New safety test and assessment for national grand theatre

A worker walks past the national grand theatre in the center of Beijing in this July 29, 2004 file photo. The theatre, designed by French architect Paul Andreu who also designed the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris, will likely have to undergo another safety test and assessment, following the conclusion that the collapse of the airport's terminal roof was caused by design fault. The theatre will have a floor space of 200,000 square meters and is estimated to cost 2.688 billion yuan. (Xinhua)

Dragon dance performance

A dragon dance team gives performance in Hexi District, Tianjin, Feb. 17, 2005. The Tianjin Folk Culture Tourism Temple Fair opened Thursday, attracting a lot of visitors.

China offers assistance gratis to Afghanistan

Chinese ambassador Liu Jian (L, Front) shakes hands with Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah after signing a framework agreement of offering 15 million US dollars' assistance gratis to Afghanistan in Kabul Feb. 17, 2005.

Brazilians protest against US' stand on the Kyoto Protocol

Members of the Brazilian Green Peace organization hold a demonstration in front of the United States Consulate General in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 16, 2005. The banner in Portuguese means "I do not carry out Kyoto Protocol". The organization held the demonstration to protest against US refusal to implement the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at curbing global warming.

Temperature reaches 37 degrees centigrade in Hainan

Tourists walk under umbrellas in a park in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 17, 2005. The highest temperature stood at 37 degrees centigrade in Hainan on Feb. 17, rare in this season.

Design exhibition of Gaudi given in Mexico

Visitors view interior decorations at the architecture and design exhibition of Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, Feb. 16, 2005. The exhibtion was opened on Feb. 16. Gaudi, born in 1852 in Spain, was an avant-garde architect.

Israel delays handover of Jericho

An Israeli soldier inspects a Palestinian vehicle at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Jericho Feb. 16, 2005. Israel's handover of security control over Jericho to the Palestinian National Authority, initially planned on Feb. 15, was delayed due to a last-minute disagreement over the size of the territory that will be transferred and the placement of Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks around Jericho.

Beijing promotes tourism in London

Three Chinese performers play traditional Chinese instruments at the Beijing Tourism Reception in London, capital of Britain, Feb. 16, 2005. The Beijing Tourism Bureau of China held the activity to introduce Beijing and attract more British tourists.

Picturesque terraces in Yunnan Province.

Sunrise at the terraces in the Duoyishu Scenic Area in Yuanyang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. With a history of more than 1,300 years, the terraces in southern Yunnan are an outcome of the living environment and farming tradition of the Hani Nationality.

President Hu meets Eritrean counterpart

Visiting Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (R), accompanied by Chinese President Hu Jintao, reviews the guard of honor of the three services at the welcoming ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Feb. 17, 2005. Eritrean President arrived here Thursday for a state visit.