Nuclear industry digitalization is advancing at full speed and has come to fruition again! On October 8, local time, the World Economic Forum announced on its official website the latest list of "Lighthouse Factory" enterprises. Among these, Sanmen Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Power Company (CNNP, stock code: 601985), stood out from thousands of candidate factories worldwide, becoming the first selected enterprise both in both the global nuclear power industry, and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to receive this honor.

The title of "Lighthouse Factory" is awarded to the world's top performers in "Industry 4.0 technology application" and "digital manufacturing," regarded as leaders of the fourth industrial revolution through rigorous evaluation. It represents the pinnacle of high technology, strong innovation capability, high productivity, good economic benefits, and green and low-carbon development, reflecting the highest level of intelligent manufacturing and digital technology. Lighthouse factories are characterized by a high degree of automation, data-driven decision-making, and rapid adoption of emerging technologies to optimize production processes, reduce costs, and improve output quality. The successful award of "Lighthouse Factory" means that Sanmen Nuclear Power has integrated the cutting-edge technologies of the fourth industrial revolution to R&D, production, management, and service.

The CNNC leaders have attached great importance to digital transformation over the years, as a key strategy to improve core competitiveness and build a world-leading nuclear industry corporation, thus contributing to China's position as a global leader in nuclear energy. This vision is being pursued by closely following the application of advanced digital technologies, recruiting and maintaining digital professionals, and exploring innovative digital transformation models. Under the overall coordination of the CNNC, CNNP aims to create a "fully perceptive and intelligently operated" digital nuclear power plant, establish a business, data and industrial chain covering the whole life cycle of nuclear power and promoting the transformation and upgrading of the digital nuclear power industry ecosystem. By concentrating on the design of core business scenarios, end-to-end integration of key processes, and the strategic coordination of cross-domain data, CNNP seeks to continuously optimize production, operation, and management models, ensuring both operational excellence and superior management practices in the global nuclear power industry.

Located in Sanmen county, Zhejiang Province, the Sanmen Nuclear Power project plans to build six third-generation nuclear power units with a capacity of 1 million kW. Phase I of unit 1 and 2 has been completed for commercial operation, Phase II of unit 3 and 4 is under construction, and Phase III of unit 5 and 6 is under preparation. After the completion of all 6 units, the total installed capacity will be over 7 million kW, and the annual power generation capacity can reach up to 60 billion kWh, equivalent to an annual emission reduction of 45 million tons of carbon dioxide. The Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant is an important force to assist the local Zhejiang Province in building a demonstrative province of clean energy, and guarantee national energy security and the achievement of carbon neutrality.

Scientific and technological innovation is an inevitable choice for Sanmen Nuclear Power Company to cultivate high quality development. Relying on the construction, operation and maintenance of the world's first third-generation nuclear power unit, the company has taken CNNP's top-level planning of digital transformation as a guide and committed to scientific and technological innovation to optimize various business processes through digitalization, improving production efficiency and management effectiveness. In order to promote the overall development of digital intelligence in the nuclear power plants, various methods have been applied, including data driven decision-making to achieve accurate management and operation, introduction of advanced technology and application of advanced digital solutions to build a smart power plant, the creation of a solid foundation for cyber security, the cultivation of digital culture, and industry innovation. Meanwhile, pursuing the goals of "intelligent engineering, intelligent operation, intelligent maintenance, intelligent equipment, intelligent management and intelligent plant," the company will lead the establishment of digital intelligence through new technologies such as big data, intelligent robots and virtual reality. This will also ensure the high safety, reliability and economic performance of the power plant as well as a continuous optimization of such indicators as capacity factor, overhaul duration, overall labor productivity and cost per unit of electricity. In turn, this will promote the overall development of the domestic nuclear power industry.

