HAIKOU ATTRACTS OVER ONE MILLION TOURISTS DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY

 
 

^{Changying Wonderland in Xiuying District, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China saw a big jump in visitors during the Chinese New Year holiday.}  


HAIKOU, China, Feb. 24, 2021 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ --
 
Recently, China celebrated its grandest annual event -- the Chinese New Year. In Hainan, a major tourist province in southern China, citizens' enthusiasm for traveling continued to surge. According to Haikou Tourism Development Commission, the capital Haikou received a total of 1,171,100 visitors during the seven-day holiday, raking in RMB 1.291 billion.
 
During the holiday, a variety of activities were carried out in major attractions in the city. At the public dock for Haikou National Sailing Base, sailboats, sailboards, rowing boats and yachts were provided for visitors to have fun with the seawater on the west coast of Haikou. At the century-old Haikou Clock Tower, the city's landmark, a large-scale light show was launched for the first time. With three-dimensional sound and light effects, the show presented Haikou's sea culture and Nanyang culture, becoming a "new hotspot" at night for citizens and tourists in Haikou.
 
In terms of rural tourism, Haikou held the Wenshan Xinpo Winter Fruit and Vegetable Picking Festival, which offered countryside picnics, "Gongdao" meals, and other rural activities; the Haikou Lianlizhi Fisherman's Guesthouse rolled out activities such as mangrove tours, snack making, and long table barbecues, gaining wide popularity among tourists.
 
This year, duty-free shopping also became a "trump card" that attracted visitors to Haikou. During the seven-day holiday, the duty-free stores in Haikou received 32,712 visitors, up 51.8% year-on-year, with sales revenue of RMB 157 million and per capita expenditure of RMB 4,805, up 225.5% and 43.81%, respectively.
 
Source: Haikou Tourism Development Commission
 
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   Caption: Changying Wonderland in Xiuying District, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China saw a big jump in visitors during the Chinese New Year holiday.

Hong Kong Tourism Board bullish notching up cherished traditions for Chinese New Year

 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 -- Hong Kong is set to welcome the Chinese New Year (CNY) festival in its own style by bridging traditional elements with innovative ideas, making the Year of the Ox a blissful and enjoyable year to remember, even though it is likely going to be a little different.

Although there will be no physical events because of the COVID-19 situation, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is turning the CNY celebrations up a notch by infusing the cherished traditions with online, innovative elements, sending festive blessings in a whole new fashion.

According to a statement, a three-week ‘Fortunes in Hong Kong’ CNY campaign will be held in ‘online+offline’ format ending Feb 26.

The campaign features a creative online market, offering CNY delicacies and specialties, alongside plentiful contents, including games, lucky feng shui tips and festive e-cards to allow participants to feel the festive vibe across boundaries.

At the creative online market, a collection of delightful crossover products, jointly created by traditional local brands and trend-setting brands, is available for those hoping to enjoy the CNY celebrations in style.

Not to be missed is a collaboration between the 73-year-old Kung Lee Sugar Cane Drink and chic candy brand Papabubble. Together, they created handmade candies with different herbal tea flavours to bring these old-fashioned, sometimes bitter drinks to a new level.

With all the festive activities in town, Hong Kong is ready to welcome the Year of the Ox with joy and blessings.

-- BERNAMA

THE SUCCESSOR OF THE 600-YEAR-OLD "ORIENTAL CHOCOLATE" SEEKS INHERITANCE PATH IN HAIKOU

 

^{The worker pours the boiled brown sugar syrup into a mold and waits for it to be air-dried into sugar cubes.}


HAIKOU, China, Feb. 8, 2021 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ --

The Spring Festival, the most significant festival in Chinese culture, was just around the corner. Wu Qizhen, the 66-year-old successor of a traditional sugar-making technique included in the intangible cultural heritage list, was busy instructing workers to manufacture the brown sugar for the last "sweet" order before the festival on February 3.
 
Mr. Wu's brown sugar workshop was established in Zuntan Town, the south of Haikou, Hainan province. According to historical records, the traditional sugar-making industry has existed in Zuntan Town for over 600 years. The local sugarcane provides the raw material for the Zuntan brown sugar, which is manufactured through such procedures as juicing, boiling and solidifying. It is known as the "Oriental Chocolate" with high nutritional and medicinal value.
 
Mr. Wu told us that his brown sugar is made with an ancestral technique, including juice extraction, filtration, boiling and crystallization. The process of turning raw sugarcane juice into syrup takes about 8 to 12 hours. After the boiling, the syrup is poured into molds to get cubes after solidification and air-drying. Those sugar cube has the attractive shape and color of chocolate, but the taste is refreshingly sweet after it rapidly melts in the mouth.
 
