Wukong, Tiangong, Tianwen… Do you know where the names of Chinese space programs come from?

Wukong, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer satellite (暗物质粒子探测卫星), is named after Chinese superhero Monkey King. According to Journey to the West, Monkey King has a pair of sharp eyes which can tell the difference between good and evil. The Wukong satellite is just as sharp-eyed as Monkey King to help scientists search for dark matter in space.

The name of the space station, Tiangong, means “Heavenly Palace”. In Chinese myths(神话), this is the home of Tian Di. Now Tiangong Space Station is a home for Chinese astronauts in space. And China welcomes foreign astronauts to Tiangong so that they can work together.

Tianwen, China’s Mars missions (任务), gets its name from the poem Tianwen by Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is a well-known poet from ancient China. In Tianwen, he had the questions about the sky, stars, nature, myths and the real world, showing his hunger (渴望) for truth. Perhaps the Tianwen missions will end up answering some of Qu Yuan’s questions.

If you look into more names of Chinese space programs, you will find that they all have beautiful meanings. We, the Chinese people, have a long-cherished (珍藏已久的) space dream. So the naming of Chinese space programs is taken very seriously.

【推荐2】Do you still remember the debate(讨论) between sweet and salty zongzi during Dragon Boat Festival? It seems that the differences between northerners and southerners have always been a popular topic among Chinese. Now another difference has drawn wide attention: The way northerners and southerners shop for food at markets.

People from southern China might say they prefer to buy what they need for just one or two meals. It is normal for them to buy just half a Chinese cabbage, two potatoes and 0.25 kilograms of beef at a time.

However, one may be laughed at if he does this in the north. Instead, buying vegetables and meat enough for a week is usual, reported China Daily.

Also, when you go to the market in the south, you can buy a small amount of fruit, such as an apple or pear. Shop owners even help you peel and cut them. But hardly do shop owners in the north offer such service.

The difference could be because of the different weather.

Food can be kept for a long time in the north, as it is usually cold and dry there. Many northerners have the habit of stocking up（储存）on food.

But because of the hot and wet weather in the south, southern Chinese prefer to buy just enough food for one meal or one day. Otherwise, the food may go bad.

Maybe these debates about differences help us Chinese know more about each other.

Thanks to a TV show, Fu Sheng, a scholar (学者) is no longer a stranger to us. He is a scholar who lived during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Thanks to this scholar, we have the chance to enjoy the great book Shangshu, one of the “five classics (五经)” of Confucianism (儒学).

The TV show is named China in the Classics. The wonderful program was presented (播出) by CCTV. In its first episode (集), the scholar’s story was turned into a play. After watching it, people not only showed great interest, but also were deeply moved by an ordinary man’s efforts to protect and pass on a country’s culture.

It was not an easy task for Tian Qinxin, head of the National Theater of China and the art director of the show, to turn an ancient classic into a one hour stage show that connects with the people of today. However, he made it and the show received high praise from people.

The 11-episode show features (以……为特色) one classic Chinese book of ancient times in each episode, letting rich history shake hands with modern expressions. “Through the classics, we can see the foundations of modern China,” said Tian. “No matter how the human history has developed, they still have a great influence on us. The classics remind us not to forget our past and explain where our cultural confidence (自信) comes from.”

Apple’s first watch can not only tell you the right time, the smart watch also has a set of technology that can collect a lot of health data (数据). When you have been sitting too long, it will “hit” you on the wrist (手腕) 10 minutes before the top of the hour.

“A lot of doctors believe that sitting is new illness.” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said.

Many workers used the Apple Watch first. Then, Apple started selling the Apple Watch in April 2015. “We have a lot of meeting and a lot of workers,” Cook said, “and ten minutes before the hour, the watch will hit you and everybody will start standing up.”

“It took some time to get used to, but it’s actually really excellent.” He said.

Users have the chance to share their health data with doctors. And people believe it makes them healthier.

【推荐3】Recently, because more students use computers for a long time to have online lessons, more of them are feeling eyestrain（眼睛疲劳). A lot of eye doctors have studied this problem and have found ways to solve it. Following their advice will help keep computer users more comfortable.

