Hao Jingfang, the winner of this year's Hugo Award, speaks in Beijing in July. [Photo/Xinhua]

4. First Chinese woman to win a Hugo Award

Science-fiction author Hao Jingfang became the first Chinese woman to win a Hugo Award, beating best-selling horror and fantasy writer Stephen King in the best novelette category.

The 32-year-old from Tianjin received the prize for Folding Beijing, in which she depicts the Chinese capital as a city divided by social class.

Her win comes a year after Liu Cixin won a Hugo for his novel The Three-Body Problem. He was the first Chinese author to win the prize.

Related: Female sci-fi writer wins Hugo accolade

5. Auction of stolen or smuggled relics banned

A new regulation that bans the auction of stolen, smuggled and looted cultural relics reinforces China's firm stance on preventing the loss of relics and retrieving those that have been illegally transported abroad.

The State Administration of Cultural Relics issued the regulation on Oct 20 on its website, specifying the types of cultural objects that, if originally obtained illegally, cannot appear in sales.

They include all types of artworks dating before 1949, as well as documents and objects of historical importance and works of late modern artists that are restricted by law from exportation.

Related: China bans auction of looted cultural relics