GIDDY UP!

A local resident demonstrates traditional horse racing during a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture， Qinghai Province， on August 4.

Established in December 1951， Yushu is the first ethnic minority autonomous prefecture in Qinghai and the second nationwide. It is tucked away in the interior of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is home to Sanjiangyuan， which is the source of the Yangtze， Yellow and Lancang rivers. Hoh Xil， another drawing card of Yushu， was inscribed as the first World Natural Heritage Site on the plateau in 2017.

Pepper Harvest

Farmers package chili peppers in a township in Ordos， Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， on August 3. The city has been planting chili peppers on a large scale in recent years to increase farmers income and promote rural vitalization.

Teacher Training

About 10，000 normal college students will receive targeted training annually from 2021 onward in a bid to improve the performance of primary and middle school teachers in underdeveloped areas in central and western regions， according to a recent plan， Xinhua News Agency reported on August 3.

Normal colleges and universities in China mainly train teachers for educational institutions.

The special training will be delivered by normal universities under the Ministry of Education（MOE） and local-level normal colleges for schools in counties that have in recent years eliminated poverty and those located along the land borders， says the plan released by nine departments， including the MOE and the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Six normal universities directly under the MOE will enroll students from central and western regions for the nationallevel training program. These students should pledge to return to serve in primary and middle schools in designated counties for a period of at least six years， the plan says.

Students enrolled in the plan will be exempt from tuition and accommodation fees and will receive living subsidies.

Fan Culture

China has made progress in creating a wholesome fan culture after special actions targeting illegal and improper acts in the world of entertainment fandom， Xinhua reported on August 2.

The countrys cyberspace watchdog has removed over 150，000 pieces of harmful information from online platforms and chat groups amid efforts to create a clean online environment for star-struck web users， said the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission.