lift

China aims to break records with the largest ice park in the world. And he has already begun to lift it block by block

by

At the end of November, in Harbin, the image is repeated every winter, with a scale that has not stopped growing in recent editions: cranes, machinery and workers begin to raise structures on a surface that weeks later will become walls, towers and slides made of ice. According to official dataconstruction is advanced this year thanks to the ice stored during the previous season and preserved for more than ten months. This material allows work to begin even before the river freezes completely again, with the aim of preparing an area that this winter will have 1.2 million square meters. Harbin Ice-Snow World It has grown from a local celebration to a seasonal theme park that rises again each winter. It functions as an enclosure with defined entrances, circulation areas, walkable structures and spaces to stay for hours, especially when it gets dark and the lighting changes the perception of the place. It is not just a setting for photographs, but a park designed to be walked, used and visited for a few weeks, while weather conditions allow it. When ice stops being landscape and becomes infrastructure Upon entering the venue, the experience is more similar to that of a theme park than a temporary exhibition. You can walk between buildings, climb platforms, slide down ramps or access areas prepared for snow activities. The architectural elements are not presented as immobile pieces, but as part of the route. For this edition, those responsible have announced spaces intended for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and collective snow gamesas well as an additional stage that will complement the cultural activities of the already usual Dream Stage. The proposal does not focus solely on showing structures, but on facilitating their use within a planned and temporary environment. Before erecting ice structures, Harbin already celebrated winter through local practices. Hand-carved ice lanterns began to be used in the city in the middle of the last century and gave rise to the first Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, held on January 5, 1985. indicate official pages. The jump to the current format came in 1999, when Harbin Ice-Snow World was created as an independent venue, with specific access and design. Since then, the evolution has been constant: more surface area, greater volume of materials, presence of machinery and planned construction processes. The park, under construction in November 2025 Harbin has turned winter into a source of economic activity. According to data released by Xinhuathe city received 90.36 million visitors during the last season, with estimated income of 137.22 billion yuan (almost 17 million euros), an increase of 16.6% compared to the previous year. Ice-Snow World does not explain these figures on its own, but it acts as one of the main focuses of attraction and as an element that concentrates tourist services, accommodation, restaurants and transportation during the weeks in which it remains open. The construction mobilizes technical profiles, operators and specialists in structure and lighting, while the opening requires personnel for visitor service, security, maintenance and tourist support. Many of these roles are temporary, but require prior coordination and planning. When comparing Harbin to other major winter events, such as the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan or Quebec Winter Carnival in Canadathe difference is not only in size, but in structure. Sapporo distributes its sculptures in various urban spaces and Quebec combines culture, parades and outdoor activities, but neither of them functions as a theme park concentrated in a single venue, as occurs in Harbin. Harbin uses hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of ice and snow, according to official data, and builds walkable structures that are part of the route and not just the landscape. It is not so much a festival as a temporary recreational facility. Harbin Ice-Snow World has been integrated into the city’s tourism calendar as a seasonal facility. It is built every year, it opens for a few weeks and It is dismantled when temperatures no longer guarantee stability. This temporary nature does not prevent its planning: the prior storage of ice, the mobilization of workers and the associated services indicate that it is an organized activity and not simply a one-off event. The park functions as a generator of temporary employment, concentrates the winter tourism offer and channels activities that are subsequently complemented by the interior ice and snow enclosure, designed to operate all year round as an extension of the exterior park. There is no pretension of permanence, but of repetition adjusted to the climatic conditions. This repetition has allowed the consolidation of technical, logistical and tourist processes linked to winter as a seasonal economic resource. Images | The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival | Harbin Government In Xataka | Someone wants to build a 144 meter high skyscraper in the middle of the port of Malaga. The reason: luxury tourism

Silicon Valley millionaires want to lift their own Neom. They have an ace in the sleeve to convince Greenland

by

In the list of projects that sought to create self -sufficient enclaves outside the State there are several examples. We have the Failed project north of San Francisco, Prosperous in Honduras or the Seasoning attempts In international waters. Also hyperbolic projects on the way, Like Neomall ideas that have shared a common vision: experiment with radical economic models and alternative governance, backed by millionaire capital and an almost ideological faith in without restrictions, although few have passed the prototype. Greenland looks like the next stop. Silicon Valley and “freedom.” We tell it A few months ago: the Trump administration has reactivated its ambition to acquire Greenland, but not only as a goal strategic and geopoliticalbut also as a scenario for an initiative promoted by technological billionaires. We talk about the creation of a high -tech libertarian city, known as “Freedom City”. Inspired by ideals of extreme and free market deregulation, this vision contemplates a self -sufficient enclave dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, space releases, nuclear microreactors and high -speed trains. According to Reuters revealedthe plan has already been discussed in private among investors such as Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and Shervin Pishevar, all with a history of similar projects, and has the explicit interest of Ken Howery, former ambassador to Denmark and key figure in negotiations for the possible annexation or purchase of the island. Howery, close to Trump and Elon Musk, has expressed Enthusiasm for potential Of cultural and geographical synergies between Taiwan, the United States and Japan, and although he refused to comment on the plans, several medium sources say that their role would be crucial to advance the idea. All roads lead to Greenland. The choice of the island is not accidental. Three times bigger than Texas but with Just 57,000 inhabitantsthe island has vast strategic mineral reserves, including rare earths, and houses an American military base that gives it a huge geopolitical value in the Arctic. Trump has publicly insisted that “We must have Greenland” and has not ruled out take it by force If Denmark refuses to sell it. In fact, his vice president, JD Vance, recently visited the military base with his wife, which It generated protests of the local population and harsh criticism of the new Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who considered the visit as a disrespect to the sovereignty of the island. During the same, Vance accused Denmark of not properly protecting the territory of alleged Russian and Chinese incursions, although he did not contribute concrete details. Meanwhile, the Danish government declined to comment on the rumors of a technological city funded by American private capital. A new doctrine. The proposal to build a libertarian citizen in Greenland reflects a broader ideological movement among businessmen from Silicon Valley, which for years promotes the called “Startup Cities” or “Charter Cities”: urban enclaves with minimal state intervention, designed to promote innovation and self -sufficiency. We already count The Prospera caseand now, inspired by the philosophy of “manifest destination”From the nineteenth century, its defenders see in Greenland the opportunity to open a new border for the American Expansion and Domain experiment, this time in technological key. SHERVIN PISHAR He described the initiative as “the dawn of a new manifest destination”, while Dryden Brown, co -founder of the Praxis projectargues that Greenland is the ideal place to build a prototype city that serves as a general essay for future human colonies on Mars, in line with Elon Musk’s interplanetary dreams. Brown even traveled to Greenland and has assured that other companies have raised him collaborate at the Foundation of that city. In an X publication, wrote: “We must build a prototype of Terminus on Earth before leaving towards Mars. Greenland is that place.” Investors and power networks. The impulse behind this ambitious proposal comes from a consolidated group of technological investors, many of them linked to each other through previous projects. Thiel, Andreessen and Pishevar have invested in Pronomos capitala firm dedicated to financing experimental cities in countries willing to offer special regulatory conditions. One of his main advisors, Patri Friedman (grandson of economist Milton Friedman) has confirmed that several of their projects are in the negotiation phase with governments and that one, Prosperousalready operates in Honduras under a similar model (although with rather terrible results). In addition, Praxis, backed by figures such as Joe Lonsdale and Sam Altman’s background, has raised More than 500 million of dollars to develop a new city, and could channel part of that capital towards Greenland. While Thiel denied being involved in specific plans for the Island and Musk has not commented on this, the connections between these actors and their historical interest in technological secession projects reinforce the credibility of the initiative. What they offer to the locals. Unlike the Trump rhetoricthese billionaire investors have an ace in the sleeve to convince the people of the island, one where the exploitation would make the enclave A unique space. During a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, experts argued that the Costa de Greenland houses one of the highest critical mineral concentrations in the world, many of them previously inaccessible because it is under thick layers of ice, but that they could become exploitable due to the melting caused by climate change and the development of new mining techniques. There is more, of course. For project drivers, Greenland is not only a geopolitical opportunity, but also an ideal platform to experiment with advanced technologies and urban models of the future. Technological investors that promote the creation of a Freedom City offer the local population an accelerated economic development vision, based on the Job promisewealth and technological opportunities in an environment of minimal regulation. They also raise the territory into a Global Innovation Center With high -value industries such as AI, clean nuclear energy, advanced transport and space exploration, which would imply massive massive investment and modern infrastructure. In addition, some actors close to the Trump administration have suggested to replace … Read more

What to do now that it can lift the drought restrictions

by

The magical figure is this: 365 hm3 of water. That is, the reservoirs of the Ter and Llobregat basins They have exceeded 60% of their reservations And that means that the conditions that allow the alert by drought are met. While all looks are placed on April 8 (when the Intergovernmental Commission that can lift it), Barcelona prepares for one of the key decisions of the coming years: “How do we leave the water alarm without hypothetering our future?” The most prolonged drought in modern history. At least in Catalonia. In fact, despite the rains of recent weeks, drought scars They continue to affect to large areas of the community. The best example is the hazelnuts of the Camp de Tarragona who are dying from the salinity of the wells and the lack of treatment plants. … but it is reaching the end. The Ter reservoirs They accumulate 202 HM3 (50%) and those of Llobregat, 162 hm3 (76%). In both basins The limits to lift have been exceeded the alarm (180 in the first and 100 in the second). In addition, the flows have been recovered and, although one more drop of water falls throughout the year, the water supply for all 2025 has already been guaranteed. It seems a matter of time for the basins to return to normal. Prudence. That is the word that most It is repeated In the Government And it sounds good, but we have enough experience to know that prudence is not enough when we talk about water management. For more than 30 years, prudence has always had a small print. As explained in Datadista“From the deep drought of the 1990s, each dry period has served to implement emergency measures or allow practices that were not eliminated when the rains returned, (but) were used to expand irrigation, increasing the problem of overexploitation and contamination of aquifers and the wetlands to which they feed.” The most important decision for the future. A future that, despite months like this, It seems quite clear: There will be areas of the country where the distribution of rains will change radically throughout the year and others in which rainfall will fall. Even though The predictions of recent days are met And April is also a more humid month than normal, drought will arrive. For now, infrastructure They will move on and management changes to win additional “31 HM3” too. The doubt is what these hectometers are going to dedicate themselves. And Catalonia must decide whether to be more prepared or, once again, will leave the problem to the following. Image | Copernicus In Xataka | In the middle of one of the most extreme droughts that are remembered, Catalonia has had an idea: to cut trees

38,000 million dollars to lift Tesla and Spacex

by

Elon Musk’s mission at this time, at least in doge, is Cut the budget of the Federal Government of the United States in two billion dollars. It is not, obviously, a trivial figure, but rather amazing if we take into account that this budget currently amounts to 7 billion dollars. Hence the conflict of interest of a person who has Tesla or Spacex among his companies, It hasn’t taken long. Yet, The Washington Post has just revealed The, possibly, the greatest paradox of the richest man in the world. An empire with 38,000 million. It told the environment that the rise of Musk as the richest entrepreneur in the world has been deeply linked to the financial support of the United States government. How much? With At least 38,000 million dollars in contracts, subsidies, loans and tax credits for their companies over two decades. In other words: Musk is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the taxpayers’ coffers and, although the tycoon has promoted a disruptive innovation and business independence, its success has depended on the Government’s key investments at critical moments for Tesla, Spacex and other companies in its ecosystem, as we will see below. Investments, o generosity of the State, which now paradoxically has the mission of trimming. The case of Tesla: from collapse to domain. In 2008, when Tesla faced serious financial problems, Musk pressed to obtain A loan of 465 million dollars of the energy department, an amount that was fundamental For the manufacture of Model S and the purchase of its plant in Fremont, California. Without this support, the company would have collapsed. In addition, Tesla has obtained 11.4 billion dollars In regulatory credits for selling carbon bonds to other automotive, a crucial factor for their profitability in key years. Although Musk has criticized government subsidies For consumers, your company has been one of the main beneficiaries of fiscal credits for the purchase of electric vehicles. But there is more. Since its foundation, Tesla has also received billions in state and local incentives, including 1.3 billion dollars In Nevada for its battery gigaphal and 750 million dollars in New York For the Failure SolarCitywhich was then absorbed by Tesla. Despite these benefits, in 2021 Musk moved the Tesla headquarters of California to Texas, arguing a more favorable regulatory environment. The Spacex case: contracts to master space. Since its creation in 2002, Spacex has depended largely on Contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense. Before achieving its first successful launch, the company had already received NASA 278 million dollars In 2006 and then A contract of 1.8 billion dollars In 2008 for the transport of supplies to the International Space Station. Government investment allowed Spacex to develop Falcon 9today the pillar of your business, and benefit from Defense and Espionage Missions for Pentagonsome of them classified and valued at billions. In 2024, Spacex generated 9.3 billion dollars In income from your service Starlink satellite Internetalthough it continues to depend on contracts with federal agencies. Despite their growth, analysts point out that privileged access to government financing has allowed him to overcome competitors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin in the aerospace industry. Musk and subsidies. They remembered in The report of the post that Musk has publicly advocated The elimination of government subsidiescriticizing the Biden Inflation Reduction Law, the same that Ironically made Tesla would qualify again For tax incentives. In this way, while maintaining that your company is self -sufficient, its success has been based on A model that combines State investment and private capital, a strategy that has allowed it to consolidate the leadership of Tesla and Spacex, but without the same risks that other entrepreneurs face. In this regard, the Professor John Helveston From George Washington University, he pointed out that “every aspect of Tesla has been promoted by subsidies and public financing”, which makes Musk’s rhetoric against government aids It is contradictory. At the same time, its impulse to cut subsidies throughout the industry has affected emerging companies that depend on the same type of support that Tesla had in its beginnings. The role of government in the Musk Empire. The truth is that, despite his libertarian speech, Musk continues to benefit from multimillionaire government contracts and preferential access to state programs. In the last five years, almost Two thirds of the 38 billion dollars In public funds that have promoted their companies have been granted in the form of new contracts or incentives. With 52 active contracts with agencies such as NASA, the Department of Defense and the Administration of General Services, Your connection with the government It remains a fundamental pillar of its business success. Although his influence and his fortune They have grown exponentiallyits relationship with the government remains rather ambivalent: while criticizing state intervention in the economy, it continues to receive the financial support that has cemented its empire. Under this context, Musk does not seem to be only the richest entrepreneur on the planet, but also one of the biggest beneficiaries of public spending in the United States, which now promotes cutting. Image | Gage Skidmore In Xataka | Elon Musk has tried to fire officials with an email: the FBI, the Pentagon and NASA have ordered to keep the secret In Xataka | Elon Musk has put the US Labor Inspection in Doge Diana: he investigated Tesla for the death of a worker

