Art shows its youthful side

The Art Market Research Center affiliated with the Central Academy of Fine Arts has kicked off the 2012 Art Nova - 100 Young Artists, an annual creation contest intended to discover emerging stars among art majors in China's art academies and colleges.

Organizers are seeking ink and oil paintings, sculptures, videos, installations and experimental art.

Artists born after 1975 are eligible to compete, and 100 winners' works will tour as an exhibition.

Series tells history of ordinary people

The General History of Chengdu was recently published by the Chengdu Academy of Social Sciences in Sichuan province's capital.

It's the first such chronicle of the city's history since Chengdu took shape 2,300 years ago. It consists of seven volumes with 3.35 million characters. Its accounts range from the Shu (the name of Sichuan millennia ago) period to the Republic of China (1912-49) and touches on the city's economy, politics, culture and society.

Unlike traditional history books, which focus on political struggles and social revolutions, this series conveys ordinary people's stories.

"This general history is a literary work that belongs to ordinary people," Chengdu Academy of Social Sciences researcher Lin Chengxi says. The book will be translated into several languages.

Exhibition honors legendary legacy

Wang Deshui, a Chinese-born artist living in Japan, is hosting an art exhibition tour among Hunan province's museums.

The last stop at the Memorial Hall for Mao Zedong in the late leader's birthplace Shaoshan will end on Feb 15.

On display are 118 calligraphic works, ink landscapes and portraits Wang has created to mark the 118th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth. Hunan University Press published a catalog of the exhibition early this month.

Wang's upcoming exhibition in Hunan in March will focus on Lei Feng (1940-1962), a model People's Liberation Army soldier.

Contest translates into interpretation awards

The China Foreign Language Publishing Administration, which is a co-organizer of the China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI), recently revealed the 10 winners of an online translation and writing contest in Beijing.

The competition "aims to promote awareness of the accreditation test", organizers say.

At least 200,000 people have taken the test since its 2003 inception, with 22,000 passing to receive second- and third-rank certificates, says Guo Xiaoyong, a key organizer of CATTI, which is co-hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the administration.

Ancient town to get new wetland park

The government of Longquanyi district in Sichuan province's capital Chengdu has proposed an ambitious plan to improve the environs of its Luodai Ancient Town.

The plan includes the construction of a large wetland park, covering nearly 9 square kilometers, facelifts of buildings and the introduction of new facilities. The wetlands will surround the town, which is known for its centuries-old Hakka culture and ancient architecture.

Luodai, which is celebrated as an "Historic Chinese Cultural Town", is a national 4A-class tourism site.