精靈寶可夢 太陽·月亮 (Pokémon Sun & Moon)

北京卫戍区仪仗大队 (Běijīng Capital Garrison Honour Guard Battalion) prepares ahead of a welcome ceremony for Norway’s King Harald V at the 人民大会堂 (Great Hall of the People) in 北京 (Běijīng), China on October 16, 2018. Photo: AFP/Nicolas Asfour.

Wax strips

北京 (Běijīng), China: A member of the Combined Honour Guard of People’s Liberation Army wipes perspiration from a comrade ahead of a welcome ceremony for the Palestinian President, Maḥmūd ’Abbās (Abu Mazen), at the Great Hall of the People. Photo: 吴宏 (Wú Hóng)/EPA.

Luck of the Draw

北京 (Běijīng), China: A member of the honour guard at a welcoming ceremony for Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg. Photo: Jason Lee/Reuters.

Tall, Taller, Tallest

Dala, Myanmar: An eight-metre tall wicker puppet marks the opening of the Mingalabar Festival, which marks 55 years of cultural relations between France and Myanmar. Photo: Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images.

叙事 (Storytelling)

“每一次终点都是新的起点，青春就是在不断前行中自我超越。” ——侯逸凡 “Every end is a new start; youth is like an eternal self-transcendence”. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Art Nouveau

• Vladimir Putin to Give Away Chess Sets as well as State Awards, Chess-News.ru, July 20, 2015

Now chess sets will be added to the list of gifts from Vladimir Putin, reports Moskovsky Komsomolets. “The porcelain pieces of green and red color, are based on the heroes of ancient chronicles. The chess sets will be in a box, the cover of which depicts the Kremlin and the Russian coat of arms”. [Read more].

• Eva Merkacheva, Новые подарки россиянам от Путина: шахматы и вазы (Putin’s most recent Russian gifts: chess and vases), MK.ru, July 19, 2015

The Year of the Sheep

Three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above centre) attended as a guest of honour the annual New Year Reception for Chinese and Foreign Consular Personnel which took place at the 钓鱼台国宾馆 (Diàoyútái Guesthouse) in 北京 (Běijīng), China on February 27, 2015. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com.