take off in the stock market while Nvidia and Microsoft still do not lift their heads

by

Several days have passed since Nvidia lost more than 400,000 million dollars in market value After the emergence of the new Artificial Intelligence Models (AI) of Deepseekwhich stand out for their power and efficiency. Despite a slight recovery in the price of its shares, the company led Jensen Huang faces another day in red. Its titles fall more than 5% compared to the previous day. The bearish trend extends to other American giants Microsoft, Apple and Google. But not everything is bad news. ASMLone of the most important technological firms in Europe, is living a very encouraging moment. Their shares quoted at $ 683.35 yesterday Tuesday at the close of the market. This Wednesday, at the time of writing this article, They are negotiated at $ 713.98which translates into a growth of 4.48%. We are facing interesting fact if we take into account that the titles of the lithography chipos manufacturer also collapsed at the end of last week. Hopeful future for the European company There is still an hour for the closure of the Nasdaq stock market, but everything seems to indicate that ASML will close on Wednesday in positive. Is that the company based in the Netherlands has presented Its financial results for the fourth quarter which ended last December 31 and exceeded analysts’ estimates. Its turnover was 9,260 million euros (9,070 million euros were expected) and the net profit reached the 2,690 million euros (2,640 million euros were expected). ASML’s actions in front of American companies this Wednesday, January 29 | Image: Yahoo Finance The manufacturer of machines such as Twinscan Exe: 5000 or exe: 5200high -tech piece necessary to make avant -garde chips, has maintained its sales expectations for the current year. He is confident that he will get income from 30,000 and 35,000 million euros For 2025. It is an increase compared to 28,262 million euros invoiced in the last four quarters. The popular Chinese Deepseek does not seem to be a threat to ASML growth plans. Christophe Fouquet, CEO of Asml Current AI models have been created with computing power. Huge data centers running at full speed to train algorithms. Deepseek’s arrival has raised a scenario where the development of this industry It does not depend as much as the avant -garde hardware. Since Nvidia is the main supplier of specialized graphics for Data Centers, the company has paid the price with the collapse of its shares and, consequently, its market value. The CEO of ASML, Christophe Fouquet, was optimistic at the arrival of low -cost models such as Deepseek. In statements to CNBC He said he hopes that the emergence of this company will generate more demand for semiconductors, instead of reducing it. “A lower cost of AI could mean More applications. More applications mean more demand over time. We see it as an opportunity for a greater demand for chips, “said the executive. We will see if we are right. Images | ASML In Xataka | We already know the secret of the extreme efficiency of Deepseek: it has dodged the Cuda de Nvidia standard

In addition to Gold and Rare Earth China has an ace in the sleeve to lift its economy: old orange peels

by

We knew that the Chinese nation was not going wrong with The “Gold Fever” of the 21st centurysomething similar in terms of mining fever unleashed in California in the mid -nineteenth century, but without the dazzling element so precious and marked by rare earths. However, if what is about “pure gold”, they were not badly assorted after finding One of the biggest giant gold deposits. In fact, China has “Gold” even in trees. Xinhui’s gold. This enclave, a seemingly ordinary district in the city of Jiangmen, province of Guangdong, has turned this part in the epicenter of a lucrative industry based on something that a priori should not have great value: The aging tangerine peels, known there as Chenpiand whose production and commerce have transformed the local economy. In the background: some peels valued by their medicinal and culinary properties, an element that can reach astronomical prices, coming to be sold for $ 9,650 around 500 gramswhich reflects its status as a precious asset both in traditional Chinese medicine and in luxury gastronomy for elites. Historical origins and benefits. CNN counted last week in a large report that the use of Chenpi in traditional Chinese medicine dates back to the Song dynasty (1127-1279)with records that highlight its properties to strengthen the spleen, improve digestion and benefit the respiratory system. In that sense, the shells, scientifically called citri reticulatae pericarpium, contain antioxidants and flavonoids With potential for stabilize blood pressure and prevent obesity. And from all places, the Xinhui region, located at the confluence of the Xijiang and Tanjiang rivers, offers unique soil and water conditions that enrich the peaks with a higher micronutrient content than those grown in other areas. That said, to be considered Authentic Chenpithe shells must undergo an annual drying process for the sun for at least three years, being carefully stored for the rest of the time. Typology. Exist even Four main types of Chenpi According to the time of the harvest: those of green peels, collected before maturation, those of second red tangerine peels, collected in November, the large red peels, completely mature in December, and finally those of red shells, harvested after This station, and with a higher sugar content. Industry boom and economic impact. In recent decades, the Chenpi industry has promoted unprecedented economic growth in the Xinhui region. The production of these peculiar shells has turned the region into an economic power, contributing approximately 23,000 million yuan (3.2 billion dollars) in 2023, and Representing a quarter of Jiangmen’s GDP. In this regard, local businessmen like Zhou Zhiweiwho left Hong Kong in the 1990s to return to Xinhui, have played a crucial role in the consolidation of the industry. Zhou, now vice president of the Chenpi Industry Association of Xinhui, says it manages annually around 163 tons of shells, contributing to the Xinhui positioning as the main world producer. Chenpi Chenpi revaluation for elites. In the end, such an exquisite product has ended where other similar ones: in high gastronomy. Here names such as the renowned chef chi wai chef, The Legacy House restaurant In Hong Kong, who has been promoting the incorporation of Chenpi in haute cuisine, exploring its potential beyond traditional medicine. Inspired by his childhood in Xinhui, LI has introduced exclusive menus that highlight the diversity of flavors of the Cenpi according to their age, harvest and origin, emulating the appreciation for the Terroir In the wine industry. Exclusive dishes with the “gold” peel. In fact, in The last gastronomic menu that the chef is offering Com diners can enjoy dishes such as the swim bladder soup with heads with a lamb, made with Chenpi over 50 years, highlighting “its deep flavor and amaderated notes.” Also the mere stew steak with six -year shell “with sweet nuances” thanks to the postin -winter harvest, or the lobster rolls with bamboo straw, accompanied by 13 -year -old shells, which says they contribute a slight flavor to oyster due to its origin in the riverside region of Meijiang. In addition, Li says that It seeks to transform the perception of Chenpishowing that its initial, well -balanced bitterness becomes a sweet and sophisticated taste, symbolizing the relationship between bitterness and sweetness in life, according to the old Chinese proverb. Innovation and future of Chenpi. Chenpi production has evolved over time, with advances in harvesting and storage techniques. Currently, producers use both the shells and the mandarin pulp (previously discarded) to manufacture health and enzyme products. In Xinhui, Initiatives such as Chenpi Villagea cultural and tourist center dedicated to the mandarin peel, reflect those efforts to diversify the industry. In this complex, products such as ice cream, coffee with Chenpi dust and culinary memories are offered, attracting tourists and consolidating that cultural identity of the region. As producer Zhou explained to the CNN When observing the boom of the market, Xinhui has managed to focus and give importance to advanced manufacturing and diversification of Chenpi products, ensuring the sustainability of the long -term sector. A region that has achieved something fascinating: to raise an ingredient as humble as a simple tangerine peel aged in “gold” at all levels, both economic and cultural for the region. Image | Zhionghwaong Sham, Simon Law In Xataka | China has given one of the largest treasures ever found: giant gold worth 83,000 million dollars In Xataka | China still has no avant -garde lithographs. Even so, it is making gold with mature nodes

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.