Xiangan bridge to open to vehicular traffic on January 17

The city of Xiamen last week hosted a construction groundbreaking ceremony for 92 projects that feature a total investment of 127.2 billion yuan. The projects cover fields such as light industry, infrastructure and social services.

The Xiamen Tech Number One Satellite successfully launched last week from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite will provide remote sensing data for local industries such as marine fishery and agriculture, emergency management, natural resources, meteorology and digital city administration.

Xiamen Hengye Pictures and the Xiamen Carbon and Emission Rights Exchange Center recently announced an agreement to fully offset the carbon emissions created by the production of an upcoming film entitled Ping-Pong of China. The emissions rights center is affiliated with  the Xiamen Property Rights Exchange Center.

The film production company agreed to purchase offsets for more than 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The pledge would make the film China's first carbon-neutral production.

City officials last week announced new details on Xiamen's master plan to provide elderly care services to area residents. The plan calls for Xiamen to have a total of 23,000 beds for elderly care services by 2025. The number of nursing beds in the city will exceed 70 percent by 2025.

City officials last week announced that the Yundang Street Revitalization Community and the Kaiyuan Street Yangtaishan Community elderly care centers will open after the Spring Festival holiday.

The Yundang Street center has earned three-star certification for its standard of care. The center is equipped with multi-function rooms for training and entertainment as well as restaurants, craft rooms, daytime lounges and chess and cardplaying amenities.

Local officials released recently a photograph of more than 1,000 cormorants overwintering at the Xiamen Horticulture Expo Garden. The migratory birds typically head south in October and begin their spring migration in March. Cormorants feast on local fish such as tilapia and can eat prey up to double their weight. Local ornithologist said that cormorants also play a powerful role in protecting local water conditions.

In related news, Gulangyu is hosting a World Cultural Heritage Photo Exhibition that runs through February 12. The exhibition is produced in partnership with San Marino, a microstate fully surrounded by Italy. The exhibit showcases the cultural heritage of both Gulangyu and San Marino.

Provincial officials last week announced that all 5A scenic spots in Fujian will offer free or half-price admission from January 28 through the end of February. Participating sites include Wuyi Mountain National Park, the Sanming Taining Scenic Area, the Meizhou Island Mazu Cultural Tourism Area, the Quanzhou Qingyuan Mountain Scenic area, the Fujian Tulou (Yongding) Scenic area and the Fujian Tulou (Nanjing) scenic area.

An additional 39 4A scenic spots are free for the first time visit. Participants sites include the Xiamen Horticulture Expo Garden, the Liancheng Tianyi Hot Spring Resort and the Qianlu Lake Scenic Spot.

Gulangyu recently announced that it is hosting a musical performance that covers the history of Nanyin music. The musical performance will be held over two periods. A five-day run kicks off on January 27, to be followed by a two-day run that launches on February 4.

The show itself combines classical and newly-created music in the Nanyin tradition. The story covers the history and present of the millennia-old Nanyin musical style.

City transit officials recently announced a pair of updates to the BRT elevated bus network. The system's Line Six running between Qianpu junction and the Xiamen North Railway Station will open on January 31. The Xiamen Railway Station's South Square bus terminal will open on January 24.

The daily passenger flow of the BRT (bus rapid transit) currently averages 310,000 trips, based on traffic on Lines One, Two, Three and Five.

Local transportation officials announce that the BRT network will continue to open new routes this year, aiming to increase capacity by 15 percent over 2015. The Line Seven peak section between the Hongwen and Kaihe intersections is also scheduled to open in the first half of this year, the officials added.