Twenty precious oracle bones have been sold at an auction in Shanghai, fetching up a sky-high price of 52.8 million yuan, or more than 6.3 million US dollars. Oracle bones are fragments of ox bone and turtle shell used in divination rites in Stone Age China. These ones were unearthed from the Yin Ruin of An Yang ancient relics in central China's Henan province. It is the first and probably only time such valuable cultural heritage has been sold off by auction to private collectors. They went for eight times the reserve price of 5.8 million yuan, or about 700,000 US dollars. A secret buyer won the action through 5 minutes of fierce competition.
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Chinese travel agencies will be allowed to organize tourist group visits to 27 European nations as of September 1. The 27 nations are mostly the expanded Nato member countries. Currently, travel agencies can only organize individual Chinese tourist visits to 26 nations. The number will rise to 53 on September 1. The World Tourism Organization says China now is among the top 10 nations in terms of outbound tourism consumption. Over the past ten years the total number of outbound Chinese tourists has reached nearly 100 million, up 14 percent year-on-year.
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Impoverished patients suffering serious diseases in south China's Guangzhou city can spend their remaining days in a cozy and clear environment with good medical care. A loving care zone, specially prepared for these poor patients, is under construction and is expected to be put into use late this month. The special zone of over 4 thousand square meters, sponsored by a municipal charity, will have all necessary facilities, such as treatment rooms, an emergency clinic, a dining hall, and an activity center. Medical staff will be on duty to quickly respond to emergencies. |