Looking to the future, Sanmen Nuclear Power Company remains committed to its responsibilities and missions, carrying forward the spirit of the nuclear industry, while fostering high quality development. The company will actively expand the application of digitalization in nuclear power design, manufacturing, construction, operation and other scenarios, vigorously push forward the research and development of key core technologies, and establish and improve a modern governance system suited to the demands of digitalization transformation, to further empowering the industry. The company will make every effort to build a nuclear power base integrating two different kinds of third-generation units and turning the plant into a "Charming Nuclear Power, Energetic Sanmen" site, facilitating the implementation of nuclear energy's "three-step" strategy, and making greater contributions to the construction of Chinese modernization.

Tourists experience smart sightseeing boats at Tianjin Water Park on October 7, 2024. The first fleet of 15 smart boats has been put into use at the park, equipped with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, 5G networking, intelligent driving and other cutting-edge technologies. Photo: VCG

Wu Bangguo, former chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, died of illness at the age of 84 in Beijing at 4:36 a.m. Tuesday, an official statement said.

"Hanlu" or Cold Dew, the fifth solar term in autumn, marks a significant shift in the season. Falling on Tuesday, October 8 this year, it is the seventeenth in the twenty-four solar terms. This period stands as the turning point between cool and cold, and heralds the approach of winter.

During Cold Dew, temperatures drop far below the earlier White Dew, and surface dew starts condensing to frost, a harbinger of winter's impending arrival. During this period, Northeast China enters late autumn, while the Northwest ushers winter in. 

Snow begins to fall on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in the Northeast and in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; meanwhile, daytime temperatures in South China gradually fall below 20 C and rarely exceed 30 C along the Yangtze River. 

Ancient Chinese divided the 15 days of Cold Dew into three pentads. The first pentad welcomes the arrival of the geese that completed their migration in summer. The second pentad reflects the belief that sparrows transform into clams due to their similar stripes and colors. In the third pentad, yellow chrysanthemums bloom, and indeed the period of Cold Dew coincides with the ninth month of the lunar calendar, which is also known as the month of chrysanthemum. 

Besides appreciating the beautiful flowers, during the cold days of Hanlu, people also enjoy drinking chrysanthemum tea and tasting chrysanthemum wine. 

Cold Dew is a perfect time for hikes and enjoying the seasonal landscapes from the mountain peaks. Additionally, viewing colorful maple leaves is a popular pastime during this season. 

This season also draws tourists to enjoy the vibrant autumn foliage, sip on chrysanthemum wine and taste flower cakes, all elements that are synonymous with the season. 

Meanwhile, Cold Dew is a great time for fishing. Because the temperature drops so fast, sunlight cannot reach the deep waters, a natural occurrence that leads the fish swim toward shallower areas where the water temperature is still relatively high, making fishing easier. 

Another seasonal tradition is drinking autumn tea, which is made from the tea leaves picked in the first three days and last four days of Cold Dew.

Beyond the pleasures of the fall, as the weather cools and the air becomes dry, people often experience dry throats and noses. To combat these effects, it's important to adjust one's diet to prevent dryness.

Cold Dew, with its cooler temperatures, vibrant foliage, and rich traditions, not only marks the seasonal transition from autumn to winter but also invites people to enjoy the beauty of nature and embrace cultural customs that nourish both the body and spirit.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, performed a sold-out show in Haikou, South ­China's Hainan Province, on Sunday. Just one day later, an encore performance set for September 21 was announced by the Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports of Haikou City, extending the festivities. 

Prior to the show, Ye met with fans in Haikou restaurants. Before the show, he also shared on social media a childhood photo of himself in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, with the caption: "BACK."

A 24-year-old Singaporean fan named Alex told the Global Times that he was surprised by "how good the overall effects of the show" were since he knew that the show had almost been canceled due to Typhoon Yagi.

He noted that the young "globally connected and open-minded" Chinese fans that he met made him want to visit China again and make some friends.

On the stage, Ye interacted with Chinese fans saying "I Love Haikou." Ye once lived in China at the age of 10. His mother was an English professor and worked as a visiting scholar at the Nanjing University in 1987.

Besides Ye, pop icon Mariah Carey, called "Niujie" (Awesome Sister) in China, also finished her two-day show The Celebration of Mimi in Beijing on Monday.

