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From “Journey to the West” to “Black Myth” What has kept Sun Wukong timeless?

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BEIJING, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on “Black Myth: Wukong” and “Journey to the West”:

 

These days, a monkey has gone viral across various social media platforms, triggered by the official release of China’s indigenous action RPG “Black Myth: Wukong.”

In the game, players take on the role of “The Destined One,” and embark on a journey by following the footprints of Sun Wukong, the protagonist of “Journey to the West.” The first ever Triple-A game by China, “Black Myth: Wukong” won high ratings from many game-centered media both home and abroad; on day one of its release, it set a new record high in Steam’s history of concurrent players.

Many plots and characters in the game were appropriated from the great Chinese mythology masterpiece “Journey to the West.” For example, the final boss in the first level is a monster bear (Black Bear Guai) capable of fire attack; if the player has already acquired an item called “Fireproof Mantle,” triumph will be much easier. To acquire the tool, a hidden boss “Elder Jinchi” must be defeated. Here, these characters, tools, and plots are all based on a chapter from “Journey to the West,” where an old monk Jinchi tried to steal a kasaya robe from Tang Sanzang by setting fire, and Sun Wukong borrowed a Fireproof Mantle and protected his master; a monster bear however, stole the kasaya robe in chaos.

Hence, to better understand the plots in the game, many players, both domestic and abroad, begin to read the book, and some short-cut-seekers have turned to the TV series rendition of the work.

As the first romantic mythological novel in China, “Journey to the West” has been popular for several centennials and holds special significance for the Chinese.

From the birth of the stone monkey Sun Wukong to how he threw the Heavenly Palace into chaos, from how Sun Wukong protected his master Tang Sanzang through eighty-one ordeals to their final acquisition of the holy Buddhist scriptures, “Journey to the West” is a household name in China, while Sun Wukong, who is capable of seventy-two transformations and has fiery eyes with golden pupils, has for long been the very first hero admired and imitated by numerous Chinese children. Growing up, the children who were fascinated by Wukong stories tend to reopen the book in their adulthood, and ponder the philosophies hidden in between the lines.

For example, the main task for Tang Sanzang and his disciples was to attain the Buddhist scriptures, leading some to think this is a novel that intends to promote Buddhism. In fact, many elements from Daoism and Confucianism are blended into the novel. One can find Lord Lao Zi sitting with Ancient Buddha Dipamkara expounding the Way together; on the Ullambana Feast, the buddhas and deities created poems themed on happiness (Fu), official ranks (Lu), and longevity (Shou), which are typical ideals pursued in Daoism. In the book, the leading characters often quote from Confucian classics, while their behaviors from time to time reflect the values upheld by Confucianism, like benevolence, filial piety, courtesy, righteousness, etc. Such settings go beyond the doctrinal boundaries of any single religion, which not only reflect the trend of fusion among Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism in the 16th century, but also testify to the internal inclusiveness of the Chinese culture.

Throughout “Journey to the West,” there are many poems. But the line “I shall search the nameless rivers of the world, and climb all unknown mountain ranges” best captures the characters’ journey to the west. The destination of the journey was Vulture Peak. Once on their way, Tang Sanzang and his disciples began to wonder how long it still had to take to arrive. Sun Wukong answered: “If you see your true nature, are determined to be sincere, and always turn your head back to enlightenment, then you will have reached Vulture Peak.” Descriptions of such kind have given answers to issues like faith and perseverance, denoted by Chinese culture.

There are many other plots in the novel that offers peeks into the vulnerabilities of human nature, and many dialogues that encapsulate worldly wisdom in simple words.

Though “Journey to the West” portrays a world of deities, monsters, buddhas and demons, it actually covers topics that are highly relevant to human life and reality. What the novel tries to convey between the lines are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and philosophies, providing food for thought for all humanity.

Besides the Wukong in Black Myth, maybe you will also be interested in the Wukong in “Journey to the West.”

China Mosaic 
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
From “Journey to the West” to “Black Myth”: What has kept Sun Wukong timeless?
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2024-08/30/content_117397442.htm 

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SOURCE China.org.cn

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AGFUND wins international award for excellence in inclusive banking and social impact

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October 17, 2026

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 Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal credits the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks for laying the foundations of its development impact

BANGKOK, Oct. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) won the “Excellence in Inclusive Banking and Social Impact” award at the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Awards, organized by the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) in cooperation with the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG).

AGFUND CEO Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraid accepted the award in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, said the recognition acknowledges AGFUND’s experience using financial services to empower underserved communities, strengthen livelihoods and promote economic independence.

He credited the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks, particularly the late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, for establishing institutions centered on empowering people.

He added that the award reflects over two decades of commitment, the dedication of financial inclusion banks and partners, and clients who transformed financing into businesses and family income. He emphasized expanding opportunities and measuring success through lasting improvements in people’s lives.

Prince Abdulaziz stressed that the recognition reflects the value of institutions reaching excluded populations and encourages broader access and economic opportunities for families.

AGFUND’s financial inclusion banking network has served more than 1.3 million clients and disbursed over US$1.37 billion in financing since inception. Women represent 59 per cent of borrowers, demonstrating its contribution to economic empowerment.

Presented by WSBI, established in 1924, together with ESBG, the award recognizes an approach linking financial services, social impact and sustainable development.

Following its first bank in Jordan in 2004, AGFUND expanded across nine countries: Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Mauritania and Sierra Leone, focusing on communities underserved by conventional financial institutions.

The network has issued more than 1.5 million loans, opened over 927,000 savings accounts, established 112 branches and employed more than 1,500 people. Its services finance micro and small enterprises and income-generating activities, improving livelihoods and economic independence.

AGFUND plans to strengthen development partnerships, advance digital solutions and innovative financial products, and integrate financing with training, capacity development, market access and risk protection.

It is also exploring geographic expansion, particularly in Africa, through institutional partnerships that adapt successful approaches to local needs and extend sustainable financial inclusion to more communities.

Website – https://agfund.org/

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SOURCE The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)

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GAC Showcases Multiple Models at Canton Fair: Systemic Global Expansion as a Response to High‑Level Opening‑Up

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October 17, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 15 October, the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) kicked off in Guangzhou. Dubbed “China’s No.1 Exhibition” with a 70‑year history, it serves as a vital window for global merchants to understand China, and one of GAC’s stages to connect with the world. For international buyers, GAC serves not only as a sourcing platform but as a trusted channel for experiencing Chinese automotive innovation and building long-term local partnerships. Having made its debut in 2012, GAC has participated in the fair 30 times to date. Together with the Canton Fair, it has witnessed the transformation of Made‑in‑China products into Chinese global brands.

This transformation is reflected in GAC’s global expansion journey through a string of continuously refreshed sales figures. Overseas sales stood at 90,000 units in 2024, hit 130,000 units in 2025, and exceeded 197,000 units in January‑September 2026, representing a year‑on‑year surge of 138.9%. GAC is sprinting full steam ahead toward its annual target of 300,000 overseas units. GAC has accomplished a shift from “product export” to “system‑level global expansion”.

At the GAC booth, XT80, AION i60 and AISTALAND GX7 showcased intelligent driving, three-electric systems and premium cabins. The energy-ecology zone featured DC ultra-fast charging piles, 7 kW smart home chargers, multi-in-one electric drive units and PV-Storage-Charging-Swapping Technology, addressing range anxiety. Opening day drew buyers from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Africa. At the Music & Cuisine Festival, GAC built three immersive spaces blending smart mobility, Cantonese cuisine, camping and sports. The XT80, AION N60, GAC S7 and AISTALAND GT7 served as lifestyle carriers, letting guests enjoy morning tea, global cuisines and intangible cultural heritage.

GAC will advance its ONE GAC 2.0 strategy, deepening localized operations and expanding its systematic global layout. As a tribute to the Canton Fair’s 70th anniversary and a new business card for China’s auto industry, GAC will help drive Chinese intelligent manufacturing onto the global stage.

