Young Chinese bring hanfu to the world during Spring Festival

Young people dressed in hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group in China,    1     (spot) in many    2     (locate) around the world during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.

An initiative launched in late January by Xiaohongshu,     3     Chinese lifestyle-focused social media platform, invited users to upload photos or videos of themselves and friends wearing hanfu at landmarks around the world from January 28 to February 19.

The first two weeks of the initiative saw some 10,000 Xiaohongshu users share their photos     4     (take) from around 30 countries and regions around the world. One user even posted photos from Antarctica.

Many young Chinese people working or studying overseas also invited     5     (they) foreign friends to wear     6     (tradition) Chinese costumes to celebrate the Spring Festival together.

Hanfu, as well as other traditional forms of Chinese costume,     7     (experience) a surge in popularity in recent years. Clothes featuring traditional Chinese elements combined with modern designs,     8     are dubbed the “new Chinese style” have developed into a fashion trend among the     9     (young) generations not only in China, but also worldwide.

Analysts say the rise     10     “China chic” reflects young Chinese people’s confidence in their own culture. Wearing Chinese-style costumes not only reflects the wearer’s Eastern temperament, but also presents Chinese aesthetics to the world.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Jianbing has a     1     (long) history than almost any other Chinese street food. It is thought to have originated in Shandong Province during the Three Kingdoms Period (220–280 AD).

Jianbing is one of China’s most popular street breakfasts. The recipe     2     a modern-day jianbing holds fairly closely to this principle. A thick, sticky wad of dough (面团) is quickly spread into a giant pancake, using a thick wooden paddle. While the jianbing cooks, an egg or two are cracked onto its uncooked surface and spread evenly. Then topped with     3     (fine) chopped (剁碎) vegetables, the jianbing     4     (fold) in half like a fan,     5     sweet and spicy layer of sauces spread on the back to taste. And each one is cooked fresh to order on a circular cast-iron grill, just the way that you want it.

The batter (面糊) and fillings     6     (use) in jianbing differ by region. In southern China, the batter might be made from green beans,     7     in Tianjin, they use you tiao (fried dough sticks) rather than fried wontons (馄饨) as filling, calling them jianbing guozi. Other fillings vary too, ranging from Chinese sausage to chopped carrot, chicken, or even—in Shanghai—slices of bacon.

Jianbing     8     (stand) are the simple breakfast architecture of every Chinese city. Every city has its own jianbing vendor serving breakfast     9     dawn through mid-morning,     10     (satisfy) hungry locals on their way to work.

As a new school year begins,     1     (open) your mind to new people and experiences will help you make friends and discover new interests. Being open-minded means trying to understand other people’s thoughts and ideas, trying new experiences and     2     (explore) different ways of doing things.

There are lots of benefits to having     3     open mind. It enables you to learn new things about the world and the people around you. This makes you feel more positive and     4     (confidence) about facing challenges. Besides, having an interest in other people     5     (help) you understand and share their feelings. Being open to fresh ideas can also help develop exciting new ones of your own.

Then     6     can you be more curious and open-minded? Start by asking questions. So if you’re unsure about joining a new club, ask     7     (you) what’s stopping you.     8     (imagine) how it feels to learn a new skill, meet new people and make friends. Don’t jump to a sudden decision but give yourself time to think about it first. If someone says something with     9     you disagree, then instead of deciding they are wrong or arguing back, take a moment to consider why they have that opinion. Finally, open your mind to new ideas. Even if you think you’re an expert on a subject, there is always     10     (much) you can learn.

Goal setting is important to long-term success. Goals help students focus on their journey to a collection of achievements, meaning they make     1    most of their resources and time, and can have motivation (动力) during times when they may feel like giving up.

Writing clear goals into a calendar     2    (give) students something to work and plan toward. When written down, these goals area lasting reminder of     3    students want to achieve. Goal setting even improves    4    (confident) by encouraging determination (决心) through difficult periods and offering a sense of pride when success     5    (final) arrives.

Through goal setting, students learn that hard work and good     6    (habit) are the keys to success. Because     7    this, they discover a level of respect for the determination    8    (require) to achieve further important goals in life. Not only is goal setting important for     9     (help) students get more out of their academic (学业的) experiences, but it also means they will choose     10    (continue) using the same skills in the future to look for a good job or achieve new developments.

Remember the cupping marks on the swimming superstar Michael Phelps at the Rio Olympics? The     1    (shock) red marks opened people’s eyes to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the healing effects of cupping therapy.

Cupping, also termed as “horn method” in ancient China,     2    (become) popular in China for thousands of years. It is one of the physiotherapy (物理疗法)     3    (method) of Traditional Chinese Medicine. When people apply cupping therapy, special cups are heated,     4     helps to create a vacuum (真空) and applied on specific treatment sites.

Cupping therapy has developed alongside TCM theory as part of its strong foundation. TCM believes that the human body     5    (associate) with the dynamic balance of opposites in the form of Yin and Yang. Pain results     6       an imbalance in this unity within the body. Cupping allows for the decongestion (充血) of skin and tissues. Cupping therapy can     7    (effective) stimulate Channels and Collaterals (经络), awaken vital energy and blood circulation,     8     relieve muscle fatigue (疲劳), balancing Yin and Yang.

Due to the continued     9    (develop) of TCM, more and more westerners have come to recognize and accept the healthy treatment concept offered by TCM. At the same time, TCM doctors continue to promote the treatment methods of TCM in every way possible, including through acupuncture, cupping, massages, Qigong, and Tai Chi, all in     10     attempt to prevent disease and improve fitness.

