भारतीय रोज़ नई ख़बरें

The glow of fireflies burns bright each year at the Tiantai Mountain scenic area in Qionglai, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, dotting the night sky with mesmerizing light.

A recent update from local authorities revealed that the spot is about to welcome the peak period of this year’s first wave of fireflies in late April.

Photo: CFP

Photo: CFP

Tiantai Mountain is renowned as one of the world’s eight major firefly viewing spots and the largest of its kind in Asia. It boasts four main characteristics: a rich diversity of species, an abundance of fireflies, an extensive distribution, and prolonged viewing periods.

From April to October each year, about 17 species of fireflies take turns to soar through region from the foot of the mountain at an elevation of 800 meters and the spot at an elevation of about 1,200 meters. The Xiaojiawan “Firefly Valley” in the mountain area is the prime spot for firefly gazing in April. By mid-April, the forest there is adorned with a magnificent display of fireflies, resembling a dazzling galaxy.

A file photo shows a summer day in Tiantai Mountain scenic area in Qionglai, Sichuan Province. /IC

A file photo shows a summer day in Tiantai Mountain scenic area in Qionglai, Sichuan Province. /IC

To meet public needs of firefly viewing both during the day and at night, the scenic area has been preparing a firefly micro-museum, which is nearing completion and is expected to open to visitors in mid-to-late May. Inside the museum lies a darkroom meticulously designed to replicate the natural ambiance of a nighttime setting, offering visitors the unique opportunity to witness the enchanting spectacle of fireflies illuminating the night sky.

Adding to the wonder, the museum also houses a nurturing room akin to a nursery. Here, staff cultivate fireflies, providing visitors with the chance to observe the various stages of their lifecycle.

A waterfall in summer is seen in a file photo of Tiantai Mountain scenic area in Qionglai, Sichuan Province. /IC

A waterfall in summer is seen in a file photo of Tiantai Mountain scenic area in Qionglai, Sichuan Province. /IC

For those who are planning to marvel at the mesmerizing fireflies at the scenic area, it’s advisable to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect yourself from mosquitoes and other insects, and use mosquito repellent sparingly as it can adversely affect the fireflies. In addition, remember to turn off all light sources, not catch the fireflies, embrace the tranquility of the night and refrain from making excessive noise, so as to allow everyone to savor the experience peacefully.

WATCH: Beer and opera boosting China-Croatia ties

02:43

Miroslav Šuvak makes beer in Croatia. Not just any beer – his brew has its own unique taste and texture. 

Šuvak started Nova Runda Craft Brewery in 2013. It soon made an impact, earning a solid reputation across the European Union. Business was good, but after a while, Šuvak started looking for other opportunities. He wanted to tap into the Chinese market – something few Croatian companies had managed to get right. 

“It was a challenge getting our beer into China,” says Šuvak. “You need to take into account that we are still a small company. There are only eight employees.” 

Big opportunity brewing

Nova Runda may be small, but Šuvak’s big idea is paying off – the brewery is now exporting beer to China. The orders aren’t massive, but Nova Runda has developed relationships in the Chinese market. Officials say they’re trying to build more of those relationships as quickly as possible. 

“As diplomats, we try to boost the amount of products that are imported by China,” says Qi Qianjin, China’s ambassador to Croatia. “We are now in negotiations to get Croatian products like tuna and honey to China.”

Miroslav Šuvak (right) founded his craft brewery in 2013. /Nova Runda

Miroslav Šuvak (right) founded his craft brewery in 2013. /Nova Runda

The culture of trade

Croatia’s relationship with China has been a little uneven over the last few years. The countries traded goods worth $2.5 billion in 2023, but Chinese exports accounted for the bulk of that. Croatia does export relatively large amounts of medicine and electrical appliances to China, but total exports came to just $85 million last year. 

Some Croatian companies say it’s difficult to sell goods to Chinese firms. China is hoping that more contact will improve ties, and that means contact at every level. The stars of the Hangzhou Opera performed in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, earlier this month. Director Cui Wei says the performers were keen to share a little piece of Chinese culture. 

“We hope that through the exchange of our traditional culture, we can bring our hearts closer,” says Wei. “We also hope that through such cultural exchanges, the two peoples can understand and integrate with each other.”

Nova Runda Craft Brewery is one of a handful of Croatian companies exporting to China. /Nova Runda

Nova Runda Craft Brewery is one of a handful of Croatian companies exporting to China. /Nova Runda

It may be a little early to toast a boom in China-Croatia trade. But Šuvak’s story suggests more deals could flow Croatia’s way. “We are not an industrial-scale producer of beer,” says Šuvak. “But yes, we still manged to get into the Chinese market.”

