Xu Shijie， a pedicab driver in Kaifeng， central Chinas Henan Province， has made a name for himself as a warm-hearted English-speaking tour guide. More commonly known as Jason by foreign tourists， he has been recommended by renowned travel guide Lonely Planet in its introduction to the historic city.

A former factory worker， Xu began picking up tourists after work with a tricycle as a way of earning extra money. When the company he was working for went bankrupt in 2005， he became a pedicab driver full time. Xu has devoted himself to closing the gap in understanding between the city and the tourists traveling in his pedicab by way of his self-taught English.

He treats customers as friends and records their stories. He has fi nished six diaries involving the tales of more than 700 foreign tourists.

“Some call me a cultural ambassador. I try my best to live up to this reputation，” Xu said.

Invasion Glorifi cation Outlawed

Legal Daily April 27

A law to protect the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs took effect on May 1. The new legislation， adopted by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress， Chinas top legislature， also bans activities that glorify invasions.

A war of aggression against a country， which enslaves and robs its people， transgresses the basic values of humanity. No one should be allowed to extol invasions.

Regrettably， in recent years there have been acts that seek to praise the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and 1940s. For instance， four young Chinese people wearing World War II Japanese military uni- forms posed for a photo in Shanghai last August， at a historical site commemorating the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression， sparking outcry across the country. Actions like these have seriously damaged Chinas national dignity and trampled on its collective wounds.

However， in many cases the offenders were only subject to administrative sanctions due to a lack of laws regulating such behavior. Offenses may be caused by a lack of historical consciousness， but light punishment is also to be blamed.

Thus， its imperative to formulate laws to hold those who glorify invasions criminally liable. Only in this way will they understand that there is a line that must not be crossed， otherwise they will pay a heavy price.

To forget history is a betrayal and historical nihilism should not be allowed. Acts that challenge basic moral standards and harm national dignity should be strictly punished in accordance with the law.

New Wave of Cultural Shows

Oriental Outlook April 26

It is estimated that over 50 cultural shows featuring ancient Chinese poetry， historical artifacts， old handicraft and celebrity letters were aired on TV and online in 2017. Most of them won high acclaim from audiences.

Compared with star-studded reality shows with copyrights purchased from abroad， cultural shows are more original because they feature unique Chinese aspects. At a time when the former is losing popularity， the latter， based on Chinas 5，000 years of history， has a great opportunity for development.

In order to attract audiences， these cultural shows have created dazzling stage effects and invited big names from different spheres to participate. But the charm of traditional culture is the essential ingredient for their success.

More young people are drawn to such shows. For instance， the majority audience for China Central Televisions National Treasures is between the ages of 20 and 25. The 27-episode series showcased 27 historical artifacts from nine museums across China and presented the story behind each item in a short stage performance.

Tian Chuan， producer of The Legacy of China， a show promoting Peking Opera launched in March on Beijing TV， said his program doesnt target middle-aged and elderly people who already know about opera.

The shows have tapped into the contemporary relevance of traditional culture in order to promote its dissemination. Emotions such as the aspiration for a better life， love for ones family and country and awe of life are still relevant today.

A China Central Televisions program where songs written from ancient Chinese poetry are performed by people from different walks of life is also striking a chord with young audiences.

Invisible Poverty

China Youth Daily April 24

A newly coined phrase referring to those whose consumption exceeds their income has recently gone viral. An “invisible poverty-stricken population” describes people who spend lavishly on food and clothes， buy the latest mobile phone models， and frequently travel， but have no savings or may even be in debt.

They are not rich although they may appear to be， given their consumption habits. They are also far from being poor because many of them are white-collar workers who belong to the middle-income group.

Some observers tend to believe that the new phrase represents a transformation in Chinese peoples consumption habits， since in the past people preferred saving to spending.

However， it may be an oversimplifi cation to attribute the phenomenon to a change of consumption habits， since it is not universal. It defines the so-called sandwich layer of society who， daunted by high housing costs， seek a better life without buying an apartment.

The term indicates disapproval of an extravagant way of life， but many young people are using it to mock themselves.

These consumption habits may be a way for this group to ease personal anxiety although it may also be driven by vanity. The distinction between different social strata caused by income and consumption has been blurred for this group of people. The invisible impoverished population is going against the traditional concepts of consumption， as well as traditional social stratifi cation.

NEW HEAD OF HK STOCK EXCHANGE OPERATOR

Laura Cha May-Lung has recently been appointed chair of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. （HKEX）， becoming the fi rst woman chief in the companys 127-year history.

Cha was born in Shanghai in 1949 and moved to Hong Kong at the age of 2. She pursued an education and practiced law in the United States before returning to Hong Kong. She worked at Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission from 1991 to early 2001， becoming its deputy chair in 1998.

Cha then served as vice chair of the China Securities Regulatory Commission from 2001 to 2004. She was the fi rst person from outside the Chinese mainland to join the Central Government at the vice-ministerial rank.

Following her appointment Cha revealed that her first priority is to focus on the HKEXs strategic plan for the next three years and implement listing reform.

“With default judgment in place， fugitive officials will be punished by law even if they escape to the farthest corner of the world.”

Chen Weidong， a professor at Renmin University of China， in response to the proposed introduction of default judgment in corruption-related criminal cases in a draft revision to Chinas Criminal Procedure Law

“The Chinese language gives you the key to unlock the rich heritage of the Chinese civilization.”

Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming， speaking on May 1 at the launch of the Confucius Classroom at the Mid Yell Junior High School in Britain

“The series of actions we have taken target ‘Taiwan independence forces and their activities.”

Wu Qian， spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense， addressing a question about the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Forces recent fl ights over Taiwan Island at a press conference on April 26

“The facility is expected to offer unprecedented scientific opportunities， including solving the mystery of life and designing new medicines.”

Chief Scientist Zhao Zhentang， commenting on a hard X-ray free electron laser facility designed to capture the real-time movement of particles after construction began in Shanghai on April 27