More than 2,000 years ago, the brave and hardworking people of Eurasia explored and opened up several routes of trade and     1     (culture) exchanges that linked the major civilizations of Asia, Europe and Africa,     2     (general) called the Silk Road by later generations. For thousands of years, the Silk Road spirit—“peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness(包容性), mutual learning and mutual benefit” —    3     (pass) from generation to generation. In the 21^st century, a new period is marked by     4     theme of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. It is more important     5     us to carry on the Silk Road spirit in face of the weak     6     (recover) of the global economy, and complex international situations.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping     7     (visit) Central Asia in September 2013, he raised the idea of     8       (build) the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 218-Century Maritime Silk Road,     9     have attracted close attention from all over the world. The Belt and Road Initiative is a systematic project, whose goal is     10     (meet) the interests of all, and efforts should be made to combine the development strategies of the countries along the Belt and Road.

The Jiangsu countryside stretching between the cities of Suzhou and Shanghai is home to a lot of small beautiful water towns, many of which     1     (locate) along the Grand Canal, an artificial canal connecting Hangzhou to Beijing.

One of these towns is Tongli, which is     2     (easy) accessible to tourists from the nearby city of Suzhou.     3     (build) in the Song Dynasty, the town offers pleasant views and landscapes of traditional China, characterized by fascinating canals crossed by arch bridges and whitewashed houses     4     overlook the water.

Walking along the narrow alleys (巷), you can admire     5     number of well-preserved traditional houses, temples and gardens. Tongli is home to a great many souvenir shops and local     6     (product), but what amazed me was how well the town is preserved except being open to tourism: a good balance between commercial activities and local life. So in spite of     7     (it) popularity, Tongli maintains giving people a quiet and laid—back feeling,     8     (make) it an ideal destination for visitors who seek peace and leisure.

I     9     (take) scores of pictures while touring Tongli, which I hope may inspire travelers to add this pretty water town     10     their trips. My impression of Tongli is so positive that I’ve been meaning to go back with my family for their first visit to China.