Panchen Lama Hosts Key Ritual

Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu presided over an important Buddhist ritual known as Kalachakra in Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery in Xigaze， Southwest Chinas Tibet， from July 21 to 24. Kalachakra， which means the wheel of time， is a key ritual in Tibetan Buddhism. If performed by senior monks， it often draws huge crowds. No such service has been held in Tibet during the past 50 years.

An altar covering 200 square meters was built for the ritual on a meadow outside the Panchen Lamas summer residence in Xigaze. The altar was covered by a yellow silk cloth embroidered with auspicious Tibetan motifs. A large LED screen was erected on each side of the platform.

The Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery in Xigaze is known as the home temple of Panchen Lamas. It hosted the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu， the 11th Panchen Lama， in December 2015. Currently serving as vice president of the Buddhist Association of China， the Panchen Lama has become an accomplished Buddhist leader， who has given head-touching blessings to 1.5 million Buddhists.

Tibetan Buddhism devotees believe a Kalachakra initiation by a senior guru can extricate them from pains in the cycle of life. The ninth Panchen Lama is the only Panchen Lama to have performed Kalachakra and has done so twice， in Beijing and Hangzhou， during the last century. Several Tibetan Buddhist gurus have held the service in Tibetan prefectures in Gansu and Qinghai provinces.

New and High-tech Tapped to Boost Traditional Culture

The Palace Museum has signed a three-year deal with Tencent， Chinas Internet giant， to promote traditional Chinese culture using the creativity of todays youth. They will work on emoticons on QQ （a popular instant messenger in China）， games， animation and literature based on traditional cultural stories in China. Competitive events and cross-industry cooperation are also in the works.

Pony Ma， CEO of Tencent， said the fusion of social media and traditional culture has provided an opportunity for more ideas to flourish.

The two sides will hold a “Next Idea Tencent Creativity Competition” for applicants to design new QQ emoticons. As of today， QQ has registered 877 million users in China， of which 60 percent are the post-90s generation. The most popular emoticon is used more than 5.2 billion times a day. Tencent hopes that the design of a new cultural emoticon will build a bridge between youth and traditional culture.

The Palace Museum has worked intensively to promote traditional Chinese culture through modern technology in recent years. Aside from the deal with Tencent， the Museum has also developed Apps and educational games for both youth and children. It has begun selling entrance tickets online to suit the needs of todays youth， and offers a variety of products on its official store on T-mall， an online sales platform of Alibaba.

Five-Year Plan for Human Resources and Social Security

China recently released its 13th FiveYear Plan for Human Resources and Society Security Development. Among the many goals it sets， one is to add 50 million or more new jobs in urban areas and keep the registered unemployment rate below five percent. The government vows to give priority to employment of college graduates， and outplace workers affected by the countrys reduction of industrial overcapacity.

According to the plan， pension insurance will cover 90 percent of the Chinese population， and basic medical insurance 95 percent.

Whats more， China will reinforce the rule of law in labor relations. The share of workers who sign labor contracts with their employers is projected to exceed 90 percent. The labor dispute mediation and arbitration system will also be further improved， with at least 60 percent of mediation cases and 90 percent of arbitration cases successfully handled. The government will provide better services for migrant workers to protect their legitimate rights and interests.

During the 2016-20 period， China will implement six programs concerning human resources and social security， covering such areas as job creation， vocational training， full insurance coverage， cultivation of professionals， precluding deferred payment for migrant workers， and poverty alleviation.

Activity

Compagnie Marie Chouinard

Date： September 2-3， 2016

Place： Daning Theater， Shanghai

Price： RMB 80/180/280/380/500/680

Prestigious Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard established her dance company in 1990. She is commended for exploring the poetics of the body in intelligible and ever-surprising ways. Up to now， she has created over 50 choreographic productions. The company is a fixture on the worlds major stages and at dance festivals.

Tartuffe performed by Schaubühne Berlin

Date： September 22-24， 2016

Place： National Center for the Performing Arts

Price： RMB 180/300/420/500/580/680

Tartuffe， one of the most famous theatrical comedies by Molière， makes the leading role Tartuffe a synonym for hypocrisy. This play with its tight structure， distinct characters， dramatic conflicts， and quick-witted dialogue has had a deep influence on modern comedy.