Kite tells a love story

A 4-meter-tall kite featuring a traditional Chinese love story "Legend of White Snake" flies over West Lake in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province December 18, 2005. The lake is the place where the love story is supposed to have happened. A local old man spent 3 months making the huge kite. The legendary romance goes like this: The white snake, the heroine of the story, is a succubus who transmutes into a beautiful young lady and comes to live among human beings with her sister the green snake. The white snake meets Xu Xian, the hero of the story, on the West Lake and falls in love with him. Their love weathers the test of many hardships and obstructs before they get the heaven moved. In the story, they reunite at the same place - the Broken Bridge - several times after they get separated. (newsphoto)

Construction of three railway arteries starts in Guangdong

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the three railway arteries in south China's Guangdong Province: the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong railway passenger line, the railway linking Guangzhou and Zhuhai and Cenxi to Maoming section of the Luoyang-Zhanjiang railway on Dec 18 in Shenzhen. The three railways, with total investment of 37.65 billion yuan and length of 400.3 km, will be completed before 2009.

Polling stations in DRC attacked

Several polling stations have been attacked in Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of a crucial referendum on the draft constitution, which could pave the way for the country's first democratic elections in four decades. Officials say groups armed with explosives firebombed at least three schools near capital Kinshasa, where thousand due to vote.

Thai-China Folk Culture Festival opens

Chinese dancers perform during the inauguration of the 4th China Commodities Fair & the Thai-China Folk Culture Festival at the Bangkok International Trade Exhibition Center (BITEC), Thailand, Dec. 18, 2005.

53-year-old primary school student

Ma Qinglan, 53, attends class on Dec 18, 2005. Ma, of Hui Nationality, fulfilled her childhood dream to go to school in March 2005, when she entered classroom of a primary school in Dingxi, northwest China's Gansu Province. Ma lost opportunities to study at school when she was a child owing to poverty. Encouraged and backed by her families she began to take the courses of grade one in March 2005.

One year after tsunami devastated Changwat Phangnha, Thailand

Foreign visitors spend their holidays on a beach in Changwat Phangnha, Thailand, Dec. 17, 2005. Tsunami devastated the area on Dec. 26, 2004. Over the past 12 months, Thai government has made painstaking efforts to assist victims, rebuild tourism and restore people's lives in disaster-stricken region as well as move ahead in setting up tsunami early-warning system.

Chinese shuttlers dominate the 2005 Invitational Badminton World Cup

China's Lin Dan (front) celebrates his victory over Thailand's Ponsana Boonsak during the final of men's singles at the 2005 Invitational Badminton World Cup in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, on Dec. 18, 2005. Lin won the match 2-0. China won all the gold medals of the World Cup.

Big day for Basi, the giant panda

Giant panda Basi enjoys her birthday cake Sunday in Panda World in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, where a grand party was held to celebrate her 25th year.

Bolivian election kicks off

Staffs seal a ballot box at a polling station in La Paz of Bolivia, Dec. 18, 2005. Bolivia held the election Dec. 18 to vote a president, a vice-president, 130 deputies and 27 senators, and for the first time, nine regional governors, who had previously been appointed by the president.

WTO Ministerial Conference closes

Chairman of the conference John Tsang speaks at the closing ceremony of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Hong Kong of China. The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded on Dec. 18 with a Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, finally unveiling some tangible results of the six-day wrangle.

42 killed, 37 injured in India's stampede accident

Relatives of a stampede victim cry in Chennai, capital of south India's Tamil Nadu , Dec. 18, 2005. The death toll increased to 42 in the stampede accident and other 37 people were injured, NDTV reported. The accident took place at the flood relief camp in a government high school in south Chennai at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, where nearly 3,000 people had gathered to collect relief materials, when people started running for shelter in a heavy downpour.

Chinese Antarctica Research Team arrives at Zhongshan station

Members of the Chinese Antarctica Research Team check with Global Position System the exact anchor position of the polar expedition ship Xuelong Dec.17, 2005. After one-month sailing, the Chinese Antarctica Research Team arrived at the icy region nearby the Chinese Zhongshan station on Dec. 18. The team was on its 22th expedition trip to the polar continent.