Black-necked cranes fly over the natural reserve for black-necked crane in Lhunzhub County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 1, 2019. Black-necked cranes are often seen in Tibet's river valleys and the region's barley and wheat fields in winter. With an estimated population of around 10,200, the species is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Tibet is home to about 80 percent of the world's total population of the bird. Thanks to efforts made by locals and authorities, these exhausted birds, after flying for over 1,000 km, don't have to face hunger, pesticide, or poachers. Instead, they can now easily find pollutant-free highland barley and wheat left by farmers. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
A craftsman makes a copper horse at a factory of Tongshifu in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 2, 2019. A traditional sanitary ware production company, Tong Shifu, meaning Copper Master, has converted itself into an enterprise that designs and makes copper artworks in collaboration with museum, cartoon firm and artist's studio. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
A gathering to commemorate the 40th anniversary of issuing Message to Compatriots in Taiwan is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
A woman takes photos of snowman sculptures on the riverbank of Songhua River in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 2, 2019. Altogether 2,019 cute snowmen were displayed here to greet the year 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Song) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
People visit the Chuixiang Pavilion in Hunan University at the foot of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 2, 2019. The Yuelu Mountain has attracted more tourists after a snowfall recently. (Xinhua/Li Ga) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
People fish on the ice at the Heiwa village reservoir in Qianxi County, Tangshan City of north China's Hebei Province, on Jan. 2, 2019. The "ice-fishing" has been great fun for local residents here. (Xinhua/Wang Aijun) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
A water bird flies above the Yellow River in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Jan. 2, 2019. An increasing number of water birds are flying here to live through winter as ecological envrionment keeps improving at the upper reaches of the Yellow River. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 1, 2019 shows the Xingyan part of the Beijing-Chongli Expressway in Beijing, capital of China. The 42-km highway starting from Beijing's northwestern Sixth Ring Road to the outlying district of Yanqing was open to traffic on Tuesday. The Beijing-Chongli highway, which runs through the mountains in northern Beijing to Chongli, a ski event venue for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, will be an important part of the Olympic Games infrastructure. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY