Local authorities across China are stepping up efforts to support equipment update and consumer goods trade-in, to meet the consumption demands during the upcoming National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7.

An international exhibition displaying new energy vehicle (NEVs) kicked off ahead of the holiday in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, to showcase the latest achievements and innovations in the industry during the week-long event.

“Hefei City has issued auto vouchers worth 37 million yuan (5.28 U.S. million dollars) to boost auto consumptions during the National Day holiday and the auto show,” said Hu Jing, an official with the city’s bureau of commerce.

In De’an County, east China’s Jiangxi Province, major furniture malls have recently launched trade-in activities while showcasing a wide array of items, including traditional furniture and smart homeware.

To provide consumers with a more comfortable experience in home improvement and upgrades, retailers have also introduced a range of preferential measures.

“Customers can receive a subsidy of up to 20 percent when trading in old homeware. Additionally, in line with the consumption surge during the holiday, we have introduced a new batch of environmentally-friendly smart home devices featuring high-cost-performance,” said Cai Ge, general manager of a furniture mall.

As part of China’s routine diplomatic outreach, 12 foreign youths were invited to visit Xizang Autonomous Region recently in the country’s southwest to explore more about the region and China as well.

The youngsters come from 10 countries, working in fields such as media and academia.

Their four-day journey started in Nyingchi, where they explored government-subsidized housing in a village, a Tibetan culture museum funded through the Aid Xizang program, and a national wetland park that has been restoring local ecology since 2009.

In the region’s capital Lhasa, the group toured the famous Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple, watched a historical opera, visited a school, and learned about Xizang’s history, art and culture through a series of activities.

The Chinese government is proud to show that under its rule, local communities are living even more prosperous and modern lives.

The young visitors echoed the success of governance with what they saw and experienced.

“I always knew that Buddhism was something practiced a lot in this region. And I think what was so interesting for me is how much it’s preserved in this province, how much that is valued within this province. I’ve seen the relics. I’ve seen the culture. It’s all been preserved so well. We’ve been to a primary school where children are learning not only Tibetan language, songs, folk music and stories, but also English and Mandarin. And I think that’s very important for the children to grow up to be multilingual. So, I’ve genuinely seen the efforts the government is making within the province, to be able to holistically integrate the culture not only of the past, but also be able to accept new technology and AI and modernize the area,” said Maryam Razzaq, co-operative education coordinator from the University of Manitoba of Canada.

Chaiyaporn Phayakhrut, assistant professor of Chinese Studies Program of Thailand’s Thammasat University, said he has delved more into the region rather than just its religious facet.

“Normally, Thai people, we just know Xizang as a religious place, no more than that. And not many people know about its history. The normal understanding in Thailand was like – Xizang is the land of Buddhism since the very beginning. But that is wrong. So, I think that this kind of thing is very interesting for me and I think in the future, I will find the knowledge about this part and maybe write an article, talking about the changes especially in the ancient history of Xizang,” he said.