It's a rural tradition that faded out decades ago as Hong Kong turned into a neon-lit megacity: Rice seedlings gently stuffed into the soil of watery paddy fields.
Tourism ministers from APEC economies have adopted measures to ensure that the Asia-Pacific travel and leisure industry keeps pace with changing consumer trends and advances in technology.
To build itself into a world center of tourism and leisure, Macao needs to increase cooperation with the Chinese mainland as well as with other APEC members, experts said in Macao during the eighth Tourism Ministerial Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
The tax burden on the tourism industry should be eased to encourage further development of the sector and enable it to make a larger contribution to economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, according to officials and experts who spoke during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Macao.
Xiamen authorities discovered that 4.9 metric tons of food used tainted lard from Taiwan.
No tainted oil from Taiwan has been found so far to have been imported to the mainland, authorities said on Wednesday, as the quality watchdog suspended the importation of all suspect products.
Beginning on Sept 15, mainland residents will be able to use electronic cards to pass through customs when traveling to Hong Kong and Macao.
Delegates for the forthcoming APEC 8th Tourism Ministerial Meeting are arriving in China's Macao as preparations for the meeting have been completed regarding venue arrangements, hospitality for visiting delegations.
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should recall their historic links to help create "peaceful cross-Strait development and a great revival of the Chinese nation," a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The number of individual tourists from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan more than doubled to 615,000 in the first seven months of this year, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
The tainted oil in Taiwan's latest food scandal has met safety standards, the island's public health authority said on Monday, but the products will still be banned from sale.
Harvard University has received the largest donation in its history from a foundation run by two wealthy Hong Kong brothers.