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Chinese culture has great attraction for people both at home and abroad. We have seen many people from around the world express their love for Chinese culture in different forms. A growing number of foreigners have even chosen to live in China for its culture.

Interested in Chinese classical literature, Canadian artist Brandon Collins-Green or Lin Buran in Chinese expresses his understanding of A Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin and Chinese poems through thousands of paintings. Often painting throughout the night, he has created more than 4,200 works. Living alone in the center of Nanchang, he has come a long way since he first came here in 2015 to study ancient Chinese literature.

Brandon loves learning about the lifestyle of ancient Chinese people. “So far, I have read the novel three times, translated most of its poems, songs, lantern riddles (谜语), and dialogues into English, and completed over 1 million words of articles and 2,000 related paintings during my PhD studies,” said Brandon with pride and satisfaction.

Timur Kuvatov, director-general and editor-in-chief of the Kazakhstan Today News Agency, is a Chinese kung fu fan. He has won kung fu championships a lot of times and also served as a coach for the Kazakhstan kung fu team. “Chinese kung fu is a treasure of Chinese culture. It is not just a sport but also reflects the Chinese way of dealing with people, their understanding of life, nature, and the world,” he said.

Vincent Cazeneuve, known as Wensen Qi in Chinese, is a French artist devoted to lacquer (漆器) creation. He came to live in Chongqing in 2009. His works have been shown in art institutions both in and outside of China, and his fans have even collected some of them.

What is the charm of Chinese culture that attracts these people? It lies in its richness and openness. Also its cultural background differences make foreigners curious about the lifestyles, way of thinking, and values of the country.

People often shake hands or hug after they haven’t seen each other for a long time. But this year, people need to keep their distance (距离) from each other because of the coronavirus outbreak.     1    In Quzhou, Zhejiang, 117 schools have asked their students to bow (作揖) to others as a way of greeting.

“Bowing with your hands folded (交叉) in front of you is a traditional way to greet people, say goodbye and show respect.     2    ” said Deng Liguang, a professor (教授) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

    3    Boys must put their left hand over their right hand and clench (紧握) their right hand near their chest (胸部). Girls do the same, but vice versa (right hand over the left). The top part of the body should be bent at an angle (角度) of 30 to 45 degrees.

“    4    But when I bow to my teachers and doorkeepers, they’re happy and bow to me in return. I feel respected by others, too.     5    ” said Yang Bingqing, 14, a junior student from Quzhou.

Paper-cutting is a Chinese folk art with a long history. The earliest paper cuts date back to the 4th century in China. In 2002, UNESCO listed China’s paper-cutting as a world cultural heritage (遗产). In Chinese culture, paper cuts are the symbol of happiness and good luck, and they have been used for decoration and design patterns (图案) throughout history.

Paper cuts used for decoration are often seen on windows and gates. They are usually put up during holidays to bring good luck. The Chinese character Fu means good luck and it is often stuck on front doors upside down. It is believed that when Fu is put upside down, happiness arrives. The image of a fish often appears together with Fu, which shows we will have more than enough money to spend.

Paper cuts are also used on presents. People use Fu to wrap (包装) presents to bring good luck to others. A present for parents with new-born babies might show a paper cut of children. In some designs, we can see a baby on a lotus flower. The name of this design is “lian sheng gui zi”, which means we wish that the parents would have more children.

The image of a baby on an animal is popular as well. This animal is called “qi lin”, which is believed to have the power to bring children to the family. Paper cuts that show the Chinese character of double happiness are often used to celebrate weddings. People use them to decorate such occasions (场合) by putting them on walls, windows, doors and even furniture.

Another kind of paper cuts are those used to make design patterns on clothing, such as the Chinese Fu, the image of dragon and flower patterns. They are very popular choices for clothes to wear. They are also sometimes used to decorate jewelry boxes.

In the past, paper-cutting was all done by hand. Even a small mistake during the process can ruin (毁掉) the whole piece of work. Now there are factories for paper-cutting in China and paper-cutting has also changed from decoration to a kind of art.

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①The history of paper-cutting.

②The purposes of using paper-cutting.

③The occasions paper-cutting used in.

④The problems modern paper-cutting faces.

⑤The symbols of the images in paper-cutting.

【推荐3】Experts agree that regularly sitting for a long time can have serious health result, including high blood pressure, increased blood sugar, and weight gain. So how can we stay fit when work or school requires sitting for most of the day? Let’s go through some simple exercises you can do at your desk.

Even just 30 minutes of exercise a day benefits your overall health. These “deskercises” can help you stay fit without ever having to leave your work space!