Culture:

A photo exhibition featuring Vietnam was recently held in Beijing. The photos were all taken by Chinese photographers, who captured the natural beauty of Vietnam and the lives of the local people. Cultural exchanges between the two nations have a long history. As bilateral relations have deepened in recent years, the number of cultural exchange activities, such as art festivals and forums, has seen rapid growth.

(above) carry gas cylinders for cooking in this picture from 1997.

But a decade or so later, the choices for those who cooked included electromagnetic cookers seen at a store (right) selling household electrical appliances in Nantong, Jiangsu province, in 2009.

The Chinese get more inclined to buy ovens and cookers that are portable, safe and green.

Per capita disposable income topped 10,000 yuan for the first quarter of the year in five of China’s 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. The National Bureau of Statistics data showed that people in Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu...