The history of tea begins with Shennong. Legend said that tea was discovered by Shennong in 2,732 B.C. by accident. At the beginning, tea was used as a medicine to make people stay awake. Tea became a wider drink in people’s everyday life in the Tang Dynasty. A lot of tea trees were planted in many places and the tea culture developed fast. The Song Dynasty is another important period for the development of tea. Tea became a symbol of spirituality (精神) and books, poems, and paintings about tea were popular in the whole country. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, people could plant tea trees freely. There were more kinds of tea including green tea, flower tea, oolong tea and black tea. The making process of tea had been improved and it also influenced the drinking styles of tea.
Over the long history of tea drinking, a special Chinese tea culture formed. When we talk about Chinese tea culture today, we shouldn’t miss Lu Yu, “the Sage of Tea” for his achievements in Chinese tea culture. Lu Yu wrote Cha Jing between 760 and 780. The book describes early Tang Dynasty tea culture and explains how to grow and prepare tea.
Tea culture has come a long way and continues to be a valuable tradition. Tea is always made and offered to a guest or friend in China. Serving tea is more than a matter of politeness, it is a symbol of togetherness and a sharing of something enjoyable.
Tea has played an important role in shaping the traditions and customs of many cultures. For example, in Europe, tea has become a beloved cultural tradition, and the tradition of afternoon tea remains a popular part of European culture.
1. What was tea used as at the beginning?
2. Please fill in the two blanks in the timeline.
3. What is Cha Jing mainly about?
4. Why do Chinese people like serving the guests tea? (One reason is OK.)
5. According to the two paintings, how do people probably feel during tea time?
6. If you’re working on a project on tea, which topic are you most interested in? Why?
| A. help B. at C. steps D. and E. by F. popular |
Creating paintings with different kinds of grain is known as grain painting (粮画). It has made a small village in Hebei Province
Shoudong Village in Hebei Province developed 11 grain painting companies
According to the records, local people have been creating paintings with grain since the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They use different kinds of grain and seeds as materials in different
Many local people make more money
The year 2024 celebrates the Chinese Year of the Dragon. It is respected as a
Chinese people respect the dragon, and even see themselves as the descendants (后代) of the dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of power and good luck. People believe it controls the water and brings a good harvest. So they
But how did the dragon become one of the twelve
To show great respect towards the dragon, Dragon Dance
The dragon is not just an animal in the Chinese zodiac, it’s also a powerful symbol that is rooted (根植)
4 . Calligraphy (书法), in English, means the art of producing beautiful hand-writing using special pens or brushes. Chinese calligraphy is a traditional form of writing characters with a long history that is about 1,000 years.
There are five main kinds of traditional Chinese calligraphy. They are zhuanshu, lishu, kaishu, xingshu and caoshu. Through centurics of practicc, Chinese calligraphy can be seen on the walls of offices, shops, hotels, and houses. Calligraphy isn’t only popular among the Chinese. Picasso, the world-famous master of art, once said, “If I once lived in China, I must have become a calligrapher rather than a painter.”
Art has no borders (边界), right? Well, practicing Chinese calligraphy needs basic instruments. They are brush, inkstick (墨), paper, and inkstone (砚). We Chinese call them the “Four Treasures of the Study”. It’s impossible for everyone to become a master of Chinese calligraphy. But practicing it more often is really useful and helpful. First, you can learn hand-writing to improve your understanding of Chinese characters. Next, it is believed that calligraphers enjoy a long life because the practice is a good form of physical training. Besides, you have to get concentrated and have a peaceful mind when practicing it. This way, you will get improved and your worries will be gone.
Some primary schools offer lessons to teach students Chinese calligraphy. There are also clubs of Chinese calligraphy started by calligraphy lovers. Chinese calligraphy is an important part of our traditional culture. We should pass on this kind of classical culture.
