Xi’an, the warriors’ home, is the ancient capital of China and still the capital of Shaanxi province, which neighbours Sichuan and which was badly shaken in the earthquake just over two weeks ago.

A check found minor damage was caused to four infantrymen, an officer and two horses as the quake rocked the purpose-built museum that covers the burial pits in which they were discovered and where they remain.

The discovery of the damage was made after a survey by staff. According to the Beijing News, two of the soldiers had heads tilted to one side, while the standing board of another and the arm of a fourth were cracked.

The officer was found to be tilting to about five degrees, while the head and jaw of one horse, and the leg of another were also cracked.

Officials raised the death tally from the quake to 68,109, up by a thousand on Tuesday’ figure. They say the total death toll may exceed 80,000.

The government elevated its alert for South Koreans wishing to enter China’s earthquake-ravaged province, Sichuan, Tuesday, saying travelers should remain cautious about aftershocks and a possible outbreak of epidemics.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade designated the province as a Travel-Alert Level 2 area, about a week after putting it on the list of areas at Travel-Alert Level 1.

There are four travel alert levels. The government restricts traveling to areas on Travel-Alert Level 3 and 4, but allows travelers to enter Level 1 and 2 areas.

No South Korean earthquake victims have been reported in the Sichuan province, but the government is not sure about the safety of travelers amid reports that conditions in the earthquake zone are ripe for outbreaks of disease and fears about major aftershocks are growing, ministry officials said.

The ministry has instructed the Korean mission in China to take emergency measures for the safety of Koreans in the province, they said.

Meanwhile, the government decided to offer an additional $4 million aid to China to help it recover from the quake at the request of the Chinese government. Last week, Seoul provided $1 million in aid and dispatched rescue workers and medical staff to the quake-hit areas.

Korea also provided relief supplies including 1,300 tents and 5,000 blankets to the provincial capital of Cheungdu via a special cargo flight on Sunday. China has made a specific request for relief material including tents, sleeping bags, generators, water purifiers, stretchers, cutting machines, winches and medicines, according to the ministry.

On Monday, the Chinese government appealed for more international aid at the beginning of a three-day period of mourning for tens of thousands of quake victims.

“The government will actively participate in the international efforts to provide assistance to the Chinese areas devastated by the earthquake,'’ a ministry spokesman said.

The reconstruction of Qianmen Street in central Beijing was formally completed on Tuesday. And the street will open to tourists before the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Qianmen Street originates in Yueliangwan (Moon Bay) in the north, and ends at Zhushikou in the south. It runs a length of 840 meters.

The reconstruction of Qianmen Street began on May 9, 2007. After a year of large-scale repair and restoration, this landmark street for old Beijing has been basically finished.

The main buildings in Beijing’s Palace Museum are scheduled to reopen in June, concluding the first step of the major repair work on the most comprehensive museum in China.

Reconstruction will soon be completed on most of the buildings along the center line, including the Meridian Gate - the main entrance to the museum in the south, the Hall of Supreme Harmony - and the northernmost Gate of Military Prowess, Jin Hongkui, deputy director-general of the museum, told The Beijing News. The repair work comprises the construction of a special route parallel to the center line for disabled visitors, as well as elevators on the sides of the main halls.

On Tuesday, against strong winds, repair workers busily laid new glazed roof tiles identical to the original ones.

Maintaining the original look was the basic principal of the project, Jin said.

The two billion yuan repair job on the 720,000-square-meter complex started in October 2002, and is projected to finish in 2020.

The Palace Museum was established based on the palace that was the ritual center of the Ming and the Qing dynasties. Designated by the State Council as one of China’s foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

A new type of multiple unit train Hexie CRH3 pulls into the new Tianjin Station, in north China’s Tianjin municipality, April 27, 2008. CRH3 has begun pilot running on the line from Beijing to Tianjin since April 26.

Approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the 104th session of China Import and Export Fair (also renowned as the Canton Fair) has adjusted its exhibition period by splitting 2 phases into three and will be held from 15 October to 6 November, 2008. Each phase will last 5 days instead of 6 with 2 intervals for 4 days each. All three phases will be held in the Pazhou Complex, while Liuhua Complex will no longer be used.

Canton Fair can be splitted  into 3 phases, the Phase 1 of the 104th session is from 15 to 19 October, exhibiting Large Machinery and Equipment, Small Machinery, Bicycles, Motorcycles, Vehicle Spare Parts, Chemical Products, Hardware, Tools, Vehicles (Outdoor), Construction Machinery (Outdoor), Household Electrical Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Electronic and Electrical Products, Computer and Communication Products, Lighting Equipment, Building and Decorative materials, Sanitary and Bathroom Equipment, and International Pavilion.

With an interval from October 20 to 23, Phase 2 is from October 24 to 28, exhibiting Kitchenware & Tableware, General Ceramics, Art Ceramics, Home Decorations, Glass Artware, Furniture, Weaving, Rattan and Iron Arts, Gardening Products, Stone and Iron Products (Outdoor), Household Items, Personal Care Products, Toiletries, Clocks, Watches & Optical Instruments, Toys, Gifts and Premiums, Festival Products.

