On July 18, the Xi'an episode of "Chinese Language Stars," a new media program named "YUEJIAN：Discovering China," jointly produced by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and China Media Group Mobile was officially launched.

Xi'an, which was once called Chang'an or Haojing, had been the capital city of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, making it the longest-serving dynastic capital. It was also one of the four famous ancient capitals of the world, and the starting point of the Silk Road. In this episode, our three guests took a tour of the ancient city wall, the Muslim Quarter and LONGi to gain a sense of the tolerance, diversity, innovation and development of Xi'an. 

Ancient city wall management features integrated modern technology

At the Yongning Gate, Wu Chun, Deputy Director of the Xi'an City Wall Management Committee, briefed our three guests on the status of the city wall.

David Geary from the United Kingdom asked Wu about the protection of the ancient city wall and the impact of the protection of the city wall site on urban planning.

Nick Gu from Russia was impressed that modern management methods have been adopted to protect the city wall, making use of new scientific and technological development. For instance, the soil-monitoring system buried within the bricks of the city wall can help capture passenger-flow data, which, after big data analysis, are used to determine whether the city wall is overloaded, achieving real-time monitoring and protection.

Samuel from Brazil got to know the thousand-year history of the ancient city wall of Xi'an from the introduction. He thought that the efforts to restore and protect the ancient city wall in past dynasties were significant to current historical and cultural research and that continuous future research and study will be required.

At the same time, the trio learned that with so many cultural exchange activities having been held on the theme of ancient city wall protection, Chinese culture could be better conveyed internationally, acquainting a wider overseas audience with the development of this modern Chinese city.

Food culture in Muslim Quarter stands testament to the diversity and tolerance of Xi'an

The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was an extremely developed civilization in the world at that time. Countries around the world continually sent envoys to the then Chang'an on diplomatic and study missions. Moreover, business exchanges were frequent, with trade envoys from Arabia, Persia and Central Asia gathering and even settling in the city. Their life there helped form the unique food culture of the Muslim Quarter today, a place that features a diverse range of cultures and delicious food.

The delicacies in the Muslim Quarter are a precious heritage passed down through history, which represent the constant fusion and development of the city’s multiethnic culture. Our three guests enjoyed many different specialties in the Muslim Quarter and gained a deeper insight into China's diverse food culture. 

A sustainable future empowered by technology and environmental protection

Our three guests also visited LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (LONGi) to experience the development of green energy in the city. The very first glass of water they had at LONGi was zero-carbon drinking water.

Niu Yanyan, LONGi's President of Distributed Strategy Management, introduced the production process behind zero-carbon water, the difference between photovoltaic power and traditional power, the advantages of photovoltaic power and its application in daily life, and the technological breakthroughs it has achieved in powering the aerospace industry.

David learned from Niu Yanyan's introduction that solar energy is the sole power source for space stations and satellites at present. Photovoltaic power generation research is therefore of key importance, and ways to improve the solar energy conversion rate need further exploration. Thanks to the continuous exploration and research work undertaken by LONGi, the conversion rate of solar panels used in space has been improved to world-leading levels.

Samuel learned that if photovoltaic power stations were built on just 1 percent of the world's deserts, there could be sufficient energy to support production and life across the globe. If 70 percent of global deserts had photovoltaic power stations built on them, the entire output of human carbon emissions could be fully absorbed.

Nick asserted that with growing global climate change problems and soaring energy demands, green energy has become a key focus in the development strategy of every country in the world. Solar energy is a renewable and environmentally friendly source of energy. With solar photovoltaic power generation drawing extensive attention, it will surely better serve all mankind in the future.

During an age of unparalleled peace and prosperity, the ancient city of Chang'an, which is known as Xi'an today, was renowned as a glorious chapter in Chinese history. Xi'an is a charming city featuring well-protected thousand-year-old historical sites, technological innovation and a growing hub for green energy development. All of these factors have contributed to the making of Xi'an, an ancient capital that is perfectly integrating modern technology with traditional culture.