The largest annual human migration is about to take place — 1 in 6 people in the world will be traveling home for Chinese New Year. Often, human migration is linked to tragedy and conflict, but this migration is because of joy and family. Similar to Christmas, Eid, or Hanukkah, Chinese New Year is traditionally a family holiday. Around the world, Chinese New Year is celebrated with cultural festivals and meals, often in local Chinatowns. In China, where most do not live in their hometowns, the holiday entices hundreds of millions to travel home. In 2019 alone, some 3 billion trips were made by plane, train, bus, or car — with 5.6 million train tickets bought in just a single day. Check out how modern transportation, AI, and 5G technology help China manage this immense logistical feat with modern ingenuity. As Chinese New Year approaches, we wish everyone safe travels and a happy holiday!
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Feb 01 , 2020 | COVID-19In her first interview since the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Dr Margaret Chan looks at the implications as the number of infections and deaths climb. For over a decade, Dr Chan was Director-General of the World Health Organization, managing outbreaks from Zika, to polio, and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa that claimed 11,323 lives. All of these were declared a public health emergency of international concern - as has the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by her successor, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. I first met Dr Chan during SARS when she was Director of Health in Hong Kong, and later served her and now Dr Tedros as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador. In this podcast, I wanted to draw out her deep experience in handling infectious diseases, to understand what this global health emergency means, and - in a world at acute risk for disease epidemics and pandemics - what governments and individuals can do to prepare now. Interview with James Chau. You can watch video highlights from this video by following @thechinacurrent on social media or www.thechinacurrent.com
Jan 23 , 2020 |Similar to American Independence Day, Chinese New Year is traditionally lit up with loud and colorful fireworks — but this has changed since China’s recent ban on fireworks. While many know China for its invention of gunpowder and fireworks, it's now making a concerted effort to leave them in the past, leading the world in the fight towards sustainability. With the growing awareness of the dangers of fireworks and their harmful chemical emissions, China has set aside its tradition to lead the world towards more environmentally-friendly — and more spectacularly elaborate — light displays, such as lasers and drone shows. With more and more communities around the world following suit, this year, instead of loud and bright ‘pops’ in the sky, you very well may hear drones buzzing and see lasers flashing!
Jan 17 , 2020 |Modern engineering feats are central to the development of the US – from the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge to the Transcontinental Railroad built largely by Chinese immigrants.