Xiamen Port opens new RCEP shipping route

Xiamen Port officials last week announced the debut of a new route between Xiamen and the Philippines. The new route is the 97th route to connect Xiamen with a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) country. Port officials said that the new route will facilitate the export of China-made products and the import of more stone and agricultural products from the Philippines.

The whole section of Xiamen Mountains-to-Sea Trail's Linhai section was completed and opened to visitors on January 8.

The 31-kilometer Linhai section of the Xiamen Mountains-to-Sea Trail (XMST) runs north and south between Wuyuan bay and the Island Ring Blvd, interconnecting with Xiamen Mountains-to-Sea Trail's Yunhai section and the Xiamen Bicycle Skyway. There are 32 accesses opened along the route which is barrier free the whole distance. A total of 15 rest areas are established along the way including infrastructure such as public lavatory, nursing room and retail kiosk.

Major scenic sites along the Linhai trail section include the terminal park at Wuyuan Bay, the Hubian Observatory, the Hubian reservoir park, Zhonglun park, the Dongshan reservoir and Island Ring Blvd.

Local health officials recently announced that multiple Xiamen hospitals have created clinics reserved for the treatment of patients who suffer from symptoms such as cough, dizziness, fatigue and insomnia after recovering from covid-19.

Xiamen last week hosted the annual finals of the VAL Volleyball League, which features four-player amateur teams. The three-day finals began with four teams, with a winner crowned on the final day.

In comparison with traditional courts, the league features a smaller court surface and a lower  net. The league is now in its fifth year. Olympic volleyball champion Hui Ruoqi founded the league. Former national volleyball player He Yunshu also appeared at the Xiamen finals.

The Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism last week announced that it will offer a series of incentives designed to promote local tourism during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday season. The campaign will include coupons and discounts for items such as tourist activities and commercial performances.

Travel agencies that organize overnight stays in approved hotels will be eligible for up to 50 yuan per room per night. The maximum reward for a single travel agency is one million yuan.

City officials announced recently that Xiamen is now home to 53 outlets that offer free food to people in need and difficult objects. The program began last September. The restaurants offer both vegetarian food and local specialties.

Staff at the Xiamen Expo Park last week noted that an estimated 10,000 cormorants have migrated to Xiamen and Jinmen for the winter. Popular local birdwatching areas include major parks, wetlands, mountain forests and beaches.

Xiamen Expo Park officials added that it is working to optimize the ecological environment of Xinglin bay through efforts such as wetland ecological restoration, the transformation of ecological islands  and closed management of the Reserve.

City officials recently released a list of China's top 500 listed enterprises by market capitalization. A total of six Xiamen enterprises made the rankings.

Sanan Optoelectronics ranted 232nd with 85.6 billion yuan in market cap. Yealink ranked 368th with 54.6 billion yuan in capitalization while Anjoy Foods ranked 415th with a market cap of 47.4 billion yuan. Xiamen C&D ranked 487th with 41 billion yuan in market capitalization. The Huaxia Eye Hospital Group ranked 486th with 40.9 billion yuan and Luckin Coffee ranked 496th with 40.1 billion yuan of market capitalization.

Analysts of the local food and catering industry noted recently a surge in advertisements and publicity campaigns for both in-person New Year's Eve dinners at public sites and pre-packaged New Year's Eve dinners.

Local outlets report that prepackaged dinners have proven particularly popular with younger consumers, with orders rising at both supermarkets and via online platforms. At the same time, multiple hotels have stated that their dining facilities are fully booked for New Year's Eve.

Xiamen's meteorological bureau recently released its annual summary of the local climate for the past year. While the city's average temperature was normal, Xiamen experienced 16 high-temperature days (defined as a temperature above 35 degrees Celsius), more than double the historical average. The city also enjoyed a higher-than-average amount of sunshine.

The city's total annual precipitation was within the average rainfall totals but, unlike in past years, Xiamen experienced only two typhoons of weak intensity.

The Jimei-Arles International Photography Season concluded on January 3. The event concluded with a series of activities that included musical and dance performances as well as multiple photo exhibits and film screenings.

Activity hosts included groups and sites such as the Idea Art arts center, the Cat Theater Troupe, etc. The photo festival is now in its eighth year.

Ouhua International Logistics last week charged to debut a non-stop cargo charter flight between Xiamen and Mexico.The route is serviced by an all-cargo B747.

The route is the first of its kind to service Mexico from Xiamen. The debut flight on January 2 included cargo such as machine parts, auto parts and electronic products. Xiamen airport officials said that the new route will enhance the airport's international competitiveness for air cargo.

厦门日报社新媒体中心出品
来源：CommonTalk Weekly
编辑：严琦 值班首编：张薇薇