More exports to China may leave a very sweet taste in this part of the world – just like Šuvak’s rather special beer. 

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01:07

Every year on April 18th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day for Monuments and Sites, a day dedicated to honoring the rich tapestry of human history and heritage. Beijing is a city steeped in centuries of culture and tradition, boasting many iconic monuments and World Heritage Sites like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Join Rachel in taking a look at these famous sites and appreciating these cultural heritages.

00:46

Time-lapse video: Chengdu’s Kuanzhai Alley lit up in all its glory! This street, which has survived since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), retains much of its ancient charm. It’s a bustling 24/7 hub of wide lanes, narrow alleys and quaint courtyards.

Humpback whales, giant majestic mammals living in all oceans around the world, dive underwater for as long as 30 minutes before they surface for a breath, giving scientists a short window to observe them, not through their faces but their tails.

A humpback whale. /CFP

A humpback whale. /CFP

“That little set of barnacle scars looked like a snowman, so we named it ‘Frosty,'” said whale researcher Ted Cheeseman while showing CGTN the following picture during an interview.

Frosty, a humpback whale known from the west coast of the United States and Mexico. Humpback whale tails display unique pattern and shape allowing researchers to use AI image recognition to track thousands of whales. /Ted Cheeseman

Frosty, a humpback whale known from the west coast of the United States and Mexico. Humpback whale tails display unique pattern and shape allowing researchers to use AI image recognition to track thousands of whales. /Ted Cheeseman

Whale researcher Ted Cheeseman shows a picture of humpback whale named Frosty during an interview with CGTN. /CGTN

Whale researcher Ted Cheeseman shows a picture of humpback whale named Frosty during an interview with CGTN. /CGTN

“They all have these individually recognizable tails,” Cheeseman said of the whale that could weigh over 40 tonnes and is named for the distinctive hump on its back.

For decades, scientists have been collecting humpback whale tail pictures and distinguish each individual through a set of features: the shapes along the edges, the unique patterns left by barnacle scars, etc.

Illustration of a humpback whale tail. /CGTN

Illustration of a humpback whale tail. /CGTN

But when the pictures pile up into the tens of thousands, they could bewilder even the sharpest eyes.

“Once the data sets got so big, it would take an hour per photo almost to figure out,” Cheeseman said.

That’s where AI fits into the picture.

Cheeseman and a group of whale scientists have been using AI photo recognition technologies through the website Happywhale.com, which Cheeseman co-founded, to record each humpback whale living in the North Pacific Ocean.

Researchers, citizen scientists and whale watchers are encouraged to upload whale photos upon a sighting into the database.

A photo composite showing an uploaded picture of a humpback whale named Frosty on the left and a match result found on Happywhale.com on the right. /Ted Cheeseman

A photo composite showing an uploaded picture of a humpback whale named Frosty on the left and a match result found on Happywhale.com on the right. /Ted Cheeseman

Early AI integration teething pains

However, the process was not easy, as researchers had to start with an algorithm with only a 10 percent recognition rate. Eventually, with the help of AI training, that rate has reached 97-99 percent, which “is higher than most trained humans,” according to Cheeseman.

“The technology evolves. It’s become much easier to train. It’s become capable to do so with much smaller data sets with much easy, much more user-friendly tools. I find it very exciting,” the whale researcher said.

The upgraded algorithm enabled Cheeseman and other researchers to make an important discovery regarding the humpback whale population. Nearly 7,000, or 20 percent of the humpback whales in the North Pacific Ocean, died between 2012 and 2021 due to the impact of marine heatwaves, according to their study published in late February by the journal Royal Society Open Science.

However, according to Cheeseman, despite the decline, the species’ population is still recovering after commercial whaling was banned in 1986 when many whale species were driven to the brink of extinction.

“I don’t think it’s a threat to the species …The population having recovered to, we estimate, 33,000 whales and then declining 20 percent, well, that’s severe, but it’s already on a recovery track,” said Cheeseman.

Still, researchers are concerned about the impact of climate change, particularly how future marine heatwaves could harm marine mammals.

A marine heatwave could have sweeping impacts on the ecosystem, from phytoplankton lacking nutrients all the way up the food chain to whales, sea lions and sea birds facing food shortages.

“It would have been through impacts on prey density,” John Calambokidis, a biologist and co-founder of Cascadia Research Collective, a field research nonprofit organization, told CGTN.

“A heatwave today maybe the average temperature of the oceans in future times, whether that’s 20 years or 50 years and then a heatwave from there would be absolutely inhospitable to whole populations (of humpback whales),” Cheeseman said.

Researchers now hope that the system could be used to study the global population of humpback whales and other cetaceans in the world’s oceans.

(Cover: A breaching humpback whale in Nayarit, Mexico. /Nicola Ransome)