The Sichuan HKJC Olympic School in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, recently opened with a grand ceremony.

Covering 86,000 square meters, the school has been built with a donation of 135 million yuan ($21 million) from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).

The new school is equipped with facilities for basketball, volleyball, soccer, table tennis, badminton, tennis, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, martial arts, and track and field.

It's also open to residents of Dujiangyan and nearly 5,000 students of the nearby Dujiangyan Middle School, says Xu Fuyi, mayor of Dujiangyan.

According to Liu Jie, vice-governor of Sichuan, the school is one of the seven post-Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction projects aided by HKJC. Five have been completed, and two others will be finished in September.

Calling all caricaturists

The second Exhibition of Caricature on People's Livelihood will be held from June 21-24 in Jingzhou, Hubei province.

Apart from inviting some established caricaturists to exhibit their works, the organizing committee is also calling for fresh submissions. It will select 250 works for the exhibition.

Co-organized by the Chinese Artists Association and government of Jingzhou, the exhibition will be held at the ancient city wall of Jingzhou.

Software discussions

Delegates of the US Software Trade Mission, led by the US ambassador to China Gary F. Locke, visited Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, from May 8-9. The group also visited Sichuan's neighboring Chongqing municipality.

They met local government officials and business representatives to discuss ways to promote bilateral trade, foster local economic growth and protect the intellectual property rights of software.

Magazine on queer films

A ceremony was held on May 9 to launch the fifth volume of Youth Film Handbook magazine at China Agricultural University.

The latest volume offers insights into 20 years of Chinese queer films, focusing on homosexuality and stereotypes related to the gay-lesbian community.

Cheng Qingsong, a film critic and chief editor of the magazine, says although homosexuality is still a sensitive topic in the country, many movies with the theme have played important roles in the Chinese film history.

The editors spent six months collecting data and conducting in-depth interviews with filmmakers involved in queer movies.

Initiated in 2007, Youth Film Handbook is a movie magazine featuring independent movie reviews and interviews with directors.

Center protects film, TV

Capital Film and Television Legal Center, a non profit legal agency aimed at protecting the rights of film and TV industry players, was recently established in Beijing.

Established by the Beijing Television Artists Association and Beijing Lawyers Association, the agency offers legal advocacy and assistance for artists as well as TV and film companies on such matters as copyright infringement and breach of contract.

Legal scholars and veteran attorneys attached to the center offer services such as case study, seminars and phone consultations.

Director and screenwriter Zheng Xiaolong says the center could help prevent plagiarism and encourage artistic originality.

Sketch and win

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province was recently abuzz with tourists sketching the cuddly animals, capturing their antics.

The best drawings stood to win prizes from Stanley Black & Decker, a Fortune 500 firm manufacturing tools and hardware.

"The activity is aimed at creating public awareness on the importance of protecting the endangered giant panda," says Cissy Cui, chief financial officer of Asia, Stanley Black & Decker. The company also donated 500,000 yuan ($79,000) to the research base and adopted an eight-month-old female panda.

It costs an estimated 80,000 yuan annually to raise a panda but more if the panda falls ill. Research base chief Zhang Zhihe says the center welcomes panda adoptions of between one year and a lifetime.

CIYAF opens in August

The 2012 China International Youth Arts Festival (CIYAF) will open on Aug 12 at the National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing.

Organized by the China International Culture Association and China Arts & Entertainment Group, the annual event, now in its fifth year, is dedicated to nurturing and developing artistic and creative talent.

This year's two-week carnival, which is themed "Inspire Future with the Green Life", will feature live music, workshops, art exhibitions and film screenings that will showcase youths' vigor and vitality.