Carey journeyed to the Great Wall during her visit - and featuring her own style, she did it while wearing heels. Dressed in a chic black dress, black shades, immaculate makeup, and a blow-dried ponytail, she shared a picture of the hike on her X page. 

"At the Great Wall of China!" she wrote. "Someone should've warned me about heels (not that I would've listened)."

Many netizens reported running into Ye in Haikou, while others spotted ­Carey, in high heels, during her climb up the Great Wall in Beijing.

Since the introduction of the 144-hour visa-free policy, the topic of "China Travel" has been trending. 

"The 144-hour visa-free policy has not only attracted international tourists to come over to China but also encouraged international icons to consider performing here," Bruce Xu, a researcher and student mentor in the field of international relations at a US university, told the Global Times.

Xu said that the booming tourism market and increasing global appeal have significantly attracted international performers to perform and travel in ­China at the same time.

"The growing interest in China as both a tourist and entertainment hub has created unique opportunities for global artists to connect with local audiences and explore the country's diverse attractions. For many artists and performers, this presents a chance to expand their reach and tap into one of the world's largest and most dynamic markets," he noted.

Kathryn, a Mariah Carey fan from Shanghai, told the Global Times that she saw many foreign tourists attending the show. 

"I saw four foreign fans just seated in a row in front of me, and many audiences members from different places went to visit Beijing while enjoy the show. I personally went to the Temple of Heaven with some of these fans," Kathryn told the Global Times.

China's Zheng Qinwen will kick off her China Open campaign with a clash against a qualifier in the second round, according to the tournament's women's singles draw held on Monday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, China's men's singles players made history in domestic ATP tournaments, as the hosts of events are expected to fuel a wave of tennis enthusiasm across the country around the National Day holidays.

At the 2024 ATP Hangzhou Open in East China's Zhejiang Province, Zhang Zhizhen defeated compatriot Bu Yunchaokete 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Monday night in a historic first-ever all-Chinese semifinal at an ATP Tour event. Zhang will take on Croatian veteran Marin Cilic on Tuesday in the finals.

At the Chengdu Open in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, rising star Shang Juncheng booked a final spot by defeating Yannick Hanfmann of Germany in straight sets.

Bu secured his berth with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, achieving his first ATP semifinal. 

As China's top-ranked male ­player at world No.43, Zhang won his quarterfinal match against Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. 

This historic moment highlights the rapid rise of Chinese men's tennis, with Zhang, Bu and Shang all included in the ATP top 100 in the same week, a new milestone for Chinese men's tennis. 

Competing on home courts might have given the Chinese players extra motivation, Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Monday. 

As more promising Chinese talents make their mark at international events, this is sure to inspire a new generation of young players and increase participation in tennis across the country, he said. 

As the Olympic gold medalist is now the fifth seed in the China Open following the withdrawal of Iga ­Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, Zheng enjoyed a first-round bye and is expected to go further than her first-round exit in 2023. 

She is placed in the same half of the draw as Aryna Sabalenka, who edged her to win the Australian Open in January. 

The 21-year-old aims to secure maximum points to qualify for the WTA Finals scheduled to take place on November 2 to 9, when the world's top eight singles players and doubles pairs will fight for the ­year-end ­championship in Saudi Arabia. 

Taking place in Beijing from Wednesday to October 6, the China Open awarded eight women's singles wildcards to Chinese players, emphasizing the emergence of a new cadre of local talent. 

This year's tournament featured the largest number of Chinese players ever to compete in the singles, reflecting the country's rapid rise in the global tennis scene. 

Notably, a cross-Straits pair will once again feature in the women's doubles. 

Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei, who won the French Open and reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2023, will continue their strong ­partnership after receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw. 

Wang will also compete in the singles event at the China Open.

Their victory at Roland Garros marked Hsieh's fifth Grand Slam doubles title, showcasing their ­complementary styles, with Wang excelling from the baseline and Hsieh adding her tactical finesse. 

Wang admitted that winning the Olympic mixed doubles silver medal helped more fans learn about her and brought them closer to the sport of tennis. 