According to Mr. Wu, the locals have regarded the traditional sugar-making technique as a sweet but hard-working skill with a low yield. Now, there are only five traditional sugar technique successors in Zuntan Town, all of whom are over 50 years old.
 
Mr. Wu's traditional brown sugar workshop has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage project in Haikou (at the provincial level). In addition to the traditional product portfolio of the ginger brown sugar, the rose brown sugar and jujube brown sugar, Mr. Wu planned to invent a new variety with Hainan characteristics, the coconut brown sugar. He also upgraded the production equipment in 2020, and began to train his son to be the sixth generation of traditional sugar technique successor. "Perhaps, there will be more people willing to learn the traditional art of sugar-making when the sugar workshop gains more growth," said Mr. Wu.
 
Source: Wu Qizhen's brown sugar workshop
 
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   Caption: The worker pours the boiled brown sugar syrup into a mold and waits for it to be air-dried into sugar cubes.

Low carbon future for cement possible with CCS

 KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 -- A low carbon future for cement is advancing through a unique feasibility study to see carbon capture and storage (CCS) on Lehigh Cement’s plant in Edmonton, Alberta.

Recognising the substantial role that large-scale CCS has in reducing greenhouse (GHG) emissions, Lehigh Cement, the International CCS Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group are moving forward with the engineering design for this feasibility study of the cement plant’s carbon capture system.

A first for the North American cement industry, the Lehigh CCS Feasibility Study looks at the viability of capturing 90-95 per cent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) - an estimated 600,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually - from the cement plant’s flue gas.

According to a statement, the study is also a first for each of these organisations in North America all of whom pledge to actively work toward decarbonisation.

The study is timely as the recently released Canada Climate Plan specifically indicates that it will develop a comprehensive CCS strategy and explore other opportunities to help keep Canada globally competitive in this growing industry.

With experience gained via the design, construction, operation, and subsequent enhancements/modifications of the SaskPower Boundary Dam 3 CCS Facility (BD3 Facility), the Knowledge Centre, along with MHI Group and their collaborative work on the Shand CCS Feasibility Study, continue to be at the forefront of post-combustion capture processes globally.

Due to the remarkable similarities in flue gases, the expertise acquired at the BD3 Facility can be adapted to the cement sector with experience-based guidance from the Knowledge Centre.

With cement demand on the rise and as a sector that is challenged with further abating emissions, large-scale CCS could well become the definitive solution to cut GHGs.

The Lehigh CCS Feasibility Study explores the value of this for the cement industry, by encompassing engineering designs, cost estimation and an indepth business case analysis.

-- BERNAMA

KSK LAND LAUNCHES AN IMMERSIVE DIGITAL DREAMSCAPE THIS CHINESE NEW YEAR

A Behind-The-Scenes look at the Arts & Technology Behind KSK Land’s Chinese New Year Campaign 


KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- When all you need to experience the world is by WiFi, your choices for escape are limitless. To usher in the year of the Ox, KSK Land, one of Malaysia’s leading lifestyle property developers has launched a one-of-its-kind experiential digital dreamscape where you get to immerse yourself in an otherworldly digital dreamscape and discover the inspirations behind the residential towers of 8 Conlay - YOO8 serviced by Kempinski. 

Upon arriving at the dreamscape portal (cny.8conlay.com), users will be able to virtually escape into an island paradise that symbolises the Chinese character of prosperity. While exploring at their own relaxed pace, users will be able to interact with icons which enables them to learn more about the inspirations behind 8 Conlay. The soundtrack to the dreamscape is composed by Dae Kim, an internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who has composed an ethereal yet optimistic soundtrack specifically for the dreamscape portal. 

If that’s not enough to entice your curiosity, you can also stand a chance to receive a limited edition Chinese New Year hand-illustrated ang pow packet gift set by spotting the 8 oxen that have been hidden in the virtual dreamscape. A project between KSK Land and multidisciplinary creative studio Fictionist Studio, this custom-designed pop-up set is inspired by Platter, the upcoming experiential dining hall at 8 Conlay.

A closer look at the ang pow packets reveals a nostalgic chic theme that was hand-illustrated by Malaysian illustrator Barbarian Flower. Charming details include beautiful floral elements combined with nostalgic delights such as jelly, white rabbit candy, pineapple tarts and love letter wafers interspersed with Lunar New Year motifs such as birds, peaches, flowers and fishes.

“Bespoke experiences are what we deliver to our customers at KSK Land. In the new norm, facilitating virtual connectivity and digitisation is having a sense of adventure and curiosity. To usher in the year of the Ox, we wanted to give people an experience of ‘escapism’ into a world through the 8 Conlay dreamscape portal where they can immerse themselves while also learning more about the inspirations and the ‘artists’ behind the making of 8 Conlay - KSK Land’s maiden project - through visual and audio interactivity.”

“The custom-made KSK Chinese New Year gift set also serves as a visual reminder on the timeless traditional reunion of family and friends during the festivities, with the plate as the core focus of the gift set. Since food always takes centre stage at any gathering, the plate that it is served on tends to be overlooked. Just like how KSK Land sets the stage for people to work, live and play at 8 Conlay, the plate represents a stage and vessel for the full dining experience. Drawing upon this parallel, for this Chinese New Year, we want to pay homage to this humble household object by using it as a canvas to tell the story of KSK and its businesses, intertwined with festive narratives,” said Joanne Kua, Chief Executive Officer of KSK Group and Managing Director of KSK Land.  

Those who experience the digital dreamscape will also stand a chance to win their very own KSK Chinese New Year Ang Pow gift set. For more details, visit our official Instagram accounts at @8Conlay and @KSKLand. 


NOTE TO EDITORS:


About KSK Land

Founded in 2013, KSK Land is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KSK Group Berhad, an established Malaysian investment holding company. With an existing presence in the general insurance business across Southeast Asia with KSK Insurance Indonesia and KSK Insurance Thailand, KSK Group expanded into the property development market in Malaysia with KSK Land. A dynamic new player on the international property development scene, KSK Land’s maiden project, 8 Conlay, reflects the company’s vision to craft bespoke properties that prioritise design, craftsmanship and lifestyle.

About 8 Conlay

Designed by architect Hud Bakar (of RSP Architects) with landscapes by designer Pok Kobkongsanti (of TROP Studio), 8 Conlay will welcome a new generation of the world’s pioneers and trailblazers to the vibrant heart of Kuala Lumpur. Perfectly poised between nature and the city’s leading attractions, the three-tower integra ed property will elevate the art of living with a five-star Kempinski Hotel, experiential retail quarters and branded residences called YOO8 serviced by Kempinski, which have been curated exclusively by Steve Leung and YOO (Tower A) and Kelly Hoppen for YOO (Tower B).


SOURCE : KSK Land 

A NEW FUTURE FOR GAS-POWERED INDUSTRIES WITH PETROLIFE AERO LNG

 Petrolife’s Virtual Gas Pipeline to catalyse new industrial developments off-grid

 
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) --  Kelantan recently witnessed the opening of its maiden natural gas-powered manufacturing facility, thanks to a local energy services company that made it possible for industrial-sized delivery of natural gas into the state without a pipeline.
 
So when one of Malaysia’s largest glovemakers – typically known as among the largest non-power industrial consumers of natural gas – expanded its manufacturing facility in Kelantan and significantly increased the facility’s reliance towards natural gas, it certainly raised eyebrows, as the state still does not have the pipeline infrastructure in place to-date.
 
The off-grid gas delivery was made possible by integrated energy company Petrolife Aero  Sdn Bhd, which is the first company in Malaysia to offer virtual pipeline system (VPS) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) since 2019.
 
In a nutshell, a virtual gas pipeline allows the delivery of LNG from any LNG terminal in Malaysia to any desired location via ISO tankers on land.
 
The VPS opened up a new opportunity: natural gas can now be delivered anywhere in Malaysia in the massive quantity required by gas-powered industrial facilities, even if the facility is off the grid or without a physical pipeline.
 
“The agreement with this massive glovemaker outfit marks Petrolife Aero Sdn. Bhd. first term LNG supply agreement in Malaysia,” said Petrolife Aero Sdn. Bhd. managing director Datuk Mohd Aqliff Shane Abdullah in an interview. 
 
“This exemplifies the trust from our client towards our delivery capabilities, where we provide stable and consistent gas supply in the quantity needed, on time, at a competitive rate which makes it the viable choice for the manufacturer to set up its facility away from your typical industrial locations like in the West Coast,” said Mohd Aqliff.
 
Making the most efficient fuel more accessible
 
One of the reasons natural gas is preferred energy source for the power and industrial sectors is due to its thermal efficiency. The commodity is also seeing stable demand despite the rise of green energy, and for good reasons, said Samsul Ariff Idris, Director, Commercial and Trading at Petrolife Areo Sdn. Bhd.
 
“Among all types of fossil fuels, natural gas produces the least carbon dioxide per unit of energy generated,” Samsul said. “This also makes it the preferred transitional fuel source which is more practical to store and transfer than renewable energy,” he added.
 
The growth in gas consumption as an alternative to other fossil fuels is also in line with the Government’s intention to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% from its 2005 levels by 2030.
 
