It was a strange sight: a group of monks from the Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese kung fu, walking through the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, producer of China's Long March carrier rockets.The abbot, Shi Yongxin, wearing a brown robe, led the delegation to explore the use of rocket technologies to protect the ancient books in the temple, whose history spans about 1,500 years. It is listed as a world cultural heritage site.The academy has developed an advanced book protection system based on aerospace technologies.This drew the interest of the Shaolin monks, who have many paper books that have been damaged by pests and mildew. The temple is located in the mountains of Henan province, where the environment is humid in summer and cold and dry in winter. It draws a large number of visitors every year. The combination of those conditions is unfavorable to the protection of books.At the center of the protection system is a sealed, waterproof, fireproof and insect-proof box.Fan Xinzhong, director of the structure office of the academy's department of tactical weapons, is responsible for the design. The box, Fan said, combines advanced aerospace technologies, such as rocket heat insulation, a honeycomb sandwich structure of a rocket fairing and the composite material used in a space capsule.Fellow researcher Shan Yijiao said the heat insulation material can keep the temperature inside the box below 60 C for an hour in a fire. The honeycomb sandwich structure enables the box to resist impact and compression, and to float on water.Lei Bao, designer of the box's lock, said spacecraft sealing technology was borrowed to make the box 100-percent waterproof and dustproof.Worms and insects cannot live inside the box, which has little oxygen. Humidity can be controlled through a monitoring system to prevent the growth of bacteria and mildew.The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is planning systems for more libraries, museums, archives and temples to help protect cultural relics by using technologies gained from reaching for the stars.Xinhua custom wristbands torontocheap custom wristbands no minimumbracelet en silicone nikenike rubber braceletssilicone wristbands
A firework show is held in Macao, Dec 20, 2018. A series of activities and events were held here on Thursday to celebrate Macao's 19th anniversary of returning to the motherland and the establishment of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). [Photo/Xinhua] MACAO - A series of activities and events were held here on Thursday to celebrate Macao's 19th anniversary of returning to the motherland and the establishment of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). The SAR government started a flag-raising ceremony at 8:00 a.m. at the Golden Lotus Square, with Macao's leading officials, discipline forces and local residents participating in the event. Two formations of Public Security Forces of Macao took the national flag and the Macao SAR flag to the two flag poles. Then the two flags were hoisted to the national anthem in front of the audiences and honor guards from Macao's police officers, firefighters and custom officers. People's Liberation Army Macao Garrison also held a flag-raising ceremony in the morning. Following the ceremonies was a reception event held at Macao Tower Convention and Entertainment Center which was decorated by ribbons of red and yellow, the colors of China's national flag. About 900 representatives from all sectors of society in Macao attended the reception to celebrate the anniversary. Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Chui Sai On said at the reception that the SAR government has strictly adhered to the constitution and the Macao SAR Basic Law in the past 19 years, and the policy of one country, two systems was fully implemented in the Macao SAR. He noted that the SAR government was to further participate in the country's reform and opening-up process, and further integrate into the national development. During the day, a special flower show was organized by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau at Taipa Houses. The Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau also offered a commemorative postmarking service to the public to celebrate the anniversary. At 9:00 p.m. local time, a fantastic firework show was put up by the tourism office on the waterfront near Macao Tower. Thousands of tourists and local residents went to the beach to watch the show.
