A performer takes part in a fire show during the Grunwald Days festival in Grunwald, Poland, on July 17, 2026. The annual Grunwald Days festival commemorates the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which is regarded as one of the most important battles in Polish history. The festival runs from Wednesday through Sunday this year. (Photo by Alexey Vitvitsky/Xinhua)
This photo taken on July 17, 2026 shows staff members working on a micro and nanofabrication production line at Anhui North Microelectronics Research Institute Group Co., Ltd. in Bengbu, east China's Anhui Province. Bengbu, a traditional industrial city, has stepped up the development of its brain-computer interface (BCI) industry in recent years. By strengthening collaboration among industry, research institutes and medical institutions, Bengbu has built an innovation ecosystem that supports both BCI research and clinical application, aiming to become an emerging BCI innovation hub in the Yangtze River Delta region. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)
Yuan Xilin studies Spanish in a café in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 15, 2026. At 34, Yuan Xilin works as a ticket attendant at a Sichuan Opera theater in Chengdu, where he checks tickets, welcomes visitors and helps audiences find their way into the theater.
As Chengdu attracts growing numbers of international visitors interested in traditional Chinese opera and Sichuan Opera, Yuan meets dozens of overseas tourists every day. Hoping to make them feel more at ease, he began learning simple greetings in different languages so he could welcome them in their native tongue.
Yuan's interest in languages began in high school, when he came across a booklet introducing several foreign languages. Drawn to the rhythm of Spanish music and the sound of classical guitar, he developed a particular interest in Spanish.
As China's visa-free transit and other travel facilitation policies have brought more international visitors to the country, Yuan has expanded his language skills from English and Spanish to Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Polish and more. What once began with a simple greeting has gradually grown into brief conversations about visitors' experiences in China and introductions to Chengdu's local culture.
For Yuan, language is a bridge between cultures. He believes that even a simple greeting in a visitor's native language can make them feel welcome while creating opportunities for cultural exchange and his own personal growth. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
People work at an electric bicycle manufacturing company in Guigang City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 18, 2026. Enterprises in Guigang have gradually resumed operations after rainstorms and flooding caused by Typhoon Maysak. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)
Kylian Mbappe (top) of France competes during the bronze final match between France and England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Miami, the United States, July 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)
Children from Shenzhen learn to make sachet in Meide Village of Congjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 15, 2026. In the summer vacation, a surging number of students from big cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen come to Meide Village of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture for a study tour, living with local people and experiencing the culture and customs of the Dong ethnic group. (Photo by Wu Dejun/Xinhua)
Rescuers work at the site of a landslide in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 18, 2026. The geological disaster occurred at 9:08 a.m. on Friday in the Hanjia sub-district of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County in Chongqing, burying more than 10 residential buildings. Search and rescue operations are still underway. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
People relax on the beach in Gaza City, on July 17, 2026. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
This photo taken on July 18, 2026 shows the scenery in Fayoum, Egypt. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A small robot is pictured during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2026. The event scheduled from Friday to Monday showcases exhibitions of smart devices, AI plus culture and entertainment experiences, and a wide range of cutting-edge AI products, among which a range of humanoid robots and AI-powered dexterous hands as one of the highlights.
During the event, a variety of intelligent robots adaptable to diverse scenarios for industrial production and daily life are displayed. Notably, the country's annual output of humanoid robots is projected to exceed 100,000 units this year. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)