Calligraphy is a Chinese |
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| A. Shanghai Film Museum is a good choice for movie lovers. It has all kinds of cameras. You can enjoy 4D films and IMAX films. B. National Military (军事) Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday. There are all kinds of real war weapons. You can see them in a short distance. C. National Museum of Chinese Writing is a must-go place for the visitors who want to know more about the development of Chinese characters. It shows works collected from different handwriting competitions. D. The Sanxingdui Museum is in Sichuan Province. It tells the culture of ancient China 3,400 years ago. It won’t let you down. E. China National Tea Museum is a good place for tea lovers. You can not only buy and taste tea there, but also learn to make tea with tea art performers. F. The Palace Museum is located in Beijing. It was the home of the emperors in Ming and Qing Dynasties. You can learn a lot in it. G. Beijing Art Museum is a popular place for art lovers. It has some new shows this month. They are all free. You can book the ticket on its website. |
make happy when the family for celebrate they different answer afraid and |
Lanterns have a long history in China. They were invented in the Han Dynasty and were mainly used
Lanterns are usually
The lantern shows this year mostly take the dragon as the theme (主题). For example, the Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou created a strong
Nowadays, lanterns can also be seen all around
7 . Zigong, in Sichuan Province is home to Chinese lanterns. Zigong lantern is known as the best lantern in the world. The Zigong Lantern Festival dates back to the Tang Dynasty. The festival has rapidly developed with traditional culture and modern technologies. In 2008, the Zigong Lantern Festival was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage(国家级非物质文化遗产), becoming a shining name card for Chinese culture to go out into the world.
“Making a huge lantern for exhibition requires 17 steps,” said Wan Songtao, an inheritor (传承人) of Zigong lantern-making. “Each step is finished by a team instead of a single maker.” Wan added. The sundial (日晷), a kind of lantern, made by Wan’s team, for example, took about 80 makers over 50 days to complete the whole process. Unlike the lanterns in other places, Zigong lanterns use modern technologies such as AI, mechanical engineering (机械工程), and holography (全息摄影术). They are perfect combinations (结合) of lights, sounds and movements.
What’s more, the theme of the lantern can be chosen in different ways. “Anything that can be designed on a lantern can make a wonderful show, and everyone is encouraged to turn their ideas into real works,” said Zhang Fanglai, a leading researcher at the Colorful Lantern Museum of China. And the rich themes of Zigong lanterns show the spirit of creativity and warmth from the bottom of the local people’s heart.
The government encourages local people to learn lantern-making widely. Without doubt, at the heart of the Zigong Lantern Festival’s success is the local tradition of pulling together. Zigong lanterns are getting more and more popular. Driven by the collective efforts of the whole city, they have reached over 80 countries. It’s believed that Zigong lanterns will reach every corner of the world in the future.
| A．Cao Cao. | B．Li Bai. | C．Tao Yuanming. | D．Cao Zhi. |
①Holography is a kind of traditional technology.
②It’s hard for makers to complete a huge lantern for exhibition.
③Zigong lanterns are different from the lanterns in other places.
④The workers of Zigong lantern making work together in a team.
| A．①②③ | B．①④ | C．②③④ | D．②③ |
| A．The rich themes of Zigong lanterns. |
| B．The long history of Zigong lanterns. |
| C．The excellent inheritors of Zigong lanterns. |
| D．The modern technologies of Zigong lanterns. |
| A．People in Zigong. | B．Zigong lanterns. |
| C．The makers of Zigong lanterns. | D．Many museums. |
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A． | B． |
C． | D． |
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Quanzhou is a city with a special custom: wearing zanhua, beautiful flowers in the hair. It has a
9 . There are many festivals around the world. Dads have Father’s Day. Mums have Mother’s Day. But do our grandparents have a
The Double Ninth Festival is a
Respecting old people is a tradition in China. There are many ways for Chinese people to
Westerners also respect old people. For holidays, families usually get together at the grandparents’ homes. A great smile and a warm hug are enough for grown children to show
| A．house | B．festival | C．factory |
| A．boring | B．simple | C．special |
| A．love | B．pain | C．hope |
| A．express | B．explain | C．expect |
| A．stand for | B．stand up | C．stand out |
| A．richest | B．tallest | C．oldest |
| A．offer | B．lend | C．sell |
| A．Whatever | B．However | C．Whenever |
| A．sadly | B．easily | C．alone |
| A．their | B．his | C．her |
Fan Liyun is a Chinese teacher. She works at the Confucius Institute (孔子学院) at
Last year, she offered a course on Chinese tea culture. It
Fan and her students got together
In the future, Fan hopes