For further information about GAC, please visit https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow us on social media.

 

SOURCE GAC

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Highland and Bath Counties, Virginia Go Live on a Shared Caliber Hosted CAD Environment

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October 17, 2026

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Two neighboring rural counties, two dispatch centers, one common platform supporting more than 900 square miles of mountainous terrain

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caliber Public Safety announced that Highland County and Bath County, Virginia went live on Caliber Hosted CAD on Tuesday, October 6, with both counties operating within a shared hosted environment. The arrangement gives each county its own dispatch operation while placing both on a common platform, creating a practical foundation for coordination between two neighboring jurisdictions.

For rural agencies, interoperability is usually a question of what happens when an incident crosses a county line. Mutual aid is routine in this part of western Virginia, where Highland County covers roughly 416 square miles with about 2,300 residents, and Bath County covers more than 500 square miles with about 4,100 residents. Together, the two counties serve a largely forested and mountainous service area with a small number of dispatchers and responders on any given shift.

The shared tenant approach addresses that directly. Each county retains the configuration, workflows, and local control it needs to run its own center. Both counties work from the same underlying platform, which removes the technical barriers that normally sit between separate CAD systems in adjacent jurisdictions.

“Two counties sharing one hosted CAD environment is not something you see often in rural public safety, and it took real coordination between both counties and our teams to get there,” said Michael Sturgeon, Senior Project Manager at Caliber Public Safety. “What matters is what the dispatchers and responders have now. Each county runs its own center the way it needs to, and neither one is working in isolation anymore.”

Capabilities Delivered

Highland County, which joined the Caliber CAD customer base with this project, is now operating Hosted CAD with integrated mapping and CJIS query, along with Google Places address validation and a LinX interface for regional information sharing. The county also uses Caliber’s Online RMS for sworn and non-sworn personnel. For dispatchers covering a county with one of the highest mean elevations east of the Mississippi River, verified addressing and immediate access to criminal justice data reduce the guesswork that slows down a call.

Bath County is operating Hosted CAD with mapping and CJIS query, plus interfaces to PulsePoint, RapidSOS with alerts. The RapidSOS connections put caller location and device data in front of the dispatcher at the start of the call, which matters in terrain where a caller may not be able to describe where they are. The PulsePoint interface extends cardiac arrest notifications to trained citizens and off-duty responders nearby, a meaningful addition in a county where response distances are long.

A Migration, Not Just an Implementation

Bath County has been a Caliber premise CAD and Online RMS customer for years. As part of this project, the county moved its premise-based system onto Hosted CAD, and Caliber completed a data conversion to bring the historical CAD databases forward into the new environment.

That piece is often the sticking point for agencies considering a move off a premise system. Years of call history, incident records, and master index data represent case continuity, state reporting obligations, and institutional knowledge. Data conversion is a formal, structured component of every Caliber implementation, with Caliber’s team managing the technical transformation, validation, and loading so that historically critical records carry over intact.

Caliber products are hosted at Nlets, the International Justice and Public Safety Network, and meet FBI CJIS policies, standards, and guidelines. The facilities include multi-site hot backup disaster recovery and redundant network paths to key state and federal entities.

Project Teams

The go-live required coordination among both counties and Caliber’s Professional Services, Deployment, Training, Engineering, and Support teams. Caliber congratulates the public safety professionals of Highland County and Bath County on a successful implementation and looks forward to a fruitful partnership.

About Caliber Public Safety

Caliber Public Safety provides integrated technology solutions for law enforcement, fire/EMS, corrections, and 911 communications agencies. The Caliber platform includes CAD, Mobile, Online RMS, and JailTracker, all built by and for public safety professionals. With a focus on reliability, interoperability, and ease of use, Caliber serves hundreds of agencies across the country, helping first responders spend less time on technology and more time serving their communities.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highland-and-bath-counties-virginia-go-live-on-a-shared-caliber-hosted-cad-environment-302911615.html

SOURCE Caliber Public Safety

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