Reception held for overseas Chinese, compatriots

Vice President Zeng Qinghong hosted a National Day reception Wednesday, Sept. 29, at the Great Hall of the People to receive over 3,000 overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Present at the reception were Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Vice Premier Huang Ju.

"Feast of cultural relics" opens in Guangzhou

A visitor is viewing a Singer figure of the Han Dynasty on Sept 29 in Guangzhou. To enrich the spiritual life of the Guangzhou residents during the National Day holiday, the pan Pearl River Delta Cultural Relics Exhibition and Chu cultural relics exhibition of Hubei Province are held in the city. 24 museums in that region provide 282 pieces/sets of relics for the exhititions. Five pieces of them are national treasures.

Chinese Embassy holds reception for National Day in Tel Aviv

Israeli President Moshe Katsav (L) tastes a piece of Chinese moon cake at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv Sept. 28, 2004. Chinese Embassy held a reception on Tuesday to celebrate China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and the coming 55th National Day of the People's Republic of China which falls on Oct. 1.

Friendship Award presented to foreign experts

Hui Liangyu (R), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and China's Vice Premier granted the Friendship Award to foreign expert at a ceremony on Sept 29. Eighty four foreign experts won the award for their contributions to China's economic and social development. Hui Liangyu addressed the meeting on behalf of the Chinese government.

Tibet,one of the best travel destinations

A tourist enjoys the beautiful scenery while playing balls close to the Namu Lake in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Sept. 29, 2004. Famous for its gorgeous scenery and primitive folk flavor, Tibet has become one of the best travelling cities.

Auto expo opens in Kunming

The photo taken on Sept. 29, 2004 shows a Chevrolet sedan at the International Auto Expo in Kunming, capital of southwest China¡¯s Yunnan Province. Over 120 automobiles of more than 30 manufactures, including Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini etc. are displayed in the six-day exhibition opened in Kunming Sept. 28.

Contruction of the National Grand Theater in progress

Photo dated Aug. 31, 2004 shows the Grand National Theatre with the outside glass wall completed in Beijing. The steel structure has now completed, while the inside decorations and the stage equipments are still under construction. The construction, which started on Dec. 13, 2001, is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2005.

Cities around China decorated for the National Day

People surround the huge dragon-shaped lighting work during a large coloured light show in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 29, 2004. Cities around China have delicately decorated as the National Day is coming on Oct. 1.

President Hu pledges to modernize, standardize army

Hu Jintao, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivers a speech while observing a presentation of a military commanding information system and speaking with delegates to a meeting about the buildup of commanding headquarters of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, Sept. 29, 2004. Also present were CMC vice chairmen Guo Boxiong, Cao Gangchuan and Xu Caihou, and other CMC members Liang Guanglie, Li Jinai, Liao Xilong, Chen Bingde, Qiao Qingchen, Zhang Dingfa, and Jing Zhiyuan.

British hostage pleads for release

British hostage Kenneth Bigley appeared in a video tape aired on Wednesday, pleading with Prime Minister Tony Blair to meet the demands of his captors and release women prisoners in Iraq. Kenneth Bigley, captured on Sept. 16 in Baghdad, was shown on Arab TV channel al-Jazeera crouching behind bars wearing an orangejumpsuit.