1 . “Stove-boiled tea,” a way of drinking tea, has a strong sense of ritual and the ceremony has become a new favorite. People sit around a charcoal-filled stove, chatting, enjoying desserts, boiling tea while roasting snacks. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But how to roast (烤) snacks? Which ones are suitable? Save this guide and read on!

Niangao

Roasting time: 13-18 minutes

Niangao, or sticky rice cake, is one of the most popular snacks with the stove-boiled tea. Roasted niangao becomes soft and sweet. After it is roasted, you can enjoy it with condiments (调味品) such as brown sugar, white sugar or honey.

Oranges

Roasting time: 3-6 minutes

Roasting oranges is unique. With the rising temperature in the stove, the special smell of orange peel will slowly fill the air, making you feel relaxed. When roasting oranges, make sure they are heated evenly, so that they taste like warm orange juice.

Peanuts

Roasting time: 8-12 minutes

The peanut is a snack that will keep both your hands and mouth busy by shelling and eating. When roasting peanuts, one way to go is to make small cracks on their pods first, and remember to flip (翻面) peanuts to prevent charring (糊).

Chinese Dates

Roasting time: 8-12 minutes

The softness, aroma and sweetness of the Chinese date become even more pronounced after heating. To roast, you could skewer several Chinese dates together, which makes it easier to rotate them at the same time.

After preparing all the snacks, here comes the central figure — tea. Common tea choices include rock tea, aged white tea, Pu’er and black tea. However, if you are up for trying new things, how about fruit tea, flower tea, ginger tea, etc. based on your personal taste preference.

Enjoying boiling tea and roasted snacks on the stove is an interesting lifestyle. In this way, people can get a taste of a slower life and feel more relaxed. But when sitting around a stove and boiling tea, please ensure ventilation (通风), beware of fire and don’t get burnt.

4 . In ancient Greece, festivals were an essential part of their culture. These festivals were celebrated in honor of various gods and goddesses and were a way for people to come together and celebrate their beliefs.

One of the most important festivals in ancient Greece was the Eleusinian Mysteries. This festival was held in honor of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility (丰产). The Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of rituals (仪式) that celebrated the cycle of life and death. Participants would go through a process that involved fasting (斋戒), purification, and secret rituals.

The Dionysia was another significant festival in ancient Greece. This festival was intended for Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and theater. The Dionysia consisted of several days of dinning, drinking wine, and watching plays performed by playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides.

Festivals were not just about honoring gods; they also served as a way for people to come together as a community. During festivals, people would gather in public spaces to socialize, watch performances or sporting events, or participate in religious ceremonies.

In addition to these major festivals, there were many other smaller festivals throughout ancient Greece that celebrated local traditions or honored specific gods or goddesses. These festivals varied from region to region but all shared the common purpose of bringing people together to celebrate their beliefs.

In conclusion, festivals played an important role in ancient Greek culture as they provided opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared culture. These festivals were not just about honoring the gods; they were also a way for people to socialize and participate in community events. The use of festivals as a means of cultural expression is still popular in modern times, and serves as a proof to the enduring treasure of ancient Greece.

5 . 2024 Cambridge Open Days

Join us in July 2024 for our next undergraduate Open Days. Our next undergraduate Open Days will take place on Thursday 4 July and Friday 5 July 2024.

Cambridge Open Days are aimed at prospective applicants from Year 12 (or equivalent) and mature applicants (aged 21 or over), together with their parents or supporters, to help them learn more about the University.

What to expect

During the Open Days you can find out about our courses, the Colleges and departments, university facilities, the application process, student life, and finance.

You can also ask our current staff and students questions about living and studying at the University of Cambridge.

Both days will have a similar programme, with most events running between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm (UK time).

Visit before the Open Days

Visit our events listing page to discover other events including applicant webinars (网络研讨会) and events run by the Colleges and departments.

Many of the College are open to visitors throughout the week, please check with the relevant College before visiting for opening times. If you’d like to meet with a member of admission staff during your visit, please contact one of the Colleges’ admission offices in advance to make an appointment.

If you want to get a feel for Cambridge before you arrive, check out our Virtual Tour and visit Colleges and facilities using our platform.

Booking information for 2024

Bookings for the 2024 Open Days will open in Spring 2024. You will need to register via the online booking form and once registered you will receive a booking confirmation via email. Please note that each prospective applicant can bring a maximum of one guest with them to the Open Day. To keep up-to-date and receive an email once bookings are live, subscribe to our student newsletter.

7 . There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? Here are some recommendations.

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you to go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages. This base is huge but usually crowded.

If you are looking for a deeper panda experience, you can join a panda volunteer program. Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. They take about 1 to 3 days or longer. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围场). At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.

Giant pandas don’t go into winter sleep. You can visit them in all four seasons. Spring and autumn are the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable. If you visit between August and November, you will probably see lovely panda babies.

Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. Grown-up giant pandas in captivity (圈养) usually eat twice a day: early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a. m. to around 2:00 p. m. We recommend you to get to a panda base as early as possible, when it is less crowded and the pandas are at their most active.

10 . 6 Days Small Group Tour from Beijing to Xi’an

Tour Type: Small Group (max 18), guaranteed departures

Guide & Driver: An English-speaking guide, an experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach

Accommodation: 5 nights at good 5-star hotels

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Welcome your arrival anytime at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2: Beijing

· Visit the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City including the Treasure Gallery;

· Enjoy à la carte (按菜单点菜) welcome lunch with authentic Peking Duck;

· Further explore royal culture at the Yonghe Temple and the Temple of Heaven;

· Watch Peking Opera and see artistic face painting.

Day 3: Beijing

· Visit the Great Wall by a round-trip cable car;

· Visit the Bird’s Nest;

· Take a rickshaw ride through hutong alleys and visit a local family in a traditional courtyard house.

Day 4: Beijing to Xi’an by flight

· Visit the Panda Hall and the Summer Palace;

· Taste local flavors for lunch;

· Fly to Xi’an and transfer to a hotel.

Day 5: Xi’an

· Visit Terracotta Army and the discoverer’s home;

· Have a unique experience to make your own mini clay warrior (陶俑);

· Continue to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda;

· Enjoy a dumpling dinner and the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Day 6: Departure from Xi’an

· Connect with local people at the City Wall Park and learn to practice tai chi from amaster, then visit the City Wall;

· Taste local flavors for lunch;

· Take a taxi to the airport by yourself.

A pleasant onward journey!

· $1,059 per person

Includes:

· Domestic airfare

· Hotel accommodation with breakfasts

· The à la carte lunches as route specifies

· Professional English-speaking guides

· Drivers & air-conditioned vehicles

· Entrance fees to tourist sites

· Tips or gratuities for hotel doormen

Excludes:

· International airfares

· Entry visa fees

· Personal expenses

· Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers