PAF rehearsal in China's Zhuhai

"Patrouille de France" (PAF), the famous aerobatics team of the French Air Force, presents a rehearsal show at the Zhuhai airport in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 23, 2004. Zhuhai is the fourth stop the PAF aerobatics team's China tour, the squad will perform 28 different acts and ten different flight formation during their formal show on Oct. 24.

Bullfight performance in Shanghai

Spanish matador Alban executes a pass during a bullfight performance in Shanghai, 23 October 2004. The bullfight of Spain is the first of its kind to be held in China.

Autumn view of euphrates poplar

This photo taken on Oct. 22, 2004 shows the autumn view of the euphrates poplar grown in the Tarim river great nature park in Luntai County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In this October, many tourists and photographers were attracted here by the beautiful autumn view of the euphrates poplar. The euphrates poplar forest grown in the Tarim Basin accounts for 89.1 percent of the total area of euphrates poplar in China and it is the largest one in the world too.

Minorities balladry in China's Nanning

Performers from the Guangxi team stage their first-prize-winning entry at the 2nd Balladry-Singing and Story-Telling Exhibition of Ethnic Minorities in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 21, 2004. A total of 49 programs offered by teams from 13 municipalities, provinces and autonomous regions attended this exhibition, which was run between Oct. 19 and Oct. 21.

Double Ninth Festival

With a bunch of flowers in hand, 102-year-old woman Ms. Liuhanshi celebrates the holiday with children and dozens of aged people on the Double Ninth Festival (the 9th day of the 9th lunar month) that falls on Oct. 22 this year in a community recreation room for the aged people in Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Oct. 22, 2004. The Double Ninth Festival aslo named Festival for the Elderly.

Int'l architecture exhibition in Dalian

A work called "Actual Architecture" designed by a French architect is shown in the sub-exhibition of the Dual-year Exhibition of International Architectural Art China held in Dalian, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Oct. 22, 2004. The Sub-exhibition is a part of the main exhibition held in Beijing in September. The exhibition, i.e. the Dalian International Exposition for Digital City, Model Design and Architectural Technology opened in Xinhai Conference and Exhibition Center in Dalian. Over 100 concerning industries have joined the event.

Thread-bound "Si Ku Quan Shu"

A staff member of the Palace Museum impresses the seal "Wenyuange Bao (treasure of Wenyuan Pavilion)" on the center of the head page on one book of the seven special collection edition of "Si Ku Quan Shu (Encyclopedia Sinica)" in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 22, 2004. The impression ceremony for the thread-bound "Si Ku Quan Shu" was held in the Palace Museum in Beijing on Friday. It was the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China to impress publications with the original seals of Emperor Qianlong(1711-1799). The Encyclopedia Sinica was a large series of books compiled by hand by scholars under the auspices of the Qing government during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

Dianchi Lake water quality approved

The photo taken on July 7, 2004 shows fishers catching fish in Dianchi Lake, a well-known plateau lake in southwest China's Yunnan Province. According to the report from Kunming Environmental Inspection Center, in the third season, the water quality of Dianchi Lake has been improved obviously compared with that in the corresponding period of last year. The transparency of the water has risen 11.4 percent.

Chinese ambassador to Iraq arrives

Chinese new Ambassador to Iraq Yang Honglin (2nd R) arrives in Baghdad, capital of Iraq Oct. 22, 2004. Yang is the first Chinese ambassador to Iraq after the US-led war on Iraq was over in May 2003.

China's economy grows 9.5 percent in first nine months

File photo shows customers choose fruit in a super market in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. China's economy grew by 9.5 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of this year, 0.6 percentage points higher than the same period of last year, Spokesman Zheng Jingping for the National Bureau of Statistics announced in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2004.

China tests home-made maglev train

The China-made test maglev train made its debut in Dalian, north China port city on Friday, October 22, the first of its kind completely designed and made by China itself. The train, named "Zhonghua No. 1," is a low-speed train with 32 seats specially made for urban traffic.