Legacies of 2024: Antarctica, Adora Magic, the moon and the Monkey King
Looking back on 2024, it wasn't a particularly stellar year for mankind. Regional wars, precarious global economics and the threat of climate change still hang over us.
But why end the year with a frown? Rather, we should take heart from the many upbeat things that awed, inspired and entertained us in 2024. Remember the solar eclipse that awed millions of people in April, though sadly it didn't appear over China? Remember the exciting Summer Olympics in Paris? Remember all the new technologies that amazed us and are redefining how we live?
This is Shanghai Daily's list of 10 events that define China in 2024.
Visa-free visits
Just two years ago, when tourism was flagging in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, China introduced a new policy of two-week, visa-free stays for tourists from 54 countries. This month, visa-free entry for transit tourists was increased from 72 hours to 10 days.
According to China's global travel service provider Trip.com, inbound tourism more than doubled this year from 2023.
It is now quite common to see foreign tourists livestreaming or recording videos of their trips in China. One of them on YouTube, named "Osada" from Japan, uploaded two long videos about his trips to Shanghai and Beijing. They also showed fellow Japanese travelers how to use Alipay, WeChat and Gaode Maps to take subways and make purchases.
Lan He, a tour guide in Guangdong Province who once thought of quitting because of slow business, said she's now inundated with requests for her services.
"I initially was just a part-time guide, but now it's my full-time job," she said.
Relaxation of visa policies has resulted in more foreigners visiting China.
Paris Olympics 2024
The Olympics are not just about gold medal tallies but also about sportsmanship and friendship.
The Summer Games in Paris this year were no exception. Zheng Qinwen from Hubei Province became the first Asian to win the women's singles tennis crown. She has been nicknamed "Queen Wen" by fans.
"Before this victory, I wanted to be modest and not accept this nickname openly," the 22-year-old said. "Now, I cannot agree more with this moniker because we all know the value of this championship."
Badminton player He Bingjiao will be remembered for a pin and a gesture of kindness. After Spain's Carolina Marin, who won gold at the Rio games but missed the Tokyo Games due to injury, was forced by a knee injury to drop out of the badminton women's singles semifinal against He, the Chinese player carried a pin with the Spanish Olympic Committee logo to the victors' podium and held it up for the cameras to honor Marin.
The Chinese team on the victory podium after the men's 4x100m swimming medley relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They won the gold medal and created history.
Property market stimulus
The sluggish housing market showed signs of a rebound after a new round of stimulation policies were announced this year.
The People's Bank of China and other authorities lowered down payment thresholds for purchases of first or second homes, and incentive policies were initiated to reduce the tax burden on home buyers.
Major cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen relaxed home purchase and loan restriction policies, making more home buyers eligible.
The policies are working. The National Bureau of Statistics reported an overall 5.7 percent decline in home prices in 70 cities in November, though prices in Shanghai rose by a modest 5 percent.
Favorable home purchase policies led to a decline in property prices in 70 cities around the country.
The 25th anniversary of Macau's return to China
Celebrations marked the 25th anniversary of Macau's return to China after 446 years of Portuguese rule.
In the last quarter century, Macau has thrived. In the 2024 global rankings of the richest countries and regions published by "Forbes" magazine, Macau ranked second only to Luxembourg. Unemployment declined from 6.3 percent in 1999 to 2.7 percent last year, and the average life expectancy of Macau residents increased from 77.9 years to 83.1 years.
Macau has diversified from a gambling mecca to a city of many tourist attractions that fuse Chinese and Western cultures. The ruins of St Paul's Cathedral and A Ma Temple are popular venues. The cuisine of the city is rich with Portuguese and Cantonese delicacies. As night falls, the skywalk at Macau Tower or the sea breezes on Taipa Island are unmissable experiences.
Even for those not interested in slot machines, the dazzling Venetian Resort or Hotel Lisboa are venues for unforgettable stays.
Twenty-five years after returning to China, Macau has become a comprehensive tourist city that can offer much more than gambling.
Adora Magic City: a city on the sea
China's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, is a tourist extravaganza, with its theaters, specialty restaurants, shopping plazas, art corridors, water parks, basketball courts, chess rooms and karaoke lounges.
On January 1, the cruise ship's inaugural voyage visited ports in South Korea and Japan on a seven-day trip. It has completed 84 journeys with 300,000 inbound and outbound visits in the first year of its commercial operation, according to China Central Television.
The ship was built in collaboration with the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, with murals and decorative art that revisit spectacular scenes of the ancient Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road.
Sixteen replicas of Dunhuang murals are displayed in the art gallery on the fourth floor of the vessel. In tandem with the Dunhuang Research Institute, lectures on the ancient Buddhist grottoes were held during the maiden voyage.
The Adora Magic City, China's first domestically built cruise ship, offers a wide array of seagoing experiences.
'Black Myth: Wukong' fever
One of the most iconic cultural images of China, the Monkey King never gets old. And this year he became a global sensation.
Since its official release in August, "Black Myth: Wukong" has swiftly risen to become a hot topic in the gaming world. Sales surpassed 10 million copies within three days, breaking Chinese gaming records.
Gaming industry data analysis platform "Video Game Insights" reported that the game has sold over 22 million copies on Steam, generating over US$1.1 billion in revenue. Even at Shanghai Daily, several staffers asked for a leave to play the game on the day of its launch.
