Shuang Jiang, or Frost’s Descent, is the last term of autumn, marking the transition from autumn to winter. Literally, Shuang Jiang refers to the time     1     frost starts to descend in China due to cold weather. In the north, with large fields     2     (do) for the season, farmers can take a break. But in the south, farmers are still busy taking sweet potatoes home before they     3     (destroy) by the coming frost. They must also protect the winter wheat and rape (油菜)     4     major pests and diseases. It is said that Frost’s Descent is the best time to adjust to a nourishing (滋补的) diet and lifestyle. Besides putting on     5     (many) clothes to keep warm, people also eat various fruits to keep healthy. Persimmon (柿子) is the favorite fruit in many areas, which not only wards off the cold,    6     strengthens the muscles and bones.

    7    (additional), honey, jelly fungus (木耳) and sesame (芝麻) are believed to help provide the necessary nutrition for the human body. For protein, chicken or mutton soup is advised to be included in the diet. With golden maple     8     (leaf) turning to red, people often go hiking in nature and enjoy the scenery during this period of time. In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people celebrate the Frost’s Descent Festival by     9     (offer) fruits and desserts in addition to dancing and singing folk songs on the day of Frost’s Descent in honor of Cen Yuyin, a heroine who     10     (fight) against foreign aggression in the Ming Dynasty.

In the rich and diverse Chinese traditional culture, hairpins (发簪), or “fazan” in Mandarin, stand out as elegant    1     (symbol) of heritage and beauty. Once playing    2    essential role in the daily clothing of ancient Chinese, they are now making a remarkable comeback among modern youth,    3    reflects a renewed passion for traditional culture.

Hairpins in ancient China were not    4     (mere) tools for holding hair in place; they were actually artworks, representing the wearers’ social status and personal taste.    5     (make)from a variety of materials and often decorated with    6     (detail) designs of flowers, birds, or dragons, these hair accessories   (配饰) carried profound cultural meanings and aesthetic (美学的) values.

In the past several years, amidst the fast-paced life of technology and globalization, a growing number of young Chinese    7     (rediscover) the fascination of the hairpin and offered it new meaning. This time it is not just about fashion; it’s an opportunity for them    8     (preserve) their cultural identity.

Modern designers are also breathing new life into the traditional hairpin, mixing ancient designs with contemporary aesthetics to appeal    9    the younger generation. These hairpins are not only worn with traditional hanfu dresses but have also found their way into everyday modern wardrobes,    10     (serve) as a unique bridge between the past and the present.

Potted landscape art, praised as “silent poetry” and “living sculptures”, is a rare and     1     (delight) Chinese art form. In a pot no larger than a washbasin, smart craftsmen create a miniature reproduction of a natural scene     2     (use) plants, rocks and even water.

In general, the potted landscapes fall into two     3     (category): potted landscapes composed of plants(potted plants) and those made of stones and water.

The potted plants are made of old, short stumps (树桩) that can be easily changed into a     4     (desire)shape by hanging, binding, de-leafing and grafting (嫁接). Some are made to look like moving beasts, some like flying birds, and others like imaginary animals.

    5     (make) the second form of landscapes, the stones must be carved, chemically changed and arranged in a pretty pan pot dotted with miniature pavilions, bridges, boats, lichen (地衣) and other plants. With the finest workmanship, the elements are arranged to agree with the laws of nature, reflecting the natural scenery with     6     (poet) charm: “ Mountains extending hundreds of miles all     7     (contain) in a pot so small. ”

Making potted landscapes demands painstaking efforts and     8     takes a long time to complete one. Sometimes, a craftsperson devotes all of his/her life to a piece of artwork so later generations can enjoy it to the fullest.

Potted landscapes may be as long as nine meters     9     less than 1 meter. However, the finished product looks heroic and grand,     10     lofty, famous mountains, vast deserts, and endless seas combined and contained into one pot.

The Gansu Jiandu (简牍) Museum in northwest China’s Gansu Province on Sunday launched four online exhibitions related to the ancient Jiandu culture.

“Jiandu” refers to the bamboo and wooden slips on which ancient Chinese people wrote     1     (use) ink and brushes before the invention of paper. Since 1907, over 80,000 slips     2     (unearth), in Gansu province,     3     is particularly abundant in bamboo and wooden slips, contributing to our understanding of ancient Chinese culture and knowledge. These artifacts hold significant historical, scientific, and     4     (art) value.

Additionally, the exhibitions feature high-resolution     5     (image) of the museum’s cultural artifacts, accompanied by detailed text and voice explanations     6     (help) audiences gain a deeper understanding of the items     7     display, said Xu Rui, the museum’s deputy curator. The digital exhibitions also include interactive experiences such as riddle challenges and Jiandu-making games, aiming to attract young visitors, Xu said.

Distinguished as China’s only provincial-level museum focusing on bamboo and wooden slips, the Gansu Jiandu Museum boasts     8    collection of nearly 40,000 such slips     9     (date) back to the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.) and Western Jin Dynasty (265-317). In addition, it     10     (house) more than 10,000 other artifacts, including paper, textiles, woodenware, lacquerware (漆器) and ironware.

Think “art”. What comes to your mind? The artworks created by Janet Echelman look     1     colourful floating clouds when they are lit up at night. People could interact with one of these. Exhibits such as these are certainly new and     2    (excite), but people have different ideas on     3     they are really art or not.

People have been expressing their thoughts and ideas through art for a long time.     4    (do) this, they have used a variety of tools and technologies. Yet Michelangelo and others     5    (label) as “artists”rather than “technicians”. This means that art and technology have always been seen as two very separate things.

Today, however,     6    (technology) advances have led to a combination of art and technology. So more and more people are able to experience a digital version of the artwork. Not only can people interact with art,     7     also take part in its creation, which has also raised questions over its overall quality. And such developments are making the line between art and technology less distinct. Perhaps these advances     8    (bring) us closer to a time when computers rather than humans create art.

    9     technology will take art next is anyone’s guess. But one thing is for sure—with so many artists     10    (explore) new possibilities, we can definitely expect the unexpected.