A contestant participates in a mermaid contest in Sanya, Hainan province, on Dec 21. Over 40 contestants participated in the contest, which kicked off Tuesday. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Middle school students play between classes as their lengthy shadows are seen from above in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, on Dec 21. More leisure sports, including diabolo and rollerblading, are being introduced as part of efforts to relieve students from excessive academic burdens. (YAN XIN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

A visitor takes pictures of the bianzhong bronze chime bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng State, which date back about 2,400 years, against a star-filled ceiling at the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Dec 20, when an expansion of the museum was inaugurated. Its renowned relics have been reorganized to offer visitors a better viewing experience. [(XIAO HAO / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Rescuers work at the site of an expressway bridge collapse in Ezhou, Hubei province, on Dec 18. A 500-meter section of a ramp bridge collapsed on Saturday, killing four people and injuring eight. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Chinese mainland table tennis stars Xu Xin (left) and Ma Long (right foreground) play with young Macao players during an exchange activity in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Dec 20. A delegation comprising 29 mainland athletes and three coaches from 12 sports, who attended the Tokyo Olympics this year, visited Macao from Sunday to Tuesday. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Photo taken on Dec 21 shows the scenery of the frozen Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River in Shaanxi province. The Hukou Waterfall, located on the border area between North China's Shanxi and Northwest China's Shaanxi provinces, formed a spectacular winter scenery as temperature continued to drop in recent days. [(PHOTO / XINHUA)

An excavator operator writes Chinese characters during a skills competition in Changsha, Hunan province, on Dec 20. More than 600 contestants competed in 30 categories, including 3D printing and robotic manipulation. (XU XING / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Twin panda cubs Chen Chen (left) and Xing Xing meet the public at Chongqing Zoo on Dec 21. The names of the cubs, born on June 10, were chosen in a poll of netizens. Another pair of panda twins, born on Sept 13, Qi Zhen and Qi Bao, were also named. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

A man walks amid rain and gales in Qionghai, Hainan province, on Dec 20. The center of Typhoon Rai passed through the sea about 150 kilometers off the city, triggering an alert－a rare occurrence in December. The typhoon was expected to move toward Guangdong province as it weakens, bringing some much-needed rain to the drought-afflicted area before it dissipates. (MENG ZHONGDE / FOR CHINA DAILY)