Every year on 28 September, large numbers of people gather in Qufu, Shandong Province, to celebrate the birth of Confucius. In fact, similar     1     (event) take place all around the country and even the world.

Confucius is thought     2     (live) between 551 and 479 BCE. He was the founder of Confucianism, a school of moral doctrine focused on harmony,     3     (just) and peace. Confucius was also an educator who dedicated himself     4     learning and self-cultivation, and he was determined to share his wisdom with the wider world. After his death, his sayings     5     (record) by his students and collected into a book     6     (call) The Analects of Confucius, which summarized the philosopher’s thoughts on morality, politics and society. At the core of his thinking     7    (be) the three concepts of Ren, Yi, and Li, which are related to not only our personal qualities but also our relationship with others.

Even though society has changed,     8     philosophy of Confucius has endured and continues to inspire people. The way Chinese people view family relationships is     9     (heavy) influenced by Confucius, and so is China’s political culture. Over time, Confucian thought spread beyond China’s borders, and its influence is still visible not just in East Asian countries like Japan and Korea,     10    it had   a huge impact on family values and moral concepts, but in other parts of the world.

The event “Face to Face, Pasta to Pasta” was launched on Monday in Beijing as part of the 2022 China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism.     1     (chef) from China and Italy showed their noodle-making skills at the site. Famous folk music from the two countries was performed and the     2     (tangible) cultural heritage item Tu’er Ye (the rabbit god) from Beijing was showcased at the ceremony.

The event will hold a “China-Italy Pasta Challenge”,     3     invites chefs, food bloggers and food lovers to participate in the challenge and share their noodle making skills or stories     4     (relate) to the foodstuff.

Zheng Hao, deputy director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation at China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism attended the launch ceremony and delivered speeches. He said China and Italy are two countries with vibrant culture and     5     (make) great contributions to the progress of humanity,     6     (add) that cultural relation is     7     important bond linking the people of the two countries. He expressed its     8     (significant) that the event can increase communication and understanding between the two peoples     9     using food as a bridge.

The event     10     (sponsor) by the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation at China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism along with People.cn. It will last until mid-January 2023.

John is a Mazahua textile artist from the community of San Felipe Santiago, Villa de Allende, Mexico. Ten-year-old John was     1     (great) attracted by the unique forms and beautiful colors of the Mazahua textiles, and asked his mother to teach him embroidery (刺绣). But he     2     (tell) that a man shouldn’t learn it and that a man must spend his time on other things. However,     3     his mother said didn’t affect John’s big interest     4     embroidery.

After that talk with his mother, John set about     5     (make) the effort to learn the artform and hoped to change     6     idea that men couldn’t learn embroidery. He wished to share their cultural heritage through their textiles, so he attended events like meetings related to their     7     (tradition) textiles. To date, he     8     (win) many national prizes presented to people who promote art.

John’s success has changed community opinions and encouraged young people, including men,     9     (preserve) their unique embroidery art. Women from these communities have begun to teach their son to embroider. Clearly, John made a big     10     (contribute) to the protection of their cultural heritage.

Decorative stove artwork attracts a growing number of     1     (admire), who enjoy the memories it evokes, Yang Feiyue reports. The distinctive art form in Jiaxing     2     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

An old wooden stove,     3     (bear) rich vivid images, took center stage at a village Spring Festival gala in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in early February. The images feature historical and legendary figures, fairy tales, animals and flowers, all of     4     are depicted in bright colors and have a way of claiming attention from viewers.

It was once common for farmhouses, especially those along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,     5     (have) a zaotou that was painted with floral figures. Locals burned firewood and straw in it to cook     6     gas burners or microwave ovens were available. “Historical evidence shows the art has     7     history of at least 300 years,” says Zhao from Haiyan’s Tongyuan town.

Most of those engaged     8     zaotou painting were bricklayers in rural areas where they were often hired by villagers to build a mud stove in     9     (they) new home. Tools used to produce such art included a selection of brushes, rulers, and paint. As people’s aesthetic appreciation grew, watercolors were applied, mostly red, yellow and blue. “But no matter what material is used, the stove painting is always     10     (symbol) and harbors good wishes for the owners,” Zhao says.