Film Carnival is among the key attractions during the 4th Beijing International Film Festival. The event kicked off on Wednesday at the city's China Millennium Monument.
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