Beijing Design Week During National Day Holiday

Low carbon and environmental friendliness¹ are never outdated² themes when it comes to designing products for everyday use. At this year's Beijing Design Week, designers from all over the world have not only brought many innovatively designed products, but also have enlightened people that contemporary designs should have a greater aim to protect the environment.

Let's take a closer look with our reporter Liu Min.

 
Can clouds be transformed into ice cream? Well, such a fairytale thought has now been realized with an ice-cream machine that produces ice-cream snowflakes using nanotechnology. Facing the mounting global warming problem, the machine's designer, Zoe Papadopoulou of London, says she wants to remind people that if we don't protect our planet, then one day we probably will no longer be able to eat ice cream.

"This proposal we invented will modify the clouds to snow-ice-cream flavored snowflakes - so that we can engage the general public in more specific scientific research (in this area)."

This year's Beijing Design Week and the first Beijing International Design Triennial are running from September 26th to October 3rd. The organizer says Beijing is expected to move towards becoming a culture-enriched capital with better developed technology-driven design industries, while Chinese design brands will play a more influential⁴ role on the world stage. The ultimate goal is to help "Made in China" transform to "Designed in China."

As part of the Design Week events, a Beijing Design Exhibition is being held at the National Museum of China. A design team called Good Buddy⁵, consisting of 45 designers from all over the world, is displaying works ranging from home appliances to fashion products. The exhibit organizer, Qiu Chunlai from Tsinghua University, says all the designs reflect one concept—recycling.

"Take a look at the fashionable purses behind me. In fact, they are made of waterproof⁶ cloth which is used on trucks. Every year, the designers collect the old cloth from truck companies in Europe, and then they come up with new designs annually⁷ using these materials."

Designers from China have also expressed their own ideas through innovative³ works. For example, a collection of ground lights covered by empty mineral water bottles with a small note inside has impressed many visitors.

"I hope that the small lamps can light up every adult and child's hope for the future. These notes are written by students who live in remote villages in China. I hope more people can reach out to help these kids realize their dreams through joint⁸ efforts."

A bunch of plastic bags are designed to be ground lights, and above them is a piece of grass. The designer says it simulates a bad environmental situation underground, which in turn calls for a low-carbon lifestyle.

"This is a scene that I want everyone to take a look at. Tearing up a piece of grass, you'll find the soil is no longer as clean as we thought. It may be congested with all kinds of trash. I hope people can pay more attention to the details in their lives so that we can have a better environment in the future."

Low carbon is one of the themes of the Beijing Design Week campaigns. More than 130 activities will be held with more than 30 international events and over 90 Chinese exhibitions.

The festival venues⁹ include about 100 design landmarks¹⁰ in Beijing, such as Tsinghua University, Yonghe Park, China Design Market, Dashilan and Sanlitun Village. The central focus will be Tiananmen Square which will house a large-scale installation to be unveiled on October 1st in recognition of the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

1 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

2 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

3 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

4 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

6 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

7 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

10 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句