★Lighting

The light in a room shouldn’t be brighter （明亮的） than that of the computer screen. Maybe in many students’ rooms, however, the light is far brighter than it should be.

★The screen

Many people think that having light letters on a dark background（背景） can cause less eyestrain, but they are wrong. In fact, it is best to have dark letters on a light background.

★Angle（角度） of looking at the computer screen

Students should sit a little higher than the computers so that they are looking down at the computer screens. The top of the monitor（显示器） should not be so high as the top of a student’s head.

★Breaks

If students spend a long time in front of a computer screen, it can cause eyestrain. Students should take a break by looking away from the screen every fifteen or twenty minutes. During that time they should either close their eyes or look at things far away.

【推荐1】Qingming is not only one of China’s 24 solar terms, but also the time for Chinese people to honour their lost family members. Qingming falls in early April of spring when the temperature begins to rise and rainfall increases. It is the right time for spring sowing (春播). At the same time, Chinese people will visit tombs of their ancestors (祖先) around Qingming to pay respect to people who have died. Most of the time the whole family will go together with something like flowers, food or paper money, clean up wild grass around the tombs and pray for family prosperity (兴盛).

A traditional Chinese painting named Riverside Scene on the Qingming Festival was drawn 900 years ago. It shows the prosperous atmosphere and activities on that day. People returned from tomb sweeping with horses and packages in the picture.

Chinese people call themselves the children of the Yan and Yellow emperors. A great ceremony is held on Qingming every year in order to honour the Yellow Emperor, also known as the Xuanyuan Emperor. On this day, the Chinese from all over the world pay respects to this ancestor together. This serves as a reminder of the roots of Chinese people and a chance to revisit the civilization (文明) of our ancestors.

Qingming became a Chinese public holiday in 2008. During the holiday, there is also a popular and relaxing activity—spring outing. The spring sunshine brings everything back to life, and it’s the best time to enjoy the beautiful views outside. The mild temperature and fresh air make spring outing another good choice for those who lead busy modern lives.

Qingtuan, a round green dessert, is one of the must-have foods for the festival. It was originally an offering (供品) to ancestors during Qingming. But it is now regarded as a spring outing snack, especially popular among people living south of the Yangtze River.

In China, the 12th month of the lunar calendar(农历) is called layue. The month is full of interesting festivals and customs.

Laba Festival, which is on the 8th day of layue, is the first festival in this month. From this day on, people begin to get ready for the Chinese New Year.

On Laba Festival, people eat hot laba porridge. There are usually eight things in the porridge: rice, red beans, peas, dried lotus seeds, dates, and three different kinds of fruits and nuts. The porridge is not just good for your health, but a blessing for the coming of the Chinese New Year.

Laba porridge is not the only tasty food in layue. Laba garlic(腊八蒜) is popular in the north. People begin to soak garlic in vinegar from that day on, and eat it with dumplings during the Chinese New Year. While in the south, people like making sausages(腊肠).

Another major celebration before the Spring Festival is xiaonian. The date of this holiday is different according to the location.

Don’t forget to clean your home. This is also an important thing to do to prepare for the Chinese New Year. It means sweeping away the dust of the old year and welcoming a fresh start. Now, the last thing for you to do is to wait for the coming Spring Festival.

【推荐3】The Chongyang Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. It is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar (阴历) month. It’s also called the Double Ninth Festival.

The festival started as early as the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). It has a history of more than 1,700 years. Among the numbers from zero to nine, nine is the highest odd number (奇数). People believe that two “ninths” meeting together stand for a long life. So it is a special holiday for Chinese people to show love and respect (尊敬) for their elders. They hold many kinds of activities in honor of old people to wish them good health and a long life.

The festival comes during the golden time of the fall. On the day, people traditionally drink chrysanthemum (菊花) wine, eat Double-Ninth Cakes and climb mountains. They also carry a kind of plant, and its name is dogwood (茱萸). People in ancient times believed that the plant could drive away evil (邪恶的) spirits and prevent them from catching an illness in winter.