【推荐1】The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes, after “Shanzhai Cell-phones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years. Besides “Shanzhai” electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.

“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, meaning anything that imitates something famous. In Chongging, “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention from tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympic buildings in Beijing.

A literature critic said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears timely to attract people. “Although it is often connected with poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’ culture meets the psychological needs of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” he said.

To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge and a motivation. People believe different kinds of cultures developing together is a perfect way and it is for the public to choose.

PROMOTING CULTURE THROUGH DIGITAL IMAGES

Lanzhou, 9 August 2017. A group of researchers and scientists from China and other countries are working together to help increase knowledge and appreciation of China’s ancient cultural heritage. They are recording and collecting digital images of cultural relics from the Mogao Caves, which were a key stop along the Silk Road throughout China’s ancient history. Nearly 500,000 high-quality digital photographs have been produced since the international project started in 1994.

The Mogao Caves have long been a meeting point for different cultures and are part of the history of many countries. Today, the caves are just as international as they were at the time when people travelled the Silk Road. Tourists from all over the world visit Dunhuang to see the caves, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles has even reproduced a copy of the caves and paintings for people to admire in America.

By sharing so many digital photos over the Internet, the group hopes to promote even wider interest around the world in China’s ancient history, culture, and traditions. They also hope to further educate people about the importance of safeguarding historic and cultural relics for future generations to understand and appreciate. As one researcher who is working on the project explains, “Appreciating one’s own cultural heritage is very Important for understanding oneself. Appreciating the cultural heritage of other countries is very important for international communication and understanding.”

【推荐3】India is an ancient civilization with rich cultural heritage, and its cultural heritage has something to do with all major religions of the world. Here we take a look at some of the top heritage destinations in India.

Sun Temple, Konark

As the name suggests this temple is all about the power of the Sun-God. A huge chariot(二轮战车) drawn by seven horses and twelve pairs of wheels reflects the importance which ancient people placed on the power of the sun. The pictures of animals and humans give this place a special look.

Churches, Goa

Goa is the only Indian state which was under the Portuguese(葡萄牙人), so the scene in Goa is dotted with(点缀着) Portuguese style churches. Some of the famous churches include the Church of Saint Catherine, Church of Saint Augustine and Church of Saint Francis of Assisi. These churches exhibit beautiful paintings and flower designs which make them a must visit.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

These caves contain well-designed paintings which are widely regarded as the most outstanding works of Buddhist religious art.

Taj Mahal, Agra

Built on the bank of the Yamuna River, it is an excellent building. The writing and paintings on the outside structure provide the finest examples of the outstanding style of buildings.

Sanchi

Sanchi is a UNESCO world heritage site with numerous Buddhist temples dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries.

On your visit to India, be sure to visit some of these heritage destinations. An Indian journey is not wonderful without experiencing the beauty of these heritage destinations.

【推荐1】Can you imagine that there are a huge number of tiny waste pieces in the Arctic (北极的) sea ice? Because of the waste pieces, 30,000 kinds of animals are in danger. It’s true that one person’s acts alone can’t help the planet. But each one of us can find ways to make our contributions.

In the home, we could try not to waste foods. Use a digital meal planner to get a right amount of food so that everything we buy and cook gets eaten. Learn how to store foods to keep them fresh longer. Be sure to use proper ways to keep our home warm. For example we can replace old windows with energy-saving ones.

At the store, we could green our habits. Buy reusable plates, but not single-use ones. Buy home tissue not made of materials which may lead to destruction of forests. Buy glass cups instead of paper ones.

In the community, we could help keep its plants healthy. Take part in tree-planting projects or grass-cutting activities to help plants grow well.

Our actions alone can’t save the planet, but the above ways and habits can help.

【推荐2】Where did novel corona-virus come from?

As COVID-19 is spreading throughout the world, an important question has yet to be answered: where did the virus come from?

The latest study indicated that pangolins (穿山甲) may be an intermediate host of the virus, according to Xinhua. However, bats are suspected to be the original cause.

We don’t know the source yet, but there’s pretty strong evidence that this is a bat origin corona-virus,” said Peter Dazsak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, an environmental nonprofit, according to The New York Times. “When you look at the genetic sequence (基因序列) of the virus, and you match it up with every known corona-virus, the closest relatives are from bats,” Dazsak also told CNN.

So why are bats the source of so many deadly kinds of viruses but they don’t suffer from any symptoms? As the only flying mammal (哺乳动物) with long lifespan, bats’ body temperature is high, similar to a fever. It’s this fact that may contribute to bats’ unique immune system (免疫系统) in protecting them from the ill effects of viruses.

But are bats truly to blame for the virus or should we be blaming ourselves? Whether we destroy the forests where bats live or they end up on our plate, it’s the fault of humans for decreasing the distance between us and virus-carrying bats. Bats are an important animal in our ecosystem when it comes to pollinating (授粉) many fruits such as mangoes and bananas. We need to allow them to continue pollination and keep them away from our markets and mouths.