Debate Over Where to Greet First 2001 Dawn Going on in ChinaWith only 45 days to go, the debate over which part of the Chinese mainland will greet the first rays of sunlight of the new century has not been settled yet.The disagreement, which mainly focuses on Wenling and Linhai, two cities in east China's Zhejiang Province, involves not only local people, but also some senior astronomers. Experts with the China 2000 Committee announced On October 27 that the first rays of sunlight of the new century will hit the town of Shitang in Wenling at 6:46 a.m. on January 1, 2001. Shitang is located 121 degrees, 36 minutes east longitude, and 28 degrees, 15 minutes north latitude. Officials and residents in Wenling are more than happy about the announcement because they will be able to hold another new century dawn festival. Wenling held the first new century dawn festival on January 1, 2000, in Shitang, which was officially considered as the place for the Chinese mainland to greet the first rays of sunlight for 2000. The festival brought to Wenling 169,600 tourists and an income of 120 million yuan. However, a group of astronomers with the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as several local meteorologists challenged the China 2000 Committee experts on October 29. They said that Linhai's Kuocang Mountain, which is about 120 degrees, 55 minutes east longitude and 28 degrees, 49 minutes north latitude, will see the sun three minutes and one second earlier than Shitang. The Linhai city government got excited and immediately announced that they will arrange a new century dawn festival as well. The debate is still going on. And analysts said it is hard to settle because it concerns business as well as science. Tourists are mostly puzzled about where to greet the first dawn of the coming century if both cities insist on holding a festival. |
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