She will face a tough challenge from US player Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the China Open.

"Every time I come to the China Open, I can feel the fans' passion," she told ­reporters on Monday.

At the Paris Olympics, Wang teamed up with Zhang Zhizhen at the last minute and eventually won the silver medal in mixed doubles. Wang described her Olympic experience as "dreamlike."

"I had already competed in the women's singles and doubles and thought my matches were over, but then came this unexpected joy. I'm very proud to have won an Olympic medal," Wang told reporters.

"It was my first time partnering with Zhang. We weren't familiar with each other before, but we ended up working well together. He's a very thoughtful player." 

Wang said she hopes to improve her level and world ranking by competing in high-level tournaments. 

"I've played in many big tournaments this year, including the Olympics, WTA 1000 events, and Grand Slam tournaments. Having so many opportunities to compete against top players is a great way to improve," she said.

China's 2024 National Day holidays box office, including previews and presales, exceeded 800 million yuan ($113.98 million) as of 14:48 on Wednesday, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. War epic The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, science fiction adventure Bureau 749, and an action crime film Tiger Wolf Rabbit are leading the box office.

On the first day of the holidays, running from October 1 to 7, box office earnings reached 494 million yuan, marking the second time it has surpassed the 400-million mark on single day ever since May 1. It now ranks 4th in National Day holidays box office history, surpassing the 430 million yuan total from 2023, according to a report of China's state broadcaster CCTV. 

A total of 464,000 screenings were held nationwide on Tuesday with 11.46 million viewers, setting a new record for National Day holiday screenings in Chinese film history.

"The rich selection of films and the audience's enthusiasm have driven this year's National Day box office success," Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Throughout the holidays, a selection of movies will be screened, featuring genres such as fantasy, action, animation, and patriotic films. 

"Mainstream films undoubtedly play a significant role in the National Day holidays season," said Sun, who believes the market performance of the historical war film The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death tells everything. 

Three days after its premiere on Monday, The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, the second installment of Chinese renowned director Chen Kaige's “Volunteers” trilogy, was still holding onto top spot. 

Set during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), the film combines epic war scenes with intricate character portrayals, highlighting the bravery and sacrifice of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army, and their steadfast commitment to peace in the face of adversity.

According to the audience feedback, the second installment offers a clearer narrative and more coherent story compared with the first, along with more nuanced and emotionally resonant character depictions.

The strong performance of China's film market also increased film insiders' confidence and the audiences' as well, Sun added.

A new book compiled by veteran photo editor Li Jian offers readers a vivid look into the founding year of the People's Republic of China (PRC) through more than 300 rare photographs.   

Released on the 75th anniversary of the PRC's establishment, the book features 40 accompanying stories that provide context to the images, spanning national, social, and personal perspectives.

The collection captures significant historical moments and milestones, as well as iconic scenes that showcase the era's atmosphere. From major events to everyday life, the images reflect the sweeping changes of the time and offer insight into the evolving spirit of the Chinese people.

These images outline the grand narrative of social transformation surrounding the birth of the PRC in 1949, offering a panoramic view of the changes in the spirit and lives of the Chinese people across different regions, social classes, and groups. 

Editor's note:

In his 2024 New Year message delivered on December 31, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that “We have gone through the test of winds and rains, have seen beautiful scenes unfolding on the way, and have made plenty real achievements.” This year, we have marched forward with solid steps, we have marched forward with robust steps, we have marched forward in high spirits, we have marched forward with great confidence.

October 1, 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. As we look back at the past 75 years, the remarks in Xi’s New Year message aptly summed up how the country, under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), marched forward with resolve, tenacity and confidence, and made unparalleled achievements in economic and social development and in overall comprehensive national strength.

To encapsulate such an extraordinary feat, the Global Times publishes this special edition, with in-depth analysis, vivid stories and opinions from foreign experts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday addressed a ceremony held to award the highest state honors ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Before his speech, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presented the Medal of the Republic, the Friendship Medal, and medals of national honorary titles at the Great Hall of the People.