Pinki is from the Maithili community of Nepal’s eastern Terai

(plains). Her story shows the changing family dynamics especially in

conservative Hindu societies of the Terai. Her enterprise is based on

an old traditional practice of making bangles from a native tree-sap

called ‘Laha’.

Parbati Rai truly represents a modern Nepali woman living in rural eastern Nepal. Unlike your stereotypical village woman, she is very outspoken, highly independent and a local martial arts instructor.

Mina comes from a ethnic caste of Kumal, which for generations has

produced clay pots. Now with cheaper plastic products coming from

India and China, they have lost their traditional livelihood. She now

runs her own beauty parlour in remote western Terai (plains).

Durga is from a marginalised ethnic group known as Danuwars, from

the inner-Terai of eastern Nepal. She has endured a difficult life,

living with disability with limited support in her rural village. She

now runs her own enterprise making daalmot (snacks) for the district

market.

Pawa is from a small Badi community on the outskirts of Dailekh

bazaar. The Badi people are one of the most discriminated and

oppressed sub-castes in Nepali society. Considered "untouchables",

they are placed at the bottom even amongst other untouchables. Their

community has begun small-scale pig farming to improve their

livelihoods.

Kalpana is a former ‘Kamaiya’ (bonded labourer). Now, she runs her

own tailoring enterprise, providing employment and training to other

former female bonded labourers.

Nestled in the mountains of north Sichuan, the Jiuzhai valley is possibly one of China’s most picturesque landscapes. In winter the waterfalls ice up and the snow covered mountains gleam in the lakes below, truly a magical experience. In a short interview with Sichuan travel expert Brian Glorioso, China Daily discovers that escaping into the Jiuzhaigou wilderness is a little harder than you would imagine.

You Zhong Ding Da, was born in Jianpan village, one of just a handful of small Tibetan communities within the Jiuzhai Gou National park. He has grown up seeing his home valley in northern Sichuan Province change into one of the China’s most popular tourist destinations. China daily reporter D J Clark met him at the Zharu Monastery and asked him what the place meant to him.

Cecilia Chen worked for ten years in public relations until one day she decided to give up her day job, pick up a camera and notepad and take to the road. She is now one of a new breed of freelance Chinese journalists who are tapping into the growing independent travel market, wandering the world and publishing stories of their adventures. China Daily’s D J Clark caught up with her at her latest exhibition in Beijing.

Ten finalists competed in the second Jiuzhai Zhuoma beauty contest that ran for more than 50 days across Sichuan’s famous mountain region. The final ten contestants had been narrowed down from a shortlist of 100 by online voters who were asked to select their favourite competitor as the event ran throughout January.