With its exceptional quality and profound cultural heritage, "Black Myth: Wukong" has garnered numerous domestic and international accolades, including The Game Awards' "Best Action Game" and "Player's Voice Award," and NYX's "Best Game of the Year Award."
The game of heroes, magic and heavenly wars introduced global players to ancient Chinese myths. On Reddit, an online community where most gamers gather, various posts discussed the rich lore of the Monkey King throughout centuries.
The Monkey King from "Black Myth: Wukong" became one of the most popular gaming figures globally in 2024.
Exploring Antarctica
In February, China's new Qinling Station in Antarctica went into operation on Inexpressible Island in the Ross Sea, the closest sea area to the South Pole and an ideal location for polar scientific research. Construction of the station on the frozen continent involved a decade of challenges.
It is China's fifth Antarctic base and the third capable of operating 12 months a year. The facility building can accommodate around 80 scientists and support personnel.
The new research station extends China's scientific activities up to 500 kilometers by means of helicopters and snowmobiles.
The station will enhance polar studies in an array of fields. Geologic studies may advance an understanding of Earth's evolutionary history and plate tectonic movements. Climate scientists will monitor changes in temperature, precipitation and sea ice crucial for predicting climate change trends. Biological studies will explore Antarctica's biodiversity and ecosystems.
Wan Shang, who was responsible for excavator operations in the last stage of construction, stayed at the site 85 days, recording his observation in a daily diary.
"The diary is for my little girl," he said before leaving. "I hope from my writing that she will fall in love with Antarctica as I have."
The Qinling Station opens a new gate for Antarctic exploration.
The dark side of the moon
The unknown dark side of the moon remained the stuff of fantasies and even horror movies until China this year launched its Chang'e-6 spacecraft to collect and return samples from the moon's mysterious far side. It was the first lunar exploration of its kind in history.
"Collecting and returning samples from the far side of the moon is an unprecedented feat," said Wu Weiren, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of China's lunar exploration program. "Now we know very little about the moon's far side. If the Chang'e-6 mission achieves its goal, it will provide scientists with the first direct evidence to understand the environment and material composition of the far side of the moon, which is of great significance."
On June 25, the lunar probe returned to Earth with about 1,935 grams of lunar samples.
And now, half a year on, the rock samples indicate an unexpected resurgence in the moon's magnetic field strength 2.8 billion years ago, which challenges previous findings from the US Apollo mission, which suggested that the moon's magnetic field declined about 3.1 billion years ago and has remained in a low-energy state since then.
Researcher Cai Shuhui from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the Earth has a "magnetic field generator." The movement of the conductive fluid in the Earth's liquid outer core acts like a "generator" that generates a magnetic field enveloping the Earth like a protective shield.
Studies of the ancient magnetic field strength based on samples returned by the US Apollo mission indicate that the Moon had a relatively active "generator" that ultimately ceased to function completely at some point one billion years ago.
The question for the future remains: Will the "generator" remain in a low-energy state?
The first-ever lunar soil samples collected from the far side of the moon by the Chang'e-6 probe were unveiled at the 15th China International Aerospace Exposition in November.
Driving toward a greener future
In November, Dongfeng Motor marque Voyah unveiled its new all-electric sport utility vehicle called Zhihin (Courage), which will be available in overseas markets.
The latest chapter of China's green auto industry comes as the nation's annual production of new energy vehicles surpassed 10 million units for the first time. That's a surge from 13,000 in 2012 and 1.1 million six years ago.
What caused the acceleration?
Favorable government policies and consumer enthusiasm for non-polluting motoring have been key stimuli. In the first 10 months of this year, new energy vehicle sales in China rose 34 percent from a year earlier to 9.8 million units. The proportion of electric vehicle sales has surpassed internal combustion cars for four consecutive months.
Rapid development of new technologies is another significant factor, with breakthroughs in batteries, motors and in-vehicle systems.
Take power batteries for example. The Contemporary Amperex Technology Co recently launched the Xiaoyao extended-range hybrid battery, with a driving range exceeding 400 kilometers and another 280 kilometers in just 10 minutes of charging. Furthermore, the battery also performs well in environments of minus 40 degrees Celsius.
In 2024, China's annual production of new energy vehicles surpassed the 10 million milestone for the first time.
Rapidly running 'unicorns'
China has now 32 "unicorns," ranking first among the 500 in the world.
A "unicorn" is a privately held startup valued at US$1 billion or more. Newly added Chinese companies span industries such as advanced manufacturing and automotive technology.
The combined valuation of the top 500 unicorn companies worldwide this year neared 30 trillion yuan (US$4.11 trillion), with China and the United States accounting for nearly 75 percent. Among them, there are four super "unicorns:" China's ByteDance and Ant Group, and SpaceX and OpenAI from the United States.
Just as unicorns are defined as unique, these companies are unique for pioneering innovations that represent the future of new technologies. They go beyond conventional markets to create new solutions.
"Tapping the best talent and deepening links with science are our secrets to becoming unicorns," said Jia Yang, deputy general manager Goertek Microelectronics Inc, a newly listed top unicorn company. "Developing new semiconductor and sensor products is our only target in the future."
Unicorn companies sit at the vanguard of technology development, and China is a leader in defining the future.
