Ethnic music online

An online portal has been launched to provide easy access to Chinese music from the country's 56 ethnic groups. 56zuren.com, a website featuring music created by various ethnic groups, is also launching mobile apps on both Apple and Android stores. The platform will have independent musicians submit their original works and let viewers navigate by their ethnicities instead of music genres. An English version of Zuren will be released late next year.

Shopping card offered

Global Blue, the Switzerland-based company that provides shopping solutions, has launched a new Global Blue Card for Chinese consumers. The card helps travelers and shoppers save up to 19 percent on purchases made abroad. Global Blue has noticed the growing interest among Chinese people for traveling and shopping. China's global shoppers claimed over 3 billion euros in tax refunds in 2012, more than any other country in the world. The latest card aims to eliminate all the obstacles to ensure the most efficient tax refund service, according to Arjen Kruger, the company's executive vice-president.

Big ideas from youth

The opening ceremony of the 2013 European Union's Youth in Action Youth Forum and English Debate kicked off recently at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The university, together with representatives from Slovenia, Lithuania and Thailand, won financial support from Youth in Action for their one-year project "Discuss, Understand… Change Environment" in 2012. In the ceremony, university students from the four countries summarized their achievements, such as promoting environment protection, energy-saving and emission-reduction, through micro films and debates. Following the debate in the other three countries, they will exchange views at Beijing's forum, which will mark the conclusion of the project.

Best family hotel awards

Commune by the Great Wall of Beijing, Ritz-Carlton of Sanya, Hilton Hangzhou Qiandao Lake Resort and seven other hotels have been selected by qunar.com as "best family hotels of 2013". The selection is based on nominations from customers, hotel test sleepers' reviews, and a jury's votes. Anybody who writes a hotel review of at least 500 words and provides at least three photos can become a hotel test-sleeper of qunar.com, and will get the chance to stay in hotels for free. After the selection of the "best family hotels", qunar.com launched the selection of the "best lovers' hotels".

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