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The 2008 Beijing Olympics shows the whole world that a new physical and spiritual power is on the rise; the Chinese taikonauts' spacewalk marks a giant step forward in the country's ambitious space program; attitudes progress and women play an increasingly influential role in China's political arena...
43Li Yue, a ballet dancer who lost her left leg in the May 12 earthquake, danced a leading role in the performance staged on the opening ceremony of Beijing Paralympic Games on September 6, 2008. She received a huge amount of support from warm-hearted people who saluted her courage and dreams.
32A pretty girl at an Olympic venue. The red belt on her head reads"China is sure to win". She also has a heart-shaped National Flag on her cheek.
34Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang waves to the camera while space-walking beside the orbit module of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft on Sept 27. Although enclosed in a bulky spacesuit with his face covered, Zhai Zhigang has become a familiar figure to all Chinese as a history-maker. In a phone conversation with Chinese President Hu Jintao two hours after his spacewalk, Zhai said, "The process of donning the Feitian spacesuit went smoothly. In the vastness of space, I felt proud of our motherland."
33Women deputies pose for photos before the Great Hall of the People in a fringe-session to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC). A century ago, the national political arena reopened doors that had been firmly shut to women. Since then Chinese stateswomen have begun to take their rightful place and the sky of today's political arena is now sprinkled with female stars.
38The Beijing Olympic torch bearers reach the peak of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at 9:17 am on May 8. Their arrival was the pinnacle of the torch relay held before the launch of the Olympic Games.
31Zhang Yimou, the well-known filmmaker, described the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games as a festive event in which the Chinese people showed their zeal and romanticism to the world. A mixture of high-tech and traditional performances, the ceremony was widely acclaimed by foreign media. [Bund Pic]
41Zheng Xiaopeng, a representative of visiting students from the earthquake-hit zone in Sichuan Province, China, salutes the audience after delivering a speech in Vladivostok, Russia on July 18. Zheng, who rescued many victims from under the debris in the disastrous earthquake, was hailed as a hero in his hometown. He led dozens of villagers to escape from a town enveloped by toxic fumes.
39Chinese in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, raise national flags to celebrate the start of the Olympic torch relay.
40The disabled Jin Jing smiles proudly as she raises the Beijing Olympic torch on April 7 in Paris. She had tried hard to protect the torch when the relay was interrupted by a group of Tibetan separatists who had managed to snatch it. They were arrested by French police.
37Villagers in front of the TV hail Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang, who walked in space on September 25. Zhai's family members were among the jubilant audience in Longjiang Town, Heilongjiang Province.
36Villagers from Hongxing Town, home to astronaut Liu Boming in Heilongjiang Province, perform Yangge, a popular rural folk dance, to celebrate the liftoff of Shenzhou VII spacecraft on the night of September 25.
35Jing Haipeng (left), Zhai Zhigang (middle) and Liu Boming (right) in the Shenzhou VII spacecraft. Zhai Zhigang, the first Chinese to set foot in outer space, said he was proud of the motherland.
30Members of the Olympic Delegation of Chinese Taipei march into the National Stadium at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, on Aug. 8.
29Chinese athletes win a record 51 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, topping the gold medal count as well as unseating the United States. Rarely has a country won more than 50 gold medals. The Games were seen as China's coming out party, and a demonstration of its rising economic and political strength.