Tanghulu (also known as bingtang hulu) is a traditional Chinese snack consisting of hardened sugar coated fruits on a stick.     1    (classic), tanghulu is made of hawthorns that are rich     2     vitamin C. In recent times, tanghulu makers     3    (add)variety to this traditional snack by using other fruits such as cherries, strawberries, pineapples or grapes.

Tanghulu can taste sweet or sour, depending on your fruit. Traditional tanghulu using hawthorn berries is said to taste like a     4    (combine)of both. You can, of course, make your own Tanghulu using any fruit you desire.

Tanghulu is easier     5     (make)at home than you might think. The trick is to use the correct water to sugar ratio (比例) and boil the sugar water mixture     6     its temperature reaches 150 ℃. Then quickly dip your fruit skewer (扦) into the sugar mixture. This will result in fruit that’s coated in a thin layer of hard candy that cracks when     7    (bite)into.

Tanghulu is commonly eaten in the winter. You can find     8    (travel)traders roaming (游荡) in the streets, selling this unique snack. If you want to try the sticky treat     9     (you), you can find Tanghulu stands near most of the popular tourist attractions in China. Tanghulu isn’t expensive, as a skewer costs only $1. So, what could possibly stop you from giving one     10     try?

Inspired by ancient paintings, Zhang Zening,     1     super big fan of hanfu in Nanjing, decided to study hanfu ten years ago,     2     (change) ancient paintings into wearable pieces.

Since graduating from college, Zhang     3     (spend) a large amount of time doing chemical experiments with different materials. She then began to design different styles of clothing and deal with the printing     4     person. Around 2015, Zhang focused     5     (independent) on the process of hanfu restoration (恢复). In that year, she visited Dunhuang,     6     the beautiful murals (壁画) appealed to her. She eagerly wanted to change them into beautiful clothes. Eight years later, she managed to restore more than 50 sets.

Her extraordinary technique has drawn the interest of young minds, giving them the opportunity to wear historically important     7     (costume) during museum visits.

Zhang observed that in the past, wearing it would attract curious stares, but now it     8     (spot) in the streets often. “I believe there’s no need     9     (push) too hard for the next generation to accept hanfu. As our national costume, hanfu, when appreciated by children for     10     (it) beauty, is likely to be naturally loved.” she said.

Xiao Han and He Ting, are now full-time artists and they run their own studios. They graduated from Shanghai Normal University     1     they majored in traditional Chinese painting,     2     unique ancient art form, which is created by using ink and water-based colors on materials such as paper or silk.

Xiao     3     (use) to creating paintings on round silk fans. His creative     4     (inspire) comes from the pure and simple life of people in the Southern Song Dynasty, “That is the very ideal painting and life style in a busy world     5     I dream of,” says Xiao, who set up a home studio in Shanghai     6     a window allowing him to enjoy the sunrise.

Despite drawing people and life, He Ting, from the coastal city of Xiangshan in Zhejiang Province, decorates the folding fans     7    (feature) paintings that are focused on landscapes. And he loves the views of Jiangnan water towns, which can bring people much     8     (warm).

“We are lucky to be living in a time when the government supports the culture industry     9     (complete). Now the revival(复兴) of traditional Chinese culture     10     (promote) in the whole country. And I believe that artists will get more chances to spread the culture both at home and abroad,” says He Ting.

For thousands of years, the Chinese     1     (use) acupuncture (针灸) to ease pain and treat illnesses. Evolving from the discovery     2     using stone needles on specific points on the surface of the body could get rid of pain and disease, acupuncture has become an     3     (essence) part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in line with the philosophy that promotes the harmonious (和谐的) coexistence of humans with nature. As     4     (document) in Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian about 2,100 years ago, Bian Que, a highly skilled     5     (physic) during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), was famous for having helped a prince to “wake up” after an accident by using needles on the prince’s head.

According to TCM, there are a dozen meridians (经络) in the human body,     6     the qi, or life energy, moves about to help keep the organs healthy. Cold, infections or diseases can result     7     the blocking of this energy, so     8     (stimulate) the acupoints can unblock the “stuck”qi, restore normal blood flow and improve health.

In 2010, UNESCO     9     (include) acupuncture and moxibustion (灸法) of TCM on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Yet, the practice is not just cultural and historical — its a medical technique     10     (wide) used and researched today.

As one of the oldest ethnic groups in China, Yao people are     1     (wide) distributed across the southern part of the country. Every year on the 16th day of the     2     (ten) month of the traditional Chinese calendar, Yao people gather to worship their ancestor-King Pan-through song and dance. This day marks the Panwang Festival, a grand celebration that     3     (symbol) the essence and continuation of Yao traditional culture.

The Panwang Festival has     4     recorded history of more than 1, 700 years. There is a fixed procedure,     5     the first step is to make offerings to Panwang. Altars are set up and idols     6     (hang). After three fires of a musket and a chorus of firecrackers, elders offer sacrifices such as pig heads, sticky rice cakes, chicken, and wine at the altars in front of the idols. People bow their heads in silent prayers as a sign of respect and remembrance.

With no     7     (write) language of their own, the history and culture of the Yao ethnic group have been passed down through the generations orally     8     the form of songs, legends and stories. The “Panwang Song”, also known as the “Great Panwang Song”, is an epic and comprehensive collection of Yao poetry. The song covers a wide range of topics     9     (include) mythology, legends and ancient events, and encompasses everyday aspects of life.

In May 2006, the Panwang Festival was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. The Panwang Festival has evolved beyond being solely a     10     (celebrate) for the Yao people, and it now attracts numerous tourists who come to experience Yao culture during this period.