The 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. [Photo provided to China Daily] GUIYANG - This is the quietest tourist site in China -- no phones, cameras and cars are allowed inside. Even planes have been rerouted to avoid disturbance, but still, it draws thousands of tourists. Since it began operation in September last year, the world's largest radio telescope, located in southwestern province of Guizhou, has received 240,000 tourists, according to local authorities. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is a single-dish telescope, with a diameter of half a kilometer. It was built in Dawodang depression, a natural karst basin in Pingtang County, an impoverished area in mountainous Guizhou. The telescope is used to probe space for the faintest signs of life and is sensitive to any electromagnetic interference. Nearly 10,000 residents living in the core zone, within five kilometers of the telescope, have been relocated. All phones and cameras must be handed in if visitors want to enter the core area, said Liu Xingwu, a local tour operator. Vehicle engine ignitions also produce electromagnetic waves, so all sightseeing vehicles which enter the core zone have been modified to remove magnetic interference, said Liu. With a total investment of 1.2 billion yuan (about $188 million), the telescope has also created a boom in tourism for the county, which is home to around 330,000 people. An astronomical and cultural park is being extended. New theaters and exhibition centers will open ahead of the National Day holiday in October, said Shi Bangze, director of the county tourism bureau. Shi said that any increase in tourist numbers must not interfere with scientific studies underway at FAST. Scientist are using FAST to probe space, and they do not want any disturbances, so tourism can only be developed on the condition that the research functions are not impeded, he said. The county has instigated a daily cap of 2,000 visitors within the core area. Most travellers come on weekends and holidays. We use manual film cameras rather than digital ones to take photos of the visitors. The cameras have been tested for interference, Shi said. Once the daily limit is reached, we divert tourists to other scenic areas further away from the telescope, he said. medical bracelets ukyouth wristbandscustom printed wristbands24 hour braceletssilicone fidget spinner
ZHENGZHOU - The Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief Monday called on people across the Taiwan Straits to work together for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and peaceful reunification of the motherland."National reunification is the aspiration of people on both sides and follows modern trends," said Liu Jieyi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a forum on intelligent equipment manufacturing.The event was held in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, by the Summit for Entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Straits."The summit has made important contributions to boosting industry cooperation across the Straits," said Liu, who pledged continued efforts to promote economic and cultural exchanges and communication between the two sides.Liu called on people from both sides to adhere to the "1992 Consensus," which embodies the one-China principle, and resolutely oppose any separatist activities advocating "Taiwan independence," to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.During the forum, Liu met with Vincent Siew, president of the Taiwan-based council of the summit, and its vice president Chiang Pin-kung.Liu also visited factories of two Taiwanese companies in Zhengzhou, including the giant electronics manufacturer Foxconn.
