Have a friend visiting China, any recommendations for places to visit in Taiwan province? Monuments, places, groups etc especially those friendly to mainland and chinese history

The wetlands are important ecosystems that help sustain local biodiversity and regulate environmental conditions. However, declining rainfall, drought, excessive water extraction, and drainage projects have contributed to their degradation and the shrinking water bodies.

A specialized webinar to review the operational aspects of the memorandum of understanding for the joint project was held on Saturday with the participation of University of Tehran faculty members and representatives of relevant organizations.

Coordinated by the Secretariat of the National Dust Storm Headquarters, the project involves the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Tehran, and the Plan and Budget Organization. It aims to curb active dust storm sources, improve the hydrological regimes of the two wetlands, and enhance the livelihoods of local communities.

Under the plan developed for the first phase, rehabilitating drainage systems and reopening waterways, establishing living and non-living windbreaks, implementing biological measures, using environmentally compatible mulches, and empowering local communities have been envisaged, Mehr news agency reported.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE), in accordance with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s directives and to follow up on the resolutions of Iran’s National Headquarters for Dust Storm Policy and Coordination, a specialized webinar was held on Saturday, reviewing the operational aspects of the tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) of the Iran-China joint project. Officials from the University of Tehran and other related organizations attended the webinar.

Addressing the event, Behzad Raygani, secretary of the National Secretariat for Sand and Dust Storms, outlined the parameters for joint effort while highlighting the need for integrated water resources management, restoration of wetland ecosystems, development of conservation agriculture, and stabilization of soil in critical dust hotspots.

The initiative serves as an example of national synergy, and proactive environmental diplomacy will be pursued across the short-term, medium-term, and long-term.

Pezeshkian pushes for drafting action plan to combat desertification

In September, President Pezeshkian highlighted the need to draft a five-year Iranian-Chinese action plan to manage airborne dust and combat desertification in line with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two countries.

The MOU was inked in the last month of spring in 2025, in Lanzhou, China, to promote scientific cooperation and address sand and dust storms (SDSs) challenges, IRNA reported.

Following specialized meetings and an assessment of scientific and operational indicators, a five-year action plan is scheduled to be developed, and two regions have been designated as pilot sites for implementing joint efforts.

The selected areas include Salehiyeh Wetland, a major dust source affecting Alborz, Qazvin, and Tehran provinces, and Tabas desert, another main dust hotspot in the country, chosen due to their roles in the expansion of desertification, sandstorms, and their impacts on agriculture and infrastructure.

Highlighting the importance of protecting natural resources and the environment, Pezeshkian called for taking action against unauthorized construction and illegal activities that undermine regulations and lead to environmental consequences, as well as benefiting from the capacities and expertise of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in implementing pilot projects.

The official made the remarks in a meeting held on September 13 to give an account of the progress in the bilateral MOU.

Moreover, the president urged the University of Tehran to maintain constant collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and develop a joint action plan to be assessed and discussed in the next meetings. The official also asked the Plan and Budget Organization to secure funds required for the studies and measures in the five-year action plan.

Dust storms are significant environmental challenges that adversely affect food security, human health, and the sustainable development process at national and regional levels.

Being located in an arid and semi-arid area, Iran has been negatively impacted by climate change. The rise in temperatures, drop in precipitation, intensified droughts, and frequent SDSs have not only threatened the ecosystem and biodiversity but also jeopardized the country’s food security by exacerbating soil erosion, expanding desertification, and declining agricultural productivity.

First picture : Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains《鹊华秋色图》, painted by Zhao Mengfu赵孟頫, in 1295 (first year of the Yuanzhen era), this masterpiece depicts the autumn scenery around Hua Buzhu Mountain 华不注山and Que Mountain鹊山 northeast of Jinan. Zhao Mengfu creatively blended ink wash with green-and-blue landscape techniques, creating a landmark literati-style colored landscape that deeply influenced later Chinese painting.

https://x.com/tongbingxue/status/2114329416084115840

With the game on the verge of release, embargo had just been lifted for outlets to published their reviews. Pretty much the game had made a huge impression on anyone that had played it and reviews universally praise in it's concept, design and game play.

Currently game is sitting at at 91 over at Opencritic and 88 on Metacritic. Following are some excerpts of selected reviews:

"Phantom Blade Zero is hands down the best action RPG this year, and quite honestly, one of the best action games I have played in a very long time." - Dual Shocker 9.5/10

"Phantom Blade Zero’s combat system should be taught in every game design school. It’s rare to see this level of mastery, even from studios with years of AAA experience under their belts." - screenactu 9.8/10

"Phantom Blade Zero is an absolute masterclass in action-RPG design, offering some of the finest combat choreography, depth, and world-building I've ever had the honour of experiencing. Watching S-Game elevate their foundational roots into a grand-scale AAA marvel where their passion blazes through every frame is nothing short of astounding." - PlayStation Universe - 10/10

"Phantom Blade Zero is a pretty chunky game at 40 or so hours. But I swear, man, it's all killer, no filler. It feels like a 40-hour long crescendo where it starts small and quaint and linear, but by the end, every part of it feels so deep and expansive and rewarding. You can absolutely tell that SGA left nothing on the field here" - Skill Up - 'STRONGLY RECOMMEND'

"Phantom Blade Zero is a genre-defining game that stands as one of the best current-generation titles to date. Effortlessly marrying the fluidity of a combat system that masterfully balances offense and defense with tight world design, staggering weapon variety, and some of the most memorable boss fights in recent memory, S-Game has delivered a masterpiece with its first major PC and console release that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the absolute peak of the genre" - Wccftech 10/10

"Phantom Blade Zero is one of the best action games I’ve played in a long time, with standout combat that never came even close to feeling old across 50 hours of playing. It all takes place in a sharp, unique world that I adored spending time in despite the fact that just about everyone and everything in it wanted me dead." - IGN 9/10

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