I’ve had my fair share of travelling around China, and a recent week-long trip to Guizhou was my first time to the province. It was     1     true learning experience.

I tried looking up meaning of the name Guizhou in the dictionary     2     advance, basically to have a reasonable idea of what is waiting for me.     3     that was a hard task, so I asked from a Chinese colleague among a group of local and foreign     4     (reporter) on the trip. From what she said, the province was named after a famous mountain called “Gui” and “zhou”, which     5     (simple) means province in Chinese.

Our trip began in Zunyi city, which enjoys great popularity among Chinese for the famous ‘Zunyi Conference’. Yet not much     6     (know) about this famous conference in Africa and the western world even today, but obviously it was at this place     7     China’s first leader and Chairman was elected.

The following journey was mind blowing as I went on to explore Anshun, a place that never fails     8     (attract) every visitor with its largest waterfall in Asia. I     9     (dream) of this place for a long time and am more than thrilled to witness the breathtaking views, which leave first-time visitors like me     10     (impress).

Finding yourself at the doorway of any temple or ancient building in China, you may encounter y     1     attractive but seemingly odd piece of wall, only     2     (slight) larger than the entrance itself. You would be forgiven for thinking this is just the remainder of another building, with the rest lost to history, as was my initial assumption the first time I     3     (spot) one. However, the reality is far more fascinating.

Out of     4     (curious), I asked around,     5     (bother) friends for information, and was finally able to get not only the name, but also the purpose of these walls. Zhaobi, or spirit walls, have a long and storied history of 3,000 years. Zhaobi could be found outside the entrance of various buildings. They     6     (reserve) for only the highest members of society once. Seeing zhaobi outside a building would let passersby know this was the residence of someone of extreme importance, while protecting the privacy of     7     (it) residents.

In more modern times, zhaobi,     8     (adopt) by companies that practice fengshui, still exist.     9    zhaobi can help bring them good luck is questionable. But what can be said for sure is that these structures, like any other in history, stand     10     the development of Chinese history.

The revitalization (复苏) of abandoned properties in rural China is on the rise. Each     1     (locate) in remote Chinese towns, the following three striking hotels are tar from the hustle (熙熙攘攘) of the city.

WuYuan Skywells Hotel in Jiangxi province, a previously neglected 300-year-old mansion (宅第), was     2     (incredible) restored to its former glory, while maintaining its regional architectural feature- Tian jing, a narrow and tall courtyard which pulled sunlight inside,     3     introducing elements of modern comfort.

Similarly, by the end of 2022, designers     4     (restore) the Bamboo Craft Village near Chengdu city, preserving the construction traditions to build an extremely     5     (impress) roof.     6     (see) from above, the shape of this building is like a figure“8”or the infinity sign “∞”.

The Treewow Tribe in Zhejiang province features houses that are surrounded by a sea of bamboo trees to provide tourists     7     comfortable privacy. Notably, the free-form roof imitates the free-flowing lines of nature, gracefully     8     (invite) the green landscape into the private space.

Marrying the charm of traditional Chinese designs and the     9     (rich) of modern living, these hotels will definitely offer you     10     unique experience and a perfect getaway.

7 . On many travelers’ lists of things to do before they die, you’ll find “See the northern lights” written down. Rightfully so these lights are one of nature’s most jaw-dropping views.

In Sweden, the northern lights usually appear from late March or early April. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of them is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear, dark with little to no moonlight, and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights and go to the countryside. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations.

Abisko National Park

Abisko Natinal Park is a main location. The scientifically confirmed “blue hole”, a piece of sky over the Tornetrask lake that usually remains clear despite cloudy weather nearby, gives Abisko its own microclimate (局部地区气候), which is suitable for catching the lights.

Jukkasjarvi

The village of Jukkasjarvi only has about 550 people. But don’t let the small population size fool you: Jukkasjarvi owns the world’s first ice hotel and is one of the best places to view the northern lights. The ice hotel organizes guided tours for guests to the Esrange Space Center. There you can eat at a camp outside and see the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis (北极光). Or why not try to get closer to the northern lights and watch them through an aeroplane window? The ice hotel arranges flights for the amazing northern lights experience.

Gallivare

You can drive a snowmobile to the mountain top in Gallivare for a private light show, or head a few kilometers to nearby villages to watch those lights shining across the dark winter sky. But remember if you do get the chance to see the northern lights in person, never whistle to them. According to ancient Sumi fairy, it brings you bad luck.