China

Putian – September 24, 2026 -- Meizhou Island, the birthplace of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu in southeast China's Fujian Province, drew about 3.23 million tourist visits in 2025, surpassing 3 million for the first time as the destination shifts from quick temple stops to multi-day stays.

Mazu, born as Lin Mo on the island in 960, is worshipped as a protector of seafarers by more than 300 million followers worldwide. In 2009, UNESCO added "Mazu belief and customs" to its representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Shenzhen – September 20, 2026 -- Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited has unveiled "Ping An GlobalCare," a new service designed to help foreign residents in China overcome language barriers and confusing hospital procedures when seeking medical care. The product, revealed at the Shenzhen Sci-Tech Innovation Exhibition, is now available for trial in Shenzhen.

The AI engine translates medical conversations in real time across 19 languages

Ping An GlobalCare uses an AI-powered translation system that supports two-way speech and text conversion, with specific coverage for professional medical terminology. The tool aims to remove communication gaps between international patients and Chinese physicians during consultations.

Users can log in with mobile numbers from 198 countries and regions, a feature intended to make the service accessible to a broad international user base without requiring a local Chinese phone number.

Beijing – September 20, 2026 -- Nearly 210 million people around the world are now learning or using Chinese, according to China's Ministry of Education, as the language moves from classrooms into everyday pop culture and career paths.

Ninety countries have added Chinese to their national school curricula

The Ministry of Education reports that 90 countries have incorporated Chinese into their education systems. In the first half of this year, 564,000 candidates worldwide sat for the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), a 36 percent increase year on year.

Social media is turning Chinese habits into global trends

On TikTok, Chinese American creator Sherry Zhu built a following of 740,000 in months by posting videos about drinking hot water, wearing cotton slippers and brewing goji berries. One user reportedly memorized the character "呢" by breaking it into the sounds "o-p-t."

London – September 20, 2026 -- Hainan Airlines has been named a SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline for the 15th consecutive year, the carrier announced at the 2026 World Airline Awards ceremony held in London on Sept. 18.

The airline, part of HNA Aviation Group, also placed among the SKYTRAX World's Best Airlines Top 10 List and took home category wins for Best Airline in China, Best Airline Staff Service in China and Best Business Class Airline Comfort Amenities. Zhu Tao, Vice President of HNA Aviation Group and Chairman of Hainan Airlines, attended the ceremony to accept the honors.

Kunshan – September 20, 2026 -- The 2026 Cross-Strait (Kunshan) Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival opened on the evening of Sept. 16 in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, drawing visitors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.

This year's festival spans two main lantern display areas, Huiju Square and Zhouzhuang, alongside a cross-Strait art exhibition, a traditional performing arts fair, and a forest-based "Moonlit Cultural Gathering."

Winners of a youth lantern design contest received their awards at the opening.

At the opening ceremony, organizers presented commemorative certificates to winners of the seventh "Kunshan Mazu Cup" Youth Lantern Design Competition. The evening also marked the premiere of "Crossing the Sea," an episode in the micro-drama series "Wait for Me to Come Home," based on a true story about returning a veteran's ashes to his hometown.

Beijing – September 19, 2026 -- Chinese outdoor footwear brand CGX has launched two dedicated obstacle racing shoes, the R1020 and R1010, debuting them at the UIPM 2026 Obstacle World Championships held in Beijing from September 2 to 6. The shoes went on sale in China on September 7 at RMB 1,099 per pair.

Two models target different race distances

The R1020 is built for the explosive 100-metre sprint format, while the R1010 is designed for 400-metre and 3-kilometre obstacle races. Both use a Vibram outsole with Megagrip compound, Traction Lug technology and Litebase construction, paired with a dual-zone midsole, heel-lock structure and performance-woven upper to handle running, climbing, jumping and rapid direction changes.

Rabat – September 18, 2026 -- Jinhua, a city in China's Zhejiang province, brought live opera performances, ceramic demonstrations and traditional tea ceremonies to Morocco's capital in early September as part of the 2026 Jinhua Culture and Tourism "Into Africa" program. The event, held at the China Cultural Center in Rabat under the theme "The Enduring Charm of Wuzhou: A Cultural Journey Through Porcelain and Tea," gave Moroccan audiences a hands-on introduction to Jinhua's history and tourism offerings.

Young performers staged a classic Wu Opera piece

Zhu Shuojing and Ouyang Mingju, performers from the Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute, presented The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Shenzhen – September 18, 2026 -- ugee has launched the ArtPlay Pad, a children's drawing tablet that converts 2D sketches into 3D models and physical objects, available starting September 15, 2026, through the company's official shop.

EMR pen technology aims to replicate pencil-on-paper friction

Unlike most kids' tablets that rely on capacitive pens, the ArtPlay Pad uses professional-grade EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) technology with 16K pressure sensitivity, paired with a paper-like anti-glare display and full palm rejection. Amy Yuan, ugee's Global Brand Director, said the goal was to solve three problems: the slick, unresponsive feel of glass screens, the gap between flat drawing and 3D thinking, and eye strain from prolonged screen use.

Hong Kong – September 17, 2026 -- Luxury Group by Marriott International and Sotheby's have expanded their global partnership into Asia Pacific for the first time, launching a new masterclass series called "The Art of Knowing." The program combines short digital videos with exclusive in-person events, giving hotel guests closer access to rare craftsmanship, collecting, and connoisseurship.

The initiative follows last year's debut of private tours at Sotheby's Maison during Sotheby's Hong Kong's Luxury Week.

Yibin – September 16, 2026 -- A new season of the China Media Group travel reality show "Travel China with the Spring Festival Gala" is currently airing, spotlighting Yibin as its second featured city after Yiwu.

The show turns entire cities into game boards for cultural exploration

The program uses live-action competitive games and immersive cultural exploration to convert a city's geography, heritage and modern development into variety entertainment, using Spring Festival Gala branch venue cities as its map. The first episode covered Yiwu, framing it as the "world's supermarket" through cross-cultural interaction segments that drew strong audience response.