However, one long standing challenge, is that the physical pipeline was the sole practical means of delivery – until recently.
 
“At Petrolife Aero LNG, it is all about Delivering Cleaner Energy. With our VPS service, natural gas is liquified at a cryogenic temperature of -160 °C, to be transported in liquid form (LNG) and regasified upon delivery for consumption.
 
“The liquification process shrinks the volume by a factor of around 600 times – allowing a bigger quantity of natural gas to be delivered with lower loss of molecule in transit,” Samsul said.
 
As an extension to the LNG VPS delivery service, Petrolife Aero LNG also provides the technical service to store the product in LNG form on-site, or to transform the LNG back to gas via regasification method for consumption.
 
“Amid Malaysia’s greenhouse gas emissions commitment, Petrolife is promoting and creating new demand for cleaner energy, in supporting the Government’s aim of achieving its sustainable development goals in line with international best practices,” he added.
 
Supporting equitable socioeconomic growth with off-grid delivery
 
Additionally, Petrolife Aero LNG also provides full-fledged services to establish a co-generation unit on-site with generation capacity between 50MW and 100MW, together with the technical guidance needed to run the power plant and the manufacturing facility – all off-grid.
 
All these options give significant advantages for manufacturers currently relying on natural gas. With a minor trade-off on LNG delivery costs, a manufacturer can secure much cheaper overall energy costs for operations; and can set up facilities in less-crowded locations, resulting in lower costs for land, facility development, and labour costs, which ultimately improves the overall margins involved.
 
It instantly resolves one of the biggest challenges experienced by business owners seeking to expand their manufacturing facilities outside of key industrial areas like Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Pulau Pinang – the stable sourcing of gas for energy or chemical supply.
 
For states like Kelantan, VPS opens new doors for economic opportunities, which also supports job creation and industrialisation. The state’s competitiveness in terms of labour and land costs is made much more attractive now that natural gas supply is much more accessible.
 
Indirectly, the VPS supports the Shared Prosperity Vision championed by the Government – as it facilitates equitable growth in rural states, at the same time provides the opportunity for these states to enjoy the abundance of gas supply in Malaysia that has long been an engine of growth for states with access to the energy source.
 
Industry pioneer in delivering LNG via Virtual Pipeline System since 2019
 
Interestingly, the delivery of LNG via the virtual pipeline to Kelantan is not Petrolife Aero LNG’s first LNG delivery in Malaysia.
 
“Petrolife Aero LNG is the industry pioneer in both the virtual pipeline system solutions, as well a small scale LNG imports into the country,” said managing director Mohd Aqliff.
 
Petrolife Aero LNG, Mohd Aqliff explained, was awarded the license to import LNG and natural gas into Malaysia since 2018 from the Energy Commission.
 
“We have provided spot supply since 2019 to clients in Klang and Johor. This is the testament that we are equipped with the expertise and experience to champion this market,” Mohd Aqliff added.
 
“We are the first to conduct the full-fledged service in Malaysia, from LNG import to LNG off-grid delivery and to on-site regasification. Alhamdulillah, the industry understands the opportunities brought about by the VPS, demand has been encouraging and we are on track to achieve our total daily volume supply target of 10,000 mmbtu for 2021,” Mohd Aqliff added.
 
Expanding into East Malaysia; Sabah Small Scale LNG on the drawing board
 
Having established its name among gas consumers in Peninsular Malaysia, Petrolife Aero LNG has its next market expansion plan laid out for 2021 – to provide the full-fledged service in East Malaysia.
 
 “The VPS will allow companies to take advantage of the vast available space in East Malaysia, to set up factories close to logistics infrastructure, sources of raw materials, or human resource, without being restricted by concerns over gas supply delivery. 
 
“This will open up new possibilities for industrial players in Sabah and Sarawak, and act as a economic growth multiplier in the surrounding area,” Mohd Aqliff said.
 
Petrolife Aero LNG is currently close to achieving a final investment decision for the development of a small-scale LNG terminal in Sabah, shared Mohd Aqliff. The company has identified a suitable land for the development, and the acquisition process is ongoing.
 
This, he said, will provide the much-needed capacity that will ensure security of gas supply to power new industrial areas or large scale factories. In the pipeline, the group has a 50 MW co-generation plant project with a client to secure the offtake from the LNG terminal.
 
“We are confident of our track record in LNG delivery. This is combined with our expertise across the entire supply chain, and the necessary regulations and Government policies in place to facilitate LNG delivery, storage and consumption.
 
“Petrolife Aero LNG is ready to assist the market to establish their facilities in the best place possible without ever worrying about securing the supply of natural gas,” he added. 


SOURCE : Petrolife Aero Sdn Bhd