With the second interval from October 29 to November 1, Phase 3 is from November 2 to 6, exhibiting Men and Women’s Clothes, Kids’ Wear, Underwear, Sports and Casual Wear, Furs, Leather, Downs & Related products, Fashion Accessories and Fittings, Home Textiles, Textile Raw Materials & Fabrics, Carpets & Tapestries, Food, Native Produce, Medicines and Health Products, Medical Devices, Disposables and dressings, Sports, Travel and Recreation Products, Office Supplies, Shoes, Cases and Bags.

From May 1st, 2008, the maximum Carry-on baggage allowance for each tourist class passenger is limited within one piece of 5kg when they flying inside China. 2 pieces are allowed for the first-class passengers but the weight is also limited within 5 kilograms. Each piece should be within 20×40x55cm. Carry on baggage in excess of the limit is subject to an excess baggage fee and must be carried as checked baggage.

The regulation is made by CAA of China.

Tourists are advised to confirm the weight of baggage before they go to the airport.

It is said that eight giant pandas will be sent to Beijing from Wolong in late May to cheer for Beijing Olympics by South China Aviation for free.

Jingjing, one of the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ mascots, is a symbol of giant panda. Aiming to public protecting giant panda and present its exclusive way of life, Wolong giant panda natural reservation centre and South China Aviation will jointly select eight giant pandas and sent them to Beijing zoo for half a year’s display and publication.

To fulfill this special mission, the most excellent personnel including feeders and medical care personnel will be selected by South China Aviation . “The plane needs to be cleaned and sterilized and air conditioner will be used to moderate the temperate inside the plane so that giant pandas can enjoy an environment as in the reservation centre，”said the South China Aviation.

To provide a safe environment for trade at Canton Fair to visitors according to higher authority’s instruction,new changes on registration regulations are to be adopted for the 103rd session of the Canton Fair as following:

First, overseas buyers should present original personal ID documents (including H.K./Macao Home-return Permit or I.D. Card, Taiwan Compatriot Travel Certificate, Overseas Passport, Overseas Permanent Residence Permit or a Chinese Passport with overseas employment visa valid for over one year). Copies of personal documents are unacceptable.

Representatives from Overseas Companies’ Representative Offices in China need to submit the following materials to apply the entry badge:
(1)Police Clearance Certificate issued by the police bureau of her/his permanent resident place;
(2)Invitation to Overseas Companies’ Chinese Office issued by the Canton Fair;
(3)Applicants’ Valid Employee Certificate issued by local Bureaus of Labor or foreign labor service companies;
(4)Applicants’ ID card and its copy, portrait photo and business card, etc.
Only all the materials having been checked by the Fair could applicants acquire the entry badge.

Foreign buyers’ Chinese Representatives or assistants who own no Invitation to Overseas Companies’ Chinese Office issued by the Fair will not be issued the entry badges.

For overseas buyers who need interpreter services, please apply to the Interpreter Service Center by the following contact information. Bringing ones’ own interpreter into the fair will not be accepted. Detailed contact information of Interpreter Service center is following:
Office Time during Canton Fair：9:30 am –6:00 pm
Add1: Ground 3, Trading Building, Liuhua Rd.
Tel:020－26080496, 26080423
Add2: Ground 2, West Registration Office, Hall A, Pazhou Complex
Tel:020－89120096, 89120097

Finally, buyers who have acquired the badges should take passports or IDs with you for inspection inside the fair complexes.

The summer season between May 1 and Oct. 31 is the best travel time for the holy city of Lhasa, known for its marvelous plateau spectacle and Tibetan ethnic culture. Last year, the city government doubled ticket prices at major tourist sites to control heavy flow during the peak season.     Tibet’s architectural icon, the Potala Palace, for example, sold tickets for 200 yuan (28 U.S. dollars) in summer, compared to100 yuan in the winter low season.

    ”There is a serious imbalance in seasonal tourism in Tibet,” said Gao Fu, the deputy bureau head.

    During the riot that erupted Lhasa on March 14, rioters shouted “Tibet Independence”, killed 19 people and set fire to more than 300 locations. These included shops, homes, banks and government offices. In addition, they smashed and burned 56 vehicles, mainly in the downtown.

    Tourists visiting the city these days will find that they needn’t stand in line for the usually hard-to-get tickets for popular attractions. On March 26, 10 days after it was closed for security reasons, the Potala Palace was reopened to tourists.

    On the first day, however, only 24 tourists and 75 Tibetan Buddhism followers bought tickets to see the World Cultural Heritage listed site.

    The local tourism bureau, noting the aftermath of the riot, is expecting the prospects for visitors to drop for the remainder of this year. In reaction, it has made plans to carry out promotions and increase funding for tourist development later this year to restore the market sentiment.

    With ticket prices currently frozen for the summer season, travel officials hope that this will attract more domestic travelers.

    The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the first line to connect Tibet with the outside world, in July 2006, has given the autonomous region’s tourist industry a strong boom. Last year, it received a record-high 4.02 million tourists, 1.5